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 Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 pm
 CLASS PROGRESSION Thief > Looter > Catburglar
POINT STATISTICS Melee (4); Ranged (1); Magic/Other (0)
Semele Mehrina is the property of Klytie, as made for the Gaia B&C shop Tales of Aludra.
The artwork was created by Earthkid for use in Tales of Aludra.
Do not post in this thread/journal without express permission from the owner.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:46 pm
  NAME Semele Mehrina {sem-uh-lee meh-rine-uh} | Birth name: Bianca Lourhai {bee-ahn-kuh low-her-ey}
GENDER Female.
AGE 22
SIGN Antikythera, the Clockwork.
RACE Human
HOMETOWN Aschere
OCCUPATION Guild member. Was/is a thief.
APPEARANCE
To look at Semele, one would have a hard time believing that she is a thief. She is of a petite (however, athletic) build, and stands at only about 5'5". Semele is visually attractive, but not really anything special. There is no factor that sets her apart from other girls. Yet, her eyes are particularly appealing, being brown, but more of a bright, amber brown than the dark standard. Her skin is lightly tanned from her outdoors activities.
+ Long shoulder-length hair, with a waviness to it. Jet black hair. [ Style Ref
+ Facial reference (To see the picture really well, just enlarge it. Oh, and the page takes a moment to load. <3 ) [ Ref ] [ Ref ] [ Ref ]
+ Unless stealing something, Semele wears very expensive-looking and pretty outfits and dresses, though sometimes winds up lazing about in her 'thieving clothes'.
+ Skin tone - VERY lightly tanned. More of a gold/peachy-tone than anything else. [ Ref ]
+ Always wears the first thing she ever stole, a long necklace with an opal pendant. [ Ref ]
PERSONALITY
The same girl who can rob someone blind is also a girl who can instantly charm someone with her words, if need be. Semele is a fantastic liar, and can make people trust her instantly. Carrying herself as though she was still high-class, this allows many to presume she is. If she needs to befriend someone, get something from someone or is planning on pick-pocketing that person, then Semele usually will do anything she needs to in her charming nature; flirt, compliment, admire. It's all really the same anyhow. She will take advantage of people, most of the time without them even knowing it.
However, her noble upbringing grants Semele several flaws. If anyone looks as though they could be below her socially, she considers them beneath her, and will do one of two things. Either completely ignore them, or be cold and cruel, while attempting to make their life hell. Unless she is just feigning her true personality for another person (which she usually does in the instances stated above), Semele is incredibly difficult to get along with, unless she takes to someone immediately, which rarely occurs. She is impatient and argumentative, which is a major turn-off for most people who wish to make friends with others.
Semele is also very materialistic and greedy. She believes she should always get what she wants, when she wants. Since she was a spoiled brat in her childhood, this trait never really died off when she reached adulthood. The few times that she was travelling with people, whenever they were looking for resources, Semele got the reputation of being useless in that department. She could just never find anything for the group. Truth is, whenever she would find anything, she would keep it to herself and lie about having found anything. If she was ever found out that she did find something, then she would, in turn, lie about how much she found, and only share a fraction with the party.
Being extremely secretive can also off-balance people. Semele is secretive about everything, from how she really got her belongings down to stupid, trivial things like the last thing she ate. Anything could be used against her, and she was paranoid that with any small detail, anyone could figure her out. She trusts no one, making it hard for others to trust her. However, she is as good at finding out secrets as she is keeping them. If she suspects anything knowing any valuable information, Semele will figure it out. If she suspects anyone knows anything about her, or has been talking about her, Semele will figure it out. Her sheer tenacity alone usually makes people tell her what she wants to hear, however there have been a few occasions in the past where Semele has had to use... alternate methods to get information from someone.
Due to her 'job', Semele is very intelligent and quick-witted. She thinks on her toes, and can quickly come up with solutions to problems. Her impatience probably stems from this as well, seeing as how since she can do and think of things so quickly, she expects others to be able to do the same. Her cunning and sly nature allows for her to think of the alternate way to do any task or job she needs to, whether it be getting someone to do something for her, or thinking or a better, faster way to do it herself.
