NekoKyu

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

I went ahead and created a roleplay thread. I also think I have successfully made a discord server along side it as well?

@Crown@AvaP@Sanity43217@Lunari

ISWL Retired Thread

Aeliana || Phoenix || Rebirth, the Sun, Light, & Fire

𝔸𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕕𝕚 ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕒 𝕆𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤 ℝ𝕚𝕥𝕖
Goddess of Rebirth, the Sun, Light & Fire

Inspo 2, Inspo 3, Jessica Stam.

Name: Aeliana "Aelia" Elidi
Title: Goddess of Rebirth, the Sun, Light & Fire
Gender/Sex: Female
Age: 10,291, at least that's what she says/remembers
Species: Phoenix
Information: A Phoenix' true form is that of a large fiery bird. They can engulf their entire body in flames, either in human or phoenix form, and possess an amazing amount of strength. They can carry an entire person in their talons and still be able to fly. Naturally, they have incredible control of the light and fire they emit, and are immune to burns. They are also immortal, being reborn again from the ashes each time one should die. This regeneration ability extends to incredible healing prowess: their tears have the ability to heal any wound with direct contact.

Perhaps due to their longevity, they are very rare and solitary. Most phoenixes throughout time tend to be the same ones. As a result, phoenixes tend to be largely independent. Even other phoenixes don't typically know of others of their kind. They rarely interact with each other and aren't a particularly familial creature, so new phoenix births are especially rare. Even supposed "new births" are hard to verify however, due to a phoenix's unique memory constitution. They have controllable amnesia and can make themselves forget memories as they so choose with each new rebirth. It's not perfect, as often times forgotten memories can be re-triggered, but if a memory becomes particularly old enough they can eventually succeed in forgetting it permanently.

In addition, Phoenixes are able to control the rate at which they will grow for each rebirth. They could mimic a human's lifespan if they wanted, or even grow quickly like a bird. Their growth rate instinctively slows dramatically upon adulthood. In fact, they are more likely to perish to an injury than they are to reach an old age. It could even be said that their best self-healing ability is to allow themselves to die to an injury so they can be reborn fully unharmed. However, this has naturally created a twisted sense of mortality in most phoenix.

Appearance: Aeliana’s human appearance very easily gives off the aura of a Goddess. She's slightly tall at 5'6", but her confidence sometimes makes her feel even taller than she actually is, especially within the memories of others. She is shapely with long legs accented by a short torso. Her skin is pale with a soft and healthy glow. She has bouncy orange and red hair that forms natural wavy curls that reach her mid back. Her droopy almond shaped eyes are a clear crystal blue that are rimmed by a startling set of long, dark eyelashes. She has a strong preference for red lipstick and white gowns or dresses accentuated with gold.

As a phoenix, she is large and imposing. She has a wingspan of roughly 7 meters (22 ft), and is over 3 meters (11 ft) tall. Coated in bright and fiery plumage, her feathers easily puts all other birds to shame. Her tail is especially long and resplendent; it most closely seems to resemble a mix of a widowbird, a greater bird-of-paradise, and a peacock, but with spatuletails spread throughout. In this form, she almost always seems to be made of flickering red and orange flames, but there are occasionally times where she might dim her fire enough that her feathers almost appear still.

Personality: Aeliana is, for all intents and purposes, a bit of an enigma. Even her fellow Gods have a hard time truly understanding her. However, that is entirely Aelia’s goal. She chooses to be unpredictable and capricious. If she acts odd enough, then she’ll be able to emotionally keep others at bay.

Upon first impression, she may come across as harsh and aloof. She has a perfectly practiced graceful air about her, naturally befitting of a God of course. Adorned in luxuries and wealth, she clearly seems to have a taste for the finer things in life. This lavish aire is all a carefully crafted part of her goddess persona.

But then she suddenly reveals a mysterious and mischievous streak. She is teasing and playful, with whimsical tales and riddles galore. She takes a bit of enjoyment out of this twisted game of messing with people's impression of her. She will purposely be withdrawn and act superior to others, only to suddenly toss an unexpected comment or do something strange or ill-fitting just to see others' reactions.

While she is an elaborate storyteller, she seems to constantly mix up the details. There are times when these holes seem unintentional; she has lived a long time after all, forgetting the details is to be expected. Most times though, it is deliberate. Is she lying? Trying to pull on someone’s leg? It's truly difficult to tell when she's being truthful about something.

She tends to change her interests often. Most assume it’s because she grows bored quite easily, but actually it is her attempt to run away from her sorrow. She moves from one interest to the other because nothing truly matters against the march of time. Despite this nihilism, she still misses those she has lost. Her strange attitude is likely an attempt to run from her past and present reality. She doesn't want to get too attached to something that'll just disappear from her life… again.

History: Aeliana's life is constantly one of a tragic cycle, but that's the norm for most of her kind. Aeliana is mostly unaware of her parents, she's not even entirely sure if she had any. She hardly even remembers her first couple of rebirths, with the earlier centuries of her life being rather blurred. What she does remember however, is the war, a time she has unfortunately attempted to—and failed—to forget.

She lived through the devastating genocide of mythical creatures such as herself. Through it, she had seen close friends and even lovers die before her very eyes. She was frequently separated from the "family" she had forged through the bloodshed. Since she was a phoenix, Aelia was always reborn after each of her deaths. The same could not be said for many of her companions. She has endured torture, abuse, kindness, and sorrow. Among these memories are Alucio. He was one of the Great Commanders of the war. He was also Aelia's lover. Hardly the romantic first meeting, they had met during the war, when Aelia was following under Ewan's army. She had gained Alucio's trust and respect during those times, and eventually they developed affection for one another.

Wars never allow for a happy ending though. While employed under Ewan, she was with his army when they became trapped by the humans and drowned. Ewan and the majority of his soldiers were killed, while the immortal survivor Aeliana was taken prisoner. She was held for many painful years as the humans experimented on her, determined to find a way to try to kill a phoenix and other similarly immortal creatures. By the time Aelia was finally rescued from her imprisonment, Zephyra and Otaktay had already been slain as well and the war was beginning to grow bleak. Even Alucio, who she had remembered as confident and strong, had had his spirit broken. He did not even have the faith left to keep fighting and save himself when the humans had finally cornered him and his army, no matter how much Aelia had begged.

After Alucio's death, the girl had officially lost the will to fight. She quietly disappeared from the war, wandering around aimlessly in search of something even she couldn't define. She has lived a thousand different lives, with a thousand different faces. There was even a time when she was raised by humans, as she tried to erase even the knowledge of being a phoenix from herself. So long as the memories stayed locked up, she could blend in and live a meaningful life as a human surely. But although her mind may have forgotten for a short time, her body still remembered. When humans realized she couldn't burn, her family turned on her and ended her short existence as a human.

Then began the time when humans worshiped her instead. Each life to pass her by has left the woman with a sense of dissatisfaction, leaving her unable to find a lasting sense of happiness.

Mythical Significance: Aeliana is often associated with the Renewing, a celebration of the end of the year as a new year replaces it. It is a week-long holiday, encompassing both the last day of the year and the first day of the year. Due to her status as a fire goddess, The Renewing occurs on the last day of Winter/first day of Spring. Since Aelia is associated most with the colors of white and gold, humans will often wear white and use gold decorations during the Renewing.

A funeral tradition of some kingdoms is to light the body of the deceased aflame, in the belief that the fire will release the soul so that they may be reborn. It is especially preferred for funerals of young children, and parents will often keep the ashes on them after in the hopes that the soul will be reborn into their next child.

As a Sun Goddess, she is closely associated with the Moon in stories. There are debates on if the Sun and Moon are siblings, enemies, lovers, or friends. Aelia's personal favorite interpretation is that they are Dance Partners.

Relationships:

☼ Antero ☼ Aeliana has a bit of a soft spot for Antero. They both went through some pretty hard times together, and it would be hard to pretend she didn't feel some sort of bond for them after all that. Whenever the pressure of her social mask feels too heavy, she likes to seek out Antero's quiet presence. She feels an unspoken understanding between them and is perfectly content to just... sit in silence near them. Don't be mistake though, once the mood passes she will go back to gently teasing them.

☼ Getsuy ☼ Aelia finds Getsuy to be a pitifully cursed existence. She recognizes that she is only able to view him as so due to her privileges as a phoenix, but just as she can't help her deathless nature he cannot help his own nature either. However, she kind of prefers to not be around him if possible. Not out of fear, but because she feels like she has to be the "responsible one" when he's near. Whenever she feels particularly forced into uptaking such a mantle though, she does so with the use of childish distractions. Her behavior may have contributed to stories of the wily trickster goddess who uses pranks to evade death.

☼ Morrigan ☼ She's heard word of Morrigan, but doesn't really know the Banshee all too personally. That being said, there are quite a few popular myths that suggest that Morrigan is her sister who helps lead her through the cycle of Rebirth. Aeliana obviously has to act accordingly. It's because of the humans watching, promise!

