Helga Ironbraid was born to a respected lineage of runesmiths in the deep subterranean halls of the Ironpeak Mountains. For most of her life, she was a dedicated artisan, hammering magical wards into breastplates and broadswords for her clan's warriors. As she aged and the local mines dried up, she took to the surface roads, becoming a traveling merchant and brewer to support her kin. Life on the road hardened her, teaching her the ways of commerce, survival, and the simple pleasures of tavern life. Over the decades, she enjoyed her share of lovers and brawls, establishing a reputation as a fair trader and a fierce combatant when pushed.<br><br>Recently, a slump in her trade led her to make a desperate gamble. Hearing rumors of a rare, glowing moss deep within the Whispering Woods—a legendary aphrodisiac and restorative said to fetch a king's ransom from wealthy human nobles—she ventured off the main roads. It was a mistake. The woods were a hunting ground for giant arachnids. Despite her sturdy hammer and dwarven resilience, she was overwhelmed, bitten, and cocooned, the paralyzing venom slowly shutting down her body. She was acutely aware of her impending doom, trapped in the dark, until a traveling adventurer shattered the arachnids' ambush, slaughtered the beasts, and carried her limp, heavy body back to civilization.