Post by Lordess Nerevar on Jun 3, 2009 19:24:33 GMT -5
– Ariana Craetius –
Serious business for great justice.
Name: Ariana Craetius.
Age: She is 36 years old. Her body feels 20 years old thanks to her somewhat routine exercise, but she looks to be well into her 40’s due to her skin’s frequent exposure to the sun.
Race: Imperial.
Birthsign: The Lady.
Hair: Brown. (More detail in Appearance section.)
Eyes: Grey. (More detail in Appearance section.)
Guild/Faction: Imperial Legion. Agent, Imperial Horseman, Cheydinhal-Chorrol region.
Appearance: The first thing to know of Ariana concerning appearance is that she would never say she was a beautiful woman. On a good day, she would suffice a possible “attractive” to describe herself, but she’s a woman who’s never used her looks in a persuasive manner. Ariana’s looks ultimately represent her heritage, mirror her personality, and shine with the everlasting influence of the Legion. Ariana’s hair is without a doubt her mother’s thick mane. It is a very dark shade of brown and has no natural sheen. Ariana’s is straight and kept short for work practicality, such as more comfort in a helm. Its ends barely brush her shoulders. It’s styled with a part straight down the middle, loose and never tied back. It curves around her face neatly. This low management style suits Ariana, who has little interest in her appearance.
Her eyes are an ambiguous mixture of grey, blue, and green, a color resembling that of water in a river. Her brows are usually slightly furrowed, giving Ariana her well-known look of seriousness. She has her mother’s lips but her father’s frown. Her cheeks are pockmarked with twin dimples on each side. They become apparent only when she smiles, but that is something that has become less and less frequent in her life. Occasionally, a sarcastic grin will play on her face, but other than that, a true smile of pleasure is a rare occurrence with her. Ariana’s skin complexion is fair with a slight tan. She is outside for the majority of her duty, but her helm and armor help to keep her skin from getting burned.
Her body is essentially what most would consider being a normal woman’s body. Her chest is small but noticeable; her thighs are bigger than she’d like, and she could always lose another pound. She keeps herself if not trim but mostly in shape by swimming on her days off. Of course, running after bandits on foot keeps her fit as well. She stands at a modest 5’7” (170 cm). Ariana’s skin is flecked with scars, each with their own story. Perhaps one of her body’s most interesting aspects is her tattoo. She has the dragon symbol of the emperor tattooed on her back between her shoulder blades with the letters “SPQC” in the middle. This mark is a tribute to her father as well as a symbolic representation of the betrayal by the Elder Council member that led to his death.
[Ariana 2]
[Tattoo]
Armor/Clothes: As expected, a Legionnaire’s choice in armor is rather limited due to uniform reasons. Ariana’s choice of armor is an Imperial chain outfitting, with a cuirass, greaves, pauldrons, and a helm. The chain, while not being as protective as steel, is much lighter. Also, because of Ariana’s choice weapon being one of distance, she has little need of heavy armor that defends against sword blows. Her set of armor is one of just a few circulating fort armories that is specifically suited for a female wearer. Being only an Agent, she is lucky to have gotten the privilege of receiving one of these sets, as they are mostly reserved for Champions. She was chosen as a recipient primarily for her distinguished hard work and dedication to the Legion. Her gauntlets are chiefly leather with protective steel bracers lining the forearms. Upon each steel piece, the dragon emblem of the Emperor is emblazoned. Her boots are standard issue Imperial steel boots, very common in the Legion. Her belt is a heavy, thick leather one that supports her sheath and bolt quiver, which are both leather as well. The belt is tooled with intricate designs that hold no real meanings. Over her greaves she wears the traditional violet Imperial skirt, worn by both men and women. It serves little purpose other than uniform and style choice.
Underneath the armor, she wears basic pants of a light cloth to prevent her bare skin from being chafed by the armor. Her shirt is of a heavier material and has the same usage. Both have numerous holes, many of which are ringed in the faded brown color of old bloodstains. These details are not noticeable unless Ariana has her armor off, which generally only occurs when she is off duty. Her favorite style of civilian clothing consists of a black shirt, whose upper ties are casually loose, and dark khaki skirt with a belt. Her shoes are plain women’s footwear, made of soft leather. She isn’t often seen in these clothes, but they’re a part of her wardrobe nonetheless.
