Circe Alexandra {Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis Alt}
Dec 19, 2016 23:52:23 GMT -6
Post by Circe Alexandra on Dec 19, 2016 23:52:23 GMT -6
Name: Circe Alexandra
Class: Mage
Age: 18
Born in: Aquleia, Etruria
Personality: On the surface Circe is polite and good natured, usually in high spirits without falling into boundless optimism. Circe is, above all else, quite self-confident. It borders on arrogance, but she makes a point not to be mean about it. Rather than put others down and make them feel beneath her she shines on her own, and would honestly raise people to her level. This confidence and security in her own skin is such that she has very little shame and modesty, and is quite hard to embarass (though by no means impossible).
She owns up to the faults she is aware of and constantly strives to further improve herself. As for faults she is not aware of, though: Circe does not always realize when she is making things revolve around herself. She does not actively attempt to interject herself into topics or situations that she had no business belonging in, but the phrase “the brighter the light, the darker the shadows cast” could apply to her for sure. Even when attempting to help others, she could feel as though she is applying too much “pressure” on another despite wanting them to succeed.
While not the type to talk down to others directly, unless they are rude to her or her friends, Circe can adopt a bit of a haughty attitude, something that even she doesn't like. It stems from dealing with the wealthy for most of her life, having adopted the mannerisms of the less than friendly members of high society. Circe can be quick to insult those that offend her and, if the right buttons are pressed, her emotions can be quick to rise to the surface, even leading her to make hasty decisions or blurt out blunt truths. Ordinarily, though, she can keep herself calm and composed through even the most trying of circumstances, but she can fail to realize when the pressure is actually getting to her, which could leave her making crucial mistakes that greatly damage her ego.
Circe's ambitions are fueled simply by the desire to be the best that she can be. Her talent and interest in magic are her own, nobody else's. Compared to running the family business, to pursue her mastery of anima magic would be to pursue her true dreams. Being as tactful, resourceful, and adamant as she is, Circe certainly has the traits to continue to pursue her goal. She spends a great deal of time testing what she can do with her spells in an effort to maximize their abilities in an efficient manner. Her focus allows for surprisingly rapid growth, stunning even her teacher.
Though competitive and eager to test her own limits, Circe can be a bit lacking in terms of “true grit”. When the going gets tough she can recognize when she's outmatched, and acknowledging those facts and kill her motivation and leave her bitter. In such cases she is likely to retreat, and can even be left with a bout of depression.
She's also quite visibly expressive, particularly once one gets to really know her. Beneath the polite aristocrat and pragmatic mage lies quite the cheeky girl, trading jabs and poking fun at those who work their way through her shell.
History: Circe is the daughter of two Etrurian jewelers. Their shop had been passed down the family for many a generation, but it was only recently that they had come into true wealth. Brokering a deal with Nabatan miners, Circe's father was able to import rare stones only found in Nabatan caves, making those who engaged in Nabatan fashion, faux or legitimate, come to them in droves. This sort of fashion boom is what Circe grew up in, influencing her style of dress even to modern day.
Circe herself, however, was never all that fond of running the store. As a child she did often help her parents out, and she admired the gemstomes and rare minerals/rocks that were shipped to them, but the idea of balancing books and constantly dealing with customers and clients and co-workers...even as a child it didn't sit well with her.
Unfortunately Circe wasn't sure what it was that she DID want to do. No one career really screamed out to her or her ambitions, but she held fast all the same. Continued to look and hope for what she could find. And, soon enough, when she was a mere pre-teen, she found her true calling.
A mage acting as a mercenary, hired from the Western Isles, stopped by her family's store to make a purchase. He had apparently raked in a good deal of money from whatever work he had completed in the area, and had swung by the shop to purchase something for his wife back home. Circe, having heard from her parents that the man was a magus, followed him around the store and essentially battered him with questions.
The man's patience wore out swiftly, and he asked Circe what she wanted? Curious and eager, she asked him to show her some magic. After making his purchase Circe followed him outside, where he conjured a small spark of electricity from his finger tips. Of course, having seen just a tiny glimpse of what magic could do, Circe asked the man to show her more.
With the permission of her parents the man, whose name was Homer, spent the better part of a month tutoring Circe in magecraft. Of course the young girl never truly accomplished anything of note within such a small span of time, but her curiosity and determination did intrigue Homer. After a month had passed his business in Etruria was concluded, though he decided to leave a Trinity tome for Circe as a parting gift before sailing back home, promising that if he had a contract in Etruria again he would stop by to visit.
Years would go by, and Circe spent countless time at the nearest libraries, and many a night reading over her Trinity tome. Within months she was creating her own sparks, almost solely self-taught, finally beginning to grasp what it meant to “commune with spirits”, to reach them and access their magic. It turned out Circe was quite naturally gifted in the area, and continued to improve over the next few years.
In time Homer did return, as he promised, and was shocked to see that Circe could produce fire, thunder, and wind magic. At that point she still required her tome to do so, but it was a great deal more progress than Homer had imagined, especially since Circe never once enrolled in a magic academy. Intrigued, he asked if Circe would accompany him on his business throughout Etruria, so that he could teach her further.
“If you really intend to utilize magic to its fullest, you won't want to be holding a tome in hand.” Homer didn't just teach Circe how to cast and channel magic, but more importantly how to MOVE. Where Homer was from all magic was used in motion, taught almost akin to martial arts. So rather than a month of simple study like before, Circe went through several months of training in hand-to-hand combat as well as casting magic.
Circe learned that Anima was divided into sub-schools based on the natural elements. Where Home came from, sages were very physical in their practice and teachings, and focused equally on movement along with study in order to truly “become one” with the natural world. They had honed and developed different styles of movement for each element. An example would be that wind movements were almost lazy, natural, evasive and indirect, while earth movements were solid, firm, grounded and direct.
Homer passed down as much knowledge as he could within a few months, and was impressed with Circe's drive to improve and how swiftly she learned. To Circe, though, these lessons were everything. They broke up the mundane life she had lived, and had nothing to do with her family or their jewell shop. Those lessons, her magic, was hers and hers alone.
Even with Homer gone Circe continued to practice and train, but she soon realized that she was limited for as long as she stayed in Etruria. So, at the age of 18, she left home. Her parents were uneasy, reluctant in fact, but Circe could not truly be stopped. She wanted to see how far her pursuit of magic could take her, aspiring to be as skillful as sages like Homer, no, even greater. Something different from them all together...
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