BACKGROUND:

Ester grew up the first daughter of a blacksmith's apprentice in a medium-sized town. Her father went adventuring with a party soon after her birth, heading towards rumors of treasure in the nearby hills. She and her mother lived in her grandparents' bakery at that time. When he returned, he used his new-found wealth to start a new smithy near the outskirts of town, near the easterly trade route, the Walking Duck inn, and the local farmers. It was a beautiful smithy, with room for their living quarters next door, a stream, and a vegetable and herb garden. Some of Ester's earliest memories are of wading in the stream while her mother watched from the garden.

Ragnar was so impressed by Ester's size as she grew, that he started her helping him in the smithy at the age of 6. He had several more children, but none were strong enough to help in the smithy until Ester was 9.

Ragnar had a reputation of honesty and fair trading, as well as skill as a smith. He soon received much of the local business and the business coming in on the road. He tried to pass his values on to Ester. He told her that everybody is good at something, and it offends the gods to brag about it.

He also drummed into her the importance of being responsible about her size. He didn't want her picking fights with anyone smaller than her, or using her strength to bully people around. It was perfectly all right to defend oneself, or other people, but only after giving her opponent adequate warning and time to reconsider. Additionally, she should not be ashamed to consult people she trusted who were smarter than she was, but not to believe anything anyone else said. In this way, she got along with the other folk her age, as well as the adults whom she was beginning to surpass in size and strength.

Ragnar was very proud of his daughter, even if she was a little "slow". She was dependable, hard-working, and good tempered. If he had no use for her in the smithy, he would send her out on to do chores for the local farmer folk, in return for fresh meat, milk, eggs and produce. She would do the moving of furniture for the innkeeper to clean from time to time, and when she was in the bar there were very few fights. Consequently, she was welcome there and usually got a portion of whatever the cook was making.

Ester made it a habit to frequent the inn later at night, especially when strangers were passing through. Sometimes she would be challenged to fight by strangers wishing to prove themselves. Sometimes she would break up fights by trouncing the perpetrator (or both opponents) before things got out of hand. She would always buy drinks to any man she fought (who was still conscious), as long as things stayed friendly. And always she would listen to the tales told by travelers passing through.

One night, a tall, weatherbeaten man in the colors of Estereal came to the bar. He had an empty scabbard on his back. When Ester asked him where his weapon was, he said it was in two pieces, and told her the story of the battle with a rock giant in which it was broken.

The next morning, the man came to the smithy. Ester was there alone, as her father and younger brother were away on business. The man told her he had had a vision last night, where he was told how he could repair his sword. He said his name was Jean Sans-peur, that he had had a vision. His god had shown him the way to fix his sword-- he should go to this smithy by the stream, and a woman would be there to help him. It took a while to convince Ester that he intended to reforge his sword in her father's smithy with her help. She had the run of the smithy, but she knew what Jean intended to do took a degree of skill that even her father did not posses. Jean persuaded her that if she did as he instructed, Estereal would take care of the rest.

Ester's job was to keep the forge white-hot, while Jean reforged the sword. It took hours and all of Ester's strength as she worked the bellows and mumbled the smith's prayer to Azkal, but finally Jean lifted the sword off the anvil by its hilt and walked outside to the stream in order to quench the blade in the stream (the water barrel was too small).

When Jean brought the blade back inside to dry it, Ester saw it up close for the first time. It was a magnificent weapon, five feet in length, and seemed to shimmer in the red light of the forge. "This is a very special weapon," Jean said, I thank you for your help in restoring it"

Ester asked to hold it, mesmerized by its beauty. It sat in her hands as if part of her, the weight of the blade making her stance more stable instead of pulling her off balance as she had expected. Reluctantly, she passed it back to Jean, saying "I would give much to learn to wield such a blade".

It turned out that Jean Sans-peur was a paladin of Estereal, on a journey to Geston. Because of Ester's involvement in the vision he had just had, he offered to take her with him as traveling companion and assistant, teach her on the road, then introduce her to an instructor he knew in Geston. It was a long trip, and he could use the company and protection another person would bring. When Ester discussed it with her father, Ragnar gave her his blessing, saying she was not meant to be a smith, and her brothers were getting large enough to take her place. Tearful goodbyes all around.

And so it came to be that, at the age of 16, Ester set out beside the the paladin's steed in a new cloak from her brothers, new boots from her father, and a pack full of food and underwear from her mother. She accompanied the paladin all the way to Geston, learning the art of swordsmanship as well as the shifty business of dealing with the untrustworthy without becoming that way oneself.

Emile,the arms instructor at the Academe D' Arms was willing to provide lessons in the evening in return for chores during the day -- lifting, carrying, chopping wood, assisting the smiths. He was impressed by the account Jean gave of her character, and then, later, by her desire to learn. She practiced virtually every spare moment, and sparred with anyone who was willing. Between practicing and working, she maintained her sunny good nature, buying drinks for the new students foolish enough to pick fights with her, and working overtime on chores for other instructors so they would spar with her.

One day, Emile came to her in the morning, saying he had a task for the day. Meet him in the north practice field with her gear. When she got there, he introduced her to a class of 20 new students as Assistant Instructor Oxshoulders. After that, teaching duties and mentoring replaced her chores. She was able to spar with whomever she liked on her free time.

The years flew by in a happy blur. She was learning so much, she was respected by her peers, and, by gum, there was something she was GOOD at. She was sad, when, at the age of 21, she left the Academe in order to continue her advancement in the 2-handed sword. She began working her way across the country, teaching for a living and searching for another instructor. Before meeting Rhavin and the others, she had been in Tonn one year, teaching and learning. She is remembered fondly and respectfully in the towns in which she has stayed. She sends word and money to her family periodically.