Mind Sweet
Mindallia Rhasta (a.k.a. Mind Sweet)
Never was any good with words. Or weapons like my brothers were. Or those weird inventions that seem to crop up everywhere here in Stahlrest. Or magic—look, point is, I'm a baker by trade, and I make muffins that have made people commit murder to be the first ones to try them. True story, I swear...! Can I put you down for a dozen? Yeah? Great, they'll be ready shortly!
Origins
A city of steam, machinery, wonder and invention; a long way from that barren wasteland far to the south, isn't it? I'm from Aurora, a place that I can only recall in fragments: my mother Ciere's loving gaze, shimmering snow drifts, and pure unadulterated hatred to anyone that was red. My family left there when I was young, maybe ten, after my father Damas had a threat branded into his arm one morning. My brothers, Baudric and Reimar, kept us alive and in one piece until we got to the Blightwood, natural survivalists those two. When we finally stumbled into Lightbrook on the way to Stahlrest, a single family of three were the only ones to show us any compassion.
On the day before we were supposed to leave the town for the City of Steam, our parents vanished. They had gone out to the market for supplies that evening and never returned. We waited a day, then three, then a week went by of silence. My brothers decided it would be best if we left while we could, hitching a ride with a convoy of merchants under the guard of some Duskwalkers, even if it did break my little heart at the time. When we finally arrived at Stahlrest, one of the Duskwalkers volunteered to show us around the city's outer rings. After that, they sent us on our way with a small bag of coinage, with no prospects on where to even begin to find proper housing for the three of us. We eventually found an abandoned house at the edge of Slum Row in the Northern Quarter and we quickly called it home.
It wasn't long before the Wrought Watch came knocking, asking us who we were and if we had proof of residence. I still don't know how Baudric dealt with them on his own while Reimar was out, but I get the notion that his enlistment to their ranks was of no coincidence. Reimar had returned that same day excited to pronounce himself a junior member of the Duskwalker's Guild. Two years went by and a little old dwarvish lady named Besdroline—I always just called her Ole' Bess—needed help with her bakery, so I volunteered. With a big, toothless grin, she took me in and taught me everything she knew. She passed when I was only sixteen, leaving me her business and what little she owned in her twilight years.
I rebranded Ole' Bess' bakery into something of my own—rebranding myself in the process—calling the place Sweet's Sweets! Silly, I know, but us Infernals historically have a thing for virtue names (don't ask, I spent way too much time in the city's Ebonhall archives). The name caught the attention of Slum Row, though, and business was booming! I had a lot of regulars, but one of them stuck out a bit more than the rest: another Infernal like myself, but purple. He only had one eye and was covered in golden scars, Aetmir Ennui was his name. Got into entirely too much trouble that one, constantly breaking into my shop to swipe berry-filled tarts only to leave coins on the front counter before I could even see him disappear.
He wasn't the only regular, believe it or not, though the only one to break in. After I made a dessert from a recipe I found in the local archives, I had a strange dream. I remember falling through the air before hitting the ground, then I followed some skeletal birds to a mausoleum, and before I knew it, I was face to face with the Aspect of Lore, Bheniin. Turns out, Benny there had a helluva sweet tooth, and took a fancy to the way I conduct myself, though he used much fancier wording. Ever since, I've been his Witness, his own form of divine champion. It's not easy keeping up religious ties and running a bakery, ya know? But it's a living!
Physical Description
Body Features
One of the most striking features present on Mind's person is her red skin, which on many occasions has been compared to a ripe raspberry; her tail developed to be marginally darker in hue than the rest of her skin. Her hair is jet black, and it fades to a lighter shade of red naturally, though she often dyes the ends to be a bit more vibrant. She usually keeps her hair half up, but enjoys styling it to fit the occasion. Like other Infernals, her canines are a bit longer and sharper than the average human's, but unlike other Infernals, she tries to fill her diet with plant-based alternatives.
Identifying Characteristics
Like every Infernal, one of Mind's most prominent features is her horns, as they are unique to her alone. Similarly, all Infernals have eyes that are devoid of visible pupils, and have a range of colors. She's able to stand out in a dark room with eyes the color of shimmering gold, as after her meeting with Bheniin—the Aspect of Lore—there is a faint, ethereal glow to them when no other light is around.
