Terra Cardew

Terra Cardew is the victor of 73rd Annual Hunger Games hailing from District Ten. Eventually, she fights alongside the rebels in the Second Rebellion as a soldier and medic.

Early Life
Both District Ten natives, Calder and Breck Cardew married young, and inherited the Cardew family's ranch, passed down to Calder as a wedding present. They took over sole responsibilities that came with ownership after his father's passing less than a year later. Between all of the responsibilities that came with running their business, both wanted to start a family, and after trying for many years, they finally had a daughter, who they named Terra.

Terra grew up in a fair amount of luxury, in comparison to many of her district's other citizens. Her family's ranch had a good reputation in the Capitol, acres upon acres of green pastures and fields, and a plethora of animals- chickens, goats, cows, pigs, sheep, and rabbits. While they had the money to hire two ranch hands, as she grew up, Terra was expected to help out as well. She grew to see her family's employees like older brothers, and they treated the Cardew family like their own as well.

Terra was seven when she first witnessed Ryland Butch, one of the ranch hands, put down a calf who had broken it's leg. It was then she realized really what her family's role was in relation to the rest of Panem. She refused to eat the veal stew that had been made for dinner, and her and Ryland were not on speaking terms for almost a month. As time went on she discovered not only was it the cows, but their chickens, pigs, lambs, and occasionally even rabbits and goats that were slaughtered and sold for their meat. This begun not only a years long stint as a vegetarian, but also sparked just a bit of rebellion in her.

In her free time, she had begun to visit local healers, watching what they did, and asking questions about healing methods and various treatments. While it may have been seen as annoying to anyone looking on, Terra's bright and cheery demeanor and genuine interest made her generally well liked, and no one shooed the child off when she came to shadow.

Only a few years later, and with one look at her sad brown eyes and a little bit of convincing, Terra was creating splints, setting bones, stitching up minor cuts, and telling people exactly which combination of plants and herbs would heal minor ailments or numb pain. She began to take this knowledge to the farm animals as well, stepping in to intervene and administer care to animals who would have otherwise been put down.

Shadowing the district's healers while they worked had also made her keen to a spark of rebellion against the Capitol (especially when she assisted with care of those who had been whipped or brutalized by Peacekeepers). Though only twelve, and didn't fully understand the implications of committing treason in the eyes of the Capitol she decided it was a cause she was willing to risk her own life for, and thus began her own quiet riot. She would open the pens around the slaughterhouses, forget to close the gates of the cow pastures, jam the machinery in ranches and slaughterhouses alike, as well as take the rabbits and chickens from ranches all over, and free them beyond the fences.

She was fifteen when the production of meat from her family's farm had decreased so drastically the district's peacekeepers investigated the Cardew's ranch. Before she could confess, Deacon Hyde took the blame, and was publicly whipped. She treated him on their kitchen table, standing by through the night to keep the flies away and try to keep him calm. It should have hindered her rebellion, but instead, it only intensified the fire within her.

For the next several years, she toned back her efforts, while also enlisting help from her household- who all agreed with the anti-Capitol ideals continuing to grow- in addition to others she knew were growing tired of Panem's political system. She concentrated more on words and convincing others to join the fray during this time, though every so often the citizens continued to rebel. It became more of an annoyance to the Capitol and the Peacekeepers than anything else. In an effort to quell any potential spread of rumors of a rebellion however, any meat, leather, or animal product shortages are explained with a variety of excuses. One year it's due to the pox outbreak, another year, a tough winter freezes out crops and animals, resulting in unpreventable starvation and deaths, and another, a bad production year is blamed on poor breeding and inviable animals.

Terra continued to speak and act out against the Capitol through her teenage years. The night before the Reaping for the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, she had intended to free the beef cattle who would be slaughtered the next day, but she walked into a trap, and was apprehended by two Peacekeepers. Instead of punishing her, they let her return home.

The Reaping
The morning of the reaping was hot and humid, typical for the district at that time of year. Terra was eighteen years old, one year from being out of the reaping pool altogether. Up to that point, she had never had to take out tesserae, meaning her name was only in the ball seven times, extremely low numbers considering many of her peers took out tesserae for big families each year. Yet, her name was drawn as the year's female tribute. Reaped alongside her was childhood rival Angus Croft. Though there was no way to prove it, Terra believes her reaping was rigged, in punishment for years of sneakily inciting rebellion.

