[hider=Maj Noor - Corsair Mage Extrodinaire] [center][url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/debock-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/181122/e19dd5886a35cbf973ac79f25862f421.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wS3SUBT.png?1[/img][/center] [center][color=575757][b]Nickname:[/b][/color] Maj the Sleepless [color=575757][b]Age:[/b][/color] 30 [color=575757][b]Gender:[/b][/color] Female [color=575757][b]Race:[/b][/color] Redguard [color=575757][b]Birthsign:[/b][/color] The Apprentice[/center] [center][color=575757][b]Playlist[/b][/color] [url=https://open.spotify.com/user/deartrickster/playlist/1f8aAiS7o7l8eUgKwSkCbj?si=MtOG9EB_RnqbZPUMW7W8ug]The Truth is Easy to See Spotify Link[/url][/center] [hr] [center][color=575757][b]Family Origins[/b][/color][/center] Born the 29th of Sun’s Height in the year 178 4E in Sentinel, Hammerfell. Born of Iman Noor who died shortly after Maj's birth due to complications. Raised primarily by her father, Kinstel Noor with one older brother Abdul Noor. Their family was later joined by Annalise, marrying Kinstel. Briefly married into the Cox family. [list] [*] Mother - Iman Noor, died during childbirth. [*] Step Mother - Annalise Noor, alive and well. [*] Father - Kinstel Noor, alive and well. [*] Older Brother - Abdul Noor, alive and well - married with children. [*] Ex Husband & Childhood Best Friend - Quyon Cox, alive and well. [*] Paramour & Conjuration Mentor - Nephelle Avalone, captured and whereabouts unknown. [*] Captain of the Scarlet Harpy & Illusion Mentor - Lily Sette, captured and whereabouts unknown. [/list] [hr] [color=575757][b][center]Appearance[/center][/b][/color] Maj stands back straight at 5'4”. Wavy, often unruly long black hair that reaches a length below her shoulders, short uneven bangs falling around her face. She often ties it off to the side of her head. Often seen grinning wryly with a pair of full but often chapped lips. Her dark skin steeply contrasts her wickedly bright green eyes, deep purple circles line her under eye from lack of proper sleep. Rounded out cheeks, slimmed jaw with a naturally crooked nose. Two scars are visible on her face, one at her brow and another on her lower lip from a stray soul gem fragment bursting after an experiment. Bright silver earrings twinkle in the sunlight at her ears, enchanted to fortify her conjuration. Maj has narrow hips, strong sea legs and a small torso. She likes to make a strong first impression, taught by her Corsair crew mates the importance of reputation and presentation. She carries her small stature with the confidence of a man twice her size, as a result. Determined to fill the room with her presence, whether that succeeds or fails she tries regardless. She has never been one built for the cold, as such she dresses in layers. High leather boots sealed against water or snow. Dark leggings, long white tunic, with a dark maroon jacket made of cotton, long soft leather gloves that stretch up her forearm. When removed any curious eyes can see all the tiny light nicks and scars along her hands and fingers from soul gem experimentation. Rough calluses have hardened in her palms from years working at sea. Carries a dark green enchanted cloak with a hood to protect from rain and snow, enchanted to resist magicka, it provides some protection against magickal assailants. Around her waist is a belt holding up a two-part pouch at the small of her back where she keeps her money and some spare food. [hider=Clothing] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/63/94/3263949a09e08da7b6fb42bd44f5d28b.jpg[/img] [sub]Credit [url=https://the-orator.deviantart.com/]Link[/url][/sub][/center] [/hider] [color=575757][b][center]Equipment[/center][/b][/color] [list] [*] Leather Boots & Gloves [*] Enchanted Resist Magicka Cloak [*] Woolly long skirted jacket [*] Belted leather pouches at her back [*] A pair of silver earrings enchanted to fortify her conjuration - A gift from Nephelle. [/list] [center][color=575757][B]Misc. Possessions:[/B][/color][/center] [list] [*] [b]Only arriving to Gilane with nothing but the clothes on her back[/b] **** When she resupplies **** [*] x1 Sewing Kit [*] x1 Charcoal Pencil [*] x1 Small knife to sharpen a pencil [*] x1 Spare set of leggings and white tunic. [*] x1 Brand New Leather bound Sketchbook [*] x3 Apples [*] x1 sack of dried tree nuts [*] x1 Water Skin [*] x1 Wine Skin [*] x1 Sachel [/list] [color=575757][b][center]Skills[/center][/b][/color] [color=575757]Highly Proficient[/color] [i]Conjuration[/i] Maj took an early interest and nurtured education in Conjuration through her stepmother, Annalise. An iron will over her summons from Oblivion she relies on the actions of her atronachs for offensive and defensive tactics, however, her time under the direct tutelage of a master conjurer like