Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Oct 14, 2021 14:59:21 GMT -5
She thought she thanked him again, but could not be sure. Her awareness had a chewy-nougat-like consistency, a bit stretched-out between places and with bits sticking on to whatever she touched. Silver coins, cold in her hands. Why? Nina stared. Right. She had been meaning to dig out the key-blade…thingie.
“’t’s a curious thingie.” Nina informed the king. “A whaddayacallit. A doodad. That makes it a bit less scary than calling it an artifact, don’t you think?”
Like a tiny waterfall, she pushed the coins around it away, and pulled the large, elegant clock hand up. She picked it up very, very slowly, and folded it in places that didn’t look like they could be folded, pushed and prodded with her mind across ridges that couldn’t be felt with fingers. There were seams of bright, shadowy light. The eye would be amiss to describe what had happened, for the clock hand had remained precisely the same. Yet it was also now fitting snugly in the traveler’s palm. It was as space itself had bent around it, or perhaps what folded was…a story.
It occurred to Nina that the clock hand felt perfect in her hand, in a way that reminded her of stories around the campfire, and of puzzles and nutmeg and treasures, not actual treasures but the idea of them. It made her question how much of the piece existed in the mind.
“I might’ve used too much magi-“ The word was cut off by a yawn, which got pulled into a grin out of a desire not to worry the other. She pulled a loose bit of rope out of her pockets (one should always have bits of rope in their pockets), and tied two knots in it – one around the clock hand, as if to contain, and one around her neck, to bind. It felt heavy against her chest, heavier still if she thought of it, but the folding seemed to have covered most of its magic.
Nina slid down the pile of silver, and looked up at the king.
“You know, I can almost feel hopeful about thi-“ But this sentence end too, was beyond her grasp. She simply smiled.
It felt like dream to be given all she needed, and she shivered slightly imagining waking up. She’d nod, as if to gesture that her task there was done and she was ready to return to the surface.
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Post by Lord Hochrescal of Helsreach on Oct 14, 2021 15:46:23 GMT -5
She thought she thanked him again, but could not be sure. Her awareness had a chewy-nougat-like consistency, a bit stretched-out between places and with bits sticking on to whatever she touched. Silver coins, cold in her hands. Why? Nina stared. Right. She had been meaning to dig out the key-blade…thingie. “’t’s a curious thingie.” Nina informed the king. “A whaddayacallit. A doodad. That makes it a bit less scary than calling it an artifact, don’t you think?” Like a tiny waterfall, she pushed the coins around it away, and pulled the large, elegant clock hand up. She picked it up very, very slowly, and folded it in places that didn’t look like they could be folded, pushed and prodded with her mind across ridges that couldn’t be felt with fingers. There were seams of bright, shadowy light. The eye would be amiss to describe what had happened, for the clock hand had remained precisely the same. Yet it was also now fitting snugly in the traveler’s palm. It was as space itself had bent around it, or perhaps what folded was…a story. It occurred to Nina that the clock hand felt perfect in her hand, in a way that reminded her of stories around the campfire, and of puzzles and nutmeg and treasures, not actual treasures but the idea of them. It made her question how much of the piece existed in the mind. “I might’ve used too much magi-“ The word was cut off by a yawn, which got pulled into a grin out of a desire not to worry the other. She pulled a loose bit of rope out of her pockets (one should always have bits of rope in their pockets), and tied two knots in it – one around the clock hand, as if to contain, and one around her neck, to bind. It felt heavy against her chest, heavier still if she thought of it, but the folding seemed to have covered most of its magic. Nina slid down the pile of silver, and looked up at the king. “You know, I can almost feel hopeful about thi-“ But this sentence end too, was beyond her grasp. She simply smiled. It felt like dream to be given all she needed, and she shivered slightly imagining waking up. She’d nod, as if to gesture that her task there was done and she was ready to return to the surface. "You seem tired. We can discuss this in the morning. I have a feeling Elegastus would would love for you to stay the night. He's taken quite the shine to you." The king suggested. Their hospitality really was too much, almost suspiciously so. Still, they had been incredibly kind so far she had no reason to doubt them.
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 290
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Oct 26, 2021 15:22:33 GMT -5
It took a little bit of magic to explore the Key of the Twilight.
But even a little bit is too much when you don't have much magic to start with.
