#ch: ghileth'elra

[msommers]

just a wild rambling rose seeking mysteries untold no regret for the path that I chose when a flower grows wild, it can always survive wildflowers don't care where they grow

GHILETH'ELRA OF CLAN VENALAS; lorehold bard ↳ the vigilant campaign, secondary pc [ templates: 1, 2, 3 ]

[msommers]

💭🎻💘😖😥 for riya, ellana and ghilly!

mwah i give you kees kees ty // details about ocs

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)?

[ aka my favorite things, thanks. i could talk about these forever (especially enneagrams) but i forced myself to keep it to the point otherwise i’d ramble way too long ]

RIYA — she’s an ESTP + type 7 with a wing in 8 + several tarot cards associated with her but the tower (upright) and death (upright) are probably the most aligned with where she is currently in the campaign + was built to be aries-coded.

ELLANA — she's an ENFJ + a type 2 with a wing in 3 + strength tarot vibes + fellow aries girly.

GHILLY — INFJ + type 4 with a wing in 5 + i believe the hierophant was her tarot + she's a pisces babe 🥰

🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)?

RIYA — tbh it does check out that Priscilla would want her children to learn an instrument or two (Loren would love it as well from an entertainment perspective), but i can't see Riya committing to anything long term. maybe she memorized an incredibly simple tune or two on the piano and that was deemed enough, her parents happy she at least tried to learn. 

ELLANA — maybe the drums? probably around intermediate level. it's not a skill she dedicated herself to, but one she picked up growing in her clan and participating in musical activities whenever they cropped up. 

GHILLY — i know she's a bard in dnd terms but she actually took some tools for her proficiencies instead of instruments to fit her backstory vibes better. so technically she's not super skilled in instruments, but i could still see her playing some fairly well! drums, flute, and lute come to mind without serious consideration what thedas elves are into. 

💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

RIYA — her family! other loved ones are close behind, but she’ll prioritize her family over anybody at the drop of a hat tbh (i'm sure this won't come into play during a 15 year blight at all and she'll never have to struggle between the two)

ELLANA — leading her life with empathy and gentleness for both others and herself. 

GHILLY — at the moment i'd say preserving history, though this might change a bit with some more time spent with her. for now it's right tho

😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved?

RIYA — extrovert! if there's one thing about Riya, it's that she stay chattin’. she does let people in pretty easily, she's always been a very open lady. that ridiculous level of openness is balanced by her tendency to shut people out once she's had her feelings hurt (perceiving a slight, deciding she can't trust them anymore, getting insulted a little too deeply and not being able to ignore it in good humor, etc). 

ELLANA — i was going to say ambivert but i don't think it's true. she has troubles with voicing inner struggles to those outside of her inner circle, other than that she’s golden and quite sociable. can’t find the right way to word how she is at being open with others but it’s like,,,,she can be vulnerable with those she’s made connections with, but she’s not spilling her guts like Riya. she’s willing to be vulnerable with strangers and acquaintances to empathize with them, but she doesn’t make a habit of doing such a thing for casual chit-chat.

GHILLY — ambivert with more introverted tendencies, i’d say. Ghilly’s spent a majority of the last 12-13 years on her own (maybe had a handful of companions after her father, idk) and that's shaped a lot of her, but she still feels comfortable surrounded by others while staying with clans (the PeopleTM are supposed to stick together and thrive as a community after all). not very reserved, she'll let people in with little resistance if they match her vibes.

😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool?

RIYA — she used to be so good at keeping her cool that it was genuinely worrisome (or annoying, depending who you ask) to others that she could remain chill and flirty, but uh. everything in the campaign so far has been out to shatter her sense of self and for months it's been getting harder to locate that cool with the mounting stress and trauma lmao. we'll see where she settles on this scale later down the line, i guess. right now she's struggling :)

ELLANA — very much a girly who you can't tell is stressing until the final straw lands and she's snapping because the burden is too much to bear in silence. those close to her can tell when she's treading that line because her warm and sunshine-filled smile comes across strained, doesn't light up her eyes as it usually does. 

GHILLY — she doesn't get stressed out that often, so i imagine when the feeling does come on she isn't the best at handling it.

