marorda
Oddball and author
Well, let me see. She's based on a character I use(d) in a story with a friend. Whether we'll continue writing that or not, I don't know, but she's an interesting character.Grey said:
For very silly reasons; wanting to learn the truth about her mother after she came back for her after 150 years (elves xD ), she got exiled from her clan. Translated to human years she was only about 12-13 years old. She traveled with her mother for a couple of years (only 1 in human years), but then her mom got killed. From that moment on, this little girl had to fend for herself in a quite dangerous world. With her little bit of bard-skills she got, she traveled around trying to make a living. Then, at some point later, she accidentally got herself caught up in a plot against some noblemen, and a group of spies trying to prevent the plot from succeeding. Since she knew too much, but had shown some skill (and she was still an innocent looking kid) the spies took her in and taught her what they knew. She worked her way up to become the Spymaster of the/a kingdom at the age of, again in human years, 16.
Pretty much nobody expects an innocent girl to be the Spymaster, and it really helps she keeps traveling around as a bard too. Over the course of years, she has basically lost every friend she had. Either because they got killed, or because they turned their backs on her when they learned more about her past.
She's really good at keeping up the innocent girl image, always pretending she doesn't get any sexual jokes (but in fact knowing EXACTLY what people mean). She always smiled and always seems optimistic. Truth about this is that her optimism is the only thing keeping her from depression, and she doesn't want others to see her pain. And she doesn't want others to suffer the same pain she did either, so she is willing to fight to make the world a better place and to keep everyone happy.
She has seen a whole lot of shit, suffering, pain, loss, and all the like. And she's a little afraid of the point where it will get all too much for her and she'll either snap or break down. Because she's well aware she can't keep her mask up forever. Also, she does get pissed off occasionally. And when she does, run like hell, 'cause she'll turn emotionless and possibly merciless.
In the spoiler is a little example of a scene from her past (warning: it's quite a long bit of text)
There was a soft knock on the door before it was carefully opened. Nanaya sat in the candlelit room, watching the man who was brought in. The man nervously looked around, clearly not sure what to think or expect. One of the guards in the corner or the room instinctively reached for his sword as he recognized Orrick Amaranth, one of the most infamous criminals of the Marshes. Nanaya quickly raised her hand in a sign for him to sheath his blade. Nanaya gave the man a half smile, though it was doubtful he could see it.
“Who are you?” Orrick asked. “Why am I here?”
“Oh, I think you know the answer to both these questions very well, Orrick,” Nanaya spoke calmly. “Although I must say I likely know more about you than you know about me.”
The man’s eyes widened and he made a small, quick step back, only to feel the two guards behind him, blocking the door leading back out of the room.
“Don’t be such a coward, Orrick. You know you can’t get out of here unless I let you,” she jumped off the desk she had been sitting on and stepped towards him to get a better look at him, and to give him the chance to take a somewhat closer look at her as well.
“You are…” Orrick started as he got a glance at her eyes.
“Yes? I am what?” Nanaya remained calm, but the tone of her voice was sharp as a knife. “You know it very well, don’t you? Tell me now, are you afraid? Does it frighten you to know I only need to lift my hand to end your life, right here on the spot?”
“I… I apologize, my lady. Had I known… If I had known it was you I wouldn’t…” Orrick started.
“You wouldn’t have tried?” Nanaya had to only slightly raise her voice to see the man try and back away even further. “Save me your excuses. That’s what they all say. You are not here for me to decide what’s to become of you. Had that been my intention I would have delivered you to lord and lady Ashwell. Or make sure you would have gone on a little trip into the Marshes. You’re here because I need information. Information that you have.”
“And what if I won’t cooperate?” Orrick said, though he very well realized he was in no position to negotiate.
“Well then you leave me no choice but to deal with you some other way. The guards here certainly wouldn’t mind dealing with you. And the bounty on your head certainly isn’t small either,” Nanaya said, still very calm. “The choice is entirely yours, Orrick.”
The silence that followed was deafening and seemed to last for hours, though it lasted for only a few moments. Orrick quickly considered his options and chances, and ended his thinking with a deep sigh.
“What information do you need, my lady?” he said.
“Who are you?” Orrick asked. “Why am I here?”
“Oh, I think you know the answer to both these questions very well, Orrick,” Nanaya spoke calmly. “Although I must say I likely know more about you than you know about me.”
The man’s eyes widened and he made a small, quick step back, only to feel the two guards behind him, blocking the door leading back out of the room.
“Don’t be such a coward, Orrick. You know you can’t get out of here unless I let you,” she jumped off the desk she had been sitting on and stepped towards him to get a better look at him, and to give him the chance to take a somewhat closer look at her as well.
“You are…” Orrick started as he got a glance at her eyes.
