Venith Tobette

content warnings: death, body horror, general horror

Personality

 graceful  🌼  eloquent  🌼  warm  🌼  loyal  🌼  protective

     Venith's personality matches her appearance well: she's gentle, graceful, and admires the beauty in everything. She's sociable but careful and grounded, having a knack for knowing just the right thing to say. She's a curious person who loves talking to new people just for the sake of gaining knowledge and a deeper understanding of whoever she's talking to. Excellent at reading people and reading the room.

     Despite her delicate demeanor, Venith is alarmingly tough. She tends to be brutally honest and doesn't fear speaking her mind, though when she does so she's very eloquent about it. It's very hard to sway her from her beliefs and she's fiercely loyal to anyone who earns her respect. She's the last person you'd ever see accepting a bribe.

     In battle she's brutal and merciless despite her perpetual grace, unforgiving and focused only on accomplishing the mission at hand. (Supposedly she has a similar attitude in the bedroom, but that's a story for another day.)

     She's made it her mission in life to rescue and protect others and spends very little time thinking about her own problems. Though she's confident in the ability of her allies to fend for themselves, she's very concerned with the lives of innocent bystanders and won't hesitate to put herself at risk to save them.

     Around those she deeply cares for she's kind, warm, and flirtatious. She's highly affectionate and likes to make her love for her partners apparent, teasing them just enough to make them blush so she can get the optimal amount of satisfaction from kissing their adorable faces. She likes to spoil her partners and spends as much free time with them as possible, even if they aren't getting up to anything particularly romantic or exciting.

     When upset, Venith becomes very quiet, withdrawn, and melancholy. When angered, she becomes stone-faced and passive-aggressive. She tries her hardest not to show emotions that aren't positive - though sternness is fine in a serious situation - but she can't always hold herself back.

Backstory

 "My mind is made up, and nothing will change it. Even if it means my life, I'll protect this world."

     Venith's home planet is called Edea - a small planet with abundant flora that covers just about everything. Contrary to initial expectations, Edea has advanced technology that is closely integrated with nature. Screens are often built into trees, informational holograms can be seen in bodies of water, flowers bloom out of technological devices - the natural and virtual worlds come hand-in-hand.

     In the center of the planet is a massive tree named Edeal. Though it's ambiguous as to whether or not the tree has a conscious, it's capable of manipulating reality within the planet and is commonly worshiped as a deity.

     Annually live sacrifices are offered to Edeal, as without them disasters often occur. The process is voluntary and only requires a handful of people, attracting the ill, elderly, and the highly devout. They're filled with thoughts of peace and prosperity, ideally causing Edeal to absorb these thoughts and make them a reality. The chosen soon bear witness to Edeal's more Eldritch side and are devoured by it, never seen again.

     Venith was born and raised in a small but ordinary village close to Edeal. Her family was of moderate size, close to large but with enough of her siblings growing old enough to move out for it to only matter during family gatherings. Nothing about her life was particularly out of the ordinary aside from a struggle with her gender identity than she kept quiet about.

     Toward the beginning of high school, things began to change. A friend of hers who she had a crush on went missing, prompting a search party to be formed. Their efforts were fruitless after a few days, at which point Venith hesitantly suggested they investigate the area around Edeal. As she expected her suggestion was met with harsh outcry - to tread near Edeal outside of special occasions was blasphemous.

     This, of course, wouldn't deter her.

     Becoming desperate, Venith approached Edeal alone at night, hoping to find her friend somewhere whether she was dead or alive. Her search turned up nothing - nothing pertaining to her friend, anyway. Instead what she found was a shadowy figure at Edeal's trunk, dragging another behind them. Confused, she watched as the figure spoke inaudibly to the other, not realizing what was happening until it was too late. The first figure stabbed the second several times, shouting all the while before feeding them to Edeal. She reached for her phone to gather evidence and call for help, but they noticed her quickly. Defenseless and afraid, Venith fled as quickly as she could.

