In human form, Shaela has pale skin with black hair. Though she is in her early 20s (she doesn't know her exact age), malnourishment and abuse have thinned and stunted her sufficiently that she appears to be a teenager. Her recent arrest following a life on the streets shows in her features, including a number of sizable bruises and an unidentified rash. Given a chance to clean up and eat, she'd fill out to be exotically beautiful, if still somewhat petite at 5'3".

Nonetheless, her vividly blue eyes betray her defiance of her circumstances. They dart about frequently as life on the streets has taught her to be alert to danger. She dissects those she encounters with her gaze, determining their threat to her and then analyzing what she might gain from exploiting them.

Her native kitsune form features mangy black fur with white-tipped ears and tail that, with proper care, could be silky and soft. Her fear of further persecution and abuse keeps her out of this natural form much of the time as she's tried to blend into human society's underbelly.

Shaela can also take the form of a normal, if mangy, black fox that is frequently mistaken for some sort of stunted dog in urban environments.

A side effect of Shaela's magic is the manifestation of her vulpine tail in any form she takes, much to her chagrin. She does what she can to hide its presence when in human form, favoring bulky cloaks and long coats. She even goes so far as to hack off some of the excess fur to reduce its bulk and make it easier to conceal (further adding to her mangy appearance).