Steinbjorn son of Ornolf son of Arinbjorn

Part of a series of character backgrounds I've written over the years for roleplaying games. This is a character for a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game set in viking times.

Steinbjorn is youngest son of Ornolf and Jofrid, and has brother Thorbjorn and sisters Bera and Hallbera. Ornold was an old, grizzled sailor who had settled down after having his eye gouged out by an arrow and worked with his wife to set up a farm with his nephews. Jofrid died in a pirate raid when Steinbjorn was five, but the pirates were defeated nonetheless and their property served to keep the farm strong even with the losses. The boat was taken apart to make the house larger and stronger and their goods and property kept the family alive through the year even when they weren't able to work the fields and care for the sheep as well with less manpower. Unfortunately with no mother to nurse her, Hallbera died shortly after the attack.
Ornolf found a new spouse a few years later, a woman many years younger than him who had also been hard-bitten by warfare. With his own scars and missing eye, and a bed that had been cold for too many years, Ornolf was quite ready to look past Unn's hook-hand.

After the loss of their mother driving them to be able to defend themselves, and with their new mother's skilled training, all three of the children grew up to be strong fighters as well. But their mother had also learned many other useful skills from her time as a warrior and she knew many people across the region. She taught the children some of her wisdom as they grew up, as well as showing them to use axe, spear and bow. She was no weaker in combat for her disability, as her hook-hand was still perfectly good to hold a shield.
The next time raiders came to their lands, they found the homestead well-fortified and protected, the three children were still only teenagers but they knew how to fire a bow and swing an axe and with the skilled direction of their parents the pirates found their 'prey' far too organised and well-defended to overcome. Their few survivors were not able to cast off alone, and the family had another small ship to harvest to fortify the farm.

Unn soon bore more of Ornolf's children, though illness claimed two of them at an early age. Seeking adventure as he entered adulthood, Steinbjorn's older brother Thorbjorn went travelling with a raiding party. It was a full year before they saw him again, and he returned with scars and goods that made his wealth quite obvious, and his chainmail and battle-axe are envied by his siblings. His tall tales and hard-earned scars impressed one of the kin that lived nearby, Rafarta a fisherwoman and spearmaiden, and before long Rafarta bore a child. Thorbjorn was not eager to settle down at such a young age and, though he did care for the child, he was not ready to be happy with just one woman. It wasn't much later that Grima, another member of the family and a travelling merchant, was the subject of his affections and bore another of Thorbjorn's children.

Steinbjorn's first change came soon after his second nephew was born when raiders again attacked the homestead on his 15th Spring. The fight was going well, but it was Steinbjorn's first time fighting face to face with his enemy, and when he received serious wounds in the battle the berserk frenzy took him. His kin all knew of Garou, and that one of their number might some day have the change, so when they saw it they all knew to scatter. The raiders just died.
Ornolf and Unn came to find him once the slaughter was over, and Steinbjorn was treated and cajoled by the family as they celebrated his change. Word was sent, by way of Unn's extensive contacts and Grima, and it was only a month before another Fenrir came by to mentor the young cub. He had already grasped the basics of changing forms but his mentor Teeth-of-Wind, an Athro Galliard, educated him in the spirit world and the duties of his auspice. The two got on well, since Steinbjorn had a certain musical and poetic skill thanks to Unn's diverse experience, and Steinbjorn got into his role well because of his rapport with his mentor.

After a basic instruction of his duties and his role as Gaia's protector, Teeth-of-Wind went off on his travels with a promise to return after a year had passed to see if Steinbjorn had proven himself worthy. Knowing Ornolf and Unn would ensure Steinbjorn would not forget the duty that he was required to live up to, Teeth-of-Wind showed no hesitation to leave the cub.
His faith was rewarded, as Steinbjorn was kept in line by his family and when Teeth-of-Wind returned the next Spring the family talked of all that had passed. Steinbjorn had done well to put his new strength to use protecting his family and doing his part farming and performing routine chores, rather than letting his change go to his head. His presence also had a great impact on any raiders that tried to attack the family, and he risked his life protecting them on many occasions, though he did need their help as well when he got in over his head. A family armed and skilled with spear and bow gave Steinbjorn all the support he needed in battle if he did overstep his capabilities.
So, recognised as a capable and honourable man, Steinbjorn was given a rite of passage to prove himself worthy of being Fenrir. In acknowledgement of his grandfather Arinbjorn Seablade, Steinbjorn was given a test of endurance and was required to swim out to see until he could no longer see the ritemaster, and only return at that point if he is to return at all. Steinbjorn dragged himself up the beach many minutes later, shivering and exhausted, and Teeth-of-Wind stood over him and ordered him to stand up or lie there and die like a coward. Steinbjorn only managed to get back to his feet after stumbling twice, getting a mouthful of sand for his trouble, and once the cub was standing Teeth-of-Wind shouted more orders, demanding he recite the litany that he must uphold even as he stood there shivering and numb, spitting sand from his mouth and wiping it from his teary eyes. Steinbjorn was barely able to form the words, but form them he did, and when he was done Teeth-of-Wind clapped him on the back heartily which caused Steinbjorn to fall over and pass out.
He woke up a few minutes later, with furs around him and a roaring fireplace in front of him. After coughing up more sand he found a pitcher of strong mead pressed into his hand, and was soon recovered from the ordeal.

Teeth-of-Wind announced the young Cliath, and continued his lessons. As is customary, he was taught the mother's tongue and the gifts befitting his station. For the gifts of his auspice, however, Steinbjorn had no immediate teacher. Teeth-of-Wind told him to seek out a cunning fox spirit and ask for it's teachings, but Steinbjorn returned glumly and told of how the spirit had dismissed him because he was ignorant and crude. Teeth-of-Wind wasn't about to take no for an answer, however, so he made Steinbjorn learn the Rite of Contrition so he could go back to the fox and apologise. The fox was pleased that it's cunning plan to make a wolf bow to it had worked, and taught Steinbjorn to smell the true form of creatures.
Since the cub had become a full Cliath, Teeth-of-Wind had no more reason to stay, and continued on his journeys. Before he left, he charged Steinbjorn with protecting his kin with his life and to walk the nearby lands and keep them safe from corruption. In addition to continuing his part working with the farm, Steinbjorn has performed his duty ever since.