Aura

Aura Kirie Sermons
As the Goddess commands
Age: Thirties
Race: Human(?)
Status: Alive
Affiliation: Mana Tribe

Origins

Born Aura Kirie Sermons a Middle Realm scientist and a woman from the Mana Holyland, much of Aura's past is shrouded in mystery due to multiple instances of wiped memories, as well as having no currently-surviving parents. It is suggested that Aura had a relatively normal childhood upbringing up until the age of nine, when her mother was selected to become the next Tree of Mana, as her family's bloodline coincided with that of the Goddess. Stricken with grief, Aura's father took her from the Holyland and returned to the Middle Realm; at some point, and for unknown reasons, Aura was forcibly converted into a reploid under the guidance of her father and fellow scientists. In the midst of an apparent breakdown, Aura's father saw the error of his ways and destroyed the facility along with all of their research, himself, and probably other employees. Aura was ejected from the facility and later found in the nearby woodlands by a Matango named Kirono, who nursed her back to health. Aura would spend the next seven years under the watchful eye of her new 'brother,' lacking any memories of her past up to that point and gradually becoming more aware of the world around her, up to the point where it became time to seek out her own destiny.

History

Despite Aura's best efforts, she could not seem to make and keep any friends. Those she grew close to either perished in gruesome ways or simply disappeared, never to return. Disheartened and depressed, she deemed herself an outcast, keeping herself relatively confined to what used to be the Mana Sanctuary at the northern end of Truce. Her self-proclaimed symbol became that of a black rose, of which she was given by an unseen entity one night in the same Sanctuary.

As time passed, her despair became converted into confusion and uncertainty, taking hints from fortune tellers and those around her that she was not like other reploids; her need for sustenance and capacity for empathy and emotion were unlike anything those reploids she came into contact with had ever seen. Two reploids, Seikou and Variance, would be the only exceptions; for whatever reason, they were supportive and considerate to her plight, and feelings were first hinted at and then later established between herself and Seikou. In fact, it would be her unrelenting grasp on hope and faith that would save Seikou from his Maverick tendencies on at least one occasion. Nevertheless, she began to doubt her mechanical heritage, especially when voices began speaking to her in times of stress; these voices would later appear to her in the form of tiny tree maidens, Dryads, who took it upon themselves to reinfuse Aura with memories of her past. Though they had little effect at first, Aura was eventually whisked away entirely and put into a magical sleep within a temporal chamber the Dryads would dub a "Mana Egg"; in this space between spaces, she would learn through a series of vivid dreams that she was the daughter of a human scientist and a woman of the Mana Tribe, and that her father had an apparent eccentric streak where his duties were concerned.

Upon her awakening back in the Sanctuary, Aura gained a new sense of determination, and informed Variance and Seikou of her desire to learn the truth, establishing the fact that she would be gone for some time therefore. At the Dryads' request, Aura visited the ruins of the factory that had been destroyed some time ago, and after an incident involving a phantom who seemed to know too much, Aura was pulled back into the "Mana Egg" for a time, and would reawaken this time in the Mana Holyland. However, she would not regain consciousness as the person she knew; her reploid augments and armor were no longer a part of her, and save a few places on her body that still bore metallic plates, she was of flesh and blood. In the coming weeks, those in her new surroundings would give her every piece of knowledge she wanted: her history, her home, and her destiny. She was a member of the Mana Tribe, and not only that, but in the immediate bloodline descended from the Goddess of Mana herself. Her mother was the current incarnation of the Mana Tree, whose ascension drove Aura's father to insanity; it was during this time that Aura's conversion to reploidkind took place. Given all she needed to know and thankful for everything she was given, Aura settled to return to Truce and see the world for what it was, now that she knew who SHE was.

On her return, Aura found that things weren't quite as optimistic as she had hoped for. Her newfound power was a danger to Seikou at first, as the simple aspect of her closeness seemed to cause him pain. Additionally, plans had apparently been set in motion by one or more of the gods, and though she didn't realize it at the time, her destiny was intertwined within these events. Though fearful of herself as a monster at first and choosing to lock herself away in the Sanctuary, she quickly came to grips with reality, and with the help of a "limiter" charm her grandfather had given her, learned to suppress her powers to a subtle degree. This only solved one problem, however; Mana's power began to wane even as the current Tree's incarnation held strong, and in desperation, Aura sought an audience with one of the gods involved in the current affairs. Lillian further explained the situation (to some cryptic degree, at least), and divulged a legend passed down by those of the Mana Tribe without speaking about how she knew of it. Nevertheless, Aura took it upon herself to find a potential "Hero" who would inevitably take up the Sword of Mana against this incoming threat. After deliberation between the two of them, Aura saw this hero in Variance, whom the Dryads also were fond of, and it was not long after that Variance did indeed retrieve the sword from its resting place in the Mana Holyland. While Variance returned to Seikou, Aura felt compelled to remain in the Holyland and get a better sense of things from her home's perspective.

At its source, the flow of mana grew wild and untamed as the dark threat loomed, and at one point, Aura found herself returned to her "Mana Egg"; however, she would emerge from this slumber with a child on the way, a strange twist of fate and the Goddess' will in the time of uncertainty. Informed by the Mana Tree of what was to happen, Aura left immediately to clue Seikou and Variance in on what would transpire, as well as sheepishly introduce her new offspring, hesitantly claiming (and hoping) Seikou as the father. She explained what she could of the incident, and was relieved at his acceptance. She briefed Variance, in turn, on what was now expected of him. The following morning, Aura was nowhere to be seen, having left the child that she had named 'Ambience' behind in Seikou's care, along with a small-stemmed black rose. Though a potential act of abandonment on the outside, Aura had no choice; she was the next in line to become the new Mana Tree after this series of events destroyed the old one, and could not care for the child herself. However, on her return to the Holyland, she was shocked to discover that another member of the bloodline had taken her place while she was gone, with the intent to spare her the sorrow of creating and then leaving her family. Aura's guilty elation at the news was cut heartbreakingly short, however, when she found that the flow of mana was no longer strong enough to allow for her travel to the outside realms. She remained in the Holyland, watching the two and subconsciously wondering what had happened to Variance during these last events.

-

Aura is a member of the Mana Tribe, servants of the Mana Goddess, who reside within the Mana Holyland as tenants and caretakers of the Mana Tree and, alongside the elementals and faeries, guardians of the Sword of Mana. She is of average build, if only a little on the frail side, with short, midnight-blue hair and violet irises. Her actual age is questionable, given the events that have transpired since her birth, but for appearance's sake, she seems to be around her early twenties. Her trademark is that of a black rose that she keeps woven through her hair, and she wears a magical choker that keeps her power from surpassing that which she is able to contain, as she is seen as something of special case even among the Mana Tribe. As her son, Ambience, grew older, she became able to establish a subtle telepathic link across the realms, and is able to speak with him on few occasions by channeling what she can of mana's regrowing power. She is saddened that this link cannot be established with Seikou under the same means, and only hopes for the day when she can be reunited with the two of them.