Fantasy The Four Courts: Rise of a New Regime (closed to new players)

[Mystics Apprentice]

Ignis: The home of fire, earth, and light.
Somnum: The dwelling of rest, water, and affliction.
Umbra: The center of darkness, death, and decay.
Vivifica: The heart of life, light, and nature.

Map illustrated by our very own Stardustblade358



The land of Regalia has been kept in balance for hundreds of years by these Four Courts, each represented by a maester or maestra governed by the appointed High Priestess and her entourage in the epicenter of the continent. In this time, the world has endured prosperity and peace. The mages serve the general public, their magical prowess both a symbol of power, status--and fear.

The fear of the magical population is only further fueled after Vivifica recently went rogue, its maestra committing an atrocity that is unforgivable, unthinkable: collecting the potent, lethal substance known as Itika and hoarding it for their own purpose. Regardless of the summonings of the other courts and the high priestess, Vivifica remains all but mute, continuing in their nefarious act that could threaten the balance of their entire world that they strove so hard to maintain.

The High Priestess, Mabel, has decided to confront the maestra of Vivifica and demand a stop to harvesting Itika. If she refuses, there will be dire consequences, ones which she, with the help of her hand-picked entourage, will enforce.

You may be one of the mages traveling with Mabel, or you may be one of the mages staying in the capital, Sanctus Heights, to work on the restoration efforts of the city after the lethal automaton attack which demolished hundreds of lives and countless buildings in the capital. You may also be returning to your court to work on your own affairs, or perhaps you have been tasked with discovering the cause behind the scene of the crime. Or, darker yet, you may be getting your hands messy in trying to learn more about the mysterious Invidia, a mage who has tried to kill the elders and seemingly steals the abilities of mages to use as his own.

Each mage court has its own set of characteristics. Depending on what sort of a mage you are and your morals, you would be best suited for one of the following. While one mage court may specialize in a certain type of magic, it is not required that you be in that court. If your personality, say, fits Umbra but you have healing magic, you could choose Vivifica and not fit in, or you could choose to stay in Umbra because it suits your nature, yet you will not be proficient in healing magic because you are untrained in it. If you are uncertain where your character would best fit you are welcome to leave this field blank and I’d happily choose a good fit.

Descriptions for each court are as follows:

Ignis: The only court that believes in balance and actively teaches the art of the sword. The Ignis court is among the most duty bound, desirous to bring justice to the world and always do the right thing. Mages in the Ignis court specialize in fire and earth magic, often used to enhance their physical abilities and strength.
Umbra: Well-versed in necromancy and dark arts, the Umbra Court believes in living life to the fullest. These mages tend to be more self-centered and cater to their own needs as opposed to helping others. They tend to focus on the pleasures of life rather than have ambitious goals to aid in their society.
Vivifica: The mages in this court specialize in white and holy magic, though have skillsets in wind, lightning, and earth magic as well. Their slogan is to bring life to the world through love, and many mages within these houses will go above and beyond to help society, even if it bends or breaks tradition.
Somnum: A group that is calm and believes in a life of beauty and restoration. Some believe the Somnum court to be lazy, though this is not particularly true. Somnum possesses some of the most potent mages, specializing in lightning, water, and ice magic and have mastered the art of hypnosis. Status ailments come ready to these mages, making them unseeming yet deadly adversaries.

While it is not required that you are affiliated with a court, I would recommend that, unless you have a specific reason why your character isn't in one of the courts, you are apart of one. The reason for this is the central plot will revolve around members of these courts, and it may take a bit of additional work to get your character into the thick of the main plot without an affiliation.

Special note: You are welcome to affiliate yourself with Vivifica, and you do not have to be an antagonist to do so. I will be providing additional information to players who are choosing this court, so that they know what your character knows concerning the court's decisions.
Below is a character sheet for you to fill to tell me more about your character(s). There is no character limit at this point, though please only create as many characters as you feel that you can handle.

Quick note: I am hoping to get characters affiliated with each court. If it seems that too many characters are in one court and not enough in others, I may close out the possibility to join a specific court.
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Court affiliation (if any):
Weapons:
Magic:
Personality:
Background:
Background revisions from pages 1-11 of original RP, if any:
Theme song (optional):

And last but not least, here are the rules for this game. Please review them, and if you have questions or are uncertain about something feel free to ask.
1.) No god-modding.
2.) No auto-hitting or mass slaughter. This means if you are battling someone don't make your hit automatically meet its target, but rather have it aimed at a player and they choose whether the attack hits or misses. No mass slaughter means don't kill off a bunch of NPCs without permission.
3.) No meta-gaming. This is particularly important for the layout of The Four Courts. Essentially the players and characters know different things from each other, and it is important for the knowledge of the player not to cross over to the character. Having a character possess knowledge of the player and/or make assumptions based on the player's knowledge is considered meta-gaming, for example.
4.) Go with the flow, not against it, and please choose a character that fits well with the world and setting.
5.) Original characters only.
6.) I will be updating once weekly. There are no posting restrictions on how often you can post, but common courtesy with your fellow RP'ers is expected.
7.) Mature themes are permitted, but please be mindful of RPNation's rules (if violated, I will have to remove the posts or risk consequence).
8.) Know your characters limits. No one is invincible, and no one enjoys an invincible character.
9.) The following magical abilities will be banned from this RP:
-Teleportation
-Mind Control (telekinesis is okay, and influence is okay, but taking control of another character is not)
-Revival (from death, unless via necromancy)
-Other magics that I can't think of right now but can be added to this list.
10.) Please do not be overpowered. There are some special situations where being a little OP is acceptable *cough, Tenebris, cough*, but if your character is too powerful in a fight I may ask you to tone it down.
11.) All RPNation rules apply.
12.) Please try to post at least once a week, though if you will be away please let me know and we will make arrangements for your characters. Should you remain absent for an extended length of time, I reserve the right to utilize your characters as I deem fit for the RP’s progression.
13.) Having fun is mandatory, not optional. : P

If you know me you will know that I love roleplaying, and that I really enjoy seeing stories unfold and characters grow. I try to find ways to incorporate the entire cast into the plot, though you are also welcome to get creative and build your own story as you go along. I have long-term plans for this roleplay and hope to see it flourish, so please expect a long journey should you come aboard The Four Courts.

 

[HeartOfFerria]

• Luka Rabbi
• Aquilla Anistar

• 
  Name: Luka Rabbi
  Age: 27
  Gender: Female
  Court Affiliation: Somnum
  Equipment: Conduit Axe, A pair of Sister Gloscan Crystals
  
  - One Gloscan is infused with her own life essence and as such draws from her like a bonded item.
  - One Gloscan is faulty and take mana into itself from nature.
  -Much like how ancient wizards use staves, so too does this modern mage. Luka channels her magic through her weapon to better focus it along side her other magical items. The Weapon is incredibly heavy and Dense. Likely only able to be lifted by Ignan Mages or the Brute Undead of the Umbra court.
  
  Magic: Lightning-Water-Ice-Earth-Sleep
  Unique Spell: Arcane Demesne
  
  Luka rarely moves in combat, she stands within her Arcane Demesne. The area bolsters her focus and powers and drains mana from others who stand within it. Luka can use this defensively to counter her foes who come to close or borrow strength from her fellows if the need arises.
  
  Specialized Spells- Created by Luka from her prexisting magics.
  - Magnetism (Lightning) Subtle usage of this ability, primarily a quality of life tool but also used to lift the dense weapon she carries about.
  - Crystal Fortress (Earth) A reinforcement pf Luka's defenses as Crystals carry about a sturdier structure than stone. Such magic also allows Luka to bolster the Elegance of her Court while on the battle field.
  - Garden of Swords (Ice) Luka precisely creates an almost barbed wire like garden of icy flowers and blades to impede her foes.
  - Messenger's Veil (Water) Luka has learned to create messages in the sky by combining her magics. The messages take the shape of auroras which she has explained the meanings of to her fellow Court Members
  
  
  Personality: Justice, Beauty, Honor, Order, Exploration of the Known. Luka seeks to uphold all this, She is straightforward and acts with purpose. Every move on the board must have impact, it must be perfect, almost to a militaristic desire. She however due to this comes off as a bit stuck up, maybe even cold and lacking in the care for others. When in reality she is very much of the The Few for the Many mindset.
  
  Background: The Rabbi family was well known for producing high quality mages, similar to the Anistar family. Luka was no different. She was born with silver spoon in mouth. Her mana was of excellent quality and her processes and understanding of magic was second to non. She was a prodigal daughter. However, this meant very little to Luka. What inspired her was potential, potential she knew she had yes, but more so the potential of what could be. This culminated in her pushing herself towards her court's ideals more and more. She practically sought to embody them. This led the prodigious mage to grow and grow into what would soon be her new title; The Heir of Somnum. With this set in place she decided it would be now that she should make it clear to herself that her effort was her own, and should never be claimed by her family. She makes it clear with each step of her life that her station was brought about by her own skill and power, Her knowledge and focus also hers. Any advances her family offers her, be it money or opportunity, she circumvents and acquires in her own ways. She stands for beauty and elegance, Justice and Fair play. If she is to ever die for something, she wishes to be known for being, above all else, a fair and unbiased person. "Somnum is and will always be great. Our knowledge will grow and our will for a beautiful, efficient, and bright world will always stand strong. Like a cliff challenging the crashing of waves."
  
  
  
  
  
  Theme:
  
• 
  Name: Aquilla Anistar
  Age: 26
  Gender: Female
  Court Affiliation: Ex Somnum/ Ignis
  Weapon: Executioner Sword and a Fire Bolt Hand Crossbow.
  Magic: Thermal Manipulation (Fire and Ice)
  
  Fire Resistance
  Ice Shell - An icy barrier like cocoon.
  Thermal Compression - By Super Heating certain metals and stones and then rapidly cooling them Aquilla can cause metals to weaken and sometimes even crush themselves. On the other hand if she super cools metal and then rapidly heats it up, it will explode.
  
  Personality: Dutiful, Hard Working, Low Self-Esteem, Anxious. Aquilla has worked hard for low pay off and she is still proud of what she has accomplished. However this does not mean she will stop working for the reality she desires. She has a strong desire to protect herself and others, Hence her affinity for defensive forms of magic like shield and resistance spells.
  
