Ekkill Crowsbane

Ekkill Crowsbane is a somewhat polarizing figure amongst the free folk. To his allies and companions, he is a mighty, brave and cunning leader who values the safety of those he loves before his own. To his enemies, he's a ruthless, blood-crazed madman. The truth, as it is wont to be, lies somewhere in the middle.

Appearance and Character
At 5'8, Ekkill looks from a distance to be quite the unimpressive man. But up close, most men would sooner shit themselves and run off than dare to challenge him. With arms as big as logs and bulky, muscle packed body, he's truly a sight to see. A twitchy man, Ekkill is rarely able to keep still, always raring for a fight. His muddy eyes blink often, and he scratches his ginger beard frequently. Ekkill wears a steel helmet and black clothing, and his sigil is a dead crow on a field of white.

History
Ekkill was born to the spearwife Bloody Alette, a fierce raider both north and south of the wall. Fiercely defiant to any man or woman who tried to tell her what to do, Alette lived clanless all her life. She didn't live life alone, though. She led the Shieldbangers: a group of fierce outcasts and daring warriors who frequently raided both north and south of the wall, and garnered an infamous reputation. When the Shieldbangers ambushed a Night's Watch ranging party, Alette noticed a particularly powerful looking man among them. She decided this man would be a worthy father to give her a son, so she raped him and killed him.

Ekkill was born in the very same spot where his father had died, in the haunted forest near the mouth of the Antler River. His name was given to him in honour of his mother's achievement.

Ekkill was raised from birth to be a warrior, and as a boy was much like a squire to his mother, carrying her equipment for her and constantly training with her. At the early age of ten, Ekkill joined the Shieldbangers, and soon proved his worth. He quickly gained an intimate understanding of battle; how to fight, formations to keep his men from being killed, and how to lead them. While he became bigger and stronger than other boys his age, they grew taller and leaner. He easily overpowered other boys, which caught the attention of many girls.

Ekkill's first son, Dagr, was born when he was only twelve years old to a girl of sixteen from one of the ice river clans. He named his firstborn in honour of his mother, who plunged a dragon glass  dagger into the heart of the girl's father. It is Dagr's most prized possession.

Ekkill's second son, Helmut, was born when he was fourteen to a girl of the Nightrunner clan. The girl was by most accounts quite ugly, but Ekkill favoured her "big tits", as he put it. Helmut gained his name because on the day of his birth, his father killed a man with a nice helmet. The name stuck, and Ekkill still it wears to this day.

Ekkill's third and fourth sons, Bognir and Hadr, were mothered by a northern noble girl called Daenys, who had travelled north to escape marriage to some senile old lord. Ekkill considers her to be his greatest love, but she tragically died in childbirth to her twin sons. Her death caused a great deal of sadness to Ekkill, and he calmed down somewhat after her passing.

Ekkill's final son, Ubin, was born to a Crowkiller woman, who some say looked a great deal like Daenys. However, the gods were cruel and she died in childbirth as well.

In 386 AC, when Ekkill was nineteen years old, his mother's skull was split open by a thenn axe. Ever since, Ekkill has hated Thenns bitterly. After defeating the Thenns who killed Alette, Ekkill became the new leader of the Shieldbangers. Soon after their victory, they found several families that the Thenns had kept prisoner to eat. Refusing to turn them away, Ekkill instead established the Crowkiller clan, named for Ekkill's love of killing crows-- where any outcast or adventurer was welcome.

They spent much of their time wandering the far north, mostly fighting Thenns and Crows and raiding southern villages, until all eyes turned toward a much greater prize: Hardhome.

Recent Events
The united clans of the north have gathered in Hardhome to feast and decide upon their next move in the days to come.

The Men of Hardhome
The clansmen of Hardhome have proven to be steadfast allies and fierce warriors.

