Audona. Aislinn. Caoimhe. As an inhuman, these names have been made hers by the whispers of the human-folk, speaking legends and fables of her. These last two names, being what she has been referred to the most, have simply been tacked onto her true name, one she has kept throughout the centuries, though no one knows it.
Audona- (Awh-Doe-Nah): Unknown meaning; Gaelic Origin. Existent from her previous life, before the water horse curse.
Aislinn- (I-Is-Lynn): A dream; A vision; An inspiration. Gaelic Origin. Named this because those that have been unfortunate enough to have stumbled across such a spirit have always described her as dream-like, or having been lulled into a dream-like state when viewing her.
Caoimhe- (Chime-hey): Gentle, Beauty, Grace. Gaelic Origin. She should be malignant, evil, dangerous, deadly, as all inhumans and spirits are. But she is different. She has a gentle timidity about her, almost sorrowful. Her body movement is something to behold, with water as her dwelling it is no surprise that she is graceful and can move just as easily as a stream. Her beauty is one that is remarked only through a few stories in which she has taken human form.
”Stormy seas and gentle breeze…”
Audona
[ Nicknames/Aliases ]
Aislinn
Caoimhe
Wandering Water Equine- Nicknamed this for the mournful way she seems to hover around bodies of water, never really staying in the same area for too long. This makes it very difficult to prove her existence, for the stories that farmers and wanderers tell others can never be pinpointed, for the lake or pond she had been in would be empty should any other look for her there again.
Drowned Lass- A name that is rarely uttered anymore, and can only be found from old books and bards who tell of the story behind the lost Kelpie. It’s been at least a century and a half since she has been seen by a mortal in her human form, though that does not mean that she does not occasionally revert to it.
[ Age ]
376
[ Gender ]
Female
[ Race ]
Inhuman; Spirit- Cursed, Consumed, Deceased
[ Role/Occupation ]
Captured Creature; Beast of Burden.
[ Species ]
Kelpie; Water Horse
Murky, dull brown mane with many different highlights of mud coloration and a greenish tint.
*Smooth and calm willow tree brown in human form.
[ Eye Color ]
Entire pupil is a pale yellow, with a frog-like rectangular pupil.
*A gorgeous, deep golden-green color with normal pupils.
[ Skin Tone ]
Pale light green fur with mud colored splotches along the back and shoulders.
*A creamy, fair skinned color with little to no blemishes.
[ Height ]
About the size of a below-average thoroughbred horse; about 13.6 hands.
*5' 7''
[ Weight ]
Around 950 lbs.
*120 lbs.
While her form varies with each prior body of water, her appearance remains mostly the same. A skinny yet elegant looking horse about the size of a thoroughbred. With her it is obvious that she is a Kelpie, she has never tried looking like a normal horse, nor does she ever want to. She is oddly colored, with a greenish pelt with cream yellow markings and muddy splotches permanently etched onto her body. Her mane is long and messy, but it looks soft and free like a tumbling waterfall. It parts down her muzzle for her dull yellow eyes to peer out from, and she’s got a gentle air to her.
Atop her head are many different watery objects ranging from seashells, conches, clams, seaweed, mud, algae, vines, and other such paraphernalia. Barnacles are usually hitching a ride on her haunches.
However, her human form is drastically different in many ways. Her hair is long and messy, yet in such a way that it looks like it was styled that way. It tumbles subtly down, and her bangs are usually in her face, parted above one eye with a shorter length on the other. She has an angled chin and gentle cheekbones. Her hair is the color of brown willow bark, and just as in her equine form, it is adorned with memories of the sea, ranging from pearls, smooth pebbles, coral, water lilies, and the occasional stray piece of kelp. Her eyes are large and soft, drawing any soul closer and offering peace. They are a catching color of gold and algae green, and it is easy to get lost in them.
She is fair and cream skinned with little to no blemishes, and her lips are full and inviting, with the subtlest hint of a smile peaking at the corners, despite her usual sorrow. Her frame is sleek, small, and agile, and she has legs to die for.
Usually Audona appears in a black, flowing dress with long sleeves and a hem that cuts off at the front of her knees with a train that continues to flow on in the back, reaching mid-calf. The color highlights her eyes and better displays the array of colorful coral and shells in her hair.
