Astrid Tinnik

Astrid Tinnik is a Duskmen, aasimar cleric who appears in The Undesirables Campaign. She is played by I.W. as an NPC

Description

Appearance

Astrid is an albino, giving her a very pale complexion and snow white hair. Her eyes are icy blue and her pupils are so reflective that they always appear to be gleaming red. Her hair is a mixture of braided and tied back, both utilitarian and culturally significant to her people. While hidden beneath her clothing, most of her body is covered in scars that appear to be bite marks from a great beast, but systematically placed across her body, rather than from a mauling. She has been seen in two styles of medium armor. One is part of the armor breastplate and red and white habit uniform of the Brides of St. Cuthbert. The other is thick hides reminiscent of her homeland in style. Outside of the Evertwilight she has her hood up to shade her eyes as she seems sensitive to bright light. She currently uses a pair of snow goggles carved for her by Ürsa.

Personality

Astrid is quiet and rarely speaks. Most of what she does say is quick and to the point. While distant, she is not cold when approached. She often tries to impart wisdom when she can. There have been a few signs of defiance within her when dealing with matters she views as right and wrong, doing what she believes is right against the wishes of those in a superior position.

Biography

Background

As a child she was kept a little separate from others her age to help train and ready her as a spiritual guide to the tribe. It did not prevent her from sneaking out and playing with the other children late at night though. Astrid was popular with the young and old alike, excelling in her training as well as essential tasks to the tribe such as hunting, fishing and even finding herbs that were beneficial or edible for her people. When she came of age, her potential earned her recognition enough to be put forth as a candidate for the position of Snow Leopard of the Twilight Guardians once the former stepped down or passed on.
In the meantime, she was a pillar of the community in her specific tribe and beloved by all. She was wed to a young man from another tribe, who was welcomed into her own. As the only albino of all the Duskmen at the time, it was highly celebrated. The happiness did not last, however. Her tribe was attacked by agents of Frostbane and everyone was either killed or captured. Astrid and her husband were among those captured and were subjected to torture and the mad experiments of Borya Blüdkov, causing bite wounds from an artificial skull filled with several types of lycanthrope fangs. One by one, she watched the people of her tribe die around her, unable to do anything. Her husband died next to her, but out of her reach due to the way they had been restrained and cursing her as a failure. Finding what little strength she had left, she managed to kill one of her tormentors and freed herself during a commotion. Stumbling across the tundra, exhausted, starved and bleeding, she collapsed on the border of Maracia.
She was taken in by a shepherd, who called upon the Brides of St. Cuthbert to mend her wounds. While her body mostly recovered, the scars of the experimentation would not heal completely and remained. But far more devastating was the once happy woman was now withdrawn and sullen. She swore a life debt to the Brides for saving her, but the truth of her choice was that she was ashamed to return home. She had failed her tribe and had shown that she was unable to fulfill her potential to the Duskmen as a protector. She stayed with the Brides in a hope that their enemies might find someone capable of ending her life for her. Mother Esther took her on as her lieutenant for her prowess, unaware that the now titled Sister Astrid was still a devout follower of Selûne.
Astrid proved a valuable asset to the Brides for her ferocity and healing capabilities. It elevated Mother Esther's commune to be the one to be assigned to Dugafjord to find an explanation to the strange disappearances in the area. Hoping this would be the mission where she would meet her end, Astrid was surprised by the sight of one of her own kind, and another albino, Ürsa. As a way to say goodby her tribes, she confided what had happened to her and gave Ürsa her amulet of Selûne that had been set with an ice diamond. They shared their secrets with each other, with Ürsa revealing he was a werebear and Astrid eventually revealed her previous marriage and the torture endured. Their relationship would only grow from there in their time together, with a little silent help from Sister Abigail and Molly Baskins until Astrid no longer wished for her life to end. She became increasingly more supportive of the Undesirables and their endeavors, even defying direct orders from Mother Esther to assist them.
When the conflict in Dugafjord was resolved, they quietly made their relationship official. Ürsa asked her to come with him back to Westfall with him, to which she agreed. They spent most of their time in the attic where Ürsa had made his living space.

Relationships

Mother Esther

Mother Esther valued Astrid for her fighting capabilities and her education, taking her on as a lieutenant before she had even fully recovered from her injuries. The two did frequently butt heads as there were many practices the Brides of St. Cuthbert had that Astrid refused to follow. In the end, her value far outweighed the headache for the church military leader.

Sister Abigail

Abigail was in charge of Astrid's recovery and the two became close during that time. She could sense the inner turmoil within her new friend and her desire to perish in combat. While Astrid was resistant to being talked out of it, Abigail let her follow the path she saw for herself. Being in the same commune under Mother Esther, Astrid would consistently spend more time making sure Abigail stayed alive rather than chasing her end, prolonging her life long enough to be assigned to Dugafjord.

Ürsa

Astrid had an immediate bond with her fellow Duskman and told him of her traumatic experience, hoping the story would make it back to their home so that their people would understand her disappearance. Giving Ürsa her pendant of Selûne, she expected to die at peace in Dugafjord. This gradually changed as Ürsa showed her the kindness and hospitality she missed from home, quickly developing feelings for each other. She and Ürsa started a romantic relationship together and the two share a room in The Verdant Manor. She encourages Ürsa to master his lycanthropy and make it a powerful gift.

Character Information

Notable Items

• Snow Goggles: Eyewear carved by Ürsa to help protect her eyes from the sun. Inscribed inside is a poem written in their native tongue.

• Vicious Morningstar: A deadly morningstar not native to her people, but was gripped tightly in her hand when found wounded at the Maracia border.

Quotations

• "You are too good of heart to not be able to overcome this affliction and turn it into a blessing. I believe in you."-Said to Ürsa when doubting himself.

• "I believe I've found a reason to no longer feel bound to my life oath made to the Brides of St. Cuthbert. There is something want to live for again."

Character Type
Non Player Character

Actor
I.W.
Place of Birth
Evertwilight
Date of Birth
Leumas 26th, 129AT
Race
Aasimar-Duskmen

Class
Cleric
Twilight Domain

Relationships
Ürsa- (partner/boyfriend)
unnamed husband- (former/deceased)

Affliliations
Ilatka Nunavik- (birth tribe)
Brides of St. Cuthbert- (former)
The Undesirables- (ally)