Post by Lady Whimsy on Dec 22, 2008 23:06:58 GMT -5
Name: Rhaine
Official Title: Apprentice to the Guardian of Kalidore
Companion: Muse, Daughter of Creativity
Age: 25 (ish?)
Rhaine is currently one of the apprenticing Guardians of Kalidore. She is companion to Muse, and resides with her in the Temple, where all the books of Kalidore are housed. She is a practicing scribe, and works to translate the many books and scrolls into other languages, so that the stories and knowledge of the past might be passed on and enjoyed by all.
Magical Abilities & Skills:
As a Guardian, Rhaine has a natural affinity with the Gates – the ability to summon, create, and manipulate those portals that tie the universe together. This is one of the oldest and most coveted of magics, and an ability held by very few creatures (and even fewer humans). In its raw form, such powerful magic can be very dangerous to the user, and for that reason it is not a power to be used lightly. Her ability manifested at quite a young age, and was the reason she began her apprenticeship under the Daiga’s careful guide.
Rhaine’s day-to-day magic is more of the subtle kind. She is a healer, and sensitive to the pain of others. She is also strongly empathic, able to detect one’s most subtle nuances, but sometimes this can be overwhelming - especially if the people around her are unbalanced or emotionally charged. While discreet, her powers are nonetheless far-reaching; focused, she can send and receive thoughts and feeling with others over great distances, especially if it’s someone she’s close to. She can detect delicate shifts in energy flow, be it that of a magical presence or the barely discernible shiver of one’s aura.
On occasion, Rhaine is also privy to bouts of clairvoyance and/or visions, but these are almost always unclear and lack specifics, something that frustrates the girl to no end. Especially when the best she can do is, “Lilaini, I have a feeling... something is definitely going to happen… somewhere... at some point...”
On Kalidore she acts as chief librarian and scribe, caring for and preserving the thousands of ancient manuscripts that reside in the temple library. She’s always there to help, or just offer a suggestion if needed. If there’s a piece of obscure knowledge you want to know, if she can’t recall it right off the top of her head, she can tell you where the book is (but, where she put her cup of tea down that morning might pose more of a challenge!)
Personality Strengths & Weaknesses:
Kind to a fault, Rhaine sees her role on Kalidore as being in service to others; little time is spent thinking about herself, and she is most content when helping someone. If something needs mothering, it’s Rhaine to fill that role (whether such mothering was wanted or not!). Everyone is welcomed under her protective wing.
Blithely optimistic, she finds the humour in the small things and always looks for the best in everything and everyone. She is by nature gentle, cautious, and thorough, quietly considering all the possibilities before she acts. Her presence is calming, and she effectively keeps her head in times of crises.
Rhaine is, however, a bit... spacey; she’s oft to get lost on a tangent, distracted by a new thought, or caught in a moment and babbling on at length (quite oblivious to her mood of company, no less). She’s very passionate, and feels things hugely (though often privately) and will hold onto the feelings for a long time. And in contrast to her usual encompassing nature she can, on occasion, be obstinately stubborn, obsessively fixated and unswayable; in a moment like this, it’s best not to try and reason with her – you’ll get nowhere. The nature of her powers also dictates that Rhaine must work to keep balanced, and when she’s not, she can be very cranky indeed!
While it’s rarely ever shown, she does have a bit of temper, which comes in flash and spends itself just as quickly – usually before it’s had a chance to reach the surface. Thus Rhaine is said to have the patience of a saint, which is probably true. She is almost always face-happy to the world, and generally simply is; and if there’s something she’s personally sad about, she’ll most likely try to rationalize it away anyways, so not to let it be a bother others.
Ultimately, Rhaine feels that the world is good, and that people are good, and wants the world to be a better place from her having been there.
Relationships With Others:
Rhaine is a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day, so long as you don’t mind being offered cups long after you’ve reached full! In comparison to some of Kalidore’s other residents she’s not as forward, so might be at a glance be considered indifferent, but this is far from the truth. Quiet and thoughtful, Rhaine genuinely likes everyone; she tends to think the best of people, and believes everyone deserves a chance.
As for the opposite sex… to be quite honest, it’s not something Rhaine has ever given much thought. She’s definitely straight, and sensual even, just... it never occurred to her. A late bloomer, maybe? or simply content with the here and now of things? Hard to say exactly. In fact, she’s better described as down right oblivious, and for all her empathy would probably miss any advances played in her direction simply because she never thought to look... Which means, to the guy who actually tries to court her… good luck….
