Post by Sariska Atwahar on Apr 5, 2019 14:33:20 GMT
Name: Sariska Atwahar
Age:38
Nationality: Tairen
Place of Birth:Tear
Place of Residence: Tar Valon/anywhere there is a book or artifact
Affiliation:White Tower
Rank/Title:Aes Sedai Brown Ajah
One Power Strength: 5
Air: 7 | Earth: 3 | Fire: 4 | Spirit: 5 | Water: 6
# of Years as Novice:6
# of Years as Accepted:7
# of Years as Aes Sedai:10
Talents: None.
Weapon Skills: Ha.
Martial: 0 | Hand-Held: 0 | Stave: 0 | Thrown: 0 | Ranged: 0 | Mounted: 0
Height:5’8”
Weight:135
Build/Complexion: Pale and skinny.
Eye/Hair Color:Brown/Brown
Distinguishing Features:
Sariska has large dark eyes that often seem unfocused, her mind wandering down some internal road. Her hair tends to run long and usually hangs free. She can't be bothered to fuss with it much. Her clothing is given the same practical disinterest. Dresses of good quality that are never terribly in fashion or eye-catching. She prefers simple designs and solid colors.
At first glance, Sariska seems like a woman sleepwalking through life. She mumbles to herself, runs into things fairly often, and seems perpetually distracted. She’s pleasant to the world around her but it’s obvious most people she interacts with fail to hold or even capture much of her attention. The generous would call her a touch clumsy the less kind have labeled her an idiot for her apparent lack of attention and accidents. By and large, Ris pays them all no mind, focused on her academic pursuits with a single-minded intensity that is admirable. Or insane. It depends on who you ask!
For all her struggles moving through the world she is fiercely intelligent, possessing a memory that is the envy of many of her fellow ajah (memory reserved for important things like dates of battles and locations of reference material!) All her life Sariska has been curious, prone to questioning the world around her, asking why when no one else bothers. Surrounded by books filled with answers she’s quick to immerse herself in the safe and satisfying world of knowledge. Wisdom is a goal all in itself, whether there is any obvious benefit to what she learns or not.
Unfortunately for all her knowledge, she struggles terribly with making use of it. This is partly due to her own social awkwardness and lack of world experience. If she knows she is right about some fact or figure she will push-even if it’s wiser to be silent. Her clumsiness and distracted manner also has rubbed a few sisters wrong, coming off as disrespectful when it's just Sariska being….well herself. She came to the tower at a young age, her life before the white tower wasn't exactly pleasant. If left to her own devices its likely the sister would have never left the library! However her habit of getting on the wrong side of her elders ( unintentionally) has meant Sariska is often tasked with retrieving artifacts, fetching tomes, and other field work that while important is far less appealing than living curled among the books.
Sariska likes people! They just...well they aren't as fascinating as what she could be working on! Even friends usually have to make an effort to pull her from her studies. Those who know her best-or ar just unlucky-have learned that having the woman's full attention is a mixed blessing, all that drive and intensity being focused on you and you alone is not for the meek of heart! Luckily such focus on people is fleeting, her mind all too quick to drift back to some translation or restoration project.
For those unlucky enough to not be born into nobility Tear offers little in the way of glamor and riches. A stark contrast to the wealth of the upper-class Sariska was the daughter of a lone scullery maid who worked in the home of a minor lordling during the day and mended clothing at night to make ends meet. It was barely enough to get by. In her earliest memories, it was just her and her mother. They scraped by in a small muddy hovel on a small muddy street. Saddonah was not an educated woman but she worked hard and planned ahead. She saw her daughter's inquisitive mind for the blessing and curse it was, it would do her no good washing pots. If she didn't get her daughter out soon she would either catch the wrong mans eye or end up struggling as desperately as her mother did. So when Sariska was only 7 her mother bundled her up with a few coins and sent her to live with a distant cousin who lived in a village near the Tear city of Godan.
The village was so different from the capital! Everything was smaller. Sariska missed her mother terribly. Going from a city slum to an olive farm was a big change! Too big. The only bright spot was that when she was finished her chores Sariska was allowed to attend lessons with her aunt's children at the local inn. While the little girl enjoyed her lessons she was woefully behind all the other children. This combined with her sudden arrival in the little village meant Riska was quickly ostracized by her peers. She was too quiet, too slow, too strange compared to the rest of them... By comparison, focusing on her lessons was much more rewarding. And books! Oh, the moment she learned to read Riska had found her salvation. Books did not tease you. They didn't judge you. She read every book she could get her hands on. At first, the little girl had started behind her peers but all too quickly she was surpassing them. This did nothing to endear her to the other children. If anything it cemented her status as strange. Many of the adults (including her aunt) was little better. They simply couldn't understand why she asked so MANY questions. Why did she care why the Shae river was named what it was? What did it matter what lay on the other side of the mountains? Who cared what caused the sky to turn red in the evening? Sariska did. She asked and asked and asked. Always eager to know. Always wondering why.
