Age: Late 30s
Race: Human, Tuigan and Shou ancestry
Alignment: Neutral Good
God: Sune
Nyvana: around 15, Rashemi Human
Kiri was born to a family of Tuigan and Shou ancestry in a small farming village to the South of The Forest of Lethyr and the North of Phsant in Thesk.
The song sung almost every night to the children in the village was the story of the Tuigan man Zaan of the Khassidi tribe. He had run away during the fall of the Horde to find a peaceful life. He found himself upon a river where he saw a beautiful Shou woman, Tai, playing a lute with a flower in her hair. There's a few small details that differ depending on the singer, but the song always ends happily about the two settling down and starting a family together.
Kiri was the third child born to her parents, Kasem and Qiao, after one boy and one girl. She also had a younger brother and sister join her family early in her life. Everyone in her village was very peaceful, and everyone who was able joined in to help work. Families would help each other out whenever they needed it. Song and love surrounded the village almost every night after the work was finished.
Kiri's family grew mostly rice and vegetables, but many other families herded animals or had horses.
Her father was one of those often taking goods from all families in the village to market in cities on The Golden Way, often between Phsant and Tammar. Kiri and her siblings sometimes came along, and got to see the great diversity in the cities. Her father always brought back a book for his children after one of his trips if they didn't come along.
As Kiri grew older, she didn't seem to have any urges to have a partner or a child of her own like her older siblings and some friends had started to. She did enjoy learning everything she could, and enjoyed teaching her younger brother and sister, Chen and Rai, as well as the kids in the village. She looked up to the elders in her village, sometimes imagining herself being a leader one day.
Everything had been going as normal until her father had hurt his leg. Kiri, Chen, and Rai began taking goods to market while their mother and older siblings' growing families would tend to the farm. While their father healed, the family and the village came together to cover things.
During her trips to market, she had run into a man several times that was half Orc-half Rashemi named Drrad.
Her father had healed up, and things had gone back to how they usually were in the village for some time.
Unfortunately, the village soon faced a struggle. Many crops has become diseased, and many of the wells were coming up dry. Selling what they could while others were trying to discover what was going on with their village's land, the three youngest siblings set out to Tammar with several animals and what crops were usable for a delivery for a large merchant group.
Once there, Drrad had so happened to be in the area. Kiri greeted him, telling him small details of their situation. Drrad seemed to listen well, but did not say much and left with a good bye.
Before their trip ended, Drrad approached the siblings. He told them the family he serves was in need of help after a few women who worked at the manor had to leave to deal with family matters of their own. After getting more details, they discovered Drrad worked for the noble family Mecek based in the citiy of Two Stars. They owned a large merchant business that was responsible for much of the trade that occurred between Thesk and Rashemen along Lake Ashane. They also hosted a very large library in the city.
Offering help and provisions for their village in return for the servitude of the two girls Kiri and Rai, Drrad said that they could think on it before he departed at the end of the week.
The siblings discussed the offer. They thought it would be ridiculous to leave their family and village in the state it was. They wanted to help. They would miss their people. That life was all they ever really knew, who would want to be cooped up working for nobles all day after working outside for themselves and their people for so long?
Kiri was stuck on "no way" until pictures of her family popped in her head. Even if they went back home to help, there was no way of knowing if everything could be fixed. The Earth was currently not cooperating. If this was a definite way to bring something back so her village would have full bellies..
Kiri being the oldest let out a long sigh and told Rai that she was going to say yes to Drrad's offer. Rai looked shocked, but in the end would not let Kiri go alone.
They met with Drrad before they departed for home, and he was very happy. He sent them on their way home to gather what they needed, and told them when to expect an escort to bring them to Two Stars (as well as make the first payment to the village).
When the siblings arrived home, the entire family (and later, village) was heartbroken at the news. Some persuaded them not to go, but their mother and father supported their new journey and never knew how'd they repay the girls for their sacrifice in their time of need.
When the Mecek's escort came to drop off payment and transport the girls, they were waved off with all teary-eyed good byes. Their mother had given Kiri the lute she loved to play every night at the fire. Rai took several of her favorite books her father had given her. The village also gave the girls two young horses to take with them.
