AvaeVara Mjötviðra's page

With her angular face and angular eyes, hair of a light golden blonde like a curtain of sun shine falling about her shoulders and eyes that look like jade in pools of sapphire waters, Avaevara looks someone who would be idolized and in fact has been by an entire Ulfen clan in the North. Besides her disarming features, her body is at once, lithe, curvaceous and powerful as well. Her stance is primal and exudes the Northern wilds, as does the look in her eyes that have the human pupils yet shine with an uniquely elven magic. Her every movement is as graceful and deliberate as one of the great cats dwelling within the Northern snows. At the same time, she is capable of exuding the peacefulness and tranquility of the most ancient trees. Full body portrait.
Aviari's eye color.

Avaevara wears green and blue, though mostly green. Her clothing is good quality, often silk when not traveling, other wise, the outfit of a hardy explorer. One notable feature of her dress is that she always leaves her navel exposed, and the area of her belly around it. To the careless observer, this is merely provocative dressing. However, a close look reveals the ghostly outline of what appears to a be a great tree.

Those with knowledge of Ulfen runes recognize the tree on Avaevara's belly as Ygg'drasil, the World Tree, whose branches and roots hold together heaven and earth. When Avaevara walks in the woods at high noon or midnight, these faint marks glow gold like the sun, or silvery blue like moonlight. They also shine whenever she uses her magic, or summons thorns onto her hands. This birthmark seems to have the same magical potency as holly leaves, serving Avaevara as a divine focus for her magic when she casts spells, as well as endowing her with a strong mind. This is why she leaves her abdomen exposed. While her magic is not interfered when she covers up, she believes the magic flows more freely from her body when the skin of her belly touches the air.
Aviara's birthmark. The circle in the upper middle traces her navel.

Her birth sign is covered whenever she wears her leather armor, however, she prefers to leave it off when she is not expecting combat. She decorates her hair with beautiful green beads, twigs, and holly leaf, and many kinds of flowers and runic symbols. She does not require holly to work magic, but she finds the plant so beautiful, that she prefers to wear it anyway.

Years ago, the daughter of a particularly wise woman in the Ulfen tribe was said to have an unusual connection with the land around her. This daughter was said to be almost fey in her grace and beauty. When the girl flowered, she took an elf lover during the yearly festival, and then found she was with child. Many months passed, and Avaevara was born.

Avaevara's birth was considered a boon for the clan, for she was a half-elf child born to a noblewoman, who was already attuned to the natural world (Jarl trait). However, it became clear that this child was no ordinary half-elf. When she emerged from the womb, there was a pale symbol traced on her infant's flesh. On the babe's belly, there was the pale sign of the Ygg'drasill, the sacred world tree central in the Ulfen religion (birthmark trait). Blessed was this child by her both elven blood, and noble Ulfen heritage. She would not merely be a charm of good luck, but a boon of prosperity. The winters would be mild, the springs bountiful and green, and the harvest seasons rich and plentiful. When she came of age, she would be a powerful priestess, a bridge between the Ulfen and Elven peoples, and a link to the spirit world. Thus, even more was expected of her than is of the typical half-elf. Thus, when she did not bring the immediate, extreme prosperity that many in the Ulfen community expected, she was that much burdened with much of the community's disappointment.

As the child grew, her birth mark faded. Her skin became fair and glowing, and the birthmarks blended in. However, close inspection can reveal the faintest outlines. While the great fortune of her blood was a over-exaggerated, her inborn talents turned to be quite real. As a girl, Avaevara loved to escape out into the woods, where she would not have to deal with all the angry men of the clan. Unlike many unfortunate children who would disappear if they strayed too far, Avaevara never seemed to be lost. Further more, no food she ate was ever spoiled, and she could always tell when something was poisoned. (Early manifestation of druidic orisons). As she grew, she would return from a trek in the woods and claim that the trees spoke with her. That she began to understand the language of the woods. Her grandmother saw that it was time to begin her secret lessons of an ancient faith. Avaevara began her formal training as a druid.

Much to mama and grandma's delight, the birthmark on her belly and chest were magical in nature, just as suspected. When working magic with plants, or spending a night in a natural woodland, her birthmarks became traced in a moon-like radiance with a pale blue tint. Eventually, her birthmarks were visible again on her fair skin should one get fairly close, as a sort of silvery outline. They were not marks of great prosperity as the male elders had suspected, they indicated Aviara's potential as a priestess of nature, and fore told great talent.

Avaevara learned the basic arts of the druid with ease. First, there were lessons in nature lore and how to live off the land- for the first lesson of the druid- Nature is your first and best and best ally- in magic and in life. These lessons came so naturally to Avaevara that it was is she knew all of the already and only had to be reminded of basic survival techniques and the lore of nature. (High wisdom for survival, + nature sense). Many other lessons followed, and Avaevara quickly flowered into a beautiful young half-elf woman and an exceptionally talented young druid.

Continuing to commune with the trees, Avaevara's birth-marks began to reappear. As they became more visible, so too was her talent ever more impressive. She would frequently comment on the conversations she had with the birds, foxes and wolves of the forest. She seemed to be able to make things grow around her. Around the village, there were legends of plants and vines quickening in response to Avaevara's musical speech.

As her power grew, so did interest in her birth, and the potential of her blood return. The hope that she would indeed bring upon the clan an era of prosperity returned in force, just as many other prophecies about her blood and her birth begin to circulate in the clan.

