Eosi

[Eosi]

Eosi Barlowe
“you must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame;
how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Birthday: 13th Day of Fall, 491 AV
Birthplace: Denval

Profession: Servant of Ivak, Expedition Leader
Current Housing: The Sanctuary, Riverfall

Fluent: Common
Basic: Nari
Poor: Vani

Appearance

Eosi is lean and hale, standing at medium height. She bears a mane of red curls, some strands auburn while others are a burnished copper. They're left free in a halo around her face, rarely brushed and almost never tied off. Her countenance is broad and sculpted and in combination with her hair, the result is positively leonine.

Hers is a potent presence. Her walk and manner of speech is direct. There is nothing frivolous in her gaze or extraneous in her gestures. She economizes speech whenever possible and prefers to avoid trifling conversation. Yet for all her restraint, Eosi's feelings are unambiguous and she is unafraid to engage in confrontation.

Mode of dress depends upon the circumstance. In peaceful settings she may wear a sheath or cocktail dress and a half-cape, a tapered jacket and fitted pants or anything in between. Eosi is neither conservative nor fashionable in attire. She favors rich autumn colors; gold, emerald, plum, taupe and crimson.

Demeanor

“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”
― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Eosi is unconcerned with the arbitrary. One of her greatest joys is dismantling outdated systems and reassembling them in order to maximize efficiency. She approaches work with enthusiasm and has a genuine ardor for productivity that galvanizes others. She is always evaluating what it is that needs to be accomplished next and who is best suited to accomplish it. Unlike more subdued personalities, she is unafraid to delegate tasks to those she recognizes as more qualified.

To the casual observer, at times it may seem that she is unemotional or detached. This couldn't be further from the truth. Eosi is a torrent of feeling. It is only through discipline that she controls and directs that energy to useful, external endeavors. Rage, sadness, elation and suffering are all things she experiences keenly and she has devoted countless hours to the practice of temperance. When deeply distraught, her discipline may waver and in these infrequent moments of weakness, it evokes a huge emotional response which most find abrupt and startling.

This is not to say she isn't colorful. There is certainly an air of reservation about her but amongst friends, Eosi has a fondness for witty repartee and a exudes an engaging, gregarious intensity that reveals her hidden passion. It requires effort on her part, but it is entirely possible for her to engage in rest and relaxation, provided the most pressing needs of the day have been met. She is temperate in her consumption but will very occasionally get drunk, though few ever bear witness.

Conversely, Eosi relates to strangers in a polite but firm way. She is uncomfortable with intimacy and uninterested in being liked by others, though she isn't opposed to their admiration. Typically, there needs to be some catalyst for a friendship, a unifying ideal that allows them a degree of common ground before she begins to form an attachment. Once the attachment is formed however, she is a stalwart friend and a thoughtful companion who uses her powers of strategy to provide support, counsel and service.

Eosi is unflapped by caring for those who have earned her love but will only go so far. She loses respect for those who do not emulate her own level of autonomy. She is well aware of the differences between interdependence and codependence and not afraid to draw a boundary if she feels a line has been crossed. This can sometimes read as cold or domineering.

In conflict, Eosi will be among the first to offer input. She isn't bothered by scrutiny or criticism. She looks to empirical evidence first and her arguments are based on fact and reason. She will not lose her head in a debate but neither will she give an inch. To the outside world, this can sometimes makes her appear as if she is arguing when in reality she is merely having an ordinary conversation. When provoked however, she is incise and powerful. Rationality is a battering ram that she uses to get what she wants. She will shout down hers opponents with the force and tenacity of a charging bull and when in combination with alcohol, she can and will resort to violence.

She possesses a hidden fear of vulnerability and of collateral damage. To err is human yet she allows no room for failure. To disappoint the ones she loves cuts deepest and when her strength fails her is when she is at her lowest. Eosi feels that through denial she may overcome anything. This has led to many physical ailments and she has spent weeks at a time in the various infirmaries of the world.

