Lavina [Approved 1-2]

Name: Lavina, Angel of Mourning
Nicknames: Esther Halifax
Appearance Age: Early 20s
True Age: 510
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5
Weight: 112 lbs
Appearance:



Personality: Lavina is seen as having a beauty that forces those around her to console her. And she needs it. Lavina has been in mourning for far, far too long. She is perpetually sad, and were it not for the natural durability of an Angel, she would have comitted suicide long, long ago. To be more precise, Lavina is not simply sad. Sad is when your ice cream falls on the floor. Sad is when your favorite actor dies—unless you are very, very attached to them. Lavina is not just sad. Lavina is sorrowful, dejected, and morose. Her tears have long-since disappeared. She once had beautiful smile lines, but they have since faded into a porcelain-looking face.

But even that doesn't begin to describe Lavina. She is not sitting around with a raincloud over her head. Being alive is enough for her, and even that is overwhelming at times. She's broken down enough that she can't even fake a smile anymore. Thoughts have mustered in her head that jaded is too clear of a view. She can't empathize with anyone anymore. In fact, she feels more for the departed than she does for the living. It's not uncommon to hear her say "At least they can not feel sorrow anymore. It is a blessing, that it is."

Character Background: Tales of Lavina go back to around the time of the Dark Century. She was first brought to Aurora to help those who lost loved ones in conflict grieve. The following excerpt is from a journal of a man whose wife and daughter were killed:
"She came again today. That white skin of hers reminds me of bone. She has a smile, but even I can tell it's fake. She has the same look I think I have. The lass must have lost someone too. But she keeps carrying on, and her smile seems like it's telling me "everything is okay..." If she comes by tomorrow, I think I'll invite her in for some tea..."
There are many similar diary entries and even more ones that were not written down. Lavina helped husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, lovers, and anyone else who had lost someone they cared about.

At the end of the Dark Century, when heroes were forming their own countries either with sword, magic, or words, Lavina's job lessened. People were forgetting their grief to be rallied in by swords, awed by magic, or swooned by words. It was becoming a time of peace, and Lavina found herself calmed. She came across a man who had lost his brother and lover to disease. Uther Halifax was a simple farmer, or so he thought. He was one of the newly-found Arcanists. He kept his powers secret, as he didn't want to be rounded up into an army. While he was grieving, Lavina approached him. She was about to speak when he turned around and offered her a drink.

Lavina was surprised by only one thing—his smile was not fake. He was glad to see someone. They talked, and Lavina's world was changed. Uther had a strange worldview. "No amount of tears can water the ground enough to bring the dead back. I will always miss them, but I can't spend my time lamenting over them." He was the first to say the words she believed in—the words she worked off of. She was glad to see someone else like that, and so she began to travel again. Uther followed her. After three towns of him following her, Lavina approached him.

"Why do you follow me so?" "I have no home anymore, ma'am. The land is sickly, and no crops will grow." "But surely you can find better soil, can you not?" "Oh, of course. But that's not the only reason..." "Pray, tell me the other reasons." "Well, you look sad. And I can't let a lady be sad." "But I have smiled, have I not? Was I not smiling when I found you? Was I not smiling when you found me just now?" "Hmm... I suppose you were, but it doesn't change a thing. That smile looks as fake as the promises you hear these 'heroes' spouting." "And if it is fake, what business of it is yours?" "None, really. But I've got nothing else to do. I might as well make you smile genuinely. Besides... I've seen what you have been doing, ma'am. You can't shoulder the burden of fixing the grief of everyone alone." "And if I refuse your aid?" "Then I'll just follow you around." "And if I break your legs?" "I'll crawl." "Your arms?" "I'll wiggle like a snake." "And if I kill you?" "I'll haunt you. You can't kill a ghost, ma'am." "...Since I would rather not have a cripple nor a specter around, then I suppose you can follow me as-is, mister..." "Uther Halifax." "Mister Halifax then." "And what is your name?" "Mine...? You are the first to ask my name in quite some time, Mister Halifax. I am... Esther. Esther Alivan."

And so the two traveled for months. He saw what she could do, and she helped many people along the way. Uther eventually asked what she was, as she did not seem human. As this was quite far along their travels, Lavina divulged the truth. Uther snapped his fingers and smiled, exclaiming "I knew it! You are far too beautiful to be human." And so they began a relationship on trust, and Lavina fell for him quickly. Lavina cursed the fate that humans and angels could not breed, as she wanted to carry his child. But it was not to be.

