Kemseth
Ija (a.k.a. Kemseth "Kemy")
An orphan street urchin on the streets of Sah Madoro in Zhyalay, Kemseth turned to petty theft to support herself from a young age. Aside from the stray cats she spends some time with, she has only one real friend, the young scrawny orc Thog. She has recently found a talent in manipulating and controlling fire, and has begun experimenting with this talent, despite the fact that magic is strictly forbidden, with Magi facing the death penalty.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kemseth is skinny, agile and toughened from years of hardship on the streets. She went through her fair share of illnesses in the cramped and crowded orphanage, which has left her immune to a number of local illnesses. She is constantly hungry and thirsty, stealing whatever scraps she can to feed herself as she grows, but is still quite malnourished.
Body Features
Kemseth has dark brown skin, hardened by life in the streets and under the hot light of the Sun. Her hair is a tangled wild dirty black mess, one she tries keep fairly short so as to avoid guards, shopkeepers and other authorities grabbing her by as she runs away. Her limbs and long and lanky, and seem a bit too long and awkward for her body, but help her run, climb and leap with speed and agility.
Facial Features
A hard and intelligent face with sharp and skeptical dark brown eyes.
Identifying Characteristics
She has long welts over her back from the many beatings she received from the Mothers at the orphanage. She has a nasty scar over her right eye from a bad fall she took from a roof while running away with a loaf of bread. She has numerous small scars on her hands, knees and elbows from other falls and fights with other street beggars who tried to steal her food.
Physical quirks
Left handed, always glancing around suspiciously.
Special abilities
Has recently discovered that she possesses fire magic skills and has been experimenting with them. Has learned how to manipulate and increase fires by focusing her energy on them. Has also learned how to click little sparks of fire into existence with her fingers by focusing her energy into them. Keeps on trying to create a fireball, but has yet to come even close to succeeding.
Apparel & Accessories
Dressed in dirty old tatty clothes that are too small for her, which she stole from a merchant's wares. Wears a pair of dirty old shoes that she stole from a cobbler's shop.
Specialized Equipment
Has a small sharp knife that she was given as part of payment from a local gangster after she completed a job stealing a helmet from a Knight of the Rising Phoenix, stealing it from the Inn he was staying in while he slept. She sharpens the knife frequently and keeps it on herself at all times.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Kemseth is the daughter of Wara, a Zhyalay prostitute, and an unknown father, possibly a travelling merchant or sailor. Wara died shortly after giving birth to Kemseth. At this stage the newborn was put up in an orphanage run through charity by the Syedist faith. The orphanage 'Mothers' named the newborn Ija, meaning "small". The little girl soon gained a reputation for being a trouble maker however, questioning Syedist parables and teachings of the Mothers, stealing food from the kitchen and escaping the orphanage at night to wander the streets. This earned Ija the nickname "Kemseth", which translates loosely as "Trouble maker". Kemseth liked the nickname and uses it instead of Ija as her name.
After being beaten multiple times by the Mothers for her insubordination, Kemseth was eventually to be transported to a far stricter orphanage at the age of 8 after still failing to change. When Kemseth overheard this plan she escaped from the orphanage and never looked back. For the past 5 years she has lived permanently on the streets, begging and stealing food to get by. She has had to be careful to not get caught or else she will be sent straight to the strictest orphanage possible.
Gender Identity
Kemseth is often mistaken as a boy, and doesn't really mind the mistake. In fact, she sometimes enjoys being mistaken as a boy and the way some low level thugs respect her more when they do. Generally she identifies as a girl however, but as quite a boyish girl.
Sexuality
Still working that out, currently bisexual.
Education
Basic Syedist religious teaching and cooking training from her years in the orphanage. Her years of living on the streets have proven far more educational, as well as far harsher.
Employment
Occasionally hired as a petty thief by low level gangsters, but nothing beyond that.
Accomplishments & Achievements
A very capable thief. Once stole the helmet of a Knight of the Rising Phoenix from the Inn he was staying in as part of a job for a local gangster in return for some food, wine and a knife.
