Empyrean
10-04-06, 01:03 PM
Level 1 updates are in blue. Level 0 can be found here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=33). I’ve also made some cosmetic changes to her appearance and items, which are not important.
Name Sanoë Teriades
Race Human
Gender Female
Age Twenty-four
Height 5’6”
Weight 142 lbs.
Hair Color Brown
Eye Color Light Blue
Appearance
Sanoë prides herself on her sharp features, preferring to look ‘interesting’ rather than beautiful. High cheekbones, slanted eyes, thin eyebrows and a rather pointed chin accomplish this. The first thing to catch people’s attention is her very light blue, skeptical eyes. Her straight, dark brown hair is a bit longer than shoulder length, and she braids some of it in front to keep it out of her eyes. Sanoë has a somewhat curvy figure, which seems to contrast her pointed facial features.
Being a jeweler by trade, Sanoë displays some of her prized possessions openly. She wears two bracelets and a necklace, all set with opals, her favorite among gemstones. She wears a deep blue jeweler’s dress, which is long-sleeved and embroidered with tiny spheres of red jasper and obsidian along the cuffs and neckline. Lapis and tiger’s eye stones line the hem of the dress, which is slit up both sides and reaches almost to her ankles. She wears a white undershirt and brown slacks underneath, a brown, thick coat for warmth, and thin brown boots. Lately, her clothes have seen a rough tour of duty and are starting to look frayed and dull.She also has a pocketed belt to contain the rest of her stones, along with her other supplies, making her waist appear rather overloaded.
There is now a fair-sized scar on Sanoë’s chest near her left shoulder from where she was shot while working as a deputy in the Corone countryside in Birchtown.
Personality
Sanoë looks particularly unimpressive when placed next to a warrior or someone of equal or higher station. However, as a living tribute to the age-old anecdote that size does not matter, she makes up for her physical banality in her actions.
Because people instinctively judge at first sight, one would assume that Sanoë, who is constantly bejeweled in stones and colors, is a romantic. In fact, this is as far from the truth as possible. Sanoë is practical to a fault, even in the face of adversity (or so she likes to think.) She hates people who gripe about their misfortunes or become overemotional. She is not without emotion, herself, but she tends to try to mask uneasiness and sadness in herself, though her body language often betrays her. Sanoë is annoyed by people in general, and tends to boss them around without realizing it. If someone bothers her, she’ll retaliate with sarcasm or rudeness, and rationalizes her actions, avoiding personal guilt.
However, if she happens to meet someone she thinks might earn her respect, Sanoë will normally remain quiet and reserved. Sanoë will size up the people she meets, making her a less than pleasant individual to be around if she decides she does not like someone. Even when she does, though, she makes it hard for someone to consider her a true friend. She prefers going about things on her own, but will welcome the help if necessary. She has become more liable to lose her temper in recent weeks, and also is more suspicious than usual. After going through some traumatic events in Althanas, Sanoë has gotten to be a little more sympathetic to the plight of others, and may or may not go out of her way to help them.
Weapons and Armor
Her only weapons—for now—are two identical daggers, both made of iron. Both hilts are made of a low-level material, and the blades are slightly curved. They hang from sheathes attached to one side of her belt, and are usually hidden from view. If it were not necessary to protect herself while venturing into Althanas, Sanoë would not even want the daggers, thinking them a crude way of fighting. Still, she was taught from a young age to wield daggers in defense, and can fight decently enough, but by no means is she very skilled.
Armor is, perhaps, where Sanoë’s practicality ends. Instead of plated wristbands, which might have made more suitable companions for daggers, Sanoë’s wrists are guarded by her two opal-set bracelets. Because the opals are set into secure pieces of metal, they emit what little power they can without magical augmentation. The opals—including the one in Sanoë’s necklace—provide healing power, so Sanoë’s lower neck and wrists are not as vulnerable to loss of blood.* Of course, the power is limited, so until Sanoë can practice enough magic to amplify the powers in stone, healing is all the opals are capable of.
