Tamara Roth
11-27-07, 08:12 PM
The vultures and necromancers feed on too many of the young dead, my daughter-in-heart. Dozens, hundreds of our kin and yours, all eager to defend their land, all now shambling under the control of the necromancer or nourishing the scavengers.
I know that your heart aches to put your training to use. But you are still young, inexperienced, and all too likely to join the roll of the dead. Until you can find a song of unique worth within you and march home singing it, you are to remain in Corone until the storm passes.
With love,
Mae
Name: Tamara Roth
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Species: Human
Eyes: Dark Blue
Hair: Black
Skin: Tanned
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 180 lbs
Description: An odd blend of traits between her mother and father, as well as the various other Roths that contributed to her heritage, Tamara stands as tall as most men and nearly as broad-shouldered, though her body still retains a woman's curves in the right places. Her tanned skin hides muscle throughout most of her body; swinging a greatsword uses all of the arms and back, and armor training developed the muscle of her legs and stomach. Her eyes are dark blue, often mistaken for brown at the first glance; they hold no great depth of pain or empathy, but are often alight with amusement. Tamara's hair is kept in a tight braid that hangs down her back, easily tucked into her armor when in combat. She almost never wears it loose. When travelling, she rarely relinquishes the protection of her armor; in safer places, she favors linen garments that fit loosely and comfortably while still allowing freedom to move without stepping on associated cuffs.
History: While Raiaera is known as the homeland of the elves, more than a few humans also reside there, never fully at home in the land that recognizes the elven people as its master. The Roth family is among them, a line of fruit farmers that has tended an orchard in the edges of the forest for nearly two centuries.
Tamara was born to Garidan Roth and his wife, an immigrant from Fallien named Tzipporah, the second of four children and the only daughter of the generation. From an early age she possessed an adventurous streak, often wandering into the forest from the edges of the orchard despite warnings of what would sometimes lurk within and "eat naughty children."
Childhood gave way to adolescence, and her mother's warnings about the forest very nearly claimed the young Tamara's life. In one of her wanderings, she came across an odd elf with dark skin and silver hair -- a scout from Alerar, far afield. She'd heard stories about the dark elves, of course, but in all of the tales, they had been much... larger. And more threatening. Surely, Tamara reasoned, the fairly harmless looking male elf in front of her couldn't devour her soul, or any of that other nonsense.
It was about then that he rendered her unconscious with a poisoned bolt from a concealed hand crossbow. And there, her story might have ended as an unhappy and short-lived slave, were it not for the intervention of Maelindris Caerin, a former Bladesinger and professor at the academy, who happened to be in the area purely by happenstance. The scout was quickly dispatched, and he carried Tamara back to her parents' orchard. Garidas and Tzi were both horrified by what had nearly happened, and begged the professor to stay for supper with them in repayment.
During the course of the meal, as Tamara slowly regained full awareness, Maelindris became aware of the spark of magic inside of her. He mentioned this to the Roths, who were not entirely surprised -- and who had been considering sending Tamara to the University to be tested, but for their concerns that her rambunctious nature would get her into trouble. Maelindris simply laughed and told them that it was even more important for her to begin learning early, so that she would have the discipline to properly use her gift. Persuaded by the argument, Garidan made the arrangements with the elven professor that evening, and Tamara woke the next morning to find that she was leaving for the academy in a week.
Despite her initial reluctance to leave the small community and her family's orchard, Tamara quickly grew to love studies at the academy. She matured in mind and body, growing more disciplined and strong, though the urge to find excitement and purpose still drove her. Aglarin and its promises of glory and honor called to her, and she responded, showing a natural gift for the school; a few related songs of Ost'Dagorlin also called her, but her talent for them was not nearly so smooth, and it took over years of dedicated work before she could sing a simple ward.
