The Valkyrie

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Working till Sunday. Will post asap.

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Side note: just got my wisdom teeth out today and am on some pain meds, so if my posts seem weird, don't make sense, et cetera just let me know! I will fix then--or attempt to--asap.

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Wee, finally a night off of work! Short post, but I'm pleased with it! Eir is all fired up. Poor horsey, qq.

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Eirny's eyes pierced the sand and discerned the group shortly after Ovra's did. She watched the scene unfold with large eyes, clenching her staff more tightly to herself when the horse was struck and the rider thrown. "Maker's breath...", she muttered under her breath. It hurt to watch the innocent creature injured to stop the one she bore only moments before. The smell of singed hair and flesh joined the wind and sand, turning her stomach; she watched the creature lie still as death. Whether it was momentarily stunned or truly dead, she could not tell.

Then Ovra's yell snapped her out of her momentary daze. "Time to move," and Eirny watched as the dwarf moved to place herself between the attackers and the fallen figure. The small elf would usually be feeling anxious at the situation, but this time she felt the anger bubbling up. After the call, she barely hesitated a moment before moving from her vantage to form up with the others. She tried to spare a glance at the person, but as they were face down in the sand, she couldn't make out much. She looked back to their leader now, awaiting further orders.

Almost assuredly, Eirny knew that Ovra hoped to gain something from this be it money, knowledge, or otherwise else she would not risk it. She knew enough to know that she thought it worth their time and resources to intervene, especially with at least one Tevinter mage involved. Right at this moment, Eirny held no good thought for the group; for all she knew, they were slavers chasing a runaway slave. That would explain why they attacked the horse and not the rider: didn't want to damage the goods. Already, she imagined the necessary focus and energy needed to place a paralysis glyph that would catch any but those she designated. She had recognized the order to stand down unless otherwise told, but she would be ready nonetheless.

(High Casual) An Age Old Feud

My deepest sympathies! Keep friends and family close and, yes, take as much time as you need.

Work always takes me away for 3 days at a time, but I'm always eventually lurking. (8

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Made this post after work, so apologies for any errors. Sleepy proof-read it once or twice. Will read again after sleeping/before work this evening! (Unless I oversleep) X:

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Eirny was engrossed in a single page covered in various writing and sketches: various notes derived from both credible and not sources on where the Silent Plain's Rose was said to be found. It was a curious thing, one not even she had heard of during her time of study in the Circle. Many people swore it was real while others laughed, calling it an old herbalist's tale. The drawings were contrived from the copious descriptions she had been given on the rose. Again, the 'facts' were few, far between, and often contradictory. She didn't know what, if anything, they would find in the end, she just hoped they found something soon. It had been several days already and the journey was grating on her.

She looked now to the others in her party. Many of them grizzled and tested adventurers in his or her own right. Even their newest member, Shok, looked better suited to the lifestyle. Eirny knew she was often the one slowing them down, though she did her best to push through as long and as fast as she could. It had been a year already since she joined the mercenaries, and while she definitely felt more at ease now she knew that she had a long way to go yet. She reminded herself that she wouldn't be here if she didn't need it. Just the thought of the events leading up to her apostasy was enough to stoke the fire in her chest.

A tiny light danced on the periphery of her vision now, not really present but showing itself to her in case she needed to call to it. She'd grown accustomed to the wisps popping in and out and this was just their way of letting her know that they were near; it was always a little more comforting to know one was keeping her company. The sounds of the group put her even more at home, even in these environs. The sand was unpleasant to say the least and a storm threatened to break soon. Nevertheless, the sounds of humming, singing, making camp, and the occasional guffaw brought back memories of what life could be like. It was a strange family, but it was hers now.

