Clothing and appearance : Adriena usually wears white wool shirts and breeches covered by a blue robe, a sturdy belt w/ pouches and two daggers, Adriena's parents always traveled. They never wanted children , but accidents happen. Having a child interupted the couples travels only long enough for the wife to give birth and recover a little. Soon after, the new family were on a sea voyage. Late at night the ship's captain was drawn off course by an evil mermaid and the ship struck a reef. All were lost, or would have been if another mermaid -this one of pure heart- had not come to the rescue. Adriena was floating in her carry basket about to be sucked under by the sinking ship when the mermaid found her. This mermaid was different from most in that she was fascinated by the human race. She took the baby Adriena to her cave and kept her until she came to realize that the baby would need other humans. Adriena's new nursemaid, so in love with the infant, set out to find the best possible home for her.

Adriena had been with the mermaid for almost six months before a suitable family was found. One night, while fishing late, Connor Von Hollan reeled in his first and only daughter. He was a large man, strong in both back and spirit. He was the father of six boys and a successful fisherman from a young, flourishing nation.

Connor was very proud of his family name and of the sons who would carry on that name when he pasted on, but he had always wanted a daughter. Someone who would remind him of the beauty that life has to offer, like his late wife did. He saw Adriena's arrival as a gift from the Gods.

Adriena was raised to be a strong, caring person, seeing beauty in all that she beheld; in her work (navigating her brothers' boats and mending nets), in her play (walking the beach and finding things to draw), in her family (taking the role of mother by the age of four, her brothers called her "bossy britches" but she loved the attention, and in strangers.

One evening she was strolling along the beach when she saw something in the break. She discovered a mermaid trapped in a fishers net. It was beaten and helpless. After freeing the poor creature she rushed home to get help. When Adriena and her besheveled family arrived the mermaid was gone but in it's place were six shinny scales, each the size of Adriena's fist. They were the most beautiful thing Adriena had ever seen. She was captivated by the encounter and for years after she was enthralled by stories of merfolk and magic. The true nature of the encounter was never guessed, for the mermaid was truly her savior coming to check on her progress. Convinced that she had done the right thing in giving her daughter to the Von Hollans, the mermaid left the scales, which were enchanted to encourage the deep love for magic that great magicians need. Thus was Adriena's path laid down.

Adriena, upon reaching the normal shearing age of 14, requested that she be sent to the magicians' school in a nearby city. She took on a job of copying maps , drawings and texts in a city library to help offset the cost of school. She loved her family and did not want to see them suffer any hardships at her expense. This slowed down her schooling some but she excelled in all of the tasks and assignments given her. She graduated in the top 10% of her class and immediatly began seeking ways to increase her knowledge by exploring the world.

Adriena's school was dedicated to finding it's students employment. This way they could keep tabs on all of their graduates, at least for a while, and enable them to stop the bad seeds before they grew into real problems for the magic community specifically and the regular populace in general. Adriena's mentor knew of her kind spirit and found her a place he thought would be safe. A place where she could continue to learn and grow. It turned out to be a nightmare.

Her new "employer" quickly grew too fond of her and made approaches that she refused courteously. One night he came to her bedroom and tried to force himself on her. She resisted as best she could and wound up disfiguring his face with her nails. In anger, he knocked her unconcious. Startled at what he had done, he could only think to get rid of her secretly and tell others that he had sent her off on a long assignment - somewhere. In reality, he gave her to a band of theives with instructions to remove her far from the city - without "using her" for their own pleasures. There was just enough gold in his bag to convince them to do so.

When she came to, Adreina was a long way from home and alone. She wondered the wood for some time until she was found by a band of elves. They helped her out of thier woods and set her on the road to home. Once she made it back, she confronted her "employer" with the help of her mentor ( who was very shocked at her story, but could not help but believe her) and set things right. Now, she has decided to find her own work.

Adriena's personality is one of charm and devotion. Her curiosity and eagerness to please always warmed her father's heart. Every time she skipped into the room to give him a kiss and an armfull of wild flowers, his eyes would swell up with tears - and not just because of his hay fever.

Where her work is concerned, once set to a task, Adriena is intent upon achieving it's final outcome, with as few mistakes as possible. Where her family is concerned, she loves each of them with all of her soul and hopes that her adventures will gain her enough wealth to retire her father comfortably ( hey I can live out my dreams in a dream world , can't I ??). Where magic is concerned, it's the only thing she desires strongly enough to get her to leave her family. Where strangers are concerned, she is courteous in approaching, thankful when helped, and kind when approached herself. Adriena is aware of "evil" and untrustworthy people, especially where timid and shy women are concerned, but she tries to find the good in someone first - before blasting them to smither.... um, excuse me.

Though not a violent person, she did grow up with many brothers, so she has a genuine liking for physical challenges as well as mental. She has learned to throw her daggers quite well, and has been known to bite during wrestling matches.

She loves the sea, her family, birds and flowers, walking. She hates braggarts, mustaches, and poor food/spirits.

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