Headcanon time: Sanne’s status among the norn
What’s this? A headcanon time that’s not about Nyra? Hell yeah!! And for my norn daughter no less!
Basically, I was wondering how norn social currency, so to speak, in terms of the relationship between blood and deeds worked and since there’s no obvious nobility like we see in humans, I thought Sanne was just a regular norn there, with no pedigree attached.
Upon further inspection, I was wrong. Miss Sunshine does have some pedigree, and this is my dive into why.
Let’s start with her family: her mother is a shaman, her father is a respected hunter, her sister is also a shaman. Shamans do occupy a meaningful role in norn society, less glorious one than havroun, but still not every norn can become a shaman. And Sanne herself has every affinity to become a shaman, she just chose not to due to life circumstances. This line of deep connection to the Spirits can be traced to the last shaman of Ox (possibly even farther than that!) who is Sanne’s grandfather! And in a race who values spirituality as much as norn do (in a way different from humans, but certainly no less meaningful; I have a headcanon time post for some of my thoughts for human religiosity if you’re curious!) this is huge.
She’s also Forgal’s niece. Forgal, who likely had lots of respect of his countrymen and whose presence as a Warmaster of the Vigil likely attracted lots of norn to the order, and whose legend only grew after his death at Claw Island thanks to Nyra and Sanne. So, she’s a niece of a prestigious hero and granddaughter/daughter/sister of shamans, also a potential shaman herself.
But it doesn’t stop here!
Sanne also has a number of personal accomplishments to add to her legend. She’s a Slayer of Issormir. Here’s what Hidden Arcana library quest has to say on the Great hunts:
Experienced hunters capture a different foe each year. In 1325, for example, it was Issormir, a great ice wurm. Many died in the battle. Only one was victorious.
Experienced hunters capture a different foe each year. In 1325, for example, it was Issormir, a great ice wurm. Many died in the battle. Only one was victorious. (Character name), Slayer of Issormir.
Bergaith also says, in Hoelbrak ambient dialogue, that winning the Great Hunt is one of his proudest moments even years after it’s happened. Now in my canon, there are two Slayers, Sanne and her first mate Kiernan, and I moved it to three years before, in 1322 AE, but the fact still stands; winning a Great Hunt is a mark of honour, especially as she’s the last Slayer of Issormir still alive.
She’s also a healer! I can’t find the NPC dialogue but healers in Hoelbrak are not as frequent, and though I’m not entirely sure if they’re looked down upon (which I do remember reading in that dialogue) but still, another mark of distinction.
And a skaald. Again, not officially, but everyone knows Sanne is a skaald, and those are more respected than healers.
This is all pre-Personal Story. We have a shaman-esque skaald Slayer of Issormir hunter. Ya girl got some pedigree.
(Also, she may have participated in the Great Hunt more than once.)
In more recent times (Icebrood-wise) she is amongst the rare people who saw Jormag awaken, and she’s the mate of the Norn of Prophecy, and boasts how she lost her axe and around 10 arrows in the final battle against Jormag by sticking them in their snout.
I think this combination of birth/accomplishment requirements (leaning more towards accomplishments; she wouldn’t have made a legend if she wasn’t Slayer regardless of her birth) is very interesting and gives her a very interesting place in my roster of characters. Between Nyra, a noble who is a descendant of kings and queens of Ascalon, and Ren, a poor homeless kid, she stands in the interesting middle.
It also informs her desire to change her name to Bjornsdottir, because remember, she was born as Hellesdottir, after her mother Hel. When Kiernan died, she wanted a fresh start, one less tied to her heritage and more tied to her own deeds. So she chose Bjornsdottir, Bear’s daughter, as a callback to all of that, but also something that is her own.
