Aura
| Aura Kirie Sermons |
|---|
 As the Goddess commands |
| Age: Thirties |
| Race: Human(?) |
| Status: Alive |
| Affiliation: Mana Tribe |
Origins
Born Aura Kirie Sermons to 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
Aura's affiliation with the Mana Tribe has proven a boon and a bane throughout her life, directly impacting many incidents both involving her and those around her. After leaving Kirono to find her own way, she become involved in a series of events involving the reploids Seikou and Variance, becoming smitten with the former. She would go on to discover the nature of her reploid conversion and eventual de-conversion upon her return to the Mana Holyland, and after a wild series of events involving her heritage and the reploids' own internal struggles, she eventually would produce an offspring named Ambience while under the effects of a strange dream; while the child would have various physical traits belonging to his father, Seikou was not physically involved in the child's creation in the traditional way. At this time, the stage had been set for imminent danger involving the Tree of Mana, and in an attempt to combat this threat, Aura brought Variance to the Mana Holyland such that he would remove the Sword of Mana and defend against this threat. Unable to prevent the Tree's demise, however, Aura realized that this made her the next in line to become the Tree, and she gave up her child to Seikou. Upon her return to the Holyland, Aura discovered that another had willingly taken her place to become the Tree so that she would be spared the heartbreak of her loss of family; unfortunately, with the Tree's destruction, the Holyland's ability to grant passage to the other Realms was lost, and Aura could only watch from the Holyland as her son and Seikou carried on without her.
Seven years passed in that time.
Aura has taken up the mantle of 'Oracle' within the Mana Tribe's village, akin to the highest position in the Holy Sanctuary that provides the closest physical link between the tribe and the Goddess of Mana. From the Holyland, Aura watched as Seikou gradually fell apart without her, but held on enough to provide a fatherage to Ambience so that he would not grow up an orphan. In the year that followed, she watched as Ambience's lost heritage and unique biology gradually wore on him, to the point where he become enthralled by a Witch and set out to destroy the city of Truce and any of his friends that happened to block his path. Going against the wishes of her elders and calling upon considerable power to do so, Aura broke through the Holyland's barrier and reached out to the Middle Realm, stealing Ambience away before he had the chance to cause any major harm and holding him captive in a magical prison within the Mana Tribe's village. Eventually the Witch that held sway over Ambience was destroyed by other Wishborn, but Ambience was spiritually-ravaged by the events of the last year and required that his memory be wiped of the events of that past year in order to be made stable.
With her son effectively in subconscious stasis for the year that followed, Aura watched further events unfold in the Middle Realm below, and as the barrier had been broken through by her act, occasionally made visits there, herself. Recognizing events that were taking place, Aura returned to the village and eventually woke her son from his slumber, giving him a limiter that would allow him to have a better grasp of his own power and affording him knowledge on his own heritage and lineage. Aura would remain in the Holyland at this time while Ambience came and went, returning to some small fraction of his past life with minimal knowledge about anyone there except for a few people who he still seemed to recognize despite his forced memory loss. In the span of events that followed, it became clear that the Sinistrals were about to awaken, and Aura would disdainfully admonish Haut, the one responsible for their allowed return, before taking Ambience and returning to the Holyland to await the Middle Realm's fate without their intervention. However, in their attempted search for Doom Island, the Sinistrals instead succeeded in awakening the Fortress of Mana, forcing Aura and the Holyland to become involved because of the potential danger that the Fortress would prove to the Tree of Mana if not dealt with. As Haut was unable to enter the Fortress without it, Ambience was chosen to withdraw the Sword of Mana and enter the Fortress alongside Haut to deal with the Sinistrals, with Aura only able to stay behind and hope for her son's safe return. The Sinistrals were eventually defeated and the Fortress destroyed, but Ambience did not return, leaving Aura heartbroken once more at the loss of her family. During the course of these events, Seikou also disappeared and had not been seen since.
Five years passed in that time.
Suspicious activity in the Underworld and the Middle Realm has raised the alarm for the Holyland, and until they are able to assess and determine the nature of the threat as it could be posed to the Holyland itself, a barrier has again been erected that prevents travel to and from the Holyland and other Realms. Aura continues her duties as the Oracle of the Mana Tribe, having moved on after the destruction of the Fortress and the loss of her son and mate from five years prior. Unlike her abilities half a decade prior, the current strength of the newly-formed barrier prevents outside vigilance unto the Middle Realm, preventing her from witnessing any events unfolding there.
Her current status is unknown, but it is assumed that she still resides in the Holyland, unaware of the events taking place in the Realms below.
Powers, Abilities, and Traits
Being directly descended from the bloodline of the Goddess of Mana, Aura's ability to manipulate and interact with the flow of mana at its source grants her significant dominion over magic as a whole. She is forced to wear a limiter, which appears as a simple black choker inset with a small emerald, in order to contain what would otherwise be an incredible amount of insurmountable power that could pose a danger to herself and others if unintentionally unleashed. It is said that her power is second in capacity only to her son, Ambience, due to the unique nature of his conception. Very little magic is averse to her beck and call, and she wields her powers with staunch conviction over her beliefs, preferring to mend and protect, but willing to go on the offense as necessary to protect the Holyland and its inhabitants. Aura takes a little-nonsense approach to most matters, and is vehement in her stance when faced with danger regarding her family or the Mana Holyland. The act of her de-conversion from Reploid to Human left her with minor physical impairments, such as residual metal plates on certain areas of her body, as well as an occasional loss of balance that requires her to carry a walking brand while mobile.
Like all members of the Mana Tribe, Aura is gifted with the ability to detect a person's 'Mana Signature,' which is effectively a second sight that allows her to determine the composition of mana within organic/living beings. By analyzing the makeup and structure of a person's signature in this way, as well as changes or shifts, Aura can detect subsurface traits such as intent, mood, internal health, and so on. She also has a limited psychic connection with Ambience, allowing her to broadcast messages into his thoughts; this is a one-way connection, however, as she cannot receive his thoughts in kind.