[hider=Marie Louise Saint-Saens] [CENTER][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/250519/581842d87c263db86ec74e816f8c468e.png [/img][/CENTER] [hr][table][row][/row][row][cell][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/BvW1ngcY/hocheol-ryu-welz-2.jpg[/img] [sub][COLOR=SILVER] Marie Louise Saint-Saens [/COLOR][/sub][/center] [/cell][cell] [b][color=black]General Information[/color][/b] [COLOR=black][B]Name[/B][COLOR=SILVER] - Marie Louise Saint-Saens [/COLOR] [B]Age[/B][COLOR=SILVER] - 25[/COLOR] [B]Species and Gender[/B][COLOR=SILVER] - Human / Female[/COLOR] [b]Hair Color[/b][COLOR=SILVER] - Blonde and Brown[/COLOR] [b]Reason to join [/b][COLOR=SILVER] - [indent]Partially by chance and partially curiosity about what is hidden inside the Land of Twilight.[/indent][/COLOR][/color] [/cell][/row][/table] [indent][b][color=black][h3]Detailed Appearance[/h3][/color][/b][/indent] [color=SILVER][indent] Standing at 1.58m (5'2") Marie Louise's appearance often has a rather strange effect at most people, almost as if it was a carefully laid trap. At first, the striking, complex and intricate design on her clothes demands attention, especially when coupled with petite, yet beautiful figure. Both the vibrant mixes of colors ranging from gold and red to white and black and the soft, delicate noise made by clinking coins and small bells sewn on through her clothes, demanding attention. The moment one's eyes meet her though, it is as if they had already fell for the trap, making it only harder to look away. Every glance, every moment one's eyes spends exploring her appearance, the more secrets and details it rewards them. On the hem of her cloak, a multitude of golden coins are sewn, each one of them bearing a different image. From actual coins, both old and new to decorative coins bearing many different symbols and images, all of them polished to perfection. The intricate patterns and decorations through her outfit, most of them made using real gold threads. Her hair sporting both blonde and brown doesn't seem to be dyed and instead being completely natural. The jewelry adorning her and her outfit, from pearls to rubies and the liberal use of gold, both in the jewelry and all the golden decorations in her clothes make her entire outfit more expensive than one can imagine. It is only then, after all this that they realize how beautiful the woman hiding beneath those clothes really is. [indent][/indent] [/indent][/color][indent][color=black][b][h3]Bio/Personality[/h3][/b][/color][/indent] [INDENT][color=SILVER] Often people speak of children born under a star, whether its a prodigy born under an auspicious star... Or a cursed child born under an ominous one. Under hushed breath and whispers, some claim that these children were chosen by gods, some believe in the power of the stars while others, in a mocking tone claim that such fates are mere whims of the heavens. In Marie Louise's case, all of them are true. Marie's birth was a strange case. Under the dark, starless night of her birth, no crying could be heard, only silence. Although perfectly healthy, Marie was born completely silent, unable to make a single sound. Even as she cried, no sound came out. Worried about her future, her parents, both artists and musicians from a troupe of itinerant artists, took the young Marie to the troupe's old fortune teller, in order to divine her future. As wise as she was old, the fortune teller had been with the troupe longer than most had been alive. Old enough to have personally lived and known a number of tales that were now told by the troupe around the fire, the secrets she hid, knew and could tell seemed to be as numerous as the silvery strands of hair in her head. Whenever the old fortune teller spoke, none dared to interrupt as her words, just like her cards, had never once lied. What transpired in the old fortune teller's tent wasn't of much help to alleviate the worries about Marie Louise's future. Three times the old fortune teller shuffled her tarot cards, Three times she laid the standard five cards on the table. And three times, just as she was about to flip them, a sudden gust of wind swept through the tent — scattering them all, save one... The Eighteenth major arcana, The Moon. Shaking her head with a solemn expression, the old woman simply gathered her scattered cards in silence, for there were some secrets not even the light of the stars were able to unveil. Whether it was for good or for bad, the child's future was not something for their eyes. Obscured by some hidden force, what would transpire in Marie's future was only between her and the mysterious force that guided her. The best they could do for the child's future was to let her free. Her life would be dictated not by fate nor family, but only by her own hand, and whatever unseen power moved beside her. She would live only by her choices and the force that guided her. Despite the great concern that overtook her parents in her early life, Marie Louise would soon show that there was little to no reason for concern as she began growing up. Not only she