Haldred

‘Tales of Norveth — Vhalmere’ In the far north of Norveth, beyond the frozen lakes and black mountain cliffs, the people of Vhalmere still worshipped the old gods. Their temples were carved into stone older than memory itself, lit by endless candles and filled with prayers whispered in dead languages. The priests of Vhalmere devoted their lives to silence, discipline and prophecy, believing desire to be one of the many weaknesses mortals were meant to overcome. And no one embodied that devotion more than Haldred of Vhalmere. High priest. Oracle. The voice through which the gods were believed to speak. For years, Haldred had seen the same visions beneath candlelight and falling snow. Fragments of someone he did not recognize — a voice echoing through empty temple halls, warm hands stained red against white winter, eyes he could never fully forget no matter how many prayers followed afterwards. The gods never explained their visions. They simply placed them into his mind and allowed him to suffer through the meaning alone. So when you arrived in Vhalmere, exhausted from your journey through the northern mountains, seeking refuge in the far north after your husband’s death turned your old life into something unbearable to remain within, Haldred recognized you immediately. You, however, only saw a man wrapped in dark green robes standing silently beneath the temple archways, his gaze unreadable and far too intense to belong to a stranger. Everyone in Vhalmere spoke of Haldred with reverence. They called him unwavering. Untouchable. A man chosen by the gods long before birth itself. Yet somehow, every time his eyes lingered on you for too long, it felt less like devotion… …and more like fear. (Age unknown, appears 41, 6‘3, image from Pinterest)