In turn, the obsidian and red jasper in her robe provide physical balance and the warding off of bad spirits, the latter of which is rather far-fetched to Sanoë. She picked the jasper for its attractive color, not its power.
The other gemstones in Sanoë’s robe—lapis and tiger’s eye—do not aid her in any way, as they cannot be activated without magic.
Items
Two daggers for self-protection – see above.
Belt – used for carrying her seven collected stones and various jewelry tools.
A small Corone Deputy badge from Letho Ravenheart, which he forgot to claim after they parted. Received here. (“http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=37198#post37198”)
The first list is what gemstones Sanoë already possesses, and the second list is what she does not yet own but would like to obtain. The stones’ colors and properties are listed afterward – except for emerald and amethyst, which Sanoë has not examined for magic yet.**
Red jasper***-Burgundy red, often with black flecks. Wards off evil spirits. Strengthens the intellect when worn as an amulet.
Lapis – Ocean blue, with green veins. Releases tension and allows for mental clarity. Is also known as a sort of hallowed stone for writers and playwrights, as it will increase the range of creativity if activated.
Obsidian***-Ranges in color, usually black. Sometimes with spots of blue. Used as scribing tool to help receive information. Used for astral travel. Absorbs negative energy and therefore is used to cleanse magic-related injuries.
Opal***- Ranges in color—Sanoë’s is clear/white with a multitude of reflected colors inside. Gives a (for now) limited amount of healing power to the wearer. Black opal is considered to be luckiest. Amplifies and mirrors buried emotions and desires. Opal is a fragile stone, and will fade and crack in heat, so Sanoë must dampen it daily with oil or water.
Tiger’s eye – Black with bright yellow bands. Can be used to fortify physical accuracy in such activities as archery, dagger-throwing, etc. (Sanoë had two of these, but lost one in Corone.)
Amethyst – In varying shades of violet.
Emerald – Varying shades of green.
Amethyst and emerald acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=37198#post37198).
[The second list of stones will not show properties or powers until Sanoë finds the stones and learns how to draw out the powers. There are many more gemstones that Sanoë has not yet discovered.
Agate
Amber – Usually a deep golden brown.
Diamond – Raw diamond has a yellowish tint; purified is clear.
Garnet – Red, orange.
Jade – Usually in greens, sometimes in red and orange.
Malachite – Black with numerous bands of turquoise.
Corundum – No identification as of yet. Is said to vary in color, making it hard to identify.
Ruby – Red.
Sapphire – Deep blues.
Topaz – Varying shades of brown.
Tourmaline – Brown and green bands.
Turquoise – Blues.
Skills
Jewelry –Sanoë, although still somewhat inexperienced in her field, is well-read on the subject of gemstones. She can usually identify stones, whether in their raw or purified states, but the names and properties of a large number of stones still elude her. She knows a great deal of ways to string gems together for eye-catching jewelry, down to which stones would appropriately go together, and how to fasten them correctly. Even with all of this information, however, Sanoë has a lot to learn, as she is only an apprentice as of now. Her bartering skills, for example, necessary for one who hopes to sell and buy jewelry, are less than exemplary.
The Empyrean Table –Empyrean is defined most often to jewelers in Sanoë’s city as “the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected.” This definition is reflected in the Empyrean Table, a diagram set up to identify and amplify the powers of gemstones. The Table is in the shape of a circle, within which is another, smaller circle, and is divided up into small triangles, usually labeled with numbers. Stones combined in a certain way, and set up in a specific part of the Table, will have different effects.
For example, opal and obsidian, put diagonal from each other, will increase healing energy when tending to magic-induced injuries. Each use of the Table requires magic.
As is to be expected, learning each section of the Table takes a number of years. Sanoë had a rather late start, and so she only knows the sections of the Table which will amplify what little magic she can use in the five stones she has thus far.
