Secrets...

So everyone have them, especially in the Abode.

THIS SECTION IS CLASSIFIED FOR DENIZENS OF THE ABODE!

Here are a few selected things to know about the denizens of the Abode, and more than one spoiler...

Information gathered by Shade, Tomomi and Old Magician in the abode, and compiled by Shade and Old Magician:

About the Abode:

• • There is no record on when, by whom, or even how, the Abode was "constructed", however:

  • There is a rumour that the Wizards Tower, originates from, and is still connected to, the Shadow Earth

  • Less than a quarter of the abode is in use today, some parts are uninhabitable, some sealed off.

  • There exists a "manual" of the Abode, but it is extremely large, filled with anecdotes, open to interpretation and not very helpful in case of a crisis.

  • The Adobe will become unstable if connected to less than four realities at any one time and it must be in contact with at least two, or it will cease to exist.

  • Since no one knows how to permanently shut down the dozen or so known persisting, or permanent, portals there is little risk of it becoming unstable.

  • One of it's permanent portals connect to a "dead" world, but accessed to this world is barred with a heavy armoured door (with a likewise armoured glass peep hole).

  • Alma, Bel and Lir (also called the Domuya Dames) lives in the Hyperboreal annex, which is the largest external structure connected to the Abode.

  • One of the later portals leads to an inn called the "Lewd Unicorn" (Shade: "Your choice?" OM: "Well, it is practical in its own way.")

Tomomi:

• • Her real name is not Tomomi and she is of North-European descent

  • There exists only one reality where she did not commit suicide, but there is none where she continued to live.

  • In the one reality left she encountered the Sphinxes who led her to the Abode, and consequently she disappeared totally from her reality stream (all realities where she ever existed)

  • This means she is a unique being in the continuum and, unknown to her, this gives her some special daemon powers.

  • In her original world she lived and studied in London from the age of 14, and then in Tokyo for 3 years

  • She studied theoretical physics on university level but never got her exam

  • She "died" in London, late summer 2007 according to records in her reality stream

  • She have been trained by Alma into a proficient swords-woman and can handle a rapier and katana with some proficiency

  • She plays the violin, viola, guitar and keyboard

  • She carries a necklace with a red dove-blood ruby with a small speck in it, a "window" into her own world, given to her by Old Magician

  • She is no virgin - (OM: "Is that really vital information here?" - Shade: "Opal think it is. - I think it is a joke on her part." - OM: "You think she actually can joke?" - Shade: "Of course!")

  • She did fall for Ren's charm on a few occasions, on one occasion Sus walked in on them...

Sus:

• • Her name, Sus’sistinako, is inherited from her great grandmother who is a mythological figure in the Sylvan planes

  • Her winged form is about half to two thirds the size of her human form

  • Her grandfather was the Crow, another mythological figure from the Sylvan planes

  • Her original world is a low exploited high technology reality, where several mythos are present, as well as magic

  • She has a deep knowledge of modern cosmology and theoretical physics, having studied these subjects on several planes

  • She has extrasensory perception allowing her to "feel" reality states and even, according to herself, the quantum froth.

  • Her magic abilities are inherited, but she have studied long to refine her art

  • She have travelled several realities and is at least 130 years old

  • She seems to have knowledge of the entity Suigintou and possibly a connection to her - (Old Magicians comment)

  • She lived for several centuries as either a dole, crow or magpie, and have "inherited" some curious habits from these creatures

  • She is in love with a slice of a soul, but wont accept it

Ren:

• • He is older than he looks

  • His origin is a world more technically advanced than ours, but where the Otto Cycle engine was considered a failure

  • He is not an Illusionist in the sense of stage magic or tricks, even if he is very proficient in this area as well (his sleigh of hands is fantastic)

  • He is capable of changing how people perceive their surroundings, including hiding and projecting objects, even living things

  • His first love was a seventeen years old girl who he built an illusionary world for, but who, in the end, hated him for it (and for it not to be real).

