Post by Natasia Rashai on Apr 1, 2019 0:08:50 GMT
Name: Natasia Rashai
Age: 19
Nationality: Saldaean
Place of Birth: Sidona, Saldaea
Place of Residence: Sidona, Saldaea
Affiliation: House Rashai, Saldaea
Rank/Title: Saldaean
Weapon Skills:
Martial: 6 | Hand-Held: 3 | Stave: 6 (8) | Thrown: 7 (9) | Ranged: 5 (7) | Mounted: 9 (10)
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 135lbs
Build/Complexion: Slim and wiry/
Eye/Hair Color: Dark brown/Dark brown
Natasia Rashai is a tall, slim woman, almost more a girl when people take the time to examine her. With a prominent nose and slightly tilted eyes, few would have a hard time picking her out as Saldaean. There's more than a hint of beauty to her face, still a few years from maturing fully, but there's a fire to her eyes and posture that reads as, frequently, intimidating.
Her dark brown hair is long, almost to the middle of her back, but she wears it braided tightly and pulled off to the side to keep it from getting in the way. She has the bearing of a fighter but carries herself with a self-assured swagger.
Natasia prefers muted, utilitarian outfits, rarely changing out of trousers unless her standing as a member of House Rashai calls for it. She often bears several weapons, preferring a quarterstaff, a small collection of throwing knives, and a light cavalry bow. She rarely wears jewelry of any sort.
Fiery, sharply intelligent and fiercely independent, Natasia would be a perfect heir to her father's post...if she weren't so determined to be just about anywhere but Sidona. From her earliest years, she was a quick study, easily picking up anything anyone tried to teach her whether it was martial or mental. She even excelled at picking up the things people avoided trying to teach her, as her parents found out when she came home cursing like a soldier. Natasia is kind and quick to offer help, but she has a tendency to rub others the wrong way; her confidence comes off as condescension, and she has a difficult time understanding other people.
She wears that distance like a badge of honor, but in truth, it's something that's left her feeling lost. Unable to relate or befriend others in a genuine way, Natasia built up her confidence as a wall to prevent others from getting close and to help stave off the sting of rejection. The few people close to Natasia can see past it to the insecurities she grapples with on a regular basis. Her lust for travel, adventure, and discovery is her primary motivation, helping to drive her forward regardless.
House Rashai, despite its relatively new origins, is a well-known name for those with an interest in horses. Renowned throughout the Borderlands and beyond for their herds, the responsibility for which falls on the shoulders of the Master of Horse. Kesan t'Ramsin Rashai, Natasia's father, has served in that post admirably as their House continued its expansion. A solid and imposing man with a gift for economics and horse-training, he was influential in ensuring House Rashai's continued good fortune through the years. Natasia Rashai is his only surviving child; their small family has always lived under a dark cloud caused by the loss of the stillborn child that Kesan and Teodora suffered two years before Natasia herself was born.
Natasia, as a child, was rambunctious and boisterous. Almost from the time she could walk, she was a frequent wanderer, eager to explore the world around her. Taivin Rashai, her cousin and closet relative to her in age, was much the same and proved a frequent companion. He was generally more than willing to let her toddle after him around on one childlike adventure or another. In an effort to direct his daughter's energies safely, Kesan was sure to start her education early. It was successful, for a time; Natasia was like a sponge and eagerly picked up her lessons. Still, more often than not she would slip away to explore with Taivin in spite of her father's protests. Kesan wanted to keep her safe; safe was the last thing Natasia cared about. The worst was riding. Her family was built on horses and their riders, there was almost nothing more to them than that. And yet, even when she was ready, her father forbid her to learn to ride. It was too early, too dangerous, too this, too that. It took months of begging, dealing, and pleading before Natasia gave up and sought help elsewhere. Taivin stepped in and taught her, and with that simple gesture cemented himself as her hero. When Kesan caught them one day by the stables, Natasia in the saddle, he could only laugh; the harder he fought the faster she learned, it seemed.
Her riding improved by leaps and bounds; even with the late start she quickly outstripped her peers in skill. She also found herself increasingly isolated from the children of Sidona, noble or otherwise. She had a hard time understanding them and their games, but she always did her best to win any competition that they started. That didn't win her many friends. By comparison, Taivin had a great deal of patience for his young cousin, and Natasia began to get a better understanding of him as well. She didn't care about the visions that were an unspoken family secret; she saw him as a friend, hero, and confidant...and also the person she could bully into teaching her to throw a knife or shoot a bow.
