Têhra
Powder & Porcelain
"A tragic mistake, born of lust and the depravity of man. Forever the weed. Never the rose."
NAME: Têhra
FACTION: The Hapes Consortium
RANK: Bastard daughter of Pal'da Tarvyn
SPECIES: Half Hapan Half Dathomirian
AGE: 19
SEX: Female
FACTION: The Hapes Consortium
RANK: Bastard daughter of Pal'da Tarvyn
SPECIES: Half Hapan Half Dathomirian
AGE: 19
SEX: Female
SEXUALITY: Bisexual
HEIGHT: 5'2"
WEIGHT: 95 lbs
EYES: Bright blue
HAIR: Dark Brown
SKIN: Very Fair
HEIGHT: 5'2"
WEIGHT: 95 lbs
EYES: Bright blue
HAIR: Dark Brown
SKIN: Very Fair
TATTOOS: Hapan Calligraphy running down her spine
SCARS: Faint silver crescent on her left palm
FORCE SENSITIVE: Yes
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FORCE SENSITIVE: Yes
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"A clever little thing indeed, the dutiful dancer with soft smiles and venomous guile"
STRENGTHS
STRENGTHS
- Dancing prodigy: Afforded countless spare hours during her childhood, Têhra diligently spent them learning the fine, elegant dance forms of the Hapan, Humans and Twi'lek. With form and grace matching those of other master performers, the bastard daughter of the disgraced prince quickly discovered a talent that could ease her loneliness and frustration. Such training has granted the girl impeccable balance, flexibility and agility.
- Poisoner: Forced by her father to learn the art of alchemy whenever she wasn't dancing, Têhra's inclination towards the strange science was due to her birth mother's own adeptness at such a thing. Finding some hope that his child would remind him of his lover's own talents, Pal'da Tarvyn obsessively engaged his bastard daughter in the alteration and manipulation of toxins, poisons and other unsavory ingredients just so he could get a glimpse of the woman he left back on Dathomir. Unbeknownst to Têhra, the twisted practices her father eagerly encouraged were hybrid teachings based in the force magic of the Witches of Dathomir. Due to her latent force sensitivity and familiarity with such substances, the girl has gained an impressive immunity against poisons and toxins.
- Saboteur: Of all the things Têhra learnt growing up under the shadow of various cousins, sisters and the Queen Mother herself was the art of deception and manipulation. Although far less inclined for political assassination and violent coups like her royally minded kin, the porcelain skinned dancer has honed her skill set into something more practical and efficient. With a silver tongue and playing under the guise of a submissive and obedient bastard, Têhra has established a place within the consortium as a particularly deceptive little dancer, using her easily feigned naivety and diminutive stature to catch unwary individuals off guard. Whether it is a droplet of nerfscourge in a admiral's cup or a toxic jab in the back of a leering trader, Têhra knows how to slip in and out of trouble like a mouse in a mansion.
- Diligent: A gift that is downplayed by the upper echelons of Hapan society, Têhra grew up constantly having to work for approval, acceptance and affection of those around her. Having the stigma of a 'bastard mutt', whilst heavy on her conscious, pushed the girl into prove her critics wrong in whatever area they hoped to deprecate, whether it be her dancing, her charm or her place in society.
- Charming: Behind the heavy veil of insecurities and loneliness, Têhra is a pleasant girl that has naturally disowned the elitist bravado of her kin for a genuine warmth and affection for anyone that'll take her. Understanding the pain of prejudice and the habits and tastes of the upper class, the bastard girl has little trouble relating to any individual who is kind enough to offer her a hand.
"A witch for a mother and a traitor for a father. Cursed from the very moment she was born."
WEAKNESSES
- Social status: Although never overtly maligned as males or certain other races, Têhra is one of the few girls in Hapes that has been reduced to little more than a pretty distraction or a walking disappointment, a constant reminder of the faults of men and their wayward habits. Not only is she the bastard daughter of a prominent figure in the hierarchy, the excommunicated Pal'da Tarvyn, but was also born from the loins of another race. Due to the rampant xenophobia within Hapans culture, Têhra is treated with little regard and oft maligned to the role of a servant girl for her pure-blooded cousins and aunts, her tainted genes usually resulting in cruel jokes and jests from her superiors.
