Sephoria
Rumors spoke of a warrior that had long haunted the battlefield. Whether or not this person was a man or woman usually depended on the gender of the gossipmonger. There also would be some debate about whether such a warrior ever even existed. After all this figure had flitted in and out of tales over the years in only small roles. Yet there was always one constant in these tales. Death could not contain this warrior, for it was The Undying.
Appearance
Sephoria’s height makes her stand out in a human crowd. A cutpurse might be given pause by the combination of that and her solid athletic build. However, this is the only thing about her that would draw attention from a distance. You would simply see the common ensemble of a roaming sellsword; a worn coat adorned by trail dust and blood stains underneath battered breastplate.
A closer look would show a youthful and fair complexion that would likely mark her as inexperienced. Then her blue eyes would betray this image. They speak the tale of a fighter that had endured a long lifetime of pain, and sorrow. In those eyes you would see the thousand-yard stare of a woman many years older that had seen much death.
Then you might see a glint in her eyes. A certain evil presence that could put the hackles up on the back of one’s neck.
A closer look would show a youthful and fair complexion that would likely mark her as inexperienced. Then her blue eyes would betray this image. They speak the tale of a fighter that had endured a long lifetime of pain, and sorrow. In those eyes you would see the thousand-yard stare of a woman many years older that had seen much death.
Then you might see a glint in her eyes. A certain evil presence that could put the hackles up on the back of one’s neck.
Skills and Abilities
Sephoria is generally a jack of all trades. She is human, so there is no supernatural strength or speed to compete against other more blessed species.
She balances this weakness with training in a wide range of weaponry. She would not be suited to a duel among blade masters, but her skills are polished from years of practical combat application.
Magical prowess is also not noteworthy though she has picked up quite a few tricks from various magical disciplines. These are generally useful things such as the ability to light a campfire or illuminating the way forward at night. Another example would be to imbue weapons with runic properties to allow her to harm creatures that would scoff at steel. However, Sephoria would never be able to stand toe to toe with a mage that had devoted their life to the magic arts.
She does have one edge though. A curse shackles Sephoria to the plain of the living. She does not appear to age, and nothing yet has been able to kill her. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that nothing has yet been able to permanently kill her. Fatal wounds extinguish her, but she eventually rises from death. Though she does feel pain, and her recovery rates depend on the extent of the damage.
Sharing her blood can temporarily transmit the curse to another, but it is not permanent. Wounds can be healed, and death reversed if caught within a few minutes. However, she is often reluctant to do this as she must pass their wounds to herself. Those she had helped save also reported feeling tainted for a time. A feeling they could not quite put their finger on. Almost as if their spirit had been caressed by another presence.
She balances this weakness with training in a wide range of weaponry. She would not be suited to a duel among blade masters, but her skills are polished from years of practical combat application.
Magical prowess is also not noteworthy though she has picked up quite a few tricks from various magical disciplines. These are generally useful things such as the ability to light a campfire or illuminating the way forward at night. Another example would be to imbue weapons with runic properties to allow her to harm creatures that would scoff at steel. However, Sephoria would never be able to stand toe to toe with a mage that had devoted their life to the magic arts.
She does have one edge though. A curse shackles Sephoria to the plain of the living. She does not appear to age, and nothing yet has been able to kill her. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that nothing has yet been able to permanently kill her. Fatal wounds extinguish her, but she eventually rises from death. Though she does feel pain, and her recovery rates depend on the extent of the damage.
Sharing her blood can temporarily transmit the curse to another, but it is not permanent. Wounds can be healed, and death reversed if caught within a few minutes. However, she is often reluctant to do this as she must pass their wounds to herself. Those she had helped save also reported feeling tainted for a time. A feeling they could not quite put their finger on. Almost as if their spirit had been caressed by another presence.
Personality
Sephoria was once determined and steadfast in her convictions. She was a young woman reaching hungrily for the status of the knights and champions that came before. She knew her purpose in life and was armed with a code of ethics that was infallible and unquestionable.
