Charis Galina
Profile
Basic Information
Name:
Charis Galina
Nickname(s):
'Cha-Cha' [Family + Winery]
Age:
28
Birth Date:
30th Sun, 8266 [Venator]
Height:
6 ft 2 in ↑ [188~ cm]
Gender:
Female
Race:
Half Elf [Wood]
Class:
Scout
Occupation:
Unemployed
Guild(s):
Enhancement(s):
Elves' Mindspeak
Likes
the open sky, traveling (not by sea), hard workers, debating, friendly fights, simple foods, being on her own(!!), meat skewers(!!)
Dislikes
reading aloud, slight of hand tricks, cider, incessant chatter, bitter foods, impatience, the deep sea(!!), Telurea [its haunted], hugs(!!)
Personality
+ Enduring || O Colder || - Consumed**
** Until the dust settles, her personality has temporarily dulled but not yet solidly shifted. It affects all the following traits:
+ Steadfast, Introspective, Responsible, Wholehearted
- Abrasive, Impulsive, Impatient, Peevish
In wake of Tharoneos rising, Charis has splintered down to her very core– and is experiencing something of a self correction that throws everything that she is into upheaval. The inescapable depths at the bottom of the sea and land, the lost ashes of Cantor, the nausea of brutal victory and broken promise– it all churns grotesquely in her heart and mind with little time to breathe.
She has admitted defeat to the greater workings of the world and has determined that all her attempts at change were just that– attempts. For someone quietly wishing to be forgiven of the things she’s done, she has certainly found something she can’t even hope to be forgiven for. The inability to accept colliding with the seeming necessity of loss has forced her to rethink herself and left very few of her once stalwart foundations still standing.
One, however, exploded past mere sparks of annoyance and roared hotter than any tragedy could think to extinguish… Her temper has found purchase on new fuel. Resentment.
The things she could’ve done, the things that could’ve been… In the same breath, her wrath has turned partially inward and seeded an Ouroboros of self-loathing.
The early stages of this has made a false ‘cooling’ effect on her demeanor. She comes off a lot more leveled and thoughtful, but she’s burning from the inside and she doesn’t know how to stop.
History
[ Family ]
Stemming from Southern Cantor, the Galinas split off from their parent winery branch some decades ago to put roots in Nisalvini. They never ended up nearly as stable as their Cantish counterpart thanks to the islands ether, but also never gave up on making a name for themselves there. Their business ended up revolving around more novelty wines and experimental techniques.
Charis… honestly doesn’t know much about the Marchands aside from the Spooky Story she got told as a kid.They’re pretty scattered all around Estraude. Her father hasn’t hidden anything from her directly, but if she doesn’t ask, he doesn’t tell. Her father tracks, collects and trades in niche jewelry, so she only ever met some in passing while on the road.
[ Parents ]
Be it fate or some other machination of Alva, her parents met each other in a Nisalva flea market– and all they ever seemed to know how to do was banter with each other about sales tactics and product quality. Evidently they quite liked arguing and talking to each other because they’d even go out of their way to do so. Always a bottle of wine for a bit shiny jewelry.
These fleeting, seasonal meets would eventually bring Charis, but neither could quite let go of their lifestyles to stay in either Nisalvini or Estraude– so she grew up traveling heavily between them.
[ Youth ]
Even as a kid, Charis had always been a bit fierier and louder than the rest. A habit of making things her business soon spelling lasting disaster. At a time while with her mom, she took it upon herself to try to break up what looked like a fight rather than rough playing. Some kids just don’t know when to stop, so of course everything escalated. Doing the Most Damage and not quite being able to articulate herself calmly, she took the brunt of the fall. It stuck with her, and began a life long road to more than her fair share of fights on the quiet little island.
[ Growing Up ]
She never quite had the heart to tell her mom she didn’t like it there.
Coming home with bruises and scuffs, not always unprovoked, and never quite being able to defend herself without also finishing the fight, she grew pretty bitter. She became a schoolyard bully for her fists-first approach to heated disagreements. Then a particularly nasty one in her teens led to her being immediately sent to her relatives in Cantor. To give everyone a chance to cool off– and most importantly, think. Given all-new faces and a (mostly) clean slate through her cousins– she was able to make gentler memories for herself to hang onto.
As those years in Cantor came to an end, and she returned to regular travel between her parents, she found herself working to improve the rocky road laid out in front of her.
[ Recent Memory ]
At the sudden arrival of black thorns half way into 8291, their vineyard suffered steep loss, but the winery itself didn’t fall under thanks to the support of their Cantish branch. Wines made of locally grown grapes were pulled from the shelves and sold slowly as they scrambled to protect what survived. Later that year as Ash Fever swept Nisalvini, the winery temporarily closed its doors to offer relief efforts.
