Astrid was born and raised in a village in the woods far to the northwest of Sembia. There he was a hunter prized for his skill with the bow. He was the perpetual winner of the archery contests in the villages yearly celebrations. This gained him the good graces of the ruler of the village, Sharavenn Glenwander, once an archer and a warrior himself, and whose ancestors were famed for their use of the weapon.
Consequently, Astrid gained the emnity of Caelessinor, the rulers son who, while skilled in archery, had never been able to best him. To be rid of him, and once more be the focus of his fathers attention, Caelessinor visited the village priest. He convinced the well-meaning, but someone daft holy man that Astrid would be well suited to recover the bow wielded by Aevrun, a famed ancestor of the ruling family. Believing it to be a myth, he convinced the priest to suggest the quest to Sharavenn, who in turn asked Astrid to accept the duty.
Not wanting to see his young adversary dead, only gone, Caelessinor outfitted Astrid with all that he would need for his quest.. Once upon the road however, Astrid stumbled into a gnoll ambush. The creatures attacked, robbed him, and left him for dead.
Some days later, a merchant party found him, and took him with them to Marsember for healing. There he has stayed since, seeking news of the object of his quest and working to repay his debt to the temple that healed him. He has now finished paying off his debt in full, even managing to earn enough to buy new equipment, and seeks to continue his journey.
