#monstervari

Their name is Olevéos, and they are something unprecedented among my GW2 characters - a second canon Commander, existing in an AU separate from everyone else (though I might move some characters over to their AU if needed).

Olevéos (Olly to people very, very close to her and absolutely no one else, she/they, nonbinary) started off as a Nightmare Courtier, a gifted, violent brat sent to pose as a Dreamer and spy on Caithe and other important sylvari. Having been taken by the Court at an early age, they had known little else before, but now they found themself neck deep in the role of a Valiant, and were driven to keep the act up by circumstance, curiosity and the thrill of danger. Things happened one after another, and Olly suddenly had to realise the lie had become their life. Whispers Agent, then eventually Commander of the Pact - there was no going back.

Much like Isobel, they had not been forcibly corrupted to Nightmare, which left them the ability to turn away from it - and turn away they did, gradually, as time went on. As Commander, they experienced companionship, fame and glory, and got drunk on them. When Zhaitan fell, they felt like the king of the world. Yet, a large portion of their disturbed, violent nature remained, along with a past that could not be erased, which, as their personality changed, became an increasingly painful thorn in their side. To top it all they had also fallen in love with Caithe, whom they still hadn’t told the truth about their past, and would not do so until shortly before the events of Season 2 (which would also result in quite a different dynamic between them regarding the egg business).

Their confusion and self-doubt culminated during Heart of Thorns. In a critical moment, because of their lack of conviction, Olevéos just barely managed to avoid succumbing to Mordremoth. Their inner strength wasn’t enough to both fight off physical corruption as well as hold on to their free will and sanity, and they chose the latter. As a result, they were left with a bulked-up physique, a rougher, ridged bark, sharp claws, oversized, predatory teeth, and an extra set of eyes.

While the corruption and the losses that the Pact had suffered traumatised her deeply, they also set her on the slow path to coming to terms with herself and becoming a more responsible Commander, as well as the beginnings of a romance with Caithe. Still, to this day, under a composed and confident facade, she is torn between denial of being a monster, giving in to being one and acting like it, and owning it to use it as a force for good.

Olly, as a person, is often moody and unpredictable, though they’re also quite good at covering up their true feelings, and have a way with people. Being a dusk bloom, they are always eager to learn, and a little too curious for their own good. This attribute lead them to deviate from their initial training as a necromancer and become a demonologist - one who invokes the power of the Realm of Torment in combat. Needless to say, this is a pretty dangerous and largely unresearched practice that doesn’t exactly help with Olly’s monster image, but it does make them extremely powerful, and thus they’re unwilling to give it up.