NOTE: Unlike my previous thread these characters are in no particular order. (Well, technically in the order of when they were posted here.) Characters listed here are also those cherry-picked for various reasons from my old listing.
INDEX
• Colyne ValcalThe Elder Scrolls universe. A Breton Crusader that experienced the events of the Oblivion Crisis.
• Norovah T’zanaMass Effect universe. An Asari Spectre/STG operative.
• Vashti Yinro OU. A biracial human-xenos rogue for hire that specializes in field tech and hacking.
• Artemisia OU. A government built cyborg operative, her entire existence that of a tool with no life or past to cling to.
• Stella Hiroto OU. (Roleplay specific character that is mostly just here for presentation.)
• Varzael Kadrih OU. A dark elf noble house heir that lives for the rush and danger of noble politics.
• Jael Ambrose OU. A half-blood demoness of lust that delights in toying with and tormenting mortals amid her bids for power.
• Necia LacunzaFallout universe. A fugitive from the NCR turned mercenary and drifter.
• Casna Valentin OU. A scheming opportunist vampire woman that is part of House Valentin.
• ”Asaara”Dragon Age universe. A Qunari rogue/assassin.
• Darth WodyraStar Wars universe. A Sith Lord who fled to Cathar amid the Sith Civil War and would become a warrior queen figure after uniting the Cathar against exploitative pirates and slavers.
• Amina GalalMass Effect universe. A former Alliance and Cerberus alike operative who joins the reconstruction efforts after the Reaper War.
• Leena Aybin OU. A Marine Commander that is part of the UTF (United Terran Federation) First Response Initiative.
• Mira Feng OU. A Lambour City law enforcement officer caught up in the midst of an outbreak of an outlandish pandemic.
• Dejah “Nilly” KanCyberpunk 2077 universe. A contract killer with a tragic past and an unstable mind.
• Kiora The LastDragon Age universe. A Chasind Grey Warden who is among the last of her tribe.
• Iliskra the CallousForgotten Realms universe. A half-elf thief (Arcane Trickster) with a cold streak and always a desire for more.
• 碇ナツミ (Ikari Natsumi)Historical Fiction. The daughter of a minor Samurai clan head and younger sister to his heir. She and her brother are thrust into the tumultuous events of the Sengoku Jidai.
(NOTE: The dagger is mostly for a situation of exigency.)
Outfit
Colyne wears a unique set of leather armor gifted to her when she joined the Crusaders. Aside from this her only other wardrobe consists of simple robes worn as a casual wear.
Consumables
Bottle of Argonian Bloodwine Potions of Antivenom (3) Strong Potion of Invisibility (1)
Colyne is of average height while maintaining a lean build from a life of martial training and adventuring. She has deep chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a strong jaw and high cheekbones. This and her slender frame have lead to remarks in the past on Colyne's mer heritage taking prominence, usually in jest. Her stern visage paired with her flat tone of voice tend to make her appear detached an uncaring, though she is anything but.
____________________________________________________________________________ MOTIVATION AND OUTLOOK
Colyne is devoted to serve the will of Stendarr. As a Crusader of Stendarr she protects the merciful god's holy sites, tends to the sick and needy, and eradicates heretics and evil when they are found. While she serves as an instrument of Stendarr Colyne also holds close the ideals of Mara as her mother was a devout follower of the goddess. The tenderness of Mara paired with the zeal and dedication to the God of Righteous Might and Merciful Forbearance has shaped Colyne into a vigorous and noble woman with an incorruptible outlook. While she can come off as somewhat stubborn she is willing to give ground in given circumstances, provided there is no outright insult or blasphemy against Stendarr involved. Her hard exterior encases an empathetic core that willfully seeks to aid those suffering or in need, be it through coin, healing magic, or her blade.
____________________________________________________________________________ HISTORY
Colyne Valcal was born in Wayrest in 3E 395, the daughter of a a simple shopkeeper and his wife. While her family bore no luxury they lived decently enough, none of them ever going hungry and always having clothes to wear and a roof over their head. Colyne’s mother was a devotee of Mara and raised the young girl on the teachings of Mara’s compassion. Her father - wanting better for his daughter - hoped for Colyne to marry a promising young man that could give her a future, not wanting her to live as a penniless shopkeep like himself.
Colyne had no real friends as a child due to her shy nature and her doting parents keeping a tight reign on her. She had no hobbies aside from reading, entertaining herself with the history and legends of Tamriel from Saint Alessia to Tiber Septim. As Colyne aged she grew more confident and outspoken, her coy nature shedding away with maturity. Her parents while proud of her often worried, Colyne had no discernible interests or skills and she had shown more than once a revulsion to the idea of marriage. As time passed Colyne’s mother doubled her efforts into reminding the girl of the benevolent will of Mara and the importance of family and community, in time seemingly making progress in tempering the fierce spirit of her daughter. With any luck she would make a fine strong wife to a good husband that could offer her a future beyond what her parents could.
When Colyne was eighteen her mother was taken by vampires, members of one of the clans of the Iliac Bay. Colyne would later be informed of her mother’s death at the hands of the fiends, an innocent random victim plucked away while visiting a friend outside of Wayrest. A morsel for an abomination to slake his thirst on. The devastation of the news sent her father into a deep despair. Colyne was likewise heartbroken but also enraged, disgusted that someone as good of heart and soul as her mother would suffer at the hands of such a monster. She spent days stewing, at first she blamed Mara for forsaking her servant, then herself and her father, then others. Not long after the funeral Colyne was approached by Ser Dorhon, a Crusader of Stendarr and one of the men who hunted down the vampires that had taken Colyne’s mother having been tracking them for weeks before. His offer of prayer and donation however was turned aside and the young Colyne instead asked to join the Crusaders of Stendarr. Dorhon - wary of her motivation - warned Colyne against making such a decision from a state of loss and retaliation. Colyne retorted that it wasn’t for herself that she wished to take up this path, or even for her mother, but for justice and right. Dorhon felt her naive and speaking rashly but considered still, seeing a fire in her eyes that was something other than a directionless desire for vengeance. The Crusader said that if Colyne could gain her father’s blessing he would take her with him and present her to his order. Colyne spent a week deliberating with her father, often the two devolving into bouts of shouting, the shopkeeper unwilling to risk his daughter having lost his wife. In the end Colyne would not be dissuaded and her father - head hung - gave in, informing Ser Dorhon that he had permission to take Colyne along when he next left Wayrest.
Colyne left with Ser Dorhon for Cyrodiil and thus her life as a servant of Stendarr began it's course. The Crusader took it upon himself to train Colyne, drilling her rigorously in swordsmanship and teaching her in the school of restoration. He also educated Colyne in the history of Stendarr, the other divines, Oblivion and Daedra, and the Empire and Tamriel on the whole. When not with Ser Dorhon Colyne spent time with the priests of Stendarr practicing meditation and practicing her healing arts. Colyne would soon be accepted into the ranks of the Crusaders and a fine addition she would make.
It has been twenty years since Colyne left High Rock and walking the path of Stendarr's righteous has taught her much; humility, dedication, loyalty, and a burning sense of justice. Through it all she has held on to what her mother taught her as a child, seeing these lessons of Mara as memoirs as much as personal morals. When not busy with her duties Colyne visits her father in Wayrest as she is able, his initial fear of her life as a Crusader has been replaced with a sense of pride, both in his daughter's accomplishments and the fine woman she has become. She leaves him money to put into his shop which he has managed to hold on to, despite his usual protests she always reminds him "Stendarr says give to the needy". Colyne's service as a Crusader has lead her to many places across High Rock, Cyrodiil, Hammerfell, and even the fringes of Skyrim. Be she partaking in exorcisms of evil, transporting coin or important missives for her order, or merely offering herself forth as a tool of aid to those in need.
____________________________________________________________________________ RELATIONSHIPS AND OPINIONS
Aside from her father and Ser Dorhon, Colyne has several companions among the faithful.
- Areldur, a Crusader, is a longtime colleague of Colyne’s with whom she shares a history predating his time at the Chapel of Stendarr. - Orag gra-Bargul, an acolyte who staffs the Chapel along with Areldur, is another close friend of Colyne’s. In past visits she and the Orsimer woman have shared many long conversations that would last into the evening hours over wine, the Breton finding her to be good company. - And then there is Verome, a wandering priest of Arkay that Colyne has traveled with in past visits to Cyrodiil, once even helping him out down a necromancer that has disturbed a graveyard with his foul magics.
Aside from her hardline religious views Colyne is loyal to the Empire and it's founding principles and laws and holds a deep respect for Tiber Septim's line. While serving her god is foremost in her life she would just as well raise her blade against anything that threatened the Empire.
Character Flaws: While her fierce piety for Stendarr can be seen by many as noble and pure many could easily call Colyne very linear and confined in nature, even a militant. Though not brutal or heartless Colyne has no patience for corruption and injustice of any sort and is hard to steer away when such is spotted. She heeds by the laws of the Empire and it's various provinces but has found herself tempted before to cross boundaries to act on what she sees as a necessity of duty, thus far she has managed to overcome the temptation.
Norovah T’zana was born on Illium in 2453 GSY (1874 CE) to an asari and a turian male, her father a security consultant and former turian military and her mother a stockbroker in Nos Astra. Just after her sixtieth birthday Norovah’s father passed away, her only other immediate family being her mother and several cousins who lived in Nos Astra.
After her father’s death Norovah spent the next few decades drifting between professions both menial and more involved. Public transportation, corporate representation, trade floor supervision, and even waitressing. Around the age of one hundred and twenty she tried her hand at being a broker like her mother but never found it to her liking. Feeling the desire to see the rest of the galaxy Norovah instead signed on with a volus trader as engine maintenance and served aboard his ship for around twelve years.
