Post by Alwyn Cadogan on Mar 9, 2015 6:06:39 GMT
Alwyn Cadogan-33
Plagued - Necromancy
Personality
Who Alwyn was before she succumbed to the plague is a mystery to her. She awoke one day, surrounded by strangers, alone and scared and with no recollection of her former life other than her name. Whether her personality had been altered by her death and rebirth as a member of the shunned plagued, is something only those who knew her before could confirm, and as they rejected her like the rest of Escar, it seems unlikely she will ever know.
Alwyn seems at first glance to be a gentle woman, soft spoken and skittish. She jumps at her own shadow, is easily cowed and appears to be quite fragile. Generally people (though men in particular) tend to coddle her. Her wide, large eyes give the impression of innocence, and combined with a youthful face, she is often thought to be younger than she is. This air of naivety and guilelessness gives the impression that she is someone who needs to be protected and taken care of.
Appearances are deceiving, and while Alywn uses this natural talent in inspiring solicitous behavior in others, she hardly needs it. Under that doe eyed gaze is a woman who knows exactly how people see her, and exactly how to turn it to her advantage. She is rather calculating and manipulative, and her own survival is her number one guiding force in life. She is not easily fooled, and has a good grasp on reading people, a skill she employs to be a chameleon of sorts, often behaving in the manner she feels will get her furthest with whomever she is with.
Alwyn is ambitious. Cynical and jaded, she is embittered by her current station, and though she has no memory of her life before exile, she is sure that it could not have been much worse. She wants more out of life than what has been given to her, and she is willing to do anything to achieve that. Though she is no stranger to hard work she has a certain air of entitlement about her, and often will persuade others to help her. She maintains her fragile waif guise so long as it serves her purposes, though when things turn rough, or among a fair few she considers true friends, she shows a tougher core. She has a sharp tongue in unguarded moments and a quick temper, though she more often than not hides those emotions. She is far more likely to seek her revenge for supposed wrong doings in a backhanded way than to outright challenge someone.
Alwyn is not an unkind person, though she is self serving and will not hesitate to throw someone else in front of danger to protect herself, she is not inherently bad. It is simply that her primary loyalty is to herself. She is not so cold to not be moved by the plights of others, but her own interests inevitably will take precedent.
History
Alwyn was born in Itia, her mother died during childbirth, and her father was a complete mystery. Alwyn herself was saved from death on the streets as a new babe entirely thanks to the foresight to of her mother, who had the presence of mind to throw herself at the mercy of local temple when she went into labour. Alwyn was brought into the world with no one but herself, and she lived her life much the same way. She assumes that her name came from her mother at some point before she passed, but that, like much of her roots, is really just a guess. She was sent to a small girls home, and the caretakers there had little interest in preserving the history of their charges, they were rather focused on simply keeping them alive and relatively well cared for.
Raised with an ever revolving door of other abandoned young girls, Alwyn had far from a typical upbringing. Some of the care givers were kinder and gentler, some less so, and all were quite strict. The children ,herself among them, received more than their fair share of lectures and bruises, but they were better off than the orphaned children who were left on the streets. At least she had a roof over her head and meals, meager as they were at times. It was not easy by any means, as soon as she was old enough, she was working along side the other older girls- lessons, chores and prayers - the trifecta that made up everyday. There was always a sense of camaraderie among the girls, though bonds of friendship were often put to the test when the prettier, smarter or charming girls seemed to receive favour. Alwyn was not unintelligent but she was far from the brightest girl. She did however have a way of winning over the caretakers, often softening even the harshest ones. It didn’t win her many friends among the other children, but it served her well though out her childhood and adolescence.
She left the home at 15 and found employment as a servant in the home of a wealthy merchant. It was hard work and far from glamorous, but again, it provided her with a roof and meals. She was quite popular among the other, finding that the orphanage helped set her up quite well for the sometimes catty and underhanded world she found herself in. There was an unspoken rule among servants, a pecking order of sorts. She seemed to have an uncanny ability to know the right people to endear herself to and more impressively, rarely had any difficulty in garnering their favour. Between that, and a somewhat ruthless approach in dealing with her peers, she quickly found herself near the top of the food chain, a small thing in the grand scheme, but still a rather big fish in the small pond that was her day to day life at the manor.
Alwyn had always been a rather lovely child, and it only ew more pronounced as she grew older. She never really had to fight for the attentions of the men surrounding her, and had a fair few suitors vying for her attention. It suited her well and through her years of service, she often had the tongues of the other women in employ wagging. Alwyn paid little mind, as even if some of the women spoke as though she were a harlot, she was still well stationed, and while the whispered accusations regarding her courtships were annoying, there were plenty who were willing to speak on behalf of her virtue.