Also deeply snarky, Semele usually uses sarcasm to offend those that she dislikes. Or, in some instances, to tease those that she does like. Her sarcasm can sometimes be used if she doesn't wish to speak to someone, or reply to a question, statement or proposition. Often times, her humor can be so dry that one might not even realize that she's being sarcastic. Once her fairly short temper and sarcasm are combined, it can be a particularly scathing experience, but a witty one at that. It could even be considered as quite humorous, as long as you're not the one on that is being cut down to size with Semele's words.
Of course, there are times when absolutely nothing goes Semele's way. She can charm, and she can steal, but she is far from perfect, and can (more often than not when trying to beguile someone) fail miserably at what she is trying to do. Nearly reverting back to her childhood habits, Semele gets extremely frustrated in cases like these, only not to the degree of throwing fits and screaming at the top of her lungs. If one is disgusted or immune to her sweet-talking, she tends to treat that person very poorly, as if they had done something to offend her deeply. That leads to her believing that she dislikes the person in question, and treating them as though she had never liked them in the first place, all while attempting to think of another way to get what she wants. In the case that she should fail at stealing something, it's a completely different case all together. Most of the time when she doesn't wind up stealing something, it isn't because she was caught, but simply because she was afraid. If the stakes are too high, or there is a very high chance of her being heard or seen, Semele usually winds up fleeing the scene before she completes her mission. After the fact, Semele will hide out somewhere discreet before attempting to rob someone again, or even before she will go out in public again, sometimes disappearing for days at a time depending on how risky her last job was. To her, being caught is a sign of extreme stupidity and weakness, and Semele sees herself as miles above that.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:48 pm
A trouble child from birth. Born into a wealthy family, Semele always got what she wanted. When she didn't, she threw a fit. She would lock herself in rooms. She would break plates and other artifacts in her home. Nearly every single time that her family would hire a caretaker for Semele, they would quit only weeks later. No one could put up with the spoiled, bratty child. It didn't help at all that she was an only child, and was completely and totally used to all attention being given to her. There was one nanny, who seemed as though she was making headway on Semele's behavior. Problem was, with one thing or another, the nanny decided that Semele was a lost cause, and quit only days later.
As Semele became an older teenager, she seemed to calm down. Granted, she was still arrogant, and expected to get everything that she wanted, but she no longer threw temper-tantrums. Her parents had even stepped in, and restricted Semele's unruly behavior. They no longer spoiled her. They only rarely gave her the things that she wanted. After the first week of Semele throwing a fit over not getting her way, and then getting severely punished for it, she no longer demanded her parents to give her things. They were proud of them, blaming their daughter's new found respect and discipline on their tough-love parenting. In reality, Semele just found a new way to get what she wanted. Stealing.
It was a method that she had never really thought of before. It's not something that she had ever needed to think about before, given her family's wealth. However, as soon as her parents stopped supplying her with what she wanted, she had to get it in other ways. It all started with a necklace in a jewelry store. A beautiful necklace, with a long gold chain and an opal pendant. As soon as she laid eyes on it, she could envision herself wearing it with everything. She could envision herself wearing it to any fancy event she went to, and she could imagine people fawning over it, and Semele. They would all become jealous of her and her necklace, and Semele would revel in the attention. As soon as she laid eyes on it, she knew she had to have it. Earlier that week, Semele had heard a story about bandits who had come to the next town over; she heard about their pillaging. Your average person would think of how terrible the story was, and yet, Semele did just the opposite. Now forming a new type of rebellion in her life, she believed that she could do just the same as the bandits and could benefit it. So, next time she was in the shop with her friends, she just took the necklace. Slipping it in her pocket carefully, she kept her cool, and remained in the shop for several minutes, looking around at all of the baubles with her friends. As soon as she left the shop and was in the safety of her own home, she put the necklace on, and spent quite a while staring at her reflection in a mirror in her room. When asked where she got it, she just told everyone that it was a gift from a boy.
