APPLICATION: Asgard Eventide
Character Name; Aether Brandier.
Age; Early twenties physically. Well into his sixties chronologically and emotionally.
Appearance; Here is Aether's "official" appearance. The PB I'm using for additional expressions is Jae-Hyuk aka Demon Nexus Nex, a character in an obscure fantasy manhwa "Cavalier of the Abyss".
House; Sygin, as Aether's pursuit of compassion and kindness heavily overrides even his sense of duty.
Power; Growth due to his natural incompatibility with healing magic.
World Info;
Imagine a world where every story and fairy tale ever told or written actually exists. Governed by an existence known as the Great Narrative and easily described from a human perspective as "God", these stories existed in a world parallel to our own and have been playing out their events in a loop for a very long time. The magic of these fairy tales has been seeping into the human world in the form of inspiration, allowing people to create new stories and expand the world of fairy tales. Thus, two worlds co-existed in a perfect balance, both providing each other with magic of their own, for a very long time.
At least, that was before the Absolute End of the World came to exist.
It remains unknown which cruel soul created the book currently known as the Absolute End of the World, nor is it known what the book contains. What is definitely known is that something about that story destroyed the precious balance and changed the world forever. The Great Narrative disappeared in a blaze, leaving behind an empty throne that governed the existence of two realities. It was at that time, that a princess from a certain fairy tale took over the throne by manipulating the chaos around her and became the new "God".
Centuries went by. The new "God", driven by her lack of interesting in balancing the stories, splintered the two worlds into numerous small dimensions governed by chaos, magic and conflict. Civilizations rose and burned down without reaching the pinnacle of their potential. Heroes emerged, only to die at the height of their glory. Thus, by propagating a self-destructive existence where every person suffered equally, the princess maintained strict control over the universe by not allowing any single world to become strong enough to face her. Many gods and heroes made an attempt, but all of them ultimately fell and retreated to heal their wounds.
That continued until, on a certain world known as 56th century Earth, a small secret society was created in order to execute one last desperate plan. By salvaging the remnants of numerous ancient artifacts and forging them together into a single entity, they would create a weapon powerful enough to destroy gods. All they needed is a wielder, someone both skilled enough to wield the weapon and willing to go along with the plan. For that purpose, the group set out to recreate a certain knight from an ancient tale.
It should be noted that in this world, every fairy tale title plays a crucial role. Characters such as knights, witches and rulers are all important presences who aid the direction of history. Each one is granted abilities that reflect their title and allow them to leave a mark on history. The bearers of these titles are different in every era. A knight of the Round Table may have been a famous Greek hero or Roman gladiator, only to become a general in the Three Kingdoms era. A powerful wizard in one era might become a scientist in another. By allowing these heroes affect the passage of history, the world is forced into progressing at a steady pace.
The figure chosen by the group was the Black Knight: a previously powerful and famous figure who was stripped of his name and status due to a terrible act that cost one of his stories a happy ending. His past history with the princess who was occupying the God's Throne gave him insight into her weaknesses, while his strength as a knight made him a formidable weapon. By bringing him into the battlefield, humankind was making their final stand. If his attempt failed, little else could.
In the confrontation that ensued, many worlds were destroyed and numerous people were killed before the Black Knight finally reached the princess, struck her down and destroyed the Throne of God in order to keep it from ever being abused again. On that day, he and his comrades made a promise over the body of their fallen enemy. Although their memories would surely be lost in the destruction and rebirth of the world, they would surely meet again and help their new world toward a beautiful future.
Those are the basics of how Aether's world came to be. Now, allow me to describe the world as it is right now.
The stage of the story is Laplace, the only inhabited city in the known world. Ever since the universe ended and was reborn centuries ago, people have been trying their hardest to rebuild. At this point, humans, faerie folk and numerous fairy tale creatures co-exist in relative harmony, a safe future more important to them than the differences between their cultures and species. The situation is tense, but the conflict is minimal. Everyone is aware that with the rest of the world being an uncharted chaotic wasteland governed by monsters and worse, there is nowhere else to go.
