#beno volenti

[brw]

💐🌌 for your imperators?

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

IMPERATOR V aka Beno Volenti; bouquet of gladiolus', azalea's and marigolds, perhaps with some holly leaves if you could make it look as part of it. The gladiolus is a standard rose for all of the Imperators of Bronze Eden, deriving from the latin gladius, aka a sword. They are linked to gladiators and represent strength, victory, honour, etc, all things an Imperator should represent. Beno hates this flower, but it is necessary in any Imperator's bouquet. Azalea's represent temperance; Victorians used to carry them around if they supported prohibition of alcohol, and while Beno doesn't necessarily think alcohol should be banned he certainly has been raised and conditioned to consider things like alcohol, drugs, sexuality as inherently wrong. They also represent the message "take care of yourself", something he needs to be told. Marigolds represent a number of things but the main one for Beno is despaired love--he becomes the only Imperator in the history of Bronze Eden to be stripped of his holy title after being caught in an illicit relationship with another man :( . The holly leaves are for defence, because as an Imperator he is supposed to defend Bronze Eden at any cost, but is also defensive as a person. His favourites would be the holly leaves, because of their hardiness and evergreen nature.

IMPERATOR O aka Bryna Okilj; bouquet of gladiolus', monkshoods, garlic and petunias. Gladiolus' as I said is standard for all Imperators. Monkshoods represents caution, basically acting as a warning saying a foe is near. Bryna is one of the most aggressive and violent Imperators, and has amassed a reputation for being one of the most dangerous Imperators to be around, aside from Imperator III. Monkshoods were also historically used to poison water supplies in medieval times, and she's been poisoned slowly by her trauma and rage in a metaphorical way. Garlic represents a lot of things but primarily is historically known for warding off evil, which Bryna takes very seriously in her role as Imperator. I would say garlic would not be considered a proper flower in bouquets in Bronze Eden, probably being associated with the working class, which Bryna, coming from a territory far away from Bronze Eden in a farming family, is part of and was made to feel very conscious of during her training to be an Imperator. Finally, the petunias represent anger and resentment, because while Bryna is a very good weapon for Bronze Eden she also resents the priests and religious leaders who turned her into that, which feeds into her volatile anger and rage.

IMPERATOR III aka ???; bouquet of gladiolus', dried white roses, lily-of-the-valley, white zinnias. Dried white roses seem to have quite a specific meaning; "death is better than loss of virtue/innocence". Imperator III as the most powerful, dangerous and beloved Imperator represents the best of them, and is their most holy member. Because of this, holiness is very important to Imperator III and keeping it even more so. Without it, he would have no identity outside of it, so much of himself is centered around his holiness and strength. Lily-of-the-valley is a very catholic flower representing the tears of the Virgin Mary, and religion is very central to Imperator III. White zinnias represent the same thing as most white flowers; purity, divinity, and peace. All of these things are very important to Imperator III; he's a "I'll kill thousands to maintain peace" type. This overall whiteness goes well as Imperator III's mask and armour is always completely white and completely stainless, no matter how much blood should be on it.

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

Beno Volenti came about after playing Dishonoured, initially. I liked the masked, mute Corvo Attano depicted in that game, and the way he acted as a tool for the mechanations of people more manipulative and ambitious than him. I already had the basic concept for an incredibly catholic, repressed, unequal society that prioritised purity and holiness above all else, while being controlled by people who were very much so neither of those things by their own metric, and so he fit very well into as this voiceless tool who is not allowed to think for himself. Eventually, he does break free of this but it comes with very deep consequences.

Bryna Okilj's mask came first, to be honest. After I decided both Bronze Eden and Nod would all be completely masked, I looked into different things that would make good masks and I landed on a boar. I thought a lot about boars being like, kind of stocky but very volatile and frightening creatures, that represent strength, stubbornness, aggression, fearlessness, etc, and so Bryna became this short but extremely physical force with a warhammer who like most Imperators has been heavily traumatised by the priests of Eden, but unlike most really takes it out in the work she does. She doesn't necessarily enjoy it but she's given so few outlets it's really all she has. She also has an extra thing where as one of the few women Imperators and coming from a working class background, she has to prove herself more and it also comes off in the way she overcompensates with violence.

