The Temperance

Shenavun "Nuvi" | High Elvhen | Co-owner of Bacchus

[temperednuvi]

High Elvhen || Earth Manipulation || Co-owner of Bacchus || Avalonian

About || Biography || Skeleton || Connections

Tags: Visage ; About ; Headcanons ; Selfparas ; Musings ; Music ; Edits

[freydis-freydat]

Nuvi’s words left Freydis feeling compelled to look away, partially out of humility and partially because Freydis had not yet come to fully understand all that would be demanded of her as a Keeper. The role was different from that of a researcher or position elect, not something Freydis had necessarily prepared for with intention though she welcomed the designation and task. But she often felt she stumbled through it blindly as she continued to make friends with the Veil, the Circle, and the stones, and she struggled still to manage the many duties she placed upon her own shoulders. “Oh, you heard about that?” Freydis asked quietly. It was not a title she reached out and bestowed upon herself, not something she necessarily took charge of, but she was grateful and honored all the same. However, that didn’t mean she quite knew how to talk about it across every party she knew. 

“You mean grasping at straws?” Freydis returned, willing to allow her walls to come down slightly around Nuvi. Vulnerability didn’t necessarily frighten Freydis, and the survival of the women taken so long ago had hinged on them willing to be vulnerable with one another, but Freydis also still struggled with the idea that she needed to live up to the reputation of Icefang, who could triumph in every battle and hold steadfast in the face of every challenge. She was unsure how much of the legend Nuvi still bought into, even if Freydis had ceded her position as jarl both happily and voluntarily. The world was much wider than the Midlands, and she knew Eda would rise to the challenge–Eda, who fulfilled the dream Freydis held at the young Iskaran girl’s age: that Freydis would be the first but not the last woman to hold power in Iskaldrik. 

“Are you that certain the next foe will wield fire as dangerously as Toth did?” Freydis asked, her head tilting to the side slightly. “Or do you have some very specific battle with a handful of elementals around the corner?” She suspected Nuvi’s temporary death on the battlefield had impacted her greatly causing a permanent wound or new fear in Nuvi’s psyche even if her physical form had been mended.

[temperednuvi]

“I try to keep an ear out to know what is happening with the few of us that got taken,” she informs quietly. Their escape had been a matter of luck and working together, and Nuvi had grown to care for all of the women who had been taken during that time, even if she wasn’t the most sociable of people and thus hadn’t made the effort to keep in contact beyond the occasional meetings over the months following their escape. But even beyond trying to keep a tab on the other women, she would have still learned of the matter, since her research is so closely tied to the Veil. 

“As a professional at grasping at straws trying to figure out an answer to a question that has been long lost to the annals of times, I promise you that you are going above and beyond,” she offers, the tiniest bit of a grin showing on her lips. Their situations were different, and Nuvi hoped Freydis would find her answers much more easily than her, but they were close enough that she understood some of her worries. “Sometimes, the answer matters less than what you find out on the way to it, and you have plenty of time to get to the correct answer, anyhow.”

Or at least, so she assumed. Considering the other was the keeper to a new druidic circle, it was a safe assumption to make that she would also have a druidic lifespan. 

“Neither,” she admits after a long moment, almost uncomfortable to admit that her death at the hands of Toth would have affected her so much. She had been trying so hard to live up to her promise to protect her home, training and aiming to grow stronger, and yet she had been all but useless when it mattered most. Worse. She had been a liability. “I— I guess I am trying to go for the ‘better safe than sorry’ route. I tend to get myself in situations where I am fighting above my punching class, so— I just want to be better. Especially with Avalon still at risk.”

She has no idea whether she will be facing fire once more in the battle to save her home, but if that is the case, she will come prepared.

