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For a noble who pursues a useful existence, it can be a hard path to be on. However, Melrathi are nothing if not earnest, and even the highest born noble knows that they must prove their worth in order to rise through their family's ranks. This may or may not be Visna's ambition. But the fact remains that there are many besides who would use her birth to their own advantage.
The Children of Myrkvior have been ailing of late, their numbers dwindling from what they see as persecution by Modernists who seek to corrupt the lands of Melrath with Immortal influences. However, in some ultra-traditionalist circles of the Aesir, it is whispered of how they persist in the deepest woods of Melrath, in the Myrkvior. And that one who can spot an arctic fox, of pure white pelt, will come to Myrkvior in time.
It just happens, during one of her meditative journeys through the woods, that Visna spots what appears to be a pure white fox, after nearly stumbling into a pitfall trap. Whoever put the pitfall there, must have wanted their prey alive. At the same time, the ditch is far too steep for the Fox to climb out. It will need some help in order to make it.
What will Visna do about this fox?
(Please note that Starter Quests are entirely optional, you're not obliged to take it if you don't wish to. They're merely meant as a stepping off point for a new character.)
Last edited by Visna Namdalen on Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:15 am, edited 20 times in total. word count: 380
Description: As dark, cold and mysterious as the season he was born, Mathios is a distant and reserved soul who rarely lets people in close. Born to the noble Namdalen family, he shares the sentiments most born under the stag do and has long since shrugged off the trappings other Melrathi nobility favour - he, himself, having not set foot within Raelia since he was fourteen. Instead, he has taken his family's role within Melrath society to heart, training and studying to become a man one with the wilds since he was a boy.
Mathios is a soul who values all types of life. Although gruff in his manner, he only considers himself above others when he acts on behalf of the wilds, spirits and people he protects. As a Conservator in the Ydalir, he is a warden of the Northern Melrathi Mountains, and every bit as rugged and wild as one would expect. Although average of height and build, he can command respect when necessary yet prefers to stay out of the spotlight. To most, he comes off simple and gruff but is well aware of the politics and machinations of the region. A man of few words, it is incredibly rare for him to offer up personal information but he will offer advice and the odd tip to those few he provides training for - or for those who he deems genuine enough to warrant such offerings.
He is particularly protective of - and drawn to - wild and broken things and has a soft spot for the wilful and written off. Although difficult in his own ways, he has Ymir's patience and it is rare for him to act rashly - only doing so in an emergency, particularly when any within his territory is threatened. He is known to ask the spirits and Aesir for guidance before making important decisions, valuing the concept of fate and signs given to him by either.
He is most often seen in head-to-toe furs and leathers as well as his trusty short bow, his brown bear companion, Kolfinn, never far from his side. He considers himself a moderate with Traditionalist leanings, however he does not agree with the extreme lengths some Traditionalists have taken. As much as he would prefer Melrath to remain unchanged and for all Outlanders to respect their ways and give up Immortal worship, he still considers any within his territory his charge and will defend them when necessary. His personal Embla is a four finger-width black smear drawn down one half of his face.
Note: Mathios has studied Tree Talk enough to handle basic matters with the Tunawa of Bergbon Outpost and has had regular dealings with the Avriel of Vorkund and Hel. He knows both races well and can assist in matters to do with either if he feels it is of interest to Melrath and his respective territory.
Description: Unlike some Namdalen, Tóra prefers to stand out - and stand out she does. Tall as the average man - taller when in boots - and built for the ruggedness of the wilds and forests she hails from as well as the mountains she has come to call home, Tóra is a spirited woman who does her best to not let her lame leg hinder her. Although softer now due to injury, she still cuts a respectable figure, especially since her tanned skin is covered extensively in dark, sweeping tattoos. She still prefers the Eastern styles she grew up with, favouring layers of lighter wool and cotton of opposite yet complimentary colours with leather and fur accents, and often adorns herself in simple wood and glass beaded jewellery in earthy tones. Her long dark hair is kept neat in tight braids that keeps it out of her face and dark eyes and her personal embla is a single, thin line running down the centre of her face intersected by another arching from under her left earlobe over the bridge of her nose to under her right earlobe done in a vibrant blue.
