Hi ho there.<br/><br/>i'll post soon.  I need to find a picture.<br/><br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/9e/Elizabeth_avarosa_by_yagihikaru_dczgwb6-pre.jpg)</div><strong>Alana Crossland</strong><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">History</div><div class="spoiler_body">   The Crossland family has always had trouble with twins.  Four generations ago, Jeneveve Crossland proudly presented her husband with his first and second born sons...  But she wasn't quite sure which was which.  Forced by this unfortunate circumstance to name both boys as his heirs, Count Crossland's lands were divided equally between the two on his death.  Without enough wealth to support two noble families, both family's fortunes quickly began to fail.  Soon one Crossland branch was reduced to important servants of the royal family while the other branch was forced to dirty their hands with mercantile endeavors.  <br/><br/>   Though mercantile endeavors were far beneath a noble, the seafaring Crosslands quickly found their fortunes reversed.  They cultivated a contract with the Giuseppe family of Vodacce to import Crescent silks to Avalon.  The Crescent Empire was forbidden to most but he Guiseppe family had permission from the Hierophant to trade with them.  As such, silk was a prized luxury.  The Guiseppe brought silk back to Vodacce where some of it was sold to the Crosslands, who then imported it to Avalon.  Avalonian ships could sail right past Vendel League privateers who would harass any Vodacce in northern waters.  <br/><br/>   The latest set of twins to be a bother were Alana and Edward Crossland.  Even as young children they both agreed that they should have been born each other.  Alana was a rambunctious tomboy with little interest in scholarship or courtly grace.  Edward, though fit enough, was not terribly enthusiastic about swordsmanship and sailing.  Fairly early in life, they began to switch.  They got very good at it.  Alana excelled her brother's lessons in the Donnavan school of swordsmanship while Edward—though rather embarrassed to wear his sisters clothes—was very happy to study the arts and sciences.  <br/><br/>   Their father Liam was a conservative sort—despite the roll model the High Queen made for girls like Alana.  He always wanted a staid and well educated daughter and a rambunctious swordsman for a son.  As they switched more, Liam was increasingly pleased with his children.  The only one in the family in on their little secret was Aunt Charlotte.  <br/><br/>   Though rather rambunctious herself, Aunt Charlotte had long ago found equilibrium between her personal life and society—which was shifting in her favor, truth be told.  Charlotte indulged her niece and nephew, even running interference with the rest of the family.  <br/><br/>   All three found their potential for mischief redoubled when Queen Elaine returned the Grail to Avalon and their family gained the blessing of the Sidhe.  <br/><br/>   When the two came of age—and Alana was growing increasingly uncomfortable binding her chest—they discovered that Alana was to be sent to a convent at the capitol for education while Edward was to go to sea on family business.  <br/><br/>   With Aunt Charlotte's help some of Liam's letters were altered.  Rather than his daughter Alana arriving at finishing school, it was Liam's son Allan who reached the capitol, preparing for the university.  <br/><br/>   Now adopting the identity of Edward full time—despite the increasing discomfort in her bound back chest—Alana sailed with one of the family captains to Vodacce several times.  There, she met a dashing and wily nobleman named Vincennto.  Rather than find her feminine heart fluttering for a friend who didn't know the truth of her sex, Alana found even more joy in the rakish lifestyle of a dilettante on the streets of Diona City.  She and Vincentto patronized the finest courtesan houses.  “Edward” revealed his secret to three beautiful courtesans as “he” enjoyed their favors, and they all kept “his” secret.  This was also where Alana became an apprentice in a second sword school, becoming one of “Veronica's Boys.”  <br/><br/>   “Edward” continued this jolly life through to his 20th year.  “He” made friends at court in Avalon as well—mostly young women who enjoyed his expert flirtation, beautiful features, manly strength, and ready wit.  It was here that “Edward” began to witness Queen Elaine's progressive influence, meeting several “Gentlewomen” who—even more so than Aunt Charlotte—saught to contorl their lives, maintain their own honor, prove their own worth, and—yes—wield their own swords.  “Edward” was particularly fond of one swordsman—an acrobatic beauty named Lea.  They met more or less by accident.  “Edward” found her lovely, charming, and in all ways admirable—most especially for daring to live openly the life that she could only live in the guise of Edward.  They sparred several times—twice on the rooftops of Carleon.  <br/><br/>   In Alana and Edward's 20th year, Alan—the real Edward--broke off an affair with Margeret Duncan, a noblewoman who had proven to be a manipulative bitch of the worst kind.  Determined to take her revenge, Margret dug up “Alan's” little secret.  Rather than use it for blackmail or simply accuse “Edward” of cross dressing, Margeret wooed and hired a formidable swordsman to challenge “Edward” to a duel.  His instructions--which he carried out perfectly--were to humiliate “Edward” and then slash open his shirt, jacket, and breast bidingings in public.  <br/><br/>   Alana was humiliated at being exposed and vastly more humiliated at being defeated.  