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Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

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Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

This tasteless haze of mine

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<sub>“What did you agree to?”

“To fetch Puck the Fomorian Blade. Three pieces to collect for three answers.”</sub>

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Time: Fifteen Months Later
Location: Paris, France

Crickets sounded over the open fields leading to the mysterious, mist-covered copse of Yew trees outside of Paris. Scorch marks, scars lashed across the fields of grass. Midsummer greens encroached on the scars, creeping to retake what was lost. The moon had shone with silvery light casting long shadows over the darkened, charred areas of Paris. Construction crews slowly put back the missing pieces. Looming kilometres away sat the meteorite that was to blame for the blaze that had eaten away at the city. Taped off with plans to remove it. A light fresh breeze brought with it a familiar sooty smell of smoke.

Deep in the small forest at its heart stood a tall, old Yew. Dark and unassuming. Twisted in the bark was a door polished to shine, with a golden knob and hinges to match. Its copper armoured guards nowhere to be seen, dead leaves gathered at the base undisturbed.

Then...The wind shifted. Light began to filter through the threshold of the door, the grains of wood glowing. The knob twisted, with a sudden burst of energy the door swung violently open with a slam. Stumbling through it, appeared what could be mistaken as an apparition. Scrambling just behind the ghostly figure was a darker figure, the pair pulled the door shut and slammed it. Four hands on the door - waiting one, two beats before relaxing. The pale-faced creature turned, breathed heavily with the rise and fall of her shoulders. What little light there was from the moon reflected off of her dress. Tattered white dress, strips of fabric of various lengths, sizes and material made up the skirt while the white bodice was sewn with bits of jewellery both genuine pearls and plastic rhinestones. Tightly wrapped around her chest and torso, exposing her back - the tattoo of the very same tree they stood by now. Down the length of her arms was the similar make up of jewellery, long strings of pearls wrapped between the webbing of her fingers. Long mousey blonde hair, tipped with a faint bit of blue was wrapped only in a small bun at the top of her head to house the spider silken veil draped delicately behind her shoulders down to the small of her back.

The picture of a runaway bride.

Turning about, the doll-like face of Odette Favre looked skyward, bright and pale blues searching.. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she turned to her pact partner and the only company she had kept for three long years.

Bach with his bright yellowy greens found hers and he grinned, letting out a long sigh followed by a few chuckles of relief. A hand brushed through his wild hair, leaves falling free landing on the shoulders of his green blazer.

“We’re home,” She breathed in French - taking relief in freely speaking her own tongue once more, taking a long moment to stretch her bare toes into the dirt.

Bach found himself doing the same. He turned his forehead against the bark of the Yew.

Hanging her head down, she spied the costume jewellery - with a curl of her lip in disgust she clawed at the strings on her arm ripping them away. Next to be pulled was the veil, soft gossamer ripped to shreds. She looked around patted her hands free of the threads, finally she noticed the lack of guards greeting them.

“Where are the guards?” She asked aloud. “There are always two here.”

Bach pulled from the tree, looking around listening with his pointed ears.

Tugging her purse around, she reached deep inside of it for her unused phone. Conserving power by keeping it turned off in the years since she had to use it. Even resisting the urge to use it as a mirror or peer wistfully through the photos. She held the power button and watched the screen only for it to respond with a red battery icon. She tsked.

“Come, Bach. Some time has obviously passed, we must find out how long it has been here.” She dropped the phone back into her purse, stepping away from the portal heading out of the copse. Sure feet guiding even through the dark, unaware of the piles of bodies littered just beyond the trail overtaken by the magically maligned foliage.

As she walked, she spoke, “I can only hope time did not speed by here, knowing our luck it was only a few days that have passed against our three years.”

Bach shrugged easily, the passage of time not nearly as much of a concern for a Fey like himself, “There is no way we could know.”

They broke through the line of trees, Odette nearly tripping over the armoured body of a long-dead alien. She stared down at it, registering what she saw then searched the horizon for the notably dimmed light of her Paris. Panic coiled in her belly, she threw her hand out rapid-fire French spoke the incantation for a new portal. The powerful wisps of the Arcane stream came to her in an icy blue glow. Briefly smiling at the return of magic, like a rubber band snapping back into place.

”Grand et beau flot d'âmes, fais-moi voyager, dis-moi la sécurité, offre-moi tes plus beaux cadeaux. Volontiers, ne viendrez-vous pas à moi? Ouvrez-vous, ouvrez-vous à la volonté de l'Ambassadeur du Folk. Proche seulement de ma volonté en tant qu'Ambassadeur du Folk!”

She closed her fist and out of the line of bright light came a door, stepping through it she appeared instantly at the heart of her beloved city, appearing before the ruins of what was once her apartment building. The charred wood and stone, roped off for its property owner to clean up. Her mouth popped open with shock, even Bach’s reaction was genuine in its dismay. The loss of his beautiful garden, the knowledge, the- he dragged a palm over his face as he gritted his teeth turning away.

Odette’s hands pressed against her temples, she tried and failed to control her breathing. Emotions roiling, descending into rage.

“What happened!” She seethed through her teeth, “What happened to my city!” Her hand snapped out again, another portal appearing.

In her fit of rage, she travelled to all corners of the scarred city - portals brightly lighting up the night. Her ghostly visage terrifying the surprised locals both mortal and immortal. She appeared briefly at the edge of the Seine, a couple of Selkie heads breaking through the surface just in time to see her disappear back into the portal. She appeared by the base of the Eiffel Tower, the tower itself notably missing its top - cleaved off. Hissing she turned on her heel, another portal flashing in the night. From tops of buildings, running barefoot down cobblestone streets, whisking past every place she’s known and only arriving at the one place she dreaded its destruction - the Opera House. A fire had torn through it, leaving about half the building hollowed out, from where she stood and could see by streetlight. It’s history eaten up and with it, her sanctuary. Visibly sweating, breathing heavily from the magical exertion she kneeled down.

A squeaky grocery cart wheels followed by a whistle caught her attention, what kept it was the Common Fey, “Ein’t that a sight.”

The sorceress jolted, her head snapping to the owner of the voice.

Standing beside a beat up grocery cart full of odds and ends was the small goblin stature of Mara. Her unmistakable glass bottle glasses perched on the end of her long pointy nose, mismatched clothes small enough for children, with a pair of green pointy ears to match her nose. She removed her glasses delicately placing them into the cart allowing her deep red eyes to examine the sight of The Ambassador.

“Mara…”

“Bonsoir.” She greeted, warily she approached the Ambassador, “Now, I imagined you had reason to be gone but eloping ein’t one of the reasons I thought.”

“What happened.” She ordered.

Mara pressed her lips at her tone but shrugged one shoulder, knowing better than most when to complain about barked orders, “Aliens, my Lady. The invasion started with a rain of meteors, one didn’t hit Paris directly, but close enough-”

“Is it still there.”

Mara stopped, then nodded slowly, “Aye, I believe so. Heard the mortals talkin’ about memorializing it or somethin’. Lotta other things took priority over getting rid of it. Meteorites still fetch a pretty penny so they roped it off with some guards.” Long nails brushed under her chin, “Fires were put out a long time ago.” Mara made eye contact, trying to puzzle out The Ambassador’s intentions.

The Ambassador pushed herself up to stand, her breathing had returned to normal. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse to dab at her forehead. Recomposing herself she asked, sweetly, “Where might I find it, Mara?”

The sudden shift in her tone unnerved Mara, she responded immediately, “Near Versailles.”

Smiling a little, she bowed her head respectfully to Mara, “It is good to see a friendly face, if Bach arrives would you be so kind as to tell him I will return shortly?”

“My Lady-!”

Another portal opened, making the goblin squint painfully against the harsh light. The Ambassador clicked her heels then bounded through the door. Out the other side, she appeared above the site where the meteorite had left such a devastatingly large crater. Kilometers above it, she hovered momentarily before gravity brought her down, the wind blowing her skirt past her. Her bare feet touched down on the meteorite, magically assisted to softly land.

The ground surrounded the meteor in a sloping wall. On the surface, there was a small tented area, soft yellow light glowing from one. Small roads were constructed to reach the bottom, some equipment already set up near the base of the meteorite. It seemed the government was ready to start mining it to extract all the valuable raw materials. Unfortunately, a sorceress’ petty bit of revenge took priority.

Years scrounging for sources of magic to get home, scavenging in all intents and purposes. Storing power, carefully using spells when it was needed most. Now - having direct access to her wellspring of power, the abundancy truly excited her. Even enraged did her eyes sparkle with delight.Willing the Arcane Stream to come, she beckoned it with her Words of Power. A sliver of light began to form in the sky well above her, stretching in a singular line over the crater. The wind shifted once more, strong gusts kicked up ash, dust, and threatened to blow away the tents. Guards appeared from the tents, shielding their faces and eyes against the light.

The sliver of light widened, the energy that flowed from that tear breathed life into its surroundings. Grass grew, roots jumped free from the soil, weeds pushed through the charred earth. Soil cracked with the movement of the plant life, water began flowing free from all sides. The Arcane Stream’s energy flowed down into The Ambassador’s outstretched hands, blue light formed around her body - enveloping her. Her hair floated free from her back, her dress becoming ethereal. Her Words of Power rose in pitch and strength.

Slowly she brought her hands down to the meteorite, where the blue light spread surrounding the space rock. It creaked, then groaned as fissures snapped across it - loud bursts of sound following with every break. Shouts from the guards above barely reached her ears as she tore it apart. Large chunks broke away floating above her, every layer she broke through joined the collective swirling above her. Her body disappeared in a thick haze of broken meteorite, but the light shone on through it.

Two feet planted on the large core, surrounded in a whirlwind of what she had broken. Bending her knees she jumped through the haze straight up to the tear. It shrunk in size, being pulled inward small enough to accommodate the size of a portal door. For a few moments in the chaotic winds, she was still. Her leg stretched out on an invisible platform, a tiny circle of light appeared at the tip of her toe. Her arms floated down in the same direction. A swing of her other leg spun her into a pirouette, standing en pointe she danced in a circle in midair - little circles of light for each step she took. Berry stained lips reciting the incantations, displaying a powerful control over earthly elemental magic even on something not of this world. Dancing around the formation of a portal door, she took her time. As blood dribbled down from her nose over her upper lip - she finally focused on the door.

She twisted the golden doorknob, the scene that appeared before her was the wedding she had just escaped. Fey were visibly surprised to see the runaway bride once more so soon.

A delicate flourish of her hand directed the deadly metal haze to fly past her body through the portal, raining down upon the wedding. The faerie present gasped in the poisonous cloud, the door slammed shut after the last particle found it’s new home in the faraway dimension. A terrible, unprecedented farewell to a place she had grown to truly loathe. Tonight they bore the blame for her disappearance, the meteorite repurposed as her weapon.

From the ground, guards held up their cellphones trying to capture what they saw, in the grainy light-flooded videos, cameras saw the figure turn to peer over her shoulder down at them. Below where she levitated the crater filled with water, green sprouted where the fire had destroyed and the core of the meteorite was left behind. One more portal appeared beside her, she stepped through it and all light followed her in an instantaneous blink.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

_{banner credit to Hellis}

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True Name: Odette Favre

Spotify Playlist - The Rose Leyline

Alias: The Ambassador of the Fair Folk, The Faerie Mistress, The Ambassador

Speech Color: Thistle

Character Alignment: Chaotic neutral - Villain

Identity: Known

Character Personality: Cold, colder now. Previously she had begun to gain warmth of new allies, fleeting romance, and a fire lit under her future. Embittered, condescending, unassuming. After three years The Ambassador has assumed only one role. She is a ruthless opportunist, selfish and poised. With a single-minded focus on consolidating power prior to her disappearance to prevent her prophesied downfall, she now believes it had unfolded under the destruction wrought by the invasion.

Once a trendsetting, ballet Soloist of the Paris Opera House - Odette Favre's civilian life was that of opulent comfort. Earned by way of being a talented dancer and comfortably padding her bank accounts by illicit means working with the Shroud Syndicate. A materialistic attachment to her creature comforts. A social chameleon, keeping people at arm's length only allowing friends and lovers to see what she wanted them to see. Various forms of manipulation kept sharp in her toolbox.

Ambitious from a young age, the sheer strength of will and focus is shown in her excellent spell casting. A sharp memory for detail to keep her repertoire of spells, and complex choreography. Unshakable confidence in her skills. What she sees as confidence could easily be mistaken for a very large ego, that has been steadily fed and bruised by her exploits.

Ultimately at her core, her empathy for her fellow human being is shockingly minimal and very specific. However, she cares deeply for her connection to the Fey and has shown shades of empathy for strange creatures. Well-versed in rules, lore and expectations of the Fey she is polite to a fault. Manners matter, easily repulsed by crude behaviour or language. Her temper is quiet, reserved. How she expresses it is often in forms of cruelty, precise action and she struggles to reign in any extreme shifts in emotion. Try as Bach does to encourage her.

The Ambassador casts a long and mysterious shadow, for those she pulls into her inner circle (willing and not) do they get glimpses of this terribly flawed and heavily influenced woman. Some would count themselves lucky and unlucky to call The Ambassador their ally. For where she steps, trouble follows and often she is personally perpetuating it.

Appearance

Uniform/costume:
Age: 30
Height: 5'9 - 179cm
Weight: 145 lbs - 65kg
Hair: Long, light blue hair. In previous seasons, it was the length in the art below. Reference for length and colour
Eye: Light Blue

Credit Link

Round face, smooth skin, no visible scars. Doll-like, with the body of a ballet dancer and the muscle to match. One very large notable tattoo is on her back. Her fashion sense is trendy, ever-changing - having both the access and money to do so. She is usually seen wearing dresses, heels, and a full face of makeup.

Bio/Origin

Background: Born in Paris, France to the perpetually poor occult scientists, Perry and Tristan Favre. An only child. Her parents were avid researchers into the paranormal, supernatural and around the time Odette was born they focused their research into faerie. A field of science that was often disregarded and tragically underfunded. They discovered a naturally occurring entrance into the Faerie Realms, one fateful trip to collect data samples, research material as to have a better understanding of them. Unfortunately, a curious Fey spirit followed them back.

His name is Bach. He took a liking to their young 4-year-old daughter all too quickly. The first time she became aware of the fey spirit following her was seeing him in the autumn; in the Yew leaves falling she caught a pair of eyes watching her. Paying attention and often seeing him out the corner of her eyes they began to interact. In her dreams, he would whisper stories of the fair folk. He remained invisible to all, except Odette. Her parents were unaware and too absorbed in their work to notice.

Enrolled in a dance academy for ballet at the age of 8, what little money her parents could spare and keep their child busy. Odette's heart and career sprouted from those dance classes, harbouring an ambitious streak in her. As she grew older her dancing had helped her into scholarships. At the age of 18, she was graduating high school with a promising education at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris. Naturally a socially adept young adult but never alone with her secret friend, Bach at her side. While in university, rivalries, friendships and strings of relationships bloomed, tested and developed alongside her newfound connection with magic. During that fateful year of entering university, she made a pact of a lifetime.

Bach had awaited, patiently for years to mentor a new mortal in magic, pass along techniques he himself could not use. He struck a bargain with the teenaged Odette, at the time offering her what she wanted. Open her potential for magic, teach her how to use it as she saw fit, (advancing her career, pull her deeper into the world of the Fey, etc) and ultimately teach her how to open portals into the Faerie Realms. All in exchange for her promise to bring the Fey back to Earth in a significant way. She trusted him implicitly, agreeing to the pact.

The pact tethered their souls together to start and sparked the potential for magic. The details of the contract signed are known only to the pair - such details are rules of consent, protection, and mutual preservation of each other's lives. While their souls are tethered their minds remain separate and their bodies until they decide to work as one. Possession saturates Odette's soul and body with Bach's spirit, allowing her access to a large well of magic, strengthening her body and her mind. Under his tutelage, he taught her everything she knows. Magic wasn't the only thing he taught, he delved deeper into the strange politics of the Fey, languages and culture. Despite her obligation to helping the Fey onto Earth, she did so happily. She travelled in and out of the faerie realms. Garnering favours, gifts and allegiances with the fair folk over several years.

The more time she spent among the Fey her humanity and empathy withered away - she was tested, exposed and absorbed many formative experiences while she worked with the Fey. She was no longer bothered by the destruction the fair folk left in their wake, their capricious and cruel behaviour, and the indifference toward mortals. Her largest gambit for favours was safe passage onto Earth, her neutrality and owing allegiance to no singular Court. She made allies, enemies and worked with faerie across the spectrum.

Slowly, the work Odette did brought Fey in full force to Paris, from the tourist hot spots to the old cobblestone corners. Territories were given, negotiated and maintained by The Ambassador- rightly earning her title. Paris got weirder, the transient and historical energy of the city was now more chaotic than ever. The Fey weren't the only ones causing trouble, a young sorceress needed to practice (typically on street vigilantes). With the amount of chaos she created, it caught the eyes of the influential American gang looking to strengthen their European arm of their organization - The Shroud Syndicate. At the age of 23, local agents approached her offering opportunities to use her abilities. She set a price for her work, she was set primarily on moving people and goods. Providing as well the Syndicate's connection to the world of mysticism and magic. Her criminal actions were nearly impossible to track, her illusionary magic and magical transportation were well outside of Parisian authorities' reach. Due largely to her efforts was The Shroud Syndicate able to take decent root in France at the heart of Paris.

She answered only to the likes of The Cowl and Jacques, her equally mysterious Parisian link to the Syndicate.

The spring months saw her controlled little slice of the world be set against a precipice with a fated crossing of paths with The White Witch and her contractor - known as Puck. Given a prophetical vision of her downfall, it spun her motivations to find ways to prevent it. (See Season 1 Summary for deets). Preserving her power, reputation, gathering more power and haggling with greater figures - The Ambassador diversified in the most literal sense of the word. Carefully guarding her civilian identity, taking comfort in it even when people started to see the cracks in the facade. Busy with her work as the Ambassador, her absence was felt especially in the ballet company.

She contended with the Hounds of Humanity, flirted with thieves, making good and bad deals, working closely with the White Witch, and chasing down clues to reconnect with the Witch's powerful incarnation. All leading to collecting three pieces of an ancient, terrible blade called the Fomorian Blade. A cursed weapon that The Ambassador was tasked to find in exchange for incredibly valuable information from Puck. Hoping to finally clear the uncertainty lying in her future. Collecting one piece of the blade from a Knight of the Autumn Court, in the weeks prior to the terrible alien invasion - she had collected two pieces. Setting her sights on the last one, she travelled to a faraway realm to retrieve the last piece... Remained trapped there for three of her own years. Without allies or enemies, she was forced to start from scratch not only to retrieve the final piece of the blade but to get home.

Upon returning home to Paris, 15 months after an invasion... The Ambassador is once again forced to start from scratch. Her civilian mask up in flames, a lengthy career as a ballet dancer and parts of her city burned. How can the Ambassador of the Fair Folk reestablish herself when the world she revelled in had moved on? Begun to rebuild without her?

It clearly wasn't within her nature to simply not retake a stage.

Hero Type: Mystic

Power Level:
City - Portals are used to travel anywhere on Earth and into different dimensions. Her power upper limits remain on a city level.

Powers:

Opening Rifts/Door Ways– Traversing Fey Realms
->Adept at finding cracks and bleeding spots along Earth's leylines. Using them to open rifts to create a doorway. Typically opening doors to Faerie Realms, places on Earth, or entrances directly to the Arcane Stream. Odette is well-practiced in opening doors through the Arcane Stream. Able to open several portals (Up to 6) in an area close to a Leyline, the further away the less she is able to open. The doors she uses for portals are built directly from the Arcane Stream, very difficult to break down unless another mage or witch knew how to create portals from the Arcane Stream as well. Otherwise, the portal remains until Odette wills it away. The portals are akin to stepping in and out of a river. With the endurance and years of precise skill practice, opening portals do not take serious amounts of energy. Though absolute concentration is a must.

Spell Casting
-> Has an impressive repertoire of spells memorized. She uses Words of Power to give her spells intention and power. Until they are spoken they have no power. Locator spells, levitation spells, illusion spells, minor healing spells, luck sapping hexes, magical ward and trap spells.

Fundamental-Elemental Manipulation
-> Basic manipulation of the magical elements. Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Learned each skill through elemental sprite masters. Bach however taught her Earth and it is her preferred magical element to use.

Elemental magic takes a lot of concentration and power, due largely to her skill level. i.e if she whips up a storm it'll take a full day of rest to be back to normal. While possessed by Bach she has mastery over Earth elemental magic. Able to grow trees from seeds, at full power possible to rattle tectonic plates.

Item Enchantment
-> Able to enchant items with magical purpose, even enchanting certain parts of her own body. Small-time stuff barely registers as use of energy. Bigger objects and intentions take more energy.

Summoning Fey
-> Drawing sigils and calling upon the Fey by name. She will strictly only call upon Fey she has met personally for help. While the sigil is only a form of communication, it is no feat for Odette to transport them to her location for direct help.

Multilingual
-> Fluent in French (native), English and Common Fey. Bach however translates and speaks many more Fey languages for Odette.

Attributes:

Strength Level: Athletic, has the strength to carry dead weight. When possessed by Bach, has superstrength to lift 5 tonnes/4.5k kilos.
Mobility: Magically assisted for jumping, balancing and landing at the limit of a normal human. With the added strength of possession, she can run, jump, react a few steps above a normal human being.
Intelligence: Above average. Experienced with faerie political games, tricks and ridiculous expectations. Readily employs those same tricks to get what she wants. A masterful manipulator.
Fighting Skill/Tactics: Trained for self-defence, can throw a decent punch and wiggle her way out of holds. She would much rather someone else do the punching to be sure. She makes use of illusion spells, usually casting fogs or charms that make her appearance or face easily forgettable to any curious eyes to protect her identity. During a fight or operation, she is methodical, akin to a hungry spider patiently waiting for her prey to step into traps. On the offensive, she'll readily push her enemy into a portal opened over the Atlantic ocean.

Resources:

-> Small Apartment building in the heart of Paris. Her home on Earth, well fortified by magical wards. Protected by a household Fey, Vienna. Invisible to humans but magically linked with the home. Able to reject and turn away unwanted intruders, guests or enemies. Answers only to the building owner, Odette.
-> Remanents of an apartment building she once owned now lay in ruin, burned to the ground from the alien invasion. Not for the first time, she finds herself homeless and presumably Vienna along with it having been tethered to it.

-> A Yew Tree in the Faerie Realms belonging to Bach. A home and sanctuary, protected by similar wards. It is a home base for the pair of them and they share equally in its ownership. Equipped with creature comforts and absolute safety from local Fey as well.

-> Permanent Portal: Paris. It is a permanent portal Odette strictly controls. Months of work from both Odette and faerie alike resulted in a portal permanently stationed on the edge of Paris. It is incredibly difficult to dismantle even by a mage who knows how to create them. It is infused with a variety of magics, protected by the most powerful wards, cloaked by illusion spells to trick even the most powerful magical creatures. The small forest is littered with the bodies of the alien invaders, along with bones of various creatures who got lost in it, human and animal alike.

-> Library of Grimoires, magickal knowledge collected from all areas of the Faerie Realms stored safely in her apartment.
Gone, ruined by the fire.

-> The Tattoo - The tattoo on her back is imbued with a charm to protect her against hostile Fey and faerie magic.

-> Countless favours, alliances, factions of Fey she is connected to. Easily accessible to draw on for help, advice, knowledge and power.

Weaknesses:

Magic Limitations: Her magic is limited to how well-rested she is and her calorie count for the day. Even while possessed it takes a full day's worth of rest. Pushing past those limitations can result in immediate shock, fainting, bloody noses, worst-case scenario coma or spontaneous combustion depending on the energy output. Her limitations have shrunk having received plenty of practice increasing her efficient output.

Silence: While Odette tries her very best to keep her enemies at a distance, her ability to spell cast is directly linked to her being able to speak. Silenced/gagged/unconscious, she is forced to rely on her allies for help.

Possession: Possession provides a boost in physical and spell casting strength, it is a unique weakness, while Odette loses her invulnerability to the touch of Iron/Steel - Bach gains the ability to survive it. While they are together, Odette also gains an aversion to fire. If they are not treated in a timely manner once touched by Iron/Steel it can permanently harm both of them.

