Post by Fehafare on Feb 15, 2020 4:04:16 GMT
MARIE ARCHELOT
KNIGHT ERRANT
KNIGHT ERRANT
Name: Marie Archelot
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Affiliation: Chivlaric Archive
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 77 kg
Marie is a difficult woman to pin down. At her core she is a well meaning, fun loving person who cares about, the issue arises from the fact that she's not willing to let anyone see that core. On the outside she appears as arrogant and boastful. She has a confident approach to everything and tends to display a certain level of pure bravado and airiness which can easily put people off. She likes being in control of a situation and if she cannot do that she will at the very least pretend like she is. Although she isn't necessarily petty, she does tend to hold grudges against people who wrong her and usually doesn't mind going out of her way to "settle the score". Likewise, she also never forgets a kindness done and repays her debts. She does her best to find fun in whatever she is doing, approaching even chores enthusiastically. She has a habit to develop tunnel vision once she intently focuses on a particular goal and as a result she can easily miss the bigger picture, a trait which has caused trouble for her more than once. She is a perfectionist at heart and will rarely let something be until she is fully satisfied with the outcome. She can also be fairly rebellious and confrontational in certain situations stemming both from her newly gained freedom as well as the fact that she is just a naturally stubborn and determined girl. Despite that, she still deeply cares for both her family and the Chvlaric Order.
She fancies herself a Knight and does try to live by her own personal code of chivalry. The primary conviction that follows from this is her insistence on fighting honourably and without stooping to malignant trickery. Marie can also be downright eccentric at times and she finds it difficult to make friends at times. On the other hand, she is incredibly loyal to the friends she does make and she cherishes them above all else. Those who mange to get past her exterior facade can make her flustered rather easily. She tends to classify people in two groups, those she can like and those she cannot like, rather than labeling them as good or evil. As a result she tends to have a hard time going against people she likes, even if they end up becoming her enemies. At the same time, she struggles to work together with those she cannot like. Of course, cooperation isn't impossible, as long as Marie can gain something from it she will refrain from open hostilities. Having been raised her entire life as a Knight (or at least what her father's idea of a Knight is) she finds all forms of combat enjoyable and considers it one of her favourite pastimes. From sparring to actual live combat, if she is given the chance to test her mettle against someone else she will happily take it. She also take proper combat etiquette very seriously, meaning she will never go easy on an opponent nor will she flinch in the face of death as to do so would tarnish her honour and only bring disgrace. Given her upbringing she also has a natural air of elegance about her, and tends to act in a refined manner without even noticing it. Beyond the joys of combat her favourite activities tend to be reading, various forms of art and fine dining. Cooking and baking are also a hobbies of hers.
She lives her life as a Knight Errant of sorts, traveling from place to place, taking on challengers and trials she comes across on her journey. She is perfectly content to simply enjoy the freedom she has, and make the most of her life. If there is anything that can be considered a goal then it's tracking down and collecting the artifacts her father so desires. It's a goal she takes very seriously, even if she is approaching it at a slow pace. Particularly the Holy Grail serves has the pinnacle of her desires and she can sometimes get obsessive over it if she finds any clues that point to its location. That intense focus on the Grail is more so for her father's sake than her own as Marie herself has little actual interest in the cup.
All in all, Marie can be a loyal friend and ally, if one can manage her at times eccentric and difficult personality.
Marie has a lean and relatively tall figure. She is also somewhat muscular, though not to the point where one would notice unless they were to see her naked as her clothes tend to conceal that trait. Her skin is fair and without blemishes, though she does have a tiny birth mark high up on her left thigh. She keeps her dirty blonde hair incredibly long, usually reaching all the way down her back. She regularly ties it into twin tails or various braid arrangements, both for reasons of practicality and style. The most outstanding feature on her face are her fairly big and deep blue eyes. Her face in general is defined by very soft lines and features, making it somewhat difficult for Marie to appear genuinely angry or threatening even if she does her best to do so.
For clothes she likes to wear dresses the most when the occasion allows it, but in everyday life she tends to pick slightly more practical clothes, going for skirts, stockings, jeans, short jackets and the like. Her combat attire usually consists of a leotard, a coat or jacket worn over it, knee high boots and various bits and pieces of armor which tend to offer minimal protection. Overall her attire tends to be fairly revealing, though Marie doesn't mind and often welcomes it even, doubly so because she enjoys the freedom of movement her clothes grant her.
