Name: Ura
Player: Henchgirl
Type: Terrestrial Exalted
Aspect: Air
Concept: Idealistic sorceress with passions as intense and powerful as lighting bolts.
House: Ledaal
School: The Heptagram
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Playfully bisexual. Has yet to do more than some heavy flirting with a man.
Age: 29
Age, Apparent: 17
Birthday: 19th of Descending Air
Height: 5’ (Her small stature plays to the illusion that she’s quite a bit younger than she is.)
Weight: 99lbs
Build: Petite and lithe but with full, pert c-cups.
Skin: Very fair.
Hair: Hip length silken tresses spun from the clouds.
Eyes: Turquoise
Style:
Background: The lives of Dynastic children are lonely and loveless. Ura’s mother--Cathak Atasha--handed Ura over to a wet nurse as soon as she could to resume her position of authority in the Kathak Legions. Ura’s father--Ledaal Soji--cared a good deal more for their daughter than his wife did, but scholarship and family business kept from seeing her much, and propriety kept him from showing much emotion. He regarded his spitfire daughter with distant affection and quiet pride.
Intensively indoctrinated and educated by stern tutors and a cruel monk from a young age, most of Ura’s mothering came from her wet nurse Saphira--a slave from Halcyon. Saphira’s daughter Ardent Orchid was Ura’s dearest friend growing up. When Ura was seven Soji granted Ura ownership of Orchid. Despite her allread brilliant mind, Ura didn’t grasp the concept that Orchid was now her property and simply rejoiced that her beloved friend would be with her forever.
Throughout secondary school, the blood of the dragons never seemed to stirr in Ura despite her impeccable breeding, strong aspect markings, unbreakable courage and brilliant mind. By the time she was fifteen, most of the family, and even her father was becoming resigned to the idea that his favorite daughter would never exalt.
Several of her teachers, however, had not given up on her. Hibiki Brewer, her philosophy teacher, most especially, believed in the outspoken teen. He quietly said to her more than once that her worth as a scholar and a person was already proven far beyond the Dragon’s favor, but she could also see him carefully putting her into positions where the need for excellence might be answered by the Mela. Even when Ura wept through the night in orchid’s arms at the consequences of her own ‘failure’, she refused to say anything against Hibiki’s attempt.
On the girl’s sixteenth birthday Ura sought Orchid for comfort from another year’s failure to exalt, only to find Orchid sobbing in her bed, then stammering apologies, then…
Ura grabbed Orchid in a wild embrace and held her dear friend with all her might. Orchid had always been there for her, the thought of finally being able to repay that comfort put a loving warmth in her heart and made all her problems seem far away…
But when Orchid finally began to babble out what was bothering her, Saphira about to turn forty and never to see her home again, Orchid herself born to the collar with no hope to ever…
It all fell into place in Ura’s heart and mind, and the horror she’d been a party too all her life dropped her into such a cold despair as she’d never dreamed of.
Ura didn’t speak for days. There was much talk of calling doctors to look at her. Hibiki looked into her eyes quietly for many moments, then nodded, “As you wish young lady. I will continue with the lesson.”
On the ninth day, after a three hours lecturing on the legal, philosophical, and economic aspects of the slave trade, Hibiki deftly manipulated some of his more outspoken students into an argument, then deftly guided them into constructive and intelligent debate, then…
Ura interrupted.
Ura spoke of freedom and liberty with soul deep passion guided and shaped by intense understanding and forethought. A contemptuous Ragara exalt of 17 tried to interrupt with scoffing and insults.
A sudden peel of thunder followed by rain hammering down on the roof silenced him.
Ura kept speaking. Over the next twenty minutes she expertly dissected and eviscerated the 37 cardinal positions in favor of slavery. No one dared to speak, for there was lightning arching over her body and a terrible wind whipping through the schoolroom.
* * *
On the nineteenth of descending air, two years later, Ura was awakened by Ardent Orchid with a gentle touch. “Happy birthday, mistress,” the slave girl whispered, presenting her dearest friend with a silken ribbons lovingly embroidered with the dragon Mela flying through a storm.
Ura’s eyes shone with tears, and she gave the other girl a tender kiss. “Dear Orchid. You have nothing, and still you give me gifts that bring tears to my eyes.” Ura grabbed a parcel from the bedside table and pressed it into Orchid’s hands.
Orchid’s own eyes were shining as she tried to push it back, “I can’t take a gift, Mistress, I…”
Ura silenced the other girl with a kiss, then whispered, “Happy birthday, Ardent Orchid. Don’t ever call me that again.”
Orchid’s eyes widened and the parcel fell from shaking hands, Orchid’s emancipation papers sliding out on the carpet.
Theme Song:
Untraveled Road
Anima A whirlwind kicks up around Ura, and sparks dance through it. A sapphire silk banner uncoils and whips around in the whirlwind--on it, in argent essence, a depiction of Mela the Immaculate Dragon of Air.