[msommers]

realeses a babygirl into the wilds

[msommers]

3, 11, 19 for ghily (gilly?) and riya!!

thank you!!! new dadnd oc nickname spelling just dropped (it's ghilly xoxo) // oc asks: roots edition

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

GHILLY — excited! she had finally been given her vallaslin (she was around sixteen at the time, so not a long time to wait at all but she was eager) and was ready to hit the road within the following month, and having her father with her quieted any fears she had of starting the journey. she felt safe under his protection and that left her free to embrace the enthusiasm of following her calling. lore! arts!! arcana!!! so much of that forgotten elvhen history is out there, fragmented within the spirits that she can interact with if given the time and patience required. it took her a good while to start missing some folk back with the clan ngl

RIYA — unfortunately, scared out of her wits. her first time leaving home was supposed to be on a reckless, frivolous trip to Orlais with Victor to celebrate their tourney victory, but instead what she got was a rushed, frantic escape from the city with Bastian holding her hand the entire way because she didn't know what the fuck to do about templars hunting her down. she was terrified, still in shock over Victor's murder, and immediately aware of the ache in her chest that came from leaving home.

11. What was your OC scared of as a child? Are they still scared of that?

GHILLY — naturally there's the Dread Wolf and all of the spooky tales a little kid is told to keep them on their best behavior, she can't escape that one. i don't know exactly what it'd be, but i imagine she accidentally spoke with the wrong spirit one day and it shared a particularly scary memory of the past which left her spooked for months (or even years) on end. perhaps a glimpse from an emerald knight’s final fight, that'd be sure to fuck a kid up for a bit. she's no longer afraid of such memories as she holds any recovered history sacred no matter the content, but on the other hand yeah as displayed in-session she still holds onto those Fen’Harel superstitions. 

RIYA — irrationally afraid of her father being too far from her, the monsters Regulus unintentionally made scary by including one too many details in his stories, the dark, embarrassing herself by not understanding a topic/lesson, etc etc. she grew out of most of them (the dark was simplest, as her manifested magic provided simple solutions), perhaps the father thing being the only one to really linger. she could take them being apart for a while but Riya's a ridiculously clingy and needy lady, on top of being a daddy's girl. the devastation of time apart is too much to handle, somebody help her-

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

GHILLY — kinda all of them? in a way?? throughout her childhood and later travels they're the things she holds most dear, whether learned through clan interactions or arcane means, and they never leave her. i’d say most notably, because of their history, Ghilly’s clan is one of the few who keep their knowledge committed to paper and it’s from that tradition that she keeps a tome of her own to record her travels. she still favors oration and storytelling, but preserving history is more important than personal preference 🤷

RIYA — i’m counting her deep love of art and pageantry as an upheld tradition because it’s Nevarra’s whole thing and obviously something deeply ingrained in her, add on her appreciation for good plating and presentation with food as well lmao. she’s kept all of her brother’s grandiose tales of dramatic, heroic deeds close to the heart since she heard the very first one, as well as the countless ones her mother shared of the great and noble grey wardens from their family history (these ones are uh. particularly heavy nowadays).

[msommers]

10, 15, 30, 37 for riya, ghilly and jorina!

I FINALLY ANSWERED THEM. I DIDN'T HAVE A CRISIS OVER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AT ALL. THANK YOU. // random dnd questions

10) How does your PC fidget?

RIYA — hands gotta be in motion (clasping and unclasping in different positions, tapping against her thigh or a surface, half-effort somatic practice for spells, etc), twisting the Valdivia rings around her fingers, playing with her hair, adjusting her outfit, messing about with the locket or handkerchief her father sent her.

GHILLY — traces the vallaslin on her fingers, gently swings the lantern at the top of her staff while gazing at whatever magic is currently idling in it, tugs and twists loose threads from the various patches on her skirt/dress, draws various runes/sigils/letters she’s seen in ruins on the nearest surface with her fingers.

JORINA — a lot of readjusting her posture/stance, picking at the edge of a pocket, taking out a pencil and fiddling with it, tugging at the end of her braid or fully rebranding the hair if anxious long enough. 

15) How does your PC feel about marriage? Weddings?

