Firil

Firil "Shank"
"'Yes, well, Inquisition rising up and saving the day is all well and good. But. Do we get a raise?'"Origin Story

Firil grew up as an orphan, her mother having died during child birth and her father having disappeared when she had turned five years old. She was taken in by a eccentric but rich noble Orlesian family, where she grew up as a hand maiden/friend for the beautiful daughter of the family. In other words, she was treated better than most maids and hand maidens.

Firil was living the sweet life in Val Royeaux, attending balls and other events with her noble "family." The hand maiden's duties didn't include making conversation at these events, leaving Firil very bored. Luckily, while assisting the Lady of the house, she figured out that she had a natural talent at getting information unnoticed.

Firil started bribing the rich and the wealthy, gathering gossip and scandals like a trader of goods. She had a great eye for spotting an unfaithful Lord or Lady and then blackmailing them them. This operation went pretty successfully for a while and her network grew bigger and bigger which each passing month. However, as more people got involved, things started to get out of hand. On one sober moment, Firil saw her empire of lies ready to shatter beneath her feet. One moment of bravery had caused someone to call her bluff. And she was found wanting. It would only be a matter of time until the Orlesian elite caught up to her. It was either sink or swim.

The social assassin had been careful however, working behind aliases and proxies. Also, because of her high position in the court, she managed to deceive her way out of danger, only to inadvertently throw someone else to the wolves in the process. Firil is not an evil creature by any means, but the enraged upper echelons of the "Orlesian Game" demanded a scapegoat, and that unfortunately landed on Firils best friend and partner in crime: the elven kitchen boy Eriel.

He was executed publicly by guillotine, just to make an example of any who would dare rise from such low station into playing the games of Nobles. However, suspicion still remained on Firil as the mastermind and with a lot of pressure on her "family" she was reluctantly dismissed. Their amusement at the elven mischief maker had finally run its course. Though unable to simply throw her onto the streets (more because they saw her as a family pet than any fear of appearances), but instead sent her to work for distant relatives in Kirkwall.

Kirkwall was different however, gone were the great balls and finery, replaced by misery and poverty. Though it was here that her involvement with Red Jenny began. Having heard about her exploits, she was approached by complete strangers who started passing her secret notes which she used to start anew.

Her luck would take a strange turn again, after attempting to blackmail a member of the Montiliet family, Firil ran into the one person who could match her move for move: The Nightingale Lelianna. However, the spy master to the Divine herself was impressed, digging up her past in a speed which both terrified Firil and held her in awe, she gave Firil something she had never had before. Higher purpose. Though the money was also good. And consistent!

Pretty soon she was sent to work as an initiate Kestrel in the Ostwick cell, working all maner of jobs for the Most Holy, via her left hand. It was in Ostwick that she met both Ness and Valeth.

Physical Description

Firil shows her youth in her looks, having short brunet hair over slate blue eyes. The Vassline on her brow is old, some reminder of her long discarded beginnings. She has been known to use make up to hide the Dalish markings, enabling her to better blend in with city elves. Her skills with make up, earned from her days in court, have found new use in altering her appearance when it is required. Word is she can even appear as a human youth!

Firil is of short height her athletic style give her a wiry strength that is easily missed, much to the dismay of her later victims. Firil is not ugly, and she knows this, using her pixie like innocence to disarm opponents with a look.

Personality

Firil seems to be a very selfish creature, prone to focusing on the material gains and always putting her safety above all else. That said, her mischievous nature always finds a way to get free, sometimes for better or worse.

However, everything about Firil is a layer. Her manner, her expression and even her accent is just one more fascade covering a rarely unseen creature. Though this may make her harder to get to like to those who possess a powerful sense of insight, her natural charisma (and occasionally her looks) win most people over in minutes.

The rogue never speaks in detail of her past, the dirt she waded through or the enemies she had made. Most especially, she has yet to deal with the fact that every night in her dreams, she sees Eriel's head falling from it's shoulders and his final screaming despair calling her name. Her real name. Which she has not used for a very long time.

Combat Style

Firil plays on her strengths in evasion and taking opportunities. Not fond of fair fights, she tends to make use of shadows and misdirection to approach her target before striking hard and fast. Skilled with knife work and the use of the short bow, she makes up for the short range with a wide range of skills which enable her to move unseen.

Seeing honour as something idiots use to ensure a fight on their terms, she always strikes from behind where possible. Leaving the grunt work for Ness and the long ranged business to Valeth.

Character Development (Spoilers!)

Firil's anarchistic nature has gotten the group through many scraps and situations, but always seems to leave a possible future issue biding its time in the back ground. The main examples of this are the agreement she made with Carta Dwarves in the basement of Equine House, their headquarters. Now with an income from their share of a Lyrium smuggling operation downstairs, the Kestrels are constantly under threat of discovery from the Ostwick Guard.

Also, Firil's actions in the rescue of Tobbi the Avvar, caused the understanding between the City Guard and the Street Rats to come to a paranoid and violent end. Though Tobbi was saved and Adrian the Guardsmen was recruited too, the brewing troubles between the crime family and the authorities.

While the missions grow darker and darker, Firil seems to be growing colder and colder. While Valeth chooses the path for the group and chooses the moral right, Firil's critc of her team mate and leader grow harsher as she demands they accomplish their goals no matter the cost. Where this comes from, has yet to be seen.