Sanoë’s aim is not only to obtain more stones, learn more magic, and decipher the Table, but to fight with magic by use of the Table. This requires extensive knowledge of magic and a great deal of stones that are used for battle. This will take a long time to learn—Sanoë can only use mental clarity and healing so far, and only to an extent.
History
"It seems to me that the gaps between races and species ought not to exist. Even in just the human sector, there are thousands of categories. Proud. Humble. Greedy. Compassionate. Listless. Introspective. For days, the list grows. It is disconcerting to me that we divide ourselves still, in terms of wealth and station, beauty, character, and worth.”
“…the fact remains that while each race boasts of their talents and traits, it is those traits which drive them towards one target: murder of those who number in millions, as the stars, but whom differ by something as simple as language, shape, even those attributes some would call strange but are, in reality, beautiful. How much more foolish can we become?....Belittling has given rise to assault, and assault to murder, murder to slaughter. Is humankind so unbelievably arrogant that the only way to achieve satisfaction is the spilling of blood onto the harvested fields?
It is that which I strive to amend.
I do not know when I will next see you, but I hope that by that time, I will have achieved something that is bound to change the future.
Love, Eliot.
P.S. Thanks for the extra food, no matter how grudgingly you gave it up. ”
Those were just a few of the words in the bitter letter Sanoë Teriades found herself reading. The letter was from her brother, young Eliot Teriades, barely twenty and already spouting acidic facts about the world.
“Neglecting your work is not the first step to getting your own shop,” Jora reminded Sanoë as she passed her, her tone not unkind. “I suggest you clean those eyes,” she said, gesturing to an ample pile of tiger’s eye stones sitting behind her on the desk.
“Look at this,” interrupted Sanoë, sliding off of the counter with ease and pressing the letter into Jora’s wrinkling, bejeweled hands. “Does that sound like Eliot?”
After scanning the messy scrawl, Jora chuckled and said in her gravely voice, “Sounds like Eliot after a few drinks too many and a good look at the world.”
“I highly doubt Eliot would be that articulate after even one drink,” answered Sanoë dryly.
“He is your brother, after all…” Jora’s eyes, fading green but still lively, watched Sanoë with half a smile.
“Ha ha. Half-brother,” Sanoë amended. “And we share a mother, so it must have been his father who was the drunkard, because I never acquired the taste for alcohol. Anyway,” she continued, taking the letter from Jora’s hands and stuffing it into one of the many pockets on her belt, “He’s right, as always, though I can’t help but imagine that an articulate Eliot can’t amount to anything good. He doesn’t look before he leaps, unless he notices something inspiring first, and then he leaps even farther.”
“It’s not like he’s going to join the army,” protested Jora. “He implied nothing but a desire to change things.”
“Yes, I know. That’s where the trouble comes in.”
--
And she was right.
When it came to knowing her half-brother, Eliot, Sanoë was nothing less than an expert, having no other family to observe. What little she knew, she kept as a mental record. Mother: Ileana Teriades, an attendant in the city’s army, and one who apparently was promiscuous enough to bring two children into the world and then vanish. Father: A soldier, supposedly, with a name insignificant enough to forget.
Siblings? Just Eliot, though there could very well have been others. Eliot was born four years after Sanoë, but had not been able to locate his older half-sister until his teens, when numerous clues led him to the jeweler’s shop where Sanoë had found a job as an apprentice. It had not been easy work, especially since Jora’s workshop was tucked into the much larger buildings in the midst of the city and dwarfed by the more popular businesses.
The fathers of both children were both unnamed in the city’s records. Ileana Teriades had raised Sanoë until her temporary lodgings were no longer affordable. She left Sanoë in the calloused but gentle hands of Jora, only an acquaintance to the woman but as close as Ileana could get.
When Eliot turned up, he was sixteen and Sanoë twenty. The two pored over
what little information the city could provide them with about their parentage, but this was barely needed. Eliot shared Sanoë’s slanted blue eyes, the sharp chin, the angular build, even the same color hair. The only differences were Eliot’s full eyebrows and rounded face, making him look rather boyish in stark contrast to Sanoë’s older-looking face.