- Diminutive stature: Whilst rarely engaged in combat and dangerous situations, Têhra is still faced with the double edged sword that is her petite figure. Although she is light, quick and dexterous she remains much more frail than most. The girl possesses neither the strength or ferocity to engage in battle and is more inclined to flee than fight.
- Timid: A lifetime of rejection from the women she was trained to revere, Têhra's submissive nature only grew as she got older and faced the prejudice of Hapans culture. Whilst naturally sweet and pleasant, the young bastard has learned the hard truths about her role in society and is never granted a moment to forget it. Having no real pillar to lean on, the girl has resorted to relying on the support and care of her aunt, a duch'a in the Royal Court, an unfortunate situation that has resulted in her becoming a maidservant and entertainer for her cousins. Rarely assertive and generally left on her own, the dancer finds herself staring at her feet more often than the faces of those around her.
- Lack of training: Têhra's understanding of the Force is limited, a fact that has been actively encouraged by her particularly antagonizing kin. Her awareness is generally perceived to be a part of the curse her birth mother gave her and any opportunity to learn more about her hidden talent is smothered by cruel reprimands and patronizing jeers. What abilities she has managed to summon on her own generally result in mental strain and exhaustion. Currently she possesses a subconscious hold on a mild version of Sith alchemy, a direct result of her Dothomirian heritage and her father's crazed tuition.
- Genetic Blindness: Unfortunately for Têhra, her Dothimirian DNA could not rid her body of a standard Hapan flaw, blindness in dimly lit areas or darkness. Whilst her eyesight is slightly better than her kin it is only by a small margin and she still requires scopes, goggles or visors to properly see in dark places.
INVENTORY/POWERS
"No one would ever suspect her of such trickery."
- Nerfscourge: A type of flower that contains pollen which, if overused, is capable of causing severe nerve damage to most organic species. Têhra has carefully and tenderly grown the toxic plant in her little greenhouse attached to her living quarters and is quite particular with how they are treated and altered. Often manipulated into a fine dust, the flower's deadly toxin is her go-to for quick tasks involving poisons and whatever else her Aunt commissions.
- Manax-root poison: Similar to nerfscourge, the manax-root is a type of flora possessing a particularly potent toxin that can cause severe internal hemorrhaging if not treated with an antidote within half an hour of ingestion. Smells of ginger and can only grow in dry and humid spaces.
- Nightsister Dagger: A traditional bladed weapon smuggled from the Misty falls tribe by Pal'da Tarwyn during his escape from Dothomir. Seven inches in length and small enough to keep hidden in the sleeve of a gown, the weapon is more of a keepsake than an actual tool for combat and is rarely ever used by Têhra.
- Sith Alchemy (Novice): Not even knowing that her talents for poisoning are based in the twisted Force power of the Sith, Têhra's knack for toxic alteration and manipulation of flora have slowly developed as she practiced and experimented with her gift. Often utilized to make new teas or temporarily change the colour of a flower, this power is exceptionally dormant and requires considerable teaching to fully understand.
"Pretty...for a bastard"
APPEARANCE:
Dainty, graceful and light footed, the bastard daughter of Pal'da Tarvyn possesses none of the ugliness that follows her namesake, often surprising the prejudiced few who believe her mixed blood to hamper traditional Hapan beauty. With a petite build and porcelain skin the girl is the very image of demure innocence and fragile beauty, a fact that she has cleverly utilized to win people's affection. Dark brown locks frame her soft visage, rarely ever styled into anything overly intricate like Hapans women; it is often let loose down her dainty shoulders and cleansed with rosewater, the sweet aroma following her wherever she treads. Large doe eyes are topped with sculpted brows, the shimmering blue pools always attentive to the sights and scenes surrounding her. Down the bridge of a button nose lies supple lips, scarred from her bad habit of chewing on them. As a result of her Hapans genetics, Têhra does not require make up or glamours to keep up appearances, sustaining a flawless and youthful glow even in the most stressful of times.
A diminutive frame is the vessel with which Têhra moves, skinny and small she doesn't possess the standard lean build the ethereal women of Hapan possess, a fact that has been linked to her birth mother. Perfectly proportioned, with subtle curves and pert breasts, the young bastard's figure allows for fluidity of movement that does not hamper her dancing. Often clothed in simple white or beige outfits, Têhra prefers pieces that do not draw attention to herself whenever she isn't on stage performing for people. Wrists and ankles are adorned with silver bangles, priceless trinkets that her father took from her birth mother's tribe. Often seen barefoot, the girl is much more comfortable moving without any excess weight and has disciplined herself to move with grace and swiftness on the very tips of her pedicured toes.
