OOC Meme: Solona Amell
Dec. 16th, 2011 03:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amellsinfernoFor my sake, and probably everyone else who's curious' sakes, I've decided to answer a meme for Solona's character. It helps out for the guidelines on how I should play her or write her and so far, it has served me well.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character’s height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Solona stands at around 5’4”, give or take a half-inch. Even Zevran calls her tiny sometimes—and that’s saying something. At the start of her journey, she was a bit stocky from the lack of physical activity (aside from wild apprentice activity, if you catch my drift) in the Circle but due to all the walking, and not to mention her training to becoming an Arcane Warrior, she lost weight and bulked up a bit. Of course, as a mage, her muscles aren’t comparable to those of Leliana or Aveline—her figure is still quite soft, which is why she prefers her daggers to long swords. She’s scared she might fall over wielding them, but she can to some extent, when the need calls for it.
2. How old is she?
Solona was conscripted at twenty-five years old. She defeated the Archdemon at twenty-six. She became Warden-Commander at twenty-seven. When Anders blew up the Chantry, she had just turned thirty-six.
For roleplaying purposes, she's set at Act 2 of DA2 and is 29 years old.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
Solona stands with her back straight and chest out. She’s quite proud of her chest.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Aside from the taint, Solona doesn’t have much wrong with her physical condition. All in all, she’s very fit, considering the amount of physical training she has to do as Warden-Commander. She, however, has a few scars from quick, hazardous healing spells she had to perform in between battles. Two of her worst are: one on her shoulder from a dragon bite and a gash on her side from an assassination attempt in Amaranthine.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Solona’s usually graceful when she has someone to impress. Although when she has her guard down, she can be fairly clumsy.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
When Solona looks at herself in the mirror, she sees the same regular face. She knows that she’s good-looking, of course. She has wide, blue eyes as well as long, flowing red hair. During the Blight though, she chops it off to easily tie her hair back. She has a heart-shaped face and a small yet defined chin. Her mouth is a bit small although her lips are full, slightly chapped as well due to her biting on them far too often. She uses her looks to her advantage, knowing that her eyes catch the most attention and that she can make anyone do whatever she wants them to do with a stare.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Solona, at the start of the Blight was fairly pale due to the lack of sun within the Tower. Once she finally got out into the sun, she wasted no time basking under it—her skin doesn’t tan easily though, but she’ll accept whatever amount of tint she can get.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Solona’s trademark red hair flows in soft waves and in layers. She keeps her bangs side-swept and the lower parts of her hair over her chest and trailing down her back. She sometimes likes to tie her hair up into a bun when she has work to do, or when she spars, or right before going to bed.
9. What color are her eyes?
Solona’s eyes are a bright, icy blue. Trademark Amell eyes, so she’s been told.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Aside from her hair, probably her ability to contort her face into highly animated expressions.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Whenever under stress, nervous or giddy, Solona will be biting her lips.
12. What is the character’s wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Once Solona became Warden-Commander and finally received a more stable source of income, she didn’t hesitate spending a good portion of her earnings on clothes. She has a weakness for dress robes, mostly because she thought her old Circle robes were always so tacky. She however does have a set of Tevinter Mage Robes always within reach and a heavy armor set for more gruesome battles,
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Her clothes fit very well. She knows how to choose what’s most comfortable yet what makes her look good at the same time.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
When at the Keep or during missions, she’s in her armor or in her mage robes. During her free time, she prefers to wear casual clothes. Despite the fact her work is quite melded into her life (through the taint), she likes wearing other things just to distract herself from it. After all, she’s finally out of the Tower, might as well enjoy the spoils that come with it—especially the clothes.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
If she could easily get away with it, she’d go commando. But of course, armor at times can be uncomfortable so she saves the risqué for when she’s wearing more casual attire.
