Wutdrengi Trolldreng
Troll Slayer born by Archers
From the Scroll of the Treasures of the World, as written by the Gale Caller Leandre Agua 2510
The lands of Nippon are far from the Karaz Ankor, and the dwarfs are not the kind of greatly able sailors that can make that journey with ease. Even if they were, to actually intentionally journey so far east would require a willingness to accept that human crafts might have some value for the wheat and ore they otherwise trade are not worth that journey in the least. And then of course there are the ancient grudges which the spirits of Nippon bear against the dwarfs, for their destruction of the forests and their unmitigated slaughter of the natural spirits of the world that continues on to this day from the regrettable War of the Beard; and so only rarely do the Dwarfs go to that far eastern country.
It is fortunate for the fate of both nations then, that the men of Nippon sometimes journey to the west. For in this way did they earn the gift of the great statue, the Chaos Slayer. It is a statue of a warrior of that far nation, from ancient time of that place, when brother waged war against brother. Armor that seems like it should be wearable by mortal man is draped on his form, a smooth milky green jade cuirass held at the shoulders by two pieces of rock polished until they shine, and carved into the smooth surface the form of the three scythes that are the symbol of the nation. On the shoulder the great square pauldrons of scale, each individually worked by the skillful hands of a Runelord. Flowing from the cuirass, four panels of scales that cover the thigh to the knee expertly, moved so that the warrior's pose appears natural. Upon the forearms gauntlets engraved with symbols of the gods of war and archery. Grasped in one hand the bow, and in the other the arrow. Upon the calves and the feet, greave and scale, with a foot resting upon the disembodied head of a daemon. His long hair and head is exposed, revealing a handsome, determined face. This is held aloft on a great pole that requires a very strong man to lift.
Three mighty Runes burn upon this fearsome thing, this gift to the farthest east. The Master Rune of Traversal, to allow the great archers of that country to journey through even the hardest terrain and so ambush the enemy, or attack them from a good spot, no matter where they must fight. The Rune of Cascading Bolts, to allow that the manlings should fire so fast and so fierce as to shake the world with their efforts. And finally the Rune of the Hawk, that they may fire for even longer and with more accuracy. But there was more done with these things than the simple application of the Runes: the dwarfs maintain that the blood of Zagral Gristlebreath, a mighty Troll, was fed to the Rune, and the creature's broken bones used to etch them. If so, that some measure of the creature's potency lingers within would explain much.
The gift was earned by one Higashi Isamu, who journeyed to the west driven by visions of his god, Akaite, a warrior god, a god of loyalty, and of archery, and of skill. Wielding his father's bow, his grandfather's armor, and his own rage he was driven to do battle against the Greenskins, ever hunting, ever searching, ever slaughtering. But if one wants to find the truly mighty scions of Gork and Mork, one must reach the World's Edge; and that is exactly what he did as he joined one of the many caravans. Naginata flashing, sword slashing, but most frightening of all was his bow. Every time he shot, orcs and goblins died, and none were safe: Savage Orcs and Night Goblins and Big Boyz, when he came upon them he killed them, and he killed them well.
And then, one day, he came upon what was, at the time, a Master Runesmith, Audran Kragforged. The dwarf came upon the Samurai as he fought the Greenskins in the shadows of Barak Varr, unknown to either the Greenskins or the samurai. Taking up his mighty Rune Hammer the Dwarf smote them down with all his vigor, and the Greenskins were unmade, and he joined the samurai as he hurtled, precipitously, towards his destiny. And the two journeyed together, and became friends, and as they journeyed together they came upon the foul beast Zagral, the progenitor of a line of such foul beasts, with teeth like knives and claws like picks, a hide so hard that no mere ax could split it and thews so mighty that it had feasted on the flesh of giants.
So the two battled it.
Audran met the creature blow for blow in combat, battling it with his mighty ax, carving into it with each earth rattling blow, mighty the work of the Runesmith. Boldly, bravely, eschewing flame, Higashi shot it with his bow, and in that the beast's own strength, its regeneration, became its downfall, for even as the dwarf dueled it the sharp arrows that entered its flesh and jostled about would carve deeper into the thing's skin, its muscle and sinew, continuing to wound it as they were driven further and further in. Finally with whistling shot and careful aim did Higashi place arrows in its eyes; and blinded the beast had no choice but to die as Audran took its head from its shoulders.
And so it was that the visions finally ended, and Higashi was free. "And now how shall I thank this manling, who fights with me against the darkness, who stands against a monster, who avenges kith and kin and clan? A work of stone, a work of rune; a thing of marble and a thing of strength." And so even as Higashi recovered from the battle his new comrade set to work, and made for him that statue over a year; and when he returned to Nippon he brought the bane of Trolls with him.
Though a simple story, it is noteworthy for two reasons. Firstly, the stories and the history and the legends Higashi shared with the dwarfs as he traveled was the best look into that distant nation we would have for some time. Secondly, Audran is the first of the so-called line of the Gift-Giver to be undoubtedly extant and real, history rather than faded mythology, a line of apprentice to master reaching to the mythological Runelord of Norsca. For his master was Cugra, whose master was Rukekon "Proudfire", whose master was Malthu, whose master was Virgri, whose master was Tiffa Forgekeeper, whose master was Sigrun Redhand, whose master was Snerra, niece and apprentice of Snorri.
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