☼ Nieve ☼ If Aelia were to speak honestly, Nieve is someone she feels she has to keep safe. But Aelia would never be honest about that. Instead, she finds little excuses here and there to check on the fair selkie. For the most part, she finds her to be pretty capable in her own right, so visits can sometimes seem sparse. Still, Aeliana enjoys when those little moments pop up that show Nieve really is Murdock's niece.

Color: Red Gold - #EB5406
Other: She has quite an impressive collection of shoes, but she has a tendency to be barefoot.

I wanted to put credits for the images, only it turns out that they were all AI images. :/

Roshan || Shadhavar || Language, Music, Travel, & Wilderness

尺ㄖ丂卄卂几 ㄖ千 ㄒ卄乇 山丨ㄥᗪ,
ㄒ卄乇 几卂ᐯ乇乇ᗪ ㄒ尺卂ᐯ乇ㄥㄥ乇尺
God of Language, Music, Travel, & Wilderness

Face Reveal Inspo

Name: Roshan Naveed
Title: God of Language, Music, Travel, and Wilderness
Gender/Sex: Male
Age: 1,443
Species: Shadhavar
Information: Shadhavars are rather elegant and peaceful creatures. In their true form, they bear a very similar appearance to gazelles, but are considerably taller. They tend to reach roughly six feet in height, and have white fur with an intricate golden pattern. Otherwise graceful in appearance, their eyes are rimmed by a black streak that travels down their cheeks in a way that resembles tear stains. From the center of their forehead protrudes a single long, delicately twisting horn with 42 strange holes. It is this horn that grants the Shadhavar their unique musical ability. When the wind blows and enters into the hollow point of the horn, it creates a musical sound more beautiful and alluring than a flute. This noise is so enchanting that attracts humans and animals alike, placing them in a calming trance.

The Shadhavars horn is especially hard despite being hollow. It’s comprised of a bony core at the center of the forehead, and is coated in a hard, keratinous sheath that continuously grows around it. The bony center will only grow until a certain point and then stop, but the keratin protein covering will continue growing throughout their entire life. This coating can be shaped and shed to help control its growth, however.

In his homeland, the Shadhavar horn is treated by humans as a valuable musical instrument that should be gifted to kings. As such, most were naturally hunted for this treasure. Shadhavars also value their horns as well, and upon death the horn is to be kept by a family member and eventually buried with that family member upon their death. It is believed that a part of their soul still lingers in the music their horn creates, and as such it is considered a tragedy should the horn by lost or stolen.

Closest approximation, but the horn is twisted with 42 holes
Credit: Alexander Ostrowski

Appearance: The most noticeable thing about Roshan’s human appearance is that he is tall, extremely tall. At 6’8”, he easily towers over most crowds. He has a rounded, square chin with high cheekbones, giving his face a distinctively square-ish oval shape. His almond shaped green eyes are framed by a thick rim of dark and delicate eyelashes. Roshan has rather curly black hair that reaches just past his neck, although his hair is usually hidden by a headwear of some type. He prefers to have his bangs brush across his forehead to keep covered an almost star shaped scar. His tendency to wear headscarves and the like originally stemmed from his Shadhavarian culture, although now he wears them simply as a reminder of his old life and to help hide his old injury. He forces himself to wear elaborate fabrics and jewels, as he feels that better fits the appearance of a supposed God, but he'd much rather wear plain cotton button up shirts of some sort with formal pants or a long thawb. He has five strange flutes of various sizes on a string, which he usually wears as a necklace or tied against his waist.

Personality: Roshan tends to come across as cold and harsh at first. He can be rather blunt with his words and seemingly uncaring. He’s quick to remove himself from social situations, seeming as if he’d much rather be alone than with others. However, the truth of the matter is that Roshan is extremely shy. He gets very nervous around others, most especially if they’re human, and tends to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. As a result, his socially awkward tendencies make him come across as rather rude. He’s much more relaxed around the other gods, but he tends to become tense whenever a human is nearby. He doesn’t seem the nervous type at all, but internally he is very wary and always looking for a way to escape. If left alone with other humans, he has a tendency to start panicking. When he panics, Roshan acts rashly and sometimes violently. He is strongly self preserving by nature, and will do anything to keep himself safe, even from a false threat. However, he is not without guilt in his cowardice, and as such he tends to have a rather low opinion of himself.

He’s a being of social anxiety and a creature of habit. He tends to be very detail oriented. Thus, it’s not unusual for him to start organizing random things, whether it be by size, color, or alphabetically. He feels the need to achieve a certain standard of perfection in every aspect of his work. If even the smallest mistake has been made, he has been known to completely scrap everything and start all over. This specific trait of his is what drives him to seek out a unique name for himself. He’s changed his title several times whenever he learns that another god and him share the same one. Over the years he has gone by the God of Deception, Gold, Hunting, and many other titles.

Roshan’s rather insecure in himself, and often tries to keep out of the other gods’ way. He’s uncomfortable with the idea of posing as a god and being worshiped, especially by humans. He doesn’t like being so noticeable and would prefer to blend quietly into the background, but he knows how important it is for the survival of all supernaturals. However, he tends to be mistake prone, often fumbling and breaking things in his nervousness. Because of his cold outward demeanor, most believe he breaks things on purpose out of boredom or frustration. He’s rather ill-adept at showing his emotions, and would much rather prefer to follow than lead.

History: Roshan is fairly young compared to many of the gods, which means that he did not participate in the Great War between man and monster. However, he was also not born within this country. He lived in a country far across the waters, where the supernatural creatures never discovered the idea of posing as gods. Instead, the humans began using these creatures as power sources or for their own personal needs. Many were hunted and killed, while others were enslaved. Many of the magical species of his land were nearing extinction.

Roshan’s family was no different. They had spent the majority of his childhood on the run, living within the wilderness. They were an unusually large group, large being described as 5 when the number of alive and free supernatural creatures was already harshly diminished. Roshan’s family consisted of his two parents, his sickly grandfather, his younger brother, and himself. Supposedly, his grandmother used to be with them as well, but she had been killed before little Roshan’s earliest memories. The only proof of her existence that the family had left was her horn.

His parents tried to give their sons a happy life, but it was not to be. As his grandfather got older, the man began to deteriorate both physically and mentally. Roshan still remembers hearing his parents nightly whispers, saying that the man was giving up because of the loss of his wife. Then one night, when the boy was only 16, a group of hunters had tracked the family’s camp down in the middle of the night. When they tried to flee, Roshan’s grandfather refused to go with them. No amount of begging and pleading could move him. Fearing that their children would be killed or captured if they wasted any more time, the family left without their grandfather. A few weeks later, Roshan’s parents somehow managed to retrieve his grandfather’s horn, the smell of human blood heavily clinging to them.

Only a few months had passed, when another group of hunters managed to find them. They were captured, their horns broken before they were thrown into cages. Despite being starved and beaten, trapped, and painfully stripped of his most crucial defense, Roshan was able to escape. However, the events that transpired can only be described as tragic.

His parents were already trying to find out how to best escape with their sons during the months that they were caged like animals. They had just set up a plan and were going to prepare it into motion the next night, but unfortunately the group of hunters found themselves peckish. They were running low on provisions and had little to hunt, so they opted for an easier method. Roshan has since been terrified of humans after his father’s murder.

The events left the family of three shaken, but made Roshan’s mother now only more determined to save her sons from the true monsters who had trapped them. The humans developed a particular liking to the woman after her husband’s death, one which she decided to use to her advantage. She let them believe they had broken her, coaxed them into underestimating her so that one night when they took her from their cage they were unprepared. She attacked the hunters, shouting for her sons to run. It was a night of chaos, a nightmare of which only Roshan had been able to survive.

He largely avoided humans since then. He traveled alone for nearly six or seven centuries, hoping to find some place far away from the monsters who took his family from him. His fear and desperation grew so large that when he was once again trapped by another group of hunters, he instead threw himself into the ocean. After many months thinking he was going to die in the salty waves, he was eventually washed up on the shores of a foreign land. Fortunately for him, the person who found Roshan’s unconscious body was a creature acting as a god. It was through them that he too eventually came to do the same.

Mythical Significance: Due to his association as the God of Travel, Roshan is considered the patron of merchants and refugees. However, through that same vein he is also considered the patron of thieves. Many villages have a ritual of beginning a long journey with a song as a way of wishing for safe travels.

As a God of the Wilderness, there is a superstition among hunters that before entering the wild you must pay your respect to Roshan, else he will seek revenge. Paying respects after is considered sometimes forgivable, but believed to carry a risk of failure to appease him.

As a God of Music, his horn has inspired the creation of similarly shaped instruments. The instrument is quite notorious for its difficulty in both creation and mastery.

He is most closely associated with the number 5 (the number of horns he has on his necklace) and the number 42 (the number of holes on each horn, including his own).

