Nyssa of the Wildered Rock

Nyssa is a political curiosity in search of a new nest.

## Appearance

Nyssa is a woman in her thirties with yellow eyes, tan skin, and feathers in colours ranging from black and brown to white and blue-green. She doesn’t possess hair in the mammalian sense, though it can look like it from a distance. The long dark “hair” on her head is a combination of plumulaceous down and longer contour feathers.

As a tetrapodal harpy, Nyssa possesses talons and a pair of wings adapted to grasping. At the wrist joint of her wings she has a clawed thumb and two fingers, while her fourth and fifth fingers are fused and elongated as in a bird’s wing. Her wing span is approximately 14 feet.

Nyssa tends to wear simple clothing that can accommodate her non-humanoid anatomy including halter necks, wraps, and skirts. Giff has suggested her experiment with Aundairian style to help sell her case of citizenship, but she has yet to find a sympathetic seamstress. She often wears a roll-up apron filled with pockets to carry ingredients, trinkets and other interesting finds. On her second finger on her left wing, Nyssa wears a scratched old orichalcum ring - a ring of fire resistance - which was given to her by her egg mother.

## History

Nyssa hatched in the Wildered Rock aerie in 965YK, on the northern slopes of the Byeshk Mountains, bordering the Towering Wood. Her mother was the current leader of the Wildered Rock flight, and along with her clutch sisters Nyssa was closely watched as a potential new leader when the time came. Nyssa’ talent came early, and though she was never a particularly talented songbird, her guile and skill in combat put her close to the top of the pecking order. Her early ability to stand up for herself helped Nyssa push the boundaries on what was considered expected and safe among the harpies of the Wildered Rock, and her curiosity pulled her out north to explore the more human-dominated regions of the Eldeen Reaches. As she matured she made a name for herself in Niern, a village on the shores of Lake Galifar. Once she’d earned the trust of the people there, she’d often trade trinkets and tales of the Last War, of the fight of the Eldeen people for independence, and of the wonders that existed on the opposite shore of Lake Galifar, in Aundair. During once brave expedition, she’d even been able to spot the floating towers of Arcanix on the horizon, before thinking better of it and turning back home.

In 985YK, Nyssa’ mothers were killed in an attack on the Wildered Rock by the Stormsingers from the southern Byeshk slopes. Once the dust settled, it came time to choose a new leader. Having won the traditional challenges, and offering much to the Wildered Rock through her trading with Niern, Nyssa was chosen as the successor. Her only true rival in the competition was a clutchmate of hers - her sister Thenys, who was considered a master of song.

In 986 YK, the Daughters of Sora Kell emerged and established Droaam. Over the next several years, many of the Byeshk flights flew down from the mountains to join the new nation, but Nyssa refused the call - she would not share a master with the Stormsingers, and as far as she was concerned they’d be getting on just fine by themselves. Her sister Thenys disagreed, and she was far from alone at Wildered Rock. Thenys had a gift for stirring hearts, and in 991 YK she led a successful coup against Nyssa. The Flight of the Wildered Rock abandoned the cliffs that gave the flight its name, and flew to the Great Crag to pledge themselves to Sora Maenya. Nyssa was alone.

Angered by the betrayal, Nyssa flew far away from her home - even beyond Niern, and across Lake Galifar.

Nyssa established herself in the Eldritch Goves near an Aundairian lakeside town called Copham. The harpy approached Copham in much the same way as she had Niern - bearing valuable trinkets to trade from the lake or the wood. She sensed the Aundairians were more skeptical of her presence than the Eldeen, and indeed her first few appearances sparked something of a panic. But over time most of the people learned to trust her - she wasn’t a Thrane after all - and she learned about Aundairian culture, cuisine, and of the progress of the War to the east.

