NIAHARA ERSKINE
~ The Wandering Child ~
Basic Information
Race: Human/Mixed
Birthday & Age : Season of autumn, Day 66 , Year 490 AV ( 20 years )
Gender: Female
Physical Description
Niahara is neither tall, nor short. She stands 5'40'' above the ground and weighs 110 lbs making her slim, but not the skinny type. She is not outstandingly beautiful, but has something striking that makes people look twice at her. Her hair is dark, having an almost blue touch, falling down to the middle of her back. She holds it either tied in a bun or loose on her shoulders depending on the situation. Her eyes are icy blue with a curious swirl of emotions in them that makes people make a step back when they make eye contact. Her skin is neither pale nor dark, bearing a soft caramel color legacy of her Vantha mother. Niahara isn't what you would call a muscular girl; on the contrary at a first glance she looks rather fragile, but hides a hidden power that protects her when in need.
Character Concept
Known commonly as Ara, Niahara suffers from dual-personality that is triggered by certain smells, sounds or events. Whenever she is in a situation where she might need protection Ara switches from her own personality to Niah, her opposite. Like a coin has two faces so does Niahara have two different personalities, as opposite as you can find them.
Ara is quiet, optimistic, shy and soft-spoken. She loves the arts and hates violence it whatever forms it may present itself. She plays the violin beautifully and wishes to study with a great master in order to become a virtuoso of this instrument. Niah on the other hand is rash, short-tempered and realistic. She is able to use a dagger in order to defend herself, or rather Ara and has a certain blood lust in her eyes each time she thinks about the past. She is aware of the fact that both she and Ara exist in the same body, whereas Ara does not comprehend this fact and her time spend as Niah usually takes form as a blackout in her memories. While Ara wishes to master the violin, Niah wishes to learn how to use a sword and to perfect her technique with the daggers.
Character History
Niahara was born in Syliras to a wealthy merchant father, Arthur Erskine and a Vantha mother, Cassandra Snowsong who had taken residence in the citadel. For years the couple had troubles conceiving a child, but when they were about to give up hope Cassandra was blessed and remained pregnant. However the pregnancy was a hard one and the woman was mostly ill in bed. The birth was carried to its due time, but the labor was a complicated one. Cassandra bore twin girls and their birth was complicated for both mother and children. One of the children died shortly after its birth and the healer announced that the Vantha woman would never be able to conceive again.
The grieving parents gave the child that survived the name Niahara, combining the names they would have given to their two daughters had both had lived.The dead baby was buried under the name Lilith, meaning dark for darkness had taken her too early.
Niahara grew up in a warm and loving environment. Being an only child she was cuddled more than necessary, although the memory of her dead sister was still cherished and never forgotten. Ara learned from a tender age that there had been two of them at the beginning and the unknown longing in her heart eased as she heard what was the reason behind some of her melancholic moments. Her parents never tried to stifle her desires and when their child came to them at 4 years old after hearing a violinist on the streets begging to be allowed to play the violin the yielded.
However, disaster struck in the summer of 495 AV. While playing on the streets of the city with her nanny, both woman and child were kidnapped. Although for the child the kidnappers had asked for a ransom nobody ever knew what happened to the woman. What happened during her captivity nobody knows, but although the child was returned unharmed she had changed.
Niah was born from the shadows in order to protect her more fragile half; when the Syliran knights first brought her to her parents she was wild, untamed and trusted no one. Upon seeing Cassandra she calmed down and smiled bitterly appearing much older than five years old. She started to speak and explained her existence to her parents.
"Ara needed me... that much was clear to me as I opened my eyes and saw myself away from the shadows that sheltered me for so long. I lived because she was scared and she didn't wish to see or hear anymore; she wanted to hide, to shield herself from everything... a woman screaming was the first thing I heard; then thugs laughing and cheering. She was too innocent to heard something like that; the scream chilled me to the bone. When they saw my eyes the paled; it must have been haunting a murderous glance on a five-year old's face. I was bound so all I could do wast haunt them. Had things been different..." the child stopped and chuckled darkly, but then her gaze softened and continued "I'll return Ara to you know. I just wanted to let you know why I exist. I'll be here whenever she needs my help. Goodbye...mother...father..."
Niah closed her eyes and when she opened them Ara stood in her place. She blinked a few times, cried out and ran in her parents' arms. From the on Niah appeared whenever Ara was in trouble and protected her. At twenty years old Ara left the city in order to pursue her musical career and find a master violinist to teach her all the mysteries of the violin. |
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by Niahara Erskine on January 13th, 2011, 7:55 pm 