Though different ambitions kept them apart at times, they visited and wrote each other as often as possible. Sanoë had never regretted having limited memories of her mother and no memory at all of her father, as Jora has proved to be a surprisingly able and supportive parent as well as employer. Jora taught her adopted daughter her trade, something she cherished, and prodded Sanoë into loving it, too.
Sanoë knew how ambitious her brother was; it had taken him two years to locate her, even within the same city, but he had done it without relent, anxious to find what little family he had. If he were to peruse the city’s records day in and day out, he would find a way to do it, and likewise, if he were to suddenly develop an obsessive need to change the world, well, he would probably find a way to do that too.
But not coming out unscathed.
That certain knowledge, along with Sanoë’s need to get out of the city she had stayed within the boundaries of for twenty-four years, led her to believe that Eliot would get himself in trouble if he tried to play peacemaker, and she had to keep an eye on him. This most recent letter was already a month and a half old, making Sanoë wonder exactly how far he was. Whatever the distance, the outcome was destined for bad luck.
And either way, Sanoë could easily continue her trade on the road. If Eliot was indeed where the letter had said the letter was addressed from—somewhere in Althanas—then there would certainly be scope for discovery; that of gemstones and of her brother’s mission. With this in mind, Sanoë packed up what materials she had and, of course, a warm coat.
Proper defense, whether against the climate or any other hardship, is, after all, part of being practical.
Within hours of arriving in Althanas, Sanoë got into more trouble than she ever could have imagined for her brother, let alone herself. In Antioch, she wound up tagging along with a man with catlike features named Corin, though he’d robbed her at gunpoint for a raw garnet she’d found. With the promise of more gemstones, including another garnet, they traveled to Miscera’Trel Tower in Larapool, where a chaotic scene ensued. Once inside the citadel, Corin was challenged by a red-skinned elf named Zephyriah. As a result of their confrontation, Miscera’Trel collapsed, leaving several more people dead and barely allowing Sanoë to escape with her life. Corin disappeared, leaving Sanoë to deal with the violent Zephyriah.
Now a fugitive in Antioch, Sanoë was forced to flee with Zephyriah to the underwater kingdom of Khoria, where both participated in an embarrassing charade in order to destroy the last garnet. While they succeeded, Sanoë was greatly disturbed and upset by the slaughter she’d seen in Larapool, and had begun to understand why her brother was so vehement about trying to change the world. She also became wary of characters like Zephyriah, whom she’d hated for his arrogance and controlling nature.
Once she’d left Antioch with the help of the Khorian king, Sanoë went to Corone, where she suspected her brother was off crusading his cause. In order to refill her steadily dwindling supply of money, she took a temporary job as a Deputy in the Corone countryside towns alongside another catlike hybrid named Rainee and the Corone Marshal, Letho Ravenheart. The three of them made for an odd but strong-standing group of law enforcers, and after they’d taken care of a crime in Pinetown, Letho and Sanoë went on to Birchtown alone. With the aid of rebel insurgents, they were able to rid the town of its tyrant, Storm Veritas, but not without casualties.
Sanoë was injured in the final showdown, and stayed in Birchtown for a little over a week, recovering in body and mind. She’d started to see all too clearly that Althanas was not for those with weak constitutions, and though the pain of seeing so many people die was more than just an itch she couldn’t quite scratch, she was confident that she could last long enough to find Eliot, wherever he was hiding.
--------------------------------
* The opals only aid small cuts, in which case there will be blood loss, but the bleeding will cease after a short period of time. Anything larger, even a minor slash, causes a significant amount of damage.
**All gemstones currently in Sanoë’s possession cannot be sold, unless Sanoë eventually has an abundance of them.
*** These gemstones are the only ones that work without being activated by magic, and even then may only use one or two powers, because Sanoë is not nearly experienced enough in magic.
