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preblessed) wrote2021-09-05 02:11 am
preblessed) wrote2021-09-05 02:11 am
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OLEANDER THRICE-ENVOY
THESE, OUR BODIES, POSSESSED BY LIGHT
General Information
name. Oleander Thrice-Envoy of She Who Illuminatesage. 31
birthday. pffbbf
sexuality. Bisexual
marital status. Single
occupation. Envoy of the Temple of Ianke, She Who Illuminates
current location. aaaaaa
Characteristics
height. 5'7"-ishbuild. Thin, favors left side, limps
hair. Blonde, curly, thick
eyes. Dark blue
Family Background
mother. Unknownfather. Unknown
sibling. Unknown (none)
other. Bryony Twice-Envoy (teacher)
Calla Once-Envoy (abbess)
other assorted acolytes
About
A member of an obscure religious order primarily working out of the bustling trade city called The Basin. Oleander has lived with the order for his entire life, and while his personal beliefs in the order's obscure Goddess are shaky at best, his belief in the benefits of a comfortable life doing scholarly work is stalwart. Self-serving but largely harmless and content to mind his business after a scandalous event led to his polite exit of one Temple to take up residence in another, Oleander's first long-term venture out since begins with the younger sister of a Temple acolyte requesting his services to find her brother after his alleged death.
It sucks very much, and he hates everyone there.
It sucks very much, and he hates everyone there.
Appearance
Oleander is a thin man of average-ish height, pale from lack of sunlight although not so much that he looks unwell. He has thick blonde curls, blue eyes and a thin face. He seems even shorter than he actually is because of his perpetual slouch, a result of walking with a cane if he can help it. His right leg was injured when he was very young and healed improperly, leaving him with a limp and chronic pain in the knee.
In terms of dress, Oleander favors the Temple colors: various darker shades of blue and violet, as well as black, all accented with white and gold (shades of night to symbolize that their Goddess has not yet returned). He prefers non-restrictive clothing and limited layers; an inner layer and 1-2 outer layers are usually enough, unless he is in the full regalia of the Temple, which is a few more layers of robes. The most ostentatious part of his usual attire is a handful of bangles in gold set with inscriptions of Temple verses, received with each of his Envoy ranks (so, there are three), alongside silver bangles that symbolize different tenets of the Temple scripture and can be rearranged to represent different stories. He also wears a ring with a yellow gem on it meant to, again, represent Ianke. He fidgets with it when uncomfortable or thinking. He also bites his nails, and being a religious scholar, his hands are perpetually ink-smudged.
In terms of dress, Oleander favors the Temple colors: various darker shades of blue and violet, as well as black, all accented with white and gold (shades of night to symbolize that their Goddess has not yet returned). He prefers non-restrictive clothing and limited layers; an inner layer and 1-2 outer layers are usually enough, unless he is in the full regalia of the Temple, which is a few more layers of robes. The most ostentatious part of his usual attire is a handful of bangles in gold set with inscriptions of Temple verses, received with each of his Envoy ranks (so, there are three), alongside silver bangles that symbolize different tenets of the Temple scripture and can be rearranged to represent different stories. He also wears a ring with a yellow gem on it meant to, again, represent Ianke. He fidgets with it when uncomfortable or thinking. He also bites his nails, and being a religious scholar, his hands are perpetually ink-smudged.
Personality
bitchy
History
The Temple of Ianke received Oleander - literally - as a baby, when he was left anonymously on the Temple steps with nothing but a brief note entreating the acolytes for sanctuary. He was subsequently raised as an acolyte himself, given a standard as well as religious education. A childhood accident left his right leg permanently damaged; he carries a cane that he doesn't always use, but he walks with a limp. Despite a latent talent for magic, he took it upon himself to limit his career paths within the Temple to historian and scholar, because the responsibilities of mage training in the Temple sounded like a lot of work. For much of his youth he was content to remain in the Temple, getting the itch to leave and see the world as a young teenager. This was largely misunderstood by his peers, who were not raised in the Temple and so couldn't see what the big deal was about the outside world. Oleander "escaped" the Temple around the age of sixteen, with a plan to explore the far reaches of the realm.
This ended after about a month, as he could hardly get further than the slums of The Basin: the trade city in which the Temple resides. Surrounded by dome walls on all sides and unwelcoming to a sheltered Temple acolyte with no money and no skills besides pretty handwriting, The Basin chewed him up and sent him back home, where he decided that a scholar's life might be dull, but at least it would be comfortable. Begging his way back into the Temple with professions of his devotion and unending loyalty to the Mother Superior and the Goddess earned him a reputation, ironically, as a very, very firm believer in the Temple's teachings.
