Beautifully iridescent, married to an entrancing, inky darkness. Vivid teal, doe-like eyes stare out from the depths of obsidian colored skin and an untamed spectrum of loose hair. The edges of her curves are illuminated by a soft faux-glow that only gently caresses the black of her slick pelt. It touches the edges of her shoulders and the sharp lines of her cheekbones; the complimentary backdrop to a spackle of turquoise freckles, like twinkling stars scattered across a midnight sky.

A streamlined body, all smooth scales, glossy fur, and fins with stark, sharp edges. There was almost no one better suited to the water than she, and oh! How the refracting light shone off of the teal, turquoise, and rainbow of her scales and fins, illuminating all that was shadowed in a soft blue moonglow. The only thing left in shadow and untouched by the gentle ombré are the solid, unchippable onyx of her hooves, the black-stained pout of her lips, and the inky coral crown and collar.

It is not uncommon to catch a flash of this mermaid out of the corner of one's eye, her own wild eyes staring longingly towards the shore, the sand. The sunlight glimmers beautifully off of the iridescence of her scales, feels so right in its warmth. Is it not agony that the siren is denied it so, always left wanting? Confined to the sea.... and despite its vastness, there was no place she felt more trapped.

There are no lips nor melody so sweet when they are drenched in a siren's song. A jet black ghost of the deep sea waves, she is its phantom both in appearance and nature as she passes by the world as a silent, pensive observer — withdrawn but inquisitive. Her cat-like curiosity never seems to be sated, although in the end it cannot fully amend her shyness and hesitation.

There is something about the world above the water that has always captured her attention, however she cannot shake the unease she feels when faced with a whole new world. Like a sponge, she readily soaks up all knowledge she learns — but at the slightest hint of something amiss, she is quick to dart away and return to the mother ocean. Alarmingly fast and easy to spook, she quickly becomes the sea's phantom once more and can vanish into its depths..

Under the sea is truly where she thrives. She settles among the coral reefs, caring for each reef garden she comes across in her travels. Her home is found nestled far below the waves, where she spends time alone nurturing a personal coral garden she has spent years crafting and looking after. She is its steadfast guardian, and each day she travels near and far to collect exotic, vivid specimens she hasn't seen before and those who are in desperate need of her care. And it is not only she and the coral who benefit: the sea life flourish around her home, and she does it in part for them.

With the influx of visitors that flock to her brings with it a cost. Many times she comes across orphaned or injured sea life, and she is well suited to rehabilitate them. Her home is built around the garden and those she cares for — a quaint tribute to the beauty of life and its vastness. And as it goes, with life comes inevitable death...

No matter how much you try to deny the alluring melody of your voice or the ravenous cravings.
I'll never be more than a wolf at your door for dinner - The wishes I've made are too vicious to tell - The devil already he knows me so well


withdrawn | hesitant | shy | easy to spook
curious | quick to react | kind-hearted | nurturer | true to her words | hungry for knowledge

Before NOVUS — As a child

Life under the sea is both tumultuous and calm at the same time, much like the ocean surface itself - sometimes still, other times churning like a ravenous beast, ready to swallow up whatever crosses its path next. But her family was nothing special to speak of: father's claim to fame was as a territory scout, and mother a humble artisan and merchant. Their family made due and swam through life without making barely a ripple.

As a foal, she was lauded for her beauty and shimmering iridescence; something her parents took great pride in. She met their compliments with hesitant smiles, doe eyes flitting nervously between everyone. A tight hand always held its grip around her heart, and there was rarely a time she didn't feel like a sparrow trapped in a cage, wings beating frantically against the bars and searching for a way out. But other than her anxiety and head-turning appearance, she stayed confined to the shadows - out of sight, out of mind.

The hunger started when she was young, becoming a bitter flavor of copper in her mouth. As children do for most things, she thought little of it and pushed it aside. It never occurred to her why people just seemed to.... show up when she sung or hummed a melody. For as long as she could remember, the hunger was never followed by anything. And so, her childhood passed - uneventful and quiet. Her mother taught her so many things — of beauty, of life, of the vastness of the world around them. She often forgot the hunger and grew to love the sea more than she felt she ever would, with its many unique aspects and creatures within. The iridescent phantom flourished, flitting from corner to corner of the ocean, learning new things and nurturing all ill-faring creatures and others she came across. Her mother always said she had a green thumb, a caretaker's heart, and a beautifully alluring voice..


It was only natural that when her parents felt her ready to traverse land, that she was all too eager to undergo the transformation. It was an important part of every young hippocampus' life: a day turned into a celebration that the entire community participated in. That day, everyone said Odessa shone even brighter than her own scales... but the ecstasy was short lived.

As she let the waves wash her upon the beach — eyes pressed tightly shut and her breath caught in her chest — she finally felt the sun warm her slick pelt. Teal eyes slowly, hesitantly opened and took in the beauty of the land around her. She almost fully forgot to breathe, and it was only when she finally remembered that she glanced back towards the ocean from whence she came.

But oh, how she was met by the sight of her "legs," which should have been ... different. Instead, she was left staring at the same fins and scales she has seen since she was a babe. But now? Their iridescence just seemed to mock her.