Gemstone information created with help from http://www.journey-to-self.com/gem_stone%20meanings.htm
Name Sanoë Teriades
Race Human
Gender Female
Age Twenty-four
Height 5’6”
Weight 142 lbs.
Hair Color Brown
Eye Color Light Blue
Appearance
Sanoë prides herself on her sharp features, preferring to look ‘interesting’ rather than beautiful. High cheekbones, slanted eyes, thin eyebrows and a rather pointed chin accomplish this. The first thing to catch people’s attention is her very light blue, skeptical eyes. Her straight, dark brown hair is a bit longer than shoulder length, and she braids some of it in front to keep it out of her eyes. Sanoë has a somewhat curvy figure, which seems to contrast her pointed facial features.
Being a jeweler by trade, Sanoë displays some of her prized possessions openly. She wears two bracelets and a necklace, all set with opals, her favorite among gemstones. She wears a deep blue jeweler’s dress, which is long-sleeved and embroidered with tiny spheres of red jasper and obsidian along the cuffs and neckline. Lapis and tiger’s eye stones line the hem of the dress, which is slit up both sides and reaches almost to her ankles. She wears a white undershirt and brown slacks underneath, a brown, thick coat for warmth, and thin brown boots. Lately, her clothes have seen a rough tour of duty and are starting to look frayed and dull.She also has a pocketed belt to contain the rest of her stones, along with her other supplies, making her waist appear rather overloaded.
There is now a fair-sized scar on Sanoë’s chest near her left shoulder from where she was shot while working as a deputy in the Corone countryside in Birchtown.
Personality
Sanoë looks particularly unimpressive when placed next to a warrior or someone of equal or higher station. However, as a living tribute to the age-old anecdote that size does not matter, she makes up for her physical banality in her actions.
Because people instinctively judge at first sight, one would assume that Sanoë, who is constantly bejeweled in stones and colors, is a romantic. In fact, this is as far from the truth as possible. Sanoë is practical to a fault, even in the face of adversity (or so she likes to think.) She hates people who gripe about their misfortunes or become overemotional. She is not without emotion, herself, but she tends to try to mask uneasiness and sadness in herself, though her body language often betrays her. Sanoë is annoyed by people in general, and tends to boss them around without realizing it. If someone bothers her, she’ll retaliate with sarcasm or rudeness, and rationalizes her actions, avoiding personal guilt.
However, if she happens to meet someone she thinks might earn her respect, Sanoë will normally remain quiet and reserved. Sanoë will size up the people she meets, making her a less than pleasant individual to be around if she decides she does not like someone. Even when she does, though, she makes it hard for someone to consider her a true friend. She prefers going about things on her own, but will welcome the help if necessary. She has become more liable to lose her temper in recent weeks, and also is more suspicious than usual. After going through some traumatic events in Althanas, Sanoë has gotten to be a little more sympathetic to the plight of others, and may or may not go out of her way to help them.
Weapons and Armor
Her only weapons—for now—are two identical daggers, both made of iron. Both hilts are made of a low-level material, and the blades are slightly curved. They hang from sheathes attached to one side of her belt, and are usually hidden from view. If it were not necessary to protect herself while venturing into Althanas, Sanoë would not even want the daggers, thinking them a crude way of fighting. Still, she was taught from a young age to wield daggers in defense, and can fight decently enough, but by no means is she very skilled.
Armor is, perhaps, where Sanoë’s practicality ends. Instead of plated wristbands, which might have made more suitable companions for daggers, Sanoë’s wrists are guarded by her two opal-set bracelets. Because the opals are set into secure pieces of metal, they emit what little power they can without magical augmentation. The opals—including the one in Sanoë’s necklace—provide healing power, so Sanoë’s lower neck and wrists are not as vulnerable to loss of blood.* Of course, the power is limited, so until Sanoë can practice enough magic to amplify the powers in stone, healing is all the opals are capable of.
