#Caonai

[uselessidiotsquad]

Should you fight my characters? Plant Flavor!

Back at it with more!

Riaghael

Battle Music: Saltillo - A Necessary End

Should you fight Riag? Look I get it, you get it, even he gets it - he's not the most amiable person in the world. He's usually grumpy and sometimes even an asshole. He wouldn't even be mad at if you if you tried to fight him. But no one is winning from this fight. You will likely feel like crap trying to fight someone who (is trying but) cannot fight back, and guaranteed he will feel even worse. Trying to fight someone who is well aware of that they aren't what they used to be is a little mean - so please don't fight the grump.

Who initiates the battle? You would have to, he knows he can't win in fights anymore so he doesn't try to start anything.

Who would win? You would. He physically can't wield weapons anymore and mentally/psychologically is unable to deal with the stress of it. It wouldn't even be a fair fight, he would summon minions to try to defend himself but that's it. You would still be able to take him down pretty quickly.

Deiliús

Battle Music: anoice - finale

Should you fight Dei? They are the least threatening person you can encounter. ...so why on Tyria would you? The only reason I could ever see someone trying to fight them is them being a rigid 'All NMC are evil and must die' type of person. They have all the strength of wet tissue paper and are allergic to conflict. Don't fight them. You stand nothing to gain from it (besides my unwavering disapproval).

Who initiates the battle? You would HAVE to. They would expend all of their energy just trying to run from you than have to fight. Even if cornered they would try to fend off attacks but not fight back.

Who would win? There's no question that you would win. It would be like kicking a stray cat on the street that had just gotten its ass kicked from other cats. Their magic is illusion based for concealment or psychological harm (which they hated using and only did in the past because they were forced to) not for attacking. It wouldn't even really be a fight, it would be you kicking their ass.

Under the cut to save your dash!

Naechdion

Battle Music: Shadow of the Colossus OST - Silence

Should you fight Dion? No! Absolutely not! He's minding his own business in the Wychmire and is already scared of everything. Leave him be.

Who would initiate the battle? You would have to start it - but that means finding him first. He's very good at hiding.

Who would win? You would, but then you would probably have to fight me because Dion doesn't deserve to be picked on. He's bad at Guardian magic and scared of everything, he would probably be shaking in a corner as soon as you got anywhere near him.

Ruby Aenn

Battle Music: Dallas String Quartet - Firework

Should you fight Ruby? Ruby is always up for a good fair sparring session. Actual fights, she thinks can be avoided with enough discussion but sparring for practice is fun! She's game for a bit of a spat if you are!

Who would initiate the fight? 50/50! She might want to warm up before a bigger skirmish and ask you to spar with her. Or perhaps you feel like trying the Prismatic Dragon's Champion on for size.

Who would win? Ruby has some very clear strong points and weaknesses. For one, she's tiny, just at 4'9, so her center of balance makes her harder to take down. Most especially challenging is that she changes her fight strategy depending on which pet she is soulbound to. So that's tricky. However, it is easy to bait while attuned to specific animals and that makes her slip up because the animal side wins. It would be fair!

Madrúil

Battle Music: The Dali Thundering Concept - There is no Calm Before the Storm (Instrumental)

Should you fight Mad? Oh god, please kick his ass. He has made life hell for a lot of innocent people and deserves to get the shit kicked out of him. You would be making a lot of people happy.

Who would initiate the fight? Chances are Mad would since he thinks with his fists more often than his brain. Or he would be trying to abduct you for his hounds to 'play with' so you had to defend yourself.

Who would win? Tricky. Mad is good at both long range with his bow and close melee with axes, but struggles at mid-range. If you have something that can keep him just close enough to you to not be able to use his long bow but not so close you meet the axe, you can probably out last him. That is until he goes full chicken shit and gets other Blasphemy goonies to try and waylay you. He's not above being a slime ball to win.

Countess Diamhasla

Battle Music: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: III. Pe-loc - Andante

Should you fight Diam? PLEASE DO. Can I help? I would love to help. We can throw her down a well. She sets people up for failure, and when they are at their most vulnerable she 'saves' them, only to then hold that over their head to get what she wants. She's fragile and has poor health but I'm not above beating her leafy head in with a mallet.

Who would initiate the battle? You would, she doesn't do fighting. Usually letting her henchmen do the dirty work for her. Half of the issue of fighting her is actually getting to her, she's fairly well defended.

