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Arden Sorstow :: Female :: Tainted Candidate
Topic Started: Dec 15 2016, 03:40 PM (114 Views)
Saileene
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Egg
Character Number- 2nd

Name- Arden Quinn Sorstow (Quinn to her friends)

Age- 19

Gender- Cisgendered female

Sexuality- heterosexual, panromantic

Appearance-

Long thick hair crowns Arden's head, falling in long wavy tresses to her waist. Thick and shiny, her hair is heavy and insulating, obviously influenced genetically from her families cold home up north. Her hair is black as the night, seemingly drawing in all light around it, with a deep blue hue to it in certain lighting. Her bangs are light and feathery, blunt cut and coming to a V shape nestled right between her eyebrows. Thick eyebrows curve softly above dual-colored eyes, framing her face.
With her hair being as long and heavy as it is, she often keeps it in a loose bun precariously nestled atop her head. Occasionally she will put it in two long braids down the back of her head. The only time she lets it all down is in the late fall through early spring, when she can use it to hold in what little body heat she produces. Otherwise, the tresses just get in her way.


Her skin is nearly as pale as cream and has a smooth, clear complexion, so far unmarred by scars or discoloration from the sun. She has a near permanent, light and healthy flush to her cheeks. Though soft and smooth, she is very sensitive to both fabrics and metals, breaking out in a red rash should she come into prolonged contact with an irritant. Quinn’s face is a slightly elongated oval, with her high, sharp cheek bones that taper down to her soft jaw line ending in a delicately pointed chin. Her eyes stand out against her face, a combination of dark and light. Cursed or blessed depending on which superstitions you favor, Arden's eyes are two different colors. Suffering from heterochromia, her left eye is a bright and icy blue, almost light purple in coloration. While her left eye is blue, her right is the polar opposite, a deep warm brown gradating into amber with bright amber fleck throughout. Her eyes are striking and slightly unsettling if you haven't seen her before, or, if you're just not used to people having different colored eyes.


She’s fairly tall, standing around 5’8 with a lithe, lightly muscled build. Though not the most physically impressive specimen, she is stronger than she looks, and likes it that way. She’s small, with an almost boyish (yet elegant) figure from doing ballet and gymnastics from a young age. She has thin but strong and sturdy limbs, and, because of her training in dance and such, she has amazing muscle control and agility. Because of her training from a young age she is very disciplined when she needs to be, but she is also very swift with good endurance- easily able to out run any man in her small home town. Cardio is her strong suit, and she's well built for it with most of her body length being legs. (legs for daaaaaaaays)


As she is so tall thin it’s difficult to find clothes that fit her. Men's clothing is usually the right length, but you could probably fit a dragon in there with her. Because of this she often ends up wearing clothes too big for her, or attempting to tailor them herself. It usually turns out alright so long as you don't check the hem or inspect the seams too closely. Her usual garb consists of a black, long-sleeved boat neck shirt and some sort of legging or pant under it, usually some shade of gray, with a pair of short black leather ankle boots.. She rarely wears jewelry, not wanting to forego her quick movements should someone grab her necklace, but when she does it usually harbors some significance to her. In particular her has an ornate, silver comb. A family heirloom, it's all she has left of her previous life. Large and heavy, it's decorated with small 4-petaled flowers, some in a sweeping crescent field over the prongs of the comb. The rest seem to be caught in an invisible, otherworldly breeze, tumbling yet still, cast in a now tarnished silver. In the winter she wears many layers of clothing in an attempt to keep her small body warm, in addition to this she refrains from leaving her home to keep from being in the cold winter air. She usually stacks layer upon layers of knits, with a dark green jacket over the top to break the wind. On the especially hot days she’ll don shorts and a tank top, though this means she must smother herself in protection against the sun.

Personality-[align=center]Spirited, Deceptive, Concerned[/align]

She’s very kind hearted and concerned for those she cares for, often looking out for their well-being when she believes them incapable of defending themselves. She’s very obedient, doing what she’s told almost without hesitation. However she has a very strong set of morals which can get between her and carrying out orders. Because she’s got two conflicting traits she often has little internal wars over things- do what she’s told, or be true to what she believes. In addition to having morals she has a defiant streak, rooted deep within her. This rebelliousness rarely surfaces but when it does it can completely change who she is, from a soft spoken caring girl, to a spirited woman fighting for what she believes to be the right course of action.