When she was 11, though, things changed. Fenr, her oldest cousin and Taivin's brother, died. Taivin changed too, and though he never spoke of it Natasia could guess what ailed her cousin. Her only hope was that he would, eventually, recover. Unfortunately, her aunt and uncle had their own plans, and without much warning (or so it felt to Natasia) Taivin was shipped off to Tar Valon to train with the Gaidin. His departure left Natasia conflicted; on one hand, Taivin was able to train with the best warriors in the Westlands and had the chance to live a life of adventure, something she still longed for. On the other, her cousin's life had been decided for him thanks to the death of his brother. It seemed to her fundamentally unfair. From this point on the fights with her father got worse, and more frequent. Teodora tried to tame her daughter's growing rebellion as well, but it didn't amount to much. She would slip away and find a Rashai soldier she could bully for lessons in the saddle and out, skip the classes that she'd long since mastered, and no longer even tried to mix with children her own age. The biggest battle came over the Rashai's yearly test of skill: Natasia declared herself ready at 14, but Kesan wanted her to wait, to learn discipline. Instead, that year she disguised herself to enter the test; Kesan was bemused when that one of the riders he selected to receive a Rashai horse turned out to be his daughter with a haircut. Reluctantly hebegan to, as he put it, "loosen the reins." Trying to keep her close was doing more harm than good, in his eyes. Natasia chose a colt to train herself and she named Kaarash, meaning discovery in the Old Tongue.
Still, she made the best of it. Natasia began to make more frequent trips away from Sidona, often escorting Rashai horses to Saldaean buyers closer to the Blight. Anything to get out of the House and away from home. These expeditions were often difficult, but they helped to solidify her love of discovery. When she was 16 she started to join patrols on their own excursions in that direction, exposing herself to true combat for the first time in her life. Her father didn't know about that, at first; when he found out, he initially threatened to personally run down any man or woman who let Natasia ride out against the Blight. That prohibition didn't last long, but Natasia didn't want to spend her life locked in combat as so many other Borderlanders did. She wanted to see the world, to do more with her life before settling in to continue the family legacy. When she was 19, Natasia set out to do just that, departing from Sidona to journey across the Westlands and see the world.
Books read: All of them!
Age: 19
Nationality: Saldaean
Place of Birth: Sidona, Saldaea
Place of Residence: Sidona, Saldaea
Affiliation: House Rashai, Saldaea
Rank/Title: Saldaean
Weapon Skills:
Martial: 6 | Hand-Held: 3 | Stave: 6 (8) | Thrown: 7 (9) | Ranged: 5 (7) | Mounted: 9 (10)
APPEARANCE
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 135lbs
Build/Complexion: Slim and wiry/
Eye/Hair Color: Dark brown/Dark brown
Natasia Rashai is a tall, slim woman, almost more a girl when people take the time to examine her. With a prominent nose and slightly tilted eyes, few would have a hard time picking her out as Saldaean. There's more than a hint of beauty to her face, still a few years from maturing fully, but there's a fire to her eyes and posture that reads as, frequently, intimidating.
Her dark brown hair is long, almost to the middle of her back, but she wears it braided tightly and pulled off to the side to keep it from getting in the way. She has the bearing of a fighter but carries herself with a self-assured swagger.
Natasia prefers muted, utilitarian outfits, rarely changing out of trousers unless her standing as a member of House Rashai calls for it. She often bears several weapons, preferring a quarterstaff, a small collection of throwing knives, and a light cavalry bow. She rarely wears jewelry of any sort.
PERSONALITY
Fiery, sharply intelligent and fiercely independent, Natasia would be a perfect heir to her father's post...if she weren't so determined to be just about anywhere but Sidona. From her earliest years, she was a quick study, easily picking up anything anyone tried to teach her whether it was martial or mental. She even excelled at picking up the things people avoided trying to teach her, as her parents found out when she came home cursing like a soldier. Natasia is kind and quick to offer help, but she has a tendency to rub others the wrong way; her confidence comes off as condescension, and she has a difficult time understanding other people.
She wears that distance like a badge of honor, but in truth, it's something that's left her feeling lost. Unable to relate or befriend others in a genuine way, Natasia built up her confidence as a wall to prevent others from getting close and to help stave off the sting of rejection. The few people close to Natasia can see past it to the insecurities she grapples with on a regular basis. Her lust for travel, adventure, and discovery is her primary motivation, helping to drive her forward regardless.
HISTORY
House Rashai, despite its relatively new origins, is a well-known name for those with an interest in horses. Renowned throughout the Borderlands and beyond for their herds, the responsibility for which falls on the shoulders of the Master of Horse. Kesan t'Ramsin Rashai, Natasia's father, has served in that post admirably as their House continued its expansion. A solid and imposing man with a gift for economics and horse-training, he was influential in ensuring House Rashai's continued good fortune through the years. Natasia Rashai is his only surviving child; their small family has always lived under a dark cloud caused by the loss of the stillborn child that Kesan and Teodora suffered two years before Natasia herself was born.
