Maria del Andallo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fishbreath) wrote2013-09-13 06:23 pm
fishbreath) wrote2013-09-13 06:23 pm
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Player Information
Player name: Liz
Contact: plurk: buttadventure
Are you over 18: AND PROUD OF IT
Characters in The Box Already: none
Character Information
Character Name: Maria del Andallo
Canon: Original
Canon Point: Shortly after successfully making it out of August, mid camping for the night.
Is your character Dead, Undead or Alive: Alive
History:
To begin Maria's history, a little world background is in order. She's from a planet that has never had need of a name, because the 20-some sentient species living on it have always been far more concerned with their own territories and kingdoms to ever need a name for the place as a whole. Maria herself is from the undersea kingdom of Attaya, home of the sea-faring amphibious race known as attals. They're known as traders and merchants, and do business with every nation with a border at the sea — and even some inland. This has made them very diplomatic and polite, as the greater the contact with another species, the greater the chance of sparking a war. This planet, with its 20+ sentient species, has seen a lot of wars. Everyone is very proud that there haven't been any in the last 50 years, but it's always a tenuous balance.
Maria's father is a prominent merchant, and as generally a child follows in a parents footsteps, so Maria has had all the diplomatic training required for dealing with many different species, as well as been taught all the cunning of a merchant getting the best deal possible. By age 18 she's learned most of the spoken languages to varying extents, and is generally primed and ready to take over for her father when he passes on the business and its associated fleets. (She's lately been discovering that she's far more interested in working with her hands, building sturdy structures, and making good and useful crafts, but as she dislikes the idea of upsetting her father with a career change, that's neither here nor there.)
It can't be said that everything changed when the humans landed the SS August on an uninhabited inland sea, three years ago. Really, the only things the humans have changed so far was to give the planet a name: Wayland. Generally, they're more preoccupied with their own affairs to stir up too much of ruckus with their new neighbors. For a start, when the August passed through Wayland's magnetic field (responsible for the beautiful light show all night in the lower atmosphere, as well as powering most technology, and even endowing its guardians, called Anchors, with unusual powers), it rendered the entire species sterile, and infected 10% of them with a fatal disease. They also have the challenge of building an entire city with the broken-down remains of their crashed transport ship, but that really does come second to the birth-problem.
Of course, there was some wariness regarding the humans, but as they didn't immediately declare war or attack anyone, most species were content just to regard them as yet another nation among many. Naturally, the attals immediately set to learning their language, the better to trade with them. Maria is relatively well-spoken in the main language among the human arrivals by now, and regards them with a friendly neutrality. That is, until one of them steals away a childhood friend of hers, Vanadi. When he missed their usual annual meeting, Maria made the trip into the mountainous kingdom of the kitrites, Aluthsa, to find him. Vanadi turned up missing, reported by his parents to be "on some cruise around the world", and she was turned away empty-handed. Further research brought up his name on no passenger lists, and Maria was determined not to believe that this was all as innocent and intentional as his friends and family had been led to believe. The trouble was, no one would help her with it, and she wasn't sure where to begin her search alone.
Enter Riley: a human, and thus a new arrival, Riley had managed to make himself a subject of scorn and offense in record time. As one of those afflicted by that fatal disease suffered only by arriving humans, Riley had heard the rumors that being an Anchor meant immortality, and had managed to steal the power of it for himself. As being an Anchor was typically considered something sacred, quite a few nations were understandably annoyed about this. Maria did her very best to turn away his offer of help without outright refusing it (that would be rude), but Riley was either incapable of taking hints or perfectly capable of ignoring them. Either way, she was shortly stuck with him.
Their search brought them to that new human city, named for the ship, August. The two of them met Kelawar, who was searching for the same thing they were — but from the opposite side of the equation. Kelawar sought Venus, the scientist that had bought Vanadi, believing the woman was responsible for her father's death. They managed to break into Venus's lab while she was out, Maria and Riley to recover Vanadi, and Kelawar in search of condemning evidence. Both groups found what they sought, but Maria discovered Vanadi had been changed. Venus had been using him to test her work in cybernetics, intended to overcome the sterilization of the population by building perfect bodies that wouldn't need replacing, no matter how old they grew. Half of Vanadi's body had been replaced by metal parts so far, and a third of his brain. He had also been programmed to be obedient to Venus, which was currently preventing his escape, due to the order to "stay in the lab." Kelawar, a blossoming scientist in her own right, had taken off immediately to track down Venus upon finding the evidence she'd been seeking, and so it was left to Riley with his base knowledge of technology to kill the tie Vanadi had to Venus. He was reluctant, but gave into Maria's requests (and eventual threats), and tried his hand at it. It seemed to have worked, and the three made their escape out of August. That's were Maria will be taken from.
