Kestrel was born into one of the nomadic catfolk Grass tribes in Northeastern Ifri, during the "home-phase" of the tribe's travels. Approximately a year after her birth, her father left to put an end to a local bandit warlord's hold on a nearby trade route. This was the last Kestrel saw of her father for several years. Four years after her birth, her tribe started its nomadic journey once more. The young catfolk girl had a typical upbringing from this point, with her mother telling her flattering stories of her absentee father and of his eventual return. Eventually Kestrel stopped listening.
This lasted until her eighth year, when the tribe was traveling close to the outskirts of Albion. Her mother had grown terminally ill, and so Kestrel, her mother, and a close friend of the family (by the name of Blood from Grass and Stone) stayed behind in Albion while the rest of her tribe moved on. It is during this time she learned to speak Common and Cityspeak, notably marked by the local accent. Her mother steadily declined in health and cognition. By Kestrel's ninth year, Heather was bedridden and spoke of nothing but Gray's eventual return. Having come to terms with her mother's rapidly approaching demise, the young catfolk set out to find her father and bring him home to fulfill a dying woman's wish--leaving her bedcare to Blood from Grass and Stone.
She tracked her father through various means and followed a lead which led her to the Undercity of Kaddastrei during her tenth year. Unfortunately, the nature of Kaddastrei was not known to her at the time and she found herself stuck within its confines for Six years. During this time she learned much of what she knows now about being a rogue, and survived by various means she refuses to talk about to this day. What little is known, however, involves various improbable escapes from the local Hell Hounds and deals with very shady individuals.
During her stay in the Undercity, she managed to be put in a bad way where she found herself badly poisoned at the worst end of a severe motorcycle crash. It would have been her end had she not been found by one of the four thieves, Peregrine, who--with the help of a local goliath--saved her life. Something he only manages to bring up at least once or twice a year.
Six years after her arrival, Kestrel was beginning to think her stay in Kaddastrei was permanent. Then she met with the Lanternlight company, and through dealings with them and Peregrine finally managed to escape. In her euphoria at being out of the Undercity, she unthinkingly signed an adventuring contract and has been travelling with them ever since.
She has met several interesting people along the way, including but not limited to the youth Ein, whom she has decided to try and semi-take under her wing to "raise him right", and the winged-elf Gent that she shares the occasional tryst with when she's in town.
Most recently, Kestrel has reunited with her estranged father. The meeting was not particularly familial, and hateful things were said. Ultimately things were still left rocky when they parted ways, however Kestrel now carries his ring as a catfolk memento. What this means, exactly, she refuses to say. Her mood in general seems to be improved as she has also managed to acquire a new motorcycle, which she has dubbed "Casanova".
Tue Dec 10, 2013 6:58 am by bigbad486
Subject: Kestrel St.John