At the train station, she is visited first by her parents, then by Ryland and Deacon, followed by a childhood friend. She is gifted a necklace from her parent's ranch hands, on which sat a small whittled pendant of calf, a nod to the very calf that, in a a way, had started Terra's rebellious attitude. This necklace later becomes her token in the arena.

The Tribute Parade
For the parade, the stylists decided to play off of a glamorized version of a rancher lifestyle. In previous years, tributes had been dressed like cows and cowboys, pigs, chickens, and even barns themselves, but Terra's gentle nature inspired her stylists. They decided to give the tribute pair outfits that were softer and more subtle than years past, while nodding to the wide open spaces and pastures in the district.

Terra was dressed in a pale blue, floor length prarie dress, with a simple gathered waist and flowing sleeves that fell to her elbows. The top sparkled subtly under the lights along the chariot route, reminiscent of a clear sky. The blue melted into an ombre of green at the hem, and the embroidered along the edge were the very farm animals Terra had grown up alongside. Her look was hardened by the simple work boots peeking out from underneath the dress. Her hair was braided and wrapped around her head, with a few strands pulled out and hanging in loose curls to give her that lived and worked in look.

Next to her, Angus was dressed more simply, in a slightly dressier version of a rancher's typical work clothes. Denim overalls were replaced with a more fitted silhouette in the same material and color of Terra's dress. They rolled the bottoms, embroidering similar animal designs into the cuffs. He was given similar work boots, and together, their looks were perfect compliments.

The duo was nothing flashy, which was why they stood out and gathered some amount of intrigue by Capitol citizens.

Training & Scores
Prior to training, Terra began to strategize, with the help of her mentor, and district partner. They decided to both play for survival, and try to outlast the other tributes without having to kill until completely necessary. They decide to form an alliance as well, to create a team they hope can beat the careers.

During training, Terra and Angus keep mostly to themselves, focusing their efforts on learning survival skills and observing the other tributes. After the first day, Terra decided to ally with the tribute pairs from Districts 11 and 12. Angus argued against her choices, knowing the three districts rarely produce a winner, and they will have no real selling points for sponsors or support. He also knew she had a soft spot District 12's female tribute, a young girl by the name of Bramble Moore. While she believed they all had strengths that could keep them alive long enough to hold out longer than the careers, Angus saw them all as easy targets, who would drag them all down. Terra eventually won the argument, and the next day, talked to and solidified their team- up with the four other tributes.

In her private training session, she demonstrated her knowledge of plants and their uses, and scored a 5, while her district partner showed off his strength and earned an 8. The rest of their alliance pulled off similar scores, putting them all roughly in the middle of the pack. This made them seem like they were not a huge threat, which is exactly what District 10's strategy relied on.

The Interview
For the interview, Terra's stylists again drew from her soft demeanor, dressing her in a tiered dress, colored in a pastel green. It fell just below her knees in the front and to the floor in the back. The ruffled sleeves and gathered square neckline again gave the impression of a carefree farmer, while the color nodded to the green pastures making up much of the district. The higher cut in the front showed off strappy gold heels, accented by the gold hoops in her ears and the gold jewelry woven through her braids. Her hair was left flowing freely this time, four smaller braids looping into one half-up braid. She gave off an aura of innocence and calm, someone far too gentle to be thrown to such brutal conditions.

During her interview, she captivated the audience with how friendly and at ease she seemed, despite the circumstances. She was demure, but well spoken, and with a little prodding from the interviewer, admitted to her childhood crush and subsequent teasing rivalry with her district partner. She won hearts with the admission that even if she didn't have that crush anymore, and even if he had been rude throughout their school years, she would still sacrifice herself if it meant that he would make it to the end of the games.

The Arena
For the year's arena, tributes were dressed in what could only be described as mountaineering gear. They were dressed in skin tight layer of black thermals under a looser fitting long sleeve shirt- a different color for each district pair- waterproof cargo pants, thick socks, and chunky rubber climbing boots. They were also given a waterproof rain jacket in the same brown shade as their pants.

The arena that year was a landscape of rocky spires, some barren and others speckled with pockets of trees and vegetation. In the middle was the Cornucopia. Two spires of rock stood on either side, and the immediate surroundings of the cornucopia and tribute pedestals were lush and green, speckled with enough plant life to keep whoever held the Cornucopia well fed throughout the games. Also in this clearing was a small pond, fed by a stream that disappeared among the rocks, and was assumed to run far back into the arena.