Imperator III came after I more solidly figured out the Imperators, how they were formed and what they represented. I decided I needed a less personable, more inhumane, incredibly perfect Imperator who represented everything they were supposed to be, who doesn't seemingly have a name or personality outside of this. His mask doesn't have a face or any clear eyeholes or mouth holes to represent this--he's completely impersonable. The other Imperator's also seem quite terrifying in other stories in this project--having someone who terrifies them in return helps show the more nuanced side of them rather than being mindless soldiers. Even Imperator III isn't quite a mindless soldier but he is someone who has benefitted a lot more than most and has more power over the other Imperator's.

emoji ask game

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NGL chat. I'm a little drunk. But sometimes I do feel bad for probably giving Imperator V lifelong erectile dysfunction for putting him in a chastity cage 24/7 as mandated by the Catholic Church™ but I can't stop myself. He just is this way forever and ever......

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glance, night, wardrobe, and change for oc design asks? c: whichever oc you'd like!

I'll answer these for Imperator V, Hendrix and Ucalegon if you do not mind ^_^

glance -> At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature?

There are a few different things that draw attention to Imperator V. First, he is extremely tall, and always armoured in the style befitting of the Empyrean's soldiers. He always has a weapon, clearly displayed, announcing to people that he is one of their protectors. It makes him very difficult to miss, and commands both respect and fear across the general population. Other than that, his mask is extremely striking, designed to look like multiple hands reaching around his face and clasping over his eyes, mouth, throat.

Hendrix meanwhile, well, if he doesn't have his mask on, most people are going to be startled by the coral and hard shells growing up out of his skin like cysts or tumours. His skin is almost pinkish, and almost always wet regardless of his proximity to water, not to mention his fucked up black-and-silver eyes. However, he does wear his mask out and about fairly often, so when his facial features aren't on display most people are taken aback by his clothing choices, which are a 17th century style pirate captain look. Flamboyant, but most certainly not in keeping with Nod's futuristic, bondage aesthetic most have adopted. Picture Captain Hook from Peter Pan, if he was possessed by Cthulhu.

Ucalegon doesn't stand out too much in Nod, as she's pretty archtypal, in the aforeformentioned futuristic, bondage look most citizens of Nod have adopted. What does mostly stand out is the very long, thick plait she keeps her hair in, which appears almost whip-like. The metal chain she keeps on her person at all times might draw some eye, but she blends in pretty well admist the other crowd in Nod.

night -> What does your OC wear to sleep? Do they have a favorite pair of PJs, or are they more the birthday suit type?

Imperator V rarely sleeps, mostly because he can't remove his armour without help of a priest, and it's not a comfortable thing to sleep in at all. When he's allowed to sleep after getting his armour taken off, he will sleep in a plain, no-frills nightshirt. He isn't allowed to take his emotional support chastity belt off while he's sleeping, but he's used to it so it doesn't bother him. He basically is wearing this;

Hendrix just takes his coat and waistcoat off, maybe his breeches if he can be fucked, and sleeps in his undershirt. He basically only owns these clothes, you can't ask much of him. He'll probably be sleeping nude if the weather is hot, though.

Ucalegon is always sleeping in the nude. Always. Never worn pajamas in her life, doesn't particularly care to.

wardrobe -> How big is your character's wardrobe? Do they wear things threadbare, or can they afford new clothes often? Are they any good at mending and repairing their own clothing?

Imperator V's wardrobe is entirely dependent on the Priests of Eden, the way he is dependent on them for essentially everything, including food and a home. If anything is damaged, it gets replaced immediately, as it is important that he has all the tools needed to defend Bronze Eden, but he doesn't get any say in what those clothes look like. It's not until he gets closer to Sylvester Praeceptor, where he starts to be able to make more decisions about his clothing, but even then he's very hesitant as it's a luxary he's never been afforded before.

