𝔞 𝔴𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔤 for characters residing in an original fantasy universe that takes heavy influence from 𝔢 . european & 𝔫 . aesthetics, as well as dark fantasy, gothic horror. featuring a roll of original characters with complex & interwoven backstories. contains adaptations for modern, historical, western, sci-fi, & primarily fantasy settings. well-versed in 𝔡 & 𝔡, elder scrolls, tolkien. written by 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔬 (she/her) ˖﹒ 29 ˖﹒ blog 21 + ˖﹒ low-activity ˖﹒ non-format ˖﹒ selective .
a study in ˖﹒ the illusion of choice, yearning until you're sick, divine feminine delusion, the reclamation of self, the love of found family, men who drink their respect women juice; and most of all, hope beyond all else.
activity level ˖﹒ highly selective due to low activity.
asks: 10
drafts: 11
queue: not in use
primary muse bio below the cut.
Name: Haleth Xin-Stristal (interaction guide)
Race: Marquinian (Human)
Age: Around 30
Associations: A quick aesthetic list
Profession: Knight-Service
~Appearance~
Hair: Black, ending just below her chest. Large, sweeping curl. Typically worn down or haphazardly tied. Occasionally with short bangs. Sprawls around her like the inky night air.
Eyes: Pthalo green, boggy pines shrouded in mist
Complexion: Pallid, cool undertones, the solitary moon in a starless sky
Physique: strong, well toned, muscled, fleshy, the burden of duty
Height: 5'9
Of Note: Skin dappled with various scars, stretchmarks, and burns from a life of intensive training. High-set cheeks, thick straight arched brows, prominent collar pulling at the tendons in her neck, unnaturally long tongue. A subtle scar upon her lip that can only be felt when kissing. A branding mark/ sigil upon her lower back denoting which Keep she belongs to.
~Celestial~
Alignment: Neutral-good
Positive Traits: Easy going (difficult to offend), witty, loyal as a dog.
Negative Traits: Vindictive, dense, difficulty expressing heartfelt emotions unless they boil over, loyal as a dog.
Voice timbre
Scent: Juniper and jasmine, soft fresh lichen
Musical Aesthetic: Comfortably Numb, World Ender
~Personality~
Fears: Being bound or restrained.
Quirks: She has a habit of staring in an unblinking way, and is not very expressive unless something truly warrants it, though her eyes speak volumes if you watch closely enough. She is very easy going and often jokes, dryly - it is difficult to tell if she is serious or not. Unable to read/ write. High tolerance to spicy food. She is incredible at drawing and keeps a journal, a talent she hides. Dislikes Somnomancers and is uncomfortable discussing dreams— she sleeps with a warding crystal beneath her pillow.
Weakness: She is touch starved, this can be used to easily manipulate her. She will do anything to protect the people she cares for, namely her brother.
~Inventory~
Weapon: Marquinian-forged ebony Greatsword. Gothic in design with a deep teal pearlescent finish in the moonlight.
Armor: Void black set of armor that's gothic in style.
Attire: Plum, emerald, or black dresses, high leg slits, plunging backlines in typical Marquinian fashion. Deep cherry cloaks, cream night gowns. Plain oversized tunics, leggings, tall laced boots in burned brown leathers.
~Backstory~
(I currently have most inspiration to write Haleth during her living years, before the dissidence occurs.)
Early Years
Hailing from the Province of Marquinia, at 6 years of age Haleth was sold to a prestigious Keep, a common practice by Marquinians in which children are bartered to Keep Masters, who train them to become Knight-Services to Lords and Ladys across the realms; in particular the knights of her Keep are valued for their ability to withstand the arcane, while having no innate magical ability of their own. The strength of this trait is tied to those with bloodlines tying to the original Marquinian population, Haleth is unaware just how close her ties are.
After years of brutal training, she gained prominence through her competition in stampedes and rodeos, the Marquinian equivalent of a Faire.
The Dissidence
She was selected by Lady Jezebeth to protect her decadent son, Lord Sinitar, and completed the task admirably for many years before the Dissidence occurred. During the Dissidence, Marquinic Knights stationed in courts across the realms turned violent towards their Lords, Haleth being one of such, yet due to the romantic bond she had with her Lord, and the child they shared, she hesitated allowing enough time for the Arch Mage, Lord Daliron to intervene, killing her.
Beside himself for the betrayal and loss of his lover, Lord Sinitar in secret returned her body to Marquinia, where she was recovered by a trio of ancient Necromancers and forcefully reanimated into an undead Necromantic being.
Struggling to feel herself in a body now foreign, Haleth wanders the land, enacting the Autumn Prince's aspiration to destroy those who would keep the Necromancers of Marquinia from rising again, while seeking a to discover a path to free will and who she once was.
**Some blorbos mentioned belong to my dearie @sinitar-the-reborn
Darcy’s introduction in Pride and Prejudice is really ‘what if you had just had the worst month of your life because your ex-bestie tried to lover boy scam your baby sister out of her share of your dad’s life insurance and your friend dragged you to a shitty party in a dive bar in the neighbourhood where he’d just signed a short term lease, and you decided to let your bad mood show because you were never going to see any of the assholes in this stupid shitty bar EVER again. And your friend ended up making out with a girl he’d just met there while you were stuck talking to her sister who was less cute and then her mother appeared and started trying to matchmake and started saying how if she was twenty years younger she’d clime you like a redwood and ooooh is that a black Amex, guess the next round is on you hahhahahahaha, while her other sister (how many fucking sisters does she have?!) flashed an obviously fake ID at the bar and ordered six vodka-diet red bulls and no one in her family except the less-cute sister even tried to stop her. And you went home and consoled yourself that you would never see any of these people again but then you met them over and over again because they live next door and your friend and the cute sister keep meeting up to make out but not actually date and then. You fall in love with the less-cute sister because it turns out she’s really witty and charismatic but she already knows and remembers and resents the fact that on a day when you were in a shitty mood you called her mid out loud in a dive bar.’
Have been talking with my world building bestie and we were discussing how Ur-Shairyllans often wear decorative masks or half masks upon their face and that it's very common (think like a different kind of jewelry one could wear such as earrings or a necklace.) It fits their tactical mindsets and lavish flair. It also makes Ur-Shairyllans excellent at reading micro expressions from the parts of faces they can see, or reading cues from body language. This stems from a power play; The Tempestas wear masks, the Ur-Shairyllans vying for power over the Summer Prince/ Emerald Elves began wearing masks to highlight their own prowess — the symbol eventually devolved into fashion and societal positioning or wealth statements.
This is adverse to Marquinian culture and they find the masks to be quite uncanny. Perhaps from the fact there are many stories of odd things in the woods or beings that move in the shrouds of mists; a masked face feels like something staring back at them from the strange dream-like reality that surrounds them in the Chalice that encompasses Marquinia. (Is it true supernatural beings or is it hallucinations from the gas seeping from the mountains.... WHO KNOWS!) Marquinians like eye contact, they like seeing a full face. A hidden face is exactly that, someone trying to hide something, a demon attempting to trick itself into their homes.