Post by Lujayn on Feb 1, 2010 15:18:34 GMT -5
This was the appearance of Asthelein, born from a race of monsters that were, as legend told, descended from Sky Beings that had been cast out from their otherworldly home in disgrace, cursed to their nightmarish appearance and to forever be trapped within the horror and despair of the Shadow Forest, where all the trees were dead, gnarled hands of bark and dead wood reaching with grasping claws toward a sky forever overcast. Strange creatures roamed the outskirts, keeping the accursed within and all others without— these were the Guardians, placed especially for their task. Centuries- perhaps even millennia- of living within their dead prison has caused these Fallen to fear the light, whatever little could penetrate the thick trees and the heavy cloud. It burned their skin and hurt their eyes, leaving an agony that could last for days, especially to the very young. They could not even alleviate their agony with healing, as part of their curse was that any herb with curative properties would, instead, hurt them, burning and eating at their skin, making them
(although this was often a moot point, as short of decapitation, stabbing them in the heart, and giving them so many deep wounds that they bleed to death within minutes, physical injuries aren’t much of a problem because of their incredible regenerative abilities). The only benefit was that almost nothing could poison them (save for silver, a pure element), and so the plant fare of the forest that would kill other creatures was safe for their consumption. They are extraordinarily susceptible to magic, however, especially that of light magic. The darker arts they tend to be resistant towards because of countless centuries of being cursed, but aside from that small boon they’re more or less doomed when it comes to magic. They are still winged creatures, but they keep their wings within them for they are more of a nuisance on the ground, and they scarcely bring them out for it involves the splitting of flesh, the reforming of bones- a bloody, very painful business, and they can’t really fly that well anyways.Accursed as they are, violence predominates, and daily meditation is required, at day’s beginning and end, to put a cage on their emotion, lest they lose control of what little sanity they possess and begin to kill and destroy. The fate of these almost always ends with attempted escape, and butchery by the Guardians. Hatred permeates the Fallen, hatred for their ancestors that have cursed them to their fate, hatred for the Guardians that kept them within their prison, and hatred for the outside races that could enjoy freedom often squandered, who could enjoy the warmth of the sun without fear of burning.
Asthelein had been born an indeterminate number of years ago, time having no meaning in a place with no sun. She was one of the few who could stand in the sun and not burn alive- although she suffered from minor burns if she stood in direct sunlight for too long. The madness that affected her people was not as apparent, although it lingered beneath her iron will. She had spent countless days within the forest, surviving but not living, until one day, while walking, she found that she had wandered to the very edge of the forest. A quick glance about revealed no Guardians, and so she ran, far, far away from her accursed birthplace, the first of the Fallen to have escaped from their lonely, bitter prison.
Not that she did not suffer outside. Her monstrous appearance brought about misunderstanding, distrust, and hatred, and she soon learned to hide herself as best she could with loose clothing to conceal. As the sun was out far more on the outside, and much more intense, she required a thin cloak to protect her face from being burned, as well as a thin pair of gloves, a strange attire when the weather was warm and fair.
Asthelein required no weapons, for she could make her own. From any place on her body she could create long tendrils of a hard, almost unbreakable substance- not bone, for hers could break quite easily, but something else that could be absorbed back within her once she had no use for it. This power was used to either create a twisted blade that came from the back of her hand, resembling a katar, or to grow nasty claws that could scratch and gouge. She could also create a twisted shield, either just from one arm or one that surrounded her entire body like a bramble patch, although this was terrible for her clothes, puncturing the fabric and creating numerous holes. It does have its drawbacks, however. It requires a lot of energy to produce, and after a time she will be incapable of creating or sustaining any more. She has also never been able to create a solid sheild, so a well-aimed arrow or a thin sword could slip through the gaps. Aside from this ability she could always bite someone with her sharp teeth.
Despite the centuries-long tradition of indiscriminate hatred that characterised her race, Asthelein has a fairly easy-going nature that, in other circumstances, would make it easy for her to create friendships with others (although the prejudices of her race shine through every once and a while). Because of her status as a monster, however, and her rather tentative grip on sanity, she keeps a rather obvious emotional distance between herself and others. She likes to pry out secrets from others, gain their confidence, but doesn’t give up anything of herself. She may have been friendly, but she didn’t have a death wish. She also will quite readily take a longer route to go around a forest, possessing a rather understandable repugnance towards large groupings of trees, and she sometimes feels that she can see a strange creature in the shadows, moving towards her...
Summary of Abilities
Strengths: Immunity to poison; incredible regenerative properties (except when injured through light, silver, and fire); immune to poison; ability to create weapons and shields from her body; dubious power of flight; sense of hearing and smell that is slightly above average.
Weaknesses: Light sensitivity; incredible weakness to most magic; healing arts/herbs cause damage; weakness to silver; tentative grip on sanity; appearance often leads to violent encounters; fear of large amounts of trees.
*She’s about 5’7”
**Taking the place of Kakra
' Bloody heck, two jobs and a BUNCH of kerfuffle later, and I'm back AGAIN.