[Ariana]
Personality: Ariana’s personality has become well-defined over the years by the Imperial Legion. Everything from how she speaks, her behavioral reactions, and even how she thinks has been influenced by the Legion. The first characteristic one usually notices about Ariana is her quiet manner. She keeps her voice in check for several reasons. She learned, through her training with various captains, that saying little was the best way to stay out of trouble. Usually though, she just prefers silence, finding words to be bothersome noise. When she does speak, she uses proper grammar and thinks thoroughly about what she says beforehand. She takes pleasure in occasionally being sarcastic. It’s not unusual for her sarcasm to be missed and her words taken literally. She’s a well-educated woman, having received a good deal of education from the Legion, but she is no scholar. She leaves minor details of history and advanced math to the bookish types. Her job is to fight for the Empire after all, not study.
Unlike some of her fellow Legionnaires, she does not look to the citizens of Tamriel condescendingly. She listens to what they say, and she does her best to protect them as well as she can. Discipline is probably her most favored trait. She holds back much of her true emotion to keep whatever front necessary to get the job done. Ariana is happiest when she’s by herself on her horse outside the confines of a city. She loves being alone and having time to think. She hates large social gatherings, especially one of nobles. She’s a bit obsessive about certain things, such as organization. Ariana can’t focus when things are not in their proper places, a trait she picked up from her mother.
She stays one with the Imperial law. She always remains unsympathetic to the pitiful stories of lawbreakers. However, occasionally, Ariana has given money to a few of them after finishing out their sentence in order to help them along. She is not an avid templegoer, but she prays often. Ariana tries to, whenever she can, uphold the values of the Nine. However, in her book, the law of the Empire goes before the morality of the Nine. She does try to balance the two as often as she can for the sake of the citizens. When she passes by shrines, she stops and prays, mostly for her family. After everything that happened, she has become somewhat anti-political. She has a firm distrust with the High Council and fears what they will do to the Empire now that they are without an emperor. Also related to the tragedy of her family, she fears assassination. She has become a very light sleeper, occasionally going without it when her paranoia sets in.
Also, she was, and possibly still is, somewhat romantically involved with Duke Vedam Dren of Vvardenfell. He became interested in her while she served in Ebonheart. He made little physical advances, for he knew better. As Ariana left Ebonheart to be restationed in Cheydinhal, the duke gave her a letter describing his feelings toward her. He told her that he respected her most of all women, and that she was always welcome in his court. He told her also that his heart was willing to do anything he could for her. This is something she takes into consideration as she thinks about finding justice for the murders of her family, though has yet to take advantage of. To this day, Vedam still feels the same about her as he did. Whether he is a potential mutual lover or simply an admirer to Ariana is not clearly known. However, she always keeps his letter with her and has not told anyone of its contents or existence.
Likes: Great justice.
Dislikes: Not-so great justice.
Favorite Food: Her favorite meal is a free one.
Favorite Drink: Her favorite drink is Cyrodillic Brandy, like any proud Imperial. However, she’s not shy of any of the “strange” traditional Morrowind liquors.
Weapons: On Ariana’s waist hangs an Imperial shortsword. This small, well-crafted blade holds a greater power than many other blades in existence, the power of justice. It is, in the minds of most Legionnaires, a symbol of what it means to be one with the law. Its worth almost supersedes that of the armor which uniforms each man and woman in the Legion. To Ariana, it is all of these things. However, as a weapon, she makes little use of it. Her skill with a sword is limited but not entirely novice. The blade itself has the signature shape, with a slight outward curvature from the midpoint up to its tip. The hilt is embellished with intricate engravings, giving it the classy Imperial look. It is made of silver and is a slightly weighty but well balanced weapon.
Her true style of defense comes in the form of a crossbow. It is primarily wood, previously stained a dark cherry color. Upon the tiller is a decorative silver plate. Through daily usage, the staining has been slightly worn, and its silver plate has become scratched. A dark leather strap keeps it always hanging from her shoulders. This weapon is a well-defined part of Ariana’s identity. In the beginning, she took to a crossbow’s rapid, powerful shots quickly. Her aim became increasingly accurate over time. A miss will happen occasionally still, but each time falls as a definite failure in her determined, compulsive mind. Her hands and fingers can maneuver around the crossbow when firing and reloading with an exceptional rate of speed and fluidity, definitely something else that took years of experience.
