Whispers under First Snow
Whispers under First Snow (a.k.a. Whisper)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Lean build
Identifying Characteristics
Long tail ending in a fluffy tip.
Physical quirks
His ears & tail betray his emotions at times.
Special abilities
Able to play the violin, flute & saxophone.
Apparel & Accessories
Fine but practical apparel of elven influence. As the son of a tailor Whisper enjoys looking his best. Clothes are mainly autumnal in colour. Large brimmed hat with multiple feathers.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Great things were expected of Whisper given his maternal lineage, it was rare for a male kitten to be born with magical talent in her bloodline. Coming from a long line of ‘Keepers, ‘Tellers, priests & priestesses it was assumed from a young age Whisper would join the ranks of the ‘Tellers once he was of age. Whisper enjoyed a close relationship with his family, especially his older twin sister & grandmother. He & his sister would often spend their evenings as young kittens in their grandmother’s library reading stories about the gods, the Elves & ancient heroes.
As a kitten Whisper enjoyed his lessons on storytelling, history, the gods & just about anything else he was taught but he was constantly restless. He would often sneak away into the Forest & to Orithil to watch the Elves. He was fascinated by their otherworldly beauty & grace. He was especially enchanted by their music. More than anything he wanted those secrets & stories but was constantly told that in time he would be allowed to go their village to learn, in spite of this promise Whisper grew impatient & his trips to Orithil became more frequent.
The summer he was due to go out with his first caravan Whisper snuck into the village one last time before he left. Sitting on a branch above a music lesson he dozed off in the warm sunshine. Unfortunately, he awoke with a start as a bird flew into him which promptly caused him to fall onto the lesson below. He broke his arm in the fall as well as several instruments. Mortified he stood up and attempted to mutter an apology to the Elves. The instructor merely smiled and said “I was wondering when you’d finally join us, but this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.” She reached out her hand & healed his arm while her pupils set about repairing their instruments. In his best Elven Whisper stammered an awkward “thank you kindest lady... I’m sorry I interrupted your lesson” before bowing & leaving.
Upon returning to The Glade Whisper was met by his father who warned him his mother was furious about him sneaking off into Orithil. His father smirked, made him a cup of tea & promptly left as his mother came in. Whisper’s mother had not long been appointed as High Priestess & was wary of her new position as a few members of the tribe were sceptical of the decision as she was appointed over Opal beyond the Quiet Stream who had years of experience on her. She berated him for what felt like an eternity before she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Whisper almost fell off his chair when he saw the Elven tutor from earlier. Flustered his mother bowed her head “Mistress Amariellë, please forgive my idiot kitten son. He meant no disrespect. He is known for not keeping his whiskers clean.” Amariellë smiled, clearly amused, “Lady Silver Birch... there is nothing to forgive. It is clear your boy is curious about our music. Why he’s been sneaking into our village for years.” At this revelation Whisper winced as his mother shot him daggers - clearly he’d been good at hiding his visits to Orithil from her at least. Amariellë saw his mother’s expression & said “please, Lady I do not mean him to get into further trouble. In fact, I am here to ask if you’d do me the honour of allowing me to become his teacher.”
Whisper had never seen his mother lost for words before, she finally stammered “you want to teach HIM? Mistress I don’t know what to say, he is due to go out on tomorrow’s caravan... I... um... of course could delay that... and please, the honour would be ours.” Whisper sat, hardly daring to breathe as these two women discussed his future. Finally, it was agreed upon, Whisper would become Amariellë’s student first thing in the morning. Before she left Amariellë said “Lady, I am glad you agreed. I will see you in the morning Whisper. Oh and Lady Silver Birch, I am glad your elders chose you. You honour Dieterra with your starlight.”
Whisper spent several years studying under Amariellë. It transpired that Amariellë had acted as a tutor for his great great grandfather who was thought of as one of the greatest ‘Keepers in The Glade’s history. Whisper wanted to learn all the songs, music & stories he could lay his paws on. He would still get into trouble as one evening he sang a particularly bawdy song at the local tavern which the next morning his mother roasted him for (he never knew how she found out about his antics). Finally, Amariellë announced it was time for him to leave Arden with the next caravan. He was to learn the world’s songs & music...
Gender Identity
Male.
Sexuality
He is not sure...
Education
Originally educated by his mother and grandmother. It was expected Whisper would become a Storyteller when he came of age given his magical talent. However became a pupil to the elf Amariellë learning to play, sing & dance instead.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Whisper & his friends have achieved the following:
- Saving Betty the Goat from a displacer beast.
- Making a new accord with Lord Nuru Namarie to rid the human lands of Ferndale of the Midwinter Peace Accords meaning the annual Lottery is no longer needed.
- Uncovering & exposing House Gorvasc's plot to overthrow the Queen through the spread of disease.
- Cleansing a Temple of Farasta overrun with Decay.
- Being made a Knight of Tarsis.
Failures & Embarrassments
Falling onto one of Amariellë's lessons as a kit.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Originally Whisper intended to gather new lore to bring back to his Tribe but he has no desire to return home at the moment. During his time away from The Glade he has uncovered many secrets & foiled many plots. Whisper feels like there is more for him to do in the world.
