__________________QUICK STATS
Name Virgil
Age How old are YOU?
Gender Male
Species Half-Elf
Ethnicity Connlaothan
Height 5' 2"
Occupation Bandit, Brigand, Drunkard, Highwayman
Residence Wherever I'll be left alone long enough to sleep.

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Physical Description
Despite his mixed heritage, Virgil appears completely human to the world around him. Perhaps he will live a lot longer (if said world allows him to), or perhaps not, but he clearly took more after his father than his mother. He does have his mother's exceptional hearing, but his ears are no less human than his father's. His skin tans easily but can burn quickly once it begins to darken. His eyes are amber-colored, and his platinum-blonde curls hang loose about his shoulders; he usually keeps his hair dyed black or brown to avoid standing out, though he can do nothing about his eyes. He keeps his face clean-shaven. While he's technically left-handed, Virgil is functionally ambidextrous.

His father's at least a foot (probably more) taller than he is, marking him apart from the man even if his hair and eyes weren't so different. His father also has curly hair but it's a light brown color that seems to turn auburn in the summer and autumn, and his eyes are a bright green hue. He's also much more heavily built than his son, though there's not a scrap of fat on the man even though he's now pushing sixty.

Personality
Pending

Relationships
Pending

History
Virgil mother died in childbirth; he was an only child. His father wasn't much one for talking, preferring actions to words, and usually came off as very gruff and unfriendly. More importantly, his father was a workaholic and expected his son to be as well. The problem is that carpentry never paid much, and Virgil always got the short end of the badly cut scrap. While his father was an expert cabinetmaker and wainwright, Virgil was mostly good for basic stuff. He did like building birdhouses and dollhouses, and he wasn't half-bad at it, but his father thought it was useless work. He also pretended he didn't have a son or that his son had died when the army came around to recruit him, got out of paying his taxes by bribing the collectors with free jobs, and complained about every little thing when he wasn't working - including and especially his son. He claimed once it was so his son would work harder to improve.

Eventually, Virgil got fed up and left. He moved south with some refugees heading into Serendipity but work was harder to find than before. Nobody needed a carpenter who hadn't even made his bones back home yet, let alone one who could only do basic projects. At one point, he got into an argument with a wagon driver who didn't like his work, or...something. Too long ago to remember. It got heated, and Virgil ended up shooting him with a crossbow. It wasn't on purpose, but that hardly mattered. Seeing an opportunity, Virgil broke open the driver's money box and took the silver in it. He also took a few supplies. Then he disappeared. The murder was never solved.

Virgil got to thinking not long after that and realized something: why work when he could just take what he wanted? It was quicker, easier, and he might not even have to kill anyone if he did it right. So he became a highwayman and a brigand, and he's gotten fairly decent at it. He comes into a town or city every now and then with his ill-gotten gains, and he never takes anything that he can't turn over for a quick profit or that'll get him into too much trouble. The last thing he needs is unwanted attention.

Magic/Abilities
Virgil's a decent shot with a crossbow, has a good eye for targets with a knife, and has basic carpentry skills; he has a knack for birdhouses and dollhouses. He's been trying to teach himself to read but it's very slow going. Virgil has exceptional hearing.

Inventory

• Belt: Simple but sturdy, this thick belt of brown leather holds a quiver on the left hip; Virgil's crossbow is hooked to the belt near the quiver.
  
• Crossbow: This crossbow is a mid-range weapon that has to be set and loaded manually. It clips onto his belt when he's not wielding it.
  
• Ghost Blade: This dagger, taken from a mage's apprentice he caught alone on the road, appears to be wrought entirely of iridescent glass; it has a dual-edged, razor-sharp blade about eight inches long and a crossguard in the shape of the top of an ionic column. The dagger is indestructible and bears a unique enchantment: while it can wound and even kill just as an ordinary dagger does, its true purpose is to inflict agony upon spirits and souls; those spirits and souls that are slain are drawn into the dagger and consumed, though what purpose this serves (and how this affects a spirit's or soul's host) is currently unknown. The dagger imprints itself on the first living person to kill with it and is completely intangible to all others until that person (or "host") perishes. A leather cord bearing two loops - one tight around the hilt of the dagger and one snug around his left wrist - keeps the dagger tethered to him at all times; the leather cord is wrapped around his left forearm, making it a deadly weapon that he can throw and retract quickly or simply spin around for lightning-fast and lethal slashes. The hilt-loop also secures a small metal clip that he hooks onto the strap around his arm for easy carrying. He's practiced with this weapon a lot.
  
• Gunny Sack: A gunny sack that once held potatoes rests on Virgil's back, secured with a rope.
  
• Knives: Virgil keeps several knives on his person at all times.
  
• Quiver: Virgil keeps a quiver at his hip that holds numerous bolts for his crossbow; it is worn on his belt.
  
• Ragged Leathers: Dark brown leather britches, a matching sleeveless jerkin with no buttons but many inside pockets, and a brown leather gambler devoid of decoration make up Virgil's attire. The jerkin hangs to just shy of his knees but doesn't get in the way and holds numerous small supplies (e.g. tinderbox, razor, needle & thread), coins, and other items. His clothing has clearly either been poorly stitched or repaired multiple times (and not by a skilled hand).
  
• Sword Breaker x2: Although it bears a razor-sharp straight edge for slashing, this weapon's primary purpose is to trap an enemy's sword in the teeth on the other side of the weapon; this allows the enemy's weapon to be "locked", or barred from use, and can break weaker swords when sufficient strength is applied (though Virgil has never been strong enough to do this). He keeps two on hand, one hidden in his jerkin, just in case things go wrong in a fight. It's used in his "off" hand (i.e. his right hand), usually in conjunction with a knife in his left hand.
  
• Traveling Supplies: A couple of small wooden bowls, a pot for coffee, small sacks of rice and beans, a tiny pot and pan for cooking single-serve meals, various utensils, a couple of waterskins, and some other basic supplies for the road are stored in Virgil's gunny sack.
  
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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Briana Brundahl ("broon-DOLL")
Age Many Winters
Gender Female
Species Half-Yigg
Ethnicity Unknown
Height 7' 11"
Occupation
Residence Northern Tundra

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Briana, like many of her people, can best be described as lanky; one might easily compare her with a long branch standing on end. Her arms and legs comprise the greatest measure of her height and her arms are longer in relation to her body than what might seem natural, her hands easily reaching her knees without her knees bending; an odd trait of her race is that her pinky and thumb are both opposable. Her skin is remarkably pale, making the blue veins running beneath it easily visible when her skin is exposed, and her lips are just as blue as her veins. Her curly, platinum-blonde hair hangs mostly loose about her shoulders with several small but thick braids hanging at the sides to her jaw line. Her eyes are as silver as a bright midnight moon.

Personality
Pending

Relationships
Pending

History
The Yigg (both singular and plural) are seen very rarely above the ice; mating with other races is rarer still, and the offspring are always runts considered to be significantly lesser than full-blooded Yigg. The handful of runts that have appeared on the tundra over the centuries are occasionally referred to as Icewood Witches, referencing the Ever-Frozen Tree from which some folklore claims they grow like fruit. The story goes that when they are ripe, they come loose from the branches and float to the surface of the sea; when their shell comes close to the solid tundra, it breaks into ice floes to reveal them.

