Post by Aryela Jade Secray on Mar 17, 2009 12:46:44 GMT -5
Reference picture:
www.warbirdphotographs.com/WSC/RedWolf-3.jpg
Name: Elmera Lemardeé
Nicknames: Eli, Siren
Performance Name: Swan Siren
Species: Pure red wolf
Age: 30
Origin: Balisk, a small town about a week’s journey out of Emerald Bay.
Faction: Citizen
Number of characters at FEB] 2
Family:
Biological mother: Rika “Songbird” Jaslin (deceased)
Father: Erikson “Crimson Chorusman” Lemardeé (deceased)
Step-Mother: Azela “Jasmine Jewel” Lemardeé (deceased)
Eldest brother: Paulis “Raven” Lemardeé (Deceased)
Eldest sister: Ojalá “Sterling Sparrow” Lemardeé (26)
Step-Brother: Benjamin “Ivory” Lemardeé (21)
Step-Brother: Delmure “Ebony” Lemardeé (21)
Step-Sister: Jenna “Ruby” Lemardeé (17)
Trade: Elmera has taken on the trade of a traveling bard. She makes her living by composing and performing her own songs at festivals and on the road. Every year, she ventures to a faire where she meets her four siblings. The five of them together are called “The Lyrical Lemardeés.” Many people come from far and wide to hear them play.
Instruments:
1st instrument: Lute
2nd instrument: Chalumeau (Baroque clarinet)
3rd instrument : Fiddle
4th instrument : Reed flute
5th instrument: Ocarina
Appearance: Elmera is average in height. She’s the second tallest in her family with Ojalá standing about two inches higher. The she-wolf has a healthy amount of weight on her, but she is by no means fat. Typically her weight will depend on the season and where she is playing. At times she can appear very thin when she’s not receiving sufficient pay from her crowd, while at other times, she’s as healthy as bards serving under the royal family. Usually, she’s rather muscular in the arms and quick on her paws. Elmera looks distinctly different from her siblings except for Ojalá since they are the only two pure red wolves still left in the family. Her back fur, her tail, and portions of her face are a mixture of grayish black, red, and brown fur. Most of her coat is a mahogany color, partially tinted an orange red. Her stomach and insides of her legs are white with a hint of muted red. Her ears are quite large for her head, though she jokingly says it helps her hear the music better. Elmera’s paws are lightly muscled and extremely delicate. They move elegantly, and she constantly looks like she’s trying to play an instrument when she moves her arms around while she speaks. Her headfur is creamy brown with faint mahogany highlights. It’s cut into layers with the first division touching her shoulders; the fur curls nicely around her face. The second layer reaches the middle of her back, though the headfur beneath the first layer is usually wrapped up in a cloth brace so that it forms a thin cylinder down her back. White swan feathers (sometimes black tipped) dangle from the brace or two large ones are tucked into a band she wraps around her head.
Eye Color: Dark brown with thin green flecks. Usually her almond eyes look brown, but in the right light, they’re hazel.
Clothing: She favors wearing white since the color represents her stage name. At times she’ll add gyrfalcon feathers to her clothing as well, or paint the tips of her swan feathers black. Unfortunately, traveling on the road makes wearing white quite difficult, so you can find her in just any color except for orange. She hates orange with a passion. Typically she enjoys dark, cool colors opposed to bright and warm ones. However, she does know when to wear colors to keep her camouflaged, and while she does at times wear rather intricate costumes, she always makes certain that she is able to run quickly in case trouble arises in the city. Bardic life can be rather dangerous, especially if one sings the wrong song with the wrong sort of people around. Not to mention riots can break out in towns quickly.
Scars: One scar is visible beneath her left eye. It extends from her lower eyelid down to the center of her cheek. It’s not too horribly noticeable, but it makes Elmera feel flawed. The other scars are hidden.
Weapons: She’s trained with a short bow, daggers, and a scimitar.
Jewelry: She wears four rings on her right paw and two rings on her left. All of them are of a Celtic design and silver. Fortunately, when she travels, she has gloves over her fingers to keep them hidden. Depending on what costume she’s wearing, she’ll adorn herself with fake jewelry. Her ears are studded with various rings and a few fake jewels. Beaded, colorful necklaces dangle from her neck, though she also has a blue star charm that her mother gave her when she was a pup.
Personality: Elmera is not what you would call bubbly, but she does have a very optimistic attitude. She always finds a way to look at the good things in life instead of all of the obstacles standing in her way. Life hasn’t exactly been perfect for her, and while she has had the chance to be bitter about her experiences, she’s decided to look at the much more positive aspects and just take each day as it comes. As a bard, it’s important for her to act happy because an audience is much more receptive to an energetic bard versus a dull, depressed player.