✔ Raging seas and calm waterfronts.
✔ Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, oceans, seas, bodies of water etc.
✔ Rain, storms, morning dew, mist, fog.
✔ Mountains and Forests.
✔ Sandpipers.
✔ Lute and harp music.
✔ Water reeds, lilies, leaves, trees, nature.
[ Dislikes ]
x Deserts and dry landscapes.
x Endless Solitude.
x Being a Kelpie- her cursed situation as well as her age.
x Cities and settlements.
x Being made a spectacle.
x Being held captive against her will; yet she dislikes her freedom as well. After all, what's the entire surface of the earth worth when you're the only one wandering it?
[ Strengths ]
☯ Kelpie: High Endurance; The Strength of Ten Horses.
☯ Age and knowledge of history.
☯ Vocalizations and Loud Noises.
☯ Can easily detect water.
[ Weaknesses ]
☠ Dehydration: If Audona does not lay in water at least once a day, her form begins to crack and shrink a bit, causing extreme pain and quite a bit of weakness to her overall person. She cannot use Water Dispersion in this state.
☠ Timid/Skittish: Aislinn is incredibly wary of everything, from spirits to mortals. Spirits seek destruction of all things, while mortals seek to cause pain and suffering. She does not trust- it seems never to have been in her vocabulary, but... perhaps in a previous life it was. She bolts easily, and it is rare for her to stay in one place for long.
☠ The weakness of all Kelpies: Their bridle or personal item which is imbued with a part of their spirit.
[ Abilities/Skills ]
✶ Water Dispersion: If well maintained, she has minimal control over the water that she calls home, and can harbor water for a long period of time by the use of the conch shells that adorn her head. However, being a spirit, and still having the maliciousness of a Kelpie, she can taint water as well.
✶ Shape-shifting: Able to switch between Human and Equine form.
✶ Wanderer: Having roamed for almost four centuries, Audona knows a lot about different areas and weather patterns.
✶ Storm Warning: As a Kelpie, Caoimhe has an instinctual knack for detecting weather changes in the air, though it is also thought that Kelpies cause the worst of storms themselves.
✶ Ebb and Flow: She is in sync with the tides and knows the strongest and weakest points in currents as long as she has contact with the body of water in question.
[ Personality ]
Audona has always been a gentle soul, never really seeking to harm or destroy anything, except herself perhaps. She has a fond liking for fragile things, probably because it resonates with how she used to be before she was cursed- a mortal, so easily broken. Despite this, she is incredibly stubborn when it comes to things she does not like. It takes a lot to coerce or force her to do something, and she detests the fact that part of her is in the control of another person. It prevents her from wandering her lonely path, despite how futile it has and probably always will be, in search of a way out, in search of her brother.
Overall, Aislinn is quiet, and does not make much noise other than occasional growls or hisses of protest. She keeps utterly to herself, and in alignment with the danger of keeping a fae beast captured, she does try to snap her jaws around wandering hands with her vice-like grip if she can reach them. The only place she is truly happy, or somewhat close to it anyway, is when she is in the water. Perhaps contrary to her nature, she is also bold, curious, and adventuresome, though never really in an excited way. After all, living in sorrow for nearly four centuries will do that to you.
If anyone were to see her in her human form, they would probably be heart-wrenched if they had a shred of empathy in their body. The sorrow that pools in her eyes, the mourning that clings to her face, the hopelessness in the way she holds herself despite the constant grace. It is obvious that she has lost something very dear to her heart, and that the chances of finding it again are slim to none.
There is a deep kindness in her heart though, one that she would express openly if only she could find someone to show it to. She longs for a companion, one that would understand her and share her sentiments, or help hold her burdens- though she knows that is way too much to ask for. On many occasions she has tried to end her existence, to cease the impossible depression that haunts her. But she has never been successful. All she wishes is to be back with the one she loved so many years ago.
