Ink Fox

"I don't think you're ever going to have to run from this place." his words fell against her like a protective blanket. The way he spoke made her want to believe, tugging at the strings of her heart with the prospect of never having to run again in her life, but sadly she knew it was in her nature. Torn between escape and the priest who so confidently assured her, Xildara weakly laid her head against the cool brick wall just beneath the portal to the outside. The window loomed just over head –she could make it if she scrambled hard enough against the worn bricks, but something held her fixed in place. Some invisible hand laid across her shoulder sending goosebumps down her spine as she could feel a tangible shift in the air. Xildara lifted her head and peered passed the tangles of serpents who were instinctively squirming for the window; they could sense it too. Constans was too calm –almost amused as he stepped forward promising to handle the hunters who had come for her head. She should have felt relieved but the pressure that had seeped into the room, like some greater presence was making itself known, threatened to crush her. The gorgon froze in place defensively as she watched the greater cobra unfurl itself and reveal its jewel-like hood as it locked eyes with the priest. Like beacons, a verdant fire stoked to life behind their pupils. They beheld one another steadily, before Constans finally broke the gaze --peering over to the stairwell. "This won't take a minute." The voice that echoed from Constans was not his own. It startled Xildara causing her pulse to race, --her eyes widening in shock. It was as if something had pulled back the veil that separated his world from the ethereal, and some being far more immense then the gorgon could comprehend was peeking in at them. They were not alone. Awed—frightened, --wracked with curiosity, Xildara slowly turned, and pressed her back to the wall, the strength of her legs waning as the last of her courage began to flicker like a dying candle next to the infernos that were raging within the priest’s vision. The light bathed the room in malachite –shades of deep green fell against one another, distorting the silhouettes made as Constans’ fathomless vision swept the room. --So beheld by the drastic change in atmosphere Xildara barely even took note of the first hunter who unwittingly descended the stairs. She only took notice of his presence when a voice rumbled from the priest, greeting the trespasser before an inferno of verdant fire tore through him as if ushered by the priest’s coiled fingers. Xildara watched in horror as the charred torso was propelled back up the entry by an unseen force. The violent event shook the party of hunters, and sounds of scrambling could be heard upstairs as one of the clumsier stalkers came tumbling down the stair well. Xildara’s hair stood on end as she watched a new demeanor wash away the warm and kind man, she had just bantered with not five minutes ago. This was something else entirely, an air thick with wrath choked the room, and as the priest stepped forward the shadows in the room shifted with his unseen mass, and he loomed over the petrified hunter. The voice rumbled a taunt, cooing at the hunter’s search for a monster, and then sickly congratulating the hunter as he was hoisted into the air easily by the glowing father. Like a kettle, such a squeal tore from the hunter’s throat as plumes of jade flames erupted from within his chest and spewed forth like the mouth of a volcano. The inferno hollowed the hunter’s body out leaving naught but a thin sheet of skin that the father dropped with some disappointment. --That window was starting to look pretty good right now. A voice in her head begged her to escape, but another compelled her to stay, and watch. --to behold something greater than herself. After all—he was doing this for her. Those hunters would never dare harm her again after this. --They’d all be massacred by then. A darkly sweet notion began to bloom in her heart, and she quickly reprimanded herself for even considering it. Her thoughts halted as the whistle of an arrow shot down the stairway caught her attention. Constans reeled back for a moment and turned slowly to face the entry way once more. This time allowing Xildara to see the arrow sticking out from his face. She gasped, and nearly cried out, but fear propelled her hands over her mouth to stifle the reaction. Her serpents had coiled defensibly about her shoulders and neck. Their unblinking gaze remained locked to the inhuman priest, but no rattle dared light the air. Somewhere in her unconsciousness it felt safe to be here; with a fiery priest solidly wedged between her and her pursuers. The arrow was quickly lost to the flames that were naturally summoned in Constans’ presence. Alarmingly Constans flew up the stairs, leaving Xildara listening intently to the scuffling. Moments later he returned, a hunter dizzily following his footsteps as he hauled the man near Xildara, who stared helplessly like a doe. She slammed her eyes shut, afraid to behold the light from the priest’s eyes lest it burn her to cinder as well. --Strangely enough, no flames came as he watched her. She ventured a peek only to see a familiar smile gracing his features once more --but there was still something alarmingly different to his visage. It wasn’t just him smiling at her through those eyes. He pushed the hunter forward, and Xildara stared bewildered at them. "This one is yours. Do what you were born to do. Feel the rage inside you. And you-" He lurched the hunter’s head around to lock eyes with Xildara who recoiled instinctively. Constans commanded the hunter’s attention, urging the gorgon to do what she had been born to do. The statement stuck in her heart like a dagger. What was it that him, and every other human thought was her purpose? Was she born to be nothing but nightmare fuel? A remorseless killing machine? Xildara couldn’t understand it, and cursed herself most of the time for having such an innate sense of appreciation for life. He had been right about her the first time. She didn’t want to hurt anyone—she just wanted to live happily. It was too much to ask for a creature like her. Her heart pounded furiously as she tried to react—to feel something, --to oblige the father’s request. --But