Friends & Family:
Muse is a most-adored constant in Rhaine’s life, and is almost mother first, and Companion second (indeed, Muse does refer to Rhaine and Xanthe as “her two daughters”). Rhaine both confides in her and looks to her for advice, and appreciates the care and doting the gentle unicorn provides. In times of need, it would be Muse first whom Rhaine would turn to rely.
Tyden would probably be a close second, as the two share a very comfortable history and relationship. Though she’d be pained if she realized it, it’s probably something she takes a wee bit for granted. He’s just always been there, eager to help, to provide a new angle to some philosophical deliberation perhaps, or just to show his support while she practiced. And, he makes her laugh; it might be a small thing, but to Rhaine it’s just as important.
Lilaini is her fellow guardian and best friend, which is a pretty awesome combination to have. Rhaine admires and looks up to her, and considers herself able to be as competent as she is in her role because Lilaini is there. The two are extremely close, and would be fair to say Lilaini probably knows Rhaine better then Rhaine knows herself. There’s rarely a secret between the two, and even fewer matters on which they disagree.
Rhaine, Lilaini, and Tyden also work well in trio, something their duties to Kalidore calls for quite frequently. Rhaine has no ego in the matter so is content to let Lilaini and Tyden vie for leadership of the task at hand, of which both can do admirably; besides, when she feels the need to do something – Rhaine just does it, and in the moment both her friend know better then to stand in the way.
Muse’s daughter Xanthe is another constant, if only because the blithe Kore refuses to be left behind. Rhaine is extremely fond of her little sister, and welcomes her along without much fuss, knowing how much the young unicorn looks up to her.
Of Mare Imbrium, the wandering mare of Kalidore, Rhaine has an inexplicable and lingering bond; perhaps it’s because she was the first unicorn she met, or that she appreciates the lengths the dark mare took for her care. Indeed, Imbri has a way of turning up when she’s most in need, and often accompanies her in her adventures abroad.
History/Backstory:
Born Amarhaine Mu’id Khaliq Al-Muhdi, she was the daughter of a respected Bedouin tribesman in that part of the world later called Arabia, Jordan, Sinai. Mu’id bred fine horses, renowned by even the sheik for their swiftness and speed; he was also a visionary, and it was his dream to see unity spread through fractured tribes of the desert. To make good on his word, Rhaine's mother came from a distant northern clan, and while this bond certainly worked to build bridges between far-flung families, it also bred disquietude and mistrust among some of the exceedingly cloistered and segregated tribes.
Rhaine's childhood was ordinary enough, for children in that culture were revered and excluded from the clashes that filled the adult world. She had one brother and many cousins, and her childhood was filled with playful games and old stories told around the fires at night. And while her mother often remarked that she was a troublesome child (young Rhaine did have a habit of getting into trouble, not because she was bad, but simply because she was insatiably curious and often distracted by things more interesting then the current task at hand) she knew she was loved and adored by both her parents.
She was nine years old when she awoke one night to find that her favorite mare was missing from the family tent. Unable to sleep, the precocious child wandered out to look for her, but instead of Bassira -- it was Mare Imbrium, wanderer of Kalidore -- whom she found drinking by the pool. Rhaine was instantly entranced, and like all children, once shown a thing of wonder it was impossible to take it back - no matter how hard the dark unicorn tried! Thus Rhaine found her way into Kalidore (though her first foyer through brought her Tyden instead of unicorns, much to her disappointment) and it was soon apparent to everyone that the child had an affinity with the Gates. Thus, the Daiga declared, she must be taught, for magic of that type was powerful, rare, and dangerous when left untempered.
If Rhaine was a child prone to daydreams and lost sandals before, she was even more so after her adventures in Kalidore. There was not much difference observed by her mother, and Rhaine herself had long given up trying to tell her about the "gifted horses". When she was on Kalidore, time passed differently, and with the Daiga, she traveled through the gates to many different places and saw them all. She learned of magic, and the old tales of the Universe, about how it came to be and why it was so important to mind it carefully. As for Tyden, despite the rocky start, the two became fast friends; she delighted each time she saw him, and together they played games with the unicorns among the trees. She both admired and looked up to him; he declared himself her protector - not, she proclaimed, that she needed it - but enjoyed the attention all the same.
