Name: Elora Fletcher
Race: Human
Appearance: Class: Rogue - Assassin
Personality: It's safe to say that Elora is not normally a sweet, simpering kind of girl. Perhaps, if her life had been more normal, she would have been but, considering everything, she's become very much the opposite, Unless, of course, a situation arises in which she needs to get her way. Then she's all batting eyelashes and sweet nothings. She knows exactly what she's doing and can be incredibly manipulative. She hadn't always been as uncaring and cool as she is now but after Elijah's death, something just snapped inside of her. She wasn't going to be the victim anymore. She wasn't going to let herself get hurt - emotionally at least. So she started building her walls; shutting everyone out and keeping her real feelings and passions to herself lest they simply be used against her.
Elora prides herself on her strength of mind and character, and will not mold herself or her views to fit anyone else's ideals. She speaks her mind and tends to offer her opinion where it's not wanted which grates on a lot of people's nerves. People find her harsh and often a little too sarcastic. This bluntness along with the fact that she doesn't like to put herself second, doesn't score her a lot of points in the likability contest. She's become incredible impatient and altogether relentless in regards not babying or coddling anyone. It doesn't do a person any favors to be kept from information that might hurt them, or allow them some slack when it means they aren't being pushed to be their best. It's better to be prepared for the worst than to go through life thinking everything will be okay. She's learned that the hard way.
Elle values loyalty, both the giving and receiving though she tends to be pretty distrustful. If you have her loyalty you know that you have an ally and friend for life, unless you betray her. One shot and you're out. That's it. She's not known for her even temper, to say the least. She has quite the hot head and a sharp tongue once she's provoked. If that doesn't work she's not afraid to get a little more aggressive.
Elora has mostly had to do things for herself and she likes it that way. It means she's not in anyone's debt; that she can be independent and secure in the fact that she's doing the best she can on her own. She's a strong person and doesn't like people to think otherwise. She hates appearing as weak and vulnerable so she keeps her fears to herself. She exudes confidence to compensate for any insecurities she thinks that people might pick up on. She also hates not finishing something that she's started and this comes down to pride and a little bit of stubbornness. She doesn't like to admit defeat or say that she can't do something. This trait makes her a hard and relentless worker but it's not always such a good thing. She can burn herself out pretty quickly and if she get's frustrated with herself it's best to avoid her.
Despite all of this, Elora is tired. She's tired of being brave and uncaring. Things affect her like anyone else and it becomes exhausting after so many years of holding it all in. Perhaps if she hadn't decided to become an assassin, she would have had a different life. Perhaps she would be happily married on a farm in Highever with children and animals surrounding her instead of slitting throats and poisoning cups. Still, she is needed now and she will do what she can to put a stop to this destruction. If she wants a better life for herself in the future, she needs to ensure that there'll be a world to have it in. Preferably one not being ruled by a false god.
Origin:Elora was born and raised in a small cottage on the edge of RedCliff village. Her father died when she was very young and her mother did not take his passing very easily. Where once she had been gentle and nurturing, she soon became distant and disciplined and pushed these traits onto her daughter. She was not an easy woman to grow up with. There was rarely a time that she was not barking orders and scoldings. Elora can hardly remember what it was like before her father's death. Comfort was not a common thing in her household and praise was even rarer to come by but when it did, Elle felt her ego swell. The only thing the woman ever really complimented her on was her appearance, which seemed a little ridiculous considering it was the one thing she couldn't control. As she grew older, she would realize why.
Her mother's teachings revolved around poison-making and Elora studied hard to learn all she could. Despite her aloof nature, the young girl worked hard to please her mother. She did not want to disappoint her. After all, she was all she had. There was a time when she would have done anything for her, but the sentiment did not last.
When Elora was seventeen, a man named Elijah came to live in her home. He was young, not much older than she, and her mother told her she had hired him to teach her archery. He had fought alongside Arl Eamon's men during the Blight the previous year and was seeking simpler work while he recovered from his injuries. They trained hard almost every day for a whole year, until Elora had really mastered the skill. During that time, a friendship blossomed and soon turned into something more. She was barely eighteen, he in his early twenties, but she was sure that she loved him.
It was not to be.
In the days between her training, her mother had Elora practice pick pocketing. They were not a wealthy family and some evenings she would send her out to try her new skills out on the people she passed by. Sometimes she was even encouraged to slip inside the homes of their neighbors and take something of value. It was after one of these evenings that Elora returned home to find Elijah's body in the ditch not far from her home. Devastated, she returned to her mother, sobbing. Her mother barely blinked when she entered the house in so much distress.
"You found him, then?" she had asked before she resumed cooking the dinner. "He served his purpose well enough but now we have no need for him."
Elora was outraged and heartbroken. She had felt more for that man than she had ever felt for anyone else. He had been her best friend. Her only friend. "I loved him!"
"This is a lesson for you, dear. Love makes you weak. Men will betray you time and time again. They'll leave you with nothing. Without a second thought. You best learn from this. A woman who thinks like a man is the strongest of them all."
It had been a difficult lesson to learn, and one that Elora would never forgive her mother for, but she learned it regardless. She didn't stay in RedCliff; not after that. For a time she traveled around Ferelden and worked odd jobs to get by. It was during this time that she learned just how good she was at killing. She was subtle about it too, when necessary. Her mother's teachings of poison did not go to waste. So began her work as an assassin. Ferelden, however, had limited need for her skills. When she was twenty three she moved to Orlais. Things were more interesting here and she always had work. It was during this time that she came into contact with a woman called 'Lady Nightingale'. Elora can't remember exactly how they became correspondences and they never met but passed some information onto one another from time to time. It was only when Elora moved back to Ferelden after three years in Orlais that Leliana reached out to her and asked her to join the Inquisition. It was an easy decision. She needed the work and it would be nice to take a break from ending lives over petty arguments. Perhaps she could actually do some good, for once.
Other:While her blackened longbow is her weapon of choice in the midst of battle, Elora finds that it gets the least amount of use out of her small arsenal of weapons. More often that not, the tasks she deals with require a quick flick of a dagger across an artery or plunged deep into a back. She also excels in the art of poison, both the making and the dealing. Whether it's to dip an arrowhead into, or tipping a few drops into an unsuspecting lover's glass, she finds it the most pleasing of ways to kill, paralyze or render her victims unconscious. Mostly because it requires so little effort on her part. Not that she's lazy, of course. She puts herself through thorough training to keep her body lithe and agile. She just enjoys the ease of the killing.
Elora is a beautiful woman and she knows how to use this to her advantage. While a man might have more strength to aid him, she has the power of igniting desire. So often they allow their guards to fall while being fawned over by a lady and she uses this weakness to get what she wants. So often they're too arrogant to believe a mere woman could hold any danger. She likes to confuse the senses, distract them with sweet kisses while her hands search for keys, or encourage them to relieve information in return for pleasure of the body. Her poisons come in quite useful here, especially when she doesn't wish to fulfill her end of the bargain. She can be quite persuasive and always seems to know just what to say. She can play the sweet and innocent role just as well as the seductive young woman.
