Sadly, no. The art comes from some guy on a drawthread who was taking requests. I saved it a long, long time ago and I'm only using it now. I have a plethora of character portraits locked away for at least two years' worth of rainy days.
The few stuff I managed to get from drawthreads were doodles. Cheers mate.
The few stuff I managed to get from drawthreads were doodles. Cheers mate.
Maybe I should whip out my tablet more.
You probably should. Drawing's a pretty cool hobby that I wish I spent as much time on as I did writing. And yea, the drawthreads I mainly peruse are in /tg/ or /co/. The /b/ad place is somewhere I find I drifted away from the longer I spent on the site. Ironic, considering I went on 4chan because of it.
Appearance: Sylvanis is quite small even for her kin, standing at a mere 5'0; that being said she is unlike her race's usual characteristics of archers and those who primarily practice in guile and subterfuge; many of her kin train to be archers or assassins, thieves etc since their natural agile and small frame grants them an innate ease in these areas. That can't be said of Sylvanis, whilst she does have a somewhat small frame she has incredible strength and endurance in her and as such she looks more likely to swing an axe at your head rather than pick your pockets- which is the truth as well.
Her facial features are very well defined, every edge angular and sharp. The skin is weathered, due to so much time out in the wild and elements - although scars dot her entire body, four in particular stand out on her face: 2 parallel to each other near her left temple; deep, but not very long; a very old one dragging over her left eye - noticeable, but not particularly distinct or disfiguring in anyway, as the eye itself was unhurt by the injury; and a large one tracing from just underneath her right ear to her throat. Despite all of these injuries, one wouldn’t consider her to be unattractive to look at; not a perfect specimen of beauty, but definitely one of a warrioress. As for colouring, her skin is a pale tan, possibly due to her having not grown up among trees; her eyes are a deep amber hue, and her hair is a dark auburn, and about medium length. It’s usually swept back into a messy bun to keep it out of the way, but a few strands are free to frame her face. Her ears are a bit longer and stick out more than a regular Bosmer.
Background: Sylvanis’ story really begins with her parents, two Mer that fled the dominions grasp on Valenwood to the the new Orsinium that was being established between the mountains of Skyrim and Hammerfell; they left with a band of Wood Orcs that inhabit Valenwood, feeling that the need of the Orsimer was great they wanted to help reestablish strength and control in their races new home; of course an ulterior motive of becoming the strongest Orcish stronghold was there too, the rise of the dominion and the fall of the Valenwood government was the final incentive behind this move.
From Wood to Stone: Year 4E:30 In one of Valenwood's many canopy treehouses something unprecedented was taking place, a meeting between 2 Bosmer, and 3 Orsimer. The alcove carved out of the still living tree; one of the massive ones that were scattered around Valenwood and made the cities of these tree folk, contained a rather modest and almost cozy living space, this was clearly the ‘lounge’ or living area, the area that the inhabitants discussed important matters or spent time to relax with a book or the family. In this instance the latter was taking place.
“The era has been short lived- a mere 30 years and yet much has happened, grave are the omens for the future ahead of us all.” The words came from a gruff Orc, the chieftain of the the nearby Stronghold in the North North-East Of Valenwood- it was tremendously rare for the Chieftain ever to leave the stronghold, if matters were of import they would be discussed in the Chieftain's hut, but Wood Orcs were different than traditional Orcs found in Orsinium, not by much, but enough for them to be a tad more lenient in matters such as this.
“I agree Muzgurn, that’s why we are here though. Orsinium lies in ruins; once again, but last year, our government here was overthrown. The Bosmer have seldom ever agreed with the Dominion, not now and never have we done in the past.” This time the male Bosmer spoke. Galhiel; and his wife Belenilwen were blood-kin to the Orsimer here; it was no surprise due to the fact that they had been in contact for quite some time, the devout green pact Galhiel had performed various favours especially in the acquisition of pelts, being the carnivore and exceptional hunter that he was he came into a considerable amount of pelts that greatly benefited the Orcish stronghold during the winter; being on the fringe, the vast forest didn’t grant the usual insulation it gave to the rest of the populace. After a few years of this and some other favours to the chief they granted him the Blood-kin status, his wife was extended the same after Galhiel and the chief became friends some time later in his life; a high tolerance to the ale those Orcs drink helped this along no doubt.
