Appearance

Physical Description

Abeni is a tall, tan Humanoid who presents more feminine but sometimes presents gender-neutral. They have noticeably different features which set them apart from other Humanoids, namely their heterochromatic eyes and Elf-like ears.

Body Features

They have a delicate but angular bone structure. Abeni's overall physique is taller, slender but with curvy features, wider hips and shouldiers than their waist (kind of an hourglass shape.) They are fairly toned from years of labor rebuilding the Sheka towns then hard labor in the Great Vranic Prison.

Facial Features

Abeni has a heart-shaped, somewhat long face. They have a wider, rounded forehead with a slight widow’s peak. Their high, narrow cheekbones push outward then gradually taper into their jawline. Their jaw gracefully tapers into a short, slightly pointed chin. Their jaw is wider than their neck but gracefully tapers backward near her ears. From the side, Abeni’s cheeks and jaw are more forward than their forehead.
 
Their eyes are intense, recessed into their face a bit more than average and angled down toward their nose. They have very large pupils which change color (described further in the Physical Quirks section). They have slight but dark eyelashes and thin black eyeliner which frames their eyes.
 
Above her eyes, two dark, widely spaced and medium thickness eyebrows. They are arched over their eyes and sit not far above their eye sockets. Their brows start in parallel to their eyes and wrap along and down their eye sockets for a few inches and end in a tempered point.
 
Abeni’s ears are different from a normal Human’s: they are more reminiscent of a half-Elf. Their ears are longer than a normal Human’s, pointed at the top and rounded on the bottom. The ears don’t protrude out from their head and they are angled back toward their skull so that they barely stick out. Abeni often hides the pointy tips of their ears beneath their hair.

Identifying Characteristics

• Heterochromatic Eyes: The majority of the time Abeni’s right eye is brown while their left eye is purple. This represents their ability to have both parts of their soul present at the same time (not a feat that every Kalishtar or Egunísta can perform.) Thus when a creature talks to Abeni, they are talking to both Abeni and Ekundayo simultaneously. It is only when one of their spirits chooses to take a dominant role that their eyes change to the same color (depending on who is speaking.)
  


• Pointed Ears: Abeni’s ears would look somewhat Elven or Fae to the casual observer. They are more pointed at the top and are much taller than a normal Human’s ears. It is a trait shared by most Kalishtar people but one that can be somewhat hidden beneath Abeni’s long braids.
  


• Freckles: Although not much of an abnormality, Abeni has freckles along their cheeks. Their freckles are small, mostly circular dark brown spots that go along the upper part of their cheekbones and their laugh lines. They also have freckles on their upper chest and shoulders.
  


• Somewhat Fae/Angular Features: Similar to their ears, Abeni’s general facial structure is not quite Human. There is a bit of eerie, Fae-touched magic to it. It is more angular than a typical Human’s but not to the extreme degree of some Fae. Their cheekbones are higher, more narrow and point downward at a steeper angle than most Half-Elves and other mixed-race Fae. Their jaw is also a bit more angular and their chin is more pointed than a normal Human’s.
  


• Protective Braids: Abeni’s hair is more coarse than others and they wear it in loosely gathered braids that go to about their shoulders. They tie up their upper braids with a purple ribbon to create two layers of braids at the back of their head. This is not a common hairstyle for most folk but it is one that Abeni has kept for as long as they can remember.
  

Physical quirks

• Changing Eye Colors: Abeni’s eyes flicker and change color depending on which of their spirits is taking the lead at any particular time.
  


• Eyes that Become Brown: When Abeni’s spirit (just Abeni and not Ekundayo,) both of their eyes will flick to brown. They remain brown for as long as Abeni’s spirit is taking a more involved role in what they are doing. When Abeni’s spirit does not need to be in the forefront, their eyes will go back to heterochromatic.
  


• Eyes that Become Purple: When Ekundayo’s spirit is taking the lead, both of their eyes become purple and have a slight shimmer to them as if there is a light coming from behind them. When Ekundayo does not need to be more in control, their eyes will go back to their natural heterochromatic state.
  


• Eyes that Glow: Abeni/Ekundayo’s eyes tend to glow when they are focused, casting a spell or expressing emotions.
  

Apparel & Accessories

Abeni has more apparel, equipment and accessories than they currently have access to. So their apparel and accessories are broken up into two groups: what they have access to while in prison and what they would have access to if they were free.
 

On Their Person

Abeni currently wears the same set of clothes day in and day out. They have no choice as since they are in prison they only have access to this outfit. In general, they wear whatever they can cobble together over the last two years. It is a minor miracle that they have enough to wear to cover their body while in prison.
 

Outfit

• White Trousers: Abeni still has a set of white, cotton, ankle-length trousers, tied with a rope belt that go to the ankle. There are leather strings on the outer side of the caves to tighten the bottom openings near the ankle. The trousers were part of their typical outfit when they were a brujá, worn under their skirts. The trousers are well taken care of as it is one of the last physical things that Abeni has from their time as a healer thus it is one of the few physical things that they value.
  


• Off Mint Green Half-Tunic: Abeni has most of a faded mint green Exomis tunic made from square pieces of cotton sewn together. It forms a toga-like top with layers gathered together and pinned at the shoulder. It was only part of the tunic and only covered the left half of their body so they wear it along with another piece of fabric to cover their torso.
  


• Brown Cloth Wrap: The last piece of their current outfit is also the newest (to them): a patched-together piece of burlap and cloth made into a makeshift wrap. They use this with their mint green tunic to cover the right side of their torso and back. It is dirty, coarse and not the best piece of clothing but it does the job.
  

 

Accessories

• Barefoot: Abeni lacks any proper foot coverings. Normally they have sandals but in prison and on most of their tasks they have access to their sandals. However, due to the lack of foot coverings, they have deep lacerations from the rough floor, from fights and sharp objects in their prison cell.
  


• Purple Hair Ribbon: The only other piece of clothing they have access to from their previous outfit is their purple hair ribbon which they use to keep their braids up and out of their face. It was only allowed after Abeni’s long protest and it was found not to be enchanted or dangerous in any way. Abeni also values this because it is something from their past life, something that allows them to express their style and something that reminds them of who they were.
  

 

In Storage

These items would be worn by Abeni every day if they were free. Currently, they are in storage in the prison. They have access to some of the items when they perform tasks for the prison. But most are off-limits to them at all times.
 

Outfits

• White Cotton Dress: When Abeni was free, they would wear the same calf-length, long-sleeved, white, light cotton dress with purple accents every day. This is part of the clothing that identifies them as a brujá and with their Craterborn culture. The fabric is light and airy which helps with the heat and humidity of their homeland. The dress has purple dyed bands at the forearms, cuffs, shirt front, back panel and hem. The dress is able to be removed or donned by five brass buttons that line the front from the neck to the waist. The top is more fitted, especially in the arms but then flairs out in the waist to an elegant skirt. When worn with trousers it is a very versatile, cool and modest outfit which Abeni is the most comfortable in.
  

 

Accessories

• Leather Sandals: Abeni has several pairs of well-warn leather sandals. They have thick leather and cork soles, leather straps that crisscross the feet and go up the ankle. The straps are kept in place by brass cobbler’s nails hammered into the soles. They are durable, comfortable and have lasted Abeni for many hundreds of miles on their journeys. They are less comfortable in wetter, cooler and thorny environments but Abeni does the best that they can with them and wouldn’t trade them for boots any day.
  


• Purple Cloth Belt: Abeni’s white and purple cotton dress is further accented by a band of purple cotton, folded and stitched together, worn around the waist and tied to keep the dress fitted to them. Abeni made the belt themselves with the help of their mother around the age of sixteen when they became a brujá. It has no monetary worth but Abeni values it for the sentimental value that it holds.
  


• White Head Wrap: An accessory common of brujás with long hair is a white cotton headwrap. The wearer’s har can but put up either with pins or simply supported by the wrap, while the cloth is wrapped tightly several times around until it covers the hair. The end is then tucked into the front so that end is not visible. The starting end of the cloth is typically wrapped in the hair. The bottom of the wrap tucks beneath the hair completely covering it from view. This wrap is typically worn out of respect and deference to powerful or potentially hostile peoples as hiding hair is seen by the Eguinístas as being modest and humble.
  


• Self-Defense Weapons: Abeni amassed several weapons in their travels. They wish that they did not have to have such things but they have found it an unfortunate necessity to carry weapons with them.
  


• A Mace: Abeni’s primary self-defense weapon is a heavy, hand-carved wooden mace. Abeni’s father made it for them from a Tigerwood tree when Abeni was going to start traveling in the world. Although a modest weapon, in Abeni’s hands it can be effectively wielded against armored and unarmored targets for modest damage.
  


• A Short Sword: The second oldest weapon that Abeni has is a machete given to them by their mother. It is a broad-bladed sword, four feet long that excels at chopping through vegetation, harvesting plants or hacking at armor. Although not a devastating martial weapon, Abeni is proficient in its use in combat.
  


• Two Daggers: Abeni has two well-made daggers that were made when they married their husband. Abeni had one set made and Borith had one set made in a different style. When they married they exchanged them so that each had a combined set. Although not the most damaging or the highest quality, the daggers have immense sentimental value to Abeni.
  


• A Shield: Lastly, Abeni has a wood and metal shield that they picked up during the campaign against the Sheka. The shield is mainly oak but wrought iron rims the edge and crosses the shield on the outside. On the inside the straps cross and leather thongs hammered into the metal form loops that Abeni uses to hold onto the shield. As a result of the long campaign against the Sheka, Abeni gained a lot of experience using their shield and gained proficiency with it.
  

Specialized Equipment

• Santeria Supplies: Abeni has several meaningful and functional items in their possession from the practice of Eguinísmo.
  


• Divining Cards: When Abeni ascended to the VI Degree, they gained a pack of ‘telling cards’ blessed by their godparent. Abeni asks the cards questions then draws cards, either one at a time or in a pattern, to elicit their wisdom. When they have access to their cards they ritually perform this reading at least once a day for themselves or several times a day if they are in a situation with multiple outcomes. Abeni used to perform scores of readings a day for their community in return for offerings and donations.
  


• Osain Amulet: It is a cast bronze amulet, detailed by hand and depicts patterns of warding. It is said to help the wearer or holder ward off evils that they may face traveling through the world. Abeni received their Osain from their godparent when they ascended to the X Degree of Eguinísmo.
  


• Los Callores: Around their neck, Abeni wears a purple cotton and lace cravat. It is wrapped around the neck and tied behind three ruffles of fabric that cascade down the front of their dress, hiding the top several buttons. Abeni's godparent blessed the cravat when they attained the blessing of the collars. It is supposed to ward off spirits that would choke or constrict Abeni and is supposed to give them minor benefits to their ability to handle the spirits.
  

