Race: Celestial -- Influnced by the Moon
Gender: Female
Age: 28
Personality: Seraini is usally a very cheery and upbeat sort of person. She has no reason not to be, and besides, if she's not, it tends to leak into her music and mess with the people she is singing for in a way she normally doesn't want. So, she embraces whatever it is that makes her happy and tries to ignore everything else. It can make her seem flighty and unconcerned with the world around her, but that is not the case at all. She cares very deeply about things, and does try to keep herself away of the political annd racial issues that plague the world they live in. Sera really can't do much to influence things in the world. She knows that she's young, espeically for a Celestial, and that it's unlikely most of the races would listen to a singer, an entertainer. The Papin probaby would, but that was a different matter.
She enjoys singing for the songs sake. It's probably the reason that her magic manifested in the way that it did. Seraini is happiest when she is singing for others, even if it has noting to do with her magic or the influence she can cast on others. If someone ejnoys her music, anyone at all, then she feels very content. She most definitely an entertainer at heart. And even though she could neither play an instrument nor dance to accompany her songs, she could pull in the crowds with just the sound of her voice. She didn't need any of the rest.
Seraini is very peaceful, spending most of her time talking to strangers or singing to them. Anything that disturbs her peace, like a fight or some sort of disbute caused by things she finds tiresome, it will really effect her personally. Sera can get really upset over these things, and react by just sitting down and starting to cry or storming off in a huff. As in all things she does, she is very honest with everything she is feeling, so no one is left with any doubt they've upset her.
Seraini is definitely the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, sharing all of her emotions with anyone she comes across, either through song or just by being.
Her greatest joy, at least the greatest she had found so far, is singing in front of an audience that appreciates the song. It could be a large group of people, or a single child. As long as they get what they need out of the song, then she is very happy.
Some people my think her a simple entertainer, shallow and never one to look at the bigger picture, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Just because she didn't dwell on things, or let them influence her, that didn't mean she was not accutely aware of the world around her. And of the currents that ran through the world; distrust, anger, pain. Since she started traveling with the Caravan, she became even more aware of the potential for the ultimate problem, war. Sera found that very distressing, so she did her best to foster good relations in between everyone.
Since she was still so young, she knew there was a lot she didn't understand, but she would do her best to keep the world a peaceful place, even if all she could do was sing to it.
Seraini aoften compares her gift to the Domain that she carried, the Moon. Her song was the Moon, and the emotions that it influenced were the tides. Of course, the real moon influence the tides regardless of whether or not the tides wanted them too, so in that regard, she was just a little bit different.
History: Seraini had a normal childhood, though she spent most of it at the stationary caravan as opposed to moving around with the Traveling one. It was one of the reasons that she travels now. Staying in one place for a long time always made her edgy, like she couldn't stand to stay still for one night, let alone any longer. Sometimes she wonders if she had traveled with the Caravan when she was young, if she would want to stay in her place. Well, it wasn't something she could change, and probably wouldn't if she could anyway.
Being influenced by the moon made her more nocturnal that most. Staying up all day was difficult for her to do, and early on, she would just go to sleep during studies or whatever the adults had planned for her. They learned quickly, though, that as soon as the moon as up, she was awake and aware, and once it set, she normally slept. And, since the rising and setting of the moon didn't always correspond with sunrire and sunset, her schedule was a bit different that most others. Still, to her, it was perfectly normal to rise after the sun had set and go to sleep after it had risen. Even as an adult, she preferred to be awake when the moon was, but knows that it's not always practical, espeically when traveling with the caravan.
Sera has always been a bit of a daydreamer, letting her mind wander onto her songs rahter than her studies. That is not to say she is stupid, or naive, because she did pay attention to the things she thought were important, mostly the topics relating to who the world worked and how the different races interacted with each other. Both the good and the bad. But still, since she was a child then, there was a lot of information that just wasn't available to her. As a so-called adult, people were less likely to sugar coat things, but still, it seemed to her that no one really wanted to talk about it, content to ignore it if they could. So, she did her best to pick up on things as she went, not relying too much on what she was taught. Seraini really hoped that, some day when the world looked at her as someone how could be trusted and relied on, that she would know how to help the world be whole.
