Kirasath Dravere

Name: Kirasath Dravere
Age: 17
Exaltation/Caste: Solar / Dawn Caste
Affiliations: The Rathess circle

Bio:
Kirasath Erstwald was born the second daughter of a Coral family. Her father had little time for her, but his wives took to her immediately with the same kind of quiet warmth that she quickly learned to adopt as a resting state. She learned everything that was required of her as a woman of Coral, including cooking, cleaning, dancing, singing, and generally being presentable. Hers was a simple life, and she thought nothing of it. In Coral, being a good wife is all a woman can hope to achieve, and it was all Kira ever hoped for.

When she was 14, she was married to Bertrand Dravere, a young sailor with a bright future ahead of him. He wasn't eager to pirate, so Kira didn't have to worry about being widowed and could focus on making his time at home as comfortable as possible. By the time Bertrand had returned from his first trip, she had turned his house into veritable palace with the humble resources she'd been provided. He appreciated her, she supported him, and it seemed like the perfect life laid before her.

Everything changed when the Fire Nation pirates attacked. Kira was woken up late one night to the sounds of brigands raiding her tiny island village for all its worth. She did what very few people in her situation would do: she rushed out to meet the flames and the screams, helping others escape where possible and salvaging whatever was within reach. Would have worked out just fine, too, if she hadn't run afoul of the pirate captain. A tall woman, shimmering with the unholy light of the Anathema. Despite this, Kira stood unafraid, and faced the woman down in a personal challenge. She very easily would have died.

Then she felt the sun.

Kira stood against the Anathema, overcame the stifling magic of her words, and fought her to a standstill in single combat. She knew as she did that she was more in some way, and the voice of the Unconquered Sun told her so. A shimmering vision of a man of pure perfection, four golden arms reaching out for her. He held her softly for a few moments, ran his fingers through her hair like a long-lost lover.

'Drive back the darkness.'

And then he was gone. Kira ousted the pirates singlehandedly, but not before her beloved husband Bertrand was fatally wounded. She held him as he died, and knew that she had no more place in Coral. Fortunately, as Fate would have it, she had an alternative presented to her immediately. A mysterious woman introducing herself as Mokoto offered to whisk her away and explain all that she'd need to know to live her new life as a divinely-empowered Chosen of the Sun.

Moko took her to the North, to a city called Whitewall, where she and her friend Snow trained Kira in the ways of the sword and informed her of how the world works. Solar and Lunar and Sidereal Exalted, the history of the First Age, and the fate of the world. She didn't absorb as much as the gold stars would have hoped, but it was clear from a very early point in their relationship that Kira was fit to be on the battlefield and the ballroom, not the library. Within two years of training, she was ready to move on.

Wandering the North, Kira eventually found a young Lunar named Jasmine Iralis, and the two sparked an immediate and powerful friendship. Through the netherworld and the snowy drifts and dark caverns they traveled, months of experience behind them. It was only when they reached an old, broken-down manse that Kira met another Exalt...and there, she met five. The manse had been the resting place of an essence machine array that used to control a powerful First Age construct, and everyone seemed to want it.

After fighting off an assault by a curious Exalted woman, Kira was given another vision...this time not by the Unconquered Sun, but by herself. Her memories of her past life began to awaken, little by little, until they came rushing to the surface in that battle. The bells in Yu Shan rang in deference and fear, the leylines of Creation's Essence shook, and its foes trembled for reasons they could not discern. For the High Queen, Merela, had been reborn into this world.

And Heaven help those who stand in her way.

Limit Break:

Appearance:
Kirasath Dravere is a short lass with pale, soft skin and no visible musculature. Her hair is long, brushed straight, and as blue as the western sea. Kira is a woman of intense but quiet beauty, warm and inviting rather than the stunning sexual allure of most Exalts.

Kira's anima is the same shimmering gold of any Solar's, but otherwise it's extremely distinctive. One of Kira's main offensive abilities is her essence sword array. When she exercises a specific Charm, each slash of her sword leaves behind one or more shimmering "ghost blades" that follow behind her attack. This makes her full flurries a sight to behold, full of shimmering, flashing wonder.

When Kira's anima banner fully unfurls into its iconic state, as it did on the ruins of an old manse the day that Yu Shan trembled, there is no mistaking her identity. The blinding golden shine coalesces into an approximation of a woman with angelic wings, coated from head to toe in armor and wielding a sword and shield spoken of in legend. This figure shadows Kira's every movement, and is solid enough to physically block some attacks with its mighty shield and broad wings.

Artifacts:
During her second meeting with First Lie of the Benificient Storm, Kira was given a tiny measure of the ancient glory she once held. An elegant dressing sword and splendid coat for parties and events, these would be little more than trinkets in the mighty panoply of the High Queen, but to Kira they are fantastic wonders to behold. The first, dubbed the Heavensilk Coat, is functionally an exceptional buff jacket reinforced with orichalcum. It's light, airy, and flexible, making it comfortable to wear as elegant everyday clothes. The woven strands of orichalcum reinforcing the Essence spider silk of the coat make it decently protective, as well, without being overtly magical. It doesn't hold up to close examination, of course.

Kira does not own even a fraction of High Queen Merela's arsenal. Her renowned armor, daiklave of conquest, and even her legendary shield all seem to have been lost to the ages. However, the Gold Faction did provide her with one relic-weapon of her past life. A storied sword, whispered of in "Shogunate" myths. The Singing Blade is an orichalcum reaper daiklave of delicate finish, barely larger than a normal sword. When drawn or swung in combat by an attuned wielder, it has a unique, unmistakable ring which sounds as if some form of supernatural creature is singing from a great distance away.

Motivation and Intimacies:
Kira's motivation is to defend those who can't defend themselves. Her intimacies are listed below.

Potential Plot Hooks:
- Before she Exalted, Kirasath was a woman of Coral. The West is her home, and she's confident that she'll return some day. If nothing else, she still feels the need to avenge her husband's death, meaning that the pirates based there have a radiant whirlwind of death to look forward to.

- While she hasn't ever trained with or even encountered the Cult of the Illuminated, Kira has a working relationship with several Gold Faction Sidereals. They've provided her with resources, training, "education," and general information.

- In general, Kira tends to leave a mess wherever she goes. She instigates violent change on almost everything she touches, and the results can vary from eviscerated corpses to torches and pitchforks. It's not hard at all to track her, if you know what to look for.

Additional Information:
Kira is only the second incarnation that her particular Solar spark has ever had. The first was the High Queen Merela, and her connection with Kira is oppressively strong. Her dreams of ages past take up most of her evenings, and she frequently has waking flashbacks. This is effectively Past Lives balanced by Throwback. Neither one has a listed point value, because it's unlikely either will be rolled for. Merela's motivation is to personally lead Creation to glory, and she has intimacies to Rathess, the Dragon-Kings, physical might, self-affirmed righteousness, and victory through conflict.

Past RPs:
Character Questions thread - 5xp
It Was Like This When We Got Here - 6xp (+1xp - meeting, 1xp - overcome trial, 1xp - use dice)
Well Now, This Is Confusing! - 8xp (+1xp - meeting, 1xp - use dice)