“Yes? I am what?” Nanaya remained calm, but the tone of her voice was sharp as a knife. “You know it very well, don’t you? Tell me now, are you afraid? Does it frighten you to know I only need to lift my hand to end your life, right here on the spot?”
“I… I apologize, my lady. Had I known… If I had known it was you I wouldn’t…” Orrick started.
“You wouldn’t have tried?” Nanaya had to only slightly raise her voice to see the man try and back away even further. “Save me your excuses. That’s what they all say. You are not here for me to decide what’s to become of you. Had that been my intention I would have delivered you to lord and lady Ashwell. Or make sure you would have gone on a little trip into the Marshes. You’re here because I need information. Information that you have.”
“And what if I won’t cooperate?” Orrick said, though he very well realized he was in no position to negotiate.
“Well then you leave me no choice but to deal with you some other way. The guards here certainly wouldn’t mind dealing with you. And the bounty on your head certainly isn’t small either,” Nanaya said, still very calm. “The choice is entirely yours, Orrick.”
The silence that followed was deafening and seemed to last for hours, though it lasted for only a few moments. Orrick quickly considered his options and chances, and ended his thinking with a deep sigh.
“What information do you need, my lady?” he said.
“Useful information should be given a proper reward, shouldn’t it?” Nanaya said with a sweet voice as she walked back to the desk. Orrick’s face flushed bright red, and Nanaya could almost hear the sweat roll down his face.
“A… reward, my lady?” he asked carefully.
Nanaya suppressed a small chuckle. She knew very well what kind of reward he was hoping to receive, especially after what he had tried before. She picked up a stack of papers, bound in a leather map.
“A reward indeed,” Nanaya said as she sat down on the desk again and crossed her legs. “You see this here?” she said as she waved the papers. “These are the records of your criminal deeds.”
Orrick swallowed and simply stared at Nanaya and the papers she was holding. He gave a small nod, but said not a word.
“Let’s see…” Nanaya said as she flipped through the pages, occasionally making disapproving noises. “Several muggings, robbery, bribe…More than once case of rape,” she looked sharply at Orrick as she mentioned the last one. Then she casually tossed the stack of papers into the fire. “Oops. There went the evidence.”
Orrick stared at her, a puzzled look on his face. He had no idea what to think or how to respond to what he had just seen.
“So my reward…” he started.
“Is your freedom,” Nanaya filled in. “I could have just decided to hand you over to the lord and lady anyway, or have you killed, but I did not. You may leave, although I do want to make sure there are a few things you get very clearly.”
She signaled the guard in the corner of the room, who then walked over and drew his dagger. Orrick’s eyes grew big in fear as the two guards behind him grabbed his arms to prevent his escape.
“One: nobody gets away with trying to rape me. Besides that, I just want to make sure you do not try doing it to anyone else again,” Nanaya spoke calmly, the tone of her voice cold and harsh. She closed her eyes as Orrick’s terrified scream of pain filled the room and winched lightly at the sound.
“Two: if you tell anyone what you have seen here, or drop even the slightest hint as of who I am, you will not see the light of another day,” she said as the room had quieted down again. She then gave a nod to the two guards holding Orrick and they dragged him out of the room.
“A… reward, my lady?” he asked carefully.
Nanaya suppressed a small chuckle. She knew very well what kind of reward he was hoping to receive, especially after what he had tried before. She picked up a stack of papers, bound in a leather map.
“A reward indeed,” Nanaya said as she sat down on the desk again and crossed her legs. “You see this here?” she said as she waved the papers. “These are the records of your criminal deeds.”
Orrick swallowed and simply stared at Nanaya and the papers she was holding. He gave a small nod, but said not a word.
“Let’s see…” Nanaya said as she flipped through the pages, occasionally making disapproving noises. “Several muggings, robbery, bribe…More than once case of rape,” she looked sharply at Orrick as she mentioned the last one. Then she casually tossed the stack of papers into the fire. “Oops. There went the evidence.”
Orrick stared at her, a puzzled look on his face. He had no idea what to think or how to respond to what he had just seen.
“So my reward…” he started.
“Is your freedom,” Nanaya filled in. “I could have just decided to hand you over to the lord and lady anyway, or have you killed, but I did not. You may leave, although I do want to make sure there are a few things you get very clearly.”
She signaled the guard in the corner of the room, who then walked over and drew his dagger. Orrick’s eyes grew big in fear as the two guards behind him grabbed his arms to prevent his escape.
“One: nobody gets away with trying to rape me. Besides that, I just want to make sure you do not try doing it to anyone else again,” Nanaya spoke calmly, the tone of her voice cold and harsh. She closed her eyes as Orrick’s terrified scream of pain filled the room and winched lightly at the sound.
“Two: if you tell anyone what you have seen here, or drop even the slightest hint as of who I am, you will not see the light of another day,” she said as the room had quieted down again. She then gave a nod to the two guards holding Orrick and they dragged him out of the room.
