Wen Iff

The Basics
Name:Gwyenth Iff
Nickname: Wen
Age:23 (Though she doesn't think she's aged since the "event" happened)
Species: Human- Novice Witch


The Appearance
Weight: 120
Height:5'6''

Physical Description:
Wen is in her early twenties and has the air of being the kid sister everyone has or wish they had.  Her big blue eyes look at the world as if she has never seen anything but walls in her life.  Her reddish-blonde hair is tousled and usually pulled up in a messy bun at the top of her head with a pen or two sticking through it.  It is not uncommon to see ink smudges on her chin or cheek.  Somehow her glasses seem to remain impeccably clean and in good repair, no matter what events are occurring.  When not perched on her nose, they dangle from their leather strap around her neck.

She wears a pair of jeans-  whether they are torn on purpose or whether it is fashion is debatable, especially since there are several singe holes that seem new.  Most times, she wears silk high collar tunics, and an over sized leather bomber jacket.  It is apparent that the large jacket was made for a man who was quite a bit larger than the girl wearing it.

Wen's backpack is emblazoned on the shoulder with a gold seal showing a large book with a quill arching over the words- "scribere virtute." The way it is sewn onto the pack gives the impression that she sewed it there with a fairly unsteady hand.

Distinguishing Features:
Wen's skin is completely clean of any marks or scrapes.  Which is surprising if  you watch her for any amount of time.  She is clumsy to a fault.  But still no scars, no scrapes, no bruises.

On the back of her neck below her hairline she has a triangle.  It is an odd tattoo that doesn't seem to be made of ink.  Rather if someone were to look at it closely, it would look more like watching a flame flicker through a thin material.


The Human
Personality:
Wen is kind natured and curious to a fault.  She desires adventure, but feels out of place in the world.  She continuously worries that she is missing some social protocol that normal people have with one another that seems to exist in the books she reads through it is never explained.  She has been trained to be the invisible; however, she is determined to be a part of a story- any story where she isn’t doomed to be the binding rather than the words.   Library rules be damned,  Wen has decided she is going to be the author of the first, first-person text to exist in the Library at Pheryllt.  To do that, she’s got to figure this being part of the world thing out… somehow… but for now, she’s stuck at a table, reading, again.

Wen secretly believes Penemue, the Grigori Angel, is watching over her when good things happen rather than attributing anything to herself.  Without thinking, she’s been known to thank the Watcher Angel for her for his help aloud as one might thank a helpful sidekick.  The quirk is not particularly reverent, but Wen sees Penemue as trapped as she is… “It must be lonely being an Angel, always watching, never taking part. We’re in it together, he and I.  Just two people out to see what the road might bring.”   Penemue is not what you would consider an invisible friend, he is an inside joke Wen has with herself, that she hopes might have a grain of truth to it.  It’s a notion, which makes the loneliness of her life a bit easier to bare.

Mundane Skills:
Librarian, Scribe, Speed Reader, Knowledgeable about many things- most of them unimportant, computer skills, typing, writer, editor

Occupation:
Wen is a Watcher.  It his her job to chronicle the lives and histories of interesting people and events.  In order to make money to survive- Wen works as a Librarian.

The Not So Human
Species Description: Human/ Novice Witch- Watcher

Wen's family is from a long line of Watchers (See History) that follow in the footsteps of Penemue, chronicling the histories of mortals and immortals alike.  Wen had no intention of becoming a witch- she happened upon her abilities accidentally, and then ended her up here... in sanctuary... trying.

Wen inherited her abilities from the bound powers of a ancient fire mage.  Her brother sent a crate to the library, she accidentally opened a book where the powers were bound and the entire room in the library suddenly was consumed in flame.  When Wen was found, she had that tattoo on her neck and flame is now her friend- or rather it's with her... all the time.  Not a good thing for a librarian.

Wen is able to keep her powers in check most of the time.  When she feels herself losing control, she is quick to isolate herself and remove herself from the public eye

Powers and Abilities:

Wen’s magic seems to do best when she is playing with fire- literally. though she’s trying to learn other types of magic.  The manual (see the history) is not very helpful in this respect.  Most of her magic spells seem to be triggered more by adrenaline than skill at this point.

