Post by Elaine Valois on Dec 3, 2014 2:09:16 GMT -5
[attr="class","main"] [attr="class","imgdiv"] [attr="class","name"]Baroness Elaine Valois [attr="class","race"]Orlesian, Human
[attr="class","infoh"]Detailed Information [attr="class","infoc"] Elaine carries herself as though she were the Monarch of Orlais itself… or the embodiment of pride. Not a hair is out of place upon her head or her brow; she is groomed to extreme perfection, and painted in the latest style with the colors to her taste. Her clothing is much the same, made from finery with such elaborate detail that it seems unfitting of her station as lower nobility. Her strides are long and powerful, and her head is always held high. Perhaps this is because she was the first—the only child born to Margaux and Jacques Valois, modest nobility in the Orlesian Court. Or perhaps it is because of all the adversity she has had to overcome through the course of her life. Or perhaps it stems from natural beauty and talent. Or perhaps still it is a blend of all three reasons, manifesting in her fur-trimmed, silken clothing and exquisite jewels. The tales that surround Elaine are numerous, wildly different, and vague. Few in the Court know much of her… or few that are still alive. Fewer of her serfs in the Black Marsh know anything other than hearsay. In truth she was the product of a smart, but less than notable marriage between a cunning and ambitious woman and a man smart enough to realize his own limits, and thus allow his wife to oversee the estate. Under Margaux, Jacques and the Valois legacy was restored. Margaux was an expert player of the Game and had a mind for finances that saw their penniless estate prosper. Though their match was smart, the union was loveless, and each had numerous affairs and more than a few arguments. The arguments lessened after Elaine was born. After years of attempting to conceive (enough to spark rumor), the pair welcomed Elaine with joy and affection. The two clans of nobility celebrated and cemented their union in proper fashion. And though no more children were born, or at least, none that Jacques conceived with Elaine, the pair were happy and had a bright outlook on their future. Elaine was reared equal measures spoiled, as reflected in her taste of clothing, and equal parts burdened by high expectation. She was the sole joining factor between the families, and from an early age, was expected to inherit both her father’s good looks and her mother’s brains. She did, and the expectations that came after those facts became evident were all the higher for it. Elaine’s mind is sharper for it. Her natural wit and curiosity were tempered by the finest education her family could afford. She prospered under her mentor’s tutelage and her mother’s instruction on how best to play the game. This is reflected in her sharp, hazel blue eyes and her every mannerism. Most everything she does is calculated to the finest detail, from the way she moves to the way she speaks, and her very words. She is a manipulative beast in the way that only an Orlesian blooded in the Game can be. Not an iota of her true personality shines through the marbled façade. When she finally reveals herself, it is usually when she has destroyed her adversary, be it emotionally, mentally, financially, politically, or even physically. At age eight, just when Elaine was showing the promise everyone expected of her, her magical abilities manifested. In a spat with a servant boy that got heated, fire arced out of nowhere and enveloped the boy’s arm, severely burning him. He fell unconscious from the pain, and a guilt ridden Elaine sought out her mother. Knowing what this meant for both her child and her family, Margaux smothered the boy, and was certain to have Elaine watch so the severity of her secret would be known. Simply telling a child not to tell anyone wouldn’t suffice, so the witnessed atrocity ensured her silence. Margaux regretted the action only in passing, as the life of her daughter and the legacy of her family meant a great deal more to her. She was certain to stash the body away in the woods and simply let it seem as though the boy ran off. These calculated maneuvers and the brutality did not go unnoticed to Elaine. Seeing the boy thrash as he suffocated burned into her mind, horrifying her and damaging her in ways she would never fully comprehend. Nightmares and fits of tears followed for weeks. But her love for her mother was real, so she was silent to all but the Mage Instructor her mother eventually found her. Perhaps as a side effect of that event and many more to come, Elaine became interested in the more arcane, esoteric and forbidden aspects of life and society. In the time since, nothing is too taboo, too macabre, too twisted for her to explore. Elaine has indulged in things that even the most decadent of the Orlesian Court would find depraved. Her acts have been carnal, just as they have been morbid, sadistic and ruthless. Whatever conscience she had has long since been stifled and overpowered. Intellectually, she realizes that she has become a monster, but has difficulty reconciling her own view points with outward morality. Elaine struggled at first with her magic. Knowing that her abilities caused the boy to die formed a psychological negative association. Her powers were suppressed in the best of times. When her instructor finally coaxed them forward, they would lash out, causing Elaine to panic and repress her abilities again. It was a long, terrible first year of training. The first few months, Elaine outright refused to use her abilities and