Adventures in the Atlantic hardly prepared Grell to be drawn into the land of Allaidh Darach. Commonly referred to as the Drabwurld, new arrivals from many different worlds were brought in for one shared quality - they all happened to be what was known as a shardbearer. Many millennia ago, the Uaine Cridhe, the great Gem that sparked creation had shattered, and the shards of the Gem had been flung out and landed in the right places to grow and sustain new worlds. By unknown magic, the shards manifested themselves in certain people, and while in the Drabwurld, they were a character's connection to their home. A shard made someone capable of great feats, though once a character died, the shard itself would be gone from them, the link to their world destroyed - and depending on how many shardbearers the world had left, it could spell the death of their world before. At the time Grell came in, there was a war being waged over the Gem, for whoever collected enough shards would have the power to decide the Drabwurld's, and by extension everyone's future. Two sides predominated - the Seelie Court, champions of the natural order, and the Unseelie Court, those with the passion to change things. Constantly the two sides warred, seeking an end in their favor.
Grell found herself in the Unseelie Court, and she was quick to make alliances with long repercussions. An elf named Celegorm would charm her and his passion and drive would cause her to admire him greatly, a human named Ariadne fought alongside her when the shardbearers were first called to arms and gained a respect that turned into an unbreakable friendship, and a self proclaimed king named Ganondorf provided the first steps she needed to begin her studies of magic, something she would always seek to better while in the Drabwurld. Though quickly her, Celegorm, and Ganondorf found themselves looking to make strong moves against the Seelie, the elf was suspicious of the king, and asked Grell to remain close to him to watch for treachery. This she would do until Ganondorf's disappearance years later, even as she aided him in seizing the territory of Mair for their side and found herself over time considering the man a friend for his reliability and strength. Her friendship with Celegorm was to be more tragic, however, and an early loss of him in a battle left her with a bitterness towards the Seelie, especially his killer, and turned her towards deepening her Unseelie loyalties to devotion. Other relationships were to be more successful, such as her friendship with one Waver Velvet, who also aided her in magic and proved himself faithful to friends, even if he sought a third option out of the war rather than Grell's Unseelie allegiance.
Her loyalty came at a proper time, as High Queen Morla of the Unseelie soon sent her on a mission to the fortress of Redgate to subdue the enemy there, who happened to be an enormous dragon. Gathering a small but fearsome team, she came to meet the ruler of Redgate, Alyosha Hazan, who was also dealing with a Seelie team looking to save the very opponent they were there to exterminate. After consideration, Alyosha sided with the Unseelie, and the Seelie panicked, rushing to wake the mad dragon in an attempt to free it. The Unseelie followed, and after a fierce battle, the dragon succumbed to its wounds. Though Redgate itself was harmed greatly by the dragon's rage, Alyosha herself survived, and the woman would become an ally and dear friend over the years. Not too soon, as Alyosha would prove invaluable assistance against the cunning and malevolent Reynard. Reynard the Fox was a shardbearer from older times, who sought to gain enough shards of his own to form a new court, and Grell and others gained his attention when they struck out to claim his keep, Maupertius, from him. The battle was hard fought and hard won, but soon Reynard struck back, claiming precious things from them all and only willing to release them for high ransom. Grell, both voiceless and stripped of powers she didn't want in this tyrant's hands, steeled herself and claimed a Seelie shard to deliver to him, spitting a declaration of violence in his direction as soon as they were safely hers again. Eventually, Reynard's ambition showed itself in his attempts to steal objects known as sigils - magical artifacts that controlled reality. In response, both Seelie and Unseelie teams banded together with Alyosha's guidance to use these objects to destroy him once and for all. The experience left more than a few changed, but Reynard was reduced to nothingness.
