Cael3stis
New member
What’s your IGN?:
My IGN is; Caele3stis.
What's your Discord Tag?:
My discord tag is; Silhouette_sins.
Do you have any alternative accounts?:
No, I don't.
Do you have a functioning microphone?:
Yes, I do!
How old are you?:
I am twenty-two years old.
Have you worked in teams like this before?:
In the past, I have. As of recently, I have not.
My IGN is; Caele3stis.
What's your Discord Tag?:
My discord tag is; Silhouette_sins.
Do you have any alternative accounts?:
No, I don't.
Do you have a functioning microphone?:
Yes, I do!
How old are you?:
I am twenty-two years old.
Have you worked in teams like this before?:
In the past, I have. As of recently, I have not.
Do you have any previous experience?:
Back in 2020, when Covid hit and I had to do online classes, I had found an SMP server which was heavily lore based. Mainly for the areas, buildings and even people's minecraft skins! For the longest time, I was just a player on the server, but when I opened writing commissions, I had people ordering from me! Which soon, after about a year, I decided to apply to be part of the lore team they had. I was accepted and continued to help out! The SMP server stayed open for a year and a half before the owners shut it down due to busy schedules!
What do you believe is your writing strong suit?:
I believe my writing strong suite is horror and thriller. Growing up, I have always loved watching horror/thriller/suspense movies, as well as reading books. Mainly the ones from Stephen King. With so many pages and chapters, the writing usually keeps you on your toes or even takes you for a plot twist you didn't see coming. Plus, most horror writers love painting a picture for the readers in such detail with just words. Which is something I've grown to love and do every time I write about a scene or a character before you can even see their art.
Of course, I am still learning, but every day, I can notice how I get better with writing such things and it's something I enjoy doing!
Why are you interested in joining the Lore Team?:
My reason for being interested in joining the Lore Team for Yurei-Jima is a few things! I love sharing my ideas for lore, whether it be for something small, or a large event. Writing lore has always been something I enjoy doing, as it helps create stories and a history, a background for areas, buildings and even characters so people can read and enjoy what you have to offer. And I would like to offer my writing skills to the lore team to help build the server up more and to draw in people's interests to the stories of ghosts and more that Norowarejima has to offer!
Especially if it means helping here and there with just descriptions, or helping others write their lore because maybe their stuck or on writer's block, I would love to be there to lend a hand and possibly even make things a little easier. With so much time on my hands, it gives me something to do and overall, I like helping!
How did you learn about the server?:
I was invited into the server by a friend of mine!
What unique contributions can you bring to the server?:
I wouldn't say they're unique, but I communicate rather greatly in case if my help or attention is needed. But As I have stated before, I love bring stories to life or small ideas. Taking something so little, and feeding it like a fire to watch it blaze and to watch people just enjoy the creation as they read it or even share their own ideas to keep things growing! I am also a team player, working together is important in order for a team, let alone a server to survive! Also, with my schedule, I'll be able to be on whenever needed and my pings are always on as well! So it's quite easy to get a hold of me!
Write a short story of a Self-Made Yokai you can find roaming throughout the island:
Mori no Kage || Shadows of the Forest
In the woods of Norowarejima, near the Byakuyakoku Shinto shrine, fog spilled over the grass, creating a smoke like screen. Unable to see barely five feet ahead of your own feet. Typical for the island of Norowarejima, the island of spirits. In the year of 1998, a girl named Kurayami lived on this island, in one of the neighborhoods. A high school student in her senior year. Kurayami’s family visited the shrine often, though Kurayami always felt uneasy walking in the woods to the shrine. Let alone even visit the shrine due to rumors of spirits who meant harm. Kurayami was a straight A student, and didn’t want to test fate and lose her life when she had so much planned ahead of her.
As days went past, Kurayami agreed with her parents that she would attend them to the shrine more often as they were getting older, and the amount of steps made her worry. With such brittle bones and easily losing their footing, she would hate for them to fall and she heard about it. So, every weekend, she would walk through the woods- despite the hair on the back of her neck standing and goosebumps decorating her skin, she walked behind her parents. Every step of the way.
