Riel.

[Riel]

Race: Kelvic [black-capped chickadee (songbird)]
Birthday & Age: 510 AV, Season of Spring, Day 12
Gender: Female

Physical Description:
Human form.
Bird form.

On the opposite spectrum of her predacious brethren, Riel is the personification of ‘dainty’. Her meager height (5’3), combined with her subservient posture and mannerisms, tend to obscure her presence in dynamic settings. Her skin is the pale, creamy shade of downy feathers, contrasting against the black sheen of her wind-swept hair and sable eyes. Marring the back of her left hand is the crude brand of the Black Sun, marking her as a slave.

When Riel speaks, there is a subtle, indeterminable accent to her speech patterns. Unlike most accents that are traceable to specific regions or cultures, Riel’s accent originates from her feral form. There is a curious lilt to her words, as well as a peculiar cadence to beginning and ending syllables.

Though her environment often forces Riel to remain human, her true form is a black-capped chickadee. Constant grooming has lent a lustrous burnish to her sable, grey, and cream feathers. Otherwise, there is nothing to distinguish her from her copious, wild counterparts.

Character Concept:
Personality:
True to her chickadee nature, Riel is inquisitive. While excessive conditioning has taught her to repress her curiosity near humans, she is given to brief, trivial excursions when the opportunity arises, often returning with an inane trophy. Outside of her forays, Riel demonstrates a combination of Kelvic and domestic slave traits, exemplifying obedience, diffidence, and an intense will to please.

Likes: Singing, caviar, bright colors, children, company, outdoors.
Dislikes: Birds of prey, cats, weasels, fire, solitude, independence.

[Riel]

History:

Born to a human slave in Ravok, Riel inherited her mother’s status. Within a week of her birth, it was discovered that she was kelvic, subsequently increasing her perceived value. While it would have been common, perhaps even expected, for her to be offered to an elevated member of the Black Sun to incur favor, such was not her fate. To avoid political tension—as well as to obtain a bloated profit—Riel was sold to a merchant family of Zeltiva shortly after she was weaned.

Having established an enterprise in trading wheat—a simple but profitable product in Zeltiva—the Evaristus family was wealthy, stable, and hedonistic in nature. Slaves and servants were a fundamental component to their lives, each slave performing specific duties, to provide the luxury and comfort the family was acclimated to. Riel was bought by the youngest Evaristus brother as a gift for his seven-year-old daughter, Joslin, becoming the Evaristus’ sixth—and most prized—slave.

Due to the accelerated growth rate of kelvics, in comparison to humans, Riel’s duties were difficult to define. In the first month of her purchase, she was the inseparable playmate of Joslin. Their antics were many and, while they often utilized Riel’s kelvic forms to their advantage, the pair was received with adoration and praise. As Riel surpassed Joslin in maturity, her role in the child’s life shifted; no longer was she considered Joslin’s playmate, but instead served as the confidante and caretaker of the child.

At the age of eight, Riel’s bonded mistress sickened and died. The Evaristus family, as well as their acquaintances, changed their perception of Riel immediately. She ceased to be the peculiar, coddled pet they adored; instead, she was regarded as a blight, and the misfortune of Joslin’s death was largely attributed to her presence. She was immediately sold to a slaver at a discounted rate. In the breadth of a single week, Riel lost not only her closest companion, but all sense of the life she had known.

Riel passed through several transactions before she became the possession of Erdric Malizar of Ravok. A minor merchant, the human was forced to utilize excessive manipulation, incur debts, and sell various assets to afford the kelvic slave, who was fast becoming recognized for her clear, though yet unrefined, voice. To him, it was worth the expense; not only did Riel have the potential to become a sensation in some Ravok circles, but she might also provide him—in a few years—with access to social and political circles he would otherwise be prohibited from.

Riel has found the profound change in lifestyle difficult to endure, the oppressive environment proving a harsh substitute for the measure of freedom and general goodwill she once enjoyed. Though often ignored, due to a combination of fear and inexperience, dangerous questions have begun surfacing in her mind.


Lore:
Zeltivan customs and culture (basic).
History of the Evaristus family.

[Riel]

Training & Skill Points:
Singing (30 – competent)
Storytelling (5– novice)
Composition (10 – novice)
Busking (5 – novice)
Hunting (10 – racial)

Languages
Common (Fluent)

Equipment/possesions:
Chipped Inarta glass pendant (heirloom):
Owned by Riel's child mistress, Joslin Evaristus, until it chipped. The spherical pendant is modest, with its diameter spanning no more than half an inch. Deep, blood red streaks saturate the clear glass, thin near the surface and concentrated at the center. Wiring secures the orb to a silver twist chain, which rests just above her collarbone.

One set of simple clothing:
Riel's day-to-day outfit is a reflection of her slave status. A rough-spun, quarter-sleeved dress is gathered at her waist with a plaited, undyed cotton belt. What excess cloth there is falls in soft folds to cover a worn pair of leather shoes. The age of the dress is evident in the dull grey dye, as well as the dark stains along the hem. On days with inclement weather, a thin, hooded cloak is layered over her outfit.

One set of fine clothing:
On the occasions that Riel attends her master to a recreational locale, public event, or social call, she is displayed as a valued possession. A provocative silk dress, dyed to a rich plum and accented with cream embroidery, accentuates her delicate figure. Silver earrings, masterfully crafted to reference twin suns, and chiffon slippers compliment the gown. However, never is the kelvic permitted complete the ensemble with a pair of tasteful gloves, as displaying her brand provides her master with a symbol of status.

One backpack containing (comb/brush/razor/soap)
One week’s supply of food
Flint and steel

Ledger
Earnings:
100 gm (starting package)

Expenses:
- 20 gm (fine dress)
- 2 gm (silver earings)
- 1 sm (slippers)

Balance:
77 gold mizas, 9 silver mizas.


Thread List
Ostentatious is tasteless.
Goodbye, Bellboy.