My Escape from this World

Andy

Full Name is Andrea [ahn-DREH-ah approximately; German pronunciation on Behind the Name sounds closest when played] but specifically introduces herself as Andy to avoid questions

About 28F and rather tall at 5'10" or 5'11"/177-180cm, appearing even taller considering her habit of wearing heels

Previously gave up her position as young Baroness of her desert territory, as she felt the life wasn’t for her and yearned for more adventuring and freedom

Even while Baroness Andrea (or next in line, while younger), she typically would sneak out, even going so far as to learn martial arts from her traveling mentor, Merah (or to take on a part time dance gig at a late night lounge)

Learned of some magic and of the ancient dragons from Merah as well, though she still was not able to learn more of her background nor where she learned of this information

Previous connections with the Adventurers’ Guild allowed her to live on the road, taking jobs while keeping her identity on the downlow

Loves the thrill of the unknown and has no intentions of settling down (for now… :3 )

A practiced and charismatic leader and someone who can just as easily threaten as seduce, she takes pride in herself and her ability and will strive to perfect herself in whatever way she can

Skills

Combat: She’s fine with a sword, considering she took it up to give people a false sense of security in disarming her, which is when she’s far more dangerous and her prowess really shines. She would like to improve, though, and her background in dance helps tremendously Ranking - 1

Farming: She doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty, but this is likely one of her weaker areas. Perhaps slightly better with flowers than with vegetables - she certainly still likes her finer things in certain areas Ranking - 8

Ranching: Probably on a similar level to Farming, she’s alright. She’ll at least keep them fed and does care for them, but it’s not uncommon for the poor things to be sleeping outside, considering her predisposition to working (or exploring) herself to exhaustion Ranking - 8

Archeology: While it may not be a main focus of hers, she’s too curious to not explore, which inevitably leads to finding these artifacts. In regards to the identification, this is something she’s even more skilled with, especially with pieces from afar or items dealing with magic of some sort Ranking - 3

Cooking: Okay, we know Reina is fantastic. We see Reina as the comfort food, especially the Mistria comfort food expert. Andy is her equivalent for gourmet food, especially if it has (what she knows) to be a twist of her own home (you can thank the chefs in her own home that let her sneak in the kitchen growing up to help). She loves to experiment and will gladly do recipe swaps and cooking nights with Reina, especially to learn more herself Ranking - 1

Blacksmithing: She’s picked up some on the road. Afterall, she certainly didn’t want to appear wealthy, so learning to fix her own gear was helpful. It may not be top quality, but it’s acceptable. She’ll, of course, refuse to show any of it to March until it’s of more acceptable standards Ranking - 7

Carpentry: The perfectionist within her works with her a little bit, so she’s slightly better here than with blacksmithing, even if she’s had less time to work on it. She certainly appreciates a job well done for both, though, and understands the hard work and study that each require Ranking - 6

Fishing: Along with her martial arts training came a lot of training on her patience. This, surprisingly to her, perhaps, paid off when it came to fishing. She finds it relaxing, especially on days where she wants to just feel the rain for a while after she exhausted herself (yet again). Ranking - 5

Mining: It’s likely little surprise this quickly became her second best skill alongside Archeology and after Cooking and Combat, considering her love of the unknown and a penchant for getting into danger. Hearing the mines could be opened again, at least privately, was something she quickly made a beeline for, and it became quite a task to keep her out of them afterwards, considering all the secrets she learned inside. Especially when they continued to bring up more questions in her mind. Afterall, if her curiosity was sated, where would the fun in that be? Ranking - 3

Anja

[A/N: Since some may not know due to the difference in languages, the name is pronounced AHN-yah (since I can’t remember the phonetic alphabet right now, see the Finnish pronunciation in Behind the Name).]

Guesstimated 33 or 34 (F presenting but honestly does not care too much). Only about 5'2" or 5'3"/158-160cm

Grew up on the streets of the Capital needing to steal to survive though occasionally got her hands on some scrap with which she could tinker

Her tinkering led to mini trinkets or inventions that she would try to, alongside the other children on the streets, sell off to save up for a way out

These skills developed slowly and led her to be noticed by a blacksmith, who brought her in enough to teach her a bit more

Takes a lot of pride in her work and is not afraid to admit she is the best at what she does, considering how much work she’s put in to get where she is

Cool, closed off, and rather blunt to people normally, Mistria warms her up after a time, especially once she realizes the people there would genuinely like to see her succeed rather than get her close to cut her down

Despite being rather cold towards others, has a fascination with other cultures and with history and other languages, having a penchant for picking up the latter very quickly, especially considering she spent most free time when younger either learning them or tinkering (or both, considering she’d rather save her money than travel

Has a fascination with the stars and has promised herself she will reach them one day

Exhaustion? What’s that? (Aka, she absolutely on a regular basis work herself straight through the night for multiple nights until she’s practically delirious, surviving on coffee (yes, I’m suspending a bit of belief here, but that’s what fiction is for, no?))

