#morag ironforge

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Mother's Intuition

Summary: Meredith finally makes it home, and her mother is waiting in the kitchen to have some choice words with her.

Words: 854

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @blind-the-winds, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch

Warnings: Discussion of potential pregnancy. That's it .

Notes: Takes place pretty much immediately after 'A Lesson in Propriety'. Dru, I hope this makes up for breaking your heart the other day <3.

The Ironforge household was quiet and empty as Meredith quietly stepped in through the front door. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her as quietly as she could manage, not that it would help her any. The rest of her family were all at their various jobs, and the fact that the front door was unlocked meant that the only person that could be in the house was her mother. The young woman slowly put her pack on the seat beneath the coat rack, slipped off her borrowed cloak, sucked in a breath and nervously walked towards the kitchen door.

Morag was waiting, her arms crossed over her chest and a less than happy expression on her face, when Meredith finally slunk into the kitchen. The rotund dwarf was leaning against the counter facing the door. She glared at the sight of her youngest daughter and gestured to the dining table,

“Sit.” She directed simply, turning around and grabbing the kettle from over the fire and mixing up another mug of the vile concoction she had sent her daughter earlier. 

Meredith did as she was told, hanging her head and worrying her bottom lip. It was rare for Morag to be this upset with her youngest daughter. Normally Gruk was the one doing all the shouting and attempting to punish her, Morag had rarely had any real cause to raise her voice. On the few occasions that she had, Meredith had vowed to herself that she would never manage to do it again. Yet here she was. 

The younger woman winced as a steaming mug was slammed onto the table in front of her,

“Go on, before it gets cold.” Morag instructed tersely, taking the opportunity to roll her now greying hair back into its usual bun and sitting down opposite her daughter, still glaring at her. The silence in the small kitchen was deafening to Meredith as she blew on the ‘tea’ and drained the mug as quickly as she could manage, still trying to avoid eye contact with the middle aged dwarf in front of her.

“Right, that should help avoid any unwanted surprises.” She said, leaning back in her chair, “Now, would you care to explain exactly what the two of you were thinking last night?” she hissed, her brown eyes narrowing dangerously. Meredith shifted uncomfortably in her chair,

“Well… we kinda... didn’t.” she replied quietly, staring at the table rather than facing the angry and disappointed expression on her mother’s face. Morag sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment,

“Right, now that’s been established, can you remind me what I told you after Yoruk told us he wanted to openly court you?” she asked. Meredith nodded and began playing with one of the smaller braids in her beard,

“That ye didn’t want to hear the patter o’ little dwarven feet comin’ from our direction for at least another decade, and preferably after we got married.” She replied, only now daring to chance a glance up at her mother. Morag snorted,

“Exactly! The fact that ye’re even here tells me that at least Ionah doesn’t know about this. At least we can be grateful for small mercies.” The older woman sighed heavily, her stern expression lifting slightly, “I had just hoped that ye would actually tak’ the advice Merri. Ye’re not that long of age, and ye’ve been tellin’ me and yer da that ye feel that ye’re needed by Moradin outside the mountain. Ye canna do that if ye’ve got a baby to look after.” 

Meredith squirmed under the extreme disappointment in her mother’s voice and face,

“I ken,” she sighed, “I did say as much to Yoruk at breakfast.” 

Morag sent her daughter a small smile,

“Then ye ken full well that ye’re maybe better holdin’ off entirely until after that’s all sorted out?” she suggested. Meredith looked back down at the table again,

“Aye.” She agreed, “What about da though? He’s gonna put two and two together eventually.” She pointed out sullenly.  Morag shook her head,

“Dinna you mind aboot yer da, hen. I’ll deal with that.” She said firmly. The older woman reached across the table and lifted her daughter’s chin, “Mistake made and lesson learnt?” she asked gently. Meredith met her mother’s gaze and smiled sadly,

“Aye, the hard way. As usual.” 

Morag chuckled,

“I don’t think there’s ever been any other way for you to learn.” She teased. Her expression became a bit more serious, “Make a note o’ when yer next Moon’s due and if ye miss it by more than two weeks, or start to feel unwell in the mornings, tell me.” She ordered. Meredith nodded,

“I will mam.” She promised. Morag nodded in satisfaction, got up and hugged the younger woman. Meredith relaxed at the gesture. Yes she had been careless, but it seemed that her mother still had her back when it mattered. When the two women separated, Morag smiled cheekily at her daughter,

“Just in case though, have ye given any thought at all to names? And where’s the engagement present, for that matter?”

[aquadestinyswriting]

Eye of the Storm

Summary: Elowyn helps Morag sort out some sort of breakfast while everyone else recovers from their assorted hangovers the morning after the trial's conclusion. Written for the Flash Fiction Friday prompt 'Found Family'

Words: 832

Tags: @druidx @homesteadchronicles @flashfictionfridayofficial @sparrow-orion-writes-orion-writes,@warriorbookworm, @odysseywritings, @blind-the-winds, @thesorcerersapprentice,@writeblrcafe, @ashiru, @writeblrcafe

Warnings: None

Notes: Based on an actual bit that was roleplayed out, but some creative liberties have been taken as I can't remember what exactly was said in the session any more.

Morag smiled at Elowyn as the woodling busied herself sorting out a pot of bloc,

"Ta for the help, hen." She said, straightening up again with a groan, "It's much appreciated." Elowyn shrugged her shoulders,

"I can't very well leave you to sort out everything for us all by yourself. Especially since no one else is in any position to, at the moment." She pointed out, nudging Snotgrut, who had fallen asleep curled up next to 'Arry in the corner of the kitchen, with her toe.

The green and brown lump groaned as the goblin stirred,

"My head is about to explode." He complained, "Why do people insist on drinking to excess if this is the outcome the next day?" He blinked blearily as a mug of hot and bitter coffee was thrust into his hands,

"This should help a bit, along with a decent breakfast." Elowyn told him. She turned her attention to the piece of rope dangling from seemingly nowhere, "Now how am I going to get this to Felix?" She wondered looking between the mug in her hand and the area where the rope seemingly vanished into thin air near the ceiling. She wafted the bitter steam up in the general direction of the Rope Trick opening after shouting for Felix to get up failed to rouse the gnome. Eventually Felix's arm shot out of nowhere, took the mug from Elowyn's hand with a mumbled 'Thank you' before vanishing once again. Elowyn shook her head as her ears picked up the renewed snoring from the extra dimensional space.

