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Player name : Ben Seering
Character name: Valdus
Race: Syndar
Class: Mage
Known skills: arcane magic and staff proficiency
Eyes: green
Hair: brown
Occupation: arcane researcher/mercenary
age:73
History:

Valdus started Serving in the Grand Alliance when he was 16 and fought against the penitent the majority of his life. War was his life for over 40 years until the colonization of Mardrun. Valdus was forced on the ships by his family after getting injured in battle; it was not his choice to leave his homeland. He eventually forgave his family which consisted of his father and sister. His family founded an apothecary in the Newhope colony, while Valdus grew weary of battle and tried to give civilian life a chance. Unfortunately Valdus had absolutely no talent except for blasting people with magic or beating them with a stick, the stick of course being his preferred method. Valdus always thought magic was too sacred to be used solely for combat, but thats all he could ever manage to accomplish. He spent years trying to come up with ways to use his magic constructively, such as using a variation of the push spell as a form of propulsion for carts or boats but that was a complete disaster that wiped him out most of his resources. That forced him into mercenary work which he enjoyed just because he was useful again. These jobs were bodyguard positions, mostly protecting the client from mordok. When the Ulven civil war happened he again withdrew from the arts of war, beccause he did not feel right about warring with the ulven and did not want to spill their blood. It was one thing killing monsters such as mordok and undead. The ulven were different: unlike the humans they had a connection to nature, similar to the syndar, that he respected. During this time he resumed his arcane research, this time looking into ways to use magic to better understand the language of the Mordok. Valdus has spent the entire civil war on this endeavor though it yet has to bear fruit. Recently his father and sister were attacked and corrupted by mordok while collecting herbs. Valdus now seeks to work with the coalition in hopes of curing his family. He also thinks his research on a ritual to communicate with, or at least understand the Mordok could be useful in gathering intelligence from them and hopes to find allies among the coalition to help complete his research.

Played By: Ian Loebl

Character Name: Cassander Xanthopoulos

Gender: Male

Class: Rogue

Age: 100

Race: Albino Feral Syndar

Hair: White

Eyes: Greenish-gray

Occupation: Merchant, economist, and appraiser, specializing in precious gems, metals, antiques, and rarities. Also specializes in finding unique goods and buyers, as well as supplies.

Known Skills: Merchanting, economics, moneylending, and money-changing

Birthplace: The Syndar Kingdom of Fawyth

Appearance: He has pure white skin, a fanged mouth, and wears a black flat-brimmed hat.

Notable Traits: He has an accent and is an albino. His personality can fluctuate rapidly between being jovial, happy, and so on into a deadly seriousness at a moment’s notice.

Relationships: Member of the Phoenix

Rumors:

Bio:

For my part, gentlemen, I’ve been places, seen things, and had quite an interesting life over my hundred years in this world. I started from roots more humble than most, being a feral Syndar with no parents, but over time I overcame most of what stood before me, with the exception of my unchanging race. From what I was able to discover, I was born in the Kingdom of Fawyth, but I have not discovered the identities of my parents. I do, however, know why they gave me to the orphanage in the Kingdom of Tielorrien where I grew up. I was born feral, but even worse than that, I was born albino, with snow white skin and hair, and pale eyes. A doubly cursed child. As I grew, I was able to find some who accepted me, but as a whole I was looked down upon as being a lesser being by other Syndar. When I was thirteen, I was taken from the orphanage to become the servant of a wealthy and influential Syndar merchant, who I would serve for seven years. He was important enough to be able to trade with the Nara Pentare, something claimed by an incredibly small quantity of people. I learned a great deal from him by observing every aspect of his business dealings, though he only taught me personally what I needed to know in order to serve him properly. Over those seven years, I was nothing if not loyal. However, my master did not treat me as an equal, and I received no gratitude for my service. This perhaps showed through the most on a cold fall night, in my seventh year of service. My master had drunk far too much during the day and had fallen ill, inconsiderate of the fact that we had an important meeting to attend that night which stood to create a profit of hundreds of Vandregonian silver. In addition, this meeting was a rare and dangerous one, because we were to meet with representatives of the Empire of the Nara Pentare, a rigid and honor-bound culture to say the least. If we were to fail in attendance, we would likely never be able to trade with them again. As he was unable to even get up from his bed, I went to the meeting in his place, taking his name without his permission. Initially, our contact was extremely hesitant to deal with me because he was mistrustful of feral Syndar, as he had been prejudiced against them by other Syndar in the past. However, I used what I had learned to great effect and the deal we were to make went through, making an even greater profit than we had calculated. When I returned, my master furiously interrogated me about what had happened. He did not care about the astronomical sum that he had just acquired. He only cared that I had stolen his identity, however temporary it might have been. That night he beat me wildly with a stick, and the next day was when I left his service, disgusted by his treatment for the last time. Thus began my wandering as I traveled from human kingdom to human kingdom, using my skills at selling and identifying to survive. Eventually I decided to settle down in the May’Kar Dominion, where there were many humans, rich and poor, who needed my services. The high level of tolerance exhibited by the May’Kar was also a boon to my efforts. My contacts and friends from my years of traveling served me well, and I was well known for my ability to find almost any item in the world upon request. I sold items for temples, lords, other merchants, and artisans alike, and through this became successful and affluent, though not as much as I might have liked. However, all good things must come to an end. The rapid sweep of the Undead through the north of the continent made me decide to leave the Dominion, a decision which proved wise, as they defected to the Penitent shortly thereafter. I was able to easily reestablish myself in southern Aldoria and continue as before, but it was the beginning of the final end of everything. As soon as I heard of the discovery of Mardrun and that a colony had been founded, I departed on the first ship that I could purchase a cabin on. When I reached Mardrun, I found myself back where I had started. I was alone in a foreign land with none of my old contacts to guide me or help me. Therefore, I began again. I spent time first in New Aldoria, getting to know the populace while I waited for the conflict with the native Ulven to subside. After it had, I made the rounds of every colony, even the small up-and-coming ones like Crow’s Landing and Key’s Crossing. I lived by doing accounting and numberwork for a wide range of people in all the colonies, but my main work was in New Aldoria and Newhope, the two most prosperous settlements. I eventually became a merchant again in my own right, and sought an organization that could help me make better use of my talent. The Phoenix seemed a natural choice. It was not a smooth transition, but it has seemed to work out well so far. With luck, my prosperity will continue to increase and all shall see that regardless of race, regardless of the curses of our birth, we may become successful and tolerated though our own effort.

