Raene Hypatia Ashkana
Background
Raene has had a fairly eventful life, if a long one. And it certainly hasn't been a "Once upon a time..." sort of one.
When she was barely edging onto seven years of age, her village, including all blood relatives, was destroyed by a band of prejudiced marauders who detested any race not their own: human. From a hiding place where even one as small as she could barely fit, she beared witness to the death of all she had known, unable to do nothing at her tender age. After it was over, she left, heading into the woods, not really thinking about what could happen to her as a result. She was suffering from a sort of self-inflicted amnesia.
She had not gone more than half a day's walk into the forest when a kindly dryad, who recognized her from the village (and, knowing of its destruction, was amazed to see the lone child), took her in, caring for her and raising as best she could. Not long after Raene had reached her eighteenth year, she took leave of her foster mother, deeming herself old enough to set out on her own.
Raene travelled for many years. Sometime during her twenties (she's never said exactly when), she was made immortal (or how, for that matter). She was still killable, certainly not all-powerful, but she would not (and has not) age, nor die of so called "natural causes".
When she was in her late-fifties, she stumbled upon an abandoned dragon egg. Apparently a late-hatcher, as there were broken shells in the nest. More out of curiousity than anything else, Rae made camp there, settling down to wait for the egg to hatch. Three days later her patience was rewarded when a huge *CRACK* announced the emergence of the egg's inhabitant into the larger world. So met Raene and her closest friend ever, Fyranth.
She was around a century in age when she strayed too close to the fortress of a not well-known, but extremely powerful (and evil), mage by the name of Drakelter Zachariah Schlan. He captured and imprisoned her within his stronghold. During her captivity there, Drake kept her drugged and chained, though other than that she was actually quite well taken care of (imagine that...). Her memory was kept wiped of her time spent there, the block he'd placed being checked daily by Drake. He practiced a number of ghastly experiments, a good many requiring her blood, which ended up giving her a phobia of losing blood in ways other than in battle, or such "natural" ways.
At some point during her captivity, Drake also impregnated her, and in time she bore twins: Winsome Allure and Malachite Thorn Ashkana y Schlan. Without her memory of that time, she didn't know of them and did not take them with her when she finally managed to escape him. (It was a good many years before she discovered and destroyed the block, but that comes later on.)
Raene was already starting her fourth century when she met up with a man named Talon Drachenstalker, who later became her foster brother, her only family. Or so she thought. After she and Tal lost contact with one another, a great number of things happened.
She once again strayed too close to the area Drake holds (or so she thought, the area really had just grown larger as he exerted his influence on the surrounding areas). She was recaptured, but she had grown much in her abilities and power since she and Drake last met, and she proved too strong for additional memory blocks or drugging. In fact, she broke the once he had placed on her before during that time. The twins, despite all he had tried, retained good hearts and souls, and assisted there mother in escaping. Rae promised them that, someday, she would find a way to free them from the evil grip of their sire.
Later on, Rae found herself to be pregnant from a brief alliance with a half elf-half human she met in an inn while she was travelling. He, also a traveller, was headed in practically the opposite direction as her. Neither told the other exactly where they were headed, and Raene couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit guilty that the man, a Darien Thomas Timmar, would not know he had a child by her.
As there was nothing she could do about it, really, she continued on the quest she had placed herself on. Months earlier, she had returned the place where her village had once been, and after leaving, had stopped to see her foster mother, the dryad, where she received some startling news. Her mother lived. The dryad had seen her many years before, and, recognizing the resemblance to Raene, had spoken to the woman. After learning all she could from her foster mother, Rae had left to search for her mother based on what information the woman had told the dryad.
Mere days after she passed her third month of pregnancy, Raene's quest beared fruit when she stumbled across her mother's clan in a certain forest on a certain river (she's not allowed to tell, since the clan prefers to stay hidden from the world at large). There she met her mother (Adria Azura Ashkana), her stepfather (Raven Hawk Stormcloud), and her half-sister (Raeshka Hakara Ashkana). She also heard about Raes's children: Dianalanthalasa, Wolfpride, and Alielle. When Rae's daughter (Kayla Kabrina Ashkana) had reached six months of age, she bid her family farewell until next she should see them, then she returned to her travelling ways, leaving a-dragonback (Fyrie's back, that is, of course).
Six months later, Rae came to her senses, and decided to settle down, for her daughter's sake. At the place where, though it seems to be a long way from everywhere basically, most roads cross at some point or another, she founded the Silver Dragon Inn, which she still owns and operates now, nearly ten months since she made the decision. Fyranth lives in a cave system with her adopted children up in the mountains near the inn, which was named after her by Rae.
Six months after the decision, she met someone in that very inn (Elmdor Chaosbringer), who she now openly loves, and who's child she now carries.
Other Information
Raene is half shapeshifter-half elf, the reason that she remains mostly in her elven form, though she can assume the form of any living creature. She, in her elven form, is approximately 6' 10" tall. Her thick hair, a color not unlike molten silver and gold merged, cascades in silken waves down her back to stop just short of caressing the ground (or floor, whichever may be the case at a given time). Eyes of a molten silver, fit to match that mixed with the equally molten gold in her hair, flecked with deep velvety violet gaze out from a seemingly delicate-boned face. Her skin is a warm golden-tan, nearly glowingly so (though that's probably to be attributed to her pregnancy). Though she appears to be in her 20s, she is 319 years old. She was made immortal when she really was in her 20s.
Raene is quite fond of black and silver, and her belongings show that clearly. She is clothed in a simple ankle-length black silk gown, cinched in upper mid-torso then flaring out slightly to allow for her pregnancy-rounded abdomen. Mid-thigh-high black leather boots that lace up the back fit comfortably to her legs and feet. A black leather dagger sheath is tucked into a hiding place in her right boot, containing a pure silver dagger with an intricately carved hilt and blade, though none of the decoration keeps it from being quite functional.
When she's going out, she drapes a long hooded black leather cloak lined with black fur around her shoulders, clasping it at the neck with a small-ish silver brooch molded into the shape of a dragon not unlike Fyranth. Sometimes she also takes her ebony elven longbow, worn so that it crosses both torso and back from shoulder to opposite hip (though less often now that she's pregnant again). A black hand-tooled leather quiver, filled with black-fletched arrows made by her own hands, is worn in the same manner as the longbow, though under it and crossing from the opposite shoulder to the opposite hip as the ones crossed by the ranged weapon.
Raene can be very distant at times, seemingly disconnected from the situation at hand. She is also slow to anger, except when very pressed, and can then suddenly be thrown into fits of rage. She does have a big heart though, and is a truly loving person.
Raene is a very experienced warrior mage, and has three familiars: a golden lizard (Zaneyl), a mourning dove (Hope), and a black and silver lone wolf (Midnight Silver).
Click here to send me mail.
LE FastCounter
The characters of Raene Hypatia, Kayla Kabrina, Adria Azura, and Raeshka Hakara Ashkana; Winsome Allure and Malachite Thorn Ashkana y Schlan; Drakelter Zachariah Schlan; Fyranth; Raven Hawk Stormcloud; Darien Thomas Timmar; and Zaneyl, Hope, Midnight Silver, Onyx, and Pearl are all copyright © Nichole W..
Other characters mentioned (Talon Drachenstalker, Elmdor Chaosbringer, Dianalanthalasa, Alielle Rushtavia, Wolfpride Hawksinger, etc.) are copyright © of some of my friends.