Ikselam/Sealis
Contents
Sealis
- back toIkselam/PerfectCircle
Character Background
Backstory
Sealis hails from the Imperial City itself. She was the child of a venerable patrician line, but one which had fallen upon hard times. Unable to pull themselves out of debt, her parents sold their daughter into indentured servitude in order to pay off their creditors. Fortunately for them, they were offered a very generous sum by Silken Flower, one of the Realm's most prestigious courtesans. From that day forth, Sealis' home was the Drifting Cherry Blossom, the opulent pleasure house from which Silken Flower directed her guild. Her new mistress personally saw to her training, molding her into the perfect object of desire.
Silken Flower's patrons were the cream of the Realm; more than a few Dragon-Blooded patronized the Drifting Cherry Blossom and its sister establishments. Therefore, the courtesans in her employ were expected to be elegant and sophisticated, learned and well-spoken. Surely, it would take more to please a Prince of the Earth than a simple gutter prostitute. To that end, Sealis was instructed in music, poetry, and philosophy as well as in more carnal methods of pleasing men and women. By the time she graduated from serving girl to Seventh Rank courtesan, at the age of fifteen, she was refined and poised, equally adept at massage, musical performance, impromptu poetry, courtly dialogue, dancing, and even the martial arts. She never failed to delight her patrons, and brought great honor to the Drifting Cherry Blossom. She also began to develop a deep hatred for her employer, coupled with an even deeper ambition.
Even in the early years, it was clear that Silken Flower regarded Sealis as a threat. Although still a beautiful woman, the Mistress was edging past middle age. As she grew older, she grew insecure. Sealis was under her personal tutelage, but it was clear to the younger woman that this was as much a way of ensuring that she never surpassed her mistress as it was a sign of favor. Silken Flower never failed to treat her well, but as the years went by and Sealis rose through the ranks, the older courtesan's smiles touched her eyes less and less. By the time Sealis reached Second Rank, after almost twenty years in the Drifting Cherry Blossom, the two women were embroiled in a bitter struggle for dominance, each manipulating their lovers and underlings in labyrinthine schemes to discredit the other. Although they remained scrupulously polite, their weekly meetings over tea witnessed verbal duels as lethal and brutal as any battlefield melee. Sealis fought with all her will to gain the status her mistress denied her; Silken Flower clung tenaciously to her power, unwilling to be dethroned by her upstart pupil.
Their subtle war raged on for years, constantly threatening to rend Silken Flower's carefully-spun web of influence and destroy the Drifting Cherry Blossom. More than once, each woman thought herself on the brink of triumph, only to discover at the last moment that she was maneuvering herself into a cunning trap set by her rival. Finally, after dozens of destroyed reputations and at least two deaths, the conflict ground to a close. Sealis had managed to bribe, cajole, and threaten her way to First Rank, and was preparing for her final gambit. The stress of the ceaseless battle, along with her advancing age, were beginning to wear on Silken Flower, and Sealis believed that she would finally be able to wrest control of the guild away from her. However, the wily old courtesan had one last, desperate move to make.
For several years, the Dragon-Blooded Cathak Shezar had been one of Sealis' regular lovers. A relatively young and inexperienced Exalt, he was completely entranced by her beauty and sophistication; Sealis considered him one of her best pawns. Silken Flower discreetly fanned the flames of his infatuation until he could stand it no longer. Just as Sealis set her plan in motion, Shezar came to the Drifting Cherry Blossom and bought out her contract. She would leave the brothel and come to live at his country estate as his mistress. Sealis was helpless to turn him down; he was a Dragon-Blooded, and not to be refused. She feigned surprise and delight, but her heart seethed with bitterness as the dashing Cathak swept her away with him. Even though Sealis had been given more honor than most courtesans could ever hope to receive, Silken Flower had beaten her.
Hatred and frustration were still eating away at her when she arrived at Shezar's estate. Seeing her discomfort, the Dynast made a great effort to please her, showing her all the treasures which would now be hers. Among them were a collection of minor artifacts from the First Age. Standing before the display cases, seeing the orichalcum trinkets shine in the torchlight, Sealis' ambition tore free and burst through her, Exalting her as visions of First Age grandeur flashed behind her eyes. Shezar, terrified by the sudden revelation that his lover was Anathema, nevertheless bravely attacked her. Sealis fought with berserk rage and unnatural skill, but the Dragon-Blooded managed to prevail. However, as he was about to deal the killing blow, he paused, unwilling to destroy the woman he loved. His hesitation cost him his life; Sealis wriggled out from his hold and struck, driving one of her hairpins through his eye. Snatching up a few pieces of orichalcum jewelry, she fled the mansion, leaving Shezar to die amidst the inferno which his anima had ignited.
Miraculously, Sealis managed to evade the Wyld Hunt and escape to the Scavenger Lands. There, she quickly became the mistress of a wealthy merchant. When his caravan was attacked by raiders, her true nature was exposed. This time, however, other Solar Exalted were on hand to offer her sanctuary: Star Sapphire and her Circlemates, Fox and Yieng, had been travelling with the caravan when it was attacked. The timid scholar called Trembling Quail, who had joined the caravan shortly before them, had also been revealed as a Solar, and lost no time accepting the protection of Sapphire's Circle. Although Sealis was loath to admit that she needed anyone's protection, she couldn't escape the realization that she'd be much safer in the company of other Exalted, and reluctantly allied herself with Sapphire.
