Still, I search in these woods and find nothing worse
than myself, caught between the grapes and the thorns.

• dossier.
• persona.
• rumors.
• hooks.
• contacts.
• misc.

Tessa was born in Rivenspire, her home village of Thornhill a stone's throw from Northpoint. She grew up fractured and friendless for the choices of her family—her mother, a skilled Breton apothecary and alchemist, never married her father, an Altmer antiquarian, and instead chose to raise Tessa with the help of the girl's aging grandfather. But, Tessa was well-loved by her grandfather, Francois Corentin, the court wizard of House Dorell, and he took a direct hand in her education until his death several years before the madness of King Ranser was known to all.As a young woman, barely twenty in the months before Ranser's Rebellion began, Tessa ran off from home in the night with her father just as the fighting began in earnest. Nerien, her father, was and remains a roving explorer and scholar of Ayleid and Nedic histories, but his vagabond, adventuring lifestyle never sat well with Tessa's mother. It was an enticing way of living to Tessa, however, who gladly dove headfirst into ruins and tombs with her archaeologist father, the thrills and mysteries and danger accepted with relish (and no small amount of stubbornness), and took to everything he taught her like a bird to the breeze.Wildly curious about ancient times and old magic, Tessa spent nearly fifteen years an explorer and wayfinder-for-hire, making her way all through High Rock and its borderlands. For much of that time, she never stayed in one place for long, save when she and her father joined an expedition. It wasn't until the Planemeld that their lives grew decidedly more complicated, and Tessa's time was briefly spent helping refugees and avoiding tangling herself in conflict.In the thwarted Planemeld's aftermath, Tessa, jaded and exhausted, turned away from the world at large and disappeared into the misty forests of Daenia. Wishing to be lost to the world, yearning to be alone, she instead found sisterhood in the Beldama Wyrd, and ingratiated herself to one of its covens, soon joining its ranks and fostering her connection to the goodly green of the world.Until three years prior, she had settled into a quiet life, content to fill her sketchbooks and care for wild nature and ward away danger with naught but her Sisters and a loyal hound at her side. Only her father would visit her, seeking her out once a season to bring family news and share his journals and notes with her. But, that year, rumors reached even the witches in their woods that Nerien had disappeared, and true to the scant gossip, he missed a visit, prompting Tessa to emerge from the forest and seek him out, with her dog, Samson, by her side to track him down.

➳ Ideals - Tessa prizes self-sufficiency, skill, and knowledge above all, believing the world rewards those who dare, explore, and learn. Adventure, cunning, and curiosity guide her hands and mind alike. She trusts the Earthbones and old green magic, and believes that the preservation of wild nature, old magic, and the ancient past, are causes more worthy than all the artifice and constructs of modern civilization, which often seeks to destroy those things in its misunderstanding of them.

➳ Bonds - Her loyalty, when earned, is fierce and enduring, and betrayals from those once close to her cut deep; love demands everything from her uncompromising heart. Friends, covenmates, and allies who earn her trust are treasures she will protect at great cost, even against impossible odds. She carries the ghosts of every place she has been and every life that has touched hers, weaving them into a tapestry that defines her sense of belonging.

➳ Flaws - Tessa's stubbornness is a knife with two edges, and she grips it bare-handed. She bristles at command, and can turn combative when patience would serve her better. She does not yield easily, especially when angry or desperate, and may fight past wisdom to prove a point. She knows she's ill-suited to polite society and the gentler shapes expected of her, and beneath the veneer of her hard-won self-control simmers a dangerous temper, deep grudges, and a wrath as methodical as her skills are broad.

common

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date.

uncommon

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum"
Place, circa date.

common

➳ Witch of the Wyrd - When crops fail, streams dry up, or nature spirits grow restless, the Beldama Wyrd is there to attend. It's the duty of a Wyress to tend to anything amiss with the land and its creatures, and Tessa may be called on to do just that, to heal an affliction, to bless fields, to care for a wounded animal, or even to pacify a hostile Spriggan. Sometimes rangers, hunters, or other woodsman have need of the Wyrd, or a desire to pay their respects and pass through their land unbothered. Other wyresses, druids, and even Spinners or Greenspeakers may choose to seek her out.
→ a catch-all hook for the Wyrd's witchcraft. when it comes to other green magic users, Tessa prefers to deal with others who pay deference to the Earthbones/Jephre/Y'ffre, and is hostile to Daedra worship.➳ Curious Courtier - Strange circumstances, shared battles, and a bond of friendship have led Tessa to become an advisor to Lord Reynaud, the Count Farrand. Whether at his side or independent of his wishes, Tessa spends a great deal of time at court around High Rock and the Systres, advocating for the Wyrd and the lands that the coven protects. Though she feels she's ill-suited to the life of a courtier, Tessa may serve as a frank but capable aide for nobles who care about the lands of Bretony, and she possesses a colorful web of connections she can sometimes leverage, for a price.
→ a social or political hook for nobles, knights, retainers, etc. but could just as easily be for anyone at court. Tessa tends to do her diplomacy without deference, so if you want discrete advice or a favor without courtly theater, she's your witch.➳ The Questing Spirit - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum
→ Daenia, baby.

uncommon

➳ In The Shadow of the Forest - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum
→ sometimes darkness lurks in the woods➳ Old Maps, Old Stories - Tessa still keeps a large folio of her own annotated maps from her years delving into ruins — sites that have been surveyed on their surface, but never fully explored. She does not give these maps away freely, however. If she offers one, it's because she expects something tangible in return: a favor carried out, an item said to be found there, or proof that whatever lies there has been handled properly.
→ classic TES ruin delving with environmental consequences. I like to DM, though I don't always have time, so this will need to be discussed first. you may also take what Tessa offers as a plot hook and run with it in your own RP without me!

rare

➳ Stained in Ink - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum
→ stuff.

Samson

the best boy

The finest hound I've ever raised and a spoiled sweetheart. If any creature deserved to live forever loved, it is you.

Kelissindaryl

partner

Most cherished poison of my heart.

Count Reynaud Farrand

liege-lord and ally

Reynaud is attentive, thoughtful, a cordial Lord and the consummate gentleman, but he also listens. It's ever a rarity for the blue-blooded to deign to hear what the common folk say, but the Count cares. He is a soul spurred to action and purpose, a brave man willing to meet a challenge unflinching. I would have no other Lord upon the seat of his forefathers. I am proud to call him friend.

Mishaxhi-Ves

best friend

You are a man of principle in a world ruled by men who have none. I hope the good sense in your words can drag the world kicking and screaming into a better future.

Ari Reid

friend

You remind me too much of myself at your age, thinking you have it all figured out, and to have the mirror pointed back at myself is unsettling. You deserve to find your own way out from under the thumb of anything that would control you.

Nerien of Elinhir

father

I still think of our time on the road as the best days of my life, even if it took a mountain of tragedy to bring us together at last.

Marilene Corentin

mother

You taught me how to stick up for myself, and then you hated me for doing exactly that. Why are you surprised I left?

Sir François Corentin

grandfather †

There is no day that passes that I do not miss you.

Sir Tristan of Thornhill

beloved †

Wherever you've gone, in the great afterwards of life, I'll find you again.