New Hope Character Information Sheet

    April 2001

    Originator of Character: Melissa Van Houten

    Call Name: Calypso
    Soul Name: Calypso

    Gender: Male
    Race: Elf
    Status: Alive
    Generation/Age: Born NH -792
    Origin: Silver Sands Holt, though he's done a lot of traveling. His most recent "home port" was Sagewinds Holt.
    Current Residence: New Hope, Sea Runner Household (he's the Head of the Household)
    Elder?: Yes

    Hair: Sandy-brown and sunstreaked, pulled into a tail that hangs mid-shoulder blade, full and wavy with a side part and long bangs.
    Eyes: Grey-violet, and any and all shades in-between
    Skin: Bronze (think of a California beach bum)
    Height: 4'7"
    Build: Broad and muscular
    Voice/Speech: A deep baritone voice that shows the strain of the salty environment he lives in. Though it's not actually raspy, it is husky and has a slight burr, but that only seems to make it sexier. Speaks with a heavy Scottish accent. He tends to speak rather than send, simply because it's easier, and usually only sends when it's important that he get his point across, or that his voice not disturb what's going on around him.
    Other Physical Attributes: Small scars all over, one large scar (stitches visible) from mid-calf to ankle on right leg --very old, some minor rope burn scars on the palms of his hands --also very old.

    Parents: Eclipse (Father, D), Nightstalker (Mother, D)
    Siblings: Sea-treader (Sister, D)
    Other Relatives: Black Hawk (nephew), Nightshadow (niece), Moonhawk (great nephew)

    Current Mate: Negotiable
    Previous Mates: Nightdancer (R, D, Lovemate), others as the mood strikes --all of them special.
    Recognized?: Yes, to Nightdancer
    Child: Pearl (daughter by Nightdancer)
    Closest Friends: Bilge, Peysol, anyone involved in shipping, anyone who'll listen to his yarns, just about anyone at all
    Bondbeast: None

    Talent(s): None, save sending.
    Skills: Sailing, whaling, fishing, weaving, sewing, storytelling, shipbuilding, ropemaking, leadership skills, playing reed pipes, swimming, scrimshaw, flirting, teaching, non-magical healing, firestarting, metal-working, smithing, other generic survival skills.
    Hobbies: See skills
    Weapons: Dagger, harpoon made from a straightened whale rib, large hunting knife (back is serrated for cleaning fish and cutting rope).

    Jewelry: Puka shell choker, scrimshaw pendant on sinew thong, braided rope bracelet on right wrist.
    Clothing: Summer: Brown suede boots with cross-gartering up to the knees and a cuff 2/3 the length of the boot, lilac hip-high leather breeches, natural undyed cable-style belt; occasionally add an undyed vest. When swimming, wears only the belt with a knife. Winter: Dark purple leather pants, undyed cloth sash, navy blue leather jacket with pearl buttons. In cold weather add a pale grey boat-necked shirt.
    Special Possessions: Harpoon, all jewelry, ship.

