Selde Cathron's page

About Selde Cathron

Appearance:
Selde has the pale skin and red hair of her human father and the lean, lanky build and comely features of her elven mother. She would be considered pretty were it not for the disfiguring blight scar covering most of the left of her face and shoulder. Her right eye is Amber colored, like her mother, but her left eye is a violet shade due to the blight scarring. The violet eye moves slightly independently of the left, creating an unnerving effect. Selde often hides her scar with her hood, but keeps her hair short. The ease of shorter hair in the forest winning out to the social stealth of longer hair. Selde dresses in garb appropriate to hunting in the Fangwood, typically in greens and earth tones.

Backstory:
Selde was born in a small village deep in the Fangwood Forest. She was raised by her mother, Tessara. Tessara had been a member of an adventuring party for many years. Eventually the group’s time game to an end, and she and two other members of the group, Belor and Izora, returned to their home village of Phaendar.

Belor and Izora were childhood sweethearts, and happily in love. However, Belor and Tessara had also fallen in love over the years and miles. Neither wanting to hurt Izora, they kept their love at a distance. Soon after they returned home, Belor and and Izora had a child, Selde’s half brother Thael. Thael cooled Belor and Tessara’s passions, and the group lived a peaceful handful of years at home.

Complacency kills, as they say, and the peaceful years lowered Belor and Tessara’s guard. While on a hunt, the pair were caught in a storm and took shelter. The cool weather and close confines lead to fiery passions, and two shared a night together. It was this night from which Selde was born. Ashmed and still not wanting to hurt her friend, Tessara left Phaendar to live further in the Fangwood, keeping her pregnancy secret from Belor.

Selde has fond but few memories of her mother and living in the Fangwood. When Selde was young, the village was beset by a Darkblight infestation, soon followed by a blighted Fey attack. Her mother was killed defending the village and Selde was left badly infected by the blight. The few survivors of the village left Selde with Belor, along with a letter that Tessara had always meant to send him. Unable to help the infected child, Belor took Selde to Tessara’s grandfather Talathel, an old elf hunter living on the outskirts of Phaendar.

Though Belor and Izora welcomed Selde in to their family, her blight infection necessitated that Selde live with her grandfather for a time. Though Talathel’s magic and skills were able to cure Selde of the blight, the infection pained her for years and left a scar covering most of her left face and shoulder.

With few other children in her her village in the Fangwood, Selde had never been the most sociable child. Living with her grandfather in the woods and her scars unnatural nature did her no favors in this regard. As she grew older she grew more shy, more aware of her scar, and more aware of her social failings. She truely only felt comfortable in town when she was with her brother Thael, whom she followed like a lost puppy.

Eventually Selde’s blight infection stabilized and the Silverstep family started to look to having Selde live with them full time. Unfortunately this was not meant to be. Belor and Izora were tragically killed defending Phaendar from attack. Thael briefly lived with Selde and Talathel, but after a period of mourning, Selde was the only one who felt it was the right place for him. Thael went to live with his maternal grandfather in Kyonin to learn the ways of the arcane. Without her family, Selde struggled to find her place in Phaendar.

Though Talathel taught her the ways of the forest and the hunt, she never quite seemed to find a place there either. She could not shift her form, ignore briar patches and overgrown undergrowth, nor possessed a natural emphatic connection with animals as her grandfather. Almost the opposite, as her overzealous nature of trying to make friends with animals and the lingering touch of the blight often easily spooked them. Her red elk mount Nur was a gift from her grandfather to help curb this issue. The fawn had been infected with the blight and Talathel left Selde to nurse the creature back to health. The two have been near inseparable since.

Selde is now approaching her 30th year. She feels as if she has one foot in the forest and one foot in the town and wonders as to her place. She interacts with the people of Phaendar very little, typically quick and quiet business interactions as she trades furs or picks up medicine for her grandfather, always making sure to keep her hood over her face. Though there were some exceptions to this. Her friend Wren always managed to get Selde to share an ale, and Father Emil always made a point to catch up with her. And of course, there was her brother Thael, whom she often wrote to. This harvest fest he was finally coming home after many years. Selde woke with the sun, excited for what the day would hold...

Character Sheet