Trickling down the length of her spine reads traditional Hapans calligraphy, markings that shimmer between silver and gold depending on the lighting. The masterfully drawn tattoos, however, are akin to slave brands, marking her as a bastard and denying the girl any access to the royal court and its titles. Due to the fashion of Hapan and her own outfits the calligraphy can be easily seen if she has her hair tied up. Another unfortunate addition is the glove she wears on her left hand, something that can cover the crescent shaped scar on her palm. Whilst the girl is secretly fond of the marking she knows such blemishes are fiercely looked down upon in Hapan culture.
BIOGRAPHY
"The Catalyst"
Born in 825 ABY on the outskirts of the Misty Falls on Dathomir, Têhra was the direct result of Pal'da Tarvyn, of the Syle'a family, and his lusty affair with Chora, a young acolyte witch of the Misty Falls tribe. Having become disillusioned with the state of politics and strife in the Hapan Royal Court in 823 ABY, Tarvyn and his platoon of men applied for a recon mission into the Quelli sector of the Outer Rim in the hopes of finding adventure and the freedom that was sorely lacking in Hapans matriarchal society. Leaving behind his wife and daughter for the promise of discovery outside of the Transitory Mists, the young prince eventually found himself on Dathomir after months of hapless wandering. Exploration on the infamous planet soon turned into a nightmare when his men where systematically hunted down by the native fauna. Seventy three men fell to teeth of the rancor, the spears of the locals and the suffocating darkness of night until only the prince remained, a withered husk of his former self. After countless days wandering the jagged landscape the man was eventually tracked down by the Dathomiri witches of the Misty Falls tribe.
Having heard work from the Kwi that Tarvyn was of royal blood, the witches of Misty Falls treated him with some semblance of care and respect, although their treatment was considerably more overt than the royals back in the Consortium. He was a prisoner bound to foreign laws and practices he knew little about, a fact that took a considerable amount of time for the once rebellious prince to swallow. Forced to assist in the development and defense of the Nightsisters territory, the man eventually found a comfortable little niche in their 'savage' society. He was still a second class member of their people, an asset that was actively pushed around to do the heavy work and educate the more curious witches about life outside of the Quelli sector. Months spent as a glorified trophy wasn't unfamiliar to the man so efficiently dominated by the women back home in Hapes and he gradually fell into the routine of assisting the Nightsisters of Misty falls whenever they required his insight.
It was only months later into his servitude of the nightsisters did a particularly ambitious young acolyte claim him as her own. Chora, an eighteen year old blessed with force powers far exceeding many witches her age, fell for the prince's charm and foreign looks to the point that her affection was the worst kept secret in the entire tribe. Many disapproved of the choice, deeming Tarvyn an undeserving vessel for Chora's love and lust. Alas, the young witch ignored the warnings and suggestions to pick another male and quickly wriggled her way into the prince's heart and bed. What comfort the man found in the arms of his new lover battled the guilt that plagued his mind for leaving his wife and costing the lives of his men on the dangerous planet . However, his infatuation for Chora was enough to summon new life into his veins and after nine months servicing his young lover their daughter was finally born.
"The vision of the Clan Mother"
The first few weeks of Têhra's life was pure bliss for Tarwyn and Chora, their beautiful porcelain skinned baby girl a cooing little bundle of giggles that provoked affection from most of the witches within the tribe. The prince did not plan on having a child, let alone a bastard child, but his affection for his newborn engulfed any doubt or guilt that remained in his mind. He knew that she would be accepted into the arms of the Nightsisters, trained to become a brave and powerful fighter regardless of whether she was a bastard or not. Alas, such thinking was the calm before the storm, a particularly terrifying storm. The clan mother, a woman whose gift of farsight warranted the respect of the other tribes, became afflicted with startling visions of a witch bathed in crackling scarlet and shadowy darkness, whose porcelain skin rippled with power unlike anything seen before. 'Têhra', the name whispered in her mind as she contemplated the vivid portrait the Force granted her. Was it an omen? A warning? She did not know and after revealing her concerns with the shamans of the tribe the clan Mother eventually came to Chora with her concerns.
