Sarna Fafnik, human female, 25

Although great care has been taken to ensure her not standing out, there is something about Sarna that attracts the attention of people. An aura, almost. She is dressed in simple travelers clothes, topped off with a brown hood and cape. She also carries a backpack with necesseties with her, and that's the most people usually see of her. Beneath hood she has shoulderlength, unkempt brown hair and vivid green eyes. She also has a small scar from a cut on her upper lip, and (if anyone should ever look there) a small tattoo behind her left ear in the shape of some kind of letter or symbol.

When speaking or interacting with other people, it's easy to see in which mood Sarna is on account of her mimicry. She wears her heart on her sleeve, almost to the point where you would suspect her of acting. She has a temper, but is passionate rather than fierce or aggressive. Sarna is an expert at glaring, and people who know her would say she could outstare a rock. It is also very obvious to local people that she's not from around here. It's just something about her that screams foreigner.

For those who hail from or are familiar with the lore of Junnia,

NAME
Barrats Et'lhomme

AGE
Human equivalent of mid-forties.

RACE
High-blood elf.

High-blood elfs, or simply high-bloods, can be described as a "near-Human" race, though physically distinguished by their blue skin and glowing red eyes, which grow darker depending on the oxygen content of their surroundings. The more oxygen present, the more intense the color of both their eyes and skin tone. While their hair is typically jet black, it does, on rare occasions, go gray with age (many high-bloods believe that the development of gray hair is an indication of the siring of exceptional children). Their physical form has led to some speculation on whether they are an offshoot of some near-human species' ancient expansions into the galaxy or whether their physical form coincidentally matches that of humans. However, recent spiritual analysis indicates that they are an offshoot of near-humanity, and it was believed that moving underground thousands of years led to a divergence between them and baseline near-humans. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that their unique skin tone is the result of exposure to glacial minerals. Their blue skin, jet black hair and red eyes generally command attention once they are in a crowd of regular humanoids, and these features make them physically striking and instantly recognizable. Male and female high-bloodss tend to be more powerfully built when compared to humans but exhibit the same variances as humanoid sexes. A high-blood stands between either 1.6 to 2.1 meters in height, though an average height of an adult is closer to 1.7 meters.

Studies have concluded that the fact that all high-bloodss often appear in very good physical shape is an indication that the species possesses an active metabolism which is responsible for their trim figure. Thus, this is believed to be responsible for preventing obesity that is commonly found within more sedentary humanoids. While the report concludes that they are indeed "near-humans," they have not determined a specific point of evolutionary divergence. There was, in fact, a number of near-human colonies established throughout much of the world, though records of this are virtually nonexistent and it remains unknown how a remote area of the galaxy could have been trailblazed so far back. They do display, physiologically, very few signs of evolutionary adaptations to their original icy environment with even their skin pigmentation not providing any apparent benefit. Beyond the obvious physical features, physiologically, high-bloods are similar to humans to the point that they possess a comparable circulatory, neurological, digestive and reproductive systems. The high-blood vocal mechanism is noted for being similar to those of humans but there are apparent differences which is evident in their capacity to speak their native language.

In addition, high-bloods experience a greatly accelerated growth rate compared to humans, which contributes to their reaching maturity faster than humans. Thus an high-bloods at the age of ten-years holds the physical maturity of a twenty-year old human. This in turn results in a culturally-imprinted emotional maturity that is many times above that of their human counterparts. They are capable of living up to eighty years old, at which point a high-blood is considered venerable; children are between the ages one to ten, and they experience a rapid adolescence from eleven to twelve and are considered full adults by thirteen or fourteen. Middle-age follows between the ages of fifty-one to sixty-two, and those aged sixty-three to seventy-nine are considered old.

BIOGRAPHY
Et'lhomme experienced an early life typical of most people, high-blood elf or otherwise, on the outskirts of a bustling market town. Days were spent hauling hay and preparing livestock for a journey to the slaughterhouse. However, after the outbreak of war amongst the many warring states surrounding the farmlands he'd grown up on, life took a turn for the worst. His parents were, among others, captured and ultimately executed for what was likely considered to be noncompliance, and the entire village was razed and its inhabitants, including Et'lhomme, launched into diaspora. It was because of this that he enrolled in an institution for higher learning and, eventually, the military.

At this point, and as his decade-long stint of fending off thieves and cults from various settlements neared its end, Et'lhomme had fathered several children. Upon returning home with his family after hearing word of restorations taking place, he became a humble playwright managed to put together a number of hits that became immensely popular among both the townspeople and those in the world's largest cities. The success of his plays helped fund the region's growing entertainment empire, and Et'lhomme himself became an influential trade guild baron. He kept much of his past shrouded in mystery, however, so it was not known how he was able to cultivate his information network that some claimed even rivaled that of the military, thereby making him somewhat of a legend. He spent some time working by refurbishing theaters and during that period, he gained a position as a statesman for the sizable township of Hochschule.

DEMEANOR/ATTITUDE
Et'lhomme is, by nature, a loner and an outcast, with a ruthless streak to him that makes him extremely dangerous when provoked. Despite this outwardly cold nature, however, his colleagues have noted that that behind his exterior lies a fiercely loyal friend, and a man of good humor and giver of sound advice. Records have shown that him to have many good friends throughout much of the world. He is also shown to be extremely adept at defusing difficult situations, and as a man who would much sooner have everyone return home than to draw his sword. His experience of at least three decades in the world makes him a world-weary man, often expressing disdain and veiled insults to those he considers cruel and foolish.