Special abilities

Species-Derived

• Mind Link: As a Kalishtar, Abeni can communicate with a creature that they can see up to 30 feet away. As they communicate in pure thought, Abeni doesn’t have to speak the same language as the creature in order to convey their message. The creature can communicate back one time unless Abeni concentrates on the creature for six seconds then they can freely talk with Abeni for one hour. This link is only between Abeni and one other creature but it can be transfered at will at instant speed.
  


• Dual Mind: Abeni draws wisdom from the spirit of Ekundayo and Ekundayo draws wisdom from the spirit of Abeni. In this symbiotic union Abeni/Ekundayo is more wise and measured than they would be otherwise as they can draw on twice the interpretation of their lived experiences, with different conclusions, different lessons taken and thus a wiser view of the world. As a result, they have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws.
  


• Mental Discipline: Abeni/Ekundayo’s connection to the spirits, via their Kalishtar ancestry, is through little-understood psionic means. To Abeni/Ekundayo’ it is like voices in a mist, they can’t tell exactly where they are, some are further away and barely audible while others tend to be right next to them. As they have had this connection to the spirits their whole life, they have developed a natural means of limiting some connections to their mind and have disciplined their abilities enough to filter (or sometimes limit all together) incoming psionic connections. As such they have a natural resistance to all psychic damage.
  


• Severed from Dreams: Abeni/Ekundayo, like all Kalishtar, sleeps but doesn’t dream. Instead they connect to the memories of spirits they have contacted or that contact them in the night. They try to remember and understand these dreams as a means of communication between the spirit world and the living world.
  

 

Class-Derived

• Magic Use: Abeni is a fairly skilled magic user mainly focused on the schools of Abjuration and Divination. She learned how to cast spells from a long line of Clerics versed in the practices of Egunísmo They perform their casting by calling then channeling the spirits of the dead whom wander Kurra to them.
  


• Channel Divinity: Abeni gained the ability to channel divine energy through the harnessing of spirits, using that energy to fuel magical effects. They started with two such effects: Divine Spark and Turn Undead, each of which is described below. Each time they use their Channel Divinity, they choose which effect to create, and they gain additional effect options at higher levels in this class. They can use Channel Divinity twice. They regain one expended use when you finish a short rest, and you regain all expended uses when they finish a long rest. They gain additional uses when they reach certain Cleric levels.If a Channel Divinity effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals the spell save DC.
  


• Divine Spark: As a Magic action, Abeni point their Holy Symbol at another creature you can see within 30 feet of themselves and focus divine energy at them. Roll 1d8 and add Abeni’s wisdom modifier. You either restore hit points to the creature equal to that total or force the creature to make a constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes necrotic or radiant (Abeni’s choice) damage equal to that total. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage (round down). They roll an additional d8 when they reach certain Cleric levels: 7th level (2d8), 13th level (3d8), and 18th level (4d8).
  


• Turn Undead: As an action, Abeni present their holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear Abeni within 30 feet of you must make a DC14 wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from Abeni as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of Abeni. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
  


• Disciple of Life: Abeni’s healing spells are empowered by life itself. When a spell they cast with a spell slot restores hit points to a creature, that creature regains additional hit points on the turn Abeni cast the spell. The additional Hit Points equal 2 plus the spell slot’s level.
  


• Preserve Life: As part of casting a prepared Abjuration spell from the Divine spell list, Abeni can expend uses of Channel Divinity to create a spell slot to use for the casting. They must expend a number of Channel Divinity uses equal to the spell’s level. For example, they can expend one use of Channel Divinity to create a 1st-level spell slot for a casting of Shield of Faith if they have that spell prepared.
  


• Ritual Casting:Abeni has learned a number of spells that you can cast as rituals. These spells are written in a ritual book, which they must have in hand while casting one of them. When they choose this feat, they acquire a ritual book holding two 1st-level spells of your choice. If they come across a spell in written form, such as a magical spell scroll or a wizard’s spellbook, they might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the spell list for the class you chose, the spell’s level can be no higher than half their level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into their ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.
  

 

Others

• Blue Listener: (Prerequisites: Level 4, Have Spell Slots) Abeni gained one spell slot of their current highest level spell slot. Whenever they run out of Spell Slots of any level, they make a DC 14 wisdom saving throw. If they suceed, they cast a spell from the Wild Magic Table. If they fail, DM will roll on the Blue table for them.
  

 

Magic Use

On their own, Abeni/Ekundayo is not able to cast spells. They can not build the magical energy required to do so. Nor do they have a patron deity as Clerics would outside of Kurra. However, able to cast spells by tapping into the considerable power of spirits of the dead.
 
Unlike in other worlds, Kurra does not have a plane for the dead to reside within nor does it have a Raven Queen to guide the dead. Instead, the dead of Kurra are supposedly pulled toward the Crater Sea but there are countless spirits who wander the Great Continent. They are lost and unable to find their rest in the Crater Sea. Most are hungry, thirsty and scared as they wander for eternity. Some spirits are angry or violent either through past nature or by their new existence. Casters who practice Egunísimo, like Abeni/Ekundayo, can communicate with the spirits who wander.
 
In order for Abeni/Ekundayo to cast a spell, several things happen in rapid succession. Ekundayo becomes the prominent of the Twinned Spirits as they have a stronger connection to spirits and the arcane. Ekundayo clears their mind while simultaneously opening their spirit and body as a potential vessel for spirits to temporarily inhabit.
 
Through an telepathic call to nearby spirits, Ekundayo makes a promise of guidance or offerings in return for channeling one or more of the spirits’ arcane energies. Sometimes a powerful magic-user or a person a strong connection to the arcane through their spirt takes the offer and is able to fulfill the request fairly easily. Other times Ekundayo draws the help from multiple spirits who inhabit their body simultaneously to cast the spell.
 
Sometimes, material components are used to entice the spirits to come to their aid through the specific properties of the items; sometimes (as is the case with powerful spells) the items offered are consumed by the spirits so they can be powerful enough to properly cast the spell.
 
When the spirit or spirits accept the deal they instantly enter Ekundayo/Abeni’s body. They build up and release a surge of arcane energy. Ekundayo manipulates that energy to create specific effects such as touch-based healing or weaker but ranged healing spells. When the spell resolves, the spirit is given what they need and allowed to leave. Sometimes the spirit will stay to help cast until they are exhausted, other times they will leave after the spell is sufficiently charged. After the spirit leaves Ekundayo’s body, sometimes Abeni will resume the leading role of the Twinned Spirits or sometimes Ekundayo will stick around. Outside of combat, Abeni will most definitely resume prominence as the leading Twinned Spirit. That is the end to their spell casting process.
 
All totaled, it takes only a few seconds for all of this to occur. It can take a few seconds longer if there is a more powerful chant that is required or preparation that is needed for the spell to actually be cast.
 
It is uncommon but not unheard of for an area to have no souls of the dead in the vicinity; sometimes the spirits of an area are not cooperative, are angry at the living or not suited for the spell that Ekundayo would like to cast. As a way around this, Ekundayo constantly reaches out to spirits on their travels with offers of guidance and peace in return for following them and helping to cast a spell. The traditional Egunísimo offering is an offering of food and drink (almost always liquor) at dawn and dusk to the spirits of the following dead. Abeni/Ekundayo performs offerings of their own food at all meals, before bed and just after rising in the morning. In this way, they ensure that spirits they can rely upon are nearby, willing and incentivized to help. Sometimes Abeni/Ekundayo will appear to talk with themselves but it is typically them talking with the spirits through verbal instead of telepathic means. Abeni/Ekundayo treats all of the spirits as old friends and does not judge what the spirit did in a past life.
 
Sometimes a following spirit will point out something that Abeni has missed, draw their attention to something or in some other way help out even though it is not through the casting of a spell.
 

The Casting Process for Normal Spells and Cantrips

Preparing to Cast

They do a deep inhale then exhale, close their eyes then say “kȯu̇ ȯshēr̈ȧēpār̈ȯh n̄ē chēȧ pāu̇ ṅȯd.” .
 

Casting

Verbal Components: Ekundayo says the spell they command the spirit to perform in Quari.

Somatic Components: They do a little dance with their torso and arms in a specific position to a specific beat.

Material Components: Abeni takes them out, holds them up and presents them to the spirits. If they are consumed by the spell the components disintegrate into dust which floats away.

 

Resolution and Effect

For healing spells, a light tan colored energy.
flows from Ekundayo to the recipient(s) of the spell. The energy often looks like long, abstract strands of light but sometimes it can take the form of spirits of the dead and sometimes of a woman. Some have reported seeing faces or whole creatures in the light. The tan light envelops the recipients then settles peacefully down upon them.
 
If it is a protection spell, the spell’s effect is maroon and white in color..
It envelops the target for a moment then fades. It leaves a slight maroon shimmer around the recipient of the spell for as long as the spell’s effect is active.
 
If the spell is a malefic spell, a sickly dark green and white energy flows to the recipient(s) of the spell and darts into their core. Those near the path of the spell often report feeling sadness or hearing the distant ringing of a funeral bell. If it is a bane type spell, the energy hovers around them, grabbing at them with disembodied hands of the dead or quick bursts of spikes that pierce their core.
 
Spells related to divination or communication often appear with green and yellow light if they are visible..
The recipients often see a flash of this light and a warm feeling before the spell takes effect upon them. Abeni/Ekundayo’s telepathic communication ability does not produce this effect as it is an innate ability that does not require the intervention of the dead to use.
 

The Casting Process for Ritual Spells

Preparing to Cast

Their eyes change to both be a bright purple color
They chant “tȯu̇, tȯu̇, tȯu̇”
They do a deep inhale then exhale
They say “tȯu̇ ȯshēr̈”
 

Casting

Abeni becomes possessed by the spirit for a moment. They do a ritual dance, use a different voice, act differently and use a different demeanor.
After a moment they stop and tilt their head back.
 

Beneficial Spells

A white-gold energy flows from their mouth and discends on the recipient(s) of the spell resembling the spirit that Ekundayo channeled.
 

Malefic Spells

A sickly, green-brown energy, resembling a horrible demon or malefic spirit flows to the recipient(s) of the spell and darts into their core
If it is a bane type spell, the energy hovers around them, lashing out in spikes as long as the spell is active.

Mentality

Personal history

Timeline of the Life of Abeni Laramar
 
TLDR

 

Early Life

Parents, Siblings and the Circumstances of Their Birth

Abeni’s parents are well-regarded people in the Kalishtar village of Islamat in the Crater Region of Kyragaia. Their mother, Monifa Larra, is a minor village elder, scholar, midwife and mystic. Abeni’s father, Ige Marí, is a healer and potion maker in her village. Both of their parents have a long lineage of mystics and seers even among the Kalishtar. Monifa’s mother, Abeni’s maternal grandmother, was a powerful seer but Monifa did not inherit the same set of powers. Ige’s parents were both touched with spirit magics and knowledge beyond the typical Kalishtar. Ige displays some magical abilities but not the same as his parents.
 