  • He met Li Nichang when wandering from Tibet to mainland China and was smitten by her beauty, he lived with her for three years

  • But he was disappointed by Li's cruelty and fled from her and looking back on previous engagements he swore he would never love again

  • Although he has a self-centred and careless attitude, he will never let a friend down or abandon someone in need

  • He has a need to be loved, but don't dare to get involved

  • His daughter(s) was a surprise, even to him, even though he remembers the mother(s) well...

Alma:

• • She is the only of her siblings to show her dragon inheritance, not even her mother had shown any signs of this

  • She was raised as a warrior from early age, her healing and regeneration ability, her way to handle fire and her agility marked her as suited for battle by the mountain clans

  • At the age of seventeen she was already part of an experienced ranger team

  • She was the last survivor of her army unit in the Last Stand and among the few alive after the Last battle* (read note below on the Last Battle).

  • The involvement of demons in the Last battle convinced her of the need to learn more about magic, knowing that some of her abilities was magic in themselves

  • She studied arcane lore (together with Bel and Lir) after the Last Battle and acquired knowledge on planar travel, without these studies she would not have survived the Last Stand

  • She have been campaigning as mercenary in Thule, Imperial South Africa, the Great Kingdom and several other places, and visited several other planes in search for adventure

  • She is highly proficient in both ancient and modern weapons

  • According to herself she was a double spy based in Hong Kong during the cold war working for both the Reich and the Crown

  • She have been known to break the protocol of weapon use for daemons on several occasions (Shade: "Using advanced firearms in a medieval setting and worse")

  • She has a tendency for hoarding things (OM: "A sign of dragon heritage?")

Bel:

• • Her first name is Belphegor... or Belinda, depending on who you trust (Shade: "I know who I trust in this case...")

  • She had a twin brother who she lost in the last battle, but she believes he is still alive

  • It is said that she once was blonde, but as she emerged from the Battle of the plains, her hair had taken the colour of blood from the enemies she had slained, and it have had that colour ever since

  • She was a standard-bearer in the Last battle, and in several battles before that

  • After the Last Stand she have travelled the planes as Alma, sometimes together, sometimes not

  • She have been campaigning as mercenary in old Thule, Terra Australia, colonial India, South Africa and post world war Far East, not necessarily in that order.

  • She is the holder of several imperial medals, even if Alma would claim that some are stolen

  • She normally avoids using anachronistic or out of place weapons when travelling the planes, and scolds Alma for using such

  • However if in real need she wont have any qualms to use advanced or out of planes technology to tip the balance in her favour.

Shinju (dimensional "twins" Shinju-ichi and Shinju-ni):

• • She comes from a "biopunk" or "chempunk" reality with advanced biochemical technology, close to steampunk, with high use of chemical and biochemical fuel-cell based technology.

  • Her mother was a Japanese airship engineer

  • She is genetically engineered for small stature, something that is accepted as normal in her reality. Her light frame and long limbs was designed for aerial engineering work

  • Something of a technical genius, she loves to investigate and analyse as well as inventing her own hybrid technology

  • Being a technical genius she have built a relay transmitter to get internet and phone connection with her reality, and is working on setting up more connections with other realities where such technology exists as well (the second one she set up for Tomomi).

  • and is the only one in the Abode to use a portable computer and mobile phone (from the brand Ringo), connected to her reality, in everyday life

  • She is a dimensional "twin", not twins, but one individual from two different realities

  • The difference is purely up to her whims since she met herself (OM: One is brunette and one is blonde, but you never know who is who, as they sometimes change colour)

  • She is a proficient Light Wing flyer (using biocell/bioengine driven wings).

  • All the above is valid for both "versions" as they are identical, or almost identical (after meeting they have made some things that left them slightly different)

Lady NiChang:

• • She was raised by wolves as an infant and later adopted and tutored by Ling Muhua, the martial arts master

  • Her prowess in swordplay and qinggong is legendary, her sword movements are extremely brutal

  • She was betrayed and attacked by her true love (who claimed it was by mistake), and after that withdrew into the Jianghu mountains where she earned the name "The White-haired witch"

  • Even when her true love found her again she refused to accept his apology. Legend has it that he still waits for her.

