Fenella

Full Name: Fenella (Strandhorn) Daythorn
Name Meanings:
Fenella – “Maiden of the Fens”
Strandhorn – “Horn at Seashore”
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Heritage: Illuskan
Class: Fighter
Archetype / Paragon Path: Vanguard
Profession: Homemaker, former Workshop Retainer
God / Religion: Lathander (Patron Deity), also Waukeen
Height:
Hair Color: Ginger
Eye Color: Grayish Blue
From: Neverwinter
Currently Lives: Gray Vale, near Loudwater between Southwood and the High Forest
Relationship Status: Married, Husband: Valkilmar Daythorn
Children:
– Son: Falco Daythorn
Distinguishable Physical Features:
Origin / Background:
Languages: Common
Alignment: Chaotic Good (CG)
Personality Traits: Outspoken, Assertive, Strong-minded, Driven, Independent, Confident, Fiery, Blunt, Bold, Brazen, Abrasive, Bossy, Dominant, Hard-working, Practical, Devoted, Warm, Nurturing, Protective, Courageous, Loyal
Ideals:
Bonds:
Flaws:

Introduction

Having a fiery spirit to match her hair, Fenella is strong-minded and driven. She resents lack of strength and courage in all forms, and she especially does not like weak, cowardly men. Not one for formality, she believes no man or noble is above her, and speaks as such. She is independent, a woman that takes pride in her work, but more so turns her focus and devotion to work as both a means to support herself and also distract herself from what she doesn’t have. Living in the coastal city of Neverwinter, Fenella has spent several years working in and around markets, merchants, and shops. Her experience makes her a confident candidate when she applies to be the new workshop retainer. Outspoken and assertive, she immediately stands out to Valkilmar Daythorn, the Half-Elf Barbarian adventurer who has reluctantly accepted the job offer to run the workshop.

Fenella isn’t intimidated at all by Valkilmar, rather she talks to him with ease, showing interest and curiosity. And a penchant for speaking her mind. Her blunt, honest approach makes for a quick hire. Bound together as a team, Valkilmar and Fenella must work with each other closely to restore the workshop to its former glory. Along with building a skilled, competent crew. As Valkilmar spends more time in Neverwinter, his workshop employees continue to grow on him, and he especially finds himself caring deeply for Fenella. Their work together forges a strong bond between them – one that’s increasingly blurring the lines of friendship and attraction. The more the two of them are around each other, the more they realize they have undeniable feelings for one another and a partnership that goes beyond the workshop.

But the distrust of city policies and leadership has Valkilmar conflicted about staying in Neverwinter. He is hesitant to settle there and commit his service, and finds it difficult to relinquish his calling to be out in the wild and living on his own free terms.

His considerations of leaving greatly upset and hurt Fenella, whose heartache and bitterness from her own past stop her from letting herself go any further. Though having not yet made a decision, Valkilmar can see Fenella trying to close herself off. In doing so, their working relationship starts to become emotionally-strained, with Fenella painfully holding back her feelings for Valkilmar, fearing he might really leave.

Fenella tries to stay focused on business, afraid to reveal how deeply she has fallen for Valkilmar, but is unable to hide her pain. As bold and assertive as Fenella is, this is the side of her she does not express as easily. Illustrating that while she shows little hesitation to speak her mind, she does struggle more to speak her heart.

But that heart is certainly worth Valkilmar staying for.

Brazen, dominant, and hard-working, Fenella is a leader and a fighter. A working woman transforming into a warrior. She is a practical person with a fire in her soul. But she is also a devoted care-taker. Behind that blunt, at times abrasive, business-minded persona, she is warm, nurturing, and protective, with a strong sense of duty to take care of things, make sure everything is in order, and look after those under her supervision.

Overall, she is a woman of strength, courage, and loyalty. And a willingness to sacrifice for the man she loves. Even if that means leaving Neverwinter, and learning to be an adventurer alongside him.

