[OOC] The Otherworld: Faerie Light™

[POOHEAD189]

Ok, I'm thinking I might have some time to check this out now haha.

[Fairess]

@Prince of Seraphs

As Orson Scott Card says, as long as one realizes the first draft of a piece is always tossable, the writer will do just fine. I don't mind a mass history overhaul or expanding Enchantment to all races, but the character's significance in society and arguably plot is that she has the best and broadest understanding of Enchantment. If the mechanics of Enchantment and Autumn land/society sit well with you, I don't mind revising and coordinating such details.

It is likely, then, that I would revise the race to Autumn Elves and eliminate its racial tie to enchantment. Forgoing all ancient history, however, I will need guidelines or at the very least suggestions for how an Autumn ruler came into power and what society would expect from her.

[Lady Seraphina]

@OppositionJ

Yasha

Basic Information

Common Name(s):

Yasha, Savannah Queen, Avatar of Summer

True Name:

Manayakshah

Race:

Rakshasa

Gender:

Female

Age:

Everyone seems to have their own answer when it comes to the subject of Yasha’s age. Throughout history she has appeared and disappeared. Some seem to have memories of her from even the beginning of their lives, but there are long periods of time where it seems she did not exist. Some believe she is as old as time, while others seem to believe that she barely broaches a century old. The question has become somewhat of a widespread mystery that has a million answers but no definitive ones.

Fae Court:

Summer

Position/Occupation:

Dauphiné

Text Color

Orchid
“Reality is not something to be accepted as fate. Reality is something you can twist to your whims. Reality is in the eye of the beholder…”

Appearance

Hair Color:

Pure White

Eye Color:

Purple

Skin Pigmentation:

Pale Beige

Height:

65 Inches

Weight:

118 Pounds

Physical Appearance:

Yasha, in both forms, appears as a slim and short young lady moving with perfect elegance and grace. She appears almost frail in body, yet moves with perfect form. Her pale complexion often contrasts with the warm hues around her within her homeland, and is even further complimented by her pure white hair that falls loosely around her head in a very straight strand. It crowns around her head, stopping just as it reaches her neck. Upon cracking a smile, Yasha’s sharp set of teeth are visibly pointed at the ends. In her primal Rakshasa form, white fur striped with black spreads across her forearms and legs. She bares two of these arms on each side of her body, though one pair is often hidden below her robe. Her eyes, in this form, seem to ignite a flame of glowing energy. Disturbing the perfect straightness of Yasha’s hair are two black horns protruding a few inches above her ears. They begin pushing backwards before curving forwards, somewhat akin to a small version of ram’s horns. Just visible from beneath her robe is a white tiger’s tail, swaying gently as Yasha walks.

Attire:

Yasha often dresses in a very whimsical and traditional manner. She adorns herself in a long, silken, and dark purple robe that fits loosely around her slim figure causing it to flow graciously with the wind. It is tied off around her body with a large black sash that covers most of her abdomen. This robe, as stellar as it appears, is often the only garment that covers Yasha. In her bright and warm homeland, shoes are not often required and can often be an encumbrance when walking in nature- at least in Yasha’s opinion. A few accessories are not all too uncommon, though. Yasha finds herself often wearing a large violet flower in her hair to compliment her robe or a purple and translucent facial veil over her mouth. Yasha is always seen with a rather unique eyepatch of a dark purple color- so dark that it is often mistaken for black. The flaming glow does not seem to emanate from under the eye. It is not uncommon to see Yasha’s hands covered with white silken gloves, but she has also been seen covering her hands- particular the fingers, covered with large metal talon-like claws. Resembling the claws of a tiger with a great amount of ornate decor, it appears to be much more than jewelry.

Glamour(s):

Yasha, due to her being a Rakshasa, does not often find glamours to be useful, but she has been known to use glamours to mask minor features of her primal form if she intends to go undercover while still harnessing the convenience of the form. The most common glamours she uses are those to mask her horns and those to mask her fur.

