#this was fun and helped a lot in terms of developing diorbhail by making me think about aspects of them I wouldn't consider normally

[muthary]

Apprentice Questionnaire: Diorbhail

Find the original questionnaire here. Answers to 4, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are here and here. Under a cut because this is still pretty lengthy!

1. Where is their favorite place to hang out in Vesuvia? Why?

They enjoy anywhere they can take a long nap, or just sit and think. Mostly at home, in their room. They’ve fallen asleep in a forest or two, even. They just enjoy the quiet, and sounds they’re used to constitute as that. They also appreciate consistent vibes, since they’re sensitive to shifts in energy, so being in their room lets their aura bounce back at them. The forest has a similar effect.

2. How does your apprentice feel when they are called a witch? (Offended? Shrugs it off? Likes it?)

It’s what they refer to themself as. Culturally, the term magician  or sorceress doesn’t feel right. So they aren’t particularly incensed when someone else refers to them as such, but when someone says it with the intent of it being an insult? Diorbhail isn’t exactly sure why, but they feel the need to bolt. They have a hard time feeling safe in that sort of situation. Looking at you, Valerius.

3. Do they have a familiar? Why did you choose that animal? How did they meet?

They do, but they were separated from him when the came to Vesuvia. That, and Diorbhail doesn’t consider him so much as a familiar as they do consider him just family. He’s a direwolf named Fenrir who Diorbhail found, along with rest of his orphaned siblings, when wandering the forest behind their childhood home. From then on out, Diorbhail tried their best to take care of them, and when they inevitably outgrew them, the wolves began taking care of them with Fenrir being their closest companion. Neither of them knew what a familiar was!

I chose a dire wolf (and a pack of them, at that), because Diorbhail’s design and abilities were somewhat based off of the Úlfhéðnar and Beserkers of old Norse tales. The wolves themselves are based off of (you got it) Fenrir, as well as Skoll, Hati, Geri, and Freki. There’s also a unique dynamic I thought would be nice for Diorbhail! Fenrir and his siblings represent the most wild parts about Diorbhail, the parts that have stuck around through all their life and make up a huge part of their personality. 

5. What is their opinion of each of the courtiers?

Valerius

Surprisingly, they don’t hold Valerius with the most contempt they could. Granted, he’s a conniving bastard who drenched them in wine when he first met them after trying to continuously embarrass them in front of Nadia, but they don’t consider him a threat. They never did. They forgave him in the Hierophant’s realm because they figured, for all the show and condescension, he was probably just a fool in a man’s shoes. They wouldn’t play chess with him, though. They don’t have that much patience.

Vlastomil

Diorbhail can’t stand to be around him for too long. He reminds them of the worms he love to chitter on about, slimy and wriggly. They don’t have an in-depth opinion about him because they try not to get into situations where they have to be around him.

Valdemar

He makes them incredibly uncomfortable. Diorbhail has a special relationship with death in that they don’t fear it all too much (it’s pain that terrifies them), since their beliefs are very Norse in origin (Ragnarok and the Völuspá and all that). But Valdemar, and the way they treat death like a trivial joke, something for them to toy with, to bring pain to others with... they hate it. They make Diorbhail incredibly uneasy, if not entirely disgusted. They find Valdemar terribly disrespectful.

Vulgora

Obnoxious. Diorbhail doesn’t care for their bloodthirsty attitude that has no end. They roll their eyes every time Vulgora yells about fighting. Diorbhail is waiting for the day Vulgora attempts to turn their wrath on them; Diorbhail is getting more and more ready to put Vulgora in their place with each passing day.

Volta

Diorbhail enjoys Volta the most. She’s meek and adorable in a scuttling, sniveling, baby-ish sort of way.  Diorbhail never thought Volta was up to no good, not like the other courtiers. They particularly enjoyed it when Volta lit up at the sight of those tiny sandwiches they brought her during the Masquerade, even if they did feel bad about why they brought those snacks in the first place. Diorbhail sympathizes a lot with Volta, and her constant, insatiable hunger brought on by her... condition. They know too well what starvation feels like, and what it can do to someone.

6. What did they do while at the clinic?

Diorbhail, for the most part, offered immediate comfort. They brewed tea, crushed aromatic herbs, and lit various resins to ease the pains and aches of the patients. They weren’t patient enough to sit and toil over possible cures, not like Julian. They wanted to learn, but the patients and their immediate needs always took precedence, especially the elderly and the young. Diorbhail often sat and listened to the old-timers, who they knew simply wanted an ear for the night, and the patient company. They’d tuck in the younglings and recite to them stories from their youth. Often, they’d end up falling asleep with the children leaning on them. And with Julian always tucked away into his office, it’s no wonder they got sick. 

Once they regain their memories, they can’t say they regret what they did.

