13org

13org's characters

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The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Despite the ominous teal here was honestly little time to think nor a suitable alternative as Echo ran towards the door, forcefully holding it open. With all hell breaking loose inside the room, there was little time for Alice to think but to run towards the door. The room had quickly descended into utter chaos. Tendrils of arching light to rays of pink light seemed to attack everything and anyone indiscriminately.

The sounds of both creatures fighting soon disappeared as they passed through the door. Unfortunately, they found themselves now in a completely different place from the abandoned and decaying station they were. The faint teal glow that was coming from the door before now flooded their vision in a strange, alien swamp. The highly unnerving scenery, with twisted trees riddled with eyes, did little to help the team calm down after the adrenaline from having to run from the two other creatures running amok in the previous room.

Alice instinctively knew what was going on as soon as she looked around herself. From the way the air felt, to the atmosphere and the gravity getting lower, Alice quickly confirmed her suspicions. As they tried to run from the chaos on the other room, they had fallen into a section of the abandoned station that had completely collapsed into the Oneiric Chasm.

"This isn't good... This part of the station seems to have-" Alice began explaining in a low tone before King suddenly warned them, making Alice immediately go silent and rising rifle.
King's warning was quickly confirmed by the silhouettes starting to surround them and the whip-like strike one of them gave Kleo, aiming to throw her to the ground.

The hulking monstrosity that was probably the one responsible for the previous attack fell from the ceiling, revealing itself to them. Made of a multitude of different creatures fused together, despite it's huge size, it had long, bony limbs, which it seemed to use to attack with great effect.

"They are getting closer! We need to do something and fast!" Alice said, nervously looking around as she aimed her rifle to the creatures, unsure where to hit or even if they had a vital spot she could aim for... Besides, firing a single shot could probably be the spark the creatures needed to jump at them in an all-out attack.

The moment King warned them of the thermobaric blast he was about to use, Alice closed her eyes, shielding them with one of her arms, while keeping the other pointing her rifle to the direction of the huge creature.

Just a moment after the intense light went off, bright enough for her to see a bit even though she was shielding her closed eyes with her arm, the powerful thermobaric explosion followed soon after. The sound was Alice's cue to get ready, opening her eyes and immediately aiming towards the huge creature approaching them, firing directly at it just after the impact from King's thermobaric blast hit.

The first shot, the usual needle-like bullet focused on penetration was aimed directly at it's head, while the second shot, manually loaded into the rifle, was a syringe-like bullet, loaded with a highly venomous cocktail. Should the penetrating shot prove to be ineffective, the venom would hopefully do something and if not, Alice was already midway into manually loading another syringe, this time with an highly corrosive compound.

13org's characters

Marie Louise Saint-Saens

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Marie Louise Saint-Saens	General Information Name - Marie Louise Saint-Saens Age - 25 Species and Gender - Human / Female Hair Color - Blonde and Brown Reason to join - Partially by chance and partially curiosity about what is hidden inside the Land of Twilight.

Detailed Appearance

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.

Bio/Personality

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.

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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.

Passives

The Moon and The Fool: 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, as The Moon's light illuminates the dark path and guides The Fool in his journey, for as long as it continues walking forward.

Danse Macabre: 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.

Spells

Temperance (XIV): 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.

Sforzando: 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.

Totentanz: 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.

Equipment

Custom musical instrument: 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.

Leather Satchel: 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,

Mundane Skills

Wandering Artist: 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.

Sewing: 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.

Luthier: 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.

Tarot Reading: 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.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Almost ready lol. Posted by mistake.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Still deciding which character to use, but definitely joining!!

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Alice watched in silence, almost holding her breath as she watched the creatures going for the cadaver. While it did seem that the ethereal field they were maintaining was a bit of an exaggeration, judging by how the carrion feeder creatures so eagerly went towards the corpse, it was still a good backup plan in case something went wrong. Two of the worm like creatures sliced through the corpse making droplets of a foul, black, oozy fluid splatter towards Echo and Kleo, making the team's equipment warn them of the rising qillatu readings.

