Sonie Jewel

## **Basic Information**

**Full Name:** Sonie Jewel

**Nickname:** Sonie

**Birthday:** April 13th 831

**Species:** Kodin (Canine)

**Purity:** 57%

**Gender:** Female she/her

**Height:** 5 foot 6

**Sexuality:** Homosexual

**Languages Spoken:** Standard, Lupin, Whispers

## **Personality**

**Likes:** Animals, sweets, artifacts, drawing

**Dislikes:** Mornings, crowds, loud noises

**Fears/Phobias:** Death

A bit of a recluse. It’s not that Sonie dislikes being around people, it’s just that she’s fine being on her own to the point where she doesn’t often seek out companionship. That being said, when someone does manage to get close to her they’re a friend for life. It’s just a matter of overcoming her anxiety. Because she’s content being alone, she spares no time acting fake or altering her habits to gain the favour of others. If someone doesn’t like her she’s not going to force it. She’d much rather be alone.

Generally speaking Sonie is neutral when it comes to emotions. Her feelings come very quickly and strongly, but they fade back to a neutral state just as fast. She wouldn’t consider herself to be unhappy, although some people would disagree. Her positive emotions tend to outweigh the negative for the most part.

Sonie spends a lot of time in her head. Thinking about things, daydreaming, working out problems silently. This can make her come off as aloof or ditzy at times. Her attention is easily swayed but when she manages to focus on something it’s the only thing in her mind. Sometimes her own thoughts implant false memories in her head. Did she really tell her friends where she was going, or did she just think about doing it? It’s confusing for everyone involved, but generally speaking it’s lasting effects on her life/relationships is null. Just a minor inconvenience.

## **Abilities**

**Strengths:** Toxin resistance

**Weaknesses:** Anxiety

**Weapons/Tools:** Pickaxe

Due to an event that occurred during childhood, Sonie is completely immune to all poisons, toxins, and venoms. Consuming any of these substances will have little to no effect on her body. That being said, if the thing infecting her with these substances has other effects (such as burning or stabbing) she’ll take damage from them. As an example: A snake’s venom would have no effect, but she’d still be injured from a snake bite. This resistance extends to Magically imbued toxins as well.

## **Health**

**Addictions:** Caffeine

**Mental Illnesses:** Anxiety

**Physical Illnesses:** None

**Disabilities:** None

**Allergies:** None

## **Backstory**

Sonie was born in the country of Dibrook in the year 831. She was raised in a very small town near one of the few large water sources. Because of this her family was generally better off than others in the country despite their less than average income. Her childhood was pretty standard for the Kodin of Dibrook. She spent many of her days going to school, swimming in the nearby pond, exploring the small grove by her house, etc. Life was simple and consistent, and Sonie enjoyed it.

Her hometown was a quiet and closely knit community. All of the adults knew each other, or at least knew of each other. Most everyone that lived in this part of Dibrook moved here for religious freedom, her family included. The adults all knew each other from church, and the children all knew each other from church events. Many of them spent a lot of time in daycare together while the adults were practicing their faith. Sonie never believed in her family’s god. If anything, she thought that all the stories and teachings she heard over the years were just that. Stories. It never occurred to her that some people thought these to be the truth.

These teachings had an ill effect on Sonie’s life. It was never anything anyone said that affected her, it was what they did. The adults played up the ruse that everything was fine and that she was welcome, but deep down Sonie knew this wasn’t the case. All of her troubles went back to her less-than-pure traits. The very few aspects of her appearance that weren’t natural.

While Red Magic was more or less illegal worldwide due to it’s catastrophic and deadly effects, her hometown in Dibrook seemed to dislike it far more. The religion the people followed, the god Koba, was almost destroyed by the people of ancient Vertgate. Red Magic ravaged their temples, books, artifacts, and people. It’s why many left Vertgate and its neighboring countries in the first place.

One big giveaway for a Red Magic user is the distinct markings it leaves behind. Those who use Red Magic often have their own body markings turn red as well. Eyes, ears, hair, mouth, nose. All things on Sonie’s body that were red naturally; without the influence of Magic. Ever since she was born the people of her hometown thought she was a bad omen. Were her parents Magic users? Did their Magic alter their child’s appearance? Or did her red markings come from the fact that she used this forbidden power herself? Of course, Sonie never actually used Red Magic, but these rumors stuck like glue. From day one she was labeled as a user of dark Magic, and that label followed her for the rest of her time in Dibrook.

