iBL Inspiration Board 1: Sitara

Happy to introduce the first inspiration board for Iron Bullet Legacy, featuring Sitara, the faerie mage!

Sitara is the female lead in my story series, Iron Bullet Legacy. She is what’s called a “mage of the eight,” as she is accredited in all areas of magick study. Such mages are a rarity, and are often shunned, because the only way to master every school is to train independently. Each academy specializes in one of the eight subjects, and a mage is only permitted to attend one in their lifetime from the age of 18 to 94, which equates to 5 to 25 in human years. Fae live approximately three to four times longer than humans.

Sitara’s magick deficiency often prevented her from tackling loftier lessons at the academy she attended. She began studying all eight areas on her own at a young age, and eventually dropped out of school. She adapted to her disease’s limitations and her parents found new ways to maintain her energy for longer periods of time, allowing her to rapidly excel in her training. Her learning continued when she was recruited for the war. The experience ultimately propelled her skill to new heights. She was able to flourish in both combat, healing, and recreational magick. After the war, she became a certified mage of the eight by passing examinations at eight academies on the enchanted side of the veil. Her only motivation was to allow her to take on an official apprentice, who could train under her and officially test in an area of study at an academy.

One of the most fun aspects of writing Sitara is that her hair and eye color are influenced by her magick. Healing removes or purifies pigments, often bleaching her hair, and even clothing, to a stark white, as described in chapter 2. Evocation of fire often results in contact fires, singeing fabric and the ends of her hair. In a state of equilibrium, her eyes are purple and her hair is black.

Inspiration for Sitara’s bedroom resembles somewhat of a sanctuary and somewhat of a mess. Most of her time here is spent meditating to calibrate her energy and regenerate her magick, so I envision a small fountain of sorts as a focal point. Water promotes the circulation of energy throughout the body. The pedestal in the center of this particular fountain is perfect for meditating on rainy days when she can’t take to the balcony to do so amidst the branches of the sakura.

It was important to me to capture Sitara’s emotional suffering in her environment and how she interacts with it. Surfaces in her room are either empty or covered in scattered herbs, tools, and candles. What isn’t immaculate is occupied by magick, or a means to relieve the effects of her disease. Although the war has been over for some time, she struggles to invest in her peacetime life because of anxiety and the struggle with her identity. The only sentimental possessions in her room are human comic books and twenty years’ worth of old journals, kept on a small bookshelf beside her bed. This reflects how her life was consumed by the war, and how trapped she is in her past.

I can’t wait to share more inspiration and background for characters! This is such a fun way to talk about the story in a more intimate way. You can find the full boards on pinterest here @ Kan Writes Everything.