Difference between revisions of "Morgan Albaste"

Background

1. The Beginning:

Not everyone, whether Hume or Elf (or even some of the more illustrious races) has a history that starts off steeped in intrigue. Lady Morgan Faelwen started out, 250 ‘hume’ years ago, as a content and sweet child. Born to two venerable Elves known as Nuvian and Rienne, it appeared that Morgan’s path was laid out for her when the first hint of evil had arisen in her very recluse hometown of Elfheim.

The cursed sleep of Elfheim’s good Prince.

Protected by her parents, Morgan would weather that which had befallen their town, warranting the uprise of awful creatures. Beings bourne of a Dark Elf's hand; unseen by Elfheim during the idyllic days of their good Prince's reign. It would be a campaign that frightened many an elf, eased only by the intervention of the Light Warriors. But even after all was said and done, Nuvian’s interest in forging his daughter’s ‘defenses’ would overrule Rienne’s need to shape her into a healer. Picking up on his daughter’s innate affinity to magic, thus began Nuvian’s dogged insistence on shaping his child into a mage.

His lessons would prove to be gruelling, mayhaps even cruel due to the fact that they were being inflicted upon a mere child. And what farce of a father -- who had been a venerable dark mage himself -- would impart upon his little girl the elemental of shadow?! But as the years passed and Morgan began to grow -- and consider this, how long Elven childhoods can last -- these teachings would take hold. Nuvian’s almost maniacal lessons in Dark magic would not only strengthen Morgan but also… seal their fate.

For such a wellspring of dark magic would no doubt pique the interest of unsavoury beings. Morgan grew into young adulthood.. But not even that would save herself, or her loved ones. A strange creature came out of the wilderness; a mismatched little being with lamp-like yellow eyes and a warped body. Followed by another…. And yet another..

… and, unhindered by the Dark magic that both Morgan and her father wielded, the Heartless would succeed in their attack.

2. Watchful:

The Heartless marauders hadn’t been sent in vain… not like Malachy had intent to zero in on Morgan specifically, but when he spied that Elf woman in such acute turmoil over the loss of her family… oh, how that shattered heart called forth! What better target for his will than a woman who had been broken?

Morgan hadn’t know what to do with herself upon spying not only her parents losing their hearts, but other denizens of the modest, recluse kingdom. Rienne fell quickly; Nuvian fought hard and died screaming. The ultimate insult came when their hearts were devoured.. and the heartbroken Morgan fell into the ‘darkness’ of true, absolute sadness. Before she could share the fate of her family, it seemed that other factors came into play, and Morgan had been taken altogether from her home and into the presence of a being; the likes of which she never couldn’t have hoped to comprehend.

Malachy, the cause for this turmoil, had eyed his prize contemplatively. Were one to delve into the deepest echelons of the failing Shadow Lord’s memories, an experience not too unlike Morgan’s would have been discovered. For it had been great loss that catapulted Malachy -- the former Setlin Luvis -- into the Heartless cause.. And it had been hatred that conditioned him from a servant into that of a Shadow Lord.

In the span of time that the Shadow Lord existed at the height of his powers, he commanded quite the powerful array of minions. Malachy had willed these dark tides to wash upon many unsuspecting shores, and with his Heartless brethren he laid siege to many a bastion of peace.. Whether small towns thinking themselves safe in their isolation, or parts of grand cities. Malachy had been so ferocious, so sure of his power and so /hateful/ that as the years passed..

… he grew tired. For his victims almost always fought back, and of course amidst the crowds there were heroes who fought back with as much as they could muster. Even the most vicious warlord wears down, and when the moment came that Morgan stood catatonic before Malachy...

.. He knew then what he had to do.