While she was a bit of a social outcast, Sonie’s life was still better than most. She was never wont for companionship, so the fact that people avoided her never mattered. If anything, she enjoyed the peace and quiet that came along with solitude. Sure, her parents always worried for her mental wellbeing. Kids her age should be outside playing with friends and getting into trouble, not staying locked up at home by themselves.

Despite the fact that she was a social outcast and considered a bad influence, Sonie’s early years were pretty uneventful. The most rebellious thing she’d ever done was bring home a stray cat without her parents' knowledge, and that only ended up getting her grounded for the evening. Other than that Sonie just coasted through life. No goals, no aspirations. She just lived in the moment. Yes, most children her age didn’t really have any huge life goals, but her attitude towards life and living was mere foreshadowing towards things to come. Years passed, and Sonie’s life became more and more dull. No one in town pushed her to do anything other than go away. Any aspirations she’d once had were quickly snuffed out. At a certain point, she was just idly standing by until she was old enough to carve her own path in the world.

Still. While she desperately wanted a better life, she also didn’t know anything else. Her life was less than ideal, yes, but she’d never gotten a taste of anything better. She didn’t want to leave her home for fear of something worse. Why take a chance at a better life when things could just as easily go the other way? What’s the point in changing at all when your current situation is manageable? She’d gotten stuck in a loop that she just couldn’t escape on her own.

Things began to change around the time she turned eleven. It was summer, and the children in her town often banded together to play night games. To them, any games played at night became exponentially more enjoyable. Something about ignoring your bedtime and roaming the town freely was exhilarating. Night games were a summer tradition; one that Sonie had always enjoyed. It was one of the few times where who you were didn’t matter. Kids didn’t play night games to play with their friends, they played them to cause mischief and rebel.

This day in particular the kids decided to play out in the grove. At night the pleasant little grove turned into a labyrinth. The little light the moon provided was overshadowed by the thick treetops, causing anything underneath to be shrouded in darkness. Of course, this became one of the best places to play. Darkness meant endless possibilities. The kids could run and hide and scare each other to their heart's content! What more could you ask for?

Sonie’s eyesight had never been that great. Around this time in her life, however, it was just taking a turn for the worse. Bad eyesight paired with poor lighting was a recipe for disaster. Sonie managed to stick with the group for quite some time, but eventually her isolated and anxious nature made her venture off on her own. Deep into the grove, well past anywhere the children were allowed to go. Venturing further and further only made things more confusing. Nothing looked familiar anymore. It was just darkness, trees, and the ambient sounds of the forest. It went from fun to terrifying in the blink of an eye. Being alone wasn’t what freaked her out, though. It was the fact that she was lost.

Sonie had always been told that if she were ever lost in the woods, it was best to sit in one place. If you wander aimlessly you’ll only get yourself more lost. Sitting in one place gives anyone looking for you a better chance of finding you. So, Sonie scrounged up some grass and leaves and made a little makeshift bed to sleep in. Maybe the daylight would give some insight as to where she’d wound up. Who knows? She may be closer to home than she’d originally thought. Sleep came easily in the forest. Far easier than it did back at home. All the noises of the town were gone. It was peaceful, being alone like this. Very peaceful.

It wasn’t clear how much time had passed, but Sonie was awoken hours later by a bright flash of red light. This light cut through the forest causing her to jolt awake. Sonie had always been warned of happenings like this. Don’t get involved. Don’t investigate. Stay away. She’d been told that, if ever there was a Red Magic incident in town, she were to stay as far away from it as possible. If the town even thought Sonie was involved, her isolation would only get worse. Worst case scenario her family could be driven out of town entirely. Despite these warnings, Sonie felt compelled to check it out. The forest was so calm and peaceful, how could anything bad ever happen here?

Cautiously, Sonie got out of her little makeshift bed and made her way to the source of the light. Several more flashes light the forest which made tracking the source easy. Eventually she was led to a small clearing deep in the heart of the forest. She’d never seen this place before, but she’d also never been this deep inside either. This place was interesting enough as is, but it was what lied beyond that really caught her attention.

