Biography

Name: Maia Nanethiel Alias: Faerie Queen of the Viridale Player: Zoberraz Race: Moon Elf (feyblooded) Gender: Female Homeland: Moonwood, Silver Marches Birthdate: 2 Myrtul, 1247 DR (130) Physical Characteristics: Height: 5'3" Weight: 92 lbs Skin color: Fair, blue-tinged Hair Color: Sapphire Blue Eye Color: Green, with golden flecks Class: Ranger (21) Alignment: Chaotic Good Deity: Solonor Thelandira Combat Style: Archery, Perfected Animal Companion: Boar, "Aodan" Ability Scores: 16 Strength 23 Dexterity 12 Constitution 12 Intelligence 14 Wisdom 16 Charisma Affiliations: Nature's Vanguard Rank: Marksman There are rumors told of the Viridale Forest beyond tales of savage monsters, reclusive druids and other dark haunts. Those speak of trailing sapphire tresses, of an ephemeral shadow stirring just out of view, and haunting laughter under the forest's canopy. Sometimes these tales coalesce into a lithe elfwoman clad in flowing black, or garbed in elvish armor; the bow she bears a wondrous thing of green-and-silver. When benevolent, she may impart both counsel or salvation in times of peril. When bored, or irked, she teases. When angered, the stories speak of ruinous arrows taking flight and wild beasts coming to her summons.

Descriptions

Appearance: Maia is a strikingly beautiful Teu'Tel'Quessir female graced with fair skin tinged with icey blue towards her ear tips, chin and nose, as well as most bodily extremities. Her hair is a deeper blue - it's luster and shine like sapphire - worn flowing and long, except for two tresses framing each side of her face to keep bangs from falling into her eyes. She has the delicate facial features, elegant elongated ears and almond eyes distinctive to the elven race, with entrancing eyes that appear as flecks of gold dancing in pools of green. Her life has cultivated in her the graceful spritely frame of a dancer, the athletic muscle tone of one at ease with outdoor activities and, though looking as fresh as a human maiden just out of her teenage years, her youthful looks are betrayed by what could be called ageless wisdom. However, few would mistake her simply as an archetypal elven beauty garbed in moonsilk and dancing in wooded glades. There is something uncanny about her; something which lends her this impression of being ethereal... as if reality did not quite accept her. While the Tel'Quessir are more familiar with the ethereal, there is something off even with them as observers - Maia's features are beyond the norm for the elven: they are too sharp, too angular, too... fey. Though a foreigner, Maia somehow seems well suited to Sundren's cold clime. Few concessions are made for all but the most extreme cold, and she rarely seems to pay any mind to her hair and clothing when drenched by the oft-rainy weather. One detail of note is how Maia is surprisingly cool to the touch: not cold like a corpse, but also not quite as warm as the typical warm-blooded demihuman ought to be. Rune of Winter's Warding: This suit of mithral plate mail was forged by the elven spellsmith, Etria Illiathor, and custom-fitted especially to Maia's figure. The smith's skill was such that the elven-forged armor, once donned, is almost as a second skin to Maia. The metaphor is not too far away from the mark, for Etria's work was not only to gird Maia against harm, but also to offer a degree of symbiosis with her fey nature. For one, when properly donned the armor barely betrays even a rustle of mail, making it a minimal hindrance to the quiet, stalking hunter. Its matte-finish helps equally diminish the considerable luster of mithral, helping being discreet. Beyond the work of the forge hammer was also that of then enhancements lending potent abjurative wardings as well as enspelled to shore up Maia's natural resilience to cold even further. Blade of Blade Ice: This adamantite longsword was also laboriously crafted by Etria. Adamantite is not an easy metal to fashion, but the elven spellsmith took exacting care in fashioning it into the slender longblades the Tel'Quessir favor. The blade's dark metal not only holds a viciously sharp edge, but that same edge is also enhanced with elven magic to deliver deeper, stronger cuts. On top of that, once drawn the blade is spelled to be covered with rime and frost - every strike it deliver not only cuts, but sends magical chill creeping into the target.

