Appearance:

Xera is the smallest in the party at only five feet tall. Her hair is natural, knee-length and straight, and her skin is very dark, giving her a slightly unusual look. Her eyes are a very deep brown, almost black in color. She has an athletic build, but it is hidden well by her clothing. She appears to be in her mid-30s.

Interaction:

Xera is very quiet and keeps to herself. She usually keeps her own counsel unless there is something she wants to say, or she is asked a direct question. In that case she will give a short answer and move on.

Background:

Xera was born into a family of very poor farmers near a large swamp in the Northern Empire of Saint Martin. She was very close to her father, and learnt much about the beasts of the swamp from him as a child. She grew up in the forest, and was often caught climbing trees or swimming in the swamp. She was quite a tomboy as a child, and before she even set foot in a city, she had killed three wolves in a very daring victory. Her parents always encouraged her to push herself in ways that others might not have been able to, and this kept her skills sharp. When she was eighteen, she married a boy who lived near her parents' farm. Unfortunately, he died the next year in an accident. She was out at the time, training in the forest near the farm when she received word. She always blamed herself for his death of that day. Her training after that day was intense and focused, she would only come out of her training tent when it was time to eat and rarely spoke to anyone. Xera's father died when she was thirty three. Her mother died from illness shortly after, leaving Xera alone. After they were buried, Xera sold her farm and all the land surrounding it, and spent the money on traveling around the empire, learning new fighting styles and other survival skills. She never told anyone of her past, and lived off the money she saved when selling the farm. When she was forty two, she met her new party at an inn in Feyholm, a large city in the Northern Empire.

Combat / Skills:

Xera has a very wide range of skills. She is a natural tracker and fighter, having been training since childhood to be able to defend herself in the forest. She has also learnt to be stealthy, being able to follow a person's trail for many miles, if need be. She is a decent spell-caster with very strong healing spells and regeneration spells, but she has little offensive power in her magic. Xera is also a strong fighter, despite her average size. She has learnt to rely almost entirely on swords and short daggers to cause damage on an opponent. She has a wide knowledge of common poisons from the swamps she grew up in, which allow her to coat her weapons with either corrosive or paralyzing acids for a short time. She has little skill in crafting items, both magical and normal. There are many other skills she has learnt over the years and she has written them down on one of the pages in this book.