Name: Gyrid Thometilldottir
Physical: Gyrid stands at a height of 1.81 meters tall. She has long, well-kept brown hair that she keeps in a ponytail behind. Her face is covered in various different scars, very symmetrical in nature. A large X crosses over the bridge of her nose, with two more that follow in a parallel fashion above them that rest just underneath her eyes. Two more parallel scars follow in the middle of her forehead, following the interior lines of the large scar resting just above the intersection point of the larger scar. Finally, she has one final scar that cuts deep into her chin.
She has eyes that radiate like the most intense sapphire crystals. Her body is kept hidden by her armor, but one can make out a faint but full female form.
Equipment:
Armor and weapons
- Leather armor with a chain mail coat underneath
- Long spear measuring 1.85 meters in length from the bottom of the shaft to the top of the spear point.
- Iron longsword measuring 1.3 meters from the bottom of the hilt to the tip of the blade.
- Raiders horn – Made out of a goat horn, this horn is used to transmit orders throughout her force.
Background:
Gyrid started off her life in the training fields surrounding the castle Estel deep in the frozen tundra of the North-Western corner of the continent. Taken from her family at a young age to serve her goddess as a warrior, Gyrid blossomed under the strict teachings provided by the Followers. She excelled in ways not many soldiers that proceeded her had; able to best not only her fellow Devotes but also some of the instructors themselves. Impressed, the Priestesses quickly took Gyrid under their wings and began to groom Gyrid to become a Guard of Roffella. She learned from the fabled Book of Roffella of all the prayers, hymns and in depth religious teachings that a Priestess would be required to know. In addition to this, she was also given advanced weapon and battle tactics training from the military commanders of her orders. By the time she was fifteen, the Priestesses once again changed their plans for her and instead proclaimed that Roffella had decided that Gyrid would become a Priestess of Roffella instead.
On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she was given the marks of Roffella. She was led to a special, secret chamber deep within the confines of the castle. She laid down on a large stone table and had sharp knives dragged through the skin on her face, creating a series of symmetrical and deep scars. The scars are significant religiously to her order, with the legends speaking on that mark being one in the same that Roffella herself bore. Once the scars healed, she was given command of a small detachment of Devotes and tasked with spreading the word of Roffella.
In the ten years since Gyrid has torn the lands surrounding the Followers domain asunder. The cities of Darium and Thrassbruud fell beneath the might of her armies, while countless villages and various northern tribes wiped off the map by fire and steel. Her devotion to Roffella is matched only by her desire to see every non-believer converted, or destroyed. When news broke that their lands were to be invaded by the East, Gyrid and a small force left the North and headed straight for the pass. She aims to prove to all the non-believers that there is only one God, and she is Roffella; no matter the cost.
Faction: The Followers of Roffella
The Followers of Roffella - Structure The Followers of Roffella is a blanket term used by the barbarians in the north to describe a very specific, and very strict religious sect that occupies the territories northwest of the Maw itself in the Klamshire mountain ranges that borders the Frozen Seas. The Followers occupy the castle Estel high in the mountains which serve as the primary temple devoted to their goddess as well as the cities of Darium, Thrassbruud, and Deyong. Various other temples have sprouted up around these cities, and the temples serve as a place of worship and training. The land is perpetually cold, with near constant snowfall and temperatures that would make even the hardiest southern break. These harsh conditions have bred a tough and hardy people that have learned to survive in this tundra. Hunting the limited game found in the area is only the first way these people have come to survive; they are hardy fishermen who have specialized vessels used to dance through the ice clogged waters which are capable of bringing home large nets full of various seafood.
At the top of this religious group stands the Council of Roffella. Made up of aging Priest and Pristesses to old and frail to lead soldiers into combat anymore, the council makes all the decisions for the Followers as a whole; from food rations up to appointing young men and women to make the transition from Devotee to full Priest hood. The council is led by the Holy Mother, a name given to many women over the years but currently resting on the shoulders of Glastrude.
Underneath the Council stands the revered Order of the Priests and their sister group the Priestesses of Roffella. The members of these two groups are very well versed in both the Religious aspect as well as the military side of the Followers, with the members often acting as generals in times of war. In recent years, this order has become more militaristic in nature, with an influx of new followers serving as a more reliably sized fighting force as Gyrid's conquests have brought the Order much attention.