Speech
1. What does this character’s voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Solona’s voice is slightly high-pitched but at a thankfully pleasing timbre.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
Being quite the extrovert, her manner of speech is hardly awkward at all. She talks easily, loud yet evenly. Of course, this is entirely dependent on who she’s with. In formal situations, her speaking voice lowers to an authoritative tone. Amongst friends, she speaks rather quickly and animatedly.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Her accent is mostly Fereldan but being surrounded by so many other foreign figures, she’s managed to pick up different other ways to pronounce certain words.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Solona is relatively fluent in Orlesian,thanks to classes at the Circle, knows a bit of Antivan and a few elven greetings. Other than that, she mostly uses the common tongue.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
When dealing with someone of that nationality or race, of course she switches languages. Once she runs out of words, she politely asks to switch back to the common tongue.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
She rarely thinks about what she says. But during important events where speeches are involved, she’d rather produce an outline of what she is to say and go along with the flow, adding what she thinks is needed on the spot.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Solona’s read far too many books at the Tower and has a good stock of vocabulary in mind. She’s eloquent enough although there are some moments where she may be rendered speechless. This usually happens in cases of extreme flattery.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
If Solona wasn’t intelligent, she probably wouldn’t have gotten as far as Warden-Commander, her wits being the only thing that helped her survive the Battle of Ostagar and a few other minor battles the first few months after joining the Wardens (Because really, in any army, how would you survive without proper hand-to-hand combat training?). Due to the Circle, Solona’s intelligence weighed more on book-smarts upon leaving it. As time progressed however, as she travelled with her own merry band of misfits during the Blight, that all changed. She’s a very fast learner and can usually put two and two together.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
Solona thinks on her feet mostly. When faced with a challenging decision, she already has an answer for it. Although after a string of minor bad decisions during her earlier days as a Warden, she makes sure to ask her companions for their suggestions before making a final decision.
3. Describe the character’s thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Being sheltered most of her life, Solona, at the start was highly idealistic. There are times she tends to think more with her emotions rather than her logic although she tries to avoid that as much as possible. As mentioned before, she went through a stream of minor bad decisions and after finally realizing the impact of her choices on the whole of Ferelden—maybe even all of Thedas. She decided to think more practically. At one point during the Landsmeet, she laments the waning of her idealism but ultimately sees the good in being practical.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
From the age of seven to twenty-one, Solona had been studying under the care of Kinloch Hold, Ferelden’s Circle of Magi, though she was brought there when she was only five years old. At an early age, she showed great promise in the Primal School of Magic which caught the eye of First Enchanter Irving. He placed her in special classes immediately out of both fear and curiosity, aiming to help her control her magic. The Circle also offered a few other general classes such as language and history which she took advantage of. They were the closest things to knowledge of the outside world.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Solona is a master of the Primal School of Magic. Although fire is her forte and her favorite, her control over the other elements is highly above average. She’s adept in a few spells under the Entropic School of Magic, as well as a few minor healing spells. She’s also well trained with daggers and shields, thanks to the Wardens and her Blight companions, although she has a bit of a problem balancing with longswords. She’s more interested in advancing her healing abilities although it seems like her talents are mainly focused on destruction rather than creation. Still, she tries her best to control her magic to avoid too much damage. Recently, she’s been very much interested in archery; however that may be due to the influence of one of her fellow Wardens.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Definitely extroverted. She very much enjoys talking and meeting new people. Her amiable and sociable personality helps her fit in well as a politician and as a noble among the courts of Amaranthine.
7. Describe the character’s temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
It’s extremely difficult to anger Solona. She has a few ‘off’ switches however. She can take an insult but once it hits close to home, like about a loved one or a friend, you may have to answer to her fist or to flames. She tends to have a few mood swings but is generally cheerful. There are moments when she takes pleasure in her alone time but generally, she mostly enjoys the company of other people. In terms of her goals, Solona is extremely driven. For her, power and respect grants her freedom and to be given the opportunity to do great things despite being a mage is something she cherishes.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Solona responds to new people based on the way they respond to her. If she can tell that something’s amiss, she becomes suspicious; if the person is enthusiastic, she’ll respond with the same energy. As to new situations, especially when it comes to visiting places she never has before, she’s extremely excited.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
She’s more likely to act—especially because her emotions usually get the best of her when the situation is of urgent nature, like for example, when she sees someone getting mugged on the streets.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Solona Amell never backs down from a challenge or a fight.
11. Describe the character’s sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Solona loves humor of all kinds. She appreciates a good joke when she hears one—although she’s very easy to please when it comes to them. During her younger days in the Circle, she loved playing pranks, especially on templars with one of her closest friends, Anders. Nowadays, she finds herself enjoying inappropriate innuendo and satire. Her favorite kind of humor comes from of her cousin. Hawke’s sarcasm always gets her into a fit of giggles.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
She’s mostly sane, unless you manage to get her on an extreme level of anger. As stated before, this rarely happens.
13. What moments in this character’s life have defined her as a person?
The first moment that truly defined her character was the moment her powers manifested. Her younger sister Nellie set a few drapes on fire and out of panic and instinct, Solona doused it with ice. Soon after, she and her sister were taken to the Circle at Kirkwall, separated from their mother. After that, she took on a lot more responsibility than what is expected from a five year old girl with the sole intention of keeping her younger sister’s smile alive.