RIYA — i have overthought this question to the point of insanity somebody save me. i think this is a case of Riya having not really thought about marriage for herself (not out of disliking it, just avoidance because one too many subtle mentions of political arrangements), but in General she has a positive view on it because she grew up with a healthy example in her parents. they have a beautiful love and partnership, and her favorite part of it is how they’ve clearly communicated what they need/want from each other so there’s never any confusion in expectations. it’s rubbed off on Riya and that’s why she’s so chill about discussions in her relationships, having no troubles communicating expectations, boundaries and needs. i mean if it came down to it, if Riya’s serious enough with somebody for marriage to come up then they’ve probably thoroughly established every aspect of the relationship and she’d be down for it so long as the other party isn’t demanding changes outside of her comfort zone. it’s already a partnership, this just adds a few fun new titles/petnames to use and probably a pretty ring 🥰 there better be a pretty ring 🥰🥰 oh also the other part of the question: weddings are fucking bangers, she wants to attend them all.

GHILLY — she thinks it's cute :’) it's so funny knowing the big chunks of text that flank her answer, but Ghilly doesn't have any strong opinions here. she's a romantic at heart and enjoys the idea of feeling so connected to another that you want to add another level of devotion to it. i bet some dalish bonding celebrations are fun as fuck, she'd vibe with them. 

JORINA — i think marriage is a side quest in Jorina's overarching hero's journey to understand, process, and work through the complicated mess that is her feelings on romance after what happened to her parents. for a long time it was a terrifying concept because her father basically fucking disappeared into his grief after her mother died, and one of the things that got stuck in her head from that was “marriage = committing to love somebody so much that you're entirely shattered if they leave and that's it, you're broken forever ”. it's such an extreme take but it was formed at like age 15 or smth and it was easier to fully lock into it than deconstruct it,,,,but she ends up doing that down the line anyway. because after a few years with Aleksi she has to admit to herself that even without marriage between them, she fully understands that you can feel that kind of love without exchanging vows and rings. there's obvs a lot more to work through there but that's the start of it, and she'd probably eventually land in the camp of respecting that others see it as a relationship goal but it's nothing she herself requires. the commitment is already made, y’know. weddings are like all other social events: she's fine being there for an hour or two to show that she cares and can hold a few nice conversations with the people hosting, then she's fucking out of there. social battery dry. 

30) How does your PC flirt?

RIYA — (i blackout half the time she talks in-game so like. grain of salt here lmao) so much of it is based in being absolutely shameless in her interest/desire. loves to open with direct compliments delivered in an overtly-flirty voice to immediately get her intent across, also a big fan of blatant innuendo (moaning room you will always be famous). the level of subtlety when detailing her intentions depends on the target of her attention and her current patience level. puts an equal amount of effort into the physical approach as well with eye contact, deliberate movement/expressions, brazen touches with her hands. it all comes down to the simple fact that whatever Riya wants with you—anywhere on the scale from flirting just for fun / wanting to tear your clothes off then and there—you’re going to know it within about 30 seconds, even if you aren’t the most insightful.

GHILLY — this one is fucking with me because i can't see her doing any form of typical flirting, but i could see her doing romantic displays like reading poetry or gifting flowers. she wouldn't do innuendo or cheeky compliments, it'd be straight to the point comments on admiration/appreciation and then a proposition if there’s clear interest on both sides.

JORINA — bro so awkwardly i don't even wanna think about it, i'll suffer secondhand embarrassment from my own character 😭😭 she's not flirting! she's gazing and pining!! she's stuttering and leaving the scene the minute somebody flirts with her, she can't return it!!! i strongly believe the only time Jorina's tried to flirt it came out as an awkward but not notably out of place compliment on work performance, then she immediately walked away and it was chalked up to “wow she's real bad at positive reinforcement”. 

