Miriam Lumo
The Socially-Awkward Spy
Miriam Ilionori Lumo
People like to ask me if I need help because I'm so short. It's not always welcome.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Miriam is small and fit, with bronze colored skin and long black hair. She is in excellent health.
Body Features
Miriam is 5 feet, four inches tall. She has bronze colored skin and a small frame.
Facial Features
Miriam has a round face with brown, angular eyes and a short nose. She has black hair which falls nearly to her waist. She tends to wear this in elaborate hairstyles.
Special abilities
Miriam is a truth wizard. She has the ability to recognize when others are lying to her. She does this based on the sound of their voice when they speak. Miriam describes hearing chords in people's voices. Some chords indicate truth, and others lies. This gift is not infallible, however, and sometimes Miriam hears chords that she does not recognize.
Apparel & Accessories
Miriam is always finely dressed, due to her uncle's wealth and status. She usually prefers dresses to pants, though she also prefers loose clothing which gives her great freedom of movement.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Miriam was born in the city of Pipestone in the country of Alaj in the midst of the Alajan Conflict. Her parents, a reporter and a professor, spoke out against the new government. When Miriam was 10, both of her parents were executed, and she was adopted by her uncle, Don Lumo and went to live with him, his wife, Aberash, and their daughter, Jo, in their large house in the countryside. As the head of his province, Don often met with other politicians and leaders, encouraging both Jo and Miriam to make themselves present and keep their eyes and ears open. He also taught her martial arts, several languages, and the skills of observation.
In her new home, Miriam had difficulty making friends. Though she had some acquaintances, the only people she really considered friends were her cousin, Jo, and one of her uncle's servants, Aiko Nikolic. When she is 12, Jo, who is two years older than herself, got accepted to Faraday School for Wizards. Without close friends nearby, Miriam threw herself into her studies and her work with her uncle.
When Miriam was 13, her aunt died of a sudden illness. When Don prepared a quick and quiet funeral for his wife, Jo accused him of having something to do with his wife's death. Don insisted this was untrue, but it drove a wedge between himself and his daughter. Shortly afterward, when Don found that she had been soliciting money from people who had lost loved ones during the conflict, he disowned his daughter, and declared Miriam the heir of his estate. This, in turn, ruined Miriam's relationship with her cousin.
Gender Identity
cisgender
Sexuality
heterosexual
Education
As a young child, Miriam attended a public school in her neighborhood. After she was adopted by her uncle, she was taught by private tutors, according to a curriculum which he thought was appropriate. This included training in martial arts and gymnastics, foreign languages, poetry, math, science, and history. He also taught her to be skilled at observing others and to stay out of the way, seeming invisible to those you are observing, encouraging her use these skills as part of the resistance against the new government. At age fourteen, Miriam's uncle tried to use his political weight to have her admitted to Faraday School for Wizards. When this failed, Miriam felt obligated to submit an application on her own behalf to save face. Her application was accepted.
Employment
Though Miriam has never held an official job, she sometimes does work for her uncle, such as serving tea or taking minutes during the meetings which he has with other people of political import. More accurately, she spends these moments spying for him.
Mental Trauma
When she was ten years old, Miriam's parents were arrested by the king's guard and hanged. Though her uncle tried to keep her from their execution, she begged him not to keep information from her, and thus witnessed the event.
Intellectual Characteristics
Miriam is both very intelligent and well-educated. She has a particularly logical mind, and is good both at observing things that others don't normally notice and at making broader hypotheses based on these observations. She has such a logical mind that she becomes frustrated when she can't find a logical reason for something or when interacting with another person who does not seem to have a logical mind.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Miriam's greatest drive is her curiosity and thirst for knowledge. If she has a chance to learn more about something, she pursues. This has in the past, driven her to assist her uncle in his work, and after arriving at Faraday, inspires her to better understand the dimensions of her magical gift.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Miriam is very good at spotting things other people don't notice. This makes her a useful spy for her uncle, but it also can work in her benefit. For example, upon first meeting Ayan Tyeen, Miriam recognizes that though Ayan is missing her right hand, she is perfectly capable of doing numerous everyday tasks without help. This endears Ayan to Miriam, who appreciates that her new friend does not treat her any differently than anyone else.
Likes & Dislikes
Miriam is particularly fond of classical music and classical poetry, especially Mermish poetry. She also stays on top of current events and is particularly fond of the newspaper her mother once wrote for. She has a sweet tooth and will rarely pass up the opportunity to have ice cream or candy. She also likes reading mysteries.
Vices & Personality flaws
Show Spoiler
Miriam is loyal to a fault. She trusts her uncle, even when she hears unusual chords in his voice.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Miriam's closest relative is her uncle, Don. Though she used to be close to her cousin, Jo, they now dislike one another. She is also good friends with Aiko Nikolic, who is part of her uncle's staff.
Social Aptitude
Miriam surprisingly struggles to interact with other people. To help her with this, her uncle tutored her at length in social scripts. Though she has found these scripts incredibly useful for spying for him, outside of her uncle's work, she is generally lost in the world of social niceties. She tends to be direct in her speech, and does not understand why others are not. Miriam will sometimes say things that are offensive to others and only realize this after the fact. Nevertheless, her directness sometimes makes her liked by others, who know exactly what to expect from her.
Hobbies & Pets
Miriam practices her martial arts and gymnastics lessons regularly. She also enjoys writing poetry, and is exceptional at it.
Relationships
History
Miriam and Mat meet on the train on the way to Faraday School for Wizards. Mat quickly takes to Miriam's straightforward manner of talking and seeks to get to know her better.
Relationship Reasoning
Mat and Miriam are both students in the same year at Faraday School for Wizards. They often eat meals together, and have some classes together.
Shared Acquaintances
Key Truuit, Ayan Tyeen, Tilli Todetse
History
Miriam and Ayan meet at Faraday School for Wizards, where they share a room in Victoria House. Ayan quickly likes Miriam, who does not make a fuss about her missing hand.
Relationship Reasoning
Ayan and Miriam are roommates at Faraday School for Wizards. They also frequently share meals together, and have some classes together.
Shared Acquaintances
Mat Truuit, Key Truuit, Tilli Todetse
History
Miriam and Key meet on the train on the way to Faraday School for Wizards. Key's brother, Mat, quickly develops an affection for Miriam, which makes Key like her more.
Relationship Reasoning
Key and Miriam are students in the same year at Faraday School for Wizards. They have meals together and have some classes together. Miriam is also one of the few people Key's brother, Mat, actually likes. This makes Key like Miriam more as well.
Shared Acquaintances
Mat Truuit, Ayan Tyeen, Tilli Todetse
History
Tilli and Miriam meet at Faraday School for Wizards, through Tilli's roommate Key, and her brother Mat, soon becoming members of a larger group of friends.
Relationship Reasoning
Tilli and Miriam are in the same year at Faraday School for Wizards. They often share meals together, and they have some classes together.
Shared Acquaintances
Key Truuit, Mat Truuit, Ayan Tyeen
Wealth & Financial state
Miriam's uncle is both well-connected and very wealthy. He has a large estate outside of Mephix, and numerous bank accounts. He rarely shows concern about spending money, and dotes on his niece, who receives a generous allowance. She is also the heir to his fortune and estate.
Current Location
Year of Birth
1948
14 Years old
Birthplace
Pipestone, Alaj
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Mephix, Alaj
Gender
female
Eyes
brown, angular
Hair
black, long, thick
Height
5'4"
Ruled Locations
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