Once the two arrived in Two Stars, the Mecek's manor stunned them. They knew people lived in homes large enough for many people, but neither had been inside one before.
The Meceks had assigned Rai to take the place of the woman who worked in the kitchen, while they asked Kiri if she could take the place of the nanny. She was in her early 20s, and had heard from Drrad that she enjoyed teaching the young in her village. Kiri was not entirely comfortable with this idea. Noble children were different than the village children. She also didn't hate children, but she had no desire to be around them so often or be in charge of them. She reluctantly agreed, seeing how she didn't have much choice.
The Meceks of Rashemi ancestory had several children. To Kiri's relief, almost all were older boys who did not need constant help. They did have a younger son of about 8, named Jankar. To Kiri's dismay, they did have one infant. A girl, named Nyvana.
Although it took some time and a few awkward encounters, Kiri grew close to the children, especially Jankar and Nyvana. They had a separate teacher that was an educated noble's son, but Kiri taught the children about growing a garden, riding a horse, fishing, how to sing, and how to play some string instruments. She listened to them, cared for them when sick, played with them, and made sure they did their readings and ate their food. Jankar reminded her so much of Chen, and Nyvana very much had a free spirit like Kiri herself.
She read to Jankar and Nyvana every night. As Nyvana began to grow, Kiri would sing a song to her each night.
Nyvana's favorite bedtime story was about a princess who left her kingdom to find a cure for her sick mother. Taking inspiration from that story and the songs of her village's lore, Kiri wrote a song about a princess in Kara-Tur following a trail of lilies to the person she wanted to see the most. Sometimes, the person she wished to see the most would change depending on Nyvana's mood or what the girl had done that day. Nyvana loved the song, and was excited to see who the princess would find at the end of her journey each night.
The Meceks seemed like nice enough people, but Kiri had not seen them often. All that mattered was that they were providing help to her village. They did not spend much time with the children either. As the two youngest grew, Kiri had become more of a mother to them than their own. They both loved learning of her background and her family.
Kiri still regularly saw her sister Rai, who had still worked in the kitchens. The two were in regular contact with the family, who were now in a much more stable position. The land was doing much better, and the Mecek's provisions had helped the village immensely. The two thought of leaving for back home now that all was well, but Kiri could not leave the children. Rai had also fallen in love with a barkeeper in Two Stars, and decided to stay to be with him.
Time went by peacefully for everyone. However, when Jankar turned 19, he suddenly fell ill. The family threw all they could at finding out what was wrong with him. Doctors and scholars saw him, but there was no known way to help him. Even several clerics of a few gods came to see him, but their healing spells only did so much. This hit Kiri very hard, but hit Nyvana the hardest. Kiri and Nyvana spent much of their time together during these days, wishing for Jankar to heal. Nyvana was now about 12, and asked Kiri to take her and Jankar to his village once he healed. Kiri happily agreed, and held Nyvana tightly.
Unfortunately, Jankar suddenly passed one day after his battle with the unknown illness. It seemed more than half the city was there for his funeral. Kiri held Nyvana tightly that night, and told her they could still go to her village after some time to grieve. She sang Nyvana her favorite song to try to help her sleep.
When Kiri awoke after a terrible night of barely any sleep, Nyvana was not there. Looking throughout the entire manor, Kiri could not find the girl anywhere. She informed the family, who sent out those that worked for them and members of the city watch to look for her. She was not found at all that day.
Kiri was devastated by the loss of the boy who was like a son to her, and now lost the girl who was like a daughter to her. She could hardly move for several days.
The family offered her leave or to stay and work in the kitchens with Rai while they searched for Nyvana. They would still provide for her village in the meantime.
While she wanted to go home, she decided to stay with her sister. Once she had some time to rest, she would leave the grounds to look for any signs of Nyvana. Not in her favorite places. Not in any churches, not in the library, not in her favorite hiding spots, not at any of the neighboring homes. The family's guards reported that there was no sign of her at any of the family's stations along the lake either. Kiri hoped to some god that there was a way to find her, singing the song she wrote like a hymn every night.