she didn’t have in her. She was too much of a coward to feel anything other than fear. Biting her lip and cursing herself silently, the woman whirled around and scrambled up the wall with use of her talons, and slipped through the small window; squeezing and compressing her frame down to allow for a swift exit. It felt wrong—she shouldn’t have been running but she didn’t know how to stop herself by now. The grass under her feet calmed her but even so she didn’t slow her pace. Her feet were running as fast as her mind. What should she do? What happens now? ---Her questions were halted abruptly as two strong arms encircled her torso, and pulled her to the ground. “Damn it! They're all dead because of you!!” The man grunted as he wrestled with her, attempting to maneuver a rough ruck sack over her head. A young hunter had been watching the doors to the church. He was a rookie whose job was no more than a look-out. --Stupid. --So damned stupid. Why had she run? Why wasn’t she braver? It was all because of her shortcomings that everyone she loved was dead or left behind. She was so tired of it—So tired that the pit of her stomach began to seethe. Memories flashed in her mind, as she struggled away from his grip. Memories of Constans’ promises—his hopes for the future. Hopes that were her own in a way. --That she wanted to be her own. “LET GO!!!” The pot had boiled over, it had all been too much for one night. Her fury slipped and in a breath of a moment, several serpents reared up and struck out viciously. The hunter cried out in pain as several pairs of fangs pierced his skin --pumping hot venom into his body. Xildara pulled herself away, but became stuck, as his fists transmuted into stone; entrapping her in his furled fingers. His skin erupted into gray matter that crackle across his body; freezing him into place. Before long, Xildara was laid helplessly against the chest of a statue she had just created. Its fists were tightly clamped unto her arm, refusing to let her go. “Serves me right--” She muttered, mentally scolding herself for making a mess of things. What if Constans found her like this? He’d think she was useless—So incompetent. She winced, and allowed her head to limply lay against the stone figure. Even this brought back memories. The gorgon hated how haunted she felt—it was the memories she had been running from, and even now, she was still being reminded of that night. She was perpetually stuck in time—reliving that same day over and over, all due to the thoughtless acts of a few greedy men. She regretted more than anything that she hadn’t gotten to say goodbye. Slate eyes fogged over with tears threatening to fall. “--I’m sorry...” The words fell weakly from her lips, though they were not meant for anyone present. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you....” her voice cracked, but the tears remained behind a stubborn wall of silent anger with herself. “I’m sorry I ran--- I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger... I should have been there... --I’m always going to regret not being there...” She took a shaky breath; the dim reminder of her parents’ joyous faces stained her thoughts. “-- I miss your faces...” The tears began to fall, “--I’m so lost without you...” A sob tore from her throat, crystalline tears drifting from her eyes to her cheeks and down unto the petrified figure’s shirt. Her thoughts of feeling lost reminding her of how good it had felt to be found by the priest. He had been so kind to her—and kind humans had been far and few between. “I met this very nice man, and his name is Constans...” A melancholic calmness fell over her as she reminisced over the night's events. The celestial church topped by the night sky itself, the warm confines of the dusty library, --the warm welcoming. It all seemed somewhat surreal. “--I think you would have liked him...” A small broken smile formed on her lips as she looked out to the twinkling stars overhead. “--I think he was an angel...” The stars staring down at her made her feel so small, and yet it was so hard to shake the feeling of being watched over. “--I love you all so much...” They were words she had rarely ever spoken. “I love you too...” The unfamiliar voice took her off guard and she jolted --her silver eyes darted over to the figure next to her, who was no longer stone, but once more flesh and blood. Bewildered she stared at the hunter who she could tell was far more youthful than the others. It was probably why he had made such a sloppy attempt to capture her. --and now here he lay, comfortably wrapped about her as she cried her eyes out. --Idiot! Why hadn’t she noticed her tears had fallen onto him? The young man noticed her alarmed staring and wriggled away from her abruptly as if the haze of the moment had left him. “uh-uh...S-sorry...” He stammered and picked himself up from the ground. A look of confusion in his eyes; like he couldn’t understand how he had gotten there. “Why did you.... you could have left me for dead--” The young hunter’s tone dripped in awed befuddlement. “I thought all monsters were blood-thirsty...” He began wringing his hands as if making sure the jagged crust had rescinded from his fingers. She hadn’t meant to save him; it had just happened—but he wouldn’t stay that way for long if the priest caught up with him. “I’d be running if I were you--” She directed him with an emotionless tone. A tone that was easily heeded. He nodded at her, and turned to run away, still awestruck at her magnanimity. Xildara sat for a moment to watch his figure disappear into the distance. Did he deserve the forgiveness she had given? --maybe everyone was worthy of a second chance. Her thoughts fell on her own situation. Could she really call what she had been doing living? --no, it was simply survival. --Xildara wanted a life of her own. One filled with friends and family. Filed with days and nights of feeling unafraid and welcomed in her own skin. Like a glowing semaphore to all the things yet to come, Constans stood at the top of the hill, watching all that had transpired. Xildara locked eyes with him, unable to summon the strength to save face and approach him. “I’ve made a mess of things...” Her gaze drifted towards the man’s feet and hovered over the lush grass that blanketed the distance between them. @Vansin