     Immediately Venith reported what she had seen at Edeal, only to be met with coldness and disgust. Not only had she committed a grave sin, she was making up lies about it. She was implying that not only was someone cruel enough to force someone into sacrificing themselves, but that Edeal would be willing to accept such a vile offering. Knowing that person was still out there and potentially killing more people, Venith refused to try and save face and stuck to her story, hoping someone would listen to her. Instead, Venith was ostracized and eventually kicked out of her home, rumors beginning to spread that she was behind her friend's disappearance.

     Venith began to wander from town to town, spending most of her time alone in the vast landscapes that often separated communities. Spending more than enough time with her thoughts, she decided there was no reason for her to bother lingering on those who she used to know - the people who betrayed her trust. Instead she decided she would begin to live for herself and that she would devote her life to searching for the figure she saw that night.

     Though she had never really bothered before, Venith grew attached to the form of Internet present on her planet. It was small and centered on social media, but there were hidden gems here and there where Venith was able to find people like her. Now searching both on the physical and virtual planes, Venith began to learn of the being they called The Parasite.

     The Parasite was an urban legend spoke of only in the dark in secured groups, as believing he existed at all was blasphemous. The Parasite was a heavily mutilated man - he rid himself of any unnecessary body part and shed as much flesh as he could, feeding them to Edeal. He wanted to be able to control the tree, hoping to gain dominion over the planet. He was well on his way, too - supposedly the tree had granted him great power already. People said those who met him were never seen again - anyone who escaped his grasp had experienced a miracle. Certain The Parasite was the figure she had seen that night, Venith shared what she knew and descended deeper into the side of the Internet feared by most who knew of it.

     Venith came into contact with a number of others who claimed to have seen The Parasite as well, hearing plenty of stories similar to her own. Some people even had photos or videos, some they claimed had been taken from phones or cameras discovered near Edeal or in places that didn't bode well for those who lost them. Many of the people she came to know were recluses, fearful of meeting The Parasite but too vividly aware of the consequences to share what they knew. Venith encouraged them to speak publicly about The Parasite - how else would they be able to make a change in the mindset of those around them otherwise? - but very few ever dared to.

     As the years passed, Venith began to venture to more dangerous places in search of information. Knowing at the very least The Parasite wouldn't be unarmed if they ever crossed paths again, Venith honed the magical skills that the rest of the planet had little use for. Abusing magic - as in using it for more than day-to-day needs or protection in a life-threatening situation - was also seen as blasphemous. Of course, blasphemy was something Venith no longer spared a passing thought caring about.

     Venith noticed there were no longer the holes in security around Edeal that existed in her youth. She hoped this was a sign that more people were discussing The Parasite, but alas she heard even more stories than ever before as time ticked by. The weather grew worse, people grew cold, and old internet friends began to vanish without a word. There was talk of The Parasite's existence beginning to become known... but instead in the exact way The Parasite wished.

     One night, on the perimeter of Edeal, she heard the sound of muffled screaming and spotted a figure dragging along another. Wondering if she had spotted The Parasite again, she followed quietly, immediately utilizing the recording equipment she had collected over the years. Venith watched as they effortlessly passed through the security, only needing to look at the guards to be allowed access to the tree. Listening to her gut, Venith approached as well and claimed to be there to sacrifice herself in the name of The Parasite.

     Much to her simultaneous relief and alarm, Venith was granted entry.

     Venith wasted no time in confronting the figure, who revealed themselves to be exactly who she assumed: The Parasite. Both threatened by the other, they immediately went on the offensive with the intent to kill. However, Venith realized that if she died here, three things would happen: she would no longer be able to stop The Parasite, the captive would be sacrificed, and the evidence she was in the middle of collecting would be destroyed. Not wanting to risk it when she had so much to lose, Venith grabbed the captive and attempted to flee, struggling for miles before The Parasite finally lost her.

     Once they were in the clear - not for long, Venith was sure, as The Parasite had seen her face and would undoubtedly be looking for her - Venith questioned the captive about what had happened. They had little to say, only muttering The Parasite's name over and over, eyes wide.

     More determined to stop The Parasite than ever, Venith immediately began uploading the audio and video she had collected to as many places as possible. She hacked screens and signs, flooding them with information about The Parasite and evidence that he existed. Noticing people in hospital masks staring at her wherever she stopped, Venith kept moving, never stopping anywhere for more than a couple of hours.

