Alfarinn

Alfarinn is one of the most ancient and powerful Heroes documented in the Book of Heroes. Possessing a 58% divinity rating, she is reckoned practically a demi-god, descended from children of both Jorunn and Fafnir. She's reputed to also be descended from the Elves of the deciduous forests of grunwald. Born in 231, she is a granddaughter of both Jorunn (God of Mischief and the Lost) and Fafnir (God of Justice).

Alfarinn travels around, rarely settling anywhere for long. She's fond of nature and often winters in a forest in the southern lands where it is warmer. When the time comes for her to want another child she returns to civilisation and seeks out a deserving man to be the father of her next child. Once she's pregnant she returns to her nomadic ways with her daughters.

In her true form, Alfarinn is a slightly built woman standing just over five feet tall. Her most striking features are her sparkling green eyes, which reflect the mischievous nature of her grandfather Jorunn, and long waves of burning orange hair. Despite her five centuries of life, her appearance remains that of a woman in her mid-thirties due to her exceptional divine concentration. Her body is hard and well-defined, showing the results of centuries of nomadic life and physical exercise. When she manifests her power, her eyes are known to glow, and rogue black hairs float around her head as if charged with static energy.

For the first two centuries of her life, Alfarinn lived as a traditional hero, completing quests and attempting to make the world more just. During this period, she stood aloof from mortals, viewing the “little people” with a degree of divine detachment.

Mid-way through her third century, Alfarinn experienced a spiritual awakening—attributed by some to a geas laid by the Mother of All. She transitioned into a nomadic existence, selecting mortal men of integrity and playfulness to sire her children. She is the mother of many children, but famously only of daughters. She is usually found in a group of women, with one female child. The daughters usually stay with their mother, although most will spend a decade or so exploring the world. A number of them have settled down in places with partners and raised their own families. Often though they end up back with Alfarinn.

She established a biological rhythm of bearing a daughter approximately every twenty-five years. Her documented children and grandchildren include:

• amma - Born 500. Daughter of an unknown dark-skinned sailor from the Southern Isles. A Board of Trade agent, killed in mysterious circumstances in 612. Mother of Abayomi
  • Abayomi grandson of Alfarinn, a Board of Trade agent from 611 until his death in 738
  • Inibrakemi daughter of Abayomi and Funere, born in the Southern Isles but grew up in Kronstadt. A Board of Trade Agent known for taking the form of a large seabird.
• Alwilda - Born 550. She spent a couple of decades exploring the world before settling in the Cloud Islands with Tana Otago. Together they had four daughters and established a dynasty that rules the island they settled on. Alwilda still lives, revered as 'The Mother', amongst the people of the Cloud Islands.
  • Birgitta_Alwildasdotir b.609, died 744.
  • Blodwen_Alwildasdotir b.617, died 707.
  • Bjork_Alwidasdotir b.629, died 713.
  • Barljota_Alwidasdotir b.641, died 749
• Aljota b.575 in the Temple of Clewg at Estreham, near minhaton in the cobre_mountains. Her father was one of the last initiates in the secret order of Clewg. She has three daughters, Carljota (b.671), Carla (b.689) and Clarinna (b.703). They all live in Estreham, not far from the temple.
• Adalaug b.600. Lives nomadically with Alfarinn, like her mother she chooses worthy men to father her daughters. All four have fathers from different parts of the world, mostly merchants, apart from the eldest where Adalaug travelled to the Sunward Continent and took a local shaman as her lover while she learnt their secrets.
  • Dagmar_Adalaugsdotir b.671 in the Sunward Continent, returning to follow her grandmother's perambulations when she was five years old. Fluent in several languages.
  • Dagfinna_Adalaugsdotir b.689 in the Temple of Clewg at Estreham. Her father was a miner in the Cobre mountains who had come from the Eastern shores of the Inland Sea. She left to explore the world and hasn't been heard from in a couple of decades.
  • Dalbjork_Adalaugsdotir b.703 still part of the extended family group.
  • Danhildr_Adalaugsdotir b.721, working with the Board of Trade.
• Alfrida b.625
• Alfor b.650
• Alfauda b.675
• Alfbjorg b.700
• Alfinna b.725 an artist, master crafter and shapeshifter.
• Noren b.750

While living near the palace in Kronstadt, Alfarinn was approached by Rojden, a grandson of Meniaxter. On the recommendation of Old Bjorn, Alfarinn relaxed her guard. Rojden sired a son when Alfarinn had been expecting to have another daughter. She viewed this as a huge breach of the trust by both Bjorn and Rojden.

In 750, Alfarinn gave birth to Noren, her only recorded son. Upon learning of Rojden’s various murders of other heroes, Alfarinn’s fury was legendary. Her daughters delivered the infant Noren to Old Bjorn via a priestess of Fafnir to ensure his safety. Alfarinn then retreated into absolute isolation, refusing to allow any man into her presence. She used the mysteries of Jorunn to become “lost” to the world, eventually settling at the cursed temple of Estreham in Cottalem where men couldn't go.

Other than her children and grandchildren listed above, these are some people that have been relevant in her life recently.

• Noren: Her only son; an exception to her lineage of daughters.
• Rojden: The father of Noren; the target of her righteous vengeance.
• Old Bjorn: A contemporary and former friend who gave her the ill-fated advice to trust Rojden.
• Yngvild the Fierce: Referred to as “Sister” by Alfarinn; the bringer of justice who broke Noren's geas.

• Estreham: Her current place of reclusion and the site of Noren's resurrection.
• Grunwald: The deciduous forests where she spent much of her early nomadic life.
• Kronstadt: The capital where her guard was breached by Rojden.