Icitalia of House Sylaer

Name: Icitalia of House Sylaer

Allegiance: The Empire

Occupation: Cavalry General

Race: Elf

Age: 204

Appearance:

Deceivingly fragile looking, Icitalia is often mistaken for an easy target with her waist length blond hair, pale complexion, and delicate features. The most striking thing about her, though, is not her full red lips, her pert nose, her heart-shaped face, nor her high cheekbones, but the cat-shaped ice gray eyes after which she was named. Not only are they her most striking feature, but also her most feared, for it is rumored among her cavalry soldiers that a single glare from her ice colored orbs can still a man's breath or make him go mad. Just barely 5'11, she's of a medium height for her race and looks as if she's in her mid-twenties, though she's well over that, having just passed the two century mark. Despite the illusions one might attain from a quick glance, something about the way she carries herself warns those careful enough to study her closely that she is not as harmless as she originally appears. The slick tone of her movements also serve as a caution, proving that she is comfortable in her own skin, but ready to react as swiftly as any member of her race is capable of should the opportunity arise.

Despite the uniform worn by the rest of the Imperial force, Icitalia prefers to dress herself in clothing she feels more appropriate for one of her rank; a loose cotton tunic, usually some shade of blue or gray, and breeches in a black or tan for free movement. In addition to her tunic and breeches, suppled leather boots perfect for moving silently protect her feet, and Aiglos, or 'point of ice' adorns her slim waist, hanging from a sapphire studded belt. Aiglos is a slim, hand-and-a-half hilted blade forged by Rhunon herself. The flat of the blade is a thundercloud gray while its edges are a gray-blue color, and the bottom of its hilt is adorned with a medium sized sapphire. Aside from the sapphires in her belt and the one on Aiglos's hilt, Icitalia wears an icicle shaped diamond around her neck to provide additional storage for her magic. To top off her ensemble, she wears a black or navy blue cloak protect herself from the elements.

When she goes into battle, however, Icitalia's ensemble is completely different, though Aiglos still maintains its position at her left hip, and her assorted gems remain on her person to provide a magic boost should she need it. In place of her tunic and breeches she wears light, but sturdy silver plate armor and a matching shield that she imbues with spells of protection in her free time to prevent a lucky soldier from slipping a knife between her ribs. As expected of one in the cavalry, she rides a dark gray mare called Frost who's trained to strike out at enemies with her steel-shod hooves, and is slightly larger than average for her gender at 16.3 hands, giving Icitalia the advantage of height over most opponents.

Personality:

With her only goal in life being the destruction of The Varden, Icitalia is a dangerous enemy. One who is heedless of the affect her actions may have to the people around her, soldiers or innocents. No matter the cost, she will do anything in her power to cause the most harm to the Varden. She is what soldiers facing the Empire imagine their faceless foes to be like; cold and ruthless. She strives to keep her feelings locked up behind a mask of aloofness, and prefers not to show any emotion. After the death of her parents, she was devastated, and she will do anything to avoid suffering that pain twice over. Such is her mentality, and such is her position in the world. She is alone, and she likes it that way. Without the weight of people's trust bearing down on her, she is able to do much more for the Empire than she ever could wondering if her friends would think her cruel if she slaughtered a battalion of unsuspecting rebel soldiers in the middle of the night. After the murder of her parents, no one got near enough to thaw her ice heart.

As those still living after their encounter with her have guessed, she was not always uncaring and cruel. She was once careless and content to wile away her immortal life reading ancient texts, memorizing forgotten spells in the Ancient Language, and practicing with her sword. Icitalia used to be a shy, naive elf that preferred to let those who she believed better qualified deal with the hardships of the world. Her days were better spent competing with her brethren to see who was the stronger magician, or sparring with others who saw the beauty of the sword, forever striving to be the best. She was protected in the sheltered city of Ellesmera, and so it was all the harder for her when those facades of peace came crashing down around her. She was unprepared to witness the murder of her parents, and because of her naivety, she cracked. She became what many would call a monster, and the bane of the Imperial Cavalry.

History:

Icitalia wasn't always as cold as she is now, and those that believe something happened to her in her youth to make her so are correct. As a child, she was shy and very withdrawn, preferring books and the vast libraries of Ellesmera to some of the more open activities elves take part in. She taught herself any spells she could get her hands on and surpassed to an outrageous skill in magery. Believing that she relied all on her magic and not on her physical attributes, an elf challenged her to a duel with the sword. Thinking that she was shy and intending to make a fool out of her, he gave her 8 months to prepare.

When the date rolled around, she stepped out onto the field; steel training sword in hand and disarmed him within the first five hits. She had studied unrelentingly on her spare time just to prove them wrong and had become quite the swords woman, gaining Rhunon's interest. After the duel, Talia found that she had an aptitude for the sword and continued to study it's finer details, eventually earning a sword from Rhunon in recognition of her skills. She continued down this path; studying constantly by herself until one day; horrible tidings reached her that instantly cracked the fragile shell she had created about herself. Her parents had been killed in the crossfire of a Varden skirmish with some wild Urgals. Overwhelmed with grief, she set out for revenge and killed the whole tribe of Urgals off before returning home to pack her bags. having realized that the elves would soon form an alliance with the murders of her parents, she deduced that the only way for her to get revenge on the Varden was to join Galbatorix's troops.

After joining up with Galbatorix's army and training harder than before; she quickly advanced in rank until she was at the top of the Cavalry and a renowned Sorceress. This was the perfect place for her to be to complete her vengeance on the Varden. The only better place would be as a dragon rider; but she knew the chances were very slim. Dragon Riders where taken to many battles and that was how she could do the most damage to the Varden's forces. Maybe some day she would try to hatch an egg, but for now she is content to wait.

Other:
Skills: 0=no skill, 10=mastery
Mage Skill: 9.5
Swordsmanship: 7

Role Playing Example: See Perilous Ventures