Raven

In every generation there is a Chosen One. One girl who is given the magical abilities of a powerful witch to fight against evil. Thus it has been since the dawn of time itself. No one knows from whence the power comes.

Description: Raven

Raven stands out in a crowd. She's not especially tall but there's an almost palpable aura of power around her to anyone sensitive enough to detect it. Her hair has the deep redness of fire and hangs in bangs over her forehead and freely down behind her. Raven's face is an alabaster white except for jet black eyes with no visible pupils and deep crimson lips. She wears a open-necked witch's robe of midnight blue that extends from shoulders to ankles. The robe is decorated with arcane symbols embroidered in gold thread.

Description: Amelia Steinberg

Amelia is one of life's nerds. She's slightly short, lacking somewhat in the feminine curves department and is usually seen dressed in dull drab clothes. Even the decidedly rather smart Colonial Heights High School uniform fails to improve her appearance significantly when she wears it at school. Amelia's hair is a mousy brown hue and appears unkempt in spite of any amount of brushing. Her face... well there's really nothing wrong with her face. It's just that it's almost instantly forgettable.

Origin
Amelia was a perfectly normal girl. Then, on the night before her sixteenth birthday, she had the most vivid dream. She dreamt she was in a arid desert landscape at night with the stars burning bright and clear above the sands. A large fire was burning in front of her and beyond the flames there was a shadowy figure never clearly visible although the glimpses she managed to catch of the figure seemed to be a stone-age woman with a white painted face. The figure told her that she was to be the Chosen One. That it was her task to fight against evil in the world. When Amelia woke up she dismissed the vision as just a dream... until the following day when her new and untrained magical abilities started to show themselves in unpredictable fashion. By the time representatives of the White Circle Coven approached her late that day she was ready to believe and willing to accept their offer of training.

Powers
In every generation there is a Chosen One. One girl who is given the magical abilities of a powerful witch to fight against evil. Thus it has been since the dawn of time itself. No one knows from whence the power has come. Each girl gains slightly different abilities. Amelia has been gifted with spells of might and power, and of craft and cunning. According to the records of the White Circle Coven, Amelia is the first of the Chosen to have been granted cybermage abilities.

The cybermage abilities came naturally to her. Her other spells have either been taught to her by the Coven or created by herself. Her damaging spells are largely, but not exclusively, specialized summoning, conjuring up spirit creatures to do her bidding. Her Witchfire and Sigil of Repulsion spells are invocations however. She is largely protected from harm and granted the gift of night-vision. She can detect magic as an visible aura around a person or object. Although not a warrior she has gained boosted reflexes and speed and the ability to absorb considerable punishment and still continue to function.

Skills
Amelia is a bit of a computer nerd. She taught herself to program and has gone beyond that into the field of hacking. She did this before being chosen for the 'Gift' and the witches of the White Circle Coven have theorised that it was these pre-existing skills that resulted in her gaining cybermage abilities. Since being chosen, and subsequently contacted by the White Circle Coven, Amelia has been studying the theory and practice of witchcraft and the history and legends of magic. Her skill in carpentry comes from watching and helping her father, a contracting carpenter.

Personality
Amelia is a quiet slightly shy young girl. A bit of a nerd. She's the girl that other students go to for computer help but not the girl they invite out to a disco. She's sociable enough if approached and, as she's aware of her shyness, tries to be more outgoing than she really is.

Raven, her hero identity, was insecure and rather nervous at first. But with each outing as Raven she is becoming increasingly strong-willed, assertive and confident. She'll work with a team or on her own, it doesn't matter to her. It's not an act either. It's as if putting on her costume also puts on a new personality.

Life History
Amelia was born sixteen years ago to Jacob and Maria Steinberg. She went to Glendale Elementary school, then to Colonial Heights High School where she remains to this day. She lives with her parents in the Downtown area, their house being near the Alien District boundary. Amelia has an older sister, Julia, who is twenty-three years old and a patrol officer in the Colonial Bay Police Department.

Amelia is an active member of the CHHS computer club, and on fairly friendly terms with Mr Edwards, the IT teacher for her class. She's also a member of the drama club. Her acting is average at its very best but she is one of the stage carpenters, having picked up that skill from watching and helping her father. Her skill at setting up computerized lighting programs is also appreciated.

Her contact with the White Circle Coven is a witch named Evelyn Ponchard, who works in a small magic supplies shop in Old Town. Amelia trains under Evelyn two or three times a week in both practical spell-craft and the history and legends of magic. The White Circle Coven is an ancient coven of witches dedicated to the training and guidance of the Chosen One. Over many generations of Chosen Ones the leadership of the Coven has come to believe they have the right to give instructions to her as well. They may find out this is not the case unless they handle Raven carefully. The Coven HQ is based in England, in the depths of Yorkshire. Amelia has never been there.

Complications
Amelia is trying to live as normal a life as she can. Which means she is zealous about keeping her personal life separate from her role as Raven, the chosen one. Not only for her sake but for the protection of her family and friends. Of course she's a hero, and heroes don't kill.

Since becoming the Chosen One, Amelia has been under the guidance of the White Circle Coven. The witches in the coven have been training her and directing her efforts. She is the most powerful, and thus she is the one sent forth to battle evil, be it vampires, ghosts, or demons: an occupation not devoid of a degree of risk. Especially as some undead don't wait for Amelia to come after them. They set out to hunt her down.

Naturally she'll use her abilities to help and protect her family and friends. Her mother and father, a housewife and construction carpenter respectively, aren't exposed to danger in the normal course of things. Her older sister Julia, however, a patrol officer in the CBPD, is in a more risky occupation and on infrequent occasions Amelia has to help Julia out.