ShepherdOfHope

Pokémon: The Pillaging

@UndeadSpartan Thanks! I kind of assumed in my head the coal mining thing was a given, but I do suppose now I could have written that in there. And don’t worry, the lone wolf thing won’t prohibit her from group work; part of her character arc will be learning to get along with others and have meaningful relationships with people.

Pokémon: The Pillaging

I took some liberties with the place of birth for the sake of filling out my character's background. I can absolutely change this if it doesn't match up with what you had in mind. Also, this is kind of a rough draft, so stuff might get changed by the time the OOC goes up.

Alyssa Rondel

Name: Alyssa Rondel
Age: 20
Sex: Female
Orientation: Bisexual
Place of Birth: Korvak, a small village on the outskirts of the Karadhor mountains.

Appearance:

Alyssa stands at roughly 5'4" and weighs 120 lb. She has a rather petite-albeit athletic-build earned by years of physical confrontations and speedy escapes. Her hair is jet black and reaches to her shoulders, which she prefers to wear down. Her eyes are a light shade of blue, and typically hold a sense of mischief that can be somewhat unnerving. Alyssa has a sort of wolfish beauty to her face, though she seems unbothered by this.

In terms of clothing, Alyssa prefers to keep things simple and practical. While she does wear some iron plate armor over her most vulnerable areas, the rest is typically adorned in either leather or wool clothing. She prefers shades of blue above all else, and is never without her dagger at her side.

Personality:

Alyssa Rondel is nothing if not an opportunist. Her eyes are always picking out a potential target, her ears always listening for the jangle of coins in someone's pocket. Her "personality" can shift on a dime, whether she needs to be the damsel in distress or the stone-cold outlaw; whatever persona will benefit her best, she'll take it. And yet, behind this practiced deceit, Alyssa is simply another desperate citizen of Venirin driven to extremes by the war. She's learned to make do with even the most bare of necessities, whether it's food or coin. However, Alyssa certainly isn't a helpless victim. Years of thievery and robbery have hardened her to the realities of her situation, making her somewhat prideful and ruthless; her first priority is always herself and her Pokemon. While she has no qualms about using violence, she isn't one to jump to murder. She also does her best to prey mostly on the wealthy, though she will steal from anyone if necessary.

While Alyssa mostly works alone (save for her partner Pokemon), she has joined short-term gangs and bandits for a quick score. In dealing with others, she tends to be rather curt and straightforward, unafraid to voice her opinions. She tends to be impatient and dismissive, with little consideration for the feelings of others. On the rare occasion she decides she likes someone, her tone will have more biting sarcasm and dry humor than before. However, she has a hard time expressing her deeper emotions, tending to remain secretive and reclusive.

Skills:

•Knife/dagger fighting
•Sleight of hand
•Stealth
•Tracking (people)
•Deceit (charming, lying, etc.)
•Lockpicking
•General athleticism (running, stamina, etc.)

Inventory:

•Stiletto dagger
•A set of pin/tumbler lock lockpicks
•Iron plate armor (only back and chest)
•Leather armor
•Wool clothing
•A cloth knapsack
•A small stash of bread

Background:

Alyssa Rondel grew up in a small village on the outskirts of the Karadhor mountains, simply known as Korvak. The land was inhospitable and harsh, unkind to farmers and livestock; most of the villagers made their living as coal miners. Alyssa herself was born into a family of these coal miners, growing up impoverished, but not altogether unhappy. At the very least, food was a reliable presence; however, everything changed when war rocked the citizens of Venirin. Suddenly, every able-bodied villager in Korvak was charged with supplying coal for the army, leaving none to be traded with the nearby farming villages. In short, the people began to starve.

With both of her parents constantly working-leaving her with no adult supervision-a famished Alyssa began to turn to less savory means of getting food. At ten years old, desperate to help both herself and her parents, she learned to take advantage of her innocent appearance to steal food. Slowly, she developed a penchant for sleight of hand, slipping in and out of people's pockets without them noticing. Food stands also became a target, with Alyssa learning how to avoid people's lines of sight. However, as the war progressed and resources became more scarce, the villagers became more wary of thieves. This forced Alyssa to escalate her thievery; she began to steal from passing soldiers and wealthy travelers, and even carried out break-ins within her village.

And yet, like so many other sad stories, Alyssa's life spiraled even more. The intense coal mining eventually caused the mine itself to collapse, killing many of Korvak's adult population as well as many of its working Pokemon; this included both of Alyssa's parents. As a direct result of this event, Korvak fell further into poverty, with little sympathy given to the remaining villagers. Alyssa, sixteen and orphaned, was now alone with no one to take care of but herself. She decided to leave Korvak, taking her skills as a thief and burglar with her. Over the last four years, she's diversified her skillset somewhat, taking on mercenary work and learning to defend herself. She also began to stage more elaborate attacks, sabotaging supply caravans and traveling merchants.

Pokémon: Riolu
Nickname: Lucina (appearance)

Ability: Inner Focus

Item: N/A (She has a green bandanna, but it's entirely cosmetic)

Bond:

Like all Riolu, Lucina has the ability to read the auras and emotions of others. This is what has primarily allowed the two to be so close and communicative; Lucina can react quickly and appropriately to Alyssa's emotions without forcing her to admit to them. While Alyssa tends to be very harsh and abrupt with other people, Lucina tends to bring out a softer side of her. Lucina understands when Alyssa needs alone time or companionship, and the two are practically inseparable. While the two are both somewhat cold and reclusive, Lucina is a bit more childish, tending to be easily excited and overeager. However, Lucina understands when situations get serious, and knows to react accordingly.

Lucina, like Alyssa, is somewhat hardened by the harsh environment of Venirin. Alyssa found Lucina two years ago, fending off scraps of food from scavenging Spearow. Having been largely alone thus far-and feeling a twinge of sympathy for the Riolu-Alyssa figured she could at least try to help. Unlike many of the wild Pokemon she'd encountered, the Riolu seemed to understand right away that Alyssa wanted to help. The two managed to drive off the attacking Spearow, saving the food scraps. At first, Alyssa simply left the Riolu behind, figuring that a wild Pokemon wouldn't voluntarily accompany her. Yet, the Riolu could sense an intrinsic loneliness in Alyssa; she followed her for several miles, persistent despite repeated dismissals. However, the true test of loyalty came when a roaming cutthroat attacked Alyssa, taking her by surprise and nearly overwhelming her. Without hesitation, the Riolu jumped to Alyssa's defense, helping her drive off the assailant.

It was then that Alyssa decided that, perhaps, the both of them had better chances of surviving if they were together. And in fact, the Riolu seemed to agree. Alyssa named the little Riolu Lucina, after a female warrior from a storybook she'd liked as a child. Despite the immorality of her actions, Lucina became a loyal companion to Alyssa, helping and protecting her no matter what.