Basics

Name: Gina Arkwright 

Age: 24

Pronouns: she/her

Background: Hidden Mage (-1 Cost)

Magic

Stats: 1 Power, 1 Discipline, 2 Cost

Name: “The Giver”

Description: 

Gina’s magic is a form of manifestation, or perhaps fortune-altering. Her magic, when imbued into an object, gives the wearer the thing they most need when they are faced with danger of any sort. For those facing bankruptcy, gold may fall into their lap from an unknown source. For those facing a terminal illness, it may improve enough to give them a fighting chance, or dull the pain enough so that they can cross items off of their bucket list and give proper farewells to their families if they have had enough time living. If one is harmed, it can give them what they need to escape the situation. Although she is limited in what she can do right now, and the results are mostly minor, they work well in a pinch. However, she can never give these gifts to herself- only to others. In addition, since she has 1 power, each item may only be used once, after which it still retains the “magical” appearance, but cannot perform miracles any longer. 

However, Gina does not truly know the true extent of her gift. She believes that her magic relates to increased telekinesis and crafting of moving jewelry and metalwork, and does not know about the gift-giving aspects. Her magic is able to provide some slight magical appearances when imbued- perhaps a slight glow, or the ability to move on its own (powered by the wearer’s telekinesis, usually), or perhaps the appearance of images, though hazy and immaterial and probably just imagined. When the “gift” fades from the object, it can retain these magical effects, but they are mostly created by the imbuing process and the touch of magic on the object through hours of work.

Costs: 

• Magic use fatigues the caster: After imbuing her works with her magic, Gina usually needs to rest for multiple hours. She can work on setting jewels or sculpting metal for a non-magical project, but is practically unable to access her magic. 
• Magic takes a long time or requires a lengthy ceremony to cast: Rather than imbuing her objects with spells and being done with it, the gifts Gina gives are imbued through the crafting of the object. Because her works are intricate and detailed, it may take days or weeks, depending on the object’s complexity, to craft and imbue them. 

Personality and History

Personality:

Generally well-liked and respected despite her mage status, Gina is kind and compassionate and utterly devoted to her work. She cares for her family, and is protective of their image and their lives alike. Ambitious when trying to improve but not towards gaining power, and a dutiful daughter, aunt, cousin, and friend to those in her family, most would consider Gina a blessing in disguise.

However, she is very disguised when working with her family. She is overly humble and modest, and struggles with praise. Incredibly shy and anxious around crowds, she flounders in social situations and can rarely make her voice heard. As a result, much of her family tends to speak for her, and they do not always align with what Gina actually wants. Naive and overly trusting, she tends to take words literally, and has found herself burned by those who did not have her best interests at heart- whether maliciously or otherwise- before, and will likely do so again. 

Though once cheerful and humorous, and often the bubbliest member of her family, once her social anxiety was discovered and her family turned smothering, those traits were lost. She is now reserved and quiet, and tries her best to be invisible. She wants recognition for her troubles, but is often overlooked. Even still,she aims to please, and will give all of her heart to something she wants, even if it causes her pain. (237)

History:

TW: Panic attacks, improper response to mental illness

The Arkwrights had long been known as superior crafters. Though their interests were varied, with some going into jewelcrafting, others into metalworking and some into armoring, tailoring, or weaving, one thing unites them- their creativity and love for their work. They had long been known as a well-respected non-mage family- so when Gina was born, her lovely little horn resting on her forehead, the family was surprised. Surprised, and afraid. What would having a mage amongst them mean for them? Would the mageling be forced to stay away from the crafts? Would they be turned over to the Order? Would they have to remain hidden all their life?

One thing was for certain, though- she was one of theirs, related by blood, and they would still love her. 

For a cousin, Mira’s, fourth birthdays, the family- sans Gina and her mother, Alessandra, the former too young to travel and the latter needed to care for the child- traveled into Faline proper (most lived on the outskirts, with only those running the store living in the heart of the city) to see the Troupe d’Arcadia perform. The wondrous movements of the dancers, the skilled paintings of the painters, the incredible smells and tastes of the cooks- it delighted and amazed them. But there were signs of unrest within the troupe- children with unwanted wings, horns, and other fantastical markings of magic were shunned, set off to the side. The Arkwrights could see their eyes, see in them how they longed to be a part of the Troupe, but were set aside due to their magic. 

