10
« on: January 11, 2008, 10:04:39 PM »
Name: Xianeth Sal\'yeri
Age [appearance]:[/B] Mid-Late 20\'s, but it\'s hard to say.
Age [actual]: 124
Gender: Female
Species: Drow
House: Confuto, the House of Silence.
Title: Master
Level: N/A
Appearance
Hair: Characteristic of her race, Xianeth has long, silvery-white hair that often remains plaited or bound to keep it from getting in her eyes, although if let loose, it would fall deadly straight almost to her waist.
Eyes: Again, typical of her racial traits, her eyes are a bright wine-colour, often somewhere between lucid amethyst and burgundy, depending on the light that they are seen in. They are almond-shaped, and gently slanted, fitting with the rest of her fine, elfin features.
Frame: Despite the tendency for drow, or indeed elves in general, to be quite short of stature, she stands at almost 5\'6, which to an average human, doesn\'t seem tall...but to others of her own race, her height is somewhat imposing.
Beneath heavy, dark robes, she is willowy, but strong, hiding much muscular strength beneath a lithe and agile frame. Uncommon to her race, she is an albino drow, with chalky-white skin, tinted with ashen tones. Added to her hollowed features and high cheekbones, this emphasises her harsh, gaunt appearance. With a bit of effort, she could be described as attractive, but practicality always comes before her personal appearance.
Due to her skin tone, she isn\'t always recognised as a drow - and so often avoids the criticism and judgement that is often brought upon her race.
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: I\'d say she\'s pretty unmissable as it is, but she also has a marking of a spiderweb, with a black spider just below her left shoulderblade.
Her fingers also seem unnaturally long and thin.
Attire: Although Masters may choose their attire, she wears normal jet black robes with a heavy hood, keeping her features hidden, and her hands gloved. However, she always has a silver pendant of the rose around her neck as a symbol of her devotion to the house.
A few of her pupils have learned to recognise her simply by her stride, and some have never even seen her face.
Personality: Characteristic of the house that she stands for, Xianeth speaks only the words necessary. Having passed over to High-Apprenticeship at the age of 16, one of the youngest recorded; she is a vastly talented assassin; choosing to explore varying areas of artforms.
Unlike some of the other high Masters, Xianeth does not see it as a waste of her time to teach - and will gladly teach classes of the younger students as well as Apprentices.
As if a student, Xianeth still devotes her time to excelling, and improving - very much the embodiment of her strict, devoted house. She enjoys a challenge, and enjoys improving her skills as much as possible.
She is often to be found in a corner of the library when she isn\'t teaching, sometimes with older students. She also mixes with those not of her own house. Although not what would be called social, she gladly associates with those who interest her, especially those who can offer her something in return for what she can provide. Her ties with the Masters of Eruditio, and of Purificio allow her to gain a few advantages for her students, but she is also known for challenging her fellow masters in council if she has a strong opinion on something.
Xianeth, after years of training in the art of silence and finesse, is relatively level-headed. She rarely loses her calm, and treats her students with patience. However, she also respects the name of her house far above anything else, and those who show any disrespect to her or to the House of Confuto will taste more than a little wrath.
She often comes off as aloof, cold and unforgiving; but in reality she merely believes that emotions hold one back in matters of life. Because of this, she refuses the distraction of forming romantic relationships, and keeps only business connections with people outside of the Academy.
Of course she has her secrets, but her secrets seem to remain behind very tightly closed lips.
History:
[Reverting to human ages...sort of.]
Her memory of events before the Academy Life are often blurred, and she refuses to speak of them at all.
After passing her family examinations years before her time, and displaying great skill in the art of fighting - Xianeth was seen as a talent worthy for a higher cause.
In reality, this meant that the young girl was seen as a potential threat to the delicate matriarchal hierarchy; and could threaten the social standing of her sisters - especially as she showed no particular interest in the priestesshood.
