Sannveig the Healer. To all appearances a friendly, somewhat bumbling old woman with a famously short temper when it comes to 'malingerers'. She travels from village to village in the Ingerman Valley, administering remedies, good luck charms, and advice (whether wanted or unwanted) wherever she goes - in return for hot meals and the occasional silver coin. An itinerant gypsy medicine woman, as exists in every community of villages in every part of the world.
Except Sannveig isn't a woman. She's a wolfwere, and in return for her services she doesn't just take hot meals and coin. She takes people too, for the sustenance she needs.
The people she takes are mostly the very old - those who are dying or very close to it. And it is, of course, done with the collusion of the villagers, who are well aware of her true nature. They reason that if she is kept well fed she is less likely to trouble 'younger folk', and that's true enough. Of course it's upsetting for the family, but better Sannveig take somebody who's already on the way out, than a young babe or farmer.
Of course, best of all for the villagers would be if Sannveig didn't have to eat any of their number. So they are very keen to find alternative ways to sate her appetite. Travellers on the road are considered fair game for this, and anybody stopping in the Ingerman Valley overnight might end up in Sannveig's belly after having their vittals (provided by a smiling, buxom peasant girl) stuffed full of sleeping herbs...
Interesting... Creates an interesting dynamic/motivation: "We keep her around because she's a healer, appease her because we want to take advantage of what she can do/what she knows."
ReplyDeleteSannveig could have a lot of potential as a comic relief character too, at least at first. I like to have NPCs who show up and bother the characters, and maybe do minor useful things for them -- someone I can do a funny voice for and the player's can let off a little steam around.
ReplyDeleteThen, of course, they wake up in the middle of the night being attacked by a wolfwere, but all in good time.
Odyssey: Nice idea. I never do funny voices though. I think my dubious acting skills are best left uninflicted on my players!
ReplyDelete