#lifa stormstrike

[kerra-and-company]

[@forsaken-constellation] 🖊🖊 for Lifa Stormstrike? ♥

Lifa hours!! :D <3 (Today is the day of the Lifa and Liifa squad as;jkldf :) )

🖊 - Lifa's an elementalist (eventually a catalyst), and she has a complex relationship with her use of fire. She's a charr and very much grew up in the Legions (Ash Legion, with the rest of her 'bandmates). I hesitate to say that she has no personal region to hate the Flame Legion as a cub, because that's not really true--the fact of their opinions toward and treatment of anyone of her gender is enough of a personal reason to hate them, and she absolutely does. But her reluctance to use fire isn't only or specifically because of that. It's that combined with the general animosity the Legions have towards magic users, as well as this sort of sense that she half-thinks she can prove herself worthy enough to not be painted with that brush.

She and Weylon, who were best friends as very small cubs and remained close as they grew, used to actively bully the rest of their future 'bandmates. They both had fairly well-known parents and thought that made them better than the others. They eventually got a dose of reality when Ari saved them from an ill-fated expedition in the middle of a storm with her guardian magic, and they did legitimately feel bad for what they'd done. Her bandmates forgave her, or were at least willing to give her a second chance. But on Lifa's part, she still carried this sense of wanting to be accepted on a broader level despite her magic being a perceived flaw, and her fire magic especially. She eschewed training in the use of fire entirely in the futile hope that it would somehow help.

🖊 - Lifa was Dominion (and, later, Frost Legion) during the Icebrood Saga. She at one point fought her former 'bandmates (though at this point, their warband had been separated for going on fifteen years). She really doesn't remember this well. The corruption was making her less and less present as time went on, and she also reached a certain point at which she was half-dissociated from everything. She remembers what happened during that time period as a jumble of things that feel half like a dream and half real. It's going to make it even more awkward than it would have been otherwise when she sees her old 'bandmates again, that's for sure.

#gw2 #lifa stormstrike #forsaken-constellation #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #<3 <3 #this cat is a bundle of bad choices #though i still love her very much

[kerra-and-company]

Idk if this qualifies as character development necessarily, but do any of your ocs enjoy cooking (or conversely, have kitchen horror stories)? What about signature recipes?

I think it counts! And I shall take it regardless, tyty :D

Cody's the only one who's actively a cook, though some of the others are capable of making basic recipes (Kerra included), and a couple of them can bake (like Lifa). Aysel has literally tried to boil water and managed to burn the bottom of the pan to hell somehow.

As far as signature recipes, Lifa makes pretty good vanilla cupcakes, and Cody's great at making pepper steak!

#gw2 #sorry for the brief answer but some condensed facts #also this is making me realize i need to make sure i remember who can cook and who can't #because i know there's someone missing that i've forgotten to list askl;jdf #cordylene #lifa stormstrike #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #vampiricsheep

[kerra-and-company]

I don't have anything specific on my mind right meow, but care to ramble a bit about whoever has your attention the most right now? (@commanderhorncleaver)

I almost didn't catch the "right meow" and I want you to know that asld;kjfadf (and tyty for the ask! :D)

This isn't going to be an answer for a specific person, but I've been thinking a lot about how lost literally everyone in the Storm Warband is after they split apart. Not just sad or devastated, but specifically lost.

Ari joins the Order of Whispers, originally in an attempt to help her captured 'bandmates, but ends up just drifting through her version of everyday life for a while because she doesn't know what to do if she can't help them.

Brook and Casca both get out of captivity on their own eventually, but separately and not together--they each think the other's dead. Brook basically full-on starts walking and doesn't stop until they end up in the Sandswept Isles, and Casca eventually falls into mercenary work out of having nothing better to do.

Lifa, the only member to stay in the Legions, goes through three different warbands in the next ten years--mostly not her fault, but she's also desperately searching for some sort of place to belong or way to make an impression on someone higher up the chain than her.

Weylon, who's the reason all of this happened at all, doesn't find the glory and recognition he was hoping for in the Flame Legion. He's under the thumb of someone he hates, but puts his head down and deals with it by continuing to follow his new orders while feeling worse and worse about himself and his choices.

And Pol, the one who died, wanders the Mists for years on his own.

They do all end up with at least some resolution to this and most of them are doing better nowadays, but...yeah, it was Bad All Around for everyone.

#gw2 #storm warband #commanderhorncleaver #i could ramble individually about all of them for Hours but this is the broad overview of their worst times post-split #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #ari stormshield #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #pol stormheart

[kerra-and-company]

character spotlight, day 14: lifa stormstrike

“‘There’s nowhere to go but up?’ Don’t bullshit me, sylvari. I’ve got a knack for digging holes.”

#gw2 #lifa stormstrike #character spotlight #moodboard #company art #and i succeeded at posting this on the correct day this time! hell yeah! #asl;kjdfs #but ye please enjoy :D

[kerra-and-company]

🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊 for anyone you'd like

Ooh, all righty, tyty!! :D You get one fact for everyone from the Storm Warband, since there's six of them!

🖊 - Lifa is technically a fugitive from the Citadel at the moment, thanks to her working closely with Bangar during Icebrood. Luckily for her, there really isn't anyone actively looking for her despite this--so she has to be careful but isn't really all that likely to be caught.