Once inside the clearing Sonie could see two people in the midst of battle. Both of them had any and all identifying features covered in thick robes, hoods, and scarves. It seemed like one of them very clearly had the upper hand. He wound his hand backwards as if he were about to throw a ball, then launched an extremely bright blast of Magic at the other person. The blast hit them dead on and they cried out in pain. Sonie hated seeing people fight. She hated seeing people get hurt in general, but right now there was nothing she could do except watch. These people were using Magic; something Sonie didn’t have.

The second person waved their arms around them and soon after a bright green shield of Magic enveloped her whole body. It was like a Magical bubble that nothing could break through. Well, not easily anyway. The attacker seemed hellbent on destroying the barrier and finishing off their victim. One after another he sent blasts of red energy at this sphere, causing it to warp and flicker with each hit. There was no way this thing could hold up much longer. Even Sonie could see that.

Still, this didn’t phase the victim. If anything, she seemed to be ignoring it. She reached into a pocket on the inside of her robes and pulled out a wooden hoop of some sort. It had pretty beads and feathers stringed to it which caught Sonie’s attention. The woman then threw this object into the air, where it stuck in place. It then began glowing bright green; whirling around in a flash of green light before expanding to be about six feet in diameter. Looking inside Sonie couldn’t see much. Seeing as it was still dark outside, the only thing laying within this object was a blindingly bright white light. A portal, perhaps.

As the woman prepared this portal Sonie could see the attacker working on another attack. This one seemed far bigger than all the others, and it was taking far more time to get ready. The shield seemed to be on its last leg, as it was flickering in and out of existence. She had to do something. She couldn’t just stand there and watch this happen! All her life Sonie had been told about the dangers of Red Magic, so she was pretty confident that this Red Magic sorcerer was the bad guy in this situation. At least, she sure as hell hoped so, considering what she was about to do.

Right before the man unleashed his attack, Sonie burst out of the bushes and yelled at him. She didn’t say anything in particular, just a cry of anger. A battle cry, if you will. This caught the attacker off guard just long enough for her to tackle him to the ground. Both of them fell, but not before he released his attack. Sonie had knocked him off target, but he still managed to hit the very top edge of the shield, causing it to shatter in an explosion of green sparks. It also managed to hit the top of the portal the woman had just stepped through! This blast knocked the portal out of the air; making it return to its normal hoop-like state and fall to the ground.

Those weren’t the only things that’d been hit, though. Sonie was also in the crossfire of the blast. A powerful, sharp wave of energy resonated throughout her entire body. The blast had hit her right in the face. She could feel the skin around her eyes begin to burn wildly before sloughing off. Her whole face was burning! The man promptly shoved her to the side before hitting her with another attack. He attempted to go for the legs, presumably so Sonie couldn’t get away, but she managed to wriggle away just enough so that only the lower part near her ankles was hit. It still hurt like hell, but it was a far more minor injury than what could have been.

The Magical energy was still pulsing through her body, now far stronger due to the second blast. It was far too much for someone like her. Not only had Sonie never dabbled with Magic in the first place, but this was Red Magic; a very powerful and deadly variant. She could feel her muscles locking up as the skin on her face and ankles continued to burn. After a short time, she found herself unable to move at all. Slowly her vision began to blur and eventually fade as Sonie once again slipped into unconsciousness.

She awoke to the gentle rays of the sun cutting through the treetops and onto her face. Her muscles ached and her skin burned, but she was still alive. Alive, and extremely disoriented. Everything that’d happened last night blurred together into one big jumbled up mess. There were flashes of colour, people fighting, a bright white portal, but none of it was in any particular order. Finer details of what’d happened had disappeared completely. The only thing Sonie could remember for sure was the fact that she was in the grove near her house and that she was lost. Despite the pain, Sonie managed to pull herself to her feet and take a look around. The forest seemed a lot smaller during the day. She knew exactly where she was and how to get home from here. Sure, she was pretty far in, but it wasn’t nearly as far as what she’d thought last night. Now that she knew where she was she began to make her way back home. It was slow and painful, but she managed to keep herself upright.

