Tazendra (Honor)

Something I worry about when I play Tazendra is that she's prone to picking fights. And right now Honor does not feel like she over-matches any given Blank enough to avoid a fight*. So she should be taking insult to things, and I am bad at remembering to have her actually challenge people (and probably get her ass kicked by any blank that actually remembers combat, or has been practicing for weeks/months -- she's got a natural talent and muscle memory, but no memories of fighting, and scant practice).

Currently, though, she doesn't get modern slang (which means it takes her a bit to grasp slangy insults, unless they are delivered in the right tone), and most of the criticisms that have been leveled against her are things she doesn't consider flaws. For example, in the game, Lucky called her 'Donna Quixote', presumably meaning 'that idiot who wants to run into danger instead of away for some stupid noble reason'. And right now, Trixie tells Honor that Hydracula is the 'coolest', which Honor interprets as 'unemotional under pressure', which doesn't describe her at all. (Though may describe other Lyvus -- the only one she's seen in a stressful situation so far is Selendis. And doesn't describe Lucky, in Honor's opinion, though she might grant Trixie Molotov.)

There's a nice quote from Sethra Lavode in the canon that pretty much notes the problems with such things -- they're meant to be insults, but from people who are not worth challenging, and they also are rooted in truth because the insult is not 'You are X' but 'You are X, and that is bad'. So, it's kind of a fine line as to what Honor parses as an insult and what is merely an observation.

--
* Yes, Tazendra/Honor is weird. She'd happily pick a fight with King, or the Old Man or the Old Woman, even realizing that this is likely to end with her as a smear on the cave floor/in the Pillar/reduced to her component atoms and ionized. But, she wouldn't bother with someone like... oh, let's say Badger... because beating up on someone who is weaker than her is no challenge. (Now, if he wanted to bring Lepus with him, or his patron**, or the rest of Monoceros, well, that's a party! ^_^)

** Oh, that wouldn't end well for Tazendra. Fighting type blank is weak vs. mongoling.

"That is, I might be afraid and, being afraid, I would feel shame, and no one wishes to feel shame."
"So then, one might nearly say that you fear fear."
"What else is there to fear?"
      -- Ibronka and Kytraan, The Lord of Castle Black, page 273

First off, I'd like to thank Selendis for running a truly excellent nightmare, and for asking me to participate. Not only did it trauma a character I thought would be darn hard to shake, but it also let Honor discover she really likes Selendis. (Granted, despite her rampant bloodlust and craving for adrenaline rushes, Honor/Tazendra likes people who don't piss her off. She even didn't mind Molotov on their few interactions (Lucky she's not sure about, since she's convinced Lucky is insulting her).)

( Memory later, essay now. )

Character Name: Tazendra Lavode, Baroness Dayvia (aka Tazendra)
Unit: Corvus
Age: About 1000. She looks to be an adult in her 30s.
Height: About seven feet tall. Yes, really.
Weight: 300-325 lbs.
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Black, straight.
Appearance: Tazendra has straight, dark hair, slanted, dark eyes and a dark complexion. She has a striking face, with prominent cheekbones, a strong chin, pointed ears, and a long nose, and has been noted as both good-looking and aging well. She also appears to have pointed ears, of an especially characteristic shape to Dzurlords.

Description of powers: Is a sorceress, but her magic is powered by amorphia (also known as chaos), a substance not generally found in nature. Or in Sabra, as far as we know. (Of the two sources on Tazendra's world, one was created by the goddess Verra, and the other was created by an epic magical backfire. A few people can create it on their own, but none of them are here.)

She also is skilled with a blade, not that good at cards, and has an incredible tolerance for alcohol.
Strength/Extent of powers: n/a
Innate: Nope.
Memory related: Yep.
Relation to memory: Tazendra needs to remember how to do Elder Sorcery to have a shot at any sort of magic at Sabra, even if she can find a power source. Once she has that memory and a power source, she’ll gain back magic abilities as she remembers doing them. Her swords skills are also learned, though her strength and coordination remain.

Spell List:
-- Protection spell. Used to block a bit of hostile magic.
Effect of Animus Limiters: Assuming that Tazendra can get a source of amorphia, any of her insta-kill spells will be nerfed. Teleportation requires checking with the mods.