Vendetta [S!2 Round 2 ~ Soñaire]

Originally posted on MSPA by Antarctic Wolf.

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Username: Antarctic Wolf

Name: Altara Elwynn

Gender: Female

Race: Druid/Ancient Spirit

Color: #107804

Description: Altara appears as a humanoid 22 year old female of tan, honey colouring. Her eyes are almond in shape yet mismatched in colour. Her left iris is green, representing her close kinship with nature and life whereas her right iris flares crimson reflecting her attunement to the destructive power of the elements. Her hair tumbles down to her waist in a jet black cascade of curls and her clothing consists of a simple white woolen robe which is fastened at the waist by a black, silk sash. The hem is tattered and snagged with brambles as she is rather heedless of her appearance, and prefers to walk barefoot to stay in touch with the earth.

She has an intense curiosity and a bold personality yet always carefully reasons out her actions, often calling upon her abilities in order to determine the best course of action. Due to a lack of memories, she is quite innocent and is easily fascinated by new people or unnatural objects. Old instincts from her previous life have a powerful influence over her but, although they often save her from harm, they also ignite and inkling of fear within her regarding who she used to be... and what she might become.

Items/Abilities:

• She has the ability to repossess living things, regardless of whether the original occupant is still alive. The difficulty and preparation necessary for her to manage this is less the lower the self-awareness of the body/form is.
• She can alter the body she occupies in minor ways, often choosing to change its appearance to better match her own, or to slightly increase the natural abilities of her “host”.
• Her druidic heritage allows her access to elemental magic although difficult or complex weavings require time and preparation or physical ingredients.
• The bodies she possesses can also augment her druidic abilities; possessing a tree might allow her a greater well of power due to the roots in the earth, yet occurs at the sacrifice of her mobility.

Biography:
She remembers little of her past, but maintains a full recollection of druidic rituals and the art of divine meditation. She was accidentally revived by group of youths when she repossessed the body of a fatally wounded young woman whose blood broke the seal of her tomb. At first she took over the typical life of her host body but increasingly felt unsettled until she realised that the body and life she had assumed were not originally hers. Her strong and uncommon powers were unexplained and people had noticed a distinct change in her personality. In an effort to recover her past, she chose to tap into source of her druidic power, the aether, through a deep meditation. In doing so her soul was once again ripped out of her body and flung far out of her world and time…

Writing Sample:

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SpoilerThe sparrows were jovial in their morning chatter, their peaceful song lightening the heavy mood of the mercenary band. An edge had crept into movements of the men, every rustling of leaves capturing their full attention, as if they expected a threat to jump out at any moment. Over the past few nights, the eerie howls of wolves had become unnaturally numerous and now, coupled with the fact that Elyssa, their scout, had not returned, they felt justified in their wariness. Stretching in his saddle, Renaldo yawned widely as he surveyed the caravan of loggers they were escorting. Unlike his tall, sleek, bold warhorse, the horses pulling the carts were stout, chunky and enduring, content under a light load consisting only of a couple weeks worth of rations as well as the logging equipment. At the head of the caravan sat the gruff irritable leader of the loggers. Renaldo was just about to intrude upon the man’s no doubt grim thoughts when he his peripherals caught sight of movement in the forest. His men, trained by years of practice and battle mirrored Renaldo’s movements, falling into formation as he reined his mare to a halt and, sword in hand, turned to face the disturbance.
Snarling and thrashing, it burst out from the undergrowth, hurling abuse. “Put that damn sword away you impertinent fool!” her words were followed by a string of curses, no-more friendly and infinitely more colourful. Eyes still wide with surprise, Renaldo’s face split into a broad grin “By the four divines! What happened to you Elyssa, did you get into a brawl with a bush?” Violet eyes blazing with fury met his gaze whilst the men around him remained tensed; they knew better than to let down their guard in the presence of such an obvious danger. Her piercing stare became meaningful as she proceeded to remove sticks from her once silky jet black hair, throwing them deliberately at Renaldo’s head. “A bear actually and if you’re not careful, I might just choose to slay another one.” Acutely aware of the danger, Renaldo’s men were wise enough to discreetly shift the position of their horses, so that they might preoccupy themselves and avoid a scalding confrontation. Chin thrust upward, Elyssa’s small figure folded her arms, in an attempt to resume an air of dignity-- an air which was somewhat skewed by the unnoticed twigs which still adorned her hair and the mud flecked over her cheeks. “Well?” she demanded “I’m not about to stand around here all day, hurry up and let me take your horse. It’s about time that a buffoon like you got some exercise.” Not wanting to fan the flames of her anger too much, Renaldo gave his response in careful, measured tones. Only the mischievous glint deep in his eyes belied his amusement. “Dear Elyssa, as much as I would love to lend you Swiftblade, she has a temperament much like your own: haughty and unable to bear the...” he paused and smiled sweetly, “...inexperienced.” Filled with the boastful energy of her master, Swiftblade snorted and flicked her head almost in emphasis, whilst allowing Renaldo to give her an affectionate pat to the neck. No longer able to put up with what Renaldo regarded as genius, the scout gave a sharp huff and flounced towards the carts, refusing to so much as look at a mercenary.