As she was walking back home a green glint of light caught her eye. While she couldn’t remember much of last night, she did remember flashes of green. Was this object tied to last night's events? Or was she imagining things? Either way, Sonie strayed from the path to investigate this mysterious shiny object. Even if it wasn’t tied to what had happened, she wasn’t opposed to picking up a shiny rock or a piece of metal. It could even be a lost coin or two.

Sitting in the tall grass off to the edge of the clearing was a small wooden object. Sonie could vaguely remember one of the people from last night holding something like this, but she couldn’t remember what it was or how it was used. All she remembered was one of the two figures pulling it out of their pocket. Whatever it was, it was pretty. The intricate stringwork lacing the inside of the hoop was almost mesmerising, and the shimmering green beads seemed to radiate some sort of Magical energy. She knew this didn’t belong to her, but Sonie picked it up anyway. Surely the owner would come looking for it, and Sonie could ask them questions about what’d happened then. Until then, though, Sonie would hold onto this mysterious item for safe keeping.

Eventually Sonie managed to get back to town. The townsfolk could almost immediately sense the absurd amounts of Magic emanating from her body. Some of them knew for a fact it was Red Magic. Others merely assumed such because of their prior biases. A very small minority couldn’t tell what kind of Magic it was or who it was coming from, only that it was moving throughout the town. While she’d intended on going home, she never managed to get that far. Only minutes after getting back to town, she was stopped by one of the town guards.

While she’d never gotten involved with the guards before personally, the town guards definitely knew of Sonie. People had been reporting acts of witchcraft, voodoo, and necromancy for the past eleven years. Several times in the past her parents had been approached by the guards and questioned, but no one had ever talked to Sonie about these complaints directly. Not until now, anyway. Before the town guards had nothing to go on. There was no proof of any of these people’s claims. Sure, Sonie had bright red markings, but someone’s fur being a certain colour wasn’t proof of anything. Now, however, the guards did have proof. There was no denying Magic, and the Magic was right there in front of them.

The guards stopped Sonie and began questioning her. The more they asked, the more suspicious they became. Sonie was just telling them the truth, that she didn’t know what happened other than a fight, but the guards took her vague and unclear answers as her avoiding the questions. The mention of a fight really put the guards on edge. Everyone knew what the children had been up to last night, and the fact that a fight apparently broke out was bad news. All of these things put together meant trouble; trouble the town didn’t want to deal with.

Eventually the guards decided that Sonie was too much of a liability to let loose, so they attempted to escort her home for further questioning. Of course, nobody actually told her what was going on. All Sonie knew was that she’d just gotten in very big trouble, and now the guards were trying to take her away. That, paired with all the things she’d been told throughout her life, terrified her. She knew that witches and warlocks and Magic users of the like were doomed. She knew people that dared to use Red Magic were often exiled or executed, and now the guards were taking her away.

Panic. That was the only thing in her mind. She didn’t know what the guards were doing, but she was convinced it’d end in her death. There was no other outcome. At least, she’d never been told of one. So, not wanting to be executed, Sonie broke free of the guards grasp and began to run. Her legs ached and her face burned, but that didn’t matter. These injuries wouldn’t kill her, unlike the guards.

Of course, Sonie taking off running only made the guards more suspicious. Now they weren’t intending on bringing her back home, they were going to bring her to the jailhouse until her parents could sort everything out. One of the guards blew his whistle and the others promptly began to give chase. Luckily for Sonie, she was much smaller and more nimble than these guards. She was easily able to evade them despite her injuries. That being said, she still had no clue where to go next. Where could she go? If she stayed in town, the guards would eventually catch her. No doubt about it.

So, with nowhere safe in town and the guards hot on her tail, Sonie fled town. She didn’t know where she was going or how long it’d take to get there, but she ran nonetheless. Anywhere was better than here. Staying in her hometown would only bring her pain and misfortune. Even if the guards didn’t kill her right away, her reputation would never recover from this. The people of this town would never forgive a Red Magic incident, especially when it involved a person like her.