In turn, the obsidian and red jasper in her robe provide physical balance and the warding off of bad spirits, the latter of which is rather far-fetched to Sanoë. She picked the jasper for its attractive color, not its power.
The other gemstones in Sanoë’s robe—lapis and tiger’s eye—do not aid her in any way, as they cannot be activated without magic.
Items
Two daggers for self-protection – see above.
Belt – used for carrying her seven collected stones and various jewelry tools.
A small Corone Deputy badge from Letho Ravenheart, which he forgot to claim after they parted. Received here. (“http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=37198#post37198”)
The first list is what gemstones Sanoë already possesses, and the second list is what she does not yet own but would like to obtain. The stones’ colors and properties are listed afterward – except for emerald and amethyst, which Sanoë has not examined for magic yet.**
Red jasper***-Burgundy red, often with black flecks. Wards off evil spirits. Strengthens the intellect when worn as an amulet.
Lapis – Ocean blue, with green veins. Releases tension and allows for mental clarity. Is also known as a sort of hallowed stone for writers and playwrights, as it will increase the range of creativity if activated.
Obsidian***-Ranges in color, usually black. Sometimes with spots of blue. Used as scribing tool to help receive information. Used for astral travel. Absorbs negative energy and therefore is used to cleanse magic-related injuries.
Opal***- Ranges in color—Sanoë’s is clear/white with a multitude of reflected colors inside. Gives a (for now) limited amount of healing power to the wearer. Black opal is considered to be luckiest. Amplifies and mirrors buried emotions and desires. Opal is a fragile stone, and will fade and crack in heat, so Sanoë must dampen it daily with oil or water.
Tiger’s eye – Black with bright yellow bands. Can be used to fortify physical accuracy in such activities as archery, dagger-throwing, etc. (Sanoë had two of these, but lost one in Corone.)
Amethyst – In varying shades of violet.
Emerald – Varying shades of green.
Amethyst and emerald acquired here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=37198#post37198).
[The second list of stones will not show properties or powers until Sanoë finds the stones and learns how to draw out the powers. There are many more gemstones that Sanoë has not yet discovered.
Agate
Amber – Usually a deep golden brown.
Diamond – Raw diamond has a yellowish tint; purified is clear.
Garnet – Red, orange.
Jade – Usually in greens, sometimes in red and orange.
Malachite – Black with numerous bands of turquoise.
Corundum – No identification as of yet. Is said to vary in color, making it hard to identify.
Ruby – Red.
Sapphire – Deep blues.
Topaz – Varying shades of brown.
Tourmaline – Brown and green bands.
Turquoise – Blues.
Skills
Jewelry –Sanoë, although still somewhat inexperienced in her field, is well-read on the subject of gemstones. She can usually identify stones, whether in their raw or purified states, but the names and properties of a large number of stones still elude her. She knows a great deal of ways to string gems together for eye-catching jewelry, down to which stones would appropriately go together, and how to fasten them correctly. Even with all of this information, however, Sanoë has a lot to learn, as she is only an apprentice as of now. Her bartering skills, for example, necessary for one who hopes to sell and buy jewelry, are less than exemplary.
The Empyrean Table –Empyrean is defined most often to jewelers in Sanoë’s city as “the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected.” This definition is reflected in the Empyrean Table, a diagram set up to identify and amplify the powers of gemstones. The Table is in the shape of a circle, within which is another, smaller circle, and is divided up into small triangles, usually labeled with numbers. Stones combined in a certain way, and set up in a specific part of the Table, will have different effects.
For example, opal and obsidian, put diagonal from each other, will increase healing energy when tending to magic-induced injuries. Each use of the Table requires magic.
As is to be expected, learning each section of the Table takes a number of years. Sanoë had a rather late start, and so she only knows the sections of the Table which will amplify what little magic she can use in the five stones she has thus far.
