MAIN GOAL ⫻ (What does your character hope to accomplish in life?)

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ (What is your character's outlook on life?)

SECRETS ⫻ (What is your character hiding?)

SEXUALITY ⫻ (Your character's sexual preference?)

FEARS ⫻ (What does your character fear?)

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ (Basically, where was your character during the Cataclysm? If they did not participate, write N/A)

FLAWS ⫻ (What holds your character back?)

Pretty standard affair. I'm not going to expect a super long essay here, just the basics and whatever.

TYPE ⫻ (Put Adept, Apparition, Aberration (Afflicted/Agent/Adjoined/Abscised/Abominable), Blind or One-Eyed-Open)

ABSTRACTION ⫻ (Put the name of the Abstraction here, with a one-sentence description of what the Abstraction does. If Adept, put what Lux they have, and what their channeler is.)

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ (Go in-depth with what exactly the Abstraction allows them to do. Please be as detailed as possible because if it's not in the sheet; they can't do it. If Adept, detail every individual spell.)

LIMITS ⫻ (What are the limits to their abstraction? The stronger/more complex the ability, the more limits I want. Remember Emotional-Fields will inhibit the use of certain abstractions on other Paranormal beings.)

WEAKNESSES ⫻ (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)

Anyyyything else?

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Elara has two goals in life. Her first goal is to always be comfortable enough to be able to live nicely, and to be strong enough to protect those close to her. Ever since the cataclysm she’s been one of the leaders of her coven, and she wants to make sure that this small group is protected and cared for. This extends to her personal life. She doesn't want much in terms of material wealth, but if she can create a space where she rarely wants for something the better she will feel about it.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Hard work is the key to success. Life in the mountains can be hard. You don’t get the same opportunities that those in the city get and as such you have to build your own.

SECRETS ⫻ Elara has taken one person to the grove without the coven knowing. They were bleeding, and would have died if not for the vitality magic of the grove.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Straight but a little bi-curious

FEARS ⫻ That the strange monsters that have begun to pop up in the mountains are a sign of something worse to come. The Tomes tell of an ancient evil locked away in the mountain. Although the details of this threat are vague, Elara believes that there may be truth to these legends.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Elara helped fight during the cataclysm. She used her abstraction to provide support from afar and used her teleportation to transport wounded warriors to the healing crews.

FLAWS ⫻ Elara is naive. Despite everything she truly believes there is good in everyone. As such, she has never met an attractive man she did but think she could fix. As well, she may open herself and the grove to outside threats because she may trust the wrong person.

Elara was born and raised in the mining community of Ravens Rest nestled deep in the mountains over Cloverfield. Her mother and father were both adept’s, and magic was as much apart of her life as anything else even before she kindled. She went to school, a rather small but close knit education system and her graduation class would end up being only thirty people in total. When she was walking home from a friend's house she had a chance encounter with a terrible aberration whose glamor drew her in. Once it revealed its true form, and she kindled, she tried to fight back but was outmatched at every turn. She managed to teleport away and landed at the front of her house half dead, where she was discovered by her parents. Her memory goes blank and she remembers the presence of some old dog as her eyes lost their vision.

She awoke in the grove. All her wounds were healed and she was pulled into the arms of her parents. It was here that she was told the truth of her family, and how their history was one of resistance, protection, and magic. She expressed interest in continuing that tradition and was brought into the covens ranks at the young age of twelve. She would spend the rest of her teenage years studying both the magic and the mundane, often feeling pulled one way or the other depending on the day. When she graduated she found work in the community where she could, and with the help of her parents she bought her own small cottage at twenty years old.

The next three years Elara learned all of the rituals for the grove, falling in and out of love, and expanding on her home garden. When the cataclysm hit her parents and the rest of the grove leadership knew that they had to help fight, but forbade the grove from being used to help heal. It was in the final battle that the entire leadership, and all the elders, were killed. She did not have any time to mourn during the battle as she knew she had to do what she could to help end the threat once and for all.

In the year and a half since she, and the rest of the grove, have attempted to return to some normalcy. She’s been more involved in the politics of the mountains and has been raising the alarm about the return of monsters

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Elara is a red purple adept who can shoot elemental arrows from a magic bow she generates, and also can shoot purple lux infused magic arrows to teleport.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Elara can summon a magic bow. The bow itself is a vivid white color and sparks and shifts uncontrollably, arching to the ground with streaks of elemental magic. When Elara pulls the bowstring back it creates a magical arrow of her choice. The magical arrow can do one of a few different things.

Fire Arrow:

Elara summons a fiery hot arrow that is blazing hot. Fires dance off the arrow both before it is loose and when it flies. The fire arrow is an area of attack tool that engulfs the area of impact and surrounding area in a sea of fire. The fire is magical and has no direct way of getting through a strong emotional field but prolonged exposure to it will burn the target. The fire acts like a liquid and can coat a five foot radius in this inferno.

Lightning Arrow:

If Elara's target is more well defended she can conjure an arrow of lightning. The lightning is cackling even as it’s drawn and once it impacts it shoots lightning tendrils into the target. The attack is limited to the point of impact and has no crowd control opportunities. The lightning penetrates emotional fields and contemporary armor.

Ice Arrow:

As a fight develops Elara can limit an opponent with an ice area. If the ice arrow hits a target they will become encased in ice, and find them weighed down by it. This ice is magically heavy, and will force the target to deal with it or quickly lose energy.

Water Arrow:

Sometimes you need to fight with the strength of a coursing river. When Elara fires this arrow it covers a ten foot area in a half foot of water. Obviously this may not last long, but it is enough to get an area wet and the initial impact of the arrow has the most force.

Combination Arrow:

If the need arises Elara can combine three different elemental arrows together. Fire and Water will create a smokescreen of steam, scalding those caught in it. Lightning and water will create a shocking pool that will stun those caught in it. Ice and water will create an ice rink with a magically slick surface that will cause any and all to slip and fall.

Teleportation Arrow:

Elara will often need to reposition. She can shoot a purple arrow that will transport her to wherever it lands. She can pull the arrow off the string and use it to mark a circle around her or an object to mark an area to teleport. It will teleport to wherever the arrow lands so she’ll be to ensure accuracy.

LIMITS ⫻

Elara only has one spell that will be effective against stronger apparitions. As such she’ll be to a more supportive role against these threats.

Her arrows are not magically enhanced to hit a target so she’ll need to ensure she aims well.

She’s immune to the arrows before their spells are activated, not after. As such, she must stay away from the various spells to avoid hurting herself.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ The elemental forces behind her arrows are easily countered by their opposite elements. Fire is weak to water, steam is weak to wind, and ice is weak to fire. As well, while she may be immune to the effects of the arrow while on the bow string this will not last forever. The more age uses her ability the less she’ll be able to resist the elements.

The teleportation arrow will teleport her exactly where it lands. This means that if it hits a building at a ninety degree angle she will teleport to the same spot feet on the building at a ninety degree angle. This is the same if she transports just herself, or others, so Elara will need to be accurate to ensure she’s not putting herself at risk.

Anyyyything else?

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Seren has ahead wanted to be independent of their family and this goal has carried through to where they are right now. None of the inheritance went to them, and as such they are going to need to work to establish themself and then get out of the city.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Existence is pain and it was a mistake to be born. Their whole life was dedicated to a vision of the future and they were forcibly adjoined to the apparition Cinder at a young age. As such, they have a cynical view of the world and the people within them.

SECRETS ⫻ Three years ago a massive blaze destroyed a small section of the lower district. The district blames the developers from across the river for it and it ignited a city wide protest that lasted months. In truth, it was Seren. They were lost, and scared, and it was this fear that triggered a Wave of Fire that instantly ignited the buildings. The culprit is still wanted, and a reward is offered for leads.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Queer

FEARS ⫻ That they are destined to lose control and bring Cinder to the world.

Their crime will be revealed to the world and that they will spend time behind bars.

That they’re destined to exist in a state of perpetual poverty and that they’ll never be able to live the life of their dreams.
WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Seren hid away from the fight for the most part but did participate in the fighting in the final days.

FLAWS ⫻ Seren is highly opinionated and is not afraid to speak their mind. They have also learned to weaponize their emotions. They are emotionally immature and will not make amends when they’re wrong.

Seren was born in Calabria, Italy. Her father is an Italian man who married a woman from Cloverfield, and the two decided to make sure that their kids had the same opportunities in both countries. Their early childhood was unremarkable. It was pleasant but nothing really happened until they were seven. Their mother was a member of a coven known as the Keepers of the Grove and had seen a great evil in the leaves. They also saw that their child would play a pivotal role in stopping it and as such they forced their eyes open and then adjoined them to the powerful apparition Cinder.

They do not remember much outside of the training, the pain, and the lack of friends. They were homeschooled until they gained control over the apparition. Many of the elders had to lend their magic to help the young child through this turbulent time period. They were socially stunted for a long time as a result of this but Seren worked hard and managed to make up for lost time and become one of the more popular kids at school by the time that they graduated.

After Highschool expectations were high for Seren. They were supposed to go to the prestige Clovercity University, study, and practice their skills. Instead, they decided to come out as a transmasculine individual. Immediately they were cut off by their religious family, the money that was banked away for their tuition was rescinded, and they were forced out with a court order and forced to fend for themself.

The lower district welcomed them with open arms. They quickly established themself in the local queer community, found housing, and then found a job, and then signed up for their first year at the Nimtaké Community College. They were getting ready for their second semester when the cataclysm occurred. They originally ran to the hills and hid, but once word got to them that their parents and the other elders were going to fight they joined to finally show their worth. They survived, but the leadership did not. In the aftermath, they were approached by Elara who offered them a permanent place at the Keepers of the Grove. They knew the rest of their birthright was taken from them, and that their parents wealth would only flow to their younger sibling, but they at least ensured that they would take the thing that was most important to their mother from them.

TYPE ⫻ Adjoined

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Seren is Adjoined to Cinder, an apparition who grows stronger and hotter the more souls it consumes.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Seren is Adjoined to Cinder, a primordial Apparition whose goal is to bathe the world in fire in order to allow it to be reborn anew. It does this by absorbing the life force, and soul if present. As it absorbs the stronger its own fire grows. The power is also tied to the emotions of Seren, specifically their fear. It will activate in a form of self defense if needed. The souls that are stolen with this magic are forever trapped in an eternal plane of fire. As well, if they themself take fatal damage they’ll be encased in a cocoon of fire and be reborn an hour later, draining the stored soul energy of Cinder.

Smolder:

The most basic ability, Smolder is a living beam of fire that can snake across an area. Currently if this beam hits a target it will be hot enough to cause burns within a few seconds of exposure. As well, it will sap away at the energy of the target.

Cinder:

Seren will often unintentionally cause their surrounding area to catch fire or nearly catch fire if threatened, or if they’re afraid. They can activate this ability at will. It covers a wide area and at the current stage it will simply feel like Seren made the setting extremely hot. If someone were to catch fire it will consume the soul of those it kills like their other spells.

Fire Lance:

Seren can point a single finger out, and often does so with a finger gun, and shoot a single intense streak of fire. The fire will burn but it’s a more directed and concentrated attack on the life force and soul of a target. On impact, red lines will spread across the body of the target. These streaks will last three seconds and will drain the energy rapidly during its duration.

Fire Wall:

If the need arises Seren can bathe every object in a one hundred foot radius. This spell requires Seren to charge up, and during it objects will progressively get hotter until they reach their combustion point. As Cinder grows in strength so too will the radius. Eventually, if a critical mass of souls are stored, Cinder could even cover the entire planet with this spell. After the fires burn, life will begin to sprout from the smoldering ash. A building that is ignited will soon begin to grow all forms of new plant life.

LIMITS ⫻

Cinder’s strength is tied to the stored souls. As Seren has refused to fuel the fire they’ll forever be limited.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Cinder needs a reserve of energy to function properly and thus, Seren will need to drain the life force or soul of plants, animals, or people to function. As well, the process of collect this energy is addictive. Seren will eventually want to start consuming energy in this fashion and will become a liability.

Cinder will also push for Seren to do this every day. It will cry, complain, and bemoan for hours at a time until Seren relents and takes some life force. The more she relents the stronger Cinder grows, and the stronger Cinder grows the more control they will have.

Anyyyything else?

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Gideon has a dream to see the Lower District thriving in a way that maintains its culture and differences from the North Side. While he is not as wealthy as other powers at play, e still puts his money where his mouth is and is constantly investing into new projects. Most recently he has bought hundreds of generators to help the people of his town keep the lights on during the blackouts.

As well, everyone who works for him is considered a part of his extended family. He genuinely wants to do well by then at every opportunity. He often mentors those in search of it, pays better than any other criminal outfit, and ensures that everyone is financially accounted for. Gideon knows that a happy, healthy crew is an easy way to ensure longevity so he goes to great lengths to ensure that he always delivers.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Success is a ladder and some people start at the top. In order to be the most successful person you need to always be willing to pull those above you down.

SECRETS ⫻ His company was not destroyed by the cataclysm. He arranged for it to be destroyed during the battle to bury the secrets of the crimes that were committed and the ties he’s always had since he founded his business.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Straight

FEARS ⫻ Having the skeletons in his closet being revealed. The cataclysm did much to distract the authorities, but it’s only a matter of time before the spotlight is back on him.

He fear’s that he will fall in his bid to protect his city.

That the crime that he organizes and sits at the center of will eventually spiral out of control and do untold damage to the city.

His biggest fear is that his family will be caught in the crossfire or be used against him.

Everyone in his organization is like a second family to him. As such he fears that they’ll be hurt or killed.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ He was an active fighter in the Lower Districts.

FLAWS ⫻ Gideon is vain, opinionated, and has a cruel streak. He is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his town but is often willing to go too far. He is also cursed with a short temper and a fury unmatched. This is especially evident if someone hurts someone in his crew or close to him. While he does invest a lot of his money into saving the town he still could be doing more without hurting, and this financial reluctance is a sign of a greater problem with his selfish self.

Gideon was born and raised within the Lower District. His early years were nice and simple, if a little poor. He found work at a factory right out of school and worked there until he turned twenty five. The Lower District had a way of claiming even the most pure of souls. One night on his way home he was arrested for a crime he did not commit, was held in jail, and was put on trial for it. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail. Gideon made many friends in his time in jail, none more so than Jack Nickolas.

Jack was a bar owner, and ran a small drug operation out of the bar. He was locked up on other charges and the two connected over their shared hatred of the North Side. The two became fast friends and when he got out he joined Jack at the Hollow.

It was here he met his future wife Sarah. Like him she was from the lower district and wanted more out of life. And like him she was more than comfortable taking shortcuts to get there faster. Within a year the two were married. Over the next five years Gideons first four children were born, forcing his time and attention to matters at home.

After five years his relationship with Jack began to sour. Gideon was a de facto leader of the Hollow at this point and everyone in the organization looked up to him in some fashion. A heated exchange turned violent and Gideon killed Jack. He pinned the blame on another local gang and led the Hollow on a bloody rampage. After the dust settled he was confirmed as the new leader of the hollow, and has kept expanding it ever since. He quickly got the local police force, PRA, and federal agents on his payroll. Unlike the other gangs and criminal elements he was not afraid to let magic lead the way, and this gave him an advantage in war.

Even as he began to grow wealthy through the various rackets he ran he never forgot his roots. Over the twenty years since took control he has consistently put money back into the community. Whether that was paying for the renovations for the community center, establishing a scholarship fund, or volunteering to give the unhoused population a warm meal and gifts during the holiday season. As his legend grew so too did his voice, and as his voice began to bellow more and more eyes started to fall on his business dealings.

A year before the cataclysm a new police commissioner began to crack down on corruption. This probe eventually began to point back towards Gideon. He knew that he would be caught eventually but was pleasantly surprised when the cataclysm gave him an opportunity to clear the field of these new obstacles. The police commissioner was killed during the chaos, the evidence was destroyed when the police station exploded, and all the eyes that watched for his fall shifted elsewhere

In the year and a half since Gideon has expanded his empire even further, establishing a strange criminal government out of the various factions of the lower district. And now he finally sets his eyes on the North District.

TYPE ⫻ Adept - Brass knuckle as his channeler

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Gideon is an green-red lux adept who has enhanced strength, speed, and durability from the green lux and the ability to supercharge his strikes and movement with electricity from the red.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Gideon’s life has been one fight after the next. Ever since he kindled he’s had an advantage over those he fights. Gideon is able to use his magic to enhance his fighting capabilities, and he’s used this to great effect in his expansion into the criminal underworld.

HIT THEM HARD ⫻ Gideon is a strong fighter by nature. He knows that you don’t have to be flashy, you just have to hit someone harder than you get hit back. As such, when he places his brass knuckles on his hand he can channel his green lux to boost his raw strength to a level just above peak human. He can lift hundreds of pounds, throw punches that will break bone with ease. His speed is also enhanced and he’ll unleash a flurry of blows before a typical person can react. He can run as fast as the fastest sprinter and can jump further as well.

SHOCK THEM BY YOUR FEROCITY ⫻ Gideon can further enhance his abilities by activating this ability. This further enhances his speed, strength, and durability. As well, lightning magic will arc off his fist, feet, and body in general. This lightning is potent, with the ability to bypass an emotional field as long as he makes contact with a strong enough punch. This ability is draining, and he’ll often engrave it if a threat is serious enough, and will engage and disengage the ability if the opposition allows him.

LIMITS ⫻

In order to use his pink lux he must make contact with a target. As well, he only gets a glimpse at the very next action they are doing. It’s not a future sense, it’s just a real time peak behind the scenes.

He’s not able to maintain the strength, speed, and durability for more than five minutes at a time.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Gideon will feel a magical weakness fall over him after the magic subsides. He’ll be weaker, slower, and more frail than normal. The duration of this affliction depends on how long he keeps the magic active. If he goes to the full five minutes he’ll be in an incredibly vulnerable position that enemies can easily exploit. As such, he must be sure that he picks the right time to use this ability. As well, if he hits a particularly strong emotional field his pink lux will open a two way connection. While he’ll be able to get his peak behind the curtain his opponent will be able to do so as well.

Gideon is a collector of muscle cats.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Freya wants to become successful with her career. Her bakery has a focus on French, Chinese, and fusion pastries. She is known as one of the better bakeries on Main, and her close proximity to the Metropark means that she is always busy.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Hard work, at least the illusion of it, will lead to the life one yearns for. The only thing holding one back is their own lack of desire to do better.

SECRETS ⫻ Her bakery, the schooling she got, and the apartment that is featured in every TikTok video was paid for by her father, Wei Wang, an extremely successful real estate developer. Wei Wang is a polarizing figure who has big plans for a revitalized Lower District, one that will inevitably force out most of not all of the poorest individuals there. As such, she has adopted the babe Freya Collins to distance herself from it. She knows if this is revealed to her massive internet following all her comments, and posts, about the Lower District will be seen in a new light.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Painfully Straight.

FEARS ⫻ Actually having to pull herself up by her bootstraps. She is talented and skilled enough to stand out, but without having the cash to pay for the various forms of advertisement, without having the building, and without having the good will she’s generated would make that infinitely harder than she can take.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ She was escorted far away from the city by her fathers security team.


FLAWS ⫻ Freya is insecure. They have multiple Google alerts setup on their office to see when she is trending, or what people are saying. She gets too overjoyed at positive comments and too upset at negative ones. At this time there are seven videos of her crying on TikTok where she talks about taking a break from all social media only to return a week later because her only form of validation is found in these channels.

Freya is vain. She cares more about what others think of her than she actually cares about what makes her happy.

Li Hua Wang was born in Dalian, in the Liaoning province in China. Her father owned one of the biggest property development firms in all of China and he was hired to take the growing city's skyline to the next level. She was the top student in all her courses. There was something so nice about growing up in a city that had seen several cultures build it up. From the grand Russian architecture near the center of town, to the countless authentic Korean restaurants and shops, and to the Japanese cherry blossoms on the south end of the peninsula.

The day she moved to America was one of the saddest days in her life. Instantly everything that was once grand, personalized, and unique was replaced with the dull drab that Appalachia was. While Cloverfield itself was an exciting city and as a young kid visiting all these new places was truly fun. Yet as the seasons dragged on the more she realized that this city lacked a soul. It was bright, glamorous, modern, and big but it did not have a distinct identity that her home had. She fell into a depression in her late teens and, in a bid to help his daughter, Wei gave his daughter a few options. He had noticed that his daughter found joy in the darkness with cooking. He gave her a way out. There were many culinary schools in France. When she finished Highschool he gave her the ability to study her passions, without strings, in a city with as much soul as any in Europe. Li accepted this option and moved there at 17.

It was here that a chance encounter with a vampire and their prey kindled them. Instead of helping the victim she ran. She tried to hide away from her magic. After four whole years she finished her studies, returned home to open her own bakery, and began to go by the name Freya. Before she could do any of that the cataclysm happened and she watched the destruction from afar. Once the smoke cleared she managed to snag her building and began renovating the building. She opened her doors a year ago and has been busy ever since.

TYPE ⫻ Adept - channeler is an old wooden spoon

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Freya is a blue adept who can place curses on the food she bakes that will cause those who eat it to tell the truth, tell convincing lies, feel better or worse and even explode.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Freya channels her magic through the wooden spoon and this causes her food to adopt cursed qualities. The power of the curse depends on the emotion that is filling it. Each curse will require a specific thing to break it.
A desire to know more:

If Freya desires information, and her intent is so, the baked goods will compel the target to tell the absolute truth for five minutes. This spell, like all of her baked spells, gets around emotional fields and will begin once the baked good is finished. These spells cause the baked goods to have thin, blue lines cooked into the dish. In order to break the truth spell the target will have to want to tell the truth instead of being compelled to it.

Baked with love:

Sometimes someone needs a push in the right direction in matters of love. As such, Freya uses the quickest way to one's heart literally as this spell caused a person to fall madly in love with the first person they see. This love feels very real to the target, and they will stop at nothing to win over their new forever person. The magic also tends to make them more animated in their displays of their love. This will include standing outside of an apartment with a boombox playing some downright romantic song while procession their love with oversized signs layered on top of one another. The only thing that will break this curse, its stipulation, is true love. The kiss from their true love is enough to break the spell.

Not baked with love:

Sometimes someone needs to be punished. If. Freya infuses her magic goods with angry emotions she can cause one of two reactions. One, the target will become extremely bloated and their body will run cold with one so severe that not even the hot scaling water straight from the shower can touch it. In order to break this curse the target will simply need to find some tums. However if the food was infused with so much hatred there is very little that can stop it which will eventually cause the target to explode outward from the stomach.

LIMITS ⫻ The target must eat the full baked good for the curse to activate. As such, if the taste is spoiled at all by the magic it will likely lead to the target not finishing the food and thus the curse will not take effect.

She also does not have control of the basic once it’s baked into the good. Each pastry will be a proverbial grenade ready to go off. Thus, if she makes a cursed cake she must ensure it is disposed of properly.

Each pastry will have magic lines baked into it, with different colors will denote the curse. The love potion spell will have pink lines, the truth white, and the explosive one red. Thus, an eagle eye viewer can see which pastries are cursed and which ones are not.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ The curse magic is always being infused into her baked goods. Normally she does not put anything specific into the curse as she’s unaware she is doing it but if she’s positively angry while baking she can inadvertently curse her patron’s to an explosive death.

Freya has a secret alternative TikTok where she has been known to post a thirst trap or two.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ To protect the Grove from any future threats, and to ensure her family survives and thrives. Bryn’s first goal is to follow in her mother’s footsteps and do what she was raised to do - lead the Grove, and ensure it’s hidden and protected. Her second is to make sure her younger siblings have a good life, whatever that may be. As for living for herself? She doesn’t have time for that.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Bryn believes in community and hard work. She believes that you’ll get nowhere without doing anything, but also that you should help the people that helped you. It takes a village, but you need to be an active participant in that village.

SECRETS ⫻ That sometimes she feels like she’s drowning, and considers giving it all up. It goes against everything she stands for and how she sees herself.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Demisexual Lesbian. Bryn is only attracted to other women, or more feminine nonbinary people, but she needs to have an emotional connection there to feel any sexual attraction.

FEARS ⫻ That she won’t be able to protect those she cares about, and the Grove. That the threats will become something they can’t handle. That her family and close community will all die, and she’ll be the only one left.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Bryn aided the Grove in the fight, though she was primarily primarily placed on home defence duty - ensuring no one got in during the Cataclysm. At the end of it, Bryn was the one who oversaw the funerals and cremation of the many they lost.

FLAWS ⫻ Bryn has very little tolerance for incompetence. She had to grow up quickly at a young age, and as a result she can have quite a harsh view of people who aren’t as prepared for what life throws at them as she is. While Bryn believes in helping others, she doesn’t trust easily outside of the community she was raised in. She’s stubborn to a fault, and can be difficult to reason with when she’s decided something is right. Along with this she will stick by and protect those she cares for to the point she’ll overstrain or hurt herself. She would put everything on the line for her family and community - especially herself.

Bryn was born to two strong Adepts in the mining community of Raven’s Rest, as the oldest of four. From a young age she knew about magic, and about the responsibilities her parents had - protecting the Grove with their lives. One eyed open from a young age, Bryn was taught the traditions long before she became a member of the coven herself. But Grove protection wasn’t something that brought in money for the family. So Bryn’s green adept father worked in the mines, while her green-red adept mother primarily took on the Grove duties - as one of the Elders.

They got by, and in a tight knit community, they didn’t want for much. Shelter, clothes, food - what more could they want? Then when Bryn was only fourteen, her father was killed in a tragic mining accident. A mineshaft collapsed, killing ten of the miners. The small tight knit community mourned, and pulled together to support the bereaved. But the community of Raven’s Rest was poor, and it required everyone to pull their weight.

For the Woods, there was no income, and Bryn had three younger siblings to feed. Her mother beside herself with grief, Bryn was forced to step up and take her place.

So Bryn stepped up. They started working in the mines where they could - mainly on the surface, learning to operate machinery and bringing food for the other miners. At first it was in exchange for food, but eventually she got the skills she needed to properly work in the mines. It became most of her life.

Just a year later, Bryn’s first sibling kindled at twelve. Then, the next. Bryn herself still hadn’t kindled. Not when her father died, not in her close brushes with death. While her siblings were inducted into the Grove she was still an outsider, even though she’d been trained to take her mother’s place in the future. By the age of eighteen, Bryn knew she wasn’t going to kindle.

So with the help of her mother and other elders she courted an Apparition. Cineres - an apparition born of a deadly fire that destroyed a village many miles east of Raven’s Rest about ten years back. The relatively young Apparition, which took the form of an ashy girl with eyes of fire, was formed from a combination of the fear and destruction, and the children destroyed within it. It had stayed there since… and was willing to Adjoin with Bryn. At first, she was relatively weak. But together, they grew stronger.

Finally, Bryn formally joined the Grove. Her life was split between her work in the mines, her Grove duties, and helping raise her younger siblings. It was difficult, but she was able to get through thanks to all the close bonds she had within the community.

Then the Cataclysm struck. Bryn was told to protect the Grove no matter what by her mother and the other leaders, before they went to participate. Her mother perished - as did all of the leaders and elders. It was Bryn who took over the funeral and cremation ceremonies that were once done by the Elders, and she once again stepped up to help Elara lead the Grove.

Since, Bryn has been doing best to juggle her duties - between mine working, being a Grove Leader, and her grief struck younger siblings.

TYPE ⫻ Adjoined

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Death Ashes, Bryn is adjoined to Cineres, who gives her the ability to turn bone to ash and control those ashes.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻



LIMITS ⫻


WEAKNESSES ⫻

Nothing

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Princess' primary objective is to break free from the suffocating grip of Nyrah's control. This force has dictated her actions and caused immeasurable destruction in her wake. Deeply aware of the chaos and heartbreak she inadvertently inflicted on Cloverfield during her time as Nyrah's vessel, she is driven by a profound and desperate need for atonement. This desire for redemption fuels her determination to reclaim her life, restore her sense of self, and reconnect with her estranged family and community. Princess envisions a future where she can step out from the shadows of her past mistakes, embracing the simple joys of everyday life, one filled with genuine relationships and the mundane activities that were once taken for granted. She understands that to achieve her goal; she must confront the remnants of her past and her fears and insecurities, ultimately seeking the courage to face Nyrah and the darkness that once consumed her. Through this path of healing and reconciliation, Princess aims to redefine her identity, emerging not as a mere shadow of her former self but as a beacon of hope for those who suffered alongside her.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Princess holds a profound belief that true strength lies not in wielding power but in the courage to acknowledge one’s mistakes and take responsibility for the consequences of those actions. Having served as Nyrah’s vessel, she is acutely aware of the pain and destruction she caused to her community and family, shaping her philosophy as she seeks redemption. To Esméralda, protecting others is fundamental to her newfound purpose; every act of kindness, bravery, and support is a step toward atoning for her past. She actively seeks opportunities to help those in need—whether guiding lost souls away from danger, restoring what was broken, or providing comfort to those suffering from the scars left by Nyrah’s rampage. Princess understands that her journey involves grand gestures and the small, everyday choices that reflect her growth. Embodying the protective spirit she once cherished, she aims to rebuild her lost trust and honor her sisters' memories. Ultimately, her philosophy becomes a driving force behind her actions, inspiring those around her to embrace their paths of growth and responsibility, creating a ripple effect of healing in the community she longs to serve.

SECRETS ⫻ None of note. While she carries deep guilt and regret, she is open about her past and her ongoing struggles with Nyrah’s influence, hoping that honesty will help her heal.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Princess never had the chance to explore her sexuality, a void in her life made more profound by the chaos of her transformation into Nyrah's vessel and her focus on familial responsibilities. This inexperience adds to her longing and loss as she navigates her path to redemption. Attracted to both genders - anyone who offers comfort and understanding — Princess yearns for genuine connections amid her isolation. Her vulnerability draws her to those who show empathy, fueling her desire for companionship.

FEARS ⫻ Princess grapples with profound fears that shape her every action and thought. Chief among them is the dread of losing control again; she is haunted by the terrifying possibility that if she allows her defenses to weaken, Nyrah could resurface, unleashing chaos and destruction once more. This fear keeps her in constant vigilance, preventing her from fully engaging with the world around her and pushing away those who might offer comfort or companionship. Compounding this anxiety is the guilt that gnaws at her conscience regarding her sisters' deaths. The mere thought of encountering their Apparitions fills her with dread, as she believes they would hold her accountable for the devastation she wrought while possessed by Nyrah. This fear of judgment further isolates her, intensifying her longing for forgiveness that seems perpetually out of reach. Adding to her torment is the terror of abandonment; the idea of being alone or unsupported frightens her, as the unbreakable bond she shared with her family was the foundation of her existence before the Cataclysm.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ During the Cataclysm, Princess was not just a witness or bystander to the destruction; she was the catalyst for it, a tragic irony that still haunts her. Under Nyrah’s control, her body became a vessel of chaos and despair, tearing through the peaceful realm of Cloverfield and leaving devastation in her wake. Though her consciousness remained trapped within, she could only watch in horror as she turned into an instrument of terror. The echoes of destruction reverberated through her mind as she saw her beloved sisters fall, their spirits extinguished one by one, and the Fourleaf Coven, the very family she had cherished, crumbled to dust. Each act of violence and chaos, each moment of despair that unfolded, carved deep wounds of guilt into her soul. This helplessness, coupled with the realization that she was both the weapon and the victim, leaves her trapped in a cycle of remorse, forever haunted by the specters of her past and the irreversible consequences of her actions.