Battle plans weren't the only thing Alyosha provided to those who sought more from the world. She also provided a wealth of information on the past, confirming some facts spread about the war, revealing others, and arming them all with the knowledge that would propel them forward to look for truth. And to Grell personally, she also gave fuel for Grell's growing self awareness about her role as a shardbearer being at odds with her past. That along with the tangible presence of the god of death, the Black Shuck, in the world gave her much to think about. While the soul searching began, she also worked closely with the Unseelie military, training soldiers, forming an outpost to watch for Seelie, and participated in every assault on the Seelie she could. From these battles, new friendships formed, including her meeting one Clarke Griffin, who was to become yet another close ally. Unfortunately, not every battle was successful, and the Unseelie would suffer a crushing defeat that destroyed their main castle and slaughtered the young Jabberwock, a creature of destruction who nevertheless was still a young girl. Her loss would wound hearts, and Grell took the defeat somewhat personally, choosing to spend a time apart from her friends and instead acting as dayguard for a group of vampire refugees on their way to the coast. Returning from the endeavor, she conducted a private, quiet funeral for the young creature and acted refreshed in spirit enough to carry on.
The next year would be more work than play. Having accepted an invitation from Ganondorf to act as his second in command, the Lady of Mair found herself effectively running the city as the king withdrew for personal pursuits, and most of her time was spent overseeing it, though there were some diversions and significant faces encountered. A young boy by the name of Hiro Hamada would approach her on business for the Black Shuck, which she was quick to aid him with, and the tournament of Treun allowed her to speak frankly with a Seelie, Gilgamesh, who she'd encountered on the battlefield and admired the strength of enough to search out again, even as court lines grew tighter. Both would become trusted and dear, disregarding how difficult it was to contact them. A man named John Grimm, formerly of the Seelie Court, would prove that courts did not matter when it came to being a staunch ally on an individual basis. His actions would bolster her affections towards him, though she would hide her true sentiment for months still, convincing herself it was not to be. Burying herself in work also bought her enough time to escape creeping doubts that had begun to bloom in Grell's mind about the world, no matter how much Lucifer himself might seek to drag them up.
Yet the year to follow began ominously. Mair would fall into Seelie hands, an all consuming force known as the Void had reached the edges of the known world, and from Reynard's death, a cult had blossomed that held him as a martyr and sought to strike against shardbearers. Not a pleasant start to things, and it would only worsen as the months went on. Some of her friends were accused of treachery and their very souls held as collateral until they had atoned, Alyosha's death was announced to the court, and attempts to communicate with higher forces to fight against the Void ended rapidly and foolishly, unable to be tried again. Unwilling to sit idly by, and watching their High Queen deteriorate with the toll of the war even as Unseelie forces led a devastating siege against the Seelie citadel, Grell and other Unseelie banded together again to search for anything that might assist them. If not with the Seelie, then the Void's looming over them. Her travels led her into Mair again, where she was offered a risky proposition - to play against the house of a rather infamous establishment for the information she sought. Having more passion than sensibility as well as seeing no other option, she took the bet and lost, sacrificing memories she had collected from other shardbearers to the god of greed himself for the pity prize of a few phrases to confirm their precarious, losing predicament.
All this contributed to her lack of faith in herself, but before she could be swallowed up entirely by a deep depression, she was offered a hand up by those she had begun to truly consider her friends. Gilgamesh's charisma proved infectious enough to remind herself of her strengths, while an elven woman by the name of Lauralae granted her mental peace enough to accept who she was at the moment. Connection after connection showed itself to be stronger than the pain of the war on all fronts, enduring even in the face of the Void's slow creep forward. The certainty of the end of the world threw much into perspective, showed the value of love over sinking one's heart into the military, and being able to accept herself, Grell found it easier to do things such as confessing sentiment to those she had restrained herself from, and sealing her resolve not to return to the world she was of while also promising to take care of her shard and so ensure its existence. The greatest upheaval would come shortly before the last battle, when the Black Shuck would show himself to her and declare that her time as a reaper was at an end, for she was to have a new set of duties, looking to the future. The god of death's words upon her heart, she would fight in the final battle for the Gem and when it came time to voice what path creation should take, her answer was simple: a way forward.
