Name: Isolde Brisby; although she prefers to go by the nickname "Starbuck."

Age: 43

Appearance:


She usually keeps her hair tied back in a utilitarian ponytail. Her clothes consist of men's trousers tucked into thick, sensible boots, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and an old leather vest. Onto the vest, she's sewn feathers, beads, and other bits and bobs - remembrances of past adventures. On a cord around her neck, she wears a small pendant-style ocarina, which has a hairline crack running across it, marring the glazed finish.

Occupation: Traveler, Adventurer, Philosopher, and Mother.

Personality: Starbuck is adventurous, inquisitive, and enthusiastic, with a fierce love of learning about her world. She's the kind of person who smiles with her entire face and laughs with her entire body, who feels her emotions completely and lives her life to the fullest extent possible. She realizes how precious life is, and is determined not to waste one second of her own. She's thoughtful, being something of a philosopher, and enjoys spending hours at a time doing nothing but sitting and thinking, reflecting on what she has experienced and how it fits into and adds to her knowledge of the world. And at the same time, she is equally at home battling the elements on board a ship destined for distant shores, or scaling a rough cliff face purely for the promise of the amazing view at the top.

However, she's not all smiles and rough-and-tumble adventure. She has experienced sadness and loss immeasurable, as evidenced by the occasional pang in her countenance, or the sudden loss of her voice as words abandon her. And while her smiles are genuine and bright, there's a certain constant ache to them, buried in the depths. From these depths of emotion comes a strong sense of protectiveness for others, a fiercely maternal instinct.

History: Starbuck grew up on a farm, helping her family year after year with the under-appreciated difficulties of growing crops and raising animals. She had a happy childhood, and grew up to be healthy and strong, in body, mind, and spirit.
When she grew old enough to make her own way in life, she left the farm, explaining her curiosity about the world and her desire to go and see it. Her family was sad to see her go, but they were kind, understanding people, and let her follow her bliss without much fuss.
After not much time on her own, young Starbuck fell in love. It was intense, incredible, and, as many first loves are, short-lived, as Starbuck came to realize that the man she had fallen in love with wasn't quite right for her. As quickly as it began, the relationship was over, and Starbuck moved on, better and wiser for the experience.
But that wasn't the only thing she had taken from their relationship. Starbuck soon realized that she was pregnant. This was no tragedy, however, as she thought long and hard about the situation and ultimately decided that motherhood was an adventure that she felt ready for. After several months, Starbuck gave birth to a beautiful girl, whom she named Clarice.
Starbuck and Clarice lived quite happily for some time. Starbuck was a good mother, and Clarice grew to be just as thoughtful and inquisitive as her mother, but with a gentler and calmer spirit.
But this happy life was not meant to last. At the young age of twelve, Clarice grew very ill. She and Starbuck settled down briefly, hoping to return to their peripatetic lifestyle once she had recovered. But young Clarice did not recover. Her hacking coughs brought up phlegm stained red with blood, and her slowly-wasting body refused food. Starbuck frantically did all that could possibly be done by a mother - she sought out doctors, scholars, even the ancient gods of times gone by, and yet all shook their heads sadly in response. She even tried to learn the healing crafts herself, bu to no avail. Eventually, the only thing that was left to do was stay by her daughter's side and tell her stories of fantastical grandeur, to take her mind off the pain as she slowly, but steadily, died. And one night, Clarice simply slipped away.
No mother should have to bury her daughter, and Starbuck's loss has stayed with her forever.
After some time, she returned to her life of exploration and adventure, eternally changed, but not destroyed completely. As it turns out, time doesn't heal anything at all, but it does allow one to understand the pain, and come to terms with it. Starbuck now lives a happy life, although it is admittedly tinged with desperation and characterized by more...risky adventures.