Sketch: Inferno

Noira followed the others up the path. Each step seemed heavier than it should have been, as though the biting wind had liquified, a frigid molasses swirling around her legs and under her petra coat. The ancient stone of the mountainside broke and crumbled underfoot, worn by months of movement from workers like herself. Her own crewmates trudged just a few yards ahead of her, yet their passage felt wrong, transgressive. Some deep-rooted fragment of her mind recoiled as the overlook drew nearer, as she trailed the others across what felt like forsaken ground.

She risked a glance over her shoulder. Far below, beyond the treacherous cliffs of the shore, Ark Royal loitered upon the restless tide. Its hold yawned open, a great dark maw, force-fed a choking landslide of misshapen slag from the chute above. Noira’s eyes moved upstream along the creaking trough, winding as it bent and warped up the side of the mountain. Ahead of her, just beside the overlook, the chute disappeared over the rim of the pit.

Her heart throbbed in her chest, pounding from exertion in the freezing air, the rhythm quickening as anxiety seeped into her veins. The edge of the mine drew ever nearer, the mechanical din of the pit emerging through the howling wind. Columns of dense black smoke towered over the platform, whipped into unnatural apparitions by the tempest. Her colleagues marched on with renewed fervor. Piercing white floodlights on iron towers cast their omniscient gaze past the dark procession. Inexplicably, Noira felt herself drawn, an icy metal chain gripping her stomach, tugging her towards the looming edge. Her breath came quickly, her footfalls erratic as she willed herself up the short staircase to the overlook.

The clang of her boots resonated through the metal platform. The others had lined up along the railing, overlooking the mine below. Among the faceless bundles of clothing she saw Kori, beaming her warm smile, beckoning Noira excitedly towards the edge. The grip on her core tightened, each footfall a knell ringing out above the cacophony below. She gripped herself tightly, as though to keep her body whole, and at last stepped up to the railing beside her recent friend.

Noira gasped, a choked sound that crystallized in a flurry about her face.

She was staring into the underworld.

Ref: Marion Montaigne

 

Marion Montaigne, he/him, late 40s?

[In which Beverly attempts to draw someone who isn't a young adult femme]

Marion's life story is largely that of his career. Born to a well-off family, Marion has enjoyed some of the highest quality education to be found in the developing society of the Rosa system. Throughout his studies and eventual employment, he's been a part of the sweeping industrial revolution that's catalyzed the recent population boom. Marion's exceptional talent gave him a ringside seat for some of the most influential technological rediscoveries in recent memory.

Somewhere along the way, perhaps at one of the foremost academies of his time, Marion met his (now estranged) husband Elias. A soft-spoken, sage, and artistic type, Elias' personality was a stark foil to Marion's rather more detached nature. Despite several happy years, their union would not last, grounded more in prospects and practicality than in mutual support. Marion still grapples with this failure, finding it difficult to understand exactly what went wrong.

While working part-time aboard Ark Royal as a senior technician, Marion began to mentor Noira. After its destruction cost her a job, and nearly her life, Marion created a position for Noira at the mining company which governs Orus, where she continued to learn under him as an apprentice engineer. However, when she discovers the true nature of their work, their subsequent schism - and her dramatic departure - leaves him questioning his place in the world.

Marion is stoic, reserved, and more than a bit broody. Though his steadfast commitment to his work as an engineer has carried him to success, it has also driven away those who might otherwise have been closer to him. Marion tends to lose himself in his work, finding it an effective distraction from the doubts that often plague him. Though he has trouble showing it, he does form deep attachments to people in his life, making it all the more difficult for him to come to terms with his own antisocial tendencies. The growing revolutionary crisis on Orus will drive him to places he could not have expected in his search for a truer purpose.

Ref: Clare Prescot

 

Clare Prescot, they/them, ~23

Clare has spent their entire life on Orus, living in the shadows of the bustling interworld spaceport in its capital city. Their family is small but tightly-knit; during times of hardship, Clare has been particularly close with their younger brother Jaqui, looking after him while their parents work long hours in industrial processing.

They've frequently lived in poverty and on the knife edge of survival. Recently their family has finally begun to thrive, and Clare's taken up a job working at a local café, while Jaqui is even able to attend a small trade school. Clare feels a strong pressure to make the most of their newfound opportunities in life, and this comes with its own anxieties.

