Arn
| Arn | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Race | Human |
| Birthplace | The Second Far Clan, Cridhe |
| Lifetime | War with Phyrexia |
| Born | c. 4050 AR (Year 506 of the Parting) |
| Parents | Drake |
Arn was a boy of the Second Far Clan who was abducted by raiders from Inys Nohr as a child.[1]
History
Arn was born with one misshaped shoulder, making him unsymmetrical, the joint thin and pinched. After he was brought to Inys Nohr, he got into an argument with Nazir, who slammed him against the wall, snapping the already weak joint. This injury of his shoulder compounded his lopsidedness, although the pain eventually subsided. Afterward, Arn did not hold any loyalty toward Nazir, though he pretended to be weak and subservient.
When the hunter Jedhian and the Nohrish warrior Lorris, daughter of the disgraced and executed captain RoNal, planned their escape from Inys Nohr, Arn chose to aid them. His decision was spurred by gratitude toward RoNal, one of the few in Nazir’s service who had shown him kindness. With the new Keeper of Inys Haen, Aylith, gravely wounded and carried away by the elf Feryar, the three fugitives stole a boat and fled down the River Sobus, the waterway formed by the Parting that had split the land centuries before.
Though their escape was successful, Arn knew that without reinforcements, any attempt to confront Nazir would be futile. He resolved to seek an alliance with the Far Clans, a scattered and fiercely independent people who had long resisted the Felonarch’s rule. Crossing the bitter wastes, he made contact with several clans and pleaded for their aid. Yet many distrusted him, seeing only a crippled youth and a former servant of the enemy.
It was with the Third Clan that Arn’s mission nearly failed. The Albion Morkin, secretly undermining all efforts to bright light to the world, provided Arn with false directions, leading him instead to an icy marsh teeming with widowweeds. Lost and near death, Arn was rescued at the last moment by Feryar, who guided him back to safety. Emboldened by this near-miraculous deliverance, he pressed onward and ultimately succeeded in allying. The Far Clans, stirred by his determination, gathered their warriors and marched toward Inys Haen.
As Nazir’s remaining forces occupied the ruins of Inys Haen, the Far Clans descended upon them, forcing the Nohrish soldiers into a desperate stand. It was during this final confrontation that Aylith, now fully healed and prepared for her role as Keeper, ambushed the Felonarch. Though she had the chance to end him, Jedhian persuaded her to take him prisoner instead, believing that his life could be used as leverage to end the war.
The plan nearly succeeded. Arn stood at the head of the Far Clans as they presented the captured Felonarch, demanding the surrender of the Nohrish troops in exchange for their leader’s life. Yet Nazir, ever cunning, broke free and fled into the frozen wilderness. This act shattered the remaining discipline among his forces, and many surrendered outright rather than fight a losing war, submitting to the superior power of the united Far Clans.
Though battle still raged around them, Arn had fulfilled his purpose. The fractured clans had united, the Nohrish empire had crumbled, and Aylith stood ready to mend the land. The final act of the war belonged not to him but to the Keeper and the former Felonarch, who together recited the Awakening Ritual, causing the Mending of the Clan Tree. Now, as the first warmth of spring in centuries spread across Cridhe and the warriors of both sides laid down their weapons, Arn felt a new calling. The new Clan Tree would need a new Keeper. With Aylith now steeping fully into her role as the Mender, Arn took the mantle of the Keeper upon himself. He settled in Inys Haen, no longer a slave, no longer a forgotten cripple, and his bloodline would go on to tend to the Clan Tree as it grew with each new generation.[1]
Story appearances
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cursed Land | Teri McLaren | September 1995 | Fourth Edition | Cridhe | Haen, Nohr, Raphos, Capin, Liana, Malvos, The Maker (mentioned), Lumi, Nazir, Arn, RoNal, Thix, Feryar, Logan, Aylith, Selka, Crephas, Vale, Jedhian, Jom, Nesa, Lorris, Thrissa, Iggar, Atalanta, the Frog, BiDrun, Merco, Morkin, Zell, Platon (mentioned), Krim (mentioned), Hankin, Jermin, Pamid, Quid, Belieal, Sims, Donnon, Ruka, Portis, Antistita, Vestira, Praetis, Harcher, Baz, Drake, Odser, Argile, Senrick, Paren, Markam, Rallu, Henj, Wathel, Hanna, Klaer, Spens, Tempé, The Thorn (mentioned) |
References
- ↑ a b Teri McLaren (1996). The Cursed Land. HarperPrism