Morveya Aris
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:37 pm
Player Name: Miriam
Character: Morveya Aris
Age: 24
Race: Human with elf ancestry
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 128 lbs.
Physical Description:
Morveya's long white tresses are the shade of pure winter snows. This is the most obvious trait inherited from her elvish ancestor. The very slight point to her ears is all but unnoticeable. Otherwise, she seems a human woman – a complexion that tends to light tan even without much sun, and eyes a dark human brown. Those can be rather inscrutable in the look they give, or at times make a person feel rather revealed. Her features are well favored; somehow a bit aristocratic and bohemian at once.
Morveya's figure is slender, moderately curved, with a certain deftness of movement. It is most apparent in her hands, and it may be noted she is a southern-paw. She likes to dress with a nod to style and enigma, but in a way that is often more understated, than not. She has a liking for both silver and copper when it comes to accessories, but owns little of either being of modest means, as well as having a practical bent.
Possessions:
– As a professional herbalist, Morveya has stores of the plants she commonly uses. Naturally, she strives to have as much as possible to be effective in as many situations as possible. Not being an herbalist myself –– any guidance here from the mods is welcome. I would say that, generally, she has (or can find) what she needs to treat common sorts ailments or minor injuries. She might run out, depending what quantity is needed. More rare things are not in her possession at start.
During the story, I would embellish in terms of names and descriptions of things. Or, if you want a starting list here, I can provide.
– A fairly good-sized tome on the subject of herbalore, written by a wise-witch who was one of the early settlers in Shim.
Non-herbal:
– A pendant of silver, an inverted triangle with a crystal in the shape of a water-drop embedded on its face. The crystal is hollow and contains a few drops of water from the Ofriyu Mar. Morveya has always had a certain sympathy with the river, and the water element ties to her magic. (see below) The pendant was a gift to her from uncle Samwiell (see below). She believes it aids her magic working, but it is not an enchanted item.
– A good quality quarter staff carven with various protective words and the name-glyphs of benign wood spirits. Was gifted to her by the former monk who taught her how to defend herself. Not magical.
– A beautifully tooled and decorated satchel, of elvish make, for her herbs, passed down from her great-grandmother.
– A good quality sling with stones, and a bone handled knife, suitable for work or defense, if it was necessary.
– A decent quality riding horse, a red roan mare named 'Alstris.'
Powers or Strengths:
– A talented and knowledgeable herbalist. Intuition, long hours of studying plant lore, and experience are all a part of it.
– A skilled rider, who has something of a way with horses. (Note: "skilled" = at normal riding actions - *not* trick maneuvers, combat situations, or such.)
– Has had training in how to defend herself with the quarter staff. She is competent – perhaps surprisingly so to someone who isn’t expecting her to put up a fight – but no great combatant. She will always prefer to disarm or subdue, instead of seriously injure.
– Knows how to hunt with, and is accurate with a sling – but has not used it in combat sorts of situations.
– Knows how to use a knife, or dagger, somewhat – but has never had to fight with one before. This would be a very last resort. See the bit about being squeamish in Weaknesses.
– Morveya has the aptitude to manipulate the whimsical force of magic. Heretofore, this has manifested in two ways:
1) Scrying – she can make use of any reasonably clear water, as long as she has at least the equivalent of a barrel's worth, to observe people and/or places remotely, (Not more than 5 miles distant.) or sometimes to see events of the past. (Not more than 5 years back.) This is a somewhat quirky talent, and it is at times unreliable. It may fail completely at when she desperately wants to see, and at others nearly compulse her to look, when she wishes desperately not to see. Familiarity with the target contributes toward success while lack of it reduces her chances. It is visual only -- it cannot be used as a means to listen in on conversation.
Originally, she thought this linked specifically to the waters of the Ofriyu Mar. But, over the past five years, she has been able to use water from other bodies or vessels. Though present and past may be goaded to reveal themselves, the future is a furled scroll to her.
