mythalenaste | Recent Entries

“A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny Weatherwax had once told her, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her.”
― Terry Pratchett

APPLICATION / INBOX / HMD / PERMISSIONS / DAILY SCHEDULE
OFFICE / RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS / VISUALS

Basics

NAME: Pel AGE: 30 NATIONALITY: Exile RACE: Elf OCCUPATION: Arcane Warrior	HEIGHT: 5'1" BUILD: Petite but strong HAIR: Silver EYES: Blue BEARING: Proud
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Freckles. Freckles everywhere. Underbite. Vallaslin (facial tattoo) of the heraldry of the goddess Mythal (a tree) in green.

Status

Previously researched elven artifacts for the Inquisition, but has become a soldier and trainer in light of the new developments in the war.

Currently staying with Merrill in the elven alienage.

Has a one-year-old daughter named Sina. Not that Sina, but named after her.

Reputation

From a group that came from Clan Ashara, though she is no longer part of that clan. Seems kind of aloof. Has a baby.

She has published several books about her research, as well as a cultural ethnography about the Dalish aimed at demystifying the culture.

Hooks

Arcane Warrior and trainer, can be seen in the courtyard practicing with a sword. Please let her train you.

Single mom.

Published author, though her books haven't sold well since she is, after all, an elf.

Approval & Gifts

APPROVES+ Be principled in the face of difficulty + Value of the freedom of others + Be a sensible grown-up + History/folklore geekery + Make her feel pretty	DISAPPROVES- Patronizing - Sacrifice principles for "the greater good" - Abandonment - Unnecessary chatter - Laziness
GIFTS Gifts are a loaded thing for the Dalish. Still, Pel always approves of practical gifts, but to really get her heart beating, give her pretty things she doesn't need--hair combs, scented oils, jewelry, lovely clothing. Even better, give her things with history to them, like antiques, especially elven antiques.

For professional issues, please approach Pel here.

Time/date appropriately.

( Our love must make us strong )

gif credit goes to afterwits

( A voice from down the ages )

Bloomingtide✦943

20th ▸ Born

24th ▸ Came out of confinement

Justinian✦943

10th ▸ The rash she was born with fully healed

14th ▸ Started to produce tears

28th ▸ Started sleeping through the night - if her previous nap was timed just so and she slept through "witching hour," the hour during which she was fussiest

Solace✦943

3rd ▸ First real smile

4th ▸ Can lift her head

12th ▸ She is starting to mimic the sounds other people make

24th ▸ She is starting to use her hands to hold things deliberately, but hasn't mastered it yet.

31st ▸ Small, but very clear, laughs.

August✦943

20th ▸ Enamored of the color yellow, laughing and smiling quite often

**THREAD TITLE** ▸ Character 1, Character 2

CODED BY BOOTYCALL

People who are "clan":
-Cyril
-Merrick
-Merrill
-Anders
-Alistair
-James
-Iskandar
-Morrigan
-Sina Major
-Herian

GROUND RULES
1. Nobody Pel has not authorized is permitted to babysit unattended, no matter how close they are to your character. HOWEVER, anyone your character trusts can hold Little Sina and bond with her.
2. Minor injuries like head bumps are permitted without running them by me first. I like surprises.
3. You are free to have your character have trouble bonding with Little Sina. You are also free to have Little Sina adore your character.
4. You don't have to run it by me if your character has Sina for a few hours on a normal day. You DO have to run it by me if you want your character to have Sina during a major event or for longer than a few hours.
5. Screw continuity! If you want the baby, take the baby and don't worry about who else might have the baby at the same time. No coordination necessary. I refuse to keep a schedule.
6. I appreciate links to baby threads. Not for monitoring, but because I like stalking.

Consequences of rulebreaking are nonexistent, as this isn't a real baby and you guys are cool people. But I might sigh.

Basics

NAME: Siuona, typically called Sina AGE: 4 NATIONALITY: Dalish RACE: Elf OCCUPATION: Childe	HEIGHT: 3'4" BUILD: Athletic HAIR: White EYES: Blue BEARING: Never stands still long enough to tell
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: White curly hair, Pel's family green amber ring hung on a cord around her neck.

