Lelianye Ghen

[Yui-chan]

~Brief Description~

 

This character was created specifically (and exclusively) for the campaign setting of Lymnor's Wake.

 

Summarily, Lelianye Ghen is a half-elven human from Antaea who serves in the Confederate military as an infiltrator and espionage expert. Her weapons specialty is in small arms (daggers and thrown knives). Though historically a witty and charming person, she has recently undergone an experience that leaves her prone to being more withdrawn from reality and utterly mute.

 

Sections:

Physical Description

Personality

History

Relationships

Abilities

Items

Other

[Yui-chan]

~Physical Description~

 

Standing at only about 5'2" tall and 95 pounds, Lelianye is a thin, fragile-looking woman who is comely enough to be called 'pretty', but not an eye-catching beauty. In fact, she takes great pains to make sure that nothing about her is eye-catching, dyeing her normal, stark, pale-blonde hair to any shade more typical, ranging from dull, mousey browns to deep blacks depending on her mission and region. Her eyes are a simple, pale blue and her skin is very middle-complected, neither fair nor sun-dark.

 

Lelianye's elven heritage shows only very weakly in her features, giving her a fine bone structure and high cheekbones as well as the overly-youthful look of many elves. Her ears are rounded in the human way and the slight slant to her eyes merely serves to make her look slightly more Eastern than she is.

 

In the right clothing, she can pass for a child with her smooth skin and small stature, but she is actually about 22 years old.

[Yui-chan]

~Personality~

 

Lelianye was always the 'unit sweetheart', the soldier whose wit, charm, and ready smile made her popular with both male and female peers. Given that she is easy on the eye, surprisingly capable and talented, and friendly and caring towards the other members of her unit, she was the one everyone loves and no one hates, always willing to joke around or give advice or dish out gentle repremand as needed to friends and acquaintances.

 

At the same time, she was the kind of person who has no qualms about treating enemies or lesser adversaries with the ... lack of compassion they deserve, though she always fell short of being capable of cruelty for cruelty's sake. She was able to qualify her reactions based on the emotional investiture with the individual, allowing her to kill or maim easily on the battlefield and in pursuit of her missions and then turn around and be tenderness itself to a teammate who needed it. This capability made her not only a popular soldier but also a more-than-capable one. It's not surprising, then, that she earned (and still enjoys) the fierce devotion and loyalty of her entire unit, both superiors and subordinates.

 

However, since her recent disappearance (see the History section below), her outgoing nature has changed drastically and can be rather erratic. Where before she was boisterous and at-ease with her fellow soldiers, now she is completely mute, unable (or unwilling, perhaps) to speak a word to anyone. Her kind and caring nature is still present, as is her ready smile, but now she is far more guarded and less comfortable among people - even friends! - withdrawing deeply into her thoughts at strange moments and studiously avoiding any physical contact that she hasn't initiated herself. Her friends and acquaintances within her unit are adjusting to her new demeanor, however they have noted that it is sometimes impossible to predict or determine the reasons for her actions and reactions.

[Yui-chan]

~History~

 

Raised in a small village near the Forest of Anarash, Lelianye is the daughter of an undistinguished cobbler and a mysterious elven woman, the product of very deliberate seduction. Why the woman chose the cobbler to father her child is as much a mystery as why, eight months later, she returned to leave the baby on his doorstep with seeming certainty that he and his human wife would raise her well. Nevertheless, that was what they did, bringing her up with her human half-brothers in a loving environment that was tempered by the harshness of small village life and the shortfalls brought on by war. Though she and her entire family are aware of her mixed heritage, it is a fact that is kept largely secret from their everyday acquaintances to avoid any prejudices. Her birth-mother has not been seen since she was delivered and has had no part in her life.

