“The petals fell from the sky like silken raindrops, blue and green and red and
yellow and gold; as if the heavens themselves opened and painted the land with a
brush of flowers. It was truly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen… what
else could it be, but a gift? A gift, from the light of days?”
Years of the Garden, Serrona Stars over Daheen
Airre Running in Flowers
Airre Running in Flowers is a flighty young girl in her midteens. Her large,
shining green eyes are always open and wide, taking in the outside world she has
never really known. Bright and bubbly, she ends every meeting with a wink and a
smile. Airre’s hair is hidden behind a hood, though her face shines with an
inner purity and innocence.
She is an Orchid soldier, sent to bring the light of days back to the garden of
Daheen.
Her clothing has a flower motif. The symbol of the Life Orchid is proudly woven
onto her robe, long and flowing; running down her body, though leaving her
shoulders, tattooed with some intricately complex family lineage, exposed. The
robes themselves don’t fit her well – they seem to be a couple sizes too big.
A scythe is strapped onto her back that’s almost as tall as she is. The blade is
sharp and deadly. The long stave-handle is sheathed in perfectly white ivory and
inlaid with silver. Her robe conceals a sharp, jewel-encrusted tomahawk under
her right sleeve quite poorly – it has been polished to such a shine that the
glint of its head is hard to miss.
Airre also has a large, thick book with her. Whenever there’s a spare moment,
she’ll either be reading or writing in it. She manages to keep it concealed
under the folds of her robe somehow. Only a thick chain around her left wrist
gives any hint that something is down there at all. You’ll see her
walking/running while reading/writing several times, usually tripping on things
or bumping into people.
In combat, Airre is a skilled soldier. Most of her techniques revolve around her
gigantic scythe, though she does have ranged ability in the form of her “hidden”
tomahawk. She also has some attacks involving her book, clapping them in the
face of the enemy, reading from it (with unpredictable results,) or simply..
throwing the book at them.
Airre’s curiosity often gets the better of her. Her wonder at the world leads
her to wander off to dangerous places, asking questions she shouldn’t. Of course
she doesn’t know any better, but when she does get in trouble – and she does –
she is more than capable of defending herself. After all, she is a soldier.
Airre is a love her or hate her type of personality. Some members of your party
will enjoy talking to her, while others will consider her an annoying pest.
Happily chatting away while she’s reading her huge book, her appetite for
knowledge is insatiable. However, she doesn’t talk about herself or her own
motives nearly as easily. The circumstances that led her to leave the Arbor
Grand are especially difficult for her to talk about.
Daheen, Where The Petals Fell
The peninsula known as Arbor Grand is considered one of the most amazing wonders
of the world. Within the confines of Arborwall, built by the inhabitants of ‘the
Grand’ centuries earlier, is an incredibly diverse natural environment, full of
all kinds of life not seen anywhere else. Deserts are mere miles away from
rainforests. A man could walk from a warm, sandy beach to a snowy forest within
an hour. At the center of all this is the garden of Daheen, home of the Life
Orchid that keeps the balance of nature intact.
Orchid soldiers have protected the garden of Daheen for generations, keeping it
safe and in pristine condition, vowing to stand vigil until the light of days
returns again. Acolytes, from an early age, must meditate on the Life Orchid,
which sits in the middle of the garden, and contemplate nature and growth. From
there, they begin their training, studying nature, the ways of the land, and the
teachings found in the Book of Days.
After a final test, they begin their vigil as lifelong soldiers of the Grand.
Their duties include enforcing the law, caring for life in the biomes, and
hunting the Narsawne poachers that constantly sneak through their borders. Some
are stationed at Arborwall, manning the guard posts that prevent Narsawne
traders from stealing their bountiful natural resources. Others patrol the
biomes of the Grand, each specializing in their respective territory. Those that
stand out are offered the chance to return to Daheen and train the next
generation of Orchid soldiers.
Only the best of the best stand vigil in front of the Life Orchid itself.
Among the Orchid soldiers, it is considered a great dishonor to be assigned
outside of the Grand. It signifies a lack of trust and respect. Airre is one
such soldier.
Meeting
Shai meets Airre when she first reaches Narsaw, a continent that has been long
since civilized. The societies there look on Shai as a primitive, and her home
as a wild frontier, ripe for colonization. Airre is looking for a ship to take
her to the frontier, while Shai is seeking the path the barbarians took.
The land of Narsaw is a strange place for both Shai and Airre, who both come
from afar. Though the Grand is technically on the landmass known as Narsaw,
their people have always distanced themselves from the rest of the world. Airre
is a rare exception.
Questions Introduced Throughout
How did someone like Airre become an Orchid soldier?
Why did Airre have to leave Daheen?
Who was the love Airre left behind, who Shai knows?
Where is Shar Strides with Pride?
What is this book Airre is constantly reading and writing in, what is her
preoccupation with it?
Why does she keep the book if the Orchid soldiers won’t let her return it?
What is the importance of the Book of Days to the Daheen people?
What is the secret of the Arbor Grand? How was it created?
Is there a
connection between the Daheen and the bloody riders?
How were the bloody riders able to pass through the Grand?
What is Airre’s real reason for helping Shai?
What is the meaning of Airre’s lineage?
How does Airre plan to find the light of days?