Nadia Evendown

Full Name: Nadia (Evendown) Blackwind
Name Meanings:
Nadia – “Hope; Tender”
Evendown
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Heritage: Chondathan, Damaran
Class: Rogue / Ranger
Archetype / Paragon Path: Huntress / Assassin
God / Religion: Silvanus (Patron Deity)
Height:
Hair Color: Dark Ash Brown
Eye Color: Brown
From:
Currently Lives: Near Neverwinter Wood
Relationship Status: Married, Husband: Vidar Blackwind
Children:
– Son: Ivan Blackwind
Distinguishable Physical Features:
Origin / Background: Woodland Huntress
Languages: Common
Alignment: Chaotic Good (CG)
Personality Traits: Distant, Guarded, Protective
Ideals:
Bonds:
Flaws:

Introduction

“A businesslike adventurer with a knack for tracking and pathfinding. She is happiest when on the road, and becomes listless without work.”
Neverwinter

Though suffering an injury to his arms during a battle with aberrations, Vidar ends his time in the Chasm on a high note, and a promise to still help Scar Company and bring them supplies when needed. Before he leaves, one of the soldiers advises Vidar to not let aberrant hides go to waste, and suggests selling them to someone in the city. As Vidar takes his advice, he asks around in Protector’s Enclave and is pointed in the direction of a workshop near the Seven Suns Coster Market. It is there that he meets the recently-appointed Master of the shop – Eamon Richwood.
Vidar also becomes interested in one of the women employed there – an adventurer named Nadia Evendown who has tracking and pathfinding skills and works as one of the workshop’s gatherers. Beautiful but seemingly cold and distant, Nadia speaks few words if any at all, and avoids discussing anything that isn’t business-related. This makes getting to know her a difficult challenge for Vidar, but one he decides to commit himself to. As a Ranger and adventurer himself, Vidar takes a job as another one of Eamon’s gatherers. While still bringing supplies to Scar Company when he can, most of Vidar’s time is spent at the workshop and the gathering tasks he is assigned. Much of his hanging around at the workshop is in effort to catch Nadia before and after an assignment. These moments are rare as Nadia doesn’t linger long at the workshop and is always eager to get out of the city. Though his initial attempts at conversation with Nadia aren’t very successful, Vidar continues to try to talk to her and spend time with her whenever possible. To more actively pursue her, he even begins to join her on tasks, becoming a persistent traveling companion she didn’t ask for and doesn’t easily warm up to.

Still cold and uncommunicative during their travels at first, Nadia gradually starts to accept Vidar’s presence. Her frigid and stony demeanor begins to show the slightest cracks of a sense of humor, and perhaps something even more tender. When encountering danger in the forests she demonstrates concern for Vidar, and over the course of their time together she becomes protective toward him just as he is protective of her. And so, as Nadia’s walls slowly come down, it’s progressively evident that she feels and cares for Vidar, despite her lacking to verbally or physically express it.

While Nadia still remains distant, and staunchly guarded about her past, Vidar confides in her his own inner demons, largely his time in the Flaming Fist in Baldur’s Gate. His confessions to her stir her emotions even more, pushing her to act on the deepening trust and feelings she has developed for him.

Finally, in her own moment of vulnerability, Nadia reveals to Vidar that as a young girl she witnessed as her parents were savagely killed by a barbarian raiding party. Traumatized, she suffered nightmares of their deaths, which continued all through her childhood and teenage years. Young as she was, Nadia vowed to hunt down and kill the members of that tribe, every last one if she had to. In the following years as she grew older she trained as a huntress, learning to track, hunt and fight – and kill, with no mercy or remorse.

Bloodthirsty and restless, Nadia honed her skills on marauding bandits, trolls and goblins. When she felt ready enough to take on the tribe, she tracked down a group of them settled along the Dessarin River. She stalked in the nearby woods for days, waiting to pick off a hunting party. Her opportunity to spill blood arose when she came across a lone member of the tribe, covered in large furs and bent down over a stream. Wanting a closer, more personal kill, she snuck up on the tribesman, blade in hand, going in for the slash – and was suddenly confronted with the face of a child – not a man but a young boy, a troublesome wanderer now terrified for his life. Wild as he was, he attempted to fight Nadia with a weapon of his own. She easily fended him off but was too shocked to do much else. The boy chose his chance to escape and fled the forest. Nadia was horrified and sickened. She had almost slaughtered a child, and up until that moment, she had spent years numbing herself into thinking she could. Breaking down, she fell to her knees right there and wept. Wept for her parents and for the path she had gone down to avenge them, realizing she’d become something barbaric herself. Feeling she had turned into a monster, Nadia abandoned her quest for blood and vengeance. But with no direction or purpose she didn’t know what to do. A solitary life on the road was all she’d known for quite some time. With no clear aim, she drifted from village to village, until she eventually pocketed her pride and disdain for cities and wandered into Neverwinter looking for work.