Relationships: None yet, but looking to add some! I would love in particular to add either someone that may have found him when he first awashed on shore and needed help adjusting, or someone that may have provided him with some sort of reason to attend the festival this year since he normal avoids these celebrations. Or both!

☼ Antero ☼ Roshan views Antero very highly. He considers them a mentor, even if there are times where their opinions don't entirely align. Roshan was raised to respect his elders and value their wisdom, and there are times where he considers them to be much like a psuedo-grandparent-like figure. Much like a grandchild that is eager to please, Roshan will often go out of his way to preform filial duties.

☼ Getsuy ☼ He is dangerous. Roshan can sense it deeply in his bones. He sees the same look in Getsuy's eyes as that of the hunters that imprisoned him and his family. Roshan normally has more camaraderie for his fellow Gods, but Getsuy is the exception. He doesn't trust him one bit. Any time he senses the Wendigo nearby, he has one of his horns prepped to play an enchanting tune.

☼ Morrigan ☼

☼ Nieve ☼ As the one who first found him when he arrived on this strange new land and helped him establish his role among the humans, Roshan holds a great deal of appreciation and respect for Nieve. Normally reserved and civil, he does worry a bit that she might dislike him at times. As such, he actually prefers it when she attempts to tease him, although his face doesn't really show it. It's those moments that make him think that maybe Nieve actually might consider him a friend as well.

Color: Sage Green - #848B79
Other: The smell of cooked meat makes Roshan incredibly nauseous, as it reminds him of the night his dad died. As such, he is a strict vegetarian.

Roshan has a very slight, undeterminable accent, as his original tongue is the language of his country and therefore unheard of in this new land. He donned the title of God of Language as an attempt to explain his accent, but now that very title has driven him to attempt to learn many more languages, so to uphold himself to an arbitrary standard. His broken horn has regrown over the centuries, but it has a slightly upward curve shape to it.

Amaris || Human || Supervisor

Jack Hold inspo 1, 2, and 3.

Name: Amaris Eckhart
Rank: Supervisor/Coordinator/Host/All-rounder
Gender/Sex: Male
Age: 23
Appearance: Amaris is a decently tall young man with a very healthy build. He is fit and strong, with broad shoulders and a square jaw. He has vividly copper hair and growing stubble, along with a decent collection of freckles across his cheeks and back. He has very vibrant blue eyes with ever thoughtfully furrowing brows. He has several tattoos across his body. He has a dragonfly on his neck, a clock on his hands, and several different artistic murals on his chest and back. Most, if not all of his tattoos have some sort of God inspiration or motif attached to them.

Personality: Amaris is currently on a path of self-discovery. He’s not entirely sure who he is or what he wants out of life. He is at his core a confused young man, and that manifests itself in some rather confusing ways.

He tends to switch between his moods with no warning. He can be very jovial and welcoming, easily befriending those he comes across. When he's happy, he becomes rather cheerful and flirty, complimenting anyone and everyone and wanting to start a party. He can be very easy to talk to and honestly quite fun to be around.

But then he suddenly switches. He becomes rather grumpy, pushing company away and preferring to be alone. He can be a bit harsh when like this, as he will usually say hurtful things to others. He doesn't like being told what to do or manipulated.

He doesn't like anything that requires too much effort on his part, but luckily that usually also includes arguing. He may enjoy actively annoying others and bugging them, but he'd much rather walk away from an argument then be around someone he hates. He's more of a passive aggressive type as it is, and rarely acts outrightly aggressive or violent.

However, he has developed quite the anachronistic streak in recent years. All the other human servants believe him to be a responsible leader, but the truth is he would much rather break rules and sow chaos. Deep down, he knows it’s all attention seeking behavior, but he’ll never admit that out loud. He just keeps pushing the boundary, trying to see how far he can get away with things.

History: It took him a long time to realize it, but Amaris has always been burdened by expectations. His family was rather rich and a bit famous, they were the descendants of one of the first Chosens of the Gods you see. So his parents always expected nothing less than the best from him. They wanted perfect intellect, perfect manners, perfect strength. They gave him every opportunity to master every skill they could justify, but then always gave a reason why it was never good enough. As a result of all this, Amaris felt as if he were chasing after something he could never achieve.

After a while, he cracked. He gave up and stopped trying to please his parents. There was always some reason why he still wasn’t perfect enough for them, so why bother trying at all? His parents couldn't have been more furious with him. They retaliated against his rebellion with their own: ignorance. They began to pretend he didn’t exist. Even when he was sitting right at the table with them or hindering them in some way, they would react by not reacting to him at all. He has since gotten into some bad habits to try and get their attention by any means possible, but so far has had no success.

It had been over three years before they finally stopped ignoring Amaris, when he was selected to serve the Gods for the feast. Suddenly, they couldn't be more proud of their son. The attention felt empty to him though, and just infuriated him for some reason. He hadn’t even actually done anything this time, and now he was suddenly their “perfect son” again? Not because of skill or effort, but for sheer luck? In his spiral of anger, he concocted an idea as to how to get back at them. Somehow, some way, he was going to ruin the festival so badly that he becomes a scandal and will besmirch the Eckhart name. He would fail so hard that ignoring his existence wouldn’t even be an option; his presence would forever haunt them.

The first step of his plan? Act perfect.

During training, Amaris was at his absolute best. He was praised by the teachers and trainers, and quickly selected to become one of the Supervisors. He was placed in charge of organizing the other humans with the highest confidence in his abilities. He’s still on his best behavior for now…

Beliefs/Perceptions: Amaris may be an anarchist with a penchant for mischief and chaos now, but he used to be quite the devoted follower of the Gods. He was well read on many of Them, and would display his reverence of Them sincerely.

However, as he began to clash against his parents, his relationship with the Gods has also been affected. He’s found himself questioning how he feels about Them. Does he still care about Them? Should he still care about Them? But most of all, do They even care about him?

For most of his life he truly believed in the Gods’ affection for humans, and returned it with his own. But now? He’s just an insignificant human. Why would They care?

Relationships: None yet, but looking to add some! At this point he should be considered responsible and respectable by his fellow humans. He has taken great care to maintain positive relationships for his goal, even if these relationships are only superficial at best.
Color: Velvet Maroon - #7E354D
Other:The Eckhart family is open to having their Chosen of the God great-great-great-ancestor being claimed by a God character.

While it is Amaris' goal to get fired and kicked off the island by the Gods, it is my goal that he not. I would very much love if all his attempts fail, even better if the Gods actually like his antics.

ISWL Retired Thread

God Skeleton

[hider=Name || Species || What they reign over][center][h1]What Humans Consider To Be Their Full Name
Divine Title[/h1]
[img]Optianal: Inspiration Images here. Use links if there's more than one.[/img]
[/center]
[color=#000000][b]Name:[/b][/color] [Often shorter than the name above. Humans like to add names to Gods.]
[color=#000000][b]Title:[/b][/color] ['God of Apples', 'Goddess of Lions', etc. Basically, what they're known for among humans.]
[color=#000000][b]Gender/Sex:[/b][/color] [Either, or. Whichever you prefer to be known.]
[color=#000000][b]Age:[/b][/color] [Can be ancient or young. They do not need to have been in the war, but if they were then remember that it was about 7000 years ago]
[color=#000000][b]Species:[/b][/color] [Can be almost anything from any culture, so long as they're not human. The only exceptions are Witches or Faeries (miniature winged humanoid kind), which have plot relevance.]
[color=#000000][b]Information:[/b][/color] [As much information as you feel capable of giving about the creature species, including abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Whatever is listed here will be used as a guideline for your character, as well as the species as a whole. Other members will be allowed to use any species introduced, so if you don't specify something ahead of time then be prepared to collaborate on unspecified details.]

[color=#000000][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [Regardless of images provided, I would like a written description as well. Since it was a matter of survival at one point, a lot of supernaturals have developed the ability to appear human in addition to their natural form. I am fine with these human appearances being a bit on the fantastical side though.]

[color=#000000][b]Personality:[/b][/color]

[color=#000000][b]History:[/b][/color] [I am okay with members choosing to use the Great Commanders in their characters' histories. Encourage it, even, since it really helps to establish the incredible influence their leadership had on monsters. Feel free to run ideas by me if you'd like and I will gladly help as best I can.]

