Larina

[Larina]

Name: Larina Birthday: Spring, Day 12, 506 AV (Appears to be in her early to mid 20s.) Race: Kelvic Gender: Female Height: 5’9’’ Weight: 135 lbs[/center] Appearance As a human: Despite her tall build, Larina spent a good deal of her life trying to make herself appear as tiny as possible. And while she is working on straightening her posture, Larina often slumps her frame downward into a pose befitting a slave. She is thin and a bit lanky, yet surprisingly strong, even though she does not look the part. Her bright golden eyes constantly survey their surroundings, and few details escape their gaze. She lets her dark brown hair fall to the middle of her back, and rarely pulls it up because she considers it a security blanket. Her complexion is very pale, yet clear, and provides a stark contrast to her hair. Larina dresses plainly, having little care for fashion and style. Most of her clothes are selected for function and fit loosely so that she may easily discard them when transforming to her animal state. However, she has grown attached to a simple leather necklace in the shape of a sailor’s knot and wears it everywhere, even in her wolf form. As a wolf: Larina’s Kelvic form is that of a maned wolf, although this term is actually a misnomer. Maned wolves may grow as large as common wolves, but they share no blood ties and are more closely related to foxes than anything. Even at a glance, one immediately notices similarities between Larina’s animal and human state. Her wolf form retains Larina’s most striking feature: her golden eyes, which flicker even more brightly at night. The base of her pelt is a rich red color, which is unfound in her human form. However, her short dark mane is the exact color of her brown hair. Larina’s lanky legs and thin body reflect her human shape, making her transformation no stretch of the imagination. Splotches of white mark her tail, neck, and ears. Larina rarely uses this body in public since she considers it more of a tool for hunting, fighting, and little else. She also has less control of her emotions as a maned wolf and easily lapses into recklessness or violence. Concept Having been born as a Kelvic into slavery, Larina has been marked with innate subservience. She learned swiftly from a young age that the best way to avoid abuse was to submit fully to authority. Her old master’s house was one filled with lies and treachery, which built Larina into a keenly observant girl who learned to accurately size up both people and situations. She also grew guarded and cautious, which work against her more basic Kelvic instincts. Her dog-like form makes her a natural fighter. However, she has worked to curb her more aggressive instincts, since a servant prone to violent outbursts was also one prone to dying prematurely. Upon her being freed from her master's rule, Larina served a completely different mistress who instilled her own set of morals and philosophies into the young Kelvic. For the first time in her life, Larina had been offered absolute freedom. She had been given the chance to truly find out who she was under the care of a benevolent mistress. Though naturally perspective, Larina had never developed a sense of curiosity as she feared to question the people in her old master’s house. However, her new mistress encouraged Larina use her observations to ask why things are the way they are. But while her musings always originate in truth, they usually turn into flights of fancy, and Larina ends up at the most bizarre conclusions. While she remained cautious in nature, Larina found that she is drawn to people and opens up if she feels safe around them. She also developed an eye for beauty and the means to express it through art. But moreover, a strong sense of individuality and worth grew daily within Larina under the care of her mistress. She was taught the value of life and how her talent as a fighter could be used to defend the innocent. And although she is no longer bound as a slave, Larina still seeks to serve a leader. But now she has the power to choose whom to follow, which makes all the difference in the world. History Born by a poor woman in ill health, Larina was sold to a Dhani, named Shasivaatsu, in Sunberth as one of his personal servants in hopes that she may live a better life there. Technically, none of the servants in Shasivaatsu’s manor were actually bound to him since they were free to leave his employ at any time. However, the workers feared their master’s wrath enough not to ever consider this a viable option and were, for all intents and purposes, his slaves. The others servants reluctantly took on the joint responsibility of raising Larina which, thankfully for them, did not last long as Kelvic mature quickly. Growing up under Shasivaatsu’s rule was difficult to say the least. Rumors among the slaves held that their master was a servant of the god Rhysol and had potential ties to the Black Suns. Shasivaatsu had a natural gift for spinning lies and planting the seeds of subversion even among his own