And that, she explains to Vidar, is how she ended up at the workshop.

Hearing both the pain and shame in her voice, Vidar draws closer to console her. He assures her she is no monster, that he has seen more monsters than he can count and she is nothing like them. She feels and she cares, and that is why she hurts so much. He then tells her that wanting revenge is justified, but that justice only goes so far. In the end, no amount of bloodshed or vengeance will heal her. He then gently reaches his hand up to her cheek, telling her but love could.

The touch of his hand cupping her face brings forth a barrage of emotions in Nadia, and she can’t help but release a few tears as she reaches her hand up to his. It is in this moment with Vidar that Nadia realizes just how much her hardened heart has softened for him.

No longer holding back their feelings, they kiss, and it passionately escalates into them sharing an intimate night together at their camp.

The next morning, however, they are caught off guard and attacked by a group of vicious brigands. Having just managed to get dressed, Vidar and Nadia are forced to fight without their armor. Skilled as they are, they manage to take down most of the bandits, but when the fight seemingly takes a turn for the worst, Vidar’s right arm suddenly starts pulsating with extreme pain. Overwhelmed, Vidar falls to his knees, grabbing his arm tightly. A confused and scared Nadia makes to get to him, but is held off by the bandits. Vidar can only groan through clenched teeth while one of the bandits approaches him with glee. His glee does not last long, however, as blue fire suddenly erupts from jagged cracks extending all down Vidar’s arm. The bandit panics at first, then quickly raises his blade. Without thinking, Vidar automatically raises his right hand, and with blue sparks intertwining around his fingers, shoots a bolt of blue lightning at the bandit, incinerating him on the spot.

Terrified, the other bandits don’t stick around to be next. And just as quickly as it appeared, the blue fire and cracks along Vidar’s arm vanish, his flesh returning to normal. But as Nadia rushes to Vidar, Vidar tells her no, holding up his hand for her to stop. Concerned and confused, Nadia watches Vidar as he remains there on the ground, bowing his head in a somber silence.

Finally getting up, he tells Nadia he is sorry, and when she inquires what is happening, Vidar solemnly tells her he is spellscarred. This only confuses Nadia even more, as Vidar’s physical affliction is no longer in sight. While Vidar tries to explain that he knows it must be a form of the Spellplague, Nadia adamantly argues otherwise, refusing to believe it. Firm in his conviction, Vidar warns that the only option for him in Neverwinter as a spellscarred is the Chasm. Nadia defiantly responds that they won’t go back to the city, but Vidar contends that he can’t run away, and he can’t abandon Scar Company. Exasperated, Nadia insists that he doesn’t tell anyone. She pleads with him to keep it secret, knowing they won’t have a life together if Vidar is sent to live out the rest of his days in the Chasm. Painfully conflicted, Vidar struggles to see a viable option. He stresses to Nadia that he doesn’t want to put her at risk with his unpredictable powers. Holding his face in her hands, Nadia firmly proclaims that she is not afraid. She kisses him as if to emphasize, and further maintains that whatever he has is not the same as the others, it’s something different.

Relenting, Vidar agrees to keep his condition a secret. As they return to Neverwinter they stay together at an inn, sharing a room during their time in the city in between assignments. Though keeping rather occupied together, Nadia can tell that something is wrong. While the weeks pass, Vidar only becomes more withdrawn and visibly conflicted. He seems to be overexerting, and even distracting himself with the physical side of their relationship, while the intimate and emotional connection feels somewhat lost. This becomes exceptionally upsetting for Nadia, who has lowered her walls and grown to be so loving and affectionate toward Vidar, only to have him turn distant. When Nadia finally confronts him about it, Vidar divulges that keeping his spellscar a secret has been eating away at him and he is struggling to live with himself. Unbearably ashamed, he feels that he is being a coward, suppressing his condition while the men of Scar Company have no choice but to wear their disease and give up their freedom. With a somber assertion, he tells Nadia he is one of them, and he should share their fate.

Frustrated and out of arguments, Nadia stubbornly replies that she will just go to the Chasm with him. But to this Vidar aggressively tells her no, demanding that she promise him she will stay safe from the Spellplague and away from the Chasm. With his repeated demand, Nadia relents and promises to not go, painfully realizing Vidar’s decision is a life in which she never sees him again. Devastated and embittered, Nadia doesn’t understand how Vidar could make this choice. Why did he do this? Why did he pursue her and make her love him? Deeply guilt-ridden, Vidar can’t bring himself to answer. Nadia doesn’t wait for one. With her coldness returning, she turns away from Vidar, and leaves.

