Character Sheet for Stronheim Fjorntods Bard
Species
Northern Stoat (Mustela erminea)
Character Description
Stronheim Bard is the current Prince of Riftgard, a place in the Northlands featured in the Redwall book Triss. Riftgard is best known as the place where the terrible Princess Kurda is from, the villain from Triss. Stronheim is no Princess Kurda though, he is good hearted and wants Riftgard to have a positive image. He recently began traveling abroad for trade and diplomatic relations, also for his own curiosity about the world. He wants to ease the lives of his aging parents so they can concentrate on ruling at home.
Prince Stronheim attracts attention wherever he goes due to his flamboyant manner of dress. Combined with his fair features, he is often mistaken for a female until he speaks. This makes many creatures uncomfortable, while others are intrigued. Most creatures of Riftgard love their prince and admire his self confidence. Either way, no one ever forgets him.
Stronheim was visiting the Mossflorian port city of Coltswart in late October of 5644 to establish trade relations. A few days after his arrival, the city became abuzz with news of a rat-queen carrying the Sword of Martin the Warrior while being accompanied by a 'scribe' from Redwall Abbey and the one and only Colonel Cornelius Longstride of the Long Patrol. Stronheim found this VERY interesting and bolted off through the streets to find the unlikely travelers. His guards chased him the best they could. "My prince! My prince, you can't just run off like that!" they yelled. Stronheim's heart was pounding as he ran. He ignored the whistles and whoops of those he passed who thought he was a girl and ran straight toward the crowd that gathered around the newcomers. He slid to a stop right in front of Queen Guivderin.
He stood staring, mouth agape, at the beautiful white rat dressed like a fairy princess holding the same sword that his beloved Triss the Squirrel had used to defeat Princess Kurda 600 years earlier. "Prince Stronheim Bard of Riftgard at your service, M'Lady!" he said with a sweeping bow and removal of his crown. Guivderin was quite taken, Cornelius rolled his eyes, and Timeous Frent thought the prince was the coolest guy ever. The friendly charismatic stoat invited them to dinner aboard his royal ship.
Stronheim is not a very religious creature, but he does believe in a certain divinity surrounding Martin's sword. Riftgard's own Trisscar Swordmaid had wielded the sword many centuries ago, giving it a religious significance. He knew of the Long Patrol's defeat by the Siberians, but knew nothing of Queen Guivderin. He felt it was no coincidence that he was in the presence of Redwall's new swordmaiden, a rat of all creatures, on a quest to unify all of Mossflower. To him, this was a calling that he must answer.
Prince Stronheim pledged Riftgard's support to the creatures of Mossflower. On June 21, 5645, he arrived at Redwall Abbey with nearly 600 Riftgardian fighters. It was called The Rendezvous of the Six Armies, and the stoat prince couldn't believe he was participating. He was nearly in tears of awe when given the tour of Redwall Abbey, the very place that Triss had found her calling. He must have stared at the Great Tapestry for 30 minutes. That night he dined in Great Hall with the Redwallers and other army leaders.
Stronheim was well received at Redwall. He felt a kinship with Abbot Serney, both of them gay creatures. He got on especially well with Queen Guivderin, other than their continuing fashion war which only served to entertain everyone else as the two tried to one-up each other with outrageous outfits. Stronheim won every time. There were many traditional creatures present too, and they weren't so friendly toward him, but he's used to this.
Prince Stronheim Bard is credited in Mossflower history as one of the leaders who helped defeat the Siberians. Riftgard and Mossflower enjoyed a friendly alliance of trade and cooperation that continues to the modern day.
Personality
Friendly! Open minded and curious. Stronheim wants the world to be a wonderful place and he always looks for the positive in creatures and situations. He approaches every situation in life with the purpose of making it better. Level headed, patient, and compassionate. He recognizes the fear and complacency in others and takes it upon himself to make progressive change in Riftgard.
Charismatic and fearless in public. Prince Stronheim is a born leader. He is entertaining, trustworthy, well spoken, and always follows through on his commitments.
Emotional. Will cry at a sad story or well done tragic play. Remains stoic in the face of real life tragedy, then has his emotional release in private or with someone close.
Witty sense of humor. Good with well timed one-liners that range from rated G to downright gross.
Likes/Dislikes
Stronheim loves his kingdom of Riftgard. The deep fjords, tall glaciated mountains, forests and flowery meadows all make what he considers a magical kingdom. His subjects, he believes in them. His family, friends, and romantic partner.
