Liana Valius

► Other Names/Titles:  Scamp-Mother; Mistress of Oblivion, or Mistress of the Deadlands (this nickname given posthumously) 

► Personality Type: Protagonist (ENFJ-T)
► Alignment: Lawful Good

► Positive Traits:  loyal, generous, compassionate, loving
► Negative Traits:  naive, gullible, bleeding heart, repressed

► Skills:  alchemy; healing and restoration; cooking; sword-fighting; can read, translate, and write Daedric script
► Weaknesses:  she is small in stature, although she is most prone to having her good nature preyed upon. She is far too trusting and willing to give even the worst people the benefit of the doubt.
► Unique Abilities:  in addition to the natural charm and diplomacy that all Imperials share, hers appears to manifest itself in strange and unpredictable ways, as it has in the past and will in the future for others in her bloodline. There is no name for it, and so it has been dubbed "Radiant Charm," a potential side-effect of a combined Imperial and Bosmeri heritage. Those that possess this innate ability have no knowledge of or control over it, but may find that alliances form more readily with certain groups. In some cases, it has even been known to work on animals and otherwise hostile creatures, rendering them docile in the presence of the bearer. Apart from this, there is no discernible benefit or means of controlling those who would fall under the ability's effects, and the effects appear to be limited to only a few people or creatures, depending on the individual. In Liana's case, she finds it easier than most to commune with Scamps and Dremora. 

► Alliances and Affiliations: Martin Septim and the Blades; Mages Guild; Arcane University; College of Sapiarchs (correspondent)
► Religious/Spiritual Beliefs: worships all nine Divines, especially Akatosh, Mara, Dibella, and Stendarr

► Basic Description: Liana is a light-skinned Imperial woman with a roundish face, brown eyes, and long, brown hair that extends to the middle of her back. This is often tied in a ponytail. She is short and of a low to average weight. Her arm and leg muscles are well-toned from the use of a sword. As a young girl she had no distinctive physical markings, but in her adult life she develops many scars from her interactions with Daedra. By the time she is middle-aged, much of her body is marked in some way, mainly by Xivilai claws. The most prominent marking runs diagonally across her stomach, a single word in Daedric script:Like most Imperials, she is unimposing and approachable. Her outgoing, generous personality earns her many friends, although her secretive studies give rise to vicious rumors and cause others to question her motives. While pure of heart and intent, Liana spends much of her life struggling with issues of morality, and she worries constantly about doing the "right thing" in all situations. She is courageous, but crumbles beneath emotional turmoil. Her desire to give and receive love are often a source of trouble. Although intelligent, Liana is not streetwise and often easily manipulated. She is prone to forming attachments with those who seem to be in need, or with anyone who expresses an interest in having her around, whether or not the other party's emotions are genuine.

  Biographical Summary  
(CREATOR'S NOTE:  THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE BEING REWORKED AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE)

Born to a small and strongly religious family in the city of Kvatch, Liana's early life is mostly uneventful. Although she dreams of a life in servitude to the Divines, she also has skills in healing and alchemy. She is fascinated by local plant life, and has a strong desire to help others with potions and restoration magic. She is close with her parents, Titus and Alexia, and while she does enjoy spending time with extended family members, she is often at odds with her older cousin, Vanius, who rejects her advice and restrictive, puritanical ways. 

Liana's life is suddenly upended on the date of 27th of Last Seed, 3E 433 when the Oblivion Crisis occurs. At this time, Liana is 20 years old. An Oblivion gate opens at Kvatch and the city is overrun with Daedra. Liana's parents are killed in the subsequent collapse of their home, as are her aunt and uncle (paternal) while trying to escape the city. Liana flees to the safety of the chapel with many other citizens, including priest and longtime friend, Martin. In the chaos, she discovers a trapped child, who has discovered a small, injured Scamp. Liana carries them both to safety, and despite the protestations from the other survivors, the Scamp is allowed into the chapel and given the name 'Rascal.' The Scamp remains with Liana indefinitely, which Martin warns may lead to trouble, but this event, alongside the Crisis itself, is considered a major turning point in Liana's outlook on life and morality.

"I know what Stendarr's teaching say, that our mercy should not extend to the Daedra.
I always thought I knew what that meant, but this isn't what I expected.
When I looked down at him, I didn't see a monster or a savage beast.
I saw only a small, frightened animal, cowering among the rubble.
And I realized that this creature had no power over me.
I was the one in control. Either I could destroy him, or I could show him mercy. 
I chose mercy. And perhaps I was wrong, but I would answer the same every time."
                                                                                ~Liana explaining her decision to save Rascal

A rescue group of Kvatch guards and members of the Blades arrives to help the survivors, bringing news that Martin is the missing heir of the recently assassinated Emperor Uriel Septim VII. At this revelation, Liana offers to help close the Oblivion gate outside the city, as well as protect and serve the new emperor. She allies herself with the Blades, although she does not officially join their ranks, and her friendship and infatuation with Martin deepens.

With the guidance of the Blades, Liana learns the basics of swordfighting. The opening of Oblivion gates across Cyrodiil offers her the chance to travel, and she helps close several of them alongside her comrades. While in the Imperial City, she meets an Altmer named Adarilar, who has been forced to delay his trip home due to the ongoing crisis. Their initial conversation sparks a friendship, and will eventually prove useful to Liana's future scholarly pursuits.