Of course, it couldn't end there. The result of so many shardbearers' wishes was that the Gem sent them all back in time to when the world was younger and Seelie and Unseelie had not yet formed. A chance to change the way fate would play out, it was meant to be, and shardbearers resolved to mainly use it as such. So much was left to discover, and with millennia potentially at hand, who could say how it would go? Grell found herself with a renewed devotion to the friends that survived the trip and a desire to deepen her connections to the world that she now viewed as home, even if that meant throwing herself into questionable circles in order to stay on top of what was occurring. At game close, she was setting out with other characters in order to fend off the threat of pirates to a major trade city, and so her time in Eachdraidh concludes as much as it began, with being drenched in ocean water and an uncertain future.
[NOTE: Eachdraidh's skill acquisition ran on a 2 to 6 month advancement patterned after the Dreyfus method. I will include the levels of the abilities she acquired when possible.]
Swordplay: Adapting her fighting style with her scythe to that of a sword took little effort, however her specific style still revolves around dodging and a perilously strong offense rather than having a decent defense. (expert level) Self-storage: An ability gifted to her by the High Queen, Grell has the capacity to use her own body to conceal objects in. By pressing them against herself and willing it to be so, the object will go inside of her in a sort of void space that cloaks its presence from the outside world, from which the object can be retrieved later. This is limited to objects that would fit inside the space she occupies - a sword would fit, another person would not. During storage and withdrawal, she becomes less tangible and remains such for a minute afterwards, dizzy and weak from the effort required. She may suffer side effects based upon what is hidden - for example, a crown would make her more imperious until its removal. This ability is one she is still training, and while she can hide somewhat powerful objects inside of herself like an enchanted book or a moderately powerful spell sheet, she cannot fully conceal any objects with great power (or objects whose sum value is such) yet, nor can she take out the items she's placed there. They must be drawn forth by another person.
Magic in general was allowed to all characters due to the nature of the shards within them that were artifacts of great power - it was a mild side effect. Grell's personal style of magic draws on the cornerstones of will and intent, meaning that "what you would" is more important than technical perfection, though structure cannot be entirely neglected. Still, it offers the ability to simplify many spells to their base components and project will to supplement the meaning for whatever purpose is at hand.
Telekinesis: Otherwise referred to as "magic of force", it refers to magic that deals with manipulating objects and material without physical touch. Advanced practitioners can twist the category into creating such things as invisible platforms of force in the air to create a levitation effect, precisely apply force to extremely small areas, or grab a person out of the air. (expert level) Fire: The manipulation, creation, and control of flame. (expert level) Warding: Applicable to written wards, surrounding spells and creating objects imbued with warding powers. Protection, reduction, and/or repulsion of undesired effects such as physical attacks, or allowing sound to escape a room. (written wards and surrounding spells expert level, warded objects competent level.) Sealing: A type of magic that deals with locking things. Limiting access to a specified person, shutting everyone out, unlocking things, and eliminating the need for mechanical locks entirely all are examples of this category. (proficient level) Runes: Using known runes and their effects to create and cast spells. Advanced practitioners can simplify spells to a few key runes, using their own force to fill in the gaps and direct the magic, or create their own runes for use. Runes form the basis for a number of other magic categories. (expert level) Healing: Utilizing one's own magic and energy to heal bodily injury. Was taught the Final Fantasy spells of Cure and Cura, for reference. (competent level) Blood magic: Using blood, bone, or other such things to increase a spell's power, enchant an object, or to cast specific spells. One's own blood has the most potent result. Knows a specific blood spell for silence as well as a method to use her own blood to crush someone from the inside out. (proficient in spell amplification, novice in item enchantment.) Searing sticks: Appear as charcoal pieces that when broken or destroyed cause pain to someone regardless of distance. The pain's recipient and location are specified in the creation. It is a simple curse spell that Grell exploits to tell when allies are in danger by placing the effects on herself - if someone is in trouble, they break the stick, and she will know who needs her by the pain location. (creation of sticks at competent level) Status effects: Dark magic status effects on a person. Encompasses a sleep spell (max duration 10 minutes), a mental paralysis (max duration 2 minutes), a poison dart (minor poison, fatigues the affected and creates flu-like symptoms), and a seal on magic (max duration 2 minutes). All of the effects can be resisted to lesser effects or completely nullified. (advanced beginner level) Armor: With months of development, trial and error, and some assistance, Grell managed to create a type of magical armor. Via rune patterns drawn on the body and giving an initial "activation" burst of energy, it is a precise application of telekinesis magic to repel attacks. It is fire and acid resistant, and other magical attacks behave the way they would when confronted with a high level force field spell. Physical attacks register the magic armor as akin to somewhat enchanted metal - the energy required to sustain the armor regenerates itself through a loop in the design, so once it is broken it is not lost until the next application, and it does not drain the wearer constantly to stay present. For non-magic users, a magic user must provide the "start up" energy. The design is something she only distributes to those in her trust.