The village was small but by the time Riska had turned fifteen felt TINY. The only reprieve was when merchants would come through. Most of them would tolerate some questioning. Especially if she bought things! And if they had books? She'd beg borrow or steal if she had to get her hands on one! Luckily it rarely came down to all that. Some of the more frequent merchants would trade her books for others she'd acquired along with some food and errands. It wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the young woman's appetite...but it was all she had. At least until a rather unique visitor passed through her tiny village. She was lovely and ageless looking. More importantly, she indulged a round of questions from Riska. But then something strange happened. She asked Riska questions too! A lot of them. And after a rather long chat, she proposed something that would forever change the young woman's life....
There were no promises of course. It was very clear all she was offering Riska was a chance to be more then what she was. To learn! To study at Tar Valon. It was more than the dark-eyed girl had ever hoped for... even if she couldn't become an Aes Sedai she could be...she could be more than she was. Years of feeling trapped and small-she blurted out a yes before the other woman was even finished her offer. Her aunt made some vague half-hearted fretting. The truth was she had never really belonged in the little community. As far as Riska could tell no one was terribly sad to see her go and she wasn't sad to leave them behind.
By contrast life as a novice was amazing. Oh, it wasn't easy by any means but finally, the young woman felt like there something ahead of her. She loved lessons. She loved the books. In fact, her first time in the library Sariska actually broke down in tears. She was home. For the first time in her life she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Then there were the other girls... some were even nice! Plenty were not. Luckily her childhood had prepared her for a bit of isolation and Riska devoted herself totally to her studies. The fact that she had a few friends who shared an interest in her lessons and didn't mind her constant questioning was more than the growing girl could ever have hoped for. She moved through novicehood in a few years and was an accepted for seven, growing in skill and strength. No one was shocked at all when Sariska rose tot he ranks of the brown ajah.
A life spent in study... it was perfect! Sort of. For a time the young sister buried herself in her studies. She loved being in the library or in the brown quarters having a debate about some intricate detail of a historical document. Unfortunately, at times Sariska could be tactless, particularly when she knew she was right and someone was quoting something wrong. After a few such incidents with her elder sisters, it was decided she would benefit from some worldly experience. She was too cloistered. Even for a brown! Too in her own head. Frankly, Sariska thought worldly experience sounded terrible. However, she had no choice. Not to mention there were worse tasks then being sent to fetch books or investigate an artifact or confirm some theory. It was just after all those years in the white tower the world had become so very large. Privately the brown sister can admit the idea of traipsing about the world to be rather daunting!
Books read: All! Though its been a LONG time!
Age:38
Nationality: Tairen
Place of Birth:Tear
Place of Residence: Tar Valon/anywhere there is a book or artifact
Affiliation:White Tower
Rank/Title:Aes Sedai Brown Ajah
One Power Strength: 5
Air: 7 | Earth: 3 | Fire: 4 | Spirit: 5 | Water: 6
# of Years as Novice:6
# of Years as Accepted:7
# of Years as Aes Sedai:10
Talents: None.
Weapon Skills: Ha.
Martial: 0 | Hand-Held: 0 | Stave: 0 | Thrown: 0 | Ranged: 0 | Mounted: 0
APPEARANCE
Height:5’8”
Weight:135
Build/Complexion: Pale and skinny.
Eye/Hair Color:Brown/Brown
Distinguishing Features:
- High cheekbones
- Large dark eyes
- Generous mouth
Sariska has large dark eyes that often seem unfocused, her mind wandering down some internal road. Her hair tends to run long and usually hangs free. She can't be bothered to fuss with it much. Her clothing is given the same practical disinterest. Dresses of good quality that are never terribly in fashion or eye-catching. She prefers simple designs and solid colors.
PERSONALITY
At first glance, Sariska seems like a woman sleepwalking through life. She mumbles to herself, runs into things fairly often, and seems perpetually distracted. She’s pleasant to the world around her but it’s obvious most people she interacts with fail to hold or even capture much of her attention. The generous would call her a touch clumsy the less kind have labeled her an idiot for her apparent lack of attention and accidents. By and large, Ris pays them all no mind, focused on her academic pursuits with a single-minded intensity that is admirable. Or insane. It depends on who you ask!
For all her struggles moving through the world she is fiercely intelligent, possessing a memory that is the envy of many of her fellow ajah (memory reserved for important things like dates of battles and locations of reference material!) All her life Sariska has been curious, prone to questioning the world around her, asking why when no one else bothers. Surrounded by books filled with answers she’s quick to immerse herself in the safe and satisfying world of knowledge. Wisdom is a goal all in itself, whether there is any obvious benefit to what she learns or not.
Unfortunately for all her knowledge, she struggles terribly with making use of it. This is partly due to her own social awkwardness and lack of world experience. If she knows she is right about some fact or figure she will push-even if it’s wiser to be silent. Her clumsiness and distracted manner also has rubbed a few sisters wrong, coming off as disrespectful when it's just Sariska being….well herself. She came to the tower at a young age, her life before the white tower wasn't exactly pleasant. If left to her own devices its likely the sister would have never left the library! However her habit of getting on the wrong side of her elders ( unintentionally) has meant Sariska is often tasked with retrieving artifacts, fetching tomes, and other field work that while important is far less appealing than living curled among the books.
