Details

HISTORY

cw: very light references to murder attempts & body horror

• Born as the only child to an older couple, but was never coddled - not with the expectations of their whole family thrusted upon their shoulders from a young age. Dearly loved, yet grew up too fast after being introduced to the harsher realities of life in the form of a misdirected assassination attempt.
• Signs of their slumbering magic had been present for a long time with their sensitivity to magically charged objects and spontaneous bursts of light telekinesis, but it didn't manifest in its true form before the tragic incident that nearly claimed their life. An artifact was delivered to their estate one day, meant for the lord of the House. A cursed object disguised as a generous gift, but it never reached Ilarion's father, ending up in the hands of a curious child instead who pleaded with a servant to let them have a look at the wrapped gift first. The servant gave in and the next (and only thing from that day) Ilarion remembers is the hot white pain before unconsciousness had taken them. When they came to several days later, Ilarion had lost their heart to the horrible spell that had been sealed within the artifact, now forever made a part of them so they may live. Soon after they were sent to Namarast to not only be trained by the Order, but for their own safety as well. The then 13 year old Ilarion agreed to the arrangement without a hitch, rattled, yet determined to make their parents proud.
• In Namarast they met their future colleague and friend, Thallan, but the reclusive youngster was slow to catch Ilarion's attention until some years later when the young Damasc unexpectedly approached Ilarion after they'd lost their eye; another casualty of their magic. At least this time the attempt to harm had been purposeful. Twice had they almost been killed and twice too many had they trusted a stranger, but all that was temporarily forgotten before Thal's blunt comments of adoration at the sight of Ilarion's cracked face. It'd be years still before the two of them would hit it off properly, but the memory became a fond one for the young mage.
• After a decade spent dutifully studying in Namarast, Ilarion returned home, finally ready to take over the family business and the responsibilities that came along with it, one being a known mage in high society. They had spent their time with the Order well, though, having created many connections while garnering and exchanging favors with their peers, some yet to be called upon. Ilarion took to their new role well, and it wasn’t long after they became the acting head of their House. The business flourished and their parents couldn’t have been more proud.
• At 27, much to their surprise despite their good reputation, Ilarion was suddenly approached by the Damasc family. Their old classmate, Thallan, now an established artisan in their own right, was in need of a mentor - to help with all the ‘people stuff’, as they bluntly put it, and Ilarion saw no reason to deny them. It'd be a beneficial partnership for them both and so the two mages got reacquainted with each other again, spending time together more than they ever had while living in that ancient tower. Months turned into years and without noticing Ilarion had made a nest for their songbird within their dead, dead heart.
• And yet, all that would come to a sudden end. Ilarion was to marry another noble; not out of love or desire, but for mutual benefit. Just another business arrangement. Thallan would surely understand, Ilarion had figured, thinking of the sudden distance that followed as a temporary thing. But then there was the ‘accident’, a horrific incident that drove Thallan to isolate themself from everyone and everything, including Ilarion. As more time passed, the more felt their absence became, making it painfully clear how seamlessly Thallan had fit into their life, becoming an irreplaceable part of it. But so had Ilarion become a part of theirs and so, during their mentee's abrupt retreat from the society, Ilarion took over some of their business to help their family out as per their old agreement, doing what they could to keep things running in Thallan's stead and much to their wife’s dismay. It took only two years for their supposedly perfect marriage to end with a bitter divorce, both parties as exhausted and worn as the other.
• By the end of it, Ilarion had come to detest their wife, hating the very idea of sharing their estate, their life, or even their thoughts with someone they’d never grown to love. But it wasn’t just lack of love or them choosing their work over lady Jesibeth, and it was in a quiet agreement that Ilarion signed the divorce papers, never to see each other again if the two could help it.
• Since then, Ilarion has been able to breathe a little more easily despite the disappointment they felt over for failing as a spouse. Never present, barely managing their own business while helping out the Damascs, but they were content. At ease for the first time in literal years. Ever a busy bee, they’ve recently taken upon another venture - this time a far more personal one. While their status has shielded them from the worst of the riffraff’s opinions and problems, the deteriorating view on the mages is something even they won’t be able to escape, were things to take a turn for something even worse. Keen to safeguard their family business and autonomy both, they’ve recently become an associate and supporter of the Mage Court, hoping to see it offer an adequate alternative to the current Archon’s fear mongering. Their motivations may be hardly called noble, but if helping the court will keep the witchfinders and other unsavory characters off of the backs of other mages too, Ilarion certainly won’t mind.
  

WC: 986

Updates

Aesthetic

Curse Absorption

Despite the macabre beauty of the hollow, crystalline cavities that mark their body, Ilarion's magic isn't anything fancy at its core. It's primary and seemingly only function is to turn any curses (or other harmful spells akin to one) into geodes that replace parts of Ilarion’s body permanently. A parasitic magic of the dubiously helpful kind, if there ever was one.

The crystals are magical energy materialized, curses made harmless. Unlike most things in their life though, Ilarion has no control over where and how the geodes form, and neither can they stop the painful process without outside intervention. All curses don't immediately lead into the formation of a new cavity, but the effect is always felt, often as a crack at the edges of an old growth. Normally though, the crystals themselves have no sense of touch and Ilarion experiences no pain if some were to break off.