Soon after she finished, everything started aching, and then only proceeded to hurt more, as if she was bruised on the inside. Nina wrapped her arms over her chest, knowing that she could do nothing to stop it, shocked that she'd get such stark side-effects from something so small, and being too tired to care.
Later she would wonder whether this was the true cost of the weaker magic in the islands.
Climbing back the way she came was like swimming to the surface once you'd gone too deep to return safely.
Her awareness stuck to her fingers, to things she could touch or that she thought she could: the velvet silence, the gelatinous, glass-like handrails, the dust of stars between her outstretched fingers once she was back outside.
She remembered trying to ask the King whether there was a market around, for her to sell her paintings, to trade them in exchange for surplus food, for the dispossessed, for people she knew, but she wasn't making much sense. It was all too mixed with emotions and the sense that she was ripping her own skin off by letting go of the last memories she had from her world. Sentences came out tangled, broken. Her fists clenched in frustration.
"How...how did you know it was Elegastus who brought me?" She managed to piece together. But her focus cracked before she could fully grasp the answer.
Later, she'd suppose someone had guided her to Elegastus' place. It would have been impossible for her to find it. But all she remembered was the carved surface of a door under her fingers, as she tried to follow the curves in the wood, and the man's reassuring voice. By then she had somewhat recovered, but still looked drunk and shuddering in the manner of one suffering from a bad cold. She talked a bit.
"Do you think that hope is worth it? Being able to imagine that things could be better?" She would ask in a lucid moment.
And then, the girl would close her eyes, nodding to the reply, and soon after time ceased to exist.
Until later.
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Post by Lord Hochrescal of Helsreach on Feb 7, 2022 12:55:36 GMT -5
After a few moments, the building would be close enough to be seen. Swooping spikes, gothic architecture all twined in a macabre masterpiece.
"Well, home sweet home!" The king states, having stopped on the edge of a building.
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Feb 10, 2022 19:17:56 GMT -5
Givena stared up at the spire, feeling her heart getting caught in her throat. In another situation, she would have found the architecture quite the feat. However, seeing how far above the other buildings the intricate obelisk rose, and especially seeing how imposing of a structure it was, she felt more concern than anything.
Finished with her gawking, Givena turned to the king. “Quite nice.” Were the only words she could muster. She knew that this man wouldn’t hurt her, if he had wished to he would have already. However, she was still quite unnerved by the situation and everything about it.
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Post by Lord Hochrescal of Helsreach on Feb 11, 2022 14:36:31 GMT -5
Givena stared up at the spire, feeling her heart getting caught in her throat. In another situation, she would have found the architecture quite the feat. However, seeing how far above the other buildings the intricate obelisk rose, and especially seeing how imposing of a structure it was, she felt more concern than anything. Finished with her gawking, Givena turned to the king. “Quite nice.” Were the only words she could muster. She knew that this man wouldn’t hurt her, if he had wished to he would have already. However, she was still quite unnerved by the situation and everything about it. "Why thank you! Save your compliments for the architect, it was his brainchild!" He created a stairway down to the street. "Ladies first" he said with a slight bow and arm swing.
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Feb 14, 2022 22:58:14 GMT -5
Givena hesitated for a second, foot hovering over the step, before taking a breath and traveling down to the doorway of the large spire. “It’s so…imposing.” She says as she goes down. “And it stands out from everything else so much.”
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Post by Lord Hochrescal of Helsreach on Feb 15, 2022 12:55:01 GMT -5
Givena hesitated for a second, foot hovering over the step, before taking a breath and traveling down to the doorway of the large spire. “It’s so…imposing.” She says as she goes down. “And it stands out from everything else so much.” The king stopped, as if he had never considered this. "You do have a point.... he was always quite odd, perhaps we should get him a psychiatrist? What do you think?"
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Feb 15, 2022 22:10:52 GMT -5
Givena turned to look at the king again as he said this, before averting her eyes once more upon remembering that he was still shirtless. “I feel I’m not in a position to judge. I don’t know much about the architectural customs of…wherever you are from.” She says, not facing him.
“Um…” She starts, trying to find a tactful way to address what she saw as his indecency. “If it isn’t so much to ask…could you perhaps put a shirt on, your majesty?” She asks, unable to look at him. “My apologies it’s just…considered quite bad form where I am from, and it makes me a little uncomfortable.”
