The dwarven smiths of Berjendale discovered the infant wrapped in a threadbare blanket outside their gates one bitter winter morning. Durgan Oakthorn, a master weaponsmith known for his gruff exterior but kind heart, claimed the child as his own. He named her Madilyn, after his late wife, and raised her among the sounds of hammer striking anvil and the warmth of the forge.
Life among the dwarves shaped Madilyn in unexpected ways. While other human children played with dolls, she apprenticed at her adopted father's forge, learning the secrets of steel and fire. Durgan taught her that understanding the forging of weapons made her a better warrior. Her human height proved advantageous in the forge, allowing her to work larger pieces that dwarven smiths found awkward to handle.
Combat training began early. The dwarven weapon masters initially doubted a human child could master their fighting techniques, but Madilyn's determination proved them wrong. She learned to compensate for her lighter frame using speed and leverage rather than trying to match dwarven strength. Her father's lessons about weapon crafting gave her unique insights into fighting styles and an understanding of how different weapons behaved in combat.
“When we first met your lieutenant, Mr. Lannister expressed some concerns.”
Madilyn raised a brow. “About?”
“About you.” Jacob cast a sidelong glance at Captain Oakthorn to gauge her reaction. When she made no reaction at all, he went on. “He heard a thing or two about a mercenary captain named Madilyn Oakthorn or, as some called her, Mad Madilyn. So far, you’ve shown no signs of insanity. In fact, just the opposite. So, I assume the name has some other meaning?”
Madilyn let out a deep breath. Not quite a sigh, but a sign of either boredom or weariness to hear the epithet brought up.
“Mad Madilyn,” she said. “Hell of a name for someone in charge, huh?”
- THE ALCHEMIST’S FORGE
Despite her happy childhood, Madilyn felt increasingly restless as she grew older. The dwarven halls, though home, seemed to close in around her. Stories from traveling merchants about the world beyond the mountains fired her imagination. When she announced her intention to leave, Thorin presented her with a masterwork sword they had forged together, its steel folded a thousand times and imbued with dwarven runes of protection.
Her early days as a mercenary proved challenging. Many companies dismissed her, unwilling to trust a woman raised by dwarves. She took whatever jobs she could find, building a reputation for fearlessness and tactical innovation. Her understanding of siege warfare, learned from dwarven defenders, proved particularly valuable.
The formation of the Mavens came after several successful solo campaigns. Impressed by her leadership and combat skills, other mercenaries began seeking her out. She built the company around a core of skilled warriors who shared her belief that impossible odds meant better stories to tell afterward.
The nickname "Mad Madilyn" wasn't earned from a victory but from a costly failure that became twisted into legend. During the Siege of Kulane, when Corholden's forces found themselves in a stalemate against the coastal city's superior naval supply lines, Madilyn proposed an audacious solution. With the Mavens' reputation for taking on impossible tasks, she convinced her company to attempt a night infiltration of the lord's palace, planning to force a surrender at swordpoint.
The plan was bold—some would say reckless—but the potential rewards seemed worth the risk. The Mavens were experts at scaling walls, and their small numbers made them ideal for covert operations. However, what awaited them inside the palace walls turned into a nightmare. The operation went catastrophically wrong, resulting in significant casualties among her most trusted veterans. Those who survived did so by sheer luck and desperate fighting, barely escaping with their lives.
In the aftermath, Corholden's general, seeking to save face and justify withdrawing his forces, spun tales of a successful secret mission. The failed assassination attempt transformed through rumor into stories of daring rescues and legendary heists. The name "Mad Madilyn" stuck, though its origin became obscured by these embellished accounts. Few knew that the title was born not from triumph but from a devastating miscalculation that haunted her.
The experience fundamentally changed Madilyn's approach to leadership. The weight of those deaths tempered her previous boldness with caution. While she maintained her reputation for taking on challenging contracts, each operation now underwent rigorous planning. She learned that true courage meant knowing when not to fight, a lesson that cost her dearly to learn.
Now, the Mavens operate as a smaller but more elite force. Madilyn tests each potential recruit, looking for fighting skills and the ability to think independently while maintaining unit cohesion. She trains her warriors hard, incorporating human and dwarven fighting techniques into their regimen.
Her father's forge lessons still influence her leadership style. Like a master smith, she works to reshape her company, folding and refolding their abilities through training and experience, tempering them in battle until they emerge stronger. The Mavens may be fewer in number, but those who remain are as well-crafted as any blade from her father's forge.
Letters travel regularly between Madilyn and Thorin, carrying news and advice in both directions. She still returns to Berjendale when time allows, working the forge alongside her father and remembering the lessons of her youth. The dwarven runes on her sword have grown worn with use, but their meaning remains clear: strength through craft, honor through service.
FIRST APPEARANCE
Madilyn first appears in The Alchemist's Forge (The Alchemancer Book Four).