Thinking back, she realized her only chance—which was a small one against the skilled swordsman a decade her senior—would have been to put away her buckler, switch her raper to her left hand, draw her <em>main goshe</em>, and force this Donvan master to face an Ambrogia apprentice who knew all of the weaknesses of Donvan.  <br/><br/>   Next time.  <br/><br/>   There <em>will</em> be a next time!  <br/><br/>   Meanwhile Liam is outraged.  Grandmother Sara has so far managed to hold him back from out and out disowning Alana.  Edward avoided being forced to return home by taking holy orders.  Determined to let her father cool off for a few years and see if he can then be reasoned with then, Alana sought out her friend Lea.  After revealing her true identity, explaining her life's circumstance, and apologizing for the deception on general principle, she persuaded Leah to get her a post on Captain NicDowel's crew--the Black Dogs.  <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Character Sheet</div><div class="spoiler_body"> (For RP purposes.  I know we don't get to roll.)<br/><br/><strong>Traits:</strong>  <br/>Brawn       2<br/>Finesse      4<br/>Resolve      2<br/>Wits         4<br/>Panache      3<br/><br/><strong>Careers:</strong>  Duelist, Knight Errant, and Ship's Captain<br/><br/><strong>Quirks</strong><br/>Earn a Hero Point when you uphold an ideal of knightly virtue in a way that gets you into trouble.<br/>Earn a Hero Point when you resort to the edge of your blade to defend a noble ideal.<br/>Earn a Hero Point when you’re the last one in your crew to safety.<br/><br/><strong>Advantages</strong><br/>Direction Sense:  As long as you have some point of reference, you are never lost. That isn’t the same as knowing exactly where you are—if you’re knocked unconscious and wake up in a dungeon, you don’t necessarily have any idea what city you are in, but if you manage to escape your cell you will never get turned around in the winding tunnels that make up the dungeon.<br/>Duelist Academy (x2): You may choose a Dueling Style.<br/>Married to the Sea: You have access to a Ship. If you and your allies already have access to a Ship, your Ship gains an additional Background. See the Sailing chapter for more information.<br/>Leadership:  <br/>Sea Legs: While aboard a ship, treacherous footing never affects you. You gain 1 Bonus Die on any physical Risk while aboard a ship at sea—engaging in a sword fight on a pitching ship deck, or climbing through the rigging during a storm.<br/>Sorcery x2: You gain the Sorcery from your National bloodline.<br/><br/><strong>Skills</strong><br/>Aim         2<br/>Athletics      3<br/>Brawl         1<br/>Convince      2<br/>Empathy      1<br/>Intimidate      2<br/>Notice      2<br/>Perform      1<br/>Ride         1<br/>Sailing      3<br/>Scholarship      1<br/>Tempt      2<br/>Theft         0<br/>Warfare      2<br/>Weaponry      3</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Swordsman Techniques</div><div class="spoiler_body">Ambrogia:  <br/>--To use Ambrogia, Alana holds her rapier in her left hand and her main gosh in her right hand.  <br/>--Veronica's Guile: Combining quick wits, quick hands, and their left handed fighting style, Alanna has an extremely strong offense when using Ambrogia.  Her strikes are quite damaging and tend to bleed freely thanks to a twist she uses as she pulls out the blade.  <br/>--She may overcome a Donovan stylist by exploiting the weaknesses of the style.  <br/>--Feint:  Alanna may use deceptive maneuvers to make her enemies vulnerable to a strong strike. <br/>--Pollem Strike:  By striking her enemy in the face with her pomel, Alana disorients him and puts him at disadvantage.  <br/>--She may perform a riposte—simultaneous parrying with her main gosh and striking with her rapier.  <br/><br/>Donovan  <br/>--To use Donovan, lana holds her rapier in her right hand and her buckler in her left hand.  <br/>--She has an extremely strong defense focused around her buckler.  <br/>--She may overcome an Ambrogia stylist by exploring the weaknesses of the style.  <br/>--She may bind an enemy weapon with her buckler.  <br/>--She may disarm an enemy weapon with her rapier.  <br/>--She may perform a riposte—simultaneous parrying with her buckler and striking with her rapier.  <br/><br/>Other combat techniques:  <br/>--Allana carries a pistol pistol and three throwing daggers for ranged use.  She also doesn't hesitate to grab her enemies weapons.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Glamour (Journeyman)</div><div class="spoiler_body">Anne o'the Windshield<br/>—Invest glamour to act first for one combat.  <br/>--Invest glamour to spring with great speed.  <br/><br/>Captain Rogers<br/>--Invest glamour to successfully perform an extremely difficult maneuver with your ship.  <br/>--Invest glamour to repair damage to the ship.  <br/><br/>The Horned Hunter<br/>--Invest glamour to perform an imposible leap or a great feat of strength.<br/>--Invest glamour to resist a deadly blow and be only mildly wounded.  <br/><br/>Jack<br/>--Trickery of Jack:  May invest glamour in a small item to turn it intoa another small item until the next dawn.  <br/>--Masks of Jack:  May invest glammer to change the form of herself or another in the following ways until the next dawn.  <br/>----”The Child”: the affected person grows one stage of life younger, but no younger than a youth or maiden.  <br/>----”The Noble”: The affected person becomes a more beautiful and grand version of themseles.  <br/>----”The Ogre”:  The affected person becoems looming and frightful—far more intimidating.   <br/>----”The Peasent”: The affected person assumes a blander and more ordinary appearance.  <br/><br/>Mad Jack O'bannon<br/>--Invest galmour to hide behind an object too small to hide your body.  <br/>--Invest glamour to step behind one object and out form behind another object witout 120 yards</div></div>