Personality:
Maria is very polite. Her entire species is very diplomatic and quick to soothe any hurt tempers, which is a defense mechanism born both of having seen so very many wars, and of having constant contact with the easily offended forces that generally perpetrate them. However, Maria is also a merchant in training, which has engrained a shrewd cleverness in her. She's perceptive and quick to catch onto new patterns, especially those pertaining to people. It never takes her too long to suss out a new acquaintance, and her goal is to quickly learn what makes them upset, how to soothe that, and how to best (and most peaceably) get what she wants out of them.
As with most other attals, Maria is habitually modest. She always wears her veil and full dress while in public, and only in the privacy of her own home (or kingdom, in the case of attals as a race) does she shed all clothing, as is custom. Legends say that one of Wayland's many, many wars was sparked when an attal, before the implementation of the veils, yawned. Some species, it has been lost to history which one, was alarmed at the display of so very many sharp teeth, took it as an attack, and responded in kind. This may not be the actually origin of attal modesty, but all agree it really is best to keep their jaws hidden — as it is for manticores not to walk around with their claws extended, or kitrites to keep their swords sheathed. Maria is perfectly content with this cultural habit, and while she slows as little hesitance to disrobe as anyone else might show to pull out a weapon, she's fine otherwise with keeping covered at all times. In fact, non-battle public situations that might require a lowering of her veil can be a little flustering. She even prefers to eat alone, or in the company of her own species. After having spent time with her very cultured kitrite friend, it's slowly dawned on her that attals are very messy, bloody eaters, and she's faintly embarrassed for it.
Despite her manners and modesty, and perhaps counterintuitively to those who have recently met her, Maria is not any form of a pushover. She's perfectly capable of instating her own desires, she just does it very politely. If someone's doing something wrong, though it may take her a bit to find an opportune moment and the best phrasing, they will have it made clear to them. She's just not keen on starting any wars when she does it.
And finally, Maria is protective. This is put to most use when she decides to rescue a friend she isn't even certain needs rescuing, but it extends to all friends and most acquaintances. Other species tend to be a little more fragile than attals, with their tough skin and greater strength, and so she feels a need to look out for anyone that isn't similarly gifted. It's tempered by her politeness, but she can make a real threat of herself in defense of a friend if she's given a need to.
Abilities/Strengths and Weaknesses:
Her species has naturally tough and leathery skin, as well as higher strength than most other species at the same general size. But beyond her wide jaws being an effective weapon (and using them to catch live prey), Maria has never had training to fight. She's intended to live her life as a merchant, so there's been no need for her to ever learn it. She's a strong and fast swimmer, and, being amphibious, can breathe through the gills at her jaw without needing to surface for air. This also means that she does best in damp climates, and grows weak if she's dry or on dry land for too long.
tl;dr strengths: Strong, tough skin, breathes in water, big horrifying mouth, shrewd.
tl;dr weaknesses: Can't fight, needs to be watered, damage to sensitive gills is Basically Terrible, can only digest meat.
Samples
Network/Action Spam Sample: From the Test Drive!
Prose Log Sample:
Maria hovered near to the door, feeling very distinctly uncomfortable. It was all very beautiful, from the high and gracefully arched windows that spilled golden light into the room, to the beautiful and imperious kitrite couple that sat at the couch before said windows — and it all made her feel woefully underprepared. Her dress, to which she usually gave no thought, felt wrinkled and simplistic in the face of the elegant embroidery both kitrites wore.
"And… who are you, again?" The male kitrite was speaking. Vanadi's father, Maria knew, and she could see the resemblance easily, but she felt none of the same warmth. Vanadi had never looked at her as if she were something disgusting that had crawled up out of a gutter to beg too near his clean shoes. She dropped her gaze away quickly least she be speared by his sharper one, and one hand found its way to its opposite upper arm.
"Maria…" Oh, but that was too weakly said, wasn't it? One should respect the parents of one's friend, but not make them ask you to repeat yourself. She tried again, a little louder. "Maria del Andallo."