Who would win? She's scary good at earth magic, so the key would be to interrupt her before she can summon too many elementals or the huge earthen hands to grab you. If you can hit hard and fast, you win, easy. But if you let her get too many spells off it's looking like she will win.

Warden Captain Cálguais

Battle music: Andry Vinogradov - Chain Dance

Should you fight Cal? They're the most honorable (to the point of being insufferable) person to fight. If you asked for an honorable dual they would be happy to oblige you but in any other situations they would not. To spar for the sake of improvement (since they will be telling you the whole time where you could have done better) sure! Fight them!

Who would initiate the battle? Either you asking to spar with them or them training baby Wardens and asking you to spar as an example.

Who would win? Likely you would, but not easily. They are pretty competent at fighting but they tend to be rigid and fixed in their training they learned so they can't always adapt to new threats.

Glanaim

Battle music: Gallowstreet - Fisticuffs

Should you fight Glan? Sure, as long as you realize he treats fighting like flirting half the time. Morally he's a grey person so you don't have much to lose by fighting him. He doesn't kill people unless he's paid to do so so go for it!

Who would initiate the fight? Depends! If he's in a good mood, he'll ask you to spar with him. Otherwise you'd have to approach the topic.

Who would win? If you give him any distance at all, he will win so fast it makes your head spin. He's a sniper, and a damn good one at that. If you go after him in melee you have a very strong chance of winning, since he's not as good with pistols as he is with his rifle. (bonus there's a high chance he asks you out for a drink and then a rematch later).

Caonai

Battle Music: Skyrim OST - Tooth and Claw

Should you fight Cao? I don't recommend it. She doesn't see the point of fighting without killing - so if you challenge her one of you is going down for good. Plus she's an older lady who just is trying to care for her siblings. Sure, she may not have social skills, but she keeps to herself.

Who initiates the battle? If she thinks you are going to harm her siblings or pose a threat to the remnants of her family, she will absolutely start it. And give you no warning, you will just have a Norn sized, winter-hardened Warrior after you.

Who would win? Cao would win unless you run away mid-fight. She fights to kill, not to spar. While she is not as strong as some of my other kiddos, she is very slow and unyielding. She aims to break your defenses before going in for any major damage with her mace. If you run, she might not chase you - having tired herself out.

Caemdryn

Battle Music: LORN - ENTANGLED

Should you fight Caem? Honestly, it's up to you. While he is not a bad person, he has so much anger (mainly at Charr and the Jungle but it bleeds over) that it makes him a twat at times. Would there be any major negatives to getting rid of him? No. Any positives? Not really.

Who would initiate the battle? I think you would have to but it wouldn't take much. All it would take is a comment about Sylvari being dragon minions in any shape or form to get him defensive and then he will be after you.

Who would win? In close quarters, Caem, hands down. He hits hard and fast and has no small amount of fury/unhinged behind it. At distance he can't really attack but he can block and shield himself from most projectiles. Best bet would be to try and slow/cripple him and then get him from range so he can't close the space.

[uselessidiotsquad]

For all your sylvari, how high esteem to each of them hold the Pale Tree in?

@mystery-salad

Ty for the ask! I Ranking time!

Highest Esteem:

Calguais, my Warden Captain. They're a revenant who is basically in direct conversation all the time with Ventari and thus are the most painfully lawful good plant I have. They annoy me with how rigidly they see things. To them the Pale Tree is basically god/ess.

Caemdryn. He maintained his connection to the Dream even after everything in the HoT campaign and is aggressively protective of other Sylvari (to the point of being kinda a dick to the other races). The Pale Tree is not just a mother, but like a divinely put in place ruler (for Sylvari).

Riaghael. While not nearly as intense about the Tree as the other two ranked above him, Riag dearly loves the Pale Tree. That's his mom. Not a Divine Ruler but a mother and a respected figure to ask for insight, but not Perfect In Every Way.

Ruby Aenn. Being the one who discovered first hand the origins of the Tree and then having to tell others, there's a small break of trust in her. The Tree is not the end-all-be-all of Sylvari and she's still a bit annoyed that the origin of the Tree was kept for so long. More damage might have been avoided if it had been known by others. But still, she cares for the Tree and the Tree's well-being.

Middle Tier:

Glanaim. Glan's functionally Soundless though without the commitment of it. The Pale Tree is an unreachable figure, some unknowable entity that tries to influence in ways it thinks will help the world. Glan would very much rather find that out himself than through the Tree's influence.

