Scowling in his own little corner of the wine bar with several of his fingers rubbing against his temple, Quelios Dawnsinger was in an uncharacteristically sour mood. He chased the eyes away of previously interested parties that took notice, or had come expecting the more shamelessly inviting bachelor he was rumored to be. No one needed to be sitting at his table today.
In his mind, the only one doing her job right in the damned city was the little goblin server that kept his particular glass filled, and so he engaged her with his troubles the next moment Dezzie Fizzgrin made her rounds his way.
“Hope you’re having a fantastic day. Because I am most assuredly not!”
Dezzie put on a smile that was halfway to dry. “What’s goin’ on, sweetheart?”
“Absolutely nothing, apparently,” Quelios quipped back with a disgruntled growl. “My damn sister is missing and I was dragged back to this ridiculous city to find her because apparently I’m the only one that can. I paid 250,000 gold for a guard to point me in a direction, and it was probably the wrong one. This whole situation is absolutely languishing and I’m trapped in this gaudy corner of the city with no way out.”
“Damn,” the server chuckled, “does your family have that much’ve a chokehold on ya?”
“I’m House Dawnsinger, darling,” Quelios shot a mean smile. “They crown us all with a golden noose, yank us around with it and tell us we’re the very best boys and girls, ever.”
“Mmmm, yeah,” the goblin rolled her eyes in solidarity. “I definitely got some fam that likes ta put that squeeze on us. Sorry ‘bout your sister, honey. You can’t get the actual Silvermoon guard inta this?”
“I suppose that headache will be the next to hurdle myself through. We’ll see how much my wonderful family wants to donate this time to the cause.” Quelios scoffed, and drank deeply from his glass.
“Ya know, when I realized my family was a buncha nuts - and it took me a long time ta realize that, lemme tell ya! But when I let myself realize that they were makin’ me miserable, I knew I had to get out.” Dezzie paused, and let her eyes linger on Quelios meaningfully as he drained his wine.
The ranger chuckled, immediately understanding what was being implied. “Well that wouldn’t be my sister. She was definitely more devoted to being miserable than I am.” Lio sighed, and set the glass down for another fill. “But Serra’s young. Impressionable. She’s never stepped a day out of the city. It’s rather obvious someone lured her out of her little cage she loves to perch in. And probably put her right into another one.”
Quelios’ brow furrowed as he reflected on what he knew for certain. “Such a stupid situation really, trying to play my own detective. I should throw this back at the council and demand them to take it into their own hands. Shuttle myself back to the Sunreavers where I belong.”
“So why don’t ya?” Dezzie inquired, curious.
Quelios let the smile slant to his lips. “Well, it’s simple really. I’m the big brother.” He chuckled witheringly. “Guilt’s also a lovely little noose to hang myself by too, I suppose.”
Name: Quelios Dawnsinger
Nicknames/Monikers: Lio
Age: Adult
Birthday: Late September
Race: Sin'dorei
Gender: Male
Relationship Status: Single
Family: Several members of House Dawnsinger,
@serenas-dawnsinger (Younger sister)
@safrona-shadowsun (Mother)
Wennefer Shadowsun (Aunt)
Typical Accessories: Bow and Arrows/Quiver, Sunreaver cloak clasp, backpack with survival items.
Faceclaim/Likeness: Tom Ellis
Physical Appearance –––
The Sin'dorei is lithe, bearing a tight upper body core expected of a practiced archer or marksman. His long, dark hair loosely falls over his shoulders and down his back - more often tied into a long, streamlined tail. Eyes are a stone cold jade color, his expression set to an almost natural suspicion by default. Lio often wears leathers appropriate of a Sin'dorei ranger, a half cloak of red and black trimmed in bronze fixed over his shoulders.
Bio/Known History ---
Part of the smaller recent generation of the distinguished House Dawnsinger, Quelios quickly separated himself from the noble lifestyle his younger sister was molded into by investing his attention to the Farstriders from a very young age, carrying on the tradition his father had left him. Inheriting his father's massive Dragonhawk Phaedra, Lio would prove to be a formidable tracker, helping to keep Eversong safe from the encroaching dead spilling in from the ruinous Ghostlands, and the aggression of invading trolls. With his mother's fall during the culling of Dalaran, Quelios' attention shifted with grim determination to the Sunreavers, obsessed with the need to absolve himself and House Dawnsinger of the stains made in her name by association.
