hai beloved mutual James, idk if this is just me but I never know how to like ... do the personalities for the jury of nine characters other than katelyn, Ivy and Monsieur Jefferson the Golden Heart. Any tips???? I see stuff about like Janus all the time and I'm like damn. idk anything about that guy, he makes me think of Vlad king from mha and that's kinda it (probably bc of the hair), is there anything in canon I might've missed or ... cuz ngl I did miss a ton of contextual stuff bc I spaced out after mid s2 in regards to the whole divine warriors thing so its a super real possibility I completely spaced a line or two about the other jury members.... thankies :333
HAII GHOST!!! the first thing i want to say is that there isn't a whole bunch on the other jury members aside from a few lines here and there, so you can essentially do whatever you want with them. it's the fun of writing lesser explored characters--be creative with your portrayal of them!
there are bits of information on janus and a couple of other jury of nine members (who aren't technically canonically jurors in diaries, but are in diaries rebirth, if you're willing to mash the two!), though! i'll link them below!!
janus:
in diaries s2, we learn that Janus was a off-putting to those around him, and that they "delighted in doing Zane's dirty work" because it "gave them purpose" (the jury's bane). i believe it's implied he had a relic too, because he was able to take down a number of elite tu'la guards and he had a "blue light" surrounding him. he was taken down and assumedly killed by tu'la at some point.
the best source of information for janus (and where i base most of my writing for him) is actually in diaries rebirth (what it takes to be king)! from this we can see they're cocky, actively questioning zane, and that he's merciless, saying they should have killed gene.
to me he's remorseless, arrogant and rude. the opposite of someone like jeffory, showing no kindness like katelyn did--i imagine he's less tactful than she is towards aphmau at first too.
janus is also the strongest juror, so he's probably pretty intimidating!
here's a little snippet of my writing for them:
lillian:
personally i don't include lillian as a jury member because she's confirmed not to be in diaries, but she is wearing the armour in rebirth, so... yeah!
we don't see much of lillian's true personality in diaries aside from her fight with katelyn (call to arms), but we know she's fiercly loyal to zane and his cause. she can use magicks (or witchcraft... not sure which) since she casts the illusion garroth sees. we know she's a good actor too, since she tricks everyone in phoenix drop and manages to manipulate garroth. she's also remorseless since she has no qualms doing this.
in rebirth she seems to be calm but merciless, taking no prisoners--she hurts gene on zane's command. i'd say she's also quite intelligent/knowledgable since she knows about shadow knights (where we've seen most people in diaries aren't clued in on them), and she's the one to tell zane the whereabouts of the other jurors.
she's probably higher up in the jury's chain of command because of her composure. she'll act nice to people's faces but is generally only loyal to zane.
i haven't written much for lillian yet, but here's a small snippet of garroth's thoughts on her (tw for some light implications):
ivan:
another one whose only a juror in rebirth. i swing either way for him personally but he's here in case :p
in diaries, he's a warlock who curses the area around pikoro after his death. another one who is good at manipulation and will do things to get what he wants--he pretended to like lucinda in order to use her power to hurt others, so he's just as remorseless (ice hearts), also possessing the body of a mother lost in the snow. ivan seems to have a superiority complex because of his power, wanting witches and warlocks to "be feared" (lucinda's apprentice).
in rebirth he seems to be arrogant but tamer than in diaries. he's a powerful and knowledgable warlock, but still works under zane. he seems to respect zane (or pretends to, depending how you see the interaction), and is more social than the other jurors seem to be, knowing about rumours circling o'khasis (trouble around the corner...) and knowing that o'khasis has ties to people in the south.
i'd say he's charming and magnetic, but is generally someone who puts himself ahead of others. he feeds into zane's ego while still subtly insulting o'khasis, so he's a good conversationalist. he thinks he's better than others, too.
i don't have any writing for ivan unfortunately :( he is in pdh, myst and mermaid tales too, though, so it could be worth checking those out and mashing him together if you're still struggling :p
i hope this helped at least a little!! the jury are very fun to write and i wish we'd seen more of them in canon, but sometimes we have to take what we can and run with it :p there are a few people i know who have fun headcanons about the jury as well, so i'll link their blogs so you can check them out too!!