(Note: Canon withapostate_amell
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character’s height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Solona stands at around 5’4”, give or take a half-inch. Even Zevran calls her tiny sometimes—and that’s saying something. At the start of her journey, she was a bit stocky from the lack of physical activity (aside from wild apprentice activity, if you catch my drift) in the Circle but due to all the walking, and not to mention her training to becoming an Arcane Warrior, she lost weight and bulked up a bit. Of course, as a mage, her muscles aren’t comparable to those of Leliana or Aveline—her figure is still quite soft, which is why she prefers her daggers to long swords. She’s scared she might fall over wielding them, but she can to some extent, when the need calls for it.
2. How old is she?
Solona was conscripted at twenty-five years old. She defeated the Archdemon at twenty-six. She became Warden-Commander at twenty-seven. When Anders blew up the Chantry, she had just turned thirty-six.
For roleplaying purposes, she's set at Act 2 of DA2 and is 29 years old.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
Solona stands with her back straight and chest out. She’s quite proud of her chest.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Aside from the taint, Solona doesn’t have much wrong with her physical condition. All in all, she’s very fit, considering the amount of physical training she has to do as Warden-Commander. She, however, has a few scars from quick, hazardous healing spells she had to perform in between battles. Two of her worst are: one on her shoulder from a dragon bite and a gash on her side from an assassination attempt in Amaranthine.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Solona’s usually graceful when she has someone to impress. Although when she has her guard down, she can be fairly clumsy.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
When Solona looks at herself in the mirror, she sees the same regular face. She knows that she’s good-looking, of course. She has wide, blue eyes as well as long, flowing red hair. During the Blight though, she chops it off to easily tie her hair back. She has a heart-shaped face and a small yet defined chin. Her mouth is a bit small although her lips are full, slightly chapped as well due to her biting on them far too often. She uses her looks to her advantage, knowing that her eyes catch the most attention and that she can make anyone do whatever she wants them to do with a stare.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Solona, at the start of the Blight was fairly pale due to the lack of sun within the Tower. Once she finally got out into the sun, she wasted no time basking under it—her skin doesn’t tan easily though, but she’ll accept whatever amount of tint she can get.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Solona’s trademark red hair flows in soft waves and in layers. She keeps her bangs side-swept and the lower parts of her hair over her chest and trailing down her back. She sometimes likes to tie her hair up into a bun when she has work to do, or when she spars, or right before going to bed.
9. What color are her eyes?
Solona’s eyes are a bright, icy blue. Trademark Amell eyes, so she’s been told.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Aside from her hair, probably her ability to contort her face into highly animated expressions.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Whenever under stress, nervous or giddy, Solona will be biting her lips.
12. What is the character’s wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Once Solona became Warden-Commander and finally received a more stable source of income, she didn’t hesitate spending a good portion of her earnings on clothes. She has a weakness for dress robes, mostly because she thought her old Circle robes were always so tacky. She however does have a set of Tevinter Mage Robes always within reach and a heavy armor set for more gruesome battles,
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Her clothes fit very well. She knows how to choose what’s most comfortable yet what makes her look good at the same time.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
When at the Keep or during missions, she’s in her armor or in her mage robes. During her free time, she prefers to wear casual clothes. Despite the fact her work is quite melded into her life (through the taint), she likes wearing other things just to distract herself from it. After all, she’s finally out of the Tower, might as well enjoy the spoils that come with it—especially the clothes.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
If she could easily get away with it, she’d go commando. But of course, armor at times can be uncomfortable so she saves the risqué for when she’s wearing more casual attire.
