Ibn Fadlan

Ibn Fadlan is the narrator and author of the tale. His full and proper name is Ahmad ibn-Fadlan, ibn-al-Abbas, ibn-Rsid, ibn-Hammad. The lengthy name attests to his heritage as a Middle Easterner and their custom of identifying themselves by their ancestry. Ibn Fadlan is a member of Muhammad ibn-Sulayman's court. Ibn Fadlan works as a courtier and the tale springs from his charge to conduct himself to a neighboring town in order to teach the king there.

On his way to the neighboring kingdom ,Ibn Fadlan encounters a group of Northmen or Vikings. The Northmen are called to travel even further North in order to battle a monster referred to as the wendol. As part of the Northmen's tradition, a foreigner must accompany the band and become the thirteenth warrior. Ibn Fadlan is recruited, much to his dismay, to travel with Buliwyf and his warriors to the...