Character Notebook: Family Matters

[Ismene (Quirk)]

What was your character(s)' family life like before they set out on a life of high adventure? Are they an orphan, for example? Did they have siblings? Was their childhood happy or unhappy? Who was their major guidance figure growing up?

(All character notebook questions are open to being answered or revisited, even 'old' topics!)

[Ismene (Quirk)]

Well, okay, I'll start

Fribble's family life was happy and non-eventful until the fateful lab accident that ended in tragedy for her parents when she was 9. Her Aunt played a large role in Fribble's life but usually it was members of her krewe or her College mentors that held a larger influence over her thoughts and opinions. She also considers her animal pals to be family and prefers spending time with them than most of her other relations!

Ylesar Liani, being Sylvari, has no parents or family to speak of. However, he does have a 'pod sibling' named Kes who emerged from the Dreaming at the same time and day as himself, with similar dreams and goals. They consider each other brother and sister in much the same way humans view their siblings, and both use the same surname "Liani" when interacting with humans and other races to note this connection.

I haven't thought too much about the backgrounds of my other characters as yet, so I may add to this post later.

[Sofija]

Rolinda: She never knew her parents. The only life she knew was on the streets. While technically raised in an orphanage, it was merely a place to sleep and get the occasional meal. But the life never affected her as she could always find the silver lining in anything. Always upbeat, bright, and energetic which gave her an edge with the shop keeps and others who would be more willing to help her out than some of the other "street urchins".
When she was 10, she was roaming around the countryside outside of Divinity's Reach when she heard a whelp. When she investigated, she found, what looked like to her, a kitten caught in a trap. She freed the poor creature who immediately took to her and would never leave her side. She named her new friend "Kitty". She soon found out it was a jungle stalker kitten that had escaped and found its way into a hunter's trap. The two are inseparable.
At 14, her life took another turn when she found a young girl the same age as herself being harassed by some hooligans. By this time, she had taken up the bow, and was quite the shot. Her and Kitty rushed in, shooting one in the knee and Kitty pouncing on another. However, in the chaos, she did not see one of them sneak up behind her. She heard a voice yell "Duck" then a stream of fire shot out engulfing the hooligan behind her saving her life. The young girl whose life she saved, and who saved hers as well, was a noble by the name of Meng Jiangnu. Though Jiangnu's mother furiously opposes their friendship, the two are true best friends and often go on "wild adventures" in and around Divinity's Reach, or just go shopping for clothes, books, or anything else that strikes their fancy.

[Sofija]

I'll do Jiangnu's soon but I don't have a "true" backstory for Sofija. Her story basically starts in the story I'm writing "The Growing Darkness" (I'm terrible at story titles ) Gwenhwyfar and Coxxo, I just don't know enough lore about Sylvarians and Asuras. Though Gwenhwyfar is quite the musician, especially the harp, and Coxxo loves the dankness and darkness of tombs where she ponders "life, death, and reanimation" from a purely scientific point of view of course.

[Ismene (Quirk)]

Coxxo loves the dankness and darkness of tombs where she ponders "life, death, and reanimation" from a purely scientific point of view of course.

Lol! Sounds very Asuran

[Sofija]

Meng Jiangnu: Born into one of the oldest noble families, her parents had high hopes for their only daughter, especially her mother, Meng Jia. She was very possessive of her and oversaw every aspect of her life. While Jiangnu knew her mother only had the best interests at heart, it was stifling at the best of times. Her father, Meng Qi, was distant and seemed to always bend to Jia's wishes. Her whole life was spent in the high palace walls of the nobility, knowing nothing about life beyond the palace walls. Though she loves her mother very much, she would often dream of "being free". She would envy the carnival and circus performers who life seemed to be free of obligations, and could travel the world, see the sights and always had a smile on their faces.

One day, when she was 14, she decided she wanted to "see the world", or at least what lay beyond the palace walls. While roaming the streets, she was accosted by a band of hooligans who immediately recognized her as nobility from the way she dressed and hoped for a big ransom. She fell to the ground trying to escape their grasp, but suddenly, an arrow shot passed her into one of the hooligan's knee. Then a big Jungle Stalker pounced on another. She looked over and saw a young girl about the same age as her, dark-skinned with long dark hair done up in pigtails with another arrow ready. Jiangnu then saw one of the hooligans had sneaked up behind the girl with a dagger ready to strike. She felt something stir inside, then instinct took over. She yelled "Duck" and a stream of fire shot out from her ornate fan she was carrying striking the hooligan and sending them away as they tried to put the flames out. The others soon ran away leaving the two girls alone. The other girl she learned was named Rolinda and the big cat was her life-bounded pet named Kitty. The two girls immediately hit it off. However, when Jiangnu's mother heard about what happened, though not about Jiangnu's sudden ability to command the elements, she was furious. She forbid Jiangnu from ever associating with Rolinda and put even more pressure on her daughter. While her mother never learned about Jiangnu's new found ability, somehow her father did, and set her up secretly with an old master who had served their house for generations, Master Wo. From him she learned how to channel her abilities. While her mother angrily objected to Jiangnu's and Rolinda's friendship, her father approved and would often cover for her when the two would go out and play together.