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Katerina only approached Shōji to fulfill her goals the first time, and for the impossibility of his continued existence the second, but she’s really grown fond of the man in the time they’ve spent together afterwards. The fact that Shōji still lives puzzles her to no end, as she foresaw no path where everyone could make it out alive, and to be honest, the fact that it happened terrifies her, as that mean that the future isn’t as firmly in her hand as she’d hope. She’s relieved that she can at least count on Shōui to help her however he can in continuing to carve the right path for the world to follow.
Technically, Shōji’s near-death experience and current scars are all Katerina’s fault, as she’s the one who told Reizō and him where to find Zen, and who convinced Reizō to give his all to save the girl’s life, which is what led to Shōji being left behind. Shōji is well aware of this, and well aware that Katerina knew what would happen to him if she pursued this path. However, he holds no bad blood towards her. He’s a practical man, and he knows he would’ve done the same in her situation, knowing it was the only way to fulfill what she wanted to achieve. Far from it, he’s actually agreed to help Katerina with her fate-changing shenanigans, weird as they seem to him. But after all, even if the failed mission is what got him his scars, it is also what gained him his freedom and cut his ties with his old life, so in a sense, he owes that to Katerina too.
Nyx is very practical and reasoning. And as such, she can't get her head around why something so mundane as gender identity would keep Idrys from doing their duty as the leading priest of Sitara's faith after their mother's death. Though she probably shouldn't have phrased it like that. What she probably should've said is that the goddess doesn't care if the position is held by a woman or by any other person, and that Idrys's mom was wrong to cast them away just for that.
It's probably wrong to use the word "hate" when referring to a child... so let's just say Idrys strongly dislikes Nyx. She's conceited, demanding, and worst of all, she talks exactly like Idrys's mom, calling them irresponsible for abandoning their duty as their mother's next-in-line. If Idrys's faith was already dwindling to begin with, receiving such treatment from the literal incarnation of their goddess just smothered it completely.
Lynell first saw Idrys when he was very tiny, during a diplomatic trip to Arinam, back when Idrys still served at the temple with their mother. Though they never even spoke, he was immediately transfixed with them, and the memory remained with him through his childhood like a mystical, magical dream. When this dream-like memory suddenly entered Lynell's court one day, he couldn't believe his eyes - and in his excitement, he unfortunately went and deadnamed Idrys. He still hasn't recovered from the blunder.
Idrys doesn't really remember seeing Lynell in Arinam. Like, sure, he was probably there, as they remember receiving Lhanvel's royal family in the temple once, but having to show up all dolled up like a pretty princess for an audience of foreigners means Idrys pretty much only remembers being very pissed that day. While Lynell seems like a nice enough person, Idrys can regard him with nothing but skepticism, as they're sure Lynell is hung up on that person Idrys never truly was and would have no real interest for Idrys's actual self.
Viorika’s strong maternal instinct had her being one of the first to meet every newborn of her kind and take turns looking after them whenever she could, and Ume was no exception, even though the increasing unease in the world, which eventually led to their exile, kept her incredibly busy when Ume was born. Many dragonkin lives were lost in the Exile War but, out of all of tose they lost, she still finds herself wondering what became of her missing youngest sibling.
Ume’s eldest sister, she often came to visit him and look after him when he was little. He thinks of her often even now, although his memories of her are fuzzy at best. Adding that to how much the World’s Roots have changed her, he probably wouldn’t recognize her if he saw her now.
Naresh only saw Ume once, when the latter was just a newborn. Since they lost track of him when they were exiled to the World’s Roots, he’s always assumed him dead.
Though he’s technically Ume’s older brother, Ume has no recollection of him.
Learys was very happy when she was introduced to Ume, as her father came from the same land as Ume, Owari. Out of the whole group of friends, she’s the one who’s managed to get more words out of him, as she begs for him to tell her about those lands she so longs to see herself. She managed to get him to open up about his hobbies, and has become a fervient apprentice to him in artistic calligraphy and Owarean strategy games.