Hendrix, as I said, basically owns those clothes and nothing else. This is fine with him, as he doesn't really want to wear anything else, and he has gotten pretty good at repairing some of the more glaring rips and tears, but it is also visibly a little threadbare despite his efforts.

Ucalegon has a fairly large wardrobe, and most of it is hand-made, either by her or her friends and comrades. It is primarily variations on the same theme; black, tight, lots of leather, latex and straps––bondage gear, essentially. She does own clothes stolen from Bronze Eden, but these are never worn unless she's going undercover. Her clothing variety is primarily due to the kind of work she does, the need for having multiple options. This coat is large and has various pockets, for guns and ammunition and weaponary–that coat is short and tight, so it doesn't get caught on anything while trying to squeeze through small spaces, etc etc.

change -> Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change?

V as we've touched on has essentially no control over his physical appearance, so he hasn't ever had the opportunity to do so. The closest he's gotten was being stripped of his Imperator's gear on his pilgrimage, but again, that wasn't a choice he made so I'm hesitant to count it.

Hendrix wasn't always an unmedicated bipolar pirate cosplayer, but the amount of drugs he's doing means his memories of the before-times are pretty hazy. He's feeling pretty positive about his life though, so it must be better than what came before, right?

Ucalegon shaves her head completely bald every year, and we're coming up to that soon, so that primarily. It's mainly because having her hair too long can start to get risky, but she does quite like having the long plait she's sporting now, so she might put it off until it properly becomes an issue, but she has no proper reservations about going bald if she has to.

FACE & FEATURES glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature? face: Describ

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📂📂📂 plsss :D

1.) I don't think I've ever directly mentioned it so Imperator V aka Beno Volenti is mute, from a mix of being deaf for 5 years after he was born, and also being autistic. He does use sign language, but it's very uncommonly used in Bronze Eden outside of HoH or mute communities so he's often ignored or dismissed still.

2.) Potentate Zephyr and Potentate Clymene are often mistaken for being twins; Clymene is in fact about 4 years older, but their closeness leads people to think they're twins. They're the only Potentate siblings you can trust when they say that they love each other.

3.) Hendrix, like most of the Undark, is infertile.

Send 📂 for facts about my OCs

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5 and 15

I'm going to answer these forrrrrrr *spins wheel* Imperator V and Sylvester Praeceptor!

5) Do they get along? Why or why not?

This is an interesting question for them. Imperator V, as an Imperator of Eden, has been taught from a very young age to be extremely deferral, respectful and passive around the wealthy and powerful of Bronze Eden, which Sylvester certainly is. V has been naturally trained to get along with most of the good, Empyrean-fearing citizens of Bronze Eden, even if he scares them (which he often does, being a large armoured silent sentinel of the streets). On a personal note, V does like Sylvester despite himself, because Sylvester is one of the very few people who makes an effort to speak to him rather than speaking over or about him. It's rare for him to be seen as a person outside of an Imperator, so he likes that about Sylvester and it makes him more determined to get along with him and keep their relationship as surprisingly mutual as it is.

Like V, Sylvester has a certain motivation to make sure he gets along with everyone, as he has to do a lot of damage control to rebuild his family's reputation. Also, in Bronze Eden not getting along with an Imperator usually means you have something to hide, and is heavily suspicious, and Sylvester doesn't want to attract suspicion. But on a personal note, he does genuinely like V and wants to get along with V. V has extremely few expectations of Sylvester because he doesn't know him, which is a breath of fresh air for Syl in the life of maintaining appearances.

15) Do they trust each other? Why or why not?

Imperator V is an extremely trusting person for the most part. Obviously, there are certain things that are unforgivable in the eyes of the Empyrean, but V is someone very easily manipulated. He takes things very literally and at face value, and because of his mutism even if he has his suspicions and holdovers he's also very used to those being dismissed and ignored and him having to carry on anyway. So he does trust Sylvester, but not necessarily because Sylvester is Sylvester but because that's his personality.