In 996 YK, Nyssa made her first major mistake: she tried to nest in Copham. Her second mistake was being in Copham the day it was attacked by an yrthak that had flown out of the Eldritch Grove. Utilising all the skills that had won her leadership at Wildered Rock, Nyssa killed the yrthak, and hoped that would win her acceptance. However, the sheriff of Copham advocated the opposite: a monster brought another monster to Copham, he had said. What else but Nyssa’s singing and her nesting could have attracted such a creature? The sheriff charged Nyssa with reckless enchantment, and had her arrested before she had a chance to heal from her wounds.

The arrest of a harpy in an Aundairian village raised eyebrows across south western Aundair - why would they not just kill the creature? The unprecedented nature of the case brought Nyssa an advocate. The Treaty of Thronehold was signed while Nyssa was in custody - was she not an Aundairian citizen? Nyssa was enthusiastic that she was - she was born north of the Byeshk mountains after all, and before the Treaty was signed that was still considered territory of Aundair.

A lawyer named Cerise d’Sivis took on her case at the behest of an anonymous noble. Cerise knew how to pull strings, and made a number of useful connections for Nyssa. Most notably, Cerise was owed a few favours by Giff Repelje, and she spied an opportunity for mutual benefit. Between Cerise, Giff and their anonymous noble benefactor, Nyssa earned the following: i) she would be allowed bail that would include international travel, ii) her case would be deferred indefinitely (no one wanted to set a precedent yet), iii) her defeat of the yrthak had proved her ability, but she needed to prove her ‘humanity’ - so she would work with the Wayfinder Foundation to pay back her bail. Nyssa left a flight feather with House Tharashk in Fairhaven to act as an insurance policy, and she was released after Giff had time to write up the press release.

### The Last War

The War never made it so deep into the Eldeen Reaches as the Wildered Rock. The first signs of the conflict on her own doorstep was when the call came from Sora Maenya to rally at the Great Crag. From then, she fought to defend her home from Maenya-loyal harpy flights along the Byeshk border.

Since Nyssa was forced to leave Wildered Rock after the betrayal of her sister, she has not directly engaged with the war between the Five Nations. However, her time in the Eldeen Reaches and Aundair has exposed Nyssa to the fallout of the Last War. In Niern, Nyssa was able to build a trading relationship in part because the Eldeen village was unable to import goods, and prejudices against her were (temporarily) relaxed when she was able to produce rare supplies. Likewise, in Copham she witnessed the machinery of war in transport between Passage and Arcanix, and suffered the effects of wartime paranoia.

### Invitation

Nyssa was recognised as a skilled fighter after her defeat of the yrthak in Copham, and despite her subsequent arrest there were questions of how the Aundairians could make use of her talents. Cerise d’Sivis was able to leverage favours to put Nyssa in sight of Giff Repelje and the Wayfinder Foundation. For her client’s sake, Cerise thought it wise to demonstrate Nyssa’s value, and the Fairhaven branch would certainly be able to get the Aundairian nobility talking about this strange harpy that styles herself as one of them.

Giff Repelje met with Nyssa and Cerise in a jail in Fairhaven, and conducted several hours of interviews discussing Nyssa’s story, how to spin it in the press, and her value as propaganda in peacetime. In Eyre of 999YK, Repelje announced that after demonstrable successes in recruiting dar, the Wayfinder Foundation was trialing it’s first harpy member.

### Experience

Nyssa’s life can be divided very clearly at the moment her sister Thenys betrayed her and took her flight to Droaam. Before that moment, Nyssa had been a leader - she had organised the defence of Wildered Rock, and she fought off rival harpy flights, trolls, dar and other denizens of the Byeshk mountains. There was no question she had proven herself as a warrior, though her victories had not earned her any notoriety far from the mountains. After the betrayal, Nyssa made a conscious decision to focus on her trade and her Common in order to establish herself more smoothly in the affairs of the Five Nations. Ultimately, the yrthak attack in Copham revealed how dangerous she could be with wing and talon.

