Lady Erika Blackwood
I've found, in my darkest of times, that animals make for far better company than humans. They'll never try to change you.
Description: This woman is the wild, picturesque beauty of the North, with thick, curly copper red hair that reflects the light in brilliant shades of orange as it tumbles down her back, like the raging blaze of the Redrain bonfires. Her eyes are the icy blue of frosted over lakes, framed by dark lashes, and her skin pale white. A light tinge of pink adds colour to her cheeks, and her nose, shoulders and cheeks are dusted with freckles. Her lips are full and bow shaped, and her layered bangs frame her face and sweep across her brow, contrasting against her skin. While her eyes are such a cold blue, they carry within them a thrill and electric energy that steals ones breath away as you get lost in them, and the broad smile she gives you quickly brings it back in a rush of warmth.
She stands shorter than most at 5'4, but her presence extends beyond her physical size. Her figure is athletically toned from years of a testing life in the Northern wilds, travelling across long distances and free climbing trees and mountains. Numerous pale scars on her figure attest to this wild life as well, from the claws of animals to the sharp scrape of branches. Her figure is curvaceous with ample feminine features, with black, Northern shav tribal tattoos decorating her, along her spine, hips and collar bones. Her fingers are often stained green, and she carries the scent of the Northern forests with her.
Personality: Erika is a wild, passionate woman, whose emotions can range from the extremes of fiery joy to icy indifference. She's stubborn and determined, and has a deep affinity for the wilds and its animals. While she enjoys the company of people, she also feels most at home amongst the trees of the forests and peaks of the snowy Northern mountains, where she spent so much time with her father. Despite her loss, she's free spirited, full of life and vigour, and enjoys her drink and wry humour. Fiercely loyal, she stands to fight for those she loves, making up for not being there when she was most need. Harbouring a sense of guilt and anguish, and a deep hatred for the Heralds, Brand, and his Bringers, Erika would tear the mountains apart with her bare hands to protect those who can't protect themselves, and avenge those already lost.
Background: Born within the Shav tribes of the Northeast, Erika was the apple of her father's, Ingemar Blackwood, eye. She looked so much like her mother, who had died giving birth to her. He held no resentment for his wife's death, and while it was hard and clumsy being a single parent, he raised her the best he could, refusing to give her up. And while most would have scorned her reckless childhood adventures, he praised her for the fire of her soul. He taught her everything she knows about surviving in the wilds, and discovering her affinity with animals, assisted her in honing her skill. It resulted in the young girl growing wildly, with strength and passion, and at the early age of 18 she began to assist in hunting, gathering, and exploring the wilds to protect against the dangers of the Heralds, which were a prominent danger.
Her journeys away from home alone would grow longer and longer as she honed her skills at survival, but it was on such a journey that Brand and his army came for the Shavs. Her father was killed for opposing him and his barbaric recruitment methods, and Erika returned home too late. Devastated and consumed by rage, the ranger agreed to travel with her cousin Ysbail to the Capital, bringing the tribes with them, to seek justice and rid the world of the evil that preyed upon them. Living in Arx, Erika frequently retreats to the forest to feel closer to her father, and be enveloped by the familiarity of the wilds. But that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate the civilised world of Arx and its less wild people.
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