Still keeping silent, Alice turned towards Kleo, signaling for her to be at ease and not make any sudden moves or react in a way that could attract the attention of the creatures that were with them in the room.

"While both creatures seem to be carrion-feeders like Ilshar mentioned, it is better to try and avoid their attention, especially now that you and Echo are covered in something they would probably like to feed on..." Alice whispered, not trying to make Kleo panic but still being honest.

Whether it was attracted by the ethereal bait they put, the cadaver or the shovel-skulled worms, the other creature finally showed itself. A grotesque spherical mass of worms, pulsating and sloshing as it entered the room clad in a strange pink smoke. Carrion feeder or not, this one seemed to be much more dangerous than the worms, a thought that was quickly confirmed by their equipment, which began to alert them the very moment the spherical mass entered the room.

Fortunately, the shovel-skulled worms, which were now in a full freeding frenzy on the corpse they sliced through earlier, drew the attention of the newly arrived mass of worms...

In just a few seconds, all hell broke loose inside the room they were in, starting with an explosion of power coming from the spherical mass of worms, which seemed to be either competing with the shovel-skulled worms for the cadavers or outright attacking them. Regardless of the reason, both creatures began attacking each other. The powerful bursts of power coming from the spherical mass was enough to make the room itself protest and the remaining emergency systems to activate, starting a lockdown.

Before they could react, another shockwave of power coming from the pinkish mass of worms shook the room, sending both the shovel-skulled worm that was attacking flying away and throwing debris all around the room, threatening hitting the Envenomed themselves.

"We need to go, now!" Alice said in an alarmed tone, cowering to protect herself from the shockwave and the flying debris it sent out.

The time for subtlety was now over. The sounds and ethereal spikes from the two creatures fighting would certainly attract many other things that could be hiding through the abandoned station. In addition, the doors were slowly closing and getting trapped inside the room would be risking not only getting caught in the crossfire as the two creatures fought, but being vulnerable to whichever one of them remained in the end...

"The two creatures are too busy fighting each other to care about us. We need to leave NOW." Alice urged as she pointed towards the closing door.

Black Clover. New Knights [Cancelled]

Considering the color, Scarabs or Camels sounds nice!

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Ilshar's reply confirmed Alice's concerns. An entire pack of ether-spawns had already noticed the etheric disturbance, however faint it was, and likely already knew of their presence. In the best case, they would only investigate... But Alice had learned to always assume the worst possible scenario whenever those types of creatures were involved.

"We need to move. Assuming the worst case... If these ether-spawns come for us... It won't end with a single shot." Alice said in reply to Ilshar, definitely worried.

"A lure might be possible... But we'll have to be very careful to disguise our etheric traces so they don't trace the lure back to us. These kind of tactics are not uncommon among the creatures that call the Abyssic Plane and the Oneiric Chasm their home." Alice said, confirming King's suggestion.

The very second Alice finished saying that though, the door began opening with the noise of the old machinery flooding the mostly silent room, together with a teal-colored luminescent fog, seemingly emanating from whatever it was on the other side.

Unlike the other worm-like creatures, which didn't appear to be hostile, being mostly scavenger creatures from what she could recall from her expeditions and research, Alice had no idea of what the other one one was capable of, not she could sense it well enough to identify it. Judging by how the worm-like scavengers were reacting... There was a good possibility it was a predator.

"Understood. Focus on the Lure, Salvator. I'll keep the shroud up and assist in any way I can in disguising the traces to your lure." Alice said, focusing as she helped maintain the shroud that Salvator had created.

In order to better disguise themselves for ether-sensing creatures, instead of making the shroud more powerful, Alice instead focused on making it more... porous. More like camouflage than 'invisibility'. A perfect and powerful shroud, in many cases would have an almost completely opposite effect from the one it was intended. For predators or even most opportunistic ether creatures, a field where their senses felt only a complete emptiness was as strange and worthy of closer investigation than if they had detected etheric fluctuations characteristic of other creatures. Hopefully, when coupled with the lure Salvator had just put on the corpse, it would divert the attention from whatever it was on the other side of the door to the worms instead of them.