Granted, it isn't all bad. Laplace itself is a monolithic structure that consists of multiple districts, each one the size of an average city and following its own cultural quirks. The government district in the very center of the city is responsible for organizing the city's militia and maintaining the massive magic barrier that protects Laplace from the outer world, while most districts closer to the edge are responsible for housing people and various private businesses. Other than that, each district is self-governed and only elects a representative when serious matters concerning the future of the entire city come up. A massive forest also exists in the north-eastern section, providing a safe haven to those who need nature in order to survive. Overall, Laplace is a kaleidoscope; looking massive and yet feeling tightly packed, it's the only bastion of civilization in a shattered world.
The memories of the world before destruction are a precious commodity; few people have kept them upon arriving to Laplace, with most of them firmly locked away within the Fragments. Fragments are easiest described as shards of the bygone universe. They contain memories, objects and even individuals that existed in the world from before it ended, all of them sleeping as they wait to be brought forth into the new one. A lot of them opened in the very first years of the new world, forming Laplace and many of its inhabitants. Many more continue to slumber in a futile attempt to protect the memories of the old world from the new one.
A Fragment is essentially a container with an outer shell composed of a magic field that reflects the nature of whatever it contains. This can make it take on a variety of forms, from a powerful monster and an enchanted weapon to a small magic seed that alters its surrounding into ones fitting for it. Even if this outer defense is somehow penetrated, one must then synchronize with the object within the Fragment, enter the world within it and solve a riddle contained there. This inner world is based mostly on the Fragment's contents, but will invariably use the intruder's personal fears and troubles in order to keep them from solving the task easily. This makes Fragments exceptionally dangerous to all but highly trained individuals.
Aether's personal story primarily takes place in the 7th district of Laplace - a neo-Victorian area known for a colorful population born out of numerous students of various cultures and species who attend the nearby university. Although the seventh to be listed in government documents, the Seventh is in fact one of the oldest and houses many old buildings that were retrieved from Fragments housed in the area. The core government has very little pull in the Seventh - because of the sheer variety of cultures within it, the differences in approach makes it very hard to make everyone listen. Despite that, it is a peaceful area where most of the crime and problems happen due to the monster attacks from outside and the sheer number of Fragments still hidden in the area.
But for all of its dangers, Laplace is a good place. Most of the locals agree on it being simply different.
Background;
Aether Brandier is the current Black Knight: a fairy tale concept that represents the nameless knight who protects the world without ever seeking fame or glory. He hadn't always been like this. Back in the days of Camelot, he was a famous hero known as Lancelot who openly protected the kingdom and enjoyed the glory of it. However, his accidental betrayal of King Arthur, affair with Queen Guinevere and the resulting fall of Camelot have greatly angered the Great Narrative. As punishment for his actions, the Black Knight was stripped of his true name - the most valuable thing a fairy tale can have - and forced to live through story after story of fighting for the world around him, but without ever achieving a happy ending.
This existence continued for thousands of years, even after the Great Narrative came to be dethroned by the mysterious princess. Although the Black Knight lived through numerous stories, none of them ever ended well for the entity. Its arguably most famous one had it cast as a young French woman in the midst of a hundred-year war - a story now mostly known as that of Joan of Arc. Its name, appearance and even species changed from generation to generation, further contributing to entity's lack of identity.
This changed when a group of scientists in a world modeled after 56th century Earth reforged the Black Knight as a young android meant to slay the "God" of that age. His cycle of reincarnation cut off there. With the destruction of that world and the throne that controlled his destiny, nothing was left that could control his existence.
