Astrid d'Arcy

The Glacier Queen Astrid d'Arcy

"You, my child, are to be a great warrior. You shall protect the innocent, and your ruling shall be fair. As long as you stay away from your temptations, you will meet victory in the end. Let me lead you there."

- Nike upon meeting 15-year-old Astrid

Birth

Once upon a stormy night, a baby was born. As lightning struck the alder tree, Freya d'Arcy gave birth to her first and only daughter. The young girl had tan skin and bright white hair. When she opened her eyes, the room fell silent. Instead of brown eyes, like both her parents, the baby had pupilless golden irises that seemed like they radiated sunlight. A baby like this had to be a sign from the gods, telling them that good fortune was upon them. Because of this, they named her Astrid, meaning godly strength.

Childhood

Astrid spent the first years of her life on her parents' farm at the edge of Vicothalís, a small village in the Northern regions of the land. Her uniqueness became even more apparent as she could make the objects around her light up with a touch of her fingers. She also seemed to be able to heal small wounds, something that came in handy when her father, Yehuda, found out that their chickens weren't always the most peaceful creatures. Even though these abilities and her appearance made her stand out, her life was pretty average up until one faithful night.

Nike, Goddess of Victory

The night of her fifteenth birthday, she was woken up by a warm voice calling out to her, telling her to come to the alder tree. So, in the depths of night, the girl went outside to visit the burnt down tree. When she stood before the tree, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Astrid quickly turned around to see a tall woman with wings that radiated light as bright as the sun stand before her. "Don't be afraid," the woman said as she sent her a soft smile, "it's good to see you, daughter." Astrid looked at her with a confused expression. She had never seen the woman before, but she somehow looked familiar. "A young girl needs guidance, to be able to stay on the path to greatness," spoke the woman. "I don't know what you mean. Who are you? How do you know me?" Astrid said quietly. The woman smiled and spread out her wings. The light that had surrounded her before brightened and spread out around the two of them: "I'm Nike, goddess of victory. I lead those with ties to the celestials and great potential to fulfill their destiny. You, my child, are to be a great warrior. You shall protect the innocent, and your ruling shall be fair. As long as you stay away from your temptations, you will meet victory in the end. Let me lead you there." Nike looked at her waitingly as Astrid repeated her words in her head. After a couple of minutes, she slowly opened her mouth and said: "where do we start?"

In the next three years, Astrid trained almost every day. Nike or her disciples often visited her and taught her how to fight. The goddess had given her powers, magic that could hurt and protect the people around her. At the end of her training period, her goddess presented her with armor engraved with the symbol of Nike and a giant sword of blinding steel. They marked her face with gold as a sign she'd completed her training. After that, she could finally set out her quest for her victory.

The start of her journey

The day after she became eighteen, she took off. Nike had given her a sword, and a matching set of armor adorned with her symbols. She'd told her that once she'd proven her worth, her wings would appear as a sign of her celestial heritage and that she would shine brighter than the light of day. With that in mind, she traveled the country.

After a couple of weeks of roaming the countryside and trying to help people along the way, she came across some bandits that were blocking the road. When she came closer, she saw a young, ginger-haired woman lying on the ground, looking up frightened. Without hesitation, she jumped off her horse and pulled her sword on the men before her. "Let her go!" she yelled. The bandits quickly turned on her and tried to work her to the ground. She saw the woman get up and run away and looked at her for a second. At that moment, one of the men slammed a stone to the back of her head, and suddenly the world went black.

The fighting pits

She woke up in a dark room with only a small hole in the wall to let in a bit light. Her wrists felt heavy when she tried to raise them. And when she looked down to see what was going on, she saw manacles connected to long chains. Sitting there, she thought back to the fight. She hadn't won. Astrid, daughter of Nike, the unvictorious one. What would her goddess think of her defeat? She was nothing more than a failure. Suddenly, a door opened.

That was the day she had her first big fight. She was pushed in a gigantic stadium and forced to fight a commoner, weakly holding on to a sword. Luckily for her, she'd won. When she left the ring, she heard how the public voted on what would happen to the man. If he'd be killed, or get the chance to fight another day. Minutes later, his head rolled on the ground.

The fighting repeated for days, weeks, maybe even months. Even though the idea of killing innocent men and women went against her ideals, the feeling of victory was addictive to her. Every time she knocked someone to the ground, the people cheered her on. But she didn't stay victorious.