Naechdion. Doesn't really have the connection with the Tree that the rest of the Sylvari do since he was supposed to be Mordrem. He isn't aware of this though. Honestly he doesn't know the Tree has a sentient form or face or energy, it's just the big plant at the other end of Caledon that people seem to be protective of. People seem to be around it so all the more reason for him to avoid it.

Toraedh. Despite being 50% Nightmare, Tora doesn't dislike the Tree. They do, though, dislike it's manner of controlling people with Hunts. Especially since their own Wyld Hunt basically guaranteed they were to be treated like crap by other Sylvari. Being shoved into some duty someone else decided for you before you were even born is cruel.

Lowest Esteem:

Deilius. The Tree is just another example for them of a person/force that promises things and then doesn't deliver. Before they turned Nightmare, they were sort of neutral on the Pale Tree. Now they just see it as both A) someone else who left/abandoned them B) a symbol for the people who want them dead on principal C) a place that had fond memories that have been soured by others actions.

Caonai. She is not of the Pale Tree, and views the Tree and the Maguuma Sylvari as being too young/weak to be relied on. They are spring children, she is born of winter and ice. They won't last.

Madruil. The Tree is a controlling force on Sylvari that makes them do things for the sake of a 'greater' good. He's doesn't like the idea of doing things for others.

Countess Diamhasla. Diam sees the Pale Tree as a relic of the past, and she should function as a production line for Sylvari but stop trying to tell them how to live their lives (mainly so she can START telling them how to live their lives woops). Utter disdain, she would lobotomize the Avatar and have her just be a broodmare for Sylvari production if at all possible.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Caonaí, Shiverpeaks Sylvari Firstborn

In the remote region of the far Northern Shiverpeaks, a mystery unfolded. A large tree, larger than any of it’s surrounding neighbors grew. With the gentle unfolding of time it became clear that this tree had more to it than it seemed. Tall and upright, the fir like tree began to produce strange cone-like pods, with a hardened and layered exterior.

Unlike the Pale Tree in the Meguuma Region, this Tree had no avatar nor shape it manifested to convey information to it’s few children. Instead, it was a presence, calming and comforting if not a little stoic. The children it bore numbered only nine, a single generation of Firstborn. Of them, the first of which heard a name called softly upon Awakening - leading her to adopt the name as her own.

It took a long time for the next few saplings to emerge, for the cold slows many things. Gradually over the next fifty years, a grand total of nine Sylvari emerged from their pods.

Cao sees the Sylvari of the Pale Tree as boisterous children who have yet to face the cold of winter. Even the eldest among them in her eyes are youthful. She is deeply protective and devoted to what remains of her family and will defend them with her life - consequences be damned.

[uselessidiotsquad]

have 💫 for sigilis and 💥 for cao, if you’d like! :D @kerra-and-company

Ty for the ask :D

💫 V - The Hierophant : Knowledge, education, seeking deeper meanings, following rules, identifying with a group.

Sigilis, bless her, is very much more of the Devil card than the Hierophant. Most of her engineering skill has been from trial and error, not from Iron training. She could not care less about formal training and is only still part of the legions because she's good enough they can't get rid of her but goodness knows they'd like to. Her education has been through the school of hard-knocks and fuck-around-and-find-out if you will! I'm reluctant to call her 'superficial' because she's not, though she doesn't really do 'deeper meanings'. Things are or they aren't - that's about all the mystery there is to life.

She goes out of her way to break rules or to practice malicious compliance. Sure, there may have been a rule saying your can't practice artillery past 9pm but if you purposefully set all your clocks to different times, one of them is going to tell you an earlier one so technically you're not doing it on purpose.

Not going to mention to the guards that she fucked with the inner mechanisms with heavy duty magnets to change things but hey! Clocks wrong! They can't blame her for that!

💥 XVI - The Tower : The moment in which everything changes, upheaval, crisis, falling, relinquishing control.

The most Tower moment for her is actually a very literal one in terms of what happened. She and her siblings were living in the husk of the Silent Mother, their mother Tree, way after she had died. Eventually, as trees hollow and rot, it gave way and they had to abandon it or else be crushed by the falling trunk and limbs. It wasn't as though they were in denial of her death, but still having shelter in the Tree sort of numbed the reality of it. The Tree toppled and broke, which finally made them move on and go off searching for someplace else to dwell - making them have to be part of the rest of the world.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Had a bit of a cackle as I realized that I have very few kiddos who would actually be a decent fit for role of Commander.

