Name: Astrid Kragen
Age [appearance]: 20s
Age [actual]: 26
Gender: female
Species: human (witch)
Hair: Dyed black, short, very short on the sides. She has been known to do other colors but it’s black for now. Sometimes she spikes up but mostly she lets it do what it wants. She’ll never let it grow past her shoulders.
Eyes: Piercing, medium-sized, round, and dark. Wears eyeliner when going out.
Frame: 5’8” and lean with surprisingly muscular arms. Square hips, broad(ish) shoulders, and small bust--can be wrapped to appear flat-chested if she wanted to.
Tattoos:
Face: Two small tattoos on either temple in red ink made with the ashes of her dead familiar (cat), that activate with Astrid’s blood. (see below for effects) The right side is a circle enclosing an open eye with three dots above, and the left side is a circle enclosing a closed eye with three dots below. (see end of profile for image)
Right Hand: These were her first tattoos and show the most fade: Each finger of the right hand has a different elemental symbol that she did herself in stick & poke fashion (see end of profile for image). Earth on the pointer finger, fire on the middle finger, water on the ring finger, and air on the pinky. These have been used as magical conduits for spellwork involving elements but she hasn’t been using them lately.
Left Hand: Three solid bands on the left ring finger. Also a stick & poke she did herself.
Arms / Back: Two ravens on the backs of her shoulders/arms. These were done by Saint Sabrina and enhance Astrid's abilities. (see end of profile for image)
Chest / Neck: A solid black line that runs from below her lower lip ending at the base of the breastbone with an abstraction of the hilt of a sword.
Distinguishing Marks: There is a decent scar on her left eyebrow, so some hair won’t grow there. Other various scars on her forearms from metalworking accidents--nothing too intense.
Personality:
Alignment: Neutral
Astrid generally comes off as reserved around people who are unfamiliar to her, until she is sure they can be trusted. She is very perceptive with a sharp intuition and can usually deduce one's character upon first meeting. If she feels like she clicks with someone, she becomes very warm and friendly--she doesn’t want to keep walls up but has learned to be cautious.
Awareness of Supernaturals: (specific)
Occupation/Job: Teaches two classes at the Kerr Galvin Academy: Ethics of Cursecasting and Crafting of Magical Objects (intro); Sabrina's Tattoo Apprentice
Domicile: 13 Broomfield Crossing, South District
Interesting Facts / Quirks: Paces when on the phone, hums while working (though this helps with calling and directing energy while doing magical working)
Hobby/Hobbies: jewelry making, forging swords, sketching
Favorites...
Food & Drinks: herbal teas, lemon-flavored things, honey, snacks
Music: Tori Amos, Stevie Nicks, Florence & The Machine, Eivør
Movies & TV shows: Historical fiction/dramas, anything about witches (this is a guilty pleasure)
Books & Magazines: Articles about archeological findings, any sort of art or DIY magazines
Pet Peeves: Being interrupted while working, people who try to touch her things without asking permission, people who try to touch her tattoos.
Fears/Phobias: Driving (riding in a car is fine, being in control of one is panic-inducing)
Talents/Skills:
- DIY pro: has picked up many skills and hobbies and always seems to be trying something new.
- She has a good level of skill with various divination methods, especially Tarot. But what she will see is largely dependant on the tools themselves, who tend to be finicky things with minds of their own.
- Excellent sigil crafter.
- Misc artistic skills. She usually keeps a small Moleskine notebook for sketching any ideas that come to her.
Abilities:
- Can craft various magical items with a great deal of time, energy, and concentration. The more powerful the effect, the rarer ingredients, more time and energy needed to craft it.
- Curse-caster: using various methods she can inflict misfortune, pain, and paranoia (to name a few). Curses require a tag-lock (an object connecting the spell to the target), this can range from a name (yields weaker results) to a hair sample (strongest results). The stronger the desired effect the more complicated the spell will be, requiring more time, ingredients, energy, etc.
- Astral projection/travel with great effort.
- Strong Clairvoyant ability--her family is comprised of a long, long line of seers.
About the eye tattoos on her face: The effects last only so long as the blood remains wet (which will vary depending on the conditions of the air), only one can be active at a time, and they need to be “recharged” by grounding with the earth and connecting to it energy source (so entering a meditative state). The stronger the effect the more physically draining it will be on her. She tries to do this as inconspicuously as possible, appearing to rub her temple in a casual way if you aren’t paying too close attention to it.
- The right open-eyed tattoo allows her to see through efforts to conceal people, objects, thoughts or intentions.
- The left closed-eye tattoo on her face allows her to hide (well, make herself less noticeable as opposed to outright invisible), or mask her thoughts and intentions.
Weaknesses:
- The usual human weaknesses.
- Healing magic is completely beyond her skills. She has basic knowledge of herbs and how to use them and has made herself some herbal remedies when sick but that’s about it.
- She hasn’t been trained in any fighting magic, but things happen with emotional outbursts that she can’t control. Most of her skills are what one would consider “folk magic” and take her time to create. Largely they are reliant on putting together many ingredients.
History:
Born into a very close-knit family, Astrid was never left wanting for familial support. Her childhood was steeped in magic, much of the family life revolved around performing magical services and divination for the townsfolk. She was always encouraged to pursue any fleeting interest that crossed her, and this fostered a strong sense of independence and creativity. Astrid was always drawn to creating things--whether that be art or magical objects (though, the two overlap in her mind).
After her father disappeared her mother lost the desire to continue with this tradition and floundered about helplessly for some time before deciding to leave for America--leaving Astrid with the family to develop her skills. Astrid’s mother eventually remarried and had another daughter.
When Astrid turned eighteen, she joined her mother in America. There was a strange distance between the two, and she never clicked with her half-sister or step-father. Astrid set off on her own, intent on going to college. The time in the small town had made her restless and she was eager for a new adventure. She studied anthropology and loaded her free time up with art classes. All the while, she maintained contact with her family overseas, mostly through letters but sometimes she would call.
During her time in college, she fell in love with a charming woman in one of her art classes. The two eventually moved in together while continuing their studies. Quickly the two became engaged. A car accident claimed her life well before their marriage--and Astrid was unable to complete her studies as a result. She tried to pick up the pieces but was unable to exist (alone) around what they had built together. Eventually, she abandoned everything and made the long, difficult trek across the country--walking and hitchhiking where she could, earning money through Tarot readings and other small spellcasting services. She met a great many interesting people and a few very bad ones. Through the grapevine, she heard rumors of a powerful witch in this city and decided that it might be a good place for a fresh start.
Magical Objects:
[
www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7301 ] Fox Jaw Necklace
[
www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7340 ] Obsidian Talon
[
www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7303 ] Black Moon Blade
[
www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7332 ] The Hammers: Birger and Haldor
[
www.roleplaycity.com/forum/index.php?topic=7390 ] The Selenite Athame
Roleplay Consent:
Feeding: Yes
Wounding/Cursing: Yes
Killing: NoTattoos:Eye tattoos:
[image credit: Me]
Finger tattoos:
[image credit: Me]
Back tattoos:
[image credit: Me]
