Serenity McKenna

❝ If wishes came true I would be a bird, ascending beyond the expectations of man upon freedom's wings. ❞

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Family History

A clan of very proud humans founded during the ancient times, when Ireland consisted mostly of vikings, barbarians, and aboriginals. Magic had become a concept finally available for the average individual’s use, proper training required only for true mastery. Humans obtained godlike powers far too easily, which led to misuse and inevitably a war between the mundane and the mystical. With pride and honor, the very first McKenna Patriarch sided his family with the humans and fought to destroy any hold or claim magic beasts and beings had over their land. Their success was noteworthy, impressive, but unfortunately short lived.

Another family stood in their way, contested their mission; a clan of semi-human warriors known as the O’Connors. They had loyalty ties among humans and magic beasts alike, so when the time came for them to face the McKennas they offered a peaceful option of surrender. The original Patriarch wouldn’t have it, he refused to allow such a cowardly blow to his pride. Kneel before another war clan in surrender before the fighting had even begun? Never! A battle finally commenced between them, long and arduous, but after the slaughtering of many of his descendants defeat had to be accepted. His rivals emerged victorious.

It was customary to wipe out any who shared the blood of those that opposed a warrior family, but the victorious Patriarch was sympathetic toward his human brethren, and was even further motivated to spare what remained of them because of special skills they possessed. As it turned out, McKenna females made for exceptional healers, a vital piece of a strategic puzzle that O’Connors lacked severely. He promised to let them live on, even reward their loyalty when the war was over, if they agreed to serve his family. Begrudgingly, the between Irishmen accepted the offer. To this day, thousands upon thousands of years later, they still bow their heads and carry the weight bestowed by their conquerors.

Serenity's Story

The current McKenna Patriarch could trace his exact bloodline straight back to the original, a direct descendant of the man who led them into battle and lost. It was his duty to continue this important part of the family tree, leading to an arranged marriage that produced him multiple sons. The eldest followed in his father’s footsteps, married off to a woman from another clan for political gain, and producing two more heirs: Niall and Serenity McKenna. Niall came first, two years before his younger sister, and is considered the “true” Patriarch heir. While the exact same blood runs through Serenity’s veins she isn’t considered any more important than every other female born into their clan. Her only value lies in her capacity to be bred for the sake of producing more exquisite heirs, and her talent in the healing arts.

Ever since her gender became apparent, before the girl was even birthed, an entire framework had been laid for the rest of her life. Classes were arranged, schedules manifested, and high expectations soon followed suit. Serenity was supposed to be a role model for her fellow McKenna women, a prime example of their idea of “perfection,” but as a human she naturally fell short. The issue with marrying young men to women from other varying cultures was a strong one in this case. The young child’s mother--whom she inherited her blue hair from--was extremely independent and did not behave as they preferred. Unfortunately her daughter also inherited some of this spunk, leading to many drama based issues and nights of punishment.

Make no mistake, the impressionable child tried her very best, pursued knowledge and excelled in her schooling, but her behavior always fell short. She lacked the capacity to remain indifferent, far too passionate and unable to control the extent of her powerful emotions. It eventually reached a point where even her patient grandfather gave up on her, disowning her as an “heir” entirely. Instead of fulfilling her purpose of being married off for politics and being a shining example to her peers, Serenity was instead handed right over to the O’Connors as a potential Faith Mage for them to utilize. She was assigned to be a young battlemage’s squire. Griffin was the name of the young lady’s new master, and his current location happened to be at an establishment of learning for mages. The perfect environment for a blossoming practitioner of Faith to simultaneously achieve her newly assigned purpose and grow in magical strength.

Serenity McKenna

❝ If wishes came true I would be a bird, ascending beyond the expectations of man upon freedom's wings. ❞

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Family Customs

Ceremonies are central to McKenna customs. They possess a few that are deemed extremely important, and all who carry their bloodline are expected to take part in every single one they possibly can. Showmanship is a big deal, and even if they are a clan of barbaric warriors they often set their violent tendencies aside and don the garb of wealthy upper class nobles for big family gatherings.

Gender Reveal
When an infant reaches the point of development in its mother’s womb where its gender can be determined, its parents are expected to reveal this information to the rest of their immediate family and the Patriarch. This allows them to keep track of how many individuals of each gender there are, as well as opens the door for the expecting parents to start planning their child’s future accordingly.

Celebration of New Life
While most humans across the world have a “Christening” for their newly born children, McKennas do not believe in the same deity, and therefore their similar custom still differs. The newborn’s immediate family gathers together, dabbing “holy” oil on the babe’s forehead, and congratulate them for joining the ranks of their proud clan. A successful birth is a blessing meant to be treasured and forever cemented into history.

