Esker Calico | BANDIT FODDER from Deepwoken

Appearance: Esker Calico is a Felinor with grayish-black colored skin and long black hair that falls down to her back, with two shoulder-length sidelocks framing her face and one fringe of hair covering the middle of her forehead. She has catlike, glowing amber eyes, and two black, furry cat ears on the top of her head. She has a long, silver scar running over her nose from cheek to cheek, and similar vertical scars that travel over her eyes and overlap with her long nose scar.

For attire, she wears the Cutthroat Light Armor, consisting of a dark brown hooded cowl buckled with a single yellow button, a black tunic base with thin, black-colored iron chainmail running over the torso, stomach, and arms of her armor. Connecting from her right shoulder to her left hip is a brown strap, as well as a brown belt that keeps her dark blue tassets in place. The armor is completed with black trousers and black leather boots.

In terms of Power, she is a Power 7. While this puts her in the upper echelon of power in Erisia, it pales in comparison to others on more dangerous and valuable islands or luminants.

Age: 21 years old Height: 5'4 ft. tall Body Type: Esker's build is fairly lithe and slender, and moderately toned, with a surprisingly decent bust (around C-D cup). She is also extraordinarily more flexible than most, a telltale trait of Felinor.

Personality: True to her nature as a Felinor, Esker is a wily, sly, whimsical, and opportunistic bandit who thrives on sneak attacks and holds her own personal freedom above anything else. She holds little sympathy towards others and will jump someone even if they've just come out of a fight or are otherwise at a disadvantage, and she has little qualms about taking a life. She is flippant and enjoys feigning nonchalance and underhanded mocking to upset people.

Although most bandits typically form an organized "society" and stick with each other in ranks, with Bandit Leaders wearing white uniforms, Esker has chosen to be independent because of her own ego, of which she is proud of being solo.

She was formerly a part of a small gaggle of bandits in Lower Erisia, but upon discovering her now trusty pair of enchanted iron caestus in a chest and soulbinding it to herself, she gained a massive ego boost and decided she was now strong enough to survive in Lower Erisia by herself.

She detests authority and does not follow the ideals of any faction, finding equal reason to show contempt to superpowers like the Central Authority or the Kingdom of Etrea. She hates to be told what to do and enjoys messing with the Authority soldiers that are occasionally sent to scout Erisia's land, finding joy in toying with them before going in for the kill.

While she is very cocky to an insufferable degree, Esker's confidence is not entirely unfounded. While many consider the average bandit in Erisia to be little more than cannon fodder (hence their tendency to group up together), Esker's power level is considerably higher than even that of a Bandit leader. While she wouldn't last long in a fight against anyone immediately outside of the driftland island of Erisia in a higher level fight, she is utterly in her element in Erisia, which she knows like the back of her hand (except for Upper Erisia, which she seldom visits due to its higher danger level and environment). In terms of power, Esker would be able to kill a Megalodaunt by herself with moderate difficulty, and she can take on three Authority footsoldiers and their captain at once.

Although she is quick to mock and toy with her opponents, Esker becomes a cowardly sneak whenever she's faced with the prospect of loss; or even worse, death. If she starts to get beaten in a fight, she'll try to run away immediately.

Of course, Esker's own confidence is oftentimes her undoing. Although she's amongst the top of the caliber when it comes to Pathfinders who called Erisia their home, she has a repeat tendency to underestimate others, which is especially devastating whenever someone else is genuinely stronger than her. She is highly arrogant and boasts highly of herself, claiming nonsensical things about herself and frequently making up stories of things she didn't do.

She has a personal vendetta towards the Central Authority and never misses an opportunity to kill one of their soldiers if she finds them.

Background:

Born to Jonathan Talo and Noelle Calico (the family chose to use Noelle's last name, oddly enough), Esker grew up in Markor of the Central Luminant, though like many others, she was suffering under the Central Authority's rampant war against the Kingdom of Etrea, amongst other factors that made life hard.

