Zinnia
Offered up to the Academy by St. Kolbe Orphanage when her magic manifested at age 6, Zinnia was initially excited by the prospect of a new home. Like so many other initiates, she quickly learned the harsh reality of life within the Academy. After a few years she was informed that her magic was unremarkable, and that she'd be doomed to a distinctly ordinary career as a Dreadlord, should she even find the strength to graduate. In her teenage years she's begun to experience some strange changes that she can only attribute to her magic, and she finds herself thankful that the Academy's assessment of her has left her mostly ignored by Proctors and peers alike.
Appearance
With fair skin, dark brown hair, and a slightly athletic build that is common among initiates at the Academy, Zinnia tends to blend in as fairly average. Her most distinguishable feature is her eyes, being an odd golden color that manifested at around age 12 from their previous brown, as well as her freckles.
Zinnia prefers to wear a hood as part of her attire at all times, and keeps her hair long, but manageable.
Zinnia prefers to wear a hood as part of her attire at all times, and keeps her hair long, but manageable.
Skills and Abilities
- Martial prowess: without particularly flashy magic, Zinnia has spent more time than most trying to compensate through weapons training. The longsword, bow and arrow, and warhammer are her preferred implements.
- Above average strength: Despite her relatively small size and demure nature, Zinnia is known to exhibit physical prowess just beyond what many would consider normal. The source of this is unclear; it may be due to her long hours spent training or the manner in which she stores energy with her magic.
- Elemental Infusions: Zinnia's innate magic is versatile, if not potent. Her body functions like a battery for elemental energy; by focusing, she can absorb elemental energy that makes contact with her into her body and store it, then later channel that energy into any inanimate object she touches. She is resistant to physical harm caused by anything she is absorbing.
- Quiet and dexterous: Being ignored has its advantages. Zinnia is good at getting into places she's not supposed to be, quietly.
Personality
Mostly very reserved. Zinnia secretly longs for acceptance among her peers, but mostly keeps to herself and is slow to trust.
She is polite, but often comes off as cold. Some think of her as arrogant despite her own acknowledgment that she is nothing special.
She is polite, but often comes off as cold. Some think of her as arrogant despite her own acknowledgment that she is nothing special.
Biography & Lore
Deposited at St. Kolbe's Orphanage in Vel Anir in her infancy, Zinnia (dubbed with a surname to match the orphanage she came from) manifested her magic at age 6 when she accidentally fell hands first into a fireplace and came out unscathed. It took only three days for the orphanage to alert the Academy, and for the Academy to whisk her away into training.
Since then she has spent the entirety of her life within the Academy, and has had a terribly average school career. This was not for lack of effort; Zinnia wanted to excel for the first several years, longing for the approval of the closest thing she'd had to parental figures in her life.
At age 12, however, alongside an odd change in eye color, she started to become more withdrawn. She took to wearing a hood and falling in to her position as run-of-the-mill.
Now at 16, one year past the Anirian revolution, she hopes that life and society around her can progress to the point that she can ease up a little. Time will tell if that is the case.
Since then she has spent the entirety of her life within the Academy, and has had a terribly average school career. This was not for lack of effort; Zinnia wanted to excel for the first several years, longing for the approval of the closest thing she'd had to parental figures in her life.
At age 12, however, alongside an odd change in eye color, she started to become more withdrawn. She took to wearing a hood and falling in to her position as run-of-the-mill.
Now at 16, one year past the Anirian revolution, she hopes that life and society around her can progress to the point that she can ease up a little. Time will tell if that is the case.
