Astrid Gunnarsdotter's page

Astrid is the daughter of one of Grand Prince Stavian's Ulfen Guard, Gunnar Helmson, and was raised on the periphery of the court in Oppara. Her mother passed giving birth to her, their only child, and Gunnar doted on his sole progeny. Even as a child, she had a bit of a brash and rebellious streak, especially compared to most of the Taldane nobles she was surrounded by. Gunnar did little to dissuade this, even going so far as to secure a weapons master to work with her and teach her swordplay, as well as instructing her in the veneration of Gorum and the cultivation of great physical strength. Even with her wild side, her father's station afforded her a fair bit of prestige...

...until the outbursts started, as she began to blossom into womanhood. She had always been uncommonly tall and broad-shouldered, with a wide nose and gimlet eyes that could only be described as homely. But as she grew, these features only managed to emphasize themselves even more, and her manner turned just as crass. At first, it was simply knocking over clay sculptures in fits when she didn't get her way; soon, it turned to rampages that would leave entire rooms in shambles. Whispers began to spread about this weird, angry girl from the North - strange whispers. Some said that during her rampages, her hands would grow thick and heavy, her nails reshaping into long round claws. Others claimed to have seen her hiding patches of fur sprawling across her face. One even claimed to have seen her already sizable nose lengthen into a snout, her horsey teeth expanding into sharp canines.

Once these rumors made it back to Gunnar, he realized the truth...his daughter was manifesting signs of lycanthropic influence, a trait more common among the Ulfen than other cultures, although still rare. And considered a gift among the hardy and boisterous Northerners, rather than a curse - but a dangerous gift, that needed discipline and control to use safely. No one in Oppara would have the wisdom to guide his daughter in learning to control the change; few in Oppara had even seen a lycanthrope, and the Taldane stories painted them as dark, violent killers, destroying without remorse. All the Grand Prince's court would hold for Astrid was stares, whispers, and silent avoidance. Soon, he made a hard choice.

Astrid was put on a ship and sent back to the Land of the Linnorm Kings, to live with her aunt and uncle in a small village on the border of the Grungir Forest. There, Gunnar knew, Astrid would be celebrated for her might, rather than shunned for the change, and the clan's wisdom would help her learn to control her gift. And indeed, her father's kin were warm and welcoming to her - but the pendulum perhaps swung back too far. All the attention disagreed with Astrid; she'd never enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of the Taldane court, and she found the reverence of her clan mates just as embarrassing. More and more, Astrid took to spending her time in the fringes of the forest, taking up trapping as an excuse to withdraw from town longer and longer - because near-worshipful or resentful stares were still stares.

One day, while hunting foxes for furs to sell, Astrid came across a strange trail - almost bear-like, but far too long to belong to any ordinary bear. Intrigued, she followed the prints, trying to find where the trail ended...for she knew of her heritage, the half-bear, half-human creature whose blood flowed through her veins in some measure. Eventually, after nearly a full day's pursuit, her search was rewarded, and her suspicions confirmed. A man, built thicker even than her father even in advanced old age and wearing nothing but a supple leather breechclout, stood in the center of a small clearing, in the midst of what looked to be a religious ceremony. Astrid could see a coat of coarse hair covering most of his exposed skin, and a small cinnamon-colored bear sat in the mouth of the cave nearby, watching with an unusually intelligent gaze.

The man turned to see her, then turned to flee. Stop! she shouted, desperate not to lose sight of this one tenuous link to her ancient history. Losing control in her anguish, her hands broadened and her face lengthened, and with a snarl she began to pursue the man - until he stopped and turned around suddenly, a sudden look of recognition in his eye.

So we are cousins, then, are we? he replied simply.

Astrid returned to her aunt and uncle that night - to bid them goodbye, leaving the next morning with her father's old greatsword brought from Oppara, her uncle's third-best bow, and a wood-framed backpack with all she owned. For the next several months, she lived with the werebear man Onger and his companions, his mate Ana and their grown child Torrhen. Living amongst the kindly lycanthropes, Astrid learned with time the calming rituals Onger used to focus his mind and bring his form shifts under his conscious control; the ways Torrhen used his teeth and claws to fight and climb, besting his quarry with ease and bringing back meat every night; the gentle grace with which Ana thanked the spirits of the beasts that became their meals and honored the moon whose cycles empowered their shapeshifting.

Though Astrid still venerates Gorum for the strength in battle he lends his followers, she follows in the werebears' stolid spirituality as well. Her faith in the Lord of Iron began to manifest as blessings of strength and savagery she could share with a touch, and as warm, comforting spells of healing to aid her allies after the fighting was done. Her new family encouraged her to use her abilities for good and not for wanton destruction - hunting no more than necessary to fill her (admittedly voracious) stomach, fighting only when no other recourse was available and only against those who would seek to harm their fellows, showing magnanimous generosity in victory and accepting defeat graciously.