  Background: Aquilla was born into this world with a Mana Deficiency that seemed to dictate the flow of her life. It made it difficult to learn how to control her magic and further more how to expel it from her body in the form of a spell. More often than not, she would just end up coating her body in ice and freezing for nights on end.
  
  Her family, being Noble Somnum mages themselves, frowned upon this seeing her as a failure compared to her siblings. It only got worse when she was turned away from the court itself. Her mana was far too low and her magic was self destructive. Depressed from the constant gaze of disappointment from her family brought on by this result, she left.
  
  Her travels brought her to the Ignis court. She wanted to with all her heart, become a court mage, she wanted to prove them wrong. Luckly, fire magic came surprisingly easy. It appeared she had some sort of latent Ignan Blood. Whatever significance it held soon died out when she realized something was wrong, she couldn't cast without a preexisting source of fire. However, this wouldn't stop her. She was determined to carve out a place for herself to grow in this world. As such she acquired a small crossbow and some bolts that would create a small fire on impact. Her plan was to support herself with tools to make up for her own shortcomings. She would be happy just to stand by her new fellows. She wants to make them proud. "Its not that Somnum isnt my home. It is, but Ignis is my family. They make me feel proud for who I am. Maester Daruk is kind and Lord Henry is always willing to offer a helping hand, Even Lord Vincent who lacks magic is able to make a difference. They are all so capable, so I mustn't let them down."
  
  
  
  Theme:
  
  

 

[RikuXIII]

​

• Gerik Lockford
• Anya Alighieri
• Valery
• Mako Koyl

• 
  
  
  Name: Gerik Lockford
  Age: 43
  Gender: Male
  Appearance:
  
  
  
  Court affiliation (if any): Umbra
  Weapons: Enchanted umbrella with a hidden sword as part of the handle.
  
  
  
  Magic: Dark magic and necromancy. Specializes in Dark Matter manipulation.
  Personality: Gerik is usually pleasant and polite to those he meets. He’s well read, has a quirky sense of humor, and a love of art. This hides a manipulative mind who will use anything to achieve his goals. While he isn’t above using crude methods such as murder and blackmail to get what he wants, he prefers to engineer situations where people do his bidding unaware and of their own perceived volition. It is hard to tell if he derives pleasure from his work and dark whispers of his own vices chill even those of the Umbral court. What is perhaps most interesting about him is his atypical interest in society at large beyond the Umbral court. A truly keen mind could notice a pattern in his webs, in that many seemed designed to prevent order from being lost.
  Background: Not much is known about Gerik Lockford’s early life. Just that in his late teens, he was discovered with a talent for dark magic. He gained entry into the Umbral Court and then vanished from the public spotlight. Recognized for his talents, Gerik was made a fixer, an agent of the court intended to curb and manage the excesses of the self-centered organization. As the years past, he became more of a fixture for the Umbral Court, easing tensions, and making sure everyone had a place at the table. A few recognized the influence he was garnering, with access to many secrets and many people in his debt. Some tried to move against him, but his webs made most attempts useless. While many didn’t like him, his continued good health and work made everyone’s life more convenient and safe. What most don’t know is that Gerik’s influence extends to the other courts as well. He uses this influence to ensure that the balance of power remains intact and life proceeds as it always has. This business with Vivifica is just another mess to fix...
  Theme Song:
  
  
• 
  Name: Anya Alighieri
  Age: 37
  Gender: Female
  Appearance:
  Spoiler

  Face with markings;
  

  

  
  Upper body tattoos and tattoo glow for both body and face tattoos when powers are in use;
  

  

  
  Outfit;
  

  
  Court affiliation (if any): Ignis
  Weapons: Pair of Chakrams (two sets of these, fitting together as throwing discs)
  
  
  
  Magic: Flames of the Phoenix; The Alighieri bloodline is know for their aptitude for the rare type of magic known as Phoenix Flames. Like other fire magic, Phoenix Flames is a powerful destructive force when used offensively. It can also be used to form temporary solid surfaces, such as shields. Anya uses this aspect to actually direct and recall her chakrams with tendrils of flame. It is also able to be selective about what it burns. Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of the Phoenix Flame is it’s ability to heal and rejuvenate. Skilled practitioners can ever revive the freshly dead (“mostly dead”) with its sparks.
  There is some theorization that the magic has a bit of a mind of its own. The firebird motif appears to be built in, and happens even if a wielder actively tries to suppress it.
  It is a dangerous form of magic to practice, with many an incautious hopeful turning themselves to ash by “angering the Phoenix”, as the saying goes. As such, many success practitioners employ devices, totems, and the like to safely wield the Flames. Anya herself has extensive Itika tattoos to help her contain and control the Phoenix Flames.
  Personality: Anya is laid back and friendly. Her usually role among the Ignis Court is “Den Mother”. She’ll let the mages under her care get away with more than most authority figures, but will do anything to make sure they come back alive. There is a couple of grizzly stories about what happened when some rogue mages decided to target young Ignis mage and Anya found them first. Still, she is outgoing enough to make friends with almost anyone. She is friends with even members of other courts, forming the glue for a few inter-court missions.
  Anya tends to be matter of fact about the harsher realities of life. People die. Things end. But one thing’s end is the start of something else. Even in the darkest moments, it’s possible to see the sparks of a new light.
  Though she doesn’t advertise it, Anya can be quite crafty and manipulative when she wants to be.
  Background: The scion of the legendary Alighieri family, Anya’s upbringing was one of privilege and expectations. Her family had always held high offices in the Ignis Court, with a few of her ancestors even holding the office of Maester. Injuries early on life prevented her father from retaking the position, so he made sure his only child was prepared to fulfill his dream for him. Had her father gotten his wish, she would have grown up a resentful, bratty mage. But life has a way of changing things.
  The day Anya definitely marks as the change to her destiny was when she was still young, some bandits attacked her family coach on their way to their country estate, killing her father and taking her captive. After several days as captive, it was clear they took her because of the Phoenix Flame insider her and that someone was paying a lot for it. She was saved from finding out who so soon when a rogue mage named Shaw broke her out. Though her relationship with her father was strained at best, she still swore vengeance against those who orchestrated this attack. Feeling their goals aligned, Shaw offered a mutually beneficial partnership.
  Spending several months with Shaw, Anya was exposed to a different world than the one she was born to. It was dirty, unfair, and dangerous. Several times, Shaw would let her get in over her head to teach her a lesson. Though they had a rough start, the duo became friends, with Anya developing a crush for the rogue mage. They eventually found the mage behind the attack, attempting to harvest the Phoenix Flames for himself. Avenging her father and helping Shaw with his goal. They parted ways soon after, but kept in contact from time to time, though they’re meetings lately have been few and far between.
  Returning to her mother and extended family, Anya began thinking about the larger world she was exposed to. She began looking at the Ignis Court not as an obligation, but as a means to make a difference. She eventually took her place among the court, but to her family’s surprise and disapproval, as a guard mage.
  Over the years, Anya has gained more standing and respect in not only Ignis Court, but the other courts as well. Most of Ignis views her as the “cool aunt” of the court. She was suppose to leave with the Daruk and the others headed for Sanctus Heights, but she got caught up trying to wrangle a volatile Ignis mage with rage issues...
  Theme Music:
  
  
• 
  Name: Valery
  Age: 26
  Gender: Female
  Appearance: A tall woman with a somewhat elongated frame. Her hair is long and silvery, most often done up in a braid and put to one side. Her eyes are an unnatural shade of yellow, and seem to glitter like a gem stone.
  What remains of her origin skin, which is mostly just her face, is extremely pale and cold to the touch. The rest of her skin is now a blue-grey organic metal, with highlights of silver and random patterns of gold. Remnants of a harness and restraints seem fused with her.
  While she will take on whatever attire her mission requires, her metallic form makes armor mostly redundant. Thus, she often wears simple robes with a hood, either in an off-white or dark blue.
  Court affiliation (if any): Vivifica
  Weapons:
  
  
  
  Magic:
  
  • Focused light magic enabling the generation of lasers of varying strength, from a simple light show to something hot enough to melt metal.
    Can also use her Light magic to bend light around her, enabling an imperfect form of invisibility. While visually undetectable while standing still, moving while bending light can cause distortions that the keen eyed can spot.
  • Polarity magic: a subset of Earth magic, Polarity magic allows Valery control over metal through magnetism. This also allows her to absorb some lightning magic and redirect it.
  • Physical form augment by dark magics, granting her unnatural strength, stamina, durability, agility, and regeneration.
  • Has an extra sensory perception with a strong connections to spirits and undead.
  • Wraith form (to be expanded later)
  • Familiar (a zeeble named Jericho)
  Personality: Those who get past Valery's unnatural appearance find a personable individual and a good listener. She has a good memory for people, able to keep names and facts about about people she has interacted with easily to mental hand. She has shown a dry sense of humor that appears on occasion. She tends to prefer honesty and direct language over anything flowery, though is not without tact and understands that some situations require obfuscation.
  Her loyalty and protectiveness towards her fellow Vivifica members and especially her maestra make her willing to walk darker paths than is often for the Vivifica court. Whatever she has to do to protect Vivifica, she is willing to do. This can be offputting for some of her colleagues, as is the twisted pleasure she takes from ending enemies, especially abusers. She seems to have untapped rage that can be unleashed in a fugue state that often ends in a very messy scene. She seems to hold Umbra in especially low esteem and suspicion, leading her to be placed on few missions with them.
  When not on assignment, she enjoys sunbathing and warm baths, the heat giving her a repreave from her normally cold existance. She loves researching things with a mug of something warm. Her familiar Jericho seems a mix of translater for her sign language, emotional support, and pampered pet.
  Background:
  Valery doesn’t remember much of her childhood. She remembers living on the street with her older brother Davide. It was hard, but Davide would always provide and keep her spirits up. Then, when she was 8, she remembers a dark night when a dark man came and took her, Davide screaming her name helplessly as she was taken away.
  The next thing is waking up in a lab, inside a cage. Someone was trying to speak to her, but she was so hurt and frightened, she couldn’t process the words. Acting on instincts, she broke out of the cell with her bare hands and ran into the night. She tried to find Davide, but he was no where to be found. A few day later and giving up hope, Valery was found by members of the Vivifica court and taken in. It was discovered by Vivifica healers that she had been infused with dark magic, turning most of her into an augmented creature made of an organic metal. The cost seemed to be her ability to speak, though she could still make sounds, and an unnaturally low body temperature. Despite this tampering, Valery was more of a frightened child than monster, so the Court took her in to keep an eye on her. Eventually learning sign language, she was discovered to have some magical talent. She was fully accepted into the court, despite the misgivings of some, given training in refined versions of Earth and Light Magic.
  As she grew over the next 18 years, she would become known as "Vivifica's Shadow", a member of the court willing and able to take on sensitive and potentially illicit missions for the betterment and protection of her court. More public, she worked as muscle, sometimes working with members of the Ignis court towards common goals. In her off time, she still tries to piece together what happened to her and, more importantly, what happened to Davide.
  Theme song (optional):
  
  
• 
  Name: Mako Koyle
  Age: 20
  Gender: Female
  Appearance:
  
  Spoiler

  Face; Heterochromia eyes, right eye blue, left one brown. Left eye glows when magic is in use.
  While her hair is normally pure black, a white streak in her hair appears when she is augmenting another mage or when her luck ability kicks in.
  

