[application] six feet deep
|| Player Information ||
Name: Ang
Personal Journal: angelkaizer
Time zone: MST
Contact: grayaceofdisturbia at gmail ; banditpenchant
Current Characters: Loki
|| Character Information ||
Fandom: The Oresteia (English translation of the original Greek trilogy of tragedies)
Name: Phonos
Canon Point: At the end of The Libation Bearers, when Orestes and Pylades have successfully slain Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus, wrapped them in Agamemnon's cloak, and then fled.
Is this character dead? No
History:
Phonos is, in essence, the spirit of Murder, Slaughter, or Killing (not to be confused with Manslaughter). He is mentioned in many texts and exists among the Gods while never being one of them. In the specific canon of The Oresteia, he was summoned as an aid to remove the spirits of Agamemnon (when Clytaemnestra slayed her husband in Agamemnon) and then, later, of Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus (in The Libation Bearers). He does not commit murder himself, but instead rips the spirits from the bodies as people die in order to release them to the care of the Underworld; in that sense, he is Murder.
[Optional] Character Development and Relationship Transfer from previous RP: (Taken from hellenist)
Phonos was pulled from Greece and forced into a mortal form in modern New York City (2010), where he had to endure and to live as a mortal (specifically, a medical examiner) for some time. As such, he has a 'mortal name' and knows how to live with people. He has also adapted to the basic functions of mortality and retains all medical knowledge magically given to him as a result of his occupation. In the apartment complex of hellenist, he became close to Melinoe and Makaria (other deities of death forced into similar situations) and had a respectful relationship with Hades.
Please note that, because he never knew Hecate in his canon or hellenist, he will likely wish to serve with Hades rather than Hecate and may offer to be killed pretty much upon arrival (unless someone can talk him out of it before Hades gets to him).
Personality:
Phonos is, above all things, calculated. Though he can also be considered cold, apathetic, and distant, these are less defining traits. He is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, considering himself a genuine realist and not stressing over things which may or may not change. He dwells in facts and tries to live in the present with little-to-no sense of nostalgia. His talents lie primarily in breaking down a situation into its basic components, though he may also be good at placating people and in providing a sense of reassurance that many never experience. Though not necessarily curious by nature, Phonos believes there is always something which can be learned and that people may always improve before their end (he still distinguishes himself as above the average man, believing they have much more to learn than he does). He never really feels the need to make goals or to strive towards anything. Perhaps because of this, he never dwells on any particular success or failure, simply moving on to the next opportunity. He has no fear of trying new things. Self-control is something he finds in good balance.
He considers what is realistic far more than what is possible. Even in Greece, at the height of his successes, Phonos was only a tool of others' will to produce death. As a result of this, he primarily exists to aid others and to help them through difficult times. He does this because it is his nature, however, not because he cares. Though not entirely heartless, Phonos feels a great social disconnect and does not particularly understand how people work, how they think, or how the emotions he feels factor into what he's meant to do. Emotions are things which complicate otherwise simple situations. You are dead or alive, in his experience; your mood was irrelevant.
Because of this extreme disconnect and inability to understand other people, Phonos has a difficult time working with other people. His ability to execute tasks for people is something he prides himself on, but the concept of working with them, compromising, or generating new ideas may be overwhelming. He doesn't handle large social situations well in general and does even worse with surprises of any kind. Phonos likes to stick to what he knows unless he has time to prepare for the new things. Despite this, he has some interest in people because of his lack of understanding and he enjoys studying them where possible.
Phonos, working closely with murder, has no remorse related to death. He views it as passing on and sheds no tears for the lost; it is a natural process, after all. This worked quite perfectly with his job as a Medical Examiner because he never “took his work home with him” and will be an interesting thing to deal with in the Underworld itself. He can sometimes appear calloused or insensitive because of his lack of understanding. The man is rarely aggressive at all and will nearly always try to walk away from a fight rather than to engage; that said, if he is forced into combat, he will respond with speed and attempt to disable or disarm his attacker as quickly as possible to be able to move on (even if that means killing them). He doesn't really lose his cool often.
He may be resourceful in what he provides, but will always have trouble with the imagination necessary to invent new uses for the same tools. That is, he'll primarily rely on other people for how to function beyond a most basic level of survival. Because he is relatively attractive, apathetic, and knows what to say in a strictly rehearsed fashion, Phonos will probably make many shallow friendships and may even participate in a few one-night stands. Just because he lacks an understanding of emotion does not mean he does not appreciate conversations or the pleasure of sex. He still feels, he just doesn't do well with conveying those emotions.
Loyalty is a fickle thing for the former spirit, primarily because murder is generally the absence of loyalty. It affects everyone in equal measure without concern for pleas. Phonos may find loyalty over time with those whom he has given aid to, but he will easily turn against them if it seems logical or natural to do so. He appreciates things which are certain and hates games of luck and chance. To him, people are a game of chance and placing loyalty means betting on uncertainties. Trust accompanies loyalty in many ways, though he may give it out more freely.
