Barb is a tough piece of work. Made callous by years of ostricisation, she takes pride in being one of the baddest bitches in Asphodel. Though most times she could not care less about the general populace (often returning attention with little more than a cold look), she is one to tread lightly around. She has a mean vindictive streak and is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants. Piss her off or get in her way, and she will dish out punishment tenfold. Most know to steer clear when Barb is in a foul mood.
While not a sadist, Barb lacks a whole lot of empathy, and sees nothing wrong with humiliating the populars, geeks, and squares of Asphodel. As far as she is concerned, they deserve it. The populars for thinking they rule the school, the geeks for being pretentious holier-than-thous, and the squares for being the boring sheep that they are. She tends to get along better with artistic types, having respect for their ingenuity and free-thinking. Of course if anyone gets snooty with her, they are likely to have their face meet the wrong end of a toilet.
Not surprisingly, Barb is an aloof character. She does not socialise often (or well), and is cautious to let anyone get to know her. She cares a lot about her reputation however, and is careful to project the kind of image that will keep people at a distance. In truth, she is not as cold as she appears and has a lot of heart. It just takes knocking down a lot of walls to get to see it. In the right circumstances and with the right people, she can prove to be loyal and far kinder than anyone would guess, and that's just how she likes it. If word got out that she had a soft side, she would be ruined.
Not all of Barb's portrayal is pretence. She genuinely enjoys death metal, the grunge aesthetic, and punching people's lights out. When she carves a circle-A into a desk, or spray paints a black flag onto a wall, she means it. Or at least she thinks she does. A lot of Barb's attitude and interests stem from overcompensation. She hates stereotypical cute or pretty things and all who practise them. She has gotten it into her head that both are for the shallow and vain, and is determined to prove herself anything but. While labels are an inevitable part of the school experience, Barb can at least be sure that her label is better than the others. Her teachers would argue otherwise.
Barb is a deviant with a problem with authority. She ditches almost every class, regularly graffitis the school halls, mouths off, steals from her classmates, has committed arson, broken into the staff lounge, trapped students in lockers, and even given a wedgie to a substitute. She has detention booked almost every day of the year.
Freshling ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Barbara was awakened into a large family. She never knew her parents and was taken in as a stone by her adoptive father. Having four other children to look after, her father was often worn out with little time or money to spare for his second eldest child. He was however a charitable soul, and even in a pinch had faith that the nine divines would get them through. Barbara grew to despise her home life, a world of hand-me-downs, growling stomachs, and endless chores. She blamed the gods for her family's misfortune, and allowing her father to live in poverty.
School life offered a respite for Barb, and she quickly toughened up to survive teasing. She has begun to gather other troubled souls like herself in the hopes of leading her own gang. Her father has some idea the mischief she gets up to but hopes to let her learn for herself, all the while offering his unconditional love and support.
Cheri Cordial is an easy-going and free-spirited imp. With a natural inclination for trouble and to overthrow authority, it's no wonder she's not very popular at school. At least not with her teachers. Sure there are few who might appreciate her wily independence, but others are fed up with cleaning up after her messes. For her classmates she is regarded as either a nightmare or a hoot. Not a lot of middle ground.
A laidback individual, there's very little that riles Cheri. She tends to take things in stride, with little regard for the consequences. If bad things happen, then bad things happen. It's just a matter of finding a way to make them work for her. Many have called her unmotivated. She lacks ambition and seems content to get by with minimal effort.
In her free-time (usually during school hours), she likes to play at arcades, go shopping, and bake. Her favourite place to visit is the beach, and while a fair distance from the school, she has been known to skip school for days at a time to go party. At such times she tends to pass herself off as older than she is. Even if she doesn't leave school grounds, Cheri is usually skipping class, hanging out on the roof.
She is extremely flirty, and enjoys leading others on. Her favourite tactic is to play the doe-eyed innocent, which she is anything but. She is a chronic gum chewer.
Freshling ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Cheri was abandoned at the academy as an infant along with a purse full of golden crowns, a note with her name, and a pink kerchief gripped in her fist. The caretakers never found out who her parents were, but she of course went on to attend the academy. With a penchant for mischief she quickly made a name for herself. Most found her pranks endearing rather than troublesome, though by the time she was a junior her antics had grown tiresome. Though some of the older staff have a fondness for her, newer members are often exasperated with her.
Occupation: student Magic Speciality: curses & summoning Weapon: rod
Vadim is an unfriendly sort, who spends most of his time locked away from the rest of the world, focused on his studies. He is obsessed with magic, and mastering the arcane. For him, it is the only thing that makes life worth living. He aspires to one day be a great mage, known throughout the Above and Below, one who commands the respect of all. Despite his youth, he shows potential. Through no small amount of hard work and sleepless nights at the library, he has advanced past many of his classmates. He has a proficiency with magic that even some older students cannot attain. That said, Vadim is careful not to disclose the extent of his knowledge. He suspects his teachers would not understand, and would try to throttle his library privileges.
Vadim places little faith in his teachers or peers. As a chronic bully victim, he has found others to be untrustworthy and cruel. Too often, people give in to their baser natures, and even those who do not, tend to turn a blind eye. He is quick to judge, and tends to view most people as worthless. He makes no attempt to mask his contempt either. Vadim believes himself superior in every way. He has grown to embrace his mutations, and accepts the curse as blessing in disguise. He only wishes that other mutants would catch on. He abhors pity more than anything else, especially in regard to his mutations, and will lash out with violence if someone so much as offers him a sympathetic smile.
For all his arrogance and disdain, Vadim is not as invulnerable as invincible as he would have others believe. The nightmares that haunted him as a freshling have not left him, and he is plagued with paranoia. Even in the day, sometimes he still sees dark shapes and monstrosities that threaten him from the shadows. He is terrified of his mortality, and hates the darkness for what might wait in it.
Freshling ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Vadim is an orphan of unknown origins. He has no knowledge of where he came from or who his parents were, only that he was left at the Academy as an infant. For as long as Vadim can remember, he has had terrible nightmares and delusions. As a freshling he was prone to crying and hiding from every little thing. As a result, he was a prime suspect for teasing. Vadim had no threshold for that sort of thing, and often reacted with malice. Anyone who might have been a possible friend, he chased off. Vadim took to playing by himself, and later devoted himself solely to studying magic.
Now that he's older, teasing has escalated to bullying. His poor hygiene and physical ineptitude makes him an easy target. Vadim ignores it the best he can, promising himself that one day he'll get revenge on anyone who has ever wronged him.
Asher regards their very existence as a curse, a blight upon the world. They do not deserve the life they live. Everything that comes in contact with them is ultimately tainted or destroyed. For this reason, they keep the world at an emotional arm's length: to minimise damage. They are very devout despite their unlucky lot in life. They think perhaps if they repent enough, the gods will take pity and save those around them.
Freshling ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ From the start Asher believes they were cursed. They were awakened during October, and while spared any life-threatening mutations, they bore a second iris in their right eye, a mark of their corruption. Friend fell off the roof of the orphanage and is in a coma. First adoptive family died of plague. They all by themself.
Too kind for his own good. A people pleaser and a bit of a suck-up. Gets along well with all his teachers. A real charmer (picks daisies for all the other boys and girls). Affectionate. Optimistic. A good listener. Despite his youth, will often have an open ear for others, even those older than him. Sensitive. A stout pacifist. Laughs easily. Would never break a rule. Never. Be a responsible citizen! Gullible. One of those people who is just so disgustingly good it makes you want to gag. Somebody get some dirt on him quick.
