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Delia Oblitus-Veren of the Verenonblith Empire
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Delia Anne Oblitus-Veren
Nickname: Delly / Dela / Prissy
Birth date and age: December 22 (16)
Sexuality: Heterosexual
In Depth Appearance:
Delia is a soft-looking, yet sturdy girl. Despite her delicate face, she has a well built body, by virtue of her athleticism - her inability to ignore self-perceived flaws pushes her to monitor her fitness. That asides, Delia's body is - in the words of her nursemaid - a work of art. Lack of blemishes, maintained silken hair, well-manicured nails, pink glossy lips, and creamy smooth skin; again, everything is connected to her perfectionist ideals, which extend as much to her appearance as it does with her. Her expression is generally even, never quite showing extreme emotions. She stands at a middling height of 5'6" (167 cm) with good proportions and long legs. In terms of attire, Delia heavily favors dresses, usually with long sleeves and skirts of modest design, but expensive material, and usually designed as to show-off her wealth. She rarely wears jewelry, though on her right middle finger is a golden ring studded with cornflower blue sapphires with the family crest emblazoned prominently at its center.
Personality:
• Perfectionist • Insecure • Indecisive •
A major part of Delia's personality is her drive towards 'perfection' - it is not enough for her to simply be 'the best' she must be 'flawless'; all of her actions are geared towards this one ideology. She pursues a goal beyond excellence to the extreme, to the point where she's become pathologically incapable of pursuing anything other than perfection. Almost all the time, Delia is physically and mentally strained from overworking. Whether or not she enjoys what she is doing is of little consequence - if it's an endeavor she has decided on, then as with everything, it must be 'perfect'. At her core, however, is someone who was born unable to handle the pressure she puts on herself and she has become insecure, tightly holding on to the goal she has put in her head to surpass her parents as a way to give her direction. Outwardly, she remains calm and detached, but inwardly, she is always thinking about her next step; about what consequence her actions could have, and whether or not what she is doing is worth it.
As royalty, Delia firmly believes that she is greater than her subjects - it's not something she is arrogant about; simply something she takes for a fact. Following that fact, she also believes that it is the duty of the powerful and gifted to give the weak guidance and protection. Failure to do so is a mortal sin in her eyes, and those that cannot fulfill this duty should not even bother calling themselves 'powerful', much less royalty - the pinnacle of power. She has no illusions of being a regular person, and as such, does not act like it. She has trained herself to be elegant and efficient in everything a royal must be good in - from ethics, to politics, to warfare and even public appearances - but most of this training has been theoretical only. She has yet to have any experience leading a battle, and most of the political schemes she had managed where picked out for her by her mother. All of this because she believes it to be her duty.
Likes:
- Difficult puzzles ('puzzle' being subjective)
- Books
- Most kinds of arts (preforming, visual, etc.)
- Cooking
- Furry animals
- Insects (Especially Spiders, Cockroaches, and Scorpions)
Dislikes:
- Laziness (in her opinion, anyway)
- Inefficiency
- Vegetables
- Sharing her self-cooked food
- Mosquitoes
- Mess and littering
Fears:
- Failure
- Being alone
- Being forgotten
- Being useless
Biography:
From a small village in the duchy of Granse, of the former Oblithus Kingdom, came a young man known as Max Veren, later known known as Emperor Magnus Veren of the Verenoblitus Empire. The empire was birthed after a sudden and bloody war that lasted for six years - six years of interregnum, with no government nor king, with each former piece of the Empire managing themselves with varying degrees of success; in that time, a young Emperor Magnus led the armies loyal to the previous monarchy, and had conquered the surrounding one hundred and thirteen duchies. During that time, the royal bloodline of Oblithus had died out, leaving a power vacuum that Magnus easily filled, given the amount of authority he had held during the interregnum. In honor of his sworn brother, the deceased and last prince of the Oblithus Empire, Magnus christened his new empire "Verenoblitus" an amalgamation of their two family names and what they represented. Since then, he has been aggressively expanding his territory and influence, using a combination of clever politicking and overwhelming military strength.
