Alysse (the Likely) is a Fal’cone Kuglimz tribeswoman who arrived in New-Santhala in the spring of 1664, and has installed herself in the Library, acting as a Northern Sarvonian researcher. Her research and expertise have provided a good deal of information about the Northern lands to the Compendium already. She has also unintentionally started a fad for trick riding which is currently highly in vogue with young nobles of New-Santhala, both male and female.

Image description. Portrait of the Fal'cone Kuglimz tribeswoman and Santharian archivist Alysse the Likely. Picture drawn by Bard Judith.

Appearance. Alysse is not conventionally pretty, but she is striking - 5 1/2 fores tall, with long dark brown hair, lean muscular body, sun browned skin, and bright amber-gold eyes, like a hawk’s. Alysse is quite strong and graceful. She is skilled with a knife and a bow, but no other weapons. She tends to wear the traditional garb of her tribe… the traditional garb for men, that is. Simple leather tunics and breeches make up the majority of her wardrobe. However, unlike most Fal’cone Kuglimz, she loves bright colours and has dyed most of her clothes in earthen reds, oranges and yellows, colours she favours above others. However, she wears little ornamentation or jewelry and sometimes makes playful fun of Drogo about his liking for golden bracelets, much to the horror of others who are more impressed by the rings in his hair.

Personality. Alysse’s experiences have left her reserved, cautious and not very trusting, particularly of men. She likes to amuse herself at their expense with biting sarcasm and pointed wit. The few males secure enough to survive this treatment have discovered that, once her trust is gained, she can be a worthy ally. Fiercely loyal, unreservedly honest, her blunt approach to life can be disconcerting at times, as she has difficulty dissembling. In her relationships with others, she values respect, integrity, and loyalty above all other virtues. She has a quick temper and does not suffer fools gladly, yet with children, like many Kuglimz, she can be patient and even nurturing. She may frequently be found perched on the edge of a fountain or ornamental wall, surrounded by children, telling them Kuglimz myths or tales of her travels, teaching them games, or singing them songs. She is a devotee of the All-Mother Lier’tyan and has gotten into trouble with some Santhalian parents for telling the children stories about her, even though she does not attempt to convert anyone.

Like many intelligent people, Alysse does not concern herself with social niceties, preferring the spirit to the letter of etiquette. She gets away with a great deal because she is “a Kuglimz barbarian” and takes advantage of this shamelessly. Alysse's mischievous sense of humour occasionally intrudes when she is telling people tales of her northern homeland. She has been known to straight-facedly tell people that all Kuglimz live in ice caves or homes made from blocks of snow, that they eat raw meat “to make them stronger”, and that they have mind magic with horses, among other things. (This gets her into trouble with F’ash, who says that she is giving Kuglimz people a bad name and that Santhalians will think they’re all like the Ash’mari. She insists that she never writes anything inaccurate...) Alysse can cook a little - “I’ve never poisoned anyone…yet” -, but anything fancy is too fussy for her liking. She can’t sew or mend well, play any instrument, paint or draw, or play upper class card games (she’s quite good at the commoners’ ones, which she learned from the horse trainers she worked for on her way to New-Santhala) or any of the respectable pursuits that are suitable for upper class ladies. But she can read and write very well (although she has deplorable handwriting) and gets along well with the scholarly types, when she is not scandalizing them with her “barbarian” ways. She is a lover of music, and though no bard, has written a song or two. She says she sings well enough to avoid having things thrown at her… or maybe her hapless listeners are too fearful that she will throw things back! Alysse also has a passionate love for reading (and writing) and throws herself into both with enthusiasm, dedication and a fierce devotion to accuracy, both grammatical and factual.

Biography. When asked, Alysse laughingly says she was born “somewhere around 1638-1639, something like that. I don’t remember too much about it.” She was her parents’ only daughter and was the pet of three older brothers, who were constantly teaching her “unwomanly” things like hunting, fishing, knife fighting, wrestling and so on. Alysse fled her homeland in the early spring of 1663, when faced with an arranged marriage to a much older man whom she disliked intensely, from the Trk’Matiu clan. She stole a boat and made her way along the Luquador River to the Sea of Tears, traveled southwards along the coast and eventually arrived in Voldar. Working as a horse trainer, (she is a Kuglim, after all) she traveled south over land to New-Santhala, where among other notables, she met Drogo and F’ash, who solicited her assistance on writing up the Northern Sarvonian Compendium since there are not many researchers for the North. She accepted with alacrity, especially after being introduced to some of the other Northern refugees such as Minoki and Turik. 

Importance. Due to performing demonstrations of Kuglimz equestrian skills to earn money, Alysse has (unintentionally) introduced a fad for "stunt-riding" among the young people in New-Santhala, which has led to her becoming rather more well known that she had realized. She has received numerous requests for riding lessons, and mischievously refers the ladies to Drogo or F'ash, somewhat to the latter's dismay (but it is perhaps not entirely upsetting to the former). She has also provided lessons in Kuglimz “horsetalking” as she calls it. This is very similar to the training methods used by the Centoraurians and it has led to her being much in demand by various noble stables. However, her main interest is in writing for the Compendium. She wants to focus on filling out the Northern plants and animals section, but has also contributed to Dame Sausade's recipe collection, helped to translate some of the songs from the oral tradition of the Kuglimz, and introduced a few of the less polite Kuglimz expressions to Santharia.

Alysse has no fixed address and tends to spend a lot of time in the Library with the other scholars, including the Sage Artimidor, Lady Talia, and Bard Judith, all of whom she admires greatly. She even sleeps there sometimes, as other scholars frequently do after (or during) a late night research project. Usually, however, she sleeps and eats in one of the nearby inns, where the innkeeper is used to scholars and Compendium researchers who keep unusual hours and might be up or out half the night. She is a dedicated researcher and, as one of the few actually born and raised in Northern Sarvonia, in a unique position to assist the Compendium authors. Her friends call her the Northern "Santharchivist" and she has adopted this title for herself.

Alyyse calls herself Alysse the Likely, because her name, Alysse, is a variant on the Kuglimz Seitre word "alce" which translates loosely to something like "a good chance" or "opportunity" and she felt that "likely" was an appropriate translation.