[hider=Niernen Venim]
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[sub][h2]Niernen Venim[/h2][/sub]
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5’4” | 50kg/110lbs | 31

Female | Dunmer | The Serpent

INTELLIGENCE | Willpower

Blacklight, Morrowind
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[sub][h2][b]P[/b]rofile[/h2][/sub]
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[b]§ [u] Appearance   [/u][/b] 

[indent]Though probably not everyone's cup of tea, Niernen is an attractive woman by Dunmeri standards. Her eyes are large and expressive and have an unusual coppery hue to them, diluting the crimson iris that is so characteristic of her race. They are supported by prominent cheekbones; beneath that, Niernen's face narrows sharply, sporting a small chin and gaunt cheeks, though her jawline is well-defined. A ruddy scar runs over her left eye and cheek, almost touching the corner of her mouth. Niernen's lips are lush and display a peaked Cupid's bow. All that said, her ashen skin has become even more pale after her suffering at the hands of the Kamal and her face has thinned remarkably from weeks of starvation. She has only recently started recovering from the horrors she has faced and a little bit of life has returned to her cheeks.

While she takes pride in (and good care of) her hair, which is long and dark, the lustrous shine has faded and the split ends are too many to count. Niernen usually wears it swept back, tucked away behind her ears from where it cascades down to her shoulders, but it has a habit of swinging this way and that during combat and she has ended up looking like a disheveled madwoman more than once.

Her once rather conventional body has undergone rapid weight changes and it shows; her skin is marked by having been starved and her bones still shine through in more places than they should. If one got the chance to see her undressed they'd be able to spot faint scarring on her chest, abdomen and back, caused by wicked Argonian warblades, but these blemishes are overshadowed by the remnants of severe bruising from more recent injuries that are only healing very slowly. 

Everything about her, from the intense, wary and haunted look in her eyes to the incessant tremor in her hands and even the state of her clothes, screams ‘traumatized’, which is absolutely true. She walks with a limp, is in constant pain and restlessly scans her surroundings, frequently jumping at shadows. When presented with actual danger, however, one of two things can happen: she either panics and shuts down, or is fueled by an immense, all-consuming wrath that would frighten even the most hardened veteran, streams of searing flames shooting from her hands as torrid arcs of electricity dance around her form. So, while her smile and laugh are both beautiful and infectious, Niernen can’t help but to make those around her wary with her own paranoia. One can only hope that she will find peace someday.
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[b]§ [u] Motivations and Outlook   [/u][/b]

[indent]By nature, Niernen is resourceful, intelligent, witty, stubborn and kind-hearted. These traits are all inherent to her mind and personality and haven't changed over the years. She takes to new knowledge quickly, enjoys conversing at an engaging level, is quick to improvise when faced with problems, becomes nearly impossible to sway after she's made up her mind about a course of action, and tries to treat the people she meets with respect and compassion -- even 'outlanders'. She never thought highly of the xenophobia of her fellow Dunmer of Morrowind. 

However, the course of her life has seriously damaged her, both emotionally and physically, and she is a shadow of the woman she was. While still headstrong, she used to be far more so and has relented a lot after her injuries in Blackmarsh. Her confidence was already significantly shaken by the whole ordeal and she struggles to regain her former level of self-assuredness, but brutality suffered at the hands of the Kamal have put another, even larger dent in her -- and the execution of her parents by the authorities in Morrowind nearly shattered her entirely. Without moral and emotional support of her friends and comrades Niernen would undoubtedly relapse into powerful depression and anxiety, and she is vulnerable to horrific nightmares, flashbacks and a near-constant sense of paranoia.

As for interpersonal relationships, Niernen gets along well with most people except Argonians and still finds it difficult to look at them, let alone have a proper conversation, due to strong feelings of guilt. However, spending time in the mercenary company has helped her cope, and recent events overshadow these emotions with far more powerful ones -- sorrow, fear, despair and wrath. She tries not to let these get in the way of her friendships but it is hard to ignore and she’s torn between seeking comfort and pushing people away. Niernen is desperate for healing, but has no idea where to turn other than her brother, but Narzul’s mind is elsewhere and he doesn’t know how to help her either.

