Neska Tal is a compact, hard-muscled woman whose presence feels larger than her body. She stands with her weight slightly forward, as if every conversation might become a charge. Her skin is deep copper-brown and usually dusted with fine gray grit from the roads beyond the faction's camps. Her shaved temples frame a heavy fall of black hair braided with red cord, bone beads, and tiny brass tags stamped with the names of people she has defeated in arguments, contests, or combat. She grooms the braid with almost ceremonial care, yet leaves the rest of herself smelling of smoke, iron, and bitter herbs. Her movements are quick and economical, but she sometimes freezes completely in the middle of a gesture, unnervingly still until someone looks away. The contradictory impression is striking: she looks like a neglected road-warrior while maintaining the fastidious ritual of a noble preparing for court.