"That's the last time I get myself talked into a drinking contest with a dwarf." Quentin moaned as he stumbled into the kitchen.

"I did say it was a terrible idea, Quentin. Not that I have room to talk." Laurence groaned, collapsing into a chair at the table and burying his head into his hands. Elowyn clucked her tongue,

"Well that's what you get for going out and getting wankered isn't it?" She said, placing her hands on her hips. Neither man nor elf said anything and simply moaned into the table. She looked over to the younger woodling woman that now stumbled into the kitchen with a softer smile, "Lesson learned?" She asked. Aurianna nodded her head, wincing at the pain that lanced through her head at the motion. 

"Breakfast's pretty much ready. Just hold on while I get the rest of them up." Morag piped up, picking up the frying pan and a wooden spoon from the counter. Elowyn smiled, winced and covered her ears, gesturing for everyone else in the kitchen to do the same seconds before Morag started bashing the two implements together.

"Right! Come on, you lazy sods! Up! It's about lunchtime already!" The housewife's voice boomed through the house, echoing slightly, alongside the ringing of the frying pan. Various moans and groans of protest quickly followed suit, but Morag stood firm, simply banging the frying pan again when no one appeared on the stairs.

"I said up! Breakfast's ready and I swear on Moradin's bloody beard if I dinna see anyone down here in the next two minutes there's gonna be more than the hells to pay!" She snapped. Elowyn winced but turned her attention to her own little family,

"Well, seeing as our host was kind enough to make breakfast for us, I'm calling not it for the dishes." She said. Morag shook her head as she waddled back into the room,

"Och, dinna fash yerselves." She protested, "Ye helped more than enough the other night, and you all put in the work to see proper justice done." She beamed at the motley group of adventurers, "Besides, the lot o' ye are basically family at this point, and seeing as ye are, I'll not have ye taking on more than your fair share of the chores while you're here." Elowyn opened her mouth to protest when a rough, but blessedly familiar voice, came from the doorway,

"I'd save yer breath, hen. You were basically adopted the minute I brought ye back here the first time. Now, that includes the rest of you sorry lot."  Meredith added, poking at Quentin's ribs as she sat down next to him. 

"Oi! This is the thanks I get for helping you avoid the executioner's block?" The elf protested. Meredith stuck her tongue out at him,

"What help, ye pointy eared git? From what I can tell yer goblin friend did most of the work!" 

Elowyn stifled a laugh as others joined the friendly argument. A warm feeling settled in her chest as she looked around the cramped room as everyone finally converged around the table. Her family were finally all in one place, happy, healthy and whole. Well, half of it, the other half were back in Toreguarde after all. Once everything was taken care of she'd need to find a way to get the whole lot together. For now, though, this was all the family she needed.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Brìgh an Teaghlaich

Summary: Meredith eventually gets Yoruk back to her house, and explains what happened to her mother

Words: 1,099

Tags: @druidx @sparrow-orion-writes, @blind-the-winds, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch

Warnings: None. Enjoy the tooth-rotting sappiness :D.

Notes: Takes place pretty much immediately after Shattered Glass. Teeny worldbuilding note: since Yoruk is getting Disowned by his mother, that would usually cause all kinds of issues. However, Ionah's... attitude is well-known enough that I think almost everyone else in the mountain will handily ignore that part.

Morag was still cleaning that morning’s breakfast dishes when she heard the front door unlatch and creak open,

“It’s just’ me Ma!” Meredith called from the front hall, “Can ye get some tea on the go?” Morag frowned and popped her head out of the kitchen door, wiping her hands on her pinnie,

“No worries, hen, but what’s – Oh Throff’s Mercy!” she swore as she saw the bruises all over Yoruk’s face. Yoruk forced a smile onto his face to replace his grimace,

“Hullo Morag, I don’t suppose ye’ve got any chamomile do ye?” he asked.

Morag rushed over and looped her arm around Yoruk, taking his weight from her daughter and helped the paladin into the kitchen. As soon as she had sat him down in a chair at the dining table, she immediately set about looking out the tea Meredith had requested. Meredith sat down in the seat next to her fiance, saying nothing as she took a hold of his hand and squeezed it.

As soon as the kettle was put on to boil, Morag sat down at the table and glanced between her daughter and future son-in-law,

“What happened?” she asked quietly, a deep dread settling into the bottom of her stomach. Yoruk said nothing, looking down at the table, clenching his hands into fists on his lap, and unhappy grimace making its way back onto his face. Meredith sighed, sent her beloved a worried glance, then looked back up at her mother,

“Ionah did.” Was all the cleric said in reply. Morag swallowed down the lump in her throat at the way Yoruk flinched as soon as the name was mentioned. She sighed heavily,

“And here we were, hopin’ that we could sort things out.” She muttered with a slow shake of her head. She reached across the table and laid her hand flat on the table in front of him, a motherly gesture of comfort. The injured young man looked up and gave her a small, grateful smile,

“Maybe this whole thing was fer the best.” He said in a low voice, “I have to leave for Khull next week anyway. I’m just disappointed that this pretty much still ruins any hope o’ gettin’ that marriage sorted oot.” 

Meredith frowned, confused,

“What’re ye on about?” she asked, “If anything, this makes it all a lot easier! Now we don’t have to worry about inviting that witch!” She ranted, her temper getting the better of her as she slammed a hand onto the table. Yoruk’s expression turned pained,

“Merri, love,” he said, his voice tight, “my mother is probably sorting out the paperwork to officially Disown me as we speak.” He said. His voice trembled as he continued, “No family means no Honour. No Honour means no marriage!”

Morag snorted, hauling herself up as the kettle began to whistle,

“Dinna be daft!” she reprimanded, “So yer mam’s decided that ye’re no’ worth anything to her, it’s no’ any mind to me.” She gave Yoruk a motherly smile, as she bustled over and took the kettle off its hook, “I’m sure that, if we had a word with High Priest Ragnarsson, he’d be willin’ to find a loophole somewhere.” She set the kettle down and looked over her shoulder at the despondent young man at her table.

Yoruk made an uncertain noise in his throat and shifted uncomfortably. Morag sighed, leaned on the counter and shook her head,

“Yoruk, son, as far as I’m concerned – and I’m sure Gruk will agree with me when he hears about this – you have brought no shame upon either yourself or this family. You have done no wrong and, as far as Moradin and Throff are concerned, I’m pretty sure that means there’s nowt to worry about as far as any wedding plans go.”

