Biography

Early Life

Erna Frieg grew up in the lower dock streets of Hyarat, the capital city of Zaubarovia, with the spire of the College forever looming above. She grew up as an urchin, having lost her parents early on with few memories of them. Maybe they were Dwarven traders with a ship, or they were merchants passing through the city, but they're gone, leaving her alone in the city.

She had a few friends growing up, other impoverished children, a couple older homeless urchins who helped her here or there. The rich of the city did not help the conditions in the docks district at all, and with the Magocracy valuing magic above all else, she learned basic magic from other such lost souls.

She was innately good at magic though, with a better grasp than most. While her and her friends stole from some rich people here or there, one day as a teenager her mage hand robbed the wrong- or right- pocket. A middle aged air genasi, named Alfarihm. He was a professor at the College, and saw her innate potential. What she didn't know is that he's seen the potential of many like her.

Taking her in as a ward along with a few others not unlike her, he sponsored their education through the College, but nudged her towards subterfuge and basic magic. Her becoming a learned scholar was not what he wanted, he wanted her to become one of his agents. As such, she studied in the Oblivinus Conspectus, the general magic order.

In her final years and even post graduation, she was forced into doing missions for Alfharim and his noble friends across the country. These ranged from smuggling something discreetly to assassinations of other nobles or people the nobles wanted gone. The pay was always good even if the morality was questionable. Over the years, she's built up quite a reputation in some select noble circles as an agent that can get these off-the-books jobs done.

Meanwhile, even FORTY years later, Alfharim's grip on her was intense. He acted as a parent-like mentor figure, now an elderly man who serves as the Magister of the Wereldzaad Conspectus in the College- the order that deals with extraplanar studies and cosmology. Erna is aware that Magister Alfharim's elderly-appearance is mostly for show, as his power as a mage has never been greater. He has agents like her across not just our world, but many others- In other realms, across the planes. They always say that you should never make pacts with extraplanar beings, and that seems to include Magister Alfharim, the man who's had the most control over her life.

Shards of the Empire

Check the main campaign page for the detailed plot summary.

Erna is hired by Innes Rennwald to capture her daughter who ran away from home. Upon tracking her down, Ingrid promises Erna to pay her better than anything her mother could give her, and team up for a while. The two set off for Rockham after coming across a call for adventure from the Department of Dungeons. They run into an Owlbear at a farm, eventually defeating it and realizing that it was a polymorphed farmer.

Upon reaching Rockham, they run into the rest of the party and decide to form a team. Ingrid initially hides her noble status, but that doesn't last long owing to Finethir. Erna is cold to most of the team at first, opening up to them extremely slowly. She suspects Gothwyn from the get-go unlike most other people, due to her inherent distrust of nobles.

During the expedition to Varkaria, she gets separated and ends up with Gideon, Tasmyn, Sakii, and Lorndyr. They end up in an old temple where Erna's rogue skills help them solve enough puzzles for them to escape and rejoin the others. They face off against Gothwyn for the first time, Erna getting the killing shot on him. They then get transported days ahead. They name the team the Krono Krew.

Deciding to head to the College of Zaubarovia, they go through many obstacles on the way including saving a fort from a goliath Ogolavi raid. At the dwarven village of Kystby, Erna fails to connect to any of the dwarven culture. At Tromden, Erna gets paid for 'delivering' Ingrid to her home, as Ingrid catches Rolf up with the truth of Gothwyn and the Time Gears. Erna has fun teasing Ingrid's younger brother Roderick, who also wants to be more of a rogue.

At the College itself, Erna meets back up with Magister Alfarihm after a long while. She catches him mid-conversation with Qesrea, who he introduces as another one of his agents. He is harsh to her about her escapades, but rewards her with a new magical heavy crossbow called Comet Ballista. He gives her a new mission to kill Julian von Gaten, aka Werner. She reconnects with her old teacher Skarmour, who tells Erna to connect more with her heritage. They fight Gothwyn for the second time, and Erna once again manages to kill him herself, shooting the werewolf Gothwyn with a silver ring. Finding out that Qesrea took the time gear anyway, she realizes that she is officially working against Alfarihm now. They decide to head to the dwarven Kingdom of Nûzabad for the next time gear. From now on, Erna tries to be nicer to the rest of the party, as she reassesses what is important to her.

