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Heyo! It's me, Bessie, back again with another (slightly spicier) roleplay request! Keep on reading if you'd like to write something filled with tension, teasing, and maybe some questionable choices.
In this overarching project of mine, I've expanded on the port city of Nailes and found a potential story idea. Here you'll find important details that your character may need to know for continuity reasons. Read below my character description for that info!
Leyna
Name: Leyna
Age: 25
Season of birth: Autumn, just before the last leaf falls
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 160 lbs
APPEARANCE
Hair: Long, wavy, black tresses that hang past her shoulder blades when she leaves it uncovered.
Eyes: deep, piercing green
Face: sharp, leaning on sunken but still healthy
Figure: rectangle figure. Slim waist, only slightly wider than her shoulder width. Skinny legs. Her life in poverty kept her from putting on extra weight, but her service as a nun gave her consistent meals that contributes to her healthy weight gain.
Clothing: priestesses of the sea gods typically wear the same deep blue robes that cover them from clavicle to ankle, with a hood that covers the head and most of the face (for traveling purposes, not for modesty). Priestesses also wear a traditional head covering when not in their quarters; a sleeve that covers the head and keeps the hair covered, and a rectangular scarf that is wrapped around the head in a few different styles. The scarf can be an opaque fabric, but it doesn't have to be. This OC chooses to wear opaque scarves, usually a white or light grey that she ties so the excess fabric is wrapped around her hair and creates a bun at the nape of her neck.
ABOUT
Likes: her work; her best friend, Nina; her plant; her scarves; stray cats.
Dislikes: pirates, selfishness
As a fully initiated priestess of the Sea Gods, and as a devotee of Saoil, Leyna spends her time working with the ill. Her story drifted through her neighborhood the way a tsunami drifts over a mainland city, and after she was initiated people came in droves to be healed by this daughter of The One Who Gives The Fish. Citizens of Nailes with ailments ranging from the whooping cough, to fever, to chronic pain come to Leyna for her remedies and her prayers.
BACKSTORY
Her father was a pirate, who met her mother at the pub while docking at the port for the night. They spent an evening together; nine months later she was born and her father was on a completely different continent. Her mother did her best in raising her, even working with the orphanage to get extra resources granted by Princess Rovena Walshe. Even still, it was a difficult life for the two of them. She began working as soon as she was able, starting as a message runner for the fishmongers, and working her way up to delivery girl. The fishmongers liked her; she was fast, and she knew the city like the back of her hand. For years, they managed to scrape by. Until her 20th nameday, when her mother fell ill. The crones on her street claimed it was the same illness that took King William; a quick, sudden onset of symptoms that advanced quicker than it could be treated. Desperate for a cure, she went to the temple of the gods every day. She would make her offering, and she would pray to Saoil, The Mother. She would beg that Saoil restore her mother's health, that she breathe life back into her before it was too late. For weeks, she continued this ritual; every day that her mother grew sicker, she prayed harder. She offered more. The priestesses began to notice her constant presence in the temple, and offered their sympathies and prayers. They collected donations of food and medicines, gifting them to her and making offers to sit with her mother. The day her life changed forever was the day she left her cramped stone house, her mother resting in their bed, and returned from the temple to see her mother upright and sweeping the floors. When she asked her mother how she was doing it, why wasn't she resting, all her mother said was, "The Mother smiled at me." After hugging her mother tightly, she ran back to the temple, fell at the high priestess's feet, and offered her life in dedication to the sea gods.
Nailes
A bustling port city off the Eastern coast of The Realm. Nailes consists of, not including Castle
Walshe, two orphanages; a large market/square in the middle of town, surrounded by a pub, a butcher's shop, a clothing shop, and a small stage designated for priests/priestesses of the Sea Gods to give their sermons; at least a thousand stone houses, packed closely together and lined along streets that link together in a grid; a smaller market along the port, meant solely for fishmongers; a temple that sits against the ocean, separated from the ships that come in and out of the port; and a port that stretches off the coast and into the ocean like a massive 'L'. This port is the only one of its kind, so its size is proportional to the demands of trade throughout the rest of the continent. Made mostly of wooden planks reinforced with stone, the port is the busiest (and oldest) part of the city. The wooden planks are replaced when needed, but pieces of the stone have gone to ruin because of the devastating hurricane during King William Walshe's reign. Ships can be seen at all times of day and night bringing in textiles, fish, and crops from nations on the far ends of the sea.
