Kierra Vhaskar

[KChan she/her]

Player Information

Name: KChan

Contact Information: In my profile. Alternately, you could shine my logo into the sky.

Character Information

Name: Kierra Vhaskar

Race: Xanethi

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Place of Origin: Azure Basin, Vhaskari Highlands

Class: Adventurer/Wandering Ley Researcher

Relationship Status: Single

Channeling Capacity:

-Type: Blended, but mostly external

-Focus Used: Kierra actually has a number of foci: she primarily uses her pair of swords, which were specially crafted to function as such; she also has a crest bearing her family's sigil which contains a small array of crystals, and a simple crystal pendant to be used in an emergency should she find herself without the others.

-Degree of Skill: Having studied channeling her entire life, Kierra's skill with the ley arts is considerable, particularly in the areas of improvisation and fine control. She is also constantly pushing her own limits, always seeking to improve her ability.

Appearance: Kierra is tall, standing at no less than 5'11”, and she looks even taller due to the high-heeled shoes and boots she often wears. She has a slender, long-limbed build and a moderate hourglass figure, while her physique is well-toned due to years of climbing, training, combat, and hard travel. She does not carry herself like the noblewoman she technically is, but rather with the grace and assertive confidence of a skilled swordswoman, though if one looks closely, one can see traces of a dancer in her movements as well. She inherited all the defining features of her family: very fair skin, delicate facial features, high cheekbones, and slightly tilted eyes. Her coloring, too, is typical of a Vhaskar: her hair is a very dark blue, which shines all the brighter in the correct lighting, though she has cut it short (about shoulder-length) and currently disguises the color with her channeling, making it appear to be a much darker blue-black. Her eyes, large and expressive, are a clear, crystalline icy blue.

For clothing, she typically chooses shades of blue, often with gold-colored trim when appropriate, along with black, white, and various neutral shades. Her adventuring fare is simple: shirt, fitted trousers, vest or coat depending on the season, gloves, boots, etc., and a long, billowing blue cloak. Even her swords have been given the typical Vhaskari “blue” treatment; the forging process which also allows them to function as foci has left them with the subtlest of blue tints. When dressing as a noble – though this is done rarely, and only under extreme duress – her clothes are of blue and gold silks, with jewelry and hair adornments made of sapphires set in gold.

Special Skills: In addition to her skill with channeling, Kierra is also a practiced swordswoman, and her noble upbringing has given her a number of skills: she is familiar with the customs, dances, and courtly manners of many countries in Alteiryn – though she struggles to remember them at times – and can write with a fine hand, recite poetry, sing, and play music. She was also an adventurer at heart from an early age, and her many years of climbing all over have given her a very keen sense of balance and a good head for heights. In addition, she is extremely well-read, and has a passion for studying the ley arts. Recently, she has begun studying Masran under the guidance of her friend and bodyguard, Nasir.

Strengths: Kierra's stubborn attitude and what is almost an inability to give up once she's started something means she will push through to the very end, no matter what hardships present themselves. Though she can be discouraged at times, with the right motivation, she will pick herself up every time and push through. She is very intelligent, and is constantly trying to make sense of the world around her by looking for patterns and analyzing what she sees. She is an innovator at heart, and is good at improvisation. This extends to her channeling, as well, which she approaches almost instinctively rather than strictly adhering to set procedures and methodologies.

Her skill at climbing and balance means that heights present no difficulty for her: cliffs, ledges, sheer drops, and narrow perches are much the same as flat ground to her, if a little more exciting. In battle, her lithe frame and natural agility means she has a natural talent for fighting with speed and precision, and this combined with her channeling ability makes her a deadly opponent.

Weaknesses: Kierra's stubbornness, while in some ways a strength, is also a handicap in certain situations. Her biggest weakness, though, is perhaps her inability to cope with feeling trapped or contained in any way. She begins to shut down emotionally, and will withdraw deeper and deeper into her own mind until she can either have time to cool off or someone she trusts can pull her out of it. Her strict upbringing also left her with severe self-doubt which, though she hides it as best she can, can cripple her when it surfaces.

