Well, these tend to have too high of a daily post-count for my tastes, but I gotta get my sheet in...
Name: The Cat. Magical form: Phoenix. Common form: It is a cat, people name it whatever, but it often gains fire-related "black" names like Sooty, Coal, Ashen, Smoke, Char...
Description: A small black tomcat with pointy ears and a short but dense coat and orange eyes and a short but angular snout and furry wings that can blend into its coat and a tail that splits in two whenever it is severed which is currently split in seven places but is generally held together to appear normal. It meows with a somewhat high pitch and a slightly broken tone.
It likes peace and comfort and regular meals, but appreciates that fate-of-the-world issues need to be dealt with. It has a somewhat timid streak and prefers to avoid combat but is prone to attachments and can be fiercely loyal to those that it collects. Really, much as one would expect of a cat, barring extreme circumstances, it can be relied upon to seek the path of least resistance, barring an opportunity to sit in the best spot or investigate something new. It is aware, however, that it has a role to perform, and while it doesn't always agree with that role, it will typically go along with whatever is required to fulfil it.
Of special note is that there are various things absent from its perception. It speaks at times, with varied voices, but not by choice and it is not capable of being aware of specifically what the voices have ever said. It can understand communication of all sorts, but cannot produce words, codes, nor script, relying upon spontaneous gesture and attitude. It is completely incapable of being aware that it can transform. It senses locations that are of great importance, places that it needs to be, and somewhat when it needs to be there, but the sense doesn't reveal any more than that.
Oh, phoenix is bigger and made of fire and has proportionally bigger wings and a single flaming tail and such. Gotta go...
Backstory: This cat is effectively immortal, and has seen ages, but its memory is fragmented and indistinct, so it has little context or timing to its memories and can provide precious little useful insight into history. Most recently it has spent the better part of a century wandering aimlessly trying to hide after it and its previous companion parted ways. Its clear memories only stretch back to its most recent companion, a rural French girl who found herself Banishing hostile spirits from villagers. The problems only spread over a few near villages so they travelled a lot but over familiar areas. The girl was pleasant, willing to talk to the cat which was always willing to contribute an insightful meow and act out what it could which was nice, as not all companions are inclined to converse with it, and she would insightful comments on the scenery or discuss recent missions and had a particular interest in exotic baked goods. After being in the region of unusual behaviour one too many times, and being witnessed "extracting someone's soul and performing wicked magic with it" the pair were burned alive by an angry mob. Avoiding its humanity, its responsibilities, and most everything else seemed like the appropriate response upon its reforming and the wilderness seemed rather inviting, but the recent disasters have compelled it to once again heed the call and attend to its duties.
Some recollections from its past include:
A great sense of urgency. Sprinting down brick alleyways. There is a girl in rags, a trio of horned creatures, part elk part wolf part bear with spines and elongated bladed claws. I need to save one, after everything I just need to save just one of them. I leap before them, howl in despair, and then... she thanked me? It is confusing, I almost think that I saw her again...
I am assisting twins with a cooking task, they dump coarse flour over me, it keeps them entertained, I shall endure it. I sense that they have been lonely...
A girl with curly hair and a large smile is fighting beasts deformed by a nearby warlock. She catches a tall staff, speaks loudly gesturing at the beasts, and most melt away into dust. She tells me that we are doing important work and that I should have more faith. I feel tired, perhaps I have been disagreeable?
The same girl, older now, there is something new, I am leading a train of people, refugees? Something new, something bad, but, I am unsure of things? She was supposed to be following behind, catching stragglers and guarding against pursuit, but she is missing, I am worried, I feel somehow mistrustful. I am drawn forwards, but fear for my companion, I sprint ahead, hoping the people will follow to where they last saw me, then run around the terrain to seek the girl. I cannot sense her, but I know of a place, I hurry. My companion is on the ground, with figures around her, one bending over her, I am watching from atop a distant slope and there are rocks about. The figures behind to contort and fade, except for the girl and her assailant, my companion's body is broken, beyond broken, she should no longer... be here... but somehow she is held in this world and the figure has an arm stretched to her torso, a hand within it. There is a thing, a shimmer, ripple, something unnatural, something leaves my companion and enters the figure, and the girl finally leaves, I hope... The figure stands, a young woman, she holds herself with experience, I run. There is nothing I can do, I have the people to lead, I am terrified, I run. I think that my companion new of this fate. I think that she was guided to it. I think that I do not like the forces that guide me...
