OsmundCinderholt

Sorry was travelling but the other direction, have web access now! I can totally see Kaelnari being the one to send an adventuring gift. I think I'd like to go with the Monk's Robe. Just let me know the specifics. I also have had my sheet linked the top post of this page by the way. I haven't really picked gear yet at all.

I know so little when it comes to the book choices, that Imma honestly abstain and go with whatever. Also not to push the issue either.... But does Maenari get a gift from Dad too? Lol

Rolling for fun, let's see.

The first of many steps... Maenari hummed a soft tone, listening to Brigid catch her up on the situation. She was always the engineer when it came to problems, Maenari thought. Brigid seemed to always draw out the blueprints as it were, write the procedure steps, and in the end have the most logical and efficient solution. There was little to nit-pick with the approach she purposed. Nothing less for the talented Artificer. "It sounds like you have the right of it then, Brigid. I'm in full agreement. The more we know the better we can plan, hm?" Maenari offered a reassuring nod and smile Brigid's way, all the while flattening out some wrinkles on her own tunic. Though, all things considered, training for combat and being in combat are two very different things. Plans change when javelins are in the air. I'll have to be especially vigilant then, for their sakes. The Kalashtar's attentions then were turned to her other wonderful sister, Selene. Maenari always admired the artistry required for the beautiful illusions she weaved, often being a word of encouragement to keep doing what she loves. Though with the loud tapping and the huffing, she sensed she needed more of that classic Big Sis' pep talk. Maenari had no problem with letting Selene futz over her hair, she rather enjoyed it actually. She was also certain that Selene loved it too, given that despite the simple living situation Maenari's in... without fail her hair is always velvety and smooth. Damn those ethereally beautiful Kalashstar! "I don't think Dad's sending us away as such, Selene, darling..." She said, slightly turning her head as the plaiting began. "I think he's worried that when he's gone, we won't be ready. All we have to do is show him we're more ready than he ever imagined. All of us, we're stronger than we even realize." She said this last part, looking at each of the siblings in the room with an earnest and sentimental look. There wasn't an ounce that doubted what she said either. Having been in this Ale House, watching each of her siblings cry and fight, fail and despair, there was always a hand be it hers or Dad's, that picked them back up and set them on their way. The amount of growth for everyone has been immense. What's better, is there's always higher to climb. The First of many steps...

Home is where the Heart is The evening time was always a madhouse in the upper floors of Dad's house. Maenari took the role of kid wrangler very seriously, and making sure that all their pre-bedtime rituals got completed was the utmost importance to her. Though, sometimes the more squirrely children didn't see the point in washing their grubby little faces. Still, with a patience of a saint, she cooly got a few of the youngest washed up and changed into their sleep clothes. These maternal moments from Maenari came early in her childhood, Dad always saying that she had an old soul (And how right he was). One of the youngest tugged on her sash as she was about to turn for the door, "Mae-Mae, I heard Molly and Jenkins sneak out... it's not fair!" they said, protesting with a pout and the beginnings of some crocodile tears. Maenari turned, squatting down to be near to them saying "Oh, sure it's fair. It's just their turn to help Dad out, hm? I bet if you show him how well you get to sleep, he'll choose you tomorrow morning to help out before we open. Those are the better shifts anyway," she would then pull the cover up a bit further on the kid. "Morning shifts, you can watch the sunrise with Dad. And you can't see the sunrise if you sleep through it!" The younger sibling pursed their lips in a defiant moment, then thought about it. "You're right, Mae-Mae!" The young woman tousled the child's hair and stood from her squat, leaving the door. She paused and turned to look over her shoulder, saying "Sweet dreams..." There was a certain irony wishing that, but she still meant it. --- She made her way down the stairs, coming into the hustle and bustle of the main room. It was always nice to have customers in, no matter how many. Something deep in her heart warmed at the idea of providing service for people, and those kind of instincts feel good to follow through with. Even with just a few regulars at the bar, and a couple of dwarves picking at their stew, that was plenty. Passing through the tables, Maenari wiped a few as she walked past with a rag that she kept tucked in the back of her sash, collecting crumbs into her palm. Moving across the room to a refuse bin, she stopped and looked at her own face, her carved face looking back at her from a spot on the wall just above it. As far as the works of art in the Bar went, hers was pretty darn good. Her Mother told her that artistic expression was as much about quality as it was making the viewer feel something. There was something about looking at a younger version of herself, expertly carved right down to the curve of her eyebrows, that conjured up memories of the day that Dad made it. He commented that getting her eyes right would be impossible, there's no capturing the real deal, he said. They shared a long look with each other that day, one that was filled with true father-daughter love that words didn't need to say. That's the kind of feeling good art should instill. --- Joining her brothers and sisters a bit late into the meeting, Maenari saunters into the room with her usual airiness and finds a seat off to the side while the others were talking. She only really caught Brigid talking about Forest-Wardens and Goblins. "Brigid, what's this about Goblins? I had to get the little ones into bed, you know how they can be," Maenari smirked, then listened to the slight and not as quiet as they think they're being footsteps pittering on the floor above them. All of her siblings, at some point have had Maenari try to 'mother' them at one point or the other. Depending on whether they always appreciated it, that's another thing, but even if she was younger than the sibling in question there always was this need from her to take care of you all.

