Stats: Female, 22, black with green eyes, shoulder-length curly black hair. Short, rather plain featured.

Typical Wear: light colors, robes or casual breeches with a loose sleeved shirt and accompanying over tunic

Magic: minor ability at assorted general skills, and rated at upper moderate levels of healing

Personality/History: Being an only child raised by the greatest mage of all time, not to mention the leader of the current Triptych, makes for a neurotic personality. Cara has spent her life being bullied and mentored by her father, who has never been pleased with her lack of ability. She in turn suffers great frustration and shame at this, and always strives to reach his impossible goals, becoming something of an obsessive overachiever with perpetual lack of confidence. When away from Balthazor, she is the de facto leader (usually with great reluctance) and planner. She loves kicking back with her triumvirate and causing chaos with them, although this is something she always denies fervently.

Quote:"I beg your pardon, but..."

Stats: Female, 22, oriental with brown eyes, chin-length black hair. Tall, trim, shows definite muscle, tomboyish.

Typical Wear: earth toned breeches and sleeveless tunic, dress robes under extreme protest- dresses never. Accessorizes with metal ornaments that in emergency would be used as projectile weapons.

Magic: moderate control over metals, extremely high proficiency with metal weaponry

Personality/History: The oldest of six children, daughter of the domineering and status-conscious Nia, Mel has compensated by becoming the irritating shame of the family name. In public and whenever around her mother, she is bawdy, boisterous, crude, lecherous, and anything else that she thinks will irritate Nia and her family. In private and around her triumvirate, she tones it down somewhat, but she is still very much an action person. She will often act before thinking, dragging a reluctant Lauron and a somewhat more cautious Cara into trouble after her.
      Mel naturally has a lot of a swashbuckler in her, and she does have a love of adventure and risk. She knows that Lauron is paranoid about being caught, and Cara is obsessive about pleasing her father- therefore she views it as her duty to show them that pushing the limits isn't a bad thing. Yet when things come down to the line, she will be ferocious about protecting the other two. Her magically augmented skill with metal weapons- the only other thing she is serious about and devoted to- has helped them out of more than one scrape already.

Quote:"I'd tell you to kiss my left nut, if I had one."

Stats: Female, 22, caucasian with brown eyes, waist-length white hair in many small braids.

Typical Wear: muted colors, usually robes with the occasional dress

Magic: high level ability to create music and instruments, influence over moods through that music.

Personality/History: Lauron is the oldest of three children, her younger sibs being bratty twin boys- who together have long held a position in their father's eyes much higher than Lauron's, due to stronger/more useful magical ability. This has led to her developing a sneaky streak, making her an expert at pranks and mildly malicious tricks to get the twins in trouble. Aside from this impish side, she tends to be quiet and contemplative, being quite happy to be on her own. This probably comes from her father's ability to control the dead, which he uses as servants. Being raised by the undead all her life has not helped her social skills. However, her mostly absentee mother has instilled a love of animals, and she seems to show a much toned down affinity for them. Through her music, she can sometimes control various creatures.

Quote:"Why are we doing this again?"

Stats: Male, 47, black with hazel eyes, shaved bald, trim and muscular.

Typical Wear: Purple. Usually robes, but always, ALWAYS purple

Magic: high rating in all but healing (no talent whatsoever), with extreme levels for channeling and prophesy.

Personality/History: Control freak. Raised in a noble family, always being told that he had a Destiny (which he saw through his magic anyways), his goals have always been focused around gaining and remaining in power. The magic weak Cara is his greatest failure- sometimes, it seems she is the ONLY failure in his life.

Quote:"Do you have a point, or do you merely plan to continue wasting air?"

Stats: Female, 43, oriental with deep green eyes, waist-length wavy black hair. Tall, willowy, preened into perfection.

Typical Wear: the latest jewel toned fashions, mainly dresses, sometimes elaborate robes

Magic: extremely high control over earth minerals. Cannot create, but can manipulate earth and all derivatives (metals, crystals, etc.)

Personality/History: Ruthless, conniving, and power hungry. Also born a noble, Nia has always been the proper high born lady, raised and pampered with any whim instantly satisfied- until she met Balthazor. They met as teenagers at a social event, where Nia tried to seduce him. When he rebuffed her advances, this fascinated the never before refused woman. She began to pursue him in earnest, with the same results for several months. Finally, they had a private confrontation. While neither ever speak of what occurred during this, they became rather constant companions without Nia trying to make any moves on Balthazor.

Quote:"How can I help you, and just how do you think you can help me?"

Stats: male, 51, caucasian with brown eyes, bald (age), tall and naturally thin almost to emaciation.

Typical Wear: plain bone white garments, usually tunic/breeches

Magic: very high control over all dead entities through music

Personality/History: Surviving an abusive childhood, this cook's son was taught to never use his magic- since Komen's father was highly disturbed and revolted by his youngest son manipulating skeletons like puppets. He was banned from ever making the music that controlled the dead. A few sneak attempts resulted in the crude instruments being broken while used to beat the boy bloody.
      No one, save Komen and perhaps the Triptych in total, knows how long this went on or just what he did about the situation. But when Nia and Balthazor began to challenge everyone in sight, they had the unknown, almost inexplicably powerful necromancer by their side.
      Komen uses his magic constantly, as if to either make up for childhood lack or to prove he is not the useless failure his father insisted he was. The dead and his beautiful wife occupy most of his time, but he is always willing to spare a few hours for his twin sons- who share his abilities. While he pampers Lauron, he doesn't seem to really know what to do with or how to relate to her.

Quote:"Well, uh, yes, that is a zombie. There's really no need to scream."

Stats: Female, 99 (?), appearance unknown (always hidden underneath gray robes and cloak).

Typical Wear: all enveloping gray robes and cloak

Magic: very extremely high ability for Foresight and prophesy

Personality/History: Nothing is known about this mysterious, cantankerous prophetess. She can be whimsical in what questions she answers, and even then is usually highly cryptic (it's also unknown if she has to be so vague, or if it's just to be annoying). Anyone with enough money can ask her about their future, but it's all her whim if she will answer. Even the great Balthazor, who visits her regularly, has no guarantees.

Quote:"Ten! Now go away!"

Modern Tayda

Stats: Male, age 25, tall caucasian with short red hair and brown eyes, right leg undersized/withered from a birth defect

Typical Wear: loose shirt and baggy trousers under student robes or scholar's long vest, wooden crutch

Occupation: student to be a teacher, emphasis on history

Personality/History: Son of a palace gardener and housekeeper, a perpetual scholar who enjoys the challenge of rediscovering the past, Danion used to rarely look beyond his latest book. He had no greater ambition than to be a teacher- one with unlimited access to the palace's libraries. This comes from a childhood spent wandering around the palace grounds and probably an unhealthy amount of time in the Hall of Portraits. He never got out much, due to a birth defect that left his leg highly underdeveloped.
      The introduction of Andre into his life has made things infinitely more interesting, and much more chaotic. Yet he finds he's rather reluctantly enjoying the direction it's taking, and while he does not question the goal of his life path, Danion is starting to wonder about the route. With this comes an increasing frustration with his handicap.

Quote:"Andre, give me one good reason why I shouldn't bludgeon your head in with my crutch, and 'sex' doesn't count."

Stats: Male, age 23, latino with blue eyes, mid-length brown hair typically magicked in anime fashion (al a Sano from Rurouni Kenshin). When not styled, slightly curly and reaches just below his shoulders.

Typical Wear: Anything, preferably gold or gold accented. The more attention grabbing/outrageous the better. Let's not discuss the thong incident.

Occupation: journeyman level mage, student assistant at Taydan palace

Personality/History: Andre has earned his nickname of "Master Flamboyant" for his clothes, outgoing personality, and dramatic spell effects. He was abandoned at a young age, raised by a church sponsored orphanage- only the church in question happened to be Quietus's. Andre happily embraced the church's views, and was seriously considering joining the clergy when his magical ability manifested- he created an illusion of the god appear during a solstice festival... only the god himself decided to manifest a few moments later. While the god was quite amused, the priests were not that happy with being upstaged, so they sent Andre off to the mage school at the palace. While there, he ran into- literally- Danion, and somehow the charismatic mage decided they'd make good friends. He loves the challenge of trying to get Danion to loosen up, enjoy life, and get laid (not necessarily in that order), but he does truly value their friendship. Lately, he's been experimenting with healing and alteration spells in an attempt to help Danion's leg.

Quote:"Ah, my lovely wench, let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we will be so hung over you won't even recognize me in your bed!"

Stats: Male, age 19, heritage mixed into obscurity, mildly dark skin, short blue-black hair, and sharp planed features

Typical Wear: worn, shabby, and generally stained shirt and trousers, poncho instead of overcoat

Occupation: smith, former bouncer, reluctant apprentice swordsman

Personality/History: Blacksmith, child of smiths, with a brother as a smith- Garret was actually happy with his lot in life. As part of a guild family, he grew up learning the trade, and enjoys his work. He managed to pick up a bit of a drinking problem two years back, and to cover for the money lost he's gotten a part time job as bouncer at his favorite bar (The Belching Gargoyle). One night after a particularly brutal brawl, a man approached him, complimented his technique with the club, and asked if he'd be interested in learning how to use a sword. Being entirely drunk and knocked silly, Garret agreed and promptly fell unconscious at the man's feet. He awoke the next morning to find he'd apprenticed himself to Guardsman Kenneth Dale. He is not happy with this development, but legally, he has to at least learn sword fighting to Kenneth's satisfaction. It doesn't help that the Guardsman finds his little drinking habit unsavory.

Quote:"You want me to do WHAT?!"