[alessiathepath]

Date: Iskaldrik is saved Location: Iskaldrik OR Eterna, depending where Nuvi is rn Characters: @temperednuvi & @alessiathepath Notes: This seemed very right that Alessia's love language is stealing stuff for friends to get back at a dead government

Right upon the a mahogany desk that did not belong to her, a Warrior had perched her ass and surrounded herself by unlabelled boxes. The room was full of them. "Surprise," she greeted, smiling as the lights turned on. If the witch noted any hint of shock or fear from the unsuspecting elve, she did not show it. Her smile only bloomed wider, morphing into a wide grin. It had been quite a few months since she had checked in on the woman that she'd once spent months with, trapped underground amongst the devils and demons, but Alessia wasn't much for smalltalk. "You like history and stuff, right?"

[temperednuvi]

Nuvi’s mouth opens and closes several times as she looks at the witch sitting on her desk and tries to find her words. There had been a brief moment of fear as she realized there was someone in her home she hadn’t welcomed in, but that had quickly transformed when she had recognized Alessia. Just like that, the fear is replaced with amusement and she nods at the other’s question.

“Very much so yes,” she says, wondering if she hadn’t made that part of her personality noticeable enough or if that was just meant to be a joke of a sort. Regardless, she welcomes the other’s presence, as she has been meaning to catch up since their trip to Iskaldrik. “I am assuming the boxes have something to do with that question?”

[freydis-freydat]

Little time presented itself for sleep deep enough to dream as Freydis once used to rather than to practice the art of dreaming as Solon was providing Freydis an education in. In her rest she attempted to visit him, determined to learn to navigate the network of dreams, consciousness, and mists that she perceived tel’aran’rhiod to be in order to visit those she held closest to her during her work restoring and safekeeping the recently revitalized Iskaran Arches. Naturally, Freydis also lent her skillset to the Warrior’s guild, her ability to sense rifts in the Veil a boon and her drive to fight against the remaining demons and darkspawn reinvigorated. Indeed, Freydis kept busy in the time between the battle against Aeldhert and Toth and seeing Nuvi by chance in the Silverlands. 

The work on the rips in the Veil and the health of the arches sometimes felt endless and grueling, but it was work Freydis took the highest level of pride in. It was also made easier with the help of a potion or spell scroll from time to time. However, Nuvi’s face was not something she expected to see amongst the bottles and vials lining the shelf.  In the same moment that Nuvi exclaimed Freydis’ name, Freydis herself greeted with a warm, “Shenavun.” She allowed the Elvhen to finish, though Freydis did so love to talk–and sometimes interject upon reuniting with someone she knew. “Have I been well? What about you?” Freydis returned, knowing Nuvi would likely know exactly that the Veil Maiden was alluding to you. “You’re looking much better–you will have to tell me all about your new skincare routine,” she joked before briefly placing her hand on Nuvi’s shoulder. “It is good to see you looking… yourself again.” Though her head tilted to the side slightly, the exhaustion and anxiety within her was easily able to recognize it within Nuvi. Rather than calling it out directly, Freydis glanced around the shop. “What are you in the market for today? Perhaps I could help? I’ve been perusing these shelves longer than I care to admit this morning.”

[temperednuvi]

“I am not the one that has taken charge of leading an entirely new druidic circle,” Nuvi points out with amusement. All things considered, Freydis likely had been faced with a wave of new responsibilities, now that such a great responsibility has fallen upon her shoulders. Being put in charge of a druidic circle is already the height of responsibility, but beyond that, she had been positioned to lead a circle that had not been seen for over three thousand years. The Dark Age and the Cataclysm before then had done much to erase the records of the time, so it would be difficult to gather reliable information on the Circle of the Veil. Nuvi knows how rare those resources are, as well, so she knows there is a lot of work ahead of the new Keeper. 

“I doubt my current happenings hold a candle in comparison to the work you are currently doing,” she continues with an easy shrug. After all, most of the high elvhen that had volunteered to fight for Avalon are currently on hold, waiting to see what will happen next before any sort of action is taken place. The events in Iskaldrik were harrowing, but at the same time, it brings her comfort to know that killing an old God is possible. That means her home is not fully gone yet, and perhaps— Perhaps Fyren would get to return home soon without the threat of the blight looming above them.

