Aficia

A half-human, half-Irotori girl who has dedicated herself to watching over the Temple of Violl. Never quite having a proper place in the tribe because of her odd heritage, she found that she was most useful when using her skills to watch over and care for the Temple on their behalf. She's apparently very close to the Patchwork, Ximun.

### History

Aficia is the first half-human, half-Irotori to ever survive past infancy. The daughter of Anoriei and an unknown father, she was often sick as a child - far more succeptible to disease than her fellow tribemembers. Ultimately, she perished from sickness at the age of five and was buried beneath a Skeleton Tree...

But thanks to the birth of Adagio, Aficia returned to life. As the Beast should have been born from the Skeleton Tree's death, instead she and Aficia became linked - with Aficia taking Adagio's life, while Adagio took her diseases. This rebirth came at a terrible price, however - as the girl was always haunted by nightmares of the Beast whose life she 'stole', burdened with the knowledge that she might one day be forced to destroy all she loved.

## The Four Rogues

### Act I - Born To Die

The Rogues met and subsequently 'kidnapped' Aficia by persuading her that she should join them at Viollfest. Already having her own plans for the festival and assuming that the Rogues' appearance was the work of fate, as well as Adagio, Aficia joined them without hesitation - stealing away in the night without a word to her tribe.

Left mostly to her own devices, Aficia went through with her plan of singing at Viollfest, summoning up a few scores of Beasts. While they did decipher what could stop her song and trance, the Rogues instead took this opportunity...to steal the keys to the Temple of Violl from a distracted Violl Forte, who was caught in the act of attempting a Phase Connection with his wife. The Beasts claimed Aficia and brought her to Moureau, where Adagio awaited her within the temple...

...but thanks to a not-so-swift arrival from the Rogues, she was stopped after all - Adagio falling at their hands after a few tricks with the technology in the theatre. Aficia was rescued from her remains, though still left a bit mad, and was eventually returned to a normal mindset by a kind speech from O'Hearts, her Beast Mark gone with Adagio's death. This should have been the end of things, however...

On the way back to her tribe, Aficia mentioned being a bit worried of the Irotori's reactions - somewhat afraid for the Rogues being blamed for her carelessness. She only meant to encourage them to let her go on her own, however...the Rogues took this as a threat to their own safety, and murdered Aficia in the forest, making it seem as though it were the work of Beasts before going on their way.

### Act II - My Witness

Despite their horrific actions...somehow, Aficia still communicated with the Rogues in dreams. It was unclear if this was simply a projection of their own guilt, or if it was truly Aficia's restless spirit, but she stated that she didn't blame them for what they did to her. Instead, she apparently came to warn them of something terrible coming from Ashbourne, and pledged to protect their dreams from whatever horrific creatures might attempt to haunt them...

O'Lantern was able to sense, with clear shock, that Aficia's spirit was not vengeful toward them in any way - and upon pressing, was actually quite upset to hear that she believed she *deserved* her own death.

### Theory

Eli has proposed that Aficia's father is the mysterious man who attempted to pursue the group at Viollfest, Aluin Page. He speculates this, or that Aluin has some other connection to the Irotori of the Garden.

## The Sunday Crew

### Act I - Born to Die

Upon her meeting with Iain the Starhearted and his friends, Aficia agreed to join them on a trip to Moureau to assist with working the Metronome at the Temple of Violl. Despite their kindness, Aficia first attempted to deceive them - believing that Viollfest would be the last time she would ever have free will or feel any joy. This, however, proved to be untrue, as her newfound friends saved her from the very Beast attack that was destined to destroy her.

With hope renewed, Aficia ultimately led the group to the Metronome and revealed the truth - that she and Adagio were one and the same, in a sense, and that she was the Beast of the Garden destined to destroy Arsielle. Still, she showed a new interest in the world's safety, pledging that their kindness had changed her mind and that she no longer believed stopping Adagio was futile.

In the end, with the help of her friends and the Metronome, Aficia was able to overcome Adagio's power and help her friends to conqure the Beast - and though this act might have left her spirit broken, the love of her friends was more than enough to set Aficia right, her Beast's mark gone with Adagio's death.

She returned to her tribe safe and sound, and promised to keep in contact with her friends via letters.

### Entr'acte II

Some time after the events of Viollfest, Iain and Aife paid Aficia a surprise visit - and found that her situation with her tribe had only worsened. Even with her Beast's mark gone, one of the tribe's warriors, known as Romigo , still greatly mistrusted Aficia - going as far as convincing the rest of the tribe to exile her mother when she and Sirra were away and leaving Aficia no way to contact her. Fearing for Sirra's safety and desperate to get away, she all but begged the pair to help her and Sirra leave the tribe - with Aficia having an additional goal of finding her father.

Though she had almost nothing to go off of, they agreed to help her in her search.

## Spite Crew Number Four

### Act I - Born to Die

Though it initially took Aficia a bit of time to warm up to the Spite Crew, she eventually managed to see their kindness after a journey through the forest together with her tribe towards Viollfest. At the festival itself, however, Aficia's fear of the future still ultimately led her to sing during the tournament - an act which unleashed what could have been a devastating Beast attack if not for the quick thinking of Harmony Killanen. Singing a Song of Power that she learned from Queen Etzel before her journey, the attack *was* stopped... at the cost of some of Aficia's memories.

Thankfully still retaining her sense of identity, Aficia awoke feeling better than she had in years - and was determined, more than ever, to assist her new friends with stopping the Beast that would destroy the garden...

Though she could not remember how to disable the traps at the temple, the Spite Crew were able to call in the help of her tribe - who pledged to help with the final leg of the journey however they could. At the temple's center, they joined Aficia in song...and, despite her transforming into the Beast of the Garden, both the Spite Crew and Aficia's tribe fought with all they had to save her from being overcome by Adagio's power. Ultimately, it was not a display of physical force, but the power of love in the song they sang together that overcame Adagio's will - and Aficia was freed of her curse, once and for all.

She is currently travelling the world with no fear and no burdens as a bard, singing tales of the Spite Crew's heroic exploits and sharing stories of the Irotori to decrease stigma about them.

## The Ice Ice Babies

### Act 1 - Born to Die

Aficia met the Ice Ice Babies when they stayed at the Irotori camp in the Garden. Agreeing to join them in their quest to save the world by working the Metronome at the Temple of Violl for them, she was delighted beyond belief when they managed to convince Anoriei that she should be allowed to journey to Viollfest with them. Even despite her fears of hurting them, she managed to be brave in the face of danger - ultimately breaking her own paralysis during a Beast attack for the sake of Hamlin's safety.

Though Ximun doubted the group's ability to save Aficia, a few choice words from Dr. Galahan Fac'ilier eventually convinced the Patchwork that perhaps Aficia would be safe in their hands afer all. She revealed to them Aficia's true nature as the Beast of the Garden and explained that there would be a chance of destroying Aficia entirely - one which they reluctantly took after Aficia pleaded with them that the world's safety was more important than doubt. Journeying to the Temple of Violl, the group allowed Aficia to sing and become the Beast...

...and found themselves heartbroken when it seemed impossible to save her. Desperate for a way to free her from her curse without hurting her, they prayed while holding the Very Shiny and Very Smooth Rock for any kind of help...and received aid from Luka , the Goddess of Rebirth. Using Aficia's

enhanced power to travel back in time, t he group stopped Adagio from ever interfering in Aficia's life and returned to the present to find her healthy and safe where they had left her. Overjoyed, they asked Aficia to join them on their adventures - and, delighted, she accepted wholeheartedly.

*Aficia, with her new makeover.*