✦ A Z R I E L ✦
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In the realm of Fairy Vials, the delicate balance of their contents holds immense significance. While a Fairy Vial’s vial subtly absorbs its surroundings, a tipping point can lead to a phenomenon known as Corruption. Corruption entails drastic changes in the vial’s contents, overwhelming its capacity. The consequences are intense, causing excruciating agony, loss of self-awareness, and profound alterations in personality.
✦ Symptoms ✦
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Corruption within Fairy Vials manifests as an immense disruption to their nature, resulting in a cascade of debilitating effects that reverberate throughout their being. From the onset of corruption to its aftermath, Fairy Vials grapple with an array of physical, emotional, and existential challenges, each leaving an indelible mark on their identity.
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Physical Agony
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Loss of Self-Awareness
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Personality Alterations
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Madness and Disorientation
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Existential Turmoil.
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Social Isolation and Stigmatization
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Potential for Malevolence
In the wake of corruption's devastating effects, Fairy Vials are left to contend with the shattered remnants of their former selves, grappling with the lingering echoes of pain and anguish that haunt their every waking moment. Yet, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope remains, as they strive to reclaim their lost identity and forge a path towards redemption in a world teetering on the brink of oblivion.
✦ Understanding Corruption ✦
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Despite the dire outcomes, corrupt Fairy Vials are not inherently malevolent. They are victims of a loss of control over their senses and former selves. The closest human disease equivalents would be Rabies and Mad Cow Disease (Prion Disease), where people are infected with an foreign entity and begin to behave in ways that were unlike them before. In humans, these diseases are unfortunately fatal. In Fairy Vials, they are “infected” with an imbalance of vial contents, become corrupted, and can continue living in a symbiotic host-parasite way, similar to the concept of zombies. Corruption in this world however is not thought to be contagious, though there have been suspicions that corruption is selectively contagious to those exposed to multiple corrupt beings….
✦ Types of Corruption ✦
Pick your poison
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✦ Natural Corruption ✦
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Primarily induced by intense negative emotions, this form results from an imbalance between beneficial and harmful fillers within the vial's contents. Although most Fairy Vials do not actively seek natural corruption, a few may embrace it, refusing assistance from healers in dissatisfaction with their current lives. The effects of natural corruption vary widely among Fairy Vials. Some may exhibit subtle changes in personality or behavior, while others undergo radical transformations, losing touch with their former selves entirely. The duration of this process can range from weeks to years, with sporatic moments of clarity interspersed with bouts of madness.
✦ Forced Corruption ✦
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In contrast to the spontaneous nature of natural corruption, Forced Corruption is a deliberate and often malevolent act perpetrated by an individual possessing the ability to manipulate Fairy Vials' contents. Azriel stands as the primary practitioner of Forced Corruption, wielding this power to exert control and instigate chaos within the realm. Prior to Azriel's discovery, natural corruption was the sole mechanism, which escalated with the increase of unawakened Fairy Vials by the Fairymaker.
✦ Discovery & Consequences ✦
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Stardust Mimosa orders the containment of most Corrupt Fairy Vials during this phase of instability. However, if a Corrupt Fairy Vial manages to survive this period without being sealed or killed, they will regain their self-awareness. However, what they are like after that period differs on the Fairy Vial and the new contents of their vial. They may lose their former memories. They may see the world in a completely different way than prior. In the worst examples, some corrupt fairy vials have gone to lead cults with the secret intention to harm others. There are also corrupt fairy vials who purposefully live in solitude.
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Those who are Naturally corrupted don’t often live to reach the point of self-awareness, as most are discovered and healed if possible or sealed if beyond that point. However it is not impossible for a Naturally corrupted FV to be lucky enough to survive. Some unawakened vials were exposed to an imbalance of negative contents and thus, Corrupt FVs were born. The ones born from purposeful exposure to horrible fillers were typically more unstable and caused havoc, so they were usually hunted down and sealed away.
✦ Biology ✦
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Corrupt Fairy Vials share the same biology as their normal counterparts, yet with a sinister twist. Like their uncorrupted kin, they possess a vial that serves as a vessel for various traits and emotions, shaping their nature and identity. However, the contents of their vials take on a darker hue, infused with fillers ranging from sadness and anger to outright insanity or from things like psychopomps, mythological creatures, demons, darkness and more.