At Kystby, Erna helps rescue a dwarven child from the Ogolavi goliath raid. Eventually ending up in Vogh Vulfrhûn, she feels alienated by the true dwarven culture. She is immediately suspicious of Baron Emeraldeye, once again motivated by her general dislike of nobles. When he asks what clan she is from, she jokingly says Clan Emeraldeye. She is instrumental in the investigation they conduct into the Emerald Fog, even into the Underdark. She tries to connect to Gideon, but their conversations are rocky to say the least. After Werner gets the second time gear, Qesrea shows up with some assassins. She offers a 2 versus 1 duel with Erna and Ingrid, but as they begin to win, she alters the deal and just tries to run away with Ingrid's time gear. Werner and Kai Li prevent her from escaping with the time gear (although she herself does escape) and they go back to Vogh Vulfrhûn.

When they go to arrest Baron Emeraldeye, she overhears General Hanmaeth talk to Gideon about his past in Yawrôn. They manage to defeat Tulunvithar, saving the city and being rewarded as saviors of Vogh Vulfrhûn. She receives his Emeraldeye ring as a reward. Gideon and Ingrid manage to remove the tracker Alfarihm had put into Erna's nape. She decides to stick with them through the next year at Fort Huxley.

Erna worked with Ingrid on a lot of her takedowns of the Ogolavi Clan. Erna came to be seen as more of a hero amidst the Hill Dwarves, but she felt like she didn't deserve that title. She visited the college a few times, and Prof. Skarmour gifted Erna a hatchling Griffon for her to train and bond with. One of the hatchlings of Skarmour's own elder griffon, Erna ended up naming her 'Grumpy'. Over the year as Grumpy grew, Erna had trouble training her but it still progressed smoothly. Grumpy once ate a caravan's horse, the expenses for which had to be paid by Gideon. Similarly, when learning how to ride together, Grumpy made Erna fall nearly to her death more than a few times. Now, Grumpy stays at Fort Huxley on top of a small tower, from where Erna can summon her to wherever she is by usage of a magical whistle, and send her back to the Fort if need be.

After tons of grueling battles over months, Ingrid and the Ivory Suns planned a final attack on the stronghold of the Ogolavi Clan in the foothills of the Kosmosi Mountains. The fight was led by General Hanmaeth Graysteel, alongisde Ingrid, Erna, The Ivory Suns, and Paladin Sascha Köler. The fight was difficult, as it was nearly impossible for their platoon to get to the mountain tribal fort without attrition. The fight was almost a loss, but Ingrid, Erna, and Meras managed to take down the new leader of the Ogolavi Clan. He surrendered after a lost fight, giving his token of leadership- A Belt of Fire Giant Strength- to Ingrid. He called off the Ogolavi raids, and signed a peace treaty with the General. They were celebrated as war heroes, as their small army had managed to defeat this threat to the land even as the political tensions on the northern border worsened.

Erna also did a few missions on her own without Alfarihm's help- Mostly looking into his business and doing some DoD related tasks that she felt she could do alone, such as guard missions or investigative work. Through looking into Alfarihm's network, Erna found out that he has been working in the other realms a whole lot. While he always worked in the elemental planes, he's been reaching out into the chaotic plane called 'Shatterrealm', where Qesrea was also posted. A lot of Alfarihm's income comes from Shatterrealm, as he takes advantage of the plane's chaos to gain money.

Eventually, they received a letter from Werner, which explained that Gothwyn is once again advancing his plans, and that his mother, Duchess Gaten, might be trying to get rid of Ingrid's mother for her support of Gothwyn. He was also basically trapped in Etabrück, and they would need to come rescue him.

On the day of the Riversong Resonance festival in the city of Etabrück, the Krono Krew come back together to rescue Werner from Arxbrück Castle. They discuss politics and the current state of things with his mother, Duchess Iôlwen von Gaten. They ask for her to not try to kill Innes, and she asks them to go talk to King Renaer Aldriglød and convince him to attend the Grand Wedding held at the capital in a month’s time. Having his enemy there would prompt Gothwyn to get reckless and reveal their true self.