"Thank you, Maria, but I meant who are you to my son?" the man drawled, and Maria flinched for the misunderstanding. The woman next to him, draped in a stunningly beautiful dress, added, "I don't think we've seen you about with him."
This was off to a terrible start. Still, though, it would all be so much easier if (sorry, Vanadi) kitrites weren't so insufferable. Maria steeled herself, cleared her throat, and answered, "I… um, his friend." She nearly winced again for the stammer in it. If only they didn't look at her so, she could speak more confidently.
"His friend. She's one of his friends, darling," the woman added, turning to face her husband, and seeming to forget Maria still stood precisely where she'd stopped upon being shown into the room.
"I'm sure she is," the man said, and tilted his chin back toward Maria. "Well, he isn't here, Maria, but you might try the Estate Andrava. Their youngest daughter has similar… tastes." Maria felt a rising disconcertion — they were getting the wrong idea, weren't they? Already. Maria knew Vanadi's questionable habits as well as anyone, she'd known him for nearly seven years, and they thought— the woman interrupted her before she could gather a defense, and Maria's pride sunk just a little bit more. "I think she may be slow, you had best explain it more carefully."
Maria would sink into the ground if she could, erase her entrance into this overly expensive house and try this conversation from a wholly different angle, but of course it was too late for that. The man spoke again, slower this time, like he thought her an idiot.
"Vanadi left three months ago on a cruise about the world, we've been told — not that he stopped in to say goodbye." ("A mother does grow used to it," muttered into her wine glass.) "So he isn't here to invite you to any of his little galas. The Andrava girl likes just as much drinking, sex, and drugs as does Vanadi, though. Try a vist to her."
Maria nearly stumbled backwards. Of all the misunderstandings! Here she was, expressing concern over a potentially absent friend, and his parents could see her as no more than one of his starstruck entourage. It was all she could do not to bury her face into her hands. But she took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced her steady patience to stretch even further than she usually asked of it. The situation wasn't out of her control yet, she could still salvage this and leave with most of her dignity intact.
Probably.
But as soon as she found Vanadi, where ever he was, he would be hearing precisely what she thought of the manners of his parents. With that in mind, she steeled her resolve and began again.
"No, no! No, I am so sorry for the misunderstanding, I must be explaining poorly… You see, what I meant…"
Player name: Liz
Contact: plurk: buttadventure
Are you over 18: AND PROUD OF IT
Characters in The Box Already: none
Character Information
Character Name: Maria del Andallo
Canon: Original
Canon Point: Shortly after successfully making it out of August, mid camping for the night.
Is your character Dead, Undead or Alive: Alive
History:
To begin Maria's history, a little world background is in order. She's from a planet that has never had need of a name, because the 20-some sentient species living on it have always been far more concerned with their own territories and kingdoms to ever need a name for the place as a whole. Maria herself is from the undersea kingdom of Attaya, home of the sea-faring amphibious race known as attals. They're known as traders and merchants, and do business with every nation with a border at the sea — and even some inland. This has made them very diplomatic and polite, as the greater the contact with another species, the greater the chance of sparking a war. This planet, with its 20+ sentient species, has seen a lot of wars. Everyone is very proud that there haven't been any in the last 50 years, but it's always a tenuous balance.
Maria's father is a prominent merchant, and as generally a child follows in a parents footsteps, so Maria has had all the diplomatic training required for dealing with many different species, as well as been taught all the cunning of a merchant getting the best deal possible. By age 18 she's learned most of the spoken languages to varying extents, and is generally primed and ready to take over for her father when he passes on the business and its associated fleets. (She's lately been discovering that she's far more interested in working with her hands, building sturdy structures, and making good and useful crafts, but as she dislikes the idea of upsetting her father with a career change, that's neither here nor there.)
It can't be said that everything changed when the humans landed the SS August on an uninhabited inland sea, three years ago. Really, the only things the humans have changed so far was to give the planet a name: Wayland. Generally, they're more preoccupied with their own affairs to stir up too much of ruckus with their new neighbors. For a start, when the August passed through Wayland's magnetic field (responsible for the beautiful light show all night in the lower atmosphere, as well as powering most technology, and even endowing its guardians, called Anchors, with unusual powers), it rendered the entire species sterile, and infected 10% of them with a fatal disease. They also have the challenge of building an entire city with the broken-down remains of their crashed transport ship, but that really does come second to the birth-problem.
