Arietta "Kestrel" Fiore

She is seventeen when her story starts.

She is female! At times she has wished to be a boy, but she makes clear that she wishes for the social privileges and advantages of men, not the body of one.

Kestrel; others to come; The Fearless Woman (after death)

Arietta first makes waves as the first woman to join the Navy, then ends up helping a country or two win a war/stage a coup while attempting to keep her friends safe and in sight. She's the main character, but absolutely does not want to be.

At first, none. Later, in order: A long twisting scar down her bicep from the mountain lion, a nick out of her ear where a Navy earring was pulled out by a desperate bandit, a darker handprint on her back where an angelfire priest touched her, and a few nasty short little scars around her left temple where she fell into the blackberry bush after fighting with Demetrius at the very end. Others may be added.

Arietta takes great care in making sure she stays fit. She's a bit stocky for a proper girl- flatter and wider chest, legs a bit short- but by most standards it's still a good build for a merchant's daughter.

Starts off olive and then deepens during her Navy stint.

Race isn't much of a thing until later in the book but she is white.

Dark grey.

None.

In the beginning, she puts it up in a bun when she has to control it. Soon into the story, she chops it very short, enough that it stays out of her face, and messily keeps it that length.

Black.

About 5' 3"

Approximately 130 pounds.

PTSD from Holten and pirates/marooning
-cannot go on rooftops
-avoids bars, especially when her friends are drunk
-gets very agitated in fog (how she missed the ship that took her and her crew captive) and when she's thirsty (dehydration from island)
-needs to keep a sort of morning ritual (last of her Navy life she held onto in ship; uncertain about this part)
-often goes for night walks to reassure herself she isn't trapped
-represses emotional responses (sort of a calm before the storm when she blows up about her trigger/last-ditch effort to stay calm)

Lowered emotional intensity due to activation of magic (later)
-It gets really weird? Because she has all the previous trauma's still but they're just sort of... dulled
-Appears to others as almost inhumanly uncaring in this time
-Basically only feels satisfaction when progressing on a mission due to magical effects

Gets back to a sort-of normal after the Palace and Demetrius attempts to "fix" her (combination all the PTSD but also the satisfaction/focus of working on a goal)

After Aliyah- gets loads of therapy, basically, and while she still has triggers and her nature is very changed from her at the beginning of the story, she's more or less passing neurotypical

I feel like I covered this in Mannerisms but at her core, Arietta is stubborn, loyal, and determined to be free to choose her own life. She's a fighter to the last by nature and by magic, and she'd literally rather die than give up, almost even before the cougar.

As a merchant daughter: swordfighting and fighting in general; pissing off her dad, singing with her mother; exploring
As a sailor: poker, singing, doing crazy stuff on a ship like tossing swords or dancing (badly)
As a war hero and a soldier and a traumatised magician: literally she had none, she was healing and then she was hurt again and then the cougar happened and all she had was her current Goal
As a mostly healed magician and wandering soldier/spy: dancing, because while she still loves music, she can't bring herself to sing anymore. It feels like it belongs to someone else now. She also likes telling stories, and exercising.

Before magic: holding her own, talking fast, finding loopholes in arguments, swordfighting, telling lies (won many games of poker that way), slipping through small spaces/mildly contorting? I don't know how to describe it but there's that bit in the barracks where she squeezes between the two trunks and then reaches her arm up and backwards onto Tar's bed. Also, pranks.

After magic: HOLDING HER OWN, surviving, fighting (all forms), observation, sort of all things physical (nature of her magic), telling stories

In the beginning, up to the cougar basically, has a very "not like other girls" attitude where she thinks and acts like she's the only girl who wants to join the Navy, the only girl with the guts to do so (really, she's got the standing to get away with it), etc. etc.
Also sort of... it's not racist if it's white people against other white people, but her country Biera has plenty of propaganda against its neighbors Ksaedo and Uril. (If Biera was the U.S., then they'd talk about Ksaedo like stereotypical Mexico but white, and Uril would be stereotypical Eastern Europe, basically.) She definitely buys into those prejudices, especially within the Navy.
Also surprisingly misogynistic towards lower-class people- again, part of her upbringing, but it takes her a long while (until she meets Pepper in the Edochon) to really shake that. Also judges people based on look; for example, Demetrius looks like a wild man living in the forest (and he is) so she assumes he's a savage who wants to kill her (he isn't, and the other wild men living in the forest mostly don't want to kill her either.) Things like that.
When she gets to Komab'be, she basically takes one look at their villages and assumes they have no clue what they're doing. She basically gets slapped in the face with a reality check or seven during that.

