Aetherwright Thalia bint-Rabi is a kinetic, perpetually moving figure whose storm-blue skin seems to hold faint lightning beneath its surface. Tiny sparks crawl across her knuckles whenever she is irritated, excited, or concentrating. Her wild black hair has been hacked unevenly at the sides and tied back with a loop of bare copper wire, though loose strands repeatedly escape and stand out as if caught in a private breeze. Her sharp amber eyes flick constantly from face to face, then to every hinge, gauge, seam, and moving part in the room. She moves with abrupt, economical gestures, often leaning into a machine before she has finished speaking to a person. Ink, grease, powdered brass, and pale salt stains mark her hands and clothing in permanent layers. She gives the impression of a thunderstorm trapped inside a workshop. Unexpectedly, beneath her rough practical exterior, she has an almost delicate touch with injured birds, cracked instruments, and frightened children.