Gender: Female
Age: 18
Race: Human - Firen descent
Appearance:
Nimue was blessed by the Gods with a natural beauty which peeks out from under her modest dress, like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. As a temple maiden she wears simple robes, devoid of any color or decoration. A leather belt cinches in her waist to give her some semblance of a figure. Practicality is valued above attractiveness. Her long soft brown hair is often braided, hood drawn up to hide her sweet face. She has a scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, large grey-green eyes and full lips. A healthy blush can often be seen on her cheeks, as if someone had just pinched them.
Personality:
Pure, both in soul as well as in body. Kind and warm, her spirit well suited to her calling as a caregiver to the sick and wounded. A patient and understanding young woman, she is the one who will keep the peace when arguments get out of hand. She possesses the maturity of an elderly woman, which is strange considering she hasn't had much life experience, yet she speaks as if she's lived a lifetime.
She is a gentle yet forceful presence. While some mistake her for being docile this is far from true. Nimue doesn't back seat anything. She is very direct and forthcoming with her opinions and her ways, but she is not abrasive. She does it in a way that brings understanding, which leads people to her.
Her mother was a priestess before her and in a sense it is almost a generational obligation for her to follow in those footsteps. She feels duty bound by her occupation, but at the same time she is honored, to carry out the sacred task of preserving life. This task gives her a sense of duty, which motivates her. It is part of the reason why she joined the group of travelers on their ill-fated journey to the Gods canyon.
But there is another reason why she journeys, something she would scarcely admit to herself. A deep longing, a hidden wish to live the life of a regular woman. She dreams of the things she can never have, a life outside of the temple, to become a mother someday and pass on her magic to her children, without the need of strict governance by the sisterhood. It is a romantic notion, a flame of desire awakened by caring for many wounded young men.
History:
Taken by the sisterhood at a young age Nimue has led a secluded and sheltered life. The temple walls, the surrounding meadows, hills and the nearby sea were part of her everyday scenery. The same routine occupied each of her days, to some unbearable, yet Nimue was content. She prayed faithfully to the Gods, cleaned the temple, practiced ritual and magic. Granted some days were dishearteningly uneventful but her diligence was often rewarded in the shape of a wounded foreigner telling tall tales which sparked her imagination and lifted her spirits.
Despite the remoteness of the temple, news of the outside world inevitably reached the sisterhood. Rumors of a dark power rising were sending whispers throughout the temple. According to a vision of the elderly priestess one of their sisters would soon set out on a pilgrimage to the canyon of the Gods. Valued for her youth, magical talent and strong will Nimue was chosen.
Skills:
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Magic - The source of her magic is the etheric plane, a place from which a life sustaining force breathes life into the world. It is a sacred energy, causing plants to grow, urging animals to reproduce and the sea to create waves. Nimue can connect to this plane through magical means and use life energy in various spells. Her most commonly used spells include the following,
A spell which gathers life energy from the etheric plane in its most raw and pure form. Her hands become a conduit for life energy encouraging growth and restoration in whatever she touches. Apart from healing she can charge an area with life energy causing rampant growth of nature by placing her hands on the bare earth. She can use it to cleanse an area of dark energy, as it restores places and people to their original state. This spell requires concentration and stillness of the mind. It's not a spell she can cast on a whim in the middle of the battle field, the connection to the etheric plane is vital.
This spell allows her to form a link between two living beings. They share each other's life energy. It would allow for two people without magical talent to heal each other by giving up a portion of individual energy. It is not limited to human beings. Nimue could for example draw the life energy from a tree to heal or energize an ally.
A spell of warding, to banish dark forces, specifically the undead. Nimue usually casts this spell as a protective circle which anyone can step into. It becomes a dome of light whenever the undead are close. The undead aren't really alive so touching this restorative dome is fatal to them.
An offensive spell. Nimue can tap into the life energy of her enemies and use it against them. As this life energy is not directly from the etheric plane she can use it to create searing bolts of white light.