PLAYED BY: Sarah Zautke

CHARACTER NAME: Dalilah

GENDER: Female

CLASS: Cleric

AGE: 28

RACE: Syndar

HAIR: Short Brown

EYES: Brown

OCCUPATION: Merchant

KNOWN SKILLS: Healing the wounded

BIRTHPLACE: Some human villiage in Faedrun

APPEARANCE: Usually seen wearing red and black

RELATIONSHIPS: Longtime friend of Oak Harrison and long lost love of Elijah Cole

BIO / BACKGROUND HISTORY:

Growing up wasn’t that glamorous, except that I got to see the world, or what I thought was the world at the time. I had no idea growing up that the reason we only visited human villages and settlements was because my parents were wanted by the syndar community. It was a dream to play outside for hours, meeting new people every month or so, depending on how long my parents decided to stay in one place. My mother was a healer and my father a merchant.

I remember this one time when I was twelve, I was playing with these two girls who had ears like mine, which I’ve never played with anyone like that before. They seemed so elegant, even though they were dressed the same as me. They liked to play puzzle games, which I love playing. The following day on a walk with my parents, we ran into the girls and their parents and found out that they were ambassadors from a royal syndar family. That was the first time I had learned the truth of what had happened to make ‘us’ outlaws of the syndar community. We immediately ran back to our little home, packed up everything, and left as soon as possible. My mother had told me that she had fallen in love with the wrong person, and now they wanted her dead.

Shortly after that, we heard news of the undead spreading throughout Faedrun. We started traveling towards the ocean, where these ships would be to take us to a new land free of undead. We waited many months to be able to board a boat. Finally one had enough room for us. We had to sell everything since there was no room on the boat for it all.

A few weeks into the trip I found these two boys who let me play with them. We became fast friends. Elijah was the nicest person there. I will admit that I had a massive crush on him, but never showed it. The three of us were inseparable for the rest of the trip. But all good things must come to an end, at least that’s how it has always been for me, and I had to go with my parents while they went on with their lives.

A few days after we landed in the new world, my parents went to try and find us safe ride to a nearby village to find work. They had been gone all day and told me to stay in the room we were renting. It was boring waiting for them to return. When it got dark outside, I decided to go down to the docks for a walk. I laid down in the sand to look up at the night sky. A few minutes later, the dark night turned red. Red lights in the sky all around. Then shouting and people fighting everywhere. There was more of the invaders than guards fighting them off. The battle did not last very long, I was frozen in fright and couldn’t move, only watch. I didn’t understand anything that was happening around me, especially when two men grabbed me. They tied my hands behind my back and gagged me. Tried as much as I could to break free, but couldn’t. They pretty much just carried me back to their small boat, tying me to one of the wooden seats and put a bag over my head.

I waited for anyone to come save me, but no one did. The boat was loaded with crates and more men before leaving shore. I heard shouting in the distance that was steadily getting louder. Shortly they were hauling me up a ladder and onto the deck. Orders were given to take me down to the hold with the other slaves. I was dropped on the floor before the bag was removed from my head. I looked around, there were three boys with me in front of this big man with years of stains on his shirt and pants. He assigned the boys to scrubbing the floors. I got the job of cleaning dishes, clothes, or anything else they wanted clean.

Over the years, I was promoted to different positions, each giving me more freedom on the ship. Eventually able to go ashore with the men. One night the captain decided to get really drunk, with the help of his first mate. Long after the bar was closed, the crew was making their way back to the ship, I saw the first mate leading the captain down a dark alley away from the docks. Having not felt like drinking, I followed the two of them. I stayed in the shadows, thats when I saw the first mate pull a sword on the captain, but he was too drunk to realize what was happening. I quickly ran up and used a flare spell to knock him away, he dropped his sword in his drunkenness, that I picked it up and stabbed him in the heart with it. The captain saw what I did for him and promoted me on the spot to be his new first mate.

When we got back to the ship, the captain made an announcement, “If any of you fuckers try to kill me again, I’ll have you walk the plank!” He started to walk away then turned back, “Oh yeah, that bitch is my new first mate!”

I only held that title for two years before I wanted out. And the only way off his ship was the plank. I tried to think of a cunning way to make it the captain’s idea to let me go. One night I came up with a game of strength. If I won, he had to let me go, if he won, I would stay and be his slave in bed. This was one game I refused to loose. But in the end I won, and won back my freedom. I had lost 8 years on that forsaken ship.

The first thing I did was try and find Elijah. Eventually I did find him, but he had a wife and was happy. I spent a few nights catching up on old times, but he had a life to get back to. I moved on, trying to find work. I tried to find out what had happened to my parents, but no one had ever heard of them.

Years later, Elijah has requested my assistance in a faction called the Crimson Shades Emporium. And here I am.

==CURRENT TIMELINE==

Played by: Cassandra Meltesen
Name: Lillian Mae
Gender: Female
Age: 81 (born in 184)
Race: Syndar
Class: Cleric
Hair: Long brunette hair with blonde tips
Eyes: Brown
Occupation: Alchemist
Known Skills: Divine casting, potion brewing, capability with sword and sheild.
Birthplace: Koehali (Faedrun)
Appearance: A small older Syndar woman
Notable Traits: The blonde in her hair and the markings on her right cheek.
Relationships: Only child. Parents have been deceased for over 60 years. No known close friends or confidants. Casually known by the townsfolk of the village she’s been living beside. Was a close friend of Vazra 60 years ago.
Rumors: Suspiciously little is known about her.

Many years ago she traveled with and fought alongside the Vandregon 5th. She left the 5th Regiment shortly after the death of her closest companions, most of whom she had grown up with in the village of Koehali. It is not known where she went to or what she did after leaving the 5th Regiment because Lillian rarely speaks of her time on Faedrun. She traveled to Mardrun in one of the last boats to cross over, arriving in New Aldoria. Several years ago she settled on the outskirts of a small village located a ways inland. After setting up a shack and alchemy lab she involved herself only as much as necessary with village life, interacting with the townsfolk only to trade and sell her wares. The villagers knew her as the reclusive town alchemist. Some whom she aided hold her in high regard, whereas others find her suspicious and disliked her and her reclusively. In December of 265 she packed up the most valuable of her belongings and left the small village behind.

==OLD WORLD TIMELINE==

Played by: Cassandra Meltesen
Name: Lillian Mae
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Race: Syndar
Hair: brown, blonde tipped
Eyes: brown
Occupation: Survivor
Known Skills: Light footed, deceptive. Average capability with simple weapons. Average capability with a shield.
Birthplace: Koehali
Appearance: Medium height
Notable Traits: The blonde in my hair, and markings on right cheek.

