Appearance
Name:Mercury Natalia Halynn, simply 'Merc' to those who know her
Age:21
Brand: Body
Weapon/Rune: Storm runes tattooed on the backs of her hands
Faction: The Covenant; Covenant of Body
Personality: Brash, hot-blooded, and quick-tempered, Mercury has a pension for getting into fights that sometimes gets her into trouble; a bit of a problem child from the start. That said, there's a heart of gold buried beneath that rough exterior. She's always willing to lend a hand to those in need, and will never hesitate to stand against any perceived injustice. Hot-blooded though she may be, she is a wonderful friend.
Background: Mercury grew up poor, spending most of her time prowling the streets of New Wickenborough, usually looking for things to steal for the sake of self-preservation, because god knows her incompetent whore of a mother couldn't do it. The house she was supposed to live in didn't feel like a home, it barely felt like a house, and her mother didn't help the situation with giving the local 'gentry' far more attention than she'd give Mercury. Most of their interactions consisted of screaming matches and Mercury taking a backhand or two. This went on until roughly the age of 13, when she encountered Eiichiro, or rather, a pack of his more unruly students, in an attempt to pick-pocket one. Keeping an ever-watchful eye, Eiichiro watched as they began to pick on young Mercury, ready to step in at a moment's notice should they overstep any line. Mercury, however, was the one who decided when a line was crossed, and, as is in her nature, swung first. Much to Eiichiro's surprise, she was able to hold her own for a while, but being outnumbered, she quickly lost ground, at which point Eiichiro himself intervened. He explained to her that he and his students where visitors from Xiao, on an outing to seek more worldly knowledge and experience. After a short discussion, and hearing of Mercury's plight, he offered to take her in. It didn't take much to get Mercury on board with the plan. She left nothing more than a note explaining that she was leaving and never coming back for her mother to find. 8 years later, and Mercury has blossomed into a beautiful woman, and a fierce fighter, bearing the brand of body magic. She travels the world now, largely in pursuit of competition fighting events to earn her living. Far from a master of her martial arts, she has applied the skills she does have, dissected and woven them into her own brand of street fighting, creating a unique fusion of precise technique and blind instinct; a genuinely wild style of combat.
Other: A common practice among those who train in the use of body magic is a technique used to harden their body to a stone-esque state, mostly as a means of defense. Mercury's use of this ability is no different, but her ability to harden her body surpasses even some of the strongest body magic users. While for most, their skin would appear no different, Mercury's body will turn black and smooth like polished onyx in the effected areas. While not unheard of, this is a rare trait in body users.
