Duoya

/ / H A L C Y O N / /

---

Darrin pulled his coat closer to his body as he trudged through the snow, shaking softly in the freezing temperatures. Even with three layers of clothes, the mountain was far colder than anything the young man had ever experienced. He felt like this must have been what Frankenstein must have been feeling when he was discovered by Captain Walton in the artic. And to think, Darrin thought it was bad when he finally returned to St. Austell...

"A-are we there yet...?"

Darrin's voice creaked from behind chattering teeth, the young man eager to reach cover. Around 3 meters away, Cu Sith was walking slowly into the storm, moving in a strange path that zigged and shifted at random. Darrin had learned to follow the path his familiar set when he plunged knee-deep in the snow, soaking his pants and boots. The beast turned and shook its head at its master, eliciting a cracking sound from the bark that made up its neck.

Darrin sighed.

'I'm biting the bullet - Can we start going to the cave?'

And almost immediately, Darrin felt his arm completely lose feeling from the elbow down, shooting out to the right without any input on Darrin's part.

Darrin nodded and broke into a jog - or, at least as close to one as he could manage in the snow. It was a terribly uncomfortable feeling; as if someone had emptied out Darrin's arm and jammed their own inside it, wearing it like some kind of meat suit. But Cernunnos didn't like talking, and this was how the god directed Darrin back to his home months ago - so Darrin knew that eventually, he'd regain control and it'd be like nothing happened...

Darrin was still going to rush this as much as he could though. Just because he knew it was harmless didn't mean it wasn't super uncomfortable...

When he was visited by the voices in his dreams and given the options for getting to Sky Palace (Dennis? Darrin really couldn't keep track of all the names), Darrin wanted to avoid considering the path with spiders and other bugs. He wasn't really sure how easily he could get help if any were venomous, and he'd never been spelunking before. But at this point, he felt like a few stings would be worth it if only to take a break from the chill and the wind.

Within minutes, the cave opening came into view. Cu Sith entered first and sat a few meters inside, and Darrin was quick to follow. Even the mouth of the cave felt significantly warmer than the outside, if only because it was shielded from the intense winds from outside. Darrin squatted against the cave wall and removed his gloves, pressing his hands deep into Cu Sith's fur. The dog's skin really felt like wood... but at least it was warm. Darrin pet the dog in this manner for a minute or so, the creature uncaring for the attention.

Darrin stared deeper into the cave as he put his gloves back on. It was... definitely dark. Reaching into his pack, Darrin removed a flashlight and flicked it on. Darrin smiled as the cave suddenly lit up, a few small spiders skittering away from the sudden brightness.

"Man, I'd have killed for one of these a few years ago..."

---

As it turned out, navigating a cave was really hard. Like, really hard. Everything looked the exact same, and there were more than a few times when Darrin's arm threw itself in a seemingly random direction only for him to notice an opening that had blended in with the shadows cast from his flashlight. Cu Sith thankfully was in the lead, breaking through webs and taking dozens of bites without flinching.

Eventually, they reached an opening in the system that made navigation much more simple. Darrin rubbed his forearm, thankful to finally have it back under his own control.

"Never going to get used to that..."

Unfortunately, the freedom from his god giving him directions came at the cost of way more spiders... The ground seemed to have already been cleared, a path of green goo and splattered exoskeletons indicating that someone must have walked through recently. Pointing his light to the ceiling, Darrin felt nauseous when it looked like the top of the cave was moving. A sea of spiders, agitated by the sudden lighting, seemed to border holes in the ceiling of the cave. Pointing his light back down, Darrin simply followed the path his predecessors laid out, hoping the squished spiders might dissuade other spiders from coming. It seemed like the majority of the spiders stayed near the ceiling for some reason.

As he passed by a mound of spiders, Darrin pointed his light at it, causing them to move slightly and show what they were swarming. Some bat-like creature was being eaten by the spiders, having been restrained by bandages and left to die. That explained why there were so many more on the ceiling of the cave - they must eat these bats. The restrained bat wriggled as the light hit it, only enticing more spiders to come investigate the catch. Darrin, decided now would probably be a good time to leave, before a big spider found the free meal someone left for it. The thought of using his power crossed Darrin's mind - making the cave harder to navigate would mean he'd have a much easier time escaping from any more of these bat things and spiders...

...Then again, it'd also be a death sentence for anyone else here. Darrin didn't really want to accidentally kill anyone, especially if they were new communicators like him. And if gods were as petty as the stories made them out to be, then killing their communicators was probably an easy way to end up on their shit list.

Instead, he continued walking down the path, allowing Cu Sith to squish any spiders they encountered and doing his best to think about how warm Sky Palace probably was. It felt like days had passed by the time they finally reached a dead end, though really Darrin knew it had been an hour at most. A loud rumbling caught Darrin's attention, and immediately he slid behind a stalagmite and flicked his flashlight off. Peaking from his hiding position, Darrin saw two humanoid shapes holding torches next to a doorway. Darrin sighed and left his hiding position, walking towards the figures. Those most have been the people who were walking in front of him - Darrin would have to thank them for taking care of all the big stuff!

As he came closer, however, Darrin saw that they had both stopped and were now in defensive stances. Peering over, the young man soon realized why the pair were nervous - they were right in front of a giant cobra!

... Well, it wasn't actually that scary. Darrin had never seen a cobra before, but the anacondas in the rainforest were a lot longer than this thing. And while it was probably still intimidating for these guys, Darrin had nothing to fear from snakes anymore.

Darrin focused on the creature, imagining himself wearing its body like a skinsuit, displacing its flesh with his own, splintering its bones, eating it alive. When Darrin blinked, he opened the snake's eyes.

'Weird! No move body, want move! MOVE! BITE!'

God (Gods?), this felt weird both ways, huh? Darrin ignored the snake's thoughts, trying to justify the guilt he felt at taking over its body. He could hear it after all - it wanted to kill these people, so he shouldn't feel guilty at what he was about to do. It took a few seconds of flailing around to get used to the snake's body before Darrin managed to twist it onto its back, exposing the neck and vital organs.

"Cu Sith, I can't really see right now - mind walking me to them?"

The dog quickly responded, lightly biting Darrin's sleeve and dragging him over to the pair. As he came into the snake's vision, Darrin waved to the two other communicators.

"Hey, sorry if that freaked you guys out! I don't get to use the 'Controlling Snakes' thing much, so it might have looked a little weird..."

'AHHHHHHHHHH! Stop showing stomach! DANGER! Strike while prey distracted! Strike now, move! WHY BODY NO MOVE!?'

Darrin shook his head slightly. He'd have to ask one of the voices if there was a way to mute these things the next time he went to sleep.

"Not sure if you guys want to kill it or let it loose, but it's pretty angry right now. I'd probably have to send it a bit back into the cave if we're doing the latter."

@Hitman@King Cosmos

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Despite his best efforts to mask how uncomfortable he was, Toma wasn't skilled enough to hide it. That was probably to be expected - he wasn't really sure how to act when he was near so many people for the first time, and while he was far from an introvert, it would probably take a while before he could avoid feeling claustrophobic in such a large crowd.

Toma jumped slightly when another student sat in the chair next to him, suprised.

"Hello. My name is Alexis. I could taste your fear from across the room. Mind kicking it up a notch? My favorite flavor is abject terror."

Toma felt a little disturbed thanks to her choice of words, but she was smiling and her voice was amiable. Maybe it was a city thing to talk about tasting fear, or it was some kind of joke...

Eventually, he relented and began to relax. Even if she was a little eccentric, she was willing to initiate a conversation with him - Storalla knows that he probably wouldn't have worked up the courage to talk to another student during the feast.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am not very good at being scared on command..."

Toma stopped talking for several seconds until he realized that he hadn't introduced himself yet and had pretty much shut down any conversation from happening.

"Oh, um, my name is Toma - it is a pleasure to meet you, Alexis."

Toma wasn't exactly sure what the people at Hoseforn would be like, especially since the only people his age that he knew left Whitelot years before for various apprenticeships, but he felt Alexis was pretty tolerable. Wait, that sounded kind of harsh... Toma really didn't know anything about her other than how she looked, so he was struggling to form an opinion on her. Alexis' white hair and red eyes made Toma think that she was some kind of nonhuman, but other than that she looked like a normal person - maybe she was an elf, or a human that really doesn't go outside, like, ever.

Really, even if she was an Orc, Toma was just glad that he could finally talk to someone his age.

"How are you enjoying things at the academy so far? I only arrived an hour or two ago, and the stables here could easily fit all the livestock from my hometown. That's not even mentioning the water-dispensing contraption in our rooms - that's probably worth more than the rest of my village put together!"

Small talk - his mother had told Toma before he left that the best way to get better at talking with people... was by talking with people.

The room was mostly full at this point, with the table the pair were sitting at being one of the least populated. Toma was honestly a little glad for that - there were hundreds of people within the hall and having a table that was relatively unfilled made him feel less crowded.

The lights began to dim, and Toma turned to look at the part of the hall that remained lit. An empty table was slowly being filled with people, presumably the head staff of the school. Toma was a little uncomfortable with the presence of the Goblin and Drow (Toma never heard of a goblin smart enough to be a teacher, but considering his own illiteracy, he didn't feel right to pass too much judgment), but only became concerned when a woman with the lower half of a snake literally slithered into view.

Toma knew that he would struggle with interacting with nonhumans - he had only ever seen a few Elves and a Dwarf before, with the rest of his knowledge on other races coming from stories he heard by older adults... And most of those stories usually started with Orcs eating people or Sirens singing men to their graves. But this lady actually looked like a monster - he might mistake a Siren or an Orc for a human if it was dark, but no one would think that a person that was half snake was a human. If she was a student, Toma felt he could probably just keep his distance and try not to talk too much with her. But she was a teacher - what could he do? Sit in the back of her classes and pray that she gets full from eating the other students first?

Toma didn't seem to realize how ridiculous it was to think a teacher at a famous academy would devour a student.

As Ms. Rickter spoke, Toma only grew more uncomfortable. He was still nervous about her being a Naga - a lifetime of prejudice wouldn't be erased with a short speech. However, this was dwarfed by how ashamed Toma felt. She didn't speak like a monster, and when she was talking about the rules, Toma found them to be quite reasonable. If someone had stolen from him, he would definitely want them to be punished (Though he'd prefer to kick their ass rather than have them be expelled from such a nice school...) - it only made sense that she would have felt the same way, if he had said something about her appearance.

When she spoke about classes, Toma desperately hoped that he would not be placed into any that Ms. Rickter instructed - if he felt this ashamed just from judging the woman too quickly, he couldn't imagine how bad he'd feel if he did something to offend her.