Kurayami went with them every time they went, for months. Until one day, a broadcast came over the TV. A murderer had escaped custody and was currently being searched for. Last seen heading into the woods. Kurayami spoke to her parents about it, no more visiting the shrine until the killer was found. For the fear of losing her parents- and once again- her own. But for days, she listened to her parents complain, ‘We need to visit the shrine this weekend’. ‘We need to bring our offerings!’ For a good whole week, that was all she heard, giving eye rolls, sighs and gritting her teeth; she finally snapped. “I will take the stupid offerings for you, if you just stay home and stop complaining!”
And it worked. Her parents were pleased and they prepared the offerings. They helped Kurayami with her kimono and when the weekend came, they sent her off. “Let us know how it went when you come home!” They waved from the front door as Kurayami walked off the porch, not even glancing back at her parents as she carried a basket with one hand and gave a short wave with the other. The sun had started to lower, kissing the mountains goodnight as the moon started to rise, greeting the city with its light. The fog had rolled back in, cold and hiding every tree and hiding spot in the woods, and as she passed the torii gate, entering the eerie area. She saw no deer, no birds made a noise. Which made her spine crawl and her hands tensed around the handle of the basket.
“Just drop off the offerings. . A quick in and out.” The hair pin in her hair jingled softly and she stayed alert with every step she took. But she wasn’t fully listening to her surroundings. A shadow lurked in the woods, watching her every move. A sinister feeling creeping along with the fog. She could see the next torii gate, leading her to the stairs, it wasn’t that far until she would reach the stone lanterns that would give her some peace. She felt like she was holding her breath this entire walk. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Then she heard it. . a twig snapping in the distance and she froze, whipping her head around. Unsure of what direction it came from, she felt her body start to shake. And as she turned her head to look forward- she was met with a hooded figure, just inches away from her face.
And suddenly, she felt warm. Looking down, she saw it. . a blade in her abdomen. Her kimono slowly stained red, as if blood had spilled in snow. She stumbled back, dropping her basket and she tried to gain grip on reality. Shaking her head, she tried to turn around to run, only to be tripped. A fight between the two started, her hair pin falling out of her hair, and within seconds- fog spilled over the two. Before the fog cleared, a scream echoed through the woods and they both were gone. Hours passed when Kurayami’s parents called in a missing person report, and for days, police searched the area. Unable to find the girl, only her hair pin and drips of her blood on the green grass. But after a few days, every now and then, a limb that matched the DNA of Kurayami would be found. When all of her had been found, she was given a proper burial.
Kurayami’s parents grieved every day. They stopped visiting the shrine, vowed to never enter the woods. They left her room the same as it was before she went missing, and they barely even interacted with one another- afraid of accidentally bringing up a memory of their daughter. They grieved until the day they both passed.
Years passed, leading into 2006, rumors had started to spread. A creature in the woods leading to the Byakuyakoku Shinto Shrine. . The woods were known to have deer, foxes, rabbits. . but this creature was new. It seemed dog-like, but taller, skinnier. And kept a distance. But as people walked through the woods, it would follow behind, as if. . watching them safely leaving or entering the woods. When explained to a shrine priest, they explained this kind of spirit, or known as Yokai- was called a ‘Okuri Inu’ or a ‘Sending off dog’. Known to follow people in the woods, and if the person were to trip, the yokai would leap on the person and tear them apart limb from limb. But it was strange to many. . this yokai appeared after the case of Kurayami. So many believe that the sending off dog is Kurayami. Whose spirit became a yokai due to anger in her heart of how she was murdered in the woods.
To this day, the Okuri Inu can still be seen, watching passersby walk to and from the shrine, waiting for one to trip for a free meal.
Write a quick event based on Japanese pop-up cafes/restaurants/stores (Promotional cafes based on media such as anime, gaming, spirits, etc.):
Kurohana || Where elegance blooms in darkness
Flowers can have several meanings, many can be dark. And that’s what builds Kurohana to its name.
