Noelani

Noelani was born into a noble family in the northern elven islands. Her family, the Monama family, was one of the most influential families along with five other families. She was placed into a boarding school education early on and suffered for several long years of especially violent visions. These memories were traumatic to her in several ways and so as she aged out of her education, she learned to suppress these visions and memories. Through her early education, she learned how to properly fit into the noble elvish society she was part of. As she grew up, she found a safe place in the local libraries and in her home reading books. Sports and combat were limited only to the males and some of the performing arts did not interest her as much so she read. She preferred non-fiction but would devour any book given to her. When she wasn’t reading, she spent her time walking the shores of the island. The sand between her feet and the sound of rushing water brought a comfort she couldn’t find anywhere else. She would spend hours watching the boats go by and watching as storms crossed the sea. She also felt drawn to the sea and never understood why.   Noelani met Conias at one of the many balls thrown on the island. The two hit it off instantly. Conias was kind and funny, always make her laugh but she had been flirted and courted before. His advances were nothing new. Instead, he won her over by encouraging her studies and complimenting her hard work. It wasn’t something she was used to. She really loved that about him. Noelani was smart though. It didn’t take much to realize that Conias wasn’t of noble blood but she didn’t care. She was in love. Then soon the rest of his lies unraveled. Again, she ignored his flaws in favor of that gorgeous smile and those sweet words. He proposed to her in the middle of a ball, a sort of recreation of their first meeting. She said yes immediately.   Noelani, being the eldest daughter of one of the most influential families, was talked about around the town. Everyone knew she was to be married and everyone tried to have some hand in helping put it together. She was glowing with excitement. It was a couple of weeks until she was to be married that she walked in on Conias with another woman, another servant woman. She was furious but above all else, she was devastated. Those rose-tinted glasses came off to reveal the conman and thief he really was. It was too late to call the wedding off and she couldn’t divorce him. Traditions didn’t allow for divorce and if she did, her family would be disgraced. Eyes puffy from crying, she ran to the sea and she threw herself off of one of the piers into the dark cold waters. Death was the only exit to this marriage.   She sunk like a rock. At first, it was peaceful. It was silent in the deep ocean. Then, she was out of air and the panic set in. She couldn’t breathe. Water rushed in her throat as she coughed and flailed her arms around. She didn’t want to die she realized. Her chest hurt. Her whole body hurt. Then, everything went silent once more. It was calm again. She felt like she was floating in the air. When she opened her eyes, the water was still around her but she could hear a voice. It was hard to make sense of it. It was neither female nor male nor nice or mean. The voice was both in her head and all-around at the same moment.   It was the sea talking to her. It offered her a choice. She was dead. She had drowned herself like she wanted to but she could continue living at price. If she wanted a second chance at life, a different life perhaps, all she needed to do was to drown others, much like she did. The ocean needed a victim. And she agreed. The next thing she knew, she was on the shore, coughing up sea water.   When she looked at her reflection, her gorgeous forest green eyes were now reflected the ocean’s blue. Her beautiful porcelain skin was pale and sickly. There were consequences to this pact but she could feel the eldritch power run through her veins. But when she looked up from the water, she saw the face of her sister, Andri. The face of concern turned the face of panic and horror. Noelani knew in that moment the life she was given could not stay here. She could not stay on this island and disgrace her family more. So she dove back into the water, into where it was safe, and just floated. She floated for days until she washed up onshore. With no one knowing who she was, what she had done, or what she was, she got up and started walking. She walked wherever she felt the winds take her because where was she supposed to go anyway.