Pelagia Xista

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Pelagia Xista

[attr="class","appsubname"]a new path to be carved

[attr="class","appheading"]GENERAL INFORMATION

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[attr="class","appheading"]PERSONALITY

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Pelagia is quite possibly the most fiercely determined individual in Fortuna; for once she has settled on a goal, she stops at absolutely nothing until it is achieved. She will not be deterred, halted, or overcome by anyone, and she will be as patient as she must in order to see her ambition through till the end. While some would call this an extremely admirable trait, it becomes rather terrifying when considering the rest of her personality.[break][break]

Pelagia is violent, unpredictable, masterfully manipulative, deceitful, conniving, and of course, is possessed of an incredibly lofty pride. She is an excellent actor as well, easily capable of playing whatever part she needs or presenting whatever face is called for in order to further her own ends while arousing as little suspicion about her motives as possible. She has no qualms with using any means necessary to get what she wants, and resorting to murder and extortion is merely casual fare for her. Nothing comes free from Pelagia; there is always a string attached, a catch, some hidden agenda, and the few who have had private dealings with Pelagia and lived to tell the tales would advise anyone who asked to stay far away from her - but, in all likelihood, would not be able to say as much unless you asked, thanks to contracts of silence Pelagia uses to cover her tracks well.[break][break]

Pelagia has an excellent public face, displaying a personality that is strong, devout, good-willed, and although very stern, also fair. She has the respect and support of many of her people, including even her Queen, whom she swears absolute loyalty to. The truth, of course, is a different matter entirely. Although, she is indeed quite devout; frighteningly so, in fact. The depths of Pelagia's devotion to Ayniea move well past even some of the deity's most zealous followers. Pelagia's actions serve only herself and her Goddess, and she will use anyone and anything to achieve the goals she pursues to that end. And should anyone have a problem with that, she is all too happy to ensure they are silenced. Pelagia does not tolerate defiance well, and she absolutely does not tolerate those who plainly stand in her way. But she is, again, quite patient and crafty. She knows how to bide her time against such sleights, and how to strike at the most debilitating moment.[break][break]

Even despite her well-received public image, she is also well known to possess a frightening strength, a terrifying temper, and an unsettling talent for violence. It is these qualities that cause even some of her own people to second guess her at times - privately, of course - while also ensuring that her soldiers do not defy her. And there are plenty of people, both in Aurcaele and in other places, who cast a suspicious eye on her, sensing something is amiss.

[attr="class","appheading"]APPEARANCE

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Pelagia has an appearance that is regarded as both very beautiful and very intimidating, a common intertwining of qualities when it comes to Aasimar. At a solid six feet tall, she towers over the average height of females from most other races, and this is often only further aided by her preference for elevated footwear and a circlet that is adorned with a pair of miniature wings, made to look similar to her own set.

On that note, as an Aasimar of Ayniea, Pelagia possesses six wings on her back, linked in three pairs, of slightly differing sizes, with the ones at her shoulders being smallest, the pair in the middle of her back being largest, and the pair near her waist falling between the two; she often folds the pair of waist wings over her hips as a decorative measure, resembling a half-skirt. Her skin is a baked tan color that stands in contrast to her hair, which is nearly white with only the faintest tinting of lilac. She wears her hair long, with the thin, silky strands reaching down to past her mid back, though she may put it up in times of battle. She has high, sharp cheekbones, a completely straight, sloped nose, full lips, and a pair of eyes colored a milky magenta color. The looks of condescension she is capable of fixing upon an individual with these unflinching, unfeeling eyes can turn one's heart cold.[break][break]

When in a more casual or comfortable setting, Pelagia prefers clothing that is elegant and loose-fitting, such as gowns that hang gracefully off of her frame and sweep across the floor. Though prized for their beauty, there is also a layer of cunning involved in this choice of clothing; such garments do not cling tightly to her frame, and thus do not show off the well-defined state of her body's musculature. This allows her to better put at ease nobles whom she has political meetings with, as they are not given a visual reminder of her power.[break][break]

