All of the experience, Teiravon, Requiem, and a bunch others that I can’t remember because that was like 20 years ago.
Are you 18 years or older?: Yes
Have you read our rules?: Yes
Character Portrait (optional):
Character name: Carmina
Character age: 27
Physical description of your character:
Carmina is a true work of art; she is beauty hiding behind a cloak of eccentricities that do well to both make her stand out and ostracize her. Her dark skin suggest that she was born in the sun, and her collected gait and gentle demeanor point towards the traditions of the abbey. There is a neutrality in her shape; a lack of curve and definition. She is a beacon of androgyny that dares not cross too far in any particular direction. She wraps herself in brightly colored clothes that hang loosely from her lanky frame, they dance with her every move. They give her a flow that seems utterly impossible for something with so many sharp edges.
Although she presents herself as gentle and her words are often kind, there is a demon in her eyes that hints at something devious. There is something intangible and yet very present about her that screams for you to temper your trust.
Notable personality traits or skills:
Carmina is an artist. Multi-faceted, but largely occupied with music. She could easily find herself among the most talented of court violinists, but it’s clear that she prefers a different path. Controversy has followed her everywhere she has shared her talents. Maybe for good reason.
Where is your character coming from? (write a short paragraph about your character’s background before jail):
Raised in The Abbot, an orphan like many before her. Her acuity for singing had not gone unnoticed, and she was admired from a young age. Carmina was not known by that name at the time, this would come later when she forged her own way. At the time she was known as Carden, and had been something of a prodigy. Her voice was “a blessing from God” that was shoved to the forefront of nearly every church ceremony of note for the few years it was available before her abrupt departure. You see, they had taken something of hers that could not be given back, and it was done for the sake of preserving the falsetto that was bound to go away when coming of age . At 12 years of age, Carden denied the church their songs and ran from the church to live on the streets. The new name was adopted partially for the sake of establishing a new identity, and partially because it represented a more true to herself presence.
How did your character find themselves in jail awaiting trial? (Please write a few short paragraphs describing what poor luck brought your character to this point in their life):
Carmina never employed violence. She didn’t steal and she didn’t engage in the barbarities of the common criminal. Petty crime might not have gotten her such a harsh sentencing anyway. Her crime was one of voice. After having lived a life of relative seclusion from the public, only experiencing the world from inside a religious institution, the transition to living in squalor was both jarring and essential to who she is today. She spent her life in halls of grand display, adorned in gold and riches that she had taken for granted. In those halls, the poor and needy were heralded as victims to be saved. It was the duty of the religious man to provide for those in need and to care for those less fortunate. Carmina’s life had never led her to believe these were only words spoken and not actions taken. Without the experience of the land, she would never know that such things even existed in a tangible way. How could they exist if such wealth and power also existed in the church? How could these halls be adorned in gold and expensive tapestries if there were still those that could not afford to eat? It was the transition into a life of poverty that had made her understand the truth that all of these people were dedicated to a lie. Their worship and admiration was one of routine and selfishness. If they cared about the people they said to care about, if they cared about pleasing their God, they would never parade their wealth as they do when people were suffering as they were.
Carmina lived among the buskers and artisans of the street. The talented many that could not conform their lives around the only ones with enough money to pay for their services. Instead, they sang their songs and danced their dances for those passing by who’d barely take notice. A living that held no real wealth, but held a great deal of integrity in a world with so very little. Carmina would watch as these same passerby’s ignored the poor and destitute on their way to church services, holding their coins for tithe rather than offering it to those truly in need. It was sickening and maddening. These were not good people.. They didn’t have the excuse that she had of such a confined world view. They saw the reality of things every step of their daily routine.
Carmina began to write her own songs. The only songs she would sing since leaving her life of servitude. They were songs that demanded attention, for the words they sang were knives at the back of every one of the ignorant masses that passed through on their way to service. She would devour them by speaking directly, and she would not be ignored. In truth, she wasn’t ignored at all. People scoffed and spat at her, becoming offended at the blasphemy almost immediately. It was an act of defiance that was as naive as it was daring. What had she hoped to achieve? It was a miracle that she was able to sing her songs for more than a single evening, which they had. It was expected that they would not last much longer.
For the crime of blasphemy, defaming the church, and disorderly behavior, she was arrested and charged without trial. If things had gone according to plan, she would either be locked away in the darkest of prisons or executed for such a crime. Fate had other plans (BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUH. To be continued?).