🖊 - Weylon sometimes stops by Cio and Ari's shop in Lion's Arch. It's ostensibly to pick up new equipment/weapons, but it's also a very clumsy attempt at reconnection from someone who a) doesn't know what the heck he's doing and b) still doesn't really think he deserves anyone's forgiveness. Cio's the one who helps him, when he comes in. Ari hasn't talked to him yet.

🖊 - Pol's magic, after his return from the Mists (which, in his case, means from the dead), very much straddles the line between ranger and necromantic magic. Considering that he learns the ways of the Untamed in Echovald shortly after coming back, which somewhat mask this, it's not something most people would notice--but if you're an expert in either type of magic, you might be able to pick up on something weird.

🖊 - Brook visits the Sanctum for the first time at some point in the period between LWS4 and Icebrood. They come back every once in a while to check on it and spend time there, and they end up befriending Nenah. On a related side note: they're, despite their devotion to Kormir, not particularly bothered by the gods' departure. They are bothered by the fact that the majority of them left with no intention to say anything about it.

🖊 - Casca's first job after escaping the Flame Legion was as a bodyguard, more or less, for a Priory expedition to investigate some of the ruins in Lornar's Pass. It didn't pay particularly well, but also not particularly poorly, and she enjoyed it, so she ended up taking on a lot of work with the Priory. After the three orders became the Pact, she was an extra hand there as well, almost serving the same way Nisha did for a bit--with the group but yet not really--but a lot more come-and-go than xe ever was.

🖊 - Ari is one of the first Whispers agents to make contact with the Order of Shadows, right at the beginning of PoF. (She's surprisingly stealthy for being a nearly-9-foot-tall, mostly-white, cat creature, haha.) She understands their take on the Joko situation (that it's entrenched in people's way of living at this point, and fixing the problem he created isn't as simple as killing him), but she also befriends Maya (another OC of mine) and understands her take on the situation (that it may not be simple but a stalemate also isn't tenable). She gives Kito a bit of a headache, lmao, but it's still a good start for reestablishing connections between the two orders, and Kerra further solidifies that relationship when she arrives.

#gw2 #the storm warband #mytalikes #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #pol stormheart #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #ari stormshield #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #please enjoy cat facts

[kerra-and-company]

∞ ∞

Have two back! :D

(@the-tired-commander)

I shall gladly accept them, tyty! :D (This also is quite fun because you guys might get to see songs I'd forgotten I liked xD)

"Hum Hallelujah" (by Fall Out Boy)

The road outside my house Is paved with good intentions Hired a construction crew 'Cause it's hell on the engine

(Character tidbits: this song gives me Weylon and Lifa energy. These two were each other's first loves, both platonically and romantically speaking, and then that was split apart horribly when Weylon betrayed their warband to the Flame Legion. Like the line "I thought I loved you, it was just how you looked in the light"? The overall vibes of this song? Very much these two.)

"I Saw Your Ghost" (by The East Pointers)

I saw your ghost, it was in a dream Off in the distance, walking towards me I'm not alone, I'll be all right I had to keep breathing, hold on tonight

(Character tidbits: this could honestly be a lot of my characters who've lost someone, but it makes me think of Cio the most. Especially in both the immediate aftermath of her losing Sieran at Claw Island and later during Cio's own near-death incident when the Pact fleet was torn out of the sky.)

#gw2 #weylon stormblade #lifa stormstrike #cioffi #the-tired-commander #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #sieran wasn't the first person cio fell for #but she was the first person cio fell for to the extent that she could picture a life with sieran #in relation to my characters these songs are two different forms of loss apparently #kai speaks

[kerra-and-company]

Tarot Asks! Fool for Minei, Judgement for Lifa, and Empress for Kerra :D (@uselessidiotsquad)

Ooh, a nice assortment, thank you very much!! :D

🚶 0 - The Fool : Beginnings, infinite possibilities, taking chances, eschewing logic, spontaneity.

Minei's had a few different beginnings in her life, and pretty much all of them have involved taking chances at least a little. She met Petra (and thereby got an adoptive family) by running away from the orphanage at age 9. She met Logan (who becomes her mentor/friend/kinda-older-brother) when she jumped in to help the Seraph at Shaemoor during a run to grab supplies for the tavern. She joined the Vigil for multiple reasons, but one of them was an impulsive desire to run away from the grief of losing her foster father.

Current!Minei thinks through her decisions a lot more, in part because she's now making them as a fully grown adult. But she's still very much willing to take chances.

🎱 XX - Judgement : Moment of reckoning, taking a stand, making a choice, rebirth, absolution, cleansing.

The choice that sets Lifa on the path she follows for around fifteen years is her choice to leave Ari alone after the Great Betrayal of 1320 (aka the warband being forcefully split apart; I'm just going to come up with new names for it now asdljfadsf). She's angry and grieving and upset, and she makes the decision to blame Ari for it rather than blame Weylon (in part because Ari's right in front of her and in part because it's easier). As far as Lifa's concerned, Ari was in charge, therefore it was her job to have figured out what was going on and her job to stop it before it escalated. It's a thought process Lifa eventually changes, but it takes a long time.