Coming of Age
Very little is left up to a McKenna child’s own decisions, the higher they rank in the family social ladder the less control they have over their own lives. Whatever meager slim pickings of choices they’re allowed to make are typically done during this particular ceremony. Akin to a graduation, it’s the recognition of a child’s growth from adolescence into adulthood, typically taking place during their Sixteenth year. During this celebration of sorts the new “adult(s)” must decide on a career path for themselves, beginning their journey into a specific trade, ensuring success in mundane society and cementing their future source of income.

Marriage
More often than not marriages are arranged, but regardless of whether the suitors pick their life partner for themselves or have one decided for them marriage is a very big deal. Not only are the exchanged vows seen as sacred promises never to be broken, it is also often the welcoming of an outsider into the family line. Spouses who were not born with McKenna blood are expected to willingly accept a “blood donation” from their partner, cementing their place among their new peers as holders of more than just a shared name.

Funerals
Death is a part of life, one cannot exist without the other, but that doesn’t mean loss of a loved one is easy to bear. McKennas possess a strong sense of community and often mourn with one another even if the loss wasn’t close to their hearts. Funerals are perhaps the biggest ceremonies they hold, attracting members of the family far and wide, even if they’d never met the individual who died.

McKenna Culture

On the surface they appear to be a very organized and thoughtful folk. Their prestigious mentality is common knowledge throughout the multiverse (for those who actually know of them). Tendencies to have entire lifeplans for unborn children are tropes often passed in conversation or rumor. While this appears to be a sign of regality it actually has more to do with their most prominent fatal flaw: pride. McKennas aren’t necessarily extremely self centered, but they do think pretty highly of themselves. They believe their own foundational culture to be the proper mindset for any community and often look down on other methods or customs, bad mouthing them behind closed doors in place of showing offense to their faces.

High expectations leave little room for mistakes. While they aren’t overly judgemental of other human beings they are extremely critical to their own kind, constantly worried about public image and the like. Errors are not easily forgotten, one simple slip up could be stapled to a McKenna’s back for the rest of their life. This creates a tension based contrast to their natural tendency to prefer each other’s company over those of outsiders. They are a close knit clan that secretly harbors spite for others who share their blood.

This issue actually goes even deeper, namely in conservative views regarding the roles of individuals among their ranks based entirely on their genitalia. Females and Males hold different roles in society and aren’t allowed to break away from these customs. Men are expected to “bring home the bacon,” provide for their families and establish a successful career in whatever society they’ve integrated themselves into. Masculinity is a big deal in this patriarchal society, if one possesses a male’s sexual organ they are to be battle-trained warriors with powerful offensive or defensive magic. On the opposite end, women are homemakers first and servants second. Any with a female’s reproductive system exist only to breed and care for children. Their magic must be centered around supporting the men and children through utility, or being a true caretaker with the talents of a healer.
No middle ground exists, causing major conflict for those whose personality or sexuality does not fall within these confines. Serenity and Niall know firsthand how little patience their clan has for those who do not fit within their strict social constructs. Ironic considering how progressive they claim to be as an established Mage family.

Serenity McKenna

❝ If wishes came true I would be a bird, ascending beyond the expectations of man upon freedom's wings. ❞

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Mana Manipulation

"The most basic class of magic, involving the direct manipulation of Mana, is available to all mages. Raw Mana is a mundane source of magic with no special qualities, but offers some level of versatility. The amount of Mana a mage is capable of replenishing or expelling is dependent on their overall level. (Most spells taught in class are under this tree. Spells taught in class must be on your character sheet, and any alterations or upgrades to taught spells must be discussed with a professor.)"

Universal Spells

Mana Weave
"To weave ones mana is the very essence of being a mage; almost every spell that you will learn from this tome, as well as spells you develop of your own volition will incorporate this technique in some way, shape, or form. Weaving mana is an extremely simple task to those who are born with an active mana pool; simply focus on a singular part of the body--typically the hands--and envision a manifestation of your inner energies bubbling to it's surface.

There are numerous books in the Grand Archives that take this process into more depth, and this overview is meant to act as a reference rather than a teacher, so if this is your first time attempting the magical arts, the best course of action for you would be to consult another mage for help, or at the very least another book for beginners within the library. This is a general spell, and has no single specific teacher."

Mana Spark
"The next practical step for a mage who has learned to weave their mana is to learn to produce a mana spark. A mana spark is a relatively harmless projection of a mage's energies, creating a physical form and direction to one's mana without actually imbuing heavily violent intent upon it. It is the easiest way to learn the basics of creating projectiles via one's magic, and the physical techniques hind the theory are often reproduced to create a range of different attacks.