It's completely idiotic, of course, but the Yigg do have a seemingly mystical connection to a massive underwater tree. Many of them are anywhere from a dozen to a score of feet high from foot to head, with skin so white that they become invisible against a wintry backdrop. They form ice crystals on their heads instead of hair and have no external ears but otherwise appear to be simply very tall and very skinny humanoid figures. Their long limbs seem to mimic tree branches, and it is said that their unending breath is as frigid and wild as a winter storm.

Given their ostracization of runts and the folklore surrounding them, little is known about the Yigg themselves, even by their half-breed offspring. Brianna was forcibly stranded on the surface in her early youth and learned to survive on her own as much due to necessity as by sheer force of will. She does know that her people are exceptionally long-lived, possibly immortal, aging very slowly from birth; she does not expect any human to outlive her, for their lives are short and they have a tendency to considerably shorten them further by their actions. As dangerous as her non-upbringing was, however, she has grown into a strong warrior and hunter.

Briana was not immediately abandoned after her birth, however. She was taught to read and write, how to carve stone both for utility and for artistry, and how to hunt and what to do when a hunt is successful. What little she remembers of her earliest years include observations of ritual magic, though she has retained only knowledge of a couple of rituals due to her having never been properly taught these rituals. She was surrounded by dire wolves, foxes, bears, and a handful of other territorial predators in her youth due to her people's habit of training them as hunting partners and protectors, and she later befriended a dire wolf in the wild to aid her as well. But she has few personal memories and had to learn many things entirely on her own once she found herself alone upon the ice.

Although she's clearly set apart from many others who wander the tundra, she considers herself sionadyaki just as they do. She does not recall her parents specifically; rather, she recalls the few things she learned from her people before being cast out. She doesn't even really know why she was cast out beyond being what she is: a runt, a half-breed, of the Yigg. While her visits to Hyoite are infrequent, she has found herself surprisingly accepted there and feels a certain distant kinship with its more permanent residents. When she does visit, she brings in a hefty load of hides and furs, meat, bone-carved tools and weapons, and other supplies from the tundra for trading.

Magic/Abilities

• Call of the Wild: Briana has an uncanny ability to intimidate or calm animals, even to the point of temporarily taming them on occasion. She especially seems to understand wolves on a very personal and primal level. Her instincts in a fight or when hunting are almost animalistic, and she becomes very focused in both instances.
  
• Cold Resistance: Unlike her people, Briana is not immune to the cold. That being said, she can withstand temperatures and conditions far more extreme than most people. This allows her to traverse parts of the tundra considered completely inaccessible to most in the dead of winter.
  
• Ears of a Fox: While her ears are actually quite humanoid, they're far keener than they appear. Briana could hear the falls of a bear's paws in a blizzard a good half-mile away, and she could hear the padding of a fox at twice that distance in clear weather. She has trained her mental focus enough that she can drown out most noise around her, making her only peripherally aware of it, as a means of protecting her ears; if that fails, there's always muffs and a thick hood lined with fur readily available to her that can further deaden the sound. The few people she's met tend to say she has a very intense look about her as a result. Or maybe it's because she never blinks.
  
• Longevity: Briana ages at a rate of about one year for every decade lived.
  
• Strength of Giants: Though not nearly as strong as her kin, Briana's compact muscles are like iron and give her incredible physical strength; she can match a polar bear blow for blow should the need arise. She also has endurance and a pain tolerance beyond what most people think is possible.
  
• Winter's Breath: Unlike her people, Briana cannot breathe underwater. She can subsist on far less air than most people, however, and she can hold her breath for close to a half-hour. The longer she holds her breath, the colder her breath becomes; exhaling after a long period of time can freeze water on contact and coats most things that she exhales upon with a layer of frost.
  
  The following rituals are magical in nature.
  
• To Forget: The first part of this ritual is to drip blood onto the forehead of the target; this blood must come from the one performing the ritual, though only a few drops are needed. Once this is done, a few drops of the practitioner's blood are dripped onto the part of the distaff that will touch the target as well. That part of a rune-covered distaff is then tapped against the target's left cheek thrice; each time this is done, the word "gleyma" ("forget") [source: https://old-norse.net/html/g.php#gleyma] is uttered. This makes the target forget what the practitioner wishes the target to forget, though the effect is limited; this is typically done to make a target forget the practitioner but she can focus on a specific event or place or person or whatever else in her mind instead. The target falls asleep after this is done; when he awakes, whatever the practitioner wanted her target to forget does not exist in the target's mind any longer. Whether a distaff specifically is required is unknown, but the object must be uncarved wood etched with specific runes in Briana's native tongue; a cord or rope or thread must be wrapped about the center as well.
  
• To Remember: The first part of this ritual is to drip blood onto the forehead of the target; this blood must come from the one performing the ritual, though only a few drops are needed. Once this is done, a few drops of the practitioner's blood are dripped onto the part of the distaff that will touch the target as well. That part of a rune-covered distaff is then tapped against the target's right cheek thrice; each time this is done, the word "minna" ("remember") [source: https://old-norse.net/html/m.php#minna] is uttered. This makes the target remember what the practitioner wishes the target to remember, though the effect is limited; this is typically done to make a target remember the practitioner but she can focus on a specific event or place or person or whatever else in her mind instead. Unlike the ritual to forget, this ritual plants the intended memory in the target's mind if it was not previously there; if it was and was forgotten, either naturally or via the ritual to forget (or another means), the memory is recalled naturally. As such, the practitioner must have at least some knowledge of what is to be remembered in order for the ritual to take hold; the more she knows or remembers, the better. This can thus be used to implant false memories. The target falls asleep after this is done and the ritual takes hold when he awakes. Whether a distaff specifically is required is unknown, but the object must be uncarved wood etched with specific runes in Briana's native tongue; a cord or rope or thread must be wrapped about the center as well.
  
• To Rise (for a time): This ritual must be conducted at the burial site of the intended target. The ritual here is more complicated than the rituals to forget and to remember. First, a young animal (not yet mature) must be sacrificed atop the burial site; the practitioner must then sacrifice some of her blood - not enough to be grievous but much more than a few drops - and allow the blood to mix with that of the sacrificed animal as it soaks into the ground of the burial site. The caveat is that this must be done at a burial site where someone was interred in the ground and not in a coffin or other container, and the target cannot have been burned. If only one animal is sacrificed, a prayer must then be uttered as a runic distaff is held in the bloodied hand of the practitioner over the grave: "Rise now, that I might speak with thee." (This is spoken in the Yigg tongue, of course.) This also cannot be done during the daylight hours or when significant light is present. If successful, the target claws its way out of the grave and answers as many questions as it can; it must answer honestly, but the information given may or may not be useful. A conversation can be held if need be but if the distaff is removed from its held position above the grave, the corpse collapses once more. There may be a way to make the spell last longer or to command the target in other ways, but this information is not known to Briana.
  
  Inventory
  
• Arrow x50: Tipped with heads carved from bone and balanced with leather cord and feathers.
  
• Bedroll: Thick hides have been stitched together to create a softer and warmer bed upon which to lie than ice and frozen snow when camping. It is strapped to the side of Briana's survival pack.
  
• Hooded Cloak: This was wrought from the hide of a polar bear, and the hood was shaped from its head; it is heavy and thick enough to keep even a miserable little human warm in the roughest winter weather and the inside bears several pockets of various shapes and sizes for holding supplies.
  
• Hunting Knife x3: Wrought of a mix of carved bone and shaped stone, these bear leather-wrapped hilts and are used for dressing kills as well as other purposes.
  
