Maeve, as pictured in a formal portrait at age twenty-one, a few years before the dissolution of the Order of the Dragon.
Full Name: Maeve Fiachra Winterborn
Nicknames/Aliases: Mae-mae (Affectionate) Maeve of the Mists (During her time as a rider.)
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Species: Human, though the Winterborn family is thought to have had some elvish blood at some point far down the line. For that reason they have quite sharp features and pale hair.
Occupation: Former Member of the Imperial Order of the Dragon.
Description: Maeve was described in some records of the Order as being a beautiful lady rider, though the writings may seem somewhat exaggerated, beholding the woman as she stands today. Maeve is a distinctive, if not particularly beautiful individual. Her features are sharp and generally 'elfin' in appearance. She has high, prominent cheekbones, a narrow nose, deep-set eyes and thin, pale lips. Her hair is a very pale blond hue, though at this point it appears dull, loosely tied, back, and in need of a thorough wash. It appears that she has been neglecting herself to some degree....though no longer having any money officially does not help. Her clothes appear old and frayed, made up of a rather haphazard assortment of items.
Personality: Maeve is an individual who has been through a very difficult few years psychologically, and this is quite clear upon much interaction with her. Born into a background of soldiering and military she learned to be a stoic and unshakable individual, not one to be ruled by their emotions. She also learned the importance of maintaining her dignity, even in the face of terrible occurrences.
During her career as a member of the Order of the Dragon, Maeve was known as one of the more diplomatic individuals among them. She had been raised to be comfortable around others, even those of high status, and so was often used in the interests of politicking and keeping on the good side of various powerful individuals. She tended to be quite at home negotiating and discussing matters. It was possibly this tendency that led her to her own fate.
Despite this, cracks have appeared in Miss Winterborn's normally rock solid composure at the treatment of her dragon by the empire. As one of the Order of the dragon she was magically bound to her dragon counterpart Rah'von, and along with that she gained a deep and personal, almost sisterly affection for the creature. The years of being unable to do anything to prevent the abuse inflicted upon him by the empire and VEGA has effected her deeply and she feels enormous personal guilt for her own involvement, as well as a personal obligation to protect Rah'von in any way she possibly can.
Maeve feels a deep resentment both toward esoteric technologists, especially VEGA for what they had done in pursuit of advancement, and also toward the other dragon riders for the perceived abandonment of her and Rah'von. She feels betrayed by the Order, and no longer considers herself part of it.
Skills: As a former Dragon Rider, Maeve was trained throughout her childhood to be a fighter. She is quite adept with weapons and can give quite an informed opinion on tactics and fighting styles. She is also very knowledgeable on magical creatures and their behaviour. She is quite athletic and completely undeterred by heights, able to climb and take actions that would make the normal man weak at the knees. She is far tougher than her appearance would let on, and appears to be able to shrug off minor injury without much complaint.
Weaknesses: Maeve is very much out of practise in the field of combat, or indeed any of the activities she's trained in. She has been stuck inside the depths of the palace for the best part of five years, refusing to abandon Rah'von. As a result she's not retained the same level of fitness she'd kept as a rider. Beyond that, while it is not as immediately obvious on her, what has happened to her dragon has taken a toll on Maeve's health, and she is prone to sickness. Her link with Rah'von means that his death, or near death causes a psychic shockwave to hit her, something that it potentially lethal. Maeve expects that she may die when Rah'von dies.
Brief History: Maeve Fiachra Winterborn came into the Winterborn line, a dynasty of well-known dragon riders, the post being handed down the line for centuries. Her father, grandmother, and uncle were all well-known riders, and her mother was of noble bloodline, meaning that Maeve was born into considerable status, and gained a great confidence from it.
From early age she trained for her destiny, learning from the rest of her clan the rules of combat, or persuasion, and etiquette, so she might be as at home at a formal banquet as driving a sword through the head of an ogre. As she grew into her teenage years she travelled with her father into the mountains in order to meet with the dragons and discover her partner. There, she met her dragon Rah'von, a young mist dragon, and they stuck up an immediate bond.
For some years they trained together, learned about one another, before they were bonded, their destinies intertwined with one another for life. It was from there that Maeve became a fully initiated member of the Order, and began her work. Her first years in the order proved something of a baptism of fire, as a terrible war flared in the northern territories, beast-creatures pushing south and invading outposts there. It was a hard-fought campaign that claimed the life of Maeve's father and his dragon Therir, but proved her mettle as a soldier who could keep her calm, even in the face of a considerable loss. Maeve considered it to be a matter of duty.Her father had met his end doing what he was born to do, and such was the life of the Order. All knew being slain was a risk that came with their status.
The death of the emperor occurred a few years later, and with it the crowning of the young empress and the 'Magefire Revolution'. Soon enough the importance of the Order of the Dragon began to diminish as war machines and magefire weaponry became common in their usage, promising the safety of the borders without the need of reliance upon beasts of the air.
With the encroachment of VEGA into the palace and disturbing rumours surfacing about their activities in Witchfell, many in the Order of the Dragon began to talk of leaving the capital for more remote parts, away from the influence of the organization. Maeve, still young and optimistic, announced her intentions to remain in the palace. She thought that her skills in negotiation would allow her to talk the young empress into forsaking VEGA and their technologies. She thought that by leaving they would only leave themselves with no voice in the city to counter them. As the others left, the rider remained, confident that all this was simply a fad that would quickly blow over as soon as the novelty wore off in the eyes of the empress.
Sadly, she was terribly wrong, and as the demand in the city began to rise, one of the esoteric technologists proposed something to the empress in secret.
One night, Maeve found her sleep to be unnaturally heavy, and continuing long into the day. She awoke sometime in early evening, a pain gripping her ribs. From below pitiful screams and cries issued. The rider stumbled out and down into the lower levels, following the noise, though she struggled to stand. Down in a large chamber below the palace she found the source of the pitiful sounds, her dear Rah'von, chained down, crowds of esoteric technologists swarming around him, cutting into his chest and grating in some vile metallic device. Maeve had screamed at them, shouted, searched for a weapon, anything to drive them away, but guards had gotten hold of her, dragged her away and locked her back in her upstairs room, where she listened, agonized, to the cries and pleas of her closest friend.
Five years passed. Maeve remained in the palace, the bond to her partner keeping her there, if her loyalty did not. Soon, as it became apparent that the creature would be incapable of escape anyway, she was allowed back down to him, and there she remained, regarded as little more than an annoyance by the staff, be it one necessary. Her 'co-operation' was recorded officially as being approval on her dragon's treatment, but in reality it was down to utter powerlessness in the situation. She remained with Rah'von to try and protect and care for him as much as she could, but struggled with the guilt at what her naivety had resulted in.