In summation, Eosi is a powerful and self-possessed woman who enjoys being effective and maximizing the potential of everything around her. She is at her best when amongst friends and employed in "work worth doing." She is at her worst when taken in by the various temptations of the world and overcome by her violent emotions.

History

Born in Denval, Eosi was raised by her father, an Inarta and her mother, an archaeologist. Both underwent the journey of parenthood first with enthusiasm and later, neglect. At a certain point in her adolescence, her mother fell ill and her Father disengaged until one day he vanished entirely. As a result, for the better half of her formative years she was left with no parental authority to dictate her comings and goings. It was her own autonomy that served as a saving grace. She became intimately involved with the family business until moving in with her Aunt and Uncle, both secretly devout to the god of emotional upheaval, Ivak.

Over the years, she ingratiated herself to her family and her community. Eosi was incredibly dutiful and competent, but she aspired to more knowledge and yearned to experience the world. Thus with glad hearts the remainder of her family sponsored her an education in Zeltiva, where she could put her work ethic and ambition to good use.

She spent years at the University deeply entrenched in academia. She studied the sciences, philosophy, anthropology, archaeology and djed theory. Understanding the systems of the world gave her a pleasure she'd never known and of all the places in the city, she was most often found in the library.

Knowledge however, is a pale substitute for experience. Before long, Eosi was drawn elsewhere in spirit of employing all that she learned. Upon traveling from Zeltiva to Riverfall, she encountered Leo Varniak and the two became lovers. Her experiences with Leo defined her and the experience of true, meaningful intimacy bonded her to him in a permanent way. Even in his absence, she dutifully remains his. She has no interest in any other.

At current, she is in Riverfall. The city of warriors is a comforting place and she finds their rules on productivity agreeable. For now, Eosi is merely biding her time until the God of Fire provides a new direction.

Beliefs

The defining moment of Eosi's faith was in her experience with her Aunt and Uncle. Having no children of their own, they lavished Eosi with unconditional love and support. Their faith in Ivak taught her to make sense of her emotions in perhaps the most turbulent time of her life. They taught her that feelings are a strength of source and not shame, that they are reflective of internal experiences. This allowed her to address the grief of her childhood in a healthy way and redirect her incredible anger into other, better outlets.

She believes that her faith in Ivak is her chief source of strength. In her own view, the synthesis of emotion and reason is the most optimal way to experience the world; by accepting and utilizing both, she can be most effective and thus, glean the most from her life. This allows her to bear suffering, agony, failure and despair with fortitude and grace, because these are all necessary elements of her inner reality. They lead to deeper self-awareness and provide energy to be tapped into or redirected.

Her relationship with Ivak is as deep as it is complex. By her own measure, faith is truly the only way to conquer fear. Emotion is her greatest demon, yet it has saved her in countless instances. It has helped her know her own mind. Eosi is unwavering in her devotion. Ivak was whom she prayed to in her darkest hours.

Secondarily, Eosi has a very good relationship with Syna. This was the deity of her mother. Likewise the worship of clarity, warmth, truth and rightness resonates with her personal set of values. Eosi enjoys "living in the light," in transparency and in even in mercy, as the sun nourishes growth and sustains life.

She once was a faithful of Nikali, though this devotion was more of an addiction. After losing her mother, to her own emotions she was a slave. Nikali taught her to cope. Where most teenagers frequent the temple weekly or monthly, Eosi was a regular patron. It was her outlet before the discovery of Ivak and once settled with her Aunt and Uncle she began to understand freedom outside of her own, self-imposed chains.

Gnosis Story :

The brightness of the sun had always come the closest to the burning touch of fire. Close enough for the young redhead. In times of desperation, Eosi would always reach out its loving rays. From her earliest memories of worship, her mother had paid lipservice to the gods. Was it that then? Was that why darkness that’d fallen into Layla’s life?