RP Hooks ---
Recently: Quelios has been called back from his duties with the Sunreavers to assist his family in Silvermoon with locating his missing sister, Serenas.
+ One may know of the youngest son of House Dawnsinger, if only by association to his younger sister, Serenas: the far more sweet of the two.
+ One may be more familiar with Quelios if somehow involved with the Farstriders - he trained among their younger generation.
+ Some may have found Lio some years ago, attempting to earn prestige at the Icecrown Tourney Grounds as a young jouster, determined to earn his own Sunreaver Hawk Mount.
+ One would have a strong knowledge of Quelios Dawnsinger through his full association as a Sunreaver.
+ Some blood elves may be familiar with Lio as a journeyman trainer of both dragonhawks and lynxes. Some may have been able to arrange the adoption of domesticated lynx cubs through him, often seen walking them through Silvermoon to get them acclimated.
What is the most vivid memory from your childhood and what makes it so memorable?
"That would be when my brother found an old sunken ship off the coast of Quel'thalas, and took me to see it in secret," Serenas explained, her little smile reflected in her eyes as she recalled everything as if it were yesterday. "He wasn't permitted to take me out past the estate: I was so young. But that didn't stop Lio. Rules were just something to be broken for him." She laughed lightly, habitually curling the sound inward as if she might be chided for laughing.
"It was perfect, though. I think I was...8? 9 years old? He always watched me very closely when he was tasked to, and for my first time my little feet were on the open shore, he made sure I was safe. Never going too far into the water. Well, he and Favola made sure. His lovely cat. I was small enough to ride on her then and he let her keep me corralled in all of my excitement. I watched him swim far out, and then dive, and then surface with just...the most random things. A piece of wreckage, tattered bit of rag, a spoke from the steering. I think the ship was long picked of any actual treasure, but seeing these items he brought on shore, I remember thinking we had found something secret and priceless. And I was thrilled."
"The very next year, Lio ended up convincing the Elders that I needed to be taught to swim, just in case Silvermoon were to be hit with a hurricane or something to that nature. And they for once took his suggestion to heart and had me attend my swimming lessons. Everyone felt much better about me going out to Eversong after that, as long as my teacher or Lio was with me."
"And really, I think that's where my fascination with the water and the ocean began. Because of my brother breaking the rules. Which, let me just say, that is very much like him." Serra nursed her little laugh again.
{Thank you @lilyofporcelain! With reference to @quelios-dawnsinger}
"Have you ever heard of the legend of the Golden Lynx?" The Ranger knelt, trying to wrangle a small litter of lynx cubs again in the city, beckoning one away from batting at the Lioness' shining gown. His eyes were also drawn to the glimmering skirt and bodice, slowly shifting upward to meet her eyes. "Her spirit's rumored to guard the city." A humor glinted in the cold jade of his eyes. "Thought she'd be furrier." - @quelios-dawnsinger
[ Continued from here. ]
“How intriguing,” she mused as a telling smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “I can assure you, Darling I am no lynx… but that does not imply I am without teeth or claws.” She wiggled her fingers playfully and the kitten in her arms wrapped its paws around her wrist before biting her knuckle and conducting a few feisty ‘rabbit kicks’ along her forearm. “This one is particularly ambitious. It must have a tremendous name to match its boastful ego.” Whether she was referring to the feline in her arms or the Ranger in font of her was left open to deliberation.
“What brings you to our fair city on this afternoon? Business… or pleasure?”
February Daily Writing Challenge 2025
Day 3: (Feb 11) Suspicious/Salutation
@daily-writing-challenge
The weeks seemed to stretch on with little progress made on the disappearance of his sister. Of course, he blamed it on the less than accommodating circles that were concerned enough to drill his investigation, but provide nothing useful themselves. Lord Emberfall continued to complain about the restructuring of his estate’s Arcane Guardians, and wouldn’t dare let them be inspected by anyone but his ‘all-knowing’ mind. Quelios felt at least one of the pretentious pundits of House Dawnsinger breathing down his neck each time he’d pass through his own damn home, managing the ‘courtesy’ of questions through clenched teeth. A revisit to each of Serra’s typical haunts around Silvermoon came up with nothing, those that were in the know of her were as much as a loss for her whereabouts as he.