The Temple of the Sea Gods
This temple belongs to a polytheistic religion that worships the sea. This religion consists of five deities that make up certain aspects of the sea. Over these five, we see a father archetype, a mother, a maiden, a crone, and a trickster.
Wamnos, The Sea
Saoil, The One Who Gives the Fish (pronounced s-EE-L)
Annott, The One Who Makes the Waves
Eagna, The One Who Calms the Waters (pronounced Ah-G-na)
Clesaí, The One Who Makes the Storms
The temple of the Sea Gods is everything a nunnery is not. Priestesses make the conscious choice to devote their lives and hearts to the sea gods, but they are not in any way forced to comply to any sort of standard of modesty. They take vows, and those vows are treated like a marriage, so they are unable to marry, but they are still permitted to take partners if they choose. The same can be said for priests.
The process of becoming a priest/ess is fairly similar to that of a Catholic nun. An aspiring priest/ess must spend time speaking with priestesses that have already taken their vows. They must spend time in a temple, give offerings, and pray to the sea gods. Once they've decided they want to become a priest/ess, they first take a temporary vow. This vow is not to the sea gods, but to the High Priestess; a vow to dedicate their time to learning what it means to be a priestess of the sea gods. If that vow is accepted, the initiate will spend the next five seasons (or about 13 months) living among the other priests/esses, learning the routine of living a life of contemplation and service. They spend their time cleaning the temple; taking away offerings before they spoil, cleaning the water basins where blessings are performed, sweeping the floors, and cleaning the statues when salt begins to collect on the stone. They memorize a list of prayers; for healing, for calm seas, and even last rite prayers. During this initiation period is the only time taking partners is forbidden.
Outside the temple, initiates also do community service. Typically, this community service will span across the aspects of all the sea gods. Initiates will work within the orphanages, as well as at the port, praying over ships when specifically requested, and even at funeral services.
If after the five seasons, an initiate has shown promise during their training period and they haven't taken a partner, the High Priestess will oversee their official vows. This is the portion of the initiation in which the initiate chooses where they would like to say their vows. This location can be in one of four chambers that reside in the temple, or in the sea itself. Each chamber belongs individually to a god, excluding Wamnos, The Sea. Whichever location the initiate chooses is indicative of the god they have chosen for their Matron/Patron. A ritual commences when the moon is at its fullest, where they speak their vows and then the initiate is baptized in sea water. They leave the temple a fully initiated Priest/ess of the Sea Gods.
After their vows are taken, the new priest/ess will continue their service to the community, specifically in the vein of what their Matron/Patron commands them. A devotee of Saoil may choose to work closely with an orphanage within the city, while a devotee of Eagna may choose to spend their time teaching others about the gods, while still a devotee of Wamnos may choose to trek the sea on specific ships to ensure safe journeys. Their vows are lifelong; until they breathe their last breath, a priestess is always a priestess. The only thing that would make their official vows null and void is marrying after the ritual.
Now, onto the really fun part! The story idea. I've got a few ideas, so if you're interested I will leave it up to you, reader. First, an idea that leans into the idea of restriction when being initiated; your character is a freshly initiated priest/ess, going through their training, when they meet Leyna for the first time. The attraction between the two of them is palpable, undeniable. They find themselves unable to be away from her, and her with them. But whatever desires the two may have for each other, they cannot be acted upon until your characters has completed their training; lest they be excommunicated and shunned from the temple. This undoubtedly will lead to situations filled with desire and longing; what ever will your character do?
The other idea relies on Leyna's backstory. Her father was a pirate whom she never met, and she developed a strong hatred for pirates as a whole. Her life would be thrown into utter turmoil if she met a pirate (your character) who could make her feel something other than that hatred. Can your character show Leyna what it's like to be vulnerable with someone she always swore to hate?
This has become a bit of a novel, so if you've read this far, thank you so so much!! The Realm is always evolving and I will probably have more ideas for different parts of the continent in the future, but for now this is what I've got! Please reach out if any of this interests you, and let's make some literary magic!