“Yeah well enough dawdling and pussyfooting, you know what me and my stronghold intend to do, we’ve been preparing and planning it for some years now. Orsinium needs it’s Orcs, and strong ones at that- that’s where we come in.” Muzgurn extended his arms out wide towards the two Orc’s flanking him; looking strong no doubt, but them sitting on the spindly carved and decorated wooden chairs made them far less intimidating; it was like a Troll that had a perm. “Anyway..” Muzgurn lowered his arms and his bravado ended abruptly, he was deadly serious now. “We know that you don’t want to stay under the boot of those arseholes in their little island home; dictating to you that you’ve got to chop trees and shit.” Pausing and seeing the distressed look on their faces Muzgurn waves his hands defensively. “Okay okay, I’ll get to it, I want you to come with us, hell It’s not just me; many in the hold wants you to come with us, you two are responsible for some great things to us and it wouldn’t be fair for us to just up and leave without offering you something back after all these years; you’re family, and we aren’t gunna leave that to fester under the dominions boot.” The Bosmer exchanged glances that confirmed what both were thinking- they had been looking for any excuse to leave as it was; they just didn’t quite expect it to arrive in this form. Belenilwen replied for the pair. “That was oddly touching coming from you Muzgurn; I’ll retract what I said before about you having no heart.” She smiled weakly to signify that it was a joke before continuing. “But, we have been looking for a way out of our home since our government fell… a mountainous region will be a bit difficult for us to adapt to; that being said, it will be better than this hollow forest…”
Muzgurn nodded to this and said jokingly “At least there will be fewer trees to worry about?” Leaving one’s home is never easy, especially when in the north an attempt to do as much as possible for the Empire-loyal Bosmer was in effect, one of the other ways out of the country both had contemplated. Finally after a few tense silent moments Galhiel answered. “Of course we will come Muzgurn, as my wife said, it will be difficult at first, we are bonded with trees and we will miss them- it is said that mountains are trees of the earth though, so maybe we won’t be too far from them as we first thought. Helping the Orcs… or rather helping your clan rebuild will be a worthy pursuit, that can’t be denied.” Muzgurn's face lit up after this statement and he practically jumped from his seat in happiness, unless he beats you in cards he doesn’t do this often.
“Brilliant! Me and the boys will help you gather your stuff, we leave on the morrow!”
The passage through Cyrodiil 4E:30-32 It didn’t take long for the clan to pack up and depart from Valenwood, their close proximity to the Northern border was beneficial to say the least, but the ease of the journey ended there. The passage through the Colovian heartlands wasn’t smooth, interrupted by bandits and even a marauding Daedroth clearly left from the Oblivion crisis. A wonder as to how it had survived for thirty years, but never-the-less it’s skull was a bounty worth it after the chief and his best took it down. It managed to claim 2 lives, but their deaths were honoured with drink the following night. Altogether there must have been about 56 people traveling together with the caravan of supplies and food, as well as a few empty ones that would include anything they ‘acquired’ along the way. They first stopped near the still ruined city of Kvatch; it appeared that it was low on the list of the Empire's current agendas, made worse was the fact that squatters of all types; namely bandits or marauders would be inhabiting the ruins as it is it lies right on the road that has supplies coming from Anvil- a large trading hub. However they camped and set up shop far enough from the city to make them seem less favourable of a target, not that making an attempt on an Orcish stronghold was clever at any rate, since everyone knew how to fight like a warrior. The plan was to stay for a month or two to scavenge, collect wood, trade and learn what was happening around Cyrodiil and Skyrim, since the path they would take would cross through there instead of going through Hammerfell; for obvious reasons.
During this time they learnt that the empire was struggling all across Tamriel, despite this they have helped significantly with both the Bosmer and Orsimer, and most of all- the best piece of news has that no follow up attack into the new Orsinium had occurred and the Orcs were establishing themselves in the Western Reach, a stretch of mountains in High Rock that bordered the Reach in Skyrim; that would be their entrance point. Once the clan packed up and moved North; they timed their excursion through the Pale pass to ensure it was done during Mid-Spring, the best time to travel the Jerral mountains and Southern Skyrim; the journey through the reach would be considerably smoother as it didn’t have as brutal late seasonal weather as the rest of the continent.
The transition through the rest of Cyrodiil was fairly smooth, they tried to veer away from main roads as much as they could up until Bruma, and through there they stocked up supplies and made their way through the Pale pass.
Trouble in the Reach 4E:32-35 The Reach had a notoriety about it; one that was known even in Valenwood, it has been a constant place of death and war, namely by the Reachmen who inhabit it, a band of men and women whom are from Breton descent, it is uncertain as to how they will react to a band of Orsimer and a few Bosmer traveling through ‘their land’, but surely they won’t bother them if they just stick to themselves and try and make their way through this area of land as fast as possible. If only the world worked so ideally however. It didn’t take long for things to take a sour turn, the clan had established themselves outside of a city named Falkreath, which was the closest settlement that would allow them any where near the walls- Helgen told them to move on as they didn’t want them clogging up the highway through the Pass, and it didn’t make sense to go to the small town called Riverwood.
As it turned out Falkreath had seen its fair share of Orcs in the past couple of years, as many that fled from the war and joined the Empire went south towards Falkreath down into Cyrodiil, unless they were stationed within Skyrim itself. They were oddly hospitable here towards the Orcs; they were evidently aware of how tough it was getting for their race, the 4th time Orsinium has been sacked now, odd for Nords to feel this way about Orsimer, but they did; at least they did here. The Pine forest that surrounded Falkreath was abundant with game and they filled their boots before they decided to move on- lest they overstay their welcome. They had only been camped there for a month, but that was enough, they got everything they needed- even a few extra orcs that straggled behind and decided against the Empire. Their knowledge of what had happened and the areas ahead made them beyond value, even if they were not the best in terms of strength- Muzgurn said the mines would soon fix that regardless. The stories they told were nothing if not harrowing, it’s hard to believe that the Orcs had underwent this pain for the 4th time. They would endure however; the race of outcasts that were the Orcs, the respect that both Galhiel and Belenilwen held for the Orsimer increased significantly.
