Ynsidia (Iphigenia)
Appearance
Short, girly, and sullen, the prodigy "Witch Queen" keeps her long black hair braided and is often seen wearing elaborate robes, charms, and various sigils on her person. Her build is athletic (not that one could tell under her robes), and her exotic, coal colored eyes are in a persistent, suspicious or annoyed scowl.
Skills and Abilities
-MARTIAL/ATHLETIC-
Physically, Ynsidia is strong for her size and weight, but is by no means an expert on the field of battle. Age and education also plays into this as she lacks experienced melee combat prowess passed basic dueling protocol (she's a talented Rapier fencer, but not much more than that), and rudimentary quarter staff combat. Unarmed skills are limited to defensive throws, trips and takedowns using her opponent(s) momentum and weight against them.
She's an adamant, yet lacking pugilist, but decent scrapper all in all.
Ynsidia can tumble, climb, swim, and sprint with excellent execution. Her riding skills are limited to side saddle riding as she's used to being bared along in a palanquin by her Ink Conjures.
-BLOODLETTING ARTIFICE (Animating Ink)-
Where Ynsidia shines is with using her blood to generate motion and give form to pools of ink, which she then controls through her magic. The exact nature of this method is considered largely pioneering, and unknown as the magic community is at a loss as to how she's doing it! No one else has been able to copy her techniques (as of yet). This has given Ynsidia a bit of an ego.
Ritually, she must spill at least 4 drops of blood in to a vessel (good sized jar or pot) of ink to bring an Ink Conjure to life. A Conjure creature lasts hours equal to every blood drop spilled after the first four, i.e. she spills five drops, she has a two hour Ink Minion at her command. Constructs are good until destroyed by physical/magical means. Dispel magic techniques can undo the Conjures, and various magic distorting elements in the world can inhibit them.
When a construct is destroyed or marred in anyway lethal, they lose form and ooze into inky pools, then dissipate into smoke. Conjures eschew smoke rather than bleed gore when damaged. They have no guts or entrails to speak of, but still retain 'mortal' or 'vital' areas to where, if struck in such spots, the Conjures will 'die'.
An hour worth of meditation is required as prep before canting the and shedding blood. Blood doesn't have to be fresh, but it helps if it is. Ynsidia uses phials filled with blood collected from herself for quick use, but often has to spill double the normal amount to animate her Ink Conjures (5, 6, or 8 drops if from a phial rather than from her person).
-PRIVILEGES/LIMITATIONS-
Ynsidia can perceive what her conjures perceive, but not all at once. Lacking omnipotence, Ynsidia has to designate which construct to perceive through. Furthermore, while she can make Wards and weak conjures in numbers, she's limited by her bloodletting (she only has so much blood!). She is limited to 4-5 Ink Conjures. They often resemble humanoid form when created, but can be sculpted into various forms. Note: they don't truly look like the living creatures they are shaped into, but more inky renditions or semblances that function similar to those animals/creatures, such as flight, and physical abilities. If she makes an Ink Dragon, it can fly and throw weight around, but it has no fire breath, intelligence, or magical properties.
Conjures are stronger based on how much of her will she exerts into them, making the Conjures physically more solid, graceful, and faster. The drawback of this though is that a Conjure destroyed with much of her effort invested causes a feedback similar to pain. Sometimes very intense pain.
Water is the major killer to her Ink Conjures. Not matter how sturdy and big, enough water will cause them to lose continuity and they'll break down.
-EDUCATION/HOBBIES-
Ynsidia's genius (learning wise, anyways) intellect has allowed her to master various erudite practices from reading, writing and speaking several major languages of Arethil, to calligraphy, knitting, sewing, sketching, and some pottery-clay sculpting disciplines. An artist's heart is beneath the nefarious conjurer's facade. She's a lover of poetry and song, and applies her hand to it in amateur fashion. Reading and writing are favored pass times.
She has a merchant's grasp of math (loves counting her earnings).
Well read, she's versed in various bestiaries to help her make conjures of various types.
Physically, Ynsidia is strong for her size and weight, but is by no means an expert on the field of battle. Age and education also plays into this as she lacks experienced melee combat prowess passed basic dueling protocol (she's a talented Rapier fencer, but not much more than that), and rudimentary quarter staff combat. Unarmed skills are limited to defensive throws, trips and takedowns using her opponent(s) momentum and weight against them.
She's an adamant, yet lacking pugilist, but decent scrapper all in all.
Ynsidia can tumble, climb, swim, and sprint with excellent execution. Her riding skills are limited to side saddle riding as she's used to being bared along in a palanquin by her Ink Conjures.
-BLOODLETTING ARTIFICE (Animating Ink)-
Where Ynsidia shines is with using her blood to generate motion and give form to pools of ink, which she then controls through her magic. The exact nature of this method is considered largely pioneering, and unknown as the magic community is at a loss as to how she's doing it! No one else has been able to copy her techniques (as of yet). This has given Ynsidia a bit of an ego.
