Ebon Star

Description (as Ebon Star)
About the only thing that can be said for certain of the figure before you is that it is far from imposing. Measuring about five feet tall it is shrouded in a loose hooded robe of some lightweight silver material that is highly reflective. As the figure moves the fabric rolls and sways in fluid ripples, revealing that the person underneath is quite slight in build. In the middle of the figure's chest rests an inky black orb that seems to consume light as much as the rest of the garment reflects it. Four equally fuliginous stellated points extend from the disk, left, right, up, and down, twisting into eye-catching patterns as the material folds and stretches.

The mouth of the hood is swathed in a featureless patch of shadow that remains pitch black even in direct light. When the figure's hands emerge from the voluminous sleeves they are similarly wrapped in black gloves.

Description (as Rose McAllister)
It takes a moment to properly assess the young woman in front of you, a jumble of contradictory impressions eventually coalescing to reveal the underlying reality. At best she stands only a few inches over five foot tall, which, combined with her slender physique creates the fleeting illusion that she is perhaps in her early teens. A rather battered emerald tee-shirt several sizes too large for her has been aggressively hacked down to form a loose-fitting crop-top that swamps her upper torso. Beneath that she wears a close-fitting, long-sleeved shirt of crisply pressed black fibre. The material seems supple and light, comfortably sheathing her form, which has obviously matured beyond the awkward angularity of adolescence. Nestled at her hips, a tightly pleated skirt of the same emerald green falls to mid thigh, the design simple yet faultlessly crafted. From beneath its hem a pair of black tights sheath her legs, eventually disappearing into the top of a pair of tightly laced Doc Martens a few inches below her knees. The boots are polished to a high gloss and exactly the same shade as her skirt and crop-top, perhaps revealing the ensemble is not as randomly haphazard as it might first appear. The laces are a brilliant white that contrasts vividly with the colour of the leather.

Wearing that much black makes her skin seem even paler than it is naturally. A light dusting of freckles grace an elfin nose, the gentle curves of her dimpled cheeks and finely scuplted jaw delicate and waif-like. By far her most striking feature are her eyes, twin orbs of deep sea green that glitter with unsettling ferocity, as though some relentless and unspeakable force burns within this girl that is restrained only through the force of her utmost will. As a final snub to the conventions of fashion, gossamer smooth ebony hair that is obviously well-cared for has been artlessly gathered into a simple ponytail that shivers and sways as she moves, stray tendrils falling behind each ear.

(Rose's outfit may vary with circumstances)

Origins
Rose McAllister, the only child of Doug and Wendy, was a relatively normal little girl. Her epilepsy manifested when she was five, and most often took the form of stark flickering clouding her vision as her awareness of her surroundings faded. The condition responded well to treatment however and was thought to be little source for concern. However, on passing the obscure Lost Fortunes antique store she noticed that particular items in the window flickered all the time and this fascinated her. The store was owned and operated by Master Hahn, a cheerfully rotund man in late middle age of indeterminate ethnic extraction and had a reputation among the cognoscenti for stocking exotic and rare items of interest for arcane practitioners, regardless of their background. Noting the young girl's interest and recognising her potential Master Hahn offered Rose pocket money for running errands, eventually recruiting her into a parti-time job.

Though she didn't realise it at the time, her part-time job at Lost Fortunes was in fact the start of her apprenticeship. Master Hahn restricted his intervention to only the most general principles, leaving Rose to discover which magical traditions and elements appealed to her. His senior pupil, a boy by the name of Li Chang-Sung, was already well advanced in his studies and had potent abilities in the manipulation of elemental magic. Nonetheless he resented Rose's rapid acquisition of knowledge, and easy mastery of technique and finesse.

While Rose's power grew only slowly and were limited to minor magics of perception and the mind, Chang-Sung's resentment of both her and his master grew steadily. His desire for greater and more immediate power drove him to sources his master had warned him against and he came to the attention of DEMON.

Wary of their treachery Chang-Sung promised to betray his master and his secrets only after he had received the power he sought. He then lured Rose into accompanying him to his investiture, intending to offer her as a sacrifice. Stricken by a paralysis spell Rose watched on in horror as the ceremony unfolded around her, distress blossoming into desperation and finally panic. As the summoning reached its climax, Rose's vision begain to warp and distort, the world fading into darkness as a seizure overwhelmed her. From the dim and distorted recollections only a few scattered images retain any clarity. A searing explosion of agony at the base of her skull, a dark panorama in which she could recognise a series of flickering awarenesses, the flaws and strengths of each suddenly etched on her consciousness, Chang-Sung, the cultists, and finally the looming menace of the demon itself. Out of sheer terror Rose lashed out with all the force of her mind and spirt, tearing at the demon's soul with every weapon at her disposal. When she awoke Chang-Sung and his conspirators were dead, apparently slain by the enraged fiend. Rose's head throbbed as the power awakened within her strained at her consciousness.

DEMON do not know who the young woman was, but they have pieced together her powers and pursue her for vengeance or exploitation, depending on their needs. In her turn Rose has dedicated herself to the fight against evil and donned the mantle of Ebon Star.

Despite having earnt a substantial amount exercising her antiquarian and magical skills Rose leads a relatively normal existence and still lives with her parents, studying history and archaeology at CBSU.

Powers
Rose is a powerful psychic, with the ability to read thoughts, control a person's actions, alter their perceptions, and cause pain through a sudden barrage of disturbing images and thoughts.

Her telekinetic abilities are limited to a simple force-field and the ability to fly, though at no great speed. The force field is accompanied by two layers of mental protection, one that acts as armour, and a second that cushions what force remains after the first defenses are overwhelmed.

During her apprenticeship she acquired training in how to recognise and analyse magic. More recently, the awakening of her psychic abilities has granted her the power to perceive minds and examine them in some detail. This is a power she uses sparingly since by its nature it violates the subject's right to privacy.

Her exposure to a wide variety of magical effects and entities has left her somewhat hardened to the spectacular, and she is more than normally resistant to attempts to intimidate/impress.

Relations
Rose still lives with her parents, Doug and Wendy, in Nicholston. She hasn't made any particularly close friends at CBSU (where she studies archeology and anthropology) and though she has the potential for post-graduate study is not necessarily enthusiastic about the prospect.

Her first significant operation as a meta-human was an infiltration of Zu with Interface, Forge, and Porter who are all aware of her secret identity. She counts them as friends and trusts they will keep her secret.

Rose still studies under the tutelage Master Hahn and continues to work at Lost fortunes.

Personality
Rose is easy-going, extroverted, informal, irreverent and flirtatious. This public persona compensates for her true nature which is actually somewhat conservative. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and wary of the potential dangers of 'short-cuts' and glamorous temptations. The lesson of Chang-Sung has been well-learnt.