Eléyra Avennián/Aeolrhan/Poppetmaker

[Eleyra Avennian]

Name: Eléyra Avennián
Gender: Female
Age:  71*
Race: Elven
Tribe Aeolrhan
Occupation: Dollmaker
Title: Pretty Poppetmaker
Hair Color: White-blonde
EyeColor: Pale blue
Height: A little under 2 peds
Weight: 1.2 pygges

•Overview

A woman who never quite grew out of her childlike innocence, it is only fitting that Eléyra makes a living by selling children’s dolls.

•Physical Appearance

        Eléyra has a pure Aeolrhan bloodline, and so has the appearence typical of one. Her every feature conveys delicance and fragility, an impression aided by the innocence of her doe-like eyes.

       She stands at just under two peds, and weighs approximately 1.2 pygges. Her body is lean—slender rather than skinny—and always gently postured (an attribute driven more by her desire to be perfectly presented  than any natural stiffness). Her breasts and hips are small. All of her limbs are slightly longer than normal and devoid of any appearence of muscle. She has a dancer’s grace in movement, mostly because she can never bring herself to hurry. As she spends most of her time indoors, and uses lotions and scrubs for such a purpose, her skin is a pale shade of milk. She takes great pride in preserving this color, and was extremely concerned to find that she has developed a small scattering of freckles on her exposed shoulders.

         Eléyra has the defined features of her race; her cheekbones are very prominent, and her eyes are exaggerated by the narrowness of her face. Her eyes are a dew-soft blue, so pale as to seem more of a hint of color rather than an actual shade. The size of her eyes are further offset by her thin lips and small button-like nose. She keeps her white-blonde hair uncut to her lower back, and decorates it shamelessly with ribbons, beads, and scarves.

•Clothes

         Despite her travels, Eléyra wears the garments typical of the Aeolrhan elves she grew up with. Her typical outfit consists of a long skirt in a single pastel color, usually a light blue or yellow, and a thin-strapped top that hugs her chest and billows out loosely over her waist. On warmer days, she wears a shorter skirt that goes to her mid-thigh, and ties a long peice of light fabric or scarf around her waist in a way that creates an odd angle down her leg. She has aquired a selection of scarves in complex designs and bright colors, which counterbalance her softly styled tops. For shoes she prefers sandals with long ties, which she knots up her leg to form unusual patterns.

         For practicalities sake, she also owns a small amount of knit shawls, one pair of light tan leggings, a pair of leather boots, and a few pairs of gloves.

         Eléyra adores anything that glitters or shimmers, which shows in her vast assortment of jewelry. She is rarely seen without at least three rings on each hand, and never without a necklace. Most of her jewelry came as gifts from her lover, Sherron, but a few were bought as indulgences when she could afford them. She is particulary fond of a Ithildin--Moonsilver--armband she bought in Seraia, as it glows in the moonlight and lets her have sparkle on her even at night.

Personality

         Eléyra is, in a word, simple. Her mind works in a very uncomplicated way, and indeed is crippled by impatience to the point of being unable to understand complex things. Her reasoning is straightforward, and she makes decisions quickly, which gives the impression that she is tactless and impulsive. She is unafriad to approach new people, and has been known to carry on conversations with them whether they respond or not.

         Despite her simple logic, she relies more on her heart to make decisions. She operates on the basis of self-pleasure, without regard to the future. As long as her own needs are satisfied, she is an extremely sweet and sensitive woman, whose emotions fly quickly from one extreme to the next. The exception is anger; Eléyra  rarely gets angry, her preferred method of dealing with hurt or insult being to throw herself into tears.

         Being largely unable to plan for the future, as her concern is always about the immediate situation, and dismissive of details, Eléyra usually depends on others to take care of her. Though not a child, she is very trusting and naiive, and takes things as truth, no matter who the source is. The concept of a lie is understandable, but not something she recognizes. As a result, she is easily taken advantage of.

          Like many of her people, Eléyra is prone to fits of obsession. She is easily attracted to pretty things, especially if she thinks she can use them on her next doll. Her attatchments to people, places, and things are generally intense but short-lived. She is extremely vain, and quick to become defensive when confronted with someone she thinks is prettier than her.

•Strengths and Weaknesses

a) Strengths

           Eléyra has a splendid singing voice, high and lilting, though rough from lack of training. This has earned her a fair amount of coins when times were rough, and amused her when times were not.

           Despite being somewhat lacking in intellect, she has a spectacular memory. Her mind preserves images and scenes, to be recalled and examined even weeks later. This gift is mostly used as inspiration for poppets, and helps her to remember exactly who owes her what payment, who requested what doll, and what dye is needed to achieve what color. It is also a strong contributer to the great number of songs she has memorized.

           Eléyra is extremely creative, and expresses herself through her dollmaking. She has great skill with a needle, being able to sew tiny stitches that are near invisible, and equal skill with a paintbrush (as long as the subject isn’t too abstract). Though nowhere near a master at either, her talents are flourishing with practice.

           She also spends much time in the kitchen, and can cook a great number of difficult dishes with relative ease. Rarely does she allow her food to burn, as she is quite content to sit and watch every minute until the food is cooked to her satisfaction.

b) Weaknesses

          Extended periods of exercise, even in something as simple as a long walk, exhaust her. Or rather, they wear at her feet and she is quick to stop at the first sign of discomfort. If for some reason she needs to continue walking, or has a particular destination she wants to reach, she is able to make the journey but will complain incessantly.

