NON-PLAYABLE CHARACTERName: Rubra Cerasis
NicknamesTitles and Aliases- Praetor: Head of a Clan, Member of the Consilium
- Dominae Gladiis: Head of the Gladiis Clan
Age: 50
Species, Gender: Red Squirrel Faunus, Female
Occupation: Councilor of Frouri, Praetor of Clan Gladiis
Appearance: Rubra is a measly 4'10" and weighs 90lbs. While her body may be petite, do not let that fool you: she is incredibly fit and kick some ass if need be. Her hair is maroon, very short (for a girl), and spiked giving her the appearance of a very small, baby-faced man in the middle of a mid-life crisis (I wouldn't recommend saying that to her face). Her eyes are bark-brown and her cheeks puffy and soft. Atop her head rests prange-red Faunus ears, perhaps a size too large for her head, and on her behind, a poofy, orange-red squirrel tail that measures out to half her height.
Her typical attire consists of a sleeveless, cherry-red blouse, light-brown trousers, and neon-red sneakers. For combat, her capris are replaced with full-length, darker-brown pants and her shoes with black combat-boots with the addition of steel gauntlets and greaves for combat.
History: Rubra was born in The Eastern Bastion and grew up in Frouri with her clan, Gladiis. From an early age, she was trained under the sword, her small stature naturally steering her toward Gladiis Parvus, the part of the clan that deals with short swords.
Within her age division as a novice, Rubra consistently ranked among the middle of the pack, sometimes below but never above, with a fighting style that prioritized defensive sword play. Her averageness lowered her morale as a fighter, and upon graduating, Rubra put that occupation of the backburner as she searched for other ways to help her community. It was during this time where she learned to bake and married, and it was not too long after that region became involved in the Faunus War which her husband was sent off to as a part of the region's recently formed defense force. Rubra considered enlisting but ultimately decided against it believing that she would be able to do more staying in Frouri.
Rubra's husband did manage to return alive, though he had not gone through the war unscathed. Nevertheless, he seemed fine and life in the village gradually normalized, Rubra managing to birth a son and daughter during this time. Unfortunately for Rubra, it would soon be the end of a chapter in her life.
Resources were beginning to run low in the village. Rubra and her husband,a gatherer and a guard respectively, were assigned to join an joint-expedition with Phoumi to gather wood from Forever Fall. The operation, for most of its duration, was going smoothly until a group of beowolves descended upon the camp. The battle was hard-fought by both sides, but the expedition managed to reign victorious without severe injury. During the night, however, Rubra's husband passed silently into the night as a result of a health complication gained back during the Faunus War.
When Rubra returned to Frouri, she meticulously forged a new blade, Beta, with the help of the craftsmen. Only pausing to eat, sleep, and take care of her children, Rubra then began to train every hour everyday as formed a fighting style on the complete opposite on the spectrum of what she had been previously taught; this lasted for about a year.
After she was satisfied with her progress, Rubra reinstated her status as an active fighter. However, Rubra was denied from being able to fight because of her reckless behavior. Rubra protested and challenged the then Dominus Gladiis to a duel which she promptly lost so she instead snuck aboard a hunting expedition's caravan.
After Rubra revealed herself to the expedition, her Praetor, sick of her stubbornness and insubordination, allowed her to prove herself in combat under the condition that she fight alone; should she need the expedition's assistance, she would be out and her position terminated. Within minutes upon contact, the target group of Ursas were torn asunder and the expedition completely bewildered.
As the years passed, Rubra's growth exceeded everyone's expectations and she began to return to her normal self. Two decades after her Praetor accepted finally her, he passed away from natural causes and Rubra was unanimously instated as his successor.
Personality: Rubra isn't necessarily prideful, but she has an immense amount of confidence within herself, at least as a fighter and a leader. She is dominant, always quick to take control of a situation, and wields unrelenting determination; no matter how long or difficult a task, she will fight until she can grasp it. As such, she has a loose tongue, willing to spit out whatever is on her mind without hesitation. She is very high-energy, though that has been ever so slightly slipping away with her increasing age.
Socially, Rubra is quite dependable, always willing to help others when she has the time to do so; she considers everyone in the village to be part of her family. Still, some view her as harsh as she is quick to give blunt criticism, and others still view her as ferocious for fighting still.
As a leader, Rubra gives criticism as easily as she gives praise. She is quick to reprimand anyone who does anything that puts other in danger. She shows no hesitation when she has to put down her foot for anything, but is still open-minded enough that she is willing to take in suggestions.
Aura and Semblance:Cherry RedHer hands and feet are able to cling to any surface with ease. This can be used for climbing, traversing difficult terrain, and maintaining grips on weapons and other objects. Negligible stamina/aura cost.
Rubra is incredible proficient in aura blasting, though it's difficult to tell given that she mainly uses it to give herself a huge burst of speed or jumping. She will occasionally use it for attacks, but only when she kicking or punching.
Combat Behavior: Utilizing her small stature and natural Faunus traits, Rubra aims to be several steps ahead of her opponents. Leaving herself vulnerable to heavy damage, Rubra foregoes armor as she favors she dancing around her targets while seeking critical strikes. Against targets who are reasonably able to dance alongside her, Rubra will instead go for as many strikes as she is able no matter how minor. Though this is generally inefficient, if Rubra is able to land the first strike, it will eventually snowball into her victory.
WEAPONS: Papilio & BetaPrimary Form: Papilio and Beta are steel short swords with 18" blades.. Papilio's blade is smooth-edged and colored a pale sky-blue with its guard shaped like orange-red butterfly wings, its hilt black. Beta's blade is serrated and colored a deep red with the guard being bladed, its hilt being black.
Secondary Form: None.
Dust Functions None.
History Papilio was Rubra's true blade; her clan's craftsmen bestowed it upon her when she graduated from using a wooden sword in training. For years it was the only sword she used.
Beta was created by Rubra herself after the passing of her husband. Its only purpose is to instill the fear into her opponents.