Little trouble has found for the clan for a good few weeks, eventually however when they were officially within the Reach; a group of their significant size was bound to draw attention quite early. The forward scouts that Muzgurn had set out since entering the reach land had spotted Reachmen skirting the various hillocks that dotted the land, they were obviously observing the group from a distance and trying to establish something from afar. They didn’t engage the Orcish scouts however. As they progressed the number of observers increased and it created an oppressive feeling over the group, the Reachmen were following from afar, but they appeared to be closing the distance in on the clan. It took a month of this before some Reachmen decided to wait for them ahead on the road they were travelling- at their current pace they were nearly halfway there to the Border between Skyrim and the Western Reach. The conversation between the ‘leader’ of the Reachmen and Muzgurn went fairly well; they merely wished to ensure that they didn't plan to cause any trouble. A lie that was painfully evident- that very night after they had set up camp Reachmen attacked the encampment from all sides- the craggy landscape made their archers almost impossible to hit, and the inky darkness of the night made matters much worse. Thankfully once the clouds cleared mid fight the moon offered the landscape some silvery light and an opportunity to fight back with some semblance of a chance; once the heavy Orichalcum armour was one the arrows that were sent their way bounced off like they were being shot with pebbles, it turned out they used stone instead of metal for their arrowheads, lethal to those lightly armoured of course, but against the heavy durable Orcish steel, they did nothing but scratch the surface. After an hour of intense fighting the camp sent the Reachmen packing, with almost 70% of their numbers killed or wounded. That being said, all were dead after Muzgurn seethed his way around the battlefield with a Warhammer. The Orcish clan had lost around 30% of their number though, and they knew they would be harassed from here to Markarth. They were, but the attacks were weak and far and few between- they clearly were not used to dealing with such heavy armour otherwise their caravan would be peppered with arrows day and night. Finally, they reached Markarth, it was an exhausting trip so far and after persuading the Jarl that they wouldn’t be any bother, and provided a few dozen Reachmen heads; slightly rotting, the was satisfied that they would be beneficial to Markarth during their stay. Unfortunately the way through the mountain pass that lead to Orsinium was impassable, having arrived during late autumn the pass became treacherous, especially with the heavy snowfall that area had endured already before the winter had even begun. As such, they stayed, moving their encampment a bit further from the city towards an Orichalcum deposit, much to the dismay of many this ‘short’ stay turned out to last for a few years, the clan wished to have a significant supply of Orichalcum before going to their new homeland, and being in the hostile environment they were in was certainly something to deteriorate moral, especially since the West Reach was so close. Once the chief deemed the clan sufficiently supplied, he left a portion of his clan in the reach as an outpost and to continue mining the metal before taking the rest and moving into Orsinium. The end to a long journey, and the beginning of a new life; with all the hardships that it would bring, especially with their unusual company of the Bosmer couple.
Gathering strength: 4E:35-56 Smooth Succession: 4E:56-57 Gathering Storm: 4E:57-89 Redguard incursion:4E:89-92 Enduring, Surviving, Thriving.:4E:89-145 Sylvanis is born. 4E:148 (I’ll probably fill in these stories at a later date, but they’re just fillers not relevant to how her parents got to Orsinium)
Sylvanis’ story: 4E:148-205
It’s fair to say that the new home of the Orsimer was far from hospitable, the Orcs adapted fairly quickly as mountainous regions have been their home for centuries- the same can't be said for a growing Bosmer; of course. Tree’s were few and far between in this mountainous stretch of land and the majority of trade consisted of wood from skyrim, and as aid from the Empire. Slyvanis grew fast both mentally and physically, considerably faster than most bosmer should or do, this was due the company and environment she grew up in.
Her parents were well aware of this however, and felt that it would be more harmful to let their daughter be coddled in a rough environment, by the time she was 8 her father began teaching her how to use a bow, by this time she was already reflecting her future personality she was loud, angry and commonly got into fights, however the Orcs in the clan loved her for this; she was called a ‘Stone Elf’, an Orsimer in personality but wood elf in appearance, that is until she was about 14 and began practicing the axe instead of the bow- much to her father's dismay. Her mother on the other hand said that their daughter is attempting new avenues of combat, and for a while at least they should let her attempt to reach the Orcs skill.
Skill, she had. She bested almost every Orc in sparring at her own age, what she lacked however was the body to match and meet the demands of one on one combat for extended periods of time, as well as when she got older she simply lacked the ability to shrug off her opponent's attacks, the Orichalcum armour she began to wear when they used real sharp metal in spars and competitions really began to weigh her down further harming her endurance and capability to fight- her body was not designed for this sort of combat, and when she was 18 she finally realised that she must change that to continue down this path.
