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Age:
6 [Year 504 Winter]Gender:
MalePronouns:
He/his/himOrientation:
BisexualBreed:
Arabian x AndalusianHeight:
15.2 hhHealth:
10Attack:
10Experience:
11Last Visit:
03-18-2021, 01:22 PMJoined:
06-09-2020
Aeneas, when he sees his face, does not feel as if it is his own. Instead, staring back at him are equal parts his mother and father; two Sovereigns, from two different Courts. He fears his own reflection for this reason because when he speaks, he hears Orestes’s voice and when he glances he sees Marisol’s eyes.
It feels, sometimes, like there is nothing of himself left.
Except, of course, the red markings. (Even his father can’t explain those. Even his father cannot claim them, when he takes Aeneas aside one dark night and explains the golden, glowing tattoos on his skin are not tattoos at all, but scars.)
In Terrastella, they whisper that it’s war paint. They say, just because he is the Commander’s son does not mean he can just be born with it! They say, You have to earn your paint!
And this hurts him. It makes him, one evening, scrub them with a brush until his skin is chafed and bleeding. I want them gone, he says, when his mother finds him.
On his left wing is a rising sun wrought in crimson red. At the tips of his contour feathers are arcane, tribal markings; and beneath his eyes are spears of red, sunlight in and of themselves. Three of his legs are covered in similar, tattoo-like marks; a sun over the waves, vines twisting up his ankle to his knee, the brutal spires of pine streets.
But then: he has one white heel, as if struck as Achilles was struck.
(Really, though, the mark is just another tie to his lineage, to Marisol's white heel).
And a white star, too, upon his upper lip. Just like his mother.
But then Aeneas has his father’s dapples, just wrought in silver rather than gold, as if Vespera could not bear to let him look too Solterran . The dappling occurs like pinpricks of stardust all across his flanks and back; his base colouring is only a few shades lighter than his mother’s, and his mane and tail are vibrant silver-white as are his father’s. Anyone who knows his parents can find similarities in them. They might find Marisol in the slate colour of his eyes, or Orestes in the arc of his nose.
What is left of me, he asks.
There are nights when Aeneas envies his sister. When he flinches from a mirror (from the tragedy he writes in his own mind) because he can only imagine his mother’s iron expression, or his father’s glowing sigil. At least, he thinks, his sister does not share his burden.
the chimera child
Aeneas is a chimera not of appearance, but of disposition. Early on, Aeneas learns his societal role: he is a prince, with impeccable manners and a profound, insightful disposition. Aeneas, adaptable and even sly, navigates the Courts with an effortless, polite curiosity; he knows, almost intrinsically, how to be proper, and courteous, and adhere to the customs of both Day and Dusk. It is in this that Aeneas is a true chimera; he is split with the values of each Court, caught between pride and modesty, love and violence, strength and fear. Pandora is a box not opened in the world, but within his very heart. Aeneas is fluid, ever-changing; although his parents do not place outright pressure upon him, Aeneas experiences it nonetheless. The son Orestes knows is not always the same as the son that Marisol raises, and vice versa. He is a different prince to Day than he is to Dusk.
And who can blame Aeneas? Of all the gods, Vespera and Solis are perhaps the most contradictory. In this way, Aeneas is the true child of his parent’s deities. He takes more after his mother in that his heart is an iron vault; even as a young boy, he erects walls to protect himself through the simple knowledge that there is a chance (small, large, inconsequential or everything) that wearing his heart on his sleeve will leave him vulnerable. Because of this, he is shy with his feelings and secretive about his intentions. More frankly put, Aeneas hardly knows what he wants, even when it is put directly in front of him. He is mysterious even to himself.
As far as his father’s people go, Aeneas has easily inherited a fierce streak of Solterra pride, and a temper that erupts quite easily into violence. If his privacy is interfered with, or he is pushed outside of his social norm, Aeneas knows only to respond with anger and force; but later it is likely he will feel remorse and embarrassment for such emotional outbursts. He prefers to remain cool, and detached, and princely. Yet this violence, and pride, has the potential to emerge later on in life as a vengeful streak.
Yet, Aeneas is also an empath to the utmost degree. He is the type of boy, sensitive to an extreme, that will cry at nature's cruelty; to see a fawn felled by a wolf would certainly bring him to tears. He loves his family (particularly his mother and sister) to the point of self-sacrifice. In particular, Aeneas connects with the sad and lonely; he wants to shelter them, often perceiving himself to be the stronger. This, in its own way, is a certain type of delusion (or conceit). Aeneas latches on to others with personality traits he wishes he could express or exemplify when, in early childhood, he suppresses his innermost feelings to appear apathetic, charismatic, or mature.
