Ingvar Shield-Biter Kolsson A tall man with several missing bottom teeth, Ingvar is a semi-berserk with an over-fondness for ale, which makes him a little lazy. He sometimes sports an imperious attitude, though rarely shirks a fight. He wears a leather surcoat and carries a leaf-bladed spear and a sword. His shield is gold rimmed. He wears a coat made of polar bear fur. Plentiful necklaces and armbands surround his neck and limbs. Swede.Tryggvi "Battle-Tooth" Hakonarson A light complexioned young Norwegian. Blonde goatee. He wields sword and shield or scramasax.
Ljudevit "Stamper" Hakonarson A swarthy man raised in Norway, Slav born. He wields sword and axe, sometimes at the same time. A wolfskin jacket now adorns his body, along with gold and amber necklaces, silver rings and a gold-studded headband.
Wihtgar, Oisc's son An energetic and often-grinning Jutish man. Though he appears physically a little older, he is only in his early twenties, with unruly pale blonde hair and a wiry blonde beard. He wears a distinctive striped leather corslet of armour and a cloak lined with blue Irish linen. On his hands are several gold wrings and wristbands of silver, gold and enamel-work. The axe is his main weapon.
Hromund Illugasson Hromund is a young man hailing from Tune in the Østfold. He has dusty blonde hair in a thick braid and a beard marred only by a scar at one side of his chin. He plays the wooden flute quite alot and has a capricious, hearty nature. While this can be inappropriate at times, his spirit seems indomitable. An experienced seaman, he carries an axe only.
Leidolf Hoskuldsson A middle-aged man, solidly built, with a silver stripe in his beard and short-cut, balding hair. He wears leather armour sewn with a few iron rings, wields a sax, spear and carries a shield. He hails from near Fauske in Halogaland, working as a hunter and occasional problem solver. A fine engraved armband enjoys pride of place on his right limb, a gift from Ketil Gormsson.
Kjartan Haraldsson Half-Irish son of a Hebridean berserk, Kjartan takes pride in his nice long straight black hair. He is missing an ear. With his shield, he wields a precious axe and a gold-embossed spear. Gold and amber decks his throat. Thin gold chain fastens his hair and several thick bands are on his wrists.
Bran Ormstunga Sigurdarson A half-Irish, half-Danish skald and reputed priest of Frey. He carries a harp and wears a pair of camelskin pants. Married to Wulfgar's daughter Godive, an auburn-haired Angle lass. He is sworn to kill Konstantin Karlsson. His sword is gem-hilted with a fine steel blade. An expensive cloak and a belt of silver plates show his recent-won riches. A few finger rings and bracelets are also on show, along with a Celtic-style neck torc.
Kjarval mac Torstein A slim, capable man with dark hair and a trimmed ginger beard, blue eyes and tanned seaman's skin. One of Grimnir's men.
Maddad Arnleifsson A Scottish sailor with dark hair slightly grey at the temples, a cropped black beard and drooping moustaches. He wields a long-handled axe and round shield.
Ulfgeir Sigtryggsson Despite returning to the sea-road at an age when most men are awaiting death in their beds, Ulfgeir is a powerfully-built old polar bear with plenty of strength despite his paunch. Spear, axe and shield. Dane.
Vestein Vemundarson Although older than most, Vestein still has a full head of brown hair, a thick moustache and beard and most his teeth. He carries a barbed fighting spear and a long sax and a shield painted with a red raven.
Vebjorn Vesteinsson The son of Vestein, Vebjorn is a tall, broad-shouldered but lanky young man, excellently skilled at spear-throwing and running along the oars. He wears leather armour, carries an axe, spear and a worn-looking shield.
Ferchu Dala-Kolgrimsson The son of an Irish woman and a Norse marauder well known at that time, Ferchu is a wild, heathenish-looking man gone Viking. Tall but skinny, his face and ash brown head is shaved except at the back where it grows exceedingly long and knotted. He carries a whorled shield, spear, throwing axe and falchion cleaver.
Maran mac Uachtar A loping, broad-shouldered inland Gael with a wolfskin cloak, shaggy dark hair and thick a chieftain-like moustache. A smoldering, ill-disposed man with a chip on his shoulder. He wields a broadsword and a dagger.
Vermund A lean man, aged 30, with a curly, mangy red beard and cheerful blue eyes. He wields the sword and the axe.
Gellir “Greybeard” Skalla-Thordarson A fair-looking, mousy-haired young man from Trelleborg, Gellir carries a bow, sword and a hand axe (no shield). His beard is a natural grey-brown thus earning him his nickname.
Isleif Halfdansson A high born, dark-haired Dane with rosy cheeks that have earnt him a reputation as both a lady’s man and yet also less than a hardened warrior. He wears costly clothes and a chainmail vest. A beautifully crafted sword hangs from his shoulder.
Hrut Audunarson Hailing from Shetland, Hrut is by no means the slow-moving, stiff and half-frozen fellow he appears to be. His mannerisms are that he takes his time to react, often looking a little startled, which is compounded by his owlish, blue-eyed expression. He has a long blonde beard frosted with white hairs. A carpenter by trade. He wields spear and shield, and has an ornate leather coat he wears only in battle.
