Valentina Laural Derege: Val, 18, Female
The Little Gaia , Rank 3, Circle 1
The Little Gaia , Rank 3, Circle 1
~ Physical Info ~
{Appearance}
If there is one thing that will never be said about Val it is that her appearance is intimidating. She stands at only about 5'1 and has a very slight, petite build. She has light, sky blue eyes that have a constant blank or disinterested look about them. Her long, platinum blonde hair is so light that it is easily mistaken for white or light grey and she normally keeps it in a large, messy braid so it does not get in her way but enjoys keeping it down on lazy days. Val's thin lips are a naturally pale pink and she has a small nose that rounds at the tip and always seems to be slightly ruddy. This ruddy nose along with the fact that Val's cheeks also have a natural pink blush make it look as though Val has just come in from being out in the cold.
Being self-conscious and a bit insecure of herself, Val dislikes showing off her body too much. She likes wearing shorts but she rarely wears skirts or dresses and does not show much of her upper half besides her neck and sometimes her shoulders. Therefore, Val's style mostly consists of comfy clothing that look a bit too big for her small stature (example,example,example) and gold or silver accessories to make herself look put together. Val also wears reading glasses, but only if she forgets to put in contacts. She cares about her own presentation, but not so much that she would compromise comfort for beauty.
Val may be slight, but she actually has quite a bit of muscle for her body mass. She is by no means a physically strong girl, but she has a good amount of muscle relative to her build. She has a natural posture where her shoulders curl inward slightly as if she is slouching over, but when she pays attention to her posture, she normally makes sure that she stands as straight and tall as she can.
Val's most prize possession is her mother's ring that she keeps on a chain for safe keeping. She plays with it often when she is bored or nervous. She also carries a simple wooden staff. It is not an enchantment and is in no way magical. However, it assists Val in the use of her magic. What she uses it for most is directing her magic so that it does not veer off and hit something or someone that she did not intend for it to hit. Her uncle crafted it when she was a child from the strongest wood known to man. It no longer looks polished as it once did, but it is still very useful.
{Rank Marking}
Right side of her neck, just below her ear. It can sometimes be covered by a scarf or her hair, but she does not mind if it shows.
~ Mentality ~
{Personality}
Although she hates being referred to as such, Val is generally seen as a strong, silent girl. She is a quiet girl; however, her silence should not be taken to mean weakness. In fact, her silence should rather be taken as a sign of strength and resilience. In most cases (although not all), she is able to repress her emotions and keep a blank expression in the face of sadness, fear, nervousness, and a variety of other feelings. She tends to only speak up in order to crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment. This may make Val seem bitter and snarky, and that is how most who barely know Val think of her.
Due to her general quietness, Val always has an air of mystery around her. She is not one to spill her life story to anyone who comes along. Even her closest friends often do not know everything about Val. They may know snippets of her life from what she tells them or stories they hear, but no one really knows everything about her besides Mica, her guardian, and Luke, her brother (and she even keeps secrets from the latter). Despite her secrecy, Val has been know to be extremely -and sometimes brutally- honest. Since she was a child, she has always been one to tell the truth no matter how harsh it is. She may keep parts of the truth to herself, but she will almost never tell an outright lie -unless she is convinced it is the absolute right and moral option. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Val is so quiet. She prefers to not speak rather than tell a lie. That is not to say that she has never told a lie before, but on important matters Val tends to tell the truth no matter how blunt she must be. This also adds to Val's seeming air of bitterness. She often finds that people would rather hear a lie than hear the full truth and think that she is rude for not lying to them. This trait in people is one thing that continues to perplex Val to no end.
One of Val's most prominent traits is her seemingly perpetual disinterest. She appears to always have either a blank, daydreaming stare or a non-caring look on her face . Val enjoys laughing and will often give a small smile or a happy chortle if she finds something amusing, but she rarely goes beyond that. The only time that this blank expression changes is when she gets angry. She often finds that she can suppress most anger or annoyance that she feels; however, she finds it next to impossible to suppress anger caused by the harm of people she likes. She does not have to be particularly close with someone for their harm to anger her. Val has been known to lash out verbally and sometimes physically when someone who is only an acquaintance is hurt. If she likes the person and considers them to be trustworthy and loyal to her, she will become loyal and protective to the fullest of her ability.
Val may be dangerous when angered, but she is a truly peaceful person and would rather make allies than make enemies. She believes that arguing takes too much of her energy and makes too much of a mess of emotions that she has trouble dealing with. In fact, she will often agree with a person she is arguing with simply so they can cease their fighting. But, in actually, Val has a very stubborn mindset. She may heed to another person verbally, but that is simply in order to get the other person off her back. In reality, once her mind is made, it is very hard for anyone to sway Val's thoughts.
Despite all of Val's often blunt or bitter outward attitude, Val has a strong gentle side that can normally be seen if a person looks straight into her eyes. She has a kind, almost motherly core to her strong, silent exterior. No matter how little this side of her may show, it is always there. Val can be an excellent listener and great giver of advice giver if she knows that someone is in true need of one. She may come off as rude and blunt simply because she speaks very little besides to make sarcastic or harshly honest comments; however, she is also a trustworthy, goodhearted individual who will always come to the aid of someone in need.
If there is one thing that will never be said about Val it is that her appearance is intimidating. She stands at only about 5'1 and has a very slight, petite build. She has light, sky blue eyes that have a constant blank or disinterested look about them. Her long, platinum blonde hair is so light that it is easily mistaken for white or light grey and she normally keeps it in a large, messy braid so it does not get in her way but enjoys keeping it down on lazy days. Val's thin lips are a naturally pale pink and she has a small nose that rounds at the tip and always seems to be slightly ruddy. This ruddy nose along with the fact that Val's cheeks also have a natural pink blush make it look as though Val has just come in from being out in the cold.
Being self-conscious and a bit insecure of herself, Val dislikes showing off her body too much. She likes wearing shorts but she rarely wears skirts or dresses and does not show much of her upper half besides her neck and sometimes her shoulders. Therefore, Val's style mostly consists of comfy clothing that look a bit too big for her small stature (example,example,example) and gold or silver accessories to make herself look put together. Val also wears reading glasses, but only if she forgets to put in contacts. She cares about her own presentation, but not so much that she would compromise comfort for beauty.
Val may be slight, but she actually has quite a bit of muscle for her body mass. She is by no means a physically strong girl, but she has a good amount of muscle relative to her build. She has a natural posture where her shoulders curl inward slightly as if she is slouching over, but when she pays attention to her posture, she normally makes sure that she stands as straight and tall as she can.
Val's most prize possession is her mother's ring that she keeps on a chain for safe keeping. She plays with it often when she is bored or nervous. She also carries a simple wooden staff. It is not an enchantment and is in no way magical. However, it assists Val in the use of her magic. What she uses it for most is directing her magic so that it does not veer off and hit something or someone that she did not intend for it to hit. Her uncle crafted it when she was a child from the strongest wood known to man. It no longer looks polished as it once did, but it is still very useful.
{Rank Marking}
Right side of her neck, just below her ear. It can sometimes be covered by a scarf or her hair, but she does not mind if it shows.
~ Mentality ~
{Personality}
Although she hates being referred to as such, Val is generally seen as a strong, silent girl. She is a quiet girl; however, her silence should not be taken to mean weakness. In fact, her silence should rather be taken as a sign of strength and resilience. In most cases (although not all), she is able to repress her emotions and keep a blank expression in the face of sadness, fear, nervousness, and a variety of other feelings. She tends to only speak up in order to crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment. This may make Val seem bitter and snarky, and that is how most who barely know Val think of her.
Due to her general quietness, Val always has an air of mystery around her. She is not one to spill her life story to anyone who comes along. Even her closest friends often do not know everything about Val. They may know snippets of her life from what she tells them or stories they hear, but no one really knows everything about her besides Mica, her guardian, and Luke, her brother (and she even keeps secrets from the latter). Despite her secrecy, Val has been know to be extremely -and sometimes brutally- honest. Since she was a child, she has always been one to tell the truth no matter how harsh it is. She may keep parts of the truth to herself, but she will almost never tell an outright lie -unless she is convinced it is the absolute right and moral option. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Val is so quiet. She prefers to not speak rather than tell a lie. That is not to say that she has never told a lie before, but on important matters Val tends to tell the truth no matter how blunt she must be. This also adds to Val's seeming air of bitterness. She often finds that people would rather hear a lie than hear the full truth and think that she is rude for not lying to them. This trait in people is one thing that continues to perplex Val to no end.
One of Val's most prominent traits is her seemingly perpetual disinterest. She appears to always have either a blank, daydreaming stare or a non-caring look on her face . Val enjoys laughing and will often give a small smile or a happy chortle if she finds something amusing, but she rarely goes beyond that. The only time that this blank expression changes is when she gets angry. She often finds that she can suppress most anger or annoyance that she feels; however, she finds it next to impossible to suppress anger caused by the harm of people she likes. She does not have to be particularly close with someone for their harm to anger her. Val has been known to lash out verbally and sometimes physically when someone who is only an acquaintance is hurt. If she likes the person and considers them to be trustworthy and loyal to her, she will become loyal and protective to the fullest of her ability.
Val may be dangerous when angered, but she is a truly peaceful person and would rather make allies than make enemies. She believes that arguing takes too much of her energy and makes too much of a mess of emotions that she has trouble dealing with. In fact, she will often agree with a person she is arguing with simply so they can cease their fighting. But, in actually, Val has a very stubborn mindset. She may heed to another person verbally, but that is simply in order to get the other person off her back. In reality, once her mind is made, it is very hard for anyone to sway Val's thoughts.
Despite all of Val's often blunt or bitter outward attitude, Val has a strong gentle side that can normally be seen if a person looks straight into her eyes. She has a kind, almost motherly core to her strong, silent exterior. No matter how little this side of her may show, it is always there. Val can be an excellent listener and great giver of advice giver if she knows that someone is in true need of one. She may come off as rude and blunt simply because she speaks very little besides to make sarcastic or harshly honest comments; however, she is also a trustworthy, goodhearted individual who will always come to the aid of someone in need.
~ Ability Statistics ~
{Guardian, Demon, or Enchantment}
Guardian - When Val first discovered that she and her family had magic, she was only four and she was extremely scared of herself. She ended up lashed out physically at her own mother [see Biography]. Realizing what she had done, Val ran away. It was not until she stopped running rather far from her home that she noticed a kodiak bear cub with two small nubs protruding from his head had been running after her the entire time. Thinking it was an actual wild bear cub, she was confused and fearful when he spoke to her in a gentle voice, asking if she was alright.
Once she had finally calmed down enough to realize that this must be her guardian, she sat down with him and told him in her small, voice about her entire 5-year life and he told her all about his. Val took no time in giving him the loving nickname, Mica (Short for Amicus meaning friend in Latin). From that day forward, the two shared a strong bond. Many believe that Val would have never gotten her magic under control had it not been for Mica. He was the one that calmed her when she got too emotional and he was the one that constantly took the blows (both physically and emotionally) that would have been dealt to her family.
To this day, Val still cannot forgive herself for the hurt she cause Mica, but the two now share an even closer bond and it is clear to everyone around them that the two will die together. Only a cub when they met, Mica has grown with Val (unlike a normal bear would) and is now a full grown kodiak bear standing at about five and a half feet tall at the shoulders, ten feet in length, and weighing about 1,050 pounds with a pair of ram-like horns adorning his head. Where Mica used to lay his head on Val's chest when they slept, the weight of just his head could possibly suffocate Val now.
Mica's talent for Elvistior magic as well as his polite attitude makes him a perfect opposite for Val while also sharing her secretiveness and loyalty. The two seem to have both found a friend that they can let loose with and tell everything too considering that neither would (under normal circumstances) do this with anyone else.
{Magic-Types}
Brawan
{Signature Spell}
Earth's Roar - The user drives either a body part or a weapon into the ground. The ground cracks around that area and then sends a shockwave outward. If not mentally controlled, the wave will reach out in all directions for a certain distance that depends on the force with which the user hit the earth. If properly mentally controlled, the user can choose which objects the shockwave hits, those that it will not affect, and how far the shockwave reaches. This may cause jagged cracks in the earth where the shockwave hits, but sometimes the wave is unnoticeable until it hits an object. When the object is hit, it is launched upward as is thrown by the earth itself.
{Spell List}
~Land Rockets - Rocks of different sizes (varying from small pebbles to large boulders) are conjured and thrown with amazing speed. The amount of energy exerted is directly proportional to the size of the rocks (e.g. pebbles are less physically exerting than boulders).
~Life Force - The user draws upon their own strength of mind, body, and soul to create a ball of pure energy that can do one of three things. It can be formed into a weapon of pure energy or drawn into an already existing weapon to give it additional strength, or the energy can be flung at an enemy. After use, the energy returns to the user's body.
~Growth From Nothing - The user causes strong, thick plants (normally vines, but can be trees or other plants) to shoot from the ground. The user can then manipulate these plants to do nearly anything. These plants can be cut, but they are sturdy and resilient, so they are difficult to chop. The user can also regenerate any cut plant however, the regeneration process normally takes longer than the originally growing.
~Split of Terra - A bottomless rift opens in the ground and anything standing within a yard of the rift is sucked in. Afterwards, the rift closes and the ground goes back to being seamlessly the way is was before minus anything that was above the rift. The user can control the length of the rift as well as how long it opens for. This spell is extremely dangerous and is hard to control. The rift will often stay open longer than intended or reach farther than intended. In addition, there is no way of controlling who or what gets caught in the rift; therefore, this spell can harm or kill unintended victims.
~Ground Shaker - An intense shaking begins within a radius around the user (the user controls the radius and intensity). The user must be completely stable while casting this spell. If both feet leave the ground (e.i. the user falls over or gets picked up) the shaking stops. During this period of shaking, the user is able to feel the heartbeat and breath of everything and everyone affected by the shaking.
{Non-magic Skills}
# A natural affinity with animals and other beasts
# Gardening
# Highly intelligent
# Able to learn new skills quickly and with ease
# Martial arts
~ Personal Background ~
{Biography}
Val was born to her mother, father, and older brother, Luke, in a small wooden cabin, half a mile away from the nearest city. Val was told nothing of the magic her family possessed and she constantly questioned why they lived in the woods so far away from all of her friends. As Val has been told, her parents had been informed before she was born that Val would hold a great amount of power and that she would be unstable if she were told about her magic at a young age. Whoever said this was not completely incorrect. Val does hold a good amount of power (most of which she rarely uses); however, she believes that the magic would have been easier to wield had she been taught about it for her entire life -like her brother had been. In any case, Val has never blamed her parents for keeping it from her as they were only doing what they thought was best for her.
Growing up, Luke was Val's best friend and confident. He was six years her elder, but they got along perfectly. Val's first words were spoken to Luke and from everyday forward, Val and Luke had an unspoken agreement that they would talk to each other everyday until one of them could no longer speak. Even with no idea of the reason behind it, Luke had agreed with his parents to never speak of magic to Val. The only thing that they told him was that if he broke his promise, something bad would happen to his new baby sister. Ever the protective big brother, Luke only wanted to guard his sister from any form of hurt, so he vowed not to tell her about her magic until the time was right. As children, Val and Luke used to enjoy playing pranks on each other and then laughing at themselves. Luke was stereotypically protective and teasing and Val was annoying and childish. They fought constantly and always professed their hatred for each other, but everyone could see that they were an unbreakable pair.
One of the most important adult figures in Val's life was the only living family member that they knew of, Uncle Richy. He was a wanderer of sorts, traveling the world and selling weapons -or so he told the family. He would visit before he went on one of his many travels and would then visit again after returning. He would return with glorious stories filled with magic and adventure that he would tell Val and Luke. Val remembers how her parents would often drag Richy into the kitchen after telling Val a story and yell at him in a hushed tone for speaking to her about magic. One thing Richy did without fail was spoil Val and Luke. He always brought back small trinkets and baubles from every corner of the world for them to play with. He once brought back a wooden staff with beautiful, intricate engravings on it and gave it to Val. At the time, the staff was shiny with a coat of lacquer and stood nearly three and a half feet taller than Val, but she loved it all the same and would carry it everywhere, proclaiming that she would zap everyone with lightning like the mages in Uncle Richy's stories could do. Although Luke and Richy would laugh, Val's parents always seemed less amused by Val's antics.
It was not until two months after Val's fourth birthday that she was told about her magic. At first she was amazing and excited by the idea; however, as she realized what this power actually entailed, her magic started to finally awaken. Without realizing it, Val began to shake and the ground around her shook as well. Her family attempted to calm her, but she had now become scared of the earthquake and herself for starting it. As her mother stepped forward to try to comfort her weeping child, Val unintentionally lashed out with magic, knocking her mother down. Upon realizing what she had done to her own mother, the earthquake immediately ceased and Val ran out of the house, bawling uncontrollably. She ran until she was out of breath and had no idea where she was or what time of night it was. This is where she met her bear-like guardian, Amicus (or just Mica). It took only moments for Val to realize who Mica was and felt such a strong bond to him that she once again burst into tears, clinging to Mica as if he were a lifeline. Mica was able to calm Val down and the two sat for hours against a large tree, telling each other all about their lives up to that point. With his amazing sense of smell, Mica was able to track Val's scent back to her house. They returned just as the sun rose only to find Val's parents and Luke waiting with worried and anxious expressions.
After that awful day, Val's parents along with Luke and Uncle Richy began teaching Val the ins and outs of magic. Although it was still relatively weak, Val's magic was stronger than most mages of her age. With this power came the difficult task of controlling it. For several years, Val had very little control over her magic. She could barely create a simple pebble-sized ball of energy without having it explode on her. However, through intense training and with the help of Mica, Val slowly began to get her power under control. She continued to make progress and, as she did, Mica also grew in his field of magic. The two were a perfect pair and their energies seemed to bounce off of each other, helping greatly in Val's control of her magic.
Life was coming along pretty well for the Derege family. Val was finally in control of her power and there was talk of sending Luke to the Academy. It was after midnight on a hot night in late July when the entire being of the family was changed. Uncle Richy had just gotten back from a particularly exotic trip and had told Val and Luke that he would give them their souvenirs in the morning. Both children went to bed excited about the prospect of a new toy. However, the entire Derege family was woken when there was a sudden crash followed by a loud snapping sound. Val's father went down to investigate the noise only to find a wide fire filling the living room and two large demonic beasts ransacking their home. The remainder of the family stood at the top of the stairs listening as the beast yelled that they had seen Val's father and ran to catch the mage. They succeeded in their attempt to catch Val's father, but not before he could call out to his anxious, worried family that they had to leave the house at once. Although hesitant, the three remaining Dereges along with Mica ran for their lives, only able to bring the clothes on their backs and whatever else was in their hands (for Val it was her staff from Uncle Richy). As they were about to jump out of the second story window, Val's mother let out a scream that remains ingrained in her childrens' minds to this day. One of the demons had grabbed her by the ankle and was pulling her back down the hallway toward the fire that was now making its way up the stairs. Val grabbed desperately for her mother, but Luke made a split second decision and pulled Val out the window with him, Mica jumping only seconds after.
The remainder of that night is a blur of fear, emotional pain, and confusion for Val. She ran alongside Luke, her eyes blurring with tears. She would stumbling every once in a while, but Luke would quickly and harshly pull her up by the arms and Mica would push her from behind. They made it to the closest city and slept in an alleywaythat night, but Val has a suspicion that Luke got no sleep. It was not until the morning that Val realized that she had not caught any sign of Uncle Richy. She was still too young and naive for her mind to even conceive that he could have taken part in this disaster, but it crossed Luke's mind and he still holds a strong disdain for his uncle, but has no clue on his whereabouts.
After the event of that fateful night, Val and Luke roamed the streets of the city for several nights. The two were eventually found and taken pity on by an old, motherly B&B owner named Stella Barile. She allowed Val and Luke to live in a spare room if Luke would promise to work full time for her. He agreed and the two were given the room and amenities. After only a few months of living there, the two found out that the woman was actually a rather wealthy woman who had chosen not to flaunt her money and rather to live a very humble life. She had had no children and told Val and Luke that she had taken them in primarily because she wanted children of her own. Stella ended up legally adopting the two -after their parents were pronounced dead and their only family member pronounced missing. She also graciously decided to spend quite a bit of money to put both children through the Academy. Although she was human, Stella had not a single prejudice against mages. Rather, she was fascinated by their magic as well as the strong bond between Mica and Val. She would never be able to fully understand the power, but she endeavored to learn more about her adoptive children each day.
Val loved her adoptive mother and was grateful that she was able to lead a good life even with two family members gone and one supposedly on the run. However, Val was never again the talkative, happy-go-lucky, little girl that she had been before that night in August. At first, Val was deeply depressed by the loss and refused to speak to anyone. She was eventually able to come around and became a happier person, but she was not the same joyful child as she had been. To this day, she is still on the cynical side and is a much quieter and less open person. This seems to have become the new Val and it is doubtful that she will ever go back to being a joyous young woman.
Val continues to live with Stella and sees Luke nearly everyday. Luke has recently moved in with his girlfriend of two years, Maria and Val has recently begun to help him plan out how he will propose to her in the coming months.
Relationships
Talia Stacy Derege- Mother || Deceased
Samuel Lincoln Derege - Father || Deceased
Richard Stanley Copanus - Uncle on Mother's Side || Unknown Status
Lucas Ryan Derege - Older Brother || Living
Stella Barile - Adoptive Mother || Living
Maria Patton - Luke's Girlfriend || Living
