Kiska

[Kiska]

Kiska Kiska, from the tents of Ashanim, of the sons of Benha Age: 25 Birthday: Winter 13, 484 AV Gender: Female Origin: Village near Yahebah Race: Benshira Height: 5’4” Build: Slim Eye color: Black Hair color: Black Skin tone: Tan Languages: Shiber Common Tawna Standing at five feet and four inches, the Benshira known as Kiska has long black hair and tan skin. Her eyes are solid black. She has a slim figure, too skinny to really be considered very pretty. Her body is scarred from the abuse she took during her time in slavery to a cruel family. Usually, she prefers to wears dresses and veils of various vibrant hues, red and gold being her favorite combination. When she got captured, all valuables of hers were lost, and she had to work her way to the top again, gaining money and possession alike, so her favorite clothing decorated with various metal plates and ornaments were lost, leaving her to dress only in plain clothing. She always wears her leather sandals, nothing else. Character concept: Personality: Kiska comes off as shy to most people, before they know her, though when gotten close to, she can be either really nice or really harsh, though usually nice. She's not one to make many friends, or any enemies. She tries to be polite to everyone. She is very demanding when she journeys with others, and very stubborn. She is very confident in herself and what she wants, and sees life as something that will resolve in a good way. She sees herself as a former servant of a life that she is now taking control of, and can sometimes seem like she thinks that life is there to serve her, but in reality knows that she is there to serve the whole of Mizahar. She knows that someday everything she wants will come to her, and life will give her what she seeks. She also seeks to give back to those around her using what is hers and what she can do. She is very kind to most strangers, but wary of most people in general. She is very stubborn, and very persistent. She feels that she has a calling in life, and has set out achieve her goals. She is faithful to her god, Yahal, and goddess, Eyris, and prays often in praise and in need. She is an investigator of information, a researcher, and is journeying in search of work, though there is one thing she seeks specifically for herself, she believes that it is Eyris’ will that has sent her on this quest, as only one so knowledgeable as Eyris could direct her so. Interests: Bards and storytellers, teachers, wise old people, books, pre-Valterrian artifacts and sites, arcane items, archery, knives, horsemanship, swordsmanship, the Syliran knights, fortune tellers and seers. Goals: To find the one she seeks, to possess a book from it’s original author, especiall a pre-Valterrian book. She seeks to accomplish her calling, and to be a great herbalist and philterer and help all that are in need of medical attention. She also seeks to someday own a personal library and a bookshop. She tries to meet every university professor, scholar, bard, storyteller, teacher, and wise man she sees along the way, and will stop at nothing to do so, even if it means going out of her way, or getting in theirs. Personality merits/flaws: Fears: Elements of magical origin, undead, death, bears. Weaknesses: She finds it hard to trust others, and often accuses one of trying to mislead her or do her wrong. She will give anything for clues as to where the one she seeks is. Bookstores and other interesting shops will often take her away from her quests, as she cannot resist them. Though she is not afraid of fire, she is wary of it, and very aware of the fact that it can kill her. Challenges: She finds it hard to get close to many people, though will occasionally travel with some. She doesn’t keep anyone around for more than a year, and rarely that long. She knows that mages are not all bad, yet by her culture she has been taught that they are. She strives to rid herself of the prejudices she possesses toward them. Other flaws: She is irritably stubborn and though she assumes a submissive part within a group structure, she is as stubborn as to demand certain things go her way. Strengths: Gathering information, natural wisdom, ability to read and write. Other merits: She is honest and very intelligent. She possesses a positive sense of life for the most part, despite everything she's gone through, and knows that everything will turn out okay in the end. She is caring, and will help anyone truly in need. She will take jobs from just about anyone who asks of her, for almost any price, as money is not her biggest concern, but adventure is definitely worth it. She loves to help people when they are hurt or sick, healing them with her natural remedies and skills in medicine. Gods: Yahal, Eyris, Rak'Keli Yahal is her cultures god and therefore she too worships Yahal, but more importantly, Eyris, who is the goddess of all Kiska represents, wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, Eyris is the embodiment of her passions. Rak'Keli came to Kiska's attention during her stay in Mura. Kiska has longed to be one of her healers since discoving what they did. Kiska regards