In this overarching project of mine, I've expanded on the port city of Nailes and found a potential story idea. Here you'll find important details that your character may need to know for continuity reasons. Read below my character description for that info!
Leyna
Name: Leyna
Age: 25
Season of birth: Autumn, just before the last leaf falls
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 160 lbs
APPEARANCE
Hair: Long, wavy, black tresses that hang past her shoulder blades when she leaves it uncovered.
Eyes: deep, piercing green
Face: sharp, leaning on sunken but still healthy
Figure: rectangle figure. Slim waist, only slightly wider than her shoulder width. Skinny legs. Her life in poverty kept her from putting on extra weight, but her service as a nun gave her consistent meals that contributes to her healthy weight gain.
Clothing: priestesses of the sea gods typically wear the same deep blue robes that cover them from clavicle to ankle, with a hood that covers the head and most of the face (for traveling purposes, not for modesty). Priestesses also wear a traditional head covering when not in their quarters; a sleeve that covers the head and keeps the hair covered, and a rectangular scarf that is wrapped around the head in a few different styles. The scarf can be an opaque fabric, but it doesn't have to be. This OC chooses to wear opaque scarves, usually a white or light grey that she ties so the excess fabric is wrapped around her hair and creates a bun at the nape of her neck.
ABOUT
Likes: her work; her best friend, Nina; her plant; her scarves; stray cats.
Dislikes: pirates, selfishness
As a fully initiated priestess of the Sea Gods, and as a devotee of Saoil, Leyna spends her time working with the ill. Her story drifted through her neighborhood the way a tsunami drifts over a mainland city, and after she was initiated people came in droves to be healed by this daughter of The One Who Gives The Fish. Citizens of Nailes with ailments ranging from the whooping cough, to fever, to chronic pain come to Leyna for her remedies and her prayers.
BACKSTORY
Her father was a pirate, who met her mother at the pub while docking at the port for the night. They spent an evening together; nine months later she was born and her father was on a completely different continent. Her mother did her best in raising her, even working with the orphanage to get extra resources granted by Princess Rovena Walshe. Even still, it was a difficult life for the two of them. She began working as soon as she was able, starting as a message runner for the fishmongers, and working her way up to delivery girl. The fishmongers liked her; she was fast, and she knew the city like the back of her hand. For years, they managed to scrape by. Until her 20th nameday, when her mother fell ill. The crones on her street claimed it was the same illness that took King William; a quick, sudden onset of symptoms that advanced quicker than it could be treated. Desperate for a cure, she went to the temple of the gods every day. She would make her offering, and she would pray to Saoil, The Mother. She would beg that Saoil restore her mother's health, that she breathe life back into her before it was too late. For weeks, she continued this ritual; every day that her mother grew sicker, she prayed harder. She offered more. The priestesses began to notice her constant presence in the temple, and offered their sympathies and prayers. They collected donations of food and medicines, gifting them to her and making offers to sit with her mother. The day her life changed forever was the day she left her cramped stone house, her mother resting in their bed, and returned from the temple to see her mother upright and sweeping the floors. When she asked her mother how she was doing it, why wasn't she resting, all her mother said was, "The Mother smiled at me." After hugging her mother tightly, she ran back to the temple, fell at the high priestess's feet, and offered her life in dedication to the sea gods.
Nailes
A bustling port city off the Eastern coast of The Realm. Nailes consists of, not including Castle
Walshe, two orphanages; a large market/square in the middle of town, surrounded by a pub, a butcher's shop, a clothing shop, and a small stage designated for priests/priestesses of the Sea Gods to give their sermons; at least a thousand stone houses, packed closely together and lined along streets that link together in a grid; a smaller market along the port, meant solely for fishmongers; a temple that sits against the ocean, separated from the ships that come in and out of the port; and a port that stretches off the coast and into the ocean like a massive 'L'. This port is the only one of its kind, so its size is proportional to the demands of trade throughout the rest of the continent. Made mostly of wooden planks reinforced with stone, the port is the busiest (and oldest) part of the city. The wooden planks are replaced when needed, but pieces of the stone have gone to ruin because of the devastating hurricane during King William Walshe's reign. Ships can be seen at all times of day and night bringing in textiles, fish, and crops from nations on the far ends of the sea.
