Cathartic

=• Astrid and Manado, Indonesia •= Astrid remembers no life before the School, officially an orphanage near the city of Manado. From her earliest childhood, she has known only her 15 fellow students, 8 teachers, 2 administrators (Beth and Jason), and the 108 guards, who served also as bodyguards, teaching assistants, cooks, janitors, and handymen. She was raised to be a concubine/ bodyguard for the son of a Saudi oil executive, originally intended to be delivered to her master at age 15. This date was postponed twice for reasons Astrid never learned. The man died just after her 18th birthday, leaving Astrid in an odd limbo. On January 2nd, 2013, the School burned down, and several people, including the administrator Beth, were found murdered. None of the students were present, and the investigation is ongoing.

=• Astrid and Ealdwyc •= Astrid first arrived in Temple Hall in May of 2013. Her initial difficulty with English, a couple of early failures and her fear of the world made her reluctant to take a more prominent role in the Secret War. Security files confirm she spent the majority of May and June stalking Ealdwyc, spending long hours at the Horned God, The Crusades, Temple Hall, and other social centers, watching but not speaking or interacting with people. While she excelled in her nursing classes, she spoke to no one outside her school or the Temlar administration. After making a some tentative associations with a few people, Astrid began a relationship with Dani Redgrave, at which point she came out of her shell. Her social and professional lives have since become far more successful.

=• Astrid and the Templars •= Astrids first attempts to work with a team proved disastrous, and she found herself left behind on many occasions. She began volunteering for smaller solo missions, taking tasks others felt were too simple or not challenging or notable enough. She approached these tasks with dedication, often delaying her actions for a day or two to gather enough information to feel comfortable. When she did act, it was swift and assured. While her tasks may not have been glorious, the number of successes quickly stacked up, and she became trusted with larger, more dangerous solo missions. Her career this far has been slower than many of the Templar rising stars, but she has earned the respect and support of many in the Templar administration.