Mountain Dragon
 Mountain Dragon
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 Mountain Dragon with the Hingan blacksmiths in Kugane | |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Roegadyn |
| Clan | Hellsguard |
| Citizenship | Limsa Lominsa |
| Age | 28 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Family | Father (Red Dragon, believed deceased; [Adoptive] Grandfather (Wyzntrach Nortyrtrachsyn) - Unknown; Mother (Skyltwyb Leitleitawyn) - Living; Mentor (Arenhild Falahann) - Deceased |
Contents
General
Mountain Dragon is a Hellsguard Roegadyn born in Limsa Lominsa, but was raised in Coerthas for most of her childhood. The scar across her face is the result of a fight she had unsuccessfully engaged in with the Behemoth in Coerthas, of which she nearly lost her life. While her mother Skyltwyb has a storied family history, her father's, Red Dragon, is widely unknown, as he was adopted and renamed by a Sea Wolf Roegadyn named Wyzntrach Nortyrtrachsyn, a Warrior of much renown with an even more well-known Warrior family. As such, Red Dragon's real name and history is shrouded in mystery, aside from hailing from the Hellsgaurd homeland north of Abalathia's Spine.
Plot
When she was a child, Mountain was raised by an Elezen man named Arenhild Falahann, who took care of her after being left by her mother in Coerthas after nearly dying of her injuries after the Calamity, having been set upon by a behemoth and was being chased by some pirate brigands for being associated with Red Dragon. Though he told Mountain her real name, he would call her "Lydahn Falahann" amongst his peers and associates, with Ellerierre being one of the few who knew who she really was, and at the time regarded her with much disdain for sullying the Dragoon name. Enduring much of the bullying and jeering thrust onto her from Ishgardian nobles and others of the harshly cold country, she declined Arenhild's offer to join the Ishgardian forces to fight the dragons and decided to journey to her original birthplace.
Mountain has journeyed since to Gridania and Limsa Lominsa, where over time she began to discover her talents for the axe and sword & shield, despite first learning to fight with the spear when she was little. Though she also sought out the arcanima arts, unlike her mother, who was an established Arcanist of renown, she found that her talents were not as prevalent. It was not long afterwards that she began to develop a keen interest in the culinary arts, however, and during her first visit to Limsa Lominsa since her birth began learning of its practice and increased her knowledge further over time, becoming a skilled and well-known culinarian in her own right, a reputation that expanded beyond Limsa Lominsa's borders. Though she did not originally pursue blacksmithing out of interest, she invested time in it as it allowed her to learn more of her father, who to her surprise was a known figure amongst their Guild, and during her visit to Gridania built on her already notable skills as a lancer before later returning to Coerthas to pursue the art of the Dragoon in Ishgard after they had opened their borders to the outside world, the same place she learned of another sword-fighting art that was gaining popularity. She was more open to visiting the country after learning of Yhanabi's presence there, albeit not knowing about her transgressions, and Ellerierre's return after hearing of her father's declining health from Ethram and her retainers. After Yhanabi Nabi was released from custody and served her debt to Ishgard, she, along with Mountain, took up Carpentry so they could better furnish her new living space in Gridania. Though both showed skill in the art, Mountain, with her skills in Smithing and similar tools, had much more progress with it and, along with smithing and culinary prowess, developed a good level of skill with wood-working, leading to her helping Yhanabi to furnish a new staff to help with her healing, which she still uses.
While Mountain is skilled in many different combat arts, she does not like to bring that kind of attention to herself. With the help of an armorsmith, she has certain outfits crafted that completely mask her appearance, making her look like an imposing figure in public but leaving her identity well-hidden. This may stem from the mistreatment she endured growing up in Coerthas as she was not an elezen and was being raised to become a Dragoon, an art wielded only by the Ishgardian military. As a result, only some few know of her prowess as a fighter, and instead tend to liken her more to a skilled craftswoman, creating a disconnect to her reputation as a fighter as opposed to her recognition as a culinarian, blacksmith, and carpenter. Nevertheless, she has earned such titles as the "Iron Maiden," for her incredible strength despite to most only being a humble but diverse craftswoman. Some of the children in the Brume also know of her, due to her frequent visits there. They are perhaps the only people in Ishgard who know her secret. From her experiences in Ishgard Mountain has come to develop an increased appreciation and love for children, even to the point that she would care for some of them during her time in Ishgard.