Marie was born in the Archelot family, a prestigious and rich family of England with French roots. She spent her childhood growing up in the family mansion, but even beyond the rich lifestyle, her upbringing was anything but standard. Her father, Gilles Archelot, was the founder of the Order of the Knights of the Chivalric Archive, often simply called Order of the Chivlaric Archive or just The Chivlaric Archive. A society composed of either those who could trace their lineage back to noble blood or who were admitted to the Order by an existing member. They were men who sought to continue the tradition of chivalry and knighthood. Rather than making it a formal title it was something they devoted their lives to. Chief among their goals and aspirations was the collection of artifacts. Ancient objects of power, often in the form of weapons which were wielded by heroes throughout history, both famous and forgotten. They collect the artifacts both to wield them as well as to preserve them and ensure they are in used service to humanity. Their ultimate goal was the same as it was for the knights of the Arthurian legend, the acquisition of the Holy Grail. Of course Marie's father did not believe the Holy Grail to be a simple cup, but rather a concept, an idea and symbol of divine power which may or may not take a concrete form.
Marie was raised within the order, being home schooled by the most prestigious tutors her father could hire, while also receiving extensive combat training. From a very early age her father introduced her to the idea of Knights, and the artifacts his Order was so concerned with. Despite the strict expectations put on her, and the rigorous training regime, Marie's childhood was a happy one. Besides her parents she shared the family mansion with her older sister, Elise, whom she adored above all others. Their parents gave the two both love and attention, even though they clearly did not look or act like a normal family, all of them seemed to be content with just how things were. As odd and eccentric Gilles's path in life was, he managed to be both a good husband and father despite of it all. If there was one thing that Marie struggled with growing up, it was the lack of friends of her age, particularly female friends. She was the only girl in the Order besides her sister and the youngest one at that. Even the children of the other members who were going trough a similar education as her, were older boys who more often than not rather teased and antagonized her rather than befriended her. She only had her sister, Elise, but given their difference in age their obligations did not always align and they could not always spend time together.
That left Marie little to do with her spare time but read. Of course her choice of literature had been coloured by her life and so she read about King Arthur and his knights, about Charlemagne and his paladins, the sagas of Sigurd and Siegfried, the tales of Beowful and the epic of El Cid. It all only served to reinforce the idea of knighthood in Marie's mind and made her genuinely look forward to the day when she'd be able to call herself a proper Knight. Trouble only started when she'd gotten into her later teen years. It wasn't that she wavered on her path or what she wanted in life, her wish was still the same. Rather it was how her father was going about it all that annoyed her. He trained her still, but that was all he did. Going out in search of artifacts, real combat situations, anything of importance he considered her to be too young and inexperienced to take part in. Worst of all, he regularly did bring Elise along, meaning Marie was stuck all alone at home, the only joy she could expect was Elise retelling her the whole adventure once she was back.
Marie counted the days when she'd be able to join her sister and her father. Little did she know, it would never happen.
The turning point for Marie came suddenly and without warning. Her father and sister had come back from yet another artifact quest, yet things were not as they were supposed to be. Gilles Archelot, held in his arms the lifeless body of his eldest daughter, his face contorted into one of pained sadness. Elise had perished during a particularly vicious bout of combat with the group that held the artifact they desired. Marie was devastated. Her sister, her only true friend in this world was gone. She found herself going through alternating phases off sadness and anger. Anger at her father, anger at the Order, anger at the world. All the while she'd ask her father for an explanation, just to know what happened, how Elise died. Those conversations usually ended in shouting and tears for both of them.
It took months for Gilles to even speak of the Order again. Although he was a dutiful man, the loss of his daughter was a blow too heavy for him to take stoically. In time he did recover to the point of being able to return to his role as Grand Master of the Order, but even then he was changed. He stilled trained Marie as he always did, but if before he was strict, now he was megalomaniac in his attempts to control her. He forbade her from leaving the mansion and made sure to monitor any and all of her activities outside of her room. It soon became clear that her father was a broken man, one consumed by the fear of losing her other daughter as well. Marie would argue with him, try to reason with him, even beg him to let up, but Gilles was set in his way.