In combat, though strong offensively, Kierra is too lithe and slender to move effectively in heavy equipment, and thus was never trained in the use of either armor or shields. Her feminine build, while lending itself to her natural speed, also means she cannot absorb hits and keep on going: she has to be fast, because if she isn't, she's done for.

Personality: Vibrant, outgoing, adventuresome, and stubborn, Kierra Vhaskar is the last person you would picture as the daughter of a ruling family. She is more at home in the common room of an inn than a ballroom, and any mention of her lineage, except by those she trusts the most (and sometimes even then), will immediately put her on edge. She is, above all else, a free spirit: she seeks to follow her own path in life and find her own happiness, regardless of others' wishes or expectations. In fact, she is so much of a free spirit that she simply cannot handle any sort of confinement. This is not, however, a physical claustrophobia: you can shut her in the tiniest space imaginable and give her the key that will let her out, and she will be fine; however, put her in the largest, grandest palace in the world but forbid her to set foot outside its walls, and all that splendor and grandeur will become nothing more than an oppressive, suffocating prison. This goes with any other type of restriction as well, including societal expectations and anything – or anyone – that tries to force her to think or behave a certain way. Kierra was meant be free, and any attempt to box her in will have disastrous results: for her, for the person/people/situation that put her there, or both.

For Kierra, there is no true “neutral” emotional state: she lives freely, loves deeply, is unquestioningly loyal to her closest friends, drinks in the excitement of even the most dangerous situations, finds beauty and adventure in almost anything, and when she is worried, frightened, or sorrowful, the negative emotion consumes almost everything else. It is like everything she feels or experiences is amplified – sharper, more potent, closer to her heart than what others might feel, despite the mental and emotional defenses she has built for herself.

Despite the emotional intensity she lives in, or perhaps because of it, Kierra finds it difficult to get truly close to other people. She can make friendly acquaintances easily, but because she fears being trapped or betrayed, while there are rare exceptions, it normally takes a great deal of time to earn her truest, deepest trust. And because she moves around so much, she doesn't typically get the chance to form those bonds with the people she meets. Instead, she will distance herself emotionally and, when threatened, will often try to defend herself with brusque words and harsh behavior, hoping to drive the other person away rather than risk being hurt. Alternately, she may choose to simply withdraw entirely and escape that way. This self-isolation in turn leads to loneliness, but because it is difficult for her to let go and trust, the cycle continues. Those who do slip in past her defenses, though, and earn that trust and affection, will never find a more loyal friend. She is sincerely caring and affectionate towards those she feels safe enough to bond with, and will go to extreme lengths to protect them, help them, or even just to make them smile.

Beneath the vibrant, passionate exterior, however, lies an inner darkness riddled with insecurity and crippling self-doubt. She has convinced herself that she is utterly incapable of being anything like what others want from her, and has a deep-seated fear of facing and acknowledging her past and her true identity as the daughter of a ruler and an important individual in her own right. She is unsure of who or even what she is, and, consequentially, of her place in the world. Her journey is as much a search for herself as it is a search for adventure, if not more so.

History: “You already figured out my name and parentage: Kierra Vhaskar, eldest daughter of High Lord Tierran Vhaskar himself. There are those who would label me a princess, I suppose, as the daughter of a ruler, but that has never been the way of the Highlands. And I am glad for it. I already hate being called Lady; to be titled Princess would be absolutely suffocating.

“I told you already that children in the Vhaskari Highlands begin their educations at a young age, but mine started even earlier than the others. I cannot remember the first time I channeled, or what I did with it, though I am told I was far too eager and ended up driving myself to exhaustion, and fainted right there in the middle of the lesson. I doubt you're surprised I would do such a thing.” She grinned at her companion, who looked amused, but kept silent.

