Nileen Underfoot

Nileen Underfoot

Female Halfling

Player: N.I.M.H

General Information
Full Name:	Nileen Underfoot
Nicknames:	Leeners, Leenie, Nil
Age:	33
Deity:	Brandobaris, Cyrrollalee
Alignment:	LG LN LE NG TN NE CG CN CE
Occupation:	Editor in Chief of S.I.G.I.S
Faction/Rank:	Free League
Place of Birth:	Somewhere in the Outlands
Physical Attributes
Height:	3'3
Weight:	32 lbs
Eyes:	Green flecked with blue
Hair:	Honey colored
Complexion:	Sun kissed and healthy looking
Physical Build:	Thin, but fit.
Physical Features:	Nileen is always impeccably dressed. Her general appearance is always neat looking. She has a scar from the right hand side of her forehead passing down over her eye to the middle of her cheek. She's got random various tiny paper cut like scars criss crossing her hands.
Skills
Proficient sneak, excellent magic slinger. She's great at investigating and story telling with the written word.
Equipment and Items
A nasty looking short sword that spits sparks at random, an old broken ioune stone, various papers, scrolls, and books galore. She keeps a feather-pen behind her ear at all times.

WigWag

Looks

Nileen has a full head of honey colored hair, which she has taken to leaving down and free of pins and ties. Her skin is a healthy sun kissed shade, and surprisingly looks as though she spends a fair amount of time taking care of it. Her eyes are a sparkling bright green with flecks of blue throughout. The corners show just a few laugh lines, as though she’s enjoyed many a good joke throughout her life. Cutting through her right eye halfway down her cheek is a scar. She doesn't mention it often, and clams up if asked about it. Her hands are often ink stained and covered with various criss-crossing paper cut sized scars. Because of this, Nileen usually carries a pair of leather gloves to put on in the case of business meetings and the like.

She usually always wears a smile, and never any type of face paint or make up. Her clothing is always of an excellent cut and fit, nicely tailored, and well taken care of. She tends to favor the cool colors, preferring their relaxing nature to that of the fiery reds and oranges on the warmer side of the spectrum.

Upon her person can be seen various packs, scrollcases, pouches, and other containers. At her waist is a belt with many pouches, bulging with various unknown items. Nileen is a packrat, and it shows.

Personality & General Info

She is extremely studious in all things. Nileen can be quiet, but is usually always friendly and pleasant to be around. She can be quite boisterous at times, but has become naturally more reserved and so this side of her is often kept under wraps. She always has a greeting at the ready, no matter who might show up. She is quite personable, and isn’t shy about who she speaks with. She is normally slow to anger, and once angered is slow to calm down. Nileen is inquisitive - she often seeks out the answers to her questions to the detriment to her health and well being. She's not always sure when a good time to say no would be when it comes to digging up a story. She can never just let things go. If she does give in and stop searching, the questions will forever plague her mind. She can be a bit blunt, and isn't always sure when to censure herself. This can sometimes lead to some very awkward social situations. Nileen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure, and the next breaking story. It seems as though her whole life is directed toward this purpose.

Tongues

• Sylvan, Draconic, Dwarven, Thieves Cant, Abyssal, Halfling.

Birthplace

• Unknown at this moment. Somewhere in the Outlands

Theme Songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Nq6PzY0xA Fluke - Atom Bomb

"Baby got a crystal ball, Baby doesn't care at all, Baby's having too much fun, Baby got an atom bomb."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qAxjmvvtOk Soul Coughing - The Idiot Kings

"Everything is going up. Everything is going as planned, yeah. Everything moves along. Everything is fine, fine, fine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DykB0ttyXFw Mike Doughty - Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future

"There was a lot of them, there was a bloody fight next door. There was a cracked stem, there was a ghoul on the misty moor."

Virtues

• She is honest to a fault. She has the ability to fib, and she can be pretty decent at it, but she'd really rather not as she highly values the truth. (to a certain extent, that is. If it's gonna keep her out of trouble, or get her some information she needs, well...then..she's gonna do it.)

• Always has a pleasant word, and is usually always in a pleasant mood. It takes a lot to ruin this halfling's mood, and she's not shy about sharing her happiness with others.

• Quite persistent. If she finds a lead, has offered to help a friend, or has set out to do something (anything) She will persist until the task is complete.

• She is outgoing. She'll pretty much talk to anyone, and give any body a chance. The only thing she really can't stand are deaders and the hard heads, and even the hard heads will get a hello.