Ritually, she must spill at least 4 drops of blood in to a vessel (good sized jar or pot) of ink to bring an Ink Conjure to life. A Conjure creature lasts hours equal to every blood drop spilled after the first four, i.e. she spills five drops, she has a two hour Ink Minion at her command. Constructs are good until destroyed by physical/magical means. Dispel magic techniques can undo the Conjures, and various magic distorting elements in the world can inhibit them.
When a construct is destroyed or marred in anyway lethal, they lose form and ooze into inky pools, then dissipate into smoke. Conjures eschew smoke rather than bleed gore when damaged. They have no guts or entrails to speak of, but still retain 'mortal' or 'vital' areas to where, if struck in such spots, the Conjures will 'die'.
An hour worth of meditation is required as prep before canting the and shedding blood. Blood doesn't have to be fresh, but it helps if it is. Ynsidia uses phials filled with blood collected from herself for quick use, but often has to spill double the normal amount to animate her Ink Conjures (5, 6, or 8 drops if from a phial rather than from her person).
-PRIVILEGES/LIMITATIONS-
Ynsidia can perceive what her conjures perceive, but not all at once. Lacking omnipotence, Ynsidia has to designate which construct to perceive through. Furthermore, while she can make Wards and weak conjures in numbers, she's limited by her bloodletting (she only has so much blood!). She is limited to 4-5 Ink Conjures. They often resemble humanoid form when created, but can be sculpted into various forms. Note: they don't truly look like the living creatures they are shaped into, but more inky renditions or semblances that function similar to those animals/creatures, such as flight, and physical abilities. If she makes an Ink Dragon, it can fly and throw weight around, but it has no fire breath, intelligence, or magical properties.
Conjures are stronger based on how much of her will she exerts into them, making the Conjures physically more solid, graceful, and faster. The drawback of this though is that a Conjure destroyed with much of her effort invested causes a feedback similar to pain. Sometimes very intense pain.
Water is the major killer to her Ink Conjures. Not matter how sturdy and big, enough water will cause them to lose continuity and they'll break down.
-EDUCATION/HOBBIES-
Ynsidia's genius (learning wise, anyways) intellect has allowed her to master various erudite practices from reading, writing and speaking several major languages of Arethil, to calligraphy, knitting, sewing, sketching, and some pottery-clay sculpting disciplines. An artist's heart is beneath the nefarious conjurer's facade. She's a lover of poetry and song, and applies her hand to it in amateur fashion. Reading and writing are favored pass times.
She has a merchant's grasp of math (loves counting her earnings).
Well read, she's versed in various bestiaries to help her make conjures of various types.
Personality
Outwardly, Ynsidia is overconfident, arrogant, and self absorbed. Inwardly, she is patient, plotting, and not as scatter brained, shallow, or venal as she has been received. Prone to frustration, and aggravation, she rarely acts on these impulses passed throwing her hands up in the air with a shriek and cloistering herself. retreat is often her choice when embarrassed or bewildered also. She flushes in anger, when flustered, put to shame or humiliation, and when meeting someone she finds attractive.
She's driven by reward and acknowledgment. Gain, be it monetary or with some sort of social clout (Fame or infamy), she is all about the affluence or reputation to be garnered.
-PHILOSOPHY-
Magic is a tool, but an insidious one used at one's own risk. It has a way of its own, and binds you to it through the five laws. Therefore, Ynsidia chose her name (Ynsidia) after years of being effectively nameless, in imitation of what she believes to be the true nature of magic. She relies upon it as a means to her desires, but can only trust it to eventually betray her to something greater in the grand scheme of fate.
-BENEATH IT ALL-
Iphigenia (her real name) is self conscious, thoughtful, ultimately insecure, surprisingly generous, and (to an extent) principled under her image as a great and malevolent witch. There is room for redemption, but as she ages, and grows more aware of how bad the political, and social climates are, she's beginning to galvanize into a more callous individual who sees her acts as being no less 'evil' or self serving as those who call her wicked.
-ALL IN ALL-
She's not EVIL evil, but she isn't pure as the driven snow. One finds that material reward is the greatest, unsavory influence over her behavior.
She's driven by reward and acknowledgment. Gain, be it monetary or with some sort of social clout (Fame or infamy), she is all about the affluence or reputation to be garnered.
-PHILOSOPHY-
Magic is a tool, but an insidious one used at one's own risk. It has a way of its own, and binds you to it through the five laws. Therefore, Ynsidia chose her name (Ynsidia) after years of being effectively nameless, in imitation of what she believes to be the true nature of magic. She relies upon it as a means to her desires, but can only trust it to eventually betray her to something greater in the grand scheme of fate.
-BENEATH IT ALL-
Iphigenia (her real name) is self conscious, thoughtful, ultimately insecure, surprisingly generous, and (to an extent) principled under her image as a great and malevolent witch. There is room for redemption, but as she ages, and grows more aware of how bad the political, and social climates are, she's beginning to galvanize into a more callous individual who sees her acts as being no less 'evil' or self serving as those who call her wicked.
-ALL IN ALL-
She's not EVIL evil, but she isn't pure as the driven snow. One finds that material reward is the greatest, unsavory influence over her behavior.
