Name
Cadence Venus Hesperus Vesper Atlantides
"If you know the stars, I only have three names."
After Cadence descended upon the world like the fallen star he was, it came as quite the surprise that when asked who he was he shared a name with a Kingdom. After much confusion spread throughout he was instead persuaded to stay in Nordren, rather than venture to that kingdom of the wind.
*Son of the Westward Sun / Tell me once again before I'm done*
.
Race
Hesperides
"We are blessed to gaze upon setting sun, to darken the dawn, hear songs in silence & guard the immortal garden."
These Hesperides, while beings of starlight, the are children of primordial darkness. They are anointed to their station by the Goddess of Night, redefining the properties of light itself. For the Hesperides, shadows cast light and never the other way around. So one should be wise when they gaze upon their golden forms, that anything their glow graces will soon be snuffed out, laid to rest, and silenced. It is for their ability to bring even the sun to submission that they tend the tree of the Gods' golden fruit as its guardians.
*If stars are made for stealing hearts / Then what's the secret to sleeping in the dark*
.
Racial Abilities
Golden Thumb
"How deliciously curious are the works my very own hands!"
Not only do they guard, but the Hesperides tend the garden of the Gods. A major role in this is planting the apples themselves, for anything a Hesperides plants shall be made of an edible gold, which hold all the nutrients necessary for supporting life. The immortality bestowed however is only given from the sanctified and very first tree on the hallowed ground of Cadence's home. Cadence wasn't old enough to take a bite before he left, and now he may not ever after his fleeing from Greceova.
...
Falling Star
"I thought everyone was safer the farther they fell?"
If his fall from Mt. Olympus to Nordren wasn't enough proof, then put him to the test. The simple truth for the Hesperides is that the higher they fall, the softer they land. So if you climb down the crater a Hesperides makes, do not be afraid of the carcass that doesn't exist, rather beware of disturbing their sleep.
...
Blood of Nyx
"You figure that out, and I'll be over here taking my fifth nap of the day.
Truly the last children of the night, a Hesperides is the also the first to awaken among their dark-aligned cousins. What this means for Cadence is naptime. Several times. The lad just can't help himself from dozing off throughout the day & staying up till the morning dawns.
*Close yourself behind that gate / You know your way for the key's sake*
.
Gender
Male
"Nymphs may be exclusively female if you knew me not."
Since the day of his birth Cadence was expected to grow up into a beautiful woman much like the beautiful woman he was born from. That simply wasn't the case however, he was a boy. It took him awhile to learn the language to express himself as such, but once he could there was no going back to others had destined for him. He didn't want their beauty or their fates as brides. Cadence loved his culture, and was honored to have been blessed with his gifts, and still wanted just one more thing. To be allowed to be himself was not an honor given by the Gods, and so Cadence left. His mother told him of a world she once heard of where anything was possible, so Cadence knew what he needed to do.
*When all the lights forget your name / May I wish upon your star again*
.
Age
19
"I hope I haven't given you a false impression."
In Greceova, Cadence's homeworld, the Primordials, Titans, Olympians, Nymphs & Heroes are all mortal folk much like Humanity whose bloodlines have been blessed with transformation sequences which grant them the power to face to fulfill their "divine purpose." With the helping hand of their Gods the people of Greceova can live hundreds if not thousands of years, but when forsaken like Cadence…? Let's find out!
*An infinite cycle that you stop / Couldn't you have fallen? / Why'd you drop?*
.
.
.
.
.
.
Personality
Tempered Good / Chaotic Neutral
—
The Explorer
"I want the world to see and look upon me with the same eyes I use for it."
A light-hearted line draws his lips into an easy smile. If ever Cadence isn't smiling upon you, he's either listening to you, or asking something else. Content by nature it doesn't take much to please him, and little angers him as long as he's able to flit away from a situation. Restricted or forced into something, you'll find another side of Cadence that is contrarian & rebellious. Imagine him less as a soft glow and more as swallowing pit absorbing everything around him. Curious to a fault, it may be Cadence's absent-mindedness that defines this side of him. He has a lot of questions, and most of them he'll find a way to figure out on his own if none around are interested. That's the hook for Cadence, though. He's a free spirit who would rather be bound to someone else. He's independent, but only as a means to find his purpose in something, but if he could find purpose in someone? He'd take it.
*You're in your own way wild / Get out of your way, child*
Discipline
Performer
"This was news to me, as for before I was merely blessed according to my blood.."
As a Nymph, Cadence was born to be pleasing for others. Music just so happens to be his method for the Gods' magic. To him, songs are living entities who speak in all tongues. The greatest of them all? Silence. That space between sound was sacred to Cadence. Regardless of how fast his fingers strum and pluck, or how far the echos of his three harps resound, Cadence has his ear tuned to the gasps of his breath and the rests of each note.
*Just take foot after another now / Put on your best show and bow*
.
Passive Abilities
Recital
"Should this not be an art, something unteachable?"