For better or worse, Aether doesn't remember most of the details regarding that era. Found in Dead End - an undead-infested city located right outside Laplace - and brought to safety by a young witch by the name of Saya, he barely remembers anything of the world that happened before the war. What he does remember is guilt; the shredded memories of battlefields and bloodshed; the faces of people who had to be sacrificed for the current world to be created. Although he is painfully aware of his status as the current Black Knight due to his encounters with numerous phantoms that inhabit Dead End, his memories of the time are shredded as punishment for his role in the war that ended the old world.
He could have easily turned a blind eye to those memories. Although the citizens of Laplace are more aware of magic than ever due to the unified world, few of them care about the past due to their desire to seek the future. Having found himself a job as a librarian in the university and spending early mornings as a courier, Aether could have built himself a peaceful and uneventful life from those memories. However, his chance encounter with Saya - a comrade from the great war - has confirmed that there was no running away. He needed to own up to what he has done, one way or another.
Thus, in the five years since he arrived to Laplace, Aether hasn't been sitting quietly. Having recovered the use of his abilities and weaponry thanks to his memories, he started using his jobs to gather information on every unusual incident that happened in Laplace. Although his primary purpose has always been the recovery and unsealing of Fragments - the memories and people who were sealed away due to his actions during the war - soon enough, every criminal and problem in the city became his enemy. That was his way of accepting responsibility for the sins he committed.
Several years have passed and, as time went on, Aether's masked appearance became a staple among the rumors shared by the citizen. Nicknamed the Demon of Laplace, a reference to a now ancient philosophical concept, he has reclaimed his role as the Black Knight in the current era.
It is during that time of relative stability, that he finds himself transported into Asgard.
Personality;
The most glaring part about Aether's personality is his unusual manner of speaking. More than a doer than a talker, he prefers to show his intentions through actions and body language. When he does speak, everything he says is thoughtful and carefully chosen. None of the words are ever wasted; from a simple explanation to a sarcastic joke, Aether means everything he says and wouldn't let anyone think otherwise. He dislikes arguments and considers them to be a waste of words; rather than have one, he prefers to make a single statement that can eliminate the reason for one. A terrible liar, he prefers to keep quiet when he needs to keep a secret. This approach to conversation, when combined with his soft voice and old-fashioned sentence structure, makes him come off as someone who would rather do something helpful than waste time on words.
Beneath his cautious demeanor, Aether is a kind and compassionate person with next to no tolerance for pain and suffering of others. He is incapable of ignoring people in pain and will try to help them even if they ask him not to. He respects power, but despises its misuse. In his eyes, every bit of power and influence you earn is a bit of freedom to make the world better. Use of power for hurting others and personal gain is the misuse of one's personal greatness and must be put to an end. This mindset makes him quick to side with whoever cannot protect themselves and more than willing to remain loyal to their cause until the end.
This trait would be perfect for an idealist, but as much as he hates to admit it, Aether isn't one. Having experienced the world at its worst many times in the past, he's content knowing that nothing in the real world will ever turn out the way it does in fairy tales. People will always suffer and sacrifices will always be made in order to keep everything in motion. Someone can fight against that, sure, and Aether does. He's impulsive in his fights, often short-tempered when it comes to things he considers important and rather cold-blooded when he's dealing with anything he considers to be a problem. But in the end, he's sharply aware that he's just one person trying to make a difference. He can make things better for one or two people, but he cannot save the world unless he chooses to not save anyone in it. It's a choice he has made once in the past and one that haunts him to this day.
He is, however, a daydreamer and a bit of a poet. When not busy with whatever he chose as his latest task, Aether likes to spend his days reading or watching the sky. He likes to see the world move around him more than anything, if only it's because it serves as a proof that everything he's done wasn't for nothing. He is protective of the smallest aspects of life and will always insist that even something like a blooming flower or a falling leaf has meaning to the maelstrom of life around him.
When all is said and done, however, Aether is a fighter. He's been through more than he ever wanted to be and he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. And while he's still bogged down with regrets and insists on seeing his current life as a punishment for all he has done, he's finally learned that there just might be a happy ending to it all. And he's insistent on putting some effort into reaching it.
