Raina Sylvir
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
((If I make a mistake here, let me know.. I can have a terrible memory sometimes.))
<<Played by TaylaEwa>>
Contents |
Personality
"I get by with a little help from my friends." - John Lennon
Raina is clever, sharp-witted, and always careful in what she says. She usually has a relaxed expression of calm amusement or boredom. Possessing a caring heart and sharp observations, she is fiercely loyal to her friends and will do almost anything to protect them. She tends to think deep thoughts and will often speak in obtuse riddles and double meanings. It is her way to not give her information away for the asking, but she will say things to lead the listener to draw their own conclusion. She has also displayed natural motherly instincts towards children who find themselves under her protection. However, her natural pride does lead her to take offense easily and she is capable of holding deep grudges.
She is a bit of a thrill seeker and lives for the heat of battle. She is usually in perfect control of the more feral tendencies of her inner cat and will only shift when there are targets for it to attack. However, her 'inner beast' can also be roused by threats to her and in times of heightened emotions (anger making it hardest to control). Her 'inner beast' also makes killing come easier for her, but she usually refrains from lethal hits unless absolutely necessary. Her pride raised its young to know that they are not mindless monsters, and Raina still keeps this lesson in her heart. Subtlety and betrayal were also constant companions as she grew, thus she knows the value of such actions.
Raina only respects those who earn her respect or she simply acknowledges as being a leader. She will treat those who fail to earn her respect or loose her respect like the dirt she views them to be. Her free-willed spirit is strong and unyielding, with pain and torture only making her more defiant. She is tenacious and resourceful when the need arises and has proven to be difficult to catch or kill.
Forms
"No cat out of its first fur was ever deceived by appearances.. unlike humans, who seem to enjoy it." -Cat from The Last Unicorn
Human Form
This is Raina's normal everyday form. She appears to be a normal, albeit beautiful woman with short, straight platinum silver hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes. Her normal attire is a blue corset, black shorts, combat boots, and purple gloves. She also wears a purple choker and scarf. She is very strong in this form, capable of lifting heavy burdens and leaping long distances with feline grace. Her senses are extremely acute, especially those of smell and sight, making her an excellent tracker even in human form. The only obvious signs of her were-nature appear during times of heightened emotion when her eyes shift to their slitted form and occasionally the appearance of her fangs.
Were Form
This is her second natural form. She appears to be a humanoid cat with short, velvety silver fur with black rosettes. She actually becomes much stronger in this form, but can easily lose control of herself to her cat's bestial nature. She will rarely shift to this form unless she has a target in front of her to attack. Her clothes vanish with the aide of magic, her fur covering her, but reappear when she shifts back to her human form. The only thing she retains through the change are her collar and scarf. Whether this is by choice or simple inability of her magic is unknown. Her voice takes on a deeper, growling quality due to the changes in her form. This form is documented as she has used it openly in battle before.
Ocelot Form
She takes the form of the jungle cat of her family's heritage. She is the silver mutation in that her fur is silver and black rather than the natural tan and black. In this form, Raina is twice the size of a normal ocelot and is usually faster and more agile in this form. Normal human speech is impossible in this form due to the lack of a human-like voice box, so she can only vocalize with normal feline sounds of purrs, roars, and the like. She retains her collar in this form, with the scarf changing to two long ribbons. This form is documented since she shifted in full view of the VOPC when she was badly injured during an operation.
Housecat form
Raina appears to be nothing more than an average house cat, albeit a pampered one. She is lanky with a smooth coat of silver fur with black rosettes. She retains her collar in this form as well, but the scarf changes to two purple ribbons. Human speech is impossible in this form as well due to the lack of a true voice box. She follows normal feline mannerisms in this form when around the uninitiated. She is also weakest in this form, with only the strength of an ordinary cat. This form is only known to her closest friends since Raina is careful to never be caught shifting to or from it.
Limitations
Through shifting forms, Raina can heal herself of nearly any wound, but at a price. Shifting takes focus and energy to do. If she is in too much pain, shifting can be nearly impossible without outside aide. Shifting too many times in a short period will leave her tired and sore. The soreness is worst in her bones which are the most rigid and hardest for her magic to reshape. She enjoys excellent health and rarely sickens, but does have bad reactions to most human drugs. Catnip, however, relaxes and focuses her when she needs it most.