As Nadia disappears from Neverwinter, Eamon finds his workshop suddenly missing two adventurers. The days pass miserably for Vidar in the Chasm. No longer the motivating campaign it had been before, it now reflects the crumbling prison he has made of his own heart. Tormented by his guilt over Nadia and how much he loves and misses her, Vidar is left feeling he made the choice that’s even more impossible to live with.

But it’s a choice he believes he has to honor.

The soldiers of Scar Company, however, utterly reject Vidar’s decision. As much as they appreciate and respect his dedication to their unit, they don’t agree with Vidar condemning himself to the Chasm. While they feel his reasoning is admirable, it’s also incredibly stupid, and they reiterate these sentiments daily, trying to get Vidar to leave.

Vidar does not heed them. Barely eating or sleeping, he spends his days in silence in his own thoughts. Or he often awakes from his sleep with his right arm pulsating uncontrollably, throbbing with pain as his scars of blue fire flare up and then disappear. The debilitating effects of these triggered activations only further to weaken him.

With Scar Company’s limited supplies, and his physical and mental health plummeting, Vidar’s appearance starts to become more withered and ragged. And the soldiers continue to grow more concerned over the visible toll Vidar’s self-imprisonment is taking.

As more than a month passes, Eamon gets an unexpected visitor at the workshop. Nadia has shown up, seemingly out of nowhere, asking Eamon if he would be willing to deliver a message to Vidar. When Eamon accepts, Nadia stoically informs him to tell Vidar that he is going to be a father.

While struck by the stunning news himself, Eamon obliges and relays the heavy message to Vidar in the Chasm, to which Vidar almost passes out. Finally at his breaking point, Vidar knows he can no longer confine himself to the Chasm and live without Nadia.

But with Vidar still in guilt to leave while Scar Company must remain behind, the soldiers implore him to take advantage of what he could have. They assert that his affliction isn’t the same, it isn’t a death sentence and it’s something he can live with and learn to control. And while their fates are sealed, Vidar has a chance to do something they can’t – to live a long, fulfilling life, to go live his life with his woman and unborn child. And he should take that chance, for all their sake.

Alleviated, Vidar takes their words to heart, finally receiving the peace of mind he needed to be able to leave. As one last measure of convincing him, the soldiers insist they need him on the outside, and again Vidar promises to always be there to aid them.

Tracking down Nadia, Vidar finds her in a small glade near the Neverwinter Wood, building a roundhouse hut for herself out of gathered materials. Her eyes give away a surge of emotion upon first seeing Vidar, but she immediately retracts to being cold and unresponsive, continuing to work while ignoring his speaking.
She remains rather unemotional when Vidar mentions getting her message, and as he questions her if she intends to have the baby on her own, Nadia bitterly accuses him of only showing up for that reason. Vidar assures her that news of her pregnancy got him to her faster, but he would have eventually broken down anyway. Nadia doesn’t appear convinced, and continues her aloof behavior toward him. With agonizing regret, Vidar attempts to stress how sorry he is and how much he loves her. He watches Nadia desperately as she silently moves about her camp, picking up more materials. Pining for her, Vidar presses her to say something, but she just continues to work and doesn’t respond.

When she moves in his direction, Vidar can’t stand it anymore and grabs her as she passes him, pulling her to him and kissing her fiercely. Infuriated, Nadia recoils from his grasp and slaps him. Vidar reaches for her again but Nadia throws her hands up to push him away, making Vidar grab her wrists forcefully and hold her against him. He whispers to her to stop hurting herself just to spite him. He then more earnestly tells her he knows she’s still angry, he can’t take back letting her go, but he knows not having her is killing him.

At his last line, a softness finally appears to come over Nadia. Before she can say anything, Vidar suddenly winces with pain. He backs away from Nadia as a blue glow starts to emanate from his bracers and the exposed part of his right arm. As he stands there haggardly, it becomes apparent just how weakened he is.

Nadia looks at him with anguish, now seeming to be hurting more for him than for herself. Her eyes shining, she steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck. Vidar is hesitant to touch her with his spellscarred arm at first, then can no longer stop himself as he wraps his own arms around her in a desperately needed, tight hug. Surrendering her emotions, Nadia lets the tears fall down her face as she holds him. She then whispers that she forgives him. Vidar squeezes her for a moment, then starts kissing her deeply, finally letting out what he’s been holding in. Lifting her off the ground while still kissing, he starts heading with her to the tent, with the clear intention to consummate their reunion.

And reunited they are, with a hopeful and busy future ahead.

With his health and strength to recover and a home to build, Vidar has much to work on and accomplish before the arrival of their baby. And as he sees it, more than a month of lost time and love to make up for.

At Eamon’s insistence, he returns to his job at the workshop, now with a family to provide for, but also a new chapter of adventures to embark on, and the burning will to live a fulfilling life as a man spellscarred.