[ Name ]: Gwenderyn "Dere" Uí Luian (legally Gwenderyn Langley)
[ Birthday ]: August 4th
[ Age ]: 37
[ Gender ]: Female
[ Race ]: Selkie
[ Sexual Orientation ]: Poly pan
[ Faction Alignment ]: None
[ Class ]: Witch

[ Personality ]:
> Strong-willed: doesn't back down or give up without a fight
> Quiet: doesn't initiate conversations much, doesn't speak loudly
> Cautious: slow to really trust anyone, quick to flee from danger
> Hard-working: doesn't do anything halfway, doesn't shy away from doing work
> Caring: as much as she hates it sometimes, she doesn't want anyone around her to be unhappy

[ Job ]: Fisher, fish seller, witch for hire

[ Home Town ]: The Brood Cliffs, just across the Sea of Arthes from Copool Stronghold

[ Equipment ]: Harbor seal pelt, shell necklace, staff

[ Background Information ]:
Appearance -
At birth, Gwenderyn was named for her looks at birth. Pale, pale white, with curly white hair, Dere is almost certainly albino. Her eyes are a pale blue, almost purple in appearance, and there is next to no color to her skin or hair. Used to physical labor, Dere is tall and muscled. Without her pelt, she appears to be a normal human, though perhaps more beautiful than average. Her seal form is the palest of greys, with a smattering of darker speckles across her back.

Currently, she tends to dress in leathers and furs, primarily for function and comfort. Around her waist she wears a large, light grey seal pelt; a memento from her past. Her hair is long, descending past her shoulders, and typically worn in a braid or bun to keep it out of the way as she works. As a witch, Dere keeps a staff and small tome on her person at all times. They are simple objects, easily overlooked; the staff in particular can be mistaken for a walking staff instead of a casting tool, unless one is particularly familiar with witches and casting. Dere appreciates the idea of anonymity, and generally ensures a hooded travel cloak is part of her outfits; with her hair, she can easily mimic your average grandmother, so long as no one sees her face.


Family & Friends -
Currently, her only friend is her familiar, Sylvi. Once her pelt was taken, Dere was utterly isolated from the world by her husband, who was paranoid that she would somehow find her pelt and escape. She has been away from her herd long enough that any of her former friends are likely strangers to her, and often feels very lonely. Dere's herd lives south of Damor, though they are somewhat nomadic and travel throughout the sea. She misses her family and badly wants to return to them, but deep down she fears that even if she does manage to return, she will never truly have her loving family and friends back.


Memories & Past -
Dere remembers her childhood fondly: swimming, hunting, dancing on beaches with her herd. She lived with them until her late teens, when she made the mistake of wandering too far from her pelt one night. When she returned to collect it, she discovered to her horror that a fisherman from Damor had been watching the herd come and go, seizing the opportunity to capture one of them for his own. Like any other selkie in her position, Dere had no choice but to follow him to his home. They were married shortly after that, and Dere lived within his home, never allowed to leave. Fortunately, she still had Sylvi- the man was unsuccessful in deterring the bird from staying with her- but that was only a small comfort. Eventually, she discovered that the man had tricked her, and sold her pelt shortly after their marriage in a misguided attempt to solidify his power over her. While this meant she could never go back to the sea, he hadn't realized that the fake pelt he used to intimidate her into obedience would be discovered as a fraud, nor that once it was, he held no leverage over her anymore. Gwenderyn doesn't talk about what happened after that, but she made her leave of the fisherman's home and began traveling with Sylvi in search of her beloved pelt.


Likes & Dislikes -
> Favorite meals all involve fish or red meats
> Not really a fan of pork or fowl
> Enjoys hunting; finds bringing down a kill satisfying
> Likes children
> Dislikes and distrusts human men, particularly fishermen
> Will not tolerate abuse of any kind, to friend, foe, or stranger
> Hates being called Gwen
> Hates being referred to as a Langley
> Likes fruit
> Not a fan of anything sweeter than a cantaloupe
> Enjoys bitter and sour foods
> Honestly enjoys most foods as long as they're not pork, fowl, or particularly sweet and sugary
> Very... musically tolerant (won't care if your instrument is off tune or you're singing off key)
> Does not like men making advances on her at all
> Doesn't like to hurt people, unless they really deserve it
> Enjoys carving and creating things
> Likes working with magic
> Likes grooming others (mostly ends up being Sylvi)
> Likes pretty things, especially clothing and accessories
> Clothes shopping
> Likes flattery and gifts, but often acts grumpy or shy because she doesn't know how to accept kindness well anymore
> Loves to swim and fish
> Likes shells and pretty rocks


Behaviors & Habits -
> Clenches and unclenches fists and grits her teeth when angry or frustrated
> Teeny smile when happy
> Resting bitch face
> Generally a grump, but not a mean grump
> Holding on to Sylvi is comforting to her
> Keeps irregular hours, but doesn't like waking before the sun
> Avoids dancing
> Hums while she works, folk tunes from both land and sea
> Will come at you swinging if she sees you treat someone poorly- unless she thinks they deserved it
> Sometimes slips into the Selkie tongue when angry or excited, as it often is more expressive
> Does not want to talk about her husband when asked. She will become angry if the subject is pushed
> Does not seek out alcohol or company, but enjoys both well enough when she finds herself with them
> Uncomfortable in large crowds or when by herself in urban areas


Other Information -
> Omnivorous, but requires more meat in her diet than a human
> Can prepare food and hunt on land and underwater
> Is unable to willingly enter bodies of water without her real pelt
> Can cross water with a boat or bridge, but becomes increasingly anxious the longer she is over water
> Damage to her real pelt causes physical pain to her; if it is destroyed, she may die
> Can cook very well
> Limited foraging knowledge
> Physically strong, but not used to wielding anything but a staff and magic except for hunting
> Can probably punch you out in one hit if she gets you? But not trained in hand to hand combat



[ Familiar ]: Wandering Albatross
[ Name ]: Sylvi
[ Age ]: 29
[ Size ]: 11' wingspan
[ Personality ]: Quiet, protective of Dere. Down to fight anyone Dere hates at the drop of a hat. Not exactly mistrusting of people, just doesn't put her faith into anyone but Dere.
[ Various ]: Her feathers have a very slight silvery sheen to them, and her eyes are the same color as Dere's. Otherwise, she appears to be just a normal albatross. She met Dere when she was a hatchling; many Selkie witches breed and take on albatross familiars, and Gwenderyn was one of the young witches waiting for Sylvi and her nestmates to hatch. They connected instantly, and Sylvi has been in Dere's care ever since.