Characters Played by Urara [Vol. 2]

[Urahra 5359]

 

 

     

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*(Now Urahra I changed it there's an H in it now)

 

VOLUME 2: 2020 - Present

Volume 1 here.

 

"But Urahra, why did you need a second post?"

 

Well, here's my logic. My characters can be pretty neatly divided into two "eras." I first joined LOTC in 2011 and played fairly consistently until 2015, when I quit. I took a five-year hiatus and rejoined in early 2020. I think it's fair to divvy up my characters based on the "era" in which they were played.

 

Also, due to changes in the forum, I can't adequately edit the original post without breaking the formatting.

 

So ye, here's volume 2.

 

Major characters are characters that I've played for 6+ months. Minor characters are characters I played for under 6 months.

 

 

 

MINOR CHARACTERS

 

Gragmar'Buurz

(Orc, Arcas, Almaris)

An orcish tribal from a distant clan who somehow fell in love with an Imperial bureaucrat.

 

 Sarah Styrne-Napier

(Half-Orc, Arcas, Almaris)

A Half-Orc born from the unlikely love affair between an orcish tribal and an imperial bureaucrat. Her life unfortunately ended when she was murdered by orcs for being a whitewash.

 

Anthony Bentarus

(Human, Almaris)

A self-hating journalist who ran the Providence Post, Oren's premiere newspaper, for a period of ten years. He retired abruptly after witnessing the aftermath of a grisly murder.

 

Lucretia

(High Elf, Almaris)

A hipster high elven trumpet player.

 

 

MAJOR CHARACTERS

 

Dame Yuliya Styrne

(Bianca La Fleur)

 

 

 

Art by ZeeZacZed

 

Race: Human (Raevir)

 

Status: DECEASED

 

Playtime: June 2020 – March 2021 (10 months)

 

Map(s): Arcas, Almaris

 

Profession: Playwright and Director.

 

Relations: Tobias Oricksson (Father, deceased); Erina Jolun (Mother, unknown);  Viktor Oricksson (Uncle, deceased); Tevye Keymore (Cousin); Edmund Styrne (Spouse, deceased); Edward Napier (Spouse); John Napier (adopted son); Sarah Napier (adopted daughter, deceased)

 

History:

 

Spoiler

 

Yuliya Styrne hails from a small Haensi fishing and whaling town known as Skolsgrad. If asked to describe Skolsgrad, Yuliya would probably have some choice words – such as “it’s a pallid, miserable, puny place where the inbred residents only have about one brain-cell to share between them.” Skolsgrad lay situated on the northern Haensi coast, where it was punished with bitterly icy winters and short, chilly summers. Few people chose to make their living there, as there was very little in terms of employment and the only leisure-time activity was getting drunk in the small tavern. The only individuals who willingly settled in Skolsgrad were usually people who were born there, whose families had lived there for generations, and thus knew of no other place outside their limited world view. 

 

Yuliya was the product of a one-night stand between the local tavern-keep – a man named Tobias Oricksson – and the town trollop. Yuliya’s mother left her abandoned on the steps of the inn, swaddled in a moth-eaten blanket with a note that said “Your problem now. – E.”  (Yuliya found the note hilarious and would later have it framed.) Fortunately for Yuliya, her father – Tobias – saw her as anything but. Though he’d never expected to sire a child, he loved his daughter completely and immediately. He didn’t care that she was a bastard or who her mother was. He took her in regardless. Tobias was well-loved in town for his generosity, kindness, and good humor. He was the sort of man who always had a supportive word, a good drink, and a hot meal ready for his customers (and for anyone struggling to feed themselves; money was no object for him and he enjoyed helping anyone he could). Yuliya and her father adored one another and had a close, loving relationship from day one. As a young girl, Yuliya worked in the tavern as a waitress. Her father taught her how to cook and brew in hopes that she might take over the tavern one day after he was gone.

 

These hopes would never come to fruition, though. One fateful night when Yuliya was thirteen years old, a pair of burglars tried to break into the tavern. Tobias and Yuliya lived in an apartment above the bar. He overheard the commotion downstairs and went to investigate. A fight broke out and the burglars accidentally killed the popular tavern keeper. Fearing reprisal, they panicked and set the liquor cabinet on fire in an attempt to cover up their crime. They fled while the Oricksson tavern went up in flames. The fire grew so rapidly, Yuliya had no chance to escape from the second floor before the flames consumed her bedroom.

 

Yuliya luckily had another relative living in Skolsgrad – her uncle, Father Viktor Oricksson. By chance, Father Viktor had been awake studying the scrolls of the Canon. From his church on the hill, he witnessed flames bursting out of the inn’s windows. Father Viktor immediately ran down to the tavern and plunged into the fire, searching desperately for his brother and niece. He found Yuliya severely burnt but still clinging to life. Seizing hold of her, he pulled her from the fire and sprinted outside to safety. Viktor also happened to be a doctor of medicine – the town’s priest and medical professional both. By some miracle, he managed to stabilize the dying teenager and preserve her life just as it seemed ready to slip away.

