__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Sequoia
Age: 2574
Gender: Female
Species: Wood Nymph
Ethnicity: Sequoiadendron giganteum
Height: 6'7" (nymph), 28 meters (tree golem)
Occupation: Guardian of the Forest
Residence: The ruins of a city at the southeastern end of Draconi Forest
Favorite Food: Sunlight and rainwater
Alignment: True Neutral


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Sequoia looks like she's made of wood, and that's because she is. As a wood nymph, she reflects the appearance of her tree- in this case, a giant redwood. Sequoia is taller than an average nymph, and has a stocky appearance due to her thick bark. Her hair is comprised of the thin, needle-like leaves of her tree, and occasionally cones will grow in it. Her eyes are the color of sap.

Sequoia's tree doesn't really look like a tree, not anymore. It still serves the same function that a tree would for a nymph (for example she can still retreat inside it for shelter, and any damage to the tree will reflect onto Sequoia's body) but Sequoia has made some... radical changes. It now looks like this:

Spoiler

Art courtesy of Jason Engle

[close]

Personality:
Once a doormat, Sequoia has become an extremely violent, aggressive person as of past few centuries. Tired of the humans who would once walk all over her and her forest, she has come to the conclusion that direct action is the only way to prevent what she views as parasites from destroying all she holds dear. She has seen far too many of her friends perish due to deforestation, and Sequoia's heart has hardened because of it. She does not care who you are or what your life story is, if you so much as break a branch off a tree in her presence, there will be a reckoning.

Relationships:
Sequoia has befriended many natures spirits who have come to her for protection, and many have come to see her as a sort of spiritual leader.

Magic/Abilities:
Sequoia has been around for a long time- over 2,500 years! She's been practicing primal nature magic for the majority of her life, and this well of experience has resulted in the creation of the largest golem Le'raana has ever seen- her very own tree has been animated to serve her.

While the golem is typically inactive, when Sequoia goes inside her golem she is able to control it as one would their own body. As the golem is massive- over 90 feet tall- this makes Sequoia a considerable threat to anybody who would try to harm the forest she calls home.

History:
Once the tallest tree in Draconi forest, Sequoia was revered by the local nature spirits as a symbol of beauty. When discovered by humans, she was given the title "The Guardian Tree" due to her tree's placement at the very edge of the forest. Sequoia didn't mind the attention she got- she honestly enjoyed it.

As centuries passed, humans grew more industrious. Swaths of trees would disappear seemingly overnight, killing the spirits that inhabited them. Sequoia, still enamored by the humans who sang her praises, wrote it off as being "just part of nature". Then the deforestation reached her grove, and she began to grow concerned. Still, the humans assured her that there was nothing to worry about, and so she listened to them.

Then Sequoia saw what was being done to her fallen kin, and it horrified her. The humans were building structures out of the corpses of trees- trees that could have been Sequoia's friends. Realizing now that sitting by passively had caused her to let down the entire forest, Sequoia became determined to drive the humans away from the forest by any means necessary. Realizing she couldn't possibly hope to defeat the few hundred humans who had come to create a settlement, she began to prepare a complex ritual that would allow her to fight them on equal footing.

One hundred years passed, and an entire city had been constructed around Sequoia's tree. Aptly named "Guardian City" after Sequoia's old nickname, it had become a bustling center of commerce and trade since it's initial founding. Sequoia herself had become reclusive, never showing herself in front of humans if she couldn't help it. The majority of townsfolk assumed she had died somehow...

Until the Guardian Tree uprooted itself out of the ground and slaughtered them all.

Another three hundred years passed, and the forest has reclaimed the ruins of Guardian City. Sequoia's tree still stands in the center, but it now stands proudly among other trees. The ruins have a reputation for being haunted by angry nature spirits- a rumor Sequoia herself has propagated to keep humans away. Guardian City will remain as the sanctuary it is now- Sequoia will see to it.

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Emilia Black-Hearth walked through the town of Maplegrove, her tattered cloak dragging through the dirt behind her. 'Imbecilic humans can't even keep their accursed streets clean!" she thought as she gingerly stepped around a pile of horse manure. "I knew these animals were vile, but this? This is an embarrassment to their entire species."

After a few more minutes of walking, Emilia found what she had been looking for- a weapons shop. Emilia smirked. She had lost her old sword in what she'd come to refer to as "the accident", and Emilia felt it was high time she got a new one. Walking through the door of the shop, Emilia leaned against the door frame coolly. She pointed to the man at the counter. "You, human, give me your finest blade."

The shopkeeper gave Emilia an odd look. "... Do you have the coin?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "All of my weapons are forged from cyathil, so I don't sell them for cheap."

"Oh, you'll be giving it to me for free." Emilia said dismissively. "The quality of blade will likely be underwhelming as is, so just be happy I'm willing to accept it at all."

"... Get out of my shop."

Emilia sneered. "Make me, worm." The shopkeeper proceeded to pull a musket out from under the counter, and Emilia hurriedly stepped out the door. "Stupid human, how dare he? Doesn't he have any idea of who I am?" she thought angrily as she stormed down the road. "When I get my powers back, I'll kill him! Hell, I'll erase this entire town off the map!"

Emilia frowned. Her current predicament was not something she enjoyed dwelling on, and this time was no exception. "I can't be here anymore." Emilia decided as she took the road that led out of town. "These obnoxious creature are too moronic to understand their place."

As she walked through the forest that gave the town it's name, Emilia spotted a young human hacking away at one of the maple trees. "Will you cut that out?" she yelled at the boy. "You're making a dreadful racket! I can't hear myself think!"

After one last *CRACK*, the boy turned to Emilia and grinned sheepishly. "Haha, sorry! I'm training to be a knight when I get older, so I gotta work on my sword swings."

Emilia studied the human larva with great interest. "A knight, huh?" she asked. Emilia pointed to the wooden sword in the boy's hand. "And I suppose that's your practice blade?"

The boy beamed at her. "Yep! My dad made it out of the old teak tree in our backyard!"

Emilia smiled back, and stepped towards the boy. "Well then, how about a sparring match? That tree can't exactly fight back, now can it?"

The child gave her an confused look. "With you? But you don't have a- OW!" the boy shrieked as Emilia's clenched fist collided with his face. Collapsing, he dropped his sword- only for it to be snatched up by Emilia before he could retrieve it. "H-hey, that's not fai-" he began, but he was knocked unconscious when the woman brought the wooden blade down on his head.

Emilia looked down at her handiwork, and then at the blade. "It's not perfect- in fact, it the opposite of perfect- but I suppose it will do for now." she thought as she continued down the forested path. Emilia laughed. "What a rush! I almost forgot how good it felt being in control like that."

