Description
Immediately your eyes are drawn to the inky blue-black of Aephora's lips.
It appears that they have been stained, or primitively tattooed, with some
sort of black substance. The effect is not entirely without appeal, since
it highlights her white, even teeth, but it does stand out against her
extremely fair skin. Her hair is raven black, with the same deep blue gloss
as raven feathers. It falls in waves to her shoulders, with several strands
flying across her face. Even though your eyes are continually drawn back to
her lips, you see that Aephora has wide-set, slightly slanted green eyes
and a nose a bit too large for her face. Oddly enough, her eyebrows are not
black, but are instead dark brown. You notice a small, finely made pouch
hanging from her belt. It appears to have leaves of some sort sticking out
of the draw-string opening.
Role
The Wedding
Added Sun Sep 7 20:27:30 2008 at level 31:
Aephora was thrilled to serve as the Priestess for the wedding of Ryasyn and Etielise. Especially after she thought she would miss the affair
entirely, when Etielise became antsy and demanded to be married on very short notice, Aephora leaped to the chance to serve her friends. While
the bride and bridegroom scattered to get ready for the ceremony, Aephora prepared herself. She had never performed a wedding ceremony before, and
had no chance to consult with Iunna about Her preferences on such matters. So Aephora went with her intuition on what Iunna would
appreciate.
The wedding was held in front of the Tale-Telling Fire, where the Navigator of the Flames could witness. Due to the nervousness of the
bride, she kept the ceremony short and sweet, with a small poem in the couple's honor. She then blessed both bride and bridegroom and declared
them married by the power invested in her by Iunna. To her chagrin, she had rushed past the exchange of vows, but she quickly recovered and asked
the couple to exchange vows. Etielise actually seemed more comfortable declaring her vow to Ryasyn after being officially wedded- the pressure
was off. Ryasyn, of course, clowned around a bit, but you could tell that he was very touched by the whole experience.
In all, her first wedding ceremony went off with only minor hitches. Afterwards, there was a huge party. Aephora danced with the Village
Felar, Lerzion. She must have been rather drunk to be friendly with someone who had such hatred towards magic users, but the wedding brought
peace to many conflicts. Everyone tried to stay calm. But it was Greikyn who really made an impression on Aephora. Only coming up to her waist, he
surprised Aephora by his chivalrous behavior. He danced with her several times, and when the drunken bridegroom became belligerent, stepped
between them before he carried out any threats.
Updates and Insights
Added Sun Aug 24 14:34:50 2008 at level 28:
Aephora's Riddle Contest went remarkably well. Not too many people attendend, but enough to make the contest fun for everyone. For those
who attended, all recieved gold, and some who solved riddles recieved treasured prizes. Aephora was immensely relieved that it went so well,
she had been very nervous about being in charge of an event. She also made her debut into a broader application of Poetry- by reciting the
eulogy she wrote for Tubnic Doughfolder, she made the first step into expanding her horizons as a versatile poetess.
One situation among the Heralds has really brought to the forefront the interplay between Aephora's upbringing among the fertility
worshippers and her own faith under Lady Iunna. Ryasyn and Etielise's developing romance pulls a lot of Aephora's upbringing into the
forefront, as she encourages them to have babies as soon as possible, even to the point of offering to make fertility charms and
supplemental powders. However, her insistence on babies does not conflict with Aephora's religion, instead, it is the only way Aephora
knows how to react to such social situations. In her village, once people became fond of another they usually had children right away,
unless there were health problems to be considered. So although she continually makes Ryasyn and Etielise uncomfortable (especially
Etielise), her insistence on babies is not an indication that Aephora herself is a fertility worshipper. Aephora is still rather young and
inexperienced, and has a lot to learn about the world outside her village.
The incident at the Inn in which Aephora mooned the crowd was one example. Her riddle, which was about the moon, could have been
accompanied by such a display in her village without the shocked reception she recieved in the Inn. In her village, everyone would have
laughed. To this day, when the incident is brought up Aephora turns bright red. Not because she is embarrassed for having shown her behind
to the crowd, but because it was so clear that she hadn't understood proper social behavior. Especially since she was supposed to be
entertaining people.
dedication
Added Thu Aug 21 16:34:29 2008 at level 23:
Aephora has been growing into her role as a Herald. She joined the Heralds of the Eternal Star when she realized how much they do to benefit the mental and
social health of Thera. Again, she saw the duality of poetry and healing. Or at least entertainment and healing. She got to know both Etielise and Ryasyn and
felt very at home at the Inn. However, Etielise expressed some interest in Aephora maturing beyond just Riddling and into other forms of Poetry. This was
so in line with Aephora's own goals that she grinned in relief- here were people who understood her!
Her chance to expand her poetic repetoire beyond riddles occurred sooner than she expected, and in a tragic way. Tubnic Doughfolder, another Herald who
served as a scribe, passed away. Aephora was devestated- she had been putting healing powders into his tea for his weak heart, but they did not cure him
completely. Of course, she knew that there was little she could do to prolong his life, but she still took it very personally when he passed away. The worst
part was that she was away on a trip when he died, so she did not get a chance to say goodbye. To aid her own grieving process, and as a gesture of
friendship, she offered to write a eulogy in Tubby's memory, and would recite it at the Riddle Contest in his honor.