Description
With her long black hair, dark eyes, and full figure, Sealis is a beautiful woman, and knows it. She moves with predatory grace, and exudes an allure as dangerous as it is seductive. On the road, she dresses plainly, in tunic and trousers, with her hair in a sensible bun; in social situations, she lets down her hair and dons an array of fine clothes and jewelry that would make a Dynast proud. Sealis smiles frequently, but it is not a friendly smile.
Sealis is quick of wit and sharp of tongue. She takes out her bitterness on those around her; she is condescending and petty, constantly sniping and ridiculing others' weaknesses. Although she often seems to hate everyone, the person Sealis hates most of all is herself. She despises herself for her failures, she despises herself for her pettiness, and she despises herself for being a glorified whore when she should be a queen. The only thing that can match her self-hatred is her burning ambition. She will either become a glorious heroine or a devilish villain, but either way, her destiny is a great one; she won't allow it to be less.
Sealis' strengths are her sophistication, her worldliness, and her insatiable desire to be more than she is. Her weakness is that she is just not a very good person. Her strongest wish is to be great and powerful. Her greatest fear is of falling under someone else's control.
Sealis is afraid of spiders. She can play seven different instruments, and has a beautiful singing voice.
Game Stats
Name: Sealis\\ Caste: Eclipse\\ Nature: Critic\\ Anima: Spectacled cobra\\ Concept: Geisha\\
Attributes:\\ Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2\\ Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4\\ Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 4
Abilities:\\ Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Bureaucracy 1, Dodge 3, Endurance 1, Investigation 1, Larceny 1, Linguistics 1 (High Realm, Riverspeak)(Extemporaneous Poetry +1, High Realm +1), Lore 1, Martial Arts 4, Medicine 2, Performance 4, Presence 4, Resistance 1, Ride 1, Socialize 4
Backgrounds: Artifact 2, Contacts 3, Resources 2
Virtues:\\ Compassion 1, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 3\\ Virtue Flaw: Deliberate Cruelty (Conviction)
Willpower: 6\\ Health: -0,-1,-1,-2,-2,-4,Incap\\ Essence: 2\\ Essence pool: 12/26(29)
Charms:
- Dodge\\
Reed in the Wind
- Martial Arts\\
Striking Cobra Technique\\ Serpentine Evasion\\ Snake Form
- Performance\\
Masterful Performance Exercise\\ Heart-Compelling Method
- Presence\\
Harmonious Presence Meditation
- Socialize\\
Mastery of Small Manners\\ Wise-Eyed Courtier Method\\ Motive-Discerning Technique
Equipment: Unremarkable travelling clothes, fine silk clothes for formal occasions, elegant fan, long lacquered hairpins, selection of makeups and perfumes, assorted jewelry
Combat:\\ Base initiative: 8\\ Soak: 2B/1L/0A (unarmored)\\ Dodge: 7\\ Attacks:\\ Punch: Spd 8, Acc 8, Dmg 2B, Def 8\\ Kick: Spd 5, Acc 7, Dmg 4B, Def 7
Sealis' Expanded Backgrounds
Artifact ••
Orichalcum Collar of Dawn's Cleansing Light and orichalcum hearthstone amulet. Right now, the amulet just functions as jewelry, since Sealis is not attuned to a Manse. Both these artifacts were stolen from the collection of the (late) Dynast who witnessed her Exaltation.
Contacts •••
Most men (and not a few women) will fall all over themselves to tell Sealis everything they know. Extracting information without the target realizing it is a subject in which she has had extensive training and experience.
Resources ••
Sealis can usually live comfortably by selling the gifts showered upon her by love-struck fools, but also has a sizeable collection of jewelry she can dip into if things get really tight. She doesn't like trading sexual favors for money, although if she finds herself in a situation where she absolutely has to sleep with someone to achieve a goal, she'll make sure payment factors into the equation somewhere.
Misc. Notes
Sealis has frequent and vivid dreams of the First Age, in which she was a powerful queen. Together with her Lunar spouse and her loyal Solar strategos, she ruled over a dominion in the West, frequently repelling Fair Folk incursions. The strategos was also her lover; recently, Sealis has come to the distressing realization that Trembling Quail is almost certainly that woman's Second Age incarnation. This causes Sealis no small amount of internal turmoil. On the one hand, it makes her despise Quail even more; the meek archivist is barely a shadow of the brilliant, calculating general she sees in her dreams. On the other, she finds it impossible to fully deny the connection that still exists between them. Quail is as yet unaware of her past life's relationship to Sealis', but matters are bound to come to a head sooner or later.
The name Sealis was born with is Unwanted Burden. Mentioning this is a good way to earn her undying hatred. Spreading it around is a good way to get murdered.
- back toIkselam/PerfectCircle.