Sonie wandered for several days. Each day her body began growing weaker and weaker. The Magic she’d felt in her body not only hadn’t gone away, but it was seemingly getting stronger. The stronger it got, the weaker she felt. At a certain point she felt as if she were losing control of her actions. It was only on occasion, but she could feel herself lashing out at shadows and animals as she walked. It was all very strange. Eventually she managed to wander into a small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. She had no idea where she was or who lived here, but at that point it didn’t matter. Her consciousness had all but disappeared as her body wandered aimlessly, twitching and lashing out occasionally.

About a week after the infection started Sonie collapsed. Her vision had been blurred and distorted, but now everything was pitch black. She could feel her muscles beginning to give out and her breath beginning to go shallow. It seemed like this was finally the end for her. Everything was going to end in this weird messed up self fulfilling prophecy. There was nothing left to do, so Sonie stopped fighting it. She let herself slip away.

Surprisingly, she found herself awake once again several hours later. At least briefly. The place she was in seemed very different than before. Surrounding her were feathers and Trinkets and beads of all kinds. The entire area was shrouded in a blue haze that was almost mythic in quality. It didn’t feel like real life, but it didn’t feel like a dream either. She was too aware for it to be a dream. Perhaps this was purgatory? A realm between life and death? There was no way to tell for sure.

Sonie wasn’t in this place for long. Shortly after waking up and looking around, a large shadowy figure shrouded in a hooded robe appeared. She was almost certain she’d seen this person before, but all of her memories from that moment in the forest were fuzzy. Still, she knew she’d seen her before. Whoever she was. Maybe now she could finally get answers. Sonie could ask this mysterious person about that night and finally figure out why this had happened to her. Unfortunately for Sonie, she never got the chance. The second she opened her mouth to ask the hooded figure jumped in surprise. Sonie tried to ask about who she was. She even tried to return the object she’d dropped during her escape, but the figure wasn’t having it. She hurriedly ran over to Sonie and placed her hand on Sonie’s forehead. A bright flash of blue light later and Sonie was unconscious once again.

After several hours, or maybe days, Sonie woke up back on the outskirts of town where she passed out the first time. Only this time she had an odd clarity which she’d never experienced before. Her awareness seemed vastly heightened, for starters. Her once naturally blurry vision was now indescribably crisp and clear. She could see every blade of grass, pebble, leaves on trees, etc. Her sense of hearing and smell had also vastly improved. It was almost as if she’d been revived. All of her ailments from the past, whatever they may have been, had seemingly vanished. It didn’t seem real, but there was one alarming change to her body that proved this event did indeed happen.

Looking down at her hands, Sonie could see her once red paw pads had turned a brilliant blue. Her tongue was the same way. In fact, it seemed as if all of her internal anatomy had been stained this blue colour. Even her blood, although she wouldn’t figure this out until much later in her life. Was this a result of that Blue Magic blast the figure had used on her? Sonie had no way of knowing for sure, but it seemed like too much of a coincidence for that not to be the case. Still, these new traits only made her less pure and more of an exile. People couldn’t tell if she was good or bad, given the fact that she possessed the traits of both red and Blue Magic. She was no longer infected, but now she was more isolated than ever.

For the next several years Sonie lived the life of a nomad. She wandered from place to place; doing her best to scrounge up enough money to get a good meal or a safe place to stay. As the years went on she took to less legal means of acquiring these things. Nothing straight up malicious, though. She’d often knock over tip jars or bump into people carrying large amounts of valuables, then swipe a few while she helped them clean up. It wasn’t ideal, but it kept her alive during her travels. Sonie’s travels brought her many places. She wandered all throughout Dibrook, past Tunfell Bay, and eventually to Esteign.

The country of Esteign was a very different place from Dibrook. In her home country Sonie was used to seeing Kodin and Elves. Here she encountered far less Humans and far more Sinvian; creatures she’d never met before. There were also far more variants of Kodin other than canine and even some lesser creatures like Gremlin and Whiver. Being around people like this was difficult. Many of them didn’t speak her language, which only made things more difficult. Difficulty in communications only made Sonie isolate herself even more. Why bother talking to people when no one can understand you?

Sonie lived like this for about five years. Her days were spent wandering, and her nights were spent alone and scared. This was no way to live, especially not for someone as young as her. Her anxiety turned into paranoia. People were scary, the world was dangerous, and she had no real place in it. Leaving Dibrook was the worst decision she’d ever made, but staying there would have meant her death. It seemed like there was no way out for her.