7. What are their tasks around the shop? What can they make?

They were the main clerk, since Asra would handle the readings and then... nap.  The shop was owned by their aunt so it was known for Southern remedies and folk magic, and they were able to harmlessly do whatever wild magic they knew without lifting to many brows-- old magic is niche enough where no one would care to question it, just so long as it worked. Diorbhail did a lot of plant-based spells, charms, tinctures, tonics, potions, etc etc. Other than that sort of work, generally, they were in charge of regular cleaning (energy and plain dust), placing new charms and barriers, and rebalancing the building. Making dinner and tea also fell on them quite often too, but they didn’t mind.

8. Describe their daily routine (wake up, chores, tasks, visiting who, etc)

They sleep very soundly, but don’t go to bed on time, so their nights often extend into the early morning. They usually wake up around nine or ten, having bathed the night before with handmade soaps and oils. Their hair usually only gets styled every couple days since their braids and plaits are meant to hold up to a great amount of activity. Makeup is usually done through quick glamours that take no time at all to do. They wear a lot of layers, but getting dress doesn’t take as much time as hair does. Breakfast is usually a glass of water with lemon and an omelette with rosemary and basil. Sometimes they’ll splurge and eat some fruit!

They usually leave chores for the night, so they’ll head straight down to the front end of the shop and open up for the day. Lunch breaks mean restocking whatever’s out at the marketplace and stopping for some pumpkin bread. They don’t visit many people aside from the baker! They’ll head back to the shop after an hour, usually, and keep going until a little after sunset, at which point they’ll close, bathe, eat supper, and stay up reading/writing in their grimoire. They pray before they go to bed and set a saucer of cream and a slice of that day’s bread out on their windowsill before retiring.

9. What Major Arcana would they be closest to? Is their a Minor Arcana card that suits them more?

The Major Arcana they associate with the most is The Empress. She symbolizes an older entity, the mother of the earth, and brings the recycling of energy at her most tempestuous. Diorbhail has a lifelong association and dependence on nature at it’s most raw, and so they feel incredibly drawn to the Empress. As for the Minor Arcana, it would probably be the Seven of Cups.

10. Describe their magical abilities. What are they best at? Worst?

Diorbhail’s magic is terribly unrefined and often reigned in by sheer force of will and intense visualization, and a good metaphor for it is probably just successfully breaking in a stallion. Old magic is a lot of this, and is often because those who practice it are more in tune to natural energies that created magic in the first place. Diorbhail is most in tune with the earth in terms of elements, and they incorporate herbs, woods, flowers, stones, and bones into their magic. They happen to be adept at protective charms, divination, summoning, and offensive spells. They aren’t as good as transmutations or spells that require precise steps. They find it hard to focus on that sort of thing!

11. How do they get along with all the animals in the game? (Faust, Malak, Chandra, Pepi, Inanna, Camio, Melchior and Mercedes)

Faust

Excellently, of course! Diorbhail loves it when Faust decides to wrap around them and hitch a ride. Diorbhail is incredibly patient with her and Asra often finds Kai hunched over their work as Faust slithers all over them-- through their hair, under their draping clothes, and loosely about their neck. Diorbhail hardly doesn’t flinch when she decides to flop on top of their head after trying to reach a higher shelf or beam, or when Faust pokes their lips with her snout because she can’t hold steady as she tries to investigate the scent of lunch coming from their mouth. When the Devil took Faust, Diorbhail immediately dove for the deal after he promised to release Faust if they did-- they couldn’t stand to see her hurt, ever.

Malak

An odd relationship characterized by wordless interactions and an odd degree of trust that developed out of nowhere. Diorbhail naturally communicates well with certain types of animals well enough without having to work for it-- dogs and corvids, for example (a nod to Odin and his accompanying animals, Geri and Freki, and Hugin and Munin). They like to offer trinkets they find, or pieces of bread they have, to Malak. They spy the intelligence in his fathomless eyes, and the old soul in them is convinced that Malak could be a divine messenger. They’ll often spot him and beckon him over so that he may perch on their shoulder-- Malak’s weight comforts them, as well as the usefulness that comes with having his extra pair of eyes with them while they trek more dangerous parts of Vesuvia-- or anywhere, really.

Chandra

Diorbhail doesn’t have a particular opinion on Chandra. They know she exists, but they don’t... care too much. Honestly, Diorbhail thinks Chandra is pretty for an owl, but a little too... fancy, I suppose? Not like the owls they know, that's for sure.

Pepi

Well enough. Diorbhail is more of a dog person for obvious reasons, but they coo to Pepi to ask if they can pet her. They’re always a little downtrodden if they get ignored by the little cat. They do think she’s cute, though.

Camio

Camio is Diorbhail’s least favorite. He's nice to look at but annoying. They rarely curse at an animals, but they’ll make the exception for Camio. It doesn’t help that Camio is obviously just like a certain someone who also grates on Diorbhail’s nerves.

Melchior and Mercedes

After the first night when Diorbhail forced these two into turning tail and submitting with just their stare, they have a touch and go relationship with Mercedes and Melchior. They, too, remind Diorbhail of the odious Lucio, but not enough to make them wrinkle their nose when they come snuffling around. They’ll give those pups the pomegranates they desire though, and smiles when the hop around before tearing into the fruit.