Aephora grew in other aspects of her life as well. Instead of avoiding the increasing problem of the restless undead, she has grown to embrace her calling
to put them to rest. It is both a cause of pity and of disgust. Pity for the state of the poor souls who are trapped when they should be in the afterlife,
and disgust for what the bodies have become. And anger towards those responsible- the necromancers. She has become so driven towards 'resting' any
undead she encounters that she has been known to recklessly endanger her own life to put them to rest.
First meeting
Added Mon Aug 4 10:44:55 2008 at level 13:
Aephora was thrilled to meet Iunna in person. She had visited Lady Iunna's shrine several times, and had prayed hard for guidance. She feared that she
was not being a very good Priestess, since she had yet to determine her true calling. Lady Iunna had not appeared during the times she was in the shrine,
so Aephora continued to travel the lands, seeking her calling. The monks of Loch Gwynmear asked her to help discover what happened to some of their
order, and always one for a puzzle, Aephora consented. It was in their wine cellar that Iunna appeared to Aephora. She gasped, for Iunna appeared quite
suddenly, bearing special Felar wine.
They had an excellent conversation in which Aephora related her fears that she was a disappointment as a Priestess. After all, she had failed to rid the
Galadon cemetary of the Undead. Dispite all her efforts, the Undead continually returned to torment the mourners and spread filth. But Iunna was
gracious, and not angry with Aephora at all. However, Iunna was firm that Aephora had to find her own calling.
After Iunna had returned to her Immortal realm, Aephora breathed a sigh of relief and happiness. She was not a disappointment! And something, deep
within her, began to come to grips with her battle with the Undead. She had been fleeing the possibility of her calling being destruction of these
abominations. In truth, she feared some of the greater Undead, and she was repulsed by having to fight even the lesser ones. The thought that her life's
work may be in hunting down and dispatching them and their creators made her shudder. She wasn't sure she was strong enough. But no matter where she went,
she always remembered the torment that the Undead caused the mourners. And the torment that the Undead themselves were in, the soul no longer in control
of the body.
Revelations
Added Fri Aug 1 23:27:28 2008 at level 10:
Revelations
As Aephora progressed in the Guild of Healers, she began to finally make some key connections. She realized that her gifts of healing and of riddles were
linked, and that discovering what ailed a person was very similar to solving a particularly challenging riddle. She journeyed to the shrine of Iunna,
Goddess of Poetry, Fire, and War to thank Iunna for giving her the inspiration to discover these things about herself.
Aephora centered her studies in the Galadon Guild of Healers, as that was where she had first been directed to. One day, while on a break from classes,
she wandered to the graveyard. She was dismayed to find that the Undead flooded the graveyard, terrifying mourners and spreading disease. Aephora
hated the undead, as their very existence insulted both her profession as a healer and her Faith. They were like broken riddles- answers that no longer
fit the original riddle. The coffin-maker begged her to aid him in ridding the cemetary of the undead, and Aephora did her best. She made rounds of the
graveyard, soothing the mourners as best she could and dispatching any undead she found. Unfortunately, the undead just kept coming back. There must be a
powerful necromancer somewhere in the Cemetary, to keep summoning so many undead. Her rounds in the cemetary taught her that if she wished it, ridding
the world of Undead could be her life's work. But Aephora was young, and could not yet choose to follow that path. There were still so many aspects of
Healing that she had yet to learn.
Background
Added Sun Jul 27 18:53:39 2008 at level 4:
She was born in a small village somewhere north of Voralian City. The villagers all worshipped ancient fertility gods, and did not put much stock
in paternity. Thus, she never knew which of the male villagers was her father. In accordance with the local customs, her lips were tattooed black
on her 12th birthday. This was to increase her fertility and also prevent the evil spirits from entering her body, where they could harm body or soul.
The village was poor. Villagers worked from sun up to sun down, with only the food from their labor to keep them alive. Despite their physical
poverty, they were richly religious, and also rich in tradition. They did not have much in the way of comfort or entertainment, but they loved to tell
riddles by the fire in the long hut at night. Whoever could win the riddle contests was respected, at least until they were bested.
Her mother was the town Herb-Woman, and taught Aephora all that she knew. Aephora was a gifted Herb-Woman, and could heal many illnesses that her
mother could not. However, Aephora was also gifted in other ways. One day, she went to visit a small boy who had broken his leg. Aephora had bound the
broken bones so that it could heal, but the boy was bed-ridden until the leg was stronger. The boy was young, and as such, not used to being immobile all
day long. Aephora stayed with him for a time and entertained him by telling him riddles. She had won every Riddle contest in town for several years now,
and it was easy for her to tell the boy riddles until he could no longer solve them. Then she left, leaving him to think on the answers for a day.
In this manner she honed her healing and her riddling skills. One day she heard of a Riddle contest held in a tavern in Valorian City, and she begged
her mother to allow her to go. Her mother reluctantly agreed. Aephora won the contest easily, and while there met a Healer. The Healer was impressed
with Aephora's knowledge of Herbs, but felt that she could learn the higher Healing arts. Aephora left the contest filled with ideas for her future.
Her mother refused to allow Aephora to leave the village until her 16th birthday. Aephora was frustrated, but agreed to obey her mother. In the mean
time, Aephora continued to tell riddles to her patients. Her village often held riddle contests in the evenings, after the day work was over. Since she
had not been defeated for so long, Aephora was made the judge of the contests.
Finally, on her 16th birthday, she packed a traveling bag and made ready to leave the village. Her mother gave her a finely made leather pouch meant for
holding herbs, but could not conceal her disappointment that Aephora was leaving. Aephora, however, could not hide her eagerness to start off for the
Road to Galadon, where the Healer said she could begin her training.