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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jarval" data-source="post: 832603" data-attributes="member: 421">After rather too much delay, at long last I've finished my character's background.  Hope this works OK with your set up KtT.Anna Avellana was born in Wundsford, a small town in the Salis duchy in the southern reaches of the Free Kingdoms.  Her early childhood was unremarkable, spending most of her time on her parents farm.Five years after her birth, the Salis duchy was claimed by Thelis as the war once again redrew the boarders between the Empire and the Free Kingdoms.  Anna's father, a member of the town's militia, was killed during one of the skirmishes with Thelis troops that took place in the dense woodland near the village. Despite this tragedy, Anna had a relatively happy childhood, raised by her mother Juniper and elder brother, Daragh.  Anna and Daragh spent much of their time playing on the families farmland, and the surrounding woods.  While in the woods two days before Anna's tenth birthday, Daragh found a silver key in an abandoned magpie nest.  He gave this to Anna as a present, telling her that it was a gift from the creatures of the forest.  She still carries the key with her at all times, as both a good luck charm and a connection to her brother.Five years ago Anna's mother married Elsin, a priest of Ehlonna, and disinherited brother of Gadd Scabious, a miller and mayor of Wundsford.  Daragh disliked this his mother's choice, as he had little love for religion after the death of his father, and mistrusted Elsin for his kinship with Gadd.  Anna had none of her brother's reservations, and loved and respected Elsin as if he were her father.  Elsin taught Anna much of Ehlonna's faith, and she proved to be a skilled and attentive pupil.  He also taught her about debate, etiquette and the art of courtly diplomacy, skills that Elsin had learnt during his time at Lord Treon's court.   (Lord Treon is the new Thelisian lord of the Salis duchy).During Anna's tuition, Daragh had begun training with Lord Treon's guards, becoming quite a skilled warrior.  Daragh felt no love or loyalty for Lord Treon, regarding him as a decadent fop sent to exploit the people of the Salis duchy, but knew there was no other way he would gain proficiency in the sword.  In his spare time from both training and farm work, he showed Anna the basics of the fighting styles he learnt.Tensions between Daragh and Elsin grew, as Elsin suspected Daragh's motives for joining the guard.  Elsin himself was loyal to Treon, recognising that he was a kinder and gentler lord than many in the Empire.  Three years ago, Daragh left home to join the armies of the Free Kingdoms.  This was also motivated by the hatred of Thelis that the young man bore, knowing full well that the Emperor's troops had killed his father.  Anna was distraught at her brother's decision, but her mother forbade her from following him.  She buried herself further into her studies with Elsin, becoming by far his best pupil.  Her faith had grown strong over the years, and Elsin recognised Anna's potential.  He began training to join the priesthood, but her talents developed in other ways.  Ehlonna blessed her with good health and the ability to sense the presence of evil in a man's soul.  These talents, combined with her martial prowess, marked her out as one of the holy warriors, a paladin.During this time, Gadd had been trying to extend his land holdings into the woodland, but had been countered by Elsin.  Elsin knew only too well the destruction his brother would cause to the land, tearing away the trees to add to his farmland.  The matter came to a head at Lord Treon's court, where Anna convinced Treon give the lands the protected status of a shrine to Ehlonna.  Gadd was ill-pleased with this new meddler in his affairs, and met with Anna privately after the hearing.  He told her to leave Wundsford, and to leave the Salis duchy, or fear the consequences to her family.  Gadd added that her mother would die that very night if she told a soul of this threat.  Escorted back to the village by Gadd's thugs, she packed her belongings and left the town, telling her mother and step-father that she had been called to serve at the Emperor's court.Anna has spent the last six months finishing her training at the high temple of Ehlonna in the Empire's capital, adding to both her weapon and divine skills.  Paladins are rare in the service of Ehlonna, and as such, Anna has been given the duty of travelling the Empire to serve the goddess' church wherever there is need of her abilities.</blockquote>

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