“Mostly, I am looking for something to—,” she hesitates again and shrugs helplessly knowing that her answer would be telling for anyone who had been at the fight in Iskaldrik. “I am looking to increase my fire resistance.”

There are more battles to come, and she needs to be prepared. Marked she might be, but over and over again it has been proven that she is more a burden in the field than of any help. She would like it very much if she can manage to cover her weaknesses, so she doesn’t drag those she fights with down on their upcoming fights. 

[temperednuvi]

Who? @freydis-freydat Where? Lorien’dal, Silverlands

For months, her nightmares had been shrouded by darkness and the fear from the mines, but ever since they had liberated Iskaldrik they had shifted. The mines had forever left a mark, but they were nothing when compared to the sheer agony that came from burning alive. It was an experience unlike anything she had experienced before, and one that left her afraid of fire in a way she could not quite explain. It had driven her out from the area where the rest of the high elvhen had gathered to prepare for the battle for Avalan and deeper into Lorien’dal, hoping to find fire-resistance potions at the apothecary or a witch’s shop. 

She was browsing one of such places, when she heard the bell above the door ring. Out of curiosity, she sent a glance to the entrance and was surprised to find Freydis there. She had heard the rumors about the new druid circle and its keeper, and she had thought the other would be endlessly busy trying to gather everyone together and setting it up properly. Still, she is happy to see the other looking well, all things considered.

“Freydis! It’s good to see you, have you been well?” She asks, even if she dreads having to answer the same question in return. The shadows under her eyes are more than telling of her current mental state.

[fyrenxsolon]

“If Mythal is willing,” Solon repeated this with a nod, however somber his tone may seem; the pink dragon is not keen to let despair win over light and joy, but the blight is festering around them and he can witness how unsafe this is simply for Shenuvun to be standing here currently. Solon is not as concerned for himself, dragons are almost immune to the Blight, resilient against it in comparison to that of elvhen. 

Despite this, he cannot help but feel his heart sink in his chest at the mention of Mythal, knowing her statue is now fractured and tainted, leeching blight upon the rest of Avalon. “We should get you out of here as of now, though you have consigned yourself to this missive, your battle is not finished today, Shenuvun. And Mythal be damned if you are to be taken out by blight before the war is to truly greet us.” Solon had not wanted to leave but the longer they stood here, the more susceptible Shenuvun truly was to it's affects no matter how deeply she had chosen it and dedicated her life to the craft. 

[temperednuvi]

“You are right,” Shenuvun admits after a long minute during which she keeps staring ahead, trying to drink in Avalon. Even corrupted as it has become, this is her home still, and she wants to burn its image into her memory. After all, it is likely that she will only return to it in the middle of combat, and by then what it was would have been erased by blood and destruction. “You are right, I know. But leaving feels wrong, despite the dangers it poses.”

She will leave, in the end, because her work is not done. But it will be painful, even knowing she will return. On moments like this, she regrets not having convinced Nintra to tell her how to cleanse the Blight’s corruption. Perhaps if she had been more convincing, perhaps if she had offered something big enough… Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, she would have achieved something beautiful. 

She can’t live in perhaps, though. Just in the grim reality of her failures. 

“But yeah, we should leave. I have been blighted before, and that is not an experience I would like to repeat.”

[talisa-the-steel]

“So you’ll be leaving your field journal at home this time?” Talisa quipped. Another unkindness, but if the Steel wanted to pick a fight outright she would have made that plain. It was a jab, to be sure, but not a declaration of battle against Shenuvun. Talisa was fairly certain that Solon would not approve of Talisa making an enemy of the Elvhen woman, and any meager shred of decorum or censorship Talisa exhibited lived and died within the scope of her respect for her mentor. Her thin hands lifted and came together, one sharp clap filling the space between the two. “When you aren’t buried in your pages of writing, what can you do?” Talisa asked, a request for a demonstration between the lines. It was a challenge, but one that was borne more of curiosity rather than attempting to push and prod at Nuvi. 

