May 8
Commission sketches for "B___Milk is my staplefood" of their OCs Orpheus and Tiffania! (nickname redacted to keep it SFW 🤣)
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Commission sketches for "B___Milk is my staplefood" of their OCs Orpheus and Tiffania! (nickname redacted to keep it SFW 🤣)
FINALLY FINISHED ORPHEUS BROO hate this FREAK
DOODLE DUMP!!!
10 quadabilian dollars to anybody who can draw a skull and crossbones because what the hell
Full information on Orpheus, my OC, to anyone interested about him, aka this guy:
"The stars reveal possibilities. Shadows preserve what they leave behind."
Full Name: Orpheus
Aliases:
The Dark One
Lord of Shadows
The Guardian of Stars
The Veiled King
The Masked One
Species: Unknown
Age: Unknown. Possibly Immortal.
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/Him and They/Them
Occupation:
Ruler of the Shadow Realm
Fortune Teller
Visionary
Mentor to Vishu
Appearance, as shown above, without the Eclipse behind him. It's debated if he even has a body in the first place as it's barely seen by others.
Personality:
Contrary to the titles, "The Dark One," Orpheus is neither a tyrant nor a senseless villain.
He is entirely composed, calculating, and endlessly patient.
He values:
Order
Loyalty
Intelligence
Patience
Earned Trust
However, he despises:
Needless chaos
Disobedience
Betrayal
Recklessness
And empty promises
Orpheus rarely raises his voice, and punishment is never delivered in anger but with calculated certainty.
Although he manipulates others, he does so in order to understand their true character and to guide events toward outcomes he believes are necessary.
Trust is something he grants only after it has been earned.
Domain:
Orpheus rules over the Shadow Realm, a world perpetually shrouded in dim light where shadows stretch endlessly beneath distant constellations.
Its citizens are not mortal and many are ancient beings. Some are undead. Other belong to races unknown to the mortal world.
Humans are forbidden from entering the Shadow Realm under Orpheus' decree.
Why Humans are Forbidden:
Orpheus believes humanity is defined by impulsiveness.
In his eyes, humans are:
Greedy
Gullible
Petty
Selfish
And emotionally inconsistent
He considers mortal too predictable to safely exist within the Shadow Realm.
Despite his disdain, he secretly envies one thing about humanity:
Their ability to live beneath the Sun.
However, he has no desire to ever become mortal himself.
Powers and Abilities:
Shadow Manipulation
Celestial Magic
Fortune Telling
Construct Creation
Levitation
Weaknesses:
Despite his immense power, Orpheus does possess several weaknesses.
Sunlight: His greatest vulnerability. Direct sunlight does not merely injure him, it would erase him from existence entirely.
Intense Light: Any powerful source of light weakens him considerably. For this reason, the Shadow Realm remains dimly lit at all times.
Acidic Rain: The rare acidic rainstorms of the Shadow Realm burn his form and forces him to seek shelter or construct magical protection.
The Mask:
Orpheus never removes his mask before others.
The reason is simple:
What lies beneath is far too horrifying for most minds to comprehend.
His true face is an anomaly better left unseen.
Only Orpheus himself knows the full extent of what the mask conceals.
Additionally, the mask is marked with celestial lines, resembling a constellation chart with the known four (eight) cardinal directions.
The Blue Flame:
The blue flame suspended above Orpheus has never been explained.
Some believe it to be:
His soul
His crown.
A fragment of a fallen star.
A manifestation of his magic.
Touching the flame causes no pain. It neither burns nor harms.
Its true nature remains one of the Shadow Realm's greatest mysteries.
The Broken Horn:
No records describe how Orpheus lost part of one horn.
Not even the oldest inhabitants of the Shadow Realm remember it being whole.
Whether it was broken through battle, sacrifice, punishment, or something older than memory is unknown.
Orpheus refuses to answer questions regarding it.
Relationships:
Vishu:
Orpheus' sole apprentice.
Unable to sire an heir due to his incomplete physical form, Orpheus chose instead to mentor Vishu as his successor.
Though often emotionally distant, he takes his responsibility as mentor seriously.
Symbolism:
Orpheus embodies two opposite concepts:
Shadows, representing:
Forgotten histories
Hidden truths
The parts oneself left behind
Solitude
Constellations, representing:
Distance
Fate
Longing
Possibilities that remain forever out of reach
Together, they symbolize:
To desire something...at a cost.
Why the Name "Orpheus"?
The name draws is inspired from the figure in Greek mythology who descended into the Underworld in search of someone who he lost.
Like his namesake, Orpheus is deeply connected to longing, distance, and things forever beyond reach.
This is where his symbolism comes into play, as stated above.
Additionally, like the mythological Orpheus who was a musician, Orpheus is too when it comes to reading visions, prophecies and constellations. Not quite through singing but rather with cryptic, symbolic words.
Trivia:
He never walks, only levitates.
His body has never been seen.
He prefers solitude, linking himself to Mercury and Venus, plants that have no natural Moons.
He has no known origins.
Although feared throughout many realms, those who know him personally often find him to be far more thoughtful and measured that his title suggests.
Most stories about him are exaggerations or outright myths.
He dislikes unnecessary violence, however, he will fight back if needed to protect his realm and those closet to him.
He believes every action should carry an appropriate consequence, a punishment.
He prefers observing events beforehand rather than directly interfering.
Although capable of seeing countless futures, there are still things even Orpheus cannot predict.
The white glowing pair of eyes sometimes seen beneath his robes are not separate creatures, but fleeting glimpses of his true nature.
Quotes:
"Darkness is not the absence of light. It is the memory left behind when light departs."
"The stars do not command fate. They merely illuminate the possibilities."
"Trust is earned. Prophecy is inevitable."
"Humans mistake hope for certainty."
"You may call me the Dark One. I did not choose that name but neither shall I deny it."
My dear friend @maxtaxi made art for our twin brothers in an upcoming D&D campaign we’re participating in. I’m so enthused!
Left - Orpheus, the older brother. A hermit bard who was taken into the Feywilds for several years, and came back as charming if strange musician. (Mine)
Right - Andronikos, or Niko for short, the younger brother. A charlatan rogue and devout follower (and one time lover) of Hermes. (Emily)