Top Tier:

- Riag (top rank top tier, he made it his whole life, threw himself 100% at it)

- Galla (a life history of fighting and researching, logical, willing to compromise fairly in some situations)

- Warden Cálguais (considerate if not dogmatic in nature, preachy and tries too hard to adhere to Ventari's ideals)

Middle Tier:

- Ruby (she does a good job! even if she thinks otherwise, thinks more with her heart than her head at times)

- Mhonde (he's got a good heart and a level head, but prefers detail work over single big projects)

- Parteira (doesn't like being in the spotlight but willing to do the gritty work of it)

Bottom Tier:

- Dei (does not have the courage, confidence, health, or combat skill for it)

- Glainaim (has the ability to apply himself but not the interest)

- Cao (has just recently entered the rest of society and doesn't understand a lot of the context needed for the position)

- Valens (she's running on idealism and has no real grasp of what do to with a position of influence)

You're Screwed Tier:

- Dion (people??? conflict??? FIGHTING??? ;; plz no)

- Ordia (would sell you all out to the newest threat at the drop of a hat for one corn chip and a handshake)

- Sigilis (does not work well with people she thinks are too stuck up, would quit on her first day and let everyone else fend for themselves)

- Siori (understands things from a VERY removed perspective and works entirely on theory with no experience actually 'living')

- Mad (...it's Madrúil need I say more)

- Diam (like Ordia but worse, would wait until the worst moment where she would get maximum kudos from whoever she sold everyone out to, would ally with the shadiest mf'ers possible to cover her ass)

[uselessidiotsquad]

have two 🗡️🗡️ for ruby and cao, if no one's already asked for them! :D @kerra-and-company

Ty for the ask! Ruby just got hers answered which is here!

Caonai

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Formal Training: ⭐

Willingness to Kill: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Previous Victims: ⭐⭐

Notes on the above:

- Being born to the Shiverpeaks Tree means you have to be tough and strong because that far north, thing get very rugged and challenging. She's not the fastest fighter in the world until she gets set off (Cao is a Berserker in both profession and disposition) but when she's set off - gods help you.

- It's all self taught, she was living in one of the most isolated and bleak landscapes of snow and frost. With her only other occasional interactions being Kodan. It's all what she's figured out along the way.

- One thing that does not translate well from going from living in an extremely isolated and dangerous area to having to engage with others. Is this. Usually, if you hear something while in the woods in the middle of a snowstorm you better be on your toes and able to kill something with 0 warning. When you're living among other races and something makes a noise - instantly going after it with a mace is not *ideal*.

- Victims in the sense of self defense against meaning Icebrood and random attacking wild animals. It's never been 'go out and kill things' but more 'kill anything that is acting sus because it will try to kill you'. So actually low body count for Cao.

[uselessidiotsquad]

🧺+🔪 for Cao >:3c bonus for knife: it's aria instead of a partner since she doesn't have one >:3ccc - moonlit-grove

>:3 Cao hours (@moonlit-grove)

🧺— Random domestic headcanon

I feel like since she's so used to everything being cooked with like barely any seasonings - anything that was heavily flavored she would suspect about it being poisoned (especially with spicy foods) and will try it before Aria (or any siblings). Just in case it *was* poisoned. Can't be too safe. Also I feel like once out of the wild and finding food more readily accessible she would way overfeed her just because !!! don't have to share or ration so must have her try everything.

🔪— How would they react to injury/misfortune befalling their partner? Do they feel at fault?

I feel like it depends on the reason/source. If it was an external force causing the injury or misfortune OOPS ALL ANGER. Gotta destroy whatever caused it and all of it's relatives. If it's an animal that attacks, she would collapse the nest/barrow and kill all the same type of animal she could find. If it's a person, woops hope they didn't have kids or family nearby because she will kill them. Can't afford to leave problems to fester, have to burn the fields.

If it was incidental and just like bad luck I feel like she would be very apologetic and antsy. And yes - both situations she views as her fault. She has to be the protector and if she can't protect her siblings from All then what use is she?

[uselessidiotsquad]

soft oc asks! have 🍁💐 for cao and 🌻 for mhonde! :) @kerra-and-company

Ty for the ask :D

Caonai!

