IcePezz — Roleplayer Guild

A pirate doesn't care so much for blending in. It's said that they're devils and black sheep, they plunder and cheat. They extort and embezzle, they pilfer and loot. Down to the core, they're all something alike. Alanna wasn't raised as a pirate, though the last ten years as one has certainly instilled some of their values. She walked tall among the crowd, with a lighthearted step and a sparkle in her eye. It was her next big adventure. The only problem was, she didn't know what it was or where this road would lead her. And as she climbed the steps into the Cairn, the wind only tugged at her harder. Was it the gods pushing her this way? A low chuckle emerged as she waved off the notion. 

Social niceties and the charm of her smile carried her well through her journey. Striking up a conversation wasn’t hard, and it seemed as if this group was more than happy to share what information they could. Each had their own reason for embarking on the long trek to the Cairn, though none seemed intriguing, or daring enough to warrant Alanna's company further. 

As she claimed victory, finally reaching the plateau, she smiled. Her gaze wandered over the luxurious scenery, the towering mountains never ending in the backdrop. Throughout all of her adventures, all of the jobs she had taken, she had seen some extravagant landscapes and breathtaking views. But nothing could have prepared her for this. There were so many small details that reminded her of home. Yet it welcomed so many different walks of life. Her smile reflected the heart of a child, triumphant in their ability to walk, to wander, broadening their horizons with each step. Coming to realize the world is so much bigger than the oceans she had been tied to, and the spoils she would claim within this new world. Well, it was new for her, and the way she saw it, hers for the taking. 

Alanna was dressed in her usual, with her hair pulled back for once. Her brown leather duster, caked in dirt and dry mud from the long trek, danced around her calf muscles as the wind trickled through the outpost. Her collar was popped up to shield her bare neck from a cool caress carried down from the mountain tops. The afternoon sun offered just enough warmth to allow her to sit, lazy and unburdened, by the unlit fire pit, just opposite of the dwarves. Her buttox was buried into the ground with her backside leaning against a sturdy log.  Her feet were crossed at the ankles, and her legs extended out in front of her. Her eyelids remained closed. She was basking in the sun like a lizard in the desert, enjoying the dribble of conversation she could overhear, and the merry tune which filled the outpost and lifted spirits. She soaked in every bit of noise. 

Alanna had been slumming in the encampment for 2 days now. She wasn't quite sure what was next for her, and the trek beyond was a perilous one to be traveled alone. She had come this way based on rumors and fairytale. Regardless if they were true or not, the Cairn provided much more than just trade and safe slumbers. It was an outpost indeed, and for those who knew where to look or how to listen, it provided information. 

One eye opened as she heard the many footsteps making their way up the slope. Then the other opened to gander at the new arrivals, measuring every detail. There were a few that caught her attention this time around. Had the tides changed? She decided not to approach, and kept her distance for now. Further scrutiny may be necessary, and so she would just observe with a keen eye and open ears. Choosing her new travel companions was just as tedious as selecting new crewmates. It wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly, especially considering the rumors she heard, which brought her here in the first place. 

Her eyes followed a tall, brutish figure walking towards the smith. She had recognized the colors he wore. Her thoughts lingered on him for a moment, curious why he was all by his lonesome, and here of all places. In an effort to not attract attention, Alanna peeled her gaze away from the Knight, returning it to other new arrivals.

Username: IcePezz

Character Name: Alanna MacKenzie

Race/Species: Half Elf

Gender: F

Age: 37

Career/Class: Pirate/Raider

Skills:
Expert-Blades (one handed)
Expert-Balance/Acrobatics
Journeyman-Sneaking
Journeyman-Survival
Journeyman-Hand to hand
Adept-Lockpicking
Adept-Pickpocket
Adept-Marksman
Adept-Half Elven Senses


Weapons:
2 cutlass (hanging on each side of her hip)
Small blade (carefully hidden in her right bracer)


Other:
Ambidexterity


Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.):
Alanna presents the typical physical appearance of a Kaelic. Though her thick, auburn locks spark more of a red tint to it than brown. Long layers accentuate the different shades of fire dipped in rich chocolate, extending just below her shoulders. Due to the thickness of her hair, and the beads and braids that line the messy mop, her slightly pointed ears often go unnoticed. It is her eyes which catch your attention; elven within shape and the color of the sea after a furious storm. They peer out at you from beneath shaggy bangs, tossed carelessly about her freckled face and sunkissed skin. 

Standing just over 5’, she sports the curves of a lady and the muscle tone of a street fighter. Perhaps a bit meatier than most, though it doesn’t seem to bother her much. Scars scatter throughout her body and hands. Ligature marks circle her wrists, fingers marred as if they’ve been broken and re set quite a few times. A careful look over may show that this one is no stranger to violence. 

