Brunhilde

## History

### Fire

*Flames roared out, deafening and dazzling bright as the winds whipped it about in its dangerous dance. It muted out the screams of those within it as skin cracked and flesh became charcoal. A panicked and young Brunhilde reached her hands out, braving the flames in the futile attempt at pulling at the bonds that kept her mother and another in place. They were bound with steel chains, protruding from them cruel spikes that pushed into her flesh. Flames heated the steel red hot, the pain was indescribable. The winds filled the sails pulling the small boat they were forced upon further and further from shore.*

*She cried out and threw herself back unable to handle it anymore. Her body writhed, the distance made from the flame did nothing to ease her of the pain. She didn't even realize the only one left screaming was herself. A singular eye searched outwards through the storm. It was dark but on the coast she could see a figure momentarily before the haze of flames blotted out. They were holding a bow, and had another flaming arrow nocked. Even with the flame, she could not make out the face before the waves brought their boat under with a loud crack.*

### Ice

*She should have not lived, but the gods had either blessed or played a cruel trick upon the girl. Her bloodline was tinged with a touch of the sea. Water would fill her lungs, yet she breathed it like air. Cold frigid air that cooled the smoldering exterior of her burning flesh. A brief respite before the cold took her consciousness and swept her with the waves.*

*The storm took her far, eventually throwing her back into the belly of land. She was weak and even the mild-intervention of gods would have been useless. Her death was neigh unavoidable if she was left there long, yet fate had placed one other on the beach that night,*

### Steel

*Brunhilde's life was saved on the whim of a passing Grey Maiden of Haern-Catrin, an at the time dwindling order of female warriors. She would take her away to an old keep and nurse Brunhilde to health with the same care that one would take with baby bird that had fallen out of their nest. The keeps warmth breathed some life into her, yet the situation was still dire. Brunhilde laid in bed for months in a deep coma and was considered by many Sisters of the keep a loss cause and a waste of space in one of the more well warmed portions of the keep. Many petitioned Brunhilde's savior, Göndul of Skal, to rid their hands of the girl.*

W.I.P Eventually

### Alignment

* Lawful Evil
* Lawful Neutral
* Neutral Evil

### Focus

* The training of beast hunting Gray Maidens

### Aliases

* The Witches of Catrin's Horn
* The Road to Niflheim
* Crows Perch

###### **Haern-Catrin**

*Haern-Catrin, also known as the, Catrin's Horns or The Cursed Fort is a Keep that lies in the east, among the mountains of the lands known as the Barbarian Kingdoms. One of the last standing significant fortress of the Gray Maidens on the continent who adheres any semblance to the Gray Maidens old ways, and their cruel training style. Even today, not many girls survive the grueling training forced upon them, Most were taken in the night by hypothermia or frostbite, the others who huddled like rats for warmth were slain by the Beasts they were trained to hunt and kill. The rest, by the Runes forged into their flesh to become Armorists. Leaving only those who were Forged by Fire and Quenched by Ice, earning the nickname the Steel Sisters within the umbrella of Gray Maidens.*

Induction into this sect of the Sisterhood begins at ages as early as elven or twelve, their members picked out from poor villages without food to feed all the mouths present, or families who have collected one to many Crows. Criminals are also sent to bolster their numbers, the grueling training often being a much more fit punishment than any other. Though they are often far to late an age to ever become an Armorist.

### Year 5-Present

Brunhilde entered the public eye during the closing of Book 1. Though she was not part of any great events pushing back the Tide of the unrelenting Sea Menace called the Skum, she and her Sisters and Arms worked tirelessly in many minor conflicts. Efforts that would not go unrecognized, as in Year 10 of the Age of Might she had been elevated from a nameless sect leader to Legatus of the 9th Legion by Imperator Marcus Arcturius.