Speech
1. What does this character’s voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Solona’s voice is slightly high-pitched but at a thankfully pleasing timbre.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
Being quite the extrovert, her manner of speech is hardly awkward at all. She talks easily, loud yet evenly. Of course, this is entirely dependent on who she’s with. In formal situations, her speaking voice lowers to an authoritative tone. Amongst friends, she speaks rather quickly and animatedly.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Her accent is mostly Fereldan but being surrounded by so many other foreign figures, she’s managed to pick up different other ways to pronounce certain words.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Solona is relatively fluent in Orlesian,thanks to classes at the Circle, knows a bit of Antivan and a few elven greetings. Other than that, she mostly uses the common tongue.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
When dealing with someone of that nationality or race, of course she switches languages. Once she runs out of words, she politely asks to switch back to the common tongue.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
She rarely thinks about what she says. But during important events where speeches are involved, she’d rather produce an outline of what she is to say and go along with the flow, adding what she thinks is needed on the spot.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Solona’s read far too many books at the Tower and has a good stock of vocabulary in mind. She’s eloquent enough although there are some moments where she may be rendered speechless. This usually happens in cases of extreme flattery.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
If Solona wasn’t intelligent, she probably wouldn’t have gotten as far as Warden-Commander, her wits being the only thing that helped her survive the Battle of Ostagar and a few other minor battles the first few months after joining the Wardens (Because really, in any army, how would you survive without proper hand-to-hand combat training?). Due to the Circle, Solona’s intelligence weighed more on book-smarts upon leaving it. As time progressed however, as she travelled with her own merry band of misfits during the Blight, that all changed. She’s a very fast learner and can usually put two and two together.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
Solona thinks on her feet mostly. When faced with a challenging decision, she already has an answer for it. Although after a string of minor bad decisions during her earlier days as a Warden, she makes sure to ask her companions for their suggestions before making a final decision.
3. Describe the character’s thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Being sheltered most of her life, Solona, at the start was highly idealistic. There are times she tends to think more with her emotions rather than her logic although she tries to avoid that as much as possible. As mentioned before, she went through a stream of minor bad decisions and after finally realizing the impact of her choices on the whole of Ferelden—maybe even all of Thedas. She decided to think more practically. At one point during the Landsmeet, she laments the waning of her idealism but ultimately sees the good in being practical.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
From the age of seven to twenty-one, Solona had been studying under the care of Kinloch Hold, Ferelden’s Circle of Magi, though she was brought there when she was only five years old. At an early age, she showed great promise in the Primal School of Magic which caught the eye of First Enchanter Irving. He placed her in special classes immediately out of both fear and curiosity, aiming to help her control her magic. The Circle also offered a few other general classes such as language and history which she took advantage of. They were the closest things to knowledge of the outside world.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Solona is a master of the Primal School of Magic. Although fire is her forte and her favorite, her control over the other elements is highly above average. She’s adept in a few spells under the Entropic School of Magic, as well as a few minor healing spells. She’s also well trained with daggers and shields, thanks to the Wardens and her Blight companions, although she has a bit of a problem balancing with longswords. She’s more interested in advancing her healing abilities although it seems like her talents are mainly focused on destruction rather than creation. Still, she tries her best to control her magic to avoid too much damage. Recently, she’s been very much interested in archery; however that may be due to the influence of one of her fellow Wardens.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Definitely extroverted. She very much enjoys talking and meeting new people. Her amiable and sociable personality helps her fit in well as a politician and as a noble among the courts of Amaranthine.
7. Describe the character’s temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
It’s extremely difficult to anger Solona. She has a few ‘off’ switches however. She can take an insult but once it hits close to home, like about a loved one or a friend, you may have to answer to her fist or to flames. She tends to have a few mood swings but is generally cheerful. There are moments when she takes pleasure in her alone time but generally, she mostly enjoys the company of other people. In terms of her goals, Solona is extremely driven. For her, power and respect grants her freedom and to be given the opportunity to do great things despite being a mage is something she cherishes.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Solona responds to new people based on the way they respond to her. If she can tell that something’s amiss, she becomes suspicious; if the person is enthusiastic, she’ll respond with the same energy. As to new situations, especially when it comes to visiting places she never has before, she’s extremely excited.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
She’s more likely to act—especially because her emotions usually get the best of her when the situation is of urgent nature, like for example, when she sees someone getting mugged on the streets.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Solona Amell never backs down from a challenge or a fight.
11. Describe the character’s sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Solona loves humor of all kinds. She appreciates a good joke when she hears one—although she’s very easy to please when it comes to them. During her younger days in the Circle, she loved playing pranks, especially on templars with one of her closest friends, Anders. Nowadays, she finds herself enjoying inappropriate innuendo and satire. Her favorite kind of humor comes from of her cousin. Hawke’s sarcasm always gets her into a fit of giggles.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
She’s mostly sane, unless you manage to get her on an extreme level of anger. As stated before, this rarely happens.
13. What moments in this character’s life have defined her as a person?
The first moment that truly defined her character was the moment her powers manifested. Her younger sister Nellie set a few drapes on fire and out of panic and instinct, Solona doused it with ice. Soon after, she and her sister were taken to the Circle at Kirkwall, separated from their mother. After that, she took on a lot more responsibility than what is expected from a five year old girl with the sole intention of keeping her younger sister’s smile alive.
(Note: Canon with
apostate_amell
