Embodying the true spirit of the untamed wilderness and savagery of Northrim, Marahild - who does not share her real name - wanders the forests of her home accompanied only by beasts for companions, having left all civilization and friendship behind years ago following a betrayal from one she trusted.
Vicious and blunt, Marahild cares nothing for the civility or honor of Men. For years now, she has dedicated herself only to serving her goddess Freyja and the spirits of the land themselves, protecting nature from those who wrong her and her denizens, whether beast or Fay. But, satisfying as it may be to slay those she feels do wrong, this existence does not truly satisfy her.
Now she has dared to leave her wilderness behind and reenter the world of civilization... and has already begun to pay the price.
A loner by nature, Marahild has thrust herself deep into isolation even worse of late. She lost the band of friends with whom she shared comradery, and then she lost her brother... so she lost herself next, deep in the forests of her home, where she seeks isolation yet adventure. But now she finds herself with the unlikeliest of allies - and not the ones she would have preferred.
Being a denizen of the forest, Marahild knows little of civilized manners, behavior, or diplomatic wording - and she cares even less. She favors honesty and bluntness, though she is certainly not above the occasional dry or biting remark. Her commentary is terse and caustic, and her dislike for most every civilization in favor of nature is absolute.
Marahild is devoted above all else to the spirits of nature and to her goddess, Freyja. She has dedicated herself to protecting her wild homeland from all who would harm or invade it, including her fellow Nordlings. However, she prefers to simply spend her time in nature, revering both Freyja and Odin and serving them in rite and ritual, along with all the many spirits of the land.
A vicious protector of the forest and all she believes in, Marahild has little regard for human life when it comes to those who would wrong her or in any way betray her principles. She cares nothing for the honor of civilization, fighting to win, using everything she must to overcome her foes - including calling upon the spirits of the land.
Rage.
Few can match the fury of Sir Tom Drake in battle – not even a Demon of Wrath. When Tom killed just such a fiend in single combat, a feat of which most mortals would never dream, he became the Demon Slayer. To the people of his beloved city of Illikon, Tom is a hero. But his city swears fealty to the Achaean Empire, and to them, he is just another knight.
Enter Sir Scaevius, Left Hand of the Emperor. With war raging against a barbarian alliance massing to the North, Scaevius takes command of Illikon’s armies and orders Tom on a suicide mission. Tom obeys, but not without protest. Soon, he finds himself fighting not only the barbarians, but his own superiors as well – and something else, something supernatural.
A monster is stalking him: a half man, half beast abomination from legend… a werewolf. It haunts his dreams and even his waking hours, and he starts to suffer blackouts, unsure what is real and what is nightmare. Hated by his superiors, hunted by beasts and assassins, Tom Drake must fight for his home, his life, and even his mind. The events that are about to unfold will change his life, and the world, forever.
A thrilling tale of adventure, dashing heroics, chilling horror, alluring mystery, and both personal duels and epic battles centered around memorable characters, Knightfall takes you to the edge of your seat in a wild ride set in a traditional dark age heroic fantasy world, where all myths are true – and monsters from legend seek to devour Men. Meet the sharply characterized cast, discover a new realm at once dark yet not without light and hope, and return to fantasy’s roots in the series The Prophecy of the Six and the world of Wulfgard.
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