What started with nursery rhymes and childish songs, developed quickly into a natual obsession. Her voice was lovely, even as a child, and all the practice she did only served to mae it moreso. Before he ability manafested, she really enjoyed singing for others, and for herself. For the trees and the birds and sun and the stars. Any excuse to sing would do. They tried to teach her how to play the lute, and she failed at that. Same with the lyre, and the harp, and the drums. While she could keep tempo and pitch and key while she was singing, put an instrument in her hands, and she had less skill than a three year old.
It was the same with dancing. It always seemed like she had no rhythm when she could manage to stay upright, which wasn't often. It was like some invisible force kept tripping her when she tried to dance. It was just horrible all around, so she would throw a temper tantrum if someone tried to make her practice at all until no one tried any longer. Seraini had been pleased as punch with that victory when she was younger, but as she grew into her roll of entertainer, she wished she did have something else to occupy her audiences attention. She did have to take a break from singing every once and a while, you know.
At first, she tried to keep their attention just by her presence on stage. There was no way she was going to try and dance. She was so clumsy, she just knew that she would fall on her butt. Seraini didn't do will with public humilation. It wasn't until a few years after her magic manifested, when she was struggling with understanding what the limits to her power were that the solution to that problem presented itself.
In the form of a scroll.
The young Celestial had never doubted that she would get an Astral someday, honestly she hadn't thought about it much. It wasn't until she was presented with a scroll that she realized that's what she was missing, that's what she needed to complete her act. Especially if she wasn't going to be able to sing, like she had been afraid was going to happen at that point in time. It didn't take long for her Pan'i to manafest, since she gave her all of her attention and energy for to him for three days straight. And when the scroll formed into a small white Pan'i with scales that shown like moonlight, and glowing eyes like her own, shifting with the phases of the moon, Sera realized it was love at first sight. They were rarely apart, and it seemed her Pan'i was as interested in her ability as she was, and together they figured out the limitations for her.
It had been since, having someone who understood her so completely help her with something so important to her. Without her Astral, she probably never had figured out the extent to which her power worked and she probably would have stopped singing entirely, afraid that she was making people feel things that they didn't want to.
With the Pan'i at her side, though, she started traveling and putting on shows with the Caravan. Seraini would sing, and her astral would perform, gliding gracefully around in the audience, appearing and disappearing to the delight of the crowd. She never asked for any money, but if someone was pleased by her songs, she did accept tips and that usually paid well.
Occupation: Seraini sings for the Caravan, and all of Svatura. Most of her time is spent entertaining the peoples who come to the caravan, her songs drawing in crowds who want to be cheered up, or amused, or just enjoy the music without any magic involved. She loved playing it up for her audience, loving the attention and their reactions to her songs.
Sometimes, if they are traveling through an area that either has an establish bard or they run into a traveling one, she will invite him or her to play their instrument so she can sing along to it. Since she has no music talent in tht area, it is always a real treat for her. She will often do the same for dancers. Either professional or people who just wanted to dance, are given a large space in front of where she is singing to dance. And, sometimes if they do, her Pan'i will join in with whoever is dancing.
Appearence:
Seraini is a danity looking thing, willowy and thin. She's not very tall, only about 5'3", so she is about the same height as her Astral, which amuses her to no end. Especially when she gets the chance to ride him and become temporarily 'taller' than him.
She is pale, the kind of pale normally seen in people who have albinism, though it was a not a trait she carried.It was the influences of her domain, of ourse. Her hair had very little color, just a tad bir more than her skin, and was long and curly. She normally kept it tied up because otherwise it just got in the way of everything, but she would leave it down for shows, sometimes. On speical occasions.