Maenari the Monk SHEET: Name: Maenari (Mae being her given name, Nari the name of her Quori spirit.) Race: Kalashtar Gender: Female (She/Her) Age: 20 Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful Good Physical Description: Maenari is an attractive young woman with rich tawny brown skin, sharp and symmetrical facial features, and sports shoulder length dark and lustrous brown hair. Physically she is in quite good shape, bearing the body of a dancer, as she is oft seen practicing a flowing routine in her free time. She moves with a quiet grace, seemingly gliding over the ground as she moves. Maenari's face seems to default to a placid expression, appearing unbothered by most things. When interacting with someone, her thick expressive brows do most of the emoting for her, and she gives whomever she's speaking rapt attention. Behind her hazel eyes, Maenari has a depthless wisdom of centuries of experience, despite outwardly looking nothing more than a young adult. The young woman's attire is of simpler make, made of soft silken materials, ranging in colors of golden to darker browns. Her typical get-up is a tunic sans sleeves, wide billowing trousers, a colorful sash of a complimenting color to whatever palette her tunic is, and a well loved set of braided leather sandals. She adorns her wrists with bangles of iron, and she wears similarly simple earrings of a humble material, certainly not of silver or the like. She does not seem to carry much of anything else, save for a simple backpack. Personality: From a young age Maenari was quiet, holding the kind of calculating gaze that normally one earns from years of experience, but seemingly had developed this early. Or so she thought. In reality, she shared a subjectivity with another being, a Quori spirit from the realm of Dal Quor called Nari. Nari was not able to directly communicate with Mae, but there was a certain amount of subconscious nudging they often performed to direct the young Mae. More often than not, Mae found herself feeling the urge to help her younger siblings, or to stand ready to help Dad with whatever chores needed doing. More urges pointed her towards standing up to bullies, earning herself a blackeye or two. As she grew older, the more her desire to do good flared the harder it was to distinguish the subtle suggestions from Nari, and Mae's own thought. Now a woman grown, Maenari has become a fully realized adult, who has found her niche in helping anyone in need, acting with compassion and courage, and honing her mind and body so that she can continue pursuing these ideals. Background: Nine months before Mae was born, Dad had made a trip into the city of Sharn. There in the Overlook neighborhood, he met a woman by the name of Kaelnari. An Adaran woman. Needless to say, Dad had and still has that impossible to resist charisma, being the legendary man that he is. Of course one thing led to another, they spent the night together, and afterwards offered to keep in touch anytime he made his way back into Sharn. Then Mae was born, and Kaelnari sent a letter to the 'The Bard's Song Ale House', informing Dad that he was a father (again). Dad being no absentee father wrote back saying that he'll come right away, and that they would work