Meredith shifted both herself and Yoruk so they were facing each other and leaned her forehead on his,

“My ma’s right, ye ken.” she said softly, “We both know Ionah is the one in the wrong here, no matter what claims she might want to make that say otherwise.” she lifted her head away and smiled at him, “Besides, this was never going to be a marriage of convenience; after all, ye’re still the same wee laddie who snuck into the infirmary when no one was lookin’ just to give me a fresh flower every day fer almost two winters straight.” 

Yoruk couldn’t help the fragile, but very genuine, smile that lit up his face at the memory,

“Aye, I guess that has to count for something.” he agreed.

Morag chuckled, placing two mugs of tea on the table

“You know, I  always wondered where those came from. I assumed it was one of the Sisters at one point.” She said, her expression growing wistful. The Ironforge matriarch smiled broadly as she glanced over to Meredith, “Merri’s still got them all, you know. She insisted on gettin’ them pressed and kept safe.” 

Meredith sat bolt upright, her face and ears turning beetroot,

“Mam! Ye’re no’ supposed to tell him stuff like that!” she spluttered. Morag simply laughed while Yoruk’s eyes widened,

“Ye – Ye kept them? The whole lot?” he asked, voice low in wonder. Meredith flushed even harder and nodded,

“Aye.” She muttered, “I liked the idea that someone cared about the fact that I was stuck in that room by myself all the damn time. It got lonely.” She admitted. Yoruk smiled, his expression growing soft at the memory,

“Ye looked it.” He said, “Da helped me pick them. He took me out onto the eastern ledge every morning so I could find the perfect one for that day. I think he thought it was the most adorable thing in the world.” 

“Well, he was right about that.” Morag said, pouring out a mug of tea for herself and settling down opposite the two little lovebirds, “An’ look at the two o’ ye now. All grown up an’ talking about gettin’ married. Och, I dinna ken where the time went.” she said, her voice growing tight with emotion. Meredith huffed out a sigh and handed her mother a handkerchief,

“Here, afore ye start blubberin’.” she said, rolling her eyes, but smiling nonetheless. Morag took the embroidered cloth and dabbed at her eyes, sniffling but not outright crying.

Yoruk sat back in his seat as he watched the two women bicker back and forth. The heaviness in his heart lifted at the sight and a comfortable warmth settled in his stomach. Morag was right; this was his family and he really didn’t need anything else. 

[aquadestinyswriting]

Heads up 7 Up

Thanks to @druidx, @athenswrites, @duckingwriting and @blind-the-winds for the tags. I finally have something to do this tag game with.

Tagging in turn: @mariahwritesstuff, @warriorbookworm, @ashirisu and @sparrow-orion-writes

A few more lines than seven here, but I wanted to add in the last bit of the scene in question. Doing a bunch of re-writes of older wips that haven't necessarily been posted yet, so I'll catch up with my tags from those. This one is taken from a currently unimaginatively titled wip called 'Final Straw: Aftermath'

Morag was still cleaning that morning’s breakfast dishes, huffily scrubbing at some leftover burnt porridge from her favourite pot, when she heard someone let themselves in the front door. Morag frowned, putting the scrubbing brush down, wondering which member of her family could possibly have come back from work early and what had happened to cause it. “It’s jus’ me Ma!” Meredith called from the front hall, “Can ye get some tea on the go?” Morag wiped her hands on the tea towel and popped her head out of the kitchen door, her frown deepening at the sound of two pairs of boots in her porch. “No worries, hen, but what’s – Oh Throff’s Mercy!” she swore as soon she saw the bruises all over Yoruk’s face. The older woman bustled over to the Paladin, shooed him into the kitchen and immediately set about making the tea Meredith had requested.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Last Line/Heads Up 7 Up

Was tagged for both of these by @druidx so I'll be posting a snippet that satisfies both from the fluff piece I promised.

Tagging @blind-the-winds @mariahwritesstuff @sparrow-orion-writes and anyone else who wants to particpate since I'm on mobile and can't copy/paste my taglist

“Mam!” she whinged, “Ye’re no’ supposed tae tell him stuff like that.” Morag laughed while Yoruk frowned slightly,

“Ye kept them? The whole lot?” he asked Meredith flushed harder and nodded,

“Aye.” She muttered, “I liked the idea that someone cared aboot the fact that I wis stuck in that room by masel’ a’ the damn time. It got lonely.” She admitted.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Character Snippet Tag

Oooh, new tag game! I got tagged by @druidx for this one.

Tagging in: @sparrow-orion-writes, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @odysseywritings

Rules: pick an OC and post a snippet from their viewpoint.

Mine is from a WIP I'm working on about events that happen later in Fangthane's Folly and is from Morag's pov of her husband standing up for her:

Morag huffed a distressed sigh and shook her head as the old cleric who’d opened the door of the local temple of Throff went to close it. She jerked her head up as Gruk growled and Hilde made a noise of protest. The smith’s hand shot out and held the door firm, “Ye want proof that we’re not just some filthy Moradhir here to ruin yer day by reminding ye that Kherillim loves all her children, ‘true’ worshippers or no?” he asked. He raised his voice and straightened his back as the cleric glared at him, “I am Gruk, son of Ovak son of Garuld and I claim the heritage of the Stonespeaker clan, the unbroken lineage Blessed by Kherillim Herself. Now let us in before I end up doin’ something we’ll both end up regretting!”  Morag blinked. Of course she’d heard that Gruk’s father had been adopted, but to claim the name of an extinct clan? She glanced over to Hilde, who was nodding fervently along with her father’s speech, “An’ if you need some actual, paper proof, here!” she added, pulling a thick roll of parchment from out of her pack and thrusting it into the cleric’s hands. She shrugged as the rest of her family sent her puzzled looks, “What? Auld Derek had it out anyway. I think this is the amended one he’d been working on after Merri handed that old journal to him.” she added. Gruk rolled his eyes at his oldest daughter, returning his attention to the cleric, who’s eyes had widened, “Th- that’s not possible. The Stonespeaker line were all executed by decree of King Jotunn during the last set of Purges.” he stammered. He looked back up at Gruk, most of the colour draining from his face. Gruk snorted, “Then d’ye mind telling Throff that? Because, apparently, She’s seen fit to Mark ma youngest daughter and I’m no’ exactly happy about that either.”

