[Cheslan]

Full Name: Cheslan Dawnstorm is the name she uses currently.
Nicknames: Ches. Marane to a very few.

Affiliations:

Guild: Bloodthorn
Guild Rank: Orthodox
Faction: Scarlet Masks
Faction: Neriak, Freeport, Gorowyn, Paineel
Faction: Seafury Buccaneers, Temple of War, Dismal Rage, Craftkeepers, Dark Bargainers, Hua Mein, Moonfield, Quel'ele, Deepwater Knights, Unseen Hand, Far Seas Trading Company.
Faction: Court of Blades

Abilities:

Level: 90
Class: Brigand
RP Power: Deceptively Powerful
Special Abilities: Her reflexes are beyond that of a typical 'Dal and her slight appearance belies an prodigious strength. She can move silently if she wishes and has a surprising skill at the lap harp that is rarely displayed. Years of acquisition have given her a good sense of the current market value of most trade-able goods, from glassware to slaves to paintings to gems. She is very at home on a ship and shows no qualms about leaping into the water at any given opportunity. Through years of study, she can speak almost any language and read most of them.. easier to find lost treasures that way. She is quite skilled at disguise, both through the use of sophisticated illusions and simple tricks of makeup and voice.

Personality:

Alignment: Anarchist (Selfish). Friendly Evil is what she would reply if asked.
Motivations: Amusement. Nearly every decision she makes is motivated by rating the amusement level it holds for her, followed by profit or gain, or the potential for amusement and profit. There are 'bad things' in her head that she constantly seeks distraction from, therefore she constantly seeks diversion.
Disposition: Generally she projects an air of lazy amusement and casual tolerance. She has a temper that can flare to volcanic fury between one breath and the next, which is usually when people get hurt.
Outlook: Flirtatious, fond of jokes, a bit on the spoiled side as regards her wants and needs.

Religion/Philosophy: Bristlebane,then Rallos Zek, then back to Bristlebane. The God of Thieves has demonstrated an interest in her affairs,through his prophet.

Sexuality: Equal-opportunity though she tends more towards males.

Positive Personality Traits: Usually cheerful, fun to be around when in a good mood and willingly contributes to the effort of whatever group or cause catches her attention. A friend is a friend for life, assuming one can get that close to her. She is quite willing to deal out pain and murder to help out a chum. She usually has a back-up plan in mind in case things go wrong. She enjoys a challenge and will go through a great deal of trouble in order to secure a mission or task or objective that provides her with one.
Negative Personality Traits: She is prone to mood swings and will hand out death in the bat of a lash. She lies like a champion when it suits her and regret has never troubled her black heart. Her own self interest is always her primary concern despite whatever temporary alliances may come her way, save for less than a handful of people she would actively move to protect. She has a literal taste for blood and no real qualms about taking it when she feels like it. She is more likely to help an 'opponent' that she considers worthy of her time than an avowed ally, if forced to choose between the two. She would consider it a negative, but there are ways around her bad side, and she would at heart rather not be playing for team evil.
Misc. Quirks: She has an obsession with decorating her house and will go to great lengths to obtain some new item or something that catches her fancy, sometimes disappearing for days to rework her home. She tends to call people by a nickname rather than their given name and doesn't particularly care if they like it or not. She always carries a battered pack of playing cards and an ivory comb. Her unusual strength and the tendency of her eyes to literally burn are the results of a very strong magic gone wrong,leaving its marks on her soul. She doesn't feel this effect and is often unaware of its occurrence. She is not actually an Ary'Dal, but decades of impersonating one and steeping in the culture have made it very easy for her to pretend. She would consider the gift of a fancy or special dagger to be more romantic than flowers or candy.

Biographical:

Age: 250, give or take a few years. She appears to be in her 20s.
Race: Elf. She is half Koada and half Teir, but deliberately cultivates the idea that she is Ary'Dal.
Gender: Female
Hair: Jet black with licks of pure silver, mostly on the underside
Skin: Dusky bronze
Eyes: Gas-flame blue, very striking against her skin
Height: Five feet
Weight: 100 pounds plus armor

Appearance: She appears as a small Ary'Dal with long black hair or a Koada with her normal skin coloring, mostly because her skin and hair colors are not found among pure Koada. She bears a thin scar that runs almost exactly across the middle of her face. The visible piercings are at nose and serving as a beauty mark though she is given to hiding them through illusion; the rest are not usually visible.

