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Lorica 'Lori' Desitren
21 | 5'8" | O-[/center]

[Sub][b][color=darkgray] A P P E R A N C E
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[color=gold][I][indent] Lean and hard, with edges instead of curves, Lori has the body of a woman who has been training almost her entire life to be a solider. Surprisingly, especially when one looks at her classmates, Lori's body remains scar free, as if she was unmarked by the years of harsh training. The feminine traits of Lorica's have been minimized by the decade long training program to be a WARDEN, though she tries to accessorize when she can with jewelry and makeup. Her hair, despite her best efforts when she was younger, seems to remain in that fluffy and upright position in almost any situation. Her slightly-too-large, glowing, eyes are often idly scanning and studying the area, a habit gained from fleeing a conquered country and her years of WARDEN training. Surrounding her at all times is a swarm of insects (similar to fireflies), flashing different colors at seemingly random. They react to her emotions, swarming angrily and buzzing loudly if she's infuriated, flashing rapidly and moving erratically if she's happy, sinking and flying slowly if she's sad, so on so forth. If one was to watch closely, they would see these insects occasionally land on Lori's body and crawl into a hole a little larger than 1/4th of an inch in diameter, disappearing inside of her. Lori's body is a living hive for these creatures, and she dotes on them, treating them as most would treat their dogs or cats. 

Outside of her WARDEN uniform she prefers to wear long pants and jackets, her white scarf always with her.  [/indent][/I][/color]

[Sub][b][color=darkgray] P E R S O N A L I T Y
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[color=gold][I][indent] Lori is a fairly friendly and chatty person, more than willing to and capable of starting conversations with complete strangers for nothing more than the sake of conversation. She likes people, and likes talking with them, even with those who would rather she didn't. She seems to find silence discomforting, and can be often found quietly humming to herself or singing a small song under her breath. A woman of high passions and powerful emotions, she isn't afraid to let her opinions be known and be known well. Most notably, she hates the Vangar with every fiber of her being. It is a burning fire that threatens to consume her entirely. They took everything from her, and she fully intends to make them pay for it.

This hatred is the driving force behind her. It fueled her during her training, kept her going when her body felt like breaking, and kept her awake when her studying exhausted her and threatened to overwhelm her. Its her source of strength. She can't fail, for then the Vangar would get away with all that they have done to her, and she won't let that happen. She intends to make sure they pay. All of them. In addition to her tendency to feel her emotions strongly and act upon them, this hatred has been noted by her instructors as a potential risk. While good for keeping her going against all odds, and for forming camaraderie with her classmates and allies, it can lead to reckless decisions and easy manipulation. Based on repeated lessons and warnings from her instructors, and the consequences she dealt with as a result of her lack of discipline over the years, Lori has achieved a modicum of control over her emotions and reactions. However, she still struggles with keeping that discipline at times. 

When she's not devoting herself to preparing for killing the Vangar, Lori can be found studying the various animals and creatures that proliferate the world of Yerin. Animals, insects, even the monsters Etherium fuel attracts, are all of great interest and delight to her. If her homeland hadn't been conquered by the Vangar Empire, and she hadn't become a refugee in Rassvat, it is almost certain she would have gone into the field of zoology. As it is, she studies and researches the animals when she can.

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[Sub][b][color=darkgray] B A C K G R O U N D
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[color=gold][I][Indent]Lori was born to the nation of Astran, to the tribe of Desitren. In the Astran Confederacy, each tribe had a unique bond with a creature, identifying them and their purpose. Their bond being with small swarms of insects, the Desitren tribe controlled the economy and functioned as the mercantile caste of Astran. Lorica spent her early years learning how to be a merchant and doing calculations. It was of little interest to a young Lori, preferring to spend her days playing with the animals her family had, and finding new ones to adopt. But she did it anyway, as it was her duty to her family.

This all ended when Lori was five, and the Vangar Empire invaded the Astran Confederacy. The Confederacy had kept on the Empire's good side by supplying their front lines with Etherium fuel from their own land, allowing Vangar troops through their lands with no resistance, and by virtue of being neither Levistone rich enough to warrant invading, nor militarily powerful enough to be considered a threat. When the old High King died, his successor was a staunch anti-Imperialist. He viewed Vangar, and all that it did, with disgust.  He rallied his people, unifying them against the 'evil of Vangar'. He promised and end of Astran aid of the war fueled Empire. And an increase in the aid of those it was attacking. As soon as he took power he put a stop to all Astran support of the Empire. Any troops crossing the borders were attacked and killed. Etherium shipments were destroyed rather than fall into Vangar hands. These actions, while noble, would prove the end of Astran.

