History
A young soon-to-be Aryala with a love of motion but a noted lack of appetite for battle, Indras was the perfect candidate to become a civilian messenger. From an early age he ran errands for his neighbors, earning he and his family a little extra coin. It wasn't that the Amsels were poor, exactly... But a few more coins never hurt anyone, and it was a way to keep the energetic youngster out of both trouble and the house. No one was surprised when he chose the Aryala clan when he came of age; and by the time he was fifteen he had a legitimate job as a messenger, working under one Liam Neran. Now, running around the city all day, every day, is most definitely
not easy on one's legs; and the wellbeing of his runners was a serious concern for Liam. As both his wife and only child were Peisio healers, it was only natural for him to make arrangements for those in his employ to receive free care from the family practice. All of his workers were required to get a medical evaluation twice a year and arrange for immediate treatment of injuries acquired on-the-job.
... Of course, after befriending the lovely Itzel Neran, Indras suddenly became much more accident-prone. Worried that he would lose his job should her father find out, Itzel pretended not to notice Indras' silly attempts to catch her attention as more than a friend; and for several years they were no more than platonic friends. A rather dense man, Liam never noticed the two drifting slowly closer.
But Marielle Neran was a sharp mother hen, and one with a very good intuition. She saw what was going on between her daughter and the runner-boy; and knew that while he may not have been the spouse every mother hopes for their child, the two had the potential to have a very happy life together. So one day over dinner with her small family, she suddenly told her husband what a charming young man Indras was, and how cute he and Itzel were (much to the embarrassment and indignation of her daughter).
Two years later, the couple were happily married and awaiting the birth of their firstborn child.
Nikola was a handful of a toddler, and eventually grew to be an imaginative and mischievous boy. He became infamous in the neighborhood for playing harmless pranks, and formed a small pretend 'guild' of 'chivalrous knights' who ran around getting even with those they didn't like, utilizing conveniently placed pails of water and gooey messes of who-knows-what. When the twins were born four years after Nikola, their older brother quickly became a powerful role-model once they were old enough to tag along. Their mother didn't really approve of their antics, but it was easy to slip past her: she and their grandmother did have a full-time job running a practice, after all. If he caught them out on the streets during one of his errands, Indras gave them a light scolding to appease his wife (but secretly thought their little gang was kind of adorable).
But slowly, Nikola grew dissatisfied with playing pretend. He eagerly watched the tournament every year, cheering for each of the fighters and sulking over those who lost, no matter who they were. He had dreams of going out and making a name for himself as a warrior, of bringing honor to his name by slaying a great many dragons and of bringing peace to the land beyond the Celestial Plane. Being so passionate about fighting led him to choose the Firani clan, and he started training day and night to go out into the world. When he came of age, he said his farewells to his family and left the Celestial Plane. Though he had every intent to return, he wanted to make sure to say goodbye just in case. His parents and grandparents worried over him, he became a legend in the eyes of his brothers. Kan and Horace told each other wild stories about Nikola's supposed exploits and put on small shows for the members of their group of pranksters. When the time came, they both chose the Firani clan almost solely because it was the one their older brother chose.
It was not a month after the twins chose their clans that Isolde was born. Itzel and Indras were delighted to finally have a daughter, though Kan and Horace were slightly disappointed in not having a little brother. A quiet child, her brothers left her alone for the most part; she spent most of her free time sitting in the family practice watching her mother work, helping with small tasks, or reading. Her grandmother and mother were, and still are, the most prominent figures in her life; though she does look up to her father. Liam suddenly passed away from a heart attack shortly after her birth, and Marielle has taken to looking after and teaching her granddaughter to keep herself occupied; Indras, having taken over Liam's position, is now only home in the evenings.
Isolde has been shaped more by what
hasn't happened than things that have. Kan and Horace never really included her in their exploits or let her play with them. Since the only other children she knew were those in their 'guild', she just kind of... Gave up. She had a loving grandmother who was more than happy to fulfill her need for friends, and she developed the mindset that she shouldn't bother with other children because they didn't bother with her (this is the root of why Isolde is so quiet.). So she just cooped herself up in the family home/practice and read, which in turn sparked the curiosity to go out and see the things she was reading about when she was old enough.
While she knows that Nikola is her brother, he only visits once a year and Isolde doesn't really see him as family. When she was really little she saw him with the same awe as the twins, because of what the twins had told her about him; but now that she's older and knows most of it is made up or exaggerated she doesn't know what to think of him. When he does visit, it's only to see the Tournament and he doesn't do much more than go through the formalities with her. He might as well be a stranger, but she's okay with that.
Though her family is certain she will choose the Peisio clan and follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, her mother and father have a strict belief that everyone should be allowed to choose their own life path. And just as well, because not only is Isolde far too curious about the world beyond the Astral City, but she also hopes that perhaps the Aiskala clan holds a cure for her unusually low tolerance for the cold...
-- Eye of Irised
- Garghon Feather x 10