After the resolution of the Oblivion Crisis, Liana finds herself devastated by the loss of Martin, whom she had grown to love, yet she is also hopeful for the future. Her swordsmanship is much improved, as well as her alchemy and restoration skills. With a new sense of courage and purpose, she chooses to continue her study of Oblivion through the use of sigil stones, hoping that the knowledge she gains can be used to aid Nirn against any future daedric incursions. She begins to keep a diary and detailed notes on her discoveries, but is hesitant to share them after repeated pushback from colleagues in the Mages Guild and Arcane University. She confides most often in Adarliar, who has returned to his home in the Summerset Isles. They make a habit of writing letters to one another, which then leads to a scholarly correspondence with the College of Sapiarchs that lasts for many years and provides the college with a good portion of Liana's research for their departments of Oblivion Studies, Alchemy, and Daedric Fallacies, among others (for more on this subject, click here). However, much of Liana's research and personal observations will remain secret for generations, fueling disturbing rumors as well as an underground cult fascination with her exploration of the Deadlands.

  4E Timeline  
In 4E 0, shortly after the end of the Oblivion Crisis, Liana moves to Cheydinhal and meets Garanir, a paranoid and somewhat neurotic Bosmer with whom she forms an attachment. Their eventual romantic relationship is fueled mostly by Liana's desire to care for others. Although her affection is genuine, she finds difficulty in navigating Garanir's moods and the restrictions he places upon her. He is critical and even frightened of her fascination with Oblivion, forcing her to cut back heavily on her research. They are married in 4E 1, but this is not to last.

In 4E 2, on the 25th of Rain's Hand, Liana gives birth to a daughter, Mariel, an event that brings an overwhelming sense of joy and fulfillment. Less than a year later, however, while Liana is under the influence of a sleeping draught, Garanir banishes Rascal, and then flees in the night with their child, never to return. Without any hint as to where they might have gone, Liana spends the next several months in desperate search, eventually spiraling into an abyssal depression when every effort to find her family proves fruitless. Toward the end of her journey, she meets a young Bosmer named Giomir in the town of Skingrad, initially mistaking him for her missing husband. This mistake is quickly rectified, although it verifies, once and for all, that Liana's search has reached a dead end. Giomir's kindness has a lasting impact on her, however, and while neither of them realize it, they will soon meet again.

Liana then returns to Cheydinhal. For several weeks, she accomplishes very little, refusing to engage in daily activities and often contemplating suicide. It is only through the constant vigilance of nearby friends and neighbors that she is able to continue caring for herself, and eventually return to her studies of Oblivion, which now provide the only sense of purpose in her life. After neglecting to write for more than half a year, she resumes her letters to Adarilar on the 7th of Second Seed, 4E 3.

It is at this point in her life when Liana finds a way back into the Deadlands through the use of her sigil stones, and also when her greatest and most shocking exploits take place...
(Content within the Spoiler may be considered NSFW or offensive to some. Reader discretion is advised)

In 4E 4, Liana's cousin Vanius returns to Cyrodiil from Morrowind, and the two are reunited. Although he leaves Morrowind well before the eruption of Red Mountain, their grandparents in Vivec City do not survive this event. This leaves Liana and Vanius as the only surviving members of their family (along with Liana's missing daughter, Mariel). The bitter feelings of their past are ultimately resolved, and despite occasional disagreements, they will remain close for the rest of their lives. In fact, it is Vanius who plays a large role in encouraging Liana's relationship with Giomir, who also comes to visit in Cheydinhal during the year of 4E 4.

In 4E 5, Liana and Giomir are married. The following year, when Liana realizes she is pregnant, she officially ends her research trips into the Deadlands. The Xivilai Eranaxis becomes enraged at his inability to control and enthrall Liana, yet despite fears that he may seek her out and retaliate, this never comes to pass (and it is well documented in Liana's writings that, despite being immensely, physically powerful, Eranaxis is severely lacking in magical skill). Instead, Liana finds herself inundated with visits from a variety of other Daedra, who have learned of her travels. These visits are received with a mixture of irritation and genuine interest, although they greatly compromise the secrecy Liana hopes to maintain. As the suspicions from her friends and neighbors grow, Liana decides to embrace the recent uptick in activity, and when she is given the chance to enter the independent Oblivion realm of Fargrave, she jumps at the opportunity (despite all advice and warnings from Vanius and Giomir).

[Additional details pending...]

In 4E 22, the Thalmor come into power in the Summerset Isles and Adarliar's letters to Liana become infrequent.

Almost everything that Liana writes throughout her life will remain hidden by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren for many years after her death. The precarious and controversial nature of her research is largely to blame for the rumors that spread as a result of her unpublished works. It is not until her great-great-great-great-great-great grandson, Julius Sendris, takes an interest in her research that an earnest effort begins to preserve and publish it.

► To read Liana's correspondence with the College of Sapiarchs, click here.
► To read Liana's research notes, click here.
► To read Liana's diary, click here.

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► Trivia: Liana's creation was partly inspired by the 1983 song "Rainbow in the Dark" by Dio. The original intention was to make her wholly moral, devoted to the Divines, and abhorred by anything related to Oblivion or Daedric magic. Obviously, she had other plans, as there were many dramatic changes made during her development.