• Longbow: Wrapped with furs for a better grip and used for hunting; the string is drawn with Briana's left hand as the bow is held in her right hand.
  
• Makeshift Distaff: A thick length of dark wood cleanly cut at both ends, stripped of bark, and carved with runic symbols at both ends; wrapped about the center is a leather cord. This is used in ritual magic.
  
• Quiver: Wrought from thick hide; it can hold up to fifty arrows.
  
• Rolled Tent: Hides stitched together and bound to several small but sturdy poles, with a couple extra poles and some additional cord for securing it, this is rolled up and strapped to the side of her survival pack. The tent has a folding flap at either end (when unfurled) that can be secured or left loose while it's set up.
  
• Spear x2: Wrapped with coarse furs for a better grip, these spears' bone-wrought heads are each fitted to their respective hafts with a leather cord; sap was applied to better secure the bindings.
  
• Survival Pack: Made from two layers of hides stitched together and worn upon the back, this large pack holds various things including hides and furs; cured meat; other materials from kills; and various traps and supplies either made by Briana or traded for in Hyoite. Her tent roll is strapped to one side and her bedroll is strapped to the other. Her cloak is typically thrown over it rather than worn under it, being large enough to keep her warm and protect her pack.
  
  Companion(s)
  Dire Wolf: Ulfur
  From Old Norse word "ulfr", which means "wolf".
  Briana is always accompanied by a black dire wolf with silvery-gray socks and a gray underside, though his chest remains entirely black; the tip of his tail is also silvery-gray, as are the backs of his ears. From paws to ears, he stands a full six feet in height. He is her friend and companion, a loyal hound who would die to protect her (and she him); they hunt together, fish together, fight together...they are never apart. If she isn't intimidating enough, he absolutely is. She met him less than a year after his birth following his ejection from a pack, matched him move for move in a bloodless fight for dominance, and earned his respect. They have saved each other's lives many times and in many ways. Ulfur is highly intelligent, able to reason and think critically and even respond to a given situation in ways beneficial both to him and his partner; he is almost an extension of Briana in terms of his behavior and actions, and only in certain circumstances need she issue a command to him. It is almost as though they can read one another's thoughts, though this is merely the perception of others who have observed them.
  
  Verbal commands to Ulfur are (somewhat) loosely based on Old Norse and are as follows:
  
• Dvelja: "Stop"; this is rarely needed but has been given on occasion. (source: https://old-norse.net/html/d.php#dvelja)
  
• Efna: Given contextually to get him to do something specific, such as track someone or something by scent when given a sample (e.g. a person via a scrap of clothing, an animal via a tuft of fur or bit of spilt blood). Certain body language, such as moving a raised finger in a circular motion, can also be used; in this instance, it would be a command to search the area. (source: https://old-norse.net/html/e.php#efna)
  
• Efta: Another command given contextually; this one is sometimes used in conjunction with body language as well. Most often it is a command to follow a trail, a person, or an animal or to fetch something; it can also simply be a command to return to Briana, either to stay by her side or follow her or as a means of calling for his aid. (source: https://old-norse.net/html/e.php#eptir)
  
• Mylla: "Balls!" This is a command to clamp down on someone's balls with Ulfur's jaw; this is typically done as a serious threat to a man, usually when interrogating him (though it can be a display of the pair's superiority, and Ulfur's superiority in particular, as well). Ulfur will not bite down in a full attack unless an additional attack command is issued, merely holding the man in place and possibly growling. Of course, that's not to say he won't squeeze a little. (source: https://old-norse.net/html/m.php#mýll)
  
• Ostr: "Throat!" This is more specific than the general command to attack (see snerra, below), ordering Ulfur to go for the throat of a target or enemy. (source: https://old-norse.net/html/h.php#hóstr)
  
• Snerra: "Attack!" (source: https://old-norse.net/html/s.php#snerra)
  
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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Aranea Minreth ("air-AY-nee-AY min-RETH")
Age Many Cycles
Gender Female
Species Spiderkin
Ethnicity Essyrni
Height 5' 2"
Occupation Assassin & Poison Dealer
Residence Essyrni

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Physical Description
Aranea's gray skin often has her confused with drow, while the chelicerae flanking her mouth are often mistaken for tusks (such as those of half-orcs); this causes confusion until people see the black eyes above her more human-like eyes. Even then, not everybody immediately recognizes the black bulbs as eyes. Her more human-like eyes have black irises, though this is merely considered highly unusual rather than spider-like. The four large, spindly, segmented legs with deadly piercing tips that grow from her back, however, mark her clearly for what she is. These legs can wrap about her closely, allowing her to don a cloak that conceals them as needed; she often wears a hooded cloak that conceals both her spider eyes and spider limbs, leaving only her confusing skin color and chelicerae visible.

Aside from these features, not much really stands out about her. She does have purple shoulder-length hair that she parts to the right, keeping the left side of her head shaved, but this cannot be seen when she's hooded. Her ears are akin to those of a half-elf but are also concealed when she has her hood up. She has no eye brows, a fact that isn't immediately evident unless she has the hood down. She stands five-foot-two and has a stocky build but she is astonishingly quick and agile (see Magic/Abilities, below), making her a deadly combatant and allowing her to escape a situation with relative ease even if she has only her humanoid feet to carry her. She is left-handed.

Personality
Aranea is absolutely terrified of fire; she won't go anywhere near it if she can avoid it. She would actively seek a more difficult and dangerous path to avoid one that had fire anywhere upon it. She's nigh fanatical in her devotion to spiders and spider-kin, considering herself and them before all others - and them first; her selflessness in this regard is one of the few truly good qualities about her. She often travels by the name Min or Minny but she doesn't try to hide her chelicerae; she just prefers to keep the more obvious signs of what she is out of sight so as not to scare off her targets and potential customers.

Minny is bisexual but leans strongly toward women; she has to really like a man to be invested in him, and she doesn't go for the "good" types. She's drawn to darker and more "exotic" skin tones, and she likes her partners to be intelligent and at least morally ambiguous. Woe be to those with whom she has a falling out or considers enemies, however. She has a tendency to literally eat them alive.

Relationships
Pending

History
Pending

Magic/Abilities

• Spider Limbs: Although her four spider limbs are used primarily for climbing, allowing Aranea to scale almost any surface with ridiculous ease and speed, they can also be used for four deadly attacks. The limbs are powerful and can do some serious damage, but attacking in this manner is tiring as she's putting full force behind ever strike. The tips of these legs act like spears in battle, making these limbs similar to the stingers of scorpions but without the venom. In addition, the "thorns" along the spider limbs can help to catch her if she falls or rend the flesh of those they swipe. The limbs are armored except at their segments; the armor is equivalent to steel plate.
  
• Chelicerae: The protrusions flanking Aranea's mouth are coated in a necrotic venom that forces whatever it touches to begin decaying; however, the venom also has secondary effects that are more like poison if left untreated. Fever, dizziness, nausea, and muscle weakness or muscle spasms are the most common symptoms; if the poison is allowed to spread or more poison is applied, breathing will eventually become difficult and the body will begin shutting down. The localized necrosis takes several minutes to begin manifesting visibly with a single injection, and the poison may take as long as a half-hour to begin affecting someone due to its slow-acting nature. Death inevitably occurs within two hours of injection. If a victim is subject to multiple injections, however, this time frame becomes increasingly shortened; with several injections, death can occur within a half-hour. The venom sacs are stored in the space betwixt her eyes and the base of the chelicerae.
  