As autumn finally broke through the deep snows of winter to find spring on the other side, a message arrived to Onger's clearing - Gunnar had called for his daughter to return to court, to apprentice under the Ulfen Guard's auspices and prepare for one day assuming a position in the Guard herself. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, her new adopted family said - one she couldn't pass up. So, making her way to Kalsgard, she boarded another ship back to Oppara. But as the voracious winds consumed the miles of the Inner Sea, Astrid found herself dreading a return to the intrigues, the elaborate posturing and preening, the decadence and self-indulgence of the Grand Prince's court. After all - it wasn't in the arrogance of the court she'd found herself, but in the purity of the wild, living simply among folk who had learned to be content with the next-to-nothing they'd carved out with their own hands.

And so when one of her shipmates offered her a job trapping boar in the Border Wood, far removed from the gilded cage of the Grand Prince's court, it didn't take much convincing. Now she makes her living trapping and hunting, making use of her father's sword and her uncle's bow when she must, but preferring the primal satisfaction of hunting as her quarry does, with tooth and claw. The time is growing close for a resupply trip; Heldren might have less variety of supplies than Zimar, but the quiet of the small village is worth the slightly lesser quality ale.

1) Five things:
-Astrid was raised in the royal court at Oppara, but found it not much to her liking. She still holds some disdain for people who carry their self-importance as though afraid of breaking it, as well as those who feel it necessary to wear a year's fortune on their necks and fingers - though those carrying it in their weapons and armor are fine by her.
-In her early teenage years, she began manifesting the lycanthrope influence in her blood; such an upheaval during her formative years left her even more reclusive than she was already predisposed to.
-Moving back to the Land of the Linnorm Kings and meeting a small werebear enclave there earned her her skills in trapping and hunting, her cold-weather hardiness, and control of her shapeshifting abilities.
-Astrid is of average, homely appearance at best - and that's before she grows a snout, claws, and patches of fur. It bothered her more in Stavian's court, where appearances were everything, but her time among the Ulfen and her werebear family has taught her that deeds matter more. Now, she's open to everyone, regardless of strange looks, so long as their heart and their deeds are worthy - though she still takes some time to open up.
-Her faith in Gorum as an avatar of strength and battle-worthiness is true, but tempered by the calm of her mentors' druidic beliefs; she's retained some measure of the hot-headedness of her youth, but it shares space with gentleness and concern for others in her mind. Everything has its time - peace in between fights, fervor when the glory of battle calls.

2) Two goals:
-She's got a good living as a trapper, but she's looking for something more than just a living. her werebear mentors instilled in her the importance of guiding and protecting others, and the Ulfen sagas promise eternal glory to doers of great deeds; stopping the occasional sheep-snatching by a wolf doesn't feel like either.
-I'd like to see her have opportunities to meet wide varieties of people, even if she manages to scare off many of them. A lot of her story from my part will probably be drawing her out of her shell, both from necessity and from realizing not everyone's so judgmental as the nobles she grew up around.

3) Two secrets:
-Astrid doesn't immediately share her lycanthrope heritage upon meeting new people; she prefers her shifted form in battle, but otherwise uses it very little, and avoids others while she is shifted.
-She doesn't realize that it wasn't just for an apprenticeship her father was calling her back to Oppara - he had also intended to introduce her to his new wife, a minor Taldane noblewoman, and her new infant half-brother. There's whispers about the unlikeliness of a child born six months after the wedding weighing nearly ten pounds...but most have the sense not to mention said rumors to the burly guard's face.

4) Connections:
-Her father, Gunnar Helmson, a member of the Ulfen Guard in Oppara. He's had little contact with his daughter in the past seven years, and had hoped to rekindle their friendship when she returned to the court to take up training with the Ulfen Guard.
-Her mentors, Onger and Ana, werebears living in the Grungir Forest, and their son, Torrhen. The older couple were sad to see Astrid go, but Torrhen was perhaps the saddest of all - he'd considered proposing pair-bonding to Astrid, but couldn't work up the nerve to ask before her departure.
-Her aunt, Ida Helmsdotter, and uncle, Mors Tarenson. The couple had enjoyed the prestige they got from housing a shapechanger, but in truth, they had paid the young werebear-kin little heed, hardly noticing when the young girl's forays grew longer and longer. They did notice when she departed, though - others' reputations are more difficult to leech off of when they're no longer present.

