Beerune's Application for Medietas
Aug. 28th, 2016 07:20 pmPlayer Information
Name: Hayley
Age: 30
Contact: https://www.plurk.com/Manateehugs
Characters already in Medietas: None
Reserve Link:
Character Basics
Character name: Beerune
Character Journal:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
paladinholylawyer
Canon: Original Character
Age: 33
Icon: Icon
Original Character Information
Appearance:
Beerune looks like she is native to a colder, cloudy, more northern climate. She has light skin, with many many dark freckles throughout her body with a large smattering on her cheeks. Living in the Republic of Atrella, which is very hot and sunny, coastal rocky, with pockets of farmland, areas of scrubby plains and desert (much like our Mediterranean), her skin under her dark freckles has become quite golden. Her hair is blonde, she has enough of it to braid into two large braids, one forming a crown and the other falling to the middle of her back. Her height is 5 ft 10’ she is on the lanky side, but has a wiry strength. She has a ready smile when she’s with others and usually has a thoughtful frown when reading, writing and generally investigating. She has sea green eyes. The vestments that she wears, as a adherent of the Goddess of Sheem of Protective Justice, are medium weight linen with a very wide leg that flare from knee down to the ankle, they are flowy and comfortable and have a high waist, like “Goucho pants” or Palazzos, with this she wears a short warm burgundy colored shirt tucked into the trousers that has sleeves that flare out at the elbow. On the center of the center of the shirt is an embroidered in orange-gold colored thread kaleidoscopic flower icon of Sheem. These vestments are some of Beerune’s very few personal possessions and in her world point her out to the citizenry as an Adherent to a temple and Deity. In the center of her shoulder blade on her right side is a branding that signifies her as someone who has committed a theft of an item, or items costing over a 100,000 Meelar.
Setting:
Beerune lives in a Mediterranean Ancient Romanesque setting. The country she lives in was once part of a vast land based Empire, but has since reformed into several different countries. Beerune’s home country is a democratic-republic named the Artella Republic. The Republican nature of Artella is very new, 150 years ago the country was an Oligarchy ruled by a handful of merchant guilds and called the Consortium of Artella. The transition led to a periodic spasms of civil war, which intensified and created a century of warfare. The situation worsened when the military of a neighboring country Nugaraen, tried to occupy the south of Atrella near its Eastern border. As a result of both civil war and efforts by Nugaraen to occupy, warfare reached a crescendo of violence known as the Harnallen Conflict, 60 years before Beerune’s birth.
Artella is home to very hot dry summers with most rainfall and cool weather coming in the winter. The country is rough and rocky with mountains and stony fields. The farmland is very fertile however, and scrubby citrus and olive trees are common and barley and millet are common grain crops. Artella has extensive access to the sea with three of its four borders being coastline. Shipyard and sailing work are very common, and fish food dishes make up the majority of dishes with meat, supplemented by sheep and goat. The majority of the Republic’s people live in the numerous cities dotted throughout the country with a steady meticulously cared for roadway system linking the cities and little towns all together. Unlike Ancient Roman there are no massive farming-estates worked by slave labor; there had been in the days of Artella’s Consortium, but slavery in Beerune’s time is strictly forbidden.
History
Earliest years and becoming an Initiate (Age 6 months-16 years)
The temple to Sheem in Anticea, like all the temples to Artella’s deities, takes in orphans and foundlings. Beerune was a foundling left at the temple when she was just a few months old. Orphans and foundlings can stay at the temple, having all their needs met until they reach the age of majority at 14. While influence of the Goddess Sheem is guaranteed in her house, her worship is not evangelized to any of the non-adherents. At the age of 14, those staying at the temple can choose to stay becoming Adherents, or they can make their way in the world. Beerune was hesitant to dedicate her life to Sheem’s service at 14. Also, like many teens her peer group was very important to her.
She did feel called to serve Sheem, however the intensity of that call, and what it meant made her frightened. The want to leave with her friend group and her call to Sheem became a conflict that turned into an anxious fixation. Ultimately, she left the temple with four friends. The group of five tried to get by staying together, harvesting for vineyards, off loading at the docks, working for inns and tavernas, but they always ran short on money. Five months later, and a shortage in cities bread dole, due to bad grain season, led them to begging. At this age many become apprentices to a guild or an individual. However guilds people will not take on apprentices without family members or older adults to vouch for them. It is also very rare that an individual will either.
Felix, Kaieen, and Drodma started pickpocketing, with a number of successes they got bolder and started breaking into houses. They found themselves to have innate talent for pick pocketing Kaieen and Felix specifically found breaking into houses a thrill they lusted after. Kiaoeri and Beerune in the meantime tried to survive through begging and temple tokens. Temple tokens are little disks of leather, bone, or horn with the symbol of any number of deities carve, tooled, or burned onto the surface. These tokens are given out by Adherents to the needy and it gives them a cot, a meal, and the resources to wash up.
