Seven days they had been traveling down the same long road, one that looked as though it would stretch forever and ever past the horizon. It seemed to Rhaeyla that she would have gotten accustomed to the vastness of the world by now, that the novelty would wear off. And yet each day brought with it something new to discover, further fueling her curiosity and delight. Just two days ago they'd encountered a rather persistent merchant who had this amusing box where, if you turned the crank attached to its side, a puppet would spring out at you. They had been in a hurry, as Sebastian and Cassandra's pace allowed little time for such frivolities, but she had been entertained enough seeing it the first time.
Her companions were also an especially delightful crowd. After nearly seventeen years of speaking with the same people, ones that impart nothing but empty flattery in exchange for favors, it was a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by new faces. She'd been in Baldur's Gate for weeks, yet hardly had time to truly socialize with others, busy as she was milling about the city. This made up for it, however. Now she was friends (if you were in traveling together for a long period of time, surely you must automatically be friends) with folks who were of all different sorts: ones that were bird-like and dragon-like and ones who spoke with excessive flourish. All of it was a wonder!
It wasn't until Sebastian started singing that Rhaeyla had completely stopped in her tracks. Quite a feat, really, to stay someone so restless that she has to bounce her feet or drum her fingers when idling, but the song had caught her off-guard.
It was rare for her to hear words spoken in this tongue, rarer still to hear a song sung. A wave of homesickness drew out a quiet sigh from her; it was not a longing for her small village, as she discovered long ago, but for something she has yet to figure out. All she knows is that when she speaks in or listens to Celestial, it catches at her heart and wistfulness envelops her in a strange, airy embrace.
So lost was she in this reverie that before she realized it, she had missed a lot of the song's lyrics, catching only vague sentiments about a prince and a knight. She tried to think of what it could have been about, but nothing came to mind (other than this terrible story about a swindler prince and the knight he tricked three times until the knight had enough and killed him, but that probably wasn't it). Just as well, she supposed; the effect of the song would have a deeper hold on her if its story had entranced her as well.
Rhaeyla clapped and cheered as soon as Sebastian sang the last note, feeling completely rejuvenated despite a weary night traveling. "𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍," she told him, speaking in the same melodic language. Then upon returning to her position in the back beside Cassandra, she flashed her a huge grin, for no reason other than being in a cheerful mood. "Do you also sing?"
With their pace slackened considerably, Rhaeyla had the chance to marvel at more than fleeting sceneries and it brought to mind all of the sights she had written down and dreamed of seeing one day. A long trade route had been one of them, as had been Baldur's Gate for being the first city she'd seen. She took out a folded piece of paper from the inner pocket of her cloak and unfurled it. Her finger traced the long stretch of road, starting from Baldur's Gate — Coast Way — and dragged it east until it landed on the northwestern-most area in the Green Fields: Greenest. It was marked with a flower symbol, which, after turning the yellowed paper around, led to her a carefully scribbled note.
❀ Visit the orchard
Rhaeyla hummed happily and walked toward Caw. Whether he had gotten used to her constant pestering remained to be seen, but because he was nearest in her vicinity, she had often gone to him when they had free time to chatter. "Look, Caw," she showed him the map and pointed at an area within the Green Fields. "I heard one of the farmers in our village say they saw the most beautiful orchard here, and that there were flower fields right next to it. Wouldn't that be lovely to see?"
Rhaeyla is lean, sure-footed, and surprisingly sturdy. Her bearing is like that of a dancer's and there's a certain gracefulness with which her movements flow, even when she's moving about in her frenetic pace. Her presence is infectious in that her whole being—from her face to her body—is so genuinely expressive that folks tend to respond to her, and she carries herself with aplomb - often bordering on cocksureness - that comes from having little regard to external stressors.
Her hair and eyes are often what give away her slightly unusual heritage. Both are bright silver that shines like metal in sunlight and glows in moonlight. It's easy to miss in passing, but the longer you stare at either, the more you'll notice something's slightly amiss. She has noticed that it has an almost mesmerizing effect to certain types of folks.
