Salbda Cropswipe

[sunflashthemace]

Name: Salbda Cropswipe
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Species: Fox
Occupation: Farmer, Merchant

Physical Appearance: Auburn colored fur. Fur below jawline is white. Tip of tail is white. Fur from chest down to pelvis is white. Salbda wears grey slacks, a grey tunic that tucks into her pants with a dark purple sash wrapped several times around her waste.

The tunics sleeves run down to her wrists where they stop in a crimped fashion. She wears gloves for harvest time, but otherwise sports naked paws.

Atop her head is a large straw hat that covers most of her eyes, bright auburn ears poking out the top. Beneath the brim of her hat glint mischievious green eyes. Her body is lithe from years of toiling over her crops and traveling by foot to sell her wares.


Possessions: When her sash isn't wrapped around her waist it can be seen holding her scythe to her back. Her scythe was given to her by her father and she believes that it is the only thing she needs to survive.


Personality: Tough from years of survival on her own. Salbda is fierce, cautious, and smart. She doesn't consider herself a villain and shows outward disdain to anyone who treats her as such. Salbda can be playful and enjoys long nights cooking, feasting, and singing with abbey dwellers. She lives on her own on her farm and is perfectly content to keep it that way.


Strengths:

- Very skilled in wielding her scythe
- Smart
- Crafty
- Expert farmer


Weaknesses:

- Mischievous
- Thinks she is smarter and more clever than anyone and thus ignores advice
- Kleptomaniac
- Although she wields a scythe, she is not very strong


History: Salbda grew up on a farm with her mother and father who had birthed her at a late age. Living on the outskirts of Mossflower, they were able to live peacefully farming the land.

When Salbda turned 15, her father and mother had begun to age incredibly. Her father deemed her old enough to wield his scythe and on his death bed left her with one message, "Protect the farm and never cause friends harm. You are not a villain". The words were curious at the time and Salbda never paid any attention to them.

One day, at age 20, a pair of ferrets, strayed from their vermin pack, and happened upon her farm. Salbda found herself, scythe in hand, teeth bared, protecting her mother who had yet to die.

The ferrets attempted to overwhelm her but Salbda quickly slew one immediately with a sweep of the scythe before taking a dagger from the other to the side.

She fell to the ground as the remaining ferret advanced on her. She reached for the dropped scythe but the ferret quickly stamped on her paw, sending pain up her arm. Before the ferret could bring his dagger down a second time, Salbda watched in horror as her old mother flew from the open door of the house landing claws and fangs into the ferrets side.

The ferret was knocked over, but faught viciously, knocking the old fox off him and running his dagger through her. Before Salbda could think, she was up and bringing her scythe crashing down onto the ferrets head. Her mother spoke several words before she entered the Dark Forest. "Ferrets... villains..." was all Salbda caught before her mother passed on, but it was all she needed to understand her fathers previous words.

After that, Salbda set up many traps and deterrents to keep stray villains from finding her farm and she lived safely that way for 3 years.


Relationships:
Father - Jakran Cropswipe (deceased)
Mother - Shea Cropswipe (deceased)
Friend - Reggda Quickblade (Female otter that lives in Redwall Abbey. Very concerned about Salbda living on her own.)

Other: Salbda's scythe is approximately 4 feet from handle to tip. The blade itself is about 3 feet with the widest part being 3 feet. Rumors say the blade was constructed in the famous mountain of Salamandastron and fashioned to an expertly crafted handle made from hornbeam. Lord knows how Jakran got a hold of it.

[Tracy]

Is this finished? My only question is the ferret attack happened when she was 17, and she's now 23. A lot of her life has happened since then... so what HAS happened?

[sunflashthemace]

I know that the edit I did is probably a cop out, but your constructive criticism made sense. What DID happen between age 17 and 25?? I decided to change her age of defense to 20 as it was easier to explain off 3 years. Not to mention, after thinking about the way ferrets fight, and Salbda not having any battle training or experience under her belt, 20 would make a far better age.

What do you think?

[Tracy]

I'd still like to know what she's been up to. Does she ever leave or have visitors, or is she a hermit? Does she have any plans for life, or does she just want to stay at the farm forever? You said she's a merchant so she must deal with others.