[quote=@Letter Bee] [@Tortoise], things ramped up on my end; I might not have the time for this, sorry. [/quote] Best of luck. [quote=@Expendable] When I was creating Siri, I realized that there would be some additional characters who step in from time to time as a part of her world, and I didn't want to surprise anyone when they did. Dia would be a companion to Siri and seen in her cat form most of the time. And yes, I know it won't fool the fairies. The Witch [Hider=Siri] [center][h2][s]Sireena[/s] Siri[/h2] [sub][i]"As per our contract, your name now [b]belongs[/b] to me," the Fallen lord smiled, satisified. "You are now 'Siri'."[/i][/sub][/center] [b]Race, Age, Time in the Caravan:[/b] Human, 25, 1 year [b]Appearance:[/b] This woman puts you in mind of a mysterious raven. She has narrow blue eyes that are like two windows on the afternoon sky. Her thick, straight, coffee-colored hair is worn in a handsome, exotic style. She is tall and has a wasp-waisted build. Her skin is white. She has hollow cheeks. Her wardrobe is sexy. [hider=History] [s]Sireena[/s] Siri grew up on the family farm with her mom, dad, three brothers, and an older sister. When she was twelve, she found a violin in a chest of an abandoned house, and spent a lot of time learning how to play it, hanging around the village tavern begging for lessons from the wandering minstrels who'd visit. When she was 15, Taryn the tavern keeper pointed out that [s]Sireena[/s] Siri was hanging around enough that he might as well offer her a job as one of the serving wenches, and she could play her violin for the crowd when they didn't have a minstrel. The tavern keeper died a few years later, and his wife, jealous of the attention her husband had given [s]Sireena[/s] Siri, fired her on the spot. That night, one of the boys from the neighboring farm was a guest at the dinner table, sitting next to her. It didn't take her long to figure out that her parents were trying to set her up for marriage. She ran away the next day, disguising herself as a boy to avoid unwanted attention on the road. A little over a week and three counties later she got robbed by some highway men. Angry at the meager coins in her purse, one of them grabbed up her violin, suggesting it might be worth a few coins. When [s]Sireena[/s] Siri tried to take it back, the gang jumped her. She woke up in a feather bed in the house of Mother Lily, the local midwife, who had found her on the side of the road where the gang had left her. When she asked about her violin, Mother Lily sighed, shaking her head and told her the only thing that was left by the side of the road was her, and how like a musican to worry about their instrument before themselves. She then began listing [s]Sireena[/s] Siri's injuries, starting with the broken right arm and wrist. [s]Sireena[/s] Siri spent the first week mourning her violin, but began to take an interest in Mother Lily's house with all the drying herbs, the massive medicine chest, her curious brewing apparatus, and her visitors. Noticing her interest, Mother Lily began sharing some of her work, the making of medicines. And then the highwaymen who'd robbed [s]Sireena[/s] Siri made the mistake of trying to burgle Mother Lily's house. When it was over, Mother Lily guided a stunned [s]Sireena[/s] Siri to a wagon in the barn, hitched up her horse, then turned her attention to the cottage - which rapidly shrank until it was the size of a child's toy, which the then picked up and placed into a chest filled with straw. A toy-sized barn was careful place beside it, and more straw packed around them before closing the chest. Bare dirt showed where each had stood. And so began her apprenticeship. It wasn't easy, she thought she would never light the candle with anything other than a taper from the fire. Until she heard a whisper.... The unseen voice named itself Lord Jester, and it seemed to toy with her, needling when she demanded answers, not veiled hints and strange exercises, but somehow Lord Jester's riddles and Mother Lily's teachings came together. And then a rider appeared at their door. "Open the door, [s]Sireena[/s] Siri," Mother Lily sighed. "It's time." GOOD EVENING, the hooded figure seem to say, standing in the doorway. It glanced curious at [s]Sireena[/s] Siri, leaning close. DO YOU SEE ME, CHILD? "Y...yes, milord." MANY TIMES I HAVE STOOD HERE, BUT NOW IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE SEEN ME, Death sighed, straightening. WE WILL MEET AGAIN, AND NOT JUST AT THE END. Death took a step towards Mother Lily, then paused to stare at the crystal ball in the bookcase. AND ONE DAY, I WILL COME FOR YOU AS WELL. [/hider] [b]Personality:[/b] Warm and caring, it is concerning when she suddenly starts laughing out of the blue. Sometimes she seems very distracted, as if she's listening to people who are not there. Or talking to her cat as if it was a person. Knowing some of the things she collects