Post by Kite on Dec 3, 2014 22:26:19 GMT -7
"It wasn't something I'd ever do again, but I'm glad it happened."
Yanessa Glitterleaf
Character Background
Yanessa was adopted when she was just a week old. Her human birth parents were a poor couple who couldn't afford a warm and safe home; they approached Duar and Bateffa Glitterleaf to provide for the newborn, and the rest is history. They were middle-aged halflings in the horticulture trade, with Duar being a research botanist and Bateffa the florist. Providing and caring for a growing child their own size was difficult, but they made do. The Glitterleafs raised Yanessa to be a kind and helpful part of the Oriar halfling community.
As Yanessa grew into a young adult, her height and reach became an asset to her aging parents. Whether it was moving piles of top soil or hanging flower-baskets, she was the ideal apprentice. She took to the Di Zi as a preteen, drawing patrons to her mother's flower shop. When Yanessa was fifteen, Duar's arthritis became too much for him to travel in search of unique or undiscovered flowers. Creating a braced backpack, Yanessa managed to fit a 'saddle' to carry her father on her back. Together, they explored forests and rocky hills that mounts could not safely go. It was a cherished time for the both of them, although Yanessa was always more eager to chase the horizon than her dad. For her eighteenth nameday, Duar named a new violet-and-cyan flower strain after his daughter.
When the younger Glitterleaf became twenty-two, her parents retired. It was a celebration much more than a defeat. Not wanting to force their daughter to become a steward to the elderly, they granted her a small and early inheritance so that she might travel. Yanessa accepted it, and began a winding tour of western Eramar, writing a journal as she went.
She would often play the Di Zi while walking through markets so that people look at her. Yanessa was crafty rather than vain, as it is a great way to prevent thieves. The woman attracted an unexpected fan, however. An aid to a local shrine enjoyed her music, and asked her to perform at a gathering of disciples. She agreed for a free and hot meal. The set went well, and Yanessa was invited to rest at a local monastery. Once again the ex-florist said yes. She was blown away by the sheer serenity of the place. The calm and grace was overwhelming.
The quiet was infectious. Yanessa participated in several meditations, and loved the stability of mind that it gave her. The inherited curiosity and fervour of Oriar had always yanked on her like a leash. Interested in more of this inner peace, the monks let her remain for a time while living as an initiate. Spring somehow bled into fall with little warning. Six months had gone in a blink. Yanessa needed to move on before winter, and she did so regretfully. She resolved to visit more.
Yanessa's next year of travels brought her through the imperial realms. It was less a tourist destination with the war going on, but the architecture was interesting. The culture was subdued in propaganda and the talk of expansion was worrying. Any time Yanessa mentioned Oriar, it was commented on that it should be under the dominion of the empire. It definitely made her uncomfortable.
Her expedition in leaving the empire was to be a long-cut; Yanessa would go out of her way to visit an old monastery in the mountains. A snowstorm made Glitterleaf hurry her pace. Once there, she was snowed in. As the sisters there would have her believe, it would last until the summer. Oops.
While the sisters were happy with her discipline, cooking skills, and medititative techniques, they worried for the safety of a lone traveler. They instituted a hard physical regimen on Yanessa, focused on avoiding assaults by being quicker than they are in every way. Rather than a contest of arms, let it be a reaction of speed and wits. By the time the mountain monastery was done with her nine months later, she had gained nearly fifty pounds of harder nerves and strong muscle.
The next four years saw much more travel. Monasteries and shrines were always on the list. Most recently, Yanessa spent the summer and early fall on Mount Possible, drinking in the gnomish spirit. She recently sought passage to Rook to return to the mainland.
Character Personality
Yanessa is determined and bright. She is a glutton for challenges and has a bucket list that continues to grow even as she crosses things off. Especially when it appears to be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Yanessa jumps. Ever since she was little, Glitterleaf was convinced of something she calls Ebb and Flow. She sees life as a stream or a breeze, and you're a stray hair or leaf. Currents will show her the way she needs to go, despite daunting appearances. Sometimes you hit a rock for a while, or get stuck in seaweed. But time will see the fluid of life pick you up and carry you off in no time. Her destinations and plans are decided by, in her words, 'hopping and letting a gust take hold.'
Yanessa's also a halfling at heart, regardless of her height. She believes in good food with good friends, and a good fire at the end of each day's road. She seeks out creature comforts when able and never takes anything for granted. Yanessa will beg for stories from other travelers, as it's the next best thing to have been there.
Lastly, the would-be monk takes time out for meditation and reflection. Even after years, she keeps her journal current and her senses honed. Should a bustling city be too much, a quiet basement will do to ensure that she can reflect on inner peace.
Character Description
Many strangers have a hard time getting a good read on the Orian native. She wears simple but elegant silk robes like a merchant, but the definition of her shoulders and arms say that she should belong in Rook's arena. She's about average height and built like a lighthouse. Yanessa wears no make-up, though she doesn't eschew perfumes that remind her of home. As she was raised, she wears no shoes, and her toes are visible under her hems.
Yanessa wears her brown hair in one long pony tail. This ponytail is festooned with many small trinkets: several coloured ribbons, several beads, and a single tiny bell that jingles when she runs or rolls. Her skin is sun-darkened and her eyes are darker. Her strong-set jaw often presents her as shrewd or stubborn. She has a necklace made out of carved bone or ivory, it is hard to tell. Her hands are worn like a carpenter or builder's.
