[hider=Saskia Aegir of the Adrestian Empire] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/yCBX1QM.png[/img][/center] [hr][center][h1][color=CEDE61][b]Saskia Aegir[/b][/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [color=CEDE61][u][b]Age[/b][/u][/color] 18 [color=CEDE61][u][b]Country of Origin[/b][/u][/color] Adrestian Empire [color=CEDE61][u][b]Social Standing[/b][/u][/color] "Adopted" Noble of House Aegir Potential Claimant to both House Aegir and House Bracht [color=CEDE61][u][b]Crest[/b][/u][/color] Major Crest of Lamine [sub]- Saskia exudes a calming aura, somewhat relaxing more heated debates when it comes to conversation. In terms of a battlefield it is likely to keep people from panicking when facing a terrible monster.[/sub] [color=CEDE61][u][b]Starting Class[/b][/u][/color] Monk [color=CEDE61][u][b]Weapon of Choice[/b][/u][/color] Black Magic [color=CEDE61][u][b]Strengths[/b][/u][/color] Faith & Reason [color=CEDE61][u][b]Weaknesses[/b][/u][/color] Heavy Armor & Axe [color=CEDE61][u][b]Starting Spells[/b][/u][/color] Heal Thunder [color=CEDE61][u][b]Personality[/b][/u][/color] Saskia is likely one of the kinder faces you might find around the Noble class given her loose connection to such status. A genuine care and concern for those injured or ill. Having been more of a shut in due to circumstance she is a quieter voice and not so verbose and forward of her opinions. There is a deference to her brother, but that does not keep her from open disagreements based off the situation. Almost the opposite of what one might expect when it comes to the wielder of a major crest. Not the force of will and personality that one could flex and push given their status and power, she keeps more reserved. This could also likely be attributed to Valerian compensating enough for both of them when it comes to such. [color=CEDE61][u][b]History[/b][/u][/color] [hider=The Circumstances of Their Births] The marriage of Estrid Aegir and Erhard Bracht was all but common affair for the Noble class keeping ties between houses to maintain favor and power. Estrid herself held land and it was the apparent deeds of Erhard that had given him some renown to be a fine enough match to marry in as another knight. Unsurprisingly they courted for a small while before being joined in union proper. Not long after Erhard would move into the estate. A relationship that seemed strong and steady enough, save Erhard's brashness that seemed to slowly come on now that the courting had ended. Something Estrid had resigned herself to deal with at this point. The circumstances that lead to the birth of the half siblings began with the short- lived marriage of Estrid of the great house Aegir and Erhard of the somewhat less greater house Bracht. Erhard had grown distant following the merging of the houses, but Estrid took it upon herself to find some resolution to avoid fracturing the union of the houses. Searching for her husband one night, she stumbled in on Erhard performing lascivious acts with one of the maids of the estate. In a fury, she struck him rightly, breaking his sword arm and putting to shame a man that now seemed so miniscule compared to the acts he would boast of before. A booming voice followed that sent him swiftly from the premise. Taking pity on the woman, who had been taken advantage of, decided levying no punishment for her husband's actions. Adulterous acts were a swift way to harm house relations, and so it would be an easy matter to keep him far out of mind and sight. Or so she had hoped. Soon after Estrid had discovered she was with child. An exciting and foreboding prospect given the circumstance she was now in. She would prepare herself for what came with it, and surely she had an easy way to control Erhard in this matter given the circumstance he had been sent away under. Circumstance that quickly grew more complicated as the maid, Em, that she had discovered bedded by her husband grew plump as well. A situation that she took her own time to contemplate and defuse. It was the same actions she had forgiven the maid for before, and it was solely fury she would direct to her soon to be ex-husband. Given he was still of noble status, it seemed possible he might make a claim on the child, and she would be one short of staff as he would seek to narrow his possible shame. Feeling just as used as Em had, and likely out of a healthy amount of spite, she began to speak more and associate with the young woman. Soon she became more a personal handmaiden than maid, helped by how well they each respectively seemed to get along. She continued as her personal assistant for at least as long as time allowed, before she too would become more immobilized, both children soon being born to the world. Estrid would give birth to a son, Valerian, a delight for her as she fawned over her babe. It would not be but a few months after as she had recovered then Em would deliver a daughter, Saskia, similarly giving new light to the handmaiden’s eyes. Word would eventually spread as suspected of each child's birth, reaching the ears of House Bracht. Wanting to stem the initial insult it seemed, Erhard was sent to