Human Constraints: Human as can be as much as she tries to trick her enemies. Sickness, injury, a knock around the head, bullet holes, exhaustion, exposure. She is a powerful sorceress but she is still very human.

Polite to a Fault: Unlike Fey she is not bound to correct mannerisms and precise speech. Though she respects those same guidelines and lives by them. Any foe smart enough to use them against her can and will be successful. i.e no harm can befall a guest in her home, gifts of virtue or boons must be well received then repaid in kind - no exceptions, handshakes are binding, etc...

The Yew Tree/Permanent Portal: Different from the tree they call home, this Yew Tree is planted to solidify their soul pact. It not only symbolizes their pact but acts as a construct of the permanent portal from Paris to the Faerie Realms. They have shrouded it with every protection spell they know as well as safeguards against natural disaster. Its dual importance is a well-kept secret while it functions as a permanent portal.

Internet: Odette may keep her name under lock and key around the technologically absent Faerie but anyone interested in simply looking up her Instagram or Twitter feed could easily uncover her identity. (See CAH Season 2, Noir posts for this very instance) Thankfully for her, it doesn't matter anymore.

Supporting Characters

Supporting Characters:

Bach

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Bach
Earth Fey - Faerie Pact Partner - Language Expert and Mentor

Yellow-green eyes, small horns at the top of his forehead and leaves always seemingly falling from his unkempt hair. Bach is The Ambassador's pact partner and closest friend. He is the primary connection to magic and the Fey. She trusts him completely. He is tethered to her soul. They’ve been friends since she was a young child. He is a scholar by trade, linguist, and well versed in magical education. His strongest abilities lie in earth magic. His patron tree is Yew. He once called the Autumn court home, but after a couple of centuries spent largely on Earth, he was quite distant by the time he found Odette.

Vienna

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Vienna
Household Fey - Indentured Spirit - Protector of the Household SEASON 3 - MISSING-PRESUMED DEAD

Bushy hair, rounded features, and callused hands. Vienna is highly personable and kindly. Tricked years ago into living and taking care of Odette's household. Answers only to Odette but is sometimes bullied into orders by Bach. Bound to the home and serves its owner.

Captain Esen

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Captain Esen
Air Fey - Spy Leader - The Ambassador's Communication Officer

With eyes void and white, his body is largely transparent as the air around him. Loyal and able to inspire the air fey and sprite elementals under his command. Serving The Ambassador for a total of only two years, Captain Esen proved his reliability as a competent spy and leader, easy to communicate with and fast as the wind could carry his messages. She relies on him and his spies heavily in collecting information. Pulled from the Autumn Court.

Princess Lassantra

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Princess Lassantra
Water Fey - Princess from the Deep - Divination Consultant

Ghostly pale hair, grey oily skin that rarely sees the sun, eyes dark as pitch. Princess Lassantra is a close ally and among the first successful allegiances, The Ambassador forged in her early years. Upon the behest of the Earth Fey to renegotiate peace treaties with another water fey family that usurped Lassantra's family, the usurpers attempted to kill the messenger. Lassantra rescued The Ambassador, harbouring her safely while Lassantra's family plotted to retake their seat of power. Odette and Lassantra became close, solidified the allegiance by helping her family back to their power. Many years later, the water fey remains among the best equipped to magically communicate with the spirits and steal glimpses into the future. Lassantra is personally allied to no seasonal courts, while her subjects largely answer to the Winter and Summer Courts, respectively.

Rhys

Rhys
Fire Elemental - The Jester - The Man Who was Consumed by Fire
~Oblivion and Peace~

Extravagantly dressed, brightly painted red star over his right eye, red-painted lips and striking image of a jester. Excessive, flighty and unyielding. Once long ago, Rhys was a human that stumbled into the midst of the Fey. His heart was consumed by a fire elemental, when the elemental had expected his host to burn Rhys survived the onslaught of magic. Coming out of the ordeal as neither Human nor Faerie. Unabiding to the same laws Faerie follow, fire Elementals were forced to reign the likes of him in, hailing from the Summer Courts. They contacted The Ambassador for her help. In exchange, The Ambassador was able to leverage for nearly limitless favours. Occasional parties on Earth, shallow favours and a little entertainment keep Rhys in check. For now.

Duchess Gelsey

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Duchess Gelsey
Earth Fey - Keeper of the Bog - Noble of the Autumn Court

One of The Ambassador's oldest and most contentious allies, begrudgingly at The Ambassador's beck and call. The Duchess made the mistake of a generation by taking in the likes of the once youthy and ambitious Odette Favre. Unwittingly showing her the inner workings of political faire of the Autumn court by keeping her on as an errand mortal, only to be used for her convenient ability to cross worlds. Under her nose, Odette staged a coup and overthrew Duchess' slice of influence. Since then, remains firmly under The Ambassador's heel.

Mara the Goblin

Credit

Mara the Goblin
Goblin - Finder of Lost Things - Skeptical Guardian

Small, green-skinned, glass bottle glasses, snaggle-toothed goblin. In Paris, Mara holds a very unique position as having no alliances with any of the Faerie living there. Everyone knows of her and knows someone who has asked for her help. Mara is really good at finding lost things. She is wary and reluctant to work with the Ambassador, she had previously helped the mortal sorceress look after the intelligent Golem, Mandate, that the Ambassador had scooped up. With Paris being thrown into further chaos, Mara's role has shifted to being a neutral mediator. Visibly helping her fellow Fey and occasionally invisibly helping mortals. Much like the Ambassador's other allies, she anxiously awaits her return.

Perenelle Favre

Perry - Perenelle Favre SEASON 3 - MISSING
Human - Mother - Occult Scientist (Field Researcher)

Mousey blonde hair, crow's feet around her green eyes, and terrible posture. A brilliant field researcher, bold and fearless. Huge fan of mom-jokes and facebook memes. Will happily enter a spooky forest, hold long conversations with a librarian discussing crop circles, and obsessive notebook hoarder. Made aware of Odette's ability to see faerie, knows nothing else. Odette's relationship with her parents is rather strained, while they are oblivious to it.

Tristan Favre

Tristan Favre SEASON 3 - MISSING
Human - Father - Occult Scientist (Chemist)

Dark brown hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a large nose. Happily optimistic and steely focus. His work starts and ends in the lab, though happy to follow behind his wife into the field. A keen ear for picking up ghostly EVPs, testing ectoplasm, unnaturally good with excel. Aware of Odette's ability to see faerie. Odette's relationship with her parents is rather strained, while they are oblivious to it.

Allies/Enemies:

• Indomitable Enforcer of the Divine Mandate - 'Mandate' - Ally
• Marie Heartford - The White Witch - Ally
• Ruin previously met as Forge - Unknown
• Noir - Ally
• Silence - Ally
• Hekate - Unknown
• The Cowl - Ally
• Racheli - Nemesis - Enemy
• The Broker - Ally
• Robin Goodfellow - 'Puck' - Unknown
• Queen Titania - Enemy
• The Witchfinder General - Enemy

Hooks:

• Parisian Soloist: The Ambassador was a headlining Soloist ballet dancer. Those familiar with ballet, performing arts may know of a blue-haired French dancer.
• Interdimensional Political Scene: Odette is not unique in being a mortal with a reputation among the Fey, she has had brief contact with witches and high courts of the Fey. Whether American or European connections, whispers of the Ambassador are never far from word of mouth or her exploits.
• Lucrative And Illicit: Her connection with the Shroud Syndicate has placed her with firm lines back to the Syndicate's home city, Lost Haven. In Lost Haven, she can be recognized by her apparent lack of disguise when working amongst the other criminals. A healthy dose of fear to rumours that circulate her presence.
• Deal Maker and Breaker: With the right connections either by mystical or criminal, looking for her particular brand of help whether it is to move, kidnap, or terrorize The Ambassador's moral ambiguity allows room for a great deal of work to be done.
• Pawns Pawns Pawns: In the happenstance of crossing paths with the Ambassador, if someone demonstrates skills/wit/unique abilities to catch her attention - she will attempt to garner whatever is of use. She is a shameless opportunist and believes what she wants is rightfully hers to exploit.
• Dreadful Undead: Odette has a personal aversion to the undead, necromancy and the forms it takes.

Equipment

Equipment

• Grimoire Tome - Her most important tome of reference. A tome with a yew symbol of protection against magical tampering. She carries it on her at all times, hidden safely away in the enchanted purse.
• Enchanted Purse - A trendy Louis Vuitton purse to hold whatever she needs, perfect for travelling (Mary Poppins level of holding). When held by someone else, it's true weight can be felt (a security measure).
• Jumping Jack Enchantment- An enchantment for her feet, activated by the click of her heels. Applicable to whatever footwear she uses. Allows her to jump far higher than possible for a human, and land safely.
• Emergency Prep! First Aid Kit, Change of Clothes, Food and Water- Her purse carries quite literally all she'll think to need. Mostly in case of emergency.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: Yes

Summaries

Season 1

The Ambassador first made her entrance into CAH’S Season 1 near the tail end, joining Fallenreaper's Natural Selection Arc - an arc focusing on conspiring to kidnap Racheli Desdemona into The Shroud Syndicate’s hands, the international crime organization hoping to gain a better understanding of her strange black blood and it’s applications of making metahuman soldiers. The Ambassador played a large role with a generous helping hand from the newly employed fellow Syndicate member, Silence - Lekh Antol.

Silence discreetly infiltrated Lost Haven’s CDC swiping Racheli’s unconscious form out from under their noses bringing her to a seemingly safe and inconspicuous location to trade her off into the hands of The Ambassador, whom was waiting with a portal to quickly transport her to The Syndicate’s hands at Lost Haven’s local Ironworks facility.

Unlikely heroes and persons of interest looking to disrupt that trade off, targeted this hand off location - an underpass outside of Lost Haven. The White Witch’s friend and fellow witch Joseph was first drawn to the kidnapping by the influx of magic in the area, Racheli’s allies Icarus and Hydro followed suspicions on the compromised moving of patients.

The Ambassador and Silence were initially distracted trying to reign in disorientated Racheli while the heroes dodged past traps and wards set by The Ambassador. The pair of criminals fought on all three fronts with the terrifying help of The Ambassador’s ally - The Archon of the Old Earth. The Archon was defeated by Joseph with the help of a ring made of iron, poisoning the beastly faerie. Shortly thereafter Joseph found himself in one of her traps to be rescued by the late arrival of White Witch.

While Silence subdued Racheli and Hydro with his powerful aura.

The Ambassador and Silence escaped through a portal, chased by White Witch’s mysterious spiritual fire and Joseph’s magical efforts. They found safety in the Faerie Realms with a newly knocked out Racheli in tow.

There The Ambassador took over Racheli’s care, parting Silence with a mysterious gift in thanks for his help in securing the kidnapping. He walked through a portal back to wherever he found himself and The Ambassador brought Racheli through to Ironworks.

There in the interim, the heroes regrouped with Joseph while White Witch left to return to the fight with Doctor Diplodoc. They recruited the help of green thumb hero, Evergreen. Icarus, Evergreen and Joseph stormed Ironworks with their fantastic powers fighting for Racheli and turn the tide at the final hand off.

Meanwhile The Ambassador struggled to reign a no longer cripplingly weakened Racheli. In an escape attempt The Ambassador reeled her in - in time for The Cowl’s personal arrival. He locked her into a metahuman proofed cage and kept her hot in the frying pan unable to regain her powers as extreme heat was and remains one of her greatest weaknesses. The Ambassador took on Joseph personally, leading her away from Racheli to the warehouses. Joseph summoned a terrible familiar to fight for him. The Ambassador used faerie helpers to snatch the object binding Joseph’s beast to their realm and destroyed it. Joseph’s summoned spirit, unshackled, turned on it’s summoner and killed him. With his death the summon disappeared.

The Ambassador turned her sights next on the arrival of Icarus. Attempting to trick and dismantle his suit, he unleashed his experimental functions. The Ambassador formed with her faerie pact partner, Bach to dredge up more magic to stand a chance - having exhausted her reserves for the already active day they had.

They fought and using iron based weapons, Icarus was able to beat back The Ambassador into fleeing the scene. Icarus scooped up Racheli in the chaos escaping with her safely. Leaving the Cowl empty handed with his facilities destroyed.

Signaling the end of Season 1, The Shroud Syndicate and The Ambassador slipped back into the shadows.

Season 2

Season 2 began a few short months later, The Ambassador was actively looking for Racheli’s location - begrudging her failure to seal the deal. In a flashback of the night at Ironworks - Puck the owner of the Red Devil and contract keeper of Joseph Mathers approached the wounded Faerie Mistress. He bitterly commended her for defeating his longtime friend and offered a gift as a reward. Cautiously accepting, he gave The Ambassador a prophecy detailing her rise and fall. Struck with unease for months, it inspired fear and motivation to uncover the mysterious meanings in Puck’s foresight.

"Very well . . . You, my dear, are as the Earth, a powerful force, one of beauty, strength, and resolve. You are forever changing, forever overcoming obstacles, forever evolving. And when the elements, the very forces of nature over whom you have unbridled authority, conspire against you, you adapt in amazing ways. When your womb is scorched and dried, you do not become infertile; when your wells run dry, you release the gates of heaven and bring down her floods; when your limbs are scattered by the winds, they grow anew and become mountains tall. You will always adapt, always overcome your creation . . . but when a mother hurts her child, she may never regain their trust. And you, even as the Earth, can be hurt by her children in the most creative ways."

"But do not be fooled, your children are not the only ones who reside in your domain. Their stands upon your plains a being ancient, much like yourself, who comes in the guise of a friend. She is a fire that burns brighter than your own hearth, one that can level forests and leave nothing in their wake, and she is angry. Her spirit burns even now, but once she reaches her potential, once she devours the flame of humanity, she will be unstoppable. And the question isn't whether you will be burned, but if you shall reemerge from the ashes."

-fdeviant

While her investigations carried on in the background Odette travelled to New York with the ballet company. Needing to rely on more than her faerie help, she reconnected with Silence hiring him to dig for more information on Racheli, in return she would answer any questions he had for her.

During her time in New York, the White Witch reached out to the likes of The Broker searching for clues on the spiritual connection to her past self. In exchange for information, White Witch bound hundreds of souls of the dead into a soul stone. The Soul Stone became the first of few items of Solomon’s Cube, a powerful necromantic tool The Broker was bent on gathering. The creation of the soul stone affected all characters with magical sensitivity currently in New York at that time.

He later approached The Ambassador for her help in finding another piece of Solomon’s Cube, in exchange for a Big Favour. Pointing her sights upon Queen Titania in England. The Faerie Queen of the Summer Courts was consolidating her power after the terrible blow her court suffered at the hands of Hell a couple centuries ago.

While The Ambassador was visiting in New York she happened across the mercury golem, the Indomitable Enforcer of the Divine Mandate. Approaching the strange sight of an 8ft golem in the middle of Central Park, Odette was initially curious of the construct, approaching Mandate directly. Able to capture Mandate’s attention positively and hold a conversation, Odette enticed Mandate into joining her in the relative safety of Paris. Odette introduced Mandate to a reliable little goblin named Mara, hiring her to keep the golem company and out of trouble while Odette finished her trip in New York. Mandate showed unprecedented intelligence with speech, self-awareness and ultimately strength in resisting magic. Their afternoon spent in Paris came to a close but Odette successfully planted the seeds of friendship and held Mandate’s fickle interest. Odette quickly crafted a disguise for Mandate, hiding her true appearance by way of illusion.

In her spare time, she met with the ever-paranoid criminal - Silence, in person. Sealing a deal over coffee. Tension began to brew between the two with the unasked question of a Soul Mark left on Silence, the mysterious gift in the form of an emergency direct line to The Ambassador. It’s true properties a secret to Lekh Antol. The deal guaranteed an exchange of information once the job was complete. During the job, the opportunity to release the metahuman serial killer Michael Garth from a government controlled facility came up, on Odette’s order Silence broke in and pointed Michael Garth to Lost Haven and his daughter. Odette sent a ‘courier’ in the form of a goblin to pick up the reports from Silence, the goblin teleported directly to Silence. The capricious nature of the faerie help revealed Odette knowing his precise location without any other indication.

When Odette returned to Paris reuniting with Mandate, Racheli’s whereabouts broke local news with a large fight between metahumans Equilibrium, War-Pulse, Evergreen, and Racheli herself. The Cowl, behind scenes, making his own play at recapturing her. While she waited on news of the job from Silence, The Ambassador turned her focus on unravelling the meaning behind Puck’s Prophecy.

She travelled to the underwater world of Ville d’Ys with Mandate acting - under a mutual agreement - as Odette’s dedicated bodyguard. Meeting with longtime ally, Princess Lassantra. Meaning to divine connections and clues of the White Witch, after reasonable deliberation examining the contents of the prophecy. The spectral burn from White Witch still quite fresh in their memories. She followed a hunch.

Lassantra's Oracle revealed to Odette the nine items containing pieces of Gwyneth Owen’s soul and her connection to White Witch. Coming to the conclusion that once Gwyneth Owens came to power once again, she would surely meet her end at the witch’s hands. Divining the names of all the items; Gwyneth’s Eye, Sight, Might, Right Hand, Left Hand, Womb, Mind, Breath, and Heart and the location of Sight and Eye. The Ambassador was armed and ready to hop on the witch’s trail. Determining to gain leverage against the White Witch by scooping up Sight.

The meeting proved to be successful but not without tension created by the Princess, alluding and attempting to pry into The Ambassador’s personal life in which the Princess lamented being coldly excluded from. Perceived as a power play, The Ambassador pushed back against her faerie ally. Mandate used her brute strength to intimidate the watery fey into submission. It proved The Ambassador could trust Mandate’s judgement.

Together they moved onto England to meet with Queen Titania, bitter and barbed words were exchanged. Titania unable to hide her resentment toward mortals and The Ambassador’s recent meeting with a Prince of Hell. While The Ambassador found success in rooting out the whereabouts of the next piece of Solomon’s Cube it was not without hidden costs. The barrier protecting Stonehenge and the ancient bit of technology buried there was a pocket of power Queen Titania happily tapped into returning to her glorious status. Titania visited a prophecy of her own upon The Ambassador, much to her growing distaste of prophetic and unclear glimpses into the future.

“When the foundation shakes. When the world breaks, when the scream catches in your throat, and the demon rises. When smoke chokes the living, and the sky boils. When thorns turn to blades, when one realm becomes many, and many realms become but one. When you hold silence in your hand, kill it and scream your anguish for the world to hear. This is the promise you make to me, and all of faerie. When it becomes all-encompassing when nothing can breathe underneath it. You must end the Silence."

-Hellis

Once Stonehenge was released under the cover of night, a great Stone Guardian controlled by Herne the Hunter came to protect Stonehenge from the intruders. Mandate faced the stone guardian - protecting The Ambassador. The Ambassador formed with Bach to dig deep into the center of Stonehenge. She disappeared underground retrieving the piece of Solomon’s Cube. They tried their best to return Stonehenge to its original form after the destructive fight, but those well versed in magic would know of the disturbance there.

Returning to Paris to rest, Odette reviewed the notes delivered while she was away. Vienna told Odette of the goblin not collecting incentive (an extra loaf of fresh bread) to do the couriering job correctly. The Ambassador knew the goblin showed Odette’s hand to Silence. They met again in person for payment in a hotel room. After skirting the inevitable question Odette revealed the true properties of the Soul Mark she left on Lekh, namely, its passive side effect of knowing his exact location without his consent. Angry he lashed out at her forcing her to sever the connection but not before demonstrating what it could do. The Ambassador dived into the psychic storm that Silence held within him before cutting the Soul Mark away.

He demanded if they were to continue working together it would need to be on equal ground. Reluctantly agreeing he asked one more question looking to find some magical healing items. She revealed that Barron in Las Vegas held a considerably large store of magical artifacts, no doubt having some healing items Lekh was interested in finding. She warned him of Barron’s vampiric gang presence and how it directly opposed The Shroud Syndicate. They agreed with The Ambassador’s help to raid Barron’s warehouse while striking back on behalf of The Shroud Syndicate.

Las Vegas was also where The Ambassador would find Gwyneth’s Sight.

Silence, Mandate and The Ambassador attacked Barron’s gangsters in Lost Haven’s borders. They were able to collect information on which warehouses in Las Vegas belonged to the Barron. The Ambassador and Mandate put up a brutal fight, Silence interrogated the gangsters mercifully killing them. Ultimately sending a message. The violence on par with the raging gang wars erupting across Lost Haven.

They travelled separately to Las Vegas, meeting up there to move forward with the Heist. They attacked a warehouse, Mandate acting as a major distraction. Both Silence and The Ambassador were met with Barron’s defences in a mixture of metahumans, vampires and a golemancer. The Ambassador suffered some injuries at the hands of the golems and a vampire. Silence took a bullet to the gut. The Ambassador sent Bach ahead to find what they were there for while she sought Silence out. She found him and with some sorcery removed the bullet, patching him up with first aid. Odette was reaching her magical limits for the final stretch of the Heist. Together they met with Bach stealing Unicorn horns, Golden Fleece and Dragon’s Teeth. Having ingredients to make a cure-all potion. Silence still quite cagey about why he needed a powerful healing potion.

After dealing with Mandate’s assailants they escaped with their stolen items leaving the warehouse in complete disarray.

Silence returned to Lost Haven with the promise Odette would provide the completed potion. She rested and healed in a Shroud Syndicate safehouse overnight.

Barron reeled from the Heist, tapping his ally - the Witch-Mother Hekate to investigate the warehouses. She came to have a strange item in their inventory local fey reported to Hekate of The Ambassador’s presence in the city. The residual faerie magic in the warehouse turned Hekate onto the sorceress.

In a post time-stamped in the IC future, they met at the docks on the morning of Silence’s departure back home to Poland. Odette presented the completed potion to Silence where he revealed the potion was for his younger sister, revealing that his power was hereditary. For his younger sister, the Antol’s aura turned inward instead of outward, crippling her mind. During his time in Lost Haven, he stole significant amounts of money from The Shroud Syndicate to fund medicinal research, with no results. Forcing the practical criminal to turn to miracles. The only hope they held for the potion working was some brief testing prior to delivery. When the pass-off was completed Lekh went onto confessing he had feelings for Odette, surprising the sorceress. In an emotional wave, she kissed Lekh neither confirming nor denying her own feelings saying goodbye.

Back in Las Vegas, The Ambassador was back refocusing her efforts into finding Gwyneth’s Sight. Mandate and The Ambassador searched all over the city, location spells failing multiple times. It was not until arriving at Hoover Dam was Odette spirited away by Hekate herself along with her friend Medea.

Hekate put her on the spot accusing her of being responsible for the warehouse mess, not taking it in stride if it was an attack levelled to threaten the likes of her and Barron. Clarifying it was a one time deal, The Ambassador stressed she was not targeting Barron directly just his stuff. Reaffirming there was no bad blood between the fey and witches. Accepting her apology Hekate gave The Ambassador the mysterious gift that found its way into their inventory. Promising it would give her insight. To Odette’s delight, Hekate handed her Gwyneth’s Sight.

While The Ambassador was working in Las Vegas, Marie the White Witch was gathering her own resources to come to Las Vegas towing the magic nosed werewolf Benjamin Reeves and his pack members. His pack members and close friends included the twin werewolves Ji and Yeong, Katarina the vampire and joined to help twin metahuman giants The Dover Twins Ben and Freya, and the drunken sorcerer Rune.

The Ambassador and Mandate arrived back at their hotel in time to see the evening breaking news. The Hounds of Humanity made their move. Particularly on an establishment in Vegas, Pixy Stix. The Ambassador rushed to the destructive scene, enraged by the attack. The city was not hers but on that night she appeared before the distraught fae and promptly struck a hatchet in the post. Publically to the magical community making her presence known. Elsewhere, sacred grounds, covens of witches, and other public establishments catering to metahumans and magic alike were burned and the earth salted. One such place was the border crossing of Earth and Alfheim. The tree connecting both realms was bombed to oblivion. Enraging the King Neuvean Winterborn, declaring war against mortals of Midgard, meaning to mobilize an army but not without the means to cross into Midgard to stage his war. His focus fell on the Ambassador.

