""It's better when you take the Shortcut.""
INTRODUCTION
Nickname(s): Shortcut, Short, Glo
Gender: Female
Age: 80
Race: Dwarf
Origin: Caeld - Dimholt
Occupation: Jeweler/ Enchanter
APPEARANCE
Hair: Glola's hair is a muddy brown that glows into a chestnut color whenever she is using her magic. She has multiple braids entwined in her thick and matted hair, with a few hidden braids in the back holding beads of certain gemstones. When she is pursuing her craft, she ties her hair up in a high bun.
Eyes: Matching her hair, Glola's eyes are a dark shade of brown, with no real distinctive feature in them. Her eyebrows are thick and black and her eyelashes are very short and spread apart.
Complexion + Body Markings: Her skin is particularly drab. When she was younger, she had acne all over her chin, forehead and arms. And in her twenties, the acne was replaced by burn marks, cuts and spots of off-colored skin. Naturally brown and unnaturally bruised, there were many times when she was offered makeup to cover up her complexities, but only one stuck: Elven meal. Not that it was used to conceal her splotches of white and red skin, but Glola's keen sense of quality knew that this Elvish invention could hold (and even amplify!) her numerous gemstone powders. She even reduced it's viscosity with a mixture of her obsidian and moonstone powder. All so she could tattoo her left and right wrists with the dwarvish lettering of "Maker" (Left) and "Murghul" (Right).
Height: 3'6", she's small, even by Dwarvish standards and she usually has a stiff pain in her neck when she makes frequent eye contact with customers and cohorts.
Build: Glola's got guns. Her arms look almost comically swollen with muscle and popping veins. Her neck is short and thick and her thighs carry almost as much muscling as her arms. She has small and moderately uneven breasts but her hips are very wide, complimenting her equally wide buttocks.
Weight: She clocks in at a hefty 75lbs. With most of her weight contributed by her heavily muscled limbs.
[DESCRIPTION]
In general, Glola wears a sea green sleeveless cloth dress with wide exposing slits on the side of her thighs. She coats it in her modified Elven powder once a week to keep it flame-resistant and strong enough to rival the likes chainmail. She covers her lower legs with her long, black dwarven boots and conceals most of this simple attire up with her trusted brown apron. The apron's built in belt holds a variety of tools that she uses with her jewels and the apron pockets usually sag with the weight of her bagged powder. There is also a concealed pouch in the chest of the apron, which holds a fair amount of silver and precious gemstones. When she walks, she is a marching band of clanging, shifting and tinkling from all that is on and in her apron.
Up close, Glola's mixed features makes her strange to look at. She has patches of red and white skin everywhere on her body, including a white diamond-shaped one on her cheek and certain areas of her body are downright rough to touch. She has a wide and flat nose, large ears and pale brown lips. But as unkempt as she is, a feminine flair surrounds Glola. She moves like a swan through crowds, she spins on her toes whenever she swings her hammer, and she holds her jewels with nails that are intentionally manicured into small claws. And outside of her shop, she wears an expensive and strong perfume, that likens that of cane sugar and cinnamon bread.
PERSONALITY
[P E R S O N A L I T Y]
("I'm holding it correctly...right Unc?")
âI can understand that.â
The trademark statement of Glola. Some may take it as a sign of sympathy, others may even interpret it as a form of agreement, but in reality, itâs just a statement of truth. Even if she doesnât care or doesnât agree, she can understand someoneâs pattern of thought and actions. Either sheâs imagined herself in the same scenario or sheâs actually experienced what the other person expressed, Glolaâs open mind and reserved demeanor makes her a great listener. And while she isnât particularly wise, and outside of her trade, she isnât naturally intelligent either, her careful choice of words and vast reserves of empathetic patience make her seem like a sage.
The part that few people know of though, is Glolaâs capacity for vengeance, deception and chaos. Even when the cogs of mischief turn in her mind, her blank facial expressions betray nothing of what she really feels and plans. To her enemies, she is the perfect pushover and dimwit. She shys away at intimidation, stutters when insulted and makes frequent blunders...because she knows the right eyes are watching. And when competing shopkeeps lose their customers, wisecracking lords get robbed on their way home in the dark, nobody knows the wiser that Glola pulled all the strings to make it happen.