Knowing no other life than the life at Sheem’s temple, Beerune was discouraged and frightened when her friends started stealing. She had a strong crush on Felix who was also the unspoken leader of the group, but felt he was unreachable, at least romantically and sexually. She grew closer and closer with Kaioeri at first in their shared attempt to not steal while trying to survive. Felix, Kaieen, and Drodma didn’t snub Beerune and Kaioeri for not stealing, but the three did take in more money, technically giving the friend group more support. Beerune came to love Kaioeri. for her imaginative nature, her laid back attitude and the little clay figures she would make. Kaioeri was also very sensual, and their friendship, expanded to include some sexual exploration.
Things were reached, a sort of status quo, but it wasn’t a comfortable one, and stretches from both ends caused it to rupture. Kaioeri felt despondent in the fact that she and Beerune couldn’t obtain apprenticeships, her frustration coincided with her sexual awakening, so she started into prostitution. This gave Beerune lots of anxiety on Kaioeri’s behalf. Although Beerune felt a heavy cloud of dread about Kaioeri’s situation and Felix, Kaieen and Drodma’s situations, things seemed to be going well. She had no frame of reference as a foundling, whereas her friends were orphans with hazy memories of parents struggling. Drodma was a war orphan from the Easternmost ally of Artella, and Kaioeri’s and her parents were semi nomadic seafarers from the Archipelagos and atolls of the Southeastern Summer Seas, but it hadn’t spared them from the entanglement in warfare. Felix and Kaieen had lost their parents to injury and sickness.
Then Felix, Kaieen and Drodma stole an item they shouldn’t have. An heirloom of a family of moderate nobility, but ties to one of the Consortium’s great guild families. The heirloom was a headpiece and necklace combined adornment made of gold, with Artella’s most precious metal as inlays and many carats of gems. The piece was easy enough to hide, but news that the piece had been stolen spread through the city in days, fliers posted, public announcements made in the forums. The friends had stolen the piece with the intention of dismantling it and selling it piecemeal to different people. However, they didn’t have the resources to break it down, and they couldn’t enlist a blacksmith or jeweler for fear of getting turned in for the reward that was now being offered. In their height of stress, Felix asked Beerune to keep the heirloom hidden on her.
In the several days that followed Beerune reached out to Kaioeri, and found that Kaioeri and the half dozen girls, boys and women she worked with had been taken under the influence of a pimp, a particularly vicious one. Forgetting her fear involving the heirloom momentarily and confronted the pimp. First with words then she retaliated physically when he went to grab her. His shock that small girl who just turned fifteen would actually turn on him, afforded her a couple of good blow. Then he took her down by the throat trying strangle her. The only thing that saved her was her fingernails biting into the man’s scalp and Kaioeri’s crying pleas for the man to stop. The man did, but as Beerune was trying to shudderingly wheeze air in, he punched her breaking her nose and cheekbone. She managed to leave with her life.
Two days later Beerune spoke with Felix about possibly getting rid of the heirloom altogether by leaving it somewhere in the city, that it would be found, and mostly likely with the pressure of the urban cohort (the Artellian police) it would be found by them and returned. Felix agreed, but unknown to Beerune, Drodma, and Kaioeri he made a plan B. Beerune went to the place she and Felix reasoned out would be the best semi-hiding place for the heirloom that night. Felix came a few moments later with Kaieen and, with two urban cohort soldiers with him, catching Beerune with the heirloom in hand. Beerune could only stare at Felix in horror as he explained he had heard Beerune boasting about her theft of the heirloom, but that she was going to try and get rid of it. Beerune tried to stutter out her innocence, but she was arrested right in front of Felix and Kaieen.
Two of her friends betrayal led to a year in Artella’s prison. This is also where she received the brand on her back at the right shoulder. She kept her head down, but mourned and the hurt festered despite her trying not to let it. Even though she’d left the temple a year ago she had never stopped praying to Sheem, the Goddess was now fully her mother figure. She Spoke to some people about the Goddess and the response she got from within the prison was split between, hatred and a sense of being ignored, to pleads to look into cases once she’d became an initiate. She tried her best to keep some kind of record of those seeking help that came to her.
Shortly after her sixteenth birthday she was released, and she lost no time in returning to the temple of Sheem. Six months later she took the vows and became an initiate.
Apprenticeship with Temesgen and Rising to Full Adherent Status (Age 17-30)
A year into their novice period Adherents of Sheem’s order begin a time of apprenticeship with an Adherent of at least ten years of experience. Pairings can be any combination of genders including Artella’s third gendered group. Novices write essays about themselves, their thoughts on Sheem, and what they are most devoted to in service to the Goddess and lay followers. Essay’s are given to potential mentors blindly and they choose their students according to their essay.
