Astor Nocturne
His Royal Highness, Prince Astor Peregrine Erebus Adonis Eidolon Nocturne (a.k.a. Shadowhawk)
The heir apparent to Umbragard's throne, who struggles to balance both political and magical power (whilst still having some fun on the side).
Physical Description
Body Features
Astor's skin is smooth and extremely pale, like that of most Umbragardian Shadows. Nyx compares it to polished marble. His hair is black and falls past his shoulders, framing his face in elegant waves. It bounces when he walks and curls at the ends, and it occasionally has flyaways in weird places.
Unlike all other Shadows, Astor has a pair of large, glossy, black-feathered wings extend from his back. His body is lithe and toned, partly because of physical activity, but mostly because his ability to fly keeps him from putting on weight. The wings are connected to his body but they are magical, and are usually intangible.
Facial Features
Astor resembles his father, with a thin, diamond-shaped face, high cheekbones, a small nose, long eyelashes, and full, silvery lips. His eyes are almond-shaped, striking violet, and they have vertical pupils like a cat's. In Conscious form, they turn green like his mother's.
Identifying Characteristics
Astor's most obvious identifying feature are his wings, which are unique to him and instantly noticeable. He usually makes them invisible when he wants to remain relatively anonymous. His second most characteristic feature are his striking violet eyes.
Physical quirks
Astor is right-handed. His movements fall into two extremes — they are either fluid and graceful, even languid (especially if he's being seductive), or he dashes or glides from place to place at top speed. He has a notable royal bearing.
Special abilities
Astor is the son of a powerful sorceress and he was born on a Dark Moon, so his magical powers are particularly impressive. He is known as "The Witch Prince" becuase of his power and his position as heir to his mother's legacy. His connection to the Underworld also gives him some unique abilities. However, Astor is not fully aware of the extent of his powers, and Hecate insists that he figure it out himself. Despite his immense power, he will fall ill if he overexerts himself.
Umbrakinesis: Astor is proficient at most forms of shadow and darkness manipulation.
- Umbrakinetic Constructs: Astor can mold darkness and shadows into any shape or image, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, of all levels of tangibility. He is a formidable wielder of Shadow magic and uses it mainly offensively, conjuring tentacles, shards, spikes, and even solid weapons. One of his favorite attacks involves firing hundreds of sharp arrow-like shafts of pure darkness. When not in battle, Astor sometimes conjures shadowy ravens or bats for fun. He tends to use big, dramatic movements to manipulate these constructs, like dancing, but he can conjure and manipulate simple ones (2D tentacles on the walls) without having to move his hands. When he gets angry, the light slowly drains from a room
- Shade Conjuration: He can conjure a small posse of Shades to fight alongside him, but only briefly, and the individual Shades are not particularly strong.
- Telepathy: Astor's Nightsense, which he inherited from his mother. He can “tap in” to the thoughts and emotions of other people and “hear” what they are currently thinking or feeling. This usually has to be an active choice, but he can sometimes “overhear” when other people are thinking about him. He can also communicate with people telepathically, and detect human presence by scanning for thoughts. Usually he can only hear surface-level thoughts, but he can choose to delve deeper to get at the desires and fears of the other person (he often exploits this ability while hunting). Limits: Has to be in the same room as a person; no remote telepathy. Has to be careful how he uses it, or reading other people’s minds has the potential to compromise his own mental stability. (Most thoughts are relatively incoherent, except for those that are literally silent dialogue.) Does not improve or change. Can’t read his mother, and Jasmine can block him.
- Hypnosis: Telepathy combined with suggestion: Astor can project desire and emotions into other people’s mind to influence their behavior and get them to do what he wants. His victims struggle to distinguish his projected thoughts from their own. Easier to use on victims who are already dreaming. Limits: Doesn’t work if target is not receptive to the suggestions, or if Astor isn’t subtle enough with implanting the suggestions. Suggestions have to be something the target would plausibly think of anyway. Can’t fully control another person’s mind (at least, not yet).
- Empathy: A related psychic ability that forces Astor to absorb or mirror the emotions of other people. Gives him a great capacity for compassion. Limits: Uncontrollable. Astor absorbs other people’s emotions all the time, making him hypersensitive. He gets easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, leading to childish outbursts and other problems. Paradoxically makes him selfish and emotionally unstable; contributes to his social isolation.
