penambra

[penambra]

VERSE, DESERT FAE. originally created for maleficent, easily tweaked to work with other existing fae lore and universes.

goes by nickname teo, pronounced t - ay - o, and will generally introduce himself as such to anyone he meets

he is a desert fae, a region specific branch of dark fae line

appearance: clothes are generally lighter in hues, beige and browns with charcoal accents. his hair is relatively long and it just about reaches his chin; dark hair settles smoothly around the curved slope of his horns

abilities: summoning aerodynamic gales from any point of his body. full strength would be winds compared to those of a cyclone, alongside the immense blows that emit with each flap of his wings. inflicting serious harm is possible

wings: despite the members of his family all having white, beige, and brown colored wings, teo’s are pitch black. he has a streak of light brown tinted feathers on the inside of his right one

𝕭iography, backstory.

there was a time when they hadn’t lived in peace, when he spent year after year in solitude with none of his own alongside. teo was born of kindness and amiability, of a present mother and a distant father — a father that ultimately lost his life fighting for their equality and peace when teo and his younger sister were still young. they came from the desert line of dark fae, and teo only knew of this from the numerous tales recounted by his mother on nights he found himself plagued by sleeplessness. little did he know that later, all of those tales he’d heard in the flame-lit space of their shared sleeping quarters would turn out to be true. he wondered why they never knew anyone else like them, other children who could spread their wings and soar through the clouds, above stretches of deserted tundra, around trees and branches with a blade like focus — others like him.

until one quiet evening at fourteen, just as the sun was set to descend on their secluded corner on the outskirts of a forest, his questions were answered. they were answered in the form of raging men with daggers and pitchforks. their ambush was unwarranted, and they were utterly defenseless. the humans didn’t hesitate before striking their mother, they didn’t hesitate before leaping toward teo’s sister who was far younger than he. they belted words like,     “ demon ”    and    “ devil  ”    as he fought to protect what remained of his injured sibling. he had summoned the powers lying dormant within him, a twister of raging winds expelling from every part of him and cutting through the guards before him. their bodies propelled through the air, launching through their home of vine, bark, and leaves until they landed in broken heaps upon the earth.

with a forlorn kiss to his departed mother’s head, matías had quickly scooped his sister into his arms and launched into the awaiting sky — flying as far as he could, flying until he couldn’t fly any more.

𝔎nowledge of the moors.

years following the death of their mother, his sister decided to spread her own wings as she reached adulthood, leaving her brother to scour the earth in solitude. her purpose was to find others like them. during this time was when he ended up coming upon the unit of fae residing on the hidden island, where he and his sister were later revealed to be born. borra had been the one to know their family, he’d even witnessed teo moments following his birth. however, his time on the island did not last, for his father had promptly migrated them halfway across the world at the buzz of conflict looming on the horizon — as some of the skirting kingdoms became more hostile and far less welcoming of their kind and woodland creatures alike.

nevertheless, as teo tentatively approached the sea of winged creatures who seemed just like him but dissimilar at the same time, he was welcomed with open and unguarded wings. in such, he found a semblance of home and comfort there, all the while wondering if his sister would ever return to him. here is where teo first heard of the almighty protector of a land called the moors, she was revered and admired greatly by those on the island, they spoke of her between whispers and sometimes urgent tones. but he became exceptionally aware of it as he heard it travel in the wind. for the wind always held secrets that were moments from being unveiled. there was a storm brewing — an uprising from his kind, but it was one that for a reason he couldn’t explain, filled him with dread.

𝕱ollowing the battle in ulstead.

peace had now become the fate of fae and humans alike, a unity teo hadn’t believed could ever exist at that point in time. maleficent had defeated queen ingrith, not only leaving aurora and phillip in a peaceful union, but the creatures of the moors and the kingdom as well. despite prior reservations, teo had fought alongside his fellow fae, ripping through knights with his violent winds and the strength in his heart. presently, he resides in the moors, free to roam, explore, and learn of his past and those that came before them.

[penambra]

VERSE, THE INFERNAL DEVICES. background revolves around this trilogy, but due to his immortality it can branch into the mortal instruments, etc.

matías has this weathered beauty about him despite being completely ageless, the scars on his back and tattoo markings are present, but in addition to those, he has two pale scars running parallel his brows into his hairline

both seraph and infernal weaponry can be deadly if impaled in his wing scars

brown eyes glow faintly in dim light, can look otherworldly

highly compassionate and empathetic, often drawn to protect the weak and vulnerable which actually does add fuel to his vengeful mission 

he wrestles with the moral complexities of his fall

the same abilities that are present in main verse are here

knowledge of celestial and infernal languages, which can at times be used to decipher runes or communicate with beings unseen to the naked eye

seeks camaraderie with the shadowhunters, can be seen as useful or suspicious, but he does employ honesty with them once his desperation passes

𝕭iography, backstory.

