Ceona Haloren
Written by VicNoble.
History
Ceona is the second-born child of Marwyn Haloran and Ceranna Haloran, a fisherman and maid living in the poor district of Drova. Her elder brother, Ceric Haloren, moved out of the house when Ceona was but three years old, pursuing an apprenticeship as a smith. Ceranna died at the manor where she was employed, under suspicious circumstances which no authority cared enough about to investigate. After this tragedy, Marwyn turned to alcohol as a respite, and because of the independence thrust upon her, Ceona’s childhood was effectively over.
Marwyn would have Ceona accompany him on his fishing expeditions when he would sail far to the north in his mostly-ineffective pursuit of good hunting waters. Despite their failed efforts, they were able to eke out a living for several years in this way, until, one trip, Marwyn drove their boat faster and further than they were used to ranging, and they were caught in a vicious squall that shattered the boat to splinters. Ceona, alone at sea, began to swim forward, impelled by a wordless command. Deliriously, she saw a distant light gleaming, and knew to move towards it. The blur of the light never seemed to draw closer to her, yet, after what seemed like a whole day’s passing, Ceona found herself crawling onto an unfamiliar shore in the dead of night. The light which had drawn her was a singular lantern hanging on a pole planted in the beach, and beside it a small huddle of Tiefling fisherfolk were arranging their catch. She reached the edge of their lamplight before collapsing onto the sand.
This clan of tieflings cared for the storm-battered human child, bringing her with them back to their home in Belikova. She spent some weeks recovering from her injuries and her marathon swim to safety, during which the tieflings who tended to her decided to place her under their protection. Ceona’s appearance paralleled an obscure text on Ilmater, and the local priest had eagerly pointed to this fact as a sign that she was a destined Ilmatari.
The line of text which aroused the priest’s attention:
The one unswallowed by the black swells and staggered from the south seas,
A gracious omen of fortitude and reprieve, a sentinel to those in need…
In addition, her extremely pale skin and her nearly-white sun-bleached hair served to apparently validate the priest’s interest, as Ilmater is said to often send white positive omens and signs. Thus, Ceona was adopted by a small family of four (parents and two sons), who taught her the tiefling ways of the seal-hunting trade, training her particularly in use of the trident, spear, javelin, crossbow, harpoon, pike, and warhammer to finish the brutes when they had been driven to the surface. Ceona quickly absorbed Infernal by way of necessity, and her previous exposure to the fishing life allowed her to shine as a member of the hunters. She was also introduced to worship of Ilmater (known as Ayuruk to the Verchein Tieflings), finding in the rituals, temples and rites a strange comfort, a familiarity that didn’t logically make sense.
The first inklings of Ceona’s special connection to Ilmater also came by way of necessity. When one of her adoptive brothers suffered a grievous seal-bite injury to his stomach, Ceona, through a desperate plea to Ilmater, wielded briefly the healing power of touch. She was able to staunch his bleeding and save his life. Those who saw it took it as a divine miracle and yet not a surprise, given her auspicious appearance.
Piracy has been a constant problem in her life ever since her adoption to the tiefling clan. The villagers are frequently attacked by them on the high seas and through raiding parties sent from their base of operation within the Savage Isles, and every navigation decision they make revolves around both the movement of their prey and the most recent sightings of pirates. To combat this problem, a delegation in Saroslavl began to form, the purpose of which was to travel abroad and find trade and military allies. Ceona’s friends and family implored her to join them. The fact of her being a human, they reasoned, would make her a far more effective representative than most tieflings. Ceona felt the insistence of her community meant it was a calling from Ilmater, and she traveled to the city without hesitation.
Prior to the delegation leaving, those participating were given extensive training in cultural studies, geography, and martial combat. The areas to which they were traveling were unknown, the dangers they faced equally uncertain. The delegation, whose goal was to find allies in the pursuit of peace, was outfitted as a war vessel, with a sizable unit of capable warriors doubling as its crew. Ceona’s role was to aid in operating the vessel, serve as a battle healer and a protector to archers in close combat. She was also one of the most valuable diplomats, given her appearance. The boat was loaded up with barrels of whale oil, rare and beautiful ivory sculptures, and copious amounts of pelts, and sent southwards.
The delegation met with nothing but failure from the beginning. The first few settlements they stopped at were outright hostile, chasing the tieflings back to their boats with much violence. Everything got much worse when they were lured in by friendly representatives of Inanapa who offered them hospitality in the city palace. In reality these villains were intent on discovering the hunting grounds and methods of these strange tieflings, and then killing key leaders among them and selling the rest to slavers in the West. Once this plan was discovered, Ceona tried to lead her delegation back to safety, but they were captured by their hosts and thrown into a dungeon in the city. A large portion of the delegation was tortured and killed. Ceona, by the grace of Ilmater, managed an escape one day as she was being tortured. A careless attendant left a carving knife beside her shackled wrist, and it was enough for her to wedge into the inquisitor's hip and twist him near enough to reach his keys. Ceona’s bloodiest day was once a lucky hunting day when she was a teenage girl, when she clubbed three seals in one day. That was superseded by her vengeful prison break, during which she killed a half-dozen guards and freed three of the delegation in the process.
