Inner Workings of a Mastermind!

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( the basics )

age • 10
gender • Female
species • Equine
breed • American Saddlebred x Warmblood x Ahkal Teke
sexuality • Straight

dominion • Angletus

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( a little deeper )

personality •
Illythia is inwardly depressed and often views the world as grey and lacking of promise in any regard. However, she puts on a strong show for those that follow her. But daily life for her is a struggle and some days are better than others. She refuses to allow others to see her weaknesses though thoughts of suicide plague her mind frequently. Illythia is one of the more depressed souls one could seek to find. The air is colder around her, the sky turns cloudy over her head, the grass withers where she walks, and so on. Or, at least, it does from her dismal perspective. Life holds no joy for her any more; where there used to be a spark of life and playful rebellion, is now just the broken shell of a withered soul. She could probably cheer up, if she wished to; at least to the point where she no longer entertains suicide on a regular basis, but somehow she doesn't seem to bother trying to get better. The only thing she holds onto is the hope that her long lost love, Asher, will come back to her and they can live out their lives together once again.

likes •
moonlight, the smell of clovers, the chatter of birds, kind hearted horses who are eager to please, orchids, the rush of stream water on a hot summer's day

dislikes •
extremely hot days, being left alone, the cry of wolves, dying/dead trees (they make her sad), the unrealistic concept of 'happily ever after'

weaknesses •
Asher (any opportunity to find him), not a fighter in the physical sense, rather naive in the ways of trusting others as she is very weak and longs for a friend so can easily be outsmarted, plays with the idea of suicide if left alone for too long with her own thoughts (very low self esteem)

strengths •
clever and sharp witted, when in the right mind set she can have quite the silver tongue, somewhat manipulative when necessary

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( on the outside )

pelt color • Double Cream Champagne
eye color • Light blue
height •15.3hh
weight •When healthy--1,000 ; currently---870
markings • She had vine-like markings swirling around her legs, wider purple ones underneath slimmer turquoise markings
scars • None significant enough to notice

general appearance •
Illythia is a staggering double cream champagne and carries the elusive satin gene. She is also heterozygous for silver dilute gene. Turquoise vine-like spiral markings starting at hoof and going up until fading with wider purple streaks underneath twisting around legs. Blue galaxy orchids grow naturally in sporadic rows of her mane and a single string growing from her tail. As she is sick and malnourished, the flowers wilt but when she is in good health, they are vibrant and lively. Light blue eyes. Currently, Illythia is rather emaciated and so her coat does not glisten as it should and her ribs are visible...her face is rather sallow as well.

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( the background )

history •
Illythia was born into a family of privilege, bearing the title of princess since birth. She was given any and all things her heart desired and was a dear friend among all others in her alliance. She was well-educated, taught how to harness and master her tasks and responsibilities at a very ripe age. She was outgoing and vibrant---charming and endearing on all levels. But despite all she was given, there was one thing Illythia craved more than anything--the freedom to love.

For as long as she could remember, she had been tethered to a young and noble steed which her parents had selected for her. She had never met him and was bound and determined to never see such union take place. She loathed the idea of the betrothal and wished to select her mate of her own volition.

She would linger for hours on the elysian fields watching the normal herd members embark on their daily lives. How she envied them and their freedom to go and do as they pleased. They never had to concern themselves with disappointing the king and queen who watched Illythia, their only child, so closely.

One day, as she remained perched upon her normal lookout, she spotted a handsome seal bay brute wandering through the canopied forest. His name, she learned, was Asher and it was love at first sight. She sought the stag out that evening when the rest of her kin had retired and the two strangers quickly became intertwined in a fiery love affair. Asher was perfect--so charming, raw, and adventurous. There was never a dull moment and Illythia never wanted it to end.

After much deliberation and inner turmoil and several months of gallivanting about with Asher, Illythia decided she no longer wanted her fancy lifestyle and would much rather find eternal happiness with Asher. Illythia approached her mother and father, telling them of the decision she had made. Naturally their disappointment was imminent and naive Illythia was heartbroken not to have received her parents' blessing. But she was truly unaware of the complications it would bring down upon her and Asher when they ran off together. Illythia's dam, Licinia, whose charm and over abundance of friends being her greatest of strengths, told Illythia, "This beast is no good for you, my child. If you leave this kingdom, great hardship will befall the two of you, leaving but withered and jaded shadows of the youthful things you stand as now."

But Illythia did not listen--scoffing at her mother's words. She turned her back on the kingdom of her birth, forfeiting all responsibility. She found Asher at the gate, her face lighting at the vision of her true love and the life that waited for them. A stallion from Exhaltia and a fallen princess from Angletus---but Illythia did not care.

But his own visage was creased with worry--something did not feel right. Asher was a superstitious fellow and as he watched Illythia leave her homeland he could have sworn he heard the voices of the gods in his head telling him why a fool he was and how he would suffer. He shrugged it off, blaming the heat and lack of sleep building up to this day.

But Asher went downhill quickly, the voices in his head plaguing him constantly---be they real or simply the stallion's mind slipping after losing his family in the disaster that left the world only a fraction of what it used to be. One afternoon, he could take the taunting whispers no longer and requested he and Illythia seek refuge in a cave system where he hoped to escape the madness. Dying to help Asher, Illythia conceded to the request.

They stayed in the dank alcoves just outside her homelands for weeks and Illythia craved the sunlight though she did not complain. Asher seemed to be doing somewhat better although his sleeping patterns were bizarrely irregular.

One night, Illythia felt Asher rise from her side, awakening her with a startle and so she followed him as he walked out of the grotto. Just across the way, a herd of deer grazed beneath the pale moonlight. Before Illythia could smile upon the serenity of it, however, Asher raced towards them in a red fury, slaughtering several of the animals before they could escape. Illythia cried out and ran to Asher's side, begging him to wake up and when he did, the blood of the innocent beings on his hooves and splattered upon his chest, he began to sob. "The voices, Illythia. They have driven me to madness." Those were the last sane phrases Illythia heard from the stallion for days thereafter.

She knew it was her responsibility to take care of the stud and she tried to help him any way she could. But it got to a point where whenever she tried to stand in his way, his violent craze would be unleashed upon her. But she always tried to save him, stop him, protect him from himself. But she was only left with more bruises and scars.

Sometime later, Illythia learned of her parents death, the world as everyone knew it ended for good and she was left as their only heir to take their place. But when she informed Asher of this, he said nothing. She resigned herself to leave for home the next morning to fulfill her duties as the leader of a herd and empire much different from that belonging to her parents.

When she awoke, preparing to wake Asher so they could leave together--she discovered he was no where to be found. He had vanished in the night, abandoning her in her own time of need. Reluctantly, she made her way back home, vowing to seek Asher out as soon as she was able.

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