Mother Olo
Mother Orlena Olo
The harsh conditions of The Knuckle breeds resilient people. Electrical storms ravage the rocky landscape and typhoons batter the coast. The land is inhospitable, to say the least, but many call it home.
The village where Mother Olo grew up was tucked into a cove and protected from the fierce waves. Her parents were fisherfolk and did their best to provide for their family, but times were tough and the local governor didn't make things any easier. At first they took a cut of the catch but eventually pressed Olo's father into service in their army. When he didn't return, Olo's mother packed up and took the long journey to Nesher in search of a better life, but once their they only found greater suffering.
Despite the aching of her own hear, Olo's mother filled her home with those in need. Taking in children she found on the street and those too weak to fend for themselves. When she passed Olo carried on with her work and became mother to countless orphans, so many that everyone that knows her calls her Mother.
From her kindness grew a web of connections as those children went out into Nesher and found their own families. Some ended up working for court officials and shared with Mother Olo what they learned. With all this knowledge it was only natural Mother Olo would use it to protect her wards. Her work grew from there until she became Nesher's unoficial spymaster.
“You’ve never seen what it’s like when it all breaks down.” Mother Olo poured a little of the tea into her cup and swished it around. “I grew up during the time of the two emperors in a fishing village to the east of Sentinel. It was beautiful, but poor. We were only allowed to keep a few fish from each catch. The rest had to be sent to the city. Then the famine struck, and the governor took everything. But we survived. Until the war broke out and they took my father.”
“I spent my first seven years living under an ore crusher. I watched my parents wither away.” Zini knew it wasn’t a competition, yet she felt the need to stand her ground.
“It’s not about us. That’s the point I’m making.” Mother Olo reached across the table, clasping Zini’s hand before she could withdraw it. Zini almost wriggled free, but something in Mother Olo’s eyes halted her. “I saw myself in you. My mother brought us to Nesher in search of food, but all we found was misery. It was worse here than back home. She could have given in, but she didn’t. Against the odds, she kept us alive. And not just her own children, but others. We shared our home with the cities unwanted, some too sick to feed themselves. Our ma saw that we were all fed and looked after.” It had been a childhood filled with shouting and laughter. Their little home filled to the rafters with every waif and stray that stumbled through their front door. It was how Mother Olo had grown up and it was how she liked to live now. Silence was for the grave, and that would come soon enough.
The Lilac Child, Chapter 11
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When Samuel arrived in Nesher after losing his brothers, he struggled to find a purpose but Mother Olo helped him recover. The pair struck up a friendship and when it was time for Zini'la to leave Nesher he agreed to accompany her.
Current Location
Year of Birth
412 UC
65 Years old
Birthplace
The Knuckle
Children
Current Residence
Olo's Carpet Shop
Sex
Female
Height
5'1"
Belief/Deity
Liandra
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