JEZANNA
we are infinite as the universe we hold inside
T
here was an emptiness in the streets, a lack of the brevity she had grown so used to filling these court walls. The torchlight flickered on, bodies passed her by, hooves clicking on the cobblestones, but they celebrated nothing. Not the little victories, not the everyday joys that normally made them smile. The regime had first shut them in, locking them off from the rest of Novus, and then they had opened the gates, walked to the summit of Veneror and then they had disappeared. As the days had gone by, Jezanna had tried and failed to search for answers. There was nobody left for her to seek them from, nobody who seemed to know what had happened or why it had come to this.In the end, Jezanna and turned to herself. Could she have done something different? No, most likely not, but she could do something now. She could accept that things were changed irrevocably, they were changed irrevocably, and that there was no erasing hurt, or pain, or mistakes, only learning and growing from them. She had realized that, standing out in the dry grasses of Sideralis Prairie, looking up at the fading night sky. How many times had she looked up at that same sky and wondered if her parents were looking up at their own sky and waiting for her, hoping she would come back to them? How many times had she stayed awake all night, pacing the streets, the library, the corridors, unable to break herself of the habit of tracing the heavens while the rest of the world slept.
The Night Court had been altered, affected more deeply than simply surface scars and burns. The pass would regrow, and it would grow back greener and more beautiful than before. With time, and care and attention, this Court would do the same. Given time, the people would regain the sparks that made them who they were, would maybe stop carrying ghosts on their backs quite so heavily. Jezanna wanted to do more, be more, for her home, her fellow citizens. What, though, was the right answer? What could she, a commoner, do that the regime did not, that others could not.
When the voice rang out through the skies it reverberated through her bones. Her heart thudded, her eyes widened. A shiver skipped down the length of her spine. Jezanna stopped where she walked the cobbled streets of the court and drew in a breath. Was it possible that the demigoddess of the night had come? She turned, pressing through the gathering crowd, her steel blue coat brushing up against bodies of black, gold, white and every color in between. All who were near gathered in the center court, pressing closer and closer to the demigoddess’ shadowy, diamond studded form. The were whispers, exclamations, anger and joy and then there was Caligo. Strong, statuesque, standing before the crowd with eyes like stars. For a moment, Jezanna forgot how to breathe.
And then, she composed herself, all shuddering skin and flickering lashes and unsteady heart, and she moved through the mass of bodies. She stood before the demigoddess of the night, patron deity of Denocte and she wondered: is this how the beings on her own world had felt, whenever she or her parents had stepped out of the heavens? She could not feel more mortal now than standing before the great sovereign of Novus’ night sky, but she also felt closer to the life she’d left behind than she had in months. There was a swelling in her, a rushing of warmth that she could only describe as belonging, as conviction. As purpose.
At last, Jezanna spoke.
“If you know me, if you know where I come from, who I am, then you know what I've done.” She paused, silver eyes calmly holding Caligo’s in her own, laying herself bare. She had no reason to hide anymore. She was Jezanna, daughter of the sun, Solace, and the moon, Lunaris. She had been the second moon. She had walked the sky, looked down over a world that was in her hands and not known enough to care for it properly. “We have both let people down,” she glanced at Araxes, brave, fiery Araxes, “The same as others have let these people down.” Her glance landed on Bexley, who she only knew from what she had heard, and Raymond, who she did not know of at all, and yet here they stood, before the demigoddess of the night. Jezanna was no longer immortal, perhaps, but she would always hold her deityship close. She could never forget what it meant to hold a nation in your hands, could never forget what it had taught her, about grace, about leadership, about choices.
She spoke of course of Eidolon, the very man who had dragged her here, taken her away from her home, her family, the ones she cared about. But it had been her own doing, the doing of her parents, that had made him feel like he had no other choice, that the only way to find love was to take it for himself. She knew that now. When her parents cast him out, Jezanna had said nothing, had never stepped in at his defense or to hear his story. But, he had been her people too, not just the ones who had inhabited her world since the beginning of time. Eidolon had been new, been different, but that didn't mean he deserved less, meant less than anyone else. The young moon had done to him what this world had done to Caligo.
Now, it was time to atone for it. Now, it was time to make a different choice.
“What Night Court needs, what your people, my people, our people need,” she said, glancing once more toward those standing before the demigoddess, “is a chance.” A chance to show that they were more than what circumstances and rumors and the past said they were. A chance to show that they were as capable of peace and deserving of understanding as anyone else. What they needed was someone who could give them a fresh start, to grow and to prosper and to thrive. “What they need is hope.” Hope for a future, where things would be different, for everyone. Caligo may have a choice to make, but her decision wouldn't only affect the Court that she called home, but every court and every being in Novus. If Jezanna could do something, anything, she would do it without hesitation.