From an early age, Arden was raised to be obedient. To do as her elders and parents bid her to do. Arden is good at taking orders, turning her mind off and setting herself to the task she has been assigned. Moving her body autonomously as her mind drifts, to places far away, into battle on the back of a dragon or dire, or working in a small town. Because of this ability to distance herself from her body and actions, many see her as cold and careless. Though Arden cares not what other might think of her, this is not completely true. Though she now loves the ability to cut off her emotions, it does not always work in her favor. In an attempt to shield herself from emotional harm, Arden will often cut off her feelings, saying or doing whatever she feels like without a second thought. She is cold in some ways, but all of them are defense mechanisms to protect herself. Arden is quiet, tired of her previous life of small talk, talking about things that did not interest her simply to be polite. Now, if Arden has nothing to say, she won't say anything. She is perfectly capable of speaking to people, and often responds to everything in her own mind. But she only talks when she means it, sometimes calculating each and every word, sometimes blurting out whatever is it she feels needs to be said.


She is perfectly capable of hiding her emotions behind her stoic facade. If Arden does not wish someone to know something, they won't, at least not through her words or expression. If someone was telepathic well, not much Arden could do about that anyway. Arden takes pride in her ability to effectively hide and deflect her emotions, a skill she has worked on since she could remember. Secretive, she collects information and stores it away, doing her best to not forget anything that might be important. Because of this, she journals any time she gets a chance, keeping a list of useful information about things she hears, people she meets and things she could use to her advantage. Quick to take defense, there is almost no “critiquing” in her mind, after a life of being told she could always do better, everything is a stab of failure.


Quinn has a stubborn streak, stuck in her ways and avoidant of change unless it is her own idea. She does not like accepting the help of others, preferring to do everything on her own. She takes pride in all her work and if given a true compliment or any type of praise for her work, she will immediately brighten to that person. She's independent and proud, kind of high strung, and many believe it to be because of her birth. While her birth did give her access to things many may not have had, she worked hard to gain the knowledge and skills she has and uses them to the best of her abilities. Underestimating her may be one of the worst choices someone can make and gets you immediately on her shit-list.

Rank- Tainted Candidate

History-

Family/early childhood
Arden was borne to a family of means, the youngest of three with two older brothers. She was the gem in her mothers eye and doted upon as a young child. Arden wanted for nothing, except a pet, her mother would not allow animals in the house. They had dogs for hunting and protection but they stayed in the kennels outside, and they weren't the friendliest of animals. The horses were alright but they scared her until she was much older. Her father owned X0 acres in the north, and they had a large home a few miles from a moderate town. Her father did business often and was gone for long stretches, and her mother got “overwhelmed” and would lock herself away as Arden got older. Around 5/6 years, her brothers began calling for tutors in the hopes to at least giver their sister the education her mother wouldn't. It began with lessons in everything until they had whittled it down to necessary lectures and things she enjoyed. She took lessons in history, literature, sciences, dance, fencing, painting, writing and more, from the age of 5 to 15 she studied under different professors and scholars.
Arden loved all of it, learning was her favorite pastime and the tutors were the only faces she saw that weren't family or household staff. Every bit of information about the outside world she drank in, eyes wide with wonder. It was a historian who told her to write down every bit of important information she found out, though he probably didn't intend for her to take it to the extent she has. Recording information about the current state was important he had stressed. Anything that could give you insight into the life of another should be saved and shared for future generations. As a child she would fill numerous journals with notes from not only her lessons but things she noticed around the house. Which floor board in which spot was creaky. In every hallway. Which doors stuck and which ones squeaked. When everyone went to bed, who got up for a midnight snack, who woke up the earliest. It was all ingrained into her mind until it was just innate, she no longer had to think about it, she just did it. This was a skill she worked on, attempting to apply it as best she could to every scenario, being in control without alerting people seemed like something she should know. Eventually she was able to slip around the family home completely silently. Sometimes she would slip out, into the cold night and walk to the end of the drive. Never would she go in the winter, but in the late spring and summer, staring down the drive the woods looming in front of her. The night sky littered with stars and far off galaxies. Though Arden loved her home she wished to be able to come and go. To be able to leave at a whim and go somewhere more exciting. She envied her brothers, being able to travel as they wished while she was cooped up at home. Alone.

