Marceline Persim

Marceline in her Cennaire Academy Uniform

Theorycrafter with all relevant info:

## **Personality**

Personality wise, she's a very bookish, asocial person who would rather be studying than dealing with other people. She enjoys learning for its own sake and her favorite topic to study is about the stars and astrology. She also can't help but love old chivalric tales of knights and chaste romances between knights and their charges. When speaking with other people, she can be incredibly passionate about what she loves or believes in but she can also be unbearably stubborn as a result too. Despite being as studious as she is, she has trouble grasping new concepts outside of her interests without a lot of extra study time. and that fuels a lot of her own self doubt about her deserving to study where she is and whether or not she even belongs there.

Her birthday is March 15th.

## History Pre-Cennaire

Born and raised in the farmlands of Tallavcarriga, Marceline has always had an insatiable curiosity and a love for books. Her earliest memories have her begging her father to let her go with him into market so she could see if any new books were available at the many stalls. She was an avid learner, and her father did anything he could to support that, making sure to put aside as much gold as he possibly could for her education. Once she showed aptitude for the traditional magics, her father encouraged her to study even harder so that she could be the best she coulld.

Despite indulging her curiosity in all other matters, her father never did tell her about her mother, who died shortly after she was born. Truth is, not even he knew much of her besides her name. Her father, Pierce Persim, found her mother, Adellaide, wandering alone and wounded one night. Rushing to her aid, he brought her back to his farm and did his best to nurse her back to health. For a while, things seemed like they were getting better for her, and Pierce couldn't help but be smitten with her. Her smile was one of unnatural beauty and managed to light up the room. Her voice was that of a delicate songbird. Pierce had tried to question Adelaide on what happened that night to lead her to him, but alas, her voice would fail to shed light on even the most basic details. Giving up, Pierce didn't question her further, instead doing his best to make her happy and comfortable. Within a couple years, the two were happy and with child. Unfortunately, the scars of that night ran deep enough that Adelaide's body could no longer handle childbirth and she perished. Grieving desperately, Pierce swore that their child would have anything she ever desired and a happy life.

The increased taxes levied by Carndrum hit Marceline's father particularly hard. Constantly harried by tax collecters, he did everything he could to avoid letting Marceline become aware of the financial hardship they were in. Eventually, the taxes became to much for the farm to bear. Fearing for his daughters well being, he retrieved his nest egg and sold off the farm. With the large amount of gold he now possessed, he traveled with a 15 year old Marceline to Portashan. It was tight affording it, but he managed to enroll Marceline into Cennaire Academy. Thankfully, her years of reading and self study helped her secure her position in the academy. Marceline was elated to be able to finally go to a real school and dove into her new setting with aplomb. Her father continued to write to her, however he lied about the state of his life. Now without a farm, he turned to work as a miner in Carndrum. Everyday was difficult but he still did his absolute best to do right by his daughter, even encouraging her to spend her free days at the academy instead of coming home. Sometimes, he'd even send her what little coin he had to spare.

Marceline's innate fascination with fiction and the stars absolutely flourished at Cennaire. While studying in her first year, she'd often spend all her free time in the library, reading up on everything to do with the heavens and astrology before snoozing off with a book about heroic knights and vile monsters. During her second year, she took electives on both astronomy and astrology, and managed to pick up fortune telling as a hobby. Before long, she took to heading into Portashan to perform readings for anyone interested for a bit of gold, all of which she funnelled back into more books on magic, the stars, and chivalrous deeds. Desiring to be more like the heroes in the books she read, she even took an interest on learning how to ride horseback, though her lance skills leave much to be desired.

## Cennaire Academy Pre-Third Year

Marceline Persim took to her new settings with aplomb. Despite any initial setbacks and anxiety over her new setting and her own self doubt, Marceline proved to be an apt researcher of all things arcane. Though her grades in other subjects left a bit to be desired, she became fast friends with those who attempted to get to know her, especially her fellow researchers such as Ursula Verhoeven.

After an incident involving her plans at the Yule ball in her first year, Marceline put her all into her magical studies, specifically with regard to a strange thread of connections between books on divination and the stars she had been drawn to. By the end of her first year at Cennaire, she had come up with a theory of using celestial magical energy from the stars in order to properly divine the future. Her readings were clumsy and haphazard, but she continued to practice them, even as she looked for gainful employment in the city of Portashan for the summer of 435 PD. This employment came in the form of work as a server at the Sailor's Gambit tavern on the docks, though she wasn't particularly good at her job.

During her second year, she kept delving into the celestial. Linking the old Dreki techniques she hypothesized existed, and reading beyond the texts available to her, she began to formulate the what's, why's, and how's of this new magic. Though her ideas were sound, her inability to use them to create concrete results often resulted in doubt and outright dismissal from her peers. Not to be deterred, she kept studying and improving her technique. Around this time, she began to have nightmares involving terrible portents of the future.

In the fall of 436 PD, Marceline was chosen to be one of the nineteen members of the Verdant Wolves special class, led by Princess Caoimhe of Craincrath.

## Verdant Wolves Special Class of 436-437

Even the simple act of checking if she or anyone she knew got into the special class was a task fraught with confrontation. Marceline's dejection at the list of acceptances drew ire from her classmate, Adalín Ní Fionnachta, causing a heated argument that left Marceline in tears. Following this, Marceline did her best to keep herself busy, including preparing for the annual skills tournament and inaugural ball coming up at the end of the week. After an incident involving spiked punch while infiltrating an Azure Viper party for information, Marceline found herself beset by nightmares and in her room. Waking up to the presence of both Ursula and their professor, Ayasha Waabi, Marceline confessed about the regularity of her nightmares, and her theorized cause. Professor Waabi took an interest and requested Marceline's presence in the professor's office the next morning, assuring the pair of students that there was nothing to worry about.

At the skills tournament, Marceline helped Adalin win the ice skating competition, and helped her fellow Verdant Wolves win the combat portion of the tournament. Though she was concerned about her injured friends, the strange circumstances of the tournament also weighed heavy on her mind causing her to suspect the faculty of Cennaire itself.

## **Additional Notes:**

Marceline is a huge fan of sweets! Marceline despises bitter food, and often carries sugar around with her to avoid having to drink bitter tea. Marceline enjoys attempting to paint from time to time though she is uniquely bad at it. Marceline always carries her fortune telling cards on hand. Marceline is nearsighted and as a result never leaves her room without her spectacles. Most Likely to literally Swoon in the presence of house leaders or just in general tbh.

Marceline's Favorite Color is Rolanberry Red!