Minor Character Bios 2
Cowyn-Rather small and unimposing, Cowyn is a shy, quite student, not one you would think is an incredibly powerful spirit-binder. As an anthro wolf, he has the grey and white fur pattern you would expect, but ghostly greenish-aquamarine hair and markings that reflect the color of his magic and many of the spirits he surrounds himself with. Born in a small isolated town, Cowyn always had strange powers, and was able to see natural spirits and those of the dead. His father left his mother, Lilania, when Cowyn was still young, and Cowyn has quietly held a grudge against his father ever since. Lilania, head of the town militia, had to raise Cowyn on her own. Not only were many of the townsfolk suspicious of Cowyn’s interactions with spirits, Cowyn feared his own magic, the countless spirits he saw, many quite malevolent, and how others saw him. Worried for her son, Lilania tried to comfort him and help him understand his powers as best she could. Unfortunately, she died protecting the town from attackers, devastating Cowyn. However, perhaps because of Lilania’s devotion to her son or Cowyn’s affinity for attracting spirits, her ghost stuck around with Cowyn, and has never left him since. With his mother’s spirit to guide and protect him, Cowyn started wandering the world and learning from other spirits, and eventually came to study magic and hone his powers at Duriel University.
While he has many of the capabilities of a regular spellcaster, all of his most powerful and interesting abilities have to do with his interaction with spirits. He can directly control weaker spirits, make temporary bonds with stronger ones, and that of his mother, Lilania, is always with him of her own free will, kept from moving on by her love for Cowyn. Most spirits have very limited influence over the physical world due to their incorporeal nature, but Cowyn can manifest them and give even the weakest spirit a semi-corporeal, visible form, enough for them to manipulate objects, use powers, and even attack or defend on Cowyn's behalf. Spirits are invisible to most (mages are typically able to see more of them), but everyone can see those manifested by Cowyn, which makes it very, very easy for him to scare those who don't understand him. The downside is that manifested spirits can be attacked more easily and temporarily dispelled. Exactly what these spirits are capable of varies, giving Cowyn an incredibly varied range of powers that changes often. Another thing he has learned to do is temporarily take on an incorporeal nature himself, and can for a couple brief moments one or so in a while turn himself incorporeal to say, walk through a wall, but doing so is very draining. Lilania's spirit is a mystery to others; she only appears to others with her arms and armor, ever silent; to those who see her, he refers to her as "The Warrior." You see, among those who interact with spirits (Cowyn isn't the only one), it's a massive taboo to bind the ghosts of loved ones; preventing your own family from moving on is said to bring a curse and may tear the living family member apart through their unhealthy attachment. However, this may be an unfounded fear, or at the very least may be untrue is his case as it was of Liliania's own will. When not manifested/visible to others she talks to her son quite a lot, appears in more regular clothing, and both comforts and nags him in only the way a parent could (Cowyn has never once turned in an assignment late). Despite this, Cowyn keeps her true nature a secret, as to reveal that she is his mother might get him expelled. Cowyn actually has mixed feelings about this, glad she's still with him in some regard but feels guilty for relying on her. He has offered multiple times to let Lilania's spirit go, but she always refuses. Cowyn isn't sad or "edgy," he just comes across as strange to others, lonely, and enigmatic. He's actually very sweet if you get to know him, but there are very few (living) people like that in his life. Cowyn always sits in the back of class, won't speak up in a group setting, and if given the spotlight gets very scared and shaky.
Nifri-Often found painting around campus and responsible for most of the beautiful, elaborate murals that can be found on campus, Nifri is a freckled, red-haired half-elf with a reputation for being “that quirky painter girl.” She most always wears her apron, collection of colorful charms, and is a mess of paint splotches. She’s odd, cheerful, and seems to know at least a little bit about everyone at Duriel University. She uses her paintbrush as a wand and can both cast spells based on what type of paint she lobs and can temporarily create objects or even summon monsters by quickly painting them on a small canvas.