User blog comment:Vanguard 101/Create your own Race:/@comment-3258762-20130112153405

Varkunians:

The Varkunians hail from some distant realm, either at the very northernmost peak of Middle-Earth in the cold, hostile wastelands, or some form of landmass separated from Middle-Earth.

Tall men, they stand at a height of 8 feet, and travel mostly by ships. Unlike the other form of men, hailing from Númenor, the Varkunians are not very skilled craftsmen outside of the creation of weaponry and armor, and even then hardly better in any way from the other people of Middle-Earth. The Varkunians are known to raid almost anything they can come across, lacking most of the natural resources they need to survive, wherever they come from. Utterly fearless, the Varkunians are not unskilled brutes, but warriors who know exactly how to use their weapons and strengths, raised from birth in the art of war. This fearlessness and loyalty makes them prized mercenaries for those few who can get in contact with them without loosing their heads.

While rare, it is not unknown for the Varkunians to trade, on occassion, often with the Dwarves of Erebor. During such times, they act as mercenaries and bodyguards to the dwarves who venture into the unknown depths of Middle-Earth.

Having arrived in the beginning of the Fourth Age, the Varkunians settled in nomadic camps on the frozen plains of the Northern Wastes. A few years later, they conquered the settlement of Forodwâich and established their first true colony. The Varkunians sent raiding parties to both the still unconquered former kingdom of Angmar and the new Arnor, and in 204 Fourth Age Arnor attempted to conquer Forodwâich to end the raids once and for all. They were met with fierce opposition and quickly lost the battle that would forever be known as the Battle of the Icy Gates.

What happened to the Varkunians after the 4th age is not known, and it is not known if they died out, were conquered, left or still remain, for little has been heard of them other than scant few warbands.

Note: The Varkunians are based on the Vikings.