Erinya - Ishanni
Basic Info
Birthplace Wandering Hills, Anderfels
Appearance Erinya is of slighty more than average height, with a very slender physique. Her long black hair vastly contrast with her -nowadays- pale skin. She looks completely human despite her partly Elven origin although the angular features of her face can remind someone of an Elf. Her striking blue eyes, almost gray, are her best feature as many have said. All in all, Erinya used to be a beauty you don't meet everyday, especially in the lands she was born in.
However, life hasn't treated her well and that shows. Her face looks pale and gaunt, full of freckles and proof of the hard times she's been facing in both her days and nights. Her vibrant black hair now look sickly and weak and her eyes have lost their spark. Her once slender body now looks fragile, ready to fall to the winter.
But she's strong, she's a survivor, always has been.
Background Erinya was conceived somewhere in the southern-most parts of the Brecilian Forest, according to Mother's parting letter. Her father,
some random Dalish Elf who fell in love with the witch or as Mother put it "...fell in love because I was something he had never seen before". Her mother, one of the infamous Chasind and quite possibly a witch, she never admitted to it. For some unknown reason of hers, Mother travelled all the way to the arid and barren Anderfels, one of the literally worst places one can live and raise a child in, settled among the Orth tribe of the Wandering Hills and soon after, she gave birth to Erinya right in the middle of summer.
Growing up is hard and growing up in the Anderfels is much, much harder. From the constant threat of Darkspawn, the scarcity of food, scarcity of law, scarcity of life in general to the often deadly weather itself. Erinya was around 8 when her mother made her watch a genlock slaughter an innocent old man before she sent an arrow right between its eyes as it had just noticed them.
"Earn it." she said, "Earn your right to stand and defend it until Death himself comes to take you."
She never forgot her words, not really. Eight year old Erinya wasn't shocked nor scared, not even scarred. She understood at that moment, how fair the world is through its unfairness. Some are born to suffer, others to live in pleasure. Some are as important as a bucket with a hole and others make their names echo for all eternity.
The Orth took them both in as their own, they faced no prejudice, ever, thus mother and daughter both considered themselves a part of the tribe. Erinya learned how to use the bow and the dagger, how to hide in plain sight and how to survive without water from them, her body getting much more exercise than she needed since a very young age. They taught her everything they taught their own younglings and even more as was somewhat of a prodigy, her ability with a bow matching that of the tribes's best marksmen. By her 11th birthday, Erinya had already killed a genlock, didn't even blink when she saw the arrow slide right through the opening of it's rusty helmet, she was already preparing another arrow for its also unlucky ally. Soon, she and her mother left the Anderfels and stayed for almost a year in the Korcari Wilds where her mother introduced her to her people, the Chasind, who taught her the ways of the forest and of the tribe. Erinya always had a mind that easily took in new things and this time wasn't different.
They travelled back home, as she felt about the Anders, and once again joined the tribe she had grown with. That also didn't last as Mother disappeared one day, leaving behind only a letter written in Chasind where she wished her luck and gave some information about why she left that Erinya hasn't told anyone.
As the years passed and Erinya was now an adult and a very important part of the tribe, it didn't take long for her to receive various marriage proposals from the tribe's up and coming singles. But ambition burned inside of her and staying in the Wandering Hills for her whole life was never an option. Quietly, without any fuss, she packed and left on one especially hot and humid night. She made her way to the capital, Hossberg, where she met Anteus, a mercenary of the Green Men, a band comprising of the best marksmen in Thedas meant to protect caravans travelling towards the distant port of Leysh through these always dangerous lands. After convincing him that she had the potential to be in the company, she joined them and led the life of a mercenary, through its many ups and downs for three years, until one fateful day a couple of months after her 22nd birthday when they came across a group of Grey Wardens fending off a particularly large band of Darkspawn. Their combined forces saved the day and the caravan with minimal loss of life yet the highlight was Erinya, saving the Senior Warden Taliesin's life by shooting down a bolt headed towards him mid air.
Now, she knew of the Order of the Grey and always held them in high regard but never did she seriously think about joining them.
"It's not a profession, it's a Calling."
the Warden told her before inviting her back to Weisshaupt with him, as a Warden-Recruit.