Toma was shocked again as food seemingly materialized on the table, but he was beginning to grow less surprised as his day went on. Not that things were becoming less fantastical - but after so many impossible events in a row and a week since his last hot meal, Toma really didn't have the energy to be shocked at his ignorance of magic. Instead, he reached for the pitcher of wine and began to fill his cup, before grabbing the roasted leg of some bird he couldn't identify.

"Our Teachers seen quite... Unique, don't you think? I didn't expect Mr. Hoseforn to be so brief."

Toma ate voraciously, finding the food to be far tastier than anything he had back in Whitelot. The young man had never even had salt before, let alone the more exotic seasonings and spices that covered the food. Despite the small town's proximity to a coastal trade city like Windlton, Whitelot lacked the funds necessary to buy luxury items like spices. Soon the feelings of shame at his racism began to fade, instead being replaced by curiosity.

Tarkus, the paladin who had applied Toma to Hoseforn, didn't seem very rich. He was an accomplished adventurer or at least claimed to be, but he settled down in a backwater town with only a single magic item to his name. Did the man just save every gold piece he ever received and used that to pay for Toma's admission? Toma couldn't imagine the Paladin doing that, even if they did have a good relationship, but what other explanation was there? Even if Toma knew what a scholarship was, he would doubt that someone illiterate like he was could receive one.

The hall had seemed to erupt in conversation after the food appeared, students eager to talk with one another and make friends. A few students, seemingly uninterested in the food, were already leaving. As he finished his second glass of wine, Toma paused and reached for the pitcher of water. Classes were starting tomorrow, and while he wouldn't be surprised if Hoseforn Academy had some magical hangover cure, Toma really didn't want to risk a blinding headache on his first day.

Toma also grabbed several apples and carrots, placing them into his pack for later. Oats, like his name suggests, favored cereal and grains more than fruits and vegetables... But Toma really doubted that the donkey would complain about a free meal. Remembering that girls were usually fond of animals, Toma spoke up again.

"Did you have any pets back home, Alexis? I used to live on a farm, so I had quite a few. I wish I could have brought my favorite hen, Mouse, with me..."

Toma had left the Chicken back on his family farm, after realizing that it did more work than the Donkey. Like Oats, she was named after her favorite food - She was an even better mouser than the neighbor's cat.

Toma had eaten quite a bit of food in a short span of time - he had several older siblings when he was growing up, so he had to eat quickly if he wanted to get enough. He still picked up various pieces of exotic fruits and strange meats and snacked on them, but that was mostly out of curiosity rather than hunger. He'd probably take some of the various loaves of bread with him for later, if he decided to copy some of the more asocial students that had already left the feast.

@Ryik

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Toma stretched as he came to the main gate of Hoseforn. The journey had taken a week of constant walking, and while the young man enjoyed the difference in scenery, his donkey Oats was far less amicable with the distance they had to move. Toma couldn't really blame him - after all, if he was the one pulling the cart, Toma would probably have liked the trip much less. Toma could see a few other of the new arrivals as well - although, he was the only one who was walking. Everyone else was either coming by horseback or carriage, and Toma tried to shake the jealousy he felt. He wanted to ride the small wagon he brought with him, but it was small enough that even a slight bump or hole in the path sent him falling off.

Still, no reason to be jealous - he probably could have hocked some items in Windleton if he really wanted to purchase a ride to Hoseforn. And besides, Whitelot was pretty close to Hoseforn, all things considered.

Toma directed his cart inside the academy, doing his best not to cause too much of a disturbance as he made his way through the crowd of students. He spent 10 minutes wandering around aimlessly, but luckily he managed to find the stables (after a particularly annoyed book vendor at the Hall of Preparation yelled at him). Trusting the Stable Master with Oats and his wagon, Toma quickly shifted directions to the Main Hall. Everyone else was headed there, so he probably needed to go there too!

The man marveled at the various buildings he saw in the grounds of the academy - many of the vendor stalls in the Hall of Preparation were larger than most of the houses in his home village, and the church in his town was nothing compared to the Main Hall he was walking up to. As he followed another student in, he saw a massive crystal, easily twice as tall as his home.

"Woah..."

Toma had seen a gemstone before - Mrs. Redwood had a ring with a small sapphire as its stone, something her husband had bought in Windleton for their 10th anniversary. But Toma couldn't even imagine what kind of monster would need a crystal this big to make a ring...

Toma's odd train of thought had seemed to take up a bit of time - another student was waiting behind him, clearly annoyed at how he wasn't going to the crystal in front of him. Snapping to attention (and apologizing to the student), Toma quickly walked up the gargantuan crystal. Finally, the exacerbated student grabbed Toma's shoulder and pointed towards one of the booths nearby.

"S-sorry, thank you..."

Head down and blushing, Toma quickly shuffled to the booth he was directed to. Suddenly, a rainbow of colors appeared in front of Toma, and he nearly fell back in shock, his small scream of fear causing several students to turn and look at him.

"Greeting's new student. I am Athena. Welcome to Hoseforn's Academy for Gifted Adventurers. I apologize for any surprise I may have caused you."

Toma got back up, staring uncomfortably at the crystal. He never really seen much magic before - the odd healing spell from Tarkus, the town paladin, was about all he had ever seen. Nothing nearly as advanced as this crazy crystal...

"O-oh, it's okay... Just spooked me a little, that's-"

"Please present your acceptance scroll now."

Toma quickly pulled out the scroll he had found a week ago. While most of his luggage was horribly dirty from the trip, he had managed to keep the scroll in almost pristine condition. He didn't know how to read, after all, so he wasn't sure how much damage it could take before it was illegible. A ray of light shown on the scroll as the man opened it up, and before he could be surprised again, the crystal had managed to finish its observation.

"Letter accepted. Welcome, Toma Enow."

The scroll changed before Toma's eyes, the ink shifting shape and colors until a map was formed.

"This is a map of the school grounds, your dorm number is 645. A fresh uniform and any supplies you require will be waiting for you. Please change... bathe... and return to the Main Hall within 34 minutes for the welcoming feast. Attendance is mandatory."

Toma nodded to himself, thankful that there was clearly a line leading him from the hall to his room. He wasn't exactly the most well-read, and his sense of direction wasn't the best either - trying to find his dorm would probably be impossible if not for that.

"Where's the river? I will need water if I'm to bathe."

"There is a bath within your room."

Toma shook his head and began leaving for his room. He was thankful for the help that the weird crystal thing had given him, but a bath in his room? He had heard luxuries like that existed in Windleton, for the wealthy, but he had never bathed in a private bath. He had always done so in the river...

Still, if the Crystal said it was true, it probably was. It had to know far more about this place than Toma did. Toma hastened his pace, desperate to not be late for the feast - attendance to that was mandatory!

Eventually, he came to his room - he didn't even notice the small click as the door unlocked itself for him. He did notice the luxury of the room before him, however. The dorm room was only slightly smaller than his old home... but when you considered that his old home was a single room large, and this dorm room was part of a massive academy and filled to the brim with furniture of the highest quality, Toma quickly realized that the place was probably worth more than many of the houses in his old village combined...

Toma gulped, finally coming to the realization that he really shouldn't be here. There was no way in hell he could afford it if he had to pay to be here, and Tarkus didn't exactly seem like a crazy rich guy... He fingered his Sword slightly, the thought of asking it a question coming to mind.

He shook his head and began undressing, dismissing the thought. The spirit within was far from coherent, and if he asked it a question it might go on some nonsensical word-vomit monologue again. He had given up talking to it on his journey to the academy, and Toma really didn't have the time to worry about it right now.

Peeling off his sweat-stained tunic and breeches as quickly as he could, Toma explored the room, searching for the bath that the crystal was talking about. The wardrobe had a few uniformed within, and Toma would probably leave his old clothes there only to forget about them later. There were two beds, so obviously he must share this room with another student...

Toma must have gotten here too late and they already left for the main hall! Hopefully whoever they were nice, whoever his roommate was.

Toma finally found the bath, and after about 10 minutes of investigating and burning himself, he finally managed to find how the water worked. He didn't even know what to call the tub, or how the knobs managed to make water warm - but warm water was something he was not familiar bathing with, and it felt very nice! Eager to finish as soon as possible, Toma rushed through his shower and took one of the towels nearby to cover himself with.

"How the hell do I put this on...?"

Toma had managed to don most of the school uniform, just struggling in tying the cape... cowl? The only thing he ever wore similar to it was a cloak, and he didn't see the point of such a garish item... Giving up, he simply decided he would not wear the item. If someone was upset by that, he could just ask them to show him how to put it on.

Or kick their ass if they're mean about it...

Toma fixed his belt and Baldric, making sure he wouldn't accidentally hit someone with his scabbard. Satisfied, he grabbed his map and quickly began following it towards the Main Hall, thankful that it was once more giving him directions.

---

As he arrived at the Main Hall, Toma was shocked by the sheer number of students. He didn't think he was late, but clearly, he must have been pretty close to the time the feast started. There were more people here than he had ever seen in his life...

Toma looked around, eager to find somewhere to sit and eat after his journey. Many of the tables were already claimed, older students having congregated and forming their own cliches.

Luckily, since many people were sitting with each other, there were still a few empty tables. A few tables caught his eye, especially one with a few kids dressed in weird cloaks and a dwarf (aren't they fun to eat with? They probably know the best beers). But Toma really didn't want to be rude and ask to sit with someone - besides, one of the humans looked a little annoyed already. Instead, the young man chose to sit alone - people might come in later looking for seats, and worst-case scenario, he really didn't mind eating alone. What mattered was that he was getting a free meal.

... And that he was sitting away from the more exotic students. Toma was very surprised to see so many nonhumans in the hall - humans were still the majority, but Toma would guess that a little under half were another species. Most of them were Elves and Dwarves, the odd Orc making Toma a little more nervous. Orc slaves were pretty big in Windleton thanks to their strength, similar to how Elves were valued for their dexterity and speed. Because of that, more than a few escaped Orc slaves arrived at Whitelot because of its proximity to Windleton, and while Toma couldn't remember any trouble being caused by the Orcs, he had definitely heard stories from older villagers.

Some of the students even had wings and other more exotic body parts - one girl had a fox tail, which really weirded Toma out. He never heard about a race like that... If he didn't think it would be frowned on, Toma probably would have kept a hand on his sword the whole feast.

But they were students too, right? Toma breathed slowly, making sure that he wouldn't embarrass himself as he did with the crystal from earlier. If they were too dangerous or monstrous, the academy wouldn't have accepted them. Treating them badly when he didn't know them would just make him an asshole. If they were training to be adventurers, that meant they had to be good people.

