Sigivald Sterling

* Headshot
* App (1.2)

## Personality

Coming off as kind and gracious, Sig most often tries their best to make others as comfortable in their presence as possible. With a warm smile and soft words, they know just the right ways to talk someone down. At the same time, they know equally as well how to get under someone’s skin, how to get exactly what they want, but prefer a more humbling approach to conversation and relationships. It makes them much happier to see someone smiling around them than bearing scorn, though they aren’t a stranger to a little teasing here and there.

Despite how much it seems they care for others, Sig is good at maintaining a distance, a habit born out of their own selfishness. Try as they might, connecting with others with an open heart is harder than they expect. Even though they aren’t so good at baring their own true feelings they pride themselves in being a stable shoulder to cry on. Once a very prideful person, Sig is rather self-critical and is always striving to be better than they were a day ago, or even hours before. They see themselves through faults more than accomplishments.

## Biography

Sigivald grew up born to a small but notable family in Briarcross, Ordene. Their parents, Eline and Gawain Sterling, serve together as Head Archivists of Briarcross’ sprawling Cainfield Church which was carefully built up by the Sterling family for generations. Older than their sister, Branwen, by only two years, the two grew up doing practically everything together back when life was easier and far more innocent. As children they had lofty dreams, counting the stars in the sky at night and deciding the biggest, brightest ones were Angels, hoping to be strong, heroic Fishers and one day touch the stars themselves.

Talk of this was treated as mostly harmless by their parents, as it was motivation for them to improve in their studies. Belonging to a family that directly maintained and organized one of the largest churches in Briarcross, there was a lot of pressure to do well, to be picture-perfect children that would surely lead very pure lives and ascend as fully-formed Angels. Sigivald was carefree about this when they were young, caring more about their dreams together with Branwen and one night the two of them packed a day’s worth of food and clothes to venture out into the mountains, to see if they could get a proper glimpse of the Memory Sea, to try and really see an Angel.
Of course, being children, they didn’t think of the dangers of such an adventure. They didn’t make it very far before Sigivald lost their footing and tumbled into a small crevasse, where they spent the night squeezed among the rocks watching dawn approach from the only point they could see the sky until Branwen brought back help.

Scolded for hours on end and Fisher dreams dashed, Sigivald was laid up in bed for their injuries- a broken leg and a damaged eye- and watched as the miniscule gap between them and their sister seemed to grow as Branwen flourished in studies and ventures, a picture-perfect daughter who forgot all about pesky childish pursuits. It wasn’t until then did Sigivald start to feel like they were lacking something, the eldest child in name only, someone who failed to be responsible and struggled to catch up to meet their parent’s expectations. What was once a close relationship slowly grew distant, and Sigivald’s feelings turned to bitterness and resentment of the fact that Branwen was becoming everything they struggled to be. Despite their feelings, Branwen continued to love their sibling, and was always supportive of Sigivald even when they lashed out. With her talents, Branwen quickly became a well-known pianist, and despite their differences the two of them often practiced music together, where Sigivald decided instead their greatest dream was to become a famous singer, to be known as something other second-best. Once they were old enough, Sigivald left home to make a name for themself in bigger, brighter cities- a real name, they thought, something better than a pianist for an uptight church.

And with all their efforts, Sigivald got what they wished for, and became a notable singer who traveled often and brought much renown to cabarets and clubs where their name was known. They were happy, they were fulfilled, they had everything they could ever want at the expense of giving up the things and people they had once loved. But Sigivald didn’t care at the time, only wanting to climb higher and higher in such a way, caring only for what they could reach without thinking to look back. It wasn’t until Branwen begged them to come home for a visit did things change. An argument under the rain, where Branwen had gone all the way to Concordia after them. Sigivald said some things they would come to regret, and left Branwen standing there in the storm to walk home empty-handed.

Ultimately, Sigivald blamed themselves for the events that followed. Branwen truly was left to trudge back on their own in the rain, and grew ill of pneumonia from it. An illness from which she wouldn’t recover, and by the time Sigivald made it home her sickbed was cold. The only thing other than despair Sigivald felt was deep, profound guilt. They felt it in their heart they were responsible for her death, despite being reminded time and time again otherwise. They were supposed to be the responsible one, and once again they had failed in an irreversible way. In their mourning, Sigivald abused their health, wallowing in such feelings they simply did not know how to process, and grief that felt like a great, impossible wall. A sister who had supported them always had been there all along, and Sigivald had grown too selfish to look past their own desires to see it until it was far too late.

Holeing themselves up in a small town among the mountains, Sigivald spent many nights staring up at the sky, wondering which star was their sister’s. Thinking of these old, childish desires, Sigivald found comfort in knowing that their sister was wholly pure, who surely made it to the Upper Plane as she was. Finally guilt and grief gave way to hope, and Sigivald decided to change, in hopes to at least one day be worthy enough to be an Angel alongside their sister.

Turning back to the ideas of The New Horizon they once waded deeply in, Sigivald embraced a transformation that would come by throwing themselves fully into becoming a good person, to becoming someone they felt their sister could be proud of. Where they had once been closed off from others in selfish pursuits, Sigivald decided to open their heart a little, to connect once again in those simple, heartfelt ways only a child full of dreams could. This time their faith was deeply personal, not the obligation it once had been.

In deciding to take pilgrimage as an acolyte, they turned once more to that dream they once shared with their sister despite all the risks and potential judgement from their family. As a Fisher, they would be given ample opportunity to better themself, try to understand others and connect with them, bettering their purity. And, of course, it would bring them close to the Memory Sea- the closest they would ever be able to get once more to their sister. They quickly dedicated themself to acing the exam, absorbing as much knowledge and experience as they could beyond what lofty ideas they knew when they were young and a basic understanding as they continued to pursue their faith. Even though it would be their first outing as a Fisher, the Parable’s call drew them as like draws to like, finding themself comforted at the idea of being among such a crew despite the ship’s reputation. A test of their mettle perhaps, but mostly an understanding of their own place in this new world, a foot on the starting line, a more humble beginning. As much as they felt their time to be heroic was long gone, Sigivald thinks perhaps this could be their life’s second chance.

## Trivia

* Sigivald knows how to play a few instruments, such as the piano and the viola.
* They are quite adept at sword fighting, something they picked up in their youth through fencing that they still practice.
* Sigivald is soft spoken but has a rather powerful singing voice.
* After injuring their right eye, they have limited sight from it. It’s something they are rather self-conscious of.
* Sig is allergic to cats and mourns this fact often.
* They have traveled to many big cities across all the major countries.
* Very handy with a needle and thread.
* Keeps a journal, and is very particular about their handwriting.