As a child, Esker's parents were thieves and bandits in order to provide for their family. They were known as the "Calico Couple", whose branding revolved around how they do absolutely everything together. Esker would even be allowed to go thieving with them.

However, one thieving mission gone wrong resulted in Esker's parents being captured while they managed to hide her from captivity. Not long after, Esker watched from the shadows as her parents were publicly executed and sent to the Depths via hanging. Esker has the slightest hope that her parents are still alive in the Depths, and wishes to one day be strong enough to venture down there herself and rescue them.

A bit later in her teen years, Esker finally escaped from the Central Luminant and came to the Etrean/Eastern Luminant via a simple dinghy, and she became a common, sneaky thief in the city of Etris. For the rest of her teen years, up until she turned 19, she stayed in Etris and gained notoriety amongst the Etris Guard for being troublesome and having killed a few Etrean Guards.

Once she turned 19, the driftland island, Erisia, which had drifted in from the Voidsea, had been discovered by Pathfinders and scholars alike as it settled in the Etrean Sea. Similarly to many Pathfinders and opportunistic bandits, Esker was attracted to Erisia's treasures, ignorant to the history behind it regarding the Forge of Sin and Duke Ishamon Erisia, and has been staying in Erisia for two years, as she is now 21.

Attunement - Attunementless: Esker is Attunementless. Her lack of ability to channel the Song with elemental attacks, however, is offset by the increased exertion of her physical potential she has without the need to allocate skill into Attunements.

Equipment:

• Face: Esker wears Smith's Goggles on her forehead, consisting of a gold yellow base and thick, rectangular black lenses.
• Shoulders: Light silver pauldrons.
• Forearms: Silver forearm guards.

Weapon: Esker wields a pair of iron caestus, a Light class weapon. Her caestus is enchanted with the Detonation enchant. Detonation causes her caestus to glow a bright orange-red, emanating orange tendril-like particles. Detonation's exact usage is that it creates "stacks" whenever Esker lands a successful attack (a stack will be created if Esker's attack is blocked or lands directly, but a stack won't be created if Esker's attack is parried). Upon landing 5 successful attacks (with successful stacks being indicated by a magical charging sound), Esker's next blow with cause an explosion. The explosion does not cause knockback.

Esker discovered her iron caestus after getting lucky enough to find one enchanted after killing a Voidwalker that tried to hunt her.

Offhand gear: She uses a Parry Dagger in her offhand to help balance her posture when parrying attacks, but she also uses the dagger to perform her Rapid Slashes mantra.

Mantras:

• Rapid Slashes: The user winds up their arm before rapidly teleporting to the target in a burst of speed and performing a gale of white slashes.
• Revenge: The user winds up briefly before dashing forwards in a straight red line. This mantra does more damage the more hurt the user is.
• Adrenaline Rush: User bites their hand and activates an inner surge of energy, granting themselves a speed boost. Visually, this mantra casts a white ring in the torso of the user. Esker typically reserves Adrenaline Rush for when she needs to get out of a situation that's turned against her.
• Dash: User performs a basic dash for a boost of horizontal mobility. Can be used in the air.

Finisher: Esker's method of execution is by bashing their skull in with her caestus.

Reputation with other factions: Kingdom of Etrea/Etrea - Enemy (guards will attack her on sight in Etris or in the wild) The Central Authority - Hated/Hunted (the Authority actively sends assassins, either from the Knives of Eylis or other forms of enlistment, to kill Esker) The Divers - Neutral The Hive - Neutral The Ignition Union - Neutral The Summer Company - Neutral The Children of Navae - Neutral The Hundred Legions - Enemy/Hunted (after Esker killed a few soldiers over a misunderstanding, the Legion sends assassins after Esker) The Knives of Eylis - Enemy Lost Celtor - Neutral The Ministry - Enemy (Ministry is basically enemies with everyone)

Trivia:

• While Esker has been on Erisia for a while, the more intricate history of the island is lost on her. She has encountered the natives of Erisia before, and has heard all the stories about how the Duke Erisia has gone mad, but frankly, Esker doesn't care about it. Frankly, she's more interested in the treasure.