Player Name:	Ruth	Nock: Winner of the GWA '04 "The Empress"
Player E-mail:	Email Ruth
Character Name:	Nock
Gender:	Female
Age:	328
Soulname:	Noko
Origin:	Native
Soul Siblings:	None
Family:	- Topaz: Father (deceased); - Goodeye: Mother (deceased); - Drizzle: Daughter (deceased); - Darkrider: Cousin (deceased); - Tobin: Grandson;
Lovemates/ Lifemates:	None
Recognized Mate:	None
Magic:	Far Eyesight
Skills:	Archer, hunter, cook, beecharmer, gatherer, Holt guardian. Her years of wandering made her independent and very self-reliant, a survivor. She has many surprising skills she doesn't advertise (she speaks two human languages fluently, and she can milk a goat and make cheese, and she knows a lot of hexes, and...). Leather braidwork, she crafts sheathes, quivers, belts, and rope for trading.
Weapons:	Bow and arrows, hunting knife.
Personality:	Quiet, guarded, solitary, subdued, watchful, observant, rational, industrious. Although quiet, she's not shy or timid, she's just comfortable with silence. Anti-social but never rude: she would never tell someone to leave, would instead take it upon herself to escape. Is used to being self-reliant and on her own. Knows her own limits; dislikes being indebted to others. Tends to roll with the punches, take a step back, keep a cool head and an emotional distance. A listener, likes stories, legends, tall tales, history, enjoys discovering new things and words. Forthright, self-motivated. Footloose, doesn't like to be tied down, she doesn't keep much of anything -- all her worldly possessions can fit in a knapsack, and she could be gone in a flash. Protective of Stormrise Holt and her tribemates, but craves solitude. Distrustful of appearances -- she doesn't take anything at face value. She left Stormrise young and full of spunk to see the world. She returned wiser, world-weary, and disappointed, a completely different person. Doesn't talk much about her years away from the Holt. Doesn't send unless necessary (in emergencies or with intimates), and doesn't like anyone sending to her uninvited, feels it's an invasion of her mind and privacy. That's one of the reasons why she doesn't live with the tribe. Those who knew her back when can sometimes catch glimpses of the old, carefree Nock, but those flashes are rare. Not good with people, but she prefers a crowd to one-on-one interaction. It's easier to hide in a group. She tends to be monosyllablic whenever she can get away with it. More comfortable talking about things than about herself. Her solitary nature has taken a toll on her social skills.
Likes:	Being alone, target practice, howling at the moons, watching the moons, yummy food, honey, watching the humans.
Dislikes:	Being badgered, having her space invaded, being rushed, being questioned, people who refuse to see reason, thinking too much, outsiders.
Fears:	Pain, death, the usual stuff. That her wanderings cost her any chance at happiness and a real family. That some of the pain and ugliness she found in her wanderings will find its way to Stormrise.
Appearance:	Average height, 4'2", average build, strong arms and shoulders. Willowy, feminine, but stronger and tougher than she looks, a force to be reckoned with when crossed.
Marks/Scars:	She has some tattoos from her wandering days, mostly unseen. The most noticeable is her tattooed left foot and ankle, with scrolling designs in bright blue and black.
Hair:	A mix of white, gold, blond, and brass ringlets. A short mop of tight, kinky curls held back with a raggedy, beaded headband.
Eyes:	Lavender, muted with a little gray; very similar to Tobin's eyes.
New Green Clothes:	Colors tend to be earthen or neutral, with a few colored assessories, such as beads and embroidery. Her clothing is always worn-in, mismatched, patched, and a bit raggedy at times. A thick leather over-vest/jacket, grayish-brown with age, embroidered with lots of leatherwork, a good tough hide that serves almost as armor; faded-burgundy shirt underneath with short sleeves, belted at waist; long, loose, patched brown breeches; goes barefoot in warm weather, but wraps her feet and ankles; archer's glove and arm brace.
White Cold Clothes:	A worn-out brown and gray cloak; long-sleeved shirt under the over-vest with wrappings at the wrists; two pairs of breeches tucked into furred boots; and gloves.
Jewelry:	A leather cord choker decorated with beads and an arrowhead. Pierced ears, wears gold hoops.
History:	Nock grew up at Stormrise, with a normal, happy childhood. Took Brace as a lovemate when they were teenagers. When a wanderer came to the Holt, Nock was consumed with curiosity and wanted to see more of the world and learn more about other elven tribes at about age 25. She tried to talk Brace into going, but no luck. She stayed a while longer because she didn't want to leave Brace, but the wanderlust became too strong. So she took off and was gone for a couple of centuries. She visited with the Sun Village, found a couple of other elven tribes and stayed for a while, found some friendly humans, and even traveled for many years with an exiled "demon witch" human until the woman died. When Nock returned to Stormrise, she had her 2-year-old daughter with her. She didn't say much about the father, just that she wanted her child to grow up at Stormrise. When Drizzle was in her 50s, Nock disappeared. Everyone thought she was gone again, wandering, but they found her at the winter quarters. After which, she set herself up as guardian to the elves' homes, living at the Hurst when the tribe was at the winter quarters and at the winter quarters when the elves were at the Hurst. Nock has spent the past many years watching the humans near the winter caves, but keeping out of sight. Since Wildlight never acknowledged the humans (until recently), Nock has never raised the subject. If anyone asks, Nock knows a bit about the humans. She finds the humans interesting, uncomplicated, and comforting in their predictability. Nock is a native Stormriser, but she doesn't spend much time with the tribe. She stays in the winter caves during the spring, summer, and fall, then moves to the Hurst during the winter. She will stay with the tribe for a few eights of nights when the elves trek to their seasonal quarters, but then she takes off again. She sees herself as guardian to the tribe's empty homes; it makes her feel useful and gives her the solitude she needs. Nock spends most of her time away from the tribe. She is self-sufficient and self-reliant. She trades honey, honeycomb, candles, pelts, herbs, and leatherwork with the other elves of Stormrise to get other essentials she needs but can't make herself. Nock is not the best of grandmothers. She's very reserved around Tobin, he rattles her a lot, without even knowing it. Many in the tribe expected Nock to take the orphaned boy in when his parents died, but Nock saw Tobin's attachment to Darkrider as a burden off her shoulders. Cubs belong with the tribe, anyway. When she's with the tribe, she'll make an effort to be affectionate to Tobin, but again, he really throws her for a loop.
Bond Beast:	Nock hasn’t had a wolf bond in a long time, but she considers herself a wolfrider.