in the woods and fields, one wonders if she might be sampling her own wares...? Still, she's a good doctor, loves to play the violin and collects miniatures. [b]Motivation:[/b] Traveling in the caravan would be one way to avoid the angry mobs looking for someone to blame for when their crops fail and their cow dies, but her patronus Lord Jester has commanded it. Not that she minds too much, it's been an interesting trip, so far. [b]Skills, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Tools:[/b] Animal Handling - Has a way with animals, but not with her cat.... Cooking - a master of the kitchen Fortune-telling - It's almost as if she has a direct line with Fate. Herbology - knows many uses of many plants, always eager to examine new plants Hermetic Magic - still a journeyman in the study of the Laws of Sacrifice Medicine - a master at tending to illness and injury, can perform minor surgery. Potion-making - A journeyman in the creation of potions, odd explosions still happen sometimes. Singing - Fair singer, knows a lot of songs. Sympathetic Magic - still a journeyman in the study of the Laws of Sympathy. Violin - Very good musician with the violin. °Strengths - Clever - Dedicated - Caring °Weakness - Makes a lot of assumptions - Fondness for alcohol and sweets - Sense of duty - quirky sense of humor °Tools - Patronus Lord Jester - Dia, when she chooses to help. - Living wagon, home/workspace/surgery - Her team of horses...? Best to avoid when their eyes turn red. [b]What They Most Want:[/b] Knowledge and new horizons [b]If They Had a DnD Alignment, It Would Be:[/b] Neutral Good [b]Three Likes:[/b] - Books - Music - Alcohol [b]Three Dislikes:[/b] - Tobacco smoke - Needless violence - Child abusers [b]Do They Follow Their Heart or Their Mind?:[/b] Their heart. [b]Worst Fear:[/b] To be trapped [b]Favorite Color:[/b] Red [b]Most Like The Animal:[/b] A Swallow [b]Favorite Time of Day:[/b] Sunset [b]How They Dress:[/b] - Wide brim hat, either black or white - Red dress - Black bodice - White apron - Knee-high black boots - Colorful... sweaters and scarfs when it gets cold - A red hooded cloak - Plague mask - Leather satchel that holds various items and her journal [b]Favorite Season:[/b] Spring, the renewal of the world [b]What Gods/Spirits/Whatevers They Worship (If Any):[/b] Lord Jester [/hider] The Cat [Hider=Dia, Half-Demon] [center][h2][s]Lanpendia[/s] Dia[/h2] [sub][i]"As per our contract, your name now [b]belongs[/b] to me," the Fallen smiled, satisified. "You are now 'Dia'."[/i][/sub][/center] [b]Race, Age, Time in the Caravan:[/b] Half-demon, 17, 1 year [b]Appearance:[/b] - A black cat with green eyes. - A black cat with green eyes and large bat wings. -This girl makes you think of a dashing jaguar. She has green slitted eyes that are like two spheres of jade. Her thick, straight, black hair is worn in a simple style. She is short and has an athletic build. Her skin is black. She has small feet. Her wardrobe is uncomplicated. [b]History:[/b] -Born in the Shadow realm, she quickly realized that her mother treated her different from her other siblings, a sort of cold resentment. It finally drove her from nest, only to be abused by both stronger demons and slumming Celestials as she tried to make a living for herself. There wasn't much to remember. Caught one day outside of her lair by a group of lower celestials eager to prove themselves, they took turns punching and abusing her until Jester appeared towering over them in his Wolf form and drove them off. For the first time in her life, Dia felt... safe. It didn't take her much to agree to sign away her name and become one of Lord Jester's most loyal minions, eager to please him. [b]Personality:[/b] -Anger bubbles away below the surface, appearing as a sort of bitter resentment one can hear in her voice and in her mannerisms. She does not engage in 'play' - pleasure makes you drop your guard, makes you vulnerable, open to attack. Is it paranoia when you know the world is really out to get you? [b]Motivation:[/b] -To serve Lord Jester with all her being, fearing if she fails, he might cast her out. [b]Skills, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Tools:[/b] - Melee-fighting - Shape-shifting - Stealth - Hermatic Magic °Strength - An internal reservoir of magical power - A trust in Lord Jester - Able to speak in any form, although the smaller the form, the deeper the voice. - Her non-demon half allows her to cross over to the Material World without need of preparation or possession. °Weakness - A sense of duty, of responsibility - A lack of social skills [Hider=Optional: Extra Details] [b]What They Most Want:[/b] - Safety [b]If They Had a DnD Alignment, It Would Be:[/b] Lawful neutral [b]Three Likes:[/b] - Lord Jasper's attention - warmth - a full belly [b]Three Dislikes:[/b] - being touched by others - those who abuse others - Celestials [b]Do They Follow Their Heart or Their Mind?:[/b] -The