#the most direct approach is the best one and all that. theyre a utilitarian.

[liquidstar]

after a long pause i finally finished my newest oc batch ^_^ this time for owl feather: the scholar's guild. the members are more or less different types of academics, or just nerds, with their own different niches. as usual, more specific info+closeups under the cut <3

Name: Mercury

Name Origin: The planet named after the messenger god

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 28

Guild rank: Guidmaster

Weapon: Caduceus

Ethos (Power): Aileron (Enhanced speed and levitation)

Flaw power is based on: Her evasiveness- Though her power has evolved (the levitation) once she became guildmaster as she became a pillar for her guild, and successor to the former guildmaster.

Notes: I can be your angle... or yuor devil

Name: Keid

Name Origin: A star whose name means eggshels

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 19

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Chicken sickles

Ethos (Power): Computative prognostication (He can calculate the outcome of events in his own head, but he can’t see outcomes beyond the one he calculated)

Flaw power is based on: His overly cautious and ruminative habits, though he tries to play it off like he's way more chill and not constantly existentially overthinking

Notes: But which came first...?

Name: Alasia

Name Origin: A star whose name references Idalion Tablet, one of the oldest known contracts

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 15

Guild rank: 2 star

Weapon: Shovel

Ethos (Power): Erudition (Psychometry- The ability to read the past of any object by touch)

Flaw power is based on: Her extreme curiosity, while her inquisitiveness on it's own can be admirable she can often get obsessive about it.

Notes: She's an archeologist <3

Name: Dimidium

Name Origin: Exoplanet whose name means "half"

Pronouns: He/She

Age: 22

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Double-ended flail

Ethos (Power): Vice-versa (Healing and reverse healing)

Flaw power is based on: His simultaneous obsequiousness and brashness- Two extremes that she fluctuates between in a way that's both unpredictable and unhealthy.

Notes: Generally stoic either way so it's hard to tell...

Name: Navi

Name Origin: Informal name for γ Cassiopeiae- A navigation point for Apollo 1

Pronouns: He/they

Age: 19

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Arm

Ethos (Power): Kefi (Energy direction- He can channel his energy into powerful attacks into his weapon of choice, which they designed to be their own arm)

Flaw power is based on: Their over-zealous nature. Though passion is a good thing, their ferventness can absolutely make him lose track of himself.

Notes: A weaponsmith who’s figuring out more technological approaches

Name: Talitha

Name Origin: A star system, whose name means "Spring"

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 13

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Plastic wand

Ethos (Power): Metamorphosis (Magical girl transformation. She can shoot beams out of her wand now.)

Flaw power is based on: Her extreme tendency for escapism, especially in idolizing fantasy.

Notes: She's a magical girl 💖💖💖

Name: Misam

Name Origin: A star whose name means "wrist"

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 28

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Wrist blade

Ethos (Power): Rigor (Enhanced precision)

Flaw power is based on: Their surprisingly to-the-point, often cold-blooded nature.

Notes: Nerds can be cool too, guys.

Name: Perwana

Name Origin: An exoplanet whose name means moth

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 27

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Lantern

Ethos (Power): Callous luminance (Physically palpable hard light, created from her lantern)

Flaw power is based on: Her tenancy to place the burden of guidance onto herself- Literally a guiding light for others. Mostly in regards to erudition, the symbolic connection between illumination and knowledge. She wants to illuminate everyone. But this can be at the cost of herself.

Notes: These are her summer clothes.

[kvothbloodless]

Alright, who wants to help me check something for one of my WiPs? Trying to make sure this character's actions are seen the way I intend, since my sense of morals is definitely more utilitarian than the average

Poll, are the character's actions in the following scenario:

A) Totally correct, even if they're obviously distasteful. She did nothing wrong.

B) Probably the best option, since it was likely for the greater good, but jesus fuck that's fucked up, something's probably wrong with her

C) It's understandable that she'd do this but it wasn't worth it, and its not tolerable/forgivable

Or

D) What the fuck she's a monster

Vastly oversimplifying the situation but

So the character is one of the leaders in a war. The enemy's main army (numbering somewhere around 10,000ish) is approaching that outnumbers her sides army (a little over 2,500ish) by a good bit. Her castles stores are running low and supply lines are stretched. Theyre unlikely to win a direct fight, especially if theyre having to do it while going on rations, but they have a chance (say a 20-30% chance of winning), especially since some of her side's soldiers are undead. Then she manages to captures a decent sized group of enemies (~1,000) in a trap and they surrender. Theyre brought back to the fort. Most of them are career soldiers but a few are conscripts.

She disarms them and whatnot, and they plan to keep them locked up, but realize that they cant afford to feed that many more people. If they keep them, theyll run out of food even while rationing long before reinforcments arrive, and the war will be lost. If she lets them go, theyll just join up with the main army and then theyll Definitely be fucked.

Not seeing any other acceptable options, she has them killed in cold blood, then uses necromancy to raise all their corpses as soldiers, letting her side win the war.

Her side is definitely morally better, but not like, clear-cut Good. The enemy is the traditional fantasy absolute monarchy, and has a strong church which outlaws and demonizes necromancy, while her side is a weird mishmash of a constitutional "monarchy" thats really more of a ruling council, with one of the council members being democratically elected. Also, that country allows and utilizes necromancy on a mass scale, which results in a significant improvement in quality of life for most people, which would disappear if the other side takes over.

Feel free to just reblog/reply with the letter, but I also wouldnt mind any comments