| Born | 18th of Visfest, 123 GME (age 18) |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Vuurstahlan |
| Affiliation | The Vuurstahl Empire |
| Known for | A bright and friendly attitude in spite of her tragic circumstances |
| Family | Skydancer Gunda Ermentrud (mother) Bloodstemmer Slacht Ermentrud (uncle) |
| “ | As scared as I was when I saw her... I also couldn't help but think... she looked scared, too. Scared, and hurt, and... overwhelmed. Killing her... wouldn't bring back Mom and Dad. I want to... at least give her a chance. | ” |
—Hjördís[1] | ||
Daughter of Skydancer Gunda Ermentrud and Labor-class courier in training[2], Hjördís Ermentrud is known for her bright spirits, kind nature, and fairly obsessive hobbies. Most notably, she keeps a sizable rock collection, some of them genuinely valuable, but most just picked up off the side of the road because she liked their vibe.[3] Her closest friend is her pet ball python, Dunse, who she treats like family, doting on him and spoiling him almost as much as her uncle does her. Though her overprotective uncle has largely kept her safe inside her home, he has gradually been relaxing, to try and get her used to socializing before she’s thrust into the workplace, and no longer somewhere he can keep an eye on her.
After Kingslayer Bowen Stark and Wallclimber Russel Swanson approached her to learn more of the circumstances behind her mother’s death, though she was hesitant to speak on it after being called a liar by the APS officers who interrogated her as a child, she opened up for the first time in years about what she saw that day. Though her memory was spotty and difficult to follow, as expected of the age she was at the time, there was one thing she seemed confident on– that the woman who killed her parents was none other than the thought-to-be-deceased Shieldbreaker Helena Ritter.[4]
Related characters
- Shieldbreaker Helena Ritter, Gunda's former comrade who Hjördís remembers seeing covered in her mother's blood, casting suspicion that the Shieldbreaker is the rebel leader known as the Raven
- Kingslayer Bowen Stark, a soldier of the 113th who convinced Hjördís to open up about what she saw the day her mother died, and promised to visit her again
- Lily Caldwell, a soldier-in-training that the Kingslayer recommended Hjördís make friends with
- ↑ (Shore Leave 1, 1/8/2025)
- ↑ "Labor-class. A messenger, I hear. She's swift-footed even without augments. I'm sure when they put a spring in her step, she'll be among the best of 'em." (Shore Leave 1, 1/2/2025)
- ↑ "What does she like?"
"Rocks," Russel replies simply, a smile on his face. "Oh, she has other interests, but I learned a long time ago that the best way to make Hjördís's face light up is to bring her the most interesting rock you can find." (Shore Leave 1, 9/8/2024) - ↑ Her hands tense, and she hunches over. "Blood. Blood everywhere. On the walls, on the bed, on the sword, and... and in the middle of it all..."
Her voice drops to a whisper again. "I told them. I tried to tell them. But they told me it couldn't be her. They said I was lying-- that I was just a kid. Because they said it... it couldn't have been... But she was there, and she looked at me, and I was more scared of her than ever in my life..."
She gulps, and the next words are so quiet as to be nearly inaudible.
"Aunt Helena." (Shore Leave 1, 1/7/2025)