i

An outcast among outcasts, the Reinbeast’s very survival is as much a miracle as it is a testament to his strength and determination. Born in the darkest depths of the Durkham Forest on a cold winter morning, he was immediately marked by the strange colour of his coat and a glowing red nose. All through his childhood, the Reinbeast had to fight all those who would see him cast out. Yet beatings and cruelty only hardened the poor creature and taught him to stand tall and proud no matter the hardship.

But on one stormy night, when the wind howled like a wounded dragon among the twisted and gnarled trees of Durkham, and a terrible blizzard swept the land, his fate was changed forever. Forced out into the night by his tribe’s chief on a fool’s errand that was no doubt meant to see him dead, the Reinbeast came across a most confusing sight. A sleigh full of strange items stood there, encased by ice, and a man clad in armour of silver and red worked tirelessly to fix the damage. A small pack of reindeers shivered at his side, cold and tired, no longer able to pull the heavy carriage. Though suspicious at first, the Reinbeast was moved by the pure light that seemed to be emanating from that mysterious human, and the care he showed in trying to help his exhausted steeds.

He approached, cautiously, and offered help in a broken Common tongue. To his surprise, the man’s own words boomed within his mind loud and clear, as if spoken by one of his own people. Sir Nicholas, as the strange introduced himself, was most grateful for the aid. And with the Reinbeast now placed in the lead, his own reindeers finally managed to free the sleigh and press on their way. With magic beyond imagining, they went across Teleria in a single night to reward the just and punish the wicked, with the Reinbeast’s glowing nose leading their way. It was no surprise that when offered a single wish for his selfless help, the Reinbeast asked to remain in Sir Nicholas’ service - and thus he has remained for centuries, pulling the mighty sleigh through blizzards and storms, and fighting at Sir Nicholas’ side when such a need arose.