Natasia, as a child, was rambunctious and boisterous. Almost from the time she could walk, she was a frequent wanderer, eager to explore the world around her. Taivin Rashai, her cousin and closet relative to her in age, was much the same and proved a frequent companion. He was generally more than willing to let her toddle after him around on one childlike adventure or another. In an effort to direct his daughter's energies safely, Kesan was sure to start her education early. It was successful, for a time; Natasia was like a sponge and eagerly picked up her lessons. Still, more often than not she would slip away to explore with Taivin in spite of her father's protests. Kesan wanted to keep her safe; safe was the last thing Natasia cared about. The worst was riding. Her family was built on horses and their riders, there was almost nothing more to them than that. And yet, even when she was ready, her father forbid her to learn to ride. It was too early, too dangerous, too this, too that. It took months of begging, dealing, and pleading before Natasia gave up and sought help elsewhere. Taivin stepped in and taught her, and with that simple gesture cemented himself as her hero. When Kesan caught them one day by the stables, Natasia in the saddle, he could only laugh; the harder he fought the faster she learned, it seemed.
Her riding improved by leaps and bounds; even with the late start she quickly outstripped her peers in skill. She also found herself increasingly isolated from the children of Sidona, noble or otherwise. She had a hard time understanding them and their games, but she always did her best to win any competition that they started. That didn't win her many friends. By comparison, Taivin had a great deal of patience for his young cousin, and Natasia began to get a better understanding of him as well. She didn't care about the visions that were an unspoken family secret; she saw him as a friend, hero, and confidant...and also the person she could bully into teaching her to throw a knife or shoot a bow.
When she was 11, though, things changed. Fenr, her oldest cousin and Taivin's brother, died. Taivin changed too, and though he never spoke of it Natasia could guess what ailed her cousin. Her only hope was that he would, eventually, recover. Unfortunately, her aunt and uncle had their own plans, and without much warning (or so it felt to Natasia) Taivin was shipped off to Tar Valon to train with the Gaidin. His departure left Natasia conflicted; on one hand, Taivin was able to train with the best warriors in the Westlands and had the chance to live a life of adventure, something she still longed for. On the other, her cousin's life had been decided for him thanks to the death of his brother. It seemed to her fundamentally unfair. From this point on the fights with her father got worse, and more frequent. Teodora tried to tame her daughter's growing rebellion as well, but it didn't amount to much. She would slip away and find a Rashai soldier she could bully for lessons in the saddle and out, skip the classes that she'd long since mastered, and no longer even tried to mix with children her own age. The biggest battle came over the Rashai's yearly test of skill: Natasia declared herself ready at 14, but Kesan wanted her to wait, to learn discipline. Instead, that year she disguised herself to enter the test; Kesan was bemused when that one of the riders he selected to receive a Rashai horse turned out to be his daughter with a haircut. Reluctantly hebegan to, as he put it, "loosen the reins." Trying to keep her close was doing more harm than good, in his eyes. Natasia chose a colt to train herself and she named Kaarash, meaning discovery in the Old Tongue.
Life eased for her, slightly, after that point. Her father, true to his word, relaxed the restrictions he'd placed on Natasia. She trained, learned, and adventured where she chose, including infrequent trips to other parts of Saldaea. She never did close the gap that had formed with her peers; she was admired in some ways but ostracized in others. Few could deny her skill, but fewer still sought out her company. It didn't help that the family had grown increasingly dark over the years. The tragedy of Fenr's death was a shadow over them, and without Taivin she wasn't particularly close to anyone. Natasia found her newfound freedom rather lonely.
TIMELINE
79FA - Kesan Rashai marries Teodora Ramsin.
91FA - Kesan and Teodora's firstborn, Lena, is stillborn.
93FA - Natasia Rashai is born to Kesan and Teodora. As she grows older, she becomes a little and eager shadow to Taivin Rashai, her cousin.
101FA - Natasia's cousin and Taivin's brother, Fenr t'Gahaur Rashai, is slain by Trollocs.
102FA - Taivin Rashai is sent to train at the White Tower, leaving Natasia virtually alone.
108FA - Natasia disguises herself to participate in the annual Rashai test of skill, and wins a Rashai colt of her own. She names him Kaarash.
110FA - Natasia volunteers in Saldaean Blight patrols, experiencing combat for the first time.
112FA - Natasia leaves home in the dead of night, on Winternight, seeking adventure and freedom.
113FA - Natasia makes her way to Tar Valon and the White Tower, eager to see her cousin Taivin once more.
