Post by Emma on Jun 13, 2011 1:05:13 GMT -5
Name:
Euryale (yoo-ree-ah-lay) Gorgophone
Age:
80
Race:
Elf
Occupation:
Noblewoman; alchemist
Allegiance:
Du Weldenvarden
Physical Description:
Euryale, apart from her colouration, generally looks the part of an elven noblewoman. Living in Ellesméra has taught her how to speak clearly and precisely (despite refusing to drop her father’s Alban accent), hold good posture, and dress properly. She is a noticeably tall girl at 5’10”, and still growing. The one notable difference between her and a regular human, a carry-over from her father's nature as a water-elf, is the thin, silvery webbing between her fingers and toes- a flaw that people either find abhorrent or fascinating. Euryale also has very pale skin that will burn instead of tan, which matches remarkably well with her most obvious attribute- flame-red hair that reaches her upper back and is usually left unbound, although is sometimes tied back into a simple ponytail when working or, when formal occasions call for it, a regal updo.
Most of Euryale’s attractiveness stems simply from how healthy she is- her status allowed her the good nutrition and hygiene that so many people cannot afford, resulting in her tall figure and smooth, pale skin. Although she could pass for good-looking on her own, Euryale rarely stands up well next to her more groomed counterparts- her porcelain features are cute as opposed to beautiful, and she lacks the self-assured poise and stunning figure that most elven woman so pride themselves on. Euryale has only average-sized breasts and slim hips, attributed to her slender frame. Her face is elfin but girlish at the same time, with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and small but full lips. Her most notable, and probably most attractive feature, are her eyes- very large and round, the irises are hazel and can look more green or brown depending on the light.
No matter where she is, be it at home in the castle or tromping through the foothills of the Spine, Euryale always makes a great effort to look proper- although, despite looking like a doll at the beginning of the day, she almost always ends up dishevelled by the end of it. She generally wears elegant dresses that are always modest in cut, as Euryale is highly uncomfortable with attention, and dislikes trousers, although will grudgingly wear riding pants when outside the cities. She can’t sleep at night if she hasn’t had a recent wash, and her father's seashell comb is her favourite possession. Euryale is very fond of makeup, but often foregoes it for practical reasons- no cosmetics were ever made to withstand the dirt and sweat Euryale garners on her research trips and pilgrimages, and the pigments running into her eyes and mouth during the day simply aren’t worth the few hours it takes every morning to put on.
Personality:
Euryale was raised to be a dignified noblewoman of Du Weldenvarden’s royal court, but her seclusion from other girls and the heavy influence of her father's exotic nature and her mother's eccentric personality have made her an odd combination of proper lady and reckless adventurer. Having grown up among a wizard and his books, Euryale is fascinated by knowledge, and is an extremely excitable girl as well as inherently curious. However, it is also worth mentioning that Euryale is extremely naïve about the world around her. Most of the reason that she happily treks into a forest for the sake of her research- despite having no street-smarts or combat experience whatsoever- without batting an eye about the dangers lurking within is because she doesn’t realize the dangers, or at the very least, always relies on her guards to get her out of trouble. Euryale can recite all of Alagaesia's history and navigate the deepest forests, but has very little experience with the real world.
On the side of nobility, she is almost the poster girl of a young woman of the aristocracy- winsome, intelligent, religious, and artistic, with a particular interest in drawing and sketching. This comes with its own measure of inexperience and even haughtiness, as Euryale is very easily surprised and can get quite offended if someone doesn’t use formalities or attempts to invade her personal space. However, she is also naturally kind and understanding, and tries to see the best in people, and it is difficult to truly offend her. She is never rude or sarcastic, let alone violent- even if she is insulted, she simply walks away with little more than a solid ‘Hmmph!’ She is also very talkative, especially when nervous or enthusiastic, and often speaks so quickly that, coupled with her Alban accent, often makes her very difficult to follow. She is also very loyal and unflinchingly obedient, both to her mother and Du Weldenvarden, even if she doesn’t agree with some aspects.
