Hilda Arnorndottr Champion Lore
Hilda Arnorndottr is the first child and heir apparent to Arnorn the Shining, Mountain King of the wealthy and powerful Skyiron canton of Hrothglime. Along with her half-dozen siblings, she represents the future of the dynasty. This makes her the target of intrigue, flattery, and numerous marriage proposals, all of which she has little interest in, at least for the moment. She much prefers rowdy parties and the thrill of battle to any trappings of nobility and governance.
Arnorn’s rivals and critics seethe at the rebellious, uncouth nature of his heir, but Arnorn is patient and accepting of it. Hilda reminds him of himself when he was her age. He believes that the same qualities others find objectionable are in fact diamonds in the rough that will lead her to greatness when she takes the throne some day. Hilda herself is unaware of her father’s secret pride in her, and believes that she is shocking and defying Arnorn with her un-regal ways.
One thing even Hilda’s fiercest critics must acknowledge is that she is an excellent battlefield leader, having proven herself on numerous occasions. She was trained in arms from a young age, as befitting a Dwarven heiress, and during drills and simulated skirmishes she always took the lead. Hilda spurred on her comrades with emphatic and stirring — if foul-mouthed – words of encouragement. She cut her teeth in real combat accompanying tunnel patrols, surface expeditions, and Treasure Fleet escorts, battling against Painsmiths, Undead, beasts, raiders, and pirates. She proved to have a keen mind for tactics and strategy, advising mission planners and inserting her opinions whether they liked it or not. None could object, thanks to her royal status, and when her doubters saw the effectiveness of her suggestions, they were quietly glad they had not.
A prime example of Hilda’s leadership and bravery came when her father was challenged to defend his honor on the battlefield by Uzol, Mountain King of the Jademount canton, following a minor diplomatic offense that Uzol’s famously foul temper ensured escalated to a ceremonial clash of arms.
Arnorn and several scores of his Flailers and Honor Guard assembled for a mock-battle against a similar force of Uzol’s. He forbade Hilda to join him, knowing full well that she would disobey. Disguised in a heavy cloak, Hilda took a place in the front rank. Shortly after, the two Dwarf detachments met and began thrashing one another — this being only a contest of honor, they did not seek to kill their counterparts, merely batter and humiliate them. But their fervor for victory was no less than if it had been a real life-or-death struggle. Meanwhile, Arnorn and Uzol dueled and traded barbs.
Uzol’s host slowly gained the upper hand. The Dwarves around Hilda wavered, and the Hrothglimers’ whole left flank was ready to collapse. That was when she cast off her cloak to reveal her distinctive spiked pauldrons, well-used drinking horn, and iconic crop of unruly umber hair. Many of Arnorn’s Dwarves had trained, fought, and reveled alongside Hilda, and seeing the Mountain King’s heir willing to risk bruises and bone-breaks fighting among them galvanized their morale. Hilda personally clobbered, tripped, and overmastered a dozen of Uzol’s Dwarves, yanking their beards and denting their armor and — with it – their egos.
Afterward, both sides claimed victory, as was usually the case in such skirmishes. But every Dwarf knew in their heart that Hilda had swung the battle in Arnorn’s favor. Arnorn chided Hilda for her disobedience, as was expected of him — but afterward, in the privacy of his chambers, he smiled as he recalled it.