[Elora]

Better late than never. I offer you a profile for the mother of Dryea and Alethea for your consideration. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

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I presently write in Green Dragon (Vanwe character), and White Horse Inn (Ronnan and Naiore characters).

I have not role played at Barrow Downs.

Character Profile

Name: Lady Ruiel Morthaniawen - evil contingent

Age: Early 50's

Race: Corsair

Gender: Female

Marital Status: Widowed

Appearance: A handsome woman with striking features. She has amber hair that has darkened over time, blue eyes, and a creamy complexion. Ruiel was a fair young woman in her time and has ripened with maturity. Having borne two daughters, Ruiel is shapely and stands at 5' 6" in height.

Weapons: Ruiel has a sharp wit and keen senses that when softened by her feminine charms is often masked. She is well spoken, diplomatic and able to verbally manipulate most things according to her needs and will.

An experienced spy, Ruiel has developed the considerable reportoire one would expect of a veteran spy and mistress of political intrigue. Lady Morthaniawen is also known to carry a dagger as is customary for the women of her people. Like those carried by her daughters, it is of great value, antique and beautifully worked by ancient artisans.


Personality/Weaknesses/Strengths: Ruiel has a formidible aura, and little stands in her way. She carries a natural authority with her and whilst well spoken is never mistaken as meek, timid or undecided. Ruiel is a woman who knows her mind and is rarely at a loss.

She has imparted to Dryea all that she has learnt over the course of her career. Riuel possesses a sharp, analytical intellect, is perceptive and has a mercurial wit. She is self-possessed, and her inner thoughts are rarely shared with any around her in their true form.

Riuel is always aware of advantages to be gained in how others perceive her or her daughters and has a political accumen that is pre-eminient. Since the death of her husband, Riuel has assumed a position of authority that noone thought to question.

Riuel is a highly disciplined woman who closely guards herself. She has a thirst for power that rarely sleeps and an uncanny ability to position herself so as to reap the most reward from any given situation. She can be merciless and cold and rarely forgives another for a transgression. Ruiel's temper, when it does emerge, is violent and incindary. It burns cold and long. She is a woman who nurtures both graces and grudges. Both can be used to her advantage.

Ruiel is a woman who has spent her life in courts and political cicles of varying descriptions. Accordingly, she is a court trained Lady, familiar with diplomatic and cultural expectations, languages, protocol and socialisation. She considers these as much weapons as camoflague for the real business of power, and has instilled them in her daughters accordingly. A proud and vain woman, Ruiel's weakness is her moral expediency and addiction to power.

History: Ruiel Morthaniawen grew up in a priviliedged Umbarian family which was not a major power and yet had influence within her court. Her father recognised her talents early, and seeing an opportunity to win greater position, gave his daughter to the Umbarian government. There, she was trained by the Spy Masters in the arts of espionage, spying, reconnaisance and assassination.

Ruiel showed a natural talent for navigating the circles within circles, and an ability to emerge in tact from the most dangerous of situations. Ruiel quickly advanced and completed assignments that inferred prestige to her father and saw her family advance within the court of Umbar.

Ruiel was married off to the heir of a powerful House and produced two daughters, Dryea and Alethea. It was a marriage of political gain and expediency, and Ruiel felt no love towards her husband. He was a means to an end. The business interests of her husband's House meant Ruiel and her daughters often moved about through the coastal cities and towns. Ruiel turned her attentions to her children, instilling in them what had won her so much power and influence in the male political world of Umbar.

Ruiel was by that time ensconced in a position of secret power, and forced to hide her activities lest it overshadow her husband's House. As she steadily garnered power and established her own networks, Ruiel's relationship with her husband became more and more distant. When he died, Ruiel wasted little time on grief and assumed the reigns proper. Few equivocated with the now formidible woman.

Now the matriach of a powerful House, Ruiel blossomed and with her so did her daughters, Dryea in particular who proved herself most related to her mother. Alethea seemed more related to her father, Lord Morthaniawen. Recognising Dryea's considerable ability, Ruiel took her elder daughter closer under her wing, and made her protege in most of what she did. She was not overcome with maternal pride as to trust her daughter with all things though, for Ruiel recognised the sharp hunger that moved within Dryea could consume her in time.

No longer burdened with the facade of a loyal wife and mother, Ruiel become more active in her work, primarily directed against Gondor and her vassals. The ancient enimty between Gondor and Umbar had not abated, and her hatred of Gondor and her people spread also to fertile ground within Dryea's mind and heart. Over the years, Ruiel executed tactical moves to impanel herself within Dol Amroth's power circles, adopting a Sindarian name to replace her childhood name and Lady Ruiel Morthaniawen and her two daughters came into existence.

Once there, Ruiel worked doggedly over the years to strengthen and consolidate her position in Dol Amroth. She navigated setbacks and manipulated advantages to progress far and was anticipating the culmination of her ultimate goal: to hand back to Umbar their ancient lands, usurped by the rabble refugees from Numenor. Dryea had been working alongside her mother for some years to this end.

The advent of Finduilias' wedding to Ecthelion respresents an intolerable impediment to this. Ruiel will stop at nothing to see it undone, including the sacrifice of her daughters if that proves either necessary or expedient. Nothing is indispensible to Ruiel Morthaniawen.

