Nòva Tuj’inz (/nəˈva tuˈʄinz/)

Overview

Nova was born tens of thousands of years ago, long before her people, the Qhothoinae went extinct.
When she was still mortal, she was a healer, who people would come from far and wide to visit in hopes of healing their maladies. She had a family (a husband and children, including a son) who loved her, a happy home in a quaint cottage which she grew crops in the back of, and a content life.
A nearby mage took a liking to her, growing obsessed with her from afar until he felt bold enough to make his affections known. She rejected him, gently, and then later with a firmer and firmer hand. He ignored all of her rejections.
When she fell ill with a disease going around, a disease she would, most likely, recover from, he panicked and cast a spell, fuelled with greed and obsession rather than any pure kindness or love, and cursed her to an eternal life. Any death she somehow suffered would reset, and she would return to life having replaced someone nearby with her own essence, wherever they stood or lay. A life for a life.
She didn't appreciate what he had done and rejected him even more harshly, and this opinion did not change after hundreds of years of this torment and watching those she loved wither and die around her. She would never age from who she was when she was first cursed, but over time and deaths she has slowly evolved from the form she was originally and into the form she has now.
Eventually, the mage got tired of her rejections and cursed her yet again, casting a spell to bind her to him. Any command he gave must be followed. If he said to sit, she would sit. If he said to smile, she would smile. The only thing he couldn't control was her mind: he couldn't command her to be truly happy or to love him.
He took away her choice of life, her choice of love, her choice of freedom, and exploited her eternal life and the hardiness of her species to force her into a warrior.
When he got too power hungry, another man entered the picture: Netyo Sakelku. He killed the mage, thus transferring the power of control to himself.
He took Nova as his guard dog, positioning her by his side and using her talents for his own ends. He regularly abuses her and allows the other gods to do the same as they wish.

Story

When Lawe Nyekma and Sama Nyekma were born, Nova noticed Netyo starting to perpetuate his abuses against them as well. Determined to do something about it, she began having small rebellions, using whatever skills she could to coax Netyo to leave the boys alone. She managed with Sama, guiding him to the conclusion that Sama wouldn't be useful, but he refused to release his hold on Lawe.
She watched the boys grow up, and when Netyo began using Lawe as an attack dog, she began to step in wherever she could, doing any atrocities he demanded of Lawe before he could be forced into them and not letting him know. When Lawe was injured to the point it would kill a non-demigod, if Sama couldn't make it to rescue him, Nova would find chance to slip away, administering a sedative so he wouldn't wake until she was done repairing the damage and setting to work putting him back how he should be.
After 185 years, Nova barely made it to scoop Lawe out of water he was stuck in, having to escape her own torture to get to him. Sloppy from a missing eye and barely patched together hands and body from being tortured, raped and abused for several days priot, though delicate and oh-so-careful with him, she didn't quite mix the sedative correctly, nor tie the usual blindfold, and Lawe discovered what she was doing, and that she cared.
From then on, a friendship was formed.
233 years later, Nova discovers Lawe has formed a bond with Yendria Dcas when Banshap has him mincemeated as a distraction. She tends to his wounds and gives him some of her blood to keep him on his feet long enough to see Sama.
She forms a connection with Michye when she discovers she might be a Deathwalker.
Later, she has herself thrown into The Hole to attemps to form a partnership with Dichye Selm, having discovered Lawe's affections towards Yendria.

Notable Features

Nova's blood is a drug which acts a lot like a rush of adrenaline to give Lawe a kick. It's also a deeply addictive drug and she's only used it on him 20 or so times in their friendship.
Nova's body can withstand great stress before succumbing to death. Her brain must be pierced at the base of the skull for her to die via physical means. Some disease can kill her, as can some poison, though the specific poisons have been lost to the ages (but not to Nova). She requires food, sleep and water to stay functional, but can continue to survive indefinitely without them. She has taught Lawe Nyekma how to kill her, against his will.

Skills

• Combat. She is incredibly skilled in combat.
• Herbalism. She has a few sources she visits to harvest herbs she turns into sedatives and other elixirs.
• Teleportation. She either has a talisman of some sort or it is an innate skill from her people.
• Clockmaker-like precision.
• Healing.

