PLAYER:    Peter M. Pedersen
LOCATION:    Taastrup, Denmark
CHARACTER NAME:    Thorgeir Gunnarson
CHARACTER TITLE:
RACE:    Icelandic Viking (Father from Sogn in Norway)
AGE:     23 (884ad)
PROFESSION:     Shepherd
BIRTHPLACE:    Sogn, Norway
OCCUPATION:    Sailor/Warrior
RELIGION:    Frey (other deities are also used on occasion e.g. Thor)
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:    A large man (6' 1" tall and 2' 6" across the 
shoulders). His long blond hair is tied with a leather knot and his 
beard is kept short. He wears a dark pair of leather trousers and a 
thick hide of sheepskin. A large axe on the back and a birchen staff 
in the hand. Around the neck hangs a hammer made of pewter in a 
leather string.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES:    The special thing about him is that he 
never shouts in battle, combined with his agility the last thing an 
enemy often hear is the whistle of the axe through the air and the 
crack of the bone or skull.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:    As the 4th son of a Norwegian farmer, 
Thorgeir was given the responsibility of herding the sheep. He spend 
the lonely weeks in the mountains, often 3 day's march from home, 
practising warfare. As a youngster he used the crook as a 
quarterstaff and later (at the age of 12) he was given a axe from his 
older brother, Flokí, who wanted him to have a man´s weapon.
     It was at this time his father, Gunnar Thorvaldson, first heard 
news of Floki Vilgerdarson's journey to Gardarsholmi (Gardar's 
Island), and 2 years later he gathered his family, sold his farm, and 
followed Ingolfur Arnarson across the sea to island Floki had renamed 
Iceland.
     Gunnar sailed around Iceland's south side and up by the western 
side until he came to the fiord, that Hrafnfloki (Floki Vilgerdarson 
had a couple of ravens with him to Iceland) had named Isafjordur. 
There he began building a new home for him and his family.
     Beside of helping with the settling, Thorgeir still had the 
responsibility for the sheep they had brought with on the two 
longboats. And here the job was more troublesome, since the sheep was 
not accustomed to the Icelandic nature. Thorgeir often had to carry 
or drag some sheep, that had bewildered themselves. Carrying the 
stray sheep back to the flock builded his muscles (his shoulders in 
particular) and the many years alone in the mountains gave him a 
suppleness, that was rare for a man of his size.
     When reached his 16 th. summer his father let him sail with his 
older brothers, Steinar and Kol. Their purpose was to raid the Irish 
coast, not an outstanding succes. During a raid Kol was killed by an 
irishman and seven more of the crew went to Valhalla that day. 
Thorgeir, who wasn't allowed to participate in the fight, surprised 
all by chopping of the head of his brother's slayer. Nobody had 
noticed him sneaking up on the Irishman. The fortune of battle turned 
to favor the vikings and the remaining Irish fled over the hills. In 
the years after, Thorgeir was sure to be found on a longboat sailing 
from Iceland in the early summer.
     In 880 Flokí and Thorgeir sailed out for Norway to visit their 
father´s brother, Gisle, who had a farm in Sogn. After a few weeks, 
Thorgeir had a fight with Gisle´s only son, Runolf, who had to spend 
four weeks in bed with a broken jaw. To avoid more fights within the 
family, Thorgeir sailed to Denmark with a Norwegian trader. He 
followed the trader through Denmark for several months until they 
came to Lejre, where Thorgeir parted company from the ship and the 
trader returned to Sogn. 
     Wanting to find a way that might bring him back to Iceland 
before winter, Thorgeir sailed with a merchant to Orkney where he was
convinced to stay and help him make a profit from the isles with his
cargo of Danish luxuries. In such a way he wintered and is now deep 
in the next summer, waiting for a ship bound for Iceland.
FIVE ADJECTIVES THAT CAPTURE YOUR CHARACTER:    Strong, Agile, Quiet,
Patient, Honest
FIVE BEST SKILLS:    Stealth, Axe, Running, Seamanship, Swimming
PRIVILEGED WEAPON:    Great Axe
SECONDARY WEAPON:    Quarterstaff
NEXT OF KIN:    Gunnar Thorvaldsson (father, 54), Lára Leífsdottír 
(mother, 47), Flokí Gunnarsson (brother, 30), Steinar Gunnarsson 
(brother, 27), Kol Gunnarsson (brother, dead), Gisli Thorvaldsson 
(uncle, 50), Runolf Gislasson (cousin, 25)
ADDITIONAL NOTES:    He was born on winter solstice during a stormful 
night and thus named after the god of thunder. 7 years later he was 
given a symbol, the pewter hammer, by visiting traveller, who were 
fascinated by the story of his birth.