Category: Wardens

I am Duskheart, Weaver of Fates, Dreaming Oracle of my people, and I seek to save them from a terrible future I’ve seen.

My fellow wardens call me Dusk, and even though I am the youngest, they respect me and my skill.

Concept

Names: Dusk (Duskheart) – Weaver of the Fates

Age: Adult

Warden: Dreaming Oracle

Burden: Ambition: I seek to save my people from a terrible future.

Background

When twilight passes and dusk falls, it is my time. The beating heart grows stronger, and unrest fills my legs. I wander waking through the dusk and until dawn finds me calm and rested, and that is when I dream, and when I dream I see the awful things yet to come, but that surely will.

Dusk is my name, for it is in the time of dusk that I find my self, and my home. Ever since I was young, the dusk captured me like nothing else, the promise of quiet dreams always stirred me greatly. I was not old when the Oracles came to me and showed me the way of dreams, to walk in night, to dream in day, to seek visions and keep the dreaming wilds peaceful and quiet, but in recent times, orange visions have showed themselves to me, of blight, blood and death, horrible things that I cannot change, yet I must!

Aesthetics

Personality

• Delicate yet Feisty
• Careful
• Calculating

Physicality:

• Female
• Fit but not super slim
  
  • Curved
• Button nose
• Curious but Intense Eyes
  
  • Deep Orange

Skin:

• Earthen Brown
• Warm temperature hues.
• Smooth skin

Hair:

• Long Wavy Orange hair, free flowing.
• Not as thick as others, but still dense.

Gender Expression:

• Feminine
  
  • not weak, Firm

Clothes:

Loose fitting cloth hanging over her body, light and revealing, to allow her body paint to shine through. A deep hood attached to her loose fitting clothes.

Adornments:

Body Paint symbolising night, stars, dreams and their connections

Several armbands made of polished wood

Reference & Poses

Pose

Enraptured by smoke and visions

Alt. Pose

Spreading the smoke

Example Burdens

Day-mare: Nightmares manifest and speak to me when I’m Awake

• I abandoned my pupil in the dreaming wild.
• When I am dreaming, something else wakes up and roams.
• Nightmares speak to me even when I’m awake.
• I lost a dear friend in the Ancestral Dream, but still hope to find them.
• My scion was consumed by a nightmare.
• I once made a deal with a Dreaming Shadow to protect my people.
• When I Dream, I see far off strange places
• I abandoned my anchor in the dreaming wilds
• I have seen a terrible future and I fear it is to come
• I was not a part of the order of oracles and am self trained.
• My Mentor, was an anchor and was lost, is seek to dismantle the order of oracles.
  

Name – Duskheart – a sense of the dreaming and their being in the waking wilds.

Concept

Name: Thornwise – Thorn of the Elder Tree, Bane of Shadows, Mender of Rotting Wounds

Kins Name: Thorn

Dearest Name: t’Eyhu

Title

Thorn of the Elder Tree

• Advantage to any action using the tip of your spear.

Age: Mature

Warden: Spear Sage

Burden: Fear: The joy I get from carving flesh frightens me

Background

I am Thornwise, Thorn of the Elder Tree, Spear Sage of my people. I was chosen when I was very young to bear the privilege of spear sage, and learned the dances from a young age. When it came time to take my place I made the quest to the Elder Tree, in its hidden groove at the end of the middle river, there I took from it the tip of my spear, slept under it and was gifted the wisdom and curative skill of the thorns. Through this wisdom I craft serums to mend the unmendable, and through my dances I keep at bay the shadows and cursed things that linger amongst us.

Aesthetics

Physicality:

• Muscular – Non Binary
  
  • Muscled & Toned
  • Not skinny, not broad -> Agile & Physical
• Cunning, yet caring Eyes
  
  • Always looking to protect
  • Hint of blue/green in otherwise strong Yellow Eyes
    
    • Emerging from the edges of the eyes, with strong yellow around the iris.
• Straight Nose

Skin:

• Earthen Clay (on the edge of brown turning red)
  
  • Very warm hues
• Many scars on otherwise ordinary skin

Hair:

Large, wavy, orange. Bound in one long large braid going down their back

Gender Expression:

• Hint of Masculinity
  
  • Kind muscles

Clothes:

A lot of shown skin from within delicate robes/bound cloth made from a mix of mist silk and ocean silk, worn by their predecessors, a gift from the people of The Shimmering Isles, some wear and tear, but most are sown back, a few patches. (Ocean silk is superbly strong).