As for "moment of reckoning", she has a couple--she runs into Ari, Casca, and Brook in Drizzlewood Coast and Weylon during Dragonstorm. Neither encounter is particularly calm. And she'll wish, much later, that either of them were able to knock some sense into her, but she really is only able to start to heal mentally and work on her thought processes after waking up injured in a Pact tent after Icebrood. (Said injuries are a result of being a Frost Legion survivor of Jormag's death.)

🔱 III - The Empress : Luxury, sensuousness, tapping into the natural order.

Kerra doesn't think about luxury a whole lot. She enjoys it in the sense of a rare indulgence, and her home in Lion's Arch is decently nice, but that's about it. Practicality and comfort are more or less what she wants, rather than extravagance.

Also, I was curious to get a better idea of what this card meant (in part because I wasn't sure what "tapping into the natural order" meant), so I googled it--"elegance, sensuality, fertility, creative expression, nurturing" are apparently also things that The Empress represents. So, as a bonus: Kerra taking care of Aurene facts!

The Exalted portal stone to the egg chamber is a canonical thing that exists in Kerra's universe. During LWS3 after Aurene hatches, she uses the stone to visit Tarir whenever she's even kind of free. She brings Aurene gifts and snacks and spends as much time with her as possible (though it's not as much as she'd like). During a lot of PoF, she makes sure to talk to Aurene during as many of her calls with Taimi as she can, which Taimi finds both mildly irritating and sweet.

#gw2 #kerralind #mineille #lifa stormstrike #uselessidiotsquad #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #hope you've enjoyed the assorted character facts; these were excellent cards for them #tyty

[kerra-and-company]

⚖️ for Nisha and 🤕 for Lifa?

Sure sure!! Coming right up :D (Got VERY distracted in the middle of this a couple days ago, so sorry, but have it now!)

⚖️ What is the biggest crime your OC has committed? Are they a thief, a cheat, a liar? What is the smallest, most petty crime they’ve committed? Or do they not do crime at all?

Nisha...hmmm, good question. Xe's done a lot of lying by omission, and some regular lying, and some that xe didn't know were lies when xe said them. (Most of that was between 1325 and 1328.) Xe would never cheat anyone, and xe hasn't ever needed or wanted to steal. So generally speaking, not a lot of crime--though xe has punched someone who wouldn't stop talking about how horrible all sylvari were, and xe's absolutely killed people and dragon minions while doing xyr job, so, if we're counting those under the heading of "crime", then...there you have it.

🤕 What is the worst injury your OC has ever suffered? Do they have any scars or lasting physical reminders of it? Do they get sick often or have any lasting medical conditions?

For Lifa, that'd be the injuries that resulted from becoming part of the Frost Legion, taking on Jormag's corruption, and then having that ice abruptly melt. Luckily, she didn't have Bangar's problem of having any spikes in her throat, but she did definitely come out of it with scars and some mobility issues (thanks to bad muscle tears that didn't heal properly) that she does her best to pretend don't exist, with varying levels of success. She eventually gets some jade tech mobility aids, kinda-sorta along the lines of what we see Taimi wearing later on in EoD, that help her a bit.

#gw2 #nishannai #lifa stormstrike #i need to talk about the physical injuries my characters have sustained more often #is what this post showed me asljkdf #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #but also loved these questions for these two #excellent choices #vampiricsheep

[kerra-and-company]

Gimme the warband squad's boss fights:3c

@mystery-salad

Oooh, okay okay. Storm Warband fights coming up! :D (also tagging @dasozelotvonnebenan since you asked me about them too!)

Pol is the squad's ranger (and technically, though he dies in my canon long before EoD, he's Untamed specifically). His pets are devourers, and there'll be two of them to deal with. Pol has a hammer, so he can deal damage, but his strikes are mostly focused on knocking you over while the devourers do DPS and inflict bleeding. He's not the hardest battle you've ever faced, but if you aren't able to give yourself stability, he's going to be a pain. Phase 1 is Pol and his pets. In Phase 2, he has them retreat while he deals with you personally. He's not the fastest in this bit, but if you don't dodge his attacks, you're in trouble.

Lifa is an elementalist. If you're fighting her while she's with the group, she's a base elementalist, but she'll use anything but fire. You'll see air and earth pop up the most, with the threat of immobilization and various AoEs. She's decently mobile and able to hit from a fair distance, so if you try to run, you're not going to get very far. In Phase 1, she'll use mostly earth. In Phase 2, she'll mix earth and air. In Phase 3, you've pushed her to her limits, and she'll start using fire (as well as occasional icicles). She's not good at either, and they're pretty easy to dodge. But if they do hit you, you're at risk of downing.

Weylon is a warrior, and one of the few whose elite specialization is something he (at least kinda) had during his time with his 'bandmates. He's a berserker who switches between a rifle and the sword/torch combo. His Phase 1 will be very up close, in your face, actively stabbing you and setting you on fire. Periodically, he'll distance himself from you and take a shot with his rifle instead, during which you can CC his breakbar. Phase 2 has a speed increase. Faster attacks, no distance, and the breakbar appears before he does bigger sword/torch strikes.