### Post Legatus

Brunhilde served her new found home well, piling her resources together and developing herself a small stronghold for her and a hand picked number of distinguished members of the Sisterhood of Gray Maidens. She had also adopted a Family name for herself, further distinguishing herself from her origins as a Crow. The Bastard Crow, was now known as Brunhilde Baricano, roughly meaning Brunhilde from the Barbarians. At least, that is what she claims. The Maiden, and her sisters served the Imperator faithfully and deployed frequently, reviving a name that had been close to forgotten for over two Millenia. From quelling public disturbances to campaigning against uncivil tribes that still lingered at the Kingdoms boarder. Waiting for the flame of Civilization so they may attempt to strike down the new found kingdom. Along side the Hell Knights of Helios, the Gray Maidens became known as the Imperators hands and feet.

Year 17, of the Age of Might on campaign child adopted, actual stuff to be written

## Appearance

Brunhilde is a meagerly sized woman, likely stunted in her youth from the brutal training she was subjected to as a Grey Maiden initiate. But one would be wrong to under estimate her, she is thick of limb and holds the strength of what one would expect from a man or woman double her size. She has one eye that she uses to see the world from under a haphazardly cut mop of hair (something she does herself, regularly). Marring her face eternally is a reminder of the past, burns encompass both sides of her face. They spread downwards and litter her entire body as well, coiling around her arms like jagged serpents.

## Personality

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## Known Associates

* As a Member of the Fanged Crown Brunhilde has sworn an oath to all of her fellow sisters of arms, even if they do not share a goal she will never break that trust.

###### Significant Gray Maidens

Cherri Winters

Agnes Kettleblack (Cohort)

* Another Gray Maiden trained and *Forged in* Haern-Catrin, graduating the same year as Brunhilde and devoting herself to following her despite their differences.

Amelia Hayward

* An initiate seemingly bonded to Agnes, Brunhilde will be watching her progress from her peripheral.

##### Adventurers and Chosen

Flora

* During the First Annual Imperial Tournament the pair had fought in one of the preliminary brackets. Though the victory would eventually go to Brunhilde she had severely underestimated the young woman's durability.
* The pair have come to a sort of mutual respect, a rare thing for Brunhilde outside of the Sisterhood.

##### Family

Father (Deceased)

* Crow, slain by a Karl of the Barbarian Kingdoms

Mother (Deceased)

* Crow, slain by a Karl of the Barbarian Kingdoms

Göndul Hildedottir Baricano

* Adoptive Daughter
* Orphan found on one of Brunhilde's many campaigns to show the light of mankind to all that is uncivil

## Trivia

* Brunhilde may have been name of the first Barbarian Queen of the barbarian Kingdoms; Brunhilde The First, Daughter of Erik The First. As the Skalds tell it she was a mighty woman with a slab of ice where her heart should have been. She ruled with an iron fist and lead a prosperous age, but once she perished it was revealed that she grew her boarders too far as the houses she had gathered under her banner splintered and fractured. Making their own fiefdoms and eventually forming the Barbarian Kingdoms as they are known today.
 It is a popular name that parents give their daughters in the hopes that they will survive many winters.

* Brunhilde is a avid player and collector of Adventure Cards, she prefers to play Flame and Shadow decks with heavy pulls from the Barbarian Kingdom Factions

## Fighting Style

Some find the Armorist's fighting style teetering on reckless abandon, often finding herself at the forefront of conflict. Brunhilde using the runes forged into her flesh taps into the Arcane and manifests herself a Bulwark to shield herself from oncoming blows as she throws herself fully into the fray. Enchanting her movement so she may strike from land or air interchangeably as she summons her signature weapon.

Gleipnir, so named after the rope that once bound Fenrir is a cruel and wicked looking spiked chain that Brunhilde actively wields in battle. It's unpredictable movements and changing length often confusing her foes and make it especially hard to dodge as she swings it near effortlessly in brutal flurries. Opening up her opponents guard before whipping Gleipnir out and attempting to coil it around somewhere vital like their neck and using both hands to saw and separate head from body.