Sebastian V'allish, Prince of Kesion, Earl of the Deep Wood, Keeper of Secrets.

The Six Swans/The Seven Ravens - There are conflicting tales of what they were, be they swans, ravens, or some other winged creature.

Bellegarde

Not exactly . . . his ability to shift into the form of a raven is more of a side effect than natural ability.

29

Someone special would be nice, but there is that whole mistrust-women-thing that makes meeting someone difficult. But surely not all of them are all conniving and manipulative . . . right?

Sebastian doesn't really care what he's wearing, as long as it's comfortable and isn't falling apart. His wardrobe on Earth consists of pretty much the same as at home, give or take a few different fabrics. Jeans instead of riding pants, loose t-shirts instead of a tunic, a worn leather jacket when weather requires, and whatever shoes are handy, normally a pair of worn leather boots. He rather misses his leather bracers, bow, quiver, and battle axes, but truth be told they tend to freak people out just a little bit if he wears them around town. Unless he says he's going to a costume party, and then no one bats an eye. Strange . . .

Stands at a solid 6' 2" and wears the scruffy look pretty well. Steel grey eyes that can be warm and friendly or sharp and cold as ice. A jagged pair of twin scars slash down his left shoulder, curving across his back and right ribcage.

As a child Sebastian wasn't the one convincing a younger brother to jump off the wall into the moat, that was far too basic for him. Not only was he the one that came up with the idea, he was also the one that hurled himself into open air a fraction of a second after the idea entered his brain.

Time did little to temper such an impetuous nature and the older he got the bolder he grew, always up for anything and paying no heed to broken bones or bleeding cuts, the flame of adventure and rash decisions burning in his gaze. Not to say he didn't mature, for eventually he did manage to do some of that as well. It didn't seem to lessen the number of dangerous stunts he pulled, but there was the sliver of comfort that, at the very least they were thought through a bit better.

While he still clings to bits and pieces of an easy going nature, time and hardship have moulded him into something different than what he might have once been.
A volatile side lurks beneath the surface, developed with the necessity to survive in the wild and face the darkness of murderous creatures and overcome an evil queen. Already a force to reckon with when cool headed and rational, the combination of naturally reckless tendencies and pure, unchecked rage can be downright dangerous.

An unexpected side effect of such a tumultuous childhood is his deep mistrust and wariness of women.
Not that he had the most shining examples growing up.
It was a woman that cursed him and his brothers with the form of a raven, killed their father and turned their kingdom into a torture pit; It was a woman that put his sister through overwhelming pain to free them; A woman who attempted to burn his sister at the stake; and a woman that killed a brother.
The only woman he has ever truly loved and cherished with a fierce loyalty is his sister, otherwise he holds fast to the unshaken belief that women, in general, are all out to trick and deceive.

While being known for the ability to shift into a large, black raven isn't exactly something everyone wants to be known for Sebastian suffers from just such an affliction. No matter his other hard earned or naturally gifted talents the first thing people normally focus on is the whole bird thing. Typical.

If you were to look past that you would find he possesses a number of reasonably useful qualities that he happens to excel at; Commanding elite forces of soldiers that focus more on guerilla type tactics than open conflict - Excellent skill with bow, battle axe and poisons - Scouting and tracking through unpredictable terrains - Exceptional eyesight that is probably another side effect of his stepmother's curse - Interception and deciphering of messages - Rumored to be fairly effective with certain torture methods, but those are probably just bitter ideas planted by jealous, thwarted villains . . . . probably.

The rather dubious situation of being stuck in raven form might not seem all that fatal. However, try spending a couple months stuffed into a cage and then see how you feel about it.

Once wronged he never forgets and returns the favor one way or another, not realizing until after the fact that it could hurt others in the process.
Does not deal with down time all that well, always needing something to occupy a restless, adventurous mind. Which sometimes means that he actually goes out and finds trouble, inadvertently dragging others into it at the same time.

First of all - Five.
Remember this number, because all of the stories never get it right. Yes, there was indeed a pair of twins, but two plus three more hardly added up to the ever popular Six or Seven.

*ahem* Moving on . . .

Kesion was a tiny kingdom, hardly noteworthy at all if you did not take into account that it held claim to five princes to rule over it. Five princes that just so happened to be ravens . . .
The beginning of their story is tucked among the pages of old fairytales, usually packaged up in a quaint little tale of a king becoming lost in the woods and meeting a woman who promises to show him the way out on the condition that he marry her. Which, in retrospect was a deplorable and frankly disappointing decision of a king who ought to have known better, enchanted wood or not.

Eventually he realized his mistake, but the resulting consequences not only threatened to tear the little kingdom into pieces, but also caused much heartbreak and pain before things could begin to be mended.

Ravens the five princes did become, at the merciless hands of their father's new wife, and their sister did indeed very nearly die trying to save them from their fate. But what none of the storytellers mention is that it was just the beginning.