She would continue down the road, wooden sword slung over her shoulder.

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: N/A
Age: 6 Months
Gender: Male
Species: Brown Rat
Ethnicity: Rattus Norvegicus
Height: 17" (from head to tail)
Occupation: Doing rat stuff
Residence: It's unsure. It doesn't know how to read a map, so it couldn't tell you.
Favorite Food: It's not sure what it was called, but it was bread with meat and cheese
Alignment: True Neutral


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
It's a rat, see picture.

It's worth noting that while the rat has it's own rat language, it's speech is so high pitched that the average human cannot hear it. It is also incapable of understanding human speech, at least for the time being.

Personality:
Rats are very intelligent animals. Rats kept in captivity are capable of learning all kinds of tricks, and have even been taught to solve puzzles! Studies indicate that they are capable of metacognition- that is, thinking about how they think.

Most rats, however, don't ask why. The rat described in this profile is different. It's begun to look inward, and has been asking itself questions such as "What am I?" "Why do the two-footed monsters try to kill me?" and "Why do I think about these things now?"

That last question has sparked the rat's natural curiosity, and it is currently trying to find the answer.

Relationships:
None.

Magic/Abilities:
Rats are good at a lot of things! They can fit into small spaces, swim really well, and adapt to their surroundings like a pro! This rat is no different.

Along with it's newfound ability to think cognitively, the rat has discovered that when it squints really hard, a little red dot appears on whatever it's looking at. The rat is unsure of why it's able to do this, but it's discovered that the cats who used to attack him become distracted if he points the dot at their feet.

The rat's eyesight seems to has gotten a lot better too...

History:
The rat is unsure of how it came to be. See, it used to be like other rats. It operated on it's base instincts alone, and spent it's time focused on food, breeding, and securing territory. All it remembers of the incident is a flash of purple light that made the rat's eyes hurt.

It tried to talk to the other rats about this, but it would only ever get answers like "It is as it is."
This frustrated the rat to no end, and it's begun looking for answers on it's own.


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Taza Faah looked up at the sign thoughtfully. "Well, this is as good a place to start as any." she thought as she stepped through the door and into the shop. "Whoever makes that potion must buy the reagents somewhere."

The potion in question had been on Taza's radar for quite a while now. It's origins were a mystery, and it's availability on the markets was extremely limited. Taza initially assumed it was nothing more than a rumor, and only believed in it's existence when she herself was given a small bottle by her boss with the instructions "Find out where this comes from so we can get more."

Normally Hildegarde would just have Taza reverse-engineer the tonic, but this time was different. There was an ingredient that neither of the two girls could identify, and attempts to recreate the potion without it had failed. Naturally this intrigued them both, so they spared no expense trying to solve the mystery. It had taken a few months, but they had finally tracked down the manufacturer to La'Marri. Taza had decided to leave her protege Randal behind for this trip, giving him the ever-important job of running her flower shop while she was away. "It's about time I tested him, see if everything I've taught him so far has stuck. Besides, I doubt I'll need him for this, it's just diplomacy."

Upon entering Lady Fleetwood's shop, Taza was immediately taken aback by just how many bottles were on display. "Why would anybody need this?" she thought as she held up a glass vial shaped like a corkscrew. "What purpose could it possibly serve?"

"Why hello there young lady! Can I help you find anything?" an elderly woman called out from the back of the shop.

"Oh, no thank you ma'am." Taza said with a small bow. "I'm just browsing today."

Looking a bit disgruntled, the woman muttered something under her breath and walked into the backroom. Taza bit her lower lip. "Well, that went well. I suppose I'd better buy something before I leave." With that in mind, she went to the shelves in the back of the shop and pretended to pour over the dried ginger.

Griselda hated rain. Water made her wings heavy, and when her wings were heavy she couldn't fly. Not that she was very good at flying anyway, but she liked having that option just in case. She wished she could've stayed in Arca longer, but unfortunately having a boss- especially one as controlling as Hildegarde could be- meant she had to make regular reports.

It was a long way back to Zantaric.

So there Griselda was, on the road, in the rain, soaking wet. This particular road was nestled in between a creek and a field of flowers- no shelter in sight. Making a small *tch*, Griselda would continue trudging along until she saw something that caught her eye.

It wasn't a particularly fancy carriage, but it had walls and a roof- that's all Griselda cared about. The fact that it appeared to have been the target of a bandit raid didn't bother her too much, nor did the coachman's dead body laying in the mud. Smiling, Griselda opened the carriage door and was greeted by three more bodies- this carriage was apparently carrying a family.

Then Griselda noticed something very odd indeed. All three of the victims had been killed with arrows- Griselda had been around long enough to recognize the wounds they all shared. What was strange about this was that these people were, well, in a carriage. Had they been lured outside, shot, and then placed back into the carriage as if nothing had happened?

Griselda was beginning to get spooked- something that didn't happen easily. Stepping away from the carriage, she began to walk away... then stopped to check the coachman's pockets, because maybe whoever did this forgot to steal his wallet.

It was pouring rain. Lightning flashed overhead, and the thunder that followed was deafening. Undeterred, ALICE FURY slowly climbed up the metal structure he had discovered the day before. He wasn't sure who had built it, but he understood it's purpose- it was a lightning rod.

Now, most people don't stand on top of giant metal towers in the middle of a thunderstorm- but ALICE FURY isn't most people. He had ran into a Knight of the White Lily last week, and the encounter had caused him to discharge all of his electrical power. ALICE needed to recharge, and this was the most efficient way to do it. 

Upon reaching the top, ALICE pulled his lyre from underneath his robe and waited. The tower, which had been built rather precariously, teetered in the wind. Finally, with a loud *CRASH*, it happened. Electricity surged through the tower before being absorbed by ALICE, who began to play a deafening riff on his lyre. He poured all of his happiness into the instrument, and the resulting song would've caused even the grumpiest Mordecai to crack a smile.

Unfortunately his music was cut short when the tower collapsed beneath his feet. "AH! Fucking cocksucker!" ALICE screamed as he tumbled to the ground. Landing in a puddle of mudd, he groggily looked up to see an angry man in a pointy wizard hat running towards him.

You piece of shit!" the man screamed as he lobbed an ice spike at ALICE's head, missing him by inches. "Do you have any idea how many years that ritual took for me to set up? I would've gotten the power I need to kill the Grand Duke and win the war! AND YOU RUINED IT!"

"Ha! You bet your ass I ruined it!" ALICE yelled back as he began to run away. In reality he had no idea what he'd ruined, but this guy had a major stick up his ass- he probably deserved to be infuriated. "The Grand Duke doesn't die until he admits that I'm a better musician than he is!"

