Aerda the Shieldmaiden

Aerda the Shieldmaiden was an øverste in the Trydgisian Clan as well as the first romantic partner of Trydgis Winnekin from approximately 4201 to 4211. Born alone to a single mother who died during her birth, Aerda's chances of survival were very slim from the first moments of her life. The facts of the events surrounding her birth are entirely unknown until she was discovered by a group of roaming hunters, who decided to take her on and raise her as one of their own. Due to this, Aerda's heritage and surname are entirely unknown. Aerda grew to be a very talented warrior and took advantage of both strength and agility. When she met Trydgis at the age of eighteen, the two engaged in what turned out to be an almost fatal sword fight. After the two equally bested each other in combat, Trydgis invited her to join the small band of warriors he commanded. Aerda accepted, and after she improved enough to best Trydgis in a sword fight, she was promoted to his third-in-command, or øverste.

Aerda eventually rose to prominence in the height of the clan and was regarded as the best sword fighter within the Trydgisians. Aerda was killed by an archer during the Retaking of Port Skörg. After her death, she was praised as an influential hero in the events that led to the liberation of Radorah from the Empire of Askeldia.

Early Life
After Aerda's mother was forced to abandon her for unknown reasons, a group of nomadic stag hunters came across her alone, and after some debate, decided to take her to their next location, where they began to care for her as their own. A woman in the small clan, Gakhra, took primary responsibility over her, acting as her adoptive-mother. Around the age of twelve, Aerda turned out to be very skilled with a bow and began to accompany some of the men on hunts. Unlike most women in the hunting clans of the region, she was selected to be a hunter, instead of a gatherer. Aerda would spend the next few years honing both her hunting and fighting skills with her friends in the clan