  • She has ever after that continued to fight against villains, would-be conquers and exploiters, as well as expert pugilists daring to challenge her

  • She is a true youxia hero (Shade: "Like she stepped out of a wuxia tale, quite amazing")

  • Her brutal swordsmanship and the draconian punishments she deals to those who oppose or betray her, have caused many to see her as a menacing demon of the mountains.

  • She is not the mother of either of the Shinju "twins" she merely looks after them

  • She is known to take orphaned girls into her care and raising them, especially giving them a good education

Lir:

• • The princess title may be an honorary title earned on the battlefield, there is no known indication that she is of high birth otherwise. She had the rank equivalent to General during the great war.

  • She earned her military status in large scale campaigns and took part in the "Last Stand", but is since then considered a rouge, partially due to the fact that off all those who she originally led into battle, only she survived.

  • After the "Last Stand" she organized a small unit of survivors who partook in "clean-up" operations (basically hunting down some of the surviving summoned beasts threatening the few survivors in the surrounding lands).

  • Her batliff or "battle-bow" is best described as an asymmetric double sword with two curved blades, it has limited use as bow, using a heavy pole-arm like arrow (which in itself can be wielded as a pole-arm or spear), but is a fearful weapon when wielded by her. Quoting Bel: "Lir, when wielding her battle bow, - she's a danger for both friend and foe". Despite that anyone who have seen her in battle is awed by the power of her attacks.

  • Although her behaviour normally is very decent and befitting, as expected of a highborn lady, she is known to display some very improper behaviour, right down to being outright lewd and obscene. (OM: "She'll kill you if she reads that!" - Shade: "She maybe fast, but she ain't that fast.")

  • It is rumoured that she went undercover, or in hiding, in a brothel for a long period, after a failed campaign in the Great Kingdoms. (OM: "That would explain a few things..." - Shade: "And it shows there is a connection...")

  • She is a collector of strange magical items, some classed as true artefacts, and have great knowledge of these.

  • One of her most treasured items is her scrying device that has the ability to capture scenes with great detail in three dimensions over a brief time, it can also store large amounts of such captures.

  • A typical incident involving her when surrounded by a few scores of barbarians armed to their teeth sent out to catch her: "This isn't fair! They wont stand a chance...", after which she laid down her weapons to get more of a challenge (they caught her, but she managed to get away a little bit later after, a bit worse for wear, but mostly unharmed and in quite a good mood (which can not be said about the Barbarians involved)).

  • It is openly questioned if she is of high-elf heritage, some even go as far as to suggest that she is descendant from the dark races (OM: "I heard that Erendil had a theory" - Shade: "Well, she would be perfect as a Goblin Queen")

  • Lately she has accepted the nickname "Goblin Queen", shrugging it off as something she can live with, while threatening to make a King-sized barbecue next time she gets hold of Evaleigh.

Erendil:

• • Self-appointed Shrink of the Abode

  • Is a keeper and collector of secrets herself, and apart from that a formidable analyst

  • She is connected with the Magic council of Avalone, and probably sent to keep an eye on the Abode and its master (OM: "I guessed as much." - Shade: "Sent to spy on you?", "But we have a catch on her...")

  • She might seem to be peaceful, but is very proficient with longbow, even compared to elven standard, and probably is a fearful enemy in battle

  • She is also quite proficient when fighting with a staff, and rapier as some found out.

  • She will never start an argument, or argue without point, preferring to keep things peaceful and quiet

  • She will pinpoint personal weaknesses if it comes to an argument using it against the one starting the argument

  • The only person who can make her loose her cool is Lir

  • When she gets really upset, she loose all her composure, tell her adversary's what she thinks about them in a falsetto voice and big gestures, throws things around, slam doors and cry in her (or somebody else's) chamber, afterwards she will be very timid (this is very, very rare though). (OM: "Only once if I remember..." - Shade: "..or twice, at least... You don't get everything")

  • She can be quite seductive when she gets drunk. She normally is a very restrictive on alcoholic beverages with one exception: her monthly visits to the Lewd Unicorn (Shade: "During those visits she unleash all built up stress without any inhibition and I normally have to carry her home")...