She's proud of her magical abilities and relies on them heavily, refusing to carry physical weapons into combat, and resorts to telekinesis for heavy lifting. Because she was born into a wealthy, aristocratic family, Niernen used to have no idea what it's like to be a peasant and would occasionally make off-the-cuff remarks that reflect this ignorance. Her experiences as a slave of the Kamal have grounded her firmly into the misery of the unwashed masses, however, and there is no highborn ignorance left in her war-weary soul. Her greatest pleasures were fine dining, magical discoveries and moonlit nights, but now she is simply thankful for every moment of peace, however uncomfortable it may be -- it is always better than the horrors she has endured. She has decided that she needs to heal from her trauma, one way or another, and she endeavours to find someone that can help her with that while she continues her work with the company. Like her brother, she wants to avenge her family, but she does not feel like she is in any state to do so. 

She worships the Reclamations, particularly Azura, but her faith is wavering.
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[b]§ [u] Background   [/u][/b]

[indent]Born to parents that held influential positions in House Redoran, Niernen Venim came second to a favored son. Her birth under the sign of the Serpent was considered bad omen by Redoran traditions, and hopes for Niernen weren't high. Though she was by no means ever abused, her brother Narzul was a tough act to follow and her parents could be blind in their devotion. Niernen was always quietly bitter about this but didn't act out against her brother in any way; in fact, she was very fond of him herself. Besides, it wasn't his fault he was such a good son. 

While Narzul was rather obviously being groomed to take his father's place as House Father, Niernen was left mostly to her own devices and became determined to excel somewhere her brother didn't. Narzul's martial prowess was stellar, as befitting a son of House Redoran, but Niernen's short stature and natural ineptitude with weapons prevented her from matching up to him. It is often said that Dunmer have three talents; the blade, the shadow and the flame. Niernen wanted to focus on the last. 

Whether a sign of love or casual disregard Niernen couldn't figure out, but her parents allowed her to pursue an education in Destruction magic with the war-wizards of House Redoran. She traveled all over Morrowind for this, apprenticing for several such war-wizards. Because of their rarity, they were posted all over the province. One of them was able to teach her a little about Conjuration as well, especially how to summon and bound a Flame Atronach, and they all knew a little Alteration for general utility. A sympathetic Temple Priest taught her a few things about Restoration. 

Niernen returned to Blacklight when she was 27. She was now reasonably skilled, far from a master, but remarkable for her age nonetheless. For the first time in her life, Niernen got to experience what it was like for her father to be impressed by something she had achieved after demonstrating her Flame Cloak spell. Narzul had risen to the rank of House Cousin on his own merits by now and the two siblings remained very supportive of each other. 

Life seemed to trundle along on its scheduled course when the Nerevarine unexpectedly returned to Morrowind, intending to take the title of High King. Niernen was far too young to have been alive when the Nerevarine first appeared but she'd grown up with the stories, of course -- her ancestor, Bolvyn Venim, had been Archmaster of House Redoran at the time, and the Nerevarine had murdered him in a duel for that title. The Venim family never forgave the Nerevarine for that act, and while he was worshiped as a saint in the Dunmeri pantheon Niernen's father disapproved highly of the Nerevarine's claim to the throne. Openly opposing him was political suicide, however, so this particular Redoran family was forced to watch as the Nerevarine wrestled power away from their Great House (again) and became High King of all the Dunmer people. 

Her father expected some kind of aggression from the Nerevarine towards the Venim family, but none came. Perhaps the Nerevarine had forgotten about the last name of the man he had to slay in his quest to become Hortator -- Bolvyn Venim was, after all, merely one of many on a mound of corpses the Neverarine had left in his wake. Seeing no reason to further hold that event against her new High King, Niernen obeyed the decree to aid in the rebuilding of the province, much to her father's chagrin. She didn't do it because she cared about the province, really, or the Nerevarine's ambitions. No, she merely wanted to prove the usefulness of her arcane studies. Narzul also participated, though this was decided to be politically necessary if the Venim family was to remain relevant. The two traveled to the south of Morrowind with a contingent of the Redoran army and joined the raids on Black Marsh. 

Determination alone wasn't enough to completely repell the horrors of war. Niernen had never raised her magic against another person before and she was having difficulty processing the consequences. Narzul would lead the charge against the Argonians while Niernen and a conjured Flame Atronach lobbed fireballs at designated targets from a safe distance. From so far away it wasn't so bad, but being confronted with the charred, twisted corpses of Argonians she encountered on the battlefield afterwards haunted her dreams. Narzul was blind to her turmoil and merely proud of his sister, Niernen the battlemage. 