3. Strings:

It was too easy to infuse his thoughts into this Elf maid’s mind; to lay siege to her will and make it Malachy’s own. The spell that the Shadow Lord had cast upon the Elf -- the Seal of Heresy -- kept Morgan bound to him specifically. Where-ever she went, Malachy could follow; whatever she thought, he read her like a book. When her heart bore immense pain, the Shadow Lord feasted… and after quite some time the Elf simply willed herself not to feel. It was at that point that Malachy’s will over her became absolute, and the real ugliness began.

With his own body tired and compromised by years of stupid rage, Malachy rather enjoy living vicariously through the fresh, unhindered form of Morgan. The wellspring of magic within her, cultivated and nurtured by her foolish father, was a boon to Malachy. So when the times came to join his forces with those of the other Shadow Lords, to lay siege to other innocent and pure civilizations, it had been Morgan who went in Malachy’s stead. By the will of the Shadow Lord’s influence and power, she could travel easily.

Morgan’s magic, bolstered by what remained of the Shadow Lord’s own reserves, aided in many an attack. Towns, cities; even innocent folk who were travelling alone. Once again, Malachy was at the top of his game, and in his eyes and black heart the Elf became one of his ‘favorites’ amidst his masses.

Naturally, this didn’t fly well with some of his underlings. For who was this Shadow Lord to govern them for years, demanding so much while he stayed behind the lines. Surely Heartless do not feel much, but to see such favor being bestowed upon this accursed Elf… the first flicker of unease and mutiny began to glimmer amidst the ranks.

One shouldn’t underestimate the power of an angry mob. Especially when the one spearheading said mob isn’t at his best to control it.

4. Unexpected Salvation:

Morgan went on in her sad and cloistered existence, thinking very little and going wherever Malachy -- who by then had been becoming quite insane -- saw fit to send her. If her fellow minions were becoming restless and mutinous, the Elf simply hadn’t noticed… and if she did, Morgan didn’t have the resolve to do anything about it.

Days, weeks, months.. Everything began to blend together, and the Elf had been so apathetic that when the day of Malachy’s death came, she couldn’t even find the will to celebrate.

There was no warning, no build-up. The many Heartless grunts under Malachy’s govern had reached critical mass in their loathe, and against their own judgement the angry mass turned upon their overlord and attacked him. Where a hale and sound Shadow Lord could have easily stopped such beings in their tracks and punished them with but a wave of the hand.. Malachy was not so lucky.

His continued investment in Morgan had left the Shadow Lord weak and frail in body, and equally feeble in mind. His masses had overtaken him, and Malachy fell before he could even determine what went wrong. In their celebration of this victory, the swarm of Heartless dispersed into the World of Ruin to further their bravado. Blindly swept along, Morgan was only just beginning to rediscover her will and when she ‘tuned’ in, she was in the middle of an incensed brigade of Heartless, made insane by the loss of a leader.

The Elf had to escape. Now was the best time, lest she meet the fate that she knew was approaching. She could feel it in her gut. Even as Malachy’s mark began to fade, Morgan knew. The foolhardy troupe had been poised just on the outskirts of Cornelia, with foolish intent to make the approach to the castle and town to cause an uproar. Their earlier campaign against Morgan forgotten in their stupid rage, the grunts hadn’t realized that the Elf was gone until it was too late.

Other Shadow Lords, who had once been Malachy’s contemporaries but elected to watch him carefully as his mind failed, had taken notice of this troupe without a leader. Their culling of Malachy’s straggling forces came swiftly and viciously, and when the last wayward minion fell… Morgan was nowhere to be found. The Shadow Lords had bigger, more important things to worry about than an Elven woman, and their intervention had prevented any inkling of a 'loose cannon' Heartless attack upon the kingdom.

Morgan was left to venture forth alone and addled. Instead of a haze of Heartless with intent to pillage, Cornelia received a pale and weak woman on one chilly, cloudy morning. The moment a helping hand sought to touch her, Morgan fell into unconsciousness.

