#Trystal Nightblood

[clan-nightblood]

All the Urgency of A Glacier

The campfire flickered wildly, bright orange light reflecting off the ice as the wind whipped through the canyon and made the flames dance. Trystal sat beside the fire bundled up in coats and furs, rotating two fish on sticks over the fire, charring the skin evenly. Meanwhile, Celeste sat bare-skinned on the ice while her few pieces of clothing hung on a rack near the warmth. She would be wearing them for Trystal's comfort, but she had mindlessly dove under the ice to catch those fish while they were still on. They were somewhat dry, but the parts farther from the flame were also somewhat frozen. Drying clothes in the ice is hard.

"Celeste, I have a question," Trystal looked over to her, and his teeth grit over the idea of her bare skin against the ice. He knew it wasn't painful for her, she had explained, but the visual still gave him chills.

"Yes?" she asked, staring into the fire still.

"Why do you always walk? Literally everywhere, no matter the urgency of a situation, no matter if those around you are running, why?"

"Because there is time. There is always time."

"What do you mean?" His head cocked to the side, and his eyes narrowed in confusion.

Celest took a deep breath, standing up, and she turned her gaze to the clear midday sky. Her hand gently came to rest over her heart.

"People spend more time and energy rushing than they need to. I've watched people, I've watched the world. What I find in the world is that there is always time. Even in urgent situations, there's no need to rush. If I can save my energy for when it matters most, for when I can protect people, or myself, that's a better use of it than running toward something I know I will be able to stop, or that I won't. The world moves as it will, whether I run or walk."

"Hm... that's an interesting belief. Do you think that comes from being touched by Halone?"

"It might. Maybe that, or watching glaciers move. They move slowly, and yet they are so powerful and menacing to people. Natural disasters take their time. The elements are patient," this time she turned her gaze to Trystal, "All happens in the time it's meant to."

She didn't express like other people, but Trystal could tell there was warmth and comfort in her statement. He smiled, and grabbing a stick, held up a fish to her. "Hungry?"

[clan-nightblood]

Free-Climbing for Glory

"Hmph... Hrrrgh! Ah, f- come on! Wait, there we go."

Wind howling against the side of the rocks, the young xaela looked for the next spots to grip and step amidst the cut stone. It was an onerous task to be climbing so high, but he wasn't dissuaded by any obstacle. He simply looked up, and kept climbing.

"You can do it, Trystal! You can do it!" "This is gonna be so cool!" "There's no way he can climb that! Especially not without getting caught." "They're going to be furious..."

Below him, standing on a nearby boulder, a small crowd of other xaela youth watched him climb. He didn't respond to them, save to chuckle and smile as he kept going. The one saying he couldn't do it was exactly the reason he was; Trystal was not the kind of person to be challenged. He didn't care if he ended up falling, he was out to prove that he could do this.

What was he out to prove exactly? What was he climbing?

Trystal had scaled his way half way up the underside of the tall rounded rock that sat below the Dawn Throne, the home of the Yol, and he was determined to make it to the top. He made his next grip, and stepped up into the next crevice for his foot. "This is going to be the coolest story ever."

[clan-nightblood]

Icy Whispers

"I heard she was raised by dragons!" "Shhh, she'll hear you!" "She's always walking. Has she no sense of urgency?" "I brushed her shoulder once - her skin is ice cold!" "She has a temper like ice - cold and unforgiving."

Whispers. Murmurs. Hushed tones.

They were speaking of Celeste Nightblood, and none of the Ishgardian citizens seemed to think she would hear them as she and Trystal walked through the Jeweled Crozier. The glacial woman herself showed no signs of knowing as she passed by. Even though she didn't make any rebuttal, the whispers did make her feel somewhat uneasy. "Hey," Trystal muttered, keeping pace but looking down at Celeste. She gave him a small telling glance, one that let him know she acknowledged him even though she focused on moving ahead. "They don't need to understand," he spoke firmly, only loud enough for her to hear. The statement was one he had started saying to her more often as he had introduced her to Ishgard and its people. There was too much different about Celeste for the majority of Eorzeans to understand, let alone the rather closed-minded Elezens who dwelled here. They had barely managed to secure peace with the dragons. They would be hard pressed to fully understand or accept her. But he accepted her, and this made her heart the warmest it had ever been. She generally didn't physically engage with anyone, but she understood that certain gestures were a man's sign of companionship, trust, or closeness, and Trystal was the only man she trusted and cared for. Her response to his gentle reminder was to reach up and hold his hand. Trystal took her hand, and brightly smiled.