 

At age 17, when she was expected to either work in the cobbling trade beside her father or marry to be under the support of another man, Leli found herself extremely frustrated by her options, being unsatisfied with a simple trasdesman's life and utterly unwilling to shackle herself to any of the available marriage options. After considering other paths, she chose to join the Confederate Army, finding the stability and security of military life appealing as well as being attracted by the chance to learn a specialized skill and see more of the world. Though she had seen death and knew herself capable of dealing it when necessary, she had no first-hand experience with the horrors of magic to help drive her choice. However, Leli had heard enough tales and bought enough of the propaganda to find that she could give her loyalty to the Confederate cause. She might not be as steadfast as some in her conviction about the evils they are fighting, but she devotes herself to the Confederacy by conscious choice.

 

In her five years as a soldier, she has made her way into the 3rd Division, where she serves in the same unit as Jadros Sryn, one of his direct subordinates. The two of them are good friends, and she looks up to him not only as a superior officer but as a knowledgeable warrior and almost-fatherly figure. Reciprocally, Jadros respects her abilities and tends to be protective of her in subtle ways, especially since her return from parts unknown.

 

Until recently, her skills and her friendly connections had kept her safe through many successful missions. Six months ago, however, she disappeared while on a solo mission to a rebel encampment north of Salinsway. She was missing for four months with no clue as to her whereabouts and was assumed killed in action until the day she showed up, half-starved and ragged, outside her commander's tent at their winter camp in Valensia.

 

Despite exhaustive examinations and interrogations, no one has any clue as to where she was or what she went through during her absence, and she hasn't spoken a word since she returned. (See Personality section for behavioral changes.) Though illiterate, she communicates through hand-gestures and hasty drawings on the notepad she carries with her, yet she still refuses (or is unable) to communicate where she was or what happened during her absence. This has lead to a lot of mistrust and suspicion in parts of the Confederacy, though those who knew her before steadfastly defend her against any accusations of desertion or double-dealing.

 

Whatever her experience, there has been no evidence of any impairment to her ability to carry out her duties in the past two months, and she continues to be a valuable (if quieter) member of her unit.

[Yui-chan]

~Relationships~

 

Jadros Sryn : An immediate commander and friend, Jaros is a man she looks up to as a father-figure and an able soldier. They have known each other for about two years, since her transfer to his unit in the 3rd Division.

 

Father (Dylon Ghen): An openly warm and caring man, Leli's father was always the person she could go to for comfort and pampering. Despite occassional moments of awkwardness around his half-blooded daughter, he adored her to within an inch of his life and might have hopelessly spoiled her if not for his wife's balancing influence. He wanted Leli to stay in the village and marry so strongly that they had a terrible falling-out when she announced her intention to join the Confederacy. They have since mended that rift, however the damage was such that she no longer considers him someone she can go to with her problems.

 

Functional Mother (Petrishana Ghen): Despite the fact that Leli was not Petrishana's child, the woman treated her well and learned to love her. A gruff-but-kind-hearted person, she served as a balance to Dylon's doting and taught the girl to be self-sufficient as well as disciplined. Lelianye's relationship with her is such that she would be glad to go to her for advice but not likely to seek emotional support or show too much of her weaker side. She has great respect for her mother's capabilities and looks up to her as a model of the woman she would like to be.

 

Birth Mother (Unknown): Only Dylon knows what Lelianye's biological mother looked like, and that's the extent of the knowledge any of them has about her. No one has sought her out, and she has not sought out any of the Ghens since Lelianye's conception.

 

Younger brother (Lihan Ghen): The age gap between Lelianye and her closest brother, Lihan, is just barely wide enough to avoid suspicion, thus they grew up together as playmates and co-conspirators as well as brother and sister. He has always been trouble, a font of bad ideas born from good (or at least mischievous) intentions, and his poor judgement is partially responsible for Leli's fast reflexes and agility. There were times when a fleet foot or fast dodge was the only way to avoid whatever hornet's nest he managed to stir up. Lihan's not the person to go to for advice, but he and Leli understand each other very well and can talk about nearly anything... or could, rather, when she was actually talking.