History:
Euryale is half water elf, a distant relative of Alagaësia's elves famed for their beautiful voices and their ability to shift from seal to elven form. Little-known and native only to the coasts of northern Alba, the Riders, in their eternal quest for knowledge, naturally were interested in studying one. A band of Alban fishermen were paid off to capture and deliver one to Alagaësia, and they succeeded in doing so. The unlucky creature was called Mehra, and was bound and shipped off to Teirm, and then transported to Ilirea. Mehra was not treated unkindly, but not as an equal either- her sealskin, a Selkie’s most precious possession, was removed and locked up, preventing her from escaping, and she was kept in an underground tank while the Riders studied and questioned her. Mehra was flippant and hostile to the Ilireans during her imprisonment, and did little to aid them- and she hated one of them in particular, a human named Cælestis.
Cælestis Gorgophone was plucked from his farmstead in the Valley of the Crown at a young age when he was discovered to possess magical Talent, and raised in Ilirea. He, too, was generally unhappy until the age of fifteen, when Mehra was brought to his city and he was assigned with studying her. Cælestis promptly got an enormous crush on the Selkie and spent far more time staring and trying to impress her than attending to his studies. Mehra despised him at first, assuming he was as aloof as the rest of the Ilireans, but when his infatuation became obvious, she became amused with him instead. After one year, when the Riders were satisfied with the information she had eventually grudgingly given them, Mehra was released, but asked not to leave Ilirea. Cælestis begged her to come live with him, and she acceded.
It wasn’t long after that that Euryale Gorgophone was born. Despite having a human father, she retained very little of her mortal heritage- the offspring of a Selkie and most other races, including humans, will always be a full-blooded Selkie. Mehra loved her daughter and had come to love Cælestis as well, but she could no longer remain in Ilirea. Being away from the ocean for three full years had taken a heavy toll on her, and she was beginning to grow sickly. The birth of her child had nearly killed her. Eventually, she persuaded Cælestis to tell her where her sealskin was being kept, snuck into the Citadel, and reclaimed it. She ran to the sea after that without turning back, leaving behind her heartbroken lover and child. Cælestis finished his schooling in Ilirea shortly afterwards, and left to join Palancar’s court with his infant daughter.
Cælestis was highly protective of Euryale, her being the only part of Mehra he had left, and he kept her isolated. He was warmly received into the Broddring court for his magical prowess, but he knew Euryale would face alienation for not being human, and would grow up very slowly. As such, Cælestis told nearly no one that he even had a daughter, and gave her over to three nursemaids from the Cathedral to raise her while was off performing his national duties. Euryale only saw these three women and her father throughout most of her lifetime. She was raised by them from infancy into girlhood, and proved to be a healthy, if lonely, child. Cælestis offered her a supplement- books. After all, she had access to the third-largest collection of texts in the known world and beyond. Euryale was taught how to read and write at a very early age. And for forty years, that was all she did. Every piece of literature in every dialect of every known language was consumed by her passion. Though she never saw the outside world, pictures and words filled up her imagination. She knew everything from the most tragic romances to the most successful battle strategies, and then some. And she was happy.
However, the Blue Divide began when she was ten years old, and it wearied her father considerably. By the end of it, he was old, and weary. By then, Cælestis had achieved the rank of First Librarian for his service, meaning he oversaw all of Broddring’s magical and military research as well as its texts, and had not escaped the Hand of Leona’s notice. At Palancar’s death, its power increased tenfold, and Cælestis would not be able to deny their power for long. At the same time, however, he did not want to give over his position as First Librarian, and so thought up an alternative- he pretended to become a shell-shocked veteran and incredibly senile shortly before setting up Euryale as his successor. He pushed Euryale out into the world, starting with satisfying the Hand by sending her to work at the Cathedral- fully knowing that she would be safe from the Prophet, as Euryale’s magical skills were not worth their time.
Euryale spent the next ten years getting acquainted with life outside her home. Though it was a massive shock, she was still very sheltered- she spent her time divided between the Cathedral and Hightower, and never went anywhere else without her father or one of his servants close behind. She has spent her days since, serving Nyx in the Cathedral, and tending to the sick and weak, using her magic in healing, and aiding her father with his studies when at home in Carvala.