During her final year aboard the volus ship one of Norovah’s cousins had moved off of Nos Astra and traveled to Thessia and joined the military. A few years later in between jobs the same cousin invited Norovah to visit her on Thessia and would later attempt to sway her into joining the military. Initially hesitant Norovah consulted the rest of her family and with their ultimate support - and seeking a sense of duty and long term devotion and stability - Norovah joined the military at the age of one hundred and thirty-four. She would soon be among the ranks of the legendary asari commandos.
For the next century Norovah served with honor and pride, rising through the ranks of the commandos. Her accreditation would eventually catch the attention of the Citadel Council who added her to their list of potential Spectre candidates. With the necessary approvals Norovah underwent Spectre training and was regularly evaluated. In time the Council came to the consensus that Norovah was perfect for the Spectres and she was accepted into their ranks. For over seventy years she has served the Council faithfully and has established a reputation as being efficient and always capable of getting the job done.
Norovah T’zana can be described as “fair and just, but cynical and crass”. While not heartless or cold her decades with the commandos and Spectres both have hardened her. Military discipline and stringency have made her very professional and no nonsense, aside from the occasional peevish or sarcastic remark. Norovah is very competitive by nature and dislikes to be beaten or even heavily contested, having a self-created image of herself as being among the best. Capable and renowned as she is there is no denying that the otherwise dry and exact act asari has a streak of arrogance about her.
The M-9 Tempest has a high rate of fire and damaging impact and is effective against shields and biotic barriers though inaccurate at long range. It has a high capacity magazine and can be fired in both short bursts or fully automatic making it an ideal suppressing weapon. Norovah’s weapon is modded with disruptor rounds which further adds to it’s already heavy impact on shields.
Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control the Predator is valued as a powerful, deadly, and relatively inexpensive weapon. It’s strong against armor though relatively weak against kinetic barriers. A valued sidearm for Norovah with an attachable suppressor and a laser sighting.
The Mantis is a powerful bolt-action sniper rifle able to take out most targets in a single shot. Incredibly accurate at long range it’s but rate of fire is slow. Effective against armor but weaker against shields and biotic barriers. Norovah favors this weapon in particular for scouting and infiltration missions, her own modded with an enhanced scope and disruptor rounds to increase damage to kinetic barriers.
Norovah wears a full set of Serrice Council armor modded with boosted kinetic shielding. The shield boost itself allows for stronger kinetic barriers capable of enduring more heavy fire though the drawback is it takes more time to recharge in full when depleted.
Already a skilled biotic as an asari, Norovah’s abilities are furthered by the top tier Prodigy implant, a creation of the Armali Council.
A hybrid of a Human and Au’tori union, Vashti exhibits physical traits of both species. Her most telling features are her pointed ears and her height, standing exactly six feet tall (unusual for most human women). Both are traits inherited from her Au’tori father. Her skin and hair however are far darker than any pure blood Au’Tori who by rule have pearlescent white flesh and lighter hair colors ranging from a medium blonde to a “snow white” equivalent to their skin.
One might call Vashti’s physique “chiseled”. Her body while not brutish is lean in build, her arms and back riveted by cords of muscle from a lifetime of living as a rogue and fending for herself. Vashti’s graceful form is heavily marked with tattoos particularly on her arms, back, and abdomen. Most of her tattoos are purely for a personal aesthetic style while some carry meanings in their own which of course she keeps to herself.
Her visage is more like that of an Au’Tori; a narrow sharp chin, a shapely jaw, and prominent cheekbones. Her eyes are a capturing ice blue and when paired with her tight-lipped resting face gives her otherwise impish face a no-nonsense severity.
Personality Description
Vashti is often described as confident, independent, and at times aggressive. She is not without whimsy or bouts of humor, rarely missing an opportunity to make a sarcastic quip or joke. She is loyal by nature to both partners and employers though she believes in keeping things professional, often diverting from any possibility of an extended relationship of any kind beyond business.
Goals
For the most part Vashti is just looking to get by, to make a living and secure a comfortable future for herself in the decades to come. This free range plan for life has lead her to a very loose attitude regarding work and methods of self-sufficiency thus giving her a resume of various “pursuits” over the years. This includes smuggling, cybercrime, drug dealing, and even lifeform trafficking. When an opportunity arises she takes it without second thought, all for the bank.
Armor and Weapons
Armor Specifics: Medium armor capable of defending wearer from multiple shots/laser blasts as well as small explosions. Susceptible to EMP blasts and extreme heats that may melt electronics.
Helmet has a short range radio transmitter as well as night vision and thermal vision abilities. Magnetic boots for scaling and helmet allows for breathing in toxic environments or environments lacking in oxygen, including underwater.
M-3 Scattergun: A short-barreled retractable shotgun capable of firing four slugs before reload. While inaccurate at medium and long range it is very deadly in close quarters and contained areas such as hallways and small rooms. Vashti’s scattergun has modified incendiary rounds that can melt through thin metal as well as combat armor and armor plating on wild animals.
Phoenix Blaster Pistol: Made by Braveth-Tech the Phoenix is a sizable semi-automatic heavy blaster pistol capable of firing up to thirty shots before needing a new power cell. Popular among bounty hunters and other drifters the Phoenix is a reliable and well chosen sidearm for any who need such a weapon.
C-4: Small sticks of plastic explosives with a punishing blast that causes heavy damage to any structure.
”Shock Bombs”: Grenades that release a powerful EMP pulse within a twenty foot radius. Capable of disabling organic beings, synthetics, and small vehicles.
When Artemisia first awoke on the operating table she had no recollection of who she was, no memories to reach for, and no sense of identity or belonging. Restrained and in an agonizing pain she found that her arms and legs had been replaced at the elbows and knees with cybernetic limbs. Her insides throbbed, her head pounded like a drum, and her muscles burned with every slight movement. Less than an hour after her awakening the scientists came, six men in white lab coats who had been ogling at her from behind cameras and one way windows.
Their message was clear and precise; “you are a weapon.” According to the scientists Artemisia was a willing subject for a privately sponsored project, it’s goal to create the perfect cyborg. Faster, stronger, more precise, and more calculating than any mere mortal. Artemisia of course is not her real name, her entire identity lost to her during the traumatic experience of the operation and adaption to her new cybernetics. The scientists only stated that she was former law enforcement and was in a severe accident that cost her both legs and left one of her arms mangled beyond healing, as well as rendered other serious injuries. She was approached by a man who made her the offer - laying out all the details as to what she would become and what her new purpose would be. Rather than live life handicapped and barely functional Artemisia - or rather whom she was before - took the offer.
She was declared dead and a casket containing a cadaver was buried in a false grave and thus the cyborg enforcer Artemisia was born. Heavily armed, dangerous, and obedient to her new directors she serves as a vigilante punisher, tasked with taking down corrupt organizations, powerful criminal syndicates, and rogue agencies when ordered. She has no past or other life, only the future her superiors seek to build. A future that transcends elected officials, governments, and nations.
ABILITIES
CYBERNETICS | SUPER STRENGTH
Her cybernetic arms and legs have given Artemisia increased strength beyond that of normal people, easily capable of snapping someone’s arm or - with enough exertion - pulling it off. Likewise she can deliver devastating punches and kicks. Due to the amount of strength in her cybernetic legs she can leap up to twenty feet and likewise run faster than the average human being.
Artemisia’s torso, shoulders, cranium, and forehead are protected by metallic plates beneath the skin that can deflect small arms fire and most any melee attacks.
WEAPON(S)
While her super strength and armor plated form alone make Artemisia a force to be reckoned with she prefers to remain armed with a pair of .45 ACP pistols. Artemisia is an adept markswoman with almost uncanny depth perception and a steady aim under pressure.
Special Talent: Persuasive. Stella is very well spoken and knows how to navigate her way through a conversation, be it simply to make the discourse flow, make an appeal, or otherwise just get her way. One could even say she is a good liar though Stella likes to think of it as just being verbally flexible and convincing.
Profession: Waitress at Shogun Sushi
Bio & Personality: Stella is best described as polite, witty, learned, and courteous though at times private and even outright distant. She was born in Tokyo on February of nineteen sixty-three to an American father and a Japanese mother, her father Roger was a veteran of the Second World War and nearly twice her mother’s age. Stella and her mother Sakai lived in poverty and when Stella was four her mother wrote to Roger who had moved back to America and was now living in Delta City, appealing that he help get Stella to the United States.
Stella’s father would help get both Stella and her mother to the United States though he refused to take them in and continue his relationship with Sakai as he had an American wife and children. Sakai spent the next twelve years working long hours at two different jobs to provide for herself and her daughter. When Stella was sixteen her mother died of a stroke from chronic stress and high blood pressure. Roger immediately after reached out to his estranged daughter and offered to let her stay with him and his wife to which the young and embittered Stella swallowed her pride and agreed to. While Roger worked to accommodate and help his daughter his wife cared little for Stella who was after all a product of Roger’s infidelity while he was stationed in Japan. She made life miserable for Stella in every little way she could and she and her husband fought frequently over the next two years. At eighteen when Stella graduated high school her grades were too poor for scholarships to pay for college. Roger offered to help pay for Stella’s schooling despite the outrageous protests from Roger’s wife.
In nineteen eighty-one Stella left Delta City for the upper east coast where she would study at a liberal arts college. She made several friends and was introduced to rock music along the lines of AC/DC, Kiss, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin and also took a liking to The Beach Boys, a surf band. Marijuana and alcohol also a new aspect to her life and before long the young student began to slowly neglect her studies and instead became more interested in a fast life of partying. She also frequented rallies against government activity and meddling in foreign countries as well as various civil rights protests on campus as well as off.
