Ummerlingen Broadheart

This is the story of the desert gnome Ummerlingen Broadheart. A native of Melo Mada in the Taern Tirnos desert.

When Felco Broadheart returned to Melo Mada from his to date most successful trade trip to the north east, all the way to the Duchy of Val Kahden, to find his wife had died the day before, while giving birth to their first child, he was devastated. Everyone expected him to finally settle down and take charge of his growing trading company from the headquarters situated so strategically by the northwest gate and to raise his son in the ways of a desert gnome. Instead, Felco contracted his youngest brother, Merson, to run the business and set out to travel and trade within fortnight, bringing his newborn with him. They all said he had lost his mind upon learning about his decision, and were even more upset when they heard that he decided to name the boy Ummerlingen. “What kind of a name is that”, some said, “There must be rules” said others. But Felco wanted to infuse his only child with a sense of how spectacular the world was, and the grand city of the northern Duchy seemed the perfect name for his son.

During his childhood, Ummer, as he was lovingly called by his father, saw more roads, cities and people than many others his age. Together they went as far north, east and west as they safely could, finding the most exotic wares, negotiating deals for the thriving Broadheart Trading Company. Ummer learned the ways of the northwestern duchies, the Vengron lords, the petty kings west of the mountains and everyone in between.

On one of the rare occasions that they visited Melo Mada, Felco became ill, and no matter the cures or rituals that were administered, he took his last breath there, in the city where he was born. Burdened by grief Ummer listened to the advice of his uncle Merson and settled at the headquarter to learn this side of the business. But it wasn’t long before this unusual desert gnome felt restless, eager to once again see more of the world at the same time realising that trading wasn’t really what he was interested in.

From a young age, Ummer had made a habit of keeping notes of their travels. What they ate, where it was possible to sleep without danger, what the languages were like in the different areas, details both great and small. On one trip to the north when Ummer was just beginning to learn to write, an unexpected ice storm had caught them unprepared and resulted in him losing two toes. It was while recuperating for a lengthy time that his father gave him a notebook, pen and ink to have something to fill his time with. Soon he needed a second, then a third, and the collection of notes from their travels were now impressive, albeit unstructured.

Considering the skills he had; being fluent in five languages and adept in a handful more, knowing the politics and geography of a considerable part of Edynor, having years of first-hand experience of travel, negotiation and culture, Ummer wrote his first *Ummerlingen Travel Companion*. The book was an immediate success, contracted to be published in at least four countries, and soon followed by the next. And so it was that Ummer set out to travel again, not to trade in goods, but to trade in travel, so to speak, eager to expand his collection of notebooks and publish yet another travel companion.

### Appearances in stories

Ummerlingen Broadheart has traveled with Kaliana.

### Material and contribution

The Ummerlingen Broadheart portrait and lore have been developed by Karin Höijer (@karin\_hoijer on Instagram)