Numina

"Good always triumphs over evil!"

- Numina

Tammy Arcanus A.K.A. Numina is a hero in the MMO, City of Heroes, she is the spirit of a deceased mage who currently uses her powers to protect Paragon City, train magical heroes and fight magical villains.

History
Tammy was the daughter of Tommy Arcanus a member of the illustrious, though very secretive, Midnight Squad, a century and a half old group of occultist researchers, mystics and aspiring mystics. Tommy introduced Tammy to the Squad when she was old enough and trained her even before that in the ways of magic. In the late 1960s The Midnight Squad came to Paragon's aid to fight the mad Siberian super-villain called Red Threat during his attempt to take over Paragon. Tommy and Tammy held Red Threat off for a few days with their protective wards and the help of their fellow Midnighters but with things looking bad for him Red Threat he opted to use his emergency super-power to self-destruct, unleashing a nuclear blast with his death. Tammy saw Red Threat was about to do something drastic and used a possession spell on him, inhabiting his body and disconnecting his soul from his body, but the chain reaction had already started and even with Red Threat out of commission his body was still about to blow, Tammy remained in Red Threats body to hold off the explosion. Red Threat was already a vegetable and so Tammy could not exert any control of his body, leaving her only two options, remain trapped motionless in Red Threats body and continue to hold off the explosion from the inside or leave but in so doing let the city blow to bits, Tammy decided to remain in Red Threats body for the sake of the city.

Red Threat was still locked up for his crimes for good measure since he was still technically alive and Tammy would be trapped there anyway and he lived for years as an empty shell in prison. During the Rikti Invasion in 2002, Red Threat died in his cell along with many others in the attack. Once Red Threat was dead Tammy's astral form was free, but due to her body's long since death she had no place to return to and could not pass on in her non-living state making her close to a ghost, although one with no unfinished business binding her. Being a trained mystic the bane of immateriality did not hamper her ability to affect the physical world and Tammy took on the title Numina and used her new undeath to fight off the Rikti. Eventually the Rikti were defeated and for her aid in the ordeal Numnia was welcomed into the city's patron superhero organization, The Freedom Phalanx. Numina was glad to be the city's public defender while also secretly keeping in contact with the Midnight Squad. Numina took on the half-demon known as Inferno as her apprentice and taught him how to control his demonic powers powers which he was eager to use to fight his mother, Lilitu, the queen of Hell and patron goddess of the Circle of Thorns, the primary enemy of the Midnight Squad. Numina takes on many apprentices, some from the Midnight Squad, some just aspiring magi looking for training, though Inferno is not just an apprentice to her but also her side-kick.

Skills and Abilities
Numina's spells focus on manipulations of the mind and spirit and her vast array of enchantments and necromancy are classified as mind-control. Numina's enchantments though powerful are less relied upon by her team-mates in The Freedom Phalanx than her secondary powers to heal. Numina's restorative magics not only close wounds but can also relieve trauma, cure diseases, lift most curses and even resurrect the dead. Numina can shift between semi and completely ethereal, while semi-ethereal Numnia can still affect the mortal plane although not physically and is hard to see at a distance but when fully ethereal Numnia is entirely cut off from the physical world, making her immune to harm but cutting off even her magic from affecting the world, she can only do this for short periods though. Numina can make herself appear solid, transparent or entirely invisible and naturally fly with no body to hold her spirit down. Numina knows powerful scrying spells and basic telepathy and frequently mentally scan the city for any potent black magics. Numina was a practiced scholar before she learned magic outright and she knows much about the history of magic, world history and extra-dimensional planes.

Personality
Tammy is by all account demoure and kind. Though perceptive she will often ask obvious questions about bad situations not wanting to assume the worst about people. Numina has a habit to over explain anything even slightly arcane or historical and non-mystics tend to get lost when she goes into details of supernatural situations. Because the Midnight Squad tries to keep a low profile Tammy has not told her team-mates about the club or it's secrets and endorses or recommends new magical based heroes who wish to start or have completed training in the club. Like the super-villainess Ghost Widow, Numina has the power to instantly perceive the presence of other spirits and the two can tell whenever the other draws near.

Trivia

 * Unlike the other members of the Freedom Phalanx Numina was created by players via pole, rather than as the idea of any of the game devs.