TaraFaeBelle

Right-handed (for writing) but will sometimes write with the left hand (it is more legible than her doctor’s handwriting...) Non-writing — left hand tends to take the roles first…  

Squish / Release

Her anxiety pet. Has a snug pocket on Tara’s shoulder they often stay in. Nov. '22 was when Tara realised that Squish was not simply a lizard with a few magical properties, but a golem of sorts. As soon as she turned Undead, Tara set off to see if she could 'upgrade' Squish and formed version Release — much more likely to throw a punch than sooth a worry. Although well over a metre tall when standing, Release will still try to sit on Tara's shoulder.

Upon her recognition of Literomancy, TaraFaeBelle found herself to be a shapeshifter, from human to microbat. It would explain a few things, especially from her father’s side of the family. Alas, her Grannie keeps changing the topic when it is brought up, so TaraFaeBelle is yet to see how far her abilities go.   Her unique set of synaesthesia types merged with literomancy has allowed her to see even more than before. Not just simply an overlay of colours, but the colours of each word now dance across the page in parallel scenes of what’s possible. Sometimes, they even turn into song.   As she has grown her mental and wording strength, Tara has slowly worked out what her actual literomancy powers are, somewhat. She infuses ink with her literomancy to change the world around her. This doesn't just mean writing on the spot, but taking the words she has written and recollecting the ink into ink bottles for a time when those words are needed. For things to work, triggers are needed and can be simple (for example an immediate effect or a set time) or complex (for example, some of the work she has been doing with the security cards and that system in the Cavern). Apart from ink, there are certain materials that are more attuned to her particular field of literomancy, most notably paper and gems. Crafting golems plays into this, though the more complex they are, the more literomancic energy is needed to write their 'coding'. Tara has yet to work out a golem that behaves not like a child, for example.

She does like to dress up, though has nowhere to go to. (Except for once, when she and her husband won Best Dressed Couple at a Disney ball as Beauty and the Beast. The best part was on the way home though, when an unrelated group of kids were whispering on the train that they got to see a princess and the joyful expressions on their faces as they shared greetings.)   She wears two rings, one on each hand. One is a wedding ring (diamond) from her husband, the other, a coming of age ring (peridot) from her Grannie.   She also made a wire bat and will often have it on or around her, similar to the totems others may have.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but what if the pen is the sword? A question that grew over time into TaraFaeBelle creating her own sword pen collection (both bought and forged by her own hands). The two she commonly dual-wields are named ‘Humility’.   She always has a notebook and pen of some sort (even a pocket-sized set for travel). She can occasionally be found writing while walking on her way home. Writing during flight is more difficult, but she is determined to work it out someday.

Born into a family of storytellers, you would think this bat knew literomancy from the start, right? Well, she was probably meant to. Unfortunately, she started with a quiet voice that was often a beat behind the rest. Turning away from superfluous interactions, lies filled her mind where the literomancy should have been…   Australian born and raised, although there are beaches nearby, this little bat doesn’t play well with the sun. It scorches her dry & red. She peels and then its back to white skin…   She was always a little bit different, saw the world a little bit differently. Felt like there was a coloured glass wall between her and the ‘normal’ of this world.   Later on, she just managed to complete a Bachelor of Chemical and Biomoleculer Engineering with Honours — getting an award for her writing of a report — that had more to do with the observed human relations of her work experience than any actual engineering work.   Writing was not ‘a worthy profession’ as far as she knew for a long time. Yet she could not help but pen down words in phrases and sentences, filling the ends of notebooks in poems and stories. Dragons flew through the air and elves shared the forest of her backyard.   Yet she dared not share those words aloud.   At least, not until she found herself barely surviving in her own mind. She sought help and was thrust with “You need to write” from her psychologist. “Yes, I know,” she replied. Yet the guilt didn’t stop. Shouldn’t she be living in this world? Shouldn’t others take precedence? Many other questions filled her acceptance of what she must do. But over a few months of rebuilding her brain, and recognising that others’ ‘normal’ didn’t have to be hers, that the way she saw the world wasn’t wrong, just different, and different is beautiful. A different mental landscape just needs a different gardening regime.   Then she got it.   “I am allowed to write. I allow myself to write.” An explosion of colour like never before. A freedom she never knew she needed. And pathways opened up. Literomancy was revealed to its fullest. Syneasthesia merged with the words, making magic and revealing forms.   One day when she was just travelling through the caves from Australia and landing somewhere over in Canada:   A tiny bat lost in a cave awoke from behind a rock…
And through the cavernous depths saw a red of hair so bright.
The red shined.
The tiny bat’s eyes shined.
Enchanted by the Queen of the Night she was…
A few months later, a war began.
A nudging from zombie fiend.
The Queen of the Night cried, “A body guard in need am I”.
A tiny bat replied, “I can, can I?”
Knighted with the title of Nightwing the tiny bat threw her wings awide.
“No zombie stench shall fowl my Queen. A life of allegiance or I will die…”   With her newfound love of words, of self and of the community she found, Tara wrote to grow her literomancy abilities. These include learning to grow her wings to a large size, with shielding abilities in order to let her Queen escape imminent threat and word another tale.   Forging dual sword pens she swore to protect her friends and their world.   And then, on November 27, TaraFaeBelle caught the filking plague. She thinks she did pretty well for her first recording, if you subtract the layer of nerves that covers the whole thing.  

