#if there's grammar grossness I'm sorry I tried I would rather die than look at it again right now

[brinehater]

I finally did it guys! Arisen + Pawn Intro (template by @arisenreborn)

(Answering these as though before endgame+postgame, more fun for me)

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: Wildrose AGE: 20-21 (plot takes at least 1 year because first run was like 300+-ish days, exact number not screenshotted because surprised, shame; his birthday is in the spring) RACE: Human PRONOUNS: He/Him PREFERRED VOCATION: Trickster, Mage, Sorcerer FAVORED GIFTS: Noonbloom, Moonglow, Ferrystone (+100); ANY jewel (+50); ANY spell tome (+25); seashells, cool beads and buttons, colorful pieces of glass, other colorful/shiny rocks (+10) FAMILY: Chicory (mother, deceased), Mint (main pawn adopted sister)

POSITIVE TRAITS: Friendly, gentle, polite, compassionate, determined NEGATIVE TRAITS: Gullible, forgetful, head in the clouds, evasive (mainly about his own feelings), can also get a bit petty when pushed LIKES: Plants, magic, sweets, tea, shiny rocks, rain (especially the sound of it at night on the roof), getting the chance to be clean and dress well DISLIKES: Cruelty to others, excessive violence, overly hot and humid weather, loneliness (please don't leave him alone), failing to meet expectations

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

Fairly quiet. Chicory, his mother, brought him to Vermund with her when he was very young (~3 years old), and they lived in a small house in the woods outside of Melve for as long as he could remember. He spent the majority of his life assisting her, as she became sort-of known as a witch after this move; she preferred isolation in the woods outside of Melve due to intense agoraphobia, but hated leaving people in need and was a genuinely talented healer. People knew they could come to her if they were in need of medicines and treatments, but it was difficult to get her to leave her home and the few times she actually went to Melve took tolls on her health. Once he was old enough to make the walk, it wasn't uncommon to see Wildrose in Melve making deliveries for her as well getting what she couldn't grow or make for them herself. When he awoke to his magic (~10 years old), she was the one who taught him also as a healer, though he did come to take a broader interest in the subject and often picked up any spell tomes he could get his hands on. About a year prior to events in Melve (~18-19 years old), Chicory's health quite suddenly became poor and rapidly deteriorated. Wildrose cared for his mother through it all to the very end, and her death was not easy to deal with though he had the means to handle it well. He was in plenty comfortable circumstances, and he was far from lonely with the friends he had in Melve even if they weren't particularly close, and there was some freedom too in being able to pursue his interests a bit more freely. It wasn't uncommon for him to even travel a little, but he never went particularly far from home, content with his quiet life. It was chance that he happened to still be in Melve the evening the dragon attacked, having gotten caught up in conversation before he set out for home. It was not like he was going to abandon people in need, or a friend to engage the dragon alone after others burnt, even when he burned too.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

Messily, initially. The curse removing his memory did quite a number on him to begin with even without the dragon burning before that. After escaping the excavation site, there was a lot of confusion as while he still understood the basics, a great deal of Wildrose's finer understanding of the world outside of particular niches was compromised, and even a lot of his personality was rather muted at first as he tried to mask having such problems to avoid causing worry. Mint quickly started to call him on it, and returning to Melve so soon and not recognizing people that clearly knew him made it something important to him to work on quickly, if only for the sake of not wanting to hurt their feelings. From there, while he takes a long time to truly recover his memory, Wildrose was able to refocus, and likes the whole Arisen thing as a means to be able to help people. He wants to be of aid to everyone he can, and if he recovers his heart along the way to making sure everyone can sleep more soundly, that's just a lucky bonus. Even when the road gets exhausting and frustrating and he forgets what their immediate plan even was to begin with, he knows with full confidence that this at least is always his goal.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

