| ⠀ | ⠀
⸻⠀the self⠀⸻
Sometimes, to be an expert, you simply need to be the only one who is willing. Reynault found this out in a real and tangible way when an oddly specific vacancy in the University of Tethian appeared under peculiar circumstances. His grasp on the practice of Pale Magic made him a tolerable applicant, and his relative competence in the study of antiquity did not hurt his chances. The lack of other interested candidates was what ultimately gained him his role as Head Antiquarian. A victory of sorts, perhaps, but it was not a position held in esteem within the university. Finding assistants, escorts, and guides to continue to justify his position in his essentialy empty office would be its own series of challenges.
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
LIKES: Snapdragons, Ancient history, Cemeteries, Poetry, Kharenian cuisine, Dancing, Stargazing
DISLIKES: Repetitive noise, Darkness, Confined spaces, Physicians, Alcohol
⸻⠀the body⠀⸻
HEIGHT: Six feet
HAIR COLOR / STYLE: Brown, messy, wavy
EYES: (R)Mossy, (L)Hazel
SKIN TONE: Pale
PHYSIQUE: Average, Fit
DOM. HAND: Ambidextrous, favoring the right hand
APPARENT AGE: Mid thirties
VOICE: Quiet, creaky
MODIFICATIONS //
SCARS / MARKINGS // Oval birthmark on left pectoral, burn scar on right palm. A subtle madness in his eyes can sometimes be seen when he is on the verge of making a discovery.
⠀
⸻⠀the ability and tools⠀⸻
Reynault graduated, the University of Tethis with many an accolade in many an area of low demand. His study of Pale Magic, while unpopular among polite society, was quite thorough in terms of the extremely limited scope available in the University. Notwithstanding, his studies have afforded him the ability to find some sort of trivial information to break the ice with many people, which in turn has gained him small social niceities over the years such as invitations to house parties.
ABILITIES // Tethian dance, Minor chirurgeon skills, General academia with a focus in astronomy, and ancient history and its related languages.
SPELLS // Pale Magic focuses on the connection between the spirit and the body, and the degrees by which that connection may be manipulated. Precise hand gestures and geometrical designs and symbols are necessary to properly control the forces involved - as he discovered one year, during a mishap which burned his hand. These designs are sometimes created on paper, etched in stone or on the ground, or tattooed upon the wielder's flesh. His abilities include:
ANALYZE: Examines the magical properties of an object or a magical effect. The more complex the object and the magic affecting it, the longer it takes to completely analyze..
Power: Minor enhancements to the symbols on his left arm have provided him with increased clarity and a decreased need to focus his full attention on the object or effect in question.
REANIMATION: Animates the corpses of animals or people. While entire bodies of flesh and bone may be manipulated, greater amounts of magical power are required for greater amounts of material. For this reason, many practitioners prefer to use only the skeletal remains of a creature, despite the fact that reanimated corpse flesh makes a reanimated creature highly resilient.
Power: Expansion of the repertoire and network of symbols on his left arm has enabled him to reliably control a whole body of a larger creature such as a deceased cow, or as many as four complete human skeletons. While the relative strength, fortitude, and capacity to carry out a given task a reanimated creature commands is generally equivalent to its very healthy and very strong living counterpart, reanimated cadavers (those with flesh, whether original, preserved, or sourced otherwise) can withstand many times more punishment than reanimated skeletons. (those without flesh)
SEPULCHRE: Alters the rate of decomposition in lifeless matter, whether to accelerate or decelerate. In some instances, Repose may also transmute organic, lifeless substances into other substances. This aspect of Pale Magic is very useful in the pursuit of horticulture, mortuary science, and art. Objects may also be engraved with the requisite symbols and in order to extend the duration or radius of this magic, and it is not uncommon for libraries or art galleries to have Repose instilled within their bookshelves or picture frames in order to keep older works from degrading. If precious materials such as silver, gold, or jewels are incorporated into these designs, the duration may be substantially improved, and may even impart different effects upon the object.
Power: Plant matter is the easiest to affect, followed by flesh, and then bone. Plant matter and flesh require daily upkeep; a simple ritual involving a design drawn with a drop of blood, and the brief channeling of magic through the user to the target. Bones require similar refreshment on a weekly basis, and the amount of time and magic that must be channeled is three times as great when compared to plants or flesh. The larger the object being affected, the more time and effort is required.