In the spring of nineteen eighty-three Roger would die in a car accident at the age of fifty-eight, the autopsy report later saying his accident was caused by a heart attack while at the wheel. Stella returned home for the funeral, her father’s will leaving her little as most of his possessions and money went to his wife and their two sons. Depressed, disoriented, and dissatisfied with her waning performance at school Stella dropped out of college and moved into a small apartment back in Delta City leaving her unfinished studies behind. She would spend the next few years bouncing between jobs ranging from cafe waitress to clerk with her inheritance and leftover college money on the side keeping her afloat. All the while maintaining her interest in select literature and studies - and drug habits - on the side.
Despite the rough ride that life has been so far Stella has for the most part kept her spirit and maintained a healthy optimistic persona. While sometimes seemingly disconnected or even cold she is loyal to the few friends she has and reminds herself that she has the potential to make life better, even after her stumbles. Still her struggles do wear her down at times and she descends into alcohol and drug abuse in spurts as a last “therapeutic front”. This has often lead her to keeping questionable company in recent years. Paired with her persuasive persona Stella has also at times shown to be somewhat flirtatious though typically just as a last ditch attempt when her charisma come short of necessary outcome.
Your characters favorite song(s):
Recent History: As of two months ago Stella began working at Shogun Sushi as a waitress. The pay is decent enough that she can afford rent and other expenses though just barely, leaving little money for any sort of extra luxury or treat. She also recently ended a long term relationship with her now ex-boyfriend due to abuse both verbal and physical. Her drug usage hasn’t picked up in a while but that is mostly due to how tight her funds are at the moment.
In her spare time she has been taking to the gym, Mandarin Park, and the library when she can. For now she is simply trying to maintain a certain stability while Focusing on saving what little money she can for her future, whatever it may hold.
Demeanor | Charming, sociable and polite. Fiercely loyal to his noble house and people.
Sexual Orientation | Bisexual
Short Background: Varzael Kadrih is the youngest child and only son of Dracerth and Ibse Kadrih. As the heir of his noble house all his life he was given only the best of everything, that ranging from tutelage and martial training to his wardrobe and diet. As the youngest and the only son he was doted on by his mother and a favorite for his father. While Varzael was close with his three sisters at youth this relationship frayed with age and eventually came apart at the seams, today the three sneering at him from the shadows with toxic envy and hate while facading as caring and devoted siblings.
When he came of age at eighteen Varzael’s father began taking him to the grand balls and other lavish events of their great city of Neular. This exposed the young Varzael to the higher nobility and also gave him practice in the grand game of social and political climbing in the city. Initially just an observer he was soon thrust into the game at the age of twenty-two when his father entrusted to Varzael the privilege of acting as a face for the Kadrih house.
The young dark elf with his high education, witty charisma, and handsome looks made him a popular invite and as the years passed he became one of the sharper players of the courtly politics of Neular, winning for his house many allies and cutting deals that filled their coffers. Granted he faced more than his fair share of stumps early on as well as continued dangers. Varzael’s martial training has helped fend off more than a few assassination attempts and his silvery tongue and quick wit have staved many false accusations and generally angry nobles all while winning him further pull and support. To Varzael noble politics has long become something more than a necessity to keep his house noticed and afloat, it has truly become a great game of decadence and intrigue that he plays with a thrill.
Charming: A near irresistible power of hypnosis playing upon both the victim in question’s mind and emotions alike. Specifically their lust and desires, be they base carnal longings or a desire for power or status in life. One can lust after many things after all though Jael has always had a concreted preference for playing on the sexuality element of human lust. Typically for cheap entertainment and amusement though these days she has begun to wonder if she is just wasting her power...
Flame Casting: The fires of Hell course through Jael’s blood enabling her to use fire attacks. She can cast torrents of scorching inferno that can incinerate the unfortunate mortal and easily set buildings and other structures ablaze.
PERSONALITY
Jael is everything one would expect from a succubus; alluring, charming in voice and manner, and strangely convincing even outside of employing her power. She has a whimsical sense of humor that has a sick edge to it, especially when humans are expended at her whim and pleasure. True to nature of a half-blood demoness of lust, she has a forward and aggressive flirtatious side which holds no exclusivity.
BIOGRAPHY
The daughter of the demon Asmodeus and a Satanic occult head Jael was born into the realm of mortals. Jael's mother was sacrificed moments after the birthing and offered to Asmodeus as a thanks to him. Jael was raised and educated by the cult in the seclusion of their sanctuary. At eighteen Jael charmed and manipulated a lowly initiate of the cult to murder the rest of the cultist in their sleep and burn them as a sacrifice to her father.
The cultist did so in hope of the blessing of Jael and her father. When the pyre was lit and the collective dead torched Jael then had sex with the initiate. In the climactic moment Jael slit his throat and then threw his bloodied body into the inferno with his dead brethren. Impressed, Asmodeus gave his daughter her own companion - a familiar from the demon realm itself. Jael set the entire sanctuary ablaze and then departed with her new familiar to stalk the earth.
These days Jael works as a stripper and in her spare time seduces and manipulates humans to commit murders and acts of general cruelty and depravity. When not doing this she takes her familiar for walks on the beach and in the woods to sadistically maul campers and outdoor enthusiasts.
PROFILE: Necia Lacunza was born in 2251 on the outskirts of Dayglow in the New California Republic, the only child to a store owner and his wife. Necia was six when her father was killed in a robbery gone wrong, her mother unable to keep the store open had to make a living for herself and her daughter working at a cafe. As she grew into her teens Necia began to mingle with bad crowds and began drinking and taking chems, her new lifestyle and friends fraying her relationship with her mother. The woman stretched thin at her job struggled to keep a reign on her rebellious child. Life running the streets taught Necia many skills, select of which were less than noble - gunfighting, brawling, lock picking, and pickpocketing were just some of the “talents” she would learn.
When Necia was twenty-two she and three of her cohorts were arrested and implicated for illegal chem dealing, burglary, petty theft, and blackmail. The day before her trial Necia’s mother visited her and, after a tear-ridden bout, disowned her daughter. At the trial Necia was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to fifteen years of incarceration. She would only serve four of those years however, making her escape in 2277 when the prison caravan transporting her north to finish out her sentence was attacked. While not the target of the apparent breakout Necia managed to take advantage of the chaos of the attack, killing two guards and escaping into the wastes. Desperate to escape NCR territory and jurisdictions Necia fled east.
The wastelands teach their own lessons of course and the fight for survival hardens those who succeed. Since her escape from the NCR Necia has gotten by as a hunter, scavenger, and even a bandit for a short time. Recently she has taken to being a gun-for-hire, a dangerous profession but plenty of caps and cash to be made for one who can prove their worth and keep sharp.
“Life and unlife share something in common - both hold never ending struggles to be at the top.”
• Sex | Female
• Age When Turned | 26
• Current Age | 60
• Height | 177.8 cm (5’10”)
• Weight | 58.9 kg (130 lbs)
Personality
Casna Valentin is best described as cold, bloody, and scheming. Even in her youngest days as a child of the night, after being adopted into House Valentin, she was always the active plotter. Never missing a chance to gain the favor of the patron of their house even at the expense of the rest her family if need be. While not so foolish or disconnected to as kill or even maul another of her clan she is no stranger to blackmail or other intrigues. Casna is not without connections and even close friends however. Despite her elitist outlook on mortals and vampires beneath her status she has many contacts, most in other houses however and some among the commanders of the Crimson Legion. Casna knows that having the support of the men of the kingdoms’ standing army is a fine boon and is willing to overlook her sneering disdain for mortals to gather the bodies needed. She has not totally alienated herself from her own house, having a few close ties among the family while the rest she sees obstacles.
Despite her cruel and backstabbing nature Casna is loyal and devoted to those who call her a friend and offer their hand in support to her, both in large and small endeavors. She is the worst type to call a foe but the closest and most trustworthy ally to those whom have earned her trust and sworn their loyalty.
Casna Valentin spent her mortal life as a peasant in a foreign kingdom, begging for food and coin during the day and sleeping in barns and alleyways by night. At times when truly desperate the ragged girl would linger around taverns and inns offering her body in exchange for sustenance, more often than not being given only mocking laughter and strikes to the ground as payment after the deed was done. Her entire life was misery and frequently she considered suicide, hopping in front of a carriage or stepping off a bridge, her suffering done. Were it not for the fear and uncertainty of the afterlife she would have no doubt ended it all.
One night in her mid twenties Casna was approached by a man clad in black who saw her scraping through a trash heap for stray bits of food. Pitying the beggar girl he offered to take her to his home and in exchange for the services of a maid she would be well fed, clothed, and have a warm bed to sleep in every night. Casna did not even have to consider, the cold, starving husk of a woman agreeing to his offer. With a glittering smile the man took her aboard his carriage and the two departed together.
The ride was long and lasted well into the early morning hours. The ebony four horse carriage arrived at a towering stone estate far to the north. The beggar was taken inside and it was there that the man revealed who he was - or rather what he was. A vampire, a blood drinking fiend of the night as the tales went, forsaken by all that was holy and embraced by evil. Casna attempted to flee only to be wrested to the ground as the devil sank his teeth into her flesh, draining her of her life essence.
Casna’s breaths were slow and ragged, her heart hammered furiously and her body felt cold and numb after the creature had his fill. As she prepared to somberly embrace the blackness of death the vampire spoke, his offer simple - “Join my house, become part of my family, and everlasting life and power over the world of mortals will be yours.”
Any sane and normal person would have turned down the creature’s offer, embracing death over unlife and walking in the shadows with the accursed. But Casna was no normal person, she was a hapless beggar whose entire existence had been fraught with pain and suffering. She had always wanted more, to be happy, these feelings often twisted with embitterment and hate for those greater than her. That is when she was not hopelessly depressed. And now this immortal being of immense power offered to share his power with her, to give her a new beginning and the chance to for once be the one that others bowed down to and begged at her feet. And so Casna took the offer and joined the vampire and his house, the Valentin, and has never looked back. She embraces all that the life of a vampire has given her and she has found that she only wants more.
