<div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family:Philosopher"><span style="font-size: 26px"><b>Necromancy Rising</b></span><br/>
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<span style="font-family:font1522365474"><span style="font-size: 15px">Solunae and Byteress</span></span><br/>​</div><div style="text-align: left">​</div><div class="bbCodeSpoiler">
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<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Almeda Hohenzollern Beauharnois Williams-Torriani of Valupa, House Aurum Tywyllwch</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 22px">Almeda Hohenzollern Beauharnois Williams-Torriani of Valupa, House Aurum Tywyllwch</span><br/>
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					General
					
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					Wizarding Stats
					
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					History
					
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<span style="font-size: 15px"><b>Preferred Name</b>: Almeda Williams-Torriani<br/>
<b>House:</b> 5th year Slytherin(5th year as of the beginning of the next school term)<br/>
<b>Age</b>: 15, nearly 16<br/>
<b>Gender</b>: Female<br/>
<b>Heritage</b>: Pure-blood, elder mixed heritage of British, French, German and Spanish nobility, with younger mixed heritage of American and Italian<br/>
<b>Height</b>: 5'7"<br/>
<b>Weight</b>: 110 lbs<br/>
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<b>Personality</b>: Almeda is often seen by others as being vain, elitist, arrogant, and cold. And while those are accurate impressions, they only give part of the whole picture. Coming from a very old and powerful family of witches and wizards, Almeda's outlook on life is one of ambition and a bit of naivete. She echoes her family in placing a heavy emphasis on bloodline purity and magical heritage, and thus sees herself as a product of some of the best mages through history, distilled. Almeda doesn't begrudge those of 'lower' birth, or muggle born, eschewing scorn and insulting rhetoric in exchange for an almost patronizing pity.<br/>
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Her materialism and vanity is easily evident from the emphasis she puts on dressing up with fine dresses and jewelry. Even at Hogwarts, she finds ways to entertain this by wearing finery under her robes, or customizing and tailoring her robes to be more luxurious and elegant.<br/>
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Almeda loves to show off her skills at magic too, and is both prideful of her abilities, and voracious in her hunger to improve. And despite this along with her skills and status getting her plenty of attention, Almeda has a reputation for being cold, and more than willing to dispose of people. While she does give a modicum of respect to everyone, Almeda has nothing but disdain for those that disappoint her.<br/>
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She places a heavy emphasis on her own work and need to achieve, hoping to live up to her family's reputation and exceed their expectations. That said, Almeda rarely calls attention to her family history, beyond introducing herself, despite many recognizing the name. Instead, she seeks to let her own skills and work define her, rather than gaining a social advantage through her family's legacy. This is sometimes successful, but to many wizards and witches, her house and family color their perception of Almeda, for better and worse.</span><br/>
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<b><span style="font-size: 15px">Wand</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px">:<br/>
Red Oak with a Thunderbird feather core. Slightly flexible, 7.5 inches, thin with a slight curve. Has a spiral carved handle, with a blue sapphire embedded in the pommel, carved in the shape of a blue butterfly.<br/>
Almeda's wand was crafted at her birth, as are all wands in their family. It initially lacked a core, until her mother's side of the family, in America, acquired a Thunderbird feather. The wand matches and enhances Almeda's innate magical strength, but is practically on a hair trigger, sometimes even reacting before it's weilder.<br/>
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<b>Abilities</b>:</span><br/>
<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Animagus: Stymphalian bird, a large man-eating bird from Greece, with metallic feathering. The plumage and feathers are jet black, witch traces of blue.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Silent Casting: Her wand's overzealous responsiveness has caused Almeda to begin training extensively in silent casting, in order to better control it and her casting abilities.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wandless Casting: Her mother's side would practice wandless casting, carrying on shamanistic traditions rooted in Native American culture. Almeda has successfully picked up this skill, but has a long way to go.</li>
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Patronus</b>: A Thunderbird, a large bird wreathed in lightning. As a patronus, it takes on a form larger than Almeda, and it's lightning streaks of ghostly white light.<br/>
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<b>Strengths</b>: Almeda's strengths are entirely in her spellcasting. Practically a prodigy, she's mastered and even created spells in her time at Hogwarts, and was known as the 'Queen' of it's dueling club by her fourth year. Almeda is especially proficient in transfiguration, charms, defense against the dark arts, and, surprisingly, healing.<br/>
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<b>Weaknesses</b>: Utterly below average in anything not involving the direct application of wands and magic. While Almeda can get by in potions or history of magic through careful study, she's dreadful otherwise. Herbology, creatures, divination, flying, etc simply do not click with her.<br/>
<b><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