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Post by Lord Hochrescal of Helsreach on Feb 19, 2022 9:07:14 GMT -5
The king looked confused for a few moments before understanding. "Ah, yes, of course. I'll need to get inside first, i forgot it at the beach and I'll need a new one." He lead her towards the entrance, intimidating and ornate guards stood on either sides of the large doors, which the king shoved aside with little effort, opening into a lobby? Keep? A parlot? "give me a moment" He said, before slipping through a side door, leaving her alone in the surprisingly well furnished and homely room.
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Feb 22, 2022 15:42:11 GMT -5
Givena eyed the guards as they walked past them, feeling a pit in her stomach. Was their armor meant to be so intimidating, or was it another case similar to the architecture? She looked down to the ground as they walked in, feeling overwhelmed by everything going on here.
Once she was alone in the entrance room, she looked around more. The furnishing was designed in a way matching the rest of the castle’s decoration, equally intimidating to the young inventor. She rubbed at her forearm subconsciously, wishing to herself that she had finished the crossbow before she had been found by the demon king or the human lady that was with him. However, the furniture still seemed to look surprisingly comfortable. Realizing just how exhausted her worry and panic had made her, she sat on one of the chairs, sinking down as she continued to look around. Spiky detailing, dark red colors casting intimidating shadows. Handrails along some nearby stairs that strangely enough looked recently installed.
For some odd reason, that set her mind to rest slightly. This wasn’t some giant, larger than life monolith of evil that she was sitting in. It was just a building. Renovated and built upon where the original architect didn’t foresee issues that others had. She let out a sigh, trying to release the tension in her shoulders. She knew they weren’t going to hurt her, it was all just so…surreal. Like a spot between a dream and a nightmare, one where you’re aware, and yet you can’t seem to wake up. She blinked hard, trying anyway as she waited.
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Post by Lady Lilresia of Helsreach on Feb 23, 2022 4:55:16 GMT -5
Givena eyed the guards as they walked past them, feeling a pit in her stomach. Was their armor meant to be so intimidating, or was it another case similar to the architecture? She looked down to the ground as they walked in, feeling overwhelmed by everything going on here. Once she was alone in the entrance room, she looked around more. The furnishing was designed in a way matching the rest of the castle’s decoration, equally intimidating to the young inventor. She rubbed at her forearm subconsciously, wishing to herself that she had finished the crossbow before she had been found by the demon king or the human lady that was with him. However, the furniture still seemed to look surprisingly comfortable. Realizing just how exhausted her worry and panic had made her, she sat on one of the chairs, sinking down as she continued to look around. Spiky detailing, dark red colors casting intimidating shadows. Handrails along some nearby stairs that strangely enough looked recently installed. For some odd reason, that set her mind to rest slightly. This wasn’t some giant, larger than life monolith of evil that she was sitting in. It was just a building. Renovated and built upon where the original architect didn’t foresee issues that others had. She let out a sigh, trying to release the tension in her shoulders. She knew they weren’t going to hurt her, it was all just so…surreal. Like a spot between a dream and a nightmare, one where you’re aware, and yet you can’t seem to wake up. She blinked hard, trying anyway as she waited. With A side door opened, and a yound woman practically skipped out, before stopping when she saw Givena.
She rushed over to Givena, talking quickly. "Oh, hello! How're you!? I haven't seen you before! Are you here to see the king!? You'll have to wait, he's busy!" She had a much lighter skin tone than most fiends, almost a washed out orange, and she was very human in form, compared to other fiends. Only notable feature is her pointed ears and her horns, the later of which were significantly shorter than any other she'd seen on a fiend. All and all, an odd one.
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Feb 26, 2022 0:12:20 GMT -5
The young polymath was roused from her thoughts with a visible jolt as she noticed the fiendish woman rushing at her, practically jumping out of her seat before realizing her friendly intentions. Givena clutches at her chest as she lets out a shaky sigh. “By the gods you just about gave me a heart attack.” She exclaims, letting her heart rate die down before taking another look at the woman.
