Kaseira Kinthala

Name: Kaseira Kinthala
Alias/Title(s): Wandering Playwright, The Green Bardess
Location: Far away from the angry mob
Birthplace: The High Forest
Age: 212
Race: Wood Elf
Gender: Female
Deity: Oghma, The Seldarine
Alignment: CN

'The Childhood'

To those unwelcome strangers whom sometimes wander too close, the High Forest can be a dangerous, dark place, its mysteries hidden to those not familiar with the many intricacies of a land so ancient. Monuments or ruins ages-old, brimming with archaic magic, deadly guardians, and long forgotten treasures surrounded the Forest, and it would be no small task for any experienced band of adventurers to explore. Which is precisely why places such as the Star Mounts, with its rumored dragons, or the Dire Woods, with its tales of massacres and undead, didn't see visitors too often. Those that did come typically met a terrible fate, finding their stay to be quite less than temporary, as the case may be. Conversational tea with a mix of generous, welcoming hospitality was not something in abundance here, nor was the friendly atmosphere, if it even existed at all.

Growing up in such a place was no daunting task for Kaseira, however. It was bred into her blood as a wood elf. She grew up to the parents of the Kinthala bloodline, one of questionable purity as it was often rumored that there were perhaps human or fae influences in it, long, long ago, but to the accuracy of such statements one could only guess. This was, however, a plausible way to describe the family 'curse,' as it may be, something that struck every few generations. Called the 'Itch', affectionately deemed by those of the other elves, a Kinthala would inherit the unrelenting urge to explore and make their way unto the world, perhaps one day returning after lasting mark has been left. The High Forest was self-sufficient, after all, and to leave the seclusion of its embrace was something few Wood Elves ever deigned.

The girl grew up fast, as would be expected amongst such a place. A carefree state of mind, or a blissful ignorance; both have been descriptions of those naive in the ways of the world. Only an adolescent yet, one might say her naivety wandered far into the forest and was never seen or heard from again, lost forever to the ever-enveloping foliage and its twisting branches. Truely, with the lurking presence of the demon-elves of Hellgate from the North, and the orcs and goblins and all manner of things scattered in between, how could such an innocent ideal be expected to stay with her for more than a scant few decades? It was with her for only as long as she was old enough to become aware of the world she was brought into, and then it flitted away. And with its death came the ability to survive. Such is life of the elves in the High Forest, always moving, always vying for control of the land, ever in their seeking to re-establish the Kingdom.

But all shadows in the Forest are not without their redeeming rays of sunlight to give chase temporarily. Life was harsh, but not dissatisfactory; unforgiving, but not unfulfilling. The elves had their community, and like the branches that were tightly woven, so were they. Much time Kaseira spent with others, and the elder elves treated her as they would their own. It is how such societies operate, only serving to strengthen the bonds of such a graceful people. It is their lifesblood that holds them together.

With her voice strong and her memory sharp, she was a good practitioner of the elven tales. High culture was not something they shared here, but instead tales of heroes, of the Crown Wars, and of the Fall of the Kingdom. Music, artistry and poetry, heartfelt tales of woe and joy alike; these were things they held dear, and her flourishing creativity with such was encouraged. She took part and relished in the many nights dancing, the festivites, and the mating communions. Such things were a part of their essence, and they were encouraged as something fun and joyous, each moment of life a treasure more valuable than any material object.

Strong, too, was she in body, for through strength of spirit and mind, the body becomes more resolute. Naturally, she was handy with self-defense, treating the sword as though it were no less graceful than weaving a melancholic song through crisp air. She took up the weight of her weapon quickly and bore the responsibility proudly. Many times she accompanied the scouts on their journeys, even relinquishing the fate of death from a companion by the timely thrusting of her sword through the abdomen of an enemy.

And so, Kaseira was taught in the way of the sword from blademasters, the way of the lore from loremasters, and the way of the Life from her parents. As she blossomed into beautiful womanhood, becoming a capable adult in her own right, she was struck by the indelible 'Itch.' The stories did nothing to extinguish the fire of exploration inconsolable in her heart, and oft-times she would study the map of the known continent of Faerun, one she had 'retrieved'(among other things) from a human whom, along with his adventuring company, had apparantly died in the harsh conditions of the forest. Inevitably, it would only be a matter of time until another Kinthala set off into the known world to leave a lasting imprint upon its history.