It was around the year 400 in Cairbre- an unknown land at the very outskirts of Jeildea- during Fómhar in the month of Lunasa on Déardaoin’s Day when the event that would rattle the small village of Samhradh occurred. It was a brisk morning, just like any other August day, and Audona and Alasdair were sitting on the little woven rug in front of the warm hearth of their humble cottage, chatting away in a Gaelic language. Their life was a very simple, rustic one- they lived by the warmth of fire and the sustenance that came from the yield of their own hands. Each family that lived in the village was very close-knit, and everyone knew everyone. They would often gather each night in the common hall and share stories by the fire over warm meals and cheerful ale.
Alasdair was older than Audona by about four years, and was the first son of the Dara family. He was strong and wily, clever and mischievous, and he loved his sister with a deep passion, swearing always to protect her. The two of them were fairly different when it came to their personalities, for while Alasdair was bold and loud, Audona was timid, sweet, and quiet, but she treasured her brother like nothing else. He was always dragging her into trouble, but she didn’t mind.
“Oisin,” Little Deer, that was her- her mother had given them both affectionately teasing nicknames, Alasdair’s was- “Pilib,” Lover of Horses, he had always been so fond of the creatures, and when he wasn’t up to something or other, he was spending time with the family’s draft horses that worked the fields. “Get out from under my feet and go do your chores.” Their mother scolded, shooing them out of the house so she could go about her morning duties. The two of them laughed brightly despite the looming task of hard labor. If only they had known of the darkness that clung to that day.
By the time the sun was beginning to set from its perch in the sky, both Audona and Alasdair had completed their daily tasks- Alasdair mucking out stalls and chopping wood and other such tasks, while Audona went about the village assisting anyone who needed a bit of help- the two of them had met up in their usual rendezvous- the thin wooden fences that held the Guiver family’s flock of sheep. Alasdair had an adventure planned for the two of them, and Audona was ecstatic, ready to disappear into the thick forests that surrounded their home on a quest or two before mother had finished preparing dinner and called them inside. Before they departed, they were joined by one of Alasdair’s friends, Ruadh, and they set off.
They wandered for what seemed like an hour, travelling further and further away from the settlement, following dirt-trodden paths and deer trails. Everything seemed fine for the majority of the adventure, until the three of them neared a small lake nestled in a clearing and Audona suddenly felt a deep sense of darkness and foreboding. She tried to speak up about it to her brother, but he didn’t seem to hear as his eyes settled upon the strangest sight he had ever seen in his life.
A coal black horse stood beside the shore with strange blue highlights to its mane, absolutely stunning and looking lost. Alasdair’s heart was suddenly overwhelmed with desire- such a beautiful horse would be a treasure to their family; father would be pleased. Audona and Ruadh were taken with the sight of the horse as well… at least for the first few moments. Aislinn, being much more of a listener than her brother was, suddenly recalled one of the stories Anma had told her as she was helping the little old lady do some weaving. Alasdair was already beginning to move towards the horse- enraptured with the creature’s beauty, as well as Ruadh, who, despite his unease, was overpowered as well. No matter how hard Caoimhe tried, she could not speak.
By the time Audona opened her mouth and could actually form the words, it was too late for her brother. “Kelpie!” She cried out, breaking the spell the creature seemed to have over the situation. Ruadh’s eyes widened, and he took quick, stumbling steps away from the shore. Her brother was too far gone, however, and was just about to place one hand along the mane of the horse and the other to its muzzle to introduce himself.
Everything happened so quickly after that. Audona suddenly bursting into tears with a scream of horror as Alasdair’s hand suddenly sunk into the flesh of the creature like quicksand. It was then that he realized his mistake. He tried to pull free, but it seemed that the more he struggled the more stuck he became. While Ruadh was frozen in terror, Audona forced her legs to move forward- she had to help her brother. But what could a little girl like her do against a Water Horse?
Her brother turned to look at her, fear plain on his face as he tried to form her name, to plea for help in panic, when the Kelpie suddenly turned its head and latched its jaws onto Alasdair’s arm to drag him into the lake, sharp teeth suddenly flashing in the waning sunlight. A loud, strangled cry of pain left his lips, and that fueled Aislinn’s need even more. The Kelpie was trying to move and force Alasdair into the waves.