Often so driven that she gets tunnel vision, figuratively speaking, towards her goal.
Likes to fight. Both with words and with weapons. She's just very competitive.
Closed-off, after the pirates/marooning.
Even more closed off, after the cougar.
Puts herself and her close friends above everyone else and no one except said close friends and some basic morals can affect that. Ex. If Melyssa and a random kid were being held hostage but at no threat of harm, Arietta would only rescue Melyssa to lower the chances of them being caught, and she'd only go back for the kid after Melyssa yelled at her for several minutes. Or she'd realize that would happen, rescue them both, and dump the kid with the nearest adult at the first opportunity.
Speaking of which, she really isn't good with kids. Doesn't hate them, just is bad with them, which is unfortunate because she really becomes a lot of kids' personal hero.

Arietta's main motivation throughout the story is wanting to be able to make her own choices. Between her father's dreams for her as a merchant's daughter, the imprisonment/marooning with the pirates, and then the activation of her magic meaning she needs a goal and she needs it NOW, this is a very difficult thing for her to achieve/find a balance with.
Arietta also feels very strongly about the freedom and safety of her close friends and those she feels she owes a debt to (Demetrius, when they first meet.) Especially after the cougar, she will do almost anything to ensure they are safe from harm (again, this gets used against her- just more directly in this case.) Ex. In the Palace, she's forced to choose between her own freedom and Demetrius's well-being, a conflict of her two greatest interests.

Other motivators: killing the pirates who imprisoned her for the better part of a year, moving on from the horrible things that happened to her in the past, whatever her current goal is, and towards the end, showing young women and girls that they, too, can give the middle finger to patriarchal standards of society. Literally, in her case, when she flips off Holten in front of the woman he was hitting on.

Beginning: Bold/daring, loud, almost comedic in her wit, determined to the point of bullheaded stubbornness (a trait she 100% gets from her father) and wily when it comes to getting her way (a trait she 100% gets from her mother.) Is somewhat naive, sort of a basic "ugh I wanna run away from home" teen except it's "ugh I wanna join the Navy so I don't have to marry some idiot merchant." Pretty observant and has both good humor and good work ethic.

Navy: This is where she both becomes popular and grows up. Bold/daring turns to fierce, comedic wit turns to sass to earn her fellow sailors' approval. Determination/stubbornness grows and serves her well (and saves her life) and she's forced to become a lot more street-smart. Gets quieter, pays even closer attention. Even though she's spent two years fighting for this dream now, she's still learning the full extent of what it means to be the only woman in the Navy. Yet this is also where she thrives, discovers a lot about herself (cough cough she's gay cough cough), and is genuinely happy. Physically chill with close friends, enjoys being "one of the guys" sort of deal.

Pirates/Marooning: where she horribly learns how to be independent and SURVIVE above all else. This whole experience scars her for life; it's only thanks to the material greed of the captain that it wasn't even worse. Here she turns from quiet to silent to protect herself, harbors grudges to the point where faces haunt her dreams. Spends a lot of time resting to store energy, sort of constantly on edge. Only open with Nico, Bennett, and Tolano.

Before the lion: Seems haunted, because she is. Has a habit of tapping her knuckles along the hilt of her knife, to remind her she can defend herself. This is where a lot of the PTSD plays into her character; she's actually incredibly vulnerable at this time, which is why Holten's not-so-polite pass at her hits her so hard. Basically is ready for everything to betray her and force her to fight to survive again (and to an extent, she's right.) Desperate for a distraction, healing, anything. Lonely; mother is no help, best friend just tried to assault her, all her other friends are nearly as bad off as she is. Acts like nothing's wrong (or right) just to get by.

