”Ya can't be sittin' around on yer arse wen dere be gnawers dat need ya 'elp! Git!"
Name:Myrtle Bannermaid, Myrtle of the Banner, Myrtle of Burrowhill, Myrtle the Armless
Rank:Watchguard. Despite questions being raised regarding how effective she is with only one arm. Myrtle is not one to listen to those that doubt her. She's been leading soldiers effectively even with her only arm, and she's not about to stop because some milksop told her to.
Appearance:Even though a country bumpkin, Myrtle is not a terribly bad looking mouse. She has suffered the scars of battle as everyone who has served in the watch will inevitably do, but she has escaped the worst of it unharmed, bar for her obvious maiming. Her ears, which are a pale white rather than pink inside, lack the torn and scarred appearance that some watchguard have, and although some of her fur has been replaced by silvery scar tissue, a lot of it is still full and healthy.
The colour of her fur too, is not disagreeable. It's a reddish-auburn colour, lacking the true sheen of a copper coloured mouse, but at the same time with enough fire to it to keep it away from the blandness of brown. Nt only is it relatively unmarred by scar tissue, but Myrtle makes a clear effort to keep her fur clean and tidy, and it does indeed pay off when someone takes the time to look for it. Finally, her tail, whilst not particularly long, is that way naturally. One of the most common injuries for a watchmouse is the tip of their tail to be sliced, a fate that she has somehow managed to avoid.
Of course, these are not the features that one tends to notice when looking at Myrtle for the first time. The most glaring thing about Myrtle of Burrowhill is that she is badly crippled. Below the elbow, her left arm simply does not exist. Instead, she wears a shirt, the arm tied tightly around the stump in order so that the tissue there is hidden from the light of day, although the loss of a limb is not so easy to hide away and out of sight. The shirts she wears also happen to be too long for her- this is deliberate, as it allows for them to double up as short dresses, practical for reducing the amount of extra layers of clothing she piles onto herself.
The hooded cloak she wears is a bright scarlet colour, although faded somewhat by age. Two slits have been cut in the hood to allow her ears to poke through, and whilst the bottom of the cape is slightly worn and ragged, it is overall in a good condition. In addition to the cape, Myrtle is rarely seen without her banner. Almost twice as tall as she is, the banner is excellently made, and bears the colours the Redwatch, and of the nest that she has been in since she was a greenband.
Personality: Myrtle is a genuinely selfless individual- a person who would lay down her lift to save another mouse if she could. Despite her injuries, she refuses to confine herself to the Fort and while away her days sweeping the floors and making sure the halls are curated. Instead, she fights on despite her disabilities, not only to prove to others that a mouse may always give more of themselves to help others, but also because she believes that t is the right thing for her to do.
Her zeal however can also be her downfall. A hot-headed woman, her mentor recognised that she might face trouble, and although his efforts in taming her wild anger were in good faith, they had little effect on Myrtle's personality. Some might consider the wounded watchguard perhaps a little
too eager to hurl herself into a fight, and perhaps they are right, but it s hard to fault her enthusiasm- or her results on the battlefield.
An interesting thing to note is that, contrary to the expectations of some, Myrtle does not have a martyr complex. In her own words, "I din go out and dere lookin' for de fights. De fights come to me tanks to wat I do, and den I fight 'em good." Or, in words that the average mouse can understand- there's no point in picking fights without cause. Of course, if she sees someone shirking from a fight that they should be getting involved in, she can bark like any of the drillmice inhabiting the Fort.
She does have a soft side however. Rarely seen to those who are not her relations, it is demonstrated remarkably well with how she acts around, and treats, her niece. Those who find herself being called her 'pal' are liable to see this side come out as well, the normally hot-headed Myrtle cooling down and become a downright pleasant conversational partner. If you can decipher her accent.
Statistics:STR: 4. The lack of one of her arms means that whilst Myrtle is by no means weak, she simply can't put the same amount of force into something that a mouse without her disability might face.
CON: 12. What forced the amputation of her arm was nothing less than Formic Acid. The fact that there was even a need to amputate, rather than the entire arm being lost, speaks volumes to Myrtle's endurance.
