Aisling Melianme- Half Elf Bardic Warlock

Early Life:
Aisling stared out as many half-breeds might in this day and age: as an accident, the result of a trist between a human man who was charismatic and had a penchant for fine music and poetry, and a young she-elf from a fiercely traditional family. While they may have met in secret only once while he was passing through, it was all that was required for Aisling to be conceived. Upon discovering she was with child, Aisling’s mother confessed what had transpired, and because of her belief that life, even unwanted life, was sacred, she carried the child full-term. However, upon birth, Aisling’s mother forsook her daughter, and sent her away never again to have anything to do with her.
Her father is still puzzled as to how the elves tracked him down so quickly after his daughter’s birth, but returning to his rented room one night after performing for a town’s nobleman, he was shocked to find the infant lying in a wicker basket, sleeping peacefully, and an elegantly scrawled note declaring the child as his and her given name: Aisling Melianme.
Now, Arlan Weaver (her father) may not have been equipped nor prepared to care for a baby girl, but upon the realization that she belonged to him, he knew he would never be able to give her up. Fortunately, among the troupe that he traveled with, were several women who were more than happy to help the single father raise Aisling. And when the seasons proved too harsh to care for a child, Aisling spent time with her human grandmother. Between living with her grandmother, and traveling with the troupe, Aisling learned to love music, poetry and stories. She became practiced in many instruments, such as the lute, harp, and flute, though her favorite was the harp. Before her grandmother died when she was 10, she passed to Aisling an heirloom, a hand-carved harp that had been passed down through their family for years. Aisling cherished it, and always carried it with her.
After losing her grandmother, Aisling joined her father’s troupe and traveled around extensively, quickly becoming a favorite amongst the troupe for her clear notes and sweet voice. Traveling with the troupe has taken her far across the lands, by both boat and land, and she has traveled to far off places such as Wyllmochvar at least once every five or so years.
It was clear that she had a gift, and it was recommended that when she come of age, she should travel to the Bardic Colleges to learn to be a true bard. This became a dream for her, and she worked hard to save up enough money to be able to go. She was on her way to do just that, at age 21, when her life went off in a direction that no one could have forseen.

The Pact:
While performing in a small town for a night’s stay and a meal on her journey to the College, Aisling was approached by an impossibly beautiful man. He praised her music, and told her he had been an admirer for quite some time, and requested a private performance for him and some close friends the next day. Flattered, Aisling didn’t think twice about this and agreed.
The next day, she went to the designated meeting spot several miles outside of town, in a circle of strange stones just inside the forest. Though she was nervous to play for people who seemed incredibly prestigious, Aisling sang her best songs, ending with one in particular that told a tale of betrayal.
“Her father lived in the north-country, and he had daughters 1, 2, 3
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
As daughters walked by the river’s brink, the eldest pushed the youngest in.
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘Sister, sister! Pray lend me a hand! And I will give you house and land!’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘I’ll give you neither hand nor glove, unless you give me your own true love!’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam, until she came to the miller’s dam.
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
The miller’s daughter dressed in red, she went to the water to make her bread,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘Father! Daddy! Here swims a swan! It’s very like a gentlewoman!’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
He laid her on the bank to dry, and there came a harper passing by,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
He made harp pins from her fingers fair, he made harp strings from her golden hair,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
He made the harp from her breast bone, and straight it began to play alone,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
He took the harp to her father’s hall, and there was the court assembled all,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
He laid the harp upon a stone, and straight it began to play alone,
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘There doth sit my father the King, and yonder sits my mother the Queen,’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘And there doth sit my brother Hugh, and by him William, sweet and true,’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…
‘And there doth sit my false sister Anne, who drowned me for the sake of a man…’
The swan swims so bonnie ho…

When Aisling was done with her song, she was shocked to find that she and the man who had asked her to come were alone in the stone circle. She had not even noticed the others had left. He applauded her nonetheless and approached her, claiming that her last song had been by far her best performance and questioned why she had chosen that particular song. She answered him, saying that it had always been a favorite song for her, and that the thought of a harp that played and sang by itself was an enchanting thought, despite the tragic way it came into existence. A harp like that, in the hands of a truly skilled bard could produce some of the most powerful and influential magical music ever heard.
“Ah, yes. That would be a powerful item indeed. What would you do if it truly existed?” he asked her.
“I would probably search the world over for it,” Aisling replied. “If it really did exist, that is.”
“Would you bring it back to me, and perform for me again?” the man asked her with a raised eyebrow.
This question made Aisling quirk an eyebrow, but she nodded slowly.
“I would, yes,” she answered. This brought a smile to the man’s face and he approached her. He lifted a hand and extended to her a golden bracelet, decorated with expertly carved opal roses.
“A token of my admiration,” he told her as he slipped the bracelet over her hand and onto her right wrist. “I look forward to seeing you perform again,” he said with a smile before he turned and vanished into the trees.
After a few stunned moments, Aisling looked to the bracelet and tried to take it off to examine it closer. However, she found that no matter how she tried, it would not fit over her hand, in fact, the bracelet seemed to shrink in size until it could only rotate around her wrist comfortably, and black markings that looked like thorny vines seemed to extend from beneath the bracelet and wrapped around her left forearm. In her mind, she heard clearly the man’s voice, echoing with an otherworldly quality:
“The Pact has been made. The Archfey now has his Warlock. I grant you powers in return for your servitude, Aisling Melianme. Only when the bargain has been fulfilled will you be freed…”


Aisling carries several items with her at all times:

Harp+Lute Sub = Dital Lute


~Relationships~

Holly Rose~ Best Friend/Traveling Companion/Performance Partner
Ramla~ Friend? (Still getting to know each other)/Traveling Companion
Ash Rose~ Lover/Traveling Companion/ Holly's Older Brother

Angela Rose~ Respected Acquaintance/ Holly & Ash's Mother
Adraejen Porthyrius~ Acquaintance/Mentor in the ways of the Warlock/Consort of Angela
Iva Rose~ Acquaintance/Holly' & Ash's little sister
Sapphire Rose~ Acquaintance/ Holly & Ash's little sister
Belle & Fern Rose~ Acquaintances/ Holly & Ash's sisters.
Foxglove Rose~ Acquaintance/ Holly & Ash's Sister
D'Artagnan Tallow~ Acquaintance/ Foxglove's Protector