#oc: rowen zeysra

[idrisofficial]

if rowen could talk about anything for one full hour what would she talk about

rowen frequently talks about things for a full hour. she’s the leader of a revolution with a bunch of misfits, artists, and children for an army. they’re listening. mostly she talks about how fucked up the government is, which honestly usually lasts more than an hour. but if she had a stage and an audience for a whole 60 minutes, she’d probably spend it reinforcing loyalty to the rebellion and expounding the systems of justice which will come to pass once they’re successful.

and if she couldn’t talk about the revolution, her darling dearest, her treasure most truly beloved? …she’d probably talk about the history of her knife collection. she’s been picking them up since she was eight.

[idrisofficial]

thinking about rowen and evander as children and their paths to violence in adulthood. they’re so fascinating im rotating them

rowen was out there getting into fights and being disciplined like hell and constantly taking shit from other people and she took pride in it. she’d smile spitting her tooth out. most people hated her but a few seriously looked up to her. after her parents were executed for treason and she was sent to the reform facility she was brimming with righteous anger and burnt the place to the goddamn ground without looking back. with rowen, what you see has always been what you get.

evander was quieter even though he didn’t necessarily want to be. he spent time in the library and listened to his teachers. he observed his peers and his superiors. he occasionally raised his hand or made a comment— and he made friends, but no real close ones. but he got into fights too. both alongside rowen and by himself. he would start shit when it was deserved and make sure no one knew about it. he covered up bruises and showed up on time for class the next day.

i think it’s fairly obvious to see rowen’s path and how she got to be okay with her morally questionable actions, especially when you consider that she developed a sadistic streak along the way. she makes an easy assassin.

but poetry-writing, tea-making evander is much more enigmatic on first glance when you wonder how the hell he made peace with the terrible things he does. i think it’s so interesting to look at how the seeds were really always there, and it wasn’t even about rowen most of the time. sure, he pushed his limits in solidarity or protection of her and that certainly contributed, but he was always willing to do what it took. he just did it more nonchalant, more blink-and-you-miss-it.

i think he still lays awake at night thinking about it. i don’t think he’s fully convinced that his violence is usually justified. but he fights like hell for what he believes is in the interest of himself and the people he loves. and when he loves The People, that can mean a lot more blood than he intended.

[idrisofficial]

cleric - brinne

paladin - rowen

wizard - zephyr

cleric: Does your muse believe in any god or follow any religion? What drives their faith? Or, if they're faithless, why? What would it take for them to find faith in something or someone?

brinne has an extremely complicated relationship with halcyonism. as a child, she took no interest in its restrictive and absolutist doctrine, and only participated in religious rituals when she was forced to or if she got to see adrian. however, post-near death experience, her feelings are much changed. hallucinating herself featureless as like halcyon while spiraling through afterlives was extremely traumatizing, and she knows she was lucky to survive being stabbed and mutilated. in brinne's teen years, she had crises over just about everything, and deep down she was very insecure about her lack of faith (how could she not be, considering her environment?). she became convinced that artemis's massacre was punishment for her sins, and immediately after healing took to halcyonism as the only thing that could redeem her. even still, her faith does not exactly come from a place of genuine belief; it's more that she forces herself to adhere to it because it validates her power as monarch and gives her some semblance of structure to cling onto. she doesn't believe that halcyon and his gods will save her, she believes that some gods Have To Save Her.

paladin: What does your muse fight for? What tenets or oaths drive them? Have they ever had to break a vow, and if they have, why?

rowen fights to be the master of her own destiny, fights so others can have the same, and fights in the name of those who can't fight. sometimes she's a little too liberal in extending "the name of those who can't fight" to people who fundamentally do not agree with her. she's kind of willing to twist reality to whatever she wants it to be for the sake of her ideals. she's deeply driven by feelings of oborligation to protect the oppressed, which is why her crowd is mostly starving children, immigrants, artists, etc. she's absolutely broken this vow lmfao, she literally burned down a school to escape it and demolish the institution it represented. yes, she created a somewhat viable escape plan for all of the other students, but there were definitely casualties, and most of the kids were traumatized abuse victims. not a good look. she'd never suck up to authority and harm the oppressed for her own sake, but if it advances her plans for the revolution or the "greater good" she'll do pretty much anything. you can then assess for yourself whether her vow can even be considered as such, which i won't pass direct judgment on.

