#Skoria Smokeheart

[grasping-earth]

GW2 Ask Meme:

1 - Skoria Smokeheart

6 - Mjora Suitorsbane

15 - This new commander lad you teased (Rhudain)

1. Your character is now the leader of their species, whatever that looks like for them. How do they govern and what sorts of changes would they make, if any?

Hoo boy, what a time to become Imperator of the Iron Legion eh? I don't think she'd ever go for Khan-Ur, a legion is more than enough to worry about. But she's a good leader and she wouldn't make a bad imperator, whatever she might say. If this was after Icebrood Saga her priority would be projecting an impression of solidarity and getting back to normal. In the pursuit of that she'd be well allied with Crecia, even though I think Skoria would remain a little wary of her. She'd also reach out to the Vigil and/or Pact and invite them to help deal with the Dragonbrand, just to ease the number of threats Iron is having to personally stay on top of (same logic as the Ebonhawke truce). She'd be concerned with Iron's pride in relation to the other legions and outside races, but she sees that pride being better served by showing their strength to the rest of the world rather than being insular. She just won't be shy to retaliate if anyone insults the legion, which other races would have to learn.

6. They're now a heart NPC/part of a string of quests. What does that involve?

Occupation-wise Mjora is a hunter, and I can see her having a event chain in which she invites players to accompany her in finding traces of a great beast that's been rumoured in her part of the Shiverpeaks, then track it as an escort. The final event would reveal that it's a big dragon minion of some slightly unusual kind that meant it was mistaken for something else, and you'd kill it (leaving Mjora to complain there's no trophy to show for it, dragon minions aren't very good for that).

On the other hand, a "Suitorsbane" event could be fun. Have her somewhere in the mountains near her sister's house, perhaps asking you to distract or waylay some guy at first so he doesn't go and bother her and you end up helping her fend off a variety of norn and a couple of charr/others who want to come prove themselves worthy of Driffa's attention, while Mjora (and players) beat them up until they leave. Driffa comes out afterwards to ask what the fuss was and Mjora blatantly lies 😆

15. What is their favourite and least favourite part of being the commander?

Hmm, this is tough because I haven't written a lot of him as Commander yet (more how he gets there). I think the admiration for his skill and achievements really would please him at first - but Rhudain is sylvari and I think Heart of Thorns puts a stop to any sense that this is a fun adventure into fame and glory. The "correct" answer is that he cares about helping people, and he does, sure, but I think his favourite part of being the Commander might be that it gives him the power to change things. He can step up and people listen; if he believes something is necessary he can, when it comes down to it, take steps to make it happen. As stressful as responsibility is it beats feeling powerless. His least favourite part might be that people have started to assume he can always fix things, always find a way through impossible situations, and that means he's going to let people down - but he can't control the faith other people put in his legend.

[curuniel]

Skoria Smokeheart: 7 (the most important GW2 question). Keejah: 11, and when is it.

7: describe your oc’s fashion sense (Skoria)

Oh, this is hard. Charr fashion is a mostly unexplored area of canon! I think Skoria doesn’t like anything too unnecessary or impractical, she can’t relate. When working, it’s all practical with minimal decoration, just scrupulously cleaned functional armour and padding. Other times her style is generally simple, unpatterned fabrics and drapery, with ornamentation around the edges instead of front and centre - so decorations and braids in her mane, on horns, armbands etc. Probably mostly metallic ornaments; she is Iron Legion after all.

11: what does your oc want for their birthday? (Keejah)

Hmm, I don’t have a canon birth date in mind for Keejah. I’m going to arbitrarily pick October 2. Ok, not totally arbitrarily, I did some preliminary reading on star signs to place her somewhere vaguely appropriate.

Since I don’t think I’m allowed to say “some gods-damned answers” or all of us would be doing it, I think this year for her birthday Keejah would like just a dinner or something with friends, and potential friends. Networking is a gift and relaxation even more so. Also I’m struggling to think of a physical gift that isn’t just game-practical haha.

