Leila Redtistle's page

About Leila Redtistle

Pre-adventure life:
Leila grew up in a small halfling village just east of the Taldorian-Andoranian border. As a child she was facinated by the stories and legends of adventure circulating in the land and even used to sneak to the nearby human settlement in attempts to learn more much to her parents annoyance. In the settlement she usually tried to sneak into the inn to listen to the tall folks banter or visited the shrine of Desna to learn more from its attendants and visitors. As she grew older it became clear that a homely life in the village wasn't anything for her. When she was deemed old enough by her parents at the age of 24, she left the village on her first great journey into the bigger world.

Adventure !
As she travelled east towards the Taldorian heartland she quickly learned that the world was not only a place of wonder, but also a place of danger and inhospitality. Never despairing however, she was determined to make best of what was available. After journeying to the World's Edge Mountains she turned her gaze west towards the Verduran Forest. As she journeyed the length of Taldor she spent as many nights as she could in as many different inns as possible to hear all that there was to hear, except when the sky was clear. Those starlit night she prefers to spend the night outside underneath their watchful gaze and staring back in wonder. In the forest of Verduran she stayed briefly at courtesy of the druids. It was they who saw her innate magical talent and taught her the basics. However, she did not have the patience or desire to stay long enough to become a true druid.

Armed with new-found magical power and with new horizons ahead of her she realized that instead of just seeing the wonders and hearing the tales she could be a part of them. And thus Leila Redtistle the adventurer was born. She mainly focused on adventures resolving around exploration of new (or ancient) areas and tracking down magical or historical artefacts, reagents or items. However, on the seven years she has been adventuring she has locked eyes and blade with all manner of foul creatures, from goblins of the red shirt tribe to crazed owlbears near Lastwall so it would be foolish to underestimate her based on her naive appearance and small size.

Prologue
Leila had just eaten the meagre and salty piece of bread with a small cooked fish that the Goldfish Inn offered their customers as complimentary breakfast. The Goldfish was an tavern in the dock area of Riddleport where she had been staying for the last few days. She had been trying to charter a boat for a small trip into the archipelago, and last night she had finally found a captain of a small boat willing to carry her to her destination.

On the table next to her were the two sheets of paper she was currently pondering on. The first was a letter she was writing for home. The other was the reason of her entire stay at Riddleport and also why she was eager to get out in the archipelago. It was a letter from her acquaintance Theyr containing details of a most curious proposal. A mysterious man had recently proclaimed his intentions of travelling to the stars and declared that he was looking for a crew, the only crux being that his meet-up point of choice was a nondescript island out in the archipelago. It was a promise of exploration, adventure and travel unlike any other she had ever embarked on and there had been butterflies in her stomach ever since she opened the letter over a week ago.

She read thru the letter for her family and friends one last time before finishing it with one last sentence and her name: It pains me dearly to depart so hastily without visiting first, but you know that this is a chance that I must take. The road has always held me in its charms and we all knew that one day it may claim me - pray that that day is still far distant in time if not distance. Love Leila - until we reunite again. She sealed the letter with a piece of hot wax and pocketed it until she could give it to the courier.
With all the preparations made and this last thing taken care of she could finally focus on the journey ahead. She pocketed the letter from Theyr and jumped down from the table on which she was currently residing (she preferred to sit directly ontop of the tables in the realm of the tall-folks since she would be close to eye height that way instead of struggling to even see over the table). Holstering her pack, readying her sword and putting her favourite hat ontop of her head she was finally ready to depart and left the Goldfish with one last bright smile and wave towards the innkeeper.

She made her way towards the docks after a small detour to the couriers office her short legs propelling her at a breath-neck speed, half running and half jumping. When she arrived at the harbour she finally slowed down to a quick walk, travelling along the waterline in search for her chartered vessel. There were all manners of ships docked; some small and some larger. There were even a three masted beast that gave her shudders. The ship towered over all the others and its figurehead, a menacing lady with curly hair and a trident, looked down on her from twenty feet up in the air. It gave her the feeling that it was a giant predatory bird, or even dragon, poised to strike and bear down on her as she passed.

Nevertheless, the passed thu without a hitch and a few minutes later she saw an old and weather-bitten man she recognized as Captain Frederic, the man whom she had made the travel arrangements with previous evening. He was standing hear a smaller fishing boat where two crewmen were readying the sail. As she approached Frederic spat a piece of chewing tobacco on the ground and gave her a wide toothless grin.
Ready to set sail, Miss ?
Her eyes alight with excitement and her body almost jumping by itself she shot back a sun-like smile and replied-
Yes, oh by Desna, yes !

Physical description
Leila is short, even for a halfling. She stands only 2 ft. 8 in. tall and weights in at 28 ibs. This combined with her natural happiness and excitably manners sometimes has the tall folk mistake her for a young child. She has sand-blonde hair framing her head and a big smile on her face almost all the time.

Clothingvise she prefers dresses and tunics with allot of pockets and places to store and hide small objects in. Currently she is wearing a purple and earth green plain dress with several sewn on pockets and brown trimmings with a sash in matching colours. She is rarely seen without her favourite hat and travelling boots and never without her necklace made out of several perforated copper coins on a strip of leather, trophies from all different countries she visited along with a wooden one from the druids of Verduran - her sacred keepsake.

Personality
Happiness and curiosity is the defining traits of Leilas life. Her outlook has often lead her in trouble of varying scale and luckily her fast mouth and likeable manners gets her out almost as quickly. Wanderlust is another strong side of her personality which leads her onwards in life in search for new wonders to experience and see. She places great value in friendship and is very loyal to those she considers friends, but is not above playing harmless pranks on them sometimes.