Tersh Hal'Reekrah

Tersh Hal'Reekrah (ter-sh hal-ree-KRAH) - Tersh, daughter of Reekrah

A Gogepe hunter from the tribe Go'angrin, Tersh is chosen during the Calendar Ceremony to speak for the Goddess of Death and travel to Matawe in order to cure it of its corruption in an attempt to save the world from the wrath of the gods.

Childhood
Tersh spent most of her formative years living with her tribe in the Sea Mahat, in order to escape a plague that was predicted during the Calendar Ceremony. As a result Tersh is fluent in the language of Mahat and understands much of their culture and religion - though she cannot read their writing. She also became aware of the prejudices people have towards her people, be it hatred or fear.

Adulthood
She was always interested in hunting, and would often watch the hunters in her tribe with awe. As soon as she passed her first Orope and became a woman she took up a spear. The Gogepe hunt whatever they can find, which in the desert can be anything from lizards, to birds, to insects like scorpions. She excelled at hitting small targets, making her one of the most proficient hunters in the Go'angrin tribe.

Family
While the Gogepe don't have what we would call marriage, some do decide to bind their souls with another. This was the case for Tersh when she fell in love with Ka'rel.

Tersh has two children, daughter Ba'rek (BA-rek) and son Farek (fah-rek), with Ka'rel (ka-REL). Ba'rek was born in the time of Sakabe when Tersh was around sixteen; Farek was born in the time of Lagoro when Tersh was around eighteen.

Orope
Since both Tersh and Kareth travel southeast after the Calendar Ceremony, Tersh becomes Kareth's de facto guardian, and mentors the young man about how to hunt, scavenge for supplies, and create medicine.

In Sareeb she meets Tiyharqu and Samaki. Because Gogepe are neither trusted nor liked in Mahat, she gambles with Samaki over a game of senet. She throws the first game, then skillfully beats him in the second. Samaki then agrees to take her north on their ship, the Afeth.

Physical Description
Described as being "tall and strong" with "charcoal hair [that] was long and dreadlocked... [She] had many tattoos, each representing a phase in [her] life; coming of age; making their first kill" and that she "wore a cloak of arm bones and ribs, the bones going down past her hips. Her face was one carved of stone."