Ilirith had her own set of chambers in the Matriarch's Quarter, not far from the private rooms of the Matriarch herself. That was for the latter's protection, though occasionally Ilirith wondered how much of that was keeping an ally close and how much keeping an eye on a potential threat. She, better than anyone, knew the Matriarch's mind, and knew that she trusted her in a way she trusted few beyond the more reliable of her own daughters… but Ankorineth's trust was never, ever quite total. That seemed to happen when one was in politics.

As she examined the daggers and darts and little bottles and other tools of her trade, Ilirith realized that 'in politics' applied even to herself, albeit in a much more physical application than was standard. Certainly there weren't many people she could trust - nor, indeed, would it be wise to do so.

It might have been considered sad that a girl would have been drafted to be a Matriarch's bodyguard, spy, and… informal enforcer. She'd been at the bloodier parts of the job for a bit over half a cycle as it was, and been in training for nearly a cycle before that, so she really hadn't had much of a childhood. But although Ilirith could not honestly have said that she enjoyed her job (though being able to sneak around at will was quite nice), she had to admit that her regrets about her life were muted. Most witches got burned or torn to shreds or hounded into exile, so she'd been lucky to survive, much less have a childhood; and her position meant she lived in relative comfort. Things weren't really that bad for her.

Anyway, she thought, there's no point in feeling sorry for myself. No one else is about to.

She put on the harness of stout cloth and soft leather to which all her pouches, pockets, and sheaths were attached, and began neatly packing her things into them, some with her forepaws, others gently sculling through the air into their places like carefree birds. She turned to her cloak, hesitated, then went to her mirror to look at herself.

Ilirith had always been, by takma standards, somewhat boyish-looking: rangy physique, narrow muzzle, weak tone to her facial markings. While she would never have been mistaken for a boy, she hadn't exactly been a paragon of femininity, which frankly she'd been fine with - it gave her that much more time to act when someone tried to identify what they were dealing with. And she still wasn't, but she was also still developing, and some parts of her seemed to be developing rather faster than others. She turned gently this way and that, noting that unless she were viewed exactly from the front, one hip or the other peeked out from behind a shoulder. At this rate, she thought sourly, she'd end up having to stand on her hind legs and sidle to get through doorways.

The Great Mother appeared to want her to carry babies. While Ilirith would not have actually minded doing so - someday - she felt that the Most Eminent might not have a grip on the realities of the situation, or at least needed to hand out some serious miracles to achieve her goals. Witches didn't get to have children. She'd already had some stern warnings about proper and restrained conduct around the opposite sex, not that most males would dare to approach her anyway.

She sighed, drew the gray cloak around her, and checked in the mirror again; between the covering and the padding of her figure by the harness and pouches underneath, the effect was much less noticeable. She turned and slunk out her door, mourning life's complications.

• Common name: Ilirith
• RP status: RP character, played by Shyriath

• Full name: Ilirith, ward of Ankorineth
• Nicknames or aliases: The graycloak
• Date of birth: 81 Cloud 24:30
• Place of birth: Kuhel, Domain of Alvraan

• Biological sex: Female
• Gender identity: Female
• Sexual orientation: Androphilic

• Species: Takma (Chosen)
• Race: Lowland mix
• Ethnic origin: Heartlander
• Current ethnic identification: Heartlander
• Native language: Midvallic Imperial
• Other languages spoken: Contemporary Imperial, Classical Imperial

• Alignment: Srian
• Magical attunement: Mind

Ilirith is a vibrant, bright green over most of her body, shading to a similarly vibrant yellow on her belly and throat and the insides of her thighs. Her muscles are well-defined, but wiry rather than bulky; she gives the appearance of being fit and in good health.

Most Chosen are smaller than ordinary takmar in any case, but in a species where females are normally larger than males, Ilirith is unusually small, to the point of being petite, as she falls in the same size and weight class as most Chosen males; she is only barely larger than Demarath. As well - in a species where most females tend to have more overall muscular development and a heavier jawline - Ilirith's wiry physique and narrow muzzle stand out. She therefore gives an impression of masculinity - the word 'tomboyish' might be employed, though given the differing roles and stereotypes of human sexes, possibly not very accurately. Nonetheless, the level of sexual_dimorphism among takmar is such that it is difficult to actually mistake a member of one sex for the other; Ilirith's coloration and facial markings are those of a female, as are her hips, which are impressively broad and appear to have been intended for a larger person.