Shard magic: Every character brought into Eachdraidh was informed of the power of the shards of the Uaine Cridhe that rest within them. The shards tether a character to their home world, have a "signature" that is attuned to the court that claimed them, and are capable of immense feats under the right circumstances. Shards are "awoken" by strong memories of that world and then release some of their power to the bearer. Shard use grows more like a muscle - the more accustomed one is to using their shard, the less taxing it will be. Initially the process is exceptionally draining, but over time it is no more exertion than a good fight. Learning the power of the shards requires rigorous training and guidance for at least two months to move up a level. -Activation: The basics of the basics. Activating one's shard provides a mild power boost both physically and mentally, which feels like liquid fire in the veins. Can be used to amplify magic and skills. -Level 1: Using shard energy to briefly manipulate the world around you for very brief periods of time. Examples would be turning the ground in a 6ft radius to marshland, or solidifying the air in such a way as to avoid a fatal blow by the enemy. It cannot be used to influence another PC. -Level 2: Using shard energy to gain a sense of another shardbearer's homeworld and shard signature, and to briefly memory-share with others both shardbearers and not. Grell is at shard level one, though she knows of the existence of level two.
•in better shape due to attention to training in the Drabwurld. •accent now incorporates elements of old Gaelic tone with her regular old fashioned London accent. •her body matches her gender. •has acquired a few minor scars from her various battles. her wound from the battle with the Undertaker has healed entirely, leaving a scar from the end of her left collar bone down to just above her right hip - only visible in revealing attire. •within her spirit resides a shard of the Uaine Cridhe - the gem that started creation. it allows her to learn magic and perform certain feats. should she die, this shard will manifest outside her body and become an artifact of concentrated power. •has taken after the fashions of the Drabwurld - fantasy medieval somewhat blended with clothing from later periods.
•her sense of loyalty has deepened. her dedication is to her causes, those she bears a degree of love for, and at this point, to herself as well. however, "herself" is a very loose concept that encompasses not just her, but what she might determine to be "part of her", such as Allaidh Darach and the reapers. •the outcome of dealing with Reynard the Fox was that the artifacts used to destroy him left the people involved magically altered. aside from the magical connection they all now bear, every time they kill a living thing, they feel a deep and unmatched sense of well-being and satisfaction. •she has developed a faith in the Unseelie code and values, and self-identifies as a member of the Unseelie Court. with the virtues of passion and change and determining for oneself what honor is, she lets the court's beliefs influence her when she is indecisive, but otherwise makes up her own mind. after all, thinking for yourself is as much part of the Unseelie as the code is. •religious beliefs now encompass a regular respect paid to a number of Drabwurld gods due to their very real presence and effects on the world. a special place in her heart is dedicated to the Black Shuck, the Drabwurld's god of death, who she especially worships - sometimes with prayer alone, sometimes with reverent ritual. because of the Shuck's releasing her from her work as a reaper and charging her with a new mission, she now self introduces as not a reaper, but as a "lady of death", and views herself as one of the Shuck's servants. •being allowed to not just oversee and train troops, but also maintain and run a city for a year forced her to mature a little and pick up management skills pretty quickly. what the brutal crash courses resulted in was her now able to see to keeping the status quo somewhere, effectively negotiating with others, and carrying enough conviction to get others to listen to her. she's honestly happier as a second in command rather than the head power, but she can get the job done when it falls on her shoulders. •her self esteem and self image have vastly improved, not only due to physical changes but to a long mental journey. additionally, being treated with respect by her court and being trusted enough to become a knight contributed massively to the upswing in how she saw herself, external validation and respect she craved finally provided from court and friends. with the Shuck's blessing and freedom, she sees herself not as a mistake anymore, nor as one who can do nothing other than silently bear her burden, but as someone who is capable, the one chosen to try and safeguard her world, with permission to go and actually live again.