2) Warding – the intuitive understanding to dampen, block, or sometimes sunder magic cast by others. Generally speaking, this would be a skill and strength vs. skill and strength proposition. Against a more experienced practitioner, her odds of success drop off sharply. Although sheer desperation might serve as a booster. It has a short range – usually not more than about five yards – and sometimes even requires a touch in order to be effective.
Note: I don't ever foresee Morveya becoming anything like a battlemage – her talents would branch out from these two areas over time, is the idea.
Weaknesses:
- She is largely deaf in her right ear due to a particularly bad infection as a child. She has something of a fear of losing hearing in the other ear as well, and becoming totally deaf.
- At times, her scrying talent can be a source of torment, rather than a gift. She has a fear of being compulsed by it to learn something she absolutely shouldn't – or wouldn't at all want to – know. There has been precedent for this.
- She is proud of hailing from Shim, and proud not to be puradyne. This pride borders a bit on arrogance, at times – which is actually sort of dangerous, considering how badly the puradynes and the loyal citizens of Marn outnumber her sort.
- She is squeamish when it comes to blood and guts. She doesn’t possess a warrior’s instincts, or any sanguine aspect. She uses her sling to hunt on occasion, as a practical necessity. But a person being hacked with a large blade is another matter entirely. As an herbalist, she has treated much illness and casual injury, but never the wounds of war. This will be a test for her the first time it occurs.
- Although not actively a rebel of any sort, she feels little compunction about working around authority, when she deems it necessary. She is not a fool in this regard, and sensible enough to heed real dangers. But this too can border on an arrogance that gets her into trouble.
History:
Morveya's great-grandfather Tollain, on her father's side, came from a strict puradyne upbringing. The family was proud of it, and practiced fervently the black and white morality that puradynism fosters. He was a carpenter by trade, a very talented one at that, and by all odds should have lived out the simple and straightforward life of the stolidly faithful. True love, however, has a way of confounding and foiling the odds.
And Tollain did find true love. But not with a proper and pious human woman. No, he fell head over heels for an elven girl – Acieya by name. An elvish witch, more accurately – or at least what most of the faithful would deem as such. Needless to say, the rest of the family were utterly thrilled. Enough so to put it to him that, unless he exhibited better sense and reverence for Teodinus, then he should consider himself effectively disowned.
In Tollain's heart and soul, it was no contest. He chose to remain with and wed the woman he loved.
Over time, the young couple became increasingly fed up with the treatment they received. From his former friends and acquaintances primarily. But also from some of hers, who practiced reverse prejudice. Eventually, they decided to pack it up and relocate to Shim.
Oh, that was no bed of roses at first, and certainly something of a culture shock for him. But her family had dwelled there for a time, and she looked somewhat fondly back at the less complicated and more natural life they'd had. Over time, she helped him to come to love it too. And of course they had each other, which was most important of all.
She wasn't truly a witch, in the strictest sense of the term. Though she was both spell worker and herbalist. In addition to his work, she also brought them an income by treating those with various issues, or who needed a little magical aid. They made a fine life together overall, and soon enough added little ones to the picture. None of their children or grandchildren inherited Acieya's magical aptitude, however. That gift would go absent until the generation after that.
Morveya's parents were kindly, well intentioned folk. Her mother - Acieya's and Tollain's granddaughter - likewise practiced the herbal art, as had her mother before. That Morveya too would take up the profession seemed likely – and so she did. However, it was not to be that her mother would teach it to her.
The region in and about Shim is of course populated with its own indigenous perils. One day, whilst traveling back from Marn, Morveya's parents ran afoul of…something. What that was, wasn't ever discovered. Except that it possessed claws and teeth with a terrible capacity to rend. Morveya was not yet three autumns of age when this occurred. She thereafter passed into the care of "uncle" Samwiell, and his wife – who wasn't any uncle by blood. But, rather, a wise and benign mentor to a number of the town's citizens. Though this tragedy of death did leave a whole in her life, it was mitigated by the care she received from Samwiell and his lady, as well as the fact that memories of her parents were scant.