Personal Effects
• Shortsword • Full Plate Armor (Pictured above.) • House Valentin Signet Ring • Map of Arocuria • Silver Chalice • Book of the Drained
NAME; To any who would ask this Qunari woman her name she is “Asaara”. She has no “birth name” as is custom among those raised by the Qun, her existence marked by a mere jumble of numbers and lettering. This name was not chosen by her but given by comrades of the past and it is a name she clings to.
- -
PERSONALITY; Asaara is somewhat more whimsical and charismatic than most of her kind, of course this can be attributed to her time with the Ben-Hassrath. As a member of the Dangerous Questions branch of the Ben-Hassrath she has been among human and to some extent elven society more than most of her kind giving her a more open approach to humans and other races not of the Qun. Despite this outward friendly nature to be seen Asaara also has a cold streak which can be seen by enemies and allies alike and she is without hesitation in killing anyone that may be a liability to her causes and pursuits.
- -
SHORT BACKGROUND; Asaara was born in Qunandar, the capital city of Par Vollen in the Qunari heartland. When she came of age she was assigned to the Ben-Hassrath where she would be placed in the Dangerous Questions branch, these agents being charged with spying, interrogation, espionage, and assassination. Asaara proved to be swift of foot and a capable fighter, her marksmanship making her a dangerous force on the battlefield. She showed a pension for ambushes and guerrilla tactics which lead her to many successes against Tevinter units.
Believing her talents wasted fighting in the jungles of Seheron and interrogating captured Tevinter soldiers, the Viddasala granted Asaara the rank and duty of Tallis - assassin. The Viddasala would keep Asaara close at hand due to her resourcefulness and only dispatches her when she feels no others are capable of handling a task. While “assassin” is Asaara’s technical role among those of the Qun she also is called upon for scouting, information gathering, and interrogation of bas.
____________________________________________________________________________ SHORT BACKSTORY
Darth Wodyra was taken as an orphan from her home world of Wayland as an infant and was trained to be a Sith at the Korriban Sith Academy, gaining the title of “Darth” at an impressively young age. She had a strong connection to the Force and was a recognized master of the Juyo fighting style, none of her peers ever able to match her.
When Revan attacked Korriban Wodyra’s master was killed as were many of those close to her. During the infighting that broke out among the Sith after the death of Darth Malak Wodyra left Korriban and the Sith behind and took to the stars.
Around the time when Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion were working to reunite the Sith - roughly a year after the infighting that tore out on Korriban - Wodyra arrived on the planet of Cathar in the Outer Rim. She would meet the native feline Cathar people who had suffered greatly during the Mandalorian Wars and been forced to endure enslavement for many years. Wodyra would come to find them still being exploited by squabbling pirate bands and slave traders. Many of her newfound Cathar friends recognized the Sith for her battle prowess and beseeched she do something - anything - to help. Little detail is known about how Wodyra would come to rally all the people of Cathar to rise against their oppressors or how or why they would trust her to lead in the Cathar liberation - be it genuine trust or her Dark Side influence. Regardless of intent or motive Wodyra would come to be idolized by the Cathar - even after revealing her affiliation to the Dark Side and the Sith.
As the last of the brigands were killed or driven off Cathar Wodyra would reprise her title as Darth Wodyra - having been using a fake name early on - and become a matriarchal leader figure for the Cathar who stood with her. All the Cathar chieftains and religious figures recognize her power and authority and have sworn allegiance to the Sith. Many refer to her as “the World Queen” or “the Hairless Queen”. Only those closet to the Sith refer to her by her true title.
Amina stands roughly average height and has a slim but “chiseled” physique from years of training and military service. Her skin and hair are a deep brown color and her eyes an almond shade. She keeps her hair cut shoulder length and more often that not tied back in a tight bun at the lower back of her skull. Amina wears no makeup or any accessories save for the lucky coin she has around her neck as a pendant. Her sense of style outside of her military duds is basically non-existent, always plain casual clothing of cheap brands.
Amina has been often described as “neutral”. While adequately polite - usually - she maintains a reserved demeanor, keeping most interactions simple and straight to any business. She has something of a grim, cynical sense of humor which can lead to a cracked smile here or there though most of the time her visage is a stoney as a statue. That is not to say she does not have a tender side, Amina is just very careful with whom she makes herself vulnerable to and is conservative with any affections she has.
B A C K G R O U N D
Amina Galal was born on the planet Terra Nova just after the first colonists arrived - her parents among them. Amina’s father was an engineer and her mother an agronomist, both seeking an exciting new life beyond the sprawls of Earth. The family lived in what was at the time a small frontier outpost not far from the new capital of Scott.
When the First Contact War with the Turians broke out it shook all of humanity to say the least, Amina still just a swaddled infant as her parents watched the news bulletins aghast. After the Council stepped in and the three month conflict ended Amina’s father was among the contractors who aided in the reconstruction efforts on Shanxi and he saw firsthand the destruction wrought by the Turians. This paired with endless stories of the aliens’ brutality lead to an early stage of fear of those beyond the boundaries of humanity which would greatly affect Amina’s mentality on alien beings in the years to come.
Over the next decade Amina’s family continued to live on Terra Nova and well at that, her parents’ respective professions and aptitude making them invaluable members of the growing colonial effort. Amina herself performed well in school and was very well liked by her teachers and peers. The family had also welcomed a second child, Zahir, Amina’s younger brother by five years.
In 2071 the colony of Mindoir is attacked by Batarians, many humans are killed without mercy and those who are not are taken away as slaves. That next year the Batarians in protest of human expansion into the Skyllian Verge break ties with the Council and many fear a full scale conflict between the Systems Alliance and Batarian Hegemony is nigh. Amina’s parents by this point have become paranoid that Terra Nova would be the target of another Batarian slave raid or razed in a possible war with the Batarians. The following year the family of four depart Terra Nova and Amina finds herself thrust into the bustle of the home world of humanity, her parents buying a home in North America after moving all their assets to Earth.
In 2175, at age nineteen, Amina decide to join the Systems Alliance despite the protests of her parents who had grown more afraid of the galaxy beyond Sol, past events paired with more recent ones - such as the disappearance of the MSV Hugo Gernsback that same year. At the time Amina’s father was doing poorly for contract work and her mother was not making enough at her new job to pay the bills. Amina wanted to attend university but had no scholarships and the family could not spare the additional funds for her to go. The Alliance meanwhile had a program that offered to fully pay for university following a period of enlistment, many of Amina’s friends and acquaintances taking the opportunity. Despite the falling out with her parents Amina enlisted and was soon wearing an Alliance uniform, proudly at that.
Despite her former ambitions, and underlying worries, Amina Galal soon discovered that she was in fact very cut out for military life. She had gotten through training with high marks and was instated as an official Alliance Marine, stationed aboard the SSV Morlaix, a York class cruiser. Though still concerned for her well-being Amina’s parents were proud of her achievement, her brother Zahir saying he wanted to join the Alliance someday much to their parents’ chagrin. As the months passed Amina began to develop a sort of “patriotic” attitude about the Systems Alliance and the role it would play in spreading humanity across the stars, aliens or no aliens. Her captain was a firebrand with open disdain for Turians and certainly for Batarians, his sharp rhetoric often enough settling deep within Amina. “We are the newcomers on the galactic stage,” he would say, “the Turians, Asari, Batarians, Salarians - they all feel threatened by us. They know we can do in a generation what has taken them several and they will not hesitate to curtail us. One day they may all try.”
And then came the Skyllian Blitz in 2176. Batarian pirates organize and launch a massive offensive on the planet of Elysium, Alliance ground forces repelling the assault after a relentless and brutal battle. Amina and her squad were among the cleanup crews sent down to the planet to mop up or detain any scattered pirate forces after. Elysium had been pummeled by the pirate attack, the destruction reminded Amina of the stories her father told of Shanxi. So much death and mayhem and once again at the hands of aliens with the Council showing little empathy for the damage done. Amina was promoted after Elysium and given her own unit, but no accolade could rinse the gruesome images of Elysium from her mind or positively alter her ever-growing outlook on those that humans were sharing a galaxy with.
In 2180 a friend of Amina’s was arrested for connections to Cerberus. Amina had of course heard of Cerberus before, a shadowy former black op allegedly with a human centric basis that went rogue and began carrying out various actions across the galaxy. These actions ranging from destruction of alien installations to assassinating political officials, including human politicians that had an “appeasement approach” to the Council and other species. While Amina was loyal to the Systems Alliance she had over the years become somewhat disgruntled with the bureaucracy of the Alliance Parliament and the constant groveling of Ambassador Udina and other officials at the feet of the Council. The activities of Cerberus may have been terroristic and often seemed self-destructive without a doubt, but their basic motive of “humanity first” paired with the involvement of a close friend of hers was enough to give Amina pause - pause enough to take the time to read the manifesto of the “Illusive Man”.
It was just after the attack on Eden Prime in 2183 that Amina was approached by Cerberus, her name passed along to them by an unknown source aboard the Morlaix. When they made the offer to Amina to join their fold Amina initially considered reporting it, after all being contacted by a declared terrorist cell was something someone did not just ignore with a wave off. For whatever reason though she kept mum in the end and merely cut contact with the Cerberus operative who had tracked her down. It was after the attack on the Citadel however that Amina found herself truly questioning her place in the Alliance after so many years. Commander Shepard, a renowned Alliance hero, had saved the Citadel from the Geth attack after being grounded by Udina and the Council. Then after Shepard was declared dead several months later in an attack their warnings about an impending galactic threat were purged thanks to both Council and Alliance Parliament. And then when the first of the Terminus colonies went dark - due to the Collectors it was later discovered - the Alliance did nothing and blamed it on pirates and slavers. This was the final straw for Amina; a human colony and all of its people abducted but because it lay outside of Alliance political and military jurisdiction it was considered not a priority. Amina scrounged up the line for the Cerberus contact from before and showed her interest in joining as well as wanting to be free of the Alliance. When the SSV Morlaix harbored itself on the Citadel next Amina went AWOL and left with her Cerberus contact who took her to Cronos Station straightaway. Due to her prowess as a squad leader and her combat abilities Amina was given command of a Cerberus team and given immediate assignment.
