Holdless Woman Shandel

Jean

Name: Shandel
Age: 15
Rank: Holder's daughter
Birthplace: Castrell Hold/Telgar
Residence: holdless runaway

Hair: pale silvery ash blond, falls to her waist
Eyes: pale ice blue
Build: medium, slim
Complexion: clear and pale
Identifying Marks/Other: Simple jewel tone skirts wth white or silvery colored loose blouses (peasant style), wears a gold heart shaped filigree locket, an ancient family heirloom passed mother to daughter, jeweled belt-knife

Personality: Shandel is uncertain how to make friends. Her father isolated her and her siblings from the other Hold children. She was taught from birth to manage a large Hold, to marry a Lord Holder or prosperous large Holder or son. SHe knows highborn manners and political machinations, but hasn't a clue how to interact with "normal" people.
     Because of her uncertainty and "highborn manners" she is seen as snooty, stuck up by most. While this could be understood in a child of a Lord Holder, it is seen as a severe fault in the daughter of a poor medium sized hold.
     Shandel, despite the fact that she was never asked to do a bit of work in her life, works hard and is willing to do any task. She is trying to fit in among the other Candidates, she just needs one friend to guide her...

History: Shandel is the youngest daughter of an overly ambitious small holder. He starves his animals and shorts the people of his hold in order to appear richer by pampering his children, dressing them in the finest clothing and teaching them proper management of large holds (while neglecting his own). He is seeking to attract high ranking husbands for his daughters to increase his own status. All but Shandel have escaped from him through elopement, as he is verbally and emotionally abusive. The only reason he does not beat his children is because bruises, scars or broken bones would lessen his daughters' marriage worth. He has no such compunctions against beating his wife.
     One day he comes home with a gold firelizard egg for Shandel. He acquired it illegally with the marks they had saved for the winter feed for the animals. Both Shandel and her mother are distressed, but once the egg hatches she has no choice but to Impress it. In order to feed the animals, Shandel's mother sells most of the jewelry she inhereted from her mother, ancient family herilooms that should have gone to Shandel or one of her sisters.
     Now that his daughter has a gold firelizard to show off, the holder presents her at the Lord Holder's monthly gather where successful Large Holder offers for her hand for his son. She is less than overjoyed, but when she learns that his first wife died under suspicious circumstances she vows to run away. Her mother was also afraid for her and helps her pack some simple clothing, a purse full of marks and her mother's gold locket. She hides her pack and purse in the beasthold with her saddle above her favorite mare's stall. And so, when the marriage contract is written and her parents leave to sign it she runs away....

Pet Information

Name: Chari
Species: Firelizard
Description: Gold, very young still and her colors change a bit as she grows, her adult color remains to be seen.
Personality: Serious and solemn, Chari is afraid of men but devoted to Shandel. She regards the world from the safety of Shandel's shoulder. She has been traumatized by the volatile and abusive atmosphere at the Hold of her birth.

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