User:Kirien

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This page describes a character who is dead or retired from Hollow.

"Kirien is a strange being with a consanguineous affinity to earth and a thing for reading emotions."


(He's also a permanently retired character so whatever hhahhHAHhahHAHHa. This has been edited and left up for posterity, or something.)


The Kiririri

Name: Kirien Vahir-Ar'Anthari, Earthsinger.
Aliases: Bright Eyes, Ears, Sidhion.
Official Statuses: Crown Prince of Frostmaw, (former) Eyrie Wingleader.
Race: Former Earth Genasi. Baby Earth Elemental.
Class: Terramancer. Empath. Videntis Memorias(1).
Age: 148.
Height: Variable. Most often, around 5'9" / 179cm.
Weight: Variable. Appears a healthy weight with toned muscle.
Eyes: Gold-flecked amber. Blind, in the normal sense.
Hair: Auburn, unruly, short and windswept. Crystalline.
Clan: The Eyrie. Nameless serves as his mount.
Affiliations: The Coterie, House Stavret, Frostmaw, The Eyrie.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral. A mutable and mercurial individual.
Home: House Stavret, the Great Below, a mansion in Frostmaw.
Status: In a Relationship. Eternally bound. The light to lead him home.

Little Facts:

— His smile is surprisingly infectious and he has a habit of catching you off-guard.

— Has a penchant for befriending rather frightening creatures. Mostly without horrific consequences.

— Has been eaten by books on more than one occasion. Granted, it's the same book, so maybe it just likes how he tastes.

— Has seen through the eyes of many different people/strange beings - a different view is always enlightening. And sometimes maddening.

— Rarely mimics the features of other people. Regularly copies their actions and expressions, brief as they may be.

— Possessed of an otherworldly elegance; the kind of thing that makes it difficult to look away.

— Has been reshaped and remade countless times, and has endured it all.

— Habitually memorises heartbeats and the little things that give people away. Gets vindictive when songs he enjoys are stolen.

— The ruby that makes up his core was once a precious pendant (actually two). The other elementals call it corrupt. Kirien calls it perfect.

— Will never be predictable.

— Grounded (ha). Unable to return to the surface, or even to the Underdark. He's below, deep below, and it may be a millennia before he is able to leave.

Physicalities of a Most Curious Being

"Moves like a drow, you know. Like a cat stalking its prey - graceful, sleek, vicious. He ain't one of them poncy wood elves dancing with their trees...oh, he does dance, don't get me wrong, but there's a sharp edge to it that you only see in those drow. A waltz of Beautiful and Deadly, maybe." - Hilarious irony


This is best described as "ambiguous" although this simple explanation also works: He's a rock and he can change how he looks and be a different type of rock. But in the end he's still a rock. He has a heart in his chest and love in that heart and the only thing that's different is he's actually a rock.

Both mutable and apparently incredibly malleable, the consistency and almost every physical aspect of Kirien's form can be moulded and reshaped as he sees fit (but the bigger the change, the longer it will take to alter the state of his body). However, he is limited to the sole use of rock, metal, and minerals, and cannot replicate the feel of human flesh...believe me, he's tried. Unsuccessfully.

He may appear before you most often as he once looked, carving out the features of his previous body on what is essentially a blank canvas. He feels more comfortable with that facsimile, though he is currently only able to hold the changes of about half of his body at a time, due to the amount of concentration required. This results in his dissolving into an unrecognisable rocky mass somewhere around his lower torso. Prefers 'skin' of milky quartz tinted with a faint fleshy hue, the closest he can get to the appearance of actual skin, but he's seemingly keen to test out a body of glossy black diamond on a regular basis. Despite the changeable nature of his body, he still seems to have freckle-like markings on his cheeks, across the bridge of his nose, and down on his shoulders - every material used displays a distinct speckling effect in those areas. The ghosts of his tattoos linger, too, perhaps because his current body was created using the remnants of his previous one.

He moves with an easy, casual sort of gait, and always at his own pace. Sometimes, he glides.

The Core

"It shone like silver in the firelight, like water in the sun, like snow under stars, like rain upon the moon..." (2)


In the very centre of his chest, where his sternum might be, resides instead a jagged, diamond-shaped shard of ruby that serves as Kirien's elemental core. It shines of its own inner light and, due to its faceted mazarin cut, it also reflects and multiplies any light glancing off its surface with marvelous beauty. Truly, it is a jewel that any treasure hunter would be longing to have his hands on— but to Kirien, it is so much more. The same subtle golden glow that illuminates the core from the inside shines out of the thin, angular 'scars' that usually make themselves visible across his body. This light radiates in gentle waves throughout the curious markings, rhythmic and steady; a sort of perceivable heartbeat.