     Relentlessly spamming information online and encouraging her allies to do the same, word began to spread whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. Knowing now that if she were to die it wouldn't be in vain, Venith became outspoken about her mission and encouraged others to join her on her search for The Parasite. Riots sprung up like wildfire, conflicts arising between the religious who refused to believe The Parasite could possibly exist, those who believed The Parasite needed to be found and stopped, and the sudden and overwhelming arrival of those who supported The Parasite and intended to sacrifice themselves and others to Edeal in his name.

     It became apparent to Venith that The Parasite had been sacrificing people at a rate that grew exponentially by the day - now that people were beginning to acknowledge his existence he had no choice but to speed things up in order to get Edeal to spread his influence faster and with higher potency. Edea was thrown into chaos, supporters of Venith and The Parasite alike migrating toward Edeal. As the guards began to throw themselves to Edea, shouting praises to The Parasite, more of The Parasite's supporters were able to sacrifice themselves with ease. Those wishing to stop them arrived to try and push them back, resulting in many being attacked and sacrificed themselves. The planet grew more and more unstable by the day, Edeal throwing it into darkness.

     Eventually The Parasite himself made his appearance, quieting both sides alike with his influence. He spoke of the sins of Edeans and how this conflict embodied everything he hated about the world so perfectly. He spoke to Venith in particular about how she was demeaned and thrown away for going against an utterly nonsensical norm - that he too had been reduced to nothing and labeled a blasphemer for something as innocent as treading on holy ground to feel closer to the being they were meant to hail. He announced his intent to at last feed himself to Edeal, eagerly awaiting the inevitable destruction of all life at the hand of the symbol of spite he had so carefully crafted.

     Venith was having none of it, however, and killed him before he could speak another word, thoroughly destroying his body to ensure Edeal could never have it.

     Facing cries of joy and despair alike, Venith gathered all her power to erect walls around Edeal. She declared that now, her life mission complete, she was going to sacrifice herself to attempt to erase The Parasite's influence, hoping that if she believed passionately enough in a better world it would come to pass.

     With every atom of her being focused on life, happiness, compassion, and understanding, Venith allowed herself to be consumed by Edeal.

     ---And, to her horror, discovered that those who entered Edeal never perished. Edeal didn't permit its food sources to waste away to nothing, instead keeping them alive for eternity by fusing them with it and pumping magic through their veins. It became clear to Venith why Edeal required sacrifices so frequently: those sacrificed to it were doomed to an eternity of being fed off of, filling the tree with a misery that prompted it to bring despair to the rest of the world until given fresh sacrifices filled with positive thoughts.

     Naturally, Venith was distraught. Not only would she be trapped here for eternity - a dark space that deprived her senses and allowed no movement, preventing her or anyone else from killing themselves for freedom - but her sacrifice meant nothing. Even if The Parasite's influence specifically faded, everyone within Edeal would soon fill it with despair regardless of their reasons for entering it, herself included.

     No, she assured herself, she wouldn't allow that to happen. She chose this fate and wasn't going to let anyone down. Sure, she had seen enough hideous things throughout her life to justify letting go and finding satisfaction in the fall of the world that would only acknowledge her when they had no other choice, but she wouldn't go back on her word. For the sake of her friends and allies, the people who fought alongside her, those corrupted by The Parasite who needed to be restored, the people she never met who now lived in fear, the people who were willing to change, those trapped with Edeal, and herself, she couldn't give up here.

     Venith fought off every negative thought that dared to present itself to her, her will fueling itself in a cycle that she used every ounce of her being to keep from breaking. Even if she was the only one thinking positively, maybe that would be enough. Maybe her thoughts would even spread throughout the tree if she believed hard enough - she just had to keep trying and never give up.

     Creating a wall around her mind that built upon itself, Venith stood strong for 300 years. And then, suddenly, she was free.