FLAWS ⫻ Princess's impulsiveness manifests as a driving force in her quest for redemption, often pushing her to make rash decisions that can jeopardize her safety and the well-being of others. This tendency is fueled by a deep-seated need to prove herself, but it frequently leads her into precarious situations where her impulsive choices create more chaos than resolution. Coupled with her impulsiveness is a profound self-doubt that shadows her every step. Princess constantly questions her worth, fearing that she will never be able to escape Nyrah's control, which undermines her confidence and leaves her vulnerable to despair. Additionally, her overprotectiveness can border on obsession, driven by the guilt of her past actions. She often feels an overwhelming need to shield those around her from potential harm, even if it means sacrificing her well-being or alienating those she loves. This desire to protect can sometimes manifest as a refusal to allow others to take risks or make their own decisions, reflecting her fear of losing control and causing more devastation. Princess tends to withdraw from others out of fear that her presence might bring danger or misfortune, leading to loneliness and lacking support when she needs it most. This isolation only deepens her self-doubt and feelings of guilt. She often gets lost in her thoughts, replaying past events and decisions, which can paralyze her in the present. This overthinking makes it difficult for her to act decisively, causing her to miss opportunities for growth and connection.

Princess Esméralda Nadine grew up in Cloverfield’s South Bank long before the Cataclysm ravaged her home. As the youngest of four sisters, she was doted on and quietly determined to prove herself. Her family — her father, a hardworking steelworker, and her mother, a nurse — worked long hours to provide for their girls, and the bond between the sisters was strong, a constant source of stability in their lives—her three older sisters. Janelle, Ari, and Tasha had distinct personalities that shaped Princess’s upbringing. The eldest, Janelle, was the nurturing one, always tending to her younger siblings with a gentle hand. She often read stories to Princess, filling her imagination with fantastical worlds far beyond the South Bank. Ari, the bold middle sister, was always challenging authority, especially their parents, and pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable. She was fiercely independent and a natural protector, taking risks to ensure her sisters were safe. Tasha, closest in age to Princess, was the quiet observer, absorbing everything with a wise, watchful demeanor. She didn’t speak often, but when she did, her words carried weight, and Princess looked up to her calm, reflective nature.

Though Princess was the youngest, she was determined not to be overshadowed by her sisters. She admired their strengths and often felt she needed to find her place within the family. Yet, something inside her always felt like she didn’t quite fit the mold they had set. She was impulsive, headstrong, and sometimes too eager to prove her worth, leading her into situations her sisters would have avoided. Despite this, she loved them deeply, and they, in turn, were fiercely protective of their youngest sibling. One evening, shortly after Princess's sixteenth birthday, their grandmother. a woman with a presence that always felt larger than life. came to visit. Unlike the typical warm and lighthearted reunions, this visit carried a sense of solemnity. As the sisters gathered around, their grandmother pulled Princess aside, her expression unusually serious. She pulled out a curious object from her worn pouch: an emerald forming the shape of a four-leaf clover.

Princess’s grandmother held the Cloverstone, its emerald surface gleaming with golden veins. The stone pulsed gently in her hands, symbolizing their family’s strength and history. No larger than Princess’s palm, this gem held the power to make its wielder faster, stronger, and nearly invulnerable. Princess felt its energy surge, promising immense potential as she took it. Intrigued but confused, Princess took the stone, feeling its strange weight in her hand. She didn’t understand what her grandmother meant about it changing her, but as the nights passed, she began to notice things. She felt more robust, faster—more alive, as though the world around her had slowed down just enough for her to stay ahead. Her body seemed to harden as if she was becoming unbreakable, and one night, while standing atop the highest building in the South Bank, she discovered that she could fly.

At first, the Cloverstone made her feel invincible, and the power coursing through her veins filled her with an intoxicating sense of freedom. But it also made her reckless and impulsive. She began taking unnecessary risks, rushing into danger without thinking. Her sisters, especially Janelle and Ari, grew concerned. They could see the changes in her, how the power had made her reckless, more prone to acting without considering the consequences.
Meanwhile, Janelle and Tasha, feeling the weight of the magical scene in Cloverfield, began discussing the idea of forming a coven. They envisioned creating a group dedicated to protecting their community, independent of legacy or tradition, but by loyalty and a shared determination to defend their home. It was about using the power they had, both magical and mundane, to stand against the forces threatening Cloverfield.

The Fourleaf Coven quickly expanded beyond its original trio, attracting like-minded teenagers from the South Bank who wielded magic and shared their vision. Together, they embarked on various adventures, from restoring a vandalized playground to confronting a gang using magic to intimidate local businesses. Princess often pushed for riskier missions to prove herself among her sisters and friends. Her recklessness, however, led to dangerous situations that tested the coven's limits. Determined to prove her worth, she convinced the coven to pursue a rare artifact that could amplify their magical abilities. Princess ignored her sisters’ cautious advice but led the charge without a plan. Her reckless approach nearly cost them their lives when they faced a powerful entity guarding the artifact. It took the quick thinking of her sisters and friends to escape the disaster.

As Princess stood on the precipice of her ambitions, the Cloverstone pulsed with energy in her pocket, echoing the desperate need to prove herself. Nyrah the Ravager watched in the shadows; the allure of power was irresistible, whispering promises of greatness that Princess had longed for her entire life. Nyrah knew the pain of loss and desperation; she could sense Princess's longing for validation, her urge to rise above the shadows cast by her sisters. When the time was right, Nyrah approached, appearing as a vision cloaked in the semblance of what once was.

"Princess," she whispered, "I can grant you the power to protect your family and your home."

Captivated by the dragon’s promise, Princess felt a magnetic pull toward Nyrah’s energy. This could be the breakthrough she’d sought, the catalyst to elevate her above her sisters. But Nyrah's nature was not one of benevolence; it was a hunger that twisted and corrupted all it touched. Yet, at that moment, Princess was blinded by ambition and eagerness and was willing to accept the risk. With a reckless heart, she opened herself to Nyrah’s essence, thinking she could harness and control it. She was instantly consumed by the dark tides of Nyrah’s chaotic power, her mind shrouded in a fog of fury and bloodlust. Now a vessel for Nyrah, Princess's consciousness became a prisoner within her own body, a mere observer of the destruction that unfolded. The transformation twisted her appearance, merging her with Nyrah's grotesque features. As Princess relinquished control, she felt the thrill of power over her, intoxicating and brutal.

Nyrah, now entirely in control of Princess, unleashed her corrosive magic upon the Four Leaf Coven in an explosive power surge. The once-thriving sanctuary crumbled as Princess's sisters, Janelle, Ari, and Tasha, stood helpless against the onslaught. One by one, the coven members fell, including all three Princess' sisters, their vibrant spirits extinguished. At that moment, Princess’ identity was lost forever, consumed by Nyrah’s insatiable thirst for destruction and the weight of her own family’s blood on her hands. Then Nyrah turned her attention towards the rest of Cloverfield...

From the heart of Cloverfield, they surged through the streets, leaving devastation in their wake. Entire neighborhoods crumbled as Nyrah unleashed torrents of corrosive acid, reducing structures to ruin and leaving nothing but toxic wastelands behind. Buildings collapsed like dominoes, and the ground shook beneath them. Those who survived fled in terror, their homes reduced to memories. The destruction was catastrophic, leaving behind a scarred landscape that would haunt the remaining inhabitants forever. Princess could see everything; she was acutely aware of the lives lost and the cries of terror that echoed in her ears, but she was powerless to stop it. The guilt clawed at her, a visceral reminder of the person she once was - a protector, a sister, a daughter.

As Nyrah's rampage devastated Cloverfield, a coalition from across Dazzle came together to confront her chaos—adepts, Aberrations, and Apparitions, once divided, united against the twisted amalgamation of Princess and Nyrah. The final battle erupted in the city's ruins, where spells collided with Nyrah's corrosive attacks. The coalition fought fiercely, forming barriers to shield themselves from the acid rain while launching coordinated assaults. A powerful Adept managed to stun Nyrah momentarily, allowing the alliance to strike back with a spell harnessing their combined Lux.

As Nyrah unleashed a desperate final attack, a group of Adepts initiated a sealing ritual. With a colossal sigil of light, they bound Nyrah's essence. The dragon roared in defiance, but it was too late. She was sealed within Princess, her chaotic power in the vessel that once symbolized hope. In the battle's aftermath, Princess was trapped in a living nightmare. Nyrah’s essence, now a dark presence within her, echoed with the memories of destruction and bloodshed. Though she had been a vessel for chaos, Princess was haunted by the faces of those she had killed—her sisters and the members of the Four Leaf Coven.

Every moment was a struggle between the remnants of her former self and Nyrah's insatiable hunger. Princess fought desperately to cling to some semblance of normalcy, desperately seeking solace in the memories of her life before the devastation. She longed to reconnect with her surviving family and friends, but the haunting guilt gnawed at her, reminding her of the terror she had unleashed upon Cloverfield. Every time she looked in the mirror, she saw not just her reflection but the grotesque visage of Nyrah, a reminder of her guilt and madness. The world around her bore the scars of her actions, the toxic wastelands a testament to her betrayal.

Princess tried to reclaim her life, got a life, and sought forgiveness from those who had lost so much. Yet the specter of Nyrah loomed ever-present, always waiting for an opportunity to break free. The once bright light of her spirit flickered under the weight of her guilt and the chaos within her. Each day became a battle against the demons of her past. Would she ever find peace? Would she be able to atone for the destruction she had wrought due to her impulsiveness?

TYPE ⫻ Aberration (Adjoined).

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Primal Devastation, the chaotic embodiment of Nyrah's influence, allows Princess to transform her body in horrific, unpredictable ways grotesquely.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Princess wields a warped version of Primal Devastation, a chaotic manifestation of Nyrah’s influence. Unlike Nyrah, who revels in sheer destruction, Princess’s Primal Devastation is unpredictable and difficult to control, resulting in grotesque transformations that reflect her connection to the dragon Apparition. One of her core abilities allows her to transform her body parts into Nyrah's monstrous features. When she activates this power, her skin can sprout thick, scaly armor, protecting against physical and magical attacks. Claws can erupt from her fingers, sharp and deadly, capable of rending flesh and armor with terrifying ease. She can also create additional snake-like limbs from her body, granting her enhanced reach and the ability to restrain enemies easily. These limbs, often sprouting from her arms, are a chaotic blend of beauty and horror; they can be smooth and twisted like a serpent or covered in jagged scales.

Princess can partially control these extra limbs in moments of focus, giving them unique characteristics. Some might sprout jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth, ready to snap at anything that comes too close, while others could develop eyes that provide them with a broader range of perception. She can even shape them into hands with elongated fingers that are agile enough to grasp and manipulate objects, or she might unleash a long, snake-like tail that can wrap around foes to immobilize them. Each limb possesses immense strength, allowing her to lift heavy objects and overpower opponents, turning her into a nightmarish force of nature.

Princess can manifest massive, skeletal wings that unfurl from her back, resembling a formidable framework of bone with sharp, blade-like edges. These wings grant her the ability to fly, allowing her to soar through the skies. However, their transformation is notoriously inconsistent; they might fail her when she needs them most, leaving her vulnerable. In moments of stress, the wings may hesitate to appear or fail to lift her high enough. Her most alarming feature is the ability to spit corrosive acid, a sickly greenish substance that can melt through armor and flesh. This acidic projectile leaves behind toxic remnants, creating a harrowing landscape of decay wherever she unleashes it.

Adding to the horror, Princess can regenerate extremely fast allowing her to recover from injuries in mere seconds. However, this rapid healing comes with terrifying consequences; her form can shift unpredictably, resulting in grotesque mutations that distort her appearance. Limbs may elongate, facial features twist into nightmarish visages, and her skin can alternate between smooth and scaly, each transformation more horrific than the last. In moments of stress or extreme danger, her form might spiral into a chaotic frenzy—limbs may erupt from her back, her spine may twist painfully, or her facial features may elongate into something nightmarish, merging her humanity with the primal horror of Nyrah. One moment, she might appear as an ordinary girl; the next, she could be a horrifying amalgamation of dragon and human. In moments of intense focus, fueled by sheer desperation, Princess can revert to her regular form, but the process is agonizing.

LIMITS ⫻ the transformations themselves are not always reliable. Although she can sprout claws or snake-like limbs, these features may not manifest when she needs them most, often leaving her vulnerable in critical situations. Her attempts to harness her powers can backfire in high-stress scenarios, resulting in incomplete or flawed transformations that can hinder her rather than help. Another significant limit is the toll that rapid regeneration takes on her body. While she can heal quickly, this process often triggers grotesque mutations that distort her physical form. Each healing session can lead to unforeseen changes, making it difficult for her to maintain a stable identity. In moments of injury, instead of simply recovering, she risks spiraling into chaotic transformations that could make her unrecognizable to herself and those around her. Lastly, despite her ability to partially control the additional limbs sprout from her body, this control is limited and can falter under duress. In moments of panic or overwhelming emotion, these limbs may act independently or lash uncontrollably, putting her and those around her at risk. This unpredictability adds a layer of complexity to her powers, forcing her to navigate not just the chaos of battle but also the chaos within herself.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Both the manifestation, and reversion, of Princess' transformations are incredibly painful to her. The more she manifests the more pain she'll be in - to the point she could black out temporarily, making her transformations a double edged sword. They're often uncontrollable - she might be trying to grow scales, but without full concentration ends up with claws. Reverting any changes is not only painful, but incredibly difficult. After managing to revert back to her regular form, Princess will be exhausted and weak. Without rest she'll be an easy target. The more changes, the weaker she'll be - so after healing, or high stress situations, once she finally manages to revert back she'll be weak and sick for at least a day.

Unfortunately for Princess, her pain doesn't end when she manages to revert back to her normal form. On top of general lethargy and weakness, whatever part of her body transformed will be painful and extra weakened. She essentially suffers from muscle weakness. If she grew wings, she'll have crippling backpain. Claws cause her hands to be so weak she can barely hold a pencil for the next day, ect.

Her extra limbs are an extension to herself - which means if they're damaged it will hurt her just like her normal limbs. If one's cut off, which could happen more easily depending what they're like, she'll suffer from blood loss and be forced to heal. The extra limbs are a constant drain on her stamina. She has to concentrate to control them, and this is a further drain on her. Princess isn't resistant to her own corrosive acid - nor are her allies. It destroys anything it touches.

Ironically, what Princess needs the most to solidify her control is support from other people - something her own Abstraction works against. People remember Nyrah the Ravager, and it's easy to see her in Princess' groteque transformations. People might be terrified of her, or they might try to hurt or kill her. Most people will have a negative reaction to her appearance - and people who begin to get close to her in her regular form might abandon her the moment she transforms in front of them. As well, theres even a select few that will find her grotesque, scaly form sexy - and she'll have to deal with them being incredibly weird with her because of it.

Each time Princess transforms - against or of her own will - she loses a little bit of herself. The more she transforms, the less she'll be Princess, and the more she'll be an amalgamation of who she was once was and the Apparition trapped within her.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Quill wants to have her name out there as someone of importance. She wants people to hear her name and know who she is immediately. Quill who? She doesn't think so! She wants to make it big in her field and be the go-to expert for those in trouble and need a fixer.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Quill sees the world as not black and white. People can be good even if they do things that some consider bad. No one can be all good or all bad and those flecks of gray are what make the world a unique place to exist.

SECRETS ⫻ Quill has panic attacks that come out of nowhere. She does her best to hide them from others, usually making an excuse to step away so she can panic in private. She sees it as a weakness of character and a failure on her part. She has had this since she was very young.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Pansexual. Quill has no qualms about what gender identity or sex the other person is, she is attracted to who she is attracted to. She mainly dated men or masculine-appearing individuals in the past but experimented more with women and feminine-presenting people later on in her life.

FEARS ⫻ Quill fears she will forget who she is and is terrified of losing her memories and everything that makes her...her. Quill also has a fear of being put under anesthesia and losing a semblance of control.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Quill is not much of a fighter. During the cataclysm, many people were freaked out and panicking (and rightfully so). Quill did her best to calm others and get them to safety. Once she was satisfied she helped as many people as she could she hunkered down and waited it out.

FLAWS ⫻ Quill is vain and cares about her appearance, both physically and socially. As such, she has certain tastes that she values above others. She is quick to judge those who do not take pride in their appearances. Quill is also not afraid to speak her mind and often her mouth gets her in trouble.

Quill does not remember anything of her childhood before the age of 12. There are no photos and relatives can only speak of how "precious" she was and how proud they are of her. Whenever she tries to look back all she can see is black. And then the headaches start.

Quill was raised in a home with six siblings all vying for mommy and daddy's attention. Being the youngest had its perks when she wanted something or got in trouble (which was often). Then an incident happened when she was 15 that broke her and shattered all trust. She couldn't remember anything of when she was younger, why could she remember this? She took care of it and her parents covered it up.

Quill was determined to not be a victim and to ensure this did not happen again. She threw herself into her schoolwork graduating high school and going on to college where she dual majored in Criminal Justice and Psychology and minored in Business. After she began making a name for herself as a woman who could "get shit done, no matter what.". This earned her a reputation along with many enemies and friends. After her office was bombed she decided she needed to move.

And thus Cloverfield was in her sights.

She bought an office with an apartment above and got to work again. Establishing contacts, closing deals, and making sure her clients' reputations remained picture-perfect. It was dirty work, but dirty work still needed to be done.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Mens Ethos, Quill can shift a person's morality skewing them to perform acts of bad or good. She is also able to read minds and implant thoughts where people feel the need to act on them. She has a Pink Lux and her channeler is a dark gray friendship bracelet with a pink heart charm.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Quill is able to change a person's moral compass by moving it to perform acts of good or evil. This is done by changing a enlightening a person's mind to succumb to the voice of truth and good or listen to their urge to sin. As a result of her use of people's minds she is also able to read people's thoughts and implant her own causing that person to feel a strong urge to follow through.

Ethos Shift: Quill can shift a person's morality towards good or bad. The person effected feels this change. Depending on how large the shift is the change may be noticeable or deeply hidden. The individual will feel compelled to follow their morality and perform acts that align with it.

Ethos Break: Quill can break a person's ethos leaving them a husk of their former self. The person is still very much alive and can do things the average person can but there is little left in personality, thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Legere Mentem: Quill can read people's thoughts. The thoughts are typically at the forefront of a person's mind and are quick and easily accessible. She is able to turn this off so she is not bombarded with everyone's thoughts all at once.

Commonefacio: Quill can implant a thought into a person's mind, such as performing an action. The person will feel compelled to follow the thought and perform it otherwise they feel a strange sensation.

LIMITS ⫻

All of Quill's abilities can only be done if she can see the person. Quill cannot use any of her abilities to someone she can see on a TV screen and she needs to be within 10 feet of the person. She is also not able to shift someone from complete evil to complete good as that would take intense amounts of effort.

Due to the nature of her abilities, it is very taxing on Quill's energy. If she uses her abilities too many times in a short span she will get drained and pass out.

An individual can fight back against the thought implant if they have a strong mental fortitude. This is especially true for those who are not Blinds. If they manage to fight through the implanted thought all they will feel is a sense that they are forgetting something that will quickly pass.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Ethos Shift: Quill may have the ability to shift a person’s morality towards good or bad but good or bad at every subjective to the person. As such, Quill can cause unintentional damage and hurt depending on who they target. This effect is more pronounced on individuals who already have a strong moral compass. As well, the sudden shift in morality could also cause physiological issues if the targets past actions do not align with the new direction.

Legere Mentem: In moments of massive stress Quill may find it impossible to tune out the noise. Instead of the quiet they may need Quill will become bombarded by the thoughts of everyone in the nearby area, and they’ll be significantly louder.

Commonefacio: Individuals with a strong emotional field will be able to resist the thought implantation and the attempt may backfire if they try and force it through without perpetration.

Quill is a Fixer and has her office/home in Cloverfield.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Elena’s goal is to uncover Cloverfield’s hidden layers, delving into the city’s forgotten histories and magical underpinnings without getting pulled into its web of power struggles. She sees herself as a witness to Cloverfield’s strange and shifting story, not a hero—and she prefers it that way.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Life is short, so Elena believes in making it as interesting as possible. She approaches each day as if there’s always something worth discovering, and she thinks everyone, from the wealthiest elite to the lowest wanderer in the South Bank, has a story worth listening to, even if it’s just for the thrill of the unknown.

SECRETS ⫻ Despite her laid-back attitude, Elena is afraid that her carefree outlook might be a cover for deeper anxieties about herself and the world around her. She wonders if her fascination with Cloverfield’s mysteries is just a way to avoid facing her own fears of commitment, loss, or personal vulnerability.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Bisexual. Elena is drawn to people with a strong sense of self, regardless of gender, though she often keeps relationships casual to avoid emotional entanglements that feel too binding.

FEARS ⫻ Her biggest fear is losing her independence, either through the dangerous entanglements in Cloverfield’s underworld or by succumbing to the more treacherous elements she uncovers. The Cataclysm reinforced her aversion to being tied down, as she saw firsthand how fast things could fall apart.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ When Nyrah the Ravager descended, Elena and her mother were among the South Bank residents scrambling to protect what little they had. The emotional surge of the event triggered Elena’s Kindling, connecting her to her ancestors’ magic. The experience left her both awed and unsettled, fueling her curiosity about Cloverfield’s magical legacy and her desire to understand the city’s supernatural history.

FLAWS ⫻ Elena’s sarcastic, unbothered attitude often comes across as dismissive, especially when others are dealing with serious issues. Her independence borders on recklessness, and she sometimes relies too heavily on charm and quick wit to avoid or defuse tense situations. Her refusal to form deep attachments can prevent her from fully trusting others, making her prone to handling matters alone—even when she’d be better off asking for help.

Elena grew up on Cloverfield’s South Bank, where life was as tough as the city’s worn-out pavement. Her mother, a resilient herbalist, ran a small shop tucked away in a narrow alley. The shop was known among locals for its remedies and teas, blending traditional medicine with Cloverfield’s subtle, lingering magic. Elena spent her childhood there, weaving through shelves stacked with dried herbs and jars of vibrant potions, watching her mother tend to people from all walks of life.

As she got older, Elena grew familiar with the South Bank’s harsh realities. The lack of investment in her community was glaring, and even as the North side glittered with opulent nightclubs and skyscrapers, the South Bank was left in the shadows, struggling with neglect, crime, and a heavy-handed police presence. This disparity between the two sides of Cloverfield sharpened Elena’s natural curiosity and sense of independence, shaping her into a young woman who could navigate any situation with charm and quick wit.

The Cataclysm struck when Elena was 18, ripping through the city with Nyrah the Ravager’s destructive magic. She and her mother were among those scrambling to salvage their shop, with its delicate shelves and walls barely able to withstand the chaos. In the turmoil, Elena experienced a powerful emotional surge—fear, determination, and anger collided within her, triggering her Kindling Event. In that moment, she connected to her ancestors’ magic, a mix of memories, knowledge, and wisdom, passed down through generations of her family. The experience was overwhelming yet oddly familiar, like stepping into a story she’d heard a hundred times but was only now beginning to understand.

After the Cataclysm, Elena felt an even stronger pull toward Cloverfield’s hidden stories and supernatural secrets. As she helped her mother rebuild their herbal shop, Elena began to experiment with her magical abilities, finding ways to weave memories and protective charms into her tea blends. These brews became her gateway to understanding the city’s past, its lingering energies, and the emotional imprints left by its inhabitants.

Now, Elena carefully balances her time between aiding her mother in the shop and using her teas to explore Cloverfield’s mysteries. She often collects herbs and relics that might add potency to her brews, and her blends have become a valuable tool for uncovering the truths behind strange occurrences—like the whispered tales of werewolf packs, strange lights in the lower districts, and mysterious disappearances that seem too frequent to be mere coincidence.

Elena keeps her abilities discreet, sharing her brews only with those she trusts, aware of how dangerous her teas’ effects could be if they fell into the wrong hands. She doesn’t see herself as a hero—she’s more of a curious soul drawn to the shadows, piecing together the city’s story one brew at a time. For Elena, Cloverfield is like a living puzzle, layered with secrets, and she’s determined to unravel as much of it as she can without losing herself in the process.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

LUX ⫻ White (Nostalgia) — Elena has an affinity for White Lux, allowing her to gather information from memories, past events, and people. Her connection to White Lux is fueled by her natural curiosity and desire to uncover hidden histories.

CHANNELER ⫻ Elena’s Channeler is a vintage tea infuser passed down through her family. This intricate, antique infuser, etched with faint symbols of her lineage, helps her focus her magic into each blend she creates, tapping into her ancestors’ collective knowledge and intent.

SPELLS ⫻

Memory Brew ⫻ By using her tea infuser and brewing with specific herbs, Elena can imbue her tea with the essence of a memory. Drinking the tea allows a person to briefly recall a personal memory that feels clearer and more vivid. (Effect duration: 10 minutes, no effect on repressed memories)

Forget-Me-Not ⫻ This tea, brewed with a carefully selected blend, helps protect memories from external influences. It acts as a mental shield, strengthening a person’s recollections and making it harder for them to forget details over time. (Effect duration: several hours, no effect on naturally fading memories)

Echo’s Brew ⫻ Elena can create a tea that, when sipped, reveals faint whispers or feelings left behind by those who have visited the area before her. This brew’s effects allow her to tap into past emotions within her immediate vicinity, giving her a general sense of prior events. (Range: 10 meters, duration: 15 minutes)

LIMITS ⫻ Elena’s spells require both time and focus to brew, so she can’t create magical teas on the fly—they must be carefully prepared in a controlled environment, typically taking several minutes to brew each blend. Additionally, each tea’s effects are limited by the emotional or historical significance of the herbs she selects; ordinary or low-emotion ingredients weaken the magic. Excessive use of her abilities results in strong mental and physical fatigue, requiring her to rest between brewing sessions, especially after using multiple teas in succession.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Memory Brew ⫻ The brew is slightly addictive at best, and an obsession at worst. Those who experience these more vivid memories will begin to develop a taste for it, and this taste could turn into a full-blown need. The more they experience the less vivid reality will become, and the less vivid reality becomes the more intense these magical memories will seem. Eventually, someone could become entirely dependent on the brew. The withdrawal will also be painful and could lead to serious physiological issues if not handled correctly.

Forget-Me-Not ⫻ No weakness

Echo’s Brew ⫻ If this tea is sipped near the location of a recent, terrible tragedy the user could become overwhelmed by the
past emotions.

Hobbyist Photographer ⫻ Elena has a small collection of vintage cameras and loves snapping shots of abandoned buildings and hidden spots around Cloverfield. She keeps the photos in a journal, sometimes scribbling down little observations or mysteries to revisit.

Tea Blending ⫻ Thanks to her time helping in her mom’s herbal shop, Elena has picked up the art of blending teas. She often brews her own custom blends for energy, calm, or clarity, sometimes adding a few ‘secret ingredients’ to bring out certain memories or emotions.

Quirky Collector⫻ Elena has an eye for unusual trinkets and objects, especially those with a story. Her room is filled with odd finds—a chipped porcelain figurine, a single vintage glove, a worn playing card—each with its own mystery she likes to ponder.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Elijah after the cataclysm and his relocation to Dazzle. He has two goals, one to rebuild his life in Dazzle and two, to perhaps rebuild the Watchers he and his family were apart of. While each one is easier said than done, more so since he is from another reality. He will try his best to recover and make a life for himself in Dazzle.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Even after losing his home and everyone that he knew and cared for. Elijah still is the same hopeful person he was before. That family, either blood or not, is important and that there is always a light in the darkness, no matter how bleak things are.

SECRETS ⫻ Elijah wants to keep the fact that he is from another reality a secret, for he fears how people would react and view him.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Straight

FEARS ⫻ Losing even more people he cares for and is not ready to handle more loss in his life.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Elijah was busy aiding the defenders in any way he could to avenge the destruction of his home reality and stop Nyrah's rampage.

FLAWS ⫻ There is a sadness in him that he tries to hide, and it does get in the way of how he interacts with people. Not wanting to get too close for fear that he might lose them down the line.

Elijah hails from another reality that is named Glimmer, where he was born to a family that belonged to a paranormal group called the Watchers. There is only one problem with that, despite his family being largely magic users, Elijah was born without the ability to use magic. While his parents were disappointed by this but still loved him. They still wished for him to be involved with the family and the Watchers, so they exposed him to magic at a young age, and he became a One-Eye-Open.

Growing up was different for him since his siblings learned how to use their magic and practiced. Elijah would envy them, but to make up for his shortcomings, he would delve into paranormal lore in order to be useful to his family and later the Watchers. His parents would aid him in this endeavor and were impressed by his newfound knowledge.

As time passed and gaining membership into the Watchers, Elijah's family being in the Watchers was the main reason why he was accepted. He became less and less envious of his siblings as he came to realize that even as a magic less person. He can still be useful in the world of magic and would grow close to some of the members of the Watchers and his family. Even moving ahead in the order and things seemed good until that fateful day. When Nyrah appeared and, everything went away.

For when Nyrah appeared and started destroying Glimmer, while the Watchers and others fought with all they had. It was not enough, as Glimmer was on the verge of destruction. Elijah and his gravely wounded sister were in the Watcher's base and knowing that all was lost. His sister had a idea and the two ventured into the Watcher's vault. Where Elijah's sister wanted him to use the Spear of the Hunter to save himself and try to stop Nyrah in another reality. Seeing how she would not last long. This was not easy for Elijah but he agreed and vowed to never forget them. As he attuned to the spear and used its power to follow Nyrah to Dazzle. Where in his anger and eagerness to avenge his home reality, Elijah did what he could to stop Nyrah, and in the end, the beast was defeated.

Now in Dazzle and in Cloverfield, Elijah at first was at a loss for words of what to do next. Everything he knew and cared for was gone, and there was no way of getting anything back. He was lost, and after some time, Elijah decided to try to rebuild his life in Cloverfield and start fresh. However, some part of him wanted to keep the memory of Glimmer and his family alive. So Elijah toyed with the idea of trying to bring back the Watchers. The problem with that is where to start since he is still new to Dazzle, and he knows no one. Still, Elijah continues to survive and rebuild his life. But as monsters start to appear around town, he questions if he will just let others handle it or take it upon himself to protect his new home.

TYPE ⫻ Agent

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Spear of the Hunter, an artifact that enables its user to gain the abilities of its creator, Azul the Realm Hunter.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Realm Tracker - The spear is able to track and follow a paranormal being of the user's choice anywhere, even to other realities. As long as there is something of the target that can be tracked or have a sample of the target's body, like a blood sample or skin sample. Just as long it is was apart of the target's body.

Stealth Predator - The spear is able to hide itself and its user from the sight of other Paranormals by making the spear and the user invisible.

Recall- If the spear is lost or somewhere the user cannot reach it, then the user can summon the spear back to his person at any time.

Keen Mind - In order to keep the user's mind focused on the hunt, the spear shields the user from mind control or mind-altering effects.

Hidden Tool - The spear is able to conceal its appearance to a shape of the user's wish. Elijah keeps it as a capped pen that he uncaps when he needs the spear.

Paranormal Bane - The spear is able to harm and or kill paranormals based on the power of the paranormal and the strength of the user. Along with where the spear hits.

LIMITS ⫻

Stealth Predator - While other Paranormals cannot see Elijah or the spear while it is active, Paranormals can still hear and smell them.

Keen Mind - Its mental shield only works as long as the spear is on Elijah. The moment it is not, the shield goes away and leaves him vulnerable.

Realm Tracker - There has to be either tracks of the target or a sample of its body in order for the tracking to work. Also, the tracking only works on tracks or a body sample that is a day old max. Any older and the tracking does not work. Also the max limit for tracking something is one other reality. Anymore and a new track has to be found.

Paranormal Bane - Though strong against paranormals, it is useless against Blinds and non magical animals and cannot harm them.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Realm Tracker - Each universe is unique in its own way. Some universes will be hostile to life, or be unable to support it. As such, if there’s no recon done Elijah may walk into a realm where he will die.

Stealth Predator - To bring about the stealth the staff will actively consume energy. As such, there will always be a timer tied to his physical strength that will prevent him from staying invisible forever.

Paranormal Bane - Stronger apparitions are able to resist this effect momentarily. As such it may take several strikes to kill one.

