The Captain of the Fallen Star by collective vote of its officers, Liar is a young woman from a very small kingdom attempting to save the world from the wheel of an airship.
Blonde, slim, with a hard-worn frame that denotes many years of living on the edge, there is a wild, sharp spark to Liar's eyes that remains even in the hardest of times.
Formerly a small-time sailor and sometimes-pirate out of the Alyrian Marches, Liar has travelled extensively among the southern Marches, occasionally dipping into the Golden Line, as far out west as Soelis, and down towards the Grand Garmashef in the course of her travels.
She left her home island of Xandaria, a small but prosperous kingdom in the northern Marches, nearly four years ago when it fell under Valkyr
occupation during a campaign of increased colonial expansion among the northern Marches. Although she’s usually willing, these days, to discuss her home, she’s more evasive when it comes to what she did after leaving— usually spinning vague stories of short contracts with merchant ships. “Liar” is an obvious pseudonym, but despite her willingness to discuss her home, she has proven entirely tight-lipped about her true identity, something not out of the ordinary for those engaging in more unsavory sailing.
It was in the midst of these vague days that she took a job with Mr. Oliver Kemp of Kemp and Company to set out from Outset Island and see about the recovery of a large moonfall. It was there she met her current company, and somehow became the de-facto captain of the borrowed ship, the Orianna, during the crew’s initial journey.
Upon the crew’s acquisition of the Fallen Star at Port Fairweather, her role was further cemented as official captain of the vessel. Despite feeling wildly unqualified to act as the commanding officer of a ship, particularly one the size of the Star, she took the role bestowed upon her extremely seriously and threw herself into all aspects of the position, keeping with the Alyrian tradition of treating the position of Captain as both an honor and the ultimate duty. The months of repairing and and making the ship fit to sail gave her a chance to practice the uncertain art of command, along with giving her the opportunity to get to know Soledad, the ship’s necromancer, whom she’s adopted as something of a younger sibling, and Samuel Thatch, the highly experienced sailor brought on as the Star’s bosun.
The journey out from Port Fairweather to Lushaan and later Al Revaa proved significantly more difficult than she expected, with hard sailing, disagreements about the running of the ship, and attacks by vicious sky monsters that left a handful of the crew dead in their wake.
The difficulty of the journey did offer some unexpected boons— she found an unexpected ally in grappling with the deaths of crew in Emilio, whom Liar asked to make deathmaps to be sent back to the families of the hands and who has not only taken the duty extremely seriously, but has become a genuine friend to the Captain despite their difficult start.
She also grew closer with Soledad during that time, seeing much of her own sibling in the brash, glib, and infuriatingly talented youth. The two spend a fair amount of time together, bickering, conspiring, and gasping with laughter over kaffe in nearly every port. Despite their monumental differences, having grown up on either side of the sky and lived very different lives that each cannot truly understand, she feels she has found in them another true friend whom she hopes, even as they step deeper and deeper into the depths of their own power, will see the mission through with her to the end.
More than either Emilio or Soledad, however, was the closeness she found with Samuel Thatch. She worked closer with Sam than anyone on the ship save Noe, and the many hours spent in proximity allowed him to see the depths of Liar’s loneliness, her uncertainty in her position, and her deep fear of missteps in command leading to yet more death. He took it upon himself in this time to see to Liar’s wellbeing, defending her from ill rumors and questioned commands and ensuring that she didn’t work herself to death in service of keeping the ship in the air and the journey on course. What began as a close working relationship and a bonding over their shared home turned very quickly for Liar into something more. She repeatedly hinted at her feelings, but shied away from making an outright confession, worried that her position as captain would add a certain weight to the question that she did not want.
It took the brutal journey through the Tanza and the chaos of the titan fight at the Pyramid of Planyaa to break her resolve outright; it was a relief, both for things to finally be out in the open and to discover her feelings for the bosun were reciprocated. They have tried to keep things between them discrete, but there are only so many ways to hide information on a ship; word quickly got out about the relationship between the pair, and despite Liar’s concerns that it might lead to a further undermining of her authority, it seems to have had the opposite effect— humanizing her amongst the crew and becoming no more than a recurring joke among the hands and officers. She has since given up on complete secrecy, instead settling into more professional discretion.
Her enmity against the Valkyr is well known, and although not much out of place on an Alyrian-majority ship, it has been a struggle for her that ebbs and flows— she has had to make peace with bringing aboard a former Valkyr naval doctor and his marine companion, forging with the doctor, at least, a tolerant, if still sometimes uncertain, working relationship. The horrors of the titan fight and the deep betrayal of the Vermillion Bangles were thus a bitter pill to swallow, having confirmed her fears that there was little chance of completing their objective with the Dominus Stones without falling under the eye— and fist— of the Empire. The realization that the metal men, fought outside of Zeff’s Grave and the Battle of Loum, were Valkyr constructs was, thus, not strictly a surprise— but rather than deepening her anger, it instead struck her with a deep-seated fear, a fear born of watching her country fall helplessly under the same mailed fist that now turned its eye directly on her crew.