There are moments when Elmera will grow quiet and contemplative. She has a calculating mind and considers the consequences of her actions. In some cases, this keeps her out of trouble while at other times her hesitation can put her in danger. She does have a temper, but she does her best to hold it back. She’s felt a lot of resentment in her life before, and she doesn’t like how she feels or acts when she does that, so she tries not to hold grudges. Elmera can be fierce, especially when she tries to protect herself or her kin. She has a few bad habits, but you’ll have to get to know her to see what they are.
History: Elmera was born to Rika and Erikson Lemardeé in the town of Balisk. She was the first child to the two pure red wolves and was adored by both of her parents. Rika was a well known painter and musician in the town. Gifted with the Ocarina, Rika taught her daughter the fine arts of the instrument. She drilled Elmera constantly, making the two year old pup play for at least two hours a day. Erikson was a talented bard as well and held a place as high bard in the royal courts, providing the necessary funds to support his family. He worked long hours into the day and night especially when there were feasts between neighboring territories. When he was home, he likewise began to teach Elmera how to play the lute and fiddle, his instruments of choice. Elmera caught on quickly and eagerly learned from her parents’ lessons. There were times when she would even go to the royal courts with her father to listen to him play.
When Elmera was four, her mother had another pup named Ojalá. Unfortunately, the rough birth left Rika weak and within a year, she fell ill during a long winter and passed away before the flowers blossomed anew the next spring. Elmera was heartbroken with her mother’s passing. She mourned for a long while and at times she blamed Ojalá for her mother’s death. However, when Ojalá fell ill during the following winter, Elmera did everything in her power to take care of her little sister. Ever since, they have been close to one another.
Not even two years after the death of her mother, Erikson brought home a coyote named Azela. While beautiful, kind, and talented in the art of music, Elmera wanted nothing to do with her. The young pup resented the new woman figure entering their lives, and she told her father that more than once. For nearly two months Elmera sat in her room with her sister, showing her the instruments and teaching her how to play, despite Ojalá’s young age. Two months later, Erikson married Azela and less than 9 months later, Azela gave birth to Paulis. Elmera was outraged. She wanted no part in taking care of Paulis or acting like Azela was her mother. At age six and a half, she snatched up her instruments and left the house, thinking to be a bard like her father. She left Ojalá behind so that she would remain safe, but it was really Elmera who needed the protection. Not even two days after she had left home, the young pup ran into a group of thugs that harassed her and broke her beloved ocarina in the scuffle. She was unable to pull out any of her other instruments, and each time she tried to sing, one of the males would grab at her or try to strike her. Elmera would have been lost had it not been for the fact that Azela had followed her adopted daughter and arrived just in time to save her from a severe beating. At first, Elmera acted cold and indifferent to the rescue, but that soon changed after the pair returned home. Elmera woke up early the next morning. Her father was gone and her two younger siblings were in bed. Music echoed from beneath the floorboards, sending her into a trance. Astounded, Elmera walked down the stairs and found Azela quietly playing on a Chalumeau (Baroque clarinet). Elmera fell in love with the instrument at first sight and spent nearly an hour sitting at the door, just watching Azela play. That began a long lasting relationship between the two females. From that point on, Azela began to teach Elmera how to play the Chalumeau, as well as the reed flute. She even was able to help Elmera create another ocarina that looked similar to the one that her mother had given her.
Erikson saw just how much his daughter enjoyed music and he decided to enroll her in a school for aspiring musicians. With five instruments under her belt, she became a favorite pupil to her professors who drilled her relentlessly….maybe a bit too relentlessly. While most appreciated her hard work, there was one jackal, old Slavasfere Putaro, who would insult her playing style. He ripped music apart, knocked music stands down and even threatened to break her instrument if she didn’t try harder. The problem was, Elmera couldn’t say anything to rebuke Slavasfere since he was a good friend of her father’s, and a fellow bard in the king’s court. After nearly six months of his constant abuse, Elmera went home in tears and could only find Azela to comfort her. The coyote went to the school the next day and pulled Elmera out of Slavasfere’s class. When Erikson found out, he insisted that Elmera should return but after a heated argument with Azela, he finally agreed to keep her out of the class.