He wants to ensure the Blight & the Calculix don't take over the world. Whilst disease & change are necessary parts of life their means are too powerful & will tip the balance. At present this means seeking out agents of Aser (the goddess of decay) & working against the 'order' of Karasaki.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes:
- Singing & playing his instruments
- Learning new songs/stories
- His friends & companions
- Mead
- The change in the seasons
- Fancy hats
- Sargon's cooking
- The colour beige
- Uppity nobles
- People abusing their power
Hygiene
Fastidiously clean.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Party:
- Sargon - straight talking & reliable lizardfolk. Met Sargon when his caravan first left Arden to gather lore. He trusts Sargon with his life & values his counsel.
- Tania - shy & talented half elf. Her shyness has waned the past few months of travelling with this ragtag bunch & her powers are becoming truly impressive. Whisper is sometimes a bit too overprotective of Tania as he has (unofficially) adopted her as his younger sister.
- Tarik - suave & sophisticated half elf. Tarik puts on the mask of being a vapid socialite but anyone a Fey makes a pact with is not to be trifled with. Whisper is secretly in awe of Traik's effortless style & ability to mingle in high society. He also loves Tarik's familiar Ido.
- Arane - cool & mysterious Drow. A recent addition to the party after finding her imprisoned by an Acolyte of Decay. Arane appears to be something akin to a 'Keeper in her own culture & Whisper is keen to know more.
- Gordon Dusk - noble of Ferndale, when Whisper and his companions initially arrived at Ferndale Gordon was a friendly face. Recently promoted to Seneschal of Ferndale.
- Samuel Rex - former Warden of Ferndale. Now ambassador to Imperial Chara with former farmer & lover Tobias.
- Captain Crispin - Captain of the Third in Tarsis City. Whisper & his friends helped clear Crispin's name when accused of plotting against the Queen.
- Farelius - proprietor & owner of the Ambling Angel in Tarsis City.
Family Ties
Tribe Information:
The Glade of the Silent Moon place high value on history, stories & secrets. As such there are annual caravans sent all over the world to collect & trade in such things. Should a male kitten be born with some innate magical ability he joins The Stoytellers, a female kitten joins the Lorekeepers. It is expected when initiates of either group comes if age they join one of these caravans to collect their own lore & learn of the world.
Given The Glade’s location in Arden Forest they enjoy a good & close relationship with the small Elven village of Orithil. The Fay’Ki bring back their collected stories to the Elves, who enjoy a secluded life, while the elves teach the Fay’Ki kittens their secrets & crafts. Similarly, to other Catfolk The Glade’s kittens are given names based on their environment. Each kitten has a name made up of three parts. The first is the kitten’s given name its parent ‘feels is right’, one of four set phrases that shows time of day the kitten is born & finally something to suggest the time of year or month they are born. As well as this kittens who are the first to be born to a family will often receive a double given name. It is then up to the individual as to how their given name is used when they are addressed.
The Lorekeepers are the ruling body of the Glade. At any one time there are five senior ‘Keepers who in turn can have up to three apprentices. Lorekeepers can step down at any time should they deem it appropriate & will often teach the younger generation of prospective ‘Keepers. The Storytellers are one step down from the ‘Keepers. Senior ‘Tellers are in charge of the annual caravans, teaching the younger generations as well as acting as scribes for the ‘Keepers. The main deity worshipped in The Glade is Dieterra. The Glade believe she saw domestic cats prowling in the dark & blessed them with sentience, thus the first Catfolk was born. Her priesthood is made up of both male & female Fay’Ki, they do not necessarily have to possess magical ability it the higher ranks of the order are almost exclusively made up of those with arcane talent. As well as Dieterra, Triodar is also venerated given their strong connection with Arden & how their different aspects reflect a person’s journey in life. Gardaran & Vetkiss are also worshipped to a lesser extent. The priests, priestess, ‘Keepers & ‘Tellers will often join the Elves of Orithil for various seasonal festivals celebrating these gods, as well as extending a warm invitation for the Elves to join their celebrations of Dieterra.
Family:
- Mother (High Priestess in the shrine to Dieterra) - Lady Silver Birch under Grey Clouds (Silver or Silvi)
- Father (tailor) - Shy Robin beyond the Warm Breeze (Robin)
- Paternal grandparents (deceased & former owners of the tailors) – Blossom of the Rippling Grass & Ash beyond the Shallow Lake (Blossom & Ash)
- Maternal Grandfather (senior Caravan Master & Storyteller, didn’t return from a caravan run 3 years ago) - Quiet Sparrow above the Sunlit Meadow (Sparrow)
- Maternal Grandmother (one of the tribe’s Lorekeepers) - Matriarch Celestial above the Autumn Rain (Celeste or Nanny Cessy)
- Twin sister (initiate at the Temple of Dieterra) - Joyful Dawn of the First Snow (Dawn)
- Younger brother (hunter/tracker & part of the guard) - Rowan under Dappled Light (Rowan)
Religious Views
Mainly reveres Dieterra given his upbringing.
Social Aptitude
Charming, friendly and easy going. Always keen to entertain and make new friends. Unfortunately he had a relatively sheltered life in Arden so found things in the cities a littler tricky but he is certainly getting better seeing through the supposed airs and graces of the nobles.
Mannerisms
Chatty - perhaps too much at times. His tail & ears betray his emotions at times so he tries to keep them in check.
Wealth & Financial state
He earns a decent living playing in taverns and inns...
Lover of songs, stories and secrets. Left his home in Heartglade to find new lore for his Tribe.
Character Location
Current Location
Tarsis
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Knight of Tarsis
Custodia par Pulperdown
Birthplace
Heartglade, Arden Forest
Children
Current Residence
IAS Envoy
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Grey/blue, white muzzle & flash on neck, white toe beans
Height
6'6"
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Oh... Little Bird..."