It was fantastic practice however, and Niernen continued to develop her skills rapidly. She contributed significantly to a victory in the fight for Stormhold's gates, blanketing the area just inside the city walls with flames through a small hole in the gate, forcing the Argonian defenders back and allowing siege units to knock the gate down. Niernen started making a real name for herself and saw herself rise through the ranks of House Redoran on her own merits. This, and the encouragement from her brother, was enough for Niernen to persist. 

Misfortune struck during an assault near the city of Thorn. The thick jungle-marsh prevented the Dunmer from anticipating a flanking strike and Niernen was almost asssassinated by a pair of Shadowscales. The two Argonians killed Niernen's bodyguards in the initial strike and struck her with quick jabs from their twisted daggers. Overcome with adrenaline, Niernen seared them both with gouts of hot flame, burning brighter than they ever had, but the Shadowscales were high on Hist sap and unstoppable. Within seconds, Niernen had been stabbed several times, including a horrific gash in the left side of her face, and collapsed. One of the Shadowscales made the mistake of stabbing the Flame Atronach through the chest; it exploded violently, killing the Argonians and knocking Niernen unconscious. 

Narzul, having heard the detonation, abandoned his post at the head of the battle and rushed to save his sister. A retreat was organized and the Redoran army back off from Thorn momentarily. Niernen's life was saved by the combined efforts of seven Temple Priests; the daggers used to wound her were coated with a potent poison that was rapidly turning her insides to goop and an enormous amount of magicka was required to reverse the damage. 

Alas, Niernen would never be quite the same. She was permanently weakened and her entire body hurt if she overexerted herself. Narzul was reprimanded for his actions in putting his sister's life over the success of the entire battle, but allowed to remain. Niernen was sent home with a commendation for valor in the face of mortal danger, but it was merely a small comfort. She was ashamed of having been a burden to her brother and traumatized by the near-death experience; the images of the Shadowscales, moving like frenzied blurs to inflict maximum damage, undeterred by the fire eating away at their flesh, was never far from her mind's eye. It took her more than a year to recover enough to start leaving the house in Blacklight. At first, short walks would leave her exhausted and gasping for air, but by the start of 4E 204 she had regained most of her former range of mobility, provided she didn't start to run. Most of the scarring had faded away except for the cut over her eye. It wasn't considered life-threatening at the time so little magicka was dedicated to repairing the damage by the Temple Priests, and it was too difficult to fix after the fact. 

In 4E 205, the decree was lifted and Narzul returned home. He had served with distinction and replaced his father as House Father of the Great House Redoran, who gladly retired and started dedicating his time to literary pursuits and woodcrafting. 

Tired of sitting at home like some kind of sickly woman, Niernen resolved to resume traveling and developing her abilities. She was also determined to face her fears and overcome them; it seemed to her that the nightmares weren't going away on their own. Narzul protested fiercely but Niernen had made up her mind. She promised to be cautious and brought one of the family's Nix-hounds with her, a fine specimen named Garm, who could protect her during a spell of weakness. Niernen traveled west, to Skyrim, and found herself applying for a mercenary company in the city of Windhelm, somewhat to her own bewilderment.

This turned out to be an act of supremely poor timing, as Skyrim was invaded by Akaviri forces for the first time in hundreds of years the very day after she joined Ashav's company. Niernen helped defend the docks of Windhelm against the invaders and, working together with a brave and agile Khajiit known as Do'Karth, she scored two kills against the enormous, hulking monsters. They successfully repelled the initial assault but their success was short-lived. Windhelm fell to the overwhelmingly superior Kamal forces within twenty-four hours. The Company retreated but Niernen lost them in the chaos as she fell into a sewer when the ground collapsed beneath her feet. Her panicked flight carried her out of the city and into the frozen wilderness, where she was pursued by the Kamal and their horrifying, arachnidian mounts. After being surrounded and left with nowhere to run, Niernen used a scroll she had been given by one of her mentors to summon a ravenous firestorm. The Kamal were incinerated where they stood, melting away into clouds of mist, and Niernen lived to fight another day. Her Nix-hound, Garm, loyal to a fault, died defending her against the Kamal, and for the first time in her life Niernen was utterly alone.

