Clarent Aucoin

As the daughter of an Innkeeper and lone parent, Clarent learned how to deal with people at an early age. Her mother had vanished when she was little. Simply dissapeared from her life when she was needed the most. The only thing she had left was her amulet. Father said it had protective powers. Clarent never understood why she left, or what had happened to her. Being an only child meant a busy life and she never had the time to think about these things as she scurried around the inn, cleaning, serving, washing and talking. The Inn was one of the most famous in the city due to its filtration system and homegrown food. Many different people, some strange, some boring, would visit the inn day-in, day-out. Sometimes the people would stay overnight, drinking ale and beer untill late into the night telling stories of their recent travels and sightings. Clarent used to sit at a table after work and just listen to all the people in the house. Taking in the scent shes been so accustomed to and enjoying the warm atmosphere. Many times she wished that she could go on adventures like the travelers that visited the Inn. She wondered about the different sights and dangers they had to brave. The findings and events they got to witness. The different places they visited. Bound to her home, not spiteful of it, but none the less seeking adventure she wished for a life of travels and riches. Little did she know her wish would come true in form of a nightmare robbing her of everything she had known and forcing her into the cold and cruel world. One night when she awoke from slumber she heard the screams of a terrified man- her father. Her adrenalin pumping she threw her blanket aside and rushed out into the hall in her nightgown. Her heavy and uncontrolled footsteps echoing as she stumbled over the laminated upper floor. A sudden stumble caused her to fall onto the ground and hit her head against the wall. She lay still for a moment, her panic subsided, hearing the shuffling and scared panting of a man just another door down the hall. When getting up her foot had been caught on something. She looked back trying to make out what hindered her from moving and noticed an arm, dried up and burned, holding on to her dress. The realization had come with every inch of blood emerging from under the arm. Her eyes widened as a new wave of panic soared throug her. In her shock she screamed out loudly, another cry echoing in from infront of her. Suddenly the room next to her burst into flames, a wave of heat and embers. Clarent had pinched her eyes shut feeling the heat rolling over her and then... just as fast as it had happened it had stopped again. For a moment she  was unsure whether she had been stuck in a bad dream or if her senses had fooled her. Slowly she moved up to the door. Getting up on her shaking knees she peaked just a moment. Blood. Ashes. The burned out corpse of her father. Clarent slammed the door shut and scrambled away from the room. Her mind ran wild. Throughs and fears, emotions, pain running through her whole body. None of it made sense to her, nothing seemed to be real. Surely she was  still asleep in her bed having a bad  nightmare. She looked up. Her attention had been caught by a figure that suddenly stood in front of her. The pale woman with messy hair stared at her with empty eyes. Blood running down the side of her face, the features of which were twisted and distorted. She bore a smile as wide as her  entire face and sharp teeth. A savage and cruel chuckle emerged from her as she threw a knife down on the floor before Clarent. Clarents arm snapped forward grabbing the knife and holding it infront of her body in defense. For a moment she could feel a sharp pain of fear twitch through her followed by a smile. She dropped her defensive stance and slouched back against the wall staring at the knife in her hand. The disfigured woman watching patiently. Clarents smile widened as she began to giggle to herself. She looked back up to the woman who was still smiling at her and smiled back to her. For a moment there was just silence as the sharp metal blade pierced Clarents soft pale skin. Her neck slowly torn open as the liquids trapped in it escaped. A cold yet warm feeling washed over her as her vision blurred and she lost  conciousness. Clarent awoke to a foul smell. She could feel the familiar warmth of the Inn, smell the ale in the air. Slowly she turned her head and saw a man and a woman sitting infront of a campfire. Their expressions were distant and grim. Both lost in their own thoughts. When she tried to sit upright the man suddenly twitched. His hand flew to his sword hilt and gripped it tightly but the woman simply put her hand on his and he seemed to relax. He stared at the girl before him while the woman continued to passively stare at the coals in the fire.

Clinging tightly to what little there was to get any remotely firm grip on, sweat forming beneath the tips of her fingers, Clarent stretches her arm as far as she can.
High up on the crumbling old wall, barely able to hold on for dear life, her fingers so close, but barely out of reach.  "Just... a little... bit..." she grunts as she reaches just a bit further towards the the box, tangled in vines and roots from the trees above the chamber.
Suddenly a low rumble rolls through the tall room as the ground begins to shake. The dust and rocks from the ceiling acting as the bearer of bad news. "Clarent!" a man yells from the walkway far below as the stones in the wall become loose. With a surprised and terrified gasp she slips off the wall, beginning to fall to what she believed would be certain death, only barely managing to roll upon impact and sprawling across the ground untill she slams against the pillar holding up the walkaway.