Apparel & Accessories
Astor's folds are naturally a very deep, rich purple in addition to black, and five to six layers thick. He has two (or three) inner layers (which are pale lavender), his flimsy layer, and two dense outer layers.
Depending on the occasion, he tends to mold them into either Victorian gothic suits-- velvet tailcoats or frocks, brocade waistcoats, silk or lace shirts, cravats, and jabots, gloves, etc., or fourteenth/fifteenth century-esque embroidered doublets, tunics, hose, jerkins, and elaborate cloaks. He does not entirely understand the concept of casual clothing. He will either mold his folds into something elegant, or not bother. He usually prefers to keep his folds black and purple, though he will sometimes color them deep crimson or emerald.
He will often wear silver jewelry, precious stones, his identity ring, and his silver circlet.
Lestat by dreamless doll
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Astor was born in The Palace of Eternal Night, coming just at the right time to boost the kingdom's morale after an enormous royal scandal involving two deaths. Astor quickly became the darling of the kingdom and the Court, and so was rather spoiled. Though his own mother nursed him, he was raised mainly by the palace nursemaid, Elizabeth, and rarely saw his mother until he was old enough to take magic lessons from her. He was not necessarily sheltered, but he did have a very pampered upbringng, which was partly a result of his own demanding and condescending nature. Most of Astor's life flowed around him, whether it was intended to or not.
When Astor was six, he received Willy as a gift, which provided him with a much-needed playmate and companion. Willy became his valet because Astor grew so attached to him. Beginning when he was about seven, he received lessons in governing from his father, and in magic from his mother. His skill in magic became apparent.
When Astor was nine, Astor began Shadow Work, ashamed by his arrogance and occasional cruelty. He repressed for the first time, and had severe self-esteem issues for about a year as he processed this. At ten, he was sent to live in the Conscious world for a number of months, and just so happened to stay with the family that would later foster Nyx, resisting their attempts to "tame" him. He was introduced to a radially different environment and culture, which spurred along his Shadow Work and his own perception of morality.
During this period, Astor would sometimes slip back to the Otherworld. On one of these excursions, he met his uncle, who offered him the ability to fly in exchange for some sort of service. Abaddon's magic resulted in a pair of black feathered wings that permanently fused to Astor's back, and Astor just narrowly escaped being an experimental test subject for Abaddon.
Astor's unsteady maturity grew throughout his teenage years. He returned to the Conscious world for another few months at fourteen (this time with a much nicer family), to live among commoners and learn from them. He started hunting much more regularly, using his looks, charm, and telepathy to seduce and entice his prey. He was already very accomplished at it by the time he was sixteen, in part because of using glamour to make himself appear older.
Gender Identity
Identifies and presents as male.
Sexuality
Bisexual, vers-bottom, switch (leans dominant). Most of his kinks center around degradation.
Education
Astor has mainly received private education in history, politics, language, diplomacy, economics, literature, magic, and combat. He has numerous instructors, including his father (who teaches him about politics, trade, and diplomacy), his mother (who teaches him magic), and Scathach (who teaches him melee combat).
Morality & Philosophy
Astor takes the Shadow Complex extremely seriously, because he values authenticity over almost all other traits. Therefore, he seeks to accept and internalize every aspect of himself, and present the most authentic version of himself to the world. He believes that the ideal person knows every corner of his or her mind and has no fear of it.
Astor often feels morally conflicted — he is naturally compassionate and empathetic, with a genuine desire to improve the lives of his subjects, but he also derives pleasure from tormenting, teasing, and seducing Conscious people. He deliberately avoids trying to morally justify his actions, but in most cases, he draws the line at causing severe or lasting harm. He believes it is better to admit you are evil than to be ignorantly hypocritical. He feels guiltier over his selfish, aggressive and cruel behavior while angry.
He supports the position that Shadows should go out of their way to terrorize Conscious people, because he believes that it encourages the other Dark Realms' respect for Umbragard (preventing conflict with them), and at best, holds up a mirror to Conscious society so that they can improve themselves. He clashes with his father on this.