  • She casually pick up good-looking men when visiting the Lewd Unicorn (Shade: "Seems it is her way of relieving tension" - OM: "Hope she is careful" - Shade: "I keep watch over her!" )

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Opal:

• • She was rumoured to be a succubus/demon of high before her arrival at the Abode.

  • She never considered herself to be a true demon, even if she delivered what was left of her victims souls to the demon planes.

  • She has four ways of seduction: by appearance, voice, touch and scent, if you avoid all of them you are safe (or rather dead), which is to say you will never be...

  • When extracting a soul she will encase its impurities inside a slice of amorphous silica, thus creating an opal, its lustre depending on the life and deeds of the previous owner. The leftovers she will deliver to the pits of the demon planes. (OM: "She described it once when I learned to know her (look here)")

  • Her "contracts" are binding (she will make them a necessarily true proposition in all realities), and can not be broken once engaged (not accepted as most believe) by them.

  • She will not kill anybody, just remove their soul. (Shade: "Although normally the body will die within hours when bereft of the soul. There are exceptions though." - OM: "You are talking soul transfer?" - Shade: "That is..." - OM: "..classified information. I know")

  • According to herself, she only take the soul of those who deserves it.

  • Since she came to the abode she enters a sleep-like meditative state regularly, claiming she need it to cleanse her thoughts, but she wont admit to being asleep or dreaming.

  • Despite her reputation as a succubus, her behaviour is very chaste (OM: "Who would have thought of that? A chaste succubus?" - Shade: "Some say she was like that before as well." - OM: "That is interesting, and has its implications...")

  • She usually "sleeps" standing in the sanctum of the shrine where she resides, apparently unaware (or possibly ignoring) the growing number of local people who come to pray to her. Even when sleeping in a sitting position (her second preferred sleeping position) she always have a straight back and posed look.

  • She will not lie down to sleep if she can avoid it, since she can only lie on her back, due to her horns (OM: "A horny lady on her back in a bed" - Shade: "That is a lousy joke! Don't ever let her hear that!" )

  • Locals refer to her as 乳白色魅, Chishiroshikimi, and her opals as 乳白色魅の黒, her black/guilty ones.

  • She seems to be a vegetarian when it comes to food and drinks only water, preferably from a mountain spring, and the best green tea (Shade: "She just needs a few drops of blood or so, from time to time..." - OM: "I know...")

Tsuki:

• • Her original name is... Censored for your safety! Now, if you know that, she might pop up and make life more than slightly problematic and trust me, you wouldn't like that!.

  • She will pronounce her name as it is spelled in Romaji (tsu-ki) or as Tuki, and will not listen if somebody use the normal Japanese pronunciation.

  • She was apparently lured to accept the impossible mission of bringing back Opal, which vexes her enormously

  • She usually speaks with heavy foreign accent, but it's just an act, to appear cuter

  • Whatever language she speaks it will have an equivalent accent, she will only drop her accent when dealing with other demons of her own calibre

  • Her language skills are second to none in the abode, she can understand, read and speak almost any known language, an ability of mage class in itself

  • She have a thing for sweets (Shade: "It is quite easy to bribe her and get her out of your way that way")

  • She have a teddy bear in a noose that she drags/kicks around from time to time, and there is a rumour that it is the morphed remains of a molester that she treats this way

Shade: (Shade: "That is classified information!" OM: "Well, just a few small things wont hurt...")

• • Her cat abilities also means that Censored

  • Censored

  • Censored

  • She doesn't use underwear, but there is a rumour that she eats pantsu... (Shade: "THAT last part is a total lie!" - OM: "Only the last part?" - Shade: "How would... You're peeking!" - OM: "I'll buy you some panties..." - Shade: "Omnomnom" - OM: "Any particular flavour?" - Shade: "Joking!" - OM: "Me too...")