Beneath them are the soldiers that fall into two categories; the Guards of Roffella and the Devotes of Roffella. The Guards of Roffella are the seasoned backbone of the Followers army. Trained since birth in the arts of war, they are a very capable and downright deadly fighting force. The Devotes of Roffella on the other hand is the inexperienced core of the Followers army. Often the age in this group as a whole is on the younger side, with the average soldier being no more than twenty years old. While many have received the same training as the Guards, they still have much to prove in the heat of battle before they ascend to the Guards. Both groups are extremely devoted to their Goddess; waking up early in the morning to praise her name and fighting with incredible courage knowing they are awaiting in heaven.
The Followers of Roffella - Lore The legends go that the Followers of Roffella were originally a peaceful, trading city located at the intersection of four major roads in the lush plains found in the middle of the western areas, content to farm and tend to the various travelers that happened to find their way through their city. Luck was not on their side, however, as barbarians from the northern mountain ranges, on their usual raids, descended upon the city with a ferocity matched by none.
The city burned.
As the refugees ran from the onslaught sought solitude in neighboring cities, a sense of dread began to set in. With each city visited, they soon learned that their neighbors had grown envious of the wealth they had attained in the past. Turned away at every turn, the people of that forgotten city began to lose hope. Out of this darkness, a figure emerged, a woman mercenary by the name of Roffella Hrossbjorn. She had happened to find the poor, desperate group of refugees with her small company of soldiers named the Roffella's Guard after their leader. She herself was a barbarian, alike those found both in the northern ranges and in the raiding parties that currently were pillaging the area. She had an unorthodox option for these simple traders. Learn to fight with her and her soldiers, and assault the fortress that the barbarians based themselves out of.
She spoke with a grace that most had felt impossible for a savage, she moved the people with her words about how the fortress was left defended by old men and young boys, as all the fit and able soldiers were out assaulting the area. If they charged straight up the mountain, assaulted the fortress, and took it from the Barbarian king himself, that they would be once again safe and in a position of power. Along the way to the fortress, Roffella and her forces trained the men, women, and children how to fight to their best ability. The assault on the fortress occurred in the twilight hours and Roffella was correct. They easily stormed the gates and captured the area, and began the process to start a new life.
All that is good can never last in the north. The barbarian horde, fresh off their recent raids, returned to the fortress in force. They laid sieges, trying to starve the people out. On the fifth day of the siege, Roffella railed her forces and sallied forth and faced the barbarian army in the frozen tundra. In the hectic fighting that ensued, as snow fell to the ground piles at a time, Roffella faced off against the King of the barbarian lands. In the fight, the King struck a mortal blow against her, a sword strike straight through her stomach. She in turn ran her spear straight through the heart of the King. In the end, as the snow fell amongst her dying body, the barbarians were routed. Her army, and the rabble they trained, gathered around her as she breathed her final breath. As she died, the clouds above parted and she was raised up to the heavens above.
Or so the story goes.
In the centuries since, scholars and historians have long debated the merits of the rise of the Followers of Roffella and the circumstances around it. The truth is often lost to the ages, and many now view the religion as a cult. In recent years, however, the Followers have grown in popularity due in no small part to the aggressive assaults on the north led by Gyrid.
Command: List the units you intend to bring to the Maw. I need to know their weaponry, armor, function, skills, abilities, etc.
150- Guards of Roffella
Medium armored shock infantry – The Guards of Roffella are group of highly trained and very dangerous shock infantry, capable of breaking even the most seasoned of lines with their strong wings of their two handed axes, relentless drive for pleasing their Goddess, and their relentless training since birth. They are religious devout, and will always be awake at the crack of dawn to offer their prayers and praise to their warrior goddess.
Through tributes, local blacksmith work, and various other factors the Guards of Roffella are often equipped with plate mail chest and leg work with a tabard with a white base with a red X through the middle. This stands in stark contrast to the rest of the barbarian north who still prefer leather armor overtop chainmail. They are often equipped with heavy two handed axes, bastard swords and various other heavy handed weapons. While the heavy armor slows them down compared to the standard barbarian, the ferocity of their attacks and the pin point precision in which they deliver them, more than make up for the weight of the armor.
250 – Devotes of Roffella
The title of Devotes of Roffella is a new title given to the religious fanatics that have taken up arms under the Priestess of Roffella named Gyrid. While they may lack the formal training as most infantry, they are a hardy people. They survive in a land where life itself struggles to survive. They make up for their lack of training with sheer devotion and ruthless aggression. They are equipped with leather armor over top chainmail vests, large spears and large round shields.
