Paola McLantern

---

A brash, almost arrogant virtuoso who studies both the magical and occult. Even if her interests are quite whimsical, she takes them very seriously - constantly challenging herself and undertaking bigger and bigger projects.

Her only reprieve from the world of spooky, mystical things is sweets. Delicious sweets.

---

---

---

---

---

• Candy corn is one of her most favorite treats (only surpassed by peanut butter cups).
• Originally ‘found’ by a wandering woodsman when she was a child, Paola grew up alongside dozens of other children at the Feu Manor, an ecclesiastical boarding house in St. Pear, Louisiana. She was the youngest and smallest of her group.
  • The surname ‘McLantern’ was adapted from the manor’s primary caretaker, Friar Feuillen McLantern. There are no records of Paola’s biological background.
  • Paola still visits the manor to perform and drop off gifts for the next generation of children.
• Nervous eating is one of her main ways of dealing with stress. As a result, she has a bit of a hoarding problem when it comes to snacks. Abundance is a comfort, since it staves off the threat of its lack.
  • Offering one of their treats to other people tends to substitute meaningful social interaction. Sharing also helps fight her guilt about indulging in childish things.
• Despite her self-proclaimed witch-hood, Paola practices the craft of both witchcraft and wizardry. She clarifies that the former is more spiritual and ritualistic, while the latter is akin to an academic discipline. And she prefers calling herself a witch because of its association with horror rather than fantasy.
• Even though stage magic doesn’t appeal to her, she has nevertheless grown close with traveling magician Patricio, who remains a life-long inspiration for her unabashed interest in the occult.
  • They would first meet in their teenage years. Friar McLantern brought them to the manor one day after hearing from concerned people about a child wandering alone. Patricio would quickly turn down a more permanent stay with the Feu family, garnering Paola’s fascination.
• Making costumes is her favorite creative activity, though they can end up looking like a patchwork quilt because of her insistence on sewing by hand.
  • They enjoy collecting costumes as well. They seem much more invested with them rather than everyday clothes, even if the occasion to don one comes rarely.
• Nemesis and n’er-do-well Rowan Chaudhary wormed his way into her life after a foraging encounter with Patricio. Paola was initially convinced that he was an obnoxious pest, though with Patricio’s insistence, she begrudgingly recognizes his trickster skills. Even though she could be much better, as long as she trains.
  • The only times they cooperate are for a mutual target. Together, they are force to be reckoned with.
• Eatings sweets all the time have, predictably, done disastrous work to her dental health. Friar McLantern has done his best to take care of her in that aspect, even though taking her there is like taking a cat to the vet. Few photos of this era remains, as she is determined to destroy all evidence of her with braces.
• Development of TRICK was heavily impacted by her impoverished upbringing, as imagined visions of food, warmth, and shelter mentally distracted her from her reality. As a result, it matured at an extremely young age, making her a prodigy among her peers.
  • She’s heavily convinced that her Value creates more than just images, since senses other than sight (touch, taste, smell) are influenced. For example, the ‘fires’ she creates can make one feel warmth if you believe in it enough. Though Value scientists argue that TRICK’s efficacy outside of illusion is pseudoscience, Paola seems determined to develop her Value enough to defy even the natural rules of energy and mass - creating something out of nothing.
• Their actual day of birth is unknown. Those raised by Friar McLantern typically adapt the day they arrive at the Manor as their personal birthday, and Paola is no different.
• Oregon (more specifically, Pineford) was an annual trip for the Feu Manor children, as their Friar grew up there. In adulthood, Paola still goes out of her way to visit, as it is also the birthplace of old folklore and legends. She is convinced that the power of fey, spirits, and other fantastical creatures is strongest there.
  • Sometimes she can be seen sharing a pie with the town’s local hero on the outskirts. He’s an old friend of the Friar.
• Rarely does a month pass without her falling bedridden to some illness. She blames this on how hard she works, leaving her body weakened and susceptible. She refuses to admit to her general health being poor.
• One of her childhood dreams was to visit a chocolate factory. This would be fulfilled on a Feu Manor trip, introducing her to the scion of the Switser company. Paola was initially obsessed with him, though she soon discovered that he wasn’t the rich, sophisticated dreamboat type like his father.
  • Regardless, since Patricio is a mutual friend, she puts up with him. And his sticky fingers.
• As much as she embraces the mystical supernatural, Paola is a scaredy-cat deep down. She never goes anywhere without a source of light, and sudden loud noises easily spook her. Nevertheless, she is an avid horror fan who will overcome that awful tolerance one day.
• Magic words are overrated. Paola prefers casting spells in a more straightforward manner.