[hider=Carmillia Carbonneau] [center][h2][color=881515]C[/color]armilia [color=881515]C[/color]arbonneau[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/d6DOEIb.jpg[/img][/center] [b][center]"It matters not what someone is born as, but what they grow to become."[/center][/b] [center][h3][b]17 | Female | Perrench | Merchant | 4.8[/b][/h3][/center] [h3][color=881515]P[/color] E R S O N A L I T I E S[/h3] [indent] ❖ Eloquent [color=881515]❖ Persuasive[/color] ❖ Dignified [color=881515]❖ Imposing[/color] ❖ Charming [color=881515]❖ Beguiling[/color] ❖ Intelligent [color=881515]❖ Cunning[/color] ❖ Generous [color=881515]❖ Predatory[/color][/indent] One wouldn't find it surprising if Carmillia was a princess, given the way she carries herself. Carmillia appears to be a model noble: elegant, soft-spoken, and well-mannered. It is clear she is conscientious of her outward appearance yet others can't help but fall for her charming nature. People are often surprised when they realize she isn't even a noble, much less a princess, and actually of the merchant caste. However, this tends to aid her charm instead. Instead of coming off as pretentious, Carmillia instead exudes dignity. Despite being of the merchant caste, who tend to be a tad bit unscrupulous, she's all but that. As if this wasn't enough, Carmillia tops it all off with her intellect, not only academically but wise in the ways of the world as well. [color=881515]In reality, the real Carmillia is far from her outward appearance. It wouldn't entirely be accurate to call her outer personality entirely fake as it would be closer to consider it a rose tinted lens placed upon her real personality. Instead of being eloquent and charming, Carmillia is instead... persuasive and beguiling. Those that have caught a glimpse of her with her facade down have all immediately realize how terrifying it can be to cross her. Instead of for good, Carmillia prefers to use her intellect to scheme and plan to her own benefit. The only trait she has that is entirely false would be her seemingly generous nature. Carmillia doesn't believe in helping others unless it's ultimately for her own gain; for people who can't climb out of the holes they've dug themselves, don't deserve a helping hand.[/color] [h3][color=881515]C[/color] H A R A C T E R [color=881515]A[/color] P P E A R A N C E [/h3] [hider=Visual References] [center]On the job [img]https://i.imgur.com/P4mGTF9.jpg[/img][/center] Carmillia stands at 166 cm which puts her at a slightly above average height compared to your typical Perrench female. She has your stereotypical Perrench features; a thin nose, almond-shaped eyes and thin lips. She has a pale but blemish free complexion. Her most unique features would be her light and silvery—almost white—hair and her her crimson eyes. However Carmillia is neither a natural albino nor a bloodchild. In fact, Carmillia was born with auburn hair and chestnut colored eyes, inherited from her parents. In order to give herself a more regal appearance, Carmillia has used her finely tuned chemical magic to regularly induce the destruction of the melanin pigments in her hair and eyes. Normally such an act would come with its fair share of dangers, particularly ocular damage—but Carmillia's unnatural control has allowed to do so without any negative side effects. As for her clothes, surface Carmillia tends to don garments that fit into noble fashion, preferring to look prim and proper. She typically wears dresses and errs on the modest side. She particularly likes the color red and it reflects in her fashion. [color=881515]When she doesn't have to maintain appearances, Carmillia prefers functional clothing, often wearing form fitting tights accompanied by a coat. She's found the latter to be useful in a multitude of ways; fading into a crowd, concealing weapons and best of all, keeping blood off herself.[/color] [/hider] [h3][color=881515]L[/color] A N G U A G E S [/h3] Carmillia is fluent over multiple languages, a necessity for any merchant who has intentions of rising through the social ladder. She's best in Avincian and Perrench. She was able to pick Torragonese easily enough with it's Avincian similarities. With the Empire of Belzagg being a trading powerhouse, Carmillia has learned several of the more common dialects. In terms of Rettanese, Carmillia can only speak a single dialect but she's found it to be more than sufficient to communicate with traders. As for Eskandish, she has limited working proficiency with it but as of yet has no intention to further practice the dying language. She has a similar fluency with Inipori but unlike Eskandish, she intends to improve her proficiency. As much as she would like to improve her Yasoi which could be considered at an elementary level, the scarcity of Yasoi language tutors and the various dialects make it difficult. On a scale of 1-5 (1 being able to ask simple questions and 5 as it being akin to your native language): Avincian: 5 Perrench: 5 Torragonese: 4 Rettanese: 3 Inipori: 2 Eskandish: 2 Yasoi: 1 [h3][color=881515]T[/color] H E [color=881515]G[/color] I F T[/h3] Carmillia is redblood with a RAS score of 4.8 and no secondary mana type. She also suffers from a below average drawing range even when compared to other practitioners of similar scores. The one upside is that she possesses a prodigious amount of control. Under normal circumstances, even within the chemical school of magic—the most energy efficient school—a magic practitioner with such a low RAS score is unable to accomplish much. However, that is when you're accessing