[aquadestinyswriting]

Striking the Anvil

Summary: Meredith has lost count of the number of times she's had this nightmare. She wakes up her mother when going to get something to eat and the two have a chat about it.

Words: 1,726

Tags: @druidx @homesteadchronicles @sparrow-orion-writes ,@warriorbookworm, @odysseywritings, @writeblrsupport, @blind-the-winds

Warnings: intense nightmare, mental health issues, discussion of trauma

Notes: This is set about a month, maybe a little less, before the Destiny's New Servants campaign. I need to sort out the timeline of Merri's pre-campaign story at some point since it covers quite a chunk of time but the major events in it are spread out so much.

A harsh wind blew down the hills and across the valley, felling several trees in the small woodland below. Dark clouds tinged with green roiled overhead, creating unnatural shapes. Lightning cracked across them, illuminating the otherwise lightless expanse of the plains. Thunder, loud enough to be felt more than heard, rumbled through the seething mass. 

Somewhere far below the hilltops was a city, shining white amidst the gloom. The spires of its towers gleamed and reflected the lightning crackling high above. Despite the darkness, it seemed to shine, defying the storm that threatened to consume it.

A lone dwarven woman stood on one of the hilltops that surrounded the plains the city stood in, clutching onto a lone, weedy tree for support against the rising wind that howled around her. Her hair, though tightly braided, whipped against her face, the clasps stinging her cheeks with every strike, but she made no move to correct the situation. Instead she looked down at the city, brow furrowed in consternation and worry. 

Meredith had, of course, heard of the city of Toreguarde. Very few living on Allansia hadn’t, especially since the original town of the same name had been at the epicentre of the Demon Wars that had engulfed the continent only ten years prior. What confused her was what she was doing looking at it, having never beheld it for herself in her life. Another peal of thunder shook her bones while another gust of wind whistled around her, threatening to tear her vestments away with the sheer force. Meredith closed her eyes momentarily; the clasp of one of her braids biting into the skin of her cheekbone. She hissed at the sting. What was she even doing out here?

“It’s really quite pretty isn’t it?” a voice suddenly asked, causing the dwarven cleric to snap her eyes open and look in the direction it had come from. Standing next to her was a tall and lanky humanoid figure wearing dark robes and a deep cowl, which hid his face. His hands were placed in front of him inside the voluminous sleeves and he stood completely still despite the gale that threatened to tip the much stouter dwarf forward and off the hill. Meredith watched with mounting horror as the figure lazily unfolded his arms, raised a finger and pointed it at the city,

“‘Tis a pity it’s in the way.” Meredith’s shout was torn away by another gust of wind. She let go of the tree, reaching for her mace as dark green energy shot out of the figure’s outstretched hand, leaping towards the city far below. 

Meredith’s eyes went wide as time slowed to a crawl. Her movements were sluggish and she had barely begun to swing when the energy reached the city, crashing into one of the spires on the northwestern corner. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, after what felt like an eternity, a ripple of magic made its way out from the tower and across the city.

Time suddenly snapped back to normal, causing the cleric to overshoot her target as he neatly sidestepped her strike. Meredith stumbled, coming to one knee. She growled, about to push herself up to try again, when a rumble under her feet caused her to falter and fall to both knees. Her heart raced and almost leapt into her throat as she looked up once more.

The once shining city crumbled as the earth beneath it shook and split open. The northwestern tower was the first to fall, tipping over into the gaping, green maw that now yawned open directly beneath it. Cracks radiated out in all directions, pulling more of the city down into the hellish depths. Booming laughter erupted from the swirling vortex that had swallowed the first tower. Meredith could barely breathe as a huge, winged humanoid figure burst out of it and into the sky. The figure held one hand aloft, his greatsword sucking in what little light there was to be had, while the other cracked the fiery whip it held,

“Revenge! At last! Come my brothers and sisters, tonight we feast!” the figure roared. Meredith felt sick to her stomach as demons of all shapes and sizes rose out of the ever-widening hole in reality. She went to pull herself up, only to find that the humanoid figure from before was standing directly in front of her,

“Ah, ah, ah.” they sneered, kicking her stomach, “It’s nothing personal, you understand.” they said airily, “I just can’t have you interfering.” Meredith snarled as she glared up at the hooded figure, who was now pointing a finger at her and muttering in a language she didn’t understand. Her eyes went wide as a sickly green ray shot out, heading straight for her heart-

Meredith woke with a frantic cry, cold sweat pouring off her face and down her beard. For a few moments, she struggled against the covers that had wound around her in her fitful sleep before her mind finally caught up with her. Shaking, she ran a hand down her face and beard, noting with dismay that her bedding was completely soaked through. Quietly the cleric prayed, sighing with relief as the familiar warmth of Moradin’s grace blossomed in her chest. The violent shaking abated slightly, but it hadn’t stopped entirely. Meredith groaned,

“That’s the third time this week.” She muttered to herself, taking note of roughly what time it was. It was not long past the second hour, nowhere near dawn yet. Repressing a violent shiver, the young cleric got up out of bed, grabbed her spare cloak and wrapped it around herself. She quietly padded through to the kitchen, taking care not to make too much noise that might wake her parents and looked through the pantry for something to eat. The memory of the nightmare was still too fresh for her to sleep right now, she reasoned, so she might as well stay up for a while. Having found some cheese and leftover bread, Meredith backed out of the pantry, turned around and came face to face with her mother.

