Nivak, Lady of the Glimmering Snow (Nee-vauk)

Summary

Adapted to both cold and danger, the urzmatak are a race of urni who've long lived upon Fauverngarz. For Nivak, life was ever a struggle and a constant journey, scouring the lands for food, safety, and sucor. Her great tribe ever migrated between the heartlands of Fauverngarz and Votyoger's southern reaches. Be it freezing winters or blistering summers, their way was that of family, and they braved Veltrona's unforgiving wildernesses together. A tradition she saw tested time and again as blood spilled upon fresh snows, and screams were lost to howling winds.
By the age of an elder, the constant struggle had borne a terrible weight down upon her. Those she sought guidance from eventually faded away, and now youngsters looked toward her in turn, but Nivak had few answers to give. Worse, the lands of Fauverngarz were changing–imperceptibly to most, but clearly to her. Try as she might to convince her fellows that they too must change, her voice fell on deaf ears. So she continued, struggling alongside them as hope drained away.
It would be on the slopes of a small mountain, ambushed by raiders, that everything changed. The urzmatak have always focused on avoiding confrontation and escape, a natural defense the hallucinogenic scale-flakes upon their wings enabled. While the flakes warded off animals, people could easily resist its effects. Caught off guard, Nivak and her tribe splintered apart, scattering for their lives. Cornered during her escape, only quick thinking and clever illusions with her scale-flakes gave Nivak a chance to slip away.
By the time the scattered survivors gathered again, a third of their number had been lost. Among them were Iilava and her husband, Nivak's close confidants and dearest friends. It fell to her to foster their only young son, Uduak, and once again many eyes turned toward her for guidance. But, in her heart, she could no longer trust her ancestor's ways.
Months later, in the hot summer of the heartlands, Nivak issued her declaration: she would migrate no more. Never again would she entrust their lives to the whims of the lands, or fortune that so often scorned them. She set gaze upon a familiar set of abandoned ruins, something the tribe ever used as a landmark in their trek. With work, it might become a city that the urzmatak could call their own. A place where they wouldn't have to live in fear of what laid beyond their camp's fire light.
By the end of an intense, fear-filled debate, another third of the tribe sided with Nivak. The migratory nomads did what they could to help: spotty repairs, stocked freezers, rudimentary defenses, and more. When winter's harsh cold crept upon them, the nomads left, and neither side was sure if they'd see the other again. They were all, to the very end, family, even with their different beliefs. For Nivak, and those who stayed, their first winter brought the harshest trials.
Yet, she was a child of Fauverngarz.
Nivak refused to surrender, filled with a sense of purpose her life ever lacked. She strode into harsh blizzards to hunt prey, gather vital fire wood, and fend off unspeakable dangers. Aching, starving, and her wings and skin splitting from frostbite, she pressed on with uncompromising determination. When summer swept away the harshest colds, many had yet survived thanks to her efforts. Soon, their nomadic tribe returned with friends in tow, all of them surprised that Nivak and her fellows were still alive.
Such is what marked the founding of Polkua, the first urzmatak city upon Fauverngarz.
Word spread quickly, both among the urzmatak and those who did business with them. A city offered lucrative opportunities, and its vast needs meant jobs had to be filled. Nivak, the presumed leader of Polkua at that point, found herself busy keeping on top of everything. Slowly but surely, old problems traded places with newer ones.
Scarce food became plentiful, but distribution and guarding it became complex. Living spaces became regimented, and property began mattering more and more. People grew distant even as they lived beside one another, and outsiders further complicated matters. Whether for politics or as a potential conquest, all sorts of eyes settled upon Polkua. As ever before, people turned to Nivak for guidance, and she took the burdens of leadership upon herself.
Her second great trial came from the south, by way of the dreaded raider, Mehyrakkin. A native of Karg and infamous for her long reaching raiding parties, Mehyrakkin caught wind of Polkua's emergence. A city or not, the urzmatak were notorious for their weakness, if they could be caught. By the time Nivak learned of Mehyrakkin's approach, the raider was only two weeks away from Polkua proper.
Fearing all they made would become undone, Nivak selected her most trustworthy friends to head up Polkua's defenses. She herself would go, against their advisement, to confront Mehyrakkin directly. They feared she would haplessly throw her life away, but Nivak had not been idle in her days in Polkua. She'd trained beneath different martial warriors, adventurers, former military leaders, and whoever else had come to her city. For whatever she lacked as an accomplished fighter, Nivak made up for with inventive cleverness and dutiful study.