Yanessa was adopted when she was just a week old. Her human birth parents were a poor couple who couldn't afford a warm and safe home; they approached Duar and Bateffa Glitterleaf to provide for the newborn, and the rest is history. They were middle-aged halflings in the horticulture trade, with Duar being a research botanist and Bateffa the florist. Providing and caring for a growing child their own size was difficult, but they made do. The Glitterleafs raised Yanessa to be a kind and helpful part of the Oriar halfling community.
As Yanessa grew into a young adult, her height and reach became an asset to her aging parents. Whether it was moving piles of top soil or hanging flower-baskets, she was the ideal apprentice. She took to the Di Zi as a preteen, drawing patrons to her mother's flower shop. When Yanessa was fifteen, Duar's arthritis became too much for him to travel in search of unique or undiscovered flowers. Creating a braced backpack, Yanessa managed to fit a 'saddle' to carry her father on her back. Together, they explored forests and rocky hills that mounts could not safely go. It was a cherished time for the both of them, although Yanessa was always more eager to chase the horizon than her dad. For her eighteenth nameday, Duar named a new violet-and-cyan flower strain after his daughter.
When the younger Glitterleaf became twenty-two, her parents retired. It was a celebration much more than a defeat. Not wanting to force their daughter to become a steward to the elderly, they granted her a small and early inheritance so that she might travel. Yanessa accepted it, and began a winding tour of western Eramar, writing a journal as she went.
She would often play the Di Zi while walking through markets so that people look at her. Yanessa was crafty rather than vain, as it is a great way to prevent thieves. The woman attracted an unexpected fan, however. An aid to a local shrine enjoyed her music, and asked her to perform at a gathering of disciples. She agreed for a free and hot meal. The set went well, and Yanessa was invited to rest at a local monastery. Once again the ex-florist said yes. She was blown away by the sheer serenity of the place. The calm and grace was overwhelming.
The quiet was infectious. Yanessa participated in several meditations, and loved the stability of mind that it gave her. The inherited curiosity and fervour of Oriar had always yanked on her like a leash. Interested in more of this inner peace, the monks let her remain for a time while living as an initiate. Spring somehow bled into fall with little warning. Six months had gone in a blink. Yanessa needed to move on before winter, and she did so regretfully. She resolved to visit more.
Yanessa's next year of travels brought her through the imperial realms. It was less a tourist destination with the war going on, but the architecture was interesting. The culture was subdued in propaganda and the talk of expansion was worrying. Any time Yanessa mentioned Oriar, it was commented on that it should be under the dominion of the empire. It definitely made her uncomfortable.
Her expedition in leaving the empire was to be a long-cut; Yanessa would go out of her way to visit an old monastery in the mountains. A snowstorm made Glitterleaf hurry her pace. Once there, she was snowed in. As the sisters there would have her believe, it would last until the summer. Oops.
While the sisters were happy with her discipline, cooking skills, and medititative techniques, they worried for the safety of a lone traveler. They instituted a hard physical regimen on Yanessa, focused on avoiding assaults by being quicker than they are in every way. Rather than a contest of arms, let it be a reaction of speed and wits. By the time the mountain monastery was done with her nine months later, she had gained nearly fifty pounds of harder nerves and strong muscle.
The next four years saw much more travel. Monasteries and shrines were always on the list. Most recently, Yanessa spent the summer and early fall on Mount Possible, drinking in the gnomish spirit. She recently sought passage to Rook to return to the mainland.
Character Personality
Yanessa is determined and bright. She is a glutton for challenges and has a bucket list that continues to grow even as she crosses things off. Especially when it appears to be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Yanessa jumps. Ever since she was little, Glitterleaf was convinced of something she calls Ebb and Flow. She sees life as a stream or a breeze, and you're a stray hair or leaf. Currents will show her the way she needs to go, despite daunting appearances. Sometimes you hit a rock for a while, or get stuck in seaweed. But time will see the fluid of life pick you up and carry you off in no time. Her destinations and plans are decided by, in her words, 'hopping and letting a gust take hold.'
Yanessa's also a halfling at heart, regardless of her height. She believes in good food with good friends, and a good fire at the end of each day's road. She seeks out creature comforts when able and never takes anything for granted. Yanessa will beg for stories from other travelers, as it's the next best thing to have been there.
Lastly, the would-be monk takes time out for meditation and reflection. Even after years, she keeps her journal current and her senses honed. Should a bustling city be too much, a quiet basement will do to ensure that she can reflect on inner peace.
Character Description
Many strangers have a hard time getting a good read on the Orian native. She wears simple but elegant silk robes like a merchant, but the definition of her shoulders and arms say that she should belong in Rook's arena. She's about average height and built like a lighthouse. Yanessa wears no make-up, though she doesn't eschew perfumes that remind her of home. As she was raised, she wears no shoes, and her toes are visible under her hems.
Yanessa wears her brown hair in one long pony tail. This ponytail is festooned with many small trinkets: several coloured ribbons, several beads, and a single tiny bell that jingles when she runs or rolls. Her skin is sun-darkened and her eyes are darker. Her strong-set jaw often presents her as shrewd or stubborn. She has a necklace made out of carved bone or ivory, it is hard to tell. Her hands are worn like a carpenter or builder's.