Ilirith's muzzle is long and narrow, with a subtle jawline. Her facial markings, radiating outward from her blue-violet eyes, vaguely resemble flames.

Ilirith favors a hooded cloak of a dark gray color while attending to her duties, which covers most of her body, except the end of her snout, the tip of her tail, and her paws. When she is making a special effort to remain unseen, she may wear a mask and gloves of dark fabric, or smear her exposed surfaces with soot, since her natural color is relatively noticeable.

Underneath the cloak, she wears a harness of soft leather, with various pockets, pouches, and sheathes sewn onto it; she keeps her weapons, tools, and useful items in these.

Ilirith keeps an impressive collection of knives and daggers on her person when not in her own chambers, as well as a number of poisons and other substances with useful effects on victims.

In the near term, Ilirith simply wants to do her job well - to successfully carry out her Matriarch's orders, and to protect her as she has been charged to do. Even when she does not enjoy her job, she takes a certain amount of professional pride in seeing it done correctly and admirably.

In the long term, however, she wants to secure a future for herself that does not involve killing or enemies or targets - a peaceful, normal life. At a minimum, she intends this for herself, but love and marriage and children are, as it were, stretch goals, to be reached for if at all feasible.

Ilirith is a patient planner and tactician, and a deadly combatant. She is devoted to those people or causes who have her loyalty and trust, ready to die - or kill - for them.

She can also, however, be suspicious of those people and things she feels she does not have enough information about. The new and unexpected are to be treated with caution, or even hostility. This can translate into a difficulty to trust if something she thought she knew starts behaving in an unexpected way.

Ilirith is a very good judge of distances and weights, at least as they relate to people, personal equipment, and combat situations.

She has a good memory, both spatially and for facts.

Her ability to understand unfamiliar languages is greatly enhanced by her telepathic ability, but this does not, strictly speaking, directly translate into any special aptitude for learning them.

Ilirith is generally a logical person, and prefers to think her way to an elegant solution to a problem before approaching it at all.

Being employed as an assassin and bodyguard has, by its very nature, required Ilirith to have a broad approach to morality; while she does have a sense of right and wrong, and of red lines that cannot be crossed, most situations are also subject to the demands of loyalty and of necessity, which may require a thing to be done even if she would prefer not to do them.

Ilirith has no desire whatsoever to kill, to threaten or be threatened, to have targets or enemies, and would prefer to be at peace with the other people in the world. Because people are determined not to be peaceful and cooperative, and because her position and her life require her to act against her desires, she does so, but always with a view toward achieving a state where this is no longer the case, through care and vigilance.

Ilirith has a largely ambivalent attitude toward the gods, due in part to her fraught relationship with the priesthood. While she assumes they exist and play some part in the world, she views the siathar as no more friendly than the famously capricious lamnar. She takes little note of them, and her hope and basis for living is that they are returning the favor; both sides have their own amusements to occupy them.

Such acts of worship as she performs, invariably in private, are simply semi-equitable exchanges; she provides worship to the gods in exchange for their services. If these in turn are provided, all well and good; if not, she will do without them, for she prefers to use divine intervention as a possible supplement to her own abilities rather than a substitute.

Ilirith is used to being inscrutable to others. Her only confidante of any note is the matriarch Ankorineth; to nearly everyone else she is an unsettling, dangerous figure due to the nature of her job and her status as a witch.

As a result, she has a strong tendency toward introversion and a retiring nature. This is not to say that she does not sometimes desire company; she is used to doing without and to spending her unfilled hours alone, but does not mind it when it comes, provided that the setting is reasonably private. Those few who have done so have found her to be largely pleasant, modest company, with the refined but not overdone manners of a young lady with a modest rank delegated to her.

Ilirith enjoys reading books - of almost any kind, but particularly on history, mythology, and legends. She greatly values peace and quiet. This is particularly true of peace - she greatly approves of social order and harmony, and sees crime, rebellion, and general dickishness as not merely morally wrong, but as spectacularly inefficient ways to achieve social goals.

