[Child of the 7th Age]

I know this is a little strange, but my profile and first post are one and the same. But then being a huorn is different than other characters I've played. Unlike the Ents, these guys are direct and primitive, more like trees than intelligent creatures..
See if this is alright:

Brethil, the Great Birch, was the eldest and wisest of the sentient trees that belong to the race of the Huorn. He lived within the sweet dales of Fangorn Forest. None knew his exact age, but his memories ranged back for hundreds of years. The other trees paid him respect, both for his physical prowess and his innate understanding of nature.

Like others of his race, Brethil’s strength was immense. His roots burrowed deep in the soil, and his limbs towered up to the heavens, bending and swaying with the wild music of the winds. Like his cousins and brothers, Brethil was “limb lithe," and could move swiftly and surely from place to place while wrapped in shadow of darkness.

When enraged, the Huorn could be utterly ruthless, and Brethil was no exception. In the past, he had struck down Orcs and other evildoers who had dared set foot within Fangorn. Yet, towards others, Brethil had shown restraint and obeyed the dictates of the Ents, or tree shepherds, who urged the Huorn to let the travellers pass. Brethil was simple and primitive, his passions strong and direct, but he was not a creature of evil.

Now, all was changing, as older customs gave way to the new order of Men. The fading of the Ents deeply troubled Brethil, since the tree shepherds had always provided the Huorn with guidance. The Huorn could not understand why the Ents were going and blamed their departure on Orcs and Men.

For Brethil, the Age of the Dominion of Men only seemed to mean more travelers coming with axes and splitting mawls seeking wood to construct distant buildings and cities. Many of these Men came not from Isengard, but from Gondor and lands beyond.

Moreover, Brethil still had vivid memories of Saruman who had ordered the Orcs to murder trees. Unable to understand who Saruman really was, Brethil assumed he was another bad man, since he looked like one. While the number of Orc travellers had declined, men came in ever growing numbers. Brethil felt they often displayed an arrogance toward the land and a lack of respect for the trees.

Underneath all this, there was yet another reason for the Huorn’s rage, a great and sad secret which had only recently been revealed to Brethil. Brethil’s heart ached whenever he thought on it. But he kept his counsel hidden and would not reveal this thing to any outside his own people. It seemed too deep a mystery.

The end result of this was growing sorrow and anger. Like all the Huorn, Brethil was incapable of shedding tears and did not even know enough words to express his feelings. The only response open to him was to strike out physically in the manner of a small child. Unfortunately, he and the other Huorn wielded such power that any striking out was bound to bring innocent deaths.

As Brethil gazed about the woods, he saw Huorn after Huorn falling into savagery. Although Brethil himself had not killed any of the innocent travellers, that compulsion grew stronger every day. The Ents were gone, the old rules were gone, and there was nothing to take their place. He felt empty and angry and hungry for some kind of guidance and structure. It was only a matter of time until he could no longer resist the compulsion within his heart and would strike out with unreasoning hatred.

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I have revealed some of the reasons for the Huorn's anger, but have kept one big hidden secret. Hope this will work.

Hey, Carlas, I am looking forward to your character. As you can see, things have gotten a little out of hand with the Huorn since the Ents departed.

[ April 04, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]