Distress quickly ensued upon the revelation of Têhra's untapped power, the frightening imagery the clan Mother revealed startling not only the young acolyte but the skeptic Tarwyn as well. He knew little about the Force, let alone how it could be utilized as farsight and after hearing whispers that his beloved daughter be tossed away for fear of cursing the clan the man erupted into a paranoid frenzy. Fearing for the life of his child, with confusion and frustration flooding his veins, the prince eventually found himself in the same situation that led him to Dathomir, run away. Begging Chora to join him, to flee from her superstition and the warnings of the Clan Mother, Tarwyn promised her a life away from the possibilities of harm to their daughter. She argued that Têhra should stay and learn, protected from the risk of being tainted but Tarwyn refused, distraught over the situation he'd found himself in.
He pleaded with his lover to leave and she pleaded with him to stay. Neither agreed, the fate of their daughter hung over the precipice of destiny and the prince eventually put it on himself to tear his child away from a future of danger and 'superstitious savagery'.
After packing his scarce belongings and bundling his child into his arms, the prince snuck out on the eve of dawn and cascaded down the grand waterfalls that marked the nightsister's tribe. He was driven by grief at leaving his lover and determination at finding his child a safe place away from the Force and its servants. A perilous journey awaited the man, through thick jungles rife with danger and craggy canyons filled with the scent of death he pushed on, evading danger and the distant cries of the women he'd betrayed. Eventually he found his saviour, travelling merchants dealing with the Kwi near the famed Star Temples of Dathomir. Using his admittedly useless title as Pal'da of Hapes, Tarwyn managed to convince the wandering traders to take him aboard and away from the curse of the Misty Falls tribe.
Alas, his journey aboard the cruiser did not last long. Several days after tearfully fleeing from Dathomir, the merchant's ship was stopped by a Republic vessel and word got out that they were smuggling a royal. Deals were made without the prince's knowledge, deals concerning his worth and access into the Transitory Mists.
The Prince and his child were to be returned home.
"His Final Years"
Word of the disgraced Prince's return spread throughout the Consortium like wildfire, sending the Syle'a House into political turmoil once he'd been escorted back into the Royal Court. A shell of the handsome young man he once was, Tarwyn was a stranger to his own wife and firstborn, a beautiful girl seven years Têhra's senior. Having been gone for so long stripped the man of all titles and wealth, his resources naturally coming into the ownership of the woman he'd married all those years ago. She rejected his claims of desperation the moment she laid eyes onto his frantic, ugly face and the squalling little child cradled in his arms. Têhra was the salt on a festering wound, the final insult a once proud prince could offer his powerful wife. Tarwyn's pleas for pardon and forgiveness were all but forgiven by the Royal Court, the porcelain skinned 'liability' he'd dragged back to Hapes with only furthering the court's dislike for the man.
Lambasted for his betrayal and lack of loyalty to his much more 'superior' wife, Tarwyn became a stain on his family's legacy, so much so that Têhra was rejected from owning such a privileged name and labelled as nothing more than an unfortunate little bastard birthed from the mistakes of man. Tarwyn's actions not only cost him his place in court, the affection of his wife and pure blooded daughter but also any minor influence he once possessed before he embarked on his foolish journey. He became the very model with which the women of Hapes based their prejudices on, men were selfish creatures and Tarwyn was the most selfish of them all.
The man's only solace was that his child was now safe from the work of the witches back on Dathomir, away from their omens and superstitions. He'd forced a life onto his bastard child that no father should, one of rejection and loneliness, forever tarnished by the actions of her father. Tarwyn sacrificed acceptance for safety, a fact that hung heavy in his mind till the very day he died. Offered only eight years to protect and nurture Têhra, the disgraced prince raised her with all the love he could summon, knowing full well she'd receive very little of it from anyone else in Hapans society. Têhra was taught the virtues of kindness and intelligence, of pursuing the art of dance and alchemy (the latter of which she wasn't particularly fond of) and the very painful status of her place in society. The girl could never be a princess, hold lands or lead an army, she was simply there to serve the 'true beauties of Hapes' just like her father had once done.
On 833 ABY, Tarwyn was sent on a suicide mission as a means to redeem himself and his family name. Leaving what little he possessed to his bastard daughter, the once proud prince was whisked away from the Transitory Mists and into the cold embrace of death. His body was never returned to the homeworld, his corpse reveling in the final thoughts of his sweet little girl and the fiery young acolyte he'd fiercely loved in his younger years.