Her parents realised that their daughter loved the way of the warrior- they initially dismissed her birth sign as allowing her to use more powerful bows rather than donning a suit of armour and wielding a warhammer which is inevitably what their daughter became.
It was during this time- when Sylvanis began extensive training on her muscles and body that she; for the first time, picked up a Warhammer. She was training extensively with an older Orc in the settlement, one of the best Warhammer wielders the clan had ever had; he’d have preferred to die with a hammer in his hand, but he felt that passing on his knowledge and training to the other clan members was ultimately more important for their strength. Since the Bosmer family were held in high regard- still held in high regard even after all this time and multiple chiefs- the old grizzled Orc decided to pass on his knowledge and training to a girl he honestly thought would never get as fast she did- t’was not out of sympathy or to give a helping hand, if he honestly thought that she would gain nothing from his training or lacked the conviction to follow through the brutal training regime then he would have told her to start stinging bows, or alternatively marry an Orc.
To say that the regime was brutal by Orc standards meant that it was essentially Oblivion on the plane of Mundas itself for the little Bosmer girl. Not that she shied away from it, she kept going through it despite the liturgy of bruises and scars she gained from it. She trained like this for 10 years, when the old Orc- who was practically her second father at this point, said one day that he had taught her everything he knew, hell, that he even learnt some things himself during the time. It was that day that he felt young again- packed up with his armour and hammer and left the West reach, to maraud in Hammerfell to the day he died, just as Malacath would be pleased with. It was during this time that Sylvanis picked up many teachings from Malacath, and she began; not so much worshipping him, but following his code.
Sylvanis put her mentors teaching to good use, she acquired her first set of armour during the time she spent with the forge mother, the Orcish smithing process is incredible, the armour certainly matches it creators, requiring a strong arm to mold the metal to the shapes you require- that being said it’s little wonder that Orcish armour is very jagged, the metal is very difficult to work with. Then after she was suited and ready to fight- she picked up her hammer and entered a tournament that celebrated the chief's birthday. Much to everyone's surprise she hammered her way through the competition, the training and years of bruises and scars certainly paid off. She didn’t win, she came second place to chief himself- typically the chief doesn’t participate but he got excited and entered it himself- another way to prove that he is the right chieftain for the clan at any rate.
Despite coming second, she was cheered by all and the celebrations later that night were merry and long.
Sylvanis made her way through the rest of her time in Orsinium with ease and she had certainly found her element after her training, her parents were proud of her despite the glaringly different path they thought she would go down initially.
When she reached the mature age of 45 at 4E 193 she decided to leave home and the western reach behind her, as is the right of passage for many, this is what she wanted to do- to travel Skyrim and experience new things, new lands and maybe find a purpose for herself. She didn’t leave however without a hell of a send off. The night before she was to leave there was a large amount of drinking and claps on the back, and of course the odd brawl to top the night off. She left with the Chief's blessing, giving her a token that would allow her to enter any Orcish stronghold as she seen fit, and to be treated as an equal- she was Blood-kin, but she was more than that. She also left with two incredible items, a Warhammer crafted specially for Slyvanis- it was large and unweildly at firts look; its design was much a kin to any standard Orcish Warhammer; with the exception of a consoderbly larger head than most as such; being made from Orichalcum, it weighed a considerable amount, but it allowed an incredible arc from each swing, and had devastating results to those foolish enough to tarry in its path. She was also granted a pair of gauntlets, they looked like a pair of battle scarred and old Orcish gauntlets to the eye, but when worn it granted the wearer incredible strength in the arms- to be able to lift even the heaviest of weapons- oddly it didn’t let the user swing weapons faster, it merely allowed them to wield seemingly unwieldy weapons.
Apparently a chieftain once worn these gloves to wield a blade that was 8 foot tall, he carved his way through many a foe- Sylvanis felt that this was a bit grandiose, but probably held some of the truth. Finally she said farewell to her ageing parents- both were well into their early 200’s and were reaching the end of their lives- it’s surprising to say at the least, but apparently the fresh mountain air done some good for their health.
She entered through the same pass in that which her parents entered Orsinium in the first place, she stopped off at Markarth first, from a nation of stone to a city of stone- how appropriate. Naturally she stopped of at the inn and began drinking and learning about the local area and what was going on in Skyrim at the current moment in time- turns out she hadn’t missed much, with the exception of a small rebellion in the reach- that was put down by Ulfric Stormcloak. She asked where the best place to go for a drink was and her fellow drinking partners; off-duty guards, said that Whiterun had a good brewery there, but then an argument broke off that the one in Riften was better. Leaving the following day she travelled with skip in her step excited about what laid ahead of her, she met up with a Khajiit caravan and got talking with a large Khajiit named Rhasha’Dar who after a night of drinking allowed her to tag along with the Caravan and to it’s destination at Whiterun, she got on well with the majority of the convoy- although there were a few insufferable annoyances in it- she was tempted to give them a taste of her hammer- but thought that would sour relations a bit. She also picked up a bit restoration magic as well- this was due to the fact that the reach was still a dangerous place and Sylvanis commonly went chasing after the “little shits in fur” once they dared veer too close to the convoy. Rhasha’Dar got sick of bandaging her wounds and taught her how to heal herself, as well as how to ward way “nasty fire”. In the words of “his fluffiness”- a nickname branded on him when she was drunk. Eventually they made it to Whiterun and parted on good terms, and she once again- rather predictably went straight to the nearest tavern. She decided to linger here however- turns out there was work going at the local blacksmith and she decided she should polish her skills up for a while, and make some money whilst she is at it. Her time her was uneventful in the grand scheme of things but she was known around town for her brawls and voracious drinking; well liked but known as a bit of a troublemaker.
