Mao

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”
― Maya Angelou

P A S T

P R E S E N T

Mao fled back to his hometown of Merzouga. Burdened with the constant sight of wailing spirits, he cut his own left eye of Mimir out, leaving it in the sand. However, he could not bring himself to cut out the other, as it reminded him of his inability to save his former friend. His first resolve was to use the other eye for good-- helping those who are troubled by the paranormal. His second.. to remove powerful artifacts from irresponsible hands.

Recently, he has heard sightings of a tengu master of dark magic.. And he has vowed to free his former teacher from the shackles of insanity once and for all.. By finding his restless soul and putting him down.

P E R S O N A L I T Y

He doesn't seem too enthused about anything. While his use of hidden magic did fry his ability to express feelings, this belies a deeply emotional person who tends to overthink things. Mao has surprisingly romantic ideas. After having to leave everything he had behind he's become someone who has forgone his attachments to material consumption.  He enjoys helping people; unbeknownst to himself that is the thing that keeps him going. If you asked him, he'd probably deny it. With those he considers acquaintances or friends, he can show a dry sense of humor.

Yes, he's a kind person, but he will often remind others that it doesn't excuse his past actions. Mao is deeply aware of his past, and his illegal activities. He deems this a necessary evil-- something he must commit to continue living. Many times he will refuse companionship due to this; he doesn't want anyone else to get dragged into his shifty dealings. He fears punishment and wonders if he can repent.

Despite not being naturally apt in magic Mao is sharply attuned to and possesses great knowledge of the supernatural. His studying with his teacher has brought him great benefits, allowing him to act as an exorcist and aide to the occult. His repeated dealing with demons and ghosts have given him a vast amount of patience, and he's very desensitized. The downside to this is that he can come off as oddly detached or amused when dealing with violent situations.

As a side effect of his paranormal knowledge, he's extremely superstitious. He keeps a vial of sea salt on a necklace that he's always wearing, to ward off bad spirits.

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I T E M S

• Yeomra's Knife :: It's nearly always seen in Mao's possession. It grants eternal "life" to the first person who touched it after it was forged. The user's life force is tied to the dagger; if it is broken or destroyed, the user will die. 
• Xargi's Pins :: Needles from the ancestor of the shamans, Xargi. Only a few people are blessed to be able to create them. They act as a magic or soul neutralizer, preventing spirits from using their energy or from moving much. Similar to pinning a bug. They can also be used as general weapons, as the tips can be coated in poison and they can be thrown. They don't reflect light, so they're completely black and somewhat odd to look at.
• Tome :: Mao's spellbook. Contains instructions for lots of things, mostly combat magic. Important, as it contains the knowledge needed to summon his magic snake "familiar". He feels somewhat guilty for carrying it around all the time. 
• Eye of Mimir :: Allows the owner to see spirits, and to know the forbidden knowledge of the dark arts. While it provides great power, if the user is not naturally adept in magic, it decays their soul.

• He is bisexual.
• He's not very good with technology.