"Move slowly, be careful. I will try make the shroud match the background ether profile. It should also help with disguising your lure, Salvator. Be mindful of any ether fluctuations any of you might cause from now on." Alice whispered.

"The other creature outside the door doesn't seem to have noticed our presence, at least not visually. It seems to be reacting to something, most likely to the worms. The bad news is that there is a good possibility that it is a predator. The good news is that if it is one, it is likely hunting the worms. As long as we don't make ourselves look like a more appealing prey, it is unlikely it will notice us. Whatever you do, whatever it happens, do not open fire yet. Just stay calm and wait for an opportunity for us to leave." Alice whispered, still concentrating on the shroud and assisting Salvator with his lure, while being very vigilant to any movement from the other creature outside the door.

Black Clover. New Knights [Cancelled]

Hey, that sounds fun!
Count me in, if you'll have me!

13org's characters

Amaris Mallory

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Amaris Mallory	General Information Name - Amaris Mallory Age - 85 Species and Gender - Sarkaz / Female Mana Pool Type - Container Hair Color - White Affiliation - Order of the Golden Sun - Prisoner

Detailed Appearance

While Amaris lacks the characteristic horns that most Sarkaz usually have and most of the visible traits are hidden by her robes, her striking appearance is usually more than enough to mark her as someone incredibly suspicious. At first sight, her red eyes and sharp teeth already contribute to the rather sinister aura she has, but if one pay enough attention, the white, demon-like tail is still able to be seen. Aside from the obvious physical traits, what perhaps contribute even more to the sinister appearance Amaris has is the robe and veil that she is forced to wear by the Order.

The aptly named Robes of Penitence were initially a magical artifact made with reinforced fabric and dark colors, but after being worn by Amaris, the robe changed to be filled with sharp iron spikes. While the rather violent and hostile design was not exactly intended, it ends up working quite well to warn that the one wearing it is both dangerous and undergoing punishment... or 'penance'.

If one is able to see past these sinister and dangerous appearance, Amaris could easily be considered quite an attractive woman. Standing at 1.82m with beautiful, long white hair, it doesn't take much to imagine how different she would look if she wore different clothes and perhaps had a more amicable, gentle smile... Similar to the ones she is sometime seen with when talking to Sarkaz children.

Personality

Most know of those who have heard about Amaris' 'sins' and what she was responsible for see her as a monstrous, sadistic witch. A walking disaster that was responsible for the massacre that happened on the border town between Varenheim and Westernant. At least partially, those people aren't exactly wrong. To her enemies, Amaris shows herself to be a ruthless, sadistic witch that doesn't hesitate in slaughtering those responsible for her people's suffering, but there is much more to her than just the stories that are told.

While it is true that Amaris is cruel, ruthless and sadistic to those whom she consider either her enemies or 'guilty' of committing injustices, her rather strict moral code shows itself quite clearly when innocent people are involved, be them Sarkaz or not. This very moral code seems work almost as a failsafe, limiting her cruelty to prevent her from crossing a line she shouldn't.

Since she became a prisoner of the Order of the Golden Sun, Amaris learned to control her fiercely rebellious spirit, teaching her at least some patience and restraint. This time spent as a prisoner also did quite a bit to calm Amaris down and make her behavior less explosive and destructive. In another hand, this made clear that Amaris is a dangerous woman in many ways, showing herself to be a very cunning and scheming woman especially now after she learned how to bide her time instead of acting solely on her impulses.

Surprisingly enough, she seems not to show that much hostility to most members of the clergy, with the notable exception of the Inquisitors... Often the targets of acidic, sarcastic comments and provocations about them being the church's 'hunting dogs', eager to show service and 'condemn' whoever they are told to, regardless of the crimes they committed. Even though Amaris isn't stupid to directly attack an inquisitor, she seems to shows a habit of not particularly minding about collateral damage to them, if she is ordered to attack an enemy with them nearby.

