#ember mercar

[rooks-dagger]

That's some determined sunshine. What? It's part of my charm!

[dudewheresmynug]

Introducing: Vic Blackwood

@rooks-dagger and I have been playing around with the idea of creating new characters for each other's OCs backstories 🙂‍↕️

Ray made Lydia a Qunari Warden named Briar Hale! They're a super cool rogue, and hot af, too 😂💖

So, here's my contribution to Ray's Ember-verse 🙂‍↕️Introducingggggg

Vic Blackwood

Basics

She/her

Casteless Dwarf, Ex-Carta

Warrior (two-handed, Slayer)

about 22 during her time in the Ludus

Wears red face paint to exaggerate the scar on her neck.

Background

Victoria Blackwood (Vic) is a casteless dwarf from Orzammar, and was born in Dust Town. The eldest daughter of a impoverished family, Vic had no choice but to find a way to help her parents make ends meet for their family.

Vic got sucked into the world of the Carta. Though dangerous, she was able to make enough money to help support her family. After her father got sick and was unable to work, Vic put in double-time with the Carta to help.

Vic worked with the Carta from an unfortunately young age, moving up slightly in the ranks from snitch to informant, finally to an actual member. After years of working for them, she found out that her leaders were taking cuts out of her pay. She found out that these cuts were becoming increasingly larger as time passed.

Enraged, Vic confronted her bosses. Challenged, they sought to kill her. She held her ground as much as possible, but was eventually pinned. Rather than kill her, her boss gave her a deep cut into her neck as a lesson. Then, they threatened her: her family would pay the price of her disobedience.

Vic ran. Thankfully, she made it in time to grab her family. With nowhere safe to hide in Orzammar, they fled to the surface, hoping to lay low (or high, I guess?) and make a new life, away from the Carta and from Orzammar's ridiculous caste system.

Vic and her family fled to Tevinter. Vic hoped she could somehow make it into the Lyrium trade, having plenty of experience with it during her time with the Carta. Instead, however, she found herself in the Ludus...

Involvement with Ember Mercar

Vic was a volunteer fighter in the Ludus. She believed that fighting in the arena was a quick and easy way to make money. It paid just enough to keep her family above water, but not so much that she could put the money towards anything else.

After a few months in the Ludus, she meets Ember Mercar, and the two hit it off.

They're both strong fighters. They both make their combat an art. But the difference between them is that Vic believes that fighting in the Ludus is making the best out of a bad situation. Ember, on the other chance, wasn't given a choice.

As they get to know each other more, Ember learns the real reason why Vic is in the Ludus- to provide for her family. Vic, having pulled herself out of the muck and grime, doesn't believe that living a better life than this one is possible. To her, anything is better than her upbringing, and she's perfectly content with staying at the Ludus.

However, Vic finds out that the Venatori have been taking cuts from her pay, just like the Carta. They take more and more with each paycheck. And suddenly Vic isn't so content.

She and Ember bond heavily during this time. Vic, who is no longer so keen on drinking the kool-aid, starts opening her eyes to the truth about the Ludus- with Ember's help, of course.

Eventually, the Venatori back out on their contract- Vic no longer has her freedom. In fact, every payment she receives will now go directly to the Venatori, and she gets nothing. Enraged, and feeling like she has no other choice, Vic fully subscribes to Ember's ideas and plans of revolt.

Ember and Vic become very close. But soon after they start crossing the territory into lovers, they find themselves pit against each other in the arena. Vic, who has to choose between her life or Ember's, of course chooses herself.

She nearly kills Ember in the match, but it was called early, and Ember survived.

After the match, Vic re-subscribes to the idea that following what the Venatori want is the key to survival- she believes that her being pit against Ember was punishment for straying. And she and Ember stop seeing each other.

During Ember's revolt against the Ludus, Vic sides with the Venatori. It's only at the last minute that Vic realizes what she's doing is wrong, and that this might be her only chance to escape and see her family again. She joins the revolt, and then makes a break for it.

