Jedi Sorcerer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create an updated version of a sub for an NPC of great significance, and help with bringing Starlin's story to a conclusion.
- Image Credit: Leanna Crossan (edited by me)
- Role: Isolda is an Ashlan knight errant, a defender of the weak and the helpless, an artisan skilled in the construction and modification of lightsabers—and the love of Starlin Rand's life.
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Ashlan Crusade | The Knightly Orders of Ashla | A Brief History of Ession and Its People | Ashlan Cultural Summary
- Previous NPC Sub: Isolda of Ession
- Age: Middle-Aged
- Force Sensitivity: Master
- Species: Essonian Human
- Appearance: A middle-aged woman with a fair, freckled complexion, blue-gray eyes, and long gray hair often styled in a single braid. In combat she wears a magnificent suit of custom armor with an embroidered cloak. Off the battlefield she dresses in plain, ascetic clothing.
- Names:
- Isolda Rand
- Dame Isolda
- Isolda of Ession
- Loyalties: Starlin Rand and their family
- Wealth: Medium; Isolda is paid a salary by her Order and may obtain money through the completion of individual jobs. She donates much of it to charity. Her marriage to Starlin Rand has granted her access to his personal finances, though she rarely spends money on herself, instead preferring to use the funds to help others.
- Notable Possessions:
- Ashlan Rosary
- Rose of Ashla
- Custom Ashlan Crusader armor
- Embroidered cloak
- Sacred Standards of Ashla (Protection Bubble)
- Starfighter
- Skills: Isolda is a Master of the Light Side of the Force with decades of experience. Her training focused on combat, giving her an edge in lightsaber fights with multiple opponents and one-on-one duels. She is also a seasoned pilot and an occasional artisan with a love of lightsaber construction.
- Personality: Isolda is an Essonian and a devout follower of the Ashlan faith. The Ashla is her goddess, a personification of the Light Side. While many Essonian beliefs are rooted in Jedi doctrines, they differ from the Jedi in that they do not believe the Force is split into two sides, Light and Dark. Rather, the Force is nothing but the Light, and without interference from sentient beings, the Dark Side would not exist. Sentient meddling with nature and the Force results in Dark Side corruption, the personification of which the Ashlans refer to as the Bogan. The Bogan is a hateful thing brought into being by greed, selfishness, and other forms of evil. The Bogan is throwing not only reality but the afterlife into chaos. If something is not done to cull the corruption, then all of existence will become hellish. As a warrior of the Ashla, Isolda is determined to fight the forces of the Bogan, staving off the tide of the Dark Side until her last breath. Her childhood was fraught with horrific atrocities and personal tragedy, and she spent her youth immersed in intensive training and discipline. She received a well-rounded education and is knowledgeable of history, geography, and the foreign cultures of the galaxy, but she is unfamiliar with pop culture (i.e. media such as literature, music, and holos) and does not follow fashions or trends. She was taught to view such things as meaningless vanities. In her eyes art is meant to glorify the Ashla. Isolda is a very serious person and can come across as somewhat aloof. She is kind and polite to everyone, but can struggle to relate to others who do not share her life experience. At times it can seem like she came from a different galaxy, her upbringing and perspective are so radically different from the galactic "norm". When she was younger these difficulties caused her pain; now she does not care so much what others think of her. Underneath her stoic exterior, she is a passionate and vibrant woman. This side of her is kept hidden to all but those she holds nearest and dearest to her heart. While she is physically attractive by most common standards of beauty, Isolda rarely attempts to use her good looks as an asset, nor is she affected by the superficial appearances of others. She dresses simply and does not wear cosmetics, style her hair or alter her appearance in any way beyond the basics of proper hygiene and personal convenience. She owns a pair of gold earrings, a family heirloom which once belonged to her mother, but keeps them locked away and only wears them on very special occasions. Her armor is intentionally gorgeous, but it is for purely ritualistic purposes; she considers fighting for the Ashla a religious act that should be carried out in a manner pleasing to the goddess. As a child she was a tomboy who preferred to run around outside rather than play with dolls. As an adult, she enjoys hiking, camping, and other outdoors activities, and has no problem getting her hands dirty. Despite their differences, Isolda loves Starlin dearly and is finally allowing herself to enjoy a life with him. She is slowly but surely becoming close to his two apprentices, Kyla and Lara Nimdok, fulfilling a maternal role as they grow to adulthood.
