Charys

Hailing from Lys, Charys is a red priestess recently dispatched to Westeros for the purposes of reinforcing the faith in the wake of the Bleeding.

Appearance and Character
Standing 5’10” tall, Charys cuts a striking figure. Possessed of an athletic form that suggests activity rather than fertility, she boasts a physique suited for the rigors of travel both by foot and horseback; she is not, however, a woman devoid of the features typically reserved for femininity. As if to compensate for the hardness of her body, Charys’ face is highly symmetrical, pale, delicate and mask-like in its perfection, commonly regarded as unusually beautiful; her keen eyes are as suited for gazing into the willowing flame as they are peering into and smoldering the hearts of men.

A stern, if not frequently harsh woman, Charys is utterly devoted to the cause of the red priesthood; she is not, however, without her charms, and is capable of proving herself quite charismatic when she so desires. She is as intelligent as she is wise, and as well-suited to converting the simple-minded as she is defending the faith against that of other orders. Hers is a philosophical mind, and she is equally able to form complex arguments as she is to speak in parables more easily grasped by the common lot.

As is the case with the rest of her order, Charys’ wardrobe knows only the color red. She typically wears sleeveless robes, as to showcase the array of serpentine bracelets circling about her arms. Her lips are ever rouged scarlet, and her eyes oft-shadowed gold, as if to give off the effect of a sunburst. Her bearing and appearance gives off a stately impression, calculated to appear exotic to the sensibilities of Westerosi aristocracy.

Charys is an Cyvasse enthusiast, and said to be quite skilled at it.

History
In another life, Charys might have served a suitable bride for the highest lords of the land; born as she was to a humble yet moderately successful Lysene merchant, she was sent away by her father to a red temple at an early age, in hopes that such a gesture might curry favor with the Lord of Light. Naturally perceptive, Charys proved to be a quick learner, and as her mentors shaped her mind and spirit, so grew her devotion to R’hllor. As the years passed and she began to read the flame, her superiors were impressed with her clarity of her visions. Wishing to wed this gift to her considerable charisma, the red priesthood dispatched her to Selhorys with seasoned disciples in 433 AC. It was on this mission that Charys first made a name for herself outside the order.

For several years, crop yields in the Selhorys farmlands had proven disappointing due to a confluence of low rainfall and an overreliance on livestock. Perceiving in the flame what she believed to be a vision of the coming year, Charys approached the city’s landowners and made a bold prophecy: if they would but sacrifice a fifth of their cattle to R’hllor, the Lord of Light would in turn bless their fields with a harvest more bountiful than they had seen in a decade. Although the landowners were at first hesitant to make such a sacrifice, Charys and her fellow priests persisted in their efforts to convince them, and eventually the requisite sacrifices were made. The following year, much to their delight, the farmers of Selhorys saw bumper yields from their lands, such as had not been seen since the turn of the present century. Regardless of whether R’hllor had actually intervened in the affairs of man, or Charys had simply been perceptive enough to recognize overgrazing as playing a major factor in the prior years’ poor yields, word of her “miracle” spread like wildfire throughout western Essos, reinforcing the faith of many in the Lord of Light in the region.

In the wake of the destruction of the red temple in King’s Landing and the events of the Bleeding, the high priests and priestesses of the order sought to prepare and organize a new generation of disciples to venture out and spread the red faith. As the dragonriders of the Stepstones had joined forces with the Triarchy in the Alliance of the Narrows, the red leadership saw great opportunity in pushing westward across the Narrow Sea in their efforts to re-establish the faith in Westeros. Convinced of Charys’ potential, her superiors selected her to spearhead a mission in the region. Early in 438 AC, Charys began to prepare for her journey to the Stepstones, and toward the end of the 8th moon of that year departed from the red temple in Lys.

Quotes
''“Consider the stars - the great fires of the heavens. Placed there by the Lord of Light, they illuminate our way even in the darkest nights among the deepest of depths. Yet the stars also serve to illustrate an important point; as they burn brightly, eternally radiant in the heavens, so they remind us that in this imperfect world, fire ever requires fuel - a sacrifice to keep it ablaze. If we are unwilling to sacrifice, so shall this world be as the abyss beyond: cold and dark, devoid of life. There will come a day when light shines forth without end, but to bring such radiance into being, we must be willing to offer up our very selves and souls as kindling.”''