This precious core is the source of his vitality and is the only part of him that does not seem to alter in shape or size. Quite often, it is sunken into his body mass, protected thoroughly from harm by the hard shell that surrounds it. He will protect it with his life, because it is everything to him.

Common Attire & Treasured Things

While clothing is no longer of particular importance to Kirien, he enjoys wearing his old attire, including his trademark coat(s) and over-large thick teal sweater. Around his right wrist, he wears four interlinked bangles of intricate design and delicate beauty - keepsakes.
  • Arte - Strange, virtuous headband with a penchant for moving here and there. Empera's offspring. It's unclear if Kirien managed to keep this item or not.
  • Nuial'Ashier - An intimidating, ornate drowic battleaxe often used as a leaning pole. The space on the trophy wall awaits its eventual return.
  • Finely-Tailored Admiral Longcoat - Warm and stylish! Bought from Finn's shop. These days, well-worn and in need of some repairs.
  • Radiant Ruby Core - A binding artefact evolved into a vessel for a life source. Infused with drow blood and terramantic energy.
  • Ghroundium-Weave Combat Gloves - Heavy, good-looking, and they pack quite a punch. Left with Krice, along with a promise of return.
  • Concealed Knife-Toed Boots - Hand-modified boots concealing blades on their soles. Turned to adamantite.

Other Items

  • Earth-hewn bell - Given by an ice elemental; kept close at all times, still.
  • Mithril engagement ring - A memento; kept safe for now in a box at home.
  • Large quetzal feather - Given by Quinmyutiotu; pinned to his coat lapel.
  • A deadly, venomous barb - Given by Maladroit; part of the aberration's tail.
  • A House Ar'Anthari insignia - A memory; tucked away in a box at home.
  • A final correspondence letter - From Cornelius; contained in his breast pocket.
  • A powerful House Stavret insignia - Taken from Xzakendres' body; held on to.
  • A light-emitting compass - Troubleseeker. Ezekiel's; he ran when Kirien tried to return it.
  • Four interlinked, delicate golden bangles - Quinmyutiotu's; a keepsake.
  • A letter, a loan, a promise - From Kuzial; kept close to his heart.

How the Fk does Kirien see?!

(Or: A comprehensive and frankly rather convoluted study of Kirien's vision.)

"The sensibility of the individual to the world adjacent to his body by use of his body." (3)


Because this is a common enough question that it warrants its very own section. Kirien is completely blind in the sense that he lacks the visual sight possessed by most, but he can still see, and he manages to see in a very complex and fascinating manner. Firstly, it's important to understand that Kirien interprets the world through multiple forms of 'sight', each of which having various methods that can differ vastly in extent, focus, and general use.

A trait they share is that they are all fairly abstract, at least in comparison to the visual perception. They could all certainly be considered alien by most people as ocular vision relies on light, something Kirien does not factor into his world - his sight is more correctly described as feeling rather than seeing. In many respects, his primary form of sight shares similarities to haptic perception: the process of recognising objects through touch and sensation. This is a lesser sense in most people but has evolved to take place of the ocular vision Kirien lost.

Typically, Kirien combines his separate perceptions, and the information drawn from them, into a single image which gives him a much broader, more detailed view of his surroundings. The majority of his vision stems from what he's dubbed earthsight; the skill to 'see' with the earth. This queer form of perception is completely monochromatic - through Kirien's eyes, the sky is blank white nothingness and water is abyssal black, and all the world is a grey painting. There is a faint, silvery glow about the surface landscape in particular, making it seem ever more surreal. There are no true colours in his world, or at least not any that come under our definitions of 'colour'. Earthsight has a general radius of about 100 feet in all directions, those these dimensions can be controlled by terramantic energies, augmented and distorted to reveal much more, or less.

Earthsight is essentially a form of echolocation. Of course, it focuses much more on earth rather than air (because he's mostly blind to everything off the ground), utilising subsonic pulses to generate a monochromatic map of the surrounding, inanimate world. By using his own body as a conduit to pick up the tiniest vibrations in the ground, and by casting out further nets of vibration to strengthen and widen his own vision, Kirien is able to view the world around him with clarity and in vivid detail. He can also spot what others might not notice, such as unstable ground, or hidden caverns lurking just a few feet below the surface. He can track the presence of people who may not even be remotely close to him, although it is easy to lose a person's 'feel' in busier areas where noise can disrupt his focus.

Next comes a form of vision derived from Kirien's empathy: the skill to feel the emotions of others, draw from them, and absorb them. In Kirien, this ability has taken a more visual form that ties in with his earthsight - emotions are viewed as pixellated auras that surround figures and the colour changes depending on the mood felt. All colour, otherworldly as it may be, comes from this form of sight. These work with his focus on reading body language to allow him to properly judge an atmosphere and react appropriately...usually. As well as emotions, he can see echoes - memories, scraps of emotional discharge that may have lingered for mere minutes, or centuries, depending on the intensity of the feelings present. These are the cobwebs that cling to the corners of a darkened room, that flit around Kirien and whisper words spoken years ago, that inflict ancient sensations of pain, or fear, or bliss. These do not overwhelm him as he has built a barrier against them, but they can be viewed if he desires it. The last blot of colour on the canvas of his sight is drawn from the glimmer of golden threads that may be glimpsed in certain, special spots, and sometimes caught hold of, triggering an event known as 'time-tripping'. Maladroit is to blame for this particular ability, which Kirien inherited due to a deep empathic connection fostered with the abomination.

As far as people go, they are silver ghosts, luminous, almost ethereal in appearance and, indeed, capable of being partially translucent. Previously, it was impossible for Kirien to truly see a person's face as it is seen with ocular vision, but his sight has evolved and changed through his rebirth. Features show up as clear as day but he can also essentially switch off this particular view, blinking past the exterior to the mass beneath. Like this, people and animals are rather eerie structures, barely recognisable as anything human - he sees most clearly their skeleton, which in turn is cloaked by the vague, greyed outlines of muscle and flesh, while clothing does not necessarily register at all unless it's some form of metal armour. Bodies are somewhat indistinct, though, so he tends not to see anything...private. Everything has a general 'feel' about it; a distinctive aura of a sort, which allows Kirien to recognise people and animals more by that unique presence rather than how they look through earthsight. His empathy picks up on familiar emotion and any frayed memories still clinging to that person, essentially allowing him to recognise people by their heart while earthsight allows him to feel their heartbeat - another unique thing he tends to name a person's 'song', and likes to memorise.

Tl;dr version: Click here. Enjoy. :)

Found with...

  • Nameless, a male sand wyvern, long-time companion and loyal friend. Gave genetics the middle finger by choosing to live in the exact opposite environment to the one he's built for. He's made a name for himself in Frostmaw and is getting down to business.
  • Chasz, also known by her full name Zekchasz, a prideful young grey dragon. Daughter of princes and patrons, haughty and entitled with a big enough ego to match. Also, she's vicious. The drow in House Stavret seem to appreciate that, but they don't like he burrowing through their walls.
  • Camaero, the grey Andalusian stallion, calm and loyal, who's stuck with Kirien since he saved him from becoming a dragon's dinner. A patient guardian that Kirien never learned to ride well. Found in the company of a unicorn who still unnerves him a bit.
  • Yuu, a young fishing cat who has come to recognise her name as 'Yuu' due to Kirien shouting 'You' when calling her, as he couldn't think of a name. Fond of pouncing on coat tails and other swishing targets, and a friend of Trebel's.
  • Firenze, an arrogant red-tailed hawk with a penchant for flying into Kirien's face and capitalising on his usual blindness to most airborne things. An eternally grumpy bird.
  • Kho, a peregrine falcon with a distinctly regal air about her. The jesses attached to her legs bear the royal crest of Frostmaw, identifying her as the prince's hunting bird. Sharp-eyed with a chilly nature. A present from Satoshi.
  • Rorschach, a tiny, excitable, partially-ethereal ancient octopus met while time-tripping with Maladroit. Decided to follow the strange pair back to their own reality and got caught somewhere between the two. Swims through the air as though it is still water.
  • Mara, a stygian unicorn mare. Caught on a hunt, capable of healing the undead. She makes Camaero nervous.

