About Valdis !Spoiler!

[Mando]

Hi all,

I would like to flesh out a bit more the NPC Valdis, especially at the very beginning, or even prelude, to a Darkening campaign. This starts by a better understanding of the character background and motives, and an intriguing piece of background came up:

- Valdis as "direct descendant of Girion": According to HotW book, Valdis' great-grandfather escaped as a boy the destroyed city of Dale in 2770. Disregarding the fact that this would be more consistent with a great-great-great grandfather or even older, what I find disturbing is that at the same time Girion's wife and kid(s) fled the city, or in other words that Bard is also a direct descendant of Girion. How come the two of them (Bard and Valdis) do not know each other as cousins ? Obviously from Darkening, Valdis is aware of this fact, but what of the other side ?
Also, since both Bard and Valdis' son are descendants of Girion, I do not see how the latter can appear more legitimate to a sizeable fraction of Dale population than the former, as presented in late Darkening campaign.

Is there something like a general consensus on this matter ? Or some creative background making to account for these very different destinies (Bard and Valdis) from a common starting point ? I am currently trying hard in this latter direction. Obviously any insight would be most welcome !

[Halbarad]

Valdis may indeed have an equally legitimate claim upon Dale through her bloodline, but the reasons why Bard's legitimacy as King in Dale are not questioned are probably these. Bard has slain a Dragon, led his people to victory over the Goblins of the North and brought wealth to them using his share of the Treasure of Erebor. He also can count on the friendship of the King under the Mountain. Valdis killed a man in a barfight and is a forest dwelling bandit who preys on her own folk.

[Terisonen]

Two sides of the same coin...