To create a mana spark, one must weave mana into a part of their body (or a medium) and quickly push the energies forward, out of the object it is weaving inside and into the physical world. This is generally done via a flick of the wrist when weaving through a hand, or a swish of a wand et cetera for a medium. Once the technique of forcing the energy out has been learned, it is only a matter of practice and muscle memory to become proficient with its directional accuracy and speed. Do not fear testing these out with partners, as being hit on the bare flesh with a mana spark feels much like a harsh pinch at best. This is a general spell, and has no single specific teacher."

Universals

Faith

Mana Manipulation

Universal Spells

Faith (Expert Mage)

"Faith mages are a completely support-oriented group of mages. Those who practice Faith hold the ability to mend wounds, lift curses and illnesses, bestow temporary magical boons to their allies, or create Holy Equipment which provide a permanent boon. Faith mages are also highly skilled in defensive arts, and are capable of erecting magical barriers. However, faith mana is completely non hostile, and no faith spell can ever cause harm to another being (unless faith magic specifically harms them)."

Paige Spells

Basic Aide
Through physical contact with an individual, the caster may weave her Faith Mana into them to mend minor cuts and bruises that she can see or seek out.

Antiseptic
By maintaining physical with her patient, the caster may weave Faith Mana into them and clean basic mundane foreign contaminates (dirt, germs, pus, etc) that she can detect from injuries.

Basic Guard
The caster creates a thin translucent pane of solidified Faith Mana in any basic flat shape she desires. While its size can vary it can never measure more than 5x5 feet (height x width). Guard remains stationary once formed but will deactivate automatically should it ever get further than ten feet away from the caster. Its durability is Tin (scaling to Iron at Mage). Being a purely defensive barrier allows it to retain the Faith Passive: Guard can take one extra hit of equal rank before breaking.

Mage Spells

Intermediate Aide (Basic Aide Upgrade)
Through physical contact with an individual, the caster may weave her Faith Mana into them to mend minor injuries, from small cuts and bruises to sizeable lacerations that would otherwise require a small number of stitches, assuming they can be seen or sought out. The healing process is sustained through direct contact, interruption will require starting the process over.

Antiseptic (Upgrade to Antiseptic: Paige)
By maintaining physical contact with her patient, the caster may weave Faith Mana into them and clean basic foreign contaminates (dirt, germs, pus, etc) that she can detect from injuries, regardless of whether they are from magical or mundane sources (of Mage rank, scaling to Expert). Additionally she is now able to use Antiseptic to cleanse minor illnesses from patients (colds, bad allergy reactions, stomach bugs, etc), even if they are from magical sources (of Mage rank, scaling to Expert). This is assuming she is aware of an illness or infection’s presence. Cleansing is sustained through physical contact, if contact is broken during the process the caster will be required to start over.

Intermediate Guard (Basic Guard Upgrade)
The caster creates a thin translucent pane of solidified Faith Mana in any basic flat shape she desires. While its size can vary it can never measure more than 10x10 feet (height x width). Ranking up to Mage and increasing the barrier’s size has unlocked a single additional ability it didn’t have before: she can have any number of smaller barriers that follow the same restrictions, assuming their total measurements together never exceed that 10x10 foot limitation. The more barriers active the faster/harder her mana drains, having more than two out at once is extremely costly, and only increases drastically from there. Having more than two active won’t compromise the collective durability of each barrier, but will sacrifice the Faith Barrier Passive entirely. Guard remains stationary once formed but will deactivate automatically should it ever get further than fifteen feet away from the caster. Its durability is Iron (scaling to Cobalt at Expert Mage). Being a purely defensive barrier allows it to retain the Faith Passive: Guard can take one extra hit of equal rank before breaking.

Experimental Steroid
A spell that takes Faith Mana imbued with specific intent and manifests into the form of a small solid pill. When ingesting (swallowing) the pill, its user receives a buff to their strength and speed that diminishes over the course of four rotations. For the first rotation both stats (physical strength, physical movement speed) will be at x3, the second rotation they will both lessen to x2, by the third rotation they will return to their body’s natural state in both affected stats but feel an increasing fatigue. For the duration of the fourth rotation they will experience a drop in both stats (x1/2). After this the magic will be out of their system and they’ll return to normal. The caster may only make two of these pills at a time, scaling to four upon reaching the rank of Expert Mage. The stacking cap for this spell is x4, regardless of the spell’s phase.