As a note: Vic is meant to be a sort of companion in Ember's worldstate. Though I don't intend on her showing up until after the events of Veilguard, anything can happen 🙂‍↕️

Gentle tags for visibility <3: @trashwithvariety, @serbarris, @handsignals, @master-of-the-elements, @in-the-drowning-deep, @pixiedurango, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband, @epiphany-jones, @davrinsleftpectoral, @hedwigoprah, @curiouswisp, @mushrooms-x-moss, @trash-nerd, @sandcastlekings, @loveydoveymerrillsabrae, @rookamell, @augustnugs @lycheecatee, @bring-thelight, @waxlyricalmoon, @notyourmamasdeerbat, @cimmanombagel @zennihilation, @viagosbrother, @flamemittens, @sorcerousadventurer

[in-the-drowning-deep]

I get caught up in the rush and I'm breathing you in Been asleep in a dream, wondering where have you been Funny how I used to tease Anybody who sang these things

thanks to @rooks-dagger for letting me borrow your girls!! love to give them all the slow lazy days in bed they deserve 💕

[maagisterpavus]

I just like surprising you.

Hiya @rooks-dagger! I decided to borrow ya girl Ember for a little sketchy sketch :)

Ref image:

had a fun time stalking your ember tag to find this lol

[sandcastlekings]

Rookfest Day 3 - Families and Factions

ICYMI: Day 1 | Day 2

Jericho never had much of a family. Not worth talking about in polite company anyway. So the Shadow Dragons are where he first found family, before the Veilguard, and they mean the absolute world to him <3

So, in honor of the Shadow Dragons, here are some of Jer's found Mercar family, made in this picrew ❤️ @rookfest

Riley Mercar - @woundedsoul12 | Gladius Mercar - @jenn2d2 | Eko Mercar - @angelsndragons | Julien Mercar - @mageofquandrix | Micah "Disaster Rook" Mercar - @biowaredisasterbisexual | Ember Mercar - @rooks-dagger

I hope I did all your blorbos justice!

[lynrar]

Trying to figure out how to draw Them

[rookamell]

Rookfest Day 2: Hobbies/Interests

I'm a day late, sorry @rookfest but here is a lil blurb of my Rook Cora and @rooks-dagger 's Ember Mercar knife shopping together. What's better than two girls bonding over knives?

Rook was relieved when the two of them saw daylight above them once more. Maker, she hated the dark. And the catacombs beneath Minrathous always smelled of fish.

"We should get back to Tarquin and let him know everything is ready for tonight," she told Ember.

Mae and Dorian would sometimes decide that she did not have enough to do, and put her at Ashur's disposal. It was how she ended up on jobs like this, running through the catacombs behind an elf, checking that the escape route was still empty and undisturbed.

"Right," Ember grinned. Ember was always grinning. Rook had to work very hard not to like it.

She bowed at the waist, allowing Rook access to the ladder to street level first.

Rook raised her eyebrows.

"Huh. Good manners for a pit fighter."

Ember straightened, still smiling.

"Gladiator, please," she said.

"I'm not an amateur."

Rook scrambled up the ladder, checking for patrolling templar or guard boots as she reached the top, before popping up onto the street, and gesturing for Ember to follow.

It was a busy day in Glandivalis square. Rook still didn't know her way around Dock Town properly, so Ember had to take point. It worked to their advantage, however. Rook had brought along a staff, and when the two of them strolled down the main market street, they looked like any other mage and servant.

That is, until Ember let out an excited squeal.

"Rook!" She said, the excitement in her voice at odds with her fighter's physique.

"Knives!"

She bustled off to a stall to their right, the table covered in knives of various shapes, sizes and designs.

"Ember," Rook stubbornly did not look at the table. They didn't have time for this.

"We have to get back to Tarquin."

"But look at these!" Ember gestured at the table.

"Maker, they're gorgeous."

"We don't have time to shop for knives," Rook said again. There was a smallish one off to the side that caught her eye, a leaf shaped blade like her da had had back in Ferelden. She itched to pick it up.

