shylarah — Roleplayer Guild

"I too would worry more about being shot down," Izkry commented in response to both Oscar and Jason, "But I think I am more worried about getting shot after we land than before.  Still, I plan on living until I am a grumpy old man shaking my cane and yelling at the young...ah, the young whips, telling them to stay off the grass."  He smiled.  "I couldn't possibly die -- who would get on my sister's nerves if I did, hm?"  Beside him, Belasý rolled her eyes and nudged him with an elbow.  For the first time since they'd met her she seemed to be smiling, at least a little.

"We are a strange little group, ja?" the young man continued.  He'd commented on it before, but still he was surprised by how very different they all were.  "Swiss German, British, Chinese American, Polish, Italian, Spanish, French.  I suppose the saying is true, a common enemy brings people together."  He looked thoughtful for a moment, but shook the slightly melancholy thought off.  "Frau Dubois, Monsieur Jean, I know we go after the Nazis in control of France, but do we have any specific goals for this mission?  I would like to know more about what to expect, if more is known."  He hesitated for a moment, and then added another thought.  "And I think perhaps we should say more than just what we can do.  We are a team now -- I want to know about you all as people."  Izkry looked around the cabin at the faces that told of vastly different backgrounds and experiences.  "I think we will work better if we know each other.  Belasý and I, we are from Germany.  This was before the Nazis took over, you understand, but they still wanted those with superpowers.  We escaped to Switzerland maybe ten years ago now, with a sergeant our father served with in the first Great War.  I like Switzerland.  It is a nice place, and where we live, the people are friendly.  When this war is over, I will go back and enter the automotive industry.  Someday children will learn in school about Izkry and how he came up with a wonderful new design for car engines."

A muffled sound that might have been a snort, or perhaps a snicker, came from the woman in the next seat.  Izkry looked at her in mock affront.  "You think it will never happen, Belasý, but you wait and see!"  Inwardly he was pleased.  She seemed to be more at ease than she had been following Oscar and Tommy's displays, and that had been his intention in part.  Turning back to the others, he told them, "Bel wants to be a chef, or maybe own a restaurant.  She is a wonderful cook, and if you compliment something she made she will turn the most amazing shade of red -- see, see, already her cheeks are pink!"  It was good-natured teasing, and Belasý had never quite figured out how to stop her brother from doing it.  In truth, she did not really wish to, and as she covered her face with her hands, ducking her head so her dark hair brushed her knees, the woman was very glad to have such a cheerful person at her side.

Emma Ellison /// Elian Zefra

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“If you want me to heal you, STAY WHERE I CAN @#$%ING HEAL YOU!”

O V E R V I E W

N A M EEmma Ellison

A V A T A RElian Zefra (also answers to Elly, Zef, and a few other nicknames, including her unofficial title of Chaos Butterfly)

A G E31

G E N D E Rfemale

V I S A G EEmma is a fit young woman, her body shaped by years of dance classes.  She is solidly built, not willowy, and if she isn't mindful of what she eats she gains weight.  She's taller than most women, but this doesn't stop her from wearing heels if she wants to dress up a bit.  Her dark hair is untamably curly and she keeps it cut very short so it is manageable.  Her eyes are an unremarkable hazel, her brows thick, and her face rounded.  Emma favors intense colors, be it vibrant crimson, royal purple, eye-searing green, or jet black.  Outside of the dark and the bright, she also likes metallics, and a lot of her jewelry is metalwork, where it's not chunky modern-art plastic.  Her fashion sense is a bit quirky, and she is just as likely to be wearing a blouse and a skirt as she is jeans and a T-shirt.  One thing she does insist on is comfort -- if it bothers her too much she won't wear it, whether she's having a day in or a night out.  Because she can't do much with her hair, Emma has a whole collection of hats, and she'll wear one more often than not.