• Spider Eyes: Aranea's six additional eyes do not provide her with ordinary visual acuity. Instead, the four larger ones add to her visual acuity in darkness; if one or more of these are blinded in some manner, the removal of each one's functionality will significantly decrease her ability to see in the dark. With all four active, absolute darkness appears equivalent to bright moonlight; the caveat is that these four eyes only see in black, white, and shades of gray. The two smaller eyes, however, detect heat signatures rather than light; this allows Aranea to find living targets and other sources of heat even when all of her other eyes are blocked by something like fog or smoke.
  
• Spinnerets: Multiple sacs of an extremely sticky silvery-white fluid are stored in Aranea's neck, and a pair of spinnerets beneath her tongue allow her to rapidly spew webbing that is roughly as strong as steel but dissolves in about four hours; fire can burn the webbing but they'll cling to anything that touches or tries to cut through them. The sharp tips of Aranea's spider limbs do not stick to the webbing.
  
• Fleet: Aranea's reflexes are superb and allow her to move roughly thrice as fast as most people. She is extremely agile and fast on her feet, and using her spider limbs to run allows her to move fast enough that she almost becomes a blur. She is a little slower when using her spider limbs to climb or cling to a surface but her reflexes do not suffer in this instance.
  
• Immunities & Resistances: Aranea is immune the venoms of spiders and resistant to most other forms of venom. She is also resistant to most forms of poison and to date has never contracted a disease of any kind; as such, she may be entirely immune to most diseases or perhaps only highly resistant. Aranea also has somewhat thick skin and a high tolerance for extreme cold; she can release a lot of body heat very quickly if need be, making her well-adapted to life in the desert, and the pigmentation of her skin makes her resistant to sunburn.
  
• Spider-Friend: Aranea shares a deep connection with most spiders that allows her to communicate with and influence them empathically. She often has hundreds of spiders crawling about her person and hiding in her clothes; they will attack whatever threatens her as a massive swarm but can also act as many extra sets of eyes. This also allows her to communicate at a distance with others who can also communicate with spiders.
  
  The following abilities are magical in nature.
  
• Psychometry: Aranea can feel emotional energy when she touches animals, people, or various surfaces; focusing her innate magic on that emotional energy shows her visions. People give her flashes of their lives when she touches them, while objects and surfaces give her flashes of the events surrounding them. Touching a wall might show her who has passed by what has happened recently near said wall, for example; picking up a candle might show her a vision of the world around the candle the last time it was lit; touching a beloved teddy bear might show her memories tied to that bear. Touching a corpse usually shows the last moments before that individual died. Aranea's psychometry is always from the point of view of whatever she's touching. This allows her to use various creatures and even other people as scouts, whether they are willing or not, by focusing her psychometry specifically on recent events; it also allows her to investigate an area or object (or those personally tied to that object) in the same manner, even without the physical presence of other people or creatures.
  
• Scrying: Through deep meditation, Aranea can "send" her mind out either into the world around her or into the minds of others. This allows her to observe events as they happen, scout an area, or even probe someone's mind. She cannot "receive" knowledge of the past in this way if it doesn't exist in the mind of a person or creature.
  
• Astral Projection: Through deep meditation, Aranea can loosen the bonds betwixt her spirit and her body; doing so allows her body to roam freely. Her spirit, once freed, can move and act like a ghost. It is intangible, able to move through solid surfaces but mostly unable to grasp solid objects. Channeling magic, however, allows her a limited physical connection to the world; she can leave bruises or scratches upon someone's body, move objects, fly, become invisible, and even disrupt fires. Her spirit is susceptible to magic or abilities that would affect ghosts and spirits, and she grows weaker the farther from her body she is and the more time she spends projecting. If she spends too long projecting or travels too far from her body, she may not be able to return to her body and her body will shut down; she has never projected for more than an hour, and any length of time beyond a half-hour makes the danger begin to grow exponentially. Unfortunately, projecting also leaves her body unprotected unless she takes measures to guard it.
  
• Summoning Rituals: By sacrificing living creatures on an altar within a runic circle and placing a smaller runic circle nearby, Aranea can summon large and powerful spider-like beings for multiple purposes. The smaller runic circle absorbs ambient magical energy and acts as an anchor for whatever is bound within the summoning circle, preventing it from running wild once summoned; various herbs and other materials are typically burned to strengthen the anchoring runic circle, though this isn't necessary for every summoning. The creatures summoned are intelligent and mysterious, able to commit powerful magic to the summoner's purpose or provide knowledge otherwise inaccessible to her. They like making deals - nothing is free - and are willing to kill someone, steal something, offer information or insight, or perhaps do other things for the summoner if the cost is provided to them. These rituals are short-lived, as the creatures that are summoned aren't meant to remain beyond the reason for their summoning; some creatures may need to be resummoned if a deal is made and the cost is unable to be paid immediately. Such creatures rarely tell the summoner anything without a direct request, however; for example, knowing how to summon a very specific creature is knowledge that might need to be shared by that creature (as opposed to summoning any similar creature that happens to answer the summoning).
  
  Inventory
  
• Ironwood Crossbow: A light crossbow held and fired with one hand; requires a second hand to manually set and load it, however.
  
• Spider-Kin Venom: Small vials of Aranea's own collected venom for dipping crossbow bolts into.
  
• Crossbow Bolts x25: Tipped with steel and stored in her cloak.
  
• Ice Bolts x10: The steel tips of these bolts are etched with runes that cause them to erupt with "dry" ice when they hit something with great force; the ice spreads slowly for about a minute, freezing everything it touches, making wounds caused by these bolts particularly dangerous and painful.
  
• Shatterbolts x10: The steel tips of these bolts are etched with runes that cause them to explode when they hit something with great force; the explosion causes no fire damage but instead sends shrapnel in every direction within about five feet. Obviously, these can be particularly devastating to shoot someone with.
  
• Spiderbolts x5: The steel tips of these bolts are etched with runes that conjure several dozen tiny black spiders into existence when they hit something with great force. These spiders possess a stinging venom that is very painful but otherwise harmless. While a single bite might be painful, however, dozens of them all at once can be excruciating. Moreover, since the point of a crossbow bolt is to pierce the flesh and enter a target's body, this can cause numerous internal problems.
  
• Prized Throwing Knives x8: Carved of bone and set into hilts of obsidian, this set of knives has been precision balanced for throwing. The bone blades each have a sinuous double curve, limited serration, and are razor-sharp. The hilts have been polished and set with tiny onyxes, and a binding of alchemically strengthened spider silk with the tensile strength of steel wire helps to secure each blade to its hilt. Etched runes enchant the knives so that they can return to their owner's hand when the command word (salipzia) is uttered. The command word can be changed only with a special ritual, and the one who made the knives is long dead. These knives are hidden in discreet pockets of Aranea's cloak.
  
• Hooded Cloak: Plum-colored; the inside has fifty open sleeves that can each hold a crossbow bolt, with twenty-five of them resting to either side of the front of the cloak. The inside of the cloak also has several pouches of varying sizes and shapes, allowing its wearer to carry numerous items small enough to be held in the hand (e.g. vials, coins). The cloak itself is made from thick, sturdy wool and bears a relatively large hood; it has a polished steel clasp in the shape of a stylized spider.
  
• Alembic & Kit: Equipment & assorted tools (e.g. stirring sticks, measured vials, stoppers) for mixing potions & poisons; carried in Aranea's cloak.
  