After regaining their true forms the brothers spent a brief time with their sister, ensuring she was no longer in danger, before returning to their own kingdom.
What they discovered was a land torn with conflict and darkness.

After she had effectively removed the threat that the king's sons presented, banishing them to a fate of never belonging anywhere, Queen Shieema turned her attentions upon her dear husband, weakening his resolve until he succumbed to her tricks, plagued by horrors and illness until he wasted away.
Left without their king or his heirs the people of the kingdom found themselves in the clutches of a woman whose sole purpose seemed to be inflicting as much misery and pain as possible.
Once pure air became clogged with the smoke of smelting pits. Strange, twisted black creatures replaced the palace guards. And life became one long battle to simply stay alive another day.

To say she was surprised to see her stepsons return is not important. The fact that it didn't seem to faze her was unsettling, and it took several armies, assassins, and a gryphon or two before they managed to best Shieema.
When it was all over they were left with a broken kingdom to knit back together.

In order to ensure nothing of the kind happened again the five brothers formed an elite group of protectors, each with an assigned specialty and position. At first it was just the five of them - Keeper of Borders; Keeper of Skies; Keeper of Roads; Keeper of Secrets; and Keeper of Dungeons, but ever so slowly they added to their group until they commanded the most effective group of guards in several kingdoms. Never would you know when a Keeper was around unless they wanted you to, and if they did, it was probably cause for concern and immediate soul searching.

Hardly had life begun to settle down when the world itself turned against them as the great Cataclysm tore through their already weakened kingdom. Attempting to flee to a neighboring kingdom was the first reaction, until they discovered that the entire world was being ripped to shreds.

Sebastian and his brothers worked tirelessly to find a solution, or at the very least a haven, for their people, but there was none to be had.

How he had ended up in the company of a wizard called Merlin is still a piece of information that escapes Sebastian, although it most likely has something to do with the head wound he had suffered somewhere along the way. It had taken a good month or so before he had even remembered who he was, and when he did there was a part of him that wished he hadn't.

Ever since arriving in Mystvale the feeling of self loathing and reproach have been constant company, reminding him with every breath that he abandoned his family to a fate he could only imagine. Not knowing if they are alive or dead has nearly driven him crazy, and he has never given up trying to find a way back.

Ariel

The Little Mermaid

The Seven Seas

Well, she's a mermaid, so...When there is magic, she has a tail. And can speak to marine life. With no magic...She's just a girl.

21

After being rejected by her prince, her heart is broken. But she always remains hopeful that her true love is out there somewhere.

Ariel tends to stick to loose fitting clothing that are easy to move around in. Whether it be sundresses, shorts with tanks, anything that allows for free movement. She loves showing off her tanned land legs and would constantly live in flip flops if she could get away with it. Her makeup is minimal, as she only usually just uses eyeliner and lipstick. Other than that, she prefers to remain natural. If she can't wear it while she's in the water, she tends to stay away from it. When relaxing, she usually just puts her hair up and adorns her glasses. In public, she prefers her contacts.

This young woman is as resilient as they come. After being publicly rejected by her prince, any other person would become depressed and hide away. Not this mermaid. She is determined and hopeful that the future intended for her is out there if she continues to look for it. Ariel is still a bit naive about certain things on the human world, but several years of experience has made her eager to learn and experience everything she can. She is rather adventurous and can be quite spontaneous in her activities, always ready at a moment's notice to try the next daring thing.

Ariel loves to dance, sing, and just enjoys everything life has to offer. She is rarely upset and always can see the silver lining in upsetting situations.

Being a fish herself, she has the unusual ability of being able to communicate with all marine life. Well, she did. Being thrown into a world with no magic, she has lost that ability. She has, however, been able to hold onto her strong knowledge of the water world and all of it's creatures. This skill helps her out in her job at the aquarium where she works closely with the dolphins.

Seeing as she has limited knowledge of the human world, she can come off as a bit ignorant in certain situations. If she hasn't personally used it, or has daily interactions with it, more than likely she will have absolutely no clue what you are speaking of. That, and she trusts people way too quickly as she always wants to see the good in others.

Born to the sea king, Ariel is the youngest of six daughters. Everything was grand under the sea, but Ariel always awaited her sixteenth birthday, when a mermaid was allowed to view the human world for the first time. It was then that she caught sight of a human ship and the prince who was constantly aboard it. For months Ariel watched this ship, growing more in love with the human every day. She dreamed of a life where she could walk on land and live with him for all eternity.

One fateful night as she broke the surface of the water, she watched as her beloved's ship began to burn. The mermaid watched her love be tossed out to sea. She was soon able to find him and pulled him to the shore, where she waited for him to be found by his people before returning back to the sea. For several nights all she thought of was her prince. Word reached to her of the evil sea witch and the magic of her potions. Against the warnings of her friends, she sought out the witch. In exchange for her voice, she was given legs on one condition: if she was able to get the prince to fall in love with her and marry her, she would remain human forever. If the prince were to marry another, Ariel would die.