Wish to take your partner somewhere fancy, quiet and elegant? Where only the sounds of hushed whispers between lovers and the gentle clinking of silverware and glass can be heard? Step into Kurohana, where the name itself mutters of mystery and love.
Shadows dance with sophistication as lovers take their seats at tables, surrounded by rich obsidian interiors; and accents of crimson red and glinting gold. The lighting sets an intimate atmosphere that catches your partner’s formal attire perfectly, great for a memorable photo. The seating is a plush velvet to make sure you're comfortable, and they compliment the dark wooden tables where your meals sit.
Floral arrangements of black roses, black velvet petunias and Black Calla lilies sit in the middle of the tables with white candles, lit to add to the lightning and to give you a bit more warmth to add to the warm feeling your partner gives as they sit across from you.
Our meals are made by hand by our chefs in the kitchen with precision and love, making sure you enjoy and savor every bite you take and remember this moment forever. As for our wine, it was chosen by the owners and shipped to Norowarejima! Chosen to perfectly pair with your dish that you choose to give your tastebuds a night of their lives.
So come on in, delve into the night with your loved ones, and spill secrets that only the walls can hear and maybe even the spirits who wine and dine beside you.
How would you write the atmosphere of the image provided below? (Byakuyakoku Shinto Monastery):
(Must be at least 200 characters long, describing the characteristics, atmosphere as well as including some personal ideas about Byakuyakoku.)
Upon arriving at the Byakuyakoku Shinto Shrine, the atmosphere of the shrine feels safe, and yet almost heavy as if you’re being watched from everywhere. As if the souls of those who once watched over the shrine many, many centuries ago, watch your every step.
The sun peeks just above the mountain peak where the Shinto shrine rests and houses the Priests and Maidens of Norowarejima. Blessing the area with light and creating a nice warm feeling despite the cold snow blanketing the ground. The snow itself gives a gentle crunch as it’s walked on, breaking the silence of the place. Just that alone, would nearly seem like an intrusion of peace and quiet.
Oil lanterns guide your way around the stone paths that lead you to dark wooden buildings. Plants and trees decorating the sides of the path ways as if making sure to not fully disturb the nature around it, creating a treaty between nature herself and human life. The soft pitter-patters of foxes who come and go can be heard walking alongside you as your eyes venture over the buildings and your legs carry you. The buildings are dark, and as you get closer, cracks of age are visible, claw marks from animals who pass by or even markings of the deer scratching their antlers to shed the fur can be seen. Left to be carried as a memory for future generations to see.
The Shinto Shrine is a safe haven, calm and guarded, but every now and then- you can almost feel something. Something more.
You have been tasked to write an in-lore influential character in the history of Norowarejima. Who and what would you create? Provide some insight on the character!:
(e.g., A previous Journalist from 30 years ago named Nagasaki Itto).
Death wears silk and Jasmine.
In the long peace of the Edo period, when the shoguns ruled from their castles and the world of Norowarejima blazed with lanterns and silk,most women’s lives were bound by the four walls of duty. Daughter, wife, mother then widow. Kiku, the daughter of a herbalist, was none of these by choice. Born in 1728 in the crowded merchant quarter of Norowarejima, she was the only daughter of the Hābarisuto (herbalist) who served both samurai lords and the pleasure houses. Her father taught her the secret language of plants, their meanings, what they were used for. Which root eased fever, which bark numbed pain, which petal could stop a heart or make someone sick.
When Kiku was eighteen, a rival apothecary named Yami framed her father for poisoning the shogun during one of the feasts. The man was beheaded at the center of the village and soon after, their shop was burned to the ground, leaving nothing but ash and memories in the dirt. Kiku only survived because her father had sent her to gather higanbana-red spider lilies- whose bulbs were said to speak with the dead. In the distance as she was gathering, she could see the smoke, and the feeling of dread washed over her. Hurrying home, she was face to face with her father’s corpse, and the shop gone.