Wizard Pet</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px">: A great horned owl, grayish-white plumage.</span><br/>
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<b><span style="font-size: 15px">History</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px">:<br/>
Almeda Williams-Torriani is part of the latest generation of the ancient house of Aurum Tywyllwch, born of a loveless marriage based on genetic engineering and magic blood than of affection. This house counts among it's family tree countless powerful sorcerers through history, barely kept going through a desire to propogate their supposedly superior magical blood, forming bonds with similarly powerful and self-aggrandizing magical families throughout Europe. Dating from the settlement of the British isles and beyond, possibly to even the Roman empire, their blood runs thick indeed, and are considered something of an old nobility in the wizarding world. Almeda, being among the oldest of the youngest generation, is the only one at Hogwarts currently, and bears most of the expectations such a legacy holds.<br/>
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Her parents separated before Almeda's first birthday. While her mother moved back the the united states, her father died of poison - in fact a politically motivated killing by his uncle. Such things were almost par for the course in House Aurum Tywyllwch, however, and this was largely considered a matter of course, despite said individual being stricken from the family record and later dying of "mysterious" causes. While Almeda's mother tried to bring her daughter with her, the grip of the family on their people was strong enough to never allow this, and thus Almeda was raised largely by elders and tutors and governesses from when she was a toddler, with only brief visits with her mother's family. She was trained in magic almost from the moment she could speak and understand spells in addition to a standard education, as her family cared little for things like "a normal childhood" - she was meant to be one of the first of a new generation, after all. Statutes of limitations or standard laws governing the use of magic were seen as beneath them. Almeda was allowed to choose her home, however, and she moved into the estate of Valupa, a remote mountainous area in the far north of the British Isles, largely independent from the grip of her family, though still under their control. The manor - with it's house elves, servants, and bevy of enchantments - and the surrounding grounds of caves, forests, and rocky hills became a place of wandering and learning for the young Almeda, until she received her invitation to Hogwarts.<br/>
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At Hogwarts, Almeda was sorted into Slytherin almost as soon as the sorting hat touched her head, the same house of many of her predecessors. Many at Hogwarts knew of her family, but Almeda went out of her way to stand on her own, trying to fulfill her family's expectations on her own terms. Hogwarts remains a place of a sort of refuge for Almeda, as it pulls her out of the mire of her blood and lets her interact with the rest of the wizarding world. Still, this weighs on her in multiple ways, and her failings are both a blow to her own pride and to what she feels is her responsibility to uphold her family's legacy and forge a new path for the next generation. This weight has taken on multiple forms, from favorable/unfavorable treatment from her peers, to restrictions on who she may or may not interact with, to being unable to chose her romantic life. Almeda was engaged just prior to this year at Hogwarts, once again largely for the sake of 'legacy' and 'purity'. She accepts it, though doesn't plan on paying it any particular heed, carrying on her relationships as she wishes.<br/>
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<b>Family</b>:</span><br/>
<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-size: 15px">Secare Hohenzollern Beauharnois Toriani, House Aurum Tywyllwch (Father, deceased)</span></li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-size: 15px">Cassandra Williams (mother, current head of the American Native Magic Association)</span></li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul"><span style="font-size: 15px">Lysandre Beauharnois Akari-Granado (half-uncle, fiance, Auror in British Ministry of Magic)</span></li>
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</div><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="536" data-username="@Solunae" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/536/">@Solunae</a><br/><div style="text-align: center"><br/>
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</div></div><br/>In the tail end of summer, as the first glimpses of fall began to seep into the winds, a mysterious train wound it's way through the British countryside, red in color with the words<i>Hogwarts Express</i>emblazoned in gold on the side. Surrounding it were verdant hills, slowly becoming forested as the journey continued. The once-warm winds were entwined with tendrils of chilly air, blowing the column of steam belched out by the engine in a long scarf of white and gray. It's journey had begun at an invisible platform, it's destination wasn't on any map.<br/><br/>The interior of the express was overrun with a motley crew of preteens and teenagers, with but a few adults to keep them all in check. Depending on the compartment, it was either incredibly noisy and active, or quiet and contemplative. Most were full. They were dressed in black robes, emblazoned with the Hogwarts' crest or the crests of one of the four Houses, though most had put their own spin on it with scarves or other accessories. In a compartment near the back, away from most of the din and bustle, a young woman had gone a tad overboard in that regard.