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erythristic) wrote2016-03-02 12:05 am
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eachdraidh history.
Grell found herself in the Unseelie Court, and she was quick to make alliances with long repercussions. An elf named Celegorm would charm her and his passion and drive would cause her to admire him greatly, a human named Ariadne fought alongside her when the shardbearers were first called to arms and gained a respect that turned into an unbreakable friendship, and a self proclaimed king named Ganondorf provided the first steps she needed to begin her studies of magic, something she would always seek to better while in the Drabwurld. Though quickly her, Celegorm, and Ganondorf found themselves looking to make strong moves against the Seelie, the elf was suspicious of the king, and asked Grell to remain close to him to watch for treachery. This she would do until Ganondorf's disappearance years later, even as she aided him in seizing the territory of Mair for their side and found herself over time considering the man a friend for his reliability and strength. Her friendship with Celegorm was to be more tragic, however, and an early loss of him in a battle left her with a bitterness towards the Seelie, especially his killer, and turned her towards deepening her Unseelie loyalties to devotion. Other relationships were to be more successful, such as her friendship with one Waver Velvet, who also aided her in magic and proved himself faithful to friends, even if he sought a third option out of the war rather than Grell's Unseelie allegiance.
Her loyalty came at a proper time, as High Queen Morla of the Unseelie soon sent her on a mission to the fortress of Redgate to subdue the enemy there, who happened to be an enormous dragon. Gathering a small but fearsome team, she came to meet the ruler of Redgate, Alyosha Hazan, who was also dealing with a Seelie team looking to save the very opponent they were there to exterminate. After consideration, Alyosha sided with the Unseelie, and the Seelie panicked, rushing to wake the mad dragon in an attempt to free it. The Unseelie followed, and after a fierce battle, the dragon succumbed to its wounds. Though Redgate itself was harmed greatly by the dragon's rage, Alyosha herself survived, and the woman would become an ally and dear friend over the years. Not too soon, as Alyosha would prove invaluable assistance against the cunning and malevolent Reynard. Reynard the Fox was a shardbearer from older times, who sought to gain enough shards of his own to form a new court, and Grell and others gained his attention when they struck out to claim his keep, Maupertius, from him. The battle was hard fought and hard won, but soon Reynard struck back, claiming precious things from them all and only willing to release them for high ransom. Grell, both voiceless and stripped of powers she didn't want in this tyrant's hands, steeled herself and claimed a Seelie shard to deliver to him, spitting a declaration of violence in his direction as soon as they were safely hers again. Eventually, Reynard's ambition showed itself in his attempts to steal objects known as sigils - magical artifacts that controlled reality. In response, both Seelie and Unseelie teams banded together with Alyosha's guidance to use these objects to destroy him once and for all. The experience left more than a few changed, but Reynard was reduced to nothingness.
Battle plans weren't the only thing Alyosha provided to those who sought more from the world. She also provided a wealth of information on the past, confirming some facts spread about the war, revealing others, and arming them all with the knowledge that would propel them forward to look for truth. And to Grell personally, she also gave fuel for Grell's growing self awareness about her role as a shardbearer being at odds with her past. That along with the tangible presence of the god of death, the Black Shuck, in the world gave her much to think about. While the soul searching began, she also worked closely with the Unseelie military, training soldiers, forming an outpost to watch for Seelie, and participated in every assault on the Seelie she could. From these battles, new friendships formed, including her meeting one Clarke Griffin, who was to become yet another close ally. Unfortunately, not every battle was successful, and the Unseelie would suffer a crushing defeat that destroyed their main castle and slaughtered the young Jabberwock, a creature of destruction who nevertheless was still a young girl. Her loss would wound hearts, and Grell took the defeat somewhat personally, choosing to spend a time apart from her friends and instead acting as dayguard for a group of vampire refugees on their way to the coast. Returning from the endeavor, she conducted a private, quiet funeral for the young creature and acted refreshed in spirit enough to carry on.