Physical quirks
Growing up in the quiet tundras of the far south of Vasara, Mind had not heard a single jarringly loud sound until she arrived at Stahlrest. As a result, she tends to jump at excessively loud noises, such as a steel beam dropping in the industrial sectors or a rare rifle shot cracking through the streets as a Seeker enforces the law. She also has a reserved gait, opting to keep her hands either clasped in front or behind her while she walks instead of letting them swing freely. As a result of this, she uses her tail almost like a third hand as it is prehensile enough to grab and carry simple objects.
Special abilities
Being Witness for Bheniin comes with a host of abilities and responsibilities, along with special privileges when visiting an Ebonhall. Spellcasting is one of many boons granted to Mind, so long as she channels divine energy of the Aspect of Lore through His holy symbol (a skull biting down on a scroll). Additionally, as a Chosen, she has access to extradimensional spaces that are accessed through small tears in reality no wider than a hair's width. She often uses these extraplanar places to store her personal belongings, knowing that they're as safe as physically possible on the realm material.
Apparel & Accessories
Oh, those chains and jewels up on my horns? I found them pretty cheap at a flea market—you can find so much at those things! I know everyone raves about gold and diamonds, but I much prefer silver and rubies. And don't even get me started on how overrated silk is, ugh!
Mindallia has always loved a good dress, regardless of the occasion. Cotton and wool are two of her preferred materials, and she avoids any article of clothing that has been fashioned from silk. She also enjoys wearing jewelry, usually keeping ruby studded earrings and small embellished charms hung up on a thin silver chain connecting her horns at silver caps. For nicer occasions, she wears a ruby-encrusted hair pin in the shape of a butterfly to keep her hair up—a birthday gift from Ole' Bess.
Mental characteristics
Education
Mind never received a formal education, nor did she ever seek one. She was, however, taught how to read and write in the proper Common tongue, of which the former she exercised her proficiency constantly. Instead of pursuing more scholarly endeavors, she had always been fascinated with cooking, honing her skills by her mother's side in their tiny kitchen in Aurora. Once she was taken under the wing and patronage of Ole' Bess, her skills were elevated until she was able to handle the day-to-day of an entire bakery.
Employment
Due to her upbringing, she was never able to find even menial employment within Aurora. It was only after her parents' disappearance and moving to Stahlrest in the Luminforge Syndicate that she found Ole' Bess, and eventually took over the bakery when the old woman passed. She has been the sole proprietor of what is now Sweet's Sweets ever since.
Mental Trauma
Isolation with only her family for company, along with stories fed to her by her mother about people hating Infernals, has led Mind to have a problem with fawning. She believes that, if she can just make people like her, she can avoid any potential hatred or conflict. This philosophy was one of the reasons—though one of the smaller ones—that she no longer identifies with her familial name Rhasta, and instead goes by Sweet. After all, who could hate someone that's known as Ms. Sweet?
Taboos
Aside from using the physical gifts and features of her kind to her advantage, she will never speak in Infernal, nor will she willingly read its script. Additionally, she avoids any and all talk about the Hells, or her heritage if at all possible. When confronted with the obvious, it's normal for her to counter with a remark about how the offending party was born, with little-to-no shame or hesitation. Depending on the nature of the comment, she may respond with charm or malice.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Mind has always had her mind focused on a single objective since leaving Aurora: survive. The only way she knows how in Stahlrest is to bake fresh goods on the daily, selling them to the masses of Slum Row. However, she has always wanted to learn what had happened to her parents all those years ago, and yearns for a reason to try and break from her situation to find them.
Veritable rivers poured from Mindallia's eyes as she collapsed into her brother Reimar's arms at the news. It took every fiber of her being to keep from shaking in that moment, to let her anguish be known to everyone in the stranger's home.
“Shh, it'll be alright Mindy,” he whispered, rocking back and forth to comfort his little sister. “I'll find them, everything will be ok.”
“Shh, it'll be alright Mindy,” he whispered, rocking back and forth to comfort his little sister. “I'll find them, everything will be ok.”
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Baking and—by extension—cooking are among some of her strongest skills. Several awards line the front of Sweet's Sweets for all to see that her culinary prowess isn't all bluster. Despite her being granted the ability to channel divine magics, spellcraft is among Mindallia's weaker skills. This is a point of embarrassment for her, so to shore up her deficiencies she can often be found studying scripture and old tomes on the subject in her free time.