Abeni’s parents tried to have children both before and after Abeni. Abeni is the seventh of eight children and the only one to survive to adulthood. Before them, three were stillborn, two died early in infancy, one was born before Abeni was killed by the Sheka during childhood and one was born after Abeni died early in infancy as well.
 

Birth through Childhood

Abeni and their twinned spirit Ekundayo were born on a warm summer day in the Crater region about 28 years ago. Monifa was in labor from early evening until the next day. When it was time for the birth, Abeni came out easy and barely cried as if they was taking it all in. They were happy and healthy through the crucial first days, cared for by rotations of the extended family looking after them and admiring them.
 
The first few years of their life, Abeni and their sibling Ayo were surrounded and cared for by the whole village of Islamat. As is the custom, families took turns feeding, bathing and watching over the two children. More families did so than normal as they believed taking care of them for their parents would impart some special good luck.
 
Abeni was happy and healthy during their childhood. Their parents paid close attention to their well-being as so many of their children died young. Their parents came to believe the spirit twinned with Abeni was strong but Ayo’s was stronger and more connected to the spirits which ordained them to do great things.
 

Formative Years

Training in Eguinísmo

When Abeni was six, an elderly half-Elf half-Shadar-kai named Zaldaris Esol, from another island in the Crater came to Islamat. They came at the behest of the top leaders of Eguinísmo to train Ayo and Abeni in the ways and mysteries of their faith.
 
In their first year together, Abeni gained several key blessings, incantations and symbols of the faith as they ascended to the IX Degree. They learned about the mysteries of the world beyond sight, the nature of the spirits and how to tap into that world. At first they weren’t able to subdue their twinned spirit and invite other spirits in but they slowly gained this ability and began to cast their first cantrips.
 
In the same time Ayo advanced further and faster then Abeni and achieved the blessings of the VIII Degree. Although Abeni felt lesser than their sibling, they were happy for the progress they were able to make and always looked up to Ayo. Ayo was the first to reach the VIII Degree and asked for Zaldris to be their godparent which Zaldris accepted.
 
This crushed Abeni as it is rare for a mentor to take on more than one godchild at a time. Abeni accepted Zaldaris as their ‘godparent’ and formed a close personal bond with them as if she were another grandparent. Abeni was unsure of who to ask for their mentorship. They ultimately asked Zaldaris for advice or recommendations about who to ask for their mentorship. Although unusual, Zaldaris agreed to take Abeni on as their second godchild in two years.
 
Through their training, Zaldaris believed that Ayo and Abeni both could potentially be equally powerful practitioners of Eguinísmo, even a member of the I Division and entrusted with spells powerful enough to change fate and even the course of the world.
 
Ayo achieved the rank of Asiento at the age of fourteen. Their parents were both proud and amazed by Ayo’s progress. Once again, Abeni felt less than in their studies but Zaldaris encouraged them to keep exploring the mysteries of the faith. They struggled on and grew in their capabilities quickly over the next year and a half.
 
By the age of sixteen, Abeni achieved the rank of Asiento and was able to practice Eguinísmo on their own. Even so, they stayed under the direct supervision of Zaldaris. Abeni, Ayo and Zaldaris traveled back and forth from Islamat to the mainland city of Verdadero to help the people there. Abeni never felt so proud or so alive as they did during this time. They were able to help a large part of the region and gained renown and wealth for the village. They frequently spent several weeks in Verdadero and the surrounding area then a week in Islamat. As their reputation grew, it gained the attention of powerful neighbors in Sheka and the Dominion. Whereas the Dominion welcomed the healers and sent emissaries to get them to travel to the city, the Sheka saw an opportunity to expand their influence in the region.
 

Attack on Islamat

The Sheka, then a nominal part of the Vranic Empire, desired both independence and regional power. They came to see the spell-casting abilities of Zaldaris and the great potentials of Ayo and Abeni as important means to this end. They formulated a plan to kidnap all three, bring them back to Sheka Town and imprison them.
 
On a holy solstice day, the Sheka launched an unsanctioned raid against Islamat. Sheka soldiers landed on a beach to the southeast of the village just as the ceremony, led by Zaldaris, began. The Sheka warriors quickly established a beachhead without detection, made their way to the village outskirts and attacked the ceremony in the village center. Islamat warriors supported by the three Eguinístas rallied and pushed back the Sheka. Both sides suffered heavy losses but the Islamatians pushed the Sheka back to the outskirts of the village.
 
With all of the Islamat forces concentrated on pushing the initial force out of the village, a second force quietly landed northeast of the village. About 30 soldiers slipped into the city and made their way behind the lines. They ambushed the Islamat forces from behind but swiftly made their way for the three Eguinístas. Zaldaris put up a heroic fight but the Sheka had a few hard-earned scrolls of Counter Spell which negated Zaldaris’ best efforts.
 
This allowed the Islamatians to pull some of their soldiers from the southeast to the new threat to the northeast part of the village. They secured Abeni but failed to secure Ayo. The Sheka pulled back with Ayo as if they were going to leave with only them. Abeni and Zaldaris rushed in in a desperate attempt to rescue them. In the chaotic brawl that ensued the Zaldaris reached Ayo but fell in combat. Instead of being taken Ayo, killed the unconscious Zaldaris and then themself. Seeing this, Abeni collapsed which allowed the Sheka to take them. The force circled back around and rejoined the main force which began a strategic retreat to the beach. There they boarded their ships and left with Abeni detained and subdued. Islamat was severely damaged, 241 Islamatians died including Zaldaris and Ayo. It was a devastating blow to the village.
 

Hostage of the Sheka

The Sheka returned to Sheka Town and detained the sixteen year old Abeni in their stronghold. When word spread of the attack the Empire, the Dominion and the Flotilla all protested the raid and hostage-taking. The Empire contemplated action against the growing autonomy of the Sheka but decided to bide their time. This effectively allowed the Sheka to hold Abeni as a hostage free of repercussions.
 
Abeni grieved the loss of their sibling, their godparent and the fallen warriors n both sides. They refused to eat and barely drank the water provided to them. They became deathly sick for a time, too weak to fight off a flu inadvertently passed from guard to prisoner. It took them nearly a year to recover and the fever only broke when they began to drink and eat again.
 
After Abeni recovered, the Sheka tried to get them to abide by their wishes. The Sheka first tried to entice them to cooperate by allowing them to walk within the walls of the town; Abeni refused that offer any the dozens of others that followed. When they ran out of patience, the Sheka tried to use simple magic to compel Abeni into compliance. These attempts also failed for the most part as their will was too strong to control. The Sheka were only able to magically compel Abeni into writing a letter that praised the Sheka and insulted the weakness of the Islamatians. The other major task the Sheka compelled Abeni to do was to appear before the town and dignitaries from the Empire which amounted to another diplomatic coup.
 
Abeni resisted the demands, threats and simple spells of the Sheka for another year and a half. They did not get Abeni to participate in any major achievements. However, Abeni’s presence was enough to keep the Empire and the Dominion at least at bay as the Sheka expanded their influence west to the boarder with the Dominion and northeast to the end of the mountain range which sheltered the region. They became a law unto themselves as the Empire refused to act on the far-away territory.
 

Escape From the Sheka

On a late summer’s night, three years into their captivity, a massive storm made landfall right at Sheka Town. The violent storm battered the town for a full day. Several hours into the tempest, the basement of the stronghold began to flood. The guards had to move Abeni out of their cell and higher up in the stronghold.
 
When one of their captors became trapped in the rising water Abeni saved them without a second thought. After the storm, the two struck up a friendship and mutual respect for one another. Although a loyal Sheka, their captor began to see Abeni more as a fellow creature and less of an object that needed guarding. The more they talked, the more sympathetic Abeni’s captor became. Abeni’s insistance of the potential for goodness within all creatures was very influential on their captor. Eventually Abeni convinced their friend that this imprisonment was wrong and the only way to make it right was to let them out.
 
Eventually a night came when Abeni’s friend was their only guard. The guard let Abeni out of their cell and together they slipped out to the docks where they stole a rowboat and mde for a waiting merchant ship. As they did, town guards mortally wounded Abeni’s friend. Still under the magic controll spells of the Sheka, Abeni was unable to heal them and their friend died en route to the ship. Abeni boarded the waiting Craterborn merchant ship and sailed for the Untrodden Spires.
 

Sanctuary in the Untrodden Spires

Wounded and emotionally devastated Abeni safely landed near the Spires and some of the Arcane brought them to be healed. The leaders of the Spires extended an informal policy of sanctuary to them so long as they stayed within the Spires. Abeni graciously accepted and vowed to repay them for their great kindness.
 
Abeni spent several weeks there recovering from their wounds. Eventually the Arcane removed the constraints on Abeni’s powers. Abeni spent several more weeks slowly regaining their connection to the unseen world. It took almost a month before they could cast spells more powerful than simple cantrips.
 
For the next year and a half, Abeni tried to lay as low as possible in the Spires. Although out of the control of the Empire per say, many there warned that outsiders might be able to abduct them and bring them back to Sheka. During that time Abeni felt caged as they could not use their abilities for others as it would raise too many suspicions. They did speak about the spirit world and teach any residents of the Spires that would listen. Even this drew some attention and the Sheka took notice.
 
Strangers began to poke around the Spires, strangers from the south but not directly from Sheka. They took no actions against Abeni or their protectors but seemed to keep a watchful eye. Abeni assumed that these outsiders sent reports back to the Sheka and formulated plans to exfiltrate them back to Sheka Town.
 

Translator and Healer for the Empire

In a fortuitous set of circumstances unknown to Abeni occurred far from the Spires. News of Abeni’s escape began to circulate first from the lands nearest to the Sheka then radiating outward. This became an opportunity for the villages and people that the Sheka conquered to contest their rule. It also reached the Empire who looked for any opportunity to regain control over the Sheka.
 
The Empire dispatched Captain Borith Zela and a force of several hundred soldiers to pacify the region. They marched directly for Sheka Town but faced opposition and raids from groups still loyal to the Sheka. When the Imperial force arrived in Sheka controlled territory they were swiftly ambushed, overwhelmed and forced to retreat. Humiliated, Zela regrouped his forces just south of the Untrodden Spire. Zela’s commander told him to fully pacify the Sheka or he would be killed. As his forces regrouped, Zela pondered how to conquer and pacify the Sheka with what he knew was a vastly outnumbered force.
 
At this time Abeni heard of the Empire’s plans, Zela’s defeat and his current situation. They left the protection of the Spires and arrived at the Imperial camp to offer their support. They were turned away for three days before even the lowest level leader would talk with Abeni. When they did Abeni convinced them of their vision and they eventually met with Captan Zela himself. Abeni formulated a strategy of recruiting the people alienated, angered or otherwise wronged by the Sheka which Abeni knew there were many. Abeni offered their services as a healer and translator (as they knew many of the languages and specific dialects of the area) in return for a promise of eternal peace with Islamat, that the Empire provides asylum for Abeni and a guarantee of their personal safety. Zela agreed to these terms and drew up a written contract which was duly signed.
 