  

  
  Outfits;
  

  
  Court affiliation (if any): Somnum
  Weapons:
  Spoiler

  • Gunlance; a heavy duty weapon who's large blade and heavy ammunition that pack a major punch, even more when infused with magical energy, though has slower attack patterns.
    
    
  • Gun Gauntlets; A pair of mechanical gauntlets that fire non-lethal rounds that can be infused with elemental magic to make them more dangerous. Has added armor for defensive use.
    
  • Knuckle Duster/Safety Gloves; Gloves meant to protect the hands form hazardous materials with built in knuckle dusters that can channel her magic to augment her punches.
    
    
  • Ruinra Carbine; An experimental weapon that can turn raw mana into bolts of non-elementally aligned magic. Ideally used for midranged combat.
    
    
  Magic:
  
  • Mana Battery; Mako has vast mana reserves, on par with high level veteran mages. She can even allow other mages to use her mana to power their spells. Mako cannot directly use the mana herself to cast spells.
  • Spell Augmentation; When another mage uses Mako's mana, she can further empower their spells beyond their normal limits at the cost of more mana.
  • Enchantment Infusions; Mako can infuse items with magical energy, making her an ideal enchanter. In combat situations, she can infuse weapons and ammunition with elemental effects to increase potency. Elements being Lightning, Ice, and Kinetic Explosions.
  • Unconscious Probability Manipulation; Mako she has a subconscious ability to manipulate uncertainty and probability to her favor. Simply, Mako is lucky. Things tend to work out for her. Now, it works best when protecting her from her own actions (accidentally setting off an explosive too close might see her come away with miraculously minor injuries), and requires her to actual act as part of the situation.
  Personality: Mako has always been talkative and funny, but since discovering her magic and joining Somnum, her tendencies have skyrocketed to hide insecurities. She never expected to be anything more than a shop keeper, a nobody left alone by history. With her magic and membership in a court, she feels like a fraud, faking her way through a life she neither deserved or was intended for. She also has no real feeling of belonging or loyal to her Court, which makes her feel even more out of place. So, she covers this all up with humor and a bit of a motor mouth, expressing bravado she doesn’t feel.
  In aid of her dealing with her anxiety of not measuring up his some hobbies, such as playing a rauschpfeife, tai chi, and her work as an enchanter.
  Background: Mako Koyl early life was on the road with her traveling merchant parents, before they took over a store front in an idyllic port town. Life was quite and peaceful, the kind of life a protagonist from a fairy stories would want to leave to go adventuring. But Mako was happy with it, content with a predictable life filled with simple pleasures. But, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end...
  Life went sideways on Mako one night when she was at a beach party that made a little too much noise and cast a little too much light for some sort of baby leviathan's taste. It attacked, causing Mako to get thrown into the water. Panicking, she flailed upward, luckily grabbing hold of a boat floating by. She was helped up by her friend Gil, who was home visiting from his mage training at the Somnum Court. While they tried to row away, the beast grabbed the boat and lifted it up out of the water. Gil called upon his ice magic, but a jolt sent him over the side. Mako managed to catch his arm, leaving him dangling above the monster's maw. Once again, he tried to use his ice magic to hit it in the eye to make it flinch. But when he cast the spell, mana surged from Mako filling him to the brim with unchecked power. The moderate ice attack froze the creature solid, leaving both mage and potential mage in shock.
  The next few weeks for Mako were a blur. She was tested and found to have magic, just not able to directly cast it. When her parents were asked if she had any mage's in her ancestry, they confessed they didn't know because they found Mako abandoned in the woods and had adopted her. Her parents swore they were going to tell her, but hadn't gotten around to it. Reeling from this revelation, Mako was given the illision of choice; Join a court or become a criminal. She didn't want to join any court, or leave her apparently adopted parents and friends, but the alternative would rob her of them anyway. With no real choice, she joined the Somnum Court.
  Over the next two or so years, Mako developed her magic, her magical abilities and limitations putting her on the path of enchantment, which at least was vaguely normal in this crazy new life. But, her ability to augment other mage's magic had her pushed to be able to take a support role in active situations, thus combat training was added to her headaches. Worse, some apparent unconscious luck magic and natural apptitude made her pretty good at it. Through it all she projected a confident if talkative air, but on the inside she is terrified that she is out of her depth and sinking fast. And with the recent news about the Vivifica Court, she wonders if she’s approaching the bottom...
  Theme Music:
  
  

 

[Stardustblade358]

• Vincent S. Watson
• Arun Roshan
• Arkane Gravemore
• Yael

• 
  Name: Vincent S. Watson
  Age: 27
  Gender: Male
  Appearance:
  Official art for the Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Bōken game
  
  
  
  Height: 5'10"
  Court affiliation (if any): Ignis
  Weapons:
  
  • Dual Pistols
  Spoiler: Pistols

  Source: Honkai The 3rd Weaponry
  

  
  • Chimera - A trick weapon of his own creation. It is able to take two different forms
    • 1st Form - Scythe
    • 2nd Form - Rifle
  • Magic Grenades
    • Spark Plug - A liquid that creates electric currents upon exposure to oxygen
    • Kaboom - A liquid that creates an explosion shortly after agitation
      • Sticky Bomb - Specialized surface allows it to stick to the surface it lands on before exploding
    • Smoke Bomb - Simple solution where the liquid turns into a thick smoke upon contact with oxygen
    • Sticky - A solution that hardens into a sticky substance upon contact with oxygen
  • Magic Ammunition - Special bullets with alchemical components inside for an extra kick
    • Explosive - A bullet that detonates an explosion on impact
    • Shock - A bullet that sends a shockwave of electricity the moment it lands
    • Sticky - A bullet that collapses to release a sticky substance on the surface of impact
  • Hip Grappling Hook - A device running on steam and wind that provides areal maneuverability as long as the terrain permits it.
  Spoiler: Hip Grappling Hook

  Source: Attack On Titan Maneuver Gear
  

  

  
  Magic: N/A
  Personality: Playful, curious, and optimistic. He loves to learn new things, experiment, and live new experiences. He will always have facts to talk about, and if you allow him he will talk your ear off. He is sweet and kind,and he sees the positive in most if not all situations. He will try to be friends with everyone, though he is nowhere near naive. Even with optimism he takes on challenges in a scientific mindset, setting out theories and possible paths in order to attempt to come up with a best possible solution. However he is secretly rather sacrificial, and feels the burning desire to prove himself over and over. This means that he will push himself beyond his own limits and into dangerous situations if it means to meet the challenge place on him. Often morality and reason conflict in his mind; but his heart is true on the fact that he wishes to make this word as fair and safe for everyone as possible. This means putting neck on the line in order to eliminate the source. He sees himself as a burning candle that must light up the path and make a mark, even if it means that there is nothing left behind once it is all over.
  Background: The child of two court mages from the house of Ignis, Vincent was born into a privileged life. However, he was born without any magical affinity, an uncommon occurrence for being born from two magically gifted parents from long magic linages. Even so his parents adored him as a child nevertheless, and encouraged him to pursue his dreams regardless how far they were from reach. He did suffer a bit of discrimination, but he found himself determined to make up for his lack of magical abilities. He would take interest in the mechanical arts that ruled the society around him, including the studies of alchemy, and chemistry. He would go to prestigious schools, and study under the best that money and privilege could afford. He became an expert on his own right, and has dedicated his years in creating innovations for the house of Ignis, the city, and any independent contractor that searched for him. His numerous contributions and creations have earned him a spot within the Court of Ignis despite his lack of magical capabilities, a sore spot for a few of the mages who believe in the magic supremacy of the courts. He works hard to maintain his place in the court as a source of pride for himself, and his family, but also as an advocate for the non-magic folk that rely on the courts for their lives.
  Notes:
  
  Spoiler: Notes

  
  
  Tekkanororia - Author of the journals. She encountered the Wraiths but was not believed by the court elders.
  
  Valley of Magic - Where mages are laid to rest. The area is known for being a natural ground for Itika.
  
  Wraiths of the First Court - Encountered by Tekkanororia. They claim to be from the first court. They are very powerful. The Elders of the Courts deny their existence.
  
  Elia - Was tormented by a voice of a man and possessed momentarily by him.
  "He said strange things, like souls granting him the power of rebirth. How the people would pay for their betrayal."
  "...my magic would suffice his needs..."
  
  VESSELS (For the First Court members???)
  Pali Noirtier (Caelum?)
  Iseult Mylis
  Elia Cabret (?)
  Aislinn Nosferi
  Vlad Von Redir (Former vessel. Ref. Ballad of the Butcher)
  Tibarn Llang
  Absalom Sagus
  
  THOUGHTS
  Souls are trying to be reborn in 'vessels' by possessing them to accomplish their agenda. What do they want? Revival?
  Who were these members of the first courts?
  Maybe Aislinn is also being possessed?
  