• Nileen is loyal. So very loyal. Once she's decided you're worth allowing into her inner circle, you're stuck there for life, bub. Definitely no get out of jail free cards here.

• She's adventurous. Nileen would rather get stuck in the Astral than sit around and do nothing. If there's lands to be explored, jink to be gained, or just something new to be discovered, rest assured Nileen is out there getting the job done.

• She's nearly fearless. Nileen is not afraid of a challange, and is pretty much up for anything. The saying curiosity killed the cat definitely applies to her. She's only really got two major fears, and we're getting to those.

Faults

• She's honest to a fault. This often times gets her into no end of trouble. This goes along with the fact that she can be blunt at times, and often says the wrong thing. When it's best not to speak, you can be assured Nileen is right there, saying all the wrong things.

• She's picky and has major trust issues. It is hard to truly get into Nileen's good graces. Because of this, she doesn't consider herself to have all that many true friends.

• She's afraid of the dark and deep bodies of water. It's hard to explore a new cave system, or a lake/beach area when you've got these fears.

• Nileen can be a bit too persistent. When it's time to quit, she just can't bring herself to do it. It's gotten her arrested a time or two, and in other spotty areas of trouble.

• She's a pack rat. Nileen seems to have trouble throwing anything away. As a result, her packs often weigh her down and the office, along with her case, are completely cluttered and filled with junk.

• Nileen can be greedy. When there's jink on the line, there's no messin' around.

• She's got a poor memory. If Nileen doesn't write something down in her trusty journal, you can best be betting she'll forget it in the next day or two.

Vices

• Nileen can't say no to a nice frothy mug of ale, and she has a secret fondness for Berk's Choice.

• She has trouble functioning if she doesn't get her wake up juice. She came across the wild beans in Krigala, near Filchnest. Before returning to The Cage she made sure to stock up. Unfortunately, Her supply is running low and since she has a sort of addiction to it she's going to have to return and gather some more. This is going to have to happen quite often, as she drinks entirely too much of it. Unless of course she can find a source in The Cage, but she hasn't so far.

• Nileen enjoys a good pipe when sitting down to write. It's gotten to the point where she prefers not to write without one.

• Shopping. Nileen CANNOT resist a sale, especially on small trinkets and clothing. She thoroughly enjoys shopping, and calls it her "retail therapy".

The Chant

Nileen remembers far too little of her childhood. She remembers warmth and happiness, and a willingness to tease. She remembers twinkling eyes and always a hug at the ready. She cannot remember faces details, but to her it matters little. Her first real memory is waking up in a covered wagon, in the caravan of her cousin Reen Shadowhand. During her formative years, she grew very close with Reen and her family while traveling the whole of the Outlands. Gate town to gate town, encampment to encampment, she grew fond of the gypsy way of life.

During this time, Nileen learned a few tricks of the trade to earn herself some jink. Reen’s mother was a fairly accomplished spell caster- earning her keep performing various tricks and magic to paying customers. Because Nileen showed some promise in that field, Reen’s mother took her under her wing. Reen’s father was an accomplished sneak, and taught Nileen how to hide, get herself out of sticky situations, and basically anything else concerning street smarts. The training was strenuous, but well worth it in the end as Nileen learned how to put her natural intelligence to use, handle larger quantities of power, find her way out of unsavory situations, and put her cleverness to work. Nileen had always been a clever little chit, and being in Reen’s brother's company helped nurture her natural tricksy tendencies. She grew quite fond of playing the odd trick on an unsuspecting traveler or family member. She was never malicious, but found great humor in playing pranks on people.

During this time she also found herself scouting the cities to bring news back to the caravan before their arrival. She discovered a secret love for spreading news, telling stories, and ferreting out the truth in all things. Nileen always had an eye for jink and a problem with hoarding things. Over time, she managed to save a sizeable amount for herself. As a result, she decided to strike out on her own and make a break for The Cage. Reen came with her, and they became inseparable for a time. During her stay in The City of Doors, Nileen took her love of story telling and news mongering to new heights and acquired the deed to The Cager’s Key. She had grand plans of re-organizing the paper and calling it S.I.G.I.S., putting most of her jink into the effort. Unfortunately, while chasing down a lead she’d been following concerning the prior demise and murder of the Cager’s Key employees , she was taken captive and imprisoned in Carceri by the very people she was chasing down.