A look of insult flashed in Talisa’s eyes at how Nuvi phrased her final statement. Talisa had left their prior conversation feeling rather small in the wake of Nuvi’s perspectives feeling belittling and dismissive of Talisa’s own childhood experience. There was little Nuvi could have done to know that the way she discussed children stoked the fires of Talisa’s internalized shame and her tenuous deprogramming of how the Archon had raised her–clearly still a work in progress. I do not wish for my home to be destroyed… my home. Again, Talisa felt the sharp sting of being othered, of language and perspective putting distance between herself and Avalon. It landed on her like an accusation that she was a halfling with no membership and no home anywhere, that she was too twisted and corrupted by those outside of her control to have any claim to Avalon. It was not what Nuvi had said, and it was likely not what she had meant either. But Talisa was young and insecure, and her fragile and recently wounded worldview could not help but to project.

[temperednuvi]

“Of course,” she says simply, not offended that the other had to ask. After all, she had considered taking her notes with her, in case she could record something at the last minute that would prove to be useful for future generations. In the end, however, she had chosen against it, believing that would be far too much of a distraction when it came to a life and death scenario. There would be time to record what had happened after, if she survived. And if she didn’t? Well, it was likely Taravell would have bigger problems than the loss of her research. 

“I can call upon the earth and plants to both defend my allies and attack my opponent,” she explains, summarizing her skills even as she tilts her head in consideration at the other. She doesn’t see the look of insult on Talisa’s eyes, for she doesn’t know the other well enough to recognize it for what it is, but she still senses a certain challenge to her words. For a moment, she considers leaving her explanation as is, but then chooses against it. Best if they both know what the other is capable of in the field, to prevent surprises and better strategize. “I am also able to summon an earthen guardian which adds further protection to my allies, as well as some boosts in combat capabilities. Would you like me to show you? We could spar to show what we are each capable of.”

Frankly, she can only vaguely recall what the other can do, aside from turning into a dragon, so a spar would be beneficial for her as well. Yes, turning into a dragon is already pretty advantageous during combat, but Lusacan is far bigger than Talisa’s dragon form, so it is likely she will also need to fight on her mortal guise as well. 

[ikarosx]

"You think? Who will carry on the work with the Veil if you're gone?" Ikaros felt like he needed to point these things out to those who thought they could simply die for the hell of it. He knew he could not – Titania would assure that Ikaros was out of Avalon if Lusacan was ever meant to press through. The Prince had thought of himself at his mother's side – for if the Elvhen of Avalon were to fall, he would be the Prince of Nothing. Still, a crown meant little to him at this point, yet it was exactly what pushed him forward.

"Though I don't think preventing Lusacan from exiting the Eluvian was actually what you were studying."

[temperednuvi]

“My research is well documented, as well as my theories. I have given a copy to the Tower and another to my family. If someone desires to take up the research, they will have what I know to build upon.” As much as she wished and she dreamed, Nuvi had never quite believed that she would be the one to find the solutions to her questions. Through the years, she had grown satisfied with the idea that what she learned would become the base that the future generations would build upon. Her work is generational, and she just hopes she has contributed to the search for the truth. “Not quite, no. But I am researching the Blight, among other things. If I had managed to figure out how to cure it, then I could have been of greater help. As I didn’t, I would like to offer my abilities to fight Lusacan instead.”

[filmgifs]

MONKEY MAN (2024) dir. Dev Patel

[talisa-the-steel]

Talisa had adopted a stony detachment where it suited her after her altercation with Shenuvun and her falling out with a particular daemonfey. The lesson she had gleaned from such interactions was that people would often let you down whether they did so right out the gate or after deluding one into thinking there was a genuine bond. Talisa knew her presence in Avalon made the likelihood of coming face to face with each type all the more likely. 

If it were not too late to turn down another street or cut and turn the other way entirely, Talisa might have done so. She had found her prior conversation with Nuvi vexing, belittling, and devoid of any room for nuance for either her or Fyren’s past experiences. Unfortunately, it seemed Nuvi caught sight of the Steel dragon first, and the recognition read plainly in Nuvi’s expression and approach. By the time she came within ear shot of Talisa, the juvenile dragon’s arms were crossed and her hip was cocked in an unbridled show of attitude. 