Charis soon made the decision to follow the tide of people leaving Nisalvini– in hopes of finding a hardier strain of grapes or a way to better secure the future of the vineyard. By the 30th of Gifts she was in Estraude combing through its local flora for potential solutions. She even attended the Emerald Masquerade and luckily any mess she could’ve made there was overshadowed by fellow party-goers. Rock on, you funky foreigners.
Charis spent roughly a year drifting Estraude with her father, staying in touch with Nisalvini via letters. Eventually, she and her father received word that the black thorns were finally subdued and the vineyard was steadily bouncing back. Shortly before the new year she’d make her way back to Nisalvini, but unfortunately empty handed. After the second wave of black thorns was fought off, she’s been helping her mother keep the sudden, rampant growth on the island at bay.
Current Story
[ World's Wrath ]
28th Arrival.
The longest night she ever lived.
It became both a haunting memory and a long blur, she had her heart in the right place with the evacuation of Nisalvini and she prioritized who wanted to leave– overlooking her own escape. By the time she looked up from battering down the hatches, the great barriers of Nisalvini went up and sealed them off from the sky.
[ Deep Waters ]
It was then she realized what it really meant to have something as fragile as magic between her and the unfathomable deep.
Though she was able to help the Fintáni in some capacity and was willing to muscle where they needed it… It quickly became obvious there… wasn’t much else she could do. She struggled to pass time without thinking about what her last moments down here could be. Did Miras give up on them? How much time did they have left? The Oriads felt like an omen. You can’t grow anything here…
As if the island itself responded, it too provided. A second chance.
[ Underworld ]
Despite the island's efforts, both land and researcher, the moment there was contact with the people in Dorel was the moment she looked back once and never again.
The caverns too, carved and flourished with magic… She understands them none the better.
[ War of Ancients ]
The Quest for Therras revived a forgotten world and brought along with it the news of Cantor's burning demise. With a pillar of light and the raising of a golden monster somehow deemed Aurea.
For as desperately she wrestled to send a message through the lumena– she was not brave enough to read the reply. It came belatedly through another undergrounder that transcribed it in a neatly folded scrap of parchment. Whatever it might be, there was at least something waiting for her.
And that something would be what she needed to make it out to the other side of this.
Then the world tore apart and wove again…
[ Beginning of the End ]
Did Arrival ever end or did a year truly pass?
Bound by a new goal to new strangers, having risen Therras but not woken.
She trudged on again into the unknown, with new friends to better understand the changing world, for a brighter future that led ever deeper through the past.
[ Sin and Sacrifice ]
Kandaren and Riag bring the ghosts of a lost empire, stories of a mad emperor, the hunger of winter, a forgotten cinden dragon, a lost god and reviving Therras’ lost child… deep in the heart of Delverne.
If only she knew the Revelry awaiting her.
Tharoneos rose and razed, tearing down every bridge and bond the Questers built behind him. So vanishes the elven nation– joining Telurea and every people before it.
For the greater good. For the lesser evil.
…
No time to rest, she and the questers fought Dunor.
…
Now… Now it is time to face what she left behind.
Her world plunged into the earth over a year ago, and though she can feel the sun on her skin again–
It is not warm.
Additional Info
🍇 [ App History ] Original Description.
🍇 Peripheral ??? Too soon to tell.
🍇 Design Detail Charis has sharp facial features and is broad shouldered. All along her arm and right side are itty-bitty bits of embedded stone from Penny’s explosion, they are NOT Baetyl, they’re shards of the golem itself. The shards have slightly shredded her right ear. She also technically has a tanline, but it’s pretty faded now… She's developing dark circles under her eyes.
🍇 Language Charis understands Estran and Common the most fluently. Behind them is Xechasei where she can speak very well, but her reading and writing is weak. Papa also taught her how to swear in Altan.
Thanks to Elen and friends, she’s gotten some understanding of Telurean. She still struggles with it, but has learned how to read and (chicken scratchily) write.
🍇 Family Legend A generational story that has shaped an ingrained fear of Iadlain and its monsters for her and her father’s family:
As it goes, an esteemed Iadlish citizen and a performer fell in love at first sight. It’s long lost who exactly they were, but it’s popularly retold with the Iadlish as the elf and dreading the idea of outliving their family. They prayed one day to be rid of that fear and weren’t careful who heard such a plea. For six days and five nights, the performer and their child were chased, never to return. How long the Iadlish searched and what chased them changes by person who tells it, but it’s often the explanation for why the family is so spread apart, why they’ve pushed so far to Estraude’s shores and why there’s no contact with their potential Iadlish relatives. Sometimes meaner grannies would even say the elf and the ghoul are still looking, and you should not risk being found– so don’t play too late, close your doors, etc.
She always assumed a bunch of monsters hated them rather than just one. After facing Dunor she believes it all the more.