[clan-nightblood]

Members of Clan Nightblood

Clan Nightblood is a family of folk who came together through many and varied walks of life. Each of them has their own story, but they have chosen to be bonded together. The members of Clan Nightblood are: 

Tisiphone Nightblood  Erebus Nightblood  Nyx Nightblood  Luna Nightblood  Trystal Nightblood  Celeste Nightblood  Luscius Nightblood 

While each of these people live their own lives, they can occasionally be found in Nightblood Manor, located in the Mists of La Noscea. They do bear some resemblance to each other in looks, tastes, and mannerisms, which you will find more and more.

[clan-nightblood]

Trystal Nightblood

PHYSICAL TRAITS Age: 24 Pronouns: He/Him/They/Them Race: Au Ra - Xaela Height: 7'1" Weight: 206lbs Body Type: Muscular and fit Hair Color: Black and Midnight Blue Eye Color: Violet Skin Color: Deep blue-purple Distinctive Physical Features: Blue marks emblazoned on face, fangs, long black claws General Attire: Leather pants, leather boots, and a few straps that make up what one could call a shirt. Everything in jet black.

GENERAL DETAILS Homeland: The Steppe Nationality/Culture: Kagon Tribe Spirituality: Devout belief in the gods. Languages: The Echo - everything makes sense. Current Residence: Apartment in Ishgard Favored Environment: Wide open lands with high peaks to view it all from. Occupation: Scion, Adventurer Associations: Various Xaela tribes, crew of the Kraken's Arms, Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Warriors of Light.

PERSONALITY Key Words: Focused, fun-loving, alert, caring, hard-working, charming, heavy-hearted, intelligent, passionate, perseverant, detail-oriented. Details: If you hear someone actively hissing at the sun, it's likely Trystal. Thriving by night, this young Xaela finds himself at home in assorted cities, helping people in search of adventure and with a thirst to learn more about the world than simply what his tribe believes. Though he may still be in the throws of self discovery, several things about him are certain: Trystal will do anything he can for the people around him, he values freedom above nearly all else, and he believes that nothing in this world is impossible.

"Nhaama as my witness, I refuse to fear the sun." - Trystal Nightblood

[clan-nightblood]

Hi,

A couple of questions about Celeste and Trystal, if I may?

As I understand it, Warriors harness and channel their rage through connection to their "inner beast", unleashing wild fury, moderated by a focus on protecting their allies. How does Celeste balance her "rageful" side with her slow, methodical and calm demeanor? Is her rage something which only appears in combat when she calls upon it? Or is her rage purely internal and her allies (and opponents) only see her glacial composure?

As someone who favours the solitary outlander life, and presumably often operates alone, how does she control her inner beast without allies upon whom to focus her wish to protect? Does she focus upon them in her mind? Or more abstract concepts that she wishes to defend, such as community or the natural world?

Given that Celeste is so cold and stern, it doesn't much suggest that she is blessed with anything resembling a sense of humour (or that she would see the point in such a thing). If this is the case, how does she experience the fun-loving, charming and passionate Trystal? Does his sense of fun go over her head? Or does she find it irritating? Or has he managed to build enough of a relationship with her that his charm has elicited something of a thaw, to the point that she might laugh on the odd occasion? Conversely, does her calmness help temper his levity and passion at all? Or does she connect more with his underlying heaviness of heart?

Thank you so much for such an in-depth set of questions! Please forgive me taking this long to respond; life happened, as it often does.