Amina spent the next two years with Cerberus, mostly doing security detail for Cerberus facilities and escorting Cerberus personnel and resources between locations. Occasionally she and her team would be given special assignment and always performed to the highest expectation, the Illusive Man himself commenting that they were “among humanities’ finest”.
Just after the destruction of the Collector base by the resurrected Shepard Amina would then part ways with Cerberus after the Illusive Man ordered Cerberus operatives be implanted with Reaper technology. Amina was beyond shocked at this initiative and saw this as a betrayal of everything Cerberus was built upon, believing that the Illusive Man had been corrupted by power or worse succumbed to Reaper indoctrination at some point. This fear was only worsened when project leaders and entire teams would go missing suddenly as time passed. For the second time Amina abandoned her post and after many years away returned to Earth. She wanted to contact her parents but could not for worry of them being targeted by Cerberus or somehow implicated in her defection to Cerberus years back. She knew the organization kept tabs on members families and close friends and the idea of her loved ones being arrested or killed because of her actions was too much to bare, so she merely laid low - acquiring a fake identity and getting by for the time being on credits saved away. All the while trying to figure out what to do next.
When the Reapers invaded the Earth Amina was in the New York metropolis at the time and got caught up in the fighting. Several days in she joined a resistance cell that formed up lead by Alliance military personnel. Though her identity was exposed soon after the resistance allowed her to stay and fight with them due to her skills in combat. Throughout the course of the war Amina’s cell remained in the New York State area, waging guerrilla warfare against the Reapers while rescuing human stragglers and destroying Reaper facilities and infrastructure. When the call went out to rally everyone in London Amina’s cell crossed the northern Atlantic and met the other forces in London. During the final battle she and her fellows provided support along the outer flanks while the main force pushed for the beam and ultimately managed to destroy the Reapers.
With the Reaper War now ended Amina looks to the future; to her own future, the future of humanity, and the future of the galaxy. Most importantly she wishes to track down her parents and brother whom she was never able to link up with through the conflict. She hangs on to the hope that they are alive and well and that as reconstruction is commenced she will find them, and if not all she can do is keep trudging ahead as she has always done.
M O T I V A T I O N
Amina has two motivations these days; to find her family and to stride forth into the future wether she makes any large mark upon it or not. Amina joined the SRN after the end of the Reaper War with the hopes that it would be different than the Alliance and Cerberus, that she could find a place with them and help to rebuild. That this time she could stay. With her family currently missing she has little else but to help those who can help Earth and prays that in the end she will find those she loves.
F L A W S
Amina’s biggest flaw is her human nationalist outlook and her open suspicion of all aliens, some species more than others. While Amina does not outright “hate” aliens she is of the stubborn mindset that they will help only themselves - and perhaps each other - but will never help humans for the sake of it. Even with all the species present in the battle for Earth Amina knows it was a multidirectional boon, the aliens were not fighting “for Earth” but to ultimately destroy the Reapers and save their own peoples. All the aliens now present on Earth, paired with the near genocide of humanity, have given Amina an angsty disposition that unless a human centered reconstruction effort is made Earth will in time become as alien in nature as the Citadel or the rest of the galaxy was/is.
Amina is a survivalist and can be prone to paranoia in dire situations, particularly when anyone she does not trust is involved.
M I S C
- She is of Afro-Arab descent, her mother is Arabic while her father is mixed Arab and African.
____________________________________________________________________________ SHORT BACKSTORY
Leena Aybin was born on Earth in the Istanbul metropolis area to a Turkish father and a Greek mother. Her father is an architect back on Earth and Leena has six older brothers - all of whom pursued various fields in academia or engineering and technology. Leena herself was encouraged from a young age to go into medicine or teaching however this was not the life she wanted. Leena wanted to see the galaxy at large and serve on the bolder front of expansion across the galaxy. When Leena finished with high school she turned aside all scholarships and instead enlisted in the Federation Marine Corps, much to the vocal disappointment of her parents and siblings.
Leena worked hard to make it in the Marines, putting in extra hours at the ranges and in the gym and focusing solely on the necessary study materials. She maintained a hard nosed exterior to avoid any distraction and drove away many prospective friendships in ensure she was nothing but a good marine in the end. Leena’s family never called or otherwise contacted her and despite her front of not caring it cut her deep. Unwilling to let her families’ disapproval shake her she kept her focus and shut out everything else until the end. Her instructors were impressed by her and always complimented her zealous attention and dedication in exercises. When Leena graduated her family was not present and her practice of keeping people away left her graduation feeling hollow, even with the chorus of applause for her - it was all courtesy after all. No jubilant shouts or whistling or airhorns for her, not like most of the others.
Years have passed since and Leena has clumb through the ranks. Her record is spotless, her performances always satisfactory, and she even received commendations and a big promotion when she oversaw the eradication of a large smuggling ring in the Anahita system. Leena now boasts the rank of Commander and in recent months was given her own command as part of the UTF Marine Corp Special Response Initiative put into place a year back. Leena is proud of herself and has come to believe that the neglect of her family and lack of connections with others when she was younger has paid off. Those under her command respect and seem to like her and superior officers never hesitate in saluting and shaking her hand - her reputation preceding her.
____________________________________________________________________________ SHORT BACKSTORY & PERSONALITY
Mira Feng was born in Lambour City to a Chinese father and a Jewish mother, the youngest of three children and the only daughter. Mira’s father was a real estate agent and her mother a nurse at a local health clinic. With two high earning parents Mira and her two older brothers had a very easy life growing up and more often than not had the best of everything - or at least close to it. Mira was close with her family, her mother was kind and attentive and her father a patient and dedicated parent if hard-spoken at times. Mira and her brothers were very tightly knit through their youth and well into their teenage years. As wonderful as things were though this ideal family would be shaken by tragedy.
When Mira was fifteen her father was gunned down after being held up in the street, the terrible happening leaving the entire family grief stricken to say the least. Mira’s mother particularly went into a spiraling depression and became more distant as she tried to focus on working to hold things together. Thankfully extended family on both sides stepped in to help, but no amount of financial and familial support would heal the scars left on the Feng family after the death of Mira’s father.
After graduating high school Mira’s brothers both went into respectable career fields, the elder becoming a real estate agent like his father and the younger a chemistry instructor at the University of Maine. Mira meanwhile went into law enforcement which was a blend of surprise but also a deeper understanding to those around her. On the death of her father - murdered in broad daylight - Mira had decided she wanted to go into law enforcement to serve the city, help protect the communities at large, and generally stop others from becoming victims of tragedies like her family was. All of the usual idealisms. After finishing police academy Mira would serve with Lambour City Police Department for four years before moving over to the Williams County Sheriff’s Department. In no time she made corporal and was soon after promoted to Investigator. However her growing abrasiveness and bullheaded approach would soon see her demoted back to corporal after stepping on the wrong superiors’ toes too many times.
Mira is a blunt, straightforward woman that has no tolerance for any kind of nonsense or beating around the bush. She likes to tackle problems head on though not stupidly, her ideal approach being a quick but tactful handling of any kind of situation. When quick is too dangerous she can settle on tactful alone and when tactful is too slow and the risks are not too severe she is more than willing to go for the quick direct approach. Her sometimes bombastic way of policing have earned her as much criticism as praise and she has been reprimanded before for “playing the hero”. Despite her aggressive and relentless demeanor regarding her duties as law enforcement Mira also has an empathetic and caring side, particularly towards her family and close friends. Mira Feng is the best of friends and the worst enemy to have.
P E R S O N A L I T Y: Dejah is a woman whose personality can be called “chaotically abstract”. She is abrasive and quite cynical about much but also has a taste for the thrills and rushes that Night City can offer, even if indulging in such can sometimes conflict with her own “morals” such as they are. She likes to think of herself as not so much a hypocrite but just someone with her own weaknesses pushed onto her by a fast moving and decadent city. Dejah is generally very tight-lipped and operates with a strictly business attitude, of course she does occasionally find those she considers worth her time and is willing to open up - the trick is them being able to put up with her.
While civil enough to those she is willing to place assurance in Dejah can be a challenge to deal with, mostly due to her sarcastic, barbing remarks and attitude and her rather unstable state of mind which can make her unpredictable at times. Dejah is severely afflicted with bipolar disorder as well as deep set PTSD which at times causes her to hear voices, sometimes hallucinate, and suffer vivid night terrors. When simply shaking it off or medication do not do the trick she resorts to alcohol and narcotics to send herself into a stupor. Or a good braindance to amp up positive stimulation.
Dejah has a strong loathing of corporations and the wealthy in general, her choice in contract kills nearly always against the elites of Night City and-or those close to them. She also never misses a chance to takes shots at or hoodwink the police due to them obviously being little more than a private militia to uphold the predatory status quo that keeps the masses in the gutters while preserving the power of the privileged minority. Often Dejah’s violent impulses can carry her to do unspeakable things to those she holds such animosity for - a demon she has to live with.
Dejah always strives to do the best in whatever she sets out to do while fighting off what plagues her mind and soul. Despite her fractured psyche, her selfish desire for cheap gratification and pleasure, and her fits of anger she likes to think that somewhere inside is a decent individual that has not totally succumbed to the cancers of Night City.