The Games
After the gong rang, Angus, Terra, and Oreville Guernsey, the District Twelve tribute in their alliance, made a run for the Cornucopia, while Bramble Moore, and the pair from District Eleven- Till Holbrook and Poppy Lockstar- made a run for hills and rock spires directly behind the Cornucopia. Terra was able to grab an axe, while Angus snatched two backpacks, and Oreville a single tarp. However, in their run to meet up with the rest of their alliance, the male tribute from District One, Lux Codrus, tackled him, and slit his throat.

Most tributes opted to run away from the Cornucopia, and after a short trek, Terra and Angus were able to meet up with their alliance, all of whom had begun to make camp on the flat ground behind an outcropping of rock. From that position, they were able to climb the rock and see the career pack and Cornucopia. They made camp for the night, knowing they were out of view, and spent the rest of the evening sorting through their supplies. They had the axe Terra had grabbed, and each backpack contained four bottles of water and a pack of dried beef. One backpack also contained a first aid kit, a compass, a length of twine, and matches while the other had a bandana, a short sword, and a blanket. That night it was announced four tributes had died- Oreville, from their alliance, the females from Districts Three and Eight, as well as the male tribute from District Six. While on watch that night, Till Holbrook discovered the career pack consisted of the pairs from One, Two, Four and the female tribute from Six, presumably because of her sheer size and strength, and odd talent with throwing knives.

The next day, Terra and her alliance move further away from the clearing and Cornucopia, since they have no food and no way of obtaining it. They travel until they come across an outcropping of vegetation, and set up camp in a natural cave in the rock. Angus, Till and Poppy start setting animal traps, while Terra and Bramble pick fruit and nuts. That night they are able to build a fire and cook a bird that had been ensnared in one of the traps. There are no canons that night.

The third day passes much the same, though they are faced with a windstorm that blows up the sand and debris. It presumably causes some strife for the other tributes and alliances, though with their bandana and blanket, Terra and her alliance are able to protect their supplies and eyes from taking the brunt of the damage. There is one canon that night, for the male tribute from District Seven (who Terra later learned took a sword to the stomach from the female from District Two when he got too close to the Cornucopia in search of supplies.).

On day four, Poppy, Till and Angus discover their traps had been blown away or destroyed. While they salvaged what they could, it would not be enough to rebuild any of the snares. The wind had also blown away most of what had been on growing on the branches of the trees and bushes they camped out near. They ate half of what they were able to save, but between all of them, they knew it wouldn't last.

Day five came, and with it, the group decision to venture back to their original hiding spot, and attempt to either scout out another source of food and water, or steal supplies from the careers. They attempted to venture further into the arena in the hope they would find an alternative to the risk of robbing the careers, but as the terrain got steeper, they were only forced to turn back. As they set up their camp that afternoon and began to try to scout out other locations they could turn to for food, an explosion shook the arena. Terra's alliance was far enough from the blast to be all unharmed, and that night three faces are shown in the sky. The tribute pair from District Three and the male from District Four are that day's deceased. Till and Angus speculate the tributes from Three set off the mines while trying to rob the careers, and the male from Four was unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast. In reality, the tributes from Three were attempting to reactivate the landmines in hopes of weaponizing them against the career pack, but they accidentally set them off, and the male from Four was unfortunately close enough that he was caught in the blast.

On the sixth day, the alliance is divided on what to do, eventually settling on drawing the careers away from the Cornucopia, and making a run for supplies. Terra, who had grown protective over both other female tributes, insisted they stay and guard the camp. Till would make the run for supplies, while Angus and Terra drew away the careers. Terra left the axe, and their group split for the first time since the games began.

Terra was assigned to dam the stream, Angus to light a fire on the opposite side of the arena, while Till lit another, then moved to enter the clearing closer to the Cornucopia. They hoped their diversions would draw the entire pack away, but Till took the knives as a precaution. When the stream was dammed it worked in drawing away the pair from Two. The boy from One went to check out another fire, and when they saw no one at the Cornucopia, Till made a run for it. What they didn't know was one of the Careers had overheard them and located their camp. Terra's trek back to her camp was interrupted by screams, and Terra returned in enough time to witness the girls from One and Six brutally murder both Bramble and Poppy. Still unseen, Terra noticed both of her alliance members had nasty gashes and bruises, and realized the careers intended to hurt them before they died. Only thinking of her anger, Terra picked up the axe from the Cornucopia, and lodged it in the District One girl's back, and promptly broke down after that. The girl from Six turned to retaliate, but was struck down by Angus before she was able to harm Terra.