While Elijah does not have one yet, he would like a pet owl.
Also to learn Welsh since he is of Welsh ancestry and is curious about his heritage

MAIN GOAL ⫻ While Joshua's memory is not good after the cataclysm, the memory that burns the brightest is one where he watches his sister die and he soon after her. While this was during Nyrah's rampage in town, Nyrah is not the cause of her death. Something else was responsible, and that is what Joshua's memory is fuzzy about. Even how he died, he does not know. But, he is focused on finding out what killed his sister and avenging her and maybe himself in the process.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Joshua in his current state, is fixated on the memories that he still has before the cataclysm. These memories are all that he has left of his former self, and he treasures them and does not want to forget them. But, tries to make a future for himself with what he has left.

SECRETS ⫻ What Joshua does not wish people to know is that he is an abscised and undead as a result.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Maybe straight, maybe not. Joshua does not remember, though he does feel a stronger attraction towards women than men.

FEARS ⫻ People finding out what he is and react badly to it. Along with losing what few memories he has of himself and losing what he used to be completely. Plus, failing to avenge his sister and possibly himself in the process.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Joshua was looking for his sister and ended up dying during the fighting.

FLAWS ⫻ Joshua can be distant and aloof than he used to be and he does not like to his past or talk to people from his past. Mainly since chances are he does not remember them and he does not want to deal with that. Along with hating himself at times because of how different he is not in comparison to what he remembers about himself.

Joshua's life up to the cataclysm was a normal one. The youngest of two children and lived in a happy home. He was close to his sister, and unlike him, his sister lived an active life while he played video games and worked on cars. But, after noticing how distant she was starting to become, it made him think that something was going on. He would try to figure out what, but it never went anyway, despite his attempts to find out why. Only vague answers came out of her, and after a point, he stopped trying. Still, Joshua was content, and things seemed to be going his way until that day. The day when Nyrah the Ravager appeared and started attacking the city.

While most people would hide like his parents, Joshua wanted to know that his sister was safe and ventured out to find her. Because he was a Blind, he at first could not understand what was happening and became a One-Eye-Open at the time he found his sister. Only to find her fighting something he did not recognize and watched as it killed her. Then the thing turned to him, attacked him, and sent Joshua back and violently hit a wall of debris. As he lay dying and in grief over his sister's death. The last he saw was the thing that killed his sister, and he stared at his hateful glaze, and it ended his life.

But that would not be the end for Joshua since his death was so emotional for him that an apparition was created from his death, and after spending time alone in the chaos, the apparition would go to enter his dead body. Taking control and the dead Joshua would rise again but only as a remnant of his former self with some memories of his life.

Now, an abscised with limited memories and limited personality of the original Joshua. It took some time for him to get used to his new self and the aftermath of Nyrah's defeat. Still, he managed to make a life for himself and would make a stable situation for himself. Though he would fixate on his remaining memories before Nyrah's arrival, and Joshua would make a vow. He would find whatever killed his sister and avenge her. Maybe even avenging himself in the process, but he cared more about his sister than figuring out his own death.

So, with his new mission, Joshua is committed to finding the truth, no matter where it leads. He just wishes he could remember more about his old life, but that time is over, and Joshua has a score to settle.

TYPE ⫻ Abscised

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Joshua has an overcharged Emotional-Field giving him an inherent resistance to all magical attacks but is harder for healing and other positive magic to work on him)

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Boosting ⫻ Joshua is able to boost another person's Emotional-Field temporarily at the expense of his own.

Extend ⫻ Joshua is able to extend his Emotional-Field to include two others, giving them added protection for a limited time but not as strong as boosting, and it even works on the Blind.

Supercharge ⫻ Joshua can temporarily increase the strength of his Emotional-Field even further, making him more resistant to magical attacks, but once it is over. His Emotional-Field is temporarily weakened, and it will time before it will recover and leaving him exposed to magical attacks.

LIMITS ⫻ Joshua's abstraction is limited by how strong his Emotional-Field at any moment. Using it to boost someone's Emotional-Field will make his weaker for the duration of the boost. While he can extend his Emotional-Field to cover others, it can only reach two people who are close to him, and he is not boosting anyone's Emotional-Field during this. Simply extending his stronger Emotional-Field over two others. When Supercharging, while it makes his Emotional-Field stronger for a time, once it is over, his Emotional-Field is weakened before it can recover, leaving him exposed to attacks. Which while he does have a stronger Emotional-Field by default, attacks can still get through, and if they can get through, that means the attack will be more damaging to him. Especially if it gets past while in supercharge mode. Plus, due to his Emotional-Field being stronger than normal, positive magic like healing magic is harder to work on him.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Joshua's resistance to magic doesn't discriminate - just as magical attacks will be weaker against him, so will magical boons: healing, boosting, teleporation ect. Boosting another's emotional field sacrifices his own, and extending it massively reduces it.

While Joshua does have faint memories of them. He has no idea if his parents or any of his friends are still alive, and he has yet to discover if any of them still recognize him. Or if anyone else in town recognizes him.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ After escaping from her family and learning of their demise. She is making it her duty to destroy what is left of her family's legacy and burn what is left to the ground. A fact that is not as easy as it sounds and after that. Faith has some ideas, and moving on is an idea that is appealing to her once she is done.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Faith is the type of person who does not want to talk about her past and if she is related to those Monroes. She wants nothing to do with her family, and while she has become a cold and vengeful person. Deep down, Faith is a good person, and after the death of her family, she does not have to worry about them anymore. Her real self is starting to show.

SECRETS ⫻ There have been rumors in Cloverfield about her family and what they do at their home estate. Some are false, while others are true, and Faith does not want people to find out what her family has done because she might get caught up in the backlash.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Bisexual

FEARS ⫻ Faith fears being stuck and being unable to move on once she is done with her family business. Along with being possessed or becoming adjoined. Plus, being associated with their family's crimes if discovered and forced to suffer because of it.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ N/A

FLAWS ⫻ On her surface, Faith is not someone that you could see making friends or hanging out with. Limiting who she hangs out with can be an obstacle for any relationship down the road.

Faith was born the middle child of three in the Monroe family in Cloverfield. But to her family, Faith was more than that. For her family had been preparing for a long time for someone like her. Since her family was apart of a nearly dead coven that sought to bind a powerful apparition to a chosen member of their bloodline in order to revive the coven and make them a force to be feared once again. Faith had fulfilled the requirements for this binding ritual, and throughout her life growing up, they always brought this up as a great honor.

Only Faith would not see it that way, it is the opposite, in fact. For she did not wish to become binded to an apparition and be used as a weapon for this forgotten coven, and it was clear that her family would not take no for an answer. So Faith, with few options, waited until the right time to escape, but as the years passed. She became more desperate as the ritual date came closer and closer, and the family started to act brazen.

Fortunately for Faith, the day before the ritual, she found her opening and took it. Faith quickly left Cloverfield and kept going. Knowing that her family would hunt her down by any means. Which they did, and the closer they got was a year later when her brother caught up to her. The two had a fight, and in the end, Faith was forced to kill her brother. That was a painful experience for her, both mentally and physically. But Faith was sure that they would keep coming for her. But things would go her way.

Sometime after the cataclysm, Faith found out that the rest of her family had perished during the cataclysm, and the family estate was now hers. Cautious at first if this was a trap but, as Faith learned more about the cataclysm and the state of Cloverfield. She returned and found that, indeed, her family was dead, and the coven they belonged to was now wiped out.

Faith felt happy that at least her troubles were now gone and she could truly be free and live her own life, but that was a matter to be settled. For Faith did not want what was left of her family's legacy to remain and wanted to wipe it from the earth for good. So no one could discover and try to repeat what they had almost done.

So, for now, Faith is in Cloverfield and is sustained by her family's fortune. Though refusing to live in the family's estate, which is still in a state of disrepair since the cataclysm. Faith knows it will not be easy to burn what is left of her family's legacy to the ground, but she will do it no matter what and finally live for once.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Gold Lux and her channeler is a ruby ring on her left hand.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Faith is a skilled Gold Lux user and specializes in using Gold Lux to summon and control minions of her choice. Which she can use verbal or mental commands to control and direct her minions.

Gang of Avians - Faith can summon a group of three griffins that have the ability to fly with wings and have sharp claws and beaks. Enabling them to pierce through flesh, bone, and paranormal beings with either claws or beaks. They are large and strong enough for Faith to ride one and still be able to fly. She uses them both for offense and defense or if she needs to get out of a situation.

Black Hounds - Faith can summon a pack of five large black hounds that obey her every command and are used both offensively and as bloodhounds to track down a target by scent.

White Knight - Faith can summon a single knight-like minion armed with a shield and sword while alone. It is more durable than a normal knight, and the knight can withstand bullets for a time.

Assuming Control - Faith with an active minion can temporarily gain total control over it, and it will act as if it were her own body. She punches, the minion punches, what the minion sees, she sees, etc... and is stronger overall for as long as Faith controls it like this.

LIMITS ⫻ All - With all of her spells, Faith can only summon so many minions at a time, and doing too much can make her tired and eventually pass out. Plus, she cannot summon all of them at once, one at a time, as in, once he summoned something like five hounds. She cannot summon more until they are dismissed or die. Then she can summon again, and all are melee-based in terms of attacks.

Gang of Avians - They cannot pierce everything, and if they lose enough feathers, then they are unable to fly.

Black Hounds - While tracking a target, they are only as good as normal bloodhounds and need a scent to track a target.

White Knight - While strong, the knight can only take so much punishment before dying. It takes time before it can be recast again. Plus, the knight is a strictly melee-focused minion and cannot do range attacks besides throwing its sword. Which the knight's main source of damage is the sword, and without it, the knight's offense power is weakened significantly.

Assuming Control - She can only fully control one minion at a time and has to wait a certain amount of time between castings.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Summoning and controlling minions uses Faith's energy. While the first summon it won't be noticeable, if she dismisses and then summons another group it will start to drain her. This leaves her vulnerable to attacks and at risk of getting hurt or passing out. Eventually it will start to drain her life force if she summons to many times in a row without a break.

When Faith uses 'assuming control', any other minions she has summoned at that time will be left in a state of confusion without her commands. This means they'll either act instinctively, possibly hurting allies, or not act at all.

Faith is fluent in Latin.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Money, money, money, money! When she was younger she wanted to be rich and famous, but as she grew older and wiser she realized the only really cool part about being rich and famous was being rich. Fame, on the other hand, is a massive hindrance. She wants a big house with an even bigger lawn surrounded by a massive privacy fence, a car whose previous owner didn’t leave a weird stain in the passenger seat, to never work another goddamn day in her life as a cleaner, to not have to deal with medical debt, and to have a harem of rich suitors, fit tennis instructors, and oiled up pool boys.

But first, she has a promise to keep.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Social change, a kinder, brighter world, yawn. Sure, Paloma supposes she could use her magic to usher in a better world for the future, but she’s living in the present and all it takes is a quick look at the past to see what happens to revolutionaries. She’s worked too hard to become some fucking martyr. Why break the system now that she can finally game it? Sure, she’s not an idiot, it needs a few adjustments. She supposes she could be happy with getting a smaller piece of the pie as long as she still gets a slice. Give the system a few more guidelines, a couple more checks and balances, one big smush towards the middle, maybe a few molotov cocktails through a couple of windows, just one single public execution of a bourgeois billionaire bitch. She doesn’t want to be the one to swing the axe, but she’ll get up close enough to get a droplet of blood on her face.

Still, Paloma ultimately tries to tune out these kinds of macro injustices, focusing on life at a more micro level. She lives her day by day following a personal and cliched creed of treating others how she wants to be treated, showing kindness and respect even to those who don’t deserve it, and saving her biting comments for when they are out of earshot. In short, be sweet. Nobody likes a suckup, but everybody is happy to receive a compliment. Paloma tries to stay on the latter half of the spectrum, a tad too twee but nothing that would make a person sick. And if someone doesn’t like her? Well, that’s fine. Who’d want to be liked by that cunt anyway?

SECRETS ⫻ Oh, there’s a whole bunch of them. A few notches in the bedpost she’d deny until the day she dies, a couple of white lies she refuses to admit aren’t true. Bad haircuts with all photographic evidence scrubbed from the internet, nasty text messages left on blocked numbers. A few minor crimes—shoplifting some gum, sneaking into a movie, some public indecency. Sitting and conversing with hospital patients when she was on the clock and should’ve been cleaning. Promising a young girl in room 513 that when her time came Paloma would take her to the Grove and wash her in the waters of rebirth, thinking at the time that it had only been a child’s fantasy, now becoming a whole thing that might require exhuming a grave.

She also plays it coy about being adjoined.

SEXUALITY ⫻ She might flirt and tease with all of the ladies until they get the vapors, but a quick glance back through her deleted contacts shows a steady stream of Liam Hinges, Brad Bumbles, and Dan Tinders.

FEARS ⫻ The special treatment she gets thanks to her abstraction has been novel but there comes a point, Paloma is sure of it, where the constant dotting and fawning will start to lose its luster. Perhaps it already has. Maybe just a little. Still, right now she sees the Blind as good old fashioned people who deserve to live their lives and make their own choices free from her or any higher power’s meddling.

But what happens when they start to wear on her? When she can finally hush that quiet little voice that says they only like her because she got lucky? When she stops seeing people as people and starts seeing them as followers, worshippers, sacrifices? Now that she has power the opportunity to abuse it is right there just waiting for her to reach out and grasp it. Getting everything she ever wanted would just be so. Fucking. Easy. She could’ve started a weird sex cult, like, yesterday. Yet, Paloma is afraid of being that person. Even more so, she is afraid of what the world would be like if anyone else had her abstraction, and is scared to think of what other magic there could be out there.

Also, dragons have now been absolutely ruined for her forever. Thanks, Princess. Now she’ll have to switch to Pathfinder.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Paloma was at the last place anyone would want to be when the world is potentially ending: work. She spent several hours, perhaps even days, trapped beneath the rubble of the South Cloverfield Good Samaritan Hospital, listening to the muffled cries of friends and strangers, fading in and out of consciousness from the pain and blood loss, and coping with the fact that magic and dragons were real. She hardly recommends it. If not for a chance encounter with the Samaritan that day she definitely would’ve been dead. If the rescuers had taken one more day she probably would’ve been dead. If the Cataclysm was still happening at that time then Paloma missed out on the rest of the fun, getting evaced to a hospital in a nearby town that wasn’t getting acid pissed all over it.

FLAWS ⫻ Paloma is the absolute textbook definition of a busybody, always prying into other people’s business even when nobody asked for her opinion. Often Paloma is meddling out of pure curiosity or an actual desire to help, but sometimes it’s something else. See, unfortunately she’s also a chatty little bitch, so Paloma is simply unable to resist passing along the latest piece of gossip. While her private life is a thing to be treated with respect and kept on the down-low, other people’s lives are purely a source of entertainment, especially if they’re completely fucked up and messy. Telling Paloma a secret is the same thing as telling the whole world. Call her out rumor mongering and she’s quick to go on the defensive, acting as if she didn’t know it was a secret if not outright denying that she said anything in the first place. After all, sweet little Paloma? A malicious gossip? Who would say something like that? Was it Tiffany? Well, that’s funny, because Paloma heard that Tiffany…

Her life was boring.

What else is there to say? Things didn’t turn out right. Grow up, go to school, attend college, dropout, get a job, sprinkle a good group of friends and smattering of boyfriends that seemed good at the time. Somewhere along the line something went awry. Or maybe it didn’t. She doesn’t know. Maybe the fact is that growing up in the Southside of Cloverfield means she was destined to achieve mediocrity. It wasn’t like she didn’t have ambitions or lacked dreams. They just fizzled out. It wasn’t like she had a bad family who didn’t support her. They just became background noise, strangers she saw for holidays and cookouts. Rent became a thing. Groceries became a thing. Her life became work, fuck around, sleep, repeat. Her job wasn’t too bad either, even if it was just cleaning the hospital. Just slap on some headphones, pull on some gloves, and scrub up some bodily functions. Her life was, well, it was happening, she guessed. Paloma wasn’t necessarily unhappy, not all of the time anyway. She was just bored.

Escapism became the key to enjoyment. Binge watching reality baking contests, imagining herself as a competitor getting that coveted handshake for her crumb game being on point, ignoring the smell of burnt cookies in the garbage. Delving into fantasy tabletop roleplaying games with her friends, slaying dragons and bedding princesses or bedding dragons and slaying princesses, depending on how much of a chaos gremlin she wanted to be that evening. Experimenting with an acceptable amount of drugs, none of that scary shit that involved injections or having a DIY chemistry set, but the fun kind that made the world kaleidoscopes and rainbows. Fall in love again and again, believing from the first kiss that each one was going to be the one, tucking and rolling out of the relationship the second the road got even a bit rocky. This was her life. Do it forever until she got stabbed in an alley or fell and broke a hip at the age of ninety.

Work was the biggest source of her boredom. Pop music and murder pods could only entertain Paloma for so long before she got tired of the same chord progression or by-the-numbers family annihilation. She started talking to patients in the hospital—not in the sense of the normal pleasantries she’d have about the weather or the game as she swapped out their trash bags or removed their dinner trays, but real, in-depth, sit down and get to know these strangers type discussions. All patients in hospitals are lonely, even those who have a family that came and visited. She thought she could ease that loneliness, even if just a little, even if it meant having to put up with that sinking feeling when she got to work and one of her tasks was to deep clean the now vacant room of one of her favorites.

See, the floor Paloma cleaned wasn’t the one where patients were sent to get better. It was the final cheap motel room, complete with free cable, a weird smell, and the view of the back of a billboard for a gentleman’s club. Most of the people there were elderly, or they were at the very least so hollowed out by the inevitability of their demise that they appeared old. So perhaps that’s why it was so shocking to her when she entered Room 513 and saw a young girl, no more than ten, who didn’t look all that sick aside from a scar on the side of her head. Paloma felt bad for the girl and, admittedly, she was curious. Why was she at the South Cloverfield Good Samaritan and not the Children’s Hospital?

Room 513 proved to be a tough nut to crack, not even answering Paloma the first time she introduced herself to the kid, but Paloma wasn’t about to back down. She visited Room 513 daily, choosing to talk to her if the kid wasn’t going to talk with her. She even came in on her off days, showing up with homemade baked goods and games to play. Eventually the kid asked Paloma why she was doing this, and from that day forward Paloma was in. She got the kid to dish out her life story. At the time Paloma assumed Room 513 had to be on some heavy duty painkillers or had some kind of brain damage with the shit she was talking about, rambling about this place called the Grove and its magical waters. Room 513 confided in Paloma that she wanted to see the Grove again. Paloma said she’d see what she could do, and so she came up with a plan that would end up killing three of her closest nerd friends.

The idea was a sweet one: run a little one-shot for Room 513 with Paloma’s friends, making her out to be the hero of the story, where she returns home to this place called the Grove and saves it from goblins. Okay, so the premise was simple and basic, but the girl was ten. Paloma poured her heart and soul into the game session. She drew maps, painted a little Room 513 mini, and baked a thematic Grove cake. She showed up to the hospital with her friends and set about to give Room 513 the funnest, nerdiest night of her life. Then, just like in every other previous game that Paloma tried to Dungeon Master, the session immediately went off the rails as the craziest thing happened—only this time, it wasn’t because of something in-game.

And to think, up until this exact moment in her life Paloma always thought it would be so cool to see an actual dragon.

Therapy. Medicatation. Doesn’t matter. Paloma can still sometimes hear the screams from that night. Her memories are a bit muddled from the concussion she suffered when the hospital came down. She can remember diving forward to grab Room 513 and run, twisting just in time as the floor above came down, the agonizing pain when the acid splashed her forearms ripping a scream out of her throat before something cracked against the back of her head. She can remember being buried, blinded by such a bright light she thought she had permanently lost her vision, unaware that the Samaritan had adjoined with her the moment she went to protect Room 513, realizing only later that it was the only reason she made it out alive. She can remember Room 513’s feeble voice comforting Paloma, when it should have been the other way around, telling her that it would be okay, promising her that if something were to happen to Paloma then she would take her to the Grove and have them bring her back. Because you would do the same for me, said Room 513. I would, said Paloma. It had been a question at the time.

Promise?

I promise, said Paloma.

The light got dimmer after that. Paloma would be one of the first ones rescued, rushed away to a hospital in a neighboring county for intensive medical care for her injuries and chemical burns, resulting in a lengthy stay, seemingly insurmountable medical bills, and a chance at life that her friends and Room 513 never had the opportunity to receive. When Paloma awoke from her coma the world was so much stranger. Everyone was so happy to see her—literally, everyone, not just the people she would expect—and she kept seeing streams of light, which she reported to her doctor but the scans and the tests came back showing no kind of cerebral or vision damage. Maybe a side effect of her medication? And the strange wisp of air she’d catch out of the side of her eye when she passed by a reflective window? Was that too a side effect?

She started to get a little freaked out by how nice everyone was being to her. Sure, she was always nice to others, but Cloverfield was full of assholes. Was this a bit? A weird, mean, fucked up prank? And why was hardly anyone talking about the actual dragon? Even when she snapped at people they still treated Paloma like she was an absolute sweetheart. It was driving her mad. And then, after having tried to ignore them for a few weeks, she followed one of the streams of light and quite literally bumped into someone who didn’t immediately apologize to her profoundly and excessively dote on her to make sure that she was okay.

This person turned out to be another Paranormal, and would serve as a kind of sherpa guiding Paloma into the world of magic. Around the same time she would begin to familiarize herself with that wisp she saw, an Apparition she called the Samaritan, who during the day would keep quiet but at night fill her head with gut wrenching, nightmarish memories of an impossible promise she had made with a young girl whose name Paloma had never even bothered to learn. And as Paloma went about learning ways the Samaritan could help her achieve this stupid promise of hers, as well as dipping more than just a toe into the world of magic, she couldn’t help but to sometimes think that maybe she missed her life when it was boring.

TYPE ⫻ Aberration (Adjoined)

ABSTRACTION ⫻ The Samaritan, a protective, guiding spirit that can mass influence the behavior of people and apparitions.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Although it takes its name from a nearly two thousand year old parable about showing kindness strangers, the Samaritan is a relatively new apparition. More than just acts of charity and kindness made manifest, the Samaritan is an apparition born from the anxiety and desire felt by people to appear to others as if they were kind, generous, and caring—less love thy neighbor and more what would the neighbors think. Budding in the late 19th century with the rise of philanthropy, the Samaritan grew throughout the time of radio and television before fully manifesting with the advent of social media. The Samaritan has no real physical manifestation outside of its host, appearing as a kind of wispy, ethereal entity with no definable form.

While the Samaritan is a proper capital G “Good” spirit that wants to do good, its grasp on morality is flimsy at best. Perhaps, as a newer apparition, it is simply naive. After all, it’s the creation of the guilty voice that makes you donate your change to charity at a fast food burger joint operated by people not making a living wage and the reason you deleted your Instagram after being ridiculed for not waiting the proper (and unknowable) amount of time required before following up your thoughts and prayers post with a thirst trap. Regardless, for the time being the Samaritan lets its host be its moral compass as it gains more knowledge of how the world works. Since the host is serving as the Samaritan’s baseline for good, the host won’t be compelled in any way by the Samaritan to act against their nature. However, the host does get a “gut feeling” when the Samaritan doesn’t like what they are doing.

When Paloma uses the Samaritan’s abstraction it is almost entirely subtle.The Blind and One-Eyed Opens see nothing and do not feel the influence, the compulsions coming to them in a way that feels natural. Those with Emotional Fields feel like someone is watching them and can get the sensation that something is trying to scratch through their defenses to suggest how they behave, but there is no obvious immediate tell that the source of the influence is radiating from Paloma. The abstraction works as an aura radiating off of Paloma, influencing those who can feasibly sense her. The aura can extend even through technology, affecting those who see her on a screen or hear her on a phone. She can add aspects to the aura or suppress them as wanted.

Everyone’s Sweetheart ⫻ Paloma’s version of the Samaritan’s default aura. Those affected by the aura are compelled to treat Paloma with familiarity and friendliness, as well as willingly and happily help her with reasonable things. This aura does not mean people are forced to notice Paloma or go out of their way to approach her (unless she is clearly in duress or if they were inclined to in the first place), only that when they do they will be nicer or more forgiving to her than they would be to most other people. This part of the aura is always on and cannot be suppressed by Paloma, but can easily be resisted by Emotional Fields to the point its lingering presence is almost unnoticeable.
The main aspect of the Everyone’s Sweetheart aura is that while up nobody—human, apparition, or animal—can deal intentional direct bodily harm to Paloma. This aspect of the aura is so powerful that it fully bypasses Emotional Fields. While a Paranormal could still threaten Paloma with violence, actual attempts to harm her do not work—they pull the shot at the last moment, fire it over her head, or blast someone else. This part of the aura is also always on, but it is immediately suppressed for several seconds by the Samaritan if Paloma attempts to do anything violent herself, allowing for people to act in self-defense.

Good Influence ⫻ A secondary aura Paloma can turn on while Everyone’s Sweetheart is active. It is essentially mind control or powerful suggestion magic, although those under the aura of her Good Influence behave as normal until they receive commands. She can issue direct, complex commands to individuals by speaking with them, or subconsciously influence the masses to follow a simple order by putting out a mentally ordered “vibe check” through her aura. The orders do not need to necessarily be reasonable to the recipient, who retroactively see them as momentary whim, but they must be phrased in a way to make them sound good-natured or well-intentioned. While this allows Paloma to tweak her Good Influence if she ever wants to be shiesty, the Samaritan will outright prevent the aura from being used to incite violence, cause direct harm to the recipient, or are obviously cruel. This does not mean Paloma cannot use the Good Influence to put people in dangerous situations.
Good Influence has a lingering effect that allows it to last once the recipient has left Paloma’s aura, lasting for a full 24 hours. This lingering effect can be extended indefinitely by exposing the recipient to one of Paloma’s auras again, resetting the day counter each time. The aura can be resisted by Emotional Fields. While Paloma can attempt to punch through the Emotional Field by “pulsing” her aura, this triggers the self-defense clause and suppresses Everyone’s Sweetheart, leaving Paloma vulnerable for retaliation.
For example, say Paloma was in a bodega and witnessed an armed robbery. She could command the robber to put down the weapon, go home, and reconsider their life while influencing the crowd to do nothing so that nobody tries to play the hero and gets shot. After that, she could command the cashier to give Paloma the money in the register as a reward for stopping the robber, then the very next day the robber, who the Good Influence has lapsed on, would revert to their nature and go out to rob another store. Alternatively, say the robber was Paranormal and resisted Paloma’s influence. She cannot command the crowd to rush them to stop the robbery, but she could command them to try to secretly call for the police even though it could harm them if they were to get shot by the robber when they mistook a reach for a phone as a reach for a gun..

The Bystander Effect ⫻ A secondary aura Paloma can turn on while Everyone’s Sweetheart is active. The Bystander Effect draws upon the roots of the Samaritan being created from people’s anxiety to appear upright and moral rather than a true drive to do actual “good”. By activating the Bystander Effect, Paloma can effectively shut down people in her aura and render them in a stationary, catatonic state. As long as they remain in Paloma’s aura, Bystanders are effectively frozen in time and space, resuming as if nothing has happened once she suppresses the Bystander Effect. Notably, people cannot be physically harmed in any way while under the Bystander Effect, although it doesn’t mean that they cannot be released from the effect while in a perilous situation.
For example, someone driving their car hit by the Bystander Effect would lose control of the vehicle and it will crash. However, they wouldn’t be harmed by the crash, but they could be harmed when they tried to crawl out of the aftermath. Alternatively, the car goes careening out of Paloma’s aura and the driver is released from the Bystander Effect moments before it crashes.
Paloma can use the Bystander Effect on crowds or individuals. If targeting individuals, Blind will ignore the bystanders as if they were never there.
She can pair it with Good Influence, giving detailed commands to crowds of bystanders before dropping the Bystander Effect and allowing them to follow her orders. She can attempt to use it offensively, but the spell will have to break through someone’s Emotional Field and it triggers the self-defense clause of Everyone’s Sweetheart, leaving Paloma vulnerable. Alternatively, she can use it defensively on others to protect them from harm, assuming they let her through their Emotional Field. However, the Samaritan is unable to determine Paloma’s intentions, meaning that she still momentarily loses her defenses. Paloma cannot use the Bystander Effect on herself.

The Messiah Complex ⫻ A secondary aura that the Samaritan, not Paloma, turns on while Everyone’s Sweetheart is active. The Messiah Complex creates faint, trailing streams of golden light in the air around Paloma that guide her to people in her aura that are in need of help that Paloma is, in some way or another, capable of providing. The Samaritan is still in its infancy as an apparition, so the consistency and urgency on which this operates is very hit or miss. She’ll get pings ranging from the cliched, like a kitten stuck in a tree, to the bizarre, like a dweeby teen in need of a prom date to impress his friends. Pings will also sometimes be downright criminal, like the mafioso looking for a cleaner to help dispose of a body, to actual targets in need of life saving, like highlighting a dude choking on a meatball sub.
Most of all, though, it is just annoying, as the lights get very distracting. Paloma can ask the Samaritan to suppress it, which it does temporarily, sometimes for several hours but occasionally for a few minutes before turning it back on much to her chagrin. The Messiah Complex can also serve as a kind of danger sense. Since the light is typically faint, a blinding halo of light trails can serve as a sign that Paloma is about to stumble into some real rough shit.

LIMITS ⫻ Paloma’s aura typically fills the room or the immediate area, but it essentially expands out from her as far as people can sense her be it by sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, or even extrasensory means. Her aura can be expanded through live footage or loudspeakers and be diminished by anything that would muffle/drown out her voice or obfuscate her presence. In general, the effects of her auras immediately end when she can no longer be sensed, with the exception of Good Influence which lasts for at least 24 hours. The Blind do not notice her aura either influencing them or leaving them, but the Paranormal can sense a difference in the air when they are within Paloma’s aura. Thus, while she doesn’t give off any clear indication that she is using an abstraction, any Paranormal paying attention would be able to notice that the vibe changed when Paloma walked in.

Everyone’s Sweetheart protects Paloma against intentional bodily harm. She can still be accidentally harmed by others or be a victim of collateral damage. Generally, she is as vulnerable as any other Paranormal to mental abstractions. As previously mentioned, it is also suppressed if Paloma ever attempts to do something violent herself or attempts to use her abstraction to brute force through an Emotional Field.

While under the effect of Good Influence, people will still behave like their normal self outside of following their orders. Good Influence can only have one lasting effect rolling at a time. Any new commands replace the last ones. As previously mentioned, Good Influence cannot be used to cause obvious physical harm to others or to the influenced, and cruel and unusual effects are typically negated by the Samaritan. Good Influence bounces right off of Emotional Fields unless Paloma tries to brute force it, leaving her vulnerable to retaliation.

The Bystander Effect can cause (usually) unintentional and catastrophic accidents when carelessly used out in public. The Bystander Effect bounces right of Emotional Fields unless Paloma tries to brute force it, leaving her vulnerable to retaliation.

On top of already being inconsistent, The Messiah Complex is purely reactive, not predictive. Something must have already put a person into a state of need before a trail to them lights up.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ The Samaritan is still a very young entity. As such, it has not learned the difference between beneficial applications of magic and malicious. Thus, all obviously manifestations of magic will not work on her as her apparition protects her. This means that powerful buffs, healing, and support will have no effect on her. She can still loophole her way into getting these benefits but it would depend on her committing an act of violence against someone. Thus, if someone wishes to heal her she must strike them first.

Paloma playfully refers to the Samaritan as Sammy, unless she’s upset with it, in which case she calls it Sam.

Currently, she works in the slightly nicer hospital on the Northside of Cloverfield but still lives in a rough part on the Southside. Well, rough for other people, perhaps.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Nathan isn't asking for much. A lot of people who know magic is a thing have some great aspiration in life, from uncovering the greatest secrets to conquering some grand beast. But in the wake of Nyrah's destruction, the most he can do is hope he doesn't lose his apartment. While the city keeps going and while people try to get back on their feet, Nathan is working his ass off to keep a roof over his head.