At Fort Huxley, Erna introduces Werner to Grumpy. Everything seems to be converging at the capital. Gideon asks Eryka Amberberry what the quickest route to Aldrigvinter would be, and she says that teleporting to Hyarat and taking a ship through the icy ocean would be faster but not safer. They choose that option, and stock up on supplies. Teleporting to Hyarat Docks, they ask around but find no one willing to sail up north in this winter. Erna finds a bakery she used to steal from as a kid, and buys bread for everyone with her own money. In a tavern, Werner eventually located Captain Jahaesko, who has some business in Uppborg and willing to drop them off at Aldrigvinter. He introduces them to his first mate Ingfrid, who Erna takes a liking to.That night, Erna sneaks down to their cargo hold and sees a mysterious locked crate that has a magical trap on it. Stealing some ale, she spends some time talking to Ingfrid on the top deck while they watch an aurora.

The day before they reach Uppborg, the crew overhears Jahaesko and Ingfrid argue. Busting into his office, they make them reveal their smuggling operation and deal with the Lunars in Uppborg. They decide to help out and interfere if the need be. That night, the party sneaks into the cargo hold and unlocks the magically locked crate without triggering the trap. They see the Abysscube, which nearly charms Ingrid. In the ensuing chaos of the lunar deal, Ingrid accidentally blows up the entire warehouse full of gunpowder using a fireball, nearly killing Ingfrid. At Aldrigvinter, Erna says her farewell to Ingfrid.

The city is decorated for Vakosi Arcanos (the holy day of Varkanus during which all mages are stronger) soon, and they head into Castle Fyrst. At a meeting room, they meet Ser Gerion Ulfheart, one of the most important generals in the Førish military and one of Ingrid’s mother’s main rivals. He greets them and talks about Ingrid and Erna’s takedown of the Ogolavi Clan. When King Renaer enters with a book in his hand, he has a civil conversation about his reasons for wanting independence. They eventually end up telling the full truth about Gothwyn and the time gears to him and Ser Gerion, which makes them reconsider and try to call off the war. However, he’s already made alliances and set things in motion that he can’t easily undo, such as an alliance with JIIK HAN, the ruler of Shatterrealm. Alfarihm helped him make this contract.

They head into Shatterrealm, and take on Jiik Han's offer of calling off the deal by winning the Shatterworld Tournament on Varkosi Arcanos. Erna ends up buying her 'Murder Armor' here. On the day of Varkosi Arcanos, in the first round, Erna and Qesrea face off against Durandal and Doomblade, and manage to win without killing anyone.

In Round 2, Erna, Ingrid, and Werner face off against Alfarihm, Qesrea, and Ceolmaer. After some words are exchanged, the fight begins and Alfarihm instantly calls down a meteor swarm. Alfarihm chooses not to disintegrate Erna. Ingrid ends up killing Qesrea, and Erna convinces Ceolmaer to forfeit and escape Alfarihm. Eventually, Ingrid casts earthbind on him, setting up Erna to finally kill him. They take his magical items, and end up having a conversation with Ceolmaer where he reveals that Alfarihm gave the time gear to Gothwyn.

Khaz Jiik Han jumps into the ring, and challenges the remaining primerealm fighters directly in a final Round 3. The fight is difficult, with most of the fighters not managing to beat out their fear of him for a while, until Ser Gerion’s aura helps them. Renaer is given a potion by Erna despite him only managing to make a few attacks on Jiik Han. Ingrid blocks all of Jiik Han’s attacks at one point, and eventually manages to get the kill on him.

Back in Fort Huxley, Erna reunites with Grumpy, as the party receives an invitation to dinner with Gothwyn in her Timeron mansion.

Timeline

3E416 - Erna is born at some unknown location.
3E419 - At a young age, Erna loses her parents in the city of Hyarat.
3E435 - At the age of 19, she is recruited by Magister Alfarihm and made to join the College of Zaubarovia.
3E482 - Erna is hired to capture Ingrid, starting off the events of Shards of the Empire. After saving Vogh Vulfrhûn, she spends most of the next year working with Ingrid and the others out of Fort Huxley.
3E483 - Chapters 4 and 5 of Shards of the Empire take place, including the Shatterworld Tournament and the Green Wedding. Erna manages to kill Alfarihm and break out of his control.