Alden Tale-teller was a noted explorer and Favoured Soul of Shaundakul, who spent much of his life exploring and mapping the Frozen North. His knowledge of pathfinding and tracking, mountaineering, and survival skills in the frozen wastes made him an invaluable guide on expeditions that took people beyond the Spine of the World.
He was, however, perhaps valued most by those who worked with him not for his skills in the wilderness, but for his ability to seperate wealthy patrons up and down the Sword Coast from their coin, allowing various expeditions to purchase much needed supplies and equipment for their adventures.
He often used this axe as the centrepiece for these, perhaps more difficult, tasks, telling a harrowing tale of how "...I was hangin' from the mountain, see, with me belayin' rope broke, my sword-arm holdin' me from a tiny outcrop by the frozen tips o' me fingers. An' then, up above me I sees the beastie what broke my rope an' sent me partner to his great reward. 'T'was a great Ice Troll, my friends, musta been four times the size of a man! Well, I'd thought I could get no colder, up in th' freezin' peaks there, but I tell ya, me blood fair froze in me veins when I saw 'im. 'E'd got 'imself a giant slab o' ice, and was fixin' to bash it down on me, an' me with nothin' but me icebreakin' axe to defend meself! Well, Shaundakul was with me that day, friends. I somehow swung meself up by my swordarm, and smote th' beast with me icebreakin' axe here! Got a lucky shot, and cleaved 'is head fair off, burnin' 'is neck shut as it went by."
He would then conclude by pointing out a young, attractive companion coming on his next venture, and say what a pity it would be if they found themselves in such a situation without the tools they needed, all for want of a worthy backer for the expedition. This rarely failed to secure a good amount of funding for whatever venture he had planned next.
Tragically, Alden never returned from his last venture beyond the Spine, and he and his famous Icebreaker are now lost.
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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at 2008-07-03 20:40:59