Abeni and Zela spent the next two years on a meticulous campaign to win the hearts and minds of the residents in the southeastern corner of the Empire. Through promises of support, more favorable trade agreements, monetary promises or the promise of legitimization by the Empire, Abeni and Captain Zela slowly gained allies. They grew the Imperial force from 231 Imperial solders to a combined force of 5,800 with several hundred more auxiliary and support forces.
 
At the age of 21, Abeni married Captain Zela. Together they led the campaign against the Sheka as equals in a collaborative style. Abeni was able to convince some of the more loyal Sheka villages to defect at the last moment; although they did not provide soldiers, they allowed the Empire and their allies to pass through the towns unharmed on their way to Sheka Town.
 
The Imperial forces arrived near Sheka Town in the early autumn. The Sheka forces launched a sortee against the Imperial army before they could lay siege to Sheka Town. The ensuing battle was bloody for both sides but this time the Shekas were unable to push the Imperials out. Instead they were forced to retreat to safety within the walls of Sheka Town. The Imperials began what they suspected would be a long siege as they arrived just after the late summer harvest which meant the Sheka’s food supplies were well stocked.
 
More than a year for the Imperial forces to wear down the Sheka. Several assaults on the town from different angles failed and smugglers periodically resupplied their foodstores from the harbor. Eventually the food did run out and disease ravaged the Sheka. They agreed to surrender to the Empire in the middle of the winter season, fifteen months after the siege began.
 
Captain Zela wanted to slaughter the Sheka but Abeni interceded. They convinced Zela to banish the Sheka’s remaining leaders from the Empire under pain of death but to allow the Sheka people amnesty and to live in peace under the Empire’s control. They instead spend another year healing the Sheka, rebuilding their towns and setting up a system of government where local demands were met but the Empire exerted more power to veto and to oversee the decisions of the Sheka.
 
For their efforts both Borith and Abeni received benefits and lavish praises from the Empire. The Emperor promoted Borith to General and appointed him military governor of the entire Sheka region. The Empire pardoned Abeni for any crimes that they may have committed and extended full protection so long as they supported the Empire. Unofficially the Empire allowed Abeni to be a co-governor of the region due to their successful strategy of wining the hearts of the southerners.
 

Return to Islamat

Several months into the rebuilding of the Sheka, Abeni decided they could finally take a break from their tasks and visit their home once again. Borith stayed in Sheka to continue the rebuilding efforts and to govern on his own while Abeni was away on what was supposed to be a three month journey.
 
When Abeni arrived in Islamat, they saw a town still very scarred from the battle eight years earlier. Most of the beautiful old buildings on the east and south ends of the village remained in ruins. The people abandoned that part of the village completely and instead crowded into the north and west parts of the village. The populated areas of the village were crowded and dirty in a way they never had before. At first glimpse, Islamat was cold and unwelcoming in a way that shocked Abeni.
 
When the residents of Islamat recognized Abeni, they greeted them with a mix of shock, disgust and contempt. This broke Abeni who tried to understand the new hatred of them by their people. Abeni found that their father passed away and that their mother refused to spek with them.
 
Eventually one of the other village elders told them that they were a trator to their people. The elder read out a list of the reasons why Islamatians no longer welcomed them here. They saw Abeni as a foreigner who lived too long away from their homeland and the powers of the spirt seas. They saw what Abeni had done in sparing the Sheka and then rebuilding their towns. They claimed Abeni was too kind to the hated Shekas and resented them for giving them so much wealth and attention. They also saw Abeni as Imperial as they chose time and again to ignore their people and support a foreign king so far away. Lastly, and most hurtful to Abeni, all in the village even their parents blamed Abeni for the deaths of Ayo and Zaldaris due to Abeni’s foolish actions. Islamatians said that the spirits now cursed the whole island with drought and misfortunes for Zaldaris’ death. As such Abeni was unwelcome on the island and told to leave immediately. This broke Abeni but they did not wish to fight. Instead they said a tearful farewell and left Islamat for the last time.
 

Recent History

Rebuilding Sheka Town and Governance of the Southwest Coast

Abeni returned to Sheka Town very much damaged from their experience in Islamat. They did not rejoin their spouse or the rebuilding efforts for weeks after their return as they mourned their exile from their homeland. Eventually, Abeni’s twinned spirit compelled them to help those that were still around them. So Abeni returned to the task of helping the Sheka people rebound from the devastation brought by the war they had helped win.
 
Abeni and Governor-General Zela worked closely together over the next two years. Through their efforts, the region surpassed the growth during the Sheka’s period of expansion and entered a new period of prosperity. This new good fortune coupled with the benefits of Abeni’s Eguinísmo rituals and teachings led to a period of calm and stability in the Sheka region.
 

Imprisonment of Zela and Abeni’s Downfall

In the second year of the reconstruction, leaders in the Empire soured toward Governor-General Zela and Abeni. They began to suspect that Zela and Abeni were building their own kingdom, separate and apart from the control of the Empire. Imperial leaders also resented the popularity and influence that the two enjoyed in the territories south of the Untrodden Spires. As such, top generals with the belessings of the Emperor put a plan into motion.
 
First, the high command recalled Governor-General Zela to Throne ostensibly to consult on the recently declared war against Culestes. As soon as Zela arrived in Throne, he seemed to disappear entirely. Select, loyal soldiers to the top military leadership abducted and imprisoned Zela. They held a secret court marshal wich accused and convicted Zela of undermining the Empire, treason and conspiracy to kill the Emperor. With the conviction they stripped him of all titles, nullified any agreements that he previously made, sentenced him to death in two months time and held him in a secret location within Throne.
 
The Empire then set into motion their second step. They assembled a series of less powerful, lower ranked nobles who were implacably loyal to the top military leadership. They dispatched them south as ‘village chiefs’ to ‘better govern the villages outside of Sheka Town.’ However, their true goal was to gain control of the outlying villages from Abeni and any loyalists that may be around them. When they arrived Abeni was suspicious but they carried a letter from Zela saying that this was his plan and that he would be back soon.
 
One of the enterage that traveled south, a Human Imperial captain named Rogath, came to advise Abeni. Rogath was secretly appointed to undermine Abeni at all turns so that their successor, Captain Dullamar, could supplant them. For several months Rogath served in Abeni’s household as a military attaché. During this time Rogath began to poison Abeni’s food with mild hallucinogenics and known addictive substances. This made Abeni seem a bit erratic and unhinged, even for a Craterborn while tensions and uncertainty grew in Zela’s absence. Village elders loyal to them began to doubt their leadership.
 
After four months of this, Abeni received news that Zela was missing and that they were needed immediately in Throne. Abeni had no reason to doubt and dutifully complied. Rogath accompanied Abeni as their personal military escort and representative of the Empire. Along the way Rogath continued to cloud Abeni’s mind with more and more powerful potions. By the time they reached Throne, Abeni was nearly dependent on one of the more addictive potions and exhibited almost rabid behavior when deprived of it.
 
In this state, Abeni was now squarely in the trap of the Empire. The day before they entered the city, Rogath began to lessen the addictive potion added to Abeni’s food. He could tell that Abeni quickly became irritable, irrational and almost incoherent. He did this again just before they arrived so that Abeni would be primed to appear insane.
 
When they arrived in Throne proper, Abeni immediately went to the military offices to find Zela. They gaslit Abeni at every turn. They claimed to never know of a Zela, they said that Dullamar had always been Governor-General and had no idea who Abeni was. Other officers said that Zela was out west fighting the war then that they had no idea who that was. It drove Abeni into a rage. They stormed out of the offices and into the streets ranting about the Empire and their conspiratorial ways.
 
Rogath reappeared to seemingly help Abeni. Instead, he dosed Abeni with a powerful psychotropic potion that made them hallucinate vividly. He took Abeni to a crowded district of town and abandoned them. Abeni wandered for some unknown amount of time, speaking to anyone that they could stop. Eventually, this drew the attention of the town guard who thought that Abeni was absolutely crazy. They were going to put them in the drunkards’ cells to sober up but when Abeni spouted off conspiracies against the Emperor then assaulted one of the guards, they took them to the Great Prison instead.
 

Abeni’s Imprisonment by the Empire

While Abeni was still under the effects of the psychotropic potion, the Empire convicted Abeni of lunacy and plotting to kill the Emperor. They sentenced Abeni to hard labor in the Great Prison until their debt could be repaid. The prison wardens reckoned that Abeni was more crazy than violent so they threw them into Cell Block E with the misfits.
 
Abeni went through horrible withdrawals, hallucinations and torments over the next several days. They had no idea where they were or why they were there. The last thing they fully remembered was stopping at the Untrodden Spires to rest. Abeni’s cell mates weren’t able to offer any guidance and the guards refused to talk with them.
 
It was only after a full week when the wardens pulled Abeni from their cell that they found the true scope of this plot. The wardens brought Abeni to Cell Block B, where they previously transferred Zela, to watch his execution. They forced Abeni to watch as they hung, drew then quartered apart Zela’s body. The wardens then forced Abeni to clean the stone execution yard and scaffold of Zela’s blood as the guards laughed and watched. After that Abeni asked one of the wardens why they did that, why they couldn’t just let Zela rot in here and he responded “because we can.”
 
This broke Abeni. It broke their faith in the potential of the goodness of all creatures and the worthiness of all spirits to find peace. Abeni felt that they had been wrong, they had been naive and that there was no good in the world. They felt like they did not have the will to continue on. However, Ekundayo convinced them that the best way to honor Zela and to get back at the guards and the Empire was to prove them all wrong.
 
So for two years, Abeni has gotten up every morning, determined that this would not be their last day. Now at the age of 28, no longer free and with no prospects of a future, Abeni does their best to survive in the bleak world around them in the hopes that they will one day be able to be free once more.

Education

Abeni’s educational history can best be described as split between the general and the preternatural. On one hand, they received a basic education from the elders of their village. On the other, they received very specific and specialized knowledge about the world of spirits.
 

General Education

Starting at a young age, Abeni’s parents and the village elders taught Abeni basic educational concepts. They learned to speak and then to write in Common. They learned basic arithmetic and natural sciences to the best of the elder’s knowledge.
 
The elders taught Abeni the parables and history of the village as far back as they could remember. Abeni was always curious about the history of their village but there always seemed to be a bit missing. They spent years trying to find out the secret of the missing histories but to no avail.
 
They also tried to find out how the Kalishtar came to be but no one seemed to remember. Instead, the elders assumed that the Kalishtar had always been on Kurra. Something inside Abeni knew that this was not correct or that there was more to it but they never found an answer to their questions.
 

Studies in Eguinísmo

Abeni has dedicated their life to the study of healing magic through the practice of Eguinísmo. Between the ages of six and sixteen, Abeni studied with a III Degree practitioner of Eguinísmo, Zaldaris Esol. This education was more than theology, it was a very practical examination and understanding of the world around them with the help of a master Eguinísta.
 