The few times Amaris was allowed to meet the children of the orphanage, she has also shown herself to calmly and kindly answer to inquiries made by the braver ones among them that weren't afraid by the stories, as long as those were polite. While she shows little to no patience to rude and unruly children, she seems to have a soft spot for polite and innocent ones.

Bio

It is hard to forget—and even harder to forgive—the hatred and the old wounds left open after decades of war. For some, time does not heal all wounds. Even after the city of Dagorlad was built as a symbol of peace, the scars of the Sarkaz genocide, inflicted by the Elves during the cruel reign of Serensiel, remained fresh in their memory. The Sarkaz people, once proud nomads, now suffered the stigma of that dark history. Many still saw them as untrustworthy outcasts, regardless of their attempt to rebuild their shattered pride and culture.

Amaris Mallory, the third daughter of a prosperous merchant family, saw in Dagorlad little more than a gilded cage. It was a fragile city... Built on a promise coexistence and a new beginning, while lacking the mutual respect from other kingdoms to sustain such coexistence. A place where the Sarkaz slowly attempted to reclaim what was stolen from them, even as those responsible for their suffering walked free. The Elves who had committed unspeakable atrocities thrived in lands taken by blood, while the Sarkaz were left to pick up the pieces, their pain ignored.

To Amaris, the bustling marketplace in Dagorlad’s merchant district, filled with colorful stalls and traders shouting their wares, felt like a cruel joke. The very city was build as a result of years of Sarkaz suffering, and yet people still lived as if the past didn't matter anymore... As if all their problems had been solved, ignoring the Elves, in their prosperous kingdom, built on stolen lands. The noise of the crowd only made Amaris' heard tighten. The peace their city offered was impossible to trust. Their so-called nation was small and vulnerable, constantly overshadowed by the power of the Elves and Humans.

Day after day, Amaris wandered through the district, her heart heavy with the burden of unspoken anger. Merchants who traveled to Human land spoke of their experiences... The stories were always the same: polite smiles masking condescension, whispered insults calling them scavengers, wanderers, or worse. The Sarkaz could build cities, they could carve out a place for themselves, but they could not erase the past.

While many in Dagorlad tried to adapt to their new lives, Amaris felt suffocated by it. While coexistence could be possible, the past had first to be acknowledged. The crimes of the Elves under Serensiel's reign could not simply be buried and forgotten. Most importantly, the Sarkaz would never be truly respected as long as their past grievances weren't solved and the crimes committed against them, repaid. For Amaris, there could be no true peace without retribution.

As she grew older, Dagorlad became more and more suffocating. Her family, unlike Amaris, had adapted well to the changes. Her father, a merchant through and through, saw opportunity where she saw injustice while her mother, believed that time would smooth over the rough edges of their history. Both of them did little to understand her discontent. To them, Amaris was wasting her potential and her magical talents, on rebellious thoughts and dreams of a different world.

In the end, Amaris decided to leave with the excuse of "learning about the world". Unsurprisingly, her family didn’t resist. They had already grown of her dissatisfaction and rebellious spirit and maybe they believed that leaving Dagorlad might finally open her rebellious daughter's eyes and get rid her of her rebellious streak. She chose Westernant as her destination, where she hoped to find answers to the questions that gnawed at her soul... How could her people heal if their past was ignored? How could they move forward when the those responsible for their disgrace still walked free, unrepentant, their hands stained with Sarkaz blood? And perhaps even more importantly... seeking some respite from the suffocating feeling of impotence and the hatred that burned her chest.

Truth be told, Amaris had no grand plan as she left for Westernant, no certainty about what she would find or how exactly would most humans treat her. Only a burning, smoldering anger. A belief that justice, true justice, could not be bargained for or bought. It had to be taken, to be earned. As long as the Sarkaz let the humans look down at them or the elves believe they can just ignore what they did in the past, they would never be respected.

At first her the one thing she noticed in Westernant was while there was indeed the prejudice she heard about from other merchants, not every human was like that. While there were only some that didn't view her with prejudice, those that didn't only shown curiosity as she looked at her. While that curiosity could be another way to earn the human kingdoms' trust and respect, Amaris was far too quickly shown the dark side of human society the moment she stepped into one of the first settlements in the border between the kingdoms...

