Wanda Dame
Muhama of the Elegiac Pavilion
Eshu Wilder
Mambo of the Silver Plexus
Troubadour of the Barony of the Ninth Cloud
Description
Mortal mien: ~Gold: Wanda Dame is the bounty of the age. A gorgeous black woman in her early 20s, Wanda defines the glamour of American royalty. Wanda favors glittery garments, particularly in golds and platinums. Shoes, usually heeled, follow suit. Her jewelry, including rings, necklaces, earrings, and bangles also conforms. Depending on what she wears, viewers may gain a peek of a green serpent tattooed between her firm breasts, snaking up and towards the woman’s heart. Mocha skin bears no other mark or blemish, and regardless of what she dons, her clothing only emphasizes her smooth, feminine curves and long limbs. Long hair dyed blonde flows just beyond her waist, and dark bangs bounce with her confident stride. Her every step demonstrates the natural motion of languid grace. Pink, glossed lips draw the viewer towards her bright, lively, brown eyes with that magnetic smile. Wanda conveys grace, glamor, beauty, and happiness with her every breath.~
OOC: Appearance 4 (glamorous); Style 2
Fae form: ~When Wanda is seen in her true Eshu form, only a few details noticeably alter. Most visibly, her voile replaces whatever glamorous mortal garments she wears. Consisting of bright red scarves and an ankle-length gossamer silk gown in white, her attire sways and flows with her endless stride. Simple leather sandals replace the fancy shoes. No jewelry seems present, although the symbol of Simbi is still tattooed on her chest, the head of the serpent just peeking past the neckline of the gown. Her hair returns to the state of its original ebony beauty, as soft and satin-like as her gown, pushed back over elfin ears. Her smile shines even brighter and more infectious. Wanda boasts an investiture of rich blood, illustrating an internal wealth and nobility mere titles cannot replicate. Her brown eyes deepen to black, almost unholy save for the bright pupils twinkling like supernova stars.~
OOC: Appearance 4 (glamorous); Royal Lineage 3
"You only lose if you didn't enjoy the game. I always enjoy the game."
History
Youth
Many miles south of New Orleans stood an old plantation surrounded with beautiful woodlands and a beach resting by the Gulf of Mexico. The owners were the Fluves, an African-American family that descended from plantation slaves that inherited the land from original white land-owners. With the estate came the potential for wealth, and it was money the Fluves developed for decades. Thus, Wanda was born into a well-to-do home. Her parents were doting, her father managing the estate’s farmlands while her mother raised she and her two older brothers. Wanda was raised well in this environment, given loving care, and decent education.
When she was still a little girl, she began to already demonstrate exceptional singing talent. Her parents didn’t hesitate to get her a professional voice teacher. In the Baptist choir and public school chorus, she stood out as the sweetest soprano, and not long later alto, one could ever see. When she wasn’t singing or doing schoolwork, Wanda was of course playing with her friends. At first, she just played games that all little girls play. But she began to watch her parents’ recreation. Her father’s Poker nights and her mother’s Bridge outings became a regular interest for Wanda, and her parents didn’t mind too much if she watched (as long as she kept quiet and out of the way). She soon learned the games as best one can, taught her friends, and card games became the regimen of playtime for Wanda.
And now and then, the whole Fluve family would take their decent-sized boat (not quite a yacht, but nice enough) out into the Gulf. These pleasure cruises were always a source of great glee for Wanda, who already loved to travel. Indeed, she would stand at the boat’s aft and daydream of voyaging to distant lands. It didn’t matter how -- land, sea, or air -- she just wanted to see everywhere and everything. Unfortunately, one such cruise when she was sixteen resulted in tragedy. An unexpected tropical storm brewed up out of seeming nowhere, wrecking the ship. Wanda was washed overboard. Though the rest of her family escaped on a lifeboat, they couldn’t find their daughter. And even the Coast Guard had no luck.
Chrysalis & Tutelage
But that was not the end of young Wanda. A intrepid Caribbean sailor, Khoury Enjeu, would happen upon and rescue her. Before he sailed in the wake of the storm and found Wanda, she nearly drowned in the wild waves, tossed on terrible tides with little more than driftwood to cling to. Exhausted and parched, Wanda remembers fading in and out of consciousness. She figured she would die. She even gave herself up to it, though animal instincts clung to the wood. She envisioned herself back on land, grinning in bliss, twirling about all the way down a gold-bricked path. Butterflies, bright motes of color, and Mardi Gras-like tokens flung and tossed and blew around her on some great wind. As she spun along, laughing gaily, she saw her true form -- as one of the Elegbara, more commonly known as Eshu.
Thus, when Khoury rescued Wanda from the ocean, he recognized the Chrysalid. For he, too, was Eshu. He didn’t think much of it -- coincidence or fate, it didn’t matter when Eshu were involved! The spirit pathways guided them both together. So once she was revived and nursed back to health, Khoury introduced himself and revealed his true nature. Knowing that she was the same, Wanda was enrapt with this new world and new life. Wanda already forgot her human family, leaving it all behind in a heartbeat. She wanted this more than anything because it was what she always dreamed of.
So Khoury began to teach Wanda through a series of stories as the boat headed back to Port-au-Prince, his home town. Wanda was an apt student, listening intently as he explained about the Dreaming, Kithain, and the Elegbara. Khoury demonstrated how to perform a few cantrips and magic spells. He even described how Talecraft could be used to rouse audiences. She mentioned her singing talent, and realized that magic could come in quite handy to enhance and brighten her stage presence beyond mortal limits. And learning of Wanda’s love for Poker, and being an enterprising gambler, Khoury and Wanda engaged a great deal in playing cards on the boat on that long voyage.
Early Years
Once they arrived to Port-au-Prince, Khoury brought Wanda to an old friend of his, a houdoun named Nacius. Khoury hoped to get Wanda some oracular advice on her purpose and place in the world of men and fae alike. In a voodoo ritual involving incense and chanting, Nacius inspired Wanda into a dream-state vision. In that vision, the great loa of wind and storms, Badé, visited Wanda. To serve the spirits, Badé led her to believe, she should embrace his will and become like the tempest. Inspired to lead such a carefree life while at sea with Khoury, Wanda readily agreed. All she had to do was prove to Badé that she was worthy, and to do that she would have to weather a hurricane while at sea. When the vision passed, Wanda explained all she saw. She turned to Khoury, and requested his help -- cleverly voicing it as a challenge. Although a Grump, Khoury wasn’t dead. He grinned and accepted the challenge.
However, Nacius predicted that no hurricane would blow for a few months yet. It was late autumn, after all. So the two Eshu had some time in the capitol of Haiti yet. Wanda continued to learn what she could about the real world -- including the Dreaming, which was every bit real to her now. She also spent a lot of time gambling at cards with Khoury, and such contests had less to do with money (or chits) now, and more to do with drinking! Many games ended with both Eshu drunk on beer and/or rum. Not surprisingly, after a few months, they ended up in bed together. Their relationship was never serious, and neither took it as such.
But it did allow their time together to be more intimate. Khoury even tattooed Wanda during this time. The symbol of Simbi was designed upon her chest. Khoury even paid Nacius to bless it through proper voodoo ritual. Nacius was even good enough to warn the pair of the nearly exact time of the next hurricane. Hurricane Alex brewed up and the two Elegbara went to sea. It blasted past Haiti almost full-on, and the two were harshly tested and nearly wrecked. Khoury and Wanda were both well aware of the danger they were in, but thrived on that impulsive moment. In nine hours, the storm blew past, and they managed to survive. Khoury had another great tale to tell, and Wanda had a Loa patron to help guide her path. With that impetuous but bold accomplishment, the two Eshu parted ways on pleased terms. Wanda returned to the United States by airplane and Khoury (after due ship repairs) to the sea.
Avoiding New Orleans, not wanting to connect to her family she willingly forgot and put behind, she began with Jacksonville, Mississippi. Investing what small bit of wealth Khoury gave her, she bought fancy, glamorous clothing and paid for a complete make-over. Then she hit the city at night, gambling and singing alike in modern casinos and old-fashioned saloons. She took the surname of “Dame” as a gambler’s moniker (and to cut ties with former family). Her opponents rarely felt bad about losing, since the game afforded them time with eye candy like Wanda, who was not opposed to using her womanly assets to distract! But the Eshu felt it was prudent to leave Jacksonville when an unfortunate fire burned down a casino that refused to let “colored” women keep all their winnings…
Recent Years
Other stops included Atlanta, Baltimore, Newark, Atlantic City (naturally!), Cincinnati, and Chicago. Her skill at Poker and singing the blues grew over the next few years. She soon became something of a legend east of the Breadbasket in casinos. Rumor reached her attention that record labels sought her for music deals, but she avoided the noise. She was content in her care-free, cross-country lifestyle. Every visit to a city ended with some minor disaster accompanying her hasty departure. Someone important lost a car, business, or house to fire, ransack, or wreckage. Perhaps this was why Wanda avoided public eye, lest her good/bad reputation got thrown up in her face.
Finally, Wanda’s voyage brought her to Kansas City in the summer of 2003. She decided to linger her longer than usual. She decided to enjoy the blues and jazz legacy of the city while honing her gambling talents as quietly as possible. Wanda was well aware that Kansas City also possessed one of the older Mafia legacies, too! But the thrill of cheating the mob staled quickly. With her lover, Tamrissa ni Beaumayn, staking her freehold down in New Orleans, Wanda decided to get closer to her roots again. She moved to the Big Easy, there tempting fate and relishing the city's irrepressible history of blues and jazz.
Loa
Badé
Description: Badé is the loa of wind and storms. When manifest, Wanda sees this often violent god as a black, writhing cloud of winds and lightning -- much like a tornado. Indeed, in the Midwest, Badé loses little of the power he commands in the Caribbean. Tornados and hurricanes share much in common, and are chaotic “partners-in-crime”. Those Elegbara who choose to follow his ways must first prove themselves as survivors by weathering a hurricane-strength storm while at sea. (The changeling doesn’t actually have to do the sailing herself.) Wanda did this not long after a houdoun-inspired visionquest guided her to Badé. She dreamed she was in the grasp of hurricane-strength winds, buffeted off the island and whipped up across the world. Gold and silver trinkets, and diamond and emerald jewels, flew through the wind around her, accompanying her flight but never in her grasp. The road Badé would help her walk was obvious.
Traits: +1 Dexterity; +1 Gremayre; never botch an Athletics roll
Taboos: Never leave a city or region with breaking or destroying something major (e.g., wreck someone’s car).
Tattoo
Simbi's Blessing
Level: 1
Origin: This tattoo was designed and performed by her teacher of the Elegbara ways, Khoury Enjeu. Not long after, it became a minor battery for some of Simbi's power due to a genuine houdoun's summoning.
Description: This tattoo twines up between Wanda’s breasts. The design is of a bright green serpent, curving around the swell of the left breast towards her heart. This is the symbol of Simbi, a benevolent loa of white magic and good fortune.
Effects: With this Tattoo Treasure, Wanda can borrow a bit of good luck from the gods. Until the end of the scene, she may opt to reroll any single failed or botched roll. The downside to this bonus is that if she botches a second time, the botch is an especially spectacular screw-up.
Glamour Costs: Tattoo: 1; #1: 0
Activation: To activate the power of this Tattoo, Wanda must take a sip of any beverage, then pour a bit down her cleavage to wet upon the flesh the tattoo is etched.
Bunk Styles
Style: Arts & Crafts
Examples: Sing a jazz or blues tune, scatter a deck of cards, voodoo doll
Significant Other
Wanda met Tamrissa Darkstaff in early 2004. The Eshu found the intelligent but beautiful Sidhe quite winsome. And Tammy found the attractive and talented Eshu charming herself. The two began to see each other. Wanda toyed with Tammy through their card games, and Tammy found herself owing Wanda many favors indeed. Friendship turned into sexual pleasure after short time. What can Wanda say? She finds Tammy to be one fine piece of white ass! (Not that she'd ever say it like that!) Besides their sensual time together, Wanda finds the Beaumayn Baroness has a mutual affection for the determination of the future. Where will their future together lie, however?
Tamrissa
Weakness
Scattered Wealth
Wanda lives by impulse. Though she isn't greedy per se, she loves winning wealth. However, it is not the gain of money that she savors, but the loss of wealth the loser(s) suffers. If you gamble, you risk it all, especially with such an accomplished player like Wanda. But that doesn't mean the losers take it lightly. One of these days, Wanda is probably going to get hurt badly. Permanently.
Likelihood of Corruption
Average.
Wanda is fairly Unseelie in purpose and life. But that doesn't make her wicked, nor anymore susceptible to internal or external corruption. She is simply a bringer of misfortune, a natural facet of life -- as natural as good luck. Still, the kind of men (or things pretending to be men) that frequent her favored haunts can pose spiritual and psychic risks to the avid gambler.
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