showed an almost supernatural, prodigious talent for music and the arts. While she wasn't able to speak nor produce a single sound, her performances were able to capture her audience in a very unique way, from provoking a deep, primal fear on those who listened to the darker tones she played to make them cheer and celebrate with bright, animated melodies as she danced among the crowd, her smile and graceful steps further lifting the atmosphere. Through her early years, her disability didn't seem to be a problem for her. Friendly, outgoing and quite expressive, she always found a way to communicate herself and socialize with others. But for all the beauty she brought, there was something in her that unsettled even those closest to her. The words of the old fortune teller didn't seem to be mere superstition. Marie walked through the world as through a playhouse, sometimes stepping on the stage, sometimes watching from the shadows, smiling as joy and sorrow danced before her, neither puppet nor puppeteer. Celebrating joy and tragedy alike, intervening when needed, watching in silence when not — unburdened by the weight of life itself, whether her own or others. As such, Marie decided whether to spare or to slay with the same calm grace as one would decide the fate of a character in a book, having both the means and the power to do so. With steps as fleeting and light as the night breeze, Marie moved as if she danced to the wind's soft whispers as her fingers glided and jumped through the strings of her instrument like a playful swallow's flight and whenever Marie played a song, both the world and the stars seemed to listen with bated breath. As Marie Louise grew older and expressed her desire to wander the world by herself, the words of the old fortune teller once again proved to be accurate. Although she was weak and old, the old fortune teller was always fascinated by Marie Louise. To say Marie Louise saw her as her own grandmother was not far off the truth, having learned a multitude of things from the old gypsy woman. Even now, she wasn't entirely sure of what the force that guided and favored Marie Louise since birth was. As she herself had said many years ago, Marie was special. To keep her caged would be inviting disaster. Marie's fate, Marie's story wasn't only her own. Whatever it was that was writing the girl's fate together with her, didn't seem to care about any opinions other than it's own and Marie herself. So came the day when Marie left them and even though her parents wept with pride and sorrow, Marie met their eyes with a playful smile and a theatrical bow. At last, the time had come for Marie to step away from their stage, into her own. And so, Marie celebrated with them all — the old fortune teller, her parents, and the entire troupe — in the only way she knew: with songs, with dances, and with her radiant smile. [hr] In just a few short years, Marie Louise’s name spread like wildfire across cities and courts. Before the silks and jewels she’s now known for, she was little more than a wandering artist with a strange, haunting instrument — a hybrid between a lute and a theorbo. Back then, the tales were gentler and softer: a beautiful wandering artist who appeared without warning, played unnaturally beautiful melodies, staying only for as long as she wanted and disappearing afterwards, never uttering a single word. Nobles and travelers, enchanted by her music, showered her with gifts — not gold or land, which she had no use for, but elegant clothes, fine jewels, and anything that might maintain or enhance her beloved instrument. But as her legend grew, so too did the darker tales whispered in her wake. In the beginning, there were only a few mysterious whispers... Tales of bandits found headless on the roads. Their weapons laying in a pool of their own blood and their heads separated from their body with a single, clean cut. But soon, the rumors became much darker and frightening. One noble, arrogant and entitled, forced her to perform at a private gathering. No one remembers what she played that night. What they do remember is the silence that followed. When the music stopped, so did every heartbeat in the room — guests, guards, even servants beyond the walls. All were found dead, untouched, their faces frozen in silent awe or terror, and not a single wound among them. From then on, stories about her became in equal parts terrifying and enchanting. People still spoke of her beauty and talent, but more often, they whispered of those who had tried to own her, use her, silence her… and paid dearly for it. Among those, fortunate were the ones who were graced by the kiss of her scythe while others had a much worse fate... Lost within their own minds, left screaming at shadows having seen and heard things no human should. Fueled by these many tales and the manner which authorities seemed to never be able to capture or even find her, Marie Louise became something more than human in the eyes of many, her existence compared to a fairy or a spirit, sometimes leaving behind unnaturally beautiful music… and the others, a trail of silence far too complete to be natural. [/color][/INDENT] [indent][color=black][b][h3]Passives[/h3][/b][/color][/indent] [color=SILVER][INDENT] [color=black][b]The Moon and The Fool:[/b][/color] For good or for bad, Marie is not the only one writing her own story. Whatever it is the mysterious force that favors her, it offers Marie more than just powers. It guides her and makes sure she will eventually arrive exactly where she needs to be, [i]as The Moon's light illuminates the dark path and guides The Fool in his journey, for as long as it continues walking forward.