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character information
BASICS
Name
Kofun
Gender
Male
Age
17
Hair Color
Black
Canon
See
Species
Human
Height
6'4"
Eye Color
Brown
β APPEARANCE
Tall and fit. A dusting of scruff around his jaw and upper lip. Scarification tattoos on his cheeks that can be read via touch, denoting he belongs to the Alkenny tribe.
β IN BRIEF
600 years after an apocalypse decimates the population and leaves the survivors without their vision in a tribalistic new world, a man abandons a pregnant woman to the care of a peaceful mountain tribe, the Alkenny. He is one of the first humans born with a regained sense of sight, and she gives birth to his twins who share his gift. He leaves them books on the old world and a wish they'll someday help rebuild it.
Kofun is the older half of the miracle twins (by a few minutes, but hey, it counts). Part-time sour puss, full-time protective brother. The more reserved and careful counterbalance to his bold and rebellious sister. Kind, brave, blunt. Strong-willed in his own ways. Post-apocalyptic book nerd, gentle giant, and dispenser of useless Earth trivia.
Kofun is the older half of the miracle twins (by a few minutes, but hey, it counts). Part-time sour puss, full-time protective brother. The more reserved and careful counterbalance to his bold and rebellious sister. Kind, brave, blunt. Strong-willed in his own ways. Post-apocalyptic book nerd, gentle giant, and dispenser of useless Earth trivia.
HISTORY
Β»
The tl;dr canon history:
As humankind adapts to having four senses instead of five, nature has reclaimed civilization and the people have reverted to a tribal culture made up of various clans ruled over by the Payan kingdom.
One day during a blizzard Jerlamarel, a fugitive wanted for murdering the queen's sister, leads a woman named Maghra to a secluded tribe on the edge of the kingdom. Learning she is three months pregnant, the Alkenny agree to take her in. Their leader, Baba Voss, marries her despite knowing the baby's true father is also rumored to be a heretic with the lost power of sight, which many superstitiously fear. When she gives birth, she surprises the tribe with twins--Kofun and Haniwa, both able to see.
By then, word reaches the cruel and fanatical Queen Kane that her sister's alleged killer is in the area, prompting her to send her army of witchfinders to attack the Alkenny. In truth, a once-jilted lover of Jerlamarel's wishing to bear his sighted children, she is infuriated to learn he may have passed on his ability to another woman's children. Unbeknownst to her, the woman she brands a witch is her very own sister--Paya's lost princess, who was originally meant to take the throne before Queen Kane seized it during a coup. Seeing his eldest daughter's brutality, on his deathbed the king intended to skip her in the line of succession in favor of his younger daughter, but her sister's wrath forced Maghra to flee into exile with the help of Jerlamarel, with whom she had an affair. Discovering her pregnancy, Maghra makes the choice to bury her real identity for the sake of protecting the twins from further persecution.
Helping the Alkenny escape, Jerlamarel asks only one thing in return: that they continue to keep Kofun and Haniwa safe until they're old enough to understand the knowledge he has set aside in trust to teach them the truth--about him, and the history of the old world. It is a wish Maghra diametrically opposes, as the more they know about either of their parents, the greater the risk.
Baba Voss and Maghra set out to teach the twins to live like the blind while keeping their vision secret. However, witnessing how they struggle with their uniqueness, Baba Voss begins to waver in their conviction to keep them ignorant of their origins.
When the twins are twelve, a trusted confidant defies Maghra, disclosing their true father and the cache of books he left for their education. Baba Voss secretly allows them to study, letting them make the choice of what to do with the information. Over the next five years, they teach themselves to read behind their mother's back, learning about human history before the apocalypse, and debating Jerlamarel's final instruction: to find him when they feel ready to join him at his "House of Enlightenment," a place where they'll help rebuild the world.
While eager to learn, this illicit knowledge puts even more distance between them, the Alkenny, and their mother--and even a bit from one another, as they disagree over whether to stay or leave. Between them, Kofun retains a stronger affinity to the Alkenny's way of life, wary of breaking up their family and the intentions of a man who would abandon a woman carrying his unborn children. Haniwa, on the other hand, is eager to meet their true father, sharing his belief their vision obliges them to act on it.
When they are seventeen, the twins are barred from visiting a gathering place for tribes to trade and meet potential romantic partners. Haniwa's increasingly defiant behavior raises Maghra's suspicions as she scoffingly rejects the notion of taking a blind partner with the same language Jerlamarel would use. Nevertheless, Haniwa manages to convince a reluctant Kofun to sneak to the festival so that they may experience more of the outside world. Their adventure is cut short when slavers capture Kofun. He's able to leave written directions for Haniwa in the process of rescuing him, forcing her and Baba Voss to reveal to Maghra the twins have known how to read and write--and about their birth father--for some time.