### Motivation

In her heart, Nyssa is still the girl who would fly down to the shores of Lake Galifar to trade for treasures to show her friends. Despite everything that’s happened - war, betrayal, rejection and imprisonment - she couldn’t help but jump at Repelje’s offer to do all that for a living. It was exactly that sort of wanderlust and her eagerness to discover that landed her in Aundair after all. Though Nyssa is excited to see where the Wayfinders might send her, she’s under no delusion that her issues with acceptance are in the past. She knows that Repelje is only extending a peaceful hand because of the story, and suspects Cerise is doing the same to boost her career. Nevertheless she has resolved to do what she can to prove that their support is well placed.

### Future Goals

* Win enough recognition that her court case can be tried, won, and her legal rights under the Code of Galifar be recognised.
* Get revenge on the Daughters of Sora Kell and her sister for destroying everything that was special to her in her old life.

### Enemies

In Byeshk:

* The Daughters of Sora Kell, for bringing chaos to the Byeshk mountains.
* The Stormsingers, led by Lysethe. A flight of harpies from the Byeshk Mountains, who attacked the Wildered Rock and killed Nyssa’s mothers.
* Thenys of the Wildered Rock, Nyssa’s sister. Dissatisfied with Nyssa’s leadership and refusal to answer the Daughters’ call, Thenys led a coup against Nyssa. Thenys calls Nyssa by a nickname - “Nyx.”

In Copham:

* Cyrano Caron, the Sheriff of Copham. Arrested Nyssa after she saved Copham from a monster attack.

### Allies

In the Five Nations:

* Cerise d’Sivis, her lawyer.
* Giff Repelje, who really just owes Cerise a favour, but also knows a story when he sees one.
* An anonymous noble who’s bankrolling her legal fees. Cerise and Giff both know the cash is being supplied by Sapphire ir’Kavay, second cousin of Kiln ir’Kavay and first cousin of Hendra ir’Kavay. Sapphire is typically involved with warforged rights, but something about Nyssa’s case has caught her eye.

In Niern:

* Maegella d’Ghallanda, a trading partnert. Nyssa had supplied Maegella with rare ingredients from up in the Byeshk mountains, or elsewhere in the Eldeen Reaches. When Nyssa heard what had happened in Niern, she figured Maegella must be dead. Instead, she was able to start over in Delethorn with Wylla at the Salty Fish.

In Copham:

* Luca Ebel, a young khoravar man with sandy hair and green eyes, who had been a good friend to her in an otherwise nervous-at-best town. Luca and Nyssa bonded over feeling like a fish out of water. Luca is half Thranish on his father’s side, and so his defence of Nyssa was given little to no weight when she was arrested by Caron.

## Personality

**Personality Traits**

* Like many harpies, Nyssa is expressive and passionate. She likes to talk and be talked at, especially about things she’s found in strange and exotic places like Aundair and Sharn. She revels in competition, and isn't above trying to one up people.
* In the Five Nations she is finding herself struggling with the inherent contradiction of her nature. She hates the Fivers, because their war spilled over to the west and ruined her home. She loves the Fivers because they have created wonders she couldn’t even imagine.

**Ideals**

* There's a treasure in everyone and everything, and it often takes work to find. Sometimes it's too much work.

**Bonds**

* New Beginnings. After her family betrayed her, Cerise and Giff have helped her find a new one. That's a gift that she will not squander.
* Collections. Trinkets, ingredients…friends?

**Strengths**

* Steadfast. Nyssa does not back down. Not for the Daughters of Sora Kell, or for her sister, or for the sheriff that locked her up. Nyssa will accept help and help others, but she maintains her stance.

**Flaws**

* Judgemental. Nyssa has stuck her neck out for people and been burned for it. She believes that a person shows you their true self with their first impression.
* Lost. There is a lot about the Five Nations that confuses and annoys Nyssa. She is frustrated, but trying her best to understand.

## Completed Missions

### N/A (yet!)

(Describe anything from the mission that particularly impacted your character, any achievements, allies or enemies acquired, etc.)

## Crunch

### XP & Gold Log

*This transaction list must include all finished expeditions and the gold/XP earned for each, as well as all expenditures (what you bought and for how much).*

### Inventory

* Winged Boots
* Circlet of Human Perfection

### Character Sheet

* https://ddb.ac/characters/30585978/AET0k4