Maryn Ward
Maryn is a young girl with hair as white as the sea foam that kisses the shores of her quaint ocean town. Her eyes, a piercing blue, mirror the vastness of the sea she calls home. Born with a curious spirit and a gentle demeanor, she often wanders along the beach, collecting peculiar seashells and pebbles, lost to the whispers of the waves. Her life has been simple yet enriched by the lore and myths spun by the town's elderly residents, which has fueled her imagination and thirst for adventure. Her mother, a renowned local artist, often tells tales of a legendary mermaid that grants artistic talents to the pure of heart. These stories have led Maryn to believe that she, too, is destined for something great.
What Does she look like
Age: 22 How old does she appear: she appears young for her age, often being mistaken for a child. Eye Color: a piercing blue that mirrors the vastness of the sea. Glasses or Contacts: no Hair Color: White like the sea foam of the ocean. Style: Long hair braided with seashells, pearls, and jewelry woven like lost treasures found on the shore.
Clothes: While at home, Maryn wears white clothes that are lightweight and flow in the breeze. She often leaves the house without shoes on as they aren’t a necessary part of life in Beirdset. When Maryn leaves on her adventure she wears light brown leggings, a flowy white crop shirt, and a blue cloak that brings out her eyes. Because she leaves on foot she also wears an old pair of boots, which are often forgotten once she reaches the castle.
Weight: 132lbs Height: 5”7 Type of body/build: Very slim build with long legs. Skin Tone: Fair but tanned with years spent by the sea. Shape of Face: Heart Distinguishing Marks: a scar that traces over her left ankle, a remnant of the time she accidentally stepped on her father's fishing knife. Freckles: None Moles: None
Predominant Feature: The first thing someone would notice upon looking at Maryn would be her large blue eyes, then perhaps her long legs and her white hair. Health issues: None growing up but when she finds herself away from the salt water she develops eczema on her hands, arms, and legs.
Favorite Things
Favorite Color: Seafoam green or Lotus Blossom Pink Least Favorite Color: Rust like they find on the fishing boats. For her, it represents decay and a loss of beauty. Favorite Music: The people of Beirdset enjoy a type of indie guitar music with flat hand drums. Additionally, they play large drums when the sailors return home. This song is Maryn's Favorite because it means her father and brothers have returned. Least Favorite Music: The trumpet song played when the ships leave. Food: Buttered salmon toasted over the fire and kalua pork. Literature: Fantasy adventures where she dreams of being swept away on her own adventure. Her mother tells tales like that of mermaids and kraken. Expressions: Eyes gleaming with excitement.
Mode of Transportation: Sailboat Daredevil or Cautious: Cautious Habits of Character: When Maryn gets extremely invested in what she is saying or feels a specific strong emotion about it, she gestures wildly with her hands and becomes short of breath from talking quickly.
Drinks: Yes Mostly What: Most of the town are sailors who enjoy ale, Maryn however, enjoys rum with fruit juice. When and how much: She will drink ale with her father and brothers but mostly enjoys her own cocktail on special occasions. Drugs: None
How does she spend a rainy day: On the coast, it often rains and life doesn’t change for a little water but when the thunderstorms come, everyone gathers in their homes to play games, tell stories, and share a drink with their families.
Where Does she come from
Hometown: Beirdset, loosely translated, means “Designated Shelter or Safe Place”. It was founded early in the continent's history and is the main export for fish, salt, and seal furs. These exports make Beirdset a simple yet rich place to live. First Memory: It was late afternoon on a very sunny and hot afternoon. Her brothers were ruff playing in the kitchen and all Maryn could do was laugh at her mother trying to get them out of the way as she cooked. Even Mom couldn’t hide her smile as they jumped around.
Most important childhood event that still affects her: One day the sailors were expected to return home and there was a huge thunderstorm. Maryn and her mother waited on the porch, looking out at the tempest over the sea, listening intently for the drums that signaled their homecoming. All night they waited in the cold, Maryn falling asleep on her mother’s shoulder. In the morning everything was wet, stiff, and cold yet there were still no drums. The whole neighborhood of wives, mothers, and elders congregated in the town center to make a large breakfast of kalua pork and fried foods, in preparation for the sailor's homecoming. Maryn was devastated and confused, why keep hope for them when they were so late coming home they must be gone. Her mother told her to “Keep the hope” and sure enough, the drums played and the sailors all returned home. Education: A simple education, mostly on life on the coast but Maryn is very skilled in reading and writing. More importantly, she was always taught how to think, and get herself out of tricky situations. Religion: All the people on the coastline believe in an all-powerful God who created life and continues to watch over them. Finances: The whole town of Beirdset is well off, being the only export of salt, fish, and seal fur. Maryn’s family is a working family that wants for very little. Her mother is an artist and her father and brothers own and run most of the salt-harvesting ships on the coast.
