Kiley Daire

[Kiley Daire]

​

Name: Kiley Marie Daire

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: 9 Justinian, 9:13

Occupation: Noblewoman, Advisor, Espionage

Companion(s): Adelaide - Horse

Kiley knows she is beautiful, and isn’t shy about showing off what she believes are some of her greatest assets. Standing at a tall 5’10, her body is tuned to be a weapon just like the daggers she carries. Lean muscled arms and legs assist her in her more dubious work.

Her long black hair is often styled in a braid to keep it out of the way, and to help show off her pale green eyes, which stand out against her dusky skintone. She has full lips that can easily be turned from pout to grin, and can be often found with mischievousness in her eyes.

Kiley’s skin appears flawless, though underneath her clothes a variety of scars are present. She has one on her back near her left kidney, with a matching exit for the blade that caused it along her ribcage just under her breast. There are a few other small scars littered across her body, but none of these were near-mortal wounds.

Class: Rogue

Specialization: Duelist (Expert)

Weapons & Armor: For the longest time, Kiley used two veridium daggers with the crest of her family etched into the hilts. These were gifts from her deceased father. While she still carries them, Arl Teagan Guerrin recently gifted her with two expertly crafted red steel daggers that she now uses. She also has a yew bow and a set of black inscribed leather armor that was also a gift from her father.

Languages: Common (both), Orlesian (both)

Non-Combat Skills:

Master: Acrobatics, Ambidextrous
Expert: Stealth, Climbing, Ferelden History
Intermediate: Investigation, Evaluation, Coercion, Lockpicking, Ferelden Heraldry, Free Marches History, Dancing, Drinking, Etiquette, Hearing, Research, Riding, Scouting, Searching, Stamina
Novice: Cryptography, Diplomacy, Healing, Contacts

Combat Skills:

Master: Dual Weapons
Expert: Pinpoint Strike, Evasive Maneuvers, Bows, Single Weapon
Intermediate: Riposte, Cutting Barbs, Unarmed Combat
Novice: Dueling Form, Upset Balance

Armor Proficiency: Medium Armor

Kiley is a mischief maker, though in recent years this has toned down. She loves a good joke, loves to tease, and is fond of playing practical jokes on those who she feels deserves them. She strives to enjoy life, though recently this has been put to the wayside.

Once rebellious, since her father's death Kiley has a better appreciation for what he tried to instill in her and her sister. Duty is the death of adventure to her, but for now she does what is necessary to bring respect to her family's name -- as well as anything that can assist her sister in rising through the ranks. Still, there is part of her that longs for freedom, but her loyalty to her sister is unquestioning. She will never abandon her.

She is loyal to those she calls friend, and catty to those she dislikes. While she isn't truly vindictive to the point of causing bodily harm, she has no problem verbally assaulting someone she sees as beneath her. She can however rein it in when necessary, especially when it comes to other nobles. She realizes that making enemies of her peers will only succeed in ostracising her and her sister more on the political stage.

While outwardly she appears almost vain, it hides a deep sense of insecurity. There is something in her that doesn’t feel worthy of the life and status she currently enjoys, and while she hides it well, those whom she becomes close with will be able to see glimpses of it.

Kiley and her twin, Kiora, were born on a warm summerday afternoon to Bann Brennan Daire and his wife Eilis. While the two girls were born perfectly healthy, Kiora being the eldest by mere minutes, the birth took a toll on their mother. She passed on half a day later. Though pained by his wife's death, Brennan did not take it out on his newborn daughters. They were his only children, and he knew that he would most likely not have more considering his age.

The Daire's are a small noble family from the farmland's surrounding Amaranthine, specifically Hafter’s Bend, a bannorn near a curving portion of the Hafter River. They claimed blood ties at one point Howe family, but after Rendon Howe's plots came to light Brennan quietly disassociated.

As the girls grew, he spent money on the finest tutors and instructors he could afford. They learned courtly etiquette, history, and governance. When given a choice of languages to learn, Kiley chose Orlesian, while her sister chose Antivan. Though they spent much of their time in the City of Amaranthine, her father still dealt with the issues of his small part of the bannorn and he assumed one day she or Kiora would take over his duties.