The necklace worked like a charm. Everyone admired it, and Semele didn't even give a second thought to the fact that the owner of the shop would realize that something was missing. The necklace being as unique as it is, it was recognized, and rather than give it back, Semele came up with an elaborate lie. There was no way in hell she was giving the necklace back. People admired her for it, and giving it back, giving away all of the attention, all of the yearning for something that she had was simply not an option. Rather, when eventually asked by the old shopkeeper, Semele explained that a boy she had met gave it to her, and how it certainly wasn't the only necklace ever made in that fashion. It wasn't a very convincing lie, but the old man took pity on the girl for giving her trouble, and attributed thinking that something was stolen to his senility. After all, some times in the past, he had forgotten to document sales, so possibly he just did it again.
That was the exact moment that the thrill of it all hit Semele. The thrill of possibly being caught in the act. The thrill of doing something that she wasn't supposed to. From then on, whenever Semele needed or wanted something (the latter much more than the former), Semele stole it, each time coming up with a more elaborate plan. Another baffling point of Semele's character and past is, why, if she had access to so much money, did she keep stealing, or better yet, why didn't she just steal the money from her parents? Truth was, because that didn't give her the rush that actually stealing, or breaking into a store or a house to take their belongings gave her. It was an adrenaline rush, something that Semele preferred not to give up.
Stealing every thing and anything she could think of, Semele eventually came up with a plan bigger and grander than any that she had done before. A friend of hers had a beautiful, one-of-a-kind silken dress. Semele's friend had been holding this over Semele's head for days, taunting her with how beautiful and expensive it was, blissfully unaware of Semel's new talent. Stealing the dress seemed like the smartest thing to do at the time, not only to stop her friend from having a dress that would rival anything in Semele's closet, but also so for the fact that if Semele stole it, then the dress would be hers. And it that was the case, then she would look infinitely glamorous, especially is all the things that her friend had told her about the dress' quality and uniqueness of it was true. A break-in at night was something that she was actually uneasy about doing, but she figured that if she could break in without being detected, then it would be an easy job.
It never once occurred to Semele how her friend would feel about her dress being stolen. All that mattered to Semele was her advancement in class and social standing. Deciding that it would probably be much easier to sneak about in tighter clothing than dresses or any of her other 'proper' clothes, Semele dressed in her horse-riding gear, and left with nothing else to use in the break-in other than a lock-pick. The lock was no problem to open. It was actually getting the dress undetected that would be the problem. Slowly making her way up to her friend's room, Semele opened the door slowly, and snuck in. After locating the dress, she took it, easy as that. Problem was, she was seen.
Seen, but not caught. Not even identified. There was just talk of a riding-gear-clad thief leaving the estate, dress in hand. The bit about the riding gear was what caught Semele's parents' attention. After all, they had remembered their daughter coming back late one night, wearing the clothing she wore when she rode horses, only Semele hadn't seen the horse in weeks. So, they did the most logical thing. They searched all of Semele's belongings. They discovered items that people in town had talked about missing, they discovered vast quantities of items and garments they had never seen, and most certainly hadn't bought for her, and then they discovered the dress. Just as it had been described by its previous owner. Furious with their daughter, they confronted her. Problem was, they were as concerned about their social standing as Semele. They weren't as mad about the thieving as they were about what would happen if other found out about the thieving. That would certainly cast a negative light on the family, and they certainly weren't going to stand idly by as that happened. So, they presented her with an ultimatum: either get out of their home, and change her name or be turned in. Realizing what she had to do, Semele gathered her things, left town and changed her name from Bianca Lourhai to Semele Mehrina. Thing is, though, out of all the money she could've taken, out of all of her clothes and belongings, all Semele took was what she had stolen. She left behind the family horse, she left behind all of the jewelry, the family heirlooms. It was as though none of it mattered anymore.
And to Semele, it didn't. She was a new person. She was Semele Mehrina.
So, for the years after that, she spent her time moving from town to town, stealing now not only to get things that she desired, but now to survive. With her expensive clothing and jewelry, along with her attitude and knowledge of how the upper class lives, people assumed that Semele was of nobility. Thusly, she was invited into people's homes, or the homes of other nobles, where Semele would take advantage of her charm and their hospitality (and naivety), and rob them of precious belongings, then skipping to the next town to see what it would do for her. It was a continuous cycle that Semele wouldn't quit, which gained her more and more possessions, as well as a reputation. There were usually always reports of someone stealing large quantities of items from a town, but never any sight of said thief. That was a large part of the thrill for Semele. Not getting caught. Nearly all of the reports given of this robber were completely made up, everything from a frail old woman to a burly young man. There was, however, one report. One lone report of a mysterious girl in riding clothes; a girl that authorities are still on the look-out for.
