Pepper
Basic Details
Full Name: Pepper Farrow
Date of Birth: 83rd of Vhalar, 703
Race: Mixed Race. Mostly Human, 1/4th Biqaj
Mark: Nyvora
Place of Birth: Family estate near Mistral village, Stormlands, Rharne
Current Residence: Rharne
Languages spoken: Common (fluent), Rakahi (broken)
Date of Birth: 83rd of Vhalar, 703
Race: Mixed Race. Mostly Human, 1/4th Biqaj
Mark: Nyvora
Place of Birth: Family estate near Mistral village, Stormlands, Rharne
Current Residence: Rharne
Languages spoken: Common (fluent), Rakahi (broken)
Index
[anchor=origins]Origins[/anchor]
Pepper's childhood had been fairly sheltered, and quietly comfortable. She's never felt unloved, her brothers enjoy teasing her but are quietly protective, she's fairly close to her mum and her dad tries his best not to spoil her rotten. Yet as she left childhood behind, she started feeling that she no longer quite fit into this happy picture.
Pepper had enjoyed a slight notoriety among other children her age for her quiet refusal to fall in with the conventions of the group. Even then, her sense of self had been strong, she knew her likes and dislikes fairly well, and didn't often feel envious or competitive. She was also comfortable trusting her intuition and judgement, though they had not been infallible. Slowly, she also began to develop a deeply private side, and though she continued to welcome opportunities to play and interact with others her age, she'd started to realise that it's better to limit most interactions to surface level. She had always been quite curious and imaginative and her interests ranged wide. However she started to notice that sharing these rarely, if ever, led to good results socially.
In 714, when Pepper was 11, a child she used to play with ended up lost in the woods and was eventually found dead. This was Pepper's first personal brush with tragedy and she somehow ended up blaming herself for a part in it. Her imagination and empathy twisted the guilt and grief into nightmares that kept getting worse and the strain led to a bad bout of fever. Five trials later the fever broke and Pepper emerged with the blessing of Nyvora granted to her.
Pepper kept the mark secret but it made the feeling of not fitting in a lot worse. Additionally the whole experience had left other, more subtle imprints on her personality. She started to fear losing people important to her, and getting lost herself. She went through a short phase of always wanting to know where all her family was. She learnt to be a bit more cautious when exploring the woods, and she started filling her journal with maps. She began with simple maps but with practice and experience her ability to commit larger amounts of information to paper grew. She also started to note down all dreams and experiences related to dreamwalking. These along with the journal that served as her sketchbook became her most prized possessions. The discipline of putting things down on paper slowly fanned her curiosity to a blaze.
It wasn't so much that she wanted adventure, rather her thirst for knowing had been growing bigger than her small village existence could quench. If challenged she'd agree that wanting to know everything about everything was simultaneously foolish, dangerous, and impossible. Yet every bit she learnt only made it more clear that there was a whole lot more she didn't.
There were also more practical concerns. Her family was well off enough by Stormland standards, but everyone pulled their weight and then some. Pepper certainly helped in the vineyards, or the orchards and at home with the chores but it was time to think about the future. She found the growing and tending of plants interesting enough, but then she found most things interesting. She couldn't imagine tending to grape crops or some such all her life.
She found making things a lot more interesting and fulfilling. True she wasn't much good at most of the crafting work she'd tried (apart from sketching). Yet. But she was sure she could be. Pepper knew one of her failings was getting bored and moving to something new. She felt crafting offered enough avenues for her to be creative as well as to switch things enough to not get bored. But she couldn't really try all of it at home.
In the wider world, there was possibility, magic was free and how could she not want to see more, know more, do more? She needed to leave the safety of her nest, she needed to fly.
Pepper got her chance when she accompanied her family for a short trip to the city in Vhalar of 717. They all stayed at her uncle's, and Pepper broached wanting to move to the city and explore some options that she could pursue as a profession. There was some amount of instinctive refusal, especially from her father, but the Farrows reluctantly agreed to consider it when Reyna's brother Jemyr and his wife Saryu spoke up in Pepper's support. They offered to host Pepper whenever she wanted to try the city life, they certainly had more than enough space. This would possibly be the best way for her to learn independence while still having support to fall back on.