'The Wandering'

Upon first leaving her home of the High Forest, Kaseira travelled due south, looking for the city of Baldur's Gate. She had always kept a letter which she had found on the body of an adventurer in the High Forest. It was addressed to Baldur's Gate, and so naturally that was the only indication of where she would go. Typically, travellers would take to the roads, but she felt the shortest distance would be straight, and having lived in the harsh environment of the Forest, it would not be troublesome to her kind.

Baldur's Gate was her first true experience with a city built by mortals. The size of it was much different than those huts or tree houses she had called home in the Forest. It made her feel very diminuative in scale, as if nothing more than a pebble in the rockbed of a flowing stream, timeless and grande in its bustling march, ever-onward. It was here that she was first introduced to humans, and indeed, other races. Keeping her wits about her, and understanding that danger could lurk in every corner, she no doubt was still quite intrigued with the sheer mass of it all.

She quickly discovered the center of wisdom in every city to be its taverns. With no money, and no place to stay, a tavern owner, calling himself the Sal, hired her as a serving wench, noticing that more than a few had taken notice of her comely looks. While flirting and perhaps a slap on the rump here and there were in frequent supply, the advances were mostly not unaccepted and taken in good fun. She was, after all, a wood elf, and while perhaps such behavior was not something she was used to in her culture, the attentions of potential male mates was. And so it was that she made her wages there at the Sal's Fine Ales, often getting into 'trouble' as she listened to tale after tale of far away lands or rumors of the nearer locale. Sometimes she would even join up with a crew or two and go out exploring, sometimes bringing back gold or treasures, and sometimes not, but always bringing the ire of the Sal.

She never did figure out why he was the Sal rather than just Sal, or perhaps his name was actually 'The-sal'; she had never seen him actually write it out. Nevertheless, she continued to listen to tale after tale, ask questions, and serve ale, until the day the Sal discovered her voice. On that day, she became part of the tavern's entertainment, and, not surprisingly, was responsible for more than just a slight business increase. For years it went on like this. Still, though, Kaseira longed for travel, and her heart would not be placated. She kept hearing of The City of Splendors, and longed to experience its wonders. When she found a group heading this direction, she went out with them, and never did return to the fine city of Baldur's Gate.

It was in the City of Splendors that she came upon the gnome inventor Galawag Kibblescrunch. Not only did she learn of gnomish inventions and machinery (and to always be ready to run when around such), but also of Oghma, The Binder of What is Known. She found the ingenuity of the gnome and his people to be unmatched both in scope and ambition, even if everything did not always come to a non-vitriolic fruition. The epiphany here taught her to dream big, dream far from reach, and in doing so the effort may not hit the bar that was set, but great things would indeed come to those who stretch.

Kaseira also inadvertently met the half-elf Calucious Twohands, a bard of some steadily growing reknown. He already led a group of several companions carving out a living in Waterdeep. As was his forte, he was quick to jump on the opportunity presented to him in the apparant skill and exotic look of the wood elf, and in doing so hired her to work with him as an actor. In return, he took her under his study as a tutor and taught her the ways of the bard. He taught her to be an opportunist, and how to play up her appearance and charm to an advantage. From musically working street corners with his other troupe-members, to drawing in crowds and pickpocketing would-be onlookers, the group made quite the bulk of coin. Eventually, they would be able to afford the opening and operation of The Emporium for Mellifluous Theatrics, where she would spend the next fifty years of her life acting tales of despair and comedy alike. She was even responsible for the writing of a hit play or two, and in her time here, successfully completed the writing of a book. It was in this way she earned the title The Green Bardess, most notably from her penchant for green apparel.

She, along with newcomers to the troupe, left Waterdeep after a dispute with Calucious, deciding for herself to head for Neverwinter. Accompanying her from the troupe was Sam Eirgo, a handsome human of considerable singing voice, along with his woman, Mya Tandrem, the thief of the bunch and genuine love-interest for Sam. Sam always seemed to be overly flirtatious with Kaseira, and plainly, as though she was made of glass, Mya was envious of it. It was always the emanation to Kaseira that Mya hated her, somewhere down in those deep recesses and locked doors, or possibly hated herself, and because of this the wood elf kept a watchful guard around the woman.