Bio: Lillian had an easy childhood and plenty of friends growing up in Koehali. There weren’t any fellow children that she didn’t get along with, except for Vazra and his friends. She hated him with a passion and she had made it a habit to steal his toys. Vazra was always all righteous and wouldn’t lie to the adults when she wanted him to, it irritated her. All aside, Vazra wasn’t much of an angel, he liked to tease and make Lillian’s life difficult. He didn’t succeed for the most part, life was good for Lillian. Then her parents died when she was fifteen. The death of her parents destroyed her. She became reclusive, isolated herself from her friends, she even ceased fighting with Vazra. It was not long after losing her parents that rumors of the undead first reached the village’s ears. Most inhabitants laughed at those warnings, they dismissed such grave news as a children’s story made to scare the young ones from wandering in the woods at night. Lillian believed the rumors, something inside her told her that they were true. She wasn’t disturbed by it though, in her mind it was only right that the rest of the world should fall apart as her world had already done. When the first attack came, she did not let them take her. She ran possessed with a will to live that she had forgotten she had. She ran far away from the screams, and further still into woods she did not recognize. When she finally stumbled across another person, they thought her to be undead, but undead do not cry out pleas of mercy. She traveled with her finder until they reached civilization, then she stole from him all that she could make use of. Taverns became a great source of information. She listened and stole and ran from the rumors of undead until she met a familiar face traveling with soldiers, Chisei. A beam of light amongst the dark, a reminder of the happy years of her life. Lillian had forgotten what it was like to care whether someone lived or died, for three years she had been on her own. She latched on to her old friend who is now called. ‘Artona,’ as she was no longer going by her birth name, Artona was surprised but happy still to see a familiar face and Lillian eagerly joined her crew. The soldiers were headed in the direction that she had been running and ranks of warriors to hide behind sounded appealing, so pretending to share their views felt like a wondrous idea. With them she was taught how to better wield a weapon and how to carry a shield, Artona even attempted to teach her how to properly bandage a wound. As Artona and her talked they both slowly began to agree with the cause they had at first only adopted to better their chances of survival. Alone she would have continued to run. With a friend by her side and the world ending, why not stand and fight?

Relationships: Family is deceased. Chisei Penton is a friend. Vazra was a childhood enemy.
Rumors: It is suspected that she’d run from a fight if the odds were not in her favor. Strangely collected in the middle of such chaos. Coldhearted one second and overly attached to the friends she has left the next. Has been known to steal.

CHARACTER NAME: Zepha de Sol Le Fleur “Zepha”

Played by: Violet Carpenter

GENDER: Female

CLASS: Cleric

AGE: 23 years

RACE: Human – with a hint of Syndar

HAIR: Blonde and long

EYES: Blue as the sky

OCCUPATION: Zepha is an herbalist and healer.

KNOWN SKILLS: Zepha has healing skills and is learned in medical herbs, flora and fauna. She can also cook and bake fairly well.

BIRTHPLACE: Faedrun

APPEARANCE: Zepha is a cheery, easy going girl. She likes bright colors and dresses. She has slightly pointed ears and long golden hair. She always has a sketch book handy and loves to carry around a large sunflower.

NOTABLE TRAITS: Pointed ears, but otherwise looks human.

RELATIONSHIPS: Zepha generally makes friends easily, but is a little nervous around Ulven. She is a bit flirtatious, but is not currently in a romantic entanglement.

RUMORS: People are unsure of who Zepha is and why she’s around. There are some rumors that she was a slave girl, other rumors about her parentage, and a few rumors about her not being the sweet girl she seems.

BIO / BACKGROUND HISTORY: Zepha is the eldest of 3 daughters. Her parents are human, but she looks like part Syndar… Her parents lived in Faedrun and were very poor. Her father had always been harsher with her than her sisters and after the move to Mardrun, he decided to arrange a marriage for Zepha. This marriage would ensure the family with some land. Zepha was vehemently against the idea, but was sold to a prominent Ulven as his wife. Luckily, she conspired with some of her captor’s underlings who weren’t so fond of his leadership and got away. She does not consider the marriage legitimate and will tell people she was kidnapped instead. Zepha is always on the lookout for her former captor, but appears easy going. She loves to travel and is very interested in nature and herbal medicine. She frequently draws new plants and animals in her sketchbook. She is currently wandering with some rogues, but is very open to helping other groups of people or joining other parties. She also prefers warm weather and may travel to warmer areas in the winter. Zepha currently has no idea where her family is. She misses her sisters and mother, but is relieved to be away from her father.

Played By: Kai Manspeaker
Name: Xorvintaal
Gender: Male
Age: 13
Race: Syndar
Occupation: Scavenger
Skills: Shield Proficiency, Improved Shield Proficiency, Shield Expert

Xorvintaal’s parents were merchants who traveled around the lands selling their goods.
Xorvintaal’s parents were on a trip selling their goods when they were ambushed by a large
group of Mordok, they were all slaughtered. When Xorvintaal heard, he was filled with rage and
the urge to kill every last Mordok, but he was not ruthless. Luckily, Xorvintaals father had taught
him how to fight and he found out how to use this to his advantage.
Xorvintaal began looking for ways to seek revenge for what the Mordok did to his parents.
He soon joined an adventuring party that often ran into groups of Mordok. He would try to kill as
many Mordok as he could, but still followed orders. He will continue to help the adventuring party in
whatever way he can. It’s been different without his parents around to help him during difficult
times. Xorvintaal was left with nothing except for chain-mail, a shield, a sword, and a few coins.
He had to scavenge for the rest of his belongings, which isn’t much.