The next year would be more work than play. Having accepted an invitation from Ganondorf to act as his second in command, the Lady of Mair found herself effectively running the city as the king withdrew for personal pursuits, and most of her time was spent overseeing it, though there were some diversions and significant faces encountered. A young boy by the name of Hiro Hamada would approach her on business for the Black Shuck, which she was quick to aid him with, and the tournament of Treun allowed her to speak frankly with a Seelie, Gilgamesh, who she'd encountered on the battlefield and admired the strength of enough to search out again, even as court lines grew tighter. Both would become trusted and dear, disregarding how difficult it was to contact them. A man named John Grimm, formerly of the Seelie Court, would prove that courts did not matter when it came to being a staunch ally on an individual basis. His actions would bolster her affections towards him, though she would hide her true sentiment for months still, convincing herself it was not to be. Burying herself in work also bought her enough time to escape creeping doubts that had begun to bloom in Grell's mind about the world, no matter how much Lucifer himself might seek to drag them up.
Yet the year to follow began ominously. Mair would fall into Seelie hands, an all consuming force known as the Void had reached the edges of the known world, and from Reynard's death, a cult had blossomed that held him as a martyr and sought to strike against shardbearers. Not a pleasant start to things, and it would only worsen as the months went on. Some of her friends were accused of treachery and their very souls held as collateral until they had atoned, Alyosha's death was announced to the court, and attempts to communicate with higher forces to fight against the Void ended rapidly and foolishly, unable to be tried again. Unwilling to sit idly by, and watching their High Queen deteriorate with the toll of the war even as Unseelie forces led a devastating siege against the Seelie citadel, Grell and other Unseelie banded together again to search for anything that might assist them. If not with the Seelie, then the Void's looming over them. Her travels led her into Mair again, where she was offered a risky proposition - to play against the house of a rather infamous establishment for the information she sought. Having more passion than sensibility as well as seeing no other option, she took the bet and lost, sacrificing memories she had collected from other shardbearers to the god of greed himself for the pity prize of a few phrases to confirm their precarious, losing predicament.
All this contributed to her lack of faith in herself, but before she could be swallowed up entirely by a deep depression, she was offered a hand up by those she had begun to truly consider her friends. Gilgamesh's charisma proved infectious enough to remind herself of her strengths, while an elven woman by the name of Lauralae granted her mental peace enough to accept who she was at the moment. Connection after connection showed itself to be stronger than the pain of the war on all fronts, enduring even in the face of the Void's slow creep forward. The certainty of the end of the world threw much into perspective, showed the value of love over sinking one's heart into the military, and being able to accept herself, Grell found it easier to do things such as confessing sentiment to those she had restrained herself from, and sealing her resolve not to return to the world she was of while also promising to take care of her shard and so ensure its existence. The greatest upheaval would come shortly before the last battle, when the Black Shuck would show himself to her and declare that her time as a reaper was at an end, for she was to have a new set of duties, looking to the future. The god of death's words upon her heart, she would fight in the final battle for the Gem and when it came time to voice what path creation should take, her answer was simple: a way forward.
Of course, it couldn't end there. The result of so many shardbearers' wishes was that the Gem sent them all back in time to when the world was younger and Seelie and Unseelie had not yet formed. A chance to change the way fate would play out, it was meant to be, and shardbearers resolved to mainly use it as such. So much was left to discover, and with millennia potentially at hand, who could say how it would go? Grell found herself with a renewed devotion to the friends that survived the trip and a desire to deepen her connections to the world that she now viewed as home, even if that meant throwing herself into questionable circles in order to stay on top of what was occurring. At game close, she was setting out with other characters in order to fend off the threat of pirates to a major trade city, and so her time in Eachdraidh concludes as much as it began, with being drenched in ocean water and an uncertain future.
gained abilities.