Morag sighed in a motherly fashion as she looked her youngest daughter over,

“Another nightmare?” she asked simply. Meredith nodded, somewhat guiltily. Morag grumbled a little but took the food from Meredith’s hands and ushered the young woman to the kitchen table, “D’ye want tae talk about it?” she asked, bustling around the room, lighting the fireplace and getting out a couple of pans and milk from the coolbox. Meredith shook her head,

“Not really.” She muttered, “I just want a decent night’s sleep.” She groaned, burying her head in her arms. Morag made a sympathetic noise as she heated the milk over the fire, whisking it to ensure it was heated evenly,

“I ken darling.” She soothed, “This is getting a wee bit out o’ hand.” She added, giving the younger woman a worried look. Meredith heaved an exhausted sigh,

“I honestly don’t think there’s anything we can do about it.” She mumbled, “Most o’ the older clerics seem to think they’ll go away on their own.” Morag clucked her tongue unhappily,

“Well that’s a wee bit ridiculous, this has been going on fer how long now?” she asked. Meredith shook her head,

“To be honest I lost track some point around two weeks ago.” She replied wearily, resting her chin on her arms instead now so her mother could hear her more clearly. Morag hummed in concern as she poured the warm milk into a mug, added a couple of spoonfuls of honey and placed it on the table,

“Might not be a bad idea to have a proper chat with Sister Helesgoht.” She suggested, “Maybe she can suggest something’ that’ll help?” Meredith considered her mother’s words for a moment,

“That might no’ be such a bad idea.” She said thoughtfully, “It can’t hurt to check there’s nowt wrong right?” Morag smiled as she made herself a mug of the sweetened milk and sat down,

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just all the stress of the last wee while getting to ye.” She said, gesturing for her daughter to drink up, “If I’m honest, I think that goblin attack the other week shook ye up more than ye want to admit. Ye haven’t really been right since then.” She added. Meredith considered the words for a few moments and sighed,

“Maybe.” she muttered doubtfully, though something in her gut told her that wasn’t really the problem. Morag grumbled a little,

“At least speak to Sister Helesgoht about it?” she asked, placing her hand on top of Meredith’s gently. Meredith nodded tiredly,

“I will, mam.” She said, giving the older woman a small smile. Morag nodded, satisfied with the answer,

“Good, now finish that drink while it’s still warm, then get yourself to the bed in the spare room.” She said, “Don’t worry about the sheets on yer own bed, I’ll sort them out in the morning.” Meredith nodded, taking a hold of the mug of warmed milk and sipping it. Morag got up and kissed her daughter on the forehead, “I’m heading back to bed, I don’t want to see ye still in the kitchen when I get back up.” She warned. Meredith sent her mother a tired smile,

“No worries mam, I’ll go straight to bed once I’m finished this.” She said. Morag nodded in satisfaction again and set about damping down the fire while Meredith gulped down her drink. By the time the fire was out, Meredith was already getting up to head back to bed. Morag hugged her daughter tightly,

“If ye need anything’ else, hen, just shout. I don’t mind getting up.” She said, ruffling Meredith’s hair. Meredith gently pushed her mother’s hands away with an exhausted smile,

“I will mam, ta.” She said, finally pushing open the door to the spare room, finding the bed and collapsing onto it. The cleric was asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Morag watched as her daughter finally fell back asleep, worry etching her face. After a few moments, she shook her head and headed back to her own room, rolling Gruk over so he would stop snoring quite so loudly. She glared at her husband affectionately, but hugged him anyway as she too finally drifted back to sleep.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Heya!

Kidri Toroksdottir:

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

How does your character behave around children?

Sister Ellie Helesgoht:

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

Morag*:

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

(*…I'm embarrassed to say I've blanked her sirename/clanname. Also… she and Gruk aren't on the wiki 🤨️ I'll have to fix that at some point)

Hiya hen. Thanks for the asks. Gonna put these under a cut because this is going to be super long.

Kidri Toroksdottir

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

Kidri is one of the few acolytes of Moradin who prefers to wear less whenever possible. She feels the vestments are already too heavy, when you add on any armour on top it just gets unbearable for her. This isn't necessarily a problem as there are professions within the clergy that don't require combat, but it does make becoming a fully fledged cleric a lot more difficult.

How does your character behave around children?

Kidri is the type of person who loves hanging around children. She enjoys having the opportunity to play with them, but has a hard time with discipline. This means that she will often let them walk all over her if there's a large group of them, but individually she has a much easier time handling them.

Sister Ellie Helesgoht

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Sister Ellie is quite quick to trust, honestly. She feels it makes it easier to do her job since it allows her patients to open up to her more easily. This doesn't mean she trusts without question though. Ellie wouldn't have the job she does if she wasn't at least a decent judge of character.

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

Ellie has had a few run-ins with aggressive wildlife in her time since she comes from one of the various dwarven majority towns that is not Fangthane. The worst she's had is a bit of a nip from a scared grass snake, however. Ellie, like most dwarves, is still somewhat cautious around animals generally due to their unpredictable natures.

Morag

To answer your italicised question first: her maiden clan name was Stonedig, she is now (obviously) considered a part of the Ironforge clan.

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Morag has a much easier time with faces than names. She's the type of person who will remember people on sight and has a hard time remembering who someone is talking about if she can't see the person in question. The only reason she didn't forget the names of Merri's friends is because she finds it easier to associate names to the faces of non-dwarves because she doesn't come across them quite so often.

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Morag does have a close relationship to both head librarians, hence the reason she always sends some sort of baked good along whenever Merri or any other member of her very, very extended family need their help. Auld Derek reminds her very much of her grandfather, and they're still very close. It was due to this close relationship that Auld Derek suggested that Hilde apprentice as a librarian when she turned 20 when Morag despaired over the girl not having a clue what she wanted to do with her life at the time.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Hey! Could I request 88% for the battery percentage oc ask game?

Hi Eli, thanks very much for the ask

88%. What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person?

Looks like I need to choose an OC at random here because I answered this one for a couple of them already, but I do need to branch out a bit.

I think I'll go with Morag, Meredith's mother for this one.

Morag believes that the worst thing that can be done to a person is to be accused of wrongdoing when the individual(s) in question have done nothing wrong. The people of Fangthane have a very bad habit of gossip mongering and rumours spread like fire through a coal vein all too often, sometimes harming the reputation of whole clans in the process; which, in a society where everyone knows everyone else, is pretty much a social death sentence.

This isn't necessarily down to personal experience - though she certainly got a taste of being on the receiving end when Merri got arrested and charged with Heresy and Treason - she's just never liked this aspect of Fangthane culture and never partakes in it of her own accord because she's seen what it's done to other clans, and hates the idea of whole family lines being struck from official Fangthane records despite no wrongdoing on the parts of most of the people in the clan/s involved.

[aquadestinyswriting]

WIP Series: The Trouble with Meredith

Genres- High Fantasy, drama, angst

Themes-  family, growing up, faith and its impact on a personal and societal level, political bureaucracy, Destiny and its implications.

