Laaren LeMeele - The Beauty in Everything

[merlin34baseball]

//her background//

Laaren grew up in Mariners Hold a daughter of a human bard who preformed in a local Inn, and sometimes traveled to other large cities to preform on holidays and at festivals. Her father, Dermin, was a follower of Ilsare, and took her to the local Ilsare Temple to see the splendors held within. She became enraptured with the temple and the beautiful happenings there. Through her fathers work and love for the temple she learned to weave a tale, and an appreciation for art and music.
 
She was raised by her father and barely knew her mother. She was the product of a one time tryst between her mother and father. Her father did not know she existed until one cool morning there was a soft knock at the door. When he opened it a blond, beautiful five year old stood at the door. "Daddy?" Laaren asked. It was unmistakable, she resembled her father in many respects, but the blond hair came from her mothers side (the side the Aasimer blood came from). Laaren carried a small thin plain silver ring that her father had given her mother so many years ago after the night they had spent together. He knew then and their that this was indeed his daughter.
 
Her memories of her mother were fleeting. She had the memories of a beautiful golden haired woman. But also of a woman who seemed to be gone a lot leaving her to be raised by whoever was around as her mother went to the taverns night after night. Life became much different with her loving father. Being Ilsarian he showed her much love and attention, taking her everywhere with him, and showing her the beauties and splendors of the world. He taught her to look for beauty in all things, no matter who or what they were. Her and her father were inseparable. He took her to the inns and taverns as he traveled.
 
She took this appreciation for all things Ilsare to a new level when she began spending more and more time at the temple. Soon she was assisting in the rights of the temple and learned the basics of the rights of Ilsare. She did everything from holding the incense brazier during ceremonies to helping the clergy tailor their beautiful gowns for celebrations.
 
Through this interaction with the clergy at the temple she felt a calling, a calling that her father very much encouraged. As she became older she began to take her first actual steps in the faith. She became a permanent fixture around the temple when her and her father were not telling tales in the Inn, caring for the sick, creating works of art, and working on creating beautiful musical instruments.
 
One day a traveler came to the temple feverish and sick. Laaren helped the man inside and made him comfortable before applying a few healing salves for his sickness. He began to cry out and she ran to fetch the temples healers fearful that she had administered the wrong ointments and had killed the man. When the healers rushed into the room the man lay in a peaceful sleep, and he lay in that sleep for days. The healers could not find where she had done anything wrong, and commended her on her work, though she sat nervously at his bedside caring for him.
 
He began to stir, she reached over and felt his fore head, it felt fine, nice and warm. His eyes opened, and he looked at her, her golden hair in a braid, hanging over her shoulder.
 
"Have I died?" he asked.
 
"No." she responded.
 
"You, you are not an angel?" He asked viewing her radiant beauty.
 
"N, N, No...," She stammers as a hand touched her shoulder.
 
She turned as one of the head healers of the temple stood behind her. This woman had golden hair as well, and was thought to be one of the most beautiful women in the temple. "You have done well child," the woman said, "Now go and get some sleep."
 
The Laaren walked off at the healer gave her a knowing nod. Laaren did not know it but the healer had Aasimer blood in her distant path and saw it in Laaren as well.
 
Laaren thought on this day for a long time. Somehow she had healed a man and he had thought her an angel. How could that be? This drove her even further into the folds of the temple, learning all she could, but, that moment never left her mind. How could anyone have mistaken her for an angel? Even a sick feverish man? Someday, perhaps she would find that answer, she thought... Though, sometimes when she looked in the mirror... she could even see a bit of angel herself, though she thought these thoughts simple vanity.
 
She is not aware of her Aasimer heritage. She has heard whispers about her beauty, how it was the beauty of the celestials, but largely she chalks this up to simply being peoples reaction to her loving attitude. (I would probably like to have a character development quest later on where she attempts to find her mother, and discovers her heritage) The Aasimer portion of her heritage I believe is a necessary component due to the fact that it will encourage others to see the true beauty of Ilsare through her beauty and kindness. She used this inherent beauty to draw people to her and therefor to Ilsare.

[merlin34baseball]

*she opens a small journal*

The Lady of Dreams has blessed me.

Myself and a woman named Sala discovered an Ice Mephit flitting around the pond outside Hempstead.  It left us several notes threatening to kidnap a small child named Tyra.  On our way to report it to the authorities we came across an orc.  We thought this orc may have been the mephit's master but he would not confirm it.

Later in the day I was practicing my archery near the town of Hlint when the same orc appeared after my meditations. In all honesty he frightened me, I was trapped near the fire as we debated his coming kidnapping of the child.  He said the reason he wanted to do it was  to pay back humans for having captured and experimenting on him.

I tried to explain that harming another in the way that he was harmed was not a loving thing to do.  He could not see why this was wrong.  Finally I took him into Hlint and showed him the statue of Ilsare holding the child, and tried to explain love, unconditional love.  I asked him if he had goals in life, and he said he did.  I told him all those would be lost, as well as his life, if he continued down the path he was on.  In front of The Ladies statue he came to see that revenge brought on one who had nothing to do with the crime was not right.  I told him I would speak to those who sought him for these threats and tell them that he would be no threat any longer.