He's always had positive feelings on them, though before becoming Arisen it was more curiosity based. There was a point of time where his interest in magic saw him wondering about its connections and interactions with the Rift, and if he lucked out to meet a pawn, they certainly had to put up with a young him chattering away with questions naïve and too broad to truly learn anything. Further than that, he didn't want to trouble them as they had to be busy and have better to do. After becoming Arisen, when he finally has a chance to get to know pawns better, to him they're just people who are a bit awkward but very steadfast. All of them have their quirks despite what everyone else thinks of them, and he's seen them learn, change, and grow both traveling together and after parting and meeting again. To him, they should be cared for just as much as anyone else, and seeing others mistreat them or simply just think of them as things angers him.

4. What’s their relationship like with their main Pawn?

Mint is his sister. Wildrose knows people claim pawns don't have feelings, that many might call him a fool for thinking such, but for him it's simply just so. They care for each other and annoy each other to no end, they're ferociously protective of each other even when they squabble whether that be playfully or with actual sincerity, and always have the other's back. He could never think to ask for a better sibling in the entire world, looking up to her courage and ability to cut through to the point. Sometimes, usually when trying to fall asleep at night, it strikes him that it'd probably be better if their roles were reversed, if she were the Arisen and he was the pawn. There's a part of him that is able to admit that he envies her easy confidence as much as he appreciates it. It also makes him hope that he's very much able to live up to her belief in him one day, to make everything they've done worth it.

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

No. He wants everyone (pawns are part of everyone for him) to suffer less, for them to be safe, and Vermund's court is very obviously messy and needs change, but he knows he's not the person to do that. While he can take initiative in a small group of people, and he's fine-ish at asking the pawns to do things, Wildrose is together enough to know that doesn't translate to being a leader of a country. Even with Brant and Sven on his side, he knows he is ill-suited, and intends that if he unable to persuade them, then… well, he doesn't know, but he does know Sven would actually be better than he thinks. Probably.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

While Wildrose is prone to making friends with most people, even if briefly, there are some notable standouts. There is, of course, Mint, loyal pawn and his first friend upon their whole journey, and his sister of choice no matter what others might think of that, and the most obvious of all. Before becoming Arisen, Wildrose was friends with Ulrika, viewing her as kind and reliable even though they weren't particularly close friends. Despite the initial embarrassment of the memory loss, they have become friends again. They are better friends now after everything in Melve (sorry game they just watched stars as buddies). As soon as he met Brant, Wildrose knew he liked him; even if he is a bit stiff, he's someone who exudes an energy of trust. Wildrose definitely looks up to him and how very committed he is to helping the people of Vermund. That said, there's also a degree of conflict to how much he looks up to him, as Brant is also very committed to seeing the true Arisen on the throne despite many attempts from Wildrose to convince him that he would be very bad at it. Despite the fact that meeting her was preceded by him falling badly off a long, rocky drop in Battahl and Mint having to carry him there and ask for shelter while he made a painful recovery, Wildrose adores Luz. Her wisdom and the sense of calm she gives makes him look to her as a sort of grandmother he didn't have, and also she taught him to be a Trickster! Wildrose is very fond of Sven; this is his closest relationship that isn't with Mint and... different. Beyond helping him the first time they met, he never expected to see him again, or even again after giving him the money needed to buy the ornate box, but then he actually did come to the fountain. It was nice to simply have someone his age to talk to and share stories with, and they got along well, and learning Sven was Disa's son did nothing to dampen their friendship, it only made visiting each other a little more difficult. In the longer term, it's clear there's definitely something there between them that's not just friendship, but from Wildrose's side there is caution stopping him from just spitting it out. It's not from any sort of lack of trust, but because he wants to avoid causing Sven any more trouble than he already does. Additionally, Wildrose thinks highly Sara, Wilhelmina, and Menella, viewing all three of them as some of the most driven people he's met along the way, whether that be by verve, passion, or devotion to duty. He also very much enjoys teasing Mint about all three (though the last can sometimes make Mint a little prickly). All of the pawns he meets along the way are dear friends too; he's beyond excited when he meets them again while traveling (pawn swap sheet pawns hopefully used to him sprinting up to happily talk to them)!

