Alaya Dawnstar
Father: Raynard Wolfspear
Mother: Meerie Willowwhip
The village of Fraena lies on the outskirts of the human isle; the people there are quiet, humble, and very spiritual. They rely heavily n the gifts of nature to survive, with hunting being a large part of their food and culture. The people here have two names; the first is the one given them at the time of their birth; the second given to them as they mature. The name can be earned by some action, a sign, or by something that describes the person’s personality. Many males have names derived from great hunts or battles, while the woman generally get theirs from their nature. Interesting to note is that these names can change over time, but this is extraordinarily rare. It would take a great event to elicit a changing of this name.
Alaya was born the youngest of three children; with two older brothers, she is the only girl. Her birth was considered a sign from the gods; coming from a village of dark skinned, black hair individuals, she was born fair skinned with silver hair. Her mother, Meerie, was dubbed a harlot in secret and was not trusted by the other women after the child was born.
Alaya Dawnstar earned her name by way of her unusual appearance. She seems almost celestial with her silver hair and violet eyes. “Dawnstar” to the people is a term for an anomaly; when day hits, stars should recede, not to come back till night. The star that persists even when the sun should chase it away is considered a renegade, a rogue, and if it were a person, would not be trusted. Thus the name Dawnstar is a name of exile, not admiration. Fiercely spiritual, they fear what her birth and her staying in the village will mean for the people. Her family also suffers from this discrimination, but they still manage to maintain relationships and some status within the village.
When Alaya was 8, there was a disturbance in the village. Other humans, unlike those of the village, came to visit them. They were friendly from what the villagers could ascertain; the villagers knew some of the common language from their elders, but for the most part communication was rocky. They were strange, and what made them more strange is that they had the same pale skin that Alaya did. Being hospitable, and not wanting to incur the wrath of the gods for turning away weary travelers, the village of Fraena opened their stores of food and drink to the newcomers. They offered them places to sleep, and retired to their own huts for rest.
In the night, Alaya awoke to screams. She left her family’s house to see what was happening, and saw the men who had come that day ransacking the place, taking food stores, furs, and women. They fought with great swords and rapiers, effective weaponry against Fraena’s archery and knife experts. Many men of the village fell before the men had all they could strap to their horses.
The next day was turmoil. The villagers asked their gods what they had done to elicit such rage. Finding no solace in their prayers, their thoughts turned to Alaya’s family. Blaming their daughter for attracting such sorrow, the villagers quietly conspired. They waited till nightfall to put their plan into motion. While the unsuspecting family of 5 slept, the villagers quietly went around blocking every exit before they set fire to the hut where they lay. Awaking to smoke in their throats, the family tried desperately to escape. Desperate, Raynard rammed out a part of the wall weakened by flames, and thrust his youngest out of the hole before him. Not at all a stranger to escape since the other children picked on her so much, she ran the moment her feet hit the ground for the woods. From behind her came the screams of her family. She ran till the sound of feet pounding after her, the light of the fire, and the smell of the smoke were behind her. She finally collapsed into an exhaustive heap, welcoming sleep just as the sun poked its head above the land. With half closed eyes, she watched the light bore over the land. Just as she succumbed to slumber, she saw one, lone star, defiantly remaining in the sky.
Alaya manages to survive off the land; what little information she got from her family about gathering and tracking is enough to sustain her. However, berries and roots cannot completely sate her. With no weapons, she cannot protect herself, nor gain any meat. Resolved, she returns to the village quietly in the night to see what she can gain.
The village is deserted. No soul remains. A lone fox pillages through the remains, looking for food. It seems the very fire set to destroy her family also destroyed half the village. Many of the huts are burned to the ground, a few bodies litter the ruins, but looking through the remaining structures, it’s obvious that the people fled, running away from bad memories, horrible deeds, and any lingering evil.
Filtering through the debris, she finds some leftover food, which she devours; a hunting knife, blackened by flames, a longbow, and some arrows. Returning to the pile that used to be her own home, she finds, only slightly singed, the fur of the wolf from which her father gained her name. Wrapping the fur around her shoulders, she searches till she finds some warm coals, which she feeds until a fire emerges. She sleeps.
Because of the way she was treated by her fellow humans, Alaya is very distrusting of her own kind, and in fact, humanoids in general. She much more prefers nature, with its rules that make sense. She applies the rules of nature to her own outlook on life, killing when necessary, very unmaterialistic, quiet, but harsh. She joins the Long Roads traveling company simply for the adventure; though she won’t admit it,
Subject: Alaya Dawnstar: Human Ranger 
Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:38 am
... ah well... as for longbow vs. composite we had no idea... but now we do.... anyway... her total gold isn't that far off... i think subtracting 20 will probly fix it... and i doubt she'll be too upset to just take a longbow... i'll let her know that i made some mistakes but it won't affect her too much... sorry again!