As acting moon maiden in her village, she had to wear ceremonial robes that were hefty and itchy and impossible to move in. Now that she is free from such restrictions, Rhaeyla dresses for comfort and ease of movement, although most articles of clothing in her wardrobe are tailored hand-me-downs from Silas: loose breeches, fitted tops, sandals, and hooded cloaks (useful for nights when she shouldn't be out glowing).
Name: Rhaeyla's World Map | Size: Small | Weight: 0.01lbs
A ripped page from a book in the village's library, showing the map of the world. There are red markings all over the map, citing locations Rhaeyla had wanted to visit. On the back are random facts she has learned about certain places, like which city was said to have the best seafood, or which had the tallest statue.
Personality
Main Mood: Eager | Fave Food: Seafood | Pet Peeve: Indecisiveness | Style of Battle: Adaptive
Rhaeyla is a whirlwind: spontaneous and dynamic, ever flitting from one task to the next, never a pause in between. Driven by an insatiable curiosity about the world, there is this overwhelming sense of restlessness within her—likely born from years of confinement within her small forest village. There are too many places to see, folks to meet, and things to be done; and she's already behind by seventeen years.
There are no pretenses with her. She is genuine and frank, in that 'says what she means and means what she says' type of way. Idle pleasantries and circumlocution are eschewed and seen as a waste of time. If you want something from her, it's best to tell her directly or she'll likely be oblivious to it—not because she doesn't care, but because she believes anything left unsaid must not be significant enough to mind.
Although she can seem flighty and easily swayed into action without prior planning, Rhaeyla is quite resourceful. She is great at improvising and thrives under pressure.
Origin
Rhaeyla's home is a small settlement nestled between the rocky base of a mountain and the edge of a forest. In her village, nothing is more sacred than the moon. Those born during nights when the moon was full were said to be blessed by Selune, favored to live long, rewarding lives. Children of the full moon become respected leaders and fearsome warriors and prosperous merchants. Success was guaranteed for them. Anyone born on a black moon, on the other hand, was said to be ill-omened. Only misfortune awaits themselves and those around them. For the good of their village, it had been decreed that children of the black moon were to be sacrificed at birth.
Rhaeyla was born in such a night, even though she had not been expected for at least another fortnight. As the villagers prepared her for the sacrificial rituals - leaving her on a weighted dinghy for the tides to devour – a bright white light emanated from within her, one that grew until it engulfed the whole dinghy. It lasted all of a second but it was enough to change the villagers' course of actions. Within that second, she had turned from pariah to 'moon maiden.'
For a decade and a half, she was heralded as some sort of gift from Selune herself. Villagers came to her for blessings and cures, and they claimed that her light helped bring home the lost. What the village hailed as certain benediction meant a lifetime of confinement for Rhaeyla. She was forbidden from ever leaving the village, as their superstitious chief believed it would insult Selune to turn away her gift and incur her wrath. Her whole life was to revolve around her village and its people.
But Rhaeyla was feeling increasingly suffocated. There was only one person that she had considered a friend, but she had been able to do what Rhaeyla couldn't: she left the village. Rhaeyla yearned to see the world beyond their forests, to explore new lands and meet new folks. More than once, she had tried to fight for her freedom, but always it was met with resounding refusal.
Her eventual escape came about from an unlikely source. Rhaeyla befriended a traveling monk who had been in the midst of a pilgrimage, and he had sympathized with her feeling of imprisonment. Together, they'd devised a plan to smuggle her out. She traveled with him for almost a year as he finished his pilgrimage in the Moonshae Isles, learning his discipline and training in hand-to-hand combat.
Even though she had been mostly at sea, it was the most of the world she had seen. At least until they finally sailed back to the Sword Coast.
Writing Sample
Rhaeyla has bumped into Sebastian three times in the course of a couple of weeks and she has come to firmly believe that they were fated to cross paths.
