～ Ａ Ｓ Ｔ Ｒ Ｏ Ｎ Ｏ Ｍ Ａ Ｎ Ｃ Ｙ ～

[kiwipen]

✧ ✩ ✧ ～ Ｌｅｔ ｔｈｅ ｓｔａｒｓ ｏｐｅｎ ｕｐ ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕ ～ ✧ ✩ ✧

✧ ✩ ✧ ✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧✧ ✩ ✧

Ｖ Ａ Ｒ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ

ΔƧƬЯѲИѲѦΔИƆЄЯ

noun

- a practicioner of magic via astrological means; the combination and subsequence usage of science and magic to harness the innate magic of interstellar constellations.

Ｑｕｉｃｋ Ａｂｏｕｔ

After an accidental arcane discovery, Varion has become a self-named 'Astronomancer', a person who studies and practices magic that utilizes and is themed around the night sky. Through careful tracking and study, Varion believes he can better harness this magical energy and put it to good use. That being said, Varion knows very little about this magic, yet. He is, however, eager to learn!

Varion is an isolated Viscet that spends most of his days studying and learning where he can. He has dedicated his life to understanding the stars; moreso now that they have chosen him to channel their magic. While he may not have many friends, he has the stars, and that is enough for this Viscet to continue doing his work with as much motivation and energy as day one.

[kiwipen]

Ａｔ Ｆｉｒｓｔ Ｇｌａｎｃｅ

Above all else, Varion is a scholar. The hermit of a Viscet spends much of his time studying, poring over books for every bit of knowledge. He seeks knowledge like it was food or water. It's a need for him, a desire to learn more about the magic he's discovered. His interest is in the sky, dedicated to the moon's cycles and the stars' progress through the skies. He is learning how to better control the magic he has discovered. While he isn't that great at controlling it yet, he greets the challenge with an open mind, and an open heart.

Varion is inadvertently antisocial; a result of his constant research has left him outcast from other Viscets. He certainly doesn't complain; other Viscets would just get in the way of his work, after all, especially those who don't fully understand Astronomancy. However, some Viscets might think this was a lonely life, and in truth, it is a bit of a lonely life. Long nights leave Varion sleeping on his research notes, using a book as a pillow, and he's caught more than one cold from not taking care of himself. Truth be told, Varion is apprehensive about letting other Viscets see his work; mocked most of his younger life for what his interests were, Varion decided the best path of science and magic was the one walked alone.

To say Varion is eccentric would be an understatement; not many would think to combine science and magic into one study. Peers in the science community would scoff at the idea that the astronomical charts had any arcane significance; those in the arcane community would turn their nose at the suggestion of science in their field of work. Additionally, Varion throws caution to the wind, and learns more with hands-on approaches than tried and true 'safe' methods. He claims he doesn't care what other 'cets think, and, to an extent, he's telling the truth. He doesn't care whether 'cets respect his line of work or not; it makes him happy, and he's going to pursue it no matter what. However, the scorn of his peers does sting, and it takes quite a bit of self-discipline not to use his magic for things other than good.

He greets the universe with open paws, and a sense of wonder. He never quite knows what's going to be around the bend; whatever it is, he will be ready. The universe is an open notebook; the star charts the ink, and his mind the pen.

Ｉｎｔｅｒａｃｔｉｏｎｓ ｗｉｔｈ Ｏｔｈｅｒｓ

Varion doesn't have a good reputation with Viscets that live close to him; he's up into the wee hours of the morning, and he's been responsible for more than one case of flashing lights in the sky. Around them, politeness has already failed, so he is curt, and speaks shortly against the others. They would never understand his work; after all, he too barely understands it; nor do they understand the importance of it. He doesn't waste his time with them.

The Viscet is defensive towards strangers, using limited words and interactions to limit the risk of needing to explain himself to others. When asked about his line of work, he merely says he is a scholar of the stars; and leaves it at that. If some were to pry, he'd get annoyed and quickly change the subject, or snap at them, even.

If one were to gain his trust, however, Varion might be more willing to divulge his work to them; however, he is still defensive of his work, and would be quick to assume that individual would want to steal his ideas. His main love in his life is his work; no one would be changing that any time soon.