Fashion of Choice: She prefers silks and a high-thread-count cotton close to her skin, tight well-oiled leathers on the outside. Occasionally she'll wear finely made dresses, usually of silk or satin, though that's mainly for purposes of distraction.
Armor of Choice: Gold and black Rilissian chain trimmed in white and blue. Lately she favors midnight-blue leathers of any exotic design
Weapons of Choice: A rapier and a dagger, though she keeps a number of throwing knives and smaller blades on her at all times. Fond of poisons and brews her own as well as antidotes, if there is one.

Biographical:

Place(s) of Residence: Neriak, Number 5 Walk of the Dead. The Black Anchor, 7 Compassion Street, North Freeport. 1 Justice Street, South Freeport. South Freeport, guild hall. An affluent Maj'dul apartment. Lucie Street, South Qeynos.
Place of Birth: The open sea.

Relatives: Mother: whereabouts unknown; Father, whereabouts unknown; Brother, whereabouts unknown. Assorted half-siblings (paternal), dead or missing. Spouse, Donnalyn McWiey, deceased. Spouse, Aerius Dawnstorm, deceased. Daugher, Ellenari, deceased. Vestris Dol'Vanden, cousin. Morenin N'Tal, former spouse. Trastan Morelen N'Tal, son.
Enemies: No current enemies of any consequence. She doesn't consider those who want to incarcerate her or even kill her to be enemies,they are obstacles for the most part, and the scant few that have garnered her attention or respect are honored opponents.
Allies: Possibly Bloodthorn.

Occupation: Pirate, mercenary, spy. Really, it's whatever is most entertaining,

Crafting: Master Provisioner

Interests:

Likes: Cards, bourbon or rum, expensive things (especially not her own), provoking arguments, flirting with disaster. She especially likes things that are bad for her and enjoys giving in to the temptation to indulge in them.

Dislikes: Incompetence, weakness, having her entertainments balked, being constantly referred to as a half-breed.

Favorite Foods: Steak that almost is still moving. Spicy seafood.
Favorite Drinks: Bourbon, rum, sweet wine.
Favorite Colors: She wears blue, black and silver almost constantly. She adores vivid colors however and fills her house with them.

Hobbies: Amassing various treasures to amuse herself. Baiting the gullible to tears. Seeing just where the limit is and going a few steps past. She also likes to cook and to brew her own alcoholic beverages. She plays the lap harp very well but almost never in front of other people.

Details:

Played by What Famous Person: Catherine Zeta Jones (with electric blue contacts!)

Theme Songs: Rev 22:20, Puscifer ((ty to Savani for supplying that))

History: ((Most of her history is still unrevealed on AB and will come out in play.)) Cheslan is over two hundred years old, though she won't admit to more than forty or fifty. She was born aboard ship and spent the first three decades of her life without ever setting foot on land. She's served in various military and mercenary organizations, at one time serving as a Knight of Freeport though she will likely slit the throat of anyone who miraculously turns up that fact. She commanded her own raiding ship for a number of years and misses it dreadfully. She's been married and never speaks of it. While the name she currently uses is relatively unknown and happily free of nasty lingering criminal charges, her face would be recognized on more than one continent if seen by the right people. She tends to leave a place after a few decades to let the people who know anything about her die off before returning to play there again. If asked, she'll deflect most questions about her past, preferring to live in the now and present her current self as if she'd always been that way.

"Like her counterpart, efficent but this one lacks the dull wit that the scaled dealer holds. Sly, arrogant, but rather small in her stature. Has completed every task without question or even a flinch to reveal that she doubts why such a request were made. Possibly a mate to Savani, outside of their profession."

It would be easy to dismiss Cheslan Dawnstorm as a female Morenin N'Tal; a dark-skinned Ayr'dal from the Bloodthorn and no doubt an able fighter. To picture her as such does not do her full justice, however. In the brief time that we've spoken she has shown herself to be far more intelligent and socially able. She does not revel in Ayr'dal victimhood, instead appearing to be the perfect Free Citizen.

Although her appearance and demeanour would not suggest it, Dawnstorm has connections to the court. As a new follower of the Bloodthorn cult, she must be treated as a potential enemy. So far she's not shown hostile intent however, and I am not in a position to pursue hostilities of my own. Pleasantry tempered by caution would seem to be the right approach for dealing with this individual.

She is liked well enough, for a head-strong and foolish heathen woman. It intrigues me that the Disciple would take interest in one that doess not follow the Lord ... but it would please, though not surprise me, were he to guide her soul to the path of truth yet. At that time I would keep her, for it is a delight to stroke her fluffy mane.