Rak'Keli with adoration and respect for her domain. Her life: Kiska grew up in a relatively normal family setting, helping her three brothers to grow as well as she could. Being the older sibling meant learning responsibility at an early age. Her mother and father were business leaders in their community, and often left the four of their children alone, with Kiska in charge. Kiska has always been a stoic sort, watching over her brothers with a careful eye, until one day, she slipped up on her watch, letting her youngest brother wander into the desert. At once she demanded for her other two brothers to stay in the family tent and not to move until she got back. She returned from a failed mission later that day, sobbing. She had failed to find their younger brother, and failed their parents at watching them. A search party was sent out to find him, with herself accompanying them. It was in a ravine that she found him that night, lifeless and still. It was concluded that he had fallen in and broken his neck, but for some reason she had a feeling that this had been done on purpose. She never forgave herself, and it took years for her parents to forgive her, treating her harshly and punishing her for even the most minor of accidents on her part. She, like the rest of them, was stubborn and persistent, yet for every instance she showed it, she was punished, making her more wary of showing her true self to others. She was never left in charge of her brothers again, and a nurse was hired to watch over the three day after day. The nurse often would corner Kiska, doing things that nobody should to without consent, especially to a child. Kiska never told her parents this, as she figured they would not care anyway. Kiska would often sneak away while the nurse was there and go treasure hunting, seeking out imaginary ruins of ancient pre-valterrian cities, which she often dreamt about. She collected many pieces of old and ancient pottery, art, brick, and other things, which she kept in a chest. It was during this time that she started to believe that her world was not real, and that it was the dreams of another being. She would often lay beneath the stars and think about such things, her fictional life, her creator, who may too be fictional, and the fictional world she lived in. She knew this was far fetched though, and very unrealistic, yet thought about it nevertheless, wondering why anyone would dream up such a world, as her life was not something she would want to inflict on someone else, even a fictional character. Her life was miserable to this point, yet she still held on to the hope that someday things would go her way, and that she would be in control. Her parents finally forgave her, but by that time she was bitter towards them, though she still loved them. She would forgive them for their harsh treatment years later as she reached adulthood and the nurse was gone, after being found out for what she was doing to their daughter. When Kiska finally realized that her parents did truly care about her, she welcomed them back into her life with open arms, in understanding that they too had been grieving the loss of her little brother. Kiska remained stoic and mostly grim throughout her teen and early adult years, facing the memories of her little brother and the nurse who had molested her. Kiska had never been allowed to play with the other village children, not that she really wanted to. She was only ever interested in playing with her brothers, though the nurse never would have let her into the village if she had wished otherwise anyway. The nurse was overprotective of the children, maybe because she loved them, or maybe because she loved them too much, and sought to protect her secret. Kiska would have remained silent regardless, as the fact was more than embarrassing for her. She cried herself to sleep night after night after remembering the horrible things that were done to her. Kiska had also never been interested in any men from her village, though very few came around to call for her anyway. She would let her parents do all the picking for her, as she did not care one way or the other about who she ended up marrying, all husbands were the same in her eyes anyway. All they did was protect and provide, they did no loving and they had no friendship to offer, they only wished to have her for her ability to reproduce. She was too stubborn to submit to any man as marriage required. Because of her lack of interest in men, and their lack of interest in her, she lived in her fathers tent for far longer than any woman should, which often came back to haunt her in her early adulthood, making her think of herself as someone who nobody wanted, and one who would never be more than a servant to her father. Though Kiska led a harsh childhood, she never gave up in her pursuit for knowledge. Most of her formal learning came from her parents and her nurse, who taught her many ways of life, though not much of intellect and wisdom. She learned of this stuff from wise men who adventured through her village and traveling bards who told stories of distant lands, her favorite being the story of the Syliran