Stormclouds began to loom on the horizon of her contentment, however, and rumors of a great evil preparing to descend reached the ears of those at the University. Maelindris knew that the young battle-bard would likely enlist in Ralieara's defense as soon as she could, and further knew that she was very unlikely to survive such encounters, with her skills still forming and her song incomplete. He called her to his office, and to keep her safe set her on a journey to Corone, to find a unqiue and valuable song and bring it back with her as a contribution to the university and proof of her own skill. Tamara suspected Maelindris' plan, but had no inkling of how severe things might become in Ralieara and so readily agreed.
Thus she finds herself, a student of blade and song, away from the home that she grew to love, which is now under siege by a darkness that defies comprehension. If nothing else, though, Tamara is a woman of her word, and part of her understand why Maelindris wishes to keep her away from the conflict. She is confident that the song lies within her; all she has to do now is bring it forth.
Personality: Tamara tries her best to be honorable and honest in all things, believing deception to be a violation of Aglarin's glorious truth, and of Ost'Dagorlin's forthright protection and aid. She does not give her word lightly, but will honor it when given. Her friends and companions earn her loyalty, even during times when they are obviously wrong or misguided; Tamara holds those who betray friends and nations in the highest contempt. As a human that grew up in elven-dominated Ralieara, Tamara holds the high elves in great reverence. She has an abiding curiousity concerning elven culture and life, can speak high elven passably and understands it very well. As earlier mentioned her loyalty can sometimes be misguided, and she is very stubborn about admitting to faults in her friends even if they are apparent to her.
Skills, Etc:
Songs of Aglarin
Of the four schools, Algarin has the greatest affinity for Tamara. She has developed a basic understanding of its tenets, and can perform feats of inspiration and restoration.
Song of Valor: The most basic of Aglarin's forms. Tamara can grant herself a 20% boost to apparent strength, agility and morale, or can grant a 10% boost in all of the same to any allies that can hear her. This requires Tamara to sing for at least fifteen seconds per minute of effect, up to a one-minute verse which would linger up to four additional minutes (5 total). Obviously, singing requires unbroken concentration and sufficient breath. Note that this is not an actual increase in strength or muscle mass, simply an effective increase from the creature's boosted resolve.
Hymn of Restoration: This spellsong can refresh a weary spirit and grant tired limbs the strength to continue on. By singing a soothing verse for thirty seconds, Tamara can completely remove a subject's apparent fatigue, erasing their weariness from their minds. This can allow a spellcaster to continue casting when he/she would be unable to. Half of the subject's fatigue is completely erased; Tamara takes on the other half, sharply limiting how much she can use this. She cannot sing this for herself.
Verse of Alacrity: A vigorous, insistent song that allows Tamara to view the world in slower movement, acting to the full of her potential. In exchange for a fifteen-second verse, for one minute her subjective perception of time slows by 50%. This does allow her to see and more quickly mentally respond to threats, but DOES NOT confer any additional ability to move or physically respond to them. After the minute is up, Tamara is mentally fatigued for at least ten minutes -- subjective time sense is not something easily messed with.
Songs of Ost'Dagorlin
Tamara has a rudimentary understanding of Ost'Dagorlin only.
Shielding Song: By singing for ten seconds, Tamara can create a defensive ward around herself or around one other creature, which will last for thirty seconds. It can absob a spell of 0-level, most of a 1st-level spell, and about one very good physical blow before shattering. 2nd-level spells, enchanted weapons, and exceptional strength will spend only some of their power before fracturing the shield and continuing on to strike what was underneath. Tamara can only sing this three times per day.
Song of Awakening Storm: With a sung call to the skies for vengeance, which requires a few seconds, Tamara can gather a fist-sized collection of electricity, which she can then loose into any metal object with a touch (including her blade) or throw towards a nearby creature. The bolt travels almost instantly, though it is limited by the aim of her finger, and hits about as hard as a heavy punch with some numbing to muscles. It is somewhat more effective against metal-armored enemies.