Ｌｉｖｉｎｇ Ｈａｂｉｔｓ

Varion lives inside an old observatory; an old astronomer had abandoned it eons ago, and he took it up while wandering. After dusting it out and making it livable, Varion settled in nicely there. It is an empty, two story building, with Victorian-style elements to the architecture. There is a greenhouse, with a few assorted herbs being grown there. The actual observatory is in the back. The observatory itself features a domed ceiling that can be opened up with a complex pulley system. Most of Varion's work notes are up here, scattered about and pinned on walls. Those that can't be pinned are stacked up on desks, the floor , and tucked away in books.

As one might guess, Varion is a messy individual. As he is quick to excite and go off in tangents, he will abandon one thought in pursuit of another, and this is apparent in his home. Magical tomes will be tucked under his bed, or laying open on the counter. His star books might find themselves on the kitchen table, the pages haphazardly dogeared or notes scrawled in the margins. Quills and ink are scattered about the house, and there are permanent stains on furniture where Varion had gone off in a note taking frenzy.

Sleeping wise, Varion will either get 2 hours of sleep or 20, there is very little in between. The 'cet will happily stay up until the crack of dawn to make sure he's getting his research notes correct; but once he crashes, he crashes hard, progress stagnating in order for him to recover. As he lives with no one else, he need not correct this behavior; it's something that exists, and something that's certainly not going to change any time soon.

As for eating, Varion does take time to appreciate the small things in life. One of those things happens to be cooking. There's something magical about turning ingredients into a delight for the senses, and he's all for it. He takes time to properly learn recipes and practice them. A good meal can keep him going throughout the day, and it inspires him to work hard. A recipe that turned sour might dampen his spirits for the entire day. It is, however, pretty common for him to go with only one meal for the day with some snacks in between, though that's mostly for the days he goes into heavy work mode.

Ｑｕｉｃｋ Ｑｕｉｒｋｓ！

He adjusts his glasses a lot when he's around others. Not necessarily because they fall down a lot, but because it helps him mildly express himself. Annoyance, embarrassment, interest; they can all be expressed with a simple tilt of his glasses, and he uses this often.

As a result of his newfound profession, he often finds himself sneaking star puns into his speech. 'Stellar!' is a common phrase he says, for when things go his way. Similar to 'by Odin's beard', he might also say, 'By Orion's belt!' when referring to something impressive.

He believes that the heroes that the constellations are named after once existed. He secretly hopes that, in his studies, he might be able to find a way to commune with them the same way the stars commune to him.

[kiwipen]

Ｅａｒｌｙ Ｃｈｉｌｄｈｏｏｄ

Varion was raised into a life of lonely wealth. His parents were rich, and worked a lot, leaving Varion to mostly fend for himself. He lived in a big, empty house, and was expected to entertain himself rather than seek it out from others. Intellectual pursuits were an interest of his father's; subsequently, they were an interest of Varion's. Varion didn't mind the loneliness, too much, and he certainly enjoyed the books with the pretty pictures in them, so he spent a lot of his time looking at books.

When he wasn't cooped up in the house, he would often steal away to the rooftop of his parent's home, staring up at the night sky and dreaming about what life would be like in other worlds. He got his hands on fantasy books, and fantasized about worlds with magic and princesses and wizards. Varion often thought it'd be awesome to be a wizard, and to create anything you wanted with magic! This interest was instantly shot down by his father, who was disapproving of anything that couldn't be proven by science.

His mother, on the other hand, was a bit more forgiving, and, on Varion's birthday, got him a starter magic kit. It was a simple wand and some cards; he soon realized that this was just parlor tricks, and he discarded them, upset that his interest was neither being taken seriously, nor real.

In school, he learned about space and the solar system. He also learned about stars and constellations, and quickly gained an interest in the subject. It was something he had enjoyed when he was younger, but didn't actually know the names for, and now he did. Science would remain his primary interest going through grade school. However, he also continued to read, enjoying his fantasy novels well into his teen years.

