Talon

A PC of the Nowhere Knots, Talon is a Shifter Ranger.

Hometown (SPOILER WARNING)
Tor Allyn, Amadicia is a small rural town one or two branches off of the main trading routes, not well known to anyone outside of the region and unlikely to draw much attention from the capital at Amador. It appears on few maps, and generally only those that are quite old, when presumably there were fewer towns of note. Outsiders are rarely seen there - perhaps occasional traders or performers. They would have found a welcoming community of humans and earned a bit of coin, but inevitably would have moved on realizing there's little potential for growth, and the town seems fairly self-sufficient from local resources. The road to it dead-ends there, also, so few would have recommended it to other traders or performers as the time lost in back-tracking to the main road makes the small profit made in Tor Allyn seem hardly worth the trouble. The bards that sing of the place are rarer still than those that have visited, but they would sing of an idyllic, peaceful town where the moon shines especially bright even on the cloudier nights, and that the people seem so attuned to their place in the natural world there that a few of them even seem to have slightly bestial features.

The town is in the lightly forested foothills of the Mountains of Mist. The west is bordered by the front range of the mountains. There's mostly forest on the south side of town and the fertile farmlands are to the north; to the east the road winds through the forest which quickly gives way to the more typical grasslands. This relatively protected position is likely why this town is little noticed by travelers, mistaking any local references or signs as referring to a natural geologic feature of the landscape rather than a settlement.

Some travelers who did try to go to Tor Allyn have stated they either failed to find the road, or found it simply dissolved into a dense forest that seems uncharacteristic for the region. The more suspicious of these would have started to mutter that something unholy or arcane was afoot, but these people were quickly silenced by the number of those who could attest that they have been there in person, and could provide such consistent accounts that these individuals were laughed off as either incompetent navigators or drunkards. Such accounts seem to have increased lately and may have caught the ear of the Fist as their activity and numbers seem to have been increasing of late. However, there have been plenty of low-level Whitecloaks who have ventured there intermittently over the years and found nothing amiss.

The 'Moon-Touched'
The other defining feature of Tor Allyn is that some of its citizens do indeed have bestial features - mostly slightly feline - somewhat oblong pupils, slightly broader/flatter noses, prominent eyeteeth, ears in normal position but slightly pointed and  that move somewhat as if investigate sounds they pick up; and up close one can instead of the normal pattern of hair seen on humans' bodies they have more faint fur more evenly distributed all over - in the right light you might even be able to perceive stripes, patches or spots. They have been a presence there for generations and there may have even been some interbreeding between them and others. Everyone is aware that given the presence of the Fist it's best not to openly speak of these 'moon-touched' individuals too much, just as any minor magic that might be performed by those so gifted must be done  quietly and subtly and only when necessary. They keep to the forests and mountainous areas areas anyway, but can venture freely into town when necessary, and there are always moon-touched who have been part of the town leadership. They don't feel unwelcome in town and they trade and interact freely with other races, they simply prefer to live further into the wilderness than others are usually comfortable doing. As such they tend to be hunters and rangers of the grasslands, forests, and mountains, and are always the first to bring news of any outsiders coming toward town. No one really knows exactly how this came to be, but it's widely perceived that the peace and balance between the moon-touched and the other humanoids is tied to the good fortune (or divine protection) the town has enjoyed for generations.

Magical Protections
The town is protected by magical wards that hide it from most visitors and have allowed it to remain unassailed for generations. Visitors are infrequent enough that allowing a few merchants and performers that were deemed safe and trustworthy by the rangers that espied them on the road approaching is enough to counter the rumors of a town that seems as ephemeral as the mists of the mountains. The moontouched have found refuge there being feared by many in Amadicia and elsewhere (which has become even more vital to their survival as the Fist has gained prominence). Their fervent prayers to Selûne, channeling the faith of the other denizens of Tor Allyn have in their leaders, who in turn channel it towards the moontouched druids, maintain the wards to the benefit of the entire town.

Backstory (SPOILER WARNING)
The Fist's presence has been encroaching closer to Tor Allyn as their activity has been growing, trying to root out heretics in every corner. The forest and grasslands rangers have spied Whitecloak rangers in the environs of the town. The increased travel on the roads caused by this has meant more people finding themselves on the way to Tor Allyn, and it is getting harder to maintain the wards in a way that would go undetected. This has led to more outsiders visiting Tor Allyn, which has meant that inhabitants with more obvious moontouched features have been in hiding.