PLAYED BY: Jennifer Schneiderman
CHARACTER NAME: Gwynevive Cotorelle
GENDER: Female
CLASS: Mage
AGE: 24
RACE: Syndar
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Green
OCCUPATION: Student, nomad
KNOWN SKILLS: Arcane magic, Lore, Deciphering Magic, Meditation, archery, blacksmithing, and survival.
BIRTHPLACE: Fire Island
APPEARANCE: Serous Syndar with small pointed ears, living with the humans for several years, she has adopted some of their manner of dress. She prefers to keep some of her hair braided to avoid any interference with shooting.
RELATIONSHIPS: Traveling companions with Cordyn Lockwell (Cody Jackson)

Gwynevive was born on Fire Island during the summer of 242 and had, by all accounts, an undisrupted a childhood possible for her people. From an early age, she enjoyed exploring and learning, pestering the adults to teach her everything they could about flora, fauna, and archery, she particularly enjoyed cataloging and calling after the birds on the island. On her 10th birthday, the Magis found Gwynevive had a knack for arcane magic, and began her formal training. Following her year, Gwynevive continued to take classes in arcane magic, retreating to the forest to practice, and occasionally the forge. She had become fond of the blacksmith, though he was really more of a crude weapon maker with such few resources on the island. In return for some assistance with fashioning broken weapons into arrowheads, he allowed her to practice her magic in the clearing behind his forge (accidentally setting fire to a table on an early attempt of a push spell at school had put her on a kind of blacklist outside of the classroom). He taught her to conserve all available resources, something she took to heart, from saving the metal shavings from the workshop floor to create jewelry, to conserving her mana until it was truly needed. Gwynevive continued to create, and learn, but when first contact was made with the humans in 261, she felt as though the world she had come to know was turned on its head.
Everything she had heard from her parents and the elders had been confirmed, other races, other people were out there. She felt as though the entire world had become so much larger, and she was so much smaller in comparison. When the first traders announced they would come to the island, she rushed to the scene in as dignified a manner as possible. The humans seemed gruff and loud to her, but she didn’t care. She had brought with her some of her arrow heads and jewelry that the blacksmith had deemed appropriate enough quality. Of course, her being so young, it was far from the most elegant work there. The humans seemed more interested in the cloth, bows, and arrows of some of the older, more experienced Syndar than her. Not to be discouraged, she set her wares on a woven mat and began to absentmindedly whittle before being interrupted by one of the humans.
“What have you got there?” Gwynevive looked up at the salty and leathery-skinned human above her, completely unable to speak. How dare he address her in such a direct and rude manner!
He smiled down at her, “you make that yourself?” Why was he smiling at her like that?! It was such a big smile, she could see all his teeth, he looked ridiculous.
Unable to tell if he was making fun of her or not, Gwynevive’s eyes widened, whether out of anger or astonishment she couldn’t rightfully say. She tried to speak but something inside her vocal cords wasn’t working, all she could muster was a nod. She turned back to the piece of wood in her hands while the human furrowed his brow and shifted from foot to foot. He knelt down to get a better look, Gwynevive noticed that he had already purchased a few bows and mats from the other Syndar, and pushed down the indignation she felt. He was humoring her.
“My wife might like this, is it for sale?” The man asked, picking up a small ring with a branch etched around the outside. Gwynevive looked at the man and nodded a second time. The man rifled through a bag on his hip, and pulled out a small bar of iron. Gwynevive tried her best to contain her excitement, though clearly she had let something show. The man showed her his toothy smile again and extended the iron to her.
“Why don’t you make me some more, and I’ll come back for them?” Gwynevive looked back and forth from the man’s face to the iron, trying to gauge him. Her mind was racing; she held her hand aloft and slowly nodded a third time.
The man’s name, Gwynevive later learned, was Jermaine Cotorelle, and he lived at Crows’ Landing. Over the next two years, he would come on nearly every other trade shipment to Fire Island, always making sure to stop by Gwynevive’s mat before the end of his stay. Initially, he had taken some getting used to, but over time, she had learned to accept his rough and tumble mannerisms. He liked touching the other humans, she noticed, often slapping them and guffawing loudly. When he came to see her, he would do most of the talking, telling her about Crows’ Landing, and his new exploits on the mainland. She learned about Ulven and Mordoc, and heard tales of a multitude of races living together. Jermaine always brought small payments for her work, a “maker’s fee” as it were. But more importantly, the new iron that came with him was far superior to what she had to work with on the island. All in all, she grew to look forward to his visits, and began sharing her stories with him of her childhood, even showing him some simple magic, when he asked. As her work got better, he started bringing more payments and larger bars of iron, she asked if it was a hassle to travel with such heavy cargo, to which he shrugged and told her not to worry. After two years of trade, Gwynevive struck a second bargain with Jermaine. In exchange for her work and protection; room and board, and safe passage to the mainland.
Something weighed heavy on Gwynevive’s mind, though she couldn’t place it. It was the fall of 265, and she felt…itchy. It was nearing on winter, and though she had been in Crows’ Landing for two years, the winters still seemed harsher here than Fire Island. She paced the town trying to find words to explain how she felt, but not getting anywhere. Hunting didn’t help, neither did practicing her magic, or making jewelry, everything only served to frustrate her more. By the time she caught up with Jermaine and his wife Freya, it was so obvious something was bothering her; she was worried he might notice.
“Something on your mind, Vive?” She wrinkled her nose at the nickname he had given her, by now she had hoped that he would call her by her real name. Either that or she thought she would have grown used to it
“The Syndar usually prefer to be called by their full names, Jermaine.” She tried her best to contain her irritations.
“Humans prefer to shake hands, but I never bothered you about that did I?”
“You tried to reach for my hand this morning…” Jermaine gave her a smirk as Freya brought dinner out to the table. Gwynevive had been living and working with them since she left Fire Island. She had grown fond of them both; they made her feel more at home on the mainland, despite not fully understanding her culture. The first time they startled her during a full moon sacrifice of incense she was so angry with Freya she nearly brought her to tears. Overall she had a good life here; Jermaine brought her on his routes for company and protection. At home, she would make more metal goods to sell, and she had recently adopted their last name to be more recognizable outside of Crows’ Landing. Truth be told, that was only half the reason, she was very fond of her adopted family.
But something was different now; she had been all over the southern routes and back to the island time and time again. She wanted a change of pace. She eyed the warm meal in front of her.
“Jermaine, I’ve wanted to ask you how you felt about the idea of leaving.”
“We’re off north next week, just waiting on supplies.”
“Alone.”
Freya stopped eating and looked to her husband. Jermaine was silent. Gwynevive kept staring at her food.
“Hah! About time, I was wondering when this life would be too small for you…I’d just…feel better if you didn’t go alone…” Gwynevive couldn’t help but crack a smile.
Before long, Gwynevive met Cordyn Lockwell, a human with a sword, and an interest in arcane magic. She wasn’t sure of his abilities with mana, but after a few months, she was even more dubious of his abilities with his sword.