followers. The older slaves often told tales of how Shasivaatsu whispered one single lie to the former master of the manor which grew in his mind to consume and utterly destroy him. However, these stories were so exaggerated and embellished, no doubt under Shasivaatsu’s own influence, that it was impossible to tell if they held one grain of truth. The manor was in constant unrest. Deceit and half-truths trickled though the ranks of the slaves, poisoning their minds against each other and making it impossible to have even one trustworthy friend. One day the cook might give Larina an extra slice of cheese; the next he might slip a Hag’s Mask into her stew. Shasivaatsu commanded loyalty to himself and no other. Under such pressure, Larina learned to pick up on small details of a person’s tone of voice and body language, which could help her uncover fact from fiction. Little went unnoticed under her keen eyes, and this talent alone helped her get through her youth at the manor. Shasivaatsu’s purchased Larina in order to train her as part of his personal guard. Her instruction began as soon as she started to walk. His guard typically consisted of three Kelvic beasts who were all tempered to defend Shasivaatsu to the death. However when he took in Larina as a child, she comprised an odd fourth member. Her addition put the patrol on edge. Each guard remembered how they had earned their place by the Dhani’s side: through the death of their predecessor. Larina, too, would have to eliminate one of the other Kelvics to keep her place on the guard. Either that or risk them advancing to kill her. The other sentries had all played this game before, one which Shasivaatsu controlled from afar. For weeks, Larina lived in complete paranoia. Afraid to sleep, eat, or be alone. It was a subtle game. None of the guards could openly attack the other, or else they would succumb to their master’s displeasure. They tormented each other indirectly: whispering lies, plotting schemes, and laying traps for the others to fall in. Eventually, Larina gained the upper hand against one of the sentries by luring him into a false sense of camaraderie and then exploiting his trust. His death meant her life. And Larina had ensured her own survival in the manor. During her time under this master, Larina witnessed firsthand Shasivaatsu’s influence in Sunberth. The Dhani took Larina, and the rest of his entourage, wherever he went like public outings, formal gatherings, and even shadier business deals. He had his claws in all aspects of Sunberth’s commerce, legal and illegal, using his money and power to grow his network of contacts. This made him a target for attack. And one evening, panic broke out in his manor as it fell under siege. A single woman had broken into his household and incited a riot among the servants. Her figure blazed with light, blinding and paralyzing any who stood against her. She confronted Shasivaatsu, who immediately sent his guard into action. The other two Kelvics sprang to defend their master, but Larina faltered, entranced by the woman. She struck the guard down with two slices of her radiance and immediately attacked Shasivaatsu. Larina wanted to run, but could not bring herself to flee from the battle before her. She had never witnessed such a display of power, from the flashes of pure radiance to the crushing blows of the snake. During a critical moment in the fight, the woman defense slipped, giving Shasivaatsu an opportunity to land a devastating strike. But in an act of betrayal, Larina turned against her master, fighting claw and teeth against him. Larina’s treachery gave the woman the chance she needed. She sent a powerful blast of light directly into the snake’s heart, who crumpled into a heap against the wall. Shasivaatsu’s house was overrun with rebellious servants who seized the chance to escape when their master fell. Those still loyal to Shasivaatsu roamed the streets of Sunberth for the woman and her traitorous dog who caused the assault on the manor. And so, they ran. Lady Mekal Ilahi, Priestess of the goddess Priskil, and her unlikely companion Larina, Kelvic slave of a cruel master, fled from Sunberth and voyaged into the wilderness of Sylira. For a year and a half, Larina traveled with Ilahi through the open wild. From time to time, they would rest in cities or settlements, but Ilahi was apprehensive of them and never stayed long in one place. The year wore on with little incident or noteworthy event, yet it was the happiest time that Larina had ever known. Ilahi had granted her freedom from slavery and daily helped Larina to develop a spirit of independence and hope. Ilahi treated Larina not as a servant, or even as a Kelvic beast, but as an intelligent and singular human being - as her peer and friend. Even without her Gnosis abilities, Ilahi’s power was far greater than Larina’s, and yet her humility drove Ilahi to help encourage new talents in Larina rather than take over a situation with her own strength. She helped teach Larina to survive in the wilderness, to question