wizard: What is your muse like as a student? Do they have the patience for studying? What do they like learning about? What do they most want to know?

zephyr really has no interest in academia. idrisian public school is basically just propaganda lesson after propaganda lesson, with basic mathematical skills thrown in. zephyr was perfectly happy to spend his life in the military doing practical things, because he is not one for the cerebral. geometry was probably the only thing he ever enjoyed in school, because he's good with visual representations (well...not anymore...) and applications he can understand. if he had the chance and the adhd meds, he'd probably think engineering was pretty cool. he's never really been shown the power of real education, and i think if he was he'd be a lot more excited about it. if he could make it long enough in school to get to how cool things like physics and architectural principles are, he'd be super interested in that.

[idrisofficial]

WOOO FINALLY DONE WITH THOSE ASKS

geules

1 for zephyr

2 for rowen and adrian

3 for grace

4 for lennox and rowen

5 for adrian

1. Does your OC have any experience in the military? Perhaps they come from a long line of soldiers or army leaders? Or were they conscripted or press-ganged into an army at a young age? If they have not had a formal position in an army, then what is their view of the military mindset and hierarchies they have observed?

idris is the kind of fucked up where the public education system ends at 13 years old so that teens can be conscripted into the military, and zephyr happened to be part of the unlucky population to be drafted. his experience was…anything but pleasant. making good friends was never really his strong suit, so he ended up with some shitty acquaintances who more or less ordered him around to do their bidding. he also took one of his military mentors as a fucked up surrogate father figure, which really burned him when he was discharged after less than a year of service because of his explosives accident. it also instilled a lot of really harmful, nationalist sentiments in him which he’s still working to unlearn. zephyr in canon time is only 15, but he has a whole lot of military trauma attached to him from only a few months as a soldier.

2. Does your OC believe in the concept of a "just war" or do they believe that all conflict is to be deplored? Could they conceive of a justifiable reason for one nation to invade another - perhaps to free an oppressed people or prevent the development of a dangerous technology? Or would they only support a war of defence against an aggressor?

rowen: rowen is absolutely in favor of a just war. growing up in idris has taught her nothing if not that authorities will only suppress any form of subtle resistance, so violence and war are really the only way forwards to a better future. it’s easy to see how she’d already internalized this by her teen years by the fact that she opted to burn down her reform school at 15 rather than make a simpler plan of escape (also says something that evander let her!). rowen believes in a pretty black and white fashion that violence is always justified against tyranny.

adrian: adrian thinks of war in very removed, political terms. his only personal connection to the concept is through artemis’s rebellion, which he fears and deplores because he’s been propagandized against political dissidence from birth. war, to adrian, is a last resort to be taken when diplomacy between two countries has unequivocally failed and cannot be reconciled. in adrian’s eyes, civil war is pretty much never justified because of how severely it upends society as a whole and causes patriotic confusion and domestic chaos. most other nobles share his same opinion; for the most part, he doesn’t think very much outside the political propaganda fed to him.

3. Is your OC usually magnanimous in victory - whether against a defeated foe, or against a friend in a game or competition? Or perhaps they enjoy exulting in their success at the expense of others? Perhaps with ribald mockery or spiteful vengeance?

HAHAHA this is a great one. grace absolutely likes to gloat a little. …maybe more than a little. it’s not particularly good noble etiquette, but fuck that, right? it’s exhausting for her to pretend to be stoic all the time in order to cover up her political opposition, so she deserves to be smug over her little victories. and her big ones. glory and mockery on planet grace.

4. What has been the most difficult thing your OC has ever had to forgive (assuming they have ever done so)? Did they do this of their own accord? Or only after they felt justice had been done or penitence suitably demonstrated?

lennox: this is a surprisingly difficult question to answer. i think i have to go with brinne executing natal. probably the only significant wrong in his life that he’s forced himself to forgive. he’s also had to forgive himself for letting it happen, but he doesn’t fault himself as much as he faults others, so that comes second. lennox fought for days on end with brinne to lessen natal’s punishment for seeking out artemis’s rebellion (which natal never even found), to very little avail. he was able to convince her that it was not within the bounds of the law to execute natal before he turned 17, but really all that did was stall his execution date. he really fucking hated brinne for that one, not even only because of his gay little crush on natal, but it was also one of lennox’s first meaningful legal experiences as the head of his noble house, and he lost. that was real humiliation. he only forgave brinne because he didn’t have another choice if he wanted to stay sane and in power within the noble court. he’s forgiven her just enough to not let it affect him and his job.

