Player: Mischelle Maas
Character: Fritha Stormjarl
Race: Ulven
Class: Cleric
Skills: Archery, Divine Magic, Witch Magic, Shield Proficiency
Notable Traits: Fritha has deep blue eyes and normally braids her hair. Having an affinity for water, she commonly wears light blue and sky blue colors.
Fritha’s childhood was that of many of the Ulven children in her village. She was born to two loving parents and grew up on a farm and when she was old enough to walk, her chores began. Anything from helping her mother with cooking and some of the house chores to helping her father move firewood or repair fences, Fritha grew up alongside her parents as a farmer. Fritha took a close fondness to some of the animals, including a favored goat and some chickens she named. She was always running out to feed them and make sure they were accounted for, sometimes numerous times a day.
As she grew older, Fritha’s mother began teaching her the ways of the Ulven and began her lessons in becoming a Daughter of Gaia. Her parents also blessed her with two younger brothers. The small village they lived in was near the coast on the western edge of Stormjarl territory. Coming from Pack Stormjarl, Fritha’s village was one of many villages that made up the enormous central pack of Clan Stormjarl. Each village reported to a representative to the Clanleader himself, and tradesmen and Daughters in training could travel to the massive settlement that was home to the Clanleader and his family. In exchange for an easier life and protection, Fritha’s immediate family would fulfill their duty by farming and teaching the local Ulven children about the ways of the Ulven and specifically would work with some of the young girls to begin them for their journey to become Daughters of Gaia. Fritha’s mother was very traditional in the scope of her duties to her family and her Pack and with her father coming from a line of wealthy landowners in Clan Stormjarl, she had a bit of a “proper” background if one could be expected from the Ulven. She firmly believed that the Daughters of Gaia held a revered post within Ulven society and were meant for better tasks than some of the day to day struggles and left most of the dirty work on the farm to her husband. It was no surprise then that she was a bit at odds with her mother when Fritha would roll up her sleeves, hike up her skirt, and jump in the muck and mud with her father to help with the farm and with the animals. She was not afraid of hard work or of getting dirty. Fritha’s mother was not either, but every attempt at persuading Fritha to return to more pressing duties such as the faith of the Daughters and of their sacred rituals was met with resistance. It also did not amuse her mother when Fritha would disappear for hours with her father and her brothers, going on mini adventures and learning how to fight with a sword. The family farm also had a lake nearby that fed into a river and Fritha would spend hours swimming and enjoying the cool and clear waters.
Fritha eventually learned to love gardening, tending to plants and herbs and trading the extra vegetables and crops to the other villagers. This is how she met Thrand, a local farm boy whose father was also a wealthy landowner. Thrand sometimes came to the village with his family to trade goods and visit the shops. Hungry, Thrand once picked a yellow flower and presented it to Fritha in exchange for a turnip and although the flower held little value, the amusement was enough to hand over the turnip to the hungry boy. They talked for a short and become friends and over time would play and visit each other periodically when Thrand made a visit to the village but they lived too far apart to become close friends. Fritha became a friend to a number of the other pups in the village, holding her own in scuffles between them and standing up for the younger ones. Several times some of the young Ulven would pick a fight with one of the smaller pups and Fritha would step in on their behalf. One time, a bully of an ulven child told Fritha he would knock her head so hard her fangs wouldn’t grow in if she got in his way. Fritha tried to ask the bully to stop and attempted to be diplomatic about it; quite a feat for someone that one but a byproduct of her initial training as a Daughter. The bully refused. When diplomacy failed, Fritha resorted to force. Instead of backing down, Fritha tackled him and beat him up and caused the bully to cry, ending his small reign of terror on the younger pups.
Fritha became well known throughout the village and continued her studies as a Daughter. Her progression would expand her powers of the divine and her affinity to tap into the other school of magic came to her quickly. Her mother was proud with her progress and continued to teach her. Even as she grew older, Fritha still kept rolling her sleeves up and helped her father on the farm and knew how to care for the animals. Fritha even became quite skilled with a sword when her father began to teach her in earnest how to fight, teaching her some of the basics of combat and how to hold and use one of the wooden shields he had made. They would spar and practice after their chores were finished and her father would call her his “little shield maiden” much to the dismay of her mother.
