Character: Finnath
Player: Jake Segor
-Male, Age 49, Rogue class
-Syndar of the Phoenix
-Professional wanderer and expert in finding fancy plants and rabbits
Finnath had always had trouble staying focused with much of anything. Born to the Phoenix tribe in the deserts of the May’kar Dominion, he was easily distracted by anything that wasn’t sand. When the Phoenix would stop in any city, big or small, Finnath would almost surely get lost trying to explore anything he could.
His father was a hunter and trapper, his mother passed during childbirth. While his father admired Finnath’s curiosity and excitement, he also worried since he knew the dangers of straying too far from the group in the desert or, maybe worse, in a city. While Finnath wasn’t very attentive to his father’s teachings of trapping and the many ways to skin animals, he picked up what he needed to at least make him proud.
Finn was far more interested in hearing stories about lands with great green forests, wide blue lakes, and strange and different customs. He especially loved the stories Laertes would tell and would constantly pry for more details about these far off places.
When he was 19, the decision to follow Magis Yara was made and Finnath was beyond thrilled to be going on a real adventure. Sure they had made many treks across the desert before, but he always knew that it would lead to just more of the tan and brown expanses. Now he’ll actually get to see something new, the sea that he’s heard so much about. His young optimism held strong in the harsh travels through the desert. Game was scarce and remaining food had to be rationed. His father would often give his own food to Finn and unthinking, Finn would graciously eat it. After a time, his father grew exhausted and ill, like many others.
As reality began to set in, the gravity of the situation wore at Finn’s optimism. He knew he had to help his father, he would plea to the clerics of the group but their energy was also quite tapped. The most that could be done was to try to find reagents to concoct tonics that might help him and others who had also been suffering from this ailment. In foreign lands with not much hope, he decided to try to search for these reagents himself. The next time their caravan stopped for the night, he snuck out of camp and went on his own, scouring the dunes for any of the scarce plants he could find. After days of repeating this and making very little progress, he knew he would need help.
Anariel was older than him by two years, growing up together he knew that he could trust her. Finn knew that with her desire to help others, love of adventure, and being his friend that she would be willing to help. With Anariel’s camel, Clementine, they were able to cover much more ground. After three nights with no success, it began to feel dismal. His father grew weaker with each day. On the fourth night they found a lush oasis, plants of all sorts grown around it! They collected what they could carry and took it back. Overjoyed, elders put the reagents to good use, healing Finnath’s father along with many others. Finnath and Anariel tried to explain where this oasis was, but when the caravan got to that spot, nothing remained, as if it had all been some sort of mirage. While his father still recovered, Finnath tried to take up his responsibilities. He began to wish he had paid more attention to his father before, and found himself asking more questions about his trade with each passing day.
When they had finally made it, Finn’s eyes grew wide, taking in the sight of the most water he’d ever seen in his life. He ran to the shore and simply couldn’t believe this to be real. Just as he’d been told, it was almost the total opposite of the desert. It was blue and wet everywhere! The Phoenix stayed here for some time, he had heard it was to find ships and someone willing to captain them. He would spend these days exploring this port city, watching dock workers bring in boats and fish, so many fish! He’d never seen live fish like this before and was intrigued. He attempted to board a fishing vessel once. Snuck on as they took off. It was then that he truly learned what it meant to be seasick. While he didn’t learn much about fish that day, he did learn that he didn’t like boats. Months passed and eventually the day came to board a ship to find their new home. Finn spent most of that time below deck. He was far less helpful on the seas than he had once imagined himself being. He found himself wondering if an endless sea was actually worse than a desert. And for all the times that they wished they had more water in their travels to get to the sea, now he only wished it would go away. After storms on the sea and in his stomach, they finally land at their new home.
If he had been excited when he first saw the sea, it didn’t even compare to what he felt now. In his heart he knew that this place was the home he had always dreamt of. Lush greens and blues of trees and the accent of the sea. Sand on the beach even felt welcoming, for the first time he may have even enjoyed its tan hue and coarseness under his feet. The only thing to break his near trance like state of taking in all of these delightful colors, is the sounds of his friends and family cheering in excitement. That day they built a basic camp and much celebration and praise to Solarus fills the air until night. The next day, and each day after that, they find ways to survive and make this new home their own. Finnath and his father build a small home on the ground. As much as Finn wanted to live in the trees and be closer to the sky, his father’s stamina still was not the greatest and this was much easier for him. The days were spent exploring, finding new fruits and other foods along with small animals. Finn loved to watch the rabbits on the island, the way they would dart here and there always made him smile. He had no qualms to hunting and trapping them, but everyone agreed that had to be done in moderation. This gave him more than enough opportunities to spend time spectating. Over the years he learned to truly love providing for his community. As much as he loved going out into the forests and traversing new portions of the island, seeing the joy that he would bring to the faces of the others brought him something even more.
Days pass like hours, and years pass like mere weeks. They name their new home Fire Isle and it goes from surviving to thriving. Finnath perfects his skills with traps and bows. He even lures some groups of live rabbits into a make-shift pen and starts raising them. On a fateful day, a group of Phoenix lead by Laertes and Anariel head off to see if they can find more land. Word travels back that they found humans! They start to travel back and forth, each time coming back with more exciting stories than the last time, and with more silver. Finnath continues his daily life, tending to his rabbits and foraging what he can even though it becomes less necessary each day. One day, after walking one of the same trails that he’d walked every 5th day of the week he came to a realization. He was bored. As a member of the community, he feels a responsibility to stay behind. Over time his father takes notice of Finn growing depressed and follows him one day. Knowing what needs to be done, he packs Finn’s things and that night he convinces him to join the expeditions heading north, saying that if there’s anyone who could help bring color and sunlight to the dirge, it would be Finnath. Standing at the shores of Fire Isle, Finn wonders if the north will hold the same excitement as those first steps that he took onto the island. As he sees the Phoenix ship come into view on the horizon, he can’t tell if his stomach is starting to turn with excitement or the ever so fond memory of seasickness. An hour later he’d come to realize it was both, but still manages to keep a strong and wild smile.