one's capabilities using conventional means. Take one of the rudimentary spells of the chemical school; Blessing of Joy. A conventionally skilled magus would employ it to send their target into a stupor of happiness even against their will. Carmillia is unable to execute the spell to such a degree. Nonetheless, execute it she can. Taking advantage of her superior control as well as innately low RAS score, Carmillia is able stimulate the production of hormones such as dopamine or endorphins but at much more diminished level, allow her to gently push or pull on an individual's emotions. A fitting analogy would be that of picturing a standard magus as a ten-meter tall giant. Now trying picturing that giant trying to pick up a small cat without harming it. Whereas Carmillia can do so with no difficulty whatsoever. Though such a feat might initially sound meagre, a tool's worth lies in how you use it. By carefully drawing the most miniscule amounts of energy and manipulating it at a high degree of efficiency, Carmillia is able to influence the emotions of others without their knowing. She is able to avoid detection from all but the most skilled of mages and even then only if they were paying close attention. [color=881515]Such a basic spell. Such a small effect. And yet when combined with either her charm or guile, the merchant Carmillia becomes a silver-tounged devil that always gets her way. She uses it to form connections with established and more powerful noble families. She forces other merchants to willingly give her favorable terms. She even uses it casually just to make people like her more. Her employees are completely loyal and constantly motivated to be of use to her. None of her victims any the wiser. What are emotions if not simply the ever changing balance of one's own hormones? Happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and a plethora of other more specific emotions such as motivation or shame. Carmillia is able to play with your emotions without you ever even knowing. The [s]worst[/s] best part? Without knowing the possibility of foul play, consistent interaction causes one to admire, respect or fear her even more as everything is attributed to her natural charisma.[/color] [hr] Though hormone manipulation is her specialty and honed over years of use, Carmillia is capable of other spells. Despite her shortcomings, her prodigious control means Carmillia is able to pick up magic extraordinarily fast. The downside is that their effects are often negligible. Take for instance the arcane spell Lich's Touch; Carmillia is unable to siphon any significant amount of heat from the target, causing them to feel chilly at most instead of weakening them, let alone killing them. [h3][color=881515]B[/color] A C K G R O U N D & [color=881515]O[/color] R I G I N[/h3] [hider=Origin]To explain the story of Carmillia Carbonneau, we must first start with her father, Tristan Carbonneau. To put simply, Tristan was a garbage of a human being. He took no traits after his own father, Matteo Carbonneau, who was an upstanding man with both the intellect and diligence required to rise from being a small merchant to overseeing a large trade guild. Tristan was vile. He was violent, conceited and a self-indulgent fool. His parents had been aware of that and were contemplating whether or not to renounce his right to the inheritance. So he had them [i]removed[/i]. Despite being neither academically talented nor possessing any experience in the business, his arrogance led him to believe he would rise higher than his father ever could. Using his new found wealth, Tristan courted Carmillia's mother, then known as Juventia Baudelaire, a young, widowed viscountess. Their interests aligned; she was a beautiful woman who would not only serve as a trophy wife but gain him both status and a magic capable heir and he was a rich fool who would allow her to spend to her heart's desire. Carmillia's eventual birth had not been to Tristan's liking. He had wanted a son. To make matters worse, Juventia was without child despite their attempts over the next few years. Tristan relented to having a heiress instead of a heir but to his dismay, Carmillia demonstrated a low RAS score when she was first tested. It should have not been surprising, given that his own RAS score was a meager 2.9. Even with Juventia possessing an above average RAS score of 7.3, it was unlikely any of their offspring would reach such levels. But Tristan was angry nonetheless. Carmillia was his only child, [i]she had to become a mage[/i]. He wanted status and a child who couldn't perform magic was an embarrassment for a merchant aspiring to ascend to noble status. Even from a young age, he forced her to under go rigorous training under several tutors. Despite her best efforts, Carmillia was unable to meet his standards. Her RAS score had barely improved and her limited drawing range remained the same. Her tutors had told Tristan she simply didn't have the aptitude but he dismissed their concerns. Carmillia was made to learn the basics from all the schools in hopes she might excel in one. Though she picked up the basics quickly, she did not excel. No matter how much effort she put in, she simply didn't—couldn't—achieve a satisfying level of magical proficiency. The failing business added to his frustrations. Tristan was squandering his wealth away by constantly getting involved with bad trades and Juventia was constantly asking for lavish gifts. He turned violent. He would hit Carmillia with his belt, making sure to avoid her face to maintain public appearances. Juventia who was aware of it, did nothing. Her concern was on enjoying her own life. Time and time again, he would beat her while shouting [i]"Work smarter, not harder!"