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The aesthetic of Corrupt Fairy Vials mirrors the darkness that invades their being. Unlike the vibrant hues of their uncorrupted counterparts, they often appear darker in aesthetic and/or less saturated in color, as if the loss of brightness reflects the erosion of their original selves.
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Their physical forms bear the scars of their corruption, manifesting as visible marks of the intense transformation they have endured. These scars may be physical, mental, or emotional, serving as reminders of the profound toll corruption has taken on their being.
✦ Nyx & the Sunless Valley ✦
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The Sunless Valley is a small, hidden town located near the border of Hunter territory. A valley located deep in between two great mountains of Asteria, where no light of any sort can reach. The blood moon is eerily visible at all times, causing a lot of rumors to go around saying the place is cursed. Home to Azriel and “Nyx,” his group of Corrupted Fairy Vials. It is unknown when Azriel arrived here or what was in the valley before he arrived, if anything. Only those who have been to the Town truly know of its existence. Nyx serves as the government and military force of the Sunless Valley. While the town of the Sunless Valley is designed to be largely self-sufficient, Nyx ensures that it remains sustainable by bringing in necessary food and supplies from outside the Valley. Despite living in secrecy, the townspeople rely on Nyx as their lifeline and protectors, refraining from questioning the source of their supplies. Legends are passed down to children, depicting Nyx's miraculous deeds, instilling a tradition of not asking questions.
✦ Leadership & Azriel's Role ✦
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Azriel is the central figure in the leadership of Nyx, holding the position of both the head of the government and the military force within the Sunless Valley. His leadership is marked by a distinct focus on research and strategic planning, particularly centered around the concept of Corruption. Azriel is deeply invested in understanding the nature of Corruption, believing it to be a key to unlocking greater power and potential for the Fairy Vials under his command. This obsession drives much of his work, as he seeks to harness and refine Corruption to strengthen his people and protect the Sunless Valley.
Despite his powerful position, Azriel's leadership style is somewhat hands-off when it comes to the day-to-day operations of Nyx and the Sunless Valley. He delegates the management of these responsibilities to his trusted subordinates, allowing him to dedicate his time and energy to his research. This approach means that Azriel is rarely seen in public, often secluded within his manor, which doubles as the government building for Nyx. His reclusive nature adds an air of mystery and authority to his leadership, making him a distant but formidable figure in the eyes of those he leads.
✦ Conflict with Stardust Mimosa ✦
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Azriel's strategic mind is also evident in his views on the ongoing conflict with the Hunters. He perceives Stardust Mimosa's approach to be too soft-hearted, unable to effectively repel the invaders and protect Asteria. Azriel believes that a more ruthless and decisive strategy is necessary, and he has taken it upon himself to lead this effort. His willingness to embrace Corruption as a tool for gaining power reflects his belief that conventional methods are insufficient for the challenges they face. This readiness to use extreme measures highlights his determination to protect his people, even if it means making morally ambiguous choices
✦ The Power of Corruption ✦
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However, to take on an invading nation, you need power. In Azriel’s personal experience, what brought him the most “power”? Being corrupted. Never before did he have such motivation; such aspirations. Never before did he “see so clearly.” But, how does Corruption work? How can he use it? How can he spread such an ascended form of existing as a Fairy Vial to others? How can he improve on it? Well, one can only find out through trial and error.
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Now, if one is to make an army, of course every soldier has to have such power! Thus every Fairy Vial who wants to join Nyx has to go through such an initiation. You might say someone is insane for wanting to go through such an initiation, however this is a gathering of Fairy Vials whose friends and families have been killed and hometowns destroyed by Hunters. Fairy Vials who disagree with Mimosa and feel a change in leadership is needed. Fairy Vials who want revenge or to take up arms in the name of protecting Asteria. People desperate for a better world. What else matters if they can change the world for the better?
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After receiving Corruption and not perishing, all Nyx members receive a mark, set by magic. If any members try to spill any information on the Sunless Valley or Nyx to any unbranded person outside of the Sunless Valley, the mark will activate, killing the member on the spot. Those who do perish through the act of Corruption, their fairy dust is collected and sold to a select merchant in the Underground.
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Artist Credit
planetABXY | dxsmodus | MizuruuDeki | ViPOP |