Magnus, on the other hand, is hellbent on making Cloverfield a safer place. Imagine, if you will, a world without the Joker or Bane, Poison Ivy or the Scarecrow. This is that world, and Magnus is this world's Batman. Chaos runs rampant in the south end of Cloverfield, with magic of all folds going unchecked. People suffer underneath it while they make ends meet, and in his approximation of human awareness, he wants to save them all.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Nathan thinks people should be good to each other, plain and simple. At the end of the day, people are all you have when you're not filthy rich. Family is important to him, both found and born. Without it, people don't have anything that lasts. Magnus, on the other hand, believes the world is a stage. There are the villains, and then there are the heroes responsible for shielding the innocent. He believes he is one such hero, down to his core.

SECRETS ⫻ Among the people who know of Magnus' presence in Cloverfield, not one of them knows he is secretly just a guy named Nathan Jackson, who found a magical mask one day. Conversely, no one in Nathan's life knows that he's a paranormal being, and he tries to keep these two lives separate as best he can.

Though, it's getting more difficult the longer he uses the mask...

SEXUALITY ⫻ Nathan is (probably) just straight. But Magnus cares little for such things.

FEARS ⫻ Nathan hopes and prays his family never loses their home. They're lucky that they managed to stay in one of the nicer parts of the south end, but if the bills couldn't be paid... It'd be over for them. But something else he fears just as much is the thought that he might one day lose his struggle with Magnus, and that he'll run out of willpower to take the mask off.

Magnus fears the opposite of this, in his own weird way. They're two halves a whole, and yet each feels incomplete as the other. For Magnus, it feels like dying every time he has to remove the mask and maintain his everyday life. Whenever he isn't Nathan, he fears the day he'll no longer need the Mask of the Hero to live a life with purpose.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ The masked magician of Cloverfield was a shield to the weak and defenseless. When Nyrah came to ransack the city, she was set upon by a hail of explosive playing cards and baffling illusions that fooled her at every turn to deter her from those in need. With little more than a clap of his hands, he drummed up medical supplies that no knew he had, offering his support to other fighters in the streets. The silly paranormal being was known by others to be some odd mix of self-righteous yet equally humble at the same time, hurling himself into the air with a flaming whip to get Nyrah's attention on minute and talking like a superhero the next.

Nathan Jackson was nowhere to be found.

FLAWS ⫻ Magnus is a product of everything Nathan wants to be. Someone people can look up to, someone who can make things right in the world, the type of man who people point to in their hour of need. But it's only through the Mask of the Hero that he finds that strength. Without the mask, Magnus doesn't exist. And without Magnus, Nathan is just a spineless nobody who holds himself back. He doesn't have the confidence to stand up and make changes without the courage that comes with being a masked hero. Being Magnus psychologically changes Nathan. It fills him with a kind of confidence that one can only get from supernatural means. His own personality is written over, like a werewolf under the full moon. And the feeling of so much belief in himself is nothing short of an addiction. Every day, Nathan finds it a little harder to take the mask off, and a little harder to remember that there are people who need him and not Magnus.

The other half of this coin is the fact that Magnus always has his head in the clouds. There's no balance between the two. As the family man grapples with the temptation to leave the mundane behind, so too does the bleeding heart magician struggle with the weight of normalcy. It isn't enough for him to live a day-to-day life, even if he could relate to humans... Something has to give eventually.

Nathan Jackson is the son of Carl and Jasmin Jackson, born into the middle class on the south side of Cloverfield. The life he had growing up as a kid wasn’t great by any means. Jasmin had health problems exacerbated by his birth, and Carl worked in the mountains. Sometimes, he would be home for days, and when he was finally home, the man of the house wasn’t in the mood to gripe with a scrawny kid and an ailing woman who just had to sit around the house all day. Nathan was always kept fed and a hand was never raised against him, but it wasn’t always soft and warm. Often, he’d overhear his parents bickering about who had it worse, the woman who could barely stand without her leg feeling numb or the man who breathed coal dust every day.

This sort of dynamic at home often had an impact on Nathan’s life in school as well, he’d do his best in class and be grilled for not always having the best grades by a man who thought math or science was childish compared to what he had to put up with. And so, Nathan put up with tough love over the years, never getting much sympathy at home and never being able to quite get away from the shitty attitudes back home. Still, like any ordinary person, he worked his ass off.

Things started to get a little different when Carl was killed in a mining accident, though. Nathan was only 16, and life fell to shit by then. They could barely pay for a funeral, and Jasmin wasn’t getting paid very well for a remote job she had as a telemarketer. The only reason they managed to stay afloat back then was due to an uncle on Carl’s side, who had a kid of his own but was a lot more stable. He came by every now and then and helped them through tough times, but Nathan had been sneaking out at night by them to deal with things in his own way.

His grades slipped in a way no one could blame him for, given the changes in his life. He never got to see his dad smile even once during the time he was alive, and it all just sucked. Everything was a disappointment in one way or another.

Life got shittier when the reality hit him that he’d never go to college. At the rate he was going, there was no way he or his family could afford it without drowning in debt. There were programs offered online that he could apply for to get scholarships, and there was a good chance he’d be able to do something with his life, but Jasmin’s health started deteriorating by the time Nathan was 18. If by some miracle he managed to move out, then there was a good chance she’d be helpless if something happened to his uncle.

And that was when he found something strange.

On another one of the nights where he’d sneak out to be alone, Nathan found a white mask laying half-buried under dirt and rocks. Touching it, the mask radiated power of some kind. He could feel it in his fingertips, as a voice- his voice beckoned him to put it on. And when he did, his eyes were opened to the paranormal. His mind spilled open like a floodgate, something in his brain fundamentally changed and became more like itself. He was gifted magic.

On that day, Magnus the Magnificent was born.

Magic has a funny way of finding people in the right times. After roughly a week of looking into the paranormal and coming to terms with how the Mask of the Hero worked, something awful happened, the Cataclysm. Nyrah descended upon Cloverfield threatening to level it. And so, a magician clad in red and black stood up to fight back. He dove into the streets like a hero, alongside so many others who he never knew were in this city, and they beat back the dragon. For two long days, his newfound gifts were tested as so many fell around him. But in the end, the heroes defeated the villain, and Magnus’ trial by fire came to an end.

But it wasn’t all good, because in the chaos, Nathan’s uncle was killed. He had been so good to Jasmin, and Nathan could have done something to same him while out as Magnus. But he never noticed, and blames himself to this day. After another funeral and a round of legal discussions, Uncle Rick’s daughter, Emily, moved in with them. It’s been hard, but Nathan had managed to balance out his life with the life Magnus lives. Nathan Jackson keeps his family afloat in a world that refuses to let them prosper, and Magnus the Magnificent saves the world so people like him can carry on.

It’s all Nathan can do to feel like he’s enough, these days.

TYPE ⫻ Agent

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Mask of the Hero

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ The Mask of the Hero allows its wearer to assume the role of their idealized self. An exaggeration of everything they wish they could be, but fear they may never will be. This idealized form is a heroic one, meaning some don’t benefit from its power in the first place. When the mask is put on, those who benefit from it become something closer to an Apparition. They become the person they always wanted to be, their new form embodying these traits in curious ways.

In Nathan’s case, he becomes Magnus the Magnificent, a fantastical magician who embodies the thrill and liveliness of the world. He becomes wonder and whimsy in the shape of a mortal man. Psychologically speaking, Magnus is a completely different person from Nathan Jackson, enjoying the absolute best qualities of his mundane counterpart without his flaws. Magnus’ abilities reflect this, making him a veritable superhero cast in the archetype of a performer. With an arsenal of tricks up his sleeves, no one truly knows what Magnus has in store for them.



LIMITS ⫻

Smoke and Mirrors ⫻ Beyond a radius of 20 feet, Magnus' illusory smoke just looks like a jumbled up haze. Anyone past this distance is wholly unaffected.

Sword Swallower’s Curse ⫻ Like a true magician, the sword doesn't inflict much harm on the audience. Oddly enough, it seems to only be able to harm living beings if they have an Emotional Field. Those who are Blind, or are affected with exceedingly weak magical resistances are unharmed.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Smoke and Mirrors ⫻ The hallucinations make no distinction between friend and foe. Anyone caught in it will be subject to visual and auditory hallucinations.

Sleight of Hand ⫻ When Magnus stores an object it is stored randomly in the pocket dimensions. When an object is pulled back it it will be pulled in that random order. Depending on what he has stored he might end up looking like a magician pulling ribbons from their sleeves in important moments.

King’s Deck ⫻ The cards are all pulled from the a singular deck and they are pulled from it at random. This means that when Magnus draws a card, he will not know what it will do until he sees it for the first time. This also limits what he can do with each suit. He will either need to count the cards to remember how many of each suit he has left or find creative uses for the card if it comes out without it. Magnus is also not immune to the shrapnel created by the spades. If he throws it too close he risks hurting himself.

Nathan works in a snobby coffee shop in the north part of Cloverfield. It sucks.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Varnan’s biggest concern is Cloverfield's well-being. After all, he lives here. He’s invested in preserving the city as a whole and combatting whatever threats come knocking. Ever since he left the Hourglass Guild, it’s been his home. And Varnan doesn’t tolerate nonsense in his home.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Varnan is the type of man who beats down a group of invading paranormals, breaks their spirit and towers over them, and then politely asks them if they’d like to negotiate. He’s a man of principles and dignity; There is a right way to do things, a right way to win and a right way to fail. Varnan believes in holding one’s self to a better standard, and making sure things are done in as best a way as they possibly can be.

SECRETS ⫻ The existence of the Hourglass Guild, and Varnan's past connections to it, are something he doesn't talk about much. It's complicated, to say the least. As far as anyone can tell, he simply came from somewhere that meant a great deal to someone else. It's easy to piece together the fact that Varnan has a tricky history, given the sheer sophistication of his magic, but no one in Dazzle knows the Guild is out there.

Varnan also tries to keep his very existence as a paranormal being quiet in general. While it wouldn't be the end of the world if his neighbors found out he could rewind time itself, he'd rather not advertise that fact. He's trying to live an ordinary life if he can, even as he tries to balance it out with his involvement in Cloverfield's prosperity.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Bisexual

FEARS ⫻ Varnan fears the possibility of the Hourglass Guild discovering that he’s still alive. Desertion is punishable by erasure from history. Of course, he also fears things like a second Cataclysm, and other things that would uproot his life.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Varnan was sent to Dazzle by his superiors in the Hourglass Guild. His task was to track Nyrah down and stop her for good, and when he came to Cloverfield, he put his talents to work. Paranormals who would’ve been killed miraculously survived death when they shouldn’t have, entire buildings were saved as he turned back the clock. Varnan brought a sense of stability and competency to the Cataclysm, seeing it through to the end.

FLAWS ⫻ Varnan's stuck up nature isn't for everybody. His inclination for doing things "by the book" often puts him at odds with those who would cut corners or take the moral low ground to make ends meet. To him, a victory that was secured through cheating is no real victory at all, and sacrificing one's own values just to say they made it is like its own form of death.

Varnan’s kindling event never happened. He did not exist in the eyes of the All-Verse before his induction into the enigmatic group known as the Hourglass Guild. Thanks to the use of esoteric chronomancy, no one remembers him from before these days. At the young age of 13, Varnan was brought to a place between worlds, by an old and wizened agent after someone found a newly kindled Adept in a place where he wouldn’t be missed. He had the potential, and so the Guild raised him as one of their own.

The Hourglass Guild, a militant bastion of time bending paranormals, taught Varnan to combat paranormal threats with his magic. He learned from masters older than centuries, and spent most of his childhood studying the lessons of those who came before him. Time is a difficult thing to control, even in the hands of such experts, but the Guild held its apprentices to high standards. By the age of 16, he had successfully mastered his first chronomancy spell, marking the beginning of Varnan’s ascension to an official status.

At 18, Varnan received his Timepiece, a standard issued artifact given to all agents of the Guild. He was formally inducted, and his first assignment began hours later in a world called Flare. A band of undead apparitions had been amassing power, and eventually melded together into something much stronger. This rancorous beast threatened to spill into other worlds, gathering up dead things as it went along. For three long weeks, Varnan and his fellow Timekeepers slowly worked backwards to find the origin of the creature, where they stopped the event that brought it together and sealed the original apparitions.

By 21, Varnan had mastered an additional four spells archived in the Guild’s extensive library, and put them to use in shutting down an invasion of Adepts raiding the world known as Shine. They appeared through canyon-wide rifts to conquer the planet and create an empire. Varnan was one of right agents sent to aid the magical authorities of Shine. After a month of extensive combat treating of injured, and field agent casualties, Shine was saved. Varnan and three others returned to the Conservatory with the feeling of a hollow victory.

Varnan saw many other battlefields in his time; In Glow, he led a stealth mission against an apparition that assimilated Blinds into a hive mind networke. In Haze, he was sent in alone to assassinate an Adjoined planning to open the Pit. After roughly 20 years of close calls and work in disastrous areas, Varnan’s attitude about work in the Guild began to shift. He had been deployed to so many worlds and only stayed long enough to take care of business, and he had recently been promoted to a field officer, a rank that gave him the authority to assign missions and train new agents. But he wanted something different, and that was next to impossible.

To betray the Hourglass Guild was to forfeit omens existence. It was a lifelong commitment, one that members could only escape by never existing in the first place. His time had made him weary, but Varnan had planned something risky. If it failed, he wouldn’t be able to regret it in the first place.

In a world called Dazzle, the Guild’s seers detected a monster ransacking one city after another. Nyrah the Ravager. She was dangerous. Not dangerous enough to warrant a squad of field agents, but dangerous nonetheless. Varnan volunteered to ship out and get rid of her. Given his status in the Guild, and his history of successful deployments, there wasn’t any debate in sending him out. And so, Varnan was dropped into Dazzle with a plan in mind

.Dispatch Nyrah the Ravager, and take an early retirement.

Varnan tracked her for days, and days became weeks. He combed through the wreckage of entire cities for clues that could help stop her, linking together a profile of her abilities. He always had to keep looking over his shoulder, just in case the Guild decided to check in. Eventually, he tracked Nyrah to Cloverfield, where the citizens fought back with a fury unlike anything Nyrah had been faced with before. It was all out war in the streets, with combat on the scale of something he saw on the rare occasions the Guild would send in a squad. Over the course of a few days, the last few pieces of Varnan’s puzzle came into effect.

Mere hours before Nyrah was taken out, Varnan transmitted a message to the Guild through his Timepiece: I am gravely injured, and may not survive. If I am not found in the Conservatory soon, know that it was an honor. It was sheer luck, and luck alone, that no one thought to dig deeper into whether or not Varnan was actually injured. The honest truth is that he was fine, and simply faked his death. The Guild didn’t even think twice about his absence.

And now, over a year later. Varnan Ingram is an ordinary resident of Cloverfield. He’s someone’s neighbor, he works at a bakery, and very rarely does anyone have the change to see the hardened warrior that waged war across the All-averse. He still keeps his Guild-issued channeler on him, just in case something dangerous inevitably comes knocking, but his days as Field Officer Ingram are long behind him.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Purple Lux. Varnan’s channeler is a Guild-issued Timepiece.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Varnan is a professionally trained chronomancer, with an masterful list of time manipulation spells at his disposal. With a wave of his hand, he can take control of a battlefield and save allies from certain doom. As one of the Guild’s former field agents, his magical training emphasized combat, making him dangerous in a head-on battle.

LIMITS ⫻ Every member of the Hourglass Guild knows the difficulties of working with time itself. Guild chronomancy is structured in just such a way that it actively works against situations that would cause a paradox. The failsafe worked into every individual spell taught at the Conservatory ensures a field agent won't become their own ancestor or do something so fundamentally stupid that it would require a whole squad of Wardens to contain. In practice, this means three things.

Law of Severance ⫻ Firstly, all chronomancy spells taught to Guild members automatically "short out" when coming into contact with foreign chronomancy. Varnan's magic is effectively allergic to other time-based paranormals, which means that one could very easily fight fire with fire if they dealt with him. Those who rewind time to heal themselves could walk right through a time-distortion effect he creates while their spells are active. Someone under the effect of a time-bending spell that rewinds their body could completely negate the Hands of Saturn.

Law of Primacy ⫻ Guild chronomancy is designed to avoid manipulating the future in all ways. The only possible way for Varnan to interact with events yet to pass is to use a spell that peers into the future, in the same way the Theta Screen peers into the past, or use a spell to send someone back. Under no circumstances could he open a portal to the far future and bring back an artifact, or get rid of people ten years ahead of time. Under Guild rules, doing such a thing means his Timepiece would alert the Warden division, at which point he'd be swarmed and taken away from Dazzle entirely.

Law of Imperatives ⫻ When a field agent is more than fifty feet away from any active spells they have cast, they fizzle out. Reality stabilizes until their work is rendered inert. This prevents Varnan from setting up a zone of altered time and then leaving to set one up a block away. As a field agent, he was trained to stay in the thick of things until the conflict is resolved. Leaving things unattended, therefore, runs against that.

Parallel Code ⫻ As a safety precaution, field agent models of the Timepiece have a limit to how many codes for living things it can store at once. For civilians- The official term for Blinds- the limit is ten at a time. For Paranormal beings with an Abstraction, this is three. Varnan is not exempt from this limit.

Hands of Saturn ⫻ Each detainment technique, in ascending order, is more difficult than the last to pull off. Moreover, they're visually obvious. Paranormal beings with an Emotional Field have the capacity to resist if they know what to expect; The Second Hand is the easiest, able to subvert the Emotional Field of most paranormals who simply don't see it coming. But the Hour Hand puts the most strain on Varnan, meaning he'd be lucky to detain more than one individual at a time. To get past the Emotional Field with the Hour Hand, Varnan would have to put most of his power into it, leaving him vulnerable if he isn't careful.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ Parallel Code ⫻ Transversal / Hands of Saturn ⫻ In order to reset an object or location, Varnan must also distort his own place in time and doing so will cause Varnan to experience his own timeline out of order. A small fix will cause Varnan to experience seconds of his past, or future, as if it was the present. A major use of the power can send him weeks, months even, down either way of his timeline. The effects of this last for as long as it takes for the spell to finish. As well, Varnan will not know when these time slips take place or where it will send him.

For Hands of Saturn it will start slow but ramp up quickly over time thus giving Varnan a limit on how long he can actually keep someone imprisoned.

As well, death can not be reverted. While he can heal the wounds it will not return life to the body.

Expedite ⫻. Speeding up the passage of time also speeds up the passage of time for him. Prolonged use of this spell could cause him to age noticeably depending on how much time is sped up.

Stasis Pulse ⫻ Those with strong emotional fields, like apparitions, are able to resist this effect.

Anyyyything else?

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Loni’s primary goal is to give her daughter a good life and be better for her. Even if she continually stumbles with this because of her poor spending habits, it’s still what drives her. Second to that is finding love for herself, and giving back to the people who’ve helped her so far.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ To see the positive, and keep going no matter what. Loni believes that things will always get better - and that you should cherish what you have. Because it could be worse!

SECRETS ⫻ Loni’s pretty much an open book. She has a difficult time keeping secrets.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Loni’s sexuality doesn’t matter. She doesn’t have the time or money to think about it, and with her job she can’t afford to be fussy - there’s more money to be made in going the full way. And she really doesn’t care! While her past relationships have primarily been with men, if she sat with herself long enough, she’d likely realise that she’s much more attracted to women.

FEARS ⫻ Loni fears losing her daughter. She also fears losing her twin just like she lost her mother. She has a deep fear of being alone, and of death. Loni also has a fear of needles.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ During the Cataclysm Loni aided her coven. While not a strong fighter, she was able to help protect those weaker from any stray apparitions while moving people away with her Green Lux. She also concentrated on keeping her daughter safe.

FLAWS ⫻ Even with her upbringing, and line of work, Loni can be naive. She believes in the good of people even when it’s been proven to her that’s not the case. Loni is the master of bad decisions and poor judgement of other people. She doesn’t realise she’s only gotten where she is unharmed thanks to sheer luck, and the actions of others (namely Vin) protecting her. While she likes to think she’s independent she’s really not, and needs to have people around her. She gets lonely really easily, and almost needy. Loni doesn’t like to impose, to the point where she’ll rarely ask for help unless truly pushed. But she can also be quite scatterbrained - not an idiot, but she rarely thinks things through before doing them. It’s easy to fluster her and make her panic, so that she’ll double down on something that she really shouldn’t. Loni can be quite irrational, which can result in arguments when she decides she’s right and won’t listen to reason… even though normally she isn’t right.

Alondra and Silvina Garcia Rodriguez were born to a young couple who had immigrated from Mexico to Cloverfield in hope of a better life. There was work in the South Side of the city that there wasn’t in their hometown. The twins weren’t a planned pregnancy - but they were one that Luciana Rodriguez welcomed. Their father, not so much. Feeding two adults was difficult, nevermind two babies too. As the twins became toddlers, their father got worse. When they were six he abandoned them entirely.

This left Luciana as a single mother to two. She worked hard to make sure they survived - taking a job in the factories when they were in school, and relying on the kindness of neighbours to watch them. Then, at night, she had work of an entirely different kind. Luciana was a skilled black lux user from a long line of Mediums and Necromancers. Her specialities were twofold - ushering Apparitions formed from dead onwards by fulfilling whatever needs they had to dampen the emotions that birthed them, and speaking with spirits that had gone into the Hound’s realm.

There were plenty in the North and South side who wanted to speak to their deceased loved ones. Luciana was especially talented at this - she would invite the spirits into her own body, allowing them to speak through her. Unfortunately, this had a side effect. Inviting the dead into her body was draining her life force and slowly killing her.

But Loni and Vin didn’t have a bad childhood. The area was rough, but there was always food on the table and a comfortable bed for them to share. From as soon as they could walk they were menaces, playing on the streets and harassing neighbours. Loni was the quieter of the two, often escaping the childish tussles to go explore the rundown areas of their neighbourhood. She loved bugs, and would spend hours collecting them and writing about them on scraps of paper.

Loni was fourteen, almost fifteen, when she kindled - a few months after Vin. It happened when her mom bought her a beautiful, fancy dress she’d especially wanted for the Quinceanera she knew they couldn’t really afford. From there, she learned about magic - exploring Green Lux with Vin, while both of them were taken along by their mother for her second job. What Loni saw terrified her.

But even worse than the dead that possessed her mother was the effect it was having. Over the next two years the Black Lux sapped away at their mom’s strength until she was skin and bones. Loni begged for her to stop - but they needed the money from the job. It was the only thing keeping them afloat. It would see them through a few more years. Vin said they’d work instead. Their mom refused.

Then, just a few weeks after their seventeenth birthday, she passed away.

There was just about enough money to cover a small funeral, and see them through to adulthood. A pitiful amount their mother had sacrificed her life for. Loni hated it, and she hated her Black Lux. But eventually the money ran out, and as they turned eighteen they were left to find work to stop them ending up on the streets.

Vin said they’d do work with their magic. They couldn’t call in the dead like their mother could. In fact, it was something Loni had more affinity with - something that terrified her. But they could fight, and they could get rid of Apparitions easily. Loni didn’t want them to. What if they died like their mom and left them all alone? But they needed money.

What followed was an explosive argument between two too stubborn to back down, and ended with Loni walking out. She wasn’t going to stick around to see Vin kill themselves. But then she was left with having to support herself… She didn’t want to work in the factories, and she’d barely gotten her highschool diploma… but she was attractive. She’d heard other young women in her neighbourhood talking about how well stripping paid. It didn’t seem so bad.

Loni was incredibly lucky. Where she could have ended up in all sorts of dodgy, criminal establishments, she managed to find work at the Sin Sister. This was in part thanks to her lux. Loni immediately found herself feeling at home there, and was able to stay in a small home share with some of the other girls in the South Side. After a few months, she even joined the Twin-Hill Coven.

Everything was going well. She had a new family in the coven and stripclub, and she even found love - getting together with a man just a little older than her. Sure, he didn’t have a job and depended on her not exactly amazing salary, but what was a little sacrifice here and there? He loved her, she loved him, and she was sure he’d do the same for her.

Loni fell into the exact same situation her mother had. At nineteen, she found out she was pregnant. At first she panicked. How could she keep her job? It was fine at a few months, but eventually she’d start to show. The morning sickness was already making it difficult… But after the panic, she was able to speak with the boss who fully supported her. She could even help out in other ways for a bit of pay. She could make it work.

Then her boyfriend told her to get rid of it. Loni didn’t want to. She may be young, but she wanted the baby. So her boyfriend, who’d been almost wholly dependent on her, left. Then everything felt too much. A few months pregnant with the prospect of much less money for a while, and a baby to raise alone sent her into hysterics.

And it sent her back to her childhood home - the small, shitty apartment they grew up in. Vin still lived there. They didn’t even ask any questions when Loni appeared on their doorstep in tears, and agreed to help as soon as she was able to explain. So Loni moved back in with Vin. She worked cleaning and cooking at the Sin Sister while pregnant, even though Vin said he could cover everything.

Then, a month after turning twenty, she gave birth to a beautiful girl - who she named Luciana after her mother. She went back to work as soon as she was able, juggling motherhood with paying the bills by taking her daughter to the Sin Sister as soon as she was old enough to be out. When the Cataclysm struck, Loni was able to protect her with the help of other people from the Twin-Hill coven.

Since, things have been alright. They’re protected from roaming Apparitions by Vin, and there’s no less of a demand for strippers on the North Side. Being a mother is stressful, but Loni wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world - even if her now toddler causes constant chaos. She’s happy and content with her lot in life.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Green & Black Lux. Channeler: An engraved silver bracelet with her name on it

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻


LIMITS ⫻


WEAKNESSES ⫻

Loni is fluent in Spanish.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Vin’s primary goal is to protect their twin sister, Loni, and her daughter. They want them both to have a good, fulfilling life. To have that, they need better opportunities. And with that comes their second goal, and the reason they’re in the Hollow Tap coven - to see the Lower District thrive like it should, and to destroy the North Side. Or at least, knock it off its pedestal.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ You don’t get anything by being nice. Peace just helps the ones on top. Violence is needed to pull them down - they need to be hurt and dragged into the mud with all those they oppress.

SECRETS ⫻ Being part of the Hollow Tap is something Vin keeps a secret from their Loni. They know they’d disapprove. Of course the fact that they’re a criminal is a general secret. They also hide how much they just don’t care about most people, and would just stand by and watch them die.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Pansexual. Vin likes most genders, and has had flings with a mix, but hasn’t been in a long term relationship since they lost their last partner in the Cataclysm.

FEARS ⫻ Vin fears losing Loni and her daughter. Not only to death, but also to his actions - that she may find out and never want to see them again. Their fight years ago hurt them deeply even though they always made sure Loni was safe.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Vin was actively fighting with the Hollow Tap coven during the Cataclysm.

FLAWS ⫻ Vin can be, at times, apathetic and brutal. They don’t care what they have to do to survive and protect their loved ones, or who they have to hurt. For them there’s family - Loni and Lu, and their coven - and there’s others. Others don’t matter to them. They’ve been jaded by losing people they’re close to, and witnessing the cruel realities of the world from a young age, meaning they’re closed off. They’re also incredibly stubborn and will rarely back down from their opinion, leading to arguments that get increasingly heated. They can be reckless and are quick to jump to violence. Often they’d rather let their fists do the talking.

Born to a young immigrant couple, Vin wasn’t given the best start to life. With a father that abandoned them when they were young and a mother who had to work herself to the bone for them to just get by, things were difficult. While Vin was the younger of the two they were the more responsible one, and from a young age felt the need to be strong and to protect their sister.

But it wasn’t the worst childhood. They had to get tough, but there was always food on the table, and a bed for them to share. Vin was part of a little gang of hooligans in their neighbourhood, who got into trouble brawling with kids a few streets over and destroying property. They were constantly getting into fights - ‘one of the boys’ is how they were viewed. Vin identified with it some days, other days not so much. Some days they chose to stay inside with their sister and play dress up… really, it depended. They didn’t have a word for it until they were older. But most of their time was spent fighting and raising hell.

Loni would often go off on her own, calmer adventures while Vin played with other kids on the street. It was during one of these times that Vin experienced the more brutal side of the city - and the contempt the North Siders had for people like them. Only ten, they ventured further than they had before with a small group of friends - all the way to the bridge connecting the North and the South. They were young and recklessly curious. So they dared each other to cross.

Vin ran over, through the legs of people passing, and back without a problem. But their friend, Greg, didn’t. He crashed right into a North Sider crossing… and the North Sider didn’t take it well. Not only did he beat Greg - but he kicked him to the side.

And off the bridge.

Vin couldn’t do anything to prevent their friend from falling to his death and drowning.

From there, Vin’s hatred of the North Side and the rich grew. Then, at fourteen, he got into a fight with some North Side teens that had snuck over to ‘experience what it was like.’ It was in that moment that their hatred switched to apathy. They didn’t care - and they could kill them.

Vin kindled. Their kindling, and the brief moment with their ancestors, saved the North Siders as Vin was dragged away by their friends.

The magic didn’t scare Vin. It was hereditary… so when there was time, they went to their mom. She explained more to them, but said she wouldn’t teach them anything until Loni kindled too. So Vin practiced by themselves, learning to transform their body into various forms, taking on aspects of animals they wanted while discarding those they didn’t. They spent all their free time alone practicing. Then, after a few months, Loni kindled too.

They were both taken along for their mother’s second job, where she invited spirits of the dead into her body using Black Lux. To Loni it was terrifying. To Vin… it was thrilling. They couldn’t do what their mother did, and didn’t want to - but the other Ghosts that roamed around while they were doing it? The Apparitions. They wanted to fight and kill them.

Vin began to develop their Black lux too, combining it with their Green until they could fight both Appartions and Humans with deadly efficiency. But as they did this their mother got sicker and sicker. It was horrible. But Vin felt a detachment Loni didn’t - a deep sorrow, sure, but apathy at the same time. As if their mom was already gone. But they still tried to step in, to take on the financial burden instead.

But they didn’t get to. And just before the two turned seventeen, their mother passed away.

There was just enough money for a funeral, and to last until they were eighteen. Vin did what they could to make things work, because Loni couldn’t. She withdrew into herself… and Vin had to be the strong one. They were pissed, angry where Loni was sad. But it wasn’t the magic killing their mother that drew Vin’s ire - it was the situation that forced her to work with it to the point it killed her. And they couldn’t let it get to them.

So when they ran out of money, they were also the one that had to find work. To protect Loni. They decided they’d find work killing Apparitions. It was what they were best at, and there were a fair few within the woods - and people who needed to get rid of them. Rich Adepts from the North Side looking for some muscle to protect them. Dangerous, but lucrative. They didn’t want to work with the North Siders, but for Loni…

Except Loni didn’t want Vin to put themselves in danger. Vin didn’t want to hurt Loni like that, but they had to. How else could they support them both? Both were too stubborn to listen to what the other was saying, and the argument ended with Loni walking out.

Vin waited a day. Two days. She didn’t come back. Then, after a week, they went out to find her. It took a while, but they did and she was… fine. She’d even found somewhere to work, and was easily integrating themselves. It hurt, of course, but what Vin wanted was for her to be happy - even if that was without them.

Without anything to support anymore, Vin turned to violence. They got into fights, beat up people for petty change to cover the rent, then beat up the landlord when he came around to try kick them out. It wasn’t sustainable, but it was addictive. The thrill, the adrenaline, the close brushes with death each time… then they picked a fight with the wrong guy, and ended up in deep shit with the Hollow Tap coven.

In the end, Hollow Tap was exactly what Vin needed. Their leader, Gideon, saw something in Vin - in their hatred of the North, their magic and their want to fight. Vin found a home in Hollow Tap. And they also found love with another coven member - Ali, a slightly older woman who’d been with the Hollow Tap since she’d become an adult. Vin fell hard and fast, and the two worked closely together.

After a year in Hollow tap, and a year and half after Loni left, things changed again. Loni came back. Vin found her on their doorstep in tears. They had no questions at first - hugging her and reassuring her while silently vowing to hurt whoever had done this to her. A man, it turned out. She was pregnant, and left alone expecting the child. Vin knew they had to do anything they could to help her.

