Canary

Canary is a Hero character encountered in the second part of The Banner Saga.

Background
The largest tribe of Horseborn —the only tribe seen by most humans in this age— is lead by this slender, charismatic warrior. Canary —or Cainánóiridhe to other horseborn— is eager to learn what she can of humans, varl, dredge, and all the ways of the world as it currently stands. Whether she wants to keep it that way is anyone's guess.

Active Ability: Pin
The Horseborn Cantref spears her target and pins him to the ground, dealing regular Strength damage and inhibiting Movement.

Rank 1: Reduces movement by 2 tiles

Rank 2: Reduces movement by 3 tiles

Rank 3: Reduces movement by 4 tiles

Active Ability: Poison Tipped
The Horseborn Cantref uses a javelin tipped with a deadly poison to make sure her enemy doesn't forget her after the initial sting of her attack passes. The ill target becomes unable to secure their own ground and units can move through him/her.
 * When Canary joins, she is already at Rank 8, and also has Derdriu's primary active, Poison Tipped.

Poisons like this are often used against high Strength enemies to wear them down over time or on a large unit that is blocking paths to other areas of the board.

The doses do not stack together, but a second dose will serve to refresh the damage over time and keep the target afflicted.

Rank 1: 1 Strength damage per Round, for 3 Rounds

Rank 2: 2 Strength damage per Round, for 3 Rounds

Rank 3: 3 Strength damage per Round, for 3 Rounds

Passive Ability: Free Roam
While moving, each Willpower the Horseborn Cantref spends allows her to travel 2 tiles instead of 1.

Joining the Party
Canary is encountered by the Skogr caravan in Chapter 14, at Fieldgate. After defeating her herd, she surrenders to you and joins your Roster.

Possible Death or Departure

 * Canary's disposition against the Skogr caravan is left at a cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 14, where it is implied that her herd had massacred the city of Tolir.

Playstyle

 * Pin can penalize high-Armor cumbersome enemy units like Dredge Stoneguards or Shieldbangers, locking them down and exposing them to ranged attacks by ally units, e.g. Archers.
 * Canary is the Hero with the highest base (join) Rank in the game, 8, and the only one to come with two active abilities.
 * She has the highest Strength cap of all ranged-attack Heroes in the game, 16.
 * The high caps of her Stats and her high base Rank limit Canary's access to multiple Talents. For example, she can only reach Rank 1 of Strength or Willpower Talents.

Trivia
Canary appears in the early Concept Art of the game, which implies that she is a key character in the story.