She then moved on towards Riften, in her quest to drink; yes, at that moment in time it was her quest. Simple things keep simple people happy. It was along here though that she really started to pick up a bit of a merc lifestyle- she performed odd jobs and task that usually involved killing something, to say she got sidetracked is probably an understatement, she holed up in Kynesgrove taking anything the Jarl dropped by and killed it for the gold- in which she proceeded to spend on drink, lodging and food. Eventually she slapped herself out of her little tavern and went on to Riften, as originally intended. The year was 195 at this point, and she stayed herein Riften for several years taking any work that found its way to her and working the forge when it suited her. It was a nomadic lifestyle but the advent of the Dragons meant that those in her ‘profession’ had very short life spans. She finally left Riften in 204 and made her way to Windhelm, hoping to get some work.
Personality: Sylvanis, if described by only her personality; one would mistake her for a Nord, a loud drunken one at that. Much akin to her looks, her personality shares little to nothing with much of what is stereotyped with her race; her time around the Orsimer and growing up in Orsinium is very much the likely culprit for this. She is brash, loud, driven by strength, honourable and emotional. Strength is a very large part of her life and reasoning, this is in part of her following of the Code of Malacath, she is not what you would regard as overly religious but she places strength and honour high in her personal agenda, her decision making is also heavily influenced by these two factors. When it comes to those she dislikes though; she shows it, clear as the night sky- she has quite a loose, fiery temper as well, it doesn't take much to unhinge it and have her go red in the face shouting at the person who had; or had not as the case can be, took her last bottle of mead. You can time this to the drawing of her hammer in about 2 minutes. She doesn't drink every moment of the day however- and spends a considerable amount of every day sober, she is still fiery regardless, this is a hallmark of her personality, but she is also quite humorous and in her downtime she can be a down right prankster, she likes to cause a bit of trouble although she never intends it to escalate- she has a personality that you will either love or hate. To her friends or those she likes she will tone a lot of her brashness down and speak with them on a greater personal level- and to those she respects she will show it and those who are the leader; or chief as she will call them out of habit, Slyvanis will give them a lot of discretion in their actions- if they do something they probably have a very good reason for it, unless they try and deliberately hurt the unity of the group they lead she probably will never side against them; although it depends on the situation. Finally she places her heart into many endeavours, she will speak with conviction and move with purpose once she has set her heart into something; she forges attachments with people slowly and cautiously, as the life of a mercenary does this to most with an inch of common sense. She likes to drink though; she drinks merrily and deeply- rare is a night gone by without her drinking deep from a mug of mead; she drinks Nords under the table on occasion.
Capabilities:
Skills: Expert Skills: Heavy Armour and Two handed Blunt. Adept Skills: Smithing. Apprentice Skills: Athletics and One handed Blade. Novice Skills: Restoration.
Weaknesses: Fear of heights (Acrophobia): Sylvanis may have been born and brought up in a mountainous region but that doesn't mean she doesn't find the prospect of high places a fun one, she hates climbing, and she hates bridges with a furious passion, you’ll quickly note her pace quickened every time you cross a bridge.
Abrasive personality: She is quick to anger and will quickly resort to a bout of fisticuffs over next to nothing; she’s nought to prove other than the fact she is in the right, and her fists will be her judge and jury.
An alcoholic: She is dependent on alcohol, the longer she goes without it the sharper her temper gets, she is quicker to anger than normal and she will get the shakes. They’re other condemning symptoms to this that change/appear depending on the situation.
Relations and Affiliations: She is Blood-kin and as such has all the relevant benefits this brings to Orc strongholds. Rhasha'Dar, and his younger siblings are fairly friendly with her - and as such, their caravan is. Both good and bad reputations with Inns across the Continent. Thieves Guild contact in Riften - nothing particularly illegal about it, they just happened to both share a love of Cyrodiilic brandy, and after striking up a deal, Sylvanis has a steady supply of it now. Known to quite a few of the Whiterun guards, and also the Jarl of Windhelm. (Due to time in Kynesgrove fulfilling bounties.)
Spells: Healing and Lesser ward.