Atop the canvas of chaos and pain, markings in black ink stain her back. From a distance, you notice the marks form the wings of a phoenix. 

Armor: Alanna is dressed mostly in leathers. Her outfits vary with her mood. On this day, she can be found in dark brown leather trousers, her boots a shade or two faded with large flaps folded over at the top. A white tunic with billowed sleeves tucked into a dark red vested corset. The corset itself is thick boned and lined, brass buckles clasp it closed under black cord woven through. A large, black belt hangs loosely over her hips, adorned with two pouches and studded frogs on either side fitted for the cutless she is often seen with. Two sashes of soft cloth intertwine with her belt, colored a dull blue and red. Tied in a knot on her right side, with frayed ends left to hang near her knee. Bare armed or not, she wears dark red leather bracers, studded with brass along the top and bottom, fitted with brown leather gloves to match. A brown leather duster completes her, typically worn when sailing or in poor weather.

Equipment/Other:Aside from the pouches that line her belt, Alanna carries around a flask, larger than most, finished in a brushed silver, engraved with a capital “M”. 
Pouch contents:
Journal- a small, black, leather bound book and a traveling quill. The book itself is worn with scuffed edges. Tucked within its pages are maps, the parchment creased as if it’s been folded and unfolded over and over again.
Coin purse- a faded, brown coin purse, containing a mix of gold and silver coin.
Rope- approximately twenty feet of rope, on the thinner side to be stashed in her pouch, but of a sturdy material.
Spyglass- a collapsible, silver structure in a black leather casing.
Flint/Steel- kept in a compact container for safekeeping.
Ink- a glass bottle of black writing ink.
Rations- typical travel rations, enough to last her a week.
Bottled smoke- when released, there is a small explosion of thick black smoke. Just enough to blind the senses and allow for escape.
Cure potion- standard potion to heal wounds and staunch bleeding.
Compass - enclosed within the same brushed silver as her flask.


Mental Description/Personality: Alanna would prefer the loud and boisterous atmosphere of a rowdy tavern over solace and silence. To be left alone with her own mind scares the hell out of her and long periods of silence make her extremely uncomfortable. Despite all of this, she herself is not a very loud person. 

Alanna is a private person, rarely flaunting her personal business unless it stands to gain her something. Even then, the truth will always be twisted, splashed with a dash of deceit. She is very untrusting of outsiders, and may come off as calloused and jaded. To her, outsiders would include anyone not of her own small circle. Though, she really isn’t all that bad. Her soft spots are just hidden. 

Those fortunate enough to be part of her circle may say that she is loyal, passionate, a free spirit. A fierce opponent, fearless and swift with a honed eye, an unrelenting precision that lead each strike to its target with uncanny accuracy.

Goals: To see the world, to be rich beyond compare, but more importantly, to find peace within herself.

Background/History:
As a child, it was always just her and her brother, Aengus. The two of them against the world. Orphans left to fend for themselves. Alanna was a difficult child; headstrong, defiant. But when it came to her brother, there was nothing she wouldn’t do. He was younger than her by at least a year, and certainly a lot more soft than she would ever allow herself to seem. Gods forbid anyone tease him though, they’d have her wrath to contend with. 

Alanna doesn't speak much on her beginnings. Though most of her memories at this point have faded or became distorted with time, there are some, still frames from a lifetime ago, of which she can recall with such vivid clarity. She knows enough about who she is and where she came from to know it is a place she'd rather not return to. Whether she would care to admit it or not, it is the blood that flows through her veins which lends itself more to her survival than anything else. Alanna was the product of a forbidden love. One lust filled evening between a human male of the seas, and the daughter to a wood elf clan.

The young man in this story was a notable sailor and crew member of a trade ship that was docked for repairs. The unnamed damsel was far from distressed when the handsome traveler ventured into her sights, interrupting an afternoon patrol. They had spent every moment they could with each other, knowing full well their love could never be. Her people would never accept him, or their love, and leaving the woods would never be an option. The young man had promised he would return the following spring, though it seemed even the gods forbid their love. His ship never docked in their ports again. 

A swollen belly and broken heart would be all that remained of their love. The elven woman was ‘sold’ to a neighboring clan. It was to be a marriage of convenience, one that would secure peace on both sides. Tales were spun that the bastard child was born in wedlock, to a male that just happened to die in battle against a demon horde. Their superstitions were the only other thing that seemed to unite the them; this unyielding sea of blood and agony of old. 

It wasn't until after the birth of her second child that the lies and traditions of her people began to change her, warp her. She was a twisted shell of a person, hollowed out and lost, with a deepened desire to flee. Of all places to run to, the one that pulled at her the most was the sea. 