Notes

i imagine he has been to not-aretuza because i doubt his father comes to him. if he doesn't/cant tp/portal, i bet nova was always sent to collect him because she can D:

i dont think she spoke much. the fb is probably the most he's ever heard her talk. just. "i'm here to collect you" was probably about all there was

i truly and genuinely think baby!lawe was on her hip at least once when he was too small to remember now :)

nova does not sleep much. at all. it's not because she doesnt need sleep it's because either a) she's deliberately sleep deprived and forced to Be Around Constantly or b) it's the only time she gets to herself/peace (they think she's sleeping in the "*slips away*" email)

i would like to pick a name for not-aretuza because i feel like eventually lawe will find out and it'll just be "you try sleeping in [aretuza]", ya know?

nova has bowen energy of just... "what i want: a lil garden patch to grow things in and maybe a lil family and a lil cottage :3. what i got: STRUGGLES."

probably why she didnt even argue with him about eru she just "oh there's a child involved? makes perfect sense, carry on"

i think she had a family once.

she wants badly to be set free from this curse and be finally allowed to die but when she realizes it would crush lawe to lose her she will absolutely rethink that heh

i think she'll adjust it to "i would like the option to die once you do questionmark???"

she's been a captive for at least 500 years (see: watched lawe grow up) but i think she's been alive a good few thousand?

she's incredibly stubborn but i dont think it's kept her alive or anything. i think it's literally that she went from "happy" to "cursed and Wants To Die" to "madness brought on by being Trapped In Life" and finally back to "a weird new kind of sanity". she's insane but she's not, you know?

she has a high pain tolerance but also a high pain sensitivity. in the flashback she is Literally In Agony and the tolerance is that she's not screaming, but that could also very easily be because she's used to it at this point. also she might be drugged up on herbs.

i think the sedative she gives him she takes herself to sleep. what's the worst that can happen, really????????????

she's tried so hard to convince lawe's father to give up whatever the fuck his shit is. so hard. but she doesnt have his ear and so she has to try and manipulate the situation and she's either Not Great at manipulation or he's just too set on his goal to budge

she supports lawe becoming a godslayer to free himself, not to free her. she'll accept it freeing her as a consequence though

i imagine there is another way of freeing her from her captivity but she doesnt know it. michye might be able to suss it though eventually?????????????????

Face: Emma Appleton
OG Tag: Renfriface

Pet: An immortal Mawttěp /ˈmɔttɛp/ called Tifnuulfe (beanstalk).
Husband: Nichkǎhl /ˈniʧkəhi/ (Deceased)
Nichkahl was her soeh awɪ̯e̯ɪ̯a̯u̯i̯wewåʊ̯õ /ˈsoeh ˈɔɪ̯e̯ɪ̯a̯u̯i̯wewəʊ̯θ/ n. eternal partner. Mother: Tepyu /ˈtepju/ (Deceased)
Father: Måʊ̯õt /məʊ̯θt/ (Deceased)
Brother 1: Mache̊he̊ /ˈmaʧɛhɛ/ (older by 6 years) (Deceased)
Brother 2: Fawɪ̯e̯ɪ̯a̯u̯i̯l /fɔɪ̯e̯ɪ̯a̯u̯i̯l/ (Fawi for short) (Deceased)
Sister 1:Ehmåʊ̯õ /ˈehməʊ̯θ/ (Deceased)
Sister 2:Hasfåʊ̯õ /ˈhasfəʊ̯θ/ (Deceased)
Little sister (sick): Påpålme̊ /ˈpəpəlmɛ/ (Alme for short, maybe) (Deceased)

Order of siblings: Mache̊he̊ - Year 0
Ehmåʊ̯õ - Year 6
Fawɪ̯e̯ɪ̯a̯u̯i̯l - Year 9
Nova - Year 10
Hasfåʊ̯õ - Year 16
Påpålme̊ - Year 22

Longer life = longer childhood and more time to breed. 22 years between Machehe and Papalme is probably a lot like 10-12 years between them.
Nova is 12 years older than Alme, enough that she took care of her a lot.
Adolescence ends around year 35 of development. Machehe would have been in his late teens when Papalme was born. Nova would have been a pre-teen, most likely.

Species

Qhothoinae