Take a deeper look
Most at ease when: She can hear the roar of the waves lapping at the shore and the wind blowing through the reeds. Ill at ease when: The thunderstorms strike in the rainy season. Thunder and lightning ripping across the sky and sometimes her family is out at sea. Priorities: Going on the adventure she has always dreamed of. Philosophy: Seeing meaning in the mundane. Everything from the seashells on the shore to the art she created with the paint they make. Beauty is all around her and adventure can be found doing anything. How she feels about self: There hasn’t been a moment where she stops and thinks about herself in a self-seeing way. Maryn takes life one moment at a time and doesn’t tend to look back on things but rather forward.
If granted one wish what would it be: To see the future, see where her family ends up, see what the ocean brings to shore, and see how the sky changes with each sunset. Greatest Strength: Seeing the bright side of things and helping others to “Keep the hope” Greatest Weakness: Sometimes she puts on to bright a smile and tries to pour from an empty cup. Soft Spot: Her family, especially her brothers. Maryn can sometimes pretend she doesn’t care for them, they are too rough and too different but family always means the most to her. Is this soft spot obvious to others: To her close friends and family yes, to the average person it will always seem like she dislikes her brothers. Biggest Vulnerability: Can there be anything more vulnerable than family? Optimist or Pessimist: Highly an optimist
Why: That memory of the thunderstorm where her mother told her to “Keep the hope.” Introvert or Extrovert: A little bit of both. With her friends and family, she is boisterous and an extrovert but when it comes to meeting new people or seeing acquaintances, she comes across as introverted. Why: Some things feel safe to her, and that is her family mostly. Anything else feels unexpected and even the ocean can be predicted by a seasoned sailor. Drives and Motivation: That longing for adventure drives her. Fueled by her mother’s tales of the deep ocean and the sailor’s tales of the great beyond. Talents: Art and music have always come naturally to Maryn but she also has a talent for the sea. Watching the waves hit the shore for countless days has taught her to read the signs the water gives. She can often tell when it will be stormy or when the best waves for surfing come around. Maryn can outsurf both her brothers and most of the village. Extremely skilled at: Making that perfect shade for a painting out of the shells she finds on the shore. Extremely unskilled at: Cooking and baking. No matter how much her mother teaches her these things, something always ends up burnt. Good characteristics: Kindness and courage instilled in her from birth, Maryn carries generations of knowledge inside her about leadership, compassion, and optimism in the face of danger. Character Flaws: With the weight of her family’s history on her shoulders, Maryn has a big fear of failure. She feels guilty for her deep desire to run away for that big adventure she yearns for. The drive to be perfect pushes down on her and makes her life choices for her instead of her heart. Mannerisms: Playing with her many braids, twirling at her jewelry. Especially when nervous. Peculiarities: Some items that wash up on the beach are very peculiar and Maryn loves to collect them, sometimes even find a use for them.
Biggest Regret: The fact that she remains at home, living her adventure by the little things every day and not leaving the small coast town to find something more. Minor Regrets: Things like not catching a big wave and falling asleep on the beach while he brother purposed and she almost missed it.
Darkest Secret: Something she has held on to forever is the fact that she is completely in love with her best friend from childhood, Beckett.
Does anyone else know: No one knows, she has always been too scared to tell anyone.
Family is everything
Mother: Maylea Ward Relationship with her: As the only daughter, Maryn was always very close with her mother. They do most everyday activities together like baking, cleaning, and art.
Father: Soren Ward Relationship with him: As a head of the village, Soren was always very strict in public, but Maryn is his only daughter and will always hold a soft spot in his heart for her. He will often give her what she asks no matter the cost and won’t tolerate her brothers picking on her in his sight or her going out with any boy in town. Siblings: There are two Ward brothers, Caspian and Clyde, twins. They are a few years older than Maryn, already running their own ships and paying their dues. Clyde is even engaged to the girl down the street, Poppy Hayweather. Everyone in town can’t stop talking about the wedding. Caspian has dated a few girls but isn’t ready to settle down. He resembled Maryn more like that, looking for adventure beyond the small coastal town.
Extended Family: The town of Beirdset may be small but the families are large. Maryn has many aunts, uncles, and cousins she can barely name them all. The most significant extended family relationship she has is with her Grandpappy. He is a weathered old sea man with many stories to tell. Maryn is always willing to sit on his lap and listen to them, no matter how many times he tells the same one. Relationship with them: Other than a few cousins she would rather not be seen with, Maryn gets along very well with all her family. Her brothers get on her nerves often as they are loud and obnoxious, but she loves them all the same.
