Race: Altmer
Sex: Female
Age: 48
Birthsign: The Atronach
Family Origins: Alinor, Summerset Isles.
Appearance
Anifaire stands about as high as a tall man, at 6'5. She is tall, willowy, and of small build. Her stature is too high for her to be naturally graceful or acrobatic, but carries herself with a confidence that comes from years living as a noble. Her skin is a pure golden tone, typical of a full-blooded Altmer, and her features match the genetics as well: sharp, almond shaped and coloured eyes; long, pointed ears; and a defined nose. Her lips are a darker brown than her skin with a pointed bow. She is all smooth skin and harsh features, beautiful in a way that could be construed as strange to someone unaccustomed to Altmer. No blemishes mar her skin; it's clear she's never done a hard day's work in her life. Anifaire has hair the colour of honey that tumbles, rather impractically, down to her waist. It falls flat and smooth. She has bangs cut to frame either side of her face which only serves to accentuate her harsh features.
Because of her noble upbringing, Anifaire is most accustomed to wearing high quality gowns. In Alinor, she only occasionally wore mages' robes, but when she set out for Cyrodiil, she left her gowns behind and instead chose the more practical route at the behest of her mother. She was given three sets of high-quality mages robes, custom tailored. Anifaire's vanity caused her to choose designs that were a bit less practical, but her family let it go as it was still an improvement from her usual attire. She can usually be found wearing golds with green contrast.
Equipment:- Weapons: She wears an elven dagger at her hip, a token that shows her Thalmor connections. It was a gift from her father before she set out from Alinor, intended to be for practical use. She uses it most frequently for sharpening quills. It's clearly in like new quality as she has used it little and only recently began to wear it.
- Clothing: Anifaire has three sets of mage robes. They aren't made in the most practical style, but she is accustomed to moving in them. She bought a pair of sturdy leather boots prior to the expedition, one of a handful of practical purchases.
- Leather Sack: A leather sack larger than is comfortable for her to carry, as she never had to before. She manages by frequently using Alteration magic to lighten the burden.
Misc. Possessions:- Two leather-bound journals (blank)
- Two quills and an inkpot
- Her notes on the Dwemer, filling three notebooks, one of which is exclusively on language.
- A ring with her family insignia, which she is usually wearing
- Assorted jewelery: three jeweled rings, two gold necklaces, two bracelets. She keeps these things in her pack as she was advised to by her family.
- Two days rations (dried meats, nuts, bread) and a waterskin
Family and Associations:- Aronar, her father
- Sephona, her mother
- Alindril, her elder sister
- Saurelar, her elder brother
- Valisara, Saurelar's wife
- Cirendar, their son, Anifaire's cousin
Favoured Skills:Hightly ProficientAlteration: Anifaire spent most of her life as a student. Alteration was her primary field of study, aside from history and the Dwemer.
Dwemer Study: She has spent her life researching everything that is known about the Dwemer, and with time, can translate Dwemer writing.
Moderately ProficientMysticism: Mysticism was her secondary field of study.
Somewhat ProficientDestruction: Destruction was never a focus of hers, but it was her mother's specialty, so most of the spells she learned in her early life were basic Destruction ones.
Spell List:Alteration- Paralyze: Target is paralyzed for ~ten seconds.
- Sea Stride: Allows the target of the spell to walk on water.
- Waterbreathing: Allows the user to breathe underwater.
- Lighten Load: Manipulates the weight of an inanimate object(s).
- Magelight: Creates a floating ball of light
Mysticism- Psychic Motion: Can manipulate inanimate objects from a distance, 30 seconds.
Destruction- Flames: Shoots a stream of flames towards the target.
History: Anifaire's parents, and their parents before them, have been prominent figures in the ruling Thalmor aristocracy. Their name is known for its pure Altmer bloodline. Aronar Mirlinde, her father, is a powerful political figure in Alinor and has been for a few hundred years. Her mother, born Sephona Lovlias, married Aronar at the behest of her family as the Mirlindes' wealth and station was a powerful alliance, and despite the arranged nature of their marriage, the two turned out to be very compatible. Sephona was a distinguished mage working at the Crystal Tower until its destruction during the Oblivion Crisis. Once the crisis was resolved, Sephona stayed at home for a period of time during which Anifaire was born.