Sanoë’s aim is not only to obtain more stones, learn more magic, and decipher the Table, but to fight with magic by use of the Table. This requires extensive knowledge of magic and a great deal of stones that are used for battle. This will take a long time to learn—Sanoë can only use mental clarity and healing so far, and only to an extent.
History
"It seems to me that the gaps between races and species ought not to exist. Even in just the human sector, there are thousands of categories. Proud. Humble. Greedy. Compassionate. Listless. Introspective. For days, the list grows. It is disconcerting to me that we divide ourselves still, in terms of wealth and station, beauty, character, and worth.”
“…the fact remains that while each race boasts of their talents and traits, it is those traits which drive them towards one target: murder of those who number in millions, as the stars, but whom differ by something as simple as language, shape, even those attributes some would call strange but are, in reality, beautiful. How much more foolish can we become?....Belittling has given rise to assault, and assault to murder, murder to slaughter. Is humankind so unbelievably arrogant that the only way to achieve satisfaction is the spilling of blood onto the harvested fields?
It is that which I strive to amend.
I do not know when I will next see you, but I hope that by that time, I will have achieved something that is bound to change the future.
Love, Eliot.
P.S. Thanks for the extra food, no matter how grudgingly you gave it up. ”
Those were just a few of the words in the bitter letter Sanoë Teriades found herself reading. The letter was from her brother, young Eliot Teriades, barely twenty and already spouting acidic facts about the world.
“Neglecting your work is not the first step to getting your own shop,” Jora reminded Sanoë as she passed her, her tone not unkind. “I suggest you clean those eyes,” she said, gesturing to an ample pile of tiger’s eye stones sitting behind her on the desk.
“Look at this,” interrupted Sanoë, sliding off of the counter with ease and pressing the letter into Jora’s wrinkling, bejeweled hands. “Does that sound like Eliot?”
After scanning the messy scrawl, Jora chuckled and said in her gravely voice, “Sounds like Eliot after a few drinks too many and a good look at the world.”
“I highly doubt Eliot would be that articulate after even one drink,” answered Sanoë dryly.
“He is your brother, after all…” Jora’s eyes, fading green but still lively, watched Sanoë with half a smile.
“Ha ha. Half-brother,” Sanoë amended. “And we share a mother, so it must have been his father who was the drunkard, because I never acquired the taste for alcohol. Anyway,” she continued, taking the letter from Jora’s hands and stuffing it into one of the many pockets on her belt, “He’s right, as always, though I can’t help but imagine that an articulate Eliot can’t amount to anything good. He doesn’t look before he leaps, unless he notices something inspiring first, and then he leaps even farther.”
“It’s not like he’s going to join the army,” protested Jora. “He implied nothing but a desire to change things.”
“Yes, I know. That’s where the trouble comes in.”
--
And she was right.
When it came to knowing her half-brother, Eliot, Sanoë was nothing less than an expert, having no other family to observe. What little she knew, she kept as a mental record. Mother: Ileana Teriades, an attendant in the city’s army, and one who apparently was promiscuous enough to bring two children into the world and then vanish. Father: A soldier, supposedly, with a name insignificant enough to forget.
Siblings? Just Eliot, though there could very well have been others. Eliot was born four years after Sanoë, but had not been able to locate his older half-sister until his teens, when numerous clues led him to the jeweler’s shop where Sanoë had found a job as an apprentice. It had not been easy work, especially since Jora’s workshop was tucked into the much larger buildings in the midst of the city and dwarfed by the more popular businesses.
The fathers of both children were both unnamed in the city’s records. Ileana Teriades had raised Sanoë until her temporary lodgings were no longer affordable. She left Sanoë in the calloused but gentle hands of Jora, only an acquaintance to the woman but as close as Ileana could get.
When Eliot turned up, he was sixteen and Sanoë twenty. The two pored over
what little information the city could provide them with about their parentage, but this was barely needed. Eliot shared Sanoë’s slanted blue eyes, the sharp chin, the angular build, even the same color hair. The only differences were Eliot’s full eyebrows and rounded face, making him look rather boyish in stark contrast to Sanoë’s older-looking face.
