Mmm, what a juicy sheet, @Stormflyx. Njal is a fascinating character, and for an NPC, packs a lot of story potential. He is very much approved for NPC. If you wish, adding a couple of minor skills and connections will easily make him a main character.
@Spoopy Scary, Mary's fantastic as she has been. Welcome to the company!
Ariane Levec Fontaine, eldest daughter of Noel Fontaine and Therese Levec-Fontaine. Mystic prodigy in the College of Whispers. Sister Pandra to the Wyrd Sisters of Daenia. Some call me the "ice queen", but my subpar cryomancy, ice-castle construction and ability to "let it go" only makes such a name insulting to Elsa, the ancient Nordic queen/frost mage.
With that said, my preferred wig is a long, braided, blond one.
What contributes to the usual first impression given to you?
My short stature; which portrays me as a non-threatening figure. My lack of weapon also furthers this impression. More often then not, my choice of refined clothing drew envious stares from the peasants, though most knew their place to be far below such elegant fabrics.
Many have underestimated me, believing me to be a dependent heiress. Let them assume such, for their limbs shall fall faster this way.
In what ways do you physically project yourself?
As said in the previous question, my fine clothing is a strong part of my outward image. A person's outfit not only befits of their financial station, but also their self-esteem. A mangy lion, even with its natural born muscles, does not belong in a pride with its unkempt furs. Likewise, I strive to keep robes, gloves, shoes and shawls in pristine conditions, my hair neatly trimmed and washed, so that they suit a noble-born like me.
Although many noble ladies of High Rock prefer to wear makeups, I myself sees no use for such in daily lives. There is a line between well-groomed and flamboyant; the former is infinitely more preferable in order to not draw unnecessary attention. Though one exception to such are my eyeliners; I have learned from the warrior-beggar Baha'dur that a thick line of blood red makes for one deadly stare, and sometimes that is sufficient enough to intimidate my opponents into fleeing.
When the occasion calls; such as formal celebrations or audience with the nobility, I choose to project a vibe of grandeur. Makeups are quite appropriate then, along with wigs, glittering jewelries and a fine suit of quilted velvet.
What took you here?
A peasant knows only physical fulfillment. The masses seek riches, and ironically, they crave wealth more the poorer they are. I believe my well-off upbringing excludes me from such mundane pursuits. I have never lacked the necessities in life, and with my skill in mysticism, I could have obtained a highly lucrative career as court wizard. No, I travel for knowledge, to experience and absorb the vast arcane Tamriel has to offer. Serving in a mobile fighting band opens eyes in ways a congested court never can.
To start, I believe they are several peculiar magic users in your company; I wish to see them in action. In addition, the Nordic Thu'um is an arcane arts of no equals, and I certainly intend to experience it sometime in my future. There are further reasons, but elaborating will only serve to confound you.
Have you distanced yourself from something? Why or why not?
I only distance myself from the obsolete. For example, the College of Whispers in High Rock could not advance mysticism beyond that of an adept, so I withdrew from that obsolete institution. The Wyrd Sisters shared uncommon knowledge with me, for a time. But soon enough, their hermit lifestyle became readily obsolete, in the face of our modern world.
The exception is my family, which I distance from because I must follow my individual passions; not theirs.
When were you important to others? When were others important to you?
No one is more important than yourself, and everyone else is replaceable.
With that said, I suppose Mistress Tortue was a decent mentor, if you could see past her senile slothfulness. Researcher Le Roi Jenquins was eager and innovative, though he was prone to thoughtless bursts of actions and chicken-induced absentmindedness. Sister Has-No-Life was intriguing for a time, but she was ultimately antisocial.
If you are truly set on employing me as a magical adviser, than I must be of some importance to you. There was one instance in the past, where I sent a dreamsleeve message from a nobleman to his wife; apparently that prevented his cat from drowning.
How do you view leadership? Do you see yourself taking part in any?
Few are born with the possibility to become leaders, and even fewer are molded into true leaders. A leader has to set examples, sure, but they only risk themselves when they lead from the front too often. There's a three-way distinction between leading, politicking and mentoring. A leader is does not dabble in shortcuts like a politician, and should not ever let their followers drain all of their expertise.