In one of the first border towns Amaris visited, the first thing she noticed were the suspicious, harsh stares the moment she arrived. Unlike the others, those went beyond simple curiosity or prejudice... The people's stared had a mix of nervousness, fear and hostility to them. Every step she gave, Amaris felt she was closely watched. Strangely enough, it felt almost as if every person looking at her was a hair's breadth away from jumping at her. Under such strict surveillance, not only there was no possibility of her finding out what was going on, but the threat of having a dagger plunged into her back was tangible. Due to that, Amaris quickly left the place.

It took quite a bit of questioning the rare merchants that passed on the nearby roads and observing who entered and exited the settlement from a distance, but when Amaris finally realized what was going on, she felt her heart drop with shock, before it lit up in anger and wrath. While it was well disguised, it was obvious that that small settlement was a front for a group of slavers. Amaris watched, in horror as a bound sarkaz was hurriedly escorted inside the settlement by a group of rough looking men, before it was taken inside a building.

In silence, Amaris returned to the slavers' settlement, her eyes burning with anger as one guard came to stop her. They knew... They all knew what was happening in that place. The guards, the merchants who were staring at her earlier, even the authorities on that place knew... and they did nothing... Raising her hand, a chain of interlinking, symmetrical, iron spikes began slowly forming as she looked towards the guard... There was no negotiation, no warning or accusations, there was just a one-sided massacre. The humans that escaped quickly alerted the authorities, with desperate tales about a Sarkaz witch and the storm of bloodied chains and spikes that followed her.

Rushed by the urgency of the reports given by the fleeing survivors, the Order of the Golden Sun arrived almost an entire day later. Only to encounter the small settlement completely destroyed. Bodies impaled by huge spikes of iron appearing from the ground or entangled in a sea of chains made of interlinking iron spikes. In the very middle of the destroyed settlement, a single Sarkaz woman stood kneeling on the ground, wounded and exhausted, but still alive. Surrounded by a a few dozen of the symmetrical iron spikes embedded on the ground, almost the height of a human and dozens of bloodied chains spread through the ground in a sea of blood, corpses and debris. The almost nightmarish scene of iron obelisks, chains and spikes seemed to be something straight out of a horror story, some of the iron structures already starting to oxidize, rapidly decaying due to the exhaustion of the Sarkaz witch, the red rust color mixing the the blood of the corpses on the ground...

[...]

Reminiscing about the past was... Unpleasant for Amaris. It's been almost 9 years since the massacre of the slaver settlement. 9 years since she was saved from being executed in the very spot she stood by some of the Sarkaz slaves she had freed before the massacre, interceded for her and explaining what had happened. Many times she had thought if she could had done something different... of how she could have dealt with that settlement in a better way... But in the end, those thought went away as quickly as they returned. It was useless to think about what could have been.

After she was captured, it took almost two years of interrogation and sermons (many which were completely ignored by Amaris) until the Order saw Amaris worthy of the smallest bit of trust and allowed her to work with inquisitors in order to repay for what she had done, reducing her sentence. After nine years, Amaris knew well that there was more to that slaver settlement than what she thought, as the truth behind it had not yet made public. Now, she worked to the order as a somewhat begrudging ally. Every mission completed without any 'incidents' was another step, another reduction to her sentence and another promise from the Order that when it was all over, the truth would finally be told and her name, cleared... Working with inquisitors was still as unpleasant as it was in the beginning, but if there was anything Amaris had learned in those nine years was that it paid off to be patient.

Passives

Blood-iron Thorns: Amaris is able to materialize iron chains made of interlinking, symmetrical iron spikes and control it freely either from a distance or as whips from her arms. Her control over said chain is enough to move it almost any way she wants to in a range of 15m, including wielding them just like a normal whip would. Only one chain can be materialized and controlled, with additional chains being materialized as Amaris is able to score hits on enemies with normal attacks or by sacrificing 10% of her health per chain. Can only control four chains at a time. Always has one chain with her. Chains can be broken with strong enough attacks.