/ / H A L C Y O N / /

Darrin Maldonado, Communicator of Cernunnos

[ BASICS ]

---

[ NAME ]
Darrin Maldonado, 21st of Cernunnos

[ AGE ]
20

[ GENDER ]
Male

[ COMMUNICATOR OF ]
Cernunnos, the Horned God

[ MYTHOLOGY OF CERNUNNOS ]
Cernunnos is a being shrouded in mystery, with modern interpretations of the god being limited to the little pieces of iconography that remains of him. Cernunnos' exact domains and myths are unknown, but based on his appearances in carvings and metallurgy, it is likely that he was a god of Animals, Travel, Fertility, and Commerce. Communicators of his usually do not think very well of him, and he has a poor reputation among the other Gods for his mannerisms and his apathy towards humanity.

---

[ APPEARANCE ]

---

[ PHYSIQUE ]
Darrin has long unkempt hair and a decent-sized beard, both of which are far smaller than when he was first found. Very muscular from years of constant physical activity and fighting for his life, although he has gained body fat and lost a lot of muscle thanks to the past few months of leisure and overeating. He is covered in dozens of scars all across his body, with his hands and feet being so calloused that they're more like tanned leather than skin. He is surprisingly light-skinned thanks to the thick canopy of the forest he lived in, though his skin is much rougher than many others. Typically wears very warm clothing and gloves as he is unused to the New England weather, but prefers to walk barefoot when in warmer climates.

[ HEIGHT / WEIGHT ]
5'8 / 189 lbs

---

[ PERSONALITY ]

---

[ PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION ]
Darrin is incredibly different from what someone would expect after hearing his story. Rather than acting like some wild man, he is docile and his speech could even be called articulate. In fact, compared to many feral children who were brought back to civilization, Darrin is incredibly adjusted and well-spoken - Darrin attributes this to an active effort on reading Frankenstein constantly, which he believes preserved his ability to communicate. He is mild-mannered, though an eager extrovert who seems eager to form relationships with his peers. In fact, his eagerness could almost be called desperation - after so long away from other humans, he feels the need to make up for the years he spent alone by forming connections with as many people as possible. While he is very behind compared to his peers in academics, he is desperate to catch up and spends much of his time reading and studying, and he dreams of eventually getting a degree in the biological sciences.

Cernunnos, however, would not choose someone like this to be his Communicator. Cernunnos chooses Wild Things, not Tame Men. Under the surface of calm that Darrin tries so desperately to maintain, is a much more primal aspect of humanity. When angered or threatened, Darrin becomes brutal and violent, horribly maiming and killing anything that intimidates him. While essential to life in the wild, Darrin's willingness to inflict immense pain and suffering to those who threaten him will almost certainly become an issue in a more civilized environment. However, Darrin even after months of becoming reacquainted with society, still doesn't see anything wrong with his actions - they were the only reason he survived years ago, and in his opinion, if someone attacks him then he should be able to retaliate as much as he wants.

Both of these aspects of his personality are facsimiles of the characters in his precious Frankenstein - the calm and well-educated doctor, and the murderous monster that wanted to be accepted. The 'real' Darrin Maldonado hasn't seen the light of day since the plane crash that took his parents' lives. All that's left is a deranged man who lived in isolation for years, his only comfort and connection to the outside world being a single weathered novel.

[ LIKES / DISLIKES ]
Likes: Books, Movies, Fast Food
Dislikes: Soda, Confrontation, Being Alone

---

[ BIOGRAPHY ]

---

[ Place of Origin ]
St. Austell, UK

[ BIO ]
Born in the small town of St. Austell, England, Darrin had always been fascinated with nature. His family worked for the Eden Project, a tourist attraction that was famous for its 'Eco Domes' - miniature biospheres that emulate habitats and grow various plants, primarily for educational purposes for the visitors. Because of this, most of Darrin's young life was spent near exotic plants and the animals that came to the dome to feed on tourists' leftover food. He loved spending time in the hot, tropical dome that contained a variety of equatorial flora - he had spent a large portion of his youth in those domes, with a book in his hands. His parents would often become angry since the humidity of the dome would often render his books unusable after he was done.

For his 13th birthday, Darrin's parents decided to take a vacation to Brazil - Darrin's love of the tropical environment in the dome spurred them to take the boy to the place it was modeled after. Darrin, however, was more eager to finally see the wildlife that inhabited the tropics. As they neared their destination, Darrin was given a second gift - his father handed him a copy of Frankenstein, a book that Darrin had accidentally dropped and ruined before he could even read it.

An hour later, their plane crashed into the Amazon Rainforest.

72 people died in the crash, with Darrin being the only survivor - the crash and the next few days have been suppressed in Darrin's memory, and even he doesn't know how he survived that first week. The earliest memory he has after the accident was being far, far away from the crash, in the middle of the rainforest. The first few months were spent hiding from predators and being attacked by the insects of the forest, his only source of food being the various plants he learned about from his childhood. He lived like this for months before he worked up the nerve to begin hunting animals, and it took another month before he became skilled enough to actually catch anything. No matter how desperate he became, however, he never ate small animals - he had no clue which ones were poisonous.

Slowly, Darrin became adapted to the Green Hell he found himself in. As the years passed, he began to lose any hope of escaping or being rescued - he could walk in a straight line as much as he wanted, but inevitably something would stop him - a jaguar, a river most likely swarming with parasites and crocodiles, or just pure exhaustion. And while he would never return to the crash site out of fear of seeing his parent's corpses, he managed to cling onto a semblance of civilization all those years. The book his father had given him - Frankenstein. He read it countless times, to the point where he could probably recite it word-for-word from memory. But no matter how angry he became with his situation, or how thick the humidity and rain could become, the novel somehow managed to survive the horrific conditions it was put through.

Darrin didn't have dreams anymore. Maybe it was from the constant physical stress he was put under, or the fact his only intellectual stimuli was obsessing over how cool Frankenstein's Monster is, but his sleep was deep and barren. However, one night, he did dream. He was still in a forest, but the trees were far smaller, the canopy so close, and it was so much colder... Darrin didn't care about any of that, however, since all that mattered were the dozens of eyes watching him from the trees. Darrin heard voices coming from the trees, all of different tones and accents, disjointed as if different voices were saying different parts of the same chant. It wasn't until the words began spilling from his own mouth that he fully perceived them, however.

"SeRVice foR SALVatIon."

It was hard to understand, but Darrin knew the meaning instinctually. He accepted the deal that Cernunnos offered.

When he awoke, Darrin immediately began walking in a straight line towards nothing but one of his poorly made spears and his old Novel. It only took four days of travel by foot - perhaps Cernunnos directions were just that good, or Darrin just got lucky. He ran across a tour group and was quickly taken to the nearby Manaus City. He later learned that he had been missing for 7 years, 3 months, and 11 days. Darrin's story quickly made him into a news sensation in Brazil and his home, the United Kingdom. He was taken home, and after a few days of anxiety-inducing interviews and two months of rehabilitation, Cernunnos grew tired of waiting. Darrin found himself on a plane, delivering him to his new home in New England.

[ REASON FOR CHOICE ]
In his years of isolation, Darrin managed to achieve dominance in the Amazon - even managing to kill jaguars and crocodiles thanks to his cunning and skill with traps. As an Apex Predator and a person connected to nature on an instinctual level, Darrin was recognized by Cernunnos for his ability to survive. More importantly, the 20th Communicator had just recently died, and Cernunnos acquires new ones as soon as possible. Darrin just so happened to have the trait that Cernunnos values most in his Communicators - he was desperate. And Cernunnos, as a god of Travel, also had something that Darrin wanted more than anything else - Directions back home.

---

[ POWERS ]

---

[ RELICS / FAMILIARS ]

The Faerie Dog

The creature glares angrily at Darrin, and the young man slowly slides the burger he was eating towards it. It immediatly begins devouring the meal, pleased at its master's acquiescence.

Cu Sith - A massive green-haired dog, roughly the size of a young cow or small horse. Its tail is long and seemingly composed of leaves, and the legs of the creature are more akin to bark from a tree rather than flesh and bone. On its chest, the 'fur' is parted slightly, revealing the following symbol carved onto the bark-like skin beneath: ᚛ᚃᚔᚉᚆᚓ᚜. The Cu Sith lacks the scouting abilities of familiars like Huginn and Muninn and is incapable of stealth due to its sheer size. Rather, its role as a familiar is more akin to the Bull of Heaven - raw strength and intimidation.

The Cu Sith is capable of inflicting fear and panic onto those who hear its bark. In legends, repeated barks from the creature could even kill. While the familiar lacks the potency claimed in its legend, the fear it imposes is still enough to cause the average man to run for cover after a howl or two.

It should be noted, however, that this supernatural fear only functions at night and outdoors. During the day or inside a building, it's only as scary as a massive dog barking at you... which is still pretty intimidating. And even with the supernatural fear in effect, the especially brave are able to continue relatively undaunted.

[ POWERS ]
The man had been running long enough that his body was beginning to shut down - and yet, he could see the clearing of trees he had bled on hours ago coming into view. He buckled over and grasped his knees, panting heavily and praying to find an to escape this green hell. When he regained his breath and turned, he could see a small mob of Stags staring at him from the cover of the trees.

Terra Incognita - Darrin is capable of electing an area up to a kilometer in radius and completely destroy people's sense of direction within the area, as well as preventing them from learning the layout while the effect is in place. While useless in a clear open space, when within a maze or forest escape from the area is near impossible without some supernatural ability. It even goes so far as to scramble GPS and Magnets, although leaving a trail of some kind will still work.

Rules of Nature - Darrin is capable of dominating animals, temporarily gaining control over their bodies and senses. Animals that are released from this control are either very shaken from the experience (such as small prey and domesticated animals) or become very aggressive (predators and territorial animals). He is limited to only controlling Deer, Snakes, and Dogs, can only control three animals in this manner at a time, and controlling more than one at a time can be incredibly disorientating.

[ INVOCATION ]

Cernunnos' 'True Form'

Sìleas O'Doylei, the 12th of Cernunnos, sacrificing her right arm to perform Invocation against a Demigod of Yamata no Orochi, resulting in both of their deaths.

Cernunnos is not invoked in a manner similar to most gods. Rather than coming into being himself, Cernunnos summons his previous communicators when invoked, generating them from the current Communicator's blood and lost body parts. The maximum number of past Communicators that can be invoked is 20, but due to the amount of blood and flesh needed for this being too much to survive, only 10 at most can be done with any hope of living afterward. Doing so would still take off multiple limbs, however - even trying to invoke just one would be too damaging to use as a regular ability, needing around a liter of blood or a bit more than a finger worth of flesh. While this method of Invoking is incomparably weaker to a typical Communicator's, the sheer number of bodies and aggression is enough to act as a great distraction. It is akin to a lizard tearing off its tail or leg in order to escape a predator, only the communicator cannot regrow these lost parts.

