(OC)Jeppe Forest

Hallbjǫrn Eðornæ — Hallbjǫrn Eðornæ is a tall, silent, and swift hunter. He carries a pack of arrows, a small, primitive bow, wrapped around a kyrtill. A bag was below the sling of arrows, and he had two long cuts, his left eye missing from being cut by the cuts. His hair is long and white, but he is seen combing and taking care of it, although rarely. He commonly looks up to the night sky. He wears baggy, thin red pants, and whenever dirty, he cleans them while praying silently. He owns an old helmet, decorated by two deer antlers on the side. He never smiles too often. He only smiles after seeing his friends happy or catching a big animal for food. He carries rations, enough for everyone but him. Even though the others never see his more valiant, or, noble side, he would die if only to keep them safe. He wears a large, white cape on his back that he uses as a blanket.

Даниил Мопсатй — Daniil Mopsatiy is a self-loathing timid boy, hating his weakness and cowardice in the face of danger. He believes that the gods had cursed him in a past life, although Hallbjǫrn simply shakes his head whenever Daniil rants about his self loathing. He commonly prays to the crows, thinking they are powerful and can help him. Unbeknownst to the others, he has cut his scrotum off, sealing his possibility of creating more like him. He is an artist, commonly inscribing art of Odin and Ymir fighting. He freezes in fear whenever he sees a bear or a wolf. He sometimes talks to Askr about a land far away with fields of gold and waters of eternal youth and happiness. Being the only Eastern in the group, he has a slightly harder time communicating and looks slightly different than the others. In private, when everyone's asleep, he walks to the lake and vocalizes to calm himself down. He collects the wings of dead ravens.

Askr Woßi — Askr Woßi is a courageous, although sometimes cocky boy, who, unlike the other boys, is surprisingly physically feminine. His secret? He's a girl. He cut his breasts off primitively, leaving scars in the wake. He tells nobody, so he can feel like a man. He's good as an artist, a lumberjack, and a hunter, and commonly helps Daniil with his struggles. Having not haven surgery, he still has periods and can reproduce like a normal girl. He likes Daniil secretly. Askr is a very comedic person and the star of the show sometimes. Is fascinated by Daniil's bird wing collection.

Ølav Thavel — Ølav Thavel is a gangly, unique boy. He often gets fire log duty during the night, and secretly listens to Daniil sing by the lake, sometimes humming it to himself during the day. He is insecure about his appearance, and is the only one in the group to have a pet, which is a raven that comes by every day. He's a great cook and likes to learn. He has developed his own "language" with an independent script, and is made fun of for it. He wears heavy bear coats and a tunic. He also has makeshift boots that fit tightly on his feet.

Ратко Псоглав — Ratko is the kind of guy who shows up late, smells like wet fur, and makes fun of you for worrying about his safety. He’s skinny, wiry, quick with a knife and quicker with insults. He constantly brags, lies about everything, and steals food—even when there’s enough for everyone. He carries a dented knife with a carved handle and a small hatchet he calls “Mother.” He claims it once split a man in half—no one believes him, but he tells the story anyway, usually with added sound effects and wild gestures. His clothes are pieced together armor—scraps of boiled leather, rusty rings, fur cloaks held together with teeth. He growls at threats, literal growls, and once bit a wolf in a panic. He constantly mocks Ølav’s writing system—calls it “raven scratchings.” Ølav just shrugs. Ratko hates that he doesn’t rise to the bait. He teases Daniil constantly, but never touches his raven wing collection. Once, Daniil found an extra wing left beside his things. Ratko denies it with a disgusted scoff: “What, you think I got nothin’ better to do?” (He doesn’t.) Askr and Ratko butt heads constantly. Ratko pokes fun at him, calls him “pretty boy,” but never crosses certain lines—suggesting he knows more than he lets on and chooses not to be cruel in the worst ways. He respects Askr’s ability to fight, even if he’d rather die than say it. Hallbjǫrn tolerates him. Ratko once asked why Hallbjǫrn keeps him around. Hallbjǫrn answered, “You remind me that I can be worse.” They haven’t talked much since. Lyubava punched him the first time they met. He laughed, spat blood, and offered her a drink. He’s probably been exiled before. Probably betrayed someone. He acts like he doesn’t care—but he hasn’t left the group yet, and he could’ve a dozen times. Ratko’s the rat, the coward, the knife in the ribs—until he’s the one pulling you out of the fire, snarling: “Don’t make me regret this, you snot-nosed bastard."