[color=#000000][b]Mythical Significance:[/b][/color] [Are there any holidays or celebrations dedicated to this god or pseudo-mythologies you want to share?]
[color=#000000][b]Relationships:[/b][/color] [Eh, why not? Adds more interest and fun. Crushes? Enemies? All the gods should be presumed to already know [i]of[/i] each other in some way, even if they've never actually met or interacted with one another prior to this years festival. If there are any in particular of note feel free to add it here. Can be edited as needed as the roleplay continues.]
[color=#000000][b]Color:[/b][/color] [What html color do you want associated with your character when they speak? Try to pick a color not already being used.]
[color=#000000][b]Other:[/b][/color] [Anything extra? Please replace all 000000 with your character's color.][/hider]

Human Skeleton

[hider=Name || Human || Main job][center][img]Optianal: Inspiration Images here. Use links if there's more than one.[/img][/center]
[color=#000000][b]Name:[/b][/color]
[color=#000000][b]Rank:[/b][/color] [General jobs expected of them. Examples include Coordinators, Servers, Cooks, Cleaners, Gardeners, Laundry Attendants, etc. Can be more than one. Can be changed.]
[color=#000000][b]Gender/Sex:[/b][/color] [Either, or. Whichever you prefer to be known.]
[color=#000000][b]Age:[/b][/color]
[color=#000000][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [Regardless of images provided, I would like a written description as well. As a human, they should have a realistic appearance. No impossible hair or eye colors please.]

[color=#000000][b]Personality:[/b][/color]

[color=#000000][b]History:[/b][/color] [Being chosen is considered an honor, but humans can also reject the call as well. In theory, all servants should be on the island willingly.]

[color=#000000][b]Beliefs/Perceptions:[/b][/color] [Are there any gods in particular that they worship more so than the others, or ones that they maybe dislike? "Doesn't believe in the gods" is NOT an option, as that would be just silly. The Gods literally walk amongst the people, at least as far as humans know.]
[color=#000000][b]Relationships:[/b][/color] [Eh, why not? Adds more interest and fun. Crushes? Enemies? At this point, all the humans have been training and working with one another for a while, so at the very least they are all kind of acquaintances, even if just barely. If there are any in particular of note feel free to add it here. Can be edited as needed as the roleplay continues.]
[color=#000000][b]Color:[/b][/color] [What html color do you want associated with your character when they speak? Try to pick a color not already being used.]
[color=#000000][b]Other:[/b][/color] [Anything extra? Please replace all 000000 with your character's color.][/hider]

Please either PM characters to me or post them in the OoC chat first for approval, thank you!

ISWL Retired Thread

𝕀𝕟 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕎𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕖 ł₦ ₴Ɇ₵ⱤɆ₮ ₩Ɇ ⱠłɆ - OoC Chat

​
We have a Discord Chat as well~

ISWL Retired Thread

𝕀𝕟 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕎𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕖 ł₦ ₴Ɇ₵ⱤɆ₮ ₩Ɇ ⱠłɆ

Source: Erik Sanders

Once every four decades, a grand feast is held for the gods. At these feasts, humans are blessed with the chance to serve them. It's an opportunity that is considered a great honor! Every human above the age of ten has the chance to be presented with glory and prestige. Before the feast is to occur, humans across the lands are chosen randomly by draw from each kingdom. If they accept the call, a carriage will arrive to escort the blessed individuals chosen. The humans will then board a boat to the Palace of the Gods, a mysterious castle on an island that only appears during the year of the celebration. Before arriving, the humans will be cleaned and groomed to perfection. They will be taught how to interact with and serve the Gods. They will be memorize every known room and every hallway within the Palace. They will be shaped into the best servants to the Gods for the month-long celebration. In return, they will gain honor and fame for their family, and will find a future full of new opportunities awaiting them.

Except….

…The Gods have a little secret. The truth is, they aren't actually gods at all. They are, in truth, monsters. In ancient times, they were hunted down by humans and slaughtered. There was no peace as humans and supernatural waged war against each other. They were already quite few and rare, but the war devastated their numbers to a dwindling speck. They went into hiding after a time, long enough that their presence was almost forgotten. Then a few of these beings reemerged and discovered that by posing as gods the humans would worshiped them instead of trying to destroy them. The news spread quickly among the supernatural, and eventually every monster became accepted as a God by the humans. Life became easy–enjoyable, even, after that. But while they certainly enjoy the gifts and feasts, they must take great care during this grand month-long feast to not let any of the humans know what they really are, or else the tragic wars might begin again...​

TLDR

There is an elegant palace standing isolated on a beautiful island. This palace belongs to the gods, and every four decades there is a grand feast held here in honor of the Gods and Goddesses. A selection of some lucky humans are chosen to attend these feasts as servants to cater to the gods. This is viewed as an incredible honor. The lucky humans are sent to the island several months before the event and trained before the gods’ arrival. However, those they serve are not really gods. They are actually monsters posing as gods to avoid being massacred. Will they be able to keep their secret hidden from the humans, or will the humans discover the truth and reveal it to the world?

What An Honor: A Human's Guide to Serving the Gods

During the festival, humans are considered as always working. However, so long as there are no Gods in need of immediate serving, then it is permissible to take a break. Just make sure to stay out of sight of the Gods during that time, or you will be expected to start serving them again immediately.

If, for one reason or another, you are unable to work for a time, you must stay in the Servant's Living Quarters. Make sure that you let a Supervisor or Coordinator know, or that you responsibly hand your duties over to another servant for the time that you will be unavailable.

It is of crucial importance that you not be visible to the Gods when you are not working. Failure to adhere could very well result in your expulsion from the island, and will mar you in the eyes of human society, forever stunting your future.

In addition, God's may at any time choose a servant to start working as their Personal Attendant. This is a great honor; congratulations! This is the highest rank available. Please report the change to a Supervisor. You will receive a new uniform befitting you rank, and a new room in the main building closer to the God's Quarter. Maintain this rank until the end of the festival, and opportunities galore will await you: the Chosen of the God.

History of the War

How long ago were the wars between humans and supernatural creatures, and what important events happened during this time?

Throughout ancient history, there has always been unrest between mankind and monsters. Random attacks were always happening, and any creatures found hiding among humans were promptly chased out and usually killed. About 8,000 years ago, events began to grow more bloodied as towns of humans and towns of monsters would attack one another. Battles would spark across the land, but the dreaded war did not officially start until roughly 7,000 years ago.

This war was started by 7 brothers, charismatic kings who held a firm belief that all monsters needed to be exterminated. They rallied the other kingdom behind them and actively began hunting down all creatures and destroying their towns. Many supernaturals wanted to find a new land away from humans, and they might have if it hadn't been for the Great Commanders.

The Great Commanders were five powerful supernatural creatures that fiercely believed in fighting against the humans for the right to their homeland. They were Ewan the Buggane, an intelligent and giant mole-like creature with fearsome claws and with tusks who was largely believed to have been sent on behalf of the faeries, Alucio the Cherufe, a powerful warrior formed of rock and magma and capable of causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, constant companions Zephyra the Harpy and Otaktay the Thunderbird, riders of the harsh winds and harbingers of storms, and Murdock the Selkie, a dangerous shapeshifting seal that plagued the seas and commanded the waters. Together, these five led their armies against the humans.

The war might have been easily won, if it hadn't been for the human's secret weapon: witches. Although witches were considered monsters, they were seen as a necessary evil in order to defeat the other monsters.

It was a violent and devastating war, the worst of which were during the first five hundred years. Things began to turn badly for the supernaturals when the cleverest of the Great Commanders, Ewan was killed. His death was soon followed by Zephyra and Otaktay. With three of their leaders gone and resources and warrior morale running low, it wasn't long before Alucio too fell to the hands of humans. Murdock was the last Commander left, but he mysteriously vanished under unknown circumstances, with many believing him to be dead or grievously injured.

With the Great Commanders gone and no one left to carry on in their stead, the war slowly grew quiet. The war had lasted roughly 1,000 years, but eventually the creatures gave up. Many fled while others tried to hide or disguise themselves as humans. It wasn't until nearly 5,000 years ago that the "discovery" of gods was made, although it is unknown by whom.

The Great Commanders

Alucio The Cherufe:

Charismatic and proud, Alucio was largely considered the main leader of the commanders. He was very involved in both war and recovery efforts, and generally agreed upon as personable and likable. He cared greatly for his fellow supernaturals. He was especially close to Ewan, and was left very shaken with the Buggane's death.

Then Zephyra and Otaktay were also killed, and his bravado and spirit became broken. He tried to push through for the soldiers that still followed and believed in him, but each new loss or defeat only broke him more. He once had high hopes and dreams, but the war destroyed that part of him.

In the end, he and his army were tracked down and surrounded. Unwilling to allow even more souls to be sacrificed for his escape, he gave up. His death is considered to be the true defeat of the monster army.

---

Ewan The Buggane:

Nicknamed the Messenger of the Faeries, Ewan was the brains and strategist of the supernatural war front. He actually almost never spoke more than maybe one or two words ever in a conversation, if at all. Most of his communication was through trust and understanding, but somehow that worked. He was widely acknowledged as brilliant and efficient. He had only ever had one failure in his commander career, and unfortunately that failure was fatal.

It was a mission to infiltrate one of the main human kingdoms through tunnels made underground. What was believed would become the victory blow against humans turned out to be a trap. The tunnels were flooded with holy water from both ends, leaving Ewan and his army to drown.

