Crusher of Heads

Crusher of Heads was a Imsinnis Skassak raider who partook in the Ghostfaces Expedition of 656 C.E., acting as Holds A Black Lance's second-in-command. Following Black Lance's demise, Crusher replaced him as leader of the invaders, but only enjoyed the position for several minutes before he himself was cut down by an atlatl dart thrown by Lydia Demarek.

History[]

At an unknown point in time, Crusher of Heads joined his tribe's military and gained his name in the Ghostfaces tongue by virtue of the heavy stone axe he wielded as his primary weapon. Crusher of Heads name and choice of weaponry suggests that his preferred form fighting was brutal, with Crusher of Heads delivering bone-shattering blows. Like all of his people, Crusher of Heads was presumably taught to believe that the Imsinnis Skassak were superior to their southern tribal neighbours/victims. Crusher of Heads rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the second-in-command of the northern tribe's raiding force. He also seems to have gained a close friendship with his superior, Holds A Black Lance.

The Ghostfaces[]

After eight years of silence, the Ghostfaces, Crusher of Heads included, launched another raid on their southern neighbours, striking out under the darkness of night and sailing their fleet of canoes down the river that wound through the seven tribes' territories, stripping the settlements of their supplies and valuables, burning crops and huts and remaining at each tribe's village to celebrate their perceived 'victory', in which they executed the tribe's men and prepared to take the womenfolk and children into slavery. Crusher of Heads was presumably a leading commander in the Imsinnis Skassak's quick, violent raids on the five of the tribes, including the clans of Tillicum, Pallikan and Limigina.

Following their conquering of the settlement belonging to the Limigina Tribe, Crusher of Heads and Black Lance's other men hosted their typical victory celebration, creating a colossal bonfire added to by the glow of several flaming huts which the Ghostfaces danced around in a vast circle, leaping and gyrating to the pounding rhythm of drums, drunk from their victory and the fermented corn brandy they brewed. Crusher of Heads and his comrades were forced to delay an invasion on the village of the Mawagansett to fix their damaged canoe boats, however, smearing melted wax over the ruined boats' joints, making them utterly waterproof.

While the main body of the Imsinnis Skassak force straggled across the river and into the bay after him, Holds A Black Lance, accompanied by his lieutenant, led six canoes crewed by thirty-one of his finest fighters and strongest paddlers. Spilling out behind Black Lance, Crusher of Heads quickly situated himself besides Holds A Black Lance as the Ghostface leader organised his warriors, grinning cruelly to Black Lance's comment that the stragglers could rush to join them when they beached and commenting in reply that that was all the more booty for him, expecting there to be the typical lack of any resistance from the Mawagansett as the Imsinnis Skassak raided the settlement, took whatever they fancied and leaving with canoes heavy with riches and supplies. Following his leader, Crusher and the other troops jogged through the dim shadows of flora towards the settlement, separating into a pair of files as they marched through the jungle of trees, Crusher of Heads's bare feet pounding the rotting-leaf matted path.

Emerging into the sunlight, Crusher of Heads halts in shock at the sight of the Mawagansett village readied for war, though his reaction to the sight of natives brandishing weapons in defiance is unknown. Waved into a single line by his commander, Crusher of Heads readies himself for combat as he watches as Holds A Black Lance give the Mawagansett one 'chance' of 'peaceful surrender', muttering uncertainty at the sight of a strange, pale-haired, fair-skinned being wielding a strange axe-like object, only to be silenced by Holds A Black Lance's screamed command for the north tribesmen to attack and slaughter the Mawagansett and 'Pale Hair', charging at the village behind his chieftain. Crusher of Heads halts and watches in shocked incredulity as his best friend is cut down in a brief, brutal skirmish with a hulking foreigner, leaving command of the raid in Crusher of Heads's hands.

Half turning as he took a step forward, Crusher of Heads roars at his troops, commanding them to slaughter the fair-haired strangers and avenge their fallen tribesman Black Lance, bolstering his men's bravado by the reminder that their numbers ranged above that of the enemy. Seeing an apparent opportunity as, in response to a horn blast, disappeared from sight, Crusher of Heads surged forwards, hauling himself over the knot of saplings and branches, drawing his weapon back to cut down any opposition in the way of attack he was named after.

Pulling himself upon the unprotected barrier, Crusher of Heads felt a surge of confidence, believing that the Mawagansett had scattered his terror, only to be sent spinning and crashing to the ground by a Mangler bolt fired from the foliage to the upper arm. Chaos surging through the ranks of attackers as bolts rain amongst them, wounding and killing four warriors before Holds A Black Lance's successor. Before he could even take in the turn in fortunes, Crusher of Heads's ears pick up the sound of a horn to the right, which heralds another barrage of projectiles smashing into the closely-packed ranks of the painted-faced attackers, but which Crusher of Heads notices has a violent impact on the defensive enclosure, revealing a flicker of human movement between the trees before another volley of missiles strike into Crusher of Heads's men.

Lydia, his killer — Lydia, his Limmatan killer

Hearing the shouted realisation that the source of this sudden barrage of missiles was within the tangle of vegetation to the force's right and concluding that the unexpected attackers had to be annihilated before the dark-and-white army could instigate a successful overwhelming of the Mawagansett, Crusher of Heads's, staggering upright, his left hand hanging useless and bloodied besides him, points his stone weapon as he directs his people forwards, leading them in a lurching run as he bellows for them to follow him, purpose blooming and encouraging him to further speed as he catches sight of people who shared his skin tone, people who he clarifies to be Mawagansett. No long feeling the agony surging from his left arm, Crusher of Heads blunders towards them, crashing into tree and righting himself to alter his dash into a rushed threading through the trees, sensing the dissipation of his force behind him. Nearing his foes, Crusher of Heads is shocked to sight a young, seemingly venerable, girl of olive skin and, thinking to have sighted easy meat, roars a wordless bellow of hatred as his throws himself at Lydia, running right into the path of the dart she threw, which sends his staggering back into the base of another trunk with it's impact, losing balance and sliding down till he lay slouched beneath the falling leaves, unable to understand where the dart that had struck him down had came from as his life drains away. Then his mind slid into darkness, and he died, leaving the Ghostfaces forces with their leader and his deputy commander dead.

It is unknown what became of Crusher of Heads's body, but, as an invader intent on destruction, he was likely not given the same ceremonial burial of those of the Mawagansett who had lost their lives in his tribe's savage attack.

Physical Appearance[]

A short but massively built Newlander, Crusher of Heads, as was typical of his people, painted his dark-skinned face dead-white, highlighting his eyes and the hollows of his cheeks with black chalk, giving him the startling effect of being a living skull. Naked to the waist, Crusher of Heads's only form of clothing were deer-hide leggings and a pair soft moccasins. Crusher of Heads also bore a massive but primitive axe cut from heavy stone, which, though it lacked metal additions, was still capable of crushing an enemy's undefended skull, hence it's owner's name.