ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɴᴇᴇs, ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴀᴛᴏɴᴇ.

NAME: Pana
AGE: 31
JOURNAL: pana
PLURK: pana
RETURNING: Jesse Pinkman / hostage

CHARACTER NAME: Rhiannon Garridan / The Poet Knight
CHARACTER AGE: 24
CANON ORIGIN: Original (The Inquisition)
CHRONOLOGY: Sun Cycle 341
CLASS: Anti-Hero
HOUSING: Any

BACKGROUND:

The world of The Inquisition, called Urth, is much like our world during the Dark Ages - except that magic is very real. Imagine if witches and warlocks truly lived in secret among the population of Europe when the Catholic Church was at the height of its power, and you have a good idea of what this world is like. A single witch, if skilled enough, could lay waste to an entire city. The only thing standing in the way of that destruction is the Holy Order, whose inquisitors systematically weed out magic users and burn them at the stake (a merciful act, believed to purify the corrupted soul and allow a mage to ascend to Heaven). Magic is feared by almost everyone, and the Order's inquisitors are regarded as heroes against the forces of evil in the Kingdom of Lithmore.

Rhiannon Garridan was born in the wealthy merchant city-state of Vavard, minutes after her twin brother Bram. Though she spent her childhood in luxury, she was not high born. In fact, her lineage traces back to the Charali nomads, making her the equivalent of Romanichal. But her "gypsy" parents, bards in the most authentic sense, entertained and won the hearts of many patrons, and eventually the family gave up their nomadic lifestyle to settle in the Vavardi capital. By the time the twins came into the world, the Garridan family were beloved celebrities and the owners of the city's greatest theatre, the Blue Rose - named for the blue-stained wood of its grand circular interior - and its company of well-respected players.

Unlike the rest of her charismatic family, Rhiannon was a shy girl who lacked stage presence. While Bram began studying performance from an early age, Rhiannon buried her nose in books. She studied music, as was expected, but she cultivated her storytelling skills above all. At sixteen years old, she crafted The Tragedy of the Waves, a doomed love story between a sailor and a siren. The play was a massive success, elevating her to stardom. It seemed a waste to keep such a prodigy at home, and she and her brother were sent to the Kingdom's capital in order to study under masters at the Troubadour Guild.

Lithmore City stood in shocking contrast to the gleaming richness of Vavard, with its liberal culture and its emphasis on beauty and the arts. As the heart of the Church as well as the Kingdom, Lithmore City was cold and austere, a puritanical bore. Rhiannon was immediate homesick and lonely, and she began to host lavish parties in an attempt to recreate the Vavardi spirit. A most frequent guest at these parties was the mysterious Earl Jace Llywarch of Farin, who captured the naïve Rhiannon's heart. Believing despite her low station that he might take her as his wife, she agreed to a secret love affair that lasted only a few months before - predictably - the Earl became engaged to the Duke of Farin's daughter instead. By then, Rhiannon was carrying his child, and when he learned of her pregnancy, he attempted to kill her.

She survived the attack by playing dead, and the matter was brought before the Queen, as the only authority capable of punishing a member of the nobility. However, it wasn't Jace Llywarch who was tried and sentenced, but Rhiannon, for daring to engage in illicit activities out of wedlock. She was banished from the city and hidden away for what was meant to be the duration of her pregnancy, allowing for the Earl to proceed with his marriage and avoid scandal. It also afforded Rhiannon the chance to conceal her own scandal and avoid rumors, to hide her shame and hope that a man might someday still deem her fit for marriage.

But before the child could even be born, the Earl was discovered to be a warlock. The holy Knights Templar arrived at Rhiannon's door one night to drag her away, and she was imprisoned and tortured for weeks as the Inquisitors sought to prove that she, too, was a mage. It was determined that she was innocent of magic - a whore and nothing else - but that the child she carried was sure to be demonic. Rather than burn her at the stake, they branded her belly with the symbol of a heretic, and she remained confined at an abbey until the end of her pregnancy. Lien Garridan mal Llywarch was snatched away from his mother as soon as he was born. It was the first and last time she ever saw her son.