🍇 Tidbits
Although Charis has found something to occupy most of her wrath now, there are still a few things that briefly ‘turn its attention’ to bring out her full, immediate fire. Sleight of hand, lying and illusions still sit as one of the easier ways to tick her off, but the events at Delverne and fighting Dunor have yielded something far uglier for those who are reckless with the lives of others.
Charis is a walk-and-talk kind of gal, something she picked up from her dad. If she’s on her feet she’s moving, if she’s chatting with someone she’ll walk them down the road, if she’s waiting she’ll wander and pace. On that note, she walks pretty fast.
Despite what you’d think, Charis is not a normally competitive person. She doesn’t mind losing in a fair game and may even buy you a drink. If you prod her temper however, you’ve put your fate in the hands of the Trinity now. Good luck.
Prior to Nisalvini sinking, Charis would bask in the sun to relax and reset, but after the destruction of Delverne, it just makes her uncomfortable and antsy now. She takes naps (emo-ly) in the shade now. Nothing really feels the same…
🍇 [ Penny the Puckerling ] A friend until the end. Charis thought it was haunted, but also might help revive Tharoneos. Received during the Cipher Society RP then destroyed in the Questers fight against Dunor. A little golem that would glow and spin.
!! Charis’ sense of touch has not yet completely recovered, especially on her right side. It's duller and reminds her of touching through a film. Parsing different tactile sensations is a bit harder now.
🍇 [ Marble(?) Bracelet ] A thin bracelet with silvery opals laid into it. Charis thought it was cursed, but also might somehow help revive Tharoneos. It felt heavier than it looked and belonged to an orator. Received during the Riag Exploration RP.
Relations
Therras Questers
Heartbreak is probably the clearest emotion she has, otherwise it's too mired to categorize. At the end looking back, there are so many things she feels she could've changed if she paid more attention. If she trusted and tried... more people would still be here.
At the same time, how much of a difference could she make? It's a waste to think of what ifs, but the way things fell into place reinforced old thoughts. Witnessing the ease at which everyone split apart without so much as a goodbye dug into a very sore aspect of herself. If she did make that effort, wouldn't this all have hurt even more?
After all this time, as much as she's wanted to change, it's undeniably saved her from an even sharper plunge. She is eternally grateful to them for giving her another sunrise, and the bravery it took to achieve, but on the other hand not only does she refuse to miss them it's probably best to let this chapter of her life close for good.
Elentiya Linden
Therras Quester. Very Smart Friend.
Whether she knows it or not, really helped her get a better grasp on not only Telurea, but to brave the shifting magic world around them. She places a lot of trust in Elen's abilities as both a scholar and... you know... yeah, as a friend too. The golems were extremely cool, but having someone that's able to explain things to you like how they work while being excited about it has been a big reason Charis has been able tough it out so long. Feels strongly like she hasn't done as much for Elen as Elen has done for her.
It took an embaressing amount of time to realize Elen is the same Elen that Ilias talks about. No she will not admit it. We are taking it to the Trinity.
"Elen, please gods, look up from your books once in a while."
Ryanna Geist
Therras Quester. Carrot 1.
Ryanna's family would come buy stock from her Cantish's family. Charis very rarely got a chance to meet Ryanna as a kid so there's only a Flicker of memory. She remembers the Geists best for the yambens she got to play with.
She's admittedly been a bit slow to really warm up to Ryanna despite their history and current adventure. Fires either snuff eachother out or get bigger you know? At the same time Charis found her and her brother Extremely fun (to bully) and she liked them, whether she'd admit to it or not. Then... then Ben's death...
".................. Godsdamn, what do I even say. Be brave? I'm sorry? Fat lot that'll do for her."
Kamon Intira
Therras Quester. Meemaw!
In Nisalvini, a young and baby Charis would hide out at her house until things blew over and her parents came to get her. Hopefully doesn't remember how much of a shin kicker she was. (Ilias probably does.) Cherishes the Intira's like family. Tries very, very hard not to swear in front of her.
Charis is glad Meemaw doing more okay now after Peepaw's death but worries for her again after he's essentially had a second death. Teeters between wanting to support meemaw and being unable to sort her own feelings after Delverne.
"Meemaw's made of some hell-of-a tough stuff, but I hope she's not tryin' to be tough by herself..."
Lucas Benjamin Geist
Therras Quester. Carrot 2. 24-hour... Accomplice?
Charis, admittedly, didn't really pay much mind to him as much as she did Ryanna, only really speaking at length during Night Warding. Together though, they made promises they couldn't keep and now, at his passing, she bears that cross alone.
Ben has unfortunately become one of the faces of her recent revelations. Not only for an unfair world but her own feelings of inhumanity.
"......................................................... We swore on our lives."