The question of whether or not to make the journey to find Jerlamarel is ultimately decided for them when a traitor among the Alkenny tips the witchfinders off to their location. Only Baba Voss, Maghra, the twins, and two of their tribespeople escape the massacre that follows. With no home left to return to, they agree to pursue Jerlamarel.
During their flight, they're shocked to encounter a sighted half-sibling scavenging among the deserted remains of his village--a young man called Boots. Fathered by Jerlamarel as he passed through the area, Boots met a much different reception at the hands of his tribe when his vision became public knowledge: horribly abused, he finally snapped and orchestrated his clansmen's deaths.
They realize too late he intends to do the same to them, trapping everyone except Maghra, who reveals her true identity to the Witchfinder General in the hopes of placating the hunt, not knowing of Boots' double cross. Revealed as the long lost princess, Boots sees an opportunity to install himself in a position of power at her side. He lies, claiming he was separated from the others in the confusion. Maghra fights to establish herself as co-ruler and take command of Paya's forces to locate her family on her behalf, which Queen Kane accepts, realizing her nephew is both an heir and has Jerlamarel's sight, making him a fit candidate to provide her sighted children.
Believing Maghra lost to the witchfinders, the others escape and see no other recourse but to press on to the House of Enlightenment. There the twins meet their birth father for the first time, along with more half-siblings, all having inherited vision. Kofun's reservations mount upon learning only those with sight are allowed sanctuary inside, and that the compound is more of a fortress designed to breed a new generation. In reality, Jerlamarel is not just interested in dispensing knowledge, but in fathering the tools to create a new kingdom and dominate the sightless population--by force, if necessary. Nevertheless comforted by being around others like them, Haniwa expresses a temptation to hear him out on the grounds inspiring fear is preferable to living in it.
However, it is revealed Jerlamarel had established a plan to sell Kofun and Haniwa to the Trivantian Republic, a rival nation, in exchange for their support against the Payan should the twins ever make contact. At the last, he decides to keep Kofun and surrender Haniwa, hoping to sway Kofun to his cause. Enraged, Kofun brands him a lunatic and refuses to submit, prompting Jerlamarel to disappointedly order his execution.
Baba Voss intervenes in time to prevent this, and Kofun stands by as he overpowers and blinds Jerlamarel for the betrayal of his children. They set out to retrieve Haniwa as Maghra leads the witchfinders in search of them.
As humankind adapts to having four senses instead of five, nature has reclaimed civilization and the people have reverted to a tribal culture made up of various clans ruled over by the Payan kingdom.
One day during a blizzard Jerlamarel, a fugitive wanted for murdering the queen's sister, leads a woman named Maghra to a secluded tribe on the edge of the kingdom. Learning she is three months pregnant, the Alkenny agree to take her in. Their leader, Baba Voss, marries her despite knowing the baby's true father is also rumored to be a heretic with the lost power of sight, which many superstitiously fear. When she gives birth, she surprises the tribe with twins--Kofun and Haniwa, both able to see.
By then, word reaches the cruel and fanatical Queen Kane that her sister's alleged killer is in the area, prompting her to send her army of witchfinders to attack the Alkenny. In truth, a once-jilted lover of Jerlamarel's wishing to bear his sighted children, she is infuriated to learn he may have passed on his ability to another woman's children. Unbeknownst to her, the woman she brands a witch is her very own sister--Paya's lost princess, who was originally meant to take the throne before Queen Kane seized it during a coup. Seeing his eldest daughter's brutality, on his deathbed the king intended to skip her in the line of succession in favor of his younger daughter, but her sister's wrath forced Maghra to flee into exile with the help of Jerlamarel, with whom she had an affair. Discovering her pregnancy, Maghra makes the choice to bury her real identity for the sake of protecting the twins from further persecution.
Helping the Alkenny escape, Jerlamarel asks only one thing in return: that they continue to keep Kofun and Haniwa safe until they're old enough to understand the knowledge he has set aside in trust to teach them the truth--about him, and the history of the old world. It is a wish Maghra diametrically opposes, as the more they know about either of their parents, the greater the risk.
Baba Voss and Maghra set out to teach the twins to live like the blind while keeping their vision secret. However, witnessing how they struggle with their uniqueness, Baba Voss begins to waver in their conviction to keep them ignorant of their origins.
When the twins are twelve, a trusted confidant defies Maghra, disclosing their true father and the cache of books he left for their education. Baba Voss secretly allows them to study, letting them make the choice of what to do with the information. Over the next five years, they teach themselves to read behind their mother's back, learning about human history before the apocalypse, and debating Jerlamarel's final instruction: to find him when they feel ready to join him at his "House of Enlightenment," a place where they'll help rebuild the world.