Eventually, her brothers married, they were both years older than her after all. Their parents had arranged marriages to two other beautiful and well born girls. But after the beautiful wedding ceremonies were done, each in turn moved to new town far from the frozen land their ancestors had called home. And then it was just her and her mother. They had gotten word that her father was coming home early. Word had reached him prior about Arden's mother, wasting away in a room while her daughter chose her own education. In a fit, her mother had fired all her tutors and sent them away that night, then bringing in her own to teach Arden more “feminine” things. Piano, painting, dance, sewing. Some she could find enjoyment in, others she hated. She learned quickly what was expected of her and fell into a diligent routine. She figured the sooner she finished the tasks she was given, the sooner she had perfected her skill, the sooner she would be able to do as she wished. She resented every moment of it but knew that fighting was useless, what else had she to do? Lock herself in a room to waste away like mother? She would never.

And again with age, her mother decided to begin introducing her to other families. Occasionally, she would get to travel, her nose pressed to the window the whole time, taking in the outside world. Ignoring her mothers chastising in favor of soaking in every sight and sound she experienced. But this was where the small talk came in. Presenting herself as some dainty girl, who had mild opinions on everything. She learned the regular responses to certain trigger words, and would be thinking about something completely different, having a completely different conversation in her mind. She cared not for these other well off families who just wanted a pretty, trophy wives for their sons. Arden did not intend on being married off and kept in another large home somewhere else. She did not want to live the life her mother did.

Early - later teens

Around 13, she made friends with a pair of twins who worked in the kitchens with their mother. Sneaking out to play in the gardens or sit on the roof of the stables at night watching the stars, Arden was glad to have finally found friends. They talked about what life in the town was like, the idea of living in such close proximity to other people was new to Arden who had rarely left the family home. Arden had been spending more time outside as her mother had begun horse riding lessons, the horses up here though were different to survive the harsh climate. Thickly coated and sturdy, they looked closer to cows to Arden compared the the ones in books she'd seen. And as her skill on horseback grew, it became harder for her parents to confine her to the courtyard and gardens, often saddling a horse and leaving before anyone knew she was up. When they had free, time the twins, whose names were Derrick and Jacob, would follow her. Sometimes just wandering the woods, sometimes riding into town.

There was one particular trip to town that made a lasting impression on Arden, and helped shape the path she would take in her later teens. They had jut made it to town, Jacob on the back of the horse while his brother jogged after them. Dismounting any tying the horse next to a trough, Arden turned to see her first dragon. A water pair, the dragon long and smooth her scales interlocking so tightly it almost appeared as if she had none, if it weren't for the bright light of the sun. A bright, aqua blue made up most of her coloration fading into a deep, dark ocean blue at the end of her fluked tail. White coated her underside, from chin to abdomen and faded down the inside of her short, well muscled legs. The water had long sweeping tendrils, falling from her sharp snout and nearly dragging on the ground while down her back ran a ridge like one long anemone, waving slightly like they were caught in an ocean current. He rider was tall and male, slightly gruff looking with two curved blades attached at the hip.
Arden stopped and stared dumbfounded, this was the closest she'd ever been to a dragon and the first she had seen in real life. She had read about them in news papers, been taught of the long conflicts mankind had had with the dragons, about how they came together. But never had she seen such a stunning creature in real life. Forgetting immediately whatever it was they had come to town for she turned from the horse and the brothers, taking long purposeful strides towards the water pair. The rider seemed surprised at first that a girl no older than 13 had approached him and his bonded. She was full of questions, firing them at will as soon as she was within ear shot. The dragoness was friendly enough, it surprised Arden to hear her voice, almost like that of a person. She did not expect dragons to speak with such a crisp and clear tongue.