After about 2 weeks of her disappearance, Kiri noticed that she was the only person who could vividly recall Nyvana. It seemed those around the manor, even her own family, forgot things about her. Faced with this, she confided in Rai. She told Rai she must leave and look for Nyvana. The village was doing better now, and the family did not need her service with no children. She would stop home first, and keep in contact with Rai when she reached major cities to let her know she was doing ok. Rai hugged Kiri tightly, and let her go on her way.
Taking only her lute and horse, Stargazer, Kiri set out along The Golden Way. At every city, she would write to Rai, then investigate. She would even speak to local thieves' guilds, but absolutely nothing came up. She arrived to her village to visit her family. It was amazing to see them and how much better they were doing, even with her parents in old age. She met her new nieces and nephews, and felt surrounded by warmth in the home she missed dearly.
She realized Nyvana had shown interest in her village, but no one saw a sign of a young Rashemi girl in the area. It was very hard to leave home, but wanted to find her girl. She set out once again, back down The Golden Way.
Over 1 year. 1 year of discovering nothing. Nothing in Thesk pointed to her location. Kiri even began travelling into Rashemen and Narfell along the lake, but there was no sign of her. She kept thinking things over to herself in this very lonely time in her life. Was this all a waste of time? This wasn't even her child..but it felt like it was. What was Jankar sick with? Did Nyvana leave of her own accord? Was she grieving, or did this have something to do with Jankar's sudden illness itself? Or, w.as Nyvana kidnapped? Gods, she didn't even want to ask the question of whether or not Nyvana was still alive. If she was, which Kiri certainly hoped, how far could she have gone on her own? Most importantly, how could Nyvana's family forget things about her? Why could only Kiri remember her so vividly?
The only people Kiri talked to at this time were herself, innkeepers and thieves when in large towns/cities, and occasionally her sister through letters.
Kiri decided to travel to the area South of the Thesk Mountains to search a new area. She had read a few stories to Nyvana about the region, so maybe she was interested in them?
One night on her way on a road along the River Sur, Kiri saw a caravan sitting and singing. She felt like she was at home watching them. She was apprehensive, but felt the need to speak to them. Almost as if something was calling her towards them. She slowly came forward and introduced herself. They were many of them, she realized. They were all very decorated for being on the road, and the image of a woman with bright red hair depicted on a banner. Several of them wore robes with a chain of a golden heart.
Though her village did not worship any of the many gods and never considered to, Kiri felt almost at ease upon seeing the group. She ate with them and joined them in song. In the morning she was going to go on her way, but she was stopped by a girl named Mei. She told Kiri to come with them to just outside of Tammar, and that she would be accepted into the church of Sune if she wanted. Kiri was taken aback. She had never desired to worship gods. She almost felt a push to follow, and came with them to a Temple of Sune in Mulsantir.
There, she trained, prayed, and sang. Some of the work was tough; she wasn't old yet, but she was no where near as young as she used to be. Every night, she would mediate and sing Nyvana's song to herself. She began regularly writing to her village and sister Rai in Two Stars again, and she was glad to know all was well with them. She focused her previous loneliness and grief to love and music for Sune. Still, she loved Nyvana and knew that once she could, she would set out to find her once more.
After some time, she began going in groups to praise Sune through music throughout Thesk. She used this as a way to both worship her god and see if she could find anything about Nyvana. Although she still found nothing, her fellow clerics, her god, and the regular letters to her family brought her some joy.
After one of their travelling groups returned, she received a letter from Rai that said she had not heard from Chen or anyone else in the village for some time now. Looking through letters that she received while gone, Kiri also realized that she had none from her family back home. Rai asked that, if possible, Kiri would go check on them when she was able. Rai was very pregnant, and was visiting her husband's relatives in Rashemen.
Kiri knew she must go check on them, and decided to ask the one of the elder clerics Mara for a period of leave to do so.
When approaching Mara that night, Kiri noticed Mara looking somewhat anxious. As Kiri shut the door, Mara quickly said "I'm glad you're here."
Kiri was shocked, as she was one of the newest clerics of just less than a year.