Constans was a thoughtful man, and fell into a brief silence as he mulled over her question. A nostalgic glimmer in his verdant eyes. The demi-gorgon felt herself staring and had to shift her silver gaze towards the lightly rumbling fire and the large reptile who was still comfortably coiled around it. "I don't know. It's sort of cozy in here, don't you think?" There was a natural smile that graced his face. Bright and warm-- a smile that she could only return more hollowly. He spoke with a certain fondness for the somewhat musty confines of the church, nodding to his bookcases as he refereed to crypts and 'dead men'. There was a certain poetry to how he looked at things, and Xildara fell into a hushed fascination with his words. Her serpents coiling about her shoulder comfortably, mimicking his greater serpent's sleepy charm. "As to your question, I both was and am the priest here. Once, this was a holy house of Gaia Earth mother. Now it belongs to a new God, not of the earth but of the fire in the sky and in free men's hearts. That devastation you saw up there was his doing, and mine." Religion was a foreign concept to some one who had taken to surviving by scratching and scraping by each and every day. Faith was a luxury for people who had less to worry about and more to hope for. Xi had never known the Gaian mother, and therefore was just as alien an idea as this 'new God'. But she thought back to the night sky streaming in through the missing roof. What kind of force could cause that --could make fire green like a lush forest, and allow men to see the hearts within monsters? It was an intriguing idea; almost comforting. But Xildara had tasted far too much bitterness to ever let naive faith ever cloud her judgement again. Where were the 'gods' when her mother was being slaughtered and her father turned to stone? Where were they when she was burned, beaten, --violated. Why hadn't any one heard her shrills cries that echoed deafly within the darkness of the caverns they had kept her in for so long, that the sun burned her eyes when she finally escaped those tunnels. No divine creature had ever spoken to her-- She was envious of him. There was no reason to dwell on such thoughts though, as the comely priest began to entertain her joke, musing about how he really should start collecting donations. It earned a small chuckled from the woman, who smirked and averted her eyes --the smile on her lips fading as fast as it came. The serpents cascading from her crown barely lifted their heads to inspect small details in the room, or to watch the priest's movements about their host. "What brings you to my doorstep?" The question took her off guard, but it was a valid inquiry. One that Xildara had a long answer to, but didn't feel comfortable sharing the whole story. Instead she glanced over her shoulder at him and said. "My feet..." It was dry quip that hid a deeper more painful story. Reluctantly she allowed a few details to slip. "I made a mistake...Too curious for my own good --trusted when I shouldn't have... I've been running for an awfully long time..." Her last words fell from her mouth with tangible exhaustion behind them. Her feet unconsciously curled beneath her seat. There was too much to say-- and too painful to revisit. How pathetic. Xildara winced, she was probably the worst conversationalist in the world, but she still wanted to try. "I don't really know where home is any more. --Not like there is one waiting for me anymore." Her demeanor tensed up again. Speaking about her past was difficult. Her eyes strayed to the open window, wistfully reminiscing about the space she shared with her mother. The crackling of the fire reminded her of the priest's presence and she continued, only venturing glances at him to gauge his reaction. "Um-- gorgons aren't exactly welcomed in towns... so I have to move frequently. --There are hunters that track creatures like me, and they are dogged. --I give them that." Though she gave them credit, her words rang unamused. She turned away from him to face the desk, and continue picking at the bread he had given her. Her appetite had drained though the hunger remained. "--So... I was tired. --and you're right. This place did look cozy--" She shrugged her shoulder as if left with no protest. "--Never expected it to be this cozy." She glanced over her shoulder at him, a rare glint of mischief in her sterling eyes. The moment was fleeting though, the close atmosphere of the room was broken by the sudden creaking of floor boards over head. A tiny sprinkle of dust shifted between panels as someone's weight passed over them with careful steps in attempts to be stealthy. Xildara had been too distracted. She should have smelled them-- sensed them closing in, but it was too late. Her eyes darted between the ceiling and over to Constans. "I have to go--- They're here." Her voice fell to an urgent hush and she rose instinctively from the chair, darting over to the singular window in the room. "Boost me up-- If they find me here, they'll kill you for keeping me..." These weren't regular hunters. She could smell the decay of death on the animal hides they wore, the stench was drawing closer, suffocating Xildara slowly with dread. @Vansin

