Name: Emerson (Em') L. Pèlerin
Race: Human
Gender: Both? Neither? Responds to both He and She and prefers not to think about it.
Appearance: 
Emerson's appearance depends entirely on how he prefers presenting herself from one day to the next. With plenty of outfits to give off both a masculine and feminine appearance, it's a toss up depending on her mood and how long he's portrayed himself as one gender or the other. His life on the run has instilled a habit of very frequently changing things up, in order to keep the heat off his back. On top of this, her hair colour also changes daily, almost a source of pride for Emerson. He started training her magical endurance a decade ago by changing one strand at a time until he passed out from the effort. It's still a tiring task, but part of her daily regiment.
Other than Emerson's extreme androgyny, there are a few other features that are distinguishable. While attractive there are signs of malnourishment present, she's not quite dangerously thin, yet, but it's clear that eating has either been impossible or of a lesser priority for some time. On top of this he's quite short, perhaps a result of stunted growth throughout her youth. Whatever the reason, Emerson barely breaks five foot on a good day, tiptoes or not. If pointed out, she would usually deflect by saying all of his growth went into his brain.
Barely peeking out from the collar of Emerson's shirt is a tattoo of an eyeball that glows faintly whenever she begins casting spells. Magical runes can also usually be seen running up and down the length of both arms, notes taken when inspiration strikes and the parchment in his backpack is too far away to bother retrieving. Usually these are covered up with long sleeves to avoid unneeded attention, but some days she can get carried away. Since joining the guard, these days have become much more frequent, no longer needing to blend in with the general population.
Age: 17
Former Proffesion: Street Urchin, Apprentice to Aurelius the Sage
Skills: Photographic Memory: Emerson forgets nothing that he is taught, or reads. Events may pass by her notice, but that's usually because he is more absorbed in research than what's going on around her. When on the run it came in handy many times for recognizing off duty guardsmen to avoid.
Magical Prodigy: Magic fascinates Emerson more than anything else in the world, and she's dedicated every spare moment of her young life to it's study, and practice. Moreso than just recreating existing spells and effects, he strives to invent new and creative ways to implement the powerful resource.
Bereft of Talent: An almost complete lack of natural affinity for magic means that it's use taxes Emerson to the extreme. Often only one or two spells of even moderate potency will knock him out, or otherwise drain her completely of energy.
Poor Eater: Whether due to circumstances or choice, food has never been something Emerson has had in abundance. While this has affected her strength less than one might expect (Just try lifting her backpack) he tires easily when straining himself with non magical tasks as well. This, however, is much less extreme than his magical lack of endurance.
Urchin's Skills: While they've rusted since she was a child, Emerson's life growing up on the streets of Kings Knell has instilled a certain number of thieving talents. These helped him elude capture while on the run, and could conceivably be improved to full blown thieving skills of she so chose to spend her energy perfecting them. He has no such desire though.
Dual Casting: Emerson's trademark is mixing two (or more) types of magic to make a more potent affect. Often this results in overkill, but she considers it to be experimentation as much as practical use. Whether this means creating earthen shackles that electrocute their target, or a fireball that also freezes the insides of it's victim, the results are sure to be interesting if nothing else.
Personality: Emerson is in actuality quite social in spite of both his past life on the streets, and his shut in years of research and magical practice. Perhaps it was because of this shut in lifestyle that she developed a habit of seeking out company, even if she prefers to read or otherwise occupy himself while carrying on a conversation. A lack of... experience in this department and a bizarre sense of humor means that she does personify social awkwardness.
On top of this, while she loves talking about her research into the magical arts, she's bizarrely tight lipped about his actual years as an apprentice, describing what he does decide to share in a cold, matter-of-fact manner that one might find more fitting to her analytical mind. He is only slightly less distant about her years living on the streets of Kings Knell, clearly much more interested in staying in the present. Still, beneath this detached exterior cracks of emotion can be seen if asked on a particularly bad day. Hinting that these experiences are not so distant in Emerson's mind.
Clearly though she has a deep love for what she does. Even though it takes incredible effort to cast even the smallest amount of magic, he does so with great joy. When fatigue inevitably overtakes him from the strain of his actions, Emerson passes out with a smile on her face, clearly enjoying a satisfying slumber. How long it takes him to recover varies, but usually ten or twenty minutes will suffice, leaving him exhausted for the rest of the day afterward.
History: Emerson grew up like many of the urchins lining the streets of Kings Knell: Poorly. Although her lack of nutrition wasn't due to any absence in talent as a thief. Indeed, had he chosen her belly would have never been left wanting in those years. However, he put those talents to far better use (at least in her mind): The theft of books. Literacy wasn't something common amongst his kind, so he traded favors in exchange for education. Food and baubles were exchanged for knowledge, which awakened a voracity in her that still has yet to be quenched. One day a drunk and lost man stumbled upon her hidden library in the alleys of Kings Knell, and recognized her potential as a student. That man was Aurelius The Sage, one of the greatest researchers of the arcane arts in the city.
For almost ten years to the day Emerson served under the man, attacking Aurelius' library of research like a starved animal. However, there was one slight speed bump in Emerson's road to magehood: he was almost entirely lacking in talent for the magical arts. Every spell cast felt like swimming against a raging river, and rarely could he perform more than one such feat per day. However, the results were always both precise and powerful. Emerson seemed to grasp the
science behind the magical arts like few others. How exactly to coax the power latent in the world around her and change it to suit his needs. Within the (admittedly small) world of magical research, Emerson was hailed as a prodigy, more than capable of even surpassing her teacher.
However, three months ago Aurelius was found mutilated in his bedroom. His skin was burnt almost beyond recognition and his organs were found to be completely frozen solid underneath. Dual magic was known to be a specialty of Emerson, and especially considering the fact that the prodigy was nowhere to be found in the aftermath of the murder led investigators to deduce an obvious culprit. Those who have met the prodigy in the months since the incident claim that Emerson has professed innocence, but in spite of that never allowed the guard to detain him for a trial. He often used his relative anonymity (At least amongst the general public), and ability to easily pass as one gender or the other from day to day to avoid suspicion. That, and a quick escape was only a spell away. A painful, taxing spell away.
However, though as a child she lived the life of a petty criminal, Emerson had never been wanted for a serious crime. In fact, for the most part was completely ignored except by others of his kind. Being actively hunted for murder was an entirely different kettle of fish, and far worse was that she had no license to practice magic. Guardsmen were easy to escape on any given day, but the guild was far more tenacious and capable of hunting him down. After three months of being on the run she finally grew tired of it. Knowing that her talents would be valued- and that the guard could be called "loose" with their acceptance of fugitives- he finally turned himself in for a pardon. Considering his talents for magic and stealth, it was agreed he'd be absolved of the high profile murder and made a member of the guard on the condition that he allow the city to track him at any time. Now she sports a tattoo of an eye on her chest. which activates a scrying spell any time she uses magic. A small price to pay, in his view.
Damycles
BayRat
Member