37) What flower represents your PC?

flower symbolism aka the bane of my existence because each flower has 17 different meanings depending on which site you visit lmao. i’m just gonna collect multiple for each so i never have to look again for them and can just come back here for future use

RIYA —

laurestine: "i die if neglected"

tiger lily: wealth, pride

marigold: grief, despair, sacred affection

red orchid: fire, romance, desire, passion

orange orchid: pride, enthusiasm, boldness

rainflower: rebirth, new beginnings, great expectations

willow: (french) bravery, humanity; (weeping) mourning

GHILLY — 

purple heather: solitude, admiration

magnolia: nature lover, nobility, dignity

blue orchid: rarity, uniqueness, beauty, spirituality

dahlia: elegance, dignity, abundance, instability

JORINA — 

purple lilac: first emotions of love

bluebell: loyalty, constancy, humility, gratitude

protea: courage, daring, resourcefulness, transformation

white tulip: forgiveness, remembrance, sincerity, "i am worthy of you"

[msommers]

✈️🧡🤔😞 for riya, ghilly and aphrodite!

thank you!! let's breeze right by the fact that i forgot this in my drafts for numerous days bc i have too many things in there, it's embarrassing // details about ocs

✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person?

RIYA — she's being scammed because Riya would love traveling if she wasn't doing it as a damn Grey Warden. she misses home more than she ever thought she could, but the potential love of journeying around is definitely there. it's exciting getting to meet new people, interact with different cultures, view all new kinds of aesthetics and traditions, etc etc. plus it gives her the opportunity to flirt with all kinds of people and we know she loves that lmao 

GHILLY — home is wherever Ama is, and Ama is her constant companion during her travels so like. best of both worlds. between the two of them they practically carry a home with them anyway—tent, supplies, comforts, materials for hobbies, etc etc, they got it all packed away and ready whenever they decide on a location to set up in. she's got that strong wanderlust in her, hard to picture an end to traveling. 

APHRODITE — loves travel because she grew up in a home that she hated so deeply and did everything she could to stay out of it at any chance. she also just enjoys it in general, especially now that she doesn't have to be involved in the planning/scheduling whatsoever and she can fully live in the moment (you know, outside of when she's being bossed around because she's on a tv show but we ignore that bit). 

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits?

RIYA — passionate, audacious, protective. 

GHILLY — curious, open-minded, sincere. 

APHRODITE — loyal, creative, funny. 

🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms?

RIYA — plays with her hair a lot, the most expressive hands and facial expressions you’ve seen while in conversation, winking aficionado, loosely clasped hands at her front, gets real close to / initiates touch often when talking to people, incapable of not checking her appearance in a reflective surface, flutters eyelashes, purposefully does her best to look hot even while idle 

GHILLY — has an accent while speaking elvhen, expressions/reactions appear toned down, summons wisps into her lantern to play with when it’s quiet, traces her vallaslin while in thought, moves at an unhurried pace 98% of the time, character bleed if too much time spent connected to a single spirit

APHRODITE — pushes her hair behind an ear more frequently than necessary, bobs her head/dances to the music she’s writing in her head, big time eye-roller, pulls her hair back to make for a hairstyle then gives up part way through, leggy bouncy disease (critical), bites pens/pencils, “nice [insert artist name here] reference” if somebody unwittingly name drops a song/lyric she likes, exaggerated hip swaying while walking

😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone?

RIYA — don't know if it's pulled it off in-game, but Riya's intended to be the kinda girly that grabs everyone's attention when she enters the scene because of her presence, charm, and [usually] beautiful wardrobe. tbh i think she attracts people no matter what her mood is because she's so expressive and open about everything. she looks like she's having a great time at a party? you feel like you could approach and she'd pull you into the vibes without hesitation. she's throwing a fit in anger? you highkey wanna engage just to hear her rant about whatever's made her so mad. she's sitting there upset? you have no choice but to go over there between how her eyes literally Glitter with tears and the way her entire body gives off "i'm in desperate need of support, please baby me". (she'd also rather fucking Die than be alone for more than 5 minutes so there's that. she puts in the effort to be approachable.) 

GHILLY — i can see both ends of the scale being true for Ghilly. sometimes she wants to be left alone and puts effort into outwardly displaying that in ways people can easily pick up on, and other times you can practically feel her welcoming anybody into her circle with open arms. 

APHRODITE — this bitch has a gravitational pull about her. you either want to get close so you can join in on her incredible vibes, or because you want to figure out just how much of a front she's putting on because nobody's That loud with their personality unless parts of it are ramped up for attention. she's rarely found alone and that's certainly on purpose, she needs others around to avoid the introspection.

[msommers]

i didn't intend for both of my main vigilant girlies to be bolters but here we are

[msommers]

forgot that i made this and had it as ghilly's playlist cover for months while she sat on the oc shelf oh my god