Delilah Bryndel
The Fractured Flame
Delilah Bryndel
| Age 18 |
| Gender Female |
| Origin Cindersend |
| Occupation Wisprat Ringleader |
Cindersend is a city of outcasts and opportunists, full of those shunned by the more conventionally organized societies from whence they or their ancestors once came. But in such a place, what becomes of the outcast outcasts? In particular, what of those who cannot fend for themselves?
All too often, the answer is that such unfortunates simply perish alone. But in the recent years of the past decade or so, many of the abandoned children of Cindersend have found a new home for themselves in the welcoming arms of the Wisprat Gang. Seemingly as fleeting and fickle as the cunning, often vicious desert rodents whose name they claim, the Wisprats are a constant thorn in the side of both more well-established (and primarily adult-led) gangs and the upstanding Houses themselves. After all, there are many things a child can do that no adult can.
Now, a band of outcast children seems not the greatest of threats to deal with on its surface, certainly. But to deal with them, one first would have to find them. And even if that much could be done, there would still be their leader to deal with: the unpredictable, dangerous anomaly known as Delilah Bryndel. Cynical, vindictive, self-centered, and scarred by her own power, she makes few allies and fewer friends, being something of an outcast even among her close contemporaries.
And that, in and of itself, is enough threat to give even Glass's Stormrunners pause; aged beyond her youthful years by her environment both without and within, Delilah has the shrewd wit of a crook many times her age, backed by the power to unleash devastating destruction on her surroundings if driven to it.
All too often, the answer is that such unfortunates simply perish alone. But in the recent years of the past decade or so, many of the abandoned children of Cindersend have found a new home for themselves in the welcoming arms of the Wisprat Gang. Seemingly as fleeting and fickle as the cunning, often vicious desert rodents whose name they claim, the Wisprats are a constant thorn in the side of both more well-established (and primarily adult-led) gangs and the upstanding Houses themselves. After all, there are many things a child can do that no adult can.
Now, a band of outcast children seems not the greatest of threats to deal with on its surface, certainly. But to deal with them, one first would have to find them. And even if that much could be done, there would still be their leader to deal with: the unpredictable, dangerous anomaly known as Delilah Bryndel. Cynical, vindictive, self-centered, and scarred by her own power, she makes few allies and fewer friends, being something of an outcast even among her close contemporaries.
And that, in and of itself, is enough threat to give even Glass's Stormrunners pause; aged beyond her youthful years by her environment both without and within, Delilah has the shrewd wit of a crook many times her age, backed by the power to unleash devastating destruction on her surroundings if driven to it.
Appearance
| Height 4' 9" (144 cm) |
| Build Petite and frail |
| Hair Weathered raven-black |
| Eyes Black with violet sparks |
Were it not for Delilah's usual tendency to lurk in the shadows to the edges of her usual haunts, she would immediately arrest the gazes of those wherever she went. It is not that she is particularly beautiful (although she is quite pretty to a certain eye, most would better describe her as "downright creepy"), nor is it a particularly arresting way of carrying herself (indeed, her posture generally presents a sort of languid, jaded lassitude), nor even any particularly imposing size or frame (she stands well under five feet in height, and has a relatively petite build); rather, it is instead the sheer unnaturalness of Delilah's appearance that demands attention.
Her skin is an eerie ashen white, almost more akin to weathered porcelain than living flesh. Her hair is long and wild; a tangled wave of strands as black as the wing of a midnight raven. Her right eye is like a blank keyhole, hollow and empty, within which wicked sparks of violet flame dance and flicker with the turn of her moods; her left eye is missing entirely, a dead lid shut o'er an empty socket. And strangest of all, countless thin cracks mar the left side of her face, spiderwebbing out from her missing eye across her face and reaching down across the side and front of her neck and torso, as if her very skin is breaking apart like the porcelain it so closely resembles.
With so much amiss with Delilah herself, the simple mundanity of her chosen garb is rendered all the more striking: a loose-fitting black collared shirt, black-dyed woolen leggings, and a simple pair of leather boots comprise her usual outfit, with the occasional addition of a floor-length black coat in harsh weather or when traveling. Although she eschews most jewelry, she is not above certain characteristic embellishments: her long nails are perfectly painted with a violet dye that matches her eyes, and her lips are similarly colored with a tasteful shade akin to that of fine wine. Not that this does much to offset her offputting appearance, however ...
