Selina's life can be categorized in two distinct parts ... before the orcs came, and after. Before the orcs came, Selina was proud, vain, spoiled and more than a little snobbish. It was not that she consciously looked down her nose at other people; rather she was told from the day she was born that she was special. She was the only daughter of the ruling family of her small village. One could not classify the family as nobility, but they were the closet thing to it in the vicinity. As the only girl in a family of five boys, Selina was petted and pampered, her every wish granted. And though her father often cautioned her that she, that all of them, served the people as well as ruled them, he also made it very clear that she was above them. Her world was filled with music, song and laughter. And then the orcs came. Everything changed. In a single night, Selina's world came crashing down around her in fire, blood, hacking blades and the shrieks of murderous orcs. When it was all over, there was only Selina, two of her brothers, a few guardsmen, and a handful of villagers. They numbered less than thirty in all. For most of her life Selina enjoyed the privileges of rule, now she took up the burden of it. No longer did she think herself better than those who served her. Now, she knew they were her responsibility. It was up to her and her brothers to keep them safe. Selina put away her pretty dresses in favor of sturdy leather. She lay down her lyre and picked up the bow. The people began to call her "Selina Dark," because since that awful night, no one has heard her laughter, nor seen a smile that reached her eyes. Selina does not resent the name. In fact, she finds it suits her well, for she does not need to laugh nor smile. She needs only to see that her people continue. * * * I got an idea for a new character and here she is. For this particular character, it is important to know what her life was like before fate took a hand. My interest in her is the contrast between what came before, and what came after. With that in mind, I did a series of portraits. Three of the portraits are done on a stark, white background, and one places her in the setting she is now accustomed to. This portrait is a closeup of Selina before the orcs came. The look I was going for in these "before" portraits was arrogance ... a young woman who is confident in the stability of her world, that she cannot even fathom that it could change in an instant. I hope you like it. Any comments, constructive criticisms and tips for improvement are always welcome. Since I can only post one picture per day, these will be posted over the course of four days. Credits V3 - DAZ - DAZ Montana Skye texture - TiffT785 & Mahna - DAZ Reflect Tones - Traveler - RDNA MFD - DAZ - DAZ Tariena Textures for MFD - SecretHeart - DAZ MK3 Hair - Koz - Digital Babes