Personality

• Maia is a person that balances strong and well-intentioned convictions with more natural - and yet more emotionally negative - tendencies toward whimsy, amorality or cruelty which comes from the sway of her waxing fey bloodline (as described here:[1]). Her fey side was especially strong a couple of years ago when a brush with death had it support her when her mortality failed... but with time Maia regained a measure of herself.

• On her best days, Maia can be serene, polite and even charming. Identifying herself as 'Seelie', she puts great value in courtesy and will generally answer in kind while endeavoring to hold in more flippant commentary or thought provoking questions. She's honest, greatly valuing her credibility (Maia makes omissions and half-truths when she wishes to be evasive, but rarely ever lies), and enjoys playing the part of the trustworthy confidante (Maia ironically found out that despite her bouts of fey irrepressibility, she's actually much more dependable than most).

• Little attached to the dour ranger loner archetype, Maia finds that devoting her unique talents as a ranger to assist and support others that also care to confront the ills of the Sundered Valley is more fruitful and constructive than going it alone. She is a firm believer in championing the cause of good in this fashion; holding as her philosophy the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

Faith

• Maia's strong convictions are supported by an equally strong faith in the Seldarine, the elven gods. Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow and Erevan Ilesere are gods she hold in high regard; but the patron she serves is the elven god of archery, hunting and wilderness survival, Solonor Thelandira. His teachings; to promote harmony between the wilds and the civilized, to keep the evils of the woodlands in check and of foresight before action were once second nature to her... and now, a guiding ideal to her partly-fey persona. As most elves, she has a deep dislike of Grumsh, the orc god, and Lolth the Spider Queen - though she does not find Eilistraee to be very credible (the notion of good drow falls very flat on her).

• Since coming to Sundren, Maia has been exposed to many other deities other than those typically worshipped by her people.

• She has a generally dim view of many of the more civilized gods as they are worshipped in Sundren. Both Bane and the Triad mean to oppress people with thier views on how the world should orderly run, albeit the Triad is generally more well-meaning about it (those she holds a particular dislike for the Ilmateri, whom she views as hypocrites). Waukeen and Helm are unobstrusive faiths to whom Maia has not taken much notice of, but neither seen a problem from.

• Maia is generally moved to scorn in light of the conflict power struggle apparent in the death deities - Maia has her own death goddess, Sehanine Moonbow, so she tends to see herself as philosophically distant from the issue. Kelemvor earns some grudging respect from her for being the one that causes the least trouble, but she has a lot of trouble taking him seriously for being younger than her. Jergal is faceless and in the background, barely deserving notice. The re-risen Myrkul she finds little to like in, and she finds him particularly bad at staying dead. Colibrus is a god of glorified parasites whom unfortunately deserve notice because they are powerful and dangerous.

• Her work amongst the Wardens of the Vale introduced her to other respectable deities such as Chauntea, Silvanus, Eldath and Mielikki; all whom she finds have laudable goals and intents. She was also required to tolerate followers of the Fury gods, and while she's managed to keep her relationships cordial with Aurilites and Umberleeans, she has grievances against Talos (to whom she was once nearly sacrificed) and Malar (who'se followers once nearly killed her father as they threatened to destroy her home).

History

Maia Nanethiel was born in Moonvines, a small elven village nestled in the Moonwood. Her parents, Jelenn and Berian, were two sentinels whom worked to keep their village safe from ill-intentioned intruders and the Moonwood has no shortage of opponents for the elves to fend off. Though their daughter had for the most part a blissful childhood during her first five-decades of life, the martial life her parents lead bled off on her and she learned early on of the importance of contributing to the well-being of her community and how people like her parent's vigilance helped in securing the happiness of the villagers.

Being useful, being able to protect her loved ones, being able to fight for the preservation of their forest-home... those were beautiful ideals to the elfgirl. Ideals that motivated her to go beyond play and games and to follow after her parents example, dedicating herself to the practice of the bow, to understanding the fauna and flora, to bond a bond with it and to be able to fight for it. She was not content to remain a protector and more a champion of her people, and for that reason she devoted most of her efforts into pursuing the ideals of Solonor the Forest Hunter instead of Rillifane the Leaflord, as her parents did.

The beginning of Maia's career went to a rocky start as the People of the Black Blood, a loose grouping of Malar-worshiping tribes, predated upon the sylvan creatures of the Moonwood and made a strong push on her village that resulted in many wounded including her father and the death of elves she had known for more than a century. Her people pressed so, Maia volunteered to leave for Silverymoon and beg for the assistance of the Argent Legion in quelling this threat.