Age; Early twenties physically. Well into his sixties chronologically and emotionally.
Appearance; Here is Aether's "official" appearance. The PB I'm using for additional expressions is Jae-Hyuk aka Demon Nexus Nex, a character in an obscure fantasy manhwa "Cavalier of the Abyss".
House; Sygin, as Aether's pursuit of compassion and kindness heavily overrides even his sense of duty.
Power; Growth due to his natural incompatibility with healing magic.
World Info;
Imagine a world where every story and fairy tale ever told or written actually exists. Governed by an existence known as the Great Narrative and easily described from a human perspective as "God", these stories existed in a world parallel to our own and have been playing out their events in a loop for a very long time. The magic of these fairy tales has been seeping into the human world in the form of inspiration, allowing people to create new stories and expand the world of fairy tales. Thus, two worlds co-existed in a perfect balance, both providing each other with magic of their own, for a very long time.
At least, that was before the Absolute End of the World came to exist.
It remains unknown which cruel soul created the book currently known as the Absolute End of the World, nor is it known what the book contains. What is definitely known is that something about that story destroyed the precious balance and changed the world forever. The Great Narrative disappeared in a blaze, leaving behind an empty throne that governed the existence of two realities. It was at that time, that a princess from a certain fairy tale took over the throne by manipulating the chaos around her and became the new "God".
Centuries went by. The new "God", driven by her lack of interesting in balancing the stories, splintered the two worlds into numerous small dimensions governed by chaos, magic and conflict. Civilizations rose and burned down without reaching the pinnacle of their potential. Heroes emerged, only to die at the height of their glory. Thus, by propagating a self-destructive existence where every person suffered equally, the princess maintained strict control over the universe by not allowing any single world to become strong enough to face her. Many gods and heroes made an attempt, but all of them ultimately fell and retreated to heal their wounds.
That continued until, on a certain world known as 56th century Earth, a small secret society was created in order to execute one last desperate plan. By salvaging the remnants of numerous ancient artifacts and forging them together into a single entity, they would create a weapon powerful enough to destroy gods. All they needed is a wielder, someone both skilled enough to wield the weapon and willing to go along with the plan. For that purpose, the group set out to recreate a certain knight from an ancient tale.
It should be noted that in this world, every fairy tale title plays a crucial role. Characters such as knights, witches and rulers are all important presences who aid the direction of history. Each one is granted abilities that reflect their title and allow them to leave a mark on history. The bearers of these titles are different in every era. A knight of the Round Table may have been a famous Greek hero or Roman gladiator, only to become a general in the Three Kingdoms era. A powerful wizard in one era might become a scientist in another. By allowing these heroes affect the passage of history, the world is forced into progressing at a steady pace.
The figure chosen by the group was the Black Knight: a previously powerful and famous figure who was stripped of his name and status due to a terrible act that cost one of his stories a happy ending. His past history with the princess who was occupying the God's Throne gave him insight into her weaknesses, while his strength as a knight made him a formidable weapon. By bringing him into the battlefield, humankind was making their final stand. If his attempt failed, little else could.
In the confrontation that ensued, many worlds were destroyed and numerous people were killed before the Black Knight finally reached the princess, struck her down and destroyed the Throne of God in order to keep it from ever being abused again. On that day, he and his comrades made a promise over the body of their fallen enemy. Although their memories would surely be lost in the destruction and rebirth of the world, they would surely meet again and help their new world toward a beautiful future.
Those are the basics of how Aether's world came to be. Now, allow me to describe the world as it is right now.
The stage of the story is Laplace, the only inhabited city in the known world. Ever since the universe ended and was reborn centuries ago, people have been trying their hardest to rebuild. At this point, humans, faerie folk and numerous fairy tale creatures co-exist in relative harmony, a safe future more important to them than the differences between their cultures and species. The situation is tense, but the conflict is minimal. Everyone is aware that with the rest of the world being an uncharted chaotic wasteland governed by monsters and worse, there is nowhere else to go.