Joining the League was something that she never thought she would do. Semele took it up on a whim, wondering where it could take her and, more importantly, what it could give her. Or what she would take, depending on how one looks at the situation. Plus, with the experience she could gain from the place, how could she lose if she disguised herself well enough and kept a low profile? With this mind set, she decided to use everything she gained in the League to become a well-known, not to mention mysterious and uncaught, thief.
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
Not much. For the most part, Semele has kept to herself, just in case some sort of description of her has surfaced over the years. Granted, her hair and attire has changed, but that wouldn't really help change a description of her facial structure.
While Semele might've had a conversation here-or-there, she is usually just a woman that could've flashed someone a small smile (or a scowl) in the halls. Any conversation that she does strike up usually tends to end with a first impression of Semele being a stuck-up, arrogant woman. And, really, that's true. The only times that a first meeting ends with a good impression of Semele is when she either likes the person in question for some reason, or is being charming because she has an ulterior motive for being on good terms with someone.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:51 pm
DIVISION Melee Weaponry
CLASS PROGRESSION Thief > Looter > Catburglar.
________Thief.
________Tricky, Semele moves with the grace of a dancer through whatever obstacle she faces. More focus at this point of not being seen than anything else, she only fights if she sees no other way of getting out of the situation she's in. Afraid to leave a scene in which people are injured and/or dead, Semele sticks to the shadows and relies on her stealthiness. She continues to wear the same riding attire that she wore to steal things in the past, only with a few modifications based on how Semele saw fit.
- [ Shirt ] - Only the tie-smock collar can been seen due to the jacket, however.
- [ Jacket ] - In black, however.
- Belt - Nothing remarkable about it, just a thin, black belt with a few crudely-made black pouches sewn on for carrying things in them.
- [ Breeches ]
- [ Boots ] - Worn over the breeches.
- [ Necklace ]
________Melee ( 4 ), Ranged ( 1 ), Magic/Other ( 0 )
________HIT POINTS 35
________EVADE 14
________Looter.
________At this point, Semele has so much experience with thieving, that she has changed her last outfit to something more practical. Now, her belt has tools and pockets dangling from it, making it fall at a diagnal on her waist. Even so, her skills and abilities are much more of the same, only now, she is able and willing to fight or silence anyone who gets in her way. Finding it most practical to fight with her hands, nearly bar-brawler style, she will sometimes find herself using random objects in her surroundings to use as melee weapons, or as projectiles. The latter being easier said than done, as her throws don't usually go too far.
- [ Shorts ] - Form fitting and short.
- [ Shirt ] - Same as before, only since there is no jacket, much more of it can be seen. The only thing I would change with it would be to make the sleeves short, cap sleeves. (In case you're not sure what a cap sleeve is, here is a picture of the style of sleeve. Not a pretty dress, but the style of sleeve is what I'm aiming for. ;D Sleeve Ref. )
- [ Belt ] - This time, there are several nicely crafted leather pouches, as well as several tools (lock pick, etc.) dangling from one end. However, since for the most part, the pouches and tools are all on one side, the belt is weighted, leaving it hanging on a diagnal on her hip, favoring the weighted side.
- [ Boots ] - Same as before.
- [ Necklace ]
________Melee ( 8 ), Ranged ( 2 ), Magic/Other ( 0 )
________HIT POINTS 40
________EVADE 18
________Catburglar.
________ Semele has grown and advanced tremendously now. Every heist is extremely well planned, and she has never been stealthier. If anyone should hear or see her, she eliminates them before they have the chance to do anything. Now an expert at how many tools that people use for security work, Semele has no problem breaking into things with ease. It is almost too easy for her taste, but not being detected is really the fun part anyway. Since she does now find it easy, there are times when it seems as though Semele is just being careless in order to be heard. That way, there is always some surprise in the fight.