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__________________QUICK STATS
Name Kallippos ("kal-IP-os" [hard "s"])
Age Many Suns
Gender Male
Species Desert Centaur
Ethnicity Moraki
Height 8' 4"
Occupation Lancer & Wayfinder
Residence Moraki Desert

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Kallippos has a mottled coat of gold and white hues; his silvery tail is brushed and braided, and it is often decorated with cactus flowers. His red hair, also worn in a thick braid, reaches to the small of his back; cactus flowers also decorate this braid. His skin is olive-toned, and he bears the insignia of a glass spearhead pointing toward his fingers as it seemingly grows out of a cactus flower on the back of his left hand (see Inventory, below). The image of a sleeping sand cat is tattooed upon his left shoulder to honor a pet who died several years ago; "Beloved Aglaia" is tattooed beneath the image of the cat.

Kallippos' eyes are bright green. His face is kept clean-shaven but for a curly red goatee that extends beneath his chin; it is not braided but it is well-tended. His right earlobe is pierced with two gold rings in honor of his mother and father, and his left earlobe is pierced with three silver rings in honor of his brother and his two sisters. A choker of bones is worn about his neck, each one etched with a depiction of an event of personal significance, for he prefers not to wear armor or carry a shield as they slow him down in battle.

Personality
Kallippos is asexual but homoromantic. He's not completely averse to physical attraction, being strongly drawn to powerful arms and shoulders and chests and loving the feel of a well-tended coat and...ahem. The act itself is...uncomfortable. At least, the idea of it is. He can appreciate a fine rump and hunky torso as much as anyone else, though he doesn't see the attraction in being covered in sticky sweat (ew) or doused in water. He likes looking at men, he just doesn't want to...y'know. Do that. And he values being clean and not dripping or splashing or smearing things everywhere. Honestly, the farthest he's ever gone is kissing, and that...well, that brings the issue around to emotions.

For him to get into a relationship, Kalli needs to have a connection with someone. That only comes with respect and trust, which is a two-way road. More than anything, he respects actions rather than words and doesn't see strength as the be-all, end-all. Strength is useful. Strength can be very attractive. But strength, improperly focused, leads only to disaster and suffering - not to comradery, love, or anything good for either the tribe or those outside it. Strength must be tempered with mercy, lest it provoke righteous anger from him. It's one thing to end the lives of your enemies in honorable combat; it's another thing entirely to murder an unarmed and helpless victim of your wrath, righteous or not.

Of course, there are some crimes that are unforgiveable, but they are thankfully very few and far between.

Only those closest to him are allowed to call him Kalli, the shortened version of his full name.

Relationships
Alcippe ("al-SIP-ay"): Mother
Archippos ("arc-IP-os" [hard "s"]): Father
Leukippos ("loo-KIP-os" [hard "s"]): Brother [elder]
Rosalind ("ROZ-uh-lind"): Sister [younger]
Rosamund ("ROZ-uh-mund"): Sister [youngest]

Rosalind is often called Roz, while Rosamund is often called Rozzy, in order to distinguish them. Leukippos is often called simply Loo. Their parents have their own private names for each other but are referred to as Mother and Father by their sirelings.

History
As his history is mostly tied to his tribe, this section will focus mostly on the tribe. Linguistically speaking, the tribe's individuality has mostly been lost throughout the millennia but some words and phrases remain. Their language is based on ancient Greek but much has been mixed with Common or lost entirely; most of what remains is devoted to names and occasional words or phrases used in common parlance alongside words or as part of phrases in the Common tongue. For use in RPs, I'll be utilizing Google Translate (English to Greek).

The White Hoof tribe is a sight to see. Tall, well-built, powerful centaurs traveling in herds numbering anywhere from a score to well over a hundred, their namesake unique white hooves are said to thunder even upon the sand. Their equine flesh grows no hair save their tails, which they preen and wash and style frequently as a communal activity; the mixed white and gold hues of their coats are iridescent when glistening with sweat under the light of the blazing desert sun, and some say they can vanish among the dunes if you aren't watching them carefully.

The tribe in total numbers somewhere around eighteen or nineteen thousand spears, as they call it. They are a tribe of wandering hunters and warriors with a rich culture shared with few outside the tribe. They respect kaadir as fellow hunters and tend to avoid them but give them preference when one of their herds crosses paths with the creatures. Sand cats they consider absolutely sacred; many keep sand cats as companions in hunting and as pets, and to harm or attempt to harm a sand cat is a crime punishable by summary execution. Encountering one in the wild is said to be an omen of extremely good fortune.

They hunt lizards (other than kaadir) and scorpions for food and clothing as well as tools and weapons, and giant scorpions in particular provide much to a herd. Only the great white scorpion, a giant scorpion whose iridescent armor can sometimes appear gold, is feared and avoided by them; to the tribe's knowledge, no centaur has ever survived an encounter either alone or in a herd with a great white scorpion. They're too quick, too intelligent, and far larger and more flexible than any other giant scorpion. Thankfully, they're also extremely rare. Only sand worms are more woefully regarded than great white scorpions.

Whether there were other tribes within the Moraki Desert is unknown to the White Hoof. They are the only desert tribe they know of presently, and their herds wander the whole of the desert. It is rare for them to approach Essyrn; when they do, they never send more than half their herd into the city at once and larger herds often send much fewer than half. This is to protect their herd as well as to prevent others in the city from seeing them as a threat. Conflicts have arisen in the past but not for a very long time.

Most White Hoof centaurs have shades of blonde hair, which is always as well-tended as their tails and never short; this is an odd contrast to their olive-skinned and often darkly tanned upper bodies and dark eyes, which are seen to be in shades of brown and green. For one of the White Hoof centaurs to be born with amber eyes is considered a blessing from the desert and a prophecy of great potential. Red hair is uncommon among the White Hoof centaurs but not unheard-of; it is usually considered to be indicative of a centaur who is self-reliant, energetic, and honest.

Centaurs of the White Hoof tribe are particularly distinctive in battle for the thick, heavy chitin armor they wear. It is decorated with bones carved and arranged in different manners, often telling a story. If that story is "broken" during battle but the armor survives, then a new story must be told with the bones of their fallen enemies. They favor spears and javelins, and shields of bone and chitin, but it is their leaders who are truly influential in a battle. Each herd is led by a Chieftain, a War Chief, a Shaman, and a Brewer (their word for alchemist and healer).

White Hoof Shamans consider the wind to be a sacred, living being that rises and dies as per the will of the desert, for it is the living breath of the desert itself. To this end, their magic is primarily focused on listening to the wind - their form of divination - allowing them to predict what is coming and even search  the world around them for immediate dangers or opportunities for hunting, shelter, and other such necessities at great range and with great accuracy. Their command of the wind is especially useful in creating gale-force walls around them that block the majority of the danger inherent in a sandstorm; this is a powerful bit of magic that cannot be easily used on the move, however, and thus requires the herd to be stationary unless several Shamans are focusing their magic on a single wall and being guided by their herd. Moving through sandstorms is done only in the most extreme of circumstances. While not actually leaders, they are considered to be among the leadership due to their vital roles both in and out of combat.

Brewers are responsible for the creation of potions, elixirs, salves, poultices, and other medicines as well as utilitarian concoctions. All armor and shields made by the White Hoof tribe is oiled and polished using potions concocted by Brewers that strengthen them to the point of being nearly indestructible. Bones used to decorate armor and shields are similarly treated, though some of the potency is lost compared to the armor and shields themselves in the process. The breaking of a "story" is therefore considered a momentous personal event. While not actually leaders, they are considered to be among the leadership due to their vital roles both in and out of combat.

