Last Name:
Nicknames: Edy, Ed, Edel, Eddie, Edelguide, Cutelgarde, Tails, Dragonling
Family: Eunice (adoptive grandmother, deceased), Jalib Spades (adoptive brother), Lena (biological mother, whereabouts unknown)
Image courtesy of Ashenie
Race: Tiefling
Age: 25
Date of Birth: 21st of Alturiak 1333 (Year of the Striking Falcon)
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 50kg
Eyes: Dark Red
Hair: Bright red, long and straight.
(Courtesy of Torvald Goodman)
Physical Appearance:
"Your horns and tail are just a few notes in a whole song. And not even loud ones."
Isabella Villame
Edelgarde is of lean frame and average height. Her eyes are stark red against her impish features and light tan skin. Small white horns and a tail hint at her fiendish heritage. Her long red hair reaches down to her waist.
Ancestry: Shadow Demon
Notable Possessions:
Personality Profile:
At first glance, Edelgarde appears as a polite, stern if not austere personality. She appears fond of conversation and debate, although her interjections often tend to be long and verbose, second only to her lectures. Despite her apparent austerity, soon enough her dry sense of humor becomes evident.
She is a woman of great faith and fond of her duty, although this at times causes her to be perceived as strict and judgemental. She greatly values knowledge as an instrument of freedom and betterment of self and believes everyone should be given the chance of accessing it. This in turn leads her to protect not only knowledge but also life, as there is no knowledge without experience and no experience without life. Despite her efforts to act in an exemplar way, at times she still feels the pull of the blood, which she fiercely attempts to keep chained, reaching the decision of embracing the preservation aspect of the dogma of the First Scribe, renouncing destruction completely.
Only those very close to her would know what anxiety and self doubt lay behind the peaceful and dignified facade. Although in time she reached a measure of acceptance of things like powerlessness and separation, she is still plagued by fear of anything that is unpredictable or inexplicable and when confronted with such, she would desperately try to measure, classify and predict to avoid facing something that so closely reminds her of her fiendish heritage. For this reason, she is also cautious with interpersonal relationships. A self-appointed proud spinster, she pointedly avoids those bonds that are romantic in nature, due to her idea that the chaotic nature of romance may often distract from duty and beliefs, causing people to act irresponsibly. On the contrary, she greatly respects familial ties, not necessarily of blood, and part of her never ceased to seek it, especially the maternal figure she never met.
Background:
"The Ten of Swords. You began in times of darkness... One that seemed to follow you back then. Deep loss one and then again decorated with a betrayal. This time could be marked with an ending... Someone close. And yet the sun on the horizon, could be seen as setting or rising. When the card is drawn upright, it means the sea of calm. The sun brings solace, suggesting even in times of incredible darkness there can be a sense of peace and beginnings."
Amelia Revenolt
Edelgarde was born in a small settlement near Neverwinter. Her parents are unknown and she was raised by an elderly woman she always considered her grandmother. Since early childhood she could feel the tug of her blood, pushing forward the most wicked and feral sides of her personality.
When Edelgarde was eight years old, her grandmother passed away. Due to her abyssal inheritance, nobody took her in and Edelgarde found herself living off scraps and sleeping on the streets. She knew beatings, starvation and cold.
One day, three of the local kids that liked to harass her took her doll. They dismembered it and dropped the now formless rags into a puddle. As she lost the last memory of her grandmother, the taint of her blood took control and she killed one of the kids. After that, she ran away fearing the reaction of the village.
Two days after, Lord Wilric Serebald, a noble mage from Neverwinter found her and took her in. He needed an assistant for his research that could handle dangerous and corrosive reagents and her innate resistance allowed her to do so unharmed. Most of the time.
She was well fed and cared for. Her master taught her manners and the basic spells she needed in order to aid him. However, the other servants avoided her and even her master seemed to barely notice her. Edelgarde soon found herself preferring the company of animals.
The years passed and she grew fond of books and knowledge. She felt that every notion and concept shaped her into a better creature, giving her the power to discern. Of course, the darkness was still there and the more it tried to pull her strings, the more she forced herself to live up to the values of civilization. Moderation, culture and knowledge defied the bestiality inside of her and, as she soon found out, defiance felt rather good.
As the years passed she realized that her master would always consider her inferior, so she started defying him as well. By stealing books forbidden to her she learnt how to summon creatures from other planes. She grew bolder and bolder. By observing her master for a long time, she memorized all his wards and protections and how to pass them unscathed. One night, while he was away, Edelgarde managed to sneak into his private quarters and discovered that his master's research was about a particular demon he was trying to summon and bind to his will.
Without thinking of the consequences, she destroyed his notes, stole his books and all the money she could carry. Then she fled the manor and caught the first ship for Baldurs Gate.