Confident that her prince would love no one else, she downed the potion in one gulp. Her voice was stripped away and her lungs filled with water. She watched as her beautiful tail ripped itself into two, creating human legs. Ariel was escorted quickly to the shore where she was found by merchants the following day.

That day she was reunited with her prince. Even with having no voice, she was able to build a strong friendship and learn about the human world. However, his love was for the woman who rescued him on the shore. Unbeknownst to Ariel, a temple woman had been beside her prince when he had awoken. Thinking this woman was his rescuer, he soon married her within days of meeting Ariel.

Her fate was sealed. She could feel her body draining as she awaited death. However, her father had learned of this contract between the sea witch and his daughter. He was able to defeat the witch for good; this act destroyed all of her contracts. Ariel was once again a mermaid and returned back to her kingdom. Since her life was saved, she was determined to never again take anything for granted. Her true love was out there waiting for her, and she only needed to live life to it's fullest until her love came to her.

The mermaid was able to enjoy several months of her new bliss when her world began to crack. The ocean floor began to separate, the waters started to turn black. People started to disappear. She was soon separated from her father and sisters and was caught in a whirlpool. Ariel knew this was the end of her existence. Except, it wasn't. A man came to her and brought her to a new land with the promise of a better life. A safer life. And so there she was, once more on two legs.

Ariel strives to live a more full, richer life. After facing a certain death twice in one year, she never again wants to allow life to hold her back. She is determined to find her true place in life, whether that be on land or in the sea. And she will be happy, and she will dance.

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Tinker Bell

Peter Pan

The Never

Yes

Who knows? Tink is one of the oldest fairies around, but she looks no older than 27.

Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough.

Back in the Never, clothes were hardly a necessity, and so Tink covered herself in outfits made of leaves, held together by magic. Now that she's living on earth, she's discovered an affinity for fashion, a love for clothes. She generally dresses in leggings or skinny jeans, and other form fitting clothes to show off her fit frame. She keeps her pale blonde hair cut short, abandoning the long locks that she kept back home. Her skin has been paled by the Seattle clouds, and her eyes are a brilliant blue, with a mischievous sparkle to them.

Tink's the wild child of the fairies. Flirty, fun, petty as all hell, and with a wicked temper, she's quite the trouble maker. She'll flirt with just about everyone, though most of the time it's really just her being playful. She's incredibly adventurous, her spontaneity being one of her defining traits. It's not uncommon to find her shop closed for the day while she hikes around the forests around Mystvale, or goes into the city on an impromptu shopping trip. However, don't fuck around with her. And if you do, make sure she doesn't know about it. Her vengeance is scary, and she'll do whatever it takes and then some to make sure you pay.

The most obvious one is her flight. When she's in her realm, she can pick between two forms, her fairy form, where she's incredibly small, and her normal human form. In both of these forms she has two wings on her back, translucent and resembling a dragon fly's, they allow her to fly at incredible speeds. And, as with all fairies, she has an innate ability to use magic, casting spells and manipulating pixie dust. One skill that found it's way to earth is her innovation when it comes to engineering. She's skilled with all sort of machines and gadgets, hence her name.

Her jealousy. Tink is quite the envious fairy, and it can make her do incredibly stupid things. Like dangle girls over shark infested waters, or give them over to pirates. You know, the usual.

No one is quite sure how Tinker Bell came to be. Even she isn't positive. One day, she just was. Born of pure magic like all the other fairies, she awoke on Neverland, and immediately began doing the only thing she seemed to know how to do. Build. She constructed the miniature metropolis that the fairies of Neverland called home, Pixie Hollow, and helped to harness the magic of pixie dust.

Sometime after her "birth", Tink found it imperative that the island she and the other fairies called home have a guardian. After some experiments that many called unethical, she created the Boy Who Never Grew Up. Peter Pan. Peter became her best friend, and she raised him to be the bright young man he is today.

When the pirates came to Neverland, she helped Peter fight them. She was by his side every step of the way, even when he brought that bitch back from London. She and Wendy didn't exactly get along, and when Peter returned her to where she came, Tink made sure she'd be impossible to find, hid her from all of Peter's senses. A secret that she'll take to her grave.

When the Cataclysm struck, she watched as her home was torn apart, and it tore her to pieces. She and Peter struggled to keep the Island together but their efforts were useless against the Cataclysm. It couldn't be stopped. When Merlin arrived, she and Peter went, begrudgingly. It's her one true regret.

Tink adapted surprisingly well to life in Mystvale. She opened up a repair shop, one where she fixed everything from children's toys to TVs. She helped raise Peter, a boy who was now not so ageless. She kept herself intertwined with the town politics, and was one of the few people who actually attended the town meetings. With signs of the Cataclysm now more and more prevalent, she's been preparing for the destruction it might bring, fearing for the lives of her and Peter.