Knights, who she would love to see someday. Though she was raised to hate magic users, she found herself wanting to know more about them, and the vast amounts of knowledge so many of them possessed. She strives to rid herself of the prejudices planted in her by her mother, father, and village. Her greatest wants were books and artifacts of pre-valterrian origin. For this reason, she took a liking to archaeology, searching the lands nearby for ruins and other ancient things she may dig up to discover more about the past and pre-valterrian culture. She spent most of her early adulthood investigating various subjects, prying knowledge from situations, objects, people, and the land itself. Kiska had always been fair with a bow, and as such, was put to the task of guarding the tent while her parents were away. The nurse would send her to investigate any sort of sounds or possible danger there may have been, always by herself, from the time she was just a child until the nurse had left. Her mother and father often let her go with the desert scouts to help her train her archery skills up when she was old enough to protect herself, they never knew of the danger the nurse put her in. Kiska had always wanted to learn the ways of the sword, but never could find anyone during her time in her village to teach her. She took odd jobs when she reached her eighteenth year investigating certain things for the people of her village. More rewarding than the petty pay she got from these jobs was the thrill she received from the small bit of an adventure she would find in them. This lead to her announcing this as her lifes profession, though her income was very low in a village as peaceful and unexciting as hers. She yearned to adventure to distant lands and make a home somewhere where the need for one with her skills was great, and adventures were everywhere. When Kiska was twenty years old, her mother became very ill, which led to the visitation of many medicine men and healers, prompting Kiska to follow their doings and research the creation of medicines and other helpful mixtures by gathering herbs and mixing them. This led to her involvement in herbalism, medicine, and philtering. She worked hard to be able to create something to save her mother, as she believed her mother would be lost without her help. Fortunately, her mother regained her health the next year, the sickness she had still unknown, though she often still gets sick for short amounts of time. It is believed that she will die in the near future, which greatly upsets Kiska when mentioned. From that point on, Kiska took on more responsibility in the tent, taking over for her mother in cooking, cleaning, and caring for her brothers (though under the watchful eye of her mother and father). Her cooking was always very bland, and she often burned the food. She left before her mother could really teach her much in the way of cooking. Her father taught her brothers the ways of his trade, shoemaking, though nothing to her. Everything Kiska knew how to do was either her mother’s doing or her own. Kiska’s parents had been searching for a husband for her for quite some time, all offers ending in refusal. Kiska was not well seen among her people, viewed negatively for her withdrawal from her community and for the death of her little brother thirteen years earlier. It was one night in her twenty first year that an old man came to her during the night, telling her of dangers to come. He told her that the man that would destroy her must be stopped, lest her talents be a waste. He told her that she must be the one to do this, and she must go quickly. He said that if she stopped him, she would gain her life and her fortune from him, but if she did not catch him before his fate cut across hers, then her life would be swallowed by the sands, and though she cared not for wealth, she hungered for knowledge and adventure, and therefore set off soon afterwards, seeking the man who would destroy her. He only told her that to find him, she must follow the thread of fate from Mura. Without another word, the old man turned and disappeared into the desert once more. Her parents were shocked at hearing this, though let her go. Though she was not their favored child, they still loved her and wished her to keep her life. They halted the search for a husband for Kiska until she came back. With sobs and tears of goodbye, the family parted, possibly for the last time. As Kiska was wandering the desert, she came across a group of slavers and was captured by them. They sold her to a cruel and wealthy family of Cyphrus. At first she was used as a common slave, doing household chores and field work, though when found that she was too clever to be a common slave, they used her as a toy, torturing her and using her for sex day after day, night after night for two years. They kept her locked in a cell under the main house. It was here that the oldest son visited her nightly, bringing her plates of food and common books to read. She gave him nothing in return, though used his pitiful love of her to pry information from him about his family and the layout of the manor, until one night