Fortune's Vessel
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Fortune's Vessel | |
| Player: | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | Confidential |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Karis Marie Hagerman |
| Known Aliases: | Gracie; Fortune's Grace; Fortune's Wrath; Fortune's Embrace |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 22 |
| Height: | 5'4" |
| Weight: | 115 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Mu |
| Occupation: | College attendee |
| Place of Birth: | Atlas Park |
| Base of Operations: | Salamanca |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Parents: Living (Names witheld) |
| Known Powers | |
| Magical attacks; Exceptional Luck/Luck Modification | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Confidential | |
| Equipment | |
| The Spiritus Talea | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
History
As she grew, it became obvious that Gracie (as she came to be known by her friends) led a gifted life. Spectacularly fortunate events seemed to follow her and protect her. Gracie and her family were absent during the first Rikti Invasion. Later, following an important promotion on her father's part, their family moved from her childhood home of Eastgate...just prior to the Hollowing.
Though kind-hearted, Karis is an unapologetic flirt, and when she first met the young man named Aaron Waters (in truth, the hero known as The Tempest Spectre) she displayed this openly. At the time, Aaron was recovering from a dark possession and had little interest in pursuing any relationship...even if he were available. When she mentioned that she was always pretty lucky, Aaron sarcastically replied that she should put it to the test and work for the city.
As if receiving an epiphany, Karis agreed and immediately began to leave to start her new career as a superhero. Mortified, not expecting her to agree, Aaron begged her to wait and made a few phone calls. He finally found a reportedly low level magical item that didn't seem to work for most people. Figuring it was better than nothing he took down the information and gave it to Gracie, asking her to at least have something other than luck to protect her.
Ecstatic she left to pick up the minor item, known as the Spiritus Talea. In the hands of most, this item manifested warped and generally useless weapons, as it's nature was to create a weapon appropriate to the spirit of the wielder. Surprisingly, in Gracie's hands it became a magical, arrow-spawning bow. This heralded the arrival of the first Guardian: Grace.
In time she took on a magical tutor, who believed she was Lady Luck, herself. Not long afterwards, Gracie joined the newly formed Rovers, followed later by aiding the assassin Tikhnaya Kosh'Mari in the apparent destruction of the dark goddess Marena. This would be the first time Fortune's Grace began to manifest as a seperate entity.
Some time after Fortune's Grace fully manifested as a winged angel, Gracie began to dream about a dark, avenging spirit that would sweep through the city, punishing criminals with a magical sword and allowing none to escape. To her surprise, these "dreams" were actually holdovers of shared memory from the second Guardian to materialize: Wrath. When the dual natures of the two revealed Guardians reached a point of balance, the third (and arguably most powerful) Guardian was released: Harmony.
For a time the three Guardians shared Karis' body in their various pursuits while Karis herself took up the study of the magic of her ancient bloodline, that of the Mu Mystics. Before long she grew bored with only studying magic and decided that the Guardians were getting all the fun and she was getting none of the perks (outside the copious amounts of unconscious exercise she was receiving as a result of their actions). With this in mind, she took the name Fortune's Vessel, so she, too, could be a hero.
Throughout her many adventures, Karis has grown to be a powerful mage in her own right, often surprising both her opponents and her allies with her unlikely ferocity. For a time, her constant attempts to seduce the Sidhe Sorcerer-King known as Centruoicles Sculpturatus seemed to be completely fruitless...until just after midnight on Halloween night when he arrived at her door. Though she was panicked at his unexpected appearance (as well as her own and that of her apartment) those concerns were washed away when he suddenly lifted her and carried her to her room.
The two spent a passionate night together, but it would soon be revealed that it was an attempt on Centruo's part to seduce her into helping him undo his own wicked history. Apparently on the night of Halloween certain changes came over the fae and Centruo was no different. What was surprising was that this otherwise honorable man had been plotting for this night, knowing that his conscience would not hold him back from what he had planned.