For an entire year she languished in captivity, her home a tiny cage suspended above an endlessly deep body of water. She was tormented by creatures from the deep, lunging up to bite and claw at her, wreaking havok with her stability. She was not fed, and so subsisted on the raw flesh of creatures she managed to capture, and from an endless drip of fetid, disgusting water originating from the ceiling. There was very little light – the only tiny shaft coming from a spot of damage in the brick high above her. Her captors tormented her, asking for information regarding the previous newspapers’ owners, and something to do with sentient fungus. Nileen was not able to provide them the answers they required, and so the torment continued day after day. Her world was total darkness. For an entire year. By the end, Nileen’s clothing and appearance was in tatters, along with her confidence.

By sheer luck, Reen discovered her whereabouts, and managed to break her free from her tiny prison, physically and mentally. Together they made their way toward the Styx. Nileen was able to free herself – Reen was not. Nileen has made it safely back to The Cage, but still has questions, and is still seeking answers to questions from long ago. She takes any opportunity to gather information as to the possible whereabouts of Reen, and is still trying to locate her to mount a rescue effort. To this day she has an intense fear of deep water, and total darkness. Due to the disgusting conditions she was forced to live in, she is extremely fastidious about her appearance and takes great pains to ensure her clothing is of the highest quality, and her physical appearance is always at its best.

Accomplishments

• Gaining the deed and remodeling the old Cager’s Key building to create S.I.G.I.S.
• Successfuly publishing and distributing the first issue of S.I.G.I.S.
• Traveling the planes and managing to keep herself from being penned
• Spreading truth wherever she can, whenever she can, however she can
• Escaping Carceri mostly fully intact.

Wants

• Nileen desires nearly above all else to find Reen Shadowhand, her cousin. She was last seen helping Nileen to escape Carceri, and has not been seen since. Nileen is forever searching and attempting to ferret out any information as to Reen’s whereabouts so she can bring her home safely.

Nileen (left) and Reen (right)

• Nileen's dream is for her labor of love S.I.G.I.S. to become the Cage’s main source for all things news related. She is so proud of how far she's come, and amazed at the ability of people to come together for as ingle purpose. She desires to provide the populace with juicy tidbits and important news. An informed populace is a powerful populace!

• She dreams of getting an interview with the Lady, without pissing her off and getting Mazed. To her, it would be a crowning achievement. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

An outside view of S.I.G.I.S.

Where the magic happens.

Organizations

Nileen was a part of the B.U.B (Black Umbrella Brigade) for a time. This, she believed, kept Pyre at bay in his attempt to fashion her into a mace...(don't ask her, she can't give you an answer. C'mon, it's Pyre). She also believed that it would give her access to more contacts and help in her quests should she need it. One can never have too many friends, after all. And besides, black umbrellas are cool.

A typical B.U.B gathering.

Nileen's black parasol.

Nileen is an Indep. She can't be bothered with all the politics and back-biting of the other groups and doesn't want to feel pressured into any one set of beliefs. Who can know for sure who's right? She wants to make her own way, and finds the other factions too rigid and uptight for her style.

Ways + Means

Bashin'

Nileen is a proficient spell slinger, but doesn't often use her spells in combat. She prefers good old fashioned bashing, and will often use a bow or shortsword to accomplish this. Nothing fancy, just crash and smash. If she feels that combat would be too dangerous to get up close, she'll gladly pull out her bow and fling arrows set on fire from afar. Her skin's too precious for her to put in needless danger. She's got a paper to run for the populace, after all!

Spell Slingin'

She enjoys spell casting, but doesn't use her magic lightly in front of others. Her favorites are:

Utility Spells

• Prestidigitation - She'll often use this to clean her rooms, the office, her clothes....anything that saves her time and energy, she'll use it for. She uses it quite often to play tricks upon people...though she hasn't done this in some time.

• Mending - Nileen will often use this spell after some sort of combat to mend her clothes of rips and tears. She cannot stand the thought of her appearance being ratty, and so keeps this spell ready at all times. She'll also often use it to fix other minor things, such as her quill pen, socks, small issues with her printing press, holes in her packs, etc.

• Light - Nileen has an almost debilitating fear of total darkness, and so ~always~ keeps this spell ready to use just in case.

• Magnificent Mansion - Nileen uses this spell when out on an expedition, away from the comforts of her own case. The reasons should be obvious.

