Viviani Dawnsong

Viviani Dawnsong was born 1457 DR, sometime in the heat of summer. Likely born on 16 Kythorn, delivered to the temple on the Solstice (20). He's not sure who his mother or father was, and no one ever figured that part out, but it's clear that he is an aasimar with very recent parentage.

Viv was raised by the clergy of the Song of the Morning, a large and impressive temple to Lathander east of the town of Beregost, part of the greater Baldur's Gate city-state. He never wanted for anything, and was raised in love and joy. They taught him all he knew, and he is grateful for that. However, all was not well within the temple walls, and it took him thirty-five years to realize it.

The clergy, though loving and kind to him, were corrupt. The church charged exorbitant prices for the boarding of travelers, and though what they offered was beautiful and grand, this was an unnecessary extravagance. In Viviani's opinion, they could have been offering modest lodgings at a modest price to far more people, and not profiting from their clerical work. This opinion was not shared by the clergy, however, and though he was not disliked or disrespected (they mostly wrote him off as naive), he found himself despairing over it for quite a while.

After a long time of prayer and contemplation, he felt that Lathander himself gave him the answer: to go out into the world, helping others in ways he could not while he remained at the temple, and someday he would find what he needed to bring the light back to his temple and restore it to just operation.

He bid a sorrowful and somewhat bitter farewell to the only home and family he'd ever known. They held no resentment for him, and bid him a fond farewell, saying he was welcome to return to them when he finally tired of wandering, sending him off with ample supplies. It seemed to him they thought of this as a bit of a 'rebellious streak' and figured he'd be over it and back home soon enough. He was determined to change their hearts and minds, however, and he ventured out into the world, seeking to do right by the Morninglord one way or another.

Viviani is a strikingly lovely-looking man. His complexion is clear and bright and his features are gentle and touched with youth. He has warm, sun-kissed fair skin and short, sleek, raven-black hair. His brows are well-shaped and neat, and his lashes are thick and dark. When he smiles, small dimples are visible at the corners of his mouth. He is only about average-height for a human man (making him short for an aasimar). He was born with cataracts, however they did not progress to the point of truly impacting his life until later in his childhood, around seven years of age. His vision has become poorer with age: currently, in good lighting, things look very blurry and colors are dulled, and in darkness he cannot see at all. Small lights in the dark (such as candles or lanterns) cause a lot of blurry glare for him. He often uses his quarterstaff as a cane to help him get around. He was also born with a pair of small, partially-mobile wings. He can stretch them outward and fold them up but their range of movement is somewhat limited. They feathered out nicely with age, but they will never be of any real use to him. Their pattern somewhat resembles that of a kestrel, albeit speckled with solid feathers in various shades of brown and white - these speckles vary greatly between each molt. He often keeps them folded, beneath his hooded cowl. He doesn't know if it's true, but he's heard people claim that, whenever he stands with his back to a strong light source (such as the sun itself), one could almost swear they can see a faint gold ring of light radiating from behind his head.

As with many aasimar, his eyes may be his most striking feature -- His corneas are clouded over, leaving no visible pupil and causing his blindness. Beyond this is a thick ring of deep brown, much like the eye of a raptor such as an eagle or a hawk. At first it seems his entire sclera is this deep color, but when he flicks his eyes to the side, a corner of white is more clearly visible. The cataracts have become more cloudy with age, but most of his bright gold, almost metallic irises are still visible.

He's very soft-spoken and gentle in mannerisms, and though his intense empathy often leads him to weep and mourn, he has a sense of optimism and hope that is rarely ever shaken from him, even when feeling such sorrows. He is a quiet man, usually only speaking when addressed and preferring to listen, but this does not mean he is shy or unfriendly. He deeply loves being around others and meeting new friends, and if you get him talking, he will gladly talk at length.