[[Okay so- this is going to make little to no sense but- *yeets Nyx lore at your head*This is also going to be an introduction to my main cast of OCs! And I have art of them thankfully-]]- 🖤🐈⬛
[Background] There are these people in the world called Storytellers. And they can be anyone, they can be artists, what we call Creos; actors, or Vox; writers, or Vella. Each Storyteller has a Headspace, which can contain a Realm or multiple Realms. Basically the Headspace is a person's source of imagination or creativity… a Realm is the result of that creativity. The tricky thing is that depending on the Storyteller, a stranger doesn't know where they'll end up. You can get into a person's Realm but never see how it was built, how it was thought up, what inspired the person to make that idea. Or you can get into the Headspace but never see the Realm- the person describes their ideas and what goes on with them, but there's no visual concept for you outside of that, either because they don't want you to see, or they just can't make anything to show it. If you're lucky you're able to see both the Headspace and visit the Realm. So you can see the idea and understand what went into the creative thinking and any lore associated with it.
[Nyx's place in all this] Nyx's Realm is known as Khaos, but specifically she lives in Khaos City. Mostly people know her as "the stray" or "the thief", and her reputation is that of a mischief-maker. What they don't know is that as a Sona, she's actually the one responsible for the creation and stability of the Realm. She'd rather keep that fact hidden, however... she's never been one to be a leader or be responsible for the lives of others. As a Sona, she's also able to leave her Realm and Headspace of her own volition. Each Storyteller's Headspace has a different way in- hers is something she calls "The Realm Tree". She doesn't know how or when it got there, but she knows that it's the source of her powers. By drawing a circle around the tree and making a sigil for a particular Storyteller, she's able to create a portal and travel to other worlds outside her own.
[[I promise that one of these days I will attempt to draw what Khaos City actually looks like- ]]
[The Characters]
🔹 Jass Bezique and the Cards ♠️♥️♦️♣️🃏 The heart of Khaos City is the Masquerade Casino, owned and operated by Jass Bezique. She's a very charming, very cunning woman, and much about her past is a mystery. Jass is widely regarded as the leader of Khaos, and it's highly recommended to stay on her good side. Her crew of employees is known as the Cards, all with their own special talents:
Club♣️: The bouncer. His other job is to gather intelligence on the casino's patrons and keep tabs on anyone of high interest.
Spade♠️: The bartender. Good at small talk, but has a sharp tongue if you cross her. Moonlights as an assassin for Jass, preferred weapon is a katana.
Diamond♦️: The dealer. You have fun when Diamond's at your table. Studies the patrons and alerts Jass or Club if there's someone in particular they need to be keeping an eye on.
Heart♥️: The hostess. Absolute sweetheart, everyone loves her. Usually the one who makes any deals or negotiations with outside parties.
Joker🃏: The manager. Jass's second-in-command and ABSOLUTELY the charmer of the group. He'll also help out any of the other Cards with their jobs, both in and outside of the casino. One of Jass's most trusted confidants, though he does get on her nerves often.
[[Yes currently cringing at my old art this is from like... a year or two ago AAAAAAAAAAAAGH-]]
🔹 Rinth🐀 Along with Jass, he's the other main character in Khaos City. He's kind of a vigilante in the city and works closely with Jass to investigate any mysterious happenings. Also somewhat of a rival for Nyx, but they tend to get along pretty well for the most part. He's also the only one that recognizes she's the creator of the Realm and understands the power that comes along with it. Jass is also aware of this to some extent, but doesn't fully recognize it and is willing to play her part as the city's leader. Rinth is also a shifter- his other form is a large dark-blue rat; he can partially shift while in his human form (i.e. he suddenly smacks you with a giant tail while the two of you are fighting). Very calm, quiet personality; he doesn't get angry easily, but when he does it's the terrifying, ice-cold anger that can last for a while.
[[Okay, so to be completely honest- the only reason he exists is because my brain decided to be a simp and dreamed him up one night- soon as I told my bestie the next day she immediately started plotting to draw him (this is her art btw, I freaking love how she brought him to life-)]]
🔹 Angel 💙🪽 Probably the oldest of my characters, Angel is the law of Khaos City. She's the one that makes sure people don't get too crazy. There are rumors that she's at least over 100 years old and that she made a contract with a devil for certain powers, but she won't confirm either of those. She's a frequent patron of the casino and is generally okay with turning a blind eye to Jass's activity in the city- "So long as no one gets killed, Jass!" She sees Rinth as a younger brother or cousin and will often team up with him.
[[Mm more old art yes- also she is DEFINITELY a cowgirl- think "The Harder They Fall"]]
🔹 Mala🐍 and Leiurus🦂 The "villains" of Khaos City. Mala's the one in charge and Leiurus is her partner. Their goal is to find a way to break out of the Realm and travel to others to cause chaos. So far they're unaware of the Realm Tree's existence, but they have attempted their own experiments. One of them was somewhat successful, as it opened a portal- unfortunately it was a way into the Realm, not a way out. The two inadvertently unleashed a horde of wraith-like monsters the citizens have dubbed "Nocturnae". They prey on your fears and the inner thoughts you don't want anyone to find out about. Luckily they're relatively easy to manage, and they don't affect the people too much. All except for Nyx at least-
[[most recent Mala art I could find, Leiurus was drawn by bestie because I cannot draw men to save my life-]]
[Random Nyx details]
The Realm Tree is the source of her powers. Excessive use will drain them so she has to visit the tree at least once a month to recharge. The energy she gains is stored in the ruby pendant around her neck.
Negative energy has a BIG effect on her; her triggers are feelings of anxiety, self-deprecation, and fear, which can be worsened by the presence of the Nocturnae. Her pendant can easily be corrupted by outside forces which can cause her to lose control of her powers. She has somewhat of a "dark form"- the sclera of her eyes will turn completely black, leaving only her irises a glowing blue. She also gains the ability to create fire with her hands, blue flames tinged with a purple aura. Purple is never a good color to see with Nyx, it's a sign that she's been corrupted. When it's truly bad, her hair turns completely black; her irises change from blue to purple; long black scars/scratches/cracks appear in her skin. If this form is given enough power, it can split from Nyx to become its own being... which would mean very bad things for Khaos. For the most part though, the corruption can usually be seen as "hands"- either holding Nyx back or muzzling her.
Like Rinth, she's also a shifter and can change into a cat, but she can only fully shift, not partially (i.e. she can only be fully human or fully cat, no in-between).
[[And yee, I think that's it lore-wise for now- tried writing a oneshot but decided it'd be easier to present the lore in a more factual way XD]]