Granted, it isn't all bad. Laplace itself is a monolithic structure that consists of multiple districts, each one the size of an average city and following its own cultural quirks. The government district in the very center of the city is responsible for organizing the city's militia and maintaining the massive magic barrier that protects Laplace from the outer world, while most districts closer to the edge are responsible for housing people and various private businesses. Other than that, each district is self-governed and only elects a representative when serious matters concerning the future of the entire city come up. A massive forest also exists in the north-eastern section, providing a safe haven to those who need nature in order to survive. Overall, Laplace is a kaleidoscope; looking massive and yet feeling tightly packed, it's the only bastion of civilization in a shattered world.
The memories of the world before destruction are a precious commodity; few people have kept them upon arriving to Laplace, with most of them firmly locked away within the Fragments. Fragments are easiest described as shards of the bygone universe. They contain memories, objects and even individuals that existed in the world from before it ended, all of them sleeping as they wait to be brought forth into the new one. A lot of them opened in the very first years of the new world, forming Laplace and many of its inhabitants. Many more continue to slumber in a futile attempt to protect the memories of the old world from the new one.
A Fragment is essentially a container with an outer shell composed of a magic field that reflects the nature of whatever it contains. This can make it take on a variety of forms, from a powerful monster and an enchanted weapon to a small magic seed that alters its surrounding into ones fitting for it. Even if this outer defense is somehow penetrated, one must then synchronize with the object within the Fragment, enter the world within it and solve a riddle contained there. This inner world is based mostly on the Fragment's contents, but will invariably use the intruder's personal fears and troubles in order to keep them from solving the task easily. This makes Fragments exceptionally dangerous to all but highly trained individuals.
Aether's personal story primarily takes place in the 7th district of Laplace - a neo-Victorian area known for a colorful population born out of numerous students of various cultures and species who attend the nearby university. Although the seventh to be listed in government documents, the Seventh is in fact one of the oldest and houses many old buildings that were retrieved from Fragments housed in the area. The core government has very little pull in the Seventh - because of the sheer variety of cultures within it, the differences in approach makes it very hard to make everyone listen. Despite that, it is a peaceful area where most of the crime and problems happen due to the monster attacks from outside and the sheer number of Fragments still hidden in the area.
But for all of its dangers, Laplace is a good place. Most of the locals agree on it being simply different.
Background;
Aether Brandier is the current Black Knight: a fairy tale concept that represents the nameless knight who protects the world without ever seeking fame or glory. He hadn't always been like this. Back in the days of Camelot, he was a famous hero known as Lancelot who openly protected the kingdom and enjoyed the glory of it. However, his accidental betrayal of King Arthur, affair with Queen Guinevere and the resulting fall of Camelot have greatly angered the Great Narrative. As punishment for his actions, the Black Knight was stripped of his true name - the most valuable thing a fairy tale can have - and forced to live through story after story of fighting for the world around him, but without ever achieving a happy ending.
This existence continued for thousands of years, even after the Great Narrative came to be dethroned by the mysterious princess. Although the Black Knight lived through numerous stories, none of them ever ended well for the entity. Its arguably most famous one had it cast as a young French woman in the midst of a hundred-year war - a story now mostly known as that of Joan of Arc. Its name, appearance and even species changed from generation to generation, further contributing to entity's lack of identity.
This changed when a group of scientists in a world modeled after 56th century Earth reforged the Black Knight as a young android meant to slay the "God" of that age. His cycle of reincarnation cut off there. With the destruction of that world and the throne that controlled his destiny, nothing was left that could control his existence.