Over the next month, Pepper worked (more or less patiently) at overcoming her family's objections and calming their concerns. Finally they agreed and Pepper moved to Rharne at the beginning of Ashan 718, promising she'd mind her manners in her new home and not waste this opportunity away.
Pepper had enjoyed a slight notoriety among other children her age for her quiet refusal to fall in with the conventions of the group. Even then, her sense of self had been strong, she knew her likes and dislikes fairly well, and didn't often feel envious or competitive. She was also comfortable trusting her intuition and judgement, though they had not been infallible. Slowly, she also began to develop a deeply private side, and though she continued to welcome opportunities to play and interact with others her age, she'd started to realise that it's better to limit most interactions to surface level. She had always been quite curious and imaginative and her interests ranged wide. However she started to notice that sharing these rarely, if ever, led to good results socially.
In 714, when Pepper was 11, a child she used to play with ended up lost in the woods and was eventually found dead. This was Pepper's first personal brush with tragedy and she somehow ended up blaming herself for a part in it. Her imagination and empathy twisted the guilt and grief into nightmares that kept getting worse and the strain led to a bad bout of fever. Five trials later the fever broke and Pepper emerged with the blessing of Nyvora granted to her.
Pepper kept the mark secret but it made the feeling of not fitting in a lot worse. Additionally the whole experience had left other, more subtle imprints on her personality. She started to fear losing people important to her, and getting lost herself. She went through a short phase of always wanting to know where all her family was. She learnt to be a bit more cautious when exploring the woods, and she started filling her journal with maps. She began with simple maps but with practice and experience her ability to commit larger amounts of information to paper grew. She also started to note down all dreams and experiences related to dreamwalking. These along with the journal that served as her sketchbook became her most prized possessions. The discipline of putting things down on paper slowly fanned her curiosity to a blaze.
It wasn't so much that she wanted adventure, rather her thirst for knowing had been growing bigger than her small village existence could quench. If challenged she'd agree that wanting to know everything about everything was simultaneously foolish, dangerous, and impossible. Yet every bit she learnt only made it more clear that there was a whole lot more she didn't.
There were also more practical concerns. Her family was well off enough by Stormland standards, but everyone pulled their weight and then some. Pepper certainly helped in the vineyards, or the orchards and at home with the chores but it was time to think about the future. She found the growing and tending of plants interesting enough, but then she found most things interesting. She couldn't imagine tending to grape crops or some such all her life.
She found making things a lot more interesting and fulfilling. True she wasn't much good at most of the crafting work she'd tried (apart from sketching). Yet. But she was sure she could be. Pepper knew one of her failings was getting bored and moving to something new. She felt crafting offered enough avenues for her to be creative as well as to switch things enough to not get bored. But she couldn't really try all of it at home.
In the wider world, there was possibility, magic was free and how could she not want to see more, know more, do more? She needed to leave the safety of her nest, she needed to fly.
Pepper got her chance when she accompanied her family for a short trip to the city in Vhalar of 717. They all stayed at her uncle's, and Pepper broached wanting to move to the city and explore some options that she could pursue as a profession. There was some amount of instinctive refusal, especially from her father, but the Farrows reluctantly agreed to consider it when Reyna's brother Jemyr and his wife Saryu spoke up in Pepper's support. They offered to host Pepper whenever she wanted to try the city life, they certainly had more than enough space. This would possibly be the best way for her to learn independence while still having support to fall back on.
Over the next month, Pepper worked (more or less patiently) at overcoming her family's objections and calming their concerns. Finally they agreed and Pepper moved to Rharne at the beginning of Ashan 718, promising she'd mind her manners in her new home and not waste this opportunity away.
[anchor=personality]Personality[/anchor]
Pepper's personality is woven from a lot of seemingly contradictory traits. She's intelligent, curious and likes to learn. Essentially honest and optimistic, she is prone to taking people at their word and can be somewhat naive. Thankfully a kind of gut instinct has warned her about truly bad apples so not too much harm has been done. She's distinctly introverted, needing to spend a good amount of time away from gatherings of people where she's expected to participate, and had found the woods a good place to escape to. Yet when animated by interest, she can charm her listeners by her vivacity and enthusiasm. A dreamer and a seeker, she's very happy to live in the realms of the mind. But for all her flights of fancy, she's strongly rooted in the facts of what she thinks is actually possible and doable. Often coming across as somewhat aloof, she hides a sensitive soul that is empathetic to those in trouble and protective of those in her care.
