Fiction: Character brief for T'ema

T'ema Huollo (Huollo ma T'ema) - T'ema is a medium-tall unicorn woman, rather like a humanoid ki-rin, with aspen-leaf ears and a five-inch horn with a slight upward curve (and no spiral) on her forehead. She disguises herself with illusion, taking on a new visage in each new city she visits, hiding her non-human features beneath it or with invisibility. Her actual short fur coat changes color over time as a side effect of her magic (always a color appropriate to horses or humans). She has a fluffy mane of hair which changes color to complement her coat. Her name means "Singer of Songs".

Origin: T'ema is a highly trained magician, able to draw on energetic resonance in order to empower her will. This magic can affect anything which resonates in matter, energy, and/or spirit. She can use illusions, heal, sense or communicate at large distances, and channel large amounts of energy due to her mastery of the form. Unfortunately, it has a drawback: when she uses her power, she must perform a service to balance her use of it. Usually that service is small, such as a gift or act of care, and only required when she uses magic for her personal benefit; sometimes that cost is large, such as leaving her home for a time to aid someone in dire need. She was transported from her world to Earth after one particularly large use of magic; she hasn't said yet on camera why she did it, and she isn't quite sure why this world needed her more than her own.

After becoming homeless in the transition to Earth, T'ema is growing homesick for her house and homeworld. Still, she has a lot of personal coping skills, and her magic empowers her body to be somewhat stronger and more resilient in general.

As side effects of past magical costs not paid, T'ema's fur coat shifts color over time, and in her natural form she has a moderately fascinating aura. While sometimes useful, she regards these as more of a curse since she'd like to be known for herself but not stared at or stalked. Being an alien makes it worse, as she is still learning how to read and use human facial and body expressions, and she can sometimes make mistakes; judging someone's intention is for her more about reading the energies of that person.

T'ema was magically taught English when she was teleported, and speaks a smattering of languages both modern and ancient from her homeworld. She has an excellent singing voice, and occasionally earns money by busking or as gifts from people courting her talents. She hasn't performed for any professional recordings, however. She has an exotic-sounding accent which many humans mistake for somewhere in Asia.

Uniform: None. She wears street clothes, but she tries to dress nicely so it's hard to tell. T'ema at home usually carries a satchel with herbs and ritual tools, but those were all left behind her; replacing them may help with her magic.

Qualities: Expert (+4) Singer, Good (+2) Craftwork, Good (+2) Resilience, Average (+0) Herbalism, Average (+0) Shamanism
Poor (-2) Homeless

Powers: Meta-power: Master (+6) Resonance Magic
Stunts:
* Illusion (includes illusory invisibility; fools cameras but can be penetrated with focused perception)
* Healing/Purification (essentially purifies the form when used to heal; can restore but not regenerate detached limbs; healing the mind and spirit is doable if more difficult, but counseling is often more effective due to the magical cost)
* Energy senses (T'ema has a passive ability from her training which allows for communicating with spirits and sensing various energies both spiritual and mundane, but it can be extended with magic to sense from a distance)
Vulnerability: Backlash Cost: Magic for self-benefit costs service. If it isn't paid, a magical backlash occurs, commensurate with the level of power used.

Motivation: Earn my way home.