[/i] as if she could somehow cast powerful magic if she just changed her approach. It was during one of these beatings that Carmillia discovered her unique abilities. In hopes that he would stop hitting her, she had cast Blessing of Joy out of reflex on Tristan. Tristan, unawares of what she did, stopped the beating soon after, satisfied at his work. Carmillia began testing the waters, realizing she could use it on her magical tutors as well in order to have an easier time during lessons. Even they could not detect she was casting magic on them. She even used it on her mother who would then occasionally acknowledge her presence instead of ignoring her as usual. In her mind, she thought, [i]This was what father must have meant[/i]. Time passed and Carmillia became used to the beatings. Her tolerance for pain had increased, the beatings weren't as severe and it felt like her parents were showing her more love, even if it was a result of her magic. In her mind, life was getting better. That quickly came to an end when Tristan was ousted from the trading guild. He was an incompetent head and they were no longer going to tolerate him. This was bad news for Juventia as well because it meant they no longer had any income and any money Tristan had from his inheritance was long gone. This time, Juventia joined in on the beating. It was the worst beating of Carmillia's life. Tristan didn't hold back this time, using his fists and no longer avoiding her face. Juventia didn't physically harm her but instead used her magic during Tristan's beating on Carmillia's nervous system, amplifying the pain. Throughout the beating, they hurled insults at her, blaming everything on Carmillia. That somehow, if she was more capable, that none of these things would have happened to them. How much could a thirteen year old girl take? Carmillia broke that day. As she lay battered and bruised on the floor, she remembered her father's mantra. [i]"Work smarter, not harder."[/i] What did Carmillia truly want? She wanted to be happy. She thought that in order to be happy, she needed to earn approval from her parents along with their love. But they didn't love her, it merely her own deluded misunderstanding. Earning their approval wouldn't make her happy. [i]"Work smarter, not harder."[/i] She wouldn't be happy as long as they were in her life and she was stuck with them for the foreseeable future. [i]"Work smarter, not harder."[/i] She needed them gone. Tristan Carbonneau and Juventia Carbonneau would never have considered the possibility that their timid and weak daughter would ever dare harm them. They realized their mistake that night as they lay in their bed, struggling to keep the blood from flowing out their slit throats. [/hider] When she was orphaned at thirteen, young Carmillia had nothing other than her Gift. Though there was some semblance of her wit and charm that the current day Carmillia possessed, at the time she was nowhere close to being the silver-tounged charmer she would come to be. In order to survive on the streets of Perrence, she joined a thieving crew of young kids managed by a local gang; The Crimson Hand. Though she was initially inept at pickpocketing, she came to realize she could cause her victims to be more easily distracted through manipulating their estrogen levels, causing them to be more easily distracted. It did not take long her to become the most 'skilled' in the crew and for her to catch the eye of her handler. She was introduced to the main gang within the year. The Crimson Hand specialized in organized theft though they dabbled in other lucrative affairs such ranging from commissioned 'intimidation' to opium. There was much skepticism when she was recommended for a more prominent role by her handler but Carmillia quickly proved her worth. She was a quick study and was aided by the fact she easily weaved through the inner politics through use of her Gift. She was no stranger to violence, having murdered her own parents. As a result, her seniors were more than happy to guide and teach her. By the time she was fifteen, Carmillia belonged in the upper echelons of the gang and had amassed a small fortune as a result of being offered generous shares whenever they accomplished a job. Now with much more wit and street smarts, Carmillia felt it was time for her to leave the nest. She was no longer satisfied hiding in the underworld. Remembering the stories the servants used to tell about her grandfather, Carmillia wanted to recreate his achievements. She wanted to back to the life of a merchant. Textiles was the industry she chose to dabble in, simply because she liked the idea of fashion. A fifteen year old girl wanting to purchase her own shop and sell textiles was an odd sight but she was happily and willingly aided by established merchants who had felt compelled to help her out. Similarly to how she climbed up the hierarchy in The Crimson Hand, she quickly rose up. She educated herself in the art of business through enlisting tutors and guidance of other merchants. She studied various languages in order to expand her operations to deal with foreign merchants. Carmillia was like a tiny storm that dazzled those around her. As her influence grew, she started encountering more roadblocks. Merchants who would interfere with her trades, merchants she couldn't directly influence as they never met. People who were jealous of her success employed