"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonders of the universe; therefore, we ought to cherish it in its fullest."

Name| Goes by Sierra 'Sora' Misora Skyclaw

Age| 117

Gender| Female

Species| Kitsune

Rank|

Appearance| [Please note that the appearance described below is the metamorphosis Sierra usually uses.]

Sierra stands at about 168 centimetres (~5'6") and takes the appearance of a beautiful, slim young woman. She is incredibly energetic yet she carries herself with a subtle poise. She has a creamy complexion and unmarred, smooth skin save for a thin white scratch on her lower lip. Rather than diminishing her allure, however, the scar only adds to it.

Her straight, dark auburn hair streaked with black and copper highlights falls loosely to her waist, framing a heart-shaped face with defined cheekbones and a fairly pointed nose. She often wears a playful grin.

Sierra has a single piercing in her left ear lobe, where she wears a sapphire and gold stud. Her long, dark lashes frame dusky golden irises which hint at her status as a shadow kitsune. In times of pleasure, her dark eyes seem to brighten, elevating the spirits of those around her. In times of gravity, her irises border on black.

Second Appearance|

In Sierra's vixen form, she has slitted pupils. Her irises remain a dusky golden hue. Her frame is slender, movements supple and elegant. Her size is a little less than the average fox.

The fur of her underside is snowy white. The tips of her ears and the lower half of her forelegs are pure black. Her flanks and hind legs are a vivid reddish-rust with yellow-golden and chestnut tints. She has five long tails which are a lighter colour than her flanks and hind legs but slowly tinge black at the ends. Her fur is very sleek, ordinarily; the exception is when she is running low on energy, in which case, her fur becomes quite rough.

Sierra usually keeps her claws detracted unless she is in combat or she is sharpening them. When unsheathed, her claws are curved and long and very, very sharp. In her vixen form, she is faster and more agile than her human metamorphosis. She may not possess bounteous strength, but her swiftness more than makes up what is lacking.

Personality|

Sierra is an optimistic, verbose, and humorous woman, often catching more serious personalities off guard with her somewhat disproportionate cheeriness. She is a quite insightful and experienced soul. Nevertheless, her merciful nature may override the natural wariness that comes with such perspicaciousness and can land her in spots of trouble.

Sierra tends to dislike conflict and, from some perspectives, can even be seen to shy away from it. However, she has a will of steel, chiefly with respect to moral codes and values she holds dear. Though she does not flaunt her authority, she is not afraid to use it should the circumstances require it.

She forms her opinion on another based on skill in their area of expertise and how willing they are to assist her in prank-pulling. Her loyalty, once given, is exceptionally difficult to destroy, and only a select few acts are able to do so.

Sierra gives those she is relatively close with her own affectionate nicknames, regardless of their seriousness. She refuses to call them by their nickname unless on the rare instance that she herself is serious, in which case, she refers to them by their real name.

She is very protective of her victuals, having had to, as a young kitsune, defend them against greedy siblings. She is uncomfortable in the presence of dogs. She enjoys reading poems and loves maple leaves, rice cakes, rice pudding, and anything with rice.

Date of Birth| 9 September 1899

History|

Sierra spent the first sixty years of her life among her family in a secret wood somewhere in Japan. Much of this time was spent perfecting her naturally high illusory abilities, even among her fellow kitsune, and her metamorphosis. Over the course of this timespan, she gained three tails for aiding several nine-tailed kitsune. Sometime during these sixty years, against the initial warnings of her elders, she aided a certain nephilim on the brink of death and, with great effort, nursed her back to health both physical and mental. She journeyed with the nephilim, Alera Silverwing (darkbow_whitearrow ), several times until she was one hundred and five years of age.

Sierra spent her childhood in a strenuous era caught in the struggles of both world wars. Secluded in the forest, the only contact she had with the outside world was when she was permitted to travel with Alera. Living under such conditions, it was only natural that she formed extremely strong bonds with her family and friends.

For a time, people turned away from the mythological beings of old, neglecting the deities' shrines, customs, and ceremonies once practised devoutly. As a result, the kitsune community weakened and many died. As such, Sierra is well acquainted with deaths both distant and close to her heart and is not afraid to look it in the eye.

When the world wars ended and the people were heavily burdened, one by one, they began to turn back to the rituals and practices, restoring gradually the former strength of the kitsune community.

For the next twenty years of her life, Sierra set off to wander through Japan and China by herself, assisting any in need of passing help, and gaining another tail. Finally, she settled peacefully in an Inari shrine on a little island between the Japanese peninsula and the coast of China. When she was a hundred and five years of age, she met the five-year-old Althea Faline (one of the characters of darkbow_whitearrow ). The two have been close ever since. At age 113, she attended Drakemore Academy, an academy for mythical creatures, with Althea.

Recently, Sierra was approached by Alera for an undertaking unlike any she had undergone before: founding Stormhaven Clan.

Powers|

--Creation of Illusions--
Sierra's illusions are virtually unmatched, fooling all six senses. This power relies on her mental strength which, admittedly, is extremely high, so it is extremely arduous to fend off her mental attacks. However, she has fairly low mental stamina, restricting her to up to five separate illusions at any one time. As she approaches her number limit, her illusions subsequently lose strength.

--Kitsunebi--
Being a kitsune, Sierra can blast black fox-fire. She can fire them almost indefinitely, but the flames are nowhere near the strength of the average fire kitsune. The kitsunebi typically range from the size of a small candle to a basketball, depending on how much energy has been directed into them. She normally uses this power to light fires, set off flares, and as a distraction.

--Shadow Manipulation--
Being a kitsune affiliated with the element of shadow, Sierra is gifted with a multitude of corresponding powers.

1. Shroud of Darkness
Sierra can effuse herself in an shroud of pure darkness, the radius ordinarily being ten metres. She usually keeps her shroud activated while in the presence of others; she normally deactivates it when alone to conserve energy. Light from created sources, depending on its intensity, can cause slight discomfort to temporary incapacitation up to ten seconds after the light loses strength.

2. New Moon
Sierra can drain artificial lighting—specifically, not natural lighting (e.g. sunlight) or light created by a being (e.g. light magic). She can sap any synthetic lights in her range of vision.

3. Shadow-Vanish
She is able to vanish into existing shadows and traverse through them, her aura undetectable in the silent depths of the shadow realm. While this is active, her shroud of darkness dissipates, restoring five seconds after she exits the shadow realm.

Skills|

--Proficient Martial Artist--
Though such manoeuvres can only be seen when her shroud of darkness drops, Sierra moves with a fluid grace born from natural litheness, instinct, and finely honed skill. She is adept at hand-to-hand combat, specialising especially in aikido. Her intuition, high agility, and heightened physical senses allow her to excel in this field.

Abilities|

--Immunity to Illusions--
Sierra's extraordinary illusory powers ordinarily grant her immunity to delusive attacks due to her extremely strong mental barriers.

--Metamorphosis--
Sierra can metamorphose into anything or anyone. She does not feel very comfortable in forms she is less familiar with. She seldom uses this power in combat. It has proven to be quite a useful talent, especially given her penchant for mischief.

--Extrasensory Perception and Communication--
Sierra is able to detect and track auras. This innate ability also allows her to sense intent and emotions. In addition to this, since mental shouts causes the aura to flare, she can pick up such amplified emotions. She is able to communicate her thoughts to others telepathically. When she establishes physical contact, telepathic dialogue is enabled through the physical link.

--Energy Rejuvenation--
As a spirit, Sierra does not, ordinarily, require sleep; rather, she relies on siphoning energy from plant life in order to sustain her physical manifestation. If, however, she is unable to balance energy exertion with absorption, she enters a state of unconsciousness wherein the rate of energy usage is greatly slowed, allowing the restoration of energy. Resting in the shadows accelerates her rate of recovery.

Other|

She enjoys gardening, especially cultivating rice crops. She also enjoys singing, but she is no professional. She can, however, boast of the minor regenerative and uplifting properties she can choose to weave into her melodies thanks to her illusory abilities.

Face claim| Kitagawa Keiko

Timezone| Australian EST