Liadan

A relatively new arrival to Othery, not much is known about this strange and grim-looking elf of **Suliaro**, out of place in her appearance as much as her mannerisms. What most have little trouble in noticing is she likes to hold to herself, walking the streets in dark armour and carved mask in search of employment opportunity of the adventuring kind. Many common folk might come to see this as some curious and exotic Suline peculiarity, though more educated minds would surely be confused as to the connection. Hearing the truth of it from her is a task harder still, as the elf seems to be the *(mostly)* silent type.

Whatever her motives, she keeps as low a profile as possible, such as can be for a town well known for its adventuring parties and legendary dungeon. Keeping out of trouble with the locals, while keeping a keen ear and eye open for any opportunity that might cross her path - not necessarily just for employment. It seems the elf is just as likely to accept a task requiring simple aid in exchange for favours, as she is one where actual payment is involved. Any task seems to be performed in the same manner of silence as her person - quick and without a fuss - before she moves onto to the next job. To some, especially those who do not know her by name, she's known as **The Sulinese Wraith**.

 To those few who do get to know her a little closer, she's simply **Rhee**. A select few have learned it to be a family name, while most others might still assume it to simply be some form of title.

There isn't much in terms of appearance that is inherently visible - her attire is simple but practical, tending to land in the black and dark grey range, with elements of faded blueish plum in parts. When it public, she always has her hood up and rarely if ever seems to remove the half-mask covering her face. Were she to, a deep tan coppery skin would be evident, common to her wood elf heritage, but with almost a trick of the light to it at some angles - If one didn't know any better, it might almost seem as though there's ever so faint traces of light shifting just beneath the skin. Her eyes are dark and could very well be black in most lighting, were it not for the faint iridescent reflection of one whose sight sees true in the dark, gleaming back. Her hair, in turn, seems to be plain black in comparison, half of it pulled back into a messy side-braid.

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**A Hunter's Trophies.**

The same as any hunter worth their salt, The Wraith has also accrued herself a small collection of trophies from enemies slain in the Dungeons. These include (and are not limited to):

* Finger bones of a Crypt Guard (dried, hollowed and strung)
* Fang of a Cave Spider (cleaned, sun bleached and strung)
* Claw of a Bone Crab (dried, cleaned and strung)
* Tibia of a Shadow Skeleton (tinted, reinforced to quiver)
* (2x) Rotten tooth of a Tomb Mote (cleaned, salt-dried and strung)
* (4x) Left rib piece of a Zombie (dried, cleaned, sun bleached and strung)
* Finger of a Swarm of Hands (salt-dried, preserved and strung)
* Shard of an Animated Staff (wax-lacquered and strung)
* (2x) Severed finger of a Deathlock Wight (salt-dried, preserved and strung)
* (2x) Radius bone of a Wight (cleaned, sun bleached and reinforced to quiver)
* (3x) Right rib piece of a Skeleton (sun bleached and strung)
* Leg bone of a Shambling Mound (cleaned, fashioned into a club)
* Shell piece of a Roper (dried, cleaned and strung)
* (2x) Chitin piece of an Umbral Hulk (cleaned, wax-polished and strung)

A few different rumours float about as to why she's collecting these. Some say they act like talismans, a measure to gain power from foes slain. Others believe this is a form of gaining favour, by showing one's skill and worth to some mysterious far-off order of fellow hunters. Most write it off as just a grim sort of oddity, to match the rest of her grim appearance and disposition (Aligning to the tendency to attract others with a more morbid sort of interest).

The Wraith herself hasn't made any claims this way or that. In fact it doesn't seem as though she makes much of a fuss to display her trophies to anyone (in Othery at least).

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**Background**

*The child without a name grew up to be the hand~
To watch you, to shield you, or kill on demand~
The choice she'd made she could not comprehend~*
*Her blood a grim secret they had to command~*

**Liadan** was born to a mining colony on the edges of the western part of **Suliaro**. Like many others there, she was a descendant of a long line of miners, who had come across an extensive cave network beneath the flat land centuries ago. Family after family had moved there over the centuries, until the colony formed a village of its own, nestled in the mouth of a cenote entrance, as well as below. The remoteness from other villages and towns in the region meant the colony was able to exist largely in isolation from the rest of the country, foraging and growing what they needed, only rarely venturing out to trade with the nearest villages for anything they couldn't mine or gather.

It was in those tunnels that Liadan grew up, learning to traverse the darkness as easily as her distant elf kin had once traversed the forests. In time she became one of the **Nightstalkers** - scouts and foragers of the colony who traversed the unexplored caverns of the network, seeking out new sources of food, water, ore veins, gem deposits.. as well as nests of beasts, threats, even Unmen, to warn the colony of.

The more years she spent scouting, the more her talent grew, along with a silent ability that went unnoticed for many years. It wasn't until a cave-in incident had caused one of their group to become trapped when the latent spark of ability finally manifested, managing to save the fellow Nightstalker in the process. The colony took this with gratefulness, even if it came with some sense of trepidation. In the end, they chose to accept it, even if they never quite understood what happened, for the influence of Yassa was weaker there, long since overgrown by the affinity to **Iaxtra**.

Some time passed, but the rumours of the incident managed to seep from the colony, far enough so that visitors from **Marlia** arrived to the village one day - They wished to see it with their own eyes, to know the truth of the tale they've been tracking for so long. When Liadan was able to prove the rumours true, they became excitable, enthusiastic, and explained that they were part of a group of like-minded thinkers who were seeking persons such as her to join their cause. Young as she was, their words and promises of seeing the world, of changing the order of things for the better for everyone, enchanted her and she agreed to join them.

From there, things began well, as the cabal ferried her from one corner of the western Accord Lands to the next, inviting her to meet new people, new splinters, new groups, each of whom would surely join the cause as soon as they saw the possibilities inherent. For a time Liadan was happy with the assignment, for inspiring new people to join the cause. But as time went on, the travel became ever tiresome, the crowds ever suffocating, the constant eyes on her ever more piercing. And gradually she came to realize herself to be more of a trophy shown to the masses, a symbol more than a fellow companion. When she voiced her opinion to return home, the leading priest of their splinter chided against it, saying they weren't welcome in Suliaro, and doing so would only bring great threat and retribution down on her home, for the followers of Yassa would not suffer their presence or connection to it.

The words stung Liadan deep, for she had never thought the option to return would be an impossibility. Shortly after, she fled the cabal in the dead of one fateful night, and disappeared into the Marlian wilderness. There, the name Liadan faded, as no further record of it was made. In its stead, a new rumour slowly crept among the local people -  of a lone masked wanderer, helping others on their travels, nameless save for a simple title - **the Sulinese Wraith**.

Decades later, it is the Sulinese Wraith who eventually found her way to **Othery**.