When asked, the Troupe members were nonchalant. Yes, they were loved members of the family, and were treated well. But their looks and magic made them unacceptable members of the main troupe, and so they were relegated to lesser things. The whole point of the Troupe d’Arcadia was to show off the talents of non-mages; why would mages be allowed to steal their thunder? 

The Arkwright matriarch, Cloe, mourned inwardly. The Troupe could not see the harm they were doing to those poor children, to separate them so, and make them lesser for something that was not their fault. They said they loved them, but they did not show it in their actions. She swore then and there that the Arkwrights would not be like the Troupe d’Arcadia. If she wished, little Gina would be allowed to participate in any aspect of the craft, so long as it was an Arkwright who taught her, in order to protect her from the Order’s clutches. 

Gina never knew any of this, never remembered the tension in the family from her younger years. All she knew was that she was loved and cherished, and perhaps spoiled a touch too much. Her life was her own, and she was protected and loved just like any other Arkwright. When she turned seven, she began to learn the crafts of her family, settling eventually into jewelcraft and metalwork. Though originally crude- as was the art of any child- her creativity shone through, and with hard work and effort, she improved. 

At thirteen, she was working her way up to be the best of the family, already among the top of the middling members- a feat for one of her age. She poured her heart and soul into those works, and one day, it clicked. Something inside her came alive, and with the final polish of a necklace, it became something more- something inherently magical. Though none knew for sure what the magic was, as it did not glow or move or do anything particularly special, every Arkwright agreed- it held something within it that made it magical, and wondrous, and that would make Gina the best craftsman of all. 

At fifteen, she had improved so much in her art that, for the first time, she was to join the members of the main shop for the first time. It would not be permanent- only for a week or two, so that she could gain practice selling her wares, and with her mother in tow- but it was the youngest an Arkwright had ever made the journey. She brought her finest wares- earrings that spun on their own, powered by the wearer’s telekinesis, although unknowingly; a pendant that seemed to glow with an inner light; a set of tiny wind chimes that stirred themselves to song on some unknown wind. Each was magical, and the family believed Gina’s belief- that her magic was just the ability to powerfully imbue something with magic, to give it a small, but gold-worthy, effect. A good power for a crafter, but not one that would require much training or a trip to the Order, and certainly not one that would bring about much other than wonder. 

But when she arrived… it was too much. Arriving at the shop at night helped to ease the stirrings of unease within Gina, but when daylight dawned, and people crowded around, she could not breathe. Her heart launched itself into her throat, her limbs locked up, and spasms, however tiny, wracked her body. Her mother tried to calm her- “it is alright, sweet girl, be brave-” but not even the slightest of squeaks could leave her tightened throat. She could not move, could not speak, could not breathe,  could not think. 

She ran from the shop, out into the world, and found it worse. Her mind spiraled downwards into a well of panic and fear, and she tore through the streets, searching for quiet, for calm, for the lack of these monster-faced individuals who tried to stop her, tried to capture her. It was too much, too much!

They found her hours later in an alley, sobbing and shaking with terror amongst a pile of refuse. She babbled nonsense, barely understandable due to the tears clogging her throat, the ragged breaths and sobs. After a day of rest in the living portions of the shop, she was shipped home, her wares left behind for the others to sell. 

Though not a word was said to Gina about her incident, she could feel the sadness and fear of her family. Was something wrong with their shining star? Had her magic warped her brain in some way, to make her easily frightened? A doctor was called, a mage that still terrified the poor girl, even with only one new face. His insight into her mind left them with a new diagnosis- severe social anxiety. He said that, given what he discovered from the halting interview and the gentle proddings of his magic against her mind, she had panicked when faced with new faces, new experiences, and even the fear of being seen by others who were not her family. It was not something that could be cured- only treated, and even then there was no guarantee that it would ever improve to the point that she would feel comfortable in new spaces, or selling her own wares. 