“Channeling isn't the only thing I was taught, though it was by far my favorite. Reading, writing, and research methodology are common fare for anyone growing up in or around the Azure Basin, and as my father's daughter, I was pushed harder than any of the others. I was also expected to learn history, politics, etiquette, and how to conduct myself in a formal court, both at home and in any kingdom in Alteiryn. That was the most suffocating of all my studies. Except the dancing, of course. I always loved dancing. And, of course,” she added with a smirk, “I learned my favorite Masran phrase. I got that out of a book, not from a teacher, in case you couldn't tell.” She still thanked her lucky stars she hadn't wished some visiting Masran dignitary a 'Happy Belated Cheesecake' instead of 'Good Morning.' It was embarrassing enough that she had said it to anyone at all.

Nasir laughed, though she could tell he was trying to hold it back. “Yes,” he said, “I could tell.”

“Oh?” Kierra asked, still grinning, and quirked an eyebrow at him. “And you didn't make any embarrassing mistakes at all when you were first learning Altey?”

“Of course not,” came the reply. “I spoke it fluently from the first.” He grinned, and she made a face at him.

“We'll see about that. Perhaps one day I'll catch you.”

“I will have to watch out,” he said with a smile.

“Yes, you will,” she agreed with a grin. “Anyways. What free time I had was typically spent outside. We would spend hours clambering all over, climbing all over the rocky walls of the basin and the mountains and getting ourselves into places no sane flatlander would ever go. Occasionally we did get stuck, and some poor unfortunate Sentinels had to come get us down, but for the most part, we chose our routes carefully. When you grow up in the Highlands, you learn quickly and effectively what is or isn't safe to climb, where not to put your weight, and how to pick your way over, up, and across pretty much anything. Every now and then we got to travel down lower, to where the trees begin to grow, and we climbed those too. The mountains were our entire world, and we made enough adventures for ourselves to fill it to the brim.

“When I wasn't climbing and adventuring, I was reading. Not the academic things my tutors made me read – when left to my own devices, I picked stories. Adventures, tales of heroes and fantastic things and even romance. I must have read every story in every book I could get my hands on. Multiple times. I just couldn't get enough. And the more I read, the more fantastic our adventures on the mountain became, and the more I wanted to read more stories. It was the happiest time of my life in the Highlands.”

“Who was 'we'?” he asked suddenly.

“The other children my age,” she explained. “Their parents were mostly important officials, researchers, or officers, I think. We took some of our lessons together, and we all knew how stupid it is to wander off into the mountains alone, so we banded together. Of course,” she added with a grin, “the more daring our adventures became, the fewer girls there were in the group.” He didn't seem surprised that she hadn't dropped out, and she grinned all the more at that. “Apparently things like falling off rock walls and breaking limbs scared them off. But it was just part of adventuring in the mountains. Out of the ones who stayed, nothing kept any of us down for long.”

“Breaking limbs, hm?” he asked.

“Oh, yes. I think I told you about it before. I fell off one of the terrace walls and broke my leg.”

“Indeed.”

“I would have been fine up there if I'd seen the ice. Guess what lesson I learned that day?”

“I imagine to avoid black ice.”

“That, yes. And if you climb another wall right after you've just had your broken leg healed, the Healers will turn the strangest shade of purple you've ever seen.”

He made a delightful snrk noise, and she grinned all the more. Nasir was normally so calm and collected that reactions like that meant all the more when they came from him.

“As I said, life was an adventure. But, of course, it didn't last forever. As we got older, our lessons and responsibilities called all the more strongly. It wasn't long before the only times we were supposed to be climbing the mountains were to take samples and measurements, and instead of playing, I spent my days practicing my dance steps and addressing my etiquette teacher as if he were the Crown Prince of Tolvera. As you can imagine, I hated it.”

“I can,” he agreed. “After having had that freedom, it must have been like prison.”