A week's travel from Polkua, Nivak confronted Mehyrakkin and her raiders. The nebusah laughed boisterously at the sight of a lone urzmatak daring to defy her; even more so when she was ordered to leave. It would be when Mehyrakkin ordered Nivak slain that they all, for the first time, encountered the elder's terrifying potential. Striking with speed and precision, Nivak cut her way through the raiders, escaping into the surrounding woodlands. They chased, but soon she was nowhere to be found.
For Nivak hadn't simply chanced upon Mehyrakkin, she'd planned their meeting. By nightfall of that same day, an encroaching blizzard swept across the land. Cloaked under shadow and snow, Nivak harried the raiders. Her twin needle swords were tools of precision and utmost purpose, cutting vital arteries and lethally impaling organs as she sped by. The wounded survivors piled up, burdening Mehyrakkin and straining her supplies.
Nivak had no goal of a straight-forward confrontation; she would vivisect the raiders for every step they took toward Polkua.
A daunting prospect at the numbers she faced, but Nivak wasn't solely armed with just her swords. The glittering dust upon her wings ever danced in the air beside her, a deadly snowflake-like mist that clouded the mind and lulled one to slumber. In the midst of a blizzard, few even knew she approached; her scale-flakes corroding their senses just as she struck. A talent Nivak had honed and one all urzmatak possessed, but something she pushed to its utmost limits.
Mere days from Polkua, a quarter of the raiders laid slain or terribly wounded. As the blizzard cleared, Nivak's harrying continued, driving Mehyrakkin mad with rage. Her raiders, however, came to fear every snow mound and stiff breeze that blew by. They, people of frost and snow, were being bested on their own terms, and that rattled their morale. By the time the raiders reached Polkua's storm walls, their confidence had nearly shattered. The siege, if it could be called that, lasted only the afternoon. Mehyrakkin bitterly retreated, vowing vengeance as she fled.
Nivak, battered, bruised, and pushed beyond her own limits, limped home at long last. What few raiders Polkua captured spoke feverishly about her ferocious deeds and unrelenting lethality. It inspired many within the city, enamoring them with their otherwise reclusive 'leader'. Word spread like wildfire, and so Nivak's reputation swelled in size and reach. The many traders who came through soon carried these words themselves, spreading them along their routes. Such an accomplishment drew all kinds of attention, as much to Polkua as Nivak herself.
Among them all, however, a truly grand force would be the first to visit.
Some months later, Moratahn, Wytche-Queen of the Iron Woods, visited upon Polkua without warning. The city ground to a halt as Moratahn's heavy bootsteps sounded through the streets. It would be Nivak that she came to, and to her surprise, Moratahn extended an offer: her patronage, in return for certain services rendered. Polkua, as a new city, wasn't deeply mired in political factions or interests. In fact, its urzmatak people preferred neutrality and keeping to their own business.
That made them very useful to Moratahn, who needed a bulwark against the northwestern frontier that Polkua sat upon. In exchange for privileged access to the Iron Woods, Polkua would maintain its neutrality, and serve as a bastion against problems from Dorvar. Despite Moratahn's bristling personality, Nivak surmised it was a deal more of allies than subjugation. It seemed too good to be true, but Moratahn's reputation preceded her, and Nivak found little reason to object. Under the Wytche-Queen's banner, a rare enough thing in itself, many would think twice about attacking Polkua.
That, and Nivak struck up a surprising friendship with Moratahn. The two got on well, and the Wytche-Queen seemed to especially favor her company. Something that the following years would only reinforce, for Moratahn made it a habit of visiting Polkua routinely. In turn, all those across Fauverngarz eyed Polkua and Nivak. Many even ventured across the cold continent, seeking to do business or foster relations more directly.
From the sundering despair that almost destroyed her tribe, to the harrowing trials life demanded, Nivak carved Polkua from the veltron and snow. A feat in itself that seemed almost legendary to everyone else, and a source of hopeful inspiration to the urzmatak across the lands. Still, even with all that and more, no end of issues continue to challenge her and her city. Problems that might truly spell the end of the nascent dream she and her people were just only beginning to realize for themselves.
For Fauverngarz is ever unforgiving, and only those with the will to survive may succeed in its frozen lands.

