Ella

From Praemal

Ella is the tavern wench at the Cat & the Fiddle tavern in Maidensbridge in Midwood. Her parents were apple farmers, but they were killed in a raid by the Green Mountain Kobolds in 705 IA, and she was taken in by Milos and Jana Fordham, the innkeepers of the Cat & the Fiddle.

Ella is built like a farmer's wife, with broad shoulders, broad hips and full, heavy breasts. She is not classically beautiful by any means, with hair like bundled straw, but her apple cheeks, bright smile and laughing green eyes endear her to the men who drink at the tavern.

Although an unexceptional cook and only of average intelligence, Ella can drink and arm-wrestle as well as anyone in town, with only the dwarf blacksmith Therurt Glangirn able to best her at either one. She is also incredibly practical and sensible and gives good advice when she understands the full nature of a problem facing a tavern-goer.

The Fordhams have no children, and Ella is hoping that, when they're ready to retire, they will give or sell the tavern to her. To that end, she has become extremely frugal, saving every copper she receives in tips. She also knows her chances of obtaining the tavern would improve if she had a rich husband's money, so she's always on the lookout for wealthy single men.

Ella can't remember jokes and doesn't feel comfortable discussing anything that occurs beyond the borders of the hamlet, but she loves to sing (although she's just an average singer) and will often come to the table singing a little song, including silly little ditties made up for the occasion. (She also has a weakness for bards, which more than one traveling minstrel has taken advantage of.) Despite being normally fairly hard-headed and sensible, she is a great believer in the goodness of fairies and devoutly worships Valarian and is forever leaving out saucers of milk and such for "the little people."

She knows everyone in Maidensbridge and remembers everything she overhears about Green Mountain.

When she is working alone, she has a tendency to yodel quietly, as her late mother used to do.