"Your music sucks! You have no talent!" the man shouted angrily as he dramatically raised his arms. A wall of ice suddenly materialized in front of ALICE, cutting off the bard's escape route. ALICE had no choice but to turn and face the wizard, who was approaching him with a maniacal grin on his face. "Oh, I'll make you pay. Do you have any idea how much water you're surrounded by?"

ALICE FURY smiled and raised his lyre defiantly, strumming a few chords. "Bring it on then, pussy!"

"Fuck, now what? This is bad, I'll die if I don't think of something quick."

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: ALICE FURY
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Connlaothian
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Occupation: Bard
Residence: Wanders Connlaoth
Favorite Food: Bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
ALICE FURY is a thin man of average height. His long blonde hair is dyed red, and his nails are painted deep purple. ALICE is very much a pretty boy, but his good looks are offset by the slightly crazed look in his eyes. His hooded robe was stolen from a priest- ALICE wears it to break societal norms.

ALICE is never seen without his custom lyre- it's made of copper, which helps it to conduct electricity.

Personality:
To say that ALICE is a rebel is the biggest understatement one could possibly make. ALICE FURY is the rebel, and he won't let anybody forget it. His disrespect for authority goes so far that he considers the mages in Connlaoth to be just as bad as the nobles in charge- you can't beat "the man" by becoming "the man", according to him. ALICE believes that a perfect world would have no leaders, laws, or social classes, and this radical ideology puts him at odds with almost everybody he meets.

Much like the music he plays, ALICE sounds scary but is ultimately harmless. He rages against the machine by playing his instrument really loud and sometimes cussing people out through his song lyrics. The moment things get physical, he retreats- his powers aren't incredibly useful in combat, and he knows this. This isn't to say he's a coward however, as he'll often crash parties and break into fortresses in order to spread his message of anarchy.

On a personal level, ALICE is a bit of a asshole. He has no filter, and rarely thinks about what he's about to say before he says it. His music can be quite vulgar as well- one of his songs is literally titled "Mordecai Can Suck My Dick". He does hold a special place in his heart for fans of his music, however, and would do anything to protect them.

Relationships:
Not really a relationship per say, but ALICE considers the Grand Duke of Connlaoth to be his musical rival. It's highly unlikely that the Grand Duke is even aware of ALICE's existence, but ALICE insists that he will be, someday.

Magic/Abilities:
ALICE FURY is a living battery- he's able to absorb electricity from natural sources (i.e. lightning, static, etc.) and use it to charge other things. He uses this most often with his lyre, causing it to sound radically different than a lyre normally would.

As humans already give off a small electric charge, Mordecai do not shut down his powers all the way- they merely prevent him from absorbing electricity and cap his output at ten volts/second. Adhara cause him to violently discharge any electricity he has stored, effectively de-powering him.

ALICE is a very talented lyre player, adept at playing sick riffs and rocking the fuck out.

History:
ALICE FURY was never the type to listen to authority. As a child he'd refuse to eat his vegetables and would never do his chores. When it came time for him to join the military- as all male children must- he ran away from home. You see, ALICE had a dream- to be the greatest bard of all time. Buying a beat up lyre from a second hand store, he began his journey with stars in his eyes...

It didn't work out so well. While ALICE seemed to have a natural affinity for the instrument, his music always sounded off- like it was missing something vital. The civil war made things difficult as well, with both sides of the conflict seeming stupid to him. He tried to work his own personal philosophy- total anarchy- into his song lyrics, but it ended up getting him arrested. This cemented ALICE's political views- after all, if The Man wants him censored, he must be saying something right. Upon his release, ALICE went back to trying to get gigs at taverns- only to find that there was no work available for a mediocre musician who sang about controversial topics.

If you asked him today why he decided to play his lyre in the middle of a thunderstorm, ALICE would probably tell you he was trying to find inspiration in nature. What happened that night would end up changing his life forever.

As he stood in the rain, ALICE poured all of his bitterness and sorrow into his lyre. The sound was hauntingly beautiful, and if anybody could hear it over the thunder they'd be driven to tears. As ALICE finished his song, lighting flashed overhead. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity stuck him from above, imbuing him with a new energy! Unsure of what had just happened to make him feel so alive, ALICE began an encore performance. His instrument sounded harsher now, as if ALICE had imbued it with raw emotion! The music was so loud that it woke up the entire town, and ALICE was soon playing in front of a large crowd of people. As the song reached it's climax, so did ALICE- and he suddenly understood what he'd been doing wrong. He wasn't aggressive enough! He needed to be loud and in your face, just like the song he'd just played. Smiling at this sudden revelation, ALICE looked at his audience awaiting applause...

"That man is playing devil music! Somebody call the guards!"

ALICE is now on the run.


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"What do you mean I'm too young?!?" Hoss whined. She was standing outside the door of a large mansion, hands on her hips. "The flyer called for "adventurers of all shapes and sizes", right? I have a shape and a size! Why can't I help?"

The man at the door sighed. "Like I said, the young master wants somebody with at least two years of experience. He cannot entrust such an important mission to somebody who's liable to botch it."

"Wait what!" Hoss said, fuming with anger. "I can fight plenty good! I won't fai-"

The man shut the door on her, cutting her off. Screaming in frustration, Hoss stormed away from the mansion and began the long trek back into town. "Stupid nobles with their stupid prerequisites!" she ranted out loud. "How am I supposed to get experience when nobody will hire me to kill stuff!" Angry, Hoss pulled her battleaxe out of her back and began to attack a nearby tree.

"This!" *CRACK* "Isn't!" *CRACK* "Fair!" *CRACK* "At all!" she yelled in between swings. Finally she settled down, and slumped against the splintered remains of what was once a oak tree. "Now what?"

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Ludwig Von Musel
Age: 72
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Connlaothian
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 169 lbs.
Occupation: Military Historian
Residence: Uthlyn
Favorite Food: Liverwurst
Alignment: True Neutral


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Ludwig is very old. His long, stringy grey hair is matted, and his face is wrinkled with age. He has bad posture, and he walks with a cane. He moves very slowly- on purpose mind you, it annoys the young folks.

Personality:
Bitter and jaded, Ludwig is possibly the grumpiest old man in Connlaoth. He takes full advantage of Connlaoth's freedom of speech laws, and feels he can get away with saying anything he wants because he's old. Like most Connlaothians, Ludwig believes that magic is inherently sinful. He's also rather sexist, and believes that women shouldn't hold positions of power.