Combat Style: Sylvanis uses her hammer with deadly efficiency, there is an underlying sophistication in each swing of this large block of Orichrilium; the hammer itself is considerably heavier than most Warhammers made by the Orsimer, and it takes considerable time to complete each swing it also wears the wielder out in time; tiring and aching the muscles pulling and snapping those that are not adequately developed to wield this monstrosity of metal. That is why there is an underlying art in the use of this hammer; it take mastery of both body and weapon to use without rendering your body damaged mid battle; as such a death knell to any warrior, Sylvanis is truly well acquainted with the use of blunt weaponry she does not swing and fling like a savage but fights like a skilled and practised warrior. She can use an Axe just as well as her hammer, that being said she does have a large preference towards hammers due to their utility- she dislikes axes as well due to their nature in the cutting of trees; a loathing she acquired from her Green pact father. Knives are a fairly new prospect to Slyvanis, although she has received a fair bit of training from her mother in the use of them- she will use them in close quarters and has surprising dexterity and speed in their use, being the little ball of metal she is- she jumps at her foes and pins them before leaving them in very bloody mess.
Other Capabilities: She is naturally resistant to Disease from racial benefit, and as well as this can command simple creatures; she generally uses wolves to great effect in the hunting of meat if she is running out. Despite the fact she has never used a bow, she has a natural proficiency in throwing weapons and using bow itself, if she bothered to invest time in this area she’d likely be a very prominent archer. But she doesn’t; and probably never will.
Inventory:
Cash: 82 gold; 35% is allocated to mead.
Keys and Lockpicks: Lockpicks? The hammer and her boot are the only lockpicks she needs. She has various keys attached to belt, some are to doors in the Stronghold she grew up in, and others; the mass majority are to cellars to various inns and taverns dotted around Skyrim; either stolen or ‘acquired’ through various means. She may be as stealthy as a mammoth in a tundra, but when drink is on the line she will find herself in the mead barrels before long.
Clothing and Armor: The clothes Sylvanis has is nothing flashy; it’s practical and that’s pretty much the extent of it. She does have a set of Blacksmiths garb with her though; she will commonly wear it when lounging or obviously working at a forge. Other than that she just has some cotton clothing, basic and comfy under armour and fairly suitable nightwear in the Skyrim weather.
The armour Sylvanis wears is Orcish plate, a full set barring a helmet- she doesn’t like her head being restricted in its movement and her senses being dampened; despite the evident protection benefits it brings, the few scars that decorate part of the face are testament to this. She also had a hand in it’s creation; as part of her passage to adulthood, the Forge mother of the stronghold had a strong relationship with Sylvanis as did most of the Orcs that knew of her and her families past actions in the aid of the Orsimer; and particularly this stronghold. They still had to prove their strength, as is the way of the Orc, but they continued to show strength and indeed continued devotion to the assistance of the stronghold. Additionally she has her enchanted Orcish gauntlets - not pretty to look at, but they certainly do their job well.
Weapon and Ammunition: A large Orcish warhammer is the most outstanding weapon in her arsenal; and the one you can hardly miss on the field of battle; it swings in long telegraphed arcs that will generally decimate all in its path. It does require a large amount of effort behind each swing, and each swing must be calculated to gain the maximum use out of each attack as the time left exposed from each swing is fairly large, and grows the longer the fight goes on. That being said, if it’s wielder is fresh faced and topped up on mead before a fight the swings are quite fast, to a point that the initial expectation and comicality of such a small girl using such a large weapon is quickly dismissed. Get caught by this weapon, and it is very unlikely you will survive , if it goes for a leg the bones will snap like twigs, and all but the heavy armours will resist the blow to a point of saving the bones. The same applies to mage armour and spells that work like protect; they will only stop so much of this devastating weapon. Ultimately, the foe must be careful, one wrong move is game over.
She also carries two high tensile steel Carving knives, these serve two purposes, carving meat and preparing it whenever she gets some game- she acquired the ability to carve animals and prepare them properly from her father; he also taught her the best cuts from Mer and men, not hat she will ever use this information of course... Or will she....
The other purpose is fairly evident- its carving up enemies that are too quick for her hammer- she ensures to sterilise the blade between bouts of game and human though.
Potion and Arcane Supplies: 4 medium levelled potions that restore stamina.
Jewelry and Novelty Items: No jewelry but does have knife used in fletching provided by her mother. Sylvanis doesn’t fletch, but keeps the knife if the day comes that she decides that she will ever take it up. The blade and handle are exquisitely crafted in a traditional Valenwood style, the handle is made from bone due to the effect of the Green Pact and the blade is from a fine Silver alloy, it seems more sentimental than practical. A family heirloom of sorts.
Books and Documents: A book on the “Code of Malacath” A very well read Mace Etiquette (She doesn’t have a mace… but clearly finds the read enjoyable) A couple of journals from her parents and one of her own that she writes in every now and then.
Food, Drinks, Provisions: She generally has anywhere from 2-6 bottles of mead on her person, she also carries a hip-flask of Cyrodilic Brandy; a very rare drink to acquire in Skyrim, but it lasts a long time and she replaces her supply whenever she visits a city; expensive, but worth the price. When you see her take a swig, you know she is in a bad mood or she thinks the situation is grim. She also has a bottle for water. Food wise she keeps a supply of salt to preserve meat in her pack; it's rare that she actually buys her meat as she uses her command of animals to either stay still while she kills them or she will command predators; mainly Wolves to fetch some for her. Other than that she will feed off the land or pay for meals in taverns or traders she meets on the road.