And if sheâs pleased with someone, her good side is a subtle experience. To the few people whoâve chipped at her walls with their mirrored patience, kindness and polite speech, she opens up to them in particular ways. She will give them discounts in disguise of a âseasonal saleâ or something of the sort, sheâll strategically seek background proximity so she can be within their peripherals if they need something and sheâll share her favorite foods by âbuying too much to eatâ.
Friends close and enemies closer? Bullshit. Glola only prefers the company of people with a soft heart and open mind. Adversaries can keep their distance.
[FEARS]
- Heights - "I understand how you found that to be humorous." Glola's always been close to the ground and that's exactly how she likes it. Walking up mountain sides are a big 'NO' from her and she'll freak out if she's picked up. Even when it comes to a mount, Glolaâs stomach churns if the animalâs legs are too high up.
- Drowning â Was it mentioned that Glola likes land? Feet planted on dry earth? Well if that wasnât clear, try putting her on a boat. Or try to get her to go near a large lake or deep river. Itâs not going to happen. Sheâll scream or fight and will do anything in her power, even if it means a serious injury to either party, to prevent herself from being submerged. She can swim, but itâs more of a frantic flail to the surface than an actual attempt to maneuver in water.
- Failure â She used to live in fear of her father, but after being summoned into human lands and called on for a greater purpose, Glola's biggest fear is failing in the eyes of the Maker. If this journey is her call for greatness, she wants to be sure she's not in the back pages of history.
- Being Overpowered â The first two go hand in hand with this. Glola canât punch a freefall, or swing her hammer at the deep blues. Gravity is an assured threat and no oneâs lungs can hold water. They are the vast superpowers and Glola can't compete with that.
[QUIRKS]
- Seeing people she hates succeed makes her physically ill. She once threw up uncontrollably because she saw her childhood adversary become knighted.
- Likes looking at beautiful people. Even though she doesnât put much effort in her own appearance, Glola finds it soothing to look at women dolled up and men with trimmed eyebrows.
- Can move her eyes independently of another. Never used for anything but accessing gemstones. And to creep out her little sisters.
- Greatly admires engineers/creators. She once fell in love with a hunter simply because they created 10 different traps for one species of giant rabbit. Where only 3 were known of for that breed at the time.
- Mentally color codes information to remember and understand it.
- Secretly thoughtful. She would never bring it to anyone's attention, but if she remembered that you hate spiders, she'd casually kill any that comes into view before you noticed.
[LIKES]
- Trading - More than she likes money, Glola loves to barter. Beautiful and strange things are often offered in a trade when currency is not an option. And thereâs just something in the simple fun of it all that puts a smile on her face.
- Haggling â Sometimes transactions can be simple and that's just fine. But there are days when Glola craves the social interaction of seller and buyer, nitpicking at the nuances of prices and quality. Even if sheâs the one that got haggled down into selling at a cheaper price, sheâll come out happy knowing that she traded verbal swords with someone at or above her level in the art of dickering.
- Money â Though she loves the thrill of trades and haggles, she still enjoys coin. She earns well enough and spends it mostly on food, comforts and schemes.
- Kindness â Drawn to it by the lack thereof in her dominating father, Glola has a soft spot for people who can be selfless and thoughtful.
- Sweet Treats â Milk mixed with honey, strawberry cakes, or just sucking straight from a sugar cane, Glolaâs sweet tooth is the main cause of her gut and butt and sheâs happy enough with her body to not give a damn.
- Gems â Awed by their natural and magical properties, Glola loves finding, trading and imbuing rare and powerful stones.
- Vengeance â A guilty pleasure and something sheâd never openly admit, Glola has a penchant for revenge. Whether itâs immediate retribution or a long awaited retaliation, the pure high she gets for seeing her enemies fall is the only reason why sheâd go against her general moral code to reach it.
- Loud People â âPlease keep your voice down.â
- Rudeness- She ignores it in public and doesnât tolerate it at all from customers in her shop. Is it too much to ask to not be blatantly disrespectful?