🍁 Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themself? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like its theirs and theirs alone?

Cao and her siblings are currently staying in Hoelbrak, at least for the moment while they try to get their bearings on the world. There isn't really a specific place there that she feels is 'hers' but as a whole anyplace that's cold, snowy and forested comforts her. She doesn't really own much in the way of belongings, save for some pelts from things she's hunted.

💐 How does your OC handle being unwell or forced to rest in bed? Who cares for them and in what ways? Does your OC enjoy being doted on or are they a terrible patient? Reversed: is your OC good at taking care of others who are ill or in need?

She is terrible at being made to rest. An absolute nightmare. She's so used to be the one that cares for others (her siblings) that her being out of order is just Not Acceptable. The only way she'll actually stay in bed and rest is if her siblings gang up on her and pressure her into it. Even then she'll be grumbling. As for who takes care of her that's kinda a tricky question? She has 8 siblings, one of which usually requires her care and attention, 2 of them being slightly unsavory types. And to be completely transparent I haven't had time to develop the other siblings (*wheeze* it's a lot of beebs). So perhaps one of them?

Cao is a terrible patient and will be telling whoever is caring for her how to do it the whole time. However, she excels at taking care of others. As being the First of her siblings and the one caring for them after their Tree died, that's what she does. She cares for, she protects, and she defends. Everything else is secondary.

Mhonde!

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

Mhonde adores it when people genuinely laugh, not like a sarcastic fake laugh or forced one. But like a real gut-bursting laugh brightens up his day a lot. He's one of the few of my kids who doesn't appreciate sarcasm, he finds that it can too quickly turn mean-spirited or petty and there's no need for it. Also, it's a small thing but he collects feathers, so finding a nice one can brighten his day up. The sheer ingenuity of how birds fly, even with all the technology that the Asura use, impresses him.

(Also highkey, because Raven Spirit was basically the matchmaker for him and Raja - he isn't aware of this but the feather connection is not a coincidence)

[uselessidiotsquad]

General Character Overview:

Idiot Squad

Nightmare Troop

Primary Characters:

(Notes: for any of them that have 'voice claims' it's just examples of voices I've found that get pretty close to how I hear the characters speak, not claiming that it's the exact person in question. That would be a little creepy.)

Ruby Aenn (any pronouns, usually she/her), Current Commander of the Pact. (Interview)

Riaghael (he/him), Former Commander of the Pact. (Interview) (Otome Route - unfinished) (Scar map) (Voice claim) (Commissioned Art) (Commissioned Art 2) (Commissioned Art 3) (Commissioned Art 4)

Deiliús (they/he), Nightmare Convert. (Interview) (Otome Route) (Voice claim) (Scar map) (Commissioned Art) (Commissioned Art 2)(Commissioned Art 3) (Commissioned Art 4)

Secondary Characters:

Forge Warband

Sigilis Forgemuzzle (she/her) -  Legionnaire, Head Engineer of the Pact.(Interview) (Commissioned Art)

Galla Strangleforge (she/her)- Pact Combat Instructor.

Ordia Sprintforge (she/her) - Freelance consultant.

Valens Forgedance (she/they) - Olmakhan Runaway.

Naechdion (he/him), Swamp dwelling nomad. (Interview) (Otome Route: here and here)

Glanaim (he/him), Hired Sniper for the Pact. (Interview) (Voice claim)

Warden Cálguais (they/them), Warden Captain.

Madrúil (he/him), Nightmare Kennelmaster. (Interview) (Voice Claim) (Otome Route) (Commissioned Art)

Countess Diamhasla (she/her), Countess of Blasphemy. (Interview) (Voice claim) (Commissioned Art)

Caonaí (she/her), Shiverpeaks Sylvari, first to Awaken. (Interview)

Árgiúis *Storyverse*, Shiverpeaks Sylvari - seventh to Awaken.

Mhonde (he/him), Retired Lightforge Calibrator. (Interview) (Commissioned Art)

Raja the Vehement (she/her), a very unorthodox Raven Shaman.

Elder Parteira (she/her), an Olmakhan midwife. (Interview)

Toraedh (he/she/they), a questionable 'Courtier'

Semni Keensnare (she/her), an ancient Gladium who outlived all her warband by tenacity alone.

Philetus Hearthmend (he/him), a Fire Shaman who currently uses his magic to fix peoples stoves and fireplaces.