Her fear has been tempered somewhat by the fearless competence of the Star’s crew— the deliberate hiring done by Noe and Theresa with an eye towards steady, capable sailors and fighters, the contracting of highly skilled and specialized mercenaries and cavalry, and the rock-solid faith the hands have developed in Mara and the journey have buoyed Liar, giving her a cautious optimism that despite the difficulties faced so far and the difficulties sure to come the Star just might be able to see Mara’s mission to its end.
It didn’t hurt that she’s also grown much closer with Henrietta Valour, captain of the Valorous Hearts, the combat cavalry wing brought on to strengthen the Star’s defenses. Fearless and capable even in the most dire circumstances, Henrietta has left an intense impression upon Liar that has led her to try and cultivate a closer relationship with the redheaded chevalier— and given her response to Liar’s patient affection for the nightmare pegasus formerly ridden by her now-deceased brother and the captain’s overall honesty and kindheartedness towards the Hearts, it seems Henrietta might be willing to indulge Liar’s burgeoning affections, even if she’s not wholly familiar with Alyrian relationships.
Like many sailors, Liar rarely goes anywhere unarmed— although it’s with some reluctance, as she would generally prefer to talk herself out of situations when possible. She’s nearly always found with her rapier on her hip— a fine blade of Alyrian make, with the delicate filigree of the pommel belying a high-end origin. She previously carried two heavy Valkyr navy pistols, but traded them with an acquaintance in Al Revaa for a lightweight pistol of Marcher make— a common kind of exchange among Alyrians in ports far from home.
When not at the helm— a station she’s displayed particular aptitude for and has held long after her duties as captain have made it an impractical assignment— she spends her time addressing the extensive administrative work required to keep the ship running. Her one indulgence of command is scheduling her rest shifts around those she’s closest with— during these times, she can generally be found smoking in the galley with Soledad, arguing with Emilio over the value of Alyrian literature while the navigator refines his maps, sketching the sights on deck with Sam as he linefishes, or going out riding with Henrietta.
In the company of her closest companions, she will sometimes permit them to see her write— she spends some time each day penning letters detailing the journey to her sister Alina, letters she knows will likely never be sent.
Description
Blonde, slim, with a hard-worn frame that denotes many years of living on the edge, there is a wild, sharp spark to Liar's eyes that remains even in the hardest of times.
Bio
Formerly a small-time sailor and sometimes-pirate out of the Alyrian Marches, Liar has travelled extensively among the southern Marches, occasionally dipping into the Golden Line, as far out west as Soelis, and down towards the Grand Garmashef in the course of her travels.
She left her home island of Xandaria, a small but prosperous kingdom in the northern Marches, nearly four years ago when it fell under Valkyr
occupation during a campaign of increased colonial expansion among the northern Marches. Although she’s usually willing, these days, to discuss her home, she’s more evasive when it comes to what she did after leaving— usually spinning vague stories of short contracts with merchant ships. “Liar” is an obvious pseudonym, but despite her willingness to discuss her home, she has proven entirely tight-lipped about her true identity, something not out of the ordinary for those engaging in more unsavory sailing.
It was in the midst of these vague days that she took a job with Mr. Oliver Kemp of Kemp and Company to set out from Outset Island and see about the recovery of a large moonfall. It was there she met her current company, and somehow became the de-facto captain of the borrowed ship, the Orianna, during the crew’s initial journey.
Upon the crew’s acquisition of the Fallen Star at Port Fairweather, her role was further cemented as official captain of the vessel. Despite feeling wildly unqualified to act as the commanding officer of a ship, particularly one the size of the Star, she took the role bestowed upon her extremely seriously and threw herself into all aspects of the position, keeping with the Alyrian tradition of treating the position of Captain as both an honor and the ultimate duty. The months of repairing and and making the ship fit to sail gave her a chance to practice the uncertain art of command, along with giving her the opportunity to get to know Soledad, the ship’s necromancer, whom she’s adopted as something of a younger sibling, and Samuel Thatch, the highly experienced sailor brought on as the Star’s bosun.
The journey out from Port Fairweather to Lushaan and later Al Revaa proved significantly more difficult than she expected, with hard sailing, disagreements about the running of the ship, and attacks by vicious sky monsters that left a handful of the crew dead in their wake.
The difficulty of the journey did offer some unexpected boons— she found an unexpected ally in grappling with the deaths of crew in Emilio, whom Liar asked to make deathmaps to be sent back to the families of the hands and who has not only taken the duty extremely seriously, but has become a genuine friend to the Captain despite their difficult start.
