Kismet

IRC Nickname: Moonset, Set, Kay-Away

Character Name: Kismet
Original Dimension: Changeling Universe

Race: Changeling (Fae-touched human)
Seeming: Fairest
Kith: Shadowsoul
Court: Autumn
Age: 24
Sex: Female
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 129lbs
Likes: Livak, Guinness, hookahs, dark places, the wilderness, scaring others, Flogging Molly, scouting out "the talent"
Dislikes: Bright lights, True Fae, hobgoblins, getting lost

Physical Description (Or picture):

The Mask: To all outside appearances, changelings look completely human. Only the Fae or other changelings can see their true forms. They feel completely normal when touched. There are clues to Kismet’s true nature, however; her eyes are too dark, yet seem to reflect like a cat’s when the light hits them just right, her teeth are just a little too long, too sharp, and sometimes it seems as if her hair reflects dusky undertones.

Spoiler:

True Form: Her hair is a sunset, lightest at the tips and darkest at the roots, her skin as inky black as night, her eyes filled with stars. Her ears are pointed. Rather than ending in nails, her fingers taper into long claws. Her teeth are fangs. Shadows well up at her feet, making her appear as though she’s gliding when she moves.

Powers and Special Abilities:

(First, a note on changeling magic and how it works: rather than mana, changelings use Glamour. They obtain Glamour from “feeding” on the emotional displays of humans. Since Kismet is a member of the Autumn Court which focuses on Fear, she gains double the Glamour from being around a frightened person.

If a Contract has a “catch,” this means that the Contract costs no Glamour to cast if the changeling does the catch.)

Tread Lightly - Kismet can partially remove herself from gravity's influence. She cannot fly or even jump further than normal, but takes no damage from falling. In addition, she can walk or run over any solid surface even if it would not normally support her weight, such as tissue paper or thin panes of glass, without leaving any tracks. She can also walk across mud, dry sand or any other surface without getting her feet even damp.
Catch: Kismet is wearing fancy and delicate footwear that would be ruined if she did not use this clause.

The Wrong Foot - Kismet changes the nature of the marks she leaves when passing through a locale. This can also be used to augment her presence via the scent she leaves behind, etc. Her footprints may become the tracks of a bird or animal, a bloody mist, drops of lavender extract - anything of her choosing. These tracks are often used as a sort of "calling card."
Catch: The changeling licks her thumb and smudges it on a mirror, thereby leaving another mark of her passing.

Evasion of Shackles - Kismet can slip out of handcuffs, a straightjacket, or other restraints that significantly impair her ability to move her body.
Catch: She has been unjustly imprisoned for some crime or offense she did not actually commit.

Riding the Fall Leaves - Kismet becomes a temporary avatar of Autumn, transforming into a colorful spray of dry Autumn leaves. This ability is typically invoked to move inconspicuously or evade harm. Cannot be used while in combat. She may also pass through openings too small to admit her ordinary form. She may not manipulate objects or attack in this form, but may 'fly' by riding the wind.
Catch: Kismet catches a naturally falling leaf at the moment of the clause's activation.

Witches' Intuition - Kismet dredges knowledge of one fear from the subject's mind or subconscious.
Catch: The subject does not know Kismet's name.

Heart of the Antlion - As a member of the Autumn Court, Kismet is highly resistant to both normal and supernatural fear.

Mien of the Baba Yaga - Kismet takes on the aspect of one of her subject's greatest fears. She cannot see what she's transformed into without a reflective surface. This visage may frighten others as well but holds no special power over them, depending on what it is.
Catch: One of the subject's greatest fears is actually Kismet.

Kismet has the power to call shadows around herself, rendering her invisible. She is able to 'shadowstep' as well, appearing behind a target within her line of sight, or simply appearing in another place. Naturally this is most successful in dark areas, though her nature as a Shadowsoul allows her to hide within her own shadow even in brighter locales.

Kismet and Livak can enter the dreams of others and minorly shape them without being detected, but rarely do so. They normally only do this to gain Glamour.

Weapons and Gear:

A twisted dagger crafted from a stabapple thorn, about ten inches in length. This dagger carries no enchantment – in fact, there seems to be nothing special about it other than its sharpness and unusual hardness.

