Rowanna Darkwolf

Character Name: Rowanna
Gender: Female
Age: early to mid 20’s
Race: Human

Appearance:

Rowanna is 5'1", and a weighs in at a painfully thin and fragile looking 92 lbs. She has large emerald green eyes, and long, thick, wavy black hair that hangs just below her hips when left unbraided, but which she usually plaites into a single thick braid down the middle of her back and ties with a green ribbon - a gift from the man she loved.

She wears a thin, threadbare cloak and riding skirts that have been mended so often its uncertain how much longer the fabrics will hold together no matter how much additional thread is used.


Background:

Rowanna was born on the outskirts of Avalon, on the fringe of Eastland. The last of three girls, her mother died giving birth to her – a fact for which her father, an drunkard who let his farm go to shambles following his wife’s death, never forgave her.

Rowanna learned herb lore from her sisters, Analicia and Magdalena. They continued to survive even as the farm fell apart by working odd jobs at neighboring farms, tending their stables, and learning to identify the edible plants and berries from the nearby woods. Rowanna proved herself to have great skill in these tasks at an early age. One day the three went into the woods to gather food. They continued to gather wild mushrooms and berries until it began to get dark, then headed home by the light of the full moon. They were within sight of their home when the three were attacked by a vicious animal, a large wolf-like creature. Rowanna was found early the next morning, barely alive. She was the only survivor.

Much was made of the fact that, despite her horrendous wounds, the girl still lived. Only her father seemed to find it less than miraculous, swearing instead it was the work of the devil himself.

By the next full moon none doubted him.

Rowanna woke the first morning after the full moon, bruised, filthy and naked in the woods with no memory how she got there. Spied by one of the townspeople, she was greeted with the cry, “Werewolf. She’s here! Werewolf!”

She ran home, thinking to gather herself and find out what had happened the night before. It was there that she learned that a bounty had been put on her head when her own father tried to collect it, greeting her at the door with a silver dagger, intent upon taking her head as legends say you must to truly end a werewolf’s life.

Rowanna fled town, fearing for her life. Just outside Avalon she was stopped by a dark man upon a great steed. He cast a weapon to the ground at her feet, a shining blade with a large blood red ruby set into the hilt inside a sturdy leather scabbard - a stone that would grow ever darker each time the blade was used to take a life.

“It is called Brayswelt. Wield it well.” He told her, his deep voice resonating oddly within her. “Listen closely to it’s whispers. The soul within it possess the wisdom to protect you even when you cannot protect yourself.”

The sword proved to be something special, strong, semi-sentient and as wise as the stranger had promised. With it, she moved from town to town, keeping her head down and making a meager living in each until they discovered her nature, at which point she’d be forced to defend herself or run, but always to keep moving on.

After several years of running with no money, no friends, and no hope of rest, she rode in upon her mount Luna, a unicorn that came to her disguised as a bright white steed. Ragged and exhausted, she stumbled into an inn called Mylanders. There, she met the people who would change her life. When the hunters caught up with her there, they stood beside her even after learning her nature. She traveled with them on a few quests, learning much from her newfound friends, learning to trust them, and herself as well. She learned to control the shifting so that the phases of the moon no longer held the fear of discovery for her they once had. She learned of the power within herself and how to wield it, though her studies were cut short when her mentor, teacher and friend was needed elsewhere. She even fell in love with a mercenary who stood by her and protected her long after he had reason to. Despite their feelings, however, they reached a point where their destinies forced them apart. One by one she was separated from her friends until she was once again alone. Even the ever-faithful Luna was eventually lost to her.

Still hunted, Rowanna rarely stays anywhere too long now, and, having relearned how painful it was to lose those you love, she rarely allows herself to get too close to anyone. She still has Brayswelt, her skills with the sword having increased dramatically. She made little use of other abilities, finding that they called unwanted attention to her at a time when those who were different all too often disappeared.

Finding herself at the Crossroads Inn, she hopes only for a respite, however brief, from those who would see her differences as reason to fear her or worse, destroy her.

Personality:

Quiet and shy, she is sometimes mistakenly thought to be helpless, a perception only heightened by her diminutive stature and youthful appearance. Though she is not unfriendly, she remains very guarded. She is fiercely loyal to those she calls friend. Though she is often more likely to show mercy to an enemy hunting her, she shows none at all when it is a friend or an innocent who is threatened.

Strengths:

Rowanna is well versed in herb lore. She knows what to use for healing the body, the mind, and the spirit. She also can identify what in nature is safe for the body and what will harm, making survival more likely when there is nothing but the land to live off of. She is accomplished with the sword and in hand to hand as well. She has some telepathic abilities, though she rarely if ever uses them for fear of the attention and therefore danger they would draw her way.

Weakness:

She is very petite and sadly underweight, making her a target to those who would pray on those they perceive as weak. She is hesitant to allow herself to grow close to others, thus she remains isolated, alone and lonely, convinced that to allow herself to become close to another would only be to set them up to be hunted with her and, one way or another, to lose them as she has all others she’s ever dared love. While she is fiercely protective of others, she sometimes fails to take the necessary steps to protect herself until she has no other choice but to fight. Her unwillingness to use all of her abilities and her tendency toward mercy whether or not her opponent deserves it means she is often more vulnerable than she needs to be.