-- | "speaks" | --
About the RPer
Katherine
23
I've held many in my years of RP, from brand new positions where I've created the lore, positions, etc. from the ground up, to where I've adapted to an already existing group and built upon it. Previously I held a leadership position for approximately a year and a half worth of OOC time, and currently I only hold a leadership position on my own site, which is a small project and would not interfere with my ability to hold a position of power here on Novus.
What I really enjoy most about having a character in a position of power is the ability to shape an IC people, to bring together characters and people, and to create events that everyone can enjoy, and it's why I seem to always come back to them again and again. I like creating things, building things, that everyone can enjoy, not just a select few. My least favorite aspect of leading I would say is that I can be a people pleaser. I love to take everyone's thoughts and opinions on board because their thoughts matter, but at times this can make it difficult to do things the way they need to be done. It's something I'm constantly working on and I believe recently I've been getting better with it.
One of my favorite things I first read about in the guidebook when I joined was bondeds. Never, on any site I’ve been a part of could characters have their own familiars. It’s a fantasy element that I love from books and films and although I really like magic I have to admit I am way more excited to give all my characters awesome bondeds someday. There’s a lot of things about Novus I love, from the community, to the world and its characters, and they're all reasons why I joined, but this was something that struck me as very unique coming from my specific RP background.
General Information
Jezanna
4 [Year 498 Spring]
Female [She/Her/Hers]
Pansexual
Holsteiner X Arabian
14.3 hh
Appearance
Here
Jezanna is a simple beauty, swathed in the colors of a gentle, peaceful night. The majority of her coat is steel blue in color, fine and smooth to the touch. This is only broken by the rabicano-like marking on her abdomen, a soft white covering her belly with subtle striping and speckles almost like stars scattered throughout. This same soft and sprinkled white covers her throat and forms a sloping mark which begins around her eyes—which are shocking and silver against her dark haif, with the faintest of pupils—and narrows until it reaches the end of her nose. Jezanna’s hooves are cloven and seem to shimmer like moonlight, flecked with luminous sparks. Where her tail is long and flowing, dragging along the ground, her mane is stick straight and cropped abruptly at a sharp angle. Her mane is an inky blue, like a deep midnight sky, but her tail is quite the opposite; completely white at the end and fading halfway up into the color of her coat at the dock. From between her ears Jezanna sports a pair of antlers which match her mane in color, large and curving up and forward. Overall, she is of medium build—although a bit smaller at under 15 hh—with fine features and a sloped neck.
Personality
Intelligent, kind, intuitive, inquisitive, loyal, social, passionate, stubborn, reserved, pacifistic, naive, free-spirited, idealistic
Jezanna is a gentle soul who cares deeply for everyone she comes into contact with. She is empathetic and intuitive, often able to pick up on another's emotions which, she feels, helps to give her a better connection to whoever she meets. Her eyes display a true kindness that really knows no bounds regardless of who they look upon, and beneath that is an incredible intelligence that speaks to many more years of experience than she could possibly have seen according to her mortal age. When tested she can be cunning and clever and quick on her feet--though she lacks in much physical strength and fine tuned fighting ability--and a lot of this comes from her curious, childlike way of wanting to learn all that she can possibly learn. Jezanna is eager to ask questions and to discover the world around her, and she seeks out and soaks up knowledge like a sponge. In many ways she is wise beyond her years, but still very much youthful and naive.
The midnight girl has so little worldly experience, and although she has learned so much she still sees the good in experiences and people. She wants to believe that everyone has the best interests of those around them in mind the same way that she does, but Jezanna has come to realize that it's not true, that some people act selfishly and for themselves, regardless of how it affects the ones around them. She's learned that sometimes, in order to good by the ones you care about, sacrifices may need to be made. Jezanna has a passion for others and their wellbeing, and would quickly stand up for what she believes in without question. She believes in hope and in doing the right thing, even if it's not the easy thing. She believes that there is always a different, better path to take. Perhaps in that way she is still idealistic at heart.
Jezanna is very friendly, a regular social butterfly who enjoys getting to know others and make friends wherever and whenever she can, but she has yet to be completely honest about her life as a deity and the world she came from. She will always hold her past close to her, and be grateful for the lessons it has taught her, but her fear is that other may treat her differently because of it. To her, nothing is more important than who she is now and what she can do for the ones she cares about. She has a stubborn, independent streak, more often than not wanting to prove that she is strong and unafraid regardless of what she faces down. Not altogether unyielding but certainly not one to simply stand back and take what is thrown her way or allow herself to be controlled. Jezanna is a take destiny by the reins sort, unwilling to let things happen to her without doing something about it.
History
Calafir was the beginning, and they created the sky, the clouds, the grass and the water. They built a world and then filled it with creatures of all shapes and sizes. Seeing that his children were unhappy, Calafir then made two more in his image who could lead his creations, guide them, and offer them light. Solace, the sun, was first and Lunaris, the moon, came later. Though they rarely crossed paths, in time, the two deities fell in love and from their passion was created a child. Jezanna was born swathed in stars and midnight skies. She was the second moon, smaller, gentler than her mother with a heart as warm as her father’s, and she roamed the skies more often than either of her parents. All loved her but she was young and sheltered.
