red like roses

‘But a monster,’ he said, ‘She always has a place. She may have all the glory her teeth can snatch. She will not be loved for it, but she will not be constrained either.'Serafina Chevalier
Veena Viera outcast. Garlean citizen. Former Night's Watch captain of the IVth Imperial Legion. Defector & mercenary.

A Crimson Ghost;

Full Name:Serafina ChevalierHeight: 5'10 | 1.7 m
Nameday:18th Sun of 1st Astral Moon (Jan. 18th)Weight: 190 lbs | 86 kilo
Guardian Deity:Halone, the FuryZodiac Sign: Capricorn
Military Rank:Tesserarius (Night's Watch captain)Enneagram: Type Six
Professions:Gunbreaker, Armorer, BlacksmithMyers-Briggs: ISFJ

Trigger warning discussing forced birth, miscarriages, body mutilation, torture.Skills and Occupations: Artisan blacksmithing, familiar with medicus work as an apothecary, proficient in intermediate medical surgery and herb foraging. Trained sharpshooter and tracker. Fluent in Garlean, Eorzean and Veenska.Serafina Chevalier, known as 'Sera', is a twenty-four year old artisan blacksmith and former Garlean soldier, currently residing in the Holy See of Ishgard.

Born within the desolate frigid wastelands of Skatay, Sera's upbringing was defined through strict adherence to Vieran tradition. In the village of Isininur, women were mothers above all else. Such constricting gender roles, combined with constant pregnancies, resulted in miserable living conditions for exhausted does.Fervently rejecting the gendered prejudices of Vieran culture, Sera was ultimately exiled for her disobedience. After committing arson against the village nursery, Sera was declared an outcast. As punishment, her ears were butchered and her aetheric connections were blocked, resulting in the loss of her magical abilities.After being left for dead, she was found and healed by the chirurgeons of Garlemald in a nearby Castrum. Sera embraced the miracles of Garlemald and became a fervent soldier, utterly loyal to the IVth Legion and its promised ideals of equality for all races and sexes. She served as a crackshot sniper in several campaigns, before ultimately becoming wounded in Delubrum Reginae, where she watched her comrades slaughtered by the Warrior of Light.In exchange for political asylum and healing, Serafina reluctantly defected to the Bozjan Resistance, before ultimately making her escape into Eorzea. Donning the new identity of 'Serafina Chevalier', she crafted a new life for herself as a talented blacksmith and jewelcrafter, specializing in ornate blades.Despite her comfortable life in Ishgard, she continues to dream of Garlemald and one day, eventually returning home to an open republic. No longer an exile, but free.

FOR FELLOW GARLEANS:
Perhaps you fought beside her under the Garlean banner. Known as an enthusiastic volunteer, this Viera was fanatically loyal to Noah van Gabranth and a sincere patriot. Perhaps you'd know her position; Night Watch captain in Castrum Vaporatus, a small outpost established in Skatay.FOR OTHER EORZEANS:
In Ishgard's Firmament, there is a little shabby blacksmith's shop. The shop itself is known for delicate metalwork and artisan firearms. The blacksmith is a Viera woman with docked ears and a heavy Garlean accent.Artwork credited to Alejandro Valencia.

Rumours and Connections;

Many called her beautiful.
She was not beautiful.
She was red, and terrible, and red.

FOR VEENA VIERA:
The Veena hold small numbers and word travels fast. Perhaps you heard of an exiled woman in a remote village, punished for disrespecting the Word. Perhaps you would hear of her ears butchered to deafen the Word, Mist suppressed to never wield magic, and permanent exile.

Isninur, Sword of the North

"When I travelled into that cold land, I expected the Viera to be dour and miserable. The Fury knows I arrived after a month of snow, but everywhere I travelled, I encountered life and humour. Dark humour, yes, but what else could flourish in a country so wracked with woe as Skatay?"~Master Florian Volkhv,
Etched in Stone: A History of SkatayThe Skatay Range is sparsely populated, with vast wilderness, pine forests, and enormous snowy mountains, speckled with tiny holdfasts and remote villages.Isninur is small and deeply isolated Vieran village nestled deep within the northernmost part of the Range, perched upon the edge of the Knowing Sea. The village sits upon barely-fertile rocks, surrounded by surging waves. Snowfall is frequent, with harsh winters and short summers.

On the Nature of the Whispered Word

"Numerous rumours and questionable stories persist for the remote Viera tribes of the North. Fantastical claims of cannibalism and blood sacrifice are undoubtedly false.However, little else is known about these enigmatic people, remaining even more mysterious than their southern cousins. With no priests, no organized prayers, no songs of worship, theirs is a relatively-undocumented folk religion continuing to persist after centuries of isolation."~Master Laurent Goodwyn ,
Songs of the Sea: A Nomadic Chronicle

"It was said that the Vieran warriors of old had oft been blood-drunk in battle, so berserk and frenzied that they felt no pain and feared no foe."~Lord Ivar Rurik of Sharlayan, Winter's Kings: Legends and Lineages of Ilsabard

Owing to the threats of wild beasts and foreign invaders, the village holds a strict code of honor and law.Because survival is precarious, traditional Vieran gender roles are enforced; men are warriors and protectors, while women produce as many children as possible. It is not uncommon for birthing exhaustion after producing several litters, nor is it uncommon for shorter lifespans.The tribe's religious conception of the Green Word extends not only to the memories of ancestral Golmore, but the whispers of their northern forests, the unforgiving mountains, and the churning sea, harsh and unyielding to the uninitiated.The Word encompasses the dual wills of the North. The sea itself is seen as a masculine counterpart to the feminine forests. The forests are associated with bountiful prosperity and plentiful food production, while the sea is understood as unyielding and associated with guarded protection.

ooc notes;

Both Carrd and Character prone to intermittent rewrites. Creative lore interpretation is encouraged.All Viera fanon is credited to Ludda.This character is a former totalitarian fascist and has done war crimes. This can create conflict; please accept IC friction between characters.Friendships & rivalries are encouraged.
Remember that IC does not equal OOC.Ask me for my Mare (mods) code.