Heavenly Stem – A musty, rusty, mold-covered rapier when inactive. The blade looks exceptionally dull. When activated, the pommel and guard are formed from smooth rosewood, the blade is a thin whip-like branch studded with a variety of thorns, and a coil of pink-flowered digitalis binds the whole thing together, a small cyclone of air swirling about the blade in a way that’s only vaguely perceptible. While this weapon is not exceptionally strong, it is very fast. The drawback is that it also slowly drains away the user’s life as it remains activated.

Dead Man’s Boots – These shoes were taken from the feet of a corpse found in the Hedge. Wearing them doubles Kismet’s stealth, but for each hour she wears them, they slowly drain her life away. They are ill-fitting and appear dirty and scuffed normally, though when activated they grow dark with shifting shadows and Hedge thorns poke out from the eyelets and rips in the material. They also smell of a fruiting corpse for the duration of their activation, but only Kismet smells it.

Herb Pouch – Kismet is a Ranger of the Autumn Court, meaning that she’s made many trips to the Hedge for herbs and fruits. However, these herbs grow nowhere else and she only has a limited supply of each:
Nightcap: The powdery blue blossoms of this plant cause extreme lethargy for up to twelve hours. Currently has 3.
Buglewart: Looks nearly identical to Nightcap, but produces the exact opposite effect, inducing a state of hyper alertness for up to twelve hours. May also induce irritability. Currently has 3.
Jarmyn: The dark green leaves of this plant, when consumed, allow one to stay awake an entire day. This effect stacks up to seven days; however, when the effects wear off, one must sleep the entire amount of time she remained awake. Currently has 3.
Cousin’s Trumpet: This yellow, conical flower gives off no aroma at all and looks quite harmless, but when brewed in tea or eaten outright it acts as a potent hallucinogen. It causes one full hour of powerful aural, visual, and tactile hallucinations. During this time the consumer feels blissful, though negative extenuating circumstances can certainly change that. Currently has 1.
Babel Gum: This goblin fruit grows lichen-like on surfaces of the urban Hedge. Babel gum resembles a large wad of multicolored chewing gum that has been left on a surface to harden. When consumed it tastes of licorice and all written words become nonsensical, but the subject can understand and speak any language she encounters. The effects of the gum last for an hour. Currently has 4.
Brumebulb: Effectively a small, sour and utterly foul-tasting onion. When eaten it transforms the subject into a vapor and instantly removes them from the Hedge, but makes them feel weak and ill for a brief period afterwards. Currently has 1.


Weaknesses:

Kismet’s effectiveness is reduced dramatically when she’s separated from her sister because their bond is so strong.

Light Sensitivity – Bright light, natural or otherwise, is anywhere from mildly irritating to fairly painful for Kismet.

If she isn’t careful with her spells, she runs the risk of becoming addicted to her magic, which can have dire consequences. In addition, if her magic becomes much stronger she will be susceptible to Major Frailties or still worse – transforming into a True Fae.

Minor Frailty - If one speaks her true name backwards, Kismet will experience sharp, debilitating pain.

Background:

Kismet, twin sister to Livak, was born to an average Irish couple in the small town of
Limmerick, Ireland. Their father owned a small pub where his wife manned the bar, a solid foundation in their town. Nothing about Livak or Kismet was ordinary, though. Twin-born, Kismet graced the Earth at the cusp of the moon's rise, midnight.
Livak followed 12 hours later, at the cusp of the sun's rise, noon. Unfortunately for them, the circumstances of their birth along with their unusually close bond drew the attention of a Fae. This Fae watched the girls until they were eight years old, then abducted them to Arcadia. Only after years of serving as the Fae’s playthings did the sisters manage to escape, miraculously finding each other in the Hedge.

The two integrated into Changeling society, forever changed by the power of Arcadia and unable to return home as they’d both been replaced by fetches. Kismet joined the Autumn Court, becoming a Ranger and routinely entering the dangerous Hedge in order to forage for herbs and goblin fruits, often taking Livak with her.

The last time the two were in the Hedge, something went horribly wrong. They wandered too far in, too close to Arcadia - close enough that they could hear a grand hunting party of the Gentry approaching. The two hid, terrified – if they were caught they would certainly be dragged back to their Keeper. Kismet was fortunate enough to have Brumebulb on her and the two girls bit into the foul fruit. As normal they were expelled from the Hedge, yet they had not arrived anywhere they were familiar with…

Approved!