Status

Being raised by Uncle Cyril in Ortan Thaig. Doesn't remember the sky or trees, but the she is the terror of the thaig.

Reputation

Pel died in the Arbor Wilds a short while after Sina was born. Sina is known to be an exhausting child whose record is a full forty-six minutes before fully and properly covering a new garment in mud. She is inclined toward trouble but at least knows not to actively attract darkspawn. She is an adventurer and explorer and her favorite colors are yellow and green. She always wears a cord with her mother's green amber ring around her neck, a ring which has passed down through generations of women in her family. Her quietest moments are the ones where she's sitting and staring intently into the gem because someone told her that it looks just like the forest.

Hooks

Sina is wild and hyperactive and exhausting for most people, but she's also happy and loving despite the state of the world.

Approval & Gifts

APPROVES+ Wear her out + Love on her + Play pretend with her + Talk to her about elves and magic + Be a friend to Cyril or Merrick	DISAPPROVES- You don't get along with Cyril? - >:( - >:( - >:( - >:(
GIFTS Colorful or shiny things, but especially things that can only be found on the surface.

PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS:

veilfire

Veilfire Runes

Pel's first assignment in the Inquisition was to study the Veilfire runes in the Fallow Mire. They have been a permanent project of hers ever since. She wrote to the Keepers of many different clans asking for the known locations of Veilfire runes. One, Keeper Hawen, gave her tracings of runes in the Dirthaveren. After a great deal of study, she was able to translate them and find the location of the lost Temple of Dirthamen.

20 Firstfall, 9:41 | Research on Veilfire ruins in the Fallow Mire | Report
Discovery: Recipe for the poison Tears of the Dead

21 Wintermarch, 9:42 | Excursion to an elven ruin in the Hinterlands | Report
Discovery: Fire Rune Schematic
Secondary Discoveries: Morrigan discovered an ancient
artifact meant to strengthen the Veil. Katniss and
Merrill studied the art in the ruin.

19 Drakonis, 9:42 | Excursion to the Temple of Dirthamen | Report
  Discovery: The Highest One, and the magic that kept
him alive but in pieces.
  Secondary Discovery: Dirthamen's Wisdom, a shield
enchanted to keep the temple from utter destruction
by time and the elements.

3 Firstfall, 9:42 | Excursion to the Brecilian Ruins | Report
  Discovery: Spirit rune schematic.
  Secondary Discovery: The phylactery of an ancient elven Arcane Warrior.

scrying

The Lights of Arlathan

During her study of Veilfire runes, Pel came across a mention of the Lights of Arlathan. She looked into it with Morrigan's assistance, at first wondering if this was a term for Veilfire runes, but found a completely different magic. She led an excursion to Cadash Thaig, the last known location of some of the Lights, but found only two. She has now been writing to Kal-Sharok's shaperate and Paragon Elect to see if they might have taken some of the Lights during their invasion and destruction of Cadash Thaig ages ago.

17 Justinian, 9:42 | Excursion to Cadash Thaig | Report
Discovery: Two Lights of Arlathan
Secondary Discoveries: Morrigan recovered letters that
revealed the history of the thaig and its involvement
with the Arlathan refugees and subsequent destruction
by Kal-Sharok.

Harvestmere, 9:42 | Communication with Kal-Sharok
Result: Invitation to meet with surface contact to
retrieve the Lights.

Firstfall, 9:42 | V isit with Kal-Sharok representative
Result: Retrieval of one other Light and other artifacts. The rest are bargaining tools for a potential alliance.

writing

Published Works

Pel has been writing about the Dalish and her discoveries and adventures with the Inquisition. With the help of Varric Tethras, she has secured a publisher.