Blessed Spectacles
This blessed item is, in appearance, a deceptively plain looking pair of reading glasses. However when contested by strength (say they’re dropped, stepped on, thrown, broken, etc) they’re revealed to retain an uncanny durability of Iron (even the “glass” parts). They have a specific purpose as well. When worn, and mana is woven into them, the caster will be able to see some mana-evidence of a curse inflicted on a victim, assuming it isn’t being intentionally hidden by magic outranking that of this Blessed Item’s rank (Mage, scaling naturally to Expert Mage).

Expert Mage Spells

Expert Aide (Intermediate Aide Upgrade)
Through physical contact with an individual, the caster may weave her Faith Mana into them to mend major injuries, from small cuts and bruises all the way to deep and highly damaging lacerations that even stitches would struggle to help, assuming they can be seen or sought out. The healing process is sustained through direct contact, interruption will require starting the process over. Additionally, Expert Aide can also be employed to set broken bones. Though the caster does not have the capacity to fully heal broken bones yet, this spell can seek out fractured areas and create a powerful barrier around them that would behave similarly to an internal cast. Once set, this form of protection (classified as a “Faith Barrier,” Faith Barrier passive applies when contested) will only continue to exist as long as the patient remains within 20 feet of the caster. It can be deactivated at any time, but requires physical contact to be re-applied.

Expert Guard (Intermediate Guard Upgrade)
The caster creates a thin translucent pane of solidified Faith Mana in any basic flat shape she desires. While its size can vary it can never measure more than 20x20 feet (height x width). Training this spell continuously, all the way from Paige to Expert, also allows her to make a sphere shape and/or a dome shape with this spell. She can have any number of smaller barriers that follow the same restrictions, assuming their total measurements together never exceed that 20x20 foot limitation. The more barriers active the faster/harder her mana drains, having more than four out at once is extremely costly, and only increases drastically from there. Having more than four active won’t compromise the collective durability of each barrier, but will sacrifice the Faith Barrier Passive entirely. Guard remains stationary once formed but will deactivate automatically should it ever get further than twenty-five feet away from the caster. Its durability is Cobalt (scaling to Titanium at High Mage). Being a purely defensive barrier allows it to retain the Faith Passive: Guard can take one extra hit of equal rank before breaking.

Sodilozin

Recipe: 1 cup (Clean) Saltwater boiled, 2 tbsp Lich Flower sap, 3 tbsp Verna Oil. Faith mana. Mix until a gel is formed, pour into molds for desired shape, let sit and cool until hardened.

Directions: One pill per adult, half a pill recommended for children, until effects run their course. Increasing intake will cause symptoms to last even longer, and no additional benefit would be gained.

Effects: The skin (or equivalent “biological” material) will produce a vapor that creates a pseudo-aura of protective Faith Mana around the entire body. This substance has no durability scale because it is not solid, but it instead provides protection against environmental based damage, or damage over time. In short, it excels in defense against area of effect spells aka: AoEs. One use of the pill provides one post rotation of protection when contested by magic of equal rank (Expert, scaling to High Mage), and one additional for every rank below. (By High Mage: 1 for equal, 2 for Expert, 3 for Adept, etc.) Being purely defensive in nature, it retains the Faith Barrier Passive in a unique sense: 1 additional rotation of protection.

Symptoms: If consumed but not contested, remaining idly activated, it will only last for 4 rotations. To achieve maximum effectiveness, the spell needs to be used for what it was intended. When evacuating from the body, regardless of being utilized or left unused, this magic will take a chunk of the user’s physical energy with it. For 2 rotations they will feel sluggish and slow, their natural/base physical movement speed stat effectively halved.

Serenity McKenna

❝ If wishes came true I would be a bird, ascending beyond the expectations of man upon freedom's wings. ❞

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Cormac

Riordan

Eleanore

Niall

Ian

Griffin

Name: Cormac McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: Mid Sixties
Birthdate: May 13th
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: McKenna Patriarch

Grandfather

The McKenna Patriarch is a respectable man with old fashioned values that may be grossly outdated, but do not necessarily negatively affect the world around him. He is a patient and thoughtful individual who cares deeply for his family and their wellbeing, while also being strict for the sake of preserving traditional values and challenging them to be all they can be. Serenity’s relationship with him is best described as “estranged.” She had the misfortune of being born into a Conservative family as a female and strongly dislikes the unfair expectations that come attached. Since the girl can’t easily be conformed into their ideal example of the perfect woman her Grandfather finds her presence just as intolerable as she finds his.