She never recieved or sought sufficient training in any aspect of self-defense. She was taught a few grips and twists in order to escape from a street confrontation, but her execution is generally clumsy and ineffective, except against the most novice, or startled, of attackers.        

           She is not gifted with high intelligence either. Though she could not be described as exceptionally stupid, she lacks the concentration to sort through problems, and suffers from an absolute lack of common sense.

           Nor is Eléyra educated in book learning. Though literate in Styrásh and Tharian, words often come off more as pretty patterns than as letters, and so it takes a miniscule amount of extra time for her to process them. More advanced words are beyond her comprehension. She has never taken the time to study outside of her own limitited (and largely artistic) interests and so is ignorant of academic subjects.

           Her business dealings usually favor the buyer, as she does not pay enough attention to the balance between cost and work.

•History

           Eléyra Avennián was born in Shan'Furionnis, as the product of a brief affair between two elves of very little consequence. Her mother had no interest in raising a child, and her father had already acquired a new lover, so she was adopted out to the community. An elderly shopkeeper named Hára Avennián, having a certain passion for children, took on the task of raising her. The identity of her mother was never kept secret from her, but the two had little interest in pursuing family ties.

          Grandmother Hára soon discovered that her new charge did not function at quite the same level intellectually as the other children. Eléyra acted from the heart, rather than the head, and it was reflected in her tendency to wander off and chase whatever pretty thing caught her eye. Instead of going through the hassle of keeping constant watch over her, the ever-pragmatic Hára confined her to the house for most of her childhood. Eléyra was far from being a lonely child, however. She was chaperoned to a communal tutor in the mornings, then rotated through a series of playmates in the afternoon. When she wasn’t with friends, she practiced singing, and learned to cook by reading the cookbooks Hára kept for reference.

Her other most common pastime was playing with her small collection of poppets: Nakashi, Jenevére, and Kashmina. Fascinated by them, Eléyra learned to sew and paint, intent on completing her collection with dolls of her own making. Her first attempt was at Mermaria; all the paintings she had seen thus far had been vague images, and so much was left to Eléyra's imagination. She sewed a scrap of light blue fabric into a rough body, stuffed it with grass and dirt, then sewed royal blue beads on one side for eyes. It was a crude model, but sparked an interest that would soon become an income. From then on, Eléyra preformed her lessons with greater earnest and both skills flourished. Grandmother Hára, pleased that her child had found a hobby that kept her contained to the house, was particularly encouraging. Many nights were spent huddled under the glow of an oil lamp, the two of them puzzling over a particularly difficult stitch.

          A little after her 50th birthday, Eléyra was approached by a traveling merchant about purchasing one of her dolls for his young daughter. It was, as he explained, tradition for him to bring his daughter home a gift everytime he traveled. It was left unsaid that her reputation as soft-headed had made him believe she would be the cheapest supplier. This assumption held true; flattered and surprised that there would be a market for her dolls, Eléyra agreed to custom-make a poppet for a minimal fee. The design, a heavily bearded dwarven man, was one that the woman had never attempted before, and she was discouraged to find that certain nuances were unfamiliar and challenging. Driven by pride, she slaved over the small poppet, tearing into the fabric and marring any semblance of pattern she had established with unfettered aggression. Twice she found herself starting over due to an unseemly rip across the back of the doll. When the day of exchange arrived, the doll was nearing completion, but Eléyra was in no sense satisfied. The merchant declared the thing passable, and certainly worth the meager amount he had paid, and took the doll without complaint. Overcome with the need to finish the doll, Eléyra took Hára’s youngest horse and followed the merchant onto his merchants ship, using a few of the coins he had paid her to gain passage. Though stunned (and amused) that she would go to such lengths, he allowed her to travel with him while she perfected the gift. Conditions of her passage included that she help the aging cook in the kitchen, and served the food to the men. She quickly developed a keen sense of balance and grace from juggling trays while manuevering through rowdy men on a small boat not designed for smooth sailing. After a time, the two arrived in Shan’Thai with little incident. Overwhelmed by the new sights, and coming quickly to the decision that her old life was dreadfully boring, Eléyra wandered through the port, merchant and poppet forgotten.  

The sheen of excitement soon wore off to reveal her less than ideal circumstances. She had only the few coins earned from her sale, most of which were spent carelessly on small trinkets and lavish meals within her first two days. When those ran low, Eléyra found herself without the security of home or family, and in a position of poverty she had never encountered before, and was thoroughly unprepared for. Her financial crisis forced her to sell her horse within her first week in Shan’Thai. Her need for immediate money and lack of any knowledge in the value of a horse drove her to accept the first offer that came her way, despite how little profit she gleaned from it. Assured that she again had money (and completely ignorant of how quickly that money would go) Eléyra returned to her hobby of doll making. Shan’Thai offered a new assortment of fabrics, the likes of which she had never seen before and was quick to purchase. Soon she had a small kit filled with all the materials she needed to continue making dolls, a task which she returned to eagerly.

Luck is owed complete credit as to what occurred next. With only enough coin for a single night more at the inn, Eléyra again looked for a simple solution to her money woes, only to find her immediate resources exhausted. The coins she earned singing in the tavern (a job granted slightly begrudgingly by the innkeeper) were too few to be of any real help. By this time, about three months into her stay, she had completed four simple children’s dolls of varying races. In a fortunate but impulsive break from her traditional meal taken in her room, Eléyra took to breakfast in the common area of the tavern, accompanied by the four dolls and the basis for a fifth. A loud screech and clatter from outside interrupted her quiet work, and the door bust open. She was soon the elven shield for three small children howling with laughter, all expecting their father to be standing furiously in the doorway. Though the full story was never explained, Eléyra convinced them to calm down by allowing them to play with the completed poppets. By the time their father arrived the three children were quietly whispering out the lives of the four dolls. Impressed, and on his last remaining nerve, the father offered Eléyra a job as their caretaker. She agreed and moved in with the family.