Mara confided in Kiri that several of the elder clerics in temples throughout Thesk, Implitur, Aglarond, Altumbel, and even Eastern Sembia had been notified that a relic once stolen from Sune was discovered at a shrine in the Earthspur Mountains of Impiltur. It is something like a harp, said to be made by the Goddess herself, that offers many blessings. Mara did not know much besides that. She told Kiri that she was responsible for correspondence with the branch of "Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose" that was to retrieve this relic. However, she had not heard from them in some time. She was growing worried, as they had a safe route and had many allies on the road to this location. They should not have been stopped, and even if they had, it would have been taken care of relatively quickly. At this point, Mara told Kiri, the branch should safely be in Ilmwatch. Mara had heard nothing from other temples even, only from one of the paladins while they were passing through The Great Dale. Mara took a deep breath, and said that she thinks another elder cleric is either setting them up for a relic that isn't really there, or another elder cleric is interfering with their mission.
Kiri looed at Mara in confusion, unsure how to help. Kiri told her that she only wanted to ask for leave to check on her village for a short period.
Mara took a few moments to think.
Mara noded to herself, and told Kiri her leave was granted. However, she needed to ask Kiri a large favor, one that she may not have been ready for.
Mara told Kiri that she was here long enough that Mara could trust her. She was also new enough that many of the other temples did not know much of her.
Mara requested that, once she check on her village, to travel from Thesk to Impiltur and investigate each temple along the way and look for any signs of the branch that may be missing.
Mara was going to investigate the elder clerics, and send a small group, unknown to the other elder clerics, to travel to the relic if not heard from in a timely manner.
Kiri agreed, although the task sounded somewhat dangerous. Setting out on her horse, Stargazer, she sang Nyvana's song to herself.
Home, then my task, home, then my task, look for Nyvana…she repeated this to herself as she set out on her way home.
Kiri rode Stargazer down the Golden Way. After a few days, she came to the side road for her home village and braced herself for the worst. She dismounted and bowed her head in prayer, and sang a song as an offering to Sune for her blessing. She remounted and rode to the village. As Kiri approached, her heart lightened slightly. The village was intact, people were working in the fields. She came to her family's house and it too was intact, smoke came from the chimney. She tied Stargazer to the rail by the watering trough and hung her shield on her saddle. Kiri walked to the front door, and pushed it open and listened. There were sounds of conversation and work from the kitchen and she could smell her mother's bread baking. She hesitantly called out for her mother and there was a sound of a breaking bowl and silence. Her parents came to the doorway in shock and stared at Kiri before rushing to hold her, crying and sobbing. Once Kiri had calmed them enough for them to listen and assured them she was okay, they sat at the kitchen table to talk. A messenger had come from the Mecek's a few months back, telling them that there had been a plague and Kiri, Rai, and Rai's family had died. The Meceks would try to keep sending them money to atone for their loss. Kiri reassured her parents that there had been no plague and that Rai was fine. When she asked them who had brought the word of the plague, her parents had trouble remembering. They said they thought it had been a young woman, but now they could not remember her name or what she looked like. She had an elven bodyguard, but he never spoke and they thought that was odd for a human woman from Two Stars. Kiri played to Sune and sang a prayer to help her parents, then questioned them again. They finally teased out a description, and Kiri was sure it was Nyvana! But why had she come to her parents now? And why lie to them?
Kiri stayed a few days with her parents, catching them up on news and visiting the townsfolk to assure them of her and Rai's health. But her mission for Sune's church remained, she must continue her hunt for Nyvana later. She would ride to Phsant tomorrow and continue on her quest.
Her plan was set in her head, but that did not matter much. She soon ran into a..VERY strange looking bunch, and things took a turn.
Goals:
1) Check on home, see why family hasn't been writing. COMPLETE
2) Investigate the Temples of Sune from Thesk to Impiltur. Try to track down the missing branch of the Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose who are seeking out a possible relic. Are there any elder clerics sabotaging them?
3) Find Nyvana and figure out the reason for her disappearance. Did she leave on her own, or was she taken? Does it have any thing to do with Jankar's death? Why can only Kiri vividly remember her?
Sune Spells
2nd Level
Luring Melody
Note of Discord
3rd Level
Note of Harmony
5th Level
Forgotten Melody
