Phoenix Estrielle
Gender: Female
Age: 18
History
The Estrielles: an unusual, gifted bloodline of mortals, holding affinities for magic yet no manifestable powers of their own, were identified by The Inquisition as a potential extension of their faction some 80 years ago. In return for magical prowess, unparalleled skill in the Healing Arts, protection and lavish treatment, members of the Estrielle bloodline were to be forever bound to the Holy Church and the deity responsible for their contracted wealth of power - Kal, the Goddess of Restoration.
Details of their Contracted Powers:
Each member of the bloodline harboured unharnessed magic mixed and diluted within their bloods. Thus, to ensure that these revenues could be tapped into, what used to be fragments of magic lying dormant in their bodies were forcefully extracted, compressed, and manifested into Sentinel Spirits, each taking varying forms of Kal’s divine symbol - the phoenix. The Spirits, bound to their respective owners, became personalized, paradoxical weapons of healing and volatile firepower, leaving members of the Estrielle bloodline free to explore the depths of their newfound magical capabilities. Each family member wielded their Spirits differently, and while some excelled in the Healing Arts, others could manipulate their destructive flames with adroit precision.
The Spirits mirrored certain characteristics belonging to their human owners, and logically so, because they were fundamentally a part of them. For example, Spirits despite being ironically called as such, are in fact mortal creatures with ages paralleling that of their masters’. Spirits can die from mortal wounds, but their deaths will not result in the deaths of their masters. On the other hand, the death of an Estrielle would consequently result in the eradication of his or her Spirit. Lastly, although Spirits may act independently, an Estrielle’s command is absolute.
For decades, the Estrielle bloodline served the Holy Church in their passionate and fiery endeavours, before the tainted fires of an offspring brought ruin and devastation upon the family. Zaire Estrielle, eldest son and brother to Phoenix Estrielle, cultivated an inexplicable and unfathomable interest in the hidden ones that dwelled in the depths. He had sought to collude with them, drawn by the mysterious allure of the underworld and its secrets. It was no surprise that the Holy Church promptly ordered a death warrant upon the discovery of his secret exchanges. The powers of Kal and the Healing Arts were not for the damned. Zaire Estrielle, the catalyst for the despair, became no more - dragging all those who had tried to defend him along with him to his grave.
All except little Phoenix Estrielle, whom for five years quietly watched her brother make his hidden dealings, her lips silent and unmoving, motivated by nothing else but sheer curiosity and her eagerness to learn about a world kept secret from her all those years - without being caught, that is. Phoenix did nothing to save her brother that night when The Inquisition made the arrest, thinking she had saved herself from eternal damnation. She thought wrong - and was careless. The Inquisition, it seemed, were cleverer and more attentive than she had anticipated. It was brought to their attention that 16-year-old Phoenix Estrielle had stood at a corner, contrasted against her screaming parents, a mask of indifference implanted on her face. Suspiciously, they conducted an interrogation during which Phoenix, with her brazen personality, had nonchalantly admitted her knowledge of the matter without much fuss. For silence, she was duly awarded with a curse.
Curse
The Curse of the Phoenix is terrible indeed, causing the afflicted one to progressively age during the day, before ending dusk with a wrinkled, elderly form. She will die during the night and be reborn again at dawn, starting the day at her natural age. The process repeats itself daily. This is by no means a form of immortality, for the afflicted person remains mortal, susceptible to injury, natural aging, and death.
Appearance
After approximately two years of suffering from the effects of the curse, she has found the perfect clothing to accommodate her constantly aging body.
Abilities and Equipment
Her Spirit, Avrak, contains hawk-like features and a fiery, blood-red plumage. Avrak is rarely seen near his master, for he typically follows her around from the skies or atop the roofs of buildings.
Phoenix's adept skill with her Sentinel Spirit lies primarily in its destructive abilities, her powers nurtured and cultivated through necessity - and indisputably so, for two years of roaming the dark streets of Sutton along with her obvious weakness has forced her rely much upon her relationship and synchronicity with Avrak. On the other hand, her skill in healing leaves much to be desired, having deteriorated over the past two years as a result of the lack of practice. For one, Phoenix's inherent cautiousness meant that her medical needs were scarce. Secondly, Phoenix is not one to administer her healing powers to others - not unless one had something considerably significant to offer her in exchange for her services. Most importantly, as part of her curse, Phoenix cannot perform the Healing Arts without accelerating her aging. In other words, the casting of restoration spells will cause her time of death to be brought forward (only for that day).
She does not possess any note-worthy items - only a dagger which she hangs on her belt.
Personality
A self-interested and calculative character, and perpetually bored, Phoenix navigates life with an almost uncanny confidence as a cursed being. Typically, she comes across as calm and emotionally self-contained, yet is capable of displaying bouts of brash stubbornness akin to that of a child. Phoenix appears to be disinterested in interpersonal relationships, for she thrives inside her mind - an intellectual, observant and cautious individual. As many of her acquaintances would find, Phoenix's habitual bluntness can be unnerving.