- Etching appropriate symbols into an object increases duration of preservation.
- Inlaying these symbols with metals harmonizes with the magic to achieve different effects, such as further increasing the duration, strength or offensive capacity, and affording resistance to various types of damage. Popular metals include copper, silver, gold, lead, bronze, and anything suitable for inlays.
- Setting precious stones into the object (generally the skull of a skeleton) enhances the object in various ways; the type of stone the magic uses as a focus governs the nature of the enhancement, and quality of and cut decides how potent the enhancement becomes. Chrysoprase is common for its ability to substantially extend preservative affects, whereas various corondum unnaturally amplify durability to physical and elemental harm. Setting multiple gemstones yields diminishing returns.
Expansion of the repertoire and network of symbols on his left arm has enabled him to transmute bony matter into rocky matter, and flesh into a leathery equivalent. Transmuting objects takes much more time and effort than preserving them, and the more valuable the end result, the greater the factor of time and effort; it would be relatively impossible to turn a piece of bone of any size into a very valuable gemstone.
FORESTALL: Temporarily stifle the onset of the negative effects of blood loss, pain, exposure, and certain types of poison and disease - although this does not cure the underlying conditions.
Power: Significantly life threatening cuts or the effects of similarly life threatening exposure can be paused, although the severity of them informs the effort and concentration required. This may provide some advantage to dressing these wounds. It will not considerably affect the length of time it takes for someone to bleed past the point of no return, but can cause them to persist for a time beyond that. Pain will generally be half as debilitating as previously, potentially rendering it below the recipient's notice. The effects of various diseases are generally the easiest to forestall, unless the disease is very serious and has advanced to a terminal stage. The effects of poison are the most difficult to combat, requiring much more concentration and effort than other maladies.
PHANTOM: Conjures lights as well as certain audible and visible illusions. Certain objects may be engraved with symbols or inlaid with precious materials to extend the duration of the effects, especially as pertains to illumination. Power: The effects persist for about a minute after ending concentration or moving more than about a hundred feet away from an effect being concentrated upon.
- Illumination created this way typically takes the form of a tiny, floating mote, approximately the size of a firefly. The light provided is very pale and casts a ghastly glow with the range and luminosity of a bright lantern.
- Visible Illusions created this way are generally spectral and insubstantial, fitting more for the drawing of a diagram floating in the air (which might be used to invoke further spells) or the rendering of a convincing ghost
- Audible Illusions are more convincing the more familiar the caster is with the sound being created.
ATTIRE // Reynault's wardrobe consists of predominantly blue, gray, and white clothing fit for the university and minor parties hosted by self important people. Few of his clothes are appropriate for long term travel, but he is not without a serviceable pair of sturdy tan pants, a many-pocketed olive shirt, and a warm gray wool cloak.
GEAR // University of Tethis graduation ring,(set with 'honor' ruby) pale grimoire of spells, chirurgeon's tools, a great deal of books, paper, scrolls, ink, quills, and other things that a scribe or researcher would have available.
INVENTORY //
⸻⠀the story⠀⸻
Once upon a time, there was a strange, unknowable creature beyond the stars. It came to know the daughters of man, as did its offspring.
So many lifetimes later, a person can scarcely trace any connection they may have to this creature - if even they know of it. This was not the case with Reynault, who from an early age felt drawn to look at the stars and know their mysteries. His mother was a furtive woman who discouraged this practice, but it was from her that her son eventually learned of the disturbing lineage she claimed. He never understood why this knowledge unnerved her so, and resolved to show himself a proud and worthy son. He silently credited a great deal of his talents to his ancestry, knowing better than to discuss the matter with anyone.
On his acceptance to Tethis University, his interests gravitated towards uncovering the secrets of his past, and that of his mother, as far back as he could possibly search. Dreadful creatures of antiquity and the legends surrounding their origin are typically not enshrined in respectable houses of learning, however, but his broader field of study prepared him - so he thinks - for the greater quest to uncover what, exactly, he is.
⠀ | ⠀ |