The girl was engrossed for hours, inspecting the dragon and the way she moved. Asking her how certain things felt, what she remembered of hatching, what The Bond was like. Nothing was too personal for Arden to ask, not in her never ending quest for answers. What was it like to fly? What was it like to feel the anger rising not in yourself, but another. So many questions, she was sure she could not even remember them all. She spent hours, following the pair around as they did their shopping- even offering to buy them a meal if only to hear one more thing. Eventually as the day drew to a close, the rider turned and regarded the small girl in front of him. She was a waif, appearing as if even a breeze could topple her over.

“I tell you what Miss Sorstow, I think you would make a fine candidate. You have some training to do, but come try your hand at a hatching and see what you might receive.” Arden beamed at the man, her heart filling with pride at the thought someone believed her to be capable enough to be a dragon rider. The man continued, “I could see you bonding to a beautiful Rosie or Water like my Pacifica.” Arden watched as the man packed his bags and slung them over the dragoness, strapping t tightly against her soft underbelly and mounting. She watched the pair leave, disappearing into the cold fall sunset.

She received the lecture of her lifetime that evening, but she cared not. Arden knew what she wanted to do with herself finally. Her parents would never allow her to actually spar with others, no that was far too dangerous. But she did manage to convince them to resume her previous Ballet and gymnastics classes as well as fencing. It was the best she could do and would at least give her some experience. She practiced long and hard, throwing herself into her lessons with a fever her parents had not witnessed.

Years dragged on under her fathers protective gaze. As she matured, they tried more and more to keep her away from the twins in the kitchen and to keep her from leaving the property. But it was in vain, if Arden was going to do something there would be no stopping her. The girls slight figure and constant training had made her stronger than she appeared, and she used this to her advantage slipping silently wherever she wished to go. Eventually, her father tried locking her in her room only allowing her to be escorted to see her tutors and then taken back to her chamber. But she had slipped a knife under her mattress and taught herself to pick the lock, freeing herself for the evenings and then returning to her bedroom before the sun was up.

When she was 14, her mother fell ill and passed away that same year. Where they lived, the illness was called the sleeping death. The afflicted would grow cold, no matter how many blankets you put on them, no matter how hot the bed coals were, they would not warm up. Their skin would pale in color and eventually their extremities developed frostbite, despite having been kept warm. There was nothing that could be done for Arden's ailing mother. Her father had even paid handsomely for a Rosemary pair to come and see if they could do anything. But even they returned from the mothers room, heads hanging low. Arden and her father watched her mother slowly deteriorate, confined to her bed, her fingers an ugly purple color and freezing to the touch. Her mother did not last until Arden's next birthday in the spring.

After her mothers passing, her father fell into a deep depression, it was his turn to lock himself away in his study. Arden would hear crashing sounds, echoing across the house and painful cries in the night. Nobody was permitted to leave the property, all their supplies were brought in and her tutors were encouraged to choose a room in the home lest they wanted to look for new employment. There was a particular scholar, a former scout for the Sekkians, who had come to teach her advanced reading materials. His dragon was a small forest who was forced to sleep in the stables with the horses, though he was let out during the day. He would often sun himself on the balcony outside her recreation room where she took her classes. Arden's life though restrictive before had become nearly unbearable to her now. Being cooped up like this was too much for her.
The scholar, a young man for being so wise, was named Nathaniel, Nat for short. The man felt for the girl, locked away and not allowed out of the home unless she snuck herself out. Forbidden from the only two friends she had ever known. Her brothers gone now with their own families. At least her mother had taken her to meet suitors and potential matches. Her father would prefer she stay at home, forever a spinster. But Arden could not do it any longer. Even at 15 she was cunning, using her growing good looks to receive favors from men. She spent months talking to Nat, getting him 100% on her side until she felt the time was right. Pleading with the man she asked him to take her away from here, away from her father and the life she had led so far. It took convincing, Nat knew it was a bad idea and he would be held responsible. Knew that she might not fair so well outside of her cushy home though he would never have said it to her face. It was a fact that she had never lived out of means.

Finally, he gave in, telling her to pack her bags light and only with necessities as his dragon was not large. She threw 2 changes of clothes, a coat and a spare pair of boots, a few journals and writing supplies. Some of her books, and her mothers ornamental hair comb. In her parents wedding portrait hanging above their massive fireplace, her mother wore the same comb, gently tucked into the hair giving her mother an elfish look. It was the only sentimental item she took. Who knows, perhaps one day she would return and this would be her proof. Grabbing a small knife, she wrapped it in linen and tucked it into her bag. Donning a dark riding cloak made of thin material, they were off.