Played By: Kelly Peterson
Character Name: Rindis zawjah Nasir, al Sydly, al Phoenix waw Kae’Rim
Character Name Translation: Rindis, Wife of Nasir, the Apothecary, of the Fire Isle and the Kae’Rim
Gender: Female
Class: Rogue
Age: 103
Birth: High Summer, The Year 162
Race: Syndar (Phoenix )
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Occupation: Alchemist, Herbalist, Trader
Known Skills: Alchemy, Herbalism
Birthplace: Faedrun, On the Phoenix Trade routes of the May’kar Desert prior to Mara Yargis’ enlightenment
Appearance: Brown hair, hazel eyes, moderately tall. Dresses in mostly wraps and tunics as a compromise between Phoenix dress and the more modest and higher coverage expectations of the Kae’rim.
Notable Traits: Wear’s a hijab. Rather consistently carries items to sell.

 

Backstory:

Rindis was born on the Phoenix territory of the May’kar desert in the year 162. She was born to the caravan lifestyle and traveled as a child with her parents and her tribe, learning desert survival and the ways of trading alongside practical skills like alchemy and herbalism, which always served a Syndar in good stead (be she in the desert or the plains).The phoenix lifestyle in the desert suited her well, but as a young adult she began to undertake special trading trips to locations off the typical routes as an excuse to wander.

One of these trips took her to a section of road that she shared with a young Naran mage. He was on the cusp of taking up travel as a way to better himself. She found him both interesting and entertaining. The two took to traveling together, exploring bits of Faedrun. In the outskirts of Naran territory they bordered on scandal, the young native mage traveling alongside the bold and blunt Phoenix Apothecary. A combination of the young Naran’s curiosity and Rindis’ own wanderlust led them beyond the borders of Nara Pentare, permitting the two to make enemies and friends abroad from both of their homelands.

