"Sleep well, and dream deeply. You will wake when the world is ready for you."
Full Name: Nivara Rhinedóttir Solenne
Other Names: Kindly Rhinedóttir, Rhinedóttir the Kind, The Blind Saint of Valah, The Black-Handed Oracle
Titles: Jarl of Valah
Race: Eldarii-Human Hybrid
Affiliation: Valah, The Council of Arboris (formerly)
Gender: Female
Age: 2336
Class: Overlord
Alignment: Neutral
Status: Alive
Current Location: Valah, Svarta-Vidhr
Companion: Woodrow
Patron Deity: Serena, Goddess of Gentle Death
Abilities: Ether-Shaping, Sovereign’s Presence, Lull of the Everdream
Notable Feats: Runes of the Valkyrie, Architect of Valah’s Defenses, The Unyielding Shield, The Whisper in the Woods
Aptitudes:
- Dexterity II
- Intelligence IV
- Strength I
- Charisma VIII
- Insight IV
- Perception VIII
- Resonance IX
- Attunement VII
- Endurance II
Background & Overview
Nivara Rhinedóttir Solenne is an ancient Ether Shaper from the world of Arboris. As an outlander herself, she was raised in an era defined by the perfect balance of technology and nature. Her entire existence was erased from her family's minds for her entire life by the Ether. She was raised by Councillor Rhys Terra of Arboris. At the age of 20, she was crowned as the youngest Councillor of Arboris. At the age of 25, Nivara was conjured to the unforgiving realm of Eldrahn, where she faced the daunting challenge of surviving the treacherous Black Forest.
Thousands of years later, she serves as one of the four Jarls of Valah, a secluded and fortified town deep in the Svarta-Vidhr forest. She is the twin sister of The Valkyrie, though neither knew of the other for most of their lives due to the influence of the Ether. While her sister is a brilliant inventor who fights by empowering her people, Nivara is a protector and guardian who ensures her people never have to fight at all.
While they share a connection to the Ether, aligning particularly with the twin Eidons of Death, they each reflect a different aspect of it. The Valkyrie aligns with Mortifex, the god who hunts down those who refuse death, mirroring her power to resurrect the fallen as the "Raven-Marked," warriors reborn to fight again. Nivara, on the other hand, aligns with Serena, the goddess of gentle death, embodying the peace of final rest—though in her hands, rest does not always mean death. She wields sleep, dreams, and the silent stillness of the grave as her weapons, ensuring that her enemies never wake to see another dawn.
Her presence is like the hush before snowfall, the quiet that settles over a battlefield when breath is held and fate is decided. She does not fight her enemies—she removes their will to fight, lulling them into an eternal slumber or binding them in the dreamscape until their bodies are swallowed by time itself.
Nivara is accompanied by Woodrow, a Wyldkin Owl. Much like his mistress, never makes a sound unless he deems it necessary—when he speaks, it is always a warning.
Appearance
Nivara has the sharp, elegant features of the Eldarii, with long, pointed ears and silver-white hair that cascades past her shoulders. She wears dark leather armor with a fur-lined collar, fitted for both mobility and protection. Unlike most warriors, she does not wear gloves, leaving her blackened hands exposed—the cause of which remains unknown.
Her black blindfold, inscribed with runes, obscures her eyes, yet she moves with perfect precision, guided by an awareness beyond mortal senses. When she removes the blindfold to weave the Ether, her eyes glow a dim white, allowing her to perceive the threads of existence themselves. When she fully channels her power, a radiant runic halo manifests behind her, and her eyes shine like the moon on a winter’s night.
Personality
Nivara Rhinedóttir Solenne is a figure of quiet grace, unshakable composure, and an almost otherworldly presence. She moves through the world with the weight of duty and destiny upon her shoulders, her every action measured, deliberate, and unwavering.
At her core, Nivara is deeply kind—not in the way that comforts or reassures, but in the way that guides and protects. She does not coddle, nor does she waste words on empty platitudes. Instead, her kindness manifests in her endless patience, her wisdom, and her willingness to bear the burdens others cannot. To those who seek her guidance, she offers clarity without judgment, truth without cruelty, and protection without hesitation.
