Seren Coolwater

[Seren Coolwater]

Seren Coolwater Appearance Race: Vantha Gender: Female Age: 18 Birthday: 40 Winter 496 Birthplace: Avanthal Appearance: At 5'4, 100 lbs, Seren is a relatively average Vantha. Her eye color changes swiftly with her moods, and her skin is a very nice olive color. Her arms and legs are somewhat weak, and she has something of a frail body, even for a Vantha. Her eyes can sometimes be a kaleidoscope of color, as she has many fleeting thoughts and emotions that come and go quickly. Her skin is almost always clean, without a trace of dirt on it. Her long black hair is always clean and wavy. The highlights common among the Vanthi are a forest green, shimmering ever so slightly in the sunlight. While her scent is not quite as obvious as some, she still always has a faint smell of soap and smoke. Her clothes carry an air of the Far North that no amount of travel can seem to disperse-- an air of wood carving, of music, of art. Her voice is melodious, and carries rather far. In most cases, her speaking manner is intense and slow, as though she were narrating a thrilling tale (And often, she is.) Otherwise, she's very quiet: light on her feet, and dexterous with her hands. It is quite uncommon to hear much more than a slight scratching of the pen or brushing of fabric against fabric when in her silent presence. Her pants hung slightly baggy and her shirt hung below her hips, they had been her dad’s, a large man, and as such were both practically riddled with various pitts and gashes; all of which, however, were repaired in a loving, close knit with a deep purple thread. The deep earth tones that time and wear alone had given them was stained in evenly by the sands, or rather, muds of time, and for her belt (a simple affair, a black strap of leather of some slain creature, tied in a simple sailors knot about her waist) the pants could practically swallow her whole. The shirt, likewise, was disparaged from her frame, large enough to comfortably wear as a cloak or dress, (which actually worked in her favor on the coldest winter nights!) but as a dress, the various stitched repairs and motley of repairs played a curious pattern, perhaps it could have been deliberate, you might think, but no… No…, a further thought might lend. By far, the most liberal and unique part of her whole attire was her jacket, which was of a thick black bearing, but was embroidered with a pattern of zigs and zags, all in the same purple as the repairs on her other clothes, but far more purposeful, and most certainly more beautiful. The embroidery traced it’s way in a singular line, never quite crossing itself, and making hypnotic turns in ways that perhaps even journeyman threadworkers would be impressed by, and in it’s finale, it traces all the way across the edges of the jackets, which were hemmed by faded, pastel tassels, tirelessly bobbing in time with one another, and along to her movements, at once, catching the eye and demanding it’s stay. Character Concept At the moment, Seren has no goals other than mastering her current skillset. Discovery and curiosity are her driving forces; she delights with each new mystery. She also has a knack for storytelling, and often lies about her past to strangers, for no other reason than seeing how wild she can make her stories and still have them believed. She has an intense fear of any body of water larger than a small pond. This fear is matched by her wild dislike of dirt and grease, causing her to wash more than would be expected, even despite her fears. Seren is quite peaceful, but can have a fiery side as well. Her temper is a hard one to rouse, but when it is, it is difficult to extinguish. The more irreverent of her community used to say, "When Seren's eyes flash red, prepare for the Second Valterrian." Normally, though, her person is one of silent companionship. Her father told her, "The most important part of a story is the pause." However, when she gets talking, it is hard to get her to stop. Character History It's said that it was an especially cold winter's night when Seren was born, even for Avanthal. The wind howled through the trees, making almost a melody; the water nearby crashed into the shores of the Coolwater Hold. The room was rather warm from the blazing fire nearby. The Hold, despite the raging winds outside, was mostly quiet as people waited expectantly outside for the newborn to appear. With a final push, the first child of Paxxi and Coura Coolwater was born. A girl, they named her Seren, after her great-grandmother. It was hoped that she would be a positive figure of wisdom and peace, as her namesake was during the time of emergence from the underground havens of the past. As Seren entered toddlerhood, her younger sister, Ketti, was born. It was at this point that Seren began develop some strange behaviors. When other children would be out playing in the mud (when it was warm enough out to have liquid mud), Seren would be far out of reach. Any time her hands touched dirt, she would immediately rinse them. Even touching others seemed to displease her, though she never indicated as much through her spattered combination of Vani and Common. Then began the incidents. Her frequent washing habits were, once her peers got old enough to see how odd it was, a target of endless harassment. Normally a cheerful child, her eyes showed a dark purple on the days on which she had been attacked. It was almost all verbal abuse, but on the worst days, she would come home bruised and bleeding. On a fishing trip one day when she was 12, some of the bullies came along Seren's boat. These were the ones that sent her home with bruises, the ones that cut her with the sharpest pieces of ice they could find. They were the violent ones. She begged her father to allow her to stay home, but he would have none of it; fishing was the family tradition, after all! Then, when they were far out to sea, no land in sight; just ice, water, and ships, the bullies came over and began harassing Seren. One