Ogoni

Another semi-terminal patient of Cath's, who has taken up residence in the Pitted Cliffs - not to hide her condition, but to foster it.

Ogoni's Gembonded hide grows much more rapidly than crystals should, and in tune with her emotions - in the perfect peace of her caves, Ogoni can channel her emotions and thoughts into works of art, wrought in living crystal. The danger comes in removing them before they grow into or onto vital tissues, and for this reason she has all her gems scraped, plucked or cut out regularly.

These grown works of art fetch high prices, and she has authorised Colette to gather and sell of those pieces she does not keep for herself, in order to produce treasure to keep the hostel and the clan in general in pocket. "Ogoni-cut" is a brand name for particularly expensive jewellery made from these gems, but the sellers tend to dodge questions as to where these fantastically lustrous pieces came from...

Hoard: a collection of the largest, most lustrous or most complicated gems she has produced. They litter her caves like a deceptively disorganised art gallery, but they are in fact placed to catch the sun or the moon as one or the other shines through the entrance to the cliffs, refracting the dawn through the caves so that all is aglow with amber light.

Familiar: "Appropriate, no? Well, my philosophy has always been that if I'm gonna turn to stone I might as well have fun with it - hence the art and hence, well, the basilisk. Don't worry, she's harmless. I think."
Lautani - adopted child. They've got a strong bond, as parent and child and as two of the Gifted with spreading, body-endangering gifts.