Jarl Varinn Whitehawk is a Nord with ancient ties to the Pale. Though the noble blood of Skyrim’s kings runs through his veins, the harshness of his upbringing afforded him no luxuries; only a life built around survival, combat, and practical work. As a lesser scion of his Clan, he was never destined for rulership. However, life in the frozen north has a way of weeding out the unworthy in favour of the exceptional. A selection process which began at just 13, when fate pitted his longboat against a bull whale, a battle won dearly at the cost of a shattered leg. “Shallow wounds” as he’d refer to them later in life, ones that did not stop him from leading troops into battle at 26, nor from becoming one of Dawnstar’s youngest Stewards at 30.
Of course, promise alone is never a guarantee, for fate too played its hand, when in 4E 175, a plague devastated the proud families of the Pale. Faced with precious few worthy challengers, Varinn became the natural successor to his grand uncle, the previous incumbent. Taking the icy helm for himself, the newly appointed Jarl spent the next few years manoeuvring the beleaguered Hold from a state of crisis into one of rising prosperity. At the close of the 2nd century, Dawnstar stands as a port city in strategic resurgence, yet politically surrounded, and must sail through a narrow gauntlet if it is to survive.