#vespera.

[furnacesheart]

VESPERA GRIMALDI: ABILITIES & WEAKNESSES.

it's simple enough to label vespera as a necromancer, though her internal powers and connection to witchcraft as a whole is a little more complex. due to the patchwork of her soul, her innate connection to what is meant to be freely given by the earth is twisted: she struggles to channel what is living and breathing, but finds an ease most others do not in weaving the fragments left behind by the dead. listed below is what this frequently entails.

bone manipulation: vespera is able to shape bone to her will, in or out of body -- another's, or her own. often used as a first defense mechanism. she can pull bones from the earth and morph them to whatever shape is needed, even a grotesque form made entirely of tailbones and spines from long deceased critters. bone is crafted as shield or sword, solid or liquified. she can contort someone's skeleton without touching them (though physical contact does make it far easier). she often wears jewelry of bone fragments to always have easily accessible protection on hand -- or to fidget with. she has inherent memorization of the human skeleton and nervous system, and is able to map most others with a simple touch. reanimation: somewhat tied into her bone manipulation, vespera can pull deceased bodies from graves and bend them to her will, but only if the soul has severed its ties to them (hence, she has no control over vampires or similar ordeals where the soul is stuck in a dying body). the body acts as a conduit to her deeds, a mindless zombie in a sense. though she vastly prefers forms that do not have any decaying skin clinging to them -- skeletons are also lighter and a bit easier to summon. mediumship: vespera sees the echo of wandering souls and is able to pull the threads of those lingering, and can even pull the veil aside for a moment to communicate with those who have passed -- though she does not enjoy it, and rarely practices. most spirits have a natural distaste for her. however, every year on the anniversary of her parents' death, they reach out to her to spend the day together. (admittedly, this is because she absorbed their souls and they reside within her: she is the one that keeps them conscious, if only for one day a year.) lifeforce absorption: as a lingering effect of her condition, vespera is capable of siphoning another's lifeforce, or spirit, for lack of better words. this is what she did when her parents gave themselves to her, essentially succumbing to their shame and deeming it the easiest way to die. however, she does not have a hunger for it and outright refuses to use the ability.

while these may make her out to seem a formidable opponent (and alongside her natural cunning, she is without a shadow of a doubt a force to be trifled with), vespera also suffers an affliction that weakens her against stronger foes. her body is frail and she is not much for a physical fighter. when she was a child, she used to expend her powers so easily that it would render her bedridden and pale as the dead for days. natural spellwork was worse: learning an ancient language inside and out still did not grant her anymore mastery over a simple deflection charm. since absorbing her parents' energy, vespera does not risk as much when she practices her own craft and has some minor control over earthly witchcraft, albeit no more than a child would. these days, her greatest trouble seems to be herself: frequently pushing herself to her limits just to see what may strengthen and what cannot, without much care extended to her own wellbeing. she is an academic, after all.

[furnacesheart]

VESPERA GRIMALDI, LADY OF THE DECAYED.

full name: vespera grimaldi torres. alias: bone witch, living dead girl, abomination of witchkind, etc. date and place of birth: november 12th, new orleans, louisiana. (usually portrayed from 18-19 to early 20s). faceclaim: jenna ortega. pronouns: she/her/hers. orientation: panromantic, demisexual. eyes: dark brown, nearly black (and ringed in silver when performing magic). hair: dark brown, wavy, kept just a few inches below shoulder length. height: 5'1". occupation: student, seeker of the occult, covenless witch. species: witch. parents: ariadne grimaldi née torres (mother), nicholas grimaldi (father). other family: n/a. significant other: the bones.

BACKGROUND. ( WARNING: mentions of death, failed pregnancies, murder, and suicide pacts. )

while witchfolk have dark histories, issues of power plays and infighting and the depths of dark magic, many know the consequences of defying the laws of nature itself. the earth and its realms beyond are to be respected no matter your desperation, and those who do not obey are cast out. this is upheld especially in the tremé neighborhood of new orleans, where order holds the thin line between chaos throughout the supernatural communities. but even then, love has been known to claw through the dirt of the universe to find a way, no matter how morbid. ariadne and nicholas were not particularly ambitious witchfolk, though nicholas came from a notorious family and coven alike: in fact, the both of them were rather content with their apothecary and one bedroom apartment in the early years of a sweet marriage. and then vespera came along. or rather, her potential. they were ecstatic to grow their family and plan out their future with a child. however, she was sickly in the womb and took a great toll on her mother's body. modern doctors and midwives and green witches alike drew the same conclusion: the child would not make it to full term, and if ariadne determined to carry her, neither would she. ariadne could not imagine life without her soon-to-be daughter, and nicholas could not bear to lose his wife. in vowing so, they catapulted themselves directly into the most forbidden of magics, discovering a certain trick of siphoning that was used to draw another's lifeforce into oneself: instead, they funneled it into the unborn child. as ethical as they could be in their methods, their victims were only those already nearing death, such as wasting elderly or the terminally ill. due to this, however, they needed more souls to ensure their child was strong enough and in the end, vespera's life cost thirteen others. though this was a willing choice, the mark these acts left on ariadne and nicholas would burrow deep into their very selves, corroding them with guilt. as for vespera herself, she came into a world knowing it did not accept her. that she was somehow wrong for the mere act of breathing. it had something to do with her struggling to master the most novice of skills but able to raise the skeleton of nicholas' childhood dog from their backyard at the age of four, soulless but fully animated. it was them gently encouraging her not to practice these acts in public, especially when she pushed herself too hard and she grew faint, blood trickling from her nose. it was their coven shunning their family when she was nine after learning the truth of their miracle pregnancy. it was vespera growing up alone, unable to bond with other witchfolk and delving deeper into her peculiar powers for company. it was when the souls that tied her own together began to sputter out, and her parents chose to sacrifice themselves, her first souls that would be full and strong: she was seventeen. her parents left her the house, but also an inheritance that allowed her to flee the city that never loved her when she graduated. she has spent the years since searching for answers: how much she can push her abilities, why the balance has still allowed her to live, what the purpose of it all is. her ambition knows few bounds.

abilities meta. alt verses.