Uther founded a town, Pythalos. It was a farming town built around a natural spring. Within five years, Pythalos had grown to a population of five hundred. It had grown from wooden cottages to stone houses and stores. They traded crops and animals as currency. Uther built a tower for him and Lavina a day's ride away from Pythalos. It resided on a lake north-west of the city and it was made of white stone. Uther would spend three days in the city and two days at the tower. Lavina stayed in her tower, learning different arts. One day, Uther did not return on time. He did not return the next day. Or the day after. Five days after his disappearance, a rider from the town arrived. Uther had been killed by bandits.

Lavina nearly slew the messenger. She flew into hysteria, clawing at her own throat until it bled. She cried until blood flowed from her tearducts. No one returned to the tower, and Pythalos forgot about the lady of the white tower. It became overgrown over time, and Lavina cried. Travelers were afraid to go near, as they would always hear the wailing of a woman around the lake. It became known as "Límni tis Thríno," or "Lake of Lament." Over time, this became known as Thríno Límni. The tower fell, and still she remained in the rubble. She cried until eventually something broke in her. And when it broke, Lavina began to wander...

Abilities
Racial Abilities: Telepathy, Healing Hands
Other Abilities:
Natural Lightness: Despite being underweight for a human, Lavina is in shape. She is just naturally light.
Aura of Grief: Lavina has an aura that simply depresses people around her. If you can make out her features, you are affected by it. The general range of it is 100 yards away from her. The aura gets progressively stronger as someone approaches her. A normal person will be reduced to tears when they are within arm's reach of her. She can control the aura to make it weaker than it normally is, or she can lessen the range. She simply chooses not to.
Aura of Mourning: This is what her main ability original was. Her Aura of Grief has mutated from this. This means that she can NOT use this, but she can regain this so I am including it. Lavina's aura is a strange mixture of calming, numbing, and hopeful. It is an aura that helps people move on after a tough decision, a loss, or something that leaves them in distress. It is most useful against those that have lost someone dear to them.
Hypnosis: Lavina has a minor hypnotic effect about her. It comes not from her face, her eyes, or a hand gesture. It comes from, of all things, her hair. The inside of the back of her hair seems to radiate, pulsate, and glow like a long timelapse of a starry night sped up. If someone stares into it long enough, she can give minor suggestions. These can not be something so brazen as "get me a glass of water." Instead, it's more like going "It's a little hot out here," and the person getting the idea to get her something cold to drink instead of bringing her somewhere shaded. This can not be used on PCs without the permission of the owner.
Vásano: Vásano is an ability only able to be used on Demons or Vampires. It can ONLY be used on PCs with the permission of the owner. Vásano is the touch of Lavina's spear. When her spear touches a viable target, they are inflicted with an onlsaught of depressing thoughts. These are the thoughts of those that Lavina has helped. She collected these thoughts with her telepathy. If blood is drawn, then Vásano is much, much stronger. When blood is drawn by her spear, Vásano also gives them Lavina's dark, depressing thoughts. Beyond that, their own depressing thoughts are amplified. Vásano means "Torment" is Salan, and it is rightfully named. The purpose of this ability to force a demon to repent on the grief it has caused—usually through suicide.

Skills: Lavina is a decent cook. She is also a very capable therapist, if she were not so crazy at the moment. Her main combat skill is with the lance, and she is very, very, very capable with it. There is a certain Vampire and a few others that could best her without too much trouble, but she is one of the best of the Angels with one.
Equipment: Lavano has, perhaps, the strangest-looking spear that has ever be seen. It is more like a halberd or war axe than a spear in some aspects. It has a large spearhead that somewhat resembles a heart. It glistens like her hair and it is said to never dull.

• Name [-]
  
• Appropriate Age [-]
  
• Gender [-]
  
• Appearance Present [-]
  
• Appearance Described in Appropriate Length OR Picture is Visible [-]
  
• Appearance is Not Claimed [-]
  
• 15 sentences for personality [-]
  
• History is 10 sentences [-]
  
• Powers are not Godmod/Overpowered [-]
  
• Powers are described reasonably enough [-]
  
• Application/RP Sample is not in First Person [-]
  
• RP Sample Present[-]
  
• RP Sample is 15 sentences[-]
  

Comments/Notes:
Tier: 1-2
Skill Rank: Experienced (120)