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A curse of pain and sorrow, bound in feathers and hearts. Not quite alive, not quite dead. But forever an outsider.
Valerie is a strange, quirky individual. Her face is round, complete with gentle eyes and gentle smile, contrasted by her sharp, beak-like nose. Her messy and untameable hair curls out in every direction. Her outfits always consist of the rattiest clothing possible; she's the type of person to poke thumb-holes into jacket sleeves and wear threadbare jeans.
The words that come to mind when meeting Valerie are kind, friendly, and eager to help. Even if she's in a bad mood, she does her best to have a wave and a smile for everyone she meets. She may be overly honest and blunt to a fault, but she hardly seems dangerous...so why is there an unsettling aura around her?
Most people find their answer when they see the horrific dark scar where her heart should be, or when feathers grow over her body, her arms contort into dark wings, and her legs sharpen into piercing talons: she is a shapeshifting monster. A valravn, to be precise.
The valravn is a liminal creature, and each one is unique in appearance. In Valerie's case, she takes the form of a large, monstrous crow with wolf-like elements. From her head juts out two wolf ears, and her beak is lined with wolf's teeth. Her tail is like a wolf's, though covered in a crow's tail feathers. Her eyes are pitch black, save for glowing slitted pupil at its center. It is said that valravns can see more than what ordinary eyes allow. At the end of her wings are hand-like talons. The talons at her wingtips are retractable, extended only when needed for running on all fours or gripping onto objects (such as prey). While her strength and resistances are far more powerful than that of a human, she is weak compared to other supernatural monsters. Most notably, she is weaker than a naturally born valravn.
A valravn must feed on the hearts of thinking creatures. The hearts of simple beasts will not suffice, their owners must be able to think and reason, to feel and love. Ripping all of that away is what fuels a valravn's foul black blood. As the hunger grows, it takes over the mind and consumes their focus. It can only be sated by feeding. This is the curse that Valerie bears. It is a fate she did not ask for, and one she tries in vain to hide with kind words and a friendly smile. Even as the hunger gnaws away beneath.
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