The reason for this odd method of Invocation is because Cernunnos, unlike many gods, lacks a concrete physical form - the reason his iconography and myths are so rare is that he simply lacked a body. When he wished to interact with humans (on the rare occasions he did), he had to control an animal and act through them - this is what led to his depiction as a 'Horned God'. Since he has no form that can be Invoked normally, Invoking the God summons his Communicators, which served as his 'body' while they were alive.

[ OTHER INTERESTS/SKILLS ]
Trap Making - One of the main reasons Darrin survived in the wilderness for as long as he did. Snares, Deadfalls, and Pits are his forte, with more advanced and mechanical traps being a bit beyond his ability to operate.

Stealth - Darrin knows how to move quietly and avoid making noises, to the point where he could sneak up on animals in order to pounce and kill them. While great for stalking people in the wilderness, Darrin's unfamiliarity with technology makes it difficult to hide indoors (he keeps forgetting cameras and motion sensors are a thing).

Survival - Darrin is able to survive in brutal conditions, and knows how to find food and clean water where the average person would starve. He can make simple shelters and fire that can take the intense humidity of the rainforest, as well as notice and follow tracks most wouldn't even see. This skill is limited to warm and temperate climates however - Darrin has no clue how to survive a real winter.

Philosophy - Ever since Darrin got back to society, he's loved talking with people about moral and philosophical issues that he had been stuck thinking about on his own. His views are usually a lot simpler than others due to his lifestyle, however.

Wood Carving - One of the few things that kept Darrin going when he was lost, he uses it is as a coping mechanism when stressed. He's very good, and could probably make a living off it if he really tried.

Reading - Even before he was lost, Darrin loved reading classical literature and books. For years, his only reminder of civilization was his decaying copy of Frankenstein, which he still has to this day. An easy way to get on his good side is to get him a good book.

---

[ MISC. ]

---

[ BIRTHDAY / SIGN ]
October 25th, Scorpio

[ FAVORITES / LEAST FAVORITES ]
Favorite:
Movie: Titanic
Food: Burgers
Drink: Water
Book: Frankenstein

Least Favorite:
Movie: Cast Away (Though Jungle Book is a close second)
Food: Wild Bananas
Drink: Pepsi
Book: N/A

[ SEXUAL PREFERENCE ]
Bisexual

[ MUSIC/MOVIE/BOOK/GAME TYPE ]
Enjoys Classic Literature and Romcoms, doesn't really listen to music.

Communicators of Cernunnos

13

"My familiar is quite incapable - it's missing a leg! O lord, could you grant me a different servant?"
-Phineas O'Doylei, 13th of Cernunnos

14

"I couldn't care less for this 'higher calling' bullshit - but if this Care-Nun-Ass lets me get all the deer pelts I want, I'll do whatever the hell the horned-bastard wants."
-Daniel Boone, 14th of Cernunnos

17

"Invoking him only brings forth his prophets, his Communicators - so why are those animals summoned as well?."
-Dennis Harway, 17th of Cernunnos.

20

"..."
-???, 20th of Cernunnos.

/ / H A L C Y O N / /

Darrin Maldonado, Communicator of Cernunnos

[ BASICS ]

---

[ NAME ]
Darrin Maldonado, 21st of Cernunnos

[ AGE ]
20

[ GENDER ]
Male

[ COMMUNICATOR OF ]
Cernunnos, the Horned God

[ MYTHOLOGY OF CERNUNNOS ]
Cernunnos is a being shrouded in mystery, with modern interpretations of the god being limited to the little pieces of iconography that remains of him. Cernunnos' exact domains and myths are unknown, but based on his appearances in carvings and metallurgy, it is likely that he was a god of Animals, Travel, Fertility, and Commerce. Communicators of his usually do not think very well of him, and he has a poor reputation among the other Gods for his mannerisms and his apathy towards humanity.

---

[ APPEARANCE ]

---

[ PHYSIQUE ]
Darrin has long unkempt hair and a decent-sized beard, both of which are far smaller than when he was first found. Very muscular from years of constant physical activity and fighting for his life, although he has gained body fat and lost a lot of muscle thanks to the past few months of leisure and overeating. He is covered in dozens of scars all across his body, with his hands and feet being so calloused that they're more like tanned leather than skin. He is surprisingly light-skinned thanks to the thick canopy of the forest he lived in, though his skin is much rougher than many others. Typically wears very warm clothing and gloves as he is unused to the New England weather, but prefers to walk barefoot when in warmer climates.

[ HEIGHT / WEIGHT ]
5'8 / 189 lbs

---

[ PERSONALITY ]

---

[ PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION ]
Darrin is incredibly different from what someone would expect after hearing his story. Rather than acting like some wild man, he is docile and his speech could even be called articulate. In fact, compared to many feral children who were brought back to civilization, Darrin is incredibly adjusted and well-spoken - Darrin attributes this to an active effort on reading Frankenstein constantly, which he believes preserved his ability to communicate. He is mild-mannered, though an eager extrovert who seems eager to form relationships with his peers. In fact, his eagerness could almost be called desperation - after so long away from other humans, he feels the need to make up for the years he spent alone by forming connections with as many people as possible. While he is very behind compared to his peers in academics, he is desperate to catch up and spends much of his time reading and studying, and he dreams of eventually getting a degree in the biological sciences.

Cernunnos, however, would not choose someone like this to be his Communicator. Cernunnos chooses Wild Things, not Tame Men. Under the surface of calm that Darrin tries so desperately to maintain, is a much more primal aspect of humanity. When angered or threatened, Darrin becomes brutal and violent, horribly maiming and killing anything that intimidates him. While essential to life in the wild, Darrin's willingness to inflict immense pain and suffering to those who threaten him will almost certainly become an issue in a more civilized environment. However, Darrin even after months of becoming reacquainted with society, still doesn't see anything wrong with his actions - they were the only reason he survived years ago, and in his opinion, if someone attacks him then he should be able to retaliate as much as he wants.

Both of these aspects of his personality are facsimiles of the characters in his precious Frankenstein - the calm and well-educated doctor, and the murderous monster that wanted to be accepted. The 'real' Darrin Maldonado hasn't seen the light of day since the plane crash that took his parents' lives. All that's left is a deranged man who lived in isolation for years, his only comfort and connection to the outside world being a single weathered novel.

[ LIKES / DISLIKES ]
Likes: Books, Movies, Fast Food
Dislikes: Soda, Confrontation, Being Alone

---

[ BIOGRAPHY ]

---

[ Place of Origin ]
St. Austell, UK

[ BIO ]
Born in the small town of St. Austell, England, Darrin had always been fascinated with nature. His family worked for the Eden Project, a tourist attraction that was famous for its 'Eco Domes' - miniature biospheres that emulate habitats and grow various plants, primarily for educational purposes for the visitors. Because of this, most of Darrin's young life was spent near exotic plants and the animals that came to the dome to feed on tourists' leftover food. He loved spending time in the hot, tropical dome that contained a variety of equatorial flora - he had spent a large portion of his youth in those domes, with a book in his hands. His parents would often become angry since the humidity of the dome would often render his books unusable after he was done.

For his 13th birthday, Darrin's parents decided to take a vacation to Brazil - Darrin's love of the tropical environment in the dome spurred them to take the boy to the place it was modeled after. Darrin, however, was more eager to finally see the wildlife that inhabited the tropics. As they neared their destination, Darrin was given a second gift - his father handed him a copy of Frankenstein, a book that Darrin had accidentally dropped and ruined before he could even read it.

An hour later, their plane crashed into the Amazon Rainforest.

72 people died in the crash, with Darrin being the only survivor - the crash and the next few days have been suppressed in Darrin's memory, and even he doesn't know how he survived that first week. The earliest memory he has after the accident was being far, far away from the crash, in the middle of the rainforest. The first few months were spent hiding from predators and being attacked by the insects of the forest, his only source of food being the various plants he learned about from his childhood. He lived like this for months before he worked up the nerve to begin hunting animals, and it took another month before he became skilled enough to actually catch anything. No matter how desperate he became, however, he never ate small animals - he had no clue which ones were poisonous.

Slowly, Darrin became adapted to the Green Hell he found himself in. As the years passed, he began to lose any hope of escaping or being rescued - he could walk in a straight line as much as he wanted, but inevitably something would stop him - a jaguar, a river most likely swarming with parasites and crocodiles, or just pure exhaustion. And while he would never return to the crash site out of fear of seeing his parent's corpses, he managed to cling onto a semblance of civilization all those years. The book his father had given him - Frankenstein. He read it countless times, to the point where he could probably recite it word-for-word from memory. But no matter how angry he became with his situation, or how thick the humidity and rain could become, the novel somehow managed to survive the horrific conditions it was put through.

Darrin didn't have dreams anymore. Maybe it was from the constant physical stress he was put under, or the fact his only intellectual stimuli was obsessing over how cool Frankenstein's Monster is, but his sleep was deep and barren. However, one night, he did dream. He was still in a forest, but the trees were far smaller, the canopy so close, and it was so much colder... Darrin didn't care about any of that, however, since all that mattered were the dozens of eyes watching him from the trees. Darrin heard voices coming from the trees, all of different tones and accents, disjointed as if different voices were saying different parts of the same chant. It wasn't until the words began spilling from his own mouth that he fully perceived them, however.

"SeRVice foR SALVatIon."

It was hard to understand, but Darrin knew the meaning instinctually. He accepted the deal that Cernunnos offered.

When he awoke, Darrin immediately began walking in a straight line towards nothing but one of his poorly made spears and his old Novel. It only took four days of travel by foot - perhaps Cernunnos directions were just that good, or Darrin just got lucky. He ran across a tour group and was quickly taken to the nearby Manaus City. He later learned that he had been missing for 7 years, 3 months, and 11 days. Darrin's story quickly made him into a news sensation in Brazil and his home, the United Kingdom. He was taken home, and after a few days of anxiety-inducing interviews and two months of rehabilitation, Cernunnos grew tired of waiting. Darrin found himself on a plane, delivering him to his new home in New England.