MY CHARACTER COMMENTARY [click to expand]

Since Fenella isn’t actually my own original character, I’m also doing a commentary explaining my impressions of her. I’d like to explain the reasoning behind my interpretations of who she is, and give more of a perspective from my personal thoughts.

First off, I do feel kind of bad that I’ve basically stolen a NPC and created my own version of her. I never intended or set out to do that. A big part of me doesn’t like using a character that everyone else has the option to choose and include in their own storyline. I don’t even like everyone having the same storyline in MMOs. I usually avoid specific in-game quest-related storylines for my characters because I value individual stories and uniqueness so much.

But then, I’m also not used to having more involvement with NPCs like this. The Workshop Opportunity quest was very different and interesting to me. Although I almost made Valkilmar decline it, because initially I felt like it was something he wouldn’t want to do. Which is why I paused and thought for a moment and then told myself that is why he should do it. It would be good for his character. Even then I didn’t expect what came next.

It’s kind of strange how struck I was by Fenella. I’m usually not really fazed by NPCs, but she just immediately stood out to me, and therefore to Valkilmar. I liked the way she spoke to him. Not just the words she said but her tone of voice. She didn’t seem intimidated by him at all, or try to use flattery, like some of the other candidates. She acknowledged he was the one who was going to be running the place, but she spoke to him like he wasn’t above her. Like she could easily approach him and talk to him very naturally. Just in the few lines they gave in that first meeting I could tell she doesn’t fear speaking her mind. I like that. I like a strong female who says what she thinks. I think for Valkilmar’s personality that kind of woman (and partner) would appeal to him as well. He doesn’t like formality and fakery and the “higher-than-thou” snobbery of nobles. I get the sense that Fenella doesn’t either. She made a comment, saying Valkilmar wasn’t what she was expecting, but that it was a good thing. Which for me further solidifies why a “barbarian” adventurer like Valkilmar is fitting for this particular storyline. I can’t exactly say if Fenella was being flirtatious or not. She sounded interested, but hid it in a more business-like fashion. Unlike the Maelys woman, who was much more obvious with her flirting and sounded like a swindling gypsy fortune teller. Saying how handsome Valkilmar was and that they were “destined to make quite the team” and that “destiny doesn’t take no for an answer”. WRONGO, lady. Destiny has other plans. And a much different team. One that includes a certain outspoken and assertive red-head. She was very unexpected I admit, but there is a personality and spirit to Fenella that immediately jumped off the screen for me. Kind of that spotlight moment that made me say, “This is the one for my guy.” And hey, an actual in-game story that brings them together. Not to mention that perfect twist in the fact that I almost was going to make Valkilmar turn down the workshop job, but instead, ended up finding his woman.

And just who is his woman? Well, the post-first impression dialogue hasn’t been very telling or insightful. Probably because it’s more workshop-related and generic for whatever retainer you choose. Which leads me back to her opening dialogue and my own personal assumptions. I was somewhat amused (and interested) in the way Fenella ended with, “How about you send the rest of those milksops home and we get to work?” I had never heard the word milksop before. I googled it to see what it was, and learned it meant “a weak and cowardly man”. Maybe not exactly fair to call the other candidates that, but it did make me wonder about Fenella’s views on people, particularly men. To me it clearly says she has an issue with those who come across as weak-minded. She is obviously very strong-minded, and probably doesn’t understand how other people aren’t. She may be referring to lack of physical strength too, I don’t know. When it comes to men she probably would be. I get the feeling she resents lack of strength and courage in all forms. And especially does not like weak, cowardly men. Granted, no woman does, but in her case I think she’s a lot more spiteful and vocal about it. And maybe that pertains even more personally to her with relationships. Yes, I am digging into that. As the emerging female lead in my Neverwinter story I have started to delve into her character history and psychology. I can’t really help it. I guess I feel like there’s something behind her merely being a working woman. Is she really just that driven and ambitious or is she turning to work for other reasons? Has she been hurt in the past? Has she been let down by a man? Perhaps more than one? There’s probably nothing men are bigger cowards about than how they are with women, and I strongly feel that Fenella has experienced that. And in a painful enough way that it has left her fairly embittered in that department. Not in such an extreme way that she’s really resistant to falling in love, however. I don’t think she’s closed off to the idea of a relationship. But more so in the sense that she turns her focus and devotion to work as both a means to support herself and also distract herself from what she doesn’t have.

