Annisele

Annisele, Daughter of the Clayr

Annisele was born 20 years ago, in what is known to her as the Kingdom, although outsiders frequently refer to it as the Old Kingdom. The borders of the Kingdom were sealed in great act of magic millennia ago, and this magical working created a magical legacy of which the Clayr are part. Is it not impossible for outsiders to enter the Kingdom, but the border, known as the Wall, severely limits the movement of Dead or Fell creatures into the Kingdom. Since the Kingdom is near the Poison Veil, such safeguards are necessary.

Anniselle's Possessions

She has brought with her the most prized material possessions of a Clayr: her ceremonial robe, white with silver, seven-pointed stars; the silver and moonstone necklace that she wears always (but not the circlet, worn only in the Observatory); an ivory wand and crystal vial, used to make visions visible to non-Clayr; a small Charter Stone, a fist-sized rock covered with magic symbols; and a small, hide-covered book of spells and lore. This book is powerful, does not always contain the same information, and is capable of protecting itself. It cannot be lost and if someone else opens it, the book will make that person insane (if they are merely curious) or kill them (if their intent is malevolent). She did not take this book, deliberately leaving it in the Library where she found it, but three days after she left the Kingdom the book was in her pack.

Physical Appearance

Like all Clayr, Annisele is blonde with light eyes (hers are gray), and she tans easily. Additionally, she is nearly 6 feet tall, so she rarely escapes notice for long. At home, only her height was unusual but, since leaving the glacier, she has realized that her appearance can be both a boon and a hindrance, and that her actions can make a bad situation worse, if she is not careful. Unfortunately, the lack of men in the glacier has resulted in her being uncertain of the correct path of action in some social circumstances. She is not afraid of men, but wary of them, as one might be wary of an unpredictable wild animal. For this reason, she dresses most circumspectly, drawing inspiration from the robes of religious orders.

Dress

Her clothing is typically neutral in color and she usually wears a cloak with a hood to cover her bright hair, leading many people to assume that she is a nun or priestess of some type.

She is uncomfortable in crowds of strangers, having grown up amongst known family members. She is not phobic, but will seek the margins in a crowd situation. She is well versed in courtly manners, but less so in other, less formal, social situations. In times of stress, she will revert to formalism, which may seem cold or even rude to some. She is extremely honest, even for Clayr, and has little sense of how others use lies to ease social situations. She is perceptive enough to know when someone is lying, but rarely understands the motivation for a lie.

The Clayr

The Clayr live deep in the mountains, in tunnels carved beneath a great glacier. A large, extended family, virtually all Clayr are female, and gifted with the Sight. The purpose of this gift is to aid the King and Abhorsen in protecting the Kingdom; these three groups comprise the People of the Blood. All Sighted Clayr are also Charter Mages, with the appropriate Charter mark on her forehead, and are particularly adept at spells dealing with the future or the Dead. As people of the Blood, Clayr are able to sense any Dead or Fell creatures in the vicinity, and feel the creation or arrival of such creatures on a primal level. This sensing does not require the casting of any spell, for the talent is innate, and amplified by the necklace she wears. A poem taught to children tells of the ancient history:

Five great Charters knit the land, 
Together linked, hand in hand.
One in those who wear the crown,
Two in those who keep the Dead down.
Three and five became stone and mortar;
Four sees all in frozen water.

The Clayr rarely leave the mountain for any length of time; it is unheard of for someone of the Blood to leave the Kingdom and venture so far from home. Annisele left behind her daughter, Lirael, age 5, and told no one where she was going or why. That her decision to do this was motivated by a vision is assured, but she has not shared this vision with anyone. Indeed, the vision was not of herself, but of her daughter – Annisele had to leave the glacier so that Lirael can reach her own destiny, but she cannot shake the sense that she herself has a destiny to fulfill, as well. If asked, she will simply state that she has Seen herself in this place, at this time.

Clayr and Precognition

The Clayr do not see the future, but the futures, and are prone to temporal mistakes. Annisele may know the where, how, who and why, but not the when. Living part of her life the possible futures can diminish the perception of the present, or even the recognition that the present is present, not past or future. Visions may be sought, through light or full trance, but may also come unbidden. Visions may be strong or weak, fractured and incomprehensible or more real that the actual world.

Every Clayr Sees a vision of the time near her own death; not the actual death moment, but enough so that the moment of death does not come by surprise. As she ages, visions come more and more often, but are more and more fragmented and incomprehensible. This makes dealing with others, even other Clayr, almost impossible, and most elderly Clayr sequester themselves in Dreaming Rooms deep in the mountain. Younger Clayr attend these dreamers, knowing that they themselves will slip into this twilight of vision fragments near the end of their lives. Annisele has attended these women, and is disturbed by the failure of control over the Sight. She frequently has uncontrolled visions, even at a young age, and worries that old age will come sooner for her than for others.

She has been away from the glacier for about six months, making her way to the start of this adventure. She has earned money as a psychic, an occupation considered demeaning by her sisters. Among the Clayr, the Sight is revered, and reserved for King and Abhorsen, not a trinket to be sold in the market. She has discovered an affinity for spoken language that she did not know she had, which has made this journey much easier, and has come to some awareness of the impact of her physical appearance on others, especially men.