In the end, however, his plan came to naught. Although she understood that she had been used she didn't seem terribly concerned. She enjoyed the company and embrace of the older man, and the two decided on an open relationship...though Centruo remained, as always, a seriel monogomist. One result of this open relationship was the friendship of Eve Salladon moving into more experimental realms. Further Centruo swore an Oath of Guardianship to the young woman, and granted to her a necklace that contained the greatest part of his ability to weave any arts. With it, Gracie can call upon his protection with but a thought.
As time drew on, Karis came to meet others with strong effects on her life. Cailte McDonough, the werewolf and longtime friend of her lover. Suening, the pooka who shares a history with both McD and Centruo...and makes no mystery of his emnity for the latter.
Recently, during a picnic at Platinum Lake, Karis came under unexpected attack by an armored man who identified himself ans Inimicus Venator, Blackguard of Hecate. A vicious fight resulted in the release of the Triune Sentinel...the deadly angellic spirit that until then had remained splintered into the three Guardians. The battle left Centruo badly wounded and bed-ridden, requiring the aid of a fae healer.
Personality
All who have come to know Gracie have found her to be infectiously high spirited. It is nearly impossible to remain in a sour mood when she is around as she is constantly looking on the bright side. As a consequence of her exceptionally good luck she is very much of a risk taker (making her a perfect fit in the dangerously rambunctious Rovers) and this translates to not only physical risks but often social risks as well.
Even the stoic and often cynical Centruo has found her company a boon as much for her uplifting personality as her growing talents as a magician.
Powers
When functioning as Fortune's Vessel, Gracie's connection to the Guardians within is subconsciously severed, as she wants to know that she can function without the good fortune provided by their manipulations. As such her abilities are limited to what spells she has learned, and the myriad of electrical attacks inherent in her bloodline. This function is served as an electric/electric/electric blaster.
Fortune's Grace
Grace is the first of the three Guardians to be revealed, and appropriately enough, for "she" is the closest to Gracie's heart. Analogous to a Priestess, Grace focuses Karis' ability to manipulate fortune outward, protecting her allies and constantly shifting the flow of battle into her favor. When she is released the Spiritus Talea manifests in the form of an enchanted bow, capable of spawning arrows of magical force that seldom miss their targets. Though non-fatal, she is capable of creating dozens of such arrows at once, often times wiping out nearly all resistance she faces.
The debut of Grace happened in a moment of desperation, as several heroes including Karis' teammates The Rovers began to become overwhelmed by the assualt of a dark goddess by the name of Marena. For but a moment Grace was unleashed and the fortunes of all present were reversed. Suddenly it was the goddess and her minions who found themselves overwhelmed and the heroes proved victorious. Though Karis was not yet strong enough to fully manifest any of the Guardians, this event is what opened the door to Guardians' ability to affect the world around them.
Grace is represented in game as a kinetics/archery/electric defender
Fortune's Wrath
The second Guardian to manifest, Wrath initially appeared in the realm of Salamanca, acting as an avenging spirit against all wrongdoers. Similar to the mythical Nemesis, Wrath punishes the wicked with little thought of excuses. Wrath is instinctively capable of focusing Gracie's ability to manipulate fortune inward, and as such can cause would be fatal attacks to miss. In her hands, the Spiritus Talea manifests as a mystical sword. Though her skills are instinctive, they can be improved through focussed training on the part of Karis. Of the three, Wrath is the Warrior spirit, capable of sensing the sins of the wicked.
As the Guardian Grace began to take a greater hold on the spirit of the young mage-to-be, Karis found herself dreaming of a dark, winged warrior. In her dreams this "angel of death" moved through Salamanca and soon other areas of the city. Over time Karis began to notice that her previously slender form began to grow stronger with no explanation. Even more interesting were the reports of a winged avenger baring a striking resemblance to the heroine known as Fortune's Grace, but taking far more violent steps than she was known for.
Wrath is represented in game as a katana/invulnerability/body scrapper.
Eventually these two dueling natures would reach a spiritual symmetry, opening the door for the third and final Guardian.
