Escordia by ricerurouni

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Artist's description:

"I'm starting to get the hang of the tablet, so I thought I'd slip a few portraits in with all the comics I'll be doing in the next couple weeks. I knew the first portrait would involve a lot of experimentation, so I thought it would be appropriate to try my favorite NPC from our just-finished summer Eberron campaign.

Escordia was once a brash young mage who wanted power at any cost. She sought out the twisted and reclusive Mordain the Fleshweaver, said to be Khorvaire's greatest transmuter, and convinced him to take her on as his apprentice. Mordain was cast out of the Twelve (a wizarding circle) long ago for completely ignoring the tacit ethical rules of magic and delving into the forbidden lore of the Daelkyr. He now lives alone in a tower in Drooam, surrounded by his monstrous creations, pursuing greater and greater technical feats as he grows older. Escordia paid dearly for his tutelage - she was not merely his apprentice, but his greatest experiment. Mordain was fascinated by the concept of the Dragonmarks, magical tattoos spontaneously manifested by a chosen few in certain bloodlines. Dragonmarks aren't simply tattoos, though - the marks are a manifestation of the magical nature of the bearer's soul. Through decades of experimentation, Mordain finally managed to transfer a Dragonmark from one host - presumably dead - to another - Escordia. Her skin is not hers, and her soul is mingled magically with that of Mordain's victim. She was Pau's mentor for several months until circumstances forced her to leave Sharn.

Escordia is physically very weak, but magically powerful, thanks to Mordain. She walks in a hunched fashion with a cane - she's only middle-aged for an elf, but she looks as if she was taken apart by a dispassionate researcher and put back together not quite right. Which is exactly what happened. :/"