character design: illien leithian, the flautist seeking his past
[Sandbox/Open World Fantasy RPG]
[Third Person POV]
[Main Playable Character]
Name: Illien Leithian
Age: 31. The character is not sure of how old he is, only that he's in his late twenties/early thirties.
Sex & Gender: Uses typically-male gender markers (he/him pronouns, male sex) but has a more nebulous conception of gender due to having lived among fae for most of his life.
Race/Origin: Human. Origin unknown to him (fae touched).
Important Visual: Long dark hair, often tied in a half updo, dresses in navy blue robes that feel regal yet practical, more feudal-Japan wrap tunic than Gandalf the Grey.
Affiliation/Team/Organization: Currently working at the Astral Scriptorium, a library of unknown dimensions that is rumored to contain every possible book that can ever be written.
Archetype/Inspiration Characters: The Circle of Stars Druid class from D&D 5e, the Abhorsen necromancers from Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, and (as a visual reference) Kwak Dong-Yeon's character in the k-drama Love in the Moonlight. He is an observer archetype, a seeker of truth.
Keywords: Philosophical, gentle, inquisitive.
Motivations/Wants and needs: Illien has lost track of who he is. We meet him shortly after he has woken up from what seems like a deep slumber, in a forest. He remembers nothing about the years leading up to this, though he must have lived them. His main goal is to figure out exactly who he is and where he comes from, and why the silver bejeweled flute he strangely knows how to play seems to attract fae creatures.
Other character relationships: He is cordial with the other librarians at the Scriptorium.
Voice Notes: Illien speaks softly, but rarely hesitates. He always waits to figure out what he wants to say, then says it in a decisive, often elaborate sentence. He does not embellish his words for the sake of it, but likes to be specific and to understand things before judging.
Audio Voice Quality: Smooth, like a soft silk fabric. Somehow lower in pitch than one would initially assume, but not deep. Illien sounds like the ripples of a pebble sinking into a moonlit lake.
Quote: "You will sooner map the expanse of the night sky than index every room in this library. Believe me, I have tried."
Biography: In pursuit of knowledge about himself, Illien joins the staff of the Astral Scriptorium, the vast library he discovers on his journey out of the forest. On waking up, he knew nothing about himself, but somehow did know how to play his flute, and how to fight. He knows he can use magic, but has forgotten most of his spell and ritual knowledge, so these are all topics he finds himself deeply interested in when he starts working at the library. Slowly, as he researches, talks to library staff and visitors, and goes on short journeys, he figures out that his magic has something to do with illusion spells and mind enchantments, and with the fae realm. His flute also seems to have something to do with all of this, for whenever he plays it, strange things happen around him. The more he uses his magic, the more he is haunted by certain dreams, chased by certain creatures, until he has no choice but to decide who he is—to himself and to the world.
Backstory (which the character does NOT know): Illien is actually a child stolen by fae, who grew up in their realm. There he learnt how to play his instrument, absorbed fae magic through sheer exposure to them and their culture over the years, and was never aware of the existence of the mortal plane. When a group of adventurers storm into a fae night feast in the forest, Illien's assumptions about his world start to crumble, and he begins to understand why he isn't quite like the rest of the fae he lives with. He attempts to escape the fae realm and explore the mortal plane, but the fae court catch him before he runs away and as a last resort, they erase his memories of his past life with them. The player's journey will take them through discovering this past, and subsequently deciding whether they want to remain in the human world or go back to their previous existence.
Weaponry and abilities: Illien's skillset is based on a mix of the 5e Circle of Stars Druid and bardic magic. He is primarily a magic user, though if it comes to it he is proficient in martial combat too, mostly with an opalescent rapier in duel combat.
Core look/gameplay: The main distinguisher of his look is the silver flute he uses to channel his spells. Each of the gems on the flute buttons calls a specific aspect of magic, and eventually he figures out that the melody combinations are what can formulate different spells.
Additional Info:
Similarly to his understanding of gender, Illien does not conceive of love, romantic or sexual attraction in binary terms. He is aware that he has more experience of the world than he does remember, but at the same time he is new to the world, interested in it and its possibilities and open to any types of connection with people.
Over time, he has embroidered tiny silver stars across the hem of his tunics, the fabrics becoming a fading starry sky as he acumulates life experience.
Illien's colour scheme is based on astronomy but also on will o'the wisps!