It all went on for a year and then no more.
Marie could not take it. She was always an obedient girl, but also a free spirit. Her father's behavior, his refusal to let her take part in even the most basic of operations was soul crushing. She was not going to put up with it. She took her own artifact and a couple more that she could gather on a short notice and ran away from home. Her father was left with a note tell him not to worry and that his daughter would return as a Grail Knight.
Marie has received combat training from the day she could walk. At first the training was mundane, later she was trained with artifacts, objects of power. As a result Marie has developed superhuman conditioning. Her most impressive characteristic is her stamina, pushed to the limit Marie can fight for particularly long periods of time without a break and with only a minimal loss of efficiency to her performance. Next are her strength and speed. Although raw physical strength was never her forte, the nature of her training demanded that she becomes at least somewhat adept in it. Marie is capable of practically dancing around in a suit of full plate armor as if it were feather light. She is also capable of swinging around heavy two handed weaponry with the ease one might swing a dagger, although that is not the full extent of her strength. On the other hand, speed had always been a focus of her training as was footwork. Though her running speed is just about on par with her strength what really sets her apart are her reactions and combat speed, being able to exchange blows and land hits on multiple superhuman combatants at once without much of an issue. Her reaction time goes a bit further than that still, but her body isn't quite capable of keeping up with her mind. Beyond the raw speed she is also incredibly agile and flexible, allowing her a wide range of movement in the heat of battle. Her durability is perhaps the least notable thing as there was little room for improvement trough conventional means but Marie still posses extraordinarily sturdy bones and dense muscles, making it less likely that she'll receive permanent or particularly debilitating injuries and she possesses an exceptional high pain threshold, stemming mostly from the hours upon hours of sparring against her father and other Knights of the Order.
Marie's greatest asset however is her skill. Her father trained her in the use of every medieval weapon under the sun, from all manner of swords, to incredibly specific and oddly designed polearms. She possesses both a deep understanding of the design of historic weaponry, as well as mastery over a myriad of relevant forms, styles and techniques which can be employed with each weapon. She is also proficient in archery although to a lesser extent and tends to favour easier to use crossbows as her ranged weapon of choice.
Marie currently posses a total of three artifacts which she makes use of in combat situations:
Claircuronne: Trice Shining Star
The only artifact which truly belongs to Marie, a gift from her father to serve as her official weapon within the Order. Though its original form was that of a diminutive crown, it is now a formless accumulation of multicoloured light bound to Marie. She can at will turn it back into a crown if she wishes to pass it onto someone else. It was supposedly wielded by a paladin of Charlemagne and Prince of England whose name was not recorded in the annals of history. Its nature is that of a shapeshifting artifact made of solid light which may take the form of any weapon or armament the user desires, flowing freely from form to form. The light practically has no weight to it, making any weapon it shifts into incredibly easy to wield. It can also be used to light a path in the dark or even temporarily blind an opponent by intensifying the glow for a moment. Although primarily made out of light, the handle of the weapon tends to be metallic, often looking like bronze or gold, evoking its original form of a petite crown.
Melleas: Evening Chariot
A pair of bronze boots, supposedly gifted by Artemis and Apollo to a man who wished to race Hermes. The boots can emit a floating substance which holds the appearance of a vivid night sky. Black, dark blue and purple in colour dotted with countless stars. The substance takes the form of wings around the user's ankles and allows them to defy gravity in order to levitate or fly at low altitudes. It's biggest boon however is that it grants the user the ability to easily move in any direction by floating, without having to reorient their body to do so.
Aurillac: Saint's Shroud
Marie's coat and main combat attire. The white, red and blue jacket is akin to a gambeson in terms of the defense it provides, but the boons it offers are far more notable. The thread which holds the garment together was fashioned from the shroud in which a saint was buried. The jacket provides a natural healing factor to the user. Though regeneration is relatively slow when passive, it does stop bleeding and most types of poisoning, effectively staving off what would otherwise be a slow death. By taking a moment to focus the user can fully heal minor wound or partially close and heal major ones. The jacket also passively mends itself at a far greater speed in case it becomes damaged.