underhanded tactics such as spreading rumors or vandalizing her ever expanding shops. She dealt with it in the most pragmatic way she knew of; she went back to The Crimson Hand. The difference this time, was that she was a patron. She was met with open arms. Her old comrades were happy to see her again and she had lucrative jobs to offer them. Learning from her enemies, Carmillia fought fire with fire. She even joined in with the gang on occasion, taking joy in their expressions when they realized who was attacking their businesses. She was careful, making sure to discredit them so no one would believe their claims against Carmillia. At seventeen, Carmillia was the proud owner of nine shops spread around Perrence. However, the growth of her small empire was slowing. Negotiations were harder and deals were becoming less favorable. There was only so much her gift could do; it had to work in conjunction with her own charismatic influence. She lacked the status that came with being a powerful magus. Though she was confident there was still room for her business to grow, the rate of progress was frustrating. This was when her interest in Ersand'Enise began. There was a certain amount of prestige that came with being an alumni of Ersand'Enise. It would also be easier to form connections with young prominent nobles. To top it all off, rumors of the Traveler were spreading. She could sense opportunity approaching. The world was changing and Ersand'Enise was the center of the magical world. Though it was unlikely someone with an RAS score of 4.8 would be accepted into the academy, Carmillia simply had to pull a few strings. She dropped a decently sized donation. She charmed the RAS testers to look the other way as she leaked energy during the test, allowing her to score a 5.0. Lastly, she made sure to impress the interviewers with her achievements. She was in. [h3][color=881515]M[/color] O T I V A T I O N [/h3] Contrary to eventful past, unique Gift and extensive personality, Carmillia's motivation is simple. Abstract even. She believes in order to achieve happiness, she needs to possess money and power which is why she constantly moves forward with those goals in mind. [h3][color=881515]I[/color] N V E N T O R Y [/h3] The only item Carmillia is currently attached to and brings with when she travels is the knife she used to slit the throats of her parents. Though the knife itself appears mundane, it is of good quality and was once part of her father's collection. It holds sentimental value for her. [h3][color=881515]S[/color] T R E N G T H S & [color=881515]W[/color] E A K N E S S E S [/h3] [indent]❖ Specialized Thaumaturgy [indent]Carmillia's unique magical constitution allows her to apply internal chemical magic in unconventional ways. Her ability to manipulate emotions without her target's knowing is a versatile tool that has opened up countless doors for her. [color=881515]This exact magical constitution is also the reason she's fundamentally a failure of a magus. Though her emotion manipulation magic is powerful, her potential for other magics are abyssmal. Carmillia is vulnerable in the sense that she's unable to employ other spells to an effective degree. Her combat ability in magic battles is effectively zero. [/color][/indent] ❖ "Work smarter, not harder." [indent]The mantra her father has ingrained into her has resulted in her being extremely pragmatic. In all aspects of life, Carmillia deals with things in the most efficient manner. This has allowed her to essentially rise up from nothing into a relatively prominent merchant with both wealth and power, a significant feat given her age. [color=881515]Carmillia doesn't put in effort needlessly but what deserves effort or not can be [i]subjective[/i]. Carmillia's accomplishments are astounding given the time frame in which she has achieved them but there are always opportunity costs. In order to achieve her current status, Carmillia has forsaken a lot of experiences that would have contributed to her emotional growth.[/color][/indent] ❖ Greed [indent]Greed; an intense and selfish desire to obtain [i]more[/i]. To say Carmillia is greedy would be an understatement. Her desire to possess money, power and even people has served an integral role in her achieving her current lifestyle. Carmillia's greed serves as the fuel that pushes her ever forward. [color=881515]As powerful as greed is as a motivator, it is also a curse. Carmillia is never satisfied with what she has and constantly craves more. She is constantly taking dangerous paths in order to satiate it, paths that would not only harm her but those she might eventually come to care for as well.[/color][/indent] ❖ Psychopathic Tendencies [indent]Carmillia isn't technically a psychopath. She has emotions. She has the capacity for love. But she also lacks a lot of moral inhibitions a regular person might have due to her childhood. This has ironically served her well. Carmillia feels no remorse from violating ethics or being underhanded. There has yet to be a time where doubt arises in her when she does something for her own benefit, even at the detriment of others. [color=881515]Carmillia doesn't realize her psychopathic tendencies is the reason she hasn't achieved happiness even after escaping her parents. It is the source of her sadness and why she can't quell her loneliness or desire to be loved. She doesn't realize how self destructive her behavior is.[/color][/indent] [/indent] [h3][color=881515]M[/color] I S C E L L A N E O U S [/h3] [indent]❖ Color Code: [color=881515]881515[/color] [/indent][/hider]