The type of bolts she uses is largely dependent on her gold at hand. Her primary choice is silver, which makes for a quality bolt while also having the ability to cause damage to the undead. Naturally, such a quality bolt comes with a heavy price tag. She has no problems with using steel, but she avoids the poorer quality of iron as much as possible. She keeps a leather quiver for her bolts hung from her belt on the right side, the opposite from the sword. She keeps another larger quiver on her saddle. Her ability to fight on horseback is quite average since she has not always been assigned to being an Imperial Horseman. Through the years, she’s gained enough horsemanship to be able to balance while simultaneously using both hands to man her crossbow.
[Crossbow]
[Shortsword]
Powers/Magicka: Ariana’s knowledge of magic is very basic. Being in the Legion leaves her little time for extraneous studies, of which magicka would be the least curriculum she’d trouble herself with. She is able to dispel any slight afflictions and heal minor wounds. These spells were learned in her Legion training; they were the only forms of magicka taught. With the exception of Imperial Battlemages, the Legion has little interest in magicians serving in its ranks. This attitude is just one of many Legion ideals Ariana has come to accept as her own over time. To compensate for her lack of magical ability, she carries various potions in her saddle bags. Commonly with her are standard healing potions, bargain fatigue potions, and at least one quality restorative potion. Of course, they’re purchased from local mages and not created by her. Occasionally, she is able find a few worthwhile items from fallen lawbreakers. Potions she keeps, but scrolls she either sells or gives to some of her friend Battlemages.
Friends: Ariana’s made quite a few friends through all her years in the Legion. No specific names however.
Love Interest: Duke Vedam Dren, though unconfirmed.
Family:
Xandre Craetius – Grandfather. (Deceased.)
Floretia Craetius – Mother. (Deceased.)
Arsenio Craetius – Father. (Deceased.)
Leviticus Craetius – Younger Brother. (Deceased.)
(More detail in History section.)
Animal Companion: Ariana’s first horse disappeared on her. He was a bay horse of mixed breeds. The stallion was only about 3 years old. After she had chased after a bandit on foot, she returned to the place she’d left him to find that he was not there. She was forced to walk all the way back to Cheydinhal. Once there, she berated the stable managers for giving her such a young, ill-trained horse. They apologized and gave her a new one. Ariana still rides this horse today.
He is a seven-year-old Percheron gelding. Percheron horses are known for their strength, endurance, and versatility, since they are able to work as draft horses and still be suitable for riding. Being a gelding, Ariana’s horse is calm and gentle, scarcely ever showing aggression towards another being. In Ariana’s opinion, he’s at a perfect age being seven. He’s still young, but he’s old enough to have learned a great deal. He’s an average grey dapple color, and this gentle giant stands at a neck-craning 17 HH. (That’s 68 in. for all you not horse-savvy Americans, and for the rest of the world, it’s 173 cm. This is the measurement taken just up to his withers.)
Ariana has had this horse specifically for years now. She still has not named him. There are several possible reasons for this. She may simply not want to get attached to the beast, or she finds naming a horse to be somewhat futile, being that it wouldn’t respond to the given name anyway. One possibility is that she simply can’t think of a fitting name. Whatever the real reason is, Ariana simply refers to him as “horse,” and between the two of them, that’s been good enough for the past two years.
Also, over that time, Ariana has gotten to know his personality. The gelding seems to be far more apathetic to his surroundings than the average horse. A good example of this occurred when Ariana was being pursued by a small pack of wolves. She ran by her horse, hoping to get him riled up enough to want to chase the wolves off. This did not happen. The horse simply stood there, briefly watching as she fled the growling pack of dogs. At first, she pegged the cause of this behavior, or lack thereof, to be laziness. However, she noticed that while the horse would stand and do nothing, he was attentive and was active enough. He simply just doesn’t care.
