Post by Ilara Jaromir on Oct 11, 2024 15:54:20 GMT
ILARA JAROMIR
THE BASICS
Name: Ilara Jaromir
Gender: Female (She/Hers)
Age: 24 | Autumn
Current residence: Quenyi
Occupation: Dancer/Thief
Social standing: Lower class
Loyalty: Neutral
APPEARANCE
Face claim: Lorena Rae
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 119 lbs.
Description:
She looks a woman borne from the Quenyi desert— lithe in stature and straight-backed with the pride and self-possession her people are so known for. Unruly hair tumbles to her waist in shades of silver and copper and halcyon gold, often fashioned into elaborate braids that have been threaded through with all manner of charms and uncut gems. Dark freckles dapple the tops of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, but are almost imperceptible against her sun-kissed complexion, and her eyes are a vibrant and startlingly luminous blue. Vivid enough to mimic the clearest mid-summer sky, or the waters of an oasis amid a sea of sandy dunes. Her features as a whole are sharp and delicate. Her cheekbones high and arching. Her jaw defined. Her nose straight and narrow and perhaps just a measure too long for her otherwise small face. But there's a fierceness there that is belied by all of her feminine beauty. An aggression and hostility one might be more accustomed to seeing in a warrior, rather than in such a lissome young woman. While most Quenyese opt for their durable leathers, however, Ilara prefers lighter, airier fabrics. Luxurious silks that drape and spill over her figure like water, that can be artfully clasped and gathered in provocative, eye-catching styles meant to entice and draw the eye. She knows she is beautiful, and has no qualms about utilizing that to get what she wants. It's evident enough in the air of vanity and haughty arrogance she exudes, and makes absolutely no apology for it.
As a seasoned dancer and practiced thief, she moves with a deftness and precision that is unmatched. Her steps are light and soundless. Every motion calculated. Deliberate. Never wasted. But she also knows when to employ dramatic flourishes to distract the eye. Knows when to defer to a more acrobatic and theatrical approach, and can execute or alternate between both with masterful skill. What she lacks in brawn and brute strength, she compensates with speed, dexterity and feline grace. So it's best to keep your attention rapt, because she can vanish in an instant.
BEHAVIOR
Strengths: Resourceful, Resilient, Charismatic and Fearless
Weaknesses: Impulsive, Vain, Self-serving and Manipulative
Motivation: Her own survival is paramount, but exacting revenge on the man who had her family murdered is what drives her.
Personality:
Ilara is a cynical, distrusting soul who suffered a series of traumas as a young girl and spent the majority of her life in captivity. Needless to say, this has shaped the way she views people and interacts with the world around her. Her first instinct is to prioritize her own survival. Thus, her initial response upon meeting someone is to determine how severe a threat they pose. She isn't the type to allow people time to prove their intentions, but rather, assumes that every person she meets has an ulterior motive. Unsurprisingly, she finds the act of building and nurturing friendships a near impossible task. In her mind, everyone is an enemy until they've provided sufficient evidence that they are not, in fact, intent on harming her. This outlook makes her naturally hostile and confrontational towards strangers, particularly during first meetings. As time goes on however, and with enough patience, one could reasonably find a way to endear themselves to her. She isn't heartless after all. Simply the sad byproduct of a violent and cruel past.
By necessity, she's proven to be something of a social chameleon in that she's able to blend in with her surroundings and slip seamlessly into a variety of roles and personas. Infiltration and deception come easily to her. Having spent a significant amount of time traveling and residing both in the poverty-stricken slums of Ocia and the illustrious Daínish courts for a number of years, she can assume any facade with relative ease, from a simple scullery maid to an imperious noblewoman, Ilara has the expertise and confidence to emulate almost any other person's mannerisms and dialect convincingly. In this way, she can often come across as being charismatic and playful. Even coquettish, if she feels seduction might prove a more effective tactic in getting her what she wants. She isn't above manipulating or taking advantage of other people, though she does seem to have a soft spot for children and animals.
Overall, she isn't a bad person whose intention is to harm other people for the thrill of it, or because she derives any kind of pleasure from it (unless they happen to be a cruel nobleman or other unsavory individual who deserves to have their ego brought down a notch). She merely does what she has to, to survive, and hasn't been softened by the same kindness and compassion others have been. She's all razor sharp edges and prickly points, but there's still some underlying humanity there. It just takes the right sort of circumstances to allow it to shine through.
HERITAGE
Birthplace: Born in Ocia, but spends much of her time traveling between the continents.
Family: tag PCs if possible, feel free to include NPCs as well
History:
( WARNING: There are some allusions to human trafficking and slavery in the history below. Read with caution. )
Ilara knew treachery and deceit before she knew anything else. She knew the importance of self-preservation. Knew that she had to take advantage of other people before they could take advantage of her. There was no social order in the slums of Ocia. She did whatever it took to survive without hesitation or remorse. Things like compassion and kindness were unattainable luxuries. Liabilities. Ones she dismissed early in life, as she tread lightly through shadow and filth to steal whatever she could reasonably get away with. Coin. Food. Most of which she never saw thereafter, for she would hand it directly to her father in a bid to keep her younger siblings fed and clothed. It was a difficult life. But at least then she still felt as though she had some semblance of control over it. Sadly, for all of his good intentions, her father was a weak man. It wasn't long before he found himself accruing debt he did not have the means to repay. In the end, a series of costly, misguided choices left him at the mercy of a notorious slum lord. One who eventually came to pay their rundown hovel a visit, accompanied by an entourage of four other dangerous looking men. It would be the last time she would see her family alive. Her father's pleas for more time fell on deaf ears, but her own desperate proposal did not. Ilara had begged them to take her instead. That she would forfeit her own freedom in exchange for theirs. The debt would be paid. And so it was. Amid her sister's screams and her father's anguished sobbing, she was dragged away in chains by her newfound captor. Only a fortnight later did she learn that he had, had her family slain all the same.
Time passed in an indecipherable blur. How often she was traded - passed from one pair of unfamiliar hands to the next - she did not know. But she did not remain in Quenyi for very long. Eventually she was bought by a Daínish nobleman, one who was willing to part with an obscene amount of coin to have the honor of owning such an exotic Quenyese beauty. The bitter cold of the north did not agree with her, and she was forced to adapt quickly if she wanted to survive— not solely to the people and their customs, but to the weather. To the food. To the language. The process was slow and arduous, yet much to her surprise she was not treated like a prisoner there, though her freedoms were limited. She had been brought to court to work as a performer. Entertainment was scarce in Daín, and between her skill and physical allure, she would prove a popular fixture and companion to the lord that had purchased her. Thus, she allowed them to integrate her into their culture, and she would go on to live there for several years before finally buying her own freedom. There were men there who still treated her poorly. Men who took too many liberties with her. Who put their hands on her, simply because they felt as though they were entitled to. There were women who were cruel to her as well. Envious courtiers who did not approve of her provocative, outlandish appearance and sultry performances. The Daínish as a whole were known to be a distrusting people, and it took a great deal of time for them to treat her as more than an outsider. She can, however, credit much of her education to the Daínish instructors that trained her personally. After all, she would not be worth the coin that had been paid for her unless she was able to perform to the highest standard. Or if she failed to live up the expectations that had been laid out for her. Thus, under their care, she was fashioned into a well-spoken, obedient and talented young woman who earned her keep and, eventually, a favorable reputation.
The man to which she had become a favored consort passed away three years ago and she knew then that she no longer had any reason to remain a member of the Daínish court. Despite the time she had spent there, she held no loyalties to them, just as they felt they held no obligation to shelter her. She had long since earned back her weight in gold and was officially a free woman. A free woman armed with a vendetta and the means to exact her revenge.
Thus, she has been traveling ever since. With her skill as a dancer, she is able to bring in enough coin through a wide variety of performances. Sometimes it'll be at a crowded tavern or inn in exchange for a free room. Other times she'll find herself invited into a noble's house, or to an event strictly for the aristocracy, during which she'll take the opportunity to pickpocket and thieve as many valuables as she can carry before quietly vanishing again. Regardless, she's never been keen to remain in one place for very long, and lives a largely nomadic lifestyle. And yet there is one consistent goal that she strives toward. One unwavering ambition that remains at the forefront of her mind. And that is to find the man who killed her family, and exact the revenge that has been festering in her all these many years.
PLAYER INFO
Name: Melody
Pronouns: She/Hers
Contact: Discord or PM
Last Edit: Oct 12, 2024 15:47:22 GMT by Ilara Jaromir
