Thelia Vulpes
Thelia Vulpes
True Neutral Female Shifter (Fox, Cliffwalk)
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Catherine-Zeta-Jones-Photograph-C10041990.jpeg
Monk 7/Shadowdancer 2
Appearance:
Thelia's werefox ancestry gives her a slightly more light frame than the typical Shifter, but she is by no means petite. Well muscled and highly nimble, the twenty-something woman's movements are at once graceful and terrifying, the scars peeking out from under her copper hair serving as testament to a life of danger.
The natural distrust of Shifters holds true for only a short while around her, as many perceive her smile to be directed at them. She normally speaks only when necessary, preferring to listen and wait. Her outfits tend to draw the eye downwards, but she is no harlot.
Personality:
Shrewd, enigmatic, and enticing. These three words describe Thelia in a nutshell. Her animal nature hides an almost uncanny ability to know what the listener wants to hear (uncanny if not for her tendency to listen first and speak last).
Few people aside from her hand picked team of Scavangers know her well. Her greatest desire is not the trinkets she, her team, or any of the other successful adventurers retrieve, but the stories they bring back. Information, especially any related to the cause of the Mourning, is something she craves.
Her mode of dress is not so much a fashion statement as one part of her arsenal. In the heat of battle, or even just when negotiating, the distraction afforded by her wardrobe is always an asset. Needless to say, amidst all the lonely adventurers that pass through, she knows when to flirt to get her way.
Background:
Raised by her troupe of Shifter Shadowdancers, she and her "pack" traveled Cyre, performing plays both fictional and historical for the amusement of the crowds. They encountered the devastation of the Last War on a regular basis, but it was not until an unfortunate run in with a Thranish squad led by a fanatical Flamite Paladin that the War really hit home.
Reeling from the loss of several of it's members, the small band was approached by House Phiarlan. Hard pressed to recoup their losses, they had little choice but to accept, working as both entertainers and spies, taking requests against both suspected foreign infiltrators and their own countrymen. The conflicting loyalties to both House and Country strained the troupe, many questioning the wisdom of their activities. When House Thuranni approached the more disgruntled members, effectively suggesting a doublecross, the cohesion finally broke.
It was during this time that the Mourning occurred. While most of the troupe attacked each other in a frenzy, Thelia, only recently accepted as an adult, watched in horror as the mist rolled towards them. Seeing the devistation it caused, her grandfather placed her on a horse and ordered her to flee.
And flee she did. She knows not the fate of her family, and speaks little of it. If it is her desire to right this perceived act of cowardess that drives her to dive back into the cursed land of her birth, she shows no sign of it.
She might have ended up just another broken Mourner had fate not intervened once more. After passing the border, Thelia encountered the Valinar massacre of the Cyrean refugees. Knocked from her horse, it was only the raiders interest in her mount that spared her the blade. In her time spent avoiding the Valenar on her way to what would become New Cyre, she swore an oath. Not of vengeance against the Valinar. That was their way. She swore she would never feel so helpless again.
Now, five years hence, she has largely made good on that promise. She is known as one of the best Scavengers in the castle and given at least a modicum of respect from everyone in the trade. The "Colonel" has an uneasy relationship with her, as her mercenary nature tends to shift her loyalty to the side with the most benefit for her. She won't take just any job, she learned long ago that upsetting the wrong person was a death sentence. Many are confounded by her bizzare mix of honor and disloyalty, but there is always a method to the madness.
