Brisa

Brisa
Race	Altierran
Born	514
Age in “Snow”	42
Occupation/rank	Bestia
Family

Brisa is a Bestia Primera at Rocosa. She befriends Meg Maddison when the Bestia Vila puts her in charge of the girl.

Appearance

Brisa is an older woman with a strong, work-hardened body, the result of many years of physical labour. She has dark brown hair, usually tied loosely behind her head in a simple bun, and a serious, thoughtful face. Her features are plain rather than delicate, but there is a warmth and steadiness in her expression. She appears practical and unselfconscious, carrying herself with the quiet strength of someone accustomed to hardship. Her appearance should suggest experience, resilience and modesty rather than beauty or elegance.

Character

Brisa is a Bestia Primera, although her position within the House of the Handmaidens gives her little of the status normally associated with that rank. She is usually assigned the hardest and dirtiest work, and years of labour have made her exceptionally strong. Despite this, she is calm, good-natured and intelligent.

Brisa is one of the first people in Altierra to treat Meg with genuine kindness. She feeds her, explains the customs of the Cregan and protects her from Vila whenever she can. Although she understands the dangers of challenging the Handmaidens, she is not submissive in spirit. She has learned how to resist quietly, using experience, patience and influence rather than open confrontation.

She possesses a dry sense of humour and is capable of making light of her own situation. Brisa accepts that she has little chance of improving her rank, but she does not allow this to embitter her. She takes pride in being a good Bestia and knows that the Handmaidens depend upon her competence. Beneath her apparently ordinary manner, she has a free spirit and considerable emotional strength.

Brisa is also observant and perceptive. She quickly realises that Meg is not merely foreign but comes from outside Altierra altogether. Rather than betraying her, Brisa promises to keep the secret, recognising that Meg needs a friend more than another interrogator. Her kindness is practical rather than sentimental, and she usually responds to danger by advising caution and endurance.

Speech

Brisa speaks in a relaxed, conversational manner, using simple language and an occasional Altierran expression. Her speech is warmer and less formal than that of the Handmaidens, and she often addresses Meg affectionately as “dear”. She explains unfamiliar customs patiently, as though speaking to someone younger or inexperienced, but she does not treat Meg as unintelligent.

Her humour is generally quiet and understated. She uses sayings and mild irony to express her opinions, as when she explains that “promotion is a gift of beauty, never of sweat”. She can be blunt when necessary, particularly when warning Meg about Sometria or the Handmaidens, but her bluntness is protective rather than cruel.

Brisa rarely wastes words in front of authority figures. When Vila or Laritza is present, she chooses her language carefully, defending Meg without appearing openly defiant. In private, however, her speech becomes more candid and revealing. She is willing to question the customs of the Bestia and to admit that she has a “free spirit”, even though she knows better than to say such things too loudly.

Timeline

Year	Age	Event
514	-	Born
5xx	00	xxxx
556	42	Maddisons enter Altierra

Images

Brisa

Brisa at Rocosa