Background Story:  Rowena is the youngest of Odo Widegirdle's eight children, Odo being the proprietor of the Tall Trees Tavern.  As the youngest, she's always been the darling apple of her father's eye.  In most cases, you'd expect that growing up with every material thing your father could give you as well as the pure attention granted to all his children would create a most spoiled youth.

That was not the case with Rowena.  Though suspected of being high maintenance by many, it takes only a few minutes of conversation to realize that her purpose in life is to make people happy.  She never has so many tasks around the tavern that she can't spare a few minutes conversation for a friend, acquaintance, or even total stranger.  Truly, there is no one that Rowena would name as an enemy. 

Working, as all her siblings do, in her father's tavern has shown her that the good half of human nature occasionally takes a nap when someone's been drinking.  Her capacity for forgiveness remains large and she doesn't hold the past against anyone.  Not even the Margrave's son, Lord Denic, who after a severely inappropriate suggestion one day she gave a wide berth to for weeks. 

She numbers her friends many, recalling with fondness even childhood playmates.  The name of Brightheart seemed to come naturally and just stuck around after being used in relation to her.  She's had many chances to use it in the past year while maintaining a friendship with Thrydwulf after his potential marriage to her sister Burgwynn fell through.

However, Rowena has come to realize that her father's care for her does have its restrictions.  Despite several proposals made to him, Odo does not consider anyone worthy of his daughter.  Believing that this will lead to other limitations and future unhappiness on all sides, Rowena has decided to leave her home of Wychcross.

Rowena hadn't revealed much of what she was capable of to the people in her village, even her friends.  There was always a fear that her talents would make her a freak.  But, now that they are on the road, isolated and dependent on each other, she knows that she must trust her friends with the truth... Somehow, somewhere, Rowena tapped into the magics... And she can wield them well.

Quote: "If you do that again, I'm going to turn your hair green."

Personality: Rowena truly has a bright heart.  She believes in second chances and if the situation calls for it, third chances.  If it's possible to believe the best of someone, she does.  Truly, she is that cheerful person who is always thinking of the happiness of others.

Appearance: Rowena is on the shorter side of average for a Barind at five feet even.  Her stature is slight, with a good dose of curviness removing any doubt that she's a boy.  Pure black eyes seem to be the dominant feature of her face, giving her a slight doe look.  The eyes match her hair which is a black so dark it has blue tints to it.  The hair bounces in perfect ringlets which foul weather, sweat, and dust cannot seem to defeat.  And, even beneath the occasional grime of hard work, it is obvious that she has the pale, porcelain skin of the Barinds.

Despite her otherwise normal appearance, Rowena has one telling feature which she does not permit anyone to see.  When she was first born, it appeared that she had an acorn shaped birthmark on her lower back.  As she has aged, this birthmark has changed and grown to shape into first a sapling, then an oak tree in full bloom.  The shape is now an oak tree in full leaf which stretches from the lowest reaches of her back, through to her shoulders.  It's done in living colors, which are more vivid than is possible through any tattoo.  The shading goes from a dark black-green on the left, and fades through paler green, yellow, and orange, to a dark red on the right.