Steiner Ulf
PLAYED BY: James Bergles
CHARACTER NAME: Steiner Ulf
GENDER: Male
CLASS: Warrior, Mineralist, Bard
AGE: Unknown but around 50
RACE: Ulven
HAIR: Brown too Bald
EYES: Green
OCCUPATION: I, Steiner Ulf, am a semi-retired warrior. Throughout my travels with clan Stormjarl, I have participated in many battles and am now seeing the effects of living a long and violent life. With the numerous lands I have traveled, I took notice of the different minerals and woods present. By sampling and testing I have determined their constructive value. I have developed unique methods of extracting minerals from the crust of the land. I have found out through trial and error that many of the minerals react well with others during the smelting and shaping processes, making for a higher quality product
As I slowly move out of being a full-fledged warrior, I wish to teach minerals and their uses to the Ulven and their allies. The stronger the metal and woods we can infuse into our armor and defenses, the weaker it will make our enemies. Graytir of Clan Stormjarl is a staunch supporter of my work. He has supported my efforts to find stronger minerals to make our armor more impenetrable. His riches grow with every land I visit. I find it an honor to bring back new minerals to present to him and describe what they can do. It is the least I can do with what he has done for me.
KNOWN SKILLS:
As stated previously, I have been an Ulven warrior for many years. During that time, I have developed a trade I call “Mineralist.” The skill of Mineralist is one who has great knowledge of all natural items that come from the folds of Gaia’s ground. A Mineralist knows their uses and what existing elements they can be fused with to cause greater strength and durability to metal and wood objects.
A second skill I have is Bard. Simple musician that can play the Lute, Bodhran and mandolin.
BIRTHPLACE:
The earliest memory I have is being a Nomadic traveler amongst the seas. The family I had, spent their years traveling many Islands but always would return to the Village Chieftain every 5 years to share knowledge and gifts they had gathered.
APPEARANCE:
Seeing I work in the ground, I choose to dress brown to black in normal Ulven clothing. In times of battle, I don armor of steel and leather. I have seen many fighters fall from a ship only to have their armor drag them down to the dark depths of the sea. What I wear allows me to stay buoyant for a short time. Long enough to rid myself of extra weight that would pull me down. During mass battle I will wear a blood red tunic. If I am wounded, it cannot be noticed by the enemy.
NOTABLE TRAITS:
My most notable trait is nothing. I blend into the village as a normal person and this is how I want it for now. After long journeys I may come back with a beard. If I am spending longer times in the village, I may shave it off. I have found some minerals to cause sparks and flames which does not go well with beards. One item unique to my skill is the wicker pack. Some minerals I have found react with the moisture in leather so I use caution and carry all in a wicker pack. Another notable trait is teaching music to anyone who asks. It is a gift that will never end as they teach it to the next person, and so on and so on.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Since my life has been endless travel, I have started no relationships. It would serve me no purpose to have a family follow me and I would die on a foreign soil. If this were to happen, I would be an unsettled soul. Once I open my business for trade on the new island, I will look for help to assist in the shop. This person would learn the trade and how reactions of minerals are more reliable than magic. Until this person is trained, I would hope to not allow others into the field. Mineralist is not a skill one hands out like free ale. People who want to dig, carry or cut can always be used.
RUMORS:
I have heard rumors that I practice in the dark arts. All this is utter nonsense. It is only people afraid of the unknown. Because I can produce stronger steel than most smiths or bring forth gems from raw stones, makes me different. Because I can melt colored glass onto steel to form patterns of honor leaves them thinking magic must be involved. Their ignorance of not understanding our natural soil elements only makes me wanting to show them more.
BIO / BACKGROUND HISTORY:
Being a semi reclusive Ulven, opens me up for storytelling. My parents were washed overboard during a strong storm at sea. I was able to hold onto some flotsam and washed ashore months from our home village. I found it easier to join a new village by demonstrating my skills to Chieftain Graytir Stormjarl. This showed I had use and was not just an unlucky traveler. I was a traveler who could make unique items from minerals and metal. At one point I instructed a Smithy on how to smelt minerals into metal for greater shield boss strength. When the Chieftain smashed his war axe into the shield, he saw that though the mighty blow left a hefty dent, it did not crack as it should have. At this point I became a valuable commodity and was allowed into Clan Stormjarl.
The Chieftain requested I travel with his army to find more minerals and unique woods on the Fire Isle. At the Stormborn settlement I wish to open the first Steiner Ulf Mineralist shop. The Fire Isle has not been explored for minerals. I am looking forward to the new terrain of this island and what it will give me. I feel my first task will be to support the troops as they venture into the Dirge Swamp. From what I have seen from the edges of the swamp, I may find some iron based minerals that resistrust. The few Mordok I have seen possessed weapons and armor that resisted rust. I feel they must have found a resource that is natural to the swamp that is malleable into fightable iron?
One of the first people I must befriend in the Stormborn Settlement is the Smithy. With his or her knowledge of metals, and my introduction of new elements, we can build armor that will resist cleaves and cause arrows to deflect. I wonder if that is a good idea because the arrow may hit the person next to its target? I have a feeling I may find the missing element in the Dirge Swamp. If not, I will keep looking.