Physical Description

Body Features

Sculpted from a lifetime of harsh wilderness survival, Nivak is lithe and athletic. Her overall figure is slender with curvy hints, buried beneath a fine coat of fluffy fur. As she has gotten on in age, her fur has thinned slightly out. It makes her appear more wispy and floaty, rather than the thick, poofy-cloudiness that younger urni are known for. Her breasts are, relative to her frame, slender and somewhere between modest-to-medium in size. Tiny scars marr her body, cutting out chunks of floof, particularly on her arms and legs.
A jagged, mountain-like pattern with hooked peaks defines her body's fur pattern. Nivak's wings are edged in stony gray, while the interior, flat areas have rock-like camouflage pattern. The scales of her wings, however, appear like icy, crystalline blue, giving her an appearance of a mountain rich in crysium. Smatterings of white blotches give the illusion of snow.

Facial Features

An oval-shaped face with cheeks stretching out just 'a bit' too wide, Nivak easily appears stoic and impassive. Her eyes are more rectangular than round, and her nose is solid but slender. Slender, but distinct lips give her a small or wide smile, and helps to animate her face when she speaks. The eyebrows are somewhat thick, and have three 'peaks' that sweep sideways in wave-like curves. Part of her bangs falls down the sides of her face, complimenting a regal or serious air.
The antenna out of her forehead stretches up then forward, curving inward at the tips. The stalks are very finely insulated in a dense, incredibly short fur, while the tips appear like large, white cottonballs. Very fine hairs sprout off the stalks, hanging like wispy icicles.

Identifying Characteristics

Among the urni, Nivak's wing patterns are quite significant. Their wings are, even in the same family, a sort of visual finger print. However, one still has to be familiar with her wings to notice them at a distance. Instead, Nivak's import is conveyed more through her clothes, stature, and the aides around her, if any.

Special abilities

White Glint – Honed through desperation at the edge of death itself, Nivak can move with intense bursts of speed, such that she all but becomes a white glint, flashing through the air.
Confusion Powder – More than most other urzamatak, Nivak's scale-flakes are exceptionally strong at lulling victims into a stupor, if not outright slumber. Those who might resist this effect may find themselves distracted by the other effects of urni scale-flakes.
Rudimentary Ice Magic – Having never received formal training in ice magic, Nivak created her own unique, to-purpose magic that enhances her offensive prowess. One such example is sharpening her weapons with iced edges, or throwing icicle-darts.
Expert Swordswoman – Practiced and capable with her needle swords, Nivak emphasizes a style of lethal piercing attacks and debilitating slashes. This fine and incredible precision is built entirely to maximize damage in as small a time window as possible, allowing her to land potential kills and escape retaliation.

Apparel & Accessories

While their fur suits for insulation mostly, urzamatak cultures consider clothing in equal parts protection against nature and as a form of familial display.
Her head is adorned in a simple silver circlet, upon which looping strands of crysium thread interweave through her hair. The hair itself is tied with cloth cords in colors that contrast and compliment the hair.
A brown, deep-cut blouse and underwear forms Nivak's first layer of comfort clothing made from finely processed wool. This supports the durable leather vest and thicker, insulating pants on top. In all, the ensemble is an elegant, appeal-enhancing standard to which she adds on her other clothing as the circumstances dictate. For example, in matters of court, she will layer on fine, thin dresses and tribal-decorated shawls befitting of her elder status.
Her 'de-facto' appearance, one meant to go out into the wilderness, is as follows:
A moderate leather coat, adorned with insulating fur, covers her torso, one with thin sleeves that don't impede movement. A built in cape falls off her shoulders, shrouding most of her body from the elements as needed. It's made specifically to sculpt underneath her wings, leaving them free and unfettered for usage. Rather than have patterns, the coat and its cloak are finely treated with a gradient dye, coloring the outsides to match a 'gray stones to white snowy peaks' motif. The bottom of the cloak is particularly reinforced, as it sees a lot of wear and tear.
Nivak wears somewhat thick, sturdy brown gloves studded with water crysium gems, reinforced by iron vambraces. A utility belt tightens her waist, carrying six pouches, as well as the holster points for her twin needle swords and two parrying daggers. The holster points are one on each hip, and two on her backside, such all four arms could draw quickly if needed. Two additional pouches, designed from quick release access, are strapped to the outside of her thighs. These contain collected scale-flake powder, if for some reason she needs more.
Strapped on iron plates protect her thighs and lower legs, while sturdy, rugged boots protect her feet. The boots are furred, and designed for isolation and water/moisture protection for long excursions in the snow. They're laced with cords, and tied off in cute butterfly knots.