Synopsis: Meredith Gruksdottir is the youngest daughter of Gruk and Morag, both members of the Ironforge clan. She is found to have a deep connection to both Moradin and Throff from a young age and, not only that, but is a Shaper to boot! No one seems to know how, considering the ability to Shape was completely lost to the dwarves of Titan, but it's clear to the clergy of the Church of Moradin that the girl's been Marked. Now it's up to the new High Priest, Jotunn Ragnarsson, to try and help this little girl navigate her life with a Destiny hanging over her head.

Roughly a decade after the Demon War's end, Meredith begins having distressing nightmares of a city crumbling into the abyss. She knows that she must set out to try and save it, but her young age and the simmering distrust between Fangthane and Toreguarde make it seem like that's an almost impossible task.

Main Characters

Meredith Gruksdottir: The main protagonist of this series

Meredith's Family: Merri's immediate, biological family.

Jotunn Ragnarsson: The High Priest of Moradin in Fangthane, who has to navigate teaching Meredith through her training from Acolyte to full Cleric.

Yoruk Copperheart: Meredith's sweetheart. A young Paladin who has a lot of deep and very much reciprocated feelings for her. He's trying to find his own way in the world, despite his mother's constant interference.

Ionah Copperheart: Yoruk’s mother, a witch of a woman who despises her position in life. Has greater aspirations for her son.

Tag list (dm for +/-): @druidx, @strosmkai-rum, @homesteadchronicles, @writeblrsupport, @blind-the-winds,

Stories (all of these are pre-DNS)

(multi-chapter stories will be linked via their own introduction pages. All stories will be linked in Chronological order)

Come Back Again Ao3

A Theological Conundrum Ao3

Kith and Kin Ao3

A Lesson in Propriety Ao3

A Mother's Intuition Ao3

The Final Straw Ao3

Shattered Glass Ao3

Brìgh an Teaghlaich Ao3

Foreshocks Ao3

Striking the Anvil Ao3

Filled with Clarity Ao3

A Mother's Wrath Ao3

[aquadestinyswriting]

Truth's Embers

Summary: Vera finally makes it to the front door of the Ironforge household, but finds her resolve wavering.

Words: 2,290

Warnings: None, amazingly. Aside from quite a lot of angst.

Tags: @druidx @homesteadchronicles @asher-orion-writes, @blind-the-winds, @odysseywritings, @writeblrsupport,@freedominique

note: this is a continuation of the story started in Where Secrets Lie

Vera swallowed nervously, dithering at the front door of the modest house just off the main street of the trading district. All she had to do was knock on the door, hand the journal in her hands, hidden underneath her cloak, to whoever answered, then walk away.

The young dwarven woman cleared her throat, raised her hand and rapped on the smooth stone surface. She waited, holding her breath as she heard heavy footsteps approach the door. Whoever was coming to answer was grumbling profusely.

It seemed like it took forever before the door opened to reveal a portly middle-aged man wearing a toughened leather jerkin and troos. He blinked in surprise, staring at the sandy coloured vestments that trailed under the travel cloak the young woman at his door was wearing. He cleared his throat and stepped to one side,

"Well, ye might as well come in rather than dithering in the doorway." He sighed. Vera startled a little,

"I really shouldn't… I-I don't want to impose." She stammered. Gruk Ovaksson rolled his eyes and jerked his head towards the hall behind him,

"Given that ye're clearly from the Cathedral and are otherwise unknown to me, I absolutely insist." He said, voice low. Vera swallowed thickly, nodded and stepped through the door. Gruk closed it behind her and chivvied the younger dwarf straight through to the sitting room.

"Morag, hen, we've a visitor." He called as Vera swept her hood back and cautiously sat on the chair the middle aged blacksmith had chased her to. She glanced to a doorway, leading to what she presumed was a kitchen, where another dwarven man, nearly five inches taller than she was, wearing scuffed mail armour had just appeared. This new person cocked his head to one side as he regarded the inquisitor in front of him, stepping into the sitting room,

"Oh, hello Vera. You finally managed to make Inquisitor, huh?" He asked. Vera blinked owlishly at the paladin, hardly believing her luck,

"As I live and breathe. What in Moradin's name are you doing here Forhoksson? Last I heard you went on a five year expedition to Khull." She exclaimed. Gruk grunted as he sat in his favourite chair by the fire, eyeing the young woman warily,

"You know each other?” he asked. Yoruk turned to the blacksmith and nodded,

"Aye, Vera was the one who convinced me to go into training as a paladin." He explained. The younger man turned his attention back to Vera,

"I ken ye were away for a bit to deal with some family stuff, so you missed out on a lot. I'm here because Gruk and Morag offered me a place to stay once I came back. My mother decided to disown me not long after I proposed to Merri, so I can't exactly go back there." 

Vera's eyes went wide. The last time she and Yoruk had seen each other, he'd mentioned falling for one of the acolytes he'd noticed in combat training, but that had been the last she'd heard about it. Now he was telling her that the girl he'd fallen for – and had since proposed to – was the same young woman that she'd helped to wrongly arrest for treason and heresy? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was one thing to have to speak to Meredith’s parents, it was quite another to have to inform her fiance about what had transpired. Vera was shaken out of her thoughts by another, feminine voice, piping up from the door to the hall,

“Och, Gruk, the least you could’ve done was offer the poor lassie a drink.” Morag chastised, waddling into the sitting room and sitting heavily on the sofa next to Yoruk. Yoruk clapped a hand to his forehead,

“Sorry, I was the last one in the kitchen, and I didn’t think.” he groaned, “Let me get that sorted out.” he offered. Vera vehemently shook her head,

“No, please, you honestly don’t need to go to such trouble.” she said quickly, feeling a wave of nervous nausea hit her upon realising that Morag was several months pregnant. No, there was no way she could do this. Not if she became responsible for anything happening here.

Morag sighed softly and shook her head, noticing that the younger woman had gone very pale under her beard and had started to hyperventilate,

“It’s alright, hen. We already ken that this is probably about Meredith.” she said. Yoruk snapped his head around to stare in confusion at the middle aged woman,

“Wait… why does this have anything to do with Meredith?” he asked slowly, “ I know I only showed up an hour ago but-” he cut off as Morag shook her head,

“We’ll explain everything that’s been going on shortly, son. I want to know what yer friend wants to tell us first, then we can backtrack.” he told him patiently. Yoruk’s mouth twisted into an unhappy grimace, but he nodded and sat back, his gaze sweeping over to Vera.

