Niamh Quill

Niamh Quill A Bird Set Free » ————————— ›⚜‹ ————————— « VITAL INFORMATION ■ CURRENT ALIAS... Niamh Quill ■ PREVIOUS ALIASES... Ophelia Gale; Niamh Marquaile ■ RACE & CLAN... Hyur, Midlander/Highlander ■ GENDER... Female ■ AGE & NAMEDAY... 30, 12th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon ■ ORIENTATION... Heterosexual ■ RELATIONSHIP STATUS... Single OTHER STUFF ■ NATIONALITY... Gridanian ■ CURRENT RESIDENCE... On Deployment - Gyr Abania ■ OCCUPATION... Second Serpent Lieutenant, Order of the Twin Adder ■ PATRON DEITIES... Nophica the Matron & Rhalgr the Destroyer ■ HEIGHT... 5'10" / 177 cm ■ WEIGHT... 145lb / 66kg ■ ALIGNMENT... Chaotic Good ■ SERVER... Omega (EU) P E R S O N A L I T Y The journey of Niamh Quill from her origins as a cheerful, pleasant, hopeful, and thoroughly naive conjurer of the Stillglade Fane, to the cynical, hyper-vigilant, guarded and vengeful spy for the Order of the Twin Adder is sad and unfair: a testament to the brutal world that 'adventuring' so often glosses over for those who never rise to the ranks of vaunted heroes. Between opening her heart to the wrong people, trusting the wrong people, and becoming entangled in the wrong peoples' business, Niamh experienced first-hand the worst that Eorzea had to offer. Though she does occasionally make strides and open up to those who continually demonstrate their honestly, integrity, and compassion, she is difficult to get-to-know. The fact that she's become better and better at acting and performing due to the nature of her job only complicates matter, as the line between pleasantries for the sake of 'greasing the wheels' and genuine earnestness is now heavily blurred. There was a point in her life when honesty was Niamh's highest virture, which included laying the truth bare and refusing to mince words even in the face of difficult truths. That too has shifted, as deception and lies have become occasional necessities in her stock and trade. Strangely, she gravitates towards people in whom she sees strings of her 'older', less jaded self, and can find herself at odds with forces for the sake of protecting or standing up for them: especially if it seems apparently they cannot stand for themselves. One of the most distinguishing things about Niamh, though, is memory; she is no longer a woman who forgives or forgets easily. She meticulously catalogues the bad behaviours, slights, and wrongs done to her and her kin by others, and she is loathe to look past them: believing that her due vigilance is the best defense at protecting herself and those for whom she cares. At best, she is wary and cold to said offenders. At worst, as with the Garlean Empire, they inspire outright vengeance. Regardless, with Niamh one can lose her trust easily, and then face a long uphill battle to gain any semblance of it back. L I K E S ■ Honesty -- Despite her own attitude towards providing absolute honesty, it remains the trait she values most. Even in difficult situations, or matters where it's hard to have a frank conversation, honesty will evoke immediate appreciation from her. ■ Hot Baths/Hot Springs -- Niamh finds seclusion in solitary baths in the same way that some do within starlight and moonlight, and takes them very seriously when she's on her own. ■ Games -- Very few know that Niamh quite enjoys games that challenge her mind. A great lover of puzzles and puzzle boxes, Niamh is also a deft hand at Triple Triad. ■ Wind & Heights -- Of the elements, Niamh has always had the greatest affinity with wind from her days as a conjurer within the Stillglade Fane. Though she can barely utilise it anymore, she relishes the wind whipping through her hair in the heights to which she climbs to find solitude. D I S L I K E S ■ Salaciousness -- Niamh finds people who vividly talk about sexual acts and other depravities grossly unsettling and disgusting. Such topics personally set her on edge, and can emotionally trigger her in drastic ways. ■ Claustrophobia -- Dark, cramped, and small places bring out some of her worst memories. If she feels trapped or confined, Niamh's attitude will sour and she may even collapse inward. ■ Cruelty -- Niamh has endured too many cruel people in her life, and as such she has no tolerance for keeping any around her. Intentionally cruel or bullying personalities will evoke a negative reaction from her. ■ Touch -- By and large, Niamh does not welcome casual embraces or physical contact, no matter how well meaning or platonic it may be. But, among friends and loved ones, acceptance of it without visible tension or shirking is a huge