The young demi-gorgon did her best to keep up with the nomad as Mateja made herself familiar with the place right away. It was fascinating to watch her, --Mateja had a way of easily communicating with others that Xildara often found hard to grasp. Even now the demi-gorgon couldn't muster up the courage to just go right up to the tribes woman and greet her. Instead Xi hung back, shrinking behind stacks of crates or attempting to look nonchalant in the quickly moving background of the market place. A few stray sheep seemed to enjoy blocking Xildara's way, and were slowly putting distance between her and her target. The silver haired woman grumbled and scuttled about the meandering livestock, hurrying to catch pace. Mateja's line of questioning seemed to have come to an end as she turned and headed into the narrow alley that lined the back of the growing market street. Xildara hot in pursuit swept after her as quietly as possible --but the jig appeared to be up when the young woman nose-planted right into a sturdy yet feminine back. Mateja-- the sly sorceress; was onto her. "Why are you following me?" The sorceress asked. It was a perfectly deserving question. One that Xildara had neglected to come up with a plan for answering. Panic crept into Xi's features, and then fell blank. "I --uh..." She looked like a thief or a mugger. Xildara was surprised Teha hadn't slugged her by now. "--Y-You look new in town..." Xi stammered. Well duh-- Xildara's heart sank. she was making a fool of herself. It was time to rethink strategies. She took a deep breath and put on the most disarming smile she could muster, --which was more awkward then disarming. "--I just thought you looked a bit lost, and needed some help?" The inflection of her voice pitched at the end making it sound as though she was trying to convince herself of her own lie. Though she held a mostly composed veneer, inside she was squirming at how stupid she felt. --Just tell her who you are! Idiot!! Xildara squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, pushing back her inner dismay. "I could help show you around if you'd like?" The demi-gorgon was shocked at how easily lying came to her, and she managed to do it this time with a more convincingly innocent cadence. @ianthine

