Kastabyrn Spinel | Strong Spirit(s) | EITE Collab

Physical Traits:

140 years old | Appearance of a woman in her thirties; she reached the peak age of 50 long ago and her appearance of aging has slowed dramatically | Born December 27th.

[Species: Dwarf.] From Nunrim, nearer the border of Baelstrum and Luthëanora; one mountain range between the two.

3' 6"

Dark brown skin, toughened from the heat of her forge and from various injuries she's taken during her job: hot ember burns, cuts from her creations that include blades that break and shatter and impact her, etc. Stout, strong woman; short but compact and strong.

Dark brown eyes, nearly black. She sees well in the dark, a trait natural for Dwarves so they don't have to carry as much light so deep when mining.

Long black hair, head shaved on either side. Almost always kept in half-a-dozen tight row braids, keeping them out of her way; the braids reach just past her shoulders. When let out for a thorough wash, her hair is very curly and unruly, causing it to puff up around her and become even more frizzy when brushed. Best controlled if an oil made of plant seeds from Rhazadûn is applied first. The same can be said about her beard.

Face: Thick, tough skin, minor scarring, heat damage primarily on cheeks and nose. Wide nostrils, full beard, trimmed mustache, tame arched eyebrows (often singed, so not kept trimmed to avoid burning). Natural long eyelashes, but they are often short from being burned from heat. Notable mole on the bridge of her nose. Gold septum piercing, large steel gage earlobe piercing. Set-in lines from scowling and tensed features.

Body: Stout, rugged, muscular body. While she stands at a very average height for a Dwarf, she also has a very normal muscle density for a Dwarf. She has scars littering her body, mostly on her arms, hands, and small marks on her face from the exposure of that skin to her working environment and normal wear-and-tear. Her chest is almost like a male's, but slightly less firm; she has a slight curve to her chest, which gives her slightly more defined curves. She gains weight easily, and keeps herself moving and in shape by keeping up with smithing, training herself with her war axe, hiking, and general fitness.

Style: Kastabyrn always wears sleeveless shirts, allowing her full movement of her arms; and to show the muscle in them. She's most often seen in her leather attire, including her leather apron, that she does smithing it- also including her steel-toed boots. On the more rare occasions she takes those clothes off, such as when she takes a night off to go drink, she continues to wear sleeveless shirts, long pants, and closed shoes; but far more breathable fabric and lighter-weight shoes. She's always wearing a complex Dwarven belt buckle that only she seems to know how to function.

Occupation: Saddler, smith, and general repair coordinator. Kastabyrn is in charge of leatherworking, smithing metal repair needs, and even fitting these repairs for the Order. If necessary, Kastabyrn does have an assistant (a human, Armund) who can help her with these duties; this assistant is often only needed when she gets swamped with orders, which used to be after a large battle against the Obsidian Flight. Nowadays she often gets more stupid incidents causing a need for repair over a war breaking out. Every saddle she works on (every Rider comes to her, as she's the only metal-worker for Drathmere specifically) she puts an engraved concho onto, which marks her as the one who works on the saddles. (A Wood Elf named Keohian Eilzeiros does the leatherworking; the custom making for every saddle and dragon, and the replacement pieces if needed [like new straps if one snaps.] Keohian burns his emblem into the leather as his mark of being the crafter.)

Fighting: If it were ever necessary for Kastabyrn to get into a real, intense fight, she wields a double-bladed two-handed axe. She would fight if provoked to the extent of needing to, though since being in Drathmere the presence of many dragons and peoples who are trained to fight and even partner with those dragons she has not seen a single need to wield it. Even so, she trains at least once a week if she gets the time; during the times of war, she got a lot of exercise in the act of constantly working and swinging a hammer to forge, and in calmer times she gets the clear time she needs to wield the weapon for training with it. Even if she should never need to use it, she does it to keep her own strength up, packing her body with muscle.

Personality:

Her voice is deep and firm, always projected when she speaks, but has a higher pitched ring that gives her a dose of feminine vocals; when she talks normally, her voice sounds like a very low woman's voice or a man's voice. When yelling, her voice is lower, like a male.

Kastabyrn is a very firm, gruff person, and comes off exactly that way. She's blunt, maybe slightly rude, but has a limit to that rudeness; if she hits a mark and knows it, her tone usually gentles- typically after a sigh. She is very independent and proud. When she is friends with someone, it is very obvious, and she is often more open with them; she doesn't hide that she changes demeanor when she's with a friend. She does still make remarks that could come across as too blunt or slightly rude even to a friend, as it's just her personality.

When alone, Kastabyrn spends a lot of her time in her workshop, silent, furthering her skills. She likes to make complex Dwarven mechanisms, such as puzzles, and especially ones someone can actually utilize- like her own belt. She prefers the quiet while she puts together her mechanisms, only the quieter sounds of the pieces moving as a steadying noise. If not working, she does not prefer to be alone; she wants the sounds of socializing, and the liveliness of a tavern to drink at. Most of her time is spent thinking alone, but not always actually alone (due to having an assistant in the workshop).