She was pretty happy with her life but she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't meant to be just a mercenary either. So she said yes and soon enough, the magnificent headquarters of the Order stood in front of her. There were five other recruits alongside her, all hand picked by Taliesin. One of them was Taliesin's son, Feodor, the man she would end up marrying and conceiving a child with, in the night they spent together before their Joining. They were the only ones to survive the Joining and Erinya was now one of the Grey, something which gave her purpose and filled her with the ambition to use her skills for helping the people of the Anderfels.
The next four years of her life were quite possibly her best, she was truly happy. They planned their future with Feodor and for the following months the two Wardens would travel on their own throughout the Anderfels, helping everyone they could while falling deeper and deeper in love with each other, until the effects of pregnancy brought her back to Weisshaupt where she gave birth to a healthy girl, Elleria. They eventually got married and Taliesin took her as his daughter, naming her Ishanni, the name of his long dead wife. She felt that she belonged, this was her little family and she would do everything in her hand to make the world a safer place for her daughter and her husband as well as the people.
Soon enough, Erinya or Ishanni, was well enough to start travelling again, with Elleria being taken care of by her grandfather, Taliesin, since in her own head, while she did miss moments she would never get back, she was certain that the world her daughter would live in, would be safer. This went on for a few months until the couple decided to settle down in the Wandering Hills where rareky Grey Wardens ever set foot due to its remote location and lack of importance, to be frank. The three lived there together, growing and maturing.
No dream lasts forever though.
It was an ordinary call for help like many others but this time, a father of four was possessed and threatening to burn his children alive along with his house. And Erinya just wouldn't allow that to happen.
She used her deathroot extract to enter a deep trance combined with an Elven ritual Feodor knew, certain he would drive the demon back, proud of her skills and prowess regardless of the fact that it was the first time she was entering the Fade. She did manage to drive the demon back and the farmer was safe as well as his kids. So was Feodor.
But she wasn't.
Countless voices starting vying for her attention soon after, her dreams started being plagued by nightmares and soon she even started seeing visions of horrible things. Feodor, worried about her, immediatelly wrote to his father who begun the long trek to the Wandering Hills alongside two Warden mages, certain that Erinya had been possessed.
They weren't fast enough.
They found her soaked in blood, clutching little Elleria's corpse for dear life, Feodor also dead on their bed, his throat slit, whispering incoherent things, crazed. She doesn't really know what happened before or what happeed next, she's certain that she died with them, with her people. She has no clue why she still wakes up despite being dead. On her way to the Circle located in Hossberg in order for her to be kept under the watchful eye of the mages, she escaped and ran, ran as far as her feet could take her and lost track of time. She could have been roaming for months, maybe years, with no recollection of what she did or how she survived.
But she did survive and found herself joining a band of mercenaries, the Oathbreakers, her best bet to avoid anyone asking too many questions or coming across familiar faces. She was an outlaw after all and a particularly dangerous one, at that.
And there has she been until today, fighting and living, day after day, a usually empty husk of a person driven by instinct and some sort of twisted willpower, barely having any memories of anything at all.
Erinya usually isn't someone you can talk to. Aloof and talking to herself or disappearing for hours at a time, speaking in riddles and acting without the least bit of logic.
She rarely ever is herself and those moments are the worst because that's when she remembers. That's when she realizes. That's when it all comes rushing back and she denies herself the pleasure of slitting her own throat or just falling on the first blade she finds drawn against her.
"You gotta earn it."
she keeps repeating to herself, gotta earn death.
Only time you can somewhat get a glimpse of just who she was is during battles when her training takes over and her face looks more like the Grey Warden of the Anders who had saved countless lives and less like a complete, Fade-Touched, lunatic.
Curriculum Vitae
Years served •5 years, 11 months and 8 days.
Profession Rogue | Ranger
Modius Operandi Erinya rarely ever dirties her hands with blood in gruesome melee. Her bow and arrows never failed her and she intends to keep it that way. Being a master ranger makes her always capable of finding a suitable location to oversee the battle and send her arrows flying in order to support her allies first and rain fury on her enemies second.
Skills •Ranger's Boon: Summon Wolf / Bear / Spider.*
•
Green Men Represent: One of the best marksmen in Thedas.
•Chasind Survivalist: When in the woods, Erinya is always the hunter, never the hunted. Stealthy, agile and with a knack for ambushes as well as capable of finding everything she needs to survive.
