GreivousKhan — Roleplayer Guild

 Professor Cipherous 

"I hope you're not down with the sickness..."

 Darth Cipherous ♦    A G E: 31    ♦   S E X: Female   ♦   A L I G N M E N T:  Lawful Neutral

Ω   O R I G I N S:
    Darth Cipherous was born in the esteemed city of Ravenmire, which marked her among the few in the kingdom with access to a proper education. Her parent's had humble origins as commoners, though her father was a cobbler of some talent. Curious even from a young age, Darth appeared to be taken with the stories and tales from other lands. Taught to read by her mother, Darth explored the tomes and books she managed to get her hands throughout most of her youth. While many children played outside Darth preferred to instead stay indoors with her head in a book. Her interest coupled with an active imagination and an astoundingly mature disposition made it clear Darth seemed blessed with a towering intellect. This sadly left her with few friends as none of the children of her neighborhood matched her own maturity- with many of them finding her aloof and strange making her the but of many jokes.

    Darth was fortunate enough, however, to early in her life to benefit from the aid of a traveling scholar- who, lacking enough coin, decided to repay Darths father by tutoring his daughter while he stayed in the city. Seeing her potential- this same scholar, named Bertulf Scully, offered to sponsor Darth for a place in the esteemed college of Ravensworth. Seeing this as a blessing, Darth's parents agreed, fulfilling a long time dream of hers. At the age of sixteen, she was enrolled after proving her abilities through an arduous exam that she passed with near perfection. This impressed the Rectors of the university enough that she was one of the youngest novitiates to be taken in. 

    It was a long four years of hard work and study before Darth finally graduated, at which point she decided to stay on -- joining the ranks of the Ravensworth institute. Her intelligence and ambition soon saw her attain the coveted position of a preceptor within the institute. The rank proving she had mastered three fields of expertise within the college. After ten years working within the institute, exploring afield as often as she could to learn first hand of the history of each city within the kingdom, news of the dreaded new plague began to spread like wildfire. Though over the centuries the institute had become familiar with studying and treating new sicknesses, it became apparent this new strain was unlike anything they had ever encountered. 

    Darth's talents soon saw her superiors placing her at the forefront of finding a cure. Darth herself wished nothing more than learning all she could after hearing of the severity of the disease. Thus, Darth willingly joined the fourth talon of Ravensworth, the Sanguine Shroud. Known widely as plague doctors- and officially in their institute as Harbingers- with expertise in bloodletting, and magick treatment, these scourge hunters achieved their dread infamy in the infancy of their founding for disposing of victims, and even potential victims, before signs of sickness could manifest themselves. Though their methods over the decades have become much less extreme many still remember those dark days. Their beaked masks and black robes have since now become synonymous with fear, for many of these men and women know no mercy. The shroud investigators soon became less known as physicians and more so as executioners.  

    Darth herself has worked tirelessly to improve the credibility of Ravenworths Harbingers. Darth has made little headway in finding a cure, however, but the recent call by High Lord Jocun has given her hope all the same. She offers her skills in the hopes of finally ending this nightmare.  

Ω   A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:
//ABILITIES:
◼  Idyllic Precpetion| Darth was blessed with an incredible mind that has served her quite well in her chosen profession. Her unmatched memory and intelligence are among the reasons she has remained top of her field. Her attention to detail often means she can recall anything she has learned of or come across in almost perfect detail.

◼  Black Blood Ministation | Harbingers of the Sanguine Shroud are all subjected to an experimental blood ministration that is both equal parts alchemical solution and arcane ritual. Black blood is an unusual concoction fashioned from the blood samples of survivors of past afflictions known to Ravensworth and stored in the college. This infusion effectively renders the recipient all but immune to most known diseases, along with many forms of venom or poisons, but at a great cost. This, of course, has long been proven to be worthless against the new stone flesh plague.