-She wears the Ygg-drassil on her belly, that is the terrible steed of Odin himself! A god is destined to mount her, and father on her a divine child who shall be the leader of the Ulfen into ultimate glory.
-The tree is a symbol of suffering as well as of life. She shall be the living charm of fortune and the loyal wife of the next lord who slays one of the great linnorms and becomes the protector of the people. She shall bear or cure his curse he must suffer in his deed.
-Her body is the portal to a better world. Hanging her up on a great ash, and studying her suffering shall bestow wisdom upon those who know how to read hidden signs.

There are many and more wild speculations about what her birthmark means, and what her blood is for. There is a great burden of pressure on her still, and everyone in the clan and outside wants to use her for something or an other. Very few people seem concerned about what Aviara wants out of life. She is coveted by the men of other clans as well, and has more than once been abducted, but has so far been rescued or managed to escape into the wilds, and find her way home. Her kin are fierce in protecting her, but only because so many wish to use her for themselves. The result is that she has learned to see past pretensions of friendship and the real intentions of people who act as if they care about her, when what they really see is the potential of her blood (Skill Focus: Sense Motive).

Aviara trusts few people, even in her own clan. She is drawn to an adventurer's life, for she hopes more than anything, that shared experiences of incredible danger and wonder shall help her find a group of true friends.
She has become more interested in her elven heritage as of late. Over the course of her druid training she learned of the elvish religion of the Brightness. This includes the belief that every elf lives many lives. She wonders if her birthmark, and incredible talents might be the manifestation of a previous life she has lived as either a fey spirit, or perhaps even an elven priestess. How then, was she born an Ulfen raised, half-elf? Is there anything for her in the Brightness, and perhaps a way to cultivate a greater elvishness, attain a higher form? Is there a place for her, where she would valued for herself, rather than for her blood?

Aviara is a woman with many layers. This is a result of her upbringing. On the surface, Aviara appears friendly, though in a detached, almost impersonal way. She generally refers to herself as a druid, nature's servant, or disciple of the tree. She presents herself as a woman of talent, as one devoted entirely to her role as a priestess and woodsmaid. She is hesitant to speak to anyone who goes on too much about blood or destiny as a first topic of conversation. She is cautious around those who call her half-elf, and even more so around those who call her elf. She avoids speaking to anyone who refers to her entirely in terms of specific prophecies. Depending on her mood, anyone who talks about her in such a way in her presence, she either quietly demures or loudly decries.

Generally slow to trust, Aviara expresses her level of trust in someone by how she refers to herself. When someone is a stranger, she isn't sure about the person, she calls herself druid, priestess, nature's servant. When she trusts someone more, she begins to refer to herself as half-elf. This is her way of giving someone permission to call her such, without her suddenly becoming especially wary. When she trusts someone dearly, she refers to herself as an Ulfen woman. This is ultimately how she sees herself. Although she does have elvish blood, and may have a special connection with nature even beyond a normal half-elf, these are all things she has to deal with as an Ulfen woman. That is how she was raised. She grew up among Ulfen kin, was brought by an Ulfen mother, taught by an Ulfen grandmother. She is an Ulfen woman. When a someone recognizes this, and sincerely refers to her as an Ulfen woman, whatever else she might be as well, this is when she know she has found a real friend.

Few anticipate that Aviara has a goofy since of humor, however, to her real friends, she reveals her true self. Rather than pensive, humble smiles, she truly loves to laugh and jest. A true friend for her is one who shares a good winter's drink, and tale, a round of good stories and songs and then many hearty laughs.

Although Aviara hides her humanity behind her role as a druid, this is her defense against those who see her for her blood. She is ever wary of those who would use her, or seek some benefit from her at her cost. Her love of nature is not at all pretended, however, and one of her fondest things is a long trek through Ulfen woodlands. Her connection to nature; however, she explains is for more intuitive than she often presents. She is Nature's servant when she is needed as such, but truly, she is more of Nature's friend. When speaking candidly, she refers to trees as if they were actual people, entirely equal in worth to all humanoids of any race. When she was little, she used to hear the trees speak. It happened so easily for her. Since her training, which has focused on magic rituals, spells and incantations, the direction of her spirit force, her easier, intuitive connection has become oddly less accessible. She longs to hear the trees speak again.

Avaevara only shares her interest in the elves with those she has “permitted” to call her a half-elf. She is more hesitant to share her belief that she may have had a past life as an elven priestess or a fey spirit. When someone can discuss such things with an open mind, and without any underlying intent of benefiting themselves from her blood, she humorously refers to such a person as an “elf-friend.” She considers such people both interesting, and safer company than most. However, she is hesitant to share all of her thoughts on the elves.

Although Avaevara is curious about what the Brightness might mean for her, she is ambivalent about the relationship the Elves share with the Ulfen. One of her favorite remarks: “So the he-elves will come and poke us Ulfen woman-folk and leave use with child, but have ye ever seen an Ulfen man with a she-elf? Why are the elves so keen on fathering bastards, yet keep their women away from any good Ulfen men?”
Avaevara entertains a giddy, girlish dream of playing match-maker with a trusted Ulfen male friend, and a pretty elvish lass. More seriously, she is concerned about this elven attitude implies about Ulfen women, especially those who have elf-blood.