Samia Gamal Profile

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LUmo
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Samia Gamal Profile

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Profile

Full name: Samia Gamal
Age: 25
Race: Half Calishite, half Nubari
Sex: F
Date of birth: Eleasis 3rd, 1336 (The day after Shieldmeet)
Place of birth: A hosptial in Manshaka, Calimshan
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Patron deity: N/A (pays homage to Akadi though on occasion, or uses her name in speech as a supplement to godly talk)
Profession: Courtesan-turned-Mercenary
Classes: Fighter/Rogue/Dervish
Primary language: Alzhedo (I didn't realize I had chosen the wrong language starter until after getting into the teens regarding levels. Oops)

Secondary languages:
Durpari (76/100) [Taught by hired tutor via father]
Auran (83/100) [Taught by mentor while a slave in a gypsy troupe]

Physical description:
Samia is a tall, dark-tan-skinned woman of athletic build. Lithe and lean, her musculature is quite suited to acrobatics and gymnastics appropriately associated with her years of training in high-intensity dancing performances as well as self defense measures through martial practice. Despite being a child of the often stout Calishites, the genes of her Nubari mother held strong and blessed her to be quite tall, towering over many of her peers. Her dark black hair, unusual stormy blue eyes, and strong facial features were inherited from her father. Her hair is often tied high for the purpose of mobility, whether it be for recreation or combat. Countless small scars adorns her fingers and ankles due to many failed practice sessions with pen, sword, and dance leading to injury.
There is a brand of Helm's gauntlet with the eye being gouged by a dagger, blood dripping down burned on her inner thigh from her time as a slave. Loose yet rich wrappings adorn her body to preserve modesty and afford her the mobility necessary to incorporate her dancing with her usage of light weaponry during skirmishes. Svelte slippers hug her feet with cushioned pads on the internals separating her skin from the flexible yet hard underboard designed for travel on the road.
Psychological description:

Lifestyle
Given her history, Samia has developed a deep dislike bordering on phobia of both the ocean and any sort of cage or collar; she has, relatedly, developed a strong sense of importance regarding freedom, encouraging people to do what they please as long as they're aware that all actions have consequences.

Temperament
Though one to embrace the moment-to-moment happenings of the day, Samia is a heavy skeptic of anything she comes across and it has left her with a small case of paranoia; however, due to the blunt nature in which she speaks and interacts with others - as well as her predilection to avoid socially combative conversations - she is often erroneously deemed flippant and uncaring.

Religious views:
There is a begrudging acceptance and respect she gives to certain gods for espousing ideals of helping others as well as the undeniable, tangible effects they have on the mortal realm, but she disbelieves any god is actually altruistic. She does pay homage, on occasion, to Akadi however, as the Lord of the Winds is in her eyes the truest representation of freedom of choice. She is not a ritualist like any devout of a god would be - druid, cleric, or otherwise - but she has gone out of her way before to actively combat malicious people and entities that pollute the air: her way of showing some amount of fidelity to Akadi and to make money on the side.
Biography

Family
Father: Gamal yn Vokesh el Perezzar (deceased - unknown by Samia). A short man with a once upon a time moderately rich merchant business that has been dispersed after his passing.
Mother: Farrago de Aleph (deceased - unknown by Samia). A tall woman hailing from Malatra, she belonged once to one of the few educated tribes of the area and is a descendant of the ancient Dupari.
Younger (adopted) sister: Licia. A moon half-elf girl with silver hair that was found in the remains of a caravan wreckage when Samia was five while she and her parents were traveling along a trade route. She was hidden in a compartment with swaddling and a bracelet with her name on it.
Tutor of 5 years (Unknown whereabouts): Deneer Oskut. A man hired when Samia was six to educate her on trade customs and other academic pursuits. She was instructed to also learn the Durpari language by her father that they might speak in front of others without worry of eavesdropping, as it was an uncommon language in Calimshan.
Master and teacher of 10 years: Austere. An aging Air Genasi who functioned both as her physical education instructor for combat conditioning and the dance troupe she led, as well as her master in the arts subtle, such as hiding, breaking and entering, theft, and more.

History

Early Life:

Samia yr Gamal el Perezzar was born into a moderate amount of wealth the day after Shieldmeet in 1336, being the daughter of a successful merchant of silks and exotic animals (mostly of the avian variety). Her father, Gamal, was once upon a time a treasure hunter, but after having gained much wealth and falling in love with her mother, he decided that a more subdued lifestyle would be more appropriate to raise a child. Due to her infancy, his normal trade routes across the seas were restricted, and they took to traveling via caravan for the first several years of her life. Once, during one of these journeys, they came across a bloody sight: a fellow company of traders, having been ransacked - by beast or bandit, they knew not. Amongst the ruins and crimson-stained wood, they heard a shrill and yet muffled cry coming from one of the wagons. A half-elf babe, no more than a few months old, had been swaddled in a cloth Gamal had never seen before, wearing a bracelet simply labeled "Licia." Compassion moved the two parents, having a young girl of their own, and thus she was brought into the fold as Samia's younger sister at the age of five.
Realizing that now he was responsible for two children, and with one of them coming to be of age for academic studies, he would need additional assistance for when he and his wife would inevitably be too busy to monitor and teach them as much as they had, what with his influence expanding. He in turn hired a renowned fellow tradesman and scholar, Deneer Oskut, as she became six years old to help "fill the gaps" where he could not pay attention to her. Deneer was to be her educator in many a form of life: manners, arithmetic, history, plying trades, handwriting, and much more. He would in time also become the tutor for her younger sister Licia when she also turned six.