And that spelled trouble. She was intercepted and captured by Armigers on her way to Morrowind on the suspicion of "treason". It was from them that she learned the Kamal had been brought to the shores of Tamriel by the Nerevarine, High King of Morrowind, the very leader whose decree she had so loyally carried out in Black Marsh. The Armigers sold her to the Kamal to be used as a slave aboard one of their soul-powered frigates. She was enslaved aboard this ship, forced to perform manual labor with the other captives (most of them fellow Dunmer) in the hold of the ship, suffering regular beatings at the hands of a particularly large and cruel Kamal. She managed to maintain hope (and her sanity) by remembering the mercenaries, especially Do'Karth, and dreaming she would see them again someday. When fearless (but foolish) pirates attacked the frigate she and and another Dunmer named Valen were able to escape in a raft, which left them bobbing about the Sea of Ghosts without direction -- but at least they were free. They came upon a small island chain and made landfall, where an almost unbelievable bout of luck brought her face to face with someone she thought she'd never see again: Ashav, and his company too. The island chain turned out to be home to an ancient Dwemer armory and Niernen accompanied the mercenaries down into the darkness. Her reunion with Do'Karth was a tearful, joyous encounter, but it became tinged with a hollow feeling of sorrow when she learned that the Khajiit had become lovers with a Nord woman named Sevine. 

Not that there was much time to dwell upon that. After fighting with a group of Ashlander treasure hunters and a bunch of Dwemer automatons the Company was able to achieve their mission, retrieving powerful Dwemer ballistae that they mounted on their ship. Those weapons immediately became worth their weight in gold when the very Kamal frigate that Niernen and Valen had escaped from hunted them down at sea. Valen died in the ensuing naval battle, pulled beneath the waves by a dying Kamal, and Niernen's torture was avenged when a trio of her allies killed the large Kamal taskmaster that had beaten her so often. Once again confronted with the deaths around her of people she couldn't save, Niernen sank even deeper into despair.

After some much-needed rest in Dawnstar, their next mission saw them heading to Bleakrock Isle, an outpost of the Nerevarine-allied Armigers. What was supposed to be a mission of stealth quickly turned south when their cover was blown and they had to high-tail it out of there after a series of horrible ritual deathmatches, in which Niernen had to watch as Narzul cut down two Armigers before being severely wounded himself. She stabilized Narzul's wounds as best she could, but they did not reunite with the rest of the Company (that had remained behind in Dawnstar) until they reached Solitude, having set sail for the city after a Dreamsleeve message from Gustav. They retreated even further west, desperately in need of a win, and the resulting series of adventures brought even more horror and tragedy to her life. Her parents were murdered and she was forced to burn five innocent people to a crisp while under the command of a vampire’s frenzy spell. Horrified by her own powers, Niernen’s personal quest now turns to healing -- she must become whole again before she can be of any use to anyone.[/indent]
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[sub][h2][b]C[/b]apabilities[/h2][/sub]
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[b]§ [u] Skills   [/u][/b] 

[indent][i]Expert:[/i] Destruction.
[i]Adept:[/i] Alteration and Conjuration.
[i]Apprentice:[/i] Restoration, Light Armor, Alchemy, Illusion.
[i]Novice:[/i] Tailoring, Speech, Dunmeris.
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[b]§ [u] Flaws   [/u][/b]

[indent][i]Foot in the Grave:[/i] Niernen came so close to death after the Shadowscale assassination attempt that she never fully recovered. The poisons took a hefty toll on her physical fortitude, reducing her strength to that of a child's and her endurance to that of an elder with rockjoint. She cannot march long distances, lift anything heavier than an axe or throw something larger than a coconut. Being tortured and starved by the Kamal for a few weeks did absolutely nothing to alleviate this problems, and Niernen is currently weaker than ever. Most of these inconveniences can be worked around with magic, but she's dead weight after her magicka is spent. Riding on horseback also doesn't solve the long-distance travel problem entirely, as it takes a lot of energy to merely stay seated; carriages, on the other hand, are ideal. 

[i]The Horror, The Horror:[/i] Niernen hasn't overcome the mental trauma of the brutality she has suffered at the hands of her enemies during her life. Her recent capture and enslavement by the Kamal was possibly even worse than her near-death experience in Black Marsh, and the death of her parents has pushed her firmly near the edge of insanity. Already reliant on others to protect her from physical harm, she has now also become highly susceptible to flashbacks, panic attacks, fits of extreme rage and randomly bursting into tears.[/indent]

[b]§ [u] Spells   [/u][/b]

[indent][i]Destruction:[/i] Niernen commands most Fire-variety Destruction spells, though she favors Fireball from a distance and Incinerate on closer targets. Wall of Flames sees occasional use in large confrontations. Fire Storm is beyond her grasp. With great concentration, she can create fierce flames that burn so hot they drip with liquid plasma and generate arcs of lightning through sheer power, causing an involuntary retreat in most targets, mimicking the Intense Flames perk from Skyrim.