Her presence alone demands reverence—not because she asks for it, but because she carries herself with an air of divine inevitability. The people of Valah do not merely see her as their Jarl; they see her as something greater, something eternal—a force of nature, a guiding star, a savior who will never falter. Her Sovereign’s Presence ensures that those who meet her gaze feel this instinctively, but even without it, she is someone who commands respect through sheer being.
However, Nivara is not warm. She does not indulge in sentimentality, nor does she allow herself to be ruled by emotion. She is not cold, but distant—like the hush of snowfall, or the silence before dawn. She speaks with precision, never wasting words, her voice gentle yet firm, carrying the weight of someone who does not need to demand authority—she simply has it.
She rarely reveals her own thoughts or struggles, choosing instead to carry them in silence. Whatever fears, doubts, or grief she may have are buried beneath her composure, locked away where they cannot interfere with her duty. She does not complain, nor does she show weakness. This makes her seem almost inhumanly serene, even in the face of devastation.
Despite this, she is not emotionless. Beneath the surface, she feels deeply—but she has learned to master her emotions rather than be ruled by them. Her sorrow is quiet, her anger measured, her love unspoken but unwavering. The people of Valah may never hear her weep or rage, but they will always know that she stands for them, that she will sacrifice anything to protect them.
Her connection to Serena, the goddess of gentle death, is evident in her demeanor. Where her sister wields death as a weapon, tearing the fallen from the abyss and hurling them back into battle, Nivara ushers it in as a natural part of existence. To her, death is not something to be feared—it is a release, a final kindness, a passage to peace. She does not seek to prevent it, nor does she rush toward it. Instead, she ensures that when it comes, it is met with grace, dignity, and acceptance.
She is a guide, a protector, a keeper of order. She does not fight because she desires war; she fights because it is necessary. And when she does, she does so without hesitation, without mercy, without spectacle.
When Nivara weaves the Ether, her power manifests with an eerie, almost effortless control. She barely moves her hands or arms, yet spells of immense potency take form as if they were always meant to be. She does not need grand gestures, does not channel power through dramatic motion—she simply wills it into existence.
When she attacks, her strikes seem to hit before she moves, distorting space in a way that makes her presence on the battlefield feel inevitable. To her enemies, it is as if the moment of their defeat was decided before they even realized they were in danger. Her spells land with unerring precision, their impact already written into reality before she lifts a hand. She does not revel in destruction, nor does she mourn it—she simply enacts what must be done.
To those who know her, she is both an enigma and a pillar. A leader who never wavers, a presence that never fades, a being who stands between the living and the inevitable, ensuring that all things come to pass as they should.
Abilities & Powers
Ether-Shaping
Nivara’s Ether-Shaping is precise and deliberate, relying on subtle gestures rather than grand movements. She specializes in control-based magic, illusions, and defensive spells that prevent harm before it can happen. Unlike her sister's overwhelming necromantic power and potent buffs, Nivara’s magic is quieter—less a force of destruction and more an inescapable certainty.
She wields the Ether to bend perception, slow time, and cloud the minds of her enemies, making them feel as though they are walking through a waking dream.
Sovereign’s Presence
Nivara passively influences all sentient beings capable of reason or communication. Those who stand before her cannot help but perceive her as a figure of great importance—whether as a saint, a leader, or the final whisper before sleep.
Her presence alone can quell conflict, turn foes into allies, and make even the most hardened warriors second-guess their will to fight. It does not work on animals or bestial creatures, as they do not reason, nor do they dream.
Lull of the Everdream
Where Aurelia revives the fallen, Nivara ensures that none ever need to fall at all.
This ability allows her to force entire armies into a deep, dreamlike sleep, removing them from the battlefield entirely. Those affected by this spell experience timelessness, as though trapped in a dream where the world outside has long since passed. Some wake days later, others do not wake at all. For them, Nivara has granted the mercy of Serena’s embrace—a death so peaceful, it is as though they merely drifted away.
At its peak, this spell can send foes into an eternal dreamscape, a place beyond time where only their consciousness lingers, unaware that their bodies have long since withered away.
Feats & Accomplishments
Runes of the Valkyrie
Nivara is responsible for the intricate runes that adorn The Valkyrie's body as tattoos and those carved into her wings. These runes enhance The Valkyrie's connection to the Ether, strengthening her resilience and amplifying her power.
