Name: Natliya Cain Si’Talvace
Level: 5
Stats…
Speed: 2
Dexterity: 2
Strength: 1
Mentality: 7
Charisma: 8
Toughness: 1
Alignment: Neutral/Evil (Appears Neutral/Neutral)
Appearance:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
She is a beautiful siren whose hair is liken to a blazing, orange-red flame; braided upon itself into a flared ponytail, with a set of victory rolls hidden beneath a broad-rimmed, black bolero. Set in the voluminous chaos of hair upon her brow is a five-gemmed diadem. These attributes contrast severely with her cerulean and silver eyes, set upon her angular countenance liken to twin oceans flecked with icebergs. 195 centimeters tall, or 6'4", the whole of her leggy form is indisputably that of an adventurer; lithesome and strong, graceful in execution, she carries the elegant tone of a dancer, and the austere air of a countess. Yet, her lips are ever poised upon a humble, genuine smile; full and luscious though they are. Siren through and through, her top-heavy bosom is notably pronounced by an exterior corset of silver amour, each sleeve tapering down over her long dress liken to a jacket. Silver plate adorns each of her limbs, and the sleek scabbard strapped tight between her shoulders speaks of this woman's skill. Hardly a hint of her alabaster skin remains exposed, but her features do sport one wicked cut; from overtop her right eye, down to her cheek, there mars an aged scar that is visible even upon the lid.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/ ... 1/Nat2.jpg Voice: Soft, flowing voice set with a neutral tone. No discernable origin.
Character Personality: An enigma; serene, zen, and fully at peace when the tides of her mind are tranquil. But if ever she is found to invest herself fully into someone, or something, and that finds her inadequate, one may well break the calm waters with a boulder. Very maternal, often in a frighteningly malicious way.
Skills:
1.) Artistry (Song, dance, music, storytelling)
2.) Persuasion (If it has a pulse, it can be manipulated)
3.) Defensive Swordplay (The tome mustn’t ever be parted from my hands)
Weaknesses:
1.) Strength (Kitten made of wet paper bags)
2.) Tends to collapse when enraged, rather than take action
3.) Tends to take most humanoids at their word; won’t open easily to others
Trait: The Lilium Mortis.
Backstory:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Many, many years ago, deep in an unnamed, ancient forest, there once stood a village of Sireni artisans, untouched by the horrors of the outside world. Serene and picturesque, these villagers lived in absolute harmony with the forest surrounding them, and with one another. All art was worshipped by them, and they bartered with one another through the exchange of art; a song for a loaf of bread; a tapestry for leatherworks; and so forth.
In that village, there were also they who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of art in a particular form or another; they were known as ‘The Lonesome.’ The Lonesome earned titles of nature, depending on their artform—the Lonesome Tigress may be renowned for her quick dance and sharp wit, while the Lonesome Oak would be a venerable spinner of great yarns, remembering the tales of centuries past in the early days of the village. And, of course, there was the Lonesome Willow.
The Lonesome Willow was the one title which each generation held in one person; if ever there was a leader of the Sireni village, the Willow would be them. The Willow represented perfection in artistry; balance in every manner and emotion, the usage of every colour upon the artisan’s palette. Each night for seven years, Natliya trained relentlessly to earn a place in the cadre of students who would be tutored by the aging Lonesome Willow, with the intent that one would take her place; the rest going on to become Lonesomes in their own right.
She failed, for her stories were much too bright and flippant to find the balance befitting a Willow.
Crestfallen, but stubborn, she decided she would become a lesser Lonesome; so she continued in artistry until the age of fourteen. That was when two storms arrived in the forestal village; the first was a great tempest, the second, on its heels, came in the form of a woman carrying a large tome, wielding a sharpened bar of metal, and clad barely in rags. Through the storm she ran, and they welcomed her in; she called herself ‘The Lily of Death,’ a storyteller from afar—the village had never once seen an outsider afore. They were quite eager to hear the tales she had to tell.
In the morrow, after the storm had passed, the village gathered to hear the stories; and listen, they did. Enraptured, enthralled, it was though the Lily had cast a spell over all of them, every word hypnotic and charming. It was as though stormclouds blotted out the sun as she spoke, and when the tale concluded, all eyes had to be shaken loose, and every head cleared.
It was later that evening that the first murder the village had ever seen took place. The guilty party was found with blood on their hands, dumbfounded, shocked, and unknowing why they had even committed so atrocious an act. They were thrown from the village and cast out into the forest. A second murder took place in the next evening, and a third, the evening after. Finally, the Willow demanded the Lily of Death to be cast out as well from the village, for while nothing could be proven, it could only be said that violence was taken after the intruder had made herself known.
Natliya picked up the Lily’s book, and in secret, met with the stranger who taught her to read from it.
The murders did not stop; Natliya never once bloodied her own, maiden hands, but instead read tales of darkly origin from that book unto any listening ear, setting the villagers, one against the other, until forty had perished from the readings of the damned grimoire.
But the village would not remain secluded forever. After two years of paranoia, the horrors of the outside world were driven by civilization’s lights into the forest, trampling through thicket and thorn to ravage and destroy Natliya’s defenseless home and people, down to her and a handful. Taking up the sword of the Lily of Death, Natliya slew every last villager in a fit of grief and rage—including her own family; her chances to become the Lonesome Willow had been ruined with the ancient leader’s death, and she would not be put so easily to rest and rebuild.