Nephelle taught Maj the importance of creativity especially when you were at sea. Releasing her atronachs upon the environment whether that was to open a summoning portal for Snowflake to crash through a mast or send Furgur Blitzcloud storming across the bow of a ship tearing through defences. Setting barrels of tar and oil ablaze with Cinders, while there is always a time and place for blunt force - Maj enjoys employing her will in support rather than a battering ram. While she wills summons like Ice, Flames and Storm atronachs she is also quite excellent at expelling them back to the depths of oblivion. She refuses to learn how to raise zombies, ingrained fear and prejudice toward necromancy keep Maj from ever considering it. [i]Illusion[/i] Maj's conjuration is complimented only by her ability to craft illusions. Tricking enemies into seeing what she wills them to see, from ghosts to rocky beaches to run aground. Building monsters directly from their nightmares. The majority of her practice of illusions was born of pranking her fellow crewmates, naturally, a sense of humour belies her magic use. While she is capable of building large and small illusions her expertise in illusion is all about the big picture, subtler mind games are not her prerogative. [color=575757]Moderately Proficient[/color] [i]Language - Dunmeris[/i] Maj picked up and learned how to speak Dunmeris from her paramour, Nephelle. Learning to speak, read and write in the language she is fluent with a weird nasally accent. [color=575757]Somewhat Proficient[/color] [i]Tailoring - Sewing[/i] Maj had two jobs onboard the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i], raid and cripple ships and when her mind was behind a foggy haze of sleeplessness mend the sails and the crew's clothing. Never allowed near food prep even on her good days. [i]Athletics[/i] Maj can scamper, climb and has little fear of heights. Where her spells fail her and enemies close in she [i]runs[/i]. Once upon a time she was quite the swimmer but has since then she is completely unaware of the panic that awaits her when she finds herself in open water. [Indent][B][color=575757]Spell List:[/color] Conjuration - Summon Frost, Flames, and Storm Atronach, Expel Daedra Illusion - Fear, Frenzy, Invisibility, Calm[/B][/Indent] [color=575757][center][b]History[/b][/center][/color] A painful birth and short farewell, Maj Noor was born the 29th of Sun’s Height in the year 178 4E and Iman Noor died shortly thereafter, at the very least able to greet her newborn daughter before passing on. Months of complications leading to her birth only stood as a testament to Iman’s strength to carry Maj to term. Leaving behind Kinstel and Abdul to mourn her death and raise Maj. Abdul at the age of seven held a resentment toward Maj, blaming her for the death of their mother. Try as Kinstel did to teach his son otherwise. Maj being a fussy baby did not improve her worth in young Abdul’s eyes. Kinstel himself was a successful market merchant, silver-tongued and able to sell someone their own shirt. Born in Hammerfell to a Forebears family lineage, he carries belief and stories of The Nine Divines, passing on his beliefs to his children. Carrying extreme prejudice toward necromancy and conjuration. Kinstel taught them their letters and numbers, Abdul took to the lessons of mercantile while Maj decidedly checked out of them only pacified with a book in her hands. Kinstel felt he could pursue greener pastures in High Rock, for years the trade had slowed to a crawl any resources were being funnelled to the recovery of Hammerfell’s southern shores after the Great War. Piracy was seeing a surge in activity choking what little was already getting through to Sentinel. Quietly with Iman’s passing, he felt his heart could truly heal disconnecting from Sentinel. He packed up what he could, shuffling the children from their home to set new roots in Wayrest, High Rock. Seeing a bright future for his family there. He was proved to be correct, healing from the passing of his wife to meet and marry new love Annalise, a Kynareth priestess, leaving her priesthood behind to marry Kinstel but not leaving all of her secrets behind. She was gentle, with the patience of a true saint to help raise Abdul and Maj. Abdul didn’t take to his new mother well but Maj grew to respect her kindness and patience, likening her to a willow tree bending with a gale force winds as opposed to resisting it. She didn’t give in to Maj’s bratty demands but negotiated with her, it proved to be an effective form of parenting. Annalise helped shape Maj’s budding aptitude in magicka, what she hadn’t expected was Maj’s keen nose for trouble. At the age of 8 4E 188, Maj rifled through some of Annalise’s old belongings looking for a new book in the home she hadn’t read yet stumbling upon a stack of conjuration