Ismene Eliana Aldebrandi

[Ismene Eliana Aldebrandi]

Name: Ismene Eliana Aldebrandi
Race: Nibenese Imperial
Class: Arcanist Illuminatia
Concept: Knowledge Demon
Profession: Mendicant Lunatic/Adventurer
Age: Early Twenties
Height: Short
Weight: Scrawny
Hair: Ashen
Skin Tone: Ghostly
Eyes: Ruby

Distinguishing Marks/Items:

Ismene's hat bears a patinaed copper badge. What it may once (or may yet) have signified is anyone's guess, but it appears to depict two pens over a book or possibly some sort of Dwemer drafting compass depending on how you look at it and the quality of the lighting. She bears a staff of similar composition to the badge, apparently repurposed from a rotisserie and hung with polished copper utensils. Her clothing is all heavily enchanted, especially her apron and purse which casual observation will reveal contain far more than their exterior volume would suggest.

At first glance Ismene seems small and frail; A badly withered fruit of the proud Nedic vine, bone thin and sickly pale. One could easily envision her dying of thirst and hunger on the Alik'r or rotting away in the middens beneath Elden Root with the rest of the starving cast-offs of society, save that she is entirely too well dressed for Namira's lot. She cannot possibly be so poor as to want for food or water, so her thinness must be the result of personal neglect...or preference.

Her manner of dress is simple but clean; Not the clothes of a noblewoman or a rich mercenary, but the humble style of the common folk of Tamriel. A rugged ironthread dress, dyed sky blue, with a pocketed white apron tied with a belt of leather hung with a simple pouch purse. Rugged, well-kept boots for road and rough, and a jauntily feathered wide-brimmed hat to keep the rain off.

She is almost always always smiling, brightly painted lips gliding across polished teeth as they shift from sly smirk to rictus grin and all the flavors and intensities of enthusiasm in between.

Her hair and makeup are, as a rule, immaculate and nigh impervious to the vagaries of the climate. Neither sweat nor grime seems to cling to her at all, though Magicka certainly does. The air around her fairly buzzes with potential, discernible even to the uninitiated; She is flagrantly and unabashedly a creature with one foot on Nirn and the other planted firmly elsewhere, otherworldly and alien.

Personality:

Ismene is, in the words of many a village elder, an odd duck. Left to her own devices she might come across as distant or introverted; Off and away in her own little world. Yet when engaged or drawn to converse, she is nothing if not affable. She is an excellent listener, her mercurial mood shifting to best fill the space left by her interlocutor. When confronted, she is unfailingly, unflinchingly polite even with the rudest of folk. When asked, she is a font of wisdom, advice and knowledge.

Whether any of it is actionable or even real may have no bearing on the conversation as Ismene is also completely deranged. An exquisitely functional madwoman to be sure, but a ward of Sheogorath nonetheless. As a faithful servant of Hermaeous Mora Ismene's regular immersion in the abyssal seas of forbidden knowledge has left her psyche indelibly stained, her mind's eye pinned open and forever staring into truths beyond truth.

Nevertheless she does her best, much like her dear sweet Uncle Sheo, to try to help people with whatever it is they need helping with. People are merely well advised to take her advice with a grain of willful ignorance lest they, too, find their minds cracked like eggs into the frying pan of unreason or trapped between the fluttering pages of the Apocrypha.

Hometown: Home is where she hangs her heart; Just under her hat (usually).
Status: Just the Best!
Organizations: 42nd Imperial Mananaut Flying Brigade (Honorably Discharged), The Cutting Room Book Club (Former President), The Children of the Soulburst (Honorary Captain)
Favorite Food: Knowledge
Favorite Color: Yes, especially the shiny ones
Favorite Weapon: Her Brain
Favorite Pastime: Existing with People
Personal Hero: You! Yes, you, you wonderful person. She may not know you in any measurable form, but she knows you're out there, doing your very, very best, and she's proud of you.

Nature: Innocent
Demeanor: Bon Vivant
Veil of Thorns: 10
Alignment: Neutral Good
Introverted/Extroverted? To Be With is To Be
Intuitive/Sensing? To See is to Consider
Thinking/Feeling? To Think is to Feel
Judging/Perceiving? To Perceive is to Judge
Three Objectives:

Survive in the Veil of Thorns

Mark the Paths for those who would follow

Seek the Truth in all things

[Ismene Eliana Aldebrandi]

Behold the Hooked Omens, how they Sparkle in the Waves;

Looking for answers in all the wrong places? Ismene might be your librarian!

Do you or someone you know enjoy scuffing about the back end of nowhere or crossing Hell's back forty just to see what's on the other side? So does she!

Have you served with the Aldmeri Dominion or had contact with Imperial refugees fleeing through Valenwood and Elsweyr? You might already be a friend, acquaintance or victim!

Ismene is a registered Affiliate in (arguably) good standing of both the Fighter's and Mage's Guild. She is also on several distinct sh*t lists, especially with the Order of the Eye.

Are you Undaunted? So is Ismene! No-one believes her.

The Night Mother is no longer answering calls for Ismene's death for reasons undisclosed. She has a reputation among assassins for utterly wrecking contracts whenever their paths cross; It is frankly embarrassing for everyone involved and at this point they largely prefer to ignore one another as much as possible.

Similarly; The Thieves Guild has advised its membership not to try to steal Ismene's hat. It never ends well, and they still can't quite get rid of the smell.

Ismene has been formally banned from all Bardic facilities and members of the Bards Guild are strenuously advised against encouraging audience participation at their shows while Ismene is present or allowing her to take the stage for any reason.

Visitors to the Dibellan Temple or Prostitute's Guild may notice posted advisories.

Ismene has surprisingly extensive contacts throughout Oblivion and is generally well liked by many Daedra in a sort of "Daww what an adorable kitten/Sweet Azura's bosom why is it all so sharp, ow my fingers" sort of way.

[Ismene Eliana Aldebrandi]

Recommended Listening:

Come Along, Cosmo Sheldrake

Pelicans We, Cosmo Sheldrake

The Sun is Also a Warrior, Leslie Fish

The Watchmaker's Apprentice, Clockwork Quartet

Awake, O Sleeper, Brother's Bright

Been Away For Too Long, Soundgarden

Used to the Darkness, Des Roc

[Kieg]

(( Neat writeup! Hope to bump into you in game sometime. ))