AURORA DAWN-FLIGHT
AerielsCloud Farmer and Agriculturalist
"The sky gives us everything we need, if we're patient enough to receive it.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Misting Gardens, Outer Caelum
- Civilization
- Aeriels
Appearance
• Physical: Sturdy and work-worn with feathers that have faded from their original sky-blue to a practical grey-brown from constant exposure to garden mists. Her hands are permanently stained green from handling cloud-moss, and her wing feathers are clipped short to prevent them from dragging in the planting beds. • Clothing: Simple, practical garments of woven cloud-silk, reinforced at the knees and elbows. She wears a wide-brimmed hat made from woven reeds to protect her from the intense sunlight at high altitude. • Distinguishing Marks: Her beak is worn smooth from years of carefully tending delicate plants. She wears a necklace of dried seeds from every crop she's ever successfully grown.
Relationships
- Family - Her husband died of a lung sickness five years ago. Her three children have all left for "better opportunities" in the sky-cities. She has twelve grandchildren she rarely sees.
- Allies - Other cloud-farmers who share resources and knowledge. A ground-dwelling herbalist who trades seeds and growing techniques.
- Rivals - Importers who want to replace local agriculture with cheaper ground-grown food. Young Aeriels who see farming as beneath them.
Personality
- Traits: Patient to a fault, deeply proud of her work, suspicious of "sky-dreamers," surprisingly philosophical
- Mannerisms: Talks to her plants, clicks her beak in satisfaction when a crop thrives, becomes flustered when complimented
- Voice: Soft and slightly raspy, with the rhythm of someone used to long hours of quiet work. She speaks slowly, choosing words carefully.
Backstory
Aurora was born to a family of cloud-farmers and has never known any other life. She tends the same garden plots her grandmother tended, growing the specialized crops that can survive in Caelum's thin atmosphere and intense sunlight. Her family has always been poor, but they've never gone hungry, which is more than many Aeriels can say. She takes fierce pride in feeding her people.
Daily Life
Her day begins before sunrise, checking the moisture levels in her cloud-beds. Mornings are for planting and transplanting. Afternoons are for harvesting what has ripened and preparing it for market. Evenings are for maintenance - repairing irrigation systems, reinforcing planting beds, and planning for the next season. She works every day except during the week of the Star-Festival.
Story Hooks
- 1 Aurora's experimental crops are being sabotaged, and she needs help finding out who's responsible before the harvest is ruined.
- 2 She needs brave souls to travel to the ground and retrieve a rare seed that could solve Caelum's food shortage problems.
Narrative Value
Aurora represents the working-class Aeriels who keep Caelum functioning. She can provide agricultural knowledge and access to food resources. Her agricultural breakthrough could be a significant plot element. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════