Taeo Artaeor (Nighie)

Name: Taeo Artaeor
Age: 37 (around 18)
Birthday: May 8th, 2672
Gender: Female
Race: Nighie (Quarterling)
Picture: https://2img.net/h/i108.photobucket.com/albums/n34/DarkSeroph/Dragons%20Cove/TaeoSolexa.jpg
Type of Person: Magical/Supernatural Detective, Mage Slayer

Relations to Dragons: -None-
Relations to People: Solexa is her faithful canine companion.
Likes: Simplicity, stability, nature, freedom to do what she wants, and interaction with people of an amiable manner.
Dislikes: Bureaucrats, dealing with people who conceal information or are being intentionally difficult, and crowded cities.

Description: At 5'5" Taeo is not a tall girl. however, she's very strong and lean, able to wield her halberd with ease and be fast enough to respond to attacks in close quarters. She relies more on her agility and speed to get her through a battle than her actual attacking power. Typical of the Nighie race, she has dark tan skin and brown hair. Her eyes are violet blue, meaning that though naturally her eyes are blue, in certain lights they can appear purple or even glowing. She favors soft browns and other earth tones for her clothing. Her style of fighting, though useful against charging boar, is not very practical for close-combat.

Quirks: She's a little quick to react to things, her emotions getting the better of her in some situations. However, when she's not making snap decisions, she usually thinks things through and gets stuff done in a precise and predictable way. She's more or less in for the fun of it, but enjoys her downtime. She is young by her race's standard and so hasn't quite learned to temper her tongue and has the habit of telling the truth or speaking her mind without censorship. She doesn't try to embellish the truth with comforting words and doesn't like complicating matters that should be simple with subtleties. However, if she realizes that she's in a room full of bureaucrats, she will play their game to a certain extent, though has very little tolerance for such things. A dedicated friend, if you can stand her nature and show some loyalty and kindness, she'll return the favor ten-fold and be there whenever you need her. She carries a small flute made of elk bone and will often play if she is otherwise unoccupied.

Personal History: Taeo grew up in his small town of fellow Nighie southwest of the shanty town, Xanile. Most of her race are magical, with talents ranging from below average to well above, but as she got older and passed the point where her abilities should have manifested, it was determined that she was simply one of the unfortunates that had no magical abilities, and it was undecided what should be done with her. In an accident while playing one day it was discovered that not only didn't she have magic, but magic couldn't be used on her, and she suffered having to naturally heal through a broken bone without any help. Considered now an oddity, she was separated from others of her age group and was studied and questioned to determine what was wrong with her. She quickly became lonely, fed up, and tired of their prodding and decided that in rebellion she would try and become a warrior in a last ditch attempt to get out of her situation. However, because their race is small in number their women are protected feverishly as guardians of new generations, they are not sent away to be in any sort of combat situation and are kept protected.

Ignoring tradition, she decided her own fate and went to the kennels on her own initiative where their dragon dogs (see below for details) were housed and bonded with one. It set her apart from the other females of her culture enough that there was little choice in the matter. She couldn't perform magic and had bonded to a war dog. The only available option left was to treat her like a male and let her train with the others. After the fiasco was settled, she was sent away to train with the other boys and taught to use the traditional long-weapons that her race favors.

She quickly found that the curriculum was not favorable to her particular abilities and quickly became disillusioned by the whole affair. The others in her class had no respect for her because of her gender and she often had to face severe alienation. The professors either refused to train her, or trained her inadequately, citing that she was too delicate to put through the rigors like other students. While her fighting courses were hobbled, her studies were increased, the professors making special exceptions in assignments to give her more work and try to force her to drop out under the stress of the work load.

With a bone to pick, Taeo completed her work and made a couple of friends in her class that would teach her properly how to fight and passed the course work. As soon as she graduated she left her people entirely, taking Solexa with her and headed to explore Dragon's Cove to get away from her people who would no doubt expect her to settle down and marry. Instead she stumbled upon the Northern Academy and decided that she would force herself into the program if necessary. It quickly became apparent that her conditioned reaction to professors was not at all needed, for her abilities (or lack thereof) were enough to gain her admittance. Though she was once again an oddity, this time she was welcomed to study her particular case and quickly made the Academy her home.

