Olika Deepshoulder
Olika Deepshoulder
poggers!It's been a long road for Olika Deepshoulder. A middle-aged river dwarf with slightly greying hair, two fingers missing on her left hand, and an unbreakable spirit of optimism and adventure, the arrival of the Quest for the Book of Dawn was exactly the change in her life she longed for. Sure, a lot of people seem to have died along the way, but all the great stories are like that, right?
Mental characteristics
Personal history
From the moment she was born, Olika was sailor. Born on a boat traveling up the rivers of Emankorrak, her parents never meant to stay together. Rakheline Oxbow was as surprised as anyone to find herself pregnant, but Gronlim Sureoar stuck with her until Olika was old enough to start helping with oars, sails, and navigation. Afterwards, Rakheline and Gronlim remained friendly, but Gronlim returned to his own clan when next their boats crossed.
In childhood, Olika was easily distracted, easily bored, and easily excited. There weren't many river dwarf children similar in age so she spent most of her time with the adults, working the ships and asking them a thousand questions. Where does that river go, who are those people on the coast, is it true that the sea is full of monsters, have you ever fought a monster, do the hanging gardens of Masru reach all the way to the Sky Kingdom. Some of the adult river dwarves were patient and understanding, others were not. It made her a bit of an oddball, somewhat of a loner, the strange one. Her own mother could barely keep up with her and was more focused on keeping the family prosperous than tales of wars against the Infernals and dragons.
Even though they weren't heroes, the lives of the river dwarves were far from boring. They made their way across the river deltas of Emankorrak, even found their way into the valleys and waterfalls just south of the Caonach Vale. Nobody could really answer her questions about the magical kingdom of Kraius hidden somewhere just to the south. There was a day during their travels when a group of grey-clad humans traded with her family, and when she started asking them questions, one of them smiled, failed to answer, but shared with her a simple scroll. It was Olika's first taste of magic, and she swore she'd never cast the cantrip from it, because the magic would stay with her and bring her adventures.
As an adult, Olika's spirit and curiosity never dampened. More and more her people kept to the river valleys of the mountains, fishing and ferrying travelers instead of wandering the lands of Emankorrak and the surrounding lands. It was long years with little travel and no adventure, so when the occasional visitor came through seeking passage over the rivers, Olika was eager to hear their stories and learn news from faraway lands, even when the other adults told her not to bother them.
It was one of these visitors who changed her life forever. A group of robed, cloaked and masked travelers from the north east protecting a single sorcerer of great importance paid her clan for passage over their rivers. They were fascinating. Olika knew some of them were Dragonborn, and their masks were carved from bone and strange stones. She just knew this was a great adventure waiting to set off.
She was right, but not how she thought. Under strict instructions not to disturb these guests, Olika practically seethed with imagining what stories they had to tell. Were they from far off Okarthel? Warlocks or cultists? So distracted was she with ideas and adventures going on in her head, she completely missed the rock that every river dwarf knew to avoid. Her esteemed guests ended up in the water.
Immediately, Olika knew she was in trouble. Here she was, approaching her second century, and she'd just botched one of the most important jobs her clan ever received. The sorcerer and masked strangers were furious, and so were her fellow clanmates. Olika was not permitted in the meeting that occurred immediately afterwards between the clan elders and the strangers.
In the end, the verdict was shocking. To satisfy the honor of their guests, and to avoid an even more violent punishment, Olika's clan agreed to exile her permanently from her home. She was stripped of her clan name, but given a new one--even an exile must have a name. As Olika Deepshoulder, she finally set off on the adventure she wanted so badly, but not under the circumstances she'd imagined.
She set off to the North, traveling with one group after another. She did a stint as a river guide in Odasvale, tried to make her way to the troll fens of Gluk but the caravan never set off. Adventure after adventure never really panned out, as mishaps and false starts set her back, and she never really found a community that worked for her until she made her way to the small fishing village of Caermere. The people there never really understood her, but at the very least they accepted her.
So Olika Deepshoulder spent decades of her life, fishing, working on the docks, and otherwise drifting off into numb, dull obscurity. Very little news or adventure same through Caermere, though she was eager, perhaps even desperate, for tales of sea dragons in the Seolach's depths, wars and battles in far off lands, and heroes facing down evil.
But years and years later, all of that would change...
Employment
River/boat work all her life, from helping to run ferry boats to working a river caravan, to fishing and boatwork by the shores of Caermere.
Most recently, she's taken up the adventuring life with the Quest for the Book of Dawn.
Current Status
On the Quest for the Book of Dawn!
Current Location
Age
217
Children
Current Residence
Nomadic
Pronouns
She/Her
Gender
Female
Eyes
Watery blue, eager
Hair
Slightly greying brown-black hair, usually swept back with a few stringy strands loose
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deep tan that's slowly faded over time.
Height
4'11"
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