Shok and Erinya hadn't needed her help with the cleansing, mending, or wrapping of their wounds today but she kept a concerned eye out for them nonetheless. It never hurt to have a second opinion, especially where wyverns were concerned. Fascinating but deadly beasts. As was becoming habit, Eirny watched Shok work if no assistance was needed; she always offered her assistance, of course, wanting to be useful but was more than happy to watch whenever she was declined. Ever the student, it was always interesting to see a new or different way of doing things.

Now the dwarf called Garlenn was starting to set a camp fire. Now seemed as good a time as any to start unpacking her bedroll, when Ovra gave a shout. She watched as Garlenn and Erinya were quick to move into position. Not wanting to lag behind yet again, Eirny took up her stave with a readied position from the rear. She had a good vantage from here and she wanted to make sure she was in a better position to help support and defend than the last fight. "What've we got?" She wasn't sure if anyone had a good look at whom or whatever was approaching, but Eirny strained now to look in the direction Ovra seemed to be facing.

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Heads up! Working Thurs-Sat night, off 2 nights, then back on for 3. So if I'm delayed, just give me till Sunday or Monday night. I'll get a post in. Gonna try and post tonight/today.

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Yay! So excited for this, I squee'd a little and the hubs gave me crazy stares. I posted my sheet in the character tab.

Meet Eirny the City Elf!

Will update my thoughts on the others this evening. (8

Edit: Updated!

Dragon Age: Oathbreaker

Eirny, the City Elf

Eirny

Female | 29 | Elven

Basic Info

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Birthplace

Val Royeaux Alienage

Appearance

Eirny stands at an unimpressive 5'2" and has a wiry physique. Her most notable features--besides the large, pointed ears--are her ivory hair and her amethyst eyes. She keeps a few long wisps of hair dangling at the front of her face, more often than not found braided, knotted, or beaded away from her eyes while the rest of her hair is kept short as a bob. Her complexion is light as it is with most of her kind and pasted with freckles here or there.

Background

Born to a pair of poor city elves in Val Royeaux's extensive alienage, Eirny spent most of her dawn years learning with her peers at the vhenadahl or in some small home or other when it was available. There were so many packed in that the smaller children often sat in the laps of the elder ones to conserve space. In her first ten years of life, she never questioned the way things were done even when some of the children went missing; perhaps they died of illness which was not uncommon within such cramped quarters or perhaps they went somewhere more interesting.

Eirny would invent her own stories sometimes for where they went. Perhaps they had gone to join their wilder, freer brothers and sisters in the forests, or maybe they strayed too far and Fen'Harel snatched them up. Sometimes tiny lights came to her when she was alone and whispered stories about where her friends had gone; however, the stories they told were always vague and sometimes nonsensical. Occasionally, one of the stories would upset her and the spirits would glow soothingly to calm her worries. Whatever the case, her parents told her not to think about it and assured her she would never leave them.

It wasn't until her early teens when her aptitude for magic became more apparent--particularly of the spirit sort--that Eirny was taken from her home to the White Spire for training and harrowing. The Chantry and its Templars became a constant presence in her life during her stay, and she grew to hate and love them in her own ways. She found one or two of the friends that went missing from the alienage here, and it made the transition a bit easier. One particular new friend she made was her mentor, Rhys, who was very skilled at interacting with wisps and spirits such as she had. He along with a few important others safely guided her through training and interacting with her innate spirit magics and eventually through her successful Harrowing. Like many mages, she does not talk of the demon(s) or other things she saw while in the Fade.

A few weeks later, it was one of her alienage friend's Harrowing. His trial seemed to go on for days, and the wisps that came to her hinted at him weakening. It was a week before she saw him again, but by then he was Tranquil. It hurt her heart in ways she hadn't expected. She had known Tranquil before him and they all seemed content with their lot in life; her friend, Aesin, did now, too, but he wasn't the same. The light from his eyes was gone, sometimes it seemed like he did not even notice her, and her wisps refused to go near him. The Spire was the largest Circle in Orlais, possibly in all of Thedas, yet Eirny never felt more suffocated in her life. Even her life in the alienage paled in comparison.