When in military settings, which are an increasing frequency what with the recent war, she dons clothing that is a bit more tight-fitting and adorns herself with light, functional armor: bracers, pauldrons, and greaves to protect her forearms, shoulders, and shins, which facilitate her brawling style of hand-to-hand combat; a simple, minimalist breastplate which protects her heart and lungs but otherwise leaves her upper body unobstructed; and a tight, firm gird that encircles her belly. She wears a slim-fitted pure white toga with this armor to maintain the image of a holy battle maiden. Her armor only protects her most vital areas, and she otherwise leaves much of her body unprotected. This is for the purpose of effective speed and flight in battle, and as a Master of Evocation Magic, Pelagia is easily capable healing injuries to her more exposed areas. She also wields a long lance with a glowing blade of aquamarine crystal as her preferred weapon.[break][break]

Many soldiers have attested that the sight of her in battle is a rallying image, emboldening their weakened spirits.

[attr="class","appheading"]HISTORY

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Born into a family of Noble Standing, her father and his father both had the honor of being a steer for the full length of time afforded, retiring out at 26. Her grandfather became one of Aurcaele's noble lords after this time, and her own father took over his estate when he was retired from the Steer program as well. As such, the Xistas had a pristine and pious reputation, especially with their status as Ayniea-descended Aasimar.[break][break]

From a young age, she demonstrated a prodigal talent for Evocation magic, a prized art for a family of renowned healers, and the fact that Pelagia showed such proficiency with it so early was a mark of pride for the Xistas. And yet despite this, Pelagia was also a troubling child. She showed distinct disinterest in noble activities, barely allowing her mother to dress her up in pretty gowns, and spent all her time either reading books about war or drawing disturbing scenes of carnage in her notebook. But her parents were wary of making a fuss over it, as they had a very golden reputation to think of - the last thing they wanted was for people outside of the household to find out that their daughter may have some twisted influence that would result in a black tree if she were to ever die, tarnishing their family's reputation. So they - very quietly - tried to see what they could do to curb Pelagia's "odd" tendencies and make her "normal".[break][break]

But when asked about it, Pelagia merely insisted that she was only envisioning a future that Ayniea desired of her. She never divulged much to her parents, always keeping to herself, so it was odd to have her suddenly say such a thing to them, and quite a bit troubling. They started to worry she might be crazy. But Pelagia was talking to them more often as she aged, and seemed to express a great deal of piousness for Ayniea in general, and her parents even noticed that she'd stopped drawing in her notebook. They thought maybe the problem had fixed itself, through Ayniea's blessing.[break][break]

So they set up a meet, one day, with a Noble lord who had been in the steer program for a few years before failing his challenges - nothing as grand as her father's legacy, but certainly nothing worth overlooking. They decided he'd make an ideal candidate for marriage, as Pelagia was by now a full-fledged woman. And when that Lord tried to make a move on Pelagia in her bed chamber, she promptly snapped his neck.[break][break]

Pelagia hid the body, informing her parents that he'd made a rather untoward move towards her and then left in a huff when she expressed her offense. Her parents were outraged, but couldn't reach him when they tried to contact him over this sleight. They figured he was avoiding them for fear of his reputation. A week later, they were surprised to find the Gold Leafs digging up their back yard while a tearful Pelagia watched, her screaming in horror when they found the body of the dead Lord. They were even more surprised when the Gold Leafs took them under arrest for his murder.[break][break]
The Xistas were shocked, confused, and most of all, filled with dread, as they stared into the face of their crying, horrified daughter, and knew with only a parent's clarity that she had been the one responsible for this.[break][break]