Astor is more than a little bit of a hedonist. Though he does not believe that pursuing pleasure is the most important thing in life (one must have a purpose in life beyond pleasure), Astor believes that the world is made to be enjoyed. Luxury and sensual pleasure are very important to Astor. In general, he is a very sensual person. He delights in debauchery, fantastic sights and evocative smells, decorative opulence, plush fabrics, good food, good wine, good sex. He values aesthetics, appreciating beauty in all of its forms. Being pampered soothes him and makes him feel loved. Sometimes, he uses hedonism to avoid stress over his impending responsibilities, or to try to pacify his anger, both of which he acknowledges are self-destructive and empty. He concludes that it is fine to pursue pleasure for the sake of it, so long as one does not use it to ignore or avoid something painful.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Ultimately, Astor wants to be a good king for his people. He wants to be loved, and he wants his people to be free and happy under his rule. Secretly, he is afraid that he will be a failure, if not constantly stressed and overwhelmed and no longer happy. He is equally terrified that power will go to his head, and he will become tyrannical.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Astor has a naturally authoritative presence, and he is easily able to command a room with minimal effort. He is also a passionate and eloquent speaker, a charismatic performer, and a marvelous storyteller. Eidolon jokes that if Astor were not a prince, he would be a bard, because he can sing beautifully, dance gracefully, and tell stories skillfully. Astor is altogether much better at performing for an audience than he is at one-on-one social dynamics. This still works in his favor, since it gives him good leadership skills. His charisma also makes him extremely seductive.
He is intelligent and relentlessly passionate about anything he becomes interested in. He enjoys discussing literature and philosophy and goes out of his way to study magic. He and Nyx bond over talking about their shared interests and intellect.
He has a deep appreciation for beautiful things, both material and natural. He loves almost all forms of beauty: opulent decorations, the fine and performing arts, trees and flowers, jewelry, perfumes, sunsets and sunrises, fashion, attractive people... These things make him genuinely happy. He likes decorating or redecorating rooms in the palace. He's also good at planning parties. He is extremely sensual, both because of his appetite for luxury and exuding sexuality.
He is often blind to social cues. This is partly a result of his upbringing, but it's mostly his poor social skills. He will be needlessly blunt, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or behaving in a way that is strange and off-putting in front of guests. This occasionally offends dignitaries and courtiers, but Astor rarely suffers any consequences. He is also overly emotional; when he gets overwhelmed, which can be very sudden, he will run away or throw a fit. This gets better as he gains maturity, but his emotional control remains generally poor.
He also has poor foresight. Although he can read people's minds, he usually can't predict their behavior or the outcomes of situations. He tends to lose to his father when they play chess (sometimes Eidolon even lets Astor "cheat" by mind-reading, just so that he can figure out how to respond to Eidolon's movements). As a result, he tends to be impulsive. Multiple times, he's gotten himself into dangerous situations without thinking it through. Astor is genuinely worried about how his lack of foresight is going to affect his ability to rule effectively.
Likes & Dislikes
Astor likes the color purple, the color black, cats, bats, owls, horses (and unicorns), reading, writing, sweets, soft fabric/folds, dance, swords, horseback riding, moonlit nights, forests, gothic novels and spooky stories, gargoyles, sex, dark orchestral music, magic and the occult, flight, traveling, beautiful things, and luxurious environments.
He dislikes sunlight, bright yellow, awkward social situations, embarrassing himself (in any way), people who offend him, the cold, inauthentic people, boredom, and ugliness.
Virtues & Personality perks
Astor's most redeeming quality is his empathy. His natural compassion for other people is his safety net. It keeps his cruelty on a leash, and prevents him from going overboard and doing something irredeemable. His parents would be concerned about him if it weren't for his empathy, which they consider his saving grace. Ultimately, his compassion overrides his selfishness, and impedes his cruelty. They know it will be his greatest strength as a monarch, because he genuinely wants to improve the lives of his people. He also shows moments of genuine wisdom and maturity.
Another one of his principle virtues is bravery. Astor is willing to put himself on the line for his values and the people he cares about, and he is not easily frightened. Sometimes, this makes him needlessly reckless, but his valor is admirable. Though he may have a shaky moral compass, when something does cross his moral lines, he is more than willing to be the sole voice of opposition. Eidolon has affectionately described him as 'a prince with the soul of a revolutionary.'
He tends to be honest. Although he can lie, and lie well, he avoids it whenever possible and prefers to tell half-truths if he needs to. This is both because he values authenticity, and because he considers it too much effort to maintain a web of lies. This combined with bravery makes Astor can be extremely blunt. He is often willing to speak his mind regardless of the situation or the consequences.
Vices & Personality flaws
Arrogance, self-indulgence, and emotional instability are Astor's principle vices. Though he internally knows he is not any better or worse than anyone else (and in his best moments, he will freely associate with commoners and treat them with respect), he is completely full of himself. He absolutely relishes being arbitrarily adored and revered by his people, and cannot stand to be treated as inferior to anyone else. He is also rather vain, taking pride in his good looks, getting distracted by mirrors, and praising his own beauty. He will often stroke his own ego to pacify himself, or expect his servants to do so. Though he does have a conceited personality, his arrogance is often an attempt to emotionally distance himself, because he is so easily overwhelmed.
His emotions are intense and unstable, as dramatically turbulent and violent as a storm. His temper is legendary, and it can be set off by almost anything. He often sulks or broods over nothing. Between that, his magical powers, and his desire to be worshipped, he is almost tyrannical at his worst. His presence is exceedingly domineering. Most of his servants and courtiers fear him more than any other member of the royal family. Sometimes, he can be legitimately cruel and sadistic, and he tries to find safe outlets for those impulses. He shuts himself away to throw temper tantrums until he calms down, trusting only Willy to handle him. Despite liking parties and attention, he is usually withdrawn. He is more like his mother than he realizes. Like her, he is unapproachable and dreaded. However, unlike her, he is so volatile and unpredictable that his servants and subjects are much more wary of him. This is one of the reasons why he is so often seen as a proxy of her.
Astor is also licentious and decadent. He does not necessarily consider these flaws, but he tends to use hedonism as a means of avoiding his fear of his future responsibilities.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Because Astor lacks the social aptitude of his father or the canniness of his mother, he struggles to actually make friends with the young lords and ladies of his future court, and some of them actually fear him. However, as he matures, he slowly builds close relationships with some of them, such as Amelia and Artemis Moonforest, Victoria Evensong, Theo and Nicholas Renwick, and his second cousins Cryonox and Sylph. Because of his hedonistic tendencies and promiscuous nature, he maintains sexual relationships with most of them (especially Nicholas Renwick, whom he feels deep affection for). Astor is an extremely carnal, sensual person. Sex makes up a significant part of his life, and he's known for being very seductive. Despite encouraging his reputation for being a philanderer (even earning him the nickname "Lord Ladykiller"), he's actually not quite so promiscuous. He values intimacy and keeps his sexual relationships to his inner circle.
Astor also attempts to remain on good terms with royalty from the other Dark Realms, such as the demon prince Sitri, and he also begins to make friends with Lycoris, the only other teenage member of The Black Circle.
Family Ties
Astor loves his family, but he has a somewhat complicated relationship with them. He admires his father, but sees him infrequently, and sometimes feels frustrated by his father's lessons because of the constant reminder of succession and responsibility. His mother frightens him, because she is intimidating and quietly powerful, much like Astor himself. As much as she scares him, he also associates her with safety, and often uses her name to secure his own influence. He secretly treasures learning magic from her, even as he complains about how hard she is on him.
Astor has a strained relationship with his sister. Their different personalities clash. Astor feels like Jasmine is needlessly critical of his hedonism and emotional instability, and her words sting with his insecurities.
Religious Views
Astor believes in deities or magical entities, using magic to appeal to Seven Gods of Night and the Dark Lords. Astor says that he does not worship anything, but he is quietly spiritual, and actually values his relationships with the gods. He also understands the sacred significance of festivals. Occasionally he contemplates the nature of existence and the influence of the gods, which he believes are supportive of him, though he questions why he deserves their support.
Social Aptitude
Astor's social mannerisms are extremely paradoxical. At his best moments, Astor's usual superciliousness manifests as a compelling confidence and debonair charisma. He enjoys performing in public and telling stories to little children. He often carries a dark aura of mystery and sensuality, making him extremely beguiling. He has a great appreciation of beauty and artistry.