out what will be best for the baby Mae. It was on this return that Kaelnari explained to Dad that she was something called a Kalashstar, that their daughter was one too. She then explained, that when she was a little bit older that she should be brought back to Sharn for visits, so that she could be taught about her heritage and culture. Needless to say, Dad accepted this arrangement and took the baby Mae home with him. ---- Mae's first memories were of not having dreams when she slept. It was more like memories that were not her own. Of places so far distant and alien. Each night she'd seemingly be in the body of a huge spiritual being made of golden light, battling against dark slithering entities with more eyes and arms than was natural. She remembered large stone monasteries in a foreign country, where the people spoke a language she did not know. In each of these memories, she had seen that whomever the memories belonged to, they seemed to be a force for good. In addition to the not dreaming, Mae also felt a tug in her mind towards her siblings, that sometimes she'd be able to speak inside their mind so that only they could hear it. The toddler used it on Dad one day, which quickly got his attention. So it was that summer, when Mae as 4 years old, that she traveled to Sharn to finally meet her Mom. --- For 6 years she stayed her first stint with her Mother in Sharn, being introduced to the concepts of Dal Quor, the Path of the Light and il-Yannah, and their duty to promote the vanquishing of the Dreaming Darkness. For a normal child this would have been a lot to take in, but seemingly it wasn't like she was being taught new things when told about what it meant to be a Kalashtar, it was more like she was relearning what she already knew. Her Mom, Kaelnari, also explained that they both shared a lineage with a spirit called Nari, and that their names were reflecting that, and that she should call herself Maenari from now on. --- Between the ages of 10-15, she was making more frequent trips between Cragswar and Sharn. While in Cragswar, Maenari simply played the role of protective sibling and helpful daughter to her Dad. When she went back to Sharn, she was being taught how to meditate, how to form a fist in the defense of others, how to perform the proper mental link, or 'thoughtsong', with another person. She also learned the 'sheshan talarash dasyannah', or 'Path of Shadows' which was the martial dance of her people. Her body became hardened by martial training, and her already keen mind was filled with philosophy and Kalashtar ideals. Maenari was leaps and bounds far more mature than her peers, and often tried to step in and help Dad with the more rambunctious kids back home. --- The last couple years have been spent home now, from the age of 16 to the present day at the age of 20. With the increasing frailty of her Dad, Maenari sees it as her responsibility to help keep things at the Bar running smoothly, for Dad's sake. This means she hasn't been back to Sharn to see her Mother as often as she'd like. Though, she feels there is little to learn from her Mom these days, as it's now just the constant uphill path of mastery of her skills. Still, Maenari wants to make it to Sharn in the near future.