Brook is technically a revenant, but at this point, they won't really fight like one. What makes their fight difficult is how much they switch between weapons. They do their best to trip you up. Brook will start their Phase 1 using a greatsword, but they'll periodically dip into the shadows and return with daggers, doing one of the patented Caithe Flip attacks (that thing where you leap over three times and slash at your enemy). Phase 2, they'll come at you with a mace and axe and mostly stay where you can hit them, but their damage is higher and they'll start dropping AoEs.

Casca is a mesmer, and she's going to make your life very difficult by playing hide-and-seek, aka "pick which one of these clones is Actually Me", over and over again. Even after you figure out which one is actually Casca, the clones will stay active until you CC enough to break the breakbar, and they'll come back pretty quickly after it regenerates (they'll appear one by one, though, not all at once). That's Phase 1. Phase 2 will see Casca relying more on stealth and her proto-version of Mirage Shroud, ducking in and out of cover and inflicting significant condition damage.

Ari is a guardian (specifically a dragonhunter), and she will trap the hell out of whatever battlefield you're fighting on. You're going to have to be careful where you step during this fight. In addition to the traps, Phase 1 is going to see her mainly staying far off. She'll hit you with her longbow and other ranged attacks, and you'll either have to navigate your way to her through terrain and traps to get in melee or use ranged attacks as well. Conditions won't do much against her as she'll remove them periodically. Phase 2 (once you take care of her breakbar and thus her magical weapon attack) will see her using her greatsword. Be on the lookout for traps still, and make sure to fully dodge out of range of her sword if you don't want to take damage.

#gw2 #mystery-salad #dasozelotvonnebenan #pol stormheart #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #ari stormshield #also important note: this is pretty much how the fights would go with them pre-personal story #and pre-the warband splitting apart #approximately at least #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D

[kerra-and-company]

Storm Warband Dynamics

Hello, and welcome to a post where I ramble about the relationships between my six charr folk :D

If you’re at all curious about any of them, please feel free to read below the cut for some extended rambling and facts, and thank you for stopping by :)

First off, we’ll introduce the major players:

Ari Stormshield - legionnaire, guardian, a misfit who more than proved her worth

Casca Shadowstorm - soldier, mesmer, the one most likely to both get into trouble and get out of it

Brook Splitstorm - soldier, revenant, prickly to strangers but an excellent friend in a pinch

Pol Stormheart - soldier, ranger, very warm and fluffy but more cunning than you’d guess

Lifa Stormstrike - soldier, elementalist, fierce and proud and constantly trying to find her footing

Weylon Stormblade - soldier, warrior, steadfast and loving and always looking for more

Second, onto the reason I made this post--their relationships to each other. (Forewarning, this gets long, but it was fun for me to work out!)

Ari and Casca

These two were particularly close as tiny cubs. Casca was unafraid to act as a protector for Ari when her guardian skills were ridiculed, and, notably, Casca was unafraid for punishment from their primus to fall on her shoulders instead. Ari credits Casca with setting a good leadership example, something the both of them find hilarious as they get older (considering that Ari’s personality is far more geared towards leadership than Casca’s) but no less true. Ari spent quite a few years assuming Casca was dead or otherwise lost after her capture by the Flame Legion, but they rekindle their friendship when they reconnect during the Icebrood Saga.

Casca and Brook

Probably the two closest of the group, Casca and Brook bonded when they were brought to the fahrar at the same time. They’ve always had each others’ backs against anything and anyone. They’re an unnerving pair when they fight, especially when they’re younger--Casca is excellent with illusion magic, and Brook has a power that won’t be fully understood until years later. The two of them started dating in their early teenage years and care very much for each other. They were both captured by the Flame Legion, but were held separately. Each escaped, but each thought the other had died until their paths crossed again in the Sandswept Isles. They managed to (almost) pick up exactly where they left off and are unattached to the Legions or the Pact at the moment.

Brook and Pol

Most people wouldn’t peg them as similar, but Brook and Pol understood each other very well. Their core personalities were a lot alike, but they showed the world two very different things. Pol served as a third party to Brook and Casca’s shenanigans, at one point getting a reputation for being quite clumsy but protecting his friends from getting in trouble. Brook’s default served well when threats or intimidation were needed, but Pol’s seeming naivete and trustworthy demeanor also got them out of several pinches. Pol was one of the few people Brook confided in, and losing him hurt quite a lot.

Pol and Lifa

Not particularly close, but not particularly distant, either. When they were younger, Lifa (and Weylon) bullied the other four of the group, Pol included. Pol was the only one of the four who forgave Lifa and Weylon near-instantly, and Lifa was never sure how to deal with that. She wanted to be forgiven, sure, but it felt weird for him to have such a disparate reaction. (And, secretly, part of him enjoyed throwing her off-balance like that as a sort of subtle revenge.) As they got older, some of the wrinkles started to smooth out and they bonded more truthfully over Lifa’s love for Pol’s devourer pet. Lifa mourns, once she is truly able to grieve, the friendship they could have had.