She is a skilled brigand. I made the mistake of judging her wrong. I first thought she was nothing but a boastful annoyance. But watching her I see that I was wrong. I can see her rising in the Bloodthorn ranks, even leading a division. She is a curiousity. A threat? Maybe. Her loyalty and dedication match mine. I know she would follow Lady Avarice's orders to the letter. I also know that when Cheslan is near, Lady Avarice is safe. Cheslan's perception of upcoming dangers is something I admired. Danger won't be able to get even a mile close to Lady Avarice when she is near. To me that is everything.

I like her. Quick with a smile, and she has these amazing knives. Blades. Whatever. I don't care what you call them, Cheslan's good in a fight. Then again, I'm just a dancer, so what do I know anyway? Still, she's nice to me when we go poking through old places, and she came to the hall for a drink! Drinking buddies can always be trusted, right? Right?

Plus she's pretty. I like that in a girl. And I get the feeling that she's of the "places to go, people to kill" variety, and for some reason, that sets my avaricious little heart a-thumping. Yep. I like her. Plus she managed to drink Dragon's Delight without shuddering, and that's always a sign of good things to come!

I have to take her out on the town though. Oh, yes. She needs to unwind a little!

It's funny how, when one is not obligated to be someone's ally, it can somehow become easier to, well, be that person's ally. I have a lot of respect for Cheslan -- a skilled fighter and equally skilled entrepreneur -- but long suspected we would come to blows over our work in the Bloodthorn. And that did not enthuse me, given that I somehow doubt Cheslan is much for the protocols of forewarning, the proper selection of seconds, and duels of honor on an open battlefield... Now that our professional paths have diverged and I don't have to worry about her being sent to kill me, I'm much more relaxed in her company.

Okay, now that it's less likely she'll be sent to kill me.

I'll probably start sounding like a broken gnomish magimechanic phonotronic dispensorator, but I've got a soft spot in my heart for people who own or run bars. And for beautiful women. So it's no small wonder that I'm prediposed to like Cheslan. She runs a hell of a bar, the Black Anchor, and in all my days of attending, I've not had a dull night yet. Much to my pleasure, I had occasion to find that she is just as entertaining and amusing out of the bar. Perhaps even more so since she isn't having her attention drawn in ten directions at once. I passed a very pleasant afternoon with her at the Festival of Unity, and she was the muse that inspired my masterful, if I don't say so myself, performance at the Erollisi's Luck kissing contest.

I'm going to have to find her outside of the Anchor again sometime soon. I suspect that there is much more to her than meets the eye, if she's able to keep a bar full of people like the ones that her's attracts in line. I expect it will be very enjoyable to find out what.

Cheslan is a quiet one, and you can never fully tell what's going on with the quiet ones. It's both their blessing, and their curse. It was only after serving together for a few months that we finally got to know each other better. I believe she finds me interesting, and because she does, the attention is returned in kind. One can see the clash of races in her, a fine temper that sometimes flames up in between her normal moments of calm and introspection. There's a kind of happy malice about her I can't quite put my finger on, but that I enjoy.

Cheslan has become a friend, but one separated by time, obligations, other interests, and sometimes, politics. We've had a very very intense moments, a number of close ones, and I appreciate her company, and her commentary. She like "the game" a lot more than I do, though from knowing her, I think one day she will grow as tired of it as I have. That's the problem with being too clever, too smart. You can only enjoy lesser things for so long before pragmatism kicks in, and games lose their luster. I hope she enjoys it to the fullest now, for such things turn to ash in time.

As sentient beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world— that is the myth of the modern age— as in being able to remake ourselves; in this Cheslan excels. Information isn't wisdom. Information isn't learning. If information were learning, you could be educated by memorizing the world almanac; in this, Cheslan sees the difference. To act with common sense according to the moment is the best wisdom I know, and the best philosophy is to do one's duties, take the world as it comes; and this, Cheslan does with ease.

Also, she's really damn sexy.

I have not met the proprietor of The Black Anchor save for handing her quite a sum of coin, but one does not need to always interact directly to learn about another, tseh. With but a glance at her club, I knew she held power. I do not mean the trappings of the establishment; I mean the patrons within. Recognizable by name and deed. One or two persons of influence is hardly noteworthy. Tsch, but an entire room full? She could not have a Lector of a powerful organization host a date auction wherein thousands of platinum are tossed about as pocket change and not hold power in her hand as easily as water flows downhill.

I like her place, it says alot about someone, what kind of place they own and run. She was kind enough to let me fix my own drink when she didn't know how to make it. Of course .... it wasn't the drink typically ordered at that tavern so I don't blame her for letting me do it. I look forward to visiting it again.