There's not a lot we know about the jury so all of this is very headcannon-y for warning. Some of this might clash with cannon so I'm leaning for this to be more so a part of my rewrite.
Zane Ro’meave (unofficial title: Zane the Undying)
Deemed leader of the Jury of Nine by Lorde Garte, his father, and instead of choosing a ninth guard for his squad he declared himself as worthy enough for the position. Still remains the ninth member of the Jury of Nine to this day and refuses to choose another as he believes one could not wield the power like he does, also refuses to take an official Jury title, feels as though it is beneath him and people should fear his name and his name alone.
Zane was never a guard, never took the oath and never trained as one, took the Jury Leader position per his fathers request after he finished his studies and became the High Priest of O'khasis. He has no knowledge or skill in weapons of any sort, physically he is weak, he uses others to accomplish the things he wants, his conviction and manipulation is his greatest advantage.
Has had the gift of foresight since he was a child, a magic that allows him to read people's thoughts and see fractions of moments of the future. He believes his powers come from the heavens and the stars, that he has a divine right to rule because of his power. He receives something akin to prophecies of the future, vague visions of what will come to pass, these visions have never been wrong- and he cannot change anything no matter how hard he tries. So he desires to seek out a magic that can, something that will provide him with the strength to alter fate.
(He can’t read Aphmau's mind and she has changed a future Zane saw, it was small and minute but it changed, she did something that resulted in his vision being wrong. Zane is never wrong. This is why he is so enamored with her, why he wants her dead- because she’s stronger than him, because she can change fate. It is a power he wants so desperately and if he can’t have it then no one can.)
Janus the Silver Death
Most everything about him is unknown, he is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He hides behind his helm, and the only person to ever see under the mask and live to tell of it is Zane. Janus is thought to be an elf in some form, no one knows if he’s a full elf or half and he never answers when asked. He is the oldest member of the Jury, no one remembers how long he’s been there, and rumor has it that he’s been protecting the Lords of O'khasis for centuries. It is unclear if he was a guard or not before his Jury position.
Janus wields twin broadswords, one frost and one fire. Expert fighter, no one has ever seen him lose a fight. Although more often than not he relies on his Jury abilities. He is a necromancer of sorts, he possesses the ability to bring back those that his enemies have slain- the more people his opponent has killed, the harder they’ll fall.
It is unknown if he has powers that exist beyond those gifted to him through the Jury.
Katelyn the Fire Fist
Katelyn was sent to the Guard Academy after an “incident” per Lord Garte’s orders. No one is quite sure where she came from or what this incident was but it's largely thought to have been of a violent nature, something bloodied and bruised, although her early life is largely a mystery and she changes the story each time she’s asked. She was exceptional at the academy, a prodigy in combat, but after many disciplinary actions and detentions, Katelyn was expelled due to “excessive violence” and declared unfit to be a Guard. Was placed in the Jury Reserves, where she stayed until a member of the Jury had a more than suspicious death and she rose the ranks per Lord Garte’s orders. She stands as the youngest appointed Juror in recorded Ru’an.
Specializes in hand to hand combat and wields weighted adamantine gauntlets brazened with wyvern claws. Katelyn has magic that exists outside of her Jury powers, she’s a half-witch with a blood magic known as dragon's fire, which gives her the ability to use the fire of a wyvern while being virtually fireproof herself. She is not a traditional witch and cannot be taught any other spells or enchantments, all spells cast from her hands will always fail.
Her Jury power is that of absolute agility, possessing limitless agility, with her balance, bodily coordination, speed, reflexes and strength transcending virtually all other beings. With this power, time moves far slower to Katelyn and she has the endurance to keep it up for prolonged periods of time- no one has ever outpaced her in a fight.
Has a quick temper and doesn't work well with others, easily angered and her fire often burns too hot for her own good, oftentimes more than a little too eager to start a fight.
Lillian the Phantom Sword
Raised in Nahakara Village alongside her cousin Ivy, Lillian became a guard through traditional means. She went to the guard academy when she became of age and excelled in her studies, graduated top of her class and made high Jury List. Served as a guard in her home of Nahakara Village, where she remained second in command until Ivy finished her own guard training.
