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⯕ ( permissions
KAIISTERON, PRINCE OF THE FOURTH HOUSE OF THE UNDEREARTH (CALLED WITCH KING)
APP QUESTIONS
⯕ Dreams are how Sleep chooses you. What might draw your character into Somnia—a wound, a wish, a weakness? Would they follow the dream, or run from it?
I think at his core, Kai's wound is loneliness and loss. He lost his connection to the underearth, and now can never return to his original body, only maintaining the ability to send his spirit down sometimes to visit Grandmother if circumstances are exactly right. He lost his people, the Saredi of the grasslands, to a wholesale slaughter by the Hierarchs that Kai himself only narrowly survived. He lost his relationships with his kin demons, who ostracized him following his forcible stealing of an expositor's body during a battle at the Summer Halls, an act that violated the most sacred tenets of the treaty between demons and humans. He forged a reputation as being vicious and monstrous and consequently has lost most of his opportunities to form significant connections with anyone who didn't know him before. He's recently lost his closest friend and maybe-lover of half a century. And now he's lost his faith in Bashasa's heir, Bashat bar Calis, whose betrayal was the cause of the events that kick off the novel. Kai has spent the better part of a century fighting a war that really has nothing to do with him, for no other reason than his affection for humankind and specifically for Bashasa, and as a result he has lost, and lost, and lost again. At his current canon point I think even something as simple as a dream of Bashasa when they were younger would be enough to draw Kai into Somnia, even if he eventually realized that the dream wasn't real.
⯕ Somnia is a slow unraveling—of worlds, and of selves. How does your character respond to fear, transformation, and losing control? Do they fight, adapt, collapse?
As mentioned above and in the infosheet, Kai has been fighting for the better part of a century against exactly this kind of unraveling of world and self. The Hierarchs, the conquering force that nearly devastated Kai's world, came from basically nowhere with a previously-unimaginable destructive power and an intent to completely unmake the world and remake it in their own image, so Kai is quite used to being a source of resistance against such goals. He's extremely adaptable and also a confident fighter who is quick to understand his own strengths and limitations and make choices accordingly.
⯕ Connection is the only constant. What kind of bonds does your character form—fast and burning, slow and wary, deep and desperate? How might that shape their time in this world?
There was a time in Kai's younger life where he was more open to personal connection, but at his current canon point he's considerably more wary about it. Not because he doesn't want to be close to people, but because he knows he's frightening—most people in his world are afraid of demons and particularly afraid of him, and by this point he's collected enough of a reputation and enough influence in the world to know that there's a balance of power between him and most people that he doesn't want to upset. Besides, having recently lost Bashasa and having been betrayed by Bashat, and without having any of his chosen family present in Somnia, he will probably be a little reluctant to open himself up to connection. That said, in his innermost self Kai really craves connection and love, and he would ultimately allow it to happen even if he was afraid.
⯕ What are two major forces in your character’s personality that are often in conflict?
I think that power and guilt are very much in conflict in Kai. He's powerful just by virtue of his nature as a demon, and even more powerful because of the decision he made to forcibly seize the body of an expositor during the battle that freed him and his cadre from the Summer Halls—however, that decision also irrevocably damaged his relationship with the other demons of the underearth and resulted in his ostracization from their culture and his own original family.
Bashasa and his army move through the world, freeing people from the Hierarchs' influence and reinforcing the city-states and countries that will comprise the Rising World coalition, and Kai sits at his right hand as his lieutenant. He grows a reputation for being immeasurably powerful, feared by both the common people and the Hierarchs alike—a reputation that is honestly well-deserved. Kai's title of Witch King comes from this power. He basically becomes a figure of legend because of his deeds during the war with the Hierarchs.
However, at the same time, he's also full of guilt about what happened to the Kentdessa Saredi and how he was unable to save them, how he was unable to save many of the other demons who were trapped in the cageling court at the Summer Halls, how he lost the trust and respect of the last demons who understood where he came from, and to an extent I think he also feels guilt over how frightening he is to the very people that he's been spending decades fighting to save. The power he's accumulated was and is necessary to ensure their safety, but that very same power is a source of fear for them. That conflict is something Kai is always working to reconcile.
I think at his core, Kai's wound is loneliness and loss. He lost his connection to the underearth, and now can never return to his original body, only maintaining the ability to send his spirit down sometimes to visit Grandmother if circumstances are exactly right. He lost his people, the Saredi of the grasslands, to a wholesale slaughter by the Hierarchs that Kai himself only narrowly survived. He lost his relationships with his kin demons, who ostracized him following his forcible stealing of an expositor's body during a battle at the Summer Halls, an act that violated the most sacred tenets of the treaty between demons and humans. He forged a reputation as being vicious and monstrous and consequently has lost most of his opportunities to form significant connections with anyone who didn't know him before. He's recently lost his closest friend and maybe-lover of half a century. And now he's lost his faith in Bashasa's heir, Bashat bar Calis, whose betrayal was the cause of the events that kick off the novel. Kai has spent the better part of a century fighting a war that really has nothing to do with him, for no other reason than his affection for humankind and specifically for Bashasa, and as a result he has lost, and lost, and lost again. At his current canon point I think even something as simple as a dream of Bashasa when they were younger would be enough to draw Kai into Somnia, even if he eventually realized that the dream wasn't real.
⯕ Somnia is a slow unraveling—of worlds, and of selves. How does your character respond to fear, transformation, and losing control? Do they fight, adapt, collapse?
As mentioned above and in the infosheet, Kai has been fighting for the better part of a century against exactly this kind of unraveling of world and self. The Hierarchs, the conquering force that nearly devastated Kai's world, came from basically nowhere with a previously-unimaginable destructive power and an intent to completely unmake the world and remake it in their own image, so Kai is quite used to being a source of resistance against such goals. He's extremely adaptable and also a confident fighter who is quick to understand his own strengths and limitations and make choices accordingly.