At the time of her birth, her sister, Alindril, was away in Valenwood working to bring herself prestige as a Thalmor Agent. Anifaire has only met Alindril a handful of times, and thus doesn't know her sister personally. She is an ambition person looking to follow in their father's footsteps. Saurelar, her brother, on the other hand, is more family oriented. He took a secretary's job in Alinor and married Valisara, a seamstress, for love, despite his parents' desire for a political marriage. They forgave him by the time Anifaire was born, and he frequently spent afternoons with her while she was a child. Saurelar's son, Cirendar, is about her age, and the two were playmates.
Sephona is a driven woman and couldn't stay away from her work for long, so a few years after Anifaire was born, she began working with others from the Crystal Tower at setting up one of the many schools attempting to fill the vacuum left in its wake. Because of this, Anifaire spent a lot of time around mages and academics from such a young age that she remembers little else. She spent most of her days growing up left to her own devices in the school's libraries, and, as she got older, attending many classes. Her siblings spent much of their childhood doing much the same thing, but neither of them ever took to it like Anifaire did. Her mother would often have to come find her at the end of the day only to discover she had tucked herself away in some corner of the library with an obscure book on alteration and lost track of time.
While she spent the days mostly with her mother or her brother, when he was available, Aronar doted on his youngest daughter. He frequently worked late nights, but often took off an evening a few times a month to spend time with her specifically. When she was a child, she would often spend the time prattling on about the books she read that week or the spell she was learning, then as she got a bit older, he began telling her more about his work. She awaited those rare days with fervor and rarely had any patience for reading while she waited. They kept up the tradition after she was fully grown, right up until she left Alinor.
By the time she was 16, Anifaire was well known as a rather permanent fixture around her mother's school. Teachers who had watched her age from a toddler greeted her; students who had once played childish games with her made statements about how much she'd grown. As soon as she was old enough to by formally admitted as a student, she did so. She attended her lessons diligently and, though she was unaware, enjoyed a lot of privelege because of her mothers' position. While she was quick witted when it came to books, magic came slower to her. Despite beginning from a young age, learning spells was a slow process for her.
As she got older, she recognized that other students were progressing at rates much quicker than she was. She approached her mother about it, though the subject seemed to make her uncomfortable. It resulted in an uncomfortable time where Anifaire was struggling to decide what she wanted to spent her life doing. It happened to be during this turmoil that Ania, a scholar from the Arcane University, arrived at their school. She stayed and conducted some research for a few months. During this time, she did a few guest lectures. On a whin, Anifaire decided to attend one.
She found that Ania's field of study was the Dwemer. The lecture was so intriguing that Anifaire was immediately drawn in. Her favourite books had always been history books, and the mysterious nature of the Dwemer's disappearance absorbed her. Ania left soon after, and Anifaire had little chance to speak with her nor ever tell the woman how much of an impact she'd had on the young Altmer's life.
From that time on, Anifaire redoubled her efforts in studying. She enrolled in fewer classes and spent more time doing independent research. When she eventually spoke to her parents about the subject, they supported her historical interests, her mother knowing that she had less skill as a mage--though for an Altmer, it was still capable. In addition to a renewed vigor for study, she threw herself into learning new spells with a new determination.
She was content to study at the school for many years, though eventually her research and study brought her to a point where she could progress no longer. By age 30, she beseeched her father to send her to the Arcane University in Cyrodiil. The refusal from both of her parents were quick and crushing. After all, the Altmer's civilization was superior, what would the Imperials have to add to her research? She accepted this reluctantly, unwilling to fight her parents.
It took her years to wear them down. Her persistent pitches became more and more passionate until her father relented when she was 44. He still doted on her, and after spending so long showing her dedication to her study, he couldn't watch her become any more miserable. Her disappointment became palpable and she slowly became less and less motivated, spending more and more time around the house until he finally agreed.
So, she finally set out for Cyrodiil. Her father paid her way on a safe caravan and sent her off with a rather large amount of money as well as various bank notes for future use. The journey was uneventful, and her arrival at the University was welcome after her mother called in a few contacts. Ultimately, she had to do little work and the transition was painless.
That was what Anifaire believed, anyway. In truth, Sephona and Aronar had to combine their political sway, and spies, in order to send her into territories that weren't typically friends to the Thalmor. It was, in reality, blackmail and bribes that got Anifaire accepted into the university, orchestrated by Sephona. A couple of subtly worded letters were enough to get a council member backing her daughter, and a fat sack of gold ensured her quarters at the University. Ultimately, it did the job, but made Anifaire no friends. Many did suspect her of Thalmor loyalties.