It’d been only a few years since her Mother had begun to truly descend, but it’d felt like a lifetime. The disease had started as just a tiny protrusion, a little lump on her neck. Eosi remembered marveling at the growth. But it grew as time passed. Doctors finger's itched toward the razor’s edge, yearning to remove it. But it stood too close to the woman's windpipe. Removal would almost certainly prove fatal.

Soon, the thing grew bigger and bigger. Eosi could barely afford a sideways glance at the woman anymore. It was nearly too much for her Father to bear. The two of them watched and waited slowly, caring for their beloved.

So many times had Eosi prayed to the goddess she loved best. Syna, she who brought warmth into her otherwise frigid, northern life. She’d prayed for the evil to cease and her mother to be cured. But as she grew older, she came to see the world from a different perspective. Though cruel and agonizing, the path had been set. Her Mother had to walk it. Still, it was not peaceful. It did not end with a lump. Despite the fact its monumental girth was disgusting in itself, it seemed to feed on the frail woman’s body in order to grow. Layla was nothing but a wasted skeleton, no muscle remaining.

Then her mind began to regress.

Screaming like a toddler, Layla would throw disagreeable objects across the room and wail in hysteria. Both Laes and Eosi took feeding her in shifts. Together they bore the sorrow. As a family they weathered the storm. Still, she had a way out through her classes. The young woman could dedicate her fury to Denval’s martial training. Laes had nowhere to run to. He stood and watched as the love of his life slowly wasted away. In retrospect it was no wonder he’d left after that. Guilt plagued her for being so absent in the final days. The last day in particular, when she’d finally beseeched the sun.

It’d been a grueling day in the Academy’s practice yard and she was completely spent. The girl’s corkscrew curls were tied back by a leather thong. Sweat dewed in profusion on her ivory brow. Mopping her forehead, she collected her strewn belongings and began to leave for the afternoon. Her classmates bustled around her, eager to return to their various dwellings. Eosi dawdled a bit, not sharing the same sentiment as those around her. Home was no longer a safe place. It was a nightmare. When the wool gathering could go on no longer, she heaved up her pack and strode off in the direction of her house.

The light of the sun lent its comforting embrace. Heartened, Eosi gazed up at at the wide blue firmament. “Let it be my guide,” she murmured in supplication, shading her eyes. It was hard not to enjoy Syna’s presence. Eosi had always enjoyed the daytime heat, especially that of the summertime. It was almost as if her devotion to the lovely goddess was a natural progression of her being. When the fire did not rage, it sizzled. It was warm, like a blinding light. The best part in her opinion, was the metaphorical extension. Light meant truth, honesty, integrity. Those principles this industrious girl held dear. As she mused on this, she kept her face slightly upturned.

When she finally reached her shared dwelling, something seemed amiss - there was some intangible difference about her homestead. A feeling of dread suddenly lie in the pit of her stomach, and near to running she approached the front door. It was slightly ajar, which was also a bad sign. Tentative, she entered. There was bizarre, heaving sound coming from the kitchen. However before she could even investigate, her question was answered. With horror she watched the grim faced physician walk through the archway and into the hall. He stopped upon seeing her, and their eyes expressed to one another what words could not.

“I’m so sorry.” He said solemnly. Eosi's throat had closed with grief. It was over, then. They’d said it couldn’t be much longer. But still somehow she was unprepared. The heaving sound, it was her Father’s weeping. The young girl suddenly found herself in motion. All at once she sprinted into the open, area of their brightly lit house. Laes sat at the nook, head resting upon the circle of his arms. He made no move to acknowledge his daughter’s presence. “Did they take her?” Eosi breathed.

There was no answer, but the grieving temporarily subsided. After a moment or a lifetime, she couldn’t tell, he replied: “She’s gone.” Whether it was a direct answer or not suddenly became irrelevant. Despite the grief they’d carried together, there was a missing link between Father and Daughter. Their family was broken. The whole ordeal was more than the newly eighteen year old girl could bear. Incensed she fled out the back, hopping the fence. Eosi ran and ran until her legs were close to giving out from under her. The motion made her feel like she was getting away. The wind blew the tears from her eyes.