"For her best chances", she was detached from her family to train in the etiquette, speciality and finesse of her talents. Through leads of connection, this led the young girl to an Academy above ground, as far away as she could be sent - where at the time, only the elite were reviewed.
The travel was hard, adapting to the light that hurt her skin and blinded her, and the warmth of the strange atmosphere. Being young, she managed to adapt a little, although slowly and painfully.
Despite being frowned upon for her extraordinarily young age, the 8-year old girl was accepted under the wing of the Master of Still Shadows.
Trained specifically in the Confuto House, she flew through her first two levels in the space of a year after intensive tutoring from the Grand Master himself.
This fair-fortune led her studies escalating far beyond that of her peers; leading her to get her white sash at the age of 14.
Two years of hard lone study brought her through to her Apprenticeship in a record time for the Academy.
It was obvious that this student was heading somewhere special.
Her first serious job went flawlessly; although a later task resulted in the death of a Master through his own carelessness. Carrying out her duties for the Academy and the House of Confuto, she not only finished the job in hand - but cleared all traceable evidence from the scene.
This particular act is one that gave her a step up to her Higher Apprenticeship, eventually leading on to a Mastery in the Art of Silence at the turn of her 20s.
Through her various endeavours and jobs, she has gained many titles over the years - despite her refusal to use them, although officially she is listed beneath them all.
Even though she doesn\'t use them, if asked - she can proudly recite them all.
Since then, she has seemed to be at the Academy for an uncountable number of years, passing on her skills to other students.
Family: She belongs to the House of Si\'ltha, and although she still has loyalty to her family name, she has little intention of returning.
Likes: Silence, expanding her knowledge, weapon-design, technical drawing, alchemy, training to a point of exhaustion, listening to music - especially stringed instruments, burning incense.
Dislikes: Loud or sudden noises, bright light, those who don\'t take their studies seriously, overly talkative people, giving up on anything.
Strengths: - Determination - she refuses to give up on anything, or anyone. If she can see promise or potential in a situation, then she will keep working at it until it\'s complete. Very often, this counts for students...and she is known for having a number of troublesome, difficult students.
Attention to Detail - a skill that brought her to where she is now, she notices subtlties and tiny changes in atmosphere due to heightened senses. This also seems to work with her relations with other people, especially those that she knows well - thus is hard to hide anything from.
Weaknesses/Flaws: Having grown up a little too quickly, she is sometimes prone to prejudice against those who do not show the effort that she expects of them, especially in her own house. Her punishments are severe, and often violent.
Although level-headed most of the time, if she is forced into a temper then she can be dangerous to be near.
Often, she can be cutting and sharp, it takes quite a bit of work to communicate on a good level with her.
Interesting Facts / Quirks:
+ She designs her own weapons.
+ She often teaches students one-to-one if they request her help.
+ She is currently looking for an apprentice.
+ She\'s rumoured to be the next Grand Master of Confuto.
+ She researches the background of her students, and tries to learn as much as possible about them before they reach a high level, partly to communicate better, and partly to control them effectively.
+ She was the one to ask for an organ to be built in the North Hall.
+ She knows a multitude of languages, including the Drow silent language.
Favourite Food: Chicken Soup
Favourite Colour: Deep purple, or rich auburn.
Hobby/Hobbies: Teaching herself new skills, sometimes whimsical ones - such as juggling, or playing the piano.
Sexuality: Asexual, supposedly.
Relationship Status: Permenantly single.
Weapon: It differs, depending on her mood at the time - as she has learnt finesse with a variety by now.
Magick: She knows the techniques natural to the drow, such as Faery Fire, Dancing Lights and impenetrable darkness, but also has dabbled in other illusionary arts.
Unknown to others, she is able to practise Clairaudience, and may also plant a suggestion in another\'s mind, by subtly altering their opinion to match her own.
One of the weapons she owns is said to be able to disintegrate stone with a few spoken words.