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Name: Andriel Katarina Thelion
Race: Human (Elf-Blooded)
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 28 Solace, 8:96
Occupation: Hunter, Fur and Leather Trader
Companion(s): Rake, a cougar with tawny and red coloring. A mule named Lola that pulls her cart when she travels to Denerim.
Andriel is a lean woman, standing about average height. Her hair is a medium brown with grey streaks here and there. It is wild looking most of the time with waves that seem to just naturally tangle together. When not pulled back it falls to approximately mid shoulder. She had deep green eyes with laugh lines at the corners.
Andriel has various nick and cut scars on her hands. Her abdomen down to the top of her hip as a long scar that is almost shaped like a half crescent, the line very smooth. She wears comfortable clothes, some she’s made herself out of leather. It may look patchwork, but its still well made.
Class: Rogue
Specialization: Ranger (Master)
Weapons & Armor: Andriel has a whitewood longbow, two daggers, and a skinning knife on her at all times. She wears leather armor she has crafted herself.
Languages: Common (both)
Non-Combat Skills:
Master: Stealth - Wilderness, Tracking, Climbing, Leatherworking
Expert: Traps, Poison Lore, Cooking, Animal Handling, Natural Lore, Bargaining, Drinking
Intermediate: Evaluation, Fishing, Healing, Hearing, Ferelden History, Navigation, Scouting, Alchemy
Novice: Driving, Riding, Running, Swimming, Writing
Combat Skills:
Master: Bows, Nightshade Oil, Tireless Hunter
Expert: Go For the Throat, Camouflage
Intermediate: Natural Hazards, Fleet-Footed, Dual Weapons
Novice: Summon Companion, Exploit Terrain
Armor Proficiency: Medium Armor
Andriel comes across as pleasant in most encounters, being rather personable especially when dealing with trade. Those that spend more time around her will find she possesses a sharp wit and good humor. Though she doesn't stick around long enough for people to get to know her past that. She always seems to want to be on the move, her mood and desires shifting much like the wind.
She does have her faults, and her biggest are her pride and stubbornness. Pride in her work and wares and her skill as an archer--and in her ability to drink men twice her size under the table. Stubbornness when she believes she’s getting shorted on a trade or sale, or when someone challenges her intellect. She also has a tendency to forego hesitation in social situations, boldly stating her opinions despite the consequences. This tendency also creeps into her decision-making when she sees something--or someone--she wants.
Andriel came into the world during a time of conflict in Ferelden. Her parents were late in age when they met, both of them wrapped up in helping with the rebellion. Her father, Thestian, was originally an apothecary by trade and--thanks to the war--quickly gained skills as a chirurgeon. Her mother, Celeste, was an elven scout. Despite the turmoil, their love blossomed and bore fruit as Andriel seven years before the rebellion ended.
She barely remembers those early days of ever-moving camps. When she was old enough--and agile enough--she took to the trees to keep an eye on the trails coming in and out of camp. She spent most of her time with her father in her youth, as her mother was often too close to the front lines.
She got used to grotesque injuries and illnesses then, too, having witnessed the loss of limbs and the ravages of disease. Thestian tried to shield her from such things, but he inevitably found her inside of his patients’ tents, seemingly fascinated by his work and--in truth--seeking safety and stability at her father’s side.
Once the war was over, her parents married and settled into the foothills of the Frostback Mountains, just west of Rainesfere. Her mother resumed her profession from before the rebellion, trapping and trading leather and fur, while her father opened an apothecary in Rainesfere. Eventually, Thestian was named as the Arl’s personal apothecary in Redcliffe, and while his shop remained under his ownership in Rainesfere, they moved to accommodate his new position. Both her parents taught her many things, but she picked up on her mother’s skills quicker than she did her father’s.
When she was fourteen, her father took on an apprentice. The young man was two years older than her, and she found herself in her father’s workshop more than usual while he was there. They grew very fond of each other over the three years he was apprenticed and though they tried to keep their developing feelings a secret, it was very obvious to her parents. Her father did not disapprove though, as his apprentice was a quick learner and a kind young man.
Their families grew tied closely together, with Dristan’s father beginning to sell Thestian’s various concoctions across Ferelden. Unfortunately, Edarin had found another trade that was not legal. Andriel’s father was caught up in Edarin’s fall and imprisoned along with him and his wife for lyrium smuggling. Right after it happened, Dristan disappeared without a word. While Celeste did not believe the young man had anything to do with the smuggling, Andriel blamed him. Why would he leave if he wasn’t guilty?
Andriel became somewhat distant after that, and returned to helping her mother in the mountains. They moved back to Rainesfere after that, with no reason to stay behind in Redcliffe. She honed her skills, and soon her added furs and leather were bringing in enough trade to make their lives comfortable again.
Her father was eventually released, though he was not the same man. His time imprisoned had dulled some of his spirit.He reopened the apothecary, and though his business was not as popular as it once was.
One day while Andriel was minding the shop while her father was traveling for supplies, a man broke in. It startled her and she engaged the man. She was not as skilled in close quarters combat, and the tussle with the burglar left her wounded. Still, she was able to kill the man before passing out.
She woke the next day on her father’s work table, feeling the pull of the stitches as he sewed her wound closed. They didn’t speak of what happened, and she never knew what became of the burglar’s body.
Several years later, her mother passed away during the winter, age and toil catching up to her. Andriel was in her late twenties by then, and had taken over her mother’s trade completely. Her father was never the same, seeming lost without his wife. He passed during the following summer, whether due to grief or age, she could never be certain..
Andriel inherited the shop and their home in the mountains. She preserved most of the common herbs and poultices, along with the rarer books in her father’s shop, and sold what was left. She was frugal with her newly-acquired wealth, hiding it under the floorboards of her home and only making use of it when hunting was sparse.
Around age thirty, Andriel found her best friend. One of her bear traps had wounded a cougar. The blood trail from the trap led her to the cat’s den, where she found the animal dead, with three small cubs still trying to nurse. Feeling she owed a debt to the animal, she took its cubs home with her to raise. One of the trio died within a week, but two grew strong. While both seemed to take to her, one in particular grew very attached. When they were old enough, she released them back into the wild, but one kept returning to her home, no matter how many times she released it or how far away she took it. Eventually, she gave in and let the creature stay. She named it Rake, after its favorite way to kill its prey. From then on, Rake remained by her side, only slipping away when she went into the larger towns and cities.
The Blight forced her to abandon her trade. The darkspawn were everywhere, even in the rough terrain that she called home. When she heard there was a militia gathering in Redcliffe, she locked down her home and--like her mother before her--acted as scout and archer.
After the battle, Andriel returned to her trade, carrying on her business locally year round, and traveling to Denerim twice a year with aid of a mule and cart: Once in the early winter months to offer furs for a heftier price, and once in the spring to sell off her aged leather she perfected during winter. She has made quite a few acquaintances along the way, but always pulls away before getting close to anyone. Most who have gotten to know her just assume she enjoys her solitude, and that’s just the way she likes it.
