Olga

## Background

Olga Spiritcaller, or Gram-Gram, is an elder of the Northlander clan up the coast from Alivast and serves as the group's shaman and spiritual advisor.

She is hunched with age, and uses a staff for support (and smacking others). Her earlobes are long and display large, wolf-tooth earrings and she wears a large elaborate necklace. She has a sagely stare that gives an indication of wisdom and experience.

Olga communes with spirits, particularly one entity called Ydia who provides guidance on hunts. After consulting with Ydia, Olga informs the hunters when it is appropriate to hunt and what types of beasts can be hunted.

She met with the Unexpectables in a quite over the top fashion, scaring the group with a polymorphed attack, but then quickly having it smoothed over...Somewhat. She also presided over Task's "coming of age" ritual, and the birth of Syndra's baby, but not without passing the torch of Shaman to Frelda.

At some point between the Unexpectables leaving the Northlander clan and their return to the surface after spending time in the Alivast Underdark, Olga had died, presumably of natural causes.

## Personality

Olga was as tough as the north wind and as wise as an oak, and as a result she commanded near complete respect from every Northlander in her clan. She was a sharp disciplinarian and defender of the clan's traditions and honor.

## Relationships

### Bjornson, Son of Olafson

Though Bjornson is the chieftain, Olga has considerable influence over the clan's activities. She has no problems using her words (and staff) to let her displeasure be known with the young chieftain. A casual observer may not be able to immediately intuit which one of them is in charge.

### Frelda

Olga is Frelda's instructor in the druidic arts and the ways of becoming a Northlander shaman. When Syndra goes into labor, she makes Frelda deliver the baby as the final stage of her Woman-Trial to become a full shaman.

Frelda became the group's Shaman after her death.

### Panic Grimtongue

*"Ma'am, I am so sorry. You attacked me, you frightened me. My quills came out, I set you on fire..."*

Panic was on the receiving end of Gram-Gram's wrath when she defended the longhouse in the form of a giant octopus. Once she heard Panic's apology and explanation, she delivered a healing spell via a sharp jab in his gut with her cane. She warms to Panic when he confirms that Task wants to hunt a bear so that he can become a "big boy".

### Task

Olga communed with the "spirits of the wild" and Ydia for guidance regarding Task's bear hunt. She believes that his hunt was a Man Trial, where he would kill a bear, singlehandedly, with only a ceremonial dagger. Her stipulations for allowing the hunt were that the pelt would belong to Ydia and the fat belong to the clan, and Task would be allowed to keep the meat. The spirits also told Olga that Halfdan would serve as his guide for the Man Trial.

## Trivia

* Northlander shamans of Ydia are exclusively women.
* Her connection to nature extended her life far beyond what it normally would have been.
* Olga can use her druidic powers to wildshape into an octopus and communicate with ravens so she can speak common to Task during his "Man Trial".
* Panic wished her peace in her afterlife, Frelda stated "she won't".
* Considering Ydia's nature as a goddess of nature and hunt, Frelda believes that Olga now runs (and possibly hunts) in the goddess' fields, which could explain why she wouldn't have much rest or peace in her afterlife - although, in Northlander tradition, this way of (after)life would be preferable.