“I thought you were a researcher, not a fighter,” Talisa questioned Nuvi. It was the least confrontational thing she could manage in her already sore mood, even if she knew it was dangerously close to toeing the line of being outright argumentative.

[temperednuvi]

The conversation begins as she expects it, with nothing more than petty rancor on the other’s expressions and voice. And Shenuvun? Shenuvun is tired. Her home is under attack, with only those willing to die remaining back to fight for all they had ever known. Beyond Avalon, the world continues falling to pieces, with unknown enemies lurking in the shadows. They are besieged by enemies from all sides, and they can’t afford infighting. She dearly wished the woman before her could understand that, but she has enough tact to understand that if she were to tell her as much, Talisa would do anything but react appropriately. 

“I am not, but circumstances have forced my hand,” she says simply, rather than going for grand explanations or more deliberate words. There is no need to be friends with the dragon, but she wants to make sure that Talisa would be willing to watch her back as Nuvi is sure to watch hers. She knows what is ahead of them, and she will do all she can to ensure her allies' survival. She only wishes the same commitment in return. “I do not wish for my home to be destroyed, and I will do all in my power so that it is not.”

[raventeresi]

Her soul feels as if it has changed after the breath of souls trial, she never meant to become so harden to the world, to the vulnerable that suffered as she had and she had become a weapon forged through fire, resilient as she refused to lie down and die and she enjoyed the satisfaction that came from knocking the wealthy aristocrats carriage off course, plundering it for all it's worth and leaving them in the dust as she rightfully believed they deserved.

Still, she wanted her time here to be worth more than simply surviving. She had never felt complete as her roots had been pulled out and attempted to be severed, she could never forget the elvhen lullabies that her mother use to sing and she almost died enough times that she knew who she'd be willing to fight for.

"I can't rest, sleep won't come and my body feels as if it's in an active warzone .. so I thought I would put the feeling to use. I can help, whatever is needed. I do better with killing than healing though."

[temperednuvi]

A brow is raised, and a second one follows as she hears the faiman’s offer. Still, she doesn’t dismiss it out of hand. Instead, she narrows her eyes and examines her closely, considering her options. It is impossible to recognize a high faiman at a glance, their ability to enter Avalon only known through their lineage. Shenuvun does not know Raven’s elvhen parent, does not know if she could cross the eluvian… But if she can? Any help offered will be taken. 

“We will need many capable of killing in the coming days,” she admits slowly, thoughtfully, as her eyes flicker in the direction of the eluvian and back towards the faiman. “And I am sure we would welcome you along our numbers, but I must warn you that this is likely a fight to the death. Furthermore, I am not sure that you will be able to cross the eluvian, even if you want to offer your help.”

[fyrenxsolon]

Her jest captured Solon's attention, the pink dragon turning his head to finally face Shenuvun. His expression is confused, though he understood the jestful remark it was indeed baffling, but he had come to learn from Atheron that everyone dealt with trauma in a myriad of ways, none linear to what one was supposed to reveal on the outside. "You are a strange one, Shenuvun, though I have come to appreciate that we need such oddities now more than ever," he did not mean to insult as he stated this, the compliment stemming from the dragon of dreamers was clear, despite the blank and frangible expression on his face.

Solon simply nodded, it was a grim realization for someone to come to terms with, but it seemed that Shenuvun was one who was so tangled with the Weave and such death surrounding it that she no longer feared what could come next. This was important; those who flinched from destiny and the Fates only prolonged the inevitable. "Wiser beyond your years, it seems too."

[temperednuvi]

“You are not the first to point that out, and if Mythal is willing, you won’t be the last,” she says, easily admitting to her own oddness without much trouble. Her own character is one she is fairly familiar with, as well as how people view her. She is an eccentric, a kook, seeking answers to a question long forgotten. It’s not skin off her back to know she is seen this way, as she is sure of her path, and she will not stray from it. “And if we are even luckier beyond that, those oddities will help us beyond that.”

