Character Avatar: Noomi Rapace
Character Name: Raelin Duval, born Raelin Ciaranson
Age: 29
Rank/Title: Soldier
Race: Albian tribal decent (not from the main populace)
Country/Province: Terre d’Ange
Player: Desdemona
Appearance: Raelin is not a large woman, she is only 5’4” and has a thin build. In lesser clothing one can see her strength. Her arms are not thick but her muscles are well defined. She has dark, almost black, hair and if one looks closely they can see hints of past piercings. If she were to go to battle she would fill those holes with crudely made hoops that she has kept from a past life. Her eyes are brown, bright but deep.
Personality: Raelin is a serious girl when needed, but believes strongly in the mantra of, "work hard, play hard." Her humor can be crude and she cares not if she offends anyone. She loves her fellow soldiers and is fiercely loyal to them. She has no love nor does she want one, rather liking the single life. She wants to do what is right, under any circumstances, but it is her version of right not anyone else’s. She dreams of being in the Queen’s personal guard one day.
History: Raelin’s life sounds like the story of four different individuals. She was born in northern Alba, in one of the few remaining nomadic tribal groups. They were not attached to any other group and they did not share the religion of most of the Alban people. Theirs was a culture of their own, one that was very old, but also one that was dwindling. Raelin’s clan was fiercely loyal and had a society based around honor. Their religion was also very important with the tribe’s lead shaman living in a relic temple, though a moveable relic temple made of animal hides. When they would move each family would carry a special trinket that was from their line’s history. The tribe composed of 7 distinct lines. Raelin’s line was that of the raven, her father named after the creature in their language.
When Raelin was 12 the family of the Bear claimed that Raelin’s father, Ciaran, had stolen their artifact, a grievous crime in their tribe. Her father denied it, but a search in their tent revealed the artifact. Ciaran claimed he was framed but the tribe would not hear it. Instead they sentenced his family to death. Ciaran and his wife fought as long as they could, bidding their children to run. The tribe thought death was dark and unclean so only certain members were allowed to perform the acts. With the tribes executioners busy with the adults the three children were able to make an easy get-away.
Raelin traveled south with her two siblings, a younger sister and brother. Her brother was only of 4 years and grew ill on the trip. Without any knowledge in medicine Raelin was unable to heal her brother and he died. She and her sister survived, their nomadic lifestyle making food and survival somewhat simpler. They came across a small farm village and choose to make their stay.
The village accepted the two wild girls and set to work at teaching them their language. Raelin’s tribe had a dialect of their own. It was not completely different from the native Alban language so the two girls were able to pick it up without too much difficulty. Raelin found that she had a knack for learning languages and as soon as she mastered Alban she moved on to d’Angeline and even learned some limited Skaldian. The two girls moved into their maidenhood and were both found husbands among the village. Raelin’s sister fared well, but Raelin was wedded with an abusive man saw her as nothing more than a pretty animal. He would abuse her both mentally and physically. Raelin had some training in self-defense as a child, but she had not practiced the knowledge or made any effort to retain it in the village.
She accepted it as first; felt that it was punishment from the gods for her father’s evils. She was soon with child but that was not enough to stay her husband’s hand. One evening, when she was visibly showing, he grew more angry than normal and started to beat her severely. She fought back this time, her training in her past life coming back to her and she was soon able to best him. She was able to bring him down in a choke-hold. He then reached into his boot and pulled out a dagger, he swung it back without looking and stabbed Raelin in her lower abdomen, through both her flesh and into her unborn child. In a fit of rage she pulled the knife from her and used it to slit his throat from ear to ear. She then passed out from her own pain.
Raelin was found before she could die from her wound, though she came very close to doing so. When she had recovered some of her strength she was told that the town’s magistrate wanted to speak with her. Raelin misunderstood his intentions and thought that she was going to be tried for her husband’s murder. Two nights later she ran away into the night. All that was left of her was a note on her sister’s bedside stand.
Raelin ran south and found a harbor town between Alba and Terre d’Ange. She was only 17 when she arrived but had already seen the death of almost everyone she loved. Her sister being the only exception. Raelin was racked with guilt for leaving her behind. She had also killed a man. She lived as a beggar and when she became desperate enough a thief. She was very quick and was able to be well out of sight before anything was noticed amiss. She lived like this for two years. During that time she discovered that her husband’s actions did more than kill their unborn child, he also destroyed her ability to receive pleasure from sex with a man. The feeling of one inside of her made her ill. She did not feel the same way when she was with a woman.
When she was 19 Raelin was able to convince a Captain on one of the ships to allow her to work. He was a d’Angeline and he took pity on the poor wretch of a girl. He had just lost his only daughter to an illness and was feeling unusually generous. It was only supposed to be for one trip to Terre d’Ange and back, but the one trip turned into two and then three. Raelin fell in love with the ship and the life of a sailor while the Captian fell in love with her, but as a daughter not a lover.
Raelin worked for the Captain for 9 years. Her small stature made her a unbeatable asset on the rigging and she was able to climb and release a sail faster than any man on the ship. She also learned sword fighting and self-defense, a need for any sailor. As her Captain aged so did Raelin’s interest in ship life. The thrill slowly left and she found that she was staying only for her pseudo father. As all men must do, he aged and eventually died one night while they were out at sea. Raelin left the ship at the next stop in Terre d’Ange, her new love.
Raelin was given a very honorable note from the First Mate and it was with this that she was able to enlist in the d’Angeline army. She proved herself more than apt and has become a quick favorite of her LT.
Translations Just a place to put phrases from Raelin's tribe that I use in the chat (partially so I don't forget)
bien vigr - "Bone Warrior," The tribe she came from was matriarchal so both males and females could fight. They were both the guards and the hunters. Not all hungers were bien vigr but their life was gentle enough most of the time that all of the bien vigr hunted. With most of Alba being civilized the old tribal wars had died down, a position more of tradition than need.
