Hedwiga MacIntyre (WIP)

[FaerieDust]

HEDWIGA MACINTYRE

Bravery until Death

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Age twenty
Race human
Occupation/Rank nobility, aspiring dragonhunter (secret)

Physical Description (a few paragraphs, please.)

Personality Attributes (a few paragraphs here, too. Not every one is perfect, and it's nice to have some flaws to play off potential plots. Make them interesting! )

Pets

Special Items (magic rings, staffs, wands, many can be earned in the game through plots and missions)

History Born to an illustrious house, a niece of King Odo, and granddaughter of the Duke of Corning. She was never really in want of anything, unlike some of the poorer houses. It was fortunate, too, that she was followed by a healthy brother, and ended up being the only daughter. Hedwiga would never be resented, as she heard girls from families with many daughters often were.

Even given this great fortune, Hedwiga was not spoiled. Tavish was a hard, unforgiving land. Unlike the lands to the east, the great kingdoms of Alvernon and Herrsland, Tavish's soil is rocky, and not as fertile and her waters not as sweet. Tavish wasn't blesssed with many resources for trade, and the people could not afford the fine linens and silks for cotehardies and fine dress like those other nations. Hedwiga survived the harsh coastland winters in MacIntyre fortress perched on a high cliff in furs and wool. Corning was fortunate enough to have both industries of fishing and sheep. Perhaps it was her style of dress, the closeness of nobles and commoner, and her country's relative poorness that would earn her the label of "barbarian," for it was surely not her manners.

Hedwiga went through dance classes, grace lessons, and was taught embroider, poetry, honor, dignity, and most importantly bravery, like any fine lady of Alvernon. Hedwiga attended her grandfather's court, befriended with the stablemaster's boy Baldy, and when she was 14 was sent to the court of her uncle, King Odo of Tavish in the heartland all alone but for two ladies maids and 3 warriors to guard her carriage. Some girls at that age might have cried for their mothers, but Hedwiga went bravely.

Court wasn't nearly as hard as she imagined, sure there were political games, one clan trying to get ahead of the others, but most squabbles would be settled in the mead halls or tournament grounds. Mostly, for "barbarians", Tavish was peaceful and people worked together under the rule of King Odo.

Then, just a week after her 16th birthing year, a messenger said that a dragonhunting party were on their way to King Odo's fortress to make a tribute. Everyone became excited, and a great feast was planned. In all the lands, but especially Tavish, successful dragonhunters were celebrated as demi-gods. It was the tradition of Tavish dragonhunters to bring part of their treasure (for all dragons horded treasure) to the King, who in part would keep part for the court coffers, and give the rest to the poor. This was called "a tribute" or "dragon tribute." The Dragon Hunter would also harvest the dragon's horns (in the case of a female dragon) or the large canine teeth. One would be given to the King in a grand ceremony. It was rare occurance, and this dragonhunter happened to be Theobald the Brave- a young and handsome dragonhunter with 3 dragon kills under his belt, this would be his 4th.

Hedwiga and her cousin Princess Gwynedd were quite excited, as most girls were, for a chance to dance with this young warrior. She had a new set of black fox fur to wear on her nicest dress, and when the night of the feast finally came, Hedwiga was shocked when she saw the hunter kneeling before her uncle's throne. It was Baldy, err Theobald, the stableman's son.

She wasn't sure if he saw her at the feast, he was retelling the story of the kill to her uncle and all who would listen. And after the feast, many young maidens swarmed him, hoping to be asked for a dance. Hedwiga took a half step backward, and then chided herself for being a coward. She had never been a coward, how could one man make her knees go weak? Then she pushed passed the swooning girls and looked him in the eye and said boldly, "Would you care for a dance?"

Then, with a look of merriment, the young man said, "How could I refuse pretty little Wiggy?"

Time froze as she looked at him, he knew her? No one at this court had known her as 'Wiggy' not even her uncle the king. The only ones who had called her that was her grandfather, brother and Baldy. The last afternoon they had shared she was probably 12, he had been talking about his uncle- but before she could figure out any more, she was being twirled into the dance. He wouldn't be parted for her all night, and to the other girls' chagrin. At the end of the night, as the stars seemed to gather above the pair, the bonfire had been reduced to a cylinder of smoke, and most everyone had left the feast grounds for the fortress again, Theobald pulled Hedwiga close and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. The first man she ever kissed, and she knew would be her last.

The next day it was tradition for the King to give a dragonhunter an honorable send off. It was also tradition for the King to give the hunter some honor or gift. It was usually a ring, or sometimes a tract of land, or in the instance of a retiring hunter, an honorary title. King Odo stood, "Men like Theobald not only bring honor to our nation, but they protect our northern villages. Theobald has killed four dragons in his short 23 years, so when he came to me this morning with a request, I was happy to give it. What he asked for surprised me, and for a lesser man I would have refused." the king paused, and people looked at each other with surprise, what could it be? "Know it, Dragonhunter, that it would be my honor to link my house with yours." Gwynedd's eyebrows shot up, and she grinned from ear to ear. Gwynedd would only settle for a handsome warrior, as she was training herself. She shot a glance Hedwiga's way, and at that very moment Odo spoke again, "Where is my niece, Hedwiga of Corning, of the Clan MacIntyre? Come forward." As Hedwiga stepped from the crowd, she knelt before the king, next to Theobald. She shot the young man a glance as Odo boomed above them, "Theobald has asked for the hand of my sister's daughter, I accept on behalf of my brothers MacIntyre, and as king, I bless the union. They shall be married at Midsummer."

And so it was. Her family accepted the union, one because King Odo decreed it, and two, because being a dragonhunter was an honorable position, one so successful could be ranked as lords. Hedwiga could not be happier as Theobald's wife, and fell absolutely fell in love with Theobald. He left before the winter snows, and it was a long and lonely season. He returned that next summer, with an unbelievable 5th dragon kill. Many told him to retire and enjoy his wife. Even King Odo tempted him to stay with a large tract of coast land next to Corning. He would have, too, if stories of the Green Queen hadn't surfaced. A great female dragon had been rumored to be nesting in the northern hills, and preyed upon some of the villages there. Tavish people were dying. Theobald could not resist, he was too honorable, too brave, and confident. He promised his 17 year old wife he would return.

A year passed and not a single word. The body of a member of Theobald's party was found, and no one had seen the rest of them for months. The party was declared dead, and Hedwiga was called "Widow Hedwiga,"and allowed to retire from court and return to Corning for her year of mourning. When she was 19, her grandfather thought to marry her to a MacBarley son, she refused on account that she was still married... She could not believe Theobald was dead, and for this time, her grandfather humored her and did not accept the match. Instead, her years of mourning were used to train to fight and study dragonology. She would instead get her revenge on the dragon female who took the life of her husband or find him alive somewhere.

Another year later and King Odo decided Hedwiga would chaperone his daughters and future daughter-in-law Isolde to Alvernon. Rhodri would be going too, in hopes he would make friends with the young Prince Alexander and keep kingdom ties strong, in case either of the daughters would not become the future king's wife.

Recently, Hedwiga has been approached by a mysterious woman, who has told her to meet three people in the King's City in Alvernon. Then Hedwiga would lead them to a dragon's den. Hedwiga would have her revenge on the Green Queen.