This, in and of itself, is likely to develop out of the pressure of princehood. His entire identity is estranged from the moment he is born; is it better to be Terrastellan, or Solterran? Dusk, or Day? Does he worship Solis, or Vespera? Identity is a funny, fickle thing. So often, we find it tied to the organisations, the structures, the kingdoms we are apart of: and from the beginning, Aeneas struggles at once feeling both too much a part of everything, and abandoned by it. He is not Solterra’s Chosen Son; nor is he Terrastella’s Prince. He is both and neither.
And how does someone as young as he is deal with it, besides smiling, and adopting the personalities of each Court, each parent, each structure?
In fact, it is not so strange a thing if one day Aeneas wakes up, not even sure of who he is.
He dreams of a white stallion. The dreams come almost every night. They haunt him; they take on a life of their own.
He dreams of the waves crashing against the black sand, again and again, rolling bones and sea-shells and all the things inbetween.
Somehow, he knows he is the white stallion. Or was, once, many years ago. Somehow he knows the white stallion is dead but never really died, and lives on in this dream somehow on a black beach against a dark sea. Aeneas walks with him, and when they walk the white stallion shares strange stories. He calls the sea “mother” and the gods “the Old Ones.” He tells of a land that has never been touched by men and tells that same land was later conquered, and all his people were lost, and forgotten, and betrayed.
Solis never appears in this dream. The sun cannot penetrate the clouds, and the thick, almost opaque fog. Aeneas walks with the white stallion and they seem to walk forever. When he wakes he does not feel rested. When he wakes, Aeneas cannot remember the dream, or what the white stallion says. He only knows it will happen the next night, and the night after, and the night after that. He only knows the dream will visit him for the rest of his life. The name of the island leaves him, and the name of the people, and the name of the war that ended them. The most frightening thing, though, is that when Aeneas first awakes he sometimes cannot remember his own name. He lays awake in the dark, or the morning, and waits until it returns to him. And then he rises. And pretends he does not dream the same dream, of the white stallion on the black beach and the atmospheric forgetfulness that all dreams bring.
Tier 1: Discipuli — In order to understand Aeneas’s power, one must first understand the nature of cosmic energy. As a child, this is difficult for Aeneas and one of the most limiting factors of the Discipuli stage. Cosmic energy is the energy created not only by all living things, but by massive forces like the sun and stars. It is directly connected to spirituality, to the “bigger picture of being.” Cosmic energy is the connecting energy between all things, from the “Big Bang” onward. It is the energy of supernova giants, black holes, life, and death. The energy of the “soul.”
With that said, Aeneas, from a young age, is a type of living conductor. Cosmic energy flows through him more easily than others, as if he is a copper wire in an electric circuit; he is receptive to it. He is not an empath by any degree; but he is sensitive to the energy around him. There is “negative” and “positive” energy he might recognise, but only because he is open to the “flow” of the energy. Negative energy is associated with unformed, often destructive energy; it can be small blasts, explosions, or burns of pure energy. “Positive” energy is associated with creation, whether that be physical constructs of energy or a feeling of fullness and energy. This also opens him to the ability to manipulate it. In the Discipuli stage, Aeneas can only utilise his magic if the sun or stars are showing. From this pure cosmic energy, Aeneas is able to create radiant objects of light; he might create a cosmic sword or shield, for example, but never for an extended period of time and only at the expense of the energy of things surrounding him. He is at his most powerful when the sun or stars are exposed, and they act as a sort of “outlet” for him to draw energy from.
Additionally, Aeneas is very vulnerable to the energies of others and to his own cosmic energy. Particularly foul moods have the potential to either completely block his power, or the cosmic energy from small, living things around him. These are bugs or plants. For this reason, the scholars of his home Courts suggests he begins meditating. Only when Aeneas is at peace do his powers manifest in positive ways, and may he be fully receptive to manipulating cosmic energy. Using his powers at this stage fatigues him quickly, and may also manifest in ways he does not intend. For example, if Aeneas attempts to use cosmic energy to create a physical construct of a knife, it may instead manifest as a plate.
