History shapes a person, the history of the Mer can shape their distaste for Immortals, their abandonment issues, their detachment from those that are not fellow Mer or tribesman. Cirrina is no different, for her peoples history shapes her core views but her personal history has warped her into what she is becoming.
Born like any other Mer in her local Swarm she hatched and feasted on those of her weaker siblings, using her coloring to hide in the sand and lazily grab them out of the air. Voracious as a child she only grew more so, though her tribe was peaceable with the local humans she took pleasure in eating or “tasting” any who swam too deep or too close to her home. But a Mer of equal opportunity she enjoyed sampling those of her own kind who annoyed her as well. For the first few years of her life she was a swimming black hole for food, little else interested her or held her attention for long, save for those who could escape her teeth. One of those would be her life long companion Clay, a stingray who tried to on multiple occasions to sting the hungry mer child or tried to eat her wayward tentacles. Their relationship was a strange one as children, both either trying to eats parts of each other or trying to kill each other, when they grew older it would become less about food and more about survival, companionship, and hunting.
When she reached the age to name herself, simplistically, childishly, and with intent to amuse herself she named herself after the cephalopods her body favored. It was during this same arc she was mostly left alone, not being directed so often, left to explore and survive to her own devices. It was during this time that she began to travel to the much discussed surface world, a bit of a hardship for her type but the payoff was seeing what all the fuss was about.
The fuss, as it turned out, was unappealing. Not but walking meals that reeked in a manner she was unaccustomed to but she found their ways entertaining, their fears of anything with teeth delightful. Her distantly related Biqaj brethren held the most of her attention, their games and ability to almost be as close to the sea as she was, was comfortable. It was the Biqaj who taught her gambling, an addiction and hobby she picked up quickly, always keeping dice handy as it was her favorite game--no one liked soggy cards--and she found she enjoyed basing decisions on chances she felt she controlled. It eventually evolved into in a deal making game in which she always wanted to be the winner. Cirrina had little use for the coin, often convincing the Biqaj to play for favors or treasures she would bring up for them. Her greatest bids were secrets of the seas temper and passage ways for unsuspecting humans but following her advice would often lead to death or the heart of a storm, interest her enough and perhaps she’d show a lost ship to port. Though her name became known quietly it was not often anyone was stupid enough to fall for her ploy unless they were already in dire straits, since one could never tell if she would bring luck or misfortune with her prediction of weather and pirates. Such became her haunts, ships broken, lost, taken over, etc were her call to port, using their need to her advantage.
This is how she met Calilious. A teacher, a temporary lover. They two met when Calilious was fleeing from somewhere or something, she never did tell Cirrina from what and the Mer never thought to pry. Her ship attacked by pirates, Cirrina offered the few survivors the option of life and escape to whoever could roll the die higher than her. To her surprise and displeasure she found herself unable to want to roll high than Calilious. Having lost the bargain, and the Mer being a Mer of her word, dragged the human woman on a slab of wreckage toward shore. But angered at being manipulated Cirrina waited till Calilious was asleep then attempted to drown her until the human promised to give Cirrina the same ability.
To ensure the human would not flee from her grasp, the Mer dragged the human to an air pocket in her grotto, hidden from prying eyes. It was there the human spun stories of how she used magic, and there where Cirrina healed the human. In return for teach her magic, Cirrina was to heal the human, something she agree to in return for the knowledge of magic that Calilious didn't have. Having read of magic the human performed the initiation as it would have been had she actually had any magic. Through skilled manipulation, and some slight of hand she was able to convince Cirrina she was now a mage.
Convinced she had a Spark that was propelling her to do things, with the human in her ear and paid people around them, the Mer thought she had developed a new skill. It was not till she attempted to use it on her own that she realized her folly. It would be the first of the Mers’ deadly and tragic romances. Unable to trust the human anymore, one who had manipulated her from the beginning the two would fight as often as they would “love”, if it could be called that. The relationship was filled with bargains and threats looming over it. It was no surprise when the strange woman who washed upon shore was found in pieces along the waters edge. Her hands strangely missing and Cirrina having a new strange rune set that looked unsettlingly similar to human fingers.
But her "teacher" has still taught her of magic, though she did not yet have it the Mer now wanted it but it was not as if she could get it herself. Grudgingly, angrily, the Mer began to look for a teacher, using her own skills of manipulation and barter until she was able to find that which she was searching for. A mage.
A mage seeking more answers, questing as if it was his only drive, his want of Mer knowledge, of things he couldn’t reach on his own allowing her a window of opportunity. A mage named Marin who still believed in the old ways, of students who must have a base to truly continue with their spark. Between Cirrinas’ own knowledge of magics, threats, his want of knowledge, and his desire to set a student straight and put one on the "true path", she convinced Marin to be her teacher. It was slow, slower than Cirrina would have liked for her mentor truly does believe in the proper way of learning magic, first showing her attunement and all its potential.