Math. Everyone's least favorite subject, and the last that anyone expects Cadence to be a prodigy in. However, think on this; what is mathematics if not a series of equations, and what is language if the amalgamation of variable sounds according to their codified equations to produce meaning, and if nothing else music is a language of sounds invoking emotions and concepts all to an order of any kinds known as melodies and rhythms. Thus, math is language and language is music which makes music math and Cadence astonishingly good at it. His instrumentation is a matter of breaking down magical scripts & symbols into their syntax which creates a equation that Cadence can use as sheet music when he translates certain formulas into equivalent lines of notes.
...
Starry-Eyed
"Looking around this world, how could you not be moonstruck and rosy?"
Cadence has a gift for seeing the bright side of dark situations, and even the light within lost people. This is not just a metaphorical ability either. Cadence can metaphysically see the good in people, and the ways before him which will lead to joy. It is because of this second layer to his sight that he is so simple-minded and flighty. If he can no longer see the light, he wanders in the dark with abandoning whimsy. For that is what makes life worth living for Cadence; seeing nothing at all, and finding a way to surround yourself with love anyways! Whether that be self love, love for a fellow man, romance, or any other form, all are beautiful to him. This is also what defines "good." If it's good for Cadence by measures of joy, pleasure & love, then it is good according to this sight.
*If you lilt a little to the breeze / Move body & mind to the beat*
.
Element
⟨⟨ Darkness / Light ⟩⟩
"Naturally, the former came first rather than the latter. Just look at the world; all things tend towards it."
Every shadow casts light. That is the foundation the behind Cadence's magic. The elemental matrix of Greceova works itself backwards according to other dimensions, but to Cadence it makes common sense. The gold, the glow, they're just glimmers not of a dying light, but a growing darkness.
*Raise up your face to the sky / Let it out / A quiet cry*
.
Skills
Evening Star, Sunset Eyes, Heart of Night!
"Of all the transformation sequences to be blessed with for the first and last time, I have to say I'm content."
Cadence is consumed in gold-glowing shadows which assume the form of his suit & harp known as his Transfore. Depending on the song he sings and plays, he can sacrifice parts of his Transfore for simple umbrakinetic constructs such as a platform, barrier, or haze. However once these parts of his Transfore have been sacrificed, they cannot be regained until the next evening.
Small enough to be played in one's lap or freely standing.
If needed, ivory ribbons extend from its pillar and wrap themselves around Cadence's waist which allows him to comfortably play Obsequens while standing.
Played sitting down with its notes tuned by the pedals in the foot of the harp.
.
Spells
Sunset Sparkle!
"All that glitters is gold, but only if it's siphoning your power."
Rings & arcs of stardust's lace the very vibrations & take the shape of the very notes of Cadence's song. Whomever they land on, guided by the song, has their energy drained as if their body is preparing for rest.
*Because your star could sway their hearts / The Gods have cast you in the dark*
.
.
.
.
.
.
History
Early Life
"I was born as just one of a cluster of stars, but if you'd seen my cousins, you'd think we were few."
Two mothers, four grandmothers, fourteen sisters & seventeen aunts are just Cadence's immediate family. Of course he had male blood relatives, but the Nymphs of Greceova counted their family members enatically. For this reason, when the Gods allowed the choice, Nymphs often wed one another regardless of who fathered their children. The first face Cadence ever saw was not only that of his midwife, but was the woman who married his biological mother. She was a Oread whose affinity for magic was so woven throughout her that her eyes glowed like the finest diamonds, and her skin as cooly smooth as silver. She was known the jewl of her generation, but Cadence only ever knew her as Ma. The woman he called Mom didn't just have a front row seat like his Ma, but was the staring actress. Together with their Ma fostering the whims, wants & passions of the children and their Mom taking care of providing for the household, Cadence was never in want of anything. That is to say, as long as he accepted what was given to him, he could have anything in the palm of the Gods hands. As time would tell, however, that was of little interest to the young babe.
...
Childhood
"Everyone knew that I was different, it is only the title placed upon such difference that was to be determined."
Being the third youngest of fourteen had it's benefits. Eleven siblings to spoil you, and two more to take the overbearing for you. Even back then, Cadence was an adventurous child. He wouldn't call it sneaking into sanctuaries if he just happened to stay after they closed. Who could say he broke holy law if he was only asking how it worked? What did it matter if his questions sometimes fell with actions rather than words? Fine. Cadence will be the first to admit he was wrong. He'll confess before you can accuse him in fact! That's just how innocent he is in his heart. So when it dawned on him that he wasn't the daughter his family thought he was, he settled the matter immediately. He never knew how free he could feel, because he hadn't known he was imprisoning himself until he grew older. Finally, he felt right. Every day since hasn't been beautiful, but the sun shone on each one. All the dark of his formative years spent questioning washed him in the wisdom of his truth. It was this truth that called forth a new chapter in his life. No longer bound by what he'd been told is all he could be. No, not even the Gods themselves could stop Cadence from being. No one could say he was a little girl ever again.
...
Adolescence
"I've grown tired of telling you, so just what should you do?"
One should really ask.
*So Son of the Westward Sun / Sing your song before you're done*
