Namid

[Namid]

Remember what I lost like hot coals in my hand from days gone by.

Face Claim: Cara Gee
OOC Name: Magpie

CHARACTER NAME: Namid

AGE: 32

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Teronna

APPEARANCE: Namid is a tall, muscular woman with a constant expression of irritation. She dresses in dark clothing and prefers pants to skirts. She always carries a knife with her. If met out in the forest, she will likely be wearing a dark cloak and carrying a basket of foraged plant life. Her appearance is vaguely foreign, but even she is unsure of her origins. 

MARITAL STATUS: Single

FAMILY MEMBERS: none

POSITION/OCCUPATION: midwife/healer

GRAMARYE GIFT: her herbal remedies are dramatically more effective than the same ingredients used by another person (but she still requires the ingredients)

PERSONALITY: Namid is a generally gruff person who dislikes excessive displays of emotion. Beneath that, however, she is someone who worries deeply about others and genuinely cares. She has been avoiding personal connections since the murder of her adoptive grandmother for her gramarye gift. She is gentler with women, particularly expectant mothers, but she still refuses to allow anyone to know her. Her general philosophy is that if she doesn't get attached, she can't get hurt. And yet, for some reason, she continues to help others with no expectation of recompense. If someone comes to her in need, she helps them, as simple as that. She's a woman who keeps her word. 

Put out the fear of silence
Put out the need for guidance
Put out your own devices
Don't be afraid of the cold

LIKES: autumn woods, the smell of a camp fire, a warm blanket on a cold night
DISLIKES: being told what to do, condescending men
HABITS: always has at least one knife on her person, can sit absolutely still for hours, always wins staring contests
SELF-IMAGE: Namid is confident in her abilities and that's about all she thinks about herself. She pays little mind to her appearance other than ensuring that the important things are covered and she's wearing practical shoes. She's not looking for romance.
REPUTATION: Namid is known in a widening area for her healing skills. Whispers had been circulating that she was 'a witch' until a few wardens came to arrest her. She cut free of her restraints and escaped while they were ransacking her cottage. She escaped with nothing but her self, her knife, and Granny's grimoire.

HISTORY:
Namid never knew her family--her mother came to 'Granny' when she was pregnant, beaten, burned, and half-drowned. The woman gave birth and died within the hour. She named her child Namid before she passed, however, and Granny respected that.

Granny, a well-known midwife, and suspected witch raised Namid as her own. She taught Namid herblore and medicine, raising her to be a successor. Granny's gramarye was a gift for birthing children alive, which she suspected was why Namid's mother had done everything she could to reach her before her death. Namid grew up knowing that she could not allow others to suspect that she too was a mystic--Granny always covered for her and claimed that she was the one with the gift for healing.

The two were extremely close, and Namid's admiration and love for Granny were just as much, if not more, than any child for a parent. When Namid was 17, Granny was unable to save the deformed child of a noblewoman who came to her for help. The father of the child blamed her for the loss of the child and for its twisted nature. He gathered a mob and dragged her out of her home, killing her out in the street. They didn't kill Namid, but they did beat her.

Since then, Namid has been distrustful of those around her. She won't turn away any who need care, as she made a promise to Granny that she would always do what she could, but she doesn't like it. She feels she would be better off if everyone just left her alone.

Namid lived in a small cottage in the woods, with a clearing she had built over time to grow various herbs, flowers, and vegetables. While she hadn't Granny's gift for births, she still worked as a midwife--but she also supplied women with methods to prevent and terminate pregnancies as well. Many people had heard rumors that her cures are better than any like her, and would come to her in secret if they were truly desperate.

She had been telling herself for a long time that she didn't want to hide to survive--she was just going to keep doing what she was doing, and if someone saw fit to come along and kill her for healing others, then so be it. When actually face to face with her death, she chose to fight. She's not entirely sure why.

Now she's seeking safety with the mystics gathered around Ruairc Cathain . She's not eager to put herself in a large group for the first time in her life, but she can't ignore the gut feeling that people like her shouldn't be killed for their natural abilities. She'll help, if she can, as long as she doesn't have to sugar coat her usual demeanor.