After having fought many battles, they had decided to bring her a worthy opponent. A dark man dressed in black armor stood before her, his morningstar radiating a glooming purple light. Within seconds he had wrestled her to the ground, then the lights went out.

She woke up to two people holding on to her, walking towards a long, dimly lit hallway. They had spared her. Her hands had were chained together, and her sword was, once again, taken from her. The hallway went over into a dark, cave-like tunnel. What she saw at the end of it amazed her.

In the middle of the room stood a giant figure. With tan skin, that was just a bit darker than hers, and curly blue hair. The man wore a big, bronze crown that looked somewhat like a harlequins hat. He grinned at her and spoke in a deep voice: "Welcome daughter. It's good to meet you." His voice sent shivers down her spine. Who was this man? What was he? When he came closer, she tried to step back, only to be blocked by the guards behind her. When his face was just inches away from hers he stopped. "It took some time, but now the fun begins. You know, I wasn't sure if your mother would be able to produce you, but she sure did. And now you can do what I made you for." He lifted her chin with his finger, making her look him straight in the eyes. "You are going to be my eyes on the outside. You see, I am stuck in this cave, and there are so many fun things to try in this world. That's where you come in! I will tell you what to do what I tell you to do, or else..." he spoke. Astrid swallowed and silently asked: "what will happen if I don't do what you say?" He smiled wildly and put two of his fingers on her back, on the exact places wings would appear. All of a sudden, lightning shot through her veins. She cried out in pain as the electricity entered her body. After a couple of minutes, the pain faded. She slowly turned her head to see what damage her dad had done. There she saw how two giant wings made out of lightning, had appeared on her back and began fading away. "W-what have you done?" she asked, her voice trembling. He grinned and took a couple of steps back. "I've only marked what's mine. Now we are a real family. Isn't it great?" he asked. "You will be freed now. But remember what I told you," he lowered himself a bit and whispered in her ear, "do what I say." And with that, her chains were lifted from her wrists. Spikes formed on the sides of each link, and the manacles changed into large rings one could hold on too. After that, the weapon landed in her hands.

As soon as she had the chain in hand, she took off running. Dashing through the hallways, she quickly found her sword. While she was looking for a way out, some guards came after her. Without thinking, she grabbed shot a bolt of radiant energy towards them. After that, a fight broke out, from which Astrid barely escaped.

Gwendolyn Lucia Ember

A couple of days after she'd left the fighting pits, she came across a large field of poppies. She gazed over the colorful flowers, thinking back at the moments when she, as a young girl, had walked through the flower gardens in her village. A feeling of happiness, comfort, swept over her. Those were good times.

After she had stared at the flowers for some time, she heard a voice: "Hello?" A young woman with long ginger hair came towards her. When the woman came closer, she suddenly remembered her face. She was the woman she had saved from the bandits. The woman smiled lightly: "You're the one that saved me, right? I'm Gwendolyn, Gwendolyn Lucia Ember, and you are?" Astrid hesitated, then slowly came closer. "I guess, but I'm worried they're still around. I'm Astrid, by the way," she spoke with a small tremble in her voice.

Not long after that, Gwendolyn took Astrid in. The woman took care of Astrid and cured her wounds. The two grew closer, working together in the fields and the flower shop. In the meantime, Astrid found out about a new problem. As she sat on the ground, praying to Nike, she couldn't get in contact with her. Days on end, Astrid repeated the ritual, only to face the dead silence that came afterward. She worried, had Nike given up on her? Was it because of her failures? Her defeat? She didn't know, but she needed to.

One day Gwendolyn came home with a small bag wrapped in cloth. "These are seeds from the poppies I grow. I want you to have them, to remember me," she spoke softly. After all the heartache the loss of contact with her goddess had given her, this small act of kindness warmed Astrid's heart. What if she just stayed right here? In a safe place where no one could hurt her? She took the gift from Gwendolyn and looked her in the eyes: "I don't need anything to remember you by if I stay by your side. Let me stay right here. We'll work in the fields together., and if the bandits ever come back, I'll protect you." It took a couple of seconds until she received a soft reply: "I'd like that."

