Postcards from Tei Ura

[Opaline Dreams]

And what better way to start off this thread than with an art dump of my main character? Virenina II Tauhrelil (who frequently goes by Nina instead of her full name) is 27 years old, 7'5 tall, and can rip a steel door off its hinges one-handed. She's also the Tei Uraani equivalent of a princess. Personality and condensed bio under the cut!

PERSONALITY

Virenina's personality is made of extremes. It's a rare moment when she isn't caught up in some kind of passionate emotion, though rage and exuberance are the two she expresses most often. She's an extreme extrovert with a mile-wide dramatic streak, a magnetic presence, and an almost nuclear charisma, who burns brightest before the eyes of an audience and wears her fame like laurels. She's also extremely stubborn, loves to fight, and loathes losing – the kind of person who would fight to the death before even thinking of surrendering. This is why Virenina has been able to remain human despite fighting for the best part of twenty years against forces that would make her otherwise. However, it also gets her into countless fights, feuds, arguments, and rivalries, and overall makes Nina a person to be either loved or hated. Fortunately for Nina, she welcomes hate as much as adoration.

CONDENSED BIO

Ever since first bonding with her paired spirit, Ai Naa, Virenina felt herself fated to become a Spear of Justice - one of seven executioners residing in the Opaline City, whose red art keeps Tei Ura unbroken and whole. Nina didn't just survive the high-stress, high-stakes selection cycle to become the next executioner - she thrived in it, burning anger and spite like jet fuel (she'd show them all, or die trying). The more challenges Nina faced, the more brilliantly she burned. After years of effort, she succeeded and immediately began a meteoric rise to fame, outperforming her fellow executioners and attaining the rank of First Spear of Justice at an almost unheard-of age.

World-famous, idolized by millions, descended from two ruling bloodlines, Virenina's star hangs high and bright over the city she now calls home...but there are some who would see that star come crashing down to earth.

Click to shrink...

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Here come the pictures!


(Click the image to fullview!)

This is Virenina's default outfit - her spear regalia, which is what a Spear of Justice wears to perform their executions. Most spears have one set of regalia for executions, and another, more practical set for duels and field operations. Nina chooses to wear her dueling/field regalia for executions as well, knows that her decision is unorthodox, and intentionally does so anyway.

(Each spear is responsible for designing their own regalia, a skill which spear-hopefuls first begin practicing during the extended selection cycle; whether a candidate succeeds depends as much on their ability to create an iconic public image and character as it does on their combat ability. A spear is a weapon of the state, both in the literal, violent sense and as tools for propaganda. By integrating execution into celebrity and entertainment culture (especially their extremely prominent culture of theater), the Tei Uraani ruling class can do more than normalize execution to its citizens - they can glamorize it. Most Tei Uraani love executions, and spears are some of the biggest celebrities in the world. Think bread and circuses, but replace the circus part with lurid, opulent ritual bloodshed carried out by seven megastars who are equally skilled in manipulating public image and in killing and combat.)





Closer-up pictures showing Nina's face (self-explanatory) and Ai Naa's vessel! A vessel is the physical object to which a paired spirit is anchored, and (in fixed pairings) serves as the tool or conduit through which a paired human applies their spirit partner's core nature to the physical world. (For more information about spirits and pairing, see this post.) The spear was once a ceremonial weapon used to hunt and kill red-fleshed animals for ritual slaughter on holy days. The rest of the year, it was used as a symbol of authority, as well as an instrument to keep time during song and prayer (by striking the foot of the spear against the ground and letting the metal rings chime together). Like all paired humans, Nina keeps Ai Naa's vessel with her at all times.

And finally this doodle from back before I overhauled her design. I don't care. It's evergreen​

 

[Opaline Dreams]

Haven't been drawing lately because I pivoted back to writing again, but this is the last thing I was working on before that! I may never finish it, but I love how it looks regardless. Everybody say hiiiiii Virenina 🥰


(Full-sized image here!)

 

[Radek]

That is... pretty impressive, actually. Even incomplete, you do good work.