Zaldaris taught Abeni first the stories and myths of the Eguinísmo faith. For the first two years, they learned of the great Eguinísta and stories of the most powerful spirits they encountered. Abeni also practiced the basic rituals of protection and offerings to the spirits. They learned how to speak then write Quori which is the language of the Kalishtar and the spirits. They eventually learned how to communicate in Common Sign Language to better help those with hearing impairments. Under Zaldaris’ tutelage, Abeni earned the protections, the collar and the totems of their faith.
 
After Zaldaris formally accepted Abeni as her godchild, Abeni’s study into Eguinísmo took on a deeper and more practical meaning. They were exposed to the good and the bad that could come from the spirits, the healing and the harm that could be inflicted through them.
 
They began to welcome the first outside spirits into their body. They started with the least powerful spirits first, under Zaldaris’ close supervision. They excelled at comforting the souls of the dead and were quickly able to cast simple cantrips on their own. Abeni eagerly took on more challenging tasks such as calling in spirits who may not be willing to comply. They mastered this quickly as well.
 
They learned more than how to manipulate spirits. Their education included the creation of potions from local herbs, divining futures using shells and cards. Abeni also learned how to fully listen to people, to understand them and their needs sometimes better than the people knew themselves.
 
By the age of sixteen, they learned enough to begin practicing Eguinísmo on their own but stayed under Zaldaris’ tutelage. Abeni planned to continue their education for as long as Zaldaris could help them. They planned to then find a I Degree cleric of the faith to become a master themselves.
 
All of this was cut short when the Sheka attacked Islamat and killed Zaldaris. Abeni has not continued their education since that time. They hope to resume their educational endeavors but as they are still in prison, it does not appear that they will any time soon.
 
Even on their own, Abeni keeps the rituals that they learned and attempts to find more in the endless depths of the spirit world. Each night and morning Abeni reaches out to the spirits around them for help. They ask the spirits for guidance and enlightenment. They often answer but do not provide more information than Abeni already knows. That withstanding, Abeni has never stopped their quest for further enlightenment.

Employment

Brujá

Abeni’s primary profession is as a brujá: a practicing Asiento who works as a seer, healer and intermediary between spirits and the living.
 
Their most important job is as a healer. Abeni knows what signs to search for when someone is afflicted by a condition. They know how to combine herbs, offerings and spirit manipulation to remove what is harming the creature in question. Sometimes Abeni will prescribe actions for the creature to take on their own but most of the time Abeni will do their best to cure what ails them.
 
Abeni also creates potions, tonics and salves for all sorts of general ailments. They know how to create tonics that help against the common cold, potions to inspire love, and salves to reduce pain from injuries. Abeni used to have all the ingredients on hand to craft these potions fresh and to the specific needs of the user.
 
Creatures often come to visit Abeni to have their fortunes read, to find something that was lost or for other minor divinations. Abeni performs a ritual where they can ask the spirits to see beyond what the creatures who are living may see. Although cryptic, Abeni’s readings tend to lead toward helping the creatures with what they need.
 
Sometimes people come to Abeni to act as an intermediary between them and the spirit world. Most wish to give their departed loved ones a message. Sometimes they look for personal guidance from their loved ones or a blessing for some future action. Abeni is happy to assist them. They often try to put both the living and dead at peace with their lot in the world.
 
Less visible but more important to the health of the world, Abeni makes ritual offerings to the spirits. Some offerings are to bring good luck to the nearby creatures. Some offerings are to bring powerful spirits to aid the region even if Abeni is not there. Some offerings are to maintain their connection to the unseen world.
 

Translator and Cultural Interpreter

Between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one, Abeni worked as an interpreter and cultural translator for the Vranak Empire, specifically for the armies of Captain Borith Zela in his conquest of the Sheka people. From their captivity with the Sheka and travels before that along the coast, Abeni was uniquely familiar with the area. Many of the people of the area trusted Abeni from their direct experiences or rumors of their healing abilities. Captain Zela did not have this knowledge or trust from the people of the region and faced resistance at every turn.
 
Starting at the Untrodden Spires, Abeni joined Captain Zela’s army as an informal advisor and translator. They traveled with the army, usually before its arrival in the area. Abeni worked hard to gauge the mood of the village and see if safe passage could be negotiated. Because Abeni knew the customs and spoke the language, the people of the village trusted Abeni more than the scouts of the Empire.
 
If a village had particularly bad dealings with the Sheka, Abeni would try to recruit them to their side. Abeni facilitated meetings across the southern territories between Captain Zela and the local rulers. Their efforts grew the size of the Imperial forces several times over. It was only through this effort that the Empire subdued the Sheka Empire.
 

Co-Governor of Sheka Province (informal)

For three years Abeni co-ruled Sheka province, from the victory at the siege of Sheka Town until their imprisonment. Abeni worked closely with their husband, then governor-general, to rebuild the province. They worked tirelessly to heal the wounded and provide as many benefits to the people as possible.
 
Once the rebuilding was complete, Abeni and Governor-General Zela continued their dedication to the people. Abeni and Zela believed that if they could uplift the population, they wouldn’t have to turn to strongmen like the previous rulers of the Sheka. Abeni continued in this work for three years, taking few breaks for themselves but enjoyed every minute of this job.
 

Prison Worker

During Abeni’s two-year imprisonment, they worked on details through the Great Vranik Prison. They mostly do hard or dangerous jobs that free people would not want to do such as clearing out Cranium Rant infestations or building roadways that connect the parts of the Empire. They have no chance to use their powers for the benefit of society. They feel as if they are wasting away on each assignment, that they will die and never be free. Yet Abeni continues on every day, trying not to complain and trying to keep their head up in the endless toil of the prison.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Honored with the tutelage of a III Degree Eguinísta: It is rare for practitioners of Eguinísmo to train under a III Degree cleric let alone be the second godchild taken on an esteemed Eguinísta. It helped Abeni to believe in themselves, that such a powerful person believed in them.

Attained the VI Degree at age sixteen: Abeni achieved the VI degree faster than most who undertake the study of Eguinísmo. Their parents were proud of Abeni’s achievements and the community around them praised them for this. However, this achievement felt hollow to Abeni when compared to their older sibling.

Ruled as co-governor of the Sheka: Abeni is proud of the work they did helping the Sheka people to rebuild and to form a more peaceful society. Abeni did not care about the title that they held but the good that they produced through it. It devastated them when they lost this title.

Failures & Embarrassments

It took two more years to attain the VI Degree compared to Ayo: Although Abeni was always proud of their older sibling, they were ashamed that they took two more years than Ayo to get to the same point. Abeni knew that Ayo was more advanced but Abeni wanted to push themselves harder to catch up and be on the same level as Ayo. This never happened in Ayo’s lifetime.

Imprisonment by the Sheka: Abeni lives with the constant weight of memory from falling captive to the Sheka. They feel that they should have fought harder and not let themselves be taken alive. Abeni knows that this wouldn’t have changed much, apart from maybe some clout gained by the Sheka, but they feel they should have done much more to fight during the raid on their home and for this Abeni feels deep shame and sadness.

Failure to remain governor: Abeni is deeply disappointed and hurt by the betrayal of the Empire; they feel that the Empire pulled the rug out from under them right when their vision came together. They also feel that they failed the people of the Sheka region; Abeni owed them stability and peace but they got turmoil and a new, hawkish regime directed by Throne.

Failure to help the people of Islamat: Abeni always felt that after the Sheka region was in a good place, they would return to Islamat and serve as their homeland’s main healer once again. They felt that they could do so much good for their people. Now they are not welcome in their own home and it is doubtful that they will ever benefit their people.

Failure to advance further: Abeni is very aware of the hopes that their community had in them and the potential that Zaldaris saw in them. They are embarrassed that they have not advanced in their study of Eguinísmo since they were a sixteen-year-old IV Degree. They feel that they should have much more power and ability but they are stuck at basic spells and incantations. They don’t feel that they are barely a healer and can’t say that they are a magic caster.

Feeling they have let down Zaldaris Esol: Stemming from their perceived failure to advance in Eguinísmo, they feel that they have let their godparent down. They learned so much from Zaldaris but they feel their failure to continue on is dishonoring Zaldaris’ memory. As they are in jail, they don’t feel that there is any hope for honoring Zaldaris’ memory in the foreseeable future.

Mental Trauma

The death of Ayo: Abeni is scarred by witnessing the death of their sibling Ayo. They did not witness the actual killing but did see the Sheka soldiers attacking them and then their dead body on the ground later. The memory of that day haunts them to this day. They feel that they should have done much more to help their sibling and feel that if they were able to do more maybe their sibling would be alive today.

The death of Zaldaris Esol: To Abeni, the death of Zaldaris was the loss of a parent and the loss of a mentor to senseless violence and greed. They felt Zaldaris was the most powerful being they had encountered and that she was indestructible; her death shook this conviction in Eguinísmo itself. It also made Abeni question the goodness that they believed was in all creatures as the Sheka acted with such greed and malice toward Zaldaris in the fight that resulted in her death. This created a deep sense of doubt, sadness and reluctance to connect with others in Abeni for a long time; it resurfaces in them today.

Banishment from Islamat: Until the age of 25, Abeni felt great pride, connection and a sense of duty to their homeland of Islamat. However, when they returned to their home after many years of absence they were blamed for the misfortunes and hardships experienced by the Islamatians during that time. Abeni did not fully disagree with them and felt that their actions had indeed brought sadness and suffering to their people. Abeni remembers the scars of the fight: the destroyed buildings, the faces and spirits of the dead. They feel strongly responsible because their existence created the desire for greed in the Sheka and they were do anything to assuage this suffering of their people.

Witnessing the death of Borith Zela: The most gruesome and traumatic life experience that Abeni has ever had is witnessing the hanging, drawing and quartering of their husband, Borith Zela. Abeni feels that this punishment happened because of them or their inability to foretell that such events would happen. They constantly replay the events that led to Borith’s imprisonment and asks ‘what if I had done this or done it this way instead?’ Abeni suffers from post-traumatic stress episodes related to the incident. They also feel that Borith is upset with them as they are not able to reach out and talk with his spirit since his death.

Intellectual Characteristics

High Interpersonal Intelligence: Interpersonal intelligence, the sensing and understanding of emotions in other people, is Abeni’s strongest intellectual category. Their interpersonal traits are the strongest and probably the most used by Abeni.

Empathetic: Abeni is very in tune with the emotions of others. They can understand where they are coming from and what they might be feeling even if they haven’t gone through it themselves.

Curious: Abeni is genuinely interested in the lives, experiences and emotions of a fellow spirit. They ask insightful questions to get at the root of what is happening with them.

Great Listener: In conversation Abeni is an active listener; they follow along closely with what they are saying. They try to not think about what thy want to say but instead to be present and fully understand where the speaker is coming from.

High Linguistic Intelligence: Picking words, speaking and communicating are the next strongest set of Abeni’s intellectual strengths.

Verbal Reasoning: Abeni is very good at working through a complicated problem if they can speak it out loud and kind of reason with themselves.