After the Dragonsong War ended and her services were no longer required, she took on work as a bodyguard before moving to Tailfeather to devote her crafting talents to the small town, where she began to hear rumors of a Hellsguard group who had setup camp nearby. Later finding the time to meet them as they were just preparing to leave, she conversed with the nomadic group, who regarded her features as similar to a man they once knew. When she mentioned her father to them, the name was familiar to them, yet they spoke of him as being "a disappointment to the axe." This bothered Mountain for a long time as her skills in combat suggested otherwise. She spent an increased time in Tailfeather hoping to glean more leads leading to her father's whereabouts, when she came upon a broken axe while venturing out into Abalathia's Spine. It eventually lead her to a grave with the name of a Hellsguard. Thinking hard on what to do with the axe, she decided to keep the weapon with her, while striving to find a way to properly repair it. This lead to her later feverish pursuing of the blacksmith arts. Eventually her reputation found itself in the hands of a seafaring Hingan smithy who, during his time in Limsa Lominsa, caught Mountain's presence and requested for her skills in Kugane during a visit to Limsa Lominsa. Having no more pressing matters to attend to, she had a letter sent regarding her leaving of Tailfeather before making the long trip to Kugane. Having shown she had remarkable skill as a craftswoman, she was asked if she could stay for an extended period, and with her reluctant acceptance of the offer was given an apartment in Shirogane for her troubles. She has since been given high paying work as a blacksmith, and now resides in the region. Though learning of the plight involving Ala Mhigo, and Yhanabi's familial connection to the motherland, in the end she declined getting involved in the war, choosing to sit this one out. She however still fashioned weapons for those who required her services, and during the few times Yhanabi chanced to visit Kugane, still comes to Mountain to talk, as well as to repair her staff. After the events in Ishgard and the eventual confrontation of the Behemoth she had faced once before, she has lost her appetite for a fight, and only pledges her blade when absolutely necessary. Deep down however, she has not forgotten the words of her Hellsguard brethren, and still yearns for the chance to see her home...her real home, and with it, the unresolved mysteries surrounding her father.
Character
Mountain's demeanor has remained almost the same throughout her life, the only marked differences being her more open and laid-back personality that now blankets her more tumultuous feelings regarding personal matters. But she does not let that keep her from doing the things she enjoys. She knows why these feelings are here, and all she can hope to do is to remain active and busy to keep herself from brooding over problems she cannot yet address.
Personality
Original Personality
Mountain was quiet, but intensely diligent with a ruthless work ethic, something she gradually developed during her training with Arenhild. Despite this, her quiet nature stemmed from the bullying and teasing she dealt with from the Elezen of Coerthas and Ishgard for not being an elezen, only tolerating her presence because of Arenhild's status and her unflinching loyalty and dependability as a fighter. She ignored most of the rabble for a time and focused on strengthening herself, for it was not them she was worried about but her mother, whom she was forced to part with because of the pirate brigands who were chasing her due to her connections with Red Dragon. She often asked Arenhild when she would see her again, and it was only when they were alone that the pressure and hurt would get to her and she would feel helpless. Arenhild treated Mountain as if she were his own daughter, and as a result Mountain looked up to him for support and strength throughout her childhood. When she grew older, much of her combat was fueled by her emotions, something that rushed to the surface when she found herself in a fight, most of all when she wielded the axe and tapped into her Inner Beast. This did not always help her, however, and sometimes it served more as a deterrent than not.
Current Personality
With the end of the war in Ishgard between the elezen and the dragons, Mountain Dragon resolved to take care of one more matter: the defeat of the Behemoth who nearly killed her mother. When it was on its last legs, it is when Mountain held the axe at its head that something changed in her eyes. Rather than kill the creature, she let it go, and made the trek back to Camp Dragonhead. To this day she is not quite sure why she decided against its death, but she thinks it may be due to the effect the kids in the Brume had on her. She later found out the behemoth had children, and whilst returning to honor Arenhild's memory at his grave, heard the cries of one of them. She nursed the behemoth back to help with food, to which the two became partners. Upon returning to the site of her fight with the large behemoth, she found the child had grown fond of her. At this Mountain reluctantly adopted the behemoth as her companion, and though she does not take him anywhere outside of Coerthas, she stops by from time to time to check up on him. Ever since this event, Mountain has gradually become a more gentle woman for the experience, and has developed a more tranquil and open personality towards others. She also has an increasingly soft spot for children, and has developed a sort of motherly instinct towards others. Despite her position she currently takes care of a Xaela boy in her Apartment until they can find his mother. She is still diligent and hard-working as she's always been, but with a gentler personality and a better outlook on both her life and those around her.
