Holiday
Guildsman Holiday Aspenfall
An expert tracker, Holiday is often deployed by the Hunters Guild when someone or some thing needs to be found in difficult terrain. Though they enjoy solitude and work alone when possible, most of their missions require backup--either to heal and / or transport the target of a search-and-rescue, or to battle the fugitive or monster Holiday tracked down.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
They can live off the land in just about any part of Valor, and are no stranger to hard, manual labor--chopping firewood, erecting windbreaks, caring for a stable full of animals, or making stop-gap repairs to bridges and dams are all familiar tasks. They have solid muscles, though they aren't so heavily built that it would interfere with their flexibility, and a small amount of extra fat, mostly around their core. Their overall silhouette is average-height, barrel chested, and somewhat broad-shouldered.
Body Features
Holiday has darkly tanned, white skin, with a few freckles scattered across their face and hands, and a variety of scars. The most noticeable are probably the scars on the back of their right hand, which cross each other to form an X. Their hair is straight, dark brown or black, and usually pulled back to a short ponytail. It never takes long for strands to pull loose, so they end up re-doing it frequently. Their hands are wide and rough.
Apparel & Accessories
In the field, they wear a plain, sturdy tunic and surcoat under sturdy leather armor. Their dark brown cloak has wide arm slits, only reaches their calves, and is full enough to wrap fully around them even over a small pack of supplies--the treated fabric is effectively waterproof and windproof, not heavy weight enough for the dead of winter, but otherwise sufficient.
When in town, they favor dresses and have a short, embroidered surcoat of quite fine fabric, with a collar of soft, white fur. They do not wear jewelry, and only wear work gloves when they feel it is completely foolish not to.
Specialized Equipment
Basic survival gear, including: flint, firestarters (small packets of kindling, soaked in flammable oil, wrapped in waterproof pouches), hunting knife, small ax, rope, climbing hooks, and bandages. They strive to balance preparation with traveling light.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
As a toddler, Holiday was abandoned outside by the road leading to Fort Bluff. They were found by a faun returning home from visiting a friend in another town, who took them first to the town watch. Then to the temple, then the various guildhalls. When no one knew anyone missing a child, the faun took it home to his sister. His sister immediately gave them a "proper name," and scolded her brother for not doing it sooner.
Growing up, Holiday frequently felt awkward about being a human raised in a faun family. At times, they dreamed up ways they might make a pair of horns and pass for a faun themself; others, they disavowed their family entirely and refused to acknowledge them at all. Being in a small town certainly didn't help--everyone knew Holiday's family, and everyone knew that Holiday's birth mother had abandoned them. The Aspenfall clan did the best with it that they could, though surely it was hard on them as well.
As soon as they were old enough, Holiday joined the guild that would allow them to leave the fort. Since then, they visit occasionally, and write frequently, generally enjoying a much easier relationship with their folks without the social pressures of a small town.
Still, they do not disclose the social oddity to many, or care to discuss it with anyone. They go by "Holiday," not "Aspenfall," and have dropped their other names entirely. They do still use faunish pronouns (fey/fen/feir) with their family, but otherwise use the more typical neutral "they."
Employment
Having shown promise early, Holiday was apprenticed by the guild to increasingly skilled trackers, each specializing in a different type of terrain. They excelled at each, but their favorite is the mountains--for appreciation of the landscape, for the challenge, and for the abundance of cover. They can fight well enough to defend themself as needed, but it is not their strong suit and they avoid it when possible.
They enjoy working alone, and sometimes become frustrated that the guild sends them on so few solo missions. However, few expert trackers have even their level of willingness to guide a larger party, let alone the people skills to work effectively with a group. Additionally, the guild considers Holiday a valuable asset, and even for those who know what they're doing, there is always danger in traveling alone.
Intellectual Characteristics
Holiday is no coward, but they don't enjoy taking chances. If they aren't certain that they can finish a fight without injury, they do their best not to engage at all. Part of this is that their skill and certainty in tracking and navigation are so excellent, their ability to fight feels uncertain in comparison. However, a larger part is having seen first-hand how quickly even a minor injury can become a major liability in the wilderness. Blood attracts predators, broken bones decrease mobility, even just being in pain decreases awareness and ability to react quickly to danger.
Like perhaps most who spend the majority of time in the wilderness, Holiday loves animals but has a very unsentimental view of them.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Holiday enjoys their work and enjoys being good at it. Few things are as satisfying as a successful mission, especially if it ends in someone rescued, or an area secured against a dangerous monster. They aren't particularly ambitious, being more satisfied to excel in their current role than they feel called to guild leadership or acts of heroism.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Despite being an excellent tracker, naviagator, and survivalist, Holiday is a merely competent fighter, and has rather terrible fine motor skills. Their handwriting is terrible, even basic mending is difficult for them, and they cannot knit to save their life.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Beautiful mountain views, interesting plants and insects, reptiles, dogs, the satisfaction of a job well done.
Dislikes: Unexpected moose, wearing things on their hands, carelessness, taking unnecessary risks, overly sweet things, snagging and ruining nice clothes.
Favorite Tea: Raithsfall Bonfire
Hygiene
Perhaps surprisingly clean and tidy for someone who spends most of their time in the wilderness. They are serious about their personal hygiene and somehow manage to keep their clothes relatively clean no matter the environment. This same care and maintenance is extended to their tools as well.
Social
Contacts & Relations
- Well-known in the Hunters Guild
- Acquainted with many Valorian Knights
- Acquainted with Renissa's Tea House staff and regulars
Religious Views
Holiday is quietly religious, and makes frequent visits to various temples. She primarily follows The Life-Giver, but also pays homage to Alteneia.
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