//SKILLS:
◼ Hippocratic Oath| Darth is foremost an academic and a doctor, but years of research has left her with a generous amount of knowledge in alchemy as well as history. This means she knows how to create- and possesses many- healing tonics, toxins, and poisons. Dr. Cipherous can thus make use of many experimental remedies and risky healing practices to mend or even cure her companions' of mundane ailments and restore their vigor. She also employs her talent for healing to do harm if the situation calls for it.

◼ Healer and Executioner| Though not skilled with, sickle, blade or bow, Darth was taught the Shourds execution techniques to 'pacify' sickened patients to grant them a merciful painless death. This includes the use of potent poisons or, in desperate situations, the bladed cane whip she carries.

//LIMITATIONS:
◼ Who Likes Needles?| Due to the widespread fear, superstitions, and rumors of the preventive doctors of Ravensworth due to an unsavory past-- many have come to fear the arrival of a Harbinger. A few desperate souls may even attack a lone Harbinger outright before accepting their help through this is usually rare. 

◼ No Hiding It| Thanks to ancient oaths and more than a few local laws, allegiance to Ravensworth fabled fourth talon must always be visible. This effectively means no agent of the Sanguine Shroud can obfuscate who they are. Thus the robes and beaked mask must always be worn when working on behalf of the Sanguine Shroud. The enforcement of this rule is to grant a measure of protection to their agents from infection, as much as to abide by current laws. 

//WEAKNESSES:
◼ Bookworm| Years spent studying tombs, scrolls and countless books, along with the occasional experiment has left Darth with no time for much physical exercise. She is typically weaker than most individuals she comes across, and her slight frame does nothing to aid in this regard.

◼ The Price of Health| The seemingly miraculous black blood ministration grants one an incredibly robust immune system, but this comes at a terrible cost. Firstly the process effectively causes the user to develop a mild form of aplastic anemia. They will produce little to no blood on their own, and must actively acquire regular infusions of healthy treated blood to remain functioning. To compound things further, one soon becomes addicted to the process of blood infusion. If no injection is maintained at least once a week, the individual will degrade rapidly in health. Growing weaker, and more feral with time. The one upside to this unseemly mutation is that the user of black blood can receive any blood for transfusion, what the college has come to call a 'universal recipient'. If not for this one fact black blood might never have been used as it is now.

Ω   N O T E S:
◼ Dr. Cipherous is garbed in the cloak of dark black and cowl that, with her beaked mask, covers her entire head and face. The beaked mask carries some herbs, spices, and is blended to create a special incense. The perfume like substance serves the main purpose as a means of masking the scent of rotting corpses. Though it also serves the dual purpose of preventing any noxious gases, she may use to affect her.  She also carries satchels that hold countless, ingredients, herbs, vials, tonics, and one bag houses her alchemist’s supplies.

Examples include a Moor’s Head, four alembics, a retort, the classic Mortar, and Pestle, a stirring rod, and a dozen empty flask.  Finally, she carries a tome strapped to her side that houses recipes for countless things- from poisons, anti-venoms, or healing tonics. She also has a journal with her to document anything exciting or valuable she may come across. 

Appearance: When not wearing her signature mask, Darth is not too different from most who live in the central homelands. Her complexion is rather pale from lack of sun, and her eyes are exceptionally dark from her black blood ministration. She has raven black hair and a gauntness to her features that hint at her unnatural condition. 

Gear
Bladed Cane: A common piece of gear for Sanguine Shrouded agents acting as harbingers is a walking cane which is seen as both a badge of office and serves the more practical use to examine and direct patients without the need to make direct contact with the patient. As with nearly all equipment employed by Shroud, the cane serves the dual purpose as an execution weapon for those who have caught the stone blight. In extreme cases, the one might use the hidden blade feature of the cane to defend one's self as it is sufficiently deadly as a rigid bladed cane, that can serve as a bladed whip when its blade is split into over a dozen razor-sharp segments. The top of the cane is fashioned to resemble a raven's head.
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