Minerva an Kett

* 9:8
* 9:1

"*I **live**, I **die**, I **live again**. Is this all that destiny has planned for me? [...] I will not be a slave to my fate. I never truly knew life until I came here, until I joined you. I won't let you take that from me. After **everything** we've been through...after everything **I've** done...**it can't be for nothing**,*"
—Minerva's words to the company before her capture[src]

**Minerva "Mini" Dwaen Fiona an Kett**, later **Minerva the Undying**, is the Hero of Mortals, a prophesied champion of the living that is destined to face *Helregnin*, the Dark Lord, at Ragh nar Roog, the final battle before the reshaping of the world. She is also the "Serpent Reborn", last of Clan an Kett, and a beachwalker, one of the few in recorded history.

After an attack on her home by the Crimson Rite left her as the sole surviving member of her family, Minerva joined a company of mercenaries on their travels across Pydwell, forcing her to confront the numerous factions seeking her power: the Knot, a radical faction of mages that believes her to be the Hero of Mortals; the bloodthirsty Crimson Rite, a cult that seeks to unleash the anathema upon the world; and the Thalmonian Empire, which conspired with her distant cousin, Arn Druwso, to wipe out Clan an Kett and seize the Archipelagan throne.

Six months after escaping the grasp of Caradin, a warden sent to hunt her down by the Thalmonian Empire, Minerva had become a full-fledged member of the Black Blade Company and adapted to life on the road. Nonetheless, with the Empire marching north and Green Eyes, leader of the Knot, on her tail, the company decided to shelter her in the last remaining refuge on the continent: the giant city of Hog. Falling ill after close contact with Ephialtes, she was taken to Caer Blygoch by MacDuff, where she received training from MacDuff and his mentor, Esken St. Raivan, for several months. Upon the awakening of Valkalaar during the Battle of Hog, Minerva's own draconic soul was revealed: she was, as predicted, the "Serpent Reborn" and thus the prophesied Hero of Mortals destined to face the Dead King come Ragh nar Roog.

## Biography

### Early Life & Background

Minerva Dwaen Fiona an Kett, Third of Her Name was born in 8:478 to Brynjar an Kett, brother to future King Bower an Kett, and Vedma, a powerful and mysterious stringmaiden that had given birth to Minerva's half-brother, Hermoor MacDuff, decades before. Her birth was a result of a deal between Vedma, Brynjar and his wife, Janna Raven's Crest, a mainlander and baroness of Raven's Crest, who was unable to bear children. Upon Minerva's birth, Vedma disappeared into the wilderness, and Janna raised her as her own. Despite not being of Janna's blood, Minerva was still named heiress to Raven's Crest. Through her father, she is a distant cousin to Clan Druwso and a descendent of Thanel an Kett, the mighty first King of the Archipelago.

Unbeknownst to everyone, including the sages and druids across the islands, the girl was born a beachwalker: despite having no magical talent, she possessed an integral connection to the Beach, making her an immortal repatriate. This was no mistake; her beachwalker nature was by design, as part of the Wild Lords' plan to force the creation of the Hero of Mortals, knowing only a mortal with the soul of the World Serpent could ever have the strength to face *Helregnin*, the harbinger of darkness and the end times, at Ragh nar Roog.

### Life on the Mainland

#### Coup of Iron

In celebration of her fourteenth birthday, an age of great significant for Archipelagan youths, Minerva and her father sailed from their home of Ard Shen to the barony of Raven's Crest, located on the northern tip of Norgard, to visit her mother, Janna. The presence of powerful banns and nobles made it necessary for the estate to hire mercenaries to provide protection, including the Black Blade Company. Bored by the company of nobles and restless after the long journey at sea, Minerva snuck away from the gathering to explore the gardens; while doing so, she crossed paths with Hermoor MacDuff, the eponymous leader of the Black Blade Company, who initially terrified her. MacDuff, however, felt something strange around the girl, most importantly a burning on his right hand: the Mark of Ymiir, which burned in the presence of dark magic.

Alarmed, Minerva suddenly became panicked and heard faint voices. Deciding to investigate, she realized the ghostly voices were coming from several hooded guards and guests. Seconds later, the hooded persons revealed themselves as warriors of the Crimson Rite, who proceeded to brutally slaughter the gathered nobles. The lead cultist, Rieva the Red Queen, cornered the an Ketts in the Raven's Crest mansion and used her blood magic to boil Janna Raven's Crest and Brynjar an Kett alive with their own blood. Covered in the warm blood of her parents, Minerva managed to escape through an open window, only to discover the grounds in ruins. As she tried to escape beyond the walls, she crossed into the path of an arrow, which struck her in the throat. As she collapsed and suffocated, she fell into the arms of MacDuff, who attempted to save her. There was nothing to be done, however, and the girl passed away.

Moments later, however, Minerva suddenly found herself floating in a grey ocean. As she swam towards her own floating body at the surface, the girl suddenly returned to life, albeit with an arrow still lodged in her neck. She had achieved with ease something even the powerful mages struggle with: repatriation, the ability to return to life after death.