stepped to close, and, after enduring several years of this torment, she made the mistake of pushing her away. The verbal assault became physical; they beat her as best as twelve year olds were able, and in the midst of it, someone pushed her. Off the deck. Into the water. Nothing but a deep, deep cold was all that Seren could remember of the incident. It didn't just seem to pierce her skin, her insides-- it seemed to pierce her very soul, as though some ethereal frozen ghost had pierced her heart. Next thing she remembers is being pulled from the water by her mother and father-- both of whom had gnosis marks to resist the cold. Two things stuck with her from that day: that memory of her frozen soul, and the hydrophobia that would effect her so deeply later in life. Three years later, Seren was already a fair storyteller. It was said by her admirers that she could weave a tale as beautifully as a Skyglow could weave a rope. Travelers would come from all over to hear the storytellers of the Vantha, and, for a niche group, Seren was a favorite. One member of this group, a strange person that always hid their appearance, appeared at every one of her tellings-- even the impromptu ones. At the age of 15, this stranger finally departed. In all the years they had been there, no one had discovered their identity, but they were definitely one of Seren's biggest fans. The morning they disappeared, a book was left on the Coolwater Hold with a note on top: "For Seren-- in appreciation for the last and best years of my life." The book was, apparently, a personal journal of the stranger-- now discovered to be an amateur mage. Inside was detailed his own journey of two practices-- glyphing and voiding. The book was rather poorly written Vani, and the details described were shadowy at best. Still though, equipped with a small glossary of the ancient tongue and the first steps of each practice, it seemed as though Seren would be a mage. This was kept quiet among Avanthal, though, because of the fear and superstition surrounding those that practiced such things. Glyphing was an easy start-- learning the basics of sigils, triggers, and the like, as well as practicing drawing glyphs. However, Seren didn't ever achieve the concentration necessary to begin Voiding. Try as she might, the concept of "nothing" remained as elementary as ever, and her day-to-day life was becoming complicated. She was coming of age. At first, it wasn't too big of a deal. After all, she had four years to find a husband-- surely someone would catch her eye before then. Of course, it hadn't happened yet, but that didn't indicate anything. Her parents had told her that they were both late bloomers, so she shouldn't worry. What did cause some strife was that Seren began having romantic feelings-- towards other women. While not unheard of, lesbianism was usually kept quiet among the Vanthi, since a daughter that couldn't be bought for a bride price was usually slightly less than useless. Her parents, accepting people, allowed her to stay as long as she wanted in their own Hold. As she began inching closer to eighteen, though, people began talking. Her eccentrities may have been odd, but Seren had no shortage of suitors, and her voice turned heads whenever she spoke. People began saying things, the nicest of which were whispered "Icemaidens" and "She just hasn't found the right man." Finally tired of it, Seren decided to leave the Hold, and pursue her own studies. Her father cried, her mother remained silent, clenching her hands at the table when she told them. They gave her all they could-- which wasn't a whole lot. While not poor, they shared most of their possessions with the Hold, and they did not have a whole lot to give. Foremost among them were her father's (who was a calligrapher by hobby) pens; crafting accessories that she had been borrowing ever since she picked up the Stranger's Book. The Book she left behind; she had almost had it memorized in the years since it had been gifted to her, and she knew that the Hold would benefit greatly from such prized knowledge, amateur though it was. And so Seren traveled. And she traveled and she traveled. In her loneliness, she began to understand that concept of nothing, but could never quite click with it in her head. Her Voiding remained completely inert-- she knew how to begin to do so, but she had never been able to produce a portal. Her glyphing was further along, but she still had some troubles drawing the signs quickly-- plus, she had never had much of a real use for it, as none of her Hold were other mages. At the moment, it was nothing more than an interesting skill. Finally, after about 9 months, she came within site of Wind Reach. Completely remote, and yet, close enough to a town that she wouldn't starve or run out of other supplies. The real work would begin now. Language Fluent Language: Vani Basic Language: Common Poor Language: Ancient Tongue Skills Skill EXP Total Proficiency Glyphing +5 SP 5 Novice Voiding +5 SP 5 Novice Storytelling +10 RB, +16 SP 26 Competent Fishing +10 SP 10 Novice Weapon: Longsword +9 SP 9 Novice Wilderness Survival - Mountains +5 SP 5 Novice Lores Knowledge of Common Fish of Mizahar Knowledge of Ink Making Possessions Possessions : 1 Set of Clothing -Simple Shirt -Simple Pants -Simple Undergarments -Simple Coat -Simple Boots 1 Waterskin 1 Backpack which contains: -Comb (Wood) -Brush (Wood) -Soap -Razor -Balanced Rations (1 Week's worth) -1 eating knife -Flint & Steel -100 Gold Mizas -1 Large Tent -1 Large Tarp -100 Ft of Rope -Flint & Steel -Lantern -2 Torches -Bedroll -Blanket -Fishing Tackle and Hooks -Compass -Avanthalian Sleigh Horse (Tack and Saddlebags included) Heirloom: A set of calligraphy pens and a couple of jars of ink from her father. Housing Location: For now, traveling on/near cities and roads House: Tent package. Ledger Purchase Cost Total Starting +100 GM 100 GM Longsword -15 GM 85 GM Thread List Link your current & past threads here!

Gnosis Mark: Morwen (Ice Reaving)