Order × Life × Chaos

[pactology]

thornweave has real odd opening times for stores + activity hours in general. most of the population is trolls and feline therians, both being crepusculars.

so most of the population is already predisposed to be awake at around 3am-10am and later 3pm-10pm, and the rest is likely to follow suit by proxy.

work shifts are already split across those two main periods, but then most places will benefit from simply being open overnight, since people tend to stay out and about through the night moreso than the day.

but then a chunk of the population would work throughout the day because daylight makes things easier + it's safer to go through the woods, meaning there would need to be at least a portion of places open through the day to service these folk.

and considering it's not a fairly small city, keeping track of which store is open when is both achievable and a skill you need to develop to live there

[pactology]

people sometimes ask Nathan about how it is being with a demon and often expect him to find Ego scary because it grew claws and slit pupils and shit. and Nathan is just like "Oh Ego was way scarier when it was human"

[pactology]

im just gonna start posting freeform here. in my who give a shit era

[sunset-unbound]

Demons in Pactology are a whole category of spirits. they aren't necessarily bad nor actually intrinsically tied to christianity (though they do have a shared history).

For now, what's important to know is that their defining characteristic is that they sustain themselves by corrupting the power of others.

Ego is a fairly straightforward example of this corruption. They used to be human, but during a period of depression - and thus loss of mental fortitude - they were attacked and injured by a demon.

A wound caused by a demon, however, isn't simply damage to the flesh. It is more like a living curse– which uses the victim to find ways to feed it spiritual energy. The carrier of such a curse is said to be an "Injury" themselves.

The exact process and ensuing transformation varies with the type of demon responsible for laying the curse. For Ego, it was a slow transformation paired with an increase in irritability, allowed to flourish as they actively hid it.

Ego's hair thickened and spread like fur, hands and feet became akin to paws. Teeth became fangs and nails became claws. They were to become a living image of Wrath, draining others' energy by inciting their ire.

The only reason Ego didn't fully become a demonic spirit was because they met Nathan, a witch who they'd later be the familiar of. Nathan helped them both through proper treatment to slow and minimize the curse's damage and by being a close friend in a time when Ego needed it.

[sunset-unbound]

pactology is my original setting. it's an urban/modern fantasy type world built around the idea of trade holding up society.

magic affects everything, but at the same time it always manifests itself in very niche ways, and its nature is hardly ever easy to change. even if you're born with some sort of inherent magic, you're gonna have a limited scope. so the engine that moves the world is that you give what you can offer and take what you need, so there can always be variety.

this give-and-take is manifest in the most important and common tradition in the realms – pacts. any sort of trade that is sealed with magic. they can be detailed and specific, accounting for every kind of loophole; or they can be simple, spoken promises closed in a handshake. it's not uncommon for a pact to be sealed under the threat of a curse– or simply contain clauses for instant reparations.

[pactology]

From left to right:

Fernand (Fern) Gardner, 19 - he/him - troll (cynanthrope)

Born in Thornweave, abandoned by his original parents and adopted by Gladiolus Gardner, Fern was raised in the family's namesake profession. He always had a strong connection to nature, something that felt like it parted him from other's -- that and his social awkwardness. Once, that connection meant long walks in the woods and hours reading about bugs and looking for them. Nowadays, it has become an increasing concern, as overwhelming feelings trigger transformations into an animal shape Fern hides as much as he can.

Nathaniel (Nathan) Campbell, 19 - he/him - human

Nathan has always been resourceful and quick to pick up the quirks of magic and understand the complex systems that rule it, all the makings of a caster. His family gave him support and fueled Nathan's interest in the occult in his teen years. Over time, he came to realize that he wanted to pursue magic further than as a hobby. That, paired with a growing need to find out who he is away from his family, made him leave Brazil and move to Thornweave to open up business for magical services as a witch.

Lucas Carpenter, 19 - he/him - troll/therian

One of the middle children of the Carpenters, Lucas spent much of his life mediating and living in accordance to what he needed to be -- dutiful and reliable. All his virtues, however, did not change the fact he was not his parents' daughter. Things went sour when he came out. He left home and found himself staying in Thornweave's temple to Saint Rosaire. The priestess offered to let him stay there officially, if he agreed to help with her duties. Already adept to the faith's traditions since childhood, he made for a perfect candidate.

Ego, 18 - it/any - human (demon)

Ego has come to Thornweave to run away from all that its life was. Former bad religious experiences and a depressive period left it vulnerable to demonic influence that has been slowly taken its humanity away. Meeting Nathan helped it get back on its feet in every way. Given mental illness left it quite disillusioned with life and the idea of college, Ego jumped at the opportunity when its boyfriend wanted to move away. Every witch needs a demon familiar, and Ego loves the theatrics.

[pactology]

Hey! ^-^ I was wondering if when you imagine stuff from Pactology whether it's like in "live action" or "animated"?

Bc I find that it differs from story to story for me!

(Most are "live action" though lol)

animated! for starters, i think animated media suits better the visual effects and designs i picture for it.

plus, while im able to picture things in my head pretty well, "live action" takes a lot of my focus away! i draw to help me visualize things so i also end up picturing things animated because of that ^^