She also grew closer with Soledad during that time, seeing much of her own sibling in the brash, glib, and infuriatingly talented youth. The two spend a fair amount of time together, bickering, conspiring, and gasping with laughter over kaffe in nearly every port. Despite their monumental differences, having grown up on either side of the sky and lived very different lives that each cannot truly understand, she feels she has found in them another true friend whom she hopes, even as they step deeper and deeper into the depths of their own power, will see the mission through with her to the end.
More than either Emilio or Soledad, however, was the closeness she found with Samuel Thatch. She worked closer with Sam than anyone on the ship save Noe, and the many hours spent in proximity allowed him to see the depths of Liar’s loneliness, her uncertainty in her position, and her deep fear of missteps in command leading to yet more death. He took it upon himself in this time to see to Liar’s wellbeing, defending her from ill rumors and questioned commands and ensuring that she didn’t work herself to death in service of keeping the ship in the air and the journey on course. What began as a close working relationship and a bonding over their shared home turned very quickly for Liar into something more. She repeatedly hinted at her feelings, but shied away from making an outright confession, worried that her position as captain would add a certain weight to the question that she did not want.
It took the brutal journey through the Tanza and the chaos of the titan fight at the Pyramid of Planyaa to break her resolve outright; it was a relief, both for things to finally be out in the open and to discover her feelings for the bosun were reciprocated. They have tried to keep things between them discrete, but there are only so many ways to hide information on a ship; word quickly got out about the relationship between the pair, and despite Liar’s concerns that it might lead to a further undermining of her authority, it seems to have had the opposite effect— humanizing her amongst the crew and becoming no more than a recurring joke among the hands and officers. She has since given up on complete secrecy, instead settling into more professional discretion.
Her enmity against the Valkyr is well known, and although not much out of place on an Alyrian-majority ship, it has been a struggle for her that ebbs and flows— she has had to make peace with bringing aboard a former Valkyr naval doctor and his marine companion, forging with the doctor, at least, a tolerant, if still sometimes uncertain, working relationship. The horrors of the titan fight and the deep betrayal of the Vermillion Bangles were thus a bitter pill to swallow, having confirmed her fears that there was little chance of completing their objective with the Dominus Stones without falling under the eye— and fist— of the Empire. The realization that the metal men, fought outside of Zeff’s Grave and the Battle of Loum, were Valkyr constructs was, thus, not strictly a surprise— but rather than deepening her anger, it instead struck her with a deep-seated fear, a fear born of watching her country fall helplessly under the same mailed fist that now turned its eye directly on her crew.
Her fear has been tempered somewhat by the fearless competence of the Star’s crew— the deliberate hiring done by Noe and Theresa with an eye towards steady, capable sailors and fighters, the contracting of highly skilled and specialized mercenaries and cavalry, and the rock-solid faith the hands have developed in Mara and the journey have buoyed Liar, giving her a cautious optimism that despite the difficulties faced so far and the difficulties sure to come the Star just might be able to see Mara’s mission to its end.
It didn’t hurt that she’s also grown much closer with Henrietta Valour, captain of the Valorous Hearts, the combat cavalry wing brought on to strengthen the Star’s defenses. Fearless and capable even in the most dire circumstances, Henrietta has left an intense impression upon Liar that has led her to try and cultivate a closer relationship with the redheaded chevalier— and given her response to Liar’s patient affection for the nightmare pegasus formerly ridden by her now-deceased brother and the captain’s overall honesty and kindheartedness towards the Hearts, it seems Henrietta might be willing to indulge Liar’s burgeoning affections, even if she’s not wholly familiar with Alyrian relationships.
Like many sailors, Liar rarely goes anywhere unarmed— although it’s with some reluctance, as she would generally prefer to talk herself out of situations when possible. She’s nearly always found with her rapier on her hip— a fine blade of Alyrian make, with the delicate filigree of the pommel belying a high-end origin. She previously carried two heavy Valkyr navy pistols, but traded them with an acquaintance in Al Revaa for a lightweight pistol of Marcher make— a common kind of exchange among Alyrians in ports far from home.
When not at the helm— a station she’s displayed particular aptitude for and has held long after her duties as captain have made it an impractical assignment— she spends her time addressing the extensive administrative work required to keep the ship running. Her one indulgence of command is scheduling her rest shifts around those she’s closest with— during these times, she can generally be found smoking in the galley with Soledad, arguing with Emilio over the value of Alyrian literature while the navigator refines his maps, sketching the sights on deck with Sam as he linefishes, or going out riding with Henrietta.
In the company of her closest companions, she will sometimes permit them to see her write— she spends some time each day penning letters detailing the journey to her sister Alina, letters she knows will likely never be sent.
Appearance
Mentality
Personality
The major events and journals in Liar's history, from the beginning to today.
The list of amazing people following the adventures of Liar.
Social