His ability to perform well means that he can easily win the hearts of his audience. His parties are a true experience, he makes an elaborate presentation out of everything, and he is a charismatic public speaker. However, he is extremely uncomfortable with actual social interactions and small talk. He has few friends, not because of his social status (both his parents, even his intimidating and reclusive mother, have friends), but because of his own arrogance and fear of other people. Because he lacks the social graces of his father, he worries about his future as a diplomat.
When Astor is not too subdued by his emotions, he is actually exceptionally good at reading people, literally, because he can look into their minds. Hunting is easy for him, and he is generally adept at using seduction to get what he wants.
Hobbies & Pets
Astor likes reading gothic novels in his room or the back of the library; dancing in the ballroom or in a clearing in Nocturne Park, or on a stage in front of the audience; riding his horse through the forests and hills of Umbragard; traveling, exploring the Otherworld, and learning magical secrets.
His familiar is a black unicorn, Amdusias. As of Royalbook, he has two pet kittens: Edgar and Kiaran. He also has his horse, Nightshade.
Speech
Astor has a somewhat formal and antiquated way of speaking, often avoiding contractions, and occasionally using anachronistic phrases such as "prithee," "perchance," and "beauteous." (His speech loses this quality when in conscious form.) He speaks with a refined English accent. His voice is smooth, although high, and has a melodious quality. He tends to drawl when being derisive, and whisper when being seductive. The pitch and volume of his voice rises when he is excited or angry.
Relationships
History
Astor's relationship with his mother is primarily based on her tutoring of him in his study of magic. Although she insisted upon nursing him (and his sister), he did not see her for the majority of his childhood. Even Astor is cowed by her formidable personality and power, and he begrudgingly yields to her. He admires his mother about as much as he admires his father, and aspires to impress her with his magical powers. Hecate plays a greater role in his life as he gets older and grows into his powers. Hecate has high expectations for him, but she is secretly very proud of her son, and slowly introduces him to the silent community of magic-users within Umbragard's political system.
History
Astor was a godsend to Eidolon. The promise of his son was one of the only things that kept him going when he was unexpectedly crowned king. Astor didn't get as much attention from Eidolon in his childhood as he would have liked, but appreciated that Eidolon went out of his way whenever possible to spend time with him, aside from teaching him how to run a kingdom. Astor truly admires his father and aspires to be like his father, but he stresses over the idea of power. He doesn't always realize how highly Eidolon thinks of him. Eidolon believes in his son's ability to rule effectively, and to support his subjects. He has more faith in Astor than Astor does in himself, and is genuinely proud of him.
History
Astor noticed Nyx one night while in the Conscious world, and felt inexplicably drawn to her. He approached her during the day, while she was in school, and introduced himself to her. Nyx was simultaneously enthralled by and afraid of Astor, completely infatuated while also being wary of him. Astor came on a little strong at first, bringing her to Umbragard and revealing himself to be the Prince of Shadows. Nyx was overwhelmed, but let Astor kiss her, and they continued to slowly develop their relationship. They found that they were extremely compatible and enjoyed each other's company, It took Nyx a while to fully trust Astor, but once she did, she fell deeply in love. Astor became Nyx's ticket out of her horrible upbringing in foster care, and her introduction to the Shadow Realm, which drastically changed her life for the better. Astor considers Nyx the love of his life and intends to marry her.
Nicknames & Petnames
Astor calls Nyx "Lovey."
Wealth & Financial state
Evidently, as Prince of Umbragard, Astor has access to a vast amount of wealth. He lives in a palace and is attended to by many servants, and he can have almost anything he wants on a whim. Though Astor was a bit spoiled as a child, he has a healthy attitude towards money in general. Astor sees wealth as a tool, something that provides him with the resources and opportunities to do what he wants with his life and to improve Umbragard as a whole.
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Other Ethnicities/Cultures
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Prince of Shadows, heir to The Kingdom of Umbragard, The Witch Prince
Date of Birth
30 June / 30 Mothmoon
Year of Birth
2000
Circumstances of Birth
Astor was born shortly after his grandfather died, his uncle died unexpectedly in an "accident," and his other uncle was exiled. He become heir to the throne just days before his birth.
Birthplace
The Palace of Eternal Night, Nighthaven
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
The Palace of Eternal Night, Nighthaven
Gender
Male
Eyes
Violet, vertical pupils
Hair
Long, wavy, raven black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale white skin, black feathers
Height
5'6"
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
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