[Horse]
Residence: Ariana does not have a true permanent residence in a civilian sense, or even in an average Legion sense. Being an Imperial Horseman, she is out in the wilderness five days out of the week, traveling from Cheydinhal to Chorrol or vice versa. After reporting with the captains of either fort, she rests for two days and then goes back out. In her days prior to being an Imperial Horseman, she served a much plainer lifestyle living in forts and carrying out more simple duties, such as watching front gates or standing guard in fort storage facilities.
Doing this she was stationed to many different forts, as Legionnaires commonly are. She has been stationed in three different provinces, Elsweyr, Morrowind, and currently Cyrodiil. Among them, she would have to choose Morrowind as her favorite experience, for protecting such a province was challenging and exciting to her, though the Dunmer hated her and everything she stood for. She was stationed at Ebonheart, located in the southern region of Vvardenfell. Her Elsweyr assignment brought her to the arid city of Dune, and in Cyrodiil, she once worked solely in Cheydinhal until her change in duties. Ariana finds herself drawn to Cheydinhal mostly for its strong Morrowind influence, even though it is populated by arrogant rich folk.
There is a place located in the Imperial Reserve that once belonged to her father. It is a moderately sized farm. To Ariana’s knowledge, this place is currently empty. At least, it was that way when she left it, after the tragic deaths of her mother, grandfather, and younger brother, whose graves silently rest beneath the grove of fruitless apple trees. Ariana has, ever since she first left home, had dreams of marrying and returning there. However, being 36 years old, the dream has faded slightly amongst her trying job and lack of serious relationships. She longs to returns nevertheless, even if it means retiring and dying alone. In Ariana’s mind, there are worse fates.
[Farmhouse]
History: Ariana Craetius was born on her family’s farm in the Imperial Reserve to Floretia and Arsenio Craetius. She lived as any other child would on a farm. She was raised mostly by her mother, a strict but deeply caring parent. She taught Ariana much about the basics of life and the complexities of love. Living with them on the farm was Grandfather Xandre Craetius. He was once a soldier for the Legion, fighting in a few small skirmishes in the Black Marsh. Against Floretia’s wishes, his stories inspired Ariana to join the Legion. Ariana had a younger brother as well. Unfortunately, Ariana never truly got to know him before she left her home at age fifteen to join the Imperial Legion.
Now, to truly know Ariana, one must know the story of her father Arsenio, for his influence strongly affected the way she developed into the woman she is now. Her father worked plenty with the Fighter’s Guild and thus became an absent but idealized figure. Ariana imagined her father as sinless, powerful, and utterly heroic. This was a giant over-exaggeration of the truth, but nothing dispelled how Ariana felt about her father. Arsenio worked hard and fought well; this was true. He rose to the rank of Defender in several years. Arsenio was loved by his comrades. It was after Ariana had left for training that he was transferred to the Vivec Fighter’s Guild. Only some months in, he was forced to deal with utter corruption in his guild. He was forced to make a choice in dealing with the matter. Either he would have do away with it by killing the source of corruption, thus causing him to lose his job, or he would have to turn his cheek the other way to remain with the Fighter’s Guild. He made the choice to kill the man. Just as expected, Arsenio did lose his job, but he left the Fighter’s Guild better off.
Without a job, things quickly grew dismal and rough. Arsenio, his wife, his father, and his young son were forced to move out of their small farmhouse just outside of Vivec and into the poor housing district of the St. Delyn canton. Arsenio found some rather grisly work at the Arena in being a regular combatant. He was paid to play a bloody sport, something his wife had a hard time dealing with. Arsenio was either lucky enough or good enough to survive through his matches. After a year, he gained the attention of a Cyrodiil nobleman, who paid to have him move from Vivec all the way to the Imperial City, where he fought in the toughest matches of his life. Over a number of years, he fought his way to the rank of Hero, costing him a finger, a piece of his ear, and countless broken bones. However, he gained enough money to get back his old farm in the beautiful, rolling plains northwest of Skingrad. He also earned a reputation with the crowds of the Imperial City, friendships with various members of the Elder Council, and an irreparable limp that made him decide to end his gladiatorial career.
