Naturally, we can move onto Reef Grotto at any time. Assuming I'm actually still coming. As the person who has been away, and the unlikely fourth party member, it felt irresponsible of me to start off the Reef Grotto posts myself.
Apparently her greetings didn't go unnoticed by the black figure, as almost immediately as she begin to get comfortable in her little corner of the wall, she feels an indistinct shadow fall across her face. "You're a strange one," she begins in a dark whisper, hardly looking up from underneath her hood. "I only wanted to introduce myself. After all, I've heard so much about you..."
She raises her head slightly, one shaded eye gazing up with energy from beneath her hood. "I'm Em. I have no intention of interfering with your interests. That mission you guys were just given, I'm planning on tagging along for the ride. I'm sure you can agree that this idea would greatly benefit the both of us?"
"Well, not that I would stay behind anyways," she concedes. "It's only polite to ask first, don't you think?"
The young girl staring up out of the shadows held herself casually, and clasped in one hand was a thick, gnarled staff that gave off its own dark aura. As she spoke, the girl's intonation and phrasing seemed unusual, and attempts to plumb the depths of her mind would be met with a curious and occult resistance. All in all, she probably seemed pretty impressive...
For a girl who was on the brink of fainting from heat stroke.
It was thanks entirely to DD's support that she was able to continue functioning at all. Preforming a partial, and very weak Possession on the girl's body, it was assisting her so that she could move somewhat normally even though she should be essentially crippled by the heat. There were certainly some benefits to being best friends forever with an evil spirit. Now, however, the spirit was very rapidly losing strength as both its master's strength fails, and the sun continues to beat down relentlessly.
So, naturally, she starts to faint. At the same time, another person comes along, asking to be introduced. He seemed to be from somewhere cold, too, judging by his hair. Maybe he'd brought some ice.
As events continue to unfold in an endless cycle of questing and capitalism all around her, a lone, quiet figure walks the streets of Oars Rest without a stop. The pack on her back seemed quite large for her small figure, and with her hood up and cloak on it was clear to see that she must be overheating terrible. And yet nobody approached her. Where she walked, the crowd parted subtly around her, as if an invisible pressure followed wherever she went. All the while, inaudible over the hustle and bustle of city, she was seemingly muttering beneath her breath.
And something was muttering back to her.
"...should be...somewhere near..."
Em gazes around the street from beneath her hood, a few beads of sweat briefly visible on her cheek as she stares out at the others crowded down the way. She can feel it. A pulling, clammy sensation from directly ahead. A faint smell, mixing with the smells of the ocean, but clearly alien to this environment, and this world.
Straight ahead. For an instant, her gaze holds on the approximation of a face, belonging to a similarly cloaked figure standing among a crowd of adventurers. When she speaks, it is in a low, but clear tone, directed at the figure despite the distance and clamour of the street between them. Nonetheless, she knows that it will hear her. They always do.
"Like attracts like..." She smiles underneath her hood, "Hello, Dark One." Not waiting for a response, she walks to the entrance of a nearby ally where she would sits down and revel momentarily in the cool of the shaded wall to her back. There, she was close enough to hear the words of the figure and their companions, if she focused, but far enough that she wouldn't stand out among them. That was good. The creature had received her message, and she knew the others were unlikely to have heard anything, if they recognized her voice as words at all.
This was fine, for now.
She wasn't in a hurry. There was plenty of time left until nightfall. So for now, the little Necromancer waits, nestling her evil spirit against her cheek, listening to its whispers. Even here, in the light of day, it had oh so much to teach her, to tell her.
@Black Alice Now that I've read the sheet a bit closer, I noticed the Dark Aura. Nazr is a practitioner of the Dark Arts, so the two may have interesting interactions from that. Nazr is going to be disgusted at first at her due to her association with the dead, but he may even try and become a mentor and teach her more about the Dark later.
She has a century old evil spirit to do that for her. She doesn't need your gross tentacle magic.
Clothing/Armor: -Muggle Clothing- Clothing suitable for blending into an environment not populated entirely by Necromancers. Two sets, one for travelling and casual wear and the other for formal arrangements. Includes undergarments, work gloves and a hooded travelling cloak.
-The Cloak, and Hat of Shadows- The proper dress of a Necromancer (in training). Good at warding off the cold and damp of a cemetery in the dead of night, and possesses some basic charms against ill-meaning spirits.
Personality Em is still young at heart, lacking any of the usual triggers that would push her into adulthood. She is perhaps a little too confident in her own cleverness, but has no problem listening to other's advice so long as she thinks it benefits her. She isn't what you would call "power hungry", but rather, she has an abnormal thirst for knowledge that pushes her along the path to power anyways.
With strangers, she is distrustful but not impolite. Her days on the road have taught her not to give too much allowance to people, men in particular, but her deeply ingrained upbringing of respect and kindness have yet to fade completely.
Doesn't like people who make fun of Necromancy.
History:
Em's origins are probably a mile divided from what one might expect from somebody devoted to the Dark Arts. She was born late into her parents marriage, when her mother was already considered the small town's medicine woman. Her father was a woodsman of sorts, hunting and working down at the mill to help earn for his daughter and wife. All in all, they were quite a wealthy family, and her mother's skills at healing were highly valued by the local noblewomen.
Em herself was giving an early education in all of her mother's arts, learning the identities of various herbs and how to treat the sort of injuries one encounters as the medicine woman of a small town. The work wasn't easy, but she was a clever girl, and eager to learn, so she did well. Before long, she was running errands into the woods, collecting herbs under her mother's instruction and bringing them back to be mixed into poultices and potions alike. This was her favourite part. Em had always loved the softly simmering liquids and strange smell of crushed and dried herbs in her mother's workshop.
One day, while out in the woods, she went to a part of the forest not frequented by woodsmen. It was a special place, a sacred grove of sorts that the people of her town had honoured for centuries. She entered the grove, and sat at the foot of a massive, dead-looking tree in the center of the grove.
She sat there, speaking quietly to the tree about the future. Her birthday was coming up, and she was expected to bloom into womanhood soon, she knew it. She wasn't really sure what being a woman meant, but she supposed it was something like leaving one's fun, careless childhood behind and starting to help your mother with her work. She was scared.
Imagine her surprise when the tree started talking back.
At first, she didn't notice it, too absorbed she was in her own issues. It came as a whisper, gradually getting louder until she could no longer fool herself that the voice was coming from inside her own head. Now that it had her attention, the tree told her to do it a favour. You see, there was an old stick lodged among its roots, and it was causing the tree much discomfort. If she could just remove it, the tree would be very grateful, and give her an amazing reward.
Wary, but not seeing how it could possibly be a trick, she found and removed the "stick" only to find that it was an ancient, gnarled staff. The stick, for it had been the one speaking all along, thanked her dearly for rescuing it from beneath the tree, and offered her a reward that she could not possibly refuse. It offered to teach her Magic.
And that was how Emily Hill began her journey to become a Necromancer.
Every day, she spoke secretly to the staff, trading secrets with it, learning the hidden ways of Magic. At first, she was unsure if she would be able to use something as amazing as Magic, but the staff assured her she had plenty of talent. So she trained. Some nights, she would go out after dark to collect special herbs or strange rocks, all under the staff's instruction. Her birthday came and went, and came again, before the staff decided she was ready.
"Emily Hill," it said. "You have come far in your studies, but it still isn't enough. You must leave behind your human self, and step forwards on the path towards the darkest horizon of all." She agreed, hungry for the power that the staff could provide, and began a three-month long ritual that would prepare her body for the trials ahead. During this time, she lost a great many things, but the promise of more magic and the constant praise and admiration from the talking staff was what sustained her. By the end of the ritual, she was no longer human, and she no longer had anywhere to stay.
It was only natural that she would continue following the staff's instructions, now that she had given up so much for its approval. It told her to leave the town of her birthplace, and to journey far, far away, to a place where she could train in peace and complete her transformation.
And that's what she did.
Her goal for being in this new land is simply to practice her Necromancy without the risk of being discovered by the Dark Art's enemies. She seeks anything that might increase her magical power, whether it be magical artifacts, or old, dark allies.
Weapons: -D.D.- A powerful malicious spirit, bound to (or possibly manipulating) Em. It provides her sometimes helpful advice, offering insight and knowledge that only a centuries old evil spirit could possess. It resides in an old, gnarled staff, which could be treated as its vessel, or physical form. It can interact with the staff to a much higher degree than the rest of the world, to the point of being able to physically move it and channel certain sorceries through it.
For Em's purposes, the staff and spirit combo serve to strengthen her Necromancy, and allows her an easier time casting most magics save those of the most benevolent kind. When another but its accepted master picks up or comes into contact with its wood, they will be struck with painful and lethally infectious splinters.
D.D. can, to an extent, move beyond the limitations of its staff vessel. However, in this non-physical form it cannot risk sunlight or physical contact with a being besides its Master, or else it might find itself dispersed and sent back to the afterlife. With some effort, D.D. can use all of its capabilities as a spirit to provide some assistance, but this is limited by a great many factors.
-Evil Bones- A small collection of bones from men who died violently during an uprising in the village of Em's birth. Taken from their rightful resting places, these bones hold a grudge against the mortal world for unearthing them. Powerful Necromantic reagents.
Physical Skills: -Witch's Body- The first step on the road to Lichdom. Grueling and unique magical enchantments, rituals and mixtures have been used to prepare one's body for eternity, transforming their existence into something that is "not quite human". Physical aging ceases, superficially mimicking the effects of eternal youth. Most importantly, the burdens placed on the body by powerful spellcraft and certain dark magics are almost completely nullified.
-Herblore- The ability to identify and utilize a wide variety of herbs, including knowledge of their possibly magical qualities and the proper methods of mixture to produce the best (or worst) effects. Equivalent to ten years of careful study, with ready access to both oral tutelage and extensive written knowledge. Can craft certain substances from gathered herbs, in a technique commonly called "Witchcraft", although it does not actually involve any true Magic.
Can Identify unknown herbs with some success at first, and with more after careful study and experimentation.
-First Aid- Perhaps not as flashy as Healing Magic, First Aid is the skill for dealing with injuries in the conventional sense, and knowledge of common medical techniques. Not really all that exciting of a skill, but a useful one.
Magic: -Necromancy- Probably what somebody thinks when one imagines "Dark Magic", it is by far the most infamous and well-practiced dark art of the modern world.
Classic magics under a Necromancer's command are the iconic Raise Dead spell, which confers temporary motivation to a member of the deceased to continue living a wretched half-life under the Necromancer's command. Zombies are the most easily raised entities, possessing limited movement capabilities and virtually no mental faculties. Skeletons and Ghosts are both a little more complicated, but are host to a suite of fascinating abilities of their own that make them useful tools for any budding Necromancer. The use of additional magical energies and preparation can turn a temporary tool into a long-term partner, whose strength and capabilities are reliant on the quality of the base materials.
A little less flashy but equally useful is the power to communicate through the veil of the afterlife, temporarily summoning the dead for the purposes of advisory and spiritual assistance. Spirits can be used like shields against spiritual interference, or bound to items, people or places in a magical act known as "Haunting". They also make great scouts and assistants, so long as the Necromancer keeps a tight hold on them.
Saved primarily as a last resort, due to its blatant waste of resources, the Dark Bomb releases the stored energy of a soul in the form of a dense explosion of Necromantic energy, harmful to all life (but not the Undead). This destroys the source, whether it be a ghost or the physical remains of the deceased, and the amount of backlash on the user is considerable even for somebody with Em's preparation.
Necromancy is strong, but it is one of those kinds of magics that is heavily limited by reagents. Without a steady supply of fresh corpses, a Necromancer would have a hard time being useful at pretty much anything. Em's altered physical form protects her from much of the backlash associated with Necromancy, but even she is not completely immune. Overusing the Necromantic arts will cause her to weaken and eventually die, the more she lingers on the line separating life and death.
-Dark Aura- Dark Magic tends to stick to people and things that it comes into contact with. This phenomenon is called a Dark Aura, and the knowledge of and manipulation of this side-effect is one of the more subtle skills possessed by a Dark Mage.
Concentrating one's Dark Aura, they can inflict fear on lesser creatures, or project an air of power and awe around themselves that inspires others of the dark path to follow them. This is an important skill, as it also allows for the domination of spirits of the dead. If a Necromancer ever summons a spirit stronger than themselves, this is the ability they use to fight them off.
As Dark Aura builds up in items or people, it will gradually affect them magically, aligning them towards Dark and strengthening them with a sort of fel power. Those familiar with the Dark can sense the residue of Dark wherever it goes, allowing them to gauge the capabilities and track the movements of Dark Mages. A Dark Mage must always be aware of this, and look out for potential enemies in the form of Dark Hunters, or potential allies in the form of lesser Dark Spirits and Monsters who might be seeking their protection.
Weaknesses: -Weak- This young Necromancer made a critical error in judgement that has resulted in her being stuck with an eternally young, and physically undeveloped form. She will never have the strength or endurance of a grown woman, and has certain limitations to both her equipment load and what physical feats she can preform at any given time. The constant overuse of Dark Magic doesn't help.
-Enthralled- Em has been captivated by the Dark Arts, and is being manipulated by a powerful Dark Spirit called Darker Dark. If given free reign, it will twist her mind and actions towards the ways of Dark, eventually cultivating her to be taken over by the Dark Spirit at the height of her transformation. Until Darker Dark is dealt with, Em can never change from the path of Evil, and she will be forced to be commit darker and darker acts until she completely falls into depravity.
Other Inventory: (Travelling Backpack: Contains her changes of clothes, a small package containing dried meats and fruit, a water skin filled halfway with spring water, fire-starting gear, a small case for storing herbs, a first-aid kit and a small ritual case) (Herb Case: Small quantities of herbs used for traditional Healing. A few dried, toxic herbs used in poisons. Some dried herbs used for curing minor to moderate poisons from certain monsters.) (First-Aid Kit: Some clean bandages, a needle and two spools of thread, a small flask of alcohol, a vial for storing liquid, one vial filled with liquid labelled "Antidote", one unmarked vial filled with clear liquid.) (Ritual Case: Contains a small knife, used in rituals. A few stoppered vials for storing liquid. A needle and one spools of thread. Scissors.) -A small attached bag, for storing bones. Smells faintly of ash.