Her place in the home was firmly cemented when she caught the eye of the merchant owner. She was 22, young and beautiful, and she played right into his fantasy of being benefactor and protector. He was quite a bit older, married and with children, and light years above her station, but still he pursued her. She was smart enough to know that if she simply fell into his advances, she would be discarded like so many other girls. Simply a plaything to warm his bed while his wife was occupied, easily cast aside. So rather than leap at the opportunity, she played him the same way she did countless other suitors. He fell hard for the innocent young servant she portrayed, her guileless and naive front masking her ambitions. It was a ruse that worked well. She became so much more than simply a dalliance.
Their affair spanned over a decade. While still technically a servant in his employ, unofficially she was his kept mistress. She was moved from the servants quarters into her own suite, rarely worked, was bought the finest dresses, and lived a life of luxury few attained. It was obvious to anyone that the merchant was desperately in love, and for her part, Alwyn presented the same image, and while the man hardly set her heart a blaze, she had grown rather fond of him through the years. There was a tenuous stalemate between herself and the rest of the family, who for their part seemed to be fine with the situation so long as her presence didn’t adversely affect their own inheritance. Alwyn was content with this for many years, until the merchant fell quite ill. It dawned on her that with him gone, the family would throw her to the dogs without blinking an eye, and she would be back to being nothing but a servant again. The merchant recovered but Alwyns ambitions had been sparked. She was set on becoming more than just a mistress in name, and had her eyes on matrimony, sure that given time, she could dispose the wife and have her future set in stone.
She never had the chance to realize this dream. The plague came for her and it struck quickly. She went from short of breath and dizzy to full blown hallucinations and fever in what felt like no time at all. She died with the merchant grasping her blue tipped fingered hand in his own, tears falling down his weathered cheeks. When she awoke, his face was unfamiliar, and his own eyes grew cold and distant looking upon her. She was no longer the girl he’d loved. Confused and scared, Alwyn was branded, her shoulder seared as a painful reminder that she was no longer welcome in the world of men. She was ushered from the city, unable to comprehend the looks of pity combined with fear and hatred that seemed to follow her as she passed people she once considered friends.
It was all rather overwhelming. Her mind felt as though someone had scrapped it clean. She knew her name, she knew she was in Escar, and that she was exiled, that she was one of the plagued. But beyond that, there was nothing. No sense of who she was. She was left at the very edge of the kingdom, steps away from the dark woods, and told she was to leave Escar and never return on pain of death. She had a vague memory of hearing of a place where people like her were setting up a home, and while she had little to go on, it was better than the option of sitting like a lump and waiting to die, so she set out to find Namanda and a new life.
Plagued - Necromancy
Personality
Who Alwyn was before she succumbed to the plague is a mystery to her. She awoke one day, surrounded by strangers, alone and scared and with no recollection of her former life other than her name. Whether her personality had been altered by her death and rebirth as a member of the shunned plagued, is something only those who knew her before could confirm, and as they rejected her like the rest of Escar, it seems unlikely she will ever know.
Alwyn seems at first glance to be a gentle woman, soft spoken and skittish. She jumps at her own shadow, is easily cowed and appears to be quite fragile. Generally people (though men in particular) tend to coddle her. Her wide, large eyes give the impression of innocence, and combined with a youthful face, she is often thought to be younger than she is. This air of naivety and guilelessness gives the impression that she is someone who needs to be protected and taken care of.
Appearances are deceiving, and while Alywn uses this natural talent in inspiring solicitous behavior in others, she hardly needs it. Under that doe eyed gaze is a woman who knows exactly how people see her, and exactly how to turn it to her advantage. She is rather calculating and manipulative, and her own survival is her number one guiding force in life. She is not easily fooled, and has a good grasp on reading people, a skill she employs to be a chameleon of sorts, often behaving in the manner she feels will get her furthest with whomever she is with.
Alwyn is ambitious. Cynical and jaded, she is embittered by her current station, and though she has no memory of her life before exile, she is sure that it could not have been much worse. She wants more out of life than what has been given to her, and she is willing to do anything to achieve that. Though she is no stranger to hard work she has a certain air of entitlement about her, and often will persuade others to help her. She maintains her fragile waif guise so long as it serves her purposes, though when things turn rough, or among a fair few she considers true friends, she shows a tougher core. She has a sharp tongue in unguarded moments and a quick temper, though she more often than not hides those emotions. She is far more likely to seek her revenge for supposed wrong doings in a backhanded way than to outright challenge someone.
Alwyn is not an unkind person, though she is self serving and will not hesitate to throw someone else in front of danger to protect herself, she is not inherently bad. It is simply that her primary loyalty is to herself. She is not so cold to not be moved by the plights of others, but her own interests inevitably will take precedent.