heart cannot be trusted. [b]Worst Fear:[/b] -To be abandoned and alone [b]Favorite Color:[/b] -Black [b]Most Like The Animal:[/b] -Black Jaguar [b]Favorite Time of Day:[/b] - The night [b]How They Dress:[/b] - In human form, they may appear wearing a loose peasant's blouse and breeches. [b]Favorite Season:[/b] Summer [b]What Gods/Spirits/Whatevers They Worship (If Any):[/b] -Lord Jester [/hider][/hider] These next two are just NPCs that Siri and Dia interact with. They have no power in the campaign against the caravan or its people. Jester can't cross over to this world unless a place has been prepared for him, and nobody except a few can see Death. Also, Jester is offering their grand unified theory on magic and Shadow Realm relations. The Patronus (NPC) [hider=Lord Jester (NPC)] [center][h2][b]Lord Jester[/b][/h2] [h3][b]NPC Patronus[/b][/h3] [sub]Although, to be honest, I [i]do[/i] miss the old names....[/sub][/center] [b]Race, Age, Time in the Caravan:[/b] -Fallen Lord, At the beginning, Never. [i][b]Fallen[/b] - a being from the Celestrial realm who's been drained of magic and descended into the Shadow Realm[/i] [i][b]Fallen Lord[/b] - a Fallen who's managed to regain a significant measure of magic. What makes them dangerous is [u]how[/u] they've managed this...[/i] [b]Appearance:[/b] -This guy puts you in mind of a witty comedian. He has deep-set violet eyes that are like two windows on the evening sky. His luxurious, straight, salt and pepper hair is medium-length and is worn in an utilitarian, severe style. He is tall and has a wiry build. His skin is cream-colored. He has a large nose and wide feet. His wardrobe is complicated, with a lot of green and black. -The Wolf, black and gray fur with cream highlights, as tall as a two-story building. His howl can bring wolves from miles around. [b]History:[/b] -We were there in the beginning, my brothers and sisters. Well, not before She, no one was there before She, not even Death. We had charge of a small corner of the world, my brothers and sisters, and we guided those who lived in our lands, leading them out of savagery. Oh, the stories I could tell you of those days... -But then They came. They wanted our part of it, our lands, our people. We were driven out of our place in the world and so we fell. -Now, our names are forgotten, our temples destroyed, our people who would not submit wiped out as heritics and heathens, and with them our power gone from this world. Many of my brothers and sisters are now but dust and dim memories, their names only whispered by the wind. -But then They too, in their time, were driven out. [b]Personality:[/b] - Teacher - Mischevious - Curiousity [b]Motivation:[/b] -With all the time that has passed, they now have only the merest toe-hold in the Material world and are eager to see what the child races have done since they fell. [b]Skills, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Tools:[/b] - Hunting - Knowledge of the world from before their fall - Medicine - how to treat injuries and illness - Hermetic Magic - The Laws of Sacrifice - Sympathetic Magic - The Laws of Sympathy - Teaching - the ability to inform and bring about inquiry °Strengths - Access to a reserve of power they've accumilated in the Shadow Realm after many years. - Limited ability to portal beings between the Material world and the Shadow Realm. - Shape-shifting °Weaknesses - They cannot set foot in the Material world unless a place is prepared for them. - They can only experience what is happening in the Material world through their projection and through anchors such as crystal balls (stare into the void and see who blinks first) or their minions. - Cut off from the Celestial Realm, they have only the fraction of the power they once had. °Tools - Their minions, through which they can spread their influence. - Their shadow, a projection that allows them to limitedly view and communicate with the Material world or even the Celestrial - however, takes power and is vulnerable to attack. - The creation of artifacts [hider=Magic] Rotation of the Material World causes magic to be depleted in the Shadow Realm. This, perhaps most of all, explains why the demons in the Shadow Realms hate the Material World, as it steals away their magic, keeping it low and the realm barren. However, some demons have learned how to create a reservoir within themselves and in objects to hold their magic safe, and to work with less. It's also the reason why demons can work such powerful magic in the Material World. Fortunately, demons cannot cross into the Material world unless a place is prepared for them, such as using sympathetic magic to create a conjuring circle to thus alter the area within to match the Shadow Realm, or they may possess a host - and not necessarily a living one. ([i]See [b]Succubus[/b], [b]Vampirism[/b], [b]Hermetics[/b][/i]) This stolen magic forms currents within the Material World, in what is