“It was. Those adventures were our escape from that world. Or at least, what of it we were already trapped in. I can't imagine how it would have been without them. So to lose them entirely...” She shuddered. “And so I fought back. I snuck out of lessons, or – when I had free time – out of the Basin entirely. I read whenever I could, sometimes even found one or two of my old friends to go on an adventure with me, but that got more and more difficult to do. Eventually the Sentinels had standing orders to bring me back if they caught me wandering outside the Basin without a proper escort.

“I did, at least, still have my stories. And if I couldn't have adventures out in the mountains, I would have something else. I convinced my family to let me learn the sword. That, and channeling, and my stories, became my only escapes from the shades of gray that were the rest of my life. I still don't know how I convinced them – the sword is considered unfeminine; I didn't ever dream they'd let me learn – but I did, and I became obsessed. With the sword in my hands, the feel of the Leyht coursing through me, I felt like I was in the stories. I felt alive, for the first time since those adventures ended. And so I devoted more and more of my time to learning those things, and sacrificed my other studies to do it. It didn't go unnoticed, of course. I would fall asleep when I was supposed to be sitting through a mock dinner party or reading about the history of the Five Kingdoms. I barely even had the energy to dance anymore.

“Everyone noticed, of course. My parents, my teachers, all of the other perfect young students and their perfect court manners... I was strange enough for wanting to climb mountains in a ballgown. But now this? My parents had had enough.” Her companion frowned slightly, and she sighed. “You've already seen some of what resulted, I think. Or at least the effect it had on me.” He nodded, and she continued.

“My lessons had been strict before, but I had previously enjoyed some measure of freedom. My adventures in the mountains, and later the sword, and the liberty to spend my free time as I wished. Well, mostly. That all changed. I was turning into a disgrace. I was to represent my family and my people, they said, and I would not be allowed to let them down. I don't know if they meant to spur me on, to use my stubbornness to make me push myself through it, but it just made everything worse.”

Before she could say anything else, he shifted, moving from where he had been sitting across from her to sit next to her instead, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Akhayyatun,” he said to her. Masran for 'little sister.' She drew a shuddering breath and gave him a grateful hug. “Thank you, Akhi,” she told him in Masran. Akhi. 'My brother.'

“You are welcome,” he told her, also in Masran, still with his arm warmly around her shoulders. After a moment or two of silence, she took a deep, steadying breath and continued in Altey.

“They took my swords, and my time was strictly regulated. Every step, every move I made, was strictly regulated. I felt more like a living doll than a person, and even my beloved mountains towered menacingly over me, as if they would come crashing down and bury me at any moment. And so it continued for the next few years. The pressure, the prisons, the constant entrapment. I couldn't breathe. For years, I couldn't breathe.

“Eventually, my coming-of-age approached. There was a huge celebration planned: a dinner party and then a ball, with plenty of important people invited. There would be the best of everything, and dancing all night. And as I thought about it, I realized with sudden, perfect clarity that I could not do this for another day. No matter what, I could not remain in this gilded prison. I confronted my parents. I begged them to call the party off. I should have known they wouldn't understand. I should have known they would be furious.” She took another deep breath, and was another moment before she continued.

“I left that night.” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and with his support, she continued.

“I took everything I could. Clothes, jewelry – mostly to sell, since I couldn't wander around dressed in silk gowns and jewels – and my swords, which I found and took. There were other things as well. Research equipment from the facility. Money. I took everything I thought I could possibly need, that I could carry, at least, cut my hair short, and I left. I have not seen the Azure Basin since.

“I knew that there would be a massive search mounted for me. No inn, no highway, no hiding place would be left unsearched. So I did what any self-respecting runaway Vhaskari princess would do in my situation: I disguised myself as a man and joined the Sentinels. It was easy enough to do. I bound my chest, wrapped my waist to disguise my figure, and altered my appearance and voice with channeling. Women are allowed in the Sentinels, but only as Healers, Engineers, or – rarely – Warcasters. Beside that, I would be found too easily in the women's ranks. And I did not want any of those jobs. Instead, I joined the Leystrikers. I was barely sixteen. Any younger, and I could not have joined.

