Davina

image made with Portrait Workshop

STATS
Name: Davina
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Adventurer

Description: Davina is a stout woman with a tanned skin, bronze-coloured hair, brown eyes and a bulbous nose. She's broken it on a couple of occasions and it stands out quite a bit in her face. She is otherwise muscled and used to wearing sturdy clothes with lots of pockets.  
Personality: Practical, pragmatic and painly aware of the unrighteousness in the world, Davina strives to make the world a better place for those that live in it. She's vowed to make roads, forests and dungeons safe for people who need to traverse them and will do her job with pride. 
Skills: Mapping, survival
Enjoys: a quiet night camping
Dislikes: getting her nose broken once again

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STORY
Davina waved the burning torch above her head, hoping to catch a glimp of the ceiling. But it was wasted effort as the light of the flames did not reach a barrier. A faint breeze meandered through the hallways but as soon as Davina focused on it, the wisp of wind seemed to vanish into nothingness. 
The plucky adventurer sighed and trudged on. She'd been asked to map this dungeon and map it she would. She would call this place the Forum of Darkness. Or maybe the Expanse of Nothing. How would she guide people through it? Although she first needed to make certain it was in fact prosperous to do so. For all she knew, the Hall of Shadow might just lead her to a solid wall to end this part of her exploration. Stranger things had happened. Her internal compass was telling her she was headed in the right direction, but it had been fooled on prior occasions. 
As Davina walked on, the paved tiles beneath her feet grew damp and mossy. Nearly slipping on a few occasion, her pace slowed. At least there was a change. Around her shrubs sprouted, dampening the echo of her footsteps. Phosphorous lichen formed patches all around her and the air grew heavy and moist. Breathing became harder as she pushed on, water starting to drip down from the unseen ceiling. 
One of the drops fell onto her torch and a loud sizzling disrupted the calm of the maze. The sound seemed to echo and bounce back, although it sounded different. Davina readied her sword and waited. 
"Who is it who wanders in my domain?" 
"Who speaks to me, show yourself!" Davina replied.
Two bright eyes, larger than her hand, appeared and as her eyes adjusted, Davina could make out a dark blue head, brown fins and lighter blue fur. 
"Dusbekor Dacia has claimed this place." the winged sea serpent proclaimed.
Though in fact the half Cascatan, half Drak had just arrived here. It was however a cosy, sheltered place with not too much foot-traffic and that seemed quite ideal for a home. 
"Davina, explorer for the realm." Davina responded.
Dusbekor motioned to Davina to follow her and not much later Davina was sitting next to a camp fire on a soft patch of dry grass. Stars twinkled above her head, or were they patches of lichen? She wasn't quite certain. 
"What is it you seek to explore?" Dusbekor asked.
"A shortcut from the city of Rutos to the plains of Garyu. It would be a great advancement."
"Ah, then you must be off by a bit. I believe there are plains more to the west."
"That is possible. I would be grateful if you could point me in the right direction. I would not want to impose on your home."
"It would be nice to be left alone. Although, maybe I could also guard this path you speak of?"
A dragon could survive on hunting alone, but Dusbekor wouldn't mind some variety in her diet and a paying job would help her to obtain some luxuries she wanted but had not dared to dream of.
"I'll ask about that." Davina promised, imagining it would be nice to come back here later. 

Dusbekor relaxed as her bond Davina prepared the skewers for tonight's feast. Cooking over an open fire held some appeal even though the dragon could basically roast the meat with just a thought. A few weeks had gone by and the shortcut was mildly successful. There were few monsters to worry about although Dusbekor had maybe exaggerated the dangers she would help keep the travellers safe from. Maybe that's why it was still nice and quiet in her chosen home. 
Davina passed around the cooked meat and asked:
"Are you happy here? Isn't it lonely with just me?"
"I can pretty much fo anywhere and be back in a flash." Dusbekor confessed, "I have not had reason to leave though."
Davina looked at her bond in disbelief, how had she failed to mention that before?
"It just never crossed my mind that you would not be able to do it."
"There's only one thing left to ask then." Davina said, "Where are we going on a trip?"