"Joy"

[seawied]

First Name: Joy/Stebhsrlue
Last Name: None/Goodheart

Appearance:
Race: Human
Age: 18
Height 5"0
Weight: 135
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Blonde

Personality Profile:
General Health: Certifiably nuts.
Deity: Malar until further notice
Profession: Bear Warrior/Schismsoul
Habits/Hobbies: Knocking over people and objects far larger than her, being a bear, finding bestest biggest bones, general shenanigans, being a bear, maintaining some semblance of sanity, bear related activities.
Languages: Common, Rashemi
Weapon of Choice: Teeth.
Goals: Much to the chagrin of her companions, planning for the future isn't exactly Joy's strong suit.

Background: Stebhsrlue Goodheart is the bastard daughter of Evra Goodheart and Vladislak Bhiesun.

Evra came to Rashemen on her brother's merchant caravan. Her music and song would often attract customers and her... late night activities... would occasionally win over important authority figures into granting safe passage and, on occasion, getting exclusive information on market tips. Although her brother did not wish to know the details of how she got such favors and information, her contributions to the caravan managed to keep the family business afloat during its toughest years.

One of these late night ventures lead her to the arms of a feared Rashemi bear warrior of the Ice Bear Lodge. Evra sought information on the supply levels of the Rashemen warriors fighting Thay, but she received an unwanted bonus in her womb.

After Stebhsrlue was born, Vladislak refused any parental obligations to her. The difficult child-birth left Evra physically weak and unable to travel with her brother's caravan, which held contractual obligations near the Sea of Fallen Stars. Evra and Stebhsrlue were left behind.

Living among the Ice Bear Tribe, Stebhsrlue's resemblance to her father was undeniable. Even as a young child, Stebhsrlue had monsterous strength and a temper to match. Often flying into fits of rage, Stebhsrlue would frequently break objects and beat other children until they were within an inch of their life. Stebhsrlue's anti-social antics soon made her and Evra outcasts of the Ice Bear Tribe.

To make matters worse, livestock and pets of the tribe began to go missing and badly disfigured corpses were often found in the village. Although Stebhsrlue's habbits were enough to cause the tribe to suspect her, things became worse when the unruly child showed up several days covered in blood. When pressed for an explanation, the young girl could not remember how she became covered in gore. She also insisted that she had no knowledge of the missing livestock and pets. Evra and Stebhsrlue soon moved to the edges of the tribe's land for the tribes safety... and their own.

Eventually a Wychlaran named Navarra visited Evra and her daughter. The old witch examined the girl and proclaimed her the blood of the Bhiesun family. Although Evra already knew that Vladislak was the father, the Wychlaran shared some new information as well.

The Bear Warrior Vladislak had an unusual bloodline. Vladislak had fiendish heritage coursing through his veins. Many Bhiesun children struggled controlling their heritage, often ending with the unfortunate child being burned at the stake.

The Wychlaran stayed with the two for some time, and eventually the old woman discovered that Stebhsrlue's hertiage manifested in an unusual way. Stebhsrlue was not one person, but two. There was Stebhsrlue, a unruly, angry child... and a second personae which the Navarra named Stehu Mnh, or "the Cruel One."

Knowing that the Cruel One would eventually eat the more reasonable personality, the Wychlaran modified a ritual . Taking Stebhsrlue deep into the woods, Navarra performed the ritual and transformed the girl into a Schismsoul.

Binding a rune at the base of the girl's spine, the witch contained the Stehu Mnh's essence in a more useable form. In time, the young girl would be able to utilize her father's heritage in the same way Vladislak did: converting the demonic energies to transform into a fearsome bear.

The ritual had an extreme cost though: the girl's original personality was entirely consumed by the spell. Pulling from the spirits of Rashemen, Navarra imprinted a new personality in the young girl. Evra mourned the loss of Stebhsrlue, and decided to name her daughter something more promising than Stebhsrlue. Hoping that the name of her grandmother would bring better luck, Evra named the girl Joy.

Before departing, Navarra warned Evra that being around those knew Stebhsrlue and the Cruel One might negatively influence the new personality; raising Joy in a new environment would be wise.

Although too weak to make the journey herself, Evra sent Joy out to live with her now retired uncle on the Sword Coast.