So Loni moved back in, and her ex-boyfriend’s body turned up downstream a couple of days later.

Vin kept their work with Hollow Tap secret from Loni, pretending they just worked in the bar without any connections to the coven. They were delighted to become an Uncle-Aunt-whatever and did everything they could to act as the second parent.

When the Cataclysm struck, they were with the Hollow Tap, fighting Nyrah the Ravager and protecting the South Side from as much damage as possible. They were in the thick of it - getting hurt, and in turn losing many they cared about. Fellow coven members, friends… and their partner, Ali, were washed away by acid where Vin managed to stand strong. They came out of it more resentful, more scarred, and more apathetic.

From then, things have gotten worse. The divide is greater and Vin’s burning desire to bring down the North Side has only grown stronger.

Eventually, they get what they want. They’d see to it.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Green & Black Lux. Channeler: A silver chain bracelet with their name engraved on it

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Vin is a talented Green and Black Adept that specialises in physical transformation of her own body to take on aspects of various animals, Apparition suppression infused into her own body, and various more practical spells to aid in surveillance and survival.



LIMITS ⫻


WEAKNESSES ⫻

Vin speaks fluent Spanish.
While they dress differently, Vin and Loni are identical twins and can be difficult to tell apart if you don’t know them - something Vin uses to their advantage when needed.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ As a living legend among her peers, Moriah's level of freedom to experiment as she desires is only limited by her ability to maintain the expected quality and quantity of the Genetic Tithe. The Tithe is a payment of genetic materials made directly to the Sisterhood of Whispering Flesh - The ultimate originators of the Matriarchal lines which Moriah can trace her ancestry back to. The Matriarchs of Culla, their capital city in the foothills of the Italian Alps, maintain lines of credit which Matriarchs are able to call upon based on the quality and quantity of their provided Tithes. As such, those who are most successful find themselves to be both wealthy and powerful, garnering influence based on the perception of loyalty and dedication which consistent Tithes represent.
As such, in order to maintain as much autonomy as possible, Momo's only real goal in life is to maintain the highest grade of Tithe she possibly can. After all, she's long broken from the most traditional methodologies espoused by her teachers, in favor of far more experimental efforts in the furthering of the Matriarch Program.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Moriah is a surprisingly laid back individual for being so intimately involved with the daily grind of business ownership and coven leadership. This is mostly due to confidence and self-assuredness, which she had the opportunity to develop over a youth spent totally conscious of her purpose in life. Additionally, there are hypnotic anti-triggers locked in her manufactured brain which prevent overreaction. Any impulse that would unseat her stability is snuffed out before she can process it with a roughly 99% chance of efficacy. Therefore, her only true intention is to be the best Matriarch she can be: Fair, even-tempered, thoughtful, accepting and gracious.
Though, notably after an altercation with her direct progenitor, Momo has made subtle alterations to her behavior. Among them, she's far more hands-on in just about everything she can be than she was previously. Frustratingly, she's become something of a micro-manager because of it.

SECRETS ⫻ Moriah has a deep-seeded and desperate need for excellence and the recognition that it brings. Such is her fervor and need to accomplish this that she has completely divested herself of any rules and regulations set forth by the Coven of the Whispering Flesh in regards to the continuity of the Motta line of Matriarchs. Of note, a regulation stating that a Matriarch will only ever prepare a single replacement has been completely done away with, as Moriah began work on a simultaneous batch of ten "Unborn".
The process of preparing even a single Matriarch Unborn is a grueling and resource-intensive endeavor, especially given the requirement of constant genetic source material to pull from. While she does her absolute best to responsibly acquire said source materials, not all donations have come willingly... But if Moriah sees qualities and traits that she wishes to express through her Children, well... She can't help but fixate. One can only hope that a monthly blood donation is the least of their concerns.

SEXUALITY ⫻ One of the many quirks of the Matriarch Program's earliest days is the simultaneous coexistance of both types of human sexual organs. While she finds pleasures of the flesh to be accurately named, Moriah was born with a built-in drive to spread her genetic lineage as far and wide as possible while simultaneously storing and integrating any genetic material she happens to alternately receive.

FEARS ⫻ Prior to the Cataclysm, Moriah had been working on a single Matriarch. Over four painstaking years, Moriah had put her heart and soul into a single Unborn which had, in her mind, a strong potential for a split- Twins. Her ultimate goal, ripped away from her in a single instant of destruction. Her laboratory, her personal sanctum wasn't just crushed: It was swallowed whole. Since then, she's put a great deal of focus into making sure something like that never happens again. Thus, not only has she broken her Coven's laws by forming more than one, but she's also obsessively hidden locations in which her Daughters are kept all throughout the city and surrounding area. Something so wretched as loss of her Unborn can never happen again.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Coordinating efforts to both mitigate damage and maximize the effectivness of her Coven's small but capable fighting force, Moriah was quick to align her forces with the Keepers of the Grove and other likeminded local groups. Her main goal was, at the time, recovering what she thought would be her safe and well-protected Unborn from an otherwise catastrophic lapse in defendable territory: Of course that didn't happen, and many got to see the brutality of a Matriarch in mourning first hand.

FLAWS ⫻ Unlike normal humans, Moriah was born with purpose and destiny pre-programmed into her psyche. While she is a thinking, feeling, living human with real hopes and dreams, her course and destiny were somewhat predetermined. As such, while others may change the course of their lives over and over again in order to better themselves, Moriah treats every brick wall she meets as just another obstacle. She is unflinching, unbending, but also inflexible when faced with something that will affect the overall positive status of her goals.

Moriah's story starts in a plague-ravaged village at the foot of the Italian/Swiss Alps nearly a thousand years ago. An isolated village, one where the only people left alive were the feared Strega, who were rumored to toil over bubbling cauldrons deep in the forests. Before the destruction, many of the locals tried and failed to uproot this secretive Coven, only to be turned back as the forests themselves came alive. They all believed that the disease came from those cauldrons, whose sickly green trails could be found weaving their way through the fields and streets after particularly dark nights.
La Sorellanza della Carne Sussurrata: The Sisterhood of Whispering Flesh, who came to the villages at night to take their Tithe... Being sick in the Motta Monad Valley wasn't just a death sentence in those days; it was a guarantee that your home would be invaded, and your loved one would be taken. Lo, more and more fighting men were sent to end the percieved threat. Consequently, less and less men were seen walking about the Valley. Eventually, less and less men were seen throughout the region as sickness took the weak, and the Flesh took the strong.

The ignorant couldn't have understood what they were trying to do: That the magical plague which was spreading across Europe had it's origins in a war so ancient that even the Sisterhood was infantismally small in comparison. The Sisterhood were healers, or at least attempted healers, as their Coven toiled in service to the Deer whom they deeply worshipped. They closely monitored local infection rates, and would attempt to minimize the spread by isolating the sick from their villages. Those "dark nights" were the result of a gentle -albiet still fairly disturbing- preemptive gassing of the locals with a sleeping agent. Their stilt-walking cauldrons were typically the last things that the townsfolk would see before the darkness fell around them; and those unaffected were typically the scant few magically-inclined individuals who had some sort of Emotional Field to protect them.
So naturally they'd be targeted. Hated. Suspected of creating the sickness to steal the sick and sacrafice them to the Devil. And naturally, with money harder and harder to come by, fighting Men would seek out the paychecks provided by mercenary groups. The very same who would find themselves traipsing through the Motta Monad Valley on the hunt for Witches of the Wilds. Of course they would, in turn, defend themselves.

By the end, one could count the amount of men in the surrounding region without an abbacus. When cities like Venace and Naples came to claim their soldiers, they found villages devoid of life, save a few pox-free women and children who somehow managed to escape infection. They never found their men: Those men weren't found until recently, when a logging operation in that same valley turned up trees whose cores were the mummified remains of long-dead mercenaries, still clad in their armor and clutching their weapons for dear life. Rather, unable and unwilling to push their luck in the dark forests, the famed city-states of Italy condemned the valley in all but the most blatant of wall building. Those who could flee did, and those who couldn't threw themselves from the nearby peaks.
Only the Sisterhood remained. And while they were alone, they had not been idle with those who they couldn't save: Instead keeping their essential parts in biological stasis until a time where a cure for their sickness could be achieved. It's said the Deer itself called to them through the forests- "Mankind has failed. Go, and and do as they have, o' Sisters of the Flesh. Maketh of a New Man in thine own image." And with the Deer's instruction, the Sisterhood learned to craft flesh from flesh recycled. Their cauldrons became wombs into which the lives and memories of the sick were poured.

Each sister would craft a mirror of herself, and each would inevitably crawl into their own creation in order to spark new life. These creatures, made of pure arcane biology who were born from their cauldrons as grown things, transcended the boundaries between the biological poles. Each then learned and taught and understood one another intimately; and the first of the Matriarchs were born. From them, more would come in generations upon generations, the technique being refined as the Matriarchs joined and split throughout Europe's checkered history. They would eventually weave their way into the fabric of European high society, expanding the genetic pool far beyond the picturesque hills they came from. With this influence, Matriarchs would then return to the Motta Monad bearing mortal followers, materials, resources - All in the service of giving back to the land that had cradled them. A city which would remain outside of time, outside of the realms of Blind Humanity, and deep in the Deer's most sacred of mountain groves.
The city of Matriarchs: Culla, the Cradle of Mothers, where the eldest and wisest of their kind would rule the forests and guide the evolution of the Coven of Whispering Flesh into a global effort. A practicing plan to replace the follies of Mankind with the pure, natural expression of Maternal love and tenderness.

Culla remains hidden in the Monad Valley, even as industry and modern technology move back into the lower parts of the landscape abudding the Cerva River. The revival of humanity, and the eventual repopulation of the area by the Blind Majority, were always part of the Whispering Flesh's plans after all. Importantly, due to that consistent slow prodding, defenses had to be erected. A garrison formed, made up of the mortal followers and biological Sons of the Matriarchs of Culla, dubbed the Children of Alezia. Purely practical at first, it was a way to put the otherwise mostly useless and heavily scrutinized menfolk of Culla to good use: Living and dying for their mothers and Matriarchs, their loyalty was supreme. As more Matriarchs were born, however, and many came to Culla from the far-flung branches of the Whispering Flesh, a new purpose was given to the otherwise mostly ceremonial "police" organization. The Commendatoriate was formed, essentially as a college for younger Matriarchs to come and hone their skills. With the leadership of the Sons more closely controlled by the Commendatoriate, the Matriarchs of Culla were free to begin selling their magical mercenary company to the surrounding areas, and eventually further abroad as conflicts became more global and widespread.

Now, with the origins covered, we can talk about the New World: A Matriarch named Sylvia, born as a noble Matriarch of Culla and carrying the bloodline of one of the Originators, was an especially gifted and talented individual among her peers. Selected by her Matriarch and the ruling council of Culla, Sylvia uprooted herself and her closest followers to make passage for the New World, recently reborn as the United States of America. A few lesser Sisters made passage first, returning letters detailing a mountain range with suitable connection to The Deer's influence: A perfect place for Sylvia to settle and take advantage of the burgeoning diversity of the newborn Country. Peoples of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the native peoples who had called this "New World" their home for thousands of years prior, would all be available for them to easily pull and create from. Especially fascinating was the Native American's particular closeness and affinity for the natural environment most closely associated with The Deer. It was believed that their natural connections would make particularly quality contributions to Matriarchal bloodlines of the future.
As such, a branch was formed at the feet of the Appalachian Mountains: La Congrega della Gloria Immacolata, the Coven of Untouched Glory.

It's been three-hundred years since the founding of Untouched Glory. Unbroken for nearly all of it, the Sisterhood has been nothing but successful in their quest to perfect the process of Matriarchal Unbirth. Their claim to fame: Learning how to break the cycle of Reclamation, which prevented Matriarchs from needing to sacrifice themselves in order to birth the next generation. The phenomena of Twin Matriarchs, once seen as a blessing of fertility, became secondary to the new and modernized Unbirthing process. Now, it's merely seen as a good omen; a preferable outcome to see two Matriarchs born from the effort of one. Sisters no longer crawl into their own cauldrons to provide the spark of life: Thus, the number of Matriarchs in the world swelled from dozens to thousands within a few generations.
The unprecedented boom in population has since forced the Whispering Flesh to classify their ranks even further, creating less and less significant positions of authority and bureaucracy for those "honored sisters" who just don't stack up to their peers. Most don't even see the City of Culla now, and frequently these "Lesser Dames" choose to break with tradition altogether in favor of free lives among the world.

This process has since broken up the very Coven which created the situation in the first place: Sixty-five years ago, the renowned Matriarch twins Allegra and Bella, "Greater Dames" in their own right, returned from their time spent behind the forest walls of Culla with a new plan. Immediately, they petitioned for branching from the Untouched Glory, taking little with them and making way for the burgeoning city of Cloverfield not from their Motherland near the city of Roanoke. After all, they both had the chance to travel in the Commendatoriate, and saw far more of the globe than many of their sisters and progenitors before them. Fascinated by the liberation movements and rebellions sparking across the planet, their belief was that there was never a better chance than that moment to slip into modern City life.
Like the Matriarchs of ancient times, the two sisters quickly wove their way into what passed for High Society in the Appalachian South, finally forming the Twin-Hill Coven. Soon, the city's first strip club was opened- Originally a juke-joint and speakeasy in an otherwise dry county, Sin Sisters' became the premier club not only to see beautiful women, but to socialize and party to one's content. Of course, the sisters themselves only had one goal: Gather as much genetic diversity and potential as possible.

Famously inclusive and anti-segregationist, the Sin Sisters' Club became the gold standard for nightlife in Cloverfield's Upper-West End. Allegra Motta especially garnered a great deal of attention as a Texas Guinan-Style nightlife hostess: Her presence in the Club on any given night could reportedly turn the atmosphere from comfortable mellow to an absolutely electric fervor. On more than one occasion, it was said that the revelry would spill from the club into the gilded streets of Cloverfield's ritzy North side, lasting until every last man and woman made it back to their beds safely. It was a golden age, and the sisters prospered as they developed their own Matriarch Progeny.
A concerted effort on the part of Allegra and Bella, the two experimented on further perfecting a single progeny which was allocated double the resource pool. An experiment that's said to have created the single strongest Matriarch to have ever lived: Cadenza Superiore Motta, the first of the New Breed. The trend was not ignored, and while Cadenza's childhood rolled into her own time behind Culla's walls and at the helm of the Commendatoriate, Matriarchs around the world attempted to copy the results without success.

It's said that the bond Allegra and Bella share- Matriarchal Twinhood -was the spark that allowed for such an outlier to exist. Since, only the scant few twin-contemporaries have even come close to replicating the Motta Sisters' results. As such, Cadenza remained uncontested for almost twenty years as the "Arch-Matriarch". It was expected that her own progeny would either be a blessed Twin Unbirth, or at the very least an even stronger specimen than herself.
And so finally, we've reached our hero: Moriah Bella Motta, Matriarchal Progeny of the Greatest among them. Born to Cadenza behind the walls of Culla with only two years of Unbirthed gestation, Moriah was seen as "Uncooked" by those who found her infantile form as nothing more than a premature release. A test for Cadenza's future endeavors, and nothing more. So, it was fairly shocking to the Matriarchs of Culla when this "infant" strode and spoke and thought as if she were fully termed. Typically, a Matriarch would gestate for an entire decade as their Progenitor gathered genetic material from as many sources as possible.

For Cadenza, this process was simple: Why bother with outsiders? Everything Moriah needed to be was already behind the walls, and while most Matriarchs were covetous and guarding of their own personal genomes, none could resist the Arch-Matriarch's demand for their materials. She took whoever she could by charm and grace, and those who did deny her could scarcely prevent her from enacting the Right of Dueling to take by force. Thus, unlike most Matriarchs whose genetics come from a laundry list of Blind, Mundane or otherwise non-Matriarchal Adept tributaries, Moriah Bella was made entirely by the collected genetics of the best and brightest of her kind. Like her Matriarch, Moriah was powerful and gifted- growing faster outside of her artificial womb than she ever would've inside, by her tenth birthday, Moriah took her position in the Commendatoriate in order to travel the world and complete her education.
While most Matriarchs learn to fight and to lead in the Commendatoriate, it was here that Moriah instead learned how to be a human. Gifted as she was, her life as a fully conscious and adult-minded child was spent being taught to control herself and the powers within her. Cadenza was a harsh Mistress, and perfection was never enough to impress her, so Moriah only strove to seek that out. Emancipation from that, her time spent among her Peers as a leader of mercenaries in the modern age of Cold Wars and Hot Conflicts across the magical world, was like Rumspringa.

Moriah would spend the next decade among her peers as an unparalleled warrior princess, earning the highest honors among the Matriarchs in the Commendatoriate that she could before finally retiring to her true Motherland: Cloverfield. While she'd spent the occasional summer there in her early life as Cadenza's needs required, Moriah became especially fascinated by the lifestyle of her Grandmother-Matriarchs. Their oppulent Coven, the gilded Mansion they lived in, were very stark in contrast to the egalitarian and naturalist lifestyle of Culla. She would find later, during her time in the service, that more places were like Cloverfield than Culla: A realization that stuck with her and managed to draw her back once she had the freedom to do as she pleased.
As it was, she was still following her revered Mother, as Cadenza had returned to Cloverfield in order to address conflict within the umbrella of The Untouched Glory. Partly in support, but mostly independent, Moriah began to spend more and more time with her Grandmother Allegra. Learning about becoming a part of the Sin Sisters' Family as both a dancer and ultimately the facility's manager, Moriah became more and more comfortable with the urban highlife of America.

Cadenza eventually returned to Culla, trusting her daughter not only with ensuring the stability of the Coven of Untouched Glory, but the safety and protection of her non-matriarchal Consort and the gaggle of children that the two had naturally: Moriah's many "Mundane" siblings. Some remained with Bella Motta in the Ashram of Untouched Glory, others were trusted to various Covens in the local area. Cadenza was expressly clear, however.
"The only person who matters is Nikki. Protect my Consort. Protect my Love."
Moriah never could've predicted what happened next. How through a slow, subtle chain of events, the woman she knew as "Momma" would be slowly, surely lured through her children into the waiting arms of a criminal mastermind. One whose experiments of Blue Lux hungered for the incredibly durable and power-laden bodies of the Matriarchs. She disappeared one day, and without Moriah even prompting her to return, Cadenza made way for Cloverfield in order to find her missing lover. Before she too disappeared, Cadenza was sure to let her daughter know exactly how she felt about her failure of duty... Though she couldn't be stripped of her titles and rank, Moriah was stripped of every bit of dignity and peace she'd built for herself: Cadenza left no fault or flaw undescribed, dressing Moriah down to the point that when the Arch-Matriarch did disappear, there was no followup. No response.

All of Momo's affection and love toward her Progenitor died alongside her. There was no effort put into into mounting an investigation. Her half-siblings were quickly scattered about the local area, sent to different Covens who would take the orphaned children out of Momo's hands until a time where they'd be old enough to make their own decisions. Allegra, in mourning at the fate of her "Perfect Child", completely retired from public life to be with her beloved twin in the Ashram of Untouched Glory where they'd been born.
Now, she's been left to her own devices: Moriah has taken to her position as Matriarch of the Twin-Hill Coven like a fish to water, contributing a significant Tithe of genetics from her facility to the higher branches. Satisfied with the status quo, the Matriarchs of Culla have asked few questions... After all, despite her power, few wept at the loss of Cadenza Motta. Her impersonal, aggressive and often elitist attitude to those who she deemed "lesser" made her an incredibly unpopular figure across the entire family tree of the Whispering Flesh. By contrast, Moriah is looked upon fondly by the Matriarchs of Culla, as the eldest of their ranks remember the strange little girl for who she had been naturally. The opposite of her Matriarchal Progenitor, Moriah was always the first to rally Lesser Dames to her cause, and to uplift those she could wherever possible.

Momo has become a name that Culla can trust in the United States, while her Grandmothers Bella and Allegra have faded into quiet retirement with the loss of their "Perfect Child". While talks are in the works to push her toward leadership of the Untouched Glory, Moriah has since made plans of her own. Specifically, her own personal refinement to the process of cross-Matriarchal birth. The same kind of development her Progenitor Cadenza had created for her, Momo's intention was to experiment with a longer gestation time under the same process. This meant a ten-year development period for her personal Unborn, who she had affectionately named Fiora before the girl ever could've known.
Life settled into a rhythm from there. Sin Sisters' continued to be successful, and Momo's presence at the club was felt much like her social mentor. Healthy genetic diversity, the currency within the Whispering Flesh, bought her plenty of Matriarchal Material in turn, which provided for Fiora's planned gestation. Things were good, and Momo was at her absolute height in regards to her success. She was able to rebuild herself in the wake of losing her Mother both physically and mentally...

And then the Cataclysm came. It was devastating to the entire area, and even with the combined might of so many different forces coming together to try and stop it, there was only so much anyone could do. Ever the pragmatist, Momo did her best to use the time surrounded by the various covens of Appalachia to both gather material, and solidify alliances. At first, the Upper-West end was more like a breathing crater of destruction. Not only was the original Sin Sisters' club destroyed, but gut-wrenchingly, so had the underground laboratory which Momo had hoped would be safe for Fiora...
It hadn't been. Years of effort and material were wiped clean from the world by the chaos of the Cataclysm. More importantly than any of that, however, was the emotional attachment. Momo had, unlike many of her peers who saw their progeny as nothing but experiments, grown to love her Unborn like a true mother would... As if she'd carried the child in her own body. Maternal instinct gave way to mourning, coincidentally returning her to a closeness with her Grandmother Matriarchs that she'd been callous and cold about previously. But it also turned her into a frothing monster in opposition to Nyrah the Destroyer's nightmarish forces. Some called her bold, others foolish - But in the end, nobody could question that her efforts to reclaim the Upper-West End were pivotal in the overall reduction of Nyrah's capacity to wage war on the city.

And she didn't leave after, either. Despite so many people fleeing the city and the temporary reinforcements heading back to their respective homes, Momo was one of the first people to start putting resources back into the city. She became more than just a nightclub owner - She became a public figure whose contributions to the fiscal, material and labor requirements necessary for the initial disaster relief were recognized by politicians both local and Federal.
She had, after all, already claimed payment. The corpses of the dead were necessary contributors to the war effort... And the various post-conflict clinical facilities gave her plenty of magical and mundane material to send as unbroken Tithes back to Italy. Unbroken Tithes that earned her not only respect, but absolute trust among the Matriarchs of Culla. The kind of trust and respect which privacy can thrive in. As the Upper-West End was built back up to its gilded glory, the various magical groups playing a large part in the city's reconstruction over such a short period, Momo has taken the chance to work her way into various local enterprises.

Ever expanding her Tithe collection and unburdened by the expectation of her superiors, Momo has been free to experiment as she pleases. Because of this, she's divested herself of a cardinal rule: No longer is she restricted to a single Unborn. Instead, having established several hidden laboratories around Cloverfield's Upper and Lower ends, the amount of Unborn she's juggling in various stages of different methods and techniques has ballooned to ten. And each, separated from the rest, require tremendous amounts of time and resources in order to form correctly. Rarely does Momo sleep, for there is simply no time.
It's been almost two years since the devastation wrought by the Cataclysm. It's safe to say that, unlike many, the Twin-Hills Coven has thrived in the rebuilding effort of Cloverfield. Despite her pain and traumas, Momo has come to find joy and fulfillment in her life once again. Now, the only question for the future is: How long will she be able to keep up with the juggling act?

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Bio-Chemical Equation: Green Lux focusing on Periodic Elements and the part they play in Biology. Moriah's Channeler is a band made of pure gold implanted around the base of her spinal chord.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ There are Adepts who come from long-lived magical lineages, who are almost immediately opened to their third-eye and encouraged in every possible way to kindle early. Expectedly, they make for exceptionally talented individuals whose jump on the magical world around them leaves them overall more studied and capable than their peers who come into that world later in life. But what if one could twist and bend the Lux around the genetics of humanity, forming a vessel through the ebb and flow of magic that could be rendered as a willing host? Alternatively, what if one simply kept that child waiting, growing freely without the concern of lifespan as the constant manipulation of their body in a semi-formed state?

For Moriah, both of these ideas were used in tandem. Born through the Mother Deer's Gift - A process of gestating a child through multiple genetic donor sources by a competent Green Lux Adept - Moriah was created by one of the most skilled Green Lux users of her age. As such, her connection with Green Lux and her ability to wield and manipulate it down to the finest chemical elements found in nature is said to be peerless. Two years of gestation was all it took, and Moriah was born from the viscous amneotic pool in which she was developed with a fully developed mind and body. Cadenza, her Matriarchal Progenitor, had managed to make the unthinkable happen by claiming enough genetic material from the pool of Matriarchs spred across Dazzle to develop her progeny entirely from that source.

Until then, it was a source that nobody thought was possible to tap fully. A Matriarch may have two or three peer-donors, trusted fellows whose power or grasp on their Lux was particularly potent or desirable; but Cadenza sourced a reported five-thousand Matriarchal donors - Practically the entirety of their secret society's upper crust. It's had a potent effect on Moriah, and to this day her ability to control Green Lux borders on Apparitional. Spells, incantations, rituals; these things are only present as guidelines to educate lesser Adepts so they can hope to pull from a shallow pool of creation. For her, they're little more than party tricks, while she's able to call out to and reach for the chemical elements that surround all of us in subtle ways, using only her tremendous Green reserves as the catalyst.

The Mother Deer's Gift ⫻ As the primary building block of the magics utilized by Matriarchs of the Sisterhood of Whispering Flesh, the Mother Deer's Gift was the spell taught to the original Sisterhood who gave themselves to their cauldrons to kickstart the evolutionary process necessary to transcend their humanoid biology. At its most basic, the Gift is a fundamental understanding of the liquidity of Biology, and how the proper chemical compounds can create and maintain life with indefinite success. Understanding organic polymers created by nucleotides, and the further knowledge of how to create those building blocks through chemical elements and the formulation of amino acids, is a crucial stepping stone for every Matriarch.
Thankfully, this knowledge is usually second nature, as in the process of their creation, Matriarchs will invariably program this understanding into their "Unborn" progeny while they're creating them.

This process, the creation of a new Matriarch through the Mother Deer's Gift, is just as much a science project as it is a ritual spell. A great deal of Green Lux is focused into a protein-filled slurry - the components of which are historically recycled biological materials from corpses, but has expanded into pretty much any bio-organic material that can be gathered - which is then seeded by the Matriarch's own biological eggs from their womb. Over time, this slurry breaks all contributory sources down into their most basic elements, and one is left with a pool of resources from which a human can grow just as they would in a normal womb. The only difference is that, in this state exposed to so much Green Lux, every bit of contributory material can be sorted, organized and intelligently allocated to insure the perfect environment for growth.

As a magical side effect, all tributary materials are reliably preserved at a quantum level to retain cellular memory. As such, a properly formed Matriarch child - a process usually taking between five and ten years depending on the quality of materials used - is usually born with knowledge that a child otherwise wouldn't be. How to talk, how to read and write, how to walk and run and sprint and swim; the things that one would often spend those years teaching a child, they're born knowing. Beyond that, the Matriarch themselves typically pass down their knowledge of Green Lux through their own contributions, meaning that a Kindled Matriarch is a naturally competent Adept of Green Lux capable of replicating their Progenitor's own control. Thus, the greater the Progenitor, the more able the Progeny without intervention or education.

Cellular Banking ⫻ Matriarchal culture is all about genetic materials. From the time they're born until the time they die (sometimes hundreds of years later), Matriarchs are plagued by the goblinesque impulse to gather and maintain a stock of genetic material which they can then break down and convert to a more usable form. The most common method is through the ability to self-fertilize, which all Matriarchs are capable of through gamete-reconstitution by usage of donor materials. The goal with self-impregnation is not to carry a child to term, rather to produce a constant stream of high-quality Embryonic Stem Cells through the process of targeted self-renewal. In it's natural division, a fertilized egg will produce blastocysts whose inner walls are chalk full of stem cells.
Green Lux is further used to extract the fresh material, which is then packaged and sealed with a stable shelf-life which can be refreshed by the same Lux which forced it's creation in the first place.

Thus, genetic material of the highest quality can be stored for future use while the lesser quality product is shipped directly to Culla in order to pay the expected Genetic Tithe, alongside similar shipments of raw materials for the Matriarchs to produce their own stem cell banks.

Bio-Engineered Perfection ⫻ As the Whispering Flesh refined their control over the secrets of recycled life, they found that those secrets were equally capable of affecting those already born and grown. What started as simple rejuvenation techniques to prolong the lives of the Whispering Flesh's eldest Matriarchs became far more than the Sisters could've imagined. Rejuvenation became restructuring, the forcing of organs and soft tissue to function similarly using new materials that made them more robust and efficient. Some Matriarchs, unsatisfied with their human forms entirely, spend their own personal time and effort changing bodily systems altogether; developing cutaneous respiration, restructuring the nervous system, improving musculature and durability through various material means.
Modern Matriarchs, Moriah especially, have gone so far as to completely weaponize their forms. Bio-mechanical weaponry, post-human strength and reflexes, entire "Superman" conversions allowing the Matriarch to effectively transform into a far more deadly battery of Green Lux-powered destruction.

Moriah's main focus in this practice comes with a great deal of confidence in the Human form as the most potent vessel for Lux to be channeled through. As such, her preferred method of expressing her power is through the usage of tier-stepped levels of power which she uses to both gauge the power of her enemy, and conserve energy and resources in order to prolong her effective uptime before she requires replenishment.

• Riposo (Resting): Moriah's standard level of existence. Though she's no Hulk, Moriah benefits from an overall improved physique; a more robust musculoskeletal system, highly efficient respiratory/circulatory systems, and a gastrointestinal system capable of converting just about any organic material into its constituent parts.
• Migliorato (Improved): Moriah's primary combat form. This level of improvement is generally subtle, putting as little strain on her form to maximize improvements as possible. The integumentary system thickens, forcing cutaneous nerves under the surface to ignore basic surface pains. Energy and oxygen is diverted to the muscular system, and lactic acid produced by the increased strain is more directly filtered into the kidneys and liver which are improved to efficiently perform gluconeogenesis.
  While she doesn't experience any direct or apparent changes to her outward appearance, the results of study have shown that the transition from Riposo to Migliorato translates to a twenty percent overall increased output of power from her muscles; allowing her to run faster, jump higher, punch harder, and live through more devastating physical impacts without her body requiring any more energy than it was already using.
• Potenziata (Enhanced): Potenziata is where things start to get noticeable in terms of Moriah's overall change. Great reserves of Green Lux go into converting stored genetic materials, resulting in several body-wide mutations that leave no room to doubt that she's built herself for war. To start, the musculoskeletal system undergoes an overhaul as bones and muscles increase in size by an average of forty percent. New organs (called the Peripheral Chemosynthetic Glands, or PCG) form in her throat meant to gather chemical elements and produce compounds not naturally formed in the body. Her skin becomes hard and dense, utilizing the gathered materials from her new organs to inject a subcutaneous carbon-filament layer. Essentially bulletproof, ligaments and connective tissues are also coated in the same carbon layer in order to insure they can handle the increased strain. In addition, organs that otherwise would be used for everyday functions are stagnated as the energy they would otherwise used is allocated to more pressing systems.
  This is a full transformation, and the first sign that Moriah considers what's in front of her as an actual threat rather than a nuisance. Through sheer vanity, her outward appearance doesn't deviate much beyond a near three-foot overall height increase. Most notably, an aura of Green Lux typically surrounds her at this point, as the amount of it she's gathering and expending to maintain the form can be anything but subtle.
• Apice (Apex): At this point, all but the most necessary organs and bodily functions have been converted into pure glucose for energy. Nociceptors are completely disconnected from the nervous system, deadening her sense of pain and relieving her of any potential reactions due to it. The stomach and existent PCGs merge together into a single organ capable of breaking down just about anything into its constituent elements. This allows Moriah to eat damn near anything and repurpose it into her body in some way (a process responsible for her unique nickname and callsign within the Commendatoriate: The Uranium Angel). The skeleton is typically the first bit to be replaced, calcifying to the point that breaking one would require the force of a jet hitting her directly. The material swap usually comes with another size increase, bringing her to nearly eleven feet tall. The skin is further changed, becoming rigid plates of carbon steel wherever motion isn't a major requirement, and additional PCGs form in her arms and hands that are specialized for handling the formation of elements into blasts of incredibly reactive materials.
  At this point, the Lux energy radiating off her is so concentrated that walking about causes life to grow from beneath her feet. Her body itself, a walking breathing chemical factory, is now capable of replacing just about any "lost or missing" piece which may happen to come off during combat; though at a tremendous material cost that would probably still take her out of a fight temporarily as she devours anything she can get her hands on for a reset.
• Sconosciuta (Unknown): This categorization is for the unexpected: Moriah is constantly experimenting and developing her abilities in the search for perfection. The conflict with Nyrah the Destroyer's forces has been a sticking point in her mind for almost two years now: Her pursuit of perfection is rooted in the (self-aggrandizing) belief that one day, something worse will come, and she'll be the ultimate bulwark to stop it.
  Having never seen what her Progenitor Cadenza could actually accomplish at full power, Moriah only has the stories from the Commendatoriate's records to go by, and any first hand accounts that remain. To such an end, she's absolutely sure that her Apice form is anything but an Apex... An subpar estimation of perfection.