Once they reached Neverwinter, they attempted to set up their own actor's troupe but met with mixed success over the years. Mya took to greater aspects of theivery, and rather than just petty pickpocketing she would break into houses and steal valuable objects to fence away for the funds needed to keep the trio afloat. It simply seemed that the citizens of Neverwinter were uninterested in stories and tales, or perhaps they had already had a recent bout with a former travelling bard. Whatever the reason, their efforts went in vain. It might be inferred that the strain from the economical struggle caused Mya's lack of judgement. One particular day when her jealousy of Kaseira got the best of her, in a fit of rage she threw herself at the object of her love's attentions. Drawing hidden steel, the raging woman knew the wood elf could, in no way, react fast enough to deflect a sure and fatal death. Truely, Kaseira would have died that day had Sam not shielded her, the cold steel piercing the heart meant for another in what would be his last moments of ultimate sacrifice. He died with the expression of a sad and solemn "Why?" frozen forever upon his countenance. It would be the lasting face either of them ever remembered of Sam, so picture perfect in its clarity.

Blamed for the death of Sam, Kaseira fled to Luskan, the city of pirates, leaving Mya to her grief. The elf was introduced to all manner of humans here, from the lowest and most despicable of thugs to the most honorable and noble of paladins, with a very distinct lack of any of the latter. In fact, the entire city was pretty much brimming with copious amounts of differing levels of low and despicable thugs. There were the common street thugs, and then the more notable thug-turned-watchmen or official, who were just as common, and just as likely to be found plying illegal activities in the streets. She saw people carted off, never to be seen or heard from again. She witnessed people murdered, only to have the 'law' turn a blind eye.

While certainly more dangerous than any of the other places she had traveled, it was still no jungle compared to the High Forest. Here, in this town, while minding her own business in a tavern, she was first approached with the offer of money for companionship. Had it not been from a handsome and charming fellow, she would not have accepted. While flirting had led places before, she had never been approached in this way, as it was only naturally taught to her by her people that the mutually beneficial union of man and woman is for fun and pleasure, as well as potentially finding a permanent or semi-permanent mate. Mulling it over, it only seemed coincidental to her that if she could get payed for something she already would have accepted, so much the better for it. Kaseira attempted to perform her Arts and Music, making coin here and there, and running the apparantly profitable side business of payment for services, only offering to those she fancied. Eventually, it came to be known that word slipped out, and she started receiving offers from less satisfactory clients. Some she accepted if the pay was right, and others she turned away.

While money may have flowed easy for a time, it had only been a scant three months short of word spreading before she was approached by those seeking to profit. The less inconspicuous of those who partook in such business all belonged to an organization led by Mistress Talmara, and she demanded her percent of the earnings for encroaching on the business of her ladies. The warnings, at first, were sly and coy, but Kaseira understood their full intent. She was asked to join the organization, though she got the idea it was more along the lines of forced cooperation. Kaseira used some of her earnings to take the first ship out of Luskan that next day, not sticking around to find out how that story would have went.

The wood elf found her next destination in the land of Sundren, situated against the Spine of the World, where she would stay for some time.

Personality/Apppearance:

• She can be outgoing when genuinely interested in something, or reserved showing the dignity and quiet grace of an elf. Having grown up in such a harsh environment, she is quite aware of the dangers of the world and to this end she is fairly intelligent. When she does not like someone or something, she has made up her mind and changing it can be rather difficult.

• Her hair is long, falling to her waist, and while it is braided in some parts, the bulk of it is left to its own devices. It has a greenish tint to it and always looks a little disheveled, tending to curl at the ends when rain-soaked. Her complexion is tanned, contrasting with the bright vivid green of her eyes. She always tends to wear green colors or shades. When traveling, a longsword can be seen hanging from her waist, and sometimes a simple wooden flute can be seen tied up and hanging from her belt, Kaseira preferring to use her voice as her primary instrument.

Faction(s):

• None.

Significant Relationships:

• Mistress Talmara: [Enemy] Undoubtedly still looking for payment from encroaching upon her business, she would most likely attempt to extract it, if she or her cronies ever found Kaseira. Those from Luskan do not seem to forgive grudges lightly.

• Mya Tandrem: [Enemy] This thief is still unable to cope with the death of her beloved Sam, and in doing so likely points the entire blame at Kaseira for the cause of his death. While Kaseira has not seen or heard from her since, she may still be hunting the wood elf to this day, looking for revenge in blood.

Miscellaneous Information:

• None.