White Hoof centaurs also adorn themselves with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other decorations made from a multitude of materials. Bones and teeth are common, of course, but so are decorative stones, shards of the hooves of fallen family members or other centaurs of great personal significance, loose pieces of glass taken from Seraj Isa, gems, and other interesting things. Gems are typically reserved for more significant members of a herd, such as the leaders and people who have earned great respect in hunting, in battle, or by other means. Finding a piece of glass that "speaks" to its finder is considered a spiritual experience, and such items are usually enchanted by a Brewer to make them unbreakable; they are also often enchanted with specific effects that the Chieftain or War Chief feels they have earned.

While not exactly a set tradition, many centaurs among the White Hoof tribe take to honoring their mother and father with a pair of gold rings in their right lobe or gold bracelets on their right wrist; siblings are honored in the same manner but with silver on the left side. Since there are no miners among the White Hoof, however, these items have to be traded for. It's one of the reasons they occasionally feel drawn to Essyrn.

Another distinctive cultural trait of White Hoof centaurs was actually adopted many centuries ago after encountering another culture; while the nature of that meeting has been forgotten, the distinction has not. Shallow conical caps are worn to protect the head from the sun, giving a bit of shade to the nomadic centaurs; the caps are usually about one to two feet in diameter and often lined with chitin for additional protection.

In Essyrn, centaurs of the White Hoof tribe almost always remain close to one another. They form an intimidating group, prompting most to stay away from them. White Hoof centaurs are surprisingly shrewd traders as well, which greatly helps in avoiding being deceived or treated unfairly - especially considering they never travel alone in the city.

White Hoof centaurs carry the bulk of their possessions upon their equine backs. They are very fast on solid ground or on sand, and they are considered second-to-none in terms of skill with lances, spears, and javelins. Every stallion or mare is expected to be able to hunt and fight, while colts and fillies are considered to be in training until they are mature and are not allowed to fight unless absolutely necessary. No member of the leadership is ever alone in their knowledge; there is always someone to take up their position should they fall. Most White Hoof centaurs know how to mix basic treatments for their wounds and basic antidotes for poisons or illnesses; anything more advanced, however, is typically reserved for a Brewer and their apprentice(s). While some White Hoof centaurs can also practice magic, only Shamans are considered to be fully proficient in it and anything more than minor spells that can be seamlessly woven into battle techniques and tactics or that have some daily utilitarian purpose are usually ignored by the general populace.

Tattoos are not merely aesthetic for centaurs of the White Hoof tribe. They are sometimes enchanted for one purpose or another but more importantly, whether they're enchanted or not, they always bear personal significance. Piercings are slightly more geared toward aesthetics but also typically bear personal significance.

Stallions among the White Hoof tribe are men; mares are women. Colts are boys, fillies are girls, and sireling (plural sirelings) is the term used to describe a child without calling out their gender. Siring is the term used to describe giving birth, while mother or fathering is the term used to describe rearing a child.

Kallippos is a stallion of the Asteri herd of the White Hoof tribe. He is one of the few allowed to wander alone on occasion; his duty to the herd is to scout ahead and warn them of potential dangers, alert them to resources and opportunities, and generally guide them safely to wherever they need to go. He is not the only Wayfinder among his herd, however, as per the White Hoof's cautious practice of redundancy among their ranks.

Magic/Abilities
Wind Listener: Being a scout and Wayfinder, this is considered an essential bit of magic to channel. By controlling his breathing and focusing his senses, he is able to channel magic through them in order to observe the world around him at great distance and with pinpoint accuracy. While channeling this magic, a soft breeze whips up around him and carries his senses out where he desires; it has a range of approximately ten miles, though existing wind can double this range.

Inventory

• Conical Cap: About 18" broad and bearing a small cone (about 8" broad) of chitin in the center atop it to protect the head. This is the only actual armor that Kallippos wears.
  
• Bone Choker: Enchanted to make it nearly indestructible, this choker tells the story of Kallippos' life; more bones are added as needed for etching new events. (See Physical Description, above.)
  
• Gold Earring x2: See Physical Description, above.
  
• Silver Earring x3: See Physical Description, above.
  
• Glass-Tipped Lance: The razor-sharp head of this weapon is a shard of glass taken from Seraj Isa. It has been enchanted by the Asteri herd's Brewer in multiple ways. First and foremost, it has been made indestructible (as is the standard for glass enchantment). It has also been coated (as has the rest of the lance) in a binding oil, preventing its removal from the rest of the lance and allowing certain enchantments to affect both the glass head and the lance as a whole. In particular, a coating of enchanted glass dust allows the lance to return to its owner's hand on a whim; a tattoo on the back of Kallippos' left hand binds this enchantment to him so that only he can wield it. And finally, the glass has been imbued with alchemical fire that causes severe burns to those whose blood touches it until the blood has been removed; to a victim of this lance, it feels like their blood is boiling inside them and their skin will blister and scorch the longer their blood touches the glass. Obviously, this makes a quick death a merciful outcome for those who stand against Kallippos. The lance stands about 10' long from butt to tip.
  
• Javelin x12: Worn on the back, it can be drawn and hurled at an enemy in one swift motion.
  
• Berserker's Elixir x5: Covers the imbiber in a sheen of tingling energy that acts as heavy armor, protecting them from blows and attacks strong enough to destroy granite. This is drunk in place of wearing armor for those who do not want the burden of armor or a shield slowing them down.
  
• Black Sand: Held in a leather pouch, this sand quickly heats up when exposed to sunlight. It is rubbed on open wounds to cauterize them, usually within about a minute. Good for approximately 100 treatments of minor wounds or 25 to 30 larger, more grievous wounds (only a very small amount is usually needed; a couple of pinches at most).
  
• Wound Kit: Consists of a thick bandage roll, thread, a couple of needles (one to use plus spares), a small vial of dissolving paste to hold cut thread in place, a sheathed razor for cutting thread, and a flask of alcohol far too potent to drink (for cleaning wounds quickly).
  
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A harsh wind had been blowing through the forest this day, a strange one that carried with it uneasy promises. The woods seemed to be speaking to one another in hushed tones, perhaps plotting some fell disaster. There was a heaviness to the air. Some might say it was unnatural. Others would say it was magic but dismiss that immediately. For had it indeed been so, the mages of La'marri would have surely done something about it. No, there must be nothing magical about it. It was simply an odd wind on a too-long afternoon as summer began to drift slowly away.

Yet the heaviness had reached a local library and scriptorium used as a frequent resource by several local mages, and this in a place that was already unduly stuffy during the summer months. Betwixt the slightly cruel warmth of that wind and the already oppressive heat dampened only a little by the salt spray blowing in from the sea, it was no wonder that windows had been opened to at least keep the dust from choking its inhabitants. So when a window suddenly and inexplicably slammed shut, echoing through a quiet corner of one of the library's many alcoves for isolated study, it made several people jump.

As late in the day as it seemed to be, the shadows long and the sunlight swiftly beginning to dwindle, this was taken as a sign that it was time to pack up books for the day by all but a couple of people. Those that remained drifted to another area where a window still stood open, leaving the little corner of the large room abandoned but for one strange sprite to whom "small" meant "enormous" and "large" meant "gargantuan". What to even dwarves was merely a spacious room filled with shelves lined with innumerable volumes of great variety and cubbies stuffed with scrolls was a cavern of vast proportions to the odd-looking person that now dropped to the soft carpet.