Race History: The Nighie are a very old race and in legend, it is said that they were once members of the fair-skinned faerie race; the Elves. It is also said that the ancestors of the Nighie were among the first to settle in the wild ranges of Dragons Cove, arriving from across the wild untamed seas. The chaotic land of ancient Dragons Cove was much to their liking, and instead of trying to find a way to control the raw power of the land, they sought to live within it and to change as the land did. The Nighie became then the very embodiment of change, their race developing and growing at a terrific rate, each generation different from the previous. Despite their small numbers, almost no Nighie looks similar to another. Even within families shared physical traits are not nearly as common as they are in other races. Eye colors especially vary within families as there seems to be no dominant eye color among their race, though typically, brown is a typical hair color and is one of the most common colors in this incredibly diverse race. A few centuries after their arrival, the Nighie began breeding four-legged companions, namely dogs. The rise of the Dragon Dog was more of a necessity than a flippant whim, for even though the Nighie thrived in Dragons Cove, the dragons that inhabited the land were not always of a friendly disposition (see below insert for Dragon Dog description).

Physically, the race has parted ways with the wispy Elves that they are rumored to have descended from. They are not born with natural willowy grace, and in that manner act generally more like humans. Neither are they especially tall, the members of their race typically standing between 5'5" and 5'10". The oldest live to get around 200 years in all, and their ears though long are turned down at the tips. They are not fair-skinned, but rather have a darker walnut complexion and have brown hair as the standard dominant color, though other colors like black, purple/blue, red and blonde do exist in small numbers. Their eye colors are greatly varying, encompassing all of the standard colors: green, brown, blue, and hazel. In addition, unusual or impossible colors also run rampant, like violet, yellows and amber, as well as colors like orange and red. A third set is what the Nighie call "magic" hues, because of their incredible brilliance that appear to almost glow. The "magic" hues come in any color, and are not specifically rare.

Though Nighie are rare in Dragon's Cove, partnerships between their race and others have occurred, and offspring from such relations have surprisingly not adopted any traits of the Nighie parent. A child born of a human and Nighie for example wouldn't have "magic" hued eyes, even if the Nighie parent did, nor would they live the 200 year life-span that would be expected. In essence, they are simply humans, or elves, or whatever the partner was. Their race is fairly secluded. Only a few groups of population exist on Dragons Cove, most of which congregate in the north western forests of the Cove. A great congregation of Nighie gather outside of Xanile once every ten years in a festival called The Gathering. At The Gathering, the various Nighie tribes share stories, commune, and exchange lore with each other. The event lasts a full two weeks, and members of the different tribes are encouraged to interact. When the tribes part, it is not uncommon for young unwed Nighie to join a different tribe.

- Dragon Dogs - don't have any dragon-esque features, but they are called such because they were bred with a mind specifically to help the Nighie defend themselves against-or slay-dragons. As big as a horse, these dogs are ridable companions, and have near human intelligence. They have minor psychic abilities, and are able to communicate to others, especially the Nighie that they are involved with. Though exceedingly intelligent, they are still dogs however, and communication is limited to being able to express urges and needs. This amazing ability of course comes with a price. The Dragon Dogs due to their size, strength, and agility, coupled with incredible intelligence have a bit of a mind of their own. If the Nighie that owns them does not have a strong sense of self, they can be psychically influenced by the Dragon Dog to do whatever the creature wants. Usually, this involves being lazy or fetching extra food, but their influence had been known to be malicious every once in a while. Because of this, Dragon Dog owners are given a test to make sure that they are not only compatible with their furry companions, but can also withstand being influenced by them. These dogs more represent wolves than the common house pet, with half-webbed paws, bear-like snouts and thick fur around their necks. These creatures are built for running and fighting, and even when running at full speed are agile enough to make quick turns. Because of their abilities and nature, partnering with a Dragon Dog is a great honor that is only afforded to those who train to fight.

Religion:


Long ago when the Nighie race had lost their connections with the forces of change and nature and were beginning to follow the industrialized movement of the other races of Dragons Cove, a revolutionary by the name of Ryourdynn began criticizing the standing government for turning their backs on the old ways of the Nighie and everything that made their race what it was. The Nighie race is deeply tied to the land and had always worshiped multiple gods representing the various elements, including magic itself. He preached that by abandoning the Old Ways, the Nighie would anger their gods and find no solace in the afterlife.

For his disobedience, Ryourdynn was quartered, a particularly painful method of execution where you are literally ripped in fourths by being hooked up to four different horses that pull you in four different directions. Before his execution, however, Ryourdynn had gathered many followers, and after his death, they rose up and changed the face of Nighie society forever. In remembrance of Ryourdynn's sacrifice, many Nighie wear a simple pendant that resembles an "X". Each corner represents an element: earth, wind, water and fire. Where the four intersect represents the chaotic forces of being: life, death, creation, destruction and energy. Those of the race who are especially pious are called Quarterlings, which has led to some misunderstand about what the Nighie race is actually called. Outside of their society, the names Quarterling and Nighie are interchangeable to those that have heard of the race, and more often than not, a Nighie won't correct the misuse of a label.