If angry, Kastabyrn becomes verbal and bullish. She yells, her voice heavy and impossible to miss. She becomes physically stiff, moving towards the confrontation, not retreating. If someone makes her angry, she shows it without leaving any doubt towards who or why. She doesn't immediately throw into violence, and actually restrains herself from holding anything if angry so she can't have any such urges, but she can hold her own if she needs to.

Traits: Active, anticipative, capable, challenging, clear-headed, confident, courageous, daring, decisive, dedicated, disciplined, efficient, firm, focused, hardworking, honest, independent, innovative, methodical, meticulous, organized, perfectionist, practical, resourceful, self-reliant, skillful, strong, thorough, arrogant, assertive, blunt, cantankerous, charmless, coarse, critical, fixed, impatient, intolerant, irritable, libidinous, moody, opinionated, reactive, self-indulgent, strong-willed, unpolished.

Some (very few) people call her "Kasta", or "Byrn". Most people are not close enough to call her by anything but her full name. (The Royal Court calls her by full name, if they ever see her. Evander gets a pass to call her "Kasta" if he wishes, but he often uses her full name out of respect- which she grants in return.

Quirks:

Kastabyrn has a keen sense of smell; she can smell a shift on the breeze, smoke before fire from far away, and even the kinds of tonics people use: leather softening and preserving types that someone uses, how fresh an ore is based on how the shavings from it smell when it was mined, etc.

Climbing mountains is an activity Kastabyrn actually enjoys. She spent many years climbing up the mountains that make up the border between Baelstrum and Luthëanora when she lived in Nunrim, and she spent many years making the treks down beneath the ground through mining tunnels in other areas. Climbing mountains would be done with a walking stick to give her extra leverage that taller folk naturally have, though many trails around Drathmere and popular lookout spots do have carved stairs into the natural terrain to make it easier for some.

Kastabyrn is able to lift extremely heavy things. She is very used to heavy weights and a lot of need for muscle, and she trains herself using very heavy "weights", any item she can simply lift and set down to feel that strain turn into ease as she gets stronger.

Losing track of time is common for her; she loses herself in her tasks, and her body is used to working long hours.

When she sleeps, she sleeps deeply. Enough so that banging on her door is often not enough to wake her. Higher ranking peoples in the Order have access to a mallet they can use on her door to create a louder, resonating call; they only use it in emergencies, and she will still be irate about it.

Kastabyrn has a very intensive footcare system; she's on her feet more of her time than not, and typically within stuffy, heavy shoes. To prevent any extra pain, or smell that she'll have to deal with, she keeps her feet scrubbed, dusted, and scraped once-monthly.

Gem polishing and collecting. Kastabyrn has a collection of polished gems, stones, and ores; she buys the raw materials and smoothes or cuts them herself. These items are not shown openly or in her workshop, but inside her personal dwelling.

Kastabyrn has a private garden; an inside garden that remains mostly dark for most of the time. It grows fungi, which she only checks on occasionally, giving it more scraps to decompose and to check on the growth. Her fungi cultivation is about glowing mushrooms and edible mushrooms. (Some of the mushrooms are also used to create her own potent alcoholic tonics she ferments herself for herself.)

A flask is almost always somewhere in her pockets when she goes somewhere. It's filled with her own strong-brewed alcohol.

Collecting and purifying rain water. She uses the purified rain water to make her spirits with, as she thinks it makes it taste better and stronger, but she also uses it when crafting and cleaning enhanced items: items etched with runes, infused with magic, etc.

She will add an extra finish to equipment and supplies for people she likes/her friends that need repairs/replacements/adjustments. This usually includes a faint scented finish on their saddle, the choice of scent usually stemming from what she already detects on that person and their likes based on that.

Kastabyrn is able to "spit fire" in performance, and in ways that could count as an attack or defensive display to force distance. Using her own pocket flask of alcohol, she could use it at any time alongside a source of fire to create a blow-up of fire. She blows the alcohol through the flames to create an intense fiery plume.

Creative "swearing". Instead of directing curses, she'll list off a crazy level of inconvenience. For example: if she gets into a groove in her head of working and someone knocks on her workshop door or interrupts her flow in some other way, she might say something like "The rotting scent of Goblin piss would cause less of a headache." (Something exaggerated, and simply not true, in a show of frustration.)

She doesn't like being called "ma'am" or "sir"; just by her name. Either first or last name, whichever the person feels fits for the time, but nothing extra formal.

Relationships:

Mother: Dekhahulda. Deceased. Would be 287 years old. Died when Kastabyrn was younger (30's), before getting to see her reach full maturity (50). She was a very skilled conversationalist, who worked with haggling over the prices of gems, jewelry, and metal-worked goods. She had a touch of magic, enough to add lesser protective spells onto items (jewelry and shields) to amplify their capabilities and longevity.

Father: Burrowtelin. Deceased. Would be 291 years old. Died when Kastabyrn was younger (30's), before getting to see her reach her full maturity (50). He was a very skilled metalworker and complex smith, capable of making intricate carvings, etchings, and weapons. Lesser items were not "worth his time". He had been a gruff, silent man, only speaking when necessary.

