Seeing Red
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A few of the Norwick citizenry courageous enough to venture out in the freezing winter have seen a pale elven woman garbed in red student's overrobes wearing a matching blindfold and travelling about the town. She passed through the same areas over and over, seemingly making notes of where objects were by scent, sound, and touch.
A jovial merchant-warrior who goes locally by the name of "Jeff" tried to play with her a bit, skating about the frozen lake while she fished and bestowing unauthorized "affection". The resulting martial combat was fierce, and ended in a mutual acknowledgment of skill. The woman, however, seemed very discontent about a strike that missed her target by at least a foot and then departed deeper into the woods with some wooden blocks and corde. Rangers later observed her in the forest training furiously, still blindfolded, with hanging block targets…her otherwise pale cheeks gaining a bit of crimson, though from embarassment, anger, or just the biting cold is anyone's guess.
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_* The pale elven woman in red robes calling herself The Nameless Monk can be seen occasionally returning from excursions south of town with carefully sealed packages. The sash once tied about her eyes now hangs in two parts from her iron-corded belt, and she walks gracefully through the snow storms, her silvery cloak reflecting the sun's gleam.
When not coming or going, she is often by the southern firepit meditating before a tiny red incense candle, wafts of colored smoke curling about her and filling the nearby air with the scent of rust and smoldering iron. *_
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_When off duty, Keira can be seen occasionally pacing about the Rawlins blindfolded. Moving patiently and slowly, she's sometimes still for hours to allow the wildlife to return to the streams.
Once prey moves within striking distance, she swiftly grapples and strikes to disable. A few strokes of a knife later, and the wounded beasts are set free, to whatever fate awaits them in the snowy woods._
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Belam'r attempst to show off his fancy red robe to the obviously uninterested fighters.
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Occassionally a human woman, as white as Keira in skin and hair colour, dressed in a red robe and blindfolded with red cloth stands amongst the tree's listening and smiling softly.
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Maya stands watching, a look of child-like wonder on her face.
Can I play too?
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A new challenger has appeared!
Noting the appearance of another pale elf who trains blindfolded, Keira ventures out into the woods. After a brief and emotionless conversation, training resumes with the elves taking turns attacking or defending, the rustling of their identical red robes and the scuffing of their feet muted to whispers in the snow.
To the occasional observers it's obvious that Keira is the weaker of the two. Her style is more cautious and evasive than the focussed direction of the older elf though both are undeniably graceful and suprisingly unhampered by the blindfolds.
If any with a trained eye to see beyond the blurring movement are present, their styles are very different. Keira circles, hands outstretched before darting a flurry of precise blows at somewhere vulnerable or attempting to twist and throw her opponent. The older elf is more direct, sweeping in and out of range, arms weaving sinuously to deflect blows before striking ferociously with hands bent into claws.