[curuniel]

Maroon 5. :3

Skoria - What are you most passionate about?

In the past, her pride in her legion and loyalty to her imperator and his vision. Recently... still very passionate about both of those things but some different feelings. The Dominion civil war hit her hard, but when it comes down to it passion is something that runs deep with Skoria. Her warband name is Smokeheart, and 'heart' is the part that represents who she is to them.

She's an Iron Legion legionnaire and up until Icebrood Saga Skoria was a stanch supporter of Imperator Smodur. To her, he represented the kind of strategic thinking that makes Iron great - Blood rush in, and Ash don't trust, but while some charr saw truce with the humans as weakness Skoria saw it as sensible long-term planning. The world was changing and he wanted them to change with it and come out in a position of strength. He played the other legions and his own strengths to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was a strong charr nation who could hold their own. Believing in his strategy, Skoria also became a strong supporter of the truce and took any objection to it as questioning Smodur, therefore Iron, therefore her personally.

Unfortunately, when the civil war put all charr under stress Smodur did not react with the strength and determination of purpose that Skoria would have expected. I wrote a story about this (spoilers for No Quarter) but suffice to say Skoria was devastated to basically lose her faith in the imperator and while the Iron Legion is still very important to her and she'd never refuse their call, it shook her up badly.

[curuniel]

12, 20, 28, 47 for GW2 character 5

#5 on my mostly arbitrary list is Skoria Smokeheart, charr guardian and legionnaire of the Iron Legion!

12. What is their favourite food?Sort of an easier question for a charr, because, meat. Specifically spicy meat - chilli peppers grow well in Ascalon, moa or beef with hot chilli seasoning would be her jam. She’s the kind of person to eat something very spicy and enjoy that it’s a challenge.

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?Musicals would definitely not be her thing, I don’t think she has a great deal of patience for theatre at the best of times (but you might win her over). Music is a thing to be shared with people, she’d enjoy singing bawdy or ridiculous songs with her warband or other groups and to be honest while she might not have the most musical voice she has a strong voice (field commander, you know).

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?Skoria is one to hide fear under either bravado or a cold flat demeanor. It’s sort of a bell curve; bravado for small threats that can be bluffed off, cold against real threats as she tries to keep the unflappable commander facade up, and bravado again if ever up against a threat it seems absurd to fight (so if she were in the living story, yeah, that). What would scare her is anything that feels bigger than the Legions to her; she isn’t afraid to die doing her job, but the minute she realised she could die to something that the rest of the charr nation wouldn’t be able to finish, she’d be a lot more afraid of the prospect. So, elder dragons…

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear?Charr formalwear, heh. Her first choice for a formal occasion is nicer armour with Iron Legion insignias (she’s very proud of her legion). With or instead of that, I think her idea of formalwear is heavy on drapery: a cape or a cloak draped to leave one arm free, fabric from her waist to give some movement and room for decoration. If I could draw, I’d draw it!

[curuniel]

Here is a set of people (GW2 characters): - Ferryn - Cullen Autumnforge - Iuleth Dreamspeaker - Skoria Smokeheart - Terza Stormfury - Lirian Prest - Jayna Tumis - Lady Suri Meyrhun - Pebbi - Driffa Bloodbride - Mjora Suitorsbane

Here is another set of people (GW characters):  - Curu Tauritirin  - Tienla Anaroi  - Ash Lirenne  - Dianne Joleen  - Tabitha Druen  - Kedoa Rin  - Shara Awae  - Mindu Al Haket  - Leah Benai

Other characters I am pretty familiar with and would attempt fic about include Malifaux masters:  - The Guild  - Resurrectionists  - Neverborn  - Arcanists  - Outcasts  - Ten Thunders

(I just plain don’t know the gremlins well enough to write anything!)

If you ever want to send a random writing prompt or request, or to ask questions about any characters or for me to answer a question for various people on one list - send me an ask! I miss some of these characters and appreciate prompts.