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Affiliation: Chivlaric Archive
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 77 kg
PERSONALITY
Marie is a difficult woman to pin down. At her core she is a well meaning, fun loving person who cares about, the issue arises from the fact that she's not willing to let anyone see that core. On the outside she appears as arrogant and boastful. She has a confident approach to everything and tends to display a certain level of pure bravado and airiness which can easily put people off. She likes being in control of a situation and if she cannot do that she will at the very least pretend like she is. Although she isn't necessarily petty, she does tend to hold grudges against people who wrong her and usually doesn't mind going out of her way to "settle the score". Likewise, she also never forgets a kindness done and repays her debts. She does her best to find fun in whatever she is doing, approaching even chores enthusiastically. She has a habit to develop tunnel vision once she intently focuses on a particular goal and as a result she can easily miss the bigger picture, a trait which has caused trouble for her more than once. She is a perfectionist at heart and will rarely let something be until she is fully satisfied with the outcome. She can also be fairly rebellious and confrontational in certain situations stemming both from her newly gained freedom as well as the fact that she is just a naturally stubborn and determined girl. Despite that, she still deeply cares for both her family and the Chvlaric Order.
She fancies herself a Knight and does try to live by her own personal code of chivalry. The primary conviction that follows from this is her insistence on fighting honourably and without stooping to malignant trickery. Marie can also be downright eccentric at times and she finds it difficult to make friends at times. On the other hand, she is incredibly loyal to the friends she does make and she cherishes them above all else. Those who mange to get past her exterior facade can make her flustered rather easily. She tends to classify people in two groups, those she can like and those she cannot like, rather than labeling them as good or evil. As a result she tends to have a hard time going against people she likes, even if they end up becoming her enemies. At the same time, she struggles to work together with those she cannot like. Of course, cooperation isn't impossible, as long as Marie can gain something from it she will refrain from open hostilities. Having been raised her entire life as a Knight (or at least what her father's idea of a Knight is) she finds all forms of combat enjoyable and considers it one of her favourite pastimes. From sparring to actual live combat, if she is given the chance to test her mettle against someone else she will happily take it. She also take proper combat etiquette very seriously, meaning she will never go easy on an opponent nor will she flinch in the face of death as to do so would tarnish her honour and only bring disgrace. Given her upbringing she also has a natural air of elegance about her, and tends to act in a refined manner without even noticing it. Beyond the joys of combat her favourite activities tend to be reading, various forms of art and fine dining. Cooking and baking are also a hobbies of hers.
She lives her life as a Knight Errant of sorts, traveling from place to place, taking on challengers and trials she comes across on her journey. She is perfectly content to simply enjoy the freedom she has, and make the most of her life. If there is anything that can be considered a goal then it's tracking down and collecting the artifacts her father so desires. It's a goal she takes very seriously, even if she is approaching it at a slow pace. Particularly the Holy Grail serves has the pinnacle of her desires and she can sometimes get obsessive over it if she finds any clues that point to its location. That intense focus on the Grail is more so for her father's sake than her own as Marie herself has little actual interest in the cup.
All in all, Marie can be a loyal friend and ally, if one can manage her at times eccentric and difficult personality.
APPEARANCE
Marie has a lean and relatively tall figure. She is also somewhat muscular, though not to the point where one would notice unless they were to see her naked as her clothes tend to conceal that trait. Her skin is fair and without blemishes, though she does have a tiny birth mark high up on her left thigh. She keeps her dirty blonde hair incredibly long, usually reaching all the way down her back. She regularly ties it into twin tails or various braid arrangements, both for reasons of practicality and style. The most outstanding feature on her face are her fairly big and deep blue eyes. Her face in general is defined by very soft lines and features, making it somewhat difficult for Marie to appear genuinely angry or threatening even if she does her best to do so.
For clothes she likes to wear dresses the most when the occasion allows it, but in everyday life she tends to pick slightly more practical clothes, going for skirts, stockings, jeans, short jackets and the like. Her combat attire usually consists of a leotard, a coat or jacket worn over it, knee high boots and various bits and pieces of armor which tend to offer minimal protection. Overall her attire tends to be fairly revealing, though Marie doesn't mind and often welcomes it even, doubly so because she enjoys the freedom of movement her clothes grant her.
