Oralia “Ora” Jansen

Alynastria Veldann had birthed and reared two half-human children, and she had learned with the first that such a child could not be raised on the timelines and expectations of an elf, but rather that of a human. A half-human’s ambition and impatience were better suited to living among humans than elves, and Alyna intended to prepare her third child, Oralia, for the day the elven woman would withdraw from her daughter’s life.

It didn’t quite go as she’d planned. Ora’s father Firenze had little involvement with his daughter and spent most of his days at the family business or partying with the other patriars. Among his family, only his sister Firelia was warm toward Alyna and Ora. The family matriarch refused to allow Ora to carry their “weighty” surname, offering Jansen as a compromise from an old Illuskan custom which named Ora of Jannath but not a Jannath. Alyna was delighted by the suggestion, as the suffix was similar to the negation -son in her own tongue, making her Oralia Not-Jannath.

With little input from her father’s family, Ora embraced her mother’s heritage and all the ways it set her apart from her haughty human kin. From her earliest days she enjoyed exploring magic, practicing swordplay and archery, and other skills her mother was happy to teach. Visits to the Hall of Wonders led Ora to experiment with mixing machine and magic, and Alyna encouraged her daughter’s curiosity.

The Jannaths’ xenophobic attitudes ironically mirrored the same small-mindedness that had precipitated Alyna’s departure from Evermeet three hundred years previously. Eventually growing weary of the disrespect and hostility, mother and daughter moved to Waterdeep.

Traits

“Respect is earned, not given, but if you treat me with respect, I’ll extend the same. I find joy in simple pleasures.”

Ideals

“I give little weight to the opinions of others: what matters is my own good judgement.”

Bonds

“It often seemed that it was my mother and I against the whole world.”

Flaws

“Some say I’m a perfectionist, but I say there’s no point in doing something if you don’t do it right.”

“I Know a Guy”

Ora’s mother Alyna is a bladesinger who has spent half of the last three centuries adventuring throughout northern Faerûn. Though Alyna recently left for Evermeet, she has promised to return to Waterdeep before the end of the year.

Friends & Enemies

Oralia’s Aunt Firelia is in good standing with Baldurian high society, but she also takes great delight in finding subtle ways to dig at her snobbish peers, not least of which is choosing to live in the Lower City instead of the Upper City. A patron of the arts, Aunt Fi helped fund Ora’s education through generous donations to the Hall of Wonders.