+ Outfit is the same as her last stage, with these changes:
+ Hair - Now tied up in a very loose up-do, so it won't get in her way. Her hair is only very loosely and messily done, so she's got strands and sections of hair hanging down. Basically, like the second picture, only with a section of bangs swept to the side. If that made sense. No little head-bandie things like in the pictures, though. XD
[ From Side ] [ From Front - Only with the side-bangs of the first. ]
+ [ Gloves ] - Long, almost to her elbows.
________Melee ( 12 ), Ranged ( 3 ), Magic/Other ( 0 )
________HIT POINTS 50
________EVADE 23
SPECIAL SKILLS
________o1. Slight of hand.
________(Disarm)
________Semele is able to disarm a foe within 5 feet of her. Upon successful action (d20+melee - opponent's evade), roll a second d20 to
________determine if foe is properly disarmed. Chance of disarming foe increases per level.
________Level 1: 1-14 >> Failure, 15-20 >> Success! Your foe drops his weapon.
________Level 2: 1-12 >> Failure, 13-20 >> Success! Your foe drops his weapon.
________Level 3: 1-10 >> Failure, 11-20 >> Success! Your foe drops his weapon.
________If disarmed, the target must take one round retrieving their weapon and may not use their bonus until then. This skill does not
________perform damage.
________o2. Patch-up.
________(First-Aid)
________Semele can quickly heal a small amount of points to a target, a skill she picked up after accidentally cutting her leg while quickly
________fleeing a shop she had robbed. If the target is in critical condition, this skill will stabilize them. The total points healed is
________determined by rolling a d6 +1/+2/+3 progression based on class level.
________o3. Flurry.
________(Attack Multiple Targets)
________After unleashing a whirlwind of punches and kicks, Semele is able to hit more than one foe. Take a -2 penalty to your total
________per additional enemy targeted.
________Racial Bonus- Freebie Skill. Plan.
________(Charge)
________After a turn of studying her foe, and planning her next move, Semele can give herself a one-time bonus on her next attack against
________that person with their chosen skill. At level 1, she give herself a +3, at level 2 it's a +6, and at level 3 it's a +9. This bonus only
________lasts for the round directly after Semele has studied their target and then disappears
________Lockpicking.
________(Narrative.)
________A skill gained early on in her thieving career, Semele has learned to successfully pick a lock - and quickly.
WEAPON Fists and feet.
LEVEL One
POINT ASSIGNMENT Melee ( 4 ), Ranged ( 1 ), Magic/Other ( 0 )
HIT POINTS 35
EVADE 14
OTHER NOTES I feel lame, because this is actually your example for the changing-stats-portion, but I wish to use melee weapons with ranged HP and evade. Being a thief, it's necessary that Semele is fast, and able to strike quickly. Without this, I feel as thought she would really have no thief-edge to her, which is essential to her character. I feel like it would effect her background, too. If she wasn't fast, but her history is all about how she's been stealing things, then it might seem a little weird if she didn't have the ranged evade.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:56 pm
Auguste Renoir
Haven't met.
Cleph Baradel
Haven't met.
Elias Urbas
Haven't met.
Franziska
Haven't met.
Piraya Baradel
Haven't met.
Ragweed of Oruliha
Haven't met.
Sisel Chaikin
Haven't met.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 4:13 pm
While Semele has brought with her things that she has 'acquired' over the years, she has not yet bought anything from the shop.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 4:16 pm
My winning 'Build Our World' contest entry. <3Klytie Username: Klytie
Character Name: Semele Mehrina.
Concept Thread: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=9341995
Location Description:
Phirun, the village of rain.
One simple adjective could be used to describe Phirun. And that adjective would be 'wet'. Located next to the river that runs its course through Relinswood, Phirun is actually completely flooded, meaning that everything that once was in the town, on the ground and on lower levels of tree branches, is now flooded down below. Every single day that passes, it rains, made somewhat eerie with the natural fog that lays over all of Relinswood. It always rains, with no exceptions, even if the sun is shining right above the civilian's heads. The inhabitants, made up of Muscherons and Humans, have found ways to get around this, including building everything above water, and manufacturing boats from layers of strong leaves and logs, supported by bits of twig. The village itself is quite a marvel to look upon, having bits of tree sticking up from the water, both of which are greened from algae. On top of the water rests water lilies and boats, while in the trees are homes and businesses. A few homes have broken off of their trees, and now float about the surface of the water, all while a heavy rain pours down on the village, which is already coated in the Relinswood's trademark fog.
