Skuld Zajac

Biographical information

Birthplace Outside Vel Anir Born Died Age 40(32) Home None Sexuality Pronouns

Physical description

Race Human Sub-Race Gender Female Height 5'10" Mass 210lbs / 95.25kg Hair color Cinnamon Chocolate Eye color Dull Gray Stone Skin color Beige Ivory

Political information

Affiliation(s) Order of the Black Rose Occupation Former Templar/Wandering Alchemist Clan(s) Caste Domain Masters Apprentices Alias(es)

Out-of-character information

Writer Hollic Created on 11/13/18 Avatar Johnson Ting

The thorn covered rose finds it soil salted and lonely, ripping itself loose to find a land where the sun and soil might be kinder.

Appearance

In her youth, she was normally seen in full plate armor with a visored bascinet helm. The most distinguishing feature of her armor was the pair of simple steel protrusions in the form of wings rose from the back of her breastplate decorated with feathers. An homage to her family name Zajac, as the wings are the largest part of the family heraldry.

Beneath the armor is a hardy woman bearing a myriad of scars that are easily related to the weak spots of the armor she has worn into combat. When not covered in armor, she can be seen wearing a high collared gambeson of dark green color and linen breaches. Leather gloves and boots the most elaborate part of her casual dress aside from the crow's beak hammer she favors and keeps with her at all times. Waist length hair is kept in a tight bun at the back of her head to avoid enemies getting a hand hold on her.

Without her armor, the second most noticeable feature on her are the simple white marks adorning her cheeks.

Update below - (1/23/2020)
Seeming a bit worn from the road, Skuld now wears common clothes more often than not. Her winged armor has been set aside at her Zajac family home as a tribute to her late brother. Gambeson's and half plate are what she typically wears if she deems necessary.

Update Below - (11/21/21)
In her later years, Skuld comes across as quiet or solemn, perhaps even severe at times whenever the world seems to weigh on her. Brow set in a scowl to the world around her, though in all honesty to better block the sun from her eyes. There are laugh lines in the corners of her eyes, the soft crinkle age in her cheeks. Her hair is still dark in color, though a few strands are showing platinum rather than the confirmative brown.

While she might put her hair up for a fight or training, she cannot be bothered so much anymore to keep it tied up when outside of the need.

Skills and Abilities

Art Of War-
Skuld has found her prowess in martial combat. Trained well in wearing various amounts of armor along with the use and function of different weapons. Her preferred weapon is the crow's beak hammer out of all the weapons that she is proficient with. While not forgetting her warrior past, she prefers the smaller weapons now, along with a shield rather than the great sword she was trained with. A bit rusty on her form, she maintains the strength with which she wielded these weapons.

Alchemy-
While she has had limited training in the brewing of potions and other concoctions, what little she does know she can make very well. With a few brews under her belt, she is confident that she can take on most everything. Maybe not with ease, but certainly with greater chance of success.

Personality

[+/-]Brash - Having a strong dislike of useless pretty words and petty inaction, Skuld tends to be on the brash side of action for better or worse. People that dither quickly annoy Skuld to the point of angry outbursts in the form of sharpened words or even the blunt side of her blade.

[+/-]Detached- Remaining aloof and objective for the betterment of those around you is tough to do without nearly shedding every kind of emotion. Years of trying to root out necromancy through various means has burned away near all of her empathy. While this has remained an ability in her years, she finds it more and more difficult to remain aloof when the topic centers around her daughter.

[-]Numb to Death - Between the loss of her elder brother, and many others in the attempt to snuff out necromancers, death has become a commonplace companion for Skuld. People seem particularly bothered by her acceptance of her own death. This has led to some incidents were she purposely goes against warnings to seek out success where others might shy away.

[+/-]Patience - A woman with a child, there has been temperance through her life now. While not a leader, she is far better equipped for dealing with people now than when she was younger. This can also lead to a frustrating experience for those dealing with her, as she will not jump to ones side of an argument without further details.

[+/-]Daughter - Skuld has more to think about than her own life now, and has to guide her actions along the thoughts of what will be best for her offspring as well as who will provide or protect her. Always a thought in the back of her mind, it sincerely affects her thinking.

Biography & Lore

In her younger years, Skuld was a lively girl, full of wonder and excitement about the world around her. From the new person that showed up in town, to how best to hold a crossbow when riding at a gallop. Throughout the entirety of her raising, learning weapons and armor, with a bit of Alchemy thrown in when the chance permitted was the routine for her. She believed all kids grew up that way. It wasn't until she went out on her first venture, a stakeout, and watched a village of people work that she learned otherwise. For the longest time, she was confused as to why she had never lived a simple life like the people outside the bigger cities. After her brother's passing though, her purpose became very clear.

