Burn Master Capelle
She is short and narrow, with skin leathered and scarred from the fires she starts and hair cropped short to protect what remains from becoming ash. She does not cut an imposing figure. She does not need to. Capelle carries herself like a silent Goliath, and the rest of the world treats her accordingly.
Seven years she has led the Burners. In a profession where five summers is considered a miracle, Capelle has survived seven, making her the longest-serving Burn Master in memory. No one is certain of her history before the fires. Rumors circulate: a criminal from further west, a former slave, a Forgotten One from deep in the jungles who burned away her flaws. She has never confirmed any of them.
What is certain is her authority. Capelle chooses the location of each annual Burning based on where the need is greatest, sometimes guided by the Russell Family or the Forgotten Ones. Her word is treated as law among the Burners. When the red smoke plumes rise high over the Lorado sky, every Burner within sight answers. They always answer Capelle.
She is not as dour as most Burners. A flat sense of humor and a quick wit have served her in negotiations and leadership where grimness alone would have failed. She takes immense pride in her work and what it means for the Burnlands and the people who live within them. She is content with the knowledge that she is a Burner and will someday die, and that the flame will pass to someone else. After seven years, that contentment is not resignation. It is the peace of a woman who has already outlived every expectation.
Seven years she has led the Burners. In a profession where five summers is considered a miracle, Capelle has survived seven, making her the longest-serving Burn Master in memory. No one is certain of her history before the fires. Rumors circulate: a criminal from further west, a former slave, a Forgotten One from deep in the jungles who burned away her flaws. She has never confirmed any of them.
What is certain is her authority. Capelle chooses the location of each annual Burning based on where the need is greatest, sometimes guided by the Russell Family or the Forgotten Ones. Her word is treated as law among the Burners. When the red smoke plumes rise high over the Lorado sky, every Burner within sight answers. They always answer Capelle.
She is not as dour as most Burners. A flat sense of humor and a quick wit have served her in negotiations and leadership where grimness alone would have failed. She takes immense pride in her work and what it means for the Burnlands and the people who live within them. She is content with the knowledge that she is a Burner and will someday die, and that the flame will pass to someone else. After seven years, that contentment is not resignation. It is the peace of a woman who has already outlived every expectation.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
No one knows who Capelle was before she became a Burner. The most common rumors place her as a criminal from the western wastes, a former slave who escaped her bonds, or a Forgotten One from deep within the Overgrowth jungles who decided to burn her past along with the trees. She has never corrected any version of the story. What is known is that she joined the Burners, survived longer than anyone expected, rose to lead by right of longest service, and has held the title of Burn Master for seven consecutive years.
Children
