Adeline

Adeline
Adeline (character: Edda, credit to Sword of Convallaria)
Age	Early 20s
Status	Alive
Origin	Merlesia, Kingdom of Ardenia
Affiliations	Merlesian Refugees, Roake Resistance, Castalia Mercenary Company (Alliance)
Weapons	Light Crossbow, Type-2 Rapid-Fire Arbalest (Prototype)
Family	Gustav (Father, deceased)
Love Interest	Asep Muhammad Ridwan

Adeline is a major supporting character in Smoke of Revolution. Initially a simple artisan and baker daughter from the port city of Merlesia, she is thrust into a leadership role by the tragedies of war. She becomes the lead organizer and protector of the Merlesian refugees, eventually spearheading the resistance forces in the slums of the Roake mining district.

Adeline serves as the primary moral compass and love interest for Asep Muhammad Ridwan.

Appearance

Adeline is a young woman of average height (standing at 5'4") with gentle, expressive brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair, which she typically keeps tied back in a practical knot during times of conflict.

Her attire is simple yet functional for travel and survival:

• A white, off-the-shoulder peasant blouse underneath a dark, front-lacing leather corset.
• A layered beige and brown skirt designed to allow swift movement, paired with sturdy buckled leather boots.
• A long, light-colored scarf wrapped loosely around her neck and shoulders.
• A utility belt carrying a brass lantern, essential for navigating the dark, subterranean tunnels of Roake.
• Her signature light crossbow is kept slung across her back.

During the prolonged conflicts in Roake, her clothes are often described as worn, patched, and stained with soot, blood, and grime.

Personality

Adeline is defined by her deep compassion, quiet resilience, and an unwavering, selfless dedication to her people. Unlike the hardened mercenaries of Castalia, she does not fight for gold, glory, or geopolitical chess games; she fights purely so that the innocent and weak can survive.

Though she initially lacks formal combat or military training, she possesses an innate tactical awareness born of survival instincts. She has a strong, stubborn pride and refuses to accept charity for her people, insisting that the refugees must learn to defend themselves and stand on their own feet. Her selflessness is so absolute that she routinely prioritizes the welfare of others over her own happiness or safety.

Biography

The Merlesia Riot

Adeline first appears during th riots in Merlesia. Following the death of her father, Gustav, she takes charge of a massive group of fleeing refugees. At the city's East Gate, she stands alone in the no-man's-land, refusing to yield their meager supply carts to a gang of opportunistic looters led by her former neighbor, Adrian.

When threatened, Adeline defends her people by shooting the looter leader with her crossbow. With the timely intervention of Zachary Valente and the others, she successfully guides the refugees out of the burning city, resolving to head toward the Western Crossroads and settled temporarily in Loriana.

Leading the Roake Resistance

To escape the oncoming winter, Adeline leads the refugees to settle in the slums of Roake. However, the district is quickly besieged and occupied by the Children of the Eclipse. Under her leadership and alongside the Princess lady-in-waiting, Brenda, she establishes the Roake Resistance in the West District.

When Asep infiltrates the district as a scout, he finds Adeline deeply exhausted, physically and emotionally worn down by starvation, poisoned wells, and the horrific deaths of children in the camp. Asep's promise that "Castalia is coming" sparks a fragile hope in her. During the ensuing battle, she coordinates the defenses, utilizing unorthodox guerrilla tactics (including dumping alchemical waste and rancid oil onto the cultists) to hold the line until the Coalition forces break the siege.

Later, with the cultists' grip on Roake loosened, Adeline works closely with Zachary and Princess Adreana to plan a counter-offensive. She leads her scrappy militia as the anvil of a pincer maneuver in the western district. Armed with a newly developed Type-2 Rapid-Fire Arbalest prototype gifted by Treste Comte Mordeau, she assists the Papal Judge Renalla in cornering the fanatical High Overseer, Estella Aria.

Following Estella's defeat, the dying witch addresses Adeline directly, asking her to "take care" of Asep. This request leaves Adeline deeply confused and harboring unspoken and complicated feelings for him.

Post-War and Asep's Confession

Following the final defeat of the Eclipse Cult, Roake begins a slow reconstruction. Recognizing Adeline's immense exhaustion, Asep asks her to walk with him to a scenic overlook of the city. There, Asep gathers his courage and confesses his feelings, asking her to be with him.

Adeline gently declines, stating, "I can't... Not... right now." She explains that with the city in ruins, the traumatized children, and the massive rebuilding effort ahead, she cannot afford to be selfish. Understanding her selfless nature, Asep smiles and promises to wait for her, jokingly noting that having survived a two-year prison sentence in his past life, a few months of reconstruction is "a walk in the park."

Abilities and Equipment

• Marksmanship: Adeline is highly proficient with a crossbow, capable of loading and firing under immense pressure despite never formally trained. In later battles, she effectively utilizes the automated, high-explosive-loaded Type-2 Rapid-Fire Arbalest.
• Asymmetric Warfare: She excels at using her environment to construct makeshift defenses, barricades, and traps (such as noxious sludge or caltrops) to bottleneck and slow down heavily armored infantry.
• Leadership: Born of necessity, her commanding voice and resolute presence are capable of rallying terrified civilians into a motivated militia.

Trivia

• Her father, Gustav, was an artisan and her mother was a baker. Both are well-respected figures among the working class of Merlesia and their memory continues to inspire both Adeline and the older refugees (such as Bernie).
• Adeline is one of the few people who can make Asep drop his cynical, lazy mercenary mask, inspiring him to want to be "less of a mess."

See Also

• Asep Muhammad Ridwan
• Brenda
• Roake
• Children of the Eclipse