would go into a panic when it was asked of her. After that she was reluctant, and more reluctant still to harness her abilities, which she only thought of as an evil. After two years, Elaine gained genuine control over her magic. Her mentor seemed to empathize with her in a way that her mother couldn’t. Her mother, and by extension, her father became a source of conflict for her. On the one hand, she loved them. On the other hand, Margaux’s action seemed senseless and horrifying, and her father’s complacency on the matter seemed worse still. It took a tour to the nearest Circle for Elaine to express gratitude towards her situation. Margaux was certain to have her instructor show her Val Royeaux—the roughest of the Orlesian circles of the time. The oppression and rampant religion was very real, and as ambivalent as she was about her abilities, they were taught to regard them even worse. And were imprisoned for it, and even abused. This sobered the young Elaine up, and eventually her powers became a source of pride for both herself and her parents, even if they posed a very real danger. This acceptance helped shape Elaine into the jewel of the family. She minded her manners and was a perfect example of nobility, rather than the spoiled, destructive heathen she’d been for some time prior. The acceptance also served to remove what reservations she had about violence in extreme measure. At fourteen, Elaine was arranged to married to the young Baron Philippe Saint Laurent in a few years’ time. The Saint Laurents had clout unusual for low nobility, and made for an exquisite match. Still, Elaine and Margaux both knew to keep Elaine’s ability secret from her betrothed and their family. Instead their correspondence and subsequent meetings were affectionate, if staged. Though young and impressionable, both were already savvy to the ways of the Court, and neither were immediately smitten. Nor did they expect to be, given the sterling example of both of their parents. At sixteen and a half, a scandal befell the Valois family. Philippe was caught cavorting with an eighteen year old elven servant girl, one he’d already had three children by. This in turn prompted a heavy scrutinizing of Margaux, which prompted her lover, the nearly seventy Comte Thibeaux to distance himself. No longer would he supply her with resources, contacts and information. This put the Valois family in a precarious place, and nearly made the Saint Laurent’s break off the engagement, something that likely would have been a final nail in a coffin for the Valois family. It was only due to Elaine’s quick thinking that such a thing did not come to pass. She bedded her betrothed early and claimed pregnancy, sealing the marriage into the clan. Such an act gained her both contempt and admiration from her in laws. Though the pregnancy did not manifest at first, Elaine did everything in her power to be certain that it did. All of the… quality time spent with Philippe helped revise his opinion of her. Her mother had given her a few pointers on how to best please a man, and it worked where the bedroom was concerned. It did not hurt that Philippe had little experience outside of Elaine. Though her relationship with Philippe was first out of necessity and later out of convenience, Elaine eventually grew to care for him. He was her first in most every way that mattered, outside of flirtation, frottage and kissing. The two grew ever more fond of each other as her belly swelled a month and a half later than it was supposed to. To save scandal, the two families quickly arranged a marriage, before Elaine was so far along that clever tailoring and props could not hide her belly. A week shy of her seventeenth birthday, Elaine was married and became Baroness Elaine Monique Valois Saint Laurent. The Saint Laurents accepted their defeat as graciously as they could, and only spoke of their daughter in law behind her back rather than to her face. Despite their disapproval, Philippe and Elaine found contentment in each other until two months shy of her expected delivery date. Where Margaux had been unable to conceive, Elaine was able… but her womb was still blighted. Only a few weeks after the baby began to kick did it stop entirely. Then she woke up to find blood lining the sheets of the bed and her gown. Servants were called in quickly, but it was too late. The baby was gone. Though Philippe was concerned, Elaine took it the hardest. She knew how much hinged on a successful pregnancy. Elaine took some time to herself and traveled back to the Valois estate to heal and seek council from her mother. Her mother only iterated upon what she already knew: she needed to have a child as soon as she was able, to the benefit of herself and her family. Nothing else mattered, not her relationship with Philippe, not the Saint Laurents, nothing, except securing the future. But her words were tempered with kindness, and Margaux waited on her daughter hand and foot until she recovered. Returning to the Saint Laurents Chateau, Elaine took to the family full force. Now eighteen, she went to every ball, party and parlor available to her, and was certain to accompany her dear Philippe. While trying to conceive her second child, Elaine was certain to try and prove her worth to the Saint Laurents in other ways. And she did, for she had inherited her mother’s skill for the Great Game. Unfortunately, the stain of scandal still dirtied her name by mere association. She was skilled, but she was not so skilled as to gain a sterling reputation. Rather, she barely managed to be noted at all by any other than