Name: Shaia
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Rank: Masterhealer (Medicine & Herbalism specialization)
Appearance:
Shaia is a very feminine woman. Curvaceous and plump in terms of her figure, she stands at about 5'5", and hides her figure behind conservative clothing. She always has been a bit modest in terms of showing off her figure, though her clothing is still well-made and beautiful. She allows herself to splurge on various articles of clothing (mostly made by her wife) and other luxuries like makeup and products to take care of her hair. In terms of her hair, the masterhealer wears it long and styles it up in elaborate braids and loops. This is predominately a personal choice, as Shaia feels her hair looks best styled in this way. She is not fond of shorter hair on herself, as she feels it makes her look too manly. The healer's skin is a dark caramel, and her eyes are a vibrant green. More often than not, her eyes are often hidden behind horn-rimmed spectacles, which Shaia needs in order to see or read things at a distance. She is also fond of wearing a pair of black gloves upon her hands, not only to keep them warm, but to keep the medicines she makes and administers as sanitary as possible.
Personality:
- Charitable
Sociable
Loving
Gossip
Superstitious
Workaholic
Ever since she was a young girl, Shaia has always looked out for others. She is very giving of her time, services, and help, should someone ever be in need. This extends to basically anyone, regardless of the woman's personal feelings toward the individual who is in need of help. She'll even be charitable with money, though she is generally a little bit more cautious about this. Not because she doesn't trust other people, but because she know she'd probably give away all of her money if there were enough people in need of funds. All in all, the masterhealer prides herself in being an individual who is always looking out for the well-being of those around her.
Shaia seems to be the epitome of an outgoing personality. She loves to chat and hang out with people, talking about this thing and that. People seem to gravitate toward her, too. She draws them in with her affable nature. Due to this personality, the masterhealer seems to know a lot of people and have a lot of friends. If they aren't her friends, she is at least aware of who the person is and a bit about their background. She makes it a point to learn a little bit about everyone that she ever meets, as she finds it important to learn about the life stories of individuals. You can learn a lot about people from their stories.
The line of work she is in is the best line of work for Shaia. The furthest thing from cold or apathetic, the woman is as kind and caring as they come. If someone needs to vent their feelings, she is there. If someone is in need of a hug, she is more than happy to provide. Unlike some of the healers within the Weyr, she also has a wonderful bedside manner, even with the crankiest or saddest of patients. She does her best to be kind to everyone she spends time with, and keep it mind that it takes a lot to rile her up. If one does, however, it is best to steer clear of the woman. She can be quite intimidating when she is angered.
Don't expect Shaia to keep a secret for very long. It's not that she doesn't like them; she's just really poor at keeping them. In all honesty, the medicine woman is a bit of a blabber mouth. She loves to talk and chatter about this person or that, and she probably knows just about all the juicy information there is to know within the Weyr. Her intentions when she is gossiping aren't cruel, mind you. She doesn't mean to hurt or anger anyone. She just can't keep her mouth shut, no matter how much she tries. If she hears a piece of information, she just has to end up sharing it. When called out on this behavior, the woman often feels really sad and disappointed in her actions. She has even been known to say that she won't do it again. This promise doesn't end up lasting very long, however, as old habits often die hard.
It is not unheard of for Shaia to be described as "eccentric" but other individuals throughout the Weyr. While she doesn't view herself as particularly odd, there is one thing that can be said about her: she is a very superstitious individual. This can often make days or work for her assistants a bit of a headache from time to time. No, you can't sweep dirt that way -- you'll bring in bad luck. Sorry that bird pooped on you, but hey; it's good luck! Also, cover your mouth for two reasons: one, your soul might fly away, and two, it's just unsanitary if you don't. These are just a few of the beliefs that the woman holds among many. If someone does something she feels will cause bad luck or bring trouble, she often uses sage or other herbs to cleanse a room or an individual.