Drinking beer and partying are always on his agenda. Fashion, the showier, the better.
Stronheim dislikes the continuing legacy of Princess Kurda being the other symbol of Riftgard after all these centuries. He knows history shouldn't be forgotten, and she will always be tied to Triss. But Riftgard must be known for better things than an evil ferret princess.
He dislikes negativity and killjoys. He comforts those who are genuinely depressed, but will chastise those with a bad attitude.
Drab clothing!! EWW BARF!!!! Outfits should be beautiful like a hillside covered in Blåveis wildflowers!
Background/History
Stronheim Fjorntods Bard was born on November 24, 5613 to King Johan and Queen Tove Bard of Riftgard. The kingdom celebrated the arrival of the new prince. The adorable little stoat with his flowing red fur and friendly blue-green eyes was the talk of the kingdom for years thereafter. Every aspect of his dibbunhood was the subject of gossip and wonder.
Stronheim was curious and well behaved. He loved learning and physical activity. Once he discovered his legs, the castle was his. He explored every inch from dungeon to tower. Shortly before his 4th birthday, his little sister Laila was born. He took to her immediately and wanted to be the best brother he could. But his little sister wasn't the only girl in his life.
When he was 5, little Stronheim found himself transfixed staring at the giant tapestry in Castle Riftgard's foyer. It was graced by Triss the Squirrel. The beautiful swordmaiden was dressed in a flowing red tunic, lightly armored, and wielded a mighty sword with a red pommel stone. He thought she was a warrior angel. That day he learned the story of Trisscar Swordmaid, the slave girl who escaped captivity and led the evil Princess Kurda and her minions away from Riftgard. He learned of her journey to Mossflower, and how she met the spirit of Martin the Warrior in Redwall Abbey and took up his sword. What a beautiful creature she was, he wanted to be just like her.
Stronheim started running around the castle pretending to be Triss, complete with a red dress and pretend sword. He liked the dress, he liked it a lot. He was only 6, but he knew there was something special about it. His parents took it as a phase and paid little mind. Stronheim had a golden childhood from age 6 to 11. His sister was his best friend. They'd play together, do each other's claws and headfur, and try on all kinds of outfits purely for creativity. Princess Laila died of influenza induced pneumonia when she was 7. The Bard royal family and the entire Kingdom of Riftgard were crushed.
Laila was one of 10 mustelid children who died that month. Stronheim learned an invaluable lesson of compassion as his parents held a funeral for all the children who passed instead of a closed funeral for just the princess. Crushed as he was, the 11 year old prince was struck more by the grief of his subjects. "We share in their grief Stronheim, but lift them with our strength. That is what makes us good rulers." his mother said.
Stronheim dealt with Laila's death by wearing her dresses and gowns, pretending she was still alive by having conversations with her. It got especially weird because this coincided with his onset of puberty. Sexual arousal and masturbation followed quickly, and always in his sister's clothes. But it wasn't about his sister, it was about him. He'd fantasize about going out in them and attracting boys his age for secret encounters. He knew at 14 that he was gay.
Instead of hiding it, the outgoing young stoat created a look for himself, the one seen in the picture above. Is he a prince, a princess, is he both, or neither? He's Stronheim, he's here to live a good life and make other's lives good. Take him as he is. Stronheim's openness about his sexuality and choice of lavish outfits attracted much attention, most good, some very bad. Most of Riftgard's populous loved their eccentric prince, but there were many who didn't. At 16, he was out on the town with some eccentric and artsy friends. "Hey Prince Faggot!" yelled a large rat. A drunken gang of older creatures approached them with knives drawn. Stronheim ushered his friends behind him and pulled his sword, standing his ground. "Do you really want to harm me? What would that make you?" he proposed. The gang looked at each other, unsure how to respond. They expected a sissy, but got a young warrior instead. Stronheim would face similar situations throughout his teens and 20s and never backed down from any of them. His unashamed sense of self would carry him into the history books.
Relatives/Family
Father: King Johan Bard, age 66.
Mother: Queen Tove Gaeren Bard, age 65.
Sister: Princess Laila Bard, died of pneumonia at age 7.
Extended family of Aunts, uncles, and cousins throughout Riftgard.