Ｔｅｅｎａｇｅｄ Ｙｅａｒｓ

Teenage life was not kind to Varion; as a young adult, he was often teased for not having the mainstream interests as others. Where some males were strong, loud, and impressive, he was quiet, soft-spoken, and lacked in physical prowess. He was meek, and while he certainly tried to socialize with others, it was met with limited success. At first, he was happy to tell everyone about his interests. He had a passion for wizardry and fantasy novels, and he could talk your ear off about star charts and planets and could name all the moons by heart. However, those who he thought were friends turned on him, and playful teasing turned into serious mockery, making Varion feel very embarrassed and ashamed for his interests. Unable to turn to even his parents for comfort, Varion withdrew into himself, learning quickly to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself.

When Varion retreated into himself, he found solace in his books; fantasy and otherwise. As adulthood was approaching, however, he would put down more of his fantasy books for the nonfiction, the pressure to appeal to his father's demands rising. His father was a demanding patriarch, wanting his son to follow in his pawsteps, become some successful scientist, and make the family name even more gilded. Varion was unsure if he could uphold those expectations.

Ｙｏｕｎｇ Ａｄｕｌｔ

In the end, Varion crumbled under pressure, and stole away in the night to never be seen again. He had discovered an abandoned observatory to live in, and he didn't give his family a goodbye when he left. He left a note for them, so they didn't think he was missing, but he knew he would likely never see them again. He chased his dreams, or at least, his idea on what a dream might be, and he settled in his new home of solitude pretty easily. It was hard, at first, and he cried himself to sleep his first night on his own, but, there was no going back now.

Varion would later try to establish himself in a local college, to limited success. He found that the amount of other Viscets around him would cause him too much anxiety, and he instead pursued his interests in the privacy of his own home. No one could judge him there, and he certainly didn't have to adhere to any strict guidelines that a board of directors set. Here, he was free to be himself.

[kiwipen]

Ｏｆ Ｓｃｉｅｎｃｅ ａｎｄ Ｓｔａｒｄｕｓｔ；
Ａ Ｓｈｏｒｔ Ｓｔｏｒｙ

The air in the observatory drew to a chill as the sun was fading into the horizon, purple kissing the sky and preparing for the night. A blue Viscet was staring up at the rising moon, delight written across his features.

"Wonderful. A full moon for tonight's work, and not a cloud in sight." Varion spoke to himself, as he often did, tucking the book he had been reading prior into his satchel. It was a magic book; while his studies were in science, he did, on occasion, dabble in alchemy. He had an herb garden to supplement this interest. "The perfect night to do my research."

Varion quickly scrambled away from what he was working on to gather up his supplies; a bit of chalk, some existing star chart map notes, and his hat, tossing it onto his head to keep his little head warm before trotting towards the door. His scarf was draped over a desk, and he tossed it nimbly onto his neck, tying it on his way out into the cool night air.

Grass gave way underpaw and Varion let out a shiver. It was a chilly night, for sure, but he would undoubtedly manage. There were more important things at hand, like science! And the pursuit of knowledge. The two went paw in paw, really. Varion trotted up a hill, excitement in his swishing tail. A clear night to write down notes, without the need of a dozen extra candles for lighting? This was far too perfect to be true.

And yet, as he stood atop his hill and looked out at the night sky, the first stars starting to twinkle and catch his eye, he gave a smile. This existed, and it was perfection, and he was grateful. His heart caught in his chest at the beauty of the night sky, as it often did. What great wonders existed out there, he wondered. What secrets might the cosmos hold? He was certain that with enough charting, he would discover it. Some hidden patterns in their movement, perhaps? A sign from the universe? He would chase until he found.

Finally, the sun crept down over the horizon for the final time, and he began his analysis. Or, rather, he would, but as he went to reach for his quill and paper, he realized that he had left it inside. Ah, darn it all! Of all the things that he could have forgotten, he forgot the most important things! His tail thumped against the ground in annoyance with himself. How could he be so daft?

He couldn't just go back and get it. The Viscet wasn't exactly physically capable, and the trek up the hill just once was enough to knock the wind out of him; a second trip would really take it out of him, with the addition of the stairs in his abode. No, he'd have to make do, somehow. His ears perked up as he remembered his chalk, and, as he looked back down to the ground at his paws, it was then that he realized that the whole world was his canvas, and that he could take notes now, and make them permanent later.

Varion pulled the chalk out of his bag and glanced back up at the sky, beginning his work. He drew a few basic circles in the dirt, pleased with the grass holding the shapes (mostly) as well as they did. Slowly, he began etching symbols into the dirt, marking where each constellation was, adding notations here and there to where they were yesterday. As the night went on, he began drawing more curved lines, pointing to where the stars went and would probably end up.