spell books and research notes. Recognizing the symbol of the taboo school of magic, she was disgusted at first with the secret. As taboos go, Maj really wanted to know why it was as taboo as it was, fascinated to learn more. She stole them away finding her own hiding place to read them more. With her new magicka lessons, Maj spent the afternoon trying to learn some basic spells. As children are ones for carelessness Annalise soon discovered her belongings had been rifled through fearing the worst she went searching for where the books may have been taken only to catch Maj red-handed. Furious and terrified of her secret becoming known to her husband, Annalise made it their shared secret promising in exchange to teach Maj how to safely practice Conjuration without summoning unbound daedra. Not trusting Maj to simply detach from her new found fascination. Annalise saw the sense in teaching Maj at least that much. That summer the family decided it was time for Maj to learn some proper skills, Abdul followed his father to work the markets while Maj had stayed inside to read her days away. Magicka lessons weren’t enough. Annalise and Kinstel were hoping to start negotiating an arranged marriage with some other merchant families in Wayrest, Kinstel was keen on sending his daughter to join the Kynareth priesthood and learn restoration like her stepmother but Annalise knew Maj did not have the patience for healing. Instead, she suggested speaking with some of the families in Wayrest who had a ship. A few character-building months at sea matched up with a son could prove a good investment. The Cox were a seafaring family, having made a successful business in shipment with reliable cargo protection, and more importantly, had a son around Maj’s age. The Cox’s reluctantly agreed to take on Maj pairing her up with their youngest son, Quyon. They weren’t initially convinced a bookish child could handle being away from home for the first time and at sea. To their surprise Maj stepped in line, the structure and busy days aboard their ship were what she needed. Quyon and Maj became fast friends, he guided her aboard the ship and they completed chores together. When they returned at the end of the summer, she was sea brushed - beaming and full of stories to tell her family. The Cox agreed to arrange a marriage between Quyon and Maj when they became of age. In the year 188 4E, the piracy was at its peak and the Invasion of Wayrest was quick and decisive. Merchant families and other ship owning individuals were to submit to the Corsair Republic and cooperate or die. Sharing percentages of trade and safe passage through Iliac Bay. Some gave up and moved onto trading caravans while others submitted to the Republic, able to absorb the percentage to pay to continue their trade. The Cox were among the families that were able to continue sailing - begrudgingly cooperating with the Corsair Republic. There was a fair amount of distrust for the pirates but nobody trusted the Wayrest ruling nobility either after the betrayal. The Corsair’s true target was routing The Dark Brotherhood. For the next 7 years, she spent every summer at sea with Quyon, always looking forward to her time with her best friend and their voyages. Learning more with the places they travelled to, growing up and out of her brattiness. As they grew older it was apparent they had been matched off, neither objecting but neither of them harboured romantic feelings for the other. Far as arranged marriages went they knew they could be matched with far worse. Secretly gaining more lessons about conjuration from Annalise, they bonded as they delved into her stepmother’s previous life as a conjurer. They quietly rejected her father’s prejudiced views. In the year of 192 4E Quyon and Maj were wed and held the sacred duty as husband and wife to consummate their marriage and provide the next generation. Quyon was patient with Maj as she was with him, neither holding true for a spark of love or lust, in spite of that they wanted to do right by their families. They tried repeatedly to conceive children, only for Maj never showing signs of being with child. Annalise and a host of restoration mages tried potions and prayer for Maj, unfortunately, nothing stuck. A problem that the best healer in Wayrest wouldn’t be able to fix. Maj was pronounced barren. Both the Cox and Noor’s attempted to comfort Maj but there was an underline of disappointment. Their first year of marriage was akin to spending more time with each other than ever before, they took comfort in their strong bonds. Unfortunately the borrowed time Annalise and Maj had with practicing conjuration finally ran out, as they headed to their usual private spot to practice using the usual excuse of shopping for dinner. Abdul went looking for them in the markets only for some having seen