• Tongues - Nileen needs to be able to understand bodies, especially when she's out on an investigative mission. This spell is useful to get the information she needs, when she can't understand what's being said.

• Improved Invisibility - Nileen is a huge fan of this spell, when she's got to sneak about and needs a bit of help to get the job done.

• Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter - This spell is great for playing pranks, and Nileen uses it quite often when she's feeling mischievous. It's also quite useful in combat.

• Teleport/Plane shift/Dimension Door - These spells are wonderful at times when Nileen needs to get somewhere, and in a hurry. She is often running late for appointments, and when said appointment is in a distant location, she can get there in a jiffy!

Combat Spells

• Firebrand - Nileen is a fan of using fire to singe/burn/cook her enemies. She'll often go for this spell first before any others, as long as it'd be useful to her.

• Magic Missle - Ah, good old magic missle. Nileen can't really get enough of this spell. It looks pretty, hurts, and gets the job done.

• Isaac's Missle Storm - What could be better than multiple missles at once? Nileen often uses this spell as it will target more than one enemy.

• Chain Lightning - Because c'mon, who wouldn't want to shoot electricity at an enemy?

Defensive Spells

• Greater Stoneskin - This should speak for itself, but Nileen feels quite safe and empowered when protected by this spell. She becomes less cautious and more willing to jump into the fray.

• Cat's Grace - Nileen often casts this spell upon herself at difficult times. It helps her reflexes and ability to get out of harm's way.

• See Invisibility - Because sometimes, one's enemies are clever and can hide very well.

• Displacement - Because it's hard to hit a body when you can't tell exactly where that body is.

• Haste - When ya gotta go, ya just gotta go! ...Especially when running away from some particularly nasty elemental, fiend, or devil.

Tools of the Trade

Weapons

Nileen favors the use of a short sword, or a short bow. She always keeps these two weapons on her, regardless of the situation she finds herself in. The shortsword is quite nasty looking, with the symbol of Talos etched upon the handle. It sparks at random, and despite this, Nileen feels quite comfortable using it. Rumor has it that the blade was owned prior to Nileen's possession by a halfling by the name of Seth Greenwood, but Nileen's not gonna tell for sure!

Her second choice in weapon, if she fears getting too close to the fray is a short bow. It is quite simple in design, and yet packs quite a punch. There are spikes upon it which she can use should an enemy somehow get too close. She favors the use of arrows lit on fire, or arrows with some sort of electrical enchantment upon them.

Favored Items

Nileen has quite a bit of junk... she's a pack rat, after all. However, there are a few items she treasures and feels are a cut above the rest.

• Her lucky hat - Nileen was gifted a hat from a friend.

Nileen's Flopppy "Lucky" Hat

This hat is rather ordinary looking, but Nileen won't go anywhere without it being at least somewhere on her person. It's got a big floppy feather on it, and Nileen is quite fond of it. She'll often refer to it as "her lucky hat".

• Her black umbrella - Nileen has a black parasol in surprisingly good condition, though it's been mended quite a few times and is obviously quite aged. When being used, it is lovingly handled, and gently cared for. She'll not part with this parasol, and travels everywhere with it.

• An old, broken Ioun stone - Nileen is in possession of an old, warped, and scratched Ioun stone that orbits in an erratic path, and often seems as though it will orbit itself into oblivion. Nileen isn't quite sure what it does, but she uses it anyway.

• An old, dull, ratty set of scales - Nileen was gifted these by her cousin Reen, and holds them near and dear. She carries them about at all times, and will often take them out and set them in her lap during an interview or business meetings.

• Her trusty journal - Nileen doesn't go anywhere without this tiny book. She needs to write everything down or risk forgetting what she's just learned, and so it's a sort of life line to her.

• A ratty looking leather-bound spell book - Nileen obviously must keep her book'o'magic (as she likes to put it) on her at all times. She often keeps it hidden in a pouch, but will take it out and peruse it before an adventure.

Friend or Foe?

Nileen does not have all that many people she'll say she's truly close with. She's got this little three foot invisible bubble about her that keeps a body out. She *does* have quite a few acquaintances, however. And of course, there's always family.

Flesh & Blood

• Reen Shadowhand - Reen is Nileen's cousin, and was there when Nileen awoke in the caravan. They became close as sisters, and spent much time together traveling the planes. She is the one person Nileen trusts above all others. Nileen would lay down her life for Reen, if the need arose (and it certainly seems as though it may be a possibility, at the moment) and she'd go to any length to help her.