But somehow, all the evidence pointed to them. Pelagia was beside herself, claiming she'd been captivated by him on their meeting day, had such high hopes for their future, and couldn't imagine why they would kill him. They tried to protest, to insist that she had done it, that she was lying, but somehow it was her father's fingerprints on the dead Lord's neck. It was her mother's all over his manhandled body when he was dug up from the garden. Most horrible of all, Pelagia presented the evidence that she claimed was the reason she'd called the Gold Leafs in the first place; she said that she had been growing suspicious of her parents over the previous week because of how suddenly her suitor had left after their meeting and how he couldn't be reached, and so though she had been terrified to do so, she spied on them in their room and had a magical recorder at the ready to record their conversation.[break][break]

Her parents were horrified and utterly at a loss to hear their own voices speaking from the recording, discussing how they'd killed the Lord for being a poor match for their daughter, not worthy of their title but too persistent for his own good. They couldn't understand how this was possible.[break][break]

Pelagia's parents were taken to their eternal, torturous imprisonment in Ephilius; their pleas were ignored as just another disgusting lie to drag their daughter down into punishment with them. Pelagia was told what she would need to do from there, to redeem her family's name, but she had an alternative request, one not often heard from families of heinous criminals. Pelagia asked if she could instead be sent to Ephilius as well, to endure military training. She volunteered to discard her title, nobility, and all privilege, and to endure the harshest training that could be offered. She said the only purpose to her existence heretoforth would be to devote her life to Ayniea. The Xista family name need not be redeemed, for it would not continue. She felt it did not deserve to.[break][break]

This unusual request and declaration was seen as noble, and when permission for it was requested, the Queen herself offered approval, intrigued.[break][break]

And on the night before Pelagia was due to ship out, she went to her room, in her large, now emptied house, lifted up a floorboard, and pulled out a collection of objects: several books on magical morphology, including some under the table spells for such untoward things as copying someone's genetic traces, and a caged animal not native to Aurcaele, and in fact banned for its impure reputation - a Grimalkin, a creature known for its ability to shapeshift and impersonate voices.[break][break]

She smiled at the small creature as she set it, and the books, inside a crucible in her basement, alongside some very secret purchase and shipment receipts from Malscure. As she lit the fire, she hushed the panicking Grimalkin with a paper charm of silence, her last gift from the impure land, and told it not to worry. It had fulfilled its purpose beautifully, and even the Goddess of Life required certain sacrifices for the greater good. She promised it would be rewarded for its help in the afterlife.[break][break]

With the evidence disposed of, Pelagia left her home behind and trained in Ephilius. True to her word, she endured the harshest military training imaginable - this was, after all, meant to be her punishment, her penance for the sins of her parents, and she accepted it with gusto. But Pelagia's will was never broken. She had always been physically gifted, but even she struggled initially with the challenges she faced. Even so, her determination was unflinching, and she gradually became alarmingly capable no matter what was thrown at her. Eventually, she rose to the top of the ranks of the Ephilius special forces, surpassing all expectations, and became viewed now as a brilliant weapon of Ayniea. She was offered a high-ranking position in the Gold Leafs for her accomplishments, and she said she would be glad to accept, but first that she had a request of her own.[break][break]

She wished to prove to the Queen, who had allowed her request to join Ephilius, that the decision had been sound. She wished to prove to her ruler the lengths she had gone to in order to make herself the perfect spear for Ayniea to wield against evil and impurity, in repentance for her parents' actions. And so she requested that she be allowed to participate in the Steer challenges; not for any right of procreation with the princesses of course, but simply to show her ruler the results of her decision, in front of all of Aurcaele, that they may see how the wisdom of their Queen was to be trusted above all else.[break][break]

Her participation was allowed, and only her military superiors were unsurprised to see how easily she bested every challenge and defeated any foe presented to her. When the challenges were at their end, and Pelagia bowed before Queen Fabelle, the Queen spent a long moment looking at her. This bright and shining maiden, with her glowing wings and polished spear, a weapon of the divine, bowing before Aurcaele to prove her devotion to Ayniea.[break][break]

The Queen agreed that there was no truer weapon for Ayniea to wield than the Divine Spear that was Pelagia Xista. She restored Pelagia's family name, which she had discarded upon enlisting in Ephilius, and absolved the name of all the transgressions her parents had brought upon it. And she then stunned the nation by offering Pelagia the title of Warlord, one often reserved for the best male soldiers. Pelagia happily accepted.[break][break]

