Astrid Braunlich

(a.k.a. "Resonance" or "Charm")

Astrid is the empowered individual with the most well documented and publicly known story of how her powers were acquired. Most empowered individuals on Erlyse have few, if any, witnesses to their discovery of a Ley Font, whereas Astrid has roughly fifty or more others to help scholars recreate the events and help them understand the behavior of the world's most mysterious energies. Since her acquisition of powers, however, Astrid has remained a firm neutral party, refusing to affiliate herself with R.I.S.E. despite her widespread fame.

Powers

Astrid is infused internally with an alien, crystallized metal. A mirror-like disc of this substance, comprised of the material that supposedly controls the crystal of her "@Celestial Sanctuary", seals off both her front and back sides of her right shoulder, just below her collarbone where she was run through by the tall spire of it during the events of her power acquisition. While she is still flesh and blood, Astrid displays an insane healing factor which involves instantaneous crystallization of her blood upon contact with air, which then flakes away from her body after the wound is sealed. In rare moments of her history, Astrid has actually turned this into an unorthodox offensive tactic, allowing herself to be injured in combat only to turn droplets of her blood into dangerous projectiles.

The girl is harmonically connected to the strange crystalline iceberg the ship she was on wrecked upon (see her history below), and is able to use it in a large variety of ways, including as a residence, mode of transportation, and a weapon. It can fly, travel underwater, and burrow through soil, sand and rock with no effort, as if it was unbound by the physical restraints of motion in the universe, thus giving Astrid unlimited freedom of travel. As a weapon, Astrid is capable of altering the shape of the crystal at will through what can only be described as a rapid form of growth or erosion of the crystal material, mixed with direct kinesis abilities. This allows her to turn the crystal into a shield, spear, sword, volley of arrows, or even a giant golem, to use at her discretion.

Astrid cannot manifest this crystal from nothing, however, as it is a finite resource limited by the quantity that comprises the crystalline mass surrounding the spire of special metal that impaled her. She can, however, separate small to large portions of the primary mass and bring it or send it to another location, able to control it remotely from so far as thousands of miles away. She has exhibited this a few times where she simultaneously controlled the heart and a major chunk at the same time from separate continents. Through the use of the crystal, she can see, hear and speak with the world around it, which provides her means to observe, communicate and interact with others from relative safety or tackle multiple tasks at once, which is only limited by her mental capacity and focus. The difference between her being physically present and viewing her surroundings through the crystal is that her perspective is different, as she controls the crystal in person almost like a puppeteer, but when using it from a distance it is like the crystal is an extension of her own body.

With her direct control over the crystal, uses for it include:

• Encasing other individuals to either shield or restrain them.
• Providing mobile platforms to allow allies to cross dangerous hazards, or for other travel purposes.
• Breach an otherwise impenetrable defensive location.
• Provide shelter or a mobile command structure for herself and allies during any deals struck between her and them.
• Operate an extensive observation/spy network limited only by her concentration.
• Provide a much swifter form of communication over long distance, as her crystal is not hindered by terrain or bodies of water when in motion.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Astrid was the child of refugees that were attempting to move from the nation of @Burrikan to Osmya Fens in pursuit of a better life in a more prosperous nation that was also governed by Altum. The family's transport ship encountered an anomaly at sea while in transit, which the crew believed to be a rogue iceberg which had drifted north from the south pole. To everyone's surprise, it turned out to be some form of crystal that simply resembled an iceberg in its general shape, but was also comprised of free floating, individual parts that all orbited one another, ignorant and unhindered by the air, water... and eventually the ship around it. Reports claim that the anomaly suddenly changed its course to 'intercept' the vessel, and was ultimately the cause of the ship's wreck upon it.

The ship's crew and passengers, now stranded on their strange 'island' and having to contend with losses from the wreck, which included Astrid's parents, began to explore it in hopes of potentially finding something usable to repair the ship. This excursion into the unknown forced an encounter with the Font's only resident, a Djinn who's name would never be known. The clash resulted in panic among the stranded visitors thanks to how this Djinn began to eliminate his unwanted guests, perhaps to protect the energies of the Font. Some groups attempted to fight, while others tried to hide. One small group of the latter, which included Astrid, were separated from everyone else by the frequently rearranging surface and chambers of the mystical island. While trying to find their way back, a floor they were all on slid out from under them by retreating into the walls, causing the entire group to fall quite a distance into what was the heart chamber of the Font. This resulted in the deaths of most of the group, and Astrid being impaled upon a long spike of some form of chromatic metal that was pulsating similar to a Tesla coil, but with cosmic energy.

Astrid's direct contact with this chromatic spike caused the Font's energies to be channeled directly into and through her, and ultimately absorbed by the girl. This caused the immediate dissipation of the hostile Djinn's essence, saving the remaining crew and passengers. Believing the girl to be beyond saving, efforts were made to try and console Astrid through her supposed final moments. However, that time never came, as the chromatic metal eventually crystallized and fused directly with her wound, becoming a part of her. At the point where it contacted Astrid, the metal snapped off, freeing her. Shortly afterwards, the girl discovered she now had direct control over the entire crystal structure around her, which she decided to use to transport herself and the remaining survivors to their original destination.

Species

Altum

Gender

Female

Eyes

Blue, with odd star shaped pupils that are gold in color.

Hair

Crystal white. Her hair has a slight blue tint to the white, and is semi translucent.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tanned

Height

5' 3"

Weight

98 lbs.

Owned Vehicles

• The Celestial Sanctuary