apologize and negotiate for his child. The babes doing little more than babbling, were (brought to a church as a more neutral ground.) As their device passed over (the son's) hand revealing a minor crest of Marcuil, surprise would take both parents. Erhard seemed prepared to argue but bit his tongue, realizing what little stake he held. It was then after that the daughter Saskia was tested mostly as a gesture. Astonishment took hold when not only was she shown to have her own crest, but a Major Crest of Lamine. Erhard's eyes widened. To him it seemed a quick ticket to redemption and beyond. His deeds easily redeemed. This did nothing to dissuade Estrid as she quickly spoke to declare an adoption of the child on the spot. Something Erhard of course wouldn't stand for, causing a burst of arguments within the church as he claimed Saskia as his own. Circumstances changed, the matter was taken to the Church to help resolve. Archbishop Ascelpius decreed the child should stay with the mother until they became of age, then being able to take claim to either house as their parents wished. With House Aegir’s influence and Em’s definite preference for Estrid, Saskia would be raised at their estate beside Valerian. [/hider] [hider=Childhood and the Plague] The children’s lives weren’t without complete interference of their father, visiting on occasion as he claimed was his right. At a young age obvious preference was shown toward Saskia, a seeming hope that attempts at grooming might sway her as she aged. Being pushed aside for his sister, Valerian seeked attention from other sources and found it in the unlikely place of Em. Valerian’s constant barrage of questions about his mother and father leaving Em with little reprieve, but Em found charm in the starry-eyed little boy. Valerian would start to see through his “father’s” facade as he grew, taking a protective role toward his half sister. Concerns turned all the more true as the plague would ravage the Adrestian Empire. Due to her Lamine Crest Saskia was already expected to study diligently, but with ‘recent’ events she seemed to be all but shut into their library and under tutor. This didn’t dissuade her brother from keeping tabs on her (aka annoying her), always the pessimist of that man’s actions. With also being stuck inside, and time spent in the library already, Valerian would spend countless hours studying alongside his baby sister. Aside from the books, Valerian spent his time learning the way of the blade from his Mother, never once being able to best her in any form of combat. As they grew to teens, the others in the family seemed to grow all the more tiresome of Erhard’s act as well. By this age Valerian was all but a stonewall to the man’s grooming, cutting short his grandiose words whenever he was around his sister. Of course this aggravated the situation and caused desperation to sink in for Erhard. For Saskia, she never quite got to see the man her brother constantly warned her of, at least not until near the end of his antics. Cuz her brother is awesome [/hider] [hider=Current Times] As Saskia neared 18, both Houses were anxious come her decision. There was the obvious bias it seemed toward those that raised her in House Aegir but the possibility remained ever present for her to flip sides. Always the worry of political schemes within the Noble Houses. Seeming to be one of such schemes, the idea was put forward by Erhard to delay the choice and send Saskia to the Officers Academy. It would finally give her the experience of the other nations as the Adrestian Empire had been slowly recovering from its plague, and better her learning for either House she would choose. While obvious an attempt to delay so she could be swayed, it was not something Estrid and Em could disagree with. It would be all the more a boon for House Aegir, and Saskia herself. Such would not go off for House Bracht without a hitch however, as the insistence of Valerian to accompany his sister was agreed upon by House Aegir. Should worst come to worst it would not leave them without a skilled heir as well. [/hider] [color=CEDE61][u][b]Trivia[/b][/u][/color] [list][*] Fruit Parfaits are her favorite 'dish'. A childhood reward after a long week of extended reading. [*] At 5'2" Saskia is a short figure, kept thin even without much exercise likely in part to her forgetting meals as she often got caught in her studies. [*] In all ways Valerian is treated as her actual brother, as she has known nothing else. This comes with all things that siblings bond and bicker over, though they are [i]mostly[/i] past silly arguments and fights. [*] As Saskia has yet to properly claim a House, she is [i]technically[/i] not a Noble yet, though treating her otherwise is likely to get a swift reaction from her brother. [/list] ⠀ [/hider] What with Saskia and Valerian being [i]close[/i] to twins. Backstories are going to be essentially identical as we wrote it out together. Possibly will work on writing out more stuff related to more current events and their actual childhood to give it more depth but spent a while figuring out the whole situation and wanted to finally get the character posted.