[ REASON FOR CHOICE ]
In his years of isolation, Darrin managed to achieve dominance in the Amazon - even managing to kill jaguars and crocodiles thanks to his cunning and skill with traps. As an Apex Predator and a person connected to nature on an instinctual level, Darrin was recognized by Cernunnos for his ability to survive. More importantly, the 20th Communicator had just recently died, and Cernunnos acquires new ones as soon as possible. Darrin just so happened to have the trait that Cernunnos values most in his Communicators - he was desperate. And Cernunnos, as a god of Travel, also had something that Darrin wanted more than anything else - Directions back home.

---

[ POWERS ]

---

[ RELICS / FAMILIARS ]

The Faerie Dog

The creature glares angrily at Darrin, and the young man slowly slides the burger he was eating towards it. It immediatly begins devouring the meal, pleased at its master's acquiescence.

Cu Sith - A massive green-haired dog, roughly the size of a young cow or small horse. Its tail is long and seemingly composed of leaves, and the legs of the creature are more akin to bark from a tree rather than flesh and bone. On its chest, the 'fur' is parted slightly, revealing the following symbol carved onto the bark-like skin beneath: ᚛ᚃᚔᚉᚆᚓ᚜. The Cu Sith lacks the scouting abilities of familiars like Huginn and Muninn and is incapable of stealth due to its sheer size. Rather, its role as a familiar is more akin to the Bull of Heaven - raw strength and intimidation.

The Cu Sith is capable of inflicting fear and panic onto those who hear its bark. In legends, repeated barks from the creature could even kill. While the familiar lacks the potency claimed in its legend, the fear it imposes is still enough to cause the average man to run for cover after a howl or two.

It should be noted, however, that this supernatural fear only functions at night and outdoors. During the day or inside a building, it's only as scary as a massive dog barking at you... which is still pretty intimidating. And even with the supernatural fear in effect, the especially brave are able to continue relatively undaunted.

[ POWERS ]
The man had been running long enough that his body was beginning to shut down - and yet, he could see the clearing of trees he had bled on hours ago coming into view. He buckled over and grasped his knees, panting heavily and praying to find an to escape this green hell. When he regained his breath and turned, he could see a small mob of Stags staring at him from the cover of the trees.

Terra Incognita - Darrin is capable of electing an area up to a kilometer in radius and completely destroy people's sense of direction within the area, as well as preventing them from learning the layout while the effect is in place. While useless in a clear open space, when within a maze or forest escape from the area is near impossible without some supernatural ability. It even goes so far as to scramble GPS and Magnets, although leaving a trail of some kind will still work.

Rules of Nature - Darrin is capable of dominating animals, temporarily gaining control over their bodies and senses. Animals that are released from this control are either very shaken from the experience (such as small prey and domesticated animals) or become very aggressive (predators and territorial animals). He is limited to only controlling Deer, Snakes, and Dogs, can only control three animals in this manner at a time, and controlling more than one at a time can be incredibly disorientating.

[ INVOCATION ]

Cernunnos' 'True Form'

Sìleas O'Doylei, the 12th of Cernunnos, sacrificing her right arm to perform Invocation against a Demigod of Yamata no Orochi, resulting in both of their deaths.

Cernunnos is not invoked in a manner similar to most gods. Rather than coming into being himself, Cernunnos summons his previous communicators when invoked, generating them from the current Communicator's blood and lost body parts. The maximum number of past Communicators that can be invoked is 20, but due to the amount of blood and flesh needed for this being too much to survive, only 10 at most can be done with any hope of living afterward. Doing so would still take off multiple limbs, however - even trying to invoke just one would be too damaging to use as a regular ability, needing around a liter of blood or a bit more than a finger worth of flesh. While this method of Invoking is incomparably weaker to a typical Communicator's, the sheer number of bodies and aggression is enough to act as a great distraction. It is akin to a lizard tearing off its tail or leg in order to escape a predator, only the communicator cannot regrow these lost parts.

The reason for this odd method of Invocation is because Cernunnos, unlike many gods, lacks a concrete physical form - the reason his iconography and myths are so rare is that he simply lacked a body. When he wished to interact with humans (on the rare occasions he did), he had to control an animal and act through them - this is what led to his depiction as a 'Horned God'. Since he has no form that can be Invoked normally, Invoking the God summons his Communicators, which served as his 'body' while they were alive.

[ OTHER INTERESTS/SKILLS ]
Trap Making - One of the main reasons Darrin survived in the wilderness for as long as he did. Snares, Deadfalls, and Pits are his forte, with more advanced and mechanical traps being a bit beyond his ability to operate.

Stealth - Darrin knows how to move quietly and avoid making noises, to the point where he could sneak up on animals in order to pounce and kill them. While great for stalking people in the wilderness, Darrin's unfamiliarity with technology makes it difficult to hide indoors (he keeps forgetting cameras and motion sensors are a thing).

Survival - Darrin is able to survive in brutal conditions, and knows how to find food and clean water where the average person would starve. He can make simple shelters and fire that can take the intense humidity of the rainforest, as well as notice and follow tracks most wouldn't even see. This skill is limited to warm and temperate climates however - Darrin has no clue how to survive a real winter.

Philosophy - Ever since Darrin got back to society, he's loved talking with people about moral and philosophical issues that he had been stuck thinking about on his own. His views are usually a lot simpler than others due to his lifestyle, however.

Wood Carving - One of the few things that kept Darrin going when he was lost, he uses it is as a coping mechanism when stressed. He's very good, and could probably make a living off it if he really tried.

Reading - Even before he was lost, Darrin loved reading classical literature and books. For years, his only reminder of civilization was his decaying copy of Frankenstein, which he still has to this day. An easy way to get on his good side is to get him a good book.

---

[ MISC. ]

---

[ BIRTHDAY / SIGN ]
October 25th, Scorpio

[ FAVORITES / LEAST FAVORITES ]
Favorite:
Movie: Titanic
Food: Burgers
Drink: Water
Book: Frankenstein

Least Favorite:
Movie: Cast Away (Though Jungle Book is a close second)
Food: Wild Bananas
Drink: Pepsi
Book: N/A

[ SEXUAL PREFERENCE ]
Bisexual

[ MUSIC/MOVIE/BOOK/GAME TYPE ]
Enjoys Classic Literature and Romcoms, doesn't really listen to music.

Communicators of Cernunnos

13

"My familiar is quite incapable - it's missing a leg! O lord, could you grant me a different servant?"
-Phineas O'Doylei, 13th of Cernunnos

14

"I couldn't care less for this 'higher calling' bullshit - but if this Care-Nun-Ass lets me get all the deer pelts I want, I'll do whatever the hell the horned-bastard wants."
-Daniel Boone, 14th of Cernunnos

17

"Invoking him only brings forth his prophets, his Communicators - so why are those animals summoned as well?."
-Dennis Harway, 17th of Cernunnos.

20

"..."
-???, 20th of Cernunnos.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Toma

Name:
Toma Enow

Race:
Human

Age:
18

Gender:
Male

Appearance:
Slightly taller than 6'0, Toma is what someone would expect from a farmhand or day laborer. His skin is deeply tanned from hours in the sun, and constant labor has left him very muscular. While his haircut is scruffy and his clothes very simple, he does his best to take care of his hygiene and appearance now that he is at a 'fancy school'. He can typically be seen training in the Hall of Combat or maintaining his wagon, which more resembles a cart from how small it is. His only notable item is his sword, a simple and unadorned longsword that seems to glow softly in the presence of the more unscrupulous students.
(Subject to change until I find good art.)

Class:
Paladin
(Martial Fighters who worship one of the gods, and work to act out their will. While entirely Mundane in the beginning, many veteran Paladins learn a few spells in Spirit Magic or receive a divine blessing from their god.)

Personality:
Initially appearing hotheaded and foolish, Toma vastly overestimates his own abilities and prowess in a number of different fields. He regularly gets into sparring matches with other students to 'test their mettle', and will openly threaten and attack students who he believes steal from or harass others... Which is kind of hypocritical. He has a very idealistic view of adventurers and thinks that people who don't do everything they can to help someone in need shouldn't be allowed at the academy. This has backfired on him in the past however since all it takes is someone asking him for a favor and he will force himself to work for hours to help complete strangers.

Regardless of how horrible a crime someone commits, however, Toma will always defend them from serious injury. There's a reason behind Toma's willingness to put himself through troubles for others. In his youth, a starving bear attacked Toma and his friend, and he left the boy to die. Toma has immense guilt from this experience and trains hard to avoid similar situations from happening. He rarely takes his own feelings into account, and has difficulties recognizing his emotions - he doesn't believe he has the right to feel happy. As a result, he thinks that even the worst people deserve to live, and he struggles to hurt someone regardless of how evil they are.

Strengths:
-Owns a holy sword. It is more potent against the undead and wicked, but will not cut the Good. It can even guide itself to strike the opponent, helping offset Toma's lack of skill with a blade.
-While he is not trained in fighting, years of hard labor have given him a well-developed body. He is quite strong, and his durability and unwillingness to stop make him difficult to put down.
-Toma is knowledgeable about many animals and their behaviors. When to intimidate and when to play dead for a predator, how to properly raise livestock and work animals, and even driving a wagon or cart.
-His life in a small village has made it necessary to be skilled in a number of crafts, which is surprisingly rare for many adventurers. While he can't do anything as advanced as forging a sword, he is more than able to fix a broken axle on a wagon or sew a tear in a pack.
-Owns a small wagon, a stubborn Donkey, and many small handmade tools and items that are useful for a fledgling adventurer. Nothing expensive like a compass or a tent, but quite a few waterskins and hammers.

Weaknesses:
-Very ignorant. Holds many superstitious beliefs, thinks most stereotypes about non-humans are true (All dwarves love beer!), and he's kind of sexist in a white knight way. It will lessen as he experiences the world, but it's bound to get him in trouble at first. Thanks to a difficult event in his childhood, he is terrified of forests, and getting him to enter one will leave him on a hair-trigger.
-Uneducated and untrained. If it can't be learned on a farm in a small village, Toma doesn't know it. He's illiterate, is pathetic when it comes to academics, and without his sword he doesn't know how to fight. Even with it, all he knows is how to hit someone - he can't dodge or take hits as a trained fighter could.
-Toma is incredibly idealistic and will attempt to solve all problems honorably. While it might be possible to get him to overlook a friend breaking the rules or using underhanded tactics, he will never do them himself - sneak attacks and the like 'Aren't manly at all', and as a result, Toma refuses to engage in them. He's also very generous with his gold, and with his naivety, it is quite easy to trick him out of lots of money.
-Toma's sword is enchanted with Spirit Magic rather than Runes. The reason it helps guide his blows is that the previous users are possessing him slightly when he uses it. Overusing it will taint his personality thanks to the repeated possessions, and Anti-Spirit magic or items will render the blade worthless.
-Toma's sword has a minor spirit inside of it, and as a result, it has its own thoughts and desires (albeit simple). It will attempt to coerce him into what it believes is morally correct, usually involving horrific violence. If their relationship gets poor enough it will not use its abilities, or even refuse to be wielded by him at all.