F L A W :Violent Tendencies - Dejah can when provoked, and when not, fly into violent rages committing ruthless acts and behaving recklessly.
F L A W :Paranoia - Dejah suffers from bouts of severe paranoia, usually when dealing with unknowns amid contracts and when crossing unusual people outside of “business”. This makes her often difficult to work with as a newcomer and encourages her to commit acts of treachery as a way of “beating to the punch”.
V I R T U E :Sympathetic to the Downtrodden - Growing up in the streets has made Dejah all too aware of the unfairness of the system and has ensured she has a comparably softer side towards those who are less fortunate.
V I R T U E :Diligent - Dejah puts full effort into anything she does being the driven individual that she is. “Do it right or do not bother.”
Augmentations/Cyberware: (1) Nasal Filter - Protective against breathable toxins and gases. (2) Adrenal Booster - Releases adrenal hormones on command.
Quickhacks;
Total Ram: 4
Short Circuit: (Rare)(Cost: 4 Ram) Non-Lethal Deals moderate Electrical damage to the target. Very effective against drones, mechs, and targets with a Weakspot. Applies an EMP effect to the target for 4 sec.
Sonic Shock (Rare)(Cost: 4 Ram) Deafens the target, reducing their ability to detect enemy sounds. Prevents the target from communicating with their allies about enemy activity.
Tadashi Ukita - Dejah’s mentor and an old friend of her fathers’ with whom she has an amiable relationship with. Glitzy (Sai Morata) - A sex worker Dejah has had an on and off romantic relationship with over the years. Amethyst (Jesse Wallace) - A higher up Mox member that often passes Dejah word on people looking for a hired killer. Dan Yi - The owner of a small bar and gambling den that Dejah frequents, the two’s relationship being something of a hot and cold acquaintanceship.
H I S T O R Y
Dejah is the “love child” of a ranking member of the Tyger Claws and a prostitute from Japantown with whom the man had regular relations with. Despite the circumstances of her conception and birth Dejah’s father did not abandon she and her mother, seeing them set up with a decent apartment and under the protection of the Tyger Claws. Along with a home and protected status Dejah’s father ensured that Dejah, her mother, and Dejah’s half sister Banira lived comfortably.
Dejah was seven years old when she lost everything. One night she awoke to the smell of smoke, coughing and gasping as she clumb from her bed. Staggering out into the hall she was met with a blinding orange light, fire danced across the floor and raced up the walls curling the wallpaper and scorching everything black. Dejah could barely see and her lungs filled with smoke as she struggled to call out to her mother and sister. She tried to run out the front door only to find it jammed, the windows were all too high to jump from and fire escape was blocked with rubble. Dejah rasped and screeched for help until Banira suddenly emerged through the flames, their mother nowhere to be seen. The two raced to the front door, Dejah’s older sister managing to break the door open just as the ceiling began to crumble down - Dejah slipping through while Banira was knocked to the floor and buried under debris. Banira shouted for Dejah to help pull her free, to grab her by the wrists and pull so she could slide her legs from under the smoldering rubble. Dejah was transfixed by the inferno that swallowed up their home as more of the ceiling broke apart and began raining down all around. Her heart raced and her body tingled with a rolling rush of terror that she remembers to this day. Overcome by fear Dejah turned and ran - she ran and did not look back. Banira’s despaired shouts turned to shrieks of agony that followed Dejah all the way down the stairs as she fled. Dejah could still here the screams when the firemen and rescuers showed up to curtail the fire, she could still here them at the hospital later that night and she heard them in the dreams of the long sleep she endured after the fire.
Twenty years later Dejah lives on but deeply scarred by the loss of her family. The severe mental and emotional trauma of the fire and the deaths of her loved ones caused her to suffer post traumatic stress having slipped into a coma for over a week after the event. Dejah would eventually be taken in by Tadashi Ukita, a close friend of her father whom Dejah learned had also perished in the fire that terrible night having apparently came over late to see she and Banira’s mother. The Tyger Claws were convinced the fire was no accident and that a rival had been responsible for the tragedy but no culprit was ever found. Tadashi raised Dejah as best he could and taught her how to shoot and trained her in martial arts, by age seventeen she had become a lethal individual. Despite having a new home and people to look after her Dejah never truly healed, remaining plagued with night terrors, sometimes manic episodes, and hearing voices on her worst of nights. Still, she did the best she could and always pushed to try and keep herself from truly going over the edge.
In 2067 Dejah would leave the Tyger Claws behind after the murder of Lizzie Borden and the following riots and rise of the Mox. Dejah had for a long time been aware of the ruthless streaks of many of the Tyger Claws, notably the lower ranking and younger male members. That said the events surrounding the death of Borden and the aftermath showed her just how cruel the Tyger Claws could be. Despite never actually being a member of the gang many members saw Dejah’s departure as a betrayal and for some time she had to lay low far away from Japantown. Eventually with the assurances of Tadashi she would return albeit outside of the Tyger Claws’ immediate sphere so to speak. To survive she employed herself as a contract killer with the help of Tadashi setting up several contracts outside of the gang scene - granted the choice targets’ deaths would conveniently be a benefit to the Tyger Claws.
Eventually she made enough of a name for herself that Dejah would be sought out by various individuals to carry out assassinations for good money. Dejah has always made a point of staying out of the gang rivalries and only going after notably rich targets - at the very least the beavers that dwell within the corporate run neighborhoods. Dejah has always had a deep loathing for the wealthy in Night City, the privileged elites that control the puppet strings and hoard the wealth while standing atop the millions of downtrodden and corpses they have built their empires on. Those that have forced the city into a state of poverty and gang warfare while they lounge about in their towers of ivory and diamond. This method of operations has of course ensured that Dejah has a bounty on her head and more than once over the years has she had to fend off hitmen and scrub teams out for her blood. This of course only motivates her to continue her paid campaign against the elites while living a fast live of narcotics, alcohol, sex, and other hedonistic ventures all while fighting to keep from going completely off the cliff.
C Y B E R P S Y C H O
Dejah will never forget, Dejah will never stop seeing her. Banira - the half-sister that Dejah abandoned, running away and leaving her to be burned alive in the fire. The fire that Banira had saved Dejah from Dejah then sacrificed her half-sister in those same flames. That guilt never has left. It only grows worse as the years pass and as the years pass the visions only continue to come. Sometimes they accuse, other times they weep, and other times they tell Dejah to kill and to kill slow. Dejah wants the voices and the terrifying nightmares to stop, for the guilt to melt away. But none of it will ever leave… will it?
Kiora can be described as everything that comes to mind when one thinks of a Chasind warrior. She stands tall at six feet solid (one hundred eighty-two point two centimeters) with sun-kissed skin, a sturdy physique, and mysterious brown eyes and flowing raven hair. Her palms and feet are calloused from the life of a wilder and while not grotesquely marred she has the stray scar and blemishing across her body. Sitting in the midst of this hardened build is a face that, despite the occasional scowl or empty stare, is alluring and glows with life and intelligence. Her hair is usually kept tied in a simple ponytail or sometimes in a single braid down her back.
Kiora walks, talks, and acts generally with an assertive confidence. While at times abrasive and intense she is not unpredictably savage and knows how and when to avoid making a scene and drawing attention to herself.
Kiora is rarely seen outside of her armor and her sword and axes are always close at hand. As a proper warrior and a Grey Warden both Kiora always keeps herself at the ready for danger, be it the darkspawn or otherwise.
| {Equipment and Personal Belongings} |
Redgnaw - Redgnaw is Kiora’s trusted sword. A two-handed Chasind flatblade that belonged to her father, taken from the battlefield where he fell during their tribes’ final ill-fated stand against the Darkspawn early on during the Fifth Blight. This sword has savored the blood of men, elves, dwarves, darkspawn, wyverns, and even a dragon.
Twin Dwarven Waraxes - Kiora acquired these twin axes from a surfacer dwarf not long after she became a Reaver, taking them as payment in exchange for slaying a rival of his. They make for a fine secondary choice of armament and she uses them in place of her greatsword when finesse and speed are necessary.
Grey Warden Armor
Father’s Amulet - Kiora’s final memory of her father was looking up at him as he handed her his amulet before leaving with the warriors of the tribe to fight the wretched darkspawn. It was a gift from Kiora’s mother to him, a leather cord baring a totem of stone and iron in the shape of a writhing dragon. Simple in appearance but deep in its meaning to Kiora.
| {Skills} |
Master Combat Training - As a young Chasind, Kiora was trained in the ways of a warrior by her uncle and the elder fighters of her tribe. She was relentlessly driven and groomed to be the perfect warrior.
Survival Skills - Life in the Korcari Wilds is not for the weak or feint of heart. Kiora learned how to survive in the dangerous marshes and dense woodlands from her tribesmen as well as from her own experience - enduring many hard lessons and earning scars in doing so.
Herbalism - As the daughter of a shamaness Kiora was taught how to make medical potions and ointments to treat many varied ailments. A skill that has come in handy enough over the years.
| {Talents} |
Devour - In battle Kiora is a true bane to face, driven by her Chasind warrior pride and the inner barbarity that can be summoned forth as a Reaver bring out an insatiable bloodlust in her. As Kiora fells opponents and becomes drenched in their blood and hung with their entrails she find her zeal and vitality greaten. Pain is not quite as severe and her arms seem to never tire as she swings her weapons driven only by the desire to spill more blood.
Dual Wielding - Kiora was trained in dual weapons fighting as part of her tutelage, while she prefers a greatsword she can hold her own with a weapon in each hand.
Indomitable - As a seasoned and hardy warrior Kiora is able to maintain impressive composure on the battlefield, resilient against most any attempt to stun or fell her.