The Vangar response was swift and brutal. Within days they had invaded the Astran confederacy. After a short but fierce resistance, the High King died defending the capital and the always tenuous Astran unity shattered like glass. They separated into the city states they had started out as, and were all conquered within a month. 

Lorica and her parents fled to Rassvet, as the country was still taking in refugees at the time. They would spend the next five years trying to adapt and fit in with the natives, ultimately failing. They couldn't bring themselves to forget about their homeland, and the resistance they heard rumors of in it. When Lori was selected to be part of the WARDENS, they seized the opportunity. They wouldn't be seeing her for a decade at any rate, and their homeland needed them. With a final goodbye, they sent Lorica off to her training and set off on their own journey back to Astran. It was the last time Lorica saw them and the last time she heard anything from them. 

Lorica entered the Citadel with a burning hatred of the Vangar and a desperate need to prove herself as something more than just a refugee who fled her homeland as it fell. This would be a sore point for her for many years, drawing her ire and at times aggression to anyone who would suggest she wasn't skilled or dedicated enough. She would prove her dedication and skill through being the best in everything that the course offered. It didn't occur to her that this would be literally impossible. 

For a few years, she was able to keep this going. Then she began to slip as the effort of keeping herself as close to the top as possible began to wear her down.  In some cases, like with magic, she simply wasn't innately powerful enough to keep going. In others, like with melee and ranged combat, she simply couldn't divide her time to give them the attention needed. Eventually, as she continued to overstretch herself and slip farther and farther down in the class, she realized she couldn't be the best at everything. However, she didn't want to be weak in a particular area either. 

As she progressed through the program and aged, Lorica would settle comfortably into the middle of her class in all of their tests and courses, neither excelling in any one thing, nor being particularly weak in any one thing. This was intentional. Rather than devoting herself to mastering one specific aspect of their training, or attempting to master them all, Lori dedicated herself to being effective in all aspects. She dedicated herself to being able to put into any role and be effective in it. Adaptability was her goal, and she did everything in her power to make that her main trait. She would be able to support her unit in whatever aspect it needed, whenever it needed it. 

Her friendly disposition won her friends and allies over the years, just as her high emotions and strong opinions won her rivals and enemies. Some would applaud her for her passion and her energy. Others would despise her undisciplined emotions and uncontrolled reactions. She would get into many arguments, her emotions getting the better of her at times and causing her to say far more harsh and personal things than she intended. Sometimes, she would later go to them and apologize. Other times she refused too, burning that bridge as she did so. Regardless of their opinions of her, they could always trust that she was being honest. 

Graduating comfortably in the middle of her class, Lori was eager and ready to go to the front lines and kill the Vangars. Before they were all deployed, however, she would leave the Citadel with a small group of her friends, going on a last trip before the uncertainty of war claimed them.

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[Sub][b][color=darkgray] C O M B A T
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[color=gold][I][indent]Lori is a jack of all trades fighter, going wherever the battle needs her the most. In one moment she could be on the front lines her twin gunblades wreaking havoc up close and at short range with just a squeeze of the handle. The next moment she could be in the back, helping  suppress ranged enemies with her semi-auto rifle or pistols, another moment in the very back, taking down key targets with her sniper rifle, another moment and she could be casting spells to rain magical artillery down on their foes, summoning spirits or monsters to aid the fight, or healing their allies. Lori is neither particularly unsuited for any single task of combat, nor is she particularly suited. Many can best her in a specific area of battle, but few can match her in as many as she is skilled in. She can be put wherever the battle needs her, and thrive. [/indent][/I][/color]

[Sub][b][color=darkgray] R E L A T I O N S
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[color=gold][i][indent][b]Galahad:[/b] Hooboy. When they first met, Lori absolutely [i]loathed[/i] Galahad. It was partially their personalities, his calm, icy demeanor grating her reactive, fiery demeanor, partially her interpreting his bluntness as arrogance, and partially the fact that no matter what she did Galahad would always be magically stronger than her. Lorica [b]despised[/b] that fact, and did everything she could to prove it wrong, always chasing, and never even getting near to beating, him in terms of magical power. He was simply genetically more powerful, and she hated him for it. This would continue until they were 17; Lori would finally admit that, maybe, she had been unduly hateful to Galahad and he, probably, didn't deserve it. It was a poor and graceless apology for being a complete bitch most of their lives, but it was sincere. Since then, they have a solid friendship. While not particularly close, they have mutual respect for each other's abilities and trust each other. 

[b]Gideon:[/b] Gideon and Lorica are good friends. Their mutual agreement that Vangar should have been stopped sooner, and that Rassvet should have been doing much more before now, formed a solid common ground. The fact that he's a prince is meaningless to her, since he is not technically [i]her[/i] prince. 

[b]Setzer:[/b] Funny story behind this, their relationship actually started when she punched him in the face at a drunken rager. He had said something insulting (or maybe she thought he did, she can't remember she was almost black out drunk), and her temper, on a hair trigger on good days, went off. In the resulting fight a good portion of the room was destroyed and so much hell was raised that instructors came in to break it up. After sobering up the next day, she marched over to where he trained in his CQC to demand a spar to prove that she was the better fighter. He agreed, and after a day of getting her ass kicked Lori went back to her bunk, nursing new bruises on her body and her pride. 

She went back the next day. And the next. And the next, for their entire career in WARDEN training. And while she never beat him in a fair physical fight (she did, however, cheat a few times and use magic to give her an edge), her skills in CQC sharpened considerably and the fights became less 'Lori gets her ass kicked' and more actual sparring. Over the years Setzer and her would become close, both opening up about their pasts to each other. A few years of this, and a few casual flings later, and they have a tight bond.

[b]Lee:[/b] Lori is  slightly protective of Lee, having been one of the few to notice his depression and tried to help him out of it (though, admittedly, her 'help' was random animal facts she thought he'd like and stupid jokes in an attempt to make him smile), and notice his change afterwards. When he eventually snapped out of it, she was always down for helping him with his pranks or jokes. Both highly opinionated and not afraid to state those opinions, she and he would get into frequent, loud, and passionate arguments about various topics. Eventually this turned into a tradition where one would walk up to the other, declare a random topic of debate, and then start arguing for one side. The other would immediately take the other stance. Throughout the years, they figured out which topics were too touchy with each other to lightly debate, and formed a strong friendship.

[b]Zimmy:[/b] Kindred spirits, Lori and Zimmy hit it off strongly and fairly easily. The two would get into shenanigans together throughout WARDEN training, as Zimmy perfected her distraction and movement spells. Lorica, in return would help Zimmy with her combat skills, and attempt to reassure her that her parents wouldn't be disappointed, and that no matter what happened, they'd have each other's back. Zimmy played an instrumental role in helping Lorica get more control over her emotions and her knee jerk reactions to them, being far more laid back and relaxed than Lori herself.   [/indent][/i][/color]

[Sub][b][color=darkgray] N O T E S
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Lori and her swarm are tied together on both a magical and physical level. She offers protection, a home, and a source of energy and food for them. In return, they give her access to magic, aid her when they can, and help keep her body operating at peak performance. They are directly tied to her body's homeostasis, immune system, healing process, almost every physiological aspect of her. Lori almost never gets sick or infections, and recovers very quickly the few times she does. So tightly intertwined are they, if one of the pair dies or is separated from the other, the other will die.

The people of Astran are, by themselves, completely incapable of processing the Astral Mist. Historians and scientists disagree whether or not this is a side effect of the bonds they share with their creatures, or if it has always been this way. One thing is true, the creatures convert the Mist into magic, allowing their bonds to use it, and are how Lori (and her fellow Astrans) use the Mist. 

In addition to providing her access to magic, Lori's swarm offers a couple extra benefits in return for using Lori's body as a living hive. She has advanced healing, as the insects inside her can repair light damage done to her, aid the process of longer healing, and stabilize her from potentially mortal wounds long enough until actual proper treatment can be done. She can use her swarm as advance scouts, being connected with them on an intimate level and sharing information fluidly. 

In her spare time, when she's not studying animals, Lori can be found working on math for fun. She finds numbers interesting and oddly comforting. Perhaps this is just a remnant of her parents attempting to make a merchant out of her, and a way for her to feel connected with them, but she is very good with numbers and budgeting, and has several apps and games on her phone that simulate running a business. 

Lori also likes to cook. A passion she only discovered when it was covered in WARDEN survival class, she used it as another way to relax during training. Some say she is good at it, while others argue she uses too much spices and seasoning. [/indent][/I][/color]
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