Wren Holloway
She/Her
27 years old
Typical
49 kg
Personality
Wren could be described as a very quiet individual, even as a child she preferred to simply observe, believing that actions speak louder than words. Being used to traveling alone for so long, she tends to avoid large groups of people, unless she’s attempting to barter or trade for some food or supplies. The outdoors is where she thrives, as she’s very skilled at hunting, foraging, and fishing. Although not prone to violence, whenever she would kill a small animal for a meal she would do so quickly and respectfully, not taking any pleasure in it. She’ll never start a fight, but she wouldn’t hesitate to protect someone else if they needed help. Wren is a deeply caring person, but tends to show in small ways, like patching up a piece of clothing, or leaving food in the open for someone to take. While she doesn’t have much to offer as far as words go, she knows how to cheer someone up, usually with a hot cup of tea and a reassuring smile. She can usually be seen fidgeting with something in her hands, whether that is a pencil, a spool of thread, she likes to keep her hands busy doing something. After the loss of her family and friends, Wren finds it very hard to open herself up to others, but is able to communicate by writing in her old weathered notebook. Wren will sometimes disguise herself as a boy while traveling through settlements or on the road, feeling it necessary to be more safe since she is usually alone, to appear as less of a target. Having grown up on a farm, Wren is not easily grossed out by things others would normally be disgusted by, as has a very practical mindset, not caring very much for her own appearance which is often disheveled from being in the forest so much. Throughout the years or traversing the land, she’s quickly learned how to identify plants and medical herbs, being able to make good use of them. Wren is also fiercely protective of those that earn her loyalty, even to the point of putting herself at risk.
Appearance
Wren has chin-length, uneven dirty-blonde hair that she usually cuts herself. Her hair is usually messy, having a tousled look. Expressive honey-brown doe eyes, that are always observing her surroundings. Her face is touched with freckles, and her skin is sun-kissed from spending most of her time outdoors. Having grown up on a farm, her body would be slender but her arms toned, her hands full of calluses. Wren stands at about 5’, and is a bit wiry from traveling on the road for so long. As for clothing, she prefers to wear practical layers to be able to handle the weather, usually earthy tones – all patched by hand. A pair of boots that are too big. A scarf is wrapped around her neck at all times, to hide the deep jagged scar on her neck. An old weathered notebook is always on her person.
Background
Early Life/ Childhood (1982-1998)
Wren Holloway was born on April 6, 1982, in a small rural town called Medford, Oklahoma. A few years later, her two younger siblings would be born, making her the eldest. Wren’s parents were both loving and nurturing, but life on a farm wasn’t an easy one. There was always work to be done, and once Wren was old enough she would help on the farm anyway she could, whether that was milking the cows, tending to the chickens, or helping her father harvest the wheat in the fields. She would help her mother with cooking the meals, sewing and patching up worn clothing, and even learned to patch up her younger brother’s wounds whenever they got a scraped knee. Unable to go to a proper school, her parent’s home-schooled all three children, saying that they needed them more on the farm than in school. Nonetheless, Wren enjoyed the hard work, and thinking back to her childhood there would always be those golden memories of running through the corn fields barefoot, laughing as she played tag with her two younger brothers, or watching her mother plant wildflowers in the garden. Daisies in particular, used to be her favorite flower.
The Outbreak/Collapse (1998-2002)
Wren’s 16th birthday had just passed when the daisies first started to pop out of the ground in the Summer of 1998, and age 17 when people began to get sick in the Spring of 1999. Living in a very small town, she wasn’t affected as much as a person living in a larger, more-populated city. The family hunkered up in the large farmhouse, boarding the doors and windows, and preparing for the worst.. As the CDC began to operate quarantine zones, Wren’s father was extremely against evacuating, stubbornly stating that ‘This is our home, and we have a better chance of surviving here than anywhere else.’ Over the next few years, Wren and her family would continue to survive off the land - but just barely. The farm had its own working well system, and they had the farm animals to provide milk, eggs, and then when they got desperate.. meat. In 2002, things would take a turn for the worst as a group of bandits had heard about the farm. The bandits decided to lead a large group of infected straight towards Wren’s home. Both of her parent’s and her two younger brothers were killed in the attack, and Wren would barely escape the farmhouse with her life.
On the Road (2002-2009)
Devastated by the loss of her family, Wren had no choice but to continue alone. Traveling on foot, Wren would survive by hunting small animals, foraging for edible mushrooms, berries, and scavenging for what little supplies could be found on her journey. She was heading toward a quarantine zone, walking down a desolate highway when a car drove past her and ended up stopping. The stranger asked if she needed a ride, and she accepted the offer. A fatal mistake. The stranger pulled out a knife and attacked her, cutting her throat and leaving her to die as he sped off with the rest of what little supplies Wren had left in her backpack. Luckily, she was found just in time by a survivor named Jonah Hale, a wandering drifter who used to work as a paramedic. He stitched up her wounds, and even gave her a scarf to cover the jagged scar on her neck. She hasn’t spoken since the injury. Wren would travel with Jonah across the Midwest for a few years, traveling from settlement to settlement, trading with the people there, but never staying in one place for too long. During this period of time, Jonah would teach Wren American Sign Language, so she would be able to communicate more effectively, instead of having to write everything down in a notebook.. Eventually, the duo would part ways. Wren would later learn that Jonah died helping a group of survivors to escape a Deadzone. Having heard a rumor on the road about a quarantine zone located in Knox county, Wren decided it would be her best option for a “safe” place to be, not that she really believes anywhere is safe anymore. As the Coalition and Providence continue to fight for the territory, Wren decides it’s the perfect opportunity to offer her survival skills. Daisies are no longer her favorite flower, and just seeing one would make her think of everything she’s lost - her family, home, and her voice.
