Brana Haldirsdottir

Until a century ago, the tribes of the Reghed Glacier were heavily patriarchal, and women were considered the property of their fathers or husbands. The greatest king of their people, Wulfgar of the Tribe of the Elk, changed all of that after journeying in the south lands for more than twenty years. He brought back stories of the many battles he had waged beside his companions, some of whom would have been considered weak by the tribes’ standards: an elven swordsman, a female archer, and a halfling rogue. He challenged his people’s stubborn ways, forcing them to rethink what was meant by “strength”. The other tribes were not as quick to embrace his reforms, but as the harsh winters passed and the Elks thrived while others faltered or failed, they soon accepted Wulfgar’s wisdom. Before the great warrior passed the chieftainship to his own son, the surviving tribes had come around to his way of thinking, and women had become accepted among the ranks of the hunters and warriors.

For Brana, acceptance is not enough: she craves respect. As the youngest daughter of Chief Haldir of the Tribe of the Wolf, she was to be married to a son of the chief of the Tribe of the Bear, but it was always Brana’s desire to be a warrior in the tradition of that long-ago king. As the wife of the chief-in-waiting, she’d be expected to bear heirs, but how could she think of having children when she was still barely out of childhood herself? How could she resign herself to a domestic role when she hadn’t yet made her mark on the world? Without telling her father, she gathered her axe, her shield, and all the provisions her mother could spare her, and slipped away from camp at night, heading south for a city which had featured in some of the legends of the great king: Waterdeep.

Traits

“I love learning the legends of great warriors of ages past, especially those who were women. The south lands are confusing, but I am eager to see what they have to offer.”

Ideals

“I must prove myself in battle so that I can earn the respect of all the tribes.”

Bonds

“My family is extremely important to me, and I want them to be safe and to be proud of me.”

Flaws

“Magic is strange, and I find it very distracting.”

“I Know a Guy”

Brana left Luskan for Waterdeep aboard a ship called the Titan Queen and proved herself an able sailor. Captain Everard called her a good luck charm—she resembled the figurehead—and welcomed her to join his crew any time.

Friends & Enemies

Brana left many people behind when she left Icewind Dale: her older brother, Airik; her 14 year-old sister, Griva; her mother, Eydis; her father, Haldir; and of course her betrothed, Gunnar Günvaldsson.