Af, Daughter of Cinders

Daughter of Thorns, Seneschal of the Sunlands (a.k.a. the Spymaster of Baj-Surat)

Personal history

Af first came to consciousness within her host tree deep within a grove of Daughters of Thorns hidden in the Anum-Rha Jungle. Despite having only lived for mere moments, she was immediately awash with an overload of information. There were a multitude of new concepts and ideas she wasn't given time to process: colours, shapes, people and history. She did however became aware of the grove and its inhabitants, her sisters, as well as the Maven of the grove whose voice had guided her she'd within her dreams.
Not long after Af had awoken did her grove mysteriously set ablaze; a wildfire of such proportions as to be uncommon in the jungle. Still trapped within her host tree, she was forced to become a passive observer as she watched her sisters and eventually even her maven succumb to the flames. In the moments before being consumed herself, Af became supernaturally aware of the roll this destruction served in the grand scheme of nature: She did not envision the fire as death, but as the final spark that served to bring about new life. This event showcased the very essence of the natural laws that governed all living things: the weak become meat for the strong, the old must wither and die to make room for the new, and only the fittest, strongest and most beautiful survive.
Sometime after the grove's destruction, Af's remains were found by a wandering troll outcast by the name of Zil'oon. He'd discovered a charred arm amongst the ashes and recognized it for what it was, as well as the potential use this relic had. Zil'oon's personal quest eventually took him to the faraway city of Baj-Surat , located across the continent in the deserts of the Sunlands. While there he made the personal acquaintance of the Sultan Jyari Khadesh, and honored by his hospitality he gave the arm to him as a gift and informed the Sultan of its use. The arm would later be passed onto the Sultan's friend Zorros, a prince from the faraway land of Andora on the continent of Latria who'd come to Baj-Surat in search of new allies. Zorros waited for some time, but eventually used Af's remains, planting the arm in order to regenerate the Daughter of Thorns.
In less than a day the arm had sprout a new body for Af, where she found herself in a strange new setting in a foreign land across the continent. Surprising given her circumstances, Af was not perturbed and in fact seemed to expect this eventual turn of fate. Stranger still she was able to understand the language spoken by Zorros and the local Masiy people, relating to them that her death had granted her wisdom similar to their people embarked on vision quests in search of the 72 insights . She spoke with Zorros as if having already met him and was sympathetic to his cause. They shared in an understanding that there were otherworldly aberrations who'd invaded the realm and who had no place within the natural order. To that end, she showcased a number of rare abilities outside of her strange foresight that would be useful to the young prince, including being able to read minds, speak telepathically and travel great distances in the blink of an eye. As she explained: her power came from a deep understanding of the laws natural world, and having the mental fortitude to bend those laws to her will.
After a month of quiet contemplation, Af had adapted to life in Baj-Surat. She erected her tent within the poor peoples community on the outskirts the city, providing spices and herbal remedies to the sick and homeless as well to refugees from Andora. Af had been offered a place within the palace near the Sultan whom she had occasionally provided counsel for, but she believed her purpose for remaining in Baj-Surat involved living in the same squalid conditions the Masiy people had to endure.
Sometime after his initial visit, the questing Troll Zil'oon would return to Baj-Surat in search of a new quarry. Inviting Zil'oon into her tent, she provided him an augury to dowse the location of the creature they were searching for: a lich by the name of Morisate. Not long after the pair met up with Zorros to confront the lich, but to their surprise the lich revealed himself to also be sympathetic to their cause, and had come to offer a warning to the Sultan about the return of the legendary lich Acererak, whom Morisate claimed to be a former ally turned enemy. However, this information came on the heels of the coming secessionist civil war between the different baronies within The Kingdom of Rendeh which already occupied the Sultan's agenda.

During the civil war, Af played a role in supporting the claim of Zorros after the current Sultan and Baron of the Sunlands, Jyari Khadesh was near fatally wounded after a fiendish cult managed to infiltrate the city. After becoming Sultan, Zorros appointed Af as his seneschal where she used her abilities to operate behind the scenes as a spy master, routing out potential traitors within the city to help ensure Baj-Surat's new leader would not share a similar fate as Khadesh.

Mental characteristics

Morality & Philosophy

Af believes that she as well as all other living creatures are a part of a grand design, and believes that those who do not adhere to this design need to be removed for the good all others. She swears by a set of ideals and traditions that seem archaic and out of date to others, but is in line with the oldest of natural laws: survival of the fittest. To that end, her understanding of these laws means she believes that all life should, at one point, come to an end. The old need to wither away so there may be room for the new. Anything entity which violates this law by avoiding its own demise is simply an anathema which must be returned to the earth. The careful balance of nature must be maintained.

Personality Characteristics

Personality Quirks

"True Names"

Af believes that individuals should not be named by others, as they instead have a 'true name' that resides within the nature of their being, one which carries a divine weight to it. When meeting someone for the first time, she will attempt to divine the name of this person, referring to them by this name than their preferred names. Examples of true names: Zorros was referred to as "Dark Eyes" because of his grim outlook and for the dark future that lay ahead of him. Zil'oon was referred to as "Spirit Walker" due his outcast nature and ability to communicate with the ghosts of his ancestors.

"Other Quirks"

Af has a very strange manner of speaking that is quite unusual sounding compared to the cadence found in most languages. Alongside this are a number of other faux-pas she commits from time-to-time, as she seems unable to grasp intricacies of ordinary social behavior. Among these is a seeming inability to lie, to the degree of not understanding the purpose of deception. She also doesn't understand the purpose of clothing outside of marking ones station, and would often eschew clothing to become more attuned with nature. For this same reason, she could also be found sleeping outside, oftentimes standing straight up like a tree.

Ethnicity

Masiy

Eyes

Bright orange with dark sclera

Hair

Long green leaves, petals and budding flowers.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Smooth white bark

Height

7'2"

Weight

230

Known Languages

She speaks all languages, and can communicate with intelligent creatures via telepathy.