A long life would eventually deteriorate a human’s mind, but the merciful release of death waited at the end for all mortals. However, Sephoria had found herself outside of the natural order. A plethora of lifetimes took their toll. Youthful naïve certainty withered and died. The once impenetrable wall of her mind began to form cracks as bouts of depression vied for space with the resolve to maintain her soul.
A split personality began to form in later years as the woman battled internally with the hopelessness of her situation. Part of her stubbornly held to the goodness in man. She still wanted to make an impact on the world, and to protect the weak. A newer side of her wanted to embrace the evil of man. Sometimes a maniacal expression would overtake her. A blood chilling giggle would slip from her lips as she sought to even the score with someone who had slighted her.
A long life would eventually deteriorate a human’s mind, but the merciful release of death waited at the end for all mortals. However, Sephoria had found herself outside of the natural order. A plethora of lifetimes took their toll. Youthful naïve certainty withered and died. The once impenetrable wall of her mind began to form cracks as bouts of depression vied for space with the resolve to maintain her soul.
A split personality began to form in later years as the woman battled internally with the hopelessness of her situation. Part of her stubbornly held to the goodness in man. She still wanted to make an impact on the world, and to protect the weak. A newer side of her wanted to embrace the evil of man. Sometimes a maniacal expression would overtake her. A blood chilling giggle would slip from her lips as she sought to even the score with someone who had slighted her.
Biography & Lore
The true tale of The Undying begins a couple centuries ago. Sephoria was born into a minor house in the city of Pakellon. Her family’s wealth and status had allowed her to afford fine arms, armor, and the training to wield it all properly. She was enamored by the elite royal guard, and all the knights in shining armor that personified the ideals of honor and duty that romanticized the hearts of young nobles during those times.
Her birthright led to her becoming the squire under a knight in service to the crown in her early 20s. The king had fallen ill and was spending considerable treasury resources to hunt down leads for anything that might extend his life. One such lead was a scrap of an ancient text that spoke of a chalice that could grant eternal life. Sephoria found herself among an expeditionary force sailing southeast past the equator.
The king of Pakellon would later die without receiving his quarry. The expedition was not seen again. Indeed, it wasn’t until ten years later that Sephoria would return to the northern continent of Arethil upon a makeshift raft of sword hewn wood and scraps.
Sephoria had uncovered the artifact that would grant eternal life, but she would not learn until much later why it had been lost in the first place. Afraid, injured, and alone, the woman drunk from the ancient chalice to survive the island. It was at that moment that she unknowingly died, and a curse bound her spirit to the chalice.
The chalice would later be lost in the ocean when a storm managed to overpower her raft and drown her.
When she returned to Pakellon, she learned that her family had perished in the power vacuum that followed the king’s demise. Empty handed and alone, she hit the road. Thus, began her long journey to find a way to reverse her curse or find redemption.
Her birthright led to her becoming the squire under a knight in service to the crown in her early 20s. The king had fallen ill and was spending considerable treasury resources to hunt down leads for anything that might extend his life. One such lead was a scrap of an ancient text that spoke of a chalice that could grant eternal life. Sephoria found herself among an expeditionary force sailing southeast past the equator.
The king of Pakellon would later die without receiving his quarry. The expedition was not seen again. Indeed, it wasn’t until ten years later that Sephoria would return to the northern continent of Arethil upon a makeshift raft of sword hewn wood and scraps.
Sephoria had uncovered the artifact that would grant eternal life, but she would not learn until much later why it had been lost in the first place. Afraid, injured, and alone, the woman drunk from the ancient chalice to survive the island. It was at that moment that she unknowingly died, and a curse bound her spirit to the chalice.
The chalice would later be lost in the ocean when a storm managed to overpower her raft and drown her.
When she returned to Pakellon, she learned that her family had perished in the power vacuum that followed the king’s demise. Empty handed and alone, she hit the road. Thus, began her long journey to find a way to reverse her curse or find redemption.