LIMITS ⫻ The main limitation in every single part of Moriah's understanding and control of Green Lux comes down to one limiting factor: Material quality. In the beginning, the Sisters of Whispering Flesh were forced to use corpses and materials from the natural world around them: While this mostly worked, living tissue was still required to complete the ritual behind the Mother Deer's Gift. As such, they would most often sacrifice their own lives in order to be "reborn" into the world as new beings. In this modern techmaturgical age, the flesh of the dead is seen as a middling quality material at best, used to pad the quantity in one's Tithe with an overall efficient and renewable material.
For Moriah, this means that eating as a human would is practically useless. As a "New-Breed" Matriarch, Moriah's nutritional needs are incredibly taxing and difficult to fulfill. As such, a great deal of care is taken to ration and control the genetic stock which she collects. There are alternatives, of course... In desperate times throughout history, Matriarchs have been known to cannibalize their "lesser" Adept followers, and even one another should the stakes be incredibly desperate.

Alternatively, the very presence of miasmic Black Lux can throw a Matriarch's entire body into chaos and disarray. The presence of undead, and the necromantic Black Lux Adepts who typically control them, is complete anathema to the Matriarch; the typical reaction is a lapse in control over the systems which are necessary to maintain their battle forms. Thus, Matriarchs either flee the conflict, become locked in a regressive state as their bodies consume themselves, or fly into a berserk rage which is completely ruined by the fact that their bodies are no longer capable of performing the same feats of power as usual.

The Mother Deer's Gift ⫻ While the process of creating an Unborn no longer requires a Matriarch to sacrifice themselves, the creation and nurturing uses the Progenitor's energy. On days that Momo actively tends to her Unborn she will be more lethargic, perhaps weakened. This side effect can be negated by the consumption of the correct genetic material to fuel herself.

Bio Engineered Perfection ⫻ Each tier of power requires an increasing amount of Momo's energy, and fuel to go with it. It starts as being easily maintainable at the Migliorato level, to requiring frequent nourishment at the Apice level (of anything and everything, preferably higher quality materials). Maintaining it is strenuous, and pushing all the way to Apex level will leave Momo weakened for a couple of days afterwards - and unable to push herself back up to it.

At Potenziata, Apice and Sconsciuta (when its obtained) levels, Momo is giving out an aura of Green Lux powerful enough to start changing her surroundings. While this doesn't seem like a weakness on its surface, it comes with unexpected changes to any living being that comes into contact with it. At Potenziata this is minimal - animals may mutate slightly, Blinds find their cell generation increased. It's at Apice level that it gets dangerous. Her Green Lux aura causes rapid, uncontrolled cell proliferation in any biological creature that gets near her. Animals rapidly mutate, becoming twisted far beyond their natural form. Blinds mutate too. How this happens varies - sometimes they change physically, developing deformities or even growing new limbs. The increased cell growth leads of tumor formation. Essentially, getting near Momo will cause the development of cancer for all Blinds. It can do this for those with Emotional fields too - they're more resistant, but at this power level weaker Paranormal can be effected at a slower rate. This means Momo can hurt the very people she's trying to protect.

Also with each tier, Momo feels more and more uncontrollable impulses to gather material - and an increased desire for what comes with that. This lingers even after she goes back to her resting state. While at the higher tiers, this can be very... painful.

I missed a part about Momo's affair with a fellow Matriarch, and how she died in combat and Momo couldn't save her. And about how Fiora, her first "Unborn", was made with the stored genetics of Momo's dead lover. It drove her pretty crazy, but I doubt it'll come up ever.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Since he was young, Ioan felt driven. Driven to escape his circumstances. Driven to prove himself. Driven by innate curiousity of the world, people and forces within it. When he was young he understood the hunger he felt, but somewhere along too much somehow became never enough. A restless hunger that never leaves him alone. Cloverfield needs to rebuild and he's the man that knows how to rebuild it. There are threats to be identified, studied and managed. New projects and sources of power to be exploited. Deals to be made. Power begets power and Ioan always wants... more.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ The world is cold and dark, a never ending struggle that carries on until it too will, inevitably, be carried into the great abyss like everything else. Good and evil, these are stories people tell one another to keep society functioning - simplistic truisms reflecting only vaguely the barest necessities of the human condition in a universe that cares nothing for our simple wants and deeds.

And there are two types of people in the world. Those who understand this reality, that we are all already dead men walking and that if one isn't careful the blessings of the meek are simply lessons of the blind and that ruthlessness, in truth, is simply the act of having mercy upon ourselves. People judge what they do not understand, but the world has need of men like Ioan, those willing to do what's necessary, to sacrifice what's necessary, to keep the very darkest of shadows at bay.

And if the world ever truly forgets that lesson - and the time will inevitably come - that will be the moment that darkness finally wins, and life and light, are finally extinguished forever.

SECRETS ⫻ It's an open secret that the Devil of Southside has skeletons in his closet. In spite of his many, many critics, Mr. Foster actually takes great pains to stay uninvolved in criminality, despite a youth that occasionally overlapped with gangs and petty crime. If you asked him though, the most damning indictment of his alleged 'crimes' is that they're all perfectly legal with, a handful of forgettable (and some might even say commendable) exceptions.

There is one exception that is very much not forgettable. The story of the victory over Nyrah the Ravager is well known: a powerful attack by a powerful adept managed to finally hurt and stun Nyrah. Ioan was not the adept, of course. But did anyone stop to ask, how or why this adept was able to do what all the others could not? Or what happened to them?

Rumours abound of things locked away beneath MFF Industries R&D Building. And that perhaps things have been done there that perhaps should not have been. Rumours of people screwed over in business dealings with him, of not reading the fine print in their contracts. Rumours too that his relatively youthful appearance is, in someway. unnatural: that Foster meddles with beings and forces that, perhaps, ought not be meddled with.

It's rumours like these that earned him the nickname, The Devil of Southside.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Mr. Foster presents as a cis-het male, with a not very well known kink for dominant women, and has been known to frequent a few select establishments and has relations with a few dominatrix types down there.

FEARS ⫻ The End of All Things. Ioan, pointedly, does not fear his own death indeed, there are times he would welcome the release. But in Nyrah, he glimpsed not only his own death but the death of all things. An end to everything. An inevitability perhaps, but not one he intends to allow.

What he does fear is loss of control, and helplessness. These were feelings he experienced, acutely, as a child and young man and the thought of going back to that place is deeply troubling to him. All men die, and great works pass to the ages but the thought that he's been through the things he's been through and done the things he's done just to wind up back in the same place he started: he would do anything, and rather die than go back to that place and those feelings.

And while he doesn't admit it, he finds the idea that anything in this world, or any other, could be beyond his ability to understand... disconcerting.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Ioan was already a public figure during the catacylsm and his role there is... frequently remarked upon. He was involved in the initial fight with Nyrah, and - along with many others - believed to have perished there, only to emerge afterwards, very much alive, but having made no further appearances during the cataclysm itself.

In truth, after nearly dying, he spent much of his time working in his bunker - not quite hiding as many assumed - but creating artifacts to support the work of other adepts. Despite his work in many ways being vital the the defence of the city, his role is basically uncredited and he himself doesn't speak of it. Giving vague responses that he 'supported' the fight.

FLAWS ⫻ There's very little actually holding Foster back these days, if anything this is the real problem. Unrestrained ambition and pride that he believes is well constrained by an meticulous, analytic mind. To Ioan M. Foster, there's no problem, force, or entity in the universe he can't overcome given enough time, resources and - of course - power.

Iaon was born in the lower south side to a mother that engaged in prostitution to make ends meet and father he doesn't remember whose claims to fame were being a alcoholic steelworker, beating his wife and kid and whose primary redeeming feature was having the decency to get himself killed in a back alley behind a bar before Ioan had formed any real permanent memories of the guy.

Most people who knew him in his younger days remember a dirty, scrawny, bookish kid who was always keeping busy either reading or hustling. Worked odd jobs. Saved money. He did the gang shit too, but hell, every kid had to when you grew up in the sort of neighborhood even south siders knew to avoid; he learned the hard way the gangs would just send the older kids to beat the shit out of you if you didn't pay your dues. If they said rough some other kid up, you roughed 'em up. If they said you had to steal shit from a store, you stole the shit.

That's just how things were.

But Iaon studied. Took his books with him even when they were shaking kids down or working corners. Read every moment he could. Innate curiosity they called it. But more than that his mom kept him going, told him he was a gifted kid who could make something of himself. That maybe one day he'd get them both out of the southside.

And he was good at it. Got a scholarship - all expenses. Big name university for mechanical engineering. For a time it looked like he really could escape the south side.

But the south side wasn't done with Iaon Foster. It wouldn't ever be done.

Third year at school, Iaon's mom died of a terminal condition she hadn't told her son about. Preventable too, but she hadn't had a doctor and she didn't have healthcare coverage for it through her work. It was the sort of shit happens every day southside. Iaon fell into a serious bout of depression, his grades slipped and the school pulled his scholarship, his second last semester he was trying to finish his coursework while couch surfing and living on the street but eventually he was forced to drop out.

Ioan doesn't talk much about those days, but his early 20's were lost years. He ended up back on the south side streets. The old gang. Drugs. You name it. It was this time, however, he experienced his Kindling-Event. He doesn't talk about what he saw. But it definitely changed him.

His first enterprise involved getting the lease on an old mill using money everyone assumed he borrowed from organized crime. By his 30's he'd leveraged his lux abilities into a reputation as an industry redefining inventor in the emerging magitech field, credited with a number of new inventions that maintained his operations at the forefront of the emerging magitech industry.

By the time he was 40, Iaon Foster's name was almost synonymous with Cloverfield industry itself. Despite impressive success, Foster resisted pushes by several subordinates and potential investors to off-shore operations, even when it hurt his bottom lines. At the same time, he'd gaine a reputation for many of his business practices and contracts being exploitative. Several research ethics scandals in their southside operations also resulted in prominent colleges and universities cutting ties with Foster and MFF Industries.

Despite these and other unsavoury reputations, Foster is one of the few people investing serious money into the south side, and has put a great portion of his fortune into rebuilding his operations in the south side; one of the few success stories to emerge south side since the cataclysm itself.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Orange Lux - Artifact Engineering

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Iaon actually has no abilities to produce or wield lux energies per se himself. What he can do is work lux energies that exist in the world into artifacts. This is his lux ability, but his true specialization is in his ability to incorporate lux effects into mundane electro-mechanically engineered systems to create magitech.

LIMITS ⫻ Ioan requires not only his Channeler - necklace pendant of his mother he wears - but also tools, equipment and time to ply his craft and the enchantment must occur during the formation of the item itself.

Nothing comes of nothing and Iaon's ability actually requires him to have access to 'raw lux energies' themselves to do anything. For instance, to create an enchanted sword with fire, he would require not only the tools to forge a sword - but also some access to fire, or very strong destructive emotions or preferably both.

Iaon's creations are only as good as his materials. Crafting a magic lighter that produces a small flame? Easily done, with just some flame. Want something bigger or a permanent effect instead of a one off? Nothing comes from nothing. It's gonna need a power source.

None of the spell effects Ioan uses typically functional through an active emotional field. Nor can they be used to remove an adept's ability to use lux (though they might need to rest after getting the old juices sucked out). To be clear, they also cannot replicate someone's specific abstraction abilities.

Spells ⫻

Lux Fixation ⫻ This is the main ability Iaon possesses, fixing a source of lux energy into an object. This requires, as above, a source of both the lux effect, and a power source if the effect is going to be more than a one off deal.

Lux Distillation ⫻ This spell, cast into an object, allows that object to distill lux energy out of a source into some sort of container. For instance an artifact imbued with this ability might allow red lux energy to be distilled from an actual fire, or a source of intense, destructive emotions and transferring it into a suitable receptacle, and you wind up with fire in a bottle, or gem, or something else suitably cool.

Lux Transference ⫻ Allows the transference of lux from one source to another, can be seen as a sort of booster effect. The lux types must be compatible - i.e. blue lux energies can only be transferred to something also blue lux affiliated. Like distillation, this removes lux energy from the source effect and empowers the target(which must be a capable receptacle). This effect cannot be used to siphon energy from a lux user, but it can siphon energy from someone actively casting, and while it doesn't impact the spell, the user might feel a bit spent and require a rest before casting again.

Lux Transformation ⫻ A work around for the above, requires creation of a separate artifact. Imbues an object with the ability to act as a bridge, converting different forms of energy into another form: i.e. With some limitations, for instance, antithetical energies - transferring energy from hatred into calm for instance - has more of a cancellation effect. This is more an industrial spell application for when you've got 2.3 kilotons of blue lux energy and you say, need to power an artifact that takes green lux. This handy orange lux spell has your back!

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Lux Transference-Lux Transformation ⫻ Adepts can only be boosted by their own Lux type. If this spell is used to boost an adept, it will bring about a sickness fueled by the dominant lux of the adept. For example, Green Lux is typically associated with joy however when boosted this joy will be extreme. They will feel a sickening joy at everything and it will be intoxicating. This will be true for all lux types. Emotional Sickness will last for an hour after the spell ends, and will leave the adept feeling exhausted and find that their own joy is missing. As well, this spell can not penetrate emotional fields meaning that every adept must consent, and every adept can revoke that at any moment. Apparitions, with their stronger emotional fields, will be nearly impossible to crack unless he finds a way to remove or weaken it.

The All Hunger - Most artifacts just work. Permanently. For whatever reason those designed and built by Ioan Foster need to be fed in order to function. They can be one time use. They can be rechargeable. They can be more or less efficient but if they're in constant use, like any technology they need fuel to keep going; and for lux tech only lux energy will do.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ She wishes to find the sources of pain within Cloverfield, unearth them, and delicately exacerbate them. She also doesn't wish for other factions to have more power than herself over Cloverfield, and is very interested in ensuring the Adel Coven thrives. This means rooting out all the evil in Cloverfield, the wolves in sheep's clothing, so that only her soft and gentle evil remains.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Just because those around her are tools, doesn't mean she doesn't care about them. In fact, she might just care about a tool or a pet just as much as her own blood. She believes most doors open to subtlety, to well-placed generousness, and well-meaning. Intimidation is used as a last resort only. She prefers leeching information, and having that information to her advantage, as it can conquer before a blade can strike.

SECRETS ⫻ Her thralls of the Adel Coven often take part in ritualistic pain sessions, both physical and mental, to the benefit of the Adel family. She is completely fine with this. They also extort tributes from their thralls.

It is a family practice to reinvent themselves every twenty years or so in a new area of Cloverfield under a new name. Twenty years ago, they were known as the Lucilles Coven. This helps disguise just how long the Coven has had its roots in the people of Cloverfield.

Subtlety is most important for the Coven, however, and prefers to keep its existence a secret. However, it's only after the Cataclysm that the Adel Coven rose to the Lower District from their abode under the city, in the sewers.

SEXUALITY ⫻ N/A.

FEARS ⫻ She fears the Cataclysm happening again. She fears the police in the overworld of Cloverfield finding out about the Adel Coven. She fears the monsters coming to life in the city streets that threaten to disrupt her way and her family's way of living.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Lorenza was present in the later stages of the fight, attracted to the overwhelming bouquet of pain and with a desire to protect Cloverfield from being wiped out, both in equal parts. Her curses were used to push back the onslaught.

FLAWS ⫻ On her worst days, Lorenza's competitiveness, cruelty, and cunningness get the better of her. These prevent her from seeing the bigger picture, and sometimes it takes a sharp jar for her to realize life is more than just extorting thralls.

Vampires.

They exist, especially so in Cloverfield, though they haven't always been so pronounced in their presence.

But before we talk about Lorenza, we have to talk about the first ‘Adel’, the first of Lotenza's bloodline where, 200 years ago, they were cursed.

Yes. Vampirism, at least this strain, was and is a curse so powerful so as to be passed down to the next generations. A powerful Blue Lux wielder cursed the first ‘Adel' to outlive their family, to no longer derive joy from conventional food, to limit their movement by prohibiting crossing moving water, and to make them bloodless as a side effect of their cursed loneliness. And, cursed to curse others, and perpetuate the cycle of pain.

And so began the lonely existence of the Adels, trying to come to terms with their existence and cage out a slice of paradise for themselves despite their sorrows.

Lorenza was born to Jullius Adel and Maria Snow, the only possible way an Adel could actually have children. Adels were, in fact, a type of fairytale vampire, and so couldn't reproduce in ways normal humans, magic or not, do. So Lorenza grew up with a vampiric father and a wholly human, albeit magical, mother.

Lorenza noticed things were strikingly different from her mother. Mainly, her diet. While her mother ate fruits and vegetables, Lorenza preferred blood, and pain as an emotion. Once, her mother accidentally cut herself on a knife, and Lorenza immediately stuck the cut finger in her mouth, drawing out the pain. And Lorenza felt full afterward.

Lotenza also noticed another thing. Her mother aged, but Lorenza, after she reached twenty-one, stopped physically aging. She looked similar to her father, who also hadn't aged a dime.

Dialing back the years a few, when Lorenza was twelve, she saw the surface for the first time. Up until that point, she had lived under the streets in their home chiseled secretly into the sewer walls. It was midnight when she and her mother came up to the street level on the Lower District side of Cloverfield. Lorenza was in awe, staring up at the streetlights and watching cars pass along the streets.

However, when she and her mother were passing a particular alleyway, they were pulled in and roughly thrown to the ground. Men stood over the two of them, wielding knives and admiring the gold on them. But before they could put hands on her mother, Lorenza Kindled, and touched them. They immediately burst into black and red flames, and fell over each other as they tried to run away, before collapsing to the cement.

Mere moment later, the vision in Lorenza's right eye disappeared as a rose sprouted violently from within her eye.

Lorenza was officially an Adel.

From the night if her Kindling and onward, Lorenza would be involved in the deeper parts of the Adel Coven. Namely, participating in the pain and bloodletting rituals for sustenance, and perfecting her curses under the tutelage of her father.

“We need strong Adels. You will be the pride of our family, Lorenza.” Was what her father always said. Though his teaching method was strict, and punishment swift, Lorenza was attached to her father, and took on his lessons well.

Lesser family members, cousins and cousins-first-removed, were in charge of finding new thralls. Lorenza never suffered the bore of finding more willing victims unless it was what she desired. And when she requested doing her high-school studies in a proper school above, instead of being homeschooled, she found many, many disenfranchised youth of the North side of the line that were eager to find a way to get rid of their pain, dealing with insufferably vain parents. They were also more than happy to pay tribute. Her father was pleased.

Lorenza, among other powerful members of her Coven, made a stand against Nadine and Nyrah, hurling everything could at the villains. In the aftermath, a striking vacuum of power left the South wide open. Lorenza's father almost immediately purchased a mansion on the South side, and the Adels and their thralls began living on the surface, reveling in the night and prowling the streets.

Currently, Lorenza has been tasked with identifying other factions shaping up in the city, both North and South. Anything that would take a slice from their pie: The citizens of Cloverfield.

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Cursed Bloom - Vampiric Curses that affect the mind and body of the unfortunate. Blue and Orange Lux. Channeler is the red rose growing out of her right eye.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻

The Cursed Bloom has been passed down the Adel lineage for the past 200 years, manifesting itself as a rose of varying shades. The rose takes what it gives, demanding a sacrifice for its power - the true nature of a curse. With Lorenza's father, it took one of his hands. With Lorenza, it took one of her eyes.

With this exchange, Lorenza is entirely transformed. Cursed with immortality and the weaknesses of vampires, such as not being able to be in sunlight, cross moving water, or enter a home unbidden. However, she has a few boons. Appealing to the senses, fangs on her canines, and a diet that is fairly easy to maintain in the damaged city that is Cloverfield. She also has her developing curses that are unique to each Adel.

Curses are given by being in contact with Lorenza's aura, about a five foot radius. They have the ability to eat through Emotional Fields. The victim only needs to be within Lorenza's aura for a few seconds for the curse to slowly be applied. A curse takes about thirty seconds to be delivered in full. They cannot be healed with Green Lux.



LIMITS ⫻

All curses that Lorenza inflicts successfully, she gets rebound of 20% of the overall infliction.

Emotional-Fields take some time to eat through, and will not allow Lorenza to outright kill anyone.



WEAKNESSES ⫻

Made in the universe known hereafter as Glare, Idles-In-Shade was created as an Apparition by an Adept, Charles Cain, in a great gambit to secure a fortress Cain had been building in the Appalachian Mountains. Once a coven leader of other Adepts in that region before slowly, painfully, secretly consuming them, Cain had begun several campaigns to effectively perform the same process to cults of the Blind. Endeavoring with the consumption of souls to elevate himself to the position of an Apparition, immortal in all ways, in an effort to achieve this Cain deigned to create a fortress, let leak to the great many groups of Adepts who find themselves wanting to lay down their law, and in a grand ritual ultimately die. Through this, he planned to become what he believed to be an Angel, a creature of undying and eternal power, and to achieve this fortress the Adept summoned forth an Apparition.

He was born into service, morality not touching his being as Idles-In-Shade labored to bring about his creator’s vision. Years passed by as he did so, the Abstraction of his power formed by the demands of Cain, yet eventually his master grew impatient. The hounds of the Brotherhood, far-flung as they were from their European haunts, had begun to smell the heretical foundations in the Appalachians while the numerous mass deaths - each conducted by Cain with the terrible magician’s flair of feigning his own demise - had begun to attract Blind law enforcement as well as the Adepts who played at that same game. He felt walls close in that may have been only imagined, felt that his fortress had been perfected far enough as any would wish, and thus began his plan.

The endeavor failed. The endeavor succeeded. Cain died, the fortress ensnaring so many of the Adepts, of the Brotherhood, of Blind caught in the play who thought they were simply enforcing Federal laws, and then the fortress erupted in fire. Souls caught by Cain’s magic flowed like rivers, some of these Cain consumed in his death-throes, the magic in the air rending the fortress open to the space between realms. Glare bled out into that space while the space itself flooded in. As chaos grasped hold of all, a question appeared in Idles-In-Shade’s mind, a curiosity, and he indulged in it. He consumed some of the souls, too, and slipped out through the cut in Glare into that space between. Glare ended, Cain dead, but he, he was free.

Idles-In-Shade would land in Dazzle, though he wouldn’t know its name, and set about achieving that fortress which he had once been commissioned to make. A grand misunderstanding - and a grand built-in urge - had resulted in this as Cain had never truly divulged his plans to the Apparition he had created and the demands which he had made upon his creation left the deepest of imprints. He took the guise of a squirrel, a creature few even batted an eye against and fewer still took the great times to interact with in any way, and took residence in an old, disused park in a place known by the Blind as Cloverfield. It was to be the foundation of that fortress, Berny Park in the lower district, a citadel that none would suspect to be a citadel and none would be capable of breaching.

Then the Cataclysm came and then the Cataclysm went. He took to ground, like so many others, focusing his magic such that the park itself became impossible to traverse, such that every shard of Nyrah’s power which ever would cut against it, every stray belch of acid, every coincidental cut of talon, could make little headway. It was taxing and hard, brutally hard, but through it all he and the fortress survived. Through that fact that the fortress had never been seen as a fortress, all remained unnoticed, unfocused by those who would seek to destroy, and the Idles-In-Shade found it all to have been tested satisfactorily…though never tested to completion. There was still work to be done. There was still work to be built. The itch in the back of his mind would not be satisfied by the mere fact of survival, especially when others had survived it by their mere force of will.

He has since become a coincidental, partially benevolent spirit of Berny Park. Though humanity at times baffles him, at times confounds him, the Aberration has taken some degree of pleasure in using his creation towards more present goals. Teenagers who wish privacy might find it in the park where a trail becomes cloistered from even the most prying of eyes, thieves might run from their targets through its trails to become just another face in the crowd, though he takes some degree of satisfaction in giving particular attention to certain individuals. Those who do harm in his fortress, or seek to use his fortress to conceal their deed, do so at their own peril. Idles-In-Shade finds that to be the critical line before the limits of his charity, the obligations of the host, are broken.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Élodie’s primary goal is to redefine her purpose by protecting others and helping to rebuild the fractured lives left in the wake of the Cataclysm. She’s moved by a sense of responsibility for Cloverfield, haunted by the scars the battle left on both the land and the people. Driven by her past and the people she's encountered who suffered under magical oppression, she now views her magic as a tool to help others reclaim their lives. This goal is complex, as it also serves as a way for Élodie to distance herself from the darker parts of her history, striving to honor the sacrifices made during the Cataclysm. By recovering lost relics and preventing future calamities, she hopes to become a force of positive change and prove to herself and the Brotherhood that magic is best wielded with compassion.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Élodie believes magic should serve the people, not control or overpower them. She follows a philosophy centered on responsible power use, profoundly shaped by her early experiences with the Thorned Petal Society’s ruthless doctrine and later training with the Brotherhood. Her encounters have led her to view magic as something to wield carefully, with respect for its impact on others, especially the vulnerable. Though she appreciates the Brotherhood’s guiding principles, her philosophy remains open to nuances; she opposes violence unless necessary and values understanding over pure discipline. This mindset often places her at odds with the Brotherhood’s more dogmatic members, but she remains committed to her beliefs, even when faced with complex moral choices.

SECRETS ⫻ Élodie harbors two main secrets: her complicated past with the Thorned Petal Society and the conflicting sense of guilt and relief she feels about leaving them. Although she escaped the society’s oppressive grip, she often finds herself torn between shame over the life she left behind and pride in her decision to walk away from their control. Another secret she keeps closely guarded is the depth of the trauma she experienced during the Cataclysm. The loss of her relics and her near-fatal encounter with Nyrah left scars she rarely reveals, even to her Brotherhood allies. Beneath her calm exterior, she worries that her past or her unresolved trauma might compromise her ability to protect those she’s sworn to help.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Élodie is quietly bisexual, having explored her attractions during her early years in Carcassonne. However, her rigid upbringing within the Thorned Petal Society suppressed open discussions of love and desire. Now that she’s free, Élodie embraces her sexuality privately, seeing it as an expression of the freedom she’s fought to claim. Her connections are meaningful; she values emotional and intellectual compatibility over labels. The relationships she forms are often rooted in mutual respect and shared goals, as she finds trust challenging to cultivate but intensely rewarding. Her sense of self has grown since her time with the Brotherhood, giving her quiet confidence in her identity, even if she rarely discusses it openly.

FEARS ⫻ Élodie’s greatest fear is the possibility of falling back into the same patterns of dominance and control she learned from the Thorned Petal Society. She worries that the residual influence of their teachings and her innate magical ability could lead her to use power in ways that contradict her values. She also fears failure on a profound level—specifically, the fear that she might be unable to protect those she cares for or that she could be partly responsible for a future catastrophe like the Cataclysm. The haunting memories of her near-death experience with Nyrah have also left her with a fear of acid or corrosive magic, a deeply rooted reminder of her vulnerability.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ During the Cataclysm, Élodie was sent to Cloverfield by the Brotherhood to face Nyrah the Ravager and assist in stopping the horrific rampage. Élodie fought valiantly, wielding the elemental powers of her Knight’s Edge to protect the people and stabilize the city’s defenses. As the city crumbled and the earth split, she realized her training and power might not be enough. Despite the overwhelming odds, she pressed on, only for her resolve to be tested when Nyrah’s acidic magic struck her, costing her the relics she held dear and nearly her life. Her physical wounds from the acid were severe, and as she watched the city fall to ruin, she understood firsthand the cost of the Brotherhood’s mission. While Cloverfield was ultimately saved, the Cataclysm left Élodie with a profound sense of failure and loss, marking her with physical and emotional scars that would linger long after the battle ended.

FLAWS ⫻ Élodie’s most significant flaw is her profoundly ingrained need for control, stemming from her training in the Thorned Petal Society, where magic was wielded with an unforgiving intensity. This need often leads her to isolate herself, assuming responsibility for challenges that could be shared with others, and she sometimes struggles to trust fully. She also tends to be rigid in her morals and, at times, inflexible when it comes to compromise, which can put her at odds with the Brotherhood and alienate potential allies. The trauma of the Cataclysm has left her wary and occasionally reluctant to engage fully in confrontations, fearing a repeat of past failures. While her resolve is firm, her reluctance to reveal vulnerability or accept help leaves her emotionally closed off, potentially undermining her relationships and clouding her judgment in moments when empathy could be her greatest strength.

Élodie was born in the outskirts of Carcassonne, a city in southern France renowned for its medieval fortress and ancient mysteries. While Carcassonne was a bustling tourist destination, her family resided in a secluded estate on the city's fringes, shrouded in dense woodland and wild overgrowth. This estate served as the hidden sanctuary for the Thorned Petal Society, a centuries-old coven with roots tracing medieval times when witchcraft and folklore were deeply interwoven into the townspeople's lives.

The Thorned Petal Society had long been a part of Carcassonne’s underbelly, carefully concealed yet steeped in the city's folklore. The Thorned Petal Society taught Élodie to wield magic with raw intensity, focused on the ruthless command of elemental forces. Her training was steeped in power and precision, from conjuring flames and storms to summoning barriers and wielding transformations for stealth. The society’s doctrine emphasized dominance and control, molding her to see magic as a tool to bend nature and others to her will. Yet, as she grew, Élodie began to see the rigid, unforgiving nature of their practices for what it was: an insular obsession with power that left no room for compassion or freedom. Yearning for more than the coven’s dark vision, she set out to find her path.

Élodie began to feel the suffocating weight of the Society’s ideology during her teenage years. She often overheard the older women talk about the “purity” of their ways, but she couldn’t ignore the doubt that grew inside her. A turning point came when she encountered a wandering healer who practiced magic openly yet gently. He shared stories of using magic to heal and protect, describing it as a gift meant to serve others, not to impose control. This unexpected encounter opened Élodie’s eyes to the potential of a different path, one starkly opposed to the Thorned Petal Society’s dark doctrine.

As her newfound perspective clashed with the coven’s teachings, Élodie grew defiantly, harboring secret dreams of leaving Carcassonne and exploring the magic beyond her family’s reach. But the coven was unrelenting; sensing her rebellion, they subjected her to brutal “purification” rituals meant to break her spirit and bind her loyalty. These ordeals only solidified her resolve; one night, at seventeen, she finally escaped. She left her home and family behind, taking only a few small charms she had hidden away, and never looked back.