They were unnoticed among the tables laden with writing materials and forgotten manuscripts and other documents, which was to their great advantage. Crossing the floor to weave between the legs of the furniture, around the tome-bearing cliffs and through the passages that held doors large enough to bear an army of such individuals, was a strange little fellow with curly red hair dancing about their shoulders and too-pale skin. They were slender and had dark circles beneath their eyes, as though they had not slept properly in quite some time. Small black spots rough in texture but tender to the touch dotted their flesh, unhealthy lesions glistening amid a light sheen of secreted poison.

Chelsika had not bathed in at least a day and although they did not stink fit enough to cause a stir, they definitely did not smell like lilacs. Their breath was probably the worst of it, evident to anyone who got close enough to pick up on such a thing. Their long, forked tongue tasted the air and learned many things, and the vertical black slits set into their yellow eyes darted this way and that with as much caution as curiosity. The off-white shirt they wore did not well hide the bluish veins that stood out upon their skin, nor the filthy nails upon their fingers and the bare toes that peeked out from beneath a pair of dark-brown cotton britches a size too large. A bit of thick yarn bound the shirt and britches together, keeping them firmly in place, and they kept their hands in their pockets for the moment as they wandered into a store room full of supplies.

Given their height, they had about two shelves to their head and they were mostly filled with junk they didn't care about. But beyond those first two shelves, they'd need help. There had to be more useful things higher up, right? Something that they could trade or sell, maybe something shiny...something magical? Mages all about in these libraries, after all. Well, there was one way to find out.

Climbing up was difficult, but a long string used as a rope with a lasso at one end made things a little easier. Sixteen inches did not a tall fellow make, though they certainly were not as small as many fairies and pixies were. Collecting their string, they looked about the shelf they'd climbed up onto. They had to crouch to fit on the shelf properly, and there was the issue of a fall if their feet strayed a wee bit too far from what was stored thereupon.

There were several small boxes here - chests to Chelsika - but surely nothing magical would be stored in them. Checking them one by one, they discovered that they were all locked with the exception of a few. One unlocked box held scrolls smaller than they were bearing notes on various things, mostly sales and purchases of materials and who had loaned which books or studied which scrolls at which times on which days. Another held pots of ink and oil for writing and lamps, and a third held quills. One held marbles roughly the size of their head, however.

What purpose the marbles could serve was uncertain, but they were quite pretty. One in particular looked like it had red sand inside that shifted with the slightest movement. Grinning, they slipped that one into their pocket - and heard the soft whoosh that most larger ears could not hear as it slipped into the pocket universe created by Chelsika's magic. Another marble was solid but had swirls of green and blue inside; it was pretty but they decided not to take it. Instead, they took a purple one that sparkled with glitter and two pink ones with white swirls that made them look like eyes. They would definitely be coming back here later for more marbles, but they wanted to see what else they could find for now. On second thought...they took the blue-green marble as well. Why not? It wasn't like their pocket universe couldn't handle it. That's what magic was for, after all.

Poking about some more, they climbed up to the next shelf and pulled down one of the books in the process. It hit the floor with a fwump, bending some pages and landing splayed so that its spine rose above the floor. Whoops. Well, someone would clean that up eventually. There was sadly nothing interesting behind the book, and the book itself looked like some kind of log - very boring. But, thinking to make it look like the shelf had just been bumped or something, Chelsika spent a few moments pushing several more books onto the floor as well. They'd made quite a mess down there.

Satisfied, they turned to the time-worn shelf's edge again. A loose nail made climbing even easier than using the notches in the wood this time, and the third shelf looked much more promising. This one held a book that was some kind of record of existing stock in mundane artifacts of unknown origin. Several of the items were marked as potentially magical, and one was specifically listed as "definitely magical"! Ooh, Chelsika did so love magical objects. The ring mentioned was likely too large to carry on its own, but if they could find a pouch somewhere, that'd be as good as a sack and better with their liminal magic for carrying it. Wait, what was that noise?

Hurriedly, they closed the book with a thump and wove their innate magic into a hasty bit of invisibility. Footsteps carried their owner into the room now, and the mess would be found almost immediately. Of that, Chelsika was certain. But where the weave should have taken hold, it instead dissolved like water. Something wasn't right, and they had no time to cast the spell again; instead, they simply shrank back into the shadows and hoped for the best...

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Chelsika
Age Many Moons
Gender Queer
Species Plaguebearer Fae
Ethnicity Serenian
Height 16"
Occupation Scavenger/Thief
Residence Niahi Woods

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Black and dark purple lesions adorn Chelsika's flesh in several places. Their eyes permanently display dark circles, as though they haven't slept in a while. Although not necessarily gaunt or skin-and-bone, they are slender. They have a forked tongue that others who have seen it in full think is far too long to be natural, and their yellow eyes have vertical pupils. Their forearms are longer than what many people consider natural as well, causing their arms to reach to just above their knees. They have no tear ducts or sweat glands, but they do occasionally seem to "perspire"; when this happens, the liquid that is secreted has a greenish tinge and smells foul (see Magic/Abilities).

Most significant (though somewhat subtle) is the long, forked tongue in Chelsika's mouth. While they do have a button nose, they have no olfactory bulb or nerves; neither does their tongue have any taste buds. Instead, their saliva collects particles from the air to inform them of things (much like that of a snake).

Personality
Gender is...finnicky; expression more so. She, her, they, and them are the most common pronouns attached to Chelsika, but they don't pitch a fit if someone calls them he or him. They like shiny things and mischief, and they prefer to hoard items rather than sell or trade them. When they do trade something, it's almost always of far lesser value than what they try to convince someone it is. Illusions and deceit are their most frequent tools in their various endeavors. While their mischief isn't necessarily violent or dangerous in and of itself, it can quickly turn so due to circumstances that often lie beyond their control.

Relationships

History

Magic/Abilities
Chelsika's body contracts natural diseases more easily than others do. She is highly resistant to many of their effects but not immune, and some diseases that she carries grant her permanent physical traits thereof (see Physical Description). While she is more contagious than others who contract a disease, the diseases she carries are spread and develop in others in the same manner they ordinarily would. However, she can also tap into her innate well of magic to spread them more quickly and easily as well (see magic, below).

The liquid that Chelsika naturally secretes (see Physical Description) carries with it a sickening poison that causes nausea, vomiting, fever, and hallucinations with increasing potency as time wears on. When they bathe, they do become clean just like anyone else; however, the water they bathe in carries this liquid and easily transmits whatever diseases also happen to be carried in Chelsika's body at the time.

The following magic is subject to expansion as I think of ideas.
Don't worry...they're not immensely powerful.

• Limited Magic Resistance: Although not immune to magical poisons and diseases, those utilizing them find it very difficult to infect Chelsika; such magic (when it does take effect) is less effective, has a shorter duration, and can be more easily purged than when affecting others.
  
• Dark Magic Resistance: Chelsika is immune to minor curses, hexes, jinxes, and the like. She can purge herself of more powerful dark magic, but this is exhausting and may take a while depending on the magic used.
  
• Healing Magic Immunity: Chelsika is unaffected by magic that closes wounds or purges poisons or diseases from their body. Restorative magic can be used (such as if they're turned to stone), as can other beneficial magic, without issue.
  