The Two Faces of Mountain (Disciples of War)
Mountain Dragon likes to keep her life as a craftswoman separate from her martial agenda. This has always been the case for years, and was likely influenced by how she was treated in Coerthas and Ishgard. Though they did not like the thought of her being a non-Elezen learning their art, her commitment and diligence was without fault, and so they tolerated her. She thus surmised that if they did not know who she was, they would have far more respect and acceptance towards her in regards to her race. To that end, she had an armorsmith craft her gear that offered her superior protection while also hiding her identity. In this way, she could do her job without prejudice and feel less stressed about her position. Often the inhabitants of Ishgard assumed she was a very tall Hyur. This way of thinking has carried into how she conducts herself, both when she's fighting and taking on mercenary or bodyguard work and when she's doing crafting commissions for others, in which she is far more open about who she is.
As A Paladin
Mountain picked up her training as a Gladiator during her short stay in Ul'dah, and developed her skills further as she journeyed. Using the skills she learned during her short-lived experience delving into conjury and arcanima, she gained valuable insight into the workings of a Paladin. She however did not know of its values, and sought the counsel of Jenlyns of the Sultansworn. Although she was not admitted to their ranks, she gained fervor and eventually prowess and a reputation as a free Paladin. She carried this into her work as a bodyguard for some of the Ishgardian Elite in the Peaks as was needed. She was compensated well for these jobs due to her skill, and many of her clients remarked at her "unshakable diligence and sense of duty." Finding a proper helmet to compliment her gear was rather difficult, however.
As A Dark Knight
During her stay in Ishgard, Mountain learned of a mysterious art that was growing in popularity amongst the many adventurers who began to flood the gates of Ishgard. Though she did not completely undertake this art, its abilities weren't without merit, and she took to investing in its combat style to gain further experience with her work. When she was not enlisted to aid those in the Peaks, she took to areas such as the Brume to keep watch over any would-be troublemakers, and particularly helped the children in need, even on a few occassions assisting with the Watch. Only the kids knew of her secret underneath her helmet, however.
As A Warrior
Although she did not offer her services in Ishgard as a Warrior, one of her most skilled combat disciplines, she did aid the people of Tailfeather as such, and served as a great boon during the time she spent there. With a skill for cooking food, fashioning weapons, and being able to fight, Tailfeather benefitted greatly from her contribution. Out of her many martial disciplines, the axe was without question her most dependable one. However, in the past tapping into her Inner Beast exposed her emotions, often leaving her exhausted or stressed out afterwards. She has improved immensely in being able to control this since then, however. Contrary to what people have said about her father Red Dragon, Mountain shows remarkable skill with the axe.
The Two Faces of Mountain (Disciples of the Hand)
While her skill as a Warrior was noteworthy to many who have witnessed her in combat, Mountain herself now takes more pride in what she can make with her hands, rather than fight or destroy. Her most notable accomplishments in this regard are her skills as a culinarian and a blacksmith. While the former she began out of interest during her time in Limsa Lominsa, her delve into smithing did not start until much later when she learned of her father and discovered he was well known in the Blacksmith's Guild in Limsa Lominsa. Often the Guildmaster explained to Mountain that he would always "come in every bleedin' time for a fix on that rusty old axe o' his." Mountain thought perhaps the axe was an heirloom her father kept close to him. It wasn't until she found a broken one in Abalathia's Spine that she wondered if it was the same one. Nevertheless, she took up the art in order to find a way to restore the axe to its former glory before returning it to the grave of which it belonged.
As a Culinarian
From the beginning, her passion alone was enough to convince the Guildmaster to allow her a chance at such a difficult yet enjoyable art. Over time her skill with the pan flourished, learning to make many dishes. She did not stop in Limsa Lominsa, as she came to learn of many different varieties of food to cook. During her time in Ishgard, she did more than protect the people of the Brume. She won many of the children over with her hot meals and impressive culinary prowess, even bringing to them culinary delights that couldn't be found in Ishgard. Though she normally does not dress in a professional attire as a Culinarian, it is something she enjoys and has grown to be very good at, and while at many times casual, she does not deny that much concentration and fervor is involved in order to create the perfect dish for her clients, kids and adults alike.