Jezanna spent a lot of time on the ground, among the creations of Calafir, and she was rarely ever involved in the politics of the world by her parents. They allowed her to grow in her innocence and wonder without realizing the detriment it would have to their daughter. The first time they ever allowed her to watch them deal with such things as their godly duties required was the day a dark figure emerged from the shadows and introduced himself as Eidolon. He was nothing like anything Jezanna or her parents and seen before, and in their uncertainty they sent him away, telling him he had no choice but to leave their world, not even considering that it was his world, too. Knowing no better, the young moon simply watched him walk away, believing that her parents knew what they were doing and believing it was for the best.
He left, eventually, but he did not go alone.
Jezanna’s parents became unreasonable, paranoid even, after that meeting and they kept her from visiting the world even though she so longed to be with the ones she cared for down on the earth. Inexperienced and stubborn, she used a dark night to sneak out on her own and travel down to the ground. It was there that Eidolon found her, wrapping them both in his strange, shadowy magic and stole her away, transporting them away from their world. The pair landed on Novus and upon waking Jezanna came to figure out she no longer had any of her abilities, could no longer spend nights walking across the sky among the stars. Quickly she too realized that she had a ticking clock on her life. Her immortality had been stripped away and she was trapped.
In the beginning, Jezanna rejected the idea of any place being home other than the world she had been born to. She was angry with and resentful of Eidolon for stealing her away from everything she had ever known. In time, however, the young moon met new faces and made new friends and she discovered that she cared for the citizens of the kingdom she had found herself in. Slowly but surely Jezanna began to accept her new life and this new world until, one day she realized she felt it in her very soul: this was where she belonged. At some point, without her even noticing, Night Court and all of those within had become her home and her family and she was okay with it. She had stood with and for them and she knew that whatever came she would continue to do so.
Whatever had brought her to Novus and to Denocte—call it fate, destiny, divine intervention—Jezanna knew it was her chance to make a difference and to learn from the mistakes she had made in the past. She knew now that her parents had been wrong, and she had been wrong, and it was time for her to make her own choices and lay her own path.
Sovereign Questions
Although Jezanna is no longer immortal, she is still a deity at heart. She understands what it’s like to be looked up to, and trusted, to have responsibility on her shoulders. But she also took it for granted and never imagined that she would ever be without that power and immortality. She was young, and she didn't understand how to use her power either. When she first came to Novus she was innocent, and certainly naive and idealistic, but even in the time since arriving she has built relationships, and grown exponentially beyond my vision for her. When she first came to Novus she rejected that it could ever be a home to her, but for each passing day, every crisis and joy, she’s been changing along with the world. Only by coming to Novus and becoming mortal, does she understand how she should have used her power as a goddess. Now, she wants to use that knowledge to lead Night Court out of a dark time.
Despite being ripped from her own world and brought to Novus, she’s come to accept and even truly feel this is where she belongs and as thought she was brought here for a purpose. During the event of the Raven Gates closing, Jezanna spoke with wisdom, maturity and reason, and although the threads fell through, she immediately went searching for understanding. I think she has shown the honorability, grace and perhaps most importantly, strength and adaptability, to take on a position of leadership, with the allowance and ability to continue grow within the role. She has stood up for the citizens of Denocte, and would do what was within her to protect them and see them happy. Jezanna was an imperfect goddess, and she is an imperfect mortal, but she wants to do better, and make better the world she now lives in by learning from her past mistakes, the past mistakes of others, and listening to the people.
Jezanna wants to rally the people of Denocte, she wants to foster peace and trust. She’s aware that there is a whole world out there that she knows very little about, including the other Courts and inhabitants of Novus, but she feels especially that the Night Court needs her. The first thing she would want to do is speak to her own Court, reassure them, build morale and community among them. A stable house cannot be built without a strong foundation, and they and the Court are her number one priority. Then she would want to travel to the other Courts to learn about them and their people, to hear their stories and thoughts, to promote harmony and build relationships. Jezanna would, first and forever, want to ensure the safety of her people and the continued growth and prosperity of Night Court, even as she would want to give them a new chance to show the world that they are not who events may have painted them to be. She wouldn't want to try to erase the past, because it can't be erased from the minds of people who were affected by it, but she would try to repair the bridges that have been burned and hope that with time and care, wounds would be healed.
Ever since first joining Novus with Jezanna, I’ve been searching for something, some plot, some event, some change, that would spur development for her. My initial plan was to move her up from Commoner to Sage, perhaps even eventually to a Champion position, and I even early on expressed an interest to have her be Emissary as I believed the position suited her. For awhile, nothing happened and she stagnated and I kept reaching out for plots that never seemed to come along. This, it feels right, and I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try for it
Regardless of the outcome, I'm excited to see all the auditions that may come and to watch events unfold about the future of the Night Court.