Twin Needle Swords

Finely crafted swords with long, thin blades (hence the needle name), with round, tear-drop curving crossguards. Their steel blades have been treated with a white, snowy dye to help camouflage their appearance. Thin ribbons of metal-aspected crysium interweave in the crossguard, creating alternating hues of steel gray and dull, sparkling yellow-blue crysium. The hilts have been sculpted specifically for Nivak's hands, giving her an even better grip.
An urzamatak style of weapon, needle swordswomanship is built specifically for rapid, lethal blows and escape. In the cold lands of Fauverngarz, even light wounds can rapidly become dangerous. One impaled by a needle sword may face an agonizing death in both blood loss and the freezing cold if they do not retreat. This extreme lethality, and the fear of being vivisected alive by a swordswoman, is a reputation that only helps safeguard the urzamatak tribes.

Mental characteristics

Gender Identity

Female

Sexuality

Bisexual

Education

Nivak always learned from her elders, though her youth was characterized by recklessness. It was something that hardship, and the cruel reality of what nature offers, beat out of her over the years. Coming to prize knowledge and information, she believes the more one knows, the more power they can wield effectively. All the skill in the world, after all, does not matter if one walks right into the den of predators, ignorant of how those beasts work.
Her studious attention to detail is part of what made her a venerable elder in her tribe. Nivak learned to grasp esoteric and hard-to-perceive understandings, finding underlying truths long before others. It is part of what made her feel justified in renouncing ancestral wandering, for she only saw a miserable end as the fate of her tribe. It is also something that makes her butt heads with her peers, as Nivak often feels they're too content in their narrow views.
Since the founding of Polkua, she's gained access to all sorts of books, tutors, and wisened persons. One of her hobbies is devouring all these things, learning as much as she can. In fact, with her newfound power and prestige, Nivak is particularly keen on the formulation of schools and education as a whole. While it may not be something she ultimately benefits from, knowledge is an important power her people will need to capitalize on.

Mental Trauma

The slaughter of one's own tribe, the death of friends in the merciless cold, and the ever hungry Relentless Herds and Packs are all the nightmares that live in Nivak's mind. She has seen and endured much, and the mental scars of it all are far more extensive than her body's. It is these deep seated pains that motivate and fuel her, such that no other must suffer them as well. Still, some quiet nights are far harder to endure than others.

Intellectual Characteristics

Shrewd and crafty, Nivak is someone who takes in the totality of a situation, then quickly devises a solution. Even if they are not necessarily the best, she is both reliable and capable enough to get herself (or others) through a problem. To survive, after all, means one has won the day; everything else is just details. As a result, she's naturally inquisitive, and has a habit of absorbing a lot of information at once. It's easy to get lost in the minutia, and sometimes she needs a hit upside the head to refocus.
In the times she isn't forced to confront one problem or another, Nivak miles around in artistic pursuits. Her sense of order and purpose finds release in the creation of arts, though no one craft in particular speaks to her. Dabbling in music, painting, writing, and more, she's created much and drawn quite the eccentric fans as a result. It underlies a more distinct issue of hers, in that Nivak cannot stand not having anything to do.

Morality & Philosophy

Tradition was the home Nivak grew up in. For as much as she challenged the tenets of her ancestors, she proved a staunch observer of others. It would be the ones that saw her people pitted against the wilds that she came to hate the most. Purpose itself wasn't a justification for so much misery and unceremonious deaths. Yet, in challenging those fundamentals, she would invariable change the urzamatak way of life entirely.
For all the unknown she has to confront, Nivak is ever concerned for her friends, family, and her city of Polkua. Seeing to their needs, ensuring both food and heat are plentiful, and shielding them from Veltrona's dangers have all become her purpose. It is, to her, a fulfilling life, and often paints her into the guise of a protector or guardian. Still, there is only so much Nivak herself can do on her own. Learning the limits of her own power, and entrusting others with responsibilities as well, is something she struggles with.

Relationships

Nivak, Lady of the Glimmering Snow

Casual Partner (Vital)

Towards Moratahn, Wytche-Queen of the Iron Woods

3

3

Frank

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Moratahn, Wytche-Queen of the Iron Woods

Casual Partner (Important)

Towards Nivak, Lady of the Glimmering Snow

3

3

Honest

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Current Location

Fauverngarz

Species

Urni

Year of Birth

2369 TD 66 Years old

Spouses

Siblings

Gender

Female

Eyes

Dark gray sclera; irises in the 6-pronged shape of a snowflake, white-silver coloration

Hair

Long, back-length hair, trimmed and shaped in a regal flow. A mixed color between sky blue and dark ice.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Snowy white fur, bespeckled with gray, the tips terminate into an icy-blue color. Her skin is pale colored, but warmer in hue than her snowy fur.

Height

6'2ft, 188cm

Weight

Medium

Founded Settlements

• Polkua