Bags, Pouches, Packs: A tanned leather backpack that she stores everything in, she has however decided against a bedroll, she has grown used to sleeping on hard surfaces to the point where she actually prefers it over a soft one, if you get caught in a blizzard whilst you’re sleeping in Skyrim, the bed roll will only prevent the inevitable for a few moments; if that. She also has a few pouches on her belt used for various things, such as her gold and salt etc, even the odd ingredients she knows that can be used in alchemy; her skill in alchemy is practically non existent, although she is interested in it.
Other: Tinderbox, Whetstone, a smith's hammer, a Quill, some rolls of parchment and an ink bottle that is kept inside a small metal case to prevent it breaking. She sends her parents letters when she either has the time or spare money to do so.
@Leos Klien Alright, looks promising so far, give me some time and I'll let you know the details. For now, you can speed up the process by improving spacing between paragraphs. Not a big deal, but it certainly makes everyone's life easier when sections are properly divided and reads better.
Appearance: Moraya is a cathay, a member of khajiti stock. Like most khajiit living in Skyrim, she stands flat-footed with glowing eyes and other feline features. Moraya's fur is soft orange-gold and spackled with black spots all over in ring-like patterns. Her ears are relatively short compared to the lesser cathay; in addition, she stands about as tall as a man at 5'10' and bound with muscles that rival many men. Equipped with naturally sharp claws, Moraya is rarely seen using any forged weapon.
4E 5, The Rift After the Red Mountain erupted, droves of refugees from Morrowind passed through the Rift into Skyrim. While many continued further into the continent, many still remained in the Rift. Among those who settled down in the Rift were many khajiit who would go on to produce many offspring that would spread out across Tamriel driven by wanderlust or in search of fortune, some would even return to their homeland of Elsweyr, many still remained in Rift.
4E 194, Riften Moraya's parents were as thick as thieves, literally. As members of the Riften Thieves Guild, they provided a stable life for their litter. That is, until the death of their guildmaster - Gallus Desidenius - and the sudden spree of bad luck that plagued the guild. Moraya's parents tried to hold on to their slipping career as professional thieves, surviving off of their savings until the very end when they were forced to find work in the mine just north of Riften. Moraya, then thirteen, joined them in the mine.
4E 201-202, Stormcloak Territory Mining was terribly mundane and the same wanderlust that filled many before her now entered Moraya. When the call for rebellion rung out in the Third Century, many made their way to Windhelm for their own reasons. Moraya among them, though not to fight for the Stormcloaks, but because she was invited to join one of several khajiit caravans who set up shop to profiteer off of the Civil War in Skyrim. The caravan brought moon sugar, skooma, ale and other contraband and goods to Stormcloak garrisons as the war prolonged. Occasionally, they'd descend on the site of a bloody battle to pick clean the corpses of both sides like vultures. Life in the caravan was full of companionship and plenty of sugar for Moraya and her fellow 'sugar tooths.'
4E 203-204, Skyrim After the war subsided, the khajiit caravans found it hard to continue to practice their business. With nordic nationalism on the rise, the previously distrusted khajiit reached a new social low. Soon the caravan stopped selling legitimate goods all together and their profits took a steady dip as they were forced to pay newfound 'taxes' on the goods they carried. By 4E 205, Moraya's caravan disbanded and several of its members returned to Elsweyr where they were greeted with another Civil War.
4E 205, Riften Moraya returned to Riften, where she found her parents had rejoined the Thieves Guild after its return to power. They had also had a litter of alfiq, one of which - Dar'Mokir - warmed up to Moraya during her stay and - filled with the same wanderlust - follows her still on her new journey. Though downtrodden and nowhere near as inclined to thievery as her parents, she returned to the mines and kept up a life of moon sugar and ale until she was confronted by a recruiter one night in a tavern. Another chance to see the world and do work so she agreed and went with him and a number of other recruits to be carted off to Windhelm to join up with the company when they arrive.
Personality: Growing up in Riften has taught Moraya many valuable lessons: don't leave your mug unattended, take your coinpurse with you to the bathroom and not to wander alleyways late at night... but most importantly, it has taught her to always be wary. Wary of other races, especially slippery, scaly argonians, because nobody in Tamriel trusts a khajiit. Wary of merchants because they'll always try to give you a raw deal. Wary of guards because you never know who's lining their pockets. Wary of old men because their memories fail them. Wary of leaders because they always know more than they let on.
But despite all of the wariness, Moraya would not have it any other way. Years of working in the mines have taught her that when she has a choice between menial physical labor and wary, but exciting adventure that she should always choose the adventure. She's a free spirit and is filled with wanderlust, which in these turbulent times, may prove deadly. One of her greatest fears in life is reaching the age where she doesn't have a choice but to settle down.