Personality

Innate & Outward Personality:

Yasha is best described as a sly and pompous conspirator, as if she is always searching for an angle on those she speaks to. Yasha seems the type of person to hold herself higher than others. It is not uncommon for her to blatantly boast and put herself above others, but at times she does this in a more underhanded and indirect manner. Finding Yasha in a flustered or angered manner is extremely uncommon if even possible. She always appears calm and collected, never losing her cool, and never being caught by surprise. Yasha delights in toying with her prey. Yasha is no stranger to enjoyment, though. Despite the great deal of her time spent tirelessly plotting away, Yasha is rather playful by nature, enjoying certain childish activities and finding herself serene within nature. Despite this, Yasha is not a completely benevolent creature. She has been known, albeit rarely, to be rather ruthless in punishment.

Skills/Talents:

Yasha is a very special kind of diplomat. She has become very adept at sly and underhanded dealings. Intimidating tactics and reading her opponents come easy to Yasha. The Summer Court has always been a very nationalistic nation and it seems there is a natural charisma about Yasha that amplifies that. She is very likeable and tends to easily manipulate others. Yasha was also trained as a hunter, honing her combative skills to a point. Combat wasn’t all Bakasura taught Yasha, though. She learned to a rather great infiltrator, so it is not uncommon that Yasha’s company finds that their companion has slipped away unnoticed.

Goals/Motivation

Yasha’s motivations and purpose have always been an enigma. Much like other aspects of her person, Yasha’s motives have been speculated at a great number of times. The most common conjectures, which are without doubt true to an extent, are that Yasha is out for personal power and power for her court. Many of the actions Yasha has taken in her lifetime have lead her to power. Whether that was her intent or not remains a mystery. The only thing known for sure about Yasha’s drive is that she enjoys being in control.

History:

Before Yasha, the Summer Court had a very different dynamic surrounding it. Ruled by the glorious and powerful Fae: Dauphin Horus. He was a beast of war. Wielding impossible tactics and immense combative abilities, Horus and his court became legendary for their ability to best any other military power. Even more, Horus was never caught missing a battle, always at the side of his troops. The Summer Court was filled with extreme pride in their heritage, driving Horus to hold his population above all others. For ages upon ages, Horus ruled the Summer Court. All his people dared not oppose him due to the nationalistic pride Horus brought that kept the people of the Summer Court happy.

From birth, the young Rakshasa knew not about her true family or where she came from. Yasha was taken as an infant from her family by a rather powerful group that operated within the Summer Court. Their business was not savory, and often involved intermingling with the human world in very malicious ways. When her captors attempted to identify her, Yasha was mislabeled as a sort of the Deva rather than the much rarer Rakshasas. The syndicate that had taken her was worried because of this, thus placing heavy restrictions upon her. She grew up living with no idea of her true origin, within a poor territory as opposed to her apex bloodline’s rich lifestyle, but Yasha was not one to lay idly by and accept the cards that she was dealt. Yasha never accepted fate. Her Rakshasa nature couldn’t be suppressed. Through time, the nature of her ‘captivity’ of sorts, made Yasha more and more aggression. She fled from her pseudo-family and found herself among urchins. For great lengths of time, Yasha was starved and without possessions. It was during this time, the predatory nature of a Rakshasa came to surface. Yasha took to killing for food. No, Yasha wasn’t any sort of assassin or mercenary. She was a hunter. Rakshasas, by nature, are flesh eaters. Whatever animals she could find were her meals. It was a pathetic time for the young Yasha, and killing animals didn’t always leave her on good terms with local Fae.

This struggling that was Yasha’s day to day life led to many problems with other Fae, eventually driving Yasha to find herself hunting elsewhere. She found herself drawn outside of the Fae world, following the trail of a lost human. Her journey lead her to the boundary between worlds, Fae and man. Yasha was reluctant to cross the barrier. She had never strayed this far from her home city, let alone another world. It was then that Yasha was approached by someone through a thicket of nearby trees. He appeared entirely human, but the way he carried himself- the way he looked around like he knew where he was and what he was doing, Yasha knew he was Fae. He was a handsome Fae, dressed head to toe in an elegant and traditional outfit. She remained silent, staring into his gaze for a long moment. He was the one that broke the silence.