Though different ambitions kept them apart at times, they visited and wrote each other as often as possible. Sanoë had never regretted having limited memories of her mother and no memory at all of her father, as Jora has proved to be a surprisingly able and supportive parent as well as employer. Jora taught her adopted daughter her trade, something she cherished, and prodded Sanoë into loving it, too.
Sanoë knew how ambitious her brother was; it had taken him two years to locate her, even within the same city, but he had done it without relent, anxious to find what little family he had. If he were to peruse the city’s records day in and day out, he would find a way to do it, and likewise, if he were to suddenly develop an obsessive need to change the world, well, he would probably find a way to do that too.
But not coming out unscathed.
That certain knowledge, along with Sanoë’s need to get out of the city she had stayed within the boundaries of for twenty-four years, led her to believe that Eliot would get himself in trouble if he tried to play peacemaker, and she had to keep an eye on him. This most recent letter was already a month and a half old, making Sanoë wonder exactly how far he was. Whatever the distance, the outcome was destined for bad luck.
And either way, Sanoë could easily continue her trade on the road. If Eliot was indeed where the letter had said the letter was addressed from—somewhere in Althanas—then there would certainly be scope for discovery; that of gemstones and of her brother’s mission. With this in mind, Sanoë packed up what materials she had and, of course, a warm coat.
Proper defense, whether against the climate or any other hardship, is, after all, part of being practical.
Within hours of arriving in Althanas, Sanoë got into more trouble than she ever could have imagined for her brother, let alone herself. In Antioch, she wound up tagging along with a man with catlike features named Corin, though he’d robbed her at gunpoint for a raw garnet she’d found. With the promise of more gemstones, including another garnet, they traveled to Miscera’Trel Tower in Larapool, where a chaotic scene ensued. Once inside the citadel, Corin was challenged by a red-skinned elf named Zephyriah. As a result of their confrontation, Miscera’Trel collapsed, leaving several more people dead and barely allowing Sanoë to escape with her life. Corin disappeared, leaving Sanoë to deal with the violent Zephyriah.
Now a fugitive in Antioch, Sanoë was forced to flee with Zephyriah to the underwater kingdom of Khoria, where both participated in an embarrassing charade in order to destroy the last garnet. While they succeeded, Sanoë was greatly disturbed and upset by the slaughter she’d seen in Larapool, and had begun to understand why her brother was so vehement about trying to change the world. She also became wary of characters like Zephyriah, whom she’d hated for his arrogance and controlling nature.
Once she’d left Antioch with the help of the Khorian king, Sanoë went to Corone, where she suspected her brother was off crusading his cause. In order to refill her steadily dwindling supply of money, she took a temporary job as a Deputy in the Corone countryside towns alongside another catlike hybrid named Rainee and the Corone Marshal, Letho Ravenheart. The three of them made for an odd but strong-standing group of law enforcers, and after they’d taken care of a crime in Pinetown, Letho and Sanoë went on to Birchtown alone. With the aid of rebel insurgents, they were able to rid the town of its tyrant, Storm Veritas, but not without casualties.
Sanoë was injured in the final showdown, and stayed in Birchtown for a little over a week, recovering in body and mind. She’d started to see all too clearly that Althanas was not for those with weak constitutions, and though the pain of seeing so many people die was more than just an itch she couldn’t quite scratch, she was confident that she could last long enough to find Eliot, wherever he was hiding.
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* The opals only aid small cuts, in which case there will be blood loss, but the bleeding will cease after a short period of time. Anything larger, even a minor slash, causes a significant amount of damage.
**All gemstones currently in Sanoë’s possession cannot be sold, unless Sanoë eventually has an abundance of them.
*** These gemstones are the only ones that work without being activated by magic, and even then may only use one or two powers, because Sanoë is not nearly experienced enough in magic.
Gemstone information created with help from http://www.journey-to-self.com/gem_stone%20meanings.htm