History
Alwyn was born in Itia, her mother died during childbirth, and her father was a complete mystery. Alwyn herself was saved from death on the streets as a new babe entirely thanks to the foresight to of her mother, who had the presence of mind to throw herself at the mercy of local temple when she went into labour. Alwyn was brought into the world with no one but herself, and she lived her life much the same way. She assumes that her name came from her mother at some point before she passed, but that, like much of her roots, is really just a guess. She was sent to a small girls home, and the caretakers there had little interest in preserving the history of their charges, they were rather focused on simply keeping them alive and relatively well cared for.
Raised with an ever revolving door of other abandoned young girls, Alwyn had far from a typical upbringing. Some of the care givers were kinder and gentler, some less so, and all were quite strict. The children ,herself among them, received more than their fair share of lectures and bruises, but they were better off than the orphaned children who were left on the streets. At least she had a roof over her head and meals, meager as they were at times. It was not easy by any means, as soon as she was old enough, she was working along side the other older girls- lessons, chores and prayers - the trifecta that made up everyday. There was always a sense of camaraderie among the girls, though bonds of friendship were often put to the test when the prettier, smarter or charming girls seemed to receive favour. Alwyn was not unintelligent but she was far from the brightest girl. She did however have a way of winning over the caretakers, often softening even the harshest ones. It didn’t win her many friends among the other children, but it served her well though out her childhood and adolescence.
She left the home at 15 and found employment as a servant in the home of a wealthy merchant. It was hard work and far from glamorous, but again, it provided her with a roof and meals. She was quite popular among the other, finding that the orphanage helped set her up quite well for the sometimes catty and underhanded world she found herself in. There was an unspoken rule among servants, a pecking order of sorts. She seemed to have an uncanny ability to know the right people to endear herself to and more impressively, rarely had any difficulty in garnering their favour. Between that, and a somewhat ruthless approach in dealing with her peers, she quickly found herself near the top of the food chain, a small thing in the grand scheme, but still a rather big fish in the small pond that was her day to day life at the manor.
Alwyn had always been a rather lovely child, and it only ew more pronounced as she grew older. She never really had to fight for the attentions of the men surrounding her, and had a fair few suitors vying for her attention. It suited her well and through her years of service, she often had the tongues of the other women in employ wagging. Alwyn paid little mind, as even if some of the women spoke as though she were a harlot, she was still well stationed, and while the whispered accusations regarding her courtships were annoying, there were plenty who were willing to speak on behalf of her virtue.
Her place in the home was firmly cemented when she caught the eye of the merchant owner. She was 22, young and beautiful, and she played right into his fantasy of being benefactor and protector. He was quite a bit older, married and with children, and light years above her station, but still he pursued her. She was smart enough to know that if she simply fell into his advances, she would be discarded like so many other girls. Simply a plaything to warm his bed while his wife was occupied, easily cast aside. So rather than leap at the opportunity, she played him the same way she did countless other suitors. He fell hard for the innocent young servant she portrayed, her guileless and naive front masking her ambitions. It was a ruse that worked well. She became so much more than simply a dalliance.
Their affair spanned over a decade. While still technically a servant in his employ, unofficially she was his kept mistress. She was moved from the servants quarters into her own suite, rarely worked, was bought the finest dresses, and lived a life of luxury few attained. It was obvious to anyone that the merchant was desperately in love, and for her part, Alwyn presented the same image, and while the man hardly set her heart a blaze, she had grown rather fond of him through the years. There was a tenuous stalemate between herself and the rest of the family, who for their part seemed to be fine with the situation so long as her presence didn’t adversely affect their own inheritance. Alwyn was content with this for many years, until the merchant fell quite ill. It dawned on her that with him gone, the family would throw her to the dogs without blinking an eye, and she would be back to being nothing but a servant again. The merchant recovered but Alwyns ambitions had been sparked. She was set on becoming more than just a mistress in name, and had her eyes on matrimony, sure that given time, she could dispose the wife and have her future set in stone.
She never had the chance to realize this dream. The plague came for her and it struck quickly. She went from short of breath and dizzy to full blown hallucinations and fever in what felt like no time at all. She died with the merchant grasping her blue tipped fingered hand in his own, tears falling down his weathered cheeks. When she awoke, his face was unfamiliar, and his own eyes grew cold and distant looking upon her. She was no longer the girl he’d loved. Confused and scared, Alwyn was branded, her shoulder seared as a painful reminder that she was no longer welcome in the world of men. She was ushered from the city, unable to comprehend the looks of pity combined with fear and hatred that seemed to follow her as she passed people she once considered friends.
It was all rather overwhelming. Her mind felt as though someone had scrapped it clean. She knew her name, she knew she was in Escar, and that she was exiled, that she was one of the plagued. But beyond that, there was nothing. No sense of who she was. She was left at the very edge of the kingdom, steps away from the dark woods, and told she was to leave Escar and never return on pain of death. She had a vague memory of hearing of a place where people like her were setting up a home, and while she had little to go on, it was better than the option of sitting like a lump and waiting to die, so she set out to find Namanda and a new life.
