Case Study: Roanoke

Roanoke's typical day might look like this.   She will wake up in her tent, warmed by an electrical heater. Her tent is typical of Athelian customs. Insulated against the outside cold, and decorated on the inside and out with vibrant patterns and animal motifs.   Roanoke steps out and stretches. It is early, still crisp with last nights cold. It is 5:00 in the morning. Off in the distance Roanoke's horse, Tamiz, will be grazing. She approaches her and brushes her head against hers. Tamiz returns the gesture. Wasting no time, Roanoke eats something she caught from yesterday's lunch. It is stuffed in a sash, worn across her chest at a diagonal direction.   After a light breakfast Roanoke begins training. She first starts with unarmed martial arts, the Athelian style of Suberda. Using a tree or whatever Roanoke directs a serious of punches towards the tree. Bark is peeled off from her blows. Her knuckles bleed but she accepts it. How else to develop a pain tolerance if you are not willing to risk it?   After practicing punches, disarming blocks, and kicks, Roanoke takes a break. She cleans her hands, wipes the blood off, then goes back into training, this time with her sword and buckler. An Athelian sword is less of a sword and more of a cleaver. Her sword bites into the wood, hacking off a branch here, a branch there. She keeps in mind her foot work, making sure that with a swing she also blocks a blind spot.   After some time practicing she discards the shield and wields her sword in both hands. She continues as before but faster and with more kinetic force. Satisfied, Roanoke sheathes her sword. It is sometime around 11:30.   She gathers her bow and quiver, calls Tamiz back to her, then goes off on a hunt. Roanoke spots a stag in the woods. Roanoke nocks an arrow and aims. Thunk! The arrow finds its mark in the stag which takes off running. On her steed she chases it down through the woods, over the hills, and across rivers. When its wounds has taken its toll the stag collapses. It dies from exhaustion and blood loss.   Some days her hunt turns up no results. It can be like that in the Athelian Steppes. Today though is different. Roanoke picks up the beast and throws it onto Tamiz's back. She has a smile and pats her horse on the head. She rides back to camp.   It is 3:00 PM. Roanoke turns on her radio and listens to Darcassian Public Radio. While she cooks the stag she divides it in pieces. One part goes to Tamiz who eats alongside her. Once cooked Roanoke treats herself to lunch. Tamiz finishes eating then takes a nap.   Roanoke resumes training while listening to Darcassian Public Radio. She is there until 7:00 PM. Tired Roanoke picks through the branches she had cut off of the practice tree. On one sturdy part Roanoke carves her name into the wood. Sitting by the fire she rings a bell and prays to Shoka. She thanks Shoka for a successful hunt, prays for continued protection, and asks for safe travels. Content, Roanoke throws the plank into the fire. It burns, taking her request to Heaven.   Settling down for the night Roanoke puts out the fire then goes into her tent. She takes a book from her pack, the Darcassian Primer Vol. 2. In the light of a lamp she reads through it slowly. She mispronounces some words, a clear Athelian accent touching up her speech. Roanoke does not fully understand what she reads. On really tough words, and even sentences, she takes out a paper and pen. She writes though it is impossible to tell what she writes. It is barely legible.   She reads late into the night. She finishes one last chapter. Roanoke turns off her radio, turns on her electrical heater, then blows out her lamp. She goes to sleep in a sleeping bag.   By 5:00 the next morning Roanoke packs everything into three different bags. She leaves what is left of the stag to the beasts of the wild. She places the bags onto Tamiz and mounts. Roanoke rides off once more.