Swordplay: Adapting her fighting style with her scythe to that of a sword took little effort, however her specific style still revolves around dodging and a perilously strong offense rather than having a decent defense. (expert level)
Self-storage: An ability gifted to her by the High Queen, Grell has the capacity to use her own body to conceal objects in. By pressing them against herself and willing it to be so, the object will go inside of her in a sort of void space that cloaks its presence from the outside world, from which the object can be retrieved later. This is limited to objects that would fit inside the space she occupies - a sword would fit, another person would not. During storage and withdrawal, she becomes less tangible and remains such for a minute afterwards, dizzy and weak from the effort required. She may suffer side effects based upon what is hidden - for example, a crown would make her more imperious until its removal. This ability is one she is still training, and while she can hide somewhat powerful objects inside of herself like an enchanted book or a moderately powerful spell sheet, she cannot fully conceal any objects with great power (or objects whose sum value is such) yet, nor can she take out the items she's placed there. They must be drawn forth by another person.
Magic in general was allowed to all characters due to the nature of the shards within them that were artifacts of great power - it was a mild side effect. Grell's personal style of magic draws on the cornerstones of will and intent, meaning that "what you would" is more important than technical perfection, though structure cannot be entirely neglected. Still, it offers the ability to simplify many spells to their base components and project will to supplement the meaning for whatever purpose is at hand.
Telekinesis: Otherwise referred to as "magic of force", it refers to magic that deals with manipulating objects and material without physical touch. Advanced practitioners can twist the category into creating such things as invisible platforms of force in the air to create a levitation effect, precisely apply force to extremely small areas, or grab a person out of the air. (expert level)
Fire: The manipulation, creation, and control of flame. (expert level)
Warding: Applicable to written wards, surrounding spells and creating objects imbued with warding powers. Protection, reduction, and/or repulsion of undesired effects such as physical attacks, or allowing sound to escape a room. (written wards and surrounding spells expert level, warded objects competent level.)
Sealing: A type of magic that deals with locking things. Limiting access to a specified person, shutting everyone out, unlocking things, and eliminating the need for mechanical locks entirely all are examples of this category. (proficient level)
Runes: Using known runes and their effects to create and cast spells. Advanced practitioners can simplify spells to a few key runes, using their own force to fill in the gaps and direct the magic, or create their own runes for use. Runes form the basis for a number of other magic categories. (expert level)
Healing: Utilizing one's own magic and energy to heal bodily injury. Was taught the Final Fantasy spells of Cure and Cura, for reference. (competent level)
Blood magic: Using blood, bone, or other such things to increase a spell's power, enchant an object, or to cast specific spells. One's own blood has the most potent result. Knows a specific blood spell for silence as well as a method to use her own blood to crush someone from the inside out. (proficient in spell amplification, novice in item enchantment.)
Searing sticks: Appear as charcoal pieces that when broken or destroyed cause pain to someone regardless of distance. The pain's recipient and location are specified in the creation. It is a simple curse spell that Grell exploits to tell when allies are in danger by placing the effects on herself - if someone is in trouble, they break the stick, and she will know who needs her by the pain location. (creation of sticks at competent level)
Status effects: Dark magic status effects on a person. Encompasses a sleep spell (max duration 10 minutes), a mental paralysis (max duration 2 minutes), a poison dart (minor poison, fatigues the affected and creates flu-like symptoms), and a seal on magic (max duration 2 minutes). All of the effects can be resisted to lesser effects or completely nullified. (advanced beginner level)
Armor: With months of development, trial and error, and some assistance, Grell managed to create a type of magical armor. Via rune patterns drawn on the body and giving an initial "activation" burst of energy, it is a precise application of telekinesis magic to repel attacks. It is fire and acid resistant, and other magical attacks behave the way they would when confronted with a high level force field spell. Physical attacks register the magic armor as akin to somewhat enchanted metal - the energy required to sustain the armor regenerates itself through a loop in the design, so once it is broken it is not lost until the next application, and it does not drain the wearer constantly to stay present. For non-magic users, a magic user must provide the "start up" energy. The design is something she only distributes to those in her trust.
