>basic info
Name: Adalinda
Alias: The Fishfolk Witch
Nickname: Lin
Age: 22
Gender: F
Race: Fishfolk
>bio
Appearance: Hazards of AI art, i suppose, but this is the current best generated image. The tail should obviously originate from lower on her body, and the conspicuously missing arm isn't something Adalinda will have to worry about since she still has both of hers...
Height and weight: 4'10", ~170 lbs. Tail is about 1/4th of that weight, and is about 2.5ft.
Personality:
A calm and mature woman with a merciless streak. She's seen too many weird beings in the dreamlands to be phased by most things people would consider frightening, but all the same, her confidence is not ironclad in the face of overwhelming odds.
Backstory:
The daughter of a fisherman from the Starfalls, orphaned at a young age during a storm. Adalinda was found many years later, delirious, washed up on the shore nearest to Folmburh. She claims to have spent the intervening years wandering through a dreamscape, pursued (or perhaps, herded) by what was most evidently the Fox. Despite (or because of; one should never claim to know the Fox's intentions) this, Lin eventually came upon an abandoned city built within the skeleton of a titanic dragon, dead yet dreaming of lost glories. In a moment of pity or perhaps schadenfreude, the spirit of the dragon allowed the starving, harassed, and near-feral girl to sup upon the last drop of it's blood. In doing so, she became more than mortal though far, far less than divine... It is a portion of her past that she was canny enough to hide, however. Being the last survivor of a storm and harried by the Fox is curse enough in the eyes of the superstitious; it is better to let others believe she simply pays homage to the obscure and faded god who guided her back to the realm of the living...
For years, she has lived near Folmburh, plying the only trade she knows and learning to use the gift she was given. Several chance encounters have left her with the reputation of a 'Witch', for the misfortunes that fall upon those who sought to take advantage of such a young girl. However, her actions have always been in defense of herself or the town, and so she is permitted to remain despite her reputation. Among those chance encounters was a particular Berkelman, who wished to hear Adalinda's tale in person and learn more of the dreamlands she once wandered...
And now, as a known 'Witch', a letter has arrived from Berkelman. Were-beast problems, it would seem... A hunter Adalinda is not, but her skills and her physique are ideal for the task ahead if the letter is to be believed.
Skills:
Fishing, cooking, weaving, swimming, and sailing are all things a fisherman's child can be expected to pick up over the course of their youth, and naturally, these are skills Adalinda has. She can be considered fairly athletic, too, for all the exercise involved in her life's work, and is decently skilled with a harpoon. As a Fishfolk she can remain underwater for far longer than most, though the idea that a Fishfolk can breath underwater is unfortunately exaggerated; the truth is simply exceptional lung capacity and efficiency, with which to hold one's breath for minutes on end.
>combat loadout
Equipment:
Three Harpoons, made of bronze and chained with the same. They are of lesser durability than iron weapons, yet bronze is a metal which does not rust, and has thus been invaluable to Adalinda over the years. She carries them in a harness much like a quiver, when traveling overland.
A Nice Boat... on the off chance an adventure such as this requires one. It is made of mere wood, and can only carry around four or so people comfortably, though more can fit if cramped conditions can be tolerated. It is primarily a sailboat, though it has two pairs of wooden oars stashed away just in case as well as several nets for fishing.
>magic
Magic Capabilities:
Having been effectively adopted into a dead god's bloodline, she is capable of fueling the barest fragments of miraculous power. Between her experiences and the dead god's specialties, it is easiest for her to weave dreams and illusions. Maintaining such figments is a matter of stamina, however, and while illusions on the scale of a small gemstone or such are trivial to maintain, grand illusions such as that of a well-furnished and staffed palace would kill her in mere fractions of a second. More moderate illusions such as disguising herself as another person can be expected to last perhaps an hour or two before she becomes too tired to act in-character, and perhaps half an hour longer if remaining in-character is no concern.
Illusions and Dreamweaving are not the limits of her capabilities, however. Lin can briefly and at noticeable cost apply a minor mental compulsion or alter how the target perceives her, though doing so is liable to exhaust her and never lasts past the point where the target realizes they've been affected. Of course, the greater the deviation from the target's normal behavior, the more likely they are to realize that something is off...
In times of desperation, there is one final trick in her arsenal. Calling upon her patron and blurring the lines between Dream and Reality, she can undergo a temporary transformation similar to that of were-beasts, gaining draconic traits for a few minutes. Unfortunately, The Dream Of A Dragon only holds as much power as those who would interact with her believe it to have. Intimidation tactics are key, for an opponent who does not believe Adalinda to be a threat is likely to shrug off any attack she tries... And forcing her bloodline to manifest so directly is not without consequences. Her mind will be stuck in the Dream until her body recovers, which might take days in the best cases or up to a week in the worst cases. To leave both body and mind so vulnerable in a world like this... it is not a risk to be taken lightly.