Word Choice: Abeni is good at finding the right words to match the mood and purpose of a conversation. They know what to say to help someone feel better, to counsel them and to give them a boost. It is rare for Abeni to say something offensive or off base.

Verbal Recall: They remember things much better when Abeni or someone else says something aloud. If they try to remember something that they have seen, they are usually at a loss but if it is said or described they can usually remember what was said verbatim for months or years.

Modest Intrapersonal Intelligence: Not as developed as their verbal or interpersonal characteristics but still strong are Abeni’s recognition and control of their own emotional state.

Emotional Awareness: Abeni is fairly good at taking a pause and examining what is going on emotionally within them. With this recognition, they are adept at dealing with states of anxiety, depression, self-loathing or other conditions that can get in the way of their helping others and fully understanding where they are coming from.

Emotional Regulation: In tandem with their emotional awareness, Abeni is fairly skilled at controlling what is going in within themselves so that they may better understand and serve the creatures that need their help. They are good at suppressing their emotional state to better effect that support. However, they are less adept at dealing with the root causes of their own emotional problems than they are at helping others with theirs.

Modest Naturalistic Intelligence: Abeni has a modest naturalistic intelligence and connection with the natural world. The nature of this intelligence is mainly through the spirit of all beings and how they weave into the fabric of life and death.

In Tune with the Spiritual Aspect of Nature: Abeni’s main intelligence is with the spirit of the natural world, with the plants and creatures. Abeni can relate with beings that can’t speak their language through this connection.

Interested and Energized by Spending Time in Nature: Abeni feels that they are often drained from helping others and finds solace from spending time in nature. They are uplifted and inspired by the beauty and earnestness of nature. They are good at seeing how things fit together, exist and nourish one another.

Modest Existential Intelligence: Similarly to their naturalistic intelligence, Abeni is naturally gifted at seeing how the world fits together with everyone in it. Whereas they know how others are connected, Abeni feels alienated from this network and feels a little distant from everyone else.

Easily Sees the Bigger Picture: Abeni does see the bigger picture, the interconnectedness of the spirits, the links between living and dead, past, present and future. They know that the connections need to be aligned and in balanced with everything else. Where they fall is where they fit into the bigger picture; they feel disconnected from the world and that they don’t matter.

Sees the Interconnectedness of All Beings: When the world, the spirits, nature or anything is out of alignment it can draw negative energy which draws malefic spirits. Abeni is adept at understanding this energy and how a problem can be linked through dozens of connections to something else seemingly unrelated. Even among the Eguinístas Abeni has a stronger ability to see the connection than most other practitioners.

Able to See Other Perspectives and Interrogate Their Own: Abeni is very gifted at putting their perspective aside and view a problem from another perspective. They are quick to pick up on where the other creature is coming from and see their specific points of view. When they can’t they ask the right questions to get in the other creature’s mindset and attempt to at least understand where they are coming from.

Modest Musical Intelligence: Abeni has a little bit of a musical talent. They are better at percussion and dancing then pitched instruments or singing.

Good Sense of Rhythm: Abeni has a natural sense of rhythm and beat. With just listening to a few seconds, Abeni can pick up a whole song and can make their own riffs.

Easily Remembers Songs: Along with their good auditory memory, Abeni can remember full lyrics, notes, riffs and other little details after hearing them once. They can usually play them back well or well enough to fake their way through the parts of the song that they don’t know.

Loves Playing Hand Drums: Abeni’s favorite instrument to play is the drums, especially conga drums. It takes them back to dancing with their village, learning to play with their parents and happier times.

Not the best singer: Although they have a great understanding of rhythm, they don’t have a good sense of pitch. They have a nice singing voice but they can’t really get it right with the song; sometimes they are behind and sometimes they are off-key. They aren’t good at playing non-percussion instruments but they can manage a few notes here and there.

Poor Spacial, Logical and Kinesthetic: Abeni’s biggest intellectual weaknesses are numbers, movements and visuals. They are much more talented with mental and verbal skills but a bit uncoordinated and visually forgetful.

Clumsy: Abeni is not very coordinated or physically dexterous. They often get tangled up and trip over their own feet or get in their own way. They aren’t good at fine motor movements like painting or carving.

Bad at Math: Numbers and arithmetic don’t come easily to Abeni, they have to think about it a little harder than choosing their words or empathizing with someone. They can get there but Ayo was always a little better at numbers than Abeni.

Doesn’t Like to Quantify and Plan with Numbers: Numbers-based reasoning and logic are also not the best for Abeni. If someone gives them a puzzle they are likely to give up in frustration before solving it. It is not that they lack intelligence but numbers and abstract logic puzzles are not their thing.

Doesn’t Remember Visuals Well: If you show Abeni a picture or painting, they don’t remember it as well as if they were told or described the painting.

Bad at Finding Visual Patterns: Abeni isn’t great at spotting repeated visual patterns, it kind of goes right over their head and they lose interest quickly.

Morality & Philosophy

• Creaturism: Abeni does not put much stock in heroes, romanticism, mysticism, the return of the gods or some other form of a savior; instead Abeni believes that there are only the creatures around us. It doen’t matter if the creatures act in just or moral ways only that they have the facility to do so. Abeni also believes or at least hopes that given the long arc of time, more right will be done than wrong.
  


• Logical Self-Interest: Abeni believes that most sentient creatures will act rationally or at least according to their own best interest. This makes sentient creatures at least somewhat rational even if Abeni can’t fully understand what they want in a situation, at least they can reason with them and try to get an outcome that would work in their best interests and also work for the good of society.
  


• Self-Determination of all Creatures: All creatures, no matter how smart, no matter how evil, should have the ability to make choices for themselves. Abeni believes this with every fiber of their being, but that is not to say that a creature making that decision toward harm will never suffer as a result. Instead, Abeni feels that creatures that do so should be held accountable for any harm done to another creature but not before the harm is imminent. Even the most ‘evil’ creature may pull back or have a motive that Abeni does not fully understand. There is a line for them, however, no matter the good intent so long as harm is done to another creature Abeni can’t allow it to happen.
  


• Existential Dread: Arising from Abeni’s belief in all creatures’ facility to choose their own path, a sense of nothing holding a creature back from inflicting terrible harm is always on Abeni’s mind. They often feel that they are capable of doing great harm to others given the opportunity, that they could give into a strong desire to right the loss of their husband or punish a creature whom Abeni fears though they have done nothing wrong. They fear that their abilities will be used for harm or even more worrying, that their abilities could have been used for great good but were not.
  


• Absurdism: Abeni knows that there is no sense of right or wrong; their ideas of relative good and evil are just as easily another creature’s sense of evil and good respectively. They choose not to judge the actions of their fellow creatures. Instead, they try to understand them from the creature’s perspective if possible. If harm is going to be done to a third party without justification (in Abeni’s mind) they try to reason with the creature in the creature’s relative understanding of right and wrong but without harming others if possible. They also know that the world is meaningless, that there is no sense of cosmic justice, fairness or a universal code that all creatures can live up to; there is just a series of decisions and Abeni tries to influence those around them to make the best choices for all involved (to their limited understanding of the world.)
  


• Authenticity: Abeni is also very aware of the personas that creatures put up, defenses that guard vulnerabilities or their true feelings. Abeni chooses to live by their truest, most authentic self possible. They try to be honest about their feelings and desires, even when it seems uncouth or rude to do so. The alternative is to bottle them up, to live an inauthentic existence where you lose track of what you desire and lose your internal compass. So although hard, they try to live by self-honesty and honesty with others to the best of their ability.
  


• Eguinísmo Beliefs: In addition to their personal philosophy, Abeni also adopted and currently lives by the teachings of their Eguinísmo faith. Eguinísmo teaches about the interconnectivity of all things, all times, all planes and their ability to affect one another.
  


• Interconnectedness of Life: Abeni fervently believes that all spirits are linked in their joy and in their suffering. They hope that by benefiting one creature, it can spread beyond the one to the many through a change in their outlook and fortunes.
  


• Ripples of Action, Inaction and Possibility: Although it may seem distant, Abeni tries to understand how picking the last guava from a tree to save it for later can affect a hungry traveler two days later who is in desperate need of nourishment. Abeni is very sensitive to how the decisions create energies that draw different spirits to a creature which can cause the perception of luck or the perception of a curse. They know that actions can have chain effects that several steps later can create unintended suffering and lead to the initiator being blamed by the spirit world.
  


• That There is More to the World Than We Can Know: Abeni has explored mysteries and secrets of this world beyond the average Kurragyan. However, they would never claim to know more than just the surface of what is beyond their comprehension. Eguinísmo teaches that even those who know the most of the spirit world are only seeing the reflection on the surface. Abeni is also keenly aware and openminded about the possibility of whole universes that exist beyond their comprehension. They often say that for all they know, they know nothing. It is that open-mindedness and curiousness that keeps the Eguinístas exploring and even discovering new magics when it would seem that all is known.
  


• That Even the Unknown and Mystical Has Its Own Order: Although not an absolute truth, Abeni feels that most mysteries abide by some sort of logic or rule. They are very aware that they cant see or comprehend such rules but that it might be plain to some higher being. So Abeni tries to keep an open mind, to look for patterns in what they do not understand and tries to listen to those who may understand it better than themselves.
  

person.sexuality

Abeni is pansexual. They believe that love is a connection between two spirits no matter the physical forms of the participants only that they are consenting adults. They also have no inhibitions about open or closed relationships; they feel that love adapts and endures in all situations.
 
They are also very open about their sexuality. They feel no taboos when talking about attraction, love, sex or intimacy as it is a vital part of the spirit of all things. Whereas some creatures might recoil at frank discussions about intimate acts, Abeni freely discusses them as if they are the weather conditions outside or talking about making dinner.
 
Abeni is also very open and honest about their attraction or desire for intimacy with others. They may seem uncouth or even forward but they make it known when they desire a partner. Abeni feels that life is too short to let the prospect of connection between two souls pass by so they are very clear and let the other creature know their interest. If they are not interested then so be it but at least they feel that they have tried.

person.gender_identity

Abeni is a Kalishtar and as such possesses two spirits: Abeni and Ekundayo. Kalishtar can demonstrate a variety of gender expressions to match their views of themselves. Often, the spirits of the Kalishtar are complimentary meaning one spirit expresses traits socially perceived to be the opposite of their twinned spirit. This can be a spirit that has more socially perceived feminine traits twinned with a spirit that expresses more socially perceived masculine traits; it can also be the pairing of a spirit with androgynous with a spirit with very strong traits of one gender.
 
By chance, Abeni and Ekundayo are perceived as having more feminine socially defined traits. Both of their spirits agree to a more feminine outward expression of gender. Thus Abeni is often perceived as solely feminine but this is not the case.
 