The man, a local merchant, soon discovored that, though largely ineffective as a babysitter (his children took advantage of her gullibility to gain permission to do perform a number of rambunctious feats) her skill with a needle was not to be ignored. Indeed, he exploited it, agreeing to sell her poppets at a high fee and then issue her only minimal return. Despite this, her purse grew and she gained more knowledge of the proper ways to make a doll that would sell.

One afternoon, during her 52nd year, Eléyra overheard a conversation between two customers about the city of Ciosa. Intrigued, she gathered her materials, collected her coins, and set off for the port without so much as a goodbye sent to the merchant or his children. A portion of her earnings went towards passage on the first available ship.

It took only a day for her to discover that, with the novelty of sailing worn off after her first journey, she was prone to sea-sickness.

Her arrival in Port Cael was rather anticlimactic after laying below-deck the entire journey. She stumbled off the ship and into the first inn she saw, a cheap and slightly run down building just off the main road. The innkeeper, a scheming old woman intent on making a profit, offered her a job as a waitress in return for her room and one meal a day. The idea was to draw in customers by offering mediocre meals served by one of the only pretty guests that had ever been unfortunate enough to wander into her tavern. It worked to a small extent; men were attracted to the pub, but most were seedy and of lower morals, and disappointed to find that ‘waitress’ was not another word for ‘whore’.

Eléyra spent what tips she collected on more fabrics, and expanded into buying small novelties to use as additional decorations for her dolls. She was able to sell a few, but generated no substantial income from them.

For the first year Eléyra stayed in the port side of the city, too innocent to comprehend the dangers of such places as Sneaker’s Ave. For the most part she was protected by the innkeeper, who didn’t want to have to find a replacement, and the merchants with whom she dealt. A simple suggestion from any of them and she would turn away, too distracted to remember that she had been on her way to anywhere.

The day came, however, that she was able to leave the port unobstructed. Her particular interest of late had been the Starcharts Astrendum, a structure that had been identified as the clump of buildings atop the highest hill. Seeing it everyday had led her to be fascinated by it, and she packed her things and started up road.

The road became too exhausting and she decided that the Astrendum simply was not worth the effort and lost all interest in it. Being lost, she continued on her way with no particular destination and in no particular hurry. She moved from village to village, leaving whenever she grew bored or heard of a more exciting place to go. To earn coin, she sold poppets and sang in bars. Reflecting her grandmother’s hard-line sensibility, she also looted whatever dead bodies she encountered on the road, collecting foreign fabrics, buttons, and the like along with their purses.  It would take her a few months to reach the next true settlement she would come to: Klinsor.

Eléyra lived in Klinsor until halfway through her fifty-fifth year, dabbling in both singing and poppet making, but making no significant advancements in either. By the time monotony and a rumor of a city built above the ground turned her out of the city, she had enough coin to purchase a horse and saddlebags to house her growing inventory.

Seraia was a much less friendly place than she had expected, and the cold generousity she received encouraged only a quick visit. She enticed what dyes and fabrics she could from the merchants before riding on to Lorehaven.

Lorehaven held significantly more appeal for the fifty six year old elf. Immediately captivated by the rich colors of the houses and expansive florals, weeks would go by before she understood the true value of the “City of Artisans”. This would occur only when, upon suggestion from the innkeeper, she attended the Amantry School. As she learned to manipulate feathers, mix new dyes, and experiment with new fabrics, her poppets became more fine in quality, and more appealing to the upper classes. Her growth as a craftsman and pride as an artist peaked when her work was accepted by the head of the Goutonch School for Ladies, and she became one of the regular providers of dolls for the younger ladies. Through over five years of business with the Goutonch School and the additional profits she was generating from her dealings with private customers, Eléyra amassed a tidy sum.

This sum would help her considerably while she traveled to and lived in Uderza, curious about their unique pottery. Her original intent had been to adapt the pottery into doll heads and arms, an idea with which she had practiced for a few years, but had been unable to perform to her liking. To her disappointment, the secrets of Uderza pottery remained secret. She was to be contented only by the hints at technique she gleaned from the lessons she begged from street crafters. Her skills at painting and molding were refined, but not expanded. A shendar woman, amused by her futile efforts to coax some trick of the trade out of the crafters, befriended her and taught her a few grips and twists that would (supposedly) guard against attackers. Eléyra had no talent or patience for the work, but the two spent many afternoons gossiping under the guise of training. By some happenstance she met Sherron, a fairly successful elven minstral from Bardavos who was passing through on his way back from Port Varcopas. Though he was only in Uderza for a few months, the two fell in love.

           In Bardavos, the two lived comfortably together in an exclusive but casual relationship. He gave her lessons in singing, and the two performed duets on numerous occasions. Between Sherron’s musical income and the additional money she made from selling her poppets, they earned enough to send her to the School of Colors. Combining the resources she had gathered, and the knowledge she gained at the School, she gained small noteriety for her unique dolls. One of her most regular costumers was a dancer by the name of Tillith, whose daughter had a certain fondness for the things. Because of the long absences Tillith took in order to showcase her skills, she allowed her daughter to have a new doll every month. Eléyra dropped out of the School at age 68, when she and Sherron decided by mutual agreement that their relationship was growing stale. She moved into her own house, and focused on selling her poppets.