That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy what she does. I think she very much takes pride in her work. I do think she feels she belongs in a position of leadership, or in some form of management. She does, after all, have Aries-ish personality traits. Which is another reason why I had Valkilmar choose her. She gave an air of confidence that she was the most suiting for the job, and I believed her. And I do believe she’s the type of person that indeed does her job well and gets a real sense of accomplishment from it.

But more than that, I think her work has become what she feels is the one thing she has in her life. Which causes conflict and complications when it comes to her feelings for Valkilmar. Not only would she be risking devastation if he leaves but also jeopardizing her job. Too many strong, overwhelming emotions connected to it. Work would no longer be her refuge and distraction, but instead a haunting reminder.

So in that stubborn, practical mind of hers, she thinks holding in her feelings is the smarter choice. The necessary choice. Better to not get involved with something that possibly isn’t going to last. Of course, her heart has already betrayed her mind in that regard. Her heart is very much involved and invested, and that is something she cannot fight, no matter how hard she tries.

It’s a difficult thing to accept, realizing she will be devastated if Valkilmar leaves whether she lets herself become romantically involved with him or not. Loving him and not being with him is the most painful of all. It is that reason that she prepares herself to forego her career, and venture out beyond her accustomed city life, if it means she can stay at Valkilmar’s side. While Fenella hasn’t spent her life adventuring, she certainly has it in her to learn, and to grow into a true Fighter. I see her developing into that and more. A Fighter, a wife, and a firm, protective mother.

STORY SOUNDTRACK
[Nowhere To Belong] The Last of His Name – BrunuhVille
[Rodion the Bard] The Swashbuckler and Fair Maiden – Future World Music
Neverwinter – Kevin Manthei
Protector’s Enclave – Kevin Manthei
[Street Ambush] Believe in Glory – Bonnie Grace
[A Dark Figure Follows Fenella] Stealth and Cunning – Midnight Syndicate
Summer Festival – Kevin Manthei
[Festival Dance] Fear No Darkness – Adrian von Ziegler
[Pig Chase] Morrison’s Jig – Katy Adelson
[The Festival Continues] Children of Eire – Adrian von Ziegler
At the Summertide Feast – Adrian von Ziegler
[Setting Sun] Evening Sky – Filip Lackovic
[Moment on the Covered Bridge] Green Fields – Filip Lackovic
The Worth of a Woman – Filip Lackovic
[Workshop Party] Medieval Celtic Folk Dance Fantasy for Lute & Violin – Andrei Krylov
Auld Tavern Song – Faolan
[Valkilmar Dances with Fenella] Summertime Sadness – Constantine Bard
[Fenella’s Lament] Maiden – Filip Lackovic
[Tension Interrupted] All Star – Graywyck
[Valkilmar and Fenella On the Run] Try to Catch Me – Bonnie Grace
[Escaping the City] 140 Miles Per Hour – Bonnie Grace
[The Forest At Night] Vellosk – Kevin Manthei
[A Safe Place] Heart of the Forest – Jeremy Soule
[Morning] Neverwinter Wood – Jeremy Soule
Way To The North – ASKII
[Into the Savage North] Endless White – ASKII
Winter – ASKII
Blizzard – ASKII
Frozen – ASKII
The Dark Lands – ASKII
Heart of Winter – Jeremy Soule
Frost – ASKII
[Leaving Icewind Dale] Taiga – ASKII
[Journey Through Green] Nature’s Touch – Filip Lackovic
[Grim Discovery] Too Many Legs – ASKII
[Investigating the Forest] Spider’s Web – EXPERIA
Spider Den – ASKII
Home of Heroes – Adrian von Ziegler
The Wedding Feast – Bonnie Grace
Magic of Love – Adrian von Ziegler
Fare Thee Well – Adrian von Ziegler