Ludwig has a passion for military history, and can talk for days about interesting battles, the stories behind various military uniforms, and the societal ripples war has on a population.

Beneath all of the thorns, Ludwig is a bitter old man who regrets many of the choices he's made in his life. He's also very upset that the Von Musel name will likely be lost to history, as he has no male heirs. Deep down, he just wants somebody to talk to him.

Magic/Abilities:
While technically a Mordecai, Ludwig's field only has a five millimeter range- he may as well not have a field at all.

Ludwig's knowledge of military history has given him a very good grasp on tactics and strategy, despite never having seen battle. He's also very talented with a pen, having written many academic papers in his day.

Relationships:
Ludwig's wife died during childbirth. His daughter Elizabeth refuses to speak to him.

Ludwig's granddaughter Gwendolyn is a Knight of the White Lilly. Ludwig doesn't speak to her.

Ludwig's older brother lives in Hyoite after being outed as a mage. Ludwig doesn't speak to him.

Ludwig recently found out that a witch sharing his last name lives in Zantaric. He's never met her, but he assumes that it's one of his brother's grandchildren. Ludwig has decided not to speak to her.

History:
Ansgar hasn't been kind to Ludwig Von Musel.

Born to grain farmers, Ludwig and his older brother grew up in poverty. Nights without food were common, and the two brothers were miserable. Ludwig turned to the church for hope, feeling that perhaps if he was devout enough, Ansgar would take pity on him.

Ludwig was discovered and subsequently rejected by the Mordecai at the age of fourteen- his absurdly small field made him entirely useless. Feeling as if Ansgar had answered his prayers by spitting on him, Ludwig swore that he would never fight for Connlaoth out of spite. When the time came for him to join the military, he managed to get out of fighting by studying military history instead- an option most of his peers deemed cowardly.

Having successfully dodged having to serve in the military, Ludwig went back home to find that his brother was not only a mage, but was using magic to improve the growth of the family farm. A long argument between the two brothers ensued, and Ludwig ended up reporting his family to the authorities. His brother and sister in law managed to evade the law and escape to Hyoite, and Ludwig hasn't heard from them since.

As he continued his studies, Ludwig fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Roseanne. The two eventually married, but Roseanne tragically died giving birth to her first child- a girl named Elizabeth. Heartbroken by the death of his love and disappointed that his child wouldn't pass on the family name, Ludwig was distant for the entirety of Elizabeth's life. When she married, Ludwig didn't attend the wedding- which is when Elizabeth decided to stop speaking with him.

Now seventy-two years old, Ludwig is alone with nothing but his regrets and his academic papers to keep him company.


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"Why did we have to stop here again?"  Randal complained as he stared out of the hostel window. His guardian Taza was sitting across from him, a cup of tea in her hand. They had been in Arca for a few days now, and Randal still didn't know why. Turning to look at her her, Randal gave her the best puppy-dog eyes he could manage. "Why won't you tell me? Don't you trust me?"

Taza sighed and shook her head. "Randal, I've told you already." she said, a look of annoyance on her face. "This job I've been given is secret. Remember what happened the last time I told you a secret?"

Randal's ears flushed red. He look out the window so as to avoid his caretaker's gaze. "... I told everybody." he admitted. "But, this time I'll-"

"Ah ah ah, what have I told you about buts?" Taza asked, a mischievous smile running across her face. Randal's ears went red again, and he stared at his feet.

"That they're for sitting on." he finally said in a defeated voice.

"That's right!" Taza exclaimed happily. "We don't talk with our buts, because that would be rude. Civility is it's own reward." Softening her gaze a bit, Taza continued. "Why don't you go outside, get some fresh air? You've been cooped up in here all day."

Randal's eyes lit up. "Really! You'd let me go out by myself?" To say he was excited was an understatement- the Taza he knew only let him go outside without supervision if there was an errand that needed to be run. He never got to go exploring before!

Taza shrugged. "We're not in Zantaric, now are we? I figure you can handle Arca by yourself. Just be back before sunset, 'kay?"

Randal nodded hurriedly and ran out the door. Upon exiting the hostel's lobby he took a deep breath, taking in the sounds and smells of the city. The air was cleaner in Arca than it was in Zantaric- "I can't even smell that weird ozone! Or the soot!" As he began to walk down the street, Randal began to dig through his pockets. 'Three. I have three pills." he thought with a small grin. "I should sell one, that way I'll have money for some fancy city food!"

Daydreaming about what wealthy Arcan citizens ate, Randal neglected to watch were he was going and collided into somebody. Falling on his behind in shock, Randal quickly apologized.

"Ow! Oh, um, sorry about that!"

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Ruth Desmond
Age: 67
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 140 lbs.
Occupation: Businesswoman
Residence: Featherfall
Favorite Food: Chocolate Truffles
Alignment: Lawful Evil

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF


Physical Description:
Ruth Desmond is what you'd expect the grandmother in a children's book to look like. She has a happy face, a sweet voice, and the body of somebody who eats a lot of sugar cookies. She keeps her grey hair in a loose bun, and wears expensive clothing and jewelry- a symbol of her wealth and power. Ruth's grey eyes are piercing- as if she's staring right through you.

Personality:
Ruth's personality can be hard to tack down. She selectively shows different sides of herself to people based on what she believes will be most beneficial to her. White lies, half-truths, and omission of inconvenient facts are a staple of conversations with her. Most people walk away believing she's a sweet old woman who enjoys giving back to the community.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Ruth is focused on one thing, and that is securing a lasting legacy for herself, her family, and her company. She does not care about those less fortunate than her- in her eyes, the poor and needy exist only because they do not have the willpower to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. She has no moral hangups about manipulating others for her own gain, and has even arranged for the murders of business rivals in the past.

Ruth genuinely loves her family, especially her granddaughter Casey. They are the light of her life, and everything she does, she does for them.

Magic/Abilities:
Ruth has the ability to transfer milk out of cows and into any container she chooses- including another cow. She is able to do this from a distance, and can sense where nearby cows are, as well as their age, gender and health. This ability would seem entirely harmless if not for one thing...

Ruth's capacity for magic is absurd.

Her range is well over three hundred miles. She knows exactly where every cow in Featherfall is, and she is able to transfer milk from multiple cows hundreds of miles away. This takes so little effort on her part that she can do this while in important meetings, knitting, or reading a bedtime story to her grandchildren.

Relationships:
Ruth's husband died of old age five years ago. She visits his grave every weekend to lay flowers. Her two sons, Yale and Humphrey, are her pride and joy. Their children, especially Yale's seven year old daughter Casey, are regularly spoiled by Ruth- she wants to be remembered as the greatest grandmother who ever lived.