     Not long after Venith had sacrificed herself, supporters gathered from all across Edea. Sure Venith alone couldn't combat The Parasite's influence, crowds gathered to sacrifice themselves to assure her sacrifice wouldn't go to waste. They were all consumed by Edeal, minds filled with thoughts of Venith - her identity remaining in their thoughts even as their minds fell to ruin.

     Though The Parasite's influence faded, worship of Venith spread instead. Initially hailed as a hero, Venith quickly climbed to deity status without ever being aware of it. As the mental states of those within Edeal began to decay they prayed to her for protection, offering more sacrifices that prayed to her and creating a loop of worship and despair that had progressed too far for it to be broken. Annual sacrifices went on as usual with spots of devout followers of Venith feeding themselves to Edeal here and there, making things worse and worse.

     After a few hundred years Edeal could no longer stand the emotions that consumed it, natural disasters unable to satisfy it and well-intentioned sacrifices driving it further off the edge. It sprung to life and carved a path of destruction wherever it went, causing exactly what Venith had hoped her sacrifice would prevent.

     Fortunately for Edea, however, All-Conquering Overlord Hadris Torant was interested in taking over and happened upon the planet just as Edeal awakened. Hadris figured saving a planet from destruction was a pretty good way to win over the locals, so he immediately sent out the troops to take care of business. The battle was a long and costly one, but eventually Hadris' forces and his new Edean supporters managed to kill Edeal. In the process they learned that those who had been sacrificed to Edeal were still very much alive. Hadris pooled all of his resources to recover the sacrifices however they could.

     The majority of the sacrifices had been killed during the battle due to the damage Edeal took. Venith was among those who had survived, completely unaware of what had just transpired.

     Upon being freed, Venith was almost immediately sent to counseling. Horribly confused, it was eventually explained to her that she had been inside of Edeal for around 300 years and that Edeal was now destroyed. From there she learned of how her sacrifice changed the world for the worse and that Edea was now in ruins. Understandably, Venith was overcome with guilt, beginning to wish she had never bothered to keep living after her first encounter with The Parasite. She continued to go through heavy counseling for several more years, struggling to rebuild the will that she had spent so long holding up.

     After discovering that her time spent within Edeal now made her effectively immortal unless she was killed by someone, Venith decided she desperately needed something to cling to. When Hadris approached her a while later, impressed by both her skills and her backstory, Venith agreed to become the Ndaln Representative without hesitation. Unable to bear the idea of returning home, Venith found comfort in the idea of instead traveling the universe to help planets facing fates like her own. She would use her failure to drive her: if she could end or even wholly prevent suffering elsewhere, perhaps she could live with herself.

     She forced herself to believe that and began to rebuild the wall around her mind, strengthened by the new friends she made in Hadris' realm. Venith decided she wouldn't allow her past to control her, that just like before she would block out negativity and strive to protect and improve the lives of others for their sake and her own.

     This time, however, she would have full control over her actions - and this time she wouldn't be so alone.

RP History

     coming soon: venith gays on her gf

Powers/Abilities

 AVERAGE: 7.2/10

     Venith has nigh-untouchable willpower. She's impossible to break and is essentially immune to torture and mind-control. She's also close to immortal: she can't age, get sick, starve, dehydrate, or be asphyxiated. Anything else is fair game.

     Venith is capable of manipulating the earth, from sand and dirt to gravel and boulders. She's relatively quick with solid attack and defense. Like most Edeans, she has the ability to speak to and understand most animals. She has the power to manipulate reality on her home planet thanks to Edeal's influence, but is completely unaware of this and wouldn't care to make use of this ability even if she knew.

     As for weaknesses, Venith doesn't have much in the way of magical attack and defense. She'll drop pretty much everything for the sake of an ally or innocent bystander. She's weak to plant and air magic and doesn't handle being locked up or tied up very well due to claustrophobia stemming from the trauma of being inside of Edeal for so long.

Writing Featured In

SYOL || November 2013
🌼  In which Venith gets sent on a mission with Orange, Aedi, Mariellu, LeFleuris, and Loligo.

Support Your Local Mafia || September 16th, 2013
🌼  Hadris hosts a game of Mafia with the Representatives. Venith and Loligo hate each other because this story is so old and it's REALLY WEIRD!!