5. Then and Now:

The unconscious Elven woman had been placed into the care of the childless couple, Henri and Gloria Albaste. Theirs was a fairly routine existence, with Henri having long since retired from service as one of the kingdom’s sentries and Gloria, a retired healer. Upon awakening and realizing her plight, Morgan knew there was no going back. The aging couple knew by the young woman’s appearance and condition that she was from ‘afar’ and had nowhere to go. Therefore, a permanent place in the home of Gloria and Henri had been offered to Morgan. The Elf elected to receive her new guardians with respect and gratitude, lending thanks to them by offering her loyalty.

This would be a two-way street as years went by. The warmth and care shown to Morgan by this dear old couple aided in assuaging the memories of both her parent’s death and her service to a diabolical cause. No longer did Morgan struggle to remember what she ‘did’; as Gloria and Henri aged, the Elf dedicated herself to looking after them.

In the conclusion to this rambling tale -- leading us to Morgan’s ‘present’ -- there is always that sad reality of being a long-lived species. But a blink of an eye in Morgan’s life span, the years marched by and the Elf outlived her guardians. After overseeing the peaceful death of Gloria, followed by Henri mere months later, Morgan had been left with a sense of sadness that differed from what she had felt following the loss of Nuvian and Rienne.

In her time with the old couple, Morgan had been left with two key things: emotional awakening, and a home in which to stay. The house that Henri and Gloria willed to her continues to be meticulously and reverently looked after. At this point in time the Elf tries to fly under the radar in the grand scheme of things, for even years after her soiree into Darkness Morgan is trying to recover.

Presently, Morgan finds the courage to wander when the necessity hits her.. But for the most part, she calls Cornelia’s township home. She earns her living as a seamstress, trying her very best to keep her more nefarious abilities -- the legacy of Nuvian and Malachy -- under wraps and rarely tapped.

Ability Overview

A quick look at Morgan's skills, both in and out of battle. Heavy on the magical firepower, and flimsy when it comes to melee and strength. Morgan is your stereotypical boom-boom mage who can easily be undermined by her cruddy physical defense!

Black Magic - (Key Elementals: Dark, Ice): Morgan, though she tries not to let on, packs a mean punch when it comes to 'nefarious' magic. Her acute proficiency with darkness does not mark her as a tyrant, however; this is merely the result of her father's teachings back in the day and what he thought was 'right'. But, why not make the best out is what is taught, right? Morgan harbors venerable skill with magic overall, but as noted already she excels in dark and chilly incantations.

Enhanced Senses - Sight, Sound, Touch: All messy stuff aside, Morgan was born an Elf, and this bestows unto her an acute advantage to some of her senses. She is a sensual being who is aware of her surroundings, stemming back from her earlier life in a forested area and the lack of ‘modern’ distractions to detract from her enlightenment. Her vision is sharp, she can hear incredibly well, and her skin is sensitive. This could be a good and back thing: injuries linger and hurt moreso, but by inverse Morgan greatly enjoys the touch of or touching anything that interests her.

Dexterity: More Elf mojo... Morgan can move quickly, delicately and gracefully. Not just reserved for speed, but she is very deft with her hands and can perform very precarious tasks.

Longevity: Another racial boon… Morgan has the capacity to live for a very long time. She has already witnessed two centuries, with plenty more to come if circumstances and luck are on her side. Her physiology warrants a metabolism and resilience against illnesses that allows her kind to live for such a long time. Though not immortal, Morgan ages slowly, and to the naked eye resembles a young adult. This is exactly what she is racially: a young Elf. She has in fact been alive for approximately 250 Hume years, by now.

Seamwork: Morgan is very capable with a needle and thread, and can very masterfully weave attire from scratch /or/ repair some of the more grievous damage... just short of something being tattered! This is (behind the scenes) her main form of income, though it can also serve as an RP-hook if desired.

More details to come, regarding RP-fodder abilities.

Stat Overview

NOTE: Going roughly by the criteria in the Combat System heading. As noted copiously: big on magic, pitiful in melee.