Hrossbjorn Vidarsson A tall, sunny-complexioned young warrior, equipped like a professional warrior despite his age. Fair-haired and blue-eyed, Hrossbjorn idealises the warrior's life sometimes at personal expense. He wears a mail coat, carries spear, shield and sword.
Rune Ormsson Once a ship's captain (of the King's Otter) and retainer of Halfdan of Lejre. He is a ginger-bearded man with gilt helmet and is an excellent rider. Once he bore the title, Thane of Bjarnarshlid.
Owain ap Cadlew A dark-featured sailor, lithe of figure yet broad-shouldered. He has a serious, tentative demeanour except when in the company of close friends. He employs a shortsword and sometimes a hooked spear, and doesn’t wear armour or use a shield.
Glam Sturlusson The once-bodyguard of Jarl Sogur of Sweden, then his widow Katla, Glam’s now his own man again after Katla and her daughter were captured and enslaved by Danish King Sigurd’s men. Glam is a large, experienced man, fairly simple-minded, loyal, though pragmatic. He now sports a wedge-shaped indentation on his forehead where Rapp felled him with a swordstroke.
ACCOMPANYING KETIL
Grani Krakasson Once a strong-looking man of serious disposition, his dark forked beard and brown hair, silvered at the temples, are unruly and wild. Large in frame and tall, he has a slightly stooped posture. Neglect for his own physical welfare means he is quite dirty and bedraggled. Though strong, his body is thin from scant eating. Under the dirt, his complexion is pale. Anything he wears quickly turns into rags. He has an axe, spear and shield, and a sax with a silver blade. Cursed, Grani's mind seems to have recently given out again.
Geirstein Onundarson A heavyset Norwegian with only one leg, and dirty blonde hair. He once wielded a two-handed axe in warfare. Now he relies either on a spear, or a fine sword with an ivory hilt. The ex-mercenary also wears gold and silver bracelets on his arms and a jewelled thumb-ring.
Jarp Karsson A hefty pirate of middle years, his left eye reduced to a permanent squint by an old scar. He carries an axe he calls "Christ-Bane," and a spear made from greenish pine. On his arms the crafty pirate wears considerable wealth in the form of gold and silver rings. He is from Sodermanland.
Vidkunn A Scots-Norse slave, gifted by Einar of Orkney to Ketil. The thrall seems to have a perpetual headcold. He has a receding hairline and a patchy beard that is never grown long at all. He is pale, watery-eyed and his hair is grey-blonde. He is an expert navigator, and possesses other skills.
AND THE LADIES. . .
Hrefna A young, round-faced woman with long ashen hair and wide blue eyes. A Fauske native, now Thorvald’s wife.
Geirhild Sigurd's-wife, Tokesdottir A few years shy of thirty, with a weathered look to the strong, clear lines of her face. Her chestnut hair is dull and her eyes an unremarkable blue, but with her freckles and high forehead she makes for an attractive woman. Sigurd Widowmaker's widow and taken by Sven Torkelsson.
Svanhild Gislasdottir Daughter of Geirhild Tokesdottir and her first husband Gisli Bright-Head. She is a slim, coltish girl born in 868ad. Her medium-length hair is light brown, her eyes a deeper hazel colour. Like her mother she is freckled and has a high forehead, giving her face an attractive edge.
Godive Wulfgarsdottar Daughter of the English thane Wulfgar, wife of Bran Sigurdarson. She is an auburn-haired woman of some beauty, mother of Bran's child.
Godbjorg Ospaksdottir Godfrida's younger, slightly less hardened sister. She strongly resembles her sibling in all except that she has brown eyes and is slightly shorter. As well as being a sorceress, she is a skilled artisan, and her gifts often come with dweomered abilities.
Godfrida Ospaksdottir The eldest of two sisters, she is the widow of Froki Gormsson, now betrothed to Ketil Gormsson and mother of his child Gorm (Froki having been infertile). Buxom, blonde and blue-eyed, Godfrida is an accomplished witch; mature, far-seeing and pragmatic.
Ormhild Glumsdottir A very slender young woman, with ash-brown curly, almost frizzy hair. She is the orphan of the farmer Glum, out of Norway. Her affections lie somewhere between Geirstein the One-Legged (her husband) and Sigurd Smith (the father of her son Grettir).
AND THE BAIRNS. . .
Sionnan Ni Bhrán The daughter of the skald and Frey-priest Bran Ormstunga Sigurdsson, child of Godive Wulfgarsdotta. Born at Lejre at the start of spring, 881.
Gorm Ketilsson The son of Nidhogg's captain Ketil Gormsson, child of Godfrida Ospaksdottir. Gorm was born at Lejre at the start of spring, 881.
Asa Guttormsdottir The young fosterling of Godfrida Ketil’s-wife, born in 875ad. She is a cute, shy little girl with slightly curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Her father was killed in revenge by Nidhoggsmen and Godfrida herself in Grobin.
Thorir Thorvaldarson The son of Thorvald the Sour and Hrefna of Halogaland. Born (end) 882ad. Club footed.
Grettir Sigurdarson The dark-featured child, son of Ormhild and Sigurd Smith. Born 883ad.
Gram Ketilsson The child of Ketil Gormsson and Godbjorg Ospaksdottir, named in honour of the man who gave his life to save Ketil in Grobin. Gram is a dark-featured, grey-eyed child, born 884ad (spring).