  

  [/SPOILERS]
  Themesong:
  
• 
  Name: Arun Roshan, The Undaunted
  Age: 21
  Gender: Male
  Appearance:
  Official art from Honkai Star Rail
  
  
  
  Height: 6"2'
  Court affiliation (if any): Ignis
  Weapons:
  
  • Lionheart - A trick weapon designed by Vincent S. Watson on commission. It has two forms:
    • Standard Short Sword
    • Battle Axe (When combined with Shield)
  • Lionsoul - A trick shield designed by Vincent S. Watson on commission. It has three forms:
    • Standard Shield
    • Expanded Shield - Expands into a larger, heavier shield, capable of protecting more area.
    • Battle Axe (When combined with Shield)
  Magic:
  
  • Earth Manipulation - Uses his magic to manipulate the earth around him to his advantage.
    • Seismic Sense - Able to pick up even the slightest vibrations through physical contact with the ground, enabling them to perceive their surroundings as precisely as normal sight. He is able to sense the structure and materials of solid substances, including the presence of caves, material changes, structural weaknesses, etc.
    • Terrain Manipulation - Capable of manipulating the terrain around him. This includes creating holes through walls or terrain walls, lifting the earth and creating obstacles like stairs or platforms. As well as ripping out pieces of the earth and manipulate and make into weapons.
    • Clay Manipulation - Can control and manipulate clay to make simple creations, such as statues or instruments.
    • Geokinetic Creature Creation - Capable of creating an avatar made out of Earth that follows his movements and orders. It takes up all of his concentration to use and serves akin to an armor that he can control and then leave, leaving behind a structure shell.
  • Golem Physiology - As a Golem created out of magic, he has certain benefits and weaknesses that are specific to his constitution.
    • Self-Sustenance - As a golem he has no need for food, drink or even breathing. He still does require sleep for the sake of allowing the magic to recover any wear and tear during that time.
    • Unnatural Recovery - He can recover from regular wounds with time, allowing the magic inside of him to self-repair. However any losses of limbs and body parts would require a much longer recovery time unless granted the necessary materials to create a substitute to attach.
    • Bullseye Weakness - Underneath the armor, and artificial body he has the Itika Engine which keeps his existence going and the 'soul' within the construct. Should that ever be destroyed, he would cease to exist, and only the original creator can attempt to fix it. Even then, it would mean that Arun ceased to exist right then and there, and whatever takes over the body would be someone anew.
  Personality: Dutiful, aloof, and headstrong. He does his best to restrain his emotions, and can come off as a rather boring person who limits himself to action rather than words. Yet, once one manages to warm up to him, one can pull away the walls that he has placed over the years. Deep down he is rather gentle, kind, and is rather softhearted and easily scared. He tends to swallow up his emotions and then grief privately when no one else can witness, and is afraid to show what he really thinks of to those around him. He suffers from an identity crisis on whether he deserves to be treated as a real person, and sees himself less than because of it. Did he deserve this life that was not even meant to be his?
  Background: Arun grew within an orphanage for the first few years of his life under the name Karma. It would not be until he was around four years of age that he would begin to show magical potential, along with a few others who began to develop their abilities. One day, a court mage of the court of Ignis would come in search to adopt a child. He would proceed to collect all magical gifted children and test them throughout the day. In the end, he would take Arun with him, and would officially adopt him as his child. The mage would be doing experimentations in regards of creating the perfect soldier. He would end up transferring Arun's magical capabilities, blood, personality and soul onto a Golem that was created to resemble the child. a weapon made, the original body was disposed off and the Golem would take the place of the once existent child, but with a stronger and more resilient body that did not require food, water, sleep, or any of the smaller nuisance things that was required for mortals to sleep. From then on Arun was raised with the best education money could buy, and given everything he could possibly need. Except parental love. It was a partnership. Arun was the student, and his father was the teacher. He had expectations to meet, and he would meet them, or else. Knightly training, magical classes, history, philosophy; he had no hobbies. Only the goals given to him. He would grow to represent the best that the court of Ignis had to offer, and loyal to his court, and father, to no end.
  Themesong:
  
  
• 
  Name: Arkane Gravemore
  Age: 24
  Gender: Male
  Appearance:
  Official artwork of Wei Wuxian from the Mo Dao Zu Shi animation, season 2
  
  
  
  Height: 5'7"
  Court affiliation (if any): Umbra
  Weapons:
  
  • Songbird (Flute) - A flute that is his focus for his necromancy magic
  • Rune Cards - Prepared magical cards with pre-written runical magic on them. One time use per card before they have to be remade.
  • Bladed Hairpin - A hairpin that hides a retractable blade within.
  Magic:
  
  • Necromancy - A practitioner of the art of Necromancy, he is knowledgeable of the multiple lessons that fall under the magical category.
    • Carcass/Undead Manipulation & Conjuration - A user and practitioner of Necromancy, he usually uses it on animals rather than humans. However, he is an experimental person, and can be found surgically attaching bodies to bring them back to life as a new form and shape. He adjusts bodies in order to make them stronger before binding them with necrotic magic. He uses his flute to control them and to summon his creations for battle. He has certain creations stored away, which he can summon in battle
    • Soul Imprisonment & Manipulation - Souls that have magically and ritualistically imprisoned upon their death. They are forced to follow his command until he releases them,or someone else more powerful undoes their imprisonment through the same magic.
  Spoiler: Summons List

  Casket Dwellers	Hector The Dog	Undead	Qin	Imprisoned Souls	Undead Wolf
  				Souls that have been ritualistically and magically been imprisoned to a mage. They look like their old selves, with eyes, ears and mouth sown shut and chains wrapped around their wrists and ankles.
  Source: Bloodborne Enemy	Source: Castlevania Netflix Animation	Source: Paizo Publishing	Source: Mo Dao Zu Shi Manhua Art		Source: Zombicide

  • Mediumship - Able to commune with the spirits in the afterlife. He cannot 100% communicate with every desired spirit, and it requires the use of something belonging to the deceased to narrow down the spirit. He can allow the spirit temporarily possess a spare corpse, or his own body, albeit the latter he has never personally allowed.
  • Necromancy Failsafe - In the shape of a tattoo on his back, it is a premade necromancy spell that will activate upon his death or in the case that his soul leaves his body. His corpse will be filled with Necromancy magic, creating an undead servant whose predetermined directive includes to "kill whatever killed you", followed by following orders from a certain number of people in order of priority.
  • Blood Magic - User is able to control his own blood, and use it as a weapon. These applications include:
    • Blood Solidification & Blood Constructs - Able to solidify his own blood into weapons, shield and armor.
  • Cartomancy - Use of cards to place curses on people or places. These curses and cards have to be premade and prepared with special ink and materials before they can be used.
  Spoiler: Cartomancy Spell List

  Destruction	Reanimation	Cursed Attacks	Jinx	Transmutation
  Rain - Manipulates the weather to create rain within a certain area Fire - It will release a pillar of fire towards the direction pointed at. Wind/Twister - Creates a twister sourcing from the card Lightning Storm - Manipulates the weather to create a lightning storm within a certain area	When pointed at a corpse, it will reanimate it with an artificial soul that will follow the summoner for twenty four hours.	Cursed Blast - A magic blast made out of necrotic magic Cursed Scatter Shot - A magic blast that is scattered in multiple targets Cursed Shield - It will create a shield that can protect the user, or hold someone prisoner. Cursed Blades	Bad Luck - Bad Luck will befall on your enemy in a miniscule way in order to aid you.	Reflection - It will absorb an attack and throw it back at wherever it is aimed. Binding - It creates a list of magical chains that shoot out of the cards and bind the target upon hit.

  Personality: Playful, blunt, and selfish. He values knowledge over emotions, and this has gotten him into trouble many times before. However, he is not fully as heartless as he appears, as he does follow the law, even when he finds some to be an annoyance to his research. He merely has a niche and limited number of friends and trusted ones, and even then they know of his extent. But he will always be there to offer advice, and his own way of comfort. He comes off as rude, distant, and unapproachable, and he is for most of the populace. And yet as an ally he is one of the most dedicated and trusted who will ride or die with you, even when he complains and says how dumb or stupid your plan is. He is akin to the cool uncle that encourages rebellion and self expression, truly believing that people should lead their own lives to their fullest and face the consequences of them with just as much force. To those who are there when he is most open,
  Background: Arkane was the son of a couple of gravekeepers. His great-grandfather was a member of the Umbra Court, but his grandmother and his mother did not inherit the magical capabilities. He lived with his parents until their deaths after an epidemic spread through the town. A few weeks later there had been rumors of unlicensed necromancy, and some music. A member of the Umbra court would come to check up on it. There they found a little Arkane having revived smaller animals, though in a wild, and uncontrolled manner, as well as a pair of adult corpses. When asked, it turned out that Arkane was trying to revive his parents, and though successful in bringing the corpses to life, he did not bring back the souls. Recognized as the great-grandson of one of its members, he was taken back to the court of Umbra, and there he was raised to hone his necromancy skills. He has grown to become a reputable necromancer. Some worry that his past has made him become afraid of attachment, and made him selfless. Regardless, his skills cannot be denied.
  Themesong:
  
  
• 
  Name: Yael; The Trickster
  Age: UNKNOWN (looks 30)
  Gender: Male
  Appearance:
  Commission for doctoryuri by challele in deviantart
  
  
  
  Height: 5'9"
  Court affiliation: N/A
  Weapons:
  
  • Dagger
  • Claws
  Magic:
  
  • Animal Shape-shifting
  • Animal Communication
  Personality: Playful, clever, charming, and mischievous. He is a trickster at heart, and will constantly play with the emotions and intentions of those he encounters. It seems that he is constantly balancing between relying on his human consciousness and knowledge and his animal instincts. He cares little to none on what people think of him personally, and his manners tend to reflect that at times. He does come to care for the well-being of people and he is more than willing to punish those who do wrong. It is in these times of judgement that the worst of his animal instincts act out the most. Due to his shapeshifting taking energy to do, he is constantly hungry, or in need of snacking. Therefore he can be found eating anything and everything he manages to get his hands on and that is considered eatable. He values all life highly, hence to kill would be pushing him to a last case scenario.
  Background: One of the mages of the original court, he went through a process alongside his allies in order to defeat Tenebris. The result has made him cursed to an endless cycle of molting reincarnation. He will be born as soon as the previous life ends, and shall regain his memories in varying degrees across at one point in those lives. Every passing life he becomes number, and his soul seemingly degrades. But he lives on for the sake of making sure that what almost happens doesn't repeat in the future. He is known to be a trickster that travels the land, lending knowledge and aid to those he pities. He plays tricks, entertains people, and serves as a storyteller. He does have morals, and can be found punishing and tricking those who catch his bad side. He cannot help himself to get involved with the affairs of people, and has caused countless of situations and revealed countless of secrets to the people from each other. With how things are going right now? He is more than happy and interested to see where this goes.
  Themesong:
  
  

 

[Endless Thundaza]

Name: Jynn Venas

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Court affiliation: Vivifica

Appearance:


Weapons: Jynn weilds a peculiar staff without a name, but was passed down to him by Vivifica’s former Maestra, Lillian. It seems to be an incredibly powerful conduit for white magic, and is able to utilize Jynn’s powers, but aside from that, it appears to be an ordinary staff, though its exact functions are shrouded in mystery. It seems to be enchanted, as it doesn’t seem to allow anyone else to wield it.
He also carries a revolver, but he hardly ever uses it.