We Are the Dalish: A Cultural Ethnography | "To be a Keeper or apprentice is a painful sacrifice of self. It means the wellbeing of the self is secondary to that of someone else, anyone else, whatever the need. I have been Keeper's First from a very young age. When I was nine years old, a plague came to our clan. It was my task at that time to tend to the sick and dying, and aid in the burial of the dead. Duty among the Dalish does not know age, size, or strength. It is expected that a Keeper or apprentice will find the strength needed at the time they need it, with nothing given back."

Vir Dirthamen | In progress

Dirth'ena Enasalin | In progress

specialization

Arcane Warrior

While in the Brecilian Ruins, Pel and her companions discovered an ancient phylactery housing the spirit of an Arcane Warrior from Arlathan. Since then, Pel has been working and training to master the discipline so she might revive its use among modern elves.

3 Firstfall, 9:42 | Excursion to an elven ruin in the Hinterlands | Report
Discovery: Spirit Rune Schematic
Secondary Discovery: The spirit of an ancient Arcane Warrior, finally laid to rest.

fortification

Magical Fortification

After discovering Dirthamen's Wisdom, Pel also discovered the same magic cast over Skyhold. After more than a year of study, she learned to cast the spell herself, and created an artifact designed by Valentine to place in the Gallows that would protect it against the elements for the years to come.

Cloudreach, 9:43 | Casting the spell took nearly a month. No report, as this was not a plot and there is no reporting to advisors anymore and this happened in the fuzzy time before IC leadership was decided.

Code by

bannertech.

DAILY SCHEDULE

🌑 DAWN : COURTYARD

Prayer, sword training, washing up herself and baby

🌒 MORNING : ELVEN ARTIFACTS LABORATORY

Cataloguing and filing the previous day's work while eating breakfast

🌓 MIDMORNING : OFFICE

Research

🌔 NOON : GARDEN

Eating a light meal and writing her book

🌕 MIDAFTERNOON : OFFICE

Research

🌖 EVENING : OFFICE

Research

🌗 LATE EVENING : COURTYARD

Sword training

🌘 DUSK : GARDEN

Prayer

🌑 NIGHT : VARIOUS

Bathing, washing diapers, mending

THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

BABY.

CLOTHING
Seven shifts
One green unfitted tunic and beige surcoat with geometric trim and belt
One fancy purple day dress
Two kirtles, one dark indigo blue and one dark madder red
One dark madder red wool maternity tunic
One dark indigo blue wool maternity tunic
One yellow linen maternity tunic
One brown linen maternity tunic
Wool leggings and garters
Wool stockings
One pair of old boots, continually repaired
Two wide elven sashes with cord

BOOKS AND STATIONERY
The Lost Art of Veilfire by Pendictus
Two banned Tevinter books about elven lore
Theory of the ancient magic of elves by Genitivi
A scroll on Dalish lore
Blank parchment
A fancy quill
Glass-blown pens
Lots of pens
Two pen-knives
Many, many sketches of elven ruins and veilfire runes
A blank journal
Many copies of her book We Are the Dalish: A Cultural Ethnography.

SPINNING/KNITTING INVENTORY
One Saxony spinning wheel
Three drop spindles
Unbleached flax roving
Madder-dyed wool roving
Brown wool roving
Dandelion-yellow wool roving
Indigo wool roving
Very small amount of black silk roving
Numerous pairs of knitting needles, various sizes

ACCESSORIES
A deep purple lacy merino knitted shawl
A green-and-silver brocade scarf
A bright blue scarf from Katniss
A pretty necklace from Cyril
Carved halla-antler pendant from Merrick
Green amber ring from her mother
A necklace of leather, bone, and jewels carved with elvhen symbols from Katniss
Jade hair combs from Vivienne

KNICK-KNACKS
Antique Dalish carving

CONSUMABLES
Scented hair oil
Staff polish
Scented oil and cream for stretch marks

BABY THINGS
Several gowns of plain unbleached linen and wool
One decadent gown of brown silk, embroidered with a family of bears around the hem
Knitted blankets, caps, stockings, mitts
Wool flannel blankets and swaddling cloth
Bleachable linen diapers
A large basket with handles

Enansal was from Clan Ashara originally, and was known for her quickness, stealth, and hunting skill. But as deadly as she was, she also had great empathy and mercy. When in her twenties, a hunting accident shattered her kneecap. Scouts who were with her located a clan that was closer than Ashara, and took her to them. It was Clan Ghilan, which had just arrived in the area. Her recovery took far longer than Clan Ashara could afford to stay, so she stayed behind, planning to find them again later.