Bursts and Capabilities

Bursts:
HiEther
Faith
Concentrate
Aura

Capabilities:
High Tide
Dodge Roll
Black Mushroom
Quick Footed

Weaknesses

Fragile: Morgan bears some underlying scars from her forced stint under Malachy’s reign. Once upon a time she had been a fearsome, vicious woman; her magic had been amplified by the dying Shadow Lord’s influence and for the longest time Morgan had cast beyond her means. When her oppressor was destroyed and Morgan escaped via a hope and a prayer (and dumb luck), she suffered for it. While still a very strong mage, her physical constitution does not weather physical attacks well at /all/. Therefore, all manner of melee can absolutely destroy her if she sustains hits.

Versatility: Tying into the aforementioned deficiency in physical strength, Morgan cannot wield large swords or war hammers. She can get by effectively with daggers and pole arms (with which to jab or smack) and she is versed with a bow and arrow set… but anything larger, forget about it.

Magical - Fire: Morgan sustains acute damage from magically-cast fire spells and/or flame-imbued physical strikes. Depending upon the size of the attack, she can sustain 30% more damage upwards to 50% (for Firaga, Limit Breaks, etc)

Nightmares: It is during these occasional, terrifying instances that Morgan is privy to what acts she had been forced to commit while under a Shadow Lord’s thumb. That, or the death of her parents… either scenario, when replayed to Morgan nocturnally, leaves her withdrawn for a few days. Naturally she is not one to mope, and thankfully this does not happen too often.

Beacon: Purely for RP purposes. No doubt Morgan’s aptitude for Dark magic is quite obvious to any Heartless within her vicinity.. Heck, it attracted a Shadow Lord! Couple that with the fact that she once bore a Shadow Lord's Seal of Heresy... This Elf may very well announce herself to Heartless adversaries despite her best efforts to hide.

More to come!

Relationships - OC/FC

Faruja Senra - (Acquaintance/Friendly) - Upon spying this Knight Templar in obvious physical distress outside of the hotel in Traverse Town (District 2), Morgan made haste to bring Faruja to safety and help him calm down. Only when the Burmecian had chosen to show Morgan and Katyna what his bandages obscured, did the Elf realize the true depth of his tribulations..
"Demons.. oh, the horrors that you must have faced. I pray that you find reprieve from your pain, Knight.. even for but a short while..."

Katyna Redsvaren - (Acquaintance/Friendly) - Unbeknownst to Morgan, the very same Ember Knight of Darkness who looked after her during her (Morgan's) forced enlistment to the Shadow Lords' cause. Now freed from the Seal of Heresy and murky as a result, Morgan could not forge much recognition upon meeting Katyna recently in Traverse Town. Katyna had joined Morgan upon noting Faruja's distress, and while the Elf could only forge the barest tingle of recogition in the color of Kat's armor.. the Ember Knight came to realize that the one she searches for is not dead, after all.
"A friendly girl, in a most striking suit of armor. Something about the colors... but, I... I thank you for your aide, miss."

Reize Seatlan - (Acquaintance/Friendly) - A young knight whose acquaintance Morgan made in Bodhum. Though she knows little about him, Morgan found his friendly, enthusiastic manner to be endearing.
"T'is both admirable and worrisome to see one so young with such an acute taste for adventure. Be safe, Knight Seatlan."

'Taka' - (Acquaintance/Wary) - A tall, impeccably dressed man whose Dark aura and shady manner gave Morgan the creeps. Not so much over her own wellbeing, but due to the fact that he was showing interesting in Reize's pendant.
"T'would do me well to keep apart from you... something about you..."

Sköll Ulfang‎ - (Acquaintance/TBD) - TBD upon scene conclusion~.
TBD!