Skills

Combat: Taught herself some swordplay, especially to stay alive on the streets or when out and about (and to get some use out of her twin swords, which she uses as an excuse to keep improving her blacksmithing skills, considering she keeps updating them with little ideas/inventions). Her technique could use some polishing (and she won’t say no to lessons from those who are trained), but she’s fast, alert, and tricky. She knows how to use her resources and surroundings *well* Ranking - 5

Farming: Well…remind her to water her crops, and she’s not bad. It’s not that she forgets they need water but more that she’s too distracted by everything else she has going on, especially, you know, the mines and the forge Ranking - 7

Ranching: She has time to keep animals? Lol (If she did, she’d care for them, certainly, but she’d definitely prefer someone else to do the animal raising for now) Ranking - 9

Archeology: Honestly, Eiland may be one of the first she opens up a bit more to, considering she will *absolutely* be nerding out with him over pretty much anything they find, though unlike Errol, she won’t be afraid to correct him when he believes Olric’s old pickaxe might be from much longer ago than it actually is (which may or may not help her uncover an appreciation and a like for teaching) Ranking - 1

Cooking: When she does cook, she’s fine. She’s much better at making her tea or coffee (even if she’s working on a way to get that coffee production a bit more automated, considering she does not have time to keep making it), but she isn’t a stranger to making her own food acceptably. With more ingredients (and once she warms up to Reina), she wouldn’t be opposed to learning some quick ways to make some better things Ranking - 5

Blacksmithing: Okay…she and March are *not* going to get along. Because she *knows* she’s damn good at her work, and she’s not accepting someone dismissing the work she’s put in already because they want to be the best, even if she respects their skill and their drive to continue improving (they…might be a bit too similar…) I can see them eventually becoming more friendly rivals, but…they have a lot of work to get to that point… [I’m sorry March fans! She couldn’t do it…] Ranking - 1

Carpentry: Right up there with Blacksmithing, she knows what she’s doing, and she’s proud of her work when it’s (eventually) done, even if it must be *absolutely* perfect. She’s more than glad to help the town through this, especially at first, which may slowly open her up. She respects Ryis’s skill, but unlike March, they will likely be able to work together a bit better, considering he won’t be putting her down and will likely help her improve even faster (alongside Landen) Ranking - 1

Fishing: As much as she would probably get along with Terithia and as much as she enjoys fish, she really doesn’t take as much time to fish as she would like (unless she’s being forced to take a day off after sleeping for probably a full day) Ranking - 8

Mining: A way for her to get her own materials? For free? *And* she gets to find random artifacts during that time? What’s not to love?? Good luck getting her to leave unless you tell her the forge is ready for her. Or unless her pack is overflowing…again… Ranking - 4

Niamh

[A/N: I blame a boardgame for introducing me to Gaelic and Irish names, and I wish to properly learn the language soon (I might like learning too much…) but pronunciation is approximately NEEV (again, see Behind the Name).]

About 23F (identical twin of Éadaoin - see below); 5'7"ish/170cmish

Mother and father were both adventurers, but mother settled in a small town that traded with Mistria through the Capital upon learning she was expecting

When slightly older, she and her sister set out to adventure together for a bit until the Earthquake hit, when they spent some time making sure their hometown had enough hands to help

Heard through the Guild of the call to aid Mistria, which they accepted to get a start for themselves while aiding an allied town. Niamh considered this a nice break from adventuring and, potentially, a chance to settle down on her own for the time

Niamh always had a penchant for caring for the animals in town and connected with them easily

Still always thirsting for knowledge and to learn more, trips to the Capital were made as often as they could be

When that even hint of magic was revealed by Caldarus, she absolutely latched onto the topic and tries to learn *everything* she can

Normally keeps to herself, if only because she feels too shy/awkward to approach others sometimes

Absolutely clever, though, and would not be opposed to sitting with Adeline to complete paperwork and plan all day to help Mistria, her tactical mind giving her an advantage in that

Skills

Combat: Well…she can use a bow alright, but she’d much rather be planning for how to approach situations and viewing things from above to more quickly make calls if needed. Still, she’ll always have her sister’s back, if needed Ranking - 6

Farming: She’s used to putting some work into this type of thing, and she finds it both relaxing and rewarding. To her, it’s a win-win. Already having the experience with a large garden previously, the farm was certainly bigger, but it certainly felt as relaxing and even more rewarding, considering it was a great boon to the town Ranking - 2

Ranching: Where she truly shines. The animals adore her, and she adores them It’s not uncommon to see her spending most of her free time with all of them Ranking - 1

Archeology: Getting the artifacts would require her to leave the farm more, but she’d certainly love to learn all about all of them, even be able to offer insight every so often if she’s especially drawn in (aka distracted enough to not be afraid to speak) Ranking - 3

Cooking: She’s not allowed after she started a fire while attempting to make a salad. Never. Again. Ranking - 9

Blacksmithing: She’s dealing with fire again? This…is not going to end well. Will it be better than Cooking? Well…her sister has probably already teamed up with March to not let her find out Ranking - 8