At this point her powers are small unless she gets angry or upset.  She can only willingly create small sparks. She unconsciously creates little spells that help her out like pulling books from shelves or returning them, creating more light so she can write late into the hours etc.

She is a novice, thus her powers are very small.


The Story
Character Background:

"Wen" was born in Pheryllt. It is an island off of Great Britain that is invisible to mortals.  It was created by Penemue, the Grigori Angel in order to write the histories of Mortals.  The few inhabitants who have found the island stayed there, developing a group of followers known as the Watchers of Pheryllt Library.  Built in the midst of the village, or perhaps the village grew up around it, is the Pheryllt Library- home to the complete history of every hero in the world.  (Or, at least the history of every adventurer the Iff family has followed in the last Two Thousand years.)  It is said, that behind every great hero, behind every great moment in history, was an Iff... staying out of the picture... not being chronicled in the story... not interested in that *at all*... thank you very much...

An event or person being added to the Pheryllt library solidifies him or her as a hero in their own right-  The decision to include an adventurer is a mantle the Iff family takes very seriously.  Because of their impeccable discernment, they have become the foremost authority on heroic lore, providing biographies on request to the great libraries.  Their moto: “If we don’t have it, the person you’re looking for was not important.”


Gwyneth Avandra Iff was born into the Library’s thousands of Iff- Record Keepers, Scribes, Researchers, Writers, Historians, and Librarians.  The youth train during childhood and leave at sixteen to comb the world for acts of valor.  Returning home, they write biographical accounts of the heroes they followed.  Once they fall in love, the Iffs return to Pheryllt to maintain the library, and spending their retirement copying and distributing the pages upon pages of heroic histories, now entering information into an internet database, training the youth, and joking in the local bar.

Alas, even in her first few days as an infant... it became apparently clear, Wen was clumsy to a fault and couldn’t be trusted to walk without tripping let alone venture out into the world.  Despite her clumsiness, Fate seems to favor Wen- for in most instances Wen seems to land right side up, rarely noticing anything has happened to her at all.  Wen is also cursed with a desire for adventure.  Having a library filled with hero stories fueled the girl's wanderlust.

At first, she wanted to be an athlete, but her clumsiness ended up usually maiming her brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.  When she was ten, she thought she would run away to join the circus and be an acrobat... and… she broke three stained glass windows, climbing out of her room.  Wen quickly found that she preferred the company of books and herself. Sadly, Wen came to realize, as she watched her brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins, and third cousins venture out into the world, that she would not end up being part of an adventure- even as a silent observer- She was doomed to be a librarian...the worst librarian in her family’s long history...for the rest of her lonely life.

And, there it sat…

...until last February,  when Wen unpacked a crate sent by her oldest brother, Theo, and opened a book. (Rather it fell from her hand and opened upon impact with the floor. Wherein, she fell on it, after trying to catch it, and failing... of course.)  There was a flash of bright light that enveloped the room incinerating an entire shelf of parchment and the crate her brother sent, (all except a label that had been taped to the top- stating “DANGER:  This means you- Wen.” )  As the flash subsided, Wen found herself sitting amid piles of ash… and the symbol, which was on the cover of the book emblazoned on her neck, a small triangle flickering under her skin.  In the days that followed, Wen began to show some unusual abilities- such as books coming to her, lanterns lighting when she couldn't see, oh yes, and flames bursting from her hands upon seeing a mouse—or some other creature of the night… like her great uncle's slipper… but it really looked like a mouse.

It didn’t take long for the family of researchers to deduce that the book must have imbued Wen with wild magic.  What to do about it?  They had no idea.  Wen took it upon herself to research sorcerer’s, certain she had finally been given a way out of her wretched fate of moldy books.  Unfortunately, a small fire burned down the duplicates room.  A council was convened of the Iff Elders.  The decision was made rapidly, and it was unanimous- In order to protect the library, It was decided that Wen be sent out into the world to find her great event to chronicle.  Wen was elated.  The family set her on the road that day, and told her not to return... ... (cough)... until she'd found a story worth writing.

Hopeful, Wen left the library feeling a bit of excitement.  Secreted in her pack are the histories of her favorite three adventurers—and a small manual written a thousand years ago about how to train properly to be a sorcerer.  (Though it seems to be wrong about a great many things.)



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