 

Father Viktor adopted Yuliya as his ward and tended to her medical needs, of which there were many. She had been left a modest fortune in her father’s will and that fortune saw to her expensive needs. The fire had rendered her disabled, unable to care for herself in any meaningful capacity. She was bedridden and in too much pain to move for years. The pain and disability – combined with the loss of her dearly beloved father – left the teenage Yuliya deeply depressed and suicidal. To counteract this, her uncle read to her often and oversaw her education. He also encouraged her to write, as she retained enough of her fine motor skills to handle a pen. Yuliya began drafting poetry as a means of venting her feelings and frustrations. She also delved deep into history and religion, looking to books as an escape from her miserable situation. 

 

Over time and with years of patience, Yuliya began to regain a limited degree of movement. She re-learned the ability to sit up and walk, though she needed a cane to handle any distance more than a few feet. Her uncle developed a regimen of gentle exercises to help her build strength and range-of-motion. While Yuliya would never reach the level of ability she had before the fire, she could at least move around by herself and enjoyed a very small measure of independence. As she grew closer to adulthood, Yuliya began to question what she would do with her life. She was twenty-two with few prospects due to her severe disability. Her uncle Viktor wanted her to join the clergy. Yuliya, however, felt that she did not have the correct temperament for the church.

 

This was when Edmund Styrne came into her life. Edmund Styrne had been a regular customer of her father’s – an older, somewhat gloomy gentleman who struggled against the twin vices of poverty and drunkenness. Recognizing the fortune that Yuliya’s father had left her, Edmund sought to woo the naïve young girl and marry her for her money. Yuliya, who never expected to be pursued romantically by anyone, fell quickly in love with Edmund and ended up agreeing to marry him.

 

The marriage, as probably expected, did not go well. Edmund frequently stole from Yuliya and whittled her money away on prostitutes and alcohol. He neglected Yuliya’s medical needs and often left her to suffer alone in their shared home. Yuliya, who was desperate to be loved by someone, anyone, clung to the marriage against her better judgment. When her inheritance ran out some ten years later, though, Edmund abandoned his wife. By then, her uncle Viktor had died and Yuliya was all alone in the world without a cent to her name. Desperate to find some way to take care of herself, Yuliya turned to writing – her favorite hobby. She penned her debut play, LORIN + AUGUSTUS, based on her miserable marriage to Edmund. 

 

Yuliya traveled to Helena in order to find a publishing house willing to print her work, but had no luck. Using the last of her funds, she chose to self-publish. To her surprise, her self-published play was well received by members of Helene society - with both Archchancellor Simon Basrid and Imperial Princess Anne Augusta calling it their favorite play. Yuliya would become a runner-up for the Petrine Laurel, Oren’s highest literary honor, in 1772 (losing to Peridot Carrington’s Aversatrix). She would also later win the Wailer Society’s prestigious Nikischurwe (Silver Goblet) award in 1778.

 

In 1781, Yuliya finally gathered the funding necessary to mount a full-scale production of Lorin + Augustus. She cast Simon Basrid and Princess Elizabeth Ann Novellen as the titular roles. The play opened in the Novellen Palace garden to massive critical acclaim and success. Yuliya’s debut as a director went off without a hitch. Overnight, she became a force to be reckoned with in Helena’s theater scene, rivaling the likes of playwright and musician Peridot Carrington. She began printing and selling copies of her scripts, which people bought in droves for their book collections. It seemed as though Yuliya’s fortunes had finally turned. Suddenly wealthy and respected, she found herself sitting prettily among the members of high society. 

 

Unfortunately, living in Helena was still difficult for the artist. Her physical condition required a great deal of assistance and care. Funding her plays cut severely into her budget and the rest of her funds went toward her myriad medical needs. She took to splitting rent on small apartment with an eccentric elf by the name of James Chapel, employing him as a sort of live-in companion and attendant. She met James when he took a bit part as a soldier in her debut production of Lorin + Augustus. James had creative ambitions of his own and the two ended up becoming collaborators on a number of small projects, as well as close personal friends. Their relationship grew more complicated as Yuliya developed a romantic attachment to her elven friend. Unfortunately, James did not return her feelings. Her confession of love drove a wedge between them that resulted in the two of them parting ways and no longer sharing an apartment. Despite the rejection, they remained friends and collaborators with Yuliya often providing James with financial support.  

 

Later, in 1789, Yuliya attended a performance of The Mouse Prince held in New Reza. After the show, she met and had drinks with one Lauritz Christiansen, the High Justiciar of Haense. Christiansen, who wrote the children’s book upon which the play was based, performed the role of the Narrator. Charmed by Christiansen’s witty repartee, Yuliya later sent him a letter and the two began a long-distance correspondence. After three years of exchanging letters, Yuliya began looking into immigrating abroad to Haense to be closer to the object of her affections. She found work with Aleksandr var Ruthern, the Count of Metterden. He hired her to instruct his children in the liberal arts - especially history and literature. Unfortunately, her budding relationship with Christiansen ended shortly after her move. Between his busy work schedule and demanding family life, he could not find the time to keep up their correspondence. Regardless, Yuliya felt happy to be back in her homeland and opted to remain a resident of Haense.

