Yrsa Fjellheim is a Norwegian troll from a small mountain community tucked deep within the forests and valleys of western Norway. Contrary to the frightening stories humans tell about trolls, Yrsa's people are generally quiet, thoughtful, and far more interested in rocks, plants, and local history than in terrorizing travelers. Growing up surrounded by forests, waterfalls, and ancient stone outcroppings, Yrsa developed an early fascination with the natural world and an endless curiosity about how landscapes change over time.
Now in her early twenties, she is pursuing graduate studies in environmental science, specializing in forest ecology and watershed conservation. She is intelligent, observant, and endlessly patient, possessing the rare ability to spend six hours cataloguing moss samples without becoming bored. While she enjoys the outdoors as much as any troll, she is equally happy curled up indoors with a notebook, a cup of tea, and a stack of research papers.
Yrsa first met Ingrid Stormdottir during a university field survey in Iceland. Ingrid had volunteered to help guide visiting students through a remote hiking area, a task she accepted despite having only a vague understanding of where the group was actually supposed to go. After several hours of enthusiastic but increasingly questionable navigation, the expedition became lost somewhere between a lava field and a sheep pasture.
Fortunately for everyone involved, Yrsa had brought maps.
What began as a practical effort to prevent the group from wandering into the wrong valley became an unlikely friendship. Ingrid was fascinated by Yrsa's knowledge of plants and geology, while Yrsa found Ingrid's optimism and enthusiasm strangely refreshing. The two remained in contact after the trip, often meeting for hikes, camping excursions, and long conversations that frequently wandered between environmental science, local folklore, and whatever new hobby Ingrid had recently discovered.
Through Ingrid, Yrsa eventually met Sigrun Skadi.
At first glance, Sigrun and Yrsa seemed to have little in common. Sigrun is physically imposing, pragmatic, and prefers solving problems with proven methods and proper planning. Yrsa is quiet, academic, and inclined to analyze situations before acting. Yet the two quickly developed a mutual respect. Both possess a practical streak beneath their very different personalities, and both have spent years serving as the voice of reason whenever Ingrid's curiosity begins carrying her toward another questionable adventure.
These days the three are close friends. Ingrid supplies enthusiasm, Sigrun supplies competence, and Yrsa supplies research. Together they form a surprisingly effective team.
Though she sometimes jokes about being the group's designated adult, Yrsa secretly enjoys their adventures. She would never admit it, but some of her favorite memories have begun with Ingrid saying, "I wonder what's over there?" and Sigrun responding with a deeply concerned sigh.
Around her neck, Yrsa often wears an iron troll cross, a traditional symbol humans once carried for protection against trolls. She keeps it partly because it was a gift from a friend, and partly because she finds the idea hilarious.
Sigrun thinks the joke is getting old.
Yrsa maintains that it becomes funnier every year. 🌲🪨💙