RP Character Profile- Aelfgrim Frostborn
By: Rainingblood
~Aelfgrim Frostborn~
-Priestess of Arkay-
The Nordic chamber is silent and lit with an ambient glow of candle light. The air feels heavy and damp on the skin and is filled with aromas of burning candles, incense, and choking soot from the torches beyond the far door; further into the crypt. The stone walls are moist, but clean and lined with at least twelve bookcases full of neatly stacked books of various topics. A deep breath slightly burns the lungs, but reveals the underlying smell of decay meant to be disguised by the burning wax. This place is not one that is meant for the living.
Across the room stands a tall, slender figure facing a desk lit by more candles whose wax was hardened onto the table resembling a star burst. Even though wearing a hooded robe, the flickering candlelight reveals a surprisingly feminine face which appears to be wrought with concern. Her brow is furrowed, accentuating the scar across her right brow, and both eyes are clasped shut as if enduring a sharp pain. Her lips, while generally full, are tightly pursed and there is a slight whistling noise as she breathes deeply through her petite nostrils. She suddenly moves about the room with a poise that is surprising for a woman of her stature and begins collecting various items and placing them into a large satchel. One of the items, a small wooden carving of a howling wolf, holds her attention for a moment before placing it into the bag. With the bag packed, she releases a clasp at her neck and the unassuming robe drops to the floor exposing her naked body and her blueish white hair that is conservatively drawn into a bun. She shivers slightly, but is grown accustomed to the cold over the years. The dim light reveals several large scars on her legs and torso, and accentuates her athletic muscle tone. The tint of her skin was unmistakable, as were the large elven ears.
On the desk where she had just been standing was an opened scroll that was legible under the flickering candle next to it. It read, “CALL TO ARMS. All able-bodied soldiers of Skyrim are hereby re-instated in service to King Jorunn. Report immediately to your local officer for further orders.”
[Everything has a Beginning]
In the year 2E 555 in northwestern Skyrim during a harsh blizzard, a Nord hunter was tracking a blood trail from the bear he had shot with his bow. The arrow had pierced straight through its heart, so it wouldn't get too far running off of pure adrenaline. He was battling time though; the snow was coming down hard and beginning to cover the tracks. Soon enough the slain bear would be covered too. He was counting on this kill to feed his wife and son through much of this long winter.
He breached a mound of snow and saw something unnatural protruding from the powder under a tree just ahead. As he neared, he was saddened to realize it was a frozen hand. He ran over and began digging, finding a frozen Altmer man and woman who had apparently tried to take shelter here before they met their demise. While searching through their gear to find out why these elves were so far from home, he came across a thoroughly bundled-up baby girl who had somehow survived the unrelenting cold. He drew a blade from a sheath across his chest in order to end its suffering, but noticed in disbelief that some sort of spell had kept her alive though the harsh weather. He bundled her back up and fashioned a carrier strapped to his chest, so he could bring her back to his camp. The little one had made it this far for a reason and he planned on making sure she survived.
There was a scroll next to her that appeared to be the journals of her deceased guardians. Maybe it could provide some answers. He packed up as much of the gear as he could carry, then made the trek back to his camp. The hunt would have to wait...
[Nordic Soul]
The hunter who saved that baby’s life was named Norulf, and he and his wife, Brynhildr, raised and loved her as their own child along with their son, Ulfrick, in their home outside Solitude. The mother had once given birth to a baby girl who had died during child-birth which left her unable to bear any more children, so they viewed Aelfgrim as a gift from Kyne. Brunhildr was a Priestess of Kyne and a healer who spent much of her time in the temple of Solitude, while Norulf and Ulfrick hunted for the family’s food and then used the hides to make clothing and armor to sell in the city. Aelfgrim would spend most days with her mother praying to the gods, learning to read, and developing her intrinsic magical abilities toward restoration. “You cannot defeat your enemy if you are dead,” her mother would tell her.
Being an Altmer raised as a Nord was not an especially easy childhood. Though she knew she was different, she always felt like she was destined to be with her Nord family. Early on in her childhood, she was faced with the ingrained dislike that many Nords felt toward Elves, due to the tumultuous history of war. Additionally, Aelfgrim’s cool and methodical personality seemed a sharp contrast to the Nord culture whose people are generally animated and gregarious, and she often had difficulty recognizing emotions and feelings of others. It was challenging for her to discern when someone was being truthful or not, though she was always inclined to trust people until being proven otherwise. This has resulted in betrayal on several occasions and had contributed to her becoming more reclusive as she grew up. Alternately, if you gain her trust, she will remain loyal until death.