Some people work to live, but Shaia lives to work. She takes her job not only very seriously, but she works very hard. Even on the day she is supposed to be relaxing, she can generally be found working on some salve or preparing a poltice or some other line of work like that. People might wonder how someone who works so much can be so sociable, but it is at her job that the masterhealer chats with most people. Working so much can also have negative effects, too. Shaia has been known to push herself too far sometimes, often going days without sleep if she is particularly busy. Her assistants often have to remind her to actually go to bed and get a decent amount of sleep. But the last thing she wants is to slack and disregard someone who might need her assistance. Such behavior is unacceptable in her mind, so she'd rather work herself too hard than not enough.
History:
Shaia was born into a wealthy merchant family within the Hold at Southern Boll. She was was a part of a set of triplets and the only girl of the bunch. Her brothers, Loro and Noro, were born just a few minutes ahead of her, a fact they always liked to hold over her head. The triplets had the best childhood possible: a loving family with both parents, and the best education that money could provide for them. Tutors and nannies always kept a watchful eye on the kids, overseeing their development and taking care of them.
Aside from being from a family of merchants, Shaia also came from a prominent line of female healers. Her grandmother, in particular, had quite the knack for making medicines and doing alchemy. It was she that realized that her young granddaughter shared this knack of hers. Ever since she learned how to read, Shaia had a passion for learning about different flowers and herbs. Not wanting the child's passion and gifts to be squandered, her grandmother convinced her son to send Shaia off to a Hall to learn the craft of healing.
Shaia's apprenticeship lasted from the time she was nine years old, until the time she was twenty. Although gifted in her craft of producing medicine and other healing goods, it was determined by her superiors that she waited until she was a bit more mature before graduating on to the position of journeyman. Upon her gradutation, the young woman then returned home to spend some of her journeyman years back at her home, in order to be closer to her family.
Two years into her journeyman years, Shaia met and fell in love with the love of her life: Denna. Denna was a girl who had been born and raised in Southern Boll, like herself. She was also a journeyman, as it turned out, though in the craft of weaving, as opposed to her healing. The two courted for a period of two years before they got married. Shaia was 24 years old, and Denna was 23. In keeping with Southern Boll tradition, Shaia's brother Noro moved in with the happy couple, and the girls were happy to have him join their home. Out of her two brothers, Shaia and Noro had always been thick as thieves, so the arrangement just seemed to make sense and work out for everyone.
Shaia and Denna continued their stay at Southern Boll for another eight years. It was at the age of 32 that the journeyman healer had finally achieved her dream. She had become a master healer with her specialization in medicine and herbalism. Three years later, at the age of 35, Shaia's wife also achieved the rank of master: this time as a master weaver. Denna was 33. A few months after Denna's promotion, the couple decided to move away from their beloved home. This was so Shaia could take up a position as masterhealer of medicine at High Reaches Weyr.
Shaia's appointment at High Reaches Weyr was not the easiest of starts. As a young master, some of the other individuals at the Weyr often looked at her with suspicion, and it was clear they were dubious of her abilities. The masterhealer dealt with these attitudes for a number of years, until the skirmishes between High Reaches and Ruatha broke out. With a multitude of injured men and women, High Reaches needed all the healers and help they could get. Shaia proved her worth at this time, tending and caring for many of the injured and the sick.
Negative opinions of the masterhealer dissipated after that, and Shaia became both a respected and valued member of the staff at High Reaches Weyr. The Great Dragon Plague and the Civil War would test her abilities yet again. Hectic and a bit overwhelming, the woman did her best to take care and tend to any injured who fought in the war. This time was probably one of the darkest times in Shaia's history, as it was full of the tragedies of war with death, injury, and sadness that often follows heavy combat.
After the Civil War and the Plague, life pretty much returned to normal for Shaia and her wife. The pair of them have continued to live and work at High Reaches, earning a comfortable way of life for themselves. The two women are quite fond of the home they have made for themselves at High Reaches, and they enjoy the company of the other individuals who call the Weyr their home as well.