A small side story began by @ianthine and myself, Anyone is welcomed to pop in It had been atleast two nights since her fateful meeting with the priest. It was an uneasy feeling to the demi-gorgon having lingered so long in one place. She was used to constantly moving, --always escaping from imagined hunters she anticipated could be after her any day now. --but things were different now, --felt different now. Things had changed inside of her and thoughts of a deity that could watch over and protect her soothed her anxiousness. Still her wandering feet, scarred with miles of dirt road, had taken her to the outstretches of the farmland just at the base of the hill. Her mind and body were at odds, muscle memory compelling her down the long stretch of dirt road. --but she wasn't leaving... she just needed to stretch her legs, didn't she? It was a lie she was telling herself. A sore feeling panged in her chest. She was a coward-- Halting in her mindless walking, her grey eyes caught a speckling of blue in the lush green fields that flanked the road. She crouched near the edge, looking at the tiny cornflower colored buds. Five healthy green sepals held eye fetching blue petals aloft, --bright yellow nestled at the center of each flower like a precious jewel. Slender fingers outstretched to graze the soft foliage. It was simple things in nature that made her feel at home. The rural town she had been staying in was loud with life. People going about their days, hustling and bustling. Xildara felt out of place here, and not only for her startling appearance that overcame her at night. Daytime held some respite for the woman, luckily her features remained humanistic during the day, but there was still an odd animalistic air about her that seemed to draw attention. A soft chiming caught on the breeze drew her attention from the tiny flora. Xildara glanced down the road, intrigued by the soft tingle of metal upon metal. --what she saw made the woman blink in disbelief. Familiar bronzed features and long burgundy hair that fell in dark waves shivered memories to the forefront of Xildara's mind. "Teha...?" The name fell from her lips in a whisper. Down the road, coming towards her sauntered a figure she had seen once before in her life; when things had become their darkest. Golden eyes punctuated a stern yet stunningly beautiful face, which was supported by a strong and graceful frame. Her eyes held the same luster as the golden trinkets decorating the woman's wrists, neck, ears and bottom lip. The woman regarded Xildara with cold eyes and nodded her head in Xildara's direction politely but continued on without an ounce of recognition in her features. Xildara's eyes welled up, hurt at first, but she suddenly realized why Mateja had acted as a stranger. Mateja had never seen Xildara in her human form. --of course she wouldn't recognize her at first glance. Mateja seemed to be headed for the village of Coth, leaving Xildara with an uneasy decision. Staring back at the long lonely road and then towards Mateja's slowly shrinking form; Xildara decided this was a sign and turned to follow after the woman. She wasn't sure what she'd say to Mateja, or even if she should tell the nomadic woman the truth, but Xildara knew she had to meet her again, in some way--

@Ghorroj 'character development shenanigans', I like the sound of that lol seems like you've got something interesting in store-- can't wait to see it. If you're looking for future minions, I have somewhat of a WIP ditzy harpy I have no real plans for yet-- good for some comic relief lol @susitsu indeed! It's great for inspiration--

@susitsu Thanks for the advice! I'm starting to see that now that I've gotten my feet a bit wet with Coth's lore and such. Also thank you for the welcome! I'm still a bit shy at jumping into new rps, so I've just been taking the time to check out user lore and get to know people's characters. @Ghorroj follower of the green flame fam here lol Well atleast one of my characters is so far-- I've got a couple still in development. --I take it that I might catch you in the Coth region?

@The Fire Heart Thanks for the welcome! I look forward to it! I'm still getting some of my character sheets done- But Xildara is up if you'd like to peek at her.

He was gentle and pleasant, plying her with reassurance. Dread slowly faded from her heart, and she turned to watch him approach the fire pit as he spoke eloquently. His fingers furled in the air once more, this time summoning a bright green blaze to life in the once smoldering fire pit. He explained why he felt no fear, gesturing to his mesmerizing eyes, and went on to remark upon her gentle soul; --which to him, was unique. Xildara sank into the chair near the desk with apple in hand. Her eyes watching the gleam of green fire dance across it's smooth peel. She wished she could see things his way, but there was so little hope left in her heart, she hardly had the fight within her to protest his observation. Instead she watched him intently as Constans gazed at his companion, the bemusement in his eyes hid a deeper affection. Her grey eyes trailed over to the comfortable reptile curled near its' master, and smiled lightly, though there was still sadness in her eyes. The man chimed in once more, offering shelter, and a hunk of bread that smelled fresh and enticing. She accepted it wordlessly, so famished her stomach wouldn't allow room for pride. "The tea will be ready in a minute. So, if you want to talk about what brought you here, you can while we wait. Oh, and if you don't already: know that you are in the town of Coth, the new capital of a hopefully better world than the one you left." He leaned onto the desk, and loomed besides her. She munched nervously but gratefully, glancing over at him every now and then. Never being good at social situations, Xildara began to wonder if she should say something, or if she dared speak-- her own voice would shatter this tranquil dream-like moment. After a minute of tense silence, Xildara chuckled to herself finding it funny how she could be so relieved, and yet so confused about whether she should be happy or suspicious of it. --She had been lucky to find him, and there was no use in shutting him out like the rest of the world. --She wanted to escape her loneliness, if even for a few moments. "My mother called me Xildara..." She spoke quietly at first, still somewhat hesitant, but the dim memory of her parents made a soft smile appear on her face. " So tell me-- Constans..." Testing the name, she continued. "--Why live here? A ruined church seems an odd choice for a man like you... --I half expected to find ghouls creeping about... Instead I found bread and tea." Slate colored eyes inspected the porous hunk of bread and then trailed over to Constans. "Were you the priest here? --It seems your flock has beggared you for donations..." It was a small joke, poking fun of the missing roof. She hadn't spoken to a person in months, and she hoped her awkward social etiquette wouldn't drive him away. @Vansin

