Amara Valleyborn Background Story

Written by the Panth - Stored here for ease of use and preservation

Parental Background, Birth and Childhood

Amara Valleyborn was born an only child in a small village near Sonide to a male human, Joe, and female elf, Valhalla. The story of their meeting always changed when Amara asked her father, but from what she could gather from the consistencies, he happened to be selling the furs and meats of what he hunted in a town near Linkoto. Joe claimed that as soon as he saw Vahalla, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, and what her mother stated, neither could she with him.
But despite the love at first sight, Vahalla had resistance to her father’s advances due to the resistance from family. “Why would an elf fall in love with a human?” Valhalla’s mother would ask. “With such short lives, it will only lead to heartbreak, and humans always seem to have to need to focus on what is on their mind, no time for anything else.” But Joe’s persistence paid off once Vahalla realized the human was the only creature in the land she had eyes and thoughts for, and knew time doesn’t wait long for humans. So in the middle of the winter solstice festival, she snuck off with her love and never looked back. And a year after they ran off and got married, Amara was born.
Amara was always a good and smart child, although a bit mischievous on occasion. A quick learner when in class with her peers, but would swipe something if a classmate made fun of her for being a half elf. Almost got away with it each time if it weren’t for her mother checking her bag when she went home. “No stealing please,” in an exasperated sigh each time Amara was caught, “I know humans will never understand us, but stealing will only make things worse.” Fortunately for Valhalla, the stealing eventually went away as Amara got older, though she would always find ways to outsmart those around her.
During the fall hunting season, Joe and Amara would spend hours in the Linthora Forest hunting deer, rabbits, and birds. Occasionally they got foxes, but they were usually too quick and smart for either of them. Both of Amara’s parents believed in the goddess Mielikki, so every fall before and after the hunt, they would worship her for being plentiful in the hunt. Amara, on the other hand, was never really sure if the goddess was really out there or not, but she liked to wear the unicorn out of tradition and made the occasional prayer to Mielikki, for you know, just in case…
During the weekends, Amara would go to various towns and villages nearby to sell the meat and fur of what they hunted. There, she learned dwarfish from the dwarves who would come through town on their way to sell what they gathered from the mines in the major cities and port towns. She even picked up on some thieves cant all on her own from overhearing local and passing rouges trying to score the next big treasure.

Adulthood

After Amara’s schooling was over with, she followed in her father’s footsteps in hunting, despite her mother’s efforts to sway her towards a career more suited for her intelligence. “Dad is aging Mother. He is not as good as a markman has he used to be, and I can’t waste my hunting skills either,” Amara would respond when the nagging began. “And I’m the best hunts-person in the area, even travelers and traders have begun to notice my skill.”
However, Amara couldn’t help but feel the wanderlust of those who traveled. The score a rouge would make in an abandoned dungeon, the songs and stories bands of bards would sing, and tales of far away lands from sailors and soldiers would speak of when in town made her wonder if her mother was right about finding another occupation. Maybe she’s right, there are plenty of jobs that would pay good money, and go outside of the realm of the few villages near where I live.
This would continue until Joe’s much old brother, Leo, came into town. Though they have never met, Amara heard stories about Leo. A bit of a rebel himself, Leo ran away from home to join a local group of rogues as soon as he was old enough. He came back home on occasion when he got something big, though he wasn’t really welcome in the house anymore, not it stopped Leo from coming and going as he pleased. Always wrote letters to Joe too about his travels, and even though Joe rarely responded to them, the letters always seemed to catch up to him, even after Joe went into seclusion with Valhalla.
It was a slow and long day at the closest village market, though Amara was able to eventually sell everything thanks to using some of the charm she easily picked up on growing up. She stopped in the tavern to grab a quick drink and hear a quick story from whoever was staying overnight. There was mush in the way of storytelling that evening, but Amara quickly picked up some whispers from the table close to her. A group of rogues were talking, and though they were not talking loudly, they were going full in on the Thieves’ cant. Quickly translating in her mind, she heard:
“Yeah, I heard he was retiring too. He’s been a legend for as long as I can remember, and him going away means that there will be quite a few people wanting to take his place.”
“Agreed. Though I hear he already has a person in mind to take his place…”
Amara yawned. Though she was curious on who they were talking about, she also knew she had to get home soon. So she finished her drink and quickly went home. When she came to the cabin Amara brought a few months, she found the lights already on. A thief! She thanked the goddess for always having a couple of daggers on her side, and snuck into the house. Opening the door, she peaked around and saw no one. She went inside and continued to sneak around to look for the shortbow she kept for hunting, but couldn’t find it where she usually kept it, usually in the back door of the cabin near the kitchen. Crap, the thief must have taken it.
But as soon as she thought that, Amara felt someone grab her shoulder, turn her around in pin her to the wall. “Well look at that, you look just like your father despite the elvish eyes and ears,” says a rugged old voice. Amara quickly notices that he is holding the shortbow.
“What the hell are you talking about? What did you do to my parents? Let me go, you… Uncle Leo?” I study the face, the brown eyes that are just like my father’s, the hair, despite being gray, was wavy like my father’s, and mine.
“You caught me,” Uncle Leo responds. He lets go of his niece. “You’re pretty clever, wouldn’t surprise me given your elf heritage. They always seem to know everything.”
After settling down and much continued questioning from Amara and assurance that her parents are okay, Leo explains that he has gotten a bit too old for adventuring and would like to pass on some of his old equipment to her, and would like her to become a legendary Rogue like him. So it was Uncle Leo they were talking about. An intense discussion breaks out, with Amera claiming she would never become like him, and Leo responding that not all rouges are thieves. Leo continues on with the amount of work he has done to help those who need help, and only takes from those who take from the less fortunate.
This continues until Amara asks why Leo waited until now to show up, and why was she chosen. Leo explains he never had a family on his own and he wanted to pass on the legacy of his adventures, and besides, don’t all half-elves crave adventure? “Even despite the anger in your eyes, I see the yearning for adventure and to get away from those who only see you as nothing more than a half breed.”
And out of spite, and maybe even wanting a reason, any reason, to leave the small village life Amara took Leo up on the offer. He left his thieve’s kit, put down the shortbow he refused to put down onto the kitchen table, and walked out the door. Amara surprised, asked? “Aren’t you going to teach me how to do what you do?”
“No, you seem clever enough, plus in the tavern last night, I could see you seemed to pick up Thieve’s cant, so the rest should come naturally in time. It did for me anyway.” And Leo walked away from saying another word. Despite the frustration, Amara spent the next couple of months learning how to use the tools, but everything else seemed to be not that different from hunting. The sneaking behind an animal and hiding when they noticed something came naturally, and despite her best resistance, loved the idea of becoming a rogue. The only issue were parents. Amara did not mention the night Uncle Leo arrived to them, and they would most certainly not like that she was following in his footsteps.
But mention it she had too, and she did. There was plenty of yelling and disappointments, but joy of being a rogue had already set in. Amara told her parents that if she did not like it by the next following Fall hunt, she would return, and continue to hunt. By the next morning, Amara was on her adventure.

pet name for Amara by her Mother: Sparrow