sign of trust. Q U I R K S & V I C E S ■ Pretender -- When circumstances pushed Niamh into learning the tradeset of a rogue and a spy, she started out living the life of a secretive, stalwart trainee right along side her persona as a nuturing, caring conjurer and healer. Once reconaissance work took over her life, this became much more complex, and she started crafting a couple of choice personas to preserve her integrity and protect her interests. From the rum-swilling Lominsan Triad enthusiast Red, to the vigilante Hemlock, Niamh has personas ready for situations where being an officer of the Order of the Twin Adder would hinder her. ■ Skeptical -- Niamh has had the wool pulled over her eyes far too many times for her own comfort, and born the brunt of scars and wounds from trusting in what she's been told at face value. She is a woman who will not be afraid to probe more into seemingly innocuous statements or assumptions: particularly if she thinks that, by not doing so, her safety or the safety of her friends might be put at risk. The consequence of this fear is, usually, that she seems more likely to be suspicious of anything new than welcoming of it. ■ Single-Minded -- Niamh can become so devoted to a task out of necessity or enjoyment that the world around her, and its considerations, utterly disappear. In innocent forms, it could just be losing a day to a good book. With more important matters, dedication can border on obsession to prepare and see it through to its end, regardless of the consequences to her health or safety. ■ Martyr Complex -- Following on from lack of consequence for her health or safety, a dark place in the back of Niamh's mind believes she is meant to sacrifice herself someday for the benefit of others. Behind her survivor's mentality is the hope that there is some deeper meaning to why she has endured and come through countless horrors and difficulties where others, maybe more deserving of life, perished. It remains to help quell her bouts of survivor's guilt, but is often challenged by those closest to her: much to her consternation. S K I L L S ■ Stealth Combat -- Niamh is practiced in the art of takedowns, sapping enemies, and knocking others out as silently as she can. Where that fails, or deadly force is required, her daggers come out to play. She will opt for immobilizing or disabling her foes first, and avoid protracted combat even if it requires retreat. ■ Agility -- Niamh has always been a dexterous climber: due in no small part for a love of climbing trees and scaling watch towers and high places when growing up in the Shroud. Combined with persistent combat development, this developed into a very good aptitude for quick footwork and dodging blows. ■ Acting -- The newest skill in development for Niamh is acting: specifically, learning to mimic and adopt regional accents from across all of Hydalen, for the purpose of blending in to cities and groups of people. She shows promise, but to a highly trained ear or linguist, there would be obvious aberations. ■ Alchemy -- Within the Stillglade Fane, in Niamh's early 20s, an alchemist from Ul'dah came to learn conjury to supplement their own journey into the healing arts. From them, Niamh learned the basics of creating healing tonics, potions, poultices, and antidotes. She is far from a master alchemist, but can easily keep an infirmary stocked and well-supplied. ■ Conjury Theory -- Niamh studied and practiced conjury within the Stillglade Fane of Gridania for nearly 15 years: even to the point of tutoring some of the younger students. However, after leaving Gridania and using her abilities in more than a few desperate situations of the course of three cycles, she unwittingly damaged her own aetherpool to the point of losing the ability to conjure safely. She no longer practices the art, but remains an expert on it, as well as the mysteries of the Twelveswood. A P P E A R A N C E ■ Body: A mixture of her Highlander and Midlander heritage, she appears very much like a tall Midlander woman born with a slightly broader frame and wider hips. Training has brought out greater definition in her legs, stomach, and arms, but her build is much more athletic than muscular. ■ Skin: Fair, with a tendency to flush into red easily or noticeably when hot or otherwise exerting herself. ■ Hair: A deep shade of red, and cut short and loose to frame her face, falling just above her shoulders. ■ Eyes: Sharp and grey, like her siblings. ■ Scars Niamh has two prominent scars always visible on her face: one, two ilms long, running from the left side of her brow to just