Likes & Dislikes
Loves
- Honey
- Any and all bread
- The color Purple
- A good nap
Dislikes
- Red meat
- Being idle
- Silk clothing
- Having to travel
Likes
- Most vegetables
- Reading old scrolls
- Stargazing
- Dancing
Hates
- Liars
- Cauliflower
- The smell of mud
- (Sugar) Ants
Virtues & Personality perks
Even in dark times, when there is no reason to smile at all, Mind will have a toothy grin plastered to her face. She always tries to see the best in people and situations, looking for silver linings. Regulars of her bakery describe her as a ray of True Sunlight, something that hasn't been seen in millennia. She always seems to know what to say to people to get them to cheer up, although it's almost always accompanied with a gift of a sweet treat.
Aww, c'mon, cheer up! No, really, it hurts me to see you wearing that awful frown. I won't let you leave until I see those, er, not-so-pearly-whites!
Vices & Personality flaws
Care for some wine? What do you hic! mean it's too early for wine? I have a problem?! I do NOT have a problem, you hic! have a problem!
As an unwavering optimist, Mind will often overlook serious or even dangerous traits in people and situations. And with every ray of sunlight, there eventually comes a cloud; to put it lightly, Mind has a drinking problem. On average, she'll go through 2-3 bottles of a mulled, spiced, or cherry wine in a single day, usually drinking while on the job. Under normal circumstances, it's a significant problem she faces, though her connection with Bheniin allows her to not feel the affects of poisons while on duty as a Witness—alcohol included.
Social
Religious Views
As Witness for the Aspect of Lore, Mind is expected to hold all written documents in the same regard as another; records are sacred. This includes treatises, recipes, letters, and even notes as something to be venerated. It was by reviving a long-dead Vasani recipe that was once lost to a dusty archive that she came into contact with Bheniin, or 'Benny' as she affectionately refers to him, and has since been his Chosen. She now keeps a growing tome of documents that includes everything she writes or receives, often sharing its contents with Benny to be properly recorded from time to time.
Relationships
History
The two Infernals have been friends for several years, beginning after Aetmir had stolen a pastry from Sweet's Sweets well after closing time. Mind, ever the optimist, found it amusing that he left exact change on the counter before disappearing. Both have enjoyed their back and forth dynamic, and, over time, have grown close enough to call each other friends. They've both been known to casually flirt with one another, though they both made it clear that it was all in good fun.*
*Author's note: To an outsider looking in, it's painfully obvious that both harbor feelings for the other in some capacity, but don't want to ruin what they have. And so, they have locked themselves in a dance of emotion, careful not to step on the toes of the other.
Shared Acquaintances
Esorin Inilorh
Aromon Holaralei
I had no idea what it was like to get my portrait taken before, always just took a mental note of myself in the mirror. It was kind of uncomfortable, truth be told. But it was well worth it, I mean... look at me! Aromon, you genius bastard, you caught my good side!
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Current Status
Baking treats for the masses of Slum Row
Current Location
Honorary & Occupational Titles
She holds the title of Professional Sugarmason, provided by the The Capstone Authority. As long as she continues to prove her competence in the craft, she will maintain such title. (So yes, she is professionally known as Sugarmason Sweet.)
Age
20
Circumstances of Birth
Her birth was kept a secret, known only to her family.
Birthplace
Aurora
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
2nd floor of Sweet's Sweets
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Sex
Female
Gender
Woman
Presentation
Feminine
Eyes
Yellow and pupilless
Hair
Black; fades to red near ends
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Raspberry Red
Height
5' 4"
Weight
144 lb
Belief/Deity
Aspect of Lore
Appears in...
Free sample? We've got everything you can think of that is baked, from pies and cakes, to breads and pastries! I've been working on a recipe for a frozen treat, but ice is so hard to come by, so samples of that will cost ya.
Mindallia Miniature by World Smithy
The clothes that Mind leaves her bakery in to join Aetmir & Aromon. Most of her equipment is in another dimension, so she travels light.
I love her. The use of imagery, also the quote about the jewels in her horns from flea market, it stood out to me. I like how she refuses to use infernal as well. Very interesting character.
I've got a soft spot for Mind; she initially started as a one off but quickly grew on me. Then I decided she'd eventually be a part of something larger lol. Glad you enjoyed her write up! :D