---

Zephyra The Harpy:

She was violent and wild, with a temper that was easily triggered. Even many supernaturals feared her anger. However, she was tender hearted and easily swayed by flattery or things she considered cute. And despite her rough edges, she frequently went to great lengths to rescue the weak or defenseless. She was especially liked by children, and she had dreams of having a large family with her life partner: Otaktay.

She left most of the planning to her fellow commanders, as her preference was to just wing it. She and Otaktay were normally a team effort on most missions. They were very widely acknowledged as a couple of lovebirds. Zephyra specifically specialized in aerial combat and ambush maneuvers. Her army was small, but incredibly mighty and fierce.

She fell alongside her husband. Ewan's death had not yet been verified yet, and they had received a tip of his supposed whereabouts. Believing him still alive, they rushed to his rescue. It was, of course, a trap. Although the battle involved the sacrifice of many, the humans ultimately won and slayed the pair.

---

Source: Galecoroco

Otaktay The Thunderbird:

He was actually very charming and quite popular with many women as well, but he was loyal to his wife Zephyra. If anything, it was more than likely he liked it when Zephrya would drag him away; he loved her wild and angry side. As such, many agreed it was just a game they liked to play to show affection to one another.

He was also very clever, with an eye for noticing details that others miss. He was especially skilled in reconnaissance, surveillance, and intercepting. He prioritized self preservation and had a talent for finding points of escape. Normally calm and collected, he really would only lose his cool if it came to the safety of his wife.

He and Zephyra were defeated when they became embroiled in a trap. They were following information on Ewan's possible survival. During their final battle, Otaktay had several opportunities to flee, but he never considered it for a moment. Abandon his wife? Not even if his heart stopped beating! And it did, when he tried to shield his beloved from the onslaught that ultimately took their lives.

---

Source: Fenrae-l

Murdock the Selkie:

He was jovial, with a love for good food and alcohol. He enjoyed partying with others and joking with friends. Whenever things got dark, it was he who always managed to rebuild everyone's spirits. Despite his carefree attitude, he was a surprisingly serious and thoughtful commander.

He normally took charge in battles over seas, being especially well suited to the task. He was also adept at cutting off supplies and transportation efforts for humans, as well as ensuring the safe delivery of supplies to the supernaturals.

While all the other Great Commanders fell to the hands of humans, Murdock alone still remained. However, rather than continue the war efforts, he mysteriously vanished. There were rumors that he got grievously injured and perished, but nothing was ever confirmed. Not only did Murdock disappear, but so did many of his lovers and children. His (and their) current whereabouts and status are unknown.

FAQ

Q: What time period is the roleplay set in?
A: The roleplay is not set within a specific time period. It's more of an anachronism stew (anachronistic meaning 'not in its correct historical or chronological time). It's probably most similar to 17th/18th/19th century, but even that's not entirely accurate. Definitely NOT modern though.

---

Q: What sort of technology is there in the roleplay?
A: The strong belief in the existence of the gods held by society has left scientific and technological advancements a bit stunted, since anything too news breaking could potentially reveal the false gods for what they truly are. The land is pretty largely dependant on agriculture still, with the biggest advancement of technology being the development of domestic systems and mills. A lot of things are pretty much done by hand, especially since there's no such thing as electricity or mass-producing factories. Steampower hasn't even been founded yet for example, although it might be within another decade or so. And since the land is pretty much dependant on agriculture, much of the raw materials needed are mined or grown from within the country. However, there does exist some trading among neighboring countries.

---

Q: Do other countries share the same beliefs, or do they have a different religion?
A: The neighboring countries too follow a similar belief with gods that are really just monsters, but they might just follow a different set of gods. There always exists the possibility these different sets of gods could still be the exact same gods though, just that they might have wanted to try out a new title. Then there's also the chance that people start to believe that two different gods are actually the same god with a different form/name. Some of the gods have likely come up with all sorts of way to have fun with their divine statuses. As to countries that are separated from the land by say, an ocean, those lands have yet to be discovered so it is unknown what sort of belief those countries might have.

---

Q: What sort of fashion is in the roleplay?
A: There would be no such thing as machines yet (unless hand cranked or something similar), so things such as graphic tee shirts would not exist. Clothes would be made of handmade fabric, which would mean any fabric that is elaborately decorated or difficult to make would be very expensive and thus considered to be of high status. So in quality, they would be similar to Georgian and Stuart era fashions, but in style they could be of any potential fashion, including a style that would be similar to today. Much of what would be considered fashionable in this roleplay would be determined by the gods, so the possibilities are endless. Also, the servants will all be provided with a clean set of clothes deemed appropriate to be worn for serving and working for the gods, and the higher in status a servant is (for example, the uniform of supervisors or a god's personal servant) then the more expensive and high status their clothes would be (but never a higher status than the gods of course).

---

Q: What happened to the witches involved in the war?
A: Witches were largely unaccepted by both humans and monsters, since humans viewed them as unnatural and creatures perceived them to still be essentially human. When the war began, they knew that they too would be hunted and killed by both sides. They sided with the humans as a way to avoid this fate, and fought in the war for about 800 years before suddenly vanishing a short time after Murdock's disappearance. It's possible that, since they were still hated by humans and would never be accepted by monsters for their involvement in the war, they founded their own villages in secret before the humans could potentially make their inevitable betrayal.

---

Q: Why are humans unaware of the war?
A: Much of the history of war has been lost to the destruction. Furthermore, any remain texts of the tragic history are written in a language that has long been forgotten. There are also many gods that actively attempt to destroy any evidence or resurfacing of information about the war and the existence of monsters.

---

Q: What exactly is the "Chosen of the Gods"?
A: Chosen of the Gods is a generic title for Servants picked to become a Personal Attendant. It's a stand in for a possible future title or career that the human may follow. Some will be hailed as Saints, Messengers, Warriors, or any number of titles. Some may lead the temple, others may lead a village. There are even a few that have launched businesses!Of course, keep in mind that the title isn't actually true. It is only the human's preference in how they interpret the whims of the Not God. The selection of a Personal Attendant is also something that must be established in character. The Gods and this year's humans haven't met yet, so they couldn't possibly have picked a Personal Attendant already.

---

Q: How long have monsters been worshiped as Gods?
A: They first emerged as Gods roughly 5,000 years ago. No one really knows who successfully pulled off this incredibly long heist first. But by this point in history, their identities as Gods is very firmly established. Humans aren't suspicious because there's nothing currently available to even cultivate suspicions (yet). That's on purpose.

---

Q: Can I have my human character know that the Gods are fake?
A: I would prefer not. This secret is something I would prefer to be discovered IC, as in in character during the roleplay. It's kind of the whole plot and reason that this was born. Plus, I have events planned that really only work with the humans being unaware for the time being. The time to learn the truth will come, I promise!

Rules

• You must be 18+. No exceptions. The plot is pretty tame in my opinion, but I am not comfortable participating in a roleplay with minors. I expect that other adults that have joined also feel the same.

• Romance is allowed, but any smut/ERP must go to DMs or fade to black.

• No one liners. One liners don’t have substance for people to reply to. Posts don’t need to be long, but they do need to have enough details and depth that other members can easily build off of and respond to. I expect at least 1 paragraph, but I would love and encourage more.

• No godmoding or powerplay without permission from the other writers involved.

• No perfect characters/flat characters/mary-sues/gary stus. Flaws make a character interesting! Plus, we are a community! Your character shouldn’t be the center of everything ever. Share the spotlight!

• Keep OoC civil. Roleplay groups can only function if all members work together to preserve the unity. If you can’t be respectful, then perhaps rp groups aren't the most suited environment for you.

• Feel free to make as many characters as you like so long as you can handle them all. Only two Gods per member at this time though. Human slots are unlimited!

• No faeries. Specifically, no miniature winged humanoid creatures. Other types of fae creature are allowed.

• Characters can be a "god" presiding over anything (Examples: intelligence, fire, roses, 7 o'clock, the blue star). Get creative.

• More than one character can be a "god" over the same concept/thing/etc. Many might be a God of Death, but each might be considered a highly specific version or aspect of death. For example: Hades is King of the dead, Thanatos is (non-violent) death, Geras is old age (type of death), and Ker is (violent) death. No need to specify, but do keep this in mind should another member make a god presiding over the same thing as your character.

• No time limit for posts, but do keep communication open. If you are unable to respond for some time, let the group know. If someone hasn’t communicated IC or OoC for at least 2 weeks, I will check up with them just to make sure that everything is alright.

• In exchange for no exact time limit, there is a community time limit. What I mean is that someone in the group must make a post within 2 weeks of the last post. It doesn't matter who. There can be exceptions, such as if everyone involved is busy and communicates as such, but if there is no communication from anyone and no posts as well, then I will start to investigate if the rp group is dead.

• If members feel like they are too busy for a time duration to be active within this roleplay, but do not wish to drop either, then they can always have me place their characters within a limbo state until they should be able to return. I will try to make any and all accommodations that I can.

• We're still figuring things out. Let us know if something crops up and we’ll do our best to handle it.