rowen: rowen doesn’t do a whole lot of forgiving. unless she has very good reason, she won’t trust or absolve those who have slighted her unless they’ve shown real incentive to rectify the harm they’ve done. the best example i can think of is her forgiving grace for her noble birth, which sounds pretty basic because it’s not something grace had control over, but it is actually a big deal. rowen’s prejudice against the upper class runs deep, and she really enforced the divide between her and grace for a long time. if not for her own gay little crush on grace, it’s hard to say whether she ever would have been entirely over their class differences and forgive grace for her upbringing.

5. Does your OC harbour resentment towards a particular person, group or faction? Or are they perhaps part of a widely resented group themselves?

yes to both, to some extent. from both a political and a personal standpoint, adrian really loathes artemis’s rebellion more than he’s ever loathed anything else. resentment is a bit of a difficult word when applying it to his political feelings, because on that basis there’s a lot more fear than anger, so the full spirit of resentment isn’t quite captured. from a personal perspective, there’s a lot of anger going on, especially from someone like adrian. if rowen hadn’t, y’know, mutilated brinne right in front of him, maybe he would only be afraid. but he wants them fucking obliterated for that. not the best move on rowen’s part! to answer the second question, idris’s nobility is largely respected by its population, and political dissidents are a minority, so adrian isn’t exactly resented by a large percentage of citizens, but the people who hate him really hate him. this goes double because he’s idris’s high priest, not just any noble. most people have a lot of respect for him, but some people absolutely despise him.

[idrisofficial]

purpure

1 for lennox, grace, rowen, evander, nova, zephyr

2 for grace, nova

3 for brinne, grace, lennox

4 for rowen, evander, brinne

5 for brinne, lennox, grace, rowen

1. Does your OC find it easy to express deference or homage to someone of high social standing? Or is this something they would only do if it benefitted them directly? Or for the sake of a scheme or intrigue?

lennox: the only people lennox has to express deference to are brinne and adrian, which is definitely kind of a struggle for him because he regards both of them as sad pathetic losers. he manages with brinne, mostly for his own sake, but he really does his best to circumvent almost any interaction with adrian at all. although he does have interest in halcyonism and religion as a whole, adrian has effectively icked him out of pursuing it, because he wants as little to do with him as possible. when he's forced by circumstance to interact with adrian, he can deign to treat him as an equal, but not more than that. the things this man does for social advantage...

grace: grace has mastered the art of remaining respectful to higher-ups who she really despises. it's uncomfortable and pisses her off, but she's really damn good at finding ways to do it while still maintaining her pride. she'll defer when necessary, but she's not eager to treat anyone corrupt as though they're better than her. ...lennox is the only exception to people she'll force herself to defer to. she physically cannot bring herself to do it.

rowen: rowen simply Will Not treat people higher up with the respect she's expected to. she never has. she never will. this has gotten her in Extreme amounts of trouble. she does not care. she never will! it's up to evander in the most dire of situations to cover her ass for it. if he's not there? she's fucked. she simply Will Not do it.

evander: evander knows how to be smart about this. unless it's someone he really has zero respect for, he'll express what's expected of him, no more and no less. if the situation demands it with someone he really hates, he'll let self-preservation take over and go the extra mile to please whoever he has to in order to save a life or a freedom or whatever it is. he does exactly what he has to.

nova: look...nova just hates people. he was brought up to know how to socialize with people, and he's aware of the customs and the rituals, he just puts no personal effort into any of it. anything he puts up in front of people he's not close to is a result of forced practice and is far from genuine. so he doesn't really have trouble expressing deference, but he's so far removed from whatever he's doing or saying in those situations that it's not really representative of who he is anyways.

zephyr: this is when zephyr's military trauma kicks in haha! education system trauma, too. he has an ingrained awareness of the social hierarchies which might be operating in any given situation, and is quick to adhere to whatever is expected of him (he learned this the hard way). he's never been at the top of any hierarchy before, so he's well-versed specifically in knowing how to place himself downwards in order to show respect. it's really sad, actually.