Sariska likes people! They just...well they aren't as fascinating as what she could be working on! Even friends usually have to make an effort to pull her from her studies. Those who know her best-or ar just unlucky-have learned that having the woman's full attention is a mixed blessing, all that drive and intensity being focused on you and you alone is not for the meek of heart! Luckily such focus on people is fleeting, her mind all too quick to drift back to some translation or restoration project.
HISTORY
For those unlucky enough to not be born into nobility Tear offers little in the way of glamor and riches. A stark contrast to the wealth of the upper-class Sariska was the daughter of a lone scullery maid who worked in the home of a minor lordling during the day and mended clothing at night to make ends meet. It was barely enough to get by. In her earliest memories, it was just her and her mother. They scraped by in a small muddy hovel on a small muddy street. Saddonah was not an educated woman but she worked hard and planned ahead. She saw her daughter's inquisitive mind for the blessing and curse it was, it would do her no good washing pots. If she didn't get her daughter out soon she would either catch the wrong mans eye or end up struggling as desperately as her mother did. So when Sariska was only 7 her mother bundled her up with a few coins and sent her to live with a distant cousin who lived in a village near the Tear city of Godan.
The village was so different from the capital! Everything was smaller. Sariska missed her mother terribly. Going from a city slum to an olive farm was a big change! Too big. The only bright spot was that when she was finished her chores Sariska was allowed to attend lessons with her aunt's children at the local inn. While the little girl enjoyed her lessons she was woefully behind all the other children. This combined with her sudden arrival in the little village meant Riska was quickly ostracized by her peers. She was too quiet, too slow, too strange compared to the rest of them... By comparison, focusing on her lessons was much more rewarding. And books! Oh, the moment she learned to read Riska had found her salvation. Books did not tease you. They didn't judge you. She read every book she could get her hands on. At first, the little girl had started behind her peers but all too quickly she was surpassing them. This did nothing to endear her to the other children. If anything it cemented her status as strange. Many of the adults (including her aunt) was little better. They simply couldn't understand why she asked so MANY questions. Why did she care why the Shae river was named what it was? What did it matter what lay on the other side of the mountains? Who cared what caused the sky to turn red in the evening? Sariska did. She asked and asked and asked. Always eager to know. Always wondering why.
The village was small but by the time Riska had turned fifteen felt TINY. The only reprieve was when merchants would come through. Most of them would tolerate some questioning. Especially if she bought things! And if they had books? She'd beg borrow or steal if she had to get her hands on one! Luckily it rarely came down to all that. Some of the more frequent merchants would trade her books for others she'd acquired along with some food and errands. It wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the young woman's appetite...but it was all she had. At least until a rather unique visitor passed through her tiny village. She was lovely and ageless looking. More importantly, she indulged a round of questions from Riska. But then something strange happened. She asked Riska questions too! A lot of them. And after a rather long chat, she proposed something that would forever change the young woman's life....
There were no promises of course. It was very clear all she was offering Riska was a chance to be more then what she was. To learn! To study at Tar Valon. It was more than the dark-eyed girl had ever hoped for... even if she couldn't become an Aes Sedai she could be...she could be more than she was. Years of feeling trapped and small-she blurted out a yes before the other woman was even finished her offer. Her aunt made some vague half-hearted fretting. The truth was she had never really belonged in the little community. As far as Riska could tell no one was terribly sad to see her go and she wasn't sad to leave them behind.
By contrast life as a novice was amazing. Oh, it wasn't easy by any means but finally, the young woman felt like there something ahead of her. She loved lessons. She loved the books. In fact, her first time in the library Sariska actually broke down in tears. She was home. For the first time in her life she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Then there were the other girls... some were even nice! Plenty were not. Luckily her childhood had prepared her for a bit of isolation and Riska devoted herself totally to her studies. The fact that she had a few friends who shared an interest in her lessons and didn't mind her constant questioning was more than the growing girl could ever have hoped for. She moved through novicehood in a few years and was an accepted for seven, growing in skill and strength. No one was shocked at all when Sariska rose tot he ranks of the brown ajah.
A life spent in study... it was perfect! Sort of. For a time the young sister buried herself in her studies. She loved being in the library or in the brown quarters having a debate about some intricate detail of a historical document. Unfortunately, at times Sariska could be tactless, particularly when she knew she was right and someone was quoting something wrong. After a few such incidents with her elder sisters, it was decided she would benefit from some worldly experience. She was too cloistered. Even for a brown! Too in her own head. Frankly, Sariska thought worldly experience sounded terrible. However, she had no choice. Not to mention there were worse tasks then being sent to fetch books or investigate an artifact or confirm some theory. It was just after all those years in the white tower the world had become so very large. Privately the brown sister can admit the idea of traipsing about the world to be rather daunting!
Books read: All! Though its been a LONG time!