She began to throw herself into her studies of healing magics in the hopes of finding some lost way to help Aesin, something the others may have overlooked or hidden. She was almost like a woman possessed as she would study tomes, writings, and rituals for days on end. In time, she became a very skilled spirit healer but was not one step closer to discovering anything to help her friend. As with all spirit healers, the more skilled she became the more demons tried to entice her. Many promised they could cure her friend if she only brought them over. Eventually, repeated disappointments with avenues of study and relentless demonic propositions drove her to avoid her friend and the thought of him altogether.

Eirny was a highly respected and trusted member of the White Spire's Circle by this time. While far from an expert, she was well-versed in healing magics and spirits by this point. Having seen the dangers of demons firsthand, she was an ardent supporter of the Chantry, the Templars, and the Circle. While she struggled with the fate of her friend, in the end she knew that it was for the best if he could not control himself. Her heart still ached for the loss of his friendship, but she had to think that there was a reason behind it all.

One night, as she lie resting in her bed, a Templar came to her room and ordered her up to follow him. As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, she hadn't the faintest idea what it all could be about but she had not reason to distrust. As ordered, she packed her belongings quickly and followed dutifully. When they were in the undercroft of the building, that was when she began to feel something wasn't right. She hesitated on the last steps before the murky waters below and the Templar turned back. When she questioned where they were going and what was happening, she was hit with a blinding force that echoed through her bones and knocked her unconscious.

When she came to, she felt like she was on a moving vehicle. Her hands, mouth, and eyes bound, only the wisps around her attempted to explain the situation. She had grown to understand them better over the years and knew for sure now that this Templar did not have noble intentions; they told her he carried her blood and intended to sell her. It was a long trip before this was confirmed with her arrival in Hasmal. Here, she was to be sold, phylactery and all, but the deal went bad for the Templar and the slaver, with neither one of them ending up with the intended reward.

This is all the story she ever told the Oathbreakers when she joined up a year ago. It was all the story she planned to ever tell unless otherwise coerced. Nevertheless, she assured them that her phylactery was destroyed in the struggle. An apostate now, she had no intention of returning to the White Spire or any Circle. Not after that night.

Personality

Eirny often comes off as somewhat distracted, but that can usually be explained by the wisps that pop in and out around her. Many times they are overlooked by passersby and so she appears to be listening to thin air, but she keeps her wits about her. She's at home with elves and humans the most, of course, as she grew up with them. Reserved on a few topics--such as her past--she is generally a fairly open person. She is direct in her speech unless finesse is called for and doesn't like to dance around a subject. Intelligent, quick to care for the injured, and slow to trust.

Curriculum Vitae

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Years served

1 year

Profession

Mage | Spirit Healer

Modus Operandi

Filling the supporting role, you'll find her wherever the most help is needed, whether up front or in the rear.

Skills

Herbalism: allows Eirny to create potions, poultices, and salves using various ingredients.

Herbal Lore: Eirny is able to identify most any type of plant, herb, or otherwise used in the creation of healing items.

First Aid: Even without the use of her magics and poultices, Eirny is a talented nurse and caretaker.

Streetwise: Being raised in the largest alienage—and in the largest city—in Orlais has its own perks; Eirny is comfortable moving in and interacting in large crowds.

Speak with Spirits Since early age, Eirny has had wisps around her. With years of experience and guidance, she can give them simple commands and even puzzle out some of their simple thoughts.

Important Relations:

Rhys: Mentor, idol, friend. Helped Eirny come into her own understanding of her powers during her time at the White Spire.

Aesin: Close friend from her childhood in the alienage. Before made Tranquil, she considered him her best friend, being one of few who truly understood where and what she had been through. She still mourns his loss.

Caelis (father) & Aeryn (mother) of the Val Royeaux alienage: Eirny’s parents whom she assumes still live at the alienage. She hasn’t seen them since she was taken to the White Spire years ago. Parted on good terms with no siblings—at that time, anyways.

Reginald: The Templar whom attempted to sell Eirny to slavers from the White Spire. His whereabouts and well-being are unkwnown to her following the incident. She assumes he would not tell anyone of his misdeed or how a mage and her phylactery strangely went missing on his watch...

Thoughts:

Aseema Viranni: A long time veteran of the Oathbreakers, Eirny thought she'd feel more comfortable near the elf who shares her knack for magic, but she just isn't the same as the elves back home. She's not quite how she pictured a Dalish elf, either, besides the vallaslin she wears and some of the words she speaks. While Aseema's experience is valued, more often than not Eirny feels very awkward and alien around her.

Erinya/Ishanni: Eirny has a hard enough time forming her own opinion of Erinya without her wisps whispering incessantly in her ears. Even when she has moments of lucidity, the woman was an oddity to Eirny. The wisps are generally in such a frenzy when they talk about her that Eirny has trouble deciphering each thought. What she does know, however, is that she is ill in mind and body; Eirny is determined to help her if she can.

Garlenn Fellblade: Her first impressions of the dwarf after joining were fairly favorable. Eirny found amusement in his glibness and loquaciousness. Her good opinion of him is somewhat injured by his ferociousness in combat. She fights because she has to now, not ever because she enjoyed it. Still, when out of combat, she almost feels a fondness of sorts towards the battered dwarf. Even without the physical evidence to show it, her spirits tell her he has many scars.

Krios Ar Tae O Darkhold: Probably the most interesting human Eirny has ever met. Serious a good bit of the time, Eirny enjoys the moments when he laughs or cracks a smile at some witty comment one person or other has made. She finds him fascinating in that he is a warrior with some magical abilities but he feels very different from the Templars with whom she spent so much time in the Spire. His magic feels very familiar and even her wisps enjoy being around him.

Ovra Paerat: Ovra makes Eirny wish she knew more dwarves early on in life. Out of all the ones she has met since leaving the Circle a year ago, Ovra was by far the most interesting of the group. Also quick with a quip, she never lacks for life or laughs to bring to the party. Sometimes her spirit friends whisper about the shadows that hang over her, but Eirny accepts that we are all flawed in our own ways. And anyways, Ovra has only ever been good to her since joining.

Shok: One of the few recruits newer than herself, Eirny initially had a strong distaste for the Qunari. She hadn't met many, but he seemed more dour than most and add to that his use of blood magic. Her views were newly colored the first time she saw him work as a healer. She could see the passion he held for his craft as he worked, severely softening her opinion and even endearing her to him a bit. She appreciates his directness, though sometimes thinks he could do with some tact. Her spirits hum a sad song for him sometimes.

Tools of the Trade

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Weapons & Ammunition

Enchanter’s Staff (A gift from Rhys; kept well-wrapped when not in use)
Iron dagger

Spells

Creation: Heal, Rejuvenate, Glyph of Paralysis, & Spell Wisp

Spirit: Spell Shield & Mind Blast

Spirit Healer: Group Heal

Clothing & Armor

Cloth robes with hood (as pictured above)
Cloth gloves
Leather boots

Tools & Things

Empty bottles for potion/poultice/etc. making
Herbalism Kit
Smelling salts

Potions & Poultices

Lesser injury kit x2
Injury kit x1
Healing Potion x2
Health Poultice x2
Lyrium Potion x2

Ingredients & Rations

3 days worth of dry rations
Waterskin
Roll of fresh herbs

Bags & Pouches

Reagent bag (holds herbs)
Potion and empty bottle holder (holds 3 at a time)
Cloth backpack (spare clothes, unequipped items, empty bottles, small camp roll and her various other belongings already listed)

Odds and Ends

A worn book Eirny is often seen reading. She keeps it safely wrapped and stashed in her backpack when not in use.
A vial of spirit essence received during her time at the Circle.