Character History :

Born in the year 1220 as Ericka Ivanov in the city of Novgorod, Russia, to a wealthy boyar named Ivan Nadzha.  Since her father dealt with a great many people, Ericka learned a lot about various cultures at a young age. Ivan exported fur pelts (a wide variety), wax, honey, slaves, walrus tusks, some finished products such as linen cloth and jewelry. Direct trade relations were established with England, who was interested in timber, rope fibers, tallow, tar (for shipbuilding), fur, and other northern goods.

At the age of 15, Ericka was placed in an arranged marriage with one of her father's business partner's from Europe. Reginald Kelsall was the son of a wealthy merchant who lived in Kelsall, England, near Cheshire. Ericka was very young and naive, fulfilling her responsibility as a daughter and marrying Reginald out of duty. Reginald took her back to England where she learned English and the English way of life. It was hard for her to adjust, most of their first year of marriage was Ericka moping around the manor, wanting to be back in Russia. But gradually she adjusted, her strong Russian roots keeping her going.

In 1247, her mother called for her to return to Russia; Ericka's father was ill. During the long journey back home, her father died in his sleep. When she arrived, even though Ivan had been dead a good 3 weeks, they conducted the funeral. Heartbroken, she refused to leave Russia. Reginald couldn't stay long, having the need to go back to their duties in England.  Taking over the business for her father, Ericka continued to help it flourish. Taught by her father and husband, her abilities to barter, coerce, and haggle kept her ahead of the game (as well as her pleasing appearance and charisma).

Reginald would come a few times a year to visit his wife; their reunions were always accompanied with grand parties. They had 3 children together, her daughter lived with her in Russian while her two sons lived with Reginald back in England.

The Mongol invasion (13th-15th centuries) disrupted the commercial routes and exchanges. The routes also shifted and changed several times for other reasons, but were never closed completely for long. And Novgorod, the city itself and its dependent lands, were never under direct Mongol rule (in fact the Mongols never actually reached Novgorod), therefore the commercial relations between this city and its Western partners continued throughout (and in spite of) the Mongol invasion. But this didn't mean their weren't problems.

On different occasions, Ericka would take the trade routes with her delivery to make sure it made safe passage during these unsure times. Her husband had begged her not to go on these dangerous excursions, but Ericka didn't listen. It was during these times was she witness to bloodshed and brawl.  Leaving the sanctuary of her village, traveling over Russia, is when Ericka discovered the Dark Ones. Having almost lost her life on occasion, as well as her dignity, Ericka began to take lessons in fighting and weapons melee.

The feisty Norse goddess of love and sexual desire (also warrior queen of the Valkyries), Freya , recognized the warrior qualities in Ericka, and bestowed upon her the Sentinel gift. At the age of 31, she began to discover her new calling in life after she was visited by Freya herself and disclosed of this information. Ericka knew she could not stay, knowing she would not age. The people would not understand and hurt her family, something she did not want to have happen.

Ericka staged her own de ath and left her family. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do and the biggest thing she always regretted doing.

When she met someone else like her, many years from then, Ericka bonded quickly and closely with the Sentinel named Casey McCoy. The Russian girl wanted to form the kinship bond again that she had lost when taking on the calling of Sentinel. When they had met more Sentinels, Ericka grew more content with the group, which became her new family.  Here, the Shadow Guardian group was forged, taking on the roles of a group of people who had fought Dark Ones in the past  yet  had vanished.

They all stood for one cause, to rid the world of the Dark Ones which plagued it.