Everything was lonely and dark. More acutely then than ever did she feel that vast emptiness that had been bearing down on her life. When she’d finally gotten away from all traces of the city, she sat in the dirt and wept. Eosi never cried that way before. Gut wrenching, wracking sobs… There was no disbelief to cling to. Every step of the way she’d watched her Mother's deterioration. It had been impossible to ignore. The reality had set in almost immediately and there seemed to be no escape.

Turning to face the sky, the girl got to her knees. “Please!” She cried, urgent for something to quell her suffering, even for a second. “I love you.” Yes, it was a plea to whom she’d prayed to time and again. The final bitter prayer to in some way intervene. “I love you so much, why won’t you help me?” She croaked. Her whole life, she’d been taught to love the gods. That they’d treat her well in return. Near to feeling thwarted, the girl doubled over onto the ground… Giving in to the onset of darkness, sadness. Nothingness.

An atmospheric shift. Eosi would never forget how suddenly and completely different everything around her felt. It was so warm, warmer than anything she’d ever experienced. A gentle, narrow hand laid upon her cheek, lifting her face. That contact she’d never forget. It was almost as if the pain had miraculously departed all at once. There was nothing but light. Stunned, the girl looked into the face of the sun itself. Only it did not burn her eyes. No longer did it spurn her prayers. Syna looked upon the girl of fire and smiled. It was a beautiful smile. In fact, she was the most heartbreakingly gorgeous woman Eosi had ever seen. The perfection transcended anything she’d ever perceived before.

“I love you too,” the sweet voice said. The girl was near to weeping again, this time from joy. The turn around was near insanity. “Don’t cry,” Syna began, eyes full of empathy. “For I have heard your prayers.” Completely floored, the girl just stared at the divine being mutely. “I will help you. Never again will you suffer from blindness - from darkness, as you have with these passing seasons.” The hand turned its palm down in offering. Shaking she rose to stand on par with her beloved goddess. The woman took a single, purposeful step forward.

Almost as if to embrace her, Syna reached forward with the very same hand and slid it around her neck, until the palm rested at the girl’s top vertebrae. For a beat, Eosi experienced the last daytime moment she’d ever see from a single perspective. The sensation was warm, burning and branding her. Yet there was no pain, rather a distinct tingling. All at once, she was overwhelmed by a flood of images. Eosi saw her deity’s smiling face and the tops of the trees, the falcon soaring just overhead, the swaying of the neighboring farmland’s wheat and the child playing just beyond at the edge of the cobbled road. Uncomprehending, she wrestled with the suddenly well of confusion.

As by way of explanation, Syna spoke. “Now you see as I see.”

Something in the girl’s brain clicked. She’d been marked, as she’d learned in her teachings. Granted a gnosis, a very special power. Overjoyed, anguished and confused, Eosi had so much to ask. But it seemed the visitation had reached its end. The ethereal woman removed her loving grasp and closed her eyes. With a blinding flash… She was gone.

Eosi knew then she would never again live without the kiss of the sun.

Image	Rank	About	Recieved
	1	Inavalti	Received the day of her Mother's passing.

Knowledge

 

Combat

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Shortbow	30 (SP) +6	36	Competent
Hand Axe	+1	1	Novice
Tactics	+3	3	Novice
Unarmed	+7	7	Novice
Brawling	+3	3	Novice

 

Physical

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Endurance	+13	13	Novice
Bodybuilding	+8	8	Novice
Running	+2	2	Novice
Acrobatics	+2	2	Novice

 

Mental

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Planning	+4	4	Novice
Observation	+25	25	Competent
Philosophy	+3	3	Novice
Rhetoric	+4	4	Novice
Investigation	+3	3	Novice

 

Social

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Socialization	+17	17	Novice
Interrogation	+2	2	Novice
Persuasion	+3	3	Novice
Seduction	+12	12	Novice
Leadership	15 (RB) + 4	19	Novice

 