Emma is very aware that her avatar is not herself.  While she might embody Elian while she's logged in, and while MMOs are really not roleplay-heavy in most cases, outside of specific groups, her concept of Emma-as-Elian and Emma-irl are quite distinct.  Since that is the case, it's not too surprising that Elain only somewhat resembles Emma herself.  The build is the same, with perhaps an extra inch or two of height, but her brown hair has darkened to jet and her eyes lightened to gold.  Since it was an option, she elected to get her hair permanently straightened.  It's still a shorter style, but now the back is completely off her neck while the very front reaches her collarbone.  Her skin tone is slightly darker too, more bronzed than tanned, and she's come out with elfin ears, just pointed enough to have the tips show through her hair.  She's traded her hats for a woven golden circlet, but her fondness for dark colors is still very much in evidence.  Her favorite attire is three pieces of black velvet, a close-fitting tank top, a long-sleeved jacket, and flowing pants.  The pants might be mistaken for a skirt at a distance, cut loose in the leg and widening from hip to ankle.  The waist is broad and snug, providing a bit of padding between her skin and a leather utility belt.  Her jacket has no collar and only a single, small button near the top so it doesn't fly completely open.  Unlike shirt and pants, this garment is covered in gold filigree,  Even the smallest movement is accompanied by sparkle and flash as the embroidery catches the light.  Leather boots with a slight heel finish off her outfit, with sturdy soles and metal reinforcement for the toes.  She wears a light leather vest with a soft lining underneath her tank for defense, as well as bracers and kneeguards, but these are all hidden by her outfit.  In addition to the utility belt, Elian often also carries a leather satchel strapped to her thigh to carry somewhat larger items.

P E R S O N A L I T YEmma is generally kindhearted and compassionate.  She's known among her friends for being a good listener and willing to lend a hand.  She is mostly cheerful, with a good sense of humor, and fluent in sarcasm.  She is willing to laugh at anything, including herself -- and all the inappropriate jokes as well.  Her outlook tends to be a mix of optimism, pragmatism, and cynicism.  She did well though not great in school, but she is particularly adept at puzzle-solving and thinking on her feet.  She's mostly dependable and trustworthy, though she tends to have trouble learning names, and will forget when things are if she doesn't write them down.  She enjoys a good party, so long as it's not too loud, and is perfectly at home among strangers.  Emma is outgoing, eager to meet new people and make new friends.  This desire for new experiences leads her to be the sort of gamer that enjoys exploration.  

She's always had one foot in the virtual world, and the people she befriends online are just as real to her as those she knows in the physical one.  She believes there are advantages to each sort of relationship.  She's had a number of boyfriends over the years, some starting irl, some starting online, but she's yet to find the person she'd like as her permanent Player Two.

Emma is a huge geek, and acknowledges her various fandoms openly.  She is also a dedicated gamer, though she does not play competitively.  For her, gaming is a way to step away from any worries she might have and immerse herself in another world, a chance to be whoever and whatever she likes.  It's not that she dislikes her life -- indeed, she is quite happy with it.  But that doesn't mean there isn't time to let her imagination take the lead while chilling with whomever happens to be on.

Emma is quick to anger, but just as quick to forgive.  She's mostly a good sport, though she never likes losing.  She hates trolls and people who mess things up for others through sheer stupidity.  It should be noted that kindhearted does not necessarily mean kind or polite.  She tends to give those she likes a hard time, teasing, taunting, and being generally snarky.  This verbal abuse is given with the greatest affection, a casual lack of concern for what's proper or polite that shows she's truly comfortable with that person.  Of course, if she really hates someone she's likely to insult and mock sincerely, and this can be a bit confusing if one is not sure where one stands.

As a gamer, Emma tends to be a completionist, and she enjoys experimenting with what a game will let her do.  She loves turning up secrets and the accompanying thrill of discovery.  Her temper also shows in games, and there is a dent in one of her game room's walls where she once threw a controller a bit too hard after some idiot turned a challenging but doable boss run into a TPK.  It's interesting to note that while she doesn't often yell at people in the real world, she has no such qualms in virtual combat and an impressive array of curses to boot.  All of which she will unleash on...well, just about anyone.  The guy that got the party killed.  The camper that keeps killing her.  The one that steals her kills.  The teammate that ruined her perfect shot -- even the tank she was healing who moved out of range.  But give her a brief break after a fight and she will settle down again.

Emma will play any class, but tends to favor melee DPS fighters and ranged DPS casters when playing alone.  However, because she is very familiar with the shortcomings of MMOs, she knows that a healer and support caster will rarely lack for willing companions in dungeon runs, and these are the areas she chose to have Elian focus on.

B A C K G R O U N DEmma's life has been nothing particularly exceptional.  She grew up in midwest America, the elder of two siblings from an upper middle class family where affording the latest game system was never much of an issue.  Both her parents had jobs dealing with computers, and Emma entered the world of the internet and video games young.  She'd try just about anything, but has always gravitated toward puzzle games, rpgs, and open-world games.  With a network of fellow gamers that spans the globe, it was no surprise that she heard about Pariah very early on.  She had to tighten her budget and do some saving, since dance instructors don't exactly make a ton of money, but it was more than worth it when she first entered the world of Pariah.