Inarin, a young warrior, developed feelings for her, though he said nothing. He often stood guard by her bed, or quietly made sure she was comfortable. He was a great hulking brutish-looking fellow, quiet and prone to a resting scowl on his face, scarred inside and out. His clan had been slaughtered by humans, he the sole survivor as a young boy. He did not hunt humans after, but he showed them no mercy if they trespassed or threatened.

When it became clear that Enansal would have a limp for the rest of her life, she began to fill in as Clan Ghilan's storyteller and made peace with the fact that she would never hunt again. She eventually pursued the shy Inarin, and their bonding sealed her permanent move to Clan Ghilan.

Pel was born a short time after their bonding. They intended to have only one child, but when Pel's magic manifested, they knew they would have to give her up. She was sent to Enansal's cousin in Clan Ashara. At her departure, Enansal gave her a ring of silver and green amber, which had been passed down to the women of her family since the time of Halamshiral.

It was four years after losing their daughter before the two had another child. Salem was a delightful baby, and they were careful never to take him for granted, lest he manifest the same abilities as his sister. They were relieved when his puberty came and went without any magic turning up.

CLAN ASHARA
	CYRIL ❧ blood brother ❧ samahl Cyril has been Pel's lifeline for a long time now, and is the only blood relative she really knows (they are second cousins). They have seen each other through many hardships, and have fewer illusions about each other than anyone. Pel is faintly jealous of his loveliness and charm, but doesn't hold it against him. There is no one she is more comfortable with in all the world.

	MERRICK ❧ da'len ❧ dalishious Her Most Important Person. When Merrick's father committed gruesome suicide before his son's eyes, Pel was there. She was fifteen, he was eight. They've been inseparable ever since, to the point of getting separation anxiety when apart for too long. Pel can calm his episodes, and he can calm hers. They share a trauma and that never changes.

	ELLANA ❧ heartwood ❧ serannas Ellana and Pel never had enough in common to be close, but Pel has always envied her beauty, serenity, and charm. They are both very curious, but Pel's joy is found in the familiar, where Ellana's is in the unfamiliar. Other than that, they are both mages; there, the similarity seems to end. Still, Pel recognizes how essential Ellana is to the clan, not as Hearthmistress, but simply as herself, the pure spirit of the Dalish.

	GAVIN ❧ first love ❧ slipshot They fell in love, she almost married him, he left. Now they are putting some of the hurt in the past and starting to be friends again. That's something.

	BELETH ❧ ironbark ❧ arlathvhen Pel likes Beleth. She finds a great vicarious joy and satisfaction in Beleth's bold, angry speech and directness, where Pel has to be at least diplomatic. Beleth can also wade into battle and wreak havoc, something Pel would love to be able to do. Pel isn't sure why they were never closer than they are.

SKYHOLD

	BRUCE BANNER ❧ sage leaf ❧ amygdalae Sweet, kind, patient Bruce got Pel's mama bear loyalty when he took a punch for her in a pub fight with a templar. Or not a fight so much as a drunk templar throwing punches. Either way, the protective instincts have kicked in and Bruce is now hers. She appreciates a scholar anyway.

	SER ALISTAIR ❧ linden tree ❧ byblow He makes her smile and laugh. He's kind and charming and makes her feel shy instead of aloof, but he never lets her shyness get in the way. Rather than being a person she stands in comfortable silence with, he gets her talking and she feels good about it. It's nice. He also carries things for her without her asking him, even tiny things. And he gives the best hugs.