Her arrival to Silverymoon was something of a shock, as it was the first truly cosmopolitan city she had ever set foot in. Coming in as a representative of her village, she made her plea to Silverymoon's high ranking officials; eventually gaining the ear of the High Marshall. The High Marshall was not able to send his Argent Legion in a timely fashion to strike at the northern reaches of the Moonwood. He did, however, agree to fund an expedition to strike at Claw Hollow, the stronghold of the Malarites, and then made a call for adventurers to come and assist the elves of Moonvines.

A large company gathered to the call and Maia lead them back to the Moonwood to Claw Hollow, where they fought their way where the People of the Black Blood laired and defeated their guardians and warchiefs, forcing the Malarites to curb their predations to recoup from those loses.

Her bewildering search for assistance against the Malarites widened Maia's horizons and struck a cord in her, driving her to move beyond the branches of the evergreens, shadowtops, and duskwoods of her home to explore the wide world. She bade farewell to her kin and left, walking the roads, traveling along with caravans as a way to save up on the coin gifted to her by her relatives.

She returned to Silverymoon to truly take the time to enjoy the sights of that city before hiring herself out as an escort to a caravan which was bound west to Neverwinter. While sightseeing in Neverwinter, Maia heard of scrimshaw and knucklehead carving, and her interest in seeing such provided her with the excuse to wandering further toward the North. By boat, she arrived to Sundren and foul weather prevented her from leaving. Seeing her funds on the decline, Maia decided to go and ply her trade - there seemed to be a need for the adventurous sort and she was more than happy to try and help out.

Maia's first days in Sundren had her be an errand girl more than anything else, but she valued those experiences as they lead her feet to many places of interest in the Sundered Valley. Eventually, she turned to more militant pursuits, and started assisting the Exigo Syndicate in fighting the Spittlefist goblin tribe in the Sharahan Hill, the struggle to mine the Sundrite ore in the hill uncovering a more sinister Banite plot.

Richly rewarded for her contributions, Maia turned her feet to the Viridale Forest with her boar friend "Aodan" and then lent her assistance to the Legion Border Fort in fighting off the predations of the Mossclaw Alliance, finding herself thrust into the role of a skirmisher that eliminated the leaders of each respective camps in order to stall their advance. She in turn assisted the Keeper of the Glade in recovering a dangerous artifact dedicated to the dark goddess Talona from the Viridale's Muckspear goblin tribe.

She turned her attention to more urban venues and had an unpleasant episode of helping the Sundarian Legion clear up the sewers of lizardmen and other vermin, as well as play courier for the officials of the Legion - which eventually got her into conflict with the Veritas rebels. From that point on, the elven ranger dedicated herself more to hunting bandits and rebels upon the mountainous fringes of the valley, her stint as a bounty hunter giving her the opportunity to earn her something of a reputation in regards of her marksmanship with the bow.

Throughout her experiences in the valley, quickening of an ancestral fey bloodline caused a subtle change in Maia as well. Though those boons helped her in the face of adversity, she also began experiencing problems due to waxing and waning periods of fey influence - especially with figures exerting what she considered 'abusive authority'. This caused in the past some friction with less scrupulous members of the Sundarian Legion.

Through an association with the human bard Osclow Wiltenholm, Maia came to be involved in more pivotal conflicts set in the valley. She had a role of saving the Sunite Knight Cirion and the elf Legionnaire Peridan from a Corpus curse - a Velsharoon-bestowed disease that slowly turned both into undead. She participated in the efforts to retake Sestra from an Yuan-Ti invading force. She helped thwart the efforts of the Veritas rebels in several ways, from spying at their recruitment processes, to sabotaging their sundrite golems, to retaking pilfered relics from the sealed vaults deep in their mountain stronghold.

Maia doted on Osclow. He was, from what she saw, a problem solver and a pivotal figure in banding people together to face those problems and put an end to him. When she saw that he acted so while under a great deal of duress (including the symbol of Bane branded upon his chest, which influenced him just as much as her fey heritage influenced her) she began devoted to helping him with his burdens... though with mixed results. Aside from words of wisdom and encouragements, she often found herself lacking the means to help him further.