Temesgen was a later in life Adherent, the first part of his life being soldier-hood and active war duty with the Nugaraen military. He has PTSD relating to the warfare he saw and is in deep remorse for something which he was involved in in the warfare. The highest clergy in the order is aware of his past, and that his motives for joining the order have been self-redemption. The higher ups have no qualm with this. However, Temesgen does and avoided having apprentice year after year. He only offered himself to mentoring when the high clergy demanded it of him.
Part of Temesgen’s hesitancy had to do with the intimacy of the apprentice-mentor bond. This bond can involving sharing memories, sometimes unintentionally, and empathetic sense of one’s of one another’s feelings, once a bond has formed between the mentor and apprentice it can’t be blocked on either side. However, the two have to be together as in in the same general area or building as one another for the empathetic bond and memory sharing. It is preferred by the order, that mentors take on two apprentices at a time, usually one male, one female, one male or female and a third gender student. Temesgen was specifically anxious about taking on Beerune, since he knew she’d end up seeing memories of the warfare he was involved in and feel the effects from his PTSD. On her end Beerune was nervous about Temesgen seeing her past, her complacency of not turning in her friends, covering for their crime, and her time in prison. On one hand though, Beerune knew in becoming an Adherent whoever became her mentor would end up seeing those memories. In time he saw the brand mark over shoulder blade too.
During the course of her apprenticeship to Temesgen taught her everything he had learned over the years. The majority of Adherences to Sheem choose a specific aspect of her protective justice. Others choose whatever cases fit into Sheem’s domain that come their way. Temesgen’s specialty was prosecuting war criminals, and those that use war to cover for their crimes that hurt refugees and prisoners of war. As a past soldier Temesgen is a skilled swordsman and lancer, but in accordance with Artella’s Code of Adherents he taught Beerune how to defend herself and others who needed protection, with hand-to-hand combat, spear and sword and the magical ability gifted by Sheem called Kneel by Adherents.
By the end of her tutoriage with Temesgen Beerune didn’t have a specialty, but she did thrive in taking on cases others might not want to take on, such as helping ex-convicts. This in time led her to her case she pursues in Bargain of Bones. At the age of 30 Beerune succeeded in her exams and confirmation of commitment to Sheem Goddess of Protective Justice and became an Adherent.
Beginning of Bargain of Bones 31-33
Beerune begins her case for the residents of Scoured-Land, struggling to understand the history of the land and it’s communities in relation to the Harfallen Conflict 60 years earlier. The catch is Scoured-Land is a war blasted wasteland, and it’s people are the Necromantically risen skeletal soldiers of the conflict. Artella had resorted to Necromancy in a bid for survival. Artella now seeks the destruction of the peoples in Scoured-Land to be able to pursue a trading relationship with a neighboring country. However, Beerune finds that information on the conflict has been purposefully obscured, and she knows she being covertly followed and listened to. At same time she manages to find a vet of the Harfallen conflict, Anduli, and old feelings are stirred up in her that haven’t been since she lost Temesgen. It’s at this point in her story that Beerune comes to Medias.
Personality:
Strengths: Weaknesses:
Compassionate Obsessive
Loyal Mistrust, expects betrayal, especially from the closest people
Determined Can be mildly to moderately argumentative
Hard working Dedication to Sheem’s order to the point of self neglect
A fighter Needs to feel she’s got things under control
Resourceful May hoard food or items
Observant May steal items that are deemed insignificant to the owner
Generous Has a violent streak, not deadly, but punchy, and fears it
Loving Mild prudishness due to orders vow of celibacy
Sensual Celibate
Avid learner Naivete
Compelled to right wrongs Compelled to right wrongs
Exemplary memory Never able to fully forgive
Compassion
Many of Beerune’s above traits have a lot to do with her history. Her Compassion is both nature and nurture for her. According to the teachings of Sheem, and the Code of Conduct for her Adherents, compassion is of utmost importance. Compassion is the driving force to creating the protective justice a worshiper comes to Sheem for. It is then taught that understanding is the path towards this compassion, clear unbiased understanding will ensure that protection is provided, not greed or abuse. Adherents spend hours and hours in study to learn everything they can about the culture, personalities, needs, and problems of both sides of their case to provide as just a justice as can protect those who are being hurt.
Service
Beerune believes with all her heart that serving Sheem is always the best path, and her naivete, does prove dangerous to her more than once. She often loses herself as an individual in her dedication to the Goddess’s service. She’ll have the doctrine approved answer, but not the Beerune answer.