Upon returning to the hotel, The Ambassador began to study and attempt to open the little trunk that was Gwyneth’s Sight. While Racheli’s goings-on were on the backburner, The Ambassador was inspired by the recent string of success she found in diversifying her allies. She wanted a hard counter to Racheli’s growing abilities in manipulating metals, knowing full well what her weakness was. Odette reached out to her contact in the Syndicate, Jacque, to find a suitable mercenary metahuman she could hire. Jacque on her behalf reached out to the up-and-coming fire metahuman, Forge planning a meeting.

The Ambassador worked to unravel the wards protecting Gwyneth’s Sight, when she successfully did so the soul of the old witch pulled Odette’s mind into the item. There she met Gwyneth Owens, surrounded in an expansive illusionary world that captured The Ambassador’s imagination. Outside in the waking world, Bach’s temper flared snapping at Mandate, they were until then on uncertain terms of tolerance but Mandate focused her ire and worry on Odette.

Gwyneth approached, initially hostile. They spoke, amicably finding common ground by name dropping Hekate. The Ambassador was able to convince the isolated witch to sit down to negotiate. The Ambassador offered Gwyneth a glimpse of the new world by providing some news, answering questions, etc. Carefully treading how Odette came to know of White Witch and Gwyneth. She invited the Ambassador inside her cottage where she went into detail regarding her life. Helping Odette understand her deep distrust of mortals and the betrayals she suffered 600 years ago. How her items worked and wanting to return to her former power. Even throwing in some interesting facts about the Witch-Father Bucca and Puck are brothers being apart of the five Pwca. They negotiated a contract of mutual peace, neither would bring harm to the other nor their interests. The contract guaranteed no betrayal could occur. It also solidified a deal for an alliance to start by helping Gwyneth’s incarnation find the remaining items. With a little side of challenge, giving Odette permission to hold her own trials against White Witch in the spirit of testing her mettle. Happily, Odette agreed to that condition. Begrudgingly, in order to seal it officially, Gwyneth asked for Puck to write the contract on her behalf and sign as well - Puck also owning a contract with White Witch he was able to make agreements in her stead. Departing on amicable means gifting Odette the similar ability to sense the closeness, Odette returned dictating everything that happened. Together Bach and Odette summoned Puck.

The Ambassador went into the meeting full of smug victory. She believed she had solved the puzzle that was his original prophecy and successfully diverting it. Puck was indeed surprised to be called upon by the likes of The Ambassador. She expressed the need to draw up a contract on behalf of White Witch and Gwyneth. Piquing his interest, being quite aware of White Witch’s quest. A little tension created from The Ambassador incorrectly believing he was still angry from their clashing over Joseph Mather’s body months ago. Puck admitted he was interested in seeing how things panned out and agreed to write the contract on a condition of his own. He wanted all she learned of Gwyneth, and to give her his revised prophecy now that he felt his foresight cleared some.

Angry and unhappy, Odette did not want to revisit the prophecy, the puzzle she thought she solved. Angry that he was changing the rules. She weighed the options, Puck was the only one who could write and seal the contract to forge their alliance. If it meant gaining a powerful witch as an ally over losing some sleep. Odette decided to make the deal.

”Sight . . . such woeful irony. The witch’s gift is yours to claim, a boon greater than you know, and yet one that will fail you time and again. Burned by witch’s fire, you stand ready in the garden to accept your paradise, not risen, but changed, changed as the cunning fire changes all. But even though the apple falls in your lap and the giantess gives her blessing, a serpent sneaks into your Eden and wraps itself round the Tree of Life. But this serpent does not tempt, no . . he hungers.

When the veil was formed by the Spirit of Old, when the stars fell and soaked the Earth in their blood, he was among them, thirsting for new life. He whispers to you in sorrowful sleep, invites you into his bed. He does not turn you from salvation, that is not his aim. Indeed, ‘tis not holy waters which will save you from his torment, but cunning fire, the spark of a world long forgotten. Be swift, young Eve. Be not consumed by his lust, but ravaged by a flame that was. And the question is not whether you will be burned, but whether you will rise from the ashes . . . or will he?”

-fdeviant

Shaken by the new prophecy she asked a peculiar question of Puck, if he truly believed in the stories of creation. Leading into a softer exchange reiterating that the spirit of Joseph Mathers and Puck did not hold The Ambassador in resentment. He disappeared leaving quietly. Reigning in her emotions she began to analyze the prophecy with Mandate’s help and unique perspective, finding comfort in Mandate’s company.

Hatching a new plan and finally approaching the White Witch. But not without setting her first trial and covering for an unpredictable outcome of such a meeting. The Ambassador sought the White Witch out and unknowingly the circle of friends that accompanied her to Las Vegas. The Ambassador found them at a grocery store starting a tense standoff Marie and a few other members of the pack immediately hostile at their appearance. It didn’t do well either that The Ambassador brought with her a legion of faerie to support her. Smugly, she revealed all she knew and threatened to destroy Gwyneth’s Sight if White Witch did not cooperate, convincing White Witch if she did not accept The Ambassador’s help she would turn her quest into an utter disaster. With the item being threatened and begrudging acceptance of her certain powers, Marie accepted The Ambassador’s offer much to the surprise of her friends. Their meeting was interrupted by the arrival of The Hounds of Humanity towing dangerous weapons like blessed silver bullets. Led by the notoriously efficient mercenary, Captain Dahl. She led the charge, answering to the Witchfinder-General.

The two sides clashed, sustaining injuries. The Ambassador saw the tide turn and crafted their escape. The White Witch was poisoned by the blessed silver and The Ambassador was shot in the shoulder after the portal was created, magic was unable to penetrate the bullet to remove it. Mandate shielded her against the worst of the attack, the bullets affecting her as well. The werewolves were riddled with bullets and same with Katarina. They all fought and escaped through the portal arriving to the quiet of the Hoover Dam.

Bach was able, with some first aid to remove the bullet from The Ambassador’s arm. She gloated her proof of strength and felt they all owed her their lives. Many of them disagreed. Passing the White Witch a means of a phone and direct line to Odette, Odette made their departure of Las Vegas to rest at home in Paris. Not before holding Marie’s friends accountable for her safety while they were apart and giving Marie the little trunk that held Sight.

Shortly before this fight was completed, there was the Christmas arc in which The Ambassador and Mandate celebrated Christmas together with Odette’s parents. A sweet and light-hearted divergence set in Christmas of the future.

The Ambassador caught up in IC in time for the Satellite Attack that levelled three cities at the hands of The Hounds of Humanity. She received some much-needed healing from Vienna, a chance to catch her breath mulling over the events. When she was returned to form, alone she opened a portal to meet with Forge, offer the mercenary work.

When she arrived it was with warm hospitality, food and drink readily available. Her fellow Frenchwoman having gone to lengths to provide a good foot forward. Forge shared ambitious interests and reduced working rates for dealing with the Hounds of Humanity. The Ambassador appealed to that easily, the job being to focus on destroying their silver bullet production facilities. Forge tried to remain cool and professional, reeling from expectations. The Ambassador showed Forge a glittering sight of Faerie, elemental sprites flowing in around them. Helping to prove magic was true, real. Revealing what she was The Ambassador of.

Successfully hiring Forge, The Ambassador currently waits for her first reports.

Spending two days attending to her own affairs Odette returned to ballet after a long stint of ‘sick’ days. Slated to dance Helena in the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Madame Renavand pulled her away from her morning warms up to speak in private. Madame Renavand bluntly told Odette she was to be pulled from the production, citing her string of bad health as a concern. Noting how little she knew of Odette as a person, concerning the string of sick days as of late were due to something else. She implored Odette to be honest.

Odette did just that.

She was honest about her involvement with crime and with magic. Madame Renavand immediately did not believe her, becoming agitated. When she was about to leave the office, Odette caught her briefly explaining how important ballet was as her sanctuary. She changed her memories with magic, things going back to normal.

The next day, Odette was on typical business, as usual, treating with the Lioness at Sculpture garden of Musée Rodin. Sylphs sent the Ambassador to broker an agreement on their behalf, The Lioness egged The Ambassador on, being free of owing The Ambassador anything - simply a native to Paris far longer than the Ambassador had been alive. Owing her nothing. Successfully cutting the deal to meet on neutral ground, The Lioness was fed.

Leaving behind the Lioness, Bach and Odette stopped at a local cafe to speak. Odette cleared the air of her true goals, Bach agreed to be less argumentative in her decisions.

The following day Odette contacted the White Witch, ready to continue on their quest for more of her items. The conversation over the phone was brief, Marie informed Odette she had split from her friends to Odette’s delight, clearly pleased that Marie was listening to her. When they met after Odette reached her through a portal, Marie explained what she had been up to since Vegas. She elaborated that she had worked with STRIKE during the Paxmethumana crisis, fighting against the likes of the Silver Sorceress. After their defeat, especially after Silver Sorceress’s defeat at Marie’s hand. When Silver Sorceress broke away from prison with Doctor Diplodoc the sorceress came to visit revenge. Marie being subjected to painful illusions satisfying Silver Sorceress’ thirst for revenge. Awakening a reminder of who she was as a witch.

Marie had a slew of questions for Odette, but Odette remained cagey and vague. Not interested in revealing everything. She gave her a hint, revealing that Gwyneth’s items housed pieces of her soul. Proving to The Ambassador that Marie really had a very scarce understanding of Gwyneth. They tried to figure out where to go next, neither receiving a feeling or hint of where the next item may be. Odette suggested Marie use the runic divination tools that Sight turned out to be. Through some puzzling and Bach’s helpful hand in understanding various languages they were able to decipher what the message from Sight could be. Connecting memories of the Bucca from Gwyneth’s past and Marie’s as well. They both simultaneously experienced a vision of the item, Mind being revealed and a hint to it’s location. The book given to her when her certain powers were awakened as a child by the Bucca was being kept at her parent’s home in Massachusetts.

[---SUMMARY UP TO DATE AS OF IC PAGE 37.......Only 13 more IC pages to summarize, oof]

Sample Post

OH LORDT IS SHE OLD - SAMPLE POST FROM 2016

-1 Month Prior to the Lost Haven Riots-

The skyline in Paris was marvelled by millions as the sunset again for the day. For native Parisians, it was a sign of comfort and signalled the beginning of its active nightlife. Coffee shops and restaurants lit up in response to the fading light. Along the cobblestoned streets in the old quarter, where everyday business owners raised the price of a cup of coffee to gouge locals and tourists alike.

A young woman with bright blue hair, eyes and bright pink lips sat outside one of these restaurants perched on the edge of her seat seemingly invested in the newspaper she had opened in front of her. Any regular onlooker would assume she was a high fashion debutant, more concerned with Fashion week than with current events. Who was paying for her expensive choices? A pair of rich parents or was she acting the part of a trophy wife. They were half right. The wars of man and its tragedies hardly caught her attention. The plea of refugees, war crimes and disease could not and would not move her to even care let alone react appropriately.

Assumptions from strangers did not register nor did they matter, not to her. However, her attentions were on avidly listening to the small sprites whispering in her ear, invisible to everyone untouched by the Fey. They were giving her updates to where her next pick up would be found. Rising with the grace and dignity disciplined with years of ballet. Tonight when the sun dipped below the horizon she would take a quick walk then a taxi ride to the edge of the city.

When she met with her clients, they were unnerved but polite greeting the woman. They spoke English with distinct American accents.

"Madame Ambassador." A tall scruffy gentleman in an ill-fitted suit greeted her.

Smiling gently in hopes to ease their apparent fear, "Bonsoir, gentlemen."

They bowed their heads in respect; already she knew they were warned aptly of her expectations.

"Where are we heading to tonight?"

"Back to the states, ma'am. The Cowl is calling in his agents to start something big in Lost Haven." The tall man replied.

She nodded acknowledging his reply then said quietly, "The Cowl always has his plans. There is no time like the present so we shall depart shortly, sirs. I must warn and you must listen to what it is I am about to tell you."

They nodded in unison.

"You will be departing Earth as we know it and entering realms of true danger. While you are with me there is considerable protection. I have successfully escorted men and goods through these realms multiple times. But do not mistake me when I say you are not safe."

The men exchanged a look of fear as the young woman turned her back lifting her hands up to the sky already at work searching for her doorway. Her hands glowed with a misty blue while rapid-fire French called for invocation. Light split in front of her blinding the men. A ragged strip of space opened in front of them as power flowed out of the arcane stream. The power flowed through her as a door took shape.

Immense concentration furrowed her brow while the final touches of the door formed.

"Now, gentlemen. We are ready. Follow me and stick close. Do not touch, do not linger and most importantly do not fear. For the Fey, they know and will surely descend upon you. There is little I can do to stop the dark Fey from devouring your very souls when they catch a strong scent of fear. I only hope for your sakes that it is a quick death."

Showing a toothy smile she opened the door with vigour, "Come, Lost Haven awaits us."

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Okay reposting my character sheet for The Ambassador here first. Added a few things, changed some stuff up. The only thing I'd point towards being is possible to question is the most recent stuff in history regarding the current ic invasion.

I don't really have any plans for Odette to participate in the current arc before the time skip and tried to be vague about what she might be possibly arriving back home to in the aftermath. Leaving it open-ended. Let me know! @Dedonus@Hound55@nitemare shape

The Ambassador 2020 Revamp

_{banner credit to Hellis}

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True Name: Odette Favre

Spotify Playlist - The Rose Leyline

Alias: The Ambassador of the Fair Folk, The Faerie Mistress, The Ambassador

Speech Color: Thistle

Character Alignment: Chaotic neutral - Villain

Identity: Known

Character Personality: Cold, colder now. Previously she had begun to gain warmth of new allies, fleeting romance, and a fire lit under her future. Embittered, condescending, unassuming. After three years The Ambassador has assumed only one role. She is a ruthless opportunist, selfish and poised. With a single-minded focus on consolidating power prior to her disappearance to prevent her prophesied downfall, she now believes it had unfolded under the destruction wrought by the invasion.

Once a trendsetting, ballet Soloist of the Paris Opera House - Odette Favre's civilian life was that of opulent comfort. Earned by way of being a talented dancer and comfortably padding her bank accounts by illicit means working with the Shroud Syndicate. A materialistic attachment to her creature comforts. A social chameleon, keeping people at arm's length only allowing friends and lovers to see what she wanted them to see. Various forms of manipulation kept sharp in her toolbox.

Ambitious from a young age, the sheer strength of will and focus is shown in her excellent spell casting. A sharp memory for detail to keep her repertoire of spells, and complex choreography. Unshakable confidence in her skills. What she sees as confidence could easily be mistaken for a very large ego, that has been steadily fed and bruised by her exploits.

Ultimately at her core, her empathy for her fellow human being is shockingly minimal and very specific. However, she cares deeply for her connection to the Fey and has shown shades of empathy for strange creatures. Well-versed in rules, lore and expectations of the Fey she is polite to a fault. Manners matter, easily repulsed by crude behaviour or language. Her temper is quiet, reserved. How she expresses it is often in forms of cruelty, precise action and she struggles to reign in any extreme shifts in emotion. Try as Bach does to encourage her.

The Ambassador casts a long and mysterious shadow, for those she pulls into her inner circle (willing and not) do they get glimpses of this terribly flawed and heavily influenced woman. Some would count themselves lucky and unlucky to call The Ambassador their ally. For where she steps, trouble follows and often she is personally perpetuating it.

Appearance

Uniform/costume:
Age: 30
Height: 5'9 - 179cm
Weight: 145 lbs - 65kg
Hair: Long, light blue hair. In previous seasons, it was the length in the art below. Reference for length and colour
Eye: Light Blue

Credit Link

Round face, smooth skin, no visible scars. Doll-like, with the body of a ballet dancer and the muscle to match. One very large notable tattoo is on her back. Her fashion sense is trendy, ever-changing - having both the access and money to do so. She is usually seen wearing dresses, heels, and a full face of makeup.

Bio/Origin

Background: Born in Paris, France to the perpetually poor occult scientists, Perry and Tristan Favre. An only child. Her parents were avid researchers into the paranormal, supernatural and around the time Odette was born they focused their research into faerie. A field of science that was often disregarded and tragically underfunded. They discovered a naturally occurring entrance into the Faerie Realms, one fateful trip to collect data samples, research material as to have a better understanding of them. Unfortunately, a curious Fey spirit followed them back.

His name is Bach. He took a liking to their young 4-year-old daughter all too quickly. The first time she became aware of the fey spirit following her was seeing him in the autumn; in the Yew leaves falling she caught a pair of eyes watching her. Paying attention and often seeing him out the corner of her eyes they began to interact. In her dreams, he would whisper stories of the fair folk. He remained invisible to all, except Odette. Her parents were unaware and too absorbed in their work to notice.

Enrolled in a dance academy for ballet at the age of 8, what little money her parents could spare and keep their child busy. Odette's heart and career sprouted from those dance classes, harbouring an ambitious streak in her. As she grew older her dancing had helped her into scholarships. At the age of 18, she was graduating high school with a promising education at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris. Naturally a socially adept young adult but never alone with her secret friend, Bach at her side. While in university, rivalries, friendships and strings of relationships bloomed, tested and developed alongside her newfound connection with magic. During that fateful year of entering university, she made a pact of a lifetime.

Bach had awaited, patiently for years to mentor a new mortal in magic, pass along techniques he himself could not use. He struck a bargain with the teenaged Odette, at the time offering her what she wanted. Open her potential for magic, teach her how to use it as she saw fit, (advancing her career, pull her deeper into the world of the Fey, etc) and ultimately teach her how to open portals into the Faerie Realms. All in exchange for her promise to bring the Fey back to Earth in a significant way. She trusted him implicitly, agreeing to the pact.

The pact tethered their souls together to start and sparked the potential for magic. The details of the contract signed are known only to the pair - such details are rules of consent, protection, and mutual preservation of each other's lives. While their souls are tethered their minds remain separate and their bodies until they decide to work as one. Possession saturates Odette's soul and body with Bach's spirit, allowing her access to a large well of magic, strengthening her body and her mind. Under his tutelage, he taught her everything she knows. Magic wasn't the only thing he taught, he delved deeper into the strange politics of the Fey, languages and culture. Despite her obligation to helping the Fey onto Earth, she did so happily. She travelled in and out of the faerie realms. Garnering favours, gifts and allegiances with the fair folk over several years.

The more time she spent among the Fey her humanity and empathy withered away - she was tested, exposed and absorbed many formative experiences while she worked with the Fey. She was no longer bothered by the destruction the fair folk left in their wake, their capricious and cruel behaviour, and the indifference toward mortals. Her largest gambit for favours was safe passage onto Earth, her neutrality and owing allegiance to no singular Court. She made allies, enemies and worked with faerie across the spectrum.

Slowly, the work Odette did brought Fey in full force to Paris, from the tourist hot spots to the old cobblestone corners. Territories were given, negotiated and maintained by The Ambassador- rightly earning her title. Paris got weirder, the transient and historical energy of the city was now more chaotic than ever. The Fey weren't the only ones causing trouble, a young sorceress needed to practice (typically on street vigilantes). With the amount of chaos she created, it caught the eyes of the influential American gang looking to strengthen their European arm of their organization - The Shroud Syndicate. At the age of 23, local agents approached her offering opportunities to use her abilities. She set a price for her work, she was set primarily on moving people and goods. Providing as well the Syndicate's connection to the world of mysticism and magic. Her criminal actions were nearly impossible to track, her illusionary magic and magical transportation were well outside of Parisian authorities' reach. Due largely to her efforts was The Shroud Syndicate able to take decent root in France at the heart of Paris.

She answered only to the likes of The Cowl and Jacques, her equally mysterious Parisian link to the Syndicate.

The spring months saw her controlled little slice of the world be set against a precipice with a fated crossing of paths with The White Witch and her contractor - known as Puck. Given a prophetical vision of her downfall, it spun her motivations to find ways to prevent it. (See Season 1 Summary for deets). Preserving her power, reputation, gathering more power and haggling with greater figures - The Ambassador diversified in the most literal sense of the word. Carefully guarding her civilian identity, taking comfort in it even when people started to see the cracks in the facade. Busy with her work as the Ambassador, her absence was felt especially in the ballet company.

She contended with the Hounds of Humanity, flirted with thieves, making good and bad deals, working closely with the White Witch, and chasing down clues to reconnect with the Witch's powerful incarnation. All leading to collecting three pieces of an ancient, terrible blade called the Fomorian Blade. A cursed weapon that The Ambassador was tasked to find in exchange for incredibly valuable information from Puck. Hoping to finally clear the uncertainty lying in her future. Collecting one piece of the blade from a Knight of the Autumn Court, in the weeks prior to the terrible alien invasion - she had collected two pieces. Setting her sights on the last one, she travelled to a faraway realm to retrieve the last piece... Remained trapped there for three of her own years. Without allies or enemies, she was forced to start from scratch not only to retrieve the final piece of the blade but to get home.

Upon returning home to Paris, 15 months after an invasion... The Ambassador is once again forced to start from scratch. Her civilian mask up in flames, a lengthy career as a ballet dancer and parts of her city burned. How can the Ambassador of the Fair Folk reestablish herself when the world she revelled in had moved on? Begun to rebuild without her?

It clearly wasn't within her nature to simply not retake a stage.

Hero Type: Mystic

Power Level:
City - Portals are used to travel anywhere on Earth and into different dimensions. Her power upper limits remain on a city level.

Powers:

Opening Rifts/Door Ways– Traversing Fey Realms
->Adept at finding cracks and bleeding spots along Earth's leylines. Using them to open rifts to create a doorway. Typically opening doors to Faerie Realms, places on Earth, or entrances directly to the Arcane Stream. Odette is well-practiced in opening doors through the Arcane Stream. Able to open several portals (Up to 6) in an area close to a Leyline, the further away the less she is able to open. The doors she uses for portals are built directly from the Arcane Stream, very difficult to break down unless another mage or witch knew how to create portals from the Arcane Stream as well. Otherwise, the portal remains until Odette wills it away. The portals are akin to stepping in and out of a river. With the endurance and years of precise skill practice, opening portals do not take serious amounts of energy. Though absolute concentration is a must.

Spell Casting
-> Has an impressive repertoire of spells memorized. She uses Words of Power to give her spells intention and power. Until they are spoken they have no power. Locator spells, levitation spells, illusion spells, minor healing spells, luck sapping hexes, magical ward and trap spells.

Fundamental-Elemental Manipulation
-> Basic manipulation of the magical elements. Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Learned each skill through elemental sprite masters. Bach however taught her Earth and it is her preferred magical element to use.

Elemental magic takes a lot of concentration and power, due largely to her skill level. i.e if she whips up a storm it'll take a full day of rest to be back to normal. While possessed by Bach she has mastery over Earth elemental magic. Able to grow trees from seeds, at full power possible to rattle tectonic plates.

Item Enchantment
-> Able to enchant items with magical purpose, even enchanting certain parts of her own body. Small-time stuff barely registers as use of energy. Bigger objects and intentions take more energy.

Summoning Fey
-> Drawing sigils and calling upon the Fey by name. She will strictly only call upon Fey she has met personally for help. While the sigil is only a form of communication, it is no feat for Odette to transport them to her location for direct help.

Multilingual
-> Fluent in French (native), English and Common Fey. Bach however translates and speaks many more Fey languages for Odette.

Attributes:

Strength Level: Athletic, has the strength to carry dead weight. When possessed by Bach, has superstrength to lift 5 tonnes/4.5k kilos.
Mobility: Magically assisted for jumping, balancing and landing at the limit of a normal human. With the added strength of possession, she can run, jump, react a few steps above a normal human being.
Intelligence: Above average. Experienced with faerie political games, tricks and ridiculous expectations. Readily employs those same tricks to get what she wants. A masterful manipulator.
Fighting Skill/Tactics: Trained for self-defence, can throw a decent punch and wiggle her way out of holds. She would much rather someone else do the punching to be sure. She makes use of illusion spells, usually casting fogs or charms that make her appearance or face easily forgettable to any curious eyes to protect her identity. During a fight or operation, she is methodical, akin to a hungry spider patiently waiting for her prey to step into traps. On the offensive, she'll readily push her enemy into a portal opened over the Atlantic ocean.

