Sterre Sophya

Sterre Sophya
Character Name : Sterre Sophya
Email address : lannie@xs4all.nl
Division : Freelanders
Physical Description (One paragraph; height, weight, eyes, hair, other outstanding features) : Sterre stands a little above 5' 6. She would have been called slender and lithe if not for a set of wide hips and a full bosom- now she just appeared luscious. Combined with high cheekbones, long honeycoloured braided hair, full lips and clear hazel eyes she has a set of attributes that she very well knows how to use. She is no Domani, but she knows most of the moves.
Place of Birth/Raising : Sterre was born on a farm not far from Tanchico, Tarabon. She spent most of her youth on that farm, and the last four years in the capital of Tarabon.
Character History : Sterre was the oldest child of Peter and Merry Sophya. She was the first of six. After her three boys and two more girls followed. She wasn’t very close with her brothers and sisters, though. Where her siblings helped out on the land and were all very pliable and eager to please, Sterre was always off doing whatever she felt like. She would be off lying in a field and staring at the passing clouds, playing pranks on her siblings or hanging out with the two contractors that worked for her father to help out with the heavy work during. They were young men, bulky and full of interesting stories and charm and Sterre was more than intrigued with them. She would pester them constantly and when her childish body began to bud and show promise of becoming a beautiful maid, her parents decided that it might be best for their oldest daughter to get herself an occupation away from the farm. While her normal laziness was a hindrance and not a very good example for her siblings, her parents could deal with that. A baby and a forced marriage however, was something they were not looking forward to.
Peter and Merry did not own the land they worked on. They worked for a rich landlord that lived in the city of Tanchico. His name was Loid Delmar and he was demanding, mean, fat, rich, and in need of a new maid after the last one had suddenly left his employment. Sterre (agedthirteen at this point) was sent to replace the girl. She lasted the better part of a month. After a mere week Loid was getting way too touchy-feely for Sterre’s taste, and after the second week one of the gardeners saved her from being literally raped. Loid did pretty much what he pleased with his personnel, especially the female ones, but never when there would be audience. The gardener was called Merion; ahandsome young man of eightteen years. He dried her tears, told her it would be alright, and offered his help when Sterre swore revenge.
It turned out that Merion was leading a double life. He was not only a gardener, but he also was a professional thief. The remaining two weeks he and Sterre planned their revenge on Loid Delmar. When the moon turned dark they donned black outfits and entered the manor through the roof and a window that had been left open (courtesy of Sterre) that same evening. It was almost too easy. They stole silverwork, jewellery and money and left through the window once again. Nobody ever noticed.
They pawned Loid’s belongings (all but two silver rings, which Sterre braided into her tiny Taraboner braids), spent his money and lived like kings for a while. In the meantime, Sterre of course fell head over heels for Merion’s charms. When their money ran out, they planned and excecuted more thefts. Before six moons had passed, Sterre was an experienced thief and a very proficient roof-climber. She had no problems whatsoever with climbing, jumping and swinging from rooftops; she always laughed at people with fear of heights. The thrill of the theft was more important than fear. Imminent death or capturing only added to the thrill. Why would she be afraid, then?
She lived in an attic above a bakery where nobody ever came. The door had been barred decades ago. The baker probably didn’t even know she was there; and Sterre wasn’t about to let him know. She always entered through the window on that third floor and never walked downstairs. She liked the place; it was near King’s Circle, it had a lovely view over the city and the harbor, and it always smelled deliciously liked freshly baked bread.
After half a year, Sterre was caught because one of the people she worked with proved unreliable and turned them all in. Sterre, nearly sixteen years old and very aware that men liked her, was able to seduce the commander of the Civil Watch and to strike a deal with him: she would sleep with him and he would let her and Menion go without cutting their hands off. She spent the night in the quarters of the commander of the Civil Watch and from that moment on, she had the exclusive protection of the Commander. She only got caught once more, and three times she used her privilege to get friends of her out of a sticky situation.
Of course, this situation could not last. During a daring mission right into the Panarch’s palace, Menion lost his life and three of Sterre’s friends were caught. Sterre, who’d been unwilling to take the risk of that particular stunt that night, tried to convince the Commander (whose name she never learnt because he liked her to call him ‘Commander’) to set them free the next morning. It was then that the set-up became clear: the whole scene had been set-up by the second in command: the Second apparently had contacts with one of the captured friends. She had done missions with Jonas before and had trusted him, but Jonas had sold them all out to the Second in Command, who on his turn used them to expose the Commander’s exploits with Sterre.
Things were turning nasty for Sterre in Tanchico. While the Commander was getting chained up for his corrupt working ethics, Sterre fled the city. She had been able to escape, naturally, over the rooftops and into the harbor. It had been a bold move to take that dive from a building as high as this one; especially because it was night, but Sterre took the dare and soon found herself swimming for her life through Tanchico Bay.
It was a good thing that it was summer and the water was fairly warm, otherwise she would never have made it. Sterre, seventeen years old and having been out on the street for the better part of two years, had a finely honed survival instinct and knew when situations became too dangerous to continue to live in it. This was one of those. She only returned to the city once more, to pick up her belongings from her attic, and then left the city for good, leaving her old life, friends and her sad memories of Menion behind. She had heard that there was a menagerie pretty close by. Perhaps she could join them. With her climbing and balancing skills, she was sure she could find work there.
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