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⸻⠀the self⠀⸻
A lifetime of disappointment has hardened Kaiya's outer exterior, and she presents to others as a vain, brash, self- serving woman. Unfortunately, she's not acting, and Kai's first and foremost concern is always herself. She would be fiercely loyal to those close to her, though there are none, and she can hold a grudge like no other. She cannot recall ever experiencing real romantic love or feelings of deep affection personally and deep down, fears that she has not ever felt such emotion simply because she is not worthy of love and therefore cannot feel it. (Truly it is just her resentment for the childhood she felt she never had and unconditional love she never experienced keeping her from allowing others in/ feeling positive feelings too deeply.)
Kai finds optimism in very little. She spends her days, loitering about Tethis, conning and manipulating people into whatever mold she needs them to fill, whether that be for food, money, or pleasure, so that she might sustain herself however necessary. Overall, resentment hasn't fared her well, and when given the choice, Kai tends to gravitate toward ~darker things just for the sake of doing so. Most recently, she's begun to develop a deep interest in exploring the dark arts either unaware or unconcerned for the effect it might have on her own magic/ person.
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
LIKES: Dark, solitary places, Snakes and other creepy crawlies, Wine, Money/Jewelry/Lavish things.
DISLIKES: Feeling lost, Dogs, Whistling, Wasting (food/materials/etc.) in any capacity, Know-It-Alls.
⸻⠀the body⠀⸻
HEIGHT: Five feet, nine inches tall
HAIR COLOR / STYLE: Flowing wavy, Chesnut brown tresses that are often tied into a single braid that reaches well past her waist
EYES: Green
SKIN TONE: Chocolate
PHYSIQUE: Long and slender with minimal muscle tone
DOM. HAND Right-handed to write, ambidextrous when crafting
APPARENT AGE: Mid-twenties
VOICE: Warm, sultry tone (that often possesses heavy sarcastic undertones)
MODIFICATIONS // Both ears are pierced twice. No tattoos.
SCARS / MARKINGS // A vertical scar on her lower abdomen from a minor stabbing wound nearly a decade ago.
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⸻⠀the ability and tools⠀⸻
Kai is a skilled craftswoman with both wood and lighter metals, building simple weapons or shelters with surprising ease. It's a talent that comes naturally, she assumes from her parent's Elven heritage. She resists anything that might try and tie her to her unknown past though, so despite all the joy she finds in scouring blueprints, forging weapons, and fortifying shelters, she tells herself and outwardly pretends that it's mundane work she'll only resort to when absolutely necessary to fund or further her own agenda.
ABILITIES // Kai has become adept at relying on herself and using other's sensuality, a surprisingly charismatic charm, and her appearance to her advantage/ for gain.
She can also use imbue her Elven magic into any item she crafts to significantly increase the item's durability and/or protective qualities. Again, resisting her Elven heritage, she frequently does not even acknowledge that she has the ability to do this- unless of course the price is right. Currently, the magic she transfers is neutral in nature, but that may not remain the case if she dives too deeply into the dark.
SPELLS // Kai doesn't typically use spells, though I suppose she could.
Her magic is innate and could be refined with practice to allow her to more easily equip items with magic (as the process is currently time consuming and arduous for her), though practice of a repetitive nature would not result in an increase in the amount of protection/ durability afforded. Kai is currently unaware, but if she were to lean heavily into light or dark magic, she could potentially and drastically change the way her magic effects the items she crafts.
ATTIRE // Kaiya wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of pants or simple tunic. Typically donning long, flowing, yet form fitted dresses, she prefers darker colors, such as smoky grays, midnight blues, and muted olive greens. Jewelry consisting of any assortment of gold necklaces, earrings, head pieces, arm cuffs, anklets, and rings almost always adorn her person.
GEAR // The stab wound she sustained made her ever cautious of the types of people she does dealings with and as a result she always carries a long, thin dagger in a sheath tethered to her left thigh. She also always wears a thin gold chain with a simple crescent moon on it. She's had it for as long as she can remember (according to the nuns who helped raise her, she was wearing it when she was brought to the shelter as an infant) and is the only thing from her unknown past that she cares to hold on to.
INVENTORY // Dagger, fire starter, an ever- charming smile.
⸻⠀the story⠀⸻
As far as Kaiya knows she arrived in Tethis as an infant, swaddled and hidden between a box of persimmons and granny smith apples that had been procured and brought via wagon from a neighboring town. The trouble was this particular wagon had also travelled to other, lesser known and more obscure villages and towns as well, prior to returning to Tethis, and so nailing down just exactly which location she'd come from was near impossible.
Or perhaps the Tethis merchant who'd stumbled upon her that day just couldn't be fucked with the task of retracing their path. In either case, she was handed over to and raised in one of the many shelters for unwanted and unclaimed children.
Without a name, she was given one: Kaiya- to mean sweet and forgiving. The poor nun who'd picked it couldn't have had any idea how wrong she might be at the time.
As a young child, Kaiya was like many- curious, inquisitive, and imaginative, but when she hit puberty, something changed. Overlooked time and time again by any of the families looking to adopt, the sweet, tame natured child was replaced by a willfully disobedient, disgruntled teenager. By the time she was eighteen and free to live whatever life she wished, Kaiya was frequently seeking out reckless adventure and putting herself in the company of many unsavory folk- offering to do unspeakable things or favors for little more than coin, affection, or acknowledgement.
It's been 10 years since Kaiya left the shelter and moved on, but she hasn't changed much from the 18 year old she walked out as. She still cares only for herself and her needs. She'll nod her acknowledgement from the street but has refused to step foot inside even once to pay homage to the women who helped raise her. She has a small, dump of an apartment on the outskirts of the ancient city that she affords by letting the landlord beneath her skirt, and she can still often be found bouncing from one pleasure house to the next or fashioning a simple weapon for someone so long as it would earn her an extra coin, a hot meal or a comfortable place to rest for a night or three. | ⠀ |