While I have experience to lead in many fields, I often don't find myself contending for power. More often then not, those positions of power are fought for ulterior gains, not the advancement of the organization. I will only do so when assuming power does not sever me from the original agenda.
What experience do you bring to the team?
What the masses call "mysticism". I do not fault the dull public from seeing nothing but incomprehensible data from my arcane specialty. Indeed, I am here to assist these less capable people in making sense of the vast magic possibilities on Nirn and beyond. For example, I believe the art of dreamsleeve communication have been restricted to the high elite since the third era. This art of transmitting thoughts through vast distances in space, through a short amount of time, will be something you find most valuable.
In addition, battles are no strange occurrences to me. My list of fallen foes include magic skeptics, forest poachers and roadside bandits. There is nothing my bound sword cannot cut through. Like my old fencing master from the College of Whispers, O'Beewon Canopy, once said: "mundane metal and wood are not elegant weapons; they belong an uncivilized age." You should heed his lessons, for he had cut off many limbs and obtained the high ground over many scorched dark lords.
How do you keep yourself safe?
Magic. A physical weapon can be broken, disarmed or stolen. With spells, a mystic like myself will never have to worry about maintaining or securing my tools of defense. With that said, I have practiced fencing with private tutors and interest clubs in the College of Whispers. My choice of blade is a conjured one, made from the spirits of Oblivion. It is weightless, sharp and available at any moment, as long as my magicka allows. Outside of that, my alteration spells burden the aggressors, while keeping myself light on my feet.
My principle is never fighting an uncertain fight. More often than not, the conflict is already determined in its planning stages.
Describe something you do only with the utmost discretion.
Communication. If you have explored the vast network of thoughts the Dreamsleeve contained, you will understand the danger of a single slip of mouth. On an easier to understand level, a wrong word can start a brawl, a leaked secret can break apart families, and a misworded compliment transforms into a declaration of war. When you have nothing to say; don't say anything. If most followed this principle, well, they would be speechless.
How have your goal(s) been hindered?
Make no mistake, the upper classes undergo challenges of their own. You will find conflicts beyond the daily struggle for food. You are one such man, Gut-stuff, or was it Goosestep? Anyway, the more powerful you are, the more dangerous your threats become. My mother and father both survived assassination attempts, and my uncle alone survived five! There had been two clear attempts on my life; one by a rhabdophobe and another by an archer in green hood, whom "stole from the rich and gave to the poor", whatever that meant.
Finding a master mysticism tutor is difficult in it's own. The Wyrd Sisters have sufficed for a while, but then they revealed, well, questionable conducts. They are-, doesn't matter, it's not like it makes sense to anyone else.
How do you treat escalating conflicts?
By not conflicting in the first place. Is it so exigent to refrain from apoplectic ignoramus? When all else fails, I suppose it's better to be the first to escalate to the highest level; killing someone else in anger is preferable to being killed in anger.
When does a task become impossible?
When it is beyond one's capability. Impossible for one does not mean impossible for another. Such is the case that myself have performed many magical feats deemed impossible. In addition, what seems impossible at one time can become quite possible later on, or vice versa.
What novelties do you hold dear?
My rings and this necklace, as you will see during our meeting. This crystal pendant is a heirloom from my mother's side. When you warm it in your palm, like so, it will emit a blue light. It is quite useful for illumination, and when I apply magical energy, it will shift to another color. You can see through part of the spectrum and-, never mind, there's no point explaining to a layman. About the ring, well, they are graduation rings. I had them enchanted with magicka boosts.
Oh and, my old pug was pretty swell. She had the brain content of a log, but unlike similarly intelligent human beings, she never pretended to be smart.
How do materials contribute to your success?
By providing comfort and convenience. I mean, you cannot rely on equipment for everything. Those with physical weapons often confuse their weapon with their fighting skills. There exists upstart swordsmen with ebony blades, only to cover their completely non-existent fencing skills. These individuals can be so focused on their blades that they forgot about swinging it, until their moment of death.
