Author Games Compilation [Cycle 2]

Sancta Nampeyo [Tribute Form & Entries]

Author Games: A Prince's War

Synopsis: The snake itself has a bit of a bad reputation, but this woman, despite the venom on her tongue, does not bite, and, despite the shedded skin on her shoulders, hides nothing.

Character Name: Sancta Nampeyo

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Birthplace: Haud, Adrigole

Physical Appearance: Sancta is a woman of litheness and grace; she is well accustomed to her own tall stature and has often learned to mold the stretch of her body to slither and sneak away through cracks and crevasses unseen and unheard. Her skin is smooth and dark, and her face has a flattering roundness to it - eyes, nose, cheeks, lips, forehead, all of it. The eyes themselves are a light brown, with all the liveliness of Haud stuck in them. The liveliness stops there, however; she is a rigid woman, and her expression hardly bends away from how her features naturally sit. Black hair sits much the same way, straight and trimmed frequently at the bottom to keep everything sharp, pointed, fresh. One can always find her donned in thin materials to avoid the heat, but they never go beyond the bounds of neutrality. It is best for her occupation that she attracts little attention - but, then again, the snake she lets sit on her shoulders sort of cancels that out, doesn't it?

Personality: What is the point in being elusive when straightforwardness is much more rewarding? She may be a sneaky one when it comes to avoiding rather unpleasant individuals, but...hm. Well, she tends to know exactly what it is she wants, and she often makes deals and negotiations to get those things. That, of course, is all in thanks to her direct attitude, but there's also a biting undertone to her words that she's sure makes people want to agree to her conditions. Don't get the wrong idea with that. Sancta isn't a violent woman. In fact, she can't remember a time she's ever hurt a soul without needing to for self-preservation. But the way her features never change when she's talking to someone always tends to put them on edge, and her patience runs thin and causes a grinding of the teeth between words. Oh, she's clever too, very clever, and most of her skills are those she's taught herself. She seeks knowledge. About nature, about man, about the supernatural. Still, she doesn't ask any questions about others. Regardless of what one might mean by a statement or a twitch of the brow, if it doesn't pertain to her, it's safest to remain silent and nod the person away. Sancta has done everything for herself, and independence is something she holds dear to her. Not lonely - though she is quite alone. Simply self-sustaining, save the glass of rum here and there. (Also, she screams whenever someone sneezes.)

Background: Sancta would rather have nobody know her directly. Typically, the people of Haud do, if not for her magic, then for the gladiator arena she loves to run. She's in charge of one in particular by the harbor, and if she's not slyly directing others to it, then she's accepting the nominal entrance fee and inviting her generous clients in with a satisfied gesture of her wrist. This is, of course, only a day and partial-night job; in the early hours, she runs a small business concocting chemical mixtures that a surprisingly large amount of shady-looking individuals like to shop for. It's a self-taught profession. She likes to call herself a scientific businesswoman who dabbles in marketing (others find "witch" more simple, but to each their own). Miss Nampeyo lives alone in her shop, sleeping in the back and accompanied only by a large collection of snakes, big and small, venomous and non, but each of them completely harmless. To her, that is. She has never been interested in fleeting romances and her parents funerals were years ago, back when they all lived in Sayamith. Wretched place. But she must admit: the snakes there were beautiful.

Skills: If anything, she's got respect on her side - that she gives and receives. It's a mutual thing she's garnered over the years, alongside a strong reputation. It's also safe to say that she might've learned a thing or two from her years of keeping watch over the gladiator arenas, and, like most things, at one point thought it necessary to learn how to gut a man without blinking an eye. This basic knowledge of defense and offense, beside her knowledge of chemicals and toxins, makes for a nice collection of skills under her belt.