Her arrival on the Coast marked a path of great evolution. Most of those she met didn't judge her for her blood and she found a place to belong, this made her more confident and sociable. Now she would be way less strict with her manners, albeit recurring to them in formal occasions. The increasing responsibilities of her roles in both Candlekeep and House of Spades made her less afraid of taking decisions, although she wouldn't define herself a good leader.
On the other hand, her new life caused her "dark side" to evolve as well. No longer made of blind rage at those who wronged her, her darkness now feeds on the respect and admiration of those around her, seeking some measure of control over them. This, though, caused some manner of balance with her "bright side" that instead seeks to help others no matter their attitude toward her: darkness would be quieted down by their loyalty and appreciation, causing it to stir less. Regardless, Edelgarde would still keep it chained, refraining herself from committing actions driven by it.
"Edelgarde just lacks inner peace."
Pyotr Sorssol
The appearance of the Child of Darkness caused the foundations of Edelgarde's new life to heavily shake and it's only thanks to her newfound family and friends that she found the strength to fight back.
These hardships took away most of her naivety and optimism, as she now sees the life on the Coast as something that takes the new comers' hopes and dreams away, leaving them numb and devoid of enthusiasm.
Edelgarde saw her friends' lives at risk many times and, especially when she saw Jalib on the verge of death twice, something in her snapped. She developed an anxiety disorder, with the constant need of checking on her friends to make sure they are fine.
This new situation caused her darkness to stir, weakening its containment. She would sometimes feel spikes of rage that would cause her to snap at people. In order to let it go, she would focus it toward unintelligent enemies or object. This new feeling would however collide with her insecurity, causing an internal struggle.
"You can only be as much help as they let you be."
Lucia
Despite all, however, Edelgarde stubbornly refused to let hope go. Firmly believing that in giving up she would have already lost, she refuses to stay down. Hardship made her wiser and now not only she found her own light, but she now fully understand what it means. After giving up on absolute hope that everything is going to be alright and will fix itself on its own, she realized her hopes aren't to be placed in the tide of fate but in people's actions, as in time even the wind can reshape mountains. Faith is now the essence of her "bright side": faith in her allies, in the gods and in her own determination to keep fighting despite all odds.
Another milestone in Edelgarde's life was the growth of the House of Spades as a place to belong for those who don't have one and the progressive definition of its goals. In a time of growing intolerance and violence on the Coast, Edelgarde's efforts strive toward peace and dialogue, even with those considered questionable or frowned upon by the majority of people for their origin or heritage. Now more than ever, she is driven by of her most important ideals: nobody was born evil, nobody is destined to be evil. At the same time, her role in the House strengthened her sense of responsibility toward the House members: no matter how desperate the situation they might find themselves in, nobody will be left behind.
"This card represents you in the present. Drawn upside down the Moon has a stark difference from its counterpart. The card speaks to you as you are now, pressed with inner confusion in what can and cant be done. The wolf and dog represent both our tamed and untamed aspects of our minds. Drawn in reverse it would suggest you have recovered from inner turmoil. You at a place now where you've abandoned that fear. Become true with your emotions, and faced your confusion. The pool of water beneath the wolves symbolizes the early stages of our consciousness. The wolf and dog stand above it."
Amelia Revenolt
The turmoils that marked the first half of the year 1357 DR saw Edelgarde offering aid working side by side with many factions of the Coast in order to provide assistance and insight. Many people turned towards Candlekeep to better understand those threats and this marked a period of bustling activity. Helping one of those petitioners, a brass dragon named Lyvinicus, brought her to question her vows and ultimately have a deeper understanding of her duty as a scribe. During this time she also had the occasion of cooperating with the Temple of Ilmater. Thanks to Sister Ashenie, Alexander Holgart and Nathan Goldenmane she resumed visiting and helping at the temple again, after one year's time.
At the same time, the departure of Jalib and her unwillingness to be in charge of it caused the decline of the House, now no more than a family name. Even though she is deeply attached to her brother, that gave her the chance to learn her vows to Candlekeep and to her patron deity are what she must dedicate her life to with no margin of compromise, now determined to let not even her deepest affection in the way of her duty.
Those were months of ups and downs and she often felt powerless in the face of the tribulation affecting her friends. Nonetheless, the influence of those people, especially Ashenie, led Edelgarde to reconsider her approach to faith, duty and the balance between faith and reason. Although she still struggles, her effort is now more focused in understanding and acting in accordance with what her deity represents whenever possible. That led her to renounce offensive spells completely, in order to focus on the aspects of learning and preservation that Deneir represents, by renouncing destruction.