Carpentry: This…well she’s not the best, but she’s curious to learn it. She’s not dealing with fire, and while she may hurt herself on occasion, she seems to ignore it and keep going, shrugging it off. Afterall, when questioned by Ryis, to her, it’s just part of learning. She’ll get past it…eventually Ranking - 5

Fishing: It’ll take her some time to develop an interest in it, but after Éadaoin goes on about a fish recipe that she wants to make for a bit, she’ll give it a shot…and actually kind of enjoys it once she gets the hang of it. It’s a nice way for her to wind down when Éadaoin isn’t dragging her to the inn Ranking - 4

Mining: She could do it, and while the bit of adventure does speak to her, it’s not something she wants all the time. She’s glad to treat her time in Mistria as a proper break Ranking - 6

Éadaoin

[A/N: See above for inspiration, but pronunciation is approximately EH-deen; see Behind the Name.]

About 23F (identical twin of Niamh - see above); 5'7"ish/170cmish

Again, see above for starting out, but while sister saw Mistria as a break, Éadaoin saw new people to meet and thus new secrets to collect; certainly new adventures to be had

The social butterfly of the two, and a dancer to boot. Also has a tendency to flirt and sleep around - less because of any attraction to anyone and more because it’s a good way to get even the most closed off to talk. Afterall, sex isn’t just fun, it’s also a great weapon

During their trips to the Capital when younger, while Niamh would be reading, Éadaoin would absolutely be sneaking into places she wouldn’t belong to learn things she shouldn’t know, which is how she met her Mentor

Knows how people work and talk and can absolutely use a rumor mill to her advantage, and subtly to those who don’t know just what to look for

Hiding in plain sight is a specialty - all she has to do is act, which is not a hard ask for her

Does enjoy making her own clothing and has learned to do so well - functional (afterall, she has to stay armed without others knowing!) and fitting for a personality (especially in her case, pushing boundaries of what is “acceptable”, which Elsie would *love*. Has probably made fast friends with Louis and her just due to this alone

Proud of who she is and *always* willing to push herself…but she loves her sleep too!

“Seamstress, Stripper, and Spymaster…in training…” (she’s working on getting the in training part out for the spymaster portion of her slogan)

Skills

Combat: Like people play with their food, she’ll play with her opponent unless she actually feels like she’s in some sort of danger. She’s getting the hang of a dagger, at least, as a good side weapon in case conditions are unfavourable for her main, a whip (she takes her role very seriously, clearly). She’s pretty easy to underestimate, especially at first, but she has a great interest in continuing to improve Ranking - 1

Farming: …That’s her sister’s job, right? She’ll help on occasion if it’s a particularly busy day, but she has a lot of things to do as well, especially when she’s cooking for them as well Ranking - 8

Ranching: Okay, this one is definitely Niamh’s job. The kids can bother her as well while they’re at it. More pets for the animals and she doesn’t have to deal with the children as much? Win-win, as far as she’s concerned Ranking - 9

Archeology: She’ll dig up the artifacts just fine! Doesn’t matter if it’s accidental or not - she was just exploring and won’t stop them from falling into her lap! Some of the more out there ones she’ll gladly identify (and has probably, on a couple occasions, tossed some to Errol or Eiland with a very brief and off-hand description, even if it were new, catching them off guard, Shouldn’t have left all your books around, sis!) Ranking - 5

Cooking: She actually enjoys baking a bit more than cooking, but considering her sister being an active danger in the kitchen, she’ll gladly take on that role a bit more. When more of the people around town can be wooed by food…even better! And when she actually warms up to them? Well, why complain then? Ranking - 4

Blacksmithing: She has too much fun teasing and messing with March, and Olric is adorable. So she learns Blacksmithing for the hell of it. At least she can use it to make some fancy jewelry going forward! And she has even more of a reason to go to the mines! Ranking - 3

Carpentry: It’s not her favourite - likely something she puts off learning until Niamh drags her out to help her on occasion. Even then, while she still doesn’t love it, she doesn’t mind the fact that it can make some pretty stuff and is a fairly easy way to help the town (even if she’ll say people more often ignore the help that’s around instead of ignoring the guests) Ranking - 6

Fishing: She’s tried it. She’ll do it while enjoying Terithia’s stories, but it’s not really something she has the patience for Ranking - 7

Another winter came to an end, and with it, another chapter’s end. Andy had to admit - the freedom adventuring had provided her had been, both literally and figuratively, a breath of fresh air. And yet, as she stood there looking over the call to a small town called Mistria, she had to wonder what really was drawing her to such a post. There wasn’t the usual thrill of exploring the unknown; there wasn’t any sort of apparent danger…

Then again, as easy as the lies in the Capital came, she knew they couldn’t hold forever. Word would spread, more familiar faces would come around for visits… Perhaps a short break wasn’t a bad idea. Privacy was a luxury on the road, and to help a recovery effort following the recent earthquake would keep her busy enough, surely. At least for the time being. Perhaps…a break really wasn’t that bad. But only a short one, of course.