It was nearly a year to the day when Rhaine’s world changed: marauders came in the night, bent on assassinating her father. Alerted to their presence just in time, the family was roused and the men rushed out to meet them. Sounds of battle spilled into the night. Her mother told her and her brother to hide, and Rhaine did so, crawling into a crevice and scrunching herself behind the water urns. She didn't dare to move. It seemed like hours passed. She heard nothing, saw nothing, and her mind was blanked. When she finally crept out, dawn was breaking. The camp was torn asunder, pillaged and burning. Seeing no one she set out across the stained sand towards the oasis when the sound of hooves made her turn. It was her father, astride Bassira, who at the sight of her came wheeling to a halt, sliding painfully down and towards his child. When he was assured she was uninjured, he lifted her onto the mare’s back and told her to ride towards her uncle’s camp, far to the east. Bassira, he assured her, would know the way. He tied his pouch and dagger around her waist and slapped the horse forward. That was the last Rhaine saw of her father, her family, her home.
Less then twenty minutes into the ride, the marauders spotted her and gave chase, and Bassira, running since the night before, running still with all her heart, was loosing ground. Her face buried in the black mane Rhaine did not notice the arrival of a new presence until Mare Imbrium spoke to her. *I am here, sweetling, you are safe. Climb onto my back and we are going home* Obediently Rhaine followed, slipping across the ebony backs that moved as one. They rode faster, but marauders were pacing. *When we pass through, you must shut the Gate* Imbri said, and would not stand for any protests. She was terribly afraid, but did as the dark mare told, reached deep into that awakening part of her mind and pulled the magic towards her. Her lips moved, words unspoken, but the Gates listened. They heaved. The sheer power of her command rippled across all of Kalidore and the gates slammed shut, one by one, blanketing Kalidore from view and sealing it safely away from the rest of the world.
The girl herself was knocked unconscious, but the Daiga assured everyone she would be fine. And in a few day’s time she was, slowly dawning to her new reality and the life that lay before her on Kalidore.
It was shortly after that Mare Imbri took her leave of Kalidore once again, but not before she sought out Muse, the sweet and gentle guardian of the Temple, and brought Rhaine before her. Thus, Rhaine became Muse's Companion, and Muse lovingly fostered the girl as she grew to womanhood on Kalidore.
From the start, Muse was more then a Companion – she was foster-mother, confidant, and guide. She providing the girl with every need, and it was her attentive care that helped Rhaine work through the loss of her family. The girl adored Muse, and she loved living in the temple. Rhaine spent much time rummaging through the vast library held there, when she wasn’t off learning with the Daiga or playing with Tyden. She had an inquisitive mind, and Muse encouraged her to explore a wide range of interests. In time she returned to her happy, cheerful self.
When Tyden went away to school, Rhaine, then 12, was terribly forlorn, but put up a brave front and busied herself with her own studies. It was then she truly discovered her love for books, reading, and writing, and it was not long before she declared she would learn every language the temple libraries held. She began to act as scribe - copying and translating some of the oldest manuscript and binding them anew, so that they might be re-read and enjoyed for generations to come. Occasionally, she even wrote her own tales, but these she hid from most people, scrawling away on little scraps of parchment.
Time passed contently; she deeply loved Kalidore and time spent with the other unicorns; it was home. Of Mare Imbrium, she saw only glimpses here and there, as the reclusive mare kept to herself and her business beyond the Gates. When Tyden returned from school for a visit, she savored the time, but remained reluctant to leave Kalidore herself. When she was younger it was because she felt most safe there, but as she grew she simply became used to the isolation; it was peaceful, and predictable. Of course Tyden remained unmoved, and kept encouraging her - at the very least, he persisted, to come and visit him Aurdunburough. And eventually she did, and the day didn't go as terribly as she imagined, either. She even enjoyed herself. It was nice to be reminded that the world beyond Kalidore wasn’t such a terrible place, besides, Tyden had always been her helper, her rock, and friend, and it was nice to be reminded of that, too.
Lilaini arrived on Kalidore when Rhaine was 14 (15?), and while the two girls came from very different experiences, they found underlying commonalty and were instantly fast friends. They complimented each other quite perfectly, too: where Rhaine was reserved, Lilaini’s outgoing, where Lilaini was impulsive, Rhaine’s careful contemplation balanced them out. Rhaine looked up to her, admired her for her strength and the worldly experience she herself lacked; when she needed advice, or just had a stray thought to mull over and didn't want to bother Muse with, it was Lilaini who became her confidant. And, while they might argue from time to time on trivial matters or ordeals, on the important things they were in complete agreement.
Both girls apprenticed under the Diaga, and together honed their craft. When the Daiga told them they would one day succeed her as Guardian of Kalidore, it was a duty Rhaine embraced whole-heartedly. While replacing the Daiga seemed an incredibly implausible dubious task, Rhaine was determined to live up to what was expected of her. And with the help of Lilaini, and Tyden, as well as her Companion’s unvarying support, she’s remains modestly confident that she can...
