Griselda Ironfang

"Don't you lookit me in that tone of voice..." ~ Griselda

OOC: Everything is still very much under construction, so bear with me while I work on this. Some details will be outlined for now, and elaborated upon gradually. This character is a work in progress.

Griselda Ironfang
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Age	Mid 20's
Height	5'10"
Weight	Don't ask!
Eye Color	Golden Brown
Alignment	Lawful Neutral
Patron Deity	Rhalgr, the Destroyer

Who is Griselda Ironfang?

On the Surface

Griselda has been through much in the past year or two where it feels like everything has been taken away from her. She had a happy marriage, a loving husband, and a strong, beautiful child, and even though their lives were simple and lean at best, they were content. Eventually, life began to spiral out of control when she learned of her husband's burgeoning gambling debt, and no matter how hard he worked to pay it off, he never seemed to make any headway. It placed stress on their marriage, and his evident despair and suicide over his insurmountable debt left her completely devastated. She ended up inheriting his burden, as well as the responsibility to see it repaid in full and with interest.

Circumstances being what they are, and without giving away too many spoilers, Griselda has developed a lack of trust where others are concerned. First impressions to the contrary, she suspects ulterior motives in just about everyone and she applies this as a test to every new person she comes in contact with. Anyone and everyone could be a spy or associate of her creditor looking to take a cut of her meager winnings, and drive her further into debt. She is often very surprised when she realizes someone's kindness and generosity is genuine, and comes with no strings attached.

On the Inside

Those who are able to get through Griselda's standoffishness will find a woman who is genuinely warm, one who cares deeply for the few who have earned her trust. She is, first and foremost, a mother willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants: Freedom for her child and herself. This often means that her path as a Gladiator, and the tough, frequent defeats which come with it, leave her humiliated, but she's also not willing to let that deter her. She is a determined soul who gets up again and again and pushes back against the odds which have been stacked against her when others might have given up and shuffled themselves off to Thal's realm.

Without all of that weight on her shoulders, Griselda can actually be a fun and cheerful person who doesn't mind cutting loose and indulging in some silliness from time to time. She adores children, and if circumstances allowed for it, she would spend more time with some of the younger Gladiator fans, whether they cheer her on as an underdog or jeer at her for her failures.

Friends, Acquaintances, and Others

PCs

• Kage Krueger - An aspiring trader and blacksmith. Her reputation and poor record in the arena caught his attention and he offered his services to provide her with better equipment and hopefully give her an edge. She initially declined since she wouldn't be able to pay him, but he seems content for now just to have someone showing off his handiwork on the Bloodsands. His stubborn insistence on helping her beyond providing equipment keeps them at odds, and it doesn't help matters that she can't explain what's really going on when there's always a Brass Blade within earshot. She suspects ulterior motives.

• Kale Aideron - Bloodsworn, and a fellow Highlander. She first met him after he caught her venting her frustrations on a striking dummy at Scorpion's Crossing following a bad loss. He seems familiar with her presence in the arena, and she's not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Unlike Kage, so far, he hasn't wanted to pry too far into her affairs and seems to share her sentiment that the blacksmith is trying to interfere too much. He wears a uniform which makes him someone to be wary of, even if it's not the uniform of a Blade.

• Louis Archambault - A Professor and talented mage who only recently found himself in Ul'dah. Griselda escorted him to the Gladiator's guild when he asked for directions, seeing as how he had some business there. As payment, he placed an ensorcellment on her blade to improve its durability and give it a better edge. It seems a very generous payment for something as simple as showing him around. She's unsure if he has some sort of motive.

NPCs

• Infernal Cyclone - A Hellsguard Roegadyn and Blass Blade, and a former friend of Griselda's husband to whom the gambling debt is owed. He was the one who kept lending gil on the promise it would one day be paid back. Things have not gone according to plan. ...Or have they?

PC Rumors

(Feel free to add!)

Other Stuff

• Nicknames: Ella; the She-bear of the 'Sands; Red

• Has a few metal teeth in place of real ones.

• Likes: Kids, plush dolls, bears, breakfast, sleeping in, rare opportunities to be her girly self.

• Dislikes: Hopelessness, being without her child, meddling, unnecessary fighting, gambling, Brass Blades.

• Current Themesong: Unbreakable Heart - Three Days Grace