Born a Crovan, Tóra's original ambition was to become a defender of her homeland and join the Ragnari. Although most would have expected a Crovan to become a Mervarian, Tóra spent more time on land than than at sea and, thus, worked tirelessly to become a member of the Valkyrion. However, an arc after achieving the rank of knight, she was on mounted patrol when her comrade's Sleipnir spooked and kicked her in the thigh. The mighty power of the Sleipner laid ruin to her thigh and bone, shattering it completely. A near life-ending injury became a life changing one, leaving the fresh knight unable to use her leg. She could no longer walk, let alone ride. And combat? It was all out of the question.
Lost and bereft, Tóra fell into a deep depression. She questioned why something so silly had cost her her livelihood. Questioned why she had been saved only to suffer, crippled and useless. What good was a Melrathi who could not contribute? Noble or no - Tóra could not bear the shame of it. She begged the spirits to take her but none listened. She begged the druids and her companions to take her out into the woods and leave her but they would not. No one listened; no one cared.
It was an Ydalir ranger, her future husband Mathios, that heard her. Passing through Fensalir, he spent a few bits in the House of Healing where she was kept abed, needing treatment for a bite wound, and encouraged her to share her story in the interim. One story turned into another, turned into one in return. Talks about history, of the spirits, of the land. Of old ways. Of Outlanders. By the time he was sent on his way, he had managed to relight the spark that had originally burned in her to become a Ragnari. Only this time, his gentle words had helped her see that all was not lost and that she could still play an important role - that she still had much to give to the people of Melrath. Her knowledge and passion did not need two working legs and a sword arm to do their duty.
Renewed in her quest, she spent the next arc learning to walk again with the aid of a walking staff and joined the Aesir as a Lore Master soon after. Her passion for the history - the true history - of Melrath and her reverence of the spirits carried her through the ranks but it was her prior connection to the Ragnari and her deep desire to defend the old ways that truly shaped her into the woman she is today. She became most known as a ritual tattooist and often performed rites and ceremonies for new Ragnari.
Her dogmatic and unyielding personal beliefs eventually led to her forming loose ties with the Children of Myrkvior. Although not directly involved in the actions of the guerrilla faction, itself, she has had passing dealings with members, offering information and using her familial and Ragnari ties to arrange passage and meetings for members. Any correspondence has always been indirect but it's not difficult to see that Tóra's iron-clad traditionalist beliefs would make her a sympathiser - if not a full supporter.
Appearance: Seara and Visna were often mistaken as twins for most of their lives. Both were all long limbs, their father's wild dark hair and their mother's big dark eyes. However, Seara developed a more practical and subdued style as she aged, favouring their father more.
Taller now than her younger sister by five inches, she is also more built. Her hair is only minimally styled with plaits and the odd bead and feather adornment and often only lays flat due to the heavy hood she wears over it. Her dress is appropriate for her role as a ranger, sticking to leather, fur and cotton in colours to match the land she roams. She has a special pauldron she wears on her left shoulder along with a matching vambrace and glove, all made of durable yet soft material fitting for a falconer. Her animal companion, Olet, is often seem making use of any of these unique pieces. Her personal Embla is dual, two finger-width marks around the underside of each eye and one thin line through her bottom lip and chin done in a dark ochre.
Personality: Forgettable is probably the best way to describe the eldest of Mathios' children. Lacking her father's edge and her mother's passion, Seara simply seems to exist and is content to steer clear of any and all attention. Although she has her own set of values and convictions, she is known to keep all things to herself and rarely - if ever - speaks out about much of anything. She keeps her head down and has a steady focus on her role as a member of the Ydalir. She works hard in her training and is set in her ways of a traditionalist but grew up often doing a lot of work behind the scenes to smooth things over after any of her family members ruffled things up. Now-a-days, she is content to live a self-sufficient and independent life and is the closest of her immediate family to her second cousin, the Jarl.