Character Name: Maryn Ward (mare-in)
Nickname: Ryn
Meaning of Name: The name Maryn has many origins and meanings but the Latin origin of the name means “Of the sea” or “Drop of the sea”. The surname Ward is a Gaelic name meaning watchman, guard, or a musician like a bard.
Reason for Nickname: shortened
Race: Human/Kelpie
Who She is
Flowing with the strength of the tides and the grace of a gentle stream her powers harness the raw essence of water both serene and devastating
​Early Stages: She can make water ripple, swirl, and dance, using it as a distraction. Small streams can be redirected, but she struggles with precision.
Mid-Tier: She gains finer control, forming whips or blades of water that can slice through objects. She can send powerful jets of water to knock enemies back. With focus, she can condense moisture into small amounts of rain.
Full Mastery: Water bends entirely to her will—she can summon waves, create crushing torrents, and form near-solid weapons. In extreme conditions, she can drown foes by manipulating the water in the air or pulling it from nearby sources.
​Early Stages: She can mend small wounds, soothe burns, and reduce pain by hydrating cells. However, healing is slow and takes deep concentration.
Mid-Tier: She can restore more severe injuries—broken bones begin to set, deep wounds close faster, and she can revitalize exhausted individuals by replenishing their bodily fluids.
Full Mastery: Nearly any non-fatal injury can be healed. She can repair damage at a cellular level, preventing scars and reversing the effects of dehydration or poison. However, reviving the dead remains beyond her reach.
​Early Stages: She can induce small, involuntary twitches in small animals, slightly altering their movements. The effect is weak and requires intense concentration.
Mid-Tier: She can subtly influence the motions of larger creatures, including humans, making them hesitate or shift against their will. Holding someone in place for a short time becomes possible. However, the mind instinctively resists direct harm.
Full Mastery: She can manipulate the body like a puppet, restricting movement, forcing gestures, or making an enemy drop their weapon. However, she cannot make someone take a life—self-preservation instincts still override her control. The power is strongest under moonlight, when water influence is at its peak.
​Early Stages: She can create small sparks within water, shocking anyone in contact. She can briefly overload nerves, causing muscle spasms or short-term paralysis.
Mid-Tier: She learns to store and release electrical charges in her own body, using them to amplify attacks. Storms become her allies—she can summon lightning strikes in wet conditions.
Full Mastery: She can summon full-scale thunderstorms, calling down lightning at will. By manipulating electromagnetic fields, she can propel herself through the air, briefly flying using bursts of energy. However, overuse drains her quickly, requiring a recharge.
​Early Stages: Her tears carry an unnatural purity, revitalizing the soil and making plant life near her flourish. Small aquatic plants bloom in ponds, and fish seem more active and healthy in her presence. However, she has little control over what benefits from her water.
Mid-Tier: With more focus, she can infuse water with rejuvenating energy, making stagnant pools fresh again and accelerating the growth of aquatic ecosystems. Rain that touches her skin becomes rich with life, healing minor ailments in those who drink it. Animals and people who bathe in waters she blesses are more energized.
Full Mastery: Her water becomes the stuff of myths. A single tear can purify a poisoned lake, restore entire underwater ecosystems, and even extend the vitality of those who drink from it. Legends whisper of springs touched by her power that grant longevity, and some say she could bring a withered land back to life with just a single touch of water.
Kelpie Form
Maryn turns into a kelpie, a creature from myth that resembles a horse.
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Coat: As a kelpie, her coat matches her white hair in human form.
Mane: A long cream mane drips down, reaching towards the water like willow branches. It’s woven with seaweed, pearls, and lotus blossoms.
Eyes: Like in her human form, her eyes are dazzling blue, but as a kelpie, Maryn’s eyes glow like a subtle wave of the sea.
Physical Abilities: Maryn has many physical abilities that don’t compare with a normal horse. She is able to breathe underwater and run through it like an open field. Her hooves are weapons and can kill a man with one blow. Water does not obey the laws of physics and continues to drip down her mane to her hooves, hooves that can walk on the waves like they are solid ground.
Beirdset, Norshire
The town of Beirdset is located in the country of Norshire. Even though it is the capital, Beirdset is one of the smaller villages along the shore. The Country is run by an elected Jarl and each town is run by its own Thane. While the Jarl usually serves his entire life, Thanes change every few years. The current Jarl, Silas Coldwell, has been in his position for 8 years now. Summers are hot, but the sea breeze is cooling enough for the people. While Autumn is chilly, especially at night, the days are still bright. Days begin to grow shorter and colder as it moves into Winter. Jackets are worn and the wind blows hard and sharp. Sweet relief comes in Spring, also bringing the refreshing rains that revigorate the Country.