Shard magic: Every character brought into Eachdraidh was informed of the power of the shards of the Uaine Cridhe that rest within them. The shards tether a character to their home world, have a "signature" that is attuned to the court that claimed them, and are capable of immense feats under the right circumstances. Shards are "awoken" by strong memories of that world and then release some of their power to the bearer. Shard use grows more like a muscle - the more accustomed one is to using their shard, the less taxing it will be. Initially the process is exceptionally draining, but over time it is no more exertion than a good fight. Learning the power of the shards requires rigorous training and guidance for at least two months to move up a level.
-Activation: The basics of the basics. Activating one's shard provides a mild power boost both physically and mentally, which feels like liquid fire in the veins. Can be used to amplify magic and skills.
-Level 1: Using shard energy to briefly manipulate the world around you for very brief periods of time. Examples would be turning the ground in a 6ft radius to marshland, or solidifying the air in such a way as to avoid a fatal blow by the enemy. It cannot be used to influence another PC.
-Level 2: Using shard energy to gain a sense of another shardbearer's homeworld and shard signature, and to briefly memory-share with others both shardbearers and not.
Grell is at shard level one, though she knows of the existence of level two.
physical changes.
•accent now incorporates elements of old Gaelic tone with her regular old fashioned London accent.
•her body matches her gender.
•has acquired a few minor scars from her various battles. her wound from the battle with the Undertaker has healed entirely, leaving a scar from the end of her left collar bone down to just above her right hip - only visible in revealing attire.
•within her spirit resides a shard of the Uaine Cridhe - the gem that started creation. it allows her to learn magic and perform certain feats. should she die, this shard will manifest outside her body and become an artifact of concentrated power.
•has taken after the fashions of the Drabwurld - fantasy medieval somewhat blended with clothing from later periods.
mental changes.
•the outcome of dealing with Reynard the Fox was that the artifacts used to destroy him left the people involved magically altered. aside from the magical connection they all now bear, every time they kill a living thing, they feel a deep and unmatched sense of well-being and satisfaction.
•she has developed a faith in the Unseelie code and values, and self-identifies as a member of the Unseelie Court. with the virtues of passion and change and determining for oneself what honor is, she lets the court's beliefs influence her when she is indecisive, but otherwise makes up her own mind. after all, thinking for yourself is as much part of the Unseelie as the code is.
•religious beliefs now encompass a regular respect paid to a number of Drabwurld gods due to their very real presence and effects on the world. a special place in her heart is dedicated to the Black Shuck, the Drabwurld's god of death, who she especially worships - sometimes with prayer alone, sometimes with reverent ritual. because of the Shuck's releasing her from her work as a reaper and charging her with a new mission, she now self introduces as not a reaper, but as a "lady of death", and views herself as one of the Shuck's servants.
•being allowed to not just oversee and train troops, but also maintain and run a city for a year forced her to mature a little and pick up management skills pretty quickly. what the brutal crash courses resulted in was her now able to see to keeping the status quo somewhere, effectively negotiating with others, and carrying enough conviction to get others to listen to her. she's honestly happier as a second in command rather than the head power, but she can get the job done when it falls on her shoulders.
•her self esteem and self image have vastly improved, not only due to physical changes but to a long mental journey. additionally, being treated with respect by her court and being trusted enough to become a knight contributed massively to the upswing in how she saw herself, external validation and respect she craved finally provided from court and friends. with the Shuck's blessing and freedom, she sees herself not as a mistake anymore, nor as one who can do nothing other than silently bear her burden, but as someone who is capable, the one chosen to try and safeguard her world, with permission to go and actually live again.