The village was originally created by human travelers, and then a tribe of Muscherons joined them. The Muscherons were convinced that these humans weren't like the ones found on Murzim, but rather, quite close to their own culture. They had made camp at the same location that Phirun resides now, after a long trek through the foggy forest. These humans were dressed in clothes made from things in nature, primarily leaves, and all of their actions clearly reflected a respect and devotion to nature. Seeing this, and after watching their actions for quite some time, the Muscherons decided that these humans could be trusted, and opted to stay with them. Over time, homes were created in the trees, and rather than just a resting spot, their camp turned into a village. After the rain began, there has been a large increase in the Muscheron population, making the Muscherons outnumber the humans. Modifications in things have been made to make life easier for the Muscherons, since there are so many. Things such as most goods being constructed for homes being set to Muscheron dimensions, things such as tables, chairs and beds, regardless of who they were made by. Even most counters in shops are lowered, so the Muscherons can actually see over them. The settling of Phirun occurred hundreds of years ago, so just how the rain was started, the current townsfolk are not sure.
Town lore says that the rain was all because of a human witch. She was a traveler, whom the majority of the population didn't give a second thought about. Though, once described by word-of-mouth during storytelling, she lives on in vivid detail. The one that deemed her with the alias of 'The Witch with the Strange Walk' being the most talked about. There was something about her walk that just seemed off to any townsfolk that saw her walking by. She walked at an extremely fast pace, leaving everyone behind her, and yet her steps were very small, making her appear quite strange as she flitted about town. Regardless of how she moved, most myths blame her for the rain over Phirun. As it is told, the Witch suddenly appeared in town one day, an old woman who was well past her prime. No one really paid attention to her, however, seeing as many new people came to the town every few days, making it prosper and thrive. More and more homes and huts were built, tall homes that were built on and amongst tree branches. The Witch was just another passerby. Not to say that she was treated poorly, but she wasn't treated any different than anyone else.
One day, things changed. A storm grew overhead, and it appeared to be a bad one. People took refuge in their tall homes, finding it the safest place to be. It seemed as though everyone was safe. Except for those that had just come, who were just moving into Phirun. Trouble is that as the waters began to pour down and pool around them, there were some members of the village that had nowhere to go. Their homes were being built, and, afraid that water would flood into their homes, no one wanted to open their doors once the storm got worse. The Witch was one of the ones left out in the weather. Enraged that they had left someone so old (and as they soon learned afterwards, powerful) as herself outside with no shelter, she decided to teach this town a lesson. Drawing upon all that nature had to offer her, she put a curse on the whole town. A curse that this storm would go on forever, without even a single day of rest. Quickly, the surrounding rivers flooded, making the entire town eternally waterlogged. Lucky for them, their homes were so tall, that everyone moved to the other stories, and eventually, began making new doors at the top, so that people could enter the houses, leaving the lower levels completely flooded and undisturbed. Whenever a new home had to be built, however, it had to be built on a very strong branch. There were a few homes built on weak branches and logs that would float away due to the sheer strength of the waters, but it was something that wasn't a terrible problem as long as no one floated too far away. Even the human homes, which were slightly larger than those of the Muscherons, had to be built upon branches. They had a natural-made barricade, however, made from surrounding trees that peaked above the rainwater, which kept everyone, for the most part, in the same general area. The Witch was never seen again, as she seemingly left after the curse was cast. Or so the story goes. Some believe that the witch is actually still among them, but that she was a spirit of the forest, and able to change her form at will. The population of Phirun aren't mad at the Witch for what she did, but rather mad at themselves for not helping her. Or anyone else that was stranded outside, for that matter. Believing that this is punishment for their own mistakes, they have turned to being as good as they can. In doing this, they are attempting to show the Witch, if she is still in town, or wherever she may be, that they are good people.