Fear
She has many fears, perhaps her largest one is that she’ll have to leave Sheem’s service. It’s a massive part of her identity, and after her early life of the streets of Artella, she’s keenly aware she doesn’t have anyone or thing outside of her order, well until now with Medias perhaps ;) . She also fears her own reaction to feeling anger. She often feels the urge to physically fight another, and as a Adherent she knows that it’s unacceptable behavior so she tries to push down those feelings and it’s not healthy for her. As part of being an Adherent to she, like many, also fears failing those who seek her help and the pain that will cause them. Fear of betrayal by those she cares about especially the closest people. This was caused by her wayward period with her young friends and their betrayal. She tried to not let it sink into her like it did. If she is pushed away or hurt by someone, she will always feel the sting of that and won’t be able to fully forgive. Given her religiousness and particular deity, she feels guilty about this.
Love and Sensuality
Beerune at her core is very loving and has a great capacity for love and physical/emotional sensuality. However, she represses it devotion to the order. It’s her form of asceticism, denying the only bodily need that she can that won’t eventually kill her. In sexual orientation she’s bisexual, she’s loved and had sex with Kaieori when she was in her early to mid teens. I’m not sure if she and Temesgen have had sex, but they do love each other and have shared that empathetic magic bond. This said, I’m open to exploring all sort of relationships with her, but romantic and or sexual relationships would take a very tenacious person to achieve ;) .
Other Smaller Weaknesses
Stealing small items and needing to feel like she has control, are symptomatic of her hunger on the streets and the PTSD from that. Also some of Temesgen’s PTSD has become so entangled in Beerune’s mind over their years of mental intimacy, that she’s not sure what parts are hers and which are his.
Likes: Hot weather, surfing, swimming, praying, living in Sheem’s temple in Anticea, sharing a bed with someone, cool moist foods, spice, lots of flavor, music, wandering the city, reading, writing, researching, sex, cleaning, meeting people, helping people, orange, gold, maroon, black, chanting, meditation, coffee, her vestments.
Dislikes: Bullies, illegal activities, being mistaken for being with the urban cohort (the police), being feared, dancing (feels clumsy), being hungry (she gets hangry), sleeping (too busy), lying, certain smells that are supposed to be nice but are used heavily, betrayal
Powers/Abilities/Talents:
Powers are considered gifts from Sheem.
Kneel
During their novice period all students learn the Kneel command. In a moment of self or other defense an attack can be made to kneel, disengaging any further attack. However, as the ability is channelled from Sheem, the Adherent can only use the power to defend themselves against attack, if the perceived attacker is attacking to defend themselves, being forced, or acting out fear kneel won’t work. The power cannot be used to humiliated or dominate.
Sense Increase
Usually one of an Adherent’s five scenes is enhanced, often it’s sight or hearing, or another aspect of one’s being, like memory, or intuition. Beerune’s enhanced sense is smell. She would not say she was bullied at the Temple, but teens being teens she did get lots of, “Smell my pits!” And farts turned in her direction. Needless to say she learned how to withstand harsh smells early on. She can smell emotions (yep she can smell your fear), signs of sickness or infection, and can pick out individuals by their scent if they are within 100ft of her (ie in her quadrant of a crowd or the same building).
Succor
Is the telepathic linking with a person to show them your intentions and reassure them. Neither person can lie during this bond. The person will get the whole truth from the Adherent about what they feel and what they’re trying to do. It’s not an invasion of the mind more of a mental taking of the hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. It is usually done to comfort and reassure, building trust with a person who’s afraid, really upset, or deeply not wanting to talk to someone in law or perceived as like the urban cohort.
Psychometry
Is the gifted to about a fourth of Adherents, of any faith. It reads the past, present and possibly future of an item on touch. The informations displays to the adherent in the form of visions, like watching an event playing out through the filter of a dream with sensation and emotion added. There is also the background of the object’s lifeforce, not enough to form a sentient being, but a mixture of a life of memories and presents and the energy shared with the object in it’s creation and from owner to owner. Beerune’s Psychometry can affect anything she touches including people and even the food she handles. Temesgen, though he doesn’t have Psychometry, he was able to teach Beerune a mental exercise to turn her Psychometry on and off, it’s in the imaginary form of a curtain closing.
What 4 items would you like your character too have with them on the island during their stay?
Her dufflebag filled with her vestments (she’ll feel naked without them), her holy symbol necklace of Sheem, her writing wax tablet and stylus.
Samples - Can be linked
First Person
I have traveled to many places over the years, but I’ve always eventually come back to Anticea. I think it takes a while to sink in, but slowly over time I’ve found that living in the same place for a long time is a mixed blessing and curse. I keep missing Temesgen. I keep remembering Felix staring at me as the urban cohort lead me off. I remember Kaioeri’s bed... I keep trying to find ways to curl up and shelter in the ruins of my older life. I wonder if I should transfer to another of Sheem’s temples, there are as many as there are cities, but I never hold onto that idea for long. I should go, but this place is in my heart.
Third Person
http://medietas-ooc.dreamwidth.org/3311.html?thread=1275375#cmt1275375 Test Drive!