While eager to learn, this illicit knowledge puts even more distance between them, the Alkenny, and their mother--and even a bit from one another, as they disagree over whether to stay or leave. Between them, Kofun retains a stronger affinity to the Alkenny's way of life, wary of breaking up their family and the intentions of a man who would abandon a woman carrying his unborn children. Haniwa, on the other hand, is eager to meet their true father, sharing his belief their vision obliges them to act on it.
When they are seventeen, the twins are barred from visiting a gathering place for tribes to trade and meet potential romantic partners. Haniwa's increasingly defiant behavior raises Maghra's suspicions as she scoffingly rejects the notion of taking a blind partner with the same language Jerlamarel would use. Nevertheless, Haniwa manages to convince a reluctant Kofun to sneak to the festival so that they may experience more of the outside world. Their adventure is cut short when slavers capture Kofun. He's able to leave written directions for Haniwa in the process of rescuing him, forcing her and Baba Voss to reveal to Maghra the twins have known how to read and write--and about their birth father--for some time.
The question of whether or not to make the journey to find Jerlamarel is ultimately decided for them when a traitor among the Alkenny tips the witchfinders off to their location. Only Baba Voss, Maghra, the twins, and two of their tribespeople escape the massacre that follows. With no home left to return to, they agree to pursue Jerlamarel.
During their flight, they're shocked to encounter a sighted half-sibling scavenging among the deserted remains of his village--a young man called Boots. Fathered by Jerlamarel as he passed through the area, Boots met a much different reception at the hands of his tribe when his vision became public knowledge: horribly abused, he finally snapped and orchestrated his clansmen's deaths.
They realize too late he intends to do the same to them, trapping everyone except Maghra, who reveals her true identity to the Witchfinder General in the hopes of placating the hunt, not knowing of Boots' double cross. Revealed as the long lost princess, Boots sees an opportunity to install himself in a position of power at her side. He lies, claiming he was separated from the others in the confusion. Maghra fights to establish herself as co-ruler and take command of Paya's forces to locate her family on her behalf, which Queen Kane accepts, realizing her nephew is both an heir and has Jerlamarel's sight, making him a fit candidate to provide her sighted children.
Believing Maghra lost to the witchfinders, the others escape and see no other recourse but to press on to the House of Enlightenment. There the twins meet their birth father for the first time, along with more half-siblings, all having inherited vision. Kofun's reservations mount upon learning only those with sight are allowed sanctuary inside, and that the compound is more of a fortress designed to breed a new generation. In reality, Jerlamarel is not just interested in dispensing knowledge, but in fathering the tools to create a new kingdom and dominate the sightless population--by force, if necessary. Nevertheless comforted by being around others like them, Haniwa expresses a temptation to hear him out on the grounds inspiring fear is preferable to living in it.
However, it is revealed Jerlamarel had established a plan to sell Kofun and Haniwa to the Trivantian Republic, a rival nation, in exchange for their support against the Payan should the twins ever make contact. At the last, he decides to keep Kofun and surrender Haniwa, hoping to sway Kofun to his cause. Enraged, Kofun brands him a lunatic and refuses to submit, prompting Jerlamarel to disappointedly order his execution.
Baba Voss intervenes in time to prevent this, and Kofun stands by as he overpowers and blinds Jerlamarel for the betrayal of his children. They set out to retrieve Haniwa as Maghra leads the witchfinders in search of them.
PERMISSIONS
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OOC Permissions
Backthreading: Yes. Love it, baby! I'm a chronic backthreader and happy to take our time wherever interest leads.
Fourthwalling: Knock yourself out if it makes sense for the character.
Threadjacking: Ask first, but probably yes.
Offensive subjects: Nothing on my end. His canon does touch on several graphic subjects including but not limited to slavery, torture, incest, Jason Momoa bashing skulls with his bare hands, etc. If you would like to avoid certain subjects, just shoot me a line!
IC Permissions
Physical affection: He's cautious around strangers and less likely to initiate without reason, but touch-based gestures are normal and welcomed in his canon background among people who don't use visual cues. He's all for close contact and tactile intimacy with people in his inner circle.
Romance: Yes, but as acting fun police for his sister he hasn't had much experience in this area himself. Prepare for that fumbling new car smell.
- β’ Cross canon and seeing how chemistry evolves between characters is always loved in this house! Game for crossovers, AUs, canon mash-ups, jamjars, what have you. Fine with either M/F or M/M and smut (but pass on non-con scenarios).
Injuries: Minor injuries are fine. Let's hash out major injuries.
Death: Open to it with plotting.
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: Go for it! He's a normal human on that front.