Annils Norgerinth (236-212 b.S.) was a hero of the ancient Avennorians, respectively of the region of the current village of Nepris (Nehlan in former times) in the eastern Santharian province of Manthria. Norgerinth was a simple fisherman, who proved his courage in the last year of his young life when he led the inhabitants of the smaller fishing villages east of the Mithral Mountains against an advance guard of the orcish army during the Third Sarvonian War. With the means he could gather, Norgerinth successfully defended Crazy Woman Pass against the invaders till support from the 7th royal division of the Avennorians arrived to repel the orcs and to re-conquer already lost territory. Tough the battle at Crazy Woman Pass was only a minor one during SW III, it was crucial for the survival of the fishing villages near the Adanian coast. Therefore Norgerinth is still celebrated as a local hero. His remains rest in a tomb hewn in stone by the Mitharim dwarves of the Mithral, only a small distance away from Crazy Woman Pass and near the Toran Falls.

Image description. A statue of Annils Norgerinth, fish and sword in hand, the two items that represents the Avennorian hero's life. Picture drawn by Seeker.

Appearance. Of the actual appearance of Annils Norgerinth little is known. This may mainly be due to the fact that Norgerinth's fame also already meant his death, that his sacrifice for the people and swift burial during the difficult times of war didn't leave much time for poets to sing his praise or for artists to depict his features in a painting. Nevertheless Norgerinth's spirit remained in the minds of the people of Mossy Rocks Cove, though the descriptions local writers gave of him centuries later are very unlikely to be close to Norgerinth's actual appearance.

It can only be said with accuracy that Norgerinth was possibly born in a Shan'Thai bloodline and therefore had a darker skin color than other typical Avennorians. Like most Avennorians he was possible small in size and exceptionally muscular like many other people who have ancestors from Shan'Thai. He is said to have been determined and in many cases stubborn as well, but he always placed the needs of the many in front of his own.

Biography. Annils Norgerinth's past is the object of much speculation. What seems clear is that Norgerinth initially hailed from the southern settlement of Fang Julin north of the port of Ciosa and decided to settle in Nehla (part of the current fishing village of Nepris) at the beginning of his twentieth cycle. Some say that Norgerinth's decision to move north was motivated either by an unfulfilled love affair or by differences in his native village. Some even claim that he was involved in criminal activities and that he had to leave therefore in order to escape local justice, fleeing north and starting a new life there. This version of course is often vehemently denied if you ask people of Nepris about their hero. The Neprisians mainly see the positive aspects of Norgerinth and his importance for the region.

Nevertheless, Norgerinth gained fame and finally heroic status only during the last year of his life, at the age of 24, when he organized local resistance against an imminent orcish invasion in the Mithral region during the Third Sarvonian War. The orcs, who had conquered Carmalad temporarily in 292 b.S., suspected that their enemies might flee south as well toward the mainland when being attacked and therefore intended to destroy all ships whenever found on their march south. Norgerinth was one of the few people who took reports of the Avennorian scouts seriously, which suggested that orcs may be on the move towards the south. The Avennorian king still didn't want to officially confirm or deny this, though preparations were made to defend the kingdom, if very late. Norgerinth on the other hand took initiative himself and helped to equip and train the villages of Mossy Rocks Cove with weapons and ordered a guard of Crazy Woman Pass to be ready should an assault occur.

Indeed, an advance party of orcs tried to cross Crazy Woman Pass rapidly and unexpectedly in the Month of the Turning Leaf in 212 b.S., but Norgerinth and his people managed to intercept the rather small group and to fend off an attack until the Avennorian 7th Royal Division arrived. At the moment the pass seemed to have fallen, the 7th Royal Division entered the scene repelling the attempted invasion. In this final skirmish, Norgerinth was seriously wounded and died a few days later, his task of defending the villages from the orcs completed successfully.

Importance. Aside from his merit of saving the villages east of the Mithral from annihilation, Annils Norgerinth and his deeds also played an important role in re-establishing connections between the human fishing villages and the dwarves of Kor Mithrid. Though such connections had already existed, they had been abandoned when pearl trading with the Thergerim had slowed down due to the lack of the necessary resources. After Norgerinth's defense of Crazy Woman Pass the Mitharim dwarves showed not only honor to his valor by hewing the hero's tomb into the mountain, but also by renewing and expanding trade relations to the Avennorians.

If you ask the villagers of Nepris you'll hear that Norgerinth stands for many things: for the loyality to the king, for the courage to defend his home without hestitation, for his excellent leadership, but also for an example of beginning a new life and for the determination to follow decisions once made with everything these decisions entail. Norgerinth's way of life has become a credo to many people living in the eastern Manthrian region, and whenever times are hard you can see Avennorians on pilgrimage not only to the Baverian Shrine west of Nepris, but also to the tomb of Norgerinth close by.

	"Theme of Annils Norgerinth", composed and performed by Vladeptus Format: MP3, Length: 3:01, Original Title: "We Travelled Far" from the album "What the Dragon Heard". Click here to download the song, use right-click and "Save as..." (2.77 MB)