“They do not have these, I think, in any other military force. At least, not that I have seen. If you want fire, call a Warcaster. But if you want fire and steel, call a Leystriker. You have seen some of what they do, in what you have seen of how I blend channeling and my swords. All recruits are tested, of course; one cannot have a Warcaster with barely enough willpower to light a candle. We must show what we already know, prove that we have the potential, and are then given our choice of the divisions we are most suited to. Of course, I did not show everything I knew – that would give me away – but I showed enough.

“During my training, I realized just how good it was that I had taken refuge in the ranks of the Sentinels rather than struck out on my own right away. I had been sheltered my whole life, despite my childhood adventures and my voracious reading. I had escaped my gilded prison, but I had never learned how to function outside it. Even simple things were difficult to get used to at first, but other vital skills – navigation in the wild, how to start a fire without channeling or find food in the wilderness – things I would come to need... I didn't know any of it. But I learned. Combat isn't the only thing they teach the Sentinels; much of Vhaskari territory is wild, as I'm sure you know, and thus its defenders must be able to survive no matter where they find themselves.

“For the most part, my disguise was flawless. I have always possessed a delicate touch with channeling, so my illusions went unnoticed. The only trouble I had was with the baths. Vhaskari baths are communal,” she explained, flushing slightly. “Men and women are separated, but that is it. As you can imagine for a woman disguising herself as a man, this presented a very embarrassing problem.

He nodded. “I can see why, yes. Not an easy illusion to project. And not a comfortable situation for a young woman.”

She made a strangled noise, and could feel herself turning bright red. “I didn't---!” She paused, cleared her throat, and continued. “I haven't exactly studied naked men, you know,” she said at last, still red. “And I have never had a desire to go into the men's baths. Besides, illusion would have been almost impossible in that case. I channeled myself clean in privacy when I could find it, or snuck off to the women's baths late at night, altering the illusions around myself when no one could see.

“This, of course, led to a significant amount of teasing and jokes, but I applied myself to the training and eventually earned their respect for my abilities, whatever my strange habits were. I even came to make friends, though of course, the fact that my entire identity was a lie wasn't exactly comforting.

“Now. Perhaps you know of the foothills, which on a map are part of the Vhaskari Highlands, but which are only high to flatlander eyes. Nestled within these foothills, there is an outpost maintained by some of our scholars. It is primarily a place for research, but it is also a destination for adventurers who wish to test themselves against the frenzied renders there and hopefully bring back evidence of ruins in the wilds beyond.”

He blinked, obviously confused by the sudden change of subject. “I know the foothills on the maps,” he offered.

“It is there,” she explained, “that we were sent after we finished our training. If I had thought before it was good that I had joined the Sentinels, it was nothing compared to how I felt as we made our way deeper and deeper into the wilderness. Without what I learned in training, I would have been dead in a week trying to travel through that. Particularly alone, as I would have been. As it was, we made it safely, and began our duties protecting the outpost.

“There is little to be said about my time there. We patrolled the few streets, kept peace among the adventurers who came through, and occasionally ventured out to hunt. Sometimes we escorted transports or couriers to and from the pass through the mountains. When left to our own, we often sparred with each other, or sometimes even ventured out to seek the ruins ourselves. It was not the most exciting of lives, but I enjoyed it.

“I was eighteen when I was discovered.” She sighed, and took another moment before continuing.

“I had snuck off to the baths, like I often did, but this time my friends noticed. Thinking I was getting into some sort of mischief, or perhaps drunk, they followed me; they were concerned because I had never shown any signs of doing such things. They finally caught up to me in the otherwise empty bath, but not knowing they were following, I had already removed my bindings and the illusions around me. I had enough warning to cover myself, but there was no hiding my figure. The secret was out.

