My biggest regret with this character was that I wasn't able to play her. Shortly after I wrote her up, my class load became a bit unwieldy while trying to still meet a weekly gaming obligation. She is still one of my favorite characters. A few notes: It is clear that she differs a bit from Golarion dwarves. She was highly influenced by the research I had done for my paper on female dwarves and their beards. To this end, I wanted to create some background around dwarven beard culture. In Inner Sea Races, they make it plain that, "despite the claims of certain mischievous troublemakers, most dwarven women do not grow beards" (p 70). Especially after my research, I believe that any proper dwarf woman should have a beard, hence Astryd does.
Lady Astryd Bronzemaul, first daughter of Jarl Kalderrin of Five Kings Mountain
Prior to her squiring, her parents and teachers found her to be a troublesome youth, filled with fiery passion and the same bullheadedness that had been the hallmark of the Bronzemaul line for nearly a thousand years. Her youthful tenacity often put her at odds with her elder brother, Niras, who by virtue of being born several years earlier was entitled to their father’s rank, title, and responsibilities. She was an apt pupil in her youth, but her often explosive temper at the slightest provocation meant she wore through many tutors.
On the day before her bearding, when she would be recognized as a full member of dwarven society, her father squired her to Sir Thorridr, hoping the grizzled knight would find a way to temper his daughter’s fury. Thorridr had been head of the Jarl’s personal retinue since before Kalderrin’s ascension and had proven himself time and again to the young Jarl as both a friend and a keen advisor. Astrryd found Thorridr to be as unrelenting as the mountain itself and in time taught her how to focus her tenacity and passion. Astrryd’s squiring lasted nearly twice as long as others, but what she learned during those years proved to be more valuable to her than any gold or precious stone. The Jarl knighted her and conferred on her the rank and title of Drengr, on her 54th birthday.
As Drengr, she was part of the Jarl’s personal retinue and saw to the defense of her royal family. For many years, this simply meant taking her turn as part of the watch, keeping her close to her parents and her younger siblings as her brother continued his fostering among another clan. The dwarves had grown complacent and were caught off guard when a mixed scouting party of orcs and goblins came from the bowels of their mines to strike against the Dwarven kingdom. Astrryd’s mother, Jarlkona Urdr, was one of the first to fall to the silent intruders. Astrryd heard Urdr’s garggled scream and rushed to her mother, seeing the Orc standing over the fallen body. The sight of the blood ignited in the knight and she rushed in and dispatched the Orcish thug without a thought. Holding her mother’s fallen form in her arms, Astrryd uttered a vow to the Great Mountain that she would avenge her mother.
What would have been a simple skirmish between the dwarves and the offending Orcs and their goblin mercenaries became a war. Astrryd and Thorridr, along with several other members of the Jarl’s retinue, were raised to the rank of Markgraf, defenders of the borders, and reaching out to the other Jarls and neighboring chiefs, Jarl Kelderrin set to remove the orcs from the mountain. The war took its toll and many dwarves fell to Orcish steel. Thorridr fell defending the Jarl, serving his friend to the last. His death gave the Jarl time to arm himself and face the attackers, proving himself by dispatching a room full of Orc and their forces.
In the final push, deep in the heart of the Mountain, Astrryd and her forces moved against the leadership of the Orc. The brutes had stretched themselves too thin, sending wave after wave against the dwarves and leaving few to defend their operation. Repeating her oath to the Mountain, Astrryd, Markgraf of the Jarlsland, struck in a swift and violent explosion of force. Two over her dwarves fell to arrow fire. Several arrows struck her as well, but she refused to fall. Three of her dwarves fought beside her against the Orc leader, a foul greenskin named Galogog. The Orc chief, scarred by years of turmoil and empowered by dark magic nearly overwhelmed the dwarves. Astrryd landed the fatal blow, unaware that at the same time the Orc’s ichor-ladden blade slipped through her armor and fatally wounded her. She collapsed beside Galogog, refusing to die until she heard the deathrattle of his last breath.
Astrryd had long believed she would be welcome in the Dwarven Halls of Torag, but there was only darkness. She expected to hear the loud, boisterous, tunes of bawdy dwarven tunes and the cheers of dwarven heroes, but there was only silence. It was like this for untold time. Then there was a sound, the slow determined shifting of earth and stone. Where there was darkness, there erupted blazing images molten metal. She could smell the damp reaches of the deepest caves. She felt the tremors and rhythmic beating of hammers and picks. The Mountain spoke to her, its words and spirit entering her. The mountain made her whole again and she would be its vessel—the living emissary of her mountain home.
She opened her eyes. The body of Galogog reduced to bones by age. The cave was deserted, forgotten. The leather of her armor had rotted away, as had her other garments. She could feel the cool mountain breath on her skin, but it did not chill her. She made her way back to the Halls of Bronzemaul, but when she arrived she found that her family was gone. A different Jarl, now called King sat on the throne. Everything she knew and had fought to defend was forgotten— only a legend
Lady Astryd Bronzemaul's story was generated from the following random background events:
Dwarven Homeland: 62 – Underground
Dwarf Parents: 72 - Only Father is alive
Dwarven Siblings: 75 – 3 Siblings (Kin Guardian)
Brother: Older
Sister: Younger
Brother: Younger
Circumstance of Birth: Noble Birth: Duke (Influence Rich Parents)
Major Childhood Event: Died (Fearless Defiance Arisen)
Training: Fighter: 56 - Knighted (Influenced)
Influential Associates: 89 – Champion (Ambitious)