A T T R I B U T E S

R O L Ecaster (primarily healer and support)

A F F I L A T I O NTyhrien

P R O F E S S I O Nhealer, dancer

W E A P O N   O F   C H O I C EButterfly's Wings - Rather unconventional implements, the Butterfly's Wings are deadly weapons masquerading as ornate, ornamental fans.  The ribs are quite sturdy, made of metal with wooden handles and extending beyond the dark fabric of the fans themselves.  Those tips are sharpened, as well as the leading edges of the outermost ribs, designed to slice and stab as effectively as long knives.  Each fan can open as far as a hundred and eighty degrees, revealing a bright swirl of butterflies on the fabric, and she can lock the fans in any position, to keep them from collapsing on impact when this is not desired.  The hingepoint of each fan consists of a large gemstone, a magical focus allowing the wielder to cast much like with a wand or a mage's staff.

B E N C H M A R K S
	Physical
Healer - Elian specializes in magic with healing properties, whether for a single person or for a group.  Because she's cast so many of them, the healing effects of her spells are improved, and she is better at casting them.

Support Caster - The vast majority of Elian's participation in combat is as a support caster.  Because of her experience, she has excellent endurance when it comes to casting, much better than mages who only dabble.

Dancer's Grace - Elian is a dancer, like her player, and she makes use of these skills even when not dancing.  Between practicing routines and pushing herself in exploration, Elian is flexible and acrobatic.  Her balance in particular is superb, and she can keep her footing and land jumps even on difficult terrain, where it's all but impossible to do so.

Agility - Before Elian started partying up regularly, and before she'd developed her skills as a mage, she employed a nimble in-and-out fighting style.  She still relies on her agility to react to threats and make herself a more difficult target, as well as for getting past obstacles in her explorations.  As a result, Elian is highly agile, able to get close and then fall back, and changing directions easily.  She can pull maneuvers that others could not.

Saw It Coming - Elian relies mostly on grace and agility, trying to avoid taking damage as much as she can -- particularly since if she goes down, there's usually no one to come to the rescue.  Practice anticipating and avoiding has left her better able to identify attacks that will hurt her in time to cast a counter spell or get the heck out of the way.  Sometimes she can avoid attacks that she did not anticipate.

	Mental
Battlefield Awareness - Healers are responsible for keeping people alive, and this means knowing when they need help.  Elian has done her best to consistently track her partymates and healing them when they need it, and now she has a general though vague awareness of who is in trouble, and how badly.

Danger Assessment - A squishy healer does not last long if she doesn't know how to avoid danger.  Experience (and a number of early deaths) have taught Elian how to recognize unsafe terrain and places where unpleasant things might lurk, and now she is much better at noticing such things, almost like a gut feeling at times.

Identify Monster - Emma enjoys the tactical aspects of combat, and she believes that is important to know your enemy.  To this end, she's made an effort to remember the appearance and location of various foes, and what sort of abilities they used.  Upon reaching a town, she would look up the things she'd encountered to learn more about them.  Her dedication and research have paid off, and now in addition to knowing almost all of the ones she's encountered, there is a small chance that Elian has skimmed over the entry for a monster that she has never encountered herself and knows a bit about it and what it is capable of, even if she never read the entry properly.

Enemy Assessment - If she identifies an opponent, she may know this automatically, particularly for common foes.  For others, Elian tries to keep track of what works and what doesn't, and she thus has some skill identifying weak points and what kinds of attacks are effective based on the ones tried.  Once she has, she is highly likely to retain that information for future reference.  This is possible even on foes she's never heard of.

Pathfinder - With her love of exploration and taking the road less travelled, Elian has honed her pathfinding skills.  She is quite good at figuring out ways to get somewhere, including less conventional routes.  Her chances of noticing hidden doors, shortcuts, and less dangerous routes is increased, even if she's not actively searching for them.

R O U G H   V I R T U A L   H I S T O R YElian has been in Pariah since near the beginning, though she spent a good amount of time getting used to an entirely new system, and then playing with it.  For Emma, the new system was almost counter-intuitive, given that she expected it to function like...well, a game.  However, once she got the hang of it she immediately set off to see what she could do.  A lot of time was spent exploring, whether by herself or with a party.  A lot of solo explorations ended in death.  Embarrassingly many, actually.  While Emma is a dancer, she is not a fighter, and the lack of HUD and various other supposedly-necessary weasels of gaming made things harder.  She still /likes/ solo exploration, as she does in just about any game, particularly the open-world ones, but Emma's learned that Elian's far better off travelling with a group in many cases.  There was some benefit to all the dying, and it takes the form of Elian being able to actually land hits in melee combat and then get out of range.  She can even do respectable damage for a character that isn't offensively oriented.

