DEALINGS DONE BEYOND THE VOID,
under the hand of Vhynz Stirling, PROMETHEUS
Beyond the Void (founded in the year of our Lord, 1827, by Amadeus Stirling) was among many of the secret societies created by scholars as a way to contain the stray magic that would travel from one world to ours.As the association's name may suggest, the members deal primarily with death and its components. Many of the Void's rituals consist of but are not limited to prognostications, cartomancy, contacting those who are no longer with us, and guarding the lives of those unaware of magic from any incidents caused by those who wield magic.Occasionally (though unadvisable, for the wizard's and the victim's safety), it is plausible for those of the Void to walk between worlds and resuscitate the dead (for the right price).Most of the Void's previous members have died early deaths, or are no longer capable of cognitive function. Some have died in the workforce, while others have suffered grand delusions since retiring from the respective roles of Epimetheus and Prometheus.This is the price that magic demands.
The role of Epimetheus falls into the hands of a loyal and dedicated magic wielder. In case of violent altercations, Epimetheus is in charge of both the weaponry and the armory. The duties and responsibilities of an elected Epimetheus (chosen every fifteen years) are to be decided by Prometheus.Metis, much like Epimetheus, must be dedicated, not only to the wholehearted use of magic, but to spending most of their time paving the way for discoveries that would benefit the field. The knowledge to be used in every ritual, be it dangerous or trivial, falls on the hands of Metis. In the case of medical emergencies, the role of nursing the injured also falls on Metis. Other roles and responsibilities are to be decided by Prometheus.Prometheus holds the most important role among the Void's Big Three, and is elected only when a Prometheus steps down from the role. Prometheus is responsible for overseeing everything that happens within the Void, including but not limited to performing rituals and seances, being the face and spokesperson of the group during meetings with other societies, ensuring that those of their town use magic with utmost care, and that those of non-magic are not dragged into messes concerning the field. Furthermore, they will be held liable for any damage caused by any member of the Void.
The Epimetheus to his father's Prometheus, Vhynz Stirling was born and raised on the premise of magic. The fairytales he had grown accustomed to hearing were not those of knights in shining armor and kings who carried swords of grandeur, but those of spirits, demons, enchantresses, and otherworldly spirits.Magic, Vhynz learned early on, was not composed of flying and spells, wands and robes. It was blood and rituals, sacrificing time for practice instead of socialization, unending expeditions into the Forest to strike deals with and care for the creatures that lurk within Her; a world full of trickery and facades.Of course, none of these make up the right environment for a child to grow up in. When you're constantly told that you will be the next protector of the town you live in (and, hey, maybe even the other neighboring towns, too!), with the task of monitoring and performing magic taking up every second you have on your hands, you don't really develop much of an identity aside from this role, do you?His parents tried their damnedest: raised him to be a proper man of society, taught him manners and differentiating right from wrong. Still, they never did teach him how to be rid of the apathy and general disinterest for anything remotely uninteresting. He never learned to care much for the welfare of those around him; CURIOSITY MAY BE HIS MOST FELT EMOTION, instead.At least he'd mastered magic. AND YET... despite everything he's already learned and done, he wants more. To access the gates of unrestricted magic is to go beyond the knowledge of what those who came before him had. It is to bend the rules, to disturb the very cause that The Void was made for.How much more can you take, before the debt you owe to the world and the spirits beyond it come back to bite you? How much more magic can you use up before you are consumed wholly by it?ONLY TIME WILL TELL, VHYNZ. For now, your bloodied hands stay stained, hidden behind the gloves of your reputation and those before you.THE VOID SENDS ITS REGARDS, PROMETHEUS. MAY THE GATES OF EDEN AND THE HIGHWAY TO HELL BE FOREVER ACCESSIBLE TO YOU, WHO STANDS BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.
NOTES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
hi, this is giz (8teen, any pronouns). if you know me, you know how much i hate playing original characters. this is my attempt at fixing that.i draw inspiration from several sources, with leigh bardugo's ninth house series and the netflix show trese as the main source of inspiration for the lore. other inspirations include but are not limited to the filipino "salamangkero" and mythology, donna tartt's the secret history and dante's inferno.now, onto vhynz himself... he is, at his core, a high-functioning sociopath whose only form of enjoyment is doing the thing he's done since he was a child: engaging in magic, separating the world of the living and the dead. it starts off as a "good" job, but eventually leads to his ethical decline. think of dr. jekyll, who, in the hunt for knowledge (a pursuit that started off as moral), succumbed to wickedness and depravity.you could view this account as a look into downward spirals and faustian bargains. or, you could view it as a bit of an insight into filipino mythology, as told by your favorite filipino probinsyano whose biggest interest is mythology and salamangka. ;)content warnings include but are not limited to: manipulation, violence, blood, religious imagery (roman catholic, to be specific), rituals, and in general, "witches" (as much as i hate the term) and everything that accompanies it.this will be (as much as possible) a literate account. enjoy the ride. :)