Learys was the most difficult for Ume to get used to, as she was the one who expected the more words out of him. But Learys’s gentle and friendly nature eventually managed to get him to lower his defenses and start opening up a bit about himself, first about the land he called his home, and later on even about his hobbies. The girl’s presence still causes some trepidation in him though, and much prefers it to share a game of gō or write calligraphy together rather than chat.
Evain made Ume’s acquaintance through Idrys, as it couldn’t have been otherwise. Immediately, Ume sparked a feeling of sympathy in him, as he saw himself reflected in the quiet boy: an introverted person adopted by Idrys, equal times grateful for the company and overwhelmed by its intensity. Because of this understanding, he’s easily accepted Ume’s quiet company while he’s performing his tasks. They don’t talk much when they’re together, yet they’ve developed a strong bond thanks to this.
Whenever Idrys’s energy gets too overwhelming, Evain offers a much more peaceful alternative. Almost in radical contrast to Idrys, Evain very rarely utters a word unless spoken to first, much like Ume does, and his “gentle giant” aura feels safe a soothing. Ume has developed a habit to look for the human whenever he wants a comfortable silence.
Idrys has a tendency to adopt shy people, so of course they soon made Ume their victim. They used to talk at him for very long periods of time, never expecting a reply since they thought his quietness was due to him not speaking the Common tongue - a fact they were shocked to find out was false when Ume suddenly decided to correct them. Far from feeling embarrassed for having assumed wrongly for so long, Idrys was instead excited to know Ume could speak their language, and began bothering him even more.
Idrys just popped up in Ume’s life one day, without really knowing how it happened. He was minding his business, doing his bodyguard duty, when suddenly the tiny golden person appeared, pastry in hand, and began talking at him. Incessantly. They seemed to believe Ume couldn’t speak their language, as they spoke with much gesticulating and repeating some key words, and Ume couldn’t find it in him to correct them for the longest time. He thought he’d immediately regret it when he did, as he feared that’d mean Idrys would either get offended and leave, or start expecting him to reply, but that never happened. Idrys was delighted to learn he could understand what they said, which only made them redouble his chatting efforts, with Ume just listening in grateful silence.
It would be unfair to say Evain dislikes Idrys… but he doesn’t quite get them, either. After a terrible first impression, every time Evain has come across Idrys (which has happened often, as Idrys is his girlfriend’s best friend) has only made Evain more and more convinced that the two of them have no common ground to stand on. Idrys’s carefree demeanour and apparent disregard for authority clash strongly with Evain’s own ideals of duty and order. Hopefully, his opinion of the young elf can yet be fixed.
The first time Idrys saw Evain, they were shocked. Humans are generally larger than elves, but they’d never seen one quite as tall as Evain before. Having this be the first thing Idrys ever told Evain probably wasn’t the best idea though, as Evain has been awkward around them ever since. Which is such a shame, as Idrys really likes the man. They feel Evain is the kind of person who would never judge another, and that makes Idrys feel safe and comfortable around him.
Learys is very grateful to Idrys. While she’s not shy, she’s always had trouble initiating friendships, so having Idrys take the first step when they both first arrived in Elysem was a huge relief to her. She finds Idrys very fun to be around, and they move her to try things she probably wouldn’t have dared to do on her own, such as pursuing her crush, Evain.
Idrys loves being friends with Learys. Being next to such a pretty, refined and sweet lady makes them feel more refined themself. They have enough in common to establish a friendship, and enough differences to complement each other.
Maelys looked up to Nolwenn, with an admiration that bordered what one would usually feel towards a legendary figure, almost. She admired the strength of her faith and her lack of hesitation, but what truly moved her was the frail heart underneath all her armor, both literal and metaphorical. Maelys longed to be the one to heal Nolwenn’s broken heart and melt her icy façade. Unfortunately, Nolwenn died before she could achieve it.
Nolwenn felt a sort of fascination towards Maelys, intrigued by the mysterious woman. While her first instinct was to be suspicious of her, as she used to be a worshipper of Myrkul, Maelys’s kind-hearted nature soon won over Nolwenn’s heart. Nolwenn’s soul was a grieving one, and Maelys gave it the comfort it desperately needed. Giving her life to save Maelys’s was the only natural choice.