With time, her selflessness with him cooled. It was not that she was unwilling to help him so much as she came to realize that she was showing him an unhealthy amount selflessness. Fondness was also threatening to grow beyond that... and he was already a happy, married man with a family. What's more, some incidents between the Exigo Syndicate and the Druid Glade - incidents she helped smooth over - showed her that she had been standing very little for either herself or her calling. She needed to change that.

Therefore, Maia turned her efforts of late more towards the aims of her profession and with the goal of becoming a person of skill, repute and reference in her chosen field.

Maia eventually chose to leave the Sundered Valley to return home. Unfortunately, as she wandered about seeking to share farewells with the few friends she had in the valley, she stumbled where Talosian Stormlords where terrorizing people in the crossroad next to the Exigo Trading Post. The Stormlords being part of the Wardens of the Vale, Maia attempted to get a justification for their hostile actions in the very public venue, attacking passerby seemingly on whim... but she was ganged up on and quickly defeated. The Stormlord named Kaizen tortured her as she lay on the brink of death and made to sacrifice her to Talos.

In the wake of Kaizen's Storm of Vengeance spell, the elfwoman's corpse could no longer be found. It was only several months later that Maia suddenly reappeared. Her fey heritage had apparently allowed her to survive when her mortality 'failed', though a toll was taken out of her sanity and personality.

Thankfully, she was prevented from devolving to the like of a vengeful, cruelly spiteful fey by the Sunites Cirion and Amilynn; both whom approached her, had the patience to reason with her and slowly coaxed her back to her former civility.

For some time, Maia was ruled by the waxing and waning of her fey blood, to which she owed her sustained existence. A pluckish reminder of her sense of nobility had her help Cirion and Amilynn in turn in times of trouble that involved dangers from vampire cults and the servants of dark deities.

Eventually, her determination to keep them safe at any cost came into conflict with their convictions... and over time she had a falling out with the both of them. Maia eventually depended upon herself, withdrew from others, and finally started to recover from what Kaizen had done to her. Who she was was starting to assert itself over who the fey in her wanted to feel like.

She was surprised when she developed a bond with the older sun elf Peridan and actually became involved in a relationship with him: an undertaking unfamiliar to her, but she decided to try and return Peridan's feelings for her. However, both were worlds apart as far as what they dedicated their lives for, and friction with Legionnaires within the woods eventually made it difficult for Peridan to maintain a relationship with Maia. They were never at odds with each other, but those differences eventually made them drift apart.

Maia had the Glade to turn to for purpose, but even that was put into question when the druid Kaizen made a resurgence, converted to another deity, and was allowed to become an archdruid of influence within the Wardens. Maia, resentful that others would so support someone whom had betrayed her - them! - when most of her hard work went largely unnoticed was moved to losing most of her faith in the Wardens since. She has burned no bridges, but she has stopped being proactive for their sake, or naming herself one of their representant.

Relationships

Significant

• Osclow Wiltenholm: Maia is quite fond of Osclow and counts him amongst the few close friends she has in the Sundered Valley. She finds appeal in the man through his benevolence, his generosity, his open-mindedness, and his charming wit. She tries to serve as a friend, confidante and adviser for him.

• Peridan Twilight: The senior elven duskblade was someone whom Maia had great regard in, and struggled to earn esteem in his eyes - eventually earning his respect, friendship, and even romantic interest (the latter to her surprise). Still Peridan and Maia are worlds apart in the causes they would lay down their lives for and, despite common understanding, pursuing a relationship has not been easy. Lately, the sun elf Legionnaire and she have drifted apart, and Maia's no longer sure of what thier relationship is like anymore.

• Etria Illiathor: Etria is an old friend. Maia owes to Etria's craftmanship the enchanted arms and armor she now wears.

Acquaintances

• Kaizen, Son of Storms: Maia has only pure, unmitigated hatred for Kaizen, a fury druid that betrayed her trust and would have killed her as a sacrifice to Talos if she had not been feyblooded. His future conversion to Akadi only meant in her eyes that his faith was unreliable and in no way redeemed him in her eyes. The Wardens allowing - rewarding! - him with the title of Archdruid is something that has created a rift between herself and the organization she had been so loyal to; practically meaning that they condoned his actions from her perspective. He is the root of everything she believed in the valley that went and betrayed her, and she is determined never to forgive him for it.