Over the years, Oleander has risen through the ranks to become a Third Envoy, cementing his scholarly status and taking particular interest in ancient firsthand accounts of the Goddess Ianke visiting her believers face-to-face to deliver a message or some other kind of vision. It's entirely by accident that he stumbles upon the slightest hint that these accounts— and for all intents and purposes, everything in the Temple library— is completely fictitious. For someone who's been pretending to believe for over a decade so as not to be thrown out on the streets, suspecting that Ianke has been a scam by the First Envoys and Mother Superior all this time is pretty aggravating. Additional records cause him to wonder if the ultimate goal of the Temple is actually somewhat sinister; he resolves to find out.
Unfortunately, his personal research project into this theory is discovered by Bryony Twice-Envoy, his immediate superior and mother figure. She insists he leaves before someone less sympathetic and more concerned about Temple secrets finds out he's looking into it, and since he cannot simply get up and go from his position, they cook up a fake scandal to give him an excuse to transfer to the Temple aboard the space station Paragon. What scandal? Why, an illicit affair with an influential family's firstborn heir, there in the Temple, despite his marriage already arranged! Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for Oleander and the heir, this isn't quite as fake as Bryony believes it to be. It's fine, he'll have worse break-ups one day, probably.
His new quiet life in the Paragon Temple is much more boring; this Temple is only a branch, and lacks the resources the Basin Temple has for him to do any more secret investigating. So when he's interrupted by Mona, sister of an acolyte he'd never heard of arriving at the Temple with a wild story about her brother being murdered by the Mother for some kind of mage ritual, well! That's something to look into! Pure chance and a long-dormant desire to get answers see Oleander tasked with dealing with Mona and her quest— in particular, getting her into the Basin Temple and finding her brother, a mission he accepts hoping that a jaunt back into the Temple can help him reveal the big con, as a bonus. The two set off to locate a magician Mona has heard of who can prove the Temple has been working dark magic with Oleander as their means of getting back inside; she makes him get on a shuttle first thing, and it's the worst experience of his entire life.
Currently, anyway.
This ended after about a month, as he could hardly get further than the slums of The Basin: the trade city in which the Temple resides. Surrounded by dome walls on all sides and unwelcoming to a sheltered Temple acolyte with no money and no skills besides pretty handwriting, The Basin chewed him up and sent him back home, where he decided that a scholar's life might be dull, but at least it would be comfortable. Begging his way back into the Temple with professions of his devotion and unending loyalty to the Mother Superior and the Goddess earned him a reputation, ironically, as a very, very firm believer in the Temple's teachings.
Over the years, Oleander has risen through the ranks to become a Third Envoy, cementing his scholarly status and taking particular interest in ancient firsthand accounts of the Goddess Ianke visiting her believers face-to-face to deliver a message or some other kind of vision. It's entirely by accident that he stumbles upon the slightest hint that these accounts— and for all intents and purposes, everything in the Temple library— is completely fictitious. For someone who's been pretending to believe for over a decade so as not to be thrown out on the streets, suspecting that Ianke has been a scam by the First Envoys and Mother Superior all this time is pretty aggravating. Additional records cause him to wonder if the ultimate goal of the Temple is actually somewhat sinister; he resolves to find out.
Unfortunately, his personal research project into this theory is discovered by Bryony Twice-Envoy, his immediate superior and mother figure. She insists he leaves before someone less sympathetic and more concerned about Temple secrets finds out he's looking into it, and since he cannot simply get up and go from his position, they cook up a fake scandal to give him an excuse to transfer to the Temple aboard the space station Paragon. What scandal? Why, an illicit affair with an influential family's firstborn heir, there in the Temple, despite his marriage already arranged! Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for Oleander and the heir, this isn't quite as fake as Bryony believes it to be. It's fine, he'll have worse break-ups one day, probably.
His new quiet life in the Paragon Temple is much more boring; this Temple is only a branch, and lacks the resources the Basin Temple has for him to do any more secret investigating. So when he's interrupted by Mona, sister of an acolyte he'd never heard of arriving at the Temple with a wild story about her brother being murdered by the Mother for some kind of mage ritual, well! That's something to look into! Pure chance and a long-dormant desire to get answers see Oleander tasked with dealing with Mona and her quest— in particular, getting her into the Basin Temple and finding her brother, a mission he accepts hoping that a jaunt back into the Temple can help him reveal the big con, as a bonus. The two set off to locate a magician Mona has heard of who can prove the Temple has been working dark magic with Oleander as their means of getting back inside; she makes him get on a shuttle first thing, and it's the worst experience of his entire life.