Reaving Storm - When Kiora’s bloodlust becomes overwhelming she will experience a surge in strength and stamina and will at the behest of her fury begin to make wild cleaving swings across the battlefield at the cost however of great exhaustion when her rage leaves her.
| {Home/Family} |
Kiora was born in the Korcari Wilds to the Dark Tongues, a particularly aggressive and infamous Chasind tribe that has been traced all the way back to the Exalted Age - even if by sparse and questionable accounts. The Dark Tongues were known for their ties to the Avvar and for the many blood mages numbered among their elders over the generations. Kiora’s father was a Reaver and one of the Dark Tongue’s elite warrior caste, her mother a shamaness who was a healer and one of the spiritual guides for the tribe. Kiora had a younger brother, however he was stillborn and Kiora’s parents did not attempt to have any more children after the loss of their son.
Kiora was but a child when the Blight reared its insidious head and ravaged the land. She lost her father in the Dark Tongues’ last battle against the darkspawn. Thankfully her mother, uncle, and other members of the Dark Tongues would survive to see the end of the Blight. In the years to come Kiora made few friends, focusing on her training as a warrior. After her mothers’ death in 9:41 Dragon Kiora became a distant soul, her only real relations being the handful of Dark Tongue warriors she had come to call her comrades. After their deaths as well (9:49 Dragon) Kiora became all but totally closed off to others and has made no friends or close allies among her new order, the Grey Wardens. The only close relation she has left is her uncle who dwells in the Korcari Wilds with the straggling remnants of the Dark Tongues.
| {Flaws and limits} |
Reckless In Battle - Kiora, while a valuable ally to have, is what one can call a wild card when met with intense adversity. Her training and experience as well as her abilities as a Reaver make her invaluable against overwhelming odds and powerful foes. However, she fights with little calculation and the longer an engagement endures the more likely she is to give in to the savage calling of the wyvern blood and fly into a violent frenzy - putting allies at risk should she truly lose control.
Aloof - Kiora’s people, the Dark Tongues, are by nature a distant and hard-nosed folk. Add to this no longer having either of her parents, witnessing the deaths of the closest of her battle companions, and the harsh reality that she is among the last of her dwindling kin - Kiora keeps those she meets at a distance and seems to live only for killing and the heat of battle. She is of little to no use in any sort of social or diplomatic scene and makes for a poor voice of reason or calming.
| {Personality} |
As a child Kiora was what one could call determined and spirited. After the loss of her father and witnessing the terrors of the Fifth Blight she would grow into a rather inured young woman. The memories of the darkspawn as well as the harsh ways and violent tendencies of the Dark Tongues would shape Kiora into a distant and arbitrary person. Though she would become notably close to the other youth she trained and grew up with and the love she bore for her mother and uncle retained some flickers of tenderness within her soul even if she seemed coldly austere.
After partaking of the wyvern’s blood to become a Reaver, Kiora would inevitably become more prone to mood swings and angry outbursts when agitated and in battle she would show greater ferocity and would come to cast aside any concepts of mercy for a foe. The death of her mother would of course harden her further and the unfortunate slaughter of her battle-kin by the darkspawn years later would cast further dark shadows within the depths of the Chasind woman.
Those who know Kiora now, as an adult, a seasoned warrior, and a Reaver would describe her as “brooding, hollow, and fierce but also loyal to those she fights by and unwavering in the face of danger”. Kiora is not heartlessly sadistic by any means but she warrants no quarter for those who stand against or in her way and will stand no threat or offense to her person. She is very utilitarian and oft judges based upon material worth and advantages gained. Within her, though wholly unbeknownst to her, there are wisps of consideration and courtesy, traces of a person that could have been and might be. Suppressed within by a severe way of life and a fractured past.
| {Background} |
Kiora was born in 9:22 Dragon, the daughter of a Chasind Dark Tongues warrior and a shamaness of the tribe. With her younger brother being stillborn and Kiora’s parents not attempting at having anymore children she was raised an only child. Her parents reared her well and even as a young girl she showed an adventurousness and a keen mind and was looked up to by other children. The elders expected her to be a fine member of the tribe when she came of age.
In 9:30 Dragon, when the Fifth Blight was unleashed on Thedas, it was the Korcari Wilds that first suffered the darkspawn horde. When word reached the Dark Tongues of a darkspawn army approaching they assumed it to just be a well-organized darkspawn raid. While other Chasind began to migrate or seek refuge the Dark Tongues mustered their strength and rallied their allies, eager for a chance at fighting the tainted ones and also earning the respect of surrounding tribes and furthering their own prestige. Unfortunately, the reality of things was far worse and despite early petty victories against the darkspawn advancing units the Dark Tongues were ultimately far too heavily outnumbered and outmatched by their foe. Three separate battles would be fought against the main darkspawn advance, all three would be crushing defeats for the Dark Tongues - the last battle taking place in the heart of their territory and most of the tribe were butchered or abducted after the loss. Kiora’s own father was killed in the third battle and she, her mother, and her uncle would just barely escape with handfuls of Dark Tongues survivors.
The Dark Tongues took up refuge in the southernmost reach of the Frostback Mountains, just north of the Uncharted Territories, throughout the course of the Blight. For the next year Kiora and what remained of her people would hide away in the frozen woodlands, hunting and foraging to survive and occasionally clashing with wandering Avvar bands. While the Dark Tongues suffered few deaths during this time they also had few numbers and by the end of the Fifth Blight their tribe was near extinct. All their Reaver warriors were dead as were many of their mage-bloods and elders - the majority of the surviving Dark Tongues being women and children.
After the end of the Fifth Blight the Dark Tongues would return eastward back to the Korcari Wilds. Many other Chasind tribes had been wiped out or scattered and yet others, namely those that had fled from the Blight early on, also would return. Some now boasting a power not held before as their rival tribes had been eradicated and they sought to further their own standing leading to conflict between Chasind groups. The Dark Tongues would ally themselves with a handful of other smaller tribes forming a coalition of their own and for the next decade would be embroiled in petty tribal feuds and politics to survive. During this time Kiora was being raised by her mother and uncle and undergoing her training.
At the age of eighteen (9:40 Dragon) Kiora and the chosen of the next generation of Dark Tongues would undergo their trial to become Reavers, the most fearsome and elite warriors of their people. The young warriors ventured out and embarked upon a great wyvern hunt. The hunt would last for weeks and in the end with only two deaths among their number Kiora and the others returned triumphant, hauling back with them the forms of slain wyverns and the blood necessary to undergo the transformation into a Reaver. The transformation ceremony was grandiose and a moment of inspiration for the Dark Tongues ; they had faced annihilation, the destruction of their clan and the eradication of their heritage and culture, but they had endured and now a new host of warriors stood to lead them into the future. Kiora was overwhelmed with pride at becoming a Reaver as her father had been and much of her mind was lended towards endless ambitious thoughts. Unfortunately she and her tribe would be dealt a devastating blow the following year.
In 9:41 several ranking Dark Tongues - including Kiora, her mother, and her uncle - were meeting with another tribal coalition just east of Fallow Mire when they were ambushed by a bevy of demons, brought forth by one of the many fade rifts plaguing the region in the midst of the breach crisis. Many Chasind were killed and at the climax of the fighting Kiora’s mother was gravely wounded by a monstrous demon. The Reavers fought and bought time for the other Chasind to escape before fleeing themselves. Kiora’s mother died that night at the Dark Tongues camp, succumbing to her wounds. While overcome with grief Kiora maintained her composure, if just barely, and with her kin sought to stave off the demons and survive what many were calling the end of the world. Throughout the year the Dark Tongues and their allies stood against the demons, suffering great losses in their struggle. By the time the Inquisition forces had defeated the Tevinter creature Corypheus and mended the breach and rifts the Dark Tongues had endured heavy casualty and corruption among their tribe. Once again they stood on the cusp on extinction.
Over the next eight years the Dark Tongues would be caught in yet another endeavor of survival, feuding with other Chasind while cultivating alliances and struggling to retain control of their land from interloping tribes and Fereldens alike. Kiora would face many would-be usurpers and enemy warriors in the name of her people, as Reavers she and her kin would prove to be terrifying opponents and despite the dwindling numbers of the tribe they maintained their reputation as unparalleled fighters and undesirable enemies to have. Kiora was quickly becoming one of the finest warriors of her people and her name was on the lips of many Chasind in the south. This of course lead to a surge in her pride and it was this pride that would prove her undoing.
In 9:49 Dragon a darkspawn cohort had journeyed up from underground into the marshes and were ravaging Chasind villages and outposts. Eager to face the old enemy of her tribe and avenge her father Kiora lead the bulk of the Dark Tongues’ Reavers in a search for the fiends and soon tracked them to a hillside cave system. The darkspawn were few in number but proved vicious when cornered. The fighting carried well through the night as the Chasind and darkspawn skirmished in the caves in a bloody melee. As the last hurlock fell dead only Kiora and three other Reavers remained alive. Dawn had come and as the four left the caves behind exhaustion took over as well as illness. They had been stricken with the darkspawn taint and collapsed halfway back to their encampment.
Kiora would awake hours later, staring into unfamiliar faces and finding herself restrained. She and her kin had been found by Grey Wardens who apparently had been pursuing the darkspawn the Chasind had slain. However, Kiora was given the grim news that the others had succumbed to the taint and died as would she soon enough. The Wardens gave her the choice of a quick death or to undergo the joining and become a Grey Warden. In the end Kiora chose the joining - driven by a desire to avenge her fallen companions as well as all her people. The darkspawn had brought her tribe to ruination and she intended to seek bloody vengeance against their kind. Kiora also realized that her pride - her arrogance - had cost many their lives, and to serve as a Grey Warden and fight the darkspawn would also serve as a humbling penance for what she had done. Kiora left her people behind and accompanied the Grey Wardens to begin her new life and duty - her mind and heart brimming with uncertainty and bitterness even as she holds her chin high.
