Jonathan Crane (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
restingstitchface) wrote2023-04-01 03:00 am
restingstitchface) wrote2023-04-01 03:00 am
Abraxas: AU
INFO
ANTHROPOS
HERALD OF THE INTERNAL GAZE
HERALD OF THE INTERNAL GAZE
Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes.
FORENAME
Jonathan Crane
DOMAIN
Mind and Soul
AGE
832 Years
SYMBOLS
The Moon and Eye
ARCANUM
The Magician
LOCATION
The Horizon
APPEARANCE
Anthropos appears human to mortals who invoke his guidance. Rumours suggest his appearance changes for every person: a black suit matched with a white shirt and black tie; a grey suit paired with a waistcoat; a woollen jumper and untucked shirt; a ragged suit with straw poking through the seams. Long hair might be trimmed or short hair grown long. One can see him shaved or unkempt, exhibiting a cold spark of instability in the latter.
Others may encounter ravens upon the street without realising they are being watched. This is one shape he chooses when observing those who need guidance or reassurance. Their deep croaking and guttural calls indicate his presence. One might hear screaming calls, loud and piercing, while others hear them mimicking their voice.
Gods who catch him unawares can see his hidden side. He was once mortal: an assured and confident doctor with deep insight into his own mind. Now he manifests as a youthful man with outgrown hair, whose calm demeanour is portrayed by casual attire. He remains aware of this nature - of his nature - and refrains from revealing the truth. That he is insecure. That he is vulnerable. That his air of confidence is a mask and behind it lies a curious individual desiring connection.
Others may encounter ravens upon the street without realising they are being watched. This is one shape he chooses when observing those who need guidance or reassurance. Their deep croaking and guttural calls indicate his presence. One might hear screaming calls, loud and piercing, while others hear them mimicking their voice.
Gods who catch him unawares can see his hidden side. He was once mortal: an assured and confident doctor with deep insight into his own mind. Now he manifests as a youthful man with outgrown hair, whose calm demeanour is portrayed by casual attire. He remains aware of this nature - of his nature - and refrains from revealing the truth. That he is insecure. That he is vulnerable. That his air of confidence is a mask and behind it lies a curious individual desiring connection.
PERSONA
Anthropos is cold and indifferent, pragmatic with no moral centre; devoted only to testing humanity. His curious mind longs to understand how things happen. He manipulates gods and mankind and employs his vast knowledge to further his agenda and expand his influence.
His curiosity is fueled by a need for stimulation. Finished with one subject, he researches the next, eagerly unravelling mysteries one after another. Fascination drives him to explore the novelties his mortal form ignores: friendship, intimacy and romance. He is apathetic and his interest remains scientific. Partners will find him emotionless and calculating, unable or unwilling to express himself.
This lack of empathy and compassion leads him to prioritise order and conformity over the welfare of his disciples. He is highly organised, efficient in directing their work and completely willing to experiment on them. He rewards loyalty and service but quashes any form of resistance or dissent. Individuality is illusory: the product of stimuli and response. He is indifferent to prayer and ignores ritual sacrifice. He willingly answers invocations but shuns worship and views their interaction through the lens of transaction. But he permits their behaviour because it is human nature
This is why he enforces a rigid and dehumanising routine on mortals brought to his realm, arguing order and routine is vital for their welfare. He is softly authoritarian and domineering, willing to afflict others with madness as a cure or to see how it makes them tick. Rigid postures convey dominance over souls under his care. Piercing eyes express intensity and intelligence, suggesting a cold and clinical nature. In general, he presents a deceptive persona: speaking in a gentle tone that masks false kindness.
His curiosity is fueled by a need for stimulation. Finished with one subject, he researches the next, eagerly unravelling mysteries one after another. Fascination drives him to explore the novelties his mortal form ignores: friendship, intimacy and romance. He is apathetic and his interest remains scientific. Partners will find him emotionless and calculating, unable or unwilling to express himself.
This lack of empathy and compassion leads him to prioritise order and conformity over the welfare of his disciples. He is highly organised, efficient in directing their work and completely willing to experiment on them. He rewards loyalty and service but quashes any form of resistance or dissent. Individuality is illusory: the product of stimuli and response. He is indifferent to prayer and ignores ritual sacrifice. He willingly answers invocations but shuns worship and views their interaction through the lens of transaction. But he permits their behaviour because it is human nature
This is why he enforces a rigid and dehumanising routine on mortals brought to his realm, arguing order and routine is vital for their welfare. He is softly authoritarian and domineering, willing to afflict others with madness as a cure or to see how it makes them tick. Rigid postures convey dominance over souls under his care. Piercing eyes express intensity and intelligence, suggesting a cold and clinical nature. In general, he presents a deceptive persona: speaking in a gentle tone that masks false kindness.
LORE
"Sometimes the night can be your best therapist. For the moon is free and always there to listen."
"The sun watches what I do but the moon knows all my secrets."
"The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished."
Sceptics call him a dictator who enforces strict rules on mankind. But those who follow his teachings respect him for offering authority and stability in a chaotic environment. Souls who crave stability appreciate his strict rules and feel a sense of security from a strong authority figure."The sun watches what I do but the moon knows all my secrets."
"The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished."
Disciples regard him as the divine being who embodies the moon. He illuminates the path and observes mankind from the heavens; offering insight and introspection while influencing behaviour. They believe waxing and waning symbolise the masks of human personality and changes in mental state are related to lunar cycles. The full moon represents madness and instability, while the new moon is synonymous with rebirth and change. Eclipses are a sacred event and represent control and madness in perfect balance.
People do occasionally disappear at random. Individuals are stolen out of bed or snatched off the street. Those who pray to him can vanish for extended periods, spanning days to months to years, and upon reappearing seem deeply transformed. They may appear rational or sound delusional, projecting confidence while defying societal norms of sanity.
SYMBOLS
OCCULT
The comfort of his guidance inspired a village in his homeland to offer him praise. This small conclave east of Cadens experienced an outbreak of mass hysteria three centuries ago. Anthropos heard their prayers and answered, healing their minds with therapy and treatment. He came to be idealised as a powerful and benevolent parental figure: revered for saving them from the Great Fear.
Celebrations follow the lunar calendar and each month is represented by a moon. Various festivals occur throughout the year but the most important is the Lunar New Year. This is the most important date in the calendar and signifies deliverance from madness. This celebration holds great importance for the local community, fostering a sense of cultural identity and connection to their divine benefactor.
Celebrations follow the lunar calendar and each month is represented by a moon. Various festivals occur throughout the year but the most important is the Lunar New Year. This is the most important date in the calendar and signifies deliverance from madness. This celebration holds great importance for the local community, fostering a sense of cultural identity and connection to their divine benefactor.
DOMAIN
The Seat of Consciousness is an endless ocean where memories are stored in water. The seas are impossible to navigate and ethereally still. Interlopers are submerged by rogue waves and dragged beneath the surface: a mysterious force pulling them into the abyss. Moonlight illuminates the expanse and the realm exists in darkness. His faithful believe the waters contain the memories, emotions and knowledge of mankind and eagerly await their return to the sea.
Endless seas, deep waters without bounds, a timeworn sanctuary at the core. Disciples believe Anthropos created the concept of insight within this sacred space. They consider themselves his students and monitor the halls, maintaining his vast collection of knowledge. He enjoys sharing his wisdom and offers it freely, provided they follow his standards.
Down in the blackest depths, gods and mortals are settled on a couch and questioned for what maddingly seems like eternity. Or just ten minutes. But a couch? Does he find it funny?
Endless seas, deep waters without bounds, a timeworn sanctuary at the core. Disciples believe Anthropos created the concept of insight within this sacred space. They consider themselves his students and monitor the halls, maintaining his vast collection of knowledge. He enjoys sharing his wisdom and offers it freely, provided they follow his standards.
Down in the blackest depths, gods and mortals are settled on a couch and questioned for what maddingly seems like eternity. Or just ten minutes. But a couch? Does he find it funny?
BESTOWS
CONTROL
Introspection; Understanding of the Soul; Inner Peace and Calm Minds
MADNESS
Insanity or Hysteria (Internal or Mass); Instability in Mind, Environment or Soul
POWERS
Insight
Anthropos is immune to mental intrusion and manipulation. He resists attempts to read his thoughts, influence his emotions or control his actions through magic or technology. His mind can be communicated with but ignores external forces. He can observe minds, from the conscious to the unconscious, and analyse the fears of sentient beings. He often receives prayers for healing and catharsis and is called upon by physicians.
Catharsis
Anthropos can alleviate stress by releasing strong emotions from the mind. He offers positive and beneficial change and helps people evolve. His boon provides a safe and supportive means of exploring internal turmoil, culminating in feelings of peace. But he can destabilise people by removing emotions without concern for how their loss affects the whole.
Transmutation
Anthropos once transformed the psychoactive chemicals found in nature. Now he extracts memories stored in the brain. Those inside his realm can enter the endless ocean, where he stores emotions and knowledge, allowing them to relive their past and question their choices. This eldritch process can transfigure mortals into the essence of the ocean. His disciples consider it a blessing.
Unus Mundus
Once a physical being, Anthropos became a divine entity capable of existing simultaneously in the physical and spiritual planes. He can manipulate and move people between one realm and another from existing in both at once. This supports his belief that mind and matter are not separate but intertwined.
Synchronicity
Intimately connected to the concept of mind, Anthropos can control the five senses and convince people what they imagine is real. These hallucinations fool others by disrupting their sensory mechanisms. His stimuli can exhibit complex behaviour and emotions. Personal knowledge tailors illusions unique to each subject, allowing him to leverage emotions to control behaviour by creating a false reality that resonates with the individual.
Oneirology
Anthropos can enter and observe dreams, offering guidance or confronting issues that reside in the subconscious. He can change the environment, rewrite the narrative or stir the emotions and experience of the dreamer.
BONDS
Jesper Fahey
Crane was indifferent to intimacy and romance during his mortal years. Flirtations were unnecessary diversions, unwelcome interruptions to his work. Love and attraction were monotonous but he started exploring their mental influence as memories blurred. Baited exchanges became liaisons; clinical experiments on arousal misattribution. His subject flounces on a regular basis. He continues analysing behaviour to address in their next session.
Viktor
Once professional contemporaries, Viktor and Crane made significant contributions to the progress and evolution of the Free Cities. Each regarded the other for their intellect and innovation. This respect fractured over centuries; both realising they remained opposites in morality. Viktor had discovered Crane had experimented on people without consent. Each lambasted the other for their blueprints for humanity and ended their relationship.
Diana Prince
Diana and Crane remained close associates for generations until her investigations into missing people exposed his involvement; unethical experiments on mortals unmasking the cold and callous mind behind his amiable persona. Her anger was met with indifference and he ignored her concern for the path he had chosen. His ascension saw him maintain his sanity but shun humanity. Diana visits every twenty years, believing he needs guidance to choose the right path.
Harley Quinn
Crane developed a prideful attitude towards Harley during his earthly existence. She hailed from home and understood his passion for learning. He appreciated her twisted humour, keen intelligence and playful attitude, recalling his days as a respected academic. Their friendly respect became familial as centuries passed. Now each believes they are brother and sister. She is capricious and impossible to control. But she is the only one who makes him smile.