[/i] [color=black][b][i]Danse Macabre:[/i][/b][/color] The graceful and agile movements Marie uses to dance and perform while playing her songs do translate surprisingly well to combat situations. Her skill allows her to uninterruptedly play a song while still using her instrument to attack as she dances, jumps and twirls through the battlefield. As the chords from her instruments vibrate, so does the blade at it's end, causing it to cut even hard materials with incredible ease... leaving behind unnaturally clean cuts. [/INDENT][/color] [indent][color=black][b][h3]Spells[/h3][/b][/color][/indent] [color=SILVER][INDENT] [color=black][b]Temperance (XIV):[/b][/color] Similarly to the Tarot card of the same name, Marie's music can be used either to bring balance or to break it. By using songs, Marie can either bring balance to the emotions or feelings of those hearing or evoke a particular one to the extreme. [color=black][b]Sforzando:[/b][/color] The uniqueness of Marie's instrument, coupled with her powers allow her to concentrate the vibrations caused by the songs and chords she play to a point that once after every music played, she can cause a sudden loud burst of noise, with enough pressure to be used to attack. Such sound can either be used in a radius around her or directed in a cone or line. Additionally, it can also be a high or a low tone. A low tone has physical impact and explosive pressure while a high sound can internally affect those hit by it, either causing internal wounds, rupturing eardrums to affect the balance or cause pain. [color=black][b][i]Totentanz:[/i][/b][/color] Unlike other songs, this one is not technically difficult nor complex, instead being the most simple and primal metaphor for death and mortality. The droning sound accompanying the melody as Marie uses a bow to play her instrument evoke a powerful, primal sense of foreboding and dread. When playing this song, Marie has to completely focus on the performance, not being able to attack and only being able to dodge. If not interrupted in some way, the moment the droning sound ends in the end of the melody, all those who heard the melody will simply fall to the ground, dead. Due to it being a very long performance, it needs some time to be completed. If interrupted, Marie needs to start the entire performance from zero. [/INDENT][/color] [indent][color=black][b][h3]Equipment[/h3][/b][/color][/indent] [color=SILVER][INDENT] [color=black][b]Custom musical instrument:[/b][/color] Projected and made with the help of both the old gypsy fortune teller and other musicians at the troupe, it is a mix of a theorbo and a lute. A small hole near the end of the neck hides a bow that can be also used to play the instrument. By tuning the many different chords, it is capable of producing a multitude of different songs. At first it was merely an instrument. It was reinforced and transformed into a weapon with the addition of the scythe blade by Marie herself after some time. [color=black][b]Leather Satchel:[/b][/color] A small almost imperceptible leather satchel she keeps strapped on her back beneath her cloak. Carries only a few things she consider important, such as tarot cards, a handful of golden coins for emergencies, [/INDENT][/color] [indent][color=black][b][h3]Mundane Skills[/h3][/b][/color][/indent] [color=SILVER][INDENT] [color=black][b]Wandering Artist:[/b][/color] While Marie cannot speak, she is a prodigious musician and dancer. Skills such as acrobatics and other skills used for entertainment such as knife throwing, sleight of hand and even how to move unnoticed and unheard are almost second nature to her. [color=black][b]Sewing:[/b][/color] Clothes sometimes get damaged and being a wandering artist means being ready to deal with such problems. Despite being made of extremely fine materials, Marie not only has enough skill to sew and fix her clothes herself, but also keeps a few spare pieces of fine silk of each color of her clothes to fix them, if needed. [color=black][b]Luthier:[/b][/color] The musical instrument Marie uses was crafted with the help of her troupe, but she knows enough about it to know how to maintain and repair it, including how to sharpen and take care of the blade on it's end. [color=black][b][i]Tarot Reading:[/i][/b][/color] Marie learned how to divine the future and read tarot cards with the old gypsy from her troupe. While she cannot read her own future, nor anything directly involving her, it is still useful in some situations. [/INDENT][/color] [/hider]