Currently, anyway.
Temple of Ianke, public knowledge
The Temple of Ianke, She Who Illuminates, is the seat of an obscure religious order. It is in fact the only one of its kind, as Ianke is one of the Dead Gods, and infamously difficult to find any ancient scripture or historical documents on. Nevertheless, the Temple has dedicated its service to restoring the alleged splendor of Ianke's glory days, and so is primarily focused on historical research and the occasional proselytizing. They receive funding from the government to continue their research, and as a religious order entitled to government funding as per the laws. Most ranked members of the Temple are historians and scholars, although there is a smaller specialization of mages and a middling number of acolytes in charge of "security," that is to say, the ones who learn how to fight.
The Temple is headed by a Mother Superior; within, members are either acolytes or Envoys. Acolytes are rank-and-file Temple members, and are provided with a basic education as well as a religious education, and are largely in charge of maintenance in the Temple and its library. Envoys are members who have been nominated to sit (and have subsequently passed) various examinations of promotion. There are four Envoy tiers, referred to by number; Envoys' rank becomes part of their name and serves as both name and title. For example, Oleander is called Oleander Thrice-Envoy as name-as-title, but outside of name-as-title would be called "a Third Envoy."
The Envoy ranks are as follows:
Fourth Envoy: The largest group, mostly populated by those aiming to have a permanent career as a Temple historian.
Third Envoy: Scholars with a specialization, again: usually history, as well as tutors/mentors for the Fourths.
Second Envoy: Overseers, who look after a handful of Thirds, who are in turn responsible for a handful of Fourths. Second Envoys are akin to managers of the Temple, and are the group who most frequently leave its walls to interact with the outside world for public relations, trade, and so on. It is extremely rare for a group of Temple members to be granted permission to leave the Temple without a Second present.
First Envoy: The Temple's ruling council, effectively. There are only three Firsts, and they are the only people with access to the Temple's Mother Superior. They make and oversee codes of conduct for the Temple, and are said to work closely with the Mother on magical experiments of a deeply secretive nature.
Nominations for promotion to and within Envoy ranks are handled by those two ranks above. For example, a Third can nominate an acolyte, a Second can nominate a Fourth, and so on.
When asked about the scripture available for Ianke, She Who Illuminates, members of the Temple will obliquely say that only the Mother may gaze upon her works, but that her rebirth is inevitable in the coming years.
The Temple is headed by a Mother Superior; within, members are either acolytes or Envoys. Acolytes are rank-and-file Temple members, and are provided with a basic education as well as a religious education, and are largely in charge of maintenance in the Temple and its library. Envoys are members who have been nominated to sit (and have subsequently passed) various examinations of promotion. There are four Envoy tiers, referred to by number; Envoys' rank becomes part of their name and serves as both name and title. For example, Oleander is called Oleander Thrice-Envoy as name-as-title, but outside of name-as-title would be called "a Third Envoy."
The Envoy ranks are as follows:
Fourth Envoy: The largest group, mostly populated by those aiming to have a permanent career as a Temple historian.
Third Envoy: Scholars with a specialization, again: usually history, as well as tutors/mentors for the Fourths.
Second Envoy: Overseers, who look after a handful of Thirds, who are in turn responsible for a handful of Fourths. Second Envoys are akin to managers of the Temple, and are the group who most frequently leave its walls to interact with the outside world for public relations, trade, and so on. It is extremely rare for a group of Temple members to be granted permission to leave the Temple without a Second present.
First Envoy: The Temple's ruling council, effectively. There are only three Firsts, and they are the only people with access to the Temple's Mother Superior. They make and oversee codes of conduct for the Temple, and are said to work closely with the Mother on magical experiments of a deeply secretive nature.
Nominations for promotion to and within Envoy ranks are handled by those two ranks above. For example, a Third can nominate an acolyte, a Second can nominate a Fourth, and so on.
When asked about the scripture available for Ianke, She Who Illuminates, members of the Temple will obliquely say that only the Mother may gaze upon her works, but that her rebirth is inevitable in the coming years.
player
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contact. pm
timezone. EST
pb. toby regbo
code. tessisamess