Philippe, and by extension, his family. Philippe seemed to admire her mind, though his opinions and tactics did not always agree with hers. Something that would later become a source of conflict for the otherwise happy couple. After many attempts, Elaine finally became pregnant again, in the middle of her nineteenth year. The only reason it was noted was her missed periods. Unfortunately, she was only three months along before she miscarried again. Though she did not feel the life growing inside of her womb, the loss of the child was even worse than the first. She could feel the eyes of the Saint Laurents on her, and heard their whispers, for they were not as veiled as last time. Concerns were expressed that she was not an ideal match, and that unless the Saint Laurents made certain arrangements, their beloved Philippe would be unable to continue the line. Though Philippe had both brothers and sisters, his intelligence, good looks and mannerisms had made him the natural choice to inherit the estate and further the bloodline. Even Philippe began to grow concerned. Though he still expressed his love and devotion, he was not quite so affectionate as he once was, and seemed uncertain of their future. Elaine did not wait as long before attempting to conceive again. She gave her body just enough time to heal, through magic by the healers, herbs and everything else, and then began again. A few months after her twentieth birthday, she was pregnant again. The weight of the world seemed on her shoulders. Rather than delighting in her pregnancy, as she once had, she was filled with dread and anticipation. The Saint Laurent and Valois family seemed to share the sentiment. Numerous hints were dropped about the foods she could eat, the herbs she could take, the potions she could drink to ensure the well-being of her unborn child. She followed them all to the letter, and even took up praying. She prayed three times a day, the first to the Maker, the second to Andraste, and the third to whatever other gods and spirits might hear her. She even consulted with her mentor as to how she could ensure the baby’s life. In the mean time, she continued her work in the game. Though she was skilled—quite skilled, word leaked of her miscarried children and her future. That scandal only further tarnished her name. She won victories and outmaneuvered adversaries numerous times, but years of scandal followed her every step. The pregnancy seemed to carry to term. All of the hard work, all of the advice had paid off. The labor pains started two weeks early, but that was hardly of concern. The immense blood that came during was a great concern, one that could not be overlooked. Both her life and the life of her child were endangered, and Elaine could feel it slipping away. She reached down to her bloodstained thighs, closed her eyes and worked unseen magic through the blood. She willed it to work, willed that her child be spared. Her womb stopped bleeding, and the child was born. But the child was not right. It was a still thing, a babe that did not cry, and did not blink. It did not react to its mother or its father. It was deemed foul, addled in the head and put an end to. Even her magic could not save her child, or her future. The Saint Laurents would wait no longer. As Elaine healed, they spoke in private with Philippe. The day she was better, the open insults began. It would be a scandal if they turned out a grief-stricken mother; it was perfectly acceptable if a grief stricken mother saw herself out. Every pressure they could ply, every insult they could levy, and every indignity they could muster was lauded her way. Her tepid in laws loosed their venom in full, and tested the strength of her bonds. To their surprise, Elaine bore the indignities with grace. She took to the Game full time and proved herself a fierce player. She worked diligently and was restless in her schemes and machinations. And she still tried to overcome her limitations, working her own magic into her womb through ritual and spell alike. She would see a child born, she was certain of it. She simply ignored all of the attempts to get a rise from her, and spent more time with her family and Philippe. Philippe who was growing ever more distant and disinterested, and even outright contemptuous. Only when she was just beginning to gain a name for herself in court did the contempt manifest. They openly opposed each other in the Game, nearly at every turn, until it became open scheming against one another. Philippe wanted to see her humiliated so that she would leave and he could take another wife and continue the Saint Laurent name. Spite kept her in place. Spite that lasted three and a half years. Spite that kept her going through the insults, the humiliations and Philippe’s numerous indiscretions. She herself took to lovers, both male and female, numerous and of nearly every race she could find. Though she kept this quiet in the court, she was certain to let Philippe and the Saint Laurents know. Four months after her twenty fifth birthday, Philippe found a vial of draconlisk’s blood and an assortment of herbs. Ordinarily she was not so careless, but the previous night left her exhausted and a little drunk, drunk enough to assure her that no harm would come of living her quarters a mess. Fortunately for her, Philippe confronted her that very moment rather than inform his family. Elaine knew what she had to do. Flashes of Margaux suffocating the servant reminded her of that. But rather than slay him and make her situation all the more precarious, she subtly slit her hand amidst