Pretty close to how I picture Zalla. No ice magic, rounder eyes and slightly smaller breasts (she's not fully grown yet, afterall, being a half-elf).
It's worth noting that the story outlined in the first post isn't entirely accurate, since she only knew what her mother had told her about her origins.
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Zalla's mother was Elisa Stenvall, the daughter of a Nherazkar noble. Her father was an elven servant, with whom Elisa had a forbidden affair. She got pregnant and had to flee the Rage Nest for fear of her life, at the age of seventeen.
Elisa spent the next fifteen years hiding and running from her father's assassins, using the name Ella Red, raising her daughter as best she could. Their life on the run was not easy, but things calmed down eventually. It seemed the assassins had finally lost the trail.
Eleven years after Elisa's flight from home, the mother and daughter settled on the outskirts a small village near the Westbranch river. Zalla learned to swim very well, and grew to love water. For four years, their life was reasonably happy and peaceful.
On the night of an early spring day in 5003, Zalla's world was shattered. The Reds were attacked on the way home, on a path overlooking the river. Though far from a helpless damsel, Elisa fell quickly, unarmed and surprised as she was. With failing strength she pushed her paralyzed daughter into the rapids below, whispering one word, one final command laden heavy with emotion. "Live!"
As Zalla's fall broke the river's surface, so did the water free her from her shock-frozen state. Now she would swim or die, by the river's fury or an assassin's blade.
Swim she did, and eventually drifted to the Starseer Academy, where her formal education was due to begin in a few months.
Very little besides combat lessons was of interest to Zalla Red. She made herself familliar with mechanics enough to gain a solid understanding of locks and traps, and studied anatomy in search of ways to kill with ruthless efficiency.
As years passed, Zalla became increasingly guarded and withdrawn on the inside. She never sought to isolate herself, even if trust and true friendship did not exist for her. "Kinda shy and a bit creepy" is how some of her fellow students characterized Zalla, what with her habits of sneaking and stalking.
Shortly after her graduation, Zalla found herself in a chance encounter with Lord Pelgrin Swordjust, who praised the virtues of Solinar and convinced her to visit the realm. The warlord introduced himself simply by first name, and only later did Zalla realize just who her guide was.
She currently stays in the city, as local authorities have freelance work available, which gives her the chance to put theory to practice and develop her various skills further. Meeting powerful and interesting people doesn't hurt, either. Helping out for payment is one thing, joining the Preservers another. Codes, laws, orders. Who knows what opportunities are to be found?
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Zalla starts as True Neutral. She has no grand principles to uphold; she has enough qualities and inclinations from Good, Evil, Law and Chaos to land her somewhere in the middle of it all. She's selfish but not malicious, vengeful but not spiteful. Doesn't set out to tear down power structures or seek things to rebel against, just doesn't like being told what to do.
However, she is open to influences, being young and fairly inexperienced. She could become a dark creature indeed, or a noble soul.
Her goal in life is to become strong enough to protect herself. Skill, hoarded magic and wealth all serve this end. Though she lacks the introspective ability to see this, she is trying to defeat a deep-rooted fear by becoming what she fears. If she is the death lurking in shadows, there is nothing more to fear, no life-destroying loss to endure.
Physically Zalla is a fit and agile young woman. She's around 160 cm tall, leaning toward voluptuous rather than slim in build, though she isn't fully mature yet because of her elven half. Deep brown eyes, dark, slightly wavy red hair at shoulderlength. Overall she is smaller and more delicate than her mother, but the resemblance is obvious enough for her to be recognized as Elisa's child.
Personal hygiene and cleanliness are important to her, though not to a point of obsessive behavior. She doesn't wash her hands twenty times in an hour; she won't voluntarily enter a sewer or clean up vomit. Not squeamish, but mildly fussy with some things. No make-up, swirly dresses or flashy jewelry. Comfort and utility first, then aesthetics.
Zalla is not a virgin, nor is she truly learned when it comes to sex. Her first experiences involved sometimes paying for food or shelter during the travel to Starseer with no gold or useful skills. The few brief relationships she had while studying left her with the opinion that romance is not worth the effort. Zalla can appreciate an attractive man or a woman, but isn't likely to seek out either.
She makes a poor seductress; though she has the looks for it, she lacks charm and subtlety. Manipulating people is one of her weakest areas. On the other hand, she'd be difficult to seduce, too. Her distrustful and nihilistic nature creates an imposing barrier for anyone trying to figure her out. She can be tricked into doing things, but much less likely to be tricked into believing in sentiments toward her.
In a nutshell, Zalla is good with processing abstract ideas, forming plans and such, but terrible at discreetly manipulating people or understanding them on a deeper level.
What's in her future? Depends on so many things. Pelgrin has shown that good people can possess vast personal power. Franny has been kind and generous for no gain whatsoever, giving valuable gifts and advice without hope of getting anything back. Anni just strolled along and brought two people back from the dead. Solinar itself is clean and orderly, everything seems to work well. So, why not join the forces of order and good?
OOC, it's much more likely that Zalla will sign up as a Preserver than a Crusader. The "gate must stay closed, gate must be opened" issue would've been a major attraction to lure Zalla to the Crusaders. Claiming her heritage could be another, if there's a heritage to claim, but the elven half getting all kinds of hate might dissuade her from trying. There could be a revenge angle, too. Join up, prove your worth to grandpa Stenvall and stab his eyes out.
Right now there's no real IC reason to join either faction. There's no compelling IC reason not to join Preservers, strong reasons for as well as against joining Crusaders. Zalla could be a scout, a spy, an assassin. A frontline trooper she is not (although she could squeeze into a full plate and pick up a tower shield if really needed, it's not her "thing" to fight like that).
Last edited by Kie on Apr 20th, '10, 08:00, edited 1 time in total.
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