"Talon" is a travelling name; his given name was Renly Silverclaw. More on Renly:
 * Was born and raised in Tor Allyn and has never been outside of it.
 * Mother is Swiftstride shifter (Irena Lynx); Father is human (Rufus Silverclaw)  - both are also life-long Tor Allynians
 * Brother is Robert - 5 years older - also half-blood Shifter
 * All family of rangers of the forests and mountains (men and women).
 * Generally could "pass" as human without careful inspection - the unusual color of the eyes, prominent eyeteeth, slight shape of the face, the diffuse light brown body hair with faintly discernible patches of white under chin and on torso, and faint black stripes on the back and limbs.
 * Appeared like a human child until puberty when these features emerged, as happens with the half-blood shifters; after this parents began to explain the challenges "moontouched" might face, the need to conceal shifting, to hide ones talents of Darkvision, etc., that the bloodline confers, particularly around strangers.
 * Was raised learning the ways of the Rangers, how to survive independently in the wilderness (as per Rural Ranger description I wrote, basically); while  father and brother mostly preferred the forests, Talon liked more to explore the mountains with his mother, though quite competent in both; learned to hunt with bow, etc.  She taught him about the blessings of "shifting" and the need to use caution, as it can only be done sparingly and transiently when not in the light of the full moon.
 * He was always fascinated by the maps of the town and environs, but always wanted to know, as long as he could remember, what lie beyond the edges of the page, particularly across the mountains to the west; when mentioning this to parents they too felt the urge to explore but always redirected Talon back to home, to the terrain around Tor Allyn; this seemed to placate Robert but never satisfied little Renly.
 * Growing up here was naturally suspicious of the Whitecloaks and after the changes began to occur learned the reasons why hiding identity was necessary; began to feel that the world outside Tor Allyn was potentially hostile, but this did not dampen Renly's desire to see it.
 * Family was not especially pious - their 'religion' was more in communing with the natural world; however on occasion one might hear the word Selûne occassionally drop when one needed a blessing, and Renly and Robert picked up this habit, thinking little of it.
 * Father is one of the leaders of the town; has implied that one day one of his sons must take his place on the council.

As the Whitecloak activity increased the lessons started to shift. Now more focused on forests and grasslands, more about stealth and spying rather than hunting and foraging. Discussions about using hunting weapons to fight people instead. How to wield a sword. Mother began pointing out routes out into the mountains never seen before, as they led away from home not back towards it. One day, suppressing tears, she alluded to his curiosity about the maps and the mountains - "One day you may yet venture there, where the sun and moon set. If the time comes, let Selûne guide you, and never retrace your steps." This was the only time Renly had ever heard either of his parents say the name Selûne aloud and it caught him off guard - suddenly he realized there was more power in that word than a simple wish - it seemed to be describing something real, tangible. As much wanderlust as he had always felt, now that the thought that he may actually leave he suddenly knew homesickness, a sense of nostalgia for the simpler times. He wasn't sure if that was from his youth or because the world had changed.

The very next day Renly went ranging on the grasslands with his father and brother; the boys (by now young men, 18 and 23) learning more about the subtle differences in exploring this terrain. It was late in evening when they set out, the boys depending on their darkvision while their father relied on his years of experience. They opted not to carry weapons as they didn't plan to hunt. They eventually spotted a group of Whitecloaks that seemed to be headed towards Tor Allyn, as they seemed to be making camp. There was something different about this group - they seemed more heavily armed than the previous inquisitors and they came with a covered cart rather than on horseback, though there were only 3 of them. Sensing danger, Rufus held Renly back, and sent Robert ahead to investigate further. After a few moments they heard a noise - being less familiar with ranging the grasslands Robert had revealed his presence as they were carousing around the campfire and the men were started. Everything then happened at once: Renly glanced up and saw his brother shifting as the soldiers scrambled for their weapons. His father shout-whispered in Renly's ear - Run - without a second hesitation Renly shifted too, mostly out of pure fear, and bolted, feeling useless without his bow. He glanced back once and saw his father with a long curved sword which shone and glinted in the bright moonlight, sprinting in towards the silhouette of his brother, unarmed, and the 3 Whitecloaks, half undressed but arming themselves.

Renly ran back home to find the door open. His mother was nowhere to be seen. He sensed, however that there was no time to lose. He grabbed his bow and quiver, the leather armor for which he'd recently been fitted, and his pack with some basic items and left. He headed towards the front range of the mountains, avoiding the town, and tried to recall the paths and routes he'd explored with his mother, and headed south, using the hills, ridges and forested areas as best he could for cover. After several hours, now well past midnight, he found a spot under a cliff edge to camp which offered protection on three sides and full cover on the fourth. Exhausted he lay down on his bedroll and gazed at the stars, finally starting to examine what he'd see that night. He wondered what happened to his brother and father, what would happed to Tor Allyn, where his mother is, what he would do next. He thought about his father's long curved sword which he had never seen before. Why would his father even have a sword with him... it was much too big for him to conceal, but he didn't recall him carrying it. And how could it reflect the light of the full moon when, as he now noted, this was a moonless night.

The following day he recalled his mother's words and though he wanted nothing more than to see at least one of his family again before setting out, he heeded her advice to not retrace his steps. He continued south, mostly travelling by night and finding resting spots by day, foraging and hunting when needed, until he finally came to the outskirts of Amador. It was inconceivable the number of people that seemed to be heading there, the number and size of buildings he could see as he approached it, near midnight. He found it extremely confusing and sensed danger - he could tell that the road travellers included not a small number of Whitecloaks. He realized the only way to get past the city was to skirt the end through the mountains, and he thanked his mother, again, for her teachings as he trekked through the most challenging terrain he'd ever experienced.

Not long after crossing the mountains into Tarabon, Renly happened upon an enormous magical battle on the Rainbow Road, and his adventures with the Nowhere Knots began...