Name: Jana Karchak
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Faction/Allegiance: Kalesian Empire
Relic Description: The relic itself is a metallic, circular plate roughly half an inch thick and the size of a palm. It is engraved with strange writing, but it is not visible, as it has fused itself to the base of Jana's skull. Initially, it was fused to her skin, but her scales have since grown over it.
The relic's primary effect has been constant, unstoppable, and irreversible for Jana. Over time, it has morphed her body into that of a reptilian creature that is larger and more massive than a human being. She has considerable strength, speed, and endurance, with a tough hide and a fierce bite. The relic's only other effect is to allow her to breathe fire, an ability powered by solar energy. Currently, she is capable of roughly five bursts of flame in a short timespan before needing to recharge.
Appearance:
(Roughly the size of a horse)
Flaws:
Jana lacks opposable thumbs, and while her fingers are dexterous enough to manipulate to grab objects to an extent, it is more difficult than before.
For reasons Jana does not understand, her relic will occasionally give her headaches. They range in severity from a minor annoyance, to crippling migraines that can all but incapacitate her. They are unpredictable and do not seem to need a cause.
The relic at the base of her skull is, quite literally, a sensitive spot on her body. Touching the location is uncomfortable for her, and enough pressure on it can put her in considerable pain.
As much as Jana tries to make the most of her new life, she has started to develop a pessimistic outlook on her future. She hates the loss of her humanity, and at times, can fall into depression and self-loathing.
Skills: Few of Jana's skills from before her transformation are usable in her new body. However, she is knowledgeable in combat and has learned through practice with Rebaine how to serve as an effective combat mount, as well as how to fight on her own. Since she is not guided in the same way as a normal mount, they have learned to pick up on cues from one another in combat to communicate their intentions.
Biography: Jana was born into a military family, and while not a noble, she was not exactly of low birth. Her family owned land and had enough wealth to hire others to work on it. However, for her and her siblings, it was their military training which was given the most focus, even early in their lives. They began their training at home, much earlier than most Kalesians. At first, they each received a general education, then specialized once their specific talents began to manifest. For Jana, that talent was with animals. One of the chief uses of her family's land was to raise, train, and maintain combat-ready mounts, including the ferocious bargal. For most of her training, she was restricted to using horses, but she did gain some experience with the bargal.
Given her prior experience, Jana advanced quickly once it was time for her to attend a military academy. She entered early, at around 10 years of age, and since she had learned basic combat skills long before even entering the academy, and she had no trouble passing required tests to be accepted for training to become a cavalrywoman. It was also not long after arriving that she began to make friends as well. There were a few groups we was acquainted with, but in particular, she befriended a boy named Rebaine, and later a young man named Roan. Over time, their specializations did serve to separate them. Rebaine intended to pursue the art of espionage, and while Jana and Roan were both cavalry, Jana was heavily focused on becoming an officer. Despite this, they all kept in touch, but for Jana, it was Rebaine that she went through the most effort to communicate with. Through the years, they had become close enough that Jana could not even entertain the thought of separating from her entirely. Although Jana would not admit it to Rebaine, it even caused her to change her career path. She still became an officer among Kalesia's cavalry, but instead of joining Kalesia's standing army, as was her original intention, she pursued a career in Kalesia's internal security against threats such as outlaws. She used every friend and connection she had to attempt to remain stationed reasonably close to Rebaine, and it was not long before this effort reached she had known she wanted, but could not admit to even herself. After ten years of friendship, they became lovers, which quickly resulted in their marriage a year after they graduated from the military academy.
For the next seven years, both Jana and Rebaine continued to pursue their respective careers, but they also did whatever they could to stay as close to one another as possible. Whenever one would be forced to move for a significant length of time, the other would do what they could to take a position close by. When their careers brought them close enough, they were able to live together under the same roof, but even when duty demanded they be apart, they visited as often as possible. It was not the most traditional marriage in any sense, but it worked well for a time. However, this changed with a fateful purchase two years ago that would shake to the core every aspect of Jana's life.
It was during a raid on a bandit camp that Jana was knocked from her bargal by a bandit who managed to get the jump on her. The bandit was killed with Jana being mostly unharmed, but her helmet had not been properly secured and had flown off, only to be crushed by her mount in the struggle. The battle ended without further incident, but there were still other camps in the area they needed to contend with, and Jana did not wish to fight with no head protection. She preferred her permanent helmet be made by a skilled blacksmith from the city, so during their next stop in the nearest village, Jana purchased a temporary replacement. Instead of a blacksmith, she purchased one from a traveling salesman which seemed like it would fit her head. As soon as she placed it on her head, however, there was a quick, painful sensation, after which she found she could no longer remove it. At the back of the helmet was a circular plate the size of her palm which had fused to the back of her head, near the base of her skull. It did not take long for her to realize that it was a relic. Just like her husband, Jana reported it to her superiors as soon as possible, but unlike Rebaine's quill, the effect of Jana's relic was much more severe.
Over a period of time spanning a few weeks, Jana's body began to shift in form. The change was drastic, and agonizingly painful. Every single bone that broke and reformed, every muscle that tore as it moved and grew, she felt. The helmet broke away from the metal plate after a few days, after which her skin shifted into scales and grew over the relic. Between the terrible pain and the horrifying physical changes her body was being forced through, there were many points during the transformation that her doctors could not say how she was even managing to stay alive.
After the transformation finally completed, Jana had lost almost all traces of her humanity. She still had her mind, and she could still produce speech, but there was nothing else that could indicate what she once was. Now, she was essentially an animal, something with no shred of hope of ever returning to a normal life. Since she was now an evoker, she still had a place within the Empire, but that was only a small consolation considering all she had lost. After the shock of the transformation wore off, Jana fell into a deep depression, but Rebaine had a more proactive reaction. After the initial panic he frantically searched for any and all information that might help Jana control this relic. Unfortunately, the search produced nothing in the way of useful information, but regardless, Rebaine's dedication did serve to help Jana in another way. While Jana had been ready to give up on life, Rebaine held hope that Jana's condition could be cured, and convinced her of it as well.
Jana's mind is still ravaged by pain, doubt, and depression, something which has cause her husband considerable frustration. She has certainly not returned to her former mindset, but after over a year of brooding, she has begun to find some measure of normality in her present condition. In recent months, she has even found herself feeling happy again, if only briefly. Now, she and Rebaine have set out to find the traitor, and their old friend, Roan. Jana shares her husband's anger towards him, however; the idea that, somewhere beyond Kalesia, they might find something to help with her condition is what truly motivates her.
Personality/motivation: Before her transformation, Jana could easily be described as a friendly, cheerful individual. She was not social in the sense that she liked to make as many friends as possible, but rather focused on forming deep bonds with a few close friends. As a soldier, she has no qualms with killing when necessary and can be brutal in a fight, but as her parents taught her, she can separate her profession from her personality. To her, being a soldier is her duty, and an honorable practice. While she can be merciless towards bandits and other outlaws, even an enemy soldier would receive respect from her. She loves animals and is generally compassionate. However, since her transformation, fear and depression have taken a hold of her mind. Those traits she has always held have not left her, and they do still shine through from time to time, but whenever her hope for the future falters, she quickly turns despondent. Now, the only things that seem to keep her going are her husband Rebaine, and her hope for a cure.
Relations: Jana is the wife of Rebaine, and a former friend of Roan.
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