Basic Information
Name: Rhoda Alamarc Dunoir
Age: 17
Appearance: Standing at a total height of five feet, seven inches, with a physique clearly slanted towards her limbs, Rhoda possesses a fairly striking appearance despite her rather average size and build. Her legs, long and limber, seem thin and yet powerful, bearing notable traces of muscle despite their deceptively slender surface. Her waist seems equally thin, with her legs only rounding slightly into a flat stomach and an arched back. She possesses a mature, curving figure, running up into somewhat narrow yet firmly set shoulders that neither slump nor hunch as they form into her long, thin yet strong arms, terminating in a small but firm pair of hands. Her skin is a shade of pinkish white, neither overly tanned from excessive exposure nor excessively pale with years of being shut up inside. Yet, it seems somehow fragile, fitting snugly to her figure almost as though it was crafted from porcelain to fit just that shape. Soft and smooth, with nary a blemish on it, its tender, effeminate appearance clashes slightly with her somewhat rigid posture and firm build.
Her face is by far her most distinctive feature. Held proudly high atop a short neck, her features are neither angular nor overly puffy and childish. With a small chin leading into round yet ever-so-slightly shallow cheeks, a pair of firmly set, pale pink lips hiding behind them some decently white teeth, and a petite nose and ears, her most notable features are her most prominent ones: her hair and eyes, both of which are of a rather unusual shade. Her eyes are a bright scarlet, while her hair is a silvery white. Her tresses are not the faded grey of age, but rather a natural shade of almost luminescent silver, more like the color of new-fallen snow on a moonlit evening than the hue most would associate with "white hair." Not only is it clearly the natural color of her hair, but it seems to have always been that way. Her hairstyle is also quite distinctive. Her long bangs are trimmed and parted aside, framing her face with two shoulder-length side-tails that expand outward, covering her small ears and joining with her bangs to shroud her forehead, framing the red eyes they don't quite reach. The main portion of her hair, meanwhile, is combed straight back, cropped short at the base of her neck but allowed to flow freely in a single ponytail, bound by a silken yellow ribbon, that runs all the way down to the small of her back, an impressive mane of surprisingly soft and silky locks that further contributes to her somewhat eye-catching appearance.
Her general attire is a fairly simple one. Over her main garment - a lace-trimmed gown of white silk, its puffy sleeves tied back with thin purple ribbons and its skirt cut somewhat unusually high to allow for greater freedom of movement - she wears a peach-colored dress made of a thicker, rougher material, with all but the very top buttons fastening its ankle-length skirt closed left undone so as not to restrict her movements, whilst also allowing the garment to provide some protection from dust, as well as from prying eyes. Short white stockings and thick, featureless leather boots cover her feet, and her ensemble is at last completed by a loose belt of purple fabric from which hangs her sword, Eclipse.
Personality: Quiet, polite, and helpful, one couldn't accuse Rhoda of being a cold person. Rather, she's simply... distant. Rarely actually trying to initiate conversation, she instead remains quiet unless directly addressed. Although there are a few subjects about which she becomes somewhat enthusiastic, and she is always polite and kind in her speech, her stoic, quiet behavior remains constant, and, in large groups of people, she always seems to just fade into the background, emerging and joining the conversation just long enough to say a few things when people ask her something, then returning to her usual silence. She's not exactly antisocial, oblivious, or uninterested - she always quite plainly pays attention to what those around her say - just... quiet. Rarely does she volunteer her own opinion, and generally just goes along with the suggestions, requests, or commands of those around her, until sometimes it seems like she has no opinions of her own. If she does, anyway, she rarely gives any voice to them, although she's quite plainly capable of acting on her own when it comes down to it, and, when not in the company of anyone who tells her to do otherwise, she'll always do things how she sees fit. It's clearly not a lack of self-confidence she suffers from. Rather, it's more like she just doesn't feel like getting close to anyone. Considering her wandering nature, this is actually fairly likely.