Of course, there was some wariness regarding the humans, but as they didn't immediately declare war or attack anyone, most species were content just to regard them as yet another nation among many. Naturally, the attals immediately set to learning their language, the better to trade with them. Maria is relatively well-spoken in the main language among the human arrivals by now, and regards them with a friendly neutrality. That is, until one of them steals away a childhood friend of hers, Vanadi. When he missed their usual annual meeting, Maria made the trip into the mountainous kingdom of the kitrites, Aluthsa, to find him. Vanadi turned up missing, reported by his parents to be "on some cruise around the world", and she was turned away empty-handed. Further research brought up his name on no passenger lists, and Maria was determined not to believe that this was all as innocent and intentional as his friends and family had been led to believe. The trouble was, no one would help her with it, and she wasn't sure where to begin her search alone.
Enter Riley: a human, and thus a new arrival, Riley had managed to make himself a subject of scorn and offense in record time. As one of those afflicted by that fatal disease suffered only by arriving humans, Riley had heard the rumors that being an Anchor meant immortality, and had managed to steal the power of it for himself. As being an Anchor was typically considered something sacred, quite a few nations were understandably annoyed about this. Maria did her very best to turn away his offer of help without outright refusing it (that would be rude), but Riley was either incapable of taking hints or perfectly capable of ignoring them. Either way, she was shortly stuck with him.
Their search brought them to that new human city, named for the ship, August. The two of them met Kelawar, who was searching for the same thing they were — but from the opposite side of the equation. Kelawar sought Venus, the scientist that had bought Vanadi, believing the woman was responsible for her father's death. They managed to break into Venus's lab while she was out, Maria and Riley to recover Vanadi, and Kelawar in search of condemning evidence. Both groups found what they sought, but Maria discovered Vanadi had been changed. Venus had been using him to test her work in cybernetics, intended to overcome the sterilization of the population by building perfect bodies that wouldn't need replacing, no matter how old they grew. Half of Vanadi's body had been replaced by metal parts so far, and a third of his brain. He had also been programmed to be obedient to Venus, which was currently preventing his escape, due to the order to "stay in the lab." Kelawar, a blossoming scientist in her own right, had taken off immediately to track down Venus upon finding the evidence she'd been seeking, and so it was left to Riley with his base knowledge of technology to kill the tie Vanadi had to Venus. He was reluctant, but gave into Maria's requests (and eventual threats), and tried his hand at it. It seemed to have worked, and the three made their escape out of August. That's were Maria will be taken from.
Personality:
Maria is very polite. Her entire species is very diplomatic and quick to soothe any hurt tempers, which is a defense mechanism born both of having seen so very many wars, and of having constant contact with the easily offended forces that generally perpetrate them. However, Maria is also a merchant in training, which has engrained a shrewd cleverness in her. She's perceptive and quick to catch onto new patterns, especially those pertaining to people. It never takes her too long to suss out a new acquaintance, and her goal is to quickly learn what makes them upset, how to soothe that, and how to best (and most peaceably) get what she wants out of them.
As with most other attals, Maria is habitually modest. She always wears her veil and full dress while in public, and only in the privacy of her own home (or kingdom, in the case of attals as a race) does she shed all clothing, as is custom. Legends say that one of Wayland's many, many wars was sparked when an attal, before the implementation of the veils, yawned. Some species, it has been lost to history which one, was alarmed at the display of so very many sharp teeth, took it as an attack, and responded in kind. This may not be the actually origin of attal modesty, but all agree it really is best to keep their jaws hidden — as it is for manticores not to walk around with their claws extended, or kitrites to keep their swords sheathed. Maria is perfectly content with this cultural habit, and while she slows as little hesitance to disrobe as anyone else might show to pull out a weapon, she's fine otherwise with keeping covered at all times. In fact, non-battle public situations that might require a lowering of her veil can be a little flustering. She even prefers to eat alone, or in the company of her own species. After having spent time with her very cultured kitrite friend, it's slowly dawned on her that attals are very messy, bloody eaters, and she's faintly embarrassed for it.
Despite her manners and modesty, and perhaps counterintuitively to those who have recently met her, Maria is not any form of a pushover. She's perfectly capable of instating her own desires, she just does it very politely. If someone's doing something wrong, though it may take her a bit to find an opportune moment and the best phrasing, they will have it made clear to them. She's just not keen on starting any wars when she does it.