@supernal hello again! Thank you again for the welcome! I'll be sure to hit you up if I do! @Mickey Flash Great, now I have "Hey Mickey, you're so fine" stuck in my head now. Why am I so susceptible to catchy songs? Anywho-- thank you for the welcome! I look forward to seeing you there as well. I'm currently still being 'vetted' by van, so I haven't been cut loose just yet. In the meantime I've just been working on my character lore. I've got two characters so far, so that just doubles our chance of running into each other. Lol fingers crossed!

Reserved

OGRAH BLOODGULCH Nickname: "Og" Age: 30 Race: Orc / Half-elf Gender: female Sexuality: Bisexual Marital Status: Single Birthplace: Wilds of Terrenus Alignment: Neutral Physical and Appearance Weight: 200 lbs Height: 6'1" Physique: muscular/statuesque Eyes: Aqua Hair: Ebony Complexion: Jade Voice: Gwendoline Christie Markings: covered in scars from miscellaneous sources; battles, barroom brawls, hunting, sparring, bartering, etc-- Her most noticable scar runs from the center of her forehead, down across the bridge of her nose and extends a bit across her right cheek. Unique Traits: Though her build and attitude is very orcish, --her ears and facial features are strikingly elvish. Typical Attire: When not in heavy armor, Ograh prefers long linen dresses that cover her large frame but are flowly enough to allow for comfort and maneuverability. Psychological Information Demeanor: Strengths: Weaknesses: Quirks: Likes: Dislikes: Skills & Deficiencies Mundane:  + Skill – (ex: sewing, cooking, extremely handsome, etc.) - Deficiency – (uneducated, sheltered, etc. It’s alright if you can’t come up with much for this one) Combat: + Advantage/Skill – (ex: pain tolerance, expert training, battle hardened, anything that would present a general advantage in combat.) - Deficiency – (ex: inexperienced, one-legged, blind, or anything relating to a specific disadvantage in combat etc.) Abilities Ability Class/Tree (ex: Fire magic, Vampiric Physiology, etc.) - Capabilities: · Active/Passive | Specific Ability – Weaknesses: Miscellaneous: (repeat for as many abilities as you have) History WIP WIP WIP Chapters N/A Character concept inspired by the artist's original work

CERSEI Nickname: "Chichi" Age: 25 Race: Harpy Gender: Female Sexuality: Bisexual Marital Status: Single Birthplace: Wilds of Terrenus Alignment: Chaotic Good Physical and Appearance Weight: 120 lbs Height: 5'8" Physique: Slender and Shapely Eyes: Sky Blue Hair: Strawberry Blonde Complexion: Olive Voice: Jasmine Thompson Markings: beauty mark beneath right eye Unique Traits: Plumage covers much of her arms, up till her forearms. Her neck, breast, and legs up to her calves are also covered in peach colored plumage. Her feet and legs are that of an avian, sporting scale like flesh upon her shins and calves and long talons instead of toes. Typical Attire: Somewhat of a nudist, Cersei prefers to wear minimal clothing, often sporting a cropped tunic top, with jerkin leather shorts to cover her bottom. Psychological Information Demeanor: Strengths: Weaknesses: Quirks: Likes: Dislikes: Skills & Deficiencies Mundane:  + Skill – (ex: sewing, cooking, extremely handsome, etc.) - Deficiency – (uneducated, sheltered, etc. It’s alright if you can’t come up with much for this one) Combat: + Advantage/Skill – (ex: pain tolerance, expert training, battle hardened, anything that would present a general advantage in combat.) - Deficiency – (ex: inexperienced, one-legged, blind, or anything relating to a specific disadvantage in combat etc.) Abilities Ability Class/Tree (ex: Fire magic, Vampiric Physiology, etc.) - Capabilities: · Active/Passive | Specific Ability – Weaknesses: Miscellaneous: (repeat for as many abilities as you have) History WIP WIP WIP Chapters N/A