The traveled for weeks, keeping off of main roads and taking turns watching out at night while the other slept. The Forest was cranky, though he hated sleeping in the stables he would have preferred that to the hard ground. And he didn't approve of Arden, she was young and Nat was simply indulging her fantasies. He kept a watchful eye on her, knowing she was hiding much and that there was something...not right, about their situation.

And the Forest had right to be so paranoid, Arden was using the man. Though she respected him and the valuable information he was able to teach her-but she had her own goals and they did not include him. As soon as they made it to their first large city, she dipped. Turning a corner and seemingly disappearing into the shadows. The pair had searched high and low for her, all the while the forest chastising the man for listening to a stupid child. They could not to back to the north, her family was too well known and they would be at least questioned if not worse. So the pair disappeared, likely finding some reliquary in a small city to go back to their scholarly duties. Arden cared not, they had gotten her to the first step in her plan. From here she lived on the streets, pick pocketing and doing odd-end jobs usually consisting of stealing for someone, or from someone else, or framing someone. Eventually her skills got her noticed and she was invited to join a small, underground thieves guild. There, they asked not where she came from or her family history and she quite liked it that way. Silence was treasured here and Arden was the happiest for that. She no longer needed to talk for the benefit of others or to make herself more attractive, she was free to do as she wished. They appreciated her unique talents, able to quite literally jump between walls to reach a roof, or to do a front flip over a charging opponent. Her background in dance and gymnastics had given her extreme flexibility and muscle control. And with the sparring matches between comrades in the guild, her actual fighting capabilities increased. She was alright to start out, definitely good at avoiding blows and easily dodging attacks until her enemy wore out. They focused on teaching her how to get a few good hits in and in the end equipped her with a metal “glove”, segmented joints over the fingers lead to a sold piece of metal that protects the back of her hand and joints again as it connects to a gauntlet to cover her forearm. The entirety of it is lined with a thin and soft leather and beneath the second joint of the fingers is a bar to grip for more force behind her punches. This she wears on her right arm, working as a melee weapon and capable of deflecting blows from swords or knives. Attached to her “utility belt” on the left is a short dagger, the blade about 4 inches in length, this serves as her reserve weapon in dire circumstances. Usually people just see the metal arm and give up.

A few years were spent with the guild and it felt like she had a family who actually cared about her. Yes, they cared about the money she brought in but they cared about her safety and helped nurse her wounds when she came back. They laughed together over drinks, wept together over the loss of loved ones, and celebrated together over choice victories, each sharing in the spoils. By this point in her life, everyone had heard about the Tainted. Mutated beast-dragons, grotesque mimics of some of the sekkian breeds, others all tainted. She had no opinion either way though, many would think her new way of life wrong they way as many did the tainted. She knew everyone had a reason for their decisions, and there would always be “good” and “bad”.

Though years had passed, Arden still wanted to be a dragon rider. Watching the pairs from afar now, not wishing to go up and speak. What had she to say to them? She had no new questions, save why they chose one faction over the other but that was also not something she cared about. She wasn't interested in hearing someone else's life story. But with every new pair she felt a pang in her heart for her own partner. Though she was happy where she was, it would be nice to have a constant companion. It was not that she disliked the company of people far from it, she just wished to stay out of the way of prying and judgmental eyes.

When a guild mate began talking about wanting to do a hatching herself, Arden pressed her on it. According to the girl it was obvious to her that she would be going to a tainted hatching. She mentioned their nefarious plots and pointed out that the sekkian dragons were now starving at the hands of the Tainted legion. It would only be a matter of time before a new faction was in control. While Arden doubted that, she would prefer to go with someone she was at least acquaintances with. And so, the girl made up her mind. At the next word, she would be making her way for the tainted hatching in the hopes of receiving a little terror of her own. She was 19 now, having spent about 4 years studying and thieving with the guild, Arden felt the pull. It was time for her to leave, and see exactly what the Tainted had to offer her. And should she not bond well, she was still young enough to go to the Academy, they need not know she tried her hand with their enemy first.

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