Ulgar's father, Baldur Helmhammer, was a successful merchant in Karcau (in northern Ustalav). When the fourth Crusade was called, he arranged for the largest shipment of weapons, armor, and provisions he could muster and took his family north in a caravan to Mendev. Some frowned at his profiteering, but Baldur's business boomed.
On the road, Baldur trained Ulfgar and his two brothers in the use of traditional Ulfen weapons. Their mother, Sigurd (an Ulfen woman of unearthly beauty), instructed them and their two sisters in singing, ettiquette, and linguistics. Ulfgar had been born with a birthmark on his left forearm in the shape of a butterfly and his mother, despite being a follower of Pulura, made sure that he knew it was a sign that the Starsong was watching over him. During their travels, he made several friends in the caravan- most notably a young pair of twin half-elven girls who taught him the basics of Desna's faith, and got him into some mischief.
After a couple of years on the road, the family's good fortune took a turn for the worse. Young Ulfgar was snatched from the caravan and went missing for several days. When he returned his parents blamed it on Sczarni thugs, but in reality it had been the work of demonic cultists. They had attempt to corrupt the boy with an elaborate ritual but their magic only seemed to empower him to connect with a power inside himself, a power that helped him to escape. Unwilling to risk another incident, Baldur moved his family, and their fattened coffers, back to Karcau.
Years passed in comfort and Ulfgar nearly forgot about Mendev and his childhood friends. A year ago he was reminded. He woke in a sweat after dreaming that a great azure butterfly had carried him to Kenabres and dropped in front of twin half-elven women, between them and a charging demon. He tried to force the memory of his capture and the ritual from his mind, and he dismissed the dream as shadows of the trauma. But every month on the night of the full moon the dream returned. After ten months he confided the dream to his parents. His father was dismissive but his mother thought it a sign. After it came again the 11th month she helped him arrange passage to Kenabres. The journey up the Sellen went smoothly and he arrived 2 days before the anniversary of his first dream to track down Luna and Astra Vale and figure out why he's feeling called to them...
