Crystarella Gildencoven- High Seas Free Spirit

Screen Name: Crystarella
Character Name: Crystarella Sharif "Gildencoven"
Gender: Female
Race: Hume
Age: 21
Main Job: Corasair
Subjob: Ranger
Other Jobs: Theif
Birthplace: San d' Oria
Residence: San d' Oria
Family: Omar "Lucky" Sharif (Deceased), Mother- Unknown, Adopted Grandfather-Albert Gildencoven (Deceased)

Appearance: This Hume woman keeps her black hair cut short and her eyes almost always hold a "sparkle" of mischeif. She is seldom seen without a hat or a gun by her side. She has been described as "cute and pretty" though this may be more owing to her personality than any great beauty.

Personality: Crysta is a mischeivious free spirit with a happy-go-lucky attitude. As likely to do something "not quite legal" as "legal" as long as it serves a logical purpose. Sassy and fun loving she goes where her fancy takes her at the time. A huge flirt, she'll flirt with any male she meets enjoying it as a casual passtime but often will have small romantic attachments not liking to be alone long, though she has yet to meet a man she's fallen in love with since her first great love.

Background:

Crysta's story began when she was abandoned on the steps of the San d'Orian Cathedral as a baby left with a gold pendant and a note explaining her sad story. She was then found by a thief named Albert Gildencoven, who at first was drawn by the gold, but instead was captivated by the girl.

He was fond of telling Crysta the story:

An ol’ crusty thief happened to be passin’ by and saw sparkle ‘bout the babe’s neck. Bein’ a greedy old cuss he picked up the babe with the intention of taking it for his'elf. The infant smiled brightly and out o’ curiosity he read the note sighin’ at her sad story. Placin’ the infant down havin’ relieved her of her burden he turned to leave but the child wailed as if her heart had been broke. The man’s heart went out to the child ’n each step he took further away the more he pitied her. An old elvaan priest came out the doors just as the ol’ thief turned around ’n sadly watched as the babe continued to wail while the cleric tried to comfort her.

Then the ol’ thief did something he neva thought he’d do he turned ‘round ’n took that gal child from the preist chidin’ him for his lack of child carin’ skills. The gal she grew quiet as quick as the ol’ thief coulda picked a pocket an’ then she smiled at him. With that smile that there babe succeded in stealin’ somethin’ from that ol’ thief he thought he had locked away a long time ago, his heart. When the priest asked if the gal baby was his seein’ as how quiet she got when he picked her up the ol’ thief did somethin’ he was very good at- he lied.

This here babe is my grandchild ’n I’ve come to take her to my house” he said.

Well that elvaan looked him up ’n down and seed what his manner of dress was like ’n so he asks, suspicious like, what was that gal’s name ’n ifin’ he could tell how she came to be there. Now the ol’ thief he knew weren’t no name on the note ’n seein’ as how she had a crystal set in that gold pendant he says without hesitation. “Why this here gal’s name is Crystarella ’n she was abandoned by that fool son o’ mine cuz his wife went an’ died.”

Since he knew the story ‘o the gal ’n he seemed so convincin’ the ol’ man got away with the best loot he eva stole a granddaughter ‘o his own to pass on all he knew about thieving ’n the like.

‘N Crystarella she grew prettier ’n prettier ’n as smart as a whip. She helped her poor ol’ grandpa with his scams ’n he watched over her made sure them over neer-do-wells neva hurt her or messed with her. ‘N that’s the way Crystarella became princess of the thieves.

Though she grew up in a nest of theives and cons crysta was well loved. Crystarella has had a rather sheltered life for one raised by a master thief. Due to her Grandpa’s notoriety and his open threats to any one “who so much as thinks o’ layin’ a hand on my gal” she was well treated even thought of as a mascot of sorts to the gang. The whole den o’ thieves treated her like a Princess and she was spoiled. She was a natural pickpocket and her sweet face disarmed many object of a con.

After her grandpa became a successful con though his downfall came perpetrating a huge scam and most of his gang were eventually caught. Most scattered to the wind to avoid being picked up leaving Cry on her own for the first time. With out her many protectors she found things a little tougher but she pulled through and managed keep herself low profile and still steal enough to eat. Sassy, flirtacious and fun loving she naively still thought of her existence as an adventure.

Crysta’s luck changed when she happened to be drinking in a tavern with her bestfriend at the time and a knight happened to be there. He spoke to her and following her usual pattern with handsome knights she flirted with him. Little did she know in time her flirtations with him would develop into genuine love. She moved into his manor living in the lap of luxary while he helped her gain a clean slate with the San d'Orian officials and make headway with legitimate connections. Though she was looked down on by the nobles as a "kept woman".

Just when things seemed good she was hit with a double tragedy. First her Grandpa died while being held in the dugeons under the elvaan palace. Then her Love was killed in the line of duty. Heartbroken, she at first was unsure of her future but once again her luck seemed to turn around. Her lover, having no living family, left her his estate and money. Her Grandpa left her the location of his 2 million gil stash from his great con and the note left with her. She retrieved the stash and now found herself very wealthy in a still unfriendly area of town.

Wanting a change of scenery she looked to the note. The name of her father was signed and she found mention of him returning to Al Zhabi. She sold the manor and bought a ship and procured a small mog house. She began a shipping company and took the ship to Al Zhabi hoping to track down her father Omar Sharif.

There she discovered he was actually a well known Corsair "Lucky" Sharif who had retired and sailed to Quon tired of the life on the run. After his wife had died in childbirth, after abandoing the baby, he returned to Al Zhabi and died in a risky raid. Using this history, her gil and romantic liasons she prodded the Corsairs into training her and letting her help supply them with her legimate shipping company.

Now she conducts her business and sails back-and-forth between San d'Oria and Al Zhabi.