them wander off, they pointed him their way. Abdul found them midway practicing soul trap, conjuration spell book at their feet. A damning scene to see and before Maj or Annalise could say a word he immediately ran to his father. Kinstel flew into a rage, disgusted by his wife and daughter for practicing the vilest school of magic. Kinstel in his fit of rage blamed the fruitless marriage on Maj and the Divines visiting their consequences upon her by making her barren. Maj naturally fought back defending conjuration but it pushed Kinstel over the edge. Annalise - shocked and terrified of his rage, she held strong at Maj’s side unable to summon the same courage to argue. Kinstel tore Maj from Annalise, with his teenage daughter in hand he marched her to the Cox household roughly pulling the wedding band from Maj’s finger he threw it before Quyon’s father, forcing her to break off the marriage for the sake of their reputation. He repeatedly berated Maj. Quyon attempted to defend his wife but the shame came crashing down on Maj’s head vocally consenting to her father’s order. Quyon silenced by his own father, he separated the enraged Kinstel from the teens trying to talk sense to him. Ashamed Maj took off at a run from both of them, tear-faced and disgraced. Kinstel shouted after her, peppering the exit with more curses. Maj spent the night at the docks, crying - cold and feeling like her life was being burned up before her. The next morning she was worse for wear - shouts of enthusiastic Corsair hiring booths had pulled her from her reverie. Dry-eyed and in the best place to make bad decisions Maj went wandering down the booths looking for work. If she were to be disgraced and without family she felt her only option for work would still be at sea. Passing a booth by until it’s captain called out to her, Captain Lily Sette. Surrounded by her crew, calling out to join the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i]. The Captain saw in Maj as she saw in all her crew members. She saw the loss as clear as one would see reading a book. Captain Sette briefly explained her crew was looking for women with sailing experience and welcomed apprenticeships for mages. A rare vessel crewed completely by women of all creeds and backgrounds, a gathering of widows, ex-slaves, and the disenfranchised women looking for purpose backed by a terrifyingly strong force of mages aboard. They held a philosophy of rescuing those fallen victims to shipwrecks and contracted to hunt slave ships when they made their odd appearance. They operated under the Corsair Republic so they participated in raiding fat and slow merchant ships for resources and gold to pay their tribute to the Republic but operated with good intentions. Maj signed up seeing no real reason not to. Given a big and warm welcome aboard Maj was set to work and with her interest in conjuration was apprenticed by their master of conjuration, the dunmer Nephelle Avalone. Tall and willowy she regarded her new apprentice with kind red eyes, impossibly white silvery hair framed her angular features. Nephelle was 30 years Maj’s senior. Maj felt a fire ignite in the pit of her belly. At the young age of 16, she joined the crew of the [i]Scarlet Harpy.[/i] It took some easing and adjustment to piracy for Maj, most prominently with killing others. While she was abhorrent to the thought of necromancy the pirates around her helped her adjust. She moved past her hesitation but never grew to like it, taking life was a natural part of raiding. As such - the pirate’s life was hers now. She enjoyed having a new family and purpose most of all, she reasoned the work was a fair trade. In her later years, she realized she would owe the crew of the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i] more than just loyalty. Maj fit in quickly, many of the women empathizing with her story and Maj doing the same as she learned each of their own stories. Mages and warriors fought alongside each other with ferocity, the crew and her ship acted as one singular force united by the charismatic Captain Sette, a master of illusion. Over the next few years as Maj grew from a teenager into an adult so too did her feelings for her mentor, maturing with her. Nephelle was aware of Maj’s attraction, initially uncomfortable but doing little to rebuff her interest. Soon, in three years time, Nephelle reciprocated. They eased into their relationship as one did try on new boots. It was awkward to start, they faced a lot of adjustment. Once they settled - able to draw a line between their lessons from their relationship Nephelle and Maj became inseparable. They were a fearsome pair of conjurers coordinating their attacks. Their love fueled their nights as it did their attacks. As Maj’s expertise grew in conjuration she branched out, always admiring her Captain's mastery of