Name: Carianne Arseneau
Race: Human (Chondathan)
Sex: Female
Current Age: 32
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140
Build: Lean
Eye Color: Light Blue
Character Class: Artificer
Profession: Machinist, Arbalist
Religion: Faithless
Appearance: A woman of average height and a slender build. Her straw-colored hair is typically bound behind
her head in a tight bun, though she had been known to wear it down in extremely casual settings. Her clothing is often typical of a middle-class artisan; frequently favoring a loose grey blouse worn under a waxed jerkin, with lower wear typically consisting of a simple calf-length skirt or a pair of trousers, a choice entirely dependent on the tasks of the day and mood. Regardless of her daily demeanor, she was rarely seen without a large crossbow slung over her shoulder, and a small tinner's hammer dangling off a belt loop at her hip.
Faint dark pockets are frequently underneath unremarkable blue eyes; and while her fair northern Cormyrian skin is marked by the occasional faint scars of a craftsman; she seems uninterested in concealing them with cosmetics.
Demeanor: Carianne tends to maintain a sober but socially open personality; remaining cautiously reserved with new acquaintances. Despite her attempts to project a calm and steady persona; the machinist does possess a spicy temper, particularly when encountering stubborn devices (or people); and strives to contain hammer-throwing outbursts to private when at all possible.
Moral Outlook: Despite her troubles in the East, Carianne maintains a level of respect for the laws of civilized peoples; and will typically avoid trying to make waves amongst the powers that be. One of the many that experienced crises of faith during The Longest Year and its aftermath; Carianne simply drifted away from the idea that the divinity of the gods was a concrete fact and became one of the Faithless through the cessation of prayers and sacrifices to the shrines of Helm and Waukeen. Despite being Faithless; she bears no outward ill will to the divine and their servants. In general, Carianne seems to possess a very "live and let live" attitude; more interested in her own well-being than the divine struggles being enacted throughout Toril by mortal proxies.
History:
Born into a talented and well-off line of artisans and arbalists, Carianne spent her early life in the countryside near Eveningstar in relative comfort. Unburdened by her older sibling's heir-apparent status, she was free to devote herself to any practice she wished; and occupied most of her time either at her family workshop, or an ever expanding collection of of historical and cultural literature. Under the tutelage of her parents, she developed a talent and a love for fine and delicate metalsmithing, especially the complicated yet logical nature of dynamic moving mechanisms. By adulthood, she had cemented herself as a vital part of the family business, ensuring that no Arseneau crossbow left the shop without her personal guarantee of reliability; all while constantly plotting and designing ways to make the weapons crank faster, fly faster, and hit harder.
The Godswar and subsequent Longest Year occurred early in Carianne's adulthood. Now a journeyman machinist (as she referred to her area of specialization), she found herself on the proverbial front line of mundane weapon development. With magic unattainable even by the most talented, the field of arbalism experienced a marked increase in demand; there was a need for simple, accurate, and deadly ranged capabilities that the supernatural could no longer provide, but the Arseneau family could. What began as outfitting the newly-conscripted Eveningstar regional militia expanded to the local Purple Dragon command, until the family was able to attract the patronage of a noble house in Suzail. Having proved herself a reliable asset to the business, Carianne was able to relocate herself to the capitol, where she provided maintenance and consultation to her patron's guard and retinue. Not one to pass up opportunities, she also took great advantage of the educations available in the salons and libraries of the capitol city; her primary studies focusing on the emerging physical sciences, history, and social culture.
What brings Carianne to the Dragon's Neck isn't exactly clear. She speaks of an amicable and professional parting of ways with her patron but makes no mention of why she choose not to rejoin her family. She is equally silent on why she selected Amn to make her new home, when clearly safer, closer, and more familiar environs were available to the machinist.
Notable Possessions:
The Arseneau Brand- A slender iron rod capped with the maker's mark of the Arseneau family of artisans. Much like one would for cattle, the stamp is heated in fire before application to a finished piece of woodworking. Carianne frequently keeps the small brand hooked in her belt; be it for sentimental reasons, personal pride, or just a handy piece of weighted metal to bring down on an assailant's forehead.
Last edited:
