Thallia

See Gorgon Biology for information on her transformation.

Thallia Rendroot is a 14 year old girl from a farming village near Myvara. She is the eldest of five siblings. Her younger sister, Vaerin, is 12. Her first brother, Drennar, is 7. Her next brother, Kaelric, is 4. Her youngest sibling is an 18 month old girl named Syrale. She lives with her mother (Caevra), father (Ravik), and paternal grandmother (Lioren). Drennar is the next in line to inherit the farm.

Her family runs a persimmon orchard as their primary source of income. The family also grows millet and papaya, tends a vegetable garden, and keeps chickens and goats. Along with tending to her younger siblings and helping her mother with chores, helping on the farm consumes much of her time. She has sung in the temple choir since she was a little girl and is considered the best singer in her village.

Thallia's day usually starts with waking up on the loft, under the mosquito net she shares with her younger sisters. She wakes up Vaerin, who then goes to wake up the boys, before waking up and changing Syrale. After the siblings are assembled downstairs, Vaerin looks after the other children while their mother and grandmother prepare breakfast. While her father goes and surveys the fields, Thallia checks the chicken coop, opens it, and checks the birds. After repeating this with the goats, she returns and eats breakfast with the family. Depending on the day, she may either be working in the vegetable garden, cleaning up after and tending to the animals, or taking care of her siblings. Depending on the point of the season, she may be helping with the millet or orchard, especially during harvest. After dinner, the family gathers around the hearth and listen to Lioren tell stories or relax. As night falls, she helps put the animal up before bed.

Thallia prides herself on her sense of responsibility and her observance. She is often the first of the children to notice the weather pattern and her father often takes her through the fields to help him look for blight and pests. When not in the fields, she is helping her mother tend to her younger siblings, something that has forged a sense of patience in her. She is not emotionally expressive and tends to keep her feelings to herself.

She is a devout follower of Cyridia, loves singing in the choir, and attends as many temple events as she can. She wears a small tin pendant around her neck depicting the flame of Cyridia. She is also fastidious in maintaining the hearth. She prays to Cyridia every night to keep her family and their plants and animals safe and healthy. She dreams of one day being a flamekeeper and helping arrange musical events for the priest.

Thallia is deeply self conscious about her delayed puberty. She has pulled away from other girls her age because she looks like a child compared to them. She feels humiliated, seeing other girls her age blossom and the way the boys look at them and ignore her. If other girls ask her, she tries to change the subject as quickly as possible. To make matters worse, her younger sister Vaerin has started puberty this year and is already taller than her. Her mother and father try to hide it but they're worried. Several healers and clergy have been over to the house to look at her upon their request. They only make it worse by trying to comfort her and assure her that she is just a late bloomer.

Thallia doesn't mind taking care of the baby and quietly dreams of motherhood, although the two older kids get on her nerves much more. Some part of her knows that she will marry some farm boy and move into his homestead, have a family, and live a life much like her mothers. Right now, there is not much time to think of such things and not much of a point until she hits puberty.

Thallia dislikes bugs, mice, and small lizards. Thallia still has a childish fear of the dark, her mind running with fairy tales till she scares herself. Her least favorite chore is anything involving the chicken coop.

The pendent she is wearing contains an experimental iria crystal that is part of Project Second Sun, a confidential project overseen by the Golden Hand. This pendant is responsible for her delayed puberty and transformation into a gorgon. She received the pendant as a reward from Priest Marnik for her excellent singing for the Weepingsday festival in her village.