During this time, Ojalá and Paulis both began to learn how to play instruments as well. Ojalá favored the wind instruments while Paulis was more interested in the percussion. As with Elmera, both Erikson and Azela began to teach the duo to play. Elmera even added in her own tips when she had the chance. At age nine, three major events happened in Elmera’s life. First, her father was fired from his job when the court brought in another bard that had been training longer and knew many more instruments. Erikson was fine at first but when Azela gave birth to the twins Benjamin and Delmure, straining the family’s finances, Erikson fell in with bad company. He would go to bars to play at night to earn income, but he’d often get so drunk during the performance that the tender would throw him out onto the streets. He was angry all the time, shouting and acting irrational around his kin. Azela tried to calm him down but more than once Elmera stayed up late at night, listening as her parents argued, sometimes resulting in a loud slap that ended the conversation. Erikson grew worse as the money ran out. Finally, the family had to sell their house and move into a much smaller one that caused the five children to share two rooms. Paulis wasn’t happy about it since it meant that he couldn’t have all the toys that he wanted. Elmera understood the circumstances even at her young age, but her brother didn’t. One night, Erikson came home in a horrid mood. Paulis immediately began to complain to his father until Erikson raised his paw against him. Elmera shoved her brother and took the blow instead, resulting in a claw mark right beneath her left eye. The cut was deep and Elmera needed stitches. While the strike left her scarred both physically and mentally, the brutality of his actions woke Erikson up. No longer did he drink before he came home, and he started looking for jobs to support his family again so that Azela wouldn’t have to play on the streets late at night.
At the end of Elmera’s nine years of age, she heard about a festival that was about a two days ride away from Balisk. There was a contest for family players with a grand prize of money and a title. Elmera immediately suggested that their family should go. Paulis and Ojalá, despite their young ages, were well gifted, and Elmera surpassed many of the bards she knew. Erikson rejected the idea at first, but when his wife urged him to go, he finally agreed. He gave them the name “The Lyrical Lemardeés” and then created stage names for his kin. Azela was known as the “Jasmine Jewel” because of her desire to wear purple and fake jewels when she performed. Erikson kept his name, “Crimson Chorusman” reflecting the color of his fur. Elmera came up with the name the “Swan Siren” and also decided her siblings’ stage names; “Raven” for Paulis who enjoyed dressing in black, and “Sterling Sparrow” for Ojalá since that was the name of the first song that Elmera had played for her sister. Benjamin and Delmure were also given the names “Ivory” and “Ebony” respectively because of their completely different personalities.
On a sunny day, the Lyrical Lemardeés approached the stage. That evening, they left with the highest honors, a title, pockets full of money, and an adoring crowd that would grow over the years. During the next couple of years, Elmera continued to study under her parents as well as her siblings who were learning a couple of different instruments in school. Most of the time, she would teach them how to read sheet music and write it when she wasn’t busy in class. Her home life was decent, but she began to notice something strange happening to Erikson. Sometimes her father would stay out late and when he came home, he would either be carrying a fist full of money or he would have to take some of their savings and go out again. It happened continuously, and while Elmera asked her mother what was going on, Azela never answered her. Still, Erikson’s actions bothered Elmera, and she kept a close eye on him, and the amount of money he kept spending.
When she was about thirteen, her life changed drastically. Azela gave birth to her youngest sister, Jenna. Their assets had plummeted, despite the fact that Erikson, Azela, and Elmera had taken on jobs; Ojalá had to stay home with the pups. One night, Elmera heard banging on the door of their house. She came downstairs and saw a group of foxes shoving their way through the front door. Erikson was yelling, trying to calm them down, but they wouldn’t listen. Elmera made it to the bottom of the stairs at the same time that one pulled out a dagger and stabbed her father. Azela threw herself at the foxes and tried to pull them away. Elmera was frozen in place, her eyes watching her father’s blood dripping from the dagger. Erikson had fallen and was writhing in pain. Azela was thrown against the wall and the others set upon Erikson with fists, kicks and slashes. Azela screamed for Elmera to help them, but the pup was frozen in place, unable to save her father.
Once the foxes had finished beating her father, they turned their attention on Azela. Only then did Elmera throw herself forward and run to her mother’s side. She was struck across the face and knocked to the floor. One stabbed her mother in the back before Elmera finally took the fallen blade from her mother and tried to defend her kin. Two foxes had already been injured by her parents and Elmera, somehow, managed to fight off the last two, dealing a killing blow to the chest of one of the foxes. The other fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Elmera tried to stop the blood flowing from her mother’s back. Ojalá and Paulis came down to help her; they had been watching over the pups. They tried to aid their father, but Erikson was long gone. Enraged, Paulis took the dagger that slew his father and killed the remaining three foxes. Elmera shouted, but they were dead before she could stop her brother. That night, Erikson lost his life and Azela was paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the fact that the three criminals had killed her father, Paulis was still charged with murder and had the choice to either serve in prison for so many years or join the town’s army, since they knew that he had killed more out of defense than anything else. Elmera begged with him not to go, but Paulis agreed and left home to be schooled under the foot troop, leaving Elmera, Ojalá, Benjamin, Delmure and Jenna alone with a crippled mother.
