Rayleigh Aston, Level Four

Name: Rayleigh Aston
Nickname/Alias: Ray
Age: 22
Race: Human
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 115
Occupation: Mechanic

Personality: Maxwell Aston had been incredibly disappointed when his wife gave him a daughter. His wish had been for a son, to aid him in his work, and continue the trade when he finally passed on. Of course, it did not take long for him to realize that this little girl was the next best thing. Despite the feminine name that her mother had bestowed upon her in her final moments, Rayleigh grew up as tough as the nails she worked with. The way that her father was able to breathe life into hunks of metal captivated her, and from a young age, she spent as much time as possible by his side. But countless hours in the company of a middle-aged bachelor has a way of corrupting a child. Rayleigh adopted her father's fiery temper, along with the short fuse that accompanied it. His dark, often perverted sense of humor, and his tendency to use less-than-ladylike language, also worked to shape his daughter into something that made his late wife turn in her grave. But the man and his daughter were happy, and their time spent together also provided her with more positive traits. Rayleigh understands the importance of hard work, and she is not afraid to get a bit of dirt under her nails. In fact, she is happiest under a layer of grease. She interacts well with all sorts of people, as his father's line of work never discriminated. Unfortunately, though she is street smart, she is not well-traveled. She knows nothing of the lands beyond her own stomping grounds. This desire to learn more, about people, other realms, and her trade, plays a key role in every decision the woman makes.

History: Rayleigh never knew her mother. Though this reads like the first lines in some epic tragedy, she never really felt that anything was missing from her life. If there was some great hole left behind by her mother's passing, she did not notice. Perhaps this was due to the love that her father had for her, and the fierce admiration that she felt in return. Though he often struggled with expressing himself, Rayleigh understood how much her father cared for her. They had been each other's best friend for as long as she could remember. Hours spent in the shop brought them together, and not even her father's gruff attitude could drive any sort of wedge between them. As Rayleigh grew, she absorbed as much information as she could. Her father mostly worked with small machinery, household appliances and the like, but his stories of airships and steam engines captured her imagination. When she was finally old enough, he allowed her to accompany him into Ettermire. The child fell in love, and she knew that she wanted nothing else in life but to work with the wonders that surrounded her.

Unfortunately, the bliss could not last forever. Her father's poor lifestyle, with his drinking and smoking habits, eventually caught up to him. He fell ill, and he never recovered. Rayleigh was devastated. The next two years were spent working the shop that her father had left for her. She felt that it kept him close, and for a while, that was enough. But slowly, she realized that she simply was not satisfied. The woman met with the same clients, and worked with the same machines every day. It seemed she had exhausted the supply of knowledge there, and she would have to travel if she were to quench this thirst for information. So, Rayleigh closed up the shop, packed her most prized possessions into a bag, and left.

Appearance: Small would be the ideal word to describe Rayleigh. Though she has a large personality, her frame is anything but. Standing at only five foot, three inches, she is dwarfed by most people that she meets. Despite her short stature, there is little else that sets the woman apart from the rest of the crowd. Though she has accumulated some muscle from hauling around machines, they are nothing worth really speaking of. Her brown hair is neither curly nor pin-straight, falling in soft waves to the middle of her back. It hangs in hastily-cut layers about her heart-shaped face. Her nose and cheeks are splattered with light freckles, though they burn much brighter after time in the sun. Her skin tone teeters on the edge of being considered tan, a trait she figures she picked up from her mother, as her father had always been quite pale. Her deep-set emerald eyes are expressive, revealing the woman's thoughts even when she wishes to keep them hidden. And her pale pink lips can move from a grin to a scowl at a moment's notice. Rayleigh prefers comfort over style, and her wardrobe demonstrates this. She is generally outfitted in boots, leggings, and a loose-fitting tunic.