## Overview

### Physical Appearance

Minerva is a fourteen-year-old brunette with arched eyebrows, large blue eyes, and fair skin with faint freckles and moles around her face. Because she is a child from a noble family who never had to fight to survive, Minerva sports a good figure, but not too athletic. She is also noticeably tall for her age.

Following the coup that slaughtered her family, Minerva gains a few scars on the bridge of her nose, lower lip, and chin, and her hair falls to a single braid down her back. Adam's premonitions describe Minerva as having a deep scar on her right cheek, an injury she has yet to receive.

### Personality

For a girl of her age, Minerva displays remarkable intelligence and maturity, presumably due to the seriousness of the environment. Because of her intelligence, Minerva is a fast learner, quickly adapting to life on the road and as a mercenary. However, she manages to maintain a particular innocence as she has yet to see the darkest sides of human nature, and retains a palpable trust in people. Her maturity is demonstrated by her desire to learn how to defend herself and escape the overprotective bounds that have restricted her for her entire life.

Minerva becomes progressively more violent towards others as the story progresses, losing much of her childish innocence. After killing a person for the first time she goes into a state of shock, but by the Battle of Hog she is willing to kill anyone who gets in her way. Minerva tends to remain calm and rational during combat and other extreme circumstances. Initially reluctant to follow her predetermined destiny, after the Battle of Hog Minerva fully embraces her fate as the Hero of Mortals, the first step to ascending to such an imperative role.

## Powers, Equipment & Abilities

### Powers

* **Beachwalker:** Minerva is one of the few beachwalkers in recorded history. Despite not possessing any magical talent, Minerva is able to fully perceive her Beach when she dreams, a talent only mages and wardens are known to possess, and can even enter the Beaches of others. Her own Beach manifests as a snow-covered landscape on the edge of the Endless Sea, covered in a freezing mist.
	+ **Repatriate:** As a beachwalker, Minerva is also a repatriate, a person able to return to life, seemingly endlessly, by "swimming" through the Endless Sea back to her mortal body. This makes her immortal, able to revive from any injury no matter how lethal; the wounds from these lethal injuries transform into black scars that mark her body. Her immortality thus makes her a key to the realm of Dauðstaður, said to only be accessible to those with immortal blood.
	+ **Death whispering:** Minerva can see and hear the spirits of the dead and the dying, a talent called death whispering. While awake, these spirits appear as translucent figures with featureless faces, while on the Beach they appear as glowing snowflakes.
	+ **Oneiromancy:** Minerva can enter and explore the Beaches of others, even when they are wide awake; this talent is called oneiromancy. She can also explore the dreams of non-mages, a rare talent called "dreamwalking". When inside another's Beach, Minerva can calm or harm them, with little to no time passing in the real world due to the Beach not experiencing the flow of time.
		- **Oneiric teleportation:** With sufficient training, Minerva can teleport through space via the Beach by invading the minds of her opponents, allowing her to manifest beside them and attack with little warning.
		- **Entrapment:** Minerva can forcibly trap living creatures in their Beach, even if they are non-human creatures such as strzygas, although because of her youth and lack of training this ability currently only extends to unintelligent creatures.
	+ **Beach tongue:** Minerva harbours the potential to speak the language of the Beach's inhabitants despite having no knowledge of the language, a talent several beachwalkers have been known to possess. This also allows her to understand the speech of the anathema.

### Equipment

#### Weapons

* **Crossbow:** A gift from her uncle for her fourteenth birthday, Minerva's crossbow is an example of some of the finest Archipelagan weapon art. The crossbow is built for fast reloading, and Minerva has learned to fashion her own bolts.
* **Banisher:** Once her training at Caer Blygoch had concluded, MacDuff forged Minerva a shortsword from the melted remains of his mentor's greatsword. She named the sword "Banisher" after she used it to destroy Ephialtes.

### Abilities

* **Skilled archer:** Training throughout her youth and at the hands of the company have made Minerva a skilled markswoman. She has shown ability with a bow and arrow, throwing knives and her favoured weapon, the crossbow given to her by her uncle, Bower an Kett, for her fourteenth birthday.
* **Swordswoman:** Her training with the company and at Caer Blygoch, however brief, has made Minerva a skilled swordswoman and more than capable of defeating common foot soldiers. Using her newfound skill and beachwalker powers, she was able to defeat Ephialtes during the Battle of Hog, thus becoming the first person to destroy one of the anathema.

## Relationships

### Hermoor MacDuff

Hermoor has developed a paternal bond with the young Minerva an Kett, demonstrating a protectiveness and affection for her of the like never known to be developed by a warden. Their bond is later explained by Vedma to be far deeper than friendship: they are half-siblings, both born from Vedma as part of the Wild Lords' meddlings in fate itself.

### Brynjar an Kett

Minerva deeply loved her father and was devastated by his death. When she returned from her own death and learned of her true potential, she vowed to avenge him by destroying Rieva and the Crimson Rite. Through her father and thus her uncle, Minerva has a strong claim to the Frozen Throne.

## Trivia

* Minerva holds dual citizenship of the Archipelago and Norgard, making her a symbol of the long-standing friendship between the two kingdoms.