DEX: 10. Any mouse is a naturally lithe and agile creature, although there are a fair few that will beat them in manoeuvrability. Myrtle is hardly a weasel, but at the same time is no mole either.
CHA: 18. To
not be inspired by Myrtle is a task almost impossible in and of itself. She knows how to use words in a punchy and effective manner. Be it when attempting to wrestle information out of somebody or inspiring a squad to charge into the very jaws of death themselves, Myrtle's oratory prowess is startling.
INT: 7. Considering the fact that Myrtle has had very little formal education, her mental acuity can often be surprising. Of course, it pales in comparison to scholars, or even those who have received some training on top of an already keen mind, but her accent can be deceiving.
LUC: 2. From falling down hills in her youth to her arm being partially dissolved by a pack of ants, Myrtle often rolls poorly with the dice of fate.
REP: 9 Myrtle is extremely well known, but at the same time very polarising. Supporting her despite her failings or disliking her thanks to the fact that she is a cripple is a choice often seen as binary- but most superiors at least accept that she can lead.
Equipment:Watchbanner: A masterfully crafted piece of equipment. Twice as tall as the mouse that wields it, and with the capability to be used as a weapon, the Watchbanner is a rallying beacon on the battlefield. It has a smooth, rich blackthorn shaft, and ends in a hardened, steel-shod tip on one end, with a counterweight at the other. The banner- taller than it is wide, bears the banners of her nest and of the Redwatch.
Traits & Abilities:+Rallying Cry: For de Watch! Friendly mice that can either hear Myrtle or see the watchbanner gain a +2 bonus to their condition, strength and dexterity. The bonus lasts until they move out of earshot or sight of Myrtle, or are incapacitated. Myrtle also benefits from this ability.
+One For All: Let no friend die! When Myrtle is protecting or assisting an ally, they gain a +2 bonus to condition, strength and dexterity. This bonus is accumulative with the bonus gets from Rallying Cry, for a potential +4 to condition, strength and dexterity.
-Zealous: Git back from dem! If a mouse is in danger, Myrtle must help if she physically can. If she is restrained, injured, unaware or cannot reach the mouse, zealous does not trigger. Zealous triggering will automatically ensure that One For All triggers, thus providing the benefits from that ability.
-Crippled: Rather obviously, Myrtle is missing a limb. She automatically fails any two handed rolls, excluding those for polearms should she have time to brace them, any archery rolls, and can only climb with the assistance of a ladder or rope.
Trade: Myrtle comes from Burrowhill, a community that is filled with farmers. Although her relatives also include blacksmiths, it would be quite likely that had she not entered the army, she would have ended up selling what the family grows a market.
Friend: Blake Hillwillow. On her first mission as a fully fledged watcher, Myrtle saved the life of a rather rich noblemouse, without realising it. Since then, she has received small amounts of money from a mysterious sponsor, and Blake keeps an eye on her exploits from afar.
Enemy: Moor Burrowhill. A childhood enemy and fellow watchmouse. Willow and Moor have scuffled with one another since they were pups. Although in a different nest to Willow, the animosity between them has not faded in the slightest, and a meeting between the two has a tendency of ending up with conflict.
History: Burrowhill is a peculiar place. A farming town, the gnawers that live there speak with an accent so heavy that many scholars have debated if it is truly an accent, or instead a dialect. To the mice that live there, it matters not. Burrowhill mice tend to be proud of their humble roots, and Myrtle is no exception to that, having been born along with three other sisters and two brothers, one of each survived with her to childhood.
Myrtle’s silver tongue has been with her her entire life. Deception came as easily to her as comedy did, and she was always proficient at persuading the other kids in Burrowhill to go along with schemes that they really oughtn't to. Sadly though, what could have been a pleasant and peaceful existence was spoiled, not by any outward influence, but by Myrtle herself.
As a young adult, she felt the urge to do something bigger and better with her life than till fields. Although passionate and more than a little rash, her almost violent zeal had yet to form as she moved out of her small town and into the larger cities, scraping employment whilst still looking for something that could truly fulfil her. An epiphany brought to her by another night sleeping rough, Myrtle finally bit the bullet and signed up with the watch, a role in which she has excelled in.