A Spring Dawn

Cheerful - a Tiefling born to a group of Drow researchers out of Rosonha - spent much of their childhood years surrounded by magical researchers, historians, and others of their ilk as they travelled the Barbed Fields and other areas of magical importance looking into the effects of long term powerful magics on the lands, peoples, and creatures. The caravan of scholars - the details of which are muddled in Cheerful’s memory - was a joy-filled and curious place to raise children, the juxtaposition of child-like wonder and curiosity while exploring and studying dangerous locales and horrifying magics. What little Cheerful does clearly remember is a time filled with love and nurturing guidance up until a day during their sixth year that a new woman encountered the caravan while she was travelling from place to place. This newcomer offered information for information the caravan might have had, after a day or two had passed the adults “asked” for the woman to move on rescinding the hospitality they had offered.

Curse of the Midnight Sun

This was, unsurprisingly, a poor move. As she left the Woman said that there will be a terrible cost for breaking hospitality; which the adults felt was naught but superstition, however over the next few days some things seemed amiss. The less physically fit members of the caravan felt weaker and weaker as each day passed, until one morning they simply didn’t awaken. When the healer of the caravan visited those who had not awoken they were faced with a dire problem. Next thing that Cheerful remembers is the door to their wagon being locked shut and warded. Unable to see out the small windows, and being only able to hear screaming and fighting, Cheerful curled up and hid as best she could, hands over their ears. They waited as long as she could, before thirst and hunger forced the young Tiefling to sneak out, wary of whatever caused the sounds of conflict. Whatever it was had wandered off by this stage, leaving only the signs of a slaughter behind; an oddly corpseless slaughter. Over the next few days Cheerful survived off of the remaining food stocks, and searched the caravan for anything to keep themselves occupied, their sleep troubled with nightmares and horrible visions. Fortunately, before long, travelling traders came by and found the orphan, after figuring out what had happened - those who didn’t awake had risen as Husk Zombies and swiftly turned the rest of the members of the caravan - they took the young tiefling with them on to Rosonha.

Although the travellers couldn’t look after the orphaned Tiefling, they didn’t just ditch her in the city unaided. Cheerful was left with an orphanage to be raised by the city of Rosohna, although this didn’t last for long. Still reeling from the trauma of her world and family being destroyed and suffering ever increasing nightmares, that at some stage started to happen even when they were awake. One issue after another compounded and led to the Tiefling running away to live on the street, getting by with a sweet face, nascent magic, and a musical personality. Over time Cheerful found other street children that would benefit from her help, and gradually help the Tiefling heal - somewhat - the pain of losing one family, and so Cheerful’s found family began. Over the next few years, until their early teens, Cheerful gathered a small handful of children - informally founding the Den of Heicyne - as she works to aid other street children as and when she can, although no more join Cheerful’s family.

It was during this time that Cheerful heard of, and met, another young street kid who was also having visions who Cheerful helped out as best as they could until it came to light that this child was consecuted and adopted into the Den of Kryn under the name Velina.
 

A Summer Song

As Cheerful entered their teenage years the vestiges of the Curse that killed their family mutated and changed, intertwining with Cheerful’s interpersonal connections simultaneously strengthening them and drawing power for the Tiefling’s growing magic. Family ties became unbreakable, friendship and romance became one and the same. During this time Cheerful and Ahlysaaria operated as the parents of the small found family, while Cheerful encouraged Ahlysaaria to try to pursue her dreams of performing, frequently having to rescue Torrellan from his run-ins with the Aurora Watch from a number of con artistry schemes that drew attention. Alongside supporting Ahlysaaria and Torrellan, Cheerful also helped; Shimyra with their desire to learn sailcraft, Molvayas with his religious studies (although Cheerful was quickly outpaced in the learning department and helped by enabling him to study for long periods). Finally Cheerful did their best to look after Laele, but it was around the time when Clover/Sophie found Cheerful and - for once - the Tiefling had someone looking after them.

Sophie took Cheerful under her wing, to teach the younger girl how to harness the curse that lingers on them. During this time Sophie and Cheerful took on various lightweight jobs, and short adventures, coaxing out Cheerful’s capabilities while letting the Tiefling have space to explore themselves away from their Den and those who rely on them. Cheerful’s time with Sophie was enlightening, twisting their curse outwardly to hex and ensorcell others, attracting small creatures without much effort, and more tricks besides. After several years of being - at most - a few days apart from each other at a time Sophie introduced Cheerful to Oriwynn, although the two never spent long together, as Sophie started to travel more with the half-elf.

During Cheerful’s growing free time - as her family grows up - the Tiefling started to dive more into reading the book and scroll they had kept with them from their childhood, although they couldn’t make much headway due to some form of encoding. The book and scroll provided some insight into the nature of powerful magics, and made mention of potential routes of study leading to Olc Skerry and the rumours of the land around there. So after making sure their Den would be secure without them for a time - promising to send letters and keep in touch - the Tiefling made preparations as they had also heard from Sophie that she and Ori were heading to that area as well.