Astrid the World Hammer

Astrid, "The World Hammer" is an active PC. She is a human fighter and one of the Children Of Erythnul, hailing from Tempest Rock.

Along with her twin sister, Scarlet, Astrid was born in the care of the Cult of Avandr, worshipers of Erythnul on the isle of Tempest Rock. When they were children, the cult came to the conclusion that one of them was a Child of Erythnul, and left the two alone to fight - saying that the victor would be the chosen one. In desperation and out of love for her sister, Scarlet killed herself, leaving Astrid to be named "the World Hammer."

Twenty three years old at the start of the campaign, Astrid journeyed from Tempest Rock to Karthmoore - where she seduced and murdered ten men before being imprisoned in the town of Dunmire. In prison, she met and escaped with Victarion Fairfax, Thran'duin Lo Fey, and Kars. The party set out to reclaim items stolen from them by the Lord of Dunmire, including the still-beating magical heart of Astrid's sister.

## Childhood on Tempest Rock

Like many children born on Tempest Rock, Astrid was separated from her parents at birth along with her twin sister by the cult. The sisters were taught from a young age about Erythnul and his power. When Astrid and Scarlet were five years old, they were permitted to attend the annual Red Ceremony in which the entire Cult of Avandr joined together under the Red Moon to worship Erythnul. Like the other children of Erythnul, Astrid and her sister were among the group of cult inductees when Erythnul himself announced that one of the children was his daughter.

Immedietly, all of the five year-old girl inductees were taken to the anointment chamber with crowds of people cheering them as they passed. Once inside, the girls were stripped and shaved. The Shepherd of the Cult of Avandr introduced himself since many had never seen his face. Some terrified and others excited, the girls were given undergarments and branded with the unholy Symbol of Slaughter on the back of their right shoulders. One by one, the girls screamed and fell silent as each quickly succumbed to the cold embrace of death. Astrid and Scarlet, too, died upon the altar.

Upon dying Astrid awoke and felt herself suspended in an alternate dimension. Before her was Erythnul himself. Unable to comprehend his image, Astrid squinted her eyes out of pain. Erythnul examined her, and after a while began to speak with her. He seemed distraught and confused which only further concerned Astrid. He spoke to her saying, "You are my result. You are my being. You are my daughter."

With a blink, Astrid woke to her physical body, cringing from the searing pain of the brand. As she lifted herself, she saw that Scarlet, too, had risen while the remaining girls lie dead at their feet. Horrified, Astrid looked to her sister for answers and immediately noticed that Scarlet's eyes had turned a color to match her name, a piercing bright red. As the sisters stood in fear, the Shepherd and his herders looked with confusion. The sisters were locked up so that the council could discuss what had happened. They reached the conclusion that Erythnul had imbued his soul into the womb of their mother and when she had twins the power was split, resulting in two somewhat weaker divine progeny. The decision was made to have the girls fight to the death with only Erythnul as a witness to grant his blessing upon the victor. When left in a dark room by themselves with two knives, Astrid was speechless and watched in unending horror as Scarlet placed a knife in Astrid's hand and fell onto it. Her last words to Astrid before she fell cold were whispered in Draconic, saying, "Don't let them control you."

From that day Forward, Astrid vowed to never forgive the Cult of Avandr for taking away her sister. Though she half-halfheartedly participated in the corresponding rituals and ceremonies over the years, she cared not for their pity lives worshiping a god. The Warwolf caught on to Astrid's apathy and harassed her for it. On top of his disgust with her attitude, he refused to acknowledge a female as a Child of Erythnul. Eventually, his anger towards her grew until he saw no other option but to challenge her to combat. The Shepherd was livid but the cultists watched on with amusement. Though Astrid had been trained in the way and earned her tattoos of the warriors of Tempest Rock, she was no match for the Warwolf who tossed her like a rag doll. Right before he was about to bite her and inflict her with the curse of lycanthropy, the Shepherd intervened threatening to have the Warwolf killed for heresy. "You cannot curse sacred blood," Shepherd Anders warned him, and the Warwolf stepped down.

## Imprisonment and Adventures in Karthmoore

After her near-fatal encounter with the Warwolf, Astrid decided to venture to the mainland. While initially she was indifferent to the other children and figured they would come to her, she was driven to prove the Warwolf wrong about her and her divinity. She was given a ship of safe passage by the cult and she made her way through the magical storm surrounding the isle with ease.

### Skills and Personality

Astrid hides a tender heart behind a mighty stature, aggressive responses, and magical frost hammer. While she has been conditioned by the Cult of Avandr to loath women and treat them as lesser beings, she has a soft spot for children and has been known to go out of her to make kids happy.