<br/><br/>Almeda Williams-Torriani was seated next to the window of her compartment, with a focused expression on her face. She wore robes of rather fancier make, silk and fur, but still the standard Hogwarts black, with the green and silver patch of Slytherin adorning it. They were worn off-the-shoulder, the pitch-black fur lining of the robes framing her bare shoulders. Underneath, Almeda wore a dress that seemed altogether far fancier than one would expect for a student going to school, black satin with gold embroidery and dark purple velvet trim, slit on the side of the leg. Her robes were - probably magically - holding open just enough to show off the full length of the long gown. Her makeup was similarly dark as her clothing, with smoky dark eyeshadow and dark purple lipstick contrasting with a pale face, currently lightly scrunched with focus. With one hand, she ran fingers through her shoulder-length hair, curling a raven-black lock that shimmered with a slight silvery gleam, as her other hand held a curious object: a cube made of smaller, colored blocks, each face a 3x3 grid.<br/><br/>The puzzled look on Almeda's face was replaced by a quick raise of the eyebrow as she began turning the different blocks and layers of the cube, and after a few minutes, holding up a finished one, each face a uniform color. A 'Rubik's cube', the muggles called it. Almeda had been fascinated with it for the past few weeks. A rather simple puzzle to understand, but finding a solution took time and focus. And now that she had solved it, her mind began thinking if there was a better way of solving it, faster. She did love the idea of optimization, especially with non-magical puzzles. Finally setting the cube down, she turned to look out the window, gazing at the sunset. In the glass, she could see some of her own reflection, her aquamarine earrings sticking out as a source of bright color among her darker attire. Almeda's expression was composed, her lips in a small not quite smile, not quite frown, icy blue eyes unwilling to impart any insight.<br/><br/>Turning her gaze back to the compartment, she decided to re-join the rest of the world. Almeda had retreated into her mind and the puzzle largely to get away from the usual glut of well-wishers and political parasites. The House of Aurum Tywyllwch's reputation stretched it's roots throughout much of the wizarding world, which, at the moment, meant that Almeda had to deal with no end of students giving her false praises and empty greetings, from the moment she had stepped on the train. This being the fifth time dealing with it, Almeda had at least come dressed well. Only a few were considered friends, ones she considered equals, ones that did not try to grovel at her feet. For their presence, she had been thankful, but Almeda had still banned all from her compartment, save for the man seated next to her, his arm around her shoulders.<br/><br/>Sean Karasonne wasn't someone she considered an equal. He was handsome, a talented wizard for someone in his fifth year, and a fellow Slytherin. Well-learned and prideful, Almeda found him fairly inoffensive and decently attractive. He had slicked-back, well groomed black hair, with handsome features and just the faintest hint of a beard. He had a lean, muscular frame, and while his robes were not as luxurious as her own, he clearly showed the signs of being from a family on the richer side of things. Sean was the latest in a line of boyfriends Almeda had acquired and disposed of over the years. She had dropped her previous one at the end of her fourth year, and picked up Sean - much to his delight - in the few weeks before the term began. He failed to hide his attraction to her, and yet seemed to be a bit insecure and lacking in confidence in regards to being with Almeda - probably incensed by her own reputation for treating romantic prospects as disposable. Just one of the reasons Almeda didn't consider him an equal, another being that he gave the air of someone who found her attractive, but had the ulterior motive of being interested in her family a bit too much. Still, Sean had been a great help in keeping people out of her hair, and he was quite the pleasant distraction from the<i>other</i>issue that had cropped up before she had even gotten on the train.<br/><br/>Lysandre Beauharnois Akari-Granado was Almeda's fiance, effective two months ago. Neither of them were thrilled about it. While the relationship between her half-uncle and Almeda had never been resentful, it had always been tense. Likely the best one could expect for her feelings towards the son of the man who killed her father. But the powers that be in the House of Aurum Tywyllwch had decreed that their union would give the family another strong sorcerer, and thus it was now set in stone, practically. They still had a few years before it ever happened, the family wasn't quite so old-fashioned that they wouldn't let her go through her education and begin her career. Though, being the eldest of her generation, the expectations was that she would dance to their specific tune, no complaints or defiance. Lysandre had sent her a letter from his Auror's post in Tokyo, where he was on loan from the British Ministry of Magic to the Japanese Arcane Defense Force. Strange happenings were afoot, it said. Dark magic and the like. No, that part hadn't bothered her. Instead, what had incensed Almeda was the clearly sarcastic phrase of 'Keep yourself safe,<i>Dearest</i>.' She hadn't dignified that with a reply. Almeda hadn't resigned herself to that fate yet. Still plenty of years left to improve her standing and enjoy herself before resigning herself to be yet another thread in the tapestry of Aurum Tywyllwch.<br/><br/>Her boyfriend glanced at her, Sean's own green eyes locking with Almeda's blues. He gave her a smile, one that was pleasant, a tad lustful, but hinted at that same sort of hesitation which Almeda found disappointing. Sean leaned in, and his lips met Almeda's. She returned his kiss softly, leaning into it slightly, but cut away as his arm drifted down her back, curbing any designs he may have had to make it any more romantic. Sean drew her in a tad closer, but Almeda was already back in her own mind, the sunset shining on her elegant features, her eyes focused on the cube that her lithe fingers scrambled again.