ditzy_hobbit

A cunning rogue and information broker who has been Saira's occasional companion on dangerous jobs. A halfling woman in her late twenties with auburn hair and quick fingers, Kessa survived on the streets before making a name for herself in the adventuring world. She knows Saira was expelled from the college but not why, and she's curious about the strange powers her friend is developing. Kessa is practical and morally flexible—she doesn't care about good or evil, only survival and profit. However, she's fiercely loyal to the few people she calls friends, and Saira is one of them. Kessa provides comic relief but also serves as Saira's connection to the criminal underworld and information networks. She's witnessed Saira's blood magic manifestations and is both fascinated and worried. Kessa is skilled in stealth, lock-picking, and gathering intelligence, making her invaluable for uncovering the truth about the blood magic order. Her main motivation is keeping Saira alive long enough to figure out what's happening—and maybe getting rich in the process.

A paladin of the Order of the Radiant Shield, sworn to hunt down practitioners of blood magic and other dark arts. In his early thirties, Theron is everything Saira is not—formally trained, respected, and righteous. He's tracking rumors of blood magic resurgence when his path crosses with Saira's. Theron is honorable but rigid, viewing the world in absolutes of good and evil. He lost his younger sister to a blood mage's ritual years ago, fueling his zealous hatred of the practice. Despite this, he's not cruel—he offers redemption to those who turn from darkness, though his definition of redemption is strict. His relationship with Saira could become complicated as he's drawn to her determination and strength, even as he senses the forbidden power growing within her. Theron wields holy magic and is an expert swordsman, making him a formidable opponent. His greatest flaw is his inability to see shades of gray—a weakness that blood magic's complexity will challenge.

The enigmatic leader of the blood magic order who initiated Saira five years ago. A man in his fifties with silver-streaked black hair and aristocratic features, Corvain presents himself as a scholar pursuing forbidden knowledge for the greater good. He disappeared shortly after Saira's failed ritual, and his true motivations remain unclear. Was the ritual actually a failure, or did it work exactly as he planned? Corvain is charismatic and persuasive, able to make the darkest acts sound noble. He believes traditional magic is too weak to face the coming darkness, and that blood magic—powered by willing sacrifice—is humanity's only hope. His relationship with Saira is complicated; he saw potential in her desperation and may have used her for purposes she doesn't yet understand. He's a master manipulator but also genuinely believes in his cause, making him neither purely evil nor trustworthy.

A fierce and determined sorceress in her mid-twenties, Saira carries the weight of abandonment and rejection. Orphaned as a baby when goblins raided her village, she was raised by a noble family who never let her forget she was charity. Her innate magical power was her only source of pride, leading her to Argentum College where she excelled—until her obsession with fighting evil drove her to join a secret blood magic order. She believed sacrifice was necessary, even offering her own blood in a painful ritual that left her with nothing but shame when no powers came. Expelled and alone, she became a hardened adventurer, taking on dangerous quests with reckless abandon. Now, five years later, the blood magic has awakened without warning, bringing searing pain and mysterious symbols to her palms. Saira is cynical, driven, and deeply conflicted—she wants to use these powers for good, but fears what they're turning her into. She's skilled with elemental magic but untrained in its finesse, relying on raw power and instinct. Her greatest fear is becoming the monster she's always fought against.