Afterward, young Morveya lived a relatively wild and free sort of youth. Her untamed spirit seemed to find some sort of sympathy or solace with the rampant waters of the Ofriyu Mar. She was often drawn toward its banks – where she would gaze lingeringly out upon it, sometimes almost as if in a daze. And it was, seemingly, from this relationship that her magical aptitude began to kindle. Though that last word is perhaps very unapt – because it was the element of water, and not fire, with which her occult affinity lay. That it was so would become even more apparent over the years. She was taught by her "uncle" and others in her life, to regard the magic as a very useful talent, if not exactly a gift. And that the strict puradynistic view was folly; even a kind of dangerous ignorance. This lesson the girl took to heart. Particularly once she learned her family's history, and why they had relocated from Marn to Shim. But her magic did prove to have something of a double edge, at least in one regard.
Morveya's ability to scry proved quirky as it developed. At times, when it might have been most convenient to use, it would fail her for no outstanding reason. At others –– the magic would strongly compel her to look – when that was against her better judgment. Or treading upon breaches of privacy. This latter was most disconcerting. Instances of magic directing the wielder were not particularly common, insofar as Samwiell and others knowledgeable understood. Some who knew thought it only a veiling excuse; an attempt to give herself license to pry. This made Morveya very stringent with herself in usage of it – she did her level best to avoid ever becoming witness to anything which she shouldn't. And most of the time she did not. But a few bad experiences instilled a fear of it occurring again.
In contrast, her budding talent for warding was more predictable and reliable, if not without particular limits. Seemingly odd, perhaps, in one who lacked the more common prejudices against magic -- the potential to negate it. And yet, there was a side to her that felt magic was something basically pure. Before it was corrupted by the ill intent of those bent on using it for selfish or baneful ends. But it appeared Fate, or some influence, just might have armed her with the potential to do something about those. Or perhaps it stemmed from some subconscious desire to rein in the recalcitrant aspect of her scrying. Whatever the case, It would have its uses in conjunction with her herbalist work, with several clients who had run afoul of magic.
By young adulthood, she was mostly though her apprenticeship and practicing professionally. Though she'd received no training in herbalism from the women of her line, (for her grandmother was also deceased) she had inherited true the instinctive knack. As well as a great love of the art that drove her to study, practice, and improve in application of it. As her skills matured, she became a valued resource in Shim through this work.
Morveya has had a few lovers over the years. By her own admission, she isn't necessarily the easiest person to consistently get along with. Prizing her freedom and autonomy as she does. And with moods at times quick changing, and hard for some to understand. But at least one deep love she has known: Olnor, the eldest son of Shim's stable master and senior horse breeder. The two were so different in many ways – but shared a willful love of freedom between them. Perhaps that alone ensured it would be exhilarating, but also short lived. It was glorious for a time – the two were quite mad for each other. Or at least deemed themselves so, in the manner of the young and inexperienced. Morveya had already learned to ride, and had a love of horses. During the relationship, she heightened this skill, and learned subtleties of them. But, such interests were extremely secondary to the consuming passion she shared with Olnor. Naturally the pair began to speak of marriage, as they were both of age.
However, Olnor's faith and integrity proved of less depth than his passion. In one of those compulsive instances, Morveya's magic literally dragged her to scry and discover his whereabouts, on a time she could not find him. He was with another girl. It was shattering, to be sure – as for any who has their dream of the future smash like fragile glass upon rock. She was equally broken and wrecked for a time. But, the white tressed herbalist loved life too much, believed in herself too strongly, to be permanently undone by it. Eventually, she mended enough, and moved on. Again, though – it added weight to the fear of what she might see when she 'looked.'
And that much brings us to the present day. As well as a new development, with a question mark attached. A relative of her great-grandfather's family, in Marn, family (in a loose sense) she has had no contact with whatever – has recently written. The letter was a concise introduction, and a request to come into Marn and meet – and discuss a matter that could be remunerative for her. Morveya's querying response (for she had many questions) only earned an even briefer letter in turn. If she wanted to know, she must come to Marn.
