Maia is always cloaked. She keeps her head cowled and her frame wrapped in sweltering heat and soaking rain alike. It is impossible for her to hide all the "gifts" of her heritage, but flowing robes and deep hoods makes it easier. When draped in a woven shroud, fewer people notice her above average height, especially for one claiming to be a human. Beneath her darkened hood, it is rare for anyone to see her brilliant red hair. Not the crimson or cardinal of red-haired mortals, but hair which shines quite literally like the dawn, flickering and blazing through wisps of cloud. As long as her eyes are kept low, no one can see them for the starlit voids they are, the specks of cold brilliance dancing within those violet pools. If her hands remain in her sleeves, none can bear witness to the pale skin on her angular features which, in the right light, shines a sterling silver. Maia does not hide her Aasimar features because she is ashamed, but because she is afraid. Afraid of word spreading of one who looked like her. Afraid of drawing the attention of those who search for her and those she loves.
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3 Important Events
> "A Note on the Table" — On that day, Maia returned from the Academy to find an empty home. She waited, but her mother never came back. Only when the moon fully rose did Maia begin searching for answers. In her search, Maia found a note in her mother’s small desk, a note hidden in such a way that it could easily be found, but only by someone who knew where to look. The note spoke of a divine heritage, a lost sibling, and a warning about the father she never knew. That note changed the course of Maia’s life. It gave her answers, but not the ones she wanted.
> "A Call Into Starlight" — The day came after months of silent study, study outside the halls of the Academy she once loved. Inside the quiet home she'd fled to that month, away from the looming threat of her celestial father. Her voice echoed through the old, leaky building, reciting incantations torn from library pages and overheard in discussions between archmages. Through it all rang the last of the words: the name of her brother. By that magic, he appeared: glowing, beautiful, and powerful, but emaciated, exhausted, and afraid. Immediately, something connected the two of them, and he fell into her arms, relieved. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
> "The Price of Sanctuary" — "Now… for the matter of payment," he said. It took a moment for the sharp statement to pierce through her joy. Her brother was finally safe. This necklace, this jewel, represented a haven, a place where he could rejuvenate himself without needing to retreat into the Celestial Realms he (they) feared. With years of searching finally over, she focused on what came next… payment? As she looked into the man’s eyes, she understood: they’d left one trap for another. She swallowed her fury and looked back at the man, knowing that her debt would live a long life.
3 Essential Places
> Kalastria Academy — Few students are so honored as to enter the ivy-covered walls of Kalastria Academy. Maia always thought it was a fluke that she was accepted; she felt confident in her abilities, but not so much that she believed herself to be of that caliber. Not to mention the money required. Yet, to her utmost surprise, her mother came up with the funds. Those brief years spent there, learning the magics that became the focus of her life, were the final innocent years she lived.
> Celestial Plane — Most believe in shining, hallowed halls. Most praise just and good angels, imbued with the strength of the divine. Most hope and pray that lives lived with decency and kindness will one day guide them there. For Maia, the Celestial Planes are realms of secrets and of danger. She fears that the all-consuming light of those holy realms will one day consume her and her brother. She hides them from its gaze, always worried that Heaven will emerge unto them.
> The Magus Guild — If one must be imprisoned, the Magus Guild is a lovely cage. Even though her adventures outside those vaulted halls must be profitable, her time within the hall is surprisingly adept at distracting her from her situation. There she can find stories of sorcery and sin and star-crossed lovers enough to satiate even her immense appreciation of a good tale. She is provided with access to (almost) the entire Guild Library, whose dusty tomes provide incredible resources for the apprentice (and mostly self-taught) summoner. Istariel can even walk with her occasionally without arousing suspicion, as the art of conjuration is hardly rare to the experienced mages of the Guild. Maia often wonders if she would have ended up in the Guild regardless of the circumstances that compelled her.
3 Allies
> Istariel (Angel, Eidolon) — No one is closer to Maia than her half-brother, Istariel, both emotionally and by necessity. She didn’t even know she had any siblings until three years ago, but now the pair are inseparable. Istariel is innocent, joyous, sweet, and temperamental, like a child. All the more reason for Maia to keep him close and hidden. On the Material Plane, Istariel’s innocence can be dangerous. On the Celestial Plane, his existence could be deadly. For both of them.
