Name: Enigmata (AKA The Twilight Trickster, The Marvelous Maiden of Mystery, or any of the other grand appellations she has bestowed upon herself) Age: 19 Race: Twili Gender: Female Place of Origin: Twilight Realm P5/W1/C4 Rupees: 0 Treasures: Foreign Language (Twilit, Innate) Nightvision (Racial) Jabber Nut (Racial) Exception (Racial, +1 Courage –1 Wisdom) Energy Shake (55 Rupees) Skulltula Paste (35 Rupees) Bind (10 Rupees) Height: 6'1 Weight: What part of "Maiden of Mystery" don't you understand? Equipment: Scimitar, throwing knives, playing cards, tarot cards, birdcage Pet: Not long after entering Hyrule, Enigmata stumbled across a flock of Keese. Intrigued by their nocturnal natures and believing them to be the epitome of cuteness, she managed to capture one, a male specimen she has named Ri'del. Ri'del has since been trained to participate in her performances. Residence: Currently, Enigmata lives in the Lost Woods, occupying a small room within a luxurious cabaret. The building is owned by her employer, a Business Scrub of some mild infamy in the criminal underworld. Appearance: Tall, with an impossibly svelte figure and smooth, bluish-gray flesh, Engimata's physical appearance is that of an archetypical Twili: Unremarkable among her own kind, but utterly alien to the denizens of Hyrule. Her eyes are of the pupiless variety common to her people, manifesting as twin orbs of pure orange; the colour is nearly identical to that of her long, curly hair, which tumbles down from her scalp to about halfway down her back. The lower half of her countenance features violet lips and a thin, feminine jaw. Like all Twili, Enigmata possesses expanses of pitch-black skin across her body. In her case, these patches cover her lower back, the entirety of her right arm and hand, and a ring around her left ankle that could almost be mistaken for an anklet at a distance. However, regardless of an onlooker's race, it is doubtful that Enigmata's outlandish apparel would fail to garner attention. Aside from a stylish black top hat and a sable cape embroidered with images of teal diamonds (as in the card suit, but Twilified, as she would put it), her attire is characterized by asymmetry: She wears a grey, owl-shaped mask that conceals only the right half of her face, the left sleeve of her skirted black tunic is long yet the right sleeve stops at her shoulder, a snow-white glove adorns her right hand but not her left, and the bizarre combination of a pink-and-black striped stocking and a black dancing shoe clothe her right leg and foot. Her left leg and foot know no such luxury, and remain completely bare. She insists this gaudy outfit is fashionable, and would be all the rage back in the Twilight Realm. As far as anyone can tell, she genuinely thinks this. Since taking on the mantle of a stage magician, Enigmata has developed a couple of odd habits. Firstly, she is virtually never seen in public without a smile on her face, though the observant may note that the exact nature of her grin shifts depending on her mood- the difference between a truly joyous smile and a sinister sneer is fiendishly subtle. Secondly, despite obviously favouring her left hand for most tasks, Enigmata wields her scimitar right-handed, perhaps fearing that an injury to her dominant arm might prematurely end her career. Personality: A consummate showwoman, Enigmata revels in being the centre of attention, striving to maintain a larger-than-life presence in her everyday life by punctuating her sentences with whimsical twirls and dramatic sweeps of her arm. To her, being a magician is a core component of her very identity, and as such she plies her chosen craft with the utmost severity. The Twili makes a point of practicing her acts daily, adamantly refusing to reveal the secrets of a trick to anyone not of her profession; she has cultivated a wide repertoire of routines as a result, though she has a particular affinity for card tricks. That said, Enigmata knows that predictability doesn't turn a profit, and she can be quite creative in devising new ways to bamboozle an audience. Similarly, she recognizes that the innate mystique of her heritage is what makes her marketable, and she goes to great lengths to preserve this sense of mystery, tossing out cryptic half-answers to even the most mundane of questions and making brief allusions to fictitious events in her past, many of which are contradictory. Beneath the outward persona of an entertainer, however, burns the soul of an empress. More than anything, Enigmata's actions are governed by her boundless ambitions. Having lived as a street rat in her youth, she has vowed to improve her lot at all costs. Everlasting fame and fortune are her destiny, and she cares not who she must fight, deceive, or love to achieve it. Because she has yet to formulate an opinion on most matters in Hyrule, this has had the unfortunate side-effect of making Enigmata rather mercenary in her inclinations, as she opportunistically searches for the best possible deal. Still, she is not altogether bereft of scruples, generally refraining from outright cruel behaviour, and she knows that a woman who betrays her allies too often is a woman with no allies at all. There is but one exception to Enigmata's ruthless impartiality: Due to a potent mixture of resentment over her own lack of arcane ability and a healthy dose of competitive professionalism, the Twili woman despises mages, proclaiming her feats of sleight-of-hand to be superior to their spells, which she considers to be "cheating." She takes great joy in defeating and humiliating casters of all kinds, whether it be through subtle trickery or direct challenges, and these contests can sometimes even have fatal results for Enigmata's sorcerous adversaries. Complicating the issue further, Enigmata exempts those whose magical powers have been forced upon them due to nature or circumstance, seeing no reason to blame them for something beyond their control. Likewise, she judges anything that could classified as a technique as fair game- although these abilities allow the accomplishment of superhuman tasks, they still originate from one's own strength, unlike the manipulation of eldritch energies. The rare few that are able to get to know Enigmata on a personal level might describe her as a woman of emotional highs and lows, prone to abrupt bursts of mirth and melancholy alike in private. Her intelligence outstrips her knowledge, which causes her no small amount of frustration. Additionally, those who spend more than a trace amount of time in her company may quickly learn that, despite her physical flamboyancy, Enigmata has an extreme aversion to being touched without her permission. Doing so is one of the few things that can incite her to outright anger, and any who offend this sensibility are liable to be on the receiving end of a slap across the face, if not worse. Biography: Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Eni, who lived deep within the Twilight Realm. What made her special, you ask? Well, unlike most of the children who dwelt in the Twilight Realm, Eni didn't have a family. Not a real one, anyway. The cold was her brother and the hunger was her sister. Sometimes, if she tried very hard, she could picture a mustachioed man and a woman with a warm smile... but no matter how much she concentrated, the image would not stay. Doing that gave Eni a headache and made her feel very sad, so eventually she stopped doing it. Nor did Eni have a home. Whenever she needed to sleep, she would sit against the wall, huddle herself in the blanket she had traded her precious stuffed Argorok for, and stare up at the buildings, which were tall and obsidian and UNCARING. Somebody had once told her that it was wrong to steal, so Eni did her best not to when her belly grumbled. Instead, she asked the grown-up Twili who passed by for food and money. Most of them gave her nothing, and a few even said things that made her want to cry. One day, Eni decided that begging was silly. She needed to do a job, like the adults. Then she would have lots of money! But right away, Eni realized there was a problem with her idea. If she went inside one of the buildings, she would be thrown back out. She knew that already. Her only chance would be to impress the Twili in the streets... and the Twili in the streets were HARD to impress. They wanted to see magic (which Eni didn't understand one bit), and yawned at anything else. Eni tried juggling, singing, then both at once, to no avail. Finally, remembering a troupe of dancers she had seen the day before, Eni began to prance and twirl where the two biggest roads met, and that earned her enough alms to buy a hot meal, so she did it again the next day. And the day after that. She kept doing it, because it worked, even though she was the one doing the yawning now. Putting her aching feet out of her mind, Eni continued to dance, and as she grew bigger, so too did her audiences. Then the soldiers came. Cruel men, clad in reptilian armour. They did not like Eni's dancing. They shoved her and spit on her and grabbed her and... Eni hated the soldiers very much. She wished they would die. And so, the following morning, Eni broke the rules. She went down to the market and took a scimitar without paying for it. From now on, she would dance with a sword, and if the soldiers came back, she would cut them. Dancing with a blade was dangerous, of course, but it was exciting. Not just for Eni, but also for the passing Twili who stopped to watch her. They gave her more money than she was used to, and soon she had gathered the largest crowd yet, with more and more people pouring in to see her. Including the soldiers. They were angry at Eni for stealing the scimitar, pushing past the crowd to confront her. They knew she had taken it, and now they were going to punish her. Eni told the soldiers that if they wanted the sword, they could come and get it. That made them even madder, and the tallest soldier started to move toward her. Eni waved her scimitar at him, but he knocked it out of her hand with a single swing of his lance. She tried to run, but two more soldiers were behind her, laughing in a way that her feel sick. There was nowhere she could hide. Suddenly, Eni heard a shout from the crowd. "What manner of man attacks a starving girl? And a child, no less? I name you cravens all!" A kind man wearing a big hat and a colourful coat stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of a sword. The soldiers snarled that he should leave, or they would kill him once they were finished with Eni. The kind man drew his blade with a flourish, and he announced that he would be doing the killing today. The soldiers turned to face him, and Eni thought about running again, but her legs wouldn't let her. She was too worried. What if the Kind Man got hurt because of her? But the Kind Man was strong. One-by-one, he thrashed the soldiers, his sword flashing left and right as he skipped around their clumsy strikes. It was like nothing Eni had ever seen, and were he a dancer, she would gladly have given him all her money and gone hungry for the day. She watched as the last soldier fell, beaten and bloodied. The Kind Man smiled as he sheathed his blade, as if he had been playing a game, and turned to face Eni, offering her a hand. The Kind Man told Eni that she was brave and talented, but also that she needed someone to show her how to turn that talent into actual skill. He said that if she were willing to go with him, he would teach her. Eni didn't know what to say. She was a bit afraid of the Kind Man, to be honest, after seeing what he had done to the soldiers. Would he hurt her, too? But... nobody had been so nice to her in a very long time, and the wicked soldiers had deserved it. She took his hand, and let him lead her away. A traveling performer of sorts by trade, the Kind Man raised Eni like a daughter. Like her, he couldn't cast any spells, but true to his word, he taught her many other things. He showed her how to hold her sword properly. He impressed upon her the value of improvisation and a sharp wit. But most importantly, he told Eni that as long as she had a quick hand and a sense of style, she could do things that seemed impossible. People would pay more to see such sleight-of-hand, because they knew it wasn't magic but couldn't figure it out how it was done. She made sure to remember that. It was like a kind of magic all on its own, and the Kind Man assured her it would make the real mages jealous. Some said the Kind Man was a scoundrel and a swindler. But Eni knew better. The Kind Man was a hero! He made children laugh with his tricks, pulling new toys out of their bags or turning cards into gemstones. He also spoke out against the awful, horrible things that happened in the Twilight Realm. Sometimes he would leave Eni alone, promising he would come back soon, and he always did. Whenever he did that, people would whisper about a cloaked troublemaker shortly after, and Eni would grin. He was the Kind Man, and she was his Lovely Assistant. Although they were never able to stay in one place for too long, Eni was happy. She loved watching the Kind Man work his magic, learning all she could of his craft even as she scurried behind the scenes to make his performances work. It could get very busy! But at the end of every show, the Kind Man would tell the audience to clap for her first because she had made it possible, and Eni would blush, bow, and know that it had all been worth it. Later, when she had grown older, the Kind Man even let her run a few shows of her own, which delighted her. Life was good. But like all good things, Eni and the Kind Man's partnership would one day come to an end. Eni didn't remember exactly how it happened. There was going to be a big show in a grand theatre... and the Kind Man's main trick was going to be a Disappearing Act. Eni would climb into a large box, then open a large hatch on the floor and sneak away, so that when the Kind Man opened the box again, it would look like she had vanished. She remembered all of that. But when she actually went inside the box... POOF! Everything went black. And when she awoke... …Eni was in Hyrule. What had happened? Had the Kind Man sent her away? Or had his enemies been lying in wait, preparing a trap for her? Was the box cursed? Eni would never have the answer, and that made her angry, confused, and scared. She was in a strange place with many trees, and everything was so dazzlingly bright, making her dizzy. No Kind Man, no box. Frustrated, she kicked a fallen log, which hurt her foot. That upset her even more, and she tried to leave the forest, only to be stopped by a big ball of light in the sky that burned her eyes and skin. This new world hated her! Hurrying back into the shade, Eni slumped against a tree and cried. That was when the Deku found her. Although Eni didn't know it at the time, she had appeared in the Lost Woods. At first, it seemed like there would be trouble. A group of Deku burst out of a nearby bush, yelling in a language Eni didn't understand. Their eyes kind of looked like hers, though, so she tried to talk to the woodland sentries, but they just glanced at each other and said nothing. Then they jabbed at her with pointed sticks, forcing her to follow them. They marched her to their village and made her sit on a small maple stool, before bringing out a strange seed and motioning for Eni to eat it. She shook her head, but the Deku shoved it into her mouth anyway, holding her down. Frightened, Eni fought back and tried to bite the Deku's hand, but his wooden skin hurt her teeth, and she accidentally swallowed the seed. Suddenly, everything became clear. When the Deku spoke, Eni could understand them, and when she opened her mouth to reply, the words came to her naturally, as if she had always known them. Mystified, she asked where she was. The Deku told her that she had been trespassing on their land. Eni said she was sorry and that she hadn't meant to. She explained that an evil box had put her there, and that she was lost. The Deku seemed annoyed by her answer, and they told her she would have to meet the Boss. The Boss was a Business Scrub with a leafy moustache. As Eni was hustled into his office, he looked up and asked her who and what she was. She told him everything, and by the time she had finished her tale, a smile had formed across the Boss' snout. He would help her, but he needed to know how she would repay him. Eni showed him some of her tricks, using the pack of tarot cards she still had on her, and he nodded. He made her a deal. He would be her manager. He would feed her, shelter her, and let her have her pick of costumes. In return, she would be one of his girls. She would make him money by performing for whoever he wanted; she would get a tiny cut, but most of it would go to him. And perhaps if she worked very hard, he would give Eni her big break. If she didn't, she would be a maid. Eni knew right away that the Boss was a thief, though he stole with his words rather than his fingers. She could tell by the way he talked. That didn't bother her. She had been a thief once, too. But it also meant that he wanted to take advantage of her, to use her for his own gain. That made her mad. But... The more Eni thought about it, the more she realized that this was her chance to be somebody. Back in the Twilight Realm, there were many Enis. Here, she was special, unique. The Dekus had clearly never seen a Twili in the flesh before. If she squeezed that for all it was worth... she could achieve her girlhood dream of being rich. She would accept his terms, at least for now, and use the opportunity to learn more about this world. Then, when the time was ripe, she would strike out on her own. The Boss produced a contract, and Eni signed it. Months passed in the blink of an eye. Much of Eni's waking hours were consumed by practicing her routines, shaking the hands of the Boss' associates, and speaking with tailors, all in preparation for her grand unveiling. As she toiled, it occurred to her that she needed a proper stage name. The Hyruleans had a word, "enigmatic." Eni liked it because it sounded like a longer version of her name. As a bonus, it meant mysterious, which described her well. She decided to twist that into her stage name, eventually settling on Enigmata. From that day forth, she would no longer be Eni. Only Enigmata. A new name for a new life. With what little free time she had, Eni Enigmata decided to try her hand at writing a book. She needed to practice her letters, and she had a story to tell. The book would be about a girl named Eni, who rose from nothing to become a great magician. When Enigmata became famous, she would release the book, and Hyrulean children would read it. And as those children read the book, they would realize how smart and talented Eni was- how smart and talented she always had been. They would cheer for Eni and want to be like her. And maybe if they were very clever children, they would realize that Eni remembered more than she was letting on- things she knew but didn't say, because they were awful, because she didn't want to, because... because... Enigmata stopped. No. She would start again. Just like she had in Hyrule. And she knew just how to begin, her quill touching the page once more... "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Eni, who lived deep within the Twilight Realm..."