2. Is your OC comfortable in the higher echelons of society, such as aristocratic functions or assemblies of the rich and powerful? Or do they prefer to avoid these events if possible?

grace: she's certainly not comfortable, but she has the experience to navigate the aristocracy successfully most of the time. with the disarray of typical noble events and entertainment under brinne's rule, she's not forced to deal with larger social gatherings as often as she otherwise would be, but it is still part of the job. there isn't much avoiding it, as much as she wishes there was. her girlfailure side tends to come out when she's surrounded by many aristocrats in a non-professional context, which isn't great for her. but to be fair it is incredibly attractive + bisexual of her.

nova: nova gets awkward at these things. as much as he's been trained for social events and the like, he can rarely translate what he means to do or say into what he actually does and says. this is especially true when talking to people similar in age/rank to him. being generally asocial and rather low-empathy doesn't help either; he'd much rather stay in his room and have kori be the family representative.

3. Does your OC feel that exchanges of ideas or customs between nations or cultures can be positive? Or do they fear the dilution or devaluing of one culture by another? Has there ever been a foreign cultural practice they have adapted for themselves? Or are they fiercely loyal to their own cultural inheritance?

brinne: idrisian cultural nationalism is real and brinne is not immune to it. she had a ton of curiosity about the cultures of neighboring countries when she was younger, but she was never really given the opportunity to learn, and now her paranoia has overwhelmed any remaining interest. it definitely impacts her politics, and makes her pretty xenophobic at times. nobody really challenges it.

grace: grace is fascinated by other countries' practices, and has a lot more exposure to different cultures than the average idrisian through natal. she's never been out of the country, but her discussions with natal as a teen about what he had experienced outside idris's borders were really formative for her. she's very interested in alya and her perspective as an immigrant, but considering their age gap and how closed off alya tends to be, there isn't a lot of interaction between the two of them.

lennox: lennox is one of the only nobles who has actually done his reading on other countries (exceptions: grace and natal's two siblings). he's interested in other cultures, but as a general statement, cultural exchange is not especially valued in idris, so it's not at the top of his priorities list. he's not concerned with cultural dilution by any means, though-- he knows that most people in idris are exceedingly ethnocentric.

4. Does your OC have a strong belief in the importance of justice? If so what does justice mean to them? Do they follow the philosophy of "an eye for an eye"? Or are they careful in distinguishing between justice and revenge? Is this the case even if they consider themselves to be the injured party?

rowen: justice is rowen's strongest value. concepts of victory and justice become very intertwined in her eyes, where righteousness is retribution and achieving what's truly moral is framed as a constant battle. growing up in such a heavily restricted society has only amassed her a huge thirst for freedom, which certainly now borders on revenge for what has been done to her and her loved ones over time. intellectually, she tries to separate what justice and revenge mean to her, but in practice, they meld together much more often than she realizes.

evander: evander's perspective on justice is very similar to rowen's, as it was really founded for both of them during childhood and influenced by their parents. the main difference is that evander is not so grandiose about what he views as justice. for him, justice is only a means to the end of freedom. where rowen relishes in the hunt for justice as retribution, evander only looks forward to enjoying the bounty of their efforts after the necessary heads are chopped (metaphorically speaking? literally speaking?). he's not so keen on the idea of revenge as a whole, although it does bubble in him on rare occasions where his anger gets the best of him. he just wants a better, freer future after all of the dirty work is taken care of.

brinne: god, justice is not her highest concern by any means anymore. brinne's moral principles have mostly been abandoned in her frenzy of isolation and paranoia. she still believes in the rewarding of good deeds and the punishment of bad ones, but what constitutes a good or bad deed has shifted so drastically to appeal to her own self-preservation that it can hardly be viewed as an objective stance on justice as a whole. "an eye for an eye" often applies in situations she herself is removed from, which is a pretty common standard throughout idris. when she's involved, though, it's usually more like "my eye for your beating, bleeding heart." ...it's a little intense.