Tifa Lockhart - (Acquaintance/Neutral) - Also encountered in Bodhum, albeit /very/ briefly, Morgan discovered that Tifa was in search of a place known as 'Midgar'. Regrettably the Elf was of little aide, but she was relieved to know that Reize went with her.
"May you find that which you seek, miss."

Zia - (Acquaintance/TBD) - TBD upon scene conclusion~.
TBD!

Relationships - NPC

Malachy - (Hatred; deceased) - With a name like that, this individual was none other than the Shadow Lord who ensnared and utilized Morgan as his puppet. Once known as Setlin Luvis, before his heart fell into darkness ages ago, Malachy was cause for death of Morgan's parents, along with some of the other denizens of her hometown, Malachy held strong reign over Morgan until his mind and body faltered and his mutinous hoarde of Heartless saw fit to turn on (and destroy) him. From what Morgan recalls of this man, she loathes him. His influence remains with Morgan in the form of deeply sown fear, nightmares, and changes to her magic.

Nuvian Faelwen - (Love/Dislike; deceased) - A bonafide case of loving someone, but not liking them. Morgan's childhood reverence for her 'dark mage' father has long since dimmed in the wake of what his teachings had meant for her in adulthood. Destroyed when the Heartless attacked Elfheim, Nuvian is still mourned by his daughter but not acutely missed. Morgan has yet to truly forgive him.

Rienne Faelwen - (Love; deceased) - This gentle albeit aloof woman had been Morgan's biological mother. Knowing little of the world beyond Elfheim prior to her death, Rienne -- in her own brand of haughtiness -- sought to keep it that way. Nonetheless, Morgan loved her mother well, for Rienne sweet love for her peers ran parallel with her distaste for those who represented the 'unknown' (outsiders). Rienne, along with her husband, fell in the Heartless attack.

Gloria Albaste - (Love; deceased) - One of the humes who had taken Morgan into home and hearth to nurse her back to health. Having come into the care of Gloria and her husband, Henri, just after her escape from the Heartless.. Morgan couldn't have hoped to find a sweeter gift in her life. Formerly a town healer in the kingdom of Cornelia, Gloria was instrumental in the recuperation of Morgan in both body and mind. Through this older woman's care, Morgan learned of compassion and selflessness. The Elf was present thoroughout Gloria's trek into old age, and Morgan remained at her side when she succumbed peacefully to death. To this day, Morgan misses Gloria terribly.. perhaps even moreso than her own biological mother.

Henri Albaste - (Love; deceased) - Gloria's husband who, at the time of Morgan's arrival, retired from knighthood. Like Nuvian, Henri had been duty-oriented and set in his ways... but /unlike/ the Elven man, Henri harbored kindness and honor. And like his wife, Henri lived a long and fruitful life and a mere four months following Gloria's death, he followed her peacefully. Morgan misses this good-natured man, and to this day continues to marvel over his devotion to his wife. Through Henri, Morgan learned of perseverance and how it does not necessarily have to apply to self-preservation alone.;;

Description Overview

Eyes: Pale gray-blue (slate)
Hair: Black, long and wavy and often unbound; parted at left or right side.
Skin tone: Caucasian, very fair (fancier word for it being alabaster.)
Distinguishing features: Ears, fair skin.
Favored attire: Elaborate gowns with lace and embroidery, typically with a cloak; field attire tends to be a tunic with slacks and calf-high boots.
Short description: A beautiful (depending upon one's individual tastes) Elven woman, fair of skin and in possession of a shock of wavy black hair that is most often adorned with a circlet. Dons dresses that tend to be as curious meshing of gothic and neo-victorian. Has a noble air about her.
Manner: Soft-spoken, wise, sensitive.
Favored elements: Shadow, Ice (* if someone ICLY has magic-sense, or can detect 'auras', this has the potential to be sensed.)

Personality Pros:
• Patient
• Diligent
• Kind
• Non-confrontational

Personality Cons:
• Introverted (at first meeting)
• Easily flustered
• 'Closed book'
• Forgives slowly