When Till returned, the boys forced her to move, dragging her along until nightfall, where they set up camp in another shallow cave at the base of a rock spire. That night, Angus held Terra until her silent sobs subsided, and she drifted off to sleep. She missed their first sponsor gift- a package of sweets meant to cheer them up after losing the two youngest members of their alliance.

One week after the games had begun, half of the tributes had died. Till had managed to take water purifying drops, a pack of crackers, and a bundle of fruits. They spent days seven and eight camped out in the same spot. Terra was still distraught over the deaths, and blamed herself for telling them to stay put. They received two more sponsor gifts, this time another blanket, and three more bottles of water. On night eight the arena is hit with a brutal rainstorm, though with their cave for protection, Terra, Angus and Till are unaffected. They set out their bottles of water to refill with rainwater.

The three of them move again on day nine, their day punctuated only by two canons. That night, it is revealed that the District Three male and the female from District Nine are the casualties.

On the tenth day, the three decide to briefly split up again. Their food had run out, and they knew they would need more if they would outlast the Careers. In their travels, they discovered their compass points towards the Cornucopia, regardless of where they were. One of them would head that way, another would walk in the direction behind their camp, and one would try to set up a trap some distance to the right of their camp. Angus decided to take the risk of heading towards the Cornucopia, leaving Terra to explore behind their cave, and Till to create a trap.

Terra was successful and was able to find edible roots and tubers in a small clearing atop a rock, and returned to camp. When she arrived, she was met with Angus, but soon found he was not alone. The female tribute from Two, a girl by the name of Calista Phoenix, held her sword to his back, and warned the both of them not to make a noise, under the threat of killing them. She raided their things, stealing the food Terra had returned with, as well as the group's matches, knives, axe, and water purifier. Terra assumed she would leave, but again, forced Angus along with her. Without giving anyone a moment to react, Calista had forced him to his knees and slit. Terra was only spared from the same fate because of Till, who threw one of his knives into her shoulder and effectively scared her off.

Angus' loss was another heartbreak for Terra, and despite efforts to stop the bleeding, he had already died. Till gathered their supplies, and forced them to move yet again, making camp along the back of a rock face. Both tributes were much quieter in the coming days, speaking only in short sentences, and spending much of the day alternating sleeping and keeping watch, checking traps, or gathering food from the nearby bushes and trees. On day thirteen, the next tribute died, the boy from Eight, due to starvation, and the day following, the girl from Seven, also due to starvation.

It had been two weeks and one day, and only seven tributes remained. Four of them were careers, one was Terra, and another was Till. Both had begun to hope their strategy would bring them to the finals. Day fifteen started with a lightning storm, forcing the tributes all closer to one another as they attempted to find shelter from the strikes. As the storm subsided, a gas filled the arena, though to the tributes, it looked like unsettled dust or the humid fog from after a storm. However, shortly after Terra realized this was neither thing. Attempts not to fashion a bandana mask not to breathe it in failed, and soon she was hallucinating. She saw her parents, her dead alliance members, all of whom she chased down from the spires, before passing out in the clearing, near the Cornucopia.

When she came to the next morning, the Career alliance was also scattered around the clearing, bruised and beat up from fighting each other. On one side, the bodies of Till and the male tribute from District Nine were sprawled, obviously dead after falling from a rock formation. The canons confirmed this and it was announced only five tributes remained- Terra, and the Careers.

Upon realizing she was all that stood between them and fighting one another, they began to chase her. Knowing she was the only lower district tribute that remained, she was determined to win. She had said she would sacrifice herself for Angus, and that extended to the rest of her alliance. Instead, they had died for her, and she wouldn't let that be in vain. Since she knew the landscape fairly well, it was easy for her to disappear into the rocks. The Careers turned it into a game, remaining close behind and yelling at her as she ran away. A knife flew past her, and another found purchase in the back of her thigh, but still, she kept far enough ahead of them

She was able to slip out of their line of sight, behind a formation of rocks, then up the hill behind it. While they looked around and contemplated what to do or which way to go, Terra used the strength of years of ranch work to push a boulder off the edge of a cliff, starting a rockslide. The Careers stood no chance, and were crushed under the rocks. After waiting hours to confirm it, Terra was declared Victor of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, and pulled from the arena.