During her recovery from both the torture and childbirth, Rhiannon befriended the Lord of the Knights Templar, Sir Sicius Riovanes. He was a stern and stoic man, but not unkind, and he devoted himself to her physical and emotional therapy. He swore to her in confidence that her child was not burned alive, but that he was being raised within the Church. The Inquisition was interested in observing the development of a mage firsthand, from birth to adulthood, in order to better understand the curse of a magical bloodline. If Rhiannon remained a loyal servant of the Church, she might be allowed to see her son again.

With all evidence of her crimes and injuries swept under the rug, Rhiannon returned to Lithmore City to complete her bardic apprenticeship. At the same time, she began training in combat and stealth under Sicius Riovanes. He only meant to make certain that no mage would harm her as Jace Llywarch had, but her skills caught the attention of High Inquisitor Daran ab Teranthis Corouvis, who made the inspired decision to take her on as the Church's spy. Her profession as a troubadour meant that she was welcome in every circle, and because she was fluent in every language of the realm, she could report on anything spoken in any place in the Kingdom. Also, as a branded heretic, she could immediately gain the trust of a mage through the illusion of a shared enemy in the Church.

It was perfect. Rhiannon agreed without hesitation, remembering that this good behavior might someday reunite her with her child. Unfortunately, she also entered into a sexual relationship with Sicius Riovanes - in clear violation of his sacred vows of chastity. Her life became a difficult balance of witch-hunting and clandestine sin, all the while maintaining her public career within the Troubadours. She was taken on as the Court Bard to the Duchess of Vavard, elevating her to the status of a gentlewoman. But the darkness of her true identity and vocation would always deny her a fairytale ending.

PERSONALITY:

In her younger years, Rhiannon was spoiled and extremely sheltered. After all, she was a young star who was used to being pampered and watched over constantly by attendants and family members. Everything she demanded was delivered to her, from the latest fashions to her particular favorite treats. With her discerning taste, she expected the very finest in all of her experiences. And if she couldn't get what she wanted, she was prone to moody tantrums and dramatic gestures, refusing to eat or drink or speak until her caregivers relented.

Make no mistake, though: Rhiannon was never lazy or vapid. She gained her fame, fortune, and popularity because of her premature genius and skill with the pen. She was a bright girl with sharp wits and book smarts, but she had little experience with people outside of her tight circle of family members and acquaintances around the theatre. When she was forced to leave it all behind, she was bitter, feeling lost and deserted. She had always been an introverted girl and she wasn't ready to make her own way in the world, in an entirely different region with different customs and expectations.

Lithmore's idea of entertainment had less to do with grand stage performances and more to do with social gatherings. Eventually, she got the hang of city life: a bit of drinking here, a little harmless flirting there, and lots of exclusive parties. With a pretty face and a penchant for wordplay and quick comebacks, she became the upper class's favorite hostess. Sadly, her naïveté left her vulnerable.

Although she survived the trials that followed her affair with Jace Llywarch, she was deeply changed. When she was mutilated by the Church and had her child stolen from her arms, her rage settled on magic. It was a mage, after all, who had corrupted her and nearly killed her. It was clear that magic was to blame for ruining her in body, in reputation, and in spirit. She had seen firsthand what evil it could do, and mages would pay for their crimes against her and the rest of humanity.

After such an ordeal and all that suffering, Rhiannon has grown calm and quiet, tranquil to the extent that she resembles a porcelain doll: allowing very little of whatever she feels to surface on her features. She has the air of a dreamer, philosophical and a bit mad. It would be easy to mistake her for a mystic. Which is, of course, the point. Mages frequently interpret her as one of their own. Under that placid mask, they fail to see her inner rage and thirst for vengeance.

Rhiannon is now able to present herself however the situation requires. Her calculating intelligence is the result of her studies as well as personal experience. Her humor can be charming or cold, biting and sarcastic. Her anger is tempered and her patience steady enough to allow her to play the long game. She can weave lies as easily as she once wrote stories, a master manipulator who will use every one of her assets to her advantage. At last, Rhiannon has become a talented actress.

POWER:

http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Truth_Inducement
http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Imperceptibility
http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Siren_Song

COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:

LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:

FINAL NOTES: