Karl Ustracutter is a one legged Norse Hero living in Lustria.[1a]
History[]
Ustracutter was one of the many Norse adventurers that flocked to Lustria after hearing rumours of its fabulous wealth. Over the next three decades he amassed an immense fortune and was even reckoned to be the richest man in Iquitos. His last great raid was, however, a disaster. He had recieved word of a fantastic temple hidden in the dense jungles of the Pygmy lands.[1a]
It took him only a few days to assemble four longboats and a small army of 120 drunken adventurers and they sailed up river for the temple's supposed site. They never made it. A confederation of six cannibal tribes ambushed and massacred them with only Ustracutter and a handful of warriors surviving to be captured. One by one they were taken away to the cooking pot even though Ustracutter tried to escape a dozen times.[1a]
Although each time the Pygmies caught him, they had come to quite like him, admiring his pluck and impressed by the way he kept trying to escape. Even more so they respected him because he kept spitting at them and refused to grovel or winge. So, with unprecedented generosity, they decided to spare him, or at least most of him. Early in the morning six Pygmies went into the prison hut and clubbed him unconscious.[1a]
He didn't come round until later that night, finding himself in the chief's Great Hut, surrounded by grinning, saw-toothed Pygmies. They were laughing, friendly and very drunk. One of them explained in broken Nordic that Ustracutter was about to be released and this feast was in in fact in his honour and tomorrow he would be taken to the river and given a canoe. Still drowsy and gratefull he accepted a mug of beer and a chunk of meat.[1a]
Soon he became aware of a dull ache in his left leg but was unable to move it, he looked underneath the table and saw that the leg was gone. Stunned he re-appraised the long roasted joint of meat which was the centre-piece of the feast and promptly passed out again. Ustracutter found his way back to Iquitos but losing his leg put an end to his adventuring.[1a]
Karl became friends with Sven Hasselfriesian and joined him on his expedition to save the village of Vastervik.[1a]
Weapons and Equipment[]
- 2nd Edition: Karl wears a chainmail jacket and carries a shield as well as the magical sword called Julbrinna.[1a]
Sources[]
- 1: The Magnificent Sven (1984)
- 1a: Narrative, pg. 4-5