Things he can Do

  • Terramancer. A great one; not to be underestimated despite his rather unorthodox approach to the art. He moves with it, dances, sings its song, and he never forces it to do his bidding. Exhaustion and magical overuse can still affect him, of course - using too much energy will not only tire him out, but will also make him very hungry. This is bad news for the surrounding environment...Kirien will happily eat that mountain.
  • Also, he can bend metal. It's pretty neat.
  • Appears to possess some kind of totally unnatural balance, giving him the ability to teeter at dangerous angles over the edges of precipices and generally wander with ease where he should not be able to (such as along lengths of rope or chain).
  • Some form of regeneration due to the nature of his body, although it costs a good amount of energy to consume more rock and assimilate it into his mass. He's durable and fragile all at once. If his core is exposed and broken or torn from his body, he will still die, just the same as a person with their heart ripped out.
  • His hold on his body's consistency is not always steady. Sometimes, especially when multitasking, he simply starts dissolving into sands, which is understandably annoying.
  • An empath. Useful because it aids him in being more tactful - not so good because his barriers are the terribly-constructed work of a total novice in barrier magics and he can occasionally be overwhelmed by the emotions. Accidental, sort of. Has an affinity to memory, can sense and absorb the feelings of others, and is capable of projecting his own onto people; whether simply to soothe a panicked mind or subtly influence their own mood with his own. Can also view the memories of others should they allow it, and share his own, though the backlash can be painful.
  • It's speculated his ability to borrow another's eyes or allow one to see through his own sight is either due to empathy or some weird skill picked up from Maladroit, who seems to be to blame for a lot of things. Which is correct is...questionable.

Other

  • Heresy - The mimic gone wrong.
  • Arte - The virtuous offspring of Empera, an unassuming golden headband.
  • Nuial'Ashier - A massive battleaxe that previously occupied space on House Stavret's walls as a war trophy.

Glossary

Because Kirien has a tendency to use terms he makes up himself:
  • command words - Single, sibilant words spoken that crackle and spark with raw, golden mana. They are used to aid the earth in shifting, not forcing it but rather guiding it through motions it might normally perceive as unnatural and difficult to achieve. Each word is spoken in the language of the world, and can sound awfully similar to the growl and rumble of an earthquake at times, being quite guttural.
  • earthsong - The rhythm and endless lullaby of the earth. According to Kirien, everything in the world moves to the tune of earthsong, although most living things are unaware of this and indeed do not even hear the earth's timeless music. Kirien believes that his ability to pick up on this eerie melody allows him to shift rock with less difficulty, as he is able to move on the same wavelength as the elements he works with. He also notes that earthsong is technically not the only elemental song in existence - firesong, cryosong, and aerosong are all notable extensions or musical 'suites' of earthsong, which he states is the true theme of the world. This same beat is shown visual in Kirien's 'heartbeat', as the pulsations of golden energy follow this unheard tune.

Arte's Kill Count

Total: 7 kills.

Recently

  • Took a trip to the Underdark and holed himself up within House Stavret. Presumably he was not trying to take out the House, which would just be silly. (He just kept the throne warm.)
  • The throne did something. He recovered, mostly. There was a reunion and after that, Kirien rarely ventured beyond the House compound any more, looking as though he was waiting for something to happen. Or perhaps he was plotting...for there are fewer places more appropriate to plot than in the depths of a drow House.
  • Maybe the plan(?) succeeded. All the House Stavret members know is that Kirien vanished one day and no trace of him was left behind, save an empty space on the trophy wall, a whisper of something less horrific in the throne room, and an imprint in their memory.

Out of Character

I passed the point of caring a long time ago so this page is a mess and I'm never going to manage to tidy it up auUGH. Kirien was created in late June 2010, somewhere between the 26th and the 29th if I remember correctly. He was maybe 18 or so (physically) at the time, and quite a bit shorter and more effete than he is now. >> Suffice to say, he's changed a lot.

At the time of this writing, he's over three years old, which makes him my longest-running character. He's also my favourite by far because I'm a goddamn idiot. That being said, he really definitely absolutely is retired. I've been trying to retire him since late 2013 but I'm a failure pfghtjdjt

he's gone in the IC sense; the only thing left is for me to tidy up an ending if I can and get rid of all his stuff

he became an elemental because i do what i want and he's retired and won't be coming back. while he may still be alive,, he's not on the surface, not affecting anyone else's lives, and there's no problem! ok!!

As for me, call me Riou. I'm not new here. I'm also not wonder woman, no matter what Terra tells you. In reality I am an over-emotional, coffee-fuelled robot with sleeping problems and I'm never in the right place at the right time, but you can count on me to try anyway. I like to rp. 2013 has been a bad year for me but I might be back on a new character in 2014, if all goes ok.

Thanks to Svilfon, for innumerable reasons.

References

[1] - Latin which basically translates to Seer of Memories - refers to Kirien's ability to view lingering memories and emotional echoes, a skill developed by his empathy. I don't claim to be an expert in Latin, or even any good at it, so if you're more knowledgeable than I and you can tell the more gramatically correct term, let me know. <3

[2] - Borrowed from Tolkien, these are the words Thorin uses to describe the Arkenstone to Bilbo.

[3] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic_perception (see reference 4 on the page).