Lifa and Weylon

The other couple of the group, these two were thick as thieves as well, but not quite in the same way as Brook and Casca. They were the “privileged” kids, so to speak--both of their mothers were highly respected in the legions, and they knew it. When they were decently young, they teamed up to assert their dominance where they could, mainly by pushing other cubs (including the other four members of their warband) as far down as possible. They also pushed the boundaries, but secretly, rather than flaunting it like Casca sometimes did. When Ari saved both of them during a late-night excursion gone wrong, Weylon realized they needed to stop being assholes, and he was the one who pushed Lifa towards being less of a bully. They both truly became part of the warband and found a family and friends after that. They got together shortly after Brook and Casca, and were generally pretty happy, but Weylon’s betrayal completely shattered their relationship. Their feelings toward each other after that are very complicated, but suffice it to say they are no longer close.

Weylon and Ari

These two were friends, but more in a sparring-partners way than a confiding-your-secrets way. Ari, after some time to process things as a cub, respected Weylon greatly for being the first to reach out with an apology for him and Lifa being a bit shitty. In turn, he respected her resilience and her determination. They worked very hard in training together, and they helped each other build the fighting tactics that they still use today. Interestingly enough, one of the buttons that the Flame Legion recruiters managed to push with Weylon (eventually) was his jealousy of Ari’s guardian skills, a full 180 from his position as a cub. It wasn’t even particularly potent originally, but they picked up on the fact that he was a bit jealous and twisted it into “why should this female get something you don’t”. His betrayal is a big reason why Ari is so closed off for years afterward--she is afraid of someone she thought had her back throwing her to the wolves. She has yet to see him again since the betrayal (though that might change during EoD as I work plot things out), but she most certainly has not forgiven him.

Ari and Brook

Neither of them are magic experts, but they know each others’ skills backwards and forwards. They bonded over their either forbidden or unknown skill sets, and, together, they learned the art of “look casual, nothing’s happening here”. Hiding secrets, traps, or weapons from authority or enemies? Call these two, they’ll take care of it. When Ari’s on her own later on, she pulls on some of Brook’s prickliness to keep people away. When Brook’s in captivity, they pull on some of Ari’s determination to keep their head high. Ari blamed herself heavily for Weylon’s betrayal, but Brook never blamed her for a second, and when they see each other again, does their best to make sure she knows that.

Casca and Pol

These two are the embodiment of that one meme of two people consistently jumping in front of each other. They made something of a contest out of who could protect the other the most when they were cubs, and they kept it up as they got older. Eventually, they’d even take out bets. They were also a force to be reckoned with when it came to pranks--be careful if you get on their bad side or you’ll have ~mysterious~ bad luck for at least a week. Pol saw Casca as a good friend and partner in crime, and Casca saw Pol as a good friend and secret prank weapon. Casca’s not one to give second chances often anyways, and losing Pol is the reason that she’d kill Weylon if she ever saw him again.

Brook and Lifa

Despite the fact that Brook was quicker to forgive Lifa (by a small margin) than Casca, they didn’t really show it. The relationship between the two of them is and always has been a bit rough, with plenty of stilted words and unsure moments (awkward from both of them, which is quite funny considering they’re both highly trained soldiers in Ash Legion), but they do (or did) trust each other. Lifa apologized to them personally, as she threw arguably the cruelest insults in their direction, and she made herself so small as someone who normally keeps herself as large as she can that Brook instantly was like “ah, okay then, guess we’ll try to be friends”. They didn’t separate on particularly bad terms, just drastic ones, but they were both fairly certain they’d never see the other again. Brook was furious to find out she’d joined Dominion (and later Frost Legion), but they’re also the one who checks up on her the most after the conclusion of Icebrood.

Pol and Weylon

Pol was the ‘bandmate, aside from Lifa, that Weylon talked to the most (specifically after the entire group solidified post-bullying-incidents). Pol was a ready ear for Weylon dealing with crush issues, and Weylon listened to everything Pol had to say about his pets or his feelings on the legion system. They were the type of friends who could get into debates with each other for hours but not come out angry on the other side of it. When Weylon betrayed the group for Flame, he tried to get Pol to come with him. Pol refused, which is how he died. Weylon didn’t actually strike the killing blow, but he did order it. That’s probably the most frequent nightmare Weylon has--of Pol’s face when he died.

Ari and Pol

Best friends. They saw each other cry more than pretty much anyone else ever did or ever will (with the exception of Cio for Ari, now). They weren’t quite the tight-knit I-have-your-back-ness of Brook and Casca, but they were kind of the group caretakers as much as they could be. Pol might have been complicit in several pranks, but he nearly always served the distraction role. And Ari was glad to take on the leadership job if she could keep her ‘band safe. They got that about each other and formed a support-people-support-each-other friendship. This also is a part of why Ari wouldn’t take vicious revenge on Weylon if she ran into him again--she doesn’t think Pol would want her to.

Casca and Lifa

Maybe the two who were on the roughest ground with each other the longest. Casca can hold a grudge like nobody’s business, and she took years to forgive Lifa for the things she did and said. It’s worth noting that Casca was a target, but not the target the majority of the time. So, she was angry for herself, but more angry for Brook and Ari and Pol. It took Lifa proving herself through both words and actions to be a part of the ‘band for Casca to, very slowly, forgive her. The two of them were slowly building a similar kind of relationship as the one that Ari and Weylon had, but the betrayal incident stopped that in its tracks. When, years later, Casca learns that Lifa has followed Bangar into a mess of a war, she immediately writes her old ‘bandmate off. To her, that was the last strike and the last straw and the last anything. She’s not quite as “I will kill you on sight” as she is with Weylon, but she’ll be damned if she says a nice word to Lifa ever again.

