Aes

Basic Statistics

 * Character Name. Aestiah Arreal
 * Maiden Name. Firestorm
 * Nickname. Aessy, Tia
 * Race. ex-High Elf, Blood Elf
 * Age. 28-30's (human)
 * Birthplace. Silvermoon
 * Class. Hunter
 * Title. ex-Pirate, Ranger-Cadre
 * Professions. Enchanter, Miner
 * Known Family. Captain Vaelrin Firestorm (adopted father), Tygeade Arreal (husband), Lyreala Arreal (daughter)
 * Guild. Resolute
 * Alignment. Chaotic Neutral

Appearance
While it may be cliché to say, this elf is nothing more than a generic sin'dorei female when in regards to her appearance. Vibrant jade eyes once known for being shaded sapphire flicker and swirl in a luminous glow, signifying her deep rooted ties to the known addiction of her kind. Where most are seen with supple curves and irresistible appearances, her allure is simply average, slender and fit for maximum flexibility and dexterity to her active lifestyle as a ranger.

Sun-kissed locks of flaming scarlet spill loosely in soft curls over her shoulders and back, rich and enhanced in color against her morbidly pallid complexion. She looks to be around her early to mid twenties in human years, but we all know how that tends to be a lie when in regards to elves. With no makeup to amplify the qualities of her face, she lacks the mature beauty most her age tend to carry, appearing even more ordinary than she already is. The only jewelry she wears are several piercings at the tip of her ears since anything else would simply get in the way of her vigorous lifestyle. On her left hand seen on her ring finger sits a very plain and simple platinum band.

Though her skin is not flawless, that is not to say she is marred with many scars. There might be a scratch here and a barely visible gash there, but nothing notable enough for you to distinguish her by. Frequent first aid attention to her wounds tends to keep her from being too scraped up, so it's rather common to see bloodied bandages on her arm or hand.

She does not smell of anything edible, floral, sweet, or otherwise impossible to linger for extended periods. Realistically speaking towards the end of a long day, she will probably carry the scent of some of her latest excursions consisting of blood, sweat, and maybe something hideously unexplainable. Yet on given occasions, this is either masked or joined with the heavy scent of liquor. Bourbon or wine quality, her breath will rink of it if one is in close proximity of her.

She's usually seen in her mail armor with her weapon in tow, not one for wearing robes or dresses of any type except on rare or odd occasions. Her voice is rich and defined with an abundance of confidence that rings with promise. Where most women are reserved and soft-spoken, she remains the opposite.

Personality
Loud, demanding, vulgar, and self-absorbed, she defies all forms of etiquette when in terms to the behavior of most sin'dorei women and is quite possibly the epitome of "Arrogance". While she carries the demeanor of a spoiled princess, she seems to lack the regal behavior of one. Raised on the mentality that what's hers is hers and what's yours is also hers, she seems to hold little regard in the personal matters of others and cares only about her own personal gain. She is, without a doubt, a vain and very self-reliant elf who has earned the reputation of being disliked amongst her kind because of her uncouth behavior.

Whether or not this hard exterior she portrays is a gimmick or real, it is quite easy for those that are close to her (and that remains in the small numbers) to to see sides of her not often revealed. Aestiah has been known to hide away emotions that may make her out to be a bit of a softy, anywhere along the lines of blushing to even crying is rarely seen from her. It is her way of trying to appear like the 'tough men' she grew up around, raised on the mindset that behavior of that sort was for weak-minded.

Her determination is what makes her a strong character. She is a bold and lively person who is not afraid to speak her mind openly, regardless of the person. This may or may not often bring her into a whirlwind of trouble, but she does it to show that she is not afraid. She is a bit impulsive at times, often acting on a whim without thoroughly thinking the plans through. Though her motivations are honorable, that is not to say that her actions are thought out or reasonable. Being as stubborn as she is, she is often bullheaded about some things like accepting when she is too weak to fight a battle or if a plan of hers is not exactly full proof. She is, for lack of a better word, a brat.

Overall, Aestiah is a one of a kind character with an unrivaled liveliness and a malleable nature easy to love ... or hate.

The Beginning
On one fair afternoon, one of Quel’thalas' prominent magistrates and his wife celebrated the arrival of their newest addition to the family—Evilyn. Born into a noble household, Evilyn was the youngest amongst three brothers and one older sister. From day one her life was mapped out for her—a life dedicated to the arcane and serving under the established order of the Sunstrider dynasty. Her father, being the strict man that he was, allowed no exceptions to this rule. Unfortunately, her story would take an entirely different direction some years later into her youth.

