Greta Lunde

Greta Lunde

Greta Lunde is the protagonist in the novel Knit One, Scale One. She is a character who goes through a great change or metamorphosis in the course of the novel. She starts out as a loner who has learned to keep herself out of anyone else's business, that fighting the "bad guys" is something only a hero or an army does. She eventually learns that leaning on others and having them lean on you is healthy and necessary, and that she is strong enough to try to take on the bad guy with their help.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Greta suffers from chronic pain. She tries to work through the pain and stay active, but some days she can hardly get out of bed. She has a potion recipe that her grandmother made for her but the ingredients are rare and expensive, so she uses it sparingly.

Body Features

She is of average height and weight. Her build is compact.

Facial Features

She has a scar over her left eyebrow. She has a thin, slightly crooked nose, thin lips, one crooked top front tooth. She is more attractive than average but not such that she stands out in a crowd.

Identifying Characteristics

Several scars, including one over her left eyebrow.

Physical quirks

Annoyed by hearing people chew, drinks genwil (like vodka)

Special abilities

Greta is a witch and can knit spells out of anything that is string-like, such as yarn, string, metal, plant material, and more. When she concentrates, she can also cast spells by knitting strands of magic out of the air.

Apparel & Accessories

Brown/tan/gray dresses, wool, her own knitted creations such as scarves and fingerless gloves

Specialized Equipment

Her knitting needles, which double as wands in an emergency.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Greta was born in 1840 to Rita and Carl. She had two brothers, Tobias and Kristoffer, upon whom her parents doted. She was unwanted because she was a girl. Her relationship with her parents is distant (mother) and worse than distant (father). Her relationship with her brothers is fine but they live far away. She attended school when she was able and eventually ran away to her grandmother's, where she lives currently. Ten years ago, she did a love spell for a teen who came to her. That teen died and a vicious rumor started that it was her fault the teen died. That's when she started doing just about any spell for money, as long as they signed an extensive liability waiver. She also developed a gambling addiction a couple of years ago.

Gender Identity

Greta is female and identifies as a woman. In her culture, there are the two genders, as well as people who are transgender and genderfluid. There are varying levels of acceptance of transgender and genderfluid people. Greta accepts people of all gender identifications but doesn't get involved in politics or social movements because of her defeatist attitude that only the powerful can affect change in the world.

Sexuality

Greta has spent her life with her grandmother, caring for her in her old age, so she hasn't had much time for relationships. She identifies as bisexual, having had a couple of relationships with women and one with a man.

Education

Greta attended school after her grandmother took her in. Along the way and after school, her grandmother trained Greta to be a witch.

Employment

Greta is a witch. She gets paid to do spells and charms for other people. She is the most successful and well-known witch in town.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Got very high marks in school. Made her first Book of Shadows at age 8. Mastered basic knitting spells by age 12 and intermediate spells by age 16. She was doing advanced spells at the age of 20. At age 25, she was offered a full scholarship to the witch's college in the capital city of Akkai (where her grandmother attended), which she accepted. She graduated in four years with the highest honors. She was writing her own spells by age 29, when she started taking her own customers.

Failures & Embarrassments

A teen came to her when she first starting taking customers. The teen wanted a love spell, so she warned the teen of the risks, who wanted it anyway. She did the spell, received payment, and the teen went on their way. Several days later, the teen died under suspicious circumstances. A vicious rumor grew that it was her spell that had caused the teen's death, whether from the teen's lover stalking them and hurting them or as a direct result of the spell. Her business actually grew as a result, but from then on she insisted on an extensive liability waiver. She also started doing just about any spell that was asked for, as long as they paid in cash.

Mental Trauma

She was traumatized by the lack of love she received as a child from her parents, who didn't want her. She was traumatized by the teen's death.

Intellectual Characteristics

Good personality traits: Hard-working, Level-headed (except when gambling) Bad personality traits: Disorganized, Somewhat of a loner Moods character is most often in: Annoyed, rowdy, content Sense of humor: Dry, not much Character’s greatest joy in life: her knitting and her spells Character’s greatest fear: Loss of freedom Why? She wouldn’t be able to do her spells What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? Having to leave her home and her quiet life Character is most at ease when: at home Most ill at ease when: out Enraged when: she’s never been enraged Depressed or sad when: she has nothing to do to occupy her mind and she can think about the past If granted one wish, it would be: to win big just once Why? So she could stop gambling Character’s soft spot: baby animals Is this soft spot obvious to others? She doesn’t think so Greatest strength: she’s a fierce and loyal friend Greatest vulnerability or weakness: she’s also kind of a coward

Morality & Philosophy

Priorities: her grandmother, her friend Lona, her knitting, her spells Life philosophy: Keep your head down and work hard.

Taboos

Don't mess with grandmother!

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

She needs to catch a dragon hatchling before the slayer kills it so she can knit a spell from its valuable under-scale wool to pay off a substantial gambling debt and save her grandmother from the brutal city tyrant.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Savvies: knitting, spells, ingredients. Ineptitudes: social skills around those more "powerful" than her

Virtues & Personality perks

She’s a fierce and loyal friend. She's also a fierce and loyal protector of her grandmother, who raised her.

Vices & Personality flaws

She’s also kind of a coward, especially when confronted with her own weaknesses. Her vice is gambling and she owes a substantial debt to the Bonespite Clan.

Personality Quirks

Raises one eyebrow (the left, with the scar) when intrigued or curious

Hygiene

Likes to stay clean and freshly washed but bathing is a chore with her chronic pain. She always smells good no matter what. She bathes in some capacity every day.

Social

Social Aptitude

Greta is an introvert by nature. She's perfectly happy at home doing spells with her grandmother. She has a few friends and likes to go to the tavern to gamble, where genwil loosens her tongue. Her charisma is average and her confidence varies, depending on her genwil intake and her pain level. She has a sense of pride but not a big ego. She understands social customs and etiquette but is awkward around those she senses to have more "power" than her, such as guards and those in higher political positions.

Mannerisms

Greta has been told she has a "glass face," so she tends to put on a neutral face most of the time when she's not in conversation. She has a habit of playing with the fringe of her knitted gloves or scarves.

Hobbies & Pets

She has a pet cat named Alexander that she rescued as a kitten. He has one eye and a stumpy tail.

Speech

She has a husky voice and speaks quietly.
Current Status
On a mission to get the wool from a baby dragon
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Age
40
Life
1840 1936
Circumstances of Birth
Her mother never wanted her because she was a girl
Circumstances of Death
Mysterious but possibly linked to a fall from an extreme height
Birthplace
Ketra, Shotark
Place of Death
Unknown
Children
Current Residence
The city of Ketra
Sex
Female
Gender
Woman
Presentation
Feminine
Eyes
The color of whiskey, a scar over her left eyebrow
Hair
Black and grey, curly, short, ear length
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Copper skin with freckles
Height
Average
Weight
Average, compact
Known Languages
Shotarkian, a little Highlander
Ruled Locations
Character Prototype
The Reluctant Hero


Cover image: by Jessica Bruyere

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