The major gods and goddesses of their religion correlate to the major elements, and each of these gods have minor gods or spirits that are dedicated to them and fall within their element. Goddes of Earth, Nysaelia has many gods in her house that range from the spirits of deer to the spirits of entire mountains. Anything that walks or burrows in the ground is sacred to Nysaelia and has a place in her hall. She has a few children, most notable to be Halakilo, god of harvests. Tyloliwi, the god of wind oversees all movements in the sky, and his many followers govern even the littlest of breezes. The two most notable minor-gods of his are Thyrdem, god of storms who is always misbehaved and enjoys antagonizing Yuhishi, the god of water. Heavy rains, tornadoes and hurricanes are often attributed to the fighting of Tyrdem and Yuhishi. The goddess of seasons, Aiealoa, is a far more harmonious minor-god that belongs both to Nysaelia and Tyloliwi, a medium between the two opposite elements that is the constant reliable flow of change. Yuhishi's minor spirits are attributed to every body of water including oceans, rivers and lakes. Yohani is the goddess of rain, a milder twin of Thyrdem and much more desirable for encouraging proper growth of crops. Furoyol is the god of fire, the greatest spirit associated with him being the sun. Dragons are usually associated with Furoyol as well, though not in the same way as most creatures of the earth are associated with Nysaelia.

The most central to their belief is the omnipotent force that controls life and death. The force has no name, but is called many things by various Nighie, always with great respect. To invoke the name of the Creator with abandon is one of the greatest sins that can be invoked. The Creator can spare life as easily as it can take life, so the greatest respect is given to the Creator. In legend, the Creator breathed life into the stars and created the world, the land, and the core four gods. It also gave the gods the ability to create within their jurisdiction, and from there they spawned the rest of the gods and goddesses, major and minor. In this, all beings are indirect products of the Creator, and it therefore has jurisdiction over them all. Dedication to a major god, or even the Creator, ensures that when a Nighie dies that they become a sacred spirit among the house of their chosen deity. The level of importance that the Nighie soul has in the pantheon depends on their dedication to their faith in life, and the especially pious are believed have the opportunity to become minor gods upon their passing.

Power: Anti-Magic

1) Magic of any kind can not directly affect anti-magic Nighie. Be it offensive, defensive, or healing magic, it has no effect on the anti-magic users.
2) The ability to nullify magic is not a conscious act. It simply happens. No one so far has been able to "stretch" this ability. It is direct contact effect only.
3) Touching a magical creature or magic user skin-to-skin will nullify any magic the caster is trying to use. If another magical being tries to touch the nullified magic caster, they will be unaffected. This means that there can be no "chain" nullifications. Direct skin contact is essential to nullification.
4) Summoned creatures that have their own sustainable life force can not be de-summoned by touching the summoned creature. If the summoner is touched during the summoning process however, the summoning will be disrupted. If the summoned creature is MADE of magic, they will disappear.
5) Magical creatures or entities that are sustained by magic might not necessarily be instantly destroyed when nullified. For instance, a dragon like Rilos would simply be unable to fly if an anti-magic Nighie had skin-to-skin contact with it. A magical creature like a kitsune may just revert to a non-magical fox and/or human for as long as they're being nullified.
6) Magical items that are sustained by magic will lose their magic abilities, but probably won't disappear unless they are made entirely of magic. An enchanted sword will lose it's enchantments, for example, but will still remain a weapon that could hurt/maim the anti-magic user.
7) Psychic abilities are for the most part lost on anti-magic users. Dragons and most other creatures that speak with their minds can not connect with the anti-magic user in order to speak with them because they are allowed to do so only with the help of magic. If say for instance a human has expanded their brain capacity usage to the point where without magic they can communicate with only their minds, then they would be able to reach the anti-magic user.
8 ) The only way to transfer the nullification properties that an anti-magic user has is to use blood in a charm or other creative things so that skin-to-skin with the anti-magic user's person is not necessarily needed. For instance, if in a fight with a spell caster the anti-magic user is wounded, if they can smear his blood on the skin of the spell caster, their powers will be nullified until the blood is completely washed off, regardless of distance from the anti-magic user's person. This only works for as long as the blood is fresh and hasn't completely oxidized/dried up.