Thus, she has now a decision to make.
Character: Morveya Aris
Age: 24
Race: Human with elf ancestry
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 128 lbs.
Physical Description:
Morveya's long white tresses are the shade of pure winter snows. This is the most obvious trait inherited from her elvish ancestor. The very slight point to her ears is all but unnoticeable. Otherwise, she seems a human woman – a complexion that tends to light tan even without much sun, and eyes a dark human brown. Those can be rather inscrutable in the look they give, or at times make a person feel rather revealed. Her features are well favored; somehow a bit aristocratic and bohemian at once.
Morveya's figure is slender, moderately curved, with a certain deftness of movement. It is most apparent in her hands, and it may be noted she is a southern-paw. She likes to dress with a nod to style and enigma, but in a way that is often more understated, than not. She has a liking for both silver and copper when it comes to accessories, but owns little of either being of modest means, as well as having a practical bent.
Possessions:
– As a professional herbalist, Morveya has stores of the plants she commonly uses. Naturally, she strives to have as much as possible to be effective in as many situations as possible. Not being an herbalist myself –– any guidance here from the mods is welcome. I would say that, generally, she has (or can find) what she needs to treat common sorts ailments or minor injuries. She might run out, depending what quantity is needed. More rare things are not in her possession at start.
During the story, I would embellish in terms of names and descriptions of things. Or, if you want a starting list here, I can provide.
– A fairly good-sized tome on the subject of herbalore, written by a wise-witch who was one of the early settlers in Shim.
Non-herbal:
– A pendant of silver, an inverted triangle with a crystal in the shape of a water-drop embedded on its face. The crystal is hollow and contains a few drops of water from the Ofriyu Mar. Morveya has always had a certain sympathy with the river, and the water element ties to her magic. (see below) The pendant was a gift to her from uncle Samwiell (see below). She believes it aids her magic working, but it is not an enchanted item.
– A good quality quarter staff carven with various protective words and the name-glyphs of benign wood spirits. Was gifted to her by the former monk who taught her how to defend herself. Not magical.
– A beautifully tooled and decorated satchel, of elvish make, for her herbs, passed down from her great-grandmother.
– A good quality sling with stones, and a bone handled knife, suitable for work or defense, if it was necessary.
– A decent quality riding horse, a red roan mare named 'Alstris.'
Powers or Strengths:
– A talented and knowledgeable herbalist. Intuition, long hours of studying plant lore, and experience are all a part of it.
– A skilled rider, who has something of a way with horses. (Note: "skilled" = at normal riding actions - *not* trick maneuvers, combat situations, or such.)
– Has had training in how to defend herself with the quarter staff. She is competent – perhaps surprisingly so to someone who isn’t expecting her to put up a fight – but no great combatant. She will always prefer to disarm or subdue, instead of seriously injure.
– Knows how to hunt with, and is accurate with a sling – but has not used it in combat sorts of situations.
– Knows how to use a knife, or dagger, somewhat – but has never had to fight with one before. This would be a very last resort. See the bit about being squeamish in Weaknesses.
– Morveya has the aptitude to manipulate the whimsical force of magic. Heretofore, this has manifested in two ways:
1) Scrying – she can make use of any reasonably clear water, as long as she has at least the equivalent of a barrel's worth, to observe people and/or places remotely, (Not more than 5 miles distant.) or sometimes to see events of the past. (Not more than 5 years back.) This is a somewhat quirky talent, and it is at times unreliable. It may fail completely at when she desperately wants to see, and at others nearly compulse her to look, when she wishes desperately not to see. Familiarity with the target contributes toward success while lack of it reduces her chances. It is visual only -- it cannot be used as a means to listen in on conversation.
Originally, she thought this linked specifically to the waters of the Ofriyu Mar. But, over the past five years, she has been able to use water from other bodies or vessels. Though present and past may be goaded to reveal themselves, the future is a furled scroll to her.