matías was once a being of unimaginable light, he was an angel who held the omnipotence of the heavens within his fingertips. after his fall from grace, fragments of that divine power remained embedded in his soul, lingering like dying embers of what he once was. but his immortality as a fallen angel is not a gift; it remains a punishment — a cruel sentence from the heavens meant to ensure he never forgets his exile.

he wanders earth for quite a long time, neither seeking redemption nor harboring hatred for the heavens that cast him out because his bitterness is solely reserved for a single celestial entity. it was the being responsible for orchestrating his fall ( only in this verse ). this entity goes unpunished and untouched by the rules they so strictly impose on others, and it delights in tormenting those who've fallen, matías most of all. so his purpose solidified:  vengeance, but not against heaven itself.

he’s rather cryptic and enigmatic for a while here, and really tries to hide his motives from the world. his quest for retribution led him to chase whispers of an ancient relic — a legendary artifact said to have the power to tear open the boundary between heaven and earth if wielded by the right hands. he was made to believe that his object could allow him to bring his tormentor to justice by creating this rift.

𝕬rrival to london and the institute.

his hunt for the relic leads him to victorian london, where the rumors continue to reach him about the mysterious clockwork angel pendant. he’s convinced that this is the key to his vengeance, and as a result crosses paths with the shadowhunters of the london institute. his arrival unsettles the group, as his nature as a fallen angel and his warnings of celestial dangers ( the one who wronged him ) throw their already chaotic lives into even more disarray probably.

but as time progresses and he becomes wrapped up in their battles against mortmain and his infernal devices etc, he discovers the truth about the relic he seeks:   the clockwork angel is not the one he needs. the real artifact he needs — the one capable of breaching the divide between heaven and earth — is something else entirely, hidden and kept protected in ways he never thought possible.

when he discovers that mortmain's machines were being fueled by demon energy, it enrages matías because the fact that its fuel is harvested from any being, whether celestial or infernal, brings him the deepest ache. with time though, he learns and gains understanding of what exactly the shadowhunters do, what they are, who they're up against, and there are few things that matías is capable of ( if you don't want some/all to be present in our plot, just lmk! ):

he can still retain some traces of divine power. he might be able to bless and/or saturate nephilim weapons with divine remnants, making them effective against the clockwork creatures.

he can have a dwindling reserve of divine energy that can be used sparingly, and it forces him to make difficult choices about when to intervene in battles.

matías understands both celestial and infernal forces. he can recognize flaws in mortmain's designs, like any instability in the demonic energy that powers the machines. this could help the shadowhunters develop new strategies.

later, he struggles even more with his identity. because even if he were to try and reclaim his grace despite all of his plotting against the entity that torments him, he doesn't know if he could ever regain his celestial nature. but if he does... he also wouldn’t know if he’d be able to leave humanity, and the bonds he’s come to build, behind. there also comes in the concept of redemption and being redeemable. 

but by this point, he’s bound to the shadowhunters by both circumstance and camaraderie, so he finds himself caught between his quest for vengeance and the growing realization that his actions could drastically upset the balance between worlds. the more time he spends with them, the harder it becomes to remain true to his initial mission. here, matías needs to confront the shadow of his past, and the question of whether vengeance is really the only answer — or if redemption might still be within reach, no matter how far he's fallen. depending on how things go in plots, he can either begin to grapple with the choice of leaving, as he’d be convinced that his fall and arrival to london has only brought them harm, or, if he’s to stay. 

[penambra]

𝔗ATTOO MARKINGS AND THEIR MEANINGS.

matías’ tattoo’s are less tattoos — as they were not ink punctured onto his skin — and more so markings. his tattoos are manifestations of celestial and infernal energy. they’re all black and greyscale that reflects his connection to the fall. they were imposed on him as punishment, and as a mark of exile to represent his fallen status and equally binding his power to prevent him from ascending again ( he does though, in his guardian angel verse ). there are a few reasons why they’re there, those primarily being:  as marks of power and binding, connection to his newfound mortality, and symbolism of his fall from grace. 

his tattoos also serve as seals that anchor his essence to the mortal plane, granting him the ability to interact with the physical world. without his tattoos, he would be unable to maintain his actual form. in being cast out of heaven, mat was also obligated to bind himself to his original tangible form, accepting the limitations to experience life as mortals ( without being able to physically feel or die as they would, which is the worst punishment of all for him ). since he can’t be injured in a physical sense as i’d mentioned in another post, the tattoos also represent emotional scars from his fall — they’re visible reminders.

the serpent, it weaves up the side of his neck and twists around until the mouth opens up at the nape of his neck.

his serpent is a deeply symbolic act by the heavens, meant to remind matías — and anyone who sees it or knows about it — of his transgression. the serpent represents cunning, rebellion, and the betrayal in eden. by marking mat with this, the heavens managed to brand him as both a warning and a cautionary tale. 