Brook and Weylon

Weylon was the first person who Brook really discussed their identity with. To be honest, they figured he’d probably just be an ear to listen who didn’t care much. At point, they trusted each other but weren’t exactly close. Instead, he lent a good (if clumsy and not entirely knowledgeable) ear, and that meant a lot to them. Aside from that, the two of them really weren’t the closest, but they each thought they knew the other pretty well. Brook knew Weylon’s anger at his sire (a gladium under extenuating circumstances) better than most, and Weylon knew Brook’s fears better than most. Weylon’s betrayal stabbed Brook in the heart (metaphorically), and they most definitely have not forgiven him. (In all fairness, he hasn’t forgiven himself either.)

Ari and Lifa

Legionnaire and lieutenant. These two were (and are) competent strategists--the best two in the group. Their friendship evolved from Ari reluctantly working alongside and trusting Lifa to a partnership where they each made the other better. Lifa was incredibly loyal to Ari in a way that would have concerned Ari if she’d recognized it. Lifa has a tendency to seek direction from strong leadership figures in her life, and Ari fit that bill to a T. After Weylon’s betrayal, Lifa’s faith in Ari was shattered, and they (as the last two remaining members of their ‘band who weren’t captured, dead, or turned traitor) split apart because of that. Lifa has continued to seek people to give her direction, and Ari does not agree with the direction she’s taken. If Lifa were to reach out, Ari might help her, but she’d be unlikely to go to her of her own volition.

Casca and Weylon

Casca also historically wasn’t a big fan of Weylon. Forgiving him took her just as long as forgiving Lifa. They also didn’t particularly click well--Casca sought and seeks to live by her own rules while Weylon tended to stick to others’ rules, for the most part. They got along, more or less, but they both kinda saw the other as a cautionary tale, so to speak. Casca is one of the most incensed by Weylon’s betrayal later on. Notably, it’s not because they were particularly close. It’s because of a) what she and Brook went through while held captive, b) Pol’s death, and c) the fact that he ruined the last chance she’d given him. She wouldn’t hesitate to tear him to pieces, and at this point, he’d probably let her.

#gw2 #ari stormshield #casca shadowstorm #brook splitstorm #pol stormheart #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #my brain just went 'i must write this all out now' so here everyone goes alsdjfa #please enjoy

[kerra-and-company]

Lifa’s interview

OC Interview: Lifa Stormstrike

Draw (or use an old drawing, don’t worry!) or take a screen of your character in an interview setting and make them answer the following questions!

INTRODUCTION

1. Can you introduce yourself?

I don’t know who the fuck you are, but if answering your questions will make you leave me alone, what the hell. Lifa St-- (She coughs.) Had to clear my throat there. Lifa.

2. What is your gender identity, orientation and relationship status?

I’m alone, and that’s all the answer you’re gonna get. (She pauses for a moment.) She/her pronouns are fine.

3. Where and when were you born?

1300 A.E. I think. Somewhere in Ascalon. (She laughs, and it’s rough.) You’d have to find my dam and ask her.

4. What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

(She grins for the first time, but it doesn’t meet her eyes.) Short answer: piss me off and you’ll find out. Longer one: give me a hammer or staff, and I’m good.

(You point out that that’s really not a longer answer, and she just glares at you until you move on.)

5. Lastly, are you happy?

Find someone who can tell me what the fuck that looks like and maybe I could answer you.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

1. What’s your family like? What is your relationship with them?

Never met my sire, so no idea there. My dam...one of the best damn warriors in Ash. Haven’t seen her in years. Aside from them... (Something in her face stiffens.) There’s no one else. No one.

2. Have you ever ran away from home?

(She growls.) Watch yourself. No.

3. Would you consider marriage or having children?

Doubtful.

4. Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

What part of ‘no one’ didn’t you understand?

5. Which friend knows everything about you?

Same answer. Ask something different or I’m breaking your nose.

ASKED BY FANS

1. Are you literate? Have you been to school?

If by ‘school’ you mean the fahrar, then yeah. And I’d have made a poor Ash soldier if I couldn’t read.

2. The eeriest prediction you made that later came true?

(The corner of her mouth pulls upwards.) Honestly, cub, I can’t think of a single prediction I’ve made that’s been right.

3. What is something you were embarrassingly late to realize?

Desperation makes for bad decisions.

4. Do you have mental health or physical issues?

(Her claws unsheathe, poking into the pads on her palm a little.) You have a tendency to ask questions you really shouldn’t, friend. Move on. Last warning.

5. What is your current main goal?

(Where she’d looked angry, now she just looks a little lost, eyes distant and hard. Her answer takes a bit.) Survive.

CHOICES

1. Drink or food?

Drink. Whiskey, if you need specifics.

2. Cats or dogs?

Preferably neither.

3. Early bird or night owl?

Second one.