I am still not completely sure how to feel about her.. Acts like quite the snooty know it all a lot, which is irritating to say the least, but tolerable enough I suppose. Still though... and half the time the woman is talking I have not a clue as to what she is blabbering on about, and I cannot say much for her skill in battle as we have never had the pleasure of battling together, or against eachother.. Suppose I find this all personally disturbing how little I can decipher from her with how often we run the the same circles.

Has an entertaining enough bar to drink at, though, I'll cheers to that.

I've never seen an elf so... surrounded by Iksar that seem to like her and simultaneously criticize her every move and choice of companion. It's like she's got some kind of review committee. Hopefully they won't always be hovering over her shoulder! Cheslan is a good conversationalist, and a tremendous decorator. What a house!

Not that it couldn't benefit from one of my magiked spiral staircases, but still and all, nice. She looks, well, nothing like she is. At least lately. Word has it that her fashions can range from Qeynosian Prude to Freeport Pirate. Right now she looks like some fighting, adventuring, High Elf of Old. it's in complete contrast to the walking testimony to the power of sin that she is, though.

Keeps people off balance. Cheslan is the uneven pivot upon which people's lives lose their balance, and tumble into the abyss. Such is her monument, and I think she would find it a fitting one.

Bacon does not know the name of this crocodile with the darkness flowing from its head. He is not so good with names as to remember the noise that his Big Crocodile always made upon seeing this other. It was a sound that would be alien to the alligator's ability to pronounce.

What he was more apt to observe beyond such a thing as a name was that this dark-topped crocodile treated his Big Crocodile well. It did not come about screeching or behaving in such a way as to agitate Bacon's observations of the world. Sometimes the dark-topped crocodile even wore things that sparkled.

Bacon was well-aware that things that sparkled, things that shined, and things that clicked and otherwise made noise, were of great interest to his Big Crocodile. It therefore seemed to be proper that he escort the black-topped one to his Big Crocodile whenever it was about, herding if he must for he did so like to make happy his Ainaree.

Cheslan, beautiful and lovely Cheslan. Everybit as lethal as she is gorgeous. That sharp wit, coupled with her sharp blades is a deadly combination. We weren't always in agreement with each other, hell, we barely talked or liked on another. Funny how a few glasses of wine and the open bar filled with some rather... idiotic characters can form a bond.

*she sips down some wine and grins*

She's one of those people that you're glad you know, and know when to stay out of her way. Also good for when you want to cause some trouble. Hardly a time I can keep a straight face when we converse now, her voice in my head is almost cause for an instant grin and little quip about anyone. Great decorator as well, though you could almost never get me on a ship. I know she wants to try and convert me to the life of a pirate... maybe the boots. I like her boots alot.

She's one of the few I consider a true friend, and genuinely enjoy being around. Our humor is one and the same... such a wonderful thing really.

I like Cheslan. She's smart, snappy, capable, a good conversationalist.

But there's this -little- something. I think she understands as well as I do that life is a game; a hunt. For that reason, I keep my distance. We have our own territories marked out, you could say.

I love her, I hate her, and I consider her a good friend. Yes, I realize that makes no sense, but if I could be sensible about her, we'd probably still be married. She's clever, definitely more clever than I am, and hides a great deal of strength in that tiny body. She competes with the Lady Shadow for the title of most greedy in Bloodthorn- I probably shouldn't say so, but she's giving the Lady a run for her money on that sin. She has a sudden and violent temper that can be unpredictable. She has reasons for her violence, but still... you can never be sure if she'll laugh or try to gut you should one cross her.

But the most important thing about her? She's given up at winning life. She's settled for a few material pleasures, with no ambition something permanent, like a true mate. Sometimes it makes me angry enough I want to murder her, and only loyalty to Bloodthorn, and the thought of our son keeps me from trying. Sometimes though... sometimes I pity her. That, I know, would make her laugh.

I do not care for pirates. I know it's not fair to be so prejudiced but I am and I always will be.

Cheslan is business savvy and I respect that. She's got a decent bar tucked in a good location unless she stole all of it of course. It's so hard to say with her kind of people. I have too much I want to keep to let a woman like her too close, she has her place in Freeport and I am very thankfully away from it. There's more than enough shiny things in this world for us.

At first I said: Hot damn! She owns a bar, has silky hair, a sense of humor, and could care less about the Militia.

Then I found out she could cook. Seriously? Do I need to say anything else.