Name: Cormac McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: Mid Sixties
Birthdate: May 13th
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: McKenna Patriarch

Grandfather

Name: Riordan McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: Mid Thirties
Birthdate: December 22nd
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: McKenna General

Father

As the Patriarch’s eldest son there’s a lot weighing on Riordan’s shoulders. He must prove himself worthy of someday taking up his father’s mantle, not only to the others within the McKenna clan but anyone outside as well. Pressure has molded him into a reserved figure who appears to back and support every single one of his father’s decisions, in addition to their core family values. While some question the man’s loyalty no evidence exists to back their suspicions and malicious rumors. Unfortunately this has earned him plenty of malice from a wife with high expectations, and driven him to a state of estrangement with both of his own children. Riordan loves them both equally, damned to suffering internally when they are mistreated or taken advantage of. Serenity believes her father to be just as far gone as her Grandfather and wants little to do with him.

Name: Eleanore McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Female
Age: Mid Thirties
Birthdate: June 1st
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: McKenna Witch

Mother

Feisty, stubborn, headstrong; these are all words that could be used to accurately describe the Patriarch’s daughter-in-law. She is a powerful Witch hailing from an entirely different plane of existence, married to Riordan thanks to mutual arrangements between their families. Eleanore disagrees with the way McKennas run things wholeheartedly but as a woman has absolutely no power to change it, even if she is the future Matriarch. A deep rooted hatred for the stuck up Irish clan bloomed into malicious ire when the attempt at manipulating her precious daughter failed and instead of dealing with the issue they shipped her off to die. She thinks of the McKennas as cowardly and weak, imprinting these ideals and values into her own children in the hopes that they can change the course of the family’s future. To young Serenity she is a goddess, a self assured woman who knows her place in the world and will do everything possible to make her dreams come true.

Name: Niall McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: Twenty Five
Birthdate: March 20th
Sexuality: Homosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: McKenna Lieutenant

Brother

Niall is a compassionate and kind hearted individual. He shares his younger sister’s capacity for passion but has a much better handle on his feelings and excels at self control in general. A trained and hardened warrior who cares deeply for his sibling and sympathizes with her identity struggle among the rather bias members of their extended family. Even the man himself suffers despite being a male in a patriarchal society. Expectations for men to perform well on the battlefield and be the breadwinners of their households aside, Niall is expected to be arranged to marry a woman for political reasons and produce more heirs as their original Patriarch’s direct descendants. As it turns out he is by no means a straight man with interest in the female body. Serenity and her brother are very close, often covering for one another when getting into trouble and confiding secrets and desires between each other as best friends do.

Name: Ian McKenna
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: Twenty One
Birthdate: October 19th
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Vult
Race: Irish
Role: Ulreich Student

Cousin

Ian was a favorite playmate for both Niall and Serenity during their early childhood. After a tragic incident involving the death of the boy’s father he disappeared from their lives, leaving the young girl to worry endlessly thanks to the situation’s lack of closure. They are to be reunited during their time together at Ulreich University, which should make her happy but unfortunately opens up a mixed bag of old feelings. Family rumors warn her to be cautious, that her hulking cousin has been reduced to little more than a feral beast. Serenity is well aware of their capacity to exaggerate and pull rumors out of their butts, making her skeptical of the criticism, but still somewhat wary. Will they be able to pick up where they left off and continue being friends despite all the years that have passed?

Name: Griffin O'Connor
Gender: Cisgender Male
Age: TBA
Birthdate: TBA
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Species: Human
Race: Irish
Role: Ulreich Student

Sire

Her perception of the youthful O’Connor is flawed by being raised in a bias culture. McKennas view O’Connors as barbaric overlords who enslave their Faith Mages without any pity or remorse. While this is obviously not the case and a complete exaggeration it is still hard for her to come to terms with her required servitude. Serenity doesn’t seem to get along too well with Griffin at the moment. Neither of them are inherently hostile toward one another, but her frustrations with his go-getter attitude and the way he seems to seek out danger only make the situation worse. Regardless she makes the best of it, welcoming his injuries if only for the opportunity to practice her magic and further her own skills.

Personality

Family History

Serenity's Story

Family Customs

McKenna Culture

Medium

Suitcase (x3)

Suitcase (x3)

Apothecary Satchel

Journal

Pen (x3)

Family Crest

Mana Manipulation

Universal Spells

Mana Manipulation

Universal Spells

Faith (Expert Mage)

Paige Spells

Mage Spells

Expert Mage Spells

Grandfather

Grandfather

Father

Mother

Brother

Cousin

Sire

Images

Special Effects

Music

Peers

Intended Use