she invited him in. He eagerly followed her wishes, prompting him to undress. Once he was naked and cornered by herself, awaiting her gentle touch, she swiftly gathered his clothes and ran out the cage, locking him in, naked. She searched his clothing, finding the keys to the cell and the manor. She searched the mansion for the remaining members of the family, trapping them each in different situations in their room. The mother and father she tied to their beds as they slept, only waking them when she tightened the last knot. The youngest son would find in the morning that his door would not open, having a large load of furniture and other various objects jammed between it and the opposing wall. She gathered enough clothing and supplies to last her a while on her journey, and headed off towards Mura. During her travels through the region of Cyphrus she encountered the nomadic city of Endrykas where she learned many things from the native peoples of the land. She plans someday to return to Endrykas to seek out those she had met during her month long stay there. Afterward, Kiska journeyed toward Syliras, where she stayed for three months, then on her way to Mura to meet her destiny. She traveled with people very rarely along her journey, as she did not trust anyone she met on the road now, though sometimes she allowed it, feeling that a bit of protection would be good. She wishes to someday return to Syliras in order to learn the ways of the sword from the Syliran Knights, who she has heard many stories about. Kiska abandoned her family’s names on her journey, going by only the name of Kiska. She believed that not only did others not understand her culture, but that her family did not understand her. She believes that life should be lead independently, and has vowed to take control of her own life, after having lived a life of submission and slavery. Kiska arrived in Mura on the first of fall in 510 AV and has begun her search for the one who will destroy her. She found no clues at the white isle harbor upon arrival, and elected to make a trip to the local library and temple instead, where she met the Akontak Ero, who she decided to stay with after a fortune telling from Ero in which Kiska determined that the fate of the two was very interwoven. Kiska decided to take a season's worth of classes in herbalism and medicine at the Opal Temple while training unarmed combat with her friend Ero at the Suvai Pavillion for the remainder of the season. Skills: Skill Points Awarded Threads Total Skill Points Investigation 15, 4 Starting Package, Chapter 1: A fateful meeting 19 Shortbow 25 Starting Package 25 Wilderness Survival 5 Starting Package 5 Archaeology 5 Starting Package 5 Herbalism 5, 5, 5 Starting Package, A lesson in herbalism, Another thing about Herbs 15 Philtering 5, 5 Starting Package, Experimentations of a lone Philterer 10 Medicine 5, 5 Starting Package, A lesson in Medicine 10 Researching 1 Chapter 1: A fateful meeting 1 Hospitality 2 Chapter 1: A fateful meeting 2 Conversation 2, 2, 5 Chapter 1: A fateful meeting, Shopping with the Green Lady, Friendship, jobs, and a spot of tea 9 Rhetoric 2, 1 Intentions of learning, Friendship, jobs, and a spot of tea 3 Observation 1, 1, 3, 1 Intentions of learning, A lesson in herbalism, Shopping with the Green Lady, A lesson in Medicine 6 Writing 1, 1 A lesson in herbalism, Experimentations of a lone Philterer 2 Leadership 1 Shopping with the Green Lady 1 Storytelling 1 Friendship, jobs, and a spot of tea 1 Lore: Open mindedness toward magic users Recognizing old or ancient objects Being an Outsider Meeting an Akontak Ero’s Goal Being Too Small Sharing Personal Information with a Stranger Konti Society Developing a Friendship Taking Classes in Mura (Herbalism and Medicine) Architecture of Opal Temple Living near a Goddess Use of Talking to Plants Uses of Aloe Vera Harvesting Aloe Vera Producing Aloe Vera Lotion Mixing Herbalism Ingredients Melting Wax Carrying a Hot Pot with a Cloth Uses of Aloe Vera Lotion Making and Testing Clarity Potion Making Cough Syrup Uses of Clarity Potion Season Change on Konti Isle Making get-well potion Uses and effects of get-well potion Harvesting and Uses of Ginseng Harvesting and Uses of Chicory Making Tea Uses of Mullein as Poultice Making Poultices Making and Effects of Tisane Chit-Chatting with a Teacher Getting Stressed Drae’s Teaching Methods Making and Uses of Lemon Verbene Balm Making a Minor Mistake Waiting Shopping for Clothes Envying Beauty Spending a lot of Money Having Fun How to Clean and Dress a Wound How to Apply a Tourniquet Vetting a Squirrel Calming an Excited Animal Enhanced Awareness Witnessing an Accident Healing a Child How to Use a Splint Not Being Able to Help a Patient Witnessing Death from Injury Experiencing Hospitality Not Believing in Prejudice Side Effects of Using Magic Having One’s Fortune Told Making a Contract with Ero Housing: Tent/taverns Equipment: Clothing: Leather Sandals (SP) Leather belt (SP) Maroon headscarf (SP) Maroon dress (SP) Red hooded cloak (SP) Archer’s bracers Archer’s gloves Grey pants White long sleeved shirt Maroon and black exquisite dress/cape Silver