Name: Joan
Notes on name: “Joan” means “believer.” Named after the historical figure Joan of Arc , who’s status as a Saint in Hurrocks Fardel’s world setting mens that she was also a median. Joan doesn’t have a last name because she’s from a small, relatively sedentary village. Similar to the Middle Ages villages that it’s modeled off of, last names aren’t needed to identify family ties since in such a small community people’s relations are already known.
Age: ?
Notes on age: In harsher or more primitive conditions like the ones the humans of Hurrocks Fardel live in, there isn’t time for the luxury of a long childhood. Joan’s probably in her late teens, but is considered a full-fledged adult. Others in her age group are expected to start settling down and starting families at around this time (unless of course they have the misfortune of being conscripted into some hair-brained adventure by a marauding dragon).
Height: 5 ft 4 in
History and Personality: Joan grew up in a small village in the Western area of New Kent. Her parents were weavers whose trade was interrupted by civil war in the country. They were forced to move to an area more accessible to the new trade routes that emerged, but were forced to leave Joan behind. Joan has an abnormal right eye due to a childhood accident. In the highly superstitious culture that has formed among humans, her eye attracts unwanted and possibly violent attention. She tries to keep it covered, and until now has stayed within her home village where the fact that people know her personally protects her from the most serious repercussions. She’s very self-conscious about it, and dislikes any mention of it.
She was left in the care of town wise woman and medic. From her she learned basic medicine and how to read and write. She also practices her parents’ trade in weaving, although not with the same amount of skill as they, and her skills at storytelling put her in the high standing among the village children. Unfortunately, her stories of magic and the time before the Shadows War are disliked by the adults of the village, and contribute to a general unease with her.
Her affinity for stories is the result of her being a median, a special group of people that exist closer to Bahamoot than is normal among humans. In addition to a natural affinity for storytelling, it makes her tend to warp reality around herself to follow patterns set in stories, gives her a gift with animals, enables her to see “auras”, and possibly does other things that we don’t know about yet.
Joan tries to be tough, especially when she’s feeling like she’s being attacked or insulted due to her eye. She can be quite stubborn at times, but she’s also quite curious and in the end often goes along with things just to see how the story will end. She’s traveling with Drake because otherwise he’ll go burn down things, namely her village.
Fun Facts
Drinking: Joan grew up with a blacksmith willing to go to ridiculous lengths to show how tough he is and an innkeeper’s daughter (read as: access to ale and other lovely beverages) as best friends and a love of stories, the best of which are to be found in the inn once the alcohol starts making its rounds. The result? She can drink most poor souls under the table.
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