While she appreciates games, she finds few opportunities to play them against a suitable opponent; the few people willing to actually play against the Graycloak do not have the psionic discipline to prevent her from seeing into their thoughts, and she is often able to guess an opponent's moves before they can make them.

Although her job has involved quite a lot of killing, she dislikes the necessity for it, and feels that in a properly organized and cooperative world it wouldn't be necessary.

She tends to avoid roasted balviir meat, which she was required to eat all the time as a child and is sick of, and which required the slaughtering of animals she watched being raised and fed. She vastly prefers fish.

While in public, Ilirith's movements are intended to minimize visibility; she remains very still when paused, and while walking moves steadily but with as little exaggeration of her movements as possible. She is less controlled when comfortable or in a private setting.

Ilirith does not often have the chance to engage in casual conversation, and lacks a certain amount of practice at it; if there are matters of substance to be discussed, or if fulfilling a burning curiosity, she is confident and businesslike, sometimes even impatient if someone else is unable to come to the point she wants, either due to meandering or to lack of understanding; but she can be unsure or diffident when talking idly or about highly personal matters.

Eye contact is sometimes a problem during conversation. She is used to watching others carefully as a matter of course, but is also used to evaluating the extended gazes of others as a potential threat. Therefore, someone talking to her may find her staring intently at them, only to become uncomfortable and avoid their gaze if it is turned upon her. Both participants often find it more comfortable to speak while jointly looking at something else.

Ilirith has a tendency toward long-suffering sighs when faced with someone not as quick on the uptake as she is. Given not only a quick mind but a certain amount of telepathically-assisted insight, this can occur quite often.

Ilirith speaks an upper-class, educated variant of Imperial. Her usage of the language is erudite, but largely informal; except when dealing with authority figures, Ilirith prefers to put herself on a familiar basis with those to whom she speaks, in the hopes of making them more willing to talk to her and trust her. She tends not to use swear words stronger than “blast!” or “damn!”

The Chosen born among wider takma society often grow up, if they grow up at all, exposed to harsh physical and social conditions. While Ilirith's life has been stressful, demanded focus and high standards, and imposed a certain amount of enforced loneliness, she has not been actively abused and even has a certain amount of status, and has therefore come through her experiences with considerably fewer mental problems than most Chosen experience.

That said, her life has not been entirely normal, and has left her with a few quirks. She has a slight tendency toward anxiety and paranoia as a result of evaluating people and situations in terms of their threat level. While she can, and does, become comfortable with things if she feels she has a good sense of their nature, unknowns are treated as at least potentially hostile, if not actively and definitively so.

Ilirith is what, in the Citadel, is called a mentalist - one born with the ability to interface one's mind directly with other minds, or with reality.

Most takmar are able to passively detect, and determine the direction of, the presence of unshielded minds within 10 meters or so; this ability is keyed toward emotional and instinctive responses in the brain, particularly those that are strongly felt. Ilirith has, in addition to this, the ability to actively probe the surrounding space for the presence of ongoing thought processes; by its very nature, this ability can only detect sapience, but as there are degrees of sapience this means she can detect the more intelligent animals as well as takmar, xtauh, and other civilized species.

The strength of detection is partially dependent on the intensity of the target's thought patterns. A takma engaged in a normal level of thought would be relatively easily detectable, one who was concentrating hard would be especially obvious, one who was relaxed and idly daydreaming would be visible but difficult to distinguish from certain classes of animal, and one who was keeping their mind carefully blank would be, while not invisible, at least faint enough to remain in the background.

The other half of the equation involves the use of focus. The more generalized Ilirith's attention is and the greater the distance over which it is used, the weaker the sense is. So, for example, she could in theory attempt to detect sapient minds everywhere within a 1-km radius, but would be likely only to pick up very strong signals; to increase the sensitivity of the results, she would have to “look” at a more specific area, particularly one closer to her, with better results the smaller and closer it was. Unlike sight, focusing on a particular area does not necessarily mean being able to perceive things in the intervening space.

