Mole
Ravion the Red
shylarah
Bork
Starlance Umara Imaradi
 ________________________________________ Umara Imaradi 18 | Female | Human _______________________________________________ ❏ BIRTHPLACE: Umara hails from the infamously eerie Masquewood Swamp, found deep within the easternmost reaches of the Realm controlled by Styx. ❏ CASTE: Umara is a traveling alchemist, offering her services to the strange caravans that still travel the blighted lands. For a modest, extremely fair price, of course. ❏ AFFILIATIONS: As a professional Alchemist with a capital A, Umara is a member in good standing of the Alchemist Society. With a mind to her filial duties, she also maintains sporadic contact with her parents by way of somewhat regularly posted letters, carefully curated to ensure that she always appears to be doing very well. ❏ GOALS: Umara seemingly lives only to further her understanding of the alchemical and arcane arts. Any money that remains after paying for her own basic necessities and current debts, is inevitably spent in pursuit of increasing her knowledge in these two fields. _______________________________________________ TALENTS: ◆ Alchemy: Despite her youth, Umara is a talented alchemist, capable of combining reagents to produce substances both mundane and mystical in nature. ◆ Arcane Scholar: Magic is not a mere feeling. Magic is not simply exerting one's will upon the world. Magic is a science. Magic is another gateway that must be opened and another threshold that must be crossed in order to understand the nature of the universe. Convinced that this the truth, Umara views herself as an scholar, following in the faded, often hard to discover footsteps of arcane scholars of long gone ages. In a world filled with death and decay, precious few individuals would care to challenge Umara's claims of scholarship. ◆ Analytical Mind: Umara possess a sharp, analytical mind. She is uncommonly good at logically analyzing a situation, problem, or discarded tome packed full of forbidden and terrifying knowledge that will likely threaten not only her, but the entire party. EQUIPMENT: ◆ A hooded blue cloak, adorned with embroidered celestial bodies. ◆ A turquoise dress, suitable for travel, painted shifting shades of blue and green, and decorated with small trinkets cast in gold. ◆ A set of glass earrings that seem to glow with a cold light when seen from the right angle. Small inscriptions etched into the metal holding soft glass globes suggest that the earrings were shaped by a master craftsman in the City of the Dead some three hundred years ago. ◆ A gold pendent bearing runes associated with a long forgotten deity of knowledge. The sole profit from a hasty and disastrous visit to a ruined temple, Umara wears the amulet as a form of good luck charm. ◆ A simple leather backpack. ◆ An old, battered book, written in a elaborate cursive that is exceedingly difficult to read. ◆ An unassuming knife that Umara keeps in a leather sheath looped to a belt tied around her waist. Although the blade is sharpened, Umara by her own confession has neither the inclination nor training to use it as anything but a tool. ◆ A portable alchemist's kit consisting of two glass beakers, a light metal frame for holding a beaker over a flame, a glass stirring rod, as well as a small pestle and mortar. ◆ A pouch of common alchemical ingredients, including salt, iron powder, and purified water. ◆ Carefully secured in her traveling pack, Umara keeps three flasks of Alchemist's Fire. A useful substance for any burgeoning alchemist to create, Alchemist's Fire is a sticky, adhesive fluid that violently ignites when exposed to air and continues to burn until the flame is extinguished. ◆ A small, battered journal, full of hastily scribbled notes and formulas. ◆ A small bottle of black ink (no more than one ounce) and an elegant metal ink pen that clearly cost a sizable sum of money to purchase. A waterskin currently filled with clean water. | Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Touched by the arcane, Umara's eyes dance with not just alertness, but burning flames that leave her eyes a forever shifting yellow-orange. Above and below her eyes, Umara paints geometric shapes, reminders of her discoveries and meaningful meditations on the nature of the Arcana. Enchanted by the ether that flows through her, Umara's hair is cast an ethereal hue of pale blue. Her skin is faded fawn, colored by the sun and time spent on the road. Middling in height, Umara has the lithe, if not athletic, then at least trim figure, of one who spends her life traveling from one settlement to another. The excess fat of too much pleasure, too much wine, and the softness associated with the hearth have had no time to leave their traces on the young woman. Unconvinced of the kindness of her fellow travelers, Umara takes care to hide unwelcome shapes brought on by a growing adulthood. She does not hide that she is a young woman, but she has learned it is best to cultivate a sense of mystery about her person and to keep her companions at arm's length. Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Frequently too curious for her own good, Umara is intensely and dangerously curious when it comes to all things related to magic. Possessing the do-it-yourself education of a practicing alchemist, Umara is surprisingly well-read for a waif lost to the the allure of travel. A quick learner, gifted with a knack of careful experimentation, Umara approaches all of life with the broad minded view of an alchemical researcher. A scientist of all that binds the universe together, as it were. The young alchemist is endlessly analytical and thoughtful when it comes to magic, happily spending hours reflecting on the nature of the arcane and attempting to reconcile it with her understanding of the physical world. For all her many intellectual gifts, Umara is still young. She is focused only when it comes to her professional responsibilities and personal studies. Outside of alchemy or magic, she is decidedly disinterested in most things and does her best to avoid expending any serious effort. Convincing the young pyromancer that it would be good to complete the necessary chores of the road or to acquire some practical training, perhaps in how to fight, appears thus far to be an exercise in futility. A pensive creature by nature, Umara's mind frequently wanders, and left to her own devices she can often be found daydreaming or scribbling alchemical recipes in her journal. Buried beneath a studious exterior, the young woman carefully guards an inner sense of worry. A gnawing, gasping fear that she has missed some important secret and that she is doomed, utterly and completely doomed. This worry can lend her words and actions with an unexpected edge of cruelty. Umara is stubborn. She is brash. She is moody. She is still trying to figure out what it means to be an almost fully developed person, to be a woman, and to be herself. Occasionally caught within a web of irrational frustration, Umara wants to be independent and chafes under rules. Even when the rules make sense, even when the rules are fair, and especially when the rules exist to protect her. Without redirection, her obvious frustration and sullenness tends to spiral into the angry shouting matches full of spiteful words. However, in the silent hours of the night when she lays awake, full of guilt and regret over her most recent outburst, Umara knows, she knows better. Caught in these moments, bitter and unwelcome clarity forces Umara to admit quietly to herself that she simply wants someone to tell her that everything will be alright. And that this time, this time, she will truly believe them. Arcana ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Major: The World Possessing the Major Arcana known as the World, Umara is a Pyromancer, a mage specializing in fire-based magic. Fire is hers to command, conjure, and employ as she sees fit. From her hands appear hurtling bolts of fire, baleful fireballs that blossom into raging explosions, cruelly scorching rays, and imposing barriers of fire. Young and inexperienced, Umara finds that having material components tied to the magic she evokes at hand vastly increases her chances of success when slinging spells. Minor: N/A |
Combat: 1/10
"What need hath the learned magician for the profane physical implements and crude weapons of those uninitiated in the great mysteries of life?"
Sudro Karavastar, The Lost Lectures of the Haedrun Mages
A reader, not a fighter, Umara is tragically unprepared for any sort of combat. She is not strong, she is not fast, and she is no more resilient than any other young woman found within the Realm. She has not trained under great knights, she wields no magical weapon passed down for generations, and she is almost completely uninterested in physical pursuits. Having long since accepted the proclamations of far older and wizened wizards concerning physical violence, Umara desperately clings to the idea that when it comes to fighting, someone else will probably do it for her. If not out of honor bound duty or professional responsibility, then at least out of pity.
Culture: 6/10
"It is said by the Izarian merchants that there are more tongues spoken by all the races of the Realm than leaves in the Masquewood Swamp. The true number matters little, something cannot come from nothing. Aware of the diversity of our Realm, the astute traveler is compelled to broaden their linguistic horizon. But what is language, if not culture molded into discrete units of speech? I say then, to understand language, you must understand culture. Knowing this, perhaps the wise among you, will also agree that to understand culture, you must finally understand the history of the Realm."
Gavrin Taggert, A Traveler's Guide to the Realm
Fond of reading and driven by her intellectual pursuits, Umara is not uninformed concerning the diverse languages, cultures, and history of the many peoples scattered across the Realm. Far from a bespectacled historian, constant travels since her earliest years have nonetheless provided Umara with a wealth of personal experience from which to create a more holistic understanding of the Realm than many others might manage.
Commerce: 2/10
"What is the value of gold? Why waste breath on acquiring mountains of coin? Who cares for paltry trinkets? Can you buy knowledge with these things? No? Ah, then why should these things concern you? Why should you covet them? And why should you die for them?"