•Fade-Touched: Since she entered the Fade almost eight years ago in order to try and fight a demon who had possessed a single father of four, she hasn't been all there. Visions, voices, vivid dreams, Erinya has been plagued by them.
•Multilingual: Erinya, other than being fluent in Common, can also speak Dalish, Ander as well as Chasind.
*
ᴰᵉᵖᵉᶰᵈᶦᶰᵍ ᵒᶰ ᶫᵒᶜᵃᵗᶦᵒᶰ⋅Important Relations: •Taliesin Far-Eye: Senior Grey Warden, last known location was the Order's HQ, Weisshaupt Fortress. Taliesin was Fedor's father and the one who conscripted her into the Grey Wardens.
•Mother: Of Chasind origin and almost certainly a witch, Erinya's mother is probably still alive, back in the Korcari Wilds, home of her people.
They haven't been in contact since she left Erinya, right after her 13th birthday.
Thoughts: •Shok: Erinya never really had enough of an interest in the Qunari, in order to want to find out more about them yet Shok, for the short time he's been with the company, has always been eager to share his knowledge. She enjoys his straightforward manner and is proud to shed blood along side him.
•Garlenn Fellblade: Erinya always felt that the Dwarf has been a kindred spirit, a fellow veteran of the ever-present Darkspawn threat and someone who always followed his own path in life, no matter how difficult that appeared to be. She trusts him with the lives of anyone in the Oathbreakers and gladly follows him into battle.
•Krios: If you wanna see how much of a good hand you've been dealt in life, join a mercenary company." Erinya always said. She knows that Krios carries a deep sorrow and a heavy burden, she can see it in his eye and the Avvar warrior can probably see the same in her. She always enjoys sharing some ale with him while talking shit about the Chantry.
•Aseema Viranni: The Elf has been among the Oathbreakers pretty much since they were formed yet this kind of profession has yet to corrupt her childlike curiosity, the way she lights up whenever something that interests her, is brought up. Erinya likes her, she's one of the more light-hearted of the group and enjoys delving into Elven history with her.
•Ovra Paerat: Having been in the Oathbreakers the most, Erinya has become familiar with the Dwarf, she has been there since day one and pretty much runs the company. She hasn't really bonded with her though, the Bard has her secrets and Erinya has hers. Yet she's part of their group, spilling blood and sweat together and Erinya will fight for her like any other.
•Eirny: The Elf has been one of the newer members of the company thus Erinya isn't as familiar with her as with the rest. However, she's keeping an eye on her, as she doesn't think the City Elf has really tasted the true bitterness of the road, bloodshed and all. According to her story, she's led a pretty sheltered life for a mercenary, Erinya feels.
Tools of the Trade
Weapons & Ammunition •
Ma Vhenan: What can be said for Erinya's bow? Created by one of the greatest woodsmiths among the Dalish, it is made to fit her hands perfectly, a priceless wedding gift from her husband and his family which has served her greatly through the years. Comes with a 21-arrow quiver and the runes inscribed on it carry the motto of the Grey Wardens as well as the Elven name given to Erinya during her wedding.
•1x Generic Steel Dagger
•1x Quiver
•21x Steel Tipped Fine Elven Arrows.
•
Warden Scout's Tunic: Despite having deserted the Grey Wardens for her reasons, Erinya still practically lives in her Warden days armor although it's not as clean these days and there's thick leather sewn all over it in order not to give away this part of her past. Too much attention would be fatal as she's still a wanted woman.
•1x Thick Leather Thigh-High Boots
•1x Flax Shirt, 1x Flax Pants
•1x Traveler's Cloak, Dark Green
•1x Bow, String & Arrows Repair and Maintenance Kit*
•1x Needle & Thread
•1x Wolf Whistle
•1x Bear Lure
•1x Spider Lure
•1x Herbalism Kit
*Oils and fine tools.
Potions & Poultices •2x Health Potions
•3x Injury Kits
Ingredients & Rations •14x Deep Mushrooms
•1x Waterskin
•4x Crow Poison Vials
•1x Quiet Death Vial
•2x Flasks of Deathroot Extract
Bags & Pouches •1x Medium Sized Traveller's Backpack.
•2x Vial Pouch
Odds and Ends •1x Steel Weathered Grey Warden insignia
•1x Diary
•1x Dirty Ol' Child's Doll
•2x Wedding Rings
•1x Chasind Bone Medallion