World/Setting
Set on planet Earth approximately 50,000 years in the future. All of my Redwall OCs are depicted as they were in the year 5645(Year Zero was when time measurements switched from seasons to years.), the year of the Rendezvous of the Six Armies at Redwall Abbey. Most of the anthro world is stone aged to medieval at this time, with some increasing industrialization. The most modern cities have technology equivalent to that of Ancient Rome. Worldwide ocean travel exists with celestial navigation as a risky undertaking.
Riftgard is located in what Mossflorians called the Northlands. The Redwall book Triss describes Riftgard as being an island with deep fjords and tall mountains with forests. This is true for the original Castle Riftgard, but that was destroyed not long after the slave revolt that toppled King Agarnu in the late 5090s. The new Castle Riftgard was built 10 years later on the mainland several miles southeast on a peninsula at the far end of a larger fjord. We know this place as Svelgen, Norway. The Kingdome of Riftgard spreads throughout this region. They even have dependable running water from Lake Risvatnet. This is a far cry from the Riftgard that suffered under King Agarnu and his terrible daughter Princess Kurda. Speaking of Princess Kurda, not long after the slave revolt, scribes all agreed that rule under a Queen Kurda would have been a nightmare. Also not mentioned in Triss was that the slaves were joined by many vermin, including defecting Ratguards who no longer wanted to serve the cruel ferret king. This revolt happened when Triss returned from Mossflower on the very ship she stole from Princess Kurda, wielding the Sword of Martin the Warrior. Triss fought and defeated Princess Kurda in the forest just outside Redwall Abbey. At least that's how it is written.
When Prince Stronheim arrived at Redwall Abbey in summer of 5645, he immediately wanted to read the archives and get the true account of Triss. He needed some time alone when he learned that Kurda had died by falling on her own sword and Triss, in a fit of immaturity, complained that her revenge had been taken from her. Abbot Serney placed a paw on the young prince's shoulder, "Triss wasn't more than 18 to 20 years old, don't be upset with her. Most heroes are born by necessity or accident and not without flaws." Stronheim gave the big mouse a long hug, but decided to keep this information to himself.
Since the infamous slave revolt, Triss has remained Riftgard's national symbol. She has adorned the kingdom's flag for 600 years as a symbol of bravery and liberation. She is Riftgard's own heroine and their connection to the legacy of Redwall Abbey and Martin the Warrior. So naturally, when a plead for help came from Redwall itself, Riftgard answered.
Riftgard is still a feudalistic society. But a succession of wise rulers ranging from mice, to lemmings, to the current Bard line of stoats, have made it prosperous. Its location in Scandinavia keep it fairly isolated, with the exception of brave seafaring merchants who facilitate trade with Mossflower, Noonvale, and Englshire for the bravest goodbeasts. Food is plentiful from the sea, and hearty produce is grown in the summer to last through the harsh northern winter. The Kingdom of Riftgard borders only the Kingdom of Noonvale, although very rugged mountains separate the two. Riftgardians speak a Scandinavian dialect of Mossflorian, similar to Noonvalers, but much harder to understand. Species tribalism is still the norm, but the goodbeast/vermin divide has all but fallen away with Triss as a symbol of unification.
Body
Average height for an anthropomorphic stoat at 6 feet tall. Athletic build. Tan to cream coloring on face, belly, and inner thighs. Darker tan fur covers most of his body. Intense red headfur left long in the back and styled in various ways in front. Same red fur forms a tuft at the end of his long tail. Friendly greenish-blue eyes. Exceptionally attractive with some effeminate mannerisms. Walks with a bit of sway to his hips. There is an inescapable sexual element to his appearance.
Clothing
Always feminine to androgynous outfits. Usually a tunic, but short enough so that it looks like a skirt showing a good bit of thigh. Undershirts are never buttoned, showing a bit of chest. Knee-high socks and tall leather boots. Flowing cape. Lots of nice colors, usually matching his favorite native wildflowers.
Accessories
He wears the princess's tiara that was intended for his deceased little sister as a way to honor her. Thick leather belt with leather guard for his nether region.
Short sword in a black scabbard on his left side. He specifically chose black because he sees his sword as a necessary evil as opposed to a fashion accessory. It isn't meant to match the rest of his outfit, rather to stand out as a lethal weapon. Stronheim isn't dumb, he knows there are those who would do him harm if given the chance. He knows how to use his sword if needed and has pulled it a few times.
Various items of jewelry. Earrings, finger rings, necklace, and tail rings.