Resources:

-> Small Apartment building in the heart of Paris. Her home on Earth, well fortified by magical wards. Protected by a household Fey, Vienna. Invisible to humans but magically linked with the home. Able to reject and turn away unwanted intruders, guests or enemies. Answers only to the building owner, Odette.
-> Remanents of an apartment building she once owned now lay in ruin, burned to the ground from the alien invasion. Not for the first time, she finds herself homeless and presumably Vienna along with it having been tethered to it.

-> A Yew Tree in the Faerie Realms belonging to Bach. A home and sanctuary, protected by similar wards. It is a home base for the pair of them and they share equally in its ownership. Equipped with creature comforts and absolute safety from local Fey as well.

-> Permanent Portal: Paris. It is a permanent portal Odette strictly controls. Months of work from both Odette and faerie alike resulted in a portal permanently stationed on the edge of Paris. It is incredibly difficult to dismantle even by a mage who knows how to create them. It is infused with a variety of magics, protected by the most powerful wards, cloaked by illusion spells to trick even the most powerful magical creatures. The small forest is littered with the bodies of the alien invaders, along with bones of various creatures who got lost in it, human and animal alike.

-> Library of Grimoires, magickal knowledge collected from all areas of the Faerie Realms stored safely in her apartment.
Gone, ruined by the fire.

-> The Tattoo - The tattoo on her back is imbued with a charm to protect her against hostile Fey and faerie magic.

-> Countless favours, alliances, factions of Fey she is connected to. Easily accessible to draw on for help, advice, knowledge and power.

Weaknesses:

Magic Limitations: Her magic is limited to how well-rested she is and her calorie count for the day. Even while possessed it takes a full day's worth of rest. Pushing past those limitations can result in immediate shock, fainting, bloody noses, worst-case scenario coma or spontaneous combustion depending on the energy output. Her limitations have shrunk having received plenty of practice increasing her efficient output.

Silence: While Odette tries her very best to keep her enemies at a distance, her ability to spell cast is directly linked to her being able to speak. Silenced/gagged/unconscious, she is forced to rely on her allies for help.

Possession: Possession provides a boost in physical and spell casting strength, it is a unique weakness, while Odette loses her invulnerability to the touch of Iron/Steel - Bach gains the ability to survive it. While they are together, Odette also gains an aversion to fire. If they are not treated in a timely manner once touched by Iron/Steel it can permanently harm both of them.

Human Constraints: Human as can be as much as she tries to trick her enemies. Sickness, injury, a knock around the head, bullet holes, exhaustion, exposure. She is a powerful sorceress but she is still very human.

Polite to a Fault: Unlike Fey she is not bound to correct mannerisms and precise speech. Though she respects those same guidelines and lives by them. Any foe smart enough to use them against her can and will be successful. i.e no harm can befall a guest in her home, gifts of virtue or boons must be well received then repaid in kind - no exceptions, handshakes are binding, etc...

The Yew Tree/Permanent Portal: Different from the tree they call home, this Yew Tree is planted to solidify their soul pact. It not only symbolizes their pact but acts as a construct of the permanent portal from Paris to the Faerie Realms. They have shrouded it with every protection spell they know as well as safeguards against natural disaster. Its dual importance is a well-kept secret while it functions as a permanent portal.

Internet: Odette may keep her name under lock and key around the technologically absent Faerie but anyone interested in simply looking up her Instagram or Twitter feed could easily uncover her identity. (See CAH Season 2, Noir posts for this very instance) Thankfully for her, it doesn't matter anymore.

Supporting Characters

Supporting Characters:

Bach

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Bach
Earth Fey - Faerie Pact Partner - Language Expert and Mentor

Yellow-green eyes, small horns at the top of his forehead and leaves always seemingly falling from his unkempt hair. Bach is The Ambassador's pact partner and closest friend. He is the primary connection to magic and the Fey. She trusts him completely. He is tethered to her soul. They’ve been friends since she was a young child. He is a scholar by trade, linguist, and well versed in magical education. His strongest abilities lie in earth magic. His patron tree is Yew. He once called the Autumn court home, but after a couple of centuries spent largely on Earth, he was quite distant by the time he found Odette.

Vienna

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Vienna
Household Fey - Indentured Spirit - Protector of the Household SEASON 3 - MISSING-PRESUMED DEAD

Bushy hair, rounded features, and callused hands. Vienna is highly personable and kindly. Tricked years ago into living and taking care of Odette's household. Answers only to Odette but is sometimes bullied into orders by Bach. Bound to the home and serves its owner.

Captain Esen

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Captain Esen
Air Fey - Spy Leader - The Ambassador's Communication Officer

With eyes void and white, his body is largely transparent as the air around him. Loyal and able to inspire the air fey and sprite elementals under his command. Serving The Ambassador for a total of only two years, Captain Esen proved his reliability as a competent spy and leader, easy to communicate with and fast as the wind could carry his messages. She relies on him and his spies heavily in collecting information. Pulled from the Autumn Court.

Princess Lassantra

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Princess Lassantra
Water Fey - Princess from the Deep - Divination Consultant

Ghostly pale hair, grey oily skin that rarely sees the sun, eyes dark as pitch. Princess Lassantra is a close ally and among the first successful allegiances, The Ambassador forged in her early years. Upon the behest of the Earth Fey to renegotiate peace treaties with another water fey family that usurped Lassantra's family, the usurpers attempted to kill the messenger. Lassantra rescued The Ambassador, harbouring her safely while Lassantra's family plotted to retake their seat of power. Odette and Lassantra became close, solidified the allegiance by helping her family back to their power. Many years later, the water fey remains among the best equipped to magically communicate with the spirits and steal glimpses into the future. Lassantra is personally allied to no seasonal courts, while her subjects largely answer to the Winter and Summer Courts, respectively.

Rhys

Rhys
Fire Elemental - The Jester - The Man Who was Consumed by Fire
~Oblivion and Peace~

Extravagantly dressed, brightly painted red star over his right eye, red-painted lips and striking image of a jester. Excessive, flighty and unyielding. Once long ago, Rhys was a human that stumbled into the midst of the Fey. His heart was consumed by a fire elemental, when the elemental had expected his host to burn Rhys survived the onslaught of magic. Coming out of the ordeal as neither Human nor Faerie. Unabiding to the same laws Faerie follow, fire Elementals were forced to reign the likes of him in, hailing from the Summer Courts. They contacted The Ambassador for her help. In exchange, The Ambassador was able to leverage for nearly limitless favours. Occasional parties on Earth, shallow favours and a little entertainment keep Rhys in check. For now.

Duchess Gelsey

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Duchess Gelsey
Earth Fey - Keeper of the Bog - Noble of the Autumn Court

One of The Ambassador's oldest and most contentious allies, begrudgingly at The Ambassador's beck and call. The Duchess made the mistake of a generation by taking in the likes of the once youthy and ambitious Odette Favre. Unwittingly showing her the inner workings of political faire of the Autumn court by keeping her on as an errand mortal, only to be used for her convenient ability to cross worlds. Under her nose, Odette staged a coup and overthrew Duchess' slice of influence. Since then, remains firmly under The Ambassador's heel.

Mara the Goblin

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Mara the Goblin
Goblin - Finder of Lost Things - Skeptical Guardian

Small, green-skinned, glass bottle glasses, snaggle-toothed goblin. In Paris, Mara holds a very unique position as having no alliances with any of the Faerie living there. Everyone knows of her and knows someone who has asked for her help. Mara is really good at finding lost things. She is wary and reluctant to work with the Ambassador, she had previously helped the mortal sorceress look after the intelligent Golem, Mandate, that the Ambassador had scooped up. With Paris being thrown into further chaos, Mara's role has shifted to being a neutral mediator. Visibly helping her fellow Fey and occasionally invisibly helping mortals. Much like the Ambassador's other allies, she anxiously awaits her return.

Perenelle Favre

Perry - Perenelle Favre SEASON 3 - MISSING
Human - Mother - Occult Scientist (Field Researcher)

Mousey blonde hair, crow's feet around her green eyes, and terrible posture. A brilliant field researcher, bold and fearless. Huge fan of mom-jokes and facebook memes. Will happily enter a spooky forest, hold long conversations with a librarian discussing crop circles, and obsessive notebook hoarder. Made aware of Odette's ability to see faerie, knows nothing else. Odette's relationship with her parents is rather strained, while they are oblivious to it.

Tristan Favre

Tristan Favre SEASON 3 - MISSING
Human - Father - Occult Scientist (Chemist)

Dark brown hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a large nose. Happily optimistic and steely focus. His work starts and ends in the lab, though happy to follow behind his wife into the field. A keen ear for picking up ghostly EVPs, testing ectoplasm, unnaturally good with excel. Aware of Odette's ability to see faerie. Odette's relationship with her parents is rather strained, while they are oblivious to it.

Allies/Enemies:

• Indomitable Enforcer of the Divine Mandate - 'Mandate' - Ally
• Marie Heartford - The White Witch - Ally
• Ruin previously met as Forge - Unknown
• Noir - Ally
• Silence - Ally
• Hekate - Unknown
• The Cowl - Ally
• Racheli - Nemesis - Enemy
• The Broker - Ally
• Robin Goodfellow - 'Puck' - Unknown
• Queen Titania - Enemy
• The Witchfinder General - Enemy

Hooks:

• Parisian Soloist: The Ambassador was a headlining Soloist ballet dancer. Those familiar with ballet, performing arts may know of a blue-haired French dancer.
• Interdimensional Political Scene: Odette is not unique in being a mortal with a reputation among the Fey, she has had brief contact with witches and high courts of the Fey. Whether American or European connections, whispers of the Ambassador are never far from word of mouth or her exploits.
• Lucrative And Illicit: Her connection with the Shroud Syndicate has placed her with firm lines back to the Syndicate's home city, Lost Haven. In Lost Haven, she can be recognized by her apparent lack of disguise when working amongst the other criminals. A healthy dose of fear to rumours that circulate her presence.
• Deal Maker and Breaker: With the right connections either by mystical or criminal, looking for her particular brand of help whether it is to move, kidnap, or terrorize The Ambassador's moral ambiguity allows room for a great deal of work to be done.
• Pawns Pawns Pawns: In the happenstance of crossing paths with the Ambassador, if someone demonstrates skills/wit/unique abilities to catch her attention - she will attempt to garner whatever is of use. She is a shameless opportunist and believes what she wants is rightfully hers to exploit.
• Dreadful Undead: Odette has a personal aversion to the undead, necromancy and the forms it takes.

Equipment

Equipment

• Grimoire Tome - Her most important tome of reference. A tome with a yew symbol of protection against magical tampering. She carries it on her at all times, hidden safely away in the enchanted purse.
• Enchanted Purse - A trendy Louis Vuitton purse to hold whatever she needs, perfect for travelling (Mary Poppins level of holding). When held by someone else, it's true weight can be felt (a security measure).
• Jumping Jack Enchantment- An enchantment for her feet, activated by the click of her heels. Applicable to whatever footwear she uses. Allows her to jump far higher than possible for a human, and land safely.
• Emergency Prep! First Aid Kit, Change of Clothes, Food and Water- Her purse carries quite literally all she'll think to need. Mostly in case of emergency.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: Yes

Summaries

Season 1

The Ambassador first made her entrance into CAH’S Season 1 near the tail end, joining Fallenreaper's Natural Selection Arc - an arc focusing on conspiring to kidnap Racheli Desdemona into The Shroud Syndicate’s hands, the international crime organization hoping to gain a better understanding of her strange black blood and it’s applications of making metahuman soldiers. The Ambassador played a large role with a generous helping hand from the newly employed fellow Syndicate member, Silence - Lekh Antol.

Silence discreetly infiltrated Lost Haven’s CDC swiping Racheli’s unconscious form out from under their noses bringing her to a seemingly safe and inconspicuous location to trade her off into the hands of The Ambassador, whom was waiting with a portal to quickly transport her to The Syndicate’s hands at Lost Haven’s local Ironworks facility.

Unlikely heroes and persons of interest looking to disrupt that trade off, targeted this hand off location - an underpass outside of Lost Haven. The White Witch’s friend and fellow witch Joseph was first drawn to the kidnapping by the influx of magic in the area, Racheli’s allies Icarus and Hydro followed suspicions on the compromised moving of patients.

The Ambassador and Silence were initially distracted trying to reign in disorientated Racheli while the heroes dodged past traps and wards set by The Ambassador. The pair of criminals fought on all three fronts with the terrifying help of The Ambassador’s ally - The Archon of the Old Earth. The Archon was defeated by Joseph with the help of a ring made of iron, poisoning the beastly faerie. Shortly thereafter Joseph found himself in one of her traps to be rescued by the late arrival of White Witch.

While Silence subdued Racheli and Hydro with his powerful aura.

The Ambassador and Silence escaped through a portal, chased by White Witch’s mysterious spiritual fire and Joseph’s magical efforts. They found safety in the Faerie Realms with a newly knocked out Racheli in tow.

There The Ambassador took over Racheli’s care, parting Silence with a mysterious gift in thanks for his help in securing the kidnapping. He walked through a portal back to wherever he found himself and The Ambassador brought Racheli through to Ironworks.

There in the interim, the heroes regrouped with Joseph while White Witch left to return to the fight with Doctor Diplodoc. They recruited the help of green thumb hero, Evergreen. Icarus, Evergreen and Joseph stormed Ironworks with their fantastic powers fighting for Racheli and turn the tide at the final hand off.

Meanwhile The Ambassador struggled to reign a no longer cripplingly weakened Racheli. In an escape attempt The Ambassador reeled her in - in time for The Cowl’s personal arrival. He locked her into a metahuman proofed cage and kept her hot in the frying pan unable to regain her powers as extreme heat was and remains one of her greatest weaknesses. The Ambassador took on Joseph personally, leading her away from Racheli to the warehouses. Joseph summoned a terrible familiar to fight for him. The Ambassador used faerie helpers to snatch the object binding Joseph’s beast to their realm and destroyed it. Joseph’s summoned spirit, unshackled, turned on it’s summoner and killed him. With his death the summon disappeared.

The Ambassador turned her sights next on the arrival of Icarus. Attempting to trick and dismantle his suit, he unleashed his experimental functions. The Ambassador formed with her faerie pact partner, Bach to dredge up more magic to stand a chance - having exhausted her reserves for the already active day they had.

They fought and using iron based weapons, Icarus was able to beat back The Ambassador into fleeing the scene. Icarus scooped up Racheli in the chaos escaping with her safely. Leaving the Cowl empty handed with his facilities destroyed.

Signaling the end of Season 1, The Shroud Syndicate and The Ambassador slipped back into the shadows.

Season 2

Season 2 began a few short months later, The Ambassador was actively looking for Racheli’s location - begrudging her failure to seal the deal. In a flashback of the night at Ironworks - Puck the owner of the Red Devil and contract keeper of Joseph Mathers approached the wounded Faerie Mistress. He bitterly commended her for defeating his longtime friend and offered a gift as a reward. Cautiously accepting, he gave The Ambassador a prophecy detailing her rise and fall. Struck with unease for months, it inspired fear and motivation to uncover the mysterious meanings in Puck’s foresight.

"Very well . . . You, my dear, are as the Earth, a powerful force, one of beauty, strength, and resolve. You are forever changing, forever overcoming obstacles, forever evolving. And when the elements, the very forces of nature over whom you have unbridled authority, conspire against you, you adapt in amazing ways. When your womb is scorched and dried, you do not become infertile; when your wells run dry, you release the gates of heaven and bring down her floods; when your limbs are scattered by the winds, they grow anew and become mountains tall. You will always adapt, always overcome your creation . . . but when a mother hurts her child, she may never regain their trust. And you, even as the Earth, can be hurt by her children in the most creative ways."

"But do not be fooled, your children are not the only ones who reside in your domain. Their stands upon your plains a being ancient, much like yourself, who comes in the guise of a friend. She is a fire that burns brighter than your own hearth, one that can level forests and leave nothing in their wake, and she is angry. Her spirit burns even now, but once she reaches her potential, once she devours the flame of humanity, she will be unstoppable. And the question isn't whether you will be burned, but if you shall reemerge from the ashes."

-fdeviant

While her investigations carried on in the background Odette travelled to New York with the ballet company. Needing to rely on more than her faerie help, she reconnected with Silence hiring him to dig for more information on Racheli, in return she would answer any questions he had for her.

During her time in New York, the White Witch reached out to the likes of The Broker searching for clues on the spiritual connection to her past self. In exchange for information, White Witch bound hundreds of souls of the dead into a soul stone. The Soul Stone became the first of few items of Solomon’s Cube, a powerful necromantic tool The Broker was bent on gathering. The creation of the soul stone affected all characters with magical sensitivity currently in New York at that time.

He later approached The Ambassador for her help in finding another piece of Solomon’s Cube, in exchange for a Big Favour. Pointing her sights upon Queen Titania in England. The Faerie Queen of the Summer Courts was consolidating her power after the terrible blow her court suffered at the hands of Hell a couple centuries ago.

While The Ambassador was visiting in New York she happened across the mercury golem, the Indomitable Enforcer of the Divine Mandate. Approaching the strange sight of an 8ft golem in the middle of Central Park, Odette was initially curious of the construct, approaching Mandate directly. Able to capture Mandate’s attention positively and hold a conversation, Odette enticed Mandate into joining her in the relative safety of Paris. Odette introduced Mandate to a reliable little goblin named Mara, hiring her to keep the golem company and out of trouble while Odette finished her trip in New York. Mandate showed unprecedented intelligence with speech, self-awareness and ultimately strength in resisting magic. Their afternoon spent in Paris came to a close but Odette successfully planted the seeds of friendship and held Mandate’s fickle interest. Odette quickly crafted a disguise for Mandate, hiding her true appearance by way of illusion.

In her spare time, she met with the ever-paranoid criminal - Silence, in person. Sealing a deal over coffee. Tension began to brew between the two with the unasked question of a Soul Mark left on Silence, the mysterious gift in the form of an emergency direct line to The Ambassador. It’s true properties a secret to Lekh Antol. The deal guaranteed an exchange of information once the job was complete. During the job, the opportunity to release the metahuman serial killer Michael Garth from a government controlled facility came up, on Odette’s order Silence broke in and pointed Michael Garth to Lost Haven and his daughter. Odette sent a ‘courier’ in the form of a goblin to pick up the reports from Silence, the goblin teleported directly to Silence. The capricious nature of the faerie help revealed Odette knowing his precise location without any other indication.

When Odette returned to Paris reuniting with Mandate, Racheli’s whereabouts broke local news with a large fight between metahumans Equilibrium, War-Pulse, Evergreen, and Racheli herself. The Cowl, behind scenes, making his own play at recapturing her. While she waited on news of the job from Silence, The Ambassador turned her focus on unravelling the meaning behind Puck’s Prophecy.

She travelled to the underwater world of Ville d’Ys with Mandate acting - under a mutual agreement - as Odette’s dedicated bodyguard. Meeting with longtime ally, Princess Lassantra. Meaning to divine connections and clues of the White Witch, after reasonable deliberation examining the contents of the prophecy. The spectral burn from White Witch still quite fresh in their memories. She followed a hunch.

Lassantra's Oracle revealed to Odette the nine items containing pieces of Gwyneth Owen’s soul and her connection to White Witch. Coming to the conclusion that once Gwyneth Owens came to power once again, she would surely meet her end at the witch’s hands. Divining the names of all the items; Gwyneth’s Eye, Sight, Might, Right Hand, Left Hand, Womb, Mind, Breath, and Heart and the location of Sight and Eye. The Ambassador was armed and ready to hop on the witch’s trail. Determining to gain leverage against the White Witch by scooping up Sight.

The meeting proved to be successful but not without tension created by the Princess, alluding and attempting to pry into The Ambassador’s personal life in which the Princess lamented being coldly excluded from. Perceived as a power play, The Ambassador pushed back against her faerie ally. Mandate used her brute strength to intimidate the watery fey into submission. It proved The Ambassador could trust Mandate’s judgement.

Together they moved onto England to meet with Queen Titania, bitter and barbed words were exchanged. Titania unable to hide her resentment toward mortals and The Ambassador’s recent meeting with a Prince of Hell. While The Ambassador found success in rooting out the whereabouts of the next piece of Solomon’s Cube it was not without hidden costs. The barrier protecting Stonehenge and the ancient bit of technology buried there was a pocket of power Queen Titania happily tapped into returning to her glorious status. Titania visited a prophecy of her own upon The Ambassador, much to her growing distaste of prophetic and unclear glimpses into the future.

“When the foundation shakes. When the world breaks, when the scream catches in your throat, and the demon rises. When smoke chokes the living, and the sky boils. When thorns turn to blades, when one realm becomes many, and many realms become but one. When you hold silence in your hand, kill it and scream your anguish for the world to hear. This is the promise you make to me, and all of faerie. When it becomes all-encompassing when nothing can breathe underneath it. You must end the Silence."

-Hellis

Once Stonehenge was released under the cover of night, a great Stone Guardian controlled by Herne the Hunter came to protect Stonehenge from the intruders. Mandate faced the stone guardian - protecting The Ambassador. The Ambassador formed with Bach to dig deep into the center of Stonehenge. She disappeared underground retrieving the piece of Solomon’s Cube. They tried their best to return Stonehenge to its original form after the destructive fight, but those well versed in magic would know of the disturbance there.

Returning to Paris to rest, Odette reviewed the notes delivered while she was away. Vienna told Odette of the goblin not collecting incentive (an extra loaf of fresh bread) to do the couriering job correctly. The Ambassador knew the goblin showed Odette’s hand to Silence. They met again in person for payment in a hotel room. After skirting the inevitable question Odette revealed the true properties of the Soul Mark she left on Lekh, namely, its passive side effect of knowing his exact location without his consent. Angry he lashed out at her forcing her to sever the connection but not before demonstrating what it could do. The Ambassador dived into the psychic storm that Silence held within him before cutting the Soul Mark away.

He demanded if they were to continue working together it would need to be on equal ground. Reluctantly agreeing he asked one more question looking to find some magical healing items. She revealed that Barron in Las Vegas held a considerably large store of magical artifacts, no doubt having some healing items Lekh was interested in finding. She warned him of Barron’s vampiric gang presence and how it directly opposed The Shroud Syndicate. They agreed with The Ambassador’s help to raid Barron’s warehouse while striking back on behalf of The Shroud Syndicate.

Las Vegas was also where The Ambassador would find Gwyneth’s Sight.

Silence, Mandate and The Ambassador attacked Barron’s gangsters in Lost Haven’s borders. They were able to collect information on which warehouses in Las Vegas belonged to the Barron. The Ambassador and Mandate put up a brutal fight, Silence interrogated the gangsters mercifully killing them. Ultimately sending a message. The violence on par with the raging gang wars erupting across Lost Haven.

They travelled separately to Las Vegas, meeting up there to move forward with the Heist. They attacked a warehouse, Mandate acting as a major distraction. Both Silence and The Ambassador were met with Barron’s defences in a mixture of metahumans, vampires and a golemancer. The Ambassador suffered some injuries at the hands of the golems and a vampire. Silence took a bullet to the gut. The Ambassador sent Bach ahead to find what they were there for while she sought Silence out. She found him and with some sorcery removed the bullet, patching him up with first aid. Odette was reaching her magical limits for the final stretch of the Heist. Together they met with Bach stealing Unicorn horns, Golden Fleece and Dragon’s Teeth. Having ingredients to make a cure-all potion. Silence still quite cagey about why he needed a powerful healing potion.

After dealing with Mandate’s assailants they escaped with their stolen items leaving the warehouse in complete disarray.

Silence returned to Lost Haven with the promise Odette would provide the completed potion. She rested and healed in a Shroud Syndicate safehouse overnight.

Barron reeled from the Heist, tapping his ally - the Witch-Mother Hekate to investigate the warehouses. She came to have a strange item in their inventory local fey reported to Hekate of The Ambassador’s presence in the city. The residual faerie magic in the warehouse turned Hekate onto the sorceress.

In a post time-stamped in the IC future, they met at the docks on the morning of Silence’s departure back home to Poland. Odette presented the completed potion to Silence where he revealed the potion was for his younger sister, revealing that his power was hereditary. For his younger sister, the Antol’s aura turned inward instead of outward, crippling her mind. During his time in Lost Haven, he stole significant amounts of money from The Shroud Syndicate to fund medicinal research, with no results. Forcing the practical criminal to turn to miracles. The only hope they held for the potion working was some brief testing prior to delivery. When the pass-off was completed Lekh went onto confessing he had feelings for Odette, surprising the sorceress. In an emotional wave, she kissed Lekh neither confirming nor denying her own feelings saying goodbye.

Back in Las Vegas, The Ambassador was back refocusing her efforts into finding Gwyneth’s Sight. Mandate and The Ambassador searched all over the city, location spells failing multiple times. It was not until arriving at Hoover Dam was Odette spirited away by Hekate herself along with her friend Medea.

Hekate put her on the spot accusing her of being responsible for the warehouse mess, not taking it in stride if it was an attack levelled to threaten the likes of her and Barron. Clarifying it was a one time deal, The Ambassador stressed she was not targeting Barron directly just his stuff. Reaffirming there was no bad blood between the fey and witches. Accepting her apology Hekate gave The Ambassador the mysterious gift that found its way into their inventory. Promising it would give her insight. To Odette’s delight, Hekate handed her Gwyneth’s Sight.

While The Ambassador was working in Las Vegas, Marie the White Witch was gathering her own resources to come to Las Vegas towing the magic nosed werewolf Benjamin Reeves and his pack members. His pack members and close friends included the twin werewolves Ji and Yeong, Katarina the vampire and joined to help twin metahuman giants The Dover Twins Ben and Freya, and the drunken sorcerer Rune.

The Ambassador and Mandate arrived back at their hotel in time to see the evening breaking news. The Hounds of Humanity made their move. Particularly on an establishment in Vegas, Pixy Stix. The Ambassador rushed to the destructive scene, enraged by the attack. The city was not hers but on that night she appeared before the distraught fae and promptly struck a hatchet in the post. Publically to the magical community making her presence known. Elsewhere, sacred grounds, covens of witches, and other public establishments catering to metahumans and magic alike were burned and the earth salted. One such place was the border crossing of Earth and Alfheim. The tree connecting both realms was bombed to oblivion. Enraging the King Neuvean Winterborn, declaring war against mortals of Midgard, meaning to mobilize an army but not without the means to cross into Midgard to stage his war. His focus fell on the Ambassador.

Upon returning to the hotel, The Ambassador began to study and attempt to open the little trunk that was Gwyneth’s Sight. While Racheli’s goings-on were on the backburner, The Ambassador was inspired by the recent string of success she found in diversifying her allies. She wanted a hard counter to Racheli’s growing abilities in manipulating metals, knowing full well what her weakness was. Odette reached out to her contact in the Syndicate, Jacque, to find a suitable mercenary metahuman she could hire. Jacque on her behalf reached out to the up-and-coming fire metahuman, Forge planning a meeting.

The Ambassador worked to unravel the wards protecting Gwyneth’s Sight, when she successfully did so the soul of the old witch pulled Odette’s mind into the item. There she met Gwyneth Owens, surrounded in an expansive illusionary world that captured The Ambassador’s imagination. Outside in the waking world, Bach’s temper flared snapping at Mandate, they were until then on uncertain terms of tolerance but Mandate focused her ire and worry on Odette.

Gwyneth approached, initially hostile. They spoke, amicably finding common ground by name dropping Hekate. The Ambassador was able to convince the isolated witch to sit down to negotiate. The Ambassador offered Gwyneth a glimpse of the new world by providing some news, answering questions, etc. Carefully treading how Odette came to know of White Witch and Gwyneth. She invited the Ambassador inside her cottage where she went into detail regarding her life. Helping Odette understand her deep distrust of mortals and the betrayals she suffered 600 years ago. How her items worked and wanting to return to her former power. Even throwing in some interesting facts about the Witch-Father Bucca and Puck are brothers being apart of the five Pwca. They negotiated a contract of mutual peace, neither would bring harm to the other nor their interests. The contract guaranteed no betrayal could occur. It also solidified a deal for an alliance to start by helping Gwyneth’s incarnation find the remaining items. With a little side of challenge, giving Odette permission to hold her own trials against White Witch in the spirit of testing her mettle. Happily, Odette agreed to that condition. Begrudgingly, in order to seal it officially, Gwyneth asked for Puck to write the contract on her behalf and sign as well - Puck also owning a contract with White Witch he was able to make agreements in her stead. Departing on amicable means gifting Odette the similar ability to sense the closeness, Odette returned dictating everything that happened. Together Bach and Odette summoned Puck.

The Ambassador went into the meeting full of smug victory. She believed she had solved the puzzle that was his original prophecy and successfully diverting it. Puck was indeed surprised to be called upon by the likes of The Ambassador. She expressed the need to draw up a contract on behalf of White Witch and Gwyneth. Piquing his interest, being quite aware of White Witch’s quest. A little tension created from The Ambassador incorrectly believing he was still angry from their clashing over Joseph Mather’s body months ago. Puck admitted he was interested in seeing how things panned out and agreed to write the contract on a condition of his own. He wanted all she learned of Gwyneth, and to give her his revised prophecy now that he felt his foresight cleared some.

Angry and unhappy, Odette did not want to revisit the prophecy, the puzzle she thought she solved. Angry that he was changing the rules. She weighed the options, Puck was the only one who could write and seal the contract to forge their alliance. If it meant gaining a powerful witch as an ally over losing some sleep. Odette decided to make the deal.

”Sight . . . such woeful irony. The witch’s gift is yours to claim, a boon greater than you know, and yet one that will fail you time and again. Burned by witch’s fire, you stand ready in the garden to accept your paradise, not risen, but changed, changed as the cunning fire changes all. But even though the apple falls in your lap and the giantess gives her blessing, a serpent sneaks into your Eden and wraps itself round the Tree of Life. But this serpent does not tempt, no . . he hungers.

When the veil was formed by the Spirit of Old, when the stars fell and soaked the Earth in their blood, he was among them, thirsting for new life. He whispers to you in sorrowful sleep, invites you into his bed. He does not turn you from salvation, that is not his aim. Indeed, ‘tis not holy waters which will save you from his torment, but cunning fire, the spark of a world long forgotten. Be swift, young Eve. Be not consumed by his lust, but ravaged by a flame that was. And the question is not whether you will be burned, but whether you will rise from the ashes . . . or will he?”

-fdeviant

Shaken by the new prophecy she asked a peculiar question of Puck, if he truly believed in the stories of creation. Leading into a softer exchange reiterating that the spirit of Joseph Mathers and Puck did not hold The Ambassador in resentment. He disappeared leaving quietly. Reigning in her emotions she began to analyze the prophecy with Mandate’s help and unique perspective, finding comfort in Mandate’s company.

Hatching a new plan and finally approaching the White Witch. But not without setting her first trial and covering for an unpredictable outcome of such a meeting. The Ambassador sought the White Witch out and unknowingly the circle of friends that accompanied her to Las Vegas. The Ambassador found them at a grocery store starting a tense standoff Marie and a few other members of the pack immediately hostile at their appearance. It didn’t do well either that The Ambassador brought with her a legion of faerie to support her. Smugly, she revealed all she knew and threatened to destroy Gwyneth’s Sight if White Witch did not cooperate, convincing White Witch if she did not accept The Ambassador’s help she would turn her quest into an utter disaster. With the item being threatened and begrudging acceptance of her certain powers, Marie accepted The Ambassador’s offer much to the surprise of her friends. Their meeting was interrupted by the arrival of The Hounds of Humanity towing dangerous weapons like blessed silver bullets. Led by the notoriously efficient mercenary, Captain Dahl. She led the charge, answering to the Witchfinder-General.

The two sides clashed, sustaining injuries. The Ambassador saw the tide turn and crafted their escape. The White Witch was poisoned by the blessed silver and The Ambassador was shot in the shoulder after the portal was created, magic was unable to penetrate the bullet to remove it. Mandate shielded her against the worst of the attack, the bullets affecting her as well. The werewolves were riddled with bullets and same with Katarina. They all fought and escaped through the portal arriving to the quiet of the Hoover Dam.

Bach was able, with some first aid to remove the bullet from The Ambassador’s arm. She gloated her proof of strength and felt they all owed her their lives. Many of them disagreed. Passing the White Witch a means of a phone and direct line to Odette, Odette made their departure of Las Vegas to rest at home in Paris. Not before holding Marie’s friends accountable for her safety while they were apart and giving Marie the little trunk that held Sight.

Shortly before this fight was completed, there was the Christmas arc in which The Ambassador and Mandate celebrated Christmas together with Odette’s parents. A sweet and light-hearted divergence set in Christmas of the future.

The Ambassador caught up in IC in time for the Satellite Attack that levelled three cities at the hands of The Hounds of Humanity. She received some much-needed healing from Vienna, a chance to catch her breath mulling over the events. When she was returned to form, alone she opened a portal to meet with Forge, offer the mercenary work.

When she arrived it was with warm hospitality, food and drink readily available. Her fellow Frenchwoman having gone to lengths to provide a good foot forward. Forge shared ambitious interests and reduced working rates for dealing with the Hounds of Humanity. The Ambassador appealed to that easily, the job being to focus on destroying their silver bullet production facilities. Forge tried to remain cool and professional, reeling from expectations. The Ambassador showed Forge a glittering sight of Faerie, elemental sprites flowing in around them. Helping to prove magic was true, real. Revealing what she was The Ambassador of.

Successfully hiring Forge, The Ambassador currently waits for her first reports.

Spending two days attending to her own affairs Odette returned to ballet after a long stint of ‘sick’ days. Slated to dance Helena in the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Madame Renavand pulled her away from her morning warms up to speak in private. Madame Renavand bluntly told Odette she was to be pulled from the production, citing her string of bad health as a concern. Noting how little she knew of Odette as a person, concerning the string of sick days as of late were due to something else. She implored Odette to be honest.

Odette did just that.

She was honest about her involvement with crime and with magic. Madame Renavand immediately did not believe her, becoming agitated. When she was about to leave the office, Odette caught her briefly explaining how important ballet was as her sanctuary. She changed her memories with magic, things going back to normal.

The next day, Odette was on typical business, as usual, treating with the Lioness at Sculpture garden of Musée Rodin. Sylphs sent the Ambassador to broker an agreement on their behalf, The Lioness egged The Ambassador on, being free of owing The Ambassador anything - simply a native to Paris far longer than the Ambassador had been alive. Owing her nothing. Successfully cutting the deal to meet on neutral ground, The Lioness was fed.

Leaving behind the Lioness, Bach and Odette stopped at a local cafe to speak. Odette cleared the air of her true goals, Bach agreed to be less argumentative in her decisions.

The following day Odette contacted the White Witch, ready to continue on their quest for more of her items. The conversation over the phone was brief, Marie informed Odette she had split from her friends to Odette’s delight, clearly pleased that Marie was listening to her. When they met after Odette reached her through a portal, Marie explained what she had been up to since Vegas. She elaborated that she had worked with STRIKE during the Paxmethumana crisis, fighting against the likes of the Silver Sorceress. After their defeat, especially after Silver Sorceress’s defeat at Marie’s hand. When Silver Sorceress broke away from prison with Doctor Diplodoc the sorceress came to visit revenge. Marie being subjected to painful illusions satisfying Silver Sorceress’ thirst for revenge. Awakening a reminder of who she was as a witch.

Marie had a slew of questions for Odette, but Odette remained cagey and vague. Not interested in revealing everything. She gave her a hint, revealing that Gwyneth’s items housed pieces of her soul. Proving to The Ambassador that Marie really had a very scarce understanding of Gwyneth. They tried to figure out where to go next, neither receiving a feeling or hint of where the next item may be. Odette suggested Marie use the runic divination tools that Sight turned out to be. Through some puzzling and Bach’s helpful hand in understanding various languages they were able to decipher what the message from Sight could be. Connecting memories of the Bucca from Gwyneth’s past and Marie’s as well. They both simultaneously experienced a vision of the item, Mind being revealed and a hint to it’s location. The book given to her when her certain powers were awakened as a child by the Bucca was being kept at her parent’s home in Massachusetts.

[---SUMMARY UP TO DATE AS OF IC PAGE 37.......Only 13 more IC pages to summarize, oof]

Sample Post

OH LORDT IS SHE OLD - SAMPLE POST FROM 2016

-1 Month Prior to the Lost Haven Riots-

The skyline in Paris was marvelled by millions as the sunset again for the day. For native Parisians, it was a sign of comfort and signalled the beginning of its active nightlife. Coffee shops and restaurants lit up in response to the fading light. Along the cobblestoned streets in the old quarter, where everyday business owners raised the price of a cup of coffee to gouge locals and tourists alike.

A young woman with bright blue hair, eyes and bright pink lips sat outside one of these restaurants perched on the edge of her seat seemingly invested in the newspaper she had opened in front of her. Any regular onlooker would assume she was a high fashion debutant, more concerned with Fashion week than with current events. Who was paying for her expensive choices? A pair of rich parents or was she acting the part of a trophy wife. They were half right. The wars of man and its tragedies hardly caught her attention. The plea of refugees, war crimes and disease could not and would not move her to even care let alone react appropriately.

Assumptions from strangers did not register nor did they matter, not to her. However, her attentions were on avidly listening to the small sprites whispering in her ear, invisible to everyone untouched by the Fey. They were giving her updates to where her next pick up would be found. Rising with the grace and dignity disciplined with years of ballet. Tonight when the sun dipped below the horizon she would take a quick walk then a taxi ride to the edge of the city.

When she met with her clients, they were unnerved but polite greeting the woman. They spoke English with distinct American accents.

"Madame Ambassador." A tall scruffy gentleman in an ill-fitted suit greeted her.

Smiling gently in hopes to ease their apparent fear, "Bonsoir, gentlemen."

They bowed their heads in respect; already she knew they were warned aptly of her expectations.

"Where are we heading to tonight?"

"Back to the states, ma'am. The Cowl is calling in his agents to start something big in Lost Haven." The tall man replied.

She nodded acknowledging his reply then said quietly, "The Cowl always has his plans. There is no time like the present so we shall depart shortly, sirs. I must warn and you must listen to what it is I am about to tell you."

They nodded in unison.

"You will be departing Earth as we know it and entering realms of true danger. While you are with me there is considerable protection. I have successfully escorted men and goods through these realms multiple times. But do not mistake me when I say you are not safe."

The men exchanged a look of fear as the young woman turned her back lifting her hands up to the sky already at work searching for her doorway. Her hands glowed with a misty blue while rapid-fire French called for invocation. Light split in front of her blinding the men. A ragged strip of space opened in front of them as power flowed out of the arcane stream. The power flowed through her as a door took shape.

Immense concentration furrowed her brow while the final touches of the door formed.

"Now, gentlemen. We are ready. Follow me and stick close. Do not touch, do not linger and most importantly do not fear. For the Fey, they know and will surely descend upon you. There is little I can do to stop the dark Fey from devouring your very souls when they catch a strong scent of fear. I only hope for your sakes that it is a quick death."

Showing a toothy smile she opened the door with vigour, "Come, Lost Haven awaits us."

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

SO I'm working on porting The Ambassador over here, @nitemare shape @Hound55 @Dedonus just a smol suggestion for maybe adding a section to the character sheets. A bullet point form for RP hooks - where the player can write in bullet form ideas/instances/scenarios where other characters will have an easier time connecting or interacting with the character for good ooc info. Like a quick access info area. It's not heavy on details, and if someone wants to get more details they can, of course, read the rest of the sheet. But ye! Just a suggestion.

Fruits of Contention - Wayrest

Maj Noor - the Imprisoned Pirate

	Maj Noor Corsair Extrodinaire 5'4" | 120lbs | 27 Female | Redguard | The Apprentice WILLPOWER | Intelligence Sentienel, Hammerfell

Profile

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§ Appearance

Maj stands back straight at 5'4”. Wavy, often unruly long black hair that reaches a length below her shoulders, short uneven bangs falling around her face. She often ties it off to the side of her head. With a pair of full but often chapped lips, grinning wryly.

Her dark skin steeply contrasts her wickedly bright green eyes, deep purple circles line her under eye from lack of proper sleep. Rounded out cheeks, slimmed jaw with a naturally crooked nose. Two scars are visible on her face, one at her brow and another on her lower lip from a stray soul gem fragment bursting after an experiment. Bright silver earrings twinkle in the sunlight at her ears, enchanted to fortify her conjuration.

Maj has narrow hips, strong sea legs, and a small torso. She likes to make a strong first impression, taught by her Corsair crewmates the importance of reputation and presentation. She carries her small stature with the confidence of a man twice her size, as a result. Determined to fill the room with her presence, whether that succeeds or fails she tries regardless.

She has never been one built for the cold, as such she dresses in layers. High leather boots sealed against water or snow. Dark leggings, long white tunic, with a dark maroon jacket made of cotton, long soft leather gloves that stretch up to her forearm. When removed any curious eyes can see all the tiny light nicks and scars on her hands and fingers from soul gem experimentation. Rough calluses have hardened in her palms from years working at sea. Carries a dark green enchanted cloak with a hood to protect from rain and snow, enchanted to resist magicka, it provides some protection against magickal assailants. Around her waist is a belt holding up a two-part pouch at the small of her back where she keeps her money and some spare food.

_{Credit Link}

§ Motivations and Outlook

As a young child, she was bratty as they came - bookish and demanding. Undoubtedly filled to the brim with an insufferable amount of attitude - enough to rival an adult. She proved to be a handful for both her father and her begrudging older brother. She had a true penchant for trouble; getting stuck while exploring or finding a way to break anything she got her hands on. She eventually grew out of her bratty ways but remains a demanding personality, entirely willful. Completely unaware to how much she enjoys instant gratification, a result of her father and brother giving into her tantrums just so they could find some peace.

She learned some patience from her stepmother, learned discipline when first aboard a ship. It strengthened her iron will, it lent well to controlling the chaotic beings of Oblivion. Her ability to focus on a task or spell is difficult to break, sleep deprivation remains her concentration’s greatest enemy. She greatly respects staying true to character in face of adversity - strength of mind, heart or body. Years spent with Captain Sette she learned to see holes in the heart as Captain Sette had once seen in her. An illusionist’s eyes accustomed to seeing past the illusions of others. However, that is where her emotional intelligence starts and ends. Maj has no patience for dealing with her own emotional or physical pain and even less for strangers. She can empathize and understand why someone is in pain but doesn't have enough empathy to help them deal with it.

She enjoys creating and acting out her pirate front, putting forth an act of bravado and confidence. Taught well by charismatic corsairs. Past those first impressions, Maj enjoys the quiet ambiance of waves lapping, boots marching, or the ramble of marketplaces. She is pulled toward activity. Genuinely enjoys the harsh life at sea, working as a well-oiled cog in the mechanism. Craves that support, stability, and familiarity of knowing where she fits and her purpose at the hands of someone she truly respected.

Quietly hopes to regain the approval of her father, blazing the trail to her own success regardless of what that success may look like.

§ Background

A painful birth and short farewell, Maj Noor was born the 29th of Sun’s Height in the year 178 4E and Iman Noor died shortly thereafter, at the very least able to greet her newborn daughter before passing on. Months of complications leading to her birth only stood as a testament to Iman’s strength to carry Maj to term. Leaving behind Kinstel and Abdul to mourn her death and raise Maj.

Abdul at the age of seven held resentment toward Maj, blaming her for the death of their mother. Try as Kinstel did to teach his son otherwise. Maj being a fussy baby did not improve her worth in young Abdul’s eyes. Kinstel himself was a successful market merchant, silver-tongued and able to sell someone their own shirt. Born in Hammerfell to a Forebears family lineage, he carries belief and stories of The Nine Divines, passing on his beliefs to his children. Carrying extreme prejudice toward necromancy and conjuration. Kinstel taught them their letters and numbers, Abdul took to the lessons of mercantile while Maj decidedly checked out of them only pacified with a book in her hands.

Kinstel felt he could pursue greener pastures in High Rock, for years the trade had slowed to a crawl any resources were being funnelled to the recovery of Hammerfell’s southern shores after the Great War. Piracy was seeing a surge in activity choking what little was already getting through to Sentinel. Quietly with Iman’s passing, he felt his heart could truly heal disconnecting from Sentinel.

He packed up what he could, shuffling the children from their home to set new roots in Wayrest, High Rock. Seeing a bright future for his family there. He was proved to be correct, healing from the passing of his wife to meet and marry new love Annalise, a Kynareth priestess, leaving her priesthood behind to marry Kinstel but not leaving all of her secrets behind. She was gentle, with the patience of a true saint to help raise Abdul and Maj. Abdul didn’t take to his new mother well but Maj grew to respect her kindness and patience, likening her to a willow tree bending with a gale force winds as opposed to resisting it. She didn’t give in to Maj’s bratty demands but negotiated with her, it proved to be an effective form of parenting.

Annalise helped shape Maj’s budding aptitude in magicka, what she hadn’t expected was Maj’s keen nose for trouble. Maj at the age of 8 4E 188, rifled through some of Annalise’s old belongings looking for a new book in the home she hadn’t read yet stumbling upon a stack of conjuration spell books and research notes. Recognizing the symbol of the taboo school of magic, she was disgusted at first with the secret. As taboos go, Maj really wanted to know why it was as taboo as it was, fascinated to learn more. She stole them away finding her own hiding place to read them more. With her new magicka lessons, Maj spent the afternoon trying to learn some basic spells. As children are ones for carelessness Annalise soon discovered her belongings had been rifled through fearing the worst she went searching for where the books may have been taken only to catch Maj red-handed.

Furious and terrified of her secret becoming known to her husband, Annalise made it their shared secret promising in exchange to teach Maj how to safely practice Conjuration without summoning unbound daedra. Not trusting Maj to simply detach from her newfound fascination. Annalise saw sense in teaching Maj at least that much.

That summer the family decided it was time for Maj to learn some proper skills, Abdul followed his father to work the markets while Maj had stayed inside to read her days away. Magicka lessons weren’t enough. Annalise and Kinstel were hoping to start negotiating an arranged marriage with some other merchant families in Wayrest, Kinstel was keen on sending his daughter to join the Kynareth priesthood and learn restoration like her stepmother but Annalise knew Maj did not have the patience for healing. Instead suggested speaking with some of the families in Wayrest who had a ship. A few character-building months at sea matched up with a son could prove a good investment.

The Cox were a seafaring family, having made a successful business in shipment with reliable cargo protection, and more importantly had a son around Maj’s age. The Cox’s reluctantly agreed to take on Maj pairing her up with their youngest son, Quyon. They weren’t initially convinced a bookish child could handle being away from home for the first time and at sea. To their surprise Maj stepped in line, the structure and busy days aboard their ship was what she needed. Quyon and Maj became fast friends, he guided her aboard the ship and they completed chores together. When they returned at the end of the summer, she was sea brushed - beaming and full of stories to tell her family. The Cox agreed to arrange the marriage between Quyon and Maj when they became of age.

In the year 188 4E the piracy was at its peak and the Invasion of Wayrest was quick and decisive. Merchant families and other ship owning individuals were to submit to the Corsair Republic and cooperate or die. Sharing percentages of trade and safe passage through Iliac Bay. Some gave up and moved onto trading caravans while others submitted to the Republic, able to absorb the percentage to pay to continue their trade. The Cox were among the families that were able to continue sailing - begrudgingly cooperating with the Corsair Republic. There was a fair amount of distrust for the pirates but nobody trusted the Wayrest ruling nobility either after the betrayal. The Corsair’s true target was routing The Dark Brotherhood.

For the next 7 years, she spent every summer at sea with Quyon, always looking forward to her time with her best friend and their voyages. Learning more with the places they travelled to, growing up and out of her brattiness. As they grew older it was apparent they had been matched off, neither objecting but neither of them harboured romantic feelings for the other. Far as arranged marriages went they knew they could be matched with far worse. Secretly gaining more lessons about conjuration from Annalise, they bonded as they delved into her stepmother’s previous life as a conjurer. They quietly rejected her father’s prejudiced views.