***Note*** Paulis never told the courts that Elmera had actually killed one of the foxes. Fearing that the courts would take her away, he killed the rest and took the blame instead. It was only after Elmera found out about her brother’s death that a noble told her of Paulis’ confession. The guilt still remains with her today, though none of her other siblings know the truth.****
Elmera’s relationship with Azela was never the same after the attack. Her mother grew cold and bitter after that. She shouted at her children and refused to play her instruments. The family quickly lost money without Erikson and Azela playing their instruments, so Elmera left her sister home in charge of the family and went to work during the day. She dropped out of school, figuring she could learn on her own. During the morning and late into the evening she sang or played in the local bars. She earned money, but her fingers were worn down and her voice began to fade. By candlelight, she would read her books and learn history, math, science, and various other subjects, though her passion remained with music. It was about two years after her father’s death that she found out the reason her family had been attacked. Erikson had been gambling at night and he owed the foxes more than he actually had. The realization that her father had died for such a foolish reason threw Elmera into a fit of depression. Her music fell into a minor key, and she rarely talked to her kin. Hellos and Goodbyes were exchanged in passing, but that was it. During that time, Elmera became painfully aware that Azela partially blamed her for Erikson’s death because she hadn’t tried to help her mother save her father. She had just stood there and watched the attack.
At age seventeen, Elmera was hired to serve in the king’s court. One of the other musicians had moved on and they needed a fresh talent so to speak. Elmera was able to keep the job for about two years and earned her family enough money to support them and buy the twins new clothing and her little sister new toys. Unfortunately, when Elmera was confronted by one of the male nobles and refused his passes, he spoke ill of her to the king, and she was fired without a chance to explain herself. Elmera returned home, upset and hungry, only to find her siblings sitting outside of their house. Azela had chased them out and barred herself in their home. Frightened for her mother’s life, Elmera broke through a window and went inside, only to find Azela asleep in one of the chairs. She found a note on the table beside the still body. Elmera read it and was horrified to find out that it was actually a suicide note. There was an empty glass next to the note, along with a packet where herbs had spilled out. Elmera nearly broke down crying, but she heard her mother breathing. She shook her, waking Azela with a start. The coyote looked at the note, the drink, and collapsed against her daughter crying, claiming that she had meant to kill herself but just couldn’t do it because she knew she had to be there for her children. Elmera refused to leave Azela alone after that, although her mother swore never to do anything like that again. She even started playing music again, but Elmera was always afraid that Azela would have a relapse.
When Elmera turned twenty-one, another harsh winter moved into Balisk. In her weakened state, Azela fell sick and died within two weeks. The Lemardeé house felt very cold after that. Elmera still went off to work, and Ojalá remained home with the young ones. They stayed in the same town until Elmera turned 22 and a soldier arrived at their house to tell them that their brother, Paulis, had been killed in action. Most families would have just fallen apart, but Elmera had had enough. She left the job she was working at and began to organize the rest of her kin. They all knew how to play instruments, even little Jenna who had been given the stage name "Ruby". Another contest was being held in a neighboring town so, once again, the Lyrical Lemardeés made an appearance. Their audience was even bigger than the first time and they easily won the competition. From that point on, courts, villages, and towns would ask for the Lyrical Lemardeés to make an appearance. Elmera eagerly obliged them and for four years, the family traveled together. Jenna was educated by her family members while they wandered around from place to place. Every year they would return to the same town that had the competition and they would play to the delight of the audience. When Elmera turned 26, about four years ago, the family decided to break apart. The twins were eager to follow their own paths and Ojalá fell in love with another wolf and was tired of moving around. Jenna agreed to stay with her, leaving Elmera alone. She was resentful at first since she had spent her childhood caring for her siblings, but she put the frustration behind her and became a traveling bard. Whenever creatures heard her performance name, they eagerly asked her to play. At age 29, the Lemardeé family missed their first performance because Ojalá was about to have a pup. Now at age 30, Elmera is traveling back to the town to visit her kin and play with them once again.
