Amadine Steleanu's page

Amadine Steleanu is one of the few pureblooded Varisians in Korvosa, born into a horse-trading family. The extended Steleanu family has been breeding and training fine horses and ponies outside Korvosa and selling them in the Ridgefield ward of North Point for three generations. Unlike many Varisian families, the Steleanus have managed to prosper and gain the respect of their neighbors for the consistently high quality of their mounts and draft animals. Varisians have a reputation for expertise with horses, which the Steleanu family has parlayed into successful businesses.

However, the spirits decreed a different path for Amadine. Her grandmother Daiona was a shaman of the ancestors spirit, following an ancient Varisian tradition of communion with the spirit world, and when Amadine was born it was clear that she had great potential. Unlike with other forms of magic, though, an affinity for the spirits is a double-edged sword. Amadine absolutely had to be trained, otherwise there was a real danger than a malicious spirit would possess her. The fact that the young girl was also an aasimar was a footnote compared to the potential and danger of her spiritual ability.

Ruslo and Cinamenta weren't particularly thrilled at Daiona's decree. The path of a shaman is fraught with danger to body and soul. But there are many tales of untrained people with spiritual potential becoming victims of evil or mischievous spirits in the Varisian oral tradition. Ruslo's mother was right, and everyone knew it. So Grandma Daiona began training Amadine as soon as she was old enough to understand the necessary concepts and the gravity of what they were doing. Amadine's older sister Jaelle was jealous of the attention her little sister was receiving, especially when her aasimar heritage became more obvious. Her younger sister Maireni, on the other hand, thought Amadine was the coolest ever and adored her. Amadine is a naturally friendly person who likes to make people happy, so she tried her best to be a good friend to her siblings, a loving daughter to her parents, and both a diligent student and loving granddaughter to her grandma.

Inexplicably, no matter how hard Amadine worked and meditated, she was never able to progress her magical studies very far. She and Grandma both asked the spirits why, and both of them got the same answer every time. The stars are not yet right. Eventually Amadine gave up and apprenticed under a horse doctor, learning nonmagical ways to treat animals' illnesses and injuries. Once she earned her mastery, the Steleanu family's contacts and reputation ensured that she had a ready made client base. Despite being unmarried, Amadine moved out of her parents' house and got her own apartment to avoid waking her family up when she gets late night emergency calls. She makes decent money as a horse doctor, and occasionally treats her family's ailments as well. Amadine knows people medicine, she just prefers treating animals.

Maireni and Amadine are still very close. Maireni's husband and children like her, and on days when she doesn't have a lot of patients, Amadine frequently babysits her nieces and nephews to get them out from underfoot. Maireni's second child, eight year old Daval, got the Varisian wanderlust in spades. He's a sweet kid, but an extremely curious one with a tendency to wander off. Two weeks ago Amadine took him with her to the Reefclaw Run fish market in Old Korvosa to buy oysters for dinner. She looked away for one minute to count out coin for the oyster seller, and Daval was gone. Normally Baji can track him down with his sensitive nose, but the smells of the fish market were too strong. So Amadine has taken it upon herself to find her nephew the old fashioned way. She bought a suit of scale mail and a buckler, strapped on her dagger and sling, and started combing Endrin Isle for signs of little Daval.

Friendly and polite, with a natural charm that attracts people despite her slightly unearthly presence. However, Amadine tends to keep personal information close and others at arm's length until she decides whether or not to trust them. People have befriended her with ulterior motives before, thinking that proximity to an aasimar would bring them good fortune or the gods' favor. That's one reason why she keeps her hair covered and pretends to be human now. She's more likely to trust Varisians and other marginalized people than Chelaxians, dwarves, or elves. Although she wants to help everyone with her magic, hard experience has taught her that that isn't possible, and being known as a Varisian spellcaster can be dangerous in Korvosa. She's a bit insecure that the vast magical potential her grandma saw in her never manifested. Every time Amadine asks the spirits about it, the answer is the same. The stars are not yet right.

Like most of her family, Amadine is fond of animals, especially her familiar Baji. Most of her relatives took a while to warm up to the rat, and some never did. Treating Baji well- or better yet, cooing over his cuteness- always wins brownie points with Amadine. She enjoys music, although she doesn't have the typical Varisian skill at performing. and she loves good food a little too much.

Amadine is a beautiful Varisian woman, slightly taller than average and a bit on the plump side. Although she appears youthful, something about her demeanor suggests that she's older than she looks. Her eyes are deep violet, her hair black with silver strands scattered throughout. Not white or gray, glittering metallic silver. She usually keeps her hair covered with a scarf or hat to avoid people trying to pluck a strand for good luck. Her bond with a heavens spirit makes her eyes sparkle like starlight and gives her an otherworldly aura. With her hair covered, Amadine can pass for human. Varisians are known for strange eye colors; violet shows up much more often among them than other human ethnicities.

Amadine likes billowy blouses, full skirts, and colorful jewelry in the traditional Varisian style, and always wears a carved wooden holy symbol of Desna. Lately, though, she's been venturing into the more dangerous parts of Korvosa in search of her brother. This requires armor and sturdy woolen shirts and trousers, cut so as not to impede her movements and dyed in dark colors to hide the inevitable stains. Even her working clothes boast tone-on-tone embroidery in the style of her people.

Father: Ruslo Steleanu, retired Varisian horse trader. He gave Shooting Star Stables to Maireni a few years ago, but he's still active in the business. His cousin Pacuaro runs Shooting Star Ranch several hours ride outside the city, where he and his family breed and train the horses that Shooting Star Stables sells. Ruslo is proud of his shaman daughter, but fears for her safety as an aasimar and divine spellcaster in a city that embraces infernalism. A devout Desnan, although he also pays homage to Rowdrosh.

Mother: Cinamenta Steleanu, retired Varisian horse trader. Like her husband, she still helps out with the stables, but these days she spends more of her time caring for her grandchildren and doing good works in the community. Tends to fret over Amadine, but has resigned herself to the fact that the spirits chose her daughter. Also a devout Desnan.

Grandmother (deceased): Daiona Steleanu, shaman of the ancestors. She recognized the potential in Amadine when she was born, and saw that the spirits were attracted to her. Daiona took it upon herself to teach her granddaughter, both to pass on her knowledge and ensure that a malicious spirit wouldn't bond with the child. Died in her sleep five years ago.

Elder Sister: Jaelle Bourean, leatherworker, 38. Time, perspective, and her own adventures in parenting have mellowed Jaelle's attitude toward her sister. While she's still not as close to Amadine as Maireni is, their relationship is amiable enough. Jaelle and her husband Kaldri are leatherworkers specializing in tack and harness. They have five children.

Younger Sister: Maireni Steleanu, Varisian horse trader, 34. Maireni inherited their father's love of horses along with the family business, and she and her husband are doing a good job maintaining the Steleanu reputation for quality steeds. A condition of her marriage was that her husband Camlo take her last name, which he accepted. They have four children; Hanzi (11), Daval (8), Corolenia (6), and Daiona (3, named after Grandma).

Nephew: Daval Steleanu, 8. Daval is a very curious child who got the Varisian wanderlust in spades. He's constantly wandering off to explore and giving his parents and sisters heart attacks. Normally Amadine's familiar Baji can track him down by scent, but this time the smells of the fish market were too strong. Daval has been gone for weeks now, and everyone's sure something terrible happened to him.

Best Friend: Tasarla Ionescu, master weaver, 36. A neighbor and part of Korvosa's Varisian community. Tasarla is a cheerful, easygoing sort of person who never treated Amadine any differently for being an aasimar.