Upon the beach she sat for a length of time she lost track of, begging the Mother Ocean to bless her like all others had been. Eyes pressed tightly shut, fevered prayers whispered into the sand through gritted teeth and confused tears. Why had the Mother Ocean forbid her from the pleasure land would surely bring?

Eventually, she drug herself back to her only home, the sand's abrade a bitter insult to her descent back. The worried gaze of the young one's parents was met by her quiet silence, disappointment choked in her throat. But despite Odessa's perceived failure, she would — in time — come to accept her own limitations.

It may have taken quite a long time and many hopeful midnight trips to the beach, but eventually she came to terms with it all. The phantom of the sea dedicated her life to the ocean she called home — but always looked longingly towards the land, convinced in the back of her mind that her inability to shift was a premonition of something bad. But such a voracious curiosity! It led her to tread the streams and rivers, to immerse herself in as much of the land-dwellers' lives as she could from afar.

In some way, it gave her comfort. She always had the Mother Ocean to return to, and it was the only place she was truly, truly safe.


Time seemed to pass as an uneventful blur after the Instance. She continued in her studies and rehabilitations, and it was on one of those days that Kai — her impish, special little sea newt — joined by her side. He was a bright light on an otherwise dull expanse of days.. But as with all stories, the first chapter in her life gently closed. With soft smiles and quiet farewells, she now travels the oceans alone with only Kai at her side.

Until, one day, she happened to stumble upon Novus... The Terminus was an untamed beast that drew Odessa in with little fight. She willingly met the currents head on, wide eyes enraptured by the exotic life around her... so consumed by her curiosity that she barely noticed the taste of copper hanging heavy in the back of her throat.

Her story had only just begun.

Siren's Song

When she sings, people are drawn to her and temporarily forget their current train of thought/intended action to become excessively curious of her song. Often times, they will blindly follow her - no matter where she is.

DISCIPULI: Those within sight experience the hardest pull, although her voice will carry faintly to even those out of sight. Her enchantments last no longer than 30 minutes. Listening to her song will cause the victims to feel exceedingly happy. Spells are broken if she causes any form of pain.

Vexillum: When she sings, people even farther away are drawn to her. Her song will carry long distances and will entrance people for longer periods of time (no more than 1 hour). Listening to her song will cause people to feel as if they are "floating on cloud nine." Spells will not be broken if minor pain is inflicted (1-3 on pain scale).

Periti: The pull that attracts others to her voice is even stronger now, and her voice reaches even farther. Her spells can last for over two hours, and she can distort her voice's pitch and tone. Listening to her song causes an intense feeling of bliss, and if one listens to her entire song, it can partially numb the victim/make them unaware of parts of their physical body.

Dominus: Her voice can shift to take on any pitch, tone, or even mimic an entirely different voice - such as one of the victim's loved ones. The pull is intense and strong, and she can lure weak people to their death* if left uninterrupted. At this level, the state of enchantment victims will experience is unparalleled, and she can freely numb a victim's body.

* This will never be used in battle, and will only ever be used in character when the other player fully agrees/plots this path.

Parvus Magic

Her voice carries unnaturally long distances. And while she is not loud, the projection in her voice is truly unmatched. The more advanced her level of magic, the farther her voice can carry.

Kai the Sea Newt

Kai is a tiny little sea newt/serpent that has followed Odessa around since day one. She rescued him as a small newborn, left alone among the corals at an age that would have surely seen him meet his demise. And despite how much she tried to teach him, he never could get a handle on how to functionally hunt... so after many months of trying, she admitted defeat (with a smile) and allowed the little newt to stay by her side indefinitely. Truly, he has a very vivid, hilarious personality that Odessa would go to the ends of the earth to protect!

While he is still considered a growing young adolescent - his body is long, slender, and made for the ocean. At only about two feet long (currently), he is fairly tiny when compared to Odessa. But if you consider normal newts, he may actually be considered quite large! The ridged fins along his back can lay flat against his spine to increase his swimming speed. Additionally, he has specialized webbing — between his toes, from his wrists to his ribcage, and from his hind legs to his tail — that allow for quicker and easier aquatic travel.

Visually, his natural color is a cool blue with lighter blue fins and a pattern in the form of scale plates. In actuality, his skin is smooth like that of a salamander's, and if you look closely - you can notice tiny dots peppered along his entire body that seem to pulsate at will (chromatophores). He continues to surprise Odessa with his ability to shift his color and pattern in response to stimuli, threats, and emotion.. and sometimes because he just wants to make it extra hard for her to find him. How he's able to shift so easily, she does not particularly know - but she assumes that, much like octopus and other chameleons of the sea, he is able to do so using elastic pigment sacs called chromatophores.

His diet consists of mostly seaweed and fish. Although he is technically omnivorous, he prefers to be carnivorous - with cuttlefish being his favorite delicacy. Odessa humorously assumes his favorite food is in part why he is able to shift his pattern and pigment like his prey.. although she has never seen another of his type, so it's hard for her to say exactly how his species evolved to their current state. All she knows is that he is a priceless little friend she wouldn't trade for the world.

Accessories

Black pearl necklace.
Black coral, seashell, and starfish collar.
Crown of black coral and shells.

- YR503-01: She met a golden pegasus - Somnus - alongside the Rapax River in treading gentle streams like rapids.

- YR503-02: It was in the Terminus Sea where she first met Mateo in moon, moon, moon.