Rage, rage, let out the rage that is trapped in the cage.
It snarls and snaps to get out of its trap to let its anger on the least suspecting.
For they do not know the danger they expect.
Only to be ripped to shreds as they count themselves among the dead.
- Norrian Berserker Chant
Though Norrians are changing from the old ways to embracing new civilized ones in their place, some things far older and ancient have yet to vanish from this world. Some warriors still walk the earth and harness a power far more terrifying than any beast or man: unrelenting rage. Those who have harnessed this power from deep within have gone by many names, but the one they are known for is that of the Berserker, a warrior whose strength is that of many men, and their savagery is the stuff of legends. All who hear that word shall only know death if they were ever to cross one.
Composition
Berserker numbers vary by the amount in a hold they dwell in. A single Berseker is capable of causing much destruction in their path, but groups ranging from twenty to a hundred can quickly turn the tide of a battle as they slaughter all that stand in their way
Berserkers tend to use every weapon imaginable, from axes to clubs, that deal enough damage to cause pain and panic to those around them to cause
Shock Tactics: Charging into the enemy in their rage-filled forms that quickly cause fear and confusion to all face them, they act like wild animals more than people. Their aggressive fighting style causes rank formations also to fall apart as they recklessly charge into enemies without hesitation.
Breaching: Berserkers are often used to break through enemy formations and fortifications as their aggressions give them tremendous strength to create an opening for allies to exploit.
Berserker Rage: To become a Berserker, one must tap into the very anger that fuels their power, often using potions and being placed into trance-like states. Their lust for blood consumes them as they set out to kill anything in their path.
Logistics
Berserkers are often recruited from those who are strong and show high aggression to be exploited through their rituals.
History
Primal Warriors
The berserkers, fierce warriors of myth and legend, are believed to have originated in the Icebound Reach, long before the first written scrolls captured their names. These warriors, known for their wild fury in battle, were revered and feared across the land, their origins shrouded in mystery, their actions etched into the very blood of history. The first berserkers were said to have been mortal men chosen by the gods themselves to wage war on the creatures of darkness and chaos that plagued the lands. These warriors were gifted with the power to transcend the human form, channeling the strength of wild animals and the primal fury of the earth itself. It was believed that the gods, either out of pity or necessity, imbued these men with the spirit of the bear, the wolf, and the boar, creatures of great ferocity and unyielding tenacity.
The berserker’s power lay in their ability to enter a frenzy, a state of battle madness that allowed them to fight with a strength and speed beyond mortal comprehension. This berserk state was believed to be a gift from the gods, an ecstatic and terrifying connection to the wild forces of nature. In this frenzy, the berserkers were said to feel no pain, fear, or mercy. Their eyes would glaze over, their muscles swelling with unnatural strength, and they would fight with the savagery of a beast driven by hunger and rage. In this state, the berserkers were nearly unstoppable, their fury shattering shields, cleaving through armor, and bringing down their foes with terrifying precision.
The frenzy could take many forms: some berserkers were thought to embody the spirit of the bear, slow but unyielding, battering through their enemies with unstoppable might; others took on the form of the wolf, quick and vicious, tearing through their enemies with a predatory grace; and still others were believed to channel the boar, charging relentlessly with brutish force, driven by an insatiable thirst for destruction. The berserker’s frenzy was a fearsome sight, and the battlefield would often fall silent when these warriors charged, for their enemies knew that they were facing a force of nature rather than mere mortals.
In the earliest days of the berserkers, the warriors were not seen as mere warriors but as the protectors of the land, chosen by the gods to maintain balance and defend the natural world from all that would harm it. They were a brotherhood bound by an oath, united in their mission to protect the innocent, and their wild fury was a weapon forged in the service of justice. For many generations, the berserkers maintained the oath to ensure the wild lands were protected from any powers that would see them lie in ruin. Driving away anything from the wilds with their savage fury that few could dar to match. However, as time passed, the berserkers’ role began to change as the role of protectors no longer suited many of them.
What had once been a noble calling became a path of destruction and bloodshed. War and violence spread across the lands, and the berserkers, who once fought for honor and the balance of the world, began to turn their power inward. The rage that had once been a gift from the gods became something darker, an addiction, a hunger for blood and chaos that could not be easily quelled. The brotherhood of the berserkers fractured, with many taking up arms for their own gain, waging personal vendettas, or seeking the thrill of battle for its own sake. The rage consumes most, and they become wild animals until they finally meet their end.
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