[hider=Kendra]
[center][h1]Kendra Damyar[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/AXbQB4U.jpg?2[/img]
[h3]Kendra "Dree" Damyar ● 28 ● she/her[/h3][color=gray][sup]______________________________________[/sup][/color][/center][h3][sup][i]Appearance:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]Kendra is about 170 centimeters tall, and rather fit, with some obvious musculature to her, especially in her arms. She has an umber complexion, messy black hair, and dark brown eyes. In terms of adornments, silver cartilage cuffs, woven leather bracelets, and a jewel necklace or two are a staple of hers. Dree used to wear loose, light, linen clothing in combination with scale armour, but has switched to multiple layers of tighter-fighting cloth apparel and leather armour since leaving her home. She has kept her trusty swords though, and keeps one sheathed at each hip. She is currently travelling with a horse, as she prefers to keep enough gear on hand to set up camp just about anywhere.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Reputation:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]As a travelling companion, Kendra is fun-loving, reliable, and affable, if on the intensely competitive state. She’s a great drinking buddy, an attentive listener, is fond of the occasional gambling, and doesn’t shy away from bed company given mutual attraction. As a warrior, she is competent and vicious, and can be a terror to behold for friends and enemies alike. Freshly spilled blood seems to invigorate her and drive her into a violence-prone frenzy. Those who looked too closely when she was in a genuine life-or-death battle often became wary of her afterwards.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Reason for Traveling:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]Kendra is a member of a southern nomadic group in Scorchlands, which used to inhabit and wander around the south-east, right by the border; an area appropriately named Tailend. They faced a greater likelihood of encountering monsters compared to their northern compatriots, but their mines were also richer. 

At one point in their history, they found a source of rare precious gems deep within the labyrinthine sprawl of The Sunken Mines – a type of highly mana-absorbent crystal (Dusk Tiedine). These fetched a lofty price, since foreign mages were convinced the mineral’s properties would make it the perfect material for attempting to re-discover the lost art of enchanting.

However, once the whole vein of gems was nearly depleted, strange things began happening in the deepest parts of The Sunken Mines. Knowledgeable natives suddenly began to get lost (or as some would say, were spirited away), there was a spike in accidents (despite proper precautions), and more and more monsters seemed to be drawn to the location. Eventually, the nomadic group decided to move further inland, in between Redpeaks and the Southern Oasis. 

Even after settling elsewhere, this stubborn group of Scorchlanders sent expeditions to Tailend often – to scout, to cull the monster population, and to attempt to reclaim their territory. However, The Sunken Mines and its surroundings seemed to be getting worse over time; soil couldn’t be cultivated anymore regardless of efforts, the previously plentiful monsters suddenly all turned to bones and dust, people were sucked dry of their mana if they loitered, and the very sand and earth turned into a sickly gray colour.

Though they were able to contain the disease/curse via blood magic, they were unable to restore the mines or Tailend. After a vision of one of their elders foretold that the answer wouldn’t be found only by seeking within, Kendra has set off to travel without. She is scouring Sedaia, searching high and low for something that could revitalize Tailend. Whether that will be an artifact, a group of skilled magic-users, or something else, as long as it seems like a promising solution, Kendra is willing to take it back home.
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[h3][sup][i]Skills:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent][b][i]Dual-wielding swordsmanship.[/i][/b] Her combat style is extremely offensive, evasive, and agile. What she lacks in defense, she makes up in speed and gymnastic-like maneuvers around an enemy. She has a keen eye for an opponent’s weaknesses, and is swift to exploit them. Curiously, the more damage she sustains or deals, the fiercer she becomes. 

[i][b]Riding.[/b][/i] Whether camels, horses, donkeys, oxen, [s]or people (wait, what?)[/s] as long as it’s an animal that can be ridden, Kendra will be able to do so with ease and grace (after a few tries to get accustomed to an unknown mount, but never mind [i]that[/i]). She is proficient at handling beasts of burden in general, and has been known to coax even the most stubborn of specimens to cooperate.

[i][b]Travelling.[/b][/i] Having grown up traversing a homogenous and often desolate wasteland, Dree has learned how to discern the most minimal of environmental cues to figure out where she is or needs to go. Though the exceedingly diverse foreign lands can sometimes confuse her, she is nonetheless not likely to get lost (well, not for so long that she would be worried about it). Kendra knows how to camp, live off nature (though [i]much less so[/i] outside of Scorchlands), how to trade, barter, and handle coin.

[i][b]Blood magic.[/b][/i] Though it is a forbidden branch of magic, Kendra has grown up around and with it. She has a solid understanding of it, and knows how to practice it relatively safely. She uses it mainly to heighten her physical capabilities and to heal herself – not that she’d tell as much to outsiders. If asked about it, she’ll say her abilities are an innate bloodline ‘trait’ caused by the misdeeds of her ancestors.
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[h3][sup][i][b]Meta[/b]:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]I want this to be a story about the forbidden, forgotten, forsaken, and unfathomable. I’ve made Kendra’s goal and motivation what it is precisely because I want a story and consequences that won’t impact just her, but potentially all her people. How will she seek help while doing her best not to divulge her magical inclinations? Is the observed corruption in Tailend a result of this (rightly?) forbidden branch of magic or a backlash caused by depleting a natural resource? Honestly, as long as the journey is interesting, the answer doesn’t matter too much. Tone wise, I’m fine with both light and dark themes; in fact, I prefer to integrate both into a cohesive whole. 

In regards to Kendra’s character arc, I want her to find at least one outsider that she feels like she can trust. Because though she’s very sociable, she has the ‘dark secret’ of being a practitioner of blood magic, and I want that to play a large part of her story, though she’s not primarily a mage. It is just that her beliefs in regards to this forbidden art are most likely to clash with others, which I’d like to explore. I also expect that she will have to face difficult decisions – and will perhaps often have to pick the so-called lesser evil when there are no optimal choices. How far is she willing to go in the mission to help her people? What will she end up doing? How will she avoid being taken advantage of? Or will she have to be the one taking advantage of someone instead? These and more are some of the questions and challenges I wish Kendra to face.

Definitely the thing I’m looking most forward to in this RP is interaction with others and the development of the group-directed story. Also, though I’m crap at worldbuilding, this seems like a great opportunity to try and involve more of that. Mystery, intrigue, drama? Yes, yes, and yes. Conflicts? Sure. An eventual, even if a begrudging resolution? Even better. Combat and monster slaying? Yes, please, I need more experience writing action scenes. Adventure? Duh. Romance? Yeah, though I prefer it to develop organically. 

As for things to avoid…Well, I really wouldn’t want my character to die or end up in a situation where she’d be imprisoned/tortured for too long (I’m ok with some of the latter, but it could get stale if it dragged on). I’d prefer that the narrative didn’t result in a war, though if it somehow ends up unavoidable, then I’ll go along with it. Whatever the eventual conclusion, as long as it feels fitting to the developments that led up to it, I’m sure it’ll be a compelling one.
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[h3][sup][i]Extra:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent][url=https://www.instagram.com/ohheyitskaylak/]Art source[/url][/indent]
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