Then the messenger hawks came… strangers from a distant land had arrived on the coast in Clan Nightriver territory. The rumors said they looked like Ulven but they either had the eyes and fangs of Ulven pups but were full grown or pointed ears and colored skin. Fighting had broken out as these strangers, these outsiders, came into conflict with the Clan Nightriver Ulven in the area. They fought with skill in ranks of metal armor and used weapons never before seen by the Ulven. A call went out for help from the Clan; either to fight or to assist in the warriors who would repel these invaders. A number of people from the village volunteered and as part of her testing to become a Daughter, Fritha volunteered to go and use her magic to help. A handful of other helpers and her childhood friend Thrand all packed up their belongings and traveled east across the Yurnai River and into Nightriver territory. For months they helped gather supplies, heal the wounded, and assist where they could. The number of wounded and dead Ulven was staggering; the ability for these strangers to fight was unlike anything the Ulven had ever seen before. Fritha truly understood her role during this time as she was tending to the wounds of the fallen and to the spiritual needs of the Ulven around her. Several times Fritha would help a fallen warrior too mangled to save but not yet on his journey by sending him off to meet the Great Wolf with an honorable prayer and a merciful dagger between the ribs. In these gruesome days Fritha discovered two things. One, was that she now knew that her role as a Daughter may sometimes be unpleasant and that she was willing to do what was necessary for her people. And two, this is when she genuinely took an interest in Thrand. He had learned the healing arts and worked alongside her to help the wounded and they started to get to know one another.
After the truce was called and Clan Nightriver allowed the outsiders to stay, the volunteers returned home. Fritha returned to her duties and Thrand to his. They continued to meet and grow closer over the year, Thrand eventually asking if Fritha would someday become her mate. He would surprise her randomly with small yellow flowers, a thing that had become special between them. Thrand learned more about healing arts from her and Fritha expanded her skillset to that of archery and hunting under the guidance of Thrand.
One day, Fritha’s world was flipped upside down when Thrand came to see her. He had packed all his belongings into a pack and loaded some supplies onto a small hunter’s travois. Thrand was leaving; he had been selected as an honor pledge to serve Pack Longfang far to the Northeast and he had came to say goodbye. He was departing in the morning with a handful of other Clan Stormjarl honor pledges to serve, permanently, another pack. Fritha was heartbroken and tried to talk to her parents if there was anything she could do. Fritha had come of age and was becoming a strong young woman, her power growing as a Daughter of Gaia, and she had enjoyed the thought of becoming a mate to Thrand and then working on their own farm. Her mother and father both told her that her life was hers and her choices were hers and they would support her no matter what. Reassuring a decision she had technically already made, she hurriedly gathered her belongings. She spent the night talking to her parents, knowing that she would not see them for a long time. They were proud of their daughter; her mother gathered food and her father gave her a leather pack to help her along her journey. Her brothers also respected her decision, jealous that she was about to start a life of adventure and be with the legendary warriors of Pack Longfang. In the morning, Fritha embraced her parents one last time and then made one last stop at the animal barn. She said goodbye to the old goat she had befriended for years and some of the other animals and then ran into the village to find Thrand.
Although he meekly protested, Thrand was happy to see her and glad she was coming with. Fritha had told him that she had chosen to go with to study under the Witches at the Onsallas Village, but he knew that was only part of the reason. They traveled the long journey to Pack Longfang’s outpost across all of Mardrun. It was lonely and foreboding but the two of them did it together and solidified their bond and became mates.
Upon arriving to the village, Fritha immediately began working under the tutelage of Rill of the Water Eyes. She too had an affinity to water and used it in her rituals and meditation. The harsh change from a simple farming village to that of a warrior outpost on the fringe of known territory was quite a shock to Fritha, but she quickly learned the ways of the Pack and knew how to support the warriors. The looming threat of not earning her place amongst the Pack and being sent home or traded off kept her skills sharp and her mind at the tasks at hand. She developed her fighting skills over the years and solidified her grasp on both forms of magic. Maturing quickly in this rough environment, Fritha has worked closely with Thrand to make sure that the Outpost is well supplied and that the Warriors have what they need and her role keeps her very busy. Pack Longfang warriors can eat a lot of food and making sure they are fed hearty meals to stay strong is quite the task. Many of the warriors respect her as both a Daughter of Gaia and as the matriarch of the outpost, differing to her judgment and making she that she has what she needs to assist Thrand in his duties.
Although she is proud to wear her fanged flag and called herself a member of Pack Longfang, Fritha often finds herself missing her previous home and her blood family. Life is difficult in the swamp and Fritha can often be found just outside the outer fence of the outpost, tending to a garden… a glimmer of life and hope in the blackness of the swamp.