In the year of 192 4E Quyon and Maj were wed and held the sacred duty as husband and wife to consummate their marriage and provide the next generation. Quyon was patient with Maj as she was with him, neither holding true for a spark of love or lust, in spite of that they wanted to do right by their families. They tried repeatedly to conceive children, only for Maj never showing signs of being with child. Annalise and a host of restoration mages tried potions and prayer for Maj unfortunately nothing stuck. A problem that the best healer in Wayrest wouldn’t be able to fix. Maj was pronounced barren. Both the Cox and Noor’s attempted to comfort Maj but there was an underline of disappointment. Their first year of marriage was akin to spending more time with each other than ever before, they took comfort in their strong bonds.

Unfortunately the borrowed time Annalise and Maj had with practicing conjuration finally ran out, as they headed to their usual private spot to practice using the usual excuse of shopping for dinner. Abdul went looking for them in the markets only for some having seen them wander off, they pointed him their way. Abdul found them midway practicing soul trap, conjuration spellbook at their feet. A damning scene to see and before Maj or Annalise could say a word he immediately ran to his father.

Kinstel flew into a rage, disgusted by his wife and daughter for practicing the most vile school of magic. Kinstel in his fit of rage blamed the fruitless marriage on Maj and the Divines visiting their consequences upon her by making her barren. Maj naturally fought back defending conjuration but it pushed Kinstel over the edge. Annalise - shocked and terrified of his rage, she held strong at Maj’s side unable to summon the same courage to argue.

Kinstel tore Maj from Annalise, with his teenage daughter in hand he marched her to the Cox household roughly pulling the wedding band from Maj’s finger he threw it before Quyon’s father, forcing her to break off the marriage for the sake of their reputation. He repeatedly berated Maj. Quyon attempted to defend his wife but the shame came crashing down on Maj’s head vocally consenting to her father’s order. Quyon silenced by his own father, he separated the enraged Kinstel from the teens trying to talk sense to him. Ashamed Maj took off at a run from both of them, tear faced and disgraced. Kinstel shouted after her, peppering the exit with more curses.

Maj spent the night at the docks, crying - cold and feeling like her life was being burned up before her. The next morning she was worse for wear - shouts of enthusiastic Corsair hiring booths had pulled her from her revere. Dry eyed and in the best place to make bad decisions Maj went wandering down the booths looking for work. If she were to be disgraced and without family she felt her only option for work would still be at sea. Passing a booth by until it’s captain called out to her, Captain Lily Sette. Surrounded by her crew, calling out to join the Scarlet Harpy. The Captain saw in Maj as she saw in all her crew members. She saw loss as clear as one would see reading a book.

Captain Sette briefly explained her crew was looking for women with sailing experience and welcomed apprenticeships for mages. A rare vessel crewed completely by women of all creeds and backgrounds, a gathering of widows, ex-slaves, and the disenfranchised women looking for purpose backed by a terrifyingly strong force of mages aboard. They held a philosophy of rescuing those fallen victim to shipwrecks and contracted to hunt slave ships when they made their odd appearance. They operated under the Corsair Republic so they participated in raiding fat and slow merchant ships for resources and gold to pay their tribute to the Republic but operated with good intentions. Maj signed up seeing no real reason not to.

Given a big and warm welcome aboard Maj was set to work and with her interest in conjuration was apprenticed by their master of conjuration, the dunmer Nephelle Avalone. Tall and willowy she regarded her new apprentice with kind red eyes, impossibly white silvery hair framed her angular features. Nephelle was 30 years Maj’s senior. Maj felt a fire ignite in the pit of her belly. At the young age of 16 she joined the crew of the Scarlet Harpy. It took some easing and adjustment to piracy for Maj, most prominently with killing others. While she was abhorrent to the thought of necromancy the pirates around her helped her adjust. She moved past her hesitation but never grew to like it, taking life was a natural part of raiding. As such - the pirate’s life was hers now. She enjoyed having a new family and purpose most of all, she reasoned the work was a fair trade. In her later years, she realized she would owe the crew of the Scarlet Harpy more than just loyalty.

Maj fit in quickly, many of the women empathizing with her story and Maj doing the same as she learned each of their own stories. Mages and warriors fought alongside each other with ferocity, the crew and her ship acted as one singular force united by the charismatic Captain Sette, a master of illusion. Over the next few years as Maj grew from a teenager into an adult so too did her feelings for her mentor, maturing with her. Nephelle was aware of Maj’s attraction, initially uncomfortable but doing little to rebuff her interest. Soon, in three years' time, Nephelle reciprocated. They eased into their relationship as one did trying on new boots. It was awkward to start, they faced a lot of adjustment. Once they settled - able to draw a line between their lessons from their relationship Nephelle and Maj became inseparable. They were a fearsome pair of conjurers coordinating their attacks. Their love-fueled their nights as it did their attacks.

As Maj’s expertise grew in conjuration she branched out, always admiring her Captain's mastery of the mind. She took on learning Illusion from her Captain, it complimented her conjuration adding more versatility. Maj took to it to like a fish to water. While she apprenticed as a mage she proved to be quite dexterous with her hands, she became one of the crew's tailors. Sewing holes in sails, mending clothing, even learning to apply enchantments. Any one crew member took on multiple jobs but Maj’s curiosity for soul gems grew as she learned more about enchantment.

For 11 years Maj remained aboard the Scarlet Harpy, happy and at home. The crew changed faces as some died and some left to pursue other goals. She wrote letters consistently to Quyon and her family, Annalise and Quyon were the only replies she received. She developed a distaste for meat, after eating nearly rotten meat one too many times while at sea. She switched decidedly to eating nuts, vegetables and occasionally fish if she saw it freshly caught.

They sailed along the western coast of Hammerfell and as far south as Cyrodiil, running from Dominion fleets and playing cat and mouse with Hammerfell’s. It was exciting, thrilling and ultimately not without consequences. In the year of 205 4E a fat and well stocked Dominion merchant ship fell prey to the Scarlet Harpy, as an act of revenge for the family victimized they sent bounty hunters after them. Two Hunter ships stalked the Scarlet Harpy and attacked in the night flanking the ship and her crew.

The attack was vicious and was prepared for their defenses. The crew fought and lost. They were overwhelmed on both sides. Maj was separated from Nephelle and fell below decks fighting for her life as their enemies blew holes in the Scarlet Harpy’s hull, she quickly took on water trapping Maj below decks with cargo blocking her exit. As the claustrophobic walls closed in and the ship began to sink, panic gripped Maj’s heart. She lost consciousness, waking several hours later vomiting seawater on a rocky beach. The fate of the Scarlet Harpy unknown and her own survival a mystery. Lighting a signal fire for help, the smoke signalled a nearby fishing boat a few days later carrying her to the safety of High Rock’s coast with only the clothes on her back.

Determined to find out the fate of the Scarlet Harpy Maj found herself in Daggerfall, without coin or a plan. She was stuck. She burned to know what happened to Nephelle. Rumours only confirmed what she knew, a notorious pirate crew was removed off the coast High Rock. Prisoners were taken with no leads to where exactly.

It was Sun’s Height, while the politics and wars raging on land did little to affect Maj directly, she heard of Skyrim’s High King - the legendary Dragonborn being assassinated followed by an unprecedented invasion of the Kamals. The news shocked her but she knew with the invasion of a foreign force there would be an opportunity for those who were looking for it. Maj decided to take advantage of it if she were to earn the coin and fund a new crew to seek out the fate of her former crew she could recover Nephelle at the very least. She prayed, as she rarely did to the Divines to give her strength. She worked to pay her way to Solitude, the voyage bringing her into Last Seed.

Mercenary work is what she found when she arrived, a thrilling voyage aboard the Kyne's Tear that was bringing her homeward to High Rock. The mercenary company faced off against The Golden Slug's crew, giving her the chance to study the strange recordings from The Sload alongside Ariane Fontaine. Things seemed to have been getting a smidge brighter but quickly was erased by news of the Corsair Republic's utter destruction. The one avenue she was pinning her hopes of reuniting with her pirate family. The company found themselves among Waywrest's apparent saviours from the pirate scourge - unfortunately landing Maj within crosshairs to be collected for bounty. Stolen away and imprisoned, her head was up for the block, an example to be made - but her guards would hardly think it with just how loud and frequent her shanties bounced off the stonewalls. Her fate rested in only Kynareth's hands now...

Capabilities

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§ Skills

Expert: Summoning (Conjuration), Illusion
Adept: Enchanting
Apprentice: Tailoring, Language - Dunmeris*
Novice: Destruction

§ Flaws

Sink or Swim

After the sinking of the Scarlet Harpy being trapped below decks, nearly drowning - Maj has developed a fear for swimming and drowning. Only recently aware of her newfound fear, still grappling with the fresh loss of her crew and lover. Fear freezes her from wading into the water above her waist, unaware of the true panic waiting for her if she ever finds herself ejected into open water, trapped below ice or debris.

Insomniac

Battling with insomnia ever since she was a teenager, she finds herself able to have a peaceful sleep at sea with the gentle rocking of the waves, salty air, and slight twinge of mildew and tar. On dry land she has fitful periods of sleep at best. Used to the fluctuating sleep schedule she is happy to take up guard postings, keeping herself busy. However, some terribly long bouts of sleeplessness will hit her with the full effects of sleep deprivation. Poor judgement, hallucinations, irritability, slow reflexes and of course low energy. However, menial tasks like sewing can be trusted with her, her hands know what to do even if her mind is gone. Stress, anxiety and sleeping on hard ground exasperates her condition, making it difficult to fall asleep.

Born at the Wrong Time

Being born under The Apprentice constellation gave Maj early advantages in magicka and an above average reservoir - it also made her sensitive to magicka. She attempts to compensate with enchanted clothing but mages have proven to cause devastating damage to her person directly. She avoids directly engaging with other mages in a fight, traps and illusions have similarly intensified affects on her.

§ Spells

Conjuration: Summon Frost, Flame and Storm Atronach. Soul Trap, Expel Daedra.

Illusion: Calm, charm, fear, muffle, courage, frenzy, and invisibility.

Destruction: Sparks, Flames

§ Tactics

Maj relies quite heavily on the actions of her atronach, she has been taught and mentored to use her daedric summons in the most creative ways possible. Unleashing them upon the environment around enemies, most notably destroying a ship and crippling it by setting flame to the mast, sending a storm atronach across the bow, dropping a frost atronach from above to come crashing through the deck. While her atronachs inspire chaos around them, she aids them by preying on her targets adrenaline washed minds. Whether that is to send them running in fear or inspiring them to take on more than can clearly handle.

Still holds a little ingrained prejudice toward true necromancy, refused to learn how to Raise the Dead. Doesn’t feel comfortable crossing that line.

With her back up against a wall she’ll use flames to create distance disappearing to the eye using invisibility. Always, always keeping a relatively large amount of distance between herself and an enemy. When out of magicka she will make a run for safety, making last-ditch efforts with her magicka to give herself a head start. Maj is not a naturally gifted fighter, she is physically fit and fairly flexible to withstand some hits to her person (given they aren't magicka). Her time aboard Scarlet Harpy she moved from climbing around the rig to unfurl sails, tying them back up, to hunching over desks mending clothing. Taught the basics of how to throw a punch or avoid one, she tries her best to keep enemies from getting close enough. In a one on one fist fight she would surely lose.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Iman Noor - Birth Mother, Fate Known: deceased, died during childbirth.
Kinstel & Annalise Noor - Father and Stepmother. Fate known, alive and well living in Wayrest.
Abdul Noor - Older brother. Fate Known, alive and well in Wayrest with parents.
Quyon Cox - Ex husband, childhood best friend. Fate Known, Alive and well in Wayrest.
Nephelle Avalone - Lover and conjuration mentor. Fate Unknown, missing and presumably imprisoned. Image
Captain Lily Sette - Scarlet Harpy’s Captain and Maj’s illusion mentor. Fate unknown, dead or imprisoned after the attack.

§ Opinions

(For group members; fill after IC introduction)

§ Crimes and Accomplishments

Known and imprisoned for crimes of piracy. Charged for participating in the Corsair Republic. Raiding, sinking, and

§ Other

Navigation & Map Reading: Years at sea, Maj has a great sense of direction and navigation. She can read the stars, a map and a compass.
Knot tying: Great with knots, with a large portion of her life at sea she is quite handy with rope.
Dunmeris*: Learning to speak Dunmeris from Nephelle she by association is familiar with the Daedric alphabet.
Sketch Artist: Maj takes pride in her ability to sketch, has an almost embarrassingly large amount of sketches of Nephelle in her sketchbook. They are fairly new and they help to fill the ache of missing her paramour. Caution to the Curious: Do not flip past page 10, the sketches continue but on a far more private level.
Name that Daedra!: Maj has a streak for silly names as pirates traditionally go, she of course named her atronachs. They are as such - Flames: Cinders (Cindy), Frost: Snowflake, Storm: Furgur Blitzcloud.
Vegetarian: Maj is vegetarian, she'll only eat meat when she sees it's freshly caught or cut. Plays it safe without eating meat.

Inventory

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§ Cash & Valuables 25 Septims (normally)	§ Keys & Lockpicks ...
§ Tools & Crafting Materials ...	§ Clothing, Armor & Jewelry Leather Boots & Gloves Enchanted Resist Magicka Cloak Woolly long skirted jacket x1 Spare set of leggings and white tunic.
§ Weapon & Ammo ...	§ Potion & Arcane Supplies ...
§ Books & Documents x1 Charcoal Pencil x1 Small knife to sharpen pencil	§ Consumables & Ingredients ...
§ Bags & Containers Belted leather pouches at her back A small rucksack	§ Other x1 Sewing Kit

Fruits of Contention - Wayrest

Maj Noor - the Imprisoned Pirate

	Maj Noor Corsair Extrodinaire 5'4" | 120lbs | 27 Female | Redguard | The Apprentice WILLPOWER | Intelligence Sentienel, Hammerfell

Profile

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§ Appearance

Maj stands back straight at 5'4”. Wavy, often unruly long black hair that reaches a length below her shoulders, short uneven bangs falling around her face. She often ties it off to the side of her head. With a pair of full but often chapped lips, grinning wryly.

Her dark skin steeply contrasts her wickedly bright green eyes, deep purple circles line her under eye from lack of proper sleep. Rounded out cheeks, slimmed jaw with a naturally crooked nose. Two scars are visible on her face, one at her brow and another on her lower lip from a stray soul gem fragment bursting after an experiment. Bright silver earrings twinkle in the sunlight at her ears, enchanted to fortify her conjuration.

Maj has narrow hips, strong sea legs, and a small torso. She likes to make a strong first impression, taught by her Corsair crewmates the importance of reputation and presentation. She carries her small stature with the confidence of a man twice her size, as a result. Determined to fill the room with her presence, whether that succeeds or fails she tries regardless.

She has never been one built for the cold, as such she dresses in layers. High leather boots sealed against water or snow. Dark leggings, long white tunic, with a dark maroon jacket made of cotton, long soft leather gloves that stretch up to her forearm. When removed any curious eyes can see all the tiny light nicks and scars on her hands and fingers from soul gem experimentation. Rough calluses have hardened in her palms from years working at sea. Carries a dark green enchanted cloak with a hood to protect from rain and snow, enchanted to resist magicka, it provides some protection against magickal assailants. Around her waist is a belt holding up a two-part pouch at the small of her back where she keeps her money and some spare food.

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§ Motivations and Outlook

As a young child, she was bratty as they came - bookish and demanding. Undoubtedly filled to the brim with an insufferable amount of attitude - enough to rival an adult. She proved to be a handful for both her father and her begrudging older brother. She had a true penchant for trouble; getting stuck while exploring or finding a way to break anything she got her hands on. She eventually grew out of her bratty ways but remains a demanding personality, entirely willful. Completely unaware to how much she enjoys instant gratification, a result of her father and brother giving into her tantrums just so they could find some peace.

She learned some patience from her stepmother, learned discipline when first aboard a ship. It strengthened her iron will, it lent well to controlling the chaotic beings of Oblivion. Her ability to focus on a task or spell is difficult to break, sleep deprivation remains her concentration’s greatest enemy. She greatly respects staying true to character in face of adversity - strength of mind, heart or body. Years spent with Captain Sette she learned to see holes in the heart as Captain Sette had once seen in her. An illusionist’s eyes accustomed to seeing past the illusions of others. However, that is where her emotional intelligence starts and ends. Maj has no patience for dealing with her own emotional or physical pain and even less for strangers. She can empathize and understand why someone is in pain but doesn't have enough empathy to help them deal with it.

She enjoys creating and acting out her pirate front, putting forth an act of bravado and confidence. Taught well by charismatic corsairs. Past those first impressions, Maj enjoys the quiet ambiance of waves lapping, boots marching, or the ramble of marketplaces. She is pulled toward activity. Genuinely enjoys the harsh life at sea, working as a well-oiled cog in the mechanism. Craves that support, stability, and familiarity of knowing where she fits and her purpose at the hands of someone she truly respected.

Quietly hopes to regain the approval of her father, blazing the trail to her own success regardless of what that success may look like.

§ Background

A painful birth and short farewell, Maj Noor was born the 29th of Sun’s Height in the year 178 4E and Iman Noor died shortly thereafter, at the very least able to greet her newborn daughter before passing on. Months of complications leading to her birth only stood as a testament to Iman’s strength to carry Maj to term. Leaving behind Kinstel and Abdul to mourn her death and raise Maj.

Abdul at the age of seven held resentment toward Maj, blaming her for the death of their mother. Try as Kinstel did to teach his son otherwise. Maj being a fussy baby did not improve her worth in young Abdul’s eyes. Kinstel himself was a successful market merchant, silver-tongued and able to sell someone their own shirt. Born in Hammerfell to a Forebears family lineage, he carries belief and stories of The Nine Divines, passing on his beliefs to his children. Carrying extreme prejudice toward necromancy and conjuration. Kinstel taught them their letters and numbers, Abdul took to the lessons of mercantile while Maj decidedly checked out of them only pacified with a book in her hands.

Kinstel felt he could pursue greener pastures in High Rock, for years the trade had slowed to a crawl any resources were being funnelled to the recovery of Hammerfell’s southern shores after the Great War. Piracy was seeing a surge in activity choking what little was already getting through to Sentinel. Quietly with Iman’s passing, he felt his heart could truly heal disconnecting from Sentinel.

He packed up what he could, shuffling the children from their home to set new roots in Wayrest, High Rock. Seeing a bright future for his family there. He was proved to be correct, healing from the passing of his wife to meet and marry new love Annalise, a Kynareth priestess, leaving her priesthood behind to marry Kinstel but not leaving all of her secrets behind. She was gentle, with the patience of a true saint to help raise Abdul and Maj. Abdul didn’t take to his new mother well but Maj grew to respect her kindness and patience, likening her to a willow tree bending with a gale force winds as opposed to resisting it. She didn’t give in to Maj’s bratty demands but negotiated with her, it proved to be an effective form of parenting.

Annalise helped shape Maj’s budding aptitude in magicka, what she hadn’t expected was Maj’s keen nose for trouble. Maj at the age of 8 4E 188, rifled through some of Annalise’s old belongings looking for a new book in the home she hadn’t read yet stumbling upon a stack of conjuration spell books and research notes. Recognizing the symbol of the taboo school of magic, she was disgusted at first with the secret. As taboos go, Maj really wanted to know why it was as taboo as it was, fascinated to learn more. She stole them away finding her own hiding place to read them more. With her new magicka lessons, Maj spent the afternoon trying to learn some basic spells. As children are ones for carelessness Annalise soon discovered her belongings had been rifled through fearing the worst she went searching for where the books may have been taken only to catch Maj red-handed.

Furious and terrified of her secret becoming known to her husband, Annalise made it their shared secret promising in exchange to teach Maj how to safely practice Conjuration without summoning unbound daedra. Not trusting Maj to simply detach from her newfound fascination. Annalise saw sense in teaching Maj at least that much.

That summer the family decided it was time for Maj to learn some proper skills, Abdul followed his father to work the markets while Maj had stayed inside to read her days away. Magicka lessons weren’t enough. Annalise and Kinstel were hoping to start negotiating an arranged marriage with some other merchant families in Wayrest, Kinstel was keen on sending his daughter to join the Kynareth priesthood and learn restoration like her stepmother but Annalise knew Maj did not have the patience for healing. Instead suggested speaking with some of the families in Wayrest who had a ship. A few character-building months at sea matched up with a son could prove a good investment.

The Cox were a seafaring family, having made a successful business in shipment with reliable cargo protection, and more importantly had a son around Maj’s age. The Cox’s reluctantly agreed to take on Maj pairing her up with their youngest son, Quyon. They weren’t initially convinced a bookish child could handle being away from home for the first time and at sea. To their surprise Maj stepped in line, the structure and busy days aboard their ship was what she needed. Quyon and Maj became fast friends, he guided her aboard the ship and they completed chores together. When they returned at the end of the summer, she was sea brushed - beaming and full of stories to tell her family. The Cox agreed to arrange the marriage between Quyon and Maj when they became of age.

In the year 188 4E the piracy was at its peak and the Invasion of Wayrest was quick and decisive. Merchant families and other ship owning individuals were to submit to the Corsair Republic and cooperate or die. Sharing percentages of trade and safe passage through Iliac Bay. Some gave up and moved onto trading caravans while others submitted to the Republic, able to absorb the percentage to pay to continue their trade. The Cox were among the families that were able to continue sailing - begrudgingly cooperating with the Corsair Republic. There was a fair amount of distrust for the pirates but nobody trusted the Wayrest ruling nobility either after the betrayal. The Corsair’s true target was routing The Dark Brotherhood.

For the next 7 years, she spent every summer at sea with Quyon, always looking forward to her time with her best friend and their voyages. Learning more with the places they travelled to, growing up and out of her brattiness. As they grew older it was apparent they had been matched off, neither objecting but neither of them harboured romantic feelings for the other. Far as arranged marriages went they knew they could be matched with far worse. Secretly gaining more lessons about conjuration from Annalise, they bonded as they delved into her stepmother’s previous life as a conjurer. They quietly rejected her father’s prejudiced views.

In the year of 192 4E Quyon and Maj were wed and held the sacred duty as husband and wife to consummate their marriage and provide the next generation. Quyon was patient with Maj as she was with him, neither holding true for a spark of love or lust, in spite of that they wanted to do right by their families. They tried repeatedly to conceive children, only for Maj never showing signs of being with child. Annalise and a host of restoration mages tried potions and prayer for Maj unfortunately nothing stuck. A problem that the best healer in Wayrest wouldn’t be able to fix. Maj was pronounced barren. Both the Cox and Noor’s attempted to comfort Maj but there was an underline of disappointment. Their first year of marriage was akin to spending more time with each other than ever before, they took comfort in their strong bonds.

Unfortunately the borrowed time Annalise and Maj had with practicing conjuration finally ran out, as they headed to their usual private spot to practice using the usual excuse of shopping for dinner. Abdul went looking for them in the markets only for some having seen them wander off, they pointed him their way. Abdul found them midway practicing soul trap, conjuration spellbook at their feet. A damning scene to see and before Maj or Annalise could say a word he immediately ran to his father.

Kinstel flew into a rage, disgusted by his wife and daughter for practicing the most vile school of magic. Kinstel in his fit of rage blamed the fruitless marriage on Maj and the Divines visiting their consequences upon her by making her barren. Maj naturally fought back defending conjuration but it pushed Kinstel over the edge. Annalise - shocked and terrified of his rage, she held strong at Maj’s side unable to summon the same courage to argue.

Kinstel tore Maj from Annalise, with his teenage daughter in hand he marched her to the Cox household roughly pulling the wedding band from Maj’s finger he threw it before Quyon’s father, forcing her to break off the marriage for the sake of their reputation. He repeatedly berated Maj. Quyon attempted to defend his wife but the shame came crashing down on Maj’s head vocally consenting to her father’s order. Quyon silenced by his own father, he separated the enraged Kinstel from the teens trying to talk sense to him. Ashamed Maj took off at a run from both of them, tear faced and disgraced. Kinstel shouted after her, peppering the exit with more curses.