The royal family of Oblithus, once the sovereign rulers of the Oblithus Kingdom, had been exiled in their own land, forced into hiding. Their fall from grace was due to several factors: poor aptitude for the cutthroat world of political scheming, lazy and opulent successors, increasing dissatisfaction from the working class, decreasing loyalty from powerful nobility, etc. It came to the point that more than half of their retainers had taken away their territory, claiming it for themselves, consequently fraying the land into a hundred pieces. One particularly spiteful noble stormed the royal palace, and he and his personal army murdered as much of the royal family as he could. Only three remained: Lady Amelia, aunt of the King; Karma Oblithus, First Prince and would-be heir to the throne, and Aliena Oblithus, First Princess and sister to Karma. Despite their exile, the three of them worked towards their dream of reviving the kingdom of Oblitus. In that time, Karma had made a friend, the son of a village hunter named Max Veren - someone who would soon become his sworn brother, general of his forces, and eventually, the Emperor of Verenoblitus. With Karma marshaling people to his cause as his aunt and sister working behind the scenes on political intrigue, the exiled royalties forces grew rapidly. When he and Max turned sixteen, they began their march towards retaking his kingdom - starting with the swift and decisive recapture of the old capital. So began a six year-long civil war of unification. Unfortunately, Karma did not live to see his kingdom restored; in the final stretches of the war, Karma died from a bullet to the heart and three more to his stomach. Still, the kingdom was united, but now the only one who could take the throne was Aliena - who throughout the war played the part of a docile and delicate maiden.
Aliena was intelligent, cunning, and conniving, but even she herself admits that she has no talent for the throne - she is not someone who stands in the spotlight - she is someone who works in the dark, who flourishes in the power of anonymity; she cannot inspire people to move, or inflame the hearts of her subjects towards a single goal like her brother could. She would have made a terrible Queen, had she been instated on the throne, but she was not. In a move that divides the empire today, she married Max, now known as 'Magnus' for his wartime accomplishments, and proclaimed him King, and the Kingdom as Veren's. Magnus, for his part, christened the new Kingdom as 'Verenoblitus' - in honor of his sworn brother. With his rule legitimized by marrying the queen, Magnus proceeded to strengthen and expand his territory, giving rise to his empire. He handled all aspects of war, while Aliena played the part of his loyal wife - seemingly useful only for her body and her bloodline; however, in the confines of the royal court, it was she who schemed and managed logistics, stealthily and subtly expanding their influence before they even invaded, using a combination of intelligence networks and spy rings to sabotage opposition
Theirs was a marriage born not out of love for each other, but out of love for their beloved brother. They had sworn to restore the kingdom to greatness, and if they had to be wed to do so, then so be it, for though the name has changed and its territory so much vaster than previously thought possible, the Kingdom and Empire belong to Karma, even in death.
Emperor Magnus and Empress Aliena. It is no exaggeration to say that the two of them hold a reputation akin to legends. Their accomplishments are still fresh in the minds of their subjects, and have only grown still. They have created an empire so vast and powerful that its very mention divides nations: some denounce it as a war-machine, bent on world domination, while others respect the power it has carved out for itself. It was under the shadows of these reputations that Delia was born.
First princess and first child, she grew up hearing about the accomplishments of her sires, and the wonder of the people around her, expecting her to be as great as they are. Delia enthusiastically responded to the challenge; she grew up to be a perfectionist, and in everything that she did - whether it was in studies, athletics, arts and even grooming - she did until she achieved 'perfection'. She grew eager to match her parents accomplishments, and dreading the possibility that she should fail. In her mind, she held herself as above others, and as such, it was her duty to use her station to rule wisely but uncontested, as her parents were.
Still, no one can seek perfection without straining oneself to far, and eventually, Delia began showing signs of cracks on her person. She would get irritated easily, her attitude growing increasingly frustrated and aggressive. The Empress was the first to notice this, and swiftly took action before it became a problem. Alongside the child of their Commander-in-Chief, she was sent on a 'vacation' to a foreign, allied land, to hopefully relax and forget about her responsibilities . . .