Alanna was four years old, by human count, when her mother smuggled them out of the confines of the forest trees. It was one night she would never forget. A memory that burns in her mind, even haunts her dreams. A horrid storm ensued that night. It shook the very earth and stirred the ocean waters into a fury. Waves crashed angrily into the small boat and the sky rattled with rage, threatening to kill them all as lightning struck near. It was a miracle the two toddlers made it through the night alive. They were found by a group of human fishermen just before dawn, snuggled into a large cargo crate which managed to drift ashore unharmed. Their mother however, was not with them, and was never heard from nor seen again.

Whatever clan they emerged from was lost to them both. They were given food and shelter, but were soon discovered to be more of a hassle. The two often found themselves hovered in an alleyway under crates and awnings. Begging was never an option for Alanna, and so their resources were more so of the stolen variety. There was one who had taken pity on the pair, an outcast himself. Conway had no children to call his own, and his wife had passed some years earlier from a rare illness. He saw it as a sign when he spied the two about to pilfer from a merchant in town, unaware of the children snaking their hands over his wares. Though old age had taken him as the two reached young adulthood, his memory scorched their souls. 

Alanna and Aengus were brought up on the values of the Kaels, twisted with a hint of bitterness only the old outsider could provide. Alanna respected the gods, for she understood their wrath if not acknowledged. Though that doesn't mean she holds them or the ways of her people with high regard. For it was this, more than anything which tore her circle apart. 

Aengus was of a different sort, and unlike his sister, he wanted, more than anything, to fit in. It was the root of most of their arguments, and as they grew in age, it only served to deepen the rift between the siblings. Aengus drifted towards the solace of the woods, eventually returning to elven civilization. He reminded Alanna often of tradition, responsibility and purpose, and the more he would push, the harder she would rebel. Each had felt betrayed in their own way, but she knew there was no coming back from this.

What happened within those last few months had Alanna reconsidering what the definition of family truly was. Despite the shenanigans she had caused in her youth, it was the first time she had seen the inside of a jail cell, or felt a cold iron grip around her wrists and ankles. It was her first taste of true pain, and betrayal certainly added a bitter bite to it. Perhaps it was karma returned to her, or perhaps it was just the shove that she needed to get out.

Conway had always encouraged her to be her own person, so when opportunity knocked, she packed her bags, no questions asked, and never looked back. It wasn't easy to leave, but she knew it was the best option, and perhaps her only one.

There have only ever been three men in her life; Aengus, Conway and Jamie. Alanna didn't quite have the patience or time for anyone else. Jamie could never replace Conway as a father figure, however as a mentor, he allowed her the freedom of a different path, and the guidance that would keep her from self destruction. Regardless of the uncertainty of this new venture, she embraced it with open arms. It was a fresh start, a new beginning, a second chance. It did taken some time, but she eventually found a sturdy set of sea legs and her place among the crew of The Black Gaul.

Being a part of Jamie’s crew afforded her many opportunities. She trained in different forms of combat, explored the many different pleasures life has to offer, and even learned to tap into the innate potential her elven heritage had gifted her with. People either praised her or they loathed her. She certainly had a knack for getting under someone's skin. Ultimately though, she was good at what she did. Due to her diversity in skill, and the loyalty she had proven to her crew, she was allowed to come and go as she pleased, as her services were highly sought after. Though this was all under the condition that her service to the Black Gaul came first. She was a seeker, a raider … she was a damned pirate, and one of the best to skulk the seas. She would do odd jobs, some to aid others rise in power, some to just save their asses. It was typically the coin she was after, or the future favors it would gain her and her captain.

Her first venture is always a good story to tell. The Gaul was tracking a seer of sorts. The famed oracle had the power of divination, something that was highly coveted throughout the endless bloodshed plaguing the coastline. 

They were supposed to be working alongside another ship. Though the word of an outsider is worth close to nothing, there was little reason to suspect treachery. They were the enemy of an enemy after all. Unfortunately for the Gaul and it's crew, there was a third party being served, which left their crew scattered and their captain marooned on an island far from home. Alanna was held captive for information along with a handful of her mates. They were pressed for anything regarding the whereabouts of the oracle, and what information the crew had regarding the wars. Each of them were forced to endure various methods of torture. 

Eventually, after gaining the favor of a few additional hands, they staged a coup. Alanna was far from the hero in the story, but she stayed true to her crew and her captain. She had only been on their ship for a month by this point, and had refused to cave. It was by Alanna’s hand that the traitorous captain was killed. It was by Alanna's aid that they were able to easily navigate the ship to find their lost captain.

Alanna embarked on many adventures with the Gaul. They fought hard and drank harder. Most missions were to ward away the horde of foreigners, though Alanna didn't mind their company as much as others did. It was their stories which captured her. Stories of a whole world out there for the taking. Unspeakable dangers that made their monstrosities seem like pussy cats. Perhaps that interested her more. It certainly put her on the path she travels today.

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