Rosilda of Shurning, tabaxi noble

[Ayeba]

Source and full picture

Basic Information

Name: Rosilda of Shurning
Age: 23
Race: Tabaxi
Class: Monk
Subclass: Way of Mercy, reflavored
Background: Noble
Level: 1

Personality

Traits: My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world. 

Ideals: It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)

Bonds: Nothing is more important than the other members of my family. 

Flaws: By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family. 

Languages

Common, Elvan, Sylvan

Lost Item

 

Backstory

Rosilda was adopted into the noble house of Shurning from birth. She always tried to be dutiful and filial to her family. Her father recognized her hard work and dedication and awarded her the title as next in line to inherit his title. Gerard, born two years after Rosilda's adoption, grew up to love his older sister. Over time, his love was tainted by envy. His eldest sister was both talented and charming, she was deserving of the title as next to inherit, and yet he couldn't help but be jealous. He was not far behind, but could never catch up.

As she grew up, Rosilda was quite the tomboy. She only wore boy's clothes, shied away from any traditional female activity and loved flirting with girls. She took well to most subjects, and received lessons in etiquette, history and cartography, the house of Shurning's speciality. They owned vast lands and constantly sold and bought more, and heirs were expected to be well versed in both making and reading maps. She was also trained in the family's fighting style that emphasized a longsword, shield and plate armor.

All was not smooth sailing, though. She felt constantly constrained by her duties and expectations, and sought to find escapes when she could get away with it. She never missed any mandatory training or obligation, but would often disappear as soon as they were done and not come home until dark. Her parents were worried about her behavior and started imposing restrictions on her freedom, which only made her feel further constrained. She followed every rule set out for her, but grew frustrated with her lack of personal agency. 

When she turned fifteen, everything changed rapidly. Her father was admonished for pushing his adopted daughter into a role she was not suited for. The title of next in line was removed from her and given to Gerard instead. Her tomboyish behavior was no longer allowed, and she was given extensive lessons in female etiquette. Her engagement to a noble lady was quietly dropped. Her training regime changed; it was obvious her lithe body was not suited for the family’s traditional fighting style. The family hired a female guard that doubled as Rosilda’s instructor, and whose style was a lot more fitting for her. 

She was obviously unhappy with all the sudden changes. Losing the title of next in line hurt her deeply. She was not comfortable with her new attires that emphasized her feminine figure. The etiquette training was hard to swallow, but she did her best to persist. All the changes chafed her relationship with her family. It didn’t diminish her love for them, but there were plenty of loud discussions where harsh words were exchanged.

The only silver lining to all the changes was that she was no longer expected to fulfill the duties of the next in line. Since she now had a choice in how she wanted to schedule her days, she took on duties pertaining to her house’s estates. This required her to travel to areas her family might consider buying. Her new duties included prospecting the lands, dealing with the local landlords and nobles and returning with accurate maps. As a consequence, she was often away from home for extended periods. 

Despite everything that happened, her love for her family never faltered. She cherished her siblings, and even made peace with Gerard. Her family’s motto was something she always kept at heart: Never solve a problem with swords that can be handled with words.

Stat Block

[b][url=http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2885805]Rosilda of Shurning[/url][/b] 
[i]Tabaxi Monk 1 Good[/i] 

[b]AC[/b] 17 [b]HP[/b] 10 [b]Speed[/b] 30ft 

[b]Str[/b] 12 (1) [b]Dex[/b] 18 (4) [b]Con[/b] 15 (2) [b]Wis[/b] 16 (3) [b]Int[/b] 11 (0) [b]Cha[/b] 14 (2)

[b]Attacks[/b]
[b]Quarterstaff[/b] 1d20+6 1d8+4
[b]Claws[/b] 1d20+6 1d6+4
[b]Unarmed Strike[/b] 1d20+6 1d4+4
[b]Darts[/b] 1d20+6 1d4+4
[b]Shortsword[/b] 1d20+6 1d6+4

- Darkvision 60 ft
- Feline Agility: Double speed until end of turn. Need a move 0 turn to recharge.
- Martial Arts: 1d4
--> Bonus action Unarmed attack after regular attack. 
--> Can use Dexterity for attack and damage when wielding simple weapons.

 

Character excerpt

“Argh,” Rosilda cried as she launched a kick at the training dummy.

“Rough day?” Carina asked as she approached the frustrated tabaxi, “Wait, is that apple pie I smell?”

“You can have it after we spar,” Rosilda said and turned her quarterstaff towards her instructor.

Carina twirled her own staff and assumed her stance. “I don't mind. Just remember that sparring is not the only way to clear your mind.”

Rosilda’s only answer was a fierce lounge which her mentor easily deflected. Roughly fifteen minutes later, she had to concede defeat. 

“You once again revert to using brute force when you get too angry,” Carina remarked, “but I guess you're not in the mood for a lesson right now. Fetch me the pie and tell me what's on your mind.”

The older woman sat down with her legs crossed and accepted her pupil's offering. 

“Today, Gerard was responsible for welcoming the baron of Wixbury and his family,” Rosilda explained, “and he fumbled it so badly. So many blunders and mistakes. They were given no time to rest after their long trip here. He basically dismissed their gift. And I don't think he even realized that he implied the baron was lazy!”

“Must have been embarrassing to witness,” Carina said and popped a piece of the pie into her mouth. 

“You have no idea. But that's not the worst. When I tried to help him out, do you know what my father did? He scolded me for interjecting in a conversation between men, and told me to entertain the baroness and the children instead.”

“Yeah, I can see why that’d frustrate you. So what did you do?” 

“Follow his order, of course. It was not like I had any choice. I took the baroness to the garden and arranged for them to have a restful lunch in the gazebo. The baroness was exhausted and appreciated some time alone, while I took the children to the stables and let them play with the dogs.”

“It sounds like your father assigned the right person for the job.”

“I know how to deal with guests. Heck, I can deal with guests while allowing Gerard to shine as the main character. He’s barely more than a bumbling buffoon when he is given too much responsibility like this. I love him, but it is just not his forte.” 

“And yet he must learn, or the house will suffer once he takes the reins.”

“Yeah, I worry for the future. His skill with a sword is undeniable, but he can’t rely only on that to lead our house.” 

“Unless a war breaks out.”

“No, not even if a war breaks out. A war is won at the diplomacy table, not at the battlefield. The battlefield just shapes the options available to each delegation. And if you’ve amassed sufficient allies before a war breaks out, there may not be a need to go to the battlefield at all.” 

“I’ll take your word for that, since I am clueless about the games you nobles play. What I can do is help you alleviate some of your negative feelings. Sit and meditate with me.” 

She grumbled, but obliged. The meditation helped, but it did not cleanse her frustration.

“I see you’re still tense,” Carina noted, “Maybe you ought to take a break for a while. Take your mind off your problems. You know, the Wildlight Carnival is setting up in town. They will be open tomorrow, on your 23rd birthday.”

“Really? … I need to go there.”

“I expected you to be interested, but what do you mean by ‘need’?” 

“I… don’t know, exactly. I was there on my fifteenth birthday. My memory is fuzzy. I... think I lost something of importance, but I can't recall what. I have to go there and see if I can find it.”

Carina looked at her oddly. “If you say so. Just remember to tell your parents where you are going this time.”

 

Edited March 7 by Ayeba
Minor edits (see edit history)

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

@Ayeba

This is a really interesting character concept. I like it!

 

[Ayeba]

 

2 hours ago, Guardian Angel Haruki said:

@Ayeba

This is a really interesting character concept. I like it!

Thank you. I am very happy about it myself. Can I assume this means the character is considered reviewed? Should I change the tag?