The oldest sister was known for her habit of gathering herbs at unusual times during the day. The trips would often include Evilyn, giving her a head start on learning all the various wild flowers and their purposes. Despite the vehement warnings from her family regarding the Amani trolls known for lurking in the outskirts of the forest, the oldest one remained confident in her capabilities as a Magister to defend herself when the time came. Sadly, none of this would hold true when the situation became a reality. During one of her runs, the novice mage was taken by when she encountered a group of Trolls. Weakened by the onslaught of battle, her sister could only carry her so far out of harms way before finally dropping to the ground and perishing. Wandering and crying, the tiny child was likely to meet her own demise through dehydration and exposure had she not reached the sandy beaches where her cries were heard by a band of men ... a band of men composed of elves, humans, and even goblins who just happened to be ... pirates.

Their efforts were far from noble, pirates had no use for children on board their ship. The original idea was to sell her off as a slave to a willing bidder, but as days came to pass during their voyage across sea, Captain Vaelrin Firestorm slowly began to grow a fond attachment towards the abandoned child. Taking the child under his wing, he christened her with a new name: Aestiah Firestorm. As the years drew by, Aestiah grew up into a life completely contradicting the one originally mapped out for her; a rugged, filthy, and foul-mouthed individual—a typical Pirate. To be taken as a daughter under someone with such a prestigious title as Captain would later earn her the nickname of ‘Princess’. This was due to her spoiled tendencies and often haughty behavior, lacking the polite and tranquil traits of one in every way. The nickname was not in the least bit a word she favored. For her, it meant only having to work harder to prove her worth within the troupe. This often meant acting on a whim and trying to be one step ahead of the rest when it came to thievery and ransoms. Time and patience granted her the respect she deserved from the men, even if it meant dumping her femininity at the door. While others used daggers and swords, Aestiah was more drawn to the bow as her weapon of choice. Influenced by the stories of the Captain's previous life as a Farstrider, she learned her way around the bow thanks to his guidance and her own stubborn determination. As far as her past was concerned, she was the bastard child of some harbor whore and the Captain. Aestiah never questioned it and took it to be fact, ignoring the reoccurring memory of the event that took place in Eversong. Yet like most lies, the truth will always find a way to come out.

Come the arrival of the Third War, Aestiah learned the painful truth behind her real history; that her father was not really her father and that any amount of history about her lied within the reaches of Quel’thalas. Hoping to find some iota of information regarding her past, she had returned to Silvermoon only to find it in ruins, destroyed by Arthas and the Scourge. If there was any remaining relatives or clues tied to discovering her true birth family, they were burned into the ashes of what was left of the city. Nothing was left, and with nothing to really go off of, she could only assume the worst in regards to her estranged birth family.

Her carefree life at sea ended when the Captain and his elder crew members decided to aid Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider efforts in the Outland. As for herself, she was to stay and help rebuild—or in the Captain's case, stay out of harm's way. No longer sheltered under his care, however, allowed her to learn of a few disturbing facts hidden within her city. Eventually, sitting around and waiting was no longer an option for her. It was time to join the crusade.

The Outland
With the Prince in the Outland and her father right behind him, it was not long until the remaining group dropped their ties to their life-long Prince and sought the aid of The Horde. While the rest of her kind may have found it daunting to be allied with Orcs and Forsaken, Aestiah could not have been more happier than to work alongside them. However, she remained stubborn in the belief that Kael'thas was not the villain everyone claimed, not if her father was part of his fleet. Hoping to both gain insight on the stories of the twisted prince and the whereabouts of her father, she enlisted into the Horde fully as a Ranger. Her prowess around the bow earned her a quick promotion within the Farstrider ranks.

After vigorous training throughout the outskirts of Azeroth, she was finally permitted into the realms of the Outland. With very few friends and even to a lesser extent acquaintances, Aestiah had little clue or idea where to begin in the search for her father. Upon reaching Shattrath, she joined up with the Scryers in hopes to gain some knowledge on what went on before they disbanded from Kael'thas legion and joined the Naaru. Many told her that it was likely he died in the battles that waged on in Netherstorm, but Aestiah refused to believe it. She remained hopeful that he was able to survival the brute force of the Alliance and the Horde combined, picturing him to be stronger than some of Kael'thas' capable men. Yet as the months drew by, no word was ever given on his exact whereabouts. Outside she became colder and hostile, yet inside she was completely shattered into despair. Life was completely different from then and now. No longer the naive little pirate's daughter she had started out to be, her adventures through Outland hardened her into a completely new woman.

