Difference between revisions of "Ariane Carnath-Emory"

Revision as of 11:58, 18 April 2006

Inception

Originally, Ariane was created by Lex to be little more than an NPC for a friend's campaign. He wrote a very brief background for her; a name (hardly original!) and sketchy description were added. When it became evident that the move from TSBT to #Broken_Dagger would be a lasting one, she became a convenient replacement for D'arcy Jones, who was prohibited from play on account of her anachronistic history. This was a significant force in the shaping of Ariane's personality: in order to be almost the opposite of D'arcy, Ariane required a personality that was rich in neither wit nor eloquence, one ruled by pragmatism rather than curiosity and whim; she would become, ultimately, a woman whose first love was order, rather than chaos.

History

The Sellsword

Ariane was born some twenty-odd years ago in the distant colony of Northern New Dauntless. Youngest child of mingled House Carnath-Emory, she grew early to adulthood, as is the way of things in this remote outpost. While she seldom details the events which transpired during her twelfth year there, this much is clear: that there was trouble enough that she felt the need to flee both House and home, and seek out her fortune elsewhere.

Years of wandering followed, during which she continued the fenching lessons she'd begun years ago, at the hands of her brother's tutor. A sellsword of gradually-growing repute, she found work in various armies (frequently posing as male) and mercenary companies -- including the ill-fated group set to guard the Sorcerer's Guild in distant E'strielle. When the disaster befell them, the explosion of unshaped magical energies responsible worked a particularly strange effect upon young Ariane. The plate armour which was her uniform was liquified in an instant, and driven through the pores of her skin to flow with the very blood in her veins. Endowed with a sentience -- or perhaps only a sensitivity -- the armour rises in monofilaments from her skin at almost random periods, there to reform briefly into the platemail that it had originally been.

In the weeks which followed the disaster -- which had left a great, smoking crater in the heart of E'strielle -- the city's favour turned against magic and its derivatives. Being newly transformed into one of those herself, Ariane fled... nursing a newfound hatred for all things sorcerous.

The Tavern

The travels which followed eventually led her to Amasynia and the city Myrkentown. Some days after taking up residence at the Broken Dagger, she was fortunate enough to be employed by its then-proprietor, Raegan Darkblayde, in the capacity of tavern bouncer. For years, she worked alongside Quincy Randall, Tempestro Starr, Jarek, Lenore -- and even crotchety Pritchard.

Everything changes, given enough time, and so was the case for Ariane. Over the years, she developed close friendships with her fellow bouncers, even taking Quincy for her beloeved sister, regardless that there was no blood shared between them. At the capable hands of Johan Vornheim, she began the slow process of learning to read what passes for Amasynia's common tongue -- for such things were not taught to girl-children, in Northern Dauntless. Starr taught her some mercy for magic-users, as did the channeler Coran D'zir, with whom she entered into a very odd bargain. In the company of these friends, she even journeyed to Kanpar Village, there to battle monstrous Zayken.

For the first time in many years, Ariane new contentment -- which in turn bred ambition. Almost inevitably, that ambition led her to seek employment of a more particular sort: as personal guard to select members of Myrkentown's own Judiciary Council.

The Council

Disclaimer: The name 'Ariane Carnath-Emory' is the creation of CJ Cherryh, science-fiction author of "Cyteen". There is no relation, implied or genuine, between her character and this one.