Horse: Mercury, Friesian.
www.warbirdphotographs.com/WSC/RedWolf-3.jpg
Name: Elmera Lemardeé
Nicknames: Eli, Siren
Performance Name: Swan Siren
Species: Pure red wolf
Age: 30
Origin: Balisk, a small town about a week’s journey out of Emerald Bay.
Faction: Citizen
Number of characters at FEB] 2
Family:
Biological mother: Rika “Songbird” Jaslin (deceased)
Father: Erikson “Crimson Chorusman” Lemardeé (deceased)
Step-Mother: Azela “Jasmine Jewel” Lemardeé (deceased)
Eldest brother: Paulis “Raven” Lemardeé (Deceased)
Eldest sister: Ojalá “Sterling Sparrow” Lemardeé (26)
Step-Brother: Benjamin “Ivory” Lemardeé (21)
Step-Brother: Delmure “Ebony” Lemardeé (21)
Step-Sister: Jenna “Ruby” Lemardeé (17)
Trade: Elmera has taken on the trade of a traveling bard. She makes her living by composing and performing her own songs at festivals and on the road. Every year, she ventures to a faire where she meets her four siblings. The five of them together are called “The Lyrical Lemardeés.” Many people come from far and wide to hear them play.
Instruments:
1st instrument: Lute
2nd instrument: Chalumeau (Baroque clarinet)
3rd instrument : Fiddle
4th instrument : Reed flute
5th instrument: Ocarina
Appearance: Elmera is average in height. She’s the second tallest in her family with Ojalá standing about two inches higher. The she-wolf has a healthy amount of weight on her, but she is by no means fat. Typically her weight will depend on the season and where she is playing. At times she can appear very thin when she’s not receiving sufficient pay from her crowd, while at other times, she’s as healthy as bards serving under the royal family. Usually, she’s rather muscular in the arms and quick on her paws. Elmera looks distinctly different from her siblings except for Ojalá since they are the only two pure red wolves still left in the family. Her back fur, her tail, and portions of her face are a mixture of grayish black, red, and brown fur. Most of her coat is a mahogany color, partially tinted an orange red. Her stomach and insides of her legs are white with a hint of muted red. Her ears are quite large for her head, though she jokingly says it helps her hear the music better. Elmera’s paws are lightly muscled and extremely delicate. They move elegantly, and she constantly looks like she’s trying to play an instrument when she moves her arms around while she speaks. Her headfur is creamy brown with faint mahogany highlights. It’s cut into layers with the first division touching her shoulders; the fur curls nicely around her face. The second layer reaches the middle of her back, though the headfur beneath the first layer is usually wrapped up in a cloth brace so that it forms a thin cylinder down her back. White swan feathers (sometimes black tipped) dangle from the brace or two large ones are tucked into a band she wraps around her head.
Eye Color: Dark brown with thin green flecks. Usually her almond eyes look brown, but in the right light, they’re hazel.
Clothing: She favors wearing white since the color represents her stage name. At times she’ll add gyrfalcon feathers to her clothing as well, or paint the tips of her swan feathers black. Unfortunately, traveling on the road makes wearing white quite difficult, so you can find her in just any color except for orange. She hates orange with a passion. Typically she enjoys dark, cool colors opposed to bright and warm ones. However, she does know when to wear colors to keep her camouflaged, and while she does at times wear rather intricate costumes, she always makes certain that she is able to run quickly in case trouble arises in the city. Bardic life can be rather dangerous, especially if one sings the wrong song with the wrong sort of people around. Not to mention riots can break out in towns quickly.
Scars: One scar is visible beneath her left eye. It extends from her lower eyelid down to the center of her cheek. It’s not too horribly noticeable, but it makes Elmera feel flawed. The other scars are hidden.
Weapons: She’s trained with a short bow, daggers, and a scimitar.
Jewelry: She wears four rings on her right paw and two rings on her left. All of them are of a Celtic design and silver. Fortunately, when she travels, she has gloves over her fingers to keep them hidden. Depending on what costume she’s wearing, she’ll adorn herself with fake jewelry. Her ears are studded with various rings and a few fake jewels. Beaded, colorful necklaces dangle from her neck, though she also has a blue star charm that her mother gave her when she was a pup.
Personality: Elmera is not what you would call bubbly, but she does have a very optimistic attitude. She always finds a way to look at the good things in life instead of all of the obstacles standing in her way. Life hasn’t exactly been perfect for her, and while she has had the chance to be bitter about her experiences, she’s decided to look at the much more positive aspects and just take each day as it comes. As a bard, it’s important for her to act happy because an audience is much more receptive to an energetic bard versus a dull, depressed player.
