Ari
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-- Ari
The visage of a young lady who seems to have lived a life of rough and tumble. She wears the coat of a mage, yet moves like a battle hardened fighter. Despite her youthful appearance, she bears the experience of a great adventurer and hero who once fought to ‘save’ her world.
Table of Contents
BackstoryWhen Iktia’s end was at hand and the Origin Project began, it was decided Ori needed a master and companion who would last the near-lifetime it would take to complete the project. Arika Ashling, who was a rowdy 19 year old up-and-coming mage at the time, was selected to take on the task. She would rise amongst the most powerful mages in the history of Arika, earning the title, “The Amber Fury”. She became leader of the team responsible for accompanying Ori across all of Iktia, as well as continuing as Ori’s master and mentor. She would eventually pass naturally just before Iktia’s final moments. The Arika who accompanies Ori to the Crossroads came to be some 70 years after the original passed and the world ended. Ari is a summon constructed on Ori’s recordings of her master, physically appearing as the young mage that first met Ori, but with various added memories of Arika Ashling throughout the remainder of her lifetime. Ari has been accompanying Ori for some 5 years since, helping Ori train, manage data, and facing off demons. Fighting in the Crossroads tournament for a chance at a wish seemed as much of a longshot as Ori getting enough power to summon all of Iktia within a reasonable timeframe. It was also a good change of pace from a dead, demon-riddled world. PersonalityAri’s personality was initially as fierce and confident as the original. However, having been summoned with memories of her completed life, she has become far more mature and laid-back. Ari often comes off as a bit of an older sibling and sometimes as an old woman happy with watching over their grandchildren. The fierce confidence still burns within her, but usually at a well controlled temper. Ari has long since taken notice of the differences between her and her original self. Her sense of self has been in conflict, with outdated information battling against new, and with her body not remembering the abilities her mind can. As a result, she tends to be quite paced and cautious in case these conflicts surface at the wrong place and time. As a result of neither feeling quite like, nor up to the standards of the original Arika Ashling, she opted to instead go by the nickname ‘Ari’. Ari often acts like a big sister or best friend to Ori. When it comes to others, Ari will act fairly amiable. She doesn’t mind going out of her way to help others as she has done many times in the past, but Ori remains her primary concern. |
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Abilities
Former Great Mage
While Ari has extensive knowledge of magic and spells, her current form doesn’t have the power to perform like the original. As a tradeoff for enabling Ari full sentience, it seems Ori did not have the bandwidth at the time of summoning to fully grant Ari’s original strength.
As such, Ari is limited to fairly fundamental spells up to a certain level of output. This mostly includes basic elemental spells (fireballs, water bullets, electric shocks, etc.) and magic barriers. Thanks to her experience, however, she has become quite innovative with the usage and combination of even the most basic spells.
Being a summon supplied by Ori has the upside of virtually limitless mana.
Former Battlemaster
To be a strong mage, one must be of both strong mind and body. Martial Arts was amongst the many skills Arika picked up early on and honed throughout her lifetime. This includes mixed hand-to-hand combat arts as well as general weapon usage (mainly Swords and Staves).
Fortunately, having her spry 19 year old form with good reflexes allows her to utilize these skills, albeit with less strength and weight than in her prime. Ari relies on her martial skills in tandem with her spells to make up for her overall lack of power.
Strengths
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Traveled Veteran - Having the memories of a fighter, commander, adventurer, and mentor, Ari has a great deal of experiences to draw upon. She has developed good intuition and makes generally reliable decisions. She also has plenty of stories to share with fellow travelers.
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Innovative - Being a summoned copy means that Ari can’t exactly train her body like a normal person could. She has to work with what she’s been given. This has made her switch to more innovative tactics, using her skills and environment in ways her original never did.
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Magic Construct - Being a summon has its perks. She doesn’t get hungry, but can eat for enjoyment. She doesn’t bleed, but will have to receive repairs from Ori when hurt.
Weaknesses
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Hard Limits - Ari’s abilities are strictly limited by her summoned form. She is unable to train or exert herself beyond her present self. While she’s had time to adjust and account for this, she can still trip up on the difference between her memory’s experiences and her body’s limitations.
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Dissonant Will - Arika Ashiling was often very direct and bold. But in her discordant state, Ari often doubts her abilities and what risks she should be taking. She may take more passive approaches or miss opportunities to press advantages.
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Temporary Existence - Ori cannot record her own summons, including memories. Should Ori ever summon another sentient Arika, she would not be the same as previous summons. Ari is aware of this.
Gallery
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Author's Notes
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As a constructed summon, Ari doesn’t hunger or thirst. But she also cannot get drunk, which, according to her, is a great shame.
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Ari’s hair band featuring two crystal beads is not part of her summon. It is a real relic of Iktia and a gift from Ori.