This robe/cloth is one large piece of cloth wrapped around the body in the manner most pleasing and practical.

It is wrapped in two layers, the innermost tight and protective, the second is more loose, flowing and distractive, and becomes part of the dance.

Carrying with them a net bag with tools, stomach bags¹ and clay vessels in them, the clay vessels contain serums while the stomach bags contain ingredients.

Adornments:

• The Guardian Spear, a piece of Elder Tree wood carved many ages ago, and inscribed by the symbols of many previous sages. It is tied with many multicoloured strips of cloth and dyed feathers and weeds, hanging off it creating a flowing motion when wielded.
  
  • Atop the spear stands the spear tip which is a thorn of the Elder Tree, part of a yearly ritual the Spear Sage must claim a new thorn for the new year.
• Body paint, striking yellow and white, covering the whole body.
  
  • Intricate patterns
    
    • The shape of rivers, clouds, flows, dances.
  • Coalescing in a sun symbol on the stomach.
• Wears bead armbands/ankle-bands/necklaces of varying sizes
  
  • Most are quite tight to not cause distractions during dancing, but some are more loose and are accounted for during dancing.
    

Reference & Poses

https://no.pinterest.com/ce5041eb692e105163ae7c014d09c0/thornwise/

Pose

• Standing
• In Motion / Dancing
• Sweeping the spear by the ground
• Open arms
  
  • one holding the spear
  • other hand inviting an adversary in
• Legs slightly bent to offer balance and power in the follow-up movement should an adversary take this opportunity.
• Cunning smile
• Hair in motion
  

Alt. Pose

• Kneeling
• Body supported by Spear in ground
• pointing towards the ground Or Holding tattered clothing
  
  • examining it
• Worried about the things ahead
  

Alt. Pose

• Standing
• Spear resting on chest
• Holding one of the clay vessels
• pouring a liquid on the other arm
  
  • other arm is injured
  • Not a normal wound
  • something oozing or glowing from it
  • It is cursed
• clothes more tattered
• Face in pain
  

Example Burdens

• My stories frighten me and the wisdom they hold seems foreign and dangerous.
• I value the life of others before mine
• Without my spear i am nothing
• The joy I get from using my spear frightens me

1. Stomach bags are the stomachs or intestines of animals that have been cleaned, cured and sowed to act as a carrying vessel for many lighter items/ingredients ↩

I am Embersong, Flame of the Nine Winds and Hearth Weaver of my people, but a debilitating sickness has taken hold over me

The other wardens know me as Ember, and everyone knows my tales by heart, for I am their Elder.

Concept

Names: Ember (Embersong) – Flame of the Nine Winds

Age: Elder

Warden: Hearth Weaver

Burden: Sickness – A debilitating illness has stuck with me for many years

Background

Since I was a young one, I was enamoured by the flames and stories that cross through their light and were cast in shadow onto the walls and come alive. I made sure to remember all of them, yet the tellers always had new tales for me to hear. I was soon enlisted amongst the storytellers to keep and remember the tales of old, as we stoke the sacred flames for the coming ages, and upon my tongue the tales became song across the embers, earning me the name I now bear.

Years I have spent in the Pit of Tales, and many a time I have spread the sacred flames, yet in recent years my body fails me, an illness has taken hold, and coughs plague me, at times a dark oozing liquid emerges from past my lips.

Aesthetics

Physicality:

• Male
• Tall
• Pot bellied
• Strong but does not look it.
• Square face
• Strong Jaw
• Striking & Intense wide open eyes
  
  • yellow with orange around the iris
• Hook Nose

Skin:

• Mud Brown
  
  • Cold Temperature
• Dry & cracked skin

Hair:

• Orange & Wavy
• Bound into many braids
• A smallish beard around the jaw
  
  • Slightly burnt on one side

Gender Expression:

• Non Binary Vessel of Fire & Lore

Clothes:

His head is shrouded in leather and his eyes covered by many beads, such that the light of the flames bother him not.

• Billowing robes of cloth & leather, yet adorned with many beads and bones inscribed
  
  • All clothing has been treated to resist the touch of flame
  • He never wears any fur for this reason.

His arms are corded with beads as to make sound effects when moved in specific ways.

Adornments:

• The Bones of my Ancestors, cured by flame, inscribed with symbols of their tales, hangs in an ornament from my neck, allowing me to bring their tales onwards, one day my bones will be added to this and the tales continued. The
• Face is painted a light yellow and black in lines down the nose, beneath the eyes to form the impression of dancing lights and shadows: Illuminated from beneath.
  

