Liska was born and raised by Hoalia, her Elven mother, in a small mining village on the Alderami Isles. Since elves age so much slower and take longer to mature, the only real friends she had were always much older than herself, but she still had a fairly ordinary childhood. When she was old enough, every week she would spend a day helping out the wounded or sick elves. Usually help wasn't needed, however, and so she instead read the many books they had on the healing arts and those concerning the remedies of common ailments. Liska's father was human, a traveling merchant who was slightly more than half elf himself. He had always had an attraction towards elves and Herrim and Hoalia hit it off pretty well. Liska has asked Hoalia several times about who her father was, but she still hasn't received an answer from her mother, and Liska soon tired of asking. Other than that, when she wasn't in the N'Que'Pal or Healing Room, Liska often played with her older friends and learned as most children do.
Liska spent a mostly solitary young adulthood apprenticing at different tasks. She studied under a paper maker and bookbinder for a few weeks, but most of her apprentice hood was spent with a renowned artist. With the bookbinder and paper maker she observed the art. Paper was expensive and she figured if she could make it herself, it would be cheaper. Unfortunately, the components were too expensive and only a small amount of money could be shaved from each sheet, so she quickly left to find more productive pursuits. Her mother paid for her to be apprenticed with one of the most renowned artists in the isles, the great Miljaboron. Not only was Liska's mother fairly well off, but Liska already had showed some promise as an artist. With these two factors in mind, Miljaboron accepted Liska into his workshop where Liska learned much about artistic technique in the following two years. When she left him, he gave her a portrait that he had made of her. Liska carries it around with her everywhere she goes in a scroll case, and it is one of her most cherished possessions. It was during those years when Liska picked up her love of nature and her fondness of the natural beauty of all plants, trees, and practically everything that grows under the Gimarian Sun. By drawing these natural treasures, Liska furthered her skills in painting and drawing. Although a good drawing was necessary for painting, she found that she preferred drawing because of its simpler components and the ease one could draw at almost anytime and anywhere. Painting is so so portable.
Luckily, her mother was fairly wealthy and able to afford her sometimes very expensive artistic supplies. Things such as paper, pens, nibs, quills, and inks, and though Liska isn't yet overly proud of the bulk of her earlier work, she did get a lot of practice and is now a fairly decent artist.
With her knowledge of art in her mind and her firm desire to go out and draw the world, she decided that she should endeavor to do something that might eventually help people. After looking through the book that the N'Que'Pal owned, she concluded many people could be helped if they could be taught to recognize the proper healing herbs. Thus, she went out and started drawing plants, all kinds of plants, the rarer, the better. She would often check back with the matronly chief resident at the N'Que'Pal as the Matron was able to give advice and insight on what the plants were. The fact that most of the plants Liska had drawn had no value beyond their own beauty initially surprised her, but a few had truly remarkable abilities when ground up and combined with other ingredients.
So began her cataloging of the more useful herbs of the forest. If she found a herb which she didn't have in her book, she would spend time studying it and rendering several drawings of the exotic plant. Often times she would write the information (which she got from the matronly woman) about the herb directly on the page with the drawings. Liska hopes that once she has enough data compiled on the herbs, the book can be used to help the world, giving those without knowledge of herbs at least some basic knowledge.
Though she was warned not to travel to far from their home by her mother, in her ever expanding search for herbs Liska sometimes wandered off, ending up hours away from home. Fortunately, her natural skill in hiding and the camouflage of her clothing kept her from getting into too much trouble.
On one such journey, further afield than her mother would consider safe and proper, Liska had found the rare um'toc plant and started to do a sketch of it in its natural setting just as the sun began to set and the two moons shined brightly in the twilight sky. Soon afterwards, she heard singing in the distance.
The sounds reminded Liska of a myth she had heard when she was younger. In the myth, a young woman heard a strange noise and traced it back to its roots where she saw bright flashing lights and was instantly mesmerized. Walking towards the lights in a trance, her body beginning to dance as she neared the lights, and stepping through the lights the dancing in her soul and the glee on her face was said to have been a marvel to behold. The myth simply ends by saying the girl was never heard from again, but it is said you can watch her dancing in the night sky. Though mostly the story is told to teach children to stay near their parents.
