Arne Johansson, universally known as Arne the Slow, serves as the senior tactical instructor and second-in-command of the boat crew for the remote community of Straven. His primary function involves the systematic preparation and coordination of the island's adult population for raider incursions, a responsibility he has shared with Old Bjorn for several decades. In the narrative of Fierce, Arne acts as the island's primary lookout and early-warning asset, using the signal horn to alert the community to the arrival of the King's Ship Seagull and the Mangandlese vessel Chantara. Despite his ironic moniker, born of the fact that he is physically quicker than almost any other man, Arne represents the disciplined and cautious tactical tradition of the northern veterans.

Arne is a man of significant physical vitality, appearing to be in his mid-fifties despite his chronological age of 111 years. As a Hero of the 23rd percentile, he possesses a life multiplier of 2.76, allowing him to maintain peak combat efficiency long after ordinary men have succumbed to age. Physically, he is characterised by a distinctive drawling speech and a dry, often ironic sense of humour. He is a formidable combatant, easily identified in battle by his shield, which depicts a black snail on a blue field above two wavy lines. Arne possesses a deep, powerful voice capable of projecting across the northern fjords and is noted for his remarkable lung capacity, able to inflate his bagpipes with only a few large breaths.

Arne is the grandson of the legendary Old Bjorn and has dedicated his life’s work to the preservation of the Straven sanctuary. Following a youth spent in the field battles of the Schism era, he joined his father in a multi-generational contingency plan to protect the young heroes Yngvild and Noren from the reach of southern renegades. Arne is an expert in the technical aspects of warfare; he personally manufactures the community's bows and strings and provides specialised instruction in archery, teaching his pupils to use their divine blood to guide their arrows with supernatural focus.

Beyond his martial duties, Arne is a central figure in the community’s spiritual and social life. During the celebrations of the First Night, he is the individual tasked with striking sparks for the great bonfire dedicated to Aeolf, the Goddess of Flames. His recreational time frequently involves providing musical accompaniment for the community, often playing jaunty tunes on his pipes to maintain morale during the short, intense periods of summer industry.

• Old Bjorn: His grandfather and the leader of the Straven community.
• Yngvild the Fierce: His student and associate in the island's defensive drills.
• Noren: His student and protégé, whom he has trained since infancy in maritime skills.
• Alwilda: A long-term community associate and mother of his students' peers.
• Arne Revnasson: A false identity assumed by Yngvild in the south, named in his honour.

• Straven: His primary residence and the site of his tactical oversight.
• Kronstadt: The capital city where he assists in state security operations.
• Trollheim: The northern wastes where he has historically hunted members of the Godbloods faction.

• Great Schism: The internal heroic conflict that defines his current political motivations.