-Shelagh Goldenhair: No longer wielding the same youth and beauty, Shelagh is still fierce, a worthy queen for the Free Folk and capable chieftess. Her son by Ekkill has only strengthened her resolve, and made a greater adversary for the kneelers.

-Alyx Goldenhair: A brute of a man and brother of Shelagh Goldenhair, Alyx remains with her as the last son of Atholl the Stonebreaker, and near the last of his blood. Unwed still, the aging man faces the potential death of his blood. As long as his heart beats, he will protect the legacy of his ancestors.

The Shieldbangers
Ekkill's elite warrior force, these men have more than proven their skills on the battlefield.

-Dagr: Ekkill's firstborn son, Dagr is a gifted fighter, but lacks his father's great strength. Still, his prowess is well known in the true north. He was named in honour of his grandmother, who plunged a dragon glass dagger into the heart of his maternal grandfather. He shares his father's ginger hair, but is taller and leaner, and his face is covered by a short beard. He's considered to be quite handsome. He and Amber Drysap share two children: Yrsa and Bersi. Dagr has cast aside the reckless ways of the past to fight for the future of his people. Still a cunning man, he'll be of use to weaken the kneelers behind their lines.

-Helmut: A man once mocked for his awkward appearance, Helmut has come into his own as a warrior of renown and strong leader. There are few so loyal to his father, and Helmut dreams of the day Ekkill's vision is realized. Stronger than Hadr and smarter than Bognir, Helmut strikes a unique balance both as a formidable warrior and thinking man. His long jet black hair and bushy beard somewhat compensate for his off-putting appearance. He is proficient with an axe, and a decent brawler. He has served as a general in Ekkill's army for several years now, ably commanding men in battle when diplomacy failed.

-Bognir: Far from the brightest man in Ekkill's army, Bognir has little understanding of the intricacies of letters or reasoning of any kind. He does have one considerable advantage, however; his strength surpasses even than that of his father, and he is a dreaded warrior on the battlefield. He wields the blue eyes and brown hair of his mother, with long, braided locks of hair that fall to his shoulders and a short beard. Age has only bolstered Bognir's brutality; he perpetrates frequent, bloody attacks on ranging watchmen, sometimes dispatching several men alone. He fights mostly for the thrill, but deep in himself yearns for the peace his father hopes to bring.

-Hadr the Bloodsealer: Hadr is in many ways the antithesis of his twin brother, Bognir; he is quick of both mind and mettle, shares his father's military genius, and generally a kind man. He hates raiding, but is willing to fight to protect the clan. He shares the blue eyes and brown hair of Bognir, with short locks and a moustache. Hadr's years have hardened him significantly, serving his part both as general and diplomat. He had cast aside his doubt of his father; some truths, he'd decided, must be left unknown. After his pact with Kroll, Hadr has gained the moniker of 'Bloodsealer'.

-Ubin: No longer the gentle boy that once was, Ubin's blade has earned many nocks. He assists in matters both diplomatic and martial, penning deals of peace with ink and quill and cutting down his foes on the front lines. He still records the deeds of the Shieldbangers in a leather bound book entitled "The Shieldbanger Saga", which has swelled with the events of the past and been compiled in several volumes, growing by the day and copied by aspiring young children, most taught the quill by Ubin himself. With him has appeared a hope that the free folk will continue to advance to match their kneeling adversaries. Ubin's tongue is as sharp as his blade, his muscles ripple from intense training and he's grown a shrewd nature as well. The hope of the north, some call him. His blonde hair has darkened slightly and a clean beard covers his face.

-Styr Icewalker: An outcast until he joined the Crowkillers, Styr is a steadfast warrior. He is exceedingly kind, and always willing to lend a helping hand to a friend, or make a new one. He is large in stature, with short, light brown hair and an average beard.

-Tryggvi: A middle-aged man, and complete lunatic, Tryggvi gets along well amongst the Shieldbangers. He has patches of hair blown in every direction and a long brown moustache. Tryggvi traded for a longspear from an Icetooth warrior a while ago. He rather likes it, though the warriors he's killed with it didn't.