☾
It had been at least a year: a full year since she ran away from home, since she shirked her duties as moon maiden for her own selfish yearnings. Although she had been resolute in visiting Baldur's Gate, her decision to escape never ceased haunting her – what if there was truth to the superstitions, preposterous they may be? What if some terrible fate has befallen her village because of her? It had been easy to remain distracted around the mysterious monk, Silas. He kept her busy with texts to read and lessons in hand-to-hand combat; there was no time to dwell on her guilt when both her body and mind ached constantly.
But she and Silas had to part eventually. With his pilgrimage completed, he had new undertakings to attend to, and he won't have time to keep minding her. For the first time in her life, Rhaeyla was faced with freedom.
Luckily, there were many things she had wanted to do, most of which would help her avoid thinking about things she didn't want to, and currently one task had topped her list. Rhaeyla had never been one to hesitate or do anything half-hearted, and so she roamed the streets of this strange, seemingly vast city filled with folks of all shapes and sizes, greeting all that crossed her path but looking for one in particular.
It was early in the morning when Rhaeyla met Sebastian for the first time. He'd meant to come to her rescue when an inebriated man tried to get handsy with her, but she had easily disposed of the problem herself. He left after introducing himself and double checking that she was unharmed, saying that there had been someone he needed to speak to about a job he was offering. Rhaeyla watched him leave wistfully; something about the way he stood and kept his brown hair perfectly coiffed brought to mind the children of the full moon.
The next time they met had been several days later, the same day she had come to realize that what she was looking for wasn't in Baldur's Gate after all. Sebastian spotted Rhaeyla hunched over an elderly man who had slipped and fallen down some stairs, her glowing fingertips resting on the man's head as she tried to help ease his pain. He helped her take the old man back into his shop, and they parted ways after a brief conversation—which had mostly been Rhaeyla asking an endless barrage of questions about the places Sebastian has been.
Their third meeting had been most opportune, and largely why Rhaeyla was absolutely convinced their meetings were fated. The town of Greenest had been her next destination, that much was certain. The means to travel there, however… that she was less sure of. Rhaeyla had memorized every inch of her world map and she knew which routes to take and to avoid, but that didn't matter unless she had safe passage.
That was where Sebastian came in. Or rather, out, of a tavern.
He was speaking with a burly man, perhaps the biggest man Rhaeyla has ever seen, trying (and failing) to convince him of something. She was certain it was this job of his again. After explaining the nature and destination (Greenest!) of the job, Sebastian offered the man some gold, more gold, and then even more, and each time he soundly refused. Sebastian gave up after three more attempts, perhaps knowing better than to press a man who was thrice his size vertically and horizontally.
Rhaeyla approached him eagerly once the other man had gone, greeting him in that excitable manner that he seemed to have gotten accustomed to already. "I'd take that job for half of your original price."
Sebastian was taken aback by her sudden offer, but seemed to consider it all the same. She imagined it was a longshot, considering his previous prospect had been basically the exact opposite of her. Such things wouldn't stop her from trying, though.
Features & Traits
Darkvision - Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Celestial Resistance - You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage. Healing Hands - As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Light Bearer - You know the Light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Rustic Hospitality - Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.
Unarmored Defense - Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts - At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Other
☾ Rhaeyla's character color is cbd5e0. ☾ Rhaeyla has an affinity for children and animals.
💰10 gp 🎒Explorer's Pack 🧰 Shovel, Iron pot 👚 A set of common clothes,
@CollectorOfMyst Hiya! Is it too late to submit an application? Been lurking for a while and doing some research (got no experience in D&D, but extremely interested), and I think I’ve learned enough to complete the sheet, at the very least.
Appearance: Yvaine is small and slight in stature, exactly five feet (plus three inches, if you count her ears!) and eighty-seven pounds. The Pokemon in her village like to joke that if it weren't for the thick coat she wears, she would have been blown away by a blizzard years ago. Her eyes are a steely blue, framed by thick white lashes and brows that are often furrowed in impatience.
A pair of messy-furred vulpine ears is settled atop her head, as snowy white as her long wavy tresses, and sensitive to the slightest of sounds, even the snow-dampened footsteps that fill the mountains.