Spoiler: Jynn’s Staff

Spoiler: Jynn’s Revolver

Magic: Being a Vivifican mage, Jynn has proficiency in holy magic, but also has the power of aura manipulation and thunder magic.

•White Magic: By himself, Jynn cannot control white magic, needing to rely on the mysterious staff. Aside from that, Jynn is able to heal allies, empower them, and is even able to shield allies and provide counterattacks.

•Aura Manipulation: Jynn has a keen sense to aura, and allows him to detect anyone nearby him, especially invisible foes. But he is also able to manipulate it into a weapon. He can create projectiles such as aura spheres and powerful beam attacks, place immobile traps that explode upon contact, and is able to use it to empower unarmed strikes.

•Thunder Magic: With command over lightning, Jynn is able to create projectiles, area of effect attacks, and even create small localized storms. Wearing metal equipment is often ill advised, and fighting him in the water can potentially be catastrophic.

Personality: Jynn is a generally good natured individual, willing to make new friends and help them out when they need his help. However, he doesn’t like to open himself to those he’s not closest to, hiding his troubles and pain with a straight face. Despite this, he does sometimes seek out help from those of higher, but trusted authority. He also appears to be very focused and calculated in battle, able to quickly weigh his options and act accordingly. Though, Jynn can be reckless when it comes to protecting those closest to him.
Jynn inherits a strong desire for change within the Courts from Maestra Lillian, feeling as if the Elders may have become corrupted by their power over the High Priestess and the Four Courts.

Background: Jynn grew up not knowing his parents, being orphaned after their murder. But thankfully, he was found by Vivifica’s maestra at the time, Lillian. Taking him in, she noticed that he possessed great potential as a mage. Throughout the years, she taught him how to control and properly utilize his powers, but also acted as a motherly figure to him.
While growing up, the young Jynn became close friends to the future High Priestess Mabel, often accompanying Maestra Lillian on her visits to Sanctus Heights to see her. Their friendship comes to a pause when Mabel turns 15, and starts her training as a High Priestess, leaving Jynn to wonder what became of her. Despite this, his training continued, and he rapidly grew stronger, and even learned to fully control his powers by the age of 20.
Unfortunately, a year later, Maestra Lilian passes away at the incredible age of 123, leaving Jynn distraught, mourning heavily to the loss of the only mother figure he ever knew. Soon after, Aislinn becomes the new Maestra of Vivifica. Despite this, Lilian left behind her beloved staff, inheriting it to Jynn. It is not clear why she decided to gift this to Jynn instead of Aislinn, but alas, Jynn accepts the staff.
As of late, Jynn has been worried about Aislinn’s recent venture collecting Itika. Although he trusts her, he fears what the other Courts and the Elders will do. In an effort to protect his home, he ventures to Sanctus Heights to hopefully find help.

Theme Song:

 

[Thanny]

• Pali Noirtier
• Jari Minttu
• Daruk Mortem

• Name: Pali Noirtier
  
  Age: 80 (looks to be 24)
  
  Gender: Male
  
  Appearance:
  
  
  (from the The Picture of Dorian Gray [film])
  
  Court affiliation (if any): Umbra
  
  Weapons: Epee, a heavy rapier without a cutting edge but intended for thrusting
  
  Magic:
  
  • Real Illusion / Wishful Thinking - The ability to summon up twists of almost anything based on one's belief. Turning air into a flowing wall of impenetrable molten glass, twist nature to bend to one's will, form shadows into attacking, flitting masses, generate knives from nothingness, and more can be made by this technique, but at the cost of vast amounts of magical stamina depending on the action. For this reason, constricting its use is better, and at the core of it all is what Pali wants to happen and wills to happen. Should anything shake his will or wants, even the most devious and conniving of contraptions can falter, break, and lead to the demise of its owner. For that reason, it is important to steel your mind, armour it so that no thoughts outward or inward can shift the magic. There are always shakings of conviction, however, and even the mightiest fall to the subtleties of words, poison, and beheading, three techniques Pali used to slay the power's previous owner 61 years ago.
    • Note: Powers cannot directly harm another user or what they wear such as clothing or armaments (i.e., no godmodding like "You are now poisoned" or "You are now defenceless").
  • Various Life Betterment Spells - mostly trivial and harmless, Pali devoted much of his life to reinforcing his satisfaction and comfort, much like Unseen Servant from D&D. Objects within the room can dance about performing duties unbecoming to the self-deemed "Master of Magic". Fire can erupt from candle wicks, for instance, and pewter charafes and cups may lift themselves to serve wine to guests.
  • Transmutation of small objects - One of Pali's favourite pastimes is changing water, one of the most plentiful resources to mankind, and other raw materials to other things such as ammonia, perfume, and formaldehyde. Science and alchemy are of great interest of the man, but is just one of his many pursuits and has never been mastered. Turning lead to gold continues to plague him, however, with its being out of reach.
  • Necromancy - The bread and butter of Umbra lies within the manipulation of the dead, and Pali's manor is full of undead servants who require no pay, food, or rest. Batteried necromantic orbs fueled by Pali's power lie about in his manor, keeping the denizens from collapsing or going rogue.
  • The Effigy - Pali appears immortal, untouched by time. The reason for this is the Effigy of Noirtier, the creature within the painting which not just hides the ugliness of his soul but houses the ugliness of everything about him, his agedness included. Looking upon the mirror rapidly ages him as it trades appearances, making him as old and decrepit as the picture as he gazes upon it. This happened when he was 24, and he appeared 24 ever since. Since then he housed the Effigy's picture in a vault within his catacombs, but it mysteriously disappeared years ago, much to Pali's chagrin. (Gerik, perhaps.)
  Personality: As egocentric as a sphere is round, and as desirous to be filled as a bottomless hole, Pali Noirtier is a man who puts on the facade of a socialite while being inwardly broken, like many of the Noirtier family before him. Sarcastic, sardonic, and manipulative would define this man rather well, though he is highly introspective and talks to himself or to his creations. He is like a different person around his daughter, however, more full of a true life than any he had known before. She broke free of the Noirtier's cursed bloodline, most probably because of her mother. This leaves him full of dangerous doubts, ones that can be exploited by his enemies.
  
  Background: Born of a long line of mages, he was taught from a young age to capture life and wrap it around his finger. Pali Noirtier started out his life early in a flawed branch of the Umbra court's train of thought, and sought immortality through any way that he could. He found one such method: to live a life fuller of debauchery than any other and gain the power of wishful thinking through a retired Somnum mage, a wizened old man who achieved this. Pali killed the man and became the only man he knew of to own this technique, hiding the old man's body through his own technique at the age of 17. He trained long and hard, and by 19 he stopped aging, requiring to bathe, and more.
  
  Currently, Pali lives mostly by himself with his makeshift creations, though he does venture out of his home every now and again to perform the duties that made his living style possible. An air of nobility follows him, potentially because he is an older aristocrat trapped in a younger man's body. However, beneath a beauteous exterior lies the heart of an abomination, a blemished thing that never should have graced the world. His lone pride and joy, excepting himself, is his twenty-year-old daughter from a swiftly forged marriage he thought would make life interesting again. The marriage ended horribly, and his daughter Lev (Hebrew for "inner heart") grew up in his household until she moved out. She strayed deeply from her father's path and chose a life like anyone else, filled with freedom, excitement, and health. She visits him every now and again, which births within him a joy like no other. Perhaps, unlike his horrific life, he can feel something to fill his black hole of a heart.
  
  Theme Song:
  
• Name: Jari Minttu
  
  Age: 22
  
  Gender: Male
  
  Appearance:
  
  A lanky young man about 165 centimetres tall (5 feet, 5 inches) with dark hair, green eyes, a rounded face, and an amiable smile that can kill, Jari is a bright young man with a strange air about him. He has taken a liking to a loose shirt with a fur-lined overcoat and trousers and keeps his hair well kempt. He has his quirks, however, the most prominent thing about him is his . . . exotic taste in style. He wears custom-made earmuffs that looks like golden fox's ears that only partially dampens his hearing capacity, and he wears a fake fox's tail from time to time which he affixed to his rear, to make up for his losing his other one, he claims.
  
  Court affiliation (if any): Somnum
  
  Weapons: A well-honed hunter's knife decorates his hip in a sheath decorated in playing-card suits. He also has in his possession several thief's tools, metal ingots of various kinds that he can shape with whittle magic, and an interchangeable game board of his own design he calls his Crest, with pieces enough to play chess, checkers, backgammon, and seventeen other games.
  
  Magic: Lightning magic, infrared magic (relates to heating whatever he can see to a degree by tying a magical tether between himself and it), whittling magic (a magical process which can cut away at what he touches into a shape he desires), and lesser enchantment (gifting things with the illusion of life).
  
  Personality: From a young age, Jari was what his friends would kindly call special. His artistic mind was devoted to the creative elements of drawing, painting, sculpting, whittling, and his love for all things natural and created. He tries to be kind, compassionate and polite to those around him but rarely to being a friend to people due to his weird tastes. He claims to have lived a life far from here, a world of faeries and wendigos and living gods on a continent in the sky, and whether he is truthful or not is eligible for debate. How addled he appears depends on how sober he is, so be cautious when ordering him a drink.
  