Biography:
Born in Whitelot, a farming village a few dozen miles southeast of Windleton, Toma's early life had little in the way of danger or excitement. The population was small enough that crime wasn't a serious problem, and a retired paladin of Storalla that lived in the village was more than enough to defend from the odd predator or runaway slave from Windleton. From an early age, Toma's desire to explore the world outside his village put a lot of stress on the family - while slavers weren't allowed to attack the village directly, nothing would stop them from snatching a stray child wandering the woods. To distract him, Toma's parents made him work on their farm from a young age, desperate to keep him too busy to put himself in danger.

This worked for a long time, but when he turned 10, Toma was finally tired of abiding by his parents' wishes. He and a boy a few years his junior, one of the only other children in the village, had decided to explore the forest several miles from the village in search of something other than cropland. The trip was enlightening - Toma saw animals and plants that he had never seen in his life, and he was further from his home than he had ever been his life. He wanted to go even farther, and experience more of the world - so he kept going deeper into the woods, dragging his friend all the way. Eventually, though, they came across a very intimidating creature.

A bear. Clearly unhealthy, the beast had missing patches of fur and skin and seemed to be starving. It was roughly rubbing its shoulder against a tree, leaving bloodstains on the bark as it tore skin off. However, when it noticed the pair of children looking at it, it immediately lumbered towards them. Looking back on it, Toma knows the bear was almost certainly dying - it was nothing like the bears he had seen since then, and there would be no other reason it would attack on sight. The creature charged at them like a monster from the village Paladin's stories and the pair immediately began to run away. Even if it was dying, the bear was easily able to catch up to them - luckily for Toma, his friend was younger and less athletic. The last thing he heard from his friend as he ran back home was his anguished screams, as he was eaten alive.

Toma was never the same after this incident. Even if it was indirectly, he killed his friend - he suggested they went to the forest, and he made no effort to help his friend. And even if his friend's parents never said it, they clearly blamed him as well - they never spoke to him again, and only a month later, they sold their farm and moved to Windleton. Toma claimed that they were attacked by wolves, which occasionally came from the forest in search of food. He only told the truth to the Paladin, who had sworn to not reveal Toma's secret. From then, he spent all of his free time with the Paladin, doing his best to learn from him and look for some way to resolve the guilt he felt.

When the paladin passed away, he had left nearly everything he owned to Toma. This didn't include much - A wagon, a Donkey, the old church in his village, and basic survival equipment that Toma assumed were from the Paladin's early years. Two stood out, however - the magic sword that the Paladin carried (no to mention the only enchanted item in the entire village), and a letter that had been delivered to the Paladin on his deathbed. Opening it (and asking his father to read it to him) revealed that the Paladin had applied Toma to Hoseforn Academy, and somehow, the young man was accepted.

Toma left Whitelot once more, this time for good. There was no hesitation in the matter - this was the chance that Toma could use to lift the burden on his conscience, and he would definitely take it.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Just finished my character - pretty late where I live and it's basically done, so I'll post it and finish coding/look for a pic when I wake up.

Toma

Name:
Toma Enow

Race:
Human

Age:
18

Gender:
Male

Appearance:
Slightly taller than 6'0, Toma is what someone would expect from a farmhand or day laborer. His skin is deeply tanned from hours in the sun, and constant labor has left him very muscular. While his haircut is scruffy and his clothes very simple, he does his best to take care of his hygiene and appearance now that he is at a 'fancy school'. He can typically be seen training in the Hall of Combat or maintaining his wagon, which more resembles a cart from how small it is. His only notable item is his sword, a simple and unadorned longsword that seems to glow softly in the presence of the more unscrupulous students.
(Subject to change until I find good art.)

Class:
Paladin
(Martial Fighters who worship one of the gods, and work to act out their will. While entirely Mundane in the beginning, many veteran Paladins learn a few spells in Spirit Magic or receive a divine blessing from their god.)

Personality:
Initially appearing hotheaded and foolish, Toma vastly overestimates his own abilities and prowess in a number of different fields. He regularly gets into sparring matches with other students to 'test their mettle', and will openly threaten and attack students who he believes steal from or harass others... Which is kind of hypocritical. He has a very idealistic view of adventurers and thinks that people who don't do everything they can to help someone in need shouldn't be allowed at the academy. This has backfired on him in the past however since all it takes is someone asking him for a favor and he will force himself to work for hours to help complete strangers.

Regardless of how horrible a crime someone commits, however, Toma will always defend them from serious injury. There's a reason behind Toma's willingness to put himself through troubles for others. In his youth, a starving bear attacked Toma and his friend, and he left the boy to die. Toma has immense guilt from this experience and trains hard to avoid similar situations from happening. He rarely takes his own feelings into account, and has difficulties recognizing his emotions - he doesn't believe he has the right to feel happy. As a result, he thinks that even the worst people deserve to live, and he struggles to hurt someone regardless of how evil they are.

Strengths:
-Owns a holy sword. It is more potent against the undead and wicked, but will not cut the Good. It can even guide itself to strike the opponent, helping offset Toma's lack of skill with a blade.
-While he is not trained in fighting, years of hard labor have given him a well-developed body. He is quite strong, and his durability and unwillingness to stop make him difficult to put down.
-Toma is knowledgeable about many animals and their behaviors. When to intimidate and when to play dead for a predator, how to properly raise livestock and work animals, and even driving a wagon or cart.
-His life in a small village has made it necessary to be skilled in a number of crafts, which is surprisingly rare for many adventurers. While he can't do anything as advanced as forging a sword, he is more than able to fix a broken axle on a wagon or sew a tear in a pack.
-Owns a small wagon, a stubborn Donkey, and many small handmade tools and items that are useful for a fledgling adventurer. Nothing expensive like a compass or a tent, but quite a few waterskins and hammers.

Weaknesses:
-Very ignorant. Holds many superstitious beliefs, thinks most stereotypes about non-humans are true (All dwarves love beer!), and he's kind of sexist in a white knight way. It will lessen as he experiences the world, but it's bound to get him in trouble at first. Thanks to a difficult event in his childhood, he is terrified of forests, and getting him to enter one will leave him on a hair-trigger.
-Uneducated and untrained. If it can't be learned on a farm in a small village, Toma doesn't know it. He's illiterate, is pathetic when it comes to academics, and without his sword he doesn't know how to fight. Even with it, all he knows is how to hit someone - he can't dodge or take hits as a trained fighter could.
-Toma is incredibly idealistic and will attempt to solve all problems honorably. While it might be possible to get him to overlook a friend breaking the rules or using underhanded tactics, he will never do them himself - sneak attacks and the like 'Aren't manly at all', and as a result, Toma refuses to engage in them. He's also very generous with his gold, and with his naivety, it is quite easy to trick him out of lots of money.
-Toma's sword is enchanted with Spirit Magic rather than Runes. The reason it helps guide his blows is that the previous users are possessing him slightly when he uses it. Overusing it will taint his personality thanks to the repeated possessions, and Anti-Spirit magic or items will render the blade worthless.
-Toma's sword has a minor spirit inside of it, and as a result, it has its own thoughts and desires (albeit simple). It will attempt to coerce him into what it believes is morally correct, usually involving horrific violence. If their relationship gets poor enough it will not use its abilities, or even refuse to be wielded by him at all.

Biography:
Born in Whitelot, a farming village a few dozen miles southeast of Windleton, Toma's early life had little in the way of danger or excitement. The population was small enough that crime wasn't a serious problem, and a retired paladin of Storalla that lived in the village was more than enough to defend from the odd predator or runaway slave from Windleton. From an early age, Toma's desire to explore the world outside his village put a lot of stress on the family - while slavers weren't allowed to attack the village directly, nothing would stop them from snatching a stray child wandering the woods. To distract him, Toma's parents made him work on their farm from a young age, desperate to keep him too busy to put himself in danger.

This worked for a long time, but when he turned 10, Toma was finally tired of abiding by his parents' wishes. He and a boy a few years his junior, one of the only other children in the village, had decided to explore the forest several miles from the village in search of something other than cropland. The trip was enlightening - Toma saw animals and plants that he had never seen in his life, and he was further from his home than he had ever been his life. He wanted to go even farther, and experience more of the world - so he kept going deeper into the woods, dragging his friend all the way. Eventually, though, they came across a very intimidating creature.

A bear. Clearly unhealthy, the beast had missing patches of fur and skin and seemed to be starving. It was roughly rubbing its shoulder against a tree, leaving bloodstains on the bark as it tore skin off. However, when it noticed the pair of children looking at it, it immediately lumbered towards them. Looking back on it, Toma knows the bear was almost certainly dying - it was nothing like the bears he had seen since then, and there would be no other reason it would attack on sight. The creature charged at them like a monster from the village Paladin's stories and the pair immediately began to run away. Even if it was dying, the bear was easily able to catch up to them - luckily for Toma, his friend was younger and less athletic. The last thing he heard from his friend as he ran back home was his anguished screams, as he was eaten alive.

Toma was never the same after this incident. Even if it was indirectly, he killed his friend - he suggested they went to the forest, and he made no effort to help his friend. And even if his friend's parents never said it, they clearly blamed him as well - they never spoke to him again, and only a month later, they sold their farm and moved to Windleton. Toma claimed that they were attacked by wolves, which occasionally came from the forest in search of food. He only told the truth to the Paladin, who had sworn to not reveal Toma's secret. From then, he spent all of his free time with the Paladin, doing his best to learn from him and look for some way to resolve the guilt he felt.

When the paladin passed away, he had left nearly everything he owned to Toma. This didn't include much - A wagon, a Donkey, the old church in his village, and basic survival equipment that Toma assumed were from the Paladin's early years. Two stood out, however - the magic sword that the Paladin carried (no to mention the only enchanted item in the entire village), and a letter that had been delivered to the Paladin on his deathbed. Opening it (and asking his father to read it to him) revealed that the Paladin had applied Toma to Hoseforn Academy, and somehow, the young man was accepted.

Toma left Whitelot once more, this time for good. There was no hesitation in the matter - this was the chance that Toma could use to lift the burden on his conscience, and he would definitely take it.

Lanius School of Villainy and Mischief

Amara

"..."

Full Name:
Amara Cantu

Nicknames/Aliases:
None.

Age:
14

Gender:
Female

Division:
Smarts (Her difficulties with modern technology made Stealth a serious consideration, however.)