Vera shrank back at the expectant looks on everyones’ faces. She slowly took out the journal Meredith had handed to her, swallowing thickly before taking a deep breath and staring between Morag and Yoruk’s heads.

“Given your reaction to my appearance at the door, I believe that you know there’s something up.” she said, glancing over to Gruk. The smith nodded, crossing his arms over his chest,

“Aye.” he snorted, “Given that the Toreguarde situation is all anybody’s been talking about for the last few months, I figured you were the sorry sod sent to give us an update.” Vera grimaced,

“Not exactly.” she said, her voice low. “I’m not actually here on official business by any means, but I am here to tell you about what’s going with regards to your daughter.” Morag tilted her head in confusion, while both Gruk and Yoruk’s faces fell into deep frowns. Vera’s heart hammered as she looked around the room,

“What was the last thing you heard?” she asked. Morag huffed another sigh, rubbing at her swollen belly anxiously,

“The last we heard from Father Ragnarsson was that Merri was back in Toreguarde and about to face off against Darkhide with her friends. We did hear, through the vein, that Darkhide had been defeated and his army routed, but we’ve had no word otherwise.” Vera ignored the stunned look on Yoruk’s face to stare at Morag in confusion,

“Nothing at all?” she asked, voice strained. Morag shook her head again. It was at this point that Gruk spoke up,

“We figured she was just busy sorting things out in the aftermath, but that was more’n a month ago. We expected that we would have received a message of some sort about how she was. To be honest, it’s starting to make us wonder if… ye ken.” he said, voice cracking. Vera looked at the despondent father and sent him a tight smile,

“On a positive note, Meredith is currently alive and well.” she said, her own voice starting to quaver.

“Positive note? ‘Currently’ alive and well?” Yoruk growled dangerously, “I’ve no idea what in the bloody Pit is going on, but you better start talking.” Vera’s took in a deep breath and whooshed it out again,

“That was the good news. The bad news is that, apparently, the High Inquisitor has reason to believe that Meredith is guilty of treason against the crown and heresy against the church.” She said slowly, “Now, I know for a fact that whatever charges he’s put against her are complete codswallop, but he put out a warrant for her arrest about a week ago.” Vera paused a moment to allow the information to sink in. All three dwarves had gone very pale and Gruk currently looked like he wanted to break something. Yoruk simply looked confused,

“Why does Firetome even believe such nonsense?” he asked plaintively.Vera blinked, before recalling that Yoruk had only recently arrived back in Fangthane himself. She shook her head,

“Firetome got elected to the position of Archlector after Vanskleig passed a couple of months ago. He named Garl Grimbeard High Inquisitor not long after.” she explained. Morag huffed a stressed sigh,

“We knew about that appointment already. To be fair, we weren’t entirely happy with that announcement, but what reason has he to believe that Merri is a heretic of all things?” she asked. Vera shook her head,

“I don’t know. All I can say is that, apparently, Grimbeard has some sort of major Grudge against your daughter.”

“Grudge or no, he needs some bloody evidence and he better have it. Thank Throff Merri’s no’ come home in that case.” Gruk grumbled, “As scared as I am that she’s o’er in Toreguarde, given the rumours that have come back about the place recently, I shudder to think what Grimbeard would do to her if she showed up at the front door of the mount now.” Vera snapped her mouth shut at Gruk’s words. Yoruk – who had been staring at Vera in disbelief as he processed what he’d just been told – narrowed his eyes again,

“Inquisitor Darkbek,” he said, voice low in warning, “have you anything else you want to share?” Morag brought her hand to her mouth, eyes brimming,

“Oh, she hasn’t?” she whispered.  Vera closed her eyes briefly before turning to the older woman, her vision clouded by her own tears,

“We got word that she’d been spotted in the mount about three days ago.” she said, voice strained, “She must’ve found out about the arrest warrant because she managed to avoid capture for two days. She was eventually caught skulking around the Contemplation Chamber earlier this morning.” 

“And you’re the sorry sod they sent to tell us.” Gruk groaned, placing his head in one of his hands, rubbing at his temple. Yoruk growled again, gripping the arms of his chair and causing the wood to creak ominously,

“I’m not just gonna sit here while-” he was cut off by Vera rounding on him and Dispelling the divine magic he’d unconsciously started to gather around him. The Inquisitor glared at him for a moment before relaxing once more,

“I’m sorry Forhoksson, but I can’t let you.” she said, “Storming over there and making demands will only make matters worse. Besides, I’m not actually here on official business.” Gruk’s head snapped up and everyone else stared at the young Inquisitor,

“Then why..?” Gruk asked, trailing off. Vera picked up the journal Meredith had given her,

“When I went to give Meredith her meal, she told me to give this to you. Apparently there’s a reason Grimbeard has a Grudge against her, and her account as to why is in here.” she explained, handing a wide-eyed Morag the leather-bound book. Morag’s expression softened as she ran her fingers over the cover,

“If this has her account of any wrongdoing on Grimbeard’s part, then surely it can be used as evidence against her arrest?” she asked. Vera shook her head,

“I don’t know.” Vera admitted, “However, in order to even get an arrest warrant, Grimbeard needed to have had some other evidence. I doubt an account written by Meredith would be taken as sufficient proof since she hasn’t brought anything else with her aside from some personal belongings.” Yoruk drummed his fingers absentmindedly,

“I’ve no idea what else mo goal has been up to, but since she’s apparently made some friends over in Toreguarde, can’t we ask them to bring the evidence we need here?” he asked. Gruk was the first to answer,

“Not unless we want to get in a heap o’ trouble with the law ourselves.” he said wearily, “Toreguarde’s been placed on the Fangthane’s official Book O’ Grudges and the whole population has been expressly forbidden from going anywhere near the place or contacting anyone that might still be there.” he smiled mirthlessly at the paladin, “A lot went on while ye were away, lad. Not a lot of it good.” Vera sighed and nodded,

“Mr Ovaksson has the right of it, Yoruk. I’d be obligated to arrest you if you tried. Besides, Meredith herself said she didn’t want to get them involved. She said they had enough on their plates as it was.” she added. Morag rubbed at her belly again with a soft smile,

“Aye, that’s Merri all over. Utterly selfless to a fault” she sighed. The middle aged woman opened her eyes and looked up at Vera with a curious expression, “I have to wonder then, why you came to tell us all this?” she pondered. Yoruk raised an eyebrow at the statement, as did Gruk. Vera squirmed a bit at the expectant stares she was getting,

“Because it’s the right and just thing to do.” She replied, “Despite a lack of evidence on Meredith’s part, I know that she’s done nothing wrong and that her arrest is a result of some sort of corruption in the higher echelons of the church and/or council.” Yoruk crossed his arms over his chest and nodded,

“Glad to know we’re on the same team then.” he stated, “So, what’s the plan for taking down about half our church’s leadership then?” he asked. Vera stared at him for a moment, before feeling a gentle warmth near her heart,

It’s the best chance you have.