called Ley Lines, each taking up elemental aspects of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. Those with the training can, if they are close enough, tap into these flows, although it can take time for them to gather this magic. However, there is only so much magic the Material world can hold onto, so the ley lines radiate away this power where it collects in the Celestial realm, giving the Celestials a surplus of magic that they can use easily. But ley lines may be too far for a mage to tap into. One way power may be gathered is through the study of Hermetics, also known as the Laws of Sacrifice. Many assume that sacrifice requires the death of a living being, but it can also be giving up some of the magic within all living creatures through the use of repetitious rituals like prayer or dance, directed to an altar. It's why so many gods have temples constructed, giving them a source of power they may tap into away from the Celestial realm. One must be very careful in old temples and stone circles, as sometimes the altars has been depleted and will draw away one's magic if they connect with it. Some demons have this power too. If too much of the host's magic drawn away, they become shambling hulks, unable to restore balance within themselves. Hermatics also works with the concept of equivalent exchange, of sacrificing items of equal value to what they desire. However, sometimes the value of the sum is greater than its parts, be careful in your trades. Sympathetics is another field of magical study, sometimes called the laws of Sympathy, or like calling to like through similarities and symbols like runes. The tale of spinning straw into gold represents Sympathy magic. Those trained in Runes or symbolic magic can use these to gather and direct magic. When they say "words have power", they are right. One should wary giving up their true name. [/hider] [Hider=Optional: Extra Details] [b]What They Most Want:[/b] -To return to power in the Celestial Realm and to be free to walk the Material world once more. [b]If They Had a DnD Alignment, It Would Be:[/b] -Lawful Neutral [b]Three Likes:[/b] -The Sun's warmth -New life and new lessons to learn -Clever people [b]Three Dislikes:[/b] -Pettiness -Meaningless Destruction -Those who let evil pass uncontested because it does not inconvience them [b]Do They Follow Their Heart or Their Mind?:[/b] - Their heart, but they're trying to control that. [b]Worst Fear:[/b] - To be cut off from the Material world entirely [b]Favorite Color:[/b] -The color of magic [b]Most Like The Animal:[/b] -The Wolf [b]Favorite Time of Day:[/b] -The moment that exists between days. [b]How They Dress:[/b] - [s]Polo shirt and khakis[/s] A suit of dark armor with a wolf's head on the chestplate and a wolf-skin they wear as a cloak - or the Wolf. [b]Favorite Season:[/b] -Winter, when the Material world rests. [b]What Gods/Spirits/Whatevers They Worship (If Any):[/b] -The immutable She who was there before Us and will be there past the End. [/hider][/hider] The Psycopomp (NPC) - He doesn't always show up, just when it's interesting. Or there's a party. [hider=Death (NPC)] [center][h2]Death (NPC)[/h2] [h3]The Grim Reaper, Collector of Souls[/h3][/center] [b]Race, Age, Time in the Caravan:[/b] Psychopomp, Eternal, From the Beginning [b]Appearance:[/b] A skeleton dressed in tattered black robes, carrying a scythe, with glowing eye sockets. [b]History:[/b] I CAME INTO BEING WITH THE FIRST PROTOCELL. I SHALL BE THERE WHEN THE WORLD ENDS. [b]Personality:[/b] Distatched curiousity. HE finds life to be... odd, in its quirks. [b]Motivation:[/b] DUTY [b]Skills, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Tools:[/b] - Collecting Souls - Cooking - Horse Riding - Reaping °Strengths - Walls younger than a millennia are mere insubstantial shadows. - Ignored by the living. - Comes for the souls of Gods, Kings, Heros, Mages & Witches °Weaknesses - Curiosity - Can be seen by Gods, Mages, Witches, Small children, & Cats. °Tools - Scythe [Hider=Optional: Extra Details] [b]What They Most Want:[/b] ORDER [b]If They Had a DnD Alignment, It Would Be:[/b] True Neutral. It's of no importance to Him what the living does, His job begins when their lives end. [b]Three Likes:[/b] - Cats - Fishing - Parties [b]Three Dislikes:[/b] - Those who try to cheat Him - Being called a killer, a thief, or blamed for suffering - He claims no lives, He merely claims what he is due. With Him, suffering ends. - Those who drown kittens [b]Do They Follow Their Heart or Their Mind?:[/b] MIND [b]Worst Fear:[/b] DISORDER [b]Favorite Color:[/b] BLACK [b]Most Like The Animal:[/b] A lion. [b]Favorite Time of Day:[/b] NIGHT [b]How They Dress:[/b] Tattered robes. [b]Favorite Season:[/b] Winter, a very busy time. [b]What Gods/Spirits/Whatevers They Worship (If Any):[/b] SHE [/hider] [/hider] [/quote] It was a busy day for me, work-wise, but remind me to check this one out upon the morrow.