	SER JAMES NORRINGTON ❧ gallant knight ❧ judgemewhole They hit it off early. He asked to court her. She said yes. It went fast. It was a bumpy road, and ultimately too bumpy for her. She ended things.
	ZEVRAN ARAINAI ❧ fantasy ❧ ombranera He said beautiful things to her and called her beautiful names. She knew there was nothing really between them, but the gentleness and kindness he showed her swept her away in the fantasy of him, and pretend she was as beautiful and graceful as he said. But then he lost his eye, and she became what he needed--a friend, down to earth and willing to listen instead of talk. Now they are truly close, and when he calls her Stella, it means something different now--light instead of beauty, friendship and kinship instead of pretense.

	VARRIC TETHRAS ❧ i guess i work for you now ❧ hugeinorlais She came to him, a bashful fan, and said something about his bias in writing Tale of the Champion. Next thing she knew, he hired her as a proofreader. She's not sure if she regrets it yet, but he listens to her. He listens and he thinks and they somehow became friends just by thinking and talking. And it's happening. She's learning a bit about civilization from him and it's all less scary than it was.

	TAASHATH ❧ great oak ❧ quietblade Ahem. Erm. Can you blame her?

	DORIAN PAVUS ❧ tart apple ❧ liberalum A friend and colleague in magical research. He talks enough for them both, but listens just as well. He's like one of those ducks who just walks along behind you, quacking for no reason. Yet for all that Pel dislikes people talking when they have nothing to say, Dorian is so damned charming about it that she likes the noise.

	KATNISS EVERDEEN ❧ wounded bird ❧ the_effect_she_has She never thought she'd find kinship with a human, even an elf-blooded one. Katniss is opening her mind to the idea of half-bloods maybe being elves after all. Maybe humans aren't the only ones who place too much importance on the shapes of ears. So Pel teaches Katniss as much as she can of the old ways and hopes the other answers come one day.

	GALADRIEL ❧ hahren ❧ laurenande Is this what elves are supposed to be? Then Pel is shamefully inadequate, and yet this lady treats her like a lady. What did she do to merit this magnificent creature's attention?

	CULLEN RUTHERFORD ❧ flint ❧ perseverances Good, sensible fellow with his head on straight. And, secretly, he's very kind. And incredibly brave and resilient. Pel has grown extremely protective of him, and always has an eye on him to make sure he's all right, and his lyrium withdrawal isn't causing him too much distress. He's in the same sort of boat as Sina, and she takes tender care of him.

	SAM GARETH ❧ spring creek ❧ el_tybs Adorable and kind and longsuffering. He's a good friend and a decent guy. He brings her snacks while she does her research and drags her off to do things and it's nice to pass the time with him and forget, for a while, that she has responsibilities at all.

	SIUONA DAHLASANOR ❧ pale violet ❧ eolasemah Colleagues and blood sisters. Pel will give anything for her. Sina loves history like Pel loves history, but their dispositions could not be more opposite. It makes Pel incredibly protective of her, and even determined to find some way to better Sina's health around the shard in her chest. The veil can be strengthened, can't it? Maybe Sina can be saved.

	TWISTED FATE ❧ proud cardinal ❧ wickedchase Pel has no idea what his deal is, but he is kind. And pretentious. But he knows he's pretentious, which cancels out the pretentiousness. All in all, he is confusing, but very much likable.

	ADELAIDE LEBLANC ❧ veteran halla ❧ fleurdesel The best kind of person to have your back. Adele calls Pel out on the things she does wrong. She has her feet on the ground and is willing to pull her own weight and help those who can't help themselves. Mad respect. Kinship, even. Friendship.

	KORRIN ATAASH ❧ dragon ❧ gatheringstorm One day, Pel and Korrin will be walking away from explosions without looking at them, side by side as the Creators intended. Keep being badass, sister.

	SER MARIA HILL ❧ wolf ❧ nofury Maria is the sort of Templar Pel can work with. Sensible, doesn't interfere too much, and keeps her head during battle. Pel considers her a good tool by which to measure her own consideration of the Templars. If she and Maria can see eye to eye on a political issue, she'll consider it a good starting place to repairing relations between mages and templars.

	VIVENNE ❧ white fox ❧ madame_de_fer Bewildering. Vivienne represents every viewpoint Pel personally dislikes regarding mages, but they both ultimately want the same thing: the best possible outcome for the good of those around them, not for themselves. There is deep respect there. And Vivienne keeps trying to make Pel over, which is simultaneously annoying and wonderful.

	SER NERVA LECUYER ❧ poison ❧ keeperofmagi Dangerous. Will incite fear and suspicion of mages. Pel would not be sorry to see her gone.

	MAXWELL TREVEAN ❧ sunray ❧ dreadinquisitor Gavin's new flame. Pel hopes for the best for them. Maxwell has a good heart.
	MIA RUTHERFORD ❧ shem problems ❧ lettersfromhome Proud, stubborn, and probably only likes you if she can control you. Pel doesn't take it personally. She's just never seen anyone make such a huge fuss over nothing before.

	ARACELI ❧ golden slipper ❧ foxsays Pel's etiquette coach. Very good at her job, very clever at playing shems.

	KALLIAN ENDRIS ❧ dormouse ❧ kallian_endris City elf learning the old ways from Pel. Roughly the most adorable thing in the Inquisition besides Sina.

	ANDERS ❧ broken bird ❧ justice_is_blond She has a feeling she would have understood him better if he'd been an elf, and it had been about the oppression of elves. She doesn't relate very much to Circle mages. But she sees what drove him to do a terrible thing, and a seemingly oxymoronic respect for even the lowliest of life, and has to admit she simply doesn't know all the answers. Whatever judgment he faces from gods and men, he is her friend.

	MORRIGAN ❧ blackbird ❧ arcaneadvisor Morrigan is essentially Pel's boss. Pel would prefer the term playmate, if she could, but Morrigan is a bit too lofty for that. Peculiarly, Pel doesn't have as much of a problem with a human being head of research on elf things as she would have thought. Morrigan at least appears respectful, and very much willing to share her knowledge and give insight. It's also just helpful to have a human on staff to convince other humans to do things.

	SOLAS ❧ owl ❧ singularwill Very, very few people intimidate Pel. Solas intimidates the shit out of her.

	MERRILL ❧ herald ❧ chainlightning Let's face it--Merrill is the reason Pel can be an arcane researcher in the first place. It's an honor to work beside her, and to know her.

credit:

alreadylost

Pre-Inquisition

OOC permissions
Backtagging: Yes.
Threadhopping: Yes.
Offensive subjects: No problems.

IC permissions
General physical violence: Go ahead and throw a punch.
Injuring this character: Anything nonpermanent is a go. Anything permanent needs to be discussed.
Torturing this character: Discuss it with me on a case-by-case basis, but I'm open.
Killing this character: No
Mental/emotional torment: See Torture
Physical intimacy: Yes
Romance: Yes
Using magic on this character: Yes
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: Yes
Using mind control on this character: We'll discuss it.

Notes/Other: She can come with a suicide warning--not for herself, but because she was witness to a gruesome suicide and has post-traumatic symptoms over it that can get triggered.

Thank you.

“All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffany’s Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine!

I have a duty!”

--Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

PLAYER

Name: Tori
Age: 33
Contact: toriangeli on Plurk
Other Characters: Nathaniel Howe, Colin
Interests: Politics, action, peril, and character development. Kicking ass. Negotiations for treaties or hostages. Hostage negotiations are so much fun. Escapes from terrible situations. Kidnapping and being kidnapped. Surviving in weird situations. Being a fish out of water. Smart people putting their heads together and getting things done, and bonding in the process.

CHARACTER

Name: Pel
Canon/OC: OC
Journal: mythalenaste
Race: Elf
Nationality: Dalish (Clan Ashara)
Division: Forces
Occupation: Soldier, formerly Keeper's First, formerly Inquisition Researcher and head of the Elven Artifacts project.
Age: 30

History

Clan history.