Her vision slowly returns though the earthquake continues as pieces of rock and debris fall from the ceiling above. "Clarent!! Are you alright?" the man shouts down from above.
"Yes, yes..." she manages to answer as she gets on her knees and with help of the pillar gets up on her feet. Her body is in pain, but nothing seems broken. A few cuts, a lot of bruises.
She pulls her arm away from her stommach to reveal the small rectangular box and flashes an exhausted smile. "Worth it." she says to herself and looks up above to the familliar face peering over the edge of the walkway. "I should be able to make it back up." she says, waving him off. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."

After a bit of climbing and some body aching later she finds herself back on the walkway. By now the shaking has stopped and the place has mostly calmed down. One quick look back at the wall she was hanging on to so high above and she smiles anew before jogging up the stairs and therough the previous few rooms, catching up with her friend.

"Clarent-" he starts, in a audibly frustrated tone before she cuts him off. "Dan, it's fine." she says and throws him the lockbox and giggling innocently as her adrenalin begins to settle. "It's not the first time and im sure it wont be the last. At least I got the thing." she applauds herself.  
Dan, his grey hair seeming to have gone white with worry, stares at the box as the two of them make their way out of the ruins. "Perhaps, but one of these days you're going to get yourself killed." he retorts before turning his attention from the box to Clarent who is walking beside him. As she walks she carefully clasps her necklace and answers to him in a soft tone. "Well... be that as it may, I've proven I can take care of myself." Some warm memories flood over her and the comfort of knowing Dan cares eases her mind from the very real fear she was feeling just moments ago. She may be cool and composed, but death was still scary for her. "I promise, Dan, I'll try to be more careful." she finishes off and looks up ahead to the exit.



Eventhough it had only just turned morning, it was pretty warm already. It was only an hours walk from the old ruins to the town of Forestbreeze, located on the edge of a rather scary forest in Clarent's opinion. Dan and her had returned to the local pub. The only pub in the whole town, due to its rather small size. The inside invoked an equal measure of good and bad memories. Between the stink ale and the smell of hot meals, the laughter and chatter of the people inside, and the music played by the musicians the pub's mood was raised high. Clarent sat on a stool at the bar, while Dan was off in the back of the place, sitting in a corner with another man and conducting business. She watches the two with an exhausted and flat expression. She never thought very highly of Gordon 'Gally' Oliver, the man sitting across from Dan at the table. The man was fishy and always reeked of alcohol and urine. He was a real streetrat through and through and his attempts of flirting with her always made her stommach churn.
Clarent sighs and supports her head on her hand, turning her attention back to her drink. Despite working in an Inn herself in the past, she was never a big fan of Alcohol. She's tried it numerous times, even got drunk once, but it simply wasn't for her. So instead she had ordered an exotic fruit drink. A bit expensive, but after this most recent recovery her and Dan should be just fine on money.
After a few more minutes of business Dan gets up from his chair and shakes hands with the rat before making his way over to her and putting a four gold on the table. "Wha-" she asks, confused at what little money she got for her efforts, but is quickly interrupted by his hand resting on her shoulder. "Don't ask questions, we should find a place to stay for tonight. It looks like tomorrow will be a long day for me."
Clarent nods at him, knowing full well not to question him but simply enjoy the fact that she had any money at all, and knowing him he likely gave her a cut from his share too.  
She gets up and the two of them exit the pub. "You're going on another trip?" she asks him calmly, shoving her hands in her pockets as they cross the street and head down the road. Dan hesitates to answer at first, his expression a little grim. It's a very distinct expression that Clarent had grown to know all too well over the years. "You're still looking for her, aren't you?" she prods him a little and he finally answers her. "Yeah. This time I have a good lead. It might take a while, though, so if anything ever happens just go see Gally."
Clarent scoffs at the thuoght of having to plead that disgusting criminal for any type of assistance. "I should be fine by myself." she says before reaching up to pull out her amulet and play with it a little. She nervously asks Dan; "You'll be here by then, right? I'm turning seventeen."
His expression darkens a little further.
"Of course I will."

very good back story and all round cool cheracter