Keriya Soulstar
The Dragon Speaker Keriya Nameless
Keriya Soulstar (born Nameless) is the only person in her world who doesn't have magic. Though all living organisms on Selaras are born with magical energy in their souls, and beings of a certain intelligence are able to wield that magic to effect changes in the world around them, Keriya was born empty.
A native of the isolated northern territory Aeria, Keriya grew up as a social outcast. The Aerians considered her a cripple because of her inability to use magic, and treated her with disdain and cruelty.
In her fourteenth year, Keriya made a plea to the village Elders to be allowed to participate in the Ceremony of Choice, the annual coming-of-age ritual where Aerian children transition into adulthood. The Elders agreed, and Keriya ventured into the Felwood, per tradition, to await a sign of destiny from the dragon-god Shivnath.
Keriya's plans went awry, and during the ceremony she drowned in the sea off the Aerian coast. In death, Shivnath herself appeared to Keriya and asked for her help. Shivnath explained that an ancient and powerful warlord, Necrovar, has broken the enchantment that imprisoned him, and has returned to the land of Allentria to finish the war he started ten ages. To ensure his victory, Necrovar is planning to find—and kill—the last dragon in the world.
Shivnath offered Keriya a deal: in exchange for Keriya's help in saving the last living dragon, she promised Keriya a portion of her own godly power. Keriya seized the opportunity at once, and agreed to the bargain. Thus, she embarked on her quest, imbued with some of Shivnath's own magic. The magic was so powerful that it manifested in some physical side-effects. It turned Keriya's eyes from pale gray to a vibrant shade of purple.
Along with Fletcher Earengale, her oldest (and only) friend, and Roxanne Fleuridae, a fellow Aerian fleeing her oppressive, unhappy childhood home, Keriya ventured into Allentria to complete Shivnath's quest. Her journey is detailed in The Shadow War Saga.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Keriya is smaller than average for her age. She is thin, and somewhat malnourished due to her extended adventures in the wild. However, she is fast and nimble, and enjoyed climbing trees in her childhood.
Identifying Characteristics
Purple eyes, white hair, unnaturally pallid skin
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Keriya grew up as an outcast, not only because of her unnatural looks, but because of the fact that she was the only person in the world who could not wield magic. The Aerians scorned her for this, called her a cripple, and excluded her from their society as much as they could.
Keriya was raised by Erasmus, the village Healer. Though he was always an attentive guardian, he was never an affectionate one, and he discouraged any closeness with Keriya, keeping their relationship as professional as possible. As a result, Keriya found it difficult to learn to connect with and relate to other people.
Education
Although Keriya was excluded from Aerian schooling because they considered her crippled -- and therefore unworthy to learn -- Erasmus made sure she received a proper education. He taught her his trade as best he could, showing her how to harvest plants, make poultices, and treat wounds and illnesses.
Erasmus made many attempts over the years to teach Keriya magic, but nothing ever came of their efforts.Keriya remained empty, and the weight of her disability felt heavier and more shameful with each passing year.
Failures & Embarrassments
So much of Aerian life revolved around the use of magic, and through the consistent psychological abuse she suffered at the hands of the Aerians, Keriya was led to believe that her inability to wield magic had been caused by some inner failing of her own. She considered herself broken, and the Aerians made it no secret that they considered her useless and worthless to their society.
Mental Trauma
During Keriya's formative years, she was ostracized and abused. Most of the abuse suffered was emotional or psychological -- she was bullied relentlessly by the village children, and intentionally excluded by the adults -- but whenever she broke Aerian rules she also received corporal punishments.
Though Keriya accepted all of this as "the way life was", it scarred her both physically and mentally. She bears the marks of disciplinary beatings on her hands and forearms, where the Elders administered whipping punishments; and she will always harbor in her heart the memory of her mistreatment. As much as she's normalized that mistreatment, it was harmful to her psyche, and has made it difficult for her to form lasting, meaningful relationships with others.
Intellectual Characteristics
Keriya grew up as an avid reader, since reading was one of the only escapes she had from her dismal life in Aeria. Erasmus, as the village Healer, had a collection of ancient texts that Keriya read again and again, until she'd all but memorized their pages. She was especially fond of reading about the dragon god Shivnath.
She also developed a penchant for reading fictional tales, and though these were few and far between in Aeria, there were several old books in Erasmus's collection that she grew up on. These stories she referred to as "happily-ever-afters": stories wherein all the characters survive their traumas and find acceptance, happiness, love, or whatever else they're looking for. Reading these stories made her believe that she might one day have a happily-ever-after of her own.
Relationships
History
Though Keriya and Roxanne have had a rocky history, and initially were antagonistic toward each other, they now each hold the other in the highest regard.
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
593 A1
14 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Born as a bastard child, out-of-season in shameful circumstances.
Birthplace
Aeria
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Allentria
Gender
Female
Eyes
Originally gray; now purple
Hair
Long, white, and unruly
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale white
Height
1.6m
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