In Secret We Lie OoC Discord - I don't mind OoC being here, but I am typically much easier and faster to reach through discord

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

@Crown Thank you, it originally started as a very simple idea but it quickly grew lol. There's still plenty of space if you're interested

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

@AvaP @Lunari @Sanity43217

God Skeleton

[hider=Name || Species || What they reign over][center][h1]What Humans Consider To Be Their Full Name
Divine Title[/h1]
[img]Optianal: Inspiration Images here. Use links if there's more than one.[/img]
[/center]
[color=#000000][b]Name:[/b][/color] [Often shorter than the name above. Humans like to add names to Gods.]
[color=#000000][b]Title:[/b][/color] ['God of Apples', 'Goddess of Lions', etc. Basically, what they're known for among humans.]
[color=#000000][b]Gender/Sex:[/b][/color] [Either, or. Whichever you prefer to be known.]
[color=#000000][b]Age:[/b][/color] [Can be ancient or young. They do not need to have been in the war, but if they were then remember that it was about 7000 years ago]
[color=#000000][b]Species:[/b][/color] [Can be almost anything from any culture, so long as they're not human. The only exceptions are Witches or Faeries (miniature winged humanoid kind), which have plot relevance.]
[color=#000000][b]Information:[/b][/color] [As much information as you feel capable of giving about the creature species, including abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Whatever is listed here will be used as a guideline for your character, as well as the species as a whole. Other members will be allowed to use any species introduced, so if you don't specify something ahead of time then be prepared to collaborate on unspecified details.]

[color=#000000][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [Regardless of images provided, I would like a written description as well. Since it was a matter of survival at one point, a lot of supernaturals have developed the ability to appear human in addition to their natural form. I am fine with these human appearances being a bit on the fantastical side though.]

[color=#000000][b]Personality:[/b][/color]

[color=#000000][b]History:[/b][/color] [I am okay with members choosing to use the Great Commanders in their characters' histories. Encourage it, even, since it really helps to establish the incredible influence their leadership had on monsters. Feel free to run ideas by me if you'd like and I will gladly help as best I can.]

[color=#000000][b]Mythical Significance:[/b][/color] [Are there any holidays or celebrations dedicated to this god or pseudo-mythologies you want to share?]
[color=#000000][b]Relationships:[/b][/color] [Eh, why not? Adds more interest and fun. Crushes? Enemies? All the gods should be presumed to already know [i]of[/i] each other in some way, even if they've never actually met or interacted with one another prior to this years festival. If there are any in particular of note feel free to add it here. Can be edited as needed as the roleplay continues.]
[color=#000000][b]Color:[/b][/color] [What html color do you want associated with your character when they speak? Try to pick a color not already being used.]
[color=#000000][b]Other:[/b][/color] [Anything extra? Please replace all 000000 with your character's color.][/hider]

Human Skeleton

[hider=Name || Human || Main job][center][img]Optianal: Inspiration Images here. Use links if there's more than one.[/img][/center]
[color=#000000][b]Name:[/b][/color]
[color=#000000][b]Rank:[/b][/color] [General jobs expected of them. Examples include Coordinators, Servers, Cooks, Cleaners, Gardeners, Laundry Attendants, etc. Can be more than one. Can be changed.]
[color=#000000][b]Gender/Sex:[/b][/color] [Either, or. Whichever you prefer to be known.]
[color=#000000][b]Age:[/b][/color]
[color=#000000][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [Regardless of images provided, I would like a written description as well. As a human, they should have a realistic appearance. No impossible hair or eye colors please.]

[color=#000000][b]Personality:[/b][/color]

[color=#000000][b]History:[/b][/color] [Being chosen is considered an honor, but humans can also reject the call as well. In theory, all servants should be on the island willingly.]

[color=#000000][b]Beliefs/Perceptions:[/b][/color] [Are there any gods in particular that they worship more so than the others, or ones that they maybe dislike? "Doesn't believe in the gods" is NOT an option, as that would be just silly. The Gods literally walk amongst the people, at least as far as humans know.]
[color=#000000][b]Relationships:[/b][/color] [Eh, why not? Adds more interest and fun. Crushes? Enemies? At this point, all the humans have been training and working with one another for a while, so at the very least they are all kind of acquaintances, even if just barely. If there are any in particular of note feel free to add it here. Can be edited as needed as the roleplay continues.]
[color=#000000][b]Color:[/b][/color] [What html color do you want associated with your character when they speak? Try to pick a color not already being used.]
[color=#000000][b]Other:[/b][/color] [Anything extra? Please replace all 000000 with your character's color.][/hider]

I tried to keep them simple. I would still like to get maybe one or two people added if possible before making an actual thread, but I think it should be fine to at least do some character planning. Feel free to message me if there are any concerns or if there's something about your character that you would like to keep super secret~

And also, here are my characters. They're all from the original rp, but I am considering adding in a new character idea or two maybe.

Aeliana || Phoenix || Rebirth, the Sun, Light, & Fire

𝔸𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕕𝕚 ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕒 𝕆𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤 ℝ𝕚𝕥𝕖
Goddess of Rebirth, the Sun, Light & Fire

Inspo 2, Inspo 3, Jessica Stam.

Name: Aeliana "Aelia" Elidi
Title: Goddess of Rebirth, the Sun, Light & Fire
Gender/Sex: Female
Age: 10,291, at least that's what she says/remembers
Species: Phoenix
Information: A Phoenix' true form is that of a large fiery bird. They can engulf their entire body in flames, either in human or phoenix form, and possess an amazing amount of strength. They can carry an entire person in their talons and still be able to fly. Naturally, they have incredible control of the light and fire they emit, and are immune to burns. They are also immortal, being reborn again from the ashes each time one should die. This regeneration ability extends to incredible healing prowess: their tears have the ability to heal any wound with direct contact.

Perhaps due to their longevity, they are very rare and solitary. Most phoenixes throughout time tend to be the same ones. As a result, phoenixes tend to be largely independent. Even other phoenixes don't typically know of others of their kind. They rarely interact with each other and aren't a particularly familial creature, so new phoenix births are especially rare. Even supposed "new births" are hard to verify however, due to a phoenix's unique memory constitution. They have controllable amnesia and can make themselves forget memories as they so choose with each new rebirth. It's not perfect, as often times forgotten memories can be re-triggered, but if a memory becomes particularly old enough they can eventually succeed in forgetting it permanently.

In addition, Phoenixes are able to control the rate at which they will grow for each rebirth. They could mimic a human's lifespan if they wanted, or even grow quickly like a bird. Their growth rate instinctively slows dramatically upon adulthood. In fact, they are more likely to perish to an injury than they are to reach an old age. It could even be said that their best self-healing ability is to allow themselves to die to an injury so they can be reborn fully unharmed. However, this has naturally created a twisted sense of mortality in most phoenix.

Appearance: Aeliana’s human appearance very easily gives off the aura of a Goddess. She's slightly tall at 5'6", but her confidence sometimes makes her feel even taller than she actually is, especially within the memories of others. She is shapely with long legs accented by a short torso. Her skin is pale with a soft and healthy glow. She has bouncy orange and red hair that forms natural wavy curls that reach her mid back. Her droopy almond shaped eyes are a clear crystal blue that are rimmed by a startling set of long, dark eyelashes. She has a strong preference for red lipstick and white gowns or dresses accentuated with gold.

As a phoenix, she is large and imposing. She has a wingspan of roughly 7 meters (22 ft), and is over 3 meters (11 ft) tall. Coated in bright and fiery plumage, her feathers easily puts all other birds to shame. Her tail is especially long and resplendent; it most closely seems to resemble a mix of a widowbird, a greater bird-of-paradise, and a peacock, but with spatuletails spread throughout. In this form, she almost always seems to be made of flickering red and orange flames, but there are occasionally times where she might dim her fire enough that her feathers almost appear still.

Personality: Aeliana is, for all intents and purposes, a bit of an enigma. Even her fellow Gods have a hard time truly understanding her. However, that is entirely Aelia’s goal. She chooses to be unpredictable and capricious. If she acts odd enough, then she’ll be able to emotionally keep others at bay.

Upon first impression, she may come across as harsh and aloof. She has a perfectly practiced graceful air about her, naturally befitting of a God of course. Adorned in luxuries and wealth, she clearly seems to have a taste for the finer things in life. This lavish aire is all a carefully crafted part of her goddess persona.

But then she suddenly reveals a mysterious and mischievous streak. She is teasing and playful, with whimsical tales and riddles galore. She takes a bit of enjoyment out of this twisted game of messing with people's impression of her. She will purposely be withdrawn and act superior to others, only to suddenly toss an unexpected comment or do something unexpected in ill-fitting just to see others' reactions.

While she is an elaborate storyteller, she seems to constantly mix up the details. There are times when these holes seem unintentional; she has lived a long time after all, forgetting the details is to be expected. Most times though, it is deliberate. Is she lying? Trying to pull on someone’s leg? It's truly difficult to tell when she's being truthful about something.