Ilirith is able to psionically communicate her thoughts and feelings to other individuals with far greater scope and clarity than most takmar (who, by and large, can only broadcast emotions and extremely simple messages). The result is that the target will experience the communication without physical stimulus, yet often through the means of a sensory channel appropriate to the communication type: words and sentences will be heard even though there is no sound, visions will be overlaid on the input from the target's eyes, the memory of a taste would seem to be felt in the mouth, a projected feeling of anxiety would cause an echo of anxiety, and so on. This can be used not only for communicating sensations in Ilirith's psyche to others, but for purposefully implanting false impressions: causing the target to experience hallucinations or sourceless emotions.

She can also receive the same sorts of impression that she can broadcast. This ability too is active rather than passive, meaning that she must purposely “reach out” into a mind and “pull” the input that she is looking for; although this works best with a calm but active mind, it can be exercised over one that is in turmoil, at the cost of being harder to “grasp” what is being sought. A carefully blanked mind is also harder to deal with, as it minimizes the distinction of different “areas” of the mind and makes things hard to find.

Ilirith's ability to use this power is enormously boosted by physical contact, but she can use it over areas and distances. The limitations on this are approximately identical to those imposed by the relationship between focus, distance, and the strength of ability that applies to detection.

An advanced and difficult form of telepathy, the ability to control others is essentially an extension of the ability to broadcast, except that, rather than changing a mind by “pushing” emotions or thoughts, one is pushing their will and subverting the target's own reactions. The effectiveness of this ability depends on how it is used, and the target's capacity to respond.

If the target is capable of conscious decision-making, they can exercise their willpower to override Ilirith's domination (i.e., it would be easy for her to control an animal, but far harder to control a takma). Depending on how much effort Ilirith is exerting, the focus of willpower required to resist may require practice and concentration to attain, but a target skilled at this may be effectively immune to her control… provided that they know what is being done to them. Effective resistance, however, does require that awareness, which is easier to acquire the more interference there is, and someone who doesn't know they're being controlled is an easier target. Ilirith often finds it more rewarding, therefore, to use a light touch rather than overpowering her target: make suggestions rather than commands, align the impulses with the target's natural tendencies, lead them along a gradual path.

While Ilirith is capable of controlling and has used it before, she finds it so exhausting that she can only attempt it for brief periods; in most circumstances, she finds it more convenient to use other methods.

While simple resistance to imposed mental changes is not a function of psionic ability, but of willpower, mentalists possess the ability to directly interfere with the exercise of others' psionic power. Shielding others requires direct physical contact, and in any case is difficult, but Ilirith can shield herself with relative ease, reducing the ability of other mentalists to detect, communicate with, or control her by psionic means. However, shielding is two-way; it also reduces her ability to perform the same actions.

Unlike the power of the elementalists, which to an extent ignores factors such as weight and material strength, telekinesis must deal with matter as it is; while in principle it can be used to force breaks in solids, or pry open cracks and holes, it cannot directly shape or control matter any more than its natural malleability allows. The application of telekinesis effectively results in an intangible, relatively amorphous solid of adjustable smoothness, which means that it can, with care, be used to move or isolate non-solids (liquids or gases).

Ilirith's telekinetic ability is not suited to heavy weights; she can lift, and cause to hover in place, approximately 5 kg (11 lbs) in local gravity more or less indefinitely, but will be tired by heavier objects or more substantial movement. The less massive the object, of course, the faster and more complicated the movements that can be applied to it, and she would, if invited to pitch at baseball, be able to “throw” the ball at the same speed as a professional pitcher entirely with her mind.

Ilirith is unusual among Chosen in having had the opportunity to develop telekinesis as a combat skill. She can form shields to block blows, hurl weapons and projectiles with increased force and direct them to a target once thrown, aim slaps at enemies not within physical striking range (but not substantial blows; mainly useful for distraction), and grasp at her foes to pull or push them. One application of this last skill, of which she is particularly fond, is to apply a sudden pull to the ankles and yank an enemy's feet out from under them.

Ilirith can have difficulty functioning in situations where authority is not clear - she does not necessarily insist on being in charge, but she cannot deal well with being in a group where no one is empowered or competent to oversee a certain kind of situation. She has difficulty deciding how to deal with people or situations of which she has no prior knowledge.