- Bitter/Spicy Foods- Bitter foods are for people who are too sick in the mind or too poor to do anything about it. Spicy foodsâŠsheâd rather die than suffer the burning in her mouth then and the soon to follow burning in her rear.
- Excessive Cruelty- She isnât above bashing a few heads in or mild torture, but anything other than a quick death and a few broken bones is a bit much for her.
[DISLIKES]
ABILITIES
[Skills]
Hand to Hand: If there was ever a time to get scrappy, Glola's the resounding champion of a street fight. She'll climb a cocky orc like a tree, scratch at the eyes of any elf that thinks their reflexes are superior and knock a human out. Cold. Of course, this type of fighting is only utilized in rowdy taverns and rarely in actual combat. And trained martial artists, unless they get too sure of themselves, can outmatch her in this.
Armed Combat: Blunt weapons like clubs, maces, hammers and the like are her specialty. She isn't particularly skilled with them to call herself a master at arms, but she wields her hammers well enough.
Utility: Moreso out of combat, Glola can use a multitude of gemstones for a variety of purposes. She can lower the temperature of a room by activating a beryl and create a camp fire from a ruby. She's pretty handy to keep around.
[Spells/Magic Affinity]
Enchantment: Though she has cheated a little bit in this department, this is where Glola truly shines. Her vast knowledge of gemstones and decades spent enchanting them makes her one of the most skilled enchanters in all of Caeld. She can take a common tiger's eye, enchant it, secure it in a weapon and have someone's sword create small twisters with a simple swing.
Energy manipulation: Magical energy is everywhere, and gemstones are certainly no exception. While she is great at amplifying and activating their energy, through years of study and a bit of cheating, she can also diminish, extract and even merge the energies of gemstones. Ever seen a lightning firestorm emerge from a Khan's great axe? Take a guess on how much they had to barter for Glola to enchant that weapon. Then multiply it by 3.
Bombardier: If a gem has been damaged or most of it's magical energy has been spent, Glola can cause them to explode, making last minute bombs.
[Weaknesses]
- : Melee-short range- "Fight toe to toe you bastard!" Glola isn't a bowman and apart from her enchanted shield, she doesn't have much of a defense or retaliation to people who fight at long distances.
- : Celestial/Light/Holy Magic- Though she can (cautiously) use this magic in rare gemstones, if used against her, it does far more damage than it would a normal dwarf. Her body is corrupted with blood magic and imbued ink, so it amplifies light magic to a lethal amount.
- : Limited Reserves- Because she is a dwarf and her magical prowess is limited as is, she can't expend it very well outside of enchantment and activation. Extended combat with an enchanted weapon can drain her to a faint.
- Slow Reflexes: She usually comes prepared when she thinks there will be trouble ahead for her, but anything she hasn't expected already can throw her off guard. By a lot. She usually has to hide away for a moment to get the time she needs to come up with a retalition.
EQUIPMENT
[ARMOR]
When in combat, Glola switches out her imbued cloth dress for a sturdier, long sleeved one, and a matching silver head armament. Her brown apron is replaced with a knapsack that sits on her hip and her boots are switched out for armored clogs.
[ITEMS]
Silk Cloth- She always keeps one or two silk cloths to thoroughly clean any gems she may acquire for appraisal. She also uses it for a quick polish before enchantment.
Chisel- For a on-the-go cut.
Refined Elven Meal & Gem Powder- Used for small enhancements to any gemstones already enchanted.
[Primary Weapon:]
Weapon Name: Shatter
Weapon Type: Hammer
Length: 1'6"
Weight: 20 lbs
Extra: Crafted by her uncle for the the lump sum of 5 gold pieces, it was tailored to her grip and height and has 5 tiny pockets on it's left side for the insertion of small gems, and one large pocket on it's right side for one large gem. It currently has 3 small zircons, 2 small tourmalines and 1 large Razuaki Jasper.
Combined, these create a 'shatter' element. If the hammer makes contact with bare skin, it will vibrate so violently, it can and often will shatter bone. If it hits a tree, it explodes into multiple pieces. If it hits solid ground, it will create a fissure.