Finally, out of the 4 words, pick one: Chimes
Name: Hayley
Age: 30
Contact: https://www.plurk.com/Manateehugs
Characters already in Medietas: None
Reserve Link:
Character Basics
Character name: Beerune
Character Journal:
paladinholylawyerCanon: Original Character
Age: 33
Icon: Icon
Original Character Information
Appearance:
Beerune looks like she is native to a colder, cloudy, more northern climate. She has light skin, with many many dark freckles throughout her body with a large smattering on her cheeks. Living in the Republic of Atrella, which is very hot and sunny, coastal rocky, with pockets of farmland, areas of scrubby plains and desert (much like our Mediterranean), her skin under her dark freckles has become quite golden. Her hair is blonde, she has enough of it to braid into two large braids, one forming a crown and the other falling to the middle of her back. Her height is 5 ft 10’ she is on the lanky side, but has a wiry strength. She has a ready smile when she’s with others and usually has a thoughtful frown when reading, writing and generally investigating. She has sea green eyes. The vestments that she wears, as a adherent of the Goddess of Sheem of Protective Justice, are medium weight linen with a very wide leg that flare from knee down to the ankle, they are flowy and comfortable and have a high waist, like “Goucho pants” or Palazzos, with this she wears a short warm burgundy colored shirt tucked into the trousers that has sleeves that flare out at the elbow. On the center of the center of the shirt is an embroidered in orange-gold colored thread kaleidoscopic flower icon of Sheem. These vestments are some of Beerune’s very few personal possessions and in her world point her out to the citizenry as an Adherent to a temple and Deity. In the center of her shoulder blade on her right side is a branding that signifies her as someone who has committed a theft of an item, or items costing over a 100,000 Meelar.
Setting:
Beerune lives in a Mediterranean Ancient Romanesque setting. The country she lives in was once part of a vast land based Empire, but has since reformed into several different countries. Beerune’s home country is a democratic-republic named the Artella Republic. The Republican nature of Artella is very new, 150 years ago the country was an Oligarchy ruled by a handful of merchant guilds and called the Consortium of Artella. The transition led to a periodic spasms of civil war, which intensified and created a century of warfare. The situation worsened when the military of a neighboring country Nugaraen, tried to occupy the south of Atrella near its Eastern border. As a result of both civil war and efforts by Nugaraen to occupy, warfare reached a crescendo of violence known as the Harnallen Conflict, 60 years before Beerune’s birth.
Artella is home to very hot dry summers with most rainfall and cool weather coming in the winter. The country is rough and rocky with mountains and stony fields. The farmland is very fertile however, and scrubby citrus and olive trees are common and barley and millet are common grain crops. Artella has extensive access to the sea with three of its four borders being coastline. Shipyard and sailing work are very common, and fish food dishes make up the majority of dishes with meat, supplemented by sheep and goat. The majority of the Republic’s people live in the numerous cities dotted throughout the country with a steady meticulously cared for roadway system linking the cities and little towns all together. Unlike Ancient Roman there are no massive farming-estates worked by slave labor; there had been in the days of Artella’s Consortium, but slavery in Beerune’s time is strictly forbidden.
History
Earliest years and becoming an Initiate (Age 6 months-16 years)
The temple to Sheem in Anticea, like all the temples to Artella’s deities, takes in orphans and foundlings. Beerune was a foundling left at the temple when she was just a few months old. Orphans and foundlings can stay at the temple, having all their needs met until they reach the age of majority at 14. While influence of the Goddess Sheem is guaranteed in her house, her worship is not evangelized to any of the non-adherents. At the age of 14, those staying at the temple can choose to stay becoming Adherents, or they can make their way in the world. Beerune was hesitant to dedicate her life to Sheem’s service at 14. Also, like many teens her peer group was very important to her.
She did feel called to serve Sheem, however the intensity of that call, and what it meant made her frightened. The want to leave with her friend group and her call to Sheem became a conflict that turned into an anxious fixation. Ultimately, she left the temple with four friends. The group of five tried to get by staying together, harvesting for vineyards, off loading at the docks, working for inns and tavernas, but they always ran short on money. Five months later, and a shortage in cities bread dole, due to bad grain season, led them to begging. At this age many become apprentices to a guild or an individual. However guilds people will not take on apprentices without family members or older adults to vouch for them. It is also very rare that an individual will either.
Felix, Kaieen, and Drodma started pickpocketing, with a number of successes they got bolder and started breaking into houses. They found themselves to have innate talent for pick pocketing Kaieen and Felix specifically found breaking into houses a thrill they lusted after. Kiaoeri and Beerune in the meantime tried to survive through begging and temple tokens. Temple tokens are little disks of leather, bone, or horn with the symbol of any number of deities carve, tooled, or burned onto the surface. These tokens are given out by Adherents to the needy and it gives them a cot, a meal, and the resources to wash up.