Pel was born into a clan in Ferelden, but spent little of her early life there. As a toddler, she froze the grass she was beating with her hands during a temper tantrum. Since there were already too many mages in the clan, she was sent to Clan Ashara, which had none but the Keeper at the time. Pel remembers nothing of her life with her first clan, and only knows her blood family from meeting them at the Arlathvhen.

Pel was partly communally raised, when the Keeper wasn't training her. She was nine when a plague struck the clan. Her part was to nurse the sick, gather herbs, and look after the other children. When she was fifteen, she was with a clanmate named Merrick, who was then eight, when he saw his father commit brutal suicide. She has had Merrick under her wing ever since.

Those rare times she played, she usually played alone. She would pad barefoot into the woods and find a spot that appealed to her. Her toys were sticks, branches, pebbles, and imagination, and flowers or leaves woven into her hair. She found she didn't like losing control of her play, so she got along best with children who were younger than she. Two of them, Cyril (a biological second cousin) and Merrick, became like brothers to her.

For a time, she courted an older clanmate named Gavin. There was more tenderness in their relationship than in the rest of Pel's life put together, but Gavin ran as soon as he was expected to be an adult and get a job.

When she joined the Inquisition about six years later, she was part of the Mage Council and eventually became head of Elven Artifacts. She discovered the Temple of Dirthamen, a spirit with memories of the Arcane Warriors, and gave birth to her daughter, Sina. For two years she has practiced and honed her skill as an Arcane Warrior and has now been asked to train others in the art for the war effort.

Personality

Think of a love child between Dr. McCoy and Princess Tiana.

Pel was raised for authority, so authority sets easily on her shoulders, poised and dignified and taking no nonsense. Perfectionist, mercurial and a bit dramatic, her emotional highs and lows are extreme, but only certain people are allowed to see them. She is used to working and studying hard for what she needs and harder for what she wants, and more inclined to reach out to people rather than waiting for them to reach out to her. Very much a mama bear type of person, and prone to bottling her emotions. Would become a humorless ball of stress if not for certain friends (like Cyril).

Pel is by nature introverted and melancholic. She prefers a direct approach to problem-solving and is frustrated by people who do not. She is more focused on the issues at hand than how people feel about it, and is willing to hurt feelings if it will solve the problem, though she takes no enjoyment in the task.

When she chose her vallaslin, she chose those of Mythal, the protector, reflecting the deep-set duty of a future Keeper to protect her clan. She is deeply pious, and prays foremost to Mythal. Still, she respects (from a distance) the beliefs of other races and does not consider her gods to be theirs. She would take no issue with a lover's devout Andrastian faith, so long as they did not take issue with hers. She is protective of her people's traditions, feeling as First like a guardian of the little history that elves have.

Pel is not particularly patient, being somewhat irritable, critical of herself and others, and certain topics will make her blow a fuse. She takes a certain delight in losing her temper because, as First, anger is one of the few emotions she is permitted to lose herself in, if it's for the right reasons. Most people around her see her as a force of nature, a source of cold might and tranquil fury, and because her wrath is generally channeled toward the deserving, people don't normally take issue with it. Those closer to her will understand, however, that she feels just as deeply the things she does not express on the surface. Merrick (a sort of foster-brother) sees it even when she doesn't realize it. Cyril (another brother-figure) has seen all shades of her emotions, makes her laugh and comforts her when she weeps and listens to her rant, and enables her secret vanity. Despite her open denial of it, she badly wants to start a family, like the one she never really had. Pel doesn't think of herself as delicate, but she is covertly as fragile and desiring as anyone for love, meaning, friendship, and hope.

Opinions and Affiliations

The Chantry: Imperialism under the guise of religion.
The Qun: Prejudice under the guise of imperialism.
Mage/Templar War: Sympathetic with the mages, but sympathy is not kinship. It's all a shem problem, not her problem.
Race Relations: Elves are kin, even city elves. Whether they have forgotten the old ways or not, that is all academic.
Dalish Elves: All elves should be considered Dalish, but the Dalish themselves have forgotten this, choosing to believe that there is hierarchy among those the humans all see as the same.