You want to hear about me? Look, I wear robes, carry magicka potions and store compact, non-perishable food items in my purse. I expect to join a company with a supply chain, correct? I shouldn't need to provide everything in my own bags, after all, you did say this "Ediot" quartermaster knows her job.
What do you make? What do you take?
I made many things in order to make my way here. I've made myself a mystic, a stranger from the familiar neighbors. In this, I took away my "normality". But I think I've made myself someone bigger, taking away the petty concerns of the mundane world and opening up to a greater arcane plane.
You probably want something tangible again. I've made regular items into enchanted ones, rare metals into jewelries, and took away sizable payments. Arcane and artifice works require diligent training, and as a result, always priced magnitudes higher than smithing or tailoring. Nobles are the majority of my clients; what was taken amounted to no more than pocket change for them, but in return, they are given something extraordinary to occupy their miniscule attention span.
The Wyrd Sisters? That will be a story for another time.
Contract: Magic adviser | Six months | Standard officer pay Authenticated by: Gustav
Ariane is a delicate little thing. Bretons are already shorter than most races, and Ariane falls below the average height of her people (155cm instead of the average 160cm). Her physical strength is lacking, and she has no inclination to improve it. To Ariane, working out (or working in general), is a stupid activity for filthy peasants. In addition, she is not toughly built or conditioned for direct combat. Without her spells and bound armaments, Ariane becomes extremely vulnerable.
Despite hailing from an upper class family, Ariane is an eccentric individual of poor communication skills. Etiquette can be drilled into her, but holding an engaging conversation is something she never mastered. Compounding to this problem is her interest in obscure magic, and seemingly a lack of interest for mundane matters, such as procreation. Ariane gives an aura of being aloof, something she does not deny. Some assume there's a warm friend inside her unsociable cover, but those that truly "befriended" her knew otherwise; she is a fickle companion.
In her younger days, Ariane was a thrill-seeker, even a masochist to a certain degree. She used to find risky and strange matters exciting, such as dangerous spells and hostile locations. When taking fencing courses in the College of Whispers, Ariane experienced a strange sense exhilaration in close proximity to death. She would deliberately seek danger in early adulthood. Though she finds less joy in perilous close calls over the years, and caution eventually ebbed into her mind, her thrill-seeking ways is morphing into overconfidence. If Ariane survived conjuring unbound dremora and wading naked through a swamp full of crocodiles, then what's a couple of snow demons to her?
Tactics
Ariane doesn't touch her opponent in a fight, instead, she lets conjured stuff do the touching for her. Her favorite weapon is a conjured one-handed sword, while a conjured cuirass integrates seamlessly with her fine robes. With decent fencing skills, Ariane is not a pushover when the battle gets close. However, her greatest strength lies in magically manipulating the battlefield from a distance.
A skilled mystic, Ariane knows a consortium of unconventional spells. She can disrupt enemy mages by deflecting or absorbing their spells, drain their magicka, or silencing them altogether. As an alteration adept, Ariane makes life difficult for her opponents, and life easier for her allies, by burdening, feathering and paralyzing. Of course, she knows conjuration spells beyond forming bound armaments. She can summon a variety of creatures of Oblivion, command them, and send them back exactly where they came from.
While not a master tactician, Ariane will have ideas if given the opportunity to observe the environment. Her position as an officer gives her authority to send lower ranking personnel into harm's way, though she rarely does. It is not because of any concern for life, but because she finds commanding tedious.
Her study in the College of Whispers included sessions on arcane combat. Therefore, Ariane is no stranger to the interplay of different magic schools. Few in the mercenary company can match her knowledge in war magic theory. On the other hand, the relevance of her theories remains to be seen.
Opinions
Big whiny wuss, but otherwise alright. Acceptable taste in tea and biscuit. Worth keeping around to make things mellow. He stutters and has no self-esteem, sure, but Keegan's one of the few mercenaries that doesn't stick his nose where it doesn't belong.