I thank you Lady of Dreams that you granted me the power to help one see a better, more loving path in life.

*she closes her book and returns to the statue to give thanks*

[merlin34baseball]

*opens her journal and begins to write*

Well... today I got locked in a cage. *giggles*

We were approached by a worg riding goblin and asked if we wanted to meet the leader in Red Light.  Said he had a job for us... boy did he ever.  Seems he wanted a bit of the Hlint Guard captain's hair for his shaman.

I agreed that I would "ask" her for it.  He even made me cut my hand and seal the deal in blood. Yuck!

*checks her hand for signs of infection*

Well, the captain would not give us hair, and I'm glad she didn't.  We ended up paying a young down on her luck lady for a lock of her hair.  We were then escorted to the leader, who said only I could meet the shaman at first then the others could follow.  This was not good...  I was surrounded by huge metal spiders and forced into a cage.

But alas, the others broke in and freed me, thankfully.  I was even starting to eat the hair before they got to me so that the shaman would not curse the poor young girl.  We fought our way out through many worg riding goblins, finally back to the surface.  Twas quite the adventure.

Lets see if I can remember all the names who were there... Khuren, Lino, Eru, Boltar, Semi... and one other woman whom I had never had the pleasure of meeting before.

*closes her journal and drifts off to sleep*

[merlin34baseball]

*she sits on the steps of the Minaret and opens her journal*

I am in trouble.

Seems my deal with the goblins is not over.  They have begun haunting me, appearing out of no where, taunting me.  My side hurts, bleeds, and I have begun hearing voices.  So I have come to the Minaret, hoping the ghosts would be afraid to come here, I don't know if it will work, or even why I think it will, but I am out of options.

They last time the shaman appeared he demanded another task of me.  He wants a lock of paladins hair.  He told me I have three days to bring it or I die.  I shan't bring it.  Balazar, the dear man, volunteered to trade his life for mine.  I will not take him up on the offer, I shan't  to one my heart begins to love, and beside the goblins gave no mention of any sort of trade.

The shaman also told me after I bring him a powerful paladins hair he would give me a task, a task of killing.  Thank Ilsare that it shall never come to that. I shall...

*looks about at the flowers*

...die first.

*closes the book slowly, takes a drink of wine, and goes in to have a hot bath*

[merlin34baseball]

*she sits on the Minaret steps and opens her journal*

This place has been a godsend.  The voices I hear do not reach me here.  I felt anger, but heard no voices after Clarissa, Omer and Steel teleported into the Red Light caves and crushed the Shamans forces.  I believe I am safe here.

I was told that there is a man in Hempstead asking my whereabouts.  I hope no one who knows where I am is foolish enough to tell him.

I went to Mariners Hold to see my father and gather supplies, fishing arrows, a robe and hood for a disguise, water skins and boxes to hold the cranberries and almonds I pass when I go fishing.  The shaman appeared, demanding the hair, and telling me I had one more day, until I die if I don't bring the hair.

I told him I would not give it to him.  He angered, and I tested him... I told him I thought he was far from home, that he had not the power to hurt me, and... he didn't.  I am beginning to think, no, I know, that his power has some sort of range, and here I am far enough to be safe.

I told him he should have gotten the hair himself from Clarissa if he wanted it that bad.  He told me her hair was no good, because she was female.  He told me again that I had not lived up to our original bargain.  I told him I had, that I had only promised to ask the captain for the hair.  He said I promised to bring the captains hair.  He lies, and I told him as much.

I await the dawn, to see if I am right, that he cannot hurt me here, cannot kill me while I am near the Minaret.  But... eventually I will have to face him somehow, destroy him, and to do that I will have to be near enough for him to use his powers, and I am afraid of what will happen.

*she slowly closes the journal, picks up her bow and fishing arrows and goes to the lake*

[merlin34baseball]

*sits in Hempstead enjoying the sunshine*

Well, I am free of the goblins.  Seems some of my friends got together and finally put him out of my... misery.

Strange though, they said the goblins didn't just have a doll of me, they had made whole nother me.  I was the leader of the goblin army!  A wretched leader I must have been as they routed my army and killed me!

*giggles*

I am happy though to be free of that curse though.  I think I still smell like fish, cranberries and almonds from spending so much time at Glass Lake near the Minaret.

I need to decide where to take Balazar to dinner as well.  I promised him a nice meal before all this happened.  At least I can catch some fish for the meal!

*closes the book and tilts her head to the sun*

[merlin34baseball]

*whistles a merry tune as she tends the gardens at the Ilsarian temple in Hlint*

[merlin34baseball]

*Laaren sits on a bench in the gardens of the Ilsarian Temple in Hlint. A parchment and quill in hand as she writes a tune for the days devotions*