necklace Weapons: Shortbow Quiver 100 short bow arrows Ivory handled Isurian steel knife Necessities: Bedroll Tent (1 person) Waterskin (SP) 5 Candles 5 self lighting candles Wooden bowl 2 wooden cups 2 wooden spoons Iron pot Wire drain Backpack: 1 Set of Toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap) (SP) Food for a week (SP) 1 eating knife (SP) Flint & Steel (SP) 15 chunks of meat Philtering: Philtering kit 15 vials Empty sack Belt pouch Identification kit 15 eight oz bottles Half a gallon of apple cider vinegar Extras: Blank book (journal) Blank book (Research) 5 oz ink Quill Hammer Miners pick Small brush Portable firepit Medicine/herbalism: Healer's kit Small bottle (8 oz) of Aloe Vera lotion 1 vial of clarity potion 3 eight oz bottles of get-well potion - side effect sexual stimulation 1 six oz jar of Lemon Verbena balm Three pounds of various herbs (two used for experiments so far) Four pints of honey Heirloom: Father’s light staff, decorated with ornate bronze and red colored beads tied to strings near the clear crystal placed atop dark colored wood with various wards carved into it. Ledger: 267 gm 7 sm 5 cm starter (no house) -30 gm for short bow - 1 gm for archer’s gloves - 5 gm for 100 arrows - 1 sm for bedroll - 2 gm for 1 person tent - 150 gm for philtering kit - 45 cm for 15 empty vials (Priced by flasks) - 1 gm 5 oz of ink - 1 sm for empty sack - 1 gm for belt pouch - 5 cm for quill - 3 gm for blank book - 20 gm for large quiver - 2 gm for archer’s bracers - 50 gm for identification kit - 5 cm for 5 candles - 1 gm for brush - 3 gm for miners pick - 5 sm for hammer - 18 gm for classes at the Opal Temple (Fall) - 3 gm 3 sm for meal at Forest Meridian House - 34 gm 2 sm for clothes at Waterfall Fabrics - 70 gm 4 sm 7 cm at the Silver Dragon Emporium - 8 gm for herbalism class at Opal Temple (Winter) - 4.5 gm for 15 chunks of meat Thread List: Year 510 AV 1st Day of Fall The White Isle Harbor Intentions of learning Chapter 1: fateful meeting Friendship, jobs, and a spot of tea 2nd Day of Fall Shopping with the green lady Nothing says love like a fist to the face 5th Day of Fall A lesson in herbalism 7th Day of Fall A lesson in medicine 15th Day of Fall Another thing about herbs 20th Day of Fall Another thing about herbs 25th Day of Fall The Experimentations of a Lone Philterer 35th Day of Fall A lesson in Medicine 50th Day of Fall The Experimentations of a Lone Philterer 51st Day of Fall Another thing about herbs 52nd Day of Fall A lesson in Medicine 60th Day of Fall The Experimentations of a Lone Philterer 75th Day of Fall Another thing about herbs 77th Day of Fall A lesson in Medicine 82nd Day of Fall Are you afraid of the dark? 88th Day of Fall A lesson in Medicine All things must come to an end 89th Day of Fall Weavings of Destiny 90th Day of Fall Another thing about herbs 92nd Day of Fall The Experimentations of a Lone Philterer Journal: Day 6 of the Season Fall of the Year 510 AV from the hand of Kiska Eyris, I've learned much in my stay in Mura these past six days, though nothing of the one I seek. Where am I to find them, goddess? Oh please help me, lest I be destroyed. I've met a friend here, an Akontak. Her name is Ero, maybe she can help me find them. For now, though, I am just to study. I've enrolled in classes in medicine and herbalism, and they're going well. It is for you I take in this knowledge. Today I learned how to wrap my own wounds if I were to be hurt, and in herbalism studies she is teaching me to make Aloe Vera gel and lotion. I wish to do your name justice. Your faithful follower, Kiska 50th Day of Fall of the year 510 AV, from the hand of Kiska, I've been here for the better part of the season now, in Mura. I've lived under the house of the healing goddess, Rak'Keli, for 50 days now and have no yet once seen her presence. Oh how I do wish to meet her. I've seen followers of hers wandering the grounds of the temple or at work healing a patient many times during my stay so far. It is...amazing, how they can heal without tools. I long to be able to do this myself, and to someday take the oath of the healer myself, and gain the powers of the marked. Since my mother became very ill, it's always been in my interest to help people who are ill or hurt, so that they do not have to suffer like my mother did. I will do my best to help people with what I have now, being able to make material medicines and healing by hand and tool. Today I make a cough syrup, I'm sure they will be much needed this winter. Kiska. Day 89 of the season of Fall of the year 510 AV, from the hand of Kiska It is a strange occurrence, ones dreams. Sometimes it is hard to tell, whether one is real or one is not. I haved dreamed, this past night, but am fairly sure that it was not at all a dream, but a meeting. I was walking through a field of flowers, seemingly alone. But I was not alone. There was...someone beside me, but I know not who. It was a presence, more than a person, and they asked me but one thing really... what is my future? I suppose I knew not what that was until this dream, but I will follow what I have said in my dream. I have...a calling, I believe. Kiska.