[hider= Rhian] [img]http://www.digital-art-gallery.com/oid/37/600x722_7742_Priestess_2d_fantasy_girl_woman_mask_portrait_picture_image_digital_art.jpg[/img] [b][i]When life has a madman's soldiers carve out your eyes, you make a new way to see, put gemstones in the sockets, and go join an army to bring him down. What do you do when that army fails, its leader captured, a dragon and horrors chasing you? I'm still working on that.[/i][/b] Name: My name is Rhian Siofra Gender:I am quite obviously female Race: Siren (Too be approved.) Appearance: I stand at five foot five inches, with brown hair. I don't have any eyes. All that's left is scarred holes where the Mad King's forces carved them out. On the other hand, if I am ever required to take off my Seer's mask I simply put in specially made and shaped gems. Specifically, [url=https://www.wirejewelry.com/images/products/e4-3019.jpg]Topaz[/url], [url=http://zdp-findings.com/1092-large/round-garnet-cabochon.jpg]Garnet[/url], and [url=http://nebula.wsimg.com/obj/OEI3MDVFRkZFRjNFQTFBQUQzNkQ6NWFiMzUwNzRiYmE2MGQ0ZjhhMjk3ZmQzNDM2NjQ0NGM6Ojo6OjA]Amethyst.[/url] I like to put in the Garnets, just to unnerve people. After all, who likes staring into bloodred eyes? Personality: Optimistic, pig headed, annoyingly cheerful, surprisingly strict, all these things have been used to describe me. When I lost my eyes, I could have just gone down into depression or given into rage like my sister and become a Banshee, slaughtering the Mad King's soldiers. I did neither. I remained cheerful, crafted my new sight, and focused on healing and helping people survive the horrors of war. Well, the horrors after the war is lost, in recent times. History: I was born into a Siren caravan, like every Siren, with my twin sister. For the most part, our life was relatively normal. We'd go from place to place, avoiding the war whenever we could. We had never helped any one side in a war, so why should we start now? As we traveled and grew up, I was taught the fine art of the Soother. I wanted to help and heal people, so what better skills to learn? My sister, on the other hand, was far more combative, and was being taught the ways of the Banshee. Of course, everything changed when we stopped at Four Stones, a known gathering place for Sirens. The Mad King's forces attacked, and killed everyone but me and my sister. They cut her throat and carved out my eyes. I remember very little of the event itself. Pain, rage, terror mainly. When I awoke I was alone and in total blackness. They say my sister had disappeared. I'm not sure how long I remained bed ridden before I began to use finesse to craft my special sight, nor am I sure how long it took me to craft the sight, bit by bit, stopping to make sure I didn't kill myself in the process. It worked, obviously, as now I can see everything in an 'aura' vision. Every color is displayed across my blackness as a soft glow. The sea is soft blue, the dirt soft brown, so on so forth. I am able to tell if something is evil, like a shambler by their soft black glow, or good, like the King Baelnorn by his soft golden glow. Alas, I cannot see through walls with this vision, but darkness has no power over me. You could trap me in a pitch black room and I would still see an notice everything clearly. In addition I can choose to not perceive some things and still see beyond them if they are touching my head or the area around my eyes. Like my mask, for example. I can see clearly around me as if I wasn't wearing it, simply because my aura vision does not perceive it and thinks it does not exist. With this new vision, I gathered my things (I had precious few items. My Seer's mask, my clothing, and my harp.) and went to join King Baelnorn's army against the Mad King. Not for vengeance, you must understand, but to ensure others don't end up as crippled as I was. Equipment: -Basic medical supplies, so I don't have to waste my magic healing minor wounds -Harp. I must confess, creating lyrics is difficult and something I don't do often, but I can accompany my harp with wordless Siren songs and that often seems to be enough. -My Seer's mask (see the image given) Other: I am a skilled Soother, know medical skills to patch up people without magic, I know a few good songs for regular singing, and I'm a fair hand at the harp. [/hider] [hider=Sirens] Culture: Contrary to popular belief, most Sirens do not spend all of their time preying upon other races, drawing them to a watery grave with promises of whatever they desire. Or at least, those of them that do don't do it in a watery grave. Indeed, now that they're doomed to be on the mainland with all the other races, most Siren's agree it is not beneficial to prey upon everything that walks or sails by anymore. However, most of them still have a prejudice against males, only beginning to entertain the idea that males can be used for more than breeding and fighting. Because of this belief, and their singing, Sirens tend to be very....open. Sex, death, religion, whatever the topic an average Siren will quite willingly tell you all about their knowledge, experience, and opinion on it. They're a very chatty race. A race whose greatest asset is their singing, Siren's put a great deal of weight and respect into how well you can sing, how much control you have over your magic, and your eyes. A Siren's eyes are just as compelling as her voice and naturally those with the prettier and more compelling eyes, better voice, and better control, will get more respect than those who don't. Generally it goes, in terms of those with most respect: Magic control, singing, and then eyes. Ever since the loss of their homeland, they have preferred to be a neutral race, often choosing no sides and helping everyone or no one. Siren's put a great deal of weight in artifacts an objects from the past, be it weaponry, carved and bejeweled bones, coins, whatever it is, they revere and value them. Especially if they were used by the ancient Seers (those Sirens who could use their singing to see the future). They say they are connected to the Gods. It should be noted, Siren's never name their Gods. There is no God of Light, Death, Life, or even Singing. There are no rituals to pray to the Gods. The Gods are simply there. Because of their distinct lack of their own homeland, and as a result their habits of travelling around in large groups, Sirens are more comfortable and