Biography & Lore
-WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS/THINKS THEY KNOW-
Coming into knowledge in the last two years, first as a conjurer of small things for the enjoyment of nobles, then the following year moving into spycraft through conjured birds; when Ynsidia conjured small groups of faceless, inky bodies to catch arrow volleys for living, breathing soldiers on the field of battle that same year, she became a name spoken among the nations in a matter of months. A feared, infamous one.
Before that, little is known. Those who've met her appraise her exotic features as potentially elvish, but most assume she is human in origin, possibly from the wild continent. She occasionally toys with a set of small iron shackles when speaking to her various employers, which has led to some speculation that she might have been a slave at some point.
Her education is vast, and her ability to learn incredible; she has been called a genius, or prodigy in the areas of magic, and the assimilation of knowledge. Here wisdom, and wit, however, are not quite as impeccable. Still, her enigmatic emergence, and heavily guarded instruction in the arcane arts, gives her an air of mystery, of menace.
She's known, but no one knows really anything about her (regrettably even herself).
Ynsidia refers to her instructor in all things as 'The Conjurer' and never elaborates further about him or her. She (according to rumor), killed close to a thousand various individuals to ascertain her name and where she originally hails from. This is, of course, rumor.
-WHAT SHE KNOWS-
Her memories of her home country are vague images at best in her most fleeting of dreams. Snatched by slavers at an early age of 4, she was traded into the known world over the course of a year of hard travel and harsh conditions that she barely survived. She cannot remember her parents names, or the name of the specific land she was from, but she remembers her name, and keeps it to herself like a most cherished, most intimate possession.
She was bought, and briefly served a potter and his wife, learning to mold things from clay, and needle-craft before being freed, and adopted by them as their child since they were unsuccessful in conceiving. She shortly was called by the name "Elveszett" (Lost One). They took pride in her as everything she put her hand to seemed more bright, vibrant, and could come to life any minute and move.
Eventually, Ynsidia left them when 'The Conjurer' discovered her, and took her as an apprentice, promising her surrogate parents that she would be educated, and become a "prominent figure" in society at large.
"You have my gift; and you are the only one as of now who possesses it. What I have kept silent, you shall declare loudly to the world." was the exact words The Conjurer spoke to Ynsidia the day they started training ; she was 11. Ynsidia had no idea that in four years, she would become a scourge to the civilized world, being given an open ended task by The Conjurer when left in the employ of a Vel Anir noble house.
And so she conjures, for reward and to display her master's craft, while secretly furthering a dark agenda she does not fully realize she's furthering...
Coming into knowledge in the last two years, first as a conjurer of small things for the enjoyment of nobles, then the following year moving into spycraft through conjured birds; when Ynsidia conjured small groups of faceless, inky bodies to catch arrow volleys for living, breathing soldiers on the field of battle that same year, she became a name spoken among the nations in a matter of months. A feared, infamous one.
Before that, little is known. Those who've met her appraise her exotic features as potentially elvish, but most assume she is human in origin, possibly from the wild continent. She occasionally toys with a set of small iron shackles when speaking to her various employers, which has led to some speculation that she might have been a slave at some point.
Her education is vast, and her ability to learn incredible; she has been called a genius, or prodigy in the areas of magic, and the assimilation of knowledge. Here wisdom, and wit, however, are not quite as impeccable. Still, her enigmatic emergence, and heavily guarded instruction in the arcane arts, gives her an air of mystery, of menace.
She's known, but no one knows really anything about her (regrettably even herself).
Ynsidia refers to her instructor in all things as 'The Conjurer' and never elaborates further about him or her. She (according to rumor), killed close to a thousand various individuals to ascertain her name and where she originally hails from. This is, of course, rumor.
-WHAT SHE KNOWS-
Her memories of her home country are vague images at best in her most fleeting of dreams. Snatched by slavers at an early age of 4, she was traded into the known world over the course of a year of hard travel and harsh conditions that she barely survived. She cannot remember her parents names, or the name of the specific land she was from, but she remembers her name, and keeps it to herself like a most cherished, most intimate possession.
She was bought, and briefly served a potter and his wife, learning to mold things from clay, and needle-craft before being freed, and adopted by them as their child since they were unsuccessful in conceiving. She shortly was called by the name "Elveszett" (Lost One). They took pride in her as everything she put her hand to seemed more bright, vibrant, and could come to life any minute and move.
Eventually, Ynsidia left them when 'The Conjurer' discovered her, and took her as an apprentice, promising her surrogate parents that she would be educated, and become a "prominent figure" in society at large.
"You have my gift; and you are the only one as of now who possesses it. What I have kept silent, you shall declare loudly to the world." was the exact words The Conjurer spoke to Ynsidia the day they started training ; she was 11. Ynsidia had no idea that in four years, she would become a scourge to the civilized world, being given an open ended task by The Conjurer when left in the employ of a Vel Anir noble house.
And so she conjures, for reward and to display her master's craft, while secretly furthering a dark agenda she does not fully realize she's furthering...