•Weapons

          Eléyra has only one weapon, an old but well preserved armoured fan. Tillith gave her one of her old dancing fans as payment for a poppet, knowing that there was no other way Eléyra would think to own such a thing, and believing a girl as naiive as Eléyra should have a basic means of defense. Despite Tillith drilling her in the proper use of a fan, Eléyra still has no real skill in it, and considers it a strange sort of joke between friends.

•Belongings            

          Eléyra has very few permenant belongings, as she trades and forgets whatever loses her interest. Of most significance is her large wooden chest, where she keeps her fabrics, dyes, buttons, and oddities that she has acquired. She also keeps the small hand mirror that Sherron gave to her before they parted ways.


*On Age: I used the Standard Age Converter with pure Maeverhim parentage to achieve the basis for this number.

All comments welcomed!

Edited by: Talia Sturmwind  at: 6/30/06 21:13

[Twén Aråerwén]

Name: Eléyra Avennián
Gender: Female
Age: 71*
Race: Elven
Tribe Aeolrhan
Occupation: Dollmaker
Title: Pretty Poppetmaker (Puppetmaker)
Hair Color:
EyeColor:
Height:
Weight:

•Overview

A woman who never quite grew out of her childlike innocence, it is only fitting that Eléyra makes a living by selling children’s dolls.

•Physical Appearance

Eléyra has a pure Aeolrhan bloodline, and so has the appearence typical of one. Her every feature conveys delicance and fragility, an impression aided by the innocence of her doe-like eyes.

She stands at just under two peds, and weighs approximately 1.2 pygges. Her body is lean—slender rather than skinny—and always gently postured (an attribute driven more by her desire to be perfectly presented than any natural stiffness). Her breasts and hips are small. All of her limbs are slightly longer than normal and devoid of any appearence of muscle. She has a dancer’s grace in movement, mostly because she can never bring herself to hurry. As she spends most of her time indoors, and uses lotions and scrubs for such a purpose, her skin is a pale shade of milk. She takes great pride in preserving this color, and was extremely concerned to find that she has developed a small scattering of freckles on her exposed shoulders.

Eléyra has the defined features of her race; her cheekbones are very prominent, and her eyes are exaggerated by the narrowness of her face. Her eyes are a dew-soft blue, so pale as to seem more of a hint of color rather than an actual shade. The size of her eyes are further offset by her thin lips and small button-like nose. She keeps her white-blonde hair uncut to her lower back, and decorates it shamelessly with ribbons, beads, and scarves.
Very beautifuly done P.D.!
•Clothes

Despite her travels, Eléyra wears the garments typical of the Aeolrhan elves she grew up with. Her typical outfit consists of a long skirt in a single pastel color, usually a light blue or yellow, and a thin-strapped top that hugs her chest and billows out loosely over her waist. On warmer days, she wears a shorter skirt that goes to her mid-thigh, and ties a long peice of light fabric or scarf around her waist in a way that creates an odd angle down her leg. She has aquired a selection of scarves in complex designs and bright colors, which counterbalance her softly styled tops. For shoes she prefers sandals with long ties, which she knots up her leg to form unusual patterns.

For practicalities sake, she also owns a small amount of knit shawls, one pair of light tan leggings, a pair of leather boots, and a few pairs of gloves.

Eléyra adores anything that glitters or shimmers, which shows in her vast assortment of jewelry. She is rarely seen without at least three rings on each hand, and never without a necklacee. Most of her jewelry came as gifts from her lover, Sherron, but a few were bought as indulgences when she could afford them. She is particulary fond of a Ithildin (Moonsilver if I am not mistaken? Hard to recall all the technical terms for things.) armband she bought in Seraia, as it glows in the moonlight and lets her have sparkle on her even at night.

Personality

Eléyra is, in a word, simple. Her mind works in a very uncomplicated way, and indeed is crippled by impatience to the point of being unable to understand complex things. Her reasoning is straightforward, and she makes decisions quickly, which gives the impression that she is tactless and impulsive. She is unafriad to approach new people, and has been known to carry on conversations with them whether they respond or not.

Despite her simple logic, she relies more on her heart to make decisions. She operates on the basis of self-pleasure, without regard to the future. As long as her own needs are satisfied, she is an extremely sweet and sensitive woman, whose emotions fly quickly from one extreme to the next. The exception is anger; Eléyra rarely gets angry, her preferred method of dealing with hurt or insult being to throw herself into tears.

Being largely unable to plan for the future, as her concern is always about the immediate situation, and dismissive of details, Eléyra usually depends on others to take care of her. Though not a child, she is very trusting and naiive, and takes things as truth, no matter who the source is. The concept of a lie is understandable, but not something she recognizes. As a result, she is easily taken advantage of.

Like many of her people, Eléyra is prone to fits of obsession. She is easily attracted to pretty things, especially if she thinks she can use them on her next doll. Her attatchments to people, places, and things are generally intense but short-lived. She is extremely vain, and quick to become defensive when confronted with someone she thinks is prettier than her.

•Strengths and Weaknesses

a) Strengths

Eléyra has a splendid singing voice, high and lilting, though rough from lack of training. This has earned her a fair amount of coins when times were rough, and amused her when times were not.