Clare is friendly, outgoing, and adventurous. They love to try new things, but they rarely stick to a particular habit or interest for very long. They've accumulated a lot of small skills - some mechanical tinkering, artistic abilities, acting, identifying vehicles, picking locks, reading people scarily well - but have never found anything they feel comfortable pursuing as a career. In truth, they avoid settling out of a fear of choosing wrong, thereby locking themselves into a particular pathway forever.

Clare's life experience has shaped them into an emotional rock for the people in their life, particularly Maliyah. Their calm and levelheaded perspective makes an invaluable reference point, when others need grounding or a second opinion. However, this role quietly weighs on Clare, as much as people like Maliyah do their best to return the favor. When tangled in rebellion, Clare seeks comfort from more experienced mentor figures, learning to better balance their own needs with the support they provide to their friends.

Ref: Maliyah Toran

 

Maliyah Toran, she/her, ~24

Maliyah was born on the lush capital world of irid'An, but a political crisis drove her and her parents to Orus when she was very young. There, they started a small glassblowing business, which has given them a fair amount of stability. Maliyah developed strong artistic talent growing up in this environment, and took well to the craft, though she yearns to get out of the inner city and make her own career.

She is an aspiring pilot, having acquired a small flying boat from a family friend, which she uses to skim the icy waves around her home. The sea - or the air just above it - is a perfect escape for her, particularly when she's upset and needs to step away from the world. She often dreams of piloting the great passenger liners on irid'An, flying low over its picturesque archipelagos.

She's been good friends with Clare for some time, frequently visiting them at the café where they work. Beneath their sarcastic banter lies a strong relationship of mutual support and respect. Though Maliyah perceives Noira as somewhat naive, she conceals a quite strong affinity for her, which Clare is all too amused to help her navigate.

Maliyah is headstrong and confident. She can be hotheaded when she feels strongly about something, and is quick to speak her mind, sometimes against better judgement. Nevertheless, she is still very empathetic, and her fiery demeanor is often motivated in defense of her friends and family. A natural leader, she has some trouble accepting outside authority. When she and her friends are caught up in a revolution, she must learn humility and introspection to earn the respect of others.

Ref: Noira Isabel

Noira Isabel, she/her, ~21

Noira was raised on a small farm on the twilight prairies of pr'Sefone, the innermost world in the Rosa star system. Her mother always wanted the best for her, and encouraged Noira's knack for working with machinery from a young age. Her career eventually took her to Orus, an icy ocean world, the most distant in the Rosa system. There, Noira spent some time as a mechanic aboard an enormous flying cargo ship, Ark Royal.

When Ark Royal was destroyed in an attack by aerial raiders, Noira was left physically burned and emotionally traumatized. Her old mentor, Marion, helped her get back on her feet, hiring her as an apprentice engineer for the mining company that controls Orus. There she explored Orus' capital city, meeting her new friends Clare and Maliyah and slowly coming into her own.

However, the three of them gradually begin to uncover dark truths about their world, and about the company which dominates every facet of their lives. A terrible revelation about her own work causes Noira to break away from Marion and the company. The ensuing moral crisis will lead her and her friends to be caught up in a mysterious rebel organization.

Noira is introverted and shy, but desperately lonely. She is a very skilled mechanic, and takes to engineering design work just as well. Her work gives her a steady sense of purpose and a meager income, but she's still sorely missing those personal connections. She struggles with finding a sense of belonging, and has trouble being so far from her home and her family. She loves her new friends dearly, and blossoms with their support. When the three are ultimately swept up in revolution, her newfound family helps Noira to forge her fears and anxieties into a fierce passion for change.

Update and Art Fight

Hello! It's already been over a month since my last post! Sorry to my 0.7 readers! I've just been dealing with college confusion, motivation crashes, and social events. I've finally been admitted to grad school after a mix-up regarding recommendation letters, and the late search for housing has also taken up some of my time.

Nonetheless, I've made the very smart decision to participate in Art Fight this July, which I've been enjoying even if I'm characteristically running behind on everything. (If you're also a part of the event, you can find me here!) This has motivated me to put together references for some of the main characters in Roselight, including both artwork and associated lore! Some of this is completely fresh content! Exciting!

Art Fight is another reason I haven't been posting here - everything creative I've been doing lately has been in service of this goal, and although a lot of it is relevant to this blog, I....forgor.

So! I'm going to upload these references as I make them (the first three are done), along with the character bios I wrote up for Art Fight. Hopefully this makes up for some postless months!