Appearance: Like a prized colt, Isarr seems to have acquired all the good genes from both his parents without any of the bad. He is already taller than both, with broad shoulders and lean muscle yet still lanky with youth. His dark eyes are sharp and he keeps his equally dark hair short and in a Raelian fashion with the sides nearly cut clean down to the skin and prefers to remain clean-shaven. This nod to Raelian trends continues, with the teen straddling the more progressive city styles and that of the more rugged and practical ways of the mountain. He has a habit of incorporating more colours into his wardrobe yet still keeps to fur and leather accents out of necessity. Like his mother and middle sister, he has begun to decorate his skin in tattoos with the designs kept mostly to his arms and back. His personal Embla Is a thick, three-finger line done in a band across his eyes from temple to temple and a thin, neat line done along the line of his jaw and chin in gray/silver.
Personality: Isarr, out of all his immediate family, is every bit Melrathi Nobility. Although he is still much a Namdalen and keeps much to himself, he has the air and graces befitting the politics of Raelia. Most importantly is his sharp mind and intense curiosity and interest in the world around him. He is passionate in trying to figure things out - whether that be people, situations, or the world he lives in - which has steered him towards the dangerous art of Ensorcelling. There is arrogance that comes with youth and Isarr is full of it and it's lined with a hint of self-centred entitlement. Isarr is bent on forging his own path rather than following in either of his parents footsteps, his interest in the Wilds and survival existing insofar as a means to his ends: his current obsession with wells. As such, he has been known to venture to the capital to interact with scholars and outsiders to learn more of the topic and has picked up Raelian habits along the way.
Background: Born to a family of notable druids and medicine women famed for their knowledge and healing practices of Graft, Sivnne always knew her destiny was to continue in her mother's and grandmother's footsteps. She was grateful for the opportunities her family's renown and status within the Druids brought her and for the future that was practically handed to her on a platter, and never once considered doing anything else. Dedicated and reverent of her family's history and knowledge, she welcomed what was asked of her and dove head-long into her studies.
Her mother, Ylarra, initiated her into the family's magic of Graft the arc before she was to undertake Hesterfor and, albeit both were traumatised from the ordeal, she forged headlong into the healing ways of the magic, training and studying under her mother's watchful eye. She completed the Trial of the Lady the following arc and then became a full fledged member of the Druids an arc later in 712.
Since then, she has been a paragon of the healing arts, enough so that she garnered the attention of House Magnus. A deal was struck between the house and the family of healers and Sivnne wed Einar Magnus, second cousin of the Jarl and Attuner and Alchemist, in Ymiden of her 20th arc in 716.
The newlyweds got along well, bonding over their common interests, and their relationship grew from the respect they had for one another. Einar initiated Sivnne into Attunement that same arc but was never initiated into Graft, in return. The pair knew the dangers that came with initiation into Graft - into most magics - but only Sivnne bore the emotional scars that such a harrowing and disgusting initiation could leave. She remained reticent and Einar never pushed, but it did stymie their budding relationship. No children came and the pair continued to live a respectful life together, pursuing their respective spheres of expertise.
Everything changed in 719. As tension rose within Raelia between Melrathi and Mages, Immortal-marked and Stormtouched, ochlocracy broke out. Einar, a progressive believing himself safe as a member of noble house Magnus, was vocal in his call for unity and peace. He shunned the violent mobs and attacks but found himself a victim in late Vhalar, seized by members of the Ragnari. The 112th of Vhalar will forever be a day that Sivnne loathes; the day Einar disappeared.
Despite attempts by house Magnus to free Einar, Sivnne's husband remains absent to this day. She remains a dutiful member of the house out of respect for her lost husband and refuses even to this day to think he's dead - even if it's what her heart of heart's tells her. She has thrown herself into her work, tirelessly doing everything in her power to save anyone she comes across. She has so far managed to stay out of the politics surrounding the event and remains neutral when it comes to the divide amongst her countrymen. She, herself, has yet to shun a soul under her care and has never turned anyone away.
Appearance: Sivnne is naturally curvy and of average height and difficult to peg for a mage if one isn't sure what to look for. She is often dressed in full length Aesir vestments of her rank and branch but is also fond of Raelian fashion and trends as well as incorporating colour into her wardrobe. Her long dark ringlets are either pulled back in a modest and practical bun or woven in beautiful Raelian plaits and styles and she enjoys wearing jewellery when it's reasonable to do so, particularly her Trial of the Lady ring and a serpent amulet her missing husband gave to her on their first anniversary. Her personal embla is two gold leaves beneath her right eye and a thin gold line down the bridge of her nose. Her near-black eyes hold her Attunement witchmark (puzzle eyes) and her Graft witchmark, located just below her sternum and consisting of a small hollowing covered with a flap of skin much like an eardrum, is always covered by clothing.