Ilirith is an extremely deadly foe; if she feels it necessary to kill someone, either from a distance or up close, they will be hard pressed to prevent it without considerable assistance and constant vigilance. She is a highly competent strategist and planner, especially in combat situations, but also in general. While she sometimes has difficulty dealing with unforeseen circumstances, she is aware of this tendency in herself and tries to keep several contingency plans on hand.

Ilirith has been extensively trained in close combat, both armed - especially with daggers, but also with swords, spears and staves - and unarmed. She has also had some training in ranged combat, though her own telekinetic abilities largely supplement or supersede anything she might be able to accomplish with a sling, bow, or spear-thrower. She has also been given instruction in the use and handling of poisons, and in tactics, espionage, and misdirection.

Although born a commoner, she has had aspects of a privileged upbringing due to her position near the Matriarch. While her relationship with the priesthood prevented her education from being overseen by them, as is frequent with the noble class, the Matriarch nonetheless arranged for tutors to give her a decent education for her time. She can both read and write in classical Imperial, as well as the local educated dialect and in the lingua franca of Contemporary Imperial, and perform basic arithmetic.

In the topical sense, her education has focused mainly around two major complexes of knowledge, both relevant to her training. The first surrounds politics, history, and military tactics and strategy; as a result, she has an above-average understanding of both Alvraanish domestic and Heartlander regional politics, of the history of the Imperial sphere in general and the Heartland region in particular, and of important figures and military campaigns from the past. The second, which is more narrowly focused, surrounds biology - the anatomy and functioning of the takma body, the substances that can have an effect on said body, and the plants and animals from which those substances can be procured, though the latter is restricted to species native to the Heartland region.

Ilirith's knowledge of substances and anatomy has been bent more often to ending life than extending it, but in conjunction with the necessities of protecting an important personage, it has made her a passable medic, though she could not compete with a lifegiver or alchemist in this regard.

While Ilirith has had no formal training in regards to her psionic abilities, she has practiced and experimented liberally with them in the context of her other training.

Since the tender age of one and a half cycles, Ilirith has technically been in the employ of Ankorineth, Matriarch of Alvraan, first just as an information gatherer, then also as a bodyguard and assassin.

Ilirith technically owns very little. While she has relatively spacious quarters, comfortable furniture and a good selection of books, they and all the requirements of living are all provided to her by the Matriarch. If she owns anything in her own right, it is what she carries with her: her cloak and harness, her equipment, and a few small religious idols.

Ilirith was born to a family of peasants within the dominion of Alvraan. Her parents, a mother and two fathers, worked a balviir ranch along the boggy northern banks of the Shedir River. They were not rich, being merely tenants on their land, but their landlord was generally a fair and amiable soul, and the rents she asked were moderate enough that the family was left with quite enough to maintain themselves.

Ilirith was their first daughter, and they doted shamelessly on her; one of Ilirith's earliest and dearest memories is being given a toy goad and a stuffed balviir by her elder father, so that she could “help” with the herding. She often accompanied her parents in the field, and as she became old enough to range around a little, she helped keep watch on the beasts, or - if they seemed disinclined to move - took the opportunity to swim in the winding waterways leading to the river banks. Her childhood was not precisely carefree, but it was nonetheless happy.

She had always been a little small, but as she approached her first cycle, it became apparent that she was lagging well behind her siblings in growth. Her parents were inclined, with a certain amount of nervousness, to dismiss this, and continued to do so even after Ilirith began exhibiting a tendency to know what they were going to say before they said it - after all, they rationalized, they all knew one another's minds. One vigil, however, several turns after her first cycle, Ilirith and some of her younger siblings were playing with a ball when one of the latter accidentally hurled it at her face. Her younger father, watching over the game, was terrified to see Ilirith knock the ball out of the way several meters before it reached her.

Ilirith was momentarily pleased before realizing that her parents emphatically were not. Her mother and fathers argued and anguished for vigils over what to do, upsetting each other and everyone else, until at last they went to their landlord for advice; the latter, somewhat to the parents' horror, promptly contacted the priests of the Sixfold Eminence in Alvraan town.

I'm sorry, she'd said to them, while Ilirith watched. There's a lot of things I can let slide. You know that. But not this.

Daughter or not, she is a witch. No witch can remain free while still alive. They have to judge her. And at least this way it'll be discreet. If she stays and someone else finds out…

That had ended the discussion. It was all true.