She made few friends at the University. None, really. The caravan that she had traveled with on her way to Cyrodiil had been made up of only Altmer, and around Alinor, there were few other races. There were quite a few Bosmer, and she had met travelers and dignitaries from other Provinces on occasion, but ultimately she'd never had a prolonged relationship with anybody who wasn't an Altmer. Being raised in the Dominion and by Thalmor, she was wary and hesitant of them and was unsure of what they would be like. Little did she know, they were as skeptical of her and she was of them, and there were a number of higher ups who bitterly disliked her because of her mother's actions. The blackmail was, luckily, enough to keep them from interfering.
So, she kept to herself and the library, mostly helping herself to the Universities' resources on the Dwemer. The Altmer found few things that were completely new to her, though she found some new information. The longer she studied, the more she began to consider the possibility of firsthand research, though she knew that she wasn't capable enough to take on a Dwemer ruin by herself. Slowly, the more frequently she read a book repeating the same things she already knew, she realized she needed to get out there for herself.
She eventually published a compendium of her notes on Dwemer language translation. It compiled most of the studies she had ever read on translation and gave the most compact guide to beginning with the study yet. Her work was noticed by Rhea Valerius, who was running an expedition into the largest ruins found yet. She experienced many doubts about signing on, but her curiosity was burning brightly by this time. She knew that, despite how nervous she was, it was an opportunity to advance her research she didn't want to turn up.
Personality:Anifaire lived a sheltered upbringing. She never wanted for anything and had access to all the education one could wish for. She lived at home with her parents in their family manor up until she left for Cyrodiil, where she was again financially supported by her family. Because of this, she has little practical experience doing anything at all: she can't cook, fight, barter, nor has she any other skills. She has lived all her life anticipating a scholarly lifestyle.
Raised by the Thalmor, Anifaire has certain views about other races. Simply because she has always been in the environment, she naturally thinks of Altmer as more civilized and superior, especially compared to beast races and Talos worshipers. Her family's strong belief in keeping the bloodline pure rubbed off on her by default. Her prejudice has been amplified by the small amount of contact she has had with other races. She has never been put in a position to learn about these peoples firsthand, and she rarely ever thought about it until she arrived in Cyrodiil.
Despite having some degree of prejudice, Anifaire isn't the type of person who would be rude for any reason. She is rather meek and likes to avoid confrontation. It's more like that she would be found giving someone an odd look than even having a conversation with them. She is reserved when it comes to approaching others, but if she is spoken to first, she will open up and show her friendly disposition. She is shy and softspoken, though one wouldn't guess it from the way she carries herself. She moves with the mannerisms of a noblewoman, all arrogance and assumptions. It is true, she's accustomed to having servants and it not by any means a modest person, but she isn't one to be found barking orders at the help.
She is a vain about her looks and proud of her status, meticulous about the upkeep of her hair and clothing, and not fond of getting dirty. Her intellect is a source of pride for her; she knows she is a capable academic and knowledgeable from years of study. She is, however, insecure about her magical capabilities because she is a slow learner when it comes to spells, especially compared to the gifted mages she grew up around. She struggles to have confidence in her casting.
Anifaire's curiosity is what drives her. It isn't an all-encompassing one, like some scholars she had met, but rather a fondness for historical mysteries--such as what happened to the Dwemer. She is confident in her knowledge on the subject and it is one of the rare things she could get into a long conversation or debate about. It is truly her passion and if someone gets her going on the subject, she could ramble on for days. She has truly barely faced a challenge in her life, and the one she is now embarking on for the first time is a source of terror for her. She doubts her abilities for keep up in such a situation, but it is her curiosity that drives her to do it.
The Altmer woman is uncomfortable in tense situations. She will relent easily if someone disagrees with her on anything, so long as they aren't blatantly wrong about some fact of Dwemer history. A rude word will shut her up immediately, and she likely won't defend herself against one either. It takes a large amount of passion to drive her to any lengths.
Miscellaneous:- Anifaire is accustomed to typical Altmer dining culture, and since leaving the Summerset Isles, she's found the way other peoples eat so casually to be very strange and difficult to get used to
- She has never been drunk because it wasn't something her parents encouraged of her
- Anifaire wears her emotions openly on her face, never having had need to hide them
- While the Dwemer are her field of study, she has a lot of interest in other ancient peoples, like Falmer, Ayleids, and Aldmer.
- She is completely unaccustomed to sleeping on the ground and does not rest well when sleeping in bedrolls.
- She believes strongly in the Aldmeri Dominion by default, perhaps by default.
- Anifaire has never seen real combat in her life, only training sessions among mages.
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