Trade

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Fletching and Bowing	15 (SP)	15	Novice
Archaeology	5 (SP)	5	Novice
Fashion Design	+1	1	Novice
Singing	+1	1	Novice
Cooking	+4	4	Novice

 

Magic

Skill	Experience	Total	Rank
Reimancy	+5	5	Novice

 

Lore

1. Lore of Ivak (starting)
2. Discipline (starting)
3. Song: I Once Met a Girl with the Hair of the Sun
4. Shortbow: A Gift from Her Father
5. Correct Stance for Shooting
6. Unarmed Combat: Memorising Stances
7. The Importance of Willpower
8. Unarmed Combat: Techniques to Strengthen Muscles
9. Unarmed Combat: Techniques to Improve Flexibility
10. The Body is Not Defined by Numbers
11. Trapezius Muscle Group
12. Unarmed Combat: Techniques to Keep You Limber
13. The Mental Release of Training
14. Front Stretch Kicks
15. Practice Makes Perfect
16. Inside Circle Kicks
17. Evil Lurking in One's Dreams
18. Reimancy: Using Your Own Essence to Make Res
19. Overgiving Can be Dangerously Euphoric
20. Easiest to Summon Res from the Core of One's Being
21. Firsthand Experience of Overgiving
22. Discovering the Boy Inside Leo
23. Becoming the Servant
24. Utilizing Elements Already Present Require Less Energy
25. Your Res Can Be Turned Against You
26. Practicing a Different Form of Invasion
27. Experiencing One's Very Essence
28. Fireballs: The Perfect Distraction for Tickling!
29. Hypothesizing the Plans of the Gods
30. Understanding Your Lover's Mind, Body, and Soul
31. A 'Leader': Defined
32. The Traits of a Leader
33. Leadership is More Than Strength
34. The Assault Phase of Small Unit Combat
35. The Interim Phase of Small Unit Combat
36. The Defensive Phase of Small Unit Combat
37. Eosi's Leadership Qualities
38. Pep Talks for Morale
39. Feinted Ambush
40. First Friendship
41. Suffer NOT The Little Children
42. Raining Arrows
43. Bone Dogs: Unknown, Unexpected And Utterly Monstrous
44. A Bloody Butcher's Bill In Riverfall
45. Purify Through Flame
46. Preplanning a Seduction
47. Knowing What One Wants
48. There is a Woman in Riverfall Marked with Ranuri
49. The Sensitivity Of Mediation
50. Leo Varniak: Mysterious And Intriguing
51. Wield Power Responsibly
52. Be Wary Of Rash Wagers
53. The Zaital Family Mission
54. Question: The Bow, The Arrow Or The Target
55. An Alliance Born Of Love And Loyalty
56. Location: Eaven Smithy (Denval)
57. Uncle's Saying: Never Smith and Run
58. Fia (Basic)
59. Fee: Nickname for Fia
60. Fia's Origins
61. Alloys as a Metaphor for Mixed Blood
62. Fia: Likes Everybody
63. Johanne: The Little Bird
64. Johanne: Never Before Been in the Temple of Nikali
65. Johanne's Scars
66. Putting Actions to Words
67. Seducing a Reluctant Partner
68. Seduction: Striking Provocative Poses
69. Johanne: Pure
70. Kissing Johanne
71. Body Building: The Importance of Preliminary Stretches
72. Gymnasium Etiquette
73. Body Building: Leg Press
74. Body Building: Maintaining Form During Reps is Crucial
75. Endurance: Using a Mantra to Push Through Pain
76. Body Building: Barbells
77. Body Building: Incline Bench
78. Body Building: Dumbbells
79. Food Preparation: Rinsing Vegetables
80. Some Konti Enjoy Meat
81. Cooking: Using a Measuring Cup
82. Aelis: A very friendly, knowledgeable individual

 

Inventory

 