Recently a new threat to Goldenleaf has emerged- A local farmer named Drake Firebeard has begun selling products made from goat milk. His goat cheese in particular has become very popular, something that drives Ruth up the wall. As Ruth has no power over goats, she cannot ruin his business without getting her hands dirty. She's let him be for the time being, but she's determined to end his career someday...

History:
When she started out, it was about survival. Ruth had no home, no family, no friends. She could fill a cup with milk, and for a time, that was her life. It was only after she met the man she would end up marrying that she'd begin to set her sights on bigger things- a better life, an existence where she and her lover wouldn't need to feed on what others had thrown away.

Ruth began taking odd jobs from anyone who'd pay her, and after four years of her and her husband saving what they had earned, they bought a small farm and some cows. It took another five years for Ruth to fully master her powers, but Featherfall soon began to see it's other dairy farms suffer. Another ten years passed, and Ruth's business had increased to the point where she owned multiple farms across Featherfall. She didn't mind the extra work- she had children to provide for now, and she needed the money.

It was around that point when she was confronted. He was a poor man, a dairy farmer who had been put out of business by Ruth's practices. He called her a witch, and accused her of magically stealing milk from other farms. He threatened to expose her operation, and Ruth snapped. How dare he try to ruin her? The means by which she succeeded didn't matter as long as she came out on top. She had a family to feed, and she would do everything in her power to make sure they had the best. Enraged, she used her powers to kill the man- lungs are a container of sorts, after all.

Upon looking at the body by her feet, Ruth felt nothing. She had done nothing wrong, she merely ensured the survival of her family and livelihood.

Fast forward to the current day. Ruth has an absolute monopoly on dairy products in the province of Featherfall, and a foothold in the neighboring provinces as well. She has lobbyists in Featherfall's government who ensure no laws that may jeopardize her business come into effect. She's recently gotten into the yogurt business, which has been a huge success. She's now in the process of crafting a legacy for herself, donating money to charity and making public appearances in order to be remembered as a pillar of the community.

__________________THREAD TRACKER
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"So after I water the plants, I need to pot the thyme and put it out front for the customers to see." Randal Barlow thought hurriedly as he unlocked the door to the apothecary shop. Taza was out of town for the week, and she had put him in charge of the business! Randal was determined to do his best- he owed Taza everything, it was the least he could do to help her. "I also need to make sure that the opium in the basement is packaged discreetly, we have a client coming to pick some up today."

Upon entering the shop, Randal's nose was assaulted by an overwhelming smell of flowers. Pots of colorful plants were on every surface that could hold them, and the walls were lined with jars of dried herbs and spices. Sunlight flooded into the room from the windows in the ceiling, giving the impression that one had just entered into a garden rather than a store. Randal loved it here- it was the first place he had ever truly thought of as being "home".

As he approached the main counter, Randal noticed a sheet of parchment that hadn't been there the day before. Upon picking it up, his heart nearly stopped- Taza had left him an entire checklist of chores he needed to do while she was gone. "B-but... she told me what I needed to do before she left! She never said anything about these jobs!" he complained to the empty room. Reading through the list until he reached the bottom, he saw Taza had written something that made Randal's hair stand on end.

"Continued on other side"

Groaning, Randal stormed off to the backroom to find the water pitcher. "Do this, do that, don't forget these fifty other things too!" he muttered angrily to himself as he found what he was looking for and began to water the hibiscus. "And I'm supposed to take care of customers on top of all this?" As if on cue, Randal heard the wind chimes that had been tied to the doorknob jingle- the shop had a visitor.

"Oh, come on- I'll be right with you!" he called out. Putting the pitcher of water down, he would rush to the front of the shop to greet the guest. "This is going to be a long seven days."

"Fuck."

Eckhart sprinted down the road as fast as his legs could carry him. The sun had just about set, with only a sliver peeking out above the horizon. "Ansgar damn it, this is just my luck." thought Eckhart miserably as he ran. "First that godawful party, now this?" An arrow whizzed past his head, causing him to flinch. "Where the fuck is Belladonna? She usually teleports me if I stray too far away from her." From behind him, Eckhart could hear the bandits jeering.

"Oy, you little shit! Come back 'ere, we won't hurt ya!"

"Yeah! We just wants to have a little discussion with you! You're bein' downright rude to us!"

"This is it. This is how my story ends" thought Eckhart bitterly. The bandits had spotted the earring on his backpack about five minutes ago, and they were apparently convinced that Eckhart had more valuables stashed away somewhere. "I should have sold that damn thing." he thought angrily. "All it did was get me into trouble."

An arrow suddenly hit the back of Eckhart's leg, causing the healer to cry out in pain and collapse. He tried to get back up, only to feel a blade press up against his throat. "Yeah, that part where I said we wouldn't hurt ya? Well, I was lyin' about that. Life's a bitch, eh lad?"

As he felt his heart drop like a stone, Eckhart closed his eyes. "If this is fate, then so be it."

Spoiler

[close]

Original image from minerals.net

Hardness: 7.5
Refractive Index: 1.64–1.70
Specific Gravity: 3.17 (+/- .04)
Cleavage: Imperfect
Luster: Vitreous
Optical Properties: Color Change

Overview:
Despite it's name, thaumite is not magical- it's entirely mundane. When in the presence of magical energy however, the stone changes from pale blue to neon green. This unique reaction is caused by the stones chemical properties- thaumite refracts magical light differently than it does incandescent and iridescent light. As many spells create some amount of light as a byproduct, thaumite has become popular among wealthy citizens in Connlaoth as a means of security.

Lore:

Quote from: Some Guy"According to legend, thaumite was sent from the heavens by an angel of purity. It is said that this stone brings inner peace to people who were born on days ending in the letter "Y".

Spoiler

Nobody ever actually said this, it's just a marketing scheme.

[close]

Pricing/Availability:
Much like emeralds, inclusions are exceedingly common in thaumite- most pieces dug out of the ground are opaque. Translucent stones are what sell, as light must be able to pass through the stone in order for the color change to occur. Prices are therefore determined by the overall clarity of the stone. A 3mm piece of thaumite with multiple, visible inclusions will sell for less than a piece of the same size with a single, minute inclusion. A high quality, inclusion-free piece of thaumite is worth a small fortune, and can only be afforded by the richest noblemen.


Location: Nestled in between the Kilanthro Mountains and a large, constantly expanding Glacier

Spoiler

[close]

Overview:
The second largest permanent settlement in the Sionad Tundra, Ogive Valley is a booming mining town. People from all backgrounds and cultures imaginable have made the journey to the village in order to seek their fortune in the thaumite mines. A group of bandits calling themselves "Frostbite" have recently made their home in the mountains overlooking the town, and tensions have been growing very high as of late...