*
Medical expertise - Even without her magic Nimue is an experienced healer. She can care for wounds, broken bones, burns, cuts as well as sickness and disease using common medicine.
*
Experienced translator - The translation and copying of old magical and non magical texts was part of her daily routine at the temple. She knows a couple of older languages and even a few ones which have nearly been forgotten.
Equipment:
* Enchanted circlet - A conduit for her magical power. Made of gold and silver it twists elegantly around her head. It has a pearlescent stone in the centre which gleams with magical energy when she casts spells.
* Bag of healing salves and ointments - When too exhausted to use her magic she carries this around to be able to continue her work as a healer.
* Traveling supplies - A fresh set of clothes, a bed roll, waterskin, cooking pots. The basic things one would need.
* Hooded cloak - A gift from a well off merchant who owes his life to the sisterhood. He had it made for Nimue once he learned about her pilgrimage. Unlike her drab robes it is of fine quality and beautiful to look at, made of a rich deep red fabric with gold thread throughout. A precious gold pin is fastened at the front.
Example post:
The sun was shining through the stained glass windows of the temple, casting a beautiful display of colored light on the floor which Nimue was sweeping with a bundle of verbena stalks. Usually the temple chores made her feel at peaceful, but this would be her last time sweeping the floors. The impending journey made her feel restless, leaving a pit in her stomach that wouldn't go away. The silence after morning prayers was deafening. Once she finished sweeping she readied a bowl of holy water to wash the statues of the Gods. She dipped in a wash cloth in the scented water and began to gently dab at the face of the Goddess.
"I always thought that this would be easier somehow......."
.....I thought that everyone would help me, with all my friends together beside me"
The Goddess remained expressionless, her face trapped in stone. Nimue sighed softly and moved on to her consort. The statue of the god had a different pose, an almost carefree smile on his face.
Just....don't do it That's what he seemed to be telling her. Nimue eyed the God statue, his arm wrapped lazily around his throne.
"The pilgrimage...?" She asked, while taking a step back dropping the wash cloth in the bowl.
Yes that's right, forget all that, forget about being a priestess,.....you know live a normal life.
She knew this wasn't what a God was supposed to be telling her but at the same time she could feel it. It was he who spoke to her now, not just her own subconscious playing tricks on her. He would know what she wanted deep down, she hadn't told a living soul. Nimue was used to speaking to Gods in prayer but she had rarely felt them speak back as clearly as they did now. When she did not answer right away the God continued. His voice sounded like that of an excited young man, perhaps his way of connecting to her spirit.
Come on now Nimue what do you say?
"Maybe I will...." The words left her lips before she could think them. Shocked at her own honesty she quickly glanced around her, to make sure she was still alone, before she allowed herself to fantasize some more, about the life she would never have. Right now in the presence of her Gods she was safe to do so, they didn't judge unlike the sisterhood who served them.
"Wouldn't everyone be surprised?"
Except Mira, she'd be with you. Lena and Dahlia wouldn't hold out long.
"Greta would say yes too I know.....but the high priestess..."
I'll make her understand Nimue, it's the least I can do for you. I mean you are going to fight the worlds evil on our behalf. The whole idea of not being a priestess and living a normal life was completely overwhelming and thrilling at the same time. She could go anywhere she wanted, anytime she wanted to.
"What will I do if I give up this life?" She asked both the Gods and herself. The Goddess remained silently beautiful but the God was all too ready to speak to her.
I don't know go to distant lands, visit other cities, meet new people.....
"...fall in love" She finished in a whisper.
It was like a knife to her heart, even the God must know that was impossible. Not only would she be excommunicated from the sisterhood she would also lose her magic. Suddenly her entire fantasy was crushed violently and she should have known better. A drop of water fell down into the washing bowl creating ripples on its surface, then another came and another.
"I can't.....I just can't" She whispered in a broken voice.
Other:
Nimue loves the sound of flutes or someone whistling but has never learned to do either herself.
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