August
The Basics
Name: Lanuvistë Alias: Augustus (August) Pearce Species: Sidhe
Gender: Male Age: Old...very old. Height: 7'
Weight: 255LBS Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue
The Physical
Distinguishing Features:There are several tattoos and runic markings adorning the Sidhe's body, but they do not translate into his human glamour.
Physical Description:
The Sidhe are known for their beauty. Beauty that sends humanity into chaos and starts wars. That is much more the female Sidhe.
Male Sidhe are beautiful as well, but true beauty lies in the feminine members of the species.
Lanuvistë is a fine male specimen of the Sidhe, but is nothing one would start a war over.
In his true form, he is quite tall, seven feet to be exact, well muscled and has a healthy mane of hair that falls past his shoulders, pointed ears sticking out between his locks.
He has a strong jaw line, high cheek bones, piercing eyes and a soft yet rugged handsomeness befitting one of his kind.
Alternate Form Description:
August Pearce is a young man, appearing to be in his mid to late 20s. A quick internet search would label him as twenty seven years old, six feet tall and one hundred and sixty five pounds.
August has a somewhat slender build, though he is quite fit, hosting a lean musculature. He has dark brown hair that falls nearly to his shoulders, blue eyes and often has a neatly trimmed beard, or at least a bit of growth. His hair would likely be considered shaggy or unkempt by some, but the cut of his hair is somewhat stylish, when considering the younger generations.
More often than not, August can be seen wearing casual clothing- jeans, tshirts, jackets, tennis shoes. He prefers casual dress over formal, but he does clean up quite well.
Under The Hood
Personality:
Lanuvistë is a loyal, intelligent and trustworthy Sidhe. Those traits show in his human counterpart, as well. But, like most of his race, he is manipulative, and tends to play on words rather than intentions.
Given his origins, and his time in one of the Lower Courts, he is sympathetic towards the underdog.
Goals:
Living his life, or lives, free and uninhibited.
Fears:
Being enslaved, once again, by one of the Sidhe Courts- he cherishes his freedom as his most valued possession.
Talents
Mundane Skills:
Lanuvistë is quite skilled in the ways of war, having trained with the Elves to acquire an aptitude for the bow (longbow), before the Sidhe War, and with several of Autumn's warriors to garner a taste for the blade (single handed swords). Although, the need for such skills is rare in modern times.
While he has learned general human skills during his time on Earth (driving, the use of firearms, the use of the internet, etc.) his most notable skill is his silver tongue. As Fae tend to be, he is exceedingly skilled at persuasion, intimidation and overall manipulation.
Powers:
Sidhe have more general magical power than Little Folk. They can open gates to the and from the Nevernever anywhere, not just at specific points. Most are adept at shapeshifting (at least by way of Glamours) and have a lot of favors owed to them (and a lot more skill in dealing with those who have made bargains with them). Some combination of Inhuman Strength, Speed, and Toughness are common.
A Sidhe is often as magically potent as a strong wizard, with the most powerful equal to a Senior Council member of the White Council.
Many Sidhe in the highest echelons (Nobles, Kings, Ladies, Queens, Mothers) possess countermagic abilities and are able to block or obviate mortal spellcasters efforts.
As a former Noble of the Autumn Court, Lanuvistë is quite adept at Abseelie Magic (the magic of the Autumn Court), as well as several other forms that he has studied over his extensive life. Autumn Magic allows the user to cast magics that fit its essential nature: Entropy, Change, Harvest, Earth, Sorrow.
Entropy- the magic of decay, used for causing corrosion of objects and structures, or premature aging of mortals
Change- the magic of shifting, of glamours... Autumn Sidhe excel at casting flawless glamours, fooling all of the senses, excluding 'The Sight' of practitioners
After leaving the Court, he lost some of his magic's potency, being stripped of his aptitude for the other three (Harvest, Earth and Sorrow).