“You… You are feeling urges when you see them- The non-Fae folk.” Yasha gave a nod, entranced by the words of the man. “I am like you. We are different, and we must feed… We are Rakshasas…” Yasha was a bit awestruck by the man’s words. They talked for a long while about Rakshasa and the legends of the Maneaters. He taught Yasha that she could consume man like animals and explained that the Rakshasas were predators with the world as their prey. He also gave Yasha his name. He was known in legend as Bakasura. This creature took Yasha under his wing. He taught her about the humans and how they made easy prey for top of the food chain hunters like Rakshasas. Yasha was a loyal student. She killed when Bakasura told her to kill. Anything he asked, she accomplished without hesitation or fail. For the first time in her life, Yasha changed. Yasha’s innocence had disappeared.

Together, they were ruthless, savage, and animalistic. Apart, they were nothing- Yasha was nothing. Yasha felt uncertain as her emotions grew stronger for her new companion in a way she had never felt before. Yasha was falling for Bakasura. They were partners in crime in everything that they did. Yasha lost all sight of her previous life. She was an astute hunter who never failed in her work. Bakasura had molded her young mind into that of a killer’s, and she allowed it. Yasha’s entire life began to revolve around Bakasura’s bidding. It was as if she was his partner in crime- at least, in her mind her was. Their relationship, although it may not have looked it at first, devolved into a very one sided interaction. Despite his harsh treatment of Yasha, she couldn’t help but feel that he cared for her due to her previous upbringing. She was a loyal companion, and served as Bakasura’s false companion to the end. Indeed, no Rakshasa relationship can last forever, not with Yasha.

It was over a century that the two stayed together, but there was reasoning for that. Bakasura and Yasha were on top of the world. They made no mistakes, killed ruthlessly, and spared no mercy for anyone that they came across. That didn’t stop Bakasura from using all his pawns as sacrificial pieces at the first chance he got. Yasha and he were raiding a large tower within the summer court in which the pair were anonymous yet notorious criminals. Surrounded by the Dauphin’s guard, Bakasura ran Yasha through with a blade, leaving her bleeding to death for the guards to capture while he escaped. Yasha wasn’t going to give up so easily, though. She stood and fought with all of her might, bringing down guard after guard before they managed to capture her. Bakasura may not have cared for her, but he sure did train her well. Nearly eviscerated by the and thrown to the dungeon with no regard for her health. Yasha was to be executed publicly. There was no disputing the hundreds that had been affected by her criminal actions. Within the cell, Yasha found herself jeered at, pummeled, and abused by any guard that managed a shift to watch her cell. Left bleeding and beaten, Yasha showed her lifespan as her wounds flow with blood and she still manages to stand. She was unarmed and always watched by the hound-like guard of the Summer Court. This, of course, wasn’t going to dissuade her from fighting back.

As he leaned upon the bars, the guard felt air expel from his throat as his neck was wrapped around. It was then that Yasha sunk her teeth into his flesh. Despite her constant hunting, Bakasura had never made Yasha kill another Fae. Her victims were always human or fauna, but the rage overcame her. Her greatest friend- The man she so longed for had betrayed her and she was blind to his wicked intent. As the corpse before her thudded to the floor, her body swayed slightly in its weakened state. Fetching her kill’s keys and blade was an arduous task, but she managed. Now she had to escape, for with this incident, Yasha would surely not be given any semblance of trial. She would be slain if spotted, but the rage within her surpassed any sensible solutions. Her human form melded away, revealing all of her Rakshasa features. As she stepped, fear, betrayal, and depression blocked her from coherent thought. She ran through the palace, slashing another of the royal guards who had his back turned with the small blade. Yasha didn’t even look back to see if he lived or perished. She just kept running.

The Dauphin’s palace was not meant to be infiltrated, of course. Yasha had no hope of escape. Her young Fae mind didn’t understand this until it was too late, though. Within the palace’s main atrium, Yasha was surrounded by at least a dozen soldiers armed to the teeth. They moved forward as a unit, encircling Yasha more and more. Soon, the tips of each spear was only inches from her body. Yasha lets her eyelids fall shut. This wasn’t how she wanted to die. She wanted to die at his side, but did she still? So many questions seemed to run through the mind of the Rakshasa as everything seemed to slow around her. She gritted her teeth, waiting for the inevitable cold embrace, but it wouldn’t come. Slowly her eyes shifted open, and before her was a sight she knew sealed her fate. The Dauphin parted his soldiers and stood before the kneeling girl.

“Cease…” His voice boomed out and the spears surrounding Yasha reactively fell to the side of their wielders. “Look at me, child…” Dauphin Horus brought a hand that jerked her chin upwards to peer into his eyes. He was a regal sight to behold, and to be this close was not a privilege that Yasha deserved, but something about her caught the Dauphin’s eye. “She is Bakasura’s most recent servant, yes? She shall not die. I will take her.” Yasha paid no attention to Horus’s words of her fate. The first sentence he spoke struck a chord within her. Most recent servant? Had Bakasura done this to others? She was lost in thought as the surrounding crowd discussed her fate. A single tear dripping down her cheek. Her life… Was all wrong. She was the bad guy.

“She cannot go unpunished,” called one of the Dauphin’s guards. His reply chilled the crowd, a frown twisting onto his face.

“And she won’t…” Horus brought his clawed hand up from her chin as he spoke, wiping the tear from her eye. His hand was gentle, but Yasha could feel the ill intent within the man. His frown twisted into a smile as his clawed hand positioned itself over her eye, forcing itself downward with an eruption of blood. Yasha’s screams pierced the entire palace that day…

For months following Yasha’s punishment she was taught how to live properly as a servant to the Dauphin. She cleaned, prepared, and managed anything Horus wished in the palace, and in turn, she was given a cramped room within the palace to reside in. Well, Despite its appearance, Yasha’s ornate room was truly a cell that she was placed in when not working. Yasha never protested her fate. She diligently worked, though she was very detached from everything. This disconnected personality intrigued Dauphin Horus. It wasn’t long before Yasha became more than a servant to the lone leader. She became a courtesan- a companion. This was a completely unexpected gesture to the Rakshasa. She didn’t understand why the Dauphin had been so forgiving to such a criminal, but he never told her. She started to live a life of luxury in the royal palace. It was an unexpected glamour thrown upon her, but it wasn’t truly freedom. Yasha was still not allowed to leave the palace, and this fact gave her comfort. She felt she needed to repent in some way and the Dauphin was assisting her in accomplishing that goal.

Yasha was faithful, yet still distant for another great length of time, but she eventually started to accommodate to the royal lifestyle. With all that Horus asked of her, she wanted to be allowed more and more in return, and as he satisfied her wishes more and more, the two grew very close. There was one thing Dauphin Horus would never grant her though: Her freedom. Yasha was once again fooled by charm. The two lived together in a harmonious and routine lifestyle, but sooner or later Horus ran out of things to give Yasha to pacify her curiosity. He offered her one thing he knew the broken hearted Rakshasa couldn’t refuse: the love she desired. With Horus’s people beginning to grow against his solo ruling, he was in need of a Dauphiné, but he could never truly split his power with Yasha. His love for her was strong, but he never believed in her as a just ruler.

Despite Horus’s best efforts, Yasha wouldn’t accept the life of a servant to her love. Horus allowed her to become his consort, but the powers of the Dauphiné were never granted to her. It was merely a figurehead to satiate not only Yasha, but also the Dauphin’s people. Every time decisions would come to the table of the Summer COurt, Yasha’s opinions would always be disregarded or shot down. Yasha was clearly unhappy about this, but Horus didn’t seem to care. The two grew a slight distance for the first time since Horus took Yasha under his wing. It was then a huge turn of events occurred within the Summer Court: The Dauphin was assassinated.

No one knew how or why he was killed and many of the details seemed to have been overlooked by the public. There was little to no investigation and many do not know why that was. The Summer Court’s citizens were a happy people that grieved when Horus was slain, but he had prepared them for his death as he had entered battle so many times. Yasha was able to take the throne as Dauphiné of Summer Court, starting the age of the Rakshasa, and no one ever knew why it seemed Dauphin Horus was rended by tiger’s claws in his end...

Relationships (To Be Added)

Relationships

Dynamics:

| Name Here |

| {Impression (Good/Bad/Neutral} | {Relationship (Friend, Rival, Sibling, etc)} |

[Description of Relationship]

Other:

There's nothing inherently wrong here but there are certain aspects that I need more details on. These are largely to do with the areas that were left purposefully vague. Horus' death, Yasha's age etc. Since you likely don't want those things to be public knowledge if you could please PM them to me that would be great.