One after another, the few acquaintances and friends she did gain lost their lives while on duty. Always surrounded by people, the bitter reality of loneliness and despair would consume her further. Hoping to drown this out, she enlisted herself in serving and assisting the Shattered Sun Offensive (SSO) on the Isle of Quel'Danas. She joined them in their pursuit in putting a halt in Kael'thas last attempt at control by using the Sunwell to summon Kil'jaden. While not a direct part of the act within Sunwell, she did her part outside of it by breaking through the first line of defense whether by air, sea, or ground combat. For months she aided them, using it as an excuse to escape the reality of her previous life and the losses from it. This often led reckless decisions on her part nearly costing her life—not that she cared anymore. Her earnings went to drinking, and whatever was left was spent on the arrows and repairs needed to return back to the Isle the next day. If she was going to die, she wanted to go down doing what she loved best.

Death never came. Instead, her reckless behavior earned her a title within the SSO ranks. Interestingly enough, her work within the SSO allowed her to acquire new comrades. One priest in particular even managed to turn her outlook on life entirely. It was through him was she finally able to put the past behind her, kicking her rebellious attitude to the side. After the disruption of Kil'jaden's return, celebrations were short-lived when the news of a certain Lich King's whereabouts came to light.

Currently
She has remained with the Horde, joining them in their pursuit for the Lich King over in Northrend. An older, still bratty, but (slightly) wiser Aestiah moves forward with a new outlook on life. Friends that have long since departed or deceased have are replaced (but not forgotten) by newer ones. Love, family, and work, has also shaped a new path for her in life. She is vehemently hostile towards the Death Knights and makes this fact known when in their prescence. Yet as fate would have it, she reunited with her forgotten father—a death knight. Nevertheless, her successful efforts in Northrend has earned her the titles Champion of the Frozen Wastes, The Conquerer, and Champion of Silvermoon.

Family
Captain Vaelrin "Black Jack" Firestorm was a high elf turned blood elf come the fall of Quel’thalas. Once considered a traitor for abandoning the Farstriders and the regime of high elves to form his own alliance outside his kind as a pirate and later captain, he would later return with Aestiah in search of her past to find Silvermoon in shambles. Vowing vengeance for his own personal reason, he renounced his title and joined Kael’thas into the Outland as a Blood Knight to aid him in his hope to restore paradise to their kingdom. A year later he returns as one of the many minions to the Lich King as a Death Knight. His return has brought about much chaos to those around him, including his loved ones.

Tygeade Arreal is an eccentric warlock turned priest who somehow managed to capture her fancy. Eccentric and poetic, this peculiar priest took interest in the Hunter after a month of merely knowing each other on an acquaintance level. How a quiet, giddy, silly, and sometimes shy Priest fell for her is beyond her understanding, but together they are the embodiment of why opposites attract. Hesitant to commit to anything more than friendship, their emotions deepened overtime and progressed into a fulfilling relationship. Always the one for stating that marriage was ridiculous and something she'd never go through, this Priest somehow managed to change that mindset ... since he can now call her his wife.

Lyreala Arreal is Aestiah and Tygeade Arreal's newborn daughter, the newest addition to the family. The news of Aestiah's pregnancy has been a closely guarded secret for several months due to her fear of being ridiculed and reputation tarnished. Originally, Aestiah considered herself childfree -- someone with no desire to bear or raise children, period. Her views eventually changed thanks to Tygeade's strong desire to become a father. This was neither planned nor wanted (at first), Lyreala is simply the accident that happened.

Friends
[She has friends? Under Construction!]

Idiosyncrasies

 * Is a very heavy drinker and enjoys both the taste and buzz that liquor offers her. While she claims to be very good at handling her own, she has been known (quite frequently, mind you) to go overboard.


 * Is the successor to the disbanded crew and was to reform, yet for her own reasons has chosen not to do so. So Captain Aestiah Firestorm does not exist, but she does tend to wave the title around from time to time, claiming that she is.


 * Surprisingly, doesn't have much of a "pirate" accent. That's not to say she isn't capable of it.


 * It's a common misconception for people to believe that Aestiah is in fact a lesbian. Her tomboy appearance and often masculine demeanor confuses the majority into thinking this. Whether or not this holds any truth is unknown, yet Aestiah has been known to flirt with women on some given occasions...

Links Out

 * Embers - A daily in character/out of character collection of stories and tales from a Hunter's perspective.

Artwork of Aestiah Firestorm done by Luesia of Moonguard