    Personality and History

             A sea-oriented elf that spent more time on his ship (the Cowrie) than he did at his holt, though he always returned in time to hunt the deepsinger. He left Silver Sands Holt after a waterspout destroyed the whaling fleet, blaming himself for his chief's death. He doesn't talk about his past, and doesn't ever intend to go home to Silver Sands. The only ones who have any idea what happened are Nightdancer and Surf; and Surf only because he was there when Calypso had a nightmare or two or sixŠ.
             A basically cheerful elf who enjoys wine, women (and men) and song --your typical sea captain/pirate type. Will honor the Council's authority while at the holt, but once aboard the Cowrie, his word is law. A stern taskmaster, he accepts nothing but the strictest obedience from his crew, though he still manages to make it a pleasant voyage. His only major quirk is that he disapproves of magic when a little bit of knowledge, cunning and elbow grease will do just as well.
             The scar on his leg is from a sharkbite.
             He's sailed along the eastern seaboard from the arctic waters to the southern continent, and stopped at many a holt along the way. He'd even sailed east over the sea until he was forced to turn back for supplies. Though he's stopped at many holts during his travels, he'd never settled at any of them long enough to consider them a home, only a "home port". His home is his ship, his family her crew. But though he's never stayed long at any one holt, he has been known to go back to former "home ports" for the occasional visit. His time at New Hope is the longest he's stayed anywhere after leaving Silver Sands.
             He landed off the coast of Sagewinds during the Halcyon season in order to take care of a few small repairs to the Cowrie. Those who had been sailing with him at the time had only been "along for the ride", and after helping him set up a shelter and working area left to regain their landlegs. He was found about an eightday later by a few Sagewinds elves that had followed their noses --and a horrible stench-- to a pot of boiling pitch. As winter was settling in, he decided to ride out the season at Sagewinds, then finish his repairs and be on his way in the spring.
             Over the course of the winter, he developed an affinity for an elf named Surf. They became lovemates, and by spring he had happily decided that Sagewinds would be his new "home port".
             Later that season, he and Surf discovered some "driftwood" on the beach that turned out to be an elf named Nightdancer. They brought her back to the Cowrie for nursing, and Calypso Recognized her. After the initial shock of Recognition, and Nightdancer's denial, they settled down into a relationship as shipmates, which eventually grew into being lovemates. Calypso never got around to asking her to lifemate before her death, but he considered himself her lifemate even if no one else did. This doesn't mean that he didn't have many lovemates though, not by a long shot.
             He was aboard the Cowrie, as usual, when humans attacked Sagewinds. He was unable to do anything for the tribe and was unwilling to risk his unborn child for a lost cause, so he pulled up anchor and sailed out of range of the humans. He returned a few days later to help the survivors and found the holt all but abandoned. He was scavenging useful things when he discovered Crystalmoth holed up in the vicinity. Taking what they could, they headed back to the Cowrie, swimming out to meet her when the humans found them. Calypso again weighed anchor, but this time he didn't look back.
             He and his crew eventually landed at New Hope and decided to make it their new "home port" due to the imminent arrival of his child, and the Recognition of one of his crew to a New Hope resident. He found the interest the New Hopers had in his knowledge to be quite refreshing (not to mention one helluvan ego boost) and spent the winter helping Peysol design ships that would accommodate all three of the resident races. Peysol invited Calypso and crew into Greenwillow Household. The following spring, another birth to his crew kept him landbound, so he decided to try his new designs. Surf, among others, unable to reconcile themselves to living with humans, built a small ship of their own and left, promising to visit on occasion.
             While attempting to visit friends at Great Water, the Cowrie came upon a shipwreck. Checking for survivors --and useful salvage-- they discovered Shadowbourne. They took her aboard for nursing, and continued on their way. Then, while setting ashore to pick up fresh fruit, they came very close to a Stinker scout party. During the night, a dark-skinned woman came to their camp, requesting that they take her son and raise him. While feeding her, they learned that she was a slave/concubine of the leader of the scout party and didn't want her boy raised by or among the Stinkers. Before they could offer her freedom as well, though, she disappeared into the night. The elves followed, and decimated the scout party, but the woman died. Since they now had two foundlings, Calypso decided that the trip to Great Water could wait, and turned for home.
             During the hurricane of NH 19 the Cowrie, not having a proper harbor, was severely damaged. Calypso decided to strip her down and rebuild her according to some of his and Peysol's earlier designs. He asked Crystalmoth and Khepri to shape him a protective cove and dry-dock in the North Cliff walls.
             Slowly, lovingly, he stripped the Cowrie, removing all of her outfitting until she was no more than keel, ribs and rudder. And then, with the help of his crew and some of the New Hope elves, he refitted her. By the time he was done he had a group of residents, humans as well as elves, wanting to learn from him. So he asked the rockshapers to extend the caverns in the North Cliff to support more ships and the people that were going to build them. While expanding the passageways, Khepri and Crystalmoth discovered old troll caves originally believed to be abandoned, but Pearl and Catspaw discovered otherwise while exploring. Calypso met with Bilge, who agreed to smith the fittings for the rebuilt Cowrie. The two formed a lasting relationship that went slightly awry when Calypso discovered his daughter's crush on Bilge's human apprentice.
             On the new Cowrie's maiden voyage a shark attack occurred during a lull in the afternoon. Calypso went overboard to try to save the children playing in the water. Nightdancer saw him go overboard and panicked. She also dove overboard in an attempt to stop him from being hurt, but died in the feeding frenzy. Calypso was devastated and collapsed from the strain. Mijo, horrified but what he had just witnessed, and knowing someone had to do something to save the captain, mimicked Calypso's voice and took quick command of the crew. Calypso found out about this later and chewed him out for it, all the time admiring his ability to take charge in a crisis. He decided to start training him to command a ship of his own. In the meantime, to cope with the loss of his soulmate, he threw himself wholeheartedly into his work until there was quite a fleet of fishing boats available to the New Hope settlement.
             By the time Calypso had a full, fully-trained crew for the Cowrie and the other ships being built, they had expanded to a point where Greenwillow could no longer comfortably support them. It was decided that the best course for all would be for the crew of the Cowrie to form their own Household; one that specialized in sealore, shipbuilding and sea harvesting. He had a series of chambers shaped into the cliffs by the cove and incorporating Bilge's tunnels, where the Household would live and where the ships would be protected from any storms that blew up along the coast. When asked what he would name the Household, Calypso decided immediately on Sea Runner ... the name of Nightdancer's lost tribe.
             When the Hidden Valley attack on New Hope occurred, Calypso and the Cowrie (as well as a few of the other fishing vessels) were at sea trying to replenish some of the depleted stores from winter. When he returned, discovered most of the Council Elders gone and heard Hidden Valley's terms, he began planning how to get around the "tax collectors". Eventually, he set up a rendezvous point with Tanana and joined the Black Market.


    Calypso's Character Style Questionnaire 

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