> Vindri Scolaris (Elf Female) — Maia found few close friends at her time at the Kalastria Academy, and none were closer than Vindri. Despite being the daughter of some distant-but-influential elven family, Vindri had little use for the student politics and coin-centric rivalries at the school. She and Maia grew close out of a mutual love of writing and mutual hatred of the day-to-day posturing that seemed endemic to Kalastria. When Maia suddenly left the school, she never managed to say goodbye to Vindri; it was too difficult. She often wonders where her friend is now.
> Belatus Dormond (Sylph Male) — In spite of her indentured servitude (the politest way of putting it), Maia has a soft spot for the Magus Guild itself. The weathered halls, so full of knowledge, wisdom, and secrets, as well as the intelligent and interesting creatures who passed through it, reminded her strongly of her beloved Kalastria Academy. One of her closest companions from the Guild is Belatus Dormond, another initiate, albeit one who chose to be there. He and Maia bonded quickly over their newness and the rarity of their species’ within the Guild. Few understand each others’ isolation like Maia and Belatus.
3 Rivals
> Foloch Alderfrond (Dwarven Female) — As a child, Maia expressed her adoration for two passions: magic and reading. In fact, Maia always suspected that one informed the other: the art of magic is so entangled with the art of properly using powerful words that she's not always sure where one hobby ends and the other begins. When she was just beginning her tenure at the Kalastria Academy, Maia discovered an author she adored more than any other. Foloch Alderfrond was a Bard who wrote sweeping epics and grandiose poetry, all of which was distributed relatively cheaply. According to the scroll cases or book covers (depending on your disposable income), Foloch did her best to bring her storytelling art to as many people as possible and attempted only to earn enough to publish more. Maia, a novice writer herself, set herself a mighty goal: to write a story of the caliber of Foloch's. Even now she keeps a coded and cryptic journal. While she loves writing and has more than a few stories to tell now, nothing could be more dangerous than exposing them to the public. Maybe someday, Maia hopes, perhaps when this is all over I can accomplish that goal.
> Cordelia Windwatcher (Halfling Female) — Auntie Cordelia was always sweet to the young Maia. Cordelia would bring over sweet pastries and flowers every time she visited Maia’s mom, as the two of them loved sweet smells and tastes. Cordelia was Maia’s mother’s best friend, so she was one of the first people Maia visited when Loressa vanished. Cordelia was devastated to hear the news, and she and Maia mourned together. However, Maia’s always suspected that Cordelia knew more about her mother’s disappearance than she ever let on.
> Havofel Navren (Gnome Male) — A journeyman in the Magus Guild, Havofel was assigned to oversee Maia through her Guild initiations. Because this directive came from Akros Ven, it meant that Havofel was one of Maia’s "jailers," so she expected to hate Havofel as much as she hated his superior. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the company of the hot-tempered and blisteringly-witty middle-aged gnome. He and Maia got along famously, and she found him to be an adept teacher. Even so, Maia cannot forget Havofel’s other directives, and she often wonders how she might be able to escape his watchful eye.
3 Enemies
> Loressa Athrodel (Human Female) — It wasn’t always like this. Once, Maia and her mother were close. It didn’t matter that she kept her secrets, that she kept Maia’s "peculiarities" hidden from others. Loressa loved her, and that was what mattered. Then she left. In leaving, the one good thing she did was tell Maia about her brother. For everything else, Maia can never forgive her.
> Atarthiel (Angel) — Maia first heard the name of her father in her mother’s final note, the same note that told her of her brother. Since then, she has only heard his name in ancient tomes, lost texts that speak of the Upper Planes. He is described as radiant, wrathful, vengeful, and imbued with holy purpose. This information only makes the final line of Maia’s mother’s note more chilling: "He is coming for you both."
> Akros Ven (Elven Male) — Maia searched a long time for someone who could provide Istariel with a home outside the Celestial Realms. Following rumor after rumor, she finally discovered Akros Ven, a Summoner and Artificer, highly regarded by his own Magus Guild. Ven promised Maia that he would find a solution to her dilemma, and he did. With her brother's salvation before her, Ven finally thought to mention his price. A price she could not possibly afford. Now each job she takes for the Guild (and elsewhere) she completes with a burning resentment. When she escapes Ven's thumb... then the tides shall turn.
