Claire was born to a merchant family in the midst of a nasty storm while they were travelling by sea. With high-hopes for a son to continue the legacy of the family, her father August was quite upset to learn of his new daughter. She spent many of her early years doing chores to keep the family ship up to par. She was rarely allowed to even step on the docks of each port in which they stopped. Despite descending from Heartlanders, her family held little religious belief. She grew up more believing in the power that music held, as her mother would often teach her songs to sing as they worked, and even taught her how to play the lyre. She would often sing songs and spin tales of great wars between kingdoms. She fondly recalls the tale of the War of Two Emperors, which her mother told her ended shortly before her birth. Such a great war fascinated her. At the age of 10, her family greeted a little boy to the family. The older her brother Arno got, the more she despised his and her father’s relationship. She would act out around them, only gaining more anger and annoyance from her father. At 15, they landed in the port of Sutica. Claire couldn’t take the dysfunctional environment any longer. Her father had pushed her mother away from her, and she felt like nothing more than a ghost haunting the ship and plaguing the family business. On the last night in port, Claire took her leave, sneaking past the guards and her parents. She left no note, and did her best to not think of her mother’s heartbreak. She took to working the streets of the marketplace in the port city, playing on a stolen lyre and singing songs of sea-ward adventure. The young and hopeful bard bounces from place to place, looking for where she can finally belong. Now, at age 18 she continues her work in taverns, pubs, and other places to entertain those who will listen, and hope for a few mina to be donated along the way. She seeks to expand her skills in combat for some basic defense, but has also always been drawn to the mystic forms of illusionary magic to expand her craft.
Clairemonde scanned the bazaar with her eyes sparkling. The firm smile she wore tired her lips, but she couldn’t stop. She adjusted the strap around her shoulder which secured her lyre to her side. The well-dressed stranger startled her before she could begin thinking of what to perform. She held her lyre close to her chest, her brow furrowed for a moment. His smile appeared friendly enough. She let her arms relax slightly. “Ah, thanks for the welcome,” she said after taking a breath to relax her nerves. “I’m a performer.” She strummed her lyre once to accentuate the point. “I’m curious...do many people come here seeking adventure?” Her mind wandered for a moment, picturing a more adventurous life. “Bah, never mind. If you’ll excuse me sir, I have a song to sing.” She stepped around him and scanned the area for a good place to set up for the day.
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