i. "the raven" - edgar allan poe // ii. "leave the city" - twenty one pilots // iii. the heart is a lonely hunter - carson mccullers
( simone kessell, 149, cis woman, she/her ) — Look who it is! If you take a look at our database, you’ll find that LENORE TUREI-DELACROIX is a PHILOSOPHER that works in SECTOR 5. According to the file, they’re a mutant with the power of RITUAL MAGIC. That must be why they’re CONFIDENT and SELF-SERVING. If you ask me, they remind me of a pendant placed beneath the harvest moon, the grandfather clock striking midnight, vultures hovering around the remains of a black cat. They are affiliated with MOONSCAR.
QUICK FACTS:
full name: lenore desiree turei-delacroix
date of birth: january 18th, 2026
zodiac big three: capricorn sun, leo moon, scorpio rising
gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her
sexual + romantic orientation: bisexual + biromantic
ethnicity: 1/2 white, 1/2 māori
nationality: new zealander
religion: pagan-adjacent. tbh the besties just made it up.
languages spoken: english (5), maori (5), french (4)
enneagram: 3w4
mbti: intj
temperament: melancholic-choleric
alignment: true neutral
ability: ritual magic
affiliation: moonscar
task: mutation breakdown
BACKSTORY
triggers: brief mention of suicide, mass murder x3
Before the meteors, the rather off-the-map settlement (yes, we are already going to use that word to describe where Lenore was born and raised) that Lenore grew up in was tight-knit and peaceful. Hidden as well as it could be since the 1800s, tucked away to avoid Christian extremists, the worship and honor they collectively offered nature -- namely the moon -- had found them with the name 'Moonscar.' If you've seen Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, yes you have.
There was nothing remarkable about Lenore's early life. She was raised like all the other children, more of a collective effort than that of just one or two people (who would hyphenate their last names as a show of unity -- a show that they were not just each others', a show that their children were not just theirs). Even in adulthood, nothing exciting, nothing worth writing home about, really came about until the meteors.
The meteors brought about the darkest time in Moonscar's history, for no one was killed by them, but no one was who they once were either. Everybody contracted the virus.
It began with confusion, but when the virus truly took hold and flipped their humanity off, it turned to in-fighting. Blood was spilled between child and mother, husband and wife, leader and follower. But nothing had been bloodier than the first people who stumbled upon them with the cure.
Had it taken longer to find them than the others? Did they even know they were looking for them? -- None of that really mattered when the collective self-preservation instinct kicked in and every single inhabitant turned their attention away from each other and to the scientists. Collective memories of a history most of them hadn't lived through, they slaughtered the first round of scientists.
From there on out, the x-virus almost became a hive mind. They were not killing each other any more. Sure, they didn't feel guilt over their previous murders of their friends and lovers and cohorts, but the bloodlust was redirected.
However, the slaughter of the first round of scientists had also put them back on the map. Thus, a new round came. Thus, a new round was slaughtered. Thus, another round came. Thus, another round scattered -- alive this time. Thus, one final round came, decked in much more protective gear with hoards of backup. Thus, the whole of Moonscar was forced to be cured...
...which, as they returned to who they were (for the most part), they realized was for the better. They had their humanity again. And their humanity returning caused many deaths, many unable to live with what they had done to their community and to the people who were just trying to help when they were still infected. And, while Lenore did not fall prey to this mindset, some of the kills she had executed while she still had no humanity left within her weighed heavy.
After everyone had been buried and mourned, and when Moonscar was beginning to rebuild, they became a target. Having slaughtered two groups that were just trying to cure them, they were prime victims for some of the more extremist mutant hate groups.
The first slaughter occurred in 2129, two years after the cure had reached their settlement and succeeded.
But this time, this time, Lenore was able to use her mutation for good. She learned about her mutation, not quite as clear and straight-forward as that of some of the fellow residents, as she went... but she knew what she could do this time.
Using a hideout a dear friend had constructed, she placed a pendant in direct moonlight and, with instinct kicking in, placed various minerals beside it. A few words that instinct forced to mind, she and the friend who had constructed the hideout... transformed, as did the other inhabitants.
Essentially a werecat whose mentality had returned to before the cure, the group that had already slaughtered 1/4 of the settlement was slaughtered in return. They would awake, a side effect of the spell, but they would not be... them. Zombies was the best way to describe who the group became -- mindless, willing to obey.