She tends to change her interests often. Most assume it’s because she grows bored quite easily, but actually it is her attempt to run away from her sorrow. She moves from one interest to the other because nothing truly matters against the march of time. Despite this nihilism, she still misses those she has lost. Her strange attitude is likely an attempt to run from her past and present reality. She doesn't want to get too attached to something that'll just disappear from her life… again.

History: Aeliana's life is constantly one of a tragic cycle, but that's the norm for most of her kind. Aeliana is mostly unaware of her parents, she's not even entirely sure if she had any. She hardly even remembers her first couple of rebirths, with the earlier centuries of her life being rather blurred. What she does remember however, is the war, a time she has unfortunately attempted to—and failed—to forget.

She lived through the devastating genocide of mythical creatures such as herself. Through it, she had seen close friends and even lovers die before her very eyes. She was frequently separated from the "family" she had forged through the bloodshed. Since she was a phoenix, Aelia was always reborn after each of her deaths. The same could not be said for many of her companions. She has endured torture, abuse, kindness, and sorrow. Among these memories are Alucio. He was one of the Great Commanders of the war. He was also Aelia's lover. Hardly the romantic first meeting, they had met during the war, when Aelia was following under Ewan's army. She had gained Alucio's trust and respect during those times, and eventually they developed affection for one another.

Wars never allow for a happy ending though. While employed under Ewan, she was with his army when they became trapped by the humans and drowned. Ewan and the majority of his soldiers were killed, while the immortal survivor Aeliana was taken prisoner. She was held for many painful years as the humans experimented on her, determined to find a way to try to kill a phoenix and other similarly immortal creatures. By the time Aelia was finally rescued from her imprisonment, Zephyra and Otaktay had already been slain as well and the war was beginning to grow bleak. Even Alucio, who she had remembered as confident and strong, had had his spirit broken. He did not even have the faith left to keep fighting and save himself when the humans had finally cornered him and his army, no matter how much Aelia had begged.

After Alucio's death, the girl had officially lost the will to fight. She quietly disappeared from the war, wandering around aimlessly in search of something even she couldn't define. She has lived a thousand different lives, with a thousand different faces. There was even a time when she was raised by humans, as she tried to erase even the knowledge of being a phoenix from herself. So long as the memories stayed locked up, she could blend in and live a meaningful life as a human surely. But although her mind may have forgotten for a short time, her body still remembered. When humans realized she couldn't burn, her family turned on her and ended her short existence as a human.

Then began the time when humans worshiped her instead. Each life to pass her by has left the woman with a sense of dissatisfaction, leaving her unable to find a lasting sense of happiness.

Mythical Significance: Aeliana is often associated with the Renewing, a celebration of the end of the year as a new year replaces it. It is a week-long holiday, encompassing both the last day of the year and the first day of the year. Due to her status as a fire goddess, The Renewing occurs on the last day of Autumn/first day of Summer. Since Aelia is associated most with the colors of white and gold, humans will often wear white and use gold decorations during the Renewing.

A funeral tradition of some kingdoms is to light the body of the deceased aflame, in the belief that the fire will release the soul so that they may be reborn. It is especially preferred for funerals of young children, and parents will often keep the ashes on them after in the hopes that the soul will be reborn into their next child.

As a Sun Goddess, she is closely associated with the Moon in stories. There are debates on if the Sun and Moon are siblings, enemies, lovers, or friends. Aelia's personal favorite interpretation is that they are Dance Partners.

Relationships: None yet, but she tends to keep others at a certain emotional distance.
Color: Red Gold - #EB5406
Other: She has quite an impressive collection of shoes, but she has a tendency to be barefoot.

I wanted to put credits for the images, only it turns out that they were all AI images. :/

Roshan || Shadhavar || Language, Music, Travel, & Wilderness

尺ㄖ丂卄卂几 ㄖ千 ㄒ卄乇 山丨ㄥᗪ,
ㄒ卄乇 几卂ᐯ乇乇ᗪ ㄒ尺卂ᐯ乇ㄥㄥ乇尺
God of Language, Music, Travel, & Wilderness

Name: Roshan Naveed
Title: God of Language, Music, Travel, and Wilderness
Gender/Sex: Male
Age: 1,443
Species: Shadhavar
Information: Shadhavars are rather elegant and peaceful creatures. In their true form, they bear a very similar appearance to gazelles, but are considerably taller. They tend to reach roughly six feet in height, and have white fur with an intricate golden pattern. Otherwise graceful in appearance, their eyes are rimmed by a black streak that travels down their cheeks in a way that resembles tear stains. From the center of their forehead protrudes a single long, delicately twisting horn with 42 strange holes. It is this horn that grants the Shadhavar their unique musical ability. When the wind blows and enters into the hollow point of the horn, it creates a beautiful musical sound more beautiful and alluring than a flute. This noise could almost be considered enchanting, as it attracts humans and animals alike.

The Shadhavars horn is especially hard despite being hollow. It’s comprised of a bony core at the center of the forehead, and is coated in a hard, keratinous sheath that continuously grows around it. The bony center will only grow until a certain point and then stop, but the keratin protein covering will continue growing throughout their entire life. This coating can be shaped and shed to help control its growth, however.

Closest approximation, but the horn is twisted with 42 holes
Credit: Alexander Ostrowski

Appearance: The most noticeable thing about Roshan’s human appearance is that he is tall, extremely tall. At 6’4”, he easily towers over most crowds. He has a rounded, square chin with high cheekbones, giving his face a distinctively square-ish oval shape. His almond shaped green eyes are framed by a thick rim of dark and delicate eyelashes. He has a thick layer of dark stubble gracing his jaw, and a trimmed mustache above his pink lips. Roshan has rather curly black hair that reaches just past his neck, although his hair is usually hidden by a headwear of some type. He prefers to have his bangs brush across his forehead to keep covered an almost star shaped scar. His tendency to wear headscarves and the like originally stemmed from his Shadhavarian culture, although now he wears them simply as a reminder of his old life and to help hide his old injury. He forces himself to wear elaborate fabrics and jewels, as he feels that better fits the appearance of a supposed God, but he'd much rather wear plain cotton button up shirts of some sort with formal pants or a long thawb. He has five strange flutes of various sizes on a string, which he usually wears as a necklace or tied against his waist.

Personality: Roshan tends to come across as cold and harsh at first. He can be rather blunt with his words and seemingly uncaring. He’s quick to remove himself from social situations, seeming as if he’d much rather be alone than with others. However, the truth of the matter is that Roshan is extremely shy. He gets very nervous around others, most especially if they’re human, and tends to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. As a result, his socially awkward tendencies make him come across as rather rude. He’s much more relaxed around the other gods, but he tends to become tense whenever a human is nearby. He doesn’t seem the nervous type at all, but internally he is very wary and always looking for a way to escape. If left alone with other humans, he has a tendency to start panicking. When he panics, Roshan acts rashly and sometimes violently. He is strongly self preserving by nature, and will do anything to keep himself safe, even from a false threat. However, he is not without guilt in his cowardice, and as such he tends to have a rather low opinion of himself.

He’s a being of social anxiety and a creature of habit. He tends to be very detail oriented. Thus, it’s not unusual for him to start organizing random things, whether it be by size, color, or alphabetically. He feels the need to achieve a certain standard of perfection in every aspect of his work. If even the smallest mistake has been made, he has been known to completely scrap everything and start all over. This specific trait of his is what drives him to seek out a unique name for himself. He’s changed his title several times whenever he learns that another god and him share the same one. Over the years he has gone by the God of Deception, Gold, Hunting, and many other titles.

Roshan’s rather insecure in himself, and often tries to keep out of the other gods’ way. He’s uncomfortable with the idea of posing as a god and being worshiped, especially by humans. He doesn’t like being so noticeable and would prefer to blend quietly into the background, but he knows how important it is for the survival of all supernaturals. However, he tends to be mistake prone, often fumbling and breaking things in his nervousness. Because of his cold outward demeanor, most believe he breaks things on purpose out of boredom or frustration. He’s rather ill-adept at showing his emotions, and would much rather prefer to follow than lead.

History: Roshan is fairly young compared to many of the gods, which means that he did not participate in the Great War between man and monster. However, he was also not born within this country. He lived in a country far across the waters, where the supernatural creatures never discovered the idea of posing as gods. Instead, the humans began using these creatures as power sources or for their own personal needs. Many were hunted and killed, while others were enslaved. Many of the magical species of his land were nearing extinction.

Roshan’s family was no different. They had spent the majority of his childhood on the run, living within the wilderness. They were an unusually large group, large being described as 5 when the number of alive and free supernatural creatures was already harshly diminished. Roshan’s family consisted of his two parents, his sickly grandfather, his younger brother, and himself. Supposedly, his grandmother used to be with them as well, but she had been killed before little Roshan’s earliest memories. The only proof of her existence that the family had left was her horn.

