Hild
quiet mouth, bright mind
stats
appearance
There is something unearthly about Hild. This is more apparent in her own place and own time. She's too tall, tall enough that the some folk whisper about ettin blood in her veins. She has the warm chestnut hair of her royal Yffing house. But her eyes, her eyes are an intense green like moss agate and her gaze is so direct and uncanny as to make royal men and warriors doubt themselves, even since she was 10 years old. She does not typically display much emotion, no until one gets to know her, and even then her smiles can be seldom. But when they do appear, they are true. Her voice has a gentle roughness to it, but she speaks with authority, the kind that comes naturally. There's no need for her to pitch her voice when all silence themselves and crane to listen to her. Though she mostly wears dresses -- long, dyed royal gem colors with glittering embroidery -- they are always sleeveless. This is important because in her world only men bare their arms so. Her arms will never be covered.
There are some accessories always on her:
There are some accessories always on her:
- a belt on which hangs distaffs and spindle, a small and ornate purse holding more weaving supplies, herbs, and keepsakes, as well as a wicked looking long dagger;
- a string of carnelians on a cord of yellow silk, worn as a bracelet by being wrapped a few times around her wrist;
- a necklace of gold bearing a large gold cross, accented with garnet and pearl.
first impressions & personality
Hild without question and consistently comes off as removed, regal, otherworldly and, depending on how one feels about these qualities, dangerous. She purports herself to be a seer and prophet, and she does in fact make observations and prophecies that are or do come true. For most, she seems to know things, know the person, better than she should on first meeting. For the others that she cannot read, she will not try to make guesses but still maintain her air of reserve.
As a prophet and princess, she is one of those people who has been so distanced from normal life and has had so many expectations and duties placed upon her from a young age that she sometimes does not know how to interact with people as a person herself. She is wary of revealing too much of herself or her true opinions. In her world, saying the wrong thing once will result in pain for her, if not death. Worse, it might mean pain or death for the people that she loves.
All that being said, after someone has earned her trust and the walls have begun to crumble, Hild is loving, warm, clever, and bright. She has a sly sense of humor and a fierce, protective love for those she deems her family. Those walls don't last long once the first few cracks have formed. She loves fully and will be a tactile, attentive friend (or lover).
As a prophet and princess, she is one of those people who has been so distanced from normal life and has had so many expectations and duties placed upon her from a young age that she sometimes does not know how to interact with people as a person herself. She is wary of revealing too much of herself or her true opinions. In her world, saying the wrong thing once will result in pain for her, if not death. Worse, it might mean pain or death for the people that she loves.
All that being said, after someone has earned her trust and the walls have begun to crumble, Hild is loving, warm, clever, and bright. She has a sly sense of humor and a fierce, protective love for those she deems her family. Those walls don't last long once the first few cracks have formed. She loves fully and will be a tactile, attentive friend (or lover).
abilities (or lack thereof)
Despite what she might tell you, Hild is not actually a prophet. She has no special sight into the future or into one's soul. She's just incredibly observant, absorbs all knowledge like a sponge, and uses her status and aura to grant her more insight. What she is is a manipulator. There is no malice or ill-intent in her schemes. Unlike her mother, who taught her how to look for secrets and patterns and how to dress them up like visions, Hild does not have any thirst for power for power's sake. What she wants is a position of power within the world, yes, but one that would allow her her own little corner that she can protect and care for. She wants her own homestead that grows and provides, her own household of friends and lovers, and she does not want to be held back by her sex. From the beginning, her position as seer has always been wielded by her as a means to protect her family. She might make unnervingly insightful remarks or pronouncements about the future to establish herself as otherworldly, with the power that that brings, but she's not looking to manipulate every person for her own gain. In fact, she would rather drop the pretense and be herself. But that very literally means death for her and all the people she calls her own.
In terms of utterly human skills, Hild is a polyglot and eager to learn more. She has a vast knowledge of nature (specific to Britain) as well as farming, artisanal works, and husbandry, as era appropriate. She makes tinctures and teas and salves, as well as weaves tapestries and linen for clothes and sews embroidery. She also very much knows how to use that dagger; she has been fighting with sword and staff "like a boy" from a very young age.
In terms of utterly human skills, Hild is a polyglot and eager to learn more. She has a vast knowledge of nature (specific to Britain) as well as farming, artisanal works, and husbandry, as era appropriate. She makes tinctures and teas and salves, as well as weaves tapestries and linen for clothes and sews embroidery. She also very much knows how to use that dagger; she has been fighting with sword and staff "like a boy" from a very young age.
religion
Hild is not Catholic (or simply Christian as it is called in her time) in the true sense, but neither is she particularly devout towards her native gods. Being baptized was a purely political move and she is careful amount comments about faith because the priests, specifically the bishop, hold sway currently in the court. That's why she always wears the cross. Honestly, she thinks of the Christ as a rather silly god who doesn't make sense and doesn't have any good stories about him. And his followers are pretty lackluster on average.
This Hild is however based upon St. Hilda of Whitby, in so much as a historical figure with five pages dedicated to her by the Venerable Bede can be a solid base for a fully fleshed out character. There's a lot of historical guesswork going into her story by way of the author. Everything in her story is certainly possible and fits into the historical record of the time such as we have it, but there's no solid proof backing up this story. If your character wants to recognize the name, the powers at play, or anything else of significance, they're free to, but she has a healthy understanding of the fact that her legacy, such as it is, will very well be manipulated by powers in the future for their own causes.
This Hild is however based upon St. Hilda of Whitby, in so much as a historical figure with five pages dedicated to her by the Venerable Bede can be a solid base for a fully fleshed out character. There's a lot of historical guesswork going into her story by way of the author. Everything in her story is certainly possible and fits into the historical record of the time such as we have it, but there's no solid proof backing up this story. If your character wants to recognize the name, the powers at play, or anything else of significance, they're free to, but she has a healthy understanding of the fact that her legacy, such as it is, will very well be manipulated by powers in the future for their own causes.
visuals