• Kal Shadowhand - Kal is Reen's full brother. He and Nileen aren't very close, but she'd go to greath lengths to protect him and help him if the need came about.

The Inner Circle

• Pyre - Most bodies would probably be barmy to consider Pyre a good friend, but Nileen does, and she does it happily. She trusts his actions to a degree, as it is nearly impossible for him to lie (unless he's wearing his disguise). She knows that by now, he'd not seriously hurt her - because if he wanted to, he'd have done it already. The only thing she fears when it comes to Pyre is being turned into a mace...but she highly doubts he'd be able to accomplish that. They formed the B.U.B together, have adventured together, and have "relied" upon one another (lets use this term loosely, shall we?). She's spent much time in his presence, and has somehow, someway, grown to put a certain degree of trust into him that a body would be hard pressed to destroy.

• Enyndir - Enyndir is one of the first bodies Nileen allowed into her bubble while in the Cage. He is one of the very few people Nileen will touch, or allow to touch her. He's helped through many trying times, and has helped keep her head attached to her neck more times than she can count. He's helped to feed her secrets, and she enjoys his good-natured teasing.

• Alexandr Krupkin - Nileen thinks of Alex more like family, than a friend. He's been there for a long time, and she trusts that he will continue to be there in times to come. She feels safe around him, in all things. This includes telling him secrets (which the gods forbid she ever does) and relying on him when she needs help most. She has a hard time letting her guard down in personal matters, but has been able to do this with Alex, to a point.

• Aria - Nileen has known Aria for a while now, and genuinely likes her. She enjoys her blunt, real personality, her humor, and her willingness to help when the need arises. She trusts Aria to protect her, and she trusts Aria not to stab her in the back. To Nileen, Aria is a breath of fresh air.

• Lord Regand Azureus - Nileen was a part of Regand's crew for a short period of time, before being locked away in Carceri. She considered him a friend then, and has recently been reassured of his friendship to her when she met up with him in Hillard's Bay recently. She'd like to keep things that way...I mean, he did give her her lucky hat, after all.

Acquaintances

• Abe Reinhart - Nileen would consider Abe more on the friendly side of the acquaintances spectrum. She's known him for an awful long time, and it doesn't matter to her that she's not seen him in an age. Everybody's got to go off and do their own thing for a time. He's kind, helpful, and seems honest. That's something she can get behind, and would like to get to know him better.

• Niki Abraxas - Nileen has "known" Niki for quite some time, but has never really been able to get to know her. Nileen is curious about Niki, thinks she's pleasant, and is trying to devise some plan to be in her company more. She also wants a spell that will guard her journal that Niki had mentioned.

• Talla Brightlash - Talla recently became an inker for S.I.G.I.S. and Nileen finds her company quite pleasant. Talla is nice, interesting, and enjoyable to talk to.

• Hagra - Hagra has piqued Nileen's curiosity in a big way. Nileen is thirsting to know more about her, and finds her one of the more interesting people in the Cage.

• Paige - Recently, Paige has helped Nileen out of a spot of trouble with Pyre in a rather humerous way (Which Nileen tends to take a shine to) and has also become one of her reporters. Nileen likes him, and believes he could become a friend. He's tricksy, she thinks, but that's right up her alley.

• Ashtaroth - Ashtaroth.....Nileen isn't quite sure what to make of this cutter. She's not afraid of him, and actually enjoys being around him, but she's not quite sure where she stands with him, and doesn't know if she can trust him. (She thinks probably not.) Regardless, she likes him and finds him refreshing.

• Zaul - Zaul is a Clueless, recently come to the Cage. Nileen finds his transformation after he came remarkable, and wants to know more about him.

• Mack Bloodeye Nileen likes Mack. She likes his straightforward attitude, his blunt tongue, and his love of selling things and making jink. She'd like to get to know him better, seeing as how she's known him for a while and hasn't yet.

• Laura N - Nileen didn't catch her last name, but this is a person of interest. Nileen requires drinks to get to know her better.

Foes

Nileen doesn't really have all that many enemies, or people she dislikes. She's dealing with a bit of trouble right now with the paper and some people who are giving her a "hard time" so she pretty much hates them, (which is to be expected) and she can't stand most hard heads. They make her head hurt. A lot. In the grand scheme of things, though, there isn't really any body she'd single out to call foe.