She wore loose fitting black clothing. A tight black top edged in silver with a mataching capelet over top, black pants, and sandles made up her normal attire, though she allowed for some variation in the colors from day to day. Sera had recently hadded black gloves to her wardrobe, not for any vain reason, but to protect herself from the sunlight. They, too, are black, though she breaks up the color with silver bangles on each wrist.
While her clothing may be simple, not something to draw the eye for performances and things like she had seen elsewhere, it was practical and did it's job protecting her from the sun. Not that she didn't look stunning, because she felt she did, but she wanted more than just the protection, an outit that is easy to move in, just in case.
The most interesting feature, at least what she thought was her most interesting feature, was her eyes. They ranged from a dark gray to a light gray, and they changed depending on the current phase of the moon. If it was a new moon, her eyes would be completely dark, while a full moon made her eyes completely light. Usually it was somewhere in the middle, giving her duel colored eyes.
(this will be portreyed in realtime. Whatever the moon phase is when the rp starts, along with rising and setting times, will be noted. They will only change if in the rp days pass. They do not change during the day.)
Location: Traveling with the Caravan.
Abilities: Naturally, she has an almost pitch-perfect voice, and that is something she works hard to maintain. Anyone who knows her knows that she spends a lot of her time working to make sure her voice is as close to perfect as she can get it. So, basically, she sings a lot.
Though, it's not always singing as others would recognize it. Or, at the very least, not in a way most would recognise. Sometimes, when she feels the need for it, she will sing... well, to most it would sound like gibberish or made up words. Like she was just making it up as she goes along. If you accuse her of that, though, she will just smile charmingly at you and go about her business. That's not because Sera wants to be mysterious or that she wants to confuse anyone. It's that she doesn't really know why, or even what, she is singing.
The first time it had happened, it had scared her, but she came to accept it rather quickly. Whatever it was that she was singing always was in tune with things she would put words to. So if she was singing something happy, and then started singing in the strange, rolling language that she has come to think of as her own, that song will also be happy. Though, one thing she has noticed is that when she was singing in the strange launguage, her magic seemed to have a stronger effect on those who were open to it.
As far as Tiya goes, compared to the rest of her race, she has a rather low amount. That fact has never botherd her. Since her ability is almost a passive one, she never needs an abundence of Tiya.
The magical ability that she developed was directly tied to her singing, and she was thrilled about that. The best way she has to explain it is that by singing she can emphasize the emotions that are already present. Sera never explains it beyond that, swirling of with a wink and the swish of her skirts. Adding a little mystery to her act was ways a good idea.
To be perfectly honest, however, she knows a lot more about what she can do than she ever lets on. Sera doesn't care if people think she is shallow or so caught up with herself that she doesn't pay attention to anything but the stage she sings on. She knows what she is, and is very comfortable with that fact. There is a lot she still has to learn, but that will come in it's own time.
While waiting for that sort of divine guidence, she systematically tested her abilities. At first, she was concerned that she was making people feel things that they wouldn't normally, or that she was changing them in some way that they had no power to stop.
Turns out, that wasn't the case at all. Seraini learned a lot about her own power the first few years that she had it, refusing to perform until she better understood her gift. She had been afraid that she would be like the siren, that she would cause more harm than good.
But the Gods seemed to know her concerns, as her power turned out to be smaller and a bit more tricky than she had originally thought.
The first thing she found out was that her music could not affect anyone who wasn't willing to be affected. If someone was having a bad day and was angry or sad, and they wanted to stay that way, then her song was just a pretty melody, no magical effect at all. It always came back to the listener being willing to be influenced. Most of the time they were, as her magic determined before it took hold or flowed passed without touching. Seraini wasn't entirely sure how the Tiya knew, but it did and she had come to trust that.
The second thing is that she couldn't create emotions in others, merely amplify them if they wanted such a thing. If they didn't, they could still enjoy the song with no added effects, but if they were willing to be influenced, her Tiya would take the emotions that the person was already feeling and amplify them. So, if a willing person was happy, it would make them feel happier. Conversely, if a willing person was sad, their sadness could increase. Or if they were sad, but wanted to be happy, then her magic would improve that persons mood a bit.
