Firrol the Barkhorn Lore: Official Story
Legend has it that a single tree stands atop the crown of the world, in the Winterlands. The stories claim that it is an immense fir, taller than almost any tower. How it came to be there, in the frozen tundra, far from the evergreen forests of the southern regions is unknown. Many believe that it was planted by Sir Nicholas himself, though why he might have done so is a mystery. What is known is that the tree has a defender… a single lonely sentinel, who stands watch over the Winterlands. Such is the tale of Firrol the Barkhorn.
How Firrol came to be in the Winterlands is as much a mystery as the origin of the great tree that he is connected with. The most common claim is that he was born there, grown from a fir sapling taken from the Mistwood by Sir Nicholas, so that he might aid in the Lightbringer’s duties. Some state that Firrol came to those forbidding lands from the Mistwood of his own volition, following the unique Rhythm of the great tree planted by Sir Nicholas. Regardless of the reasons, he has taken it upon himself to become a guardian not just of the tree, but of the Winterlands themselves.
The tree that Firrol is said to guard is supposedly lit by a thousand candles, which never gutter out, no matter how the wind howls. Its roots are said to reach all the way to the Waters of Life, though whether this is true or not only Sir Nicholas, or perhaps the Arbiter, knows. Some believe that Sir Nicholas planted it so that it might act as a light in a place of such total darkness. Others insist that the Lightbringer planted the tree on the advice of the Sylvan Watchers of the Mistwood, that it, in some way, acts to strengthen the Rhythm which guides them.
Perhaps that is why Firrol came, though none can say for sure as he is not the most talkative of beings. Indeed, few have ever even seen him up close – often he is little more than a shadow glimpsed amid the furious snows. There are many tales of Firrol’s wanderings across the Winterlands, and while in many he is a heroic figure, lending aid to explorers or rescuing lost travelers, in others he is a more terrifying force, a nightmarish spirit of winter and wood. He is the darkness at the fire’s edge and the howl of the arctic wind. Whatever the story, when seen his appearance is the same: a towering figure covered in evergreen branches and thick bark, topped by an immense pair of antlers, with a great number of bells hanging from his arboreal form. The latter herald his coming, and their clangor can be heard for leagues in all directions.
It is unclear if he goes about his duties with the approval or instruction of Sir Nicholas, but on more than one occasion Firrol has been noted in the company of the legendary Reinbeasts, who are said to serve the ancient Lightbringer. In battle, Firrol is a juggernaut, striding across the field and smashing aside enemies with great sweeps of clawed hands – few foes can resist his immense strength. Besides that, as wind passes over his leaves, bark, and bells, it creates a terrifying and disorienting cacophony his enemies hear, but which he filters through the Rhythm for his allies to render it into a heart-stirring symphony that bolsters their resolve and courage.
Firrol has many great battles to his credit; in the forgotten Norr settlement of Rimestone, his sudden arrival ensured the survival of a band of Human and Dwarven treasure-hunters beset by a pack of savage Frost-hounds and their Demonspawn master. Farther south, he slew the legendary Icebear, Kazrakag, when the malign creature had chosen a camp of Norr reindeer herders for its prey. But perhaps his greatest feat is his unending battle against the ancient Demonspawn known as Perkas Childeater. Perkas is said to haunt the southern Winterlands, preying on the children of the few remaining Norr inhabitants, or else trying to destroy the great tree that stands in the north. Whether the abomination does these things out of malice, or because he is commanded to do so by Siroth, none know. He is a fell thing; horned and hoofed, with claws of iron, wrapped in chains that forever steam with the heat of Anathraad. Some believe that he was unleashed by Siroth to bedevil Sir Nicholas, bringing woe and despair where the Lightbringer strives to bring hope.
Firrol has battled Perkas many times over the centuries. He has defeated the Demonspawn more than once, but Perkas always returns. Their conflict has ranged from one end of the Winterlands to the other, with no clear end in sight.
Yet, so long as Firrol stands, so too shall the great tree. So say the tales.