Knowing no other life than the life at Sheem’s temple, Beerune was discouraged and frightened when her friends started stealing. She had a strong crush on Felix who was also the unspoken leader of the group, but felt he was unreachable, at least romantically and sexually. She grew closer and closer with Kaioeri at first in their shared attempt to not steal while trying to survive. Felix, Kaieen, and Drodma didn’t snub Beerune and Kaioeri for not stealing, but the three did take in more money, technically giving the friend group more support. Beerune came to love Kaioeri. for her imaginative nature, her laid back attitude and the little clay figures she would make. Kaioeri was also very sensual, and their friendship, expanded to include some sexual exploration.
Things were reached, a sort of status quo, but it wasn’t a comfortable one, and stretches from both ends caused it to rupture. Kaioeri felt despondent in the fact that she and Beerune couldn’t obtain apprenticeships, her frustration coincided with her sexual awakening, so she started into prostitution. This gave Beerune lots of anxiety on Kaioeri’s behalf. Although Beerune felt a heavy cloud of dread about Kaioeri’s situation and Felix, Kaieen and Drodma’s situations, things seemed to be going well. She had no frame of reference as a foundling, whereas her friends were orphans with hazy memories of parents struggling. Drodma was a war orphan from the Easternmost ally of Artella, and Kaioeri’s and her parents were semi nomadic seafarers from the Archipelagos and atolls of the Southeastern Summer Seas, but it hadn’t spared them from the entanglement in warfare. Felix and Kaieen had lost their parents to injury and sickness.
Then Felix, Kaieen and Drodma stole an item they shouldn’t have. An heirloom of a family of moderate nobility, but ties to one of the Consortium’s great guild families. The heirloom was a headpiece and necklace combined adornment made of gold, with Artella’s most precious metal as inlays and many carats of gems. The piece was easy enough to hide, but news that the piece had been stolen spread through the city in days, fliers posted, public announcements made in the forums. The friends had stolen the piece with the intention of dismantling it and selling it piecemeal to different people. However, they didn’t have the resources to break it down, and they couldn’t enlist a blacksmith or jeweler for fear of getting turned in for the reward that was now being offered. In their height of stress, Felix asked Beerune to keep the heirloom hidden on her.
In the several days that followed Beerune reached out to Kaioeri, and found that Kaioeri and the half dozen girls, boys and women she worked with had been taken under the influence of a pimp, a particularly vicious one. Forgetting her fear involving the heirloom momentarily and confronted the pimp. First with words then she retaliated physically when he went to grab her. His shock that small girl who just turned fifteen would actually turn on him, afforded her a couple of good blow. Then he took her down by the throat trying strangle her. The only thing that saved her was her fingernails biting into the man’s scalp and Kaioeri’s crying pleas for the man to stop. The man did, but as Beerune was trying to shudderingly wheeze air in, he punched her breaking her nose and cheekbone. She managed to leave with her life.
Two days later Beerune spoke with Felix about possibly getting rid of the heirloom altogether by leaving it somewhere in the city, that it would be found, and mostly likely with the pressure of the urban cohort (the Artellian police) it would be found by them and returned. Felix agreed, but unknown to Beerune, Drodma, and Kaioeri he made a plan B. Beerune went to the place she and Felix reasoned out would be the best semi-hiding place for the heirloom that night. Felix came a few moments later with Kaieen and, with two urban cohort soldiers with him, catching Beerune with the heirloom in hand. Beerune could only stare at Felix in horror as he explained he had heard Beerune boasting about her theft of the heirloom, but that she was going to try and get rid of it. Beerune tried to stutter out her innocence, but she was arrested right in front of Felix and Kaieen.
Two of her friends betrayal led to a year in Artella’s prison. This is also where she received the brand on her back at the right shoulder. She kept her head down, but mourned and the hurt festered despite her trying not to let it. Even though she’d left the temple a year ago she had never stopped praying to Sheem, the Goddess was now fully her mother figure. She Spoke to some people about the Goddess and the response she got from within the prison was split between, hatred and a sense of being ignored, to pleads to look into cases once she’d became an initiate. She tried her best to keep some kind of record of those seeking help that came to her.
Shortly after her sixteenth birthday she was released, and she lost no time in returning to the temple of Sheem. Six months later she took the vows and became an initiate.
Apprenticeship with Temesgen and Rising to Full Adherent Status (Age 17-30)
A year into their novice period Adherents of Sheem’s order begin a time of apprenticeship with an Adherent of at least ten years of experience. Pairings can be any combination of genders including Artella’s third gendered group. Novices write essays about themselves, their thoughts on Sheem, and what they are most devoted to in service to the Goddess and lay followers. Essay’s are given to potential mentors blindly and they choose their students according to their essay.