Relationship: Fellow Druid; the pair are slated to meet in Fensalir in late Ymiden 721 following the Bushfires and reemergence of hostile Outlanders. A future medical mentor, potential confidant and reason for Visna to pursue magic, their relationship is set to be rocky due to their vastly different natures and approaches to life. Sivnne's gentle personality, empathy and patience will go a long way in dealing with the difficult Namdalen and be the reason Visna grows to trust the other woman. Sivnne is not actively looking to pass on her magical knowledges but may be persuaded to initiate others into Attunement. Graft is still a very personal magic for her, and one she will remain reluctant to teach.
Background: Born in Vorkund, Arnskell grew up respecting the Mountains he called home as well as the ways of his people. He never took more than he needed from the land, instead learning to hunt and forage in a more sustainable way. He believed in balance and justice and the importance of everyone acting for the best of the community. As such, he was always a very hard working but warm individual, eager to help when others were in need even if it was to just lighten the mood with a story of two.
He joined the Ydalir later than most, in Saun of 711 when he was twenty, and thrived in the role. He loved being a ranger, a voice for the voiceless, and a protector of what he had always held dear. However, he struggled with the loneliness that often came with the role. He grew incredibly close to his wolf companion, Tygg, as a result, as well as the members of the holds located within the mountains he patrolled.
The Namdalens of the Northern Melrathi Mountains were like a second family to the ranger, Mathios Namdalen serving as a mentor as he moved up the ranks. He was such a regular presence within the Namdalen hold that he went on to marry one of the animal trainers in their employ, Novalie, and the pair welcomed two children - a boy named Kyrre and a girl named Synia - by 718.
However, everything changed the following year. An etherstorm hit in Ymiden of 719 and caught Arnskell while he was out on patrol with Tygg. With no shelter to be had, the ranger endured the effects alone, changing into a far different being come daybreak. The most obvious change was his appearance - his face warped to taken on traits of a boar - but his mind was also affected. He instantly became as aggressive and territorial as the creature whose features he had acquired, resulting in him getting into a fight to the death with his once beloved companion, Tygg. From then on, he reverted to a wild way of living, forgetting the ranger he had been and the life he had had, and remained in obscurity since. His disappearance had led to hunting parties but little came of their searches. As trials became arcs, hope faded of finding him alive and well.
Still, Mathios Namdalen continues to search, unwilling to give up until his fellow ranger's bones are laid to rest properly - if such is his fate.
Appearance: Arnskell was always a solid fellow, rugged and scarred even before he became Stormtouched, but he was never intimidating. Instead, he came off quite the opposite, his pale green eyes, dark skin, long dark hair grown light and sun-bleached at the ends, dark goatee and bulk buried under layers of cloth, leather and fur made him seem cuddly like a teddy bear, with the sort of smile and belly laugh that could warm a person up even on the coldest of Cylus days. This has all changed since the Etherstorm in 719, however. Gone is the warmth he used to exude, the kindness from his eyes. His tanned skin has taken on a mossy green hue and he's acquired boar-like features - evident in the thick, yellowed tusks that have sprouted from his mouth, the dark, coarse bristle-like texture his hair and goatee have taken on and the dark pigmentation in his eyes. He's far more wild than the man he once was.
Relationship: A regular character in Visna's life, Arnskell trained much under her father, Mathios, and went on to become a ranger within the territory Mathios was in charge of. He was a common face around the Namdalen's Melrathi Mountain home and would overwinter there every arc, spending many holidays with the family, to the point where Visna and her siblings considered him like family. Arnskell, in turn, played a role in helping Seara, Mathios' eldest child, become a full fledged member of the Ydalir and also enjoyed foraging and wandering the wilds he patrolled with Visna, helping her learn more about survival and the natural world.
*Skills Note: Arnskell forgot much of his training after becoming Stormtouched and living on his own and is no longer considered a Ranger or member of the Ydalir.
Last edited by Visna Namdalen on Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:24 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 3834