Combat Statistics
Yvaine takes advantage of her small build by outmaneuvering her opponents. She makes up for her lack of strength and overall physical prowess with agility. Using her bow alongside her innate abilities, she hits fast and from far away, aiming to end the fight before her opponents get a chance to get close.
ATTACK: 31 DEFENSE: 42 SPEED: 79 SPECIAL ATTACK: 69 SPECIAL DEFENSE: 55 INTELLIGENCE: 43 CHARISMA: 25
Moveset
Ice Shard
Aurora Veil
Frost Breath
Feint Attack
Background Information
Born and raised in a small, isolated village deep within the wintry forests of Caelum, Yvaine is the youngest of the chieftain's three children. Each of them were raised to serve their village above all else and were granted specific roles: her eldest brother was groomed to take their father's place, her older brother to lead their village's defense, and she to command the hunting party. Together, they were to lead their fellow Pokemon to prosper in spite of the harsh climate that delimited them. Together, they were to ensure the village's safety.
They thrived for years, but recently, resources have become scarce and their already meager population has been dwindling as Pokemon after Pokemon started disappearing. Her father assembled two groups to go on expeditions: one to travel throughout Caelum, seeking trade and, Arceus-willing, better lands for a new settlement; and the other to learn more about the rampant disappearances and find a way to stop it.
Claustrophobic; tight spaces, doubly so if underground, gives her anxiety
Surprisingly gullible; isolation has made her unfamiliar with social cues
Heedless of danger, she has a tendency to rush headlong into situations without much planning
Other
Equipment: Yvaine carries around: a bow crafted from never-melt ice, a ceremonial necklace with an ice gem pendant, a thick fur pelt that she received from her mother, and a small pack of quickly-dwindling provisions
Appearance: Yvaine is small and slight in stature, exactly five feet (plus three inches, if you count her ears!) and eighty-seven pounds. The Pokemon in her village like to joke that if it weren't for the thick coat she wears, she would have been blown away by a blizzard years ago. Her eyes are a steely blue, framed by thick white lashes and brows that are often furrowed in impatience.
A pair of messy-furred vulpine ears is settled atop her head, as snowy white as her long wavy tresses, and sensitive to the slightest of sounds, even the snow-dampened footsteps that fill the mountains.
Combat Statistics
Yvaine takes advantage of her small build by outmaneuvering her opponents. She makes up for her lack of strength and overall physical prowess with agility. Using her bow alongside her innate abilities, she hits fast and from far away, aiming to end the fight before her opponents get a chance to get close.
ATTACK: 31 DEFENSE: 42 SPEED: 79 SPECIAL ATTACK: 69 SPECIAL DEFENSE: 55 INTELLIGENCE: 43 CHARISMA: 25
Moveset
Ice Shard
Aurora Veil
Frost Breath
Feint Attack
Background Information
Born and raised in a small, isolated village deep within the wintry forests of Caelum, Yvaine is the youngest of the chieftain's three children. Each of them were raised to serve their village above all else and were granted specific roles: her eldest brother was groomed to take their father's place, her older brother to lead their village's defense, and she to command the hunting party. Together, they were to lead their fellow Pokemon to prosper in spite of the harsh climate that delimited them. Together, they were to ensure the village's safety.
They thrived for years, but recently, resources have become scarce and their already meager population has been dwindling as Pokemon after Pokemon started disappearing. Her father assembled two groups to go on expeditions: one to travel throughout Caelum, seeking trade and, Arceus-willing, better lands for a new settlement; and the other to learn more about the rampant disappearances and find a way to stop it.
Claustrophobic; tight spaces, doubly so if underground, gives her anxiety
Surprisingly gullible; isolation has made her unfamiliar with social cues
Heedless of danger, she has a tendency to rush headlong into situations without much planning
Other
Equipment: Yvaine carries around: a bow crafted from never-melt ice, a ceremonial necklace with an ice gem pendant, a thick fur pelt that she received from her mother, and a small pack of quickly-dwindling provisions