"The Bastard of Hapes"
The death of Tarwyn Syle'a shocked no one in the Royal Court, in actuality it brought a brief moment of relief for his family. The stain of his shame no longer tarnished their elite House, he died an 'honourable' death and whilst his mistakes would forever be attached to the legacy of the Syle'a family it was at least purposed as a sad little story of redemption and the failings of man. Alas, Têhra wasn't so lucky. At the age of nine the child was legally orphaned, the daughter of a deceased father and a foreign mother with an extended family who did not want her nor care for her. She was a liability, a walking reminder of Tarwyn's failings as a man of Hapans and was promptly removed from the household of her father's wife due to the level of shame the girl brought. She would never possess the Syle'a name and the House was certain in their decision to distance themselves from the little hybrid Hapans girl. Eventually, with much discussion and bargaining Têhra was given to her father's younger sister as a maidservant to her pure blooded cousins.
Plans were made to properly integrate the young Bastard into her new role as personal help for her supposedly superior kin, a belief that was consistently thrust upon her on a daily basis. She was to serve, entertain and clean after the future Pelin'a of the Hapes Consortium and never refuse a request or demand from the woman who took her in. Only marginally more accepted than the males of society, young Têhra was thrust into a life of submission and servitude, her only solace being the countless hours she was granted to hone her dancing. Such talent would prove to be her saving grace during political upheaval that regularly threatened the Royal Court, in these tense moments of rivalries and blackmail the dainty dancer would often find herself accompanying her aunt into galas and balls as conversation piece. Jests and jokes were freely thrown at her expense, demands that she dance and twirl till her feet were numb were common requests from the more cruel members of the Consortium.
Any opportunity for the girl to explore the innate power she possessed was quickly shut down by her superiors, the fact that she was Force sensitive only adding further insult to mess her father created. Any wandering Jedi seeking to assist in the education and training of Têhra were swiftly refused by the girl's aunt, who'd play the overprotective caregiver whenever such individuals would come knocking. Although Têhra was treated with grudging tolerance she was to never receive anything her cousins could not, immediately ruling out any chance at honing her Force powers under the tutelage of a master.
When she finally came of age Têhra was faced with the harsh truths of being a bastard, especially one with royal blood in her veins. Knowing full well that the girl could vouch for whatever scarce resources her father left behind, the Syle'a household finally implemented an especially cruel plan to sever any chance of the half Dothomirian girl sneaking into the extended will and wealth of the family. On 838 ABY, a tattooist was commissioned by the family to brand Têhra with traditional designs akin to the markings given to intergalactic slaves. Whilst undeniably beautiful to behold, shimmering with gold and silver under the glistening glow of any light source, the carefully drawn calligraphy was but another crude reminder of her place in society. However, the designs down her spine were a seemingly benevolent 'punishment' for her bastard status in comparison to the final step in barring the girl from continuing her father's legacy.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday Têhra was forced to undergo surgery that would 'clean up' her tarnished genetics. By then, the dainty bastard could do little to refuse such a treatment and tearfully accepted whatever terrifying fate the House of Syle'a had planned for her. She knew not what they planned but the nagging paranoia in her mind screamed out for mercy, in whatever pitiful form it could be granted. Unbeknownst to the girl, the surgery lasted little more than an hour with the anesthesia keeping her sedated for well over a day, long enough to let her believe that she'd been properly 'cleansed'. Nothing was altered except for one little fragment of her being, the final gate that her extended family believed too risky to leave ignored. With science, Têhra was left infertile, never to be given the experience of bearing a child with 'tainted' blood or feeling the joy that her parents did all those years ago. Her father's legacy would die with her, or so the House of Syle'a fervently believed.
It is now 844 ABY and the Force that lingers within her petite frame desperately itches for release, silently crying out for the girl to hear its calling. Having accepted her place at the feet of her pure-blooded brethren, Têhra diligently lives on doing what she does best, performing and poisoning (where the latter is strictly monitored by her aunt). At night she dreams of a teary eyed man who owned little more than the love in his heart, a beautiful young woman who wouldn't let go of her child and a porcelain skinned woman bathed in scarlet and shadow...a haunting vision that has yet to be fulfilled.
Feel free to start an RP with me. Relina largely hangs around in Hapan space and rarely leaves it.