4. Optimist or pessimist?

Guess.

5. Sassy or sarcastic?

Tell me the difference and I’ll give you a better answer.

HAVE YOU EVER

1. Been caught sneaking out?

Did I or did I not already tell you I’m Ash Legion?

2. Broke a bone?

Unfortunately, yes.

3. Received flowers?

(A flurry of emotions cross her face.) Once. A long time ago.

4. Ghosted someone?

Yes. At the time I thought it was necessary.

5. Pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get?

I have yet to run into a joke I didn’t understand. So, no.

(She rolls over, but keeps one eye on you.) If that’s all, cub, I suggest you move on. Pick someone more interesting to talk to next time.

Not tagging anyone, but consider this a free tag for another interview if you see this and feel like doing one! :)

#lifa stormstrike #gw2 #she's...not going to give you very long answers #but she will talk #so have some lifa info! #post-Icebrood lifa to be specific #she's having a Time

[kerra-and-company]

QUICK! CHARCTER APPRECIATION TIME!!! Tell me something about a charcter you haven't talked about in ages :)

Oh! Hello and thank you very much Eyris for the ask!! :D Let's see, who haven't I talked about in forever...hmm...Lifa gets this spot for today! She actually knows/knew Ryland decently well. They weren't friends ever, really, but they both served under Bangar and were relatively close to him, with Ryland having the higher rank despite being younger and less experienced, since he was the protege. It's a very weird relationship. Lifa, again, doesn't consider him a friend, but she's not quite jealous of him even though being trusted by Bangar and seen as loyal is really really important to her. And she doesn't hate him or even dislike him all that much. And she's one of the few people he tells more than just the clinical details about what happened to Cinder. Maybe the best analog would be a slightly estranged little brother/cousin, or just two people on the same sinking ship. Whatever it is, it's enough to keep her by his side long enough to join the Frost Legion.

#gw2 #icebrood saga spoilers #lifa stormstrike #just-eyris-things #lifa is a Mess honestly #i love her but she is in a bad place for a Very long time and digs herself a progressively deepr hole #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #this was super nice! <3

[kerra-and-company]

Number 12, 24, and 48 on your Spotify wrapped, please! (and if you want to - associations to your characters?)^w^

Ooh sure! I love doing character to song associations :D 12: 'Freaking Me Out' by Ava Max I think I actually made a quick post about this when I found this song for the first time (forever ago, haha), but this is a Nisha song for sure! The lyrics basically compare falling in love to a house being haunted, which is both slightly funny and a pretty accurate description of the way xe feels when xe starts to realize xe's falling for Kerra and Canach. How much xe cares about them is terrifying to xem at first, especially as someone with anxiety who's experienced the loss of both xyr mother and one of xyr best friends. 24: 'Made You Miss' by Maddie Poppe Love this song, it's a bop, but I honestly can't think of any of my characters who it fits well. Still gonna give you some kiddos: the vibes (though not the lyrics) are kinda like Casca, and if I reeeeally stretch the lyrics, they could fit Lifa (during Icebrood) at least a little. 48: 'Goddess' by Xana Funny that this one ended up here, as it's actually an edit I found in this community that introduced me to this song! :D As far as which kiddo this relates to...I'm going to say Kerra and Aysel. Kerra's listed specifically for the line "Cause I brought the God of War to his knees", which makes me associate the song with her and Balthazar. Aysel (who you may not have even seen yet; she's new and I haven't given her much of a spotlight so far) is listed because, on a MUCH darker note, when I went over the lyrics again, the song vaguely reminded me of her relationship with her father. It's...not a good relationship, I'll say that much.

#kai speaks #gw2 #(because i talk about my kiddos) #medical-unprofessional-rat-man #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #nishannai #kerralind #aysel #casca shadowstorm #lifa stormstrike #also i'ma go find and reblog that edit now #think it was by astralarias

[kerra-and-company]

🖊🖊🖊 of course I need some fun facts!!!

@mystery-salad

Fun facts coming right up!! :D 🖊 - Rel can't read sheet music, or write it. It's not a problem for him personally when it comes to composing or learning music because he has excellent pitch and an excellent ear. However, after getting a few requests for a sheet music transcription of one of his songs, he ends up working with a friend to make music books with his songs in them. He makes a bit of money by selling them, but he doesn't charge all that much. (Said friend is an ex-Inquest asura by the name of Eethie, who I've just started developing and will probably come up again later :D) 🖊 - Ari has to specifically choose whether or not to keep tabs on her 'bandmates/former 'bandmates after she leaves for the Order. She doesn't have a way to keep in touch with any of them--Weylon and Lifa wouldn't respond to letters even if she wanted to try, and Brook and Casca can't (at least not while they're prisoners)--so she relies on some of her more distant friendships with other members of their fahrar to keep up-to-date on news. That doesn't mean the news is always perfectly accurate, though. (Also, when she gets the news that Brook and Casca are either dead or AWOL after a raid on the Flame camp where they were held, she stops keeping tabs on Lifa because she stops expecting any sort of 'band reunion. It's not the best period for her mental health.) 🖊 - Lifa drifts a whole lot in the years between Weylon's betrayal and Icebrood--she's part of three different Ash warbands before ending up with a Blood 'band. The first 'band kicks her out after she tries for legionnaire and fails. The second has too many people she recognizes, and too much of halfway pity mixed with distrust, and she leaves on her own. The third she serves in until everyone but her is killed during an assault by the Branded on their outpost. After that, she throws herself into training, determined to anchor herself with something and make an impression on someone. And she actually does the latter--it just happens to be on a passing Blood legionnaire who sees an opportunity to poach a talented but desperate fighter from Ash. He eventually regrets that choice.

