Nelldove Sivmil¶
Basic Information¶
- Species: Gnome
- Occupation: Shipbuilder
- Workplace: Superior Shipyard
- Residence: Agrovionimb, The Shimmering Flats
- Status: Deceased
Appearance¶
Physical Description¶
Nelldove was an elderly gnome by Human standards, though still vigorous and active by the standards of her people. She stood just over three feet tall and possessed the broad shoulders and calloused hands of someone who had spent more than a century shaping timber and hauling tools.
Her dark auburn hair had long since faded to a steel gray and was usually kept braided and tied behind her head to keep it out of her face while working. She wore practical spectacles while measuring or drafting, though she rarely admitted she needed them.
Years of shipbuilding had left her hands scarred and rough, her fingers stained with pitch and resin that never seemed to wash away completely.
Clothing and Equipment¶
Nelldove dressed plainly, favoring durable work clothes and a heavy leather apron filled with measuring tools, wax markers, and carving knives. She carried a folding ruler of polished hardwood that many younger shipbuilders joked she trusted more than people.
At the time of her death she wore her usual work clothing, stained with pitch and sawdust.
Relationships¶
Family¶
Nelldove was married to Seemottin Sivmil and was the mother of four children: Zoble, Jebnipper, Kipella, and Waylin Sivmil.
She came from a large gnomish family and remained close with several of her siblings, particularly Brodon Sivmil and her sister, Kipnottin Murnwarrgar, the overseer of the Superior Shipyard.
Friends¶
Outside of the shipyard, Nelldove maintained a small circle of long-standing friends among the merchants and artisans of Agrovionimb, including Jughog Earthfury, Bultyn Baghulath, Selthoridan Eladil-GreenFlower, Ehnalyn Dahlamath, and Gloan Forgeseeker.
Rivalries¶
Nelldove maintained a long-standing business rivalry with Coros Bhubugath. Though the two frequently disagreed, the rivalry was professional rather than malicious.
Personality¶
Nelldove was practical, meticulous, and deeply dedicated to her work.
She possessed an excellent memory for measurements and construction sequences, a trait common among experienced gnomish shipbuilders. She disliked unnecessary shortcuts and had little patience for carelessness or sloppy workmanship.
Though not unkind, she could be blunt and argumentative when she believed something was wrong. Once a problem caught her attention, she found it difficult to let it go.
Her greatest flaw was perhaps her inability to ignore a mystery. If she believed something aboard the Dawn Seeker had been done improperly, she would continue investigating until she found an answer.
History¶
Nelldove spent most of her life working in the shipyards of Agrovionimb. Over the course of more than a century she helped build countless fishing vessels, merchant ships, and harbor craft.
Construction of the Dawn Seeker was the crowning project of her career. Like many citizens of Agrovionimb, she viewed the great expedition ships as symbols of hope and defiance against a ruined world.
Approximately one week before her death, Nelldove noticed strange carvings inside the unfinished hull of the Dawn Seeker. Initially believing them to be improper work markings or vandalism, she began asking questions among the shipbuilders.
As the days passed she became increasingly convinced that something was wrong within the vessel. She argued with several workers about the markings and privately told others that "something in the hull didn't look right."
Three nights before the campaign begins, Nelldove returned to the shipyard after dark to continue her investigation.
Inside the unfinished vessel she confronted Durgat Stormbringer regarding the carvings.
The argument escalated.
During the struggle, Nelldove fell against a protruding timber spike and suffered a fatal wound.
The Tidewardens ruled her death a tragic construction accident.
The truth died with her.
Or so the Covenant hoped.
Notes¶
- One of the most skilled shipbuilders employed at the Superior Shipyard.
- Discovered evidence of abyssal rituals within the Dawn Seeker.
- First victim of the Covenant of the Last Dawn.
- Her death serves as the catalyst for the events of Chapter 1 - Death at the Docks.
- Left behind a carved wood fragment that ultimately begins the investigation into the Covenant.