At the core of all this, however, is a question she often asks herself alone in the dark:
What is she supposed to be doing?
Karma Kennen of Verenoblitus
"Indifference to me, is the epitome of all evil." ― Elie Wiesel
Karma Maximus Kennen
Nickname: Savant / Faker / Loser / Dumbass / Asshole & and other insults courtesy of Delia
Birth date and age: October 31 (19)
Sexuality: Asexual
In Depth Appearance:
Karma is slightly taller than average, standing at 6'2", with a body built for fighting. His dark brown hair is short cropped and practical. His body is littered with scars and burns, proof of his lifestyle. His nose is slightly crooked - as if it had been broken and then re-set into its place. He has a permanent smile on his face that rarely seems to go away - though that's helped by the scar on his lip that tilts it slightly upwards. His attire consists of jackets and long-sleeved clothes, most likely raglan-sleeves. He rarely wears anything that shows too much skin, to hide his scars.
Personality:
• Apathetic • Easygoing • Meticulous • Paranoid •
Karma at first, seems like an easy going person that likes to have fun, relax, and is a bit of dunce - and he is - but that is only because he chooses to be. He becomes an easy going, fun-loving person, because he likes being like that, not because he is. Karma, ultimately, cares little for social norms and values, only abiding by them to make his mother and Delia's lives easier. He has no conscience, nor can he feel guilt; if the situation so requires it, he can compartmentalize like a machine: There is only him and his objective, and anything in between is either an obstacle to or a means to achieve it. He understands why people feel emotion, but cares little for the action itself. That aside, he is also a meticulous planner, always looking for possible outcomes, or sometimes even impossible outcomes, with a healthy dose of paranoia to keep him aware of his surroundings at all times. For Karma, fulfilling his objective is the key, and afterwards, everything else is for his enjoyment.
Likes:
- Delia
- Games & video games
- Mind games
- Psychoanalysis
- Sleeping
- Eating
Dislikes:
- Delia
- Being forced to work
- Lectures
- People getting emotional in front of him
- Being stared at
Fears:
- Delia becoming like himself
- Forming relationships
- Peace
Biography:
Before the end of the war that gave birth to the Verenoblitus Empire, Max 'Magnus' Veren was the Loyalists premier general, and often seen leading the Loyalists most successful victories - of these victories, a handful of them were bloody, violent, and ended horrifically for the opposing side; roads were strewn with the body parts of enemy forces unfortunate enough to be caught by mortar shells, still living soldiers drawn up and hung by their genitals, and a myriad of other atrocities. Such tactics struck enemy moral low, and often times opposing garrisons would simply surrender out of fear, not even bothering to put up a resistance.
These tactics earned the ire of many nations - and even some of Verenoblitus's own subjects - who denounced Magnus as a human rights violator. The Emperor has since taken all complaints with silence, seemingly unconcerned with the reaction these strategies had garnered him.
But there is a reason he does not speak. He cannot defend these actions because he knows that they are not something to be defended - but at the same time, he cannot reveal that he was not the one behind them.
Thirn Gabriel Kennen, at the before the war, was the daughter of a farmer and serf. Life was never easy for them, and her story was one of hundreds. After the Oblithus Kingdom was broken into a hundreds of pieces, several nobles - particularly the previous retainers of the Royal Family of Oblithus - began autonomously managing their own piece of land. Some, after realizing that no centralized government existed, realized that now no one could hold them accountable to their actions but themselves. In typical human character, many of these lords abused their new found freedom.