- Bag of Holding - Camping Supplies & Rations - Potions of Invisibility - Potions of Cat’s Grace - Philters of Love - Potions of Sleep - Antidote - Potions of Cleansing
Iliskra is a half-elf of Chondathan human and wood elf parentage, her features heavily favoring those of her father - a dark-haired wood elf with “deep olive” skin, Iliskra’s own flesh tone being slightly lighter due to her Chondathan mother. Iliskra is lithe and notably curvaceous in form with sharp features typical of elf-bloods. While not brutish she is athletic in build with fine cords of muscle gracing her body from years of survival and combat training. Her eyes are emerald green and her firm brow and chiseled visage give her a look of sincerity with a glaze of “impish” intent - the half-elf able to freeze or melt hearts with a single expression.
The bastard half-elf daughter of a promiscuous Cormyrean noblewoman and a wood-elf mercenary, Iliskra came into the world disadvantaged and quite unwanted - her birth both a direct inconvenience to her mother and a stain on the noble houses’ honor as Iliskra’s mother was already betrothed to a Cormyrean Purple Dragon Knight of great merit and esteem. A betrothal that was called off the very day Iliskra was born. While her “family” could not find it in themselves to heartlessly kill or otherwise do away with Iliskra it was a general consensus she was illegitimate and a mistake. Iliskra was placed in the care of a midwife at the estate and treated as a ward up until her sixth birthday when her mothers’ father finally snapped and had the half-elf child sent away as the very sight of her was a constant reminder of his own daughters’ foolish, lustful actions. Dignitaries and other visiting nobles would often query on and spread gossip about the presence of Iliskra which naturally worsened things. A week after turning six years old Iliskra was sent to the great city of Arabel in northern Cormyr where she would spend the next twelve years of her life.
Sadly, life in Arabel was even worse for Iliskra. She was placed in a small orphanage run by a disgraced priest of Ilmater with a drinking problem. He more often than not turned away those who would come to adopt and would fly into drunken rages and beat the children to serious injury and threaten them to stay silent when anyone came calling. At age ten Iliskra ran away from the orphanage and took to the streets, surviving off of handouts from the temple of Tymora, begging on the corners, and in time stealing. On occasion she would run with groups of other street urchins to raid food stalls and storehouses, though usually Iliskra had to fend for herself as most of these groups of adolescent thieves were locals and cared little for the half-elf outsider.
As the years passed by Iliskra’s streetwise savviness grew to serve her well. At sixteen years of age she would become a swift cutpurse and shoplifter while also performing various menial jobs around the city of Arabel from letter couriering to working as a scullery maid at an inn. One night at the inn where she worked Iliskra’s life would change drastically when she made the mistake of trying to cut the wrong man’s purse under a table - said man being a member of a thieves guild from another city. The thief wrested Iliskra away and out of sight much to her terror as she feared he would knife her then and there. However, the thief was quite impressed that the young half-elf nearly got away with robbing him and instead of killing Iliskra he offered to take her away from Arabel and back to his city where she might join his guild. Iliskra agreed in short order and the following morning she and the thief left Arabel for the city of Tilverton.
Iliskra would be taken by her shadowy new friend to the man known as Artur “the Fat Man” Grossman - a morbidly overweight and lecherous crime lord that ran the Rogues of Tilverton, the cities’ guild of thieves and other shadowy miscreants. Despite Artur’s glaringly misogynistic attitude towards women and doubt in their ability as thieves and fighters Iliskra was allowed to join the Rogues of Tilverton - in part because of the appeal made by Frostur, the man who recruited Iliskra back in Arabel, and also because of Artur being rather entranced by the pretty, young half-elf. Artur’s daughter Lharae would take a particular interest in Iliskra and take the latter under her wing seeing potential in her. Lharae would teach Iliskra how to infiltrate, gather information, and pick up leads on marks and how to use her good looks and proper charms to her advantage. Frostur meanwhile would take the time to tutor Iliskra in both melee fighting and the use of arcane magics as a thief as well as how to better survive in the city streets and the wilderness. While she suffered no shortage of growing pains so to speak Iliskra would prove to be an attentive student and fast learner much to the approval of her two mentors and the guild as a whole.
Iliskra would become one of the finest of the Rogues of Tilverton, a top “earner” that would develop a reputation as a skilled shadow and a trustworthy informant. - Or at least as trustworthy as a thief could be. Iliskra became a natural at using stealth to hit a mark, and when her sneaking talents were not enough her employ of potions, magic, and even seduction would finish the job. Iliskra would serve her guild perhaps not faithfully but “acceptably well”. She was never shy about taking extra for herself and filching items or gold that she thought she could get away with. While she did raise the suspicion of her fellows more than once she was never caught or otherwise proven to be “off the level” and thus remained with the Guild, at least for a time.
In 1372 DR, Iliskra’s fourth year with the Rogues of Tilverton, the Realms would be shaken to the core by the return of the Netherese - the Archwizards and their Shadovar launching an invasion of Faerûn. By this time Lharae Grossman had taken over the guild after the disappearance of her father and the Rogues looked to her for guidance amid this uncertain crisis. The Rogues went about their business, continuing their usual affairs in Tilverton as Lharae did not believe the Netherese would focus on a small city. However, in the month of Mirtul the Shadovar would in fact descend upon Tilverton forcing the population to hastily evacuate while Cormyr and the Dalelanders rallied a desperate defense against the brutal Netherese. In the confusion of the flight from Tilverton, Iliskra would be separated from her guild - later learning that many of her fellows were apprehended on the road and imprisoned in Arabel and Suzail farther to the south. Iliskra did not know what became of Lharae or Frostur, searching for them when she could not reach the others. After Tilverton was ultimately destroyed during the struggle for the city Iliskra was forced to accept the harsh reality that the Rogues were no more. Those that had not been executed or jailed had scattered to the winds and sought new refuge and employment, and it was time for her to do the same. After one last failed search for Lharae and Frostur in the surrounding region Iliskra headed eastward into the Dalelands to start anew - however that might be done.
As a child Iliskra was filled with turmoil and a bitterness that grew with her. Between the disdain and abuse she suffered from her mothers’ family and the head of the orphanage she was sent to - as well as from the other children - Iliskra did not experience warmth or affection as a young girl. After finally running away from the orphanage living in the streets hardened her young heart even more and taught her to be wary and watchful of all around her. Iliskra’s self and survival were foremost, no one and nothing else mattered. This outlook stuck with her well into her late adolescence, helping shape her into the young lawbreaker that she would become - stealing from shopkeepers after delivering letters to them and picking the pockets of priests that offered her a hug after handing her a loaf of bread.
When Iliskra met Frostur and was taken in by the Rogues of Tilverton she would become more disciplined - the bitterness and seething of a troubled young life chiseled away and replaced with a sharp, cold, analytical sense. While she no longer clung so tightly to the grudge that came with the struggles of her childhood she retained the lessons they taught her. She retained her outlook that herself came first, even when offering her service to the Rogues of Tilverton. She sees all things in a light of how much value is offered to her. Every relationship, every alliance, every partnership - all are weighed in their benefits and risks.
Though not sadistic and deliberately cruel, Iliskra is not above acts that many would call cruel to achieve her goals and get what she wants. She always prefers that matters be kept clean and easy moving but when necessary she is willing to do less than commendable things, be it slitting throats or blackmailing a source of information with the lives of loved ones.
Exteriorly Iliskra comes off at first as very pointed, no-nonsense, and harshly distant. Though in time when she develops a more positive connection or “working relationship” with someone she opens up, engaging in friendly banter and making the offhand joke. Despite this she is always mindful of those around her, of their interests and worries, their strengths and weaknesses. “Always know your own cards and the cards that others hold.” Lharae had taught her. Even when in apparent closeness with someone else Iliskra always has a knife up her sleeve, sometimes figuratively and always literally. It is this that earned her the nickname “the Callous”.
Short Summary ~ Ikari Natsumi is the second child and sole daughter of Ikari Masato, head of the Ikari clan and a vassal to the Saitō clan. Born on a windy mid-year day graced by a shining golden sun she was given the fitting name of Natsumi, “beautiful summer”. Natsumi was raised alongside her brother, Masato’s heir, and was afforded all the education and other privileges of her families’ wealthy status. Natsumi’s father ensured his daughter was also mentored in swordsmanship, Natsumi at times trained alongside her brother who was instructed in the ways of bushido. As a youth Natsumi was very close to her brother and father and many would describe her as tender and bright-eyed girl. As she aged she became firmer and at times some would call her “distant” and “aloof” but she retained her inner kindness and the warmth she showed to those closest to her.
When she came to adulthood Natsumi was intended to be married to an ideal suitor, as expected of a proper woman. Ikari Masato wished to see his daughter married to a good and honorable man while also intent on a marriage that came with the benefits of an alliance with a notable clan. At one point Natsumi was meant to be betrothed to Takeda Nobuchika, the younger son of Takeda Shingen - which would have been a substantial political gain for both the Ikari and their Saitō overlords. However, Shingen ultimately declined the proposal. Later Natsumi was officially betrothed to a minor retainer of the Kitabatake clan however he was slain by bandits while on his way home from pilgrimage a month before the wedding was to be held.
Eager to be married and see duty to her clan fulfilled and her father elated Natsumi waited in a state of “discontent patience” as her father continued to search for a proper husband. And then the war with the Oda came. Oda Nobunaga, the fool of Owari - eager to claim Mino from the Saitō - has for many seasons now lain siege to the province. Saitō Tatsuoki has been unable to drive back the Oda and his retainers have even begun to defect as the Oda beat the Saitō time and again. The Ikari remain loyal to the Saitō however and Natsumi and her brother will soon find their world forever changed as the Saitō are brought to their knees and Mino succumbs to the will of Nobunaga.