It was a sad day when the message arrived for Rindis’ Naran friend. Though in the same heartbeat it was a message that gave him the path to making his own way as a true adult and not just a mage traveling to learn more about himself. Thus, Rindis returned to the May’kar desert and her tribe, while the young Naran reported to Vandregon’s 5th for his final proving. Rindis’ help would only have brought doubt to his honor, and that was unacceptable.

It was two years later that she regretted not continuing to travel alongside him. The 5th were routed at their keep in a failed attempt to use a ritual to destroy the undead foes. The garrison keep was lost. Her friend is a celebrated hero who stood in the face of the enemy with courage. One of the many whose mortal remains were never recovered to be mourned and seen into the next life.

Rindis tried to live quietly and on her own after that, having discovered exactly how painful having friends can really be in such a world. The malaise didn’t survive long, however, in the naturally enthusiastic and chipper faces of the nature of the Phoenix. She grew in knowledge, mastering herb after herb, and alchemical mixture after alchemical mixture.

She followed Magis Yara on the quest for a place where one doesn’t have to worry about how quickly your friends might die. She sailed on Solara’s will, facing the hardships of the ocean. She watched more who were dear to her suffer and die despite her best efforts. But in total, Solara’s promise is fulfilled, and the Fire Isle rises in glory from ashes like the namesake of her people.

It was many years later she was amongst those who made the effort to make contact with the Ulven. And from there she, and her long-held wanderlust, was amongst those who resumed the running of trade routes and began to travel the length and breath of Mardrun. In many ways it was much like traveling Faedrun, and in others it was profoundly unlike anywhere she had ever been before.

It was the lands around Serai that her heart belonged to, following the May’kar settlement being built. It reminded her of the desert she had been born to, and the past she would never be able to forget. She made friends amongst both the May’kar and the Kae’rim who traveled in the desert and built no settlements. Eventually, one asked her to come with him, to marry him.

Contrary to the typical Phoenix approach to this, she said yes. Al Mo’alej, her healer, was someone she cared deeply for, and wanted no technicality to ever separate her from him. The last dear friend she’d left alone had been struck down without her, and her Nasir was even more dear to her than anyone she’d ever met. Even her family. So they were married, and she became Rindis zawjah Nasir, al Sydly, al Phoenix waw Kae’rim. The name people shouted when they needed her attention was no longer “Rindis”; Now she was “Al Sydly”, the Apothecary who worked beside the healer Al Mo’alej.

And so now she once again travels in May’kar territory, her life having come full circle.

 

Timeline of Major Life Events:

• Year 162: Rindis was born.
• Year 173: [REDACTED] was born in Nara Pentare.
• Year 199: Rindis (age 37) & [REDACTED] (age 26) raise hell as traveling companions.
• Year 201: Rindis & [REDACTED] part ways, him to go work with the 5th, her to return to her people.
• Year 203: [REDACTED] meets his end to the Undead Hordes. Rindis believes the reports.
• Year 232: Enlightenment of Magis Yara. Phoenix exodus begins.
• Year 261: Phoenix make contact with the Ulven.
• Year 263: Serai Founded. Rindis Marries Al Mo’alej, becomes Al Sydly.

Name: Shar’leth
Race: Syndar

Shar’leth was 14 when her family announced they were planning to join their people and cross the sea. Feisty and strong-willed, she had a habit of courting controversy and defying anyone who told her she couldn’t do something. She was a flirtatious girl, reveling in the attention and devotion she drew out of the boys she set her sights on. It was clear to anyone who knew her that she was going to be more and more trouble once she reached an age where her wiles would sway more than just boys.

A year before the announcement to set out was made, Shar’leth had a chance meeting with a human boy of her own age while out hunting for something to do. They were instantly fascinated with one another, and their initial flirtations had become something much more serious in their young eyes. Their rendezvous were eventually ended when a hunting party from her village found the pair. Shar’leth was forcibly dragged back to the village and she quickly became the centre of public scrutiny and gossip as the new spread like wildfire. Of course her parents, humiliated by the news of their daughter’s dalliance with a human told Shar’leth, in no uncertain terms, that she was to cut off any and all contact with the boy. Though she screamed and protested, insisting they were in love and going to be married once they were of age to do so, her parents refused to relent.

It was a month since she has seen her human love, when the decision to cross the sea was finalized. When her parents told her of their plans to make the journey Shar’leth was beside herself with grief believing she was abandoning the boy she was meant to spend her days with. So, the morning of departure, she hid in a hollowed out log and listened as her frantic parents called out and searched for her. Their search lasted hours but, unable to find her, they were forced to leave their only child behind.