"Maybe you don't, Princess Stick-Up-Her-Arse," Ember said dismissively.

"I on the other hand, make sure to always have time for two things."

Rook raised an eyebrow.

"Beautiful knives and beautiful women."

"Maker's breath."

"Come on, Rook," Ember grinned at her.

"You know you want to! Look at this one!" She held up one of the knives. "It has diamonds in the pommel. And it's enchanted. Practically made for you."

Rook grimaced as she looked at the gaudily bedazzled hilt. In Val Royeaux that would have been considered an insult worthy of a duel. In fact, if she ever saw anyone wearing something that tacky in public, she would feel honour bound to make sure they could never commit a crime like that again.

There were other knives though. Beautiful ones, slender and straight, wavy edges... there was even a longer one with the pommel shaped like the head of a mabari.

Rook shook her head.

"I'm not getting paid enough for this," she said, though whether it was to herself or her elven companion, she couldn't quite decide.

"Ember, we're on a job."

"A job I'm not getting paid for at all. You don't even like Tarquin."

She was right. Rook didn't. On principle. And on many other, more personal reasons as well.

Rook opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short as she watched Ember pick up one of the knives. Slender, slightly curved with a wicked edge. Beautiful craftsmanship in the pattern around the crossguard.

Ember looked at the price scrawled on a small piece of white parchment, and Rook saw her face fall in disappointment. Only for a moment, before the perpetual grin was back in place, carefree and casual.

"On second thought," she said airily, "I've already gotten in too many scrapes with some of the others. Might not be the best idea to piss Tarquin off."

Ember walked off, not looking back at the stall or Rook.

Rook started to follow. She took two steps after Ember's retreating back, then stopped, sighing. She rolled her eyes at herself.

"I'll take the one she was looking at," she said, turning back to the merchant, pointing at the dagger Ember had been looking at. She hesitated.

"And... that one."

There was no accounting for taste, but it wasn't as though Dorian didn't have enough money. A diamond-encrusted pommel was perhaps not the most practical, or the most subtle choice, but to each their own.

She hurried off after Ember, the two daggers sheathed and tucked into her belt, wondering how she was going to convince her to take them.

[pixiedurango]

I am LOVING your Lucha Retreat posts, Pixie!! 🤩

If The Pit is still open, Ember would love to join the ranks, too! 👀🔥

Ember Mercar is a cocky, good-humored, and bold fighter. She's got a gnarly scar across her left eye, a cheeky grin, and a lot of muscle (don't let those sleeves fool you!) And as an ex-gladiator, she loves showing off for the crowd and getting them hyped up.

Ember is a duelist rogue, so she relies on her speed, athleticism, and unpredictability to get in close, strike fast, and dance around her opponent.

She's also got a lot of heart loves a challenge! Ember is definitely the type of person who’d laugh and give an impressed nod to her opponent when they land a good hit on her. After all, she’s here for the love of the fight!

This is part of the preparations for the upcoming @rookfest and belongs to "Cara de Riva's Antivan Wrestling Retreat" - where you can request a wrestling persona for your Rook (optional) and find others to spar, wrestle and fight with

Welcome to "The Pit", Cara's Lucha Retreat, where Rooks can become professional wrestlers/luchadors for the day or as long as they have fun with it.

I knew I was on the right track, when I saw who is the main inspiration for Ember's character. (from this post) There is going some serious badassery, no bs attitude on with Ember Mercar, and I intend to keep that going with the vibes I get for the wrestling/lucha libre persona.

Persephone

One of the strongest and most badass luchadoras from CMLL, one of the two major promotions in Mexico. She competes worldwide and is known to be a feared powerhouse in the ring.

She relies on her strength and power a lot, which makes her a dangerous opponent, because where she hits, there will be pain!

Her Masks will always match her gear and is known for the particularly unique cut of her leggins.

Her entrance theme might be something that transports her badass attitude. I chose this one as an example of what vibe I think would fit.

Hispana - La Mexicana