• Illusions of Sight & Sound: The former are mostly stationary but animate illusions can be created briefly. Chelsika's illusions are intangible but can include effects such as invisibility, something shiny, a wall or door or vegetation where there is none, a pretty girl running away to disappear around a corner, et cetera - basically anything that conceals, distracts, attracts, or otherwise befuddles or confuses.
  
• Liminal Space: Chelsika can store things in "pocket universes" that expand or shrink as needed. While they can't store anything particularly large, however, they can store an astonishing amount of trinkets and contraband in multiple pocket universes. The only caveat is that they need a physical representation - such as a pocket, satchel, sack, pouch, or something else - in order to create the liminal space. Once created, a liminal space exists only until it is completely emptied; it then shrinks into nothingness.
  
• Infection: This spell allows Chelsika to pass one of the diseases they carry to another by touch, infecting someone with it at its most basic stage; diseases spread this way develop much more quickly and are more contagious than when spread in a mundane fashion.
  
• Vermin-Friend: This spell can charm certain types of creatures, calming them and even making them friendly if they're not too resistant to its magic. The spell also allows a kind of silent communication - not telepathy, but rather a kind of instinctive understanding and empathy - with those creatures that have been well and truly charmed. Mice and rats, spiders of all kinds, a multitude of different insects, worms, and the like all fall into the category of creatures affected by this spell; scorpions seem to be immune to it, as are any creatures with a sentient level of intelligence. The spell lasts for anywhere from several minutes to several hours, depending on how strong the target's resistance is to it. Those under the influence of a hive mind - such as ants - are easily swayed; most insects and many more timid rodents are also easily swayed. Spiders and less timid rodents - such as city rats - tend to be far less easily swayed but are still susceptible to the spell. Larger creatures may have larger brains and thus be more resistant. Several creatures can be charmed simultaneously, and a strong enough "pull" may lure other creatures into a kind of mob mentality that grows stronger as the mob grows larger.
  
• Shine of a Sprite: Also called a Sprite's Shine, this spell requires only a quick snap of the fingers. Animals will find themselves momentarily blinded and deafened and will be stunned for several seconds; targets other than animals will only be stunned for the briefest of moments and aren't susceptible to the other effects. This is a trick that's often used for a quick get-away but it can render animals susceptible to the charming magic that usually only works on vermin during the time they're stunned. If then successfully charmed, that spell (Vermin-Friend) works the same as it would normally.
  
• Bonding Ritual: Although this can be done with people or other sentient creatures, it's far more difficult and thus far rarer to find a fae doing so. This ritual is a semi-permanent exchange with a creature that may not always be equitable. In return for certain abilities or features, a fae can develop abilities or features akin to those of the one to whom they are bonded; that creature gains something in return, usually abilities or features from the fae. The ritual's magic is reversed when either one or both of the individuals dies. The ritual cannot bond more than two individuals to one another at a time.
  Chelsika's Current Bond: Eyes & Tongue of a Snake in return for Wings of a Butterfly Fae.
  
  Clothing & Supplies:
  
  • Off-White Long-Sleeved Shirt
  • Dark-Brown Cotton Britches (1 size too large)
  • Length of Thick White Yarn (worn as belt)
  • Very Long String w/Lasso at One End
  
  Current Liminal Inventory:
  
  • Clear Marble Half-Filled w/Red Sand: Causes red lines of ink to form on parchment; can also erase those lines.
    
  • Dark Purple Marble Covered in Permanent Glitter: Only half the marble is covered in glitter; the plain side absorbs ink, while the glittery side preserves ink so that it isn't accidentally absorbed.
    
  • Pink Marble w/White Swirl (looks like an eye) x2: White swirl sticks to a surface; rest of marble produces a soft pink light.
    
  • Clear Marble w/Blue & Green Swirls Inside: Green swirl can shift into the shape of various land masses; blue swirl can shift into the shape of various rivers and other waterways.
  
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  Complete Threads

What are your favorite kinds of plots and relationships to play?
I've done a little of everything over the years. I'll update this as I think of things.

What are your least favorite kinds of plots and relationships to play?
I'll update this as I think of things.

What are your favorite character types to play?
Magic. I'm more obsessed with magic than I probably should be...I also like darker characters, and I occasionally bring some very real darkness into the backstories of my characters.

Are you a planner or a pantser? Do you prefer to pre-plan and stick to a script when posting, or do you prefer to surprise and be surprised?
Wee bit o' both.

How do you feel about group threads?
Small groups are best.

How often can you reply to any given thread? How long should a partner wait before nudging you for a post?
I guarantee nothing but I try to stay fairly active if I'm involved in something.

What is the longest you're willing to wait for a reply to a thread?
Not sure. Case-by-case?

How do you feel about instant messenger RP?
I'm not big on chat RP but I've done it once or twice.

Ho do you feel about post volleying/rapidfire RP?
Not sure, honestly; I put too much detail into most of my posts to make it work.

What's your preferred posting style? Long posts? Short posts? Anything and everything?
I've made long and short posts. I put a lot of detail and introspection into my posts as often as not, so they can get exceedingly long sometimes. I do not, however, expect someone to match me length for length; that's ridiculous. Just gimme something to work with.

Any RP styles/habits that you love?
I mostly stick to third-person, past tense.

Any RP styles/habits that you avoid?
I dunno.


What are you limits regarding powerplay/godmoding?
I prefer someone asks before they do something like that, especially if it's something major. I'm usually leery of it and try to avoid it myself, though.

What are your limits in regards to romantic situations?
I fade to black for the most part, though I don't mind if things get a little heavy. I honestly don't write smut collaboratively; it's just not comfortable to me, or at least hasn't been in the past. I've written erotica but only as solo pieces. That's not to say I'm not open to romance and such, however. I have less experience with writing romance than a lot of people probably do but I'm not completely closed off to it. One thing I should point out is that I'm bi and I very rarely play purely cis/straight characters.

What are your limits with regards to graphic content such as sex, violence, drug use, sexual assault, etc? What is your comfort level?
I don't necessarily want to play out or go into detail with such things but I'm definitely not a prude. For things dealing with children, references are about as far as I think it should go. For example, I had a character once that was abused as a kid (all I'm gonna say there), and it came out once or twice in reference but I never went into detail about it for what should be obvious reasons. So I don't really have a problem with the worst part of drama existing as long as it's not focused on too heavily. I've written characters that have been SAed in their backstories, but I've never written it myself. As to drugs...eh...that's case-by-case.

What are your limits in regards to pregnancy within plots?
I'm not big on such plots myself but I'm not averse to them.

What about healing?
Only if it's for plot. I had a character once who kept her face covered and basically had a severe mental breakdown when it was forcibly revealed; her face was covered in horrible burns and scars. To have that just magically go away...yeah, I think that would have completely invalidated the character. Forcibly removing the coverings was one thing; eradicating the scars and such without some kind of plot in place that was played out...that would have been completely off-limits to me.

What about characters being transformed against their will?
Case-by-case. I love werewolves and vamps, honestly, but it's admittedly a major change to the character. It's one thing if it's temporary - Draco getting transfigured was HILARIOUS in the HP books - but more permanent transformations need to be discussed.

Anything else?
I tend to have the mouth of a sailor but I try to come up with unique ways of swearing in fantasy. Trollsnot is one of the ones I came up with that's fun. As I said, I'm bi and very rarely play a character that's purely cis or straight, though it does happen. Other than that...eh, I'll update this as I think of things.