Hope Arlington
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Age:
Mid to late 40's.
Appearance:
A veritable lion's mane of long, thick hair is Hope's most immediately eye-catching feature - ash brown at the base of her head and fading to steel grey with silvery streaks at the top. A handful of pale freckles are scattered across her cheekbones and nose, though it is the brightness of her eyes which doubtless leaves the strongest impression - the faint crow's feet at their corners doing little to diminish their youthful enthusiasm. While at first one might assume they're brown, Hope's eyes are in fact a deep amber in hue, vividly golden when the light hits just so.
With her short stature, Hope does not strike a very imposing figure, though she exudes warmth and vitality. She's fit and fairly strong, with an energetic stride (though rarely a run unless needs must). She favours red, orange, yellow and gold tones, emphasizing her Lathandrite faith, but otherwise seems modest in terms of style.
Attitude:
Optimistic, cheerful and warm, Hope appears to welcome everyone she meets with the same sunny smile. She's generous with praise, but has no qualms about correcting what she considers ill behavior in others (regardless of who they are). Even these occasional scoldings are distinctly kind-hearted however, as though she simply believes she's showing the other person a better path. For their own good, naturally.
With regards to her faith, Hope's enthusiasm seems boundless, and she approaches adventuring with a similar eagerness. If her age catches up with her at all, it's inbetween or after adventures - and so she'll often doze off while others enjoy drinks and parties.
Background:
Hailing from a minor noble house on the outskirts of Heliogabalus, Hope Arlington was considered a golden child, gifted with both beauty, charm and a rare sweetness of spirit. For a family whose fortunes had been in decline for several decades, securing a match for such a girl was considered paramount. The young Hope, however, fell head over heels for a handsome but penniless squire to a crusading knight. The resulting scandal shattered the prestigeous marriage deal her family had already sunk their remaining funds into. With financial ruin hanging over all their heads, their daughter was hastily married off to a widowed merchant thrice her age, securing if not renewed status then at least sufficient coin to stay afloat.
Twenty odd years later and widowed herself, Hope has reclaimed her maiden name but left everything else behind for the church of Lathander. Twice the age of most other initiates, she nonetheless learned quickly, soaking up the teachings like a sponge. Now a freshly minted priestess, Hope has come to Peltarch to finally live the life that she wants - embracing her new beginning with open arms.