Reference & Poses

https://no.pinterest.com/ce5041eb692e105163ae7c014d09c0/embersong/

Pose

• Standing
• Arms stretched out wide
  
  • As if telling a tale
  • Fingers claw-like towards the sky
• Robes billowing
• Legs apart (power stance)
• The face looking upwards
• Eyes looking forwards
  

Alt. Pose

• Standing
• Holding the Sacred Embers in a vessel
  
  • Small clay plate/lamp
• Shoulders and neck going slightly inwards, creating a leaning impression
• Intense eyes gazing forwards/downwards
• Speaking mouth
  
  • as if telling an intense tale
  • or perform a ritual
• Legs together in a walking motion
  

Example Burdens

• I’ve become forgetful and many ancient tales now escape my grasp

I am Raven, Eye of the Shadow Moon, Wild Walker of my people, but the shadow of grief clouds my sight.

The other wardens know me as the Ravenskull, and they fear what I can do.

Concept

Names: Raven (Ravenskull) – Eye of the Shadow Moon

Age: Adult

Warden: Wild Walker

Burden: Grief: I lost my beloved in the wilds.

Background:

The wilds shift beneath our feet if we do not keep out wits about us. Paths well trod vanish behind us, and if we are not careful, we vanish as well. But not me! Ever unlucky I always found my way home. Even when the path I walked disappeared and I was lost, I found my way home. I saw between the stones, bushes and trees, and I found my paths.

Becoming Wild Walker was never something that was forced upon me, I think it was born to be one and with the knowledge of my elders instilled in me, I keep the paths of my people present and safe, and should they vanish, I always find them again.

I lost my beloved to the wilds. All we ever found were her clothes and the skull of a great raven, thus in her honour, i

I shed my names and took upon the mantle of Raven, hoping to find passage through the wilds with this new skull-mask, to find the path she walks, to find her in the dark once more.

Aesthetics

Physicality:

• Female
• Slender
• Broad Shoulders
• Fit
• Sharp Eyes
  
  • Deep Yellow
• Hook Nose

Skin:

• Earth Brown
• Medium temperature hues, leaning slightly to the cold side.
• Slightly rough skin

Hair:

Wild and wavy with a faded fire-orange hue, almost a greyish tone Brough on by her heartache.

Gender Expression:

• Female
  
  • Canonically her Beloved was a woman.

Clothes:

Raven is typically dressed for the weather/season, and in many lighter layers of cloth, leather, hide and fur.

• The outermost layer is usually reef, reeds and straw to protect from nature.

The layers are somewhat tattered and frayed at the edges, showing heavy wear and little maintenance.

Her clothing is adorned with black feathers, shed by the many ravens and crows of the valley.

Adornments:

• The Great Raven Skull Mask is worn usually upon the left shoulder, but if needed can also be worn as a mask when traversing the wilds or otherwise during rituals. It is large enough for a human head to fit within and peer out the eye sockets.
  

  Uses specials straps to keep it in place on head or shoulder.

  Is adorned with black and red feathers, as well as tar coated straw / Black tar paint

• She carries several other raven skulls of varying size, sown into her ritual clothing and as trinkets.
• Her arms are encapsulated by bones, usually ribs, as a ritual protection, or physical if needed.
• Raven bones and feathers are also used in her hair to prop it up and keep it out of her face.
• Mask of the Wilds is Raven’s old mask and is worn on her hip as a promise to return to better times once her beloved is found. It is a more traditional mask that emulates the wierd gods and spirits of the wilds
  

Reference & Poses

https://skullsite.com/skullpage/corvus-corax-raven/

https://no.pinterest.com/ce5041eb692e105163ae7c014d09c0/fooulka-fanny/

Pose

• Standing
• Upper body slightly bent over
• Great Raven skull on her shoulder
• Dagger in one hand (
• Dead Raven in the other
• As if ready to perform a ritual
• Longing in her eyes
  

Alt. Pose

• Squatting
• Scouting (as if looking at the distance)
• Spear in hand
  

Alt. Pose

• Squatting
• Clutching the Raven Skull Mask
  
  • As if listening to it’s whispers
    

Alt. Pose

• Standing
• Upper Body slightly bent over
• Just took off the Great Raven Skull Mask / About to put it on
• Looking upwards
• Serious face
  

Example Burdens

• I no longer dare to visit one of my Havens
• I was cast out by my people for an unforgivable crime
• I struggle with social connections
• I have a wounded shoulder
• I speak with a strange shadow from the Wilds