Misery Made Manifest

As the years went on and Samia and her sister were deemed robust enough to make the travels, the family began to cross the seas for various trade deals and goods acquisitions, seeing many a glorious sight and meeting many exotic peoples and customs. Samia, despite becoming quite adept at employing shrewdness to her advantage when making deals, always wore her heart on her proverbial sleeve and overly trusting of others. She had developed a deep love of the waters she traveled across, as they represented newness and opportunity that the unchanging lands of Calimshan could never hope to achieve (in her mind, at least).
However, this time of happiness and growth would be ended in the final days of Kythorn of 1348 with the terrifying crash of thunder and tidal waves. The ship ferrying the family back to Calimport was several dozen miles off of the shore when a storm of great power struck them, capsizing the vessel. Samia was knocked unconscious by the rushing debris in the water, and shuttled away by the currents. Some time the following morning, by great fortune (or a terrible curse; she is still undecided), she had awoken to find herself washed ashore on the coast of Calimshan. All she had were the torn clothes she wore and a precious treasure given to her by her mother on her birthday the previous year - a magic lavender sash of supreme quality that could render the wielder invisible (a subject of great consternation for her father). After overcoming the shock of what happened, and finding that crying for hours had yielded no results in making things better, she started traveling the nearest road she could find. To her later chagrin, it was traveling east that she found a mercenary band abducting strays, and she soon came to be another part of the commodities they peddled.
Upon arriving in Schamedar after a day's travel, she was left in a filthy cage with other gaunt children of varying ages, advertised in the street for pittances of coin. This went on for another day and a half, before a shadow swallowed her vision: a woman - a genasi no less - loomed over her cage. She was tall, almost as tall as her mother, and aged with the look of a seasoned hunter looking at prey. Questions were asked, money exchanged palms, and Samia was led by her chains through the streets of the city, going further and further towards the more wealthy district. Gazing up, she saw a symbol of the blinded Helm donning the stone structure in front of her, a symbol of the house she was now a part of.
The woman introduced herself as Austere, the lady reagent of the Troupe of the Danse Larmes: the Dance of Tears, and her new owner. Austere was not her birth name, but a title given to one of her position, and served as both. She functions as the physical fitness instructor for a Lord Belmezzo, a mid-ranking Vizier who had an embassy posting in Schamedar, as well as the leader of his personal entourage of courtesans and entertainers (though she is not the de-facto leader or instructor of slaves). Samia was stripped, cleansed, and outfitted with a low quality gambison and trousers - as well as divested of her precious scarf after many wasted tears - then told to report to the courtyard for her dance training immediately [It was the philosophy of this school, whose patron was a purported devotee to Illmater, that through great stress and pain a better learning state was achieved in the mind for dancing - hence the title of Tears]. Thus, did she turn twelve.

The Tempering of Steel

Samia underwent relentless, tiresome training for the troupe, and was educated most strictly in how to conduct herself in front of her new masters, as well as upon the showstages she would be performing on. In the limited interrim between her duties, she would watch the guards of the large estate and the training drills they did, wishing for the chance to be like them and become strong enough to roam freely as she and her family had in the past.
One day, late in the restless hours of a hot summer night, she ambled across the halls as quietly as she dared to star-gaze, before noticing that that a door was left abnormally adjacent (an inattentive guard to be sure), belonging to one of the heads of house. She pilfered what she could, hoping to sequester whatever was valuable that she might be able to do something - anything - to improve her situation. Sadly, she was caught not but an hour later by Austere herself, with the simple remark "You the door unlocked after you closed it." Austere, instead of reprimanding her or giving out a punishment befitting such a theft, told the girl that Austere would not be embarrassed by lackluster performances by any of those under her command, in any fashion of life; thus, did her private education begin in the twilight hours each night in the ways of a thief. She had little talent in the ways of stealth, and it was decided that her precision and dexterous fingers would be her strength, making light work of any impediment so that she need merely flee as fast as she could. This apprenticeship was kept hidden from the lord, and she was granted use of the guard training facilities when vacant to further her physical capabilities (to be a thief is to invite aggressive reaction, and one needs to be able to defend onesself).
Days turned into weeks, into months, into years, until a decade later Samia had grown into a young woman with remarkable skills in athleticism of both recreational and martial types. This talent was further refined through the strict instruction of Austere, to the point where they often blended into one cohesive unit of beautiful yet deadly flashes of silver. Her capabilities could not be hidden for long, not with the accelerated progress she made with a dedicated teacher, and she rose quickly in the ranks of both the Larmes and the circle of courtesans, having taken the role of both lead actor and stage manager, superseded only by Director Austere herself. Despite her position of influence in the lower caste of the house, however, she was still not afforded anything more than what a servant was seen as due: she was, after all, still a slave, if not a well-taken care of one now. Her tall figure, graceful movements, and history of education quickly made her a favored individual for Belmezzo, a pompous and greedy man whom she loathed. She was shown to visiting dignitaries, friends, diplomats, and merchants alike, as if a prize to be coveted. Passion at times would almost take her to invite a stake to him, but her mind was trained just like her body: rigorously, without remorse, and tempered to a toughness akin to metal; she would have to bide her time for an opportunity to gain freedom, and his death by her hands would not bring it.

