Astraea Valardin
Description
Astraea, like her mother and twin sister, is mostly without pigment of the flesh or hair. With skin as pale as freshly fallen snow, rosy cherubic cheeks and heart shaped lips these distinctive features are often some of the first things passerby might notice. The silken white tresses that frame her face and flow around her airily adds an unearthly quality to her person. Astraea stands at middling height, average in that regard but somehow her presence is almost that of someone twice her size even if she is trying to avoid scrutiny. She is delicate of limb but possessing a well toned frame that belies her athleticism and her arms and legs terminate into delicate appendages. Her nails are often manicured and colored according to whatever whimsical fancy she desires. Subtle curves are still padded with baby fat, her voluptuous figure otherwise filled out in delightfully alluring proportions and being that her cerulean blue eyes are flecked with golds and yellows it's easy to see how someone might call her exotic.
Personality
Coquettish to a fault and debonair even when she shouldn't be. Astraea has impeccable manners and doesn't believe in rudeness of any kind, even upon the battlefield. Though some might describe her as pragmatic this chevalier is highly principled and carries herself with the moral fiber of someone who keeps themselves accountable for their own actions. While her moods tend to vary like her sister's she is most usually in high spirits, but never quite bubbly. Even suggesting such a thing is enough to earn a scoff and maybe a derisive chuckle or two. It's normally assumed that soldiers, knights and warriors of her caliber tend to be highly disciplined but this Lycene born princess is quite lazy. Never when it counts, but enough that if she can delegate or sidestep a minor responsibility she will. This attitude lends to her Tehom-may-care demeanor and compliments her sometimes too serious moments quite well. A woman of contrasts indeed.
Background
Astraea was born mere minutes before her twin sister but the two might often go back and forth on who was actually the first brought into this world. Though she may be identical in looks to her sister they are quite different in some ways. Astraea is the more thrill-seeking, physical type who enjoyed tussling with the boys and getting dirty. Unafraid of a little danger, she always managed to find herself getting into trouble. Her mother was afraid of losing her daughter to the wiles of her whimsy and did her best to reign her in. There was no way in hell that Astraea would ever enjoy embroidery or needlepoint. Knowing her daughter well, the Igniseri noblewoman managed to procure the services of a well known sellsword from a foreign land. Due to her natural inclination toward athleticism she was an excellent student and picked up swordplay quickly. This only bolstered her eagerness to partake in dangerous ventures for that rush of adrenaline. Storm-chasing, rock-climbing, extreme sports, diving, exploring, and just about anything that risks life and limb was on her checklist. Astraea managed to undertake many exciting adventures but her career as a daredevil came to an end when she got married. It was politically motivated and she had never met her intended before they were engaged. As she got to know him it seemed alright and the Igniseri girl felt like perhaps she might even grow to love him.
It was with a heavy heart that she left her family and home in the Southern isles to go and live in the icy north. Life can be good, but it isn't always happy endings and for Astraea this was quite the case. Her husband died three years into their marital bliss, his body was found terribly mangled and the cause of death was never discovered. In the weeks following the investigation into the Redrain Prince's death the grisly details were kept from his widow. After the news was delivered to her, Astraea sunk into depression and mourning, thus shattering the hopes and dreams of the southern-but-northern princess who had expected to live a long life with her Prince Charming.
Many long months have gone by since then and once again Astraea has fallen prey to her wanderlust and taste for a good fight. Ever a devotee of Gloria, this princess is highly devout and her love of the Gods is second to none. It's no secret that she walks with the Sentinel and has a special place in her heart for the Queen of Endings but she carries a flame of passion in her heart and soul for each member of the Pantheon; finding their combined philosophies and teachings the most beneficial to the soul. Strangely enough she is not actually a member of any single discipleship but the Redrain princess frequents the shrine and the Cathedral.
When she isn't pursuing a life of piety, Astraea pursues her interests quietly and tends to avoid the politicking of Arx. Her sister, Aurelia, and her spend a great deal of time together and tend to be synchronous with their moods. This doesn't always mean the pair of them are in agreement but even in their discordance they manage to echo one another's thoughts and feelings as if they share a soul or at the very least a mind. There are no limits on her love for family and the people, all people. Some might see this as naivete or weakness but Astraea has always seen the best in humanity and has an amazing capacity for love. She enjoys meeting people with warmth and open arms, and though she may not always see eye to eye with someone she does her best to keep an open mind. How she arrived in the city is a bit of a mystery, but the why is something she hasn't been quite forthcoming about either but she has set about throwing all of her efforts into maintaining the peace and bringing down the Compact's foes.