the mind. She took on learning Illusion from her Captain, it complimented her conjuration adding more versatility. Maj took to it to like a fish to water. While she apprenticed as a mage she proved to be quite dexterous with her hands, she became one of the crew's tailors. Sewing holes in sails, mending clothing. Any one crew member took on multiple jobs but Maj held some curiosity of soul gems and enchantment but one too many failed experiments (with scars marring her face) Maj dropped it. For 14 years Maj remained aboard the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i], happy and at home. The crew changed faces as some died and some left to pursue other goals. She wrote letters consistently to Quyon and her family, Annalise and Quyon were the only replies she received. She developed a distaste for meat, after eating nearly rotten meat one too many times while at sea. She switched decidedly to eating nuts, vegetables and occasionally fish if she saw it freshly caught. The only reliable food source she could provide for herself, nearly useless otherwise in food prep. They sailed along the western coast of Hammerfell and as far south as Cyrodiil, running from Dominion fleets and playing cat and mouse with Hammerfell’s. It was exciting, thrilling and ultimately not without consequences. In the spring of 208 4E, a strange ship caught Captain Sette's eye as did the watch in the Crow's Nest they did not scan the horizon but they saw it flying amongst the clouds above. At sea, they were blissfully ignorant of the newly installed rulers of Hammerfell. Unknowingly crossing new territorial lines drawn off of Hammerfell's coast near Stros M'Kai the Dwemer airship began to pursue the trespassing Corsair crew. Wisely Captain Sette steered the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i] to retreat, neither prepared nor interested in engaging with the likes of it. The airship easily caught up, plated armour deflected the mage's elemental attacks, ballista's penetrated the upper decks of the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i], Dwemer spheres came crashing aboard from above attacking the crew directly - eliminating witnesses. The attack was vicious. The crew fought and lost, overwhelmed. Maj was separated from Nephelle and fell below decks fighting for her life as their enemies blew holes in the [i]Scarlet Harpy’s[/i] hull, she quickly took on water trapping Maj below decks with cargo blocking her exit. As the claustrophobic walls closed in and the ship began to sink, panic gripped Maj’s heart. She lost consciousness, waking several hours later vomiting seawater on a rocky beach. The fate of the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i] unknown and her own survival a mystery. Determined to find out the fate of the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i] Maj travelled to the closest city - Gilane, without coin or a plan. She was stuck. She burned to know what happened to Nephelle. Her eyes confirmed what she presumed was pure insanity of the attack, the Dwemer had returned and they were in control of Gilane and Hammerfell. Without a plan, a crew, nor a proper leg to stand on she entered the city, at the end of Second Seed 4E 208 looking for refuge. Quietly nursing a grudge against the newly returned Dwemer for destroying her family and life in a single swoop. [color=575757][center][b]Personality[/b][/center][/color] As a young child, she was bratty as they came, bookish and demanding. Undoubtedly filled to the brim with an insufferable amount of attitude - enough to rival an adult. She proved to be a handful for both her father and her begrudging older brother. She had a true penchant for trouble; getting stuck while exploring or finding a way to break anything she got her hands on. She eventually grew out of her bratty ways but remains a demanding personality, entirely willful and managing to stick her nose where trouble surely brews. Completely unaware of how much she enjoys instant gratification, a result of her father and brother giving into her tantrums just so they could find some peace. She learned some patience from her stepmother, learned discipline when first aboard a ship. It strengthened her iron will, it lent well to controlling the chaotic beings of Oblivion. Her ability to focus on a task or spell is difficult to break, sleep deprivation remains her concentration’s greatest enemy. She greatly respects staying true to character in face of adversity - the strength of mind, heart or body. Years spent with Captain Sette she learned to see holes in the heart as Captain Sette had once seen in her. An illusionist’s eyes accustomed to seeing past the illusions of others. However, that is where her emotional intelligence starts and ends. Maj has no patience for dealing with her own emotional or physical pain and even