The Rakshasa

Race:

Rakshasa
(Based on Rakshasa and similar Hindu Deva)

Common Physical Traits:

Rakshasas have two complete forms that they inhabit, due to their special abilities. Their original and primal form appears just like their humanoid with quite a few additions. All of a Rakshasa’s limbs are covered with a smooth and short hair that appears with the stripes of a tiger. The idea that Rakshasa have close ties with tigers is seen even more so with the tiger tail that Rakshasa’s have in their primal form. Horns of various shapes protrude from their skulls, making them look rather regal in appearance. When in their primal form, a Rakshasa’s eyes appear to hold small flames within themselves. Often hidden beneath clothing when not needed, Rakshasas have not two, but four arms- two protruding from each shoulder. All Rakshasa mouths bare a full set of gleaming sharp teeth, originally used when Rakshasas were natural hunters outside of civilization. One of the most peculiar features of Rakshasas that set them apart from other races is the strange nature of their hands. Instead of having their palms and thumbs facing inwards, the palms appear on the back of their hands, as if they were inverted.

Court:

Rakshasas can be found in any of the four courts, but they are most commonly found in the Summer and Autumn courts.

Abilities:

Rakshasa are commonly believed to be a demonic offspring of natural hunters. With the ability to shapeshift into a human form that appears similar to their natural and primal form, a Rakshasa is remarkably good at furtive and shady business. This form can be manifested for greatly extended amounts of time. Rakshasas are also known tricksters and sorcerers. This ability is actually often exaggerated by those unfamiliar with the creature. Rakshasas truly only have the power of illusion. More particularly, a Rakshasa has the ability to create illusory copies of themselves that last for short periods of time. Most often used to appear in greater numbers or as diversions, Rakshasas have become known for convoluted, sneaky, and serpentine methods of attack. These illusory doubles are extremely volatile and will likely shatter upon any interaction with other living things.

Limits:

A Rakshasa only has one humanoid form that they’ve mastered their ability to shapeshift into. Any attempt to shapeshift into another creature would fail. Picking up on subtle hints can make seeing through a Rakshasa’s disguise easy work. For example, a Rakshasa’s teeth can never be hidden even in its human form. It is also not uncommon that Rakshasas struggle to hide their flaming eyes. A Rakshasa’s illusory doubles cannot last for extended periods of times and it can be easy to learn to spot out a Raksha’s illusions if one is trained and the Rakshasa is not cunning with their deployment.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:

Rakshasas, throughout legends, have always had one weakness that trumps all others: Brass. The particular metal never works well with Rakshasa. When in contact with brass in any way, A Rakshasa’s illusions are instantly shattered. Injuries involving brass weaponry can also cause Rakshasas to become very weak and even paralyzed for short times in some cases. These injuries are also known to prevent a Rakshasa from using its illusion abilities at all. Due to their heavy connections to sorcery, Rakshasas have another prevalent weakness. Magic circles drawn in particular patterns, known as binding circles, can ward off or close in Rakshasas. Whether used to trap in Rakshasas or keep them out, binding circles have become a bane of all Rakshasas.

Social Standing:

Due to many past transgressions and altercations involving Rakshasas, the race has been branded with a reputation for being cunning and conniving. This often leads to the race as a whole being branded untrustworthy and discriminated against. This hasn’t caused the Rakshasas to be pushed around, though. Instead it was rather the opposite. Many fear the sly tendencies of the creatures, always believed to be working an angle and always seeming to have the upper hand.

Historical Impact:

Rakshasas are believed to be a primeval race, existing since the beginning of time. Legend has it, Rakshasa are the incarnations of the world’s most evil sinners, or that they were spawned from the mistake of an ancient and powerful Fae. No matter what is believed, it is understood that the Rakshasa are to be feared. They were not truly an extremely impactful and well known race of Fae until the Dauphiné of the Summer Court came to power. It was then that numerous Rakshasas surfaced as agents of the Summer Court and earned their sly reputation.

What exactly differentiates the Rakshasas' primal form from its humaniod one? It seems they are almost identical save for a number of details with could just as easily be hidden with glamour.

@Prince of Seraphs, I am more than happy to assist in writing lore and detailing the Summer Court if you'd allow me.