For the longest time, Audona had only thought stories about the beast and other creatures just a tale to scare children and make for a good story around fires. But apparently everything about it was real. That creature would devour her brother’s soul, leaving him to wander endlessly in the black abyss of death in extreme pain. She couldn’t let that happen to him- he was her guardian, her big brother, someone who loved her dearly and coaxed her out of her shy shell.
“Please, no!” She screamed as she frantically tried to reach the two of them, closing off the distance ever so increasingly. Once Alasdair’s foot hit the lapping waters of the shore, she launched herself forward at the Kelpie.
In surprise, the beast seemed to stumble a bit, swiveling its head to the side to see what had just tried to attack it. As it did so, however, a sickening crack sounded from her brother’s arm. Unfortunately, Audona could not see what had happened, for the Kelpie was soon upon her. Its teeth sank into her shoulder, and blood pooled beneath the white needles. . Take me instead…. She tried to cry out, but the only sound that left her lips was a horrified scream.
However, it seemed that something had heard her plea. Perhaps it was a Will O’ Wisp, a quiet though wicked spirit that led children to their dooms at night, or maybe it was a strange type of demon. Whatever the inhuman, it looked upon the scene and could hear the plea of the girl. With lifeblood already flowing and the Water Beast already sapping the energy from the both of them, the Spirit decided to grant the girl’s foolish wish. But it was not out of pity or admiration that the demon did so. To have a human so willing to trade their soul away, and it being easy as the blood requirement had already been met, it was impossible to pass such a delicacy up. As all spirits, they have no care for humans, and want them to suffer for as long as possible, so it was not surprising that in the last seconds of the girl’s life, as she was pulled beneath the water to be devoured by the Kelpie, that he had taken the meal right out of the creature’s mouth.
With the chaos happening around her, something strange happened all at once, something that should not have been possible. Consumed by the Kelpie, yet reeled back from darkness; Killed by the creature but existent by the demon’s power; Cursed through the inadvertent rage of the Water Horse directed at the demon but interrupted by her soul; Trapped in a painful state caused by the pulling of two spiritual forces; Transformed by the reaction of her mortal, human soul being battered by forces-never meant to be subjected to such.
Through such, a forced state of Deceased Spirit was born, but under a strange curse formed from unnatural occurrences of Kelpie and demonic magic that never should have met, let alone been mixed with a human element and soul. For Audona, everything went dark as she sank to the bottom of that lake, no longer in a human’s shell, but neither in that of anything else either. She lay dormant there, undisturbed by any spirit or current, lost in a state of limbo for two decades, never awakening, not really existing- just there. For until the Spirit of that Kelpie passed, she could not do anything but wait unawares.
By the time her eyes opened again, she had taken on the Curse of the Water Horse, her soul trapped as a Kelpie- though neither a Spirit nor a supernatural creature yet still both she was- condemned to wander the earth and exist in solitude. Despite the change, her temperament did not change- perhaps because of her strong human attributes or because that was just what happened in such an occasion, or simply because her soul retained the sorrow and terror she felt the day she was split, never wanting to deceive a creature into such a watery fate.
As she emerged from that little lake, she was utterly alone and confused. She did not know what had happened, and simply wandered back to where her village was- knowing only in the back of her mind that she was an inhuman. But when she arrived, nothing was there. Just scarred earth and a bit of rubble scattered about. She seemed to linger there for such a long time, just trying to understand with a muddied mind. Eventually her instincts kicked in and she was forced back to the water, making that her dwelling place. For a couple of years she did not leave that place, still lost and not really knowing what to do with herself. She hadn’t accepted her fate yet.
By the time that she had, she had slipped into the mindset of her inhuman creature. She watched as the world around her was altered through time, with new peoples, new languages, new technology, new magic, wandering from water to water. She was always so intrigued by people, but she always remained hidden, never allowing herself to scare or tempt the fates of others with her presence. By observation she picked up the languages, and after about a century and a half or so, the world seemed fairly settled in its progression. She never ventured from the continent of Jeildea, feeling rooted to the area because of her death.
Audona never knew what happened to her brother- whether or not he escaped from the jaws of the Kelpie, whether he had died but she had saved his soul from nothingness by sacrificing her own, whether he had managed to get away from the clearing with one arm less than he had when he arrived but died from blood loss, whether he made it back to the village and lived a full life and got married and had kids of his own, whether he shared the same fate as her- condemned to the body of a Kelpie, but perhaps in another part of the world where she could not reach him.
