Brunelda Hammercrag, youngest child and only daughter of Madoran and Moira Hammercrag
Mountain dwarf, Bard of the College of Lore, Entertainer (actor, poet, singer, instrumentalist)
Appearance. Brunelda stands at just under four and a half feet tall and weighs in at just under twelve stone. (Mum says I must get the skinny from me Da.) She wears several braids in her long red hair (That’ll be a gift from both sides.), and often keeps it tied back. (Best t’ be ready fer anythin’!) Her face is freckled and decorated with bright blue eyes. (Those I got from me mum.) She has a mysterious tattoo upon her inner left forearm. (That I got from who-knows-where.)
Brunelda still wears the blue and green Hammercrag tartan about her waist, and a plain leather vest over a mail byrnie. (Style has always come easy to us Hammercrags!) At her waist hang a trio of handaxes (Blasted goblins!), across her back a leather case holding her prized cittern (At’s a beauty, innit!), and in her hand a traditional dwarven walking stick (battleaxe).
Personality. I know a story relevant to almost any situation. Also, whenever I come to a new place, I like to collect the local rumors.
Ideal: Tradition. The stories, songs and legends of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are.
Bond: I would do anything for the members of my old troupe.
Flaw: I one satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake I am likely to repeat.
Background. Brunelda was apprenticed at a young age to the renown blacksmith Thargas Ironhammer to carry on one of the great Hammercrag family traditions, (That would be minin’, smithin’ and jewelin’.) and showed some promise. But she couldn’t help but be enchanted by her brother Thalstad’s tales from his soldiering. Her dreams of a quiet life at home were quickly replaced by dreams of adventure in the wide world. Before she knew it, she would get her chance.
It was on a trading trip to a human city when Brunelda saw Nicodaemus Wonderstone’s World-Famous (According to Nicodaemus, anyway.) Mobile Carnival of Merriment and Ballyhoo™. Enraptured by the wonders of the circus and the thought of seeing the Whole of the Sword Coast and Maybe Even Beyond™, she couldn’t resist! She bid Thargas farewell, handed him a letter to deliver to her mum and da, and joined Nicodaemus’ troupe.
At first, Brunelda was a simple carnie, doing whatever job needed doing whenever it needed doing, including putting some of her blacksmithing skills to work. But she watched all the acts very closely and practiced the routines every day. It wasn’t long before she was called upon to perform with the other players - acting in the ribald comic scenes, singing the bawdy tavern songs, and spinning raunchy tales! She even began learning magical secrets from the troupe’s fortune-teller, Madame Kali.
The troupe soon learned that satire is a tricky business. Although some nobles are endowed with hides thick enough to withstand a few barbs from a pack of lowly commoners, others of a more thin-skinned variety prove themselves rather sensitive to the lightest of pricks. Others still match their thin-skins with short tempers, and pair those short tempers with streaks of violence… and enough cash to hire a gaggle of thugs to crush packs of lowly commoners who think they’re funny.
And so the wanderings of Nicodaemus Wonderstone’s World-Famous Mobile Carnival of Merriment and Ballyhoo™ came to their ignominious end. The members of the troupe (those who yet lived, anyway) were scattered to the winds to seek their fortunes otherwise. Some say that the noble whose irresponsibly deep pettiness brought the troupe low still seeks the surviving members. Some say that a mysterious gnome is forming a new troupe with which to take his revenge. All we know is that Brunelda is on the road again.
TL; DR: I ran away and joined the circus.
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