I would be more than grateful if you would. Just so you know I have a tendency to take a concept and run with it so if I like a beginning you make by the time I finish with it might not be recognizable. Hope that's alright. Don't worry I'll credit you.

[Howler]

I may throw my hat in as things are more fleshed out. It looks like there are some specific ideas you have towards things that aren't yet posted, but I'll be keeping an eye out for the opportunity when the dust settles.

[Lady Seraphina]

I may throw my hat in as things are more fleshed out. It looks like there are some specific ideas you have towards things that aren't yet posted, but I'll be keeping an eye out for the opportunity when the dust settles.

@Howler

That about sums it up, some things I'm just not certain how to put into words. Posting OOC might have been a bit premature but I'll getting everything in there eventually.

[yoshua171]

This is really intriguing and well thought out. I'm not sure if I'm gonna join or not, but I do think it's definitely worthy of a compliment or eight :P

[shylarah]

@yoshua171 Oh hello Yosh~

[yoshua171]

Hiya Shy.

[Lady Seraphina]

This is really intriguing and well thought out. I'm not sure if I'm gonna join or not, but I do think it's definitely worthy of a compliment or eight :P

@yoshua171

Well thought out might not be the best words to describe it given how many holes I need to fill in but thank you for the compliment. If this is something you decide you'd like to join we would be more than happy to have you.

[yoshua171]

I can tell you've put a lot of thought into the setting even if not all of it has been put up for display just yet :)

[Lady Seraphina]

@Everyone I'm going to be offline for the next week or so. I live in a split level and the modem is located downstairs. About once a month it has to be reset cause its a really crappy modem. The guy downstairs went on vacation for the next week and the modem needs its monthly resetting now but he refused to grant the landlord access to his apartment unless he's present (which sort of defeats the purpose of the landlord coming to fix it) so until he gets back I'm not going to have any internet access save for what I can scare up at the occasional internet cafe. I'm writing this on my phone's wifi but I just got a text saying my data is about to expire so I can't do that anymore until my next cycle. I'll see you all in a week or so. If I'm lucky.

[Fairess]

Condolences for the internet troubles! I'll see if there isn't more I can flesh out about magic and such in the meantime.

[Lucidnonsense]

Hrmm I had a concept for a faerie, was originally going to go with Goblins, but does anyone know any types of fae that are known for getting into pacts and bargains? Im looking to make a Faerie merchant.

Maybe they are just called "Pactmakers" or something, I have a definite idea in mind, but need to tie it better to some folklore creature (unless I can tie it to folklore itself, rather than a specific being from it)

[Lady Seraphina]

Hrmm I had a concept for a faerie, was originally going to go with Goblins, but does anyone know any types of fae that are known for getting into pacts and bargains? Im looking to make a Faerie merchant.

Maybe they are just called "Pactmakers" or something, I have a definite idea in mind, but need to tie it better to some folklore creature (unless I can tie it to folklore itself, rather than a specific being from it)

@Lucidnonsense

That is for the most part fae or faeries in general. The idea of the infernal deal comes from old Irish and Welsh stories (it was transplanted onto demons when the Christian Church became dominant and wanted to discourage the practice of older faiths). A fae pactmaker would be less a type of a fae and more their occupation. Though making deals and collecting favors would be a way of life in the fae realm it is not inconceivable that someone would use it to make their primary living. It wouldn't require a special type of fae as words are binding and promises must be upheld.

Think of it like this, Rumpelstiltskin is the modern version of an old faery story.

[Lucidnonsense]

<Snipped quote by Lucidnonsense>

That is for the most part fae or faeries in general. The idea of the infernal deal comes from old Irish and Welsh stories (it was transplanted onto demons when the Christian Church became dominant and wanted to discourage the practice of older faiths). A fae pactmaker would be less a type of a fae and more their occupation. Though making deals and collecting favors would be a way of life in the fae realm it is not inconceivable that someone would use it to make their primary living. It wouldn't require a special type of fae as words are binding and promises must be upheld.

Think of it like this, Rumpelstiltskin is the modern version of an old faery story.

@Prince of Seraphs

Hrm alright. I kinda had an Idea for fae that are born from special bargains, they exist because they are a natural legal consequence of ancient fae deals. These deals act as a truename for these "Pactborn" fae and they are very rarely speak of them for fear of it being used as leverage.