Despite being somewhat lacking in intellect, she has a spectacular memory. Her mind preserves images and scenes, to be recalled and examined even weeks later. This gift is mostly used as inspiration for poppets, and helps her to remember exactly who owes her what payment, who requested what doll, and what dye is needed to achieve what color. It is also a strong contributer to the great number of songs she has memorized.

Eléyra is extremely creative, and expresses herself through her dollmaking. She has great skill with a needle, being able to sew tiny stitches that are near invisible, and equal skill with a paintbrush (as long as the subject isn’t too abstract). Though nowhere near a master at either, her talents are flourishing with practice.

She also spends much time in the kitchen, and can cook a great number of difficult dishes with relative ease. Rarely does she allow her food to burn, as she is quite content to sit and watch every minute until the food is cooked to her satisfaction.

b) Weaknesses

Eléyra is physically and mentally weak. She never recieved or searched for sufficient training in any aspect of self-defense, though she does know a few tricks with the armoured blade (see: Belongings). Her body is not designed for combat, and her people did not encourage it, and so concern for it has never surfaced. As such she is extremely vulnerable to any sort of attack. Removing the mention of the armoured fan from her weakness section would be nice. Though she can not really use it, it is still not a weakness. The rest of this paragraph describes a nice weakness though. Maybe listing the mental and physical weaknesses separately would give depth to them both?

She is not gifted with high intelligence either. Though she could not be described as exceptionally stupid, she lacks the concentration to sort through problems, and suffers from an absolute lack of common sense. Her business dealings usually favor the buyer, as she does not pay enough attention to the balance between cost and work.

I have but a few things to say "This is without question one of the finest CDs I have ever had the pleasure to read. Well researched, finely balanced and written eloquently." Once you look over the minor things I mentioned above. I will be back to give it a once over. But not long now I can assure you.  

(¯`·._†he §pe££ ƒe££ Üpon the Çrowd £ike a Ðragon, Åncient and ƒu££ oƒ Ðeath_.·´¯)

.·´`·.Master Elf Age Calculator.·´`·.Twén Aråerwén's CD.·´`·.

.·´`·.Character Creation Help.·´`·.

Edited by: Twen  Araerwen  at: 6/5/06 18:17

[Eleyra Avennian]

I'm flattered.

I've made a few changes and additions, marked by the italics. Hopefully those are along the lines of what you suggested.

A note on the title: I meant it to say poppet, not puppet, simply because she makes dolls rather than, well, puppets. I believe poppet can be used to mean both, and understand where the distinction would be helpful. However, Pretty Poppetmaker sounds a bit better than Pretty Dollmaker, or Darling Dollmaker, or something of that sort.

If there is anything else, even a menial thing, I would love to have it brought to my attention so I may fix it.

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Hello poppetmaker!!

Anyone messaged Artemis?Seems not - then i'll do it.

***Astropic of the day***
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path   that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. ~Don Juan"

[Artemis]

Hello!

I'm self-titled Aeruillin Queen, and have been directed to this character description. I have to say, it is simply delightful! You have taken the uniqueness of the Aeolrhan and developed such a fun quirky character who is true to her tribe (instead of trying to get away with uncharacteristic things as some often try).

From an Aeruillin point-of-view, I see nothing (*Gasp*) that needs changing!

Well done .

     

[Eleyra Avennian]

Thank you! You've all been wonderful to check my CD so thoroughly (esp. calling in Artemis; glad I didn't disappoint  ). If there are any other questions/comments/concerns, I'm all ears.

[Twén Aråerwén]

Hi Eléyra Avennián, seems you have met all requirements for a CD. I did ask our Bardic writer to stop by, as you had expressed some interest in reading things about that particular area. Yet there is nothing here holding you back from a title, unless you are still writing since the pencil is still up.

P.S.: If you decide to do any further changes please color them.    

(¯`·._†he §pe££ ƒe££ Üpon the Çrowd £ike a Ðragon, Åncient and ƒu££ oƒ Ðeath_.·´¯)

.·´`·.Master Elf Age Calculator.·´`·.Twén Aråerwén's CD.·´`·.

.·´`·.Character Creation Help.·´`·.

Edited by: Twen  Araerwen  at: 6/8/06 5:36

[Torscha]

I don't see as how I have much of a right to be doing this, being recently titled myself, but it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, lady poppetmaker. I am not familiar enough with the world and its many vagaries to offer much concrete advice, but it seems you have constructed a character who is not only delightfully charming and perfectly balanced, but one who is also unique in that your focus appears to be on actual personality as compared to the carrying-out of great feats.

To someone with the courage to be, not a mighty warrior or a great mage, but merely someone who is in small ways making the world around her a more beautiful place, I can only express my profoundest admiration. I take my hat off to you here, lady, and would you pleased to do so in whichever tavern or way-house in these vast lands where our paths might finally cross.

As Twen might say, I am looking forward to meeting you in the wide world out there, and I see I am not the only one who believes that that day is not too far off.

Till then, I will be monitoring your progress with utmost interest.

Do me the honour of allowing me to call upon you when the time comes.

Perhaps a background check on this particularly scruffy character might be in order.

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Now, with so much praise I need to read this one soon!  After breakfast though..

***Astropic of the day***
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path   that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. ~Don Juan"

[Eleyra Avennian]

I look forward to your comments, Talia.