As a newfound hero to the people, Pelagia accepted a reinstatement of nobility alongside her new title. She was given a new home, and she had the previous, vacant Xista estate burned to the ground - further removing any traces of her own guilt for anyone who had ever still cared to look. Pelagia had risen to the top.[break][break]

Or at least, close to it... In the privacy of her own chambers, with most of Aurcaele now at her fingertips, she mused on one thing. There was yet one place that still existed above her head. The crown itself. The crown which, for generations, had been held by the Fabelles. The crown which Pelagia would require in order to bring her true ambitions to fruition. Once more she beseeched her Goddess, Ayniea, for her blessing in what was to come. Pelagia Xista was not done rising.

[attr="class","appheading"]ABILITIES

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[attr="class","appability"]➢ Master of Evocation Magic[break]
Pelagia's talent with evocation was recognized from an early age as her specifically-born magical school, and her skill with it was so apparent from her childhood that she was recognized as a prodigy. Her skill with healing arts was especially looked at favorably by her family, who were known to specialize in healing Evocation, but her private training across her youth, continuing through to her intensive training in Ephilius, led to Pelagia developing a much more potent and deadly proficiency with destructive elemental magic. She earned her mark of mastery in Evocation at the age of 27 - remarkably young compared to most masters - and though she is capable of wielding and manipulating all elemental magic to varying degrees of strength (though not particularly remarkably for some elements), by far her most devastating is her mastery of Light evocation. Her most deadly spell, her Mastery Art itself, is the application of Light magic directly through her skin, which allows her to purify and burn away people and objects she touches. At its weakest, she could use it to seer a permanent scar into someone's skin... at its strongest, she could vaporize someone entirely in a blinding flash.
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[attr="class","appability"]➢ Other Magics[break]
Pelagia was intelligent enough to know that Evocation alone was not always enough in a fight; in fact, relying solely on it and the mass amount of power it tended to require would only tire you out faster. So she has also been taught a couple of specific spells from other schools, including: Magical Infusion, a Transmutation art which allows the user to channel their raw magical energy into something such as their hands or a weapon, in order to strengthen those things. This comes with a telltale golden glow when it is active; Magical Morphology, another Transmutation art which Pelagia taught herself during her time at home, an art which can change things such as leftover genetic remnants or temporarily changing the caster's genetics for a specific purpose, such as fingerprinting or DNA; and Summon Weapon, a conjuration art that many Aurcaeli soldiers are taught to use in order to recall a weapon that has been dropped or taken from them back to their hand.
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[attr="class","appability"]➢ Extreme Military Training and Strategy[break]
Pelagia has endured training in Ephilius, known the world over as being one of the strictest military locations in the world, infamous for churning out Aurcaele's "Gold Leafs", a military force that is desensitized to their foe's suffering and is able to coldly dehumanize their enemies as little more than impure vermin. Pelagia rose to the top of these soldiers, and as such possesses incredible physical strength and dexterity. She was also taught extensively on military strategy and tactics, aiding her already potent cunning and pre-obtained tactical knowledge from the books she read as a child.
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[attr="class","appability"]➢ Warlord of Aurcaele[break]
As the Warlord of the famous (or infamous) "pure land", where Fortuna's largest and most zealous church is based, Pelagia has a powerful degree of fame and recognition on her side, and also commands an extremely zealous and loyal military force. They say that while Fiamont's military may be feared for its extreme level of raw power and hellish offense, Aurcaele's is feared for its unyielding and unbreakable spirit, and now for the woman leading it.
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[attr="class","appability"]➢ Flight[break]
Lastly, as an Aasimar of Ayniea, Pelagia possesses six wings with which she can fly. She tends to use this sparingly for energy conservation, typically only taking to the air when in combat in order to gain a mobility advantage that her legs alone would not afford her.
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[attr="class","appheading"]Fortuna-RPG