Temesgen was a later in life Adherent, the first part of his life being soldier-hood and active war duty with the Nugaraen military. He has PTSD relating to the warfare he saw and is in deep remorse for something which he was involved in in the warfare. The highest clergy in the order is aware of his past, and that his motives for joining the order have been self-redemption. The higher ups have no qualm with this. However, Temesgen does and avoided having apprentice year after year. He only offered himself to mentoring when the high clergy demanded it of him.
Part of Temesgen’s hesitancy had to do with the intimacy of the apprentice-mentor bond. This bond can involving sharing memories, sometimes unintentionally, and empathetic sense of one’s of one another’s feelings, once a bond has formed between the mentor and apprentice it can’t be blocked on either side. However, the two have to be together as in in the same general area or building as one another for the empathetic bond and memory sharing. It is preferred by the order, that mentors take on two apprentices at a time, usually one male, one female, one male or female and a third gender student. Temesgen was specifically anxious about taking on Beerune, since he knew she’d end up seeing memories of the warfare he was involved in and feel the effects from his PTSD. On her end Beerune was nervous about Temesgen seeing her past, her complacency of not turning in her friends, covering for their crime, and her time in prison. On one hand though, Beerune knew in becoming an Adherent whoever became her mentor would end up seeing those memories. In time he saw the brand mark over shoulder blade too.
During the course of her apprenticeship to Temesgen taught her everything he had learned over the years. The majority of Adherences to Sheem choose a specific aspect of her protective justice. Others choose whatever cases fit into Sheem’s domain that come their way. Temesgen’s specialty was prosecuting war criminals, and those that use war to cover for their crimes that hurt refugees and prisoners of war. As a past soldier Temesgen is a skilled swordsman and lancer, but in accordance with Artella’s Code of Adherents he taught Beerune how to defend herself and others who needed protection, with hand-to-hand combat, spear and sword and the magical ability gifted by Sheem called Kneel by Adherents.
By the end of her tutoriage with Temesgen Beerune didn’t have a specialty, but she did thrive in taking on cases others might not want to take on, such as helping ex-convicts. This in time led her to her case she pursues in Bargain of Bones. At the age of 30 Beerune succeeded in her exams and confirmation of commitment to Sheem Goddess of Protective Justice and became an Adherent.
Beginning of Bargain of Bones 31-33
Beerune begins her case for the residents of Scoured-Land, struggling to understand the history of the land and it’s communities in relation to the Harfallen Conflict 60 years earlier. The catch is Scoured-Land is a war blasted wasteland, and it’s people are the Necromantically risen skeletal soldiers of the conflict. Artella had resorted to Necromancy in a bid for survival. Artella now seeks the destruction of the peoples in Scoured-Land to be able to pursue a trading relationship with a neighboring country. However, Beerune finds that information on the conflict has been purposefully obscured, and she knows she being covertly followed and listened to. At same time she manages to find a vet of the Harfallen conflict, Anduli, and old feelings are stirred up in her that haven’t been since she lost Temesgen. It’s at this point in her story that Beerune comes to Medias.
Personality:
Strengths: Weaknesses:
Compassionate Obsessive
Loyal Mistrust, expects betrayal, especially from the closest people
Determined Can be mildly to moderately argumentative
Hard working Dedication to Sheem’s order to the point of self neglect
A fighter Needs to feel she’s got things under control
Resourceful May hoard food or items
Observant May steal items that are deemed insignificant to the owner
Generous Has a violent streak, not deadly, but punchy, and fears it
Loving Mild prudishness due to orders vow of celibacy
Sensual Celibate
Avid learner Naivete
Compelled to right wrongs Compelled to right wrongs
Exemplary memory Never able to fully forgive
Compassion
Many of Beerune’s above traits have a lot to do with her history. Her Compassion is both nature and nurture for her. According to the teachings of Sheem, and the Code of Conduct for her Adherents, compassion is of utmost importance. Compassion is the driving force to creating the protective justice a worshiper comes to Sheem for. It is then taught that understanding is the path towards this compassion, clear unbiased understanding will ensure that protection is provided, not greed or abuse. Adherents spend hours and hours in study to learn everything they can about the culture, personalities, needs, and problems of both sides of their case to provide as just a justice as can protect those who are being hurt.
Service
Beerune believes with all her heart that serving Sheem is always the best path, and her naivete, does prove dangerous to her more than once. She often loses herself as an individual in her dedication to the Goddess’s service. She’ll have the doctrine approved answer, but not the Beerune answer.
