Aurumbella

In a world where humans, mythical creatures, and deities clash, where does one take a stand?

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[ Content warning for a LOT of religious allusions, referenced character death, and child character neglect. ]

Icon art by satsumikan!

This page is still a WIP! Thank you for your patience.

The Premise

The world has long been inhabited by humans, flora, and fauna alike. But, what humans don't know is that there exist other beings as well: mythical creatures, non-human entities hidden in plain sight or safely sequestered elsewhere; and deities, the creators and keepers of the world. In fact, the entire world itself can be divided into two main realms: the Mortal Realm and the Immortal Realm.

The Mortal Realm is where humans and mythical creatures reside; the plane known as Earth. It shares the same timeline as the world we live in, except magic and mythical beings very much exist. The Immortal Realm, on the other hand, is where immortals frequent and where souls entering the system after death go, and this realm is further divided into three main planes: Paradise, the long-sought after heaven; Purgatory, the main afterlife; and Hell, the place of the damned and of those who have committed a grievous sin in their time of living. Valhalla also exists as a subset of Paradise for fallen warriors, and it is there they train in preparation for the foreseen Ragnarök, watched over by Odin, Freya, and the valkyrie.

It is currently the Dark Ages. Unease stirs in the Immortal Realm when valkyries, guides of fallen warriors, begin to go missing, prompting Death and a high-ranking valkyrie to investigate the cause. Within the Mortal Realm, the rise of Christianity convinces humans that anything ‘unnatural’ is a sign of witchcraft or the Devil, forcing mythical beings to conceal their true natures or go into hiding in order to ensure their own survival. Adelaide and Wilhelm, two ice phoenixes, come together and create Aurumbella, a hidden kingdom and sanctuary in which mythical beings can safely reside, located in the lands of what is present-day Germany. Ultimately, they also intend to open their kingdom's doors to humans who are amenable to the idea of coexisting with mythical creatures, dreaming of a world where all entities can live together in peace. The prospect of a safe haven attracts many mythical beings, and Aurumbella begins to flourish.

Unfortunately, peace in a world of conflict can never last for very long.

The Stage

The setting takes place on an Earth extremely similar to our own, except mythical beings and deities exist in addition to humans. The time takes place in the Middle Ages around the 12th Century, when most of the events occurred, and spans into present day. Despite the additional existence of mythical beings and deities, Earth still undergoes the events of human history. Europe, where most of the occurrences took place, was largely operating under feudalism.

The world can be divided into two main realms: the Mortal Realm and the Immortal Realm.

The Mortal Realm

The Mortal Realm is where humans live, although some immortals who can travel between both realms may also choose to take residence here. Mortal mythical beings call this realm their home as well. The main plane of the Mortal Realm is the planet itself, Earth, and it is here that Aurumbella is also located, surveilling the course of human history but independently operating on its own terms.

Aurumbella

Located in what is present-day Germany, Aurumbella is a kingdom and sanctuary for mythical beings. With the congregation of many types of mythical beings, all of which have their own cultures and lifestyles, the kingdom is more ideologically and technologically advanced than current European civilizations. Magic is also used, facilitating one's lifestyle and increasing the beauty of the kingdom. This can be seen by the constant gentle snowfall occurring within the confines of the kingdom, regardless of the weather, and within the subdivisions of the town below the castle, all of which are built with consideration for the town's inhabitants.

Aurumbella operates as a monarchy, its royal family holding the most executive and legislative powers. Queen Adelaide Glacies née Dietrich is the primary ruler and head of state, directly supported by her husband, King Wilhelm Glacies. Prince Alexander Glacies von Aurumbella, a child at this point in time, does not have full access to the same governmental powers as his parents yet; instead, he is preparing for his eventual coronation and ascent to the throne, after which he will co-rule the kingdom with his parents. Although the royal family possesses the most power, the people of the kingdom also have their own say. They are represented by a parliament, which comprises several officials who also serve as advisers to the royal family. These officials are periodically voted into power by the people of the kingdom, and hold their own executive and legislative power. However, they still must answer to the royal family.

The kingdom is protected and intentionally kept hidden to ensure safety for its inhabitants. A magical paling encases Aurumbella, hiding it from human eyes and providing a barrier that repels attacks and limits entry. However, if a human is magically attuned, they may be able to see through the barrier regardless. This paling is upheld and maintained primarily by King Wilhelm, followed by the aid of high ranking royal mages and magical tethers. The Erlking's Woods, a large and thick forest surrounding Aurumbella, also provides a natural defense.

The Erlking's Woods

A large expanse of woods surrounding Aurumbella, this place is the home of the Erlking, an incomplete reaperling who has separated from the First Death, Abel. Although these woods outwardly look like the usual thick forest, its interior has a chilling air to it. Light has difficulty penetrating the canopy of the trees; overgrown roots tangle over one another, painting the forest floor along with scattered rocks and the smattering of fungi. Fog frequently falls over the woods as well, obscuring one's vision even further. A river or stream seems to cut through the woods and the occasional animal life can also be seen.

At night, however, all sounds of life disappear and the forest becomes dangerous. Many humans who travel through these woods at this time become lost or go missing, whereas the few who survive and escape are rendered terrified. The survivors, all horseback riders, recount being relentlessly chased by a demonic entity riding a dark wooden chariot, their approach marked by the galloping of hooves and the illumination of the trees in a pale blue light. The rider calls themselves the Erlking, but the survivors claim they are the Devil himself because of their demonic appearance: a deer skull concealing their face; skeletal fingers; and a tattered, navy shroud obscuring their form, topped with an opaque dark green gossamer cloak.

The Erlking appears to only be interested in chasing anyone who dares to trek through the woods, only relenting and disappearing back into the depths of the woods after a certain period of time has elapsed. No one knows why they are chased by the rider in the first place, or what happens if they are caught. If anyone does know the reason why, they have not lived to tell the tale.

Löwenthal Manor

WIP

The Immortal Realm

The Immortal Realm is where most immortal beings, the deities, and Fate reside. It can be divided into three main planes with other subsets and outliers: Paradise, Purgatory, and Hell.

Paradise

WIP

Valhalla

WIP

Purgatory

WIP

Hell

WIP

Fate's Domain

WIP!

think etemenaki gbf...out of reach by normal means. also think giruvegan and the great crystal from ffxii. auroras in the horizon, stars in one's surroundings. walking on a bridge of magic and light that ripples with each step. fate communicates to the deities through the stars

The Actors

Tap on the images to learn more! Characters marked with * belong to Shelly. We highly recommend reading the Eternal OT3's information first before continuing to the others.

The art for Cain and Alex is by satsumikan! Rei's image is a temporary placeholder.

[ Content warning for child character neglect, character death, religious allusions, and the direct and generous use of religious figures. ]

The leading ensemble, the Eternal OT3:

*Rei

Cain

Alex

When 3 becomes more

The nobility:

The pivotal:

Note from Evan: Shelly and I have taken many creative liberties with the characters in The Pivotal, many of whom are heavily inspired by folklore or religious stories. The Erlking, for instance, possibly originates from Danish folklore. While I was inspired specifically by Goethe's poem and used aspects of it, the Erlking deviated and wound up becoming their own self. The same also applies with the Biblical and religious figures (Abel, the deities) referenced above.

Rei

Temporary placeholder image.

General

WIP!

Appearance

WIP!

Mentality

WIP!

History

WIP!

Miscellaneous (Headcanons)

WIP!

• Return

Cain

Art by satsumikan.

General

Full Name: Cain Löwenthal
Alias: Thanatos
Gender: Cis male
Pronouns: he/him
Race: Human → Deity (Death)
Year of Birth: 21st June 1100 CE
Zodiac: Gemini-Cancer cusp
Age: 919 years (physically looks mid-20s)

Appearance

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)
Build: Lean
Eye Color: Gold
Hair Color: Black
Skin Color: White (pale)
Description: Cain can usually be seen wearing a black suit vest with matching tie, a white button up shirt, black trousers held up by a belt looping through the waistline, and a black trench coat with white accents. Black feathers line the collar of his trench coat. He also typically wears dress shoes.

He will always be seen wearing sunglasses--even indoors. Seeing him with his sunglasses off is a rarity; the only time he will remove them is to show complete and utter honesty--in essence, one of the rare times he is wholly genuine.

His hair is wavy and layered, stopping roughly at the nape of his neck.

Mentality

Sexuality: Demisexual
Likes:
⋆ Alex
⋆ His reaperlings
⋆ Sunglasses
⋆ Memes, shitposts, the internet
⋆ Fooling around with Rei

Dislikes:
⋆ His job
⋆ People/events making his job harder than necessary
⋆ His friends getting hurt
⋆ Being forced to choose between his feelings and his obligations (big oof @ his attachments)

Personality: Generally, Cain is very laid back and easy-going. He is humorous and playful, more than happy to join in anyone's antics (provided that they do not cause any harm or tension). For the most part, he will easily get along with anyone; the one easy way to get him to dislike someone is to target his closest friends.

When doing his job, his lighthearted demeanor vanishes. He becomes very serious and devoted to his task at hand, although if presented with a morally ambiguous decision, one may see cracks in his solemn disposition. Cain does not possess positive feelings towards his job and will often attempt to avoid it or lessen his load by having his reaperlings carry the brunt of the task. His easygoing personality is also not seen when he has to interact with the deities unless he is being sarcastic or taunting them.

History

Relationships:
⋆ Elisabeth Löwenthal née Lehner: Mother, deceased
⋆ Johannes Löwenthal: Father, deceased
⋆ Alexander Glacies: Significant other and closest friend; 1/3 of the Eternal OT3
⋆ Rei: Former mentor, current shitposting partner in crime and closest friend; the other 1/3 of the Eternal OT3

Known Languages:
⋆ German
⋆ English
⋆ Dutch
⋆ Catalan
⋆ Greek
⋆ Czech
⋆ Technically he has knowledge of all of them, due to being death

Place of Origin: Present-day Austria

Background: [ cw for child character neglect, character death, religious allusions ]

This is currently being updated! Some information is no longer up to date.

Cain is the son of Johannes and Elisabeth Löwenthal, the lord and lady of a manor during feudal society. Due to being born with golden eyes, which neither parents possessed, he was considered to be a demonic child and was thus named after the first murderer from the Bible. Cain would only come to learn about the existence of Aurumbella when his father, who was travelling through the woods surrounding the kingdom as a shortcut, was saved by Queen Adelaide from the Erlking, the ruler and resident of the woods. In exchange for having his life saved, Johanness agreed (somewhat reluctantly) to become the guinea pig to test if it was possible for Aurumbella to also accept humans into its sanctuary.

Cain met Alex when he first went to Aurumbella to meet the King and Queen and to learn about what his task was. He quickly befriended Alex when the other accepted him, a stark contrast to the constant fear and rejection he encountered back at home. He grew up together with Alex, becoming educated under the same mentor (Rei, a valkyrie), and eventually fell in love with Alex. They became engaged with each other.

Unfortunately, Cain was murdered on the day of his wedding en route to the ceremony. Before he died, Rei intervened and offered him a chance to remain in the Mortal Realm, preventing his soul from being taken away. He would become the new death, as the deities needed a new permanent one due to the 'death' of the previous one. Wanting any possibility of seeing Alex again, Cain accepted and began to undergo training, learning of what his new job entailed under Rei's support and guidance.

During the hundreds of years of taking on the new job, Cain's initial personality was changed; he became completely focused on being death and his humane parts of himself (his emotions, etc.) were put on the side to prevent growing attached to the mortals, which would only serve to hinder his job. Although Rei was indirectly the cause of this transformation, Cain never faulted her for this, due to being grateful that she intervened in the first place and gave him the opportunity to continue 'living.'

However, his shift in personality reverted when he ran into Alex again, reuniting with him. At this point in time, Cain had thought Alex was also mortal and had lost all hope in seeing him again. Knowing then that Alex was still alive steadily allowed Cain to put aside his detached 'death' demeanor and gradually return to his old self, realizing that he was being used by the deities to become the perfect soul-reaping machine when they did not want to take the task on themselves. He would spend much of his time continuing his job (with little other choice), as well as spend time and company together with Alex.

Present-day Cain is still doing his job as death and is spending much more time together with Alex and Rei. He does not have to worry about taking on a mortal job and settling down, due to having to be on the move and working frequently. Although he and Alex have not technically married yet, they are practically husbands, and he does not particularly mind that they haven't exactly tied the knot.

Miscellaneous (Headcanons)

Cain has a bunch of reaperlings under his control, which are akin to little shadow blobs wearing a grim reaper's cloak. They all help him carry out his job as death, as it's impossible for him to be everywhere around the world at once.He doesn't require sleep due to being dead and because of being death (which cannot afford to sleep). However, he does take some time to enjoy it, considering it to be a treat. The same also applies to eating and drinking; he doesn't require them anymore but he still consumes them as enjoyment.Cain's primary reason for not wanting to do his work nowadays is because he wants to spend more time with Alex. Other reasons include getting tired due to doing his job for so long, as well as the fact that he will have to reap the souls of mortals he befriends.As death, Cain has a death scythe, which can take on multiple forms (similar to Black Butler). It is also the weapon he uses in combat. However, he's quite terrible at melee fighting, so his scythe's typical form is a pair of long-barreled guns (which are also the weapons he was trained in using when he still grew up in Aurumbella).The moment Cain was introduced to the internet and memes, it was all over for Alex's sanity.Cain still wears his engagement ring on a necklace around his neck. He wore it on his hand at one point but once he became death, he had to hide it to indicate his emotional detachment from others and subsequently began wearing it around his neck. He still does, due to it being a habit.Don't try to kill Cain. It's not going to work (and he's not going to be very happy about it). He is still capable of bleeding, but his wounds will regenerate and close up automatically.More will be added once I think of them!

• Return

Alex

Art by satsumikan.

General

Full Name: Alexander Glacies von Aurumbella
Nicknames: Alex (preferred name of reference)
Gender: *Agender
Pronouns: uses he/they but is pronoun indifferent
Race: Ice phoenix (full-blooded)
Year of Birth: 22nd November 1100 CE
Zodiac: Scorpio-Sagittarius Cusp
Age: 919 years (physically looks mid-20s)

*The concept of gender doesn't quite apply to Alex because it is a human construct, and he is not human. He doesn't really care for how others perceive him.

Appearance

Height: 5'8" (172 cm)
Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg)
Build: Slim
Eye Color: Silver
Hair Color: Pale blue
Skin Color: White (pale)
Description: Alex has straight pale blue hair that stops at mid-back. On his back is a large tattoo of two feathered wings, ending just below the bottom of his rib cage. The tattoo's ink shares the same color as his hair and if observed closely, the tattoo appears to sometimes move. However, not many have the chance to look at them properly because of their location.

He can usually be seen wearing fancy, flexible, and free clothing. His 'default' attire is a ruffled white button-down shirt tucked into a pair of light blue trousers, which are held up by a belt. He also wears a blue capelet with gold accents above his shirt on his right shoulder and a pair of brown leather lace-up boots.

In modern times, he wears whatever is considered fashionable. These outfits differ due to the fact that he has taken a career path of a model. However, he does have a preference for androgynous outfits and prefers to dress in a gender nonconforming manner.

Alternate Appearance (bird form)

Height: 4'0" (121 cm)
Weight: 4.5 lbs (2 kg)
Description: Alex's alternate appearance is his phoenix form, which he can freely change to and from. As a bird, his feathers share the same color as his hair. If the length of his streamer is factored in, his total height would be a little over 6 feet. His wingspan is the same as his height.

To draw a comparison to actual birds, his phoenix form looks a lot like a resplendent quetzal with the head crest of a secretary bird.

Mentality

Sexuality: Bisexual
Likes:
⋆ Birds (all kinds)
⋆ Fruit (preferably the juicy and sweet kinds)
⋆ Rain and snow
⋆ Peace and quiet
⋆ Singing
⋆ Sunrise and sunset
⋆ His friends (he loves two people the most)

Dislikes:
⋆ Stupid antics (including shitposting and memes)
⋆ (Negative) Attention
⋆ Hot temperatures (anything above 70°F)
⋆ Being manipulated
⋆ Harm befalling those he cares for
⋆ Getting embarrassed

Personality: A serious type of person, Alex is one who is dependable and capable of getting things done. He can be easily exasperated and embarrassed though, often having little patience with fooling around and preferring to lie low and keep to himself. Intelligent and quick-witted, he is able to remain calm and strategise quickly in any situation. One may have trouble attempting to trick or take advantage of him. He can also be quite acerbic with his words.