Assistant: Armund Teill. Human. 26.Tall, strong, capable. Armund has a good attitude, positive demeanor, and a calming voice. He has an artificial right leg made of metal, allowing him to walk with a limp. Despite this challenge, he doesn't let it stop him, and Kastabyrn took him on in her shop despite it; she doesn't believe a "deformity" makes you any less capable or useful. The days where the ache becomes worse along the stump of what was his previous leg come in cold weather and heavy rain; during those days, Kastabyrn often pushes him a little less hard, kind to the knowledge it is a pain he cannot help and won't push him to what he cannot do. Kastabyrn has not had sex with him; not out of a "professional boundary", as she's able to do both, but out of acknowledgment he had no engagement towards her advance. He is not interested in sex, with anyone, as far as she has seen.

Co-worker (of sorts): Keohian Eilzeiros. Keohian makes the leather of all the saddles for Riders; specially crafted for every dragon and for their Rider, fitting perfectly. He crafts every piece before having them sent over to Kastabyrn for the metal pieces to bring the entire things together. He burns his symbol into a piece of leather of that saddle, marking himself as the carer for the leather. Kastabyrn isn't sure what to make of him; she doesn't get along with Elves as easily as most other races (they're too formal and reserved, while she is very vocal and dominant). Despite this, they're on fair terms; they don't talk often as friends, but they're professionally equal. Kastabyrn has respect for his craftsmanship.

Opinions:

Kastabyrn does not think ballads count as music; they don't have a solid rhythm half the time, and the words are too flowery and strung together; love music. She prefers silence, the sound of her work, or a clear rhythm in music.

Elves frustrate her; she often finds them too formal, too stiff. She is very blunt and bold, while Elves seem too refined to meet her on that level. She does not outright hate them, but has a slight prejudice towards them from the many interactions she's had with Elves.

Significant Other Behavior:

Kastabyrn is not a romantic woman; she does not have interest in "traditional" courting ideals. Flowers, candlelight, music- they do not appeal to her. She does however believe in being taken to a hearty dinner as a show of interest. Sharing a heavy meal is a declaration of interest to Kastabyrn.

A romantic relationship is not something she has ever experienced. She has had more experiences with sexual relationships than a personal and emotional kind. She doesn't currently believe a personal relationship is possible for her, as her needs are different from those around her (and she's okay with it).

If she were to ever have a "real" relationship, she has rather strict ideals; someone who can keep up with her sexually (she has a high drive), someone who can keep up with her physically, someone who can handle and return her attitude for stimulation, someone who can match her appetite (for actual food), and someone that will value her independence as much as she does.

Arguments would not be uncommon for Kastabyrn, even if they're meaningless in the long run. To her, that is part of her personality, and she would expect someone to have the ability to bounce it back at her if they wanted to be with her exclusively; or even for a longer term.

Kastabyrn is not specific to male or female when it comes to interest sexually. She has been with both, and is not shy or hesitant in any way to be completely open with her partner, or about who it is. Not a lot of filter when talking about who, or what they do.

If she were to ever get into a relationship that wasn't just physical but also became an emotional bond, she would become possessive. If she became interested in them as a partner, not just sexually, and they returned the interest, she would start to become monogamous, and expect the same from them.

Kinks/Bedroom Behavior:

Kastabyrn has a sexual interest in Orcs. While she's only ever met one, she's seen others, and is sexually intrigued and interested in them. Their shows of strength are definitely a part of it, and their overall size is too, but she also likes their demeanor and equal bluntness.

Agrexophilia; having other people know about one's sexual activities. She is very vocal and open about what she's done with others, and even whom it was with. If someone has been with her sexually, she does not think they should be shy about it, and she certainly won't be.

Frotteurism/Toucherism; rubbing against a non-consenting person/touching an unsuspecting, non-consenting person with the hand. Typically starts with a touch, rubbing someone's thigh typically, and gradually happening more if they do not show a rejection. If interest is shown, she's far more bold and less held-back and waiting.

Gymnophilia; erotic interest in nudity or naked bodies. No matter which gender, of what type of body, Kastabyrn has a sexual interest in seeing nude bodies.

Hirsutophilia; body hair, especially excessive hair. For males (or females if another Dwarf), this is focused on the entire body, but is also critical of facial hair. She doesn't mind any amount of body hair, and actually wants to mentally catalogue it when with someone; she wants to see all of it.

Oral fixation; no matter which gender she is with, Kastabyrn would give intense, lingering oral to her sex partner. Including beyond the point of overstimulation.

Sthenolagnia; muscles and displays of strength. Being as strong as she is, she also puts on shows of strength, but sexually enjoys seeing others doing the same.

Kastabyrn is dominant in situations; social and sexual.

Extras:

She, like many Dwarves, prefers light from enchanted rune carvings instead of from fire to work by (though she does find natural light helps her accuracy when smithing and fixing; she was not used to it when venturing through below-ground dwellings). Enchanted runlight gives clearer, steadier light, less flickering and shadows. However, she is very connected to the fire of her forge itself, but surrounding light in the smithy at night is from the enchanted runes engraved into the walls around her workshop.

Kastabyrn's private domicile is connected to her workshop through a door near the back, which stays locked with a Dwarven mechanism.