12. Did they have a certain opinion about the palace and court before the events of the game? Did it change?

They were intimidated by the concept of visiting, but mostly they weren’t the most avid fan of the palace and court. They can’t stand those in higher classes who do nothing to help those whose heads they trample just by existing, and before knowing the situation with Nadia and her courtiers, they assumed Nadia and her court were no-good snobs who weren’t able to look much further than their own noses. That held true for some of the courtiers, but they were happy to learn that Nadia was much different from their preconceived notions on her.

13. How do they feel about traveling in the realms? (Nervous? Excited? Other?)

They’ve been traveling between the veil for a while. Their home country is also inhabited by otherworldly spirits and beings, the Aos Sí, and they've been in close contact with these beings ever since they could walk. They’re also spiritually sensitive and can see souls of the departed, whether on this side or the other of the hedge that separates the living from the dead, so, no, they don’t have many feelings regarding traveling realms. It’s just something they do sometimes, with Asra or not.

14. Where is their least favorite place in Vesuvia? Why?

The dungeons. The echoes of lives lost, not at to the plague, but to Valdemar’s careless hand, is suffocating and makes their lungs feel like they’re about to pop. Those energies make their entire body hurt and their head go fuzzy-- it’s the worst they felt since they died. They’ve barely managed to hold back tears down there. At least the Lazaret lacks a roof.

15. How did your apprentice feel about Asra leaving all the time? Taking care of them?

They aren’t happy when he leaves, but they don’t think that they’re too important that they should bring it up to them. They figure he probably has important things to do that aren’t any of their business. It doesn’t help how lonely they feel, though-- they are a pack animal at heart. But, at the same time, sometimes Asra can stifle them with how much he dotes. They try to steer him in the direction of a reasonable middle ground, and that usually means that they give him as much attention as their emotional capacity allows for that day.

16. Name one thing your apprentice wants to see happen, or say to someone.

They want to find to find a mutual belonging with Muriel. They resonate with him already-- he’s similar to how they once were when they were first revived. To how they were when they were younger. Sort of like how they are now. They feel drawn to him but with no way to properly express that to him, they just hope one day he’ll catch on.

17. What is the outcome you see happening for your apprentice and their significant other?

Visiting their home country. Meeting their foster family. Finally setting old demons straight after they regain all of their memory and then settling down in a quiet cottage, out of the city and back in the wilds that they love. Maybe one day with a little family of their own and a reputation as the people of the wood who will never turn out a weary traveler. 

18. What would drive your apprentice so far as to strike a bargain?

Losing the few people that they’ve allowed close to them, those who they truly love platonically or otherwise. That would truly break Diorbhail and drive them to take any means necessary to right what they perceive as a wrong, or put them out of their own misery. Or, if they believe that it would prevent harm from coming to their loved ones altogether, then they’ll dive to sacrifice their own well-being.

19. At this point in the game, do they care more about recovering the rest of their memories or living as they are now?

They want to remember. There’s always a gnawing at the back of their head, and they know they can be better if they just remember. They’re sick of feeling helpless because they only have three years worth of memories, most of them being of Asra and the shop. It’s no way to live, for Diorbhail. They probably won’t think this way for very much longer, however.

20. Would they be up for another Masquerade despite all that has happened? New outfit theme?

So long as they don’t have to keep running between rooms, then yes. With a quiet corner, good food, and night sky full of lights, they’d be perfectly content. As for their outfit, they’d probably go in a costume tied to their ancestry, and to the general theme of a ram, the star they were born under and the face of one of their gods.

21. What is their first reaction seeing their LI cry?

Initially, they’d hesitate to get close. Their first thought is to think of what they would like their LI to do, if the situation was reversed, but that’ll get tossed quickly in favor of Diorbhail rushing over to hug their LI. They wipe their LI’s tears and whisper affirmations and comforting things. This always ends with Diorbhail acting as a big spoon and running their fingers through their LI’s hair, and eventually falling asleep there.

22. Are they scared of what they have learned? Of the powers they have developed?

Not at all. Maybe of what may happen if the wrong people learn about what they could do, but they’re never afraid of themself. For them, each new ability is one more means with which to protect their family and help those in need.

23. Do they like snow? Have they seen it before?

Given that their home country is very nearly always covered in snow, yes, they have seen it before, but no, they aren’t particularly fond of it. They associate it with terrible things from their childhood, and doesn’t make for a very hospitable environment once it falls thick enough.

24. A magic lamp is found in the shop, and a genie inside gives them three wishes. What are they?

Diorbhail would send that genie right back inside for later use. They have no clue what they’d wish for until they needed it. No wishes for wealth, love, or fame. They’d probably tote the lamp around until they found themself in a pickle and used the genie as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Like wishing the Devil would forget about merging the realms and take a nap.