generally safe feeling in a group. They'll do whatever they can to help and protect the group they joined, and only in extreme circumstances abandon or betray it. History: For the first several centuries of their existence, Sirens lived on a chain islands, far off from the mainland. There they gave rise to the legends. They'd lure in ships and sailors with their singing, and what that singing promised. The male sailors would be kept to breed with, to inevitably create new female Sirens, the female sailors kept around for entertainment by the Sirens who preferred them to the men. Some unknown catastrophe put an end to that. There is no lore amongst the Sirens about what happened to their home islands, they merely know that they were forced to live on the mainland and that when they settled here amongst the other races, no more Seers were born to their race. Some claim that this was the first act of the Mad King, others punishment from some divine force for the Siren's years of luring men and women into slavery. Still others claim it was a civil war between the Sirens, and the side with the Seers on it lost. No matter the cause, the Sirens were no longer protected from the wrath of their victims by an ocean, and had to change their ways as such. Most of them did, at any rate. After a few rocky years, the Sirens managed to become a stable part of the world. A people with no homeland, wandering throughout that world. Sirens have never joined on one side of a war. They've either stayed neutral, or offered their services too both sides. That system worked, until recently. The Mad King attacked a large and well known gathering place of Sirens, killing all but two of the children, teenagers. One girl had her throat slit and then healed, taking away her ability to speak and, more importantly, sing. The other had her eyes carved out. Both were left alive, perhaps as a warning to intimidate the Sirens into joining the Mad King. Instead, it enraged them. For the first time in recorded history, the Sirens marched to war as a unified nation. Then of course, all hell broke loose, a dragon rose, and most of the Sirens on the battlefield died with the soldiers they had stayed with, singing to keep their courage and strength up. Notable Racial Traits: -Singing. Even without using magic to enhance their singing, Sirens have beautiful voices by any one's standard. They are able to sing their natural, wordless, song indefinitely, without pausing for a breath. -Compelling eyes. Something about a Siren's eyes are alluring. Every race finds themselves drawn to look at them, and trust whatever the Siren is saying. Naturally, most everybody is aware of this threat now, and is resisting even before meeting a Siren's eyes, making this ability largely useless. -Natural swimmers. A relic of when they lived on islands, Sirens can move through water as easily as they walk on land. -Long lived. Sirens live typically up to five hundred years. Magic: One thing to immediately note about Siren magic is that it is very much a support magic. It has a very limited offensive capability. Siren magic is activated through song, be it the wordless Siren song, or the songs other races have created. With Siren songs, the user has two options. They (if they are a Siren) can go on indefinitely, making their spell more and more complex or powerful. However, as soon as the spell ends the price is drawn from the wielder's body. Energy is taken and if you let a song go beyond your limits, you will die. Nothing will happen, and the wielder will simply drop dead to the ground. The other option is to gradually use up their energy, able to end it at anytime. For example, a healing spell can either be built up to heal all wounds and injuries of a group immediately, or the Siren can gradually heal the wounds of one person. Siren magic (if it is wordless) can be identified, to a certain degree, by the sound the user is making. Offensive: Since offensive spells are required to be quick, and by nature Siren magic is not quick at all (at least if you want to be accurate in any way, shape, or form. One could speak a quick rhyme, such as 'Fire, bringer of light. Fire, join this fight!'. However, it would be completely random what the spell did then. It could hit your enemy. Or you could burst into flames.), there is only one relatively assured way to use Siren magic offensively. Screaming. Wielders of Siren magic who are screaming, the sound clawing at the ears of whoever is listening, can wield the sound waves like a weapon. They can increase it until it hits like a solid object, or direct it so it pierces the eardrums of a specific enemy, causing agony. Defensive: A Siren mage who is using this magic will have an unnaturally deep tone of voice. They can either create a shimmering shield around them and their allies, a wall of elements, whatever the situation requires. Finesse: This magic is used for many things, but all of them are subtle and delicate. A Siren using this magic has a high, pure voice. This is the magic sailors heard all those years ago, and this is the magic that drew them to their dooms. It can be used for a variety of things, creating illusions to draw enemies away (or victims closer), healing, manipulation of the elements (most notably used for architecture) or a variety of buffs (an increase in energy, courage, strength, speed, etc.) A brief list of Siren specialties. -Soother: A Siren mage who specializes in Finesse, specifically buffing and healing her allies in combat. -Banshee: A Siren mage who specializes in Offense. -Huntress: Those Sirens who have clung to the old ways, and specialize in luring enemies to their dooms. -Architect: A Siren who specializes in using Finesse to raise and design buildings. -Fortress: A Siren who specializes in Defense. [u]Subspecies[/u] -River Sirens: Referred to as 'Water Whores' by most other Sirens, these Sirens are little more than bandits. They prey upon those who go near the water ways, drawing them to a watery grave in the various streams, rivers, ponds, etc. They can breathe underwater, and travel even faster and more skillfully through water than other Sirens. In common lore it is tantamount to suicide to challenge a River Siren in water. -Earth Sirens: Those sirens who have preferred to live underground and largely with the dwarves. They can see in pure darkness easily, and can perfectly retrace their steps. [/hider]