Proficiencies
Greatsword [Above Average]
Tamara has always loved the advantage of reach and leverage that a greatsword gives her. Her style does not rely on massive swings, but is as subtle as a longswordsman's; she prefers when possible to keep an enemy in her outer bracket to maximise her own ability to strike while keeping her safe from an enemy's shorter blade. Her style has difficulty fending off multiple armed opponents, as well as with polearms.
Longbow
She can bend a longbow, but shooting straight with it is something else. While the elves love to teach archery, and Tamara was eager to learn, her ability to judge wind and arc remains rather lousy. About the only time she can reliably hit something is if it is close enough that the arrow will fly straight to it.
Dagger [Below Average]
Tamara can peel an apple and carve wood, but when it comes to defense she has never really bothered much with small blades.
Unarmed [Poor]
Her first and only rule of unarmed combat is 'don't stay unarmed.'
Leather and Medium Metal Armor [Average]
Tamara can wear the most common sorts of armor without embarrassing herself, though they will still weigh on her and slow her somewhat in combat.
Vocal Performance [Above Average]
Due to the demanding nature of Raiearan song-magic, Tamara is a good enough vocalist to make a decent living in taverns and theaters, if she so chooses. Her voice falls in the high end of alto, though she has quite a bit of natural range. While she has excellent tonal memory, her ability to sight-read is poor at best.
Horsemanship [Below Average]
She can ride a horse without falling off, and can use a horse to get from place to place. Driving a team, or doing any sort of combat maneuver is pretty much beyond her.
Cooking [Awful]
Noteworthy for how bad it is. Don't trust her near the beans.
[b]Equipment: Tamryn travelled to Corone with a greatsword that she named Decision, borrowed from the University armory. It is good steel, plain but servicable, two-edged with a straight blade and symmetrical hilts. Worth note is that the hilt is wrapped solidly in good, non-conductive leather. She also carries an oaken longbow and three spare bowstrings, as well as thirty iron-headed arrows, and a steel dagger for eating and close stabbing purposes that she is almost never without. Her armor is steel scale mail with padding underneath, consisting of a hauberk and an armored skirt, with solid bracers and a pair of sturdy boots. In her pack is three days' rations, two changes of travel tunic, one loose fleecy robe, an extra pair of pants, and various sundries.
I know that your heart aches to put your training to use. But you are still young, inexperienced, and all too likely to join the roll of the dead. Until you can find a song of unique worth within you and march home singing it, you are to remain in Corone until the storm passes.
With love,
Mae
Name: Tamara Roth
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Species: Human
Eyes: Dark Blue
Hair: Black
Skin: Tanned
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 180 lbs
Description: An odd blend of traits between her mother and father, as well as the various other Roths that contributed to her heritage, Tamara stands as tall as most men and nearly as broad-shouldered, though her body still retains a woman's curves in the right places. Her tanned skin hides muscle throughout most of her body; swinging a greatsword uses all of the arms and back, and armor training developed the muscle of her legs and stomach. Her eyes are dark blue, often mistaken for brown at the first glance; they hold no great depth of pain or empathy, but are often alight with amusement. Tamara's hair is kept in a tight braid that hangs down her back, easily tucked into her armor when in combat. She almost never wears it loose. When travelling, she rarely relinquishes the protection of her armor; in safer places, she favors linen garments that fit loosely and comfortably while still allowing freedom to move without stepping on associated cuffs.
History: While Raiaera is known as the homeland of the elves, more than a few humans also reside there, never fully at home in the land that recognizes the elven people as its master. The Roth family is among them, a line of fruit farmers that has tended an orchard in the edges of the forest for nearly two centuries.
Tamara was born to Garidan Roth and his wife, an immigrant from Fallien named Tzipporah, the second of four children and the only daughter of the generation. From an early age she possessed an adventurous streak, often wandering into the forest from the edges of the orchard despite warnings of what would sometimes lurk within and "eat naughty children."