Culture:
Ogive valley is as cutthroat as towns come. While it's not total anarchy like Zantaric is, the laws are selectively enforced- only when the sheriff's personal mining operation is threatened will the townsfolk ever see "justice" take place. Most of the townsfolk have adopted a policy of "help only yourself", and this selfish attitude has led to many feuds and rivalries between residents. "Mining accidents" aren't uncommon.

Newcomers to Ogive Valley are often taken advantage of by the older residents, which only serves to perpetuate the town's self-serving culture. The town has gotten so dangerous that many of the smarter miners have hired mercenaries to protect them. The sheriff himself is only respected because he has more mercenaries than anybody else in Ogive Valley- he is otherwise despised by the residents for being openly corrupt.

Demographics:
While the majority of the miners are mages who've escaped from Connlaoth, Ogive Valley has attracted people from all over Le'raana. The town has a population of just over two hundred, but it's been on a steady upswing as more stories of people getting rich off the mine have spread.

Architecture:
As there is very little lumber available, many of the permanent buildings in Ogive Vally are built out of ice that has been cut out of the neighboring glacier. Tents made from animal skins are also common

Neither of the two inns ever have vacancies, and the majority of the townsfolk will not let strangers into their homes- travelers must bring a tent with them, or they will freeze to death.

History:
A recent discovery, thaumite has only been on the market for about a decade. It was discovered when an exiled Connlaothian noble tried to flee to Hyoite after he was outed as a mage, only for his caravan to get lost and end up on the northwestern end of the tundra. There was a vein of thaumite exposed to the open elements there, and it's color changing properties wowed the entire caravan. After they managed to regain their sense of direction and make their way to Hyoite, the nobleman decided to return to where he had found the stone with a group of miners- and so Ogive Valley was born.

In the last two years a bandit group called "Frostbite" has begun raiding the town and plundering the rough thaumite from the mine. The residents haven't taken kindly to this, and the most recent bandit raid turned into an outright war between the Frostbite and the sheriff's mercenaries. While most residents of Ogive Valley fear and despise Frostbite, a small number have joined the bandits after becoming disillusioned with their own mining prospects.


Tell me if there's anything else I should add to this submission! If it gets approved then I'll create a profile for the sheriff and make Frostbite into a guild.

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Clarisse Aldenshine
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 5'11" when standing up straight, bad posture makes her look 5'10"
Weight: 167 lbs.
Occupation: Private Detective
Residence: Maestoso, Tirial
Favorite Food: Anything alcoholic
Alignment: Neutral Good


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Clarisse Aldenshine is a tall, broad shouldered woman in her early forties. She has a bum leg, and she walks with a noticable limp. Her voice is low and gravelly, and she has dark bags under her eyes. Her long grey hair has ugly patches of pale green in it, and it looks greasy no matter how many times she washes it. People who don't like Clarisse sometimes caller her "Detective Moldengrime" behind her back because of this.

Spoiler

Nobody likes Clarisse.

[close]

Personality
The best term to describe Clarisse would probably be "self-loathing". She cannot forgive herself for the mistakes she made when she was younger, and she takes out her anger on others. Clarisse is blunt and foul-tempered towards everybody, and doesn't care how other people see her- in her opinion, she probably deserves their hatred anyway. Tirial's gossipy culture has spawned a lot of rumors about why Clarisse behaves the way she does, but none of them come close to the truth.

Clarisse rarely smiles or laughs, and when she does it's usually because she's drunk. She drinks heavily, and she spends the majority of her spare time at the bar. Clarisse claims alchohol helps her think clearly, but that's a lie- she drinks to forget.

Clarisse takes her job very seriously. When on a case her entire demeanor shifts, and she becomes much more determined and no-nonsense. Clarisse feels that catching criminals is the only way she can atone for her sins, and she happens to be very, very good at her job. She always works within the law, and will only take it into her own hands if somebody's life is in immediate danger. She has a good working relationship with Maestoso's city guard, although on a personal level most of them cannot stand her.

Relationships:
Clarisse's husband was murdered, and she blames herself for his untimely death. Apart from that, Clarisse has no meaningful relationships to speak of.

Magic/Abilities:
Clarisse is a chronomancer- a person with the ability to manipulate time. Her magic is very weak however, and she has only one ability- she can "replay" events that happened in the past. By using her power, she creates apparitions of people and items that were in her general vicinity up to six months ago. These apparitions do not make noise and cannot be touched, only watched.

It's a bit confusing, but think of it as being able to rewind a security camera. For example, if she was in a room with a man who'd been killed, she could "rewind" that room so she could see the murder taking place- but if the man and his killer had a conversation beforehand she wouldn't know what it was about.

This power is physically taxing, and Clarisse tries not to abuse it too often. She cannot "rewind" more than six months back without passing out.

Clarisse is skilled with a rapier, but her bum leg hinders her footwork. She also has trouble running at full speed, and the best she can manage is a brisk walk.

History
Clarisse grew up in Darken Vei, and joined the town guard when she was old enough. While she initially tried her hardest to be a beacon of justice, time caused her sense of morality to wither and die. Her job was thankless, and no matter how hard she tried Clarisse couldn't make a dent in the crime rates. She began letting criminal's bribe her into letting them escape instead of apprehending them, and she soon grew rich off of her ill-gotten gains. She was never caught doing this, and she's kept it a secret to this day.

At age thirty, Clarisse fell in love with an awkward botanical scholar. They married, and for a time, everything was happy. It didn't last however, and three years into the marriage Clarisse came home to find her husband dead on the floor with a knife in his back. Using her powers to to view her husband's murder, Clarisse recognized the killer- a woman she had let go free a few days earlier.

Wracked with guilt, Clarisse attempted to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. The fall didn't kill her however, and she took it as a sign that she was meant to continue. After lingering in Darken Vei for a few years, she moved to Tirial- she couldn't bear to be around the citizens whose lives she endangered for so long. She now works as a private detective, taking on the cases that the Maestoso city guard cannot solve.

__________________THREAD TRACKER
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__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Taza Faah
Age: 21 --> 22
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Thanati/Adelan Mix
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 127 lbs.
Occupation: Leader of The Friends Narcotics Team
Residence: Zantaric, but occasionally travels
Favorite Food: Chamomile Tea
Alignment: Neutral Evil


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Taza is a lean young woman with dark skin and curly hair. She has tattoos on her upper arms, a tradition she picked up from her Thanati mother. She has a lot of pockets where she keeps various herbs and seeds. She also carries a bag of gardening tools wherever she goes, as well as a flower pot containing chamomile- she's become addicted to her own tea.