Joining the ranks of the Templars with all of the training she had been made to participate in, she aimed to make the world around her a safer place for everyone. Even at the cost of her own safety and well-being.

Update Below - (11/21/21)
After leaving the Templar Order for Keiran MacArthur, Skuld went on to live a life of relative calm. The unexpected surprise of a child was something of a welcome thing, having believed she would be unable to bear a child in her life due to injuries in her past. Her return is not merely for a reliving of her glory days, but that of requirement, as she has noted trouble arising in certain places that require a specialized hand.

Seeking to train those that would listen, she set out with her daughter in tow when able as a means to expose her to the broader world and different peoples.. Otherwise leaving her behind with her husband on their farm closer to Alliria.

Update Below - (4-18-24)

With the prolonged disappearance of her husband now considered deceased after some years, along with the ever shifting tensions in Vel Anir, a decision had to be made. Skuld thought ill of returning to either of their families outside of Vel-Anir for fear of her daughter being swept up in the turmoil of politics and other issues surrounding the area. Friga, her daughter now 9 years of age, already being used to the road has accompanied her mother once more to seek a place where both mother and daughter might find a place to call home for a time.

Friga, Skuld's daughter of 9 years, has grown up more aware of the dangers of the world than most children. Her father working for one of the Noble Houses of Vel Anir, and her mother being former Templar helped shape that perspective of life for her.

Despite her circumstances, Friga has grown up knowing that so long as her parents were close by, she was never in absolute danger. Free spirited and ever curious, she was allowed to wander the plains and spotty woodlands that surrounded their farm. Taking care of the livestock and horses, she grew accustomed to hard work and responsibilities as any did while living a simpler life. Learning how far she could push her boundaries at times the hard way when she found a bears den during one of her wandering searches, saved by her father Keiran after disturbing the dens inhabitants.

All seemed well until Keiran was called away, set upon a task by Gabriel Banick with an unknown end.

The first winter with his absence found the daily tasks bogging down her free time, and watching her mother stare across the plains every now and then as if Keiran would appear suddenly. The second winter found them both struggling, enough to call for help from her mothers family to maintain the farm. Those moments she caught her mother watching for Keiran's return grew in number, as did the number of times they both found themselves too tired for fun. By the third winter, it was clear that Keiran was not to be home soon, and the worry that had changed to fear began to gnaw at both mother and daughter.

While both wished to remain in case of his return, the decision was made for them nearing into the fifth winter when they had returned home from a training venture.
The protections of House Banick began to wane. And those upset by the actions of House Banick against their allied house found them seeking to strike at the Nobles the only way they knew how.

An attack on the farm left the two little more than ash and regrets, forcing them to move on in case of another attack. While both sides of her family offered a place, Friga asked to see the world once more, as it may be a chance to find her father.

Or what remains of him.

-Lore-

Her family line, the Zajac's of Vel Anir, is a bloodline long rooted in various forms of combat. Be it armed combat, pugilism, archery, or even of the magical sorts. There was a Zajac that dabbled and brought back their findings to further refine the family training manuals. Some of her ancestors being honorable sort took part in tournaments or arranged duels, while others were deemed as little more than cowards for their pursuits of efficiency rather than grandiose showmanship. The distinguishing mark that points to the bloodline is the tattooed marks upon their cheek.

The number of marks can vary, from the freshly initiated bearing only a singular mark, to an elder of the line who may bear as many as the deem fit. The consistent detail however are the simplicity in their meaning.

Each mark upon their cheek, which is mirrored on the other half of their bearing, denotes training that has been tested and deemed worthy of merit within the family. A white delta shaped mark indicates notable skill in martial form, be it weapons of war to pugilism and so on. A green delta denotes notable skill with a ranged weapon such as a longbow, crossbow, or even a sling. A blue delta indicates notable skill with magic of any variety.

This largely is not known to those outside of the family, as it is simply a means of quickly identifying one another and the level of skill a member of the family may posses.

Her family extends to the MacArthur clans of Edenham, by means of having been romantically involved with the heir of the MacArthur's, one Keiran MacArthur. Even bearing a child with him before his disappearance some years ago. Whether a silent problem with House Banick, or some machination of a Vel Anir plot gone awry, it has made Skuld hesitant to return to the area.