[color=bc8dbf][h2]GM Post[/h2][/color][color=dimgray] [sub][Simon [@Prosaic]][/sub]

Khalida's eyes were fixed on the boy in front of her. [color=bc8dbf]"A Diviner then?"[/color], her soft voice spoke. Though it was raised as a question, it was clear that she knew the answer and did not need it confirmed. The young girl lowered her eyes to the deck of cards in her hands and began to split it in half, put it back together and split it in half again. [color=bc8dbf]"Are you sure you want your fortune read? I can not provide you with clear answers, I will not take questions and you may not be satisfied by what I provide."[/color] Khalida awaited Simon's affirmation before her fingers began rapidly moving the cards in a shuffling manner. After precisely thirty seconds, she halted and began to spread out the cards face-down on the table. [color=bc8dbf]"Choose three"[/color], she instructed.

As Simon pointed at the first card, Khalida turned it upright. [color=bc8dbf]"The Axe"[/color], she said. Khalida waited for Simon to choose the next card. [color=bc8dbf]"The Occultist."[/color] The girl paused for a moment. Then the third card got pulled. [color=bc8dbf]"The Frost Queen."[/color]

The young witch spread all three cards out in front of Simon. [color=bc8dbf]"Something wicked is approaching."[/color] Khalida lifted one hand above the cards and a low light emanated from them, swallowed by the unnatural darkness of the tent. [color=bc8dbf]"They don't know. It hasn't been spotted yet. It's already in our midst. The Frost Queen lends us her helping hand, she points you towards a person. A specific person. A widow of a sort. Someone who has lost their lover beyond return. In the moment of truth, you will be an agent of justice. That is your role."[/color] Her eyes shot up to meet Simon's. [color=bc8dbf]"Don't forget this."[/color]

The light faded and the girl drew her hand back. [color=bc8dbf]"That is all I can tell you."[/color]
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[img]https://i.ibb.co/4sf4Fqn/66-The-Axe2.png[/img][img]https://i.ibb.co/4d7kGB0/28-The-Occultist.png[/img][img]https://i.ibb.co/ft8yY8x/14-The-Frost-Queen.png[/img]
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[color=2e2d2d].
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/JHhrrzF.png[/img]

[color=EFD7AD][i][b]Location[/b] [color=bdbdbd]⋗[/color] [/i][/color] The Patch
[color=EFD7AD][i][b]Interactions[/b] [color=bdbdbd]⋗[/color] [/i][/color] Lina [i](mentioned)[/i], Simon [@Prosaic] 
[color=EFD7AD][i][b]School of Magic[/b] [color=bdbdbd]⋗[/color] [/i][/color] Necromancy, Illusion & Divination
[color=EFD7AD][i][b]Items[/b] [color=bdbdbd]⋗[/color] [/i][/color] 1 Dagger, small component pouch (empty)
[img]https://i.imgur.com/15FWbtH.png[/img][/cell][cell]
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[color=2c2e2e]_[/color][img]https://i.imgur.com/fzX25TY.png[/img]
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	Zhalia slipped through the door of her room and walked down the hallway of the Covenstead. She took the stairs down to the first floor and hurried outside. A glimpse into the young night was enough to tell her she had missed the beginning of the festivities of Alban Illir. The witch made her way down the street and pushed past the trees into the park and straight through. She came out on the other side and headed straight for the crowded tent area. As she passed the bonfire, she gave some of the witches who looked up at her with slight frowns a soft half-hearted smile. 

	The smell of roasted bread and alcohol filled her nostrils as she moved through the crowd, slowing down now as she had reached her destination. Zhalia had only arrived at Shipden Peak three days ago. That would make her the newest member, as per her knowledge. Safe to say, she had met rather few of the coven members so far. She had been preoccupied getting all the paperwork filled out and unpacking the few belongings she owned. She weaved through the assembly of witches, not really sure where she was trying to go, just knowing she was not ready to pause and thereby invite people to talk to her. 

	To her own surprise, she ended up at the tent with the drinks. The smell of alcohol was even more prominent here. It was clear someone had spilled something onto the floor. Although it had mostly dried and was barely visible, the smell stuck. Unsure what to do with herself, she grabbed a cup and filled it with hot tea. The warmth emanated from the beverage and she wrapped both her hands around the cup to soak it up. The heat had a calming effect on her. With softer, less hurried movements she stepped out of the tent and let her eyes roam around. Touching upon some faces, she tried to recognize anyone she had seen before in passing. After just a few moments, she felt the strange sensation of being observed. Steeling herself, Zhalia turned her head and looked straight into Coven Head Lina Calvo's face. But the woman was not paying her any attention. She was in conversation. And yet, Zhalia has had the overpowering feeling that Lina's eyes had been on her since she had arrived three days ago.

	She forced her eyes off of the woman and instead continued to study the faces of her fellow coven witches. Somewhere to her right on the other side of the Patch stood a tent labeled as [i]Fortune Teller[/i]. Zhalia watched as a young man on crutches left the tent. For a brief second, she wondered how legit this "fortune teller" was and if she should give it a shot but then she disregarded the thought. If the witch was just imitating the fortune tellers of humanity for the sake of amusement, maybe with a side of truth to it, she was not interested. And if the fortune teller was legit, she was even less interested. Knowing her future was not something that sat quite right with her. [i][color=EFD7AD]Is this fear I am spotting?[/color][/i], she mocked herself.

	"Isn't that...?", a half-whispered voice raised a question somewhere behind her. "Oh yes, she is!", another voice answered, much less hushed. Zhalia promptly walked ahead with the intention to settle somewhere by the fire. As she hurried forward her foot caught on something. Her body jolted forward. She caught herself by stumbling, her hand with the hot tea held far away from herself, but it was too late. The tea had spilled partly over her hand and her sleeve. As she turned to see what she had tripped over, she found herself looking into a handsome face. [i]Oh no.[/i] [color=EFD7AD]"I tripped over your crutches. I am sorry, I was too hasty. Are you okay? What a great first impression, huh?"[/color] As the young man was standing steady before her, she concluded the situation was salvageable. 


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[color=steelblue]O P P O R T U N I T Y[/color]
[i]All information below is at your disposal. You may base your character's reaction and decision on how much of this info they possess.

[color=steelblue]˃[/color] Characters likely have heard rumors about Zhalia's coven
[/i]

It is not a secret that Zhalia is from that "cult coven". However, since little is actually known about that specific coven, rumors float about. The most notable ones would include that the coven is a cult, that they kill humans because they "clean" the world off of those without magic, that they teach all of their members Necromancy, that they train them to be assassins, that they are "half-dead" due to lifting the Veil so many times that they're "half-way through the other side" already. Most notable rumors about Zhalia specifically include that she was sent here on a mission by the "cult", that she is to spew hatred between witches and humans to provoke a war, that she killed a woman (her supposed lover) but butchered it by not being discreet enough with her methods (it was ruled a murder by human police) and so the coven sent her away.

You may also use any rumors you come up with based on her backstory.[/color]
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