Childhood gave way to adolescence, and her mother's warnings about the forest very nearly claimed the young Tamara's life. In one of her wanderings, she came across an odd elf with dark skin and silver hair -- a scout from Alerar, far afield. She'd heard stories about the dark elves, of course, but in all of the tales, they had been much... larger. And more threatening. Surely, Tamara reasoned, the fairly harmless looking male elf in front of her couldn't devour her soul, or any of that other nonsense.
It was about then that he rendered her unconscious with a poisoned bolt from a concealed hand crossbow. And there, her story might have ended as an unhappy and short-lived slave, were it not for the intervention of Maelindris Caerin, a former Bladesinger and professor at the academy, who happened to be in the area purely by happenstance. The scout was quickly dispatched, and he carried Tamara back to her parents' orchard. Garidas and Tzi were both horrified by what had nearly happened, and begged the professor to stay for supper with them in repayment.
During the course of the meal, as Tamara slowly regained full awareness, Maelindris became aware of the spark of magic inside of her. He mentioned this to the Roths, who were not entirely surprised -- and who had been considering sending Tamara to the University to be tested, but for their concerns that her rambunctious nature would get her into trouble. Maelindris simply laughed and told them that it was even more important for her to begin learning early, so that she would have the discipline to properly use her gift. Persuaded by the argument, Garidan made the arrangements with the elven professor that evening, and Tamara woke the next morning to find that she was leaving for the academy in a week.
Despite her initial reluctance to leave the small community and her family's orchard, Tamara quickly grew to love studies at the academy. She matured in mind and body, growing more disciplined and strong, though the urge to find excitement and purpose still drove her. Aglarin and its promises of glory and honor called to her, and she responded, showing a natural gift for the school; a few related songs of Ost'Dagorlin also called her, but her talent for them was not nearly so smooth, and it took over years of dedicated work before she could sing a simple ward.
Stormclouds began to loom on the horizon of her contentment, however, and rumors of a great evil preparing to descend reached the ears of those at the University. Maelindris knew that the young battle-bard would likely enlist in Ralieara's defense as soon as she could, and further knew that she was very unlikely to survive such encounters, with her skills still forming and her song incomplete. He called her to his office, and to keep her safe set her on a journey to Corone, to find a unqiue and valuable song and bring it back with her as a contribution to the university and proof of her own skill. Tamara suspected Maelindris' plan, but had no inkling of how severe things might become in Ralieara and so readily agreed.
Thus she finds herself, a student of blade and song, away from the home that she grew to love, which is now under siege by a darkness that defies comprehension. If nothing else, though, Tamara is a woman of her word, and part of her understand why Maelindris wishes to keep her away from the conflict. She is confident that the song lies within her; all she has to do now is bring it forth.
Personality: Tamara tries her best to be honorable and honest in all things, believing deception to be a violation of Aglarin's glorious truth, and of Ost'Dagorlin's forthright protection and aid. She does not give her word lightly, but will honor it when given. Her friends and companions earn her loyalty, even during times when they are obviously wrong or misguided; Tamara holds those who betray friends and nations in the highest contempt. As a human that grew up in elven-dominated Ralieara, Tamara holds the high elves in great reverence. She has an abiding curiousity concerning elven culture and life, can speak high elven passably and understands it very well. As earlier mentioned her loyalty can sometimes be misguided, and she is very stubborn about admitting to faults in her friends even if they are apparent to her.
Skills, Etc:
Songs of Aglarin
Of the four schools, Algarin has the greatest affinity for Tamara. She has developed a basic understanding of its tenets, and can perform feats of inspiration and restoration.
Song of Valor: The most basic of Aglarin's forms. Tamara can grant herself a 20% boost to apparent strength, agility and morale, or can grant a 10% boost in all of the same to any allies that can hear her. This requires Tamara to sing for at least fifteen seconds per minute of effect, up to a one-minute verse which would linger up to four additional minutes (5 total). Obviously, singing requires unbroken concentration and sufficient breath. Note that this is not an actual increase in strength or muscle mass, simply an effective increase from the creature's boosted resolve.
