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Name: Kiarda the Risen
Race: Human (Undead)
Personality: Kiarda's disposition is tinted with the melancholy of a life lost to the cold chill of unlife, but the personality of an eccentric sorceress breaks through the darkness and shows that she is actually quite an energetic woman in spite of her unlife. She is proper and careful with her words, and least in how eloquently she speaks. She also has a complete lack of respect for personal boundaries, is rather nosy, and enjoys being [i]very[/i] facetious. Whether it's because she likes to unnerve people or is actually just a silly and curious person is anyone's guess.

Background: Hundreds of years ago, the name 'Kiarda' would elicit different responses depending on who you spoke to. From the people living in the western forests of Ruritania, she was a folk legend that watched over the forests and warded off evil with her presence. Her approach was said to be preluded with a gentle chill in the air. In truth, she was a eccentric sorceress estranged from society for her practice of certain arcane arts. Namely, blood sorcery. 

The last thing known of her life was that she fought in the final confrontation against the Lich King with many other heroes, was grievously wounded, and made it to the border of the Old Country before she succumbed to her wounds. She, along with many other heroes who perished in battle and afterward, were buried in the borderlands of the Old Country on a hill with a lone tree at the top. The place was a hallowed site before, but became even more of a place of reverence after it became a memorial for the final battle against the Lich King. Kiarda was vindicated in death; her magic was seen less as a demonic practice.

No good deed goes unpunished, of course. When the Lich King's demesne rose once again, Kiarda's burial site was disturbed by a battering of tainted magic and stretching fissures. The tree upon the hill suffered the brunt of the assault. It was torn asunder under the stress of geological and magical force, pulling up large chunks of the hill and exhuming Kiarda's body. The tree released its magic against the Lich King's influence in an act of defiance, covering the hill in a blanket of its influence and energy, though dark magics still seeped in and reacted strangely when they reached Kiarda. Kiarda's soul latched on and dove back into her own perfectly preserved body, likely kept as such by the tree's magic. Awakening with a gasp, she was conscious again after hundreds of years. Not truly alive, not truly dead, but conscious. Cold ichor flowed through her veins, her once lively flesh took on a greyish pallor, and her eyes were a smokey grey as if she had long since turned blind. 

Rumors ran wild of Ruritania's local legend returning to the forests, but with a dark shadow being cast on the rest of the world from the Old Country rising again, it was unclear whether it boded well or not. 

[hider=Abilities]

Being undead is a mixed bag of interesting boons and problems. Kiarda never needs to sleep, never needs to eat, and never needs to breathe. She still *can* sleep, and still *can* eat, but neither are truly beneficial anymore. In order to avert this problem and rest her mind, Kiarda instead meditates for a few hours every day or so to keep her mental faculties from falling out of order. 

Kiarda's undead nerves only feel pain like a dull buzz and will continue to function (however well it can) regardless of severed tissue or loss of limb. However, healing this damage is far more difficult. Since undead flesh does not commonly regenerate on its own and will actually slowly deteriorate, Kiarda relies on her blood sorcery to heal with the flesh and/or blood of the (un)willing and the fallen. The process of blood healing is actually quite grisly and hard to watch for those with weak stomachs. On top of this, any other healing magic, especially that which stems from piety, will do much more harm than good. As a result, Kiarda must continue to drain blood from either willing or unwilling donors to retain her humanlike appearance.

Kiarda's magic is focused on themes of blood and ice, while dabbling some in other natural elements. With blood sorcery, she can heal herself through draining her enemies (or allies, if they be so kind), track down people through the use of their blood, inflict bleeding wounds that refuse to clot, or give an adrenaline rush to her allies. No use of this magic [i]isn't[/i] particularly grisly, but people probably won't argue much if it's saving their lives-- Kiarda herself isn't the only one she can heal with blood magic, after all. As an interesting quirk of being undead and using blood sorcery, she can sense and see most living creatures nearby her through glamours that would otherwise obscure them, and even directly through walls if they are close enough. If it has a heart beat, she'll see it. 

With ice magic, she can spear foes with conjured spikes of ice, walk across flat water as if it were solid stone, raise sheets of ice to block pathways and bridge gaps, chill metal to brittleness, and even preserve objects in cold. Snow and water around Kiarda can be easily shaped for spells. Interestingly enough, blood serves as a fine substitute for water there isn't any available.
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[hider=Equipment]

Blood Thirster - A blade enchanted by Kiarda herself. It is a masterfully made steel shortsword with a bloodstone cabochon set into the pommel and arcane inscriptions written into either side of the blade. Wounds inflicted by this blade will bleed more freely than usual, and blood drawn will stick firmly to the blade. It's enchanted specifically to function alongside Kiarda's magic, including ice.

Torrent Staff - This staff has a large bird's(?) skull at the top of it and is adorned with black feathers. It acts as a focus for many of Kiarda's blood and ice spells, and also serves as a conjuring focus for water. However, the staff has been tinged with dark magics and no longer properly conjures water. Or, at least, not [i]drinkable[/i] water. Water produced from the mouth of the skull comes out murky and black, but is water nevertheless and works fine for what Kiarda needs it for.

Crystal Phials - A number of these rest along Kiarda's waist attached to a belt. They can hold and preserve a number of different materials, but usually they're just for holding blood drawn by the Blood Thirster. Not meant for throwing. Well, considering they just [i]don't break[/i].

Sorceress Robes - Kiarda's familiar robes are enchanted to resist and repair damage done to them over time, and to stay entirely clean by drawing on magic in the air and being receptive to exertions of will from Kiarda herself. The clothing never appears to deteriorate, always smells faintly of lemongrass, and dries and cleans itself of fluids in mere minutes. They are about as protective as particularly tough leather, are incredibly comfortable, and quite fashionable to boot.
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