Sitting upon a comfortable chair overlooking the sea. There is a ship in the distance and an aged companion seated nearby. They feel as though they are connected, with battles behind them, perhaps not all tales end badly...
An albino girl with silver hair and a lyrical voice. She has been speaking for the spirits that seek peace, and fighting those that seek war. The villagers believe that she empowers the spirits, that they cannot fight without her, the villagers are not wrong... The iron burns her, me it only batters and cuts, I must not be a creature of the spirits...
Stone buildings, a plain girl in a robe, a cart of dried meats animates, attacks and is incinerated with a wave of her hand. She laughs with a wild look in her eyes and we enjoy the meal.
Stats: Are you good at this, bad at that? Well-rounded? Allocate 30 points. Average for a human is 3 each, but you guys aren't average farmers.
STR - 3(-2)
DEX - 3(-2)
AGIL - 5
INT - 13
WILL - 6
Abilities:
Irrepressible(free): Given time, even death can be overcome. If this character dies they will recover. This process cannot be prevented, but requires more time if the damage done is greater. Perishing from limited blood-loss or a concussion might be resolved in hours, complete vaporisation would most likely require decades or more to return from. Captivity also disagrees with the subject, they will wither away if bound, eventually perishing from the ordeal, only to revive, free, nearby, after a considerable, but manageable delay. While death from this process leaves only dust, the recovery time is as though only mild injuries had felled the creature.(I am thinking 6 hours for just barely dead and double the time for every extra point of damage. Make judgement calls on what is too much time out to be returning to the campaign...)
Exposition(2): You can sense locations of plot significance. You can serve as an unwitting mouthpiece for the G.M., spontaneously speaking to inform your companions of knowledge from beyond. The origin of the exposition is generally unknown and likely varies and the voices vary accordingly.
Unstable transformation(2): Your transformation is difficult and dangerous to achieve and takes a toll on your body. Minimum (strength and agility) are 3 and have a -2 when not transformed but you gain +1 to all stats and abilities when transformed. You can only transform under specific conditions(Opposed emotion and situation: Hope in the face of despair, courage in the face of terror. Going after the maguffin even if you don't think you can possibly get it because you don't see anything else to do...) and your transformation cannot be forced. Every turn spent transformed results in one damage to your base form for every turn that you have been transformed.
Regenerative form(2,phoenix only): When transformed your transformed form gains 2 points of health every turn, this does not heal damage done to your base form.
Healing aura(2): When active, nearby creatures heal one point per turn and damage is reduced by one.
Howl(1): An unnatural wail and a pulse of force stuns and damages those nearby.
Flight(1): You have wings and can glide safely and even fly for short bursts.
form-dependant Meld(1):
Cat: You can jump onto someone's back, wrap your arms around their neck, and grant them power. This is very embarrassing. They gain a third of your stats and and enhanced version of your compatible abilities(namely flight and healing aura). You also undergo physical changes to reflect these powers(namely your wings grow to many times normal, this is very painful).
Phoenix(phoenix only): You become an aura around someone and grant them your powers. They gain half your stats and all your abilities. You lose the ability to control yourself and become entirely dependant upon the subject to end the effect...
Flare(2, phoenix only): You emit flames to damage those around you.
Inventory: empty, Feeble kitty scratches.
Imma probably only check in once per day, which in my very limited experience of this game is not enough. But I wanted to get the sheet in for the lulz...