less for strangers. She can empathize and understand why someone is in pain but doesn't have enough empathy to help them deal with it. What she lacks she makes up for in her actions, feeling bullied? Maj happily stands between you and your assailant. Feeling lonely, she may not have the words to heal or soothe but she will sit with you. The crew of the [i]Scarlet Harpy[/i] showed her how to act as a pirate but they showed her what it means to be present, just as they were they there for her Maj hopes to pay that compassion forward. Maj has a strange and muddied view of the Nine Divines and her own soul. She believes in the divine pantheon protecting their realm of Nirn from Oblivion, particularly how important a figure Kynareth is to sailors and pirates alike. Her positive views of the Divines stem directly from her step mother's influence, but to say she avidly prays or seeks guidance from the gods would be untrue. It's largely a nostalgic kick now that she is grown woman having seen her fair share of how the world operates outside the quiet sanctum of a temple. Fuelling a bit of cynicism. The nature of her own soul in relation to her body had been a hotly debated notion with other mages and scholars aboard the Harpy. Especially with a master of conjuration, Nephelle purported to be, she often argued with her paramour over the use of spells like Soul Trap. Struggling with what she was taught as a child and the very stark reality she would never reach master levels of conjuration with her ingrained prejudice. At the heart of it, she fears the loss of her soul. She enjoys creating and acting out her pirate front, putting forth an act of bravado and confidence. She was taught well by charismatic corsairs. Past those first impressions, Maj enjoys the quiet ambiance of waves lapping, boots marching, or the ramble of marketplaces. She is pulled toward activity. Genuinely enjoys the harsh life at sea, working like a well-oiled cog in the mechanism. Craves that support, stability, and familiarity of knowing where she fits and her purpose at the hands of someone she truly respected. Quietly hopes to regain the approval of her father, blazing the trail to her own success regardless of what that success may look like. If only she could sort out the mess that is her life currently, then maybe someday she could go back to Wayrest. [color=575757][b][center]Miscellaneous[/center][/b][/color] [list] [*] [i]Navigation & Map Reading:[/i] Years at sea, Maj has a great sense of direction and navigation. She can read the stars, a map and a compass. [*] [i]Knot tying:[/i] Great with knots, with a large portion of her life at sea she is quite handy with a rope. [*] [i]Sketch Artist:[/i] Maj takes pride in her ability to sketch, has an almost embarrassingly large amount of sketches of Nephelle in her sketchbook. They are fairly new and they help to fill the ache of missing her paramour. Caution to the Curious: Do not flip past page 10, the sketches continue but on a far more private level. [*] [i]Name that Daedra!:[/i] Maj has a streak for silly names as pirates traditionally go, she, of course, named her atronachs. They are as such - Flames: Cinders (Cindy), Frost: Snowflake, Storm: Furgur Blitzcloud. [*][i] Vegetarian:[/i] Maj is vegetarian, she'll only eat meat when she sees it's freshly caught or cut. Plays it safe without eating meat. [*] [i]Fear of Swimming:[/i] After the sinking of the Scarlet Harpy being trapped below decks, nearly drowning - Maj has developed a fear for swimming and drowning. Completely unaware of this certain fear, it is new and the panic that awaits her in open water. [*] [i]Insomniac:[/i] Battling with insomnia ever since she was a teenager, she finds herself able to have a peaceful sleep at sea with the gentle rocking of the waves, salty air, and a slight twinge of mildew and tar. On dry land, she has fitful sleep at best. Used to the fluctuating sleep schedule she is happy to take up guard postings, keeping herself busy. However, some terribly long bouts of sleeplessness will hit her with the full effects of sleep deprivation. Poor judgement, hallucinations, irritability, slow reflexes and of course low energy. However, menial tasks like sewing can be trusted with her, her hands know what to do even if her mind is gone. Stress, anxiety and sleeping on hard ground exasperate her condition, making it difficult to fall asleep. [*] [i]Born at the Wrong Time:[/i] Being born under The Apprentice constellation gave Maj early advantages in magicka and an above average reservoir - it also made her sensitive to magicka. She attempts to compensate with enchanted clothing but mages have proven to cause devastating damage to her person directly. She avoids directly engaging with other mages in a fight, traps and illusions have similarly intensified effects on her. [/list] [/hider]