Желимир Малый — Zhelimir is 18 and desperately wants everyone to think he’s a hardened survivor. He sharpens his dagger every night, has a collection of animal teeth he insists are from his kills (they’re mostly scavenged), and walks around like he’s ready to throw hands with the moon itself. He’s not intimidating. He’s adorable. His armor is piecemeal and too big, clearly handed down or looted. His boots don’t match. He wears a bandolier of little knives—some useful, most decorative—and he names every single one. His prized blade? “Slasherov the Second,” because “the first one broke.” He’s quick, good with traps, and surprisingly clever when panicking—which is often. He once outwitted a bear by throwing meat and screaming at the top of his lungs. He considers it a victory. Everyone else considers it a miracle. He idolizes Hallbjǫrn and tries to mimic his stoicism. Fails instantly. He calls Daniil “wise” and “dark-hearted,” like he’s a tragic sage. Daniil just sighs. He has the biggest crush on Askr and stumbles over his words around him. It’s painfully obvious. Ølav lets him help cook. Zhelimir burns everything, but Ølav still praises him. He follows Lyubava around like a baby goose and has accidentally called her “mama.” He thinks Guntheigr is a living legend. Guntheigr pats his head like a puppy. He’s terrified of Ratko but talks back to him out of sheer pride. Ratko calls him “Mouse.” He thinks Tikhomil might be a god. Or a hallucination. Or both. He once tried to kiss his forehead in reverence and got sneezed on. He brings a sense of hope to the group—like, maybe there's still a future. He’s reckless but bright-eyed, still believes in heroism, and hasn’t yet been hollowed out by the cold or cruelty of the world. His catchphrase: “I can do it! …I mean—I will do it. Totally. I got this, right?"

Любава Черногривa — Lyubava is a force. She’s wild, intense, and walks with the confidence of a god possessed. With a mane of tangled, jet-black hair tied with bone rings and bird feathers, she’s been called “Chernogriva”—the black-maned. Her clothes are thick and layered, mostly stolen or scavenged, patched together in a messy mosaic of hides, furs, and bright fabrics. She is not from the boys’ village. One day she just arrived—dragging a deer carcass behind her, covered in blood, eyes shining. She said nothing. Sat by the fire. Stayed. Lyubava speaks in riddles and often references spirits, storms, and ancestors as if they were alive and nearby. She laughs easily but rarely smiles. Her grin, when it comes, is wolfish. She calls Daniil “Маленький ворон” ("little raven") and sometimes places raven feathers in his satchel without saying a word. She wrestled Ølav once. He lost. They’re best friends now. Askr is confused. He simultaneously wants to be her, fight her, and kiss her. She senses this and teases him with winks and rough jokes. She knows her power and wields it like an axe. With Hallbjǫrn, there’s a strange tension—respect and silence. She sees through his quiet; once whispered to him, “You’re not afraid to die. But you’re terrified to live.” She doesn’t care much for Guntheigr’s riddles, but she listens to them anyway. They’ve shared fermented berries and wild stories late into the cold nights, long after the fire has dimmed. She carries a long hunting spear carved with scenes of myth—some real, some invented. On her hip hangs a curved skinning blade, and on her back, a pouch of charms made from teeth, bone, and ash. She smells like pine resin, smoke, and wildflowers. Lyubava is chaos. She’s wild strength, emotional mystery, and sacred mischief. But if the others are frostbitten poetry, she is fire-branded myth.

Тихомил Жвач — Tikhomil appears from behind trees. Or from inside hollow logs. Or once, out of the snow. Nobody remembers inviting him into the group. He’s just there now. Always chewing something—tree bark, moss, beetles. Sometimes it’s food. Sometimes it’s not. He wears clothes that look like they were stitched by ghosts. Layers of fungus-dyed cloth, animal skins, and some armor pieces fused together with resin, thorns, and melted bone. One shoulder has a pauldron made entirely of snail shells. He carries a sack of “important things” that rattles, squeaks, and occasionally screams. He speaks in riddles and half-formed songs. Sometimes in his sleep. Sometimes to trees. Sometimes while staring directly into Ratko’s eyes. Everyone’s a little afraid of him. Hallbjǫrn won’t let him near the rations. Daniil once asked him what happens after death. Tikhomil answered, “You become a word in the mouth of a forgotten god.” Daniil cried. Askr tried to spar him once and got headbutted into a river. Ølav is weirdly fond of him and has tried to transcribe Tikhomil’s “language.” Tikhomil bit his pen. Lyubava respects the chaos and sometimes lets him pick herbs because he always finds the rare poisonous ones. Ratko hates his guts, but won’t sleep near him because “he licked my boots. Licked them.” He claims to know where the group is going, but his “maps” are drawn in mud on bark and typically involve celestial animals that don’t exist. Favorite quotes include: “There’s a hand in the sky. It beckons.” “Don’t worry, I stitched your soul back in. Mostly.” “Do not eat that bird. I married it in a dream.”