The thought of death was terrifying, but continuing on like this was even more so. She didn’t necessarily want to die, but at this point, after three years of aimless wandering and self isolation, she wasn’t opposed to death if it happened to come her way. In fact, accepting the fact she was going to die anyway was almost invigorating. Why should she hold herself back? If this life was just going to get her killed, why not go out guns ablazing? Go out with a bang. That’s what she wanted.

Sonie had always wanted to find more items like the Dreamcatcher she’d found in her youth; the item she carried with her everywhere. Magic items were alluring and whimsical. Right then and there she decided she’d spend the rest of her time in this world on the hunt for things like this. Artifacts, Trinkets, Relics. It didn’t matter what they were, as long as the item was valuable and the journey was dangerous and exciting. She spent the next two years of her travels on the hunt.

This newfound goal eventually led Sonie to a place called Patallon. Getting there was far easier than she’d expected. Once she’d accepted her fate, she became more open to riskier and more dangerous ways of getting money. She’d never steal money in excess. Only enough to keep her alive and move her closer to her goal. Taking more than what was needed felt wrong. Even a thief has some sort of moral code, and that was hers.

The reason behind going to Patallon was simple. It was a country in very close proximity to the mountain range. More specifically, it was the closest place in Mirror Domain to the mountain known as Void Peak. Void Peak was the highest mountain top in the entire world. For years people claimed that richess lied within, but no one had been able to get there due to the abundance of Demons that resided there. Something like this was perfect for Sonie. It was dangerous, exciting, and most importantly she’d be able to do this alone. Somewhere devoid of other people was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Oddly enough, Sonie fit into Patallon quite well. It was the country of Vulpine Kodin. Sure, she wasn’t a Vulpine herself, but unless someone looked too closely they’d never notice. She spoke these people’s language, and the people here more or less accepted her as one of their own. For a brief moment Sonie considered staying there permanently. She could build a new life for herself. Pick up a job, earn some money, and eventually get a permanent home for herself. It was a wonderful thought, but it only lasted for a brief moment.

While this could easily be the beginning of a fresh start, Sonie had never been good with keeping herself motivated. No one had ever really pushed her to do anything other than go away. The only reason she was able to motivate herself to be a treasure hunter was because it easily coincided with her nomadic lifestyle. If she was just going to wander anyway, she might as well keep an eye out for something shiny.

A goal like this, though. It was far out of her reach. It sounded nice on the surface, but starting over would be a lot of hard work and effort that Sonie just didn’t have the capacity for. It just wasn’t feasible. The only thing she was good for was wandering, and that’s exactly what she intended on doing. Before she didn’t want to leave Dibrook for fear of life getting worse. Now she was afraid to stay in one place for the same reason. If things got bad somewhere, she could just leave. A permanent home was too much for someone like her.

Sonie spent the next few months making her way through Patallon. On the way she learned more and more about the mountain range. After awhile it felt like she was mulling along, using long travels as a way to procrastinate. The stories people had told her were those of death and misfortune. She was only going into the mountains for these alleged “riches” she’d heard about, but someone only needs riches like those when they have nothing else. As long as she still had at least some money to her name she’d put off the journey. Of course, the journey to the mountains would come far sooner that she ever expected.

Patallon often had horrid windstorms that ravaged the towns around it. Dust and debris were kicked up everywhere. It was hard to see, and even harder to breathe. The winds were so strong that they even knocked Sonie to the ground. Her belongings scattered everywhere, and many of them were picked up by the wind and carried away, never to be seen again. She did her best to collect the remainder of these items, but it was a fruitless effort. All she could do was hold on to the remainder of her belongings and find a place to hunker down for the night. Hurrying along, Sonie found herself in a small tavern. The raging winds made it hard to get the door open and shut, but she managed to push through and make her way inside.

Looking over her remaining few possessions, Sonie came to a terrifying realisation. All she had left was her trusty pickaxe, Dreamcatcher, and a handful of coins. It was time. Finally time to head up into the mountains and see once and for all what riches lied within. She had nothing else to her name, and she’d made a promise to herself. Still, if she was going to head off to her death she may as well have one night of luxury. Go out with a bang, as she’d always intended. So, Sonie decided to use the last of her money to get a room for the night and a decent meal. It was better than sleeping outside in the wind.