In response to this diagnosis, the family swore that they would speak up for Gina. She would have others advocate on her behalf, would attend therapy and take the herbal remedies the doctor had prescribed. They loved her, and would care for her- but their care turned smothering. Gina’s wants were repressed behind a wall of adults saying that they knew best. The medicines did little, the therapy less. Gina panicked at any change in her situation, and could only rarely overcome it enough to whisper a few words at a time, looking down and away from the source of the panic, the fear. She wanted to improve, to get better, but her family would not listen. To them, being able to speak sometimes during a panic attack was a great improvement- surely that meant that the treatments were working, and that nothing better could be done. The doctor had said that it would never be cured- perhaps this was the best that Gina could be. 

Her cries for relief, for them to just listen, fell on deaf ears. In time, she stopped trying.

So she withdrew. Her work was her life, and she continued to pour her heart and soul, her quiet grief, into her pieces. Her family may be smothering her, but they were trying, and deep down she knew that they really, truly cared- but like the Troupe d’Arcadia, they could not see the harm they were doing. Still, she would not let her family down. She would try harder, and do better, and push herself to make pieces that would sell well. She heard nothing of the rumors of sudden windfalls of luck for those who had bought her pieces, and neither did the Arkwrights- but still, her work became valued and treasured, and many flocked to buy the pieces made by an unseen craftsman in hopes that they, too, would be blessed with luck when they needed it most. 

And then the Archon took over. The Witchfinders spread like some horrible plague, all over Ivras. Mages, who had done nothing wrong and were of no threat, were arrested, transported to Namarast, and left to rot. Few, if any, came home. Afraid of what could happen to poor Gina- poor anxious, sheltered, unable to handle new situations Gina- the family bound tightly together. 

Gina was protected at all costs. She could not leave the Arkwright home- even if she practically couldn’t, anyways- could not be seen in public, could not be seen anywhere, even at home, without using her basic shapeshifting to hide her horn. The smothering became unbearable, and worse, they no longer trusted the therapist, and feared that Gina’s travels to and from would lead to her being captured and carted away. One of the things that made her anxiety more tolerable- if only slightly- was gone. All that was left was the useless herbs, and the smothering became even worse. 

It was unbearable. She was drowning, drowning in some rapid river, covered in foam- and her family was pushing her head beneath the waves, all in the name of protecting her.

But then came hope. A Court- not royal, not wild, but one of mages. The Mage Court, an organization for protecting mages, and opposing the Archon’s reach. This organization could be a lifeline for mages, could help them rise up and keep the Archon from reaching past her limits. It was necessary, and brave for those mages- and Gina knew she had to do something. 

The first time she snuck out, wrapped in a dark cloak, it took all she had to keep the panic at bay. She sat in an alley, her limbs shaking, eyes on the cobblestones below her, ears wide open and listening to a speaker preach about mages’ rights. It resonated with her- and she needed to do something more. 

But what could she do? She certainly couldn’t speak for them, or go into situations with new things and danger. She would be a hindrance, not a help, and could be captured and sent to Namarast. What would she do then? Would she fall apart in captivity, unable to reach even the medication? No- she could not do that. She would not do that- for all their faults, her family loved her, and would be heartbroken if she was gone. She knew that they would tear Ivras apart to find her, would spend every cent they had if it meant that Gina was brought home. She could not hurt her family like that.

But she could supply the movement. 

Her output of work increased exponentially. Some pieces she sold, keeping a bit of money that was hers from their sale to herself, and sending the rest on as donations. Some pieces she gave to them herself, so that they could do what was necessary with them. Sell them, keep them, use them as bribes- for by now she had heard the rumors that her pieces were more than just pretty things. She didn’t believe the rumors, of course, but if her pieces brought luck- even if by the placebo effect- the movement needed it. She was not yet in a place where she could join them in person- so these pieces, these bits of funds, would have to be enough. 

She could only hope that it was enough. 

(2054)