The Architect of Valah’s Defenses
Using her Ether-Shaping, Nivara has woven powerful barriers, illusions, and misdirection spells around Valah. Any enemy who dares enter the Svarta-Vidhr without her blessing will find themselves wandering endlessly, lost in a maze that exists only in their minds.
The Whisper in the Woods
Legends tell of those who challenge Valah, only to hear a voice on the wind before their minds fade into nothingness. Some say the forest itself warns them to turn back. Others claim it is Nivara’s final mercy before they are lost in a dream that will never end.
Notable Quotes & Interactions
With the Citizens of Valah
Citizen: "Kindly Rhinedóttir, what if the enemy does not yield?"
Nivara: "Then we remind them why the forest does not forgive trespassers."
A wounded villager kneels before her.
Nivara (kneeling with them): "You do not kneel to me. Rise, and walk with me instead."
A child of Valah, tugging at her sleeve: "Is it true? Do you really see when you take off your blindfold?"
Nivara (smiling faintly): "Yes. But even blind, I see you perfectly."
Trivia
- Despite her blindfold and blindness, Nivara never stumbles or hesitates in her movements. Many wonder if she even needs eyes at all.
- Woodrow, her Wyldkin owl, is the twin brother of Corvus, Aurelia’s crow. Where Corvus is mischievous and chatty, Woodrow is silent and watchful, rarely making a sound unless Nivara is in danger.
- Nivara does not wear gloves, despite the fact that her hands are blackened by an unknown cause. She does not speak of it, and none dare to ask.
- She never raises her voice. Even in war, her commands are given in a calm, steady tone that demands obedience without force.
- She has no official throne in Valah. Instead, she sits among her people, treating them as equals rather than subjects. She is a frequent visitor of the tavern, sharing drinks with citizens.
- Though she is often compared to a saint, Nivara does not see herself that way. When called "divine" or "holy," she will simply smile but never confirm nor deny it.
- Unlike Aurelia, who has a deep love for invention and creation, Nivara is not drawn to craftsmanship or machinery. She prefers nature, finding solace in the deep forests and the quiet snowfall of Valah.
- Aurelia’s tattoos and the runes on her wings were all inscribed by Nivara. They hold immense meaning, though only the two of them fully understand their significance.
- When casting spells, Nivara's magic seems to strike before she even moves, making her attacks feel inevitable, as if fate itself had already decided the outcome.
- She has been observed standing motionless for hours, even days, as if listening to something others cannot hear.
- No one has ever seen her panic. Even in dire situations, she remains composed, as if she already knows how events will unfold.
- Her mere presence unnerves enemies, even without Ether-Shaping. Something about her feels absolute.
- Though she is deeply respected and revered, Nivara does not seek power. If another could lead Valah better than her, she would step aside without hesitation.
- She rarely calls Aurelia by name. Instead, she refers to her as "sister" or, in moments of rare tenderness, "dear one."
- She has never been seen shivering or affected by the cold, no matter how harsh the winters of Valah become. Some believe the Ether shields her, while others whisper that she simply does not feel the cold at all.
- Despite being blind, she can write perfectly legible runes and letters. No one understands how, and she offers no explanation.
- Though she is beloved by her people, there is a quiet loneliness to Nivara that few notice—except Aurelia.
- She does not react to flattery or praise. Compliments and grand titles seem to pass through her like the wind, as if they hold no weight.
- Woodrow, her Wyldkin owl, has been observed watching Corvus from afar, but the two rarely interact—much like their respective companions.
- She never calls for Woodrow. He simply arrives when she needs him. He sometimes perches on her head.
- She does not cast a shadow in daylight. Some claim it is a trick of the Ether. Others are not so sure.
- She never seems to rush. Even in battle, her movements remain calm, as if she has all the time in the world.
- Her presence alone can silence a room. It is not out of fear, but rather an unspoken reverence, as if people instinctively quiet themselves in her company.
- When asked about her past before Valah, she simply replies: “That life has long since passed.”
- She has never once spoken in anger. If she is ever displeased, her silence is far more unsettling than any harsh words could be.
- She does not laugh often, but when she does, it is quiet—soft, almost like wind through the trees.
- She always knows when someone is lying.
- If asked about her own eventual death, she only replies, “The Ether will decide.”
- When she walks through the forests of Valah, animals bow their heads as she passes.