To the community of Pariah as a whole, Elian is known as a reliable healer who will do everything she can to take care of her party.  She's known to be adventurous and not afraid of a challenge.  She is, however, also known to be a real firecracker, between her habit of shouting profanity at friend and foe alike, as well as her low tolerance for fools.  One rather interesting rumor says that after a particularly close call, the feisty healer ressed, killed, and then reressed her party's DPS archer multiple times in a row, since he'd drawn aggro on not only the mobs they were fighting but several more beside, and then failed to back off when he was told he was making a mess of things.  The rumor isn't true, of course.  Elian only killed him once.  And she had help.

N O T E S
Thael - Elian met Thael in Tyhrien in the initial mission of what eventually became BroForce, though she was only a tertiary member and missed the drama that killed the group.  They've remained good friends even after the Force disbanded, and the hollered abuse between them is given with the greatest affection.

Graves - Another tank she can insult with impunity, Graves may be a jerk but he's not so bad if you get to know him.  He's arrogant and selfish, and more than once Elian has chewed him out for his lack of compassion.  But she's heard some of the stories about him from before they met, and as long as he's not overtly nasty, she actually enjoys his company, not to mention his sharp wit.

Hawkwood - Elian has a great deal of respect for the Dork Knight.  He's smart, he's patient, he's always willing to lend a hand, and he's an all-around likeable guy.  Plus he's close to her age, which is another point in his favor.  His love of learning meshes well with her hunger for finding new things, and Elian is willing to put up with flailing newbs in exchange for some quality exploring with one of her closest friends in Pariah.

Tiferet - Bards are awesome, and Tiferet is no exception.  Elian loves the whole sugar-skull aesthetic and thinks it's great.  The bard's general curiosity and desire to explore are a big reason why Elian enjoys teaming up with her.  They first met when the dancer decided to find a concert at the local graveyard, and ended up not-quite-crashing it because she wanted to dance to the music.  Upon finding out the other lady was a support caster, Elian was quick to find a reason to team up for something, and they've been friends since.

Landon - He's a pretty decent guy, even if his flirting is a bit over-the-top at times.  But he seems genuinely nice underneath an initially prickly exterior, and between his helpfulness and humor, they get along well.  Elian loves bantering, and tends to half-flirt, half relentlessly needle the older man.  His inventions are pretty amazing, and some of his ideas are wild.  One thing's for sure.  Landon knows how to have a good time.

Ebon - Elian greatly respects anyone with the sort of dedication Ebon shows for her training, and also because she has real-world medical knowledge, which is kinda cool.  They met through Hawkwood, and their relationship is something like competative friends.  Elian's a better healer, since it's her primary class and she uses extensive magic for it, but Ebon's faster.  Who is the more agile of the two is up for debate.

Vulcan - He made the blades for Elian's fans, and they've stayed in touch since.  She'll visit his forge just to hang out on occasion, and they have teamed up in the past.

Crow - Elian's seen him around Vulcan's forge, and the two have a loose working relationship, though they're not particularly close.  She often pays for his help with healers' tips and the like.  She knows he's someone who can be relied on.

Ochre - Elian prefers his work to most others for armor, though she doesn't know him particularly well.  She's partied with him a few times in exchange for services.  He's /slow/, and she isn't fond of that, but he generally does what's needed.  ...Eventually.

Redsky - It's hard not to know of Redsky if you've been within a hundred yards.  The lady is bright and loud!  Neither of these are much of a problem for Elian, and she actually likes the flashy fire magic quite a bit.  They've talked a bit about adventures afield while in the same party, but they're only loosely acquainted.

Mirage - Elian has never met Mirage.

Rael - Elian knows of Rael, though most of it is not flattering.  She has heard that the bounty hunter will take advantage of others, and dislikes this greatly, but she's also heard that if not specifically on some other assignment, the rogue can be a solid player for a mission.

Tessa - A big fat clanky NOPE.  Elian hasn't had the dubious pleasure of partying with her, and she doesn't intend to.  Hearing the stories was more than enough to make her decide to steer clear.  Elian is here to have fun, and from what she's heard, Tessa is anything but.

Emma/Elian uses FFCC55.

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