This new Spark of Attunement would change the Mer, encouraging more so her desire to know, her desire for company even if it still could not change how much she loathed the idea. Loathed those who she knew were only manipulating her, loathed Immortals who abandoned her people and let Chrien continue to ruin them, loathed way they dared enter her waters without fear. The Spark encouraged this, warping it into a sense of needing to know why things were this way, leaving her to inspect everything to find every angle and every use to meet her own ends. In this way it was much more subtle and less noticeable than her Empath Spark would be. In fact, it seemed to encourage the desires of both the other Spark and Cirrina to the point of obsession.
Only when she show some proficiency in attunement did Marin show Cirrina a new magic to weave them together in harmonic use but though she played the role of good student Cirrina the Empath Spark would reveal more of her true colors much to her mentors amusement and disdain. Cirrina and her new spark were perhaps at odds but with equal ends. Both love control, fixating on holding domain over others and situations, something which suits the Mer just fine as she has always loved winning, and control gave her just that. Together she and her spark use each other, her spark to grow to its own ends, and her to make sure she always wins and makes others come to their untimely end.
All of which wrapped into her idle life of destroying others in the way she felt destroyed, the beginnings of which threw her victims left over emotions at her, leaking, and in her mind, poisoning her thoughts with vague pangs that could almost be guilt. But with her new teacher guiding her along the path of attunement still (refusing to teach her more of Empathy until she learned some) only leaving for days at a time to pursue his own goals, and allowing the Mer back to her more comfortable watery depths a new relationship, far different than her last was formed. He struggled to teach a pupil he didn't understand to control her Spark, to meditate out her anger. At last he taught her Dreamwalk, hoping she would find the peace or nightmares she sought. In dreams he can show her what is possible with less risk, allowing her to work out her more negative aspects with less consequence as well as understanding the consequence but Cirrina has no desire to use her gifts well. Perhaps, though she doesn't know it, to bend her to his own purposes as well or influence her. Yet he cautioned her lightly, telling her of the Immortals that both guarded and plagued dreams, of their marked who worked for them, stronger than any dream walker could be. But both student and teacher new it is unlikely she will heed those warning for long.
Still, the trade of skills with more equal footing gives more of a give and take relationship but Cirrina had been burned once before. There was a distant, detached companionship for them, not as close or chaotic as her previous humans. But it is allowing her to continue in her long pursuit to mastery and goals she doesn’t understand or even know she desires yet. Neither student or teacher can be bothered with the other truly but they need each other for their purposes and are attached in ways they'd rather ignore.
Now in over her head with two Sparks and no real direction Cirrina is struggling to find balance between her profession, her learnings, and understanding her own desires both old and new. More dangerous this way her temper explodes, wanting nothing more than to rage at anything out of her control, to destroy those who threaten to take her waters, the only thing she can call hers. Grudgingly the only thing she can do is follow her mentor until she is competent enough to be on her own in the magics.
Rebirth Cycle
The Mer found herself and her teacher at odds, the power struggle creating a game for the two wherein Cir had to prove herself worthy, once again, of being taught her magics. It lead to the secluded Mer joining more of the cities happenings than wanted and it was not without consequence. The Mer made more enemies than friends but she does not care and her mentor is less than surprised.
Important tid bits:
- Cursed by Cassion
- Broke Transformation Gem
- Was killed and brought back in CitW
Memory NPC
Name: Calilious
Age: 22
Race: Human
Organization (if any): None
Skills:
Storytelling: 30
Psychology: 50
Persuasion: 30
Deception: 65
Bio: A manipulative woman who liked to work from the shadows leaving chaos in her wake. Originally a psychologist and healer of the mind her ego and want to see what exactly how far one could push the brain. Leaving her life behind for more study and following her own master, she became a mercenary of sorts she worked for no one and everyone, her only goal to master those around her. While she could have been a peace keeper, she usually ended up as an interrogator or using lies and skills to wreck those around her.
When she outgrew her mentor, she left, continuing with her strange not-career, adrift but seeking more, unsure of what she wanted or needed but needing more. Calilious wanted someone else to watch grow, to see how different or similar they would change when pushed passed their limits, the psychologist and her own past. failures an answer and she would find one.
Appearance: Sharp features, sharp eyes, and a shock of red hair. Nearly her entire body was covered in tattoos, a vain woman she wore only the best clothing she could afford, her hair always styled, and face always lightly painted.
Relationship/History: Calilious saw in Cirrina a bit of herself, she was impressed with the Mers drive and ability to seemingly be in control of any situation she was in. It was what she had been looking for though she hadn't known it. The two shared similar views and interests, both having a love for controlling things that could be considered uncontrollable. Friend and teacher the two were never far from each other, using each other as both practice dummies and reasons to push themselves farther. Their relationship was strong but a categorical disaster, threats, promises, and bargains. Far from healthy the two woman were far too selfish to truly help each other, the final explosion in their relationship coming the Cirrina and Calilious fought, Calilious being left to drown after transforming back while still in the water the mer refusing to help her after their fight. After which Cirrina dragged her body back, ate her and saved her finger bones in remembrance.
Status: Dead