COMBAT INFORMATION
- Weapon of Choice: Lightsaber
- Combat Function: In combat Isolda is a whirlwind, constantly moving. While not particularly strong, she is flexible and agile, does not tire easily, and possesses the grace of a dancer. Age has not dulled her battle prowess, and she remains a highly dangerous opponent.
- Force Abilities (Force Users Only): She primarily uses the Force for buffs, utilizing abilities such as Force barrier, Force body, and Force valor, as well as techniques to heal and reduce pain. She also possesses a unique talent for malacia.
- Holy Warrior: Isolda is an Ashlan Crusader, a true believer in their faith and a noble knight trained to fight the forces of the Dark Side.
- Pure of Heart: Though not immune to doubt, Isolda is strong in her convictions and not easily swayed, even by those with the power to change minds by force.
- Ascetic: A creature of simple comforts, Isolda can survive harsh conditions with limited supplies and won't even complain. She has endured far worse and has experience living off the land, making do with whatever she can find.
- Dogfighter: Through experience and training, Isolda has become a skilled pilot and can hold her own in space combat as well as on the ground.
- But Not Through My Realm: Isolda has a blind spot when it comes to Force Users that specialize in, well, the Force. A Consular or Sorcerer can overwhelm her defenses.
- Stone Knives and Bearskins: Isolda lacks technical knowledge of computers and other machinery. She cannot repair a droid or slice a computer.
- Communication is Key: Her tendency to put on a brave face and stoically endure whatever life throws at her is sometimes simply due to her not knowing how to articulate her feelings - or worse yet, stifling and repressing them. It is a trait which haunts her loyalties and strains her relationships.
- Proud: Isolda's pride has frequently gotten the better of her. This manifests in a variety of ways, from being reluctant to admit she's wrong to blaming herself when things go south. She is learning humility, but progress in some areas has been slow.
"She was one of the first troops to get off the transport, her gold boots crunching Korriban dust beneath her heels. Hefting a lightsaber with a silvery blade, she didn't so much as turn back to glance at him before she leaped into the fray, a whirling dervish of a woman warrior. He tried not to get too distracted by the sun reflecting off her armor." —Starlin Rand's first impression of Isolda
Ilena's savvy machinations helped them claw their way back to relative stability, but she also manipulated Isolda into remaining financially dependent on her. The then teenaged Isolda became embroiled in the budding Ashlan Crusade partly as a means of getting out from under her grandmother's thumb, joining one of their Knightly Orders and battling the Sith Empire for control of the Tingel Arm. It was there that she met Starlin Rand, a young Jedi who was briefly apprenticed to Cedric Grayson. Though both were attracted to each other, their would-be romance was strained. Isolda needed Starlin to convert to the Ashlan faith for them to be together; Starlin witnessed the atrocities committed by the Crusaders in the name of destroying the Bogan and was horrified. In the end he chose to leave the Crusade, while Isolda chose to stay.
Roughly ten years later, the Ashlan Crusade had disbanded and the future was uncertain. Lady Ilena decided to arrange a marriage for Isolda, convincing her that it was her best option for security and the continuation of the family lineage. Isolda donned an old gown and went to meet her suitor, Eliphas Dune, a Jedi and the last son of a wealthy Tetan noble house. But when she arrived, she found that her proposed groom was a sickly boy barely out of his teens—and he was apprenticed to none other than Starlin Rand. Ilena ultimately destroyed all hope of the union by making humiliating remarks about the invalid Eliphas. Isolda was just glad to not be marrying the Padawan of her former love interest.
After her meddling grandmother finally died of old age, Isolda was left on her own. She became a wandering knight errant, defending the weak and helpless. Time and travel changed her, mostly for the better. Eventually she encountered Starlin again, on the planet Chaldea. Both had been drawn there by a call for help from the mysterious Mer. Isolda met Starlin's two new apprentices, Kyla and Lara; Eliphas had died from illness many years earlier. She was saddened to learn of his passing, and grieved that Starlin's life had been plagued by so much tragedy. After surviving a perilous encounter with Dark Side cultists, losing their connections to the Force, and healing the planet of its Wound, the two finally sat down and talked things over for the first time. They forgave each other, rekindled their romance, and were married not long after.
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