Being natural storytellers, the people of Phirun relish in their myths and stories, so much so that sometimes, it is difficult to tell actual history from myths and tales that the people have spun. Of course there is the myth of the Witch, but there are many myths that encompass nearly everything in Phirun. The other two most widely told and popular myths, is the myth of 'The One Who Floated Away' and the myth of 'The Great Fish'. While every single person that tells these stories alters them ever so slightly, the whole story always stays the same for all three of these myths. The myth of 'The Great Fish' talks about a mammoth of a fish, that the Witch put in the waters so that she could watch the people of Phirun, even when she wasn't there. This fish is said to be larger than two men, and there have been account of boats being tipped over by a mysterious force, even though the fish itself wasn't seen. There are a few people who have claimed that they have seen a large shadow in the water, and assumed that it was the Fish. It is rumored that the fish is a tool of the witch, and will appear to people when she believes that their actions need to be watched and monitored. This leads to many different people becoming instantly paranoid that the Fish will see them whenever they are doing something that others would frown upon. For the story of The One Who Floated away, legend has it that there was a young boy had been left alone in his house one day while his parents went to the market to get food when his home became detached from the branch it was on. Then, the house proceeded to drift away, into the rest of Relinswood, without anyone being able to stop it. The parents, devastated, left Phirun, in an attempt to locate their lost son. They came back a day later, with nothing to show for their search, save for a few cuts and scrapes. A week after the boy floated away, late at night a few people claimed to have heard a young boy calling out for his parents. The next day, another search was issued, and again, turned up with nothing. The next time that night fell over the village, all of the water lilies in the village began to take on an eerie glow, one that was frightening, but at the same time, left everyone in the village with a strange sense of calm. The citizens of Phirun believed that the lilies glowed because it was a message from the boy; a message to show that the boy was going to be alright, and that his parents and the village didn't have to worry anymore. Ever since then, on the anniversary of the boy's disappearance, a number of water lilies begin to glow once more, and they are collected, and stored in houses, and pinned on clothing until their glow fades as soon as morning breaks. After the entire incident, whether or not the story is true, the entire village makes sure that homes are constructed on much sturdier branches. However, some homes do break free, and many of those that had already broken free in the past wish to stay mobile on the water, as to avoid the trouble of moving everything.
All of Phirun architecture is quite nature friendly, made out of items in nature that will either definitely grow back, or items that have fallen on the water, clearly detached from whatever it grew on. This way, the inhabitants are completely positive that they won't harm nature in any way, or make anything disappear in the forest, never to grow back again. The homes themselves are built of different types of woods, and leaves as needed. The roofs of these homes are made of a strong base of twigs and leaves, and then a large square of twigs is constructed at the very top, and then that is filled with soil, so that the homeowners can grow things directly on their property. Homes are built with many stories, in case the rain should get heavier and the water levels should rise, creating more flooding, so then the owners of the home can just go to a higher level if their lower floors begin to flood. Homes are built in the strongest tree branches, and are often decorated with all kinds of flowers, and roofs are ceremoniously sprinkled with different types of seed and grain in the soil held by the square-twig structure. This is done partly so that some seeds can grow into different plants, leaving the roofs pouring over with grasses and flowers, and even some crops are grown on roofs, so that the owner can either use them for food, or sell them to other villagers in need of food. Some of the seeds and grains are even used to attract birds, as they are a symbol of good luck. Birds are an important part of their government, and to some extent, their beliefs, seeing as they are considered as Nature's eyes, reporting everything they see to the spirits of nature. The most predominant bird-beliefs are showcased during the picking of their next government leader.
The 'mayor', so to speak, of the village, will rule until death, seeing as when they are picked, they are quite old. The mayor can be either human, or Muscheron, as it really makes no difference. What matters is what the villagers say. Once a of the mayor dies, it is up to the villagers to decide whom they believe should be the next mayor. Once the village has decided on three candidates, it is up to the birds to decide who will rule over the town. The candidates sprinkle seed all over the roofs of their houses. How much they put, or what kind, makes no difference to the process, because it relies on the belief of fate and destiny. The first house to get birds on the roof is the house of the person to become the next mayor. Since it is believed that the birds are Nature's Eyes, and can see and hear everything that each person does, it is thought that the spirits of nature are actually choosing who would be the next mayor. The chosen mayor then packs up all of their things, and moves into the mayor's home, which is extremely different in regards to the villager's homes. It is built in the form of a hut, with only one story, but it is quite large, and there are many different rooms in it. The mayor's home is also built in an extremely high and large branch in the trees, so that the mayor can oversee the entire village. The mayor's largest duties are overseeing town events and holidays, however they also have much more serious jobs, such as stopping conflicts, and punishing those who have done wrong. The mayor can be picked out of a crowd by the sash of vines he wears. So far, all of the mayors in Phirun have been male, causing a tension between the mayors and some women.