5. Does your OC believe that there can ever be fair and just relations between nations or tribal groups? Or do they assert that might will always make right when it comes to interactions between such factions?

brinne: yes, she believes that there can be equal and just relationships between nations. but the idea of catering to something so foreign and unknown is deeply frightening to her, so she tries to avoid dealing with other groups and countries as much as possible. when it is necessary, she tries to deal with the situation with as minimal, inconsequential exchange as is possible.

lennox: lennox is skeptical when it comes to the desires of separate groups. he's certainly a believer in personal and sociological ego, so it's difficult for him to trust that interactions between self-sufficient groups can ever really occur with the interest of the other party in mind. possible, sure, but typically improbable. something to be wary of.

grace: grace's views tend to be pretty similar to lennox's, actually. it's the combination of a similar environmental upbringing and the ways they share logic more than they want to admit. although grace is generally more optimistic than lennox is about the potential for equal compromise. she tries to be, anyways.

rowen: rowen believes that fair relations are usually possible, but not without a lot of dispute. she's sympathetic that both sides of a conflict will have demands so long as one group isn't tyrannical about their conditions. but if there's real malice between parties failing to compromise, rowen understands the need for military clash.

[idrisofficial]

azure

1 for rowen, evander, brinne, grace

2 for brinne, lennox, grace

3 for evander, rowen, brinne

4 for adrian and brinne

5 for rowen, evander, grace

1. Does your OC have a guiding principle by which they live their life - such as duty, self-restraint or vengeance? Has this ever been tested by circumstance or challenged by another person?

rowen: i mean, justice. it’s been her life’s purpose since always to protect herself and others from oppression and fight for freedom. truth be told, she doesn’t really know what she would do without injustice to fight. the lines become a lot more blurred when you stop to wonder what exactly justice means in a given circumstance.

evander: i think evander’s guiding principle is best described as harmony. he doesn’t fight for the sake of fighting, and he'd really prefer not to in the first place. but he has an end goal-- a reason for what all of his work means, and it’s peace and success for a free society. that’s reflected not just in his political views and actions, but in his relationships with other people on a smaller and larger level.

brinne: security. this is obviously developed after her major shift of behavior and values following artemis’s massacre, where before that it was definitely self-expression. every action brinne takes as a person and as a political figure is to ensure her own safety no matter the cost. this typically involves ensuring the safety of the social order and the noble class, but she would sell any of them out in a heartbeat to protect herself. …save for adrian, who certainly would test her values in that situation.

grace: this is harder to answer (sorry for leaving you underdeveloped grace), but i think i’d have to go with progress? if that makes sense. a continued motion of improvement, both personal and societal. grace is someone who very much clings to her values and uses them to guide her actions. whatever she deems a step in the name of progress, she works towards.

2. Is your OC loyal to a particular nation, clan or social group? How far would they go in ensuring the safety and success of this faction?

brinne: brinne, for the most part, is loyal to herself. by extension, she usually acts loyally towards the noble and royal institution, but she harbors no concrete inner allegiance to the crown. as of late, she’s tried to form connections with royal customs and halcyonism, but it’s a weak bond at best. for her own sake, she would do just about anything to ensure the monarchy’s success and stability.

lennox: lennox is also loyal to the monarchy for selfish reasons, although he holds more of a connection to the institution through his family’s name. he’s fiercely loyal to his family, and understands that the success of the monarchy is also the success of the people he cares about (i.e. himself and his siblings). he would stop at nothing to maintain his own power, likely even at the cost of his siblings, although painfully.

grace: grace has made her immediate goal to ensure the safety and success of artemis’s rebellion, and is certainly willing to risk her own life and livelihood to see it prosper. a little boring to get three similar answers in a row, but so much of what forges the conflict in this wip is having central characters who are all willing to give their everything to see opposing ideals to their success. love me some characters with extreme ambitions.