Twen- I had left the writing symbol up because I was considering adding a bit more to the personality section, mostly focusing on how talkative she is, and more specific behaviors. Thinking on it, I've decided to leave it alone for now and allow her develop on her own. No doubt I'll be adding and modifying this CD many more times in the course of her, as it is, existence, and I'd hate to find myself limited by an idea expanded on too early.

I would love to hear from the Bardic writer, and I will be looking more into the subject tomorrow or the day after, whenever I have a bit of extra time. I'm interested in seeing what can be done with a little more depth added to that dimension of her character.

Torscha- Thank you for taking a look at my CD. It's nice to hear feedback on this, especially when it's as gracious as yours.

I took the liberty of looking at Torscha's CD, and I must admit, I was definately impressed. Torscha seems like a believably rougue character, acting as a front for a most talented writer. Eléyra and Torscha will be interesting in confrontation; I too will look forward to it. I believe the Thirsty Herald is the most appropriate place for those of us who are without story?

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Name: Eléyra Avennián
Gender: Female
Age: 71*
Race: Elven
Tribe Aeolrhan
Occupation: Dollmaker
Title: Pretty Poppetmaker
Hair Color: White-blonde
EyeColor: Pale blue
Height: A little under 2 peds
Weight: 1.2 pygges

•Overview

A woman who never quite grew out of her childlike innocence, it is only fitting that Eléyra makes a living by selling children’s dolls.

•Physical Appearance

Eléyra has a pure Aeolrhan bloodline, and so has the appearence typical of one. Her every feature conveys delicance and fragility, an impression aided by the innocence of her doe-like eyes.

She stands at just under two peds, and weighs approximately 1.2 pygges. Her body is lean—slender rather than skinny—and always gently postured (an attribute driven more by her desire to be perfectly presented than any natural stiffness). Her breasts and hips are small. All of her limbs are slightly longer than normal and devoid of any appearence of muscle. She has a dancer’s grace in movement, mostly because she can never bring herself to hurry. As she spends most of her time indoors, and uses lotions and scrubs for such a purpose, her skin is a pale shade of milk. She takes great pride in preserving this color, and was extremely concerned to find that she has developed a small scattering of freckles on her exposed shoulders.

Eléyra has the defined features of her race; her cheekbones are very prominent, and her eyes are exaggerated by the narrowness of her face. Her eyes are a dew-soft blue, so pale as to seem more of a hint of color rather than an actual shade. The size of her eyes are further offset by her thin lips and small button-like nose. She keeps her white-blonde hair uncut to her lower back, and decorates it shamelessly with ribbons, beads, and scarves.

•Clothes

Despite her travels, Eléyra wears the garments typical of the Aeolrhan elves she grew up with. Her typical outfit consists of a long skirt in a single pastel color, usually a light blue or yellow, and a thin-strapped top that hugs her chest and billows out loosely over her waist. On warmer days, she wears a shorter skirt that goes to her mid-thigh, and ties a long peice of light fabric or scarf around her waist in a way that creates an odd angle down her leg. She has aquired a selection of scarves in complex designs and bright colors, which counterbalance her softly styled tops. For shoes she prefers sandals with long ties, which she knots up her leg to form unusual patterns.

For practicalities sake, she also owns a small amount of knit shawls, one pair of light tan leggings, a pair of leather boots, and a few pairs of gloves.

Eléyra adores anything that glitters or shimmers, which shows in her vast assortment of jewelry. She is rarely seen without at least three rings on each hand, and never without a necklace. Most of her jewelry came as gifts from her lover, Sherron, but a few were bought as indulgences when she could afford them. She is particulary fond of a Ithildin--Moonsilver--armband she bought in Seraia, as it glows in the moonlight and lets her have sparkle on her even at night.

Personality

Eléyra is, in a word, simple. Her mind works in a very uncomplicated way, and indeed is crippled by impatience to the point of being unable to understand complex things. Her reasoning is straightforward, and she makes decisions quickly, which gives the impression that she is tactless and impulsive. She is unafraid to approach new people, and has been known to carry on conversations with them whether they respond or not.

Despite her simple logic, she relies more on her heart to make decisions. She operates on the basis of self-pleasure, without regard to the future. As long as her own needs are satisfied, she is an extremely sweet and sensitive woman, whose emotions fly quickly from one extreme to the next. The exception is anger; Eléyra rarely gets angry, her preferred method of dealing with hurt or insult being to throw herself into tears.

Being largely unable to plan for the future, as her concern is always about the immediate situation, and dismissive of details, Eléyra usually depends on others to take care of her. Though not a child, she is very trusting and naiive, and takes things as truth, no matter who the source is. The concept of a lie is understandable, but not something she recognizes. As a result, she is easily taken advantage of.

Like many of her people, Eléyra is prone to fits of obsession. She is easily attracted to pretty things, especially if she thinks she can use them on her next doll. Her attatchments to people, places, and things are generally intense but short-lived. She is extremely vain, and quick to become defensive when confronted with someone she thinks is prettier than her.

•Strengths and Weaknesses

a) Strengths

Eléyra has a splendid singing voice, high and lilting, though rough from lack of training. This has earned her a fair amount of coins when times were rough, and amused her when times were not.

Despite being somewhat lacking in intellect, she has a spectacular memory. Her mind preserves images and scenes, to be recalled and examined even weeks later. This gift is mostly used as inspiration for poppets, and helps her to remember exactly who owes her what payment, who requested what doll, and what dye is needed to achieve what color. It is also a strong contributer to the great number of songs she has memorized.