• Dain Tornbrook: Maia sees Dain as a paladin whom has many admirable qualities, but his constant struggles have turned him into someone whom seems a forbidding, cheerless being. She once had a descent relationship, but her lack of esteem for society-appointed lawmen in places she feels society holds little sway like such as the wilderness that lies more under the purview of the Wardens in her eyes; and some of her former fey leanings soured her dealings with him - enough for him to view her as potential trouble rather than as a potential ally. For that Dain has earned Maia's pity, as she feels the man has become so bitter than he is no longer interested in fostering the good in people. Had Dain been more tolerant and supportive, he could have had earned her as a staunch and loyal ally. Now? Maia stopped trying to curry his favor as there is obviously no longer any point in doing so.

• Annaleen Hanssen: Maia has often wished that she and Annie could become friends, but never could get that sort of connection with the Chauntean druid. She's fairly content that Anna has settled for a more sedentary life, allowing Osclow the excuse to settle down as well.

• Fenton Tellens: Fenton is Osclow's friend, and Osclow seems to care for him... but that is about the only redeeming value Maia finds in a man whom has spurned every niceties she has extended to him, usually ignoring her or pretending she does not exist. In one of Maia fey fit, she had nearly endeavored to slay Fenton when next he'd bother her, but Osclow negociated and eventually convinced Maia to treat Fenton as a specter - someone whom didn't exist.

• Corvus Corax: Corvus and Maia, both rangers, ought to have been kindred spirits. However, circumstances have painted them more as adversaries due to the people they chose to call friend. Though Maia once trusted in Corvus despite his loyalties, events involving Osclow killing a Banite whom had once been Corvus' lover soured ties between the two of them. Corvus presently appears gone, and she is not sorry to not have seen him.

• Cybil Gelley: Cybil is one of Osclow's friends and allies, but Maia dislikes the Ilmateri favored soul for her perceived pompousness and overbearing self-righteousness. Maia also finds Cybil untrustworthy of any confidences and she would, in general, rather not have anything to do with her.

Kin and Family

• Jelenn & Berian Nanethiel: Maia's parents, both moon elven rangers worshiping Rillifane Rallathil. Their trade is that of guards and sentries around the perimeter of Moonvines.

Miscellaneous Information

Name

• Maia Nanethiel is pronounced Ma-ia Nahn-eh-thee-ell. It literally means "Mother-Of-Pearl" in Old Espruar. Maia believes that names are power and with this in consideration sometimes shares her name, and seldom shares her full name.

Fey Heritage

• Maia enjoys the mixed blessing of a fey bloodline, which has bloomed further in the face of adversity. The benefits include innate glamours of sleep and confusion that she can tap into, increased resistance against charms and enchantments that would target her mind and a noted resilience against wounds not made by weapons forged out of cold iron - she's observed that lighter weapons such as daggers, shortswords or arrows sometime strike her without drawing blood.

• The curse Maia finds in this bloodline of her is the growing influence it has had on her actions, her whims and her urges. Sometimes, her self-control slips and she suffers from these 'fits' that essentially make her uninhibited, and far more prone to being amoral, cruel and selfish.

• Due to an increased affinity with cold that came along with her blossoming heritage (and the odd approval she's received from certain Aurilites), Maia has grown to suspect that her heritage comes from somesort of cold fey, though she knows little beyond that. She is not too far of the mark as her fey ancestor is actually a [Frostwind Virago].

Origin

• Maia was originally created in Febuary 2007, right after the first servervault wipe, and lasted until the second servervault wipe. Her existence was noteworthy for her being a strong champion of elvenkind whom was able to cobble together the faction known as the 'Council of Voices', encouraging the creation of an elven stronghold and having the elves considered a recognized political party by the Sundarian Government. Maia herself in the end was considered Sundren's best archer and the highest-level ranger (level 17).

• The present iteration of Maia was recreated after the second wipe May 2nd 2008, different in her diminishes slant toward championing elvenkind and with increasingly more focus on the fey bloodline given to her by the Fey Heritage feats.