Post by Amanda on Apr 28, 2012 11:46:36 GMT -5
NameAnyanka Aleid
(Nickname: Anya)
GenderFemale
RacePorter
Anyanka, like her mother before her, possesses the ability to transform into a dragonfly, the light amber sheen of which is exactly the color of her eyes.
Age26
OccupationWanderer :: Thief
Home RegionNycal
AllegianceIf asked, Anyanka will tell anyone that she has no allegiances -- "Neutral," she says. "It is an occupational hazard of the wanderer." -- but she is prideful of her upbringing and therefore quietly supportive of Liath, the city-state nearest her home region and where she first made a name for herself as a thief.
Weapon of ChoiceThough she is truly an honorable thief, one who does not believe in the murder of innocents, she carries a sheathed dagger inherited from her father and is quite capable of using it if necessary.
Gifted ElementDarkness :: Cloaking
PersonalityAnyanka is a guarded, defensive individual. Though she isn’t necessarily a coward, she does not like confrontation and prefers solve problems in simpler, quieter ways, often involving an exchange of money or the cover of darkness -- or she will simply avoid solving problems altogether, and it is this that has given her the unfortunate reputation of someone who leaves others to clean up her messes. Anyanka’s is a different kind of bravery; she is loyal to herself and her family and little else, and though she will go to the ends of the realm to fight for what she loves, she will run from any battle that doesn’t concern her. She is self-serving and cares very little for the troubles of others, though she has been known to help out an acquaintance or two for the right price. If there is one thing that can thaw Anya’s heart, it is the promise of payment.
Due in part to her nomadic upbringing, Anyanka is fiercely ambitious and constantly desires the things she does not have. She greatly enjoys using her magical gift of darkness, as well as the talent inherent to her Porter race, to hoodwink all types of individuals -- she does not let herself discriminate between victims, young, old, rich or poor; her selfish need to have everything she wants overtakes the small voice of her conscience. Above all else, Anyanka desires a reputation as a ferociously swift, endlessly talented thief and a luxurious, permanent homestead, furnished with more riches than she could ever count.
Anyanka is proud of name she has made for herself -- she has done enough jobs for enough of the right people that she can be approached, by someone who has heard of her, and asked for assistance in some thievery -- and she has a strict policy on harming the targets of a job. Anya will rob nearly anyone blind, but she will not take a life, partly because she does not believe herself capable of it and partly because she simply feels it is too unjust. Though she will defend her lifestyle choice avidly to those who oppose it (even when she would often rather say nothing at all), she will not boast about it, for fear of drawing the wrong kind of attention to herself.
In conversation, Anyanka is sarcastic, light-hearted, and very nearly a compulsive liar. Though she desires the infamy that comes with success as a thief, she is afraid of facing the consequences of her actions and has therefore taught herself never to reveal her ultimate goals, however proud of them she may be. She prefers light conversation with strangers, whose attention she can capture easily if she is not burdened with the desire to remain long-term friends. Anya enjoys keeping the company of acquaintances -- she finds it easier than keeping close friends, who would demand more of her than she would know how to give.
Anyanka is not emotionally close to many people outside her family; her romantic relationships are casual and fleeting. She feels it is easier to keep others at a distance than it would be to try and learn their personalities -- and, more importantly, have them learn hers. Anya secretly desires the warmth and closeness that comes with friendship, but she is fiercely afraid of rejection and therefore finds it difficult to reach out. She would prefer to hide behind her façade of cheerful indifference than risk giving someone the opportunity to learn her weaknesses and hurt her.
AppearanceAnyanka’s large, amber-colored eyes are identical to her mother’s in shape and color. She has thick black hair that she keeps short and choppy. At 5’3” and 108 pounds, she is small and lithe -- it is difficult to say which came first, her desire or her predisposition to become a thief. Like her brother she has naturally tanned skin, ears that come to a rounded point, and a small, curved chin. Her prominent cheekbones rest high on her face and her mouth has a sardonic curve, as though it has learned well to lie.
HistoryAnyanka’s father, Randor Aleid, was a proud and hardened dragon-tamer when he met the woman who would become his wife: Rynassa, the shaman. The two Porters traveled the vast landscapes of Aedai together for years, wherein they gathered other like-minded wanderers of all races to join them in their various quests for riches, knowledge, freedom. Anyanka was born into this tribe as they were settled into an unforgiving camp in the Nycal Desert.
Randor is a deep-voiced, free-spirited man who leads the tribe with a strategic mind, a selfish heart, and a well-kept desire to return to his fast-paced life as dragon-tamer. He fathered and raised his two children from a distance; though they yearned for his approval, he preferred that their mother, the gentle and wise Rynassa, take the lead in raising them.
Anyanka’s mother, Rynassa Aleid, is a kind-hearted shaman who uses her talents to teach young Dissimulatives -- and anyone else willing to learn -- about their powers and the powers of magic. She acts as caregiver and healer of the tribe, and often the voice of reason when her husband’s brash ideas get in the way of practicality.
Ashkin is Anyanka’s only sibling -- an elder brother of 34, who long ago gave up his dreams of becoming a dragon-tamer like his father. Ashkin is a quiet, selfless Porter who rarely takes his alternate form (that of a bumblebee) and prefers to help his mother tend to the ever-growing needs of the tribe.
Anyanka lived and traveled with her makeshift family of blacksmiths and merchants and poets throughout her childhood, but she grew wary of it quickly. Her father would tell her magnificent stories of life in Kabal, full of intrigue and luxury -- things Anya quickly grew to yearn for. Once she was able to perfect her magical abilities, she began testing them on the little towns her tribe would pass through. And once she had the taste for riches, of a life full to the brim of opportunities she need only reach out and take, she could never go back to living on the land, to passing through life instead of living it.
Anyanka still travels with her family and the tribe of wanderers, but as she has grown into her own person she has been known to disappear for days, weeks at a time without notice, to perform jobs and secure a future for herself. Her mother is heartily disapproving of this lifestyle choice, but she feels it is Anyanka’s path to choose, and so she must walk it, whatever the consequences.
Other Characters:None
