Kail Cook
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
(( MAJOR CHANGES AND UPDATES ON THE WAY. ))
There was once a girl who yearned to know all the stories in the world;
to learn how the earth was born, to discover the secrets of every dark ocean, to touch the hand of all mythic creatures as they told her their ways.
A man who was not of mortal men came to her, and offered her the stories of the world in exchange for her heart.
Convinced her heart didn't lay within her chest, but within the lore of the ages, she obliged.
And when the prince of a different reality took her heart...
he took her body too.
Each time promised a tantalizing look into skeins of fate that bound the legends together,
and the forces of chaos that drove the stories that moved across the world with spices and silk.
It threatened to consume her,
and she'd allow it to.
Curiosity would be her downfall.
- —Zarah Neman for the prettier parts of the piece.
- Coding credit to Unhearted, and whatever distant website through google linking I had found.
- Have a plot involving magic or old lore? Need someone to preform a realistic magical ritual or spark an event? Whisper me out of character, I love helping people progress in their own story arcs.
- Excellently detailed digital work is done by the incredibly talented @SilhouetteLithe (I make small colour edits).
Fear names.
Names have power in identity.
Others can use names as weapons.
Names are a hook that can be used to track ...
Remain nameless, and shall be safe.
I am the Nameless One.
- -Planescape: Torment
Though born in England, Cook's family fled from the Midlands after an unspoken incident of kidnapping. Miss Cook's father, a successful attorney, had the connections and the money to own a home on Talos Islands. As soon as Miss Cook's parents believed she was ready to live on her own they retired, leaving Cook in Talos.
Because of what Cook was subjected to as a child she was fated to developing an obsession with the occult once her methodical life grew too unfulfilling to bare. Cook gradually evolved from a timid and weak girl into a manipulative and deceitful master of ritualism, and despite what people she's scorn and wounded in the process, she proves herself through charm and skill time and time again.
With the world as her oyster, Cook grew dangerously close to complete power corruption. Nothing seemed to be enough as she spun in the devil's grip. A unlikely hero clad in spandex and a cape would rip her out of the illusion and into reality as she realized her unconquerable heart had been captured.
Thank god I'm pretty
Every skill I ever have will be in question
Every ill that I must suffer
Clearly brought on by myself
Though the cops would come for someone else
I'm blessed
I'm truly privileged to look this good without clothes on
Which only means that when I sing you're jerking off
And when I'm gone you won't remember
Thank god I'm pretty
Her irises are like the hottest flames - that's blue light engulfs her black pupils like coal. The roundness of her face, and large size of her doe-like eyes give away her youthfulness. Though no longer a child - her face still has not fully developed out of it's childlike features. But this never hinders her ability to lower fluffy eyelashes over her eyes and bring a 'hither' look to onlookers. English heritage can be seen in her skin - pale with a healthy, too healthy, glow. With unattainable perfect, her skin is also without blemish or mark. As if painted onto her form by the hand of Venus, Goddess of beauty. Her hair also a perfect embodiment of ideal shape and colour; thick, unbroken curls caught between waves made of liquid gold. Not a strand dares rebel away from the others.
Her hourglass shape is measured at bust, waist, hip - or 'Big, small, big' in Miss Cook's words. The 5'4 of her height and overall smallness of her form limits her muscles to a fine tone; outlining her abs and biceps or calves only when she flexes or exerts herself. Otherwise her stomach is a flat muscle and hard to the touch. This is a common build for dancers, who must push their bodies to the peek without loosing their elegant grace and light steps. Miss Cook too is light on her feet, and is often moving in some manner or another. Her body is as vocal as her words, and sometimes even more so. Hips sway with each stride - one foot always placed carefully in front of the other, toes pointed out as though she were a ballerina proceeding onto the stage.
But there are always exception.
Down Miss Cook's spine is the permanent markings of ink - a tattoo of tribal theme of her spine itself. Hiding just under the line of her hair, at the back of Kail's neck, is an inverted cross. Black and solid with no other detail or design. Touching the skin of her shoulders or upper torso would reveal the thin, raised lines of old scars. Long since healed - but still fading. To add to the gallery on her back is a brand - like on cattle - of three occult symbols layered over each other in a circle. It protects her, but marks her, for eternity. A newer scar, larger then the rest, now mares Kail's left shoulder with a matching twin dominating most of left side between her hip and ribs. Though invisible, upon touching the web like scar one may get the sense it'd be familiar to the remaining skin of a burn victim (yet it was not caused by a burn). More suspicious scars, matching as a pair, sit just on her hips as seared hand marks. Fingers coiling around.