Master Ilira, Spiritual Reflections
Steeped in esoteric ideas of reality, money is merely a means to Umara, a means to acquire more knowledge and base necessities unfortunately required for her continued survival. Umara takes no pleasure in collecting money. She finds no joy in counting out coins she receives for her work. And she certainly has no aspiration of dying with enough gold to fill a magnificent, priceless tomb. Certain that the pursuit of wealth is merely the quickest path to enslavement, while the pursuit of knowledge is the only way to to discover freedom, true freedom, Umara spends her money quickly and often foolishly, persuaded that her dreams demand little pragmatism. The workings of commerce, the flow of trade routes, and the value of goods across the Realm, similarly hold little interest to Umara.
Magic: 6/10
"This universe, our universe, is an awe-inspiring universe of magic. Waves and motions surround us, for there are no atoms. Here, in this place, you must discard all belief in barriers to understanding. You must put aside understanding itself. The universe cannot be seen. The universe cannot be heard. And it cannot be detected by fixed perceptions. Reality, all of existence, is the ultimate void. There is no preordained canvas upon which forms can be painted. I warn you, that here, in this place, you have only one awareness, only one way to discover the truth. You are a magi, a magician, gifted with a Major Arcana. Use it! Use your imagination! Here, you must learn what is to be human. You must be a creator of order, of beautiful shapes and systems, an organizer of chaos."
Arend Berend,The Collected Philosophical Works of Ossul Entarro
To consider Umara, is to consider magic. She eats magic. She drinks magic. She sleeps magic. Though of few years compared to some, the girl-woman has nourished the seed of knowledge granted to her, cultivating a great tree of knowledge concerning the arcane arts. Skilled in the magic ascribed to the Major Arcana known as the World, Umara possesses a growing academic understanding of magic. Where some see subconscious art and willpower, Umara sees diligent study and understanding. Dedicated completely to this path, Umara strives only to learn more and to fully master her Major Arcana.
Survival: 3/10
"Wizards? Pah! They know nothing about the world or how it works! They're weak, sniveling cowards who hide in their towers and wouldn't last a day in the wilderness."
Timmok Thrice-Hanged, Recovered Letter
Well acquainted with the many perils of long journeys across uninhabited and dangerous lands, Umara is keenly aware of the importance of being able to survive in the wilderness. However, beyond endeavoring and largely succeeding at not becoming an unduly burden to those she travels with, Umara is not particularly gifted when it comes to following tracks, hunting wild game, navigating frozen wastelands, identifying signs that direbears live nearby, predicting the weather, or avoiding quicksand and other natural hazards.
Karma: 5/10
"Pilgrim, answer me this. What do you despise? What fills you with unbidden loathing? What swells your heart with unrepentant violence? By this do you truly come to be known."
Mialee the Just, Reported Words
Others view Umara with uncertainty, unsure of what to make of her, and undecided on how to treat her. Enigmatic, Umara does little to help resolve any lingering doubts concerning her person and at times, Umara seems almost to relish the wide berth that most people give her. Save for matters of business or the unavoidable demands forced upon her by the most base level of social etiquette, Umara keeps to herself or her close companions in public, seldom engaging freely with strangers. Yet, her appearance is peculiar and her mannerisms would generously be described as quaint. In short, she presents a person that is hard to miss or forget. Still, the wisp of a girl hardly seems to pose any great danger and many a wanderer has concluded that she is nothing more than yet another strange alchemist plying her infernal trade. In truth, it is only the ignorant and unnecessarily cruel that risk suffering the young pyromancer's ire.
"What need hath the learned magician for the profane physical implements and crude weapons of those uninitiated in the great mysteries of life?"
Sudro Karavastar, The Lost Lectures of the Haedrun Mages
A reader, not a fighter, Umara is tragically unprepared for any sort of combat. She is not strong, she is not fast, and she is no more resilient than any other young woman found within the Realm. She has not trained under great knights, she wields no magical weapon passed down for generations, and she is almost completely uninterested in physical pursuits. Having long since accepted the proclamations of far older and wizened wizards concerning physical violence, Umara desperately clings to the idea that when it comes to fighting, someone else will probably do it for her. If not out of honor bound duty or professional responsibility, then at least out of pity.
Culture: 6/10
"It is said by the Izarian merchants that there are more tongues spoken by all the races of the Realm than leaves in the Masquewood Swamp. The true number matters little, something cannot come from nothing. Aware of the diversity of our Realm, the astute traveler is compelled to broaden their linguistic horizon. But what is language, if not culture molded into discrete units of speech? I say then, to understand language, you must understand culture. Knowing this, perhaps the wise among you, will also agree that to understand culture, you must finally understand the history of the Realm."