Eléyra is extremely creative, and expresses herself through her dollmaking. She has great skill with a needle, being able to sew tiny stitches that are near invisible, and equal skill with a paintbrush (as long as the subject isn’t too abstract). Though nowhere near a master at either, her talents are flourishing with practice.

She also spends much time in the kitchen, and can cook a great number of difficult dishes with relative ease. Rarely does she allow her food to burn, as she is quite content to sit and watch every minute until the food is cooked to her satisfaction.

b) Weaknesses

Eléyra is physically weak. Her body is not designed for combat, and her people did not encourage it, and so concern for it has never surfaced. As such she is extremely vulnerable to any sort of attack.

Not all life is filled with combat, so this is not really a weakness. If you want to travel one day, you can‘t be as week as [you describe it. Alone her long travels would have resulted in some kind of endurance. Physical weakness is often used as one weakness, but I think you don‘t need it to outbalance your char.

She never recieved or sought sufficient training in any aspect of self-defense.

As said below, I would find some grips better than the armoured fan, you  don‘t need to be a master in martial arts. I think your unwillingness to accept physical effort, like you described it below is much more convincing and as effective.

Extended periods of exercise, even in something as simple as a long walk, exhaust her. Or rather, they wear at her feet and she is quick to stop at the first sign of discomfort. If for some reason she needs to continue walking, or has a particular destination she wants to reach, she is able to make the journey but will complain incessantly.

She is not gifted with high intelligence either. Though she could not be described as exceptionally stupid, she lacks the concentration to sort through problems, and suffers from an absolute lack of common sense.

Nor is Eléyra educated in book learning. Though literate in Styrásh and Tharian, words often come off more as pretty patterns than as letters, and so it takes a miniscule amount of extra time for her to process them. More advanced words are beyond her comprehension. She has never taken the time to study outside of her own limitited (and largely artistic) interests and so is ignorant of academic subjects.

Her business dealings usually favor the buyer, as she does not pay enough attention to the balance between cost and work.

•History

Eléyra Avennián was born in Shan'Furionnis, as the product of a brief affair between two elves of very little consequence. Her mother had no interest in raising a child, and her father had already acquired a new lover, so she was adopted out to the community. An elderly shopkeeper named Hára Avennián, having a certain passion for children, took on the task of raising her. The identity of her mother was never kept secret from her, but the two had little interest in pursuing family ties.

Grandmother Hára soon discovered that her new charge did not function at quite the same level intellectualy as the other children. Eléyra acted from the heart, rather than the head, and it was reflected in her tendancy to wander off and chase whatever pretty thing caught her eye. Instead of going through the hassle of keeping constant watch over her, the ever-pragmatic Hára confined her to the house for most of her childhood. Eléyra was far from being a lonely child, however. She was chaperoned to a communal tutor in the mornings, then rotated through a series of playmates in the afternoon. When she wasn’t with friends, she played with her small collection of poppets: Jeyriall, Urtengor, and Etherus. Fascinated by them, Eléyra learned to sew and paint, intent on completing her collection with dolls of her own making. Her first attempt was at Foiros; she sewed a long scrap of red fabric together, stuffed it with grass and twigs, then sewed buttons on one side for eyes. She also practiced singing, and learned to cook by reading the cookbooks Hára kept for reference.

A little after her 55th birthday, Eléyra saw the daughter of a traveling merchant cross in front of the house. The little girl was carrying a poppet made to resemble a dwarf. Entranced by the thing, Eléyra followed the girl onto the ship she was on, paying the people who checked the borders (they took it as a bribe for silence, she meant it to be payment for passage). By the time the father discovored what had happened, the ship had already set sail, and no one was inclined to turn around just to deliver an adult-looking elf home. The ship landed in Brendolan, in the southern part of Santharia. Overwhelmed by the new sights, and coming quickly to the decision that her old life was dreadfully boring, Eléyra wandered away from the port.

Brendolan? That is a bit a problem, for there is no port (yet) on the east side of this province. Either you take one of the ships of the Stormcloaksto Strata or farther north (Carmalad), a Stratanian ship to Strata (maybe via Shan‘thai), or there are surely Avennorian ships which would bring you to Ciosa  in Manthria.
Maybe add a sentence or two, how she paid for the travel!

For the next three years she moved from town to town, leaving whenever she grew bored of the town, or heard of a more exciting place to go. To earn coin, she sold poppets and sang in bars. Reflecting her grandmother’s hard-line sensibility, she also looted whatever dead bodies she encountered on the road, collecting foreign fabrics, buttons, and the like along with their purses. Eléyra eventually went to Seraia, where she took advantage of the trading town and bought a variety of fresher dyes and fabrics, storing them in a large traveling trunk. While there, she met Sherron, a fairly successful elven minstral from Bardavos who was visiting his parents. Though he was only in Seraia for a few months, the two fell in love. When he returned to Bardavos, she went along with him. She was 62.
I would like to see here some more about she really became a dollmaker or how she managed to earn money with her singing - she didn‘t do all these things before, she was not forced to own her own living, so there might have been problems in the beginning.