 

Unfortunately, the Inferi attacked New Reza and the Haensi countryside in the year 1795. Yuliya had no choice but to flee her home in the County of Metterden. She made her way to a refugee camp set up in an Imperial fortress known as the Eye of Man, where she stayed with longtime friends Edward Napier and James Chapel. During the transition, she lost touch with the Metterden family.  Following the resettlement in Almaris, she ended up in the capital city of Providence. There, she lived for a time with the Napier family in their townhouse near the cathedral. The collapse of Arcas had rendered her destitute - wiping out her entire fortune - and left her impoverished. It was only by the graces of the Napier family that she stayed off the street.

 

Yuliya received a stroke of luck when she was hired by Princess Elizabeth to serve at the Director of Arts at the Imperial University of Providence.  The new job prevented her from falling into total and abject poverty. She taught a course on writing for the theater while at the university. The new job provided her with a place to stay in the dormitories as well as a steady paycheck - so she was abled to comfortably resume her career in directing and playwriting. 

 

In the year 1800 IST, Yuliya staged a production of her play GOLDEN SON at the University of Haense in Karosgrad - in honor of the Tuvmas season.

 

In 1802, Princess Elizabeth approached her about doing a second staging of LORIN + AUGUSTUS in honor of Empress Anne I, who had recently passed away from breast cancer. Lorin + Augustus had been Empress Anne I's favorite play and Elizabeth wanted to enact it again in her mother's honor. Yuliya agreed. In spite of the short notice, she was able to gather the actors, costumes, and set pieces - and stage the show again that very year. One year later, in 1804, Yuliya was knighted by Emperor Joseph II for her contributions to Orenian literature. She was also awarded the first Petrine Laurel to be given in 30 years - for Lorin + Augustus. 

 

Shortly after, in the year 1806, the Emperor Joseph II approached Yuliya with a personal inquiry. The aging Emperor had a final wish, which was to draft and publish a play of his own. He asked to become Yuliya's student. Honored by the request, Yuliya took him on as a pupil. Emperor Joseph II granted her a room in the palace so that she could be close at hand while instructing him. One year later, in 1807, she became a member of The Imperial Association of Saint Pontiff Everard IV. In their fourth convocation, she was elected Chancellor of the organization.  That same year, 1807, she staged her romantic comedy play THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI at the University of Haense in Karosgrad.

 

The year 1810 saw great activity for Yuliya. She debuted her comedy, MORAL CHARACTER, at the prestigious Ivy House club in Providence. She also staged an encore performance of THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI in Providence as part of their debutante season. The year saw two massive changes in Yuliya's personal life as well. She began the study of Illusion magic under her mysterious teacher Lorelei Marijke. She also married her longtime friend Edward Napier in a quiet, private ceremony at the Basilica of the Ascent in Providence. She was 67 years old and Edward 78. 

 

Edward and Yuliya had been close friends for many years at that point, having met at her original production of LORIN + AUGUSTUS in the year 1781. Edward had starred in many of Yuliya's shows, including GOLDEN SON and THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI. Yuliya had mentored his children, John and Sarah Napier, and even dedicated a play to them. However, the two could not be said to be in love. Rather, it was a marriage of convenience. Edward's children were half-orcs, the result of a love affair between him and an orcish tribal by the name of Gragmar. Edward's son, John, wanted to begin a career in politics. John resembled his father more than his mother, meaning that he could pass for human. In order to help further John's chances, Edward decided he ought to legally marry a human woman to be John's 'mother.'  Yuliya could claim to be John's parent, thus obscuring his orcish origins. Yuliya, who had enjoyed little success in the realms of courting, agreed to the deal. It seemed unlikely that she would ever find love. She felt marrying Edward was her best option not to die alone - and she did genuinely love his children and want to help them.

 

Unfortunately, their marriage would not last long. Two years later, Yuliya met her end in 1812 due to an unfortunate accident. She slipped and fell off the steep stage at the La Fleur theater, resulting in a broken neck. The accident came suddenly and unexpectedly, devastating her friends and family. She was 70 years old at the time of her death, relatively young, and still in decent physical condition despite her scars.  Her death prompted a full-scale renovation of the theater to conform to greater safety measures.

 

A year later, in 1813, Emperor Joseph II chose to honor her memory by promoting her posthumously to the rank of Knight Grand Cross of the Most Esteemed and Most Especial Imperial Order of Merit.

 

Links:

 

Character Sheet

 

Publications:

The Collected Works of Bianca La Fleur