Avarra Darkwind

**Level 2 Half-Elf Bard**

Age 29, Female, 5'10"

True Neutral(?)

STR:      8

DEX:    12

CON:    14

INT:       9

WIS:     16

CHA:    19

## **Background**

House Darkwind is a major noble house in Voreios, the capital of the Voreiosian(?) Empire.  An old house, they make up for their lack in political ambition with their wealth, slowly built up over generations as proprietors of most of the local mines.  Darkwind manor lies on the outskirts of the city, in a hilly, forested area, a reclusive locale to match their nature.  They are one of the wealthiest houses in the Empire, forcing begrudging tolerance from their peers despite their reputation.

House Darkwind has a long history of oddity.  They're often half-jokingly referred to as insane, although only some house members have truly gone mad.  They generally keep to themselves, they don't usually have guests or play political games, and try to suppress any rumor or story that could damage their house.  Many of its members over the years have been deeply interested in the occult, collecting rare and dangerous magical items. Darkwind members also have a long history of dying from strange circumstances.

Avarra Darkwind was born to Lord Tollen Darkwind and Lady Aniri Darkwind.  She is the middle child, with an older brother Tosse, and a younger brother Tovir.  It was mother's wish that Avarra follow in her footsteps in becoming a mage, and so she was instructed by the court wizard Barthanos.  But despite her obvious natural magical talent, Avarra had little patience for the rote memorization of wizardry.  She instead preferred more expressive ventures, such as art, writing, and music.  By the time of her mother Aniri's death during Avarra's late teens, she had long given up hope that Avarra would become a great wizard.  Her father also lowered his expectations, often expressing how painful was the Elven resemblence that Avarra had to her late mother.  It seemed for a time she was free to pursue the idle fancies afforded to a wealthy noblewoman without bother, but it was not to be.

2 years ago, Avarra and Tovir Darkwind disappeared.  The nature of the disappearance has never been clarified by the house, remaining stalwart and unmoving in the face of swirling rumor.  No official expanation was given, and eventually the rest of Voreios gave up on bleeding the stone that was the implacable House Darkwind.  Nobody knew the fate of Avarra or Tovir, although some rumormongers have claimed a woman fitting the description has been seen roaming the lands to the Southeast, her clothes and instrument a bit too fine to avoid notice entirely.

## **Personality**

Avarra's magical talent that failed to help her succeed as a wizard manifested itself slowly over the years since her departure from home, in the form of bardic magic.  Avarra is fond of playing on her lyre, often singing silly simply songs and rhymes made up on the spot that nonetheless contain strains of powerful magic.  Her magic is often of a subtle variety, nudging minds in one direction or another, bringing invigoration or shame to whoever hears her words.  Avarra worries little over whether she is considered a skilled musician or not, appreciation for music is in the ear of the listener.

While remaining every bit the conceited noble, Avarra also has a heavy helping of Darkwind oddness, only enhanced from her time away from home.  Avarra is fickle, sometimes displaying an insatiable curiosity, other times an overwhelming indifference.  Avarra has a complicated relationship with the truth, often preferring amusing stories, and has the notion that the truth is a personal, flexible thing.  Her terrible memory is often misinterpreted as a complete disinterest in what happens around her, mostly because it often is.  It's also difficult to get her to talk about serious things, especially her past and her future plans.  Fortunately, she finds that most people prefer to mind their own business.

Avarra blends uncomfortable directness with maddening over-subtlety in a discomforting social dance that she finds endlessly amusing.  She is capable of both great kindness, and complete uncaring indifference, and sometimes it's hard to tell why.  Despite that, Avarra is an excellent manipulator, combining the courtly grace of a noblewoman (half-elf to boot) and the easy charm of a bard.

## **Appearance**

Avarra is lean and pale, freckled, with big blueish eyes and long red-brown hair.  She has classical elvish beauty that she has always taken for granted.  She typically wears her fine robes, black and silver in the colors of house Darkwind, and carries an ornate black lyre with silver adornments.  These easily mark her as someone of wealth and likely higher birth.  Avarra also sports some jewelry, most notably a thick gold chain necklace with a large ruby set in it.  And finally, she often wears a comically over-sized witches hat.  Its adorable.