beside her left eye, and one thick line nearly three ilms long across the right side of her neck. Beneath her robes, the scars increase: scarred skin on her left thigh from an arrow wound, a deep puncture wound from another arrow near the crook of her right arm, a slashing scar four ilms long above her right breast, and seven small puncture wounds in various places on her torso. ■ Clothes: Her attire usually consists of clothes with long sleeves or shirts and tunics that cover her whole torso. Her favourite colours tend to be greens, browns, dark blues, and whites. When on active duty with the Adders, and not engaged in covert operations, she wears tunics or jackets that easily identify her as a serving soldier of the Grand Company. ■ Jewellery: Minimalistic, but she is fond of earrings. On special occasions, she wears a necklace made out of antique gold chain, bearing one green drop gem and one red drop gem. I N T E R A C T I O N S R U M O R S For NPC based Rumors, please send me a /tell in-game. Player Character rumors below - Feel free to add your own! ■ "Niamh? She says she's got no strength of her own... People say that her eyes are dead and lifeless, and that she's given up... I don't see it. I see fire in those eyes, and the will of a survivor. She's wounded and licking her wounds for the moment, and I'm both excited and scared to see what happens when she's back to herself." - Ranic Iriq ■ " Ah yes. I've got nothing bad to say about Niamh. In fact, she is the sweetest person that you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Word of advice however: Behave around her. I would hate to hear about someone treating my dear sister disrespectfully, or trying to take advantage of her. " - Arnvidar Swiftheart ■ ((Placeholder)) R E L A T I O N S ♥ Romantic Interest ● Neutral relation 💘 Crush ● Negative relation ♥ Platonic Love ● Hostile relation ☘ Positive relation ➘ Lost/Minimal contact ☍ Confidant ☠ Deceased ★ Highly respected [edit] Friends Family Acquaintances Enemies ☘ ☍ 💘 Robert Thorne | A Gridanian native and arcanist who shares a love of magical theories and puzzles. His kindness, intellect, and bookish charm allowed her to count him among one of her first friends on return to the Kindred after evading Garlean conscription. Though they've been scattered in different directions over the last two cycles, he has remained one of her oldest and most loyal allies in times of trouble. Now stationed in Gyr Abania as an intelligence officer for the Maelstrom, Niamh spends a good amount of time with the Midlander off-duty, stirring up old memories and feelings that she thought were buried. ☘ ☍ Kosetsu Kensei | A stoic Raen knight of very few words and a relentless sense of duty, Niamh and Kosetsu were acquaintances from their days together in the Kindred and Winter's Wake. However, after Kosetsu unexpectedly saved Niamh's life in the wake of the Alliance's siege on Specula Imperatoris, Niamh's relationship with Kosetsu deepened, and the pair fought together in the final battle for Ala Mhigo's independence. She values her blunt honesty and insight into situations, and is particularly fond of her pudgy cat companion, who she affectionately named "Page". Mother: ♥ ☠ Avrina Quill | Died in the Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo. Father: ♥ ☠ Ethan Quill | Died in the Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo. Adoptive Father: ♥ Astidien Marquaile | Wildwood Elezen - retired archer of the Gods' Quiver of Gridania Adoptive Mother: ♥ Thora Marquaile | Midlander Hyur - Wood Wailer, still on active duty Younger Sister: ♥ ☍ ☠ Nailah Quill | Killed while fighting for the Ala Mhigan Resistance in an siege laid out on Rhalgr's Reach by Garlean forces. Older Brother: ♥➘ Arnvidar Swiftheart | aka. Arnvidar Quill. Separated by Niamh's adoption, but still kept in close contact while the two grew up apart. Known to be fighting in the Ala Mhigan Resistance, but their paths keep them from meeting. ☘ ➘Bexy Amalaryssia | An old acquaintance from the days of her sister's Free Company, the Kindred, Niamh reunited with Bexy completely by chance when they were stood on opposing ends of a mission. Though not the closest of companions in the past, Bexy's willingness to both listen and speak with compassion in times of trouble earned Niamh's esteem -- though the two have not seen each other in some time. ☘ ➘ Claisent Vaucotier | An Ishgardian swordsman with a checkered past of his own, Claisent's conduct towards others around him - and to her - has warmed her to the Elezen. They have not crossed paths since she departed