Sonadora Van Liefde

Sonadora Van Liefde

Sonadora Van Liefde (Dream of Love) is aged 16 summers and is a Druid Halfling. She stands barely over three feet tall, weighs 32 pounds, and has leafy green eyes, curly black hair that hangs in tangled rivulets down her back. Her skinned is tanned from spending so much time outdoors. She speaks softly but firmly and decisive. Her clothes tend to be rather startling for a druid. She enjoys bright colors and will often wear a bird feather or a crown of flowers in her hair. She loves clothes with pockets and she has a terrible habit of picking up items that interest her, such as rocks or leaves or more. She has no qualms about taking other peoples belongings believing that nothing is owned. She often gives away things when she feels she doesn’t need them or is finished with them. She will even give away other’s peoples belonging if she feels that somebody needs it more.

She is a very quiet Halfling, but insanely curious about everything about her. She thinks carefully before speaking and only speaks when necessary, preferring to let others hang themselves with the noose while she listens and plots. She can say much with her face or actions. One of her favorite things to do is play advocate, often presenting the listener with both sides of a story and leaving it up to another to decide. Or, she will say something that sounds meaningful, deep, and full of wisdom, when in fact she didn’t mean anything by it at all. It is her own private form of amusement to watch the faces of others while they struggle to find the meaning of her words. She relishes her own personal freedom and has a bit of a stubborn streak to her. If somebody commands her to do something with haste, she will deliberately move slowly. Or if she is ordered to bring food to somebody in a rude manner, she will bring the food and dump it in the person’s lap. She is more likely to help out those that are too weak to do so for themselves, primarily children. She is less likely to help adults unless the situation is not of their making. Laws mean nothing to her and she follows her own moral code.

She has lived in the little town of Sundown her entire life, mostly because she is waiting for the right time to begin wandering, but also because it has the comfort of “humanity” and the local of wilderness. Sonadora alternates between yearning for companionship and thirsting for solitude. When she is feeling the former, she will often sit in the town central market or beneath the canopy of the Bit of Shade where she can sit alone and listen to others. When she feels the latter, she will often disappear for a weeks into the forest where she roams with her wolf companion, Vida. Though adults are sometimes confused by her actions, the children love her. When she chooses a person to befriend they get no choice in the matter. She will be absolutely loyal to you and often the friend will find himself being chased down by someone or otherwise engaged in some kind of terrible mischief that Sonadora sees nothing wrong with…

Her parents were killed by a beast that attacked the town when she was four years old. (This is also when she met the wolf that would become Vida's mother.) Her father, Rohas Van Liefde, was a strict but forgiving man who lived and breathed the earth. He was very dedicated to his work and rarely ever spoke (and only in monosyllables when he did). He believed that actions spoke louder than words ever could. He was deeply in love with his wife, Cataria, and it was solely to her that he bared his sensitive soul. At night you could often her loving whispers coming from their bedroom. Cataria was opposite from her husband. She loved to talk (to her plants, to her daughter, to the cow, to the neighbors, to strangers, to herself….). When she wasn’t talking she was singing and her plants thrived on the sound of her voice and care. She was also extremely touchy and would hug outright strangers and would often cry at the drop of a hat whether out of joy or sadness. Being a healer was the perfect profession for her because she simply loved to help people.

When Sonadora’s (age four) parents died in the raid, a female wolff with white fur and kind blue eyes surrounded by distinctive black fur (raccoon eyes) found her huddled near the edge of the woods. The wolf guarded her and then kept her alive after the raiders were gone until her mother’s sister (Aunt Madaca d’Got) found her a few days later. The wolf was sent to Sonadora by the Goddess Sheela Peryoyl, and it was on that day that Sonadora became a druid.

After the raid, Sonadora remained under her Aunt’s care until she died when Sonadora was eleven years old. Madaca was a tired and sad woman. Her husband Joelth was also killed in the raid. She had no children. She was emotionally distant from Sonadora and spent most of her remaining years withdrawn into her mind. Before the raid, she had been an expert horsewoman and very inventive with an excellent wit and sense of humor. After Madaca died, Sonadora has taken care of herself. The townspeople attempted to, but after numerous disappearances they finally gave up. It was during this time that the wolf who had protected Sonadora gave birth to a litter of puppies but, unfortunately, died along with the majority of the litter while birthing them. A single pup survived and Sonadora, unable to resist taking care of an animal even when it was not in such dire straits, decided to take care of him. Vida, as Sonadora named him, had adopted his mother's rather unique coloration and the two have traveled together ever since.

Despite her strangeness, Sonadora is well loved by the townsfolk of Sundown and many come to her when they need a willing ear, to help settle disputes, and even to receive marriage counseling. She treats everyone with respect and humor whether they deserve it or not. If they are rude to her, she will maintain politeness or just ignore them. If is degenerates into violent behavior, she will thwack them unconscious with her quarterstaff, kick some dirt on them, and move on with her life. She always considers the consequences to her actions before doing them, but in general, she doesn’t really change her course.

In regards to battle, killing is always a last resort. If possible, she prefers to sneak by, wait out the problem, or just beat it unconscious and then leave the problem naked many miles away. However, should any harm be done to a child or defenseless person, or to an animal solely for pleasure, Sonadora will make sure that the problem never comes up again. She is known to give one warning of displeasure before calmly and coolly dispensing with the problem. She will never harm a child, she will never kill an animal in vain, nor will she cause severe physical harm to a defenseless person.

Her biggest motivations are protecting the underdog, living her life as fully as possible for those that are not able, and she has a secret yearning to make her parents proud. Four words that sum her up: independent, thoughtful, curious, amiable.