Maj spent the night at the docks, crying - cold and feeling like her life was being burned up before her. The next morning she was worse for wear - shouts of enthusiastic Corsair hiring booths had pulled her from her revere. Dry eyed and in the best place to make bad decisions Maj went wandering down the booths looking for work. If she were to be disgraced and without family she felt her only option for work would still be at sea. Passing a booth by until it’s captain called out to her, Captain Lily Sette. Surrounded by her crew, calling out to join the Scarlet Harpy. The Captain saw in Maj as she saw in all her crew members. She saw loss as clear as one would see reading a book.

Captain Sette briefly explained her crew was looking for women with sailing experience and welcomed apprenticeships for mages. A rare vessel crewed completely by women of all creeds and backgrounds, a gathering of widows, ex-slaves, and the disenfranchised women looking for purpose backed by a terrifyingly strong force of mages aboard. They held a philosophy of rescuing those fallen victim to shipwrecks and contracted to hunt slave ships when they made their odd appearance. They operated under the Corsair Republic so they participated in raiding fat and slow merchant ships for resources and gold to pay their tribute to the Republic but operated with good intentions. Maj signed up seeing no real reason not to.

Given a big and warm welcome aboard Maj was set to work and with her interest in conjuration was apprenticed by their master of conjuration, the dunmer Nephelle Avalone. Tall and willowy she regarded her new apprentice with kind red eyes, impossibly white silvery hair framed her angular features. Nephelle was 30 years Maj’s senior. Maj felt a fire ignite in the pit of her belly. At the young age of 16 she joined the crew of the Scarlet Harpy. It took some easing and adjustment to piracy for Maj, most prominently with killing others. While she was abhorrent to the thought of necromancy the pirates around her helped her adjust. She moved past her hesitation but never grew to like it, taking life was a natural part of raiding. As such - the pirate’s life was hers now. She enjoyed having a new family and purpose most of all, she reasoned the work was a fair trade. In her later years, she realized she would owe the crew of the Scarlet Harpy more than just loyalty.

Maj fit in quickly, many of the women empathizing with her story and Maj doing the same as she learned each of their own stories. Mages and warriors fought alongside each other with ferocity, the crew and her ship acted as one singular force united by the charismatic Captain Sette, a master of illusion. Over the next few years as Maj grew from a teenager into an adult so too did her feelings for her mentor, maturing with her. Nephelle was aware of Maj’s attraction, initially uncomfortable but doing little to rebuff her interest. Soon, in three years' time, Nephelle reciprocated. They eased into their relationship as one did trying on new boots. It was awkward to start, they faced a lot of adjustment. Once they settled - able to draw a line between their lessons from their relationship Nephelle and Maj became inseparable. They were a fearsome pair of conjurers coordinating their attacks. Their love-fueled their nights as it did their attacks.

As Maj’s expertise grew in conjuration she branched out, always admiring her Captain's mastery of the mind. She took on learning Illusion from her Captain, it complimented her conjuration adding more versatility. Maj took to it to like a fish to water. While she apprenticed as a mage she proved to be quite dexterous with her hands, she became one of the crew's tailors. Sewing holes in sails, mending clothing, even learning to apply enchantments. Any one crew member took on multiple jobs but Maj’s curiosity for soul gems grew as she learned more about enchantment.

For 11 years Maj remained aboard the Scarlet Harpy, happy and at home. The crew changed faces as some died and some left to pursue other goals. She wrote letters consistently to Quyon and her family, Annalise and Quyon were the only replies she received. She developed a distaste for meat, after eating nearly rotten meat one too many times while at sea. She switched decidedly to eating nuts, vegetables and occasionally fish if she saw it freshly caught.

They sailed along the western coast of Hammerfell and as far south as Cyrodiil, running from Dominion fleets and playing cat and mouse with Hammerfell’s. It was exciting, thrilling and ultimately not without consequences. In the year of 205 4E a fat and well stocked Dominion merchant ship fell prey to the Scarlet Harpy, as an act of revenge for the family victimized they sent bounty hunters after them. Two Hunter ships stalked the Scarlet Harpy and attacked in the night flanking the ship and her crew.

The attack was vicious and was prepared for their defenses. The crew fought and lost. They were overwhelmed on both sides. Maj was separated from Nephelle and fell below decks fighting for her life as their enemies blew holes in the Scarlet Harpy’s hull, she quickly took on water trapping Maj below decks with cargo blocking her exit. As the claustrophobic walls closed in and the ship began to sink, panic gripped Maj’s heart. She lost consciousness, waking several hours later vomiting seawater on a rocky beach. The fate of the Scarlet Harpy unknown and her own survival a mystery. Lighting a signal fire for help, the smoke signalled a nearby fishing boat a few days later carrying her to the safety of High Rock’s coast with only the clothes on her back.

Determined to find out the fate of the Scarlet Harpy Maj found herself in Daggerfall, without coin or a plan. She was stuck. She burned to know what happened to Nephelle. Rumours only confirmed what she knew, a notorious pirate crew was removed off the coast High Rock. Prisoners were taken with no leads to where exactly.

It was Sun’s Height, while the politics and wars raging on land did little to affect Maj directly, she heard of Skyrim’s High King - the legendary Dragonborn being assassinated followed by an unprecedented invasion of the Kamals. The news shocked her but she knew with the invasion of a foreign force there would be an opportunity for those who were looking for it. Maj decided to take advantage of it if she were to earn the coin and fund a new crew to seek out the fate of her former crew she could recover Nephelle at the very least. She prayed, as she rarely did to the Divines to give her strength. She worked to pay her way to Solitude, the voyage bringing her into Last Seed.

Mercenary work is what she found when she arrived, a thrilling voyage aboard the Kyne's Tear that was bringing her homeward to High Rock. The mercenary company faced off against The Golden Slug's crew, giving her the chance to study the strange recordings from The Sload alongside Ariane Fontaine. Things seemed to have been getting a smidge brighter but quickly was erased by news of the Corsair Republic's utter destruction. The one avenue she was pinning her hopes of reuniting with her pirate family. The company found themselves among Waywrest's apparent saviours from the pirate scourge - unfortunately landing Maj within crosshairs to be collected for bounty. Stolen away and imprisoned, her head was up for the block, an example to be made - but her guards would hardly think it with just how loud and frequent her shanties bounced off the stonewalls. Her fate rested in only Kynareth's hands now...

Capabilities

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§ Skills

Expert: Summoning (Conjuration), Illusion
Adept: Enchanting
Apprentice: Tailoring, Language - Dunmeris*
Novice: Destruction

§ Flaws

Sink or Swim

After the sinking of the Scarlet Harpy being trapped below decks, nearly drowning - Maj has developed a fear for swimming and drowning. Only recently aware of her newfound fear, still grappling with the fresh loss of her crew and lover. Fear freezes her from wading into the water above her waist, unaware of the true panic waiting for her if she ever finds herself ejected into open water, trapped below ice or debris.

Insomniac

Battling with insomnia ever since she was a teenager, she finds herself able to have a peaceful sleep at sea with the gentle rocking of the waves, salty air, and slight twinge of mildew and tar. On dry land she has fitful periods of sleep at best. Used to the fluctuating sleep schedule she is happy to take up guard postings, keeping herself busy. However, some terribly long bouts of sleeplessness will hit her with the full effects of sleep deprivation. Poor judgement, hallucinations, irritability, slow reflexes and of course low energy. However, menial tasks like sewing can be trusted with her, her hands know what to do even if her mind is gone. Stress, anxiety and sleeping on hard ground exasperates her condition, making it difficult to fall asleep.

Born at the Wrong Time

Being born under The Apprentice constellation gave Maj early advantages in magicka and an above average reservoir - it also made her sensitive to magicka. She attempts to compensate with enchanted clothing but mages have proven to cause devastating damage to her person directly. She avoids directly engaging with other mages in a fight, traps and illusions have similarly intensified affects on her.

§ Spells

Conjuration: Summon Frost, Flame and Storm Atronach. Soul Trap, Expel Daedra.

Illusion: Calm, charm, fear, muffle, courage, frenzy, and invisibility.

Destruction: Sparks, Flames

§ Tactics

Maj relies quite heavily on the actions of her atronach, she has been taught and mentored to use her daedric summons in the most creative ways possible. Unleashing them upon the environment around enemies, most notably destroying a ship and crippling it by setting flame to the mast, sending a storm atronach across the bow, dropping a frost atronach from above to come crashing through the deck. While her atronachs inspire chaos around them, she aids them by preying on her targets adrenaline washed minds. Whether that is to send them running in fear or inspiring them to take on more than can clearly handle.

Still holds a little ingrained prejudice toward true necromancy, refused to learn how to Raise the Dead. Doesn’t feel comfortable crossing that line.

With her back up against a wall she’ll use flames to create distance disappearing to the eye using invisibility. Always, always keeping a relatively large amount of distance between herself and an enemy. When out of magicka she will make a run for safety, making last-ditch efforts with her magicka to give herself a head start. Maj is not a naturally gifted fighter, she is physically fit and fairly flexible to withstand some hits to her person (given they aren't magicka). Her time aboard Scarlet Harpy she moved from climbing around the rig to unfurl sails, tying them back up, to hunching over desks mending clothing. Taught the basics of how to throw a punch or avoid one, she tries her best to keep enemies from getting close enough. In a one on one fist fight she would surely lose.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Iman Noor - Birth Mother, Fate Known: deceased, died during childbirth.
Kinstel & Annalise Noor - Father and Stepmother. Fate known, alive and well living in Wayrest.
Abdul Noor - Older brother. Fate Known, alive and well in Wayrest with parents.
Quyon Cox - Ex husband, childhood best friend. Fate Known, Alive and well in Wayrest.
Nephelle Avalone - Lover and conjuration mentor. Fate Unknown, missing and presumably imprisoned. Image
Captain Lily Sette - Scarlet Harpy’s Captain and Maj’s illusion mentor. Fate unknown, dead or imprisoned after the attack.

§ Opinions

(For group members; fill after IC introduction)

§ Crimes and Accomplishments

Known and imprisoned for crimes of piracy. Charged for participating in the Corsair Republic. Raiding, sinking, and

§ Other

Navigation & Map Reading: Years at sea, Maj has a great sense of direction and navigation. She can read the stars, a map and a compass.
Knot tying: Great with knots, with a large portion of her life at sea she is quite handy with rope.
Dunmeris*: Learning to speak Dunmeris from Nephelle she by association is familiar with the Daedric alphabet.
Sketch Artist: Maj takes pride in her ability to sketch, has an almost embarrassingly large amount of sketches of Nephelle in her sketchbook. They are fairly new and they help to fill the ache of missing her paramour. Caution to the Curious: Do not flip past page 10, the sketches continue but on a far more private level.
Name that Daedra!: Maj has a streak for silly names as pirates traditionally go, she of course named her atronachs. They are as such - Flames: Cinders (Cindy), Frost: Snowflake, Storm: Furgur Blitzcloud.
Vegetarian: Maj is vegetarian, she'll only eat meat when she sees it's freshly caught or cut. Plays it safe without eating meat.

Inventory

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§ Cash & Valuables 25 Septims (normally)	§ Keys & Lockpicks ...
§ Tools & Crafting Materials ...	§ Clothing, Armor & Jewelry Leather Boots & Gloves Enchanted Resist Magicka Cloak Woolly long skirted jacket x1 Spare set of leggings and white tunic.
§ Weapon & Ammo ...	§ Potion & Arcane Supplies ...
§ Books & Documents x1 Charcoal Pencil x1 Small knife to sharpen pencil	§ Consumables & Ingredients ...
§ Bags & Containers Belted leather pouches at her back A small rucksack	§ Other x1 Sewing Kit

Here u go. Can I move her over right away?

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Did someone say......... PC Villainy fights...?

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Featuring

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Time: The Next Day
Location: The Seine, Paris

David smiled to himself as he pocketed his wallet, his arrangement with the staff in charge finalized and walked back outside.

He had arrived somewhat earlier than was warranted, if only to ensure that everything would turn out perfectly. At first, he’d just intended to mess around a little with the Ambassador. Play a little game, maybe even steal something of hers as a memento, and have a good laugh all around. There was no real motive beyond the fact that he could, and of course, if he found something beyond her civilian identity to use against her down the line, well… all the better.

After the previous night, however… messing with her simply wasn’t enough. He couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was about her that made him feel so compelled to attempt to seduce her. Perhaps it was beating her at her own clever little game, allowing her to think herself victorious to make his own triumph that much sweeter. Perhaps he was charmed by her little façade, and was truly curious to take a peek behind the curtain once she thought the dance was over, so to speak. In truth, there were many ifs, buts and maybes surrounding this little venture of his, but one thing was certain: it was going to be a lot of fun to see it through.

‘Le Calife’* was a gorgeous thing: built in 1939, it had originally served as a cargo carrying barge in Belgium. Its current owner, however, had reconverted it into a moving restaurant that carried people in a magical dining experience across the Seine, passing through a multitude of Paris’ most emblematic locations.

Besides offering a unique perspective of the ‘City of Lights’ (the irony of which was not lost on the Avatar of Darkness), the boat itself was a thing of marvel. From the 300 year old Buddha that served as its nautical figurehead, to the 1800s stained glass that gave way to the city from the inside of its panoramic dining room, to the copper bar, the exquisite woodwork, the myriad of little details that had been put into it… it was practically a love letter to devotion itself; a walk through the past as they looked into the present and beyond. Indeed, the thief could hardly imagine a more romantic setting for their first date.

Most of the night’s guests had already boarded, the anticipation almost palpable in the air. David, however, waited patiently upon the docks, even as the time to set off drew ever closer. He wore a custom fitting, three piece suit of the darkest grey, coupled with a pair of emblematic black oxfords. An impeccable white shirt and a perfectly straight handkerchief to match combined with the colours nicely, and completing the ensemble was a fine tie of the same colour as his suit, with a pleasant, grainy texture, and a couple of exquisite cufflinks, where a number of small, rare black diamonds had been encrusted into an obsidian frame, describing together a complex yet uniform pattern: discreet yet extremely eye-catching once noticed.

David looked down at his silver watch. Just about as fancy and minimalistic as everything he was wearing, its black dial and strap complementing the outfit perfectly. Not as pleasing, however, was the time on display. Where the hell was she?

"Monsieur? I’m afraid we must be leaving soon. The Captain does not abide waiting for anyone,” one of the staff members called out, in hopes of getting him inside.

“There are still five minutes left before departure,” he rebutted, “And frankly, whilst I appreciate this city’s commitment to punctuality, the next time someone charges me a fortune and then lectures me about my own, they are going to find one of my very English oxfords up their very french butts. Understood?”

The man swallowed as David set his pale, blue eyes upon him, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable: his anxiety not dissimilar to when he found himself alone in a pitch-black room. He nodded, and proceeded to mind his own business, nervously checking the time.

Purposefully, letting the clock run to the last minute, a slick polished town car pulled up close along the docks. The suited driver jumped out of his seat to open the door for his passenger. A shiny enamel black pump stepped out of the vehicle first, while the driver offered his hand to help her stand out of the car. Taking it out of formality, Odette’s bob of blue hair appeared over the door stepping carefully around. Shoulders straight, a smile poised - as if the time really didn’t matter. Red, classic red lips, sharp black eyeliner with a touch of light-catching champagne eyeshadow on her eyelids. Her little black dress another classic choice, the dress was backless - the shoulders were connected with a little bowtied material tied just below the back of her neck, it’s short shoulder sleeves cut close with high neck and high waist. Her back tattoo was on full display, skin without a single scar. A pair of solid gold ball studs were in her ears, a small pearlescent gold necklace hung around her clavicle.

In her hand was a small black leather Prada clutch, enchanted with space to store a few emergency supplies. Not one to go anywhere without some backup, thanking her driver - she sauntered over to the docks seeing David Blackwood waiting for her. The first date she had been on in quite some time, with a night of a little preparation, she was on the playing field. There was frustratingly no information on David anywhere to be found, scouring through her friend groups - and social circles. Asking other dancers, critics, even reporters if they had seen or heard of him before. Nobody, except the few patrons who had been around him the night they met.

One thing was very clear after meeting David, he had orchestrated it. They were similar in that way, Odette remembered the nights she cased out potential partners by their social media profiles, dating histories and word of mouth. It was all fantastic practice becoming exactly what they wanted. It was theatre, emotional manipulation, and how far she could go before her unwitting lover realized they were apart of a game.

And yet, amidst everything she had to focus on - smuggling for the Syndicate, negotiating and treating the faerie in Paris, daily hours put into ballet. . . There was no distraction quite like a gentleman, especially when he insisted on treating her to a boat ride down the Seine. The barge itself was the picture of what tourists dreamed of when they thought of Paris. Beautiful, old, and romantic. It was a fantastic illusion.

As for illusions, she resolved to pick at the threads to unravel David Blackwood’s handsome and charming visage. Getting under someone’s skin, especially someone like David required a few tricks.

The heels gave her an extra few centimeters where she was now eye level in height with David, equal ground. Offering her hand for him to take she greeted him with a tender cadence, “Bonsoir, Monsieur Blackwood. Thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight, I’m sure this will be a treat for even a local such as myself.”

She gestured to the barge, “Shall we?”

David took her hand in his own, once again raising it to his lips, the irritation in his features gone, his glaucous blue eyes smiling at her as he did so. “The pleasure is all mine, Mademoiselle Favre,” he greeted her, stepping aside and raising a hand in the boat’s direction, “Please, after you.”

A staff member greeted them as they entered, showing them into the panoramic dining area known as ‘the Winter Garden.’ Their table rested right in the middle of the dining room, next to one of the stained glasses. It was just starting to get dark outside, and a set of four, medium-sized inverted dome lamps lit up, their stained-glass covers depicting colourful flowers separated by a metal rim.

Once seated, David donned an easy-going smile, a mysterious quality to it as he regarded her. The waiter produced a long, tube-nosed lighter, attempting to light the candle that stood dead center between them.

The thief allowed this to go on for several moments, an amused look as he rested his chin on his fist, the man’s frustration growing with each attempt as the light simply went out every time.

“My apologies, this is most strange. We always use fresh lighters at the beginning of every evening… If you’ll just give me a moment…”

“It is no bother, mon ami,” David replied in his perfect French, producing a small, platinum-plated lighter which produced a small filament of deep purple plasma as he lit it up, it’s look and sound not unlike a taser. He’d quickly found bunsen and plasma lighters were about the only thing that allowed him to keep up his smoking habit.

The waiter raised a brow, nodding in compliance as he gave them a pair of open menus. Before he left, David raised a hand, “We’ll have a bottle of your best pinot noir wine, si vous plait. If you have something from the Coast of Nights villages, that would be excellent.”

The man nodded knowingly, “I know just the one.”

David nodded, pleased, then went back to regarding his date, unabashedly admiring the figure the black dress cut on her, his gaze slowly moving upwards -lingering a second or two on the crimson of her lips- before finally settling on the black ice blue of her eyes, piercing into him.

“For a moment there, I wondered if you’d show up,” he confessed calmly, his smile widening ever so slightly, “Only for a moment.”

She crossed her leg over her knee, watching as the waiter failed to light the candle thinking of how to respond to him, he left to retrieve their drinks her gaze drifted back to David, “I live to keep people on their toes, I am quite curious about you Monsieur Blackwood. I wanted to commend you in person for your research.” She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, “Your ‘guess’ on my preferred drink momentarily impressed me.”

With one hand she fluttered at him, “Truthfully,” she lied, “That little fact alone would irritate most but it has resulted in dinner and an opportunity.”

The lie being it didn’t irritate her.

Glancing over the menu, her foot gently swaying back and forth in thought. As all the guests were properly seated, the barge pulled away from the docks gently beginning its journey down the Seine. The soft light of twilight cast a romantic glow around them. In this light, anyone could truly be anything.

David’s right brow raised simultaneously with the left corner of his lips. “Mademoiselle, please. The implication is hurtful,” he feigned offense whilst clearly remaining amused, the fingertips on his right hand coming to rest mockingly above his heart. “Ah, merci,” he winked at the waiter as he returned with a rare (and very expensive) bottle of red, presenting it to them.

“And what kind of opportunity do you suppose presents itself?” he asked as the man opened the bottle, proceeding to quickly open it and serve a small amount on David’s cup. He took it, swirled it for a moment as he smelled it, then drew a small sip, allowing it to linger in his tongue before swallowing, “Excellent, thank you.”

The waiter proceeded to fill their cups, leaving the bottle as he decided to return later for their orders.

Cradling the wine glass in the palm of her hand, she leaned into the back of her chair, again choosing to wait before drinking.

She replied simply, “To play.”

“You know what I like to drink, can’t let you go exposing all of my secrets.” She joked, taking a sip of the wine and having to stop herself from immediately making a noise of approval. It was good, another glance at the menu she saw duck, salmon, and steak. “Not without learning some of your own of course, what does a man who flashes money like it is his identification card do for work?”

David smiled to himself, looking down at the menu: the question was not entirely unexpected.

“Oh, you know, a bit of this, a bit of that. Whatever suits my fancy, really,” he shrugged slightly, deciding the steak was to his liking, “I started off as a consultant, mostly in legal and management fields. Eventually, I grew bored and started flipping real estate. Lots of passive income to be had. I also started a couple of companies of my own, which I sold off for a nice profit when the getting was good... What else... Venture capital, private equity, a healthy amount of stock market investment. Oh, yes, and I’ve been quite into art dealing lately. Although I would say it’s more of a hobby than an actual profession at this point.”

Her eyes narrowed briefly, no specifics, no names, vague. She replied, “How interesting,” She kept her gaze on him, “I have dabbled in real estate, I own the building I live in. I started with nothing, now I have everything I could want.”

“What is that you want, Monsieur Blackwood if your work and hobbies do not sustain your attention for long? Frankly, I would be restless if I were in your position.” Settling her chin into her palm, casually prying as she did, “I always have something set in my sights to achieve.”

That would possibly be the truest statement she’d express that evening, her ambition never let her rest. There was always someone else to win, a deal to broker, or another heart to break. He had money to throw around but surely he was throwing it at something in particular.

He smiled faintly, the pale of his eyes clashing against the intensity of her own as he broke his perfect posture, leaning forward slightly. “Oh, believe me, Mademoiselle Favre. There is always something that I want. My hunger knows no bounds.”

The candle began flickering nervously, casting strange shadows over his handsome features, until the man finally leaned back.

“Speaking of which, right now I want some steak. Have you decided yet?” he casually asked, closing the menu.

Her smile disappeared briefly in the flicker of the light, in another heartbeat it was back she blinked as she closed the menu, quietly she noted, “The guinea fowl, please.” Sipping again on her wine as she looked out the window to the view, seeing something in the shallows of the darkening water of the river.

“I am famished. I had a few auditions earlier today,” She said absentmindedly while focusing on the water. Something was swimming alongside the barge. “Manon, the demi-soloist I am covering for is still too sick to perform for Midsummer.”

Whatever it was, it wasn’t coming up for air - not yet.

“And they’re still considering her, after your performance?” he raised a brow at this, his eyes trailing hers. He, for once, saw nothing out of the ordinary, “Your director’s an idiot. Regardless, I trust they went well,” he noted. It was not a wishful statement: simply a fact, as the man signaled their waiter that they were ready to ask, getting their orders out of the way swiftly.

The barge began passing at a convergence point: on one side, the ‘Palais de Challiot’s’ grandeur greeted them, whilst on the other side the magnificence of the famous Eiffel tower shined down upon them: literally, as it had grown dark and the structure had been lit up.

The ambiance in the room had grown more intimate as the sun had settled, a dark atmosphere that suited the thief just fine. “Your city’s beauty never ceases to astound me,” he commented as he took a small sip of his wine. However, despite the splendor around them, his eyes remained firmly fixed upon her.

Putting her glass down she laughed at his comment about the director, hiding it behind a hand. His heavy gaze would surely have set others squirming in their seats, but she found herself liking it. One thing was sure her date seemed genuinely pleased, more than pleased with her performance. Her ego inflated at that, looking up to the Eiffel Tower trying to see it as he must have, her city’s center where all roads met, “I have a memory from every point on the river, could tell you more than a tour guide has rehearsed. A real Parisian’s Paris is much different than what you can pay to see.”