I've been traveling the past few days, but am able to sit down and write tonight. Typing up the character details and will post soon ish~! It's been a LONG while since I built anything in 3.5, so the character sheet part might take some work.

Hey y'all! Thinking of making a Kalashtar Monk. Will work on it for a little bit, so application post SoonTm.

Vic had been walking aimlessly since about 1 o'clock when the trailhead spit her out at the end of the trek, and has been actively avoiding making any real plans for the 'what now'. Now that it was 6 PM, her rumbling stomach made the first, and frankly easiest choice in her near future; Dinner. Nigh on a month of eating nothing but backpacking MRE style meals and peanut butter on crackers made anything hot and not out of packet look appetizing, and no kind of long line would deter her. The young woman looked a bit ragged, the wear and tear of the trail still apparent on her. Muddy boots, stale campfire smoke infused clothes, and the large 45 liter backpack on her back painted the picture that she was either homeless or super lost. In any case, seeing the line as it was, Vic thought to make a beeline for the bathrooms first. Shrugging off her pack off her shoulders, then sort of awkwardly shuffling past the crowd she went into the Women's room. Once inside, Vic laid her pack against the wall and fished out a few things. First she grabbed her empty 1.5 liter nalgene bottle and put it on the sink's counter, then she fished out small ditty bag. Vic drew open the drawstring of the small bag and pulled out a bottle of Campsuds, the kind of all purpose biodegradable soap that she'd been using for washing her dishes/herself for the last month now. Staring at herself in the mirror, Vic frowned as she saw who was looking back. Sighing, she turned on the faucet to hot and squirted out a fair amount of suds into her hands and began to wash her hands, then her face. The sink water ran dark with the dirt. Anyone else in the Lady's room would likely be appalled, but at this point Vic didn't care. After grabbing a wad of paper towel to dry her hands and face, Vic once more looked in the mirror and mustered a quiet "I did it Pops... now what." This whole trip was meant to be their last Father-Daughter outing before she went to college next year, but now...? Now was time for pizza. Filling her nalgene bottle from the faucet, Vic stuffed it back into her backpack and went out the door to stand in line finally.

I feel like I have everything, yeah!

Victoria "Vic" Stephens Attributes: Agility (D8) Smarts (D4) Spirit (D6) Strength (D4) Vigor (D8) Skills: Athletics (D6) Common Knowledge (D4) Fighting (D8) Healing (D6) Language-English [Native] (D8) Notice (D6) Persuasion (D4) Shooting (D6) Stealth (D6) Survival (D6) Derived Statistics: Pace: 8" Running Dice: D8 Parry: 6 (7 w/Staff both hands) Toughness: 7 (1) Hindrances: Impulsive (Major) Phobia - Dogs (Major) Edges: Extraction: When moving away from adjacent foes, one of them (player’s choice), doesn’t get his free Fighting attack. First Strike: Once per round, as long as she’s not Shaken or Stunned, the hero gets a free Fighting attack against a foe immediately after he moves into Reach. Fleet-Footed: The hero’s Pace is increased by +2 and his running die increases one step. Armor: Thick Coat/Leather Jacket: +1 Torso/Arms Weapons: Unarmed: Range- Melee, D4 damage Survival Knife: Range- Melee, 2D4 damage (Basic tools in handle add +1 to Survival rolls) Staff (Walking Stick): Range- Melee, 2D4 damage (Reach 1, Parry +1, 2 Hands) Gear: Backpack (Contains: Contains: Bedroll (sleeping bag; winterized), Canteen (waterskin), First Aid Kit (basic supplies), Flashlight (10” beam), Flint and Steel, Lighter, Rope, nylon (10”/20 yards), Whistle, Whetstone, MRE) Hiking Boots Cell Phone Current Wealth: $: 0 Background: Vic grew up on a backwoods farm property in southern Pennsylvania, where truth be told her father raised her like the son he never had. From an early age she was taught to be comfortable in the scrub and brush, learning how to hunt and orienteer maps, and how to camp. Her pops was taking her out nearly every weekend to go on camping/hunting/fishing excursions. From the time she could walk, straight through High School, Vic and her pops bonded over deeply over their shared love of the outdoors. So when Vic's father died her senior year, a massive hole was left in her heart. Before his passing, Vic's pops was planning with her a trip down the Potomac-Heritage trail, which stretched from their part of nowheresville PA, straight down to the Chesapeake bay. Not wanting to have that dream go unfulfilled, despite her father's passing, Vic planned the 20 day trek on her own. It would be her big last hurrah before she applied for University the following year. The journey down the trail was a somber one, with each mile, with each step only leaving Vic feeling all the more lonely. As the days pressed on, and the further she traveled southeast, Vic felt the love of woods leaving her, as it only too painfully reminded her of her father. When finally the trail spit her out, Vic found herself in the small coastal town of Deltaville. Her impulsive planning in the first place, coming alone, never accounted for the return journey. With no money, a backpack full of hiking gear, and a heavy heart, Vic had to come up with a plan of how to get back home... If she'd ever get home, that is...