Embla the Risarvinni
The Greatwall Mountains in northernmost Eruna hide many mysteries of the ancient days, but that people which calls itself the Risarvinnae is perhaps the only one of those mysteries invested in revealing itself. Though an unspoken secret among its immediate neighbors in Yrrkune and Ishia, it has begun more and more to send out scouts to study the wider world; and for the first time to the continent of Farland itself has one of their Aslaug-- demagogue, priestess, lawmaker, and executioner all in one; raised almost from birth to serve the greater good of the tribes-- travelled for such a purpose. Embla is exceptional even among this rarified caste of legalist elites, seeing her life as merely one humble part of the inexorable spread of her people's nonsensical 'one true god' across the world, and the openly-proclaimed goal of casting down the presumptuous so-called deity Vornoth who would claim such a title himself. She is both berserker, intent on bringing ruin to a world festering with disbelief and ignorance, and philosopher, truly believing that only through the death of other societies may paradise at last replace them.
Though every individual Risarvinni shows their shared human and giant heritage clearly, Embla exemplifies it. She stands nearly eight feet tall, with skin the color of molten bronze, unblinking ice-blue eyes, a mane of deep gold-brown, and around and beneath the hides of exotic beasts that barely serve as clothing, a multitude of scars whispering of innumerable horrific battles. Her most prized wound is her mutilated cheeks, ripped open from lip to jaw, for this allows her to unhinge her jaw in the manner of a serpent, and dispel through terror any lingering doubts as to her ancestral inhumanity. Even the most ignorant are not so foolish as to dismiss Embla as a mere barbarian from beyond the hinterlands, for the most potent tool she wields is that of language. Though utterly illiterate, Embla has a natural facility for learning languages, and has been heard speaking both the Great and Common Speech, and Kelevan (albeit in the Davonian dialect) at academic levels of fluency; and she claims equal skill in Low Ishian, the Cen-Cenlan nomad tongue and an unknown speech she calls Nemed.
During a near-fatal encounter with an elder vampire, Embla became bonded with a certainly-magical, possibly-cursed, sword that shares and encourages her disturbing bloodlust. Unsubstantiated rumors from both the Belendale and the Wild Lands talk of great ideological conflicts between the Erunian fanatic and the murderous weapon, now resolved, and aligned towards a new shared goal. Recent reports place the pair travelling along a trajectory that would take them back to Eruna, suggesting that she has come to the end of her pilgrimage, and is now returning to share what she has learned with her people. Given the apparent course she has taken up to this point, it is clear that Embla has been able to examine much of the Farlandic continent first-hand, and has been in the vicinity of a concerning number of tumultuous events in the last few years. What news she intends to take home, and what orders she intends to issue once there, remain as much a mystery as most else in the Greatwall Mountains...
For Embla’s exploits, see the Stained Liberty Series.
Embla
Medium humanoid (goliath), lawful neutral
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 102 (12d8 +48)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 20 (+5) DEX 10 (+0) CON 18 (+4) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHR 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +8
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +5, Religion +5, Survival +5
Damage Resistances Cold
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Kelevan, Kingdom Common, Farlandish, Low Ishian, Cen-Cenlan nomad tongue, Nemed
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Rage (5/day).On her turn, Embla can enter a rage as a bonus action. While raging, she has advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, she gains a +3 bonus to damage when she hits with a melee weapon attack, and she has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Her rage lasts for 1 minute but ends early if she is knocked unconscious if her turn ends and she hasn’t attacked a hostile creature or taken damage since her last turn. She can also end her rage on her turn as a bonus action.
Reckless. At the start of her turn, Embla can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls against her have advantage until the start of her next turn.
Brutal Critical. Embla rolls one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
Danger Sense. As long as she isn’t blinded, deafened, or incapacitated, Embla has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that she can see, such as traps and spells.
Sword. Embla wields the magical blade known only as Sword. When she is attuned to it, each time she uses it to hit a living creature that is not undead or a construct, she regains hit points equal to the amount of damage she inflicts. She cannot suffer disadvantage to attacks while wielding Sword, and opponents with worn or natural armor suffer a -2 penalty to AC when she attacks them with it. However, she is forced into a rage at the start of combat even if she does not wish it, as long as she has uses remaining, and must always use Reckless when attacking with Sword. Further, she cannot voluntarily end her rage or have it end prematurely without being knocked unconscious, unless she first wins a Conflict against Sword.
Actions
Multiattack. Embla makes two melee attacks.
Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d10 + 7) slashing damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage.
Hand axe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60, one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage.
Possessions: Sword