Aislinn’s entire existence seemed to be reduced to wandering endlessly in search of that answer, watching the rise and fall of kingdoms, avoiding in fear of her own survival or the survival of the other anything large that existed. Her companions were nothing but the soft lurching of waves, the pattering of rain, the rustling of leaves, the songs of birds, and the noises of civilization somewhere far off in the distance.
For the most part, she remained in her Kelpie form, only transforming for the sake of remembrance and the aching melancholy of being human again.
She heard of the rise and fall of the Massacre Princess as well, through the whispers of men fishing in the sea or bathing in the rivers. It did not concern Audona, though, and she did not pay much heed to it.
Where her brother had sworn to protect her, she had made the ultimate cosanta- protective- sacrifice, to save his life.
[ Other ]
Audona has been in the Massacre Princess’ company for about two years now. Her name is unknown, and she is simply referred to as ‘Kelpie’ by the majority of the group if at all. Her role is that of a pack mule, carrying supplies and the likes on their journeys. To most, the legend of Kelpies is also widely unknown, or very sparsely knowledged to the common person.
Aislinn has never transformed into her human form in the company of the group, so it is not surprising if none know she is even capable of doing such. Adrienne holds power over Audona in the form of the Kelpie’s tether- a simple rope and leather loop.
Because the Tether is bound with a part of her spirit- like all Kelpies- it is impossible for her to leave an area while someone is in possession of it and in close proximity to her. This keeps her from bolting or trying to escape from the group at any given time.
Despite the amount of time she has spent with the group, she still despises her situation as if it were day one, trying to escape and continue her search, or display her discontent by hisses, snarls, bites, and other such examples.
[ Lore ]
Kelpies are the supernatural shape-shifting water horses that haunt rivers, streams, and any other bodies of water. They can take many forms, and they are noted to have an insatiable appetite for human flesh. However, no matter what shape they take, Water Horses always have some mark of their watery home about them. Often they have lake weeds in their hair or their skin will be cold and wet.
Records and stories state that the most common guise the kelpie uses is that of a beautiful tame horse or an equine of strange coloration and design. However, anyone foolish enough to mount the Kelpie- perhaps a stranger unaware of the local spirit lore- would quickly find themselves in dire peril, for the water horse would rear and charge headlong into the deepest part of the water, dragging the unwary traveler into their watery grave with a sound like thunder as they hit the waves. It is also said that they can travel through bodies of water like doorways, one moment there and the next in a lake miles away.
Kelpies cannot form human speech in their equine forms, and rarely in human form. It is assumed that it takes great strength and a strong connection from a past life, curse, or old age for a Kelpie Spirit to know the common tongue. Their grip is said to be like that of a vice, crushing the life out of anybody unfortunate enough to come within the Kelpie’s clutches. Many souls have been taken by Kelpies, as both speculated from those who know of the tales and from survivors who bear the gruesome tale of a fallen comrade.
Kelpies have a variety of vocalizations, from howls and wails, to growls like thunder and the hissing of a snake. One tail tells of a wanderer who was traveling through the mountains and came across a spring over the next rise, just out of sight. The eerie yet devastatingly beautiful sound of weeping and crying could be heard, like that of a young maiden, but by the time the traveler made it over the hill, there was nothing but a clear spring bubbling away quietly. He had known it was a Kelpie by the hoof prints left in the marshy ground. (~Aislinn)
It is said that there is one way in which a Kelpie can be defeated and tamed- if one were so fortunate to come across one and survive long enough to try it, that is. The Kelpie’s power of shape shifting is said to reside in its bridle, and anyone who could claim possession of it could force the Kelpie to submit to their will. It is also possible to use a bridle with the sign of the cross burned into it. Kelpies in subjugation are highly prized, for they have the strength of at least ten horses and the endurance of many more. However, fairy races are always dangerous captives, especially those as malignant as the Kelpie.
Only eight have been recorded in the entire history of Jeildea, with only one account of the spirit being captured somewhere in the year 180 by a miller who used the creature to bear large, heavy millstones to create his watermill.