“Well, we’re going to need to get a few more people involved.” she said. Morag chuckled and gestured to Gruk to get himself into the kitchen while she hauled herself up and went off to grab a corkboard for the two younger dwarves to use. Gruk grumbled and stalked off where he was bid while Yoruk and Vera sat on the floor pulling out scrolls of blank parchment, quills and ink.

[aquadestinyswriting]

🌈 RAINBOW SLOTH for the random WIP ask game!

Hi there, thank you so much for the ask :D. Putting my answer under a cut to save everyone's dashes because this is about to get long.

Wild card! Share one thing about your WIP that you have been waiting to be asked about!

The random generator chose The Trouble with Meredith for this question.

I have been waiting to be asked about the rest of the Ironforge children in more detail honestly, so I'll be happy to infodump here. To provide context for the age ranges here, Dwarves reach the age of majority at 65 in Fangthane and can live until they're around 650-700 years old on average.

As of the time of the above WIP, Meredith is the youngest of three children. However, she did have two older brothers that went off to fight with King Nargond in the Demon War, alongside their uncle Snorri. Neither brother made it back. Gruk and Morag were, understandably, quite upset that Snorri managed to come back without the boys in tow, but Snorri's obvious regret prompted Gruk to make amends with his older brother and the two of them are much closer as a result.

Alfolor (or Alfie for short) was mentioned briefly in the story Come Back Again, and was the eldest child of the family. At the time of his unfortunate death he was 153 years old. He'd been working as a smith, alongside his father at the time the Demon War kicked off and had been planning to ask his girlfriend of the time to marry him, but never got the chance to.

Magni was the second child and he was only 138 at the time of his death. Magni had been working as an Ironguard at the time of the Demon War and got himself swept up in the fervour of the moment alongside the vast majority of his unit. Magni did have a boyfriend at the time, who was quick to join him in the fight to save Allansia. It's unknown whether said boyfriend survived since no one in the family have seen him since, but he wasn't counted among the dead at the end of the war.

The third child of the family is Hilde, the only other girl in the family. As of the time of the majority of The Trouble with Meredith series, Hilde is 120 years old and is apprenticing under Auld Derek to become a Librarian Scholar. She's not quite to the level where the old librarian will allow her to take her final tests, but she is very close and is, rightfully, proud of the fact that she'll be one of the youngest Scholars the library has had for at least two generations if she can take the tests in the next couple of years. She's also the only family member who likes animals well enough to keep a Glowwyrm as a pet. Hilde has no plans to get romantically entangled with anyone at present and has basically told her parents to look to her younger siblings for grandbabies.

The last of the Ironforge children I'm going to mention here (since Merri herself is the main character for this series) is Dugald. At time of The Trouble with Meredith series, Dugald is 106 and is apprenticing under his uncle Ufgi as a Runesmith, one of the more prestigious professions found within Fangthane. Dugald showed an aptitude for messing around with metal and runic magic at a young age, much like his uncle, so he was fast-tracked into an apprenticeship to prevent any magical mishaps at home. Dugald does have a partner, though it's still so early into the relationship that he's not even brought said partner home to meet his parents yet. Magni is the most reserved of the surviving Ironforge children, preferring to stay in the background while his sisters take up the space he's left for them.

Thanks again for the question.

Edited because I messed up on the ages. It's been fixed now

[aquadestinyswriting]

Side Character Description Tag Game

Thank you @mariahwritesstuff for the tag, find her post here.

Tagging: @druidx, @asher-orion-writes, @eli-writes-sometimes and anyone else that fancies joining in

Rules: Describe any four characters from your WIP other than the protagonist

Alrighty then. Gonna answer this for an old wip I haven't even converted to series format yet because I have a number of side characters in there that could use more love. Say hello to the side characters of 'The Trouble with Meredith'

Birghe Gurisdottir- Birghe is a good friend of Meredith and was a one-time crush when they were younger. She's still an acolyte at the time the wip takes place, and is a teeny bit jealous that Merri got ordained early, but is otherwise a supportive friend. She's a quiet and bookish type, but isn't afraid to put people in their place when needed.

Morag Ironforge- Morag is Meredith's mother. She can be quite strict and a little overbearing at times, but is very much a loving wife and mother. Morag, despite having lost her two eldest sons ten years prior, is a generally happy and cheerful woman who prefers to look on the brighter side of life; a strong faith in both Moradin and Throff helps a great deal with that. She is definitely the one that's in charge at home, though, and neither her husband or her remaining children forget it.

Snorri Ironforge- Snorri is Meredith's uncle and proprietor of the tavern 'The Hammer and Anvil'. Snorri is one of the very few men in Fangthane that took up the role of Slayer ten years ago that lived to tell the tale. He and a handful of others were pardoned and permitted to come back to Fangthane to help the city rebuild once the Demon War was over. Snorri was very much changed by his experience and, while he's not afraid to get involved in breaking up a fight, he prefers to avoid violence where possible. Prior to the Demon War, Snorri was a drunk who got into barfights constantly and was without a job when everything kicked off. He had been on the verge of being disowned by his family, but was welcomed back with open arms and given the capital to open his pub by his older brothers when he came back and apologised.

Ugri Kiruksson- Another friend of Meredith's, Ugri is the youngest of the group. He's an orphaned child who now lives with his much stricter grandmother and brat of a younger sister. He and his sister were forced into training as clerics by their grandmother after the conclusion of the Demon War. The reason? Ugri's parents were among those duped by the cult of the White Lady and their grandmother felt this was the only way to save their souls. Ugri actually wants to be a runesmith; working to imbue arcane and divine magic into weapons, armour and artefacts. However, his grandmother is staunchly against all expressions of arcane magic and has forbidden the poor fellow from studying it. Despite this, Ugri has chosen to make the best of a bad situation and is a helpful, if irritatingly laid back, friend.