Larthi Glimmerforge (it/its), a Chronomancer who has a hard time controlling where it ends up.

Initiator Fhiaskko (she/her), an Asuran Reaper who is absolutely not cursed, not even in the slightest.

Bhruizz (xe/xem), one of Mhonde's older siblings, a skilled warrior who knows xe's way around a sword.

Ships:

Unburiable (Riaghael / Trahearne)

Warcat Wives (Sigilis / Galla)

Raven's Jest (Mhonde/Raja)

Warden's Nightmare (Toraedh/ Shoilieru @moonlit-grove )

Campfire Cats (Philetus / Crecia)

Writing:

Most of my drabbles with be tagged with #squadstories for the main Idiot Squad or #nightmaretales for the Nightmare Troop.

La • Maison • Dieu   (Nightmare Troop Canon)

The Star (Nightmare Troop Canon pt 2)

Ossify (Post HoT explanation for Riaghael)

Affairs of the Heart (-on pause- Ongoing Canon)

[uselessidiotsquad]

have 💡⏰🧸🌅 for ruby (and any other kiddo of your choice, if you want!) :D @kerra-and-company

Ty for the ask! went with Ruby and Caonai my Shiverpeaks Sylvari, who I don't think I've talked about at all yet.

💡 - How does your OC enact plans? Do they plan down to the smallest details, or do the wing it?

Ruby plans the larger, most important parts of things but leaves the details to chance! So if she was organizing an event she'd plan the place, the time, and the people to bring but the rest of it is a surprise!

Cao plans everything, even down to small details and then has a couple of backup plans. She's a very linear and structure focused lady.

⏰ - What is your OC like at timekeeping? Are they punctual, or always running late?

Ruby is usually late, but not by a huge margin. Just a few minutes here and there - which can be overlooked and dismissed.

Cao is punctual yet not obsessive on it. She wants to arrive at her destination by a specific time but isn't going to have a meltdown if she's 3 minutes late or anything. It does irk her when others show up late, however.

🧸 - On a scale of 1 - 10, how ‘soft’ is your OC? 1 being the edgiest of edges and 10 being a literal teddy bear that cries at everything? (Bonus questions, where on the scale would your OC place themselves, and where would they like to be on the scale?)

Ruby is a good solid 7 - she's sensitive, probably more than most, but not a crybaby. She knows it and isn't afraid to be open that she's fairly mushy - and wouldn't want to be anything else. She sees softness as a strength.

Cao is a 2. She's not uncaring or apathetic towards the world but she's very hard to move. There's only really space for her family to get her impacted and worried - the rest can fend for itself. Unless it's something she can impact then she will be softer about it. Would not want to be softer and has a good assessment of her placement.

🌅 - What is your OCs favourite time of day? Are they a morning person or a night owl?

Ruby is a night owl - relatively speaking. She likes it more than mornings but that's not saying much since she just doesn't like mornings hah!

Caonai is a morning person, by far. Hailing from the northern Shiverpeaks, she knows that nights often last way longer and hold more threats. The mornings are often just an extension of the night but at least it's easier to see things.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Random thought, ranking some of my Sylvari in how close they are to the Dream.

Most to least:

Siori Suan

Legit stuck in the Dream his whole life, does not always know where he starts and the Dream ends.

Warden Calguais

Devoted steadfastly to Ventari's tablet and the teachings of it.

Ruby Aenn

Has always been close to the Dream, but is not as gung-ho about the teachings of Ventari.

Toraedh

An odd one for sure, they are as close to the Dream as they are to Nightmare. It makes things challenging when both sides aren't over fond of you.

Riaghael

He used to be a lot closer to the Dream, perhaps even at the level of Calguais. The mental break he had put a huge wedge between him and the Dream and it's now a very faint connection.

Naechdion

Is not close to the Dream, since he was supposed to be a champion of Mordremoth. His Dream experience was vague and scary and he rejects it. Would be Soundless if it didn't mean having to ask how to do some of the blocking techniques.

Glanaim

Very nearly Soundless. He's not interested in the shared empathy of things as he views it as a cheap way to get to know someone. It's also why he doesn't get all prickly about some Nightmare Courtiers.

Deiliús

They're Nightmare now, the other side of the coin. Even if it hasn't made them cruel, it has distanced them from anyone besides other Courtiers. And since most Courtiers tend to be unkind, they distance themselves from those as well.

