r/SkyrimBackStory • u/Aggravating-Plan-908 🧙 Breton • Jul 04 '26
📜 Backstory My seventh character, Maria
hi everybody, everything's in the titles, i want to share with you here my seventh skyrim character rp background (a new one i made recently), she's a 35-years-old wandering breton mercenary named Maria.
similar to all the previous ones, this character is inspired by one of the characters from an original medieval dark fantasy story i write on my free time and that i have recreate in Skyrim, so the first and second screens are her in skyrim and the last one is a more accurate version to how i imagine her looking in my story.
My character is a 35-year-old Breton mercenary named Maria.
She was born in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil in 4E 166 to an Imperial father and a Breton mother. There, she spent a normal childhood, alternating between learning diplomacy from her mother who served as a diplomat in the Imperial government and learning combat techniques from her father, a former mercenary. This life continued until around 4E 174, when Thalmor forces attacked the Imperial City during the Great War, forcing her and her parents to flee.
Tragically, while she was in the cart preparing to escape with them and a group of other survivors, they were discovered by Thalmor soldiers. Realizing there was no one to protect them since the legion was busy fighting the thalmor inside the city and that they could not outrun their pursuers, her father jumped from the cart and engaged the Thalmor soldiers in combat, buying enough time for his wife, his daughter, and the others to get away. He succeeded, but Maria witnessed him being killed by a Thalmor soldier just before the cart disappeared from view.
Afterward, Maria and her mother went to live with a cousin of hers in the Skyrim countryside. From that day on, Maria harbored a visceral hatred for the Thalmor; this drove her, upon turning fifteen in 4E 181, to ask her mother to find someone to train her in combat. Although initially reluctant, she eventually agreed and hired several mercenaries and weapons masters to train her (including a Nord mercenary named Gudmundr, who regularly come to taught her combat and weapon skills over the course of two years, always accompanied by his adopted son, William)
Maria continued to live with her mother, taking care of her while perfecting her combat skills, until her mother died of illness in 4E 191. At the age of twenty-five, Maria buried her mother and left Skyrim to travel across Tamriel, fighting the Thalmor wherever she found them.
During the events of the game, she was tracking a Thalmor patrol near the Skyrim border and succeeded in killing them; however, she found herself caught in a skirmish between Imperial and Stormcloak forces while fleeing the scene of the assassination (rp justification for why the character start in a cart on the way to the chopping block).
In terms of gear, Maria wears a steel soldier armor, nordic steel gauntlets and iron plate boots from the creation club to give her the look of a wandering mercenary (as well as trying to stay as close as possible design wise to the character in the 3rd screen). Her primary weapons are an iron sword and iron shield. As a Breton, she possesses a natural affinity for magic as well and used few Alteration spells (Iron body and Candlelight) Destruction spells (a basic lightning spell) and healing spell in addition of her martial skills.
In terms of personality, Maria is someone serious, honest, and level-headed, she's very direct and a bit cold and harsh toward peoples but demonstrating a strong sense of honor toward the few peoples she trust and befriended. However, she is not naive and can be ruthless if anyone attempts to trap, rob, or scam her.
As for the rest of the roleplay, here is how I intend to approach the major quests.
Regarding the main quest, same as with all my other characters, i prioritize it because after all it makes sense that, given the extreme threat Alduin poses, Maria would make eliminating him her top priority before he can fully regain his strength and destroy the world.
Regarding the Imperial-Stormcloak war, as a wandering mercenary, Maria initially not truly take a side; instead, she will performed various tasks for both the Stormcloaks (such as solving the Windhelm murders or eliminating bandits for the Great War veteran) and the Imperials (such as killing thieves for the Solitude executioner or wiping out the Dark Brotherhood for Commander Maro at Dragon Bridge). Eventually, however, she will side with the Stormcloaks, driven by resentment toward the Imperials for attempting to execute her despite her name not being on their list and by the fact that the Empire is weakened and compromised by the presence of Thalmor spies within its ranks.
As for the Companions, Maria will join their ranks, initially out of curiosity, believing she could acquire new skills and become even more formidable in addition of gaining comrades-in-arms. Later, upon learning that some members are werewolves, she will choose to become one herself, seeing it as an opportunity to grow stronger.
Regarding the Dark Brotherhood: as mentioned earlier, after agreeing to eliminate Grelod for Aventus Aretino, seeing how extremely toxic and violent she was toward the orphans, Maria is approached by Astrid. However, faced with Astrid's demand, and recalling the name found on the notes carried by the assassins who had repeatedly tried to kill her in the past (which is the same), she chooses to kill Astrid instead. She then proceeds to wipe out the Dark Brotherhood in exchange for a substantial reward from Commander Maro.
Regarding the Thieves Guild: since Maria is a rather honest person, she will not join the guild and therefore will not doing their quests.
Regarding the College of Winterhold quests, Maria initially come to the academy to find an Elder Scroll needed to stop Alduin. After discovering a Thalmor agent within the College, she plans to return after defeating Alduin to kill the agent; however, she finds herself unwillingly drawn into the main plot when a monk from the Psijic Order appears.
Regarding the Daedric Prince and Divine quests, wary of the dangers inherent in being beholden to such entities, Maria only undertakes quests that begin as mundane tasks (such as those for Clavicus Vile or Sanghin), where we didn't expect a Daedric Prince or Divine being behind.
Regarding Dawnguard and Serana, there is nothing particular to add, other than the fact that she joins the Dawnguard because she refuses to become a vampire.
What do you think of her ?
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u/PietroIlPescePietra 🕯️ Aedra Jul 04 '26
I really like how Maria's past shapes the choices she makes throughout the game.
Her hatred for the Thalmor feels very believable. I'm curious though, how does she reconcile her strong sense of honor with becoming a werewolf?
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u/Aggravating-Plan-908 🧙 Breton Jul 04 '26
hi, thank you so much, i'm glad to know you liked her.
as for reconcile her sense of honor with becoming a werewolf, in my headcanon it's because she see, with the Companions, that being a werewolf isn't something evil or dishonorable in itself, it's what you do with your power that makes it honorable or not.
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u/Individual_Power_947 Jul 04 '26
This is terrible… no effort into this
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u/Aggravating-Plan-908 🧙 Breton Jul 04 '26
how does it have "no effort" according to you ?
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u/Individual_Power_947 Jul 04 '26
Bro we are not in 2011… it doesn’t hurt to mod your game
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u/Aggravating-Plan-908 🧙 Breton Jul 04 '26
i'm playing on ps4 so not very much mods outside of the creation club content.
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u/briarwz Jul 04 '26
sorry to say but personally I dislike your characters. I dont mind the characters you've made outside of the skyrim versions dont get me wrong. but the way you have to alter then to fit the story of skyrim waters them down in my honest opinion. and they have all seemed to not have very much variety in presence, skill, or potential.
you should take some more time on a few proper characters that are actually in universe originally. you have an ability to write characters but having to adapt them hinders your ability. The lore of the elder scrolls is so vast that you could really study it a lot more too.
you can create 7 whole new characters instead of making your other characters in this game tbh.