In general, Alex is somewhat of a mistrusting person. It takes him a bit of time for him to open up to others, although this is less the case with children. But if one is able to overcome this, they will find that he is a caring individual who values his bonds closely. If one is especially lucky, they will find that he is an extremely soft and warm person--a stark contrast to his (physical) nature as an ice phoenix.

History

Relationships:
⋆ Adelaide Glacies née Dietrich: Mother, deceased
⋆ Wilhelm Glacies: Father, deceased
⋆ Cain Löwenthal: Significant other and closest friend; 1/3 of the Eternal OT3
⋆ Rei: Former mentor, current closest friend; the other 1/3 of the Eternal OT3

Known Languages:
⋆ German
⋆ Avian (bird)
⋆ Latin
⋆ English
⋆ French
⋆ Japanese (less fluent in reading)
⋆ The languages he knows are a result of his constant moving and traveling.

Place of Origin: Present-day Germany

Background: [ cw for referenced character death, religious allusions ]

The child of Queen Adelaide and King Wilhelm, Alex was the former prince of the kingdom Aurumbella, a magically and technologically-advanced (especially for the time period) sanctuary for non-humans and mythical beings, located roughly around the border of present-day Germany and Austria. Humans and mythical creatures had always coexisted in the same world, although humans were not aware of the others' existence. With the rise of Christianity, humans became afraid of anything 'unnatural,' deeming it a result of witchcraft or the Devil, forcing mythical creatures to go into hiding in order to ensure their own survival. Adelaide and Wilhelm dreamed of humans and mythical beings coexisting in peace, which led them to create Aurumbella to first provide a safe haven for mythical beings, and then sought to take the next steps in achieving their dream.

The next steps occurred when Adelaide saved a human cutting through the woods surrounding the kingdom, which were inhabited by a being called the Erlking. In return for his life being saved, the human promised to allow his son, a newborn at the time, to later be allowed to be introduced to Aurumbella as a test to see if the kingdom could potentialy open its doors to other tolerant and accepting humans. Alex eventually met this same child, Cain, and grew up together with him under the mentorship of Rei, a valkyrie (although neither knew of that at the time), becoming trained in combat and other subjects. Eventually, Alex and Cain fell in love with each other and became engaged as they reached adulthood.

However, Alex never got the chance to marry Cain, as the other never appeared the day of their wedding day, and the prince never had the chance to find out why either. Information about Aurumbella's existence was leaked out to the humans, who invaded and destroyed the kingdom under the assumption that it housed witches and demons. Alex was able to survive the invasion when his parents urged him to leave and he fled, taking sanctuary in the Alps. Alex would remain there for about 400 years, grieving over the destruction of everything he had come to know under the belief that he was the sole survivor of the incident, unaware that Rei had survived and, to an extent, his lost love as well.

This section is in the midst of being updated. The info below is no longer up to date.

Alex eventually left the forest due to deforestation, as well as the fact that he could not avoid reality forever. Carefully hiding his true nature as a non-human, he attempted to reintegrate into society, which had changed drastically (Renaissance period). However, due to standing out (because of his physical appearance and due to being 400 years behind), Alex was labeled a witch and killed multiple times. He was reborn due to his ice phoenix powers and was forced to move from place to place, finally able to successfully reintegrate into society after many fruitless attempts.

In 1610, Alex and Cain reunited with each other. It was then that he finally learned about the true circumstances surrounding Cain's death: Cain had been murdered and due to receiving an intervention from Rei, who had been seeking someone to become the new death, he was able to remain in the Mortal Realm and eventually hopefully see Alex again, under the condition that he became the new death. The relationship between Alex and Rei became strained due to this revelation. He and Cain also grew close again, although the two could not stay together forever, but both still made due with Cain visiting him whenever it was possible.

Alex continued to wander the world as time passed, settling down in some places for short periods of time before eventually leaving. He also eventually reconciled with Rei, becoming close friends with her again. Nowadays, he lives in a city as an up-and-rising model and is still close to both Cain and Rei.

Miscellaneous (Headcanons)

• Return

Artwork

By satsumikan:

By taro (some images also feature her own OCs, Gabrel and Nadja!):