Fortune's Embrace
When Grace and Wrath strike a balance within the Vessel of Fortune, only then will Harmony be Embraced, and the unleashing of the Sentinel will commence. – Ancient Mu Prophesy.
The most mysterious of the three Guardians, as well as the resident Sorceress of the three, Harmony (as she is known) is also the most manipulative. Though her intentions are pure, her actions often seem less-than-honest. Harmony can inherently observe the past of those she views, with the notable exception of Fae (who's past seems similar to reading a book through a kalaidescope) and those protected from scrying. It was through the actions of Harmony that Gracie began her heroing career, thanks to knowledge of the future imparted by the arrival of Eve Salladon in the present.
By knowing her past, Harmony came to know Gracie's future as the Triune Sentinel: the final merging of the three Guardian spirits with their host. To help achieve this goal, Harmony recruited the assistance of the Faerie King Centruoicles Sculpturatus, not then realizing that he was every bit as cunning as she. In her hands the Spiritus Talea is revealed as a magical staff, capable of striking her opponents from afar. As a balancing force between Grace and Wrath, Harmony shares Grace's ability to influence fortune outwardly (to a lesser degree) and Wrath's ability to protect herself (also to a lesser degree). It is her confounding mystical spells, however, that are all her own and her greatest weapon.
Harmony is represented in game as an illusion/kinetics/primal forces controller.
The Triune Sentinel
The appearance of the Triune Sentinel came as a shock to all who bore witness to it. A divine creature of fire encased in a magical, crystalline armor of sapphire, gold, and diamond (created by the magical protective amulet granted to her by Centruo), the Sentinel is a nearly unstoppable force. It was only with the full willpower and grace of her host that the Sentinel's wrath was reigned in, and harmony between the Sentinel and Karis was reached.
Affiliations
Though not the direct leader, Karis is possibly the most well known of the Rovers due to her outgoing spirit.
Friends and Allies
Gracie counts many people as her friends as she believes that having friends is the best way to happiness, and being a friend is the best way to ensure the happiness of those you care about.
Among these are the core group of The Rovers:
Rebel Rouser - The de facto leader of the team and a nuclear powered 1950's throwback.
Emerarld Gypsy - A mutant capable of weather control and Reb's constant companion.
Earthsong - The "smart one" of the Rovers. A technologist and college professor who's often sarcastic wit is no match for Gracie's invincibly high spirits.
Becky Nova - Fellow college student who shares Gracie's party-girl lifestyle, but somewhat more forceful approach to that lifestyle.
Eve Salladon - Gracie's best friend. Eve is the so-far unborn child of Malevelyn and Jamie Salladon, aka Usurper Dyne. Eve is a time traveller and sorceress who became temporally disjointed after witnessing the suicide of Tikhnaya Kosh'Mari. Through Gracie's efforts, she has regained her temporal anchor in the present day. The friendship between the two has blossomed into a flirtatious romance. Known to have a lawn gnome phobia.
Further she is known to hang out with the heroes Faultline and Fusionette at times.
Gracie is powerfully attracted to Centruo, her trainer in both magic and melee as well as her very own muse. Although the attraction she feels towards him most often manifests as a physical desire this is partially the result of wishing to cheer him up. In truth the anachronistic nobleman is unlike any man she's ever known and he has become, appropriately enough, the man of her dreams. Now that their relationship has formed, the two spend much of their free time in one another's arms.
"McD" has become an nearly ever-present fixture in her life. Possibly drawn to her heart warming youth, he seems ever ready to protect her from all harm, whether physical or emotional. Although this doesn't put any noticable strain on his long time friendship with Centruo, both seem to understand what would happen should the sidhe bring harm to her.
Greatest of all her allies, however, are the three Guardian spirits that reside within her own, offering her protection and guidance when needed.
Enemies
Gracie is too busy being happy to hold a grudge against any. As a result she counts no one as an enemy but will not allow unnecessary harm to come to another.