Gavrin Taggert, A Traveler's Guide to the Realm
Fond of reading and driven by her intellectual pursuits, Umara is not uninformed concerning the diverse languages, cultures, and history of the many peoples scattered across the Realm. Far from a bespectacled historian, constant travels since her earliest years have nonetheless provided Umara with a wealth of personal experience from which to create a more holistic understanding of the Realm than many others might manage.
Commerce: 2/10
"What is the value of gold? Why waste breath on acquiring mountains of coin? Who cares for paltry trinkets? Can you buy knowledge with these things? No? Ah, then why should these things concern you? Why should you covet them? And why should you die for them?"
Master Ilira, Spiritual Reflections
Steeped in esoteric ideas of reality, money is merely a means to Umara, a means to acquire more knowledge and base necessities unfortunately required for her continued survival. Umara takes no pleasure in collecting money. She finds no joy in counting out coins she receives for her work. And she certainly has no aspiration of dying with enough gold to fill a magnificent, priceless tomb. Certain that the pursuit of wealth is merely the quickest path to enslavement, while the pursuit of knowledge is the only way to to discover freedom, true freedom, Umara spends her money quickly and often foolishly, persuaded that her dreams demand little pragmatism. The workings of commerce, the flow of trade routes, and the value of goods across the Realm, similarly hold little interest to Umara.
Magic: 6/10
"This universe, our universe, is an awe-inspiring universe of magic. Waves and motions surround us, for there are no atoms. Here, in this place, you must discard all belief in barriers to understanding. You must put aside understanding itself. The universe cannot be seen. The universe cannot be heard. And it cannot be detected by fixed perceptions. Reality, all of existence, is the ultimate void. There is no preordained canvas upon which forms can be painted. I warn you, that here, in this place, you have only one awareness, only one way to discover the truth. You are a magi, a magician, gifted with a Major Arcana. Use it! Use your imagination! Here, you must learn what is to be human. You must be a creator of order, of beautiful shapes and systems, an organizer of chaos."
Arend Berend,The Collected Philosophical Works of Ossul Entarro
To consider Umara, is to consider magic. She eats magic. She drinks magic. She sleeps magic. Though of few years compared to some, the girl-woman has nourished the seed of knowledge granted to her, cultivating a great tree of knowledge concerning the arcane arts. Skilled in the magic ascribed to the Major Arcana known as the World, Umara possesses a growing academic understanding of magic. Where some see subconscious art and willpower, Umara sees diligent study and understanding. Dedicated completely to this path, Umara strives only to learn more and to fully master her Major Arcana.
Survival: 3/10
"Wizards? Pah! They know nothing about the world or how it works! They're weak, sniveling cowards who hide in their towers and wouldn't last a day in the wilderness."
Timmok Thrice-Hanged, Recovered Letter
Well acquainted with the many perils of long journeys across uninhabited and dangerous lands, Umara is keenly aware of the importance of being able to survive in the wilderness. However, beyond endeavoring and largely succeeding at not becoming an unduly burden to those she travels with, Umara is not particularly gifted when it comes to following tracks, hunting wild game, navigating frozen wastelands, identifying signs that direbears live nearby, predicting the weather, or avoiding quicksand and other natural hazards.
Karma: 5/10
"Pilgrim, answer me this. What do you despise? What fills you with unbidden loathing? What swells your heart with unrepentant violence? By this do you truly come to be known."
Mialee the Just, Reported Words
Others view Umara with uncertainty, unsure of what to make of her, and undecided on how to treat her. Enigmatic, Umara does little to help resolve any lingering doubts concerning her person and at times, Umara seems almost to relish the wide berth that most people give her. Save for matters of business or the unavoidable demands forced upon her by the most base level of social etiquette, Umara keeps to herself or her close companions in public, seldom engaging freely with strangers. Yet, her appearance is peculiar and her mannerisms would generously be described as quaint. In short, she presents a person that is hard to miss or forget. Still, the wisp of a girl hardly seems to pose any great danger and many a wanderer has concluded that she is nothing more than yet another strange alchemist plying her infernal trade. In truth, it is only the ignorant and unnecessarily cruel that risk suffering the young pyromancer's ire.