[Other weapons:]
Weapon Type: Shield
Length: 2"0'
Weight: 15lbs
Extra: A standard iron dwarven shield, with a large pocket in the center to hold a cat's eye.
Cat's Eye increases the sturdiness of the shield when activated.
Weapon Type: Poisoned dagger.
Length: 0'6"
Weight: 2 lbs.
Extra: Nothing special. Just an additional piece of defense in case she's in a tight spot.
Glola 's Story
[RELATIONS]
("No funny business, Unc. We could be outnumbered out here."
"So now would be a bad time to tell you about me messing around with your enchantments?")
[Family]
Glola's father and her worst enemy. The only reason she isn't dead is because of a miracle, her uncle and her changed name and appearance. Otherwise, there would be a mark on her head. Apart from his cruelty and desire for dominance, Glola and Nefaek have a lot in common. They speak and think alike, enjoy the same food and comforts, and even have the same preference in weapons. She's done well enough in consciously forgetting all of this.
Her mother and Nefaek's 2nd and oldest wife. She's also small by Dwarven standards and not particularly beautiful, but she is his most cherished wife, and probably the only wife he took in because of love. She's kind, timid and obedient to a fault. Glola hates how subservient she is to Nafaek but it isn't a genuine hate, since Sazolyn is too sweet of heart for anyone to truly hate her. But it is a strong repulsion. Sazolyn is also the reason that Glola subconsciously grew to have a soft spot for kind people, is a good listener, and a considerate thinker.
Glola's uncle and also her best friend, trusted advisor and often times, her bad influence. Thraket is cunning, careful and strong. Monstrously so. He has a deep love for the Redchin family line, even though he understands how dangerous his younger brother can be. With his help and influence, Glola was able to learn how to become a jeweler and an enchanter.
Usually called by his nickname Junebug, Nefaek the Third is Glola's older brother and Nefaek's first son. They disagree on a number of things and have very different personalities, but they are still close and share an unspoken sibling love. Though they rarely speak or see each other face to face, they still send each other gifts. He sends her baked goods, she sends him custom crafted jewelry.
Glola has over 10 younger brothers and sisters and most of them believe her to be dead, or don't know about her at all. Almost all of them enjoy the luxurious life that Nefaek gives them and obey him without question.
[OCCUPATION]
Glola first learned how to be a jeweler while working under Thraket. He taught her everything there was to know in order to master the craft. Later on, she also studied under him to enchant the very same gemstones. She has mastered both professions by the age of 60 and is one of the most sought out merchants for fancy jewelry and enchanted weaponry.
[Outlook on life]
Orcs â Her favorite race that isnât her own. They trade far more than the others and their aptitude for war and combat make them top customers in her shop. Not to mention that they have unique and rare gems to trade for that are only found in their lands. And since the lot of them don't care for shiny rocks, they bring well enough to give her the perceived better end of the deal. She even advertises specifically for them and hired her own attendant who can translate for her.
Elves- Probably the race she cares least about. She doesn't hate them or discriminate against them, but they just don't appeal to her very much. Often times they are beautiful and well-adorned, which makes them wonderful to admire at a distance, but their language/accents, strange smells and dull foods don't give her much else to go off on.
Humans â They make the best sweet foods and Glola is always happy to see them come in at the port. They are the most talkative and she can always expect a good dickering or two from them in her shop.
Dwarves- Her people. Her lands. What else can she say?
[HISTORY]
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"Unc..." Glola groaned as Thraket squeezed her wrist a bit too hard in his examination of her newly acquired mark.
"And you haven't been talking to those mages from Stormgard?" Thraket questioned again, letting his niece go after he had memorized the pattern in his head.
"I said no. What do you think is happening?"
"I can't be certain. But don't go back to the port. I'll watch over the shop for now. I want you to keep a low profile, and wear something that'll keep this covered up at all times. Nobody else needs to see this. Understood?"
Glola sighed and nodded, rubbing the place where her uncle's monstrous grip had left a reddening print. What was she going to do now?