Skills:

• Student: Rayleigh hopes to learn as much as she possibly can, about all things. This is her rationale for traveling, and she will do just about anything if it guarantees her fresh information.
• Independent: Though she loved her father's company, and she was very close to him, Rayleigh knows how to live on her own. She has fended for herself for a very long time, and she will continue to do so now that her family is gone.
• People Person: Whether it is her small size or her generally pleasant demeanor, many people find themselves drawn to Rayleigh. She is anything but shy, and she does not hesitate to speak her mind. This makes communicating with others, especially strangers, considerably easier.
• Mechanic: Rayleigh is proving to be an exceptional mechanic. She has a way with machinery that few have seen before; those who watch her work insist that it is magic. She can turn just about any heap of junk into an operational vehicle, appliance, or even weapon. If the necessary elements are nearby, she can assemble something to aid her in any given situation.
• Moderate Dagger: With the help of Tobias Stalt, Rayleigh has gained experience with her dagger. While she still has quite a bit of work to do, she can now hold her own in a fight.
• Hand to Hand Combat: Tobias has also trained Ray in hand to hand combat. Her skills are now much improved, though she can still be bested by someone who has been training for longer.

Abilities:

• Mechanic's Touch: Though she does not know it, Rayleigh's mother was a gifted medium. She had the ability to not only see into the past, but also into the future. She has passed this gift onto her daughter, though in a very different form. Rayleigh has the ability to see a machine's past simply by touching it.After nearly a year of honing her skills, Ray is beginning to learn more about her ability. She can now control when she has the visions, and how long she can remain within them (up to two minutes). The visions are still slightly hazy. She is able to focus on specific elements, bringing them into sharper focus, but that decreases how long she can exist within the vision. After much practice, she can now use the visions three times per day, and is left with only a slight headache.
• Targeted and Firing: With the help of fellow Tarot member Alyssa Snow, Rayleigh crafted a five-shot revolver. The revolver can can shoot five individual fireballs that expand to the size of a basketball (up to 25 feet), or a steady stream of fire (up to 5 feet) that lasts for a total of fifty seconds (ten seconds for each fireball). Ray may use the two interchangeably (twenty seconds of sustained fire and three fireballs, for example). The fire can cut through low-tiered materials quite easily. The gun can only be used once per thread, as it needs time to recharge. There is no negative effect on her health when she uses it.
  
• Mechanokinesis: As Rayleigh's powers grow stronger, so does her ability to communicate with the machines she loves so dearly. She is now able to take control of any machine within a 300 foot radius. She only needs to look at the machine, and will it to do something. Current options are limited to very basic movement-based maneuvers - powering on, powering off, moving forward, backward, and turning. She can control it for either two posts, or until it moves out of the 300 foot range, in which case it will stop dead once more. Rayleigh is only able to target one machine at a time. She has limited mobility herself as she moves the machine, as it leaves her lightheaded, but the effect quickly subsides after she is finished. At present, Ray can use this ability once per day. This is a non-citadel ability.

Equipment/Weapons: Rayleigh carries a worn, leather pack. It contains a handful of tools that her father had insisted she could not live without. "A hammer, a wrench, and screwdriver. Anyone who says you need anything else is a damned fool," he had told her once. She also wears an iron dagger on her hip.

Enchanted Tool-Belt: A tool-belt that ensures Ray's tools always return to her. The tools will disappear when they have been at rest for two posts, and reappear on her belt. If the items are damaged, they will return in the same damaged state.

Protective Bracelet: A bracelet worn on her right wrist. When the center stone is pressed, it creates a shield that can block anything short of bullets, beams, 6x strength+, high impact spells, and catastrophic events. Abilities/attacks that do make it through are lessened. The shield can block 5 weak blows, 3 moderate, one strong, or 15 seconds of sustained moderate fire. Cooldown is 30 seconds (2-3 posts). Knockback works like a percussion of air or strong gale once broken. For a man weighing 200lbs, this will throw him back a good 15 feet. While not damaging on its own, it can do some damage if the attacker is cast against an object.

The Story So Far:
The Machinations of Fate
In which Rayleigh first meets Vincent.
What Lies Below
In which Rayleigh frees a demon.
The Wheel of Fate Turns
In which Rayleigh dies.
A Merry Winter Festivus
In which Rayleigh wears an ugly sweater.
In Which Trouble Isn't The Only Thing They Make
In which trouble isn't the only thing they make.
Call to Arms!
In which Rayleigh agrees to help cleanse.
The Binds of Fate
In which Rayleigh doubts, but is reassured.

Approved