5) Three mannerisms or quirks:
-Even in the middle of Kuthona, Astrid rarely wears a coat. Living in the Land of the Linnorm Kings has inured her to icy weather, and her werebear heritage has given her a measure of internal fortitude as well; the mild Taldane winters are nothing compared to what she is accustomed to.
-Astrid is a heavier drinker than most when she's in town, but in the woods she doesn't even carry a skin of wine; when she's on a hunt, she insists on keeping her senses sharp.
-She's made most of her leather goods herself; sometimes, she'll even leave the hair and head on the skins she uses. Her belt pouch, for instance, is made from a whole squirrel skin, with the tail forming the belt loop and the head (complete with glass eyes) forming the flap.

Astrid Gunnarsdotter
Werebear-kin human warpriest of Gorum VMC ranger 1
CG medium humanoid (skinwalker, shapechanger)
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6 (+7 shifted)

----- Defense -----
AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor)
hp 18 (2d8+4)
Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +4 (+5 shifted)
Resist cold 2

----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in hide)
Melee Greatsword +4 (2d6+4/19-20x2) or bite +4 (1d6+3), 2 claws +5 (1d6+3) (shifted)
Ranged Longbow +1 (1d8/x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +2 (+3 shifted))
1/day— calm animals
Warpriest Spells (CL 1st; concentration +2 (+3 shifted))
1st—divine favor, divine favor, bless
0 (at will)—mending, create water, detect magic, guidance

----- Statistics -----
Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Extra Feature, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills (1 FCB) Heal +5 (+6 shifted), Knowledge (geography) +1, Knowledge (nature) +1, Perception +7 (+8 shifted), Survival +6 (+7 shifted), Profession (trapper) +5 (+6 shifted), Craft (leather) +4;
Traits Seeker, Veteran of Battle, Northern Ancestry, Oppressive Expectations (drawback)
Languages Common, Skald
SQ animal-minded, aura of chaos, blessing (3/day), shape change, wild empathy
Combat Gear Other Gear hide armor, leather lamellar armor, greatsword, longbow, 30 arrows, cold iron longspear, iron holy symbol, spell component kit, ranger's kit (a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, iron pot, mess kit, rope, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin), explorer's outfit, 18 gp
----- Special Abilities -----
Blessings (Su) Destruction and War blessings
Destruction Blessing - Destructive Attacks (minor) (Su) At 1st level, you can touch an ally and bless it with the power of destruction. For 1 minute, the ally gains a morale bonus on weapon damage rolls equal to half your level (minimum 1).
War Blessing - War Mind (minor) (Su) At 1st level, you can touch an ally and grant it a tactical advantage for 1 minute. At the start of its turn each round, it can select one of the following bonuses: +10 feet to base land speed, +1 dodge bonus to AC, +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, or a +1 luck bonus on saving throws. Each bonus selected lasts for 1 round.
Sacred Weapon 1d6 (Su) At 1st level, weapons wielded by a warpriest are charged with the power of his faith. In addition to the favored weapon of his deity, the warpriest can designate a weapon as a sacred weapon by selecting that weapon with the Weapon Focus feat; if he has multiple Weapon Focus feats, this ability applies to all of them. Whenever the warpriest hits with his sacred weapon, the weapon damage is based on his level and not the weapon type. The damage for Medium warpriests is listed on Table 1–14; see the table below for Small and Large warpriests. The warpriest can decide to use the weapon's base damage instead of the sacred weapon damage—this must be declared before the attack roll is made. (If the weapon's base damage exceeds the sacred weapon damage, its damage is unchanged.) This increase in damage does not affect any other aspect of the weapon, and doesn't apply to alchemical items, bombs, or other weapons that only deal energy damage.
Fervor (Su) At 2nd level, a warpriest can draw upon the power of his faith to heal wounds or harm foes. He can also use this ability to quickly cast spells that aid in his struggles. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 his warpriest level + his Wisdom modifier. By expending one use of this ability, a good warpriest (or one who worships a good deity) can touch a creature to heal it of 1d6 points of damage, plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 3 warpriest levels he possesses above 2nd (to a maximum of 7d6 at 20th level). Using this ability is a standard action (unless the warpriest targets himself, in which case it's a swift action). Alternatively, the warpriest can use this ability to harm an undead creature, dealing the same amount of damage he would otherwise heal with a melee touch attack. Using fervor in this way is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage. This counts as positive energy. As a swift action, a warpriest can expend one use of this ability to cast any one warpriest spell he has prepared with a casting time of 1 round or shorter. When cast in this way, the spell can target only the warpriest, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The warpriest does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way.