The Riven Lands

A middle-aged human woman with deeply lined sun-etched skin, a jagged scar along one side of her jaw, lean and powerfully muscled build, calloused hands, and sea-worn leather and rusted chainmail armor, her presence marked by the scent of salt and damp stone.

Maera is a stoic and authoritative leader, hardened by years of relentless battle and loss. She commands respect through her unwavering discipline and unshakable resolve, inspiring loyalty through example rather than words. Though harsh, she is deeply committed to the survival of Aethelgard and its defenders, valuing sacrifice and duty above all else.

Maera's family line has served Aethelgard's walls for generations, her ancestors swallowed by gargantuan sea monsters or drowned by rogue tides. She witnessed the fortress's grim endurance firsthand, surviving countless assaults that broke lesser defenders. She now commands the Rampart Defender's Stronghold, teaching recruits the harsh realities of their desperate defense. Maera instills absolute fealty and a stoic acceptance of sacrifice, believing that only through unyielding resolve and brutal discipline can Aethelgard preserve its fragile order against the world's ceaseless attempts to break it.