When she was sure they were gone, Shar’leth emerged and immediately sought out her sweetheart. Her explanation of what she had done and her joy at their reunion was cut short however; in the month since they had last seen each-other the boy had found another girl and wished nothing to do with Shar’leth.

Alone and terrified, she wandered, weeping for her losses as she realized what she had so selfishly done. For months she shunned other people, skirting settlements and travelers. She was unwilling to go back to her remaining people whom stayed behind for fear of more anger and possible exile. Her only interaction with civilization was the occasional ransacking of a pantry while the owners of the homes were away. Eventually though, she ran out of food and was unable to find any homes or camps from which to pilfer a meal. Time passed and as the winter set in; she fell ill with a fever. Starved, weak and ready to give up, she at last stumbled across a remote cabin. Shivering and in tears, Shar’leth approached the door and knocked as she silently prayed for deliverance.

It turned out a Syndar hunter who was twice her age, lived alone in the cabin. Shar’leth swayed as the light and heat of the fire hit her face. She managed to croak out a whispered “help” before she collapsed. He scooped her up, wrapped her in furs and over the next week he nursed her back to health. His name, she learned, was Illsen. He was kind and doting, soothing her aches and feeding her broths laced with herbs aimed to aid her recovery. After several weeks together, despite her obvious youth, he asked her to stay with him and become his wife. Thinking she had at last found the love she had longed and sacrificed so much for, she gleefully accepted his offer and they married soon after.

Once married though, Illsen’s treatment of her drastically altered. He began to berate and beat her for the most insignificant of infractions. His near constant abuses eventually reduced the once fiery and lively girl to a weak and completely subservient bride.
She tried to flee several times, but he always tracked her and brought her back home before she could find anyone who was willing to give her aid. Those living in the nearest Syndar village closed their doors to her, both out of fear of Illsen and the belief that the problems between a husband and wife were none of their affairs.

Shar’leth finally gave up on her hope of escape and accepted her fate with Illsen, she had come to believe that she brought this misery on herself by choosing a man over her family in the first place. She learned to tend her wounds, eventually discovering that she possessed magical abilities which allowed her to hasten her healing. She endured and dedicated her days to making sure her husband’s every desire was met, in the vain hope that she would avoid another beating. He always found a reason however, even claiming on some occasions that his treatment of her was a result of a doe escaping his bow and as a woman she should bear the punishment for the creature’s defiance.

It wasn’t until she had been married for 27 years that she became pregnant. Shar’leth was terrified of telling her husband, convinced he would be furious with her. She didn’t know how she would hide the pregnancy from him when she began to show, nor could she bear the thought of drinking a tea to rid her belly of it.

One night, as she cleaned the dinner from the table and her husband loomed into the room, her hand trembled and she dropped their plates, watching in horror as they shattered on the floor. Illsen’s rage exploded and he beat her severely about her face and stomach, resulting in the loss of the child he didn’t know she carried. When her bleeding began and she realized what he had done, Shar’leth finally found the strength to do what she knew she must if she would ever escape Illsen.

When she had healed enough to walk, she set her plans into motion. At dinner, she served her husband a strong ale laced with Valerian root, intending to put him into a deep slumber. Once he had stumbled to their bed and passed out, she began to gather her clothing and some rations she had hidden away under a floorboard. She searched his pouches, taking the few coins she found there and placed them in her own pouch. Finally, she returned to the kitchen, so long her prison, and picked up a knife.

Shar’leth crept into the bedroom and stood over her husband. She remembered all the pain and suffering she had endured at his hands and the child she had lost. Taking a steadying breath, she raised the knife high over her head and exhaled.

She wasn’t sure what she had expected the sound of a knife driven into a living man to sound like, but she certainly hadn’t prepared herself for it. Illsen’s eyes sprang open as he screamed; she wrenched the knife from his flesh and again brought it down with brutal force. His screams began to take on a gurgling quality and she backed away from him, transfixed at the blade’s handle protruding from his torso and the trail of blood pouring from his mouth and wounds. Without a word she turned and fled certain that she had finally ended her captivity and would be able to escape her tormentor.

Shar’leth headed straight for the coast, intent on booking passage to find her family and beg their forgiveness for her impulsive abandonment. Her entire purse was emptied to secure a place aboard a vessel, but she managed to find a ship which was bound for a port in the city of New Hope.

Upon her arrival, no one had even heard of the Syndar who called themselves Phoenix. It would be another couple of years until Shar’leth would learn that there was a small group of the Phoenix who were travelling on Mardrun. Deciding it would be far more prudent to approach a smaller gathering of her people and see how she was received she set out to find them, again, silently praying for deliverance.