Liska frowned with the realization that her fate may be the same as the person from the myth. She clipped off a sample of the um'toc plant, put it in her pouch, and then decided to investigated the sound. Still holding her traveling book of her drawings, Liska closed in on the sound, heard a rustling in the bushes behind her, turned and took a step away, suddenly realizing her vulnerable position as she clutched at her small dagger. A male human, or so it would appear, stepped through the bushes. He was wearing clothes made of leaves and had spiral, Celtic like tattoos all over his body. He appeared much older than Liska and he had a long, graying beard. As he stepped from the bushes Liska noticed his body had a sheen of glistening sweat. She locked eyes with him and felt his gaze penetrating her very soul, but he quickly set down the mug he carried and approached her. With no visible weapons drawn, Liska felt oddly safe.
"Is that the um'toc plant on your paper?" he asked. She looked astonished and slowly nodded. "Do you mind if I take a look at it?" Liska hesitated but soon handed it over, figuring it was only a single sheet of paper and not too valuable. He nodded to her awhile reading her writing as well as admiring the drawing. "How many others have you done, and are they all this nice?" Liska was still not quite herself, but she found herself replying, "I don't know, maybe 50 or so. Well, some are similar and others not..." The man looked at her with deep, penetrating eyes, "Hmm. I see. I am otherwise engaged right now, but perhaps you can come back to study with me at a later date? I would like to see more of," he paused at looked at her more intently, "your drawings. I know quite a few things about herbs and would enjoy sharing my knowledge with you. Perhaps I could explain what we do out here and our importance as well. Does that sound agreeable?" She blushed slightly then was amazed at this mans proposal. Come and see his drawings, was he kidding? But all she could ask was "What is your name and what are you doing here?"
He appeared to think about it before saying, "My name is Ablin..I am a friend of the forest and you have inadvertently stumbled upon one of our celebrations of the very forest of which I am a friend!" He laughed. "Most people cannot get near our celebration, but for some reason you were able. I am sorry that you are still too young to come and join it, but I would be willing to take you as a student in another few years. Come back to this spot, and bring all of your drawings. I will look them over and if they are as good as I think they will be, will you receive some personal training in these aspects" He grinned at his comments, then Liska heard a woman's voice in the background. He turned and scooped up the mug. "I'm sorry, I must return to my 'duties'," he said, again grinning from ear to ear. Handing her a small, polished rock that had an ornate symbol carved into it, he said "This will give you luck until your return. It was a pleasure to meet you! I hope to see you again in a few years or so. Continue with your drawings and show me what you have done when you return" He turned away and retreated back to the forest, softly adding, "Strange for someone so young to manage to enter here..."
Liska watched him leave, looking at the polished stone. She sat down on a nearby tree and listened to the forest. It seemed to be singing softly to her and she gazed into the night sky.
Liska thought deeply about what the strange man had said. She made up her mind then; she would return in a few years to this same spot. More than ever, she decided to continue her studies and also find out as much as she could about the symbol on the stone. Her mother made sure that there was plenty of reading material available and they also traveled to the great library in the capital city of Alderami once a year and stayed for at least a week to study and learn from the ancient texts. It was here Liska first found the book that inspired her to start recording herbs in the first place. A good work, but she knew it was incomplete and that she could improve upon its content. On Liska's next journey to Alderami, digging around in the library, she learned the symbol on the rock the strange man had given her was a combination of the symbols used by Rilifane, the Elven god of nature, as well as Hanili, the Elven goddess of love. She read everything she could about the deities. The only thing people agreed upon was that there was very little to agree on. But the books did tell of forest celebrations which would sometimes go on for days. Liska thought she must have unwittingly stumbled onto just such an event. Still, her curiosity was piqued, especially by the man's offer to train her.