Leadership Trials

While the Chiropteran Queen was in recovery from surgery and ambush, Tara was tasked with looking after the Cavern for the July 22 Tourny of Tales. After the first week of not having it all collapse (others said she did fine leading her House, but she still has a hard time accepting she can do well), she joined the group protecting the Iron Tome.
During this month, Tara held the Tome a few times. Although she could not communicate with it as others seemed to, she did have dreams. Dreams that took a few days to recollect. Each time was the same voice, accompanied by images and filks of was and anger, words and colour. The last dream left a challenge, though Tara could not decipher what it was. These were eventually shared with Sable Queen of Bunnies in attempt to collate any understandings of the Iron Tome.
  Through this month, Tara learnt her love of the Cavern and House members for herself, and not just because her Queen loved them. Thus, she stepped down from the Knightwings in order to focuse more on her Princess duties...
  ...Unfortnuately, she didn't get a chance to learn much more from her Aunt (the Queen) and was very soon thrust into the Queen position as the Chiropteran Queen died in a car accident.
 

Coronation

On the 8th of October 2022, Tara was crowned Queen of Chiroptera. She wrote a speech, pledging to protect and write with her people, both winged and wingless. She aimed to have her wings be a symbol for her people, a symbol of hope, strength and encouragement.
 

Tea

Once crowned, Tara invoted her good friends Archon Mykola Void, the House Leader of newly formed House Ailurus, and Senna Nightshade to an afternoon tea in the Gardens of the Cavern. If not for the time Tara and Myko got to share their sorrow and worries, as well as laughs, Tara is unsure of whether the death of her Aunt would have prevented her ruling her House in any manageable form. From this afternoon tea, Myko and Senna agreed to support Chiroptera in the upcoming war.
 

Third Word War

Secret Library

One of the last things her Aunt left her was a key to the Secret Library hidden in the Chiropteran walls. From two doors in the Cavern, the way to the Secret Library is an adventure filled Quest one without wings may not be able to traverse. At least, not easily. And, one must have a mind for puzzles. After all, what secret pathway could be sufficient without puzzles?
  In the library, there are many old books in old bookshelves, housing the lost History of Chiroptera. Some of the things Tara has found include:

• References to the Great Winged War: a number of centuries ago, Chiroptera was not a monarchy, but was ruled by a Council of various creatures of the night. At one point, they had a civil war between winged and wingless. The Secret Library was established not long after that.

• The one who to have built the Secret Library was one of Tara (and Siobhan)'s ancestors. At least one shelf holds her writings, and as Tara reads more and more about this ancestor, she feels a keen affinity and connection to them. Tara's love of puzzles and ink has only been hightened since becoming aware of this particular ancestor.

• Secret Ink Techniques is one of the books written by Tara's ancestor. Tara's increased use of ink in her literomancy, and varied applications are evidence of Tara's study of this book.