There are moments when Elmera will grow quiet and contemplative. She has a calculating mind and considers the consequences of her actions. In some cases, this keeps her out of trouble while at other times her hesitation can put her in danger. She does have a temper, but she does her best to hold it back. She’s felt a lot of resentment in her life before, and she doesn’t like how she feels or acts when she does that, so she tries not to hold grudges. Elmera can be fierce, especially when she tries to protect herself or her kin. She has a few bad habits, but you’ll have to get to know her to see what they are.
History: Elmera was born to Rika and Erikson Lemardeé in the town of Balisk. She was the first child to the two pure red wolves and was adored by both of her parents. Rika was a well known painter and musician in the town. Gifted with the Ocarina, Rika taught her daughter the fine arts of the instrument. She drilled Elmera constantly, making the two year old pup play for at least two hours a day. Erikson was a talented bard as well and held a place as high bard in the royal courts, providing the necessary funds to support his family. He worked long hours into the day and night especially when there were feasts between neighboring territories. When he was home, he likewise began to teach Elmera how to play the lute and fiddle, his instruments of choice. Elmera caught on quickly and eagerly learned from her parents’ lessons. There were times when she would even go to the royal courts with her father to listen to him play.
When Elmera was four, her mother had another pup named Ojalá. Unfortunately, the rough birth left Rika weak and within a year, she fell ill during a long winter and passed away before the flowers blossomed anew the next spring. Elmera was heartbroken with her mother’s passing. She mourned for a long while and at times she blamed Ojalá for her mother’s death. However, when Ojalá fell ill during the following winter, Elmera did everything in her power to take care of her little sister. Ever since, they have been close to one another.
Not even two years after the death of her mother, Erikson brought home a coyote named Azela. While beautiful, kind, and talented in the art of music, Elmera wanted nothing to do with her. The young pup resented the new woman figure entering their lives, and she told her father that more than once. For nearly two months Elmera sat in her room with her sister, showing her the instruments and teaching her how to play, despite Ojalá’s young age. Two months later, Erikson married Azela and less than 9 months later, Azela gave birth to Paulis. Elmera was outraged. She wanted no part in taking care of Paulis or acting like Azela was her mother. At age six and a half, she snatched up her instruments and left the house, thinking to be a bard like her father. She left Ojalá behind so that she would remain safe, but it was really Elmera who needed the protection. Not even two days after she had left home, the young pup ran into a group of thugs that harassed her and broke her beloved ocarina in the scuffle. She was unable to pull out any of her other instruments, and each time she tried to sing, one of the males would grab at her or try to strike her. Elmera would have been lost had it not been for the fact that Azela had followed her adopted daughter and arrived just in time to save her from a severe beating. At first, Elmera acted cold and indifferent to the rescue, but that soon changed after the pair returned home. Elmera woke up early the next morning. Her father was gone and her two younger siblings were in bed. Music echoed from beneath the floorboards, sending her into a trance. Astounded, Elmera walked down the stairs and found Azela quietly playing on a Chalumeau (Baroque clarinet). Elmera fell in love with the instrument at first sight and spent nearly an hour sitting at the door, just watching Azela play. That began a long lasting relationship between the two females. From that point on, Azela began to teach Elmera how to play the Chalumeau, as well as the reed flute. She even was able to help Elmera create another ocarina that looked similar to the one that her mother had given her.
Erikson saw just how much his daughter enjoyed music and he decided to enroll her in a school for aspiring musicians. With five instruments under her belt, she became a favorite pupil to her professors who drilled her relentlessly….maybe a bit too relentlessly. While most appreciated her hard work, there was one jackal, old Slavasfere Putaro, who would insult her playing style. He ripped music apart, knocked music stands down and even threatened to break her instrument if she didn’t try harder. The problem was, Elmera couldn’t say anything to rebuke Slavasfere since he was a good friend of her father’s, and a fellow bard in the king’s court. After nearly six months of his constant abuse, Elmera went home in tears and could only find Azela to comfort her. The coyote went to the school the next day and pulled Elmera out of Slavasfere’s class. When Erikson found out, he insisted that Elmera should return but after a heated argument with Azela, he finally agreed to keep her out of the class.