Sylvester is a very distrusting person, generally. At first, he'd be very wary of V, but also keen to maintain appearances of someone with nothing to hide, so he overcompensates a bit with being very friendly and amicable. But as he starts to know V more, he becomes more cognisant of V's naivete, the lack of power he has in his life, how manipulated he has been, etc. Even then though, I don't think he ever fully trusts V for most of their story; V is so difficult to communicate with sometimes, and he can be so strange and mysterious you're never quite sure where you stand with him. It makes it very difficult for someone like Syl to fully trust V, up until the point where V is exiled out of Eden.

Questions about two of your original characters about their relationship. Should work for friends/lovers/coworkers/enemies/etc, maybe not so

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OC in three images

Many thanks to @ink-flavored for tagging me! I love adding visual aids and aesthetics to things so this is very fun to me. I tried not to go overboard with how many OCs I did, so here's 6 of them :)

Rules: Post three pictures describing your OC, however vague or specific you wish.

The Potentate Clymene

Helen of Troy, Frederick Sandys // Arkham Horror, Mark Molnar // Dove, Igor Verniy

The Potentate Magnus

The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania // THRONE ROOM & Winged Throne, ACeye & Desmera // cars_2_lover on Twitter

Imperator V

Mass, Ron Mueck // Ritratto di A.P., Giovanni Gasparro // Ravens, Masahisa Fukase

Saccade

Bigger than Nature, huleeb // @pinkfloydart collage // decaying jacket, lydiafairy on flickr

Hendrix

volume portrait, Lee Griggs // suckers, Egon van Engelen // fake gun from toystreet

Ucalegon

Virtual Combat (1995), played by Dawn Ann Billings // Black Scorpion, Tim Platt // Mega City, Michal Kváč

I tag @borisyvain, @cssnder, @bebewrites, @chauceryfairytales, @revenantlore

@solipseismic, @distortedsense, @noblebs, @megarywrites, @thanataes and as always you too! If you want to.

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oc character design ask game: armor/arms for any of the imperators!

armour: What kind of armor does your OC wear? Is it well kept? Bonus: where does it come from? Is there a story behind it?

All Imperators have the same basic history behind their armour; throughout their upbringing in the Temple of Eden by the priests, they undergo general testing, of personality, temperment, ability, so on so forth. This is so they can start to change the way they're taught, what of, what they would be best suited for, etc, but it also influences what their armour ultimately looks like. Imperator III, for example, who was a golden student who followed every order and scripture to a T, is modelled after a literal angel and made to be as perfect-looking as possible. White armour that almost glows. A faceless mask to hide every once-human detail from sight. Rings of halos around his head. Etc. Imperator O, meanwhile, who was always extremely aggressive and violent throughout her teachings and training was given bronze, spiked, horned armour to better suit her aggressive nature. Her mask/helmet is one of a horned boar, exhaling steam. Bronze Eden is heavily misogynistic, so her look is purposefully masculine and androgynous, to make up for her being a woman. This is compounded by the way she fights, which again is very aggressive and violent. It's bulky, it's big, it's imposing, as she's very short and has to make up for that. Imperator V by contrast has a very understated black armour, which is sleek and built to allow body movements, especially in the arms and hands; V is mute, and requires sign language (or more often, writing, as very few people in Bronze Eden speak sign language) to communicate. The understated nature is partially because the priests of Eden never quite figured out what to do with him; they would have never have chosen him to be an Imperator, if such things were done by choice, and V's lack of verbal communication made a lot of the tests and learning they put young Imperators through very difficult. His mask is the most exciting part of his whole ensemble, which looks like many hands clasping at his head, covering his eyes and mouth; the idea behind is that he needs a little more guidance than everyone else, because of his disability.

arms: Does your OC have any weapons? What weapons do they carry, and how do they wear them when they're not fighting?