However, before Tara could fully explore the area, zombies led by ICC Dead People and Lord Galawight stormed the Cavern.
 

Chiroptera Fall & Seaworthy Friends

Chiroptera fell. The portal from Lapin was not yet fully completed from Chiroptera's end, so they flew to the sea and met up with House Mollusca, after a message from Queen Sable to strengthen the forces there.
  Another dream from the Iron Tome was had. So close she must have been when the Cavern was overrun. Yet this dream ... made less sense than the ones. Maybe she should speak about this to Sable (and whoever held the Tome next) once the war is over.
  Tara made a friend: Starborn Striker, the Heir to Mollusca. Sharing ink and gems, they were able to just be themselves and enjoy things they love. Much fun was had. Daciana Wolfkeeper tried to watch over them well and let them have their fun when young. It was needed. But possibly hindered the defences in the zombie attack.
 

Zombie

Tara didn't make it out of Molluscan seas alive. With no preventative measures, her great hearing had no choice but fall to the brilliant voice of the just undead siren Amandapandasensei and became a zombie: TerrifyBelle.
  With morals flown out the window, Terrify did what Tara what suspicious of, but unwilling to try: verify Squish's golem status. Breaking into a house, stealing their glue and using their tools, Terrify added a variety of her gems and paper mache, writing with her ink and literomancy and turned Squish into Release: a large unblue lizard, not afraid to throw a punch and aid Tara in her glue stealing activities.
  Once at Deadquarters, Terrify took a nap in a coffin and named it hers. Building it into a golem, with glitter and name from fellow Horde members, Connie came to life. Ever run from a coffin? Let Connie chase you and you can tick that off your bucket list.
  'Bright Ones' are healers and those of starlight or similar. That is what Terrify sought to capture through her coffin golems as she knew they were particularly strong against undead. Queen Sable had already resisted the dead in a violent way this war, Striker had squeezed past the burdens on Tara and let her enjoy friendship as she needed, a Chiropteran healer had encouraged Tara's spirit. They were too good for the living and needed to be drained of their literomancy before they could properly join the Horde.
  Another coffin, Wheels, was created with the help of Horde members (and more stolen glue). Instead of legs, Wheels has wheels. Terrify may have increased her literomancy's efficiency, but there were even more problems with the supposed sentience of this new golem. They had the literomancy to talk for example, yet said little else than 'WHEEEEEEE'.
  In the final battle, Tara's literomancy was low, but she had her coffins and her ink to throw in people's faces.
  Thankfully, the living won, though Tara was not seen much for the next few months as she sent reparations and helped in repairs of all those she stole from. ... There was a lot of glue ...

Flame of Encouragement

After stepping up in her Heir role for the July Tourney of Tales, Tara was awarded a Flame of Encouragement.  

Black Market Deals

Badges make for great mottivation. As with many others, self-care doesn't come naturally to Tara, so making it a rewardable to do list definately helps.

First Tourney as Heir of Chiroptera

Stepping up Leadership Abilities this Tourney

First War as Queen

Tara struggles with each decision she made, even though she had help from other House Leaders and her Knightwings, she takes the burden of responsibility on her shoulders, as well as all the things she didn't she or bring up to make decisions on. She knows she should share it better, even just talking about it. She has done this moreso than ever before, yet, it is not enough. Where do others find the energy for this? Tara wonders if she can make a new ink to help her...
Included in this, Tara knows she lost a number of House Members with the Missing, though she does not remember how many there were. A couple of others left afterwards. Tara feels she failed her Aunt. Though there are number of paths forward, she fears she will have trust issues for a little while longer.

Likes:
Dislikes:

• Spiders
• Being misunderstood
• Being rushed
• Allergies
• Lies to oneself // acting differently to one's own values, beliefs, and ideas

Potato chips. After finding out about all of her food allergies, she had little other junk food to snack on. But now she gorges.   She is very quiet and often confused in social situations.

Bat Cat is a cat with bat wings. She roams the Cavern asking for food, pats and treats. When a storm hits, however, she is most likely found curled in Tara's lap, vying for extra attention.