  Background: Born to two successful parents within the mage society, Felicity Thermos from Ignis (where both parents now reside) and Montgomery Minttu from Vivifica, Jari lived in the lap of luxury and was taught much about alchemy, chemistry, metallurgy, and the gifts of which he came with. His dreamer ideals did not match either Ignis nor Vivifica, so he was shipped out to Somnum where he was taught even more of his gift. He has an inherent knack for lightning and enchantment magic, enhancing something mundane into a wondrous item, especially art, and made a select few friends within the Ignis and Somnum courts.
  
  Theme Song:
  
  
• Name: Daruk Mortem
  
  Age: 49
  
  Gender: Male
  
  Appearance:
  
  With a massive grin, massively muscular body structure, a spout of wild red hair that pours forth from his scalp and lower face, and strangely easily excitable yellow eyes for his many years of age, Daruk serves as the head of the current viewpoint of Ignis Court's meatheads. Typically dressed in matching simple attire to his spartan lifestyle, this werewolf of a man can be seen as consistently rubbing his hands together jubilantly for almost any task.
  
  Court affiliation (if any): Ignis
  
  Weapons: Man-sized claymore
  
  Magic:
  
  • Earth Magic - no boulder can withstand his burly muscles!
  • Fire Magic - no fire can be untamed by his mighty beard!
  • Obscuring Magic - no smoke can not cook his deer and salmon! Well, besides that, there are the wonderful uses of smokescreens by using his magically conjured smoke
  • Molten Manipulation - The combination of earth magic and fire magic allows Daruk to manipulate and control molten materials such as lava or melted sugar to be formulated. Cleaning skillets has never been more easy!
  • Lockdown Magic - The forced cancellation of one's most used magic on a person he marks with his gaze, showing up as a brilliant lock that sails toward the opponent or opponents at about 50 miles per hour (80 kilometres per hour). Effective for disrupting the tactics of someone within a duel, but comes with the price of removing two of his own abilities if used more than once (first molten manipulation and obscuring magic during two simultaneous castings, then fire magic and earth magic during three simultaneous castings). This can be stacked against the same enemy, locking down three unique magics.
  Personality: A whirlwind ablaze well describes Daruk: he moves fast, is wildly destructive, and casts wide flames and flickering shadows. Throughout all of it, he is more than happy to share more of himself with others with a booming voice and the firmest of handshakes. While he is outwardly extroverted, he feels bound to a doomed existence like other Ignis maesters, or so the story goes. Extremely superstitious, he will not pass by a black cat or walk under a ladder. He carries salt by the pound to toss over his shoulder, enough to make custodians curse his name which only earns yet another meaty fistful of salt. Blunt and unrefined to a fault, you do not have much to fear of lying from this man.
  
  Background: Daruk was a wiry and scrappy young man without family for a long while, living in orphanages until banned and he could no longer be passed to another. When in the streets, he was found by a bulky soldier of a mage who dared Daruk to push him off his feet. Daruk of course accepted the challenge, and with a ferocious yell he nearly did it across a hundred metres of street only to be grabbed and hoisted off his own feet onto a building. That man was his uncle on his father's side.
  
  Raised in a Mortem house at last at 16, he was taught of his parents' fate while they were busy ridding the world of evil as a dynamic duo. Daruk barely remembered them, but hearing of their heroic deeds filled his eyes with ideas of cheerful chivalry, laughing in the face of danger. He grew as such, and his "GWA HA!" soon shook the foundations of the world of Ignis Court. By 35, he received the honor of Maester, and as of this year is currently seeking an heir, eventually finding a potential in one named Henry Heid. Now he is counting the days to passing the torch, watching all of his proteges grow and become marvelous mages that will, hopefully one day, reveal the promise of a new, profound generation.
  
  Theme Song:
  
  

 

[Elrandir]

Name: Thea Nero Leviathan.

Age: 35

Gender: Female

Appearance:

Court affiliation: Somnus

Weapons: Through water manipulation she can create different weapons, changing them at any point in time. The preferred forms are in the form of spears and swords.

Magic: A natural wielder of water/ice magic, capable of manipulating the state of water at will and use it's arcane nature for different puposes. She can also use lightning magic and other elements (to a lesser degree) but she is more naturally attuned to water/ice.

Personality: She is a very serene and friendly person, fair in her interactions with others, and enigmatic. She holds honesty in high regard, but she also keeps a lot of secrets about herself. She tends to be very private with her life outside the courts.

Background: Professor Nero, as she is called by student and teachers, is the current Maestra of the Court of Somnum. She showed an attunement towards water magic from a very early age, her parents, Theos and Astelle, often getting praised for having such a gifted child by those of the Somnum Court who took interest in the child and wished to have her among their students when the time came. Her childhood was spent among books and magic around her, she lived in the Somnus Court's dormitories for most of the time she studied magic.

She somehow ended up in important roles without even meaning to be there, such as being the president of her class for all the years she spend as a student. She often exceeded the teachers' expectations and often was offered a place as their assistant when she decided that school was done. She left the school to see the world after graduation, leaving quite a lot of people in confusion, sadness, and some anger and relief from some too. After a couple of years of travel she returned home, only to find out, thanks to her cousin, that her parents had passed away. She spend weeks pondering as to why she hadn't been there when Theos and Astelle passed away, she was their only daughter, but her uncle, aunt and cousins always told her that her parents were proud of the great woman she had become.

After having some time to mourn her parents, she returned to the Somnum Court, there she managed to obtain a job as a professor of the school of Abjuration, using what she had learned about the Arcane Arts to teach the newer generations. Students often sought her counsel on different academic topics, but also as a confidant for their problems, this made her very well liked by the students and the teachers at the Compendium Conservatory. With years of knowledge under her belt, she was chosen to be the next Maestra of the Somnum Court, a role she accepted in hopes of helping those who wished to delve into the Arcane Arts and development of new ways to help both magic users and those without it, and to have better relationships between courts.

Her private life is considered a mystery by the students and the teachers because she is rarely seen outside, some think it is strange that such an amazing woman is still single, but she always answers that she is married to her job, and that those of the court are like her family. Current actions by the Court of Vivifica have left her puzzled about why they suddenly changed their ways, she does not want to judge them for breaking tradition, but is willing to listen to their reasoning for leaving and dealing with the forbidden Itika.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there we go. My Umbra girl!

Name: Diane Corbeau/Cerberus

Age: N/A, looks in her mid twenties

Gender: Female

Appearance:





Court affiliation: Umbra Court

Weapons: Prototype Enhanced Artificial Limbs (Left arm and leg)(Prototype of Magitek)





Magic: Fire magic, Shadowmancy, Necromancy, Umbrakinetic Constructs and weaker elements by different runes and charms put on her artificial limbs.

Personality: Strong willed, clever, calculative, taciturn

Background: A girl from the Court of Umbra whose whole past is a complete mystery. She has been on the court for countless years, her name often in the form of whispers and rumors to scare the new recruits, each previous Maester/Maestra has been in the knowledge of the young woman and her status as a lich, a being seemingly unable to die unless their phylactery is destroyed, and her use as a guinea pig for the Court's experiments regarding necromancy and the manipulation of the soul thanks to her ability to be destroyed and later return whole after a few days had passed, she has been a great asset for Umbra's search for knowledge about life and death. Previous Maesters/Maestras gave her the codename "Cerberus" along with a half mask resembling a black dog or wolf as a sign of her status as the guardian of Umbra's secrets, often thought by outsiders as the Gates of the Underworld, a place where souls would be forever trapped in torment.

One rumor says that Diane was once a young apprentice from the Court of Ignis, thanks to her natural affinity with the element of Fire, while others say that she was an exiled from the Court of Somnum who delved deep into the art of Necromancy, so deep as to turn herself into a lich to further continue gathering knowledge. There is also talks about her being a former experiment from Vivifica from many centuries ago, but none of these rumors has been confirmed and she will not reveal her true origin.

The only answer she has given to anyone is "The print was so small I didn't understand."

She is in the service of Maester Gerik Lockford, current holder of Diane Corbeau's phylactery, as a fixer, a person who keeps the Court's research and experimentation under wraps, by any means necessary, a person who the Maester will order to take care of other mages that wish to change the status quo by having accidents.

 

[Xion136]

• Kagura Sumeragi
• Makoto Shinra
• Eclaire de Wynter
• NPCs

• 
  Name: Kagura Sumeragi
  Age: 19
  Gender:
  Appearance:
  
  
  Art of Sistine Febel from Akashic Record of Bastard Magical Instructor by hika (Recolor by Stardustblade358)
  Court affiliation (if any): Somnus
  Weapons:
  Katana - Suzume
  
  
  Magic:
  Water/Ice
  Status Ailment: Freeze
  Status Buff: Emotion Control
  
  
  Personality:
  Shy, kind, extremely nervous, and prone to stuttering. Extremely loving and kind, and loves warm hugs. Below this hides a big heart, one with a will of pure iron. He is very self-conscious about
  
  Background:
  The Court of Somnum has a powerful mage. She is the Princess of Victory, her storms heralds of certain triumph, her songs emboldening the people to find the strength to go on. She is one of the court's top mages, she is one of the greatest of Somnum.
  Kagura Sumeragi is her twin sister, and is none of those things. He is mistaken for her day after day. His dances are "adequate" to most, despite drilling it in as perfectly as his sister. Because he is "the spare" or "the extra" he has constantly been overlooked and forgotten by many...except for Kaya. Because if there is anything that the Sumeragi Twins refuse, it is to let the actions of others take away the love they have for one another. The bond of twins is powerful and deep, incapable of explanation. Kaya only has praise; Kaya only has encouragement.
  Kaya only will see her brother lifted up.
  That is why Kagura Sumeragi never gives up. Because when the sun falls, the Princess of Victory will always be there for him.
  
  Following the Summit at Sanctus Heights, Kagura remains there - wishing to leave with Thera Nero, but knowing the infirmed populace, shaken by chaos, need to soothing rains of a Water Dancer to maintain calm and to help those in turmoil find the eye in the storm.
  
  
  
• 
  Name: Makoto Shinra
  Age: 22
  Gender: Female
  Court Affiliation: Ignis
  Appearance:
  
  
  Art of Tifa Lockhard by さいもん
  
  Personality: Confident, flirty, and quick with her tongue as well as her fists. Makoto is the loudmouthed, brash brawler of Ignis and always down to fight. Beneath the at first glance shallow punch-girl is a loyal friend who always has her friend's back. She has a cool head despite her explosiveness, managing a "battle calm" when fists begin flying. Due to this, Makoto was voted "Most likely to laugh during the Apocalypse." Despite her being the cause of many (most) of Ignis' infirmary visits, there is no one else as ready to back up the Court (and especially Henry) as Makoto Shinra. There's no such thing to a lie to her, either - as her name Makoto means "sincerity" or "honesty" so does her actions do the same. She is ready to accept the blame for her own actions and not push the consequences onto others. She has standards.
  
