The Crow & The Shadow (Nyx de Riva/Lucanis Dellamorte)
The Talon & His Star (Nyx de Riva/Viago de Riva)
Now, onto the good stuff!
Nyx 'Rook' De Riva
Age: 28
Pronouns: He/him
Sexuality: Demiromantic, pansexual
Class: Mage
Shipped with: Illario Dellamorte, Viago de Riva, Lucanis Dellamorte, Other Rooks
History (TW: Slavery mention):
Canon History (TW: Slavery, injury) Nyx was born on the outskirts of Tevinter to a Dalish elf and a Tevinter soporati. They were making their way to Arlathan Forest to join the Veiljumpers when slavers caught their scent and hunted them down. His mother was killed and his father barely escaped, but he left behind his child, still in his partner’s arms. Nyx’s original name was Ven'arla. He was only two when he was captured by slavers and sold off to the highest bidder, Danarius. Nyx was abused physically, mentally, and sexually throughout his childhood. His magic was discovered at age four, to where Danarius took even more of a ‘special interest’ in him.
When Nyx turns six, a few elvhen slaves plan an escape. Afraid for their lives and unable to wield weapons, the adults and teens recruited Nyx into their escape attempt as someone to protect them with his magic. At this point, Nyx had little training, but could still control it to some extent. They made it out of the city, but Danarius and his guards caught up to them quickly and cornered them in an abandoned building. When Nyx realized Danarius was among the guards, he grew frightened. The other slaves yelled at him to kill Danarius and when Nyx tried to use his magic, it backfired and shot straight through his body and into three slaves behind him. No one knows how Nyx’s body was able take all that concentrated lightning, but he survived while the other ones hit by his magic perished. This accident left Nyx scarred and unable to walk for months afterwards.
Soon after, Danarius leaves for Kirkwall and does not return. Rumors spread he died and his slaves were quickly rounded up and shipped out to different locations to be sold off. Nyx is among the slaves being transported through Treviso when Fenris finds them and kills the slavers imprisoning them. Once released, the slaves scatter, most of them scared of Nyx or refusing to even consider taking him. Fenris, left with an 8-year-old child, decides to contact the Crows. He meets Caterina and asks that she take him in and train him to become a Crow to avoid death on the streets. Caterina begrudgingly accepts Nyx. This is the first time Nyx meets Lucanis and Illario. Viago, being ten years older than him and still under Caterina's jurisdiction, is ordered to take Nyx under his wing. Viago and Nyx become attached at the hip with almost a sibling or even a romantic relationship (AU dependent).
found myself with some fun inspo for my girl Nahla Mercar for this SD Week!! Many thanks to @shadow-dragon-week for hosting!!!
She struck a match with one smooth motion, glancing away briefly as it seared to life, before leaning to guide flame from matchstick to the wick of a waiting oil lantern. It sputtered once, twice, then finally took, blooming to light and bringing the features of the room into warm relief. She did not take the time to admire the light, as much as she might have liked to bask in it. No, she moved to the next waiting oil lantern, then the next. Altogether, twelve waited to be brought to life, and she had to strike a second match to light them all. There was work to be done, even at this late hour, and her fellow Shadow Dragons would need these lanterns for patrols throughout Dock Town.
Once all of the lanterns carried their own little flames, she dunked the matches into a waiting bucket of water. The accumulation of smothered matches was building up to the point of rendering the water useless—she would come back and empty it later. Once she was satisfied the matches were still sufficiently drenched, she picked up four of the lanterns and elbowed open the door to return to the hideout.
"Nahla."
The sound of her name carried a note of both resignation and surprise. She would know Ashur's voice anywhere and, more to it, she would know that he had little room to make comments on her early presence at the hideout. The hour was early, what might be painfully early for some, and neither of them managed their time with respect to space away from the work that needed to be done. She had been staying at the hideout for several days; he hadn't been away from it for more than a handful of hours at a time. At least she knew she was getting some sleep.
Rather than engaging with the silent commentary, Nahla offered Ashur one of the lanterns in her hands and, alongside it, a wry smile.
"Ashur," she said to him, and he huffed a laugh behind the heavy fabric of his face veil. His clawed gauntlet made the softest sound, metal-on-metal made delicate, as he took a lantern from her. "You know what we say—"
"I do, but—"
"I think you might have even said it first—"
"Nahla—"
"Bring the light, Ashur," she said, her voice chipper over the exhaustion, teasing brightening her spirits as she lifted her hands a little higher. "But perhaps literally? I have eight more of these to distribute to the watch teams. Do me a favor?"
Ashur glanced at the lanterns, then up at her. They were nearly eye-to-eye in height, giving neither of them anyplace to retreat to. Their eyes glittered with the light, and the light warmed in Ashur's eyes when he smiled. She knew, even if she couldn't see the whole of his face. She wiggled the lanterns at him, and he tutted at her before taking them with all of the solemnity of a man approaching a Chantry confessional.
Nahla gave him a playful nudge, amused by the surprise he always exuded whenever a fellow Shadow touched him. What a strange man, their Viper was; maybe one day, she might learn why.
"Go on, Viper. Plenty to be done. The sun won't be up for hours, and there are many shadows for the dragons to keep at bay."
Both prompts in one. Featuring my Rook, Dawes Mercar. Thank you for hosting, @shadow-dragon-week!
Here's Dawes not long after he joined the Shadow Dragons. He refused to sit idle so his lightning burns took ages to heal. A common sight would be to see him sitting broodily in one corner imbibing every substance known to man.
sometimes u have to make ur friends uncomfortable by making them aware they've said something reactionary and u have to let them sit in that discomfort bc otherwise they'll not question anything