After a dicey and disgusting escape through the sewers of the city, the meager band dissolved. The three tieflings she had rescued were resolved to return north, seeing that the fact of their being tiefling was enough to doom their efforts. Ceona resolved to continue their mission, believing that her unique position in their culture meant she was destined to help them. The band supplied her with nearly everything they had scavenged during their panicked escape from Inanapa, which amounted to a few coins, a set of chain, a sling, and a warhammer.
For the remainder of the month following her escape, she traveled most of the southern side of the continent presenting her dubious case to the wealthy or important strangers she could have an audience with. She persisted in making her case despite her slowly dwindling belief in the possibility of anyone caring enough to offer help. She has reached a point where the only thing keeping her going is her faith that Ilmater chose her for the task she currently struggles with, and she sees that, as with all things of Ilmater, as a lesson on how to endure.
Prologue
After unsuccessfully pleading her case to the last person willing to listen in the city of Woreem, she booked passage aboard a ship called The Anellas, captained by a female Wood Elf named Enwen Adrel. The ship was bound for the Moon Elf Capital of Graygate and then on to the Capital City of Sestatrea in the Kingdom of Laskea, both of which sounded promising to Ceona in finding potential allies. The ship had two other passengers that had booked passage to Sestatrea as well, though Ceona learned little about them from the Captain who rejected divulging any information without having permission to do so. She did learn that one passenger, a young Half-Elf named Feadog Mhor, appeared to be a rather talented pan flute player and entertains the crew during evening meals. She knows little else of him as both she and Faedog have mostly kept to themselves while on-board. For the remaining passenger, all Ceona knows is he's a Dwarf that only comes out of his room to eat or drink, that nods his head politely when crossing her path but saying little, if anything at all.
By late afternoon on the third day after setting sail from Woreem, the Anellas had reached Graygate. Ceona was on the main deck as they approached the pier, helping the crew in making preparation to dock. Assisting in the daily operations of the Anellas was a condition of her being granted passage after it was learned she had some skill in sailing. She helped as the crew tossed the mooring lines to several dockhands dressed in light blue clothes and wearing black hooded mantles lit only by pale orbs of soft blue light hanging from intricately carved natural wooden lampposts. Among them was a tall figure in a long-hooded cape waiting patiently as the ship was made fast by the crew. The Captain debarked by leaping off the ship rail and stood with the figure for a moment, engaging in quiet conversation. A scroll was passed between the two, and the hooded figure departed. Captain Enwen leapt back on board the ship and gave instructions to her first mate, who began barking commands to the crew, before retiring to her quarters. Ceona was approached by Captain Enwen’s steward, Laise Zinfi, and informed that the passengers and crew were to remain on board for the evening as the ship will unfortunately not be spending time in port as originally planned, and would be setting sail at first light. As Laise excused herself to notify the other passengers, Ceona sighed heavily, looking longingly at the majestic city before her -- another lost opportunity to find potential allies for her people. She worked late into the evening stowing supplies brought on board by Moon Elf dockworkers, eventually retiring to her small cramped room as the crew did the same. As Ceona woke a few hours later, she found the ship was already under way, sailing along the coast out of sight of Graygate. During the morning meal, Laise informed the passengers that another individual, a moon elf named Celindriel, had booked passage for the final leg of their journey to Sestatrea and would be joining them.
During the 6 days on board the Anellas while on the Onnicia Ocean, Ceona kept an eye out for the elusive Celindriel as she worked, wondering to herself how it was possible for someone to remain out of sight from everyone on board such a small vessel. Ceona did catch glimpses here and there -- typically as passengers made their way back on the main deck following a meal, she would see Celindriel come in, wearing a long black hooded cape and moving without a sound into the dining compartment. At times Ceona would begin to feel somewhat claustrophobic in her cramped quarters and would go above deck to catch some fresh air in the middle of the night. It would be at these times where she would see Celindriel, draped like a cat on the bowsprit of the ship adorned in her hooded cape, eyes affixed to the distant coming horizon. Uncertain as how to interact with moon elves, and not wanting to make a social faux pas, Ceona felt it was best to leave Celindriel be unless the moon elf approached her first. It was obvious that this wasn’t a pleasure cruise for Celindriel, and that she must be on business of sorts.
Our Story Begins
Now, on the morning of the sixth day at sea from Graygate, Ceona finds herself waking from deep sleep as a light knock is heard on her cabin door...
Social
Family Ties
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
2237
35 Years old
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Light Blue
Hair
Light Brown & White
Height
5' 10"
Weight
175 lbs
Related Plots
A friend a world away
Ceona often takes time to write a letter to Pteechka Romaia, a close friend who lives back in Belikova. Ceona sends this young lady-tiefling letters detailing her exploits, the progress of her mission, and how much she misses home. Pteechka represents Ceona’s closest relationship, the strongest symbol of the people she fights and adventures for.
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