  Weapons:
  These Hands
  These Feet
  And this directional explosive rune system I found
  
  Magic:
  Fire: A passionate practitioner of Ignis' signature magic, she specifically uses it to enhance her devastating melee strikes with directional blasts of varying intensity. Referred to as Blast Magic, Makoto prefers but is not ignorant of other uses. Streams of fire from her feet to get airborne, control fire, light a campfire, set someone's tent on fire for being rude to Henry. The list goes on!
  Chakra Manipulation: Makoto is in-tune with her own Chakra. She can call upon it for a sudden burst of energy, or to heal any wounds at a faster rate than normal. She can also use it to create blasts of Aether to mix things up, slow falls, and cheat to cook the perfect omelette.
  Aetherfont: Energy gained from Dynamis Drive can be refined into Aether, which she stores within her body. So long as she does some exercise per day, her Aetherfont does not begin bleeding dry to maintain basic physiological and magical upkeep. There is no known maximum to Aetherfont so far discovered, mostly because Makoto likes punching things to much.
  Dynamis Drive: Makoto's body can take energy from motions - such as exercise - and store it as usable magical power. This forces Makoto to keep active if she wants to ensure she has plenty of magic, as normally she does not recover as fast as others do. This also means lazy days can weaken her as well. That said, Dynamis Drive also works in combat - the longer the engagement, the more movement and action Makoto does - which leads to it being a dangerous foray to enter lengthy battles with Makoto.
  Kinetic Conversion: used in conjunction with Dynamis Drive, Makoto can refine the stored energy in a myriad of ways. Most of the time, she blows off her Stored Dynamis to power up her punches with explosive Blast Magic, Aether Knuckles, or just pure, unfettered, violent force.
  

  ​

  BackgroundBorn in Ignis, at the young age of eight her father's bar was burned down by a rogue Ignis Mage with her and her father still inside. While her father perished, young Makoto instead was found unscathed by the fire - instead, she had created a safe bubble through her own panicked fear. She was taken in, and while many said she would come to fear Fire - instead, Makoto made a vow. Fire, would fear her.Training in both Fire Magic and Chakra, Makoto unlocked her Seven Chakras with determination, focus, and sheer fucking will. She made fire her bitch, and created her unique Blast Magic style. She refused to let her stay as her past. Instead, she continued forward to become a force of nature. The infirmary of Ignis finally added a third triage question:
  "Training, partying, or Makoto?"
  
  She didn't have many friends...until Henry.
  See, Makoto likes to climb things. Tall things. So she climbed a big tree, and being the headstrong, reckless firebomb, slipped. Falling through the trees she began to reconsider her life choices. Was her Chakra Manipulation going to work? Would she heal this? What if she broke her neck? Her back? Oh god if she broke her back she'd never punch something again.
  That's when she landed on an unfortunate Henry Heid. Laying there atop him, she slowly looked down at the man. He smiled. Said something a bit funny.
  She decided right then that she was going to become Mrs. Henry Heid, even if she had to burn down Sanctus Heights to achieve it.
  Don't tell the Maester.
  
  
  
  three guesses where she is...
  
• 
  Name: Eclaire de Wynter
  Age: 19
  Gender: Female
  Orientation: The Prime Lesbian
  Court Affiliation: Umbra (Formerly Vivifica)
  
  
  
  
  Magic:
  
  Eclaire is a Generalist Fighter, trained and proficient in many forms of combat. She has no one true specialty, instead using a mixture of knowledge and creativity to stand toe to toe with those who focus on certain styles of combat or magic. This leaves her with some disadvantage, but it also means she is one of the best allies to have when in a large group.
  
  Telekinesis: Eclaire is proficient in Telekinesis, able to move most objects up to the size of a small child with little to no effort. Larger items require more concentration. Usually used in conjunction with her myriad of magic weapons.
  
  Daughter of Two Courts: Starlight (Referred to as Dawn and DuskI)
  
  Dawn: In her training with Richter and Zion (Momma), Eclaire caught on quickly to Healing and Shielding before grasping the concept of laser beams. An adept healer and shielder, Eclaire is good at flowing between the two for combat - healing her allies when needed, and launching Light based assaults when her allies are in good health. Her love of metal weapons - something not usually favored by Vivifica - are the foci to which she temporarily empowers them with Dawn or Dusk for added effect. Mainly damage.
  She has a selfmade spell she uses in conjunction with Covenant, her shield: Wings of Light. When using her Flight abilities, Eclaire manifests luminous wings to carry her aloft. She can summon these wings and empower them, covering a wide area behind her to protect everyone she can - because she wishes to be a hero. She wishes to be able to say "This time...this time everybody lives!" and make good on her conviction.
  
  Dusk: In training with Eden, Eclaire has learned Gravity Magic. Using it to adjust the weight of her greatsword, she can swing it faster by lowering the weight, then increasing it to normal - or heavier - to cause more damage. She can also create a localized field around her to either increase gravity or decrease it depending on the situation. Beyond this specific foray, she has many generalist Dark spells - Illusions, temporary invisibility, night vision, dark magic blasts, etc.
  
  Armory: A unique power specific to Eclaire's honest soul, Armory is an extradimensional space that stores anything inanimate (ie without a soul). Weapons, clothes, food, and vehicles are all valid entities that can be added to Armory, but there is a catch - Eclaire must name and attune with each item, or it will be evicted from Armory automatically within 24 hours (usually at the most comedic time). While there are workarounds to this (such as attuning to an actual wardrobe and stuffing clothes into it) there is a limit to how much Eclaire can get away with; the container must be able to fully close. Not airtight. An open air cart will not bypass Armory's restrictions, but a giant box of cookies would. She has tested this unique Soul Ability extensively alongside her normal studies.
  Armory has a few major functions:
  Gate: The system Armory uses to transfer items. This can be used in conjunction with Telekinesis and Gravity Magic to propel objects from Armory at foes.
  Armory: The eponymous use - the extradimensional soul storage space where she stores her things, bypassing the need for actual luggage.
  ???: ???
  ???: Eclaire can give a Limited Version of this to close friends through the ability Create Crystal. Crystals created in this way allow the owner to store 10 items of their choice, which then allows them to have them on hand at all times. Crystals can be made at any time, but they take a lot of energy and Eclaire will need to recover after one is made. Roughly she can make 1 Crystal every 3 days.
  
  Current weapons within Armory:
  
  Thornflare - A magic rapier made by Zion before the ill-fated trip left Eclaire stranded away from Vivifica. She doesn't know how old it is, only that her mother wanted to see yet another blade added to the Armory.
  
  Oathlight and Oathbright: Twin Pink and Gold gunblades she usually dual-wields. One or both of these are my mainstay weapons following the current Crisis. She stores excess energy within special cartridges her mother Eden designed, allowing her to pull emergency reserves or boost attacks until she has run out.
  
  Caladbolg: Abyssal Greatsword. Heirloom from her Umbral Mother, Eden. It is an ancient magic weapon that is attuned with Gravity Magic, and was her main way of learning and practicing such things. It is made of an obsidian metal slightly curved. It appears to be a single edged blade, but in truth it is double-edged. Because if there is one thing Umbra will do, it is use your assumptions to design your defeat.
  
  Promise and Covenant: The Coruscant Sword - Promise and the Radiant Aegis - Covenant are a matching set of a, as it says on the glowing tin, sword and a shield. Given to her by her Vivifican Mother, Zion, she has been hesitant to wield them following the unfortunate Crisis. They are made of a rare crystal that helps with imbuing them with Light Magic. Because first her daughter wanted to be a Knight, and then a Hero. And every Knight needs a blade of evil's bane, and a shield to guard the innocent. So when Zion discovered them on a long journey, they were the perfect gifts.
  
  Personality: Eclaire is a bubbly, sweet girl with far too much love for this world. Usually an upbeat ray of sunshine, the crisis with Vivifica has dampened her spirit, leaving her uncertain and scared. As the Anti-Vivifica sentiment grows, so has the walls she has found need to create. She pretends to be the perfect Umbra Mage, but beneath the dark greatsword and abyssal might she throws around is, in truth...light everlasting. Light that wants to be a hero, and save anyone she can. To help anyone she can. Least of all, Vivifica and her family.
  In times of high stress, anxiety, or sorrow she has a tendency to summon a giant stuffed animal and hug it close to herself as a means of calming down.
  

  ​

  Background:
  A clumsy, yet well-meaning and sweet girl, Eclaire was born in Vivifica's court to an Archmagus. Taught in the Court for many, many years under Zion and Eichter, she left on a long journey set upon her by the Court. By the time she had completed her mission and prepared to return, Vivifica had broken off with the other courts. Leaving her uncertain of her standing, as well as nervous about how other Vivifica magus would be viewed, Eclaire made her way to the Court of Umbra. Her mother, Eden, took her in
  A mage of former good standing, Eden had lost much of her political power within Umbra following the revelation that she had sired a daughter with a Vivifican Archmagus. Seceding her own station as Archmagus, Eden secured her daughter a place in Umbra. Having already been disowned by House Silvia following the revelation of her "unnatural progeny" Eden was forced to find work elsewhere, becoming a maid to a sympathetic noble of the Court in exchange for a place to live. Barely big enough for them both, it is still home.
  She remains there to this day, training in the art of Dark Magic, wondering what has become of her Vivifican Mother, Zion.
  
  A question answered during The Vivifica Hearing. Zion stood up to defend her court...and then ran, driven out by the guards...and the shining weapons that Zion had conjured felt... different than she had remembered.
  
  Trivia:
  
  
  • Her stuffed animal is named Mela, which means is short for Melangell. (Melangell is the Patron Saint of Hares from Ireland).
  