Very shortly thereafter, she'd been whisked away from her parents by a pair of priestesses and a few male servants. Her elder father had stayed inside, unable to watch. Her mother and younger father had wept silently, not trusting themselves to respond to Ilirith's panicked cries. The little mage hadn't understood why she had to leave, why her parents weren't stopping them.

She was placed in a room in the temple of the Most Eminent in Alvraan - not quite a cell, but it was kept locked and guarded. The priestesses fed her, but spoke to her only to ask her questions - and demand answers if she didn't volunteer them. She gleaned enough information from their minds to understand that if they confirmed what she could do, they would hurt her, but her clumsy attempts to deny it failed to sway them; they were already certain enough. Eventually, after yelling and arm- and antenna-twisting, she demonstrated her powers to them. Then they left her alone again. It should have been a respite, but they'd left her with a grim promise.

The Great Matriarch will judge you, witch.

But when judgment came, it was in a way and from a matriarch that neither Ilirith nor the priestesses had any cause to expect. Ankorineth, the Matriarch and ruler of Alvraan, came to the Temple after being informed of the capture of a witch. She spoke to the priestesses about Ilirith's abilities, and then questioned the girl herself. Ilirith had never witnessed that kind of mind before - fully under its owner's control, a mind of wheels and gears and plans. It was also, unlike those of the priestesses, entirely free of dislike for Ilirith. That it was also free of like for her made the Matriarch, in context, no less of a comforting presence.

At last, the Matriarch summoned the priestesses, and told them that she would assume guardianship of Ilirith. The priestesses tried to persuade her against this course of action - they did not argue, no one argued with the Matriarch - but she held firm.

I have a use for the child, she said. I will see that she does not make herself a nuisance.

At last, they gave in. What else could they do?

And so Ilirith, much to her surprise, found herself moved into the Matriarch's Quarter of the Inner Town. She was given a chamber of her own - a far more comfortable one than she'd ever had in her life - and food and drink, and left to herself for several vigils, except for brief contact with a few wary servants. The Matriarch had said, You will be safe here, but do not stray. Those who will provide for you are ones I trust, but your first lesson from me is this: not everyone can be trusted. I expect that you have begun to realize this already.

Rest. Recover. When you are ready to talk, ask the servants to bring you to see me.

When Ilirith did eventually go before the Matriarch, she did not need to ask to know that she would not be permitted to return to her family - not now, and probably not ever. The Matriarch explained to her that witches could never be entirely free, never live like normal takmar could - but that they could, if they made themselves useful, have a safe space for themselves.

The Matriarch explained that, long ago, she had come to her throne, her rightful inheritance, after a terrible war, and that she still had enemies. She did not know who all of them were, because they wore false smiles and said kind words. She could not tell them from her friends.

But you, she said, you can see their thoughts. You can tell the enemies from the friends. You're a bright girl, a good girl. So I would like your assistance - if you help protect me, I will help protect you. This will be your home now, and I will be your guardian. I will not let you be taken from me.

The offer was not made with much warmth, but it was sincere, and Ilirith needed what protection she could get. She agreed, and began her career as Ankorineth's personal spy. At first, her tiny size allowed her to hide in a hidden compartment built into the dais of the Matriarch's divan; as she grew, this became impractical, and she was stationed in a nook along one wall. Her role remained restricted to intelligence-gathering - delivered silently to the Matriarch through telepathy - until, when a disgruntled noble managed to get past the guards during an assassination attempt, Ilirith, at one-and-a-half cycles, managed to telekinetically deflect the dagger stroke and allow the noble to be killed.

After the incident, the Matriarch called her over to her. Clearly, you would benefit from extra training, she'd said. You have fast reflexes, and you can strike at a distance… you could be a deadly foe if you learned to fight.

Ilirith had had mixed feelings about this, but the Matriarch had encouraged her. You will be a better protector, and a better survivor. And then, I think, I will be able to keep you by my side. There will be less need to hide in the shadows when you can become a shadow of your own.

