Alouette
“I am a feather on the bright sky
I am the blue horse that runs in the plain
I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water
I am the shadow that follows a child
I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows
I am an eagle playing with the wind
I am a cluster of bright beads
I am the farthest star
I am the cold of dawn
I am the roaring of the rain
I am the glitter on the crust of the snow
I am the long track of the moon in a lake
I am a flame of four colors
I am a deer standing away in the dusk
I am a field of sumac and the pomme blanche
I am an angle of geese in the winter sky
I am the hunger of a young wolf
I am the whole dream of these things
You see, I am alive, I am alive
I stand in good relation to the earth
I stand in good relation to the gods
I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful
I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-tainte
You see, I am alive, I am alive”
I am the blue horse that runs in the plain
I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water
I am the shadow that follows a child
I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows
I am an eagle playing with the wind
I am a cluster of bright beads
I am the farthest star
I am the cold of dawn
I am the roaring of the rain
I am the glitter on the crust of the snow
I am the long track of the moon in a lake
I am a flame of four colors
I am a deer standing away in the dusk
I am a field of sumac and the pomme blanche
I am an angle of geese in the winter sky
I am the hunger of a young wolf
I am the whole dream of these things
You see, I am alive, I am alive
I stand in good relation to the earth
I stand in good relation to the gods
I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful
I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-tainte
You see, I am alive, I am alive”
-“The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee” N. Scott Momaday
Appearance
The only interesting thing about Lou are the scars throughout her body from when she was mauled by a bear after being sent as a sacrifice for a mountain god. The healing was different, beyond mortal comprehension, like fixing a broken vase with liquid gold bringing the cracked pieces together. Normally, the golden lines do little more than shimmer, but sometimes during times of panic, eyes appear. They’re harmless, really.
Skills and Abilities
Skills:
-adept tailor: from weaving to sewing, repairs and alterations, Lou can make just about anything she dreams up and save even the most worn rags from being tossed.
-good eye-hand coordination; her secret talent is being able to juggle almost anything.
-master at natural dyes: knows what plants, invertebrates and minerals to use. A excellent forager and bug catcher.
-artistic: loves colors, any color, and trying to recreate that color through dyeing her threads. Good at sewing many patterns.
-excellent time management.
Abilities:
While still learning of magic, Lou has found herself to be more fascinated in the pursuit of Flame and the Wild.
PURSUIT OF FLAME:
innovation- decent
Imbuing elemental traits: good
Incantations: bad
PURSUIT OF THE WILD:
tracking: could be better
Imbuing animal traits: good
Audubon: very good, avid bird watcher, she feeds them daily and they bring her their feathers in return.
Not getting attacked by animals: very bad
PURSUIT OF LIFE:
Healing - could be better
Herbal medicine: decent
Purification: average
-adept tailor: from weaving to sewing, repairs and alterations, Lou can make just about anything she dreams up and save even the most worn rags from being tossed.
-good eye-hand coordination; her secret talent is being able to juggle almost anything.
-master at natural dyes: knows what plants, invertebrates and minerals to use. A excellent forager and bug catcher.
-artistic: loves colors, any color, and trying to recreate that color through dyeing her threads. Good at sewing many patterns.
-excellent time management.
Abilities:
While still learning of magic, Lou has found herself to be more fascinated in the pursuit of Flame and the Wild.
PURSUIT OF FLAME:
innovation- decent
Imbuing elemental traits: good
Incantations: bad
PURSUIT OF THE WILD:
tracking: could be better
Imbuing animal traits: good
Audubon: very good, avid bird watcher, she feeds them daily and they bring her their feathers in return.
Not getting attacked by animals: very bad
PURSUIT OF LIFE:
Healing - could be better
Herbal medicine: decent
Purification: average
Personality
Early riser, reserved, soft-spoken, aloof, clever, introvert, prefers anger over sadness but will still punch someone while crying, and, perhaps best of all, quick to believe in the goodness of others.
