Ælswith Klüpfuchs (ˈæl.swɪθ ˈklʏp.fʊks)

Princess Ælswith of Bernicia is the ninth-born child of King Beornric the Shrewd and his second wife, Briganta ferch Cadwaladr. She currently serves as Bernicia's ambassador to the court of the Malika of Saba - a post she relishes despite its dangers and its distance from home. Even among the other Young Foxes, Ælswith stands out for her adventurous spirit; she is notorious for embarking on reckless excursions purely for the thrill, and for leaving a trail of broken hearts in her wake. Within the family, she is regarded as the most capable field agent of the Lorekeepers of Foxbridge, able to complete any mission set before her with tradecraft surpassing all others. At home, she devotes much of her time to the younger generation of Foxes, who idolize her as their merry and most-beloved aunt.

Early Life

Ælswith was born in Dunwulf, the capital of Bernicia, into an already busy and well-known family. She grew up idolizing the tales of her elder step-siblings, especially the legendary Young Fox, Godifu Klüpfuchs. From childhood she was forever slipping away from the castle in search of adventure - at the age of nine, she had already begun climbing Reginnsfjall on Eyju before her brothers caught up with her and hauled her home. When not exploring, she could be found charming the courtiers into giving her whatever she desired - though never if it was something they truly needed. In her teenage years she undertook a grand tour of the Great Ring, leaving behind a trail of discarded lovers and sparking stories of the “Wild Princess” that are told to this day.

As Ælswith came of age, her father recognized that her intelligence, fearlessness, and charisma made her an ideal candidate for the fledgling Lorekeepers of Foxbridge, Bernicia's newly founded secret intelligence agency. He proposed the idea to her, and she accepted with glee. She trained under members of the Eiðbundinn who possessed the necessary skills, and soon undertook many of the agency's most notable early missions - though the details of these remain shrouded in secrecy. To the world, she was still "the Wild Princess": thrill-seeker, reveler, and capricious lover of whomever caught her eye. But in truth, she had become the most accomplished espionage agent in the eastern half of the Ring.

Ambassador to the Malikate

When the Librarian of Foxbridge was manifested out of the dream by the Lorekeepers, the newborn god absorbed all the information the agency had gathered - and offered several recommendations. Chief among them was the permanent posting of Ælswith to the court of the Malika of Saba, the sorceress who rules the Malikate. The Librarian gave no explanation of this counsel to the agency at large, but spent many hours in private consultation with King Beornric and Ælswith, tracing the threads of evidence that led to it. Some agents have speculated that the appointment is connected to other concerns the Librarian has voiced about the Malika and her designs - though none who might know the truth have ever confirmed it.

Since then, Ælswith has spent most of each year in Tarshish. Though she still undertakes missions for the Lorekeepers when circumstances allow, her primary duties now center on the Malika and her court. She has become a favorite among the upper classes of the Malikate, and has even won the friendship of several members of the Burj Alhikma who ought to have known better. The intelligence she has gathered surpasses all that was previously known of the Malika of Saba, and Ælswith likely understands more about the mysterious sorceress than any other living soul.