-Cotter the Crow: A Night's Watch deserter, Cotter sought the freedom of life beyond the wall and joined Ekkill twelve years ago. He was nce a builder and a cook, but little doubt remains of his intentions. Cotter is as much a man of the free folk as any.

-Arvid: The elder of Chieftain Floki's twin sons, Arvid struck out from the Icetooths after the end of their war out of shame for his father's actions. Soon after, his mother, a woman originally of the Antler Clan, died giving birth only for her son to be stillborn. Many took it for an ill omen against Floki, and Arvid refuses to return to the clan until his father's death. The Shieldbangers have made good use of his frenzied fighting style with two axes.

-Asger: The younger of Chieftain Floki's twins, Asger has stayed with Arvid but left for entirely different reasons. A warrior of the Antler Clan killed his lover during the feud, and the peace came to him as an outrage. He cursed his father's name, vowing never to return until his the man's death, one he hoped would be gruesome and slow. He originally blamed Ekkill as much as Floki for the peace, but over time came to hate the latter for causing the conflict in the first place. He wields a longspear common among the Icetooths.

-Fell: Formerly a woodsman in the White Mountain Clan, Fell gave up the lifestyle when a Nightrunner arrow caught his son in the throat during a raid decades ago. It's a grudge he's long since abandoned, but his longaxe never passed him by. Fighting against Ekkill Crowsbane, he was impressed by the force the chieftain mustered and surprised by his kindness for the survivors of the Battle at Storrold's Point. He was one of the first to hail Ekkill as king during the great council of Hardhome.

-Radhymir the Cub: The grandson of Chieftain Dorian of the Shadow Sun Clan, Radhymir is affectionately referred to as "Cub", for he's taken on the great strength of Dorian, but is even shorter. The stout warrior rends havoc in enemy formations with his great hammer, and is an even match for Bognir any day. He joined and fought beside the Shieldbangers during the war with Clan Winterblood. During the war, he and his brothers Oli and Egil found themselves surrounded during a particularly fierce berserker charge by the Winterbloods. The three fought for their lives to survive as Dorian rushed to their aid, but only Rad made it out alive. It made greater his dedication to the cause; no more of his brothers would die in a land of plenty, he’d decided. A curious man with a complete disinterest for women, he is nonetheless as valuable as any of them in the fight to retake the lands of the free folk.

-Lonely Stian: A wandering archer, few knew Stian before he one day appeared in Hardhome. A dead shot with a bow and quick on his feet, Stian counters his lithe physique with clever fighting and a savvy understanding of ambush tactics. He at one point attempted to pursue chieftess Astera Blackadder, but met only cold indifference. The quiet man joins in little revelry, ears always pricked up to some invisible threat.

-Fyrilles the Wisp: Confusing at best, this woman is best left to her own devices. She speaks in riddles and is said to take many a man to her bed, only to put them under some spell of compliance. She crafts small pots from mud and fills them with the sap of trees, only to trap enemy movements and ignite the stuff with flaming arrows. This has her both feared and appalled by most free folk, and she’s avoided by any man with a good head on his shoulders.

-Viggo Warmblood: Wielding the looted greatsword of a ranger years dead, Viggo is a man to be reckoned with. By no means the strongest, he makes up for this fact with a will of stone and a fire in his belly to intimidate the gods. No matter the odds, no matter how many foes stand before him, Viggo stares death in the eye and prevails. Called indomitable by some, Viggo takes no heed of other men. His sword speaks louder than any words ever could, and men fear him for good reason. During a battle in the war with the Winterbloods, Viggo rushed with a small handful of Cave Dwellers to engage three giants charging their flank. He later trudged back alone to rejoin the battle, awash in gore.

Family Tree
http://familyecho.com/?p=START&c=enmayfl515&f=727919239318274991