Liadan back story

Liandan was born in the Irish kingdom of Mumhan (current day Munster), near the hill of Cnoc Aine (current day Knokainy, Co. Limerick). She was sent by her parents to train with others at the age of three. During her training she spent some time at the court of the King of Mumhan, Oengus mac Nad Froich, which was the custom. For two years after her training, she traveled through Mumhan. She did her work quietly, compassionately and solitarily.  Yet, she found that she missed the rigors of training and learning new things. Even the newly sprung up abbeys and monasteries with a new type of religion held little fascination for her. While interesting and adding to her knowledge for a time, she began to feel restless in Eire.
She longed to travel to Cymry, and the lands the Romans had called Britannia—and so she made plans. Her parents had expected her to do great things; hadn't she been sent away at such a young age for this very reason? She owed it to her ancestors.
Perhaps this is one of the things that motivates Liadan.  Her quest for knowledge and story to tell around campfires.   Perhaps it is just the restlessness of youth.  There is, after all only so much to be learned in Eire.

Know this, there is more to her than meets the eye...\*\*

Liadan is 22 years of age.  She stands about 5’7” tall and weighs about 135lbs. She has fiery-red hair with tinges of gold, which she usually wears in a single braid down her back. Her jade-green eyes are lively and intelligent. She has high cheekbones and an almost pixie-ish face. She has a pleasing disposition but generally not an outright smile.  When she does smile, there’s a dimple in her left cheek that makes her look a bit mischievous. Her complexion is creamy with a smattering of golden freckles across her nose.

Liadan walks with an almost unnatural grace.  Generally, she is fairly quiet. When she does speak, her voice is of a lower timbre, soft—but easily heard, and calm but confident.  She speaks a common language of the Anglo-Saxons with a light lilt that betrays her Gaelic roots.

She wears a hooded tunic of white linen that has long sleeves and reaches to her ankles. She has brown leather gillie-like shoes on her feet. Under her tunic is her very fitted armor, but you will only catch a glimpse of it if she rolls her sleeves up above her elbows or gathers her skirts up above her knees.  She wears a black leather thong around her neck, which she has a tendency to fiddle with when she is contemplating a problem—but seldom, if ever, takes the amulet out from beneath her clothing.

The red sash she wears denotes her as a healer and ‘wise woman’.  This can usually get her into most households or villages and generally leaves her unmolested when she travels.  The knot is tied in a complicated pattern (it looks like Irish knot work, if you are familiar with it). Hanging from the sash is a pouch that contains various items.  Next to the belt is tied a simple sling.  On her other hip, tucked into the sash is a sheathed sickle with a bone handle, presumably for cutting herbs.

Her staff is a lovely piece of workmanship.  Cut from a straight branch of Rowan wood, it stands about 6’ tall. It has been stripped of bark and polished to a high shine. The tip is wrapped in dyed-green leather strips that then fall to a braid, which hold three raven feathers at the end. A few Ogham letters are carved onto the staff.

Not usually seen are her tattoos.  She has several.  Her right arm is tattooed from the elbow to shoulder in various Celtic knot work patterns that culminate in a spiral of life that has a triskele in the middle that sits in the middle of her shoulder.  On her back left shoulder blade, the salmon of knowledge jumps to kiss the moon which has the triquetra at its center.  And on the bottom of her right foot is a complicated shield knot with an image of the green man at its center.

\*\*The DM knows more about her than you do ;)