Gemaudelene
Appearance
Tall, broad shouldered, imposing. Long red hair, green eyes, with a face as cold and unforgiving as the tundra she calls home.
As all Nordenfiir tend to be, Maude is incredibly strong for her size and stature. She is capable of existing comfortably in the frozen tundras but finds great difficulty in handling warmer climates. Maude's sense of smell will make a blood-hound envious and her appetite is nothing to scoff at. She's capable of soldiering on for several days at a time but requires an equal or lengthier amount of time for recovery in doing so. Maude suffers from a pollen allergy and her scent alone is enough to terrify even seasoned war horses. Having never owned a horse herself in her home lands, Maude is not trained in riding or keeping them. She was one highly skilled at dual-wielding, but injuries sustained in the last year of her life has left her incapable of managing this feat. Maude now takes on her foes with a sword at her good arm and a shield at her bad, though she's still handy with a bow and arrow.
Personality
Brash, short-fused, acerbic, shameless, determined, independent.
Magic
Nordenfiir are natural-born shifters but do not gain the ability to change until they come of age. This does not happen until a Nordenfiir has "found their Svalen" or discovered their spiritual animal counterpart: typically these spirit guides arrive to a Nordenfiir in a time of self discovery and growth. "Svalen" is the Nordenfiir word for soul. As a Shifter, Maude is capable of changing her form into that of a large red bear.
History
Granddaughter of the late King Iordahn of Nordengard, Maude grew up within a powerful and privileged family within the Frozen Halls of the Nordengaard capital. She received a thorough education and trained as a warrior since before she could form complete sentences as a young cub. Learning to wield a wide variety of weapons came standard. Learning to hunt, survive, defend, and kill was nothing less than inherently expected for someone of her station. Maude excelled in the art of swordplay and proved herself to be a fierce combatant not just in the training fields, but also in battle.
Though Shield Maiden had been what many deemed her worthy for, Maude found her calling in carrying out the will of her King as a Ranger. For many years she fulfilled this role with pride and vigor, roaming the landscape of Eretejva to see the King's law and rule kept in every Nordenfiiri settlement. She was quite good at it and made a name for herself - helping to stave subterfuge in far-ranging clans and keeping the King's peace where his voice was not so strongly heard. It was, unfortunately, her noble duty that kept her from discovering the underhanded machinations closer to the capital.
Maude was not home when Borvenir the Usurper murdered King Iordahn in the Frozen Halls and word got to her far too late to make any difference at all. As a direct descendant of the King she stood within the line of succession for the throne - a line that very quickly found itself cut shorter and shorter as Borvenir's regime slaughtered her family in a merciless Havraekae hunt. Maude's mother, Jarra, escaped persecution long enough to send word of their fate to her daughter as well as her twin Solstal swords.
Hunted down for the purpose of eliminating the royal line, Maude's infamy as a Ranger worked against her as clan after clan found themselves subjugated to the Usurper King's new rule. She escaped to the south, making for the port at Withereach and taking a ship across Haymar's Folly, following the last words of her mother to seek out her estranged uncle, Skalgrim, in the lands to the south.
The Heir Apparent to the Nordenfiir throne spent over a year in the Summerlands, seeking out allies to help her undo the atrocities of Borvenir's coup. She formed a close friendship with Arnor Skuldsson and found a brother in another Nordenfiir named Hugi. In Gunnar Bergstrom she found a powerful ally and in her Uncle Skalagrim the wisdom of her forefathers. Skalagrim had one other gift for her: the Amulet of Eogorath. The real one.
Following a storied path down along the Spine and across the open plains of the Aliir reach, Maude made her way through Alliria, where she found Hugi and Gunnar, then traveled north to the great merchant city of Elbion, battling the wilds and Bounty Hunters set upon her by Borvenir along the way. There she pleaded her case to the Merchant Council only to find her words falling upon deaf ears. They would not help her, but agreed to offer a pittance of coin to fund her cause with the stipulation it be repaid with interest. The Foard of Maesters from the College of Elbion, however, took a greater interest.
The College had long since been known for its knowledge of all-things-magic, but one thing that had escaped their study was that of the Nordenfiir metal Solstal. Given its unique properties, they agreed to aid Maude's campaign with the payment of a shipment of Solstal ore to study. They gave to her Mages of many disciplines and calibers and offered their good word with the Sons of Stone, a large mercenary band headquartered to the east of Elbion. As a final boon, Maude was greeted by a representative of Mystemarch who pledged to her a small cadre of navy ships and soldiers with the promise of open trade relation with Nordengaard - a promise she readily made.
Chronicles
- He Is No King of Mine - with Vand and Sigrith; Withereach, Eretejva
- Grim News to Bear - with Skalagrim; Town of Cree, Liadain
- The Road to Hallenrul - with Velaeri, Erling Thenn, Shabha Agloshk, and Thronebreaker; Hallenrul, Liadain
- Between the Embrace of Drawa - with Arnor Skuldsson, Sapphire, and Faelin K'Abveirin; Fishing Village, n orthern
- Burning of Knottington - with Arnor Skuldsson, Signe, Aithlin Kitansyr, and Viktoriya Antonov; Knottington, south of the Spine
- More than a Marauder - Letters exchanged between Arnor and Maude following Burning of Knottington
- All Roads Lead to Alliria - with Gunnar Bergstrom and Hugi, Alliria
- A Price for Honor - with Gunnar Bergstrom, Alliria
- Pendemonium - with Gunnar Bergstrom, Vand, Sigrith, Sannoru, Valthar, and many more
- Eretejva ... I've Come to Bargain - with TTamark and Sannoru
- Make Time Refuse to Pass - with Arnor
- Aftermath - with Mikaela Riyurik
- Wolf Among Cubs - with Valthar
- Another Iron in the Fire - with Solveig Odasson
- A Rowdy Night - with Hugi, Valthar, Arnor, Magrin Kor, Gylfi Runarsson, Brenna, et more
- When Mountains Crumble - with Hugi
- Farewell - with Mikaela Ryurik and Talus
- Southward [A Tundra Tale] - with Mikaela Ryurik, Talus, Hugi, Brenna, Gylfi, Magrin, Valthar, Arnor