Over the years, now alone, Kiku turned her father’s forbidden scrolls that she had scavenged from the ashes, and turned them into weapons. She studied the books and scrolls that had been smuggled through the walls of Norowarejima and mastered distillation: how to coax scent from poison without letting the poison die. She discovered that three flowers in particular surrendered their souls when treated with care. Higanbana; the death flower of the autumn equinox, its crimson petals hide lycorine that could kill a horse. Torikabuto; The monkshood whose hooded blooms withhold aconitine! A poison used on Samurai’s arrows to poison enemies. And Suzuran; also known as “Lily of the valley” or “Princess of the valley. The tiny white bells smell of spring yet carry cardiac glycosides that could stop the heart in the middle of a moment.
From these, she created Mibōjin no kōsui (The Widow’s Perfume). Perfumes created from deadly flowers, sold in tiny vials and wrapped in black and red silk. They were bought by Oiran who wished to be unforgettable, jealous wives who wished to be rid of their unfaithful husbands, and by shadowed figures who paid in gold and never gave a name. To the world, she was simply the perfumer who lived behind a faded red curtain in a narrow alley in the merchant market. But to those who knew the truth, she was called “Dokuka no Onna”, the woman of poisoning.
In the Autumn of 1755, the fields beyond Norowarejima’s walls turned scarlet with Higanbana. Lanterns in the village burned late; the scent of incense and cheap sake drifted on the night wind. Kiku knelt in her room, copper still gleaming by the candlelight, her supplies scattered around, empty and full vials decorated the table nearby. As she worked on a new vial, she let a drop of distilled Torikabuto fall into the vial of Suzuran. The mixture smelled of fresh rain and forbidden desire.
A soft knock then sounded on her door, causing her to turn her attention away from her mixtures. Getting up and walking over, she answered. The visitor wore a deep indigo traveling cloak, face hidden by a wide kasa hat. Only the glint of a gold Inrō at her sash. Only when the visitor lifted their head, Kiku recognized her as Lady Asako, wife of the very Herbalist who had framed her father and caused the burning of the family shop. Kiku’s eyes widened, and a smirk played on her lips. The woman then spoke, “I need a perfume.” Her voice trembled. “One that will make my husband love me again… or ensure he never loves another.” She spoke softly, and Kiku listened as she closed the door. “He has a new lover, and does not pay attention to me anymore.” Kiku cooed as she gently led the woman to her back room.
Studying and examining the woman’s tired eyes, she remembered the day she had seen Yami looking at her as she grieved over her father’s grave. Kiku sneered as she spoke with a calm tone. “I have exactly what you seek,” Kiku hummed. “It is called Yūrei no Kaori. The fragrance of the Ghost. One drop behind the ear, he will find you irresistible. For seven nights, he will burn for you alone. And on the eighth night, he will sleep. . and never wake again.” She held up a vial in her hand after grabbing it off of the desk and she swirled it around. “Death will seem like a gentle fever, no one will expect poison.”
Lady Asako’s hands shook as she counted out the gold, twenty pieces and she spoke with a shaky voice, “I want him to suffer, just as I have.” “And suffer he will.” Kiku smiled a small smile, filled with pity for the woman, but oh how sweet it felt knowing the outcome.
Three weeks later, the village buzzed with news; the wealthy apothecary was found dead in his sleep. It was ruled out to be heart failure. And Lady Asako became the wealthiest widow in Norowarejima, and never wore perfume again. Kiku soon closed her shop that day to silently celebrate at her father’s grave. Knees pressed to the ground, she lowered her head to the dirt muttering, “The debt is paid.”
Over many years, Kiku had gotten married, started a family, and soon passed down the shop. Taking her husband’s family name Kuronome, she hoped to put the past behind her and let her children and her children’s children continue on the family’s legacy of perfume. But for many years after her death, some still speak of her. The woman of poison who had saved many women, many marriages and made a wealthy legacy for her family.
To this day, the shop is owned by the Kuronome family. Though they don’t make perfumes anymore. They still hang onto the scrolls and books written way back when by Lady Kiku.
Additional Notes:
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