Tier 2: Vexillum — At this stage, Aeneas is more able to utilise cosmic energy to create cosmic constructs. He can transform pure cosmic energy into larger physical constructs for extended periods of time. Some of these constructs may remain, for example, as long as the sun (or stars) are visible, but dissipate at dawn or dusk. Before, Aeneas’s powers were limited to energy manipulated into a distinctive physical form; but now Aeneas can draw energy into pure cosmic energy, to form blasts, small walls, rays, and other projections. Aeneas finds, however, that peace of mind is an important aspect in utilising his powers; if Aeneas is upset or emitting “negative” energy in any way, his powers are more likely to draw from his surroundings (plants, bugs, even small animals at this stage). This has a detrimental effect on his psyche as well as the environment around him, and is something he has little of control of. Outbursts of anger, fear, or deep sorrow are the most harmful, and ones that he fears. On the flip side, Aeneas in particularly positive moods (specifically love or strong joy) emits, uncontrollably, pure cosmic energy that “fuels” the living things around him. This energy may make another feel better emotionally or even physically. Similarly, Aeneas remains very easily influenced by the energies of others on a subconscious level. He often finds his mood reflects that of those around him, and can be unpredictable and tumultuous because of his powers. Using his powers continues to fatigue him, but less so at this level.
Tier 3: Periti — At this stage, Aeneas no longer tires. He is far less susceptible to the emotions of others, although his own personal emotions continue to influence his abilities. As a child, he has the potential to develop in two distinctive directions--draining energy around him to become more powerful by demonstrating consistent negative emotions, or producing energy with a surplus of positive and healthy emotions. At this stage, Aeneas can manipulate cosmic energy to create cosmic constructs at ease. These constructs may reach previously unreached sizes, such as buildings. At this stage, Aeneas may also create “energy creatures” out of his cosmic energy. None of these constructs are permanent, but they do fade less quickly than before. They may sustain themselves for a period of days before dissipating. Aeneas experiences fatigues only at high levels, or in particularly trying group environments (for example, a battle-field would likely affect Aeneas in a negative way, to be surrounded by so much negative cosmic energy). Aeneas may also manipulate cosmic energy into blasts, rays, etc. of pure energy with ease. Aeneas is still more powerful in broad daylight or during a clear night, with the stars exposed.
Tier 4: Dominus — At this stage, only the most extreme emotional stimulus influences Aeneas’s powers (the death of a loved one, for example). He has complete mastery of cosmic energy, and can manipulate it to become whatever he desires. These constructs may remain for extended periods of time, but always dissipate eventually. Aeneas no longer relies on time of day to feel powerful; he is instead connected to cosmic energy at all times. Although he recognises both positive and negative cosmic energy, it no longer influences him directly from outside sources.
Evander the Dusk Lion
If the Sun Lions of Solterra are shrouded in mystery, the Dusk Lions of Terrastella are even more so. As a nomadic species, they are said to range across the swamps, fields, and cliffs of the region. They do not form prides but, instead, defend large territories from others. They live much longer than a typical lion, if not indefinitely, and are nearly the size of a horse. Evander is young when he and Aeneas are Bonded; this youth leads to brashness, mischief, and overall a lack of severity. He is almost painfully irresponsible and lackadaisical; his feline apathy extends to most realms of thought and interaction. Evander is serious in only one pursuit: that is Vespara. Dusk Lions, are Sun Lions, are said to be connected closely to the gods. A resident of Terrastella, Evander is devout in his belief of Vespara and his worship of her. Mythology suggests Dusk Lions are the keepers of the barrier between night and day: with them comes patience, regality, and secrets that become dreams.
Initially, Evander does not possess a full mane. As he ages, this mane thickens. He is predominately black and charcoal gray, with brazen blue markings that glow along his sides. His paw pads, nose, skin, and mouth are blue, with lighter gray accenting at his chest and throat. Dusk Lions are overall much bulkier than their Sun Lion counterparts; they are broad of chest and build, with stouter limbs. This allows them to be powerful climbers of cypress trees and cliff-sides alike. They are predominately active during Dusk and, perhaps, Dawn, but prefer to avoid the middle of the day and night.
Magic: tbd
Staff Log
Saved incentives/prizes: None.
08/10/20 Username changed from Aegean to Aeneas. -SID
08/15/20 Character application approved, +20 signos for character ref, active magic approved upon acceptance & sent item -LAYLA
08/15/20 +1EXP for gaining an interactive agora item (active magic) -LAYLA
10/02/21 Character is two - automatically changed from Youth to Citizen. -INKBONE
04/03/22 Moved to inactive from Dusk Court Citizen during EOY507 AC. -INKBONE