Powers:
Alchemy:
The Mystical Art of transmuting and purifying materials. If Chemistry can be defined as 'the study of Chemicals and Elements', then Alchemy is 'the study of Substances and Matter'. The goal of Alchemy varies greatly depending on the practitioners goals, but usually falls under 'turning some cheap shit to gold' or 'Immortality'. Alchemy is also known for having created several 'Super Materials' - although, the Philosopher's Stone kinda craps on most of them.

As one of the few practitioners left, Amara is far from a master of the art. Still, even as an apprentice, she can perform quite a few transmutations. Transmutations can be performed both ways (Ex: Stone can be turned to mud, and back again).

Iron to Mercury: Much easier than turning Lead to Gold for some reason.
Stone to Mud: Originally regarded as limited in use, that quickly changed with the advent of cement and paved roads.
Water to Wine: Originally made to clean water into something drinkable, now it's a fun party trick. Contains many different variants, such as 'Water to Vodka' and 'Water to Beer', but Amara didn't really want to learn more of the same thing.
Shape Mercury: A 'Female Only' ability in Alchemy, as Mercury is the 'Female Element'. It allows the direction and control of Mercury. More experienced Alchemists can use it for combat and other applications, but at Amara's current skill level, it's way too slow for even unpowered opponents. She can only really use it to make distractions or make it hard to walk. Its Masculine counterpart is 'Shape Iron', which is kinda way better...
Nigredo: The first 'big' stage of Alchemy, and one of the four needed in order to create a 'Philosopher Stone'. In essence, it turns organic matter into a putrid black sludge. The ritual needed for this takes several minutes however, rendering it useless for combat. When an Apprentice learns this, they can truly say 'I'm an Alchemist' and not have others laugh at them.
Quicksilver: The only 'Super Material' that Amara is capable of creating. By combining the Nigredo sludge and Mercury, and Ablating them for several hours, the result is a metallic liquid that smells slightly like sulfur. When applied to a Base Metal (Iron, Copper, Etc.), the durability of the base is enhanced significantly, as well as sharpness for bladed weapons. Not as useful now that Firearms are so prevalent. It's also very conductive of electricity, so avoid wires.

Homunculus:
Less a Power and more a 'Familiar'. The creation of a Homunculus is one clear sign of a Master Alchemist, although Men have a much easier time creating them. The process involved is kind of icky, so Amara tries to avoid reading about it...

Gifted to her by her Master, this creature resembles a deformed winged human, one arm significantly longer than the other, and the overall size of a small house cat. Since her Master didn't put too many resources into its construction, it is very dimwitted, has a clearly inhuman voice, and it takes forever to heal from injuries...

But it was a gift from her Master, and Amara treasures the creature greatly. Maybe if she ever gets good enough, she'll fix it.

Description:
Amara stands at 5'4, although her poor posture makes her seem a few inches shorter. Her build cannot be called athletic, but she has some pretty impressive cardiovascular strength and has almost unnatural health and vitality - a result of the very difficult terrain of her home and the supernatural medications Alchemy is famous for. Of course, that'll probably change now that she doesn't live in a swamp or have access to her Master's medical supplies. Her skin is incredibly pale, and her voice rarely changes from its bored monotone.

She typically dresses in concealing and professional attire, and has a particular fondness for Lab Coats and heavy aprons. When working near noxious chemicals, she uses a well-worn Gas Mask.

Personality:
Amara follows rules and procedures with mechanical grace. She finds great comfort in specific plans and orders and enjoys the structure it brings to her currently changing lifestyle. She even refuses to jaywalk

Amara cannot recognize many social cues and emotions that people take for granted. This is caused by both her ASD, as well as her Hermit-like upbringing away from other people. She doesn't understand threats, lying, manipulation, and other actions that are common for villains. She will take anything said to her at face value, and believes that promises are absolute. She'll probably start avoiding the Suavity Division because of the confusion it brings.

Amara has no care for experiencing life outside of her small sphere of familiarity. She doesn't wish to learn about religion or study anything outside of her interest, she has no desire to form friendships and meet new people, and she even thinks going to school is a waste of her time and energy. All she wants to do is spend all day and night cooped up with her books and glassware, studying about an archaic science that killed most of its own users through Mercury Poisoning. It's easy to trick her because of this, especially in things she has no experience in.

When it comes to Academia, Amara is a perfect pupil. She never procrastinates, constantly takes notes on lessons and things around her, and will triple-check her work to make sure she understands a concept. However, this isn't because she loves learning - really, the only class she enjoys is Chemistry. She is just a perfectionist and focused on efficiency because if she is perfect at something, she won't need to do it again.

If provoked, Amara is not averse to violence - as a matter of fact, when pressured and stressed, she will usually resort to attacking the person who is inciting her, especially in a primal manner with nails and teeth. It wouldn't be correct to call Amara a Sociopath though - she does feel empathy (at least, after someone lets her know how they feel), and her conscience is perfectly fine. But she only feels bad about hurting people that she knows - she couldn't care less about someone she never met or knew personally, and feels more emotional weight when a character in a movie dies than the death of a bystander.

Amara has only liked one person in her life - her adoptive father and Master. While it is incredibly difficult to earn and maintain her trust, winning Amara's loyalty will make her do nearly anything for someone.

Crush:
None.

Skills:
Chemistry:
Considering Alchemy is a precursor to Chemistry, it makes sense that understanding both compliments each other. Amara's knowledge of Chemistry is comparable to a Bachelor's Degree, which is very impressive considering her age.

Perceptive:
Amara picks up on many things that others do not. Or maybe she just pays more attention to things that other people just ignore.

Weaknesses:
Circles:
Amara's biggest weakness, and the weakness of all Alchemists, is that Transmutations require Circles. More specifically, it needs some kind of boundary that surrounds the substance being transmuted.

Without a Circle, all but the smallest of Transmutations are impossible. And even then, the only reason really small stuff is possible is because most skilled Alchemists learn to use their Fingerprints as Circles. As a result, the easiest way to disable Amara is just to control the environment, and avoid giving Amara enough time to create a circle.

This isn't those fancy circles with tons of lines inside - Amara is way too much of a beginner for that. Hell, it doesn't even need to be a circle - they're just called Transmutation Circles because it's an easy name to remember. As Alchemists grow more skilled, a 'Circle' can be more vague. At her current skill, Amara needs to create a clear shape with chalk or some other writing instrument, but her Master could use shadows and ripples in water as a circle.

Time:
Another big weakness of Alchemy is that it takes a long time. Even the fastest transmutations take several seconds, and that's not including the time needed to set up a circle. Longer actions, like making esoteric materials, can take hours or even days of constant work.

An enemy rushing her or attacking at range can easily beat her, even if they're unpowered.

Obsessive:
When Amara gets hooked on something, she can sometimes take it to an extreme. She became Obsessed with Alchemy and Chemistry at a very young age, and ignored anything that wasn't essential to this aspect of her life - her math skills are limited to ratios and basic multiplication, her knowledge of geography is incredibly poor, and she had no meaningful relationships.

This can easily be taken advantage of by enemies. Offer her access to a difficult to find Chemical or Element, or god forbid a genuine book on Alchemy, and she'll do pretty much anything - even going as far as to cooperate with heroes and betray allies.

Interacting with things that she has little experience with but are connected to her special interests could result in her developing a new obsession.

Luddite:
Alchemy peaked in the Renaissance. And considering she was taken in and taught by her elderly Master in the Everglades of Florida, with little human contact outside of the occasional supply run, she has a very loose grasp on most technologies that were developed after the 1800s.

Some things connected to her obsessions, like Microscopes and Centrifuges, she has taken quite the liking to. She also thinks Movies are 'neat'. Outside of that, she can only operate the simplest of machines, after being instructed how.

Brief History:
Amara was born to a single mother, her father not even knowing he had a daughter. Her infancy was unremarkable, as was her mother, and their relationship wasn't exactly the best it could have been for a toddler. Still, they weren't struggling financially, and Amara was seemingly destined for a mundane life.

When she was 3 years old, Amara was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her mother, after seeing several pediatricians who came to the same conclusion, completely rejected Amara and her condition. They stayed together for another year until Amara attacked another child for taking one of the test tubes from her Chemistry set. Her mother finally accepted that her child was different. Later that night she went to a bar and never came home, falling asleep behind the wheel and crashing into a semi-truck.

Amara spent another two years in an Orphanage before her new parent was finished with the adoption process. The man was named Julian Cantu. However, he did not adopt Amara because he wanted a Daughter - he adopted her because he wanted an Apprentice. Having spent the majority of his life searching for the 'Fountain of Youth' in the new world, Julian finally accepted failure and settled in the Everglades of Florida, the first place he began looking. Passing on his life's work before he died was his new priority.

Amara began to study and learn the art of Alchemy as soon as she was adopted, and took to it quite well. It soon became one of her special interests, and she quickly developed under her Master's Tutelage. They bonded over time, and outside of the occasional interaction when getting supplies from nearby towns, they were the only companionship for each other.

Their relationship eventually became more familial than that of a Master and Apprentice. Amara eventually developed a fondness, and arguably even a love for her new father figure, one which she never felt for her mother or any of the staff at the Orphanage. Her training continued for nearly a decade, and at 14 she is at the same level most Alchemists only reach in their late 20s and early 30s (although, she did start studying far earlier than most).

Now that she has completed the Nigredo ritual, her tutelage is complete - normally this would be where the Master sends off the apprentice into the greater world, with little more than a wave and having the apprentice promise to bury them someplace nice when they die. Julian's bond with Amara, however, was more than he expected - he used some of his connections from decades ago (along with a few pounds of gold) to get her into a prestigious academy. He also sent her off with Alchemical books and glassware, and even a Basic Homunculus. It was Julian's hope that Amara could learn independence and how to properly live in the world at this academy.

And also how to commit horrible atrocities. Julian sent Amara to Lanius School of Villainy and Mischief, academia for criminals and horrific monsters.

This is Amara's first year at the Academy, and she really does not like the change. She usually has to increase the temperature in her room to uncomfortable levels to get to sleep, and she has been close to an anxiety attack several times. Hopefully, she'll become more acclimated with time.

Other:
Amara speaks several languages, including Latin, English, Italian, and Ancient Greek. She is most proficient with Latin, however, followed by English and Italian.

When stressed or her routine is disturbed too much, she will recite elements from the Periodic Table.

Relationships

None, at the moment.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

I'll try to get a character done in the next few days - looking forward to this!

Edit: Classes have been rough, so progress is slow - I should be done in 2 to 3 days though.