Blood-iron Magic: Amaris' magic is one of blood and iron, an old ritualistic magic based on blood sacrifices. As long her chains are able to absorb blood, be it her own or others, she gets progressively stronger.

Agile Caster: Due to the almost instinctive way Amaris' magic works, she is able to move herself freely as she uses it. The rush of adrenaline and excitement as she continues using it made her develop a fast, agile and aggressive fighting style. Not wearing armor also contributes to her agile steps in the battlefield.

Spells

Chains of Resentment: Spends one of her chains, sending them towards an enemy, slithering and coiling around them before tightening, making the thorns dig into their skin, causing severe bleeding and slowing both their movements and attacks. If three Obelisks were summoned, more chains appear shooting from the ground, piercing the target and holding them in place. Allows the usage of the Reckoning ability if three obelisks are summoned.

Reckoning: Can only be used against enemies affected by Chains of Resentment. Makes the chains that are already slowing the target's movements and attacks start tightening even more, grinding against each other and the target's flesh, digging further and further into it. Against enemies who are already held in place, summons a smaller spike from the ground, slightly behind the target, impaling them and raising in the air, with the chains binding them to it.

Blood Iron Curtain: Spends one of her chains, making it burst into individual thorns, orbiting Amaris, creating an aura of 5 meters around her where projectiles have a high chance of being deflected. After three obelisks were summoned, this area extends to 10 meters, protecting her allies, completely stop any projectiles and working together with the obelisks' chain links, causing bleeding to enemies inside the radius.

Bloodforged Obelisk: Spends three Blood Iron Thorns, sending them burrowing into the ground, wall or any solid object. The chains move underground to make a giant iron spike, bound by chains, to erupt, impaling any enemy unfortunate enough to be above it and knocking away those nearby. The obelisk will remain on the battlefield as long as Amaris wills it or as long as she remains conscious. While very durable, can still be destroyed. When three obelisks are summoned on the same battlefield, the chains binding them break, with each individual chain link, each individual thorn, flying outwards and orbiting an area of 15 meters around each obelisk, causing persistent damage and bleeding to anyone who stays in the area. Subsequent casts of this skill after three obelisks were summoned will only cost a single chain and will instead, simply relocate one of the previous spikes. If all three spikes are destroyed after they are 'activated', the storm of thorns ceases, with Amaris needing to invoke the obelisks again. As long as a single obelisk is still standing after being 'activated', Amaris needs only to spend a single chain to summon the others.

Equipment

Robes of Penitence: A cursed artifact made by the Order of the Golden Sun to control highly dangerous and powerful prisoners. Takes the form of a black robe, made of reinforced fabric. Offers little to no protection, but it's nigh impossible to destroy, thanks to self-repairing enchantments. Due to how tricky it is to seal or prevent powerful prisoners from using their powers, this artifact makes use of the caster's own powers against them. In the case of Amaris, it became filled with iron spikes, thorns and chains. Can be activated from a distance by any high-ranking member of the Order of the Golden Sun or by whoever was given the responsibility of being Amaris' 'handler'. Upon being activated, the thorns grow inwards, piercing Amaris' skin and causing a great deal of pain while the chains tighten, both cutting and immobilizing her. It was designed to cause as much pain as possible and immobilize without killing, but a special command can be used solely by a high-ranking member of the Order to immediately execute the wearer.

Mundane Skills

A Merchant's daughter: While Amaris isn't exactly good at bargaining or negotiating, she knows how to handle money and numbers quite well. Despite her lack of enthusiasm with her family's business in Dagorlad, Amaris is actually a very competent accountant. The years she passed observing and seeing her father working also taught her to be quite cunning and scheming. Traits she had not shown before, due to her previous tendency of letting her emotions run wild and cloud her judgement.

First Aid: Due to the obviously dangerous nature of Amaris' magic, more than once she cut or wounded herself while learning to control it. Due to that, Amaris learned how to disinfect, clean and close wounds quite effectively.

Light steps: Years of dodging her responsibilities to the family, running away from chores & the like made Amaris quite adept at sneaking around and moving silently.