 

Youngest brother (Alon Ghen): Leli's not much for the 'oldest sibling' routine, leaving that to her upright and responsible youngest brother, Alon. The irony is not lost on anyone... Two years younger than Lihan, he already has a reputation as a more-than-capable cobbler and stands quite comfortably in line to inheret his father's business. He's often curious about a 'wider life' such as Lelianye's but will take no action to pursue one for himself, content instead to continue learning his trade and searching for a wife while trying to keep his older siblings in line as best he can.

 

Friends (in general): Making 'friend' status in Leli's book is relatively easy, and once you do, you enjoy the charm and kindness that made her popular in proportion to just how much of a 'friend' you are. She won't protect friends against the flesh-wounds of life, but if serious trouble comes up, she'll be the tigress at your back. She learned to let people make their own little mistakes from Lihan.

 

Enemies (in general): Most of the time, Lelianye is just a cold soldier. Given that she's not fanatical about the 'evils of magic', she doesn't take any great pleasure in the killing and deception of Rebel forces, but she also doesn't balk at the need to eliminate threats and reduce enemy capabilities. She's very rational about the death-dealing part of her role as a member of the Confederacy.

 

When it comes to personal enemies (e.g. people who she just can't get along with), she generally just avoids contact. Before her disappearance, she had been known to have a scathing wit nearly as sharp as her daggers that she turned on the people who deserved it, but now she will tend to clam up and detach when confronted... or so it seems, thus far.

[Yui-chan]

~Abilities~

 

Small and relatively weak, Lelianye is nevertheless mainly a melee fighter, possessed of lightning-fast speed and reflexes. Naturally, she uses light weapons such as daggers and the occassional throwing knife to eliminate opponents, having been trained exhaustively in their use since entering the Academy. Her training has also taught her how to take hits in such a way as to minimize damage, but she is simply not built to take significant blows, making her quick evasion techniques her primary defense mechanism. She's fast and darty and extremely hard to hit in battle.

 

As a consequence of her speed and stature, the Army chose to train her as an infiltrator, grounding her firmly in stealth, lockpicking, disguise and silent-killing arts. She's adept at pickpocketing both in the form of stealing items and planting items, and she's been known to practice it constantly, often 'borrowing' belongings from friends until they notice the absence or practicing 'grab-and-return' drills when walking through city crowds.

[Yui-chan]

~Items~

 

Lelianye's inventory traditionally varies widely depending on the mission. The mainstays, however, are a pair of small daggers that she can wear sheathed at her belt or concealed on her back (beneath a cloak) or thighs (beneath a robe or dress) and a notepad and charcoal stick for communicating.

 

For the sake of the current mission in Flight of the Zephyr, one can safely assume that she carries one set of clothing designed to be an effective disquise in the Rebel camp for herself as well as a few individual accessories and items that could be used in a pinch to help disguise others. (Limit: 3. Details to be negotiated as necessary. ) She also carries one vial of a clear-liquid poison and another of a dissolving sleep powder, both in a protective leather compartment in her pack. The poison is designed for ingestion in either food or drink and cannot be used in conjunction with the set of five throwing knives that reside in their own folding leather holder nearby.

[Yui-chan]

~Other~

(Items of Note)

 

1) It's worth reiterating that, while Lelianye's official records indicate her halfelven blood and her superior officers are aware of it, she doesn't reveal that fact to her peers and friends. Thus, please assume that characters who are not superiors in her immediate chain of command would believe her to be a full-blooded human.

 

2) Despite her silence, she's secretly fascinated with the elven part of her heritage, and she's studied it quietly over the years. She has an inherent affinity for nature, a near-flawless sense of direction, and a distaste for technology. She also decided to adopt the elven philosophy of judging on "individual worth", though as of yet, she has not come in to any situation in which that conflicts with her duties or loyalties.

 

3) For the fun of it, the intended pronunciation of that name is Lay-lee-AHN-yuh G-en. You can pronounce it however you want, though.