Lillian became cursed by unknown means while exploring the enchanted forest with Ivy, resulting in her reflection gaining a consciousness and a life of her own. Hears her reflection talking to her, telling her to kill and destroy, overall not good things. She ignored it for as long as she could before eventually stepping down as head guard to seek out someone who could help. She finds Zane, who's idea of helping is bringing the reflection to the physical world and combining the real Lillian with the reflection. The two can switch fronts at will, but the reflection is always in charge, she is always in control in the back of Lillian's mind talking and telling her what to do. Lillian is but a vessel for her reflection.
She wields a simple guards sword without her shield, believing it to be too bulky in combat. Lillian is an expert level swordsman, the above average guard will not win, fighting with her is often thought to resemble a dance with her graceful movements. Her Jury power is that of illusions, she can conjure things out of shadow and mist, make people see things that aren't there. Her powers are significantly stronger and her illusions far more believable when her reflection is casting them.
The reflection is forever grateful to Zane for freeing her and giving her the control and strength over a physical body, she'll obey his every order, she is indebted to him. The reflection of Lillian is his most loyal guard.
Ivy the Venom Scythe
Raised by her cousin Lillian's parents in Naharaka Village, Ivy never cared to be a guard, she was content with her own devices, researching and experimenting with her poisons and potions. Ivy was always in and out of trouble, always some misfortunate adventure she roped Lillian into, who more often than not got them out of said trouble. She joined the guard academy after much convincing from her cousin, her havoc showed no mercy to the school and although she graduated on the Jury List it was not without a few official warnings on her record.
Joined the ranks as a guard of Naharaka with her cousin, was difficult to work with and a shitty guard, always skipping patrol to continue with her experiments. Lillian was more often than not the one who got in trouble for Ivy’s disservice to the guard code, she was the one who encouraged her to be something she’s not after all. Was formally reprimanded and assigned her second strike to her guard record after being caught lacing her sword with poison. After Lillian was cursed and fled from her duties, Ivy left also and joined the Jury Reserves in O'khasis where she was assigned to a Jurors Team and allowed to experiment with her poisons and venoms as she saw fit. Was later appointed to the Jury through traditional means after a member stepped down.
She wields a large poison laced scythe, leaning very far into her self-assigned grim reaper motif. Her Jury powers are similar to a curse, she has the ability to take the life force of anything she touches, her body acts as a poison and she can spread that poison to others. This has an effect on anything living, ranging from plants to animals she can turn anything to dust and bones. She possesses immunity to all poisons, venoms and toxins and has a vast and incomprehensible knowledge on anything relating to such topics.
Ivy’s a wild card, someone Zane can’t easily control. They don't exactly see eye to eye but Ivy is here for a good time not a long time so she’ll do whatever he asks of her as long as it’s not boring.
Jeffory the Golden Heart
Became a member of the Jury through traditional means. Went to the guard academy to learn to protect others, excellent guard, the Golden Boy of the academy in the years he attended, perfect record and perfect marks, graduated early and managed to land a spot on the Jury list. Went back to guard his home in Skysted before transferring to O’khasis per Garte’s request, became head guard and general of the O’khasis military after a few years of service.
He's a brave soldier, loyal and kind hearted. His devotion to those he loves and the people he has to protect knows no bounds. Jeffory is the people's soldier, everyone adores him, the Golden Boy of O’khasis. After one of the Jury of Nine stood down to retire, Jeffory was given the mantle.
Fights with a very untrational choice of weapon, and his mastery of the glaive is something short of a marvel. He’s a flashy fighter, eager to show his skills and yet he is kind all the while. His Jury powers are simple and often overlooked, he possesses the ability of imprisonment, allowing him to create a barrier that can capture and imprison humans, creatures, anything, with little hope or no chance to escape. (functions similarly to the golden lasso from the original series) Although he uses this as more of a pocket realm, like a mythical handbag to store things in. He has no magic or other powers outside of his Juror title.
Knows that the Jury is corrupt and he worries he’s starting to become just like the others, he fears the day he’ll be just as bloodthirsty, just as power hungry. He’s concerned that the Jeffory that he has become has lost his heart of gold, and it scares him.
