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Iolanna

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:02 pm
by LivT
Iolanna Arele
 
Appearance:

Like many of her race, Iolanna (eye-oh-lah-nah) could be considered quite a beautiful young woman, however, does little to embellish this trait; by human standards, she appears to be in her early twenties. She is a touch short for an Aasimar however and has unusually dark hair - uncommon, though not unheard of. It’s not unusual to see her smudged with dirt or with a leaf or twig trapped in her hair, though by preference or perhaps old habit she does her best to keep clean - usually by means of waterfalls or rivers.

She aims for function over fashion when it comes to her attire; one of her usual outfits was once a fine dress that she had of necessity pulled apart and re-made into a sturdier robe, patched with flax and hide. Shoes are often optional, particularly when the weather is warm, and rarely wears jewellery unless it offers a useful enchantment.

Despite this, Iolanna has the accent and poise of a young lady of good breeding, which can be in stark contrast to her often scruffy or careless appearance. It’s not a conscious effort, rather a remnant of her former way of life that is too ingrained into her behaviour. Another Aasimar trait would be her penetrating look; her expression is almost always a pensive one, lost in contemplation.

Race: Aasimar
Age: 29
Height 5’4”
Weight: 138 lb
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Black, with a propensity to curl
Facial Hair Style: None

Personality Profile:
Imaginative yet decisive, ambitious yet private, idealistic yet cynical, and curious but would not squander her energy, her personality is something of a paradox. Iolanna usually sees the Big Picture or does her best to look for it, rather than focus on smaller and more trivial matters. She possesses rationalism that prevents her from being blinded by rhetoric, but tempers this with hopeful ingenuity. However, this constant churning of her mind can cause her to become withdrawn, or even argumentative with herself.

Unsurprisingly, Iolanna possesses a deep love and reverence for nature and all its creatures - so much so, she will rarely ever eat meat, trap, or hunt, unless her survival is absolutely on the line. As she sees it, if she can survive on plants, fish, or insects, there’s no call for an animal to die just for her to have dinner.

For all her rationalising, her Aasimar nature still tends to shine through when it comes to questions of morality; simply put, she finds the most sensible route of action is often the kindest one. She’s likely to help a wounded stranger not because of a great feeling of benevolence or compassion, but because, in her own words, “What would letting them die achieve?”

Her connection with her familiar Kuma sometimes resembles more of a mother-child bond. She’s protective of the bear, and even as it grows to a formidable size Iolanna still falls into old habits of treating it as an infant.


General Health: Fit, youthful.
Deity: Eldath
Initial Alignment: Neutral Good
Profession: Druid
Base Class & Proposed Development: Pure Druid
Habits/Hobbies: Herbology - born of her learning to survive in the wilderness, Iolana enjoys studying plants and their uses and experimenting with them, be it in medicine, cooking, crafting or dyes. When in a more civilised society her preference is to read or sketch and document things she has learned or discovered. She enjoys swimming and won’t often pass up the chance to be in the water. Iolanna is more recently very passionate about druidic spellcraft, and determined to gather as much knowledge and lore as she can, for her own sakes, and for posterity.
Languages: Common, Druidic, Draconian, Celestial, Cormanthyan, Sylvan, Gnoll
Weapon of Choice: Staff

Background:
Hidden: show
Iolanna was the second daughter born to a prominent and wealthy couple in Eshpurta, Amn. Her father had a commanding position in the military, and her mother was the daughter of a merchant as well as a successful one in her own right. From a young age, Iolanna and her sister were raised in the manner most respectable young ladies were, and had the same expectancies thrust upon them; that of an elegant profession, or valuable marriage.

An accident when Iolanna was only a child changed the course of her life. While travelling with her elder sister by caravan, a severe storm came upon the troupe; part of the mountain road gave way to a landslide and they, the carriage, and the attendants who accompanied them were pulled down into the ravine below. All were injured, and few survived; it wasn’t until three days later that she and her sister were discovered and rescued, both by then close to death with cold, hunger, and thirst.

The traumatic experience had a dramatic change on the little girl; her fear of the wildness became anger, and anger became a resolution that she’d never again be so helpless. In the following years, between etiquette lessons or needlework, she made acquaintances with local rangers or army scouts and persuaded them to show her how to build fires, craft tools, or what plants were edible. Most of them humoured the little girl and seemed happy enough to appease her curiosity. The more she learned of nature, the more she respected and soon revered it - despite her family’s disapproval of her unladylike habits.

This battle between her two worlds came to a head when Iolanna reached her early twenties, and she discovered, quite suddenly, that she was about to become engaged. The match had been arranged by her parents, to an Eshpurtan courtier and family friend. The gentleman was not a bad sort of person and would easily have provided her with a secure and lavish home, however, the young lady couldn’t help but despair of her future.

It was the night before the engagement celebration that she first heard the call, a whisper carried on the wind, the mountains murmuring to her. She had been tried, she’d persevered, and that night Nature offered her the path of the druid.

Iolana left only a note to her family before she left and in all the following years hasn’t been in contact with them again. It’s something she regrets and knows now was cowardly and immature, but isn’t sure how to remedy it - or rather, is fearful of what would need to be done to set things right.

Not long after her arrival in the Small Teeth Mountains, she was tracked by one of the few Druids who dotted the area. After time and seeing her basic survival skills were indeed developed, they began to show her the ways of the nature deities, and the magic and spiritualism of being a Druid.

Outside of her interactions with her mentor, Iolanna has spent the past five years in almost complete solitude and living primitively in the Small Teeth mountains and forests. A chance encounter with an adventurer has brought her to the Sword Coast.

Goals:

To gather and develop as much lore and knowledge of the Druid's way as possible and now mentor others along that path.

Relationships/Affiliations:

Aiden Vega: Her mate of many years now, Iolanna and Aiden have developed a deep and lasting attachment.

The Green Enclave: Holds the position of High Druid

Crescent Moon Circle: Holds the position of Arch

Greenest: Was named by Queen Dharva as the Druid of Greenest (DM Spartacus 2018)

Rocky Creek Trade Company: Considered 'old friends', the druidess has a surprising amount of respect and even affection for the merchant guild's leaders.

House Vale: A former member, she relinquished her position when unable to give her loyalty to Bauldr's Gate. She maintains a friendly relationship with members.

Radiant Heart: Though not closely tied to the Order, she views Lord Aaron Lyonaler as a sort of 'brother in-law', due to his old friendship with her mate Aiden.

Order of the Blackrose: After a long time the blatant animosity felt for the Blackroses has noticeably diminished, not so much due to reconciliation, but that the House itself had changes hands and people enough to be considered a rather new entity altogether. She is cautious regarding them, but not antagonistic.

Church of Ilmater: Iolanna holds the church in high regard, and has made a habit of trading healing knowledge and supplies with them. These days, the temple is one of the only causes left for her to visit the city.