HELGA ICE-VEIN
FrostbornFrost Healer
"Ice preserves. Ice protects. My gift is not to freeze life, but to give it time to heal.""
Identity
- Residence
- Frosthold - Healer's House
- Civilization
- Frostborn
Appearance
• Physical: Frail-looking but with surprising strength at 5'4". Her translucent skin shows veins that seem to glow faintly blue. Her white hair is thin and wispy. Her pale eyes are kind but sharp with intelligence. • Clothing: Wears simple white robes that are always clean. Her healer's kit is meticulously organized. Ice crystals form naturally on her sleeves when she works. • Distinguishing Marks: Her hands are always cold to the touch, even in warm rooms - a side effect of her healing gift.
Relationships
- Family - Brother still alive, her first patient. Two children who chose other paths. Numerous grandchildren.
- Allies - Shaman Yrsa (NPC #4), who provides spiritual healing; Smith Freya (NPC #11), who provides tools.
- Rivals - Healer Tomas (NPC #44), who advocates for more traditional methods.
Personality
- Traits: Compassionate, no-nonsense about patient compliance, deeply knowledgeable, surprisingly stern when needed
- Mannerisms: Checks pulses constantly, prescribes treatments mid-conversation, keeps detailed mental records of all patients.
- Voice: Soft but firm, with the authority of someone who has seen every possible injury and illness.
Backstory
Helga discovered her healing gift as a child when she accidentally froze her brother's bleeding wound, saving his life. She's spent sixty years learning to control cryomancy for healing purposes, developing techniques that are now standard among Frostborn healers. She's delivered over a thousand babies and treated countless injuries.
Daily Life
Helga works from dawn until her strength gives out, treating patients, training apprentices, and developing new techniques. She rarely takes days off, claiming "the injured don't rest, so neither do I."
Secret
Helga discovered a technique to freeze terminal patients in suspended animation, potentially preserving them until a cure is found. She's only used it once, on someone very important, and has told no one.
Story Hooks
- 1 Helga needs a rare medicinal plant that only grows in frost giant territory; she needs brave gatherers to retrieve it.
- 2 Someone is stealing her healing supplies; she needs help finding the thief before people die.
Narrative Value
Healer NPC, quest giver for medical missions, source of knowledge about Frostborn medicine, potential ally in survival situations, character representing compassion in a harsh world. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════