Failures & Embarrassments
Has failed a few theft jobs and had to avoid the gangsters she failed to ensure she doesn't end up punished. Has very narrowly evaded capture several times and taken several quite nasty falls.
Mental Trauma
Has developed a serious disdain and distrust of any and all authority figures.
Intellectual Characteristics
Highly pragmatic and logical. Has no time for appeals to emotion, high ideals or religious notions.
Morality & Philosophy
Avoids stealing from other poor people and instead targets the more well off and wealthy merchants. Feeds stray cats and dogs stolen scraps when she can spare them. Occasionally helps out other orphans and beggars when she can spare the food. Actively misleads the authorities if they ever ask for the direction a fellow thief has fled. Tends to view the authorities as a greater threat and worse enemy than the violent gangs.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Mostly motivated by hunger and thirst on a day to day basis. In the long term does dream of getting out of the city and finding a better life elsewhere however. Another part of her wants to learn more about her mother. She used to dream of finding her father one day, and of him being a Prince, great warrior or Magi, but she has grown increasingly cynical about the idea, increasingly thinking he was just some drunken merchant who abandoned her mother after she fell pregnant.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Good at picking locks, excellent at climbing walls and at jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Terrible singer, worse at cooking, worse still at obeying orders or following instructions.
Likes & Dislikes
Fascinated by fire, loves being high up, views and sunset. Loves stray cats. Likes stray dogs. Despises the rich and hates authorities of any sort. Hates priests, the Mothers and the Syedist faith in general. Distrusts most men and boys. Hates being told what to do.
Virtues & Personality perks
Agile, fast, streetwise, imaginative and a very quick learner.
Vices & Personality flaws
Stubborn, combative, prone to insulting dangerous and powerful people, finds it difficult to trust anyone and overestimates her own abilities.
Personality Quirks
Always glancing around suspiciously, and has a habit of playing with her hair when bored, nervous or just when she has nothing else to do with her hands.
Hygiene
Tries to wash herself and her clothes in the occasional massive thunderstorms that break over Zhyalay, but often smells of dirt, sweat and blood due to her thieving and lack of access to fresh water much of the time.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Friends with Thog.
Family Ties
Daughter of Wara, a Sah Madoro prostitute who died shortly after she was born. The identity of her father in unknown, although he was likely a sailor or merchant.
Religious Views
Deeply skeptical of religion in general, and hates Syedism in particular. Has difficulty believing their are any gods or goddesses out their looking out for anyone, except maybe the rich.
Social Aptitude
Kemseth is remarkably blunt, which tends to land her in trouble with authorities and many low level thugs and criminals alike. This paired with her general suspicion of most everyone means she finds it difficult to make human friends, although she often feels she doesn't need any, preferring the company of stray cats and stray dogs, and mostly being happy by herself.
Mannerisms
She tends to glare and put her hands behind her back whenever talking to anyone, a mannerism she picked up from stealing goods. Tends to raise an eyebrow when she doesn't believe something to be true, which happens a lot.
Hobbies & Pets
She like spending time with stray cats, talking or wandering the city at night with her friend Thog, watching sunsets from high roofs, experimenting with her fire powers and sharpening her knife, but she spends the rest of her time scrounging for food and stealing, and so has little time for these hobbies.
Speech
Swears and blasphemes frequently, heavy Zhyalay accent, almost always sarcastic and mocking.
Wealth & Financial state
Owns nothing but her knife she was given as payment, and the clothes on her back and shoes on her feet which she stole.
Current Location
Species
Year of Birth
2567 AoI
13 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Born the child of a prostitute. Mother died shortly afterwards.
Birthplace
A whorehouse in Sah Madoro in Zhyalay
Children
Current Residence
The roof of an old craftsman in Sah Madoro in Zhyalay.
Eyes
Dark brown
Hair
Tangled and dirty brownish black
Height
1.5 meters
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Time to make some trouble"
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