It would be nice, though not really needed, if you would name some towns. Just a few propsals now:

If you were on a ship to Strata, you needed to earn some money first to be able to travel north to Varcopas , from there you could go to Lorehaven , which would be really an interesting town for you!
The other possibilty would be Ciosa-Klinsor-(Lorehaven)-Seraia


Your lover: it will not work, if you are not explaining in more detail, who your lover was, his tribe etc. For now, the reader assumes, that he is a Maeverhim, if you say, he visited his parents, for Seraia is mainly a Maeverhim town and that would not be possible (see Maeverhim entry-earthburned)

In Bardavos, the two lived comfortably together in an exclusive but casual relationship. He gave her lessons in singing, and the two performed duets on numerous occasions. Between Sherron’s musical income and the additional money she made from selling her poppets, they earned enough to send her to the School of Colors. Combining the resources she had gathered, and the knowledge she gained at the School, she gained small noteriety for her unique dolls. One of her most regular costumers was a dancer by the name of Tillith, whose daughter had a certain fondness for the things. Because of the long absences Tillith took in order to showcase her skills, she allowed her daughter to have a new doll every month. Eléyra dropped out of the School at age 68, when she and Sherron decided by mutual agreement that their relationship was growing stale. She moved into her own house, and focused on selling her poppets.

•Weapons

Eléyra has only one weapon, an old but well preserved armoured fan. Tillith gave her one of her old dancing fans as payment for a poppet, knowing that there was no other way Eléyra would think to own such a thing, and believing a girl as naiive as Eléyra should have a basic means of defense. Despite Tillith drilling her in the proper use of a fan, Eléyra still has no real skill in it, and considers it a strange sort of joke between friends.

I don‘t think, this weapon suits your character - it is much too complicated, I doubt, that she could use it at all, but that is up to you. Considering her practical attitude some self-defense grips would work much better in my opinion. Maybe I write up a school for self defense for women only with a Shendar teacher just for you!  well, you could meet a Shendar woman in Uderza or even Bardavos, who learns you some grips just because she likes you and pitties you, maybe for a doll in return? could well be, that she has to convince you first, that you will need it! lol

•Belongings

Eléyra has very few permenant belongings, as she trades and forgets whatever loses her interest. Of most significance is her large wooden chest, where she keeps her fabrics, dyes, buttons, and oddities that she has acquired. She also keeps the small hand mirror that Sherron gave to her before they parted ways.

You need to think about, what you will take with you when you travel. so far, you can easily enter the town story of Bardavos, but no other. You would need a horse for all your things, or even a cart etc.. but if you wish, you can add this later as well.  


A nice CD! I hope you can play it as well as you described it - and that you don't end in a story where fighting is dominant...

***Astropic of the day***
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path   that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. ~Don Juan"

[Bard Judith]

This is one of the most delightful CDs I have had the pleasure to look over in a long time.  For starters, it does not describe a (choose one) young but strangely accomplished mage / alcoholic dwarf / half-elf-whose-mother-was-raped-by-a-human / godmoding psychopath /  with a terrible home life who is a permanent outcast from his/her birthplace (and you'd be surprised just how many of those seem to want to wander around Caelereth looking for fights...)...

No, this is a 'simple' person - a crafter, an artist, with no wondrous artifacts, no protective familiars, no powerful armour/weaponry, no slick spells or even quick bardic tongue to defend herself.

Refreshing in the extreme.

Secondly, it is carefully written and constructed, without the egregious errors that permeate many a newcomer's submission, or the equally objectionable floridity which clutters eye and brain.

Thirdly, the character herself is engaging and interesting by virtue of her abilities and the way in which she is described - not by hauling in lurid tragedies, improbable occurrences, or rare family heirlooms.  


Darling mods:   Don't let this one get away!  Title her quick, if you've no factual fault to find... and perhaps we can lure her over into the Development Forum if we are really nice....

Regards from the bard,
Judith

*DISCLAIMER (a la Pikel...) The above commentary is a work of fiction, like everything else related to the Santharian Dream.  All references should not be taken as allusions to actual characters or persons.  In particular, if you are a young but strangely accomplished mage / alcoholic dwarf / half-elf-whose-mother-was-raped-by-a-human / godmoding psychopath, please do not take offense.   All creative ideas copyright by Bard Judith on behalf of the Santharian Dream.  


.

[Eleyra Avennian]

Just so no one think's I've disappeared, I am still working on my CD. Mostly I'm trying to plot out my history. Talia, your suggestions were brilliant and I'm enjoying looking into the cities and port towns.

So far I'm planning on this line-up for her travels:
Shan'Furionnis
Shan’Thai
Took ship to…
Port Cael/Ciosa
Klinsor
Seraia (briefly)
Lorehaven
City of Uderza
Took ship to…
Port Varcopas
Took ship back to…
City of Uderza
Bardavos

Hopefully that's a probable line-up. Obviously, it will take a bit of time to fill in the details.

And Bard Judith, I would be honored to come over to the development forum, after I've dabbled around in the roleplaying sude for a bit. Get my feet wet, and all that. As soon as I finish my history I'm hoping to explore more aspects of Santharia that are not specifically involved in my character creation, because some areas were fascinating but completely irrelevent at the time.

Thank you both for taking the time to comment on Eléyra, and I'm still very open to suggestions.

Edited by: Eleyra Avennian at: 6/12/06 8:13

[Luca the Thief]

*steps in and coughs*

Luca's mum wasn't raped. She was used.

I have to agree with Judy though. This is a splendid CD that I would adore to see in play.

Contact me: faye_004@yahoo.ca

[Eleyra Avennian]

Hopefully I won't disappoint, Luca.    I'm going to enjoy taking advantage of all of her personality quirks.

History has been updated to her exit from Port Cael/Ciosa.  

Edited by: Eleyra Avennian at: 6/16/06 3:33

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