EQUIPMENT
Long, flowing cloak and robes common among government officials.

SKILLS/ABILITIES
Swimming
Martial Arts
Negotiation
Strategy
Navigation
Above Average Intelligence

WEAPONS
Elaborate, curved steel sword issued to all former military officers.

Name: Anya Torrmander
Age: 26
Race: Human
Appearance: Anya is tall, and facially magnificent, as the Paladins of legend are sung about. A braid like a golden chain down to the upper edge of her back, heavy but delicate eyebrows, a winning smile that perhaps has more teeth than someone who's seen as much combat as her should have, and hazel eyes that denote more wisdom than a woman of her age has any business having. (Definitely more wisdom than she actually has...)

There are certain other factors that may also detract from her stereotypical statuesque nature: She shares portions and appetites with most men, and can hold her ale as well as the next grizzled adventurer, but has the metabolism of most "normal" women. This has resulted in a curvaceous, flossy build. A fairly thick layer of fat that tries desperately and fails to hide the proverbial brick house of iron-like, Amazonian sinews rippling underneath it just enough to show. It suits her just fine, given all the travelling and fighting she is prone to doing.

Whether in armor or normal clothes, Anya has all the appearance of a woman clearly blessed by whatever gods made her, and whoever it was, their materials consisted of some incredibly tough stuff.

History:
Anya was born the first child of a knight with a sizable fiefdom in a high mountain castle in the Rift. The Fief was sizable because it was difficult to build on, and the land was often too snowy or rocky to use very much of, but it was still a respectable amount of land for anyone to hold. Now, traditionally, women in the Rift kingdoms inherit land the same way a ruler's bastard son would: They don't... Unless there is some sizeable body of proof that they're either divine, or so outrageously much more qualified than any earlier born/male siblings that it would be an insult to the people to leave them with the lesser heir.

And women, like bastard sons, have two paths in life outside of marriage, (Bastards don't usually have that option, and women rarely desire to choose the other two, but it's far from unheard of,) The army, the clergy, or the city guard. As a somewhat unruly girl who grew up with 8 roughousing brothers and often headed to the barracks to train with them, she showed all the signs of a military woman to be... But it was some surprise when she decided she would join the clerical military of Groen...

Perhaps it was because she wanted to prove that she was chosen by the gods to inherit, perhaps it was because she wanted to respond to her nagging mother's insistence that she find some form of discipline and nobility if she was going to keep refusing all her lessons in ladyship. The most probable answer, though, is that she was genuinely taken with the amazing tales of the earth coming to be, and of the magical beings and artifacts that roamed the earth before the days of Elves and Men. With a mind full of stories and a heart full of faith, she headed north one day for one of the holds of Groen.

The training was harsh, vigorous, and lasted years. A proficient slaughterer of bandits and beasts, she patrolled the forest for a winter before the brass, (and the many soldiers in the predominantly male fortress who foolishly took chastity vows when most of the ladies were at least one keep away) thought that she should instead become a knight errant, spread the word of the gods. Of course, the title of a Knight in the Paladin order is mostly ceremonial, and there's no real land or money that comes from it. There is, however, white, shiny armor, horses, and other fun equipment.

She's been adventuring to this day, making a decent living with her earnings as a quest-doer.

Skills:
As an elite Paladin, and a soldier in training before that, Anya is well versed in horseback riding, swordsmanship, lance combat, and manuevering about with surprising dexterity when wielding her heavy armor and shield. She's also adept at basic first aid, wilderness survival, and, while she has no formal training, has been in more than her fair share of unarmed scraps, and knows her way around her body almost as well as her blades. As someone who does chores for people in need just as often as she fights beasts and bandits for villages in fear, she also has some experience in cooking, log-splitting, and other menial tasks.

Personality:
Anya is a romantic idealist, with very little tolerance for thugs, bullies, and other such spritual riff-raff. She is quick to anger, and quick to jump into action and deal with problems head-on. She holds a hammer and lives in a world full of nails.

Equipment:
The most notable things about Anya's arsenal is her armor. One solid steel torso over a long chainmail tunic, and plates built for deflection on the joints, shins, and forearms. And, of course, the bucket helm. All of it polished and shiny, but starting to show signs of the wear and tear of battle. Above this, she wears thick cloth, spangled with the iconic white and gold heraldry of the Groen Paladins. Her black warhorse, Eldveg (named after an ancient saint to the God of Life) has similar armor. Except, of course, it's armor for horses. From beneath her tempered steel fortress, Anya strikes a powerful and imposing image indeed, and, unless she utters a battlecry or removes her helmet, it becomes rather difficult to tell that she's a woman.

For weapons, she wields a broad, sturdy kiteshield with iron reinforcements, (again, white-and-gold holy heraldry) and a glistening longsword. She also ocassionally throws pots full of Alchemist Fire during a melee to deny area access to less encumbered foes, and some throwing axes, to do battle with enemies that are out of her reach or on charging horses. She has opted to carry these instead of the more standard issue crossbows given to knights and paladins who haven't spent enough time training at the range with a longbow.

Aside from that, her horse carries a simple cot and provisions, and her belt carries a fine scabbard and a drinking horn across her chest.