Background
"It was my mother's last gift to me.. before she told me that she would never think of me again." - Raina on her magical brooch
Raina was the youngest surviving offspring of the lead pair of the Sylvir pride. She and her siblings were all born exactly a year and a day apart. She was preceded by her 3 elder brothers and sister, Raiden, Raimi, Raith, and Raisa. Two more siblings, unnamed, were born after her but were killed during their upbringing for failing to learn to control their inner beasts. While she was a fast learned and a quick student to the 'family business' of information gathering and selling, she disliked their habits of betraying clients and each other. Reaching the age of 16, Raina announced her intention to leave the pride compound deep in the jungles of South America and explore the world first hand, a taboo of her pride. Her family disowned and threw her out with nothing but her clothes and a magical brooch from her mother to hide her werecat self. The villages in the area of the family compound distrusted the werecats and would often kill any they could catch.
Raina spent several years traveling the globe before coming to Paragon, where she finally found a use for the skills she had been taught as a child. Bringing thugs to justice and taking down villains gave her a sense of belonging she had not felt since she had been a child.
Inner Cat
"Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." -Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894
Raina's inner cat is a facet of her soul, an entity that is the personification of rage, feral instinct, and the need to survive. While not a separate intelligence of its own, it is the main driving force behind almost everything she does. All werecats of her pride are born with the "cat" in their souls. It is the source of the magic they use for shifting and serves as a guardian and guide. The cat is devoid of mercy or true independent intelligence. If allowed control, it will simply hunt, eat and sleep as necessary to survive. Werecats of the Sylvir Pride are trained from a young age to control their cats or are culled for failing. Outside influences can effect the cat, such as the dark magic in Dark Astoria, and make it impossible to control.
For the most part, mind control will not work on Raina due to her cat. The cat can sense mental intrusions and will retaliate to attacks with its natural ferocity and savagery. She can also hide from mental scans by allowing the cat to become dominant and change her thought patterns to be more in line with an ordinary cat's.
Raina's Blood
"This is not something I do lightly, Grim.." -Raina to Grimaulkin when offering him the choice.
Raina's blood is infused with pure magic of a special type. She uses the magic to shift her form and heal from any wounds she sustains. However, she can offer it to those badly wounded or dying. The drinker will be permanently affected by imbibing it. Her blood will increase their strength, heighten their senses, and enable them to heal from terrible wounds. Given the permanent nature of these changes, she is usually extremely reluctant to use this method, normally reserving it only for close, trusted friends. While she cannot actually bring back the dead, it will heal those clinging to even a spark of life and have the determination to survive.
Those who have been 'healed':
Did you know...?
- Tracking down targets is her specialty due to her acute sense of smell.
- She can heal serious wounds by shifting forms... some wounds dealt by magic or otherwise compromised might take multiple shifts to fix.
- She is far stronger than a normal human.
- While not a heavy drinker, Raina's favorite alcoholic beverage is whiskey. She does not get drunk easily.
- She is not claustrophobic, but has a strong dislike of being confined.
- Raina enjoys the smell of catnip.
Associates
The Trusted
|
The Unsure
|
The Hated
|
IC Comments
((Feel free to leave a comment if you know Raina in-game and don't forget your toon name.))
"She's really something. She's one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and I'd say that even if I didn't love her. She pushes herself way too hard, though." Mindstryker
"Her sense of loyalty is only matched by her ferocity in combat, I am fortunate to call her 'friend'." Rusty
"As all animals in the wild that could be tamed, Raina is no different. I'll break her will and have her as my personal pet in due time. Just a little bit of pain and all is right in the world." John Starkweather
"Of all the people I've met, I've never seen a spirit quite as wild as Raina's. Anyone who thinks they're capable of keeping her down is in for the fight of their life." Temporal Assault
"She is a cunning and honorable foe. One day I will kill her but it will be glorious!" Mr Armegdon (She killed him first)
"I don't like trustin folks because I'm almost always dissapointed. But Raina, well, there is something trustable about her." Jack LeBeuregard
"She gave me my life, and for that, I am forever in her debt. But it is no longer a debt; it is devotion." Grimaulkin
"Damn cats." Operative Valos
Themesongs
- I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin - Describes Raina's defiant spirit.
- I'm Alive by Disturbed - Raina's unbreakable spirit
- Break by Three Days Grace - Turning traitor on those she trusted when she learned the truth.
- Decode by Paramore - Raina's feelings toward the VoPC
Other Links
- Raina's Current Events - Spoilers will abound, read at your own risk.