Appearance

Physical Description

Middle-aged (for an elf). She's still as sharp as ever but doesn't fly quite as fast as she used to.

Mentality

Personal history

Hidden inside a rain cloud, the village of Hreidur is sacred to both Aarakocra and Aurai. Elnao was born here in 6658 to Kylantha Elnao. Her father abandoned the family while Kylantha was pregnant. Elnao was raised by the village elders and her mother cooperatively.
 
As a young Aurai, Elnao enjoyed preparing meals for her friends, and always imagined she'd become a baker or a chef when she grew up. There was no sign of the dark power that lurked within her until she came of age. Shadows grew in her presence, responding to her emotions, but never manifested in a major way until she reached 130 years of age.
 
With a handful of young and eager Hreidurians, Elnao left the village to travel across the Sky Kingdom. They ate at the table of a Cloud Giant, chased rainbows down might cloud peaks, walked through the halls of the Snow Dwarves and learned about the greater world beyond. It set a wanderlust and thirst for knowledge in young Ica's heart.
 
In 6804, Vindur sent his Knights of Terranimbus to subdue Hreidur and bring it under his authority. The shamans of the village called for a wind to speed them to safety, but they ran out of time. The Knights charged in and cut down the Aarakocra and Aurai protectors, and Kylantha Elnao--Ica's mother--was in danger.
 
Desperate and helpless, the stress unleashed the full power of Elnao's shadowy gift. Darkness enveloped the entire village, obscuring it from sight while shadowy tendrils strangled the knights in their armor. Ica turned in shock, only to see her mother staring at her in horror and terror. Elnao remained outside Hreidur as the winds picked up and carried it off to the horizon. The stress of unleashing her magic and the despair of how her mother looked at her took their toll, and Elnao collapsed.
 
Vindur's remaining forces never touched her, however--a stranger came to her aid, wielding the same power she'd demonstrated. Miirik appeared to her. He told her that though her powers marked her an outsider, a pariah, there was still a path forward for people like her. Though initially suspicious, Elnao realized that Miirik could teach her how to control the darkness of her magic.
 

Training

 
Miirik led Elnao to the Mortal World and began her training. For years, she endured physical suffering and mental discipline, learning to hollow herself out to make room for the shadows. With her family, her village, her entire world gone, Miirik became the center of her life. He always hinted that there was more power than that found in the eye of the paradox, and after fifteen years of apprenticeship he inducted her into the mysteries of the Void.
 
But over time, as Elnao made occasional trips into the nearby settlement to gather supplies and practice her shadow magic and stealth, she noticed she wasn't alone. Someone else was hiding among the townsfolk, tricking them with illusions and bewitching them with enchantments. She determined to unmask her unknown rival. Miirik noticed this distraction, but permitted it as a test of her focus and her abilities.
 
After months of playing cat and mouse, Ica finally unmasked the other--a Fey blooded trickster. When they finally met face to face, with such an exhilarating contest of wit and magic behind them, Ica realized she'd fallen in love with her unseen opponent, and they fell into each other's arms.
 
Miirik considered this an absolute failure. By succumbing to this emotion, Ica risked undoing everything he'd taught her. He questioned whether he was right to teach her the power of the Void. To correct his mistake, and to refocus her on the shadowed path, Miirik took her most prized possession from Hreidur, a silver ring, and ordered her to leave and join Ioth Academy, parting her from her lover.
 

The Academy (6833)

 
Heartbroken, angry, and ashamed, Ica Elnao traveled to Ioth Academy and presented herself to the Muinteoiri. Though she was not one of their graduates, she demonstrated extraordinary talent for evocation and self discipline. They accepted her as a Magus and she spent her next few decades aggressively working her way up the ladder.
 
In 6854, twenty-one years after joining the Muinteoiri, Elnao was appointed the Master of Evocation, a prestigious position. To commemorate the occasion, Miirik called her to the gates of The Silent City. There, he gave her the Book of Seosh, told her that she was ready to continue the path of Void Magic, and commanded her to take control of the Academy as Ioth's successor.
 
 

The Dragon (6857)

 
Her first opportunity to prove herself came three years after her appointment. The red dragon Gribkoan had betrayed the Charir tribe and made a pact with Uzhul. Now infused with Infernal power, Gribkoan nested in the elemental nexus of Mount Keythior. His power grew over time, and now he was terrorizing the nearby lands, growing closer and closer to Ioth Academy. With each soul devoured he grew stronger. The Muinteoiri debated what they should do, but Elnao decided not to wait for them. She would face the dragon alone, and prove her prowess and worth.
 
The Battle of Mount Keythior nearly killed her, and when she finally unleashed the power of the Book of Seosh to obliterate Gribkoan, she annihilated a sizable chunk of the mountain. Inril Untermauler and the Academy Wardens rescued her from her exhausted state and brought her back to the Academy.
 

Garnet

 
Miirik had been mysteriously quiet for the last three years, after giving Elnao the Book of Seosh. Elnao was shocked when a young girl arrived via the paths of Shadow, bearing with her the silver ring Miirik took from her when she departed. Miirik's instructions were clear--foster this child's success and continue her training in the shadow arts.

Education

Apprenticed with Miirik for three decades, then post-graduate studies at Ioth Academy

Employment

Started as a Magus of the Muinteoiri, rose through the ranks to become Master of Evocation, and now holds the title of Interim Archmage.

Accomplishments & Achievements

• Saved the rain village of Hreidur with her shadow magic


• Achieved the rank of Master of Evocation at Ioth Academy 


• Vanquished Gribkoan, the Infernal Dragon, at The Battle of Mount Keythior 


• Killed Boreas, the North Wind, with the help of Arianna , Athalor An'Andarud, Alyxander Cowles-Blythe and Garnet Tohsaka 


• Achieved the rank of Interim Archmage at Ioth Academy 


• Killed Miirik with the help of Athalor An'Andarud, Arianna, Garnet Tohsaka, Mason and the combined power of the Muinteoiri 

Failures & Embarrassments

• Abandoned by her family and the rain village of Hreidur


• Lost the Book of Dawn 

Mental Trauma

• Believes she was abandoned by her family


• Abusively trained by Miirik for years


• Encouraged to become emotionally dead to wield Void Magic


• Forced to part from her lover without explaining herself


• Deliberately exposed herself to the Void because she couldn't convince Garnet Tohsaka not to do so herself.

Intellectual Characteristics

Ica Elnao values intellectual freedom and challenges attempts to restrict thought and experimentation based on tradition or other parameters.

Morality & Philosophy

She sees everything as connected, as part of some grand, cosmic plan.

person.gender_identity

Female, She/Her

Known Languages

Common, Elvish, Primordial (Auran)

Personality

Motivation

Void Magic is dangerous, and it's my responsibility to control it.

Social

Birthplace

Sky Kingdom

Current Residence

The Spire, Ioth Academy

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Interim Archmage

Social Aptitude

Savvy, persuasive and sharp-witted, Master Elnao's advancement at Ioth Academy has as much to do with her political cunning as it does with her powerful magic.

Mannerisms

When stressed, Ica Elnao preens her feathers.