Three years later Liska had practically found every herb that was indigenous to the Alderami isles, so she returned to the spot where she had found the um'toc plant, her scrolls and traveling book clutched under her trembling arms. Right before sunset, just as she felt certain would happen, Ablin once again appeared to her. He smiled upon seeing that she had shown up (and grown up). "Did you tell your parents where you have gone?" he asked. Liska thought that was indeed a strange first question but answered "Of course I did! You are well known among certain circles and it would be a pleasure to learn under you, assuming I show enough promise." His eyes glimmered as he looked over her maturing body, "You show much promise, I can already tell. Please, follow me"
Liska spent nearly a year with Master Ablin, and she felt the experience would change her life. They spent much of their time traveling the forest where Liska learned the basics of the druidical teachings. She watched him, copied him, and was offered assistance if she didn't do it right. In fact Ablin seemed to take an odd delight when she needed further instruction. After only a few weeks it became very apparent to Liska that Ablin had ulterior goals in mind. She put up with his behavior realizing that she may not have another chance to learn the things that Ablin could teach her. He told her how to focus her concentration and listen to what the world around her was saying. He also demonstrated his own spell abilities and promised that if she studied hard she would be able to focus and shape the energies around her as well. Ablin told her that she should get a tattoo celebrating her relationship to both nature and romance. Though she was reluctant to do it at first, Liska didn't say no and she ended up getting a small, two-inch Celtic-like tattoo on her upper left arm. Ablin has suggested it should be placed elsewhere, but she stood firm. Liska liked the tattoo and its symbolic meaning, and she felt more connected to nature somehow. In fact, after getting the tattoo she began to see herbs she had totally missed before. Amazing. When she told Ablin of this he then promised her that she would enjoy the next spring celebration, not so very far away.
All the while Ablin was becoming more affectionate, violating what Liska considered a sacred student teacher relationship. One day it occurred to her that maybe Ablin was using some herbs on her to alter her mood because she realized she was responding to his actions in ways she normally would not and had even promised herself she would not. Instead of ignoring his touches and general affection, she found herself doing the same back to him. Soon afterwards, Ablin started to appear in her dreams. She thought she was falling in love with him, but wasn't sure since she had never experienced it before. With all of the distractions going on in her life, she found it more difficult to pay attention to the tasks at hand. She continued drawing but was unable to recall the information as she previously could easily recall. One night Liska arose and felt compelled to draw a nude sketch of herself using a mirror. When finished, she regarded it and felt it was perhaps her best work to date, but she did not know why she was inspired to draw such a sketch. It bothered her.
Ablin was sensitive to what was going on in her mind and assured her she was free to leave anytime. She told Ablin that she would leave and would return in two months or so when she had figured her heart out, and she would celebrate the spring festival with him. He agreed, reluctantly, and hugged her affectionately. Liska's mind swam and she felt dizzy. With a sudden realization, like awakening from a fall in a dream, Liska became alert and found Ablin's hands where they shouldn't really be, but she also found her knees had buckled and Ablin had caught her. Whether he simply saved her from falling or was copping a feel, she couldn't be sure, but soon after that Liska left Ablin behind. He reminded her how soon the spring festival was and even if they got separated, he expected to see her then. Still confused, as if in a kind of daze, she left the nude drawing of herself on the table in the main room then quietly slipped out.
Liska decided to continue on her training alone and listen to the voices she heard in the wind, in the dirt, and in the leaves. She felt so strange whenever thinking about Ablin, but she had no intention of returning to his grasp. She found that she was able to focus greater without any distractions, the further away from Ablin, the clearer her thoughts. Still, there was a whispering voice in the back of her mind that told her she should return to finish her study with Ablin.
Returning home, Liska's mother was proud that her daughter had become so skilled at finding and using herbs. Her mother really wanted the book to be used toward the enlightenment of the world, but was also afraid some of the knowledge contained within it would be used for ill. Her mother preferred her daughter release a book just on healing herbs, instead of trying to categorize all herbs in the forest, which was certainly a very daunting task. Instead, Liska simply made some recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of the healing herbs used in the N'Que'Pal. Already in her home, she had several volumes filled with sketches and drawings of herbs. It was becoming more and more difficult to find new herbs, even with the tattoo, as almost all of the ones in this area had been cataloged. She decided to travel to the largest town nearby and find out what she could there. As the celebration nears, she is worried because she knows it is an expected duty, but because of the company she is reluctant.