And so, Quelios extended his request toward the search of all known Flight records throughout Silvermoon and Eversong proper, only to eventually learn that her name had not been registered anywhere the night she’d dropped from her window. He had to assume she had either fled on foot or was taken by a personal transport from the city. He even considered that his sister had been summoned or teleported away by more intense magics. It was strange that no one at all had seen her depart, suspiciously so. What he did fully understand was that the tampering with the Arcane Guardians and other arcane structures around both his and the Emberfall estate had been very intentional, a very well suited distraction to mask the ‘theft’ of his sister. He was nearly 90% sure she not as much fell from her bedroom window, as jumped. Perhaps into the arms of another…
“You did always like your little romance novellas, didn’t you?” he muttered as much to himself as to his missing sister, watching the sun dapple the Anchorage waters she used to play by as a child. He chuckled at the wild train of thought, amused by it, even. “Oh sweet little Serra, are you being a little fool with someone? Did you really even leave the city? I really do wonder now…” In the end, he circled back to the location that only made sense to give it another look over - his sister’s room.
The old watcher Onessa always managed to greet him with a glare when Quelios would pass by her. He has not been close since the day the old retainer had trained him to the toilet as a boy, he thought, and from then on she’d deemed him a troublemaker with little respect for his House.
Old Nessa was very right on most points. She was a wise one alright, and in a way he respected her devotion to the lifetime of hard work she was put to. Never fully recognized for her efforts, but always expected to be grateful for the place she had among the House. Quelios found her plight terribly relatable. Of course, he also found toying with her immensely gratifying, even now.
Today he greeted her with a grandiose, “Salutations, my lady Ness!” He straightened, and bent stiffly at the waist to bow, or rather made a mockery of the motion. “Have I thanked you lately for the intensive swaddling of me as a boy? All the boxing of my ears has made me quite the pious gentleman, I must say!”
“Not a gentleman enough, I say!” the retainer snapped back with a rush of intimidating steps toward the Ranger, making him dart into his sister’s room with a snort of a chuckle. “Don’t think you're too old for me to still box those ears, boy!” she harassed through the closed door. “And you leave my Lyris alone in there! She’s got work to do!”
A pause, and Quelios slowly spun in his step from the door to regard his sister’s handmaid, who stared quite awkwardly back at him near an opulent vanity desk that dominated the room. He recalled Serra sitting there many times before, writing away into the odd hours of the night. Whenever the muse struck her. Sometimes, she seemed chained to that muse, sleepless, obsessed with getting some odd writing down. She had hoped to take it with her when she was made to move to her betrothed’s home. A bit of familiarity in a new prison. It was thought, but never spoken.
“Excuse me my lord,” the handmaiden murmured very quickly, and began to make for the door. “I’ll leave you to your space, if it would suit.”
“So soon?” Quelios questioned, subtly shifting as to block her exit, meeting her eyes. Lyris was Old Onessa’s granddaughter, brought into the House to serve as a handmaiden and playmate for Serenas; they had nearly been the same age and she practically grew into a woman with the youngest Dawnsinger. He remembered her very clearly now, with her summery spirals of blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She’d never been far from Serra’s side, sharing in whispers and soft laughter, walking with her to the city proper and House gardens, brushing and oiling Serra’s hair at the same vanity she’d moved away from. Now, all her curly hair was so tightly pressed into the restraint of a bun. Quelios thought her much lovelier with it bouncing free, and flowing.
Lyris blushed a lovely shade of rose as Quelios continued to stare on her. “If…you’d like me to, my lord,” she murmured, contrary by word. Those oceanic eyes wandered him as they always used to, still.
He treated her wandering eyes with a slow, knowing smile. “Could I ask you to stay just a little bit longer, darling?” He took measured steps forward as the handmaiden fidgeted at his deep purr of words. “You see, I’ve been so very frustrated with my sweet sister being missing. I imagine you have too. You were so…very…close.” Each word rolled achingly long from his lips, punctuated each step closer until he was close enough in presentation.
“I wonder if anything has been swallowed by those beautiful eyes of yours. Something that could bring our dear Serenas back home safe?” He let his hands drift in close, fingers ever so softly grazing the edges of the handmaiden’s palms, inviting her fingers to return the gesture.
“I…I don’t know my lord,” she exhaled softly, slowly letting Quelios’ fingers slide beneath her own. “I…suppose I might have heard something. Or…read something. But I can’t say for…sure,” she trailed off as one of her hands was brought to his lips.
“No…?” he murmured against the delight of her thumb, textured with the hard work cleaved to her slender hands. It was no innocent kiss imposed upon the lady’s fingers. He wanted the words that she held, and he would unravel them from her little by little…and more, if he had to. He enjoyed the game of it all.