3. How confident is your OC of the loyalty of their companions, lovers or followers? Do they ever feel tempted to test this through spying upon them? Or by engineering circumstances where their loyalty might be tested?

evander: the way evander sees it, he has no choice but to believe in the loyalty of his followers. idrisians against the crown are hard to come by, and it’s even harder to find people who are willing to fight against the tyranny. he stays wary of most people and only gives away what he has to, but he refuses to trap himself in endless wondering about betrayal and disloyalty.

rowen: rowen is more concerned about the extent of her followers’ loyalties than evander. “tests” is a bit of an extreme way to put it, but she definitely keeps tabs on who is willing to do what in the name of the revolution. any act of sedition is highly punishable in idris, so she makes it known what is expected of members and puts pressure on them to take risks and not shy away from illegal activity. rowen was a lot harder on grace than she typically is to new members, and grace definitely had to outright prove herself in multiple dangerous situations before rowen could even begin to trust her.

brinne: brinne is acutely aware of the reality of her noble court’s loyalties, which is that the nobles hate her, but need her. she’s been almost universally detested by them since she was a kid, and it’s only gotten worse as time has gone on. of course, they need a monarch, but brinne is in a constant state of fear that the nobles are planning some form of a coup. ironically, she’s too afraid of confirming the possibility that she doesn't set up any systems of ensuring allegiance. she’s always looking for anything suspicious, though.

4. Is your OC honest about their true loyalties? Or are they happy to feign belief in a cause or leader in hopes of material (or other) reward?

adrian: adrian tries to believe in the things he's supposed to. whatever he knows he should uphold, he tries to believe in. that's about it.

brinne: brinne is never fully honest about her true loyalties. like adrian, she now tries to believe in the things she knows will help her politically, but it's not really in her nature to conform. for the sake of her power and safety, she'll act as though there is no gap in her actual beliefs and what she's supposed to believe.

5. Does your OC believe that people should only believe or take inspiration from something if it is actually true? Or are there circumstances where a motivating lie is to be preferred to an awkward or uncomfortable truth?

rowen: rowen thinks lies are overall immoral, and usually dangerous when spread on a large scale or are about something important. however, she's not above using them if necessary or if it seems the potential benefits outweigh the potential cost. for the sake of organizing the masses, rowen definitely believes that a motivating lie is preferable to an uncomfortable truth.

evander: evander is on the same page as rowen, although his threshold for what constitutes "necessary" is much higher, and he has more moral qualms about it in general than rowen does.

grace: grace is all about the truth. after the swathes of lies and propaganda growing up, she wholeheartedly believes that people deserve to know political realities. she understands that this isn't always possible or in the most peoples' interest, but unless the truth will likely cause real harm, grace's principles are to be completely straightforward with people.

[idrisofficial]

philia 1 2 and 4 for rowen

1. Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

i’m such a fucking sucker for siblings as best friends ok. rowen has never had a friend she loved and understood better than evander. a lot of that stems from their childhood where rowen did not get along particularly well with any of her peers (overdeveloped sense of justice etc etc) and evander was willing to sacrifice his admittedly pretty shallow childhood friends to make sure his sister didn’t end up alone. their partnership is flawless and now they make some money killing people about it. not exactly evander’s preferred profession, but i digress. him and rowen are absolutely unstoppable and wouldn’t trade each other for the world.

2. Does your OC find it easy to make friends? Or are there barriers to them doing so? If so then are these due to issues of inclination, communication, or something else entirely?

it’s much easier for rowen to make friends now than it was when she was younger. she knows how to find her people. rowen’s connections are primarily made through experience and shared ideas, so when she finds someone with a similar kind of fire as her, no matter how subdued it may be in them, she has an easy time bringing it out and cultivating that friendship. it’s the kind of thing that really transcends age and personal history, which is why people like zephyr and alya aren’t intimidated by her. she’s definitely not someone you immediately think of as especially socially adept, but she has her moments.

4. Do they believe in love at first sight? Have they ever developed a crush or romantic (or erotic) fixation upon a stranger based on their appearance alone?

believing in love at first sight is a no. she certainly believes in attraction at first sight, but not love. that’s pretty easily seen with grace. it’s not her fault that grace looked so strikingly gorgeous in comparison to the shitty quality newspaper photos she’s gathered for intel. so that was a pretty immediate crush. …which wasn’t great considering that the two were not exactly allies yet when they first met. rowen and grace’s relationship evolved pretty gradually, but has also always been founded on their mutual attraction to each other. the love part in terms of emotional bonding gets a little messy, but it’s there and it’s important.

[idrisofficial]

🤝 Does your OC have someone they want at their side when they are scared? Who?