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?

Mage was his first, and was how his mother taught him to control and utilize his magic. Being able to heal and aid others is always of comfort to Wildrose, even when his memory of such is gone and he doesn't truly understand why. Sorcerer was not something he ever pursued outside of interest in further spellwork and magical theory until he became Arisen, and while he had no memory of that interest, some of the notes he'd taken on his own skin ended up prompting him to pursue the vocation and also find it comfortable to work with, though he favors it less than Mage. His most preferred vocation of all however is Trickster. Though the lead up to how he learned the vocation was painful, and though it is much more indirect in how it allows him to aid his companions, the learning of the vocation itself was rewarding, and the ability to potentially keep all of them from getting hurt if he manages to make good use of its magic is nothing but a boon. The more comfortable he becomes too with how to shape and make use of the smoke only gives more chances for greater flexibility to the others and allow them to shine brilliantly.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Wildrose likes gardening, though doing so with all the traveling and little space is hard; he keeps some plants that he can manage in small pots and don't need his constant tending so he doesn't need to worry about them so much while he's gone in the house in Vernworth, but he feels cramped. He also thoroughly enjoys making his own tea blends, finding the process both relaxing and stimulating as he tries to put together something he thinks will be enjoyable although there's plenty of misses-- and some of them are dangerously misses. Sometimes this is a side-effect of him mixing up what is meant to go in the curatives he's also making and just ends up going with it, but other times it's genuine excited curiosity that doesn't stop it from being dangerous. Somehow much more safely (or at least more later on), he's taken to cooking and baking, and consistency at doing so has actually gotten him to be at least decent at it. Additionally he keeps a journal, and while it's regularly added to by him, it's unclear if he actually enjoys doing so; he's prone to going off on tangents sometimes for pages but also suddenly abruptly abandoning entries in the middle of them for no apparent reason. A few of those entries also end up beginning again somewhere else unexpected within the pages. Trying to read it can be a bit complicated and definitely at the very least speaks to his thoughts being fairly scattered.

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: Mint AGE: ??, she seems like she's in roughly her late 20s-early 30s, though as a pawn this is her first time ever out of the Rift RACE: Beastren/Pawn PRONOUNS: She/Her PREFERRED VOCATION: Thief, Warrior FAVORED GIFTS: Perfect Smoked Fish (+100); Exquisite Dried Fish, ANY curatives in a bottle (+50); ANY fish, quality fishing pole, quality paper, cake (+25), drawing charcoal, ink, writing stylus (+10) INCLINATION: Straightforward

POSITIVE TRAITS: Brave, friendly, confident, adaptive, energetic NEGATIVE TRAITS: Proud, flippant, impulsive, sore loser, intimidating LIKES: Traveling, fishing, gossip, warm and sunny days where she can just lay in the grass, the way her favorite collected bottles refract the morning sun, a good battle DISLIKES: Those who would control pawns and their means, the sound of Wildrose falling again, being cooped up anywhere, board games where she can tell she's already lost

1. What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen?

Not really much of anything. She… existed? She thinks she existed, but it wasn't like she was going anywhere or had any plans. Kind of just was boring, really. Now she gets to go on a grand adventure!

2. What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship?

Very positive. Wildrose is just as much her kin as other pawns are (well, actually more so, but don't tell them, she doesn't want them to be jealous, some of them are scary when they are). At first of course, things were a lot more awkward, with her unsure even how to but knowing that he needed support, and that itself was not helped by Wildrose largely trying to hide his own confusion with much by simply saying "oh" and trying to move on. The first things Mint learned from that was the best help she could be was to not hesitate to be direct, and also to simply sit him down and talk things through. While at the time it was simply her finding the best way to aid her Arisen, she realized later that the latter was also just as important for herself, it was truly the start point for her also finding out what her own interests were, what she enjoyed, what she loathed. At that point was when their friendship grew in sincerity and began to morph into what is normal for them now. They laugh together and tease each other, they fret over each other, they bicker and then forgive one another, and Mint knows at the very least they believe in each other. They are family, whether it be to a joyful or to a bitter end.

3. Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome? Be it a small quirk or bad habit? (Or are they obviously flawless?)

Mint finds Wildrose's tendency to be a bit forgetful worrying. It's rare he forgets anything extremely important, and she knows he strives very hard to remember all he can about people he meets, but everything in the middle of the two of those points is questionable if it's still in his head. She watched him get turned around a half hour after getting explicit directions of where to go on a road. It's dangerous. Surely he can't have always been this forgetful? (He was not.) She also is more quietly distressed at the lack of confidence he has in himself. She doesn't understand why this one fills her with such dread, why it feels like such a potential point of failure, but it does. This one has eased at least as they've gone and Wildrose has done some growing and coming into his own. Regardless, it troubles her still, as Mint knows he has the will to see things through no matter what, she just wished he believed in himself as much as she believes in him (and would take better after her own example of believing in herself). Also, she knows that he knows what plants are dangerous independently or combined with others, but she also knows that won't stop him from putting them in his mouth, or trying to make them into tea that he potentially will share with others that he likes. She doesn't understand it; she knows it's likely overenthusiasm and doesn't want to discourage him from being excited about something, but it stresses her to no end. She thinks her fur's actually gone a little grey over this one.

4. What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set?

She's actually meant to be a Forager, and would've picked it up initially through Wildrose very enthusiastically sharing about various flora they came across and her actually paying attention if sheerly because his energy about it was infectious. It became her personal pet project from there to document where all such could be found and then that rapidly spiraled into noting where they could find all sorts of resources.

5. Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated?

Mint is rather focused on how pawns are treated. She thinks that while there is a degree of respect in Vermund, it's also one that's more a veneer, especially for those in power currently. People are polite to them, sure, but also there's something that seems off about being seen as a tool meant to aid the Arisen. Perhaps there is something simply off with herself, however? As for Battahl, she is quite bitter about the treatment of pawns there. Neither the other pawns or herself are calamities for simply walking down the street! And while there are those like Empress Nadinia and Ser Menella who seem to truly care, also under their watch exists the Forbidden Magick Research Lab, who are doing monstrous acts to pawns. Do they know? Are they allowing it to still exist? Or is what the lab doing somehow happening without their knowledge, and would that be better or worse?

6. Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how?

The whole journey even starting changes Mint. She was just floating around before, with barely any sense of form. And now she is, by her own hand and all those around her. Everyone they have met, every single time they have been of aid, her confidence grows and she finds her own joy in the world around her.

7. Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation?

While she was a Fighter originally, Thief is what Mint ultimately settled into, far favoring maneuverability and lethality as the ultimate defense. What's the point of the weight of such heavy armor and a shield if she can just avoid being hit to begin with and be on the enemy before they even dare to hit the others in her company? She also likes being a Warrior, but for a much simpler reason: sometimes you just need to treat a battle like it's a nail, and she's not one to be caught without a very, very large hammer.

8. Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times?

She took to fishing and collecting things (mainly bottles she thinks looks neat) pretty early on, the former starting just because she wanted something different to eat and then was hooked, and the latter really taking off once they had a place for her to actually put out what she collects to be seen. Also after an afternoon where Wildrose became distracted telling her about many, many plants and their uses, she began to take notation of where else such useful flora could be found, and that turned into her then more broadly taking very detailed notes of where they could find useful materials, and now she tries to draw her own maps so she can combine that information to something more concise and useful. Mint is also very social, she enjoys going out and getting to meet and know people and other pawns alike, and she loves whatever gossip they can share. One day, she will know everything about everyone!