Personality:
Taza Faah is a down to earth, business-minded young lady. Her mother taught her that manners and etiquette are everything, and she tries her hardest to follow her example. She does, however have a bit of a cruel side. She keeps it on the down low though, and her mean-spirited jabs at people often are masked in faux politeness- most people don't realize they're being insulted until hours afterwards.

Taza is interested in botany and chemistry, and runs Hildegarde's drug trade under the cover of being a florist. She's especially interested in the effects of addiction on the human body, and will sometimes slip people experimental drugs for no reason other than to see what happens.

Taza enjoys gardening, finding it to be a great way to decompress after a long day.

Relationships:
Randal Barlow is Taza'a protege. She sees him as the little brother she never had, and does her best to keep him safe. He brings out the best in her, and the two are almost never seen apart.

Hildegarde Von Musel is Taza's boss and best friend. The two girls will spend hours together talking about chemistry- a passion they both share.

Magic/Abilities:
Taza has an interesting magic ability- any edible plant she grows is highly addictive. The plants will retain this property if used as ingredients, making it incredible easy for her to get somebody hooked on multiple plants at once. For example, if Taza made you spaghetti with tomato sauce using ingredients she has grown herself, you would become addicted to the wheat in the pasta as well as the tomatoes and basil in the sauce.

Withdrawal symptoms caused by her plants include extreme nausea, pounding headaches, vertigo, uncontrollable shaking, blurred vision, anxiety, insomnia, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing and- in extreme cases- hallucinations.

Taza's gardening trowel is very sharp, and it's her go-to weapon for when she needs to defend herself. She also has a handheld crossbow, but her aim is beyond sub-par- if she tried to shoot somebody at point blank range, she'd still manage to miss her mark.

Taza owns a pair of Magigoggles- an eyepiece that allows her to see magic more clearly.

History:
Taza Faah grew up in Zantaric, and learned the ins and outs of the drug trade at an early age- her parents were opium dealers. When she was nine years old, she witnessed a penniless addict kill himself in a desperate attempt to to quell the withdrawal symptoms he was experiencing. This fascinated Taza to no end, and she kind of wanted to see it happen again.

Taza was fourteen when she discovered her powers. She wanted to start growing her own herbs so she could sell them, but accidentally got addicted to her own chamomile when she decided to make tea with it. She was ecstatic when she realized the odd illness she had gotten was in fact the result of drug withdrawal- she finally understood the compulsion and risk taking that addiction brought. Realizing that this would only help her gain loyal customers, she began selling her herbs to people anyway.

When Taza was eighteen she met an upstart gangster named Hildegarde. The two hit it off immediately, and they became fast friends. When Taza's parents were murdered by a rival dealer, it was Hildegarde who caught the man and allowed Taza to exact revenge- the man killed himself a few days after Taza force fed him thyme she had grown.

When Hildegarde asked Taza to lead her narcotics team, she accepted the offer eagerly- anything to help her best friend.



__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Randal Barlow
Age: 11
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 85 lbs.
Occupation: Taza's Protege
Residence: Tied to Taza's hip
Favorite Food: Pierogies
Alignment: Neutral Evil


__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Randall Barlow was malnourished when he was younger, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from how he looks now. He's currently very healthy, and his height and weight are average for a child his age. His dark brown hair is usually covered in soil, as is the rest of his body. His hands and knees are calloused, and Randal can't remember the last time he didn't have dirt under his nails. He wears a simple brown tunic- he doesn't own any other clothes.

Personality:
Randal is very much an average eleven year old boy. He can be brash and impulsive at times, but for the most part he's fairly cheery and well-adjusted. Randal can be surprisingly cunning and deceptive when he wants to be, something he's had to pick up living in Zantaric. He doesn't let the fact that he helps sell people addictive drugs bother him too much- he actually identifies as a "bad guy". His life used to be a lot worse, and he's thankful every day for the second chance he's been given.

Randal likes marbles, and he carries his set around with him when he travels. He likes to collect them, and some of the ones he has are really cool!

Relationships:
Randal owes his life to Taza Faah, and would do anything to make her happy. Currently he's working as her apprentice, and spends the majority of his days doing odd jobs for her. She sometimes makes him take dangerous drugs, but he's always able to get rid of their effects- and hey, it could be worse, right?

Magic/Abilities:
Randal can transfer the effects of any drug he's currently on- including the addiction- to another person via touch. He can also transfer the effects of medicine and poison this way, but he rarely does this- medicine is expensive, and poison is really risky.

Interestingly enough, he can pass these effects onto beings that wouldn't normally be susceptible to such things. This can have interesting effects, for example if he gave a golem a cocaine addiction, that golem would drop it's current task in order to find more of the drug.

History:
Randal had a rough childhood. Born into slavery, he was separated from his biological mother at the age of two. He was sold from slave owner to slave owner, with most being unsure of what to do with him, or simply unwilling to train a child as young as he was. Finally, at age six, he was sold to somebody who had use for him- a warlock named Thurmond Pippenhollow.

Randal doesn't talk much about his time with Thurmond, but what little he has said suggests that he was horrifically abused. He apparently learned how to use his powers while in captivity, but all that Randal will say is that "Thurmond taught me". It took four years for him to be rescued...

Enter Taza and Hildegarde. Hildegarde didn't like Thurmond for beating her in a game of blackjack, so she decided to raid his warlock tower and steal his stuff. Taza liked hanging out with Hildegarde, and offered to come with her- a bad girl's night out, if you will. They managed to trick Thurmond into thinking he had a date, and sneaked into his tower while he was away. Everything went smoothly until they reached the nineteenth floor of the tower, where they found Randal slumped against the wall of a cage, high on hallucinogens. Taza decided that they couldn't leave him there, so she carried him all the way back to Zantaric. Hildegarde stayed behind and waited for Thurmond to return- there are lines one simply doesn't cross.

Taza managed to help Randal recover, and he's turned out surprisingly okay. They now live together, and Taza is training Randal to use his powers to help Hildegarde.


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High On Life (And Also Drugs)

It was a beautiful night in Suna. The sounds and smells of the festival, the temperate weather, and the clear night sky all made for a lovely atmosphere.

Chrysanthemum Lynnette was extremely unhappy.

She was standing in a large crowd that had gathered around a stage, waiting for some stupid tribal marriage ceremony to take place. Her "boss", Hildegarde Von Musel, was standing beside her. Hildegarde had for once not worn her frilly pink dress, instead opting for a yellow sundress and a floppy sunhat. Turning to the shorter woman, Chrysanthemum whispered into her boss's ear. "Why do we need to be here again?"