Abeni and Ekundayo understand gender in a very different way through their faith in Eguinísmo. Where some see gender identity as a mostly static representation of a creature, they see gender as a changeable condition manifested by the spirits that inhabit the creature. The spirits themselves are omnigender and can manifest gender roles, customs, and features that they choose. So they see trying to classify gender as useless like trying to draw the wind or the flowing of water. So when asked about themselves, Abeni or Ekundayo would say they are omnigender as a reflection of their spirits, not their physical forms.

Taboos

• Necromancy: Abeni dislikes any necromantic magic as it interferes with the ability of a soul to pass on, represents one creature’s domination of another and represents the cruel manipulation of a spirit after they have already died. Even when spells do not use the spirit of the deceased for the necromancy, it does upset the spirits and prevents them from living out their existence in the spirit realm. Thus all spells, rituals and knowledge of a necromantic tradition are taboo to Abeni. They are actively hostile to such ideas and seek to dissuade those who would use such spells.
  


• Cruelty/Torture/Execution: Even before the gruesome death of their husband, Abeni actively hated suffering and any action that would inflict undue suffering. Those who exhibit cruelty, callousness, wroth, pleasure in inflicting harm, those who torture weaker beings, execute creatures for improper reasons or kill in a way that inflicts more suffering than is necessary are enemies of Abeni. Abeni will often cast a spiritual cantrip which will put a black mark on their soul. Any creature wich such a black mark is no friend of Abeni’s and they can be a horrible enemy to have.
  


• Maldisonde: Also known as ‘black magic’ and ‘malefaction,’ these are spells designed to inflict particular suffering, undue or lasting harm on their target(s). Abeni feels this is different than normal magic that can inflict harm (such as Lightning Bolt) that can be used in defense of a creature or others. These spells (like Power Word Pain, Geas or Dominate Person) are beyond the pale of acceptable spells.
  


• Drawing Blood Outside of Ceremonies: In the context of sacrifices to the spirits drawing blood and killing beings with spirits for sacrifices are perfectly fine. They see this as what is required by the hungry spirits evn if they do not feel comfortable with this. However, when outside of the context of ceremonies Abeni abhors the shedding of blood or the taking of life. They see this as an artificial cutting of the spirit’s potential to exist in the physical world before crossing over to the spiritual. They do the best that they can to avoid even shedding the blood of creatures with a spirit. When Abeni is forced to shed the blood of a being with a spirit, they must pray for forgiveness from the spirit and do everything they can to guide the spirit to a peaceful existence in the afterlife. Abeni believes that not doing this will allow the vengeful spirit to inflict suffering on Abeni or those whom Abeni cares about. This taboo against taking life extends to livestock and animals. If Abeni is forced to eat a meal containing the spirits of the dead, they insist on being there before the being is killed so they can prepare them for a smooth transition and they stay to guide the being's soul to rest.
  

Known Languages

Common (fluent, native speaker)

Quori (fluent, native speaker)

Common Sign Language (conversational)

Shekan (conversational)

Personality

Motivation

Essentially Abeni/Ekundayo's motivations are to create a better and more just world. They are kind and nurturing to all who are just and fair but a terror to those who have committed offenses to Abeni's sense of moral justice. This is modeled after the nature of the gods in Santaría; essentially when behaving properly the gods look after you like you are their child but when wronged they enact terrible vengence against you and will never stop. Thus we have Abeni/Ekundayo's more specific external (stated goals) and internal (in relation to their non-stated/more intangable desires such as feelings, wants, inadequacies, etc.)
 
 

(External, important) Serve the living and the dead of Kurra to the best of their abilitiy

(External) Provide counciling to the living

(External) Provide guidance to the dead

(External) Act as an intermediary between the two

(External) Provide medicinal and magical benefits to the living and the dead

(External, very important) Restore the connection between Kurra and the Raven Queen so that the souls of the dead may truly rest

(External) If it comes to it, restore the connection with the gods and Thulene so that the Raven Queen may also return

(External) Deliver justice to restore harmony

(External) Seek justice for the dead so they may rest

(External, very important, on hold) Seek justice for Borith Zela's murder

(External) Take action against injustice they see around them

(External, important) To be a protector of those around them whom they care about

(External) Help everyone around them survive the Fringe

(External) Survive the Fringe themselves

(External, new) Find out about this Borith Zela and his connection with their Borith

(Internal) To feel useful when they have so often felt extraneous

(Internal) To find a sense of peace and stability in their life

(Internal) To put to rest the memories of their dead loved ones

(Internal) To come to peace with their feelings of failing others

Quotes & Catchphrases

Estoy aqui

Oye!

Salud!

Asaré

Dalé

Chao piscao

Coño

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Savvies

Reading people and understanding their problems

Talking with people

Healing magics

Rhythm and dancing

Ineptitudes

Skills that require coordination

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

Food and Drink:

Coffee, especially espresso

Butter cookies

Salt crackers

Sweet pastries

Sweet fruits (especially guava, mango and lychee)

Leafy greens

Flor de Caña/Rum (guilty pleasure)

Fish (guilty pleasure)

Other Consumables:

Incense

Cigars (luxurious pleasure)

Candles

Personality Traits

Kindness

Empathy

Patience

Curiosity

Environments

Transitions between environments (especially the beach)

The sea

Jungles and woodlands

Dislikes

Food & Drink:

Beer, whiskey and most liquor

Most meat

Other Consumables:

Acids and poisons

Other Items

Weapons, especially bladed weapons

Manacles, handcuffs or restraints

Items with bad energy, certain unlucky numbers or color patterns

Personality Traits

Meanness

Lack of empathy

Impatience

Rudeness

Lack of understanding

Casual cruelty between creatures

A disregard for the spirit in all things

Lack of curiosity

Environments

Strong forces of creation and destruction (like volcanos)

Virtues & Personality perks

Strengths

Reading people

Understanding where they are coming from

Understanding emotions and feelings in themselves

Helping others release the emotional baggage and trauma that is holding them back

Virtues

Kindness, compassion and empathy

Sees people for who they are

Vices & Personality flaws

Vices

Eating some fish and meat

Fondness of hallucinogens

Flaws

Slow to trust those around them

Seeks out numbness from their emotional pain

A suspicion that those around them will hurt them

Letting go of the things within themselves that are holding them back

Personality Quirks

TBD

Hygiene

Outside of prison, Abeni is a little more on the hygienic/cleanly end of the absolutely filthy to squeaky clean spectrum. They make sure to bathe in clean water at least once per day, washing their skin with tallow soap and rubbing themselves with protective herbs to ward off diseases, poisons and malicious energies. They make sure to scrub their hands and nails with soap, making sure their are clean as they believe clean hands represent pure intentions.
 
Abeni takes good care of their vestments and clothes but does not wash them as regularly as they wash themselves. As a result their clothes can look a little disheveled and travel worn. This gives them the air of being less well groomed than they actually are. Abeni feels that it makes them more approachable and others see them as a lowly, poor, traveling cleric. This image suits Abeni well and they do nothing to fight against it.

Social

Birthplace

Islamat Village, Islamat Island, Central Crater Region

Current Residence

Cell Block E

Contacts & Relations

• Zaldaris Esol: A half-Elf half-Shadar-kai III, Degree member of Eguinísmo and Abeni’s ‘godparent.’ (Deceased, killed by the Sheka)
  


• Borith Zela: A human man who helped conquer the Sheka and had a relationship with Abeni. (Deceased, executed by the Empire)
  


• ’Rafa’ (Rattigan): It is difficult for Abeni to pronounce his full name and refuses to dehumanize Rattigan by calling him Rat, Ratta or any derivation of the sort. So they call him Rafa (Spanish diminutive name short for Rafael.) Abeni believes him to be a Human who mistakenly believes he is part rat and cursed due to the horrific experiences Abeni believes he went through. Abeni is particularly nurturing and attentive to ‘Rafa’ because they believe very few others are.
  


• Lottie: Abeni views Lottie as their little sister. They encourage Lottie to run and explore while keeping a close eye on her. Abeni is quick to get Lottie out of trouble or to step in if it looks like something bad will happen to her but also trusts that she knows what is right and has to explore the world in her own way.
  


• Molar: Abeni is particularly interested in Molar as they profess to be a servant of the Raven Queen. Abeni’s whole faith is organized around service in the absence of the Raven Queen in the hopes that she will return to Kurra soon. Abeni sees Molar as potentially a prophet of the Queen and Abeni wants to form a close bond with Molar as they seem to aspire to the same beliefs.
  


• Percy: Abeni is still unsure of how they feel about Percy. They believe Percy could have come from another plane of existence but struggles to wrap their mind around that. Abeni is also unsure of what Percy wants and how it will effect the well-being of the block so Abeni keeps Percy at a little bit of arm’s length until they can better understand what she wants.
  


• Walt: Walt was not at the prison when Borith was executed so Abeni doesn’t consider him stained by that event. Abeni was slow to trust Walt, seeing him like the other sadistic and evil guards of the Fringe. But over time, Walt has proved his interest in keeping the prisoners alive and tending to their needs more than other jailers. Abeni knows that he would execute any one of them if the Warden said so thus Abeni keeps some emotional distance from Walt and sees him as being opposed to their true survival but Abeni is willing to work with Walt for the time being.
  


• Warden Marguyle: Abeni felt pure hatred for the first time in their life toward the Warden. The Warden ordered the execution of Borith Zela in the most painful and protracted manor possible and after watching it was happy afterword. As such, Abeni has a vendetta against the Warden.
  


• Haymen: Abeni feels exactly the same way about Haymen as they do the Warden, pure and unadulterated hate. Haymen carried out the cruel sentence against Borith then made Abeni clean up his remains, prevented them from saying any sort of blessing then forced them to dump Borith’s remains through a Moon Door. Abeni has a vendetta against Haymen as well.
  


• Vicary: Vicary took particular delight in watching Borith’s execution. Abeni does not hate him as they hate the Warden and Haymen but Abeni feels a special animus for Vicary and wants him dead.
  


• Celes: Abeni feels the same way about Cales as they do about Vicary. It seemed that she enjoyed the execution and was a party to it. Therefore Abeni feels a special animus for her as well and wants to kill her with their own hands.
  


• The Admiral: The Admiral watched the execution with stoicism but delighted in its end. Abeni feels that he is partially responsible for the execution and that he did nothing to help Borith when he had the opportunity to do so. Although they don’t feel a particular animus toward the Admiral, Abeni wants to kill him with their own hands.
  


• Dump: Dump also watched the execution with no particular emotion. He had no ability to intervene but Abeni hates that he could just watch it like he was watching prisoners in the yard. So while Abeni doesn’t hate him, they want to kill Dump as well.
  

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Tía/Auntie (honorary)

Asiento (professional)

Wealth & Financial state

Abeni is currently very poor and unfree. They have no assets to their name, no savings, no hope of socioeconomic improvement. They are also a prisoner of the Varanic Empire, unable to live or work freely. They have access to a few items that were in their possession when they were imprisoned but they have very little financial value.
 
