The Nail is a feared and famous Named Man, the son of the great Gregun Hollowhead, chieftain in the West Valleys.
Appearance and Personality[]
The Nail is very tall and lean, but with a sort of easy slouch, elbows stuck out and chin stuck forward. He has white-blond hair sprouting in tufts, not just on his head but even his beard, brows and eyelashes. He stands very still, with something of a coiled spring in that loose slouch, as if he might explode in violence any moment. In battle, his preferred weapons are an axe and sword combo, Black Dow style.
History[]
A Little Hatred[]
Gregun Hollowhead and The Nail answer the call to war against the Protectorate of Uffrith from King Scale Ironhand and his brother, Black Calder. At the Battle of Red Hill, The Nail leads the Northmen through the forest intending to catch The Dogman's postion in a surprise attack. However, the plan is foiled when Rikke has a vision of The Nail emerging from the forest with his men. She warns her father, and, when the real attack comes, the Uffrith men are somewhat prepared and hold it off in fierce fighting.
The outcome of the battle is decided by a duel in the Circle between Stour Nightfall and Leo dan Brock, in which The Nail holds a shield.
The Trouble With Peace[]
Having murdered his uncle, Stour Nightfall becomes King of the Northmen. He rules The North through fear. When Gregun Hollowhead refuses to pay more tax, he puts him in a cage in Starling's Hall in Carleon to make an example. One of his Named Men then comes to complain about it. Stour beheads Hollowhead and spikes his head over the gates of Carleon. He makes the Named Man his new guest in the cage.
Determined to avenge his father, The Nail arrives in Uffrith seeking Rikke as an ally against Stour Nightfall. Rikke disappoints him with talk of joining Leo’s alliance against King Orso of The Union, but points out that no alliance lasts forever. This one proves particularly short-lived. As soon as Stour Nightfall sails for Midderland with the bulk of The North's warrior, Uffrith and the West Valley join forces to capture Carleon by stealth. Skarling’s Hall itself holds for a while, but a little blatant bribery soon deals with that problem. Sitting her arse in Skarling’s Chair, Rikke explains to The Nail that she also sent a warning to King Orso, so Stour should be returning with a lot less warriors.
Following a defeat at the Battle of Stoffenbeck, the Great Wolf returns to The North with the remnants of his men by boat. Nearing Uffrith, Jonas Clover betrays him, and delivers him beaten and bloody on the wharf before The Nail and Caul Shivers. Stour blusters and threatens, until The Nail yanks down his trousers, and Shivers casually slits the tendons behind both his knees. A cage in Skarling's Hall awaits him.