the argument and bled upon him. Bled and bled more and worked all of her magic through it. Unlike before, he magic took and sprouted in his mind, and he became complacent… dutiful, even. Elaine did not even regret what she did. She felt fully vindicated in it. Though he did not proclaim his devotion to the world, his parents noticed, as did his mistress. They were uncertain by what means she had changed his mind. Did she finally conceive again? Did she have some blackmail over him that she was using in the Game? Or was it something else? Something that she did, or that someone did for her? The whole family watched her every step all the more closely after that. As good as it was to have a husband devoted to her every whim, Elaine grew concerned that the Saint Laurents would begin to investigate and eventually discover the cause of his change of heart. So she bade her obedient husband to wander into the deepest slum of Val Royeaux and flaunt his extravagant wealth. Needless to say, he did not return from the trip. Elaine used his death to her advantage and seized the wealth and resources she was entitled to as his legal wife. And naturally moved back to the Valois Estate, where she entertained guests in numerous parlors. The death of her husband proved agreeable to her reputation within the court. Without him opposing her, she became a force to be reckoned with within the Game, and her pride and vanity both flourished for it. His murder was freeing. Though rumors still followed, they painted her in more of a dangerous light than a foolish one, a preferable alternative, within her mind. Though it was often questioned as to why she did not remarry, Elaine lived a simpler life after. For years she made the Court quake in fear. Those that would oppose her and showed any knack for it usually found… unfortunate demises. Some more peculiar than was typical for the great game. When Orlais finally deposed of most of the Ferelden nobility (something that took longer than simply conquering the nation), Elaine was presented the gift of the Blackmarsh. In truth this was simply a way to dismiss her from the court and keep her from the Game. Many, including his Royal Majesty Emperor Florian, questioned Elaine’s abilities and were rather happier to put distance between her and them. Elaine had no objection to the notion though she realized it for what it was. More land, subjects and influence was always a good thing, for herself and the Valois family. She travelled far and long across Ferelden and saw Blackmarsh perfectly lived up to its name. A horrid, wretched swamp with people that were as backwards as the landscape. Unfortunately they lacked culture and showed disdain toward anyone that had any, and they clung to Andraste and superstition even tighter than they did in Val Royeaux. Nonetheless, as this was the first town she managed on her own, she was eager to see things off to a good start, and even showed a degree of optimism. That was, until the High Dragon came. The High Dragon laid siege to the town. Help was more than a day’s ride away, and Elaine did not trust Fereldan swordsman to fell an extinct beast of legend. So she approached the thing in what she thought was secret, and unleashed all of her magic upon it. She was a practiced bloodmage by then, and her talent was immense. She felled the thing. Unfortunately, a child from the town was nearby, and though he did not see what she did, he did see that she entered the beast’s lair alone before the attacks stopped. Rumors spread that she was a blood mage and took like wildfire. What optimism she had was gone. Though Elaine made numerous attempts to appeal to her subjects, they fell short. The repeated failures soured her to them, making the disdain between her and the peasants she rules over all the greater. She traveled back to her beloved Orlais frequently and spent the rest of the time shuttered up in her castle, traveling abroad or entertaining… hedonistic companions. After three years of ruling over the people of Blacmkmarsh, a small, but open riot formed in the street. It was fairly common for the Fereldans to do in objection to their Orlesian masters. Being a suspected bloodmage only made them more wont to riot. Elaine did the wisest thing she could and simply ignored the situation—once the riot died down she conferred with the leader of the riot, who was quick to throw slander her way. His accusations were numerous as were his insults, as he even had the audacity to call her a barren cow. It was clear that there would be no reasoning with the man, or his people… or any of the Fereldan. The proud Elaine could not brook an argument she couldn’t win. It didn’t matter how calm and collected and cordial he was, he kept his passion and ended with a personal insult… one about her looks. So she slew him in a fit of violent outrage. The rest of the complaints were tried and true—but the one aimed toward her looks was new. As if by instinct, the blood that touched her flesh flowed over her, erasing the fine wrinkles she’d started developing, and brightening her skin. With a look in the mirror the next day, she found that she’d erased nearly ten years. Something that only those close enough to study her face would notice. It has only been two years since, and Elaine has only taken two more bodies from the village. Both of which could be easily arranged to disappear. The blood of her peasants has kept her youthful, vibrant and beautiful. So much so that she’s had to arrange certain accidents for anyone that knows her true age. No one would think her in her early forties. |