It wasn't a magic, well it was magic, but it was not a magic fix-it cure. She couldn't take someone's pain away, merely give them a few minutes where it was more bareable. She couldn't settle disbutes, but she might be able to make things calmer so that they could settle their own issues.
It wasn't something she had much practice in, yet, but she wanted to see how her ability could help in meetings or negotiations where everyone was on edge, where they wanted to be calm so they could do whatever it was the needed to do, but where old feuds or emotions were keeping them from doing so. Maybe she could help. Maybe.
Since she could neither create or control emotions, but amplify them, most of her time was spent entertaining others. It made her almost giddy to be up on stage, singing to a crowd who really wants to hear her and lets her take their emotions and make them spiral up and out and just make everything amazing. It doesn't happen often, because there are usually people in the crowd that do not what to be influenced, so it doesn't work quite as well.
Still, there is nothing better than singing in front of a crowd.
One other thing that she does, that she is allowed to do since most of the negotiations and conflicts she would help with are a bit out of her league at the moment, is to help the berieved. No, she can't make it better, or make those feelings of greif and pain go away. But, she can help people grieve without shame, and remember their loved ones with love. Sera knew it only helped for a little while, but sometimes that's what was needed.
As far as other abilities went, Seraini didn't really think that anything other than her voice really mattered. But, she also has very good night vision, almost seeing at night the way others see during the day. And, provided it is not during the day, she can keep her body temperature very even, no matter what the weather is. During the day, though, she is always warm.
Though she is clumsy, she is also rather fast on her feet when she needs to be, able to act and react very quickly.
She has always been so focused on her singing that she doesn't really have any others of note. Whenever she was pulled aside to learn the things other people thought she should know, she just let her mind drift back to her music, composing it in the silences of her mind.
So it is quite safe to say that her voice and her Tiya are all she has. As she learns more about what she can do, and thinking up different way she could help others,, Seraini sometimes wishes that she could do more. But mostly she is content singing for her supper, so to speak, and leaving the hard work to others.
Another note that she deems important enough to mention is that her ability only works on the companion races, and not on Astrals. Seraini doesn't know why that is, maybe because the Astrals are so different from the companion races, or that they hear things differently. All she knows is that her song doesn't affect them. They can still enjoy it as her voice is lovely even without the magic boost, though.
Weaknesses: In some ways, it might seem like Seraini has more weaknesses than abilities. She just figured that it was the price she had to pay for what she was so good at.
The most obvious weakness is caused by her domain, sharing a similar skin color as an albino gave her some of the same problems. Like very little resistance to sunlike. If she is out in the sun without some sort of protection for longer than a couple of minutes, she will burn, and burn badly. She never tans, no matter how much she tries.
Her eyes are also very sensitive to the light, often causing headaches if she has to be out in direct sunlight for any length of time. Often, she will wear a blindfold or closed mask to protect her eyes from the light. Of course, that means she is walking around blind for all intents and purposes, but she is nearly blind in the daylight anywa so it doesn't bother her much, and as always, her Astral is there o guide her.
Something that may or may not be considered a weakness, but something she conciders one, is that she is very clumsy, often tripping over things that aren't there when she is moving about. It is less likely for her to trip over things at night, or when she is singing, but if she is up during the day, it is very likely she will trip over something. Her Pan'i normally stays close to her, visible or not, to make sure she has something she can grab onto if she starts to stumble.
Seraini is not very strong and she has no idea how to protect herself, if she needed to. She may be fast on her feet, but that doesn't do her any good during the day, or if she trips and falls, so she relies almost completely on her Pan'i to protect her if something should happen. Of course, her biggest weakness in this area is that she never thinks anything bad is going to happen to her, so if something does, she will be completely unprepared for it.