If the gods are watching, if Fate ordains it, there is a possibility that they will still win. It might require sacrifice beyond their imagination, it might require suffering like no other, but if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, she is more than willing to take the burden. 

“There are lessons that can be learned from the harshness of life, and I have always proven to be an excellent student.”

[valshirathelight]

SHENUVUN "NUVI", THE TEMPERANCE

May it be an evening star Shines down upon you May it be when darkness falls Your heart will be true You walk a lonely road Oh, how far you are from home Mornië utúlië Believe and you will find your way (x)

@temperednuvi

[ikarosx]

"Shenuvun," Ikaros greets the other back, though his voice is absent of most of its tone. Avalon was going through a dark time, as the blood of the tree itself began to bleed into every Elvhen that remained within. So many left, the branches emptier than ever, yet still – so many remained. Too many High Elvhen had only known the Laurelin, and would never pass through the Moongate without fighting for their home.

He looks at her again, the crown upon his head feeling heavier than ever. Titania would not leave, and she wished for her son to be safe, which left them in a constant stalemate. "When change comes, Nuvi, it will be sudden and brutal. We won't have any time to pick up the pieces." That was true – he'd seen it as such. Still, the prince looked at her, "You did not wish to leave? No one would fault you. If you took your family into the Silverlands."

[temperednuvi]

Her family had headed to the Silverlands as soon as the news had spread, mostly on her insistence. Her parents were guides, so they had known the path to the Silverlands. Shenuvun had been confident that they would make it to Lórien'dal without much issue, but she had asked Harajatish to protect them to be sure. They had asked her to go with them, but she had decided against it. She had long since committed herself to see the world righted, and if she couldn’t, at the very least she could try and stop the infection from spreading. 

“My family is gone ahead, but I have chosen to stay,” she admits, with a small shrug. “I have been working all my life to try and prevent something like this. I couldn’t, so I might as well try and help stop things before they get even worse.”

If this is not stopped, it is likely the world would soon follow into the Dark, so if she is to die fighting, she would prefer to do so while there is still hope, and to die while fighting for her home.

[asiancentral]

SOBHITA DHULIPALA for Hello! India MARCH 2023 | 📸 Akula Madhu

[temperednuvi]

who? @ikarosx where? Avalon

There is little they can do to stop the blighted remnants of the Dragon of the Night’s messenger, even less they can do to fully disrupt the shades slowly manifesting from the corrupted Eluvian. Nothing much beyond keeping watch, to ensure their leaders are made aware of any changes, to ensure the alarm is sounded when the standstill breaks and the nightmares come flooding in. So Shenuvun stands vigil whenever she has time, watching over the bubbling shadow with a racing heart but determined frown. She is terrified at the prospect of what it’s to come, but she refuses to bow down to the Dark. 

She doesn’t expect company as she watches, so the sound of steps comes as a surprise. 

“Prince Ikaros,” she greets with a nod, not bothering to ask how he is. No one is alright, not when their home is at the brink of destruction. “I have been watching for a while, and there hasn’t been any changes, if that is what you came to check.”

[temperednuvi]

who? @raventeresi where? Near the Moongate, Lysara’s side

Her steps are quick and graceful as she walks through the Feywilds. In her bag, she carries the herbs and seeds Val’shira had asked her to collect, and in her hand there is a pocketwatch she keeps glancing at as she moves deeper into the forest. Shenuvun isn’t necessarily late, but with the threat so prominent and near, every second wasted is a second lost. They don’t have any seconds to lose. Not as they prepare against the Dragon of the Night’s march, and all that entails. 

She is hurried, focused on following the path to the Moongate, but she knows these paths. She knows their sounds and their silences, so she is alerted of the presence of another in the forest by noise even before she lays her eyes on the faiman from back then. 

“Oh, Raven, what a surprise. What brings you to the Feywilds?”