the way the world works, and to express herself through drawing and art. In time, Ilahi felt safe from any further threats from her actions in Sunberth. She and Larina traveled to Syliras and rented a small apartment for them to live and plan their next course of action. About a year’s time past in the large city, and Larina actually started to feel connected to the place itself. People were naturally drawn to Ilahi, whose hope and kindness were extended to anyone she met. If someone asked for a miza, she would give them two and invite them to the apartment for dinner. Under her influence, Larina also became much more open and generous to those she met, yet could not fully shake off her innate sense of wariness. Larina was content to spend her days wandering the markets of the city at her mistress’ side, enjoying her company thoroughly. But their complacence also led to their downfall. One evening, Larina was drifting off into sleep and vaguely heard Ilahi go to the door to greet a visitor. Suddenly Ilahi gave a shriek, and Larina heard the sound of shattering glass. Seized with panic, Larina bolted from her bed and wrenched open the door to the living room to find one man clothed in black standing over Ilahi’s now limp body. A small stream of brilliant red blood flowed cleanly from Ilahi’s neck onto the floor. Overcome with shock, Larina was unable to move as the man fled from the apartment and even remained still as he threw his dagger into her right shoulder. Seconds stretched into entire minutes before Larina’s mind could react. When she had come to her sense, Larina immediately perused the man, trying to catch his scent through the Sylirian streets. But it was too late; the man had accomplished his job, and now he was gone. After Ilahi’s death, Larina began to come apart at the seams. For months she wandered the city with no master and no true place to live, because she had abandoned the apartment which still held Ilahi’s memories. A few kind citizens who had also been touched by Ilahi’s goodness took Larina in and reminded her that Ilahi was not gone, not really. Her Djed and her soul had merely changed. With this realization, Larina redoubled her loyalty to her deceased mistress and vowed to bring justice to those who had so wronged her. Realizing that she knew nothing about the murderer, Larina set off to find those who might. Worshippers of the goddess Priskil, like Ilahi had been, were rumored to gather in the cold reaches of Avanathal and might know more about who attacked the priestess. And so it was to that city which Larina sought passage. Training   Skills • Hunting - 15 (SP 5 + Racial Bonus 10) • Unarmed Combat - 25 (SP) • Drawing - 10 (SP) • Wilderness Survival - 10 (SP) • Interrogation - 3 (*) • Observation - 3 (*) • Rhetoric - 3 (*) • Philosophy - 1 (*)   Lore • Tales of the Goddess Priskil • Learning to Pick Your Fights • Getting over Anxiety • Not Trusting Others • Picturing a Man on Stage to Make him Seem Less Intimidating • Polite to a Fault   Languages • Fluent in Common • Basic in Pavi • Poor in Snake Tongue Equipment and Ledger   Clothing • 1 set of clothing (SP), including: - Belt - Leather - Blouse - Linen - Boots - High - Cloak - Wool - Gloves - Leather - Pants - Cotton - Tunic - Cotton • Dress, Average • Pouch, Belt   Tools • 1 Backpack (SP) • 1 Eating Knife (SP) • 1 Flint and Steel (SP) • 1 Set of Toiletries (SP) • 1 Waterskin (SP) • Animal Snare, Small • Animal Snare, Tiny • Bedroll • Blanket, Winter • Case, Map • Fishing Kit • Lantern, Hooded • Mug, Clay • Oil (1-Pint Flask) (x2) • Preserving Kit • Pot, Iron • Rope, Hemp (50 ft.) • Sewing Kit • Tent, four-person • Water Additive • Water Pack • Whetstone   Food • 1 weeks worth of food (SP) • Traveler’s Stock (x3)   Other • Gauntlets, Spiked • Slender Chainmail Shirt, Isurian • Heirloom: Drawing Materials A simple pad of blank drawing paper with a picture of a barn swallow inked on the front along with a set of colored pencils and one black ink pen. Given as a present, Larina keeps the drawing utensils close at hand at all times since she has no other memento of her former Mistress.   Ledger • 600 gold mizas (SP, cashed in housing) Purchases: • Animal Snare, Small - 5 gm • Animal Snare, Tiny - 1 gm • Bedroll - 1 sm • Blanket, Winter - 5 sm • Case, Map - 1 gm • Dress, Average - 6 sm • Fishing Kit - 10 gm • Gauntlets, Spiked - 5 gm • Lantern, Hooded - 7 gm • Mug, Clay - 2 cm • Oil (1-Pint Flask) (x2) - 2 sm • Pot, Iron - 5 sm • Pouch, Belt - 1 gm • Preserving Kit - 5 gm • Rope, Hemp (50 ft.) - 1 gm • Sewing Kit - 18 gm • Slender Chainmail Shirt, Isurian - 120 gm • Tent, four-person - 10 gm • Traveler’s Stock (x3) - 9 gm • Water Additive - 3 gm • Water Pack - 10 gm • Whetstone - 2 cm COST: 207 gm 9 sm 4 cm TOTAL REMAINING: 391 gm 1 sm 96 cm Threads Flashbacks Spring 33, 507 AV - Something of Worth Spring 511, AV 12th - Drunken Tales 15th - Foxy Lady? No? Wait a minute... 16th - Meet My Imaginary Friends 20th - Winter's Game 27th - Snow Beasts 50th - A Chance Encounter 50th - Searching for Priskil