While at first glance her skin had seemed a normal human shade, a second glance revealed a more orange hue than Givena had ever seen on a person. If the skin didn’t betray an other-than-human heritage, though, her horns did, clearly indicative that she too was of a fiendish descent. Strangely enough though her less human traits were much less pronounced than those of someone such as the king. Perhaps she was only half demon? That would make sense, considering the mixed demographics of this kingdom. Although it did surprise her slightly. She had never given thought to whether that was possible. This place just seemed to bring about stranger and stranger revelations it seemed.
“Uh, I’m good.” She would respond to the young lady, regaining her composure. “I’m…new in town.” She explained. “Just washed up. And uh, the king is the one who led me here, actually. I met him on the beach. It was…well it was an experience for sure.” She thought back to it, omitting the somewhat embarrassing specifics of the encounter. “Might I ask who you are though?”
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Post by Lady Lilresia of Helsreach on Feb 26, 2022 8:48:18 GMT -5
The young polymath was roused from her thoughts with a visible jolt as she noticed the fiendish woman rushing at her, practically jumping out of her seat before realizing her friendly intentions. Givena clutches at her chest as she lets out a shaky sigh. “By the gods you just about gave me a heart attack.” She exclaims, letting her heart rate die down before taking another look at the woman. While at first glance her skin had seemed a normal human shade, a second glance revealed a more orange hue than Givena had ever seen on a person. If the skin didn’t betray an other-than-human heritage, though, her horns did, clearly indicative that she too was of a fiendish descent. Strangely enough though her less human traits were much less pronounced than those of someone such as the king. Perhaps she was only half demon? That would make sense, considering the mixed demographics of this kingdom. Although it did surprise her slightly. She had never given thought to whether that was possible. This place just seemed to bring about stranger and stranger revelations it seemed. “Uh, I’m good.” She would respond to the young lady, regaining her composure. “I’m…new in town.” She explained. “Just washed up. And uh, the king is the one who led me here, actually. I met him on the beach. It was…well it was an experience for sure.” She thought back to it, omitting the somewhat embarrassing specifics of the encounter. “Might I ask who you are though?” She paused a moment before answering. "I... I guess if he brought you here it's alright to tell you, I'm Lady Lilresia of Helsreach, King Hochreschal's only daughter." She then accentuated the point with a peoper curtsey.
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Givena of Éledún
Established
Roleplay posts: 48
Age: ~23
Appearance: (note: icon temporary)
5'7" tall with a relatively thin, semi-athletic frame. Her blonde hair is cut to her shoulders and held up in a half-tail, with a pair of goggles resting on top of her head both keeping the hair out of her heterochromatic one-blue-and-one-aqua eyes. Generally she wears simple orange-ish tan breeches and a green sleeved shirt, occasionally with a harness made of wood and metal scraps and often carrying one or more of her creations.
Equipment: She has a small set of tools with which to cut and nail together wood and thinner metals, as well as a buckler-like shield with a blade coming out the front, cobbled together from scrap materials. She also has a pair of broken mechanical wings that are missing their old power source and a half finished forearm-mounted crossbow.
Skills and Abilities: She is highly creative, able to use even discarded and scrap materials to create interesting small tools, weapons, and similar pieces.
She is good with carpentry and basic mechanics, with passable knowledge in working cold metal.
Biography: She was born on the island of Éledún, home to one of the most magically gifted groups of humans in her world. However, from her birth it was known to all that she would lack any of these gifts for her entire life. Her eyes were enough to tell them that. So, to make up for the magical inadequacy she was so self-conscious of, she took up tinkering with wood and metal, creating small inventions to help around the town or to help fight(some...working much better than others). She spent most of her life trying to prove herself to her peers, but was always viewed as some eccentric outcast on the edge of town, until the flood washed everything away.
Registered: Oct 5, 2021 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Givena of Éledún on Mar 4, 2022 19:06:40 GMT -5
“Oh, I see.” Givena replied, standing to curtsey in return(or at least repeat the gesture best she could, considering she wore pants and not a skirt). “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your Highness” She hastily adds the latter statement, not wanting to seem rude to the princess. She had already been lacking in formality with the king, it would not do to act the same with all the royals. They usually weren’t as forgiving as the hellish King.
“I am Givena, of the island of Éledún.” She said to introduce herself. “The king found me when I washed up.” She paused for a moment, thinking back to the water. “After everything was destroyed, I washed up here.” She added somberly. “What about you? The town seemed quite new as I was walking through, like homes were still being set up. How did you all arrive here?”
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