[Growth and Loss]
As Aelfgrim grew older, she would accompany her father and brother on hunting trips more and more, and they taught her everything they knew about hunting, tracking, and gathering. Aelfgrim became adept with a bow and killed her first Ice Wraith at the age of thirteen. One dark night while on a week-long hunting trip, Norulf began to tell Aelfgrim of the scrolls he discovered when he found her as an infant. It was that night when a crazed, ravenous vampire attacked their camp. The three fought the attacker, but his inhuman strength was overpowering. By the time Aelfgrim and her brother were able to kill the abomination, their father lay dead against a tree with half of his neck ripped off. Though she never expressed her emotions openly, Aelfgrim suffered a grievous injury; a defining moment in her life which would be the beginning of a new path in life.
The two were not sorrowful as they prepared their father for the trip back to Solitude; they were angry. The circle of life is the will of Arkay, but this came about from a perversion of the cycle. At least they had comfort in the knowledge that their father was now in Sovngarde. Their mother was distraught, but she, as with Aelfgrim and Ulfrick, was more upset that an undead committed the murder. Abominations such as that should not be allowed to walk unhindered on Nirn.
After Norulf’s death, Aelfgrim began spending much of her time with her mother in the temple. She meditated heavily on her father’s death and sought closure. One day a priest approached her and asked why she prayed so much to Arkay, as she had been devoted to Kyne as a child. She proceed to tell him of her father’s murder and how she felt like she should have been able to prevent it. The priest told her of a brotherhood that could help her find the answers she was seeking. He introduced her to a high-ranking priest in the Order of Arkay, who after making her prove her worth to the order, inducted her as a priestess.
After some years of service, due to her martial prowess and healing abilities, Aelfgrim became a member of the military arm of the Order of Arkay called the Knights of the Circle where she was frequently sent on missions to eradicate any occurrence of undead or Daedric infestation.
At the age of 21 she traveled to Windhelm to see her brother who had moved there for employment as a royal guard. While visiting her brother, an invading Akaviri army laid siege to the city which left Queen Mabjaarn and Princess Nurnhilde dead. Aelfgrim’s brother had been part of the princess’s personal guard and when the invaders had breached the city walls, all able-bodied Nords defended with a fervor truly fit for Sovngarde. Aelfgrim battled her way to Ulfrick and was able to reach him as he was slain by one of the Kamal. A frozen blast threw Aelfgrim back against a pillar where she was knocked unconscious.
[W.I.P. More to be added soon.]
[Additional Particulars]
Race: Altmer
Gender: Female
Age and birth sign: Exact birth date is unknown, but estimated to be sometime in Frost Fall in 2E 550
Alignment: Lawful Good; Trope- "Knight in Sour Armor"
Aliases: Drifa, Aldrif
Known affiliations: Order of Arkay
Previously held titles: Lieutenant
Factions and loyalties:
Loyalty to the people of Skyrim and to the Pact, but most of all devoted to Arkay and the demise of all involved in the perversion of the dead.
Prejudice and judgment:
Fiercely despises the undead and necromancers and devoted to vanquishing any of the Four Abominations on sight. Distrustful of Dunmer, primarily do to their worship of Daedra. She always approaches them with caution, but with the new alliance, so is tolerant, while remaining skeptical of their true motives.
In her bag:
She whittles as a hobby and as a way to focus and relieve stress, so carries a satchel with a small blade and interesting pieces of wood she collects as she travels.
Personality:
She is generally even-tempered, unless she’s been drinking. Aelfgrim can be brash, and her confidence sometimes misconstrued as arrogance. She is driven, honorable, and passionate in her duties and through willpower and commitment will do whatever is necessary to complete her task at hand. Initially more of a "paladin" mentality where the ends justify the means, she has become more cynical and morally questioning some past decisions (see above trope). This commitment does have its dark side though; she battles emotional distress when confronted with situations where innocent people are hurt. Characters with similar emotional profiles would be Jack Bauer, The Dark Knight's Jim Gordon, or Mace Windu
Weaknesses:
Very quick to trust people, which has lead to betrayal.
*working on applying some type a phobia, possibly a fear of failure, but also a fear of a physical thing like spiders, which could be an interesting situation when confronting spider Daedra...