And so she began her training in the ways of combat - and, indeed, in other useful fields. This proceeded under a variety of instructors, but always under the ultimate supervision of the Matriarch's senior husband, Kurril, who had been charged with the responsibility for his wife's security for many cycles. From Kurril and others, Ilirith progressed from simple physical fitness, to unarmed self-defense, and from there to other areas - the use of daggers and knives, the handling and selection of poisons, the choosing of both hiding places for covert strikes and battlefields for open combat, the speedy selection of targets based on analysis of threat and situation. At the Matriarch's express command, she was also encouraged to experiment with her powers in relation to her studies.

It did not take long for her experiments to bear fruit. After several turns, she was responsible for uncovering a plot by Riishenese diplomats to engineer a rebellion in the southern valleys. Her interrogation of the diplomats led to a forcible disarming of certain nobles in the far south.

By the age of two cycles, still a child, she began appearing openly by the Matriarch's side when she held court, clad in a dark gray cloak. Her presence was not normally explained or referred to, nor did it need to be - rumor being what it was, there had long been talk about a tame witch bound to Ankorineth's will. Occasionally, when someone was brought in judgment before the Matriarch, Ilirith would be brought forward to wordlessly extract information, or make someone suggestible. Normally, little else was needed. Her first personal killing came at around this time, when, having detected the thought patterns of an assassin, she battled and killed him in the halls of the palace.

Some of the braver members of the priesthood denounced the continued presence of a witch in official circles. This culminated in an attack by one of the Matriarch's own servants, a religious fanatic, on both Ilirith and the Matriarch herself. The attacker was disarmed and subjected to public execution by beheading, but not before he recited - at Ilirith's prodding - the names of the priests who had inspired his actions. Most of them were present at the event, and were seized and charged with treason.

By the age of two and a half cycles, Ilirith had entered adolescence and had defended the Matriarch's life and interests on a number of occasions. It was, as the Matriarch well knew, a tricky age even for a normal girl - when one began looking for one's place, exploring one's place as an individual, one's power as a female - and making provisions for a young witch promised to be even more problematic. For someone as free of self-doubt or indecisiveness as Ankorineth, the resulting discussions with Ilirith were uncomfortably awkward.

Ilirith had always been an obedient and introspective girl, and fortunately this did not appear to be in danger of changing. Nonetheless, she was obviously feeling confined, and Ankorineth felt compelled to put certain ideas out of her head. I will take no offense, she'd said, if in your observations of those around me, you pay a certain amount of extra attention to boys, so long as it does not impact your effectiveness. Were you not a witch, it would be entirely expected of someone your age. You must keep in mind, however, that you are a witch, and, alas, this means you will not be free to act as you might, because your behavior will reflect upon both of us. Understand this, therefore: look at them, think of them, dream of them, but do not attempt to have them. When you speak to them, remain as impersonal as ever. Should they make any overtures to you, recognize them for what they are and turn them aside. Above all else, resist the temptation to turn their minds toward you.

Ilirith had accepted this, but obviously with mixed feelings. She'd asked whether things were to remain thus forever. They may, was the response, but if I find one who I judge to be safe for you to interest yourself in, I will inform you. Until then, remain as patient as you can.

This was among the reasons that the Matriarch began sending Ilirith on missions outside the palace - to give her an outlet for her energies, to allow her more breathing space, and, perhaps just as importantly, to separate her from the Matriarch's youngest daughter and heir, Aveshinoth, who was half a cycle older than Ilirith and with whom the latter did not get along. These missions tended to have a more proactive tone than those Ilirith had undertaken in the past: gauging public opinion, spying on the politically powerful, the occasional assassination. Ilirith learned to be exceptionally good at causing “mysterious deaths”; during a period of unrest among the southern nobles, three feudatories died within as many vigils, the rest abandoning any plans against the Matriarch. Nevertheless, Ilirith never did become comfortable with the business of assassination; while she, at the Matriarch's encouragement, rationalized them as a form of preemptive defense, she found it impossible to internalize this feeling.

In 84 Cloud 23, the Matriarch added another duty to her schedule that she found much more promising. She told her that the Matriarch's cousin Vashareth, the warden of Shedir Port and a loyal supporter, had come to her with a dilemma: that one of her sons, Demarath, was a witch. Vashareth, knowing of Ilirith's presence, had hoped that the Matriarch could likewise find a way to spare Demarath from judgment by the priesthood, and the Matriarch had agreed to employ him in the palace.