Through living alone, and then with the Dravanians, and through watching the shifting forms of ice and the ways of the natural world, Celeste has learned how to save her energy, and what matters truly call for action. She bides her time, saves her strength, watches, waits. She moves slowly through the world and spends her rage where needed, and that is generally in service to those she desires to protect. Though she does have that inner fury, it’s not visible to her enemies, and only gets noticed by allies who know her very well. The tiniest changes in her physical demeanor tip them off, and there's even a change in the air around her as it grows an icy chill. Enemies don’t suspect a thing, but become unsettled and nervous, and allies unsuspecting become concerned and must rely on their trust to guide them. Inside her, all the strength and might of divine wrath drive the beat of her heart and the flow of her blood.

Celeste's inner beast is satisfied through hunting bigger and bigger prey, until she develops her own core beliefs and morals. Her true desire is to have a family, protect that family. At first it’s to protect the Dravanians, which entwines her with Iceheart and involves her in the Dragonsong War. Through this she sees the Ishgardians, and becomes curious of their families, their culture. Eventually she is able to become one of the Nightbloods, and protecting her family and anything that could possibly threaten it becomes her focus. The fury is used to destroy any and all threats to it - whether that threat be corporeal or abstract.

While Trystal is absolutely a jovial and sarcastic being, he does know when to tone it down. He quickly realized that the ways of society are lost on Celeste, and she only knew chunks of common tongue. Instead he approached her very directly and used gestures as well as words, and for the most part Celeste could understand him. As their relationship progressed, she would ask questions when something seemed unclear, and Trystal found himself explaining even the tiniest things. Now she understands more, but still doesn’t show much in the way of reaction or emotion. Occasionally Trystal will get the most minor of smirks or a snort from her, and that’s how he knows Celeste understood something funny or sarcastic. Celeste doesn’t always understand what Trystal's laughing about, but she knows he’s happy, and that’s enough for her. Trystal sees her as a point of calmness, someone who keeps him grounded when things become too chaotic or wild. He often finds himself confiding in her as she silently listens or offers a soft croon in return. This generally allows him to work out his own problems with her simply witnessing and offering only minor advice. Celeste may not know the ways of society, but her spirit knows the truth of a matter when she encounters it. Together they make a very strange and unlikely duo, calm in the faces of their respective storms.

[clan-nightblood]

Celeste Nightblood

PHYSICAL TRAITS Epithets: Celeste Furydottir, Glacier-Daughter, Child of War, Ice Maiden Age: Unknown Pronouns: She/Her/They/Them Race: Half Au Ra, half Elezen Height: 5'5" Weight: 152lbs Body Type: Slender with lean muscle Hair Color: Silver Eye Color: Silver Skin Color: White Distinctive Physical Features: Blue marks emblazoned on face, fangs, black claws, icy cold body, more scales than average au ra, extremely strong skin like armor. General Attire: Soft draping cloth that is easy to maneuver in, generally in black, white, or greyscale.

GENERAL DETAILS Homeland: Coerthas Western Highlands Nationality/Culture: Solitary outlander life, Dravanian culture Spirituality: Daughter of Halone Languages: Common, Dravanian, Elezen Current Residence: Apartment in Ishgard Favored Environment: Ice and snow, glaciers and mountains, cold waters Occupation: Nomadic sellsword, protector of the people Associations: Wild creatures, dragons, the nation of Ishgard.

PERSONALITY Key Words: Glacial, cold, slow, methodical, inevitable, intelligent, diligent, helpful, caring, stern, stoic, realistic, rageful, brazenly unafraid, calm. Details: Raised by Dravanians in the icy glaciers of Coerthas, Celeste is a hardened and quiet individual, rarely making facial expression or raising her voice, moving slowly and methodically through life. She is utterly serene, even when the world threatens to burn, for ice and divinity have taught her that there is time for everything and rushing only wastes vital energy. Celeste doesn't know etiquette or value wealth in any form, and she is sharply honest with her words and actions. Above all she values the land and the ways of the natural world, but second most she values community - she becomes particularly warm and nurturing to those she considers friend and family. However, she is very slow to trust and quite secretive about herself; the only reason she opens up to Trystal is because he vaguely looks like her.

"If you get in my way, I will kill you." - Celeste Nightblood