Ivan the Hallowed
Warlock hailing from a small mountain village, Ivan got into a lot of trouble with his magic as a kid, always felt as though he had to prove something, as if the world owed him a great debt. The Village sent him away to train as a guard in an attempt to keep him out of trouble and his head out of his magic books, believing they knew what was best for him. Ivan wasn’t a particularly great guard, unpopular and unskilled in the protecting front, but he seemed to make up for it with his fighting. After his training he was assigned to the Village of Pikoro, where he continued with his magic studies- the village was often known for its distast and distrust of magic, he was exiled shortly after his arrival.
Was offered the position of Jury member by Zane, even without making the Jury List post graduation. The High Priest was enamored with his ability to cast complicated spells, he had seen nothing quite like it, he wanted to study it, cultivate it as his own. Ivan’s magic is strong, impressively so. One of the brightest spell casters Ru’an has seen in centuries, although his magic is volatile and unstable: this instability seems to be his driving force, his bragging point as his spells don’t have to adhere to the normal laws of magic.
He seemed to have gained no excess powers after obtaining the title of Juror. He’s the most recent addition, so he feels like he has something to prove that makes him dangerous. Doesn’t take orders well and tends to do his own thing. Zane only keeps Ivan around out of his usefulness, once it has expired it’s not unlikely Ivan will as well.
Ein the Beast Slayer
Abandoned and taken in by a tribe of werewolves, Ein was raised and trained by the creatures of the moon as one of their own. Until a violent incident with a rival pack resulted in his adoptive family banishing him, afraid of his strength. They feared that which was stronger than them, the things they couldn't control. He joined the guard academy, he held the vengeful desire to become stronger. Graduating with decorated honors and a position fairly high on the Jury list, he took a position in a Village close to his old home. Early into his guard career, Ein slaughtered the werewolves from his pack, the ones that took him in as their own, raised him, betrayed him. He made them understand true strength, gave them a real reason to fear him. He now wears the skull and fur of the alpha werewolf.
Ein went on to kill nearly hundreds of werewolves, bringing their population to such a decline it caught the attention of The High Priest, Zane Ro’meave. Zane heard of his deeds and sought him out, mysteriously, a member of the Jury resigned and Ein took their place.
His Jury powers are a curse, it’s a blood beastman curse that allows him the ability to shapeshift into any animal that he’s consumed the blood of. It is unknown if this trick will work for humans. His weapon of choice is a battle ax, although he often prefers to do Zane's dirty work as one of the beasts in his collection. Ein loves the chase, he lives for the kill.
Teony the Bright Blade
Became a member of the Jury through traditional means, raised in the village of BrightPort Teony joined the Guard Academy and excelled in her studies. Often referred to as the brightest mind of her generation. Graduated with high honors, Jury List and signed to the Jury Reserves, where she swore her allegiance to the O'khasis Guard. Served as second in command of the O’khasis Military, until becoming a member of the Jury of Nine alongside Jeffory the Golden Heart, the two were given their titles during the same ceremony.
Teony has immense skill over any and all weapons, she has a mastery of the craft of fighting.
Her Jury power is a summons- she can conjure weapons, knights, animals, most anything she needs out of light. These beings hold no physical form in the hands of others, weapons will disappear if she is not the wielder and the animals will vanish if they are cut through.
No one outside of the Jury has ever bested her in a battle of skill, she is the expert amongst experts, specialist in all weapons and can summon any of her choosing to wield. She is noble and strong, like Jeffory she is a true guard, her loyalty knows no bounds. And similarly, she often fears she is doing the wrong thing, helping the wrong people. Her oath to the Guard code outweighs her oath to Lord Garte, her nobility will always come first, her duty is to save people and protect, where there is darkness she shall be the light. Just like Jeffory, her heart of gold will be her downfall.
It’s Ivan fake-dating Dante because “haha this is such a good way to get to gene >:)” and then accidentally falling in love with Dante because oops he’s nice to him
Ooooh I am a sucker for fake dating (how me and my partner ended up together lmao). And family drama. Gene is probably constantly complaining abt Dante dating Ivan. They look at each other in front of him and he is audibly grossed out.
guess i’m just goin around drawing all the jury of nine now,,
here’s an Ivan y’all. i refuse to believe he isn’t pretty simply bc i can’t imagine Lucinda falling for anyone who isn’t gorgeous. i’m salty over the fact that Ivan’s the only confirmed jury of nine member who’s title we don’t know >:(