2) Warding – the intuitive understanding to dampen, block, or sometimes sunder magic cast by others. Generally speaking, this would be a skill and strength vs. skill and strength proposition. Against a more experienced practitioner, her odds of success drop off sharply. Although sheer desperation might serve as a booster. It has a short range – usually not more than about five yards – and sometimes even requires a touch in order to be effective.
Note: I don't ever foresee Morveya becoming anything like a battlemage – her talents would branch out from these two areas over time, is the idea.
Weaknesses:
- She is largely deaf in her right ear due to a particularly bad infection as a child. She has something of a fear of losing hearing in the other ear as well, and becoming totally deaf.
- At times, her scrying talent can be a source of torment, rather than a gift. She has a fear of being compulsed by it to learn something she absolutely shouldn't – or wouldn't at all want to – know. There has been precedent for this.
- She is proud of hailing from Shim, and proud not to be puradyne. This pride borders a bit on arrogance, at times – which is actually sort of dangerous, considering how badly the puradynes and the loyal citizens of Marn outnumber her sort.
- She is squeamish when it comes to blood and guts. She doesn’t possess a warrior’s instincts, or any sanguine aspect. She uses her sling to hunt on occasion, as a practical necessity. But a person being hacked with a large blade is another matter entirely. As an herbalist, she has treated much illness and casual injury, but never the wounds of war. This will be a test for her the first time it occurs.
- Although not actively a rebel of any sort, she feels little compunction about working around authority, when she deems it necessary. She is not a fool in this regard, and sensible enough to heed real dangers. But this too can border on an arrogance that gets her into trouble.
History:
Morveya's great-grandfather Tollain, on her father's side, came from a strict puradyne upbringing. The family was proud of it, and practiced fervently the black and white morality that puradynism fosters. He was a carpenter by trade, a very talented one at that, and by all odds should have lived out the simple and straightforward life of the stolidly faithful. True love, however, has a way of confounding and foiling the odds.
And Tollain did find true love. But not with a proper and pious human woman. No, he fell head over heels for an elven girl – Acieya by name. An elvish witch, more accurately – or at least what most of the faithful would deem as such. Needless to say, the rest of the family were utterly thrilled. Enough so to put it to him that, unless he exhibited better sense and reverence for Teodinus, then he should consider himself effectively disowned.
In Tollain's heart and soul, it was no contest. He chose to remain with and wed the woman he loved.
Over time, the young couple became increasingly fed up with the treatment they received. From his former friends and acquaintances primarily. But also from some of hers, who practiced reverse prejudice. Eventually, they decided to pack it up and relocate to Shim.
Oh, that was no bed of roses at first, and certainly something of a culture shock for him. But her family had dwelled there for a time, and she looked somewhat fondly back at the less complicated and more natural life they'd had. Over time, she helped him to come to love it too. And of course they had each other, which was most important of all.
She wasn't truly a witch, in the strictest sense of the term. Though she was both spell worker and herbalist. In addition to his work, she also brought them an income by treating those with various issues, or who needed a little magical aid. They made a fine life together overall, and soon enough added little ones to the picture. None of their children or grandchildren inherited Acieya's magical aptitude, however. That gift would go absent until the generation after that.
Morveya's parents were kindly, well intentioned folk. Her mother - Acieya's and Tollain's granddaughter - likewise practiced the herbal art, as had her mother before. That Morveya too would take up the profession seemed likely – and so she did. However, it was not to be that her mother would teach it to her.
The region in and about Shim is of course populated with its own indigenous perils. One day, whilst traveling back from Marn, Morveya's parents ran afoul of…something. What that was, wasn't ever discovered. Except that it possessed claws and teeth with a terrible capacity to rend. Morveya was not yet three autumns of age when this occurred. She thereafter passed into the care of "uncle" Samwiell, and his wife – who wasn't any uncle by blood. But, rather, a wise and benign mentor to a number of the town's citizens. Though this tragedy of death did leave a whole in her life, it was mitigated by the care she received from Samwiell and his lady, as well as the fact that memories of her parents were scant.
