Post by Mirielle Merlon on Jan 12, 2017 3:52:15 GMT
NAME: Her Royal Highness, Princess Mirielle Merlon of Ashdell
GENDER: Female
AGE: Early twenties
SPECIES: Human
DESCRIPTION: Middling height; slim, reddish hair; narrow face always on the verge of snickering; eyes that have seen way too much.
PROFESSION: Noble and scholar; sometimes explorer
WEALTH: As a princess of a peripheral kingdom's symbolic king, Mirielle relies on a moderate stipend.
COMBAT ROLE: Archer, if any.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: Mirielle is not a fighter. Her knowledge of archery comes from hunting and sporting events, and that's about as close as age comes to combat efficacy. She's well educated, discreet, and good at making allies. She's seen horrors you wouldn't believe; though she has her share of trauma, it usually takes a good deal to faze her.
MAJOR MOTIVATIONS: Exposure to a wealth of ideas has made Mirielle very interested in securing the future of Ashdell. She visualizes expanding the role of the royal family, and establishing higher education in Coalhurst. After the vampires of the Bund, the Deamhan Fhole, and Vaundsburg became serious regional concerns, Miri set out to find ways to protect and arm her home against the undead.
MAGIC: Mirielle studied formalized basics with excellent tutors. She is not a practical or powerful magician.
BACKGROUND: Mirielle was born the third child of the king of Ashdell, a minor kingdom in the northern forests. By family tradition, she was sent in her teenage years to study in a reputable university. She chose sunny, grimy, energetic Perona,the southern Free City, a very long way from home. From time to time she visited her father, whose rule was largely ceremonial. For the most part, though, she felt at home in Perona. She did her level best to blend in with the city's community of students, thinkers, and artists. Her minor foreign title made her an unexceptional peer, which she found a comfortable condition.
While making her way north to Ashdell, she was waylaid by a horde of orcs. Her escorts and guards were killed or scattered. With local survivors, she took refuge in the abandoned Ethenveld Castle, south of Pakellan. During their last stand, she was rescued by the massive lizard-man known as Taun-Lok, the Priest-King of the City of Gold. When he sacrificed an orc to summon a lizard-god for consultation, Miri was present, and the god opted to speak to her. She asked it for advice in defending her home and people against the undead, and was given a riddle in return.
She opted to follow the riddle rather than return home safely. Ultimately, the riddle led her through serious danger to the lost city where Taun-Lok ruled. Deeply conflicted and disgusted, she opted to join Taun-Lok in a sacrificial ritual that involved an element of cannibalism. At the close of the sacrifice, his gods spoke again, giving more information that could be used to protect Ashdell.
When the lizard-men marched against the vampire-led armies of Vaundsburg, Miri went along. Throughout all this, Miri kept a detailed, blood-smeared sketchbook with comprehensive notes. She chronicled everything unusual she saw, in part to keep her mind off the cost of her new knowledge. By various means, she sent occasional messages home, to keep her father apprised of her general welfare. She became secretive, sad, tired, and though she sought for her old self, she could never quite manage the carefree approach again. Now well on her way to being a seasoned observer and explorer, she drove herself to find answers for Ashdell's long-term safety, a largely solitary and thankless quest.
