Lady Casra Calhaan

A young, blind, woman of noble heritage. She is a warrior in service of the Queen, but operates in solitude.

Appearance
Casra is not very tall by human standards. measuring 170cm in height (5'6). She has the characteristic white hair inherited from her mother, an uncommon feature, but one she is proud of. From her father she inherited her physical prowess. Despite her small size, her physical strength is above average, allowing her to move around in armor and swinging her large greatsword with relative ease. The most notable and only obvious flaw in her body is her blindness - she was born with it. Even though she can not truly see, she has developed the ability to "feel" her surroundings from her Tutor in Cantha. She feels tremors caused by people or objects, and can produce tremors of her own (unnoticeable by others) to "see" people.

Personality
Generally, Casra is a quietly reserved yet friendly person to interact with. She used to be more open in her youth, but her growing up and learning about the world had a profound effect on her. She never lost her kindness, however, and even though she was a noble she insisted not to have a servant with her as she didn't like having someone beneath her. Generally tries her best to help those who can't help themselves.

The Calhaan Family
The Calhaan family goes way back to the bloodlines of Ascalon. Closely after the searing in 1071AE, Captain Calhaan sacrificed his life for Ascalon to hold back a Charr batallion chasing Allied troops. Shortly after, because of the death of the captain, the Calhaan family, mere commoners at the time, decided to join the banished prince Rurik on his trek to Kryta. After the perilous journey through the Shiverpeaks was finally finished and they arrived in Kryta, but they were far from settled down.

Upon their arrival, the Calhaan family and the other refugees from Ascalon found themselves stuck in a civil war between the power-hungry White Mantle order and the Rebels of the Shining Blade. They joined the war on the side of the Shining Blade in 1072AE. After a 7 year long war, the Shining Blade, led by Salma, emerged victorious from the struggle. After being crowned the new Queen of Kryta, Salma raised the Calhaan family to nobility in reward for exemplary service and sacrifice during the long war.

Over a century and a half later, Divinity's Reach was founded as a bastion for human hope in Tyria. In 1220AE, the Calhaan family moved from the Ascalon settlement to Salma District to settle down. Casra is born there in comfort in 1306AE.

Personal Story
Having been born blind, Casra never got the youth her peers did. While they played out in the streets, she spent her time inside or in the villa garden, listening to her mother or her nanny tell her stories of the heroes of old, both those of their family and those of others. Because of this she developed a quiet, calm demeanor, and her disability caused her to have pity for those less fortunate than her.

When Jennah was crowned Queen of Kryta in 1316AE, Casra was taken to the ceremony by her parents. Admittedly, she didn't think she'd enjoy it at all, feeling bad about not being able to see the wonders and colours that were undoubtedly at display during the event in the grand garden of the central plaza. However, the sheer sound and ecstasy of the crowned drowned her sadness and had her listen closely to the cheers, the speeches given by Queen and Ministry generally inspired her. It is a memory she will never forget.

At 14 years old, in 1320AE, Casra voluntarily traveled to meet a sword master in Cantha. Gaining the young girl's trust, her tutor learned her a great deal of things, including the ability to "see". It had been hard to learn, but Casra had acquired the ability to see through motion. the gentlest of movements she or other people or creatures made would cause vibrations. These vibrations can not be felt by regular people, but to Casra they give a decent image of where people are about as fast as she would be able to if she could see. The Images are imperfect however, and directly touching a person or object, if allowed, gives her a far more precise image, perhaps even more detailed than what person with regular sight could see.

Early 1325AE, Casra received a letter from home. Her nanny had been found dead, and her parents missing. Casra hadn't finished her training, but was allowed to travel back to Kryta in order to find her parents. Her "sight" still improves daily, and so does her sword fighting. She is far from the perfect warrior, but good enough to look for whoever turned her life upside down.

Trivia

 * While friendly, Casra is a solitary person. She does not enjoy large companies and will avoid them if she can.
 * Casra is very respectful of her family name and will do whatever she can to honor it.
 * She can often be found in her house in Garenhoff, or travelling between the cities of Lion's Arch and Divinity's Reach.