Winter's Wake. ● ➘ Aelia Flameheart aka: Aelia Whitesea | A Raen acquaintance of her former Free Company that migrated to Ishgard, who later was revealed to be a former Garlean ranking soldier who absconded after losing her entire military unit. Niamh's remaining deep-seeded prejudices towards the Garlean military swiftly sent their budding friendship into a tailspin, despite the woman's constant insistence of wanting to turn over a new leaf. They have not spoken in some time, but in the current clime of the war, she is almost relieved they haven't. ● ➘ Ronin'ra Jinehga | Her first love, whom fate and cruelty tore her apart from. On being reunited, the Keeper had moved on and mated with another Keeper whom he had, in fact, been having a secret affair with while he and Niamh were lovers. That, combined with a chain of more and more twisted crimes, shook her faith and drove her to purposely distance herself. They no longer speak. ☘➘ O'ray Tia | A former card cheat, scoundrel, and tumbler of many women, Ray pursued Niamh - then using the alias Ophelia Gale - not long after she had escaped Garlean conscription. Despite trying to hold him at arm's length after seeing in him many similarities to Ronin, she succumbed to his charms and the pair fell deeply in love. Yet, as Ray started to leave his roguish life behind and take on the mantle of responsibility of leading a new Free Company, Ophelia began to long for independence and freedom to meet her destiny on her own terms. In the end, each had become like the other at the start of their courtship, and Ophelia parted ways from him - and his Free Company - on bittersweet terms. ●➘ Sashana Star | Ronin's former mate, and the 'other woman' during their own courtship. Though Niamh and she have buried the hatchet between them and made peace, she has gone to lengths to keep her distance herself due to lingering apprehension about Ronin. ☠ Varus vas Varnian | A Garlean spymaster involved with a plan to abduct her to put pressure on the Kindred to return one of their former agents. Though he did not present himself as cruel, his kindness was a ruse that she did not discover until the moments before his death. ☠ Orien'to Jinehga | The catalyst for her entire world going to the Seventh Hell in a handbasket. Thankfully, dead. ☠ Drusus rem Naevius | Primus pilus of the cohort to which Ophelia belonged in her captivity in Garlemald, and the source of many of her lingering emotional and physical scars. Niamh feared and hated this man, who used his power to bring her terror and humiliation. Slain by herself and a group of her most trusted companions within Castrum Oriens - long before it was seized by the Alliance. ● Isarmoix Solainteau | Formerly known as 'The Speaker' for an elusive group known only as the Tenth Men, this Twin Adder Captain led the secretive training of Niamh in the ways of stealth, knife combat, and espionage in the mission to assassinate Drusus rem Naevius. Ever an antagonistic and proud servant of the secretive society, Isarmoix was cast out of their ranks - and the Twin Adder - after a botched mission to gather intelligence nearly led to Niamh outing the Tenth Men to the world. A R T By Zithen By Deeza O O C Feel Free To: ■ Send me a tell before engaging IC if possible, please! I'm often IC, but standing around in the latest leveling gear likely means I'm not... ■ Ask if I'm interested in plots and stories; I love them! I also am very happy to serve as an NPC for an event in a pinch, as I love the challenge of writing/making up a character on the spot. ■ Feel free to book me in or schedule RP with me for certain dates/times. I have a very busy schedule in RL, so making appointments is usually what I prefer. Ask First Regarding: ■ Heavier mature RP themes including torture, kidnapping, abuse, etc. If there's no discussion or consent before hand, I will end the scene and blacklist you. ■ Historical connections/friendship with my characters; I'm very open to them! Please just send me a /tell to talk about what you have in mind. I Will Not: ■ ERP only for the sake of ERP. ■ Play with Fantasia/race change plots - Fantasia is an OOC item. ■ Use flagrantly lore-breaking plots/character concepts. ■ Play with high powered characters/themes: including characters with strengths/abilities only accessible to the Warrior of Light in the MSQ. This includes, but isn't limited to, White Mages, Black Mages, Summoners, the Azure Dragoon, or manifestations of the Echo. This wiki is an adapted/remixed form of the template found at Veil Iriq, and is borrowed almost directly from Nailah Quill. Thank you!