but his punishment isn’t just physical or symbolic, it’s also living. it’s a living creature. he can actually feel the serpent subtly writhing and coiling under his skin, reminding him of his betrayal with every movement. he can even hear the whispers of the serpent when he’s in doubt, reflecting his turmoil and the voice of temptation that he’d initially succumbed to.

the heavens branding him with this also serves as a paradoxical gift:    a chance for redemption. while it surely feels like a badge of shame, the serpent can also represent transformation. when matías comes to terms with his actions ( which is not in the slightest difficult given that his transgression was merely his desire to be human, the serpent can start to change, becoming a little brighter or radiant to his eyes and a few others — proof of his growth and worthiness of forgiveness, even for his worst sins as a fallen angel.

angel wings, they spread out across his chest and run across his pectorals.

he was also marked with the wings that he’d lost as a reminder of the celestial beauty and grace they embodied. so they aren't necessarily symbolic of shame — but they're a constant, painful reminder of what he can no longer possess. and the placement itself is deliberate because it’s over his heart, in a way to brand his soul with the weight of his betrayal. unlike his real wings, these tattoos are lifeless and static. but his punishment is layered:    his chest wings are imbued with a faint, holy glow that becomes visible in moments of regret, guilt, or shame, exposing his anguish to those who vibrate at a similar frequency. 

the wings are tied to emotions — when mat tries to rise above his past and seek redemption, he may at times feel a phantom ache from his chest and all the way through his shoulder blades where his wing scars lie, as if the wings on his chest are longing to spread and take flight, but they never will. the heavens made sure that this mark be both a brand of judgment and an anchor to mat’s remorse.

similarly to the serpent, it also has dual symbolism in the potential for redemption. they can transform and glow brighter as his actions deepen his fall or lead him toward atonement. mat carries the weight of his punishment literally on his body, but they can very much so also carry the hope that the heavens have not completely given up on him, even if that hope is faint.

scattered feathers, run along the underside of his forearm, curving and ending along the top of his hand. these don't hold as much significance, but their purpose is the same as the other two.

[penambra]

VERSE, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA.

he becomes closest with susan and lucy throughout their rule in narnia, despite peter’s initial wariness of matías’ duty to them. gets along with all of them well

appearance: his clothes are dark in hues, usually black. unless he’s to report to the castle, in which he’ll dress appropriately in royal attire as per the pevensies requests. his hair is relatively long and it just about reaches his chin

abilities: speaking to the wind, speed healing, summoning aerodynamic gales from any point of his body. full strength would be winds compared to those of a cyclone, alongside the immense blows that emit with each flap of his wings

wings: large, pitch black wings

𝔓re golden age of narnia.

winter was his second favorite of the seasons, it was closely followed by spring. when color decorated the land of narnia, when the sun invigorating flowers and brought life to the span of his broad wings. it brought him strength and serenity — a balance to his being. but just like every season... they pass with time and move onto the next. just like many of the creatures that roamed the land in harmonious unity, matías was no different. his mother fell ill many years before he reached adulthood, their winged kind known as guardians of narnia in the time of prince col’s migration to archenland. there wasn’t much conflict upon the land as he came of age, and the wind was what dictated matías’ duties. he was deemed protector, and the winds guided him toward who required utmost vigilance. his abilities were instinctual upon summons, tactics and fighting style things he’d spent his entire life training to master. it wasn’t until the welcoming of the pevensies that the winds called for matías a second time in his life. the first time was for him to meet the one behind the winds voice — aslan himself, and to protect those from the white witch, jadis. there weren’t enough guardians to fight off the white witch, so the winds had them hold off during the onset of a perpetual winter.

𝔈nter the golden age and rise of royalty.

despite his love for winter, he’d never wish the long winter upon any. creatures and people were dying, flowers wilting and their growth stunting, an eerie silence filled stretches of forests for miles. it was a desolate and dark time, a time where matías ironically soared. upon meeting the pevensies, his transparency with who and what he was was palpable. he was to fly above them in times of need — he was to fight alongside them or intercept attack. with them entering narnia came hope for the land, and matías would stand diligently behind them. peter wasn’t as on board with the plan as susan and lucy at first, but it was matías’ duty, and he would fulfill it even if it led him to his last breath.

following aslan’s sacrifice, the guardian was debilitated for days, for most of his will stemmed from aslan despite being able to carry on living without the lion’s existence. aslan was similar to that of a spirit guide and partial life force for the guardians, and with his sacrifice came days of weakness and anguish. his strength gradually returned just in time for their battle against the white witch. he suffered blows, but ones that healed. susan and peter had become very attuned to his whereabouts, and they worked together as a team to defeat the one who wreaked havoc on their land. the guardian stood tall as they were coronated kings and queens of narnia.

𝔇efeat of white witch and retreat of narnians.

with the white witch defeated, matías presumed his duty to the pevensies lifted by the winds and aslan. however, upon seeing how close they had all become and how unconditional his devotion to the siblings had been in battle — matías had been assigned to remain with them for as long as they were to reside in narnia. where he made new connections and friendships along the way.