“Maybe it’s a little something you’ve lost track of, at the back of your mind. But…” He traced his lips across the length of her forefinger, giving the tip of the digit a gentle, seductive nip. “Memory’s also tactile, did you know? Maybe it’s something I can help you remember…”
Lyris ran hot now, leaning in to take his lips from her fingers to her own with a long restrained passion. Quelios grinned into the riled kiss. He knew he would have some answers by the end of his night.
Anon thoughts: Haven't met this one, but after the chaos at the estate I'm not surprised he's on the hunt. Hopefully for good reasons, and not just to appease Inne'thar. Hard to say if he has a good head on his shoulders or not.
Go on Anon and tell me your muses thoughts on mine.
"Now now," Quelios tutted as he overheard the doubtful rumoring, "If you're going to badmouth me, at least do me the kindness of doing so to my face. Yes, I am doing my duty to my House, which my sister is part of. But just because my sister's disappearance was shoved off on myself by the entire Dawnsinger council doesn't mean I'm not concerned for her well-being. I'm probably the only one with sense in the lot of them." The ranger snorted derisively. "Or the only one that can jog through all of Eversong without needing consecutive breaks."
Within the Farstrider's camp, he watched a pair of lynx kittens play inside of their enclosure. Or rather, he watched the larger of the pair stalk the younger, leading to the eventual pouncing on the oblivious 'prey'.
"Serra's young, and naive," Lio explained, watching as the now pinned kitten yowled helplessly as its ears were relentlessly gnawed on by its heartier, more predatory sibling. "And pampered, all her life. She won't last out there on her own, and I know she has the sense to know that."
One of the Striders in-training entered the enclosure to separate the kittens to help safeguard the weaker kitten, a favoring that would not occur in the wild. "But since that sense did not already lead her back to Silvermoon, our main concern is that someone's got it in her head that she can survive on her own, and left her out to die."
Quelios grimaced as his thoughts took a darker turn. "Or forced her into worse situations. Far worse than anything the Emberfalls could do to her."
Describe your relationship with your mother before and after her mysterious disappearance and reappearance.
"Playing therapist to the resident black sheep of House Dawnsinger, are we?" Quelios quipped, eyes narrowed on the new face apparently looking for a story. Lips curled halfway from teeth, brandishing a cold smile like a knife. "Definitely not the right line you'll want to use if you're aiming for my heart, darling, but I'll indulge you."
Eyes swept away as Lio would inhale, exhaling brief, ugly memory that lanced him with the sting it took to recall. "My mother was one of those lucky few with young ones on hand, trying to survive the collapse of society after the Dead nearly unraveled our little golden jewel of a city. She held strong, though my father's death changed her."
Quelios paused to give his father the silence of respect in mentioning. "A necessary change. She had to burn brighter to achieve what she did as a Sunreaver." A hand rose to graze the stubble of his jawline, glancing away once more. His eyes were hard when they returned with intent to finish the story.
"And then Proudmoore and her cohorts put that Light out some years ago for some rumor of betrayal. My mother died in Dalaran for it, and House Dawnsinger has long put her memory to rest." Disdain worked across his features as he continued. "It's rumored some ingrate similar to my Lady mother in appearance is walking about under a different name, given herself up to the all consuming Void, you know. Which is in itself a heresy and offense to our entire House. Goes against everything the Dawnsinger name is." Quelios paused, injecting dry sarcasm. "I mean, can you imagine: Voidsinger? What are we, brain-washed cultists? Please."
Another short exhale was given, swiping stray hair from his world-worn eyes. "I of course doubt the rumors, but my poor little sister was inspired by them for some inane reason. Do you want to know why I doubt them, this little farce happening? Of course you do."
Quelios leaned forward so slightly, fingers digging into the armrests of his seat. "You see, had Matron Dawnsinger actually survived? The mother I knew would not have abandoned her children flat for years to a world ready to eat them while she pranced around to build herself a new life. Better to know she died. Anything else is..."
The Sunreaver sneered into silence, unwilling to indulge the concept of possible betrayal. He dulled the ever-burning anger until it was coal in his belly, and offered another sharp smile under stoic bravado. "End of story, hope you were so very entertained. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll have myself something fancy to wash out the bad taste in my mouth."
{ @sanguinesorceress - thank you for asking such a delicious question. Hope I fed you well ;) With reference to @safrona-shadowsun ! }
