Zeph Huntswift

This is an ongoing page, due to the character being played currently. Players, please beware spoilers! "'If you make fun of my literacy barrier, just know your dog and I roast you behind your back' --Zeph, frustrated."Zeph is a Wood Elf Druid hailing from the newly discovered Halil. She is one of the members of Team 7 from Axford Adventuring Academy. Joined by her giant eagle Abby, the two take the rest of Alterra head on.

Appearance
With hazel eyes and copperish skin, Zeph is the typical Wood Elf. Her rapid training keeps her more fit, but her small frame and young age still adds a soft look to her otherwise sharp facial features. Her unmaintained dark hair falls a bit above her shoulders; when active she keeps it in a crown braid.

As a symbol status within Halil, she is accompanied by her Giant Eagle Abby, who is frequently on her arm or flying closely. She has two gold ink tattoos: a pair of eagle wings on her back and a vine roping around the entirety of the left arm, touching the wings. Wearing her father's hunting trophy--a Saber-toothed tiger claw--and an engraved pendant around her neck, she keeps her home close to heart.

Clad in green-tinted leather armor, her trusty shortbow, and scimitar, Zeph is ready to support however she can. Not used to the colder environments, she wears a fur hooded cloak. Off the battle-field, she'll ditch the armor for more casual, loose-fitting clothes. Due to growing up in a very hot climate, much of her clothes are thin Halilian garbs. Her clothing is adorned with colorful patterns, leaning towards earthy tones. Proud of her achievements and homeland, Zeph is drawn to clothes that show off her tattoos--preferring sleeveless or low-backed tops. She continues to wear an arm guard for Abby to perch on even in casual wear.

She carries a worn-down knapsack filled with various books, her journal documenting various plants and animals, and vials of dirt and plants. A sleepy Abby can be found taking refuge in there.

Background
A born and raised Halilian, Zeph is the youngest in the respected Huntswift family. Her father, Fenric Huntswift, is a high-ranking officer known for his remarkable hunting skills. Both her parents carry a reputation, with her mother, Caira Huntswift, being a powerful druid. With the couple's combined nature abilities, the Huntswifts became an authority within Halil that lived up to their namesake.

Zeph and her older sister, Eilleth Huntswift, were raised to be proud of their family name. Eilleth began training with the hunters the first chance she got, determined to follow in her father's footsteps. Although determined, Eilleth did not inherit her father's hunting skills. One hunt, Zeph was brought along to support Eilleth. Zeph garnered their father's attention when she displayed a natural ability finding animals and traversing the treetops. Showed up by her sister, the two became at odds ever since. At Fenric's insistance, Zeph began training to join the hunt alongside Eilleth.

While happy to fulfill her father's wishes, Zeph preferred to stay on her mother's side, interested in druid powers. While her father encouraged her to dedicate herself to the Halilian hunting traditions, she spent all her time tending to nature alongside Caira. After her training and hunts, Zeph would go straight to Caira and tend to the plants and wildlife. She often based her studies around nature, choosing to focus on documenting plants and animals, herbalism, and animal-care. Over time Zeph would shirk her hunting training to explore animal dens and collect plant life. One day she took

At her daughter's insistence, Caira took Zeph as her protege.

Zeph is fifty years old (twenty in human years) during the events of Tales of Riverside.

Tales of Riverside
In the Tales of Riverside, Zeph is a player character accompanied by her familiar Abby. She arrives at the Riverside docks in hopes of attending Axford Adventuring Academy, to prepare her for the world outside of Halil. After getting getting robbed and lost in the city Zeph finds refuge in the Krusty Kraken, planning to prepare for the AA Academy Placement Tastement. Through a bar fight and breakfast buffet, Zeph meets Marius Castellan, Mar J. Yuanna, Kavinna Dimtunnel, Pringles Maan, and Irithiel Adaan. The group join forces as Team 7 for the AA Academy placement test.

Relationships
This section focuses on Zeph's opinion on the character, their relationship, and notable interactions.

Team 7
Irithiel Addan

Indifferent

''She's pretty quiet, and when she does talk it reminds me of my dad. Not in the best way. She shared food with Abby but she also asked me to sneak into people's rooms and grabbed my necklace...''

Kavina Dimtunnel

Curious

[Zeph]: ''Weird name, so knife girl it is. Abby says that if she perched on her head they would be as tall as me. But I don't think she'd get close enough. She seems familiar with some stuff though, hopefully she won't mind questions.''

[Abby]: ''Bar fight and being woken up in the middle of the night was not a good introduction. Waking up to an interrogation, going back to sleep, and then waking up 10 minutes later to smashing glass? Not fun. Kavina seemed to appear with a warning sign with "stay away," on it. It's too bad Zeph can't read.''

Marius Castellan

Indifferent/Respected

''He stabbed someone in the eye and then himself, so I'm glad he's on our team. I wonder if he'd wanna come on a hunt with Abby and I.''

Mar J. Yuanna

Friendly

''Berry boy? He smells weird, but Abby defends him insistent that it's just sugar cane or something. She's definitely biased but I can see why. He says he'd help me read and he likes plants so I think he's neat.''

Pringles Maan

 Indifferent/Friendly/Annoyed Depends on if he's a frog, holding bagpipes, or just there

''Abby gets jealous of other animals I befriend, so keep this between us. Frog Pringles was better, but tall bard is alright too--when there isn't any screeching bagpipes. I don't know why he keeps going on about 'chips' but I hope I get to meet his 'potato' people soon.''

Quote

 * "Er- well you don't look a day over fourteen!" --Zeph to Moira, after the latter congratulated Team Seven on their "success" in the First Dream Sequence of the AA Academy Placement Test.
 * "Guys! I read something! His name's Cthulu!" --Zeph to Team 7 during their combat encounter with Karthus during the Axford Adventuring Academy Placement Test.

Dialogue

(Zeph is reading over the shoulder of a Krusty Kraken patron)


 * Zeph: "mhm... mmmm... alright..."
 * Patron: "Erm... excuse me, I'm trying to read."
 * Zeph: "Yeah, me too. (under breath) emphasis on try..."

(Mar teaching Zeph about the cultural delicacies)


 * Mar: So, ice cream! You need milk, sugar...


 * Zeph: (pauses taking notes) Oh! That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask about your sugary smell. Did you get a scent or a perfume?


 * Mar: Uh, sorry? I’m not into girls.

Trivia, Extra

 * Zeph is illiterate (excluding Halilian writing).
 * This does not stop her from attempting to read any common in sight.
 * If she does succeed, she has trouble interpreting phonetics (ex: reading Karthus as Cthulu).
 * She'll turn to Abby for reading help, but it isn't consistent.
 * During the introductory first session, Kavina Dimtunnel attempted to pickpocket Zeph upon their arrival to Riverside, only to stop after a mysterious woman got there first.
 * Her first time chugging half a gallon of drinking coffee was the Krusty Kraken breakfast buffet the morning of the Axford Academy placement test.
 * Her healing spells involve "growing" plants within the wounds to repair them.
 * An example would be in session 6 during the Axford Academy placement test. Mar J. Yuanna was injured during the Mimic encounter; to cast the healing spell, Zeph surrounded the wound in soil and planted various seeds in it. She then recited a Halilian chant, causing the seeds to sprout into vines that sewed the flesh wound together.
 * Zeph communicating with wildlife includes adopting the animal's mannerisms (if talking to a frog, her speech becomes croaks, and so on).