The Lore of Shaman Thana of the Riviera
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Thana Poses with her dog familiar, Koyotl, against a green forest backdrop with mossy trees, a pond, and some rocks. She has turquoise flowers tucked into her chin-length dark brown hair. She wears a serious expression on her face, with has green eyes and berry lips. Her skin is a warm brown and she wears a shimmery turquoise top with leggings made of a material that looks reminiscent of fish scales. She is barefoot and holds a large wooden staff that glows with magic. She leans against her oversized brown dog, who resembles a large coyote, and he grins with his tongue hanging out.
BIO
AGE: 16
AFFILIATION: Member of the Canis Coven
ROLE: Healer
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Dryad's Ear
COMPANION: Koyotl the field dog
PERSONALITY: Gentle, innocent, people-pleaser
STRENGTHS: Very kind and trusting, and always sees the best in others despite being bullied as a child
FLAWS: She is a bit of a pushover, has trouble “reading the room” and her naivety means she is easily deceived. Some find her relentless positivity irritating!
FUN FACT: She is extremely technophobic and will cast “healing” spells on gadgets, rendering them unusable!
BACKGROUND: Shaman Thana was raised near the Chronomancer’s Riviera in a small water tribe that shunned technology and modern civilization. She never quite fit in among her own people as she lacked the ability to use magic to commune with the water spirits they worshiped. However, after abandoning her people she discovered she did indeed have latent abilities and her greatest joy is discovering new spells to help others. Having lacked companions growing up, she now bonds closely with whomever she considers a friend- whether they agree or not! Thankfully her kindness usually wins over even the most stubborn of hearts.
PROLOGUE
Along the wide, sandy banks of the river that leads to the Chronomancer's Riviera, a reclusive tribe of fisherfolk known as the Peixans lived in the humble ways of their ancestors, using magic to communicate with the fish spirits and coax food from the water.
It was here that Thana was born to a large family of weavers. She was a tiny child and she was often lost amidst the daily bustle of life as her parents and siblings used strong river reeds to build baskets, rafts, and clothing. She knew, even at that tender age, that she would be ignored until she could provide some value to her tribe.
At the age of five, Thana was excited to receive her first Current, a magical trial of her people. As was customary for children her age, Thana was given a clay bowl filled with water in which a tiny silver fish swam in small, languid circles. Thana was to care for this fish, learn to speak to it and, one day, bond with it. She was ready to finally learn magic and clutched her bowl eagerly, whispering, “Hello, little friend.”
The fish did not respond.
Over the weeks, other children in her group learned to speak to their fish and could be heard giggling and whispering secrets into their bowls, but Thana could not hear her fish, no matter how hard she tried.
This was only the first Current of many to come, and the simplest one to complete, but Thana was the only child to struggle with the task. The other children quickly formed bonds with their fish and released them back into the river where they swam together in celebration.
Thana’s fish died, and a pall hung over her like a bad omen.
More Currents came over the years, increasing in complexity. As the other children became more and more adept, Thana languished. It became clear she had no magic, and she was outcast even by her own family, who regarded her as cursed.
Her failings only became more pronounced as she struggled to contribute to her tribe’s fishing practices and participate in their elaborate religious rituals involving communication with the river fish spirits.
Her isolation grew as other children in the tribe mocked her, calling her a demon in disguise. Even the adults avoided her, fearing she would bring them ill fortune.
As she grew older, the final Current known as The Drowning approached. Thana knew if she failed this task like all the others, she would die. This was the tribe’s way of keeping magic alive in their lineage.
Sometimes Thana yearned for the final trial knowing it would put an end to her isolation and suffering. No one would miss her, certainly. She had nothing left to lose.
When the Tearmaker star appeared earlier in the sky than ever before, it brought with it a surge of flooding to the banks of the river. The Peixans were not prepared, having expected the floods to come later in the season as they usually did. Huts and tools and stores of food were destroyed. A child drowned.
The superstitious Peixans believed Thana was at fault for the destruction. Some demanded they hold the final Current early, to be over and done with it—with her.
Others feared changing ancient tradition and upsetting the river spirits more than they already had.
As the arguments raged on, sixteen-year-old Thana made her own decision.
To leave.
To live.
Knowing little of what existed beyond the river, Thana didn’t know how she would survive in the outside world her people were so wary of. All she knew was that she could not last another day shunned by her own people, facing certain death.
She carried nothing but a small pouch of food and a walking stick, and she walked off without a single word of farewell to the people who had been her tribe.
They did not love her, so why did tears still sting her eyes when she thought of never seeing her family again?
After a day’s walk she wandered into the Chronomancer's Riviera and was quickly overwhelmed by the bustling chaos of the city and its technologies. Feeling provincial and out of place amongst the colorful citizens, she hugged the shadows and tried to become invisible.
Night soon fell and Thana realized she needed a safe place to sleep. The city became even more alive as music and lights flooded out from all the trendy nightclubs and venues that lined the streets. Thana longed to ask for help but was too terrified to approach anyone. Besides, the partygoers seemed far too preoccupied with their festivities to notice a girl like her.
Thana slipped into the darkened alleyways, looking for an alcove to take refuge in. Here the alleyway denizens eyed her suspiciously or leered at her as she hurried along. Fear rose in Thana’s chest. Had she made a horrible mistake coming here? Should she go back home and accept her fate? A loud yelp of pain interrupted her thoughts.
Following the sound, she encountered a street dog being kicked by some kids her own age who had clearly been drinking. To her amazement, she could hear the dog’s voice, clear as day, as it barked at its attackers. “Leave me alone, you filthy brats! Ow! Help!”
Forgetting her timidness in the moment, Thana found the courage to confront the teens and chase them off with her wooden staff. As she knelt beside the injured dog he told her his name: Koyotl, and expressed his gratitude for her help.
“The code of the desert says I’m to be your companion and guard your life as you guarded mine.” He winced with pain. “At least...as soon as I am able to.”
Thana could not fathom how she was able to communicate with the creature after being unable to use magic previously, but joy flooded her veins with gratitude.
She laid a hand upon Koyotl’s flank and a soft green light emerged from her touch, startling her. To her amazement, her latent magical abilities blossomed before her eyes as she healed the dog, mending his broken ribs with a mere touch.
“You have a gift,” Koyotl told her. “You should claim your rune and unlock your potential at The Secret Tower"
“The Secret Tower?” Thana had never heard of such a thing, and it sounded vaguely ominous. And yet, at Koyotl’s words she felt a magnetic pull inside her chest that told that her this was where she needed to go.
“How do you know so much, Koyotl? Where are you from?” she asked.
“I’m an outcast just like you,” he replied simply. “Now let us rest. We have a long journey ahead.”
As inscribed by @taniadelrio | caniscoven.eth
Entered by: 0x4C97…3f86 and preserved on chain (see transaction)