🤝 Does your OC have someone they want at their side when they are scared? Who?

waaaa this is such a good question…hits right in the feels because honestly it applies to everyone

- adrian and brinne want each other because they’re codependent dumbasses who have never had anyone else to support them

- rowen and evander are both pretty independent and definitely trust themselves to be able to hand a fight (both of their fear responses). but evander will always feel brotherly obligation to protect rowen and rowen doesn’t really trust anyone other than evander for physical and emotional comfort (although her relationship with grace explores this)

- grace wants natal. good luck with that one bae.

- lennox wants his siblings which will never not emotionally wound me. he used to want his parents for guidance too but that’s faded away in the past few years.

[idrisofficial]

ok intro post so i can pin something

this is an oc blog dedicated to a wip i’ve had for about four years now, and is really special to me :) idris is the name of the country which the story takes place in, but the wip is otherwise untitled

a list of character names in case you’re thinking of sending me an ask, linked to their informational oc tags (please please please send asks, ask games reblogged are always open):

brinne

adrian

rowen

evander

grace

lennox

zuri

nesrin

alya

zephyr

nova

kori

natal

vanta

and onto the descriptions…

some basic worldbuilding: the country of idris is an oppressive monarchical regime, set in a time about technologically equivalent to the mid-1800s. the universe exists on the same earth we live on, but is organized into entirely different countries than ours. idris exists on swedish, norweigan, finnish, and some russian territory. it is mainly governed by the alistair family monarch, the kaldaver family high priest, and seven other noble families. the vast majority of idris is fiercely loyal to the country’s polytheistic religion of halcyonism.

brief (enough) character descriptions

brinne alistair - twenty two years old, ruling monarch of idris. grew up resentful of the monarchy and its oppression, but after a traumatic rebel attack that came to be known as “artemis’s massacre,” she became so obsessive over her own safety that she couldn’t bring herself to care about the good of the people anymore. generally a cold and unstable individual who should not be trifled with, but she has incredibly nuanced feelings and beliefs inside. an artist at heart. prone to fits of mania and depression. betrothed to kori for political purposes, but has been adrian’s forbidden lover for years.

adrian kaldaver - twenty two years old, high priest of idris. resident poor little meow meow. knows a lot about halcyonism, but deeply insecure about his place in it and where he really belongs. complete wet noodle of a man who has net negative spine, but tries his best to do the right thing anyway. he has no direction and is manipulated very easily. actually smart, but his lack of confidence prevents him from being truly intelligent. getting involved with brinne at a young age greatly changed his perspective, and he would do virtually anything for her sake. not a virgin and he’s still freaking out about it after six years. betrothed to zuri.

rowen zeysra - twenty five years old, co-leader of idris’s underground rebellion. she goes by the alias “artemis” among revolutionaries, and only a very select few know her real name. extremely passionate about the cause, but can be callous and reckless. gets much more credit for the rebellion than evander, her brother and co-leader. the name artemis is feared throughout idris after her revolution’s massacre in the royal palace five years ago. trained knife-fighter, and very much a product of her environment. she’s gentle with the innocent, but reveals a sadistic streak from time to time. crushing on grace.

evander zeysra - twenty seven years old, co-leader of the rebellion, and rowen’s brother. goes by “apollo” among revolutionaries (see what i did there). not as famous as rowen, but acts as the architect of operation planning. an extremely level-headed and focused person. kind, too, although sometimes he worries he shows it too much. he serves as a major source of balance within the revolution. he’s the kind of crafty that’s perfect for a ren fair. wants a lot out of life and is okay taking his time to get there, so long as it gets done. great with his hands, but not in the way you’re thinking, perv. he’s aroace.

grace odessa - twenty two years old, firstborn noble of idris’s house of education. wholly aware that most of her job is maintaining state propaganda. secretly joined the rebellion after artemis’s massacre and natal’s death*. a tough person through and through, and an intellectual until the end. deeply idealistic, despite her skeptical personality. she’s much more scarred than she lets on, and has a very high tolerance for pain. hates lennox in particular. previously betrothed to natal, now betrothed to another noble. crushing on rowen.

lennox warryn - twenty two years old, firstborn noble of idris’s house of criminal justice. endlessly calculating and manipulative, a manspreader and a mansplainer. the entire noble court looks up to him--even those who dislike him for one reason or another. there are layers under his mask. he genuinely loathes both brinne and adrian for their political incompetence, and underhandedly assumes the position of regent when brinne goes through depressive episodes. he could crack at any moment from the amount of pressure he puts on himself, but he won’t. betrothed to nesrin.