Vulnerabilities:
Sidhe have the standard fae weaknesses as well as those of their original type. They may also gain the weakness of their Court against its opposite (Autumn vs. Spring). If a Sidhe prevents a vassal from fulfilling an oath or bargain, that oath or binding falls up on the Sidhe.
The most common and notable of Faerie weaknesses are:
Circles of Power/Sacred Circles/Magic Circles - Wizards or other practitioners have been known to trap Fae within their circles on occasion.
Iron - All Fae, no matter how big or small, have a weakness to iron.
Lies - Fae cannot lie. They can, however, twist the truth, ommit important bits, and play on words to the point where they are misleading, but not technically lying. It is a skill the Sidhe are known quite well for.
Promises - Faeries are manipulative, the Sidhe in particular; however, if asked to promise (three times for the best results), and they agree to do so, then whatever they said must have been true, at least in the sense of the words. As the Unseelie Accords say, "There is no spirit of the law, only the letter."
Deals - Fae are required to uphold any deal they make (falls into the 'no lying' rule), but they can, if they are clever, get around the terms of their deals with technicalities, loopholes, and nefarious wording of said deals.
Society Info
Length Of Time In New York:
Off and on since its founding.
Occupation:
Lanuvistë has held many occupations as different aliases, and tends to cycle between them when he's bored.
He currently favors the life of Augustus Pearce- a young, eccentric billionaire, his face on several charities. August is best known for the research centers he sponsors, which are focused on leading breakthroughs in 'Green' technology worldwide.
The Sidhe is also a Soldier of Autumn (on occasion).
Organizations/Factions:
Autumn Court, Winter Court (kind of, through affiliation with Autumn), Wyldfae, White Council
Questions:
1. What are you doing in New York, and how have you fared since arriving?
Answer: "You don't really think I'll give that information out for free, do you, human? I may be willing to deal, however... how badly do you want to know?"
2. You've just spotted a human getting mugged across the street. Before you can react, the victim suddenly begins to shift, changing into what can only be described as a werewolf and assaults the mugger. What do you do?
Answer: "Nothing, other than let the moment run its course. It's not my place to intervene in mortal affairs, unless a deal has been struck."
3. You've been accused of a crime you didn't commit, and are currently being interrogated by one of New York's finest. How do you go about convincing them of your innocence or, if all else fails, breaking free?
E. "A magician doesn't reveal his tricks, now does he?"
4. What does your day-to-day look like? What can you be found doing on an average day?
Answer: "So many questions, yet you have offered no answers yourself, human. Equal exchange is key. If you offer nothing, you will get nothing in return."
The Juicy Bits
Backstory:
| Lao Tzu: |
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. |
Autumn... a time of entropy, of change. The short but important transition from Summer to Winter, from Life to Death. That is what the Autumn Court represented, it was their purpose- safe passage from life to death, protection of the veil, ensuring that change would occur and the universe would not fall into stagnation. While Autumn was all for keeping the natural order, when it came to life and death, whatever happened in between, whatever change occurred, was encouraged.
| Robert Siltanen: |
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." |
Lanuvistë, roughly translated to 'Bringer of Change,' was once a High Noble of the Autumn Court, before it fell from grace, from power, and into the dirt, so long ago...crushed beneath the heel of Winter and Summer in equal measure.
His allegiance was not always offered to Autumn, however, but the whole of the Sidhe...long ago, in a time forgotten by mortals, a time of peace and prosperity in the realm of Faerie. A time before the Courts, before the Kings and Queens, before their Knights and their meddling in human affairs. A time when the Sidhe were one, brought together by a common purpose- keeping the universe, the world, the mortals on their set path.
It was a good purpose, one that Lanuvistë believed in, one that he poured his heart, mind and soul into. But then it came. War. A civil war, one that would sunder the Sidhe population, bring an end to peace, and raise four factions, 'Courts' as they were. The Sidhe no longer knew peace or happiness, only hatred and envy for one another.