Hildegarde sighed, though it was clear as day that she was amused rather than exasperated. "It's culture, Chrys. Don't you want to be cultured?" Chrys scrunched up her nose and was about to make a retort, but she was cut off when the matchmaker began to speak.

"I will only say this once, so please pay attention and step forward when you are called, so that you might find your other half! Good luck to you all."

Chrys was only half paying attention. She didn't care about any of this, and wanted nothing more then to go back home and do her job- her real job. There were mothers-to-be that needed her, and yet here she was on a goddamn vacation. She still didn't know why Hildegarde dragged her everywhere she went, but it was the most obnoxious thing Chrys had ever had to deal with. She uncorked her flask and took a drink, letting her eyes space out. It was going to be a boring night, that much she knew

And then her name was called by the matchmaker.

Chrys whirled to face Hildegarde, a look of pure contempt on her face. "You piece of shit! This is why you wanted to watch the ceremony? You set me up to get married?"

"Chill out Lynnette." Hildegarde said with a playful smile. "I just thought having a partner would help you, y'know, relax and stuff." Chrysanthemum glared at the woman. Hildegarde understood how private a person she was, and it was clear to Chrys that her boss had done this to piss her off. It was working.

Before Chrys could say anything else, Hildegarde pushed her out of the crowd where the other newlyweds were standing. "Go on, maybe you'll like him!" she laughed.

One of these days, Chrysanthemum was going to kill that bitch.

This will probably sound like a weird request, but I was wondering if anybody had a character who could:
A). Be in Arca
B). Genuinely dislike this guy

He's never been in a thread with a character who didn't like him (apart from NPC's I've controlled), so I was hoping to remedy that. PM me if you had any ideas.

Thanks

Name: Belladonna
Age: 7 (44 in cat years)
Gender: Female
Species: Cat
Ethnicity: Common Shorthair
Height: 9"
Weight: 6 lbs.
Occupation: Eckhart's Familiar
Residence: With Eckhart, but sometimes wanders off
Favorite Food: Red Snapper
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


Physical Description:
Belladonna is malnourished, mangy cat. Her fur is matted in some areas and practically nonexistent in others. If you were to touch her belly you'd be able to feel her ribs. Her left eye is permanently scarred from a fight she had with a dog a few years ago.

As she is a cat, most people hear her "speech" as meows. It is only when her master gives her permission to speak with someone that they'll be able to understand her.

Personality:
Belladonna is angry and self-hating, blaming herself for the fate of her former master. She can be very caustic and snarky to people, and she's unapologetic about it. She's also a bit of a feline supremacist, and looks down on humans and other animals for not being a cat. It is incredibly difficult to gain Belladonna's trust, and even harder to earn her respect.

Belladonna does not like to snuggle. Seriously, she'll bite you if you so much as try to scratch her behind her ears.

Relationships:
Belladonna's first master was a young witch named Vanya Osmond. The two were best friends, and they had ambitions to become the worlds greatest healers. Belladonna has become incredibly bitter and jaded since Vanya disappeared.

Her new master is a healer named Eckhart Von Musel. Belladonna thinks he's an idiot.

Magic/Abilities:
As a familiar, Belladonna has access to a few minor cantrips- creating lights, weak telekinesis, basic stuff like that. Her master can also channel their magic through her, allowing Belladonna to act as a third hand if need be.

The area of magic that Belladonna knows the most about is wards. She knows how to cast many different kinds of magical shields and barriers, including some highly advanced ones.

Belladonna can teleport her master to her at will. She abuses this, and will sometimes teleport him just to piss him off.

History:
No matter how many times I try, I cannot retell her story as well as I did the first time I wrote her telling it- so I'll just copy/paste it here.

Spoiler

Quote"How long has it been?"

"Her name was Vanya. She was only eighteen when she found me and took me in." Looking sadly at the dusty old hat, she continued. "When she first bound me to her, we were so exited. So... stupid. We were going to cure the world together, she told me." Looking back at the humans, Belladonna let out a quiet chuckle. "For a few years, all we did was experiment with reagents, trying to find new cures for illnesses. We... never had much luck. When he showed up, offered to give us the remedies we wanted..." Belladonna's voice trailed off before she continued, fur bristling with anger. "Well, how were we supposed to say no?"

"Why didn't I say something?"

"This... being. It never gave us a name, but he told us that he sympathized with us. Wanted to see us succeed. Vanya and I were young and foolish, so we believed him." Belladonna took a look at the hat once more. "We ended up calling him "The Giftgiver". My girl signed a paper in blood, and she suddenly knew a whole bunch of cures that we never would've thought of. They'll apparently only work if the person mixing the ingredients knows what it will create, so we were making remedies that literally nobody else could. We never stopped to think about what happened until Vanya had that accursed dream..."

"I failed."

"Some witches, before they pass on, will receive a dream the day before. Call it fate throwing them a bone. In Vanya's dream, saw the Giftgiver taking her away, and leaving me behind. When she realized what she had done, who she had made a bargain with, she became obsessed with atonement. She knew the Giftgiver was probably watching her, so she had me write down all of the most useful remedies we discovered and leave them in the library for somebody to find, in hopes that somebody else would make good use of them." Belladonna stopped talking for a few seconds, before quietly continuing. "When I got back from the library, she was already gone."

"Why couldn't it have taken me too?"

[close]

Complete Threads (chronological order):



Current Threads:

It was the screaming that woke him up. Groaning, Aahva Chatterjee rolled out of bed. The sun hadn't even risen yet, there was at least three hours before he had to be at school. Well, three hours before he was supposed to be at school- Aahva had other plans. Rubbing his eyes, he began to get dressed. He tried his hardest to ignore the yelling that was coming from the kitchen. "It's not going to make a difference whether I know what it's about or not."

After getting dressed, Aahva walked into the kitchen to see his parents arguing. His father had a bloody nose, and his mother was sobbing into a bottle of alcohol. "An average morning." he thought. Ignoring the two adults, Aahva made himself a tomato sandwich, packed it in a paper bag, and walked out the door. He didn't like being home while his parents were fighting like this, so it seemed like a good idea to head to the docks early.

After a fifteen minute walk, Aahva reached the docks. The sun was beginning to appear on the horizon now, and the local fishermen were already starting their daily routines. Walking over to the pile of crates where you usually met his friend Ankita, he sat down. It was only then that he realized just how tired he was- he'd gotten up far too early for his liking. "It'll be anther few hours before Kita gets here." Aahva thought sleepily. "I'm sure I'll wake up before then." He closed his eyes, and began to doze off...