Despite her aloof nature, it's quite clear she cares for those around her. Although she always seems rather melancholy, sometimes even to the point of outright defeatism, she'll always try her best to help others, be it by cheering a friend up, protecting someone, or performing some other task. Seeing her around her close friends when she's needed is a very surprising thing to behold, as the usually stoic, isolated individual shows how kind she can be best in this situation, revealing a motherly side most don't realize she has. When she helps others is perhaps one of the only times you'll ever see her smile, and even then, it seems somehow wry, or sad, but despite this, her smile clearly shows a kindness reflected in her actions. It's strange, and rather inexplicable that someone so distant and quiet could be so kind, but perhaps her mysterious, ever-present melancholy has something to do with her outward demeanor...?
In battle, Rhoda can be... frightening. Not because she changes her mood, mind you - rather, the opposite. Even when locked in a struggle for her life, she still remains quiet, calm, and polite. Looking down at a severe wound, she'd be more likely to sigh and murmur "How problematic..." than she would to scream in pain or rage against the one who had dealt it, and, upon landing her own strike, she would more likely give a quiet apology, or reassure a dying foe that their death was necessary, rather than gloating or claiming her victory. It's clear that she cares about these things, and yet, in spite of that, she's quite deadly and very serious when fighting. She's a gracious loser, a magnanimous victor, and a very dangerous combatant over all.
Background: Rhoda is the heiress of the famous Dunoir house, legendary for its school of swordsmanship, founded by one of the 10 survivors of the Shujaa of olden times before he was killed in battle. Her parents died when she was only in her teens, leaving the family's affairs in her inexperienced hands. It's been speculated that this responsibility, even with the assistance of her new guardians - her aunt and uncle - was simply too much for her to bear, causing her to abandon her inheritance and leave the clan for good. Although nobody knows if she actually has formally resigned her position as heiress, and the family itself refuses to reveal the details, what is known is that she no longer lives at the clan's ancestral home. To those who discover her identity, she claims to be on a traditional journey throughout the country in the name of self-searching, experience, and enlightenment, but it's also unknown if this is true or not. In any case, she has been wandering the world for several years now, armed only with her wits and an old sword, the blade known as "Eclipse," wielded by her great grandfather, the "First Ancestor" of the Dunoir. Rhoda took this sword when she left the family, which has raised suspicions that she fled, stealing the weapon, rather than having simply departed, since the family would never willingly surrender this famous heirloom. Performing various tasks to keep herself clothed and fed, she's become a fairly well known wandering mercenary. Recently, her travels have led her to Peacemark, as, having received some ominous news about a prophecy, Rhoda has decided to go in search of a tower known only through tales and myths... and for the weapon her grandfather left there. Although she's not a true master of her blade, she has enough confidence in her skills to make the attempt, and to see if she can't complete the legacy her direct ancestor began...
Likes & Loves:
Helping others.
Training with her sword.
A finely crafted blade.
Well-prepared meat, a rare luxury for her nowadays.
Comfortable, non-restrictive clothing.
Admittedly, a good fight.
Dislikes & Fears
Being by herself.
Being useless, unneeded, or unwanted.
Weakness.
Sickness.
Sword Information
Sword Name: Eclipse, Heaven's Emperor of Vermillion Shadows
Sword Appearance: Eclipse takes the form of a single-edged, straight-bladed sword with a general shape much like that of a dao or a falchion - a single blade that slightly curves back into a razor-sharp tip - but a blade more similar to a straight tachi sword, being folded into a thinner, longer blade than the more broad, heavy swords whose shape it otherwise favors, with a flat only about an inch wide that broadens only slightly upward at the point to increase its thrusting potential. Forged of an unknown metal, the blade is second to none in craftsmanship, folded upon itself again and again more times than any mortal hand could possibly manage, without a single impurity in its construction. With a softer, more resilient core at its center, and an edge made from the keenest, hardest material imaginable, it is without a doubt one of the sharpest and most durable weapons ever made, having a peerless edge that never dulls, chips, cracks, or breaks and a core that is tough enough not to bend nor warp while also not being so brittle as to shatter with the force of a blow. Despite its ancient nature, time and use hasn't left a single mark on the weapon's smooth, gleaming surface, showing just how incredible a sword it truly is. With a jet black blade polished so much as to shine with reflected light, especially along its edge where it is marked with a wave-like pattern of a silvery hue - known as a Hamon line, a hallmark of the differential hardening technique used to create it - it actually becomes seemingly transparent when swung against an object due to how reflective its surface is. When used during the day, the light shining off of it makes it seem like it glows with its own light, and at night, the weapon seems to be darker than the night sky itself, save for the radiance of the moon dancing along its gleaming edge.
The hilt is a simple one, crafted of an unknown material that resembles wood, yet has a texture more like glass, or some exceedingly smooth stone. Carefully wrapped in tightly-woven scarlet silk to form a grip, and ornamented only with a single, thin band of gold around the center of its grip and a small, gilded cap of the same metal as its blade to end its pommel, its hilt is clearly focused more towards practicality than needless decorations. Nevertheless, its handguard both serves its purpose and shows off its maker's skill, being a roughly circular plate of the same unknown metal leading into a thin band that helps adhere the blade to the hilt into which it is built. Both of these bands are gilded, and the larger ring is decorated with countless different ancient runes in an unknown script, which seem to writhe and glow with a faint reddish-purple light when the sword is drawn, resembling the halo surrounding the darkened moon during an eclipse, the same "Vermillion Shadow" for which the blade is named.
Eclipse is generally hung in a long, plain black sheath at Rhoda's left side, made of the same glassy black wood as its hilt and suspended from her belt by a single cross-crossing golden cord so thin as to be almost invisible. Neither this cord nor the scabbard possess any signs of wear or age, much like the weapon itself.
Sword's Ability: Eclipse possesses a very interesting and potent ability, one that is dangerous not only to the wielder's enemies, but to Rhoda herself. Simply put, the sword has the power to solidify shadows under its control or turn solids under its control INTO shadows - things under its control being its own mass, its wielder's mass, the shadow cast by it, and the shadow cast by its wielder, as well as any shadow it or its user happens to be physically touching - and to manipulate said shadows. Make no mistake, however. The blade does not give its user control of these abilities. Rather, the sword seems to possess a will of its own, so long as it has been drawn, with which to utilize these abilities as it sees fit. When its wielder needs assistance, the sword itself will choose a suitable power to use, the nature of which is determined by what the wielder needs most. It also knows what its wielder is thinking, so it can act according to their plans, if it wants to. For example, say the wielder can't reach a target. The sword, noticing this, might solidify the shadow cast by its own blade, extending this and manipulating it into a bladed tendril that lashes out at a target when swung.
There are a couple major downsides to this power, though. The sword, having a will of its own, has a tendency to do undesirable things at times. For example, if it sees its wielder isn't moving fast enough or striking powerfully enough, can solidify the wielder's shadow and wrap it around them, then manipulate this shadow to speed up the user's movements and increase their strength... at the cost of their power to control their movements, as the sword essentially uses their body like a puppet. Or, it might transform their entire body into a shadow, and manipulate them against their will thus. And, although it can work with its user's plans, generally it acts entirely on its own opinions and analysis of situations, making its actions unpredictable to its wielder, whose plans are oftentimes thwarted by sudden, contrary actions of the sword. And, naturally, shadows don't equate darkness, so if the weapon is cut off from all sources of light with which to cast a shadow, it's essentially just a normal sword. And, if sheathed, it loses the power to do anything, period, as it only seems to exhibit its autonomous nature once it has been drawn.
Additional Information
Themes
General: Answer
Battle: Ultimate Truth
Battle II: Scarlet Chain
Battle III: Ihojin no Yaiba
Sadness/Loss: Moon
Light-Heartedness/Humor: Hane
Physical
Handedness: Ambidextrous. Favors her right hand for swordfighting, however.
Fitness: Physically fit, but not overly strong. Has a very flexible, acrobatic build rather than an overwhelmingly powerful, muscled physique, relying more on precise strikes with a light, sharp blade and hasty evasion in battle than she does on powerful, sweeping movements with an overwhelmingly large weapon, or on direct defense and clashes of strength.
Allergies/Medical Conditions: Has a somewhat fragile constitution. Either she catches colds very easily, or suffers from some sort of chronic illness, as she frequently succumbs to fits of weakness and coughing, sometimes even collapsing.
Others
More to be added later, perhaps.