The Story Behind the Storm, Part I: Fenrik
an in-depth look at the creation of the "Barbarians of the Storm" saga
For the first installment of The Story Behind the Storm article series, I thought that it would be best to feature the series’ main character: Fenrik.
Sure, the first book is called Dan the Destructor and Dan is a big part of the saga, but Fenrik is truly the main character in the series. So much so, his biggest life event exists as a sort of BC/AD spot in the saga’s timeline.
So, who is Fenrik, what was the idea behind him, and how has that evolved as I continue to write more stories?
Well, the initial idea was pretty basic. Fenrik was a sort of a generic sword & sorcery hero archetype. However, I wanted him to have a fun, jovial personality. So, my first thought was to create a character that was part Conan and part Errol Flynn swashbuckler. As Dan the Destructor was initially going to be a graphic novel, I jumped in with this character concept in mind. I wanted a fearless warrior that was hardened by his battles but not completely defined by that.
Additionally, when one first meets Fenrik, he can be easily dismissed as a womanizing lummox that runs towards danger without much thought. As you get to know the character, you realize that this is a front. Or, it is how he presents himself to those he isn’t yet comfortable with. Over time, he becomes a more complex, nuanced character that is much more intelligent than he would like to have strangers believe.
Opposite to Conan, he was also born as royalty but rejected his preplanned destiny because he yearned for adventure and a more direct form of justice in the barbarous world he inhabits. Some may see a connection to that and the story of Elric of Melniboné, but Fenrik didn’t have his throne taken away, he abandoned it willingly and left his kingdom in the hands of his brother, Magnar. However, Magnar went missing and that is a mystery that is already being revealed in the books, albeit without that being revealed to readers yet.
When it came to the look of Fenrik, I wanted someone visually similar to Conan or Kull, but I had to give him a big beard. I also drew some inspiration from Darkwolf, a hero in the 1983 rotoscope animated film Fire & Ice. This is why Fenrik first appears wearing the head and pelt of a wolf when he is first seen.
I also thought of Fenrik having an advanced healing ability similar to Wolverine. While he is damn hard to kill and hurt, he is not indestructible. That ability also ties to what he is, which is the son of an alien race of super soldiers that have had a presence in the vast cosmos for millennia. Granted, a lot of this is unknown to Fenrik and he learns bits and pieces as time goes on.
While Fenrik pulls from all these things I have mentioned, the real core of the character was born out of the spirit of the cinematic heroes I grew up with in the ‘80s. He is a true hero, not an antihero. He does the right thing because it is the right thing to do. However, he has a playful and generally unserious personality. However, when he has to get serious, he has no qualms about that and his mood shifts into someone that everyone knows is not to be fucked with.
Fenrik’s character DNA is comprised of a lot of heroes that influenced me, but I still think that he’s pretty unique and doesn’t follow any specific template too closely, once you get beyond his appearance and spend some real time with him.
I have big plans for him and I’ve barely scratched the surface, even with five books already in the series. I know what his true destiny is, and it is going to be a hell of a lot of fun writing all the stories that will take him there.
Cool character concept. I'm going to have to read this and get to know Fenrik.