Silence

Face-up artist(s):

Loptr

Date of acquisition:

April 2020

Provenance:

I purchase them directly from Twigling. I have the CoA and also my order on Reese's website.

Reason for choice:

Twigling was on my grail list on account of the price, but also the entire design philosophy. I wanted to own dolls that were both visual masterpieces and fun to pose. To boot, they came with a variety of unique faces and colourful skintone options. Very few elves actually look 'elven' according to mythological tradition. But Elbe did.

Best Points:

*Uniquely-proportioned sylvan face
*Thick, less-fragile elf ears
*Choice of body part types allowed for a unique appearance
*Very posable. Very sturdy poser
*Aesthetically pleasing, natural proportions

Worst Points:

*The sueding in mine fused the torso together after a number of years. I'm not sure what happened.
*There's a crazy thin spot where the headcap post plugs into the bottom of the head. You can see light through it. Unfortunately they came that way.

Eyes:

I believe they're GalaxyNook 10mms

Wig:

(Temporary) HazelAnn 7-8 Teal Mohair

Favourite colours:

To wear? Browns. Greens. Forest tones. Cool shades.

Fashion style(s):

High fantasy, Victorian / Steampunk

Needs me to make them a proper leaf wig with a yellow flower.

Silence is a character who specializes in engineering and espionage / sabotage. They wear mostly practical clothing when they are working, unless a diplomatic situation calls for fancier. When they are not working, they are fond of tactile things; clothes with certain textures, beads, jewelry with molded details- things they can feel and fidget with. They often dress in layers.

Character age:

Young Adult

Character gender:

Agender

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is available for offsite roleplay.

Silence is loosely based on a pair of twin dryad characters I've had since childhood. This is the Guild Wars 2 incarnation, played as an engineer US-side.

In nature there is order. Every creature and plant has its cycle. Even those that fall in between. So it is for the sylvari.

The seed is planted. The mother tree grows to maturity. She feeds upon the information the world gives her. She produces and bears fruit. Her children grow inside their pods until they are ripe and ready to be released into a new life, forever attached to the Dream of dreams, the collective memory of every sylvari, past and present. And yet it is so much more. The Dream shows the world as it is, and how it was, and how it will be. It is beauty and challenge, mystery, wonder, and confrontation. But never darkness or despair, not for long. It holds the Pale Tree's children in its palms like treasures.

Dreaming sylvari are so vibrant and full of life. Their minds sway to emotion. Prone to euphoria. Ready to embrace the world with open arms...

Silence was one of them once. A Dreamer, awed by the majesty of existence. But like those before and after them, they became a number. Another victim fallen to the machinations of the Nightmare Court: a group of sylvari determined to introduce fear into the Dream. Some believe it would better prepare the Pale Tree's children to face a cruel world. Others embrace Nightmare for their own pleasure. But all agree on one thing: shackling the sylvari unerringly to the moral tenants which they follow is an unnatural and dangerous act. Mother Tree was taught the wisdom of life by a human and a centaur... and what do they know of being sylvari?

In the beginning sylvari were passive. They did not resist when the outside world intruded upon their forest and thinned their numbers. The Court, the dragons, and other foes have finally forced their hands.

And Silence is pleased to see it.

Silence is a superb empath. Their ability to communicate to others through the emotional / dreaming body all sylvari share almost knows no bounds. They can create mindscapes to rival the best mesmers. And they often notice the little details others may have missed. They are a listener, a thinker, and a purveyor of the bigger picture as well as the small.

...which is a good thing since they don't speak nearly as well with only a stump for a tongue.

Brought into submission by a particularly cruel Court interrogator, Silence was his favorite side project for months, earning their name for the aforementioned injury. They are still capable of eating most foods, and making limited syllables, but nobody has properly retrained them to speak. Both eyes have been supplemented by small cameras, wired into their empty sockets. Theirs is an unsettling presence, but provided you are not at odds and treat them with dignity, they are usually agreeable. And occasionally bribe-able with small treats or favors.

Ironically the Court has employed them as a sort of courier, running in between divisions to negotiate business, and delivering ultimatums and proposals to the Pale Tree's Wardens- the protection force that has finally been created. Because they make an excellent mouthpiece... provided it's among sylvari. And if the negotiations don't go well? ...Then they've got a gadget for that. Usually weapon-shaped. You'd best not be on the wrong end of it.

They are also deployed for infiltration. Not the cool false identity kind; the straightforward, boring sneak-past-the-guards-and-do-the-thing kind. After all, they're small, quiet, and head-mounted cameras are useful for spotting.