Honesty is important to Phonos. It is unbiased, certain, and provides connection. To him, lying is disdainful and there are no real reasons to (asking him about a white lie, he would insist that people could not be so sensitive as to need to be lied to, etc). Again, his oblivious nature related to normal human emotions and social interactions prevents him from ever connecting remarkably well with anyone.
Still, Phonos doesn't mind this in the slightest. In fact, he prefers it. The disconnect provides him with a measure of calm and reason that he could not find among other people. Because he often works on his own (as those who summon him hardly acknowledge his presence), he has grown accustomed to being alone with his own thoughts and finds no shame in that. He finds a serenity in being amongst death that no living human could provide to him.
At Hellenist, he came to recognize that he actually felt emotions as a mortal and to acknowledge them, but he still believed they were irrational and avoided them as much as possible. He learned to become angry more easily than before, but still remains largely apathetic. Oh, and he'll want to talk to Hades a lot, because that was his main go-to for advice.
In the Underworld, he will feel at home in a way and thus be even more relaxed. He will offer to help others, because it is his duty. The events will not mess with him too much because he is used to stranger things at times (even The Oresteia goes into weird Myth stuff) and will view them as an interesting and unusual learning experience. Though he may not feel remorse for doing things (like, say, eating someone), he will learn quickly enough that he needs to avoid killing people in order to remain in good favor with the general populace and will try to abide by those generic social rules.
Skills | Powers: He is skilled in all weapons and combat in the offensive, but knows nothing in the defensive. Despite being mortal, Phonos would regain many of his abilities upon returning to the Underworld. He should reasonably be able to teleport to Hades at any time. When someone is dying (if the death is premeditated and not spontaneous manslaughter), Phonos would be aware of the death and able to teleport to the scene of that death as well. He can pull a spirit from a dying physical form (if that's relevant?). Phonos would also be able to travel invisibly through the Underworld.
If returned to death (killed), he would not require any food or sleep, but may choose to seek it out anyway (out of habit due to his time spent as a mortal). That is, he would not require it to live, but I would always play it to the benefit of the game for events that relate to eating or sleeping.
First Person Sample:
It is uncommon to crave mortal flesh as we do now, but it is certainly not the first time that this is happened and I dare say it will not be the last either. People lack a taste for their own kind because it is a survival instinct, to continue the growth and progress of a species. Animals eat humans; why will humans not eat humans? Of course, humans do not consider humans to be animals; they have done tests on these things and the brain itself is hard-wired not to recognize yourselves as animals. Yet I wonder if a dog views itself as a dog, or a cow a cow. I digress. I only meant to say that it is natural to eat another creature and you should not feel shame for suddenly wishing to ingest your neighbor.
Third Person Sample:
“Let the man be taken by Murder!”
It didn't matter that Phonos was not there. He heard his name called to him as if in private conversation, whispered into his ear across thousands of miles. The man needed only to step from his position in the Underworld to appear within the frightened city by way of the powers of all spirits, vanishing into a horrible black nothing with his body contorted and ripped apart simultaneously. The feeling no longer fazed him at all and he stepped without blemish in his appearance at the outskirt's of the city's streets, torch flames whipping around with the wind in the moonlight to cause dancing shadows cast along the fields. The spirit was almost instantly aware of his surroundings, of where he was and where he was going.
One man that had been present for his invitation was already departing, the wider of the two friends scurrying in what appeared to be a marred waddle. The spirit observed the bizarre gesture, then turned toward the one who had spoken his name and the man which he clearly intended for the kill. They stood in a pasture, the green itself kept proper despite the warm season; Greece was always warm in this season.
Phonos stepped forward in an equal pace, knowing he was invisible to the two at present. Because he chose to be. The spirit approached the target, stopping as he came from behind the man. One hand lifted to each of the man's shoulders; the beggar responded with a whimper though he could not feel the touch as what it was, only as a tensing of his already stiff muscles. In order to do the man a kindness, Phonos leaned forward to whisper beside his ear. “Do not be afraid, Marcus. To die is a natural fate. Everyone must be lost in time.”
The angered fiend who had called Murder originally took the opportunity of his opponent's distraction to stab him. The blade of the spear pierced the elder man's heart and immediately he collapsed. A moment of rifling through pockets later, the murderer found his prize. Unbeknownst to the now fleeing thief, Phonos held the dying man and lowered him gently to the ground, watching in patience as the murder came to fruition.
Phonos stood again. He lifted a hand in front of him, palm upward, and glanced down at the lines that existed there. With the simple tugging of his fingers, a darkness began to gather above his palm. Then, a flash and the man who had been struggling to breathe a moment prior fell to relaxation in the tall weeds. Phonos clasped the darkness of the man gently in his fist, twisting to glance around at the scenery once more before beginning the return to where he had been. After all, he had a soul to deliver.