“I had changed in appearance between sixteen and eighteen, of course, but there was no mistaking my hair and eye color. And a woman of my age, with my appearance, could only be one person, at least to a Vhaskari. They recognized me immediately.

“What else could I have done? Ordered – even asked – them to keep silent, and just left? Run away? These were my friends, and though I had lied to them for two years, I could not burden them with that. I asked them to turn me in, knowing very well what it meant, and together, the three of us went to our Captain.

“He, of course, was shocked. But I was even more shocked at what happened next: instead of taking me into custody and returning me to my parents – which he was under orders to do – he ordered my friends to keep silent, and wrote up my – or rather, my male identity's – discharge from the Sentinels. I bade farewell to them all, and left a little while before dawn, so as not to attract undue attention. To this day, I do not understand why he did that.

“I decided to make for the nearest city and from there decide what to do next, but in order to get there, I would need to spend some days in the wilderness before reaching so much as a small town. I expected to spend much of my time alone. So, of course, you might understand how surprised I was to wake up the very next morning to the sight of Harran cooking breakfast, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.” Even now, remembering the site of the stocky, grandfatherly Healer bending over a cooking fire as though he had always followed her around completely boggled her.

“That was not the first time you met him?”

“Well, technically, no. The outpost is small, so anyone there with any semblance of permanence - Sentinels, researchers, Healers - all tend to come to know at least each other's names. That was, however, the first time I had met him personally, if that makes sense.”

“...I see.”

“Hm? What is it?” she asked, curious at what that response was supposed to mean.

“Nothing,” he told her. “Go on.”

“... All right,” she said hesitantly, still not fully convinced. “Anyways, Harran was not of the Sentinels, but rather worked as a civilian Healer there at the outpost. Though a small place, it is always in need of Healers for any number of reasons. The Captain had informed him of my identity, and asked him to keep me safe. A duty,” she added with a wry grin, “he has taken very seriously.”

“To the point of hiring a bothersome bodyguard,” Nasir added, grinning as well.

“Oh yes, very bothersome,” she said with a grin, giving him a teasing poke. “I'm glad he did, though.”

“Rather convenient, despite everything?” He was still grinning.

“Who else would share stories with me, and teach me the things you have?” she asked honestly. “Or sit on the roof with me at night instead of forcing me inside? Who else can I trust to watch my back the way you do? Who else can I call Akhi?”

He said nothing, but squeezed her shoulders again in response. And to her, that one gesture said more than any amount of words could have.

“And that,” she said at last, “brings you up to date. Of course, there are the travels Harran and I had together before he hired you, but those are stories all their own, and I am growing tired. And I do not believe you need to be told what happened afterward.” She grinned, however, as she thought of that afterward: from that first night, when she tried to give Nasir the slip over the rooftops of the city they had been in at the time and they ended up catching a thief together, the first time he told her his stories, all the times they had practiced channeling together. They had even attended a formal banquet as the Lady Kierra Vhaskar and her mysterious Masran companion Tamir, though it still chilled her to remember the things she had learned that night. And more besides; she felt like she could fill a book with all those stories. Nasir had become her closest and dearest friend, despite the fact that it was technically his job to protect her. She didn't know what she would do without him, and she had no desire to find out. He had already told her his story, so now it had been her turn. And, despite how terrifying she found it to talk about some of those things, she found herself feeling glad she had told him. And so it was with a tired, relieved smile that she looked up at her Masran brother.

“That, Akhi,” she said to him, “is my story.”

[Kuri Shardweaver he/him]

Aaaand then there were three. Hooray for Kiki!

Approved my dear! I think you know what to do from here .

[Comatose he/him]

She's brilliant! Can't wait to get some good ol' fashioned interactions going. I could a lot of different ways Sayuri might react to Kierra, so RPing them will be fun.

Question, is Harran still travelling with Kiki and Nasir?

[KChan she/her]

Yes. Yes, he is. You couldn't pry him away from Kierra with a crowbar. XD I'm keeping him as an attached NPC for now, though.