zurielle (zuri) tessing - twenty years old years old, secondborn noble of idris’s house of agriculture. sweet and hard-working. one of the few nobles immune to the court’s cutthroat politics. head over heels in love with adrian, and is convinced there’s something wrong with her because of his lack of interest. no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to get close to much of anyone. a little desperate for attention at this point. betrothed to adrian.

nesrin theoris - twenty years old, secondborn noble of idris’s house of military forces. she’s serious, and sometimes harsh, but overall she acts in good faith. she isn’t especially powerful within noble court, but she uses her connections extremely wisely. an expert at accomplishing what needs to be done (unlike many of her peers). she dislikes social niceties, and will tell you what she thinks regardless of if you want to hear it. weird girl at heart with nowhere to show it. has a thing for lennox’s sister. betrothed to lennox.

alya volkotya - sixteen years old, refugee from the neighboring country of zaseov. fled to idris after her parents died from malnutrition and her older sister was killed in gang violence. she first despised idris for its religious oppression, and after being taken in by the revolution, has come to hate the country for nearly everything else as well. she’s gentle in appearance and nature, but won’t hesitate to resort to hostility when her wrath is earned. a good hunter and avid music lover. very cottagecore in general. dating zephyr.

zephyr siles - fifteen years old, ex-soldier of idris. grew up in the squalid slums of idris with no father and a neglectful mother. somehow maintained an attitude of unadulterated optimism throughout his childhood and enlisted in the military at thirteen years old, hoping to make something of his life. he had a mentor in the military who meant everything to him, but was discharged after he snuck into an armory and accidentally caused an explosion that rendered him half-blind. found the revolution while wandering on the streets looking for shelter days later. still desires only to be useful and fulfilled. dating alya.

finnovamina “nova” twyvek - twenty one years old, the heir to idris’s biggest press company. hates his family, hates the monarchy, hates idris’s religion. he’s really just a little hater boy. very interested in medical sciences, but has never had the opportunity to explore it. sometimes gets a little morbid in his curiosity. extremely socially awkward, but voracious for knowledge and what people have to offer by way of it. dresses like he has five bucks and a gum wrapper to his name, much to his parents’ chagrin. wears a signature scarf. joined the revolution because he believes in justice and also because he craves being a hater.

koriandarius “kori” twyvek - seventeen years old, pure golden child of his family. he’s friendly to all seven of his siblings, but feels the tension between himself and nova. not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but remarkably earnest. loves putting smiles on other peoples’ faces. craves approval and success. ecstatic to be marrying the monarch, both for his personal sake and for his family’s name. new to halcyon's castle at the beginning of the story, and acclimating to the brutal politics and interpersonal dynamics. betrothed to brinne.

vantamarial “vanta” twyvek - fifteen years old, fourth child to the twyvek dynasty. a generally emotionless, bitchy teenager who happens to be extremely devout to halcyonism. centers his life around worship and prayer because he has no inner life to propel him. his feelings of connection toward his family are only out of cultural/religious default, and he knows virtually no one outside his relatives and family friends. aspires to be a halcyonist priest one day, and is encouraged by everyone around him because they know he’s too bland to find other passions.

*natal maravei - dead, executed at sixteen. haunts the narrative a little. used to be grace’s fiancé from idris’s noble house of diplomacy. following artemis’s massacre, he tried to find the rebellion and join it, but was caught in the process and executed by brinne. a little shit when he was alive, but was always intellectually savvy and charming. daring to a fault, and was deeply convinced that he was destined for greatness. unlikely friend to lennox (lennox definitely did not have a big gay crush on him). his death serves as a symbol of brinne’s onset paranoia following artemis’s massacre, although different nobles believe different things as to whether her paranoia is truly justified or not.

here’s a link to my uquiz to find out which one of these guys you’re most like!!!

i have a fun little modern au where they all exist chilling in la as struggling slice of life adults :) i occasionally tag for it, but don't really talk about it. hmu if you're interested. honestly i just dick around with my little guys here and everyone is along for the ride.

if you made it this far ily. thank you for taking the time to learn about my ocs, and if you’re curious about the characters or world, i love answering questions. my ask box and dms are always open. mwah.