One day, scorpion a came across a river, which he could not cross for he could not swim. Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hello Mr. Frog!" called the across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back.
'Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
And the scorpion replied; "I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Determined. Passionate. Emotional. Secretive.
Compulsive. Obsessive. Sexual. Loyal.
She walks in with legs that go on for miles and a dress that was made for ever curve of her body. You're not even listening to what she says, and by the time you do catch up, she's already got the orchestral playing the way she wants.
Blue eyed, blond haired bombshell.
The next thing you’re waiting for is the excuse to why she’s different than the rest; not just a cardboard cut-out. But you won’t – never from her, at lest – because it’s that ignorance that lets her do what she does.
She's like an open book, you tell yourself. You know everything about her and her “kind”, you let ignorance blind you while she's hiding secrets and making your friends turn tricks. They don’t question it, so why should you? You question your sanity, your reasoning. . . It can only be prayed that you learn quickly, that this was the intention all along - that you were the target all along.
An open, straightforward nature without too much complexity: self-confident and charming, with an honest natural social grace - if not at times rather air-headed and simple. Being comfortable and proud with herself has Miss Cook producing a very strong sexual magnetism, often claimed to be used to gain material or psychological advantage over others. Perhaps it's this reason she seemingly attracts less sophisticated partners whose naiveté allows her a sense of command. Perhaps, even, she merely holds little fear towards the taboo of sexual expression.
Miss Cook acts as one would expect of a woman in red (or black,) dripping in diamonds if not coated by fur. But this expected outgoing appearance hides a much more complex and inward-turned personality.
Traits.
- Glamor. There's a strong fae glamor over Kail. Hiding herself and her actions from the prying eyes of lesser deities. And a second that works as a physical glamour - making her appear quite flawless. It's of the same said to be used by Helen of Troy.
- Silver Heart. Made of the sub-optimal metal of silver, the Fae forged heart now replaces Kail's original human flesh and muscle that once kept her body alive. Constant bleed-off of the fictional magic creates mild side affects such as "flames, small miracles, the attraction of frogs and bluebirds spontaneously manifesting red breasts."
- Eldritch Ward. A seal branded into her back, and an usual tribal sigil design tattooed along her spine.
- Magical Aptitude. Through an innate gift Kail has a much easier time with magic then most. Generally all Rituals preformed by Kail are successful and she naturally picks up spells or enchantments with ease.
- Sixth Sense Kail claims to have no means of any empathy powers, but she does understand people and when combining that with common sense it's not hard for her to know when something is off. But a lot of the time, it comes to her at just a feeling. So far, Kail has never been wrong.
- Peek Condition. Kail's body has been forced to nearly peek conditions. Her muscles have all been toned, giving her a slight build in her arms, legs and abs. In hoping to not push the line between attractive and masculine, Kail doesn't spend much of her time working out.
- Reflexes. Because of her very capable body, Kail's reflexes should be heightened compared to the general citizen, her strength should also be a little more impressive then she ever lets on. Don't ever expect her to bench press for you, but it should be reasonable for her to take a hit if not to learn to deliver one.
- Acrobatics. The petitness of her build makes her light on her feet. She's athletic and acrobatic thanks to years of dance lessons. Because of this, one would assume she'd be able to dodge much of the things that come at her- but there's been no such proof.
Flaws.
- Fae Marked. As a child Kail could 'sense' fae. She was much too small to understand just what she was dealing with, and accidentally crushed a few small sprites. Because of this, a more powerful member of the court cursed her to suffer should any fae creature touch her. The curse has since been "removed" by Lord Zarah.
- Obsession. Kail does sufferer from an obsession that has proven destructive for herself and occasionally her relationship with others.
- Phobia Of most blades.
- Mental Doorway. Kail has no mental guard what so ever. (But due to godmodding attempts on a regular basis, don't bother using telepathy on any of my characters unless you're a good friend of mine. No exceptions.)
- Sterile. Kail's ability to produce offspring has been stolen from her by a God that still lays too close to home. All after a badly executed ritual in Dark Astoria.
- Day Dreamer. Kail often comes in and out of conversations because of a habit of constantly daydreaming. Her excuse is that her subconscious often drifts into the Ethereal plane and can be a toll onto her conscious and forcing her to selectively limit what gets her full attention and focus. Why and how her subconscious does this hasn't been addressed.