Bonus!

Caonaí is of the Shiverpeaks Tree, which connected her children to a Proto-Dream, a loose framework of the Dream. It was not as vibrant and nourishing because it didn't have very many, if any, memories of Sylvari to fill it. But when her Tree died, it denied the Shiverplants even that rough form of it. All 9 of them are Soundless now.

Mad and Diam are both fully and unshakably Nightmare. It brought out the worst of their behaviors and sustained them.

[uselessidiotsquad]

🎁💋🌧☔️🍽 for Caonaí, or another you want to talk about if these don't fit ^^

@mystery-salad

Ty for the ask! Shiverplant time.

🎁— What kind of gifts do they like to give? What do they like receiving?

Cao is not used to any type of tradition of giving or receiving gifts? I think if you handed her a wrapped gift she would just look at you like ???. Once she got used to it, I think she'd probably give items that she would have liked to have, not getting the whole 'buy for the other person' thing. So you could expect things like lots of animal hides/skins for warmth, wool blankets, storage containers, and things for camping. She's very much a survival and practical first person so nothing you'd get from her would be 'frilly' or 'extravagant'.

As for receiving she would be extremely wary, thinking that you want her to owe you something. Might refuse a gift all together. But if she got past that she would like sort of the same thing that she gives out - practical items that make one more comfortable in case of hard times.

💋— What are their kisses like?

She's not a kisser - more of a direct contact person. Like touching foreheads together, pats on the back, or strong hugs. Even (and she hasn't revealed any of her preferences in regards to relationships or anything) with someone she was involved with I think it would be more along the lines of physically protective and supportive (she would help you walk if tired and move you someplace to rest or shield you with her body) not like smoochin'. I don't think she would understand the point to it.

⛈— How often do they get emotional? Are they open with their partner about it?

She's more emotional than she realizes, it's just that it hasn't been allowed to show. When you're the one carrying the load for your whole family and trying to survive, your personal annoyances or things that are upsetting you have to get shelved. She doesn't have a partner but is not open about her feelings at all, the only one who might be able to tell is her sister Unheard Aria (@moonlit-grove).

☔️— What are they like when they’re emotional? How quickly do they recover?

Her emotions usually get channeled through work or practical means like going to chop wood, going hunting, or 'training'. The only emotion that she's allowed to show is anger and that's because it serves her when fighting as a Berserker. She is very scary when angry, she doesn't yell or act impulsively she just gets cold, vicious and quiet, and doesn't stop. If she's taking her anger out by chopping wood or trees, you will be able to track her because there's a mile wide swath of downed lumber reduced to burnable piles. It takes a long time for her to shake the mood out and usually requires her to distance herself from her family for a day or two.

🍽— Do they do a lot of cooking?

She does cook, but not a lot. Most of it would be foods probably closer to Charr tastes than Sylvari, as growing up in the North means there's not a lot of plants to consume besides some root veggies, most of it is meat. So roasts, stews, and if able to splurge on ingredients from the occasional visiting Kodan, making blood sausages. While she's able to eat omnivorously - her preference does lean very carnivorous.

[uselessidiotsquad]

hey can i order uhhh 🌷 and 🍺 for Cao and 🎨 and 🔎 for Dei ty <3

Ty for the ask, sorry for delay - been heckin' stressful around here lately.

Caonai

🌷 — taking care of living things

⭐⭐⭐

She is very good at tending to others, plants, and animals. Cao doesn't always have what I would consider the most delicate or caring touch - she's not a hand holder, listen to all your problems and cry with you, type. But you can bet that you'll have a place to stay, food, shelter, and someone who will give you space if you need it. Same approach to animals as plants and people. Cares but at arms length.

🍺 — alcohol tolerance

⭐⭐⭐

Doesn't really seem to be able to get buzzed at all or drunk. Meaning even when she would like to be otherwise, she is sober. Does mean she can win almost any drinking contest.

Dei

🎨 — art

⭐⭐

They are actually very artistically inclined, but rarely put it into use. Dei enjoyed knitting and fiber arts before Nightmare and I think they might explore it again once they have means to. I think they'd really like watercolors as well if they gave it a shot.

🔎 — investigating

⭐

Bless them, the purple has learned that trying to get answers often results in more conflict and trouble. Even if they are suspect of something and would like to investigate - they drop it. Dei doesn't want to appear nosy or invasive so they quash any type of investigating urges.