Helen of Grond

Appearance

With her light green skin, long black hair and soft yellow eyes, eyes that darken to brown when she is greatly happy, aroused, or enraged, and her beautiful royal clothes of red silk and golden jewellery, Princess Helen of Grond looks beautiful...to her fellow orcs, that is. Humans may well not think the same way about her charms.

History/Background

Helen of Grond is an Orcish princess from a hallowed royal line amongst the orcs, that is said to date all the way back to the first Orc to wield the Grond, Hammer of the Underworld . (Her Orcish name when translated into human tongue is Helen.)

Her family brought her up well and taught her all the attributes of an Orcish princess. She learned how to look after children, how to cook and all the other attributes that an Orc female would be taught, but she also learnt how to be a warrior princess if such a thing were called for, as well as how to fight in case of an attack by an assassin and how to rule well were such a thing needed. Whilst it is rare for Orcish Queens to rule in their own right, it has been known to happen. On top of that she was taught harp playing, how to flatter the male Orcish ego and other such things.

With her light green skin, soft yellow eyes and long black hair, as well as what was seen amongst Orcs as her agreeable personality, she was thought of as immensely beautiful and great chiefs and honoured warriors flocked from all corners of the Empire of Grond to try to win her hand in marriage. Whilst she knew her royal parents would choose her husband, for such was the custom amongst royal and noble Orcs, she and her parents were on very good terms, so she was reasonably confident that the Orcish groom chosen for her would be reasonably close to her own age, healthy, intelligent, strong and brave in battle.

She was shocked to discover that her groom, whilst he was to be roughly her age, was to be a human, Prince Treven, who she was to be married to as part of a peace agreement to seal a boundary agreement between the lands of the humans and the Empire of Grond. She was horrified at the prospect, wept many bitter tears and begged her parents to reconsider.

How, she asked them, could an ugly, pink-skinned human possibly satisfy her, either inside or outside of the bedroom? Her children if she had any would be half-orcs, and as such would neither be considered fit to rule over humans or worthy to rule over Orcs. In effect they would be considered illegitimate.

Her parents however refused to back down and told her to do it for the honour of her family and the Empire of Ground, and reluctantly she agreed to do so. Privately however she longs for an Orc husband who is, preferably, a great warrior of her own age and temperament. Someone who would love her for who she was, and who she could love in return.

Special Equipment
Helen is dressed in the clothes of an Orcish Princess. Whilst her clothes appear to be made of fine red silk to the naked eye, the silk is a thin veneer covering sturdy brown leather. There are small metal plates woven within the leather as well, over her heart, her lungs and her other vital organs. Whilst they are small so that her clothes are not too heavy to wear for long periods, they are in the right places to ward off a dagger thrust or crossbow bolt.

Within one of her sleeves is concealed a short dagger that she can pull out in an emergency, and she knows how to use it well. As well as self-defence, it is also useful for cutting her food, lifting it to her mouth, and to cut her bonds should she be kidnapped and tied up.

Instead of the bangles a human princess would wear, she wears long flat ones. To the naked eye they would look like solid gold, but in fact they are made of the finest steel, covered by a thin layer of gold and can fend off a sword slash if need be.

She wears a necklace of golden nuggets and this has a secret side too, in that it goes cold if someone near her plans to do her harm, having been enchanted to do so by the finest of the Orc shamans, as it is not unknown in the Orc royal family for ambitious nobles to try and cut the heir with a knife.

Her tusks are covered when not in use by golden coverings of almost pure gold, that have been enchanted by the shamans to prevent dirt and rot from damage to the tusks caused by food. She wears golden earrings and a thin golden coronet in her hair, encrusted with rubies. Unlike the necklace, they have no magical properties and serve only to emphasize her beauty.

The purse she carries is magical however, being a Purse of the Dai Kiri purchased form a faraway land by the king for his daughter at great expense in gold. It too is covered in red silk to improve the look of it, with a golden buckle, but packs a potent punch to anyone who is hit by it. Whilst she is not trained in its combat use, the fact that it seems harmless will surprise any attackers, who would only know how hard it is when it hits them.

Roleplaying Notes

Helen of Grond holds the Orcish values. She greatly admires bravery in battle, strength, and also those who respect her and do not try to change her. She detests cowardice, weakness, and those who try to change her. She knows well how to stroke the male ego, but like the majority of royals and nobles she is often haughty to those who she considers to be beneath her in the social order.

Her planned royal wedding to a human prince fills her with dread, as she does not think she can love him and does not think that he will hold Orcish values, or that any half-orc children she may have will be fully accepted into his family and given full inheritance rights in either his country or in Grond.

Plot Hooks

Kidnapped-or not?

The PCs are sent after an Orcish warband that has seemingly kidnapped Princess Helen, only to dind that the "kidnap" is nothing of the kind, and was organized by Helen herself to save her from what to her is the horrible fate of marrying a human.

Escort Duty

The PCs must escort the Princess to her human groom and see that nothing happens to her on the way.

Cutting the Heir

The PCs are assassins/kidnappers trying to kidnap and/or kill her. Will they meet their match in this pugnacious princess?