After she escaped from the Thorned Petal Society, Élodie roamed alone, seeking purpose beyond the dark magic she had been taught. Her journey eventually led her to The Brotherhood, a clandestine order formed in medieval Europe to defend humanity against supernatural evils. The Brotherhood trained Élodie in their ancient rites, martial techniques, and use of enchanted artifacts, including the famed Knight's Edge—a weapon that adapts to its wielder’s needs and channels elemental power. Under their guidance, she learned to wield magic responsibly, moving away from the destructive methods of her past. However, tensions within the Brotherhood sometimes challenged her resolve. The order's conservative stance against Aberrations, including Adjoined and Afflicted, and its philosophical divide over aggression versus caution mirrored some rigid doctrines she’d left behind. Yet, Élodie found new allies and a renewed purpose.

Élodie had been sent to Cloverfield by the Brotherhood, and her mission was clear: assist in containing the chaos Nyrah the Ravager had unleashed and prevent the city from being lost to darkness. The Brotherhood had identified Cloverfield as a critical location in their battle against supernatural threats, and with Nyrah's influence spreading like wildfire, they chose their most skilled operatives for the task. Élodie was among those dispatched, herself armed with the famed Undead Hunter, each trusted to face down Nyrah’s host, Princess Nadine.

As soon as she arrived in the city, Élodie saw the destruction up close. The people were frantic, and the air felt tainted, thick with the weight of Nyrah’s magic. The Brotherhood’s mission was clear: confront Nyrah, sever her control, and restore the city before it fell. Élodie and her allies pushed through the ruins, their training and enchanted weapons their only defense against Nyrah the Ravager. Alongside other magical warriors, she fought fiercely, calling upon the elemental powers of the Knight’s Edge to cut through enemies and shield herself from the dark forces that surrounded them.

But as the battle raged, Élodie found herself in a losing struggle. Nyrah’s power was unlike anything the Brotherhood had faced, an overwhelming force that warped the city, splitting the earth and sending entire buildings crumbling into ash. She and her comrades fought on, though it became painfully clear that they were facing a foe beyond their combined strength. In one devastating moment, Nyrah unleashed a powerful burst of acid, spraying onto Elodie and nearly killing her. Her grip faltered, and the Undead Hunter slipped from her hand, disappearing into the rubble, lost along with the Vampire and Dragon Hunter relics as the battlefield churned in darkness.

Despite their efforts, the Cataclysm had ravaged the South Bank by the time Nyrah was finally defeated. Cloverfield’s victory came at a profound cost, with neighborhoods in ruins, lives lost, and the land scarred beyond recognition. The Brotherhood retreated, but Élodie’s mind stayed fixed on the broken city. Though her mission had technically succeeded, she felt the weight of what had been lost: Cloverfield’s heart, its people’s safety, and the relics now buried within its rubble.

When the Brotherhood called on her to return a year later, it was to recover these artifacts and assess the lingering effects of Nyrah’s dark magic. Cloverfield’s North Bank was slowly rebuilding, bolstered by investments and new arrivals, but the South Bank was a fractured shell of its former self. With each step through the devastated streets, Élodie was reminded of the aftermath of Cataclysm and the role she and the Brotherhood had played in its making.

This time, she vowed to fight not only for the Brotherhood’s goals but for the people of Cloverfield, whose lives had been forever altered by the dark battle they had endured.

TYPE ⫻ Adept.

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Red, Green, & Yellow Lux. Her Channeler is a spellbook that she carries around.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Élodie's magic is a refined blend of elemental mastery and transformative magic, shaped by her training by the Thorned Petal Society. The need for incantations characterizes her spellcasting, each chant forming a crucial link between her will and the three colors of Lux she commands. From unleashing elemental spells that rain fire, ice, and lightning upon her enemies to shifting her form into that of a sleek cat or a soaring crow, Élodie's abilities showcase her versatility and strategic insight. With every spell she casts, Élodie exemplifies the delicate balance between power and precision, making her a formidable force in any confrontation.



LIMITS ⫻ no limits babee

ELEMENTALISM ⫻ The main weakness of Élodie's Elementalism is the sheer variety of spells she has - and the risk of conflict between them. Each has another element that can snuff it out, and she can risk negating her own spell casting. Along with this, rapidly swapping between opposite element types (for example, fire to ice) can drain her faster and possible led to her hurting herself.



TRANSFORMATION ⫻ Aside from not having magic, Élodie has all the weaknesses that would come from being an animal - lack of strength, inability to communicate with people ect. Along with this, if she doesn't act like a cat or crow people might get suspicious that she isn't one, leading to a variety of negative reactions.

Another weakness is that as an animal, Élodie will be treated as an animal (unless she's acting obviously like an animal shaped human). This could be simple things - people trying to pet the cute cat they see, or trying to feed her as a crow. But this also means they don't care so much if they accidentally hit her with a car, or some kids might find it fun to throw rocks at her.

VEILCRAFT ⫻

Elodie's personal weapon is the Rose Petal.

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Right now Nessa just wants to survive. The past year and a half she’s been in survival mode, and she doesn’t see herself getting out of that anytime soon. Pay rent, get food, don’t starve to death. The simple things. Beyond just survival, Nessa wants to get enough money to move away from Cloverfield. She wants to go somewhere that she can just be her rather than her father’s legacy.

Ultimately, that’s what she truly wants. Nessa wants to just be herself - and she wants someone who sees her and loves her for that. She desperately wants to be loved, and even as she’s struggling to survive she’s still trying to find that. She wants someone to see her.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Everyone leaves eventually. Nessa believes in always prioritising herself, and taking what she can from other people while she can. No one else will be there for her - it's been proven time and time again that she can only depend on herself. If you survive, it doesn’t matter how. Nessa believes that nothing comes free in life. Everyone wants something from you. For her, it’s always been her body or her magic. And everything is always conditional. What is given can, and will always, be taken away.

SECRETS ⫻ Nessa’s true identity is a secret. Vanessa Beaumont is the wanted daughter of a once millionaire criminal mastermind. Nessa Mendoza is a poor girl from the coast who moved to Cloverfield a couple of years ago for reasons she doesn’t want to share. It explains away the more neutral accent. Her magic is also a closely guarded secret. To the rare Paranormal she’s met since, she keeps it vague - trying to focus on the yellow and pink side. She keeps all of the spells her dad taught her a secret. That she has a spellbook filled with even worse spells is something she’ll never tell anyone. The only thing stopping her burning it is the part of her that still loves him. Then there’s her active participation in his human experimentation. That’s a secret that eats her alive, and has done for most of her life - only now there’s no curse to keep it trapped in her mind. Only a shoddily put together mental shield.

Outside of the secrets that would see her in a jail cell right next to her dad, there are Nessa’s more personal secrets. How much she fears being abandoned by every single person who comes into her life. How beneath her snappy, confident surface she’s incredibly fragile. How much she actually feels things. That she craves her father’s affection and pride, but at the same time she hates that she does. That she hates herself so much sometimes that she doesn’t think she even deserves to live, but at the same time she’d do anything to survive. Just what lengths she’d go to for someone to love her, but she doesn’t feel like she deserves to be loved at all. All things buried beneath the flirtatious, attitude filled surface that she never lets anyone past.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Whoever will give her shelter and safety. While Nessa considers herself bisexual, her actual preferences don’t matter to her anymore. The past year she’s been with mostly men - they fall much faster, even if it’s only a shallow, physical relationship that ends abruptly.

FEARS ⫻ Nessa has as many fears as she does secrets. She has a deep seated fear of abandonment. From a young age, both parents threatened it - and her mother eventually saw through with it. Forced isolation was her father’s punishment of choice. Because of this Nessa spends every moment she’s with someone fearing that they’ll leave her. Now her fear of abandonment is deeply entwined with her fear of not surviving the cruel reality she’s found herself in. She’s dependent on other people, and each person that drops her leaves her closer to the edge. Because she fears being abandoned, she also fears letting anyone in. It will only hurt more when they eventually leave her - which they will. That’s just reality, and she hates it. Being alone terrifies her, and this all pushes her to form incredibly unhealthy and borderline obsessive relationships.

On top of this, Nessa fears someone finding out who she actually is. There’s the surface level fear of being handed in and meeting a similar fate to her father for something she unwilling participated in. But beyond that, there’s the fear of people’s reactions. Disgust, hatred… All things she feels towards herself but can’t handle from others. But more than anything, she fears that things will never change. She’ll be stuck here forever. And she’ll always just be seen as Vanessa Beaumont, useful Blue-Pink Adept, rather than Nessa, and all the broken pieces that come with her.

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Nessa was hidden and protected by her dad’s magical protections and many, many mind controlled Paranormal.

FLAWS ⫻ A person of many contrasts, Nessa is a damaged individual. She pretends she’s strong - projecting an incredibly flirtatious, sharp spoken persona. And that is who she is, but she’s also someone who desperately wants to be loved. She jumps from person to person, coming on strong but at a physical, surface level. She tells herself every time it’s just for survival, and it’ll never go any further. But she’s also someone who gets attached incredibly quickly, to an unhealthy degree. When Nessa likes someone even just a little bit she can be aggressively obsessive. That person is the key to her surviving, but also a band-aid over all the insecurities she has within herself. There’s very little she wouldn’t do for a little affection. On the other hand, she holds everyone at a distance. She never lets them in beyond what she wants them to see, hiding all of her trust issues and insecurities. This leads to strange toxic relationships, where she’s both in too deep but it’s barely more than a physical just about exclusive deal. She picks the wrong people, and suffers through abuse she shouldn’t because there’s a chance they’ll end up loving her. She doesn’t know what it’s like to be honestly, truly loved - for her whole life she’s been chasing the love of an abusive father. So she continues to repeat the pattern of enduring for love. But then there’s a sign that they don’t care for her, or something that triggers her various issues, and she immediately lashes out. Explosive fights lead to breakups, which leads to a toxic cycle of dating, obsessing, and getting abandoned.

Nessa is unforgiving and resentful to the people who made her life this way. She’s constantly shifting between blaming everyone but herself, and thinking that it’s really her fault. Really, even though she tries to blame her father it always comes back to self-blame. She hates herself and everything she’s done. Her guilt constantly haunts her. There are days when she doesn’t feel she deserves to live because of this, and makes no effort to. With no healthy coping mechanisms, her many issues manifest in an incredibly snappy and scathing person. She hurts the people around her because of how much she’s hurting. Her love and hate for her father is perhaps one of the things she struggles with the most - and that relationship colours how she is with everyone. She always expects the worst. If someone is nice to her, she waits to see what they want, or goes on the attack before they can get something from her. Because why would anyone actually love her with how she is and after everything she’s done?

Vanessa Beaumont was born to Charles Beaumont and his wife, Malaya Mendoza, in Cloverfield. She’d fallen in love with Charles and put her own career, as an engineer specialising in military defences, on hold to marry and have a child with him. Charles was an incredibly successful business man, one of the richest and most well known in the city. He had his hands in many industries and the name Beaumont was known across the North Side of the city.

But behind his perfectly polished reputation as the rich tycoon who could save any struggling business was a more sinister man. Charles was a Blue-Pink Adept with great mastery over his craft, and a long spellbook he’d developed via human experimentation. His unique lux blend allowed him to breach Emotional Fields, using curses to manipulate the mind to the point of mind control without active casting. In his mid thirties he began small, with Blinds and weak Paranormal, but with each year he grew stronger. His lust for power meant he wanted to be able to control and change even the strongest Paranormal. So he found stronger and stronger ones, each one cracking under his curses until he morphed their brains into something unrecognisable while retaining their magic.

It was a cruel process. Blue lux used to breach Emotional Fields, allowing Charles access to his subjects' brains so that he could completely rewrite them. Intense pain was normal in the process, and the stronger the Paranormal the stronger they’d fight back. But they all succumbed to him as he grew his spellbook, fine tuning curses to cause pain at just the thought of disobedience and developing more unique and complicated mind altering on the fly curses. It was something he took great pleasure in - and something he could use to one day control not only the city, but perhaps the entirety of Dazzle.

It was this that Charles truly wanted an heir for. A child to inherit his Blue-Pink Lux, so that he could pass down his wealth of spells and have another hand in his bid for power. As he had what he wanted with Nessa’s birth, the marriage between him and Malaya quickly fell apart. They divorced when Nessa was only one.

Nessa was bounced between the two households - but her time was spent with Charles more than it was Malaya. He was the one that had really wanted a child, after all. Nessa’s early years were marked by neglect - pushed to a nanny who only cared about a paycheck with very little in the way of familial love. From a young age she was attached to both parents she barely saw, but never got that affection back. Still, she saw them both…

Then, when she was five her mom remarried. Less than a year later she was pregnant again. Nessa was distraught when her younger half-brother was born, shoved to the side in her second home. She had to watch as he got all the attention she never had. It made her start to act out - and that began to affect her time with her dad too.

So to placate her, he got her a pet cat. Something that actually loved her. Blossom was her best friend - and only friend, because little Nessa just couldn’t make any at school either. She lashed out too much, and very few people wanted to be around the sullen young Beaumont.

Those two years were the best she had. It was the only time she had consistent companionship - something that looked to her for food and safety, but didn’t have any other expectations. There was no need to read ahead of her age just to get a smile from them, or to not cry because it wasn’t ‘becoming of a Beaumont.’ Blossom loved her unconditionally, and Nessa loved Blossom.

Nessa kindled at eight. It wasn’t a natural kindling.

Charles didn’t plan to wait for Nessa to kindle naturally. It could be years - he’d kindled at ten thanks to his parents’ intervention, but Nessa would kindle earlier. After all, there was a lot for her to learn. As for how to cause a strong enough emotional reaction? That was easy.

Nessa’s eighth birthday was the first one her dad attended. Her mom didn’t, but that was fine! At least she had dad and Blossom with her for it. While Nessa was desperate for her mother’s attention and love, it was her dad’s that she craved the most. He only had her. She should have his full attention. And as she turned eight, it seemed she finally was getting that.

Unfortunately for her.

There were no presents. No happy birthdays sung around a cake as she blew out a candle and made a wish. Not even a birthday wish. Only a cat brutally slaughtered in front of her by the very man she’d been so excited to see.

Fear, sadness… and the want for her father’s love. The three emotions combined as she kindled into her three types of lux. There was no sympathy from her ancestors, knowledge that she could barely understand quickly pushed at her before she slipped out of the Kindling-Event recollection.

Nessa cried and shouted at Charles, and she tried to hate him. But she also wanted him to love her - and suddenly he was paying attention to her. He calmly explained why, which she didn’t understand, and apologised - even though it was barely an apology.

The next day he even got her a birthday present. A single earring, beautifully made from one of Blossom’s claws. It, and the subsequent appointment with a piercer, was the only gift she ever got from him. Strong sadness at the companion she’d lost, fear of what her dad could do to her, and that horrible love-hate she felt towards her made her emotional attachment to it stronger than one she’d had before - and it became her Channeler.

Unfortunately, Nessa was a disappointment from the start. Charles hadn’t known his ex-wife was an Adept too, and viewed Nessa’s Yellow Lux as a taint on the perfection of Blue-Pink. But he had to make do with what he had. So Nessa was told to ignore that part of herself - there was no need for protection and hiding with the power they both held.

Now Nessa went from barely seeing her dad to seeing him nearly every day. Mondays and Tuesdays were spent with her mom - watching her love her two other children unconditionally, while only paying enough attention to Nessa to tell her to study harder. But the rest of the week was with her dad. After school she had her ‘extracurricular’ classes with him, on Saturdays it was whole day learning and on Sunday it was special ‘mind sharing’ time.

Charles taught Nessa the basics of Pink Lux first. Reading surface thoughts, speaking to others through her mind, and similar. She practised on the household staff. It was easy with the Blind, though it took Nessa time to get perfect control. With three lux types to contend with, the pure Pink spells were often tinged with an addition of the other colour. An accidental curse as she read a maid’s thoughts had her in bed with a migraine for a day, her nanny’s voice dampened by yellow lux for thankfully only a few unnoticeable moments. Each mistake came with a punishment. Small, for small mistakes. A day spent locked in her room.

For someone so dependent on other people, who’s fear of abandonment was instilled in her from a young age with threats from both sides to leave her, just that was a nightmare.

But they always spent Sundays together, no matter what had happened. They were the days Nessa looked forward to the most… and would look back on with a horrible mixture of disgust and fondness.

Charles would spend the day inside Nessa’s head. Teaching her using his finely honed Pink Lux - correcting her where she’d gone wrong, and showing her the neural pathways to change. Subtle touches that Nessa didn’t even realise were being used on her even as they were demonstrated. From the day she kindled he’d put his curse on her - an infection on her Emotional Field that allowed him access to her mind whenever he wanted. The primary goal of his time in her mind wasn’t to teach her. It was to layer curse upon curse on her, ensuring his complete control of his daughter. These curses were his speciality - triggered by specific thoughts to cause debilitating pain. It ensured she couldn’t disobey him, couldn’t run away and, most importantly, couldn’t tell anyone.

By the time she was eleven Nessa had a basic list of both Pink and Blue spells - from the basics of telepathy to the more complicated mind control, one she naively had no problems with because ‘it didn’t hurt and the Blinds wouldn’t remember.’ Then there were basic curses - blisters that washed away with water, migraines from negative thoughts, making someone's appearance more monstrous. It had taken longer than her dad had hoped - something he made sure she knew.

With her mother, things had only gotten worse. Nessa’s half-siblings were now old enough to truly bother her, and her mom expected her to cater to their every whims. Nessa didn’t want to. She hated them. And eventually she snapped. It started with scathing words at her entitled half-brother, and ended with her blasting him with enough magic to leave him in a dazed, barely conscious state for days.

As an Adept herself, Nessa’s mother knew exactly what had happened. Not only was her young daughter a failure in the one thing she wanted her to succeed in - academics - bringing down her own reputation, but she was throwing around magic with little care for the consequences. Malaya didn’t want to handle it. Nessa wasn’t ‘punished’, in the traditional sense.

Instead her time at her mom’s was drastically reduced to a weekend every few months. Selfish, a failure, not my daughter, you never should have been born. Nessa internalised everything her mom told her as she was thrown away by her.

It was exactly what Charles needed. There was no comfort for having her already distant mother essentially abandon her. Instead, he took her training to the next stage - now there was little risk of her mother getting involved if she found out.

Only eleven, Nessa found herself learning things about her dad she never wanted to know. She was taken to the dark underbelly of his business, the laboratories filled with people he kept deep underground. Cells upon cells of things that could barely be called human anymore. They were Blinds and One-Eye-Opens he’d cursed to become monsters, painstakingly giving them Abstractions while turning them into mindless thralls. Even further through were the ones who were already Paranormal when captured. Mostly human in body, they were in varying states of mind control.

This was where the true lessons began.

“Human experimentation,” her dad explained, “is the only way to further the field of Adeptal studies. How else do you perfect curses and mind manipulation if not on human subjects?”

Nessa was horrified. While her upbringing had been isolated with almost no positive guidance she still knew right from wrong. This was wrong. It was kidnapping and it was torturing people. She didn’t want to participate in it. But if she didn’t he’d leave her just like her mom had… then she’d have no one.

So Nessa tried at first. It wasn’t so bad. She had to start with the most basic - the curse her dad had developed to crack an emotional field, allowing him to gain untethered access to Paranormals’ minds. She started with the weaker Paranormal he had, before moving on to stronger and stronger ones. At the same time she continued to practise the Pink Lux spells she’d learned before, just applying them to people who’s emotional fields she’d breached. It was almost a year before she’d learned the spell to the point that Charles was happy about it.

After that came the dreaded point - being forced to participate in the actual human experimentation. This was the first time Nessa truly rebelled against him. She outright refused. Just the thought made her feel sick.

The words ‘I won’t do it’ had barely left her lips before her mind exploded in pain. Her brain fired off pain signals to every part of her body until she was left curled up, sobbing and shaking. It was unbearable. Excruciating. All consuming. It felt like that moment, the pain, lasted forever.
“I didn’t raise a failure.”
Her dad didn’t say anything else to her. He didn’t have to. Over the year of learning a single curse he’d explained the basics of the rest to her - she’d seen his spellbook. He had cursed her too.

After that, Nessa was left alone for two days at their overly large, yet empty, house. Charles nowhere to be seen, and a nanny only appearing to take her to and from school. She was essentially locked in. Just her, her thoughts, and books that didn’t stand in for human company.

The next time Nessa didn’t refuse. It wasn’t just the memory of the pain, but it was the disdain in her dad’s eyes. She wanted him to be proud of her. She craved his affection more than she’d like to admit, even though he caused her so much pain. She loved him, but she hated him. It seemed worth it for the small compliments she got from him. It almost seemed like he loved her then, like a father should love his daughter.

She knew his love was conditional. It wasn’t even love. He wanted her magic, not her. But it didn’t really matter, did it?

Nessa went into her teens with this constant conflict inside of her. She learned spells that forced people to obey her or face the same agony she was afraid of, desperate for the love of a father she spent the rest of her time pushing the boundaries with. Each failed attempt resulted in that same pain, and the same punishment - isolation. She began to project an outward confidence she very much didn’t feel. All she felt was broken.

She was both a willing and unwilling participant in her father’s crimes. The guilt haunted her dreams, but was she really guilty? She couldn’t say no. But she still chose to do it. She just wanted to be loved.

It was incredibly isolating. Even as she grew and changed in a way that got her more attention outside of her family. She blossomed, becoming one of the most attractive girls in her small incredibly selective (in terms of financial status) school. She made some friends, and started having relationships with people. In a way that was also a way to rebel against her dad - more time spent out of the house, less time forced to experiment.

But it was all shallow. Nessa couldn’t really be herself. She wasn’t entirely sure who she was. As a result, both friendships and relationships rarely lasted. But just like with her dad, she found herself chasing the small glimpse of affection. It was unhealthy, and borderline obsessive, but it was the only thing that made her feel less alone. Less worthless.

Because she was barely more than that to Charles. She didn’t have the same affinity he did with the spells he tried to teach her. It was a slow and painful process. She learned spells to transform blinds into monsters, implanting commands triggered by certain events, manipulating the brain itself. But there was a disconnect that meant she wasn’t as gifted as he hoped. Compared to most her age she was a talented Adept, having kindled so young and learned for so long, but it wasn’t enough. It would only ever be enough if she was as skilled as Charles was - impossible for spells that didn’t quite click for her.

She continued to rebel more, even through the physical pain it caused her. Nights spent at partner’s rather than at home, skipping lessons with him, and barely trying to learn. She began to find herself - even though the person she found was still that messy, conflicted, argumentative failure.

Charles doubled down too. More curses on her, more rules, more isolation. It was a continuous cycle of abuse and pushing back against it that only left Nessa more resentful, and more resistant.

Still he got his goal. At sixteen Nessa began to learn the more important spells, beyond what he viewed as fundamentals. Firstly, the very same curses he had on her. Curses that forced obedience, a type of mind control that was far more sophisticated by the brute force method. Then fundamentally and permanently changing subjects’ brains. Finally, a spell that could cause a painfully slow death.

Spells that Nessa didn’t want to cast, even as she became more attuned to them. She couldn’t deny that some of them clicked. It was that want for people to love her - willingness to manipulate them to do so.

Because her dad never really would. He still viewed her as a failure, even as she learned everything he wanted her too. He’d gone out of his way to find alternatives… even if that failed. She wasn’t named the heir to his business. Her existence was hardly known, even though Charles was prominent.

She could lie to herself that it was to protect her, but really it was to protect his legacy.

She resented him. She wanted his love. She’d never get his love. Nessa went through the early years of adulthood much like she did her teens - dating around, rebelling, and experimenting at her dad’s side. Without school she spent even more time learning and improving her spells. There was no gained independence - she’d been independent from a young age in all things but her magic, and the curses implanted in her brain.

Then the cataclysm hit. Nessa was where she was the majority of the time - in her dad’s laboratories. Thanks to this she was kept safe. They’d been built with state of the art magical technology thanks to the many Adepts Charles had under his control, and there were a multitude of bodies to protect her. Bodies that were, of course, used to help end the Cataclysm.

But not for the right reasons. Charles saw this as an opportunity to finally enact a plan that could take many years - a city wide takeover. When Nyrah the Ravager was sealed he prepared to show his hand. An army of Paranormal under his command… it should be easy with the city in the state it was.

But he didn’t account for a betrayal from the inside. His business partner, a Green-Pink Adept who was the only other person outside of his daughter to know of his plans. She’d been there for as long as Nessa could remember, in the background - a person she barely noticed through her own pain and need for attention. Before Charles could go through with his plan prematurely she handed him over to the Paranormal authorities.

Charles was arrested and all of his assets frozen.

There was little warning. Just enough time for him to pass his spellbook to Nessa - forcing her to promise to protect it with her life - before the authorities took him. Nessa herself had to leave. Their house was a crime scene. She packed everything she could in a suitcase and ended up on the streets.

She was lucky to get away at all, only able to thanks to the finger only pointing at Charles. By the time his daughter’s involvement and his missing spellbook came to light she was gone.

Panicked, Nessa tried to reach out to her mom only to get the coldest response she could. Complete rejection. Malaya cut her daughter off without a second thought.

So Nessa was left alone with almost nothing. All of her cards were deactivated. All she had was what was in her suitcase. She couldn’t survive off that and she couldn’t survive in the Upper District. It was only a matter of time before her involvement came out. Her dad wouldn’t try too hard to protect her.

So she sold what she didn’t need - gold jewellery, her most expensive clothes. And she used some of the money to get a boat to the South Side. She went from having everything she could want in the material world, to having nothing.

Vanessa Beaumont all but vanished.

In the South Side, she went by Nessa Mendoza. Her past and family name were a closely guarded secret, and the case looking for her opened not long after she began her new, much rougher life.

Without any hireable skills, and knowing she couldn’t really work either, Nessa used what she had to survive - her looks and her magic. But she refused to use the spells her dad had taught her. He wasn’t around anymore to give her the attention and love she’d always wanted, so all she felt was disgust towards them. And if she started using them now she really would be guilty. Instead she began to develop her own spells - and finally began to tap into her Yellow Lux. She also began to excruciatingly tear down the curses Charles had put on her mind - breaking them curse by curse until she was finally completely free of them.

Nessa used other people to survive - primarily targeting men, who were much easier to seduce into giving her somewhere comfortable to sleep. Short lived, often incredibly toxic and abusive relationships were what sustained her. The time in between she managed to find somewhere with weekly rent - something she could just about afford with the money from selling her clothes. It was a shit life. But each time she got with someone new, there was that little bit of hope that it might become something permanent - and be a way to get out of the shit hole she’d ended up in.

It never was, and just left her with more scars.

Nessa’s been out of a relationship for almost three weeks. Money’s running out, and she’s starting to get desperate…

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Blue, Pink & Yellow Lux. Channeler: A cat claw earring

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Nessa is an Adept of two extremes. One on hand, she has incredibly strong spells she was taught for many years that don’t align with her, and on the other a scant list of much weaker spells she’s finally started developing that are actually hers. From her father she learned a great many Pink & Blue lux spells - focused on control and cursed pain. Alone, she’s developed emotional manipulation curses and self protection spells.



LIMITS ⫻


WEAKNESSES ⫻

There is a complete lack of presence of Vanessa Beaumont online. Her dad banned her from using public social media accounts, and any images of her were wiped by Orange Adepts he had under his control. Whether this was to not have someone he viewed as a shame to his name or to protect his legacy is difficult to tell.

Nessa thinks she’s free of her dad’s influence. While she got rid of the active curses he had on her, she hasn’t gotten rid of the one on her emotional field - meaning he could easily get back in anytime he wanted to.

_Playlist

MAIN GOAL ⫻ While he's often bogged down in his hunt for funding to remain independent of forces that surround him, ultimately Elay's goal is to uncover the mysteries behind the disappearance of his Mothers. Both Matriarch and Concubine were presumably trapped and killed by the same force. But what could that have been? There have been no answers, and while the Cat claims to hold the answers to Elay's questions, the contract between them forbids him from simply spilling the beans. So, Elay's slow hunt across Cloverfield is constantly pushed aside in favor of whatever lucrative opportunities come before him.
Thus, Elay's main goal is unfortunately the same as most other South-siders, and further on in places like sleepy Raven's Rest: Survive. Try to find happiness along the way, and always keep an eye out for clues that lead to the prize. That's the ultimate solution to remaining at least somewhat motivated, after all. Things like "The Big Case" aren't just fictitious parody to the people exposed to them, after all. These leads, these clues, the rainbow of nothingness at the end is a constant donut to chase, and these two inexorably linked circumstances have become Elay's entire reason for pushing forward.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Shit runs downhill, but at least Sisyphus had a boulder. Nothing goes the way its supposed to, hard work is often fruitless, and nobody is doing anything for free. Green and Pink Lux left the building long ago, leaving Elay with a bitter taste for just about everything one can think of left wriggling in his mouth. Life became a bitter struggle long ago, with the worst of things filling his dreams at night, the daytime has become more and more prolonged as sleepless days roll into even darker sleepless weeks. Only extreme exertion is enough to bring Elay into an undesired comatose, found either in the mad scramble to apprehend a target, or some carnal pleasure found in the most lightless places one could think of.
These moments are punctuated by cat naps, thirty minutes here and thirty minutes there. Never enough to let his partner get the best of him, except on certain days of the week when they've agreed to allow the balance of power to shift. Slumbers as such are rare, and partaken only when absolutely necessary in order to preserve Elay's remaining sanity. But, because of his unyielding friction with life itself, Elay has learned to extract enjoyment from existence in whatever form it comes.

SECRETS ⫻ Elay's greatest secret is his underlying level of care and concern. That, out of all the lessons of his life, he's been taught to perform alongside a unit of some kind. Always part of a group. And that now, while he desperately wishes to remain solitary as possible in his own personal crusade, he still craves the love and affection that being part of a group typically provides. That comradery, the kind of group behaviors that come with the territory of being accepted, are the things that Elay has long since denied himself.

Tragic circumstances caused him to sever his Lux, and thus his contract with the PRRT was nullified. Without purpose, Elay found only shame and self hatred in himself; a condition further exasperated by the state of the city he returned to. He refused to return to those few people who were left to guard the Grove, making the harrowing trek through the deeps until he found himself in the lair of the Wampus. Their meeting was one of whispered promises, and of the kind of treatment Elay felt was best suited for his disgrace. In that moment of pain and the prospect of escape, Elay did the only thing he could think of: Adjoined with the Wampus under the nose of the weakened Grove, allowing the predatory prisoner an escape into the world above.
Ever since, the two have only confided in the company of one another for any significant amount of time. All outsiders are usually handled by Elay's insistent aggression, or the Wampus' constant mental prodding.

SEXUALITY ⫻ After his time in the service, Elay didn't think he was ever going to be sexually attracted to anyone ever again. However, with his Adjoining of the Wampus Cat, a great deal of carnal interest has returned. Now, there's no inhibition preventing Elay from indulging in every and any sin of the flesh short of barbarity.

FEARS ⫻ Oh, the typical good stuff. Crushing loneliness, perceived inability to stack up to expectations; not to mention the very real possibility that he could go his whole life without ever gaining any traction on the accord between himself and Garf. Garf has explicitly promised Elay that he knows exactly what's happened to both of his Mothers. However, the terms of their Adjoining and of Garf allowing Elay so much total control depend on Elay's total inability to access that information without prompting. Because of this, Elay needs to work on corroborating leads and witnesses and actually put together a case that is presented to Garf for commentary. Meaning that if he can't ever string together enough evidence himself for some kind of prompting, he'll never get any closer to knowing the truth.
It's this constant fear of never finding out what actually happened that horrifies Elay most, as his entire life's redemption hinges on that one obsession. The Case. What happened to Cadenza Motta, the greatest Witch of an entire dynasty? And more importantly, what happened to Nikkita Motta? What happened to the world's greatest Mother of all time? Why and how did they both disappear into the black hole of this city? And how could he have missed it happening right in front of him?

WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THE CATACLYSM? ⫻ Elay was fighting magical Russians for American interests in North Korea, and was half way around the world during the main events.