The Temple of the Sea Gods
This temple belongs to a polytheistic religion that worships the sea. This religion consists of five deities that make up certain aspects of the sea. Over these five, we see a father archetype, a mother, a maiden, a crone, and a trickster.
Wamnos, The Sea
Saoil, The One Who Gives the Fish (pronounced s-EE-L)
Annott, The One Who Makes the Waves
Eagna, The One Who Calms the Waters (pronounced Ah-G-na)
Clesaí, The One Who Makes the Storms
The temple of the Sea Gods is everything a nunnery is not. Priestesses make the conscious choice to devote their lives and hearts to the sea gods, but they are not in any way forced to comply to any sort of standard of modesty. They take vows, and those vows are treated like a marriage, so they are unable to marry, but they are still permitted to take partners if they choose. The same can be said for priests.
The process of becoming a priest/ess is fairly similar to that of a Catholic nun. An aspiring priest/ess must spend time speaking with priestesses that have already taken their vows. They must spend time in a temple, give offerings, and pray to the sea gods. Once they've decided they want to become a priest/ess, they first take a temporary vow. This vow is not to the sea gods, but to the High Priestess; a vow to dedicate their time to learning what it means to be a priestess of the sea gods. If that vow is accepted, the initiate will spend the next five seasons (or about 13 months) living among the other priests/esses, learning the routine of living a life of contemplation and service. They spend their time cleaning the temple; taking away offerings before they spoil, cleaning the water basins where blessings are performed, sweeping the floors, and cleaning the statues when salt begins to collect on the stone. They memorize a list of prayers; for healing, for calm seas, and even last rite prayers. During this initiation period is the only time taking partners is forbidden.
Outside the temple, initiates also do community service. Typically, this community service will span across the aspects of all the sea gods. Initiates will work within the orphanages, as well as at the port, praying over ships when specifically requested, and even at funeral services.
If after the five seasons, an initiate has shown promise during their training period and they haven't taken a partner, the High Priestess will oversee their official vows. This is the portion of the initiation in which the initiate chooses where they would like to say their vows. This location can be in one of four chambers that reside in the temple, or in the sea itself. Each chamber belongs individually to a god, excluding Wamnos, The Sea. Whichever location the initiate chooses is indicative of the god they have chosen for their Matron/Patron. A ritual commences when the moon is at its fullest, where they speak their vows and then the initiate is baptized in sea water. They leave the temple a fully initiated Priest/ess of the Sea Gods.
After their vows are taken, the new priest/ess will continue their service to the community, specifically in the vein of what their Matron/Patron commands them. A devotee of Saoil may choose to work closely with an orphanage within the city, while a devotee of Eagna may choose to spend their time teaching others about the gods, while still a devotee of Wamnos may choose to trek the sea on specific ships to ensure safe journeys. Their vows are lifelong; until they breathe their last breath, a priestess is always a priestess. The only thing that would make their official vows null and void is marrying after the ritual.
Now, onto the really fun part! The story idea. I've got a few ideas, so if you're interested I will leave it up to you, reader. First, an idea that leans into the idea of restriction when being initiated; your character is a freshly initiated priest/ess, going through their training, when they meet Leyna for the first time. The attraction between the two of them is palpable, undeniable. They find themselves unable to be away from her, and her with them. But whatever desires the two may have for each other, they cannot be acted upon until your characters has completed their training; lest they be excommunicated and shunned from the temple. This undoubtedly will lead to situations filled with desire and longing; what ever will your character do?
The other idea relies on Leyna's backstory. Her father was a pirate whom she never met, and she developed a strong hatred for pirates as a whole. Her life would be thrown into utter turmoil if she met a pirate (your character) who could make her feel something other than that hatred. Can your character show Leyna what it's like to be vulnerable with someone she always swore to hate?
This has become a bit of a novel, so if you've read this far, thank you so so much!! The Realm is always evolving and I will probably have more ideas for different parts of the continent in the future, but for now this is what I've got! Please reach out if any of this interests you, and let's make some literary magic!