Most people in Phirun work as traders, builders and merchants. It isn't a technologically advanced village in the least, seeing as how technology diverts attention away from nature in the villager's eyes. They use nature in everything, from what they make, to their clothing. While fashion and trends is not of importance to the population of Phirun, the most common clothing is made from a combination of tanned hides and leaves. The hides are only used if an animal is found outside the village and has already been killed, and thusly, the people haven't interfered with the balance of nature. A common trend for females of the village is to search for exotic-looking flowers, and give them to other girls, so they can pin or sew them carefully onto their garments. The more flowers a girl has on her clothes, the more important and elegant she is considered. Flowers can also be given to others for their clothes, as a very important gesture of kindness or friendship. Males can give flowers to the girls as well, but it is most likely for girls to give them to other girls, to show each other and everyone else how grand their friendship is. Once the flowers dry, they are most commonly used to make a kind of wreath out of twigs, and then ornamented with the dried flowers, to hang on their doors, to recount how many flowers they have received. Once girls have at least one wreath, it is tradition to begin to place flowers in their hair, as a testament of just how adored they are. Robes to be worn over clothing are also quite common, due to the mass amounts of water one would encounter while going outside.
Leaves are used in clothing and building, but also in many different types of food, only not as an ingredient. The norm with food is to actually wrap it in a large, broad leaf, creating a type of package so that it doesn't get wet or soggy while taking it someplace else. Anything can be wrapped in these leaves, and oftentimes, anything and everything is. Leaves like this are commonly grown and sold, along with food supplies. Many, but not all, foods are vegetarian, and range from wild rice to different sorts of prepared vegetables. Considering that they are on water, different types of fish are also caught and prepared, the most common way of doing so would be by either steaming the fish, or drying it. Similar to the concept and thoughts to go along with getting animal hides, if anyone should go out of the village and find a freshly killed animal, then it can be brought back to the village for food, however this is not very common, as townsfolk usually stick to fish, vegetables, and grains. Berries and fruits are grown inside the village, and any sort of crop can be grown on top of houses, when seed if sprinkled on the roofs. A flatbread is also common among dinner tables that is always made fresh in the village, a bread that is very crunchy on the outside, but quite soft on the inside, and topped with different types of seeds.
Phirun's greatest form of entertainment is festivals and events where the whole village gets together and tells tales. The festivals usually revolve around nature, and the 'first' of things. The first sighting of birds, the first growth of the crops, etc. The village sets aside a few days for celebration and games, related to the theme of the festival. Regardless of how important the 'first of' festivals are, there is always going to be one festival that is more important than the others. That festival is the 'Festival of the Rain', in which they celebrate the myth of The Witch, and the Rain. The entire village also recounts good deeds that they've done, in hopes to prove to the Witch that they are helpful and righteous people. Each night of the four-day-long festival, an offering is left for the witch before the villagers go to sleep. The first night, the villagers each make a food product for the witch, offering her good health. The second night, the villagers leave her different type of seeds, to offer her new beginnings and growth. The third day, a contest is held to see how many lilies each person can gather from the waters, and that night, all of the lilies are left on the doorsteps, to show how the villagers have adapted to what she did. Then, on the final night, entire families write down what good things they've done, and tack the lists to their doors before they go to bed. This is their attempt to prove to the Witch how much they've changed, and that they have learned from the lesson she taught. Strange thing is, every night, the items left for the Witch are taken, leaving the villagers to believe even more that the Witch is still among them, but just in a different form.
Includable?: Of course. heart
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 4:19 pm
One - The lovely ToA sketch of Semele by Earthkid! <3
Two - The finished ToA art for Semele, by Earthkid!Isn't she hot? XD <3333
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