While he pressed for them to be educated noblewomen, he also spoiled them. When their studies were done for the day, Kiley and her sister were allowed to roam free within the estates and do as they wish. They took up arms at a young age, and even though her father expressed initial disapproval, he gave in. Both learned how to dual wield daggers and how to use a bow. They did seem to have differing preferences. Kiley took to dual weilding daggers and get in close to her opponents, while Kiora became much better skilled at range with a bow.

Upon entering their preteen years, the girls branched away from each other. The rebellious adolescent streak manifested itself as a desire to not be alike. This began with the weapons preference, but soon included hairstyles and clothing. This phase for the girls only lasted a few years, as they learned that their similarities could be used to a devious advantage. They often posed as the opposing sister, disrupting their father's plans for them more than once.

Once the girl's were of an age to marry, Brennan started trying to arrange good matches for them. He especially wanted at least one of them to marry a second son so they would stay behind to manage his holdings when he was gone. Again, the twins had different plans than their father. Every attempt at an engagement has gone awry because of the girls mischief. It was frustrating for their aging father, but he knew that it is mostly his fault for spoiling them.

Brennan took the girls to Denerim in the fall of 9:31, hoping with Arl Eamon's assistance one of them could possibly catch the eye of King Alistair himself. This met with great disdain from the sisters. They snuck out at night during their time in Denerim, and using their skills in acrobatics to scale rooftops so they would be unseen. On one of their outings they met a man named James, who both girls teased mercilessly. What they did not know was that their new friend was, in fact, King Alistair.

The next day, Kiley was to be presented to the King as an advisor. Her fluency in Orlesian would help the king with his foreign correspondence with the Orlesian Empire, and her knowledge in diplomacy was something she would pass on to the young king. It was a thinly veiled attempt to put her in Alistair's sights for marriage. When they met, there was a moment of confusion as they recognized each other. When left alone, they both admitted they knew what Brennan and Eamon were doing, and decided to go along with their plan for now. Alistair saw use in Kiley, and they became friends.

Kiley and Kiora found employment with Bann Teagan Guerrin temporarily during this time as well, leading to infiltrating and collecting a ledger that would eventually lead to Vaughan Kendall’s downfall. After this job, Kiley had a few private encounters with Teagan that involved innuendo and word play. It instilled an unhealthy infatuation with the older man, but one that would help shape her in the years to come.

Still, Denerim was a trap for both sisters, and with the money Kiley was earning as advisor she was able to get passage on a ship to the Free Marches in secret for her and her sister. She left a note behind for Alistair, thanking him for his friendship and the twins disappeared for a few years.

The adventures they dreamed of having were nothing like they hoped. While they did find some entertaining times in Wycome, mostly they found the seedier side of society to be distasteful. They did take up with a mercenary band for a while, and it was a way for them to make a living. Kiley became infatuated with one of the members of this group, Rickard.

Rickard strung her along for the most part, as he was quite a bit older. They were good friends at least, despite her admiration of the man. During one of their escort jobs they were ambushed by another group of mercenaries. Rickard was killed, and Kiley was wounded, a stab to her back that pierced her through to her front. When everything was over, the other mercenaries had scattered and their escort was safe. Kiley ended up taking Rickard's bracelet from his wrist as something to remember him by.

It was not long after that when a letter with sad news arrived for the twins. Their father, Brennan, had died. Life in the Free Marches had lost its luster, and it was time for the twins to return to Ferelden to take up their responsibilities as the last of their family.

Kiora took the mantle of Bann, while Kiley took role of advisor. In this role, Kiley became her sister's representative at the Redcliffe Ball and reunited with Teagan Guerrin. After forcing a kiss on the dancefloor, she was handily rejected by him.

The day after the ball, she and Teagan agreed to a friendship with boundaries, which she has kept to since. While things didn’t work out with him, her sights were now set on another man. She found herself employed by Quinton Yorath, doing stealthy and dangerous work. It wasn’t until later she discovered how dirty these dealings truly were, and she stole evidence that would ruin him if she ever revealed it to anyone. In her escape from Misthaven, he wounded her with a crossbow bolt.

Reconnecting with him months later at a social event was not something she had even wished to do, but Quinton pulled her back into his web, with Kiley believing that her leverage would keep her safe.

For now, Kiley has taken a job from Teagan, while still keeping in contact with her sister in Hafter’s Bend. It's better work than what she was doing before, and she hopes that she can learn many things from Teagan while assisting in rooting out those working against him.

 

[Ferren Bairston]