During this time, Ojalá and Paulis both began to learn how to play instruments as well. Ojalá favored the wind instruments while Paulis was more interested in the percussion. As with Elmera, both Erikson and Azela began to teach the duo to play. Elmera even added in her own tips when she had the chance. At age nine, three major events happened in Elmera’s life. First, her father was fired from his job when the court brought in another bard that had been training longer and knew many more instruments. Erikson was fine at first but when Azela gave birth to the twins Benjamin and Delmure, straining the family’s finances, Erikson fell in with bad company. He would go to bars to play at night to earn income, but he’d often get so drunk during the performance that the tender would throw him out onto the streets. He was angry all the time, shouting and acting irrational around his kin. Azela tried to calm him down but more than once Elmera stayed up late at night, listening as her parents argued, sometimes resulting in a loud slap that ended the conversation. Erikson grew worse as the money ran out. Finally, the family had to sell their house and move into a much smaller one that caused the five children to share two rooms. Paulis wasn’t happy about it since it meant that he couldn’t have all the toys that he wanted. Elmera understood the circumstances even at her young age, but her brother didn’t. One night, Erikson came home in a horrid mood. Paulis immediately began to complain to his father until Erikson raised his paw against him. Elmera shoved her brother and took the blow instead, resulting in a claw mark right beneath her left eye. The cut was deep and Elmera needed stitches. While the strike left her scarred both physically and mentally, the brutality of his actions woke Erikson up. No longer did he drink before he came home, and he started looking for jobs to support his family again so that Azela wouldn’t have to play on the streets late at night.
At the end of Elmera’s nine years of age, she heard about a festival that was about a two days ride away from Balisk. There was a contest for family players with a grand prize of money and a title. Elmera immediately suggested that their family should go. Paulis and Ojalá, despite their young ages, were well gifted, and Elmera surpassed many of the bards she knew. Erikson rejected the idea at first, but when his wife urged him to go, he finally agreed. He gave them the name “The Lyrical Lemardeés” and then created stage names for his kin. Azela was known as the “Jasmine Jewel” because of her desire to wear purple and fake jewels when she performed. Erikson kept his name, “Crimson Chorusman” reflecting the color of his fur. Elmera came up with the name the “Swan Siren” and also decided her siblings’ stage names; “Raven” for Paulis who enjoyed dressing in black, and “Sterling Sparrow” for Ojalá since that was the name of the first song that Elmera had played for her sister. Benjamin and Delmure were also given the names “Ivory” and “Ebony” respectively because of their completely different personalities.
On a sunny day, the Lyrical Lemardeés approached the stage. That evening, they left with the highest honors, a title, pockets full of money, and an adoring crowd that would grow over the years. During the next couple of years, Elmera continued to study under her parents as well as her siblings who were learning a couple of different instruments in school. Most of the time, she would teach them how to read sheet music and write it when she wasn’t busy in class. Her home life was decent, but she began to notice something strange happening to Erikson. Sometimes her father would stay out late and when he came home, he would either be carrying a fist full of money or he would have to take some of their savings and go out again. It happened continuously, and while Elmera asked her mother what was going on, Azela never answered her. Still, Erikson’s actions bothered Elmera, and she kept a close eye on him, and the amount of money he kept spending.
When she was about thirteen, her life changed drastically. Azela gave birth to her youngest sister, Jenna. Their assets had plummeted, despite the fact that Erikson, Azela, and Elmera had taken on jobs; Ojalá had to stay home with the pups. One night, Elmera heard banging on the door of their house. She came downstairs and saw a group of foxes shoving their way through the front door. Erikson was yelling, trying to calm them down, but they wouldn’t listen. Elmera made it to the bottom of the stairs at the same time that one pulled out a dagger and stabbed her father. Azela threw herself at the foxes and tried to pull them away. Elmera was frozen in place, her eyes watching her father’s blood dripping from the dagger. Erikson had fallen and was writhing in pain. Azela was thrown against the wall and the others set upon Erikson with fists, kicks and slashes. Azela screamed for Elmera to help them, but the pup was frozen in place, unable to save her father.
Once the foxes had finished beating her father, they turned their attention on Azela. Only then did Elmera throw herself forward and run to her mother’s side. She was struck across the face and knocked to the floor. One stabbed her mother in the back before Elmera finally took the fallen blade from her mother and tried to defend her kin. Two foxes had already been injured by her parents and Elmera, somehow, managed to fight off the last two, dealing a killing blow to the chest of one of the foxes. The other fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Elmera tried to stop the blood flowing from her mother’s back. Ojalá and Paulis came down to help her; they had been watching over the pups. They tried to aid their father, but Erikson was long gone. Enraged, Paulis took the dagger that slew his father and killed the remaining three foxes. Elmera shouted, but they were dead before she could stop her brother. That night, Erikson lost his life and Azela was paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the fact that the three criminals had killed her father, Paulis was still charged with murder and had the choice to either serve in prison for so many years or join the town’s army, since they knew that he had killed more out of defense than anything else. Elmera begged with him not to go, but Paulis agreed and left home to be schooled under the foot troop, leaving Elmera, Ojalá, Benjamin, Delmure and Jenna alone with a crippled mother.