The year 1358 opened with the turmoils in Nashkel. When a tome found in possession of a Thayan slaver found its way to Candlekeep, Edelgarde found herself torn yet again between her principles and the loyalty to the library. The tome, a Sharran artifact whose purpose was to enslave the living, required the sacrifice of the scribe who copied it and translating it left the mind vulnerable to the Nightsinger's control. In order to recover the information inside the book and ultimately help those enslaved by it, she took the difficult decision of petitioning the temple of Ilmater for the last scribe who died copying the book to be resurrected, knowing that this was likely to severely damage and eventually destroy the book. This important struggle led her to fully embrace the philosophy that, since knowledge is the transposition of experience, preserving it is not just limited to its material vessels but also to the lives of those who "experience", as ultimately there can't be knowledge without life.
Through winter and spring, Edelgarde got back in touch with her old friend Ilhara, an eilistraean drow, and forged a bond with her brother and sister in faith: Vesz, a fighter with a tormented past, and Lomith, fallen matron of a lolthite house who became a priestess of Eilistraee, offering them shelter in her house until they could find a place to belong in Rockrun, after it was taken by the Company of the Blue Lantern. In the same period, she offered shelter to Aunrae, a drow newly converted to the Seldarine, after an altercation with the Whitewood Vanguard left her gravely wounded and she was saved by Corellon's intervention. Over the months, Edelgarde grew close to her and the elf Kethelis.
"The Hangman is a representation of surrender. Letting go. Seeing the world from a new perspective regardless of what pain may come. It can be compared to martyrdom and sacrifice to a greater good. You will find yourself at a great choice. One that does not involve you alone. It will require great sacrifice, and it will not be easy. Drawn in reverse... The card suggests you have and will delay this. You will break it down and approach it nearly mathematically. You might stall, but you will know your first choice was the right one, you will need to trust yourself."
Amelia Revenolt
The Time of Troubles saw Edelgarde at her highest and lowest. She was confronted yet again with powerlessness, this time not only hers but that of the gods as well, considered perpetual until then. The inability of giving answers soured further her fear of the unknown.
The death of her friend Alexander Holgart, who sacrificed himself and ultimately disappeared with Torm, scarred her particularly deeply. Not only she saw her affection clashing with her respect for duty, finding his decision difficult to accept, but for the first time she was confronted by the idea of non-existance after death. Even though ultimately Torm and his martyrs were brought back into existence, this eventuality if only temporary awakened a deep fear in her.
On the other hand, the Time of Troubles gave her the chance to meet her deity and be ordained by him in his church. Conversing with such being gave her perspective on the clockworks of existence and in time she came to terms with her weakness. Power is to her a game of smokes and mirrors, as everyone, no matter how powerful they are, is confronted with powerlessness once they find themselves in front of something beyond their power. To her this is now not only something to be accepted but also a necessary step in the path of spellcasters. The lack of such a quick way towards a spiral of less and less scruples to reach more and more power. Albeit still hard to accept, Edelgarde now starts to understand death, no matter how untimely, is not an ailment to cleanse when people have fulfilled their duty and reached their intended destination. The ailment is the grief of those who remain.
Deities:
Initial Alignment:
"The Scribe... It says you are dutiful to the preservation of something. As scribes preserve knowledge."
Brianna Namaskarii
Profession: Scribe of Candlekeep
Base Class & Proposed Development: Wizard/Cleric/Arcane Scholar/Mystic Theurge
Thaumaturge/Archmage
Spellcasting:
Edelgarde began her studies of magic with the work of Aeili Azenci, but over the years she developed her own approach and interpretation for the study of magic. Her method is akin to philosophy and based on the concept of attribute: everything in existence is a combination of attributes, both permanent and variable. Magic allows to interact with, or modify, one or more attribute supernaturally through the manipulation of the Weave and the employment of various channels, channels that can be as simple as a physical contact or as complex as a sympathetic link. As a Mystic Theurge, Edelgarde learned how to apply these concepts to divine magic, often utilizing foci and material components incorporated in inks to both increase her closeness to the deity and her visualization of the spell.
Conjuration:
Habits/Hobbies: Reading, making inks. Loves animals, cute outfits and shining armors. Her love for gossip is badly hidden.
Strengths: Smart, witty, patient, disciplined, well-mannered, insightful, kind, dutiful, pious, diplomatic
Weaknesses: Anxious, reclusive, unimposing, austere, cold, jaded, judgemental, nosy, verbose, lecturing
Fears: acid, heights, skin contact, inexplicable things, non-existance, wild magic, chaos.
Languages: Common, Abyssal, Elven, Dwarven, Illuskan, Celestial, Draconinc, Chondathan, Thorass, Infernal, Netherese, Loross, Undercommon, Gnomish.
Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Her ancestor is likely a Shadow Demon.
Lord Sarebald is still around and most likely fuming.
Her mother might still be alive.
She used to teach the orphans at the temple of Ilmater how to read and write, but those days ended after the demon-child appearance.
The demon child is still around.
Planar Allies (former class):
As time went by, her celestial allies deemed her path of learning concluded and that it was time for her to proceed without guidance. Her vow of Preservation also prevents her from seeking their aid in battle, although she would still call on them for advice.