XILDARA CORVENTUS Nickname: "Xilly", "Dara", "Xi" Age: 23 Race: demi-gorgon Gender: female Sexuality: heterosexual Marital Status: single Birthplace: Wilds of Terrenus Alignment: chaotic good Physical and Appearance Weight: 135 lbs Height: 5'5" Physique: Voluptuous Eyes: Stone Grey Hair: Silver Complexion: Fair Voice: Ellie Goulding Unique traits: transforms at night into full blood gorgon Typical Attire: prefers light weight materials, typically wears a loose tunic and roams bare footed Psychological Information Demeanor: Xildara is quiet and cautious. She isn't used to large groups of people and upon first meeting her she is extremely reserved and shy. Beyond Xildara's cautious exterior is a thirst for growth. Though she may be small of stature, she's quite ready to take on any challenge and is happy to help anyone in any way she can. She feels a strong sense of gratitude to the people of Coth and can often be found doing odd jobs around the village. Strengths: Determined, Helpful, Altruistic, Kind, Gentle Weaknesses: Slow to Trust, Secretive, Lack of Confidence Quirks: hardly travels outside at night, the cold makes her sleepy, sharp memory Likes: reptiles, serpents, warm days, the sound of rain, large hands, chivalry, Dislikes: arrogance, oppression, fire, confined spaces, hunters, her scarred feet Skills & Deficiencies Mundane: + Skill – Sewing + Skill – Hardworker + Skill – Quick Learner + Skill – Fishing + Skill -- Survivalist - Deficiency – Illiterate - Deficiency – Sheltered - Deficiency -- Skittish - Deficiency – Cooking Combat: + Advantage/Skill – Pain Tolerance + Advantage/Skill – Fiend's Presence - Deficiency – Untrained - Deficiency – Primal Instincts Abilities Gorgon's Gaze / Gorgon Physiology Capabilities -- Petrification; turns victims to stone. Degree of severity depends on Gorgons or victims emotional state. If gorgon is enraged, petrification can become permanent, this may also happen if the victim is in a state of terror --hence the saying 'petrified by fear'. Gorgon Venom / Transmutation Capabilities -- delivered through bite from the primary mouth or cranial serpents. Causes severe fever and slow petrification beginning from location of bite. Petrification via venom is, most often then naught, permanent. Gorgon's Tears / Healing Capabilities -- known uses include the reversal of petrification. Further uses unknown. Passive | Heightened Sensitivity – can hear farther, see sharper, and is more hardy than your basic humanoid. Weaknesses: causes sensitivity to heat and cold. --freezing weather can cause fatigue. History Xildara's life began in a cave high up in the mountains of the wilds of Terrenus. Her father, once a hunter, discovered her mother one day. To his surprise she was not hostile, and began returning to the mountains to visit her everyday. Eventually the two formed a forbidden romance that resulted in Xildara. She was kept in hiding since the moment of her birth out of fear of monster hunters. The family would frequently move around to keep other hunters off their trail. Unfortunately this became harder as Xildara matured and became more curious about the world. One day her curiosity would take her too close to a village, thus drawing the attention of hunters. They followed her, discovered her mother's den, and quickly dispatched the mature gorgon. Using her head to petrify her husband who returned later in the day with food for his wife and child. Xildara did not escape, and the only thing that saved her life was her ability to produce precious crystalline tears that could be sold for a profit. She was bound, and chained, her hair was severed over and over again to avoid the danger of being bitten during their collection of her tears. When she would not cry any more, the hunters began torturing her, --first physically harming her to draw tears form her eyes. When physical harm no longer elicited the reaction they wanted, the torture became psychological as her puberty set in and she became more womanly. Eventually, a kind sorceress discovered the hunters' keep along with their captive gorgon, and brought it upon herself to release Xildara from her bonds. Their meeting was short lived though, as they became separated during a confrontation with the angry hunters. From then on, Xildara roamed alone. Stealing what she could to survive and always staying out of the public eye. She continued to move from place to place, always fearful of being discovered. Xildara has been roaming on her own for about six years now, and has become weary of always traveling alone, but due to her fear, is hesitant with settling anywhere. Chapters [Set In Stone] - Enter the gorgon; Constans stumbles upon an unexpected visitor in his study.