Equipment

• Full set of tack
• Large set of saddlebags
• One large tent (four person)
• Large tarp
• Coil of rope (hundred feet)
• Lantern
• Two torches
• Bedroll
• Blanket
• Fishing tackle & hooks
• Waterskin

 

Armoury

• Shortbow
• Arrows (93)
• Bearded handaxe (2)

 

Personal

• Set of clothing (light linen blouse, dark linen trousers, emerald cloak, black boots, cotton gloves, hosiery)
• Four cotton sheath dresses (colors; gold, plum, emerald and black)
• One champagne-colored cotton blouse
• One pair of hide trousers
• One cotton half cape
• One cotton full cape
  
  Backpack which contains:
• Set of toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap)
• Food for a week
• Eating knife
• Flint & steel

 

Animal

• Ice the Windrunner
  (purchased passing through Taldera)

 

Heirloom

Eosi possesses one gold pendant engraved with a tiny flame. It was her Mother's.

Housing

Eosi is currently staying at the Sanctuary.

Ledger

 

Winter 512AV

Name	Credit	Debit	Total
Shortbow	0	- 30 GM	70 GM
Arrows (100)	0	- 5 GM	65 GM
Dresses	0	- 32 SM	69 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Half Cape	0	- 1 GM	68 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Full Cape	0	- 2 GM	66 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Meal (Glass Gull)	0	- 30 GM	36 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Income (Expedition Leader)	+ 460 GM	0	496 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Living Expense	0	- 135 GM	361 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM

 

Winter 513 AV

Name	Credit	Debit	Total
Living Expense	0	- 135 GM	226 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM

 

Winter 515 AV

Name	Credit	Debit	Total
Season Pass to Gideon's Glory	0	- 10 GM	216 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Handaxes	0	- 12 GM	204 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Moonstone Bath & Massage Visit	0	- 6 GM	198 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Dress (for the Winter Blaze)	0	- 3 GM	195 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Living Expense	0	- 135GM	60 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM

 

Spring 516 AV

Name	Credit	Debit	Total
Cotton Blouse	0	- 1 GM	59 GM, 6 SM, 8 CM
Hide Trousers	0	- 1 GM, 6 SM	58 GM, 0 SM, 8 CM

Threads

 

Spring 516

The Story of the Flame and the Stone
(unfinished)
The Hatching
(unfinished)
Reunion
(unfinished)

 

Winter 515

Warm Hearths, Warm Hearts
(ungraded)
A Kindness Repaid
(graded; +3 observation, +3 socialization, +4 cooking)
Bathed in Warm Sunlight
(unfinished)
Blood and Sinew
(graded; +5 body building, +5 endurance, +1 acrobatics, +2 planning, +2 socialization)
Did it For the Meat
(unfinished)
Caught in the Middle
(ungraded)
Ignition (1/?)
(unfinished)

 

Winter 513

The Longest Road to Nowhere
(unfinished)

 

Winter 512

Red is my favorite color
(graded; +3 observation, +2 philosophy, +3 investigation, +1 acrobatics, +1 endurance, +2 seduction)
Riverfall Elders Meet
(ungraded)
The Initiation
(graded; +1 interrogation, +5 observation, +1 philosophy, +5 reimancy, +1 rhetoric, +5 seduction, +5 socialization, +1 tickling)
Getting Acclimated
(unfinished)
Bone Dog Saints
(graded; +3 shortbow, +2 observation, +1 brawling)
Lover's Pride
(graded; +2 planning, +3 socialization, +1 fashion design, +1 interrogation)
X never marks the spot
(unfinished)

 

Flashbacks

The First Shot
(graded; +1 singing, +1 shortbow)
Move With The Spirit
(graded; +3 unarmed, +3 endurance, +2 observation)
Small Unit Tactics
(graded; +3 tactics, +4 leadership, +1 running, +2 brawling, +1 hand axe)
The Prevailing Cold
(graded; +5 observation, +4 socialization)
Mystic Sensuality
(graded; +5 observation, +5 seduction, +3 persuasion, +3 rhetoric)

 

Dream

None yet!