Major Characters of the Hearthguard
Meet the characters who make the story come alive
Queen Tove
Queen Tove served for years in the ranks of the Hearthguard, fighting her way up through the ranks with skill and ferocity. After Duke Killian joined the Knights of the Order of Luminos, Tove took over command of the Hearthguard as Jarl and turned this powerful fighting force into a group of warriors loyal only to themselves, and to herself. With the Hearthguard’s separation from Olaran and the establishment of the Hearthlands, Jarl Tove became Queen. Once the back-bone of the Olar army and now a nation, our shieldkin follow Tove’s commands, making her one of the most influential military leaders on the continent.
Tove has been as cunning as she is bold and is revered for her skills in diplomacy, which are said to be as sharp as her sword.
Jarl of the Lowlands
Jarl Tagelia Sigurdson
Tagelia Sigurdson, from the noble Sigurdson family in Lannock, southern Olaran, has a complex history tied deeply to the region’s turbulent events. Her family, loyal vassals of Duke Killian, was entrenched in the region’s martial traditions, a legacy Tag embraced by training with the Rangers and later serving in the Hearthguard. Witnessing King Osric’s murder and participating in critical battles, including the quest for the Sword of Hope and the Battle of the Fort, shaped her martial prowess and loyalty.
Her dedication to Duke Killian was tested when he abandoned their traditional ways for the Order of Luminos, leading Tag to renounce her allegiance to any lord or house, pledging instead to her fellow warriors. As the Hearthguard transitioned to fighting for their own land, Tag evolved into a key military leader, embracing the role of a Valkyrie within their ranks.
The establishment of the Hearthlands marked a new chapter for Tag. Appointed as Jarl of the southern lands, including her ancestral home, Lannock, she now focuses on regional development and military oversight, embodying the Sigurdson creed, “Rise above fate,” with a renewed sense of purpose and leadership. The Sigurdson house sigil is a dragon holding a broken sword.
Jarl of the Fire Mountains
Jarl Gamble Audolfson
Jarl Gamble is known by many through all the lands of Adrasil. He is lord of mischief, master of the shield, con artist, rune master, and blood cloak. He is one of the few original Hearthguard who stood with Killian when he still held the title of Duke, before the Hearthguard called themselves this title, one of the original shieldkin who truly earned the name of bloodcloak from the lives lost on the field. Hold on to your bloodcoin when he is near, but no matter how vigilant, you’ll find yourselves fleeced anyway. When Queen Tove named her three jarls, Gamble was given the Fire Mountains, where he gathers mystics and shamans and leads his people in the old ways.
Jarl of the Midlands
Jarl Jorran Karlson
Jorran hails from the highlands northwest of Lannock in the foothills of the Fire Mountains. He traces his bloodline straight back to the first men who crossed the Coldfell and conquered the lands that would become Olaran, driving out the Golthans during the Time of Heroes. Like all highland farmers on the Golthan border, Jorran has never known peace. Among the Hearthguard Jorran has served as Duke Killian’s personal guard, fought in the Dread Company under Bjorn the Dreadhelm, bore the banner of Hearthguard champion, and commanded the shieldwall.
Battle Commander, Lord and Protector of Murnock, Jarl of the Midlands, friend of bears, lover of dragons, former champion, Dreadhelm, and Bloodcloak. His castle in Murnock is known as The Rock of the Mines. His house sigil is the Rampant White Lion on Red and Black. The Karlson family words are “Iron and Blood.”
The Quartermaster
Hrægammr the Steward
After the Battle of the Wold Wood in YL1123, Hrægammr the Steward took up residence in Staghunter Keep - for Duke Killian had been banished henceforth from the Hearthlands. Positioned in Tagelia’s Jarldom in the Lowlands, his previous life as a scoundrel has provided him with connections that have made him incredibly wealthy through war-profiteering and leveraging his political station to seize control of most smuggling and black market dealings in and out of the Capital in Lannock.
The Questmaster
Meadman
Better known as ‘Meadman’ the questmaster can be found on the battlefield, brewing mead, and sending shieldkin on quests.
The Shaman
Grim Bjorndraugr
The Shaman is the religious leader of the Gothi and source of knowledge for the old gods. Grim Bjorndraugr, as he is known to some, serves as the keeper of the gods and voice to the signs and omens many shieldkin see in the world.