She's capable of working with surprising focus and determination on things, but equally capable of abandoning once cherished projects. She's direct, often embarrassingly so, and will often blurt out things she's been thinking. She's fairly creative and likes to write and sketch. (see origins for more). She's also pragmatic and unexpectedly objective about the quality of her work and knows that most of her skills are barely at the novice level. She can be very snappish and even whiny when feeling frustrated or thwarted. Instinctively getting all defensive and prickly in the face of criticism doesn't help either, though it's worst when the criticism is from people doesn't entirely trust.
The most important thing however is that she has a very strong sense of self, happy to move to her own beat. She isn't easily swayed by the opinions of the crowd, and quietly prefers making up her own mind about things.
Ever since she got the blessing of Nyvora, she's also started being afraid of losing people important to her and getting lost herself. Lately she's been getting restless and eager to get out of the small village settlement and actually explore what she's good for. She wants to direct her energies and focus in areas that suit her natural talents, and are interesting to her.
She's capable of working with surprising focus and determination on things, but equally capable of abandoning once cherished projects. She's direct, often embarrassingly so, and will often blurt out things she's been thinking. She's fairly creative and likes to write and sketch. (see origins for more). She's also pragmatic and unexpectedly objective about the quality of her work and knows that most of her skills are barely at the novice level. She can be very snappish and even whiny when feeling frustrated or thwarted. Instinctively getting all defensive and prickly in the face of criticism doesn't help either, though it's worst when the criticism is from people doesn't entirely trust.
The most important thing however is that she has a very strong sense of self, happy to move to her own beat. She isn't easily swayed by the opinions of the crowd, and quietly prefers making up her own mind about things.
Ever since she got the blessing of Nyvora, she's also started being afraid of losing people important to her and getting lost herself. Lately she's been getting restless and eager to get out of the small village settlement and actually explore what she's good for. She wants to direct her energies and focus in areas that suit her natural talents, and are interesting to her.
[anchor=appearance]Appearance[/anchor]
When you meet Pepper, you'll understand why eyes are said to be the windows to the soul. Her wide, deep blue green eyes faithfully mirror her every mood and passing feeling. Her gaze can be a little too direct, but is rarely judgemental.
Pepper is a little over 5 feet tall, with a slim build just recently past the awkward graceless stage. Prone to gesture with her hands, she easily gets to fidgeting if restless or uninterested. However when absorbed by some activity or thoughts, she physically calms down, with all excess energy seemingly grounded .
Her hair's the darkest possible shade of chocolate, with faint undertones of honey, and falls to her mid back in soft, glossy waves. Pepper frequently keeps it braided or in a low bun when busy with anything requiring focus or getting messy. With a clear creamy skin and an oval face, she's a pretty enough child-woman, likely to grow into a lovely young woman in a few arcs, though for now how she looks is pretty far down her list of concerns.
Pepper is usually dressed in a plain light coloured shirt in soft material along with dark colours pants. She'll add a few layers, or a coat depending on the weather. She often walks around wearing a waxed canvas backpack which keeps her sketchbooks and other supplies.
Pepper is a little over 5 feet tall, with a slim build just recently past the awkward graceless stage. Prone to gesture with her hands, she easily gets to fidgeting if restless or uninterested. However when absorbed by some activity or thoughts, she physically calms down, with all excess energy seemingly grounded .
Her hair's the darkest possible shade of chocolate, with faint undertones of honey, and falls to her mid back in soft, glossy waves. Pepper frequently keeps it braided or in a low bun when busy with anything requiring focus or getting messy. With a clear creamy skin and an oval face, she's a pretty enough child-woman, likely to grow into a lovely young woman in a few arcs, though for now how she looks is pretty far down her list of concerns.
Pepper is usually dressed in a plain light coloured shirt in soft material along with dark colours pants. She'll add a few layers, or a coat depending on the weather. She often walks around wearing a waxed canvas backpack which keeps her sketchbooks and other supplies.
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