Taxes increased drastically, tribute from peasants became increasingly regular - and expensive - and the rights of serfs were disappearing rapidly, becoming slavery in all but name. Thirn was one of the unluckiest ones - she had the curse of being born beautiful. At a time where sodomy and rampant abuse of power were prominent, those that were born attractive found themselves doing exactly that - attracting. More often than not, they attracted the worst kind of attention. In the particular duchy where Thirn lived, the warlord in charge had an insatiable sexual appetite - age and gender meant nothing to him, his only desire being that he be serviced by the beautiful and attractive. Thirn caught his eye as she was at the market one day, and it wasn't long before he found out who she was and demanded she be sent to his manor. Despite his promises of wealth and comfort, Thirn knew what awaited her - the life of a toy, who would be played with until her owner grew bored and tossed her into the streets, most likely pregnant and scarred. Thirn decided that she might as well take the latter step beforehand. The day she was to be hauled off to the manor, she poured hot cooking oil on herself. Injured and scarred, her lord no longer wanted her, and she was free - or so she thought. The duke did not take rejection - or any kind of rejection, for that matter - in that manner kindly, and punished her. She was imprisoned, her family hanged, and the rest is better left unsaid.
It was under these circumstances that the Loyalists under Max's command found her after successfully conquering the territory of the duke. Brimming with a fierce determination and boiling with a rage against the world, she quickly joined their ranks - and quickly proved her worth. In combat she was a vicious, remorseless, and savage killer. Anything that could be used to kill was used - anything that could be done to kill more was used more often. Oftentimes, Thirn even injured her own comrades. Her blood-thirst escalated to the point where Karma Oblitus considered pulling her away from active duty, only to be halted by Max. Max saw something inside her, something he feared and admired, something he could use.
He promoted her to his lieutenant, and just as she was in combat, so she was outside of it. It was Thirn who came up with the most brutal of Loyalist victories, and it was Thirn that led them. Despite her mental state, however, she found herself admiring Max - admiring, and grateful for. The two eventually became bosom friends, war comrades who understood each other, even if their mentalities were far apart. Friends who had gone through life and death together, equal times brushing it, equal times dispensing it.
It was from the companionship of these two that Karma Kennen was born - so named after Max's sworn brother. He was conceived before his father was proclaimed emperor. Among most royal families, Karma's birth was an unqualified disaster - it would have created complications with who would inherit the throne later on, and possibly start another civil war - but, not in Karma's case. Thirn, even before his conception, had vowed to assist Max in all his endeavors, all the way to the grave - whichever of them went first. That she had born his child changed nothing, Karma was simply an extension of that vow; a blessing to help her fulfill it. Since before he could talk, Thirn had been training him, preparing him for the day where he could serve Max to the utmost of his ability. He trained and studied war, learned to read people, and manipulate them at will, and at young age, participated in skirmishes - illegally, of course, but no one would question Thirn, now commander-in-chief in Max's place. He never spent much time around other kids his age, and the most human interaction he's had were with battle-hardened officers under his mothers command.
When the time came to present him in service to the Emperor, most of the royal court knew of his bloodline. Reactions were strong of course, with most of them being outraged and an demanding an immediate call for Karma's exile, but all those cries went silent as both Emperor and Empress welcomed him into the court with no reservations - for what reason, one can only guess at. Karma, fully expecting to be put immediately to work in heavy combat areas was surprised by the first - and to this day, only - mission given to him by the Emperor:
"You see, my daughter is two years younger than you. Most people are too nervous to talk to her, let alone play with her, and those that can are usually too busy. I thought that someone like you might be able to keep her company," said the Emperor, in his deep, compelling baritone.
His first job was to babysit, thought Karma seething with white-hot rage.
After all those years of training, suffering, and being bathed in blood, he was now a babysitter. Karma wanted strangle the Emperor, and he certainly would have, until he saw exactly what he was babysitting.
Perfection. Perfection and innocence, rolled up into a tiny and adorable face that was staring up at him curiously. The moment Karma saw her, every instinct in his body screamed at him that she was someone that had to be protected. She was innocent to the world, and more than that, she was a target. Someone like her, who had no idea about the lengths human depravity could go to, was the best kind of target - for kidnapping, for death, for being broken - and this made Karma realize something . . .
Babysitting Delia was probably going to be a lifelong job, and undoubtedly, the most difficult one of all.
He could only grin at the challenge.