Tropes
The Gift
Ritual Magic User
Hello Nurse
Ms. Fanservice
Femme Fatale
Mysterious Woman
Manipulative Bitch
Absolute Cleavage
"Good Bad Girl"
Trivia! (This isn't new.)
- Cook was Helen of Troy, or possibly Eva Braun, in a past life. It's unsure.
- Her boobs are named Pish and Posh, thanks to Jackal.
- Being nearsighted, Cook is often seen with glasses for work.
- Her American accent is fake.
One of the oldest conceptions of magic is Ritual Magic, a method of casting spells based on the performance of specific words, gestures, actions and offerings at specific places and times. Magic isn't a question of talent, spiritual enlightenment, or a power you're born with. It's something that anyone can learn, even (perhaps dangerously) the most mundane. The ritual usually requires one of the following to cast: a somatic (physical), verbal, or material component, as well as having restrictions on time and place. These may include a Magical Gesture or dancing a Magic Dance. Ritualists may need to speak in the Language Of Magic or sing Magic Music. It might require material offerings like an Eye Of Newt or a Virgin Sacrifice. The ritual might only work if done in a Place Of Power, or need the ritualist to draw a figure of Geometric Magic (this is especially common when using a Summoning Ritual). Some means of Ritual magic is described using long, complicated spells and extensive rituals to discourage ordinary. Such methods are used in complex manuscripts as; Key of Solomon, the Grimoire of Armadel, and the Goetia.
Favored Magic
- Customized rituals. Through heavy research, an innate ability for successful rituals, and experience, Kail can find - or even create - a ritual for just about anything.
- Seeking is a skill where Kail can essential 'seek' out a desired target. Whether this is by traveling through the Ethereal plane or relying on the energy of a crystal to connect with an individual's unique energy signal. Both skills require a person or an item of strong connection to the target, and several maps.
- Blessings are not unlike the blessings are Christian Priest may preform; Kail evokes a Holy Spirit of God in hopes of obtaining their favor. When successful, Kail can purify or mend something or someone. A ritual is general required for more desirable affects.
- Enchantments/Blessings allows Kail to bless items (or people) by the names of Holy Spirits, and sometimes even Gods. Because of this, she can bring Courage and Bravery to men, raise the dead for a short time, turn a pomegranate into a love potion and even 'recover' a man's 'potency'.
- Exorcism. Kail can practice and preform exorcisms of possessing spirits from bodies. Kail's Faith is strong and unbending, as she's gotten proof of her God multiple times, and because of this it isn't hard to battle with and cast out unwanted demons and spirits.
- Spell of revenge. Rarely Kail is ever asked to do such a thing, and even rarer does she do it for herself, but there is a spell that allows Kail to curse hostile mystics and even break their curses from their victims.
Relics
- Tarot Cards. Given to Kail by Violet is a black deck of cards, all unreadable at first. Using a person's past events and images related to them, the cards can tell incredibly accurate readings of what is and what is to come.
- Text Books. Kail has several dozen volumes all dedicated to different aspects of magic, many of which have grown warn from constant use, the pages kept between the unattached from and back cover with colorful elastic bands. Some look to of never been picked up before, dust lining the edge of the page from neglect.
- Book of Shadows
Technology
- Technology. By no means is Kail anymore successful or skilled with technology as any average Joe. But she holds an interest in anything that can make her means of life easier. Because of this, Kail has several pieces of technology either custom made or bought for a high price.
- Touchpad Keyboard. Her most common piece of equipment would be a unfolding keyboard, stored to look much like a small white phone. When it folds out it's much like any touchpad tablet, allowing for Kail to use it as her visor's main input device; keyboard, links, and other resource files that can be opened then viewed via her visor.
- Hologram Visor/Eye piece. Directly linked to her Touchpad Keyboard, she can view her information in public locations through her own personal window of privacy. Thankfully the holograph's intangible body allows Kail to still observe her surrounding environment.
- Pistol. It seems whenever someone is trying to teach Kail too use a gun, they expect her to know what kind of gun to use. Recently, with help of the automatic recognizing system of Kail's suit, she's begun to learn just how to properly identify more and firearms.
- Minigun. Who the hell in their right mind would think Kail needed a minigun? Well now she has one, customized to use non-lethal ammo. The only kind of ammo Kail is willing to use. "It looks like a minigun barrel, on the frame and stock of an AK-47, with an ammo drum in place of the AK's clip."