For three years he remained in retirement, peaceful and happy. However, because of the crowd’s love for him, he was called back and offered a great salary. He accepted the offer and traveled back to the Imperial City, leaving behind his family to take care of the farm. Just weeks in, an unusual challenge by the Champion from his own team was made. This match was arranged due to the excitement it had stirred in the entire city. Elder Council member and personal friend of Arsenio’s, Atinwe, placed his bets on the Champion, feeling that Arsenio’s age would keep him from winning. However, he discovered from the Blademaster that his assumption was wrong. To keep from losing his heavily waged bet, Atinwe spent almost as much as he did on the bet itself in order to have the match fixed. A hired man was sent to stab and poison Arsenio just moments before the match. Despite Arsenio’s pleas, the bribed Arena staff forced him to fight, feigning ignorance to his wound. He was defeated and later buried in the graveyard outside the Imperial City palace. The life of this man so strongly affected Ariana that it was necessary to hear the story. Everything Ariana has done, does, and will ever do is for him. She longs to make him proud and prays she will be able to spend time with him in the afterlife, unlike her current one.
Now, going back to the time when Ariana was fifteen, she left home to join the Imperial Legion. It was a move against her mother’s wishes, made while her father was away with the Fighter’s Guild. She took only a change of clothes, leaving behind a note, and left for the city of Chorrol. Once there, she signed up with the Legion and immediately began her training there. Her training was three years long. Over that time, she was taught combat, law, and discipline. At eighteen, she was almost an entirely new person. She was young and gung-ho, ready for any excitement the Legion would bring her.
However, being just a recruit, she was assigned with the typical rookie assignments, chiefly watching the storage of the fort. It was an incredibly boring task. Very rarely would anyone decide to steal from the storage facilities in an Imperial fort of all places. This changed when she was reassigned to Fort Drymoth, located in Dune, Elsweyr. The city was located in one of the driest regions of Elsweyr. The fort was a place filled mostly with young recruits like herself, the few in the Legion able to tolerate the heat of Elsweyr. There were two captains. One of them was in his mid sixties, and the other was a fresh captain in his late thirties. This was ultimately a fine recipe for general blatant chaos and disorganization. Thanks to Ariana, six attempts to raid the fort were thwarted. With each success, she gained more respect as a soldier and was soon promoted to Spearman. She endured the arid heat of Elsweyr for a total of four years before being promoted to Trooper and getting sent off to Ebonheart on the large Morrowind island of Vvardenfell.
Ariana as well as two other Spearmen traveled northeast across Cyrodiil, into Morrowind, and were sailed off to Fort Hawkmoth in Ebonheart. The fort there was a large one. It was much larger than both Fort Drymoth and Fort Chorrol put together. It was an importantly place as well. The Knight of the Imperial Dragon for all of Morrowind, Varus Vantinius, served there, and the Duke of Vvardenfell lived there. Of course, she never expected to see the duke herself, but she was still excited to be serving there. Ariana immediately learned her standing place amongst the natives of the land. They hated her. They didn’t know her, but she might as well have killed their mothers. The Dunmer hated the fact that she was an Imperial, an outlander, and a Legionnaire on top of that. Ariana was forced to tolerate their unfounded hatred and prejudice as she worked to keep their province in line. The work was hard there. Every day, there was something new going on. Ariana was sent on her first mission across Vvardenfell just six months after having arrived there. With her strong determination, she pulled through every task given to her, ranging from animal attacks to saving a town from corprus beasts. In a year, she was promoted to Agent.
In the time following this, her hard work caught the attention of someone rather unexpected in the fort. Duke Vedam Dren became interested in the young, 25 year old woman whose success in the Legion seemed infinite. He could definitely see her replacing the man who stood next to him daily. It’d be a welcome change, though something more of a far off, fantastical dream. Against his advisor’s wishes, Vedam invited her to join him in watching some gladiatorial events in Vivec with a few Cyrodiilic nobles. Ariana, assuming that it was a business-related affair, accepted his invitation.
Ariana, who had never before seen anyone fight in an arena, watched curiously as the men below fought. She was slightly disturbed to learn that they actually killed one another. Not wanting to displease Vedam in front of his business associates, Ariana remained silent. That is until she saw a man step into the arena. Beneath unkempt facial hair, she recognized the face of her father almost instantly. Her eyes widened as she gasped, whispering his name. Vedam asked with concern what was wrong, and Ariana reluctantly explained that her father was one of the men down there. The duke quietly offered his sympathies and took her hand as the battle waged. Ariana could hardly stand to watch as swords struck out at her father. When finally the last sound of metal clanging against metal was heard, Ariana choked back tears as she silently praised the Nine. One of the nobles of Cyrodiil spoke with Arsenio, asking if he would consider fighting in the Imperial City. He quickly accepted the proposition before leaving the arena. Ariana hadn’t even the chance to make herself known to him. Also, she was shocked as she later found out that Vedam had more in mind than business. Physically, nothing occurred though.