While they haven’t had any contact ever since Qiao Ying left the High Forest, Koeth still thinks fondly of the woman and is grateful to her, as she too had a role in his achieving his new life. His memories of her have progressively become more idealized, and he remembers her as a strong woman who wouldn’t bend despite how difficult Relvar’s relatives tried to make her life.
Ying met Koeth for only a brief period of time after the boy tried to steal from her and Relvar on their way to the High Forest, and afterwards during the brief time she lived there, as Relvar took him in as an assistant to get him off the streets. But he did leave a good impression on her, as she liked his fierceness. She has heard from Lin that he’s now Relvar’s apprentice, and thinks it suits them both well.
When they first met, Dani was immediately taken with Ying, as she saw in her all the things she wanted for herself: freedom and self-confidence, never allowing anyone to tell her what to do. She inspired some of Dani’s most famous songs. Dani has always tried to gain Ying’s attention, and taken any chance to spend time together, even going to the point of moving close to her in Marsember. But when Kairon broke the heart of Ying’s daughter, the woman took out her anger on Dani instead and then proceeded to cut contact with her. Dani is too proud to take the initiative to make contact with the woman when she was obviously the one in the wrong, but still hopes to fix their relationship. For this, she’s patiently waiting for a chance to lend the woman a hand through her spy network, so that she’ll have no choice but to contact her to thank her.
Ying and Dani used to be the best of friends despite their differences both in age, upbringing and personality. Their bond was forged on the road, and reached its peak when Daniella returned Ying to life after she suffered a fatal wound. But all these experiences couldn’t make up for the fact that Dani’s apprentice broke her daughter’s heart. As she confronted the bard about this, a lot of ugly, hurtful things were said that made the women cut contact with each other. Proud as she is, Ying has made no attempt to heal their relationship.
Kairon respects Qiao Ying, but most of all, he fears her. Knowing that she was Lin’s mother was the sole reason that kept him from trying to seduce her from the start and do his best to keep a distance at first, until he eventually fell for the girl and left his fear for her mother behind. He can only imagine what Qiao Ying thinks of him now, and dreads the possibility of ever crossing paths with her again.
Ying didn’t use to mind Kairon when they first met, back when Daniella asked her to help him train his balance and endurance at her dojo, and actually kinda liked his acidic jokes, since she, too, has a sharp tongue. But that all changed when he started dating Lin, as Ying knew how liberal Dani was in her affections and suspected her apprentice would be very much the same. And while he never did anything to hurt Lin while they were together, he absolutely broke her heart when he left her. So now, if Ying ever crosses paths with him again, she’ll likely break his legs.
Jilaot absolutely looks up to Qiao Ying for both her martial prowess, and just for the way she is, taking bullshit from no one and saying things just as she sees them. She’s her role model, and her recognition is the greatest reward she could achieve. Thus, she’s constantly trying to improve herself and overcome everyone else, just to receive her beloved master’s praise.
Ying took in Jilaot half out of compromise with her orcish “sworn brother”, half out of pity for the treatment she was receiving at her clan. But she soon saw that the kid needed to pity at all, as she easily outmatched her peers in the dojo, and quickly advanced positions there despite having started training at a later age. Ying actually sees a lot of herself in Jilaot, which is why she has encouraged her to follow some of the steps she herself took, such as becoming a gladiator. It won’t be long before she makes a serious effort to convince her to set out on her own to fully grow, but the half-orc’s attachment to her might make it a difficult goal.
For Relvar, Ying was a love at first sight. He first saw her when she was taking on three opponents at the same time and wiping the floor with them, with a passion so strong that it was contagious. Never before had he met anyone as strong as her, both physically and mentally, and he was immediately taken, despite her sharp remarks and crude words. To him, their different lifespans only meant that he had to make the most of the time they had together, and that he couldn’t afford to lose a single moment with her. But despite his dedication, or how hard he tried, he eventually lost her and never understood why. While raising their child has helped him heal the emptiness in his heart she left behind, it still aches for her.
When the two first met, Ying thought Relvar was a weakling and a scaredy cat, and didn’t pay much attention to him. However, as they continued to travel together, she found that the reason why he hesitated to join a fight was not fear, but that he was a great defender of peace and diplomacy, and worried about accidentally injuring someone innocent. When they started dating, he won her heart little by little until he conquered it fully. But when his family began picking out on her shorter lifespan, a fear began creeping inside her heart that he’d cease to love her when she grew old and wrinkled, but would stay with her out of pity. While she never told him this was the reason, she left to find a way to achieve immortality so she’d be worthy of staying by him his whole life, and when she failed, she stayed away so his memory of her young, beautiful self would never be ruined in his mind.
Lin admires her mother to the point of almost-worship. Her whole life, her father has always told her stories about her unparalleled fighting skills and her impressive victories, which, coupled with how little she saw the woman herself, created in her mind the image of a wise, powerful, indestructible woman. This image still exists to this day, even after Lin having spent more time with her. Chances are, her admiration for her mother will never diminish, as it is also one of Lin’s greatest fuels for improving herself, so as to live up to her mother’s legacy.
Ying adores her daughter, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her. However, strict and demanding as she is, she often sees Lin more for what she isn’t than for what she is. Ying wishes Lin was more decided, braver, less timid and, most of all, less naïve. But for as many flaws as she sees in the way Lin faces the world, she finds none in her fighting skills, and, as a warrior herself, she couldn’t be prouder in that regard.
In her desire to be accepted by elven society, acceptance by her father’s family has always been Lin’s main goal, and Eklira, as the closest surviving member, is the one she’s most hoped to get close to. Because of this, Lin let slide her coldness and snide remarks and instead held tight to any slight show of affection Eklira would give her. Even now when it’s so obvious she doesn’t hold any love for her, Lin can’t help hoping she can change her mind.
Eklira never really liked Lin, right from the start. She was the reason why her brother was throwing away their family’s best chance to get their old status back, or even surpass it. She never cared to meet the girl, and was unimpressed when she did. Now that she’s machinated her way into having Relvar reject Lin, she’s glad she’ll never really have to count her among her “legitimate” relatives again.
Relvar never really knew Eklira much, since she was already a full-fledged adult living her own life when he was born, but he always thought fondly of her as she was his family, especially after their parents’ deaths. However, her attitude towards him when he declared he’d be raising Lin made it obvious to him that they were far too different people with opposing points of view, and that Eklira would never respect his wishes even if he was her only sibling. Recent events have made this more obvious than ever,
When Relvar was born, Eklira didn’t think much of it. She had given herself the task to bring their family back to glory, and she didn’t have any time to spare for a baby brother. But when he became the apprentice to the Kaer’Vaelen her view changed, as he became a potential ally to her goals. However, the boy made it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with it, especially after having an affair with a human woman and produced a half-blooded child whom he declared he was going to raise. So, far from just not helping the family’s cause, he’d gone and added dishonour to them. Eklira thinks Relvar naïve and stupid, and will not hesitate to go to extremes to get him in the right path.
Jilaot and Lin have never had a friendly relationship due to the earlier’s one-sided feelings of rivalry towards the latter, but Lin’s distaste for for the half-orc only truly grew after she, to prove to Lin that her boyfriend would definitely cheat on her, tried to seduce him. She failed, but it’s the thought that counts.
From the moment she knew of her existence, Jilaot identified Lin as her greatest rival for master Qiao Ying’s attention. As such, she’s always tried her best to surpass her, the more exaggeratedly the better, and whenever she couldn’t, she instead tried to diminish her. Lin is too soft to be openly antagonistic to her, but Jilaot would have it well-deserved.
Koeth admires Relvar to the extreme, even idealizing him somewhat, and, feeling indebted to him also, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his master. Any affront made to Relvar, even if the man himself pays them no mind, he will make it his duty to see it repaid, and he will invariably try to protect him from anyone he perceives as a threat, whether physical or otherwise. While he’d never have the face to tell the man, since he fears rejection, he sees Relvar as a father.
While it might not be to the same extreme as with Lin, Relvar does worry a lot about Koeth too, even if for different reasons. In all the years since he caught him trying to steal from him, Relvar has managed to become really close to the boy, up to the point of making him his apprentice, and even seeing him as a son. Despite this, he’s never managed to get the boy to open up about what happened to him before they met other than the vaguest of details. Relvar is concerned that keeping these matters to himself will eventually hurt Koeth, but doesn’t know how to approach him about it.
Lin really looks up to her father, even though she’s more than aware of his flaws. His excessive worrying and liable emotions are the most prominent ones, to the point that Lin learned not to cry in front of her father from a very young age because she knew that’d make her father follow her right along and start crying too. She wished she’d had enough magical talents to follow him on his footsteps, as just a wizard if not as a Bladesinger, and often laments that her only talent seems to be with a bow.
Relvar absolutely adores his daughter. Even though she’s a fully grown woman now, he can’t help seeing her as a child, even moreso given how elves are not considered adults until they reach 100 years of age. He’s trying his best to accept the quicker pace her development must follow due to her human blood, but his accepting of her race has mostly served for him to worry over the fact that she might be more prone to injury (an unjustified fear), and that he might miss her entire lifespan if he’s not careful. He is, in short, very stressed.
Being her father’s apprentice, as well as one of her caretakers for as long as she can remember, Koeth could never have taken another role in Lin’s heart than that of a big brother, even if they’re not related. She’s always looked up to him and idealized him, and to this date she still has trouble disagreeing with him or telling him he’s wrong. While his presence is comforting to her, it is also an uncomfortable reminder of her differences to pure elves, as she now looks older than this boy who helped raise her.
Though they don’t share a drop of blood between them, Koeth sees Lin exactly as a little sister. He’s known her since she was barely a year old and has helped in her caretaking ever since, and while he’s not as much of an over-worrier as her father, he does shelter her a bit too much, though always recognising and respecting her strengths. Otherwise, his parting gift to her when she left the clan to travel on her own wouldn’t have been a dagger for self-defense.
As of today, Kairon's feelings about Brimeia are complicated. While she is still his dearest little sister, whom he wishes nothing but the best for, he has found that it is no longer true that he'd do anything for her. Though he resents himself for feeling this way, he's bitter that he's given up on so many things for her sake throughout his life, and still she not only chose a path he disapproved of by joining the Harpers, but hid it from him. The anger and hurt he felt when the news were broken to him led him to leave her behind without warning, but after calming down and coming back to find her gone, he can't help worry that something bad has happened to her and he hasn't been there to protect her. While receiving Brim's telepathic message has eased his fears somewhat, now he's anxious to find her again.
She loves her brother Kairon, and is always trying to keep an eye on him and his safety. A cruel past has led them to flee her village of origin, originally for the sake of sharing Brimeia's gift to the world. However, her real intentions have always been kept a secret from her elder brother...
She has always felt responsible for the amount of trouble that she has caused him due to her curiosity, and now that he is gone, she has to face the reality of not being in the illusory cocoon of safety that she believed surrounded them when they were together.
Finding out that Kairon has a sister who is, in fact, alive, was quite a shock for Lin. On the one hand, it relieved her to know she was actually never dumped for another, but on the other, it hurt to know Kairon had kept such a huge secret from her.
As for Brimeia herself, Lin's feelings are just as split. The cleric was openly disdainful towards her when they first met, so it kinda built a wall that her later warmness hasn't fully been able to take down. Still, Lin is undeniably curious of her, not only because she offers a different view on Kairon's past, but also because she is a priestess of Tymora, a goddess Lin has always wanted to know more about due to the shrine dedicated to this deity that was placed not too far from her mother's dojo in Marsember.
Coming to offer her assistance in Brimeia's direst hour of need, it took this last one a while to not feel doubtful of her intentions. Coming out of nowhere and with clear ties to Kairon, Brimeia wasn't sure who was the one to pity in that "relationship".
However, after seeing how capable Lin was in combat, and her interactions with Kairon, Brimeia had to concede her the benefit of the doubt. Nowadays, even if she has left the group, Brim keeps her in her morning prayers.