She sat in the dining hall as she ate, watching the chaos unfold outside. Seeing other people share her misfortune was almost funny in a way. Shopkeepers desperately trying to close up for the night, passersby running for cover, boxes and papers being strewn everywhere. It was entertaining to watch, at least for a moment. It seemed as if she weren’t the only one to seek refuge in the tavern for the night. Another Kodin in a presumably similar circumstance also managed to stumble his way into the tavern, just as Sonie had.

Much like her, this Kodin was a traveler. He had nowhere to stay for the night and he didn’t want to be stuck in the dust like this. Unfortunately, though, the tavern was pretty much at full capacity. People had come in before Sonie had, she just happened to get lucky. The Kodin pleaded, but the situation couldn’t be helped. The tavern owner couldn’t just materialize a new room out of nowhere.

Sonie felt bad watching this all unfold. She was just going to get killed by demons in the mountain range anyway, why should she take up someone elses much needed space? She could always just head out right here and now. There was really no point in delaying her last adventure any further. So, on a whim, she walked up to this Kodin as he was exiting the tavern and offered him her room.

The Kodin, who introduced himself as Thunder, was exceedingly grateful for Sonie’s offer. At the same time though, he didn’t feel right letting her wander off into the storm by herself. Sonie tried to explain why it was ok, but she also didn’t want to explain her mission of self destruction. She skirted around the topic for as long as she could, but it came out eventually. Well, part of it did. She explained her planned journey into the mountains to Thunder and, surprisingly, he had a similar goal!

His goal wasn’t a last ditch effort to gain fame and fortune like Sonie, but he wanted to go into the mountains to prove himself. From what Sonie could gather, it seemed like he too was an outcast, and that this journey would prove his worth to those around him. Much like her, he seemed to be skirting around why he really wanted to go, but Sonie didn’t push the issue. There was no reason to. Still, since they had the same goal, they decided it might be nice to travel together. Thunder seemed to want protection, and Sonie had no reason not to offer it. If she was just going to be killed anyway, she may as well make her death worth something. The two awkwardly shared the room for the night and the next morning they set off into the mountain range.

Thunder insisted that they were prepared for the journey, so they spent much of the morning wandering around town and gathering supplies. As they were wandering, they encountered a very distraught Lesser Dragon by the name of Taxton. He was at the local guild looking for assistance. The two were able to gather that he was a crew member of an airship, and that the ship had crashed in the mountains during the storm. He kept pleading for someone to go and find possible survivors, but no one had any interest in making such a journey. No one, except Sonie and Thunder. Since the two were going to the mountains anyway, they decided they’d help Taxton find his crew.

They were given very vague directions to the crash sight. Taxton hadn’t actually seen where the ship landed, only that it’d gotten blown out of the sky. Apparently he was swept off of the ship far before the crash. Regardless, neither of the two Kodin had a very good idea as to where they were going. The only clues they had were tiny bits of debris that seemed to grow in quantity the further up they hiked. It took them several hours to get there, but eventually they managed.

The crash site was horrifying. There were a few bodies surrounding the ship, as well as broken and battered belongings.The lives of all these people, all gone in an instant. It made Sonie really stop and think about what she was doing for once. How could she take her life for granted like this? Was she really going to throw it all away for something as stupid as this? The thought kept popping in her head as she drew nearer to the bodies, searching them for any identifying information. This was a recovery mission, after all. She needed a tally of how many crew members she’d found.

Suddenly, Sonie heard shouting. A small blue and white Whiver began barreling out of the wreckage, yelling at them to drop what they’d stolen. She looked extremely beaten up, and it was obvious she wasn’t all there as she spoke. Her speech was broken and hard to understand, and her movement was wobbly and awkward. It was obvious she was in distress, but Sonie didn’t really know what to do to help.