Fear
She has many fears, perhaps her largest one is that she’ll have to leave Sheem’s service. It’s a massive part of her identity, and after her early life of the streets of Artella, she’s keenly aware she doesn’t have anyone or thing outside of her order, well until now with Medias perhaps ;) . She also fears her own reaction to feeling anger. She often feels the urge to physically fight another, and as a Adherent she knows that it’s unacceptable behavior so she tries to push down those feelings and it’s not healthy for her. As part of being an Adherent to she, like many, also fears failing those who seek her help and the pain that will cause them. Fear of betrayal by those she cares about especially the closest people. This was caused by her wayward period with her young friends and their betrayal. She tried to not let it sink into her like it did. If she is pushed away or hurt by someone, she will always feel the sting of that and won’t be able to fully forgive. Given her religiousness and particular deity, she feels guilty about this.
Love and Sensuality
Beerune at her core is very loving and has a great capacity for love and physical/emotional sensuality. However, she represses it devotion to the order. It’s her form of asceticism, denying the only bodily need that she can that won’t eventually kill her. In sexual orientation she’s bisexual, she’s loved and had sex with Kaieori when she was in her early to mid teens. I’m not sure if she and Temesgen have had sex, but they do love each other and have shared that empathetic magic bond. This said, I’m open to exploring all sort of relationships with her, but romantic and or sexual relationships would take a very tenacious person to achieve ;) .
Other Smaller Weaknesses
Stealing small items and needing to feel like she has control, are symptomatic of her hunger on the streets and the PTSD from that. Also some of Temesgen’s PTSD has become so entangled in Beerune’s mind over their years of mental intimacy, that she’s not sure what parts are hers and which are his.
Likes: Hot weather, surfing, swimming, praying, living in Sheem’s temple in Anticea, sharing a bed with someone, cool moist foods, spice, lots of flavor, music, wandering the city, reading, writing, researching, sex, cleaning, meeting people, helping people, orange, gold, maroon, black, chanting, meditation, coffee, her vestments.
Dislikes: Bullies, illegal activities, being mistaken for being with the urban cohort (the police), being feared, dancing (feels clumsy), being hungry (she gets hangry), sleeping (too busy), lying, certain smells that are supposed to be nice but are used heavily, betrayal
Powers/Abilities/Talents:
Powers are considered gifts from Sheem.
Kneel
During their novice period all students learn the Kneel command. In a moment of self or other defense an attack can be made to kneel, disengaging any further attack. However, as the ability is channelled from Sheem, the Adherent can only use the power to defend themselves against attack, if the perceived attacker is attacking to defend themselves, being forced, or acting out fear kneel won’t work. The power cannot be used to humiliated or dominate.
Sense Increase
Usually one of an Adherent’s five scenes is enhanced, often it’s sight or hearing, or another aspect of one’s being, like memory, or intuition. Beerune’s enhanced sense is smell. She would not say she was bullied at the Temple, but teens being teens she did get lots of, “Smell my pits!” And farts turned in her direction. Needless to say she learned how to withstand harsh smells early on. She can smell emotions (yep she can smell your fear), signs of sickness or infection, and can pick out individuals by their scent if they are within 100ft of her (ie in her quadrant of a crowd or the same building).
Succor
Is the telepathic linking with a person to show them your intentions and reassure them. Neither person can lie during this bond. The person will get the whole truth from the Adherent about what they feel and what they’re trying to do. It’s not an invasion of the mind more of a mental taking of the hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. It is usually done to comfort and reassure, building trust with a person who’s afraid, really upset, or deeply not wanting to talk to someone in law or perceived as like the urban cohort.
Psychometry
Is the gifted to about a fourth of Adherents, of any faith. It reads the past, present and possibly future of an item on touch. The informations displays to the adherent in the form of visions, like watching an event playing out through the filter of a dream with sensation and emotion added. There is also the background of the object’s lifeforce, not enough to form a sentient being, but a mixture of a life of memories and presents and the energy shared with the object in it’s creation and from owner to owner. Beerune’s Psychometry can affect anything she touches including people and even the food she handles. Temesgen, though he doesn’t have Psychometry, he was able to teach Beerune a mental exercise to turn her Psychometry on and off, it’s in the imaginary form of a curtain closing.
What 4 items would you like your character too have with them on the island during their stay?
Her dufflebag filled with her vestments (she’ll feel naked without them), her holy symbol necklace of Sheem, her writing wax tablet and stylus.
Samples - Can be linked
First Person
I have traveled to many places over the years, but I’ve always eventually come back to Anticea. I think it takes a while to sink in, but slowly over time I’ve found that living in the same place for a long time is a mixed blessing and curse. I keep missing Temesgen. I keep remembering Felix staring at me as the urban cohort lead me off. I remember Kaioeri’s bed... I keep trying to find ways to curl up and shelter in the ruins of my older life. I wonder if I should transfer to another of Sheem’s temples, there are as many as there are cities, but I never hold onto that idea for long. I should go, but this place is in my heart.
Third Person
http://medietas-ooc.dreamwidth.org/3311.html?thread=1275375#cmt1275375 Test Drive!
Finally, out of the 4 words, pick one: Chimes