Kronkus' threat

A couple of days later, as Astrid went to the nearby market to buy some food, she heard a deep voice in her head: "it's good to see you, daughter. I got a little task for you." The girl swallowed. What did he want from her? The voice continued: "you know that lovely friend of yours? She's quite the looker, you know? Let's burn down her house. I've always liked the pretty lights flames make." "I can't do that to her. I won't," she responded. As she said it the woman felt a slight tingle in her back, followed by the sudden feeling of lightning flooding through her veins. She cried out in pain and let herself drop to the ground. "I warned you," she heard before she faded out.

To make sure Gwendolyn stayed safe, Astrid left the life she had found shortly before. As she woke up, she decided to travel far away from the fields, far away from Gwendolyn. Astrid cherished the seeds the woman had given her. Looking at them every night before she went to sleep, thinking of the life she'd lost.

Camp Fosfor

Astrid traveled south, ending up at Camp Fosfor. Hoping to find someone who could help her get freed from her dad, she decided to join the ranks of Aurleen. This is where she met her new friends: The Obsidian. After training for two months, Astrid has found comfort in the idea of again helping the people around her. At the same time, she knows all too well that at any given moment, her dad could give her a new command, and maybe this time, she won't be able to refuse.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Astrid is a slightly muscular woman with tan skin and long white hair. She's very tall, because of her Empyrean heritage.

Body Features

Her back is covered in lightning scars, starting between her shoulder blades. She also has a large burn scar from the left side of her neck to her left shoulder, from the time she died at the hands of the Daemons of Khorne together with Ozzo.

Facial Features

She has a wide, almost square jawline and strong cheekbones. Her nose is quite prominent with freckles on it. These freckles are also spread out over her face. Her golden, pupilless eyes have made her stand out since birth. They seem like they radiate sunlight. She wears most of her white hair in a low ponytail with two small braids in it. The rest of her hair hangs around her face in wavy bangs, partially covering her slightly pointed ears.

Identifying Characteristics

She has a golden mark on her chin and lower lip as a sign of completing her training. On her forehead she bears the 'Eye of Kronkus' a golden symbol representing Kronkus' crown. This symbol connects her to her father.

Special abilities

Once a day, she's able to unleash the divine energy within her. At that moment, her eyes, tattoos, and holy symbol begin glowing. A golden laurel wreath forms above her head, and two giant wings made of lightning appear. For a short time, she gains the ability to fly.

Apparel & Accessories

She wears golden leaves in her hair, symbolizing a laurel wreath. After completing her training, she got a sword and breastplate. The breastplate is mostly gold with some silver parts, on it a winged woman: the symbol of Nike. Her sword is a beautiful greatsword with a golden cross-guard and pommel and the text 'Daughter of Nike' engraved on the blade in Celestial. She also carries the spiked chain, she was gifted by Kronkus in the fighting pits.

Mental characteristics

Education

Astrid started her training when she was 15 years old. For three years, she trained almost every day. Often she was visited by Nike or her disciples, who instructed her in combat and the basics of magic. Later in life, when she was 20 years old, she went to Camp Fosfor where she got additional training.

Employment

She currently works as a member of The Obsidian, an adventuring party in Aurleen.

Accomplishments & Achievements

• See The Obsidian's achievements.
• Successfully became a cleric of Nike.
• Saved the life of Guardcaptain Jetson after the Orc attack on Bright Keep.

Failures & Embarrassments

• Was taken captive by bandits and brought to fight for her life in The Fighting Pits.
• Lost a fight in The Fighting Pits, which almost ended her life.
• Was marked by Kronkus.
• Died in a fight against the Daemons of Khorne, on her first mission for King Graham. After this fight, she had to be resurrected by Erryn.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Member of The Obsidian
Good friend of Gwendolyn Lucia Ember
Cleric of Nike

Family Ties

Religious Views

Cleric of Nike

Alignment

Lawful Good

Species

Aasimar

Date of Birth

8th of Blessings, 374

Year of Birth

374 -122 Years old

Birthplace

Vicothalís

Parents

Kronkus

Freya d'Arcy

Parents (Adopting)

Yehuda d'Arcy

Current Residence

Castle Redmond

Gender

Female

Eyes

Gold

Hair

White

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tan

Height

6'3" / 1.91m

Weight

183 lbs / 83 kg

Aligned Organization

The Obsidian

Known Languages

• Common
• Celestial
• Yeti