Luckily, Sonie had Thunder with her. He immediately began to explain the situation; letting this Whiver know why they were there and what they were doing. Once she knew they were friendly she calmed a bit, although it’s really hard to calm down in such a distressing situation. Thunder wanted to bring her back down the mountain, but this Whiver was insistent on finding the captain and her family. No matter how they tried to coax her, the Whiver was insistent on finding her crew. So, not wanting to cause any more problems, Sonie began sniffing around for any survivors. After a long while of searching around the trio had recovered the majority of the crew’s bodies. There were still two missing, however. The captain, who Sonie would later learn was the Whiver’s father, and her brother Jack. She kept insisting that they could be alive, given the fact that she still was.

During the search some shuffling could be heard up north. The Whiver began to head towards it, but Sonie and Thunder prevented her from doing so. Whatever it was could be dangerous. Given they were in the mountains a demon wasn’t out of the question. Still, she insisted on checking it out, so Sonie cautiously approached the scene to give it a look.

Behind a small alcove, Sonie saw a horrific sight. Laying behind the small cliffside was the mangled body of the captain. Her fur stood on edge as she took several steps away from the sight. It was absolutely horrific. It seemed as if he’d been dragged away by a Demon, as his body was half eaten already. That must have been the shuffling they’d heard prior. She ran back to the group, telling them they should leave, but the Whiver was insistent on checking things out. She scurried over to take a look at the scene.

The shock of seeing her father’s body paired with her taxing injuries proved to be too much for the little Whiver. Shortly after they dragged her away from her father she collapsed. Her speech began to get even more cluttered and hard to understand. At this point she was incoherent, muttering things about finding her brother. She couldn’t leave without her brother. Sonie offered to sniff around one last time, asking the Whiver what her name was so she had proof to offer her brother if she managed to find him, but Thunder shot down the idea. They were all tired, and searching any longer would put them all in danger. It was best to leave now.

The next week or so was pretty hectic. Sonie spent the majority of the week thinking over her life choices as she watched this Whiver’s, who introduced herself as Bubble, life fall apart. The lesser dragon who’d survived the crash seemed to resent her for causing them to fly off course, and the guild kept treating her like some delusional child. She was all alone, just like Thunder was. Just like she was. The more she got to know the two of them, the more she realised she had in common with them. For the first time in Sonie’s life she felt like she belonged.

So, when the ship got repaired and Bubble asked the two to join her as crew members, she jumped at the opportunity. She had nowhere else to go. Living on an airship really meshed well with her previous situation, so she saw no real reason to refuse. It was a place to live with people she could trust. She’d be an idiot to say no. Thunder agreed to her offer as well, and soon enough the three were off to Bubble’s hometown in Spracot to finish up ship repairs and discuss where to go from there.

Over the course of their journey one thing became glaringly apparent. None of them had any money. It seemed as if Bubble had exhausted the last of her resources getting back to Spracot and repairing the ship. Well, repairing it as much as they could given the current financial situation. If any of the three wanted to remain on Airship Valor they’d have to find some way to make money.

That’s when Sonie suggested they use the ship to search for riches. During her stint as a nomad she’s heard countless tales of Artifacts and Relics, all just waiting for someone to uncover them. She’d never jumped on any of these opportunities in the past because she had no way of getting to any of these places, but now that they had a much faster way of traveling she thought it’d be worth a shot. Bubble and Thunder seemed interested in this as well. Even if their travels didn’t bring them riches, they could always take on guild work or other odd jobs as they continued their search. The possibilities seemed endless. Bounty hunting, finding powerful Relics, seeing the sights. At this point all that was left to do was set off to start their journey, and that’s exactly what they intended on doing.

## **Relationships**

**Bubble Longear:** One of Sonie’s closest friends and Airship Valor’s trusty captain. These two have been as thick as thieves since the day they met. Sure, sometimes Bubble’s high energy and overly positive attitude is a bit too much for Sonie, but generally speaking their positive energies mesh well together. They both share the same spirit of adventure, even if it gets them into trouble every now and then.

**Thunder Alto:** A very close friend, even if he is a nuisance at times. Thunder is far more mellow and sad than Sonie is, but he’s calm and level headed. He’s often the one to get the crew out of sticky situations, if not outright avoiding them. Plus, the two both have similar family situations they can both relate to. Sure, his pessimism can be grating, and his clinginess can get annoying, but Sonie enjoyes Thunder’s company nonetheless. You can’t be high energy all the time, and Thunder is exactly the kind of person she needs in order to stay grounded in reality.