Irad

Special Equipment:

He carries a staff made of the ice crystal know as ''Ayut'' by his people. It allows him to channel the fearsome elemantal powers of the Ice Lord. He also wears a cloak made of heavy wolf hide that has been enchanted to shield the wearer from moderate spells using elements that oppose the Ice such as fire.

Appearance:

A tall, thick set, bearded man with pale white hair, eyes as blue as a frozen lake, and skin the colour of the mighty Ice he worships, Irad can be an unsettling sight to anyone who has never beheld a ''Child of the Ice'' before, especially when he wears his customary fur robes. However, his gentle, soothing way of speaking and inherant kindness soon puts the stranger at ease. Anyone who speaks to Irad at length, realizes that despite being in the service of of a vicious Ice elemental and his determination to carry on with a naive and misguided, though well meaning quest, Irad is a gentle and wise man.

Background:

Born an albino with pure white skin and hair, Irad was declared ever since the day of his birth, a''Child of the Ice'', one of those revered beings that are endowed with strange and mystical powers such as the ability to endure extreme cold, said to be given by the Ice Lord at birth. Such persons are held in awe and are trained from birth to be shamans, regardless of how lowly their fathers may be.

Thus, it was that inspite of his low status as a son of a simple shepard,he was gladly accepted as a protege by the old shaman of the mighty Ice Bear Clan into which he had been born. Twenty-five years later, the old shaman died and Irad took his place as the shaman of one of the most powerful tribes among the Ice nomads. Unlike his fellow shamans, however Irad could not see the civilzed foes of his people as a corrupt, decadent folk that would be consumed by the righteous anger of the Ice Lord and its loyal worshippers.
Instead he chose to think of them as ignorant brothers and sisters that should be made aware of the truth that their civilized trappings had turned them away from the mighty Ice that could give life or death, and was thus the rightful master of the world. This could only be achieved if his people stopped preying on them like voracious birds of prey and instead sought to convert them to the Ice by demonstrating its awesome power to them and only slaying those who stubbornly refuse to accept the Ice.
This alternate view point has not gone down well with the shamans of the other tribes who fretted that Irad's refusal to confirm might result them in loosing the favour of the Ice Lord. After making futile attempts to make him see that the Ice Lord would rather they emulate its cold and unforgiving nature than try to convert the very people who loathe it as a thing of evil, they have come to the conclusion that Irad is no longer fit to be a shaman and should be replaced. By any means necessary.

Unfortunately for them, every attempt on Irad's life ends with the would be assasin found dead in a place far away from Irad, with his throat ripped and torn out and his body rent from limb to limb, as if by the claws of some great beast. It is something that chills even these hardened shamans. Something protects him, but what can it be?

Unknown to anyone but himself,Irad had received a very unique gift from his old mentor before he passed from this world into the next. Knowing that others would be envious of his protege's great gifts and potential, he performed a powerful ritual on Irad which would prevent any ''unfortunate accidents'' from happening to him. Under the gentle soul that is Irad, lurks the terrifying Ice Bear! When Irad is subject to great fear or wrath, the beast lurking in him seizes control and Irad becomes the terrfying creature that his tribesmen revere as a totem.

The Ice Bear will not be sated until its claws are drenched with the blood of its enemy. Any who think Irad an easy target to kill, will be in for a nasty surprise.
This gift has come with a price though. There are times when the gentle nature of the man finds itself in battle with the vicious Ice Bear, for control. Will the man Irad be consumed by the Ice Bear? Or will the savage and ruthless nature of the bear, help him get the badly needed support of the other shamans, who think him weak?

Roleplaying Notes:

Having great control over the element of ice,he can unleash moderate blizzards on foes and summon Ice demons, to create Ice abombinations for him. Irad, although considered a ''bad guy'', due to his unfortunate religious beliefs that involve dark stuff like blood sacrifice and demon summoning, is an idealistic, gentle man. That makes him different from most evil mages or barbarian leaders.