She pointed to the tower, “Parties, school trips, midnight trouble painting the town red, dates much like this one. Dares to climb to the top of the spire without being caught by security,” She sighed, unable to control the admiration - the bubbling nostalgia. “It’s beauty never wears away, even when she has many faces.”

Wondering briefly if David would ever be prepared to see beyond what she would present. There was no way of telling, at least for now.

David actually chuckled at this. “I’m almost jealous. Sounds like you’ve had quite the exciting life here. Who knows, perhaps you and I can scale the tower some time, mhm?” he asked. Despite his general state of slight amusement, the man didn’t seem to be joking: if anything, he seemed a bit too eager, his imagination having flared. “Just… don’t tell my insurance company. My worth would plummet,” he winked at her.

“I would, however, wait to make any assumptions regarding this date until it’s over,” he leaned back slightly on the comfortable chair, “If by the end of the night you still feel like you’ve been on dates ‘much like this one,’” he echoed, “I will conclude that I am not worthy of pursuing you further, and shan’t bother you anew.”

“How amicable of you.”

She scrunched her nose as she smiled, teasing him, “Having only met you I already find it hard to believe you’d think yourself unworthy of anything.”

Odette saw the waiters begin carrying silver platters with entrees and appetizers, she had failed to notice any significant amount of time that had passed since they placed their orders. It clearly had as the Eiffel Tower was long left in the background now. Time had slipped by her. The servers both placed their steaming entrees before them, offering freshly ground pepper - efficiently filling their glasses with water as quickly as they had come they bowed their heads and quietly said their bon appetit. Before her was a plate that could have easily been pulled from magazine pages, the smell alone made her stomach rumble.

She almost wished she was at home to eat this.

Pleasantly she smiled raising her glass of wine to David, “Bon appétit, David.”

“Bon appétit,” he echoed, the sound of glass hitting against glass filling the air.

Dinner was... well, wonderful, much to his chagrin. Unlike Odette, David had no qualms devouring his steak (with impeccable manners, naturally). However, most of the course they spent talking and enjoying each other’s company. David could not count the number of women he’d dated, from veritable bimbos to artists of renown and neuroscientists... but in the brief time he’d known her, none seemed quite as exciting as her. Perhaps it was the fact that she led a double life, just like him or the fact that he knew just how dangerous she was... but whatever it was, a part of his brain had to constantly remind him that he was playing a game here: every time she did that little thing with her nose and smiled, or took him somewhere else with an anecdote, or looked at him like she could chew him up and spit him out. Even when they engaged in a battle of wits -which was more often than not,- subtly quipping and counter-wisecracking, even when he cheated, she still managed to make him drop his guard ever so slightly. Something easily corrected, of course, but which should not have happened to begin with.

By the time their courses were retired, they had gone through most of the bottle of wine, and had made their first pass across the Invalides, the Grand Palais, the Assemblee Nationale and the Musée d’Orsay, and where slowly creeping up to the Louvre: a place he knew intimately. Despite all this, his notice of them was passing at best.

Failing to stifle another giggle behind her hand, she said, “If there comes a time when-” Eyes glided up to look out the windows but not before catching another set of eyes staring at them from across the dining area, she continued to look away up to the scenery pretending she hadn’t noticed them, changing what she was about to say, “. . .When someone knows that staring across the room is incredibly rude.” She chewed at the inside of her cheek.

She looked back to David, “Behind you there is a pair of strangers staring us down, I do not recognize them. I do not normally get accosted in public for ballet.”

It is because I usually can cast a spell on them to ignore me., she thought, drumming her nails against the table.

David frowned slightly at this, looking back over to them. A dawning suspicion grew on him, the man shooting them an irritated look.

“Well,” he turned back to look at her, his features softening into a pleasant smile, “This is kind of a high-end restaurant. Not the craziest place to find some of your fans. Don’t worry, though, I know just how to deal with them.”

With that, he turned around again and flipped them off. This earned him a couple of wide eyes from a guest or two that caught the gesture, but the thief did not seem to mind terribly, as the quartet became rather flustered at all the attention they were suddenly receiving, looking away and muttering amongst themselves.

David smiled at her, although something in the back of his mind told him this wasn’t quite over. “See? Sometimes being the rudest person in the room is the best way to deal with undesirables,” he noted, taking a small sip from his glass. “Not that I’d want you to cultivate such a dreadful image of me,” he added, though there was a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

“David,” She admonished without any heat, her frown melting away into a small laugh, “It seemed to work, this time.”

Squinting at their backs before returning to David, “More wine?”

“Please,” he smiled, mildly happy he hadn’t completely blown it, “In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I’m afraid I must use the service. Why don’t you get us another bottle in the meantime? We still have another couple of hours before the cruise is over,” he asked as he stood up, neatly placing his napkin on the table.

As he passed her by, his hand idly caught a stray strand of blue hair, neatly tucking it behind her ear without actually ever touching her: mostly sleight of hand, coupled with a small measure of his power, almost imperceptible tendrils of darkness finishing the job for him. He smiled to himself: he was getting better.

And if his suspicions were right, some unfortunate folks were about to learn just how much.

She sat still as he nearly touched her, a hand curling around the hem of her dress. As he passed she turned in her seat to watch his back disappear, noticing a pair from the table that stared at them had gotten up to leave shortly after David had.

He never did quite make it to the bathroom, sneaking instead to the outside terraces. He was careful to make sure Odette did not see, but obvious enough that the nosy table would.

As expected, eventually two of the four ‘rude guests’ made it to the deck, which was fortunately vacated. The couple, a man and a woman, looked around for David, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where the hell did he...”

The woman was never able to finish her phrase as a pair of shadowy tentacles seemed to appear out of nowhere, covering both their mouths and effectively muffling all sound. Another four tendrils wrapped around their wrists, preventing them from moving their arms freely.

“I am assuming since one of the ladies is hereafter I showed you the bird, you’re not just here to kick my ass for being a tad too cheeky,” David appeared behind them: his shadowplate might make him stealthier, but he did not need it for a good old disappearing act. The shadows twisted them around, forcing the pair to face him. “You’re Obscurati, are you not?”

Both of them shot venom at him with their eyes. David sighed, and not being one to hurt a defenseless lady, he gave the man a low left hook, right in the kidney. His eyes widened, his knees buckled, but David’s shadowmancy wouldn’t let him fall to the ground.

“You people have tested my patience far enough. Listen to me, and listen to me closely: I don’t have the Heart of Erebus anymore. It’s disappeared. Gone when it gave me these powers. And I am certainly not interested in making any deals with you lunatics,” he sighed, “At first I figured I would just vanish, make you give up. But I’m starting to see that is no longer an option. I don’t know how you’re tracking me, and frankly, whilst our little game of cat and mouse was amusing at first… now you’ve decided to meddle in my private life. That was a colossal mistake.”

He began adjusting his suit. “Here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to go back to enjoying my lovely date, and you two are going to enjoy a lovely swim in the Seine. Once you get out, you’re going to call your bosses and tell them to start running scared: Noir is bringing the war to them.”

Their screams were never heard as the shadows flung them over the boat and dragged them inside the water. David waited for a few moments, keeping his concentration before finally releasing them. And with that, he went back inside: he’d figure out how to deal with the other two goons as he went. After all, the mark of a great thief was knowing how to improvise when things didn’t go according to plan.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” the man apologized as he returned to his seat, a small smile on his face, “I promise not to make a habit of it.”

While David had been quite busy Odette received a few visitors of her own. She maintained a strained smile, a new bottle of wine sat on their table and her foot anxiously bounced under the table. To her left, noses pressed up against the windows spotty faces of three happy Selkies smiling toothily at their Ambassador. Waving and calling out to her in common fey for her ears and her ears only. With no way to tell them to go away, they carried on, oblivious to her apparent attempts to ignore them.

More selkies joined the other side, not before getting distracted by something in the water - pushing away from the windows to investigate.

The wine in the bottle sloshed as their presence moved the water to them and made waves splash against the barge. Forcing the captain to adjust course.

“Welcome back.” she said, forcing her foot to settle on the ground, “I hope everything is alright?”

Trying to focus on him instead of the Selkies.

“Why wouldn’t I be? As far as I’m concerned, I am currently one of the luckiest men on earth,” he deflected, donning his best smile as he served her some more wine, trying not to look back at the other two. For all their crazy cultist talk, the Obscurati had so far been discreet in public. He’d just have to trust there hadn’t been a change in policy. Subtly, he attempted to change the subject, “I have to say, that’s quite the tattoo you have on your back. A yew tree?” he prodded.

Odette nodded, “Oui, you have a good eye. It is a yew tree. I have a special. . .” She searched for the right word in English, pursing her lips as she did, “L’attirance, a connection to the symbol of the Yew. I promised myself to only get one tattoo in my life, the hair,” She chuckled, “Is already pushing it for ballet while tattoos are frowned upon for dancers.”

Glancing down at the table, away from the Selkies, “Deciding on a large, tasteful, depiction of a tree on my back was my way around the rules.”

“There are always loopholes,” she noted quietly, mostly to herself. Glancing back to the right, expecting to see the Selkies return - the window was vacant, she turned to the left and saw they were gone as well, something got their attention. Confusion writ on her expression.

Deep below the waters, the selkies were drawn by the thrashing of bodies trying to swim against the current with no real luck. They surrounded the man and woman, invisible to them especially in the darkened waters of the Seine. Rubbery hands gripped their legs tugging them underwater, wherein the darkness the faerie revealed themselves to the cultists. Their mouths opened, gaping happily at the cultists - greeting them with their teeth, touching their faces as they dragged them lower to the bottom of the river. Bubbles at the surface where the cultists disappeared, rapidly skimmed then slowly faded. Unseen, impossible to tell with no natural light, were blots of blood rising to the surface as the bubbles once had.

Descending from the shadows of the Louvre came the shrouded figure, witnessing the deaths in the only way she knew how to: by screeching into the night. Her wail ripped across the Seine, her pale face in agony as she sailed over the spot where the cultists were seen last. Her wailing persisting for a few minutes, piercing ears, chilling bones, signaling the sometimes abrupt end mortals face.

All the patrons aboard Le Calife carried on while Odette waited for the Banshee to complete her cry. Schooling her expression, however, what surprised her was David’s reaction.

He had been listening to her intently, trying (and failing) to remember any kind of symbolism that was particularly connected to the yew tree. He opened his mouth, about to spew a clever remark, as always.

“Well, I think...” he paused, however, a frown drawing on his expression, nose burrowing, almost as if he’d caught wind of a bad smell.

His eyes suddenly widened, pain visible in his contorting features as he brought both hands up to his ears.

“CHRIIIIIIIIST! What in the Devil’s name is that?!” he cried.

The dome lights began to violently flicker, and the candlelight between them went out entirely. A few patrons looked at him with concern, others at the lights above them. Odette’s expression clued him in: he had to be the only one who could hear it. He looked around, noticing no one else seemed to be affected. He even suspected some kind of sonic attack, but the two remaining Obscurati seemed as confused as everyone else.

Desperate, the man breathed in quickly through his nose. It was hard to concentrate, but fortunately, he’d always fared well under pressure: with a magnanimous effort, he created two small earplugs, pure darkness clogging them.

It took him a moment to compose himself: for the first time in a long time, he found himself at a loss for words, the room’s lights returning to normal.

“I... I’m sorry,” he told her, although he could not hear himself speaking, a hint of a blush in his cheeks, “I truly don’t know what just came over me.”

Staring at him, Odette only broke her eyes away to look at the lights then the candle. Her brow furrowed as the wailing began to fade, the barge continued to sail away from the deaths and banshee, she hadn’t known a banshee to effect the lights with her wail before. . .perhaps she had known the people that died and that was why it was different? David… he without a doubt heard her wail, but he hadn’t seen the selkies. Was he transitioning to see and hear them? The selkies were right in the window. . .She was confused, he had no idea what he just heard that much was clear by his reaction.

“Monsieur Blackwood,” She began her tone shifting, the first question to naturally ask, “What exactly did you hear?”

David could not hear a word she was saying, but fortunately, Swiss and the Quiet Man had taught him the art of reading lips during the early stages of his ‘career'.

“I… I’m sure it was nothing,” he stuttered unconvincingly, “Perhaps I have a mild ear infection?”

Now, that was perhaps the crappiest excuse he’d ever given, but all things considered, he was fresh out of ideas, having no actual idea of what had just transpired.

Odette stared for a moment longer then relaxed, would it be worth pursuing at risk of sounding paranoid or crazy herself? How could she explain hearing a banshee or describing what he may have heard as anything else beyond a strange occurrence. The occult was a sure way to ruin dinner, as were faerie in general. Her thumb drummed on the stem of the wine glass, the longer she thought the awkward air of silence grew between them. They needed a distraction. She’d have to let it go, for now.

“Perhaps we can go for a walk?” Odette suggested, “Get some air?”

She seemed to read his mind, and his smile was almost grateful as he stood from his seat. He doubted for a moment, steeling himself as he removed the shadow-plugs. His smile widened, relieved, upon seeing the horrific, excruciating cry had disappeared. His composure seemed to return to him as he straightened up, his smile growing enigmatic.

“Actually, I think I have a better idea. Come with me, I have a little surprise for you,” he invited her, motioning towards their waiter and signalling towards the bottle and glasses, the man nodding in some sort of silent agreement between the two.

Another staff member pulled aside a red velvet cord from one of its black and brass posts, allowing them passage down a set of stairs, leading them down to a door. David opened it halfway, signaling with a hand for her to enter.

“After you, Mademoiselle.”

As soon as she would enter, she would be greeted by a beautiful, bending stairway, its golden railings leading down to an oval room. As they began to descend, the room slowly illuminated, spotlights shining down one by one on the cleared area to present an improvised ballroom. In the back sat a beautiful, 1879 Steinway piano, a lady in an elegant dress behind it, a small, string band sitting nearby. However, they remained mostly shrouded in darkness, as if to create the illusion that they were not entirely there.

Their first step on the dancefloor served as the cue for the band, which began to play a beautiful, slow waltz. David extended a hand to her.

“Would you do me the honour?”

The sight of the dancefloor warmed Odette to the core, the hesitation she had following him across the threshold down the stairs evaporated, the music brought a certain light to her eyes. When her eyes settled on David, inviting her to dance with him. She found herself having no doubt in his sincerity, placing her hand in his.

“Oui, Monsieur.” She said softly.

As his hand closed around hers lifting it up while his other hand rested on her waist, easily the closest they had been all evening. Her free hand rested, informally, against his shoulder between their arms, Odette followed his lead, her gaze not leaving his own. The small bit of tension that had been present all evening began to bubble anew between them, as they stepped in time to the waltz, moving as one.

“You know how to dance.” She stated, matter-of-factly.

David chuckled as they glided across the dancefloor. “That is high praise coming from you, Mademoiselle,” he seemed to thank her, “My family was rather keen on me being able to… adapt to any kind of social situation.”

Why the hell was he talking about his family right now? And what perfume was that?

“I did my best to show my discontent with it all, but I always secretly loved to dance,” he noted as he lifted his arm, his posture perfect as she gracefully twirled around beneath it, finally catching her as their bodies knelt in unison, “I even caught on to a few tricks of my own.”

Pressed against his torso as they knelt she held her breath involuntarily, smoothly being brought back up to standing stepping in a circle together all in time to the music, responding as they danced, “Your secret love of dance is safe with me,” she said, stretching out their arms they stepped in unison once more in a circle holding each other’s hand, “Dancing for me is freedom.”

With a slight tug Odette spun back into his arms once more, “Free to choose, free to express. . .” She leaned over his shoulder to whisper, “Freedom to simply be.”

“Is that what you want?” he whispered back, the volume of his voice matching her own.

Odette tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.

He held her close, eyes gazing deep into her own as he began leading into a particularly complicated set of steps for a waltz. Unsurprisingly, she had no trouble following him as they hovered above the wooden boards, their dance becoming almost something out of fantasy.

“I believe you believe it is. Truly,” his words were soft, for her ears only, “And perhaps it is, in some small measure. But please, let’s be candid for a moment here... You want to choose? To express? You couldn’t care less what the world thinks about you. You just want them to think you do. And I know you want more than to simply be.”

He raised his hand again, her dress floating as she began elegantly twirling around him, speaking in pace with her turns. “You want to know the unknowable. To control the uncontrollable. To triumph against the unbeatable. But it’s never enough, is it?” he asked as he caught her, “It’s never enough to truly feel.”

For a moment, it was hard to discern whether he was talking about her, or himself. The music slowed down, and they took a step apart to perform a courtsey, signalling the end of the dance. He held onto her hand a second longer than was warranted, before bowing to her.

The music came to a stop, leaving a charged silence between the two. David proceeded to calmly remove his cufflinks, then his jacket, walking away to leave it aside, neatly folded. As he returned, he rolled up his sleeves, before looking towards the band and producing two, circular motion with his index finger pointing towards the ceiling. Understanding, they began playing a fiery bachata song.

He came close, but did not embrace her even as his hands got into position, waiting, almost challenging her to join him.

Knowing what pace he was about to set, Odette straightened her hair and stepped up. As if she’d shy away from something even if it was outside her normal wheelhouse.

She was the professional, afterall.

Placing her hands in his, she smiled then followed him once more into the steps. Knowingly he wrapped his arm around her torso, no space between them now. It felt as though they were hitting a carnal chorus line. Odette knew as he found his way beneath her skin, she had the same effect on him.

As they danced it became increasingly clear, there would be only one outcome for the evening.

The bachata called for loose hips, depending on David to balance her weight against himself, quick and decisively fluid steps. It was surely a complex movement but they made it look easy.

They no longer found themselves talking, yet their conversation carried on.

As the music picked up, their movements became more frenzied, yet at the same time, more intimate. An intuitive choreography where, no matter how much they twisted and turned, knelt and rebound, their bodies always found each other. He could barely think as her entirety arched in teasing motions; as he pressed his hands upon her belly, her shape moving in unison with his; as she threw her arms around his neck, her breath warm and inviting, red, truly red lips mere barely an inch away from his own.

The music died down and they stood like so for… well, he wasn’t quite sure. Sweat ran down their foreheads, their chests heaving together, their noses brushing against each other.

It took him all the willpower he had to take a step back, never really letting go of her. “Perhaps... perhaps we should get some air,” he suggested, a smile on his face as he tried, for once, not to make eye contact.

Gripping his shirt in a fist she held, finding her thoughts back on track counting her breaths as her heart had drummed on. Nodding against his forehead, pushing off from him slipping out of his hands, placing a hand over her chest. For a moment her thoughts weren’t with her, their dance was just a blur of movement. The pianist stood handing them cloth napkins, Odette dabbed carefully wary of her makeup. They climbed the stairs back up to the upper decks, where they could step outside. Walking at a leisurely pace, letting her hips sway.

Past the patrons, up the stairs to the viewing deck Odette and David arrived to the railings, looking out with a slight evening breeze greeting them. Odette fanned her face, taking a deep breath in through her nose. Letting the moment comfortably rest, as Paris slowly passed them by.

“That was. . . exhilarating, Monsieur.” She began after some time, a certain glow warming her cheeks, turning to face him, “I-”

Scrunching her nose with another smile, it was to her surprise - genuine, “I enjoy dancing with you. As we dance around with our words, secrets, and bodies. . .” Reaching up to caress his cheek, “You are right, I want more. I am never simply satisfied, but-”

Grinning as her hand fell to his collar, she gripped the material - fire burning in her eyes, “I think you could for the night.”

For a second, he was hers. The world, the beautiful city, everything seemed to dissipate around him as her nose scrunched, as her hand gently ran down his face, as she brought him closer... then he smiled.

The spell was broken, and she was right where he wanted her.

---

“Do not turn around. I have eyes on the target. They appear to be heading to the upper deck.”

Agent Wedge, or more accurately, Shadow Agent Wedge, nodded in understanding, taking a bite out of his flan. “I do not like this,” he idly commented, his voice low, “We still have no word from our ‘friends.’ Do you think he...?”

Agent Biggs shook her head. “It does not suit his profile. He’s quite happy to hurt, but he does not kill. Did quite a number on some of our boys last night, but no casualties,” she noted, taking a bite of her own brownie, “Amateurs.”

Wedge grimaced, “That is a bit of an understatement. Have you seen what he did to Commander Sven? Punched his jaw clean off.”

“He had literally just received his powers,” she countered, “And the way I hear it, the Commander did very little to fall in his good graces.”

“I still think we should just have the bastard shot from afar,” Wedge countered, frustrated, “Give me his location and a rifle and I...”

She shook her head again, clearly the superior officer. “It’s not that easy. The Heart of Erebus now resides within him. We need to extract the body or we could lose it again. Alive, preferably, so use the non-lethal rounds. Now finish your flan, he’s distracted, and won’t see the both of us coming if we flank him. It’s unlikely we’ll get a better chance.”

“What about the girl?” Wedge asked.

“What about her?” she shrugged, licking the last chocolate goodness of her spoon, “Seine’s as good a place as any to dump a body.”

---

Bollocks, he thought. Another of those Obscurati wankers, and at the most inconvenient time of all.

He brought Odette closer to him, his hand on the small of the back as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. His eyes, however, were on the man behind Odette, producing a gun.

“My dear Odette,” he said, his concentration focused on producing inky tentacles out of the surrounding darkness, “One should be careful what they wish for... It’s like I said,” he continued, slowly, trying not to lose his concentration as a dark mass assaulted the man, twisting around his mouth and his gun hand. One of the dark tentacles began sharply snapping back, making the man smack himself with his own gun, once, twice, then a third strike that sent him careening over the railing, “One can never have too much of a good thing.”

Hearing him speak her name, she tightened her hand over his arm. Over his shoulder, Odette saw the other darkly clad Obscurati, unbeknownst to her what she actually wanted, to Odette all she knew was that they had interrupted their dining experience. In French, she comfortably switched as if it was a matter of being able to express herself more accurately, but really it was to work in a few Words of Power to dispose of the woman.

Draping her arms over David’s shoulders, making eye contact with Agent Biggs Odette’s hands glowed light blue she spoke to David, “There is no denying the pull, pooling tension.”

It was a water-based spell she had picked up from the fey, specifically Princess Lassantra. Mystic blue mist fell over Agent Biggs’ head, the colour drained from the woman’s face as the blood throughout her body was pulled into her chest. She clutched at her shirt stumbling, gripping the railing, gaping as she stared at Odette - horror etched into her expression. While the sorceress only smiled, tucking her chin against David’s shoulder. Releasing the spell closing her hand into a fist, the Selkies had returned, Odette gave a slight nod of approval. Happily, they pulled their final victim for the night into the river.

She leaned back, a hand at the nape of his neck, cold little blue wisps of light disappearing as her hand relaxed.

He furrowed his brows slightly at her choice of words. Perhaps he was a bit rustier than he thought? No, that was ridiculous. It was clearly some kind of local idiom he was unfamiliar with.

Besides, what did it matter? She wanted him… and she was far more than he had expected. Than he could’ve hoped for. She was maliciously smart, twistedly funny and painfully beautiful. He could almost feel the tension between them, energy crackling in their proximity. All the Gods in the Olympus be damned, he wanted her.

‘I will steal your heart,’ he thought to himself.

He then smiled at her, the back of his fingers caressing her cheek before cupping it, slowly sliding to the base of her neck.

“Don’t say I never warned you,” he whispered, then leaned in as the hand on the small of her back brought her close against his body.

His kiss was soft yet deep, a conundrum in and of itself. The thief flavoured it, yet showed restraint, controlling his eagerness.

Passion, mystery, death, drama, and romance. Things Odette once believed impossible to achieve in a single night. As his lips found hers, she wanted to know more, pull back the layers and find the strange shrouded heart. Keep it for herself and herself alone, this fine, new - delicate thing she held in her arms.

Surely she was strong enough to prevent the past from repeating itself, surely her equal was out there man or woman. The only way to find them was to look, not only look but to see. She felt his restraint, the invitation. Breathing in deep from her nose, they naturally parted after a few moments held in suspended time.

“Don’t hold back.” She breathed.

“Heh,” he laughed under his breath, “If you only knew, my dear. If you only knew.”

---

*This is a real place, yo. If you’re ever in Paris, treat yourself.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

The next chapter for Hexes and Hoaxes should be done soonish! For those eagerly awaiting ;). @Crooked Knight