Natliya’s mind became a foreign thing from thence forward. Setting her path from the strewn wreckage behind her, she tread into the great forest and lived off the land for many, many years; until at last, the long-lived Siren emerged from the thorns and thickets to witness more listeners in the distant horizon. She had a tale penned within the tome, now … And she would share it with all.
Unbeknownst to Natliya, the book was crafted by the Lily of Death through her travels; the woman met with a blind beggar who had been cast out of society and proceeded to walk with him for many miles, telling him progressively darker and darker tales. Eventually, she bound his hands to keep him from gouging his own ears, and cut off his nose that his hearing may grow sharper. Driven mad, the man spoke nonsense and terror whenever his voice grew above a wail, and his ramblings – the captured essence of purest horror – were writ into the grimoire. It is known only by a single lily upon its leather-bound cover, and its ancient pages have seen many centuries of adventure, earning it the inventive name ‘Lilum Mortis.’ Never once has its owner been benign.
Appearance Extended...
Dress:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Bathed in midnight silk, this ankle-length dress is fitted with an inseparable belt of silver chain. Each link has been cast slender and locks flat when pulled taut, girding the waistline in even, cold metal. The clasp, by which the bind might be adjusted, is crafted as a simple pentagon which is tinged scarlet hue upon every point. Lace is sewn upon the termination of each long sleeve, black morphing into frosted coloured dye on the very extremities. Laid on the high-neck collar are twin designs, one upon either standing leaf: an aureate phoenix nesting atop a jade willow tree.
Boots:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
These boots are crafted in sable leather, strategically encased with shining silver plate, and bear an effeminate frill of silvery lace that sprouts from the topmost portion. Stretching as far as just beneath the wearer's knee if fitted properly, the leather is laced along the front with a single sinew of crimson shark hide. On either flank of the shins, silver plate keeps the spine rigid and unyielding. Embossed atop each toe plate is raised an aureate phoenix nesting atop a jade willow tree.
Gloves:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Covering the wearer's forearms in full, these elbow-length gloves are layered interiorly with sanguine leather and exteriorly with black silk. Each uppermost knuckle is pronounced with a notable inch-high spike of silvery steel, the thumbs giving rise to a low-set pyramid of metal in its place. The forearm is hidden in part by an elongated plate of sleek silver, with a frill of argent lace casting about loosely from beneath to hang down on all sides liken to a spidery web. Embossed in the palm of the right hand is raised an aureate phoenix nesting atop a jade willow tree.
Armoured jacket:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
This raiment of armour is crafted primarily of padded, midnight leather, its long sleeves stitched to darkly dyed cotton from the elbow down to the wrist. Clasped by sanguine straps of shark hide, silver plate adorns both upper arms. The chest is guarded by a structure similar to a corset, set with silver boning providing unyielding protection on the exterior. A series of identical loops traverse the gap between each half of the front, a simple sinew of crimson hue available to seal the two into one sturdy barrier. Seamlessly traversing the vertical trenches and ridges of hide and metal, painstaking detail has been spent to etch the likeness of a silvery phoenix volant on the right, front flank, with an aureate, serpentine dragon coiling ever upwards upon the left, front flank.
Scabbard:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Designed to be slung between the wearer's shoulders by a simple structure of midnight-leather straps, this black ivory scabbard is sleek and glossy at a glance. The whole of its ornamentation is limited to an aureate embossed phoenix that curls in a ferocious dive along the length of the ivory encasing. Alongside this tableau is intertwined a silvery, serpentine dragon that curls ever upwards, maw chasing for the tail of the phoenix. The base of the weapon case is covered in a jade tip, a flourishing willow tree etched within. A belt of sanguine leather affixes the design firmly to the wearer's upper waist.
Bolero Hat:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Sinister in form, this sable hat is patterned after a bolero's distinctive attributes: a broad and even rim, a tall, unyielding crown, and only a sanguine phoenix head to distinguish the front from the back. The figurine is notably smaller than its living likeness, and its eyes are replaced with one of argent seraphinite, the other a stone of glassy obsidian. A plume of eagle and swan feathers protrude from the left half of the crown, sloping back dramatically. Set upon the top of the crown is a small depression, wherein threading forms a portrait of an aureate phoenix nesting atop a jade willow tree.
Jeweled Diadem:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Held in place by a finely twisted frame of silver and platinum, this diadem fits snugly to the upper forehead of its wearer. Borne upon it are five gems, alternating obsidian and seraphinite of a silver persuasion, the centre of which betrays its kin for a sanguine hue. Each end of the jewellery terminates in either a platinum phoenix on the left, or a silver willow on the right.
Sword:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Forged from a golden alloy of the finest steel and iron, this blade exhibits a soft curve along its length, accentuated by a deep groove carved into the metal. The short tang is encased by a grip of ivory cord in an intricate twisting pattern. Rounding off the grip is a square pommel fashioned from peridot, affording perfect balance to this masterfully crafted weapon. At the base of the blade is a thin band of unknown metal that suffuses the sword with a soft icy glow.