'Tis an odd thing for death to become common place among immortals. Countless casualties were suffered on all sides, making the Sidhe truly understand the difference between immortality and invulnerability. An immortal facing their mortality... it shakes them to the core, which was prevalent as the 'Sidhe Wars' raged, leaving families broken and brethren lost. Brother turned against brother, mother against son, husband against wife. Peace and love was lost, casualties of the war.
Lanuvistë was not spared the horrors of war, but was instead forced to choose a side. He remained neutral as long as he could but, in the end, he aligned himself with the Autumn Court, hoping to be as they were- a force of nature, of change. He fought as a Soldier of Autumn, as a Blade of the King...an assassin. During the war, many Sidhe lives were taken by his blade, his arrow, his spear, his magic. Regardless of the rising body count, it hurt him to fight his brethren.
Despite his support of the Autumn Court, he was relieved when the war finally came to an end, the Winter Court pulling ahead in the last battle, shattering the balance between the four Courts. The Ice Age was a grueling experience for all, but at least there was peace again... for the moment. The Queens had risen to power, the Autumn and Spring Courts falling in line behind the 'Higher' Courts of Summer and Winter. Time wore on.
~O~
Despite its low place on the totem pole, Autumn persisted, growing in strength and fulfilling the purpose given to them- ensuring the transition from Summer to Winter, life to death. The job was not easy, and the rewards were few, but Autumn excelled in its position.
Time passed, the world changed, Kings came and went, but Lanuvistë remained, raising in position over his time in the Court, rising to the station of Noble- an honorable position, one he held with pride.
Things were going well for Autumn. They were respected among the Courts, regardless of their position.
~O~
In the 1800s, Autumn met its match in the mortal world, a Necromancer by the name of Kemmler, who trained many practitioners and drew them to his cause. Autumn and the White Council, common enemies of the Necromancers, joined forces, Lanuvistë overseeing and drawing up the terms for the temporary alliance.
Regardless of forces assaulting Kemmler and his following on multiple fronts, they persisted. Several battles took place, several wars waged over the course of a century, Kemmler dying and returning several times in the process. The Necromancer was a stain on humanity, and his base existence an afront to Autumn, to the balance, to the natural order.
Autumn's dedication to ending Kemmler and his following brought about their own fall from grace, losing many to the undead. The Court suffered many casualties, causing the balance between the four Courts to shift once more, leaving it off-kilter, until Spring's own fall evened the odds, Oberon injured and vulnerable, leaving his court in shambles.
As the Court weakened, so did the Autumn King, Partholon, slowly losing the power he once held over his Nobles, his servants. Many of the Sidhe went free, but remained in the Court, loyalty binding them to their home. For all intents and purposes, the Court was finished, drowned in a sea of mistakes and lost faith.
As the King's power waned, Lanuvistë broke free of Partholon's hold, feeling a freedom he had not felt since before the Courts formed, becoming one of the many 'Wyldfae,' those who paid tribute to no Court, to no King or Queen. With a thirst for freedom and adventure in equal measure, he struck out on his own, traveling the realm of Faerie, other various locations in the NeverNever, as well as Earth.
Though Lanuvistë is no longer bound to Autumn, or its King, he remains loyal, answering the King's call at times, when he is needed. However, he remains independent, meddling in the human world as only the Wyldfae can, paying no heed to the Unseelie Accords, or the White Council's Laws.
Over his time as one of the Wyld, he has spent quite a bit of time on Earth, playing various roles as humans, utilizing his talent for glamours, spending time among the mortals he's grown fond of.
~O~
Lanuvistë was once in love, married long ago before the forming of the Courts. When his beloved, his wife, aligned herself with the Spring Court, leaving his side, he was heartbroken.
August and his wife reconnected during the Grave Wars, him on the side of Autumn and her on the side of Spring, with some help from a dear friend. They were happy once again...until she was lost at the hands of Kemmler.
He has not loved again since, and he cannot bring himself to take off the ring. She meant the world to him and always will.
Promises
Wolf - "This secret is a weighty one, and while I may not be a fae in blood, you two are. In order to protect the Spring Court, my secret comes with the price of a promise. A promise that you will not tell another soul."