Jinayah Torraine
NameJinayah Torraine
Age18
GenderFemale
Relationship StatusSingle
JobApprentice blacksmith
Element/AbilitiesEarth – The only magic that Jin can actually perform at will is minor feats of magnetism in the form of pushing or pulling metal objects toward her. The metal tools around the forge are always a little lighter than they should be. Jacob Torraine has earth magic himself, and trained Jin enough to keep control of her ability, even under duress. If anyone was versed in the sort of magic that a Marked person is capable of, they may note that Jin has a lot of power that she’s not putting to use. Whether or not this is deliberate or unconscious remains to be seen.
In-Depth AppearanceJin is quite small for a woman her age, with warm brown skin, very dark brown eyes, and black hair kept boy-short and out of the way under a cloth. Her look is clearly from Salahar, and in fact her father's father was from there. She is about five feet tall, and her body is wiry and fairly muscular for a woman. She usually dresses in male clothing, merely because it’s practical when at work, and usually smells very slightly singed. On her right wrist, she usually wears a bandage or some other kind of covering. Most of the time, it can be explained away as a mild burn or other forge injury, but this is a lie. Jin wants to hide her Mark, and really wants nothing to do with it. The whole business of magic has caused her more trouble than anything else, and she’ll be glad for the day she can be rid of her power.
Likes- Well-made weapons
- Food of all kinds
- Children
- Jewelry
- Singing
- Numbers – when she’s not in the forge, she helps her father keep the books
Dislikes- Messes - Jin keeps a very neat and organized area.
- People who think less of her work because she has breasts
- Dogs
- Winter
Biggest FearJin's biggest fear is that all the secrets she bears will come to light and that she will be eternally branded as a foreigner and a criminal. The family that gave her so much will be shamed, and she will be alone again. She does her best to pretend that she remembers nothing of her past, her parents and her homeland, but she does. She remembers all of it, so that she never forgets to hide the person she was.
PersonalityJin is a very matter of fact young woman, with few social graces and little patience for dancing around subjects. She's as blunt as a shaping hammer, and can be equally painful. However, once people get over that aspect of her personality, Jin is friendly and loyal, the sort of person you want beside you if there's trouble. She always seems to know someone somewhere who can get things done, and despite her distinct lack of tact, she does apologize if she hurts someone's feelings in too deep a way. Also, she is always nice to children, and frequently gives some of her pay to beggar's bowls and the local church. Jin thinks the Destined legend is a great story, if you're a child or a wide-eyed idiot. She wouldn't think it real if she didn't have a mark herself. She doesn’t go so far to scoff the Gods, but really only goes to church if her family goes.
BackgroundJinayah is the only child of Richard and Jasmine, a happy couple who lived in Riverswalk, a small Galinesian town on the border of Riddenmar. Richard was a town guard, and Jasmine was well-versed in herbal medicines and poultices. Her family was happy, well-fed and content. The war took all of that away. Before there was an “official” conflict between Galinas and Orewyn, there were plenty of small skirmishes that caught up nearby areas. Jin’s hometown was one of them. Her father was “drafted” along with many other able-bodied men, as battles were waged on both sides with groups that could be officially denied as soldiers of the crown. Officially or not, Richard died in battle, leaving the family without him. Jasmine did her best to keep food on the table, but when the war became more real, Riverswalk quickly got caught in the conflict. Many people lost family members, businesses, their homes, and their lives. Because of the amount of people passing through, injured and otherwise, illness swept the town. Whoever could leave, did leave, but Jasmine took ill before being able to get her daughter out. Jin was left orphaned when she was barely entering adolescence.
With nothing left tying her to the town but memories, she left, falling in with the roaming bands of people who followed behind camps of soldiers. Washerwomen, brigands, healers, and otherwise – war drew a crowd of nomads. There was food there, sometimes. There was coin, and there was crime. Jin’s magic started to come to life, and she quickly found a way to keep her pockets full. Coinpurses just seemed to leap into her hand if she reached for them in the right way. This manner of theft kept her going all the way past the border, but things changed when she reached the first large city, Tradewind.
Stealing in a large town was much different than swiping coins from half-drunk soldiers. There was organization, for one, and said organization did not like unknown quantities in their territory. When the caught Jin, they offered a choice. Join the Thieves Guild, or die if she was caught pilfering. The choice seemed obvious at the time to Jin, and she joined without a second thought. She learned fast and well, and would have been content to thieve for the rest of her life, if her magic hadn’t caught the attention of the guild’s leader, Randall Crain, also known as Randy the Rat. Randy thought a girl who could magic coins into their pockets was a rare find, and he quickly took her into his “custody”. She was allowed to keep stealing, but only under his specific command. When she wasn’t working, she was kept close to Randy's side. After a time, it started to become increasingly clear to Jin that Randy wanted more than a coin-attracting meal ticket. His comments about her "growing beauty" and that she'd "learn to enjoy his company" made Jin more fearful every day. Randy had not tried his hand yet, but she certainly didn't want him, and feared his wrath if and when she rejected him. She knew it was time to go, no matter what. It took half a year of planning, and more than a few bribes to escape, but she did. Jin traveled as far as she could for as long as she could, until her money and strength ran out just outside of Elkwood.
She tried to find honest work, but no one was willing to hide a strange girl with no family or friends. Soon, she was reduced to begging for scraps and doing odd jobs. The local blacksmith, one Jacob Torraine, often gave her work to do in exchange for a few coins or a hot meal. Even with five children of his own, an extra pair of hands couldn’t hurt.
One day, she wound up accidentally saving the life of his youngest daughter. Lilian had just learned to walk, and to run soon after that. She toddled her way into the forge and was a breath away from pulling down a tin of nails onto herself. Jin reacted without thought – she stretched her hand forth and simply pushed, and the nails scattered in a perfect ring around the baby, leaving her unharmed. This was in full view of the blacksmith, and after he was done clutching his child in fear and relief, he told Jin he would reward her with anything he had, even a whole month’s profit. Jin simply asked for a hot meal and a bed. That night, Jacob invited her to eat with his family, and they all treated her as an honored guest. Touched by their true warmth and generosity, Jin told them her entire story. Everything from her life in Galinas, to her thieving past, her Mark and magic, and everything in between. To her surprise, instead of kicking her back into the street, the Torraines offered her a place to stay - permanently. For one, they had saved the life of their youngest, and asked for nothing in return. For another, all they saw was a child who had been through more than most adults. Her birthland and past didn’t really matter all that much in their eyes.
Jin cried for the first time in years, that night. She grew up with the rest of the Torraine children. Carolyn, their mother, taught her to cook and sew and to be a girl again, and when she showed promise, Jacob began to teach her blacksmith work along with two of his sons. Jin loves the people who took her in, and wants nothing more now than to live a happy, quiet and uneventful life. Carolyn had to convince her to join the festivities at the Royal City. Jin isn’t going for the romance of the thing, but she’s just too curious to not go, especially if the crown is footing the bill. She hopes to come back full of stories souvenirs.
ExtraFace Claim – Chipo Chung
Color Code – Purple
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