Biography & Lore
In a village that Lou will not name, she wasn’t chosen. Her best friend was, the little and slight Lumina who was all pale skin, long blonde hair and blue eyes that rivaled the sky. The adults made a big deal out of it, talking about how Lumina was special and how she’d make the mountain god very happy as his wife. Lumina was removed from doing chores, could eat all the strawberries she wanted, and spend all day inside reading.
Lou thought it was her parent’s way of trying to apologize for sending their daughter to the mountain, riddled with badgers and bears and boars. The scariest thing of all was the gods themselves. No one had ever seen one, but the village could feel them: in the spring when the frost didn’t melt fast enough, in the summers without rain, in the autumns with blights and plague, and in the winters when one was so hungry they ate snow and ice while shivering.
She took it upon herself to trade places with Lumina. Lumina, despite all the time spent reading, didn’t know about poisonous plants or venomous snakes, and her sense of direction was horrible. Surely, gods cared little for looks, and besides, what god saw a thirteen year old girl and thought her to be beautiful? Despite the ceremony wrapping the bride-to-be in all white with a heavy veil, Alouette was sure that anyone sent to the mountain was a sacrifice, not a bride.
The day came, their plan was a success, and Alouette went to the mountain instead of Lumina. Unable to go back, Alouette continued to go forward, and that was how she came across a bear cub. It’s true: the mother wasn’t far behind. Close to death, it was through only the interference of Tsaoi-talee, the supposed mountain god, that saved Lou. He brought her into his world, not as his bride (she was right, thirteen was too young!) but as a maid to look over his estate— or, the trash dump as she first called it before turning it back into a home. It was there that she learned about weaving and imbuing properties relating to the nature around her.
Years passed, the life being monotonous and simple but pleasant nonetheless. Alouette had grown accustomed to their little pocket of life and the chance to learn and advance her hobbies. She didn’t think of change until Syr Noa happened upon their home. When Alouette woke up the house was empty, garden gone, and nothing was as it should.
Lou thought it was her parent’s way of trying to apologize for sending their daughter to the mountain, riddled with badgers and bears and boars. The scariest thing of all was the gods themselves. No one had ever seen one, but the village could feel them: in the spring when the frost didn’t melt fast enough, in the summers without rain, in the autumns with blights and plague, and in the winters when one was so hungry they ate snow and ice while shivering.
She took it upon herself to trade places with Lumina. Lumina, despite all the time spent reading, didn’t know about poisonous plants or venomous snakes, and her sense of direction was horrible. Surely, gods cared little for looks, and besides, what god saw a thirteen year old girl and thought her to be beautiful? Despite the ceremony wrapping the bride-to-be in all white with a heavy veil, Alouette was sure that anyone sent to the mountain was a sacrifice, not a bride.
The day came, their plan was a success, and Alouette went to the mountain instead of Lumina. Unable to go back, Alouette continued to go forward, and that was how she came across a bear cub. It’s true: the mother wasn’t far behind. Close to death, it was through only the interference of Tsaoi-talee, the supposed mountain god, that saved Lou. He brought her into his world, not as his bride (she was right, thirteen was too young!) but as a maid to look over his estate— or, the trash dump as she first called it before turning it back into a home. It was there that she learned about weaving and imbuing properties relating to the nature around her.
Years passed, the life being monotonous and simple but pleasant nonetheless. Alouette had grown accustomed to their little pocket of life and the chance to learn and advance her hobbies. She didn’t think of change until Syr Noa happened upon their home. When Alouette woke up the house was empty, garden gone, and nothing was as it should.
References
Ditching morning drills with Roki | Runabout Soul
Joining in on a surprise party for a friend | Not Far From the Tree
A relief mission for Crusoe | Stinging Nettles and Weeping Willows
Holiday fun with Arbok and Gruki | Festival of Lights: Illun Serath
Joining in on a surprise party for a friend | Not Far From the Tree
A relief mission for Crusoe | Stinging Nettles and Weeping Willows
Holiday fun with Arbok and Gruki | Festival of Lights: Illun Serath