HISTORY
Marie was born in the Archelot family, a prestigious and rich family of England with French roots. She spent her childhood growing up in the family mansion, but even beyond the rich lifestyle, her upbringing was anything but standard. Her father, Gilles Archelot, was the founder of the Order of the Knights of the Chivalric Archive, often simply called Order of the Chivlaric Archive or just The Chivlaric Archive. A society composed of either those who could trace their lineage back to noble blood or who were admitted to the Order by an existing member. They were men who sought to continue the tradition of chivalry and knighthood. Rather than making it a formal title it was something they devoted their lives to. Chief among their goals and aspirations was the collection of artifacts. Ancient objects of power, often in the form of weapons which were wielded by heroes throughout history, both famous and forgotten. They collect the artifacts both to wield them as well as to preserve them and ensure they are in used service to humanity. Their ultimate goal was the same as it was for the knights of the Arthurian legend, the acquisition of the Holy Grail. Of course Marie's father did not believe the Holy Grail to be a simple cup, but rather a concept, an idea and symbol of divine power which may or may not take a concrete form.
Marie was raised within the order, being home schooled by the most prestigious tutors her father could hire, while also receiving extensive combat training. From a very early age her father introduced her to the idea of Knights, and the artifacts his Order was so concerned with. Despite the strict expectations put on her, and the rigorous training regime, Marie's childhood was a happy one. Besides her parents she shared the family mansion with her older sister, Elise, whom she adored above all others. Their parents gave the two both love and attention, even though they clearly did not look or act like a normal family, all of them seemed to be content with just how things were. As odd and eccentric Gilles's path in life was, he managed to be both a good husband and father despite of it all. If there was one thing that Marie struggled with growing up, it was the lack of friends of her age, particularly female friends. She was the only girl in the Order besides her sister and the youngest one at that. Even the children of the other members who were going trough a similar education as her, were older boys who more often than not rather teased and antagonized her rather than befriended her. She only had her sister, Elise, but given their difference in age their obligations did not always align and they could not always spend time together.
That left Marie little to do with her spare time but read. Of course her choice of literature had been coloured by her life and so she read about King Arthur and his knights, about Charlemagne and his paladins, the sagas of Sigurd and Siegfried, the tales of Beowful and the epic of El Cid. It all only served to reinforce the idea of knighthood in Marie's mind and made her genuinely look forward to the day when she'd be able to call herself a proper Knight. Trouble only started when she'd gotten into her later teen years. It wasn't that she wavered on her path or what she wanted in life, her wish was still the same. Rather it was how her father was going about it all that annoyed her. He trained her still, but that was all he did. Going out in search of artifacts, real combat situations, anything of importance he considered her to be too young and inexperienced to take part in. Worst of all, he regularly did bring Elise along, meaning Marie was stuck all alone at home, the only joy she could expect was Elise retelling her the whole adventure once she was back.
Marie counted the days when she'd be able to join her sister and her father. Little did she know, it would never happen.
The turning point for Marie came suddenly and without warning. Her father and sister had come back from yet another artifact quest, yet things were not as they were supposed to be. Gilles Archelot, held in his arms the lifeless body of his eldest daughter, his face contorted into one of pained sadness. Elise had perished during a particularly vicious bout of combat with the group that held the artifact they desired. Marie was devastated. Her sister, her only true friend in this world was gone. She found herself going through alternating phases off sadness and anger. Anger at her father, anger at the Order, anger at the world. All the while she'd ask her father for an explanation, just to know what happened, how Elise died. Those conversations usually ended in shouting and tears for both of them.
It took months for Gilles to even speak of the Order again. Although he was a dutiful man, the loss of his daughter was a blow too heavy for him to take stoically. In time he did recover to the point of being able to return to his role as Grand Master of the Order, but even then he was changed. He stilled trained Marie as he always did, but if before he was strict, now he was megalomaniac in his attempts to control her. He forbade her from leaving the mansion and made sure to monitor any and all of her activities outside of her room. It soon became clear that her father was a broken man, one consumed by the fear of losing her other daughter as well. Marie would argue with him, try to reason with him, even beg him to let up, but Gilles was set in his way.
It all went on for a year and then no more.
Marie could not take it. She was always an obedient girl, but also a free spirit. Her father's behavior, his refusal to let her take part in even the most basic of operations was soul crushing. She was not going to put up with it. She took her own artifact and a couple more that she could gather on a short notice and ran away from home. Her father was left with a note tell him not to worry and that his daughter would return as a Grail Knight.
POWERS AND ABILITIES
Marie has received combat training from the day she could walk. At first the training was mundane, later she was trained with artifacts, objects of power. As a result Marie has developed superhuman conditioning. Her most impressive characteristic is her stamina, pushed to the limit Marie can fight for particularly long periods of time without a break and with only a minimal loss of efficiency to her performance. Next are her strength and speed. Although raw physical strength was never her forte, the nature of her training demanded that she becomes at least somewhat adept in it. Marie is capable of practically dancing around in a suit of full plate armor as if it were feather light. She is also capable of swinging around heavy two handed weaponry with the ease one might swing a dagger, although that is not the full extent of her strength. On the other hand, speed had always been a focus of her training as was footwork. Though her running speed is just about on par with her strength what really sets her apart are her reactions and combat speed, being able to exchange blows and land hits on multiple superhuman combatants at once without much of an issue. Her reaction time goes a bit further than that still, but her body isn't quite capable of keeping up with her mind. Beyond the raw speed she is also incredibly agile and flexible, allowing her a wide range of movement in the heat of battle. Her durability is perhaps the least notable thing as there was little room for improvement trough conventional means but Marie still posses extraordinarily sturdy bones and dense muscles, making it less likely that she'll receive permanent or particularly debilitating injuries and she possesses an exceptional high pain threshold, stemming mostly from the hours upon hours of sparring against her father and other Knights of the Order.
Marie's greatest asset however is her skill. Her father trained her in the use of every medieval weapon under the sun, from all manner of swords, to incredibly specific and oddly designed polearms. She possesses both a deep understanding of the design of historic weaponry, as well as mastery over a myriad of relevant forms, styles and techniques which can be employed with each weapon. She is also proficient in archery although to a lesser extent and tends to favour easier to use crossbows as her ranged weapon of choice.
Marie currently posses a total of three artifacts which she makes use of in combat situations:
Claircuronne: Trice Shining Star
The only artifact which truly belongs to Marie, a gift from her father to serve as her official weapon within the Order. Though its original form was that of a diminutive crown, it is now a formless accumulation of multicoloured light bound to Marie. She can at will turn it back into a crown if she wishes to pass it onto someone else. It was supposedly wielded by a paladin of Charlemagne and Prince of England whose name was not recorded in the annals of history. Its nature is that of a shapeshifting artifact made of solid light which may take the form of any weapon or armament the user desires, flowing freely from form to form. The light practically has no weight to it, making any weapon it shifts into incredibly easy to wield. It can also be used to light a path in the dark or even temporarily blind an opponent by intensifying the glow for a moment. Although primarily made out of light, the handle of the weapon tends to be metallic, often looking like bronze or gold, evoking its original form of a petite crown.
Melleas: Evening Chariot
A pair of bronze boots, supposedly gifted by Artemis and Apollo to a man who wished to race Hermes. The boots can emit a floating substance which holds the appearance of a vivid night sky. Black, dark blue and purple in colour dotted with countless stars. The substance takes the form of wings around the user's ankles and allows them to defy gravity in order to levitate or fly at low altitudes. It's biggest boon however is that it grants the user the ability to easily move in any direction by floating, without having to reorient their body to do so.
Aurillac: Saint's Shroud
Marie's coat and main combat attire. The white, red and blue jacket is akin to a gambeson in terms of the defense it provides, but the boons it offers are far more notable. The thread which holds the garment together was fashioned from the shroud in which a saint was buried. The jacket provides a natural healing factor to the user. Though regeneration is relatively slow when passive, it does stop bleeding and most types of poisoning, effectively staving off what would otherwise be a slow death. By taking a moment to focus the user can fully heal minor wound or partially close and heal major ones. The jacket also passively mends itself at a far greater speed in case it becomes damaged.