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Elora's post

Lady Ruiel Morthaniawen critically examined her daughter's appearance. Dryea was an flawlessly beautiful woman and on this occassion there could be no flaw. Too much was at stake and the Gondorian nobles would be paying close attention. Already Ruiel had recevied word of the bubbling resentment towards Finduilias and the Dol Amroth contingent, an encouraging possibility not to be squandered by a wrong footed entrance now. Finding no blemish in her radiant beauty, Ruiel smiled at her daughter.

"Exquisite," she said in approval, her voice it's usual cultured alto musical tone. Ruiel waved the maids from the chambers after favouring one in particular with a small smile. The dressing completed, and stood beside her fair daughter before the mirror. Youth and maturity stared back at her. Ruiel smoothed the luxuriant nap of her indigo, paneled gown that fell in graceful folds from her lush, curved hips. The bodice, tightly bound to her ripened torso, emphasied the feminine curve of her figure. Ruiel, though not in the grip of youthful beauty, was a woman come into the maturity of her own handsomeness.

"What about jewellry," Ruiel prompted. Dryea crossed to the richly carved vanity to finish her preparations. She stowed a dagger, delicately worked for all it's lethal edge, and tucked it into her glorious crimson gown. The decadent colour set her golden skin off to perfection, as had been intended when the bolt of fabric had been purchased some weeks ago and sent to the dressmakers for work.

Ruiel, who saw all as an investment that must provide her the expected return, the cost of the wardrobe she'd commissioned for this journey was well invested. Her daughter was as beautiful and deadly as the dagger she had hidden in her dress. Her daughter added a extraordinary medallion and fine golden bracelets that gently chimed to her slim wrists. Then she turned to re-examine her appearance.

Dryea lifted her chin at her reflection and satisfaction gleamed in her sapphire gaze. "Splendid," Dryea finally agreed.

Ruiel, amber hair was wound intricately around her head, turned for the door to see where her other daughter dallied. On her fingers gleamed a fiery ruby set in an ornately carved ring, the betrothal ring of her dead husband. A golden torc, twisted delicately into trailing vines and flowers by a clever smith, gleamed at the base of her long throat. The heavy fabric of her gown whispered as she walked, augmented by Dryea who accompanied her.

Alethea emerged from her chambers, dressed in the gold gown as Ruiel had instructed. Well pleased with her daughters, who would gleam as jewels in Gondor this day, bright and beckoning to the already beleaugered Finduilias who was also newly arrived from Dol Amroth. If the child did not take the bait, then it little mattered to Ruiel. The trio smoothly walked towards the hall where the lords and ladies in attendance were gathering.

"We will cross bridges as we come to them," Ruiel gently reminded her daughters, moreso Dyrea who had glanced at her mother prior to entering the hall. Standing graceful, they moved like swans through the knots of people, Ruiel nodding here and there to those faces it suited her to acknowlede until they came to Lady Finduilias.

Her youth was striking, as was her beauty. Denethor had not chosen from his own city, but Ruiel could see why he had risked the censure of his nobles to snatch up Finduilias. That was all well and good, provided the child did not impede more imporant matters, like the cedeing of Umbar's lands back to them in accordance with ancient birthright. No vassal of Gondor, no matter how beautiful, would stymie her on that score.

Dryea and Alethea stood on either side of their mother, hands clasped elegantly before them and schooled expressions of charming welcome upon their faces. Ruiel herself curved her lips into a motherly smile of greeting, and swept into a graceful cursty before the bride.

"Lady Finduilias, greetings and felicitations on your impending wedding. Lady Ruiel Morthaniawen of Dol Amroth at your service."

Finduilias smiled, anxious in this strange place with it's cool Gondorian nobles around her. Ruiel had calculated her smile, warmth and the familiar name of Dol Amroth to be a powerful relaxant. She smoothly rose once more.

"I introduce to you my daughters, Dryea and Alethea, who had accompanied me to witness the glorious upcoming event," Ruiel said. Dryea and Alethea curtsied sweetly, allowing Ruiel the opportunity to covertly guage the level of attention they were garnering. More than one set of eyes focused on their gathering, notably upon Dryea, as Ruiel had hoped.

She returned her focus to Finduilias, who in turn greeted her daughters. Ruiel projected comforting, gentle warmth through her smile at the bride, a stranger in this less than receptive court. Then, she stepped back to allow Finduilias to continue with the procession of greetings. Time would see if the girl was so alone here as to reach for a seemingly comforting presence of a friend. Flanked by her daughters, Ruiel continued her inspection of those gathered. Yes, she thought with the confidence of experience as she looked about, even should the girl prove recalcitrant and aloof there is still much to work with here. Lady Morthaniawen wrapped her anticipation and satisfaction around her.

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I hope that suffices. I thought it necessary to have Dryea and her family (mother and sister) familiar in Dol Amroth to better garner Finduilias' trust. Hence, I have named Ruiel on a Sindarin derivation that is not, in reality, her Umbarian name. Ruiel's identity is closely guarded. I hope that construction of identity will not be problematic, however it can be altered if it does.

I look forward to your feedback. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ June 25, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]