Scheherazade

Arabian Nights

Shifting Sands

Scheherazade has read a number of books on magic, but has not actually practiced casting spells yet.

35

Scheherazade recognizes the value of relationships, but is not naturally romantic. She views relationship as a powerful but potentially dangerous tool, and does not pursue them without significant amounts of forethought. Her marriage to Shahrayar was passionless for her but not antagonistic, and since the cataclysm hasn’t pursued anything seriously.

As a member of the nobility, Scheherazade dressed impeccably. She wore fine clothing, long flowing robes of brilliant colors and decorated with elaborate patterns. She kept he hair long and braid. In Mystvale, Scheherazade dresses practically. As librarian she spends most of her time alone, and love the ease of wearing loose sweaters and sweatpants around, frequently bearing coffee stains. He hair is typically either messy or tied up in a loose bun, but when she does have to appear at public events she makes sure it is presentable. She also has several sets of business attire for these times, but those see little use.

Scheherazade is persistent, and takes on problems that she believes no one else can solve. She takes a pragmatic approach to life, doing what is convenient and helps her achieve her goal. While her intentions are usually noble, she is not naturally compassionate, and willing to use underhanded tactics on occasion. She tries to guide herself with logic and careful planning, she has learned to control her passions over the years. She can be charming when it is convenient, but other times she doesn’t see the need to maintain that façade. This especially happens when she focuses on a goal, her determination can reach borderline obsessive levels.

Scheherazade is extremely well read, especially about history and old tales. She is charismatic and an excellent storyteller, while also possessing a cunning and analytical mind.

Scheherazade does not deal with the unknown well. So much of her life is based around what she has read and what she has planned that she has trouble when anything genuinely unexpected rears its head. These moments bring stress and poor decisionmaking.

Scheherazade is from a noble family, being the daughter King Shahryar’s vizier. Her father taught her the value of persistence and craftiness, which she combined with her own natural curiosity. Her family’s status allowed her to amass a wealth of knowledge, slowly storing it a way for a time when it would be useful. That day would come when she reached adulthood.

One day, Shahryar caught his wife in an affair. He had her executed, and afterwards felt that he could no longer trust any woman to remain faithful. From that day on he would marry a new woman every night and have her killed in the morning to prevent any chance of adultery. It went on for long enough that the city started to run out of marriageable women, so many had either been executed already or fled for the countryside.

Scheherazade saw the need to do something about this problem plaguing the city. She hatched a plan with her sister, and married Shahryar against her father’s wishes. The night of her wedding, she started to tell a story, but couldn’t finish it until the next day. Shahryar was so engaged in the story that he spared her life so she could finish. The next day, she finished the story and began to tell another, again needing another day to finish it.

The cycle of half-finished stories continued for over two years, and Shahryar’s heart softened. It was stressful, one time she even found herself without a story until one came to her in a dream. It was a strange experience, but a thousand and one nights later, Shahrayar had forgotten all about his intention of killing her. She was relieved that it was over, she doubted that she had anything more worth telling him. Shortly afterwards, the cataclysm came and Scheherazade fled, abandoning Shahryar to be swallowed by the darkness.

In Mystvale, Scheherazade has traded her old dilemmas for new ones. She has appointed herself the town librarian and historian, maintaining an extensive library of any possibly relevant materials. The cataclysm weighs heavily on her mind, and she is constantly searching for anything that may be of use, or even explain what caused it. Her work is mostly solitary, but she does enjoy the company of a few close friends, and is willing to assist someone who might need information stored in her vast library.