Unlike her parents, perhaps, Moraya believes that stealing - in most cases - is morally wrong. However like many khajiit she thoroughly enjoys gold and occasionally gives in to impulse and may sneak a few coins into nor purse every now and again - when no one is looking. She does not, however, see anything wrong with 'stealing from the dead.' Because, in her words, "corpses do not have need for such things."
Capabilities:
Skills:
Athletics (Expert): Mine work and years on the road, in addition to her natural physique, have blessed Moraya with very-high-level athleticism.
Acrobatics (Expert): Khajiit are naturally agile creatures.
Hand-to-hand (Adept): Favoring her claws over weapons, Moraya has a lot of natural use with her appendiges as well as natural instinct to guide her.
Medium Armor (Apprentice): Moraya has had some time to accustom herself to moving in medium armor with her time in the khajiit caravan, but she has not had a proper chance to learn how to use it in combat.
Speech (Apprentice): Growing up in Riften has given Moraya some street-smarts when it comes time to play nice with others.
Mercantile (Novice): While she never saw her share of selling, she picked up a thing or two from the khajiit merchants.
Weaknesses:
Addiction to Moon Sugar: Years in a khajiit caravan have accustomed her to the effects of moon sugar, she now has intense cravings for the substance despite it's price and will impulsively take any that she can get.
Flighty: Moraya is flighty, like many khajiit. But she finds it difficult to learn skills that require a lot of patience or study.
Popular Distrust of Khajiit: The other races distrusted the khajiit before the Civil War. After, the feelings are much stronger and harder felt.
Weaponless: Like many khajiit, Moraya prefers to use her claws instead of weapons.
Relations and Affiliations:
Parents (Thieves Guild): Moraya's parents, now senior members of the Thieves Guild, are willing to help Moraya when she needs them - provided it doesn't go against the code of the Guild. Dar'Mokir (Follower): Dar'Mokir is Moraya's alfiq brother. Though he resembles a common housecat with a tabby coat, he is sapient and able to understand common, though he can not speak it. Some sources even say that alfiq can cast magic.
Spells: None
Combat Style: Punchcat, favoring khajiit claws over weapons
Other Capabilities: N/A
Inventory:
Cash: 50 septims, the reward for signing on
Keys and Lockpicks: None.
Clothing and Armor: Outside of combat, deerskin pants, hard leather boots and vambraces with some iron inserts and a dirty white tunic. In combat, a steel halfplate over a hard leather bodice. No helmet for better peripheral vision.
Weapon and Ammunition: None.
Potion and Arcane Supplies: None.
Jewelry and Novelty Items: Three gold earrings on both ears.
Books and Documents A copy of her contract.
Food, Drinks, Provisions: Three bowls-worth of moon sugar, two salmon steaks, two bottles of wine, a waterskin.
Bags, Pouches, Packs: One rucksack, coinpurse in the rucksack
-Change the Volundreng copy to a generic Orc hammer.
-Smithing tournament; for someone who just picked the craft relatively recently, it's hard to imagine her beating professional smiths working their entire lives. Swap second place for fourth or below. Top five is still pretty impressive.
-She sends letters home, but have only quill and no paper. If this is what you intended, then I imagine Sylvanis must rip sheets out of her journal or buy paper locally. Either way, please put in a explanation.
-Two axes and a giant hammer is sure a lot of firepower (or orichalc power). First of all, reduce her backup weapon to just one. Secondly, I find it strange for her to fall back on a sharp weapon when she has zero blade skills. A smaller mace would work better.
-Racial power, like we discussed in PM. Exercising total control over animals is more game mechanics, it would only manifest if the said Bosmer had been honing their innate powers for their whole life, by following the Green Pact to the letter and staying true with their traditions. Sylvy does not fulfill these conditions, instead, her gift would be realized as greater degree of fear and respect from mundane creatures such as the wolf.
-Personality; it feels like she drifts from drunken fights to sober fights, with little more than angry bouts in between. This is not good for her blood pressure. Nobody can be a hardass 24/7, tell us what she is like in her down time, beside drinking her brain out.
-I prefer a full line of spacing between paragraphs, and sentences of the same topics grouped into unified paragraphs instead of point forms. Go back and smooth it out, especially the later portion of her bio. @MenageAUne Two major changes before we get to the nitty-gritty.
-I've had a discussion with @MiddleEarthRoze earlier. Cathay-rahts are gigantic, they are said to be taller than Altmers. We're not doing a height measuring contest here. Just look at Sylvanis before you; 5 feet and still very deadly. Change her subspecies to regular Cathay and maybe chop down an inch or two.
-Recruits from the Reach are no longer accepted. Your character would be joining us in Windhelm, maybe Whiterun or Rorikstead while the company is on its way.
@MenageAUne Alright, I need you to clarify a couple of things.
-12 posts in 153 days, what happened? You would need to more active than that in order to participate.
-Is her Alfiq sibling tagging along to Windhelm?
-How is it possible for her to snatch coins/loot dead bodies and not get in trouble with the law a single time? She's a Khajiit in Nordic lands, and have no sneak or pickpocket skills. Added Dumhuvud's reaction to Sagax in my last post. The chapter transition post is taking longer than expected, should be done in a few many hours.
