Morrigan Heron

"Ex" Cultist

The rain nipped at Morrigan's skin as she pulled the knife from her palm. The wound burned as the blade fell to the ground. She took in a slow, calming breath and caught the scent of blood in the air. The smell was so thick she could taste the iron.
She reached up with a clean hand and ran it through her hair. The hand was soaked when she pulled it back. She lathered the blood between her fingers. She knew it wasn't hers.
She heard a voice. It came as a whisper, erupting from somewhere in the deepest part of her mind. The voice was familiar, but her predicament was not. She didn't know where she was, or how she got there. Her heart raced and her lungs hurt from the rapid breathing.
The Passion faded like a fond memory, leaving her to sort out the consequences. More than a mind state, the passion was a journey. It was a fundamental part of The Scarlet Arts, a voyage to the darkest place the mind can ever go. To practice The Scarlet Arts was to be intimately acquainted with one’s own shadow, and Morrigan's shadow was long and dark....

— From The Scarlet Ashes

Morrigan Heron is one of the most divisive and controversial people in The Web. Some call her friend, while others claim she's the enemy. Many know her as a member of The Oxford Cabal, an organization of scholars that focus their study on The Prestige. Others choose only to focus on her ties to The Children of The Fiery Lock, one of the infamous 12 Cults.
Morrigan's life is drenched in blood, death, and betrayal. Despite her reputation, she's been called upon for aid by most organizations in The Web. From Oxenfree to The Chiron Group, most find themselves needing her expertise when out of their depth.

"Mortally Challenged"

Morrogan stands at 5ft, 7 inches with dark red hair and pale skin. The woman is blind, her eyes the color of jade, though can manage life easier than most due to The Static.
She often refers to herself as "mortally challenged." Morrigan is a quasi-immortal, a state of being as close to immortality as possible. While resilient, she can certainly die. Her immortality is the result of an experimental ritual that altered her blood, allowing her to postpone death while her body heals under normally lethal circumstances.
This ritual also caused her blindness, the only thing about immortality she finds tragic. While the static helps, she still struggles considerably due to her lack of sight. While it's obviously harder to hold her own in a fight, she was also a gifted painter before going blind, a hobby she has since given up.

Skills

Morrogan is gifted in several genres of the prestige. She is one of the most powerful practitioners of The Scarlet Arts, a genre of the prestige focusing on the use of blood. She also has a knack for pyromancy. Like most who excel with fire, her skill with other elements suffer, particularly when it comes to water.
Outside of the prestige, she has a vast wealth of knowledge regarding the arcane, The Antediluvian Age, and eldritch lore. This makes her just as ideal for research as she would be for combat, if not more so.
Morrigan is a force to be reckoned with in combat, but this goes for her allies as well as her enemies. For many, Morrigan is a loose cannon due to The Passion, an altered state of mind that functions similarly to addiction for those who practice The Scarlet Arts. Morrigan has killed friend and foe alike during operations, and few are likely to forget it.

Fun fact: Small Achievements

Morrigan made many discoveries between 1945 and 1980, a time period when she was rarely seen outside of the Oxford Estate. She discovered a new way of performing the rite allowing one to gain the prestige with slightly less risk of death.
She discovered many hidden locations, from temples built to honor long dead gods to the first library, a nexus that allows travel to every library on the planet. She also discovered numerous artifacts from The Antediluvian age, and spent most of her time studying their secrets.
When The Web was officially created, Morrigan sought to improve her image and never declined a call for help. She tolerates the criticism and suspicion in an effort to change how people view cultists.

Personality

Those who meet Morrigan first notice her wit, along with her straightforward personality, but quickly learn of her flaws as well as her charms. She's described as bright and cheerful, though this isn't always a good thing. Her addiction to The Scarlet Arts can bring her delightful charm out in inappropriate situations, and she doesn't have the respect for life others do.
On top of a flawed moral code, Morrigan's lack of sight developed some quirks. She tends to fall apart when she can't control her environment. Immortal decay has complicated her personality as well. Her inability to remember key moments in her life can lead to contradictory personality traits. This makes her seem manipulative, even when being completely genuine.
Morrigan is best described as desensitized. She favors a utilitarian and practical approach to life. She's not afraid to do what must be done for the greater good, but her age makes her think on a much larger scale, and a much longer timeline. She can shrug off violence and brutality like no one else, possibly as a coping mechanism for her own violent nature.