  Music:
  Theme Song:
  
  Battle Theme:
  
  A Theme:
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  Name: Zion de Wynter
  Age: 30
  Gender: Female
  Court Affiliation: Vivifica
  
  The Archmagus of Light, Zion was arrested following an Itika bombing on the train she was traveling on alongside Jynn. Accused of facilitating the attack despite risking her life alongside Jynn to save the train and the passengers, she was broken out by Ronin the Shade when it became clear they would not be released before the hearing.
  
  
  Arriving under the cloak of Umbra, Zion stood up and defended her Court against the Elders when the Council and High Priestess declared their intentions - Aislinn would step down willingly...or by force, alongside anyone else who stood with her. Passionately defending Vivifica, the onset of guards following caused her to retreat - she was arrested once without cause, and she had little wish to be arrested unfairly once more. Battling briefly with Pali, she managed to escape and took flight, winging her way to Vivifica to warn them.
  
  
  
  Name: Eden Xion Silvia
  Age: 31
  Gender: Female
  Court Affiliation: Umbra
  
  The wife of Zion and Umbra Mother of Eclaire. Hearing of the Automaton attack on Sanctus Heights, she has been traveling to make sure Eclaire is okay - as well as look into the goings on regarding the status of the Four Courts.
  
  Eden is an Archmagus level member of Umbra, but due to the situation surrounding the Court of Life has lost all standing. Stepping down, she pursued her mechanical interests as she worked as a maid.
  

 

[Scrapmaster]

Name: Vlad Hilger

Age: Unknown, looks thirty.

Gender: Male

Appearance:




Court affiliation (if any): Somnus

Weapons:
- Ink-like Shadow tendrils and weapons he forms out of his own body.
- An old ornamental Katana, a relic more than anything else.
- Several borrowed Gloscan crystals infused with shadow magic.

Magic:

Abyssos: A strange combination of Shadow/Dark magic with Water magic. It allows the user almost complete control over shadows in their environment, provided there is some and they are not actively being blocked by light. This strange combination of magic allows him to form shadows into an ink like substance that he can control at will, when touched by anyone else this substance feels cold and draining to the touch, almost like a piece of one's soul is being touched by it in it's very essence. Applications wise Vlad can utilize it in many ways from creating shadowy tendrils off a dark corner to swipe at an opponent, to creating clones of himself from shadow as well as encase his own body with the substance, forming something of a layer of armor that one must penetrate, but he doesn't utilize this maneuver often. In more offensive terms it can create blasts of shadow and ink to damage opponents as well as control their movements with currents from the floor, every instance of the magic sticks to the environment, covering it more and more with darkness. That he can exploit

When under direct light or sunlight, Abyssos weakens but it is not fully nullified, it simply takes more mana in order to utilize. This however can be nullified with infusions from Gloscan crystals charged with Shadow magic, in order to heighten Vlad's mana just enough to ignore the light's effects, however this effect is only temporary. When combined within a Gloscan crystal it turns the crystal pitch black, with movements within like that of water, when utilized Vlad can overcharge his Abyssos magic in order to create areas where light cannot pierce for a short period of time, often just enough time for him to do what he needs to do.
Surprisingly basic in it's application, intentionally so, however given a much more strange use when combined with Imperfect Gestalt.

"When it touched me, it felt like a piece of myself beyond my skin, my clothes, or even my own magic, was being touched, It felt cold...and drained me of energy with each passing second." - Unknown mage on contact with Abyssos.

Blood Manipulation: Another strange type of magic which is common for those who know Vlad, enjoying much more varied applications of magic than the common mage, this type of magic allows Vlad limited manipulation of his own or someone else's blood. When used on himself he utilizes it to empower it with magic, which in turn empowers his own body with energy as he changes it's very characteristics, his heart pumps faster and better, his blood flows and coagulates much faster, and wounds heal at an impressive rate higher than the common human, alternatively he can utilize an open wound on himself to utilize the magic offensively, making use of blood spears and blood enhancements on himself through them, he could create a dagger out of his own blood and spike it in a way that if piercing another would poison their own blood with his, otherwise he can very well partake and feed off the blood of another person if given the opportunity, all he needs is contact to an open blood source on their body. Usually and preferably done with consent, but Vlad isn't opposed to the occasional mutual bloodletting.
When touching an opponent who let themselves open, and he managed to pierce their body and get to touch their blood, Vlad can poison their blood and cause a variety of effects, rapid blood clotting and hemorrhaging not unlike that of a snake's venom, as well as paralysis if given enough potency applied, he can also drain their blood and add it to his own body, which can adapt it's type so no harmful effects are caused to Vlad, other than the mild annoyance at tasting differently each time. He enjoys sweets and a sweet tasting blood is a delicacy.

"Do you, perchance know just how much your blood is made out of water? At least fifty percent of it! Which wouldn't you say makes me a great fit? hm? what's wrong, you look pale... blood pressure perchance?" - Vlad when approached by a naysayer about his status as a Somnum mage. With a sadistic and sarcastic smile.

Imperfect Gestalt: A topic of contention between mages is if this can even be considered magic, or just a mutation within Vlad's body. No explanation of it's origin was ever given, not even to the court's Maester, all that Vlad was ever willing to say was that he may have used himself as an Alchemical component once or twice, which altered his body greatly.

In simple terms, Imperfect Gestalt is Vlad ability to use his entire body as a catalyst for magic, turning his body into a shape that he seems fit and utilizing his magic through himself if no other sources are available, this very often is used to Meld his body into the inky shadows made by Abyssos in order to travel large distances utilizing only shade and shadow, or in very rare occasions, this also allows him to utilize his own body as a malleable form, he may avoid a stab by simply shifting his body around the blow, or absorb a hit that would crush a normal person by turning his into a more gelatinous form, alternatively he can harden so the opponent is hitting a wall of water when striking him. However this doesn't make him impervious, each hit uses up his mana, and when it runs dry he becomes much more vulnerable. Doubly so when the attack is made with anything resembling a light or holy element, which takes far longer to heal and recover for him.

"Let's just say I'm a bit more, malleable than the common man."

Personality:

Vlad is an absolute enigma, when with other mages he's sarcastic, gentle and sly, always making light of a situation with jokes and a demeanor unbefitting of a normal upstanding mage, similarly he appears to be a slacker and unreliable when approached, offering little help in things he does not find interest in. A complete goofball that one can't rightly take seriously half the time. Otherwise with specific few he seems to choose at random, he's suave and flirtatious, often showering them in praise and gentle affirmations of their achievements... always inching closer to them, and often invading their personal space.

However this is a front, to hide an over analytic and sadisticaly cunning individual who enjoys working behind the scenes to make things run better and to achieve his own gains, he hold no actual ill will towards his fellow mages and will actually try to make it so things work in their favor from behind the curtain and facade he plays, if a mage needs help, Vlad will ensure it is given, whether the mage asks him or not. This often lands him in conflict with authority figures such as Thea Nero, who on several occasions would find him in areas he wasn't supposed to be in, like a limited access room with documents or otherwise inaccessible areas, however never for his own gain, each and every time it would have been to find something for someone else that needed an item or document or information that would help them. He shows a clear disregard for customs and anything that would stop him or anyone else from achieving their plans and objectives. Which often lands him in impasses with his own court's members. To him, a rule or law is only to be followed if it's actually worth a damn. And very often, they aren't worth even the air it takes to speak them.

When viewed beyond his facade, Vlad is a terrifying man, capable of boring right through your defenses and getting exactly what he needs and wants from you, and there is very little you can do to stop him. Other than ask him nicely, he will stop then. If he likes you.

"It's only been a year, and so many of my court come to me for favors, trusting Little Brother Vlad to get them what they need, and I happily oblige, after all. Someone has to provide, and I'd do anything for my precious seniors. When Luky can't do anything for you, and trust me she often won't, and when Tia (Spanish/portuguese for Aunt) Nero can't find the time... you can always come to Lil'Vlad, and he'l get you just what you need... and I do mean... Anything.".

Background:

"There is no known or written information about Vlad Hilger, if that is even his real name. This man comes to our court, last year, out of nowhere and immediately attempts to join, somehow going through all official channels and passing all exams and tests and joining the Somnus court, how in the hell can a man such as this, with such unique applications of magic, exist and not have anything on him?! It makes no sense!

Having joined just last year and this Vlad has already climbed up the social hierarchy in the court, a sort of fixer and problem solver for his fellow mages, in clear contrast with the usual efficiency and by the book dealings of his Maester and the Court's Heir, this has earned him not only the nickname "Little Brother" but also the respect and quiet admiration of most of the court, only a matter of time before his popularity exceeds that of even the Heir herself, who dutifully upholds the Court's ideals in their most perfect form. He is good with magic, knows alchemy, even old and ancient alchemy not found in written books and scrolls, and somehow shows great academical aptitude in written and knowledge tests, and somehow, someway, is always at the right place and time whenever anything happens? This is no common man, and we can't prove anything because there are NO RECORDS OF ANYONE NAMED VLAD HILGER.

Just who is this man?!" - Court official.

In truth, Vlad Hilger is the name of someone who'd by all accounts be dead to the world, having been an alchemist from a centuries old village which now no longer exists, a cruel fate befell the village and him. He was dutiful in his duties as village alchemist and wished to help any and all, but money was short, and one day he was hired for a task... conjure and bring back a specter from beyond into this realm, he did so, and was paid for it. But he was told to do whatever he wishes with the specter by the mysterious man that hired him.

Until one day the village fell under attack by an entire army of outlaws and bandits, too many for the village guard to deal with, in his desperation, the specter offered him a chance, embrace it, and it would give him the power to save the villagers and his loved ones. Without hesitation he took the specter's offer, and was completely changed as a result.

The Bandits were slaughtered to the last man... And when the smoke cleared, all the villagers saw was a man possessed by a malevolent spirit, which resulted in him being exiled and shunned away as a monster.

So he left... and wandered for decades, the specter eating away at him, making him do actions against his will, corrupting his mind into that of a murderer and a deviant, eating away at his mind and memories, Vlad couldn't take it anymore, until one day. As a last ditch attempt to kill this specter at the cost of his own life, Vlad began an alchemical ritual that would purge them both. And purge it did... The specter separated itself from him in the nick of time, granting him freedom at the last minutes of his "life". Leaving him for dead, in a damp, unknown cave. By all intents an purposes Vlad Hilger, The Village Alchemist, was dead. To be forgotten from history.

"But Death didn't try hard enough".

Theme song (optional):




Combat: