[hider=Eksa Thresh][CENTER][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjE3OC4yMzUyN2MuUld0ellTQlVhSEpsYzJnLjA/blackline.regular.webp[/img][/CENTER]
[i]"We've seen worse."[/i]
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[sup]_______________________________________________[/sup]
[sub][color=3277b3]Eksa Alden Thresh[/color]
[color=3277b3]She/Her[/color]   [b]|[/b]   [color=3277b3]28[/color]   [b]|[/b]   [color=3277b3]Black-Scot[/color]   [b]|[/b]   [color=3277b3]5'8"[/color]  [b]|[/b]   [color=3277b3]137lbs[/color]      
[sup]_______________________________________________[/sup]
[color=3277b3]Dissociated[/color]
[sup]_______________________________________________[/sup]
[color=3277b3]Skills & Talents[/color][/sub]
[i]"Cultivated meself, I s'pose."[/i]
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[sub][color=3277b3][b][Student of the sciences]  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is [i]very[/i] well-educated. With multiple degrees in scientific fields such as medicine, chemistry, and biology, she has devoted [i]significant[/i] amounts of time to her own intellectual betterment. As such, she is quite knowledgeable on matters pertaining to the aforementioned topics.[/sub]
[sub][color=3277b3][b][Sharp Mind]  ⫻[/b][/color] Knowledge does not equal wit, but Eksa possesses both in spades. She's sharp - not only is she attentive, adaptive, and open to learning, but she does such things quickly. Her mental acuity is her strongest asset, most would say.[/sub]
[sub][color=3277b3][b][Steel-willed]  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is not one to fold under pressure. As a technical medical professional, panicking isn't something she can afford, nor something she is prone to do. Aside from an unshakable psyche, Eksa is also one to detest surrender. She won't give up - and that is evident from her past. No matter how hopeless something seems, you can count on Eksa to be one of the last to admit such a thing.[/sub][/hider]

[/cell][cell][sub][b] [color=3277b3]Appearance[/color][/b][/sub]
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[i]"They always give me that look.."[/i]

[indent]Initially, Eksa doesn't appear too out of the ordinary. She stands a bit taller than average at 5'8" and weighs about 137 pounds. Her hair is a thick, dark brown mane which she [i]infallibly[/i] wears in side-swept twists. Her equally-dark eyes sit behind a pair of thin-framed, circular spectacles that sit lightly over her broad nose and defined cheeks. Her high cheekbones and angular jaw shape, accompanied by the smooth, clear, light-brown tones of her skin lead her to generally be seen as rather attractive, conventionally.

Aside from her face, Eksa is similarly blessed with a womanly figure, though her wardrobe tends to conceal this - with the overcoats she always wears being the main culprits in such an act. Her general attire generally consists of darker shades; black, brown, khaki, etc., and is more often than not business-casual in style, with blazers and turtlenecks being a favorite of hers. Notably, Eksa does possess a bit of a quirk when it comes to her outfits - that being that she [i]always[/i] wears an overcoat. She doesn't usually actually [i]wear[/i] the sleeves, however, and just lets it hang from her shoulders. This article serves one purpose for Eksa, and that is to conceal her left arm - or lack thereof. Being that her arm was amputated a couple inches above the wrist, her partiality for overcoats stems from her self-conscious nature. Though this technique is only successful for preventing stares from passersby, and those who don't interact with her for long, in her experience.

Finally, aside from how she looks, there is one thing to note about Eksa that is inescapable - that being her voice. Due to an accident in her past, Eksa's vocal cords and lungs have been irreparably damaged. This has caused her to develop a croaky, pained vocal structure whenever she speaks. This, alongside her insistent, unpredictable coughing fits has led many-a stranger to ignorantly surmise her a particularly persistent smoker. Unlike her arm, however, this is something which she can't really hide - a fact which causes her much distress.

Overall, despite her pretty appearance, it is the focused nature of her expressions, her off-putting voice, and her broadened silhouette that has led some of her colleagues to dub her [i]intimidating[/i], of all things.[/indent]

[/cell][/row][/table][sub][b] [color=3277b3]Psychology[/color][/b][/sub]
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[i]"Ahh, I'm nae that kinda doctor, unfortunately."[/i]

[INDENT][color=3277b3][b]MAIN GOAL  ⫻[/b][/color] Immediately, Eksa's goal in life is to help others. Though, in truth, she isn't really the kind to stew [i]too[/i] much on what she should be doing with her life - but being that she has achieved a healthy education that now allows her to operate in pharmaceuticals, this aforementioned goal could be considered well underway. If she were to really think hard on it though, she could suppose her life has other purposes. She has always had an interest in the paranormal world she's involved with, but has had little extra time to explore it to a deeper extent. Acclimating herself further to such a realm could be a worthwhile adventure.

[color=3277b3][b]PHILOSOPHY  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa's philosophy is straightforward, yet compassionate. Oftentimes, things just.. happen. Not particularly because they're supposed to, or because someone or something deemed it so - but because they just [i]do[/i]. And it can be unfair, and often is. But no matter what happens, perseverance is key. There is always a path ahead, no matter how hidden or treacherous. And there is always a second chance. And there is [i]always[/i] someone out there who will stand by your side. Somewhere.

[color=3277b3][b]SECRETS  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa has.. a complicated relationship with who she is. Her personal deformities haunt her, and make her extremely self-conscious. Gazes and glances unnerve her, and talking in front of groups is.. unpleasant, to say the least. She doesn't trust others not to judge her for her distorted self, and as such, tries not to get too attached to people. Additionally, Eksa blames herself, in part, for her mother's passing.. if only she had been more [i]careful[/i], or.. been [i]better[/i], her mother would still be alive.

[color=3277b3][b]SEXUALITY  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is bisexual, with a lean towards women. Though she could never see somebody liking her back, given her condition.

[color=3277b3][b]FEARS  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is plighted with a few irrational fears, due to her past disturbances. She's an insomniac - she dreads sleeping, as she once suffered a coma that left her unable to help her mother in her most difficult moments - a fact that has lead to countless sleepless nights. The thought of never waking up terrifies her, as well. She also has a bit of an aversion to open flames -- not as severely as she fears sleeping, but enough to make her want to distance herself physically from such things. Additionally, she also fears that she will never be seen as normal. After her accident she has, in part of her own doing, never really re-acquired any friends. This has altered her perception of herself.

[color=3277b3][b]REPUTATION IN OLD COVEN  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa' reputation with the old coven was pretty amicable. She was a friendly, adventurous sort with a fondness for learning about the other coven members and their paranormal features. She wasn't one to make many enemies.

[color=3277b3][b]ROLE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE STYGIAN SNAKE  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa's abilities as a black-lux adept were rather helpful in the battle against the stygian snake. With a penchant for manipulating apparitions, Eksa was quite influential in their skirmishes with the snake's abominables and apparitions.

[color=3277b3][b]FLAWS  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is, moreso than others, secluded. She has trust issues, is quite self-conscious of what others thing of her, and has made no real bonds with anybody since she was a teen. Her issues and anxieties have warped her since her childhood and have her sheltering her adventurous, fun-loving nature in a shroud of cagey uncertainty. Furthermore, she has been secluded from the paranormal world for a time, in favor of her education and work. She has, however, ensured her own paranormal abilities never get [i]too[/i] dull.[/INDENT]

[sub][b] [color=3277b3]Backstory[/color][/b][/sub]
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[i]"I'd.. rather nae relive it.."[/i]

[indent]The tale of Eksa's life stems from a simple, if tragic, set of circumstances. The tale of two lovers - Ava Thresh and Mac Grieves - who knew no [i]true[/i] love. In truth, Eksa's conception was unintended, brought on by the aforementioned two while Mac was visiting The States from Scotland. After his departure, it was brought to his and Ava's attention that she was pregnant. But where Mac had no intention of being a father, Ava was excited -- she had always wanted a daughter.

But fate would have it that she was ill-suited for motherhood. Her history of addiction and substance abuse wasn't something that was so easily cleansed by the pure-hearted desire to be a mother - no, in fact, the stresses of pregnancy and impending motherhood were vectors through which she would collapse to her old vices. She would, once again, enter a state in her life where her cares were few and irrational. Which left Eksa, newly-born, effectively motherless.. But she was fortunate enough that Mac, hesitant as he was to be involved in paternity, was not without a heart. He was her biological father, afterall, and he would see to it that she wasn't left to the mercy of [i]the system[/i], or some relative he'd never known.

And so Eksa grew up under his care in Glasgow, Scotland. Into her teens she would be seen-to by Mac Grieves and the company of his estate. Mac was a wealthy man who, although initially reluctant to raise a child, had a big heart, and accepted nothing but the best for his daughter. Their home - a mansion. Her schooling - the best. Her hobbies - droned over by her father, when he had the time. Luckily for her, his time was often consumed by his work as some sort of medical professional, as he said. So, while the circumstances behind her birth were perhaps contemptible, she grew up cared-for better than most. And this peacefulness of sorts lasted well into her teen years -- until she received unexpected correspondence - from her mother.

Over the almost-fifteen years of Eksa's life, she had never met Ava. Mac, in protection of his daughter who had been endangered by Ava's actions, hadn't allowed it. It was something daughter and father had argued over sometimes, but it had never really been a real issue, or something that even [i]mattered[/i] that much, until now. With the correspondence came a request - Ava wanted to see Eksa, and not just for a meet-up. She wanted to be back in the girl's life. After almost an entire year of arguing, bickering, and the arduous convincing of Eksa to Mac, he finally folded. The decision was reluctantly made - the girl could, temporarily, move to The States and spend a semester with her mother.

And so she did - and one semester turned into several, even.

Eksa moved to St. Portwell, Oregon, and she.. liked it. It was weird, living with a woman who she.. never really knew, and was supposed to be her mother, but.. she did like it, nonetheless. The States were an adjustment, sure. But she grew to form a bond with her mom than one might expect of a daughter-mother combo. And while the schooling adjustments were equally, if not moreso, difficult, she found the people of St. Portwell to make good friends.

And even amongst all the acclimations she had to do, there was something more important, still. She had to hide her paranormal status from her mother. Being paranormal was something that she had ascertained only a year or two before moving to the U.S., triggered through a kindling event stemming from an exceedingly heated argument with her father over whether she should really see her mother. Fortunately, Mac himself had a hand in the world of the paranormal, and was there to guide her. [i]Now[/i] was the first time she would have her own independent responsibility over her paranormal side, away from her father. And what better time was it to find similarly-afflicted individuals? It was during this period at St. Portwell that she'd make a number of advancements in her own paranormal abilities, as well as a few friends.

And for a time, her life was pretty happy, if weird. But fate always had its ways to turn the tables.

Towards the end of two years spent in The States, events took place that would quickly spiral Eksa's life into tragedy. The town was plagued by a paranormal enemy the likes of which Eksa could never have imagined - something that would spell the end of all she grew to know, should it not be stopped. But there were those who wouldn't just [i]stand aside[/i] for such a fate- and those few managed to form a group called The Sycamore Tree Coven, which Eksa was recruited into. And for the purpose of stopping this enemy, Eksa made a sacrifice that would scar her for the rest of her life. In the battle against The Stygian Snake, Eksa fought hard.. and fell harder. She, at a point, managed to find herself outmatched by one of the Snake's abominables, and was struck unconscious in the midst of a burning building. She was fortunate that, in the chaos, someone was able to get her out of the danger, but by that time, the damage was done. Smoke inhalation and heat-damage had her hanging onto her life by a thread.

After then, she was rendered unconscious for months. Her father, upon hearing the news, immediately had her seized from wherever she was being treated and took her under the care of one of his own personal facilities - though not before doctors at a St. Portwell hospital deemed that Eksa's circumstances seemed insurmountably grim. Which was simply too much for her mother to handle.

By the time Eksa awoke, months later, her mother had fallen to her vices once again. And this time, they took her life. Eksa was stricken with overwhelming grief at the news, even as she spent the next few months in physical rehabilitation. It took some time for her to recover, both physically and mentally, but she could only imagine that her mother would wish the best for her and would want nothing more than her to live on.

And that she did.

In fact, Eksa was far from one to allow her tragedies to define her. Even before her final steps to recovery, the girl took it upon herself to continue her education - and her education was promising. She had always been a bright girl, but the vigor with which she applied herself after she got back into schooling was.. [i]galvanizing[/i], in a sense. She continued her path from where she left off - seeking virtuosity in the field of medicinal sciences, like her father.

And like her father, she would succeed. She was a quick learner, deft worker, and attentive colleague as she worked her way into the field as she, after many years, graduated from a Scottish university with several degrees - a doctorate among them. And from there she achieved her "dream profession" of becoming a pharmaceutical chemist.

Present day, Eksa enjoys a comfy lifestyle and a flexible job, and lives peacefully in Glasgow, Scotland.

Though, with a recent revelation brought to her attention by Auri Auclair, who managed to track her down, the members of her former coven were being.. [i]murdered[/i]. Why? Who knew. But she doubted that someone so unhinged as to systematically kill a group of people would be hindered by the fact that she no longer lived in the states. No- that was little comfort, and as such, it seemed she'd be revisiting the states once again, to meet up with Auri and whoever else she'd gathered. The idea of getting brutally murdered wasn't one that was on her bucket list, so it was up to them to figure out how to stop it.[/indent]


[sub][b] [color=3277b3]Abstraction[/color][/b][/sub]
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[i]"It's quite useful, aye."[/i]

[indent][color=3277b3][b]TYPE  ⫻[/b][/color] Adept

[color=3277b3][b]ABSTRACTION ⫻[/b][/color] [i]Black Lux[/i]. Eksa's channeler is her mother's medallion.

[color=3277b3][b]ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is a Black-Lux Adept with a strong aptitude for manipulating apparitions. She has dabbled very lightly in the black lux's necromantic side, but never developed it much.

[INDENT][color=3277b3][b]Dominion  ⫻[/b][/color] One of Eksa's most practiced spells is one which allows her to physically seize an apparition's body, or whatever sort of form they possess. Doing so engages the two in an ethereal grudge-match of sorts that renders the both of them quite occupied, as they wrestle for control of the target's body. This ability is useful for restraining an apparition or potentially even causing it to attack its allies, depending on how strong-willed it is.

[color=3277b3][b]Amplified Sealing  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa is a rather proficient sealer of apparitions. Sealing rituals that Eksa blesses with this spell are easier to manage, more efficient, and can imprison stronger apparitions. Overall, this spell empowers sealing procedures by a significant deal.

[color=3277b3][b]Seek Apparitions  ⫻[/b][/color] Seek Apparitions is a rather self-explanatory spell. Eksa focuses her mind and reaches out, probing for an apparition through the world around her. Such a search can expand several miles, with time, and can divulge the location of even apparitions who are actively trying to conceal themselves. She must be looking for a specific known apparition, an apparition capable of a specific notable feat, or an apparition with which she or her companions are partially familiar.

[color=3277b3][b]Black Pact  ⫻[/b][/color] Black Pact is an [i]odd[/i] spell with interesting applications. The main crux of the spell is that it allows Eksa to communicate with otherwise unintelligible apparitions, and make pacts with their kin. Said pacts are a form of intellectual contract enforced by the magical powers of both Eksa and the apparition in question - meaning that said contracts are binding regardless of nefarious intent or askant power-disparities between the two participants. Such pacts are capable of performing rather unique feats in order to maintain their soundness; for example, an apparition could form a pact with Eksa to be freed from a sealing for a limited time before it is automatically shunted back into its prison. Another example could see the apparition lending its abstraction or other supernatural abilities to someone else.

[color=3277b3][b]Black Shroud  ⫻[/b][/color] The Black Shroud is a spell made specifically to combat apparitions, and it has two primarily applications. The first is its ability to veil the user from the perception of all apparitions - be it vision, smell, hearing, or some sort of paranormal perception, this effect would render Eksa imperceptible to apparitions. The second application is an enhancing effect that braces Eksa's Emotional-Field against any effects stemming from an apparition. This simply causes her to be more durable and resistant to an apparition's abilities or attacks.[/INDENT]

[color=3277b3][b]LIMITS  ⫻[/b][/color] Eksa's Dominion is a spell which requires most, and sometimes [i]all[/i], of her focus, and engages her in a metaphysical battle with the target. This means that particularly strong-willed apparitions can overcome its effects, in which case her most potent spell is rendered ineffective. Amplified Sealing, due to it simply enhancing a sealing ritual, is obviously useless without the prep time required to set up the process. Seek Apparitions, while wide-sweeping and thorough, requires Eksa to define specific parameters -- she must look for a specific [i]known[/i] apparition, an apparition capable of a specific feat, or an apparition with which she or her companions are partially familiar. The Black Pact is a spell limited only by its application - it serves only to ensure one keeps their word, even if they don't intend to. All participants, of course, must be willing and knowledgeable of all caveats, and are supernaturally informed of such things once a proposal is made. The Black Shroud is limited mostly by its specificity as a tool against apparitions. In any other capacity, it is useless. It is also noticeable that Eksa cannot use Dominion while using the Black Shroud for obscurity. 

[color=3277b3][b]WEAKNESSES  ⫻[/b][/color] (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)
[/INDENT]

[sup][b] [color=3277b3]Other[/color][/b][/sup]
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[i]"Hrm."[/i]

[indent]Eksa is accompanied, without fail, by a companion-apparition.
[hider=Apparition Companion][table][row][/row][row][cell][h2][b]Marma[/b][/h2][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/8f48fed1-f264-4eeb-ac7a-baba9ef68849.jpg[/img]

[b]Age unknown | Marma | They/Them [/b][hr][i]"..."[/i][/center]
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[b]Description:[/b]
[indent]Marma is a benevolent, if completely reticent, apparition. Despite its refusal to really communicate [i]at all[/i] with Eksa beyond a couple [i]very rare[/i] occasions, it has deemed its place to be at her side. It has, over the years, been a boon to Eksa and a stalwart presence where she was otherwise completely alone. This has led to a bit of a bond forming between the two, despite Marma's unresponsive nature. Eksa has only seen Marma's true form one singular time, as the apparition disguises itself by possessing an article of clothing Eksa wears in the form of a leather [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/3bb2861e-fc9a-4b7a-bd72-6fac08be9f6a.jpg]cuff[/url] on her left bicep.[/indent]

[b]Abstraction:[/B]
Black Bough
[indent]Marma's abstraction is called Black Bough, and this allows it so summon an inky, black limb to aid it in its needs. Said limb is usually rather herculean in strength, and can take many different forms, be they that of a tree branch, a tentacle, a paw, or even a regular hand - though all forms are befouled by a dark, smoky visage that betrays their true paranormal nature. While Marma seems to have no true purpose, this ability is one that it often uses to assist Eksa in her intents. Though, of course, this is usually kinda rare due to their need to shroud paranormal things from most of their surroundings.[/indent]
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[sub]Eksa's banner color: [color=23527C]23527C[/color]
Eksa's signature color: [color=3277b3]3277b3[/color][/sub][/INDENT][/hider]