Strengths & Weaknesses

The expertise Pel brings to the Inquisition is a knowledge of Dalish magic and folklore, having studied devotedly to be a Keeper one day, but also the literal memories of an arcane warrior from far in the past. She loves history and is proud of her culture, and could provide a lot of feedback on the elves as far back as Halamshiral as well as Dalish magic, or simply magic from a Dalish perspective (she prefers a holistic and historically informed view of magic). She could do good work collaborating with theorists and historians who have a biased perspective or a blind spot she can fill in. She can be one of the analysts looking into the veilfire runes and placing artifacts and structures into an historical context. The only problem with it is that her studiousness can be used as a shield against sociability, as it has in the past. She is also a mage, with a particular knack for ice magic and barriers. Her specializations would be "Keeper" and "Arcane Warrior."

Her weaknesses are mainly social, such as emotional bottling and slight lingering post-traumatic issues from Merrick's father's suicide, and a priority toward her daughter. Pel also knows how to use tact, but she doesn't generally find it worthwhile to beat about the bush with someone you're not going to get along with anyway. This means she is direct and opinionated. She's not always concerned with appearing nice, only with doing what she believes is right. When it is a situation where she understands that she must not offend people, she folds into herself and gets fearfully quiet. Therefore, she's not necessarily socially awesome in a "civilized" setting. Trade blankets with local human settlements are a breeze, but putting Pel in a big social event without coaching is like leading a wild deer into Times Square at night. In magical terms, she is no healer, and spirit and entropy magics are not her strong suit at all, aside from what it takes to be an arcane warrior.

Inventory

A sword made from an ancient elven blade wielded by arcane warriors, with an ironbark hilt; medium-weight scale armor; a halla-antler pendant that was carved for her by Merrick, on a string around her neck; a silver ring from her parents, strung on the same cord as the pendant; clothes; clothes for herself and her daughter; a shitton of books; goods for spinning and knitting; a cleansing rune; a small child.

Motivation

Pel is a protector, and sees joining the Inquisition as the only way to protect her people from this new threat. She feels she is called to this, inasmuch as anyone can be called by a "god" entirely uninterested in returning to your people. She is, most of all, a mother who wants to save the world that she will hand to her child.

SAMPLES

1 - log

Pel is sitting on a bed that is clean, dry, and up off the floor. She is in a closed room with a large fireplace. The room is larger than an aravel, which comfortably slept four or five people so long as they all spooned. This room could sleep eight or nine, if you weren't concerned with having pathways or storage space. It's a surplus of negative space, so much more room than she will ever need, she starts thinking about ways to plant a small garden in pots so it won't all go to waste.

No, it's not her space. As more people join the Inquisition, the extra space will probably fill up very quickly.

But as much space as there is, it's all so very small compared to the vast-stretching woods, where the ground is the floor and the roof is the sky and trees are a honeycomb network of corridors. One really gets to know the earth when it's under bare feet; soft or hard spots on the ground, a mossy bit where water soaks in during the rain, flat places to set things down on, and the chunks of drying but living dirt surrounding a fire pit. Here, it's a uniform wood floor with a throw rug. It isn't sculpted by use.

She sighs and sinks down to lie on the bed. A bed that is clean, dry, and up off the floor. When it rains, neither she nor her bedding will get wet. When it snows, she can light a fire in the hearth and close the windows. She doesn't have to worry about uprooting to move away from a settlement or closer to more game. She doesn't have to fish or gather food, pickle anything, repair anything. Before long, her face and lips will no longer be wind-chapped and the calluses on her hands will have changed. Here, her days will be spent studying and reading and researching and explaining things to people who are even more alien to her world than she is to theirs.

Mythal'enaste, what is she going to do all day?

2 - network

Aneth ara, I'm Pel. [Short and to the point. It almost sounds as friendly as it sounds exhausted.] This Inquisition wants me to train other mages to be arcane warriors, following the dirth'ena enasalin.

I don't care very much about politics anymore. It's an elven knowledge, but anything that makes us win is worthy to me. If you want to fight and win, please see me.