And finally, Maria is protective. This is put to most use when she decides to rescue a friend she isn't even certain needs rescuing, but it extends to all friends and most acquaintances. Other species tend to be a little more fragile than attals, with their tough skin and greater strength, and so she feels a need to look out for anyone that isn't similarly gifted. It's tempered by her politeness, but she can make a real threat of herself in defense of a friend if she's given a need to.
Abilities/Strengths and Weaknesses:
Her species has naturally tough and leathery skin, as well as higher strength than most other species at the same general size. But beyond her wide jaws being an effective weapon (and using them to catch live prey), Maria has never had training to fight. She's intended to live her life as a merchant, so there's been no need for her to ever learn it. She's a strong and fast swimmer, and, being amphibious, can breathe through the gills at her jaw without needing to surface for air. This also means that she does best in damp climates, and grows weak if she's dry or on dry land for too long.
tl;dr strengths: Strong, tough skin, breathes in water, big horrifying mouth, shrewd.
tl;dr weaknesses: Can't fight, needs to be watered, damage to sensitive gills is Basically Terrible, can only digest meat.
Samples
Network/Action Spam Sample: From the Test Drive!
Prose Log Sample:
Maria hovered near to the door, feeling very distinctly uncomfortable. It was all very beautiful, from the high and gracefully arched windows that spilled golden light into the room, to the beautiful and imperious kitrite couple that sat at the couch before said windows — and it all made her feel woefully underprepared. Her dress, to which she usually gave no thought, felt wrinkled and simplistic in the face of the elegant embroidery both kitrites wore.
"And… who are you, again?" The male kitrite was speaking. Vanadi's father, Maria knew, and she could see the resemblance easily, but she felt none of the same warmth. Vanadi had never looked at her as if she were something disgusting that had crawled up out of a gutter to beg too near his clean shoes. She dropped her gaze away quickly least she be speared by his sharper one, and one hand found its way to its opposite upper arm.
"Maria…" Oh, but that was too weakly said, wasn't it? One should respect the parents of one's friend, but not make them ask you to repeat yourself. She tried again, a little louder. "Maria del Andallo."
"Thank you, Maria, but I meant who are you to my son?" the man drawled, and Maria flinched for the misunderstanding. The woman next to him, draped in a stunningly beautiful dress, added, "I don't think we've seen you about with him."
This was off to a terrible start. Still, though, it would all be so much easier if (sorry, Vanadi) kitrites weren't so insufferable. Maria steeled herself, cleared her throat, and answered, "I… um, his friend." She nearly winced again for the stammer in it. If only they didn't look at her so, she could speak more confidently.
"His friend. She's one of his friends, darling," the woman added, turning to face her husband, and seeming to forget Maria still stood precisely where she'd stopped upon being shown into the room.
"I'm sure she is," the man said, and tilted his chin back toward Maria. "Well, he isn't here, Maria, but you might try the Estate Andrava. Their youngest daughter has similar… tastes." Maria felt a rising disconcertion — they were getting the wrong idea, weren't they? Already. Maria knew Vanadi's questionable habits as well as anyone, she'd known him for nearly seven years, and they thought— the woman interrupted her before she could gather a defense, and Maria's pride sunk just a little bit more. "I think she may be slow, you had best explain it more carefully."
Maria would sink into the ground if she could, erase her entrance into this overly expensive house and try this conversation from a wholly different angle, but of course it was too late for that. The man spoke again, slower this time, like he thought her an idiot.
"Vanadi left three months ago on a cruise about the world, we've been told — not that he stopped in to say goodbye." ("A mother does grow used to it," muttered into her wine glass.) "So he isn't here to invite you to any of his little galas. The Andrava girl likes just as much drinking, sex, and drugs as does Vanadi, though. Try a vist to her."
Maria nearly stumbled backwards. Of all the misunderstandings! Here she was, expressing concern over a potentially absent friend, and his parents could see her as no more than one of his starstruck entourage. It was all she could do not to bury her face into her hands. But she took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced her steady patience to stretch even further than she usually asked of it. The situation wasn't out of her control yet, she could still salvage this and leave with most of her dignity intact.
Probably.
But as soon as she found Vanadi, where ever he was, he would be hearing precisely what she thought of the manners of his parents. With that in mind, she steeled her resolve and began again.
"No, no! No, I am so sorry for the misunderstanding, I must be explaining poorly… You see, what I meant…"