For better or worse, Aether doesn't remember most of the details regarding that era. Found in Dead End - an undead-infested city located right outside Laplace - and brought to safety by a young witch by the name of Saya, he barely remembers anything of the world that happened before the war. What he does remember is guilt; the shredded memories of battlefields and bloodshed; the faces of people who had to be sacrificed for the current world to be created. Although he is painfully aware of his status as the current Black Knight due to his encounters with numerous phantoms that inhabit Dead End, his memories of the time are shredded as punishment for his role in the war that ended the old world.
He could have easily turned a blind eye to those memories. Although the citizens of Laplace are more aware of magic than ever due to the unified world, few of them care about the past due to their desire to seek the future. Having found himself a job as a librarian in the university and spending early mornings as a courier, Aether could have built himself a peaceful and uneventful life from those memories. However, his chance encounter with Saya - a comrade from the great war - has confirmed that there was no running away. He needed to own up to what he has done, one way or another.
Thus, in the five years since he arrived to Laplace, Aether hasn't been sitting quietly. Having recovered the use of his abilities and weaponry thanks to his memories, he started using his jobs to gather information on every unusual incident that happened in Laplace. Although his primary purpose has always been the recovery and unsealing of Fragments - the memories and people who were sealed away due to his actions during the war - soon enough, every criminal and problem in the city became his enemy. That was his way of accepting responsibility for the sins he committed.
Several years have passed and, as time went on, Aether's masked appearance became a staple among the rumors shared by the citizen. Nicknamed the Demon of Laplace, a reference to a now ancient philosophical concept, he has reclaimed his role as the Black Knight in the current era.
It is during that time of relative stability, that he finds himself transported into Asgard.
Personality;
The most glaring part about Aether's personality is his unusual manner of speaking. More than a doer than a talker, he prefers to show his intentions through actions and body language. When he does speak, everything he says is thoughtful and carefully chosen. None of the words are ever wasted; from a simple explanation to a sarcastic joke, Aether means everything he says and wouldn't let anyone think otherwise. He dislikes arguments and considers them to be a waste of words; rather than have one, he prefers to make a single statement that can eliminate the reason for one. A terrible liar, he prefers to keep quiet when he needs to keep a secret. This approach to conversation, when combined with his soft voice and old-fashioned sentence structure, makes him come off as someone who would rather do something helpful than waste time on words.
Beneath his cautious demeanor, Aether is a kind and compassionate person with next to no tolerance for pain and suffering of others. He is incapable of ignoring people in pain and will try to help them even if they ask him not to. He respects power, but despises its misuse. In his eyes, every bit of power and influence you earn is a bit of freedom to make the world better. Use of power for hurting others and personal gain is the misuse of one's personal greatness and must be put to an end. This mindset makes him quick to side with whoever cannot protect themselves and more than willing to remain loyal to their cause until the end.
This trait would be perfect for an idealist, but as much as he hates to admit it, Aether isn't one. Having experienced the world at its worst many times in the past, he's content knowing that nothing in the real world will ever turn out the way it does in fairy tales. People will always suffer and sacrifices will always be made in order to keep everything in motion. Someone can fight against that, sure, and Aether does. He's impulsive in his fights, often short-tempered when it comes to things he considers important and rather cold-blooded when he's dealing with anything he considers to be a problem. But in the end, he's sharply aware that he's just one person trying to make a difference. He can make things better for one or two people, but he cannot save the world unless he chooses to not save anyone in it. It's a choice he has made once in the past and one that haunts him to this day.
He is, however, a daydreamer and a bit of a poet. When not busy with whatever he chose as his latest task, Aether likes to spend his days reading or watching the sky. He likes to see the world move around him more than anything, if only it's because it serves as a proof that everything he's done wasn't for nothing. He is protective of the smallest aspects of life and will always insist that even something like a blooming flower or a falling leaf has meaning to the maelstrom of life around him.
When all is said and done, however, Aether is a fighter. He's been through more than he ever wanted to be and he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. And while he's still bogged down with regrets and insists on seeing his current life as a punishment for all he has done, he's finally learned that there just might be a happy ending to it all. And he's insistent on putting some effort into reaching it.