On her travel to Alderami, the first time she ever made the journey alone, Liska felt a strong compulsion toward a stand of trees she had never noticed before. Entering it, she quickly found herself bathed in an illumination which defies description. (So I won't try). She also realized she was no longer alone.
"Do you feel her presence? Can you sense his mind? Her love will strengthen you, and he will empower you so you may complete the tasks set before you. They are here, with us, her love and his power are one." Liska listened to the voice but found she could not move.
I am here, Ash I am called. The love you and I share for nature will sustain us. I am sent, at this time, the power must be balance, Nature's force demands it. Blessing all who dwell within their light, be they true or be they false, it is upon your shoulders to decide. For you I have come, my dearest hope, may the child of your mind rule your heart, and your heart be without bounds.
Again, Liska could only listen, but then the illumination faded and she found herself standing in the grove alongside an elderly man. She knew his name was Ash, the prayer still bussing in her mind, but the hidden words of power reverberated even more strongly. "Who, what happened?" was all she could ask. The elderly man smiled at her, "You have been selected, my child, our gods smile upon you." he said, pointing to the polished stone she now wore around her neck. "Take this bundle and listen to what the world tells you. Listen well, and fill the bundle with all of your desires." he said, handing her a "medicine bundle. Liska took it, but then said "You seem to know me, but we have never met, have we?" Again he smiled in that disarming manor of his before speaking "No, we have not met before, but I do know you. And I now free you" he said as he casually touched her forehead. "You will be required to make your way in the world and do better things than that." Liska didn't really understand, but she though it better not to confess to her ignorance.
Again, Ash handed her a purse that shifted and made the sounds coins would make. "Take this gold and travel to to the Imperial Continent. There, you must find a suitable location to build a small shrine to Rilifane and Hanili, our god." "Why have I been chosen for this sacred duty?" she asked. "It is simply time you were away in the world, and doing more for her than can now be done at home. You must make him proud. In time, when you feel you are ready, think of me and grasp the stone of love." again, pointing to the polished stone Liska now wore. "When it is time and you do that, I will come to you. But now I am already late for other pressing matters and I must away." he said as he stepped into an oak tree and disappeared. Liska was startled, and she examined the tree but could find nothing unusual about it.
With little else to keep her there, she let the grove and resumed her journey to Alderami, but instead of going to the Great Library, she instead booked passage on a small boat and traveled to the Imperial continent, being put ashore after a short and uninteresting trip.
"My name is Henfile" said a man waiting for her there. "I am a stone mason. Do you have the money?" Liska didn't like the way she felt she was being manipulated, but he answered simply "I do" and hand Henfile to coin purse Ash had given her.
Over the next two weeks Henfile and Liska constructed the shrine to Rilifane and Hanili alongside what Henfile described as an imperial highway, a large, flat, 50 foot wide concrete road that stretched as far as Liska could see in both a northerly and southerly direction. Liska instructed Henfile what she wanted done, and after complaining a bit, something Henfile was prone to do, Henfile always managed to get it done to her liking. The says flew by and soon the small job was finished.
"Good, now I can still make it home to Orlan before the high holy day is upon us. Good luck to you Liska of the Alderami, it has been a pleasure doing business with you." And with that, Henfile disappeared into the north, down the imperial highway, and Liska, for the first time in her life, had absolutely no idea what to do next.
And so Liska finally decided to travel south since Henfile had told her the nearest town was in that direction. "I don't know what I will find there, but it seems too soon to call upon Ash. I must find my own way in this new land, and see what can be seen and learn what can be learned before I go home." Liska realized she was talking to herself.
Looking up into the sky she could see Pholar and Scepter were approaching one another. Soon they would eclipse one another, marking the spring equinox and the beginning of the year. Perhaps 3 more days until then. She found her thoughts travel back to Ablin. She would not be able to attend his celebration, but that thought somehow didn't bother her as she thought it might.
"Yes, I will see what will be seen." and Liska started on the road to Little Falls.