***Note*** Paulis never told the courts that Elmera had actually killed one of the foxes. Fearing that the courts would take her away, he killed the rest and took the blame instead. It was only after Elmera found out about her brother’s death that a noble told her of Paulis’ confession. The guilt still remains with her today, though none of her other siblings know the truth.****
Elmera’s relationship with Azela was never the same after the attack. Her mother grew cold and bitter after that. She shouted at her children and refused to play her instruments. The family quickly lost money without Erikson and Azela playing their instruments, so Elmera left her sister home in charge of the family and went to work during the day. She dropped out of school, figuring she could learn on her own. During the morning and late into the evening she sang or played in the local bars. She earned money, but her fingers were worn down and her voice began to fade. By candlelight, she would read her books and learn history, math, science, and various other subjects, though her passion remained with music. It was about two years after her father’s death that she found out the reason her family had been attacked. Erikson had been gambling at night and he owed the foxes more than he actually had. The realization that her father had died for such a foolish reason threw Elmera into a fit of depression. Her music fell into a minor key, and she rarely talked to her kin. Hellos and Goodbyes were exchanged in passing, but that was it. During that time, Elmera became painfully aware that Azela partially blamed her for Erikson’s death because she hadn’t tried to help her mother save her father. She had just stood there and watched the attack.
At age seventeen, Elmera was hired to serve in the king’s court. One of the other musicians had moved on and they needed a fresh talent so to speak. Elmera was able to keep the job for about two years and earned her family enough money to support them and buy the twins new clothing and her little sister new toys. Unfortunately, when Elmera was confronted by one of the male nobles and refused his passes, he spoke ill of her to the king, and she was fired without a chance to explain herself. Elmera returned home, upset and hungry, only to find her siblings sitting outside of their house. Azela had chased them out and barred herself in their home. Frightened for her mother’s life, Elmera broke through a window and went inside, only to find Azela asleep in one of the chairs. She found a note on the table beside the still body. Elmera read it and was horrified to find out that it was actually a suicide note. There was an empty glass next to the note, along with a packet where herbs had spilled out. Elmera nearly broke down crying, but she heard her mother breathing. She shook her, waking Azela with a start. The coyote looked at the note, the drink, and collapsed against her daughter crying, claiming that she had meant to kill herself but just couldn’t do it because she knew she had to be there for her children. Elmera refused to leave Azela alone after that, although her mother swore never to do anything like that again. She even started playing music again, but Elmera was always afraid that Azela would have a relapse.
When Elmera turned twenty-one, another harsh winter moved into Balisk. In her weakened state, Azela fell sick and died within two weeks. The Lemardeé house felt very cold after that. Elmera still went off to work, and Ojalá remained home with the young ones. They stayed in the same town until Elmera turned 22 and a soldier arrived at their house to tell them that their brother, Paulis, had been killed in action. Most families would have just fallen apart, but Elmera had had enough. She left the job she was working at and began to organize the rest of her kin. They all knew how to play instruments, even little Jenna who had been given the stage name "Ruby". Another contest was being held in a neighboring town so, once again, the Lyrical Lemardeés made an appearance. Their audience was even bigger than the first time and they easily won the competition. From that point on, courts, villages, and towns would ask for the Lyrical Lemardeés to make an appearance. Elmera eagerly obliged them and for four years, the family traveled together. Jenna was educated by her family members while they wandered around from place to place. Every year they would return to the same town that had the competition and they would play to the delight of the audience. When Elmera turned 26, about four years ago, the family decided to break apart. The twins were eager to follow their own paths and Ojalá fell in love with another wolf and was tired of moving around. Jenna agreed to stay with her, leaving Elmera alone. She was resentful at first since she had spent her childhood caring for her siblings, but she put the frustration behind her and became a traveling bard. Whenever creatures heard her performance name, they eagerly asked her to play. At age 29, the Lemardeé family missed their first performance because Ojalá was about to have a pup. Now at age 30, Elmera is traveling back to the town to visit her kin and play with them once again.
Horse: Mercury, Friesian.