Rosemary "Syl" Seward

Rosemary Slyph Seward (a.k.a. Syl)

"Miss Seward do you remember what you and your sister's attacker looked like?"

Syl thought vague figures lurking at the edge of waning vision and the fate they had narrowly escaped. She could tell everything, she could even leave out the deal she'd struck make out like the reaper had arrived and driven them off much sooner. But if anyone knew that they'd been attacked with that kind of spell... No one would trust them no matter how absurd the idea of them going crazy was.

"No Ma'am, All I remember is..." Her voice wavers. "Being attacked and tossing a spell back at them before it goes dark. I'm not even sure what I cast.

— select passage from police tapes xx/xx/xxxx

Rosemary is the character that Sand Castles predominantly follows. Her friends mostly call her Syl for her middle name Sylph though adults still usually call her by her first name. She is vary close with her younger sister Camilla and the rest of her family but things have been strained after being attacked along side her sister on the way home. Her family afterwards has insisted on staying close which she wouldn't mind, except for the fact that it means they suddenly pop into her space at random.

Look I want to be safe as much as you want me to be but I cant handle more hovering! You are literally two rooms away you don't need to stand in the door all the time!

— Syl to her mother during an argument

While she understands her family's worry she also is getting stressed with less downtime to think between school and her new psychopomp training. Though she is considerably level headed for her age she is still only 16 at the start of the story and it leads to arguments as her emotions get the better of her when trying to explain things. Rosemary has developed a borderline obsession with water and water related weather like thunderstorms in stark contrast to Camilla's new phobia causing unfamiliar distance.
In the approaching school year her parents reconsidered their children's education because of the attack and they will be transferring her and all her siblings beside her oldest brother to a boarding school.

Family

Syl has four siblings and a large extended family. She is used to at least one sizable gathering a year outside of holidays. She is closest with her immediate family followed by her fathers parents and her uncles family. Her eldest sister Alyssum is 26 almost finished with university hoping to get a job near to home because of the attack.
Her eldest brother Angrec Jr. Is 17 and in his last year of highschool, after some terse discussions their parents were convinced it would be alright for him to finish at their current school because he could drive his car and lay off going out at night.
Camilla is a year younger then her and was with her that evening at the pier when they were attacked, she seems to remember almost nothing but has developed a fear of water bad enough that she avoids the family's small ornamental pond and cut her hair short so her showers would be quicker.
Syl's youngest sibling is Cress, he is almost five so her parents simply pulled him out of day care and have discussed homeschooling him when he is old enough. Cress's favorite animals are geckos and cats and his favorite thing to do is sing anything, but especially about geckos and cats.
Their father Elm works tuning magi-tech sensors for boats and the local weather station which has more demand then you think as he also gets customers from the surrounding area. Elm's preferred pastimes are cooking and tending his garden with his family.
Their mother Vervain works as an editor for several established novelists with a quick eye for details, her work has slowed somewhat as a one of her clients is approaching retirement and has been making the most of the quiet moments. The siblings know that she used to teach some kind of magic class at the new school Syl and Camilla will be going to and that she apparently retired due to stress. But they don't know what it was. Vervain enjoys puzzles and strategy as well as drying herbs and gardening with her family.
Elaeagnus their grandfather and Elm's father is happily retired spending his time woodworking for his and his wife Hepatica's local crafts fair booth. Fishing while his wife paints and antiquing with his wife are some of his favorite pastimes along with family dinners with his grandchildren and teaching them everything he knows. He does his best to take interest in his grandkids hobbies even though he doesn't quite understand all of them. Though he is pretty sure trading card games are kinda like baseball cards.
Hepatica their grandmother and Elm's mother is happily retired painting and making various craft soaps and other scented crafts for her and her husband's booth. She also loves painting while her husband fishes and antiquing with him. She also loves family dinners and gardening. She knows exactly what a trading card game is and can semi regularly trounce her grandchildren.

Occupation: Psychopomp

After losing track of time hanging out in town one day Syl and Camilla went home the usual way past the pier. This had never been an issue before and the sun hadn't even set yet. But this time they were attacked by several adult magicians that started casting an illegal and extremely violent transmutation spell. The object of this kind of spell is do partially kill your target and transform them into a monster that you can control. Their soul bound to their body just enough to keep their bodies pool of magic from deteriorating. As she started to pass she cast a magic disruption using the remainder of her mana hoping her sister would have enough time to escape which killed her, momentarily. As Syl passed out from the pain of both her and her attacker's spell she came face to face with Death of the waters who met her as she had disrupted her attackers spell enough her that soul wasn't bound to the mortal plain.

Death took her hand guiding her up to sit and the searing ice in her veins slowly started to drain away.

"Will my sister be ok?" Death paused in bringing her to her feet and said. "I do not know, I do not control fate neither do I kill. But, I watch over the dead and you sister will not be left for those wretches that attacked you. My reaper soon approaches and he is not known for allowing the living to die while he idles."

— Excerpt of Syl's first conversation with Death.

Somehow Syl managed to strike a deal with death and return to the living, she got there in time keep her sister from dying but it didn't come for free. In return for her life being extended she went under the employ of Death as a psychopomp, much like the reaper that chased of the attackers soon after she was revived. Her duties are light for now while she lives, learning to lead ghosts on to the afterlife as well as identify traces of necromancy and combat its dangerous effects. But it's a job where retirement is more distant than most countries lifespans let alone a human's.