Character Name: Ariel Diane Taylor

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Universe: Star Catchers

Canon or Original: Original

Appearance: Ariel can best be identified by her long, white-blonde hair that she always leaves straight and hanging down her back. She has soft, pale grey eyes that hardly contrast with her pale complexion. She stands at a meager 5'5", and weighs around 130 pounds. She's small, but what she lacks in stature, she makes up for in agility and grace. Her movements are always smooth, calculated, and confident. Ariel rarely ever smiles, and her emotions are often difficult to read. Her voice has a twinkling quality, but she manages to mask it with a sharp, cold tone. She has mastered the art of stoicism and indifference during her years of training. She has remarkable kinesthesis, which has been a huge advantage in her training. Her ears are pierced, but she always wears the same pair of emerald earrings. Even though her physical stature isn't the least bit intimidating, the air of confidence and superiority that she carries herself with prevents anyone from getting in her way.

Concept for Ariel's appearance:

Personality: Ever since her fifth solstice, Ariel has always been stoic, silent, and fierce. She shows little interest in others, and seems to be completely self-motivated. When Ariel sets a goal, she will stop at nothing to achieve it, and she has never failed. Her goal-oriented mindset keeps her from the silliness that others her age engage in, like friendship or love or anything of the sort. She is completely self-reliant and takes care of herself, as she has since her fifth solstice. She refuses help, whether it be financial or friendly, and prefers to problem-solve on her own. She is great at critical thinking and calculation; every move she makes has been played out in her mind beforehand. When Ariel hits, she never misses, and this applies to every aspect of her life. Despite her personal isolation and avoidance of human contact, Ariel is strong-willed and has a brilliant spirit. She does everything she deems worthy of her time with 100% effort, and never takes no for an answer. She is always moving, never stopping to rest or relax until long after the sun has fallen behind Mount Everlast. Ariel has little patience for people or things that waste her time. Anytime she speaks, it's usually to voice her opinion on things that she believes are wasting her time. Despite her every attempt to mask it and rid herself of it, Ariel is deathly afraid of heights and total darkness. Her only wish, and her prime motivation for becoming a Star Catcher, is to find the truth behind what really happened to her parents.

Any Unique Abilities/Skills: Ariel has the magical affinity for air.

History: The day of her fifth solstice was the day everything changed for Ariel. This is usually the case for all children of Esoria, but for Ariel, things were different. Ariel was born and raised in Deepwall by her parents, who were emerald miners. Up until her fifth solstice, Ariel seemed rather normal. Nothing about her was special enough to make her stand out from everyone else in Deepwall. But on the day of her fifth solstice, Ariel was pulled from her history lessons and informed that there had been a terrible mine incident, and her parents were nowhere to be found. Since that day, Ariel has rarely spoken a word, and she has instead risen in the ranks of her fellow peers. All family connections and friendships that Ariel had formed were completely ignored and disregarded. Instead, Ariel focused only on her Trials, leaving everything else behind. She showed a sort of potential, a sort of drive, that not many others in her region possessed. Something was pushing her - but no one other than Ariel knew what that something was. She excelled in most Trials she undertook, especially those involving weaponry or cooking. She was not as successful with the more time-consuming trials, like weaving or tailoring. Anything that she felt was a waste of her time was performed with little adequacy. Out of every Trial that Ariel attempted, she was excellent at hunting. Her balance, accuracy, and quick thinking made her a prime candidate for becoming a huntress after she completed her journey to Mount Everlast. But that wasn't what Ariel wanted. All of her training, all of her schooling and studying, it was all part of her plan. All Ariel wanted was to become a Star Catcher, so that she could have her wish granted and find out what really happened to her parents all those years ago. In Ariel's mind, she has nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Other Noteworthy Facts: Through her training, Ariel has a modest understanding of history, mathematics, and science. She has a remarkable sense of balance, and both her aim and accuracy are close to perfection. She is good at handling light weapons, especially a bow, and tracking prey. She is also great at cooking meals and working with food. Also, Ariel has developed an advanced stamina, speed, and agility through hunting.

Universe Specific Information: Star Catchers - HC Event

Storyline Specific Information: It was nearing their time. They had been through the trials, had learned all they could, and had decided upon their future professions; now all they needed to become full-fledged Adults, equal to any other in Esoria, was to reach the summit of Mount Everlast before midnight two days from now. If they were in place when the Meteor Shower reached its maximum, took in the light, and returned, their adolescence concludes. For most, observing the shooting stars was the final step; upon seeing its majesty after an arduous climb, they could bow out and return home, their trials complete, and take their place as full-fledged members of their community, taking on official apprenticeships or entering journeyman status in some regards, else jumping both feet into their career. But for some, for those young people who wished to make a difference in their world, there was an additional task, one that would automatically set them apart, separating them from whatever their birth, their hometowns, their families, their circumstances were holding them back from attaining, whether it be induction to higher education, to elite facilities, to the audience of a person of Power - this additional trial would put them on the fast path to a life free of glass ceilings.

For these few, the meteor shower is only the beginning. From the mountain top they need to track the path of a falling star and follow it to its landing site, obtain the star fragment, return to the capital and present it to the King. Only then, and for only up to five, and only to those who are present at the ceremony and whose presence throughout the trial is vouched for by the others, will they receive the tattoo, ring, and pendant that will open doors for them for the rest of their lives, and to only those five will the King grant a Wish - a wish that could erase their pasts or open new doors for their future. A wish that could provide funds for their future, could wave fees for entrance to their college or guild of choice, could make or bend the very law of the land, should their argument for such a thing be solid.

The quest is dangerous and difficult. Every year young men and women go forth, and maybe one group in ten returns with the star fragment - one group every ten years. The others return without the star and start their lives as they would have before, else they do not come back at all.

RP Sample: The journey to the peak of Mount Everlast was nowhere near as difficult as Ariel had thought. All these years of preparation, and the journey sure wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She wasn't the first to arrive to the peak, but she was definitely in the top twenty. It was refreshing to finally be done with that part of her journey, but she still had quite a lot left to do. With haste, Ariel had set up a small camp a little ways off from where everyone else was set up, preferring to dwell on her own rather than squeal over how, "We made it! We made it!"

She watched as more and more hopefuls made it to the top of the mountain, all with smiles on their face. Some of them, the ones she recognized from Deepwall, gave her wary glances, but they all left her alone. At least, for now. She knew that once her journey to become a Star Catcher began, she wouldn't be so lucky.

Ariel had been camped at the peak for a few days when the meteor shower finally began. The sky lit up with stars and lights, illuminating every face on the peak. It was the most magnificent thing Ariel had ever seen, and even she couldn't keep a small smile from spreading across her face. With all of the world's cruelties, this was one thing that was truly beautiful. The stars seemed to call out to her, her future just beyond the horizon.

She could not wait to catch it.

Accepted!