Afterward, young Morveya lived a relatively wild and free sort of youth. Her untamed spirit seemed to find some sort of sympathy or solace with the rampant waters of the Ofriyu Mar. She was often drawn toward its banks – where she would gaze lingeringly out upon it, sometimes almost as if in a daze. And it was, seemingly, from this relationship that her magical aptitude began to kindle. Though that last word is perhaps very unapt – because it was the element of water, and not fire, with which her occult affinity lay. That it was so would become even more apparent over the years. She was taught by her "uncle" and others in her life, to regard the magic as a very useful talent, if not exactly a gift. And that the strict puradynistic view was folly; even a kind of dangerous ignorance. This lesson the girl took to heart. Particularly once she learned her family's history, and why they had relocated from Marn to Shim. But her magic did prove to have something of a double edge, at least in one regard.
Morveya's ability to scry proved quirky as it developed. At times, when it might have been most convenient to use, it would fail her for no outstanding reason. At others –– the magic would strongly compel her to look – when that was against her better judgment. Or treading upon breaches of privacy. This latter was most disconcerting. Instances of magic directing the wielder were not particularly common, insofar as Samwiell and others knowledgeable understood. Some who knew thought it only a veiling excuse; an attempt to give herself license to pry. This made Morveya very stringent with herself in usage of it – she did her level best to avoid ever becoming witness to anything which she shouldn't. And most of the time she did not. But a few bad experiences instilled a fear of it occurring again.
In contrast, her budding talent for warding was more predictable and reliable, if not without particular limits. Seemingly odd, perhaps, in one who lacked the more common prejudices against magic -- the potential to negate it. And yet, there was a side to her that felt magic was something basically pure. Before it was corrupted by the ill intent of those bent on using it for selfish or baneful ends. But it appeared Fate, or some influence, just might have armed her with the potential to do something about those. Or perhaps it stemmed from some subconscious desire to rein in the recalcitrant aspect of her scrying. Whatever the case, It would have its uses in conjunction with her herbalist work, with several clients who had run afoul of magic.
By young adulthood, she was mostly though her apprenticeship and practicing professionally. Though she'd received no training in herbalism from the women of her line, (for her grandmother was also deceased) she had inherited true the instinctive knack. As well as a great love of the art that drove her to study, practice, and improve in application of it. As her skills matured, she became a valued resource in Shim through this work.
Morveya has had a few lovers over the years. By her own admission, she isn't necessarily the easiest person to consistently get along with. Prizing her freedom and autonomy as she does. And with moods at times quick changing, and hard for some to understand. But at least one deep love she has known: Olnor, the eldest son of Shim's stable master and senior horse breeder. The two were so different in many ways – but shared a willful love of freedom between them. Perhaps that alone ensured it would be exhilarating, but also short lived. It was glorious for a time – the two were quite mad for each other. Or at least deemed themselves so, in the manner of the young and inexperienced. Morveya had already learned to ride, and had a love of horses. During the relationship, she heightened this skill, and learned subtleties of them. But, such interests were extremely secondary to the consuming passion she shared with Olnor. Naturally the pair began to speak of marriage, as they were both of age.
However, Olnor's faith and integrity proved of less depth than his passion. In one of those compulsive instances, Morveya's magic literally dragged her to scry and discover his whereabouts, on a time she could not find him. He was with another girl. It was shattering, to be sure – as for any who has their dream of the future smash like fragile glass upon rock. She was equally broken and wrecked for a time. But, the white tressed herbalist loved life too much, believed in herself too strongly, to be permanently undone by it. Eventually, she mended enough, and moved on. Again, though – it added weight to the fear of what she might see when she 'looked.'
And that much brings us to the present day. As well as a new development, with a question mark attached. A relative of her great-grandfather's family, in Marn, family (in a loose sense) she has had no contact with whatever – has recently written. The letter was a concise introduction, and a request to come into Marn and meet – and discuss a matter that could be remunerative for her. Morveya's querying response (for she had many questions) only earned an even briefer letter in turn. If she wanted to know, she must come to Marn.
Thus, she has now a decision to make.