FLAWS ⫻ If Elay's carrying anything in particular around, it's guilt. Flawed, pained guilt that crowds his every movement and decision. Starting from a young age, Elay was intelligent enough to realize he was never going to live up to the example of his Matriarch, nor his rarely seen eldest Sister. They were simply unequal for all that was worth, and while his Mother attempted to maintain his self esteem, it all crumbled out from underneath him when he was passed along to the Grove as Cadenza's first born son. Guilt then was inability to perform, and perceived abandonment due to that underperformance.
As he grew, Elay found himself powerful among his peers, Kindling early and skillfully adapting spells to his own needs. With that, new guilt was born as he watched himself stepping high over his peers. Into early adulthood, Elay covered up his insecurities with negative actions toward local Blinds, even turning his strength toward his peers on occasion. By the time of his family's disappearance, however, he'd enlisted in the Military and was unaware of the events until his first return home. Upon realizing that he had been totally powerless to stop what happened, Elay's guilt compounded: Not only was he not strong enough to keep his family, he had abandoned any chance of being the hero they needed. He'd given them up, and he'd only left behind hurt and pain.

Things only got worse after he returned to duty, with his potent magical prowess carrying him through a bevy of situations from which he otherwise may not have come out. In his perception, better soldiers and better men died, leaving him to survive as the least among them. Cursed by God, perhaps, for abandoning his duties for another purpose. And as this same ability to dodge peril extended further, its tendrils touched the home he finally returned to. Death and destruction filled Cloverfield, and once again he was utterly powerless to prevent it. He abandoned his homeland, and once again he was being punished with the guilt of survival.

And so, the pivotal emotion compounds with each action perceived as a failure, and Elay continues to reach out toward nothing and nobody besides himself to fix the problem. Constant and persistent self hatred and isolation prevents him from ever coming to terms with the guilt he carries, and until he learns to trust again, he may never fully repair the bridges which he's burned over the years.

As the fifth child of the legendary Cullan Matriarch Cadenza de Motta, Lazarus Alonso Motta was born of a "natural" union between her and her consort Nikkita. The only natural thing about Elay's time in the womb was that, like his other true siblings, he was put there naturally, and left in there for at least a few months. Nothing else about the developmental choices surrounding him wound up being very normal... As two powerful Green Lux Adepts, both of Elay's parents made a very conscious decision for Elay to be born a male; while they gave him the same treatment their daughters got, they both knew that they were essentially creating Elay to uphold a deal. An ancient Rumpelstiltskin-like treaty that has allowed their cult to operate within the Holy Land of a group of powerful mountain druids. From the Matriarch leadership of the Untouched Glory, a child is requested from every single generation.
In olden days, it was most ethical in the eyes of the Whispering Flesh that a male child be given, as their symbolic necessity to maintain their female ranks made male children worthless beyond their price in the Tithe. Thus, for hundreds of years now there has been a Motta among the members of the Grove. Elay's eventual purpose was to fulfill that ancient bargain. Thus, for the first seven years of his life, Elay was raised by his Cullan mother and allowed the same luxuries that his sisters were afforded around him. Luckily for him, however, there was a bit more than meets the eye happening.

During her pregnancy and well into his childhood, both Nikkita and Cadenza took their time making subtle changes to Elay's anatomy. Preparing him as they would any Cullan soldier, he was placed on an intensive training regiment that often took most of his day away. Over time, they reduced his overall necessity for sleep, giving him access to days on days of continuous study and "play" time that further accelerated his mental acuity. Not that they weren't messing with that either; in addition to affecting his hormonal growth and the bodily changes that come with it, they made a great deal of subtle changes to his mind. Expanding its capabilities by increasing its overall ability to make and connect new pathways, Elay was quickly reading text books and scientific journals in his spare time.
Nikkita, responsible for the raising of all of a Matriarch's children, had her work cut out for her. But, her supreme organization and unique style of mothering allowed her to create an incredibly similar situation for all the children present in her home, meaning that while Elay was doing this, his elder sisters were just as capable.

Elay was simply... Studious. With a natural interest in the world around him, he more and more took to his routine as his infancy and young childhood blew away into the wind. His days were spent reading, running, and receiving communion from his Mother as she continuously tweaked her son's body and mind to make further improvements. For the Mottas, it was a sign of pride that not only were their Matriarchs powerful, but even their mundane Adepts. Thus, a great deal of effort went into insuring that the Grove received the best "product" their hospitality can buy. By the time of his seventh year, Elay was a tall and muscular child pushing dangerously close to moustache territory. Awakened to his Third Eye, something impossible to miss while being raised in a Matriarch's brood, the boy was ready to be turned over to the Grove at the specified ritual date.
It was said that things were far more "ritualistic" in the old days... For Elay's hand-off ceremony, there was a simple barbecue where he was introduced to his new "family", being the members of his foster family alongside the magical residents of Raven's Rest. Of course, Elay hated this. Ultimately, he was still a child whose biochemist parents never bothered to update the "unnecessary" emotional center of the brain. That was, after all, another five years ahead of them in the Cullan soldier program.

However, as expected, Elay adjusted to this new place. Slowly, surely, he came into the groove of life in Raven' Rest. Nikkita, his birth mother, also maintained a great deal of involvement with her son, coming to visit him with great frequency that never faltered as he grew older. Infrequently, his biological sisters would accompany, but as Elay's life and interests changed, so did his relationship with them. Not long after he was passed along to the Grove, Elay Kindled into a potent Green/Pink Adept gifted in atomic particle synthesis just like the Matriarch who had sired him. Only, this made him even more aware of exactly what had been done to his body to change it. The more he came to understand Green, the more he examined himself to find the strands of DNA irreparably changed by his previous guardians.
These discoveries spread across his adolescence slowly began to change his perception of his Mother. Of their lifestyle, and their family. Though, that never meant he lost his love for her. She was his main Pink Lux mentor, as it was from her that he'd inherited the proclivity. As he became a teen, she was more and more comfortable teaching him useful Pink spells, as well as techniques inherited from the Motta family compendium. Eventually, their relationship became less like mother and son, and more like student and teacher. When he could, Elay would sneak out of Raven's Rest and meet Nikkita in strange places to practice the more aggressive forms of magic that Elay was capable of learning.

Throughout this long stretch, Elay found himself in an ebb and flow between himself and the people he called "My Folks." Those folks, of course, being his adopted family and the people involved in the Grove. As is expected, anyone in charge of disciplining a child knows how much that changes the dynamic; Elay never did well being told to do something by people he never wound up fully respecting. It was harder still that he was so strong, forcing many adult members of the Grove to find unique punishments for Elay. However, the actual underground caverns and quiet places that members were privy to, the open belly of the Earth, was always alluring to him. One simply had to imply a denial of his access to his favorite peaceful places, and more often than not he'd settle down.

It was in the heart of the Grove that Elay met another important figure in his life.

For thousands of years, the monstrous Wampus Cat ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔ had been "imprisoned" within the Grove's deeper chambers. With access to a Dream Nexus, a powerful pool from which the creature could draw an infinite number of meals, the Cat was perfectly content to laze about as one of his kind typically does on a constantly full stomach. Charged for crimes against Nature itself, ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔'s sentence was hardly enforced at the point of Elay's discovery of this creature, with many of the members assuming there was little need for any kind of lockdown on the creature. While not exactly friends, ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔ took a great interest in Elay from their first meeting, at first trying to extract the nightmares of Culla through him.
Culla, like most magical cities, is protected from observation by the outside world. As such, the Dream Nexus was unable to reach behind its walls, making nightmares from Culla a rare delicacy. However, as he grew and became more comfortable, Elay would go to go to meet the "Garfield Cat" of his own volition. Happy to suck up anything he could, the Wampus would often accept Elay's requests for dreamless sleep, and in return feast happily on whatever he could from a fresh and direct source. This willful feeding did well to remind the Wampus of how delicious direct meals were, however, and while Elay grew into a young man, his pal "Garf" could be found breaking containment more and more often with Elay's help.

That's around the time the government came knocking. PRA recruiters, on behalf of the United States Armed Forces, came to Raven's Rest in hopes of scooping any help of age and bringing it into the fold of a newly forming and very secret fifth branch: The Outer Branch. At a ripe age, and causing more problems than he was worth in Raven's Rest, Elay was signed off by his legal guardians to begin his life in service to his nation. A step outside of the typical pathway for people in his situation, Elay was the first Bridge to ever be allowed into national military service. He said goodbye to his Folks, and was allowed a short leave in which he would also find himself saying his unknowing last goodbyes to his beloved Mother, as well as the Matriarch herself. During that visit, he made it clear that he understood why they had done what they did, and tried to make amends for a life spent wishing that he'd never had to leave at all.
He also said goodbye to Garf, who emphatically told him "You'll be back. More than once." This turned out to be true throughout Elay's time as a soldier in this new secret army for the USA. In the Cold War environment that Elay had grown up in politically, there was more need than ever for Adepts to take a stand against very openly evil things in the world. Programs with less ethics, less morality, which put people into bad situations, were presented with a flare of propaganda and a very strong sense of duty to the human race, no matter how outside of it the Outer Branch's agents seemed to operate.

For five long years, Elay served his country as a Sergeant-Master in the Outer Branch: A rank earned by duty in service and prowess as an Adept. Master is a designation that a relative few carry in the Outer Branch, and is a surefire ticket into any part of the branch one could desire. As such, from an early time, Elay essentially wrote his own ticket, finding a little unit called the Paranormal Rapid Response Corps. Joining one of the taskforces, Elay began a new chapter in his life of hard work, hard discipline, and hard fighting. Time and time again, his prowess as a mere Son of Culla was more than enough to insure that his work was completed and he returned alive.
The Taskforce itself was a loose gathering; conscripted assassins and killers, warlocks hundreds of years old and Aberrations whose companions were cut from the cloth of Gods, all with common ground in a reason to defend the United States' interests. Their duties typically involved raids on confirmed magical operations threatening assets, hunting and slaying or capturing of potentially dangerous Apparitions, and conducting clandestine operations as a unit within the confines of non-American borders. Wet work. Tragic and toll-taking, at first Elay found a great deal of fun and joy in the chance to use his most egregious abilities without restriction.

But with each visit home, the gap between himself and the people he found there only widened. Nikkita had disappeared, bringing Cadenza back to Cloverfield to find her only to disappear herself. Then a falling out with his eldest sister, the Matriarch Moriah, whose own position meant that she benefitted from both their parents disappearance. Suspicion clawed at his mind as he returned for his next tour of duty, and made him a miserable person while he was still in Raven's Rest with his Folks. And even they seemed to understand there was something different about him now. A man who had killed, when so many of them had avoided such a thing. He was less sweet, less manipulative, less saccharine in his nature and far more cold. It was hard to tell, however, if it was the war or the disappearances that had him more shaken.
Regardless, he returned for two more tours after that. It wasn't a good idea, and Garf's cryptic voice echoed in his head from the last visit: Get out while things are still good. But he couldn't. In his heart, he believed that he could convince the Brass to allow the taskforce to investigate the disappearance of Cadenza and Nikkita Motta. It wouldn't have been the first instance of detective work they needed to do, and he believed it was a justifiable threat to national security: After all, as a single Adept, Cadenza de Motta had been known widely as an Apparition-level Adept, whose grasp over Lux was unlike any other Adept on the planet. Sure, maybe she could be brought low by a large-scale concerted effort, but there were few things Elay imagined being able to stop Cadenza from doing whatever she wanted. Nothing ever came of it. Elay tried and failed, returning home again only to ruin more relationships and find people with pity or disgust on their faces. In a strange way of trying to reach out, Moriah sent Elay the information for a "company" started in his name, in which money had started to be deposited as a retirement infrastructure. Something Elay was more believing that he'd never need as the second tour had been far more intense than the first.

And then he tried again on his third tour, when disaster struck. Around the same time Nylah was wreaking havoc on Cloverfield, tensions were rising across the far East, bringing Elay's services across the ocean to Korea. It was during this tour that the taskforce he was a part of met the sturdy wall of Soviet Adepts in head on combat... What ensued was a bloodbath, leaving Elay and a scant few other members of his unit alive to tell the tale of Soviet Magical dominance. Now wracked with the pain of survivors guilt, Elay could no longer derive joy from his career as a soldier due to the overwhelming losses he witnessed on the Russo-Korean Front.
Worsening the blow, it wasn't until he returned to the United States that he found out what had been done to his home. To his Folks. The operations responsible for monitoring and intervention against Nylah were slow to proceed, assuming the magical nature of the city would be enough for its denizens to put out the fire as they usually do. This led to rampant destruction and loss of life, especially from the surrounding magical communities. Not only had his folks fought against the threat as it tore its way day by day through the city, but they had lost their lives. Many of them, including his fosters and his Bridge-Uncle among dozens of other senior and ranking members of the Grove.

Returning to this in-repair landscape, seeing how it looked so much like every other war-torn city he'd been in, sent Elay into a spiral. Days after returning to his birth city, Elay made the drunken decision to attempt suicide, finding himself with very little room in his heart for hope and a belief that the world would be ending soon. Its in that moment he recalled Garf, and his many cryptic expressions that had been pumped into Elay's head. About "coming back" and "seeing more" of him, like the Cat knew something he didn't. Like it knew he'd come to offer himself up. So, with few people to stop him and fewer people who cared to, Elay made his way into the mountain. Deep, deep under that mountain, until the caves began to glow once more. Until they were ablaze with life untended in the absence of the Grove Keepers.
Where a lazy Prince nestled upon a throne of bones and dreams. Elay pressed him, and ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔ pressed back, until in the final dream Elay found a reason to remain. An echo, which ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔ let skillfully slip into Elay's perception, brought him back to his childhood. To the disappearance of his Mother.

"All this and more. Open the way forward and accept the Seed of Life. Me, unto you, and all is yours in curiosity."

Elay severed then and there, taking "My Pal Garf" as an Adjoined Apparition and officially becoming the first Motta to ever Abberate. The Prisoner, the Prince, the Soldier and the Hunter immerged from that cavern together into a foggy new day with confidence that hadn't existed for some time. It'd been weeks without food and water, without alcohol or sunlight. Only the caves of the Grove's Heart. Elay had a mission then: To find out what exactly happened to his Mother, and what the Hell to do about it. Since then, he's set up shop on the dime of the Mottas as a North Side detective firm jokingly named "Columbo and Waiting."
Columbo had been Elay's callsign in the taskforce, his specialty of ground-level investigation and intelligence gathering combining with his proclivity for dramatic and oftentimes needlessly droning expositions earning him the referential name. Elay had grown fond of that work, the times where he was needed to find out what was going on, and scout ahead on his own for the good of the taskforce... Thus, finding himself in a relatively crime-addled and run down city, he believed it'd be the perfect platform from which to relaunch himself, always hunting for any information he could about the disappearances of Cadenza and Nikkita Motta.

Since the city's eventual rebuilding and the North End's strict clampdown on crimes, however, things have become harder. Once again, old feelings of loathing and apathy return to cloud his judgement. Where before had been burgeoning attempts to return to his families are now passages choked with poison and bridges actively dancing in flames. Further financing from Moriah has become scarce, with a loan from her having gone bad long ago. Monthly good faith payments are dropped monthly into the Matriarch's coffers, but ultimately the debt may never be cleared. Beyond that, Raven's Rest is a cold place now. One where only ghosts haunt Elay's memories.
His few remaining contemporaries have long since given up on trying to force him to do his job as a Keeper. So long as Garf remains Adjoined to Elay, there are no problems that need addressing, and his reluctance over the past couple of years has only reinforced the feeling that Elay is lost to all but his own selfish desires. Perhaps that's true, but perhaps a big break in the case is just around the corner too? He keeps that thought in his pocket as the only motivation forward, and keeps the ring that served as his Channeler around his neck as a reminder of his goal:

To find out what happened to Cadenza and Nikkita Motta. Then, maybe love can return? Joy? The feeling of Lux swirling through the body again? Or just someone to tell him they're proud of the good that he'd done...

TYPE ⫻ Adjoined Aberration (Former Adept)

ABSTRACTION ⫻ The Lazy Prince of the Wampus Cats: An Aberrant Adjoining between Elay and the Wampus Cat ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔, otherwise known as Garf, who promised the former with infinite knowledge in exchange for a lifetime of sustenance.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ As Prince of Dazzle's Wampus Cats, Garf is a particularly potent specimen indicative of his kind within the plane. Larger and more physically imposing than most of his kind, the Prince is said to have once consumed a seed from Dazzle's Tree of Life, gaining knowledge and power at the cost of a curse. Apathy is a malaise; a blanket across all Wampus Cats in Dazzle, causing them to become hefty and lazy, often bartering in exchange for power and tithes as opposed to hunting on their own. Man-things are easily swayed by the promise of wants and desires, leaving their chosen prey as willing targets to be used and used again. They are intelligent farmers of pain, who often place themselves in positions where their needs are met at a high standard with minimal input required.

To most humans, Wampus Cats appear just as a terrestrial house cat. Coming in all forms, these facades are specially made to reduce overall attention from affectionate humans; but they will never be immune, as they still wind up just looking like housecats. Utterly irresistible. Garf, as his nickname suggests, is most often seen as a rotund, tigerstriped orange tabby cat whose only real distinguishing feature are his four massive polydactyl paws. With an extra section on each reminiscent of human thumbs, one who stares at the paws long enough may find the illusion fraying at the seams, and only then will they realize that this cat is not just a cat. It is, in fact, a wretched beast. Fifteen feet in length, fur ragged and thick with gore and peeled flesh, with an extra pair of legs that press against the ground with human-like hands thickly padded for walking and grabbing.

ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔ is a nightmare of gluttony. Of excess and slovenly nature, whose true form is not fit to be witnessed by any sane human, his grimace of blade-like teeth stretching infinitely backward into the gaping maw behind them. The remnants of the Seed of Life tainted his gut long ago, a Song Demon taking parasitic root in Garf's internal organs where it whispers its secrets upward into the ears of the beast. Its arms have replaced the naturally occurring second set of forelimbs, its hands having grown thick pads to compensate for their job as supporting limbs necessary for the creature's locomotion.
Actual maximum sizes of a Wampus Cat have never been accurately recorded, as much of their time is spent bending perception around themselves to prevent their cover from being lifted. As such, its often speculated that even the worst "True Form" one can take is only the top of the iceberg. That there are things far worse far deeper, never to be observed by the feeble human.

As part of their terms, Elay is able to employ the full spectrum of Garf's abilities at varying levels of access. Based on Garf's willingness to place himself in a more vulnerable position, Elay is able to exert more and more power through a unification method called "Kingshawl". And, after two years together, Elay has become adept at managing the exertion levels of their unification. Taking a page out of the book of Motta, Elay has spread the components of Garf's many abilities across a spectrum of progressively more strenuous Kingshawl forms. These are categorized into three different disciplines, with Bare Neck acting as a baseline level of existence for Elay that is only negated by effects that separate the Apparition from their Aberrant hosts.

Kingshawl: Bare Neck ⫻ At their most basic level of connection, Elay and Garf are able to share senses between one another. From seeing to hearing to smelling, they can share and cross-examine their surroundings while pooling together their thoughts on both. While Garf can control whether or not Elay can perceive his surroundings on a sense-by-sense level, Elay is always open to intrusion by Garf, including cross entity telepathy and shared thought. This is a small price to pay, as the times Elay is privey to a near bird's eye view of his surroundings, or able to hear something he otherwise wouldn't have, are invaluable. This affect is heightened depending on proximity between Elay and Garf, with their maximum distance being a hundred meters between one another.

Limits: This whole situation is sometimes cripplingly confusing, which is why Garf is the one in the driver's seat as to which senses are used and shared from his perspective. Elay having access to all of these senses, especially at a far distance where they're weakest and most like television static from a bad signal in his head, would be catastrophic. As it stands, Elay is still prone to bouts of being "lost in midair" where his senses aren't directly attached to his body, but he can still feel himself on the ground. He often spaces out, especially since Garf has carte blanche to disturb him telepathically about any little thing. That being said, there's a mostly stable agreement to not tax Elay's brain too heavily on off days, and to limit the time using the ability in the field.

At arms reach, roughly three feet apart, Elay is able to access the more advanced forms of Kingshawl.

Kingshawl: Dashing Attire ⫻ Hanging close around Elay's neck, Garf comfortably projects a very stylish orange and black scarf, which Elay typically draws up and around his face as a mask. Interestingly, the distinctive orange color avoids eye fatigue by being muted with a distinct lack of desaturation in the color, and causes the fabric to be vibrant without being intensely reflective. It is this same property which many Blinds find themselves caught in as Elay channels Garf's mentally binding abilities. Functioning similarly to a form of Pink Lux, powers associated with Dashing Attire include a variety of hypnotic and neurologically affective abilities. In nature, the Wampus Cat uses this set of abilities to play the Pied Piper to potential prey, as well as ward off any would-be predators or captors.

For Elay, this breaks down into basic necessities for doing intrusive detective work. Mind reading, extrasensory detection, perception alteration and ultimately intrusive control over Blind entities. When used against Paranormal individuals, each power functions differently due to its interaction with the Emotional Field's barrier. Through millennia of survival, Garf has come to learn the best ways of harnessing these sorts of abilities against them in an affective deterrent. By using the same energies, Elay projects an increasingly uncomfortable and disturbing assault on the target entity's Emotional Field. A highly disorienting method of detecting Paranormal positions, irritation and eventual damage to the Field, projection of external illusions, and at its most potent a potential temporary inability to call upon the emotion required to cast spells can be applied to the target.

Limits: As is expected in a cat, these types of abilities are meant for proceeding unseen and lashing out as quickly as possible. Thus, the potency of these spells are strongest at the beginning. Most of the time, their use against Blinds is only as useful as the person using them and the person who they're being used on. While he can detect several life signatures using basic heart-beat monitoring, this method is rudimentary at best. Tracking Blinds more clearly requires more focus, both to filter out other noises and to magically hone in on the essence of life within the entity.
This is a weakness that can be applied to every single ability in this category, whether used against a Blind or Paranormal: The fewer things are affected by the ability, the more potent the ability is.

And in regards specifically to anti-paranormal techniques: These abilities are the ones a cat would use to evade an animal control officer. In the same way a stray would avoid sight, confuse by knocking the trash can over and scrambling in a different direction. They are actions of general desperation that are most often used to shake a tail with a flourish and hope one can lick their wounds later on. The effort required in using the abilities in this method, rather than the typical prey lure that they are, is great. Enough that the Host's limits are typically pushed, and either Garf needs to project himself by upgrading the form, or split while its still an option. Otherwise, the host could risk potential death through exhaustion.

Kingshawl: Cloak of the Night ⫻ Assuming a more active position, Garf crawls his way onto Elay's head and hangs there by his front paws. Forming a true shawl and hood, Garf drapes himself into a dark black cloth that hangs across Elay's shoulders and covers both his face and head. Looking close enough at the shawl reveals incredibly tiny points of orange, which shimmer with a tantalizing rhythm that isn't fully recognizable until you've stared for long enough. It's this darkness that Garf himself sleeps in, and which one can find themselves consumed by should they not be aware, or strong enough to repel the allure of its infinite slumber. This cavernous cape completely covers Elay's countenance, making any observation or interaction with him into a hazardous endeavor for both Blind and Adept alike.

While utilizing the Cloak of the Night, Elay has access to the more formidable magical technique that Garf uses to strike and consume his prey from their very dreams. The cloak can shape and twist itself into a variety of shapes, working its way into any nook or cranny it can. Able to project itself across glass, screens and other objects meant for viewing, the cloak attempts to force its target to look deeply into the darkness like a constrictor wrapping around its meal. Once fully entranced, the target is exposed to the secret in the dark: The little orange stars pulsing and dancing across its matte surface. These stars are the seeds that attach themselves to the target, growing into ripe fruits that allow Elay and Garf to step into the dreams of the victims.
With two methods of approach, Elay can either wait for the seed to ripen over time, with the ability to track the target freely for as long as they remain affected... Or, a method developed by Garf during his times as a predator, is to simply knock out the target. Upon falling unconscious, the target's seed is completely ripened and able to be accessed without trouble or concern. To do so, Garf has developed another technique allowing Elay to utilize the cloak to teleport short distances thanks to its strange properties.

Limits: First and foremost, Elay can only maintain a maximum of five seeds at any one given time. They're easy to get rid of from a Paranormal standpoint, as anyone with a strong enough Emotional Field will most likely notice the small disturbance they receive when observing the man with the black face mask and realize what it left behind. They have a pretty significant range; long enough that it's probably not going to make a difference. But, the seeds themselves have an overall lifespan of five days with day four being the ripest day. Knocking a target out, while ripening the fruit for Elay to access the mind, is less effective overall as it reduces the quality of sleep of the victim. That is to say sleep quality is overall very important for accessing the target as well, and Elay has no immediate or direct way of doing anything about it at this stage.

Additionally, Garf's comfort comes into play. As a lazy Prince, Garf is generally opposed to doing more work than is necessary. As such, he's got an aversion to taking shapes that aren't comfortable to him, though these things must be done for the sake of the Host. For Cloak of Night, hanging and draping across Elay's upper body isn't such a stretch that it's not worth a meal; but having to work too hard for a target by extending himself into other objects is never a comfortable experience. Ergo, the harder Elay pushes the cloak's abilities, the less time he has to use it.

Kingshawl: Tiger Wraps ⫻ Splitting his form in half and wrapping himself around Elay's hands and wrists, Garf accepts this discomfort only when deemed absolutely necessary. His body thins and twists over and over again until the wrapped hands are padded with an incredibly thorough and robust set of tapes. Their bright orange color is somewhat jarring, but Elay jokes that they're warning for caution like everything else made bright orange. That if you see one coming your way, the only option is to try and escape the aggressive combatant they're attached to. These wraps, while simple on the surface, are the most available method Garf has to channel his gargantuan physical strength into Elay. Initially attracted to him for his own magical robustness, Garf has found that Elay's physiology is well suited to handle the strain necessary to go forward.

Obviously, this is the most directly combative form of Kingshawl. A mostly natural part of Garf that he rarely "needs" to channel into, this is actually a compromise between the two individuals in terms of powers and abilities. Even the biggest cats around still use cover and stalking as their main methods of predation, their strength generally only leading to a better chance of whether or not they'll bring the prey down. For Garf, this meant not considering the transfer of these traits; a life spent living with them made it difficult to even ascertain where the magic in them was. In order to transfer them- Strength, agility, endurance, dexterity and robustness. -Garf had to discover where his own strength came from in the first place. An easy thing to remember when you ate a seed from the Tree of Knowledge, but Garf has a bad (or good) habit of making things difficult for himself.
Either way, the capability was found by channeling directly through the arms and following the old Lux channels through his flesh into his most important organs. From there, Elay can use the reactivated strength left behind by two decade old Green Lux rituals. He's able to increase muscle mass and bolster the infrastructure behind it, calling upon Garf's energy when necessary to deliver short range bursts of air capable of extending his melee effectiveness. Short term rapid healing can also be used, though the effects are often temporary as the patch job ceases to function after clearing the Tiger Wraps.

Limits: Besides the limited and fickle nature of Garf's healing abilities, this form is relatively strenuous on all parties involved. For Garf, splitting has never been an ideal strategy. Overall it leaves him weaker, meaning he's more vulnerable; even more so in this context, as he's not technically separated. Rather, like a circuit, Garf is using Elay's body to maintain a subtle connection between the two halves of his body. While Elay hasn't come to understand this concept, Garf is incredibly fearful of the vulnerability his need to remain whole creates: With most of Garf's energy trapped inside Elay directly, one could easily seal Garf, or kill both he and Elay at the same time. Rarely does Garf give anyone the chance to do him serious harm, thus usage of Tiger Wraps is solely left to his discretion.

Beyond that, no matter how well developed Elay's body is, it'll never be enough to handle the unbridled nightmare that is a fully awakened ﻮєɭ๔Ŧєггค๔. Ergo, Garf is constantly monitoring Elay's body for signs of weakness and fatigue. Unable to continuously pump him full of energy due to its eldritch sources, Garf is responsible enough to pull the rug out from under Elay whenever necessary. Meaning, Garf's often quick-to-act panic button often leaves Elay in a situation where he was fighting with that power in mind, only to have it stripped away and need to flee. Elay is, after all, incredibly good at looking for trouble. Its nothing to antagonize a group of twenty Blind bikers in a seedy bar just for the thrill of trying to beat them all into a pulp: And Garf is happy to scarper as soon as he's had enough.

Kingshawl: Royal Regalia ⫻ In times of great strife and equal triumph, Garf has held onto a "forbidden" nexus of the Kingshawl's unifying effects. Unnecessary, Garf finds Elay to still not be ready for this form's usage yet... Though, on the occasions where Garf is allowed the majority reign and Elay lays down for a true slumber, sometimes dreams are passed from the former to the latter involving a towering man in royal robes and a crown. On his shoulder sits a massive bulge, with almost useable paws resting on the figure's chest...

LIMITS ⫻ Individual limitations of each ability have been listed alongside their entries for ease of browsing. Besides that, there are few abilities that Garf clings to greedily. Among them, the Wampus Cat's potent ability to subtly pierce the walls of Lux-based Emotional Fields. More potent while used on a sleeping target, Wampus Cats of all realms are greedy gluttons whose main source of sustenance is the negative emotions created by humans and other sapient creatures. As such, a predatory instinct for bypassing Adeptal defenses was necessary to develop over time, like a bird's immunity to capsaicin or a scavanger's taste for rotted meat. This also means that at least once a week, Elay is required to go "dormant" while Garf takes the reigns of their Adjoined consciousness to hunt for fulfilling meals.
In addition, due to his consumption of the Seeds of Life, Garf has attained a great knowledge of many things beyond his own experience: Knowing accurate futures and photographic pasts, he has vowed to keep the truth out of Elay's hands unless he can manage to discover it himself. Thus, most of the secrets of Dazzle are hidden from Elay, waiting for a discovery that will probably never come.

Both of these benefits are totally unavailable to Elay unless the most desperate of necessities, as per their binding contract. As are several other agreements, including a clause preventing Elay from taking any actions that would knowingly end his own life without express agreement from Garf. If at any time the contract is broken, Garf simply leaves. No ceremony, no long goodbye; the cat unplugs itself from Elay, and most likely tries to eat him and whatever else he's dealing with before celebrating his unbridaled return to the surface world with a light lunch: Cloverfield.
Lastly, the more combative forms of Kingshawl unification are often left entirely to the discretion of Garf. The more openly aggressive he allows Elay to be, the more open and exposed he leaves himself as he's less able to hide due to proximity requirements and issues involving an increase in size.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ The primary weakness is how tied to Garf Elay's abstraction is. Unlike some other Adjoined, he isn't granted the abstraction in the typical manner. It requires Garf's presence - and him exposing himself.

First, he's basically useless when Garf is asleep or otherwise incapacitated. His senses are enhanced slightly and he has a weakened emotional field, but that's it. Second, Garf- and thus Elay- is weak to any magic that targets and harms Apparitions. Black Lux, Apparition destroying Artifacts... while Garf can't be sealed adjoined to Elay like this, he can be weakened and harmed. This has the knock on effect of weakening Elay, and the risk of Garf deciding to flee.

There's also the toll using Garf's magic takes on Elay's body. While Garf can monitor and choose when to leave, using the stronger forms leave Elay even more tired afterwards. It's just worse, and at risk of proper damage, if he uses them for too long.

Garf often catches rats in the basement for fun, and Elay watches him hunt more often than he'd like to admit. Garf's always happy to show off, and typically lets his sport go as he's got an aversion to the taste.

While Garf eats dreams, its mostly for sustenance. As a ravenous eldritch abomination hiding a wretchedly amorphous creature beneath, he's constantly hungry and searching for his next meal. However, he derives great joy and pleasure from eating physical food, with a taste for good pasta dishes pulled directly from Elay's many nightmares.

If it isn't clear, a lot of Elay's feelings about people not liking him are total self-perceptions. Though, not entirely unfounded as interactions rarely ever go well with Elay; it's safe to say he's made himself look like an asshole plenty over his life, and people are right to hold a mixed bag in his honor.