Personality
Many outcasts live in denial, try to fit in, or otherwise fear themselves. Not Delilah. She knows she is a freak of nature, and she embraces that fact with a sort of grim, jaded revelry. While often preferring to lurk outside the limelight, this is hardly an omission of shyness or discomfort, but rather a mere convenience: often wearied by the constant pains of her existence, the cursed girl is happier to avoid having to put energy into her public appearance. Once taking the spotlight, however, she has no difficulties slipping into the character she presents to the world: one at once weary, cynical, dismissive, sharp-tongued, and without sympathy for the petty plights of others.
One might presume that Delilah thinks herself better than others; that she is arrogant, and considers her peers beneath her. This, however, could not be further from the truth: Delilah considers no one person better than another, just as no one person is worse. They are simply all equally terrible, and as such equally deserving of her scorn. There is only one exception to her perpetual disdain: her fellows in the Wisprat Gang, for whom she would quite happily perish and to whom she is unfathomably, unfailingly loyal; not that she would ever admit to such a thing, of course.
This flagrant disregard for the propensities of society towards hierarchy and respectful etiquette has gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion, but it is rare for anything to come of it; even when she is punished, she doesn't particularly care about that, either. Naturally, this does not win her many friends or allies, but Delilah doesn't particularly need or care for such sentimental things. She goes through the motions of her day-to-day existence with a sort of brooding, sardonic nihilism, taking whatever opportunities pass by to hone her razor wit on the unwilling grindstone of her peers and otherwise preferring to stand back and watch in silence with a characteristic judgemental smirk.
One might presume that Delilah thinks herself better than others; that she is arrogant, and considers her peers beneath her. This, however, could not be further from the truth: Delilah considers no one person better than another, just as no one person is worse. They are simply all equally terrible, and as such equally deserving of her scorn. There is only one exception to her perpetual disdain: her fellows in the Wisprat Gang, for whom she would quite happily perish and to whom she is unfathomably, unfailingly loyal; not that she would ever admit to such a thing, of course.
This flagrant disregard for the propensities of society towards hierarchy and respectful etiquette has gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion, but it is rare for anything to come of it; even when she is punished, she doesn't particularly care about that, either. Naturally, this does not win her many friends or allies, but Delilah doesn't particularly need or care for such sentimental things. She goes through the motions of her day-to-day existence with a sort of brooding, sardonic nihilism, taking whatever opportunities pass by to hone her razor wit on the unwilling grindstone of her peers and otherwise preferring to stand back and watch in silence with a characteristic judgemental smirk.
Skills
Fire Within—An unholy fire flows through Delilah's veins. While this leaves her somewhat physically fragile and lacking in strength, it grants certain "benefits" in turn: she is driven by ceaseless, untiring energy, to the point where she almost never sleeps; she is largely unaffected by the cold; and she is more or less immune to most forms of poison, illness, or disease. When injured, she bleeds not blood, but violet flame.
Fractured Flame—At will, Delilah can conjure forth the violet fire that burns within her, setting alight that which she wills and molding the flames to her desires. The fractured flames feed upon the most fundamental energies of the material reality, and once lit are almost impossible to extinguish except by their creator's will. This, however, comes at a price: the first fuel of the unleashed fires is always Delilah herself.
Warded by Agony—Thanks to the undying agony of the flames consuming her from within, Delilah quite reasonably has what might be considered an "unusually high" pain tolerance. In fact, she can more or less ignore (and often will not even notice, at times to her detriment) most anything of a sensory or mental nature that affects her.
Fractured Flame—At will, Delilah can conjure forth the violet fire that burns within her, setting alight that which she wills and molding the flames to her desires. The fractured flames feed upon the most fundamental energies of the material reality, and once lit are almost impossible to extinguish except by their creator's will. This, however, comes at a price: the first fuel of the unleashed fires is always Delilah herself.
Warded by Agony—Thanks to the undying agony of the flames consuming her from within, Delilah quite reasonably has what might be considered an "unusually high" pain tolerance. In fact, she can more or less ignore (and often will not even notice, at times to her detriment) most anything of a sensory or mental nature that affects her.
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