Lanius School of Villainy and Mischief

Amara

"..."

Full Name:
Amara Cantu

Nicknames/Aliases:
None.

Age:
14

Gender:
Female

Division:
Smarts (Her difficulties with modern technology made Stealth a serious consideration, however.)

Powers:
Alchemy:
The Mystical Art of transmuting and purifying materials. If Chemistry can be defined as 'the study of Chemicals and Elements', then Alchemy is 'the study of Substances and Matter'. The goal of Alchemy varies greatly depending on the practitioners goals, but usually falls under 'turning some cheap shit to gold' or 'Immortality'. Alchemy is also known for having created several 'Super Materials' - although, the Philosopher's Stone kinda craps on most of them.

As one of the few practitioners left, Amara is far from a master of the art. Still, even as an apprentice, she can perform quite a few transmutations. Transmutations can be performed both ways (Ex: Stone can be turned to mud, and back again).

Iron to Mercury: Much easier than turning Lead to Gold for some reason.
Stone to Mud: Originally regarded as limited in use, that quickly changed with the advent of cement and paved roads.
Water to Wine: Originally made to clean water into something drinkable, now it's a fun party trick. Contains many different variants, such as 'Water to Vodka' and 'Water to Beer', but Amara didn't really want to learn more of the same thing.
Shape Mercury: A 'Female Only' ability in Alchemy, as Mercury is the 'Female Element'. It allows the direction and control of Mercury. More experienced Alchemists can use it for combat and other applications, but at Amara's current skill level, it's way too slow for even unpowered opponents. She can only really use it to make distractions or make it hard to walk. Its Masculine counterpart is 'Shape Iron', which is kinda way better...
Nigredo: The first 'big' stage of Alchemy, and one of the four needed in order to create a 'Philosopher Stone'. In essence, it turns organic matter into a putrid black sludge. The ritual needed for this takes several minutes however, rendering it useless for combat. When an Apprentice learns this, they can truly say 'I'm an Alchemist' and not have others laugh at them.
Quicksilver: The only 'Super Material' that Amara is capable of creating. By combining the Nigredo sludge and Mercury, and Ablating them for several hours, the result is a metallic liquid that smells slightly like sulfur. When applied to a Base Metal (Iron, Copper, Etc.), the durability of the base is enhanced significantly, as well as sharpness for bladed weapons. Not as useful now that Firearms are so prevalent. It's also very conductive of electricity, so avoid wires.

Homunculus:
Less a Power and more a 'Familiar'. The creation of a Homunculus is one clear sign of a Master Alchemist, although Men have a much easier time creating them. The process involved is kind of icky, so Amara tries to avoid reading about it...

Gifted to her by her Master, this creature resembles a deformed winged human, one arm significantly longer than the other, and the overall size of a small house cat. Since her Master didn't put too many resources into its construction, it is very dimwitted, has a clearly inhuman voice, and it takes forever to heal from injuries...

But it was a gift from her Master, and Amara treasures the creature greatly. Maybe if she ever gets good enough, she'll fix it.

Description:
Amara stands at 5'4, although her poor posture makes her seem a few inches shorter. Her build cannot be called athletic, but she has some pretty impressive cardiovascular strength and has almost unnatural health and vitality - a result of the very difficult terrain of her home and the supernatural medications Alchemy is famous for. Of course, that'll probably change now that she doesn't live in a swamp or have access to her Master's medical supplies. Her skin is incredibly pale, and her voice rarely changes from its bored monotone.

She typically dresses in concealing and professional attire, and has a particular fondness for Lab Coats and heavy aprons. When working near noxious chemicals, she uses a well-worn Gas Mask.

Personality:
Amara follows rules and procedures with mechanical grace. She finds great comfort in specific plans and orders and enjoys the structure it brings to her currently changing lifestyle. She even refuses to jaywalk

Amara cannot recognize many social cues and emotions that people take for granted. This is caused by both her ASD, as well as her Hermit-like upbringing away from other people. She doesn't understand threats, lying, manipulation, and other actions that are common for villains. She will take anything said to her at face value, and believes that promises are absolute. She'll probably start avoiding the Suavity Division because of the confusion it brings.

Amara has no care for experiencing life outside of her small sphere of familiarity. She doesn't wish to learn about religion or study anything outside of her interest, she has no desire to form friendships and meet new people, and she even thinks going to school is a waste of her time and energy. All she wants to do is spend all day and night cooped up with her books and glassware, studying about an archaic science that killed most of its own users through Mercury Poisoning. It's easy to trick her because of this, especially in things she has no experience in.

When it comes to Academia, Amara is a perfect pupil. She never procrastinates, constantly takes notes on lessons and things around her, and will triple-check her work to make sure she understands a concept. However, this isn't because she loves learning - really, the only class she enjoys is Chemistry. She is just a perfectionist and focused on efficiency because if she is perfect at something, she won't need to do it again.

If provoked, Amara is not averse to violence - as a matter of fact, when pressured and stressed, she will usually resort to attacking the person who is inciting her, especially in a primal manner with nails and teeth. It wouldn't be correct to call Amara a Sociopath though - she does feel empathy (at least, after someone lets her know how they feel), and her conscience is perfectly fine. But she only feels bad about hurting people that she knows - she couldn't care less about someone she never met or knew personally, and feels more emotional weight when a character in a movie dies than the death of a bystander.

Amara has only liked one person in her life - her adoptive father and Master. While it is incredibly difficult to earn and maintain her trust, winning Amara's loyalty will make her do nearly anything for someone.

Crush:
None.

Skills:
Chemistry:
Considering Alchemy is a precursor to Chemistry, it makes sense that understanding both compliments each other. Amara's knowledge of Chemistry is comparable to a Bachelor's Degree, which is very impressive considering her age.

Perceptive:
Amara picks up on many things that others do not. Or maybe she just pays more attention to things that other people just ignore.

Weaknesses:
Circles:
Amara's biggest weakness, and the weakness of all Alchemists, is that Transmutations require Circles. More specifically, it needs some kind of boundary that surrounds the substance being transmuted.

Without a Circle, all but the smallest of Transmutations are impossible. And even then, the only reason really small stuff is possible is because most skilled Alchemists learn to use their Fingerprints as Circles. As a result, the easiest way to disable Amara is just to control the environment, and avoid giving Amara enough time to create a circle.

This isn't those fancy circles with tons of lines inside - Amara is way too much of a beginner for that. Hell, it doesn't even need to be a circle - they're just called Transmutation Circles because it's an easy name to remember. As Alchemists grow more skilled, a 'Circle' can be more vague. At her current skill, Amara needs to create a clear shape with chalk or some other writing instrument, but her Master could use shadows and ripples in water as a circle.

Time:
Another big weakness of Alchemy is that it takes a long time. Even the fastest transmutations take several seconds, and that's not including the time needed to set up a circle. Longer actions, like making esoteric materials, can take hours or even days of constant work.

An enemy rushing her or attacking at range can easily beat her, even if they're unpowered.

Obsessive:
When Amara gets hooked on something, she can sometimes take it to an extreme. She became Obsessed with Alchemy and Chemistry at a very young age, and ignored anything that wasn't essential to this aspect of her life - her math skills are limited to ratios and basic multiplication, her knowledge of geography is incredibly poor, and she had no meaningful relationships.

This can easily be taken advantage of by enemies. Offer her access to a difficult to find Chemical or Element, or god forbid a genuine book on Alchemy, and she'll do pretty much anything - even going as far as to cooperate with heroes and betray allies.

Interacting with things that she has little experience with but are connected to her special interests could result in her developing a new obsession.

Luddite:
Alchemy peaked in the Renaissance. And considering she was taken in and taught by her elderly Master in the Everglades of Florida, with little human contact outside of the occasional supply run, she has a very loose grasp on most technologies that were developed after the 1800s.

Some things connected to her obsessions, like Microscopes and Centrifuges, she has taken quite the liking to. She also thinks Movies are 'neat'. Outside of that, she can only operate the simplest of machines, after being instructed how.

Brief History:
Amara was born to a single mother, her father not even knowing he had a daughter. Her infancy was unremarkable, as was her mother, and their relationship wasn't exactly the best it could have been for a toddler. Still, they weren't struggling financially, and Amara was seemingly destined for a mundane life.

When she was 3 years old, Amara was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her mother, after seeing several pediatricians who came to the same conclusion, completely rejected Amara and her condition. They stayed together for another year until Amara attacked another child for taking one of the test tubes from her Chemistry set. Her mother finally accepted that her child was different. Later that night she went to a bar and never came home, falling asleep behind the wheel and crashing into a semi-truck.

Amara spent another two years in an Orphanage before her new parent was finished with the adoption process. The man was named Julian Cantu. However, he did not adopt Amara because he wanted a Daughter - he adopted her because he wanted an Apprentice. Having spent the majority of his life searching for the 'Fountain of Youth' in the new world, Julian finally accepted failure and settled in the Everglades of Florida, the first place he began looking. Passing on his life's work before he died was his new priority.

Amara began to study and learn the art of Alchemy as soon as she was adopted, and took to it quite well. It soon became one of her special interests, and she quickly developed under her Master's Tutelage. They bonded over time, and outside of the occasional interaction when getting supplies from nearby towns, they were the only companionship for each other.

Their relationship eventually became more familial than that of a Master and Apprentice. Amara eventually developed a fondness, and arguably even a love for her new father figure, one which she never felt for her mother or any of the staff at the Orphanage. Her training continued for nearly a decade, and at 14 she is at the same level most Alchemists only reach in their late 20s and early 30s (although, she did start studying far earlier than most).

Now that she has completed the Nigredo ritual, her tutelage is complete - normally this would be where the Master sends off the apprentice into the greater world, with little more than a wave and having the apprentice promise to bury them someplace nice when they die. Julian's bond with Amara, however, was more than he expected - he used some of his connections from decades ago (along with a few pounds of gold) to get her into a prestigious academy. He also sent her off with Alchemical books and glassware, and even a Basic Homunculus. It was Julian's hope that Amara could learn independence and how to properly live in the world at this academy.

And also how to commit horrible atrocities. Julian sent Amara to Lanius School of Villainy and Mischief, academia for criminals and horrific monsters.

This is Amara's first year at the Academy, and she really does not like the change. She usually has to increase the temperature in her room to uncomfortable levels to get to sleep, and she has been close to an anxiety attack several times. Hopefully, she'll become more acclimated with time.

Other:
Amara speaks several languages, including Latin, English, Italian, and Ancient Greek. She is most proficient with Latin, however, followed by English and Italian.

When stressed or her routine is disturbed too much, she will recite elements from the Periodic Table.