Awfully fidgety on the day Dumhuvud died. Maybe Sadri and the old cat pulled a nasty prank him? Oh well, we'll never find out. Once a deserter, always a deserter; shouldn't have vouched for him in Solitude. Don't blame him though; everyone here is running away from something, and I suspect uncle Horace's unfortunate demise may be tied to one of those things Keegan's running away from.
Great guy; smart and obedient. Makes for a good butler. Also knows necromancy? Two servants for the price of one! Died a bit too fast, but at least got some sick rhymes out before dying.
Not a great guy. Can't read and acts weirdly. Certain he licks his fecal passage. And he's gone; this is why people shouldn't let their cats outside.
Voodoo, glows, wears fur to a royal banquet, and smells like...wet dog? The company sure smells better without her around.
Such fast, much suicidal; wow. Chance of dying next mission: 5/7. Can run fast, sure, but has no sense of direction in life.
A vacuous simpleton with brain power equivalent to that of a squirrel, Piper is no doubt incapable of complex thoughts. Therefore, her "heroic" aspirations can be understood as a lap dog seeking its owner's approval. Her application says she's a good smith; not much of a wordsmith though.
Somehow didn't get herself killed by the gargoyle; guess she couldn't understand the subtlety of her task.
Somewhat stiff; needs to oil up. Just don't oil up too much into the crazy zone. Doesn't look that ugly after he cleaned up; possibly strong-armed his way through losing Solveig.
Gustav likes this Dunmer, says he reminds him of what he used to picture Madura Dalas as. I don't agree; Beleth's way uglier than Dalas.
Very strange to have around, personality-wise, and that's on top of his magical disturbence. Poor cologne choice? Probably just needs to brush his teeth more often, with all that sugar intake.
Very reckless in combat; must be compensating for his inferiority complex.
Stiffer than Sadri; needs at least three bottles of oil. And some soap to wash out all that propaganda nonsense Morrowind fed him.
Not the luckiest individual, but did he expect good fortune from worshiping daedra?
She's pretty hot, and fragile. Better not drop her again. Basically dropped her in the banquet. Her feeble mind is easily swayed by frenzy, as expected.
3/10 on the intelligence scale. Lucked out with the jellyfish. Smells like cat; forever alone cat lady in the future? Well, cat's gone, so just forever alone.
She's going home; good. The company needs better leadership than this rustic-brained "huntress".
Not stiff enough; start clenching. Apparently he's going with the ship now; wonder if the sea will make him more or less salty?
Excellent leathery skin for purse. Good in archery, and likely also good in provisioning, as exotic-flavored meat. Pretty fast too. Can he outrun a hungry chaurus? Need to experiment.
Experiment 1: ran at vampire lord and survived; more trials required.
Chickened out at the end of the cove fight. Didn't get to roast him, unfortunately. Sneaky boy with a sword; must've practiced one handed a lot, with himself.
Turns out he's a decent enough mage too, or is it just an elaborate prank?
Oldie, but not a goodie. Could hear his bones creaking. Would get off his lawn to avoid getting shot by angry grandpa with bow.
Found his grandkid and left; smart. This is no country for old cats.
A preacher that doesn't put his audience to sleep, yet. Unfortunate departure; some may like to hear about his Lady and Savior, and he has the potential to be a less voodoo chaplin than Wylendriel.
Exceptional lab partner; would perform experiments on her. Smarter than she looks. Hopefully she does less pirate stuff at the banquet. She did, and now she's going to die. Maj doesn't deserve this.
Also the least unattractive merc.
Business associate? Not sure what Gustav needs her for, as she doesn't seem to be able to fend for herself in combat. She's sophisticated though, unlike the rest of these boors.
Mediocre. She would make a better chaplain than Wylendriel, though, as she eats normal food, wears normal clothing, can control her emotions like an adult and doesn't smell like feces drenched in urine.
Was hoping for a round character, but she ended up flat.
Certainly proved her excellence, as combustible material. Shame to let such good fuel go to waste.
Carantathraiel,
AlteredTundra,
ayzrules,
Shu,
Spoopy Scary,
MacabreFox,
Shin Ghost Note,
Vesnic,
CaliforniaState,
shylarah