Following the slaughter, the 3/4 left made the executive decision to relocate. But they were found again. Another massacre that left them to a mere 1/4 this time, another spell that left a bloodbath in their wake.
Soon, Lenore and the friend with the hideout were the only reasons any bit of Moonscar survived. But they plunged into a different form of darkness.
In exchange for ever-lasting life, in exchange for protection, a ritual was led by Lenore once a month. A human sacrifice had to be offered. They did their best to get some sort of anti-mutant outsider, but, the longer they were protected, the less they were able to rely on that. It eventually relied on drawing straws (with Lenore excluded -- she was the one who was keeping them alive, after all!) or taking volunteers.
Five years in, Lenore's friend volunteered. She was tired of living. She would be happy to go. If they had never begun this ritual, it would have been her time long ago. She was at peace with the decision.
Lenore, on the other hand, was not at peace with that decision. She had been ensuring her friend's safety by acting against fairness and rigging the straws so her friend never drew the shortest. Without her, no one from their generation would be left.
Ultimately, there was no choice. The fight was futile if she wanted it to continue looking fair, and the fight was futile if she wanted to honor her friend's wish. But there remained one way to keep her friend around: when she became a zombie, Lenore did not immediately release her spirit the way she did for the others. As long as she was essentially brainless and obedient, she was still there and had no way to wish she wasn't! It was all very moral!
While it certainly made some members of Moonscar... uneasy, they continued as if nothing had happened -- as if who had practically been the second-in-command wasn't all but their pet now.
Despite the protection Lenore's spells tended to offer, they were found one final time. With such little numbers, it was time to not just relocate, but relocate big time. As the only one left who had experienced the first slaughter (you know, save for their pet zombie), the decision was entirely in Lenore's hands.
Thus, they trekked from what had once been New Zealand all the way to the middle of what used to be Australia. They picked up a few spare mutants along the way, visible and looking for protection or ever-lasting life. By the time they reached Sol City, a settlement that appeared largely accepting, they planted roots.
In a much safer society, the need for some of the previous rituals became moot. The need to all live within the same area also became moot. (And half of those kids had never experienced Moonscar in its heyday in the first place!) All they needed to do was congregate every so often to be offered true protection again.
It morphed into something that allowed other mutants to commit... rather unsavory acts in the name of self-preservation while fully protected. And, ya know, a group to have some wine with and gossip about the Council.
Adjusting to a life where there's no need to look over her shoulder every second... has been rather difficult. But, as the safety of Sol City continued to exist in general, the more Lenore understood why her friend wanted to let go. And why it was, perhaps, not entirely morally fine to keep her spirit tied to the Earth.
Thus, nearly a decade after her death, Lenore finally released her. With her went all ties to what Lenore had once known... and how terrifying was that!
TIMELINE
BORN (2026): Settlement in New Zealand that had an interesting worship style, more akin to a cult dedicated to nature than anything else.
CHILDHOOD: Largely raised by the group as a whole than just her parents. Nothing unremarkable. Made a best friend who, despite being important to the story in this verse and the last... still needs a name.
ADULTHOOD: Again, nothing to write home about.
DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THE METEOR (49): All of Moonscar had been infected by the X-Virus, no one dying and no one surviving as a normal person. A lot of in-fighting and blood baths between people who loved each other, including Lenore and various friends and past lovers. On that note, the part of her mutation that was easily understood was appearing and having the traits of a werecat of some kind. The part that was not as easily understood was the mixing of minerals and inherent knowledge that created different different spells and curses.
THE CURE FINDING THEM (2126) (100): Scientists stumbled upon them by chance, but that meant they were officially on the map. However, as the entirety was affected, the unprepared scientists were all slaughtered before the cure could be delivered. This turned Moonscar from in-fighting to a sort of collective consciousness, a sort of hivemind, who killed the next batch of scientists.
THE CURE (2127) (101): Two years after the cure had been discovered, and one year after Moonscar had been marked, scientists with much more protective gear and a hoard of backup successfully delivered the cure. There were some suicides that followed as the gravity absolutely slapped the residents. Those who made it through that began to rebuild, but never fully recovered from what they had done.