Hymn of Restoration: This spellsong can refresh a weary spirit and grant tired limbs the strength to continue on. By singing a soothing verse for thirty seconds, Tamara can completely remove a subject's apparent fatigue, erasing their weariness from their minds. This can allow a spellcaster to continue casting when he/she would be unable to. Half of the subject's fatigue is completely erased; Tamara takes on the other half, sharply limiting how much she can use this. She cannot sing this for herself.
Verse of Alacrity: A vigorous, insistent song that allows Tamara to view the world in slower movement, acting to the full of her potential. In exchange for a fifteen-second verse, for one minute her subjective perception of time slows by 50%. This does allow her to see and more quickly mentally respond to threats, but DOES NOT confer any additional ability to move or physically respond to them. After the minute is up, Tamara is mentally fatigued for at least ten minutes -- subjective time sense is not something easily messed with.
Songs of Ost'Dagorlin
Tamara has a rudimentary understanding of Ost'Dagorlin only.
Shielding Song: By singing for ten seconds, Tamara can create a defensive ward around herself or around one other creature, which will last for thirty seconds. It can absob a spell of 0-level, most of a 1st-level spell, and about one very good physical blow before shattering. 2nd-level spells, enchanted weapons, and exceptional strength will spend only some of their power before fracturing the shield and continuing on to strike what was underneath. Tamara can only sing this three times per day.
Song of Awakening Storm: With a sung call to the skies for vengeance, which requires a few seconds, Tamara can gather a fist-sized collection of electricity, which she can then loose into any metal object with a touch (including her blade) or throw towards a nearby creature. The bolt travels almost instantly, though it is limited by the aim of her finger, and hits about as hard as a heavy punch with some numbing to muscles. It is somewhat more effective against metal-armored enemies.
Proficiencies
Greatsword [Above Average]
Tamara has always loved the advantage of reach and leverage that a greatsword gives her. Her style does not rely on massive swings, but is as subtle as a longswordsman's; she prefers when possible to keep an enemy in her outer bracket to maximise her own ability to strike while keeping her safe from an enemy's shorter blade. Her style has difficulty fending off multiple armed opponents, as well as with polearms.
Longbow
She can bend a longbow, but shooting straight with it is something else. While the elves love to teach archery, and Tamara was eager to learn, her ability to judge wind and arc remains rather lousy. About the only time she can reliably hit something is if it is close enough that the arrow will fly straight to it.
Dagger [Below Average]
Tamara can peel an apple and carve wood, but when it comes to defense she has never really bothered much with small blades.
Unarmed [Poor]
Her first and only rule of unarmed combat is 'don't stay unarmed.'
Leather and Medium Metal Armor [Average]
Tamara can wear the most common sorts of armor without embarrassing herself, though they will still weigh on her and slow her somewhat in combat.
Vocal Performance [Above Average]
Due to the demanding nature of Raiearan song-magic, Tamara is a good enough vocalist to make a decent living in taverns and theaters, if she so chooses. Her voice falls in the high end of alto, though she has quite a bit of natural range. While she has excellent tonal memory, her ability to sight-read is poor at best.
Horsemanship [Below Average]
She can ride a horse without falling off, and can use a horse to get from place to place. Driving a team, or doing any sort of combat maneuver is pretty much beyond her.
Cooking [Awful]
Noteworthy for how bad it is. Don't trust her near the beans.
[b]Equipment: Tamryn travelled to Corone with a greatsword that she named Decision, borrowed from the University armory. It is good steel, plain but servicable, two-edged with a straight blade and symmetrical hilts. Worth note is that the hilt is wrapped solidly in good, non-conductive leather. She also carries an oaken longbow and three spare bowstrings, as well as thirty iron-headed arrows, and a steel dagger for eating and close stabbing purposes that she is almost never without. Her armor is steel scale mail with padding underneath, consisting of a hauberk and an armored skirt, with solid bracers and a pair of sturdy boots. In her pack is three days' rations, two changes of travel tunic, one loose fleecy robe, an extra pair of pants, and various sundries.