Before they were imprisoned, Abeni was a freeperson with not a lot of money but enough to comfortably survive. They earned money through healing magic, some fortune telling and minor beneficial magic. They would earn a few coppers for fortune telling to a gold or two for healing or strong magic. They never saved more than they needed and frequently donated the difference between what they needed and what they earned to those who needed it more. Not all brujás willingly gave up their money but Abeni chose to do it to be thankful and not indulgent.

Family Ties

Abeni no longer has connections to their family. After Abeni’s work and relationship with the Empire, their family and their people disowned them.
 

Immediate Family

• Monifa Larra: Abeni’s mother (deceased, age-related)
  


• Ige Marí: Abeni’s father (deceased, dysentery)
  


• Ayotunde: Their parents’ 1st child (deceased, stillborn)
  


• Femi: Their parents’ 2nd child (deceased, died in infancy of cholera)
  


• Bose: Their parents’ 3rd child (deceased, stillborn)
  


• Mojisola: Their parents’ 4th child (deceased, stillborn)
  


• Olumide: Their parents’ 5th child (deceased, died in infancy of dypyheria)
  


• Ayo: Their parents’ 6th child (deceased, killed by the Sheka)
  


• Ife: Their parents’ 8th child (deceased, died in infancy of dysentery)
  

Religious Views

Abeni is a devoted practitioner of Eguínismo, a non-organized, spiritualist religion that bridges the domain of spirits and their own. Abeni has studied the nature of spirits, the nature of the connections between domains and how to channel the spirits to give them magical abilities. Its practitioners seek to achieve balance and benefit the most creatures possible while harming the least possible.
 
Through their faith, Abeni is a conduit between the domains. Their primary role is to allow the living to speak with the dead and to calm the restless dead. They practice their faith by performing seances, divinations, rites of passage and funerary rights. They do this through a life-long practical and philosophic study of the spirit domain from the masters of their faith. All creatures are divided up into twelve ascending degrees; practitioners (known as Eguínistas) start at the X Degree and work their way up to the I Degree of the faith.
 
Abeni can cast magic by inviting the spirits of the dead into their body. Once there, Abeni can harness their innate arcane abilities and special properties to cast spells. Through their training in the faith and deepening their connection to the spiritual domain, Abeni can cast progressively more powerful spells.
 
In addition to their spiritual duties, Abeni acts as a counselor and potion maker. These are callings that Eguínismo asks of its practitioners. Abeni feels that counseling is a service that they can help their community through difficult situations with the power of understanding and gentle advice. Abeni also creates potions from herbal ingredients which create solutions to easily fixable problems without involving the spirit realm.
 
In short, helping others is Abeni practicing their faith.

Social Aptitude

TBD

Mannerisms

Abeni has a few mannerisms that come out at diferent times.
 

In General

Upright Posture: Abeni sits, walks, stands and in everything they do, they do it with an upright posture. They have their head and neck back, eyes up, shoulders back and with a straight back. It is rare for them to deviate from this as it was instilled in them by their parents at a young age. They feel this is the proper way portray that they take themselves seriously and therefore can be trusted.

When Speaking

Hand Gestures: As with many from her region, Abeni gesters with their hands when they speak; sometimes they are not aware of the gestures as they are almost subconscious. Some of the gestures add extra emphasis while some don’t have meaning.

Animated:

When Listening

Nodding Along:

Direct Eye Contact:

When Inactive

Shuffling Cards:

Tapping Rhythms:

Hobbies & Pets

Hobbies

In the outside world, Abeni isn’t one for hobbies and passtimes; they mostly don’t have the time and extra energy to devot to something that is not Eguinísmo or their personal life.
 
In prison, this is slightly different for them. They have taken it upon themselves to remind the wardens and select jailers of what they did to Boroth Zela. Abeni tries to scare the living shit out of as many of those involved as possible through Kalishtar and Eguinísmo tricks that they can perform without magic. They have special animus for Hayman and the Warden but are somewhat ok with Walt (although they know Walt would kill them in an instant if ordered.)
 

Pets

Abeni has never kept a pet. They do connect with animals in nature and have named quite a few but would never keep an animal as a pet. They respect the natural world and feel that even expressing some sort of ownership or special relationship with a wild or domestic animal disrupts the intended flow of nature.

Speech

Diction

Vocabulary

Abeni has a decently large vocabulary, learned from their travels and experience dealing with well-educated and read rulers. Abeni has picked up many words in their travels which augmented their already substantial vocabulary. They can choose from a wide selection of descriptive, formal and informal words to fit the situation. They can match the flowery elegance of a formal court or more simple words to connect with the average person.
 

Jargon, Lingo & Slang

Context is very important for Abeni’s use of slang or words outside of Common. For the most part, Abeni doesn’t use very informal speech unless they are comfortable with the other creature(s), the setting is very informal, they are talking with someone from Islamat or a Quori speaker. The following are some typical, non-Common words and phrases that Abeni employs in limited circumstances when they use slang.

• Oyé: Used as either ‘hey’, ‘what’s up,’ ‘listen up’ or ‘pay attention.’
  


• Salud!: Literally ‘health’ but it is a common ‘bless-you’ or as a joke when someone does something that sounds like a sneeze or big flub.
  


• Asaré: Hello among close friends (similar to ‘dude!’ and ‘whats up!’)
  


• Pinchár: To work (but in a negative or sarcastic connotation)
  


• Dalé: ‘Come on,’ ‘ok’ or ‘I understand’
  


• Buawa: Cart or waggon
  


• La Jama: Food
  


• Punto: Weird
  


• Chévere: Cool!
  


• Llorador: Crier (as in a town crier) as in someone who likes to gossip
  


• Hasta el último pelo: This is the last hair/straw
  


• Me importa una berro: I don’t care/I don’t give a damn
  


• Por la isquerda: I’m broke, I have no money
  


• Fuácata: A struggle or difficult period
  


• Chao piscao: See you later (informally, playfully or jokey)
  


• Esta volao: Thats amazing!
  


• Me piro: I have to get going/I’m leaving .
  



• Cabrón: Asshole/ jerk
  


• Joder: To fuck (as in to have sex) but also to fuck with (as in mess with)
  


• Comamierda: Literally a shit eater but someone who is a liar
  


• Coño: Fuck (an exclamation not the act of)/shit/damn
  

 

Word Choice

Abeni is very good at selecting the right words for the setting and mood of a situation. Abeni feels right at home speaking in a royal court or to the lowest beggar on the street. They know that different words and phrases convey specific emotions and set moods. They are great at choosing their words wisely to reinforce the mood that they are trying to create. They mainly use their words to uplift creatures, to make them feel included and that they are on the same social level as Abeni.
 

Delivery

Pace & Organization

Abeni adapts their pace and the organization of their speech to match the situation. In general, Abeni’s two modes are professional or formal and informal or casual.
In their more professional mode, their pace is much slower, organized and deliberate. The pace of delivery is just slightly slower compared to the average Common speaker but not in a way that is noticeable or annoying. They also try to be more organized with their sentences following the predictable subject-verb-object pattern with clear delineations between the sentence components.
In their more casual mode, their pace is much quicker, a little disorganized and not as deliberate or measured as when they are in a professional setting. It is much faster and more aggressive than my natural speaking voice. Think of native Spanish speakers, especially from parts of Mexico, who speak with a rhythm almost like American rap music; there is a flow, a lyricism mixed with a percussive element that creates a music of its own when they speak. When they get excited they tend to talk even a little quicker than even their casual pace.
 

Volume

Abeni’s voice is naturally loud and carries in all settings. This serves them well in court settings and in normal conversation. They try to temper it a little more, turning down the volume and robustness of it when they are speaking with someone they are counseling or who is experiencing hard times. They are very aware of how the volume contributes to their perceived assertiveness or openness to listening to others.
 

Pitch & Range

Abeni’s pitch is a little bit higher than my own. It has a flow and smoothness to it. There is a lot of emphasis on accents which tend to be much louder than their other phonemes. When they get excited they tend to increase the volume of the accents to add extra emphasis as if they are playing the drums on their favorite song.
 
Abeni also has a lot of variation in the pitch when they are speaking informally. Non-accented phonemes tend to be a bit lower than their natural way of speaking while accented words tend to be a bit higher than their natural pitch.

When they are speaking formally, Abeni tries to make their pitch and range much more consistent. Their pitch is much more natural, sort of the mid-point between their lower and higher ranges they employ in other contexts. They try to limit the range so that it is even and consistent. They believe that by doing both they are easier to understand, more neutral in assertiveness and such changes represent a higher-class manner of speaking.
 

Accent.
 

 
 
Abeni’s accent is my Spanish accent plus the following deviations. I think that my accent sounds like an American person trying to do a Peninsular Spanish accent. It is not the accent that Abeni would have. Instead, I want to attempt the stereotypical Cuban accent which is a little more slurred and specific than the accent I typically speak with.

• Stiff, dropped jaw: There isn’t a lot of jaw movement in Cuban Spanish. Try to drop your jaw when you begin to speak and keep it from moving as much as possible.
  


• Vowels
  


• Rounded/slurred: Vowels in general sound a bit longer than normal Spanish pronunciation and tend to blend the next phoneme with it.
  


• /i/: Twangy that becomes a /eh/ sound
  


• Continents
  


• No /d/ sound: Unless they are at the start of the word, they tend to disappear and the following phoneme gets breathy or slurred. (Complicado -> Complica-õ)
  


• /s/: If it is at the start of the word it is pronounced, if not it is either breathed out like an /h/ sound or eliminated.
  


• /l/ and /r/: both sounds disappear
  


• /v/: Between vowels: become a /w/ sound (ie. Cuba -> Couwah). When you need to pronounce the letters, they get a strong, hard sound. (se-VEH-se-OH)
  


• /k/: Harsh /k/ sounds become /g/ sounds
  


• /g/: G sounds become the next sound after it. (Magnifico -> Manifico)
  


• /t/: Harsher sounds, more like an American /t/ sound.
  

 

Tone

Abeni typically has an unintended, assertive tone to their dialogue. This is likely a combination of their volume, pitch and range which can seem domineering. Abeni is a good listener and tries to have an even give-and-take in a conversation but knows they can come across as more assertive than they intend. They are aware of this and actively try to moderate it depending on the situation, although that assertiveness slips through.
 

Other Characteristics

• Pronunciation problems: There are some phonemes in Common (English) that are not present in their accent (Quori.)
  


• /S/ sounds: At the beginning of words (like school) don’t exist, so they are paired with an /e/ to form /es/ (school becomes eschool.)
  


• g -> /h/: Written ‘g’s in Common become breathy /h/ sounds (so gospel becomes hospel)
  


• No /h/: The letter ‘h’ becomes /x/ and essentially goes away (so hospital becomes ospital)
  


• E and I flip: Written ‘e’s become ‘i’s and vice versa (so institution becomes enstitution and ignorance becomes egnorance)
  

 

Personalization

I think by the very nature of the accent and pronunciation Abeni’s voice will be significantly different than my own. It should be pretty clear that even if I don’t quite pull off the accent that Abeni is speaking as opposed to me out of character.