Freedom

In 1358, as a gift to her from her mistress, upon her birthday a piece of unimaginable information was given to Samia: there was a possibility that her sister Licia was alive! Using the many connections she had attained throughout the years, Austere had gleaned through her information network that a young girl matching Licia's age and general appearance was spotted along the Sword Coast ports, boarding a ship of unknown ownership. Notably, she carried a medallion, one sporting the crest of the now defunct House Perezzar. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of any of her family being alive, as she had forgone ever seeing them again. There would be a time to act upon this, but she needed an opening to capitalize upon; as such, she bid her time, waiting.
Not long after, her opportunity arose - a clash during the Time of Troubles. The clash of Bane and Torm was foreseen by many a priest of both gods, and in several cities across Faerun trouble brewed, the pot of tension boiling, waiting for the explosive outpour bound to happen. Schamedar was one such place, and indeed, it did erupt. A great uprising of Bane followers, from within and without the city walls, began to destroy, pillage, and assault the citizenry on the 10th of Eleasis [Three days before the Avatars of Torm and Bane destroyed each other.] Seizing the confusion brought about to the city, Samia began to collect what belongings she could and flee the estate.
Before she could get far, she was stopped by a small group of guards and Director Austere. They stood in a tense silence, before Austere walked forwards and embraced her, saying "You've grown, and I do believe it's time the bird left the nest. I hope you never return - it would make all my work go to waste. Go, find what you seek, and embrace opportunities when they present themselves, as you are now." She handed Samia her scarf from so long ago (the sheen seems to have faded over time, likely the magic having been drained for some reason or another), and a note that remained unopened until she was far away from Schamedar. The details within this note, as she read from a boat taking her away from Calimport, detail Austere's musings on what Samia had told her about her father being a treasure hunter in the past, and that she may find excitement in such a thing as well being so free-spirited. There is an old tale from before even Austere's grandmother's time about a pair of slippers crafted for the direct apprentice of Eilistraee, which made steps as light as air and could give someone almost endless stamina, to dance to their heart's content

Future

With determination, Samia sets out to Baldur's Gate and the rest of the Sword Coast to seek answers for her sister's whereabouts, and make the most of her newfound freedom to follow in her father's footsteps as a treasure hunter. To throw off any would be trackers from Schamedar, she has butchered (to her) her name into just Samia Gamal.

Heirloom item
Sash of the Nubari: A lavender scarf that used to shine with an ethereal luster, gifted at a young age to Samia by her mother. It once had the ability to turn the wearer invisible.
Bracers of the Untarnished Dancer: A pair of sky blue, light-metallic bracers given to Samia as a gift from Austere during her graduation/promotion to her second in command of the Troupe of the Dance Larmes.
Slippers of the Heretic Dancer: A pair of dark green slippers befitting that of a ballerina, commissioned an untold number of years ago for the apprentice of none other than Eilistraee herself (quest reward?).

Plot hooks

1. The whereabouts of Licia, Samia's sister: Could be found in a number of places, but primary thought was to have her be similarly inducted into a faction as Samia, except in Licia's case it was pirates, not dancers (maybe a tie-in with the pirate king, but I'm not too certain DM's would do that given solo'ing that sort of thing is pretty damn hard even with a good build from what I understand)

2. Slippers of Eilistraee: A potential deep dive into the underdark following the note given to Samia from her mistress during her time in the Larmes

3. Reclamation of a slave: Belmezzo has realized the loss of one of his most prized slaves and assets, and sends out either a large skilled mercenary group to get her back, or perhaps his own highly trained militia

4. Father's Inheritance: Deneer Oskut, Samia's old instructor, has found her and regales her in a sorrowful tone about how her father's budding merchant empire was in danger of being subject to a hostile takeover by an evil competitor, and it would exacerbate the slave issue in Calimshan as a whole with the connections it had.
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