Appearance:


Name:
Tal Shalev

Race:
Koraim - Koraim are a people found distributed across the land living in rather isolated diasporic communities across the world. Distinguished by their very small antler-like horns on an otherwise human-looking appearance, usually sporting red or blonde hair, and olive skin, in addition to a rather youthful looking appearance. The average Koraim lifespan is about 120 years. It is said that their ancestors originated as a civilization based out of a far away island, centered around their Monotheistic Temple Religion, though their classical civilization faced collapse following natural disaster that resulted in the wholesale destruction of their Island home, and the mass emigration of the Koraim from the Isle of Bere.

Koraim have a reputation for being good mages and craftsmen who provide quality services, however, they are often viewed as untrustworthy and greedy by others. The tolerance of the people themselves in the nations that they immigrated to has ranged from indifference to violent persecution, due to their horned appearance, strange monolatric religion and culture, and generalized xenophobia. This has created a sort of insular community among the Koraim, which, though a product of their persecution, often contributes to further distrust of the horned people. Defined by their religion and culture, the Koraim cling to their distinctive faith and customs even in the face of otherwise assimilating in terms of language and dress, though the Kora language is still commonly used in discussions between Koraim themselves, and loanwords are usually found in their everyday speech even in their host languages.

Personality:
Growing up as a middle child in a family of 6 other siblings, Tal is eager to prove herself useful and distinct. As a result, Tal can be a bit annoying in her bids to shine and show off her skill (even if she thinks a bit too highly of her meager training), but underneath it all she is good natured and only wants to help, which are the primary reasons that she followed her family tradition of Alchemy.

Background:
Tal's family originated in migratory bands of Koraim who migrated by sea, fleeing persecution from their previously inhabited lands and seeking refuge in the old country. Tal's parents and her siblings were all born in the Old Country and , while still having some prejudices against the Koraim, was a much better place for establishing a life. Tal was the 4th child born in a home of 7, which left her in something of an awkward position, feeling generally left out among her other siblings. To make up for it, Tal often left home to go collect wild vegetables and bugs to experiment on, mimicking what she saw her father doing in his shop, and forming a crude understanding of alchemy.

It was at the age of 16 that Tal decided that she wanted to continue the family business of Alchemy. After studying what she could with her father for 3 years, Tal left home with the intention to take personal courses as an apprentice under a more skilled alchemist. Unfortunately, she was immediately rejected, as the Alchemist in question that she wished to study under refused to take on a Kora as a student. Distraught, and without the money to return home, Tal has been etching out a living selling novelty potions, and putting on "magic" shows involving things like Acids and Metals, or crumbling steel swords to rust for money. Not satisfied making low-level money as a drug store owner or street show performer, Tal thinks that, with what she does know about Alchemy already, she may be able to make a little more coin through adventuring.

Abilities:
At the current moment, Tal is what we could call an "amateur" alchemist. She has the most basic skills down; that is, brewing and crafting. However, she has much room to grow in terms of the "defining skill" of an alchemist. That is, Transmutation. While it's one thing to apply heat, pressure or acids to a material to change it, it's entirely different to use magic itself to reshape it on the spot. At the current moment, Tal is capable of transmuting Wood and Sand into new shapes and has the ability to cause rusting in iron and steel items, both with the aid of a transmutation circle drawn onto the item.

As well, Tal is skilled in brewing, capable of making potions and poisons from herbs, plants, and minerals that she finds in the field, or that she buys from other alchemists or merchants.

Equipment:
Tal's current weapon is a deceptively simple wooden pole, about 6 feet tall and 3 inches thick. However, due to her wood transmutation, she can often reshape this wooden weapon into a variety of shapes, as well as lit on fire though transmutation as a tindertwig, by way of the same oxidiation reaction as her rusting transmutations. Other items that she carries with her are a set of thick glass vials for containing and mixing materials, a bag to hold her items in, some herbs for mixing purposes, and a container of water for drinking and mixing uses.