#gw2 #relethen #ari stormshield #lifa stormstrike #mystery-salad #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #you get a few decently long things of text because i turned out to have things to say xD

[kerra-and-company]

🐢🦄 for whichever OC you’d like to answer for! - heraldofaurene

Oh sure sounds good, thanks for the ask @heraldofaurene! :D Let's use the random thing picker...we've got Lifa and Ia today, apparently! (Icebrood Saga spoilers below, and some discussion of injuries, though it's not super graphic.)

🐢: mental health headcanon

Lifa: If you wanted the short version, it's "could be better" asdl;jfsdf :P But to go into a bit more detail, she basically got 80% of the foundation of her world ripped out from under her feet by her (now ex-) partner Weylon and then proceeded to rip out the last 20% herself. Her biggest struggle since then has just been feeling absolutely, completely lost, no matter who she followed or what purpose she tried to give herself. In short, she struggles with depression, but her coping mechanisms are...not great. She's finally at a point story-wise where she has to confront some of this, which'll be a mess in and of itself but will be a step in the right direction.

Ia: This kiddo has ADHD! (As well as newly-acquired trauma from being taken from her family by the NMC, which is...not great, but at least she has a strong support network to help her through it.)

🦄: physical health headcanon

Lifa: Lifa is a bit...melty, at the moment. She's not as terribly off as Bangar (Mr. Ice-In-His-Throat), but she was part of the Frost Legion and had plenty of ice spikes herself. She's dealing with some nerve damage and scarring, and is currently (reluctantly) stuck recovering as much as she can from both in one of the Pact medical tents in Drizzlewood.

Ia: One of the Courtiers stabbed her right hand for an early escape attempt. It severed a couple tendons (or the sylvari equivalent), and though they'll mostly heal well, she'll experience some numbness in the third and fourth fingers of that hand and her grip strength will be a bit weaker.

#lifa stormstrike #ialyn #gw2 #heraldofaurene #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #the last part in future tense because technically she hasn't gotten kidnapped yet; that happens during EoD #but i have it very much planned out anyways #and lifa...i love her because she's my kiddo but she's Not having a good time

[kerra-and-company]

4, 14, 24, 39 for anyone ya want!! : ) @king-there0f

Sounds good and thank you!! :D Random thing picker chose Lifa and Aysel (the second of which I have barely mentioned outside tags, but you get some facts for her today!)

4. How does your oc view housework? Do they absolutely hate it? Do they enjoy having their surroundings neat and tidy or do they not notice?

Lifa: Does generally keep her stuff organized because of being brought up in the legions, but she really doesn't enjoy it. She's leaned into hyper-organization as a way to show how loyal she is before, and she's still yet to find a happy medium, but she'll get there someday.

Aysel: Does housework out of habit. It's both a practical skill and something she learned as a sort of coping skill/safety mechanism--she needs to know where her things are and it helps to know where everything else is, too. Her letting a space get messy (even just a bit) tends to mean she's comfortable there.

14. Does your oc do anything “just for the aesthetic”? Or are they completely practical in everything?

Lifa: Generally she's pretty practical, but she can and does taunt her enemies sometimes when it might be better to, ya know, stay silent and focus on fighting. She blames her old 'bandmate Casca for this, but honestly it's something she'd do on her own whether or not she'd met Casca.

Aysel: Also pretty practical, but her general "I am a threat" day-to-day appearance is carefully cultivated. It's accurate--she can and will kick ass when necessary--but she also wants people to leave her alone, hence the aesthetic she chooses.

24. What smells bring back specific memories to your oc? What are those memories like?

I'll do three for each of them!

Lifa: Petrichor (the first time she felt like she really had a warband), ozone (learning to use elemental magic--she favors air and earth attunements), vanilla (her and Weylon when they were happy)

Aysel: Cinnamon (her mother, feeling like a child), candy corn (the first time she went to Lion's Arch for the Shadow of the Mad King festival when she was 12), pine trees (hunting, getting out of the house, hiking through snow)

39. How superstitious your oc? Do they end up following them ‘just in case’? Or are superstitions incredibly important to your oc? What are some that they believe? What about the ones they don’t?

Lifa is (aggressively) a non-believer in gods/Spirits of any sort, and she treats superstition the same way, for the most part. As a cub, she halfway believed in lucky coins, and she kinda wishes she still did.

Aysel has no patience with superstition at all. She respects various types of worship, and she herself is a follower of the Spirits of the Wild and Wolf in particular, but smaller superstitious things, like "you shouldn't break a mirror or you'll have 7 years bad luck", bother her.

#lifa stormstrike #aysel #gw2 #king-there0f #lord0f #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #sorry these two aren't known as well but i love then both