Demarath was an unknown, the Matriarch told her. Vashareth had successfully hidden his existence from everyone, including the Matriarch herself, for nearly three cycles. He gave the impression of servility, but was at an awkward age, less than two turns younger than Ilirith herself - boys were rarely reliable or predictable at that time of life. I owe Vashareth this, and more - a thousand times over. She has never called in that debt, except for this, the life of her son. I am obliged to do this for her, though the risk is enormous, the Matriarch had said.

But risk can be mitigated. Learn about his powers. Learn about his needs. Watch his actions. Get to know him. It will prepare us for dealing with him properly.

It had astonished Ilirith enough to learn that there was another witch in Alvraan - at least, one that had survived long enough to be of note. It was even more interesting to her that he was a boy of her own age. And so, as her other duties permitted, she watched, and learned, with all due diligence, but also with a certain amount of enthusiasm.

Ilirith was the eldest daughter of a balviir-ranching family of what was, at the time she was taken, a mother, two fathers, another daughter, and six sons. Although she has occasionally checked in on their welfare, she maintains no contact with them; aside from considering it professionally inappropriate to do so, the personal distraction and anguish would be an unwelcome distraction.

However sad they might have been to do so, they let her be taken from them. She understands, but she has not forgotten, not in all the time since. No explanations or tears will change what happened.

Ilirith knows a lot of people much better than they would like or intend, if they were ever aware of it, but this is largely for professional reasons - it's her job to know what they're doing in case they make trouble. She has only a few actual contacts, mostly members of the royal family of Alvraan and their more trusted servants.

Of all of them, she is closest to the matriarch herself, Ankorineth, who is her primary employer. Since being taken from her original family, the Matriarch has been the closest thing Ilirith has had to a mother, and her loyalty to her goes rather beyond simple fealty. While neither Ilirith or Ankorineth exhibit much open affection toward each other even in private, there is a sort of unspoken, low-key familial bond between them.

If Ankorineth is Ilirith's surrogate mother, Kurril was her surrogate father. The Matriarch's eldest husband and former head of the household guard, most of Ilirith's training was completed under Kurril's supervision, and he was largely responsible for seeing to her physical and mental wellbeing as she grew up; he was never easy on her, but demonstrated a gruff sort of fondness for her. He passed away in early 84 Cloud.

The Matriarch's youngest daughter and heir, \Aveshinoth, is anything but a surrogate sister. Ilirith has hardly ever spoken directly with her, but has been watching her long enough to form some very definite opinions. As far as she is concerned, Aveshinoth is a spoiled brat, selfish, entitled, and impatient, jealous of her privileges and personal influence to an irrational degree, and thoroughly unworthy of her mother's throne.

Ilirith also feels personally threatened by Aveshinoth, and gets the very definite sense that the feeling is mutual: the latter is hostile to her both as an independent possessor of power and as a competitor for her mother's attention, and likely intends to have Ilirith, and any other perceived threats, neutralized upon coming to the throne, supposedly doing away with both bodyguard and the reason for a bodyguard in one stroke. Ilirith intends not to be around when it happens, though she doesn't know where she would go.

Ilirith was, as the Matriarch's eyes and ears, well aware of Demarath long before they formally met. Having been ordered by the Matriarch to keep herself apprised of the nature and abilities of the only other witch she personally knew to exist - of the opposite sex, at that - it was, perhaps, only natural that she developed a certain amount of satisfaction of carrying out her task, though possibly not of the professional flavor that the Matriarch might have preferred.

Although she hoped to be able to speak to the target of her observations one day, she was caught by surprise by the manner in which it happened, with Demarath being placed under her guard after zapping the Matriarch's daughter. Her initial impressions of him are largely favorable; she considers him timid and possibly slightly dim, but thoroughly decent, and not precisely handsome but not actually bad-looking.

Ilirith's one and only true affiliation is to the Matriarch Ankorineth, and to her personally.

• “The Mancer's Dilemma”, Bastion Soundtrack OST
• “Right Behind You”, Team Fortress 2 Soundtrack
• “Dreams of Cruelty”, Team Fortress 2 Soundtrack
• “The Pink Panther Theme Song”, The Pink Panther
• “Viper Manor Theme”, Chrono Cross OST