Returning Home
After her win and being patched up in the Capitol, Terra is returned to District Ten, where her and her parents move in to Victor's Village. Though not necessary, her parents decided to keep the ranch, and Terra found herself there often, despite her healing injuries, and prep team's concern if she were to hurt herself and mess up plans for her Victory Tour. She would frequently talk to the animals or accompany anyone as they worked, trying to distract her mind from the horrors she had returned from.

For her talent, she took up painting, something she had done sporadically through her childhood. Her landscapes of the fields and barns in her home district sold to a few wealthy Capitol citizens, while many she ended up giving away to her prep team, escort, other victors, and whoever around her would take them. Not long after, she began to change the subject. Her paintings grew more focused on gruesome slaughter and the poorest living conditions, the hungriest children, and the reality of living in one of the least wealthy districts.

Despite this, she found herself bored and unfulfilled, with too much money and too much food. She began to distribute the excess to the district's starving citizens, and even convinced her parents to hire additional ranch hands.

During this time, she also suffered through the reality of her trauma, spending many nights plagued with nightmares or insomnia, and many days seeing things (namely, Angus and Bramble as they die) that aren't there. Even with her parent's best efforts, and her mother's support each night she could not sleep, she still found it impossible to open up about anything she experienced and was more skittish, tense, and moody than she had been before.

The 75th Annual Hunger Games
When the Quarter Quell was announced, Terra prepared herself for the worst. District Ten had only produced a handful of victors, and only two were female. On the morning of the Reaping, her name is called, but her former mentor, a woman in her sixties by the name of Maude Holstien, stepped up and volunteered in her place. Terra is subsequently distraught, though she distracts herself with intense strategizing.

During training, Terra did everything in her power, trying to help her mentor-turned-mentee form alliances that could protect her and pull sponsorships from the Capitol Elite. Maude, however, knew she would not be returning from the arena this time around, and told Terra as much. Still, Terra pulled for sponsors, and alliances, hoping Panem would see the noble act of her sparing Terra another game so shortly after her own as a reason to put their money behind her.

They spend their last night before the games talking and sitting together, though most of the night Maude spent consoling Terra, and reassuring her that she had lived a good life, and with no family to leave behind, she was unafraid to die. In the end, Maude places 19th, when she is killed by the tribute from District One.

Maude Holstein
Her mentor I am sad.

Angus Croft
Angus and Terra were the same age, placed in the same school class. From the time she was seven, to around the time she was nine or ten, she had a massive crush on him. When he found out, he teased her relentlessly, thus starting a years-long rivalry between the two. It was always a competition, who was taller, who was faster, who had more friends, and other silly childhood trivialities. Eventually, they see and talk to the other much less frequently, when Terra devotes herself more to learning medicine, and Angus is hired as a ranch hand at another ranch.

They reunite when they are both reaped for the 73rd Hunger Games. While they spend the first couple of nights arguing and butting heads like they did when they were young, they eventually open up to one another, and become extremely close for the remainder of training through the Hunger Games. They never speak to it, but in their reconnecting, they both have developed feelings for the other, and would go to great lengths to protect the other in the arena. After bargaining for Terra's protection, Angus is killed, and the loss takes a large toll on Terra, mentally and emotionally.

Bramble Moore
Terra meets Bramble on the first day of training for the games. At 13, Bramble is the youngest competitor, and hailing from District Twelve, her odds are low. However, after a brief conversation on the first day of training, Despite her young age and thin frame, Bramble had a quick wit and brash sense of humor, and even the girl's insistence that she can handle herself, Terra's motherly instincts kick in. They make their alliance the next day, and Terra remains a big sister throughout the conclusion of their time in the Capitol and into the games. When Bramble struggled to sleep while in the arena, Terra comforted her with stories of the ranch, often using the same stories to distract the young girl when she was anxious or hungry.

When Bramble dies, Terra believes she is to blame, for leaving her and Poppy alone without more to protect themselves. Even if their friendship was short lived, Terra saw Bramble as the younger sister she never was fortunate enough to have, and that loss weighs heavily on her.