Sex: Female
Age: 19
Physical Description: Whisper could easily be described as small. Her slim frame is soft and curved, very deceiving to the fight held within. She may have a soft shape, but don’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of her lean, slim muscle when she is running for her life. Her appearance is lithe and a simple distraction from the fact that she is an a foe to be reckoned with, and she isn't afraid to exert her dominance.
Though she is naturally pale, Whisper's hands and face have been weathered by travel and battle. They've lost their youthful glow, freckled by the sun and marred by scars. Her face is usually graced with a sly smirk, like she’s up to something. Nine times out of ten, she is. Behind the hood, pink, untameable waves make themselves at home. Though they are often blocked by the brim of her hat, her irises are also an unnatural shade of pink, representative of the Goddess Ghirina.
Families in the Hellseher Clan each select a patron God to honor and ask for protection. This color is used throughout the home and is represented in the members of the family as well. Adopting the color used to represent them in festivals and divine ceremonies, a child born into the house has their hair stained at birth. Once they reach their first year, a pilgrimage is set for the family to travel to the frigid waters high in the mountains where child's eyes are treated with the liquid. It is said to be the highest honor to the Gods.
Clothing: Due to the transient nature of her job, she dresses for practicality. She covers as much of her body as possible to equally protect from deadly sun, excruciating cold, or being identified by the wrong people. She is usually covered in black, but dark grays and the occasional white garments might make their way into her ensemble. No matter the time of day, if she is in public, she wears her hood and a cap.
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 100 lbs.
Skin Colour: White with near-permanent tan lines.
Hair Colour: Pink
Eye Colour: Light pink, almost white.
Occupation: Secret Keeper
History/Bio: Whisper was born in the treacherous valleys of Bola Brisk. Though she's a descendant of the founder of the settlement, Hellseherin Proper, it was anything but an easy life. Her birthright, as it is called by her people, was Secret Keeper; much to the despair of her mother. Her training was a rigorous study of general survival skills, hand to hand combat, dagger use, and concocting poisons from ingredients found throughout the desert.
Her father was the Clan Leader that made the decree for her to be a Secret Keeper, but she may be exempt. Should she be named as his successor, she'd be free to stay in Hellseherin Proper. Unfortunately, she was fairly vocal about her doubts that the Gods would continually select their family for leadership when they had so many others to choose from. Though she hadn't meant to imply corruption in her father, he took it as such as was quick to announce the Gods had decreed Vada would take his place when the time came.
With her older sister selected to be the successor to the Clan Leader, Whisper was sentenced to a transient lifestyle with no place to call home. As is the way of the Secret Keeper, she left Hellseherin with a backpack containing a small amount of money, the clothes on her back, and the weapons at her side. She's since traveled the desert, sending all but a small stipend back to her family to be distributed among the people. The Summer Bazaar is a time when a good number of Keepers meet up in Dol-Duna to compare stories over a drink and sell their 'wares'. It's the closest thing any of them have to a home.
Home Town: Hellseherin Proper
Native Clan: Hellseher Clan
Population: 2000 People total [Only around 500 people are in Hellfeherin Proper at any given time.]
Settlements: Hellseherin Proper, a small nameless settlement in Alhara.
Location: Bola Brisk Mountains, The Qafar Desert.
Description:
The Hellseherin Clan is said to be ruled by the Gods themselves. On a day to day basis, however, it is ultimately ruled by a Clan Leader. Though his family is also treated as royalty, they have no political power themselves. The Clan Leader acts as the Mouthpiece of the Gods to share their will with the people. The person to succeed the Clan Leader is also chosen by the Gods. It's probably a coincidence the Gods have favored the Hellseherin family since the creation of the clan.
Anyone could tell you Bola Brisk is impossible to farm and everyone seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding of how the power crystals work. Thus, the people of Hellseherin Proper found another way to survive. Such is human ingenuity. By Divine Intervention, as interpreted by the Clan Leader, clan members are chosen at birth to fulfill occupations in society. There are three main branches of Birthrights:
Most are trained as mercenaries and sold like livestock to the highest bidder. After the contract has been fulfilled, they return home only to be sold again. It isn't a bad life, you get to return home; even in death.
The second most common birthright is akin to clerical duties. Sure, some of these people will become doctors or fill some other important necessity. Most end up as drones carrying out manual labor. Holding the purse strings makes them very popular people. It's a safe, if boring, job that fills a necessary hole in society.
A select few 'lucky' infants are chosen to become Secret Keepers. This is a bit of a misnomer as they collect secrets to sell. Secret Keepers are meant to travel beyond the walls of Hellseherin Proper to collect secrets. During training, there are many tales of heroic Keepers attempting to go beyond the White Ruins to secure the biggest secret of all. Of course, they are called heroic as they died for the cause. A secret could mean any manner of information: stories, rumors, testimonies, anything. Once a Keeper has information, they broker deals to sell. Secret Keepers bring more money to their clan than any other position, but they also have the highest mortality rate. The kind of people that purchase information from a Keeper are usually also the kind to hire an assassin. It is a sign of disrespect for a Secret Keeper to return home before they reach old age and are cast out of the tribe. Even returning as an Elder has its drawbacks, it is said anyone who survives as a Keeper didn't do enough for the clan. It is better to die chasing nothing than living a long life.
While Hellseherin is a thriving city now, the current and past Clan Leaders have yet to see the merit in find other sources of income.
Personality: Whisper almost has a split personality. When meeting a mark: she practically radiates danger, even if she's simply standing there; leaned against the bar, hands crossed over her chest, and her head tilted just enough to make you think she’s debating on killing you. She walks with a swift pride that hardly goes unnoticed. She makes no effort to hide her authority. This is her game and you are just playing in it. Her voice never breaching a whisper, she’ll have gotten what she came for and left before anyone else even realizes she’s there. She’s calm, collected, and calculating; always looking for her next hit.
When among friends: she has a much harder time saving face. Talking is one of her favorite activities, but her training and occupation made it difficult to speak with someone as a friend rather than goading them into sharing their darkest secrets. She hasn’t yet found any true friends since leaving her homeland. Bars have been a suitable source of casual interaction, but it isn’t enough. That said, she is the type of person to stab first, ask questions later at any hint of malice. This hasn’t made her very popular. Revealing her birthname is her highest sign of trust and respect.
Fears and Desires: Whisper above all else wishes to return home, if only for a short while. Her greatest fear is that she should die before seeing her parents again.
Equipment and Weapons: Sending her money home hasn't done Whisper any favors. She's carried everything she owns in one pack. Though it's a lot heavier than when she left Hellseherin, it still has room. She has a few changes of clothes, a small tent and provisions of water and food. Her pack is also equipped with supplies to make her own poisons. On a belt at her hip, she carries two daggers and a dozen throwing knives, and vials of paralytic poisons.
Styles and Abilities: Whisper relies on stealth more heavily than any other skill she has. She can get in and out of most places unseen and likes it that way. Less bloodshed is what she wants. However, if she senses any sort of danger in an interaction, she'll not hesitate to attack. Her tactic of choice is paralyzing the enemy and running. She can hold her own in a hand to hand battle, but would still prefer the element of surprise as she usually has a disadvantage on size.