  • Censored

  • Censored bed warmer Censored very active and nice Censored.- (OM: "Shade you are doing this on purpose aren't you...- Shade: "Let them wonder...")

• Censored (OM: "On that note: you really are cuddlier in cat form, despite five sharp ends, out of six" - Shade "And my ears!" - OM: "Ooh yes, how could I forget your lovely ears - five of eight then")

• She have a soft spot when it comes to Erendil, jumping to her defence whenever she thinks she need to (OM: "I thought she was quite capable to look after herself..." - Shade: "Believe me, that elf needs looking after!" )

  • Participates in Erendlil's escapades in the Lewd Unicorn (OM: "Even when it comes to..." - Shade: "It's easier to keep watch over her that way...")

Shiomi:

• • Her other name is Mio (美桜), the daemon. (Shade: "Although some say they switched as part of joke between them")

  • Shiomi is usually written as 潮美, but the daemon used 志保美 at the beginning. She signs some documents with 思桜美, which she think is funny for some reason.

  • The daemon did not posses her against her will, she was invited by the young girl

  • They live in close symbiosis, and it is hard to know weather you speak with Mio or Shiomi, not that it seems to matter, both will answer to Shiomi. If you use "Mio" she will usually, blush furiously, correct you and say that it is not appropriate to call her so here, or now, sometimes adding that you might come by later if you want. (Shade: "What! Where did you hear that from?" - OM: "Well.... hmm.." - Shade: " If I catch you taking advantage of the poor girl I'll skin you alive! Besides, you have me, if you want...")

  • Sometimes she will refer to herself as Shomi, which will make her blush even more furiously (Shade: "No wonder...")

  • As a result of the symbiosis she ages very slowly, a rough estimate would be about a twentieth compared to normal ageing

  • She is the one who keeps the sanctum of the shrine where Opal resides in perfect order, sees to it that Opal is not disturbed by locals when meditating, and bring her their offerings. (Shade: "In other words: she cleans the place for her, keeps the locals at bay, feed her and will even sing for her. I think she is the perfect maid.")

  • Shiomi can use powerful offensive and defensive spells to protect the shrine.

  • She is technically blind, having no normal eye vision, but "see" better than most sighted and even enjoy written words and painted art, but not printed or electronic media.

Calandra:

• • She is ancient enough to have known Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, her ancestry is buried in the myths

  • She escaped her sisters fate to be banished to the island Anthemusa after their hunt for Persephone, and have been wandering the realm ever since.

  • She is under the protection of Persephone

  • Her song, though irresistibly beautiful, is no less sad than sweet, and can bring both body and soul in a fatal state of lethargy. Those who hear the song often dies from dehydration while listening.

  • She know how to control the song so that it only affects, and sometimes only is heard, by those she choose.

  • Knowing the soothing effect she sometimes walks among the sick and the dying, her song calming and comforting those whose life is running out.

  • Thus she became a psychopomp, those who sometimes also are called shinigami, valkyrie or the angels of death, as such she will lead the souls of the deceased to their rightful place.

  • She have been known to work at Opal's side, dividing the dying between them based on their deeds...

  • She will usually appear as a sparrow or other small bird singing close to the dying, but those who she sings for will see her true form.

  • Herself childless, she is known to help women that are to give birth by strengthening and soothing them, and see them through the ordeal of childbirth alive.

Evaleigh:

• • She is a half elf of noble birth from the reality plane of the Great Kingdom

  • She was captured by a band of rouge sell-swords on her way to her betrothed, enslaved and sold to an "establishment of pleasures" (Shade: "According to her she was sold for beer-money by cowardly rouges posing as knights, - and female such even." - OM: "You think what I think?" - Shade: "You bet, but listen, it gets better...")

  • There are rumours that rather than being the weak innocent victim, she actually struck a deal with her captors, and then betrayed them. It was after that they put her in irons (and a torque of obedience) and sold her to a brothel. (Shade: "I have my sources...")

  • She became a renowned courtesan in the establishment (according to herself), but even more known as a houri after she left it (Shade: "There is some evidence that she is an assassin")

  • She has vowed to avenge her slavers, and have even gone as far as accepting a dark pact to help her. Unfortunately for her those powers does not seem to work well inside the Abode and later not at all...

  • Her appearance in the Abode is definitely no coincidence...

  • Due to her habit of sneaking around she got "belled" by the Magician and Shade. A small golden bell that most denizens of the Abode can hear, but she will never notice.

  • After taking revenge on Lir, sort of, she has calmed a lot, but still are not at peace with the Domuya Dames and avoids the Hypoborian annex (Shade: "The Dames still threatens to make a barbecue next time she comes.")

  • She don't taste like chicken, more like lamb, according to the Domuya Dames (Shade: "Don't even ask....")

  • There is a rumour that the Dames made a clone that they used for their barbecue parties (OM: "let's hope that is a rumour" - Shade: "Bel said that they still don't know if it was the clone they used..." - OM: "I didn't hear that")

Candra:

• • Candra is to young to have any secrets (apart from her trove of chocolate eggs, courtesy of Tsuki)

  • She is a very normal healthy intelligent girl.

  • She calls Opal and Calandra for "the Bigfeets" or "Clawy and Stomper" when she thinks they don't hear (usually after they have told her what not to do).

  • She plays a lot with Shiomi around the shrine, sometimes together with visiting children

  • Although she is not allowed to play with Tsuki, she loves when she comes by for some mischief and wont hesitate to take part of her pranks, as long as Opal or Calandra are out of sight

Wotatease:

• • Some people would say she collects psychic problems, she suffers from, or at least show tendencies for, affective disorders, psychosis, neurosis and phobias.

  • Although she dress and behave very provocatively, she is afraid of any bodily contact. To add to this she has a phobia about sex and what people think of her.

  • Although these problems are caused by her experiments to summon chaos spawns, she continues to experiment with these summons

  • She actually curls into a ball and goes "Meep" when things get to much for her (Shade: "Or totally randomly if you ask me")

  • She will however fight fiercely if she, or her pet dragons, is in grave danger (OM: "Which may include summoning of chaos spawns that neither she or anyone else can control, so avoid those situations!")

Palatyne:

• • She will never forgive her mother and the elders for the fate they bestowed upon her and her sisters, which also means that apart from the Old Magician she will have nothing to do with the Magic Council either.

  • Her appearance is that of fay and people often judge her by that, but she is intelligent and driven, much more so than her sisters.

  • The reason she was locked up in the prison she and her sisters designed for her father was that they guessed that she would never regret her actions or acknowledge punishment.

  • She loves deep and dark waters

  • Despite all the above she is described as a warm and caring person for those who know her and have travelled with her (like Calandra)

Saber:

• • Something more than a guardian demon walks in the bright red dress, the fact that she was accepted as a resident of the Abode so fast is a sign of that

  • She have become good friends with Rook from the start and is easygoing with the other residents, she is active, agile and funny, so she is accepted almost anywhere in the Abode

  • If given a task she will do her best to fulfil it. Although often she is a bit too enthusiastic about it, and neither the outcome, nor the way she archives it, might be what the one requesting the task had in mind...

  • One of her hobbies seems to be eating. She is constantly raiding the kitchen for sweets or titbits.

  • She is also quite fond of relaxing, preferably in a bath.

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Old Magician: (Shade: "If you can tell about me, I'll tell a few about you...")

• • He is older than he looks, much older...

  • He is, or possibly was, married (Shade: "Much to the surprise of almost everyone of the denizens of the Abode!"), although no one knows to whom, where or when.

  • He likes big cats (Shade: "I can can vouch for that...") and dragons.

  • <OM: casts spell of hiding html>