Imperator III wields a giant golden claymore called the Word of the Empyre, which has a pulsating white light near the base, just above the hilt; think something you'd probably see in Devil May Cry. This is usually strapped to his back, in a large white scabbard that is built into his armour. Imperator O wields a large warhammer, with a heavy square blunt side and a sharper spike on the other. This is not sheathed, but attached by straps. Imperator V uses a simple sword known in slang terms as a spoon; it's based off Miaodao weapons, and is double-edged and is designed to be one and two-handed. He also uses a pistol, which is simply holstered on his hip.

FACE & FEATURES glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature? face: Describ

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Find the word tag

Many thanks to @borisyvain for tagging me! My words were never, dog, burn and either!

For never, we visit Imperator V, who misses his Catholicism Assigned Chastity Belt™ dearly.

It has only been two weeks since he left the Temple of Eden and with it his Imperator’s mask, Imperator’s regalia, Imperator’s weaponry. They’d even taken off the mouthguard that kept him from eating anything unsanctioned, the belt that made it awkward to use the bathroom but kept him from committing any sins of the flesh, were he to be so tempted. It’s the longest time he’s ever spent out of it, and the absence is still felt keenly along his groin and hips, where it ought to be, a phantom of what he is, what awaits him when he returns to his city. He looks forward to the return. He feels too exposed, in this half-mask that leaves the bridge of his nose and his eyes exposed and digs a little too tight into his cheekbones, exposed without the thing of metal to keep him chaste. It was never a risk that he would be anything other than chaste, but the confirmation of the belt was comforting. The only other times before when it was taken off had been the standard resizing that had to be done as he grew from adolescence into an adult, and the occasional times for health checkups that every Imperator dreaded but knew was necessary to keep them in fighting standard.

Dog was weirdly hard to find, but I found one in a Diomede snippet.

For a moment, the two stand there, lonely inky shapes in a mostly-unseen basin of partial marsh-land. Nothing to hear but wind, and distant sounds of man and steed breathing in heavy synchronisation. Clearer, the howl comes. It’s a sound he knows well, but never before have the echoes of wolves and wild dogs in the distance made something like dread drop into his stomach. Goosebumps prickle like a rash across his arms and back. The leather strap he holds digs into his palm, becoming warm and clammy with his sweat.

Burn comes again from another Imperator V snippet, of course from the car that explodes, although funnily enough its use here isn't for the car.

Sharply coming into view, he can start to see the sparks of flame licking all around the vehicle, engulfed, the pockets of embers that fly around like passengers throwing themselves off a sinking ship. The air is so frigid that his lungs burn from exertion far easier than they would normally, but V doesn’t slow down, not even when his ill-fitting mask starts to become dislodged from his face, a second skin starting to shed. He only starts to slow when he is mere feet away, as glass that shattered from the windows crunches underfoot, staring at the warped chassis of metal from the impact it had, somehow having partially overturned.

Either comes from an area of the world I haven't spoken on here too much, featuring Nicolau and the rest of the Shimmerfolk, the cyborgs/androids of Nod.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust her. He does. Implicitly. They had to trust in each other, because they could trust nobody else. It was the foundation on which their people worked. Trust, blind faith in one another. It’s not that he doesn’t trust himself, either. He knows his body, or most of it–the micro-cables that run through his body in place of blood vessels, the titanium skeleton that mimics human bones, the processors in his cranium and ribcage where organs might be, the synthetic plastic wrap simulating soft organic flesh that covers these and hides them from sight. He knows the reinforced joints along his kneecaps, capable of drops up to 175 feet. He knows his body will automatically run a self-repair protocol if the fall exceeds that. He knows that death is not a certainty but a suggestion for him, that even if his body cannot self-repair sufficiently, so long as he stays out of the moss his body can be recovered and fixed.

I'm tagging @bebewrites, @words-after-midnight, @spideronthesun, @moonandris, @elvain and @digital-chance, as well as you! If you want to 😉 Your words are require, fasten, debris and humid. Bonus points if you have archaic in there!