⯕ Connection is the only constant. What kind of bonds does your character form—fast and burning, slow and wary, deep and desperate? How might that shape their time in this world?
There was a time in Kai's younger life where he was more open to personal connection, but at his current canon point he's considerably more wary about it. Not because he doesn't want to be close to people, but because he knows he's frightening—most people in his world are afraid of demons and particularly afraid of him, and by this point he's collected enough of a reputation and enough influence in the world to know that there's a balance of power between him and most people that he doesn't want to upset. Besides, having recently lost Bashasa and having been betrayed by Bashat, and without having any of his chosen family present in Somnia, he will probably be a little reluctant to open himself up to connection. That said, in his innermost self Kai really craves connection and love, and he would ultimately allow it to happen even if he was afraid.
⯕ What are two major forces in your character’s personality that are often in conflict?
I think that power and guilt are very much in conflict in Kai. He's powerful just by virtue of his nature as a demon, and even more powerful because of the decision he made to forcibly seize the body of an expositor during the battle that freed him and his cadre from the Summer Halls—however, that decision also irrevocably damaged his relationship with the other demons of the underearth and resulted in his ostracization from their culture and his own original family.
Bashasa and his army move through the world, freeing people from the Hierarchs' influence and reinforcing the city-states and countries that will comprise the Rising World coalition, and Kai sits at his right hand as his lieutenant. He grows a reputation for being immeasurably powerful, feared by both the common people and the Hierarchs alike—a reputation that is honestly well-deserved. Kai's title of Witch King comes from this power. He basically becomes a figure of legend because of his deeds during the war with the Hierarchs.
However, at the same time, he's also full of guilt about what happened to the Kentdessa Saredi and how he was unable to save them, how he was unable to save many of the other demons who were trapped in the cageling court at the Summer Halls, how he lost the trust and respect of the last demons who understood where he came from, and to an extent I think he also feels guilt over how frightening he is to the very people that he's been spending decades fighting to save. The power he's accumulated was and is necessary to ensure their safety, but that very same power is a source of fear for them. That conflict is something Kai is always working to reconcile.
OUT OF CHARACTER
⯕ Backtagging: In general, I will continue to tag for as long as it takes to complete a thread, as long as I sense that my thread partner is also still interested in the content. However, as a rule of thumb I will consider a thread dropped if it's been more than 6 weeks since it was last tagged and I haven't been contacted about continuing or wrapping up.
⯕ Threadjacking: If the thread is public and unprotected, go for it!
⯕ Fourthwalling: Absolutely not, thank you.
⯕ Off-limits: I appreciate warnings for suicide/suicidal ideation and CSA.
⯕ Shipping: If our characters have talked I've probably shipped it in my head. Go crazy.
⯕ Tag style: Third person brackets, but I can swap to prose if that's your preference, just let me know!
⯕ Other: I pinky promise with both pinkies that I'm very normal and open to communication about threads and character interactions! Please always feel free to shoot me a PM or message me on Plurk if you're ever unsure about anything.
⯕ Threadjacking: If the thread is public and unprotected, go for it!
⯕ Fourthwalling: Absolutely not, thank you.
⯕ Off-limits: I appreciate warnings for suicide/suicidal ideation and CSA.
⯕ Shipping: If our characters have talked I've probably shipped it in my head. Go crazy.
⯕ Tag style: Third person brackets, but I can swap to prose if that's your preference, just let me know!
⯕ Other: I pinky promise with both pinkies that I'm very normal and open to communication about threads and character interactions! Please always feel free to shoot me a PM or message me on Plurk if you're ever unsure about anything.
IN CHARACTER
⯕ Hugging: Although Kai likes being hugged, he's rarely the recipient due to his own reputation and the reputation of demons in his world generally. With close enough CR, hugging is absolutely fine.
⯕ Kissing: Also fine if there's enough lead-up, but if it's abrupt he may not respond well.
⯕ Flirting: Unfortunately Kai is dumb as hell and may not pick up on it, but I wholeheartedly encourage it!
⯕ Romance: I'm not playing Kai with the intent to romance anyone, but I'm certainly open to the possibility if it builds naturally. He has some baggage about his old lover that he'll need to work through first.
⯕ Fighting: Sure, but let's talk it out first to make sure we're on the same page.
⯕ Injury: As above, fine with me but let's chat first.
⯕ Death: I confess I probably wouldn't go there on my own but if it's the natural conclusion to a thread, I'm fine with it! But, third time's the charm, let's talk it out first.
⯕ Physical manipulation: Characters are welcome to attempt, but he will respond accordingly!
⯕ Mental manipulation: Same as the above. Kai is old and pretty sharp, so it may be a tough sell, but characters are definitely welcome to try.
⯕ Kissing: Also fine if there's enough lead-up, but if it's abrupt he may not respond well.
⯕ Flirting: Unfortunately Kai is dumb as hell and may not pick up on it, but I wholeheartedly encourage it!
⯕ Romance: I'm not playing Kai with the intent to romance anyone, but I'm certainly open to the possibility if it builds naturally. He has some baggage about his old lover that he'll need to work through first.
⯕ Fighting: Sure, but let's talk it out first to make sure we're on the same page.
⯕ Injury: As above, fine with me but let's chat first.
⯕ Death: I confess I probably wouldn't go there on my own but if it's the natural conclusion to a thread, I'm fine with it! But, third time's the charm, let's talk it out first.
⯕ Physical manipulation: Characters are welcome to attempt, but he will respond accordingly!
⯕ Mental manipulation: Same as the above. Kai is old and pretty sharp, so it may be a tough sell, but characters are definitely welcome to try.