After the lion: To others, this is Arietta at her darkest. The activation of her magic dulls emotional impact on her to the point where she seems cold-blooded and heartless. Is very still when she's not working towards her goal, quick to react, rests her hand on her sword at all times without even realizing it (literally, someone points it out and it surprises her, as much as she can be surprised.) While she still feels emotions and normal emotional responses, she's very out of touch with it, almost numb? This is where she learns to act, after a while; so people won't think she's so cold.

On her way back to normal: Flighty and fighty both. Almost overwhelmingly emotional (readjusting to having the dang things again), but better at coping with her PTSD this time around, with the help of her magic having a sort of cutoff point. Has trouble admitting she needs help; tries very hard to be independent still, even when it comes to things like setting a bone or getting directions. Sort of lost; tends to space out some as her magic and emotions war within her, but always snaps back at a touch or threat. Sort of latches onto the nearest person with big goals (like the army commander) and helps them for her magic's fulfillment. Kind of goes overboard on everything, to the dismay of Demetrius especially when it comes to fighting.

After Aliyah: Mostly relaxed; confident in herself and her self-defense especially. Enjoys laughing and dancing; still very driven, but for her own goals now. While still agitated by her triggers, she can make it through a bar of drunk men now. Independent, but not lonely; physically affectionate with close friends again, has a much better best friend, was able to reconnect with her mother (let me have my happy endings dammit!) Still has bad days, still goes most anywhere with a knife or small weapon of some sort, but can function without them. Happy again.

Bachelorette, then seaman, then war hero/national figurehead, then Army strategist/recon expert.

It's not a kestrel, surprisingly- it's an idacca, a near-mythical animal native to the southwestern Bieran cliffs, legendary for its ability to defend its territory and survive on one of the harshest terrains the Fivelands have to offer.

Shortsword

Her sword.

Homemade pasta with fresh mussels and cream sauce or something equally hearty, ideally the way her mother makes it.

Sunset orange.

In order: bachelorette/daughter, sailor, prisoner, lone wolf, lone wolf but with magic and also a war hero, world traveler, and finally her own person.

Arietta despises politics, mostly because they have a talent for getting in the way of her protecting her friends. So what if she's technically a war hero as well as being the first woman to ever join the Navy? She doesn't care about the political power that comes with that! She just wants to live her life, happy in her corner of the world, doing her own damn thing, thank you very much.

But you better not treat women or girls badly around her, or you just might find yourself with a sword against your stomach. And if you badmouth the Komab or Ksaedian people- hell, even if you badmouth Uri? The first time, that sword will be against your stomach. The next time, you'll be dead, if nothing stops her.

While not extremely religious at first, she believes that the Five exist, at the very least. Then she actually meets the Warrior and the angel priests burn her and while she doesn't really actively pray to them much, she takes strength and comfort from their presence. Since she's actually met them, it's almost less of a faith thing and more of a "they believe in me" thing, but they're still gods, so... same?

Born to a recently-come-to-fortune merchant family, raised in a poorer part of town surrounded by laborer families, Arietta feels very little attachment to the merchant way of life. She ends up rejecting everything her father expects her to inherit and marry with to join the Navy, where she feels far more at home.

Basic education: middle school or so. Emphasis on history, home ec, and writing.
Advanced education: military matters, sailing, survival skills

It's of no major importance, but November twelfth.

None. Her mother has a cat that she adores, but it is most definitely her mother's cat and not hers.

Things to remember:
-trauma with Holten!! Very not into romance/dating/sex after that whole catastrophe, especially wary of men
-literally thinks her attraction to women is part of being in the Navy for so long at first. Isn't until Aliyah that she realizes she actually likes women
-physically affectionate with her close friends only (dramatically drapes self over Bennett's lap, will literally steal the cigarette out of Nico's mouth, comfortable enough to sleep in the same bed as Melyssa when they're working together)
-Emotional arc for knightmage magic needs to be played up as part of her character change after the marooning. Make it seem normal until after the cougar, because it IS normal until after the cougar, when it swings into extremely off behavior. Stays this way until the Palace, where she finally reunites with Demetrius; isn't fully recovered until well into her friendship with Aliyah.
-Her mother is her confidant but even their relationship struggles throughout Arietta's character arc(s)