2129 (103): A mutant hate group found Moonscar and, as retaliation for the bloodbath they had created when the first two groups of scientists came in to cure them, began slaughtering them. Lenore went into a hideout the aforementioned childhood friend had constructed and, with some knowledge that had come along with her mutation, performed a ritual that temporarily returned everyone to the mindset they had had pre-cure. Their assailants were killed and, subsequently, turned into mindless zombies who would do whatever they asked of them. 1/4 of Moonscar had been killed.
2130 (104): Before they could fully relocate, they were found again. It was bloodier on their end this time, having been so busy trying to find a new location that they hadn't any time to plan for a potential attack (a little ironic). 3/4 of the remaining population were killed. With such few numbers left, they relocated as soon as possible, not taking their sweet time to inspect new areas as they originally had.
2131 (105): With a new 'home,' Moonscar protected themselves against violent outsiders the only way they could find: a ritual performed by Lenore that required one human sacrifice each month. While anti-mutant outsiders were the ones they sought out, that could not always be accomplished. When it was not, they relied on volunteers or drawing straws (save for Lenore, what given she was the one who had the power to protect them... and also save for Lenore's childhood friend, Lenore rigging the straws so she would never draw the shortest one without her knowledge).
2136 (110): Lenore's friend volunteered! After all the secret protection, she volunteered! The only remaining member from their original generation! Proclaiming that she had lived a long life, that she would have already met her time if it weren't for the mutation and rituals, that she was content and at peace with the decision... Lenore didn't really have a way to fight against it without revealing the draw as not entirely fair. But she did the closest she could: once her friend was zombified, she didn't release her spirit. But she was mindless, right? So there was no grey area! It was all very moral! And it only made the other members a little uneasy to have who had essentially been the second-in-command as... what was basically a pet.
2143 (117): Despite the protective spell, Moonscar was found one final time... and so few people were left this time. The relocation had to be huge now. They were all but nomadic for a time. They picked up some mutants along the way, lost even more.
2148 (122): They wound up in the middle of what had once been Australia, stumbling upon 'Sol City.' For the better of everyone, Lenore had to let go of the way Moonscar had been in its heyday and accept integrating it into a pre-established settlement. Sol City was safe. Sol City was largely accepting. Thus, Moonscar... changed. It still protected its members, it still acted as a means of self-preservation, it still aided its members in any less-than-savory acts, but it was no longer the home it had once been -- it was more... just some group. Human sacrifice paired with a glass of wine.
2153 (128): With all of the change occurring so fast, Lenore finally accepted what she never wanted to accept: she needed to let her friend go. Keeping her tied to the Earth for nearly two decades had not been very moral! She finally released her spirit and became so very alone.
PRESENT (2175) (149): Moonscar is still functioning the way it has been for the past 25ish years. She is still functioning as the leader... because who else will?
HEADCANONS
Two wolves live within her: one is very tired (but has Moonscar to think about), one is terrified of death.
100% picture Simone and Lena from Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island when picturing her werecat form!
On that note, has no choice but to turn into a full-blown werecat each Harvest moon. Usually has a choice outside of that, though!
Always wears a necklace with the moon pendant from that first bloodbath. Although she doesn't actually derive any of her power from it, she's convinced herself she has.
If it weren't for the rituals, she would age like a normal human. She could stop them at any time and just die. (Undecided if she would go full-on Old or would just start aging as if she were 49, the age she was when the rituals began).
More tbd!
CONNECTION IDEAS
Members of Moonscar! Whether they just joined (to commit atrocities in the name of self-preservation and then have wine with the girlies while gossiping about the Council), had been picked up somewhere along the way, or have been there since the third massacre (since everyone from the first and second, save for Lenore, are dead now <3)! Ofc, depending on when they joined... dynamics would be different for all! (Also I keep making jokes about 'drinking wine with the girlies,' but that's just the vibe! Moonscar accepts all genders!)
Friends. Enemies. Frenemies. Old(ish)? New? Idk!
Old connections. Make of this title what you will, but she's been in Sol City at the same age for ~25yrs now. Surely there's some past there!
Seeking guidance. Lenore is a philosopher! Come seek guidance! She is very sane! (See, the irony here is that, aside from Petey, she probably does seem the sanest of my characters! But she also kept her friend as a pet for nearly two decades and doesn't know what 'letting go of the past' means.)
once again: idk more to come and we can just have fun!