[i]Alteration:[/i] Telekinesis, Magelight and Detect Life for general utility. Stoneflesh in a pinch. 

[i]Conjuration:[/i] Flame Atronach, Flaming Familiar. 

[i]Restoration:[/i] Fast Healing, Healing Hands, Turn Lesser Undead.

[i]Illusion:[/i] Fear, Frenzy, Rally.[/indent]

[b]§ [u] Tactics   [/u][/b] 

[indent]Niernen generally refuses to engage her enemies up close unless absolutely forced to. She prefers to lob Fireballs at her enemies from a distance, preferably from a high vantage point, in support of other armed forces. She will often summon a Flame Atronach to double the rate of fire. She has never wielded a weapon into battle and isn't about to start now; not that it would do much good, what with her condition. If presented with an overwhelming force her tactic is to spray Wall of Flames as far as possible and retreat. 

That said, the power of Niernen's spells seems to be fueled by her anger, and particularly intense moments of wrath have seen her incinerating her enemies at close range with searing gouts of superheated plasma and wild and untamed infernos, and even blasting them apart with concussive detonations. 

She has recently discovered the more offensive uses of telekinesis magic and has begun to incorporate that into her repertoire of spells, along with an assortment of Illusion spells to bolster the morale of her allies and sow discord among her enemies.
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[b]§ [u] Relations & Affiliations   [/u][/b]

[indent]Since the execution of her parents and the excommunication of the Venim family, only her brother, Narzul, remains. The two scions are alone in the world.
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[b]§ [u] Opinions   [/u][/b]

[indent](For group members; fill after IC introduction)[/indent]

[b]§ [u] Crimes and Accomplishments   [/u][/b]

[indent]Niernen has killed several Kamal in combat, which she considers the only truly good use of her fire magic thus far.[/indent] 

[b]§ [u] Other   [/u][/b]

[indent]Niernen's heavenly virtue is [i]Charity.[/i] Her deadly sin [i]Envy.[/i]
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[sub][h2][b]I[/b]nventory[/h2][/sub]
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[b]§ [u] Cash & Valuables  [/u][/b]
None at the moment.
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[b]§ [u] Keys & Lockpicks  [/u][/b]
No lockpicks. Several keys, to such places as her house in Blacklight and the family coffers, now doubtlessly repossessed by the Nerevarine’s government.
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[b]§ [u] Tools & Crafting Materials  [/u][/b]
A needle and some thread.
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[b]§ [u] Clothing, Armor & Jewelry  [/u][/b]
Niernen wears a traditional Dunmer tunic over a set of form-fitting, lightweight leather armor, sans the helmet. She picked up a pale gray traveling cloak during her escape from Windhelm and she now wears it around her shoulders. It's clasped at her throat and so large that it obscures her form completely if she withdraws her arms beneath the folds of the robe, and the large hood can hide her face in the dark. Additionally, she has a Redoran signet ring on the ring finger of her left hand and a necklace given to her by her brother. She also carries a rosette, awarded for valor in the face of mortal danger, in her breast pocket. The signet ring is enchanted with a mild feather effect to help counteract the weakness of her condition.
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[b]§ [u] Weapon & Ammo  [/u][/b]
None.
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[b]§ [u] Potion & Arcane Supplies  [/u][/b]
Five small, thin vials to hold magicka potions (currently filled) and the ingredients to make more in a pouch at her waist, though she lacks the equipment to do so while on the road. She stuffed a handful of filled soul gems into her pockets that she found in the armory of Bthamz that she hasn't yet found a purpose -- or an enchanter -- for.
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[b]§ [u] Books & Documents  [/u][/b]
She lost all of her books and currently travels paperless.
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[b]§ [u] Consumables & Ingredients  [/u][/b]
A hip flask with sujamma to help calm her nerves.
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[b]§ [u] Bags & Containers  [/u][/b]
Several waist pouches to hold her alchemical ingredients, potion vials and money. Niernen also had a leather backpack that held her books and her map, but these have been lost.
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[b]§ [u] Other  [/u][/b]
Nothing I can think of.
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