His parents tried to give their sons a happy life, but it was not to be. As his grandfather got older, the man began to deteriorate both physically and mentally. Roshan still remembers hearing his parents nightly whispers, saying that the man was giving up because of the loss of his wife. Then one night, when the boy was only 16, a group of hunters had tracked the family’s camp down in the middle of the night. When they tried to flee, Roshan’s grandfather refused to go with them. No amount of begging and pleading could move him. Fearing that their children would be killed or captured if they wasted any more time, the family left without their grandfather. A few weeks later, Roshan’s parents somehow managed to retrieve his grandfather’s horn, the smell of human blood heavily clinging to them.

Only a few months had passed, when another group of hunters managed to find them. They were captured, their horns broken before they were thrown into cages. Despite being starved and beaten, trapped, and painfully stripped of his most crucial defense, Roshan was able to escape. However, the events that transpired can only be described as tragic.

His parents were already trying to find out how to best escape with their sons during the months that they were caged like animals. They had just set up a plan and were going to prepare it into motion the next night, but unfortunately the group of hunters found themselves peckish. They were running low on provisions and had little to hunt, so they opted for an easier method. Roshan has since been terrified of humans after his father’s murder.

The events left the family of three shaken, but made Roshan’s mother now only more determined to save her sons from the true monsters who had trapped them. The humans developed a particular liking to the woman after her husband’s death, one which she decided to use to her advantage. She let them believe they had broken her, coaxed them into underestimating her so that one night when they took her from their cage they were unprepared. She attacked the hunters, shouting for her sons to run. It was a night of chaos, a nightmare of which only Roshan had been able to survive.

He largely avoided humans since then. He traveled alone for nearly six or seven centuries, hoping to find some place far away from the monsters who took his family from him. His fear and desperation grew so large that when he was once again trapped by another group of hunters, he instead threw himself into the ocean. After many months thinking he was going to die in the salty waves, he was eventually washed up on the shores of a foreign land. Fortunately for him, the person who found Roshan’s unconscious body was a creature acting as a god. It was through them that he too eventually came to do the same.

Mythical Significance: Due to his association as the God of Travel, Roshan is considered the patron of merchants and refugees. However, through that same vein he is also considered the patron of thieves. Many villages have a ritual of beginning a long journey with a song as a way of wishing for safe travels.

As a God of the Wilderness, there is a superstition among hunters that before entering the wild you must pay your respect to Roshan, else he will seek revenge. Paying respects after is considered sometimes forgivable, but believed to carry a risk of failure to appease him.

As a minor god of Music, his horn has inspired the creation of similarly shaped instruments. The instrument is quite notorious for its difficulty in both creation and mastery.

He is most closely associated with the number 5 (the number of horns he has on his necklace) and the number 42 (the number of holes on each horn, including his own).

Relationships: None yet, but looking to add some! I would love in particular to add either someone that may have found him when he first awashed on shore and needed help adjusting, or someone that may have provided him with some sort of reason to attend the festival this year since he normal avoids these celebrations. Or both!
Color: Sage Green - #848B79
Other: The smell of cooked meat makes Roshan incredibly nauseous, as it reminds him of the night his dad died. As such, he is a strict vegetarian.

Roshan has a very slight, undeterminable accent, as his original tongue is the language of his country and therefore unheard of in this new land. He donned the title of God of Language as an attempt to explain his accent, but now that very title has driven him to attempt to learn many more languages, so to uphold himself to an arbitrary standard. His broken horn has regrown over the centuries, but it has a slightly upward curve shape to it.

Amaris || Human || Supervisor

Jack Hold inspo 1, 2, and 3.

Name: Amaris Eckhart
Rank: Supervisor/Coordinator/Host/All-rounder
Gender/Sex: Male
Age: 23
Appearance: Amaris is a decently tall young man with a very healthy build. He is fit and strong, with broad shoulders and a square jaw. He has vividly copper hair and growing stubble, along with a decent collection of freckles across his cheeks and back. He has very vibrant blue eyes with ever thoughtfully furrowing brows. He has several tattoos across his body. He has a dragonfly on his neck, a clock on his hands, and several different artistic murals on his chest and back. Most, if not all of his tattoos have some sort of God inspiration or motif attached to them.

Personality: Amaris is currently on a path of self-discovery. He’s not entirely sure who he is or what he wants out of life. He is at his core a confused young man, and that manifests itself in some rather confusing ways.

He tends to switch between his moods with no warning. He can be very jovial and welcoming, easily befriending those he comes across. When he's happy, he becomes rather cheerful and flirty, complimenting anyone and everyone and wanting to start a party. He can be very easy to talk to and honestly quite fun to be around.

But then he suddenly switches. He becomes rather grumpy, pushing company away and preferring to be alone. He can be a bit harsh when like this, as he will usually say hurtful things to others. He doesn't like being told what to do or manipulated.

He doesn't like anything that requires too much effort on his part, but luckily that usually also includes arguing. He may enjoy actively annoying others and bugging them, but he'd much rather walk away from an argument then be around someone he hates. He's more of a passive aggressive type as it is, and rarely acts outrightly aggressive or violent.

However, he has developed quite the anachronistic streak in recent years. All the other human servants believe him to be a responsible leader, but the truth is he would much rather break rules and sow chaos. Deep down, he knows it’s all attention seeking behavior, but he’ll never admit that out loud. He just keeps pushing the boundary, trying to see how far he can get away with things.

History: It took him a long time to realize it, but Amaris has always been burdened by expectations. His family was rather rich and a bit famous, they were the descendants of one of the first Chosens of the Gods you see. So his parents always expected nothing less than the best from him. They wanted perfect intellect, perfect manners, perfect strength. They gave him every opportunity to master every skill they could justify, but then always gave a reason why it was never good enough. As a result of all this, Amaris felt as if he were chasing after something he could never achieve.

After a while, he cracked. He gave up and stopped trying to please his parents. There was always some reason why he still wasn’t perfect enough for them, so why bother trying at all? His parents couldn't have been more furious with him. They retaliated against his rebellion with their own: ignorance. They began to pretend he didn’t exist. Even when he was sitting right at the table with them or hindering them in some way, they would react by not reacting to him at all. He has since gotten into some bad habits to try and get their attention by any means possible, but so far has had no success.

It had been over three years before they finally stopped ignoring Amaris, when he was selected to serve the Gods for the feast. Suddenly, they couldn't be more proud of their son. The attention felt empty to him though, and just infuriated him for some reason. He hadn’t even actually done anything this time, and now he was suddenly their “perfect son” again? Not because of skill or effort, but for sheer luck? In his spiral of anger, he concocted an idea as to how to get back at them. Somehow, some way, he was going to ruin the festival so badly that he becomes a scandal and will besmirch the Eckhart name. He would fail so hard that ignoring his existence wouldn’t even be an option; his presence would forever haunt them.

The first step of his plan? Act perfect.

During training, Amaris was at his absolute best. He was praised by the teachers and trainers, and quickly selected to become one of the Supervisors. He was placed in charge of organizing the other humans with the highest confidence in his abilities. He’s still on his best behavior for now…

Beliefs/Perceptions: Amaris may be an anarchist with a penchant for mischief and chaos now, but he used to be quite the devoted follower of the Gods. He was well read on many of Them, and would display his reverence of Them sincerely.

However, as he began to clash against his parents, his relationship with the Gods has also been affected. He’s found himself questioning how he feels about Them. Does he still care about Them? Should he still care about Them? But most of all, do They even care about him?

For most of his life he truly believed in the Gods’ affection for humans, and returned it with his own. But now? He’s just an insignificant human. Why would They care?

Relationships: None yet, but looking to add some! At this point he should be considered responsible and respectable by his fellow humans. He has taken great care to maintain positive relationships for his goal, even if these relationships are only superficial at best.
Color: Velvet Maroon - #7E354D
Other:The Eckhart family is open to having their Chosen of the God great-great-great-ancestor being claimed by a God character.

While it is Amaris' goal to get fired and kicked off the island by the Gods, it is my goal that he not. I would very much love if all his attempts fail, even better if the Gods actually like his antics.

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

Excited to hear it! I'm hoping to attract a few more people, but I'll start putting together some character skeletons and such so at least the planning stage can get started.

I don't remember if I mentioned it somewhere above, but I do allow multiple characters and I'm planning to limit users to only 2 god/monster characters per person for the time being, however human character spots are unlimited. This is more to try to maintain the ratio between gods and humans, since technically humans are supposed to heavily outnumber them.

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

Pleased to hear it! Thank you both very much

In Secret We Lie: Still Accepting, In Need of Humans

@AvaP Hi! Yes, that is correct! I intend for the beginning to be the very first day of the festival as Gods arrive to the island. It'll center around allowing characters to mingle and the servants-to-Gods dynamic at first, but then I'll start throwing a few wrenches as things progress to make things harder