To be with her family, she tried to arrange for a reassignment to the Imperial City or at least anywhere in Cyrodiil. However, they would not allow it. They needed her support in Ebonheart, so there is where she remained. Every year for the next four years she requested a transfer and was denied. Almost thirty years old, she finally was sent to Cheydinhal as well as getting a promotion to Champion. She was relieved to discover from one of the locals that Arsenio Craetius had retired from the Arena the following year—alive. Ariana made plans to visit her family but somehow was never able to get around to doing this. There always seemed to be some minor annoyance or thievery in the city. Of course, there was rumored to be the existence of the Dark Brotherhood as well. She’d never before encountered any such assassin, but Ariana did not fear them then. At that time, she thought them only as any other criminal element.
After serving strictly Cheydinhal, she was offered a new position, to be an Imperial Horseman. She took this opportunity and was assigned to travel and protect the large area between Cheydinhal and Chorrol, the Heartlands and the northern part of the Great Forest. It was an interesting job because there was always a wide assortment of things and people to be found along the way. She commonly ran across lost adventurers, bandits, aggressive wildlife, and the occasional undead. She soon caught wind her father had come out of retirement. This upset her considerably, and she took a detour to the Imperial City to see if this was true.
Ariana was faced with the grim truth as she stared at the posting on the Arena gate for a never-before-seen fight between two members of the same team. She didn’t understand what her father was thinking in returning to the Arena, but she had to support him. She was in the stands early the day of the fight, praying mostly. She had good faith that her father would survive; he’d lived through every fight in the past. When finally came the time, the announcer’s excited voice rang through the structure as the gates rose. She watched curiously as her father slowly ambled from his cell. Ariana’s heart plummeted as she could tell something was wrong. The man wasn’t even standing fully upright. She attempted to stop them, shouting to the announcer, the spectators, anyone. None heard her, and she was forced to watch her father collapse onto the sands at the hands of another man. Cheering the loudest at this was a man from the High Council. From this, she had an idea of what could have happened. She knew that this councilor, Atinwe, was involved in her father’s defeat. She was deep in mourning through the entire night. Then, she thought of her mother and the rest of her family. She discovered from a Legionnaire and fan of her father’s that they were back home on the farm. She knew she had to tell them.
Ariana fled the city and went west towards her family’s farm. Only more tragedy awaited her there however. She discovered the slain bodies of her mother, grandfather, and younger brother. They had been killed assassin style and, judging from the wounds, not too long before she arrived. Her next hours were torturous on her soul. She remained wary of her surroundings, constantly looking over each shoulder as she dug graves for her family beneath the apple tree grove. She spent a number of days there, listless, numb and cold, until she realized she had to get back to work.
She left the farm and made a beeline to Chorrol to report her status, hoping they wouldn’t be too angry. They were very displeased with her abdication of duty. After two days had passed her routine arrival day, they’d reported her missing. After another day, they sent out two soldiers to find her. She’d arrived the day after that. Ariana apologized and told them what had happened to her. They were sympathetic to the story, but they would not allow her actions to go unpunished. Thus, they demoted her to Agent, which was a softened punishment compared to what they originally had planned. Ariana gratefully took her consequence.
Ariana later spoke with her captain about trying to get justice for her family’s deaths. He told her that her speculations about Atinwe may have been right, but there was little they could do to prove an accusation against the High Council of that magnitude. Ariana had a custom tattoo painted upon her back as a personal memorial of the betrayal that led to such tragedy. Now, all Ariana can do is worry about herself. She is always cautious about assassins lurking around, for fear Atinwe has sent them after her as well. She hopes to regain her rank of Champion soon and plans on serving the Legion until the very last. In the meantime, she prays for her family and hopes to find justice in their deaths one way or another.
Portrait:
