Istra Lejeune
Appearance and Equipment
* Short, dark brown hair with chin-length bangs, yellow eyes, brown skin, 5'8", fit build but slight/thin. Has two old scars on her face: vertical scar down her right eye, and an "X"-shaped scar on her left cheek.
* Usually wears her cranberry-colored, high-collared robe, black pants, fingerless black gloves, thigh-high brown boots, purple silk shirt, and long red headband. When on a mission/traveling abroad, she will also don her white and gold plate armor sections, balancing protection and fatigue.
* Has two plate armor sections on her fists ("fistplates") that function like brass knuckles.
Skills and Abilities
Alteration Magic: The discipline of Alteration focuses on the manipulation of the physical properties of non-living matter. It offers an array of solutions to those creative and clever enough to utilize the discipline to the fullest: a steel blade can be made as soft as a flower before it strikes you, a stone wall as fragile as glass, a scroll of parchment completely flame-resistant, and so on, bound mostly by one's imagination and quick wit. Effects are temporary, lasting only a few minutes at most, shorter if the spell is cast quicker.
* Does not: Transmute one material into another, enlarge or shrink an object, or work on living beings.
Lightning Magic: In addition to her primary focus of Alteration Magic, Istra has also studied the various forms of Elemental Magic, eventually coming to favor lightning over the others. Lightning proved to be a powerful ranged weapon, and as well an effective tool of torture, causing great pain and leaving little to no marks when controlled.
Boxing, Grappling: Istra has an obsession with unarmed combat, stoked mostly by the knowledge of her father's chagrin of it. Unlike many of her fellow mages, she devotes time out of her routine days for the pursuit of physical betterment, much like someone of more mundane and martial profession. She doesn't have any strength beyond what a normal human woman would have, yet even in the worst case scenario--with no armament and completely arcane fatigued--Istra wanted the capacity to defend herself. Thus, she trained to proficiency in striking, and grappling with a foe if a fight should go to the ground.
Journeyman Enchanter: Dabbling in the discipline in her spare time, given its close likeness to Alteration, Istra has the ability to provide some minor enchantments for weapons, potions, and such. This pursuit also enabled her to enchant her own eyes to offer a level of visual clarity in dark environments. These enchantments have stained her eyes yellow, and, with each renewal, are slowly rendering her colorblind.
Personality and Characteristics
Major
* Prim and professional, Istra does not suffer disorderly conduct, brashness, crude or crass behavior, facetiousness or flippancy. For those she finds agreeable, she does however retain a large capacity of patience and loyalty.
* Very capable of "otherizing" people she has deemed--or her superiors have deemed--as her enemy. Thus, views her enemies as completely "non-human," unworthy of empathy, and to whom anything is permissible.
* With her mother being the daughter of a member of the Merchant Council, and her father as Maester in the College, Istra grew up in the lap of wealth and privilege. After a childhood of comfort and indulgence, she had a "turnaround point" after which she intentionally sought hardship, struggle, and meaning greater than herself--and found it in the Order of Speculatores.
* Daring, and cool-headed about it. She has learned to smother most of her fears, and to be passionate about her goals and her duties. Embodies the "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" mentality when faced with seemingly insurmountable adversity.
* Very comfortable with lying.
* Tendencies of OCD. If something is crooked, she will fix it. Holds cleanliness in high regard.
Minor
+ Has excellent posture and composure.
+ A believer in the "Eye for an eye" school of justice.
+ Greatly respects healers, apothecaries, and doctors. Admires their beneficence.
+ A smile is rare to see from her. Consider yourself a friend if she does so to you.
+ Being overpowered by superior strength or superior numbers remains one of her two worst fears. Being abandoned is the greater of the two.
+ Despite it being only her cover, she does enjoy teaching and guiding others.
+ Generally cloistered from interactions with boys and men during her aristocratic upbringing. Both her mother and father favored more curated experiences, and tried to arrange marriages a few times for her.