Fortunately, his view was well lit, thanks to the light of the full moon, and, as his shoulders began to ache, Varion lifted his hat a bit to glance up at the moon, narrowing his eyes at the brightness. The moon was in full glow tonight, and, as predicted, there wasn't a cloud in sight. The full light of the moon was blaring down against him, illuminating the land around him and casting light into his eyes. It was so terribly bright out here, light blaring into his eyes.

It took him a few moments to realize that it wasn't just the moon that was casting a glow into his gaze. As he looked down, the chalk underneath his paws was starting to glow, glittering stardust lifting and raising out of the runes that he had drawn. They were runes, weren't they? The symbols, the lines...it almost looked like a pentagram of sorts, if the pentagram wasn't demonic and the symbol was more of a spirograph than a star.

And then, the light of the full moon completely fell onto Varion and his runes, and with it, a burst of energy came from the circle. It completely blasted Varion in the face at first with blinding white light, and as soon as it came it faded into swirls of magical energy, filling him with delight and wonder. Power tingled at his very pawtips, the voices of ancient heroes whispering and singing in the edges of his mind.

He turned his gaze to the sky, starlight dancing in his eyes. The moon seemed to glow blue, speaking out to him in the night. The universe was singing to him, and he would listen. In his mind's eye he saw the potential of what he had discovered; the very universe's would unfold before him. The world would be his to know, and the secrets of the cosmos he would know like the back of his hand. The stories of ancient heroes wouldn't be just stories; they would be his reality.

But what did all of this mean? It was just a possibility, not a guaranteed thing, he realized. He knew nothing of how to actually do this again. However, he was determined to try again, and, he had his chance now to study it while he had it. Cautiously, he held out a paw, trying to channel the energy he felt rushing through him. Almost instantly, a ball of blueish white light sprouted from his pawtips, bursting in his face and exploding in light, leaving behind sparkling stardust. He let out a startled yelp, taking a pace back and nearly falling outside of the star circle. He stopped himself in time.

"What the...!" He ended up falling on his rump, breaking the circle. The glowing vanished, though the starlight and stardust remained, slowly dissipating in the night air.

"Darn it! Stupid, clumsy Varion...:!" He grumbled, lowly berating himself. There was very little time to scold himself, however, and he turned his attention on the circle below, and the moon above. He had done....something. He could hardly believe it, and if he hadn't experienced it himself, he might not have believed it was /possible/ for something of that caliber to happen. And yet...it did. And he wanted nothing more than for it to happen again. This was the most exciting thing to happen to him in....well, forever!

"My stars!" Excitement rushed through him as he realized what he had just discovered. Magic via astronomical means! Was there even a name for that?

"Astronomy? No... that isn't quite right. Astrology...? No, that's superstition...." He grumbled, trying to find the word for it. "M....an........ Astronomancy?" He asked. The word seemed to fit, well, even, and it felt...right.

"Astronomancy." He decided on that, giving himself an affirming nod. He took a deep breath, and let it out into the night air. "Well, I'll be, then. Astronomancy, eh?" He glanced up at the moon, giving it a cheesy smile. "If that's what you want from me then, old boy, then I'l,l give it a shot."

A cheesy grin was plastered on his bespectacled features, and, with that, he let out a laugh into the night clearing all alone.

"It's real! By Jove; magic actually is real!"

With another thought, he added, "And it's name is written in stardust."

[kiwipen]

(Please click the image, it leads to a video, an important one!)

I n v e n t o r y

A lot of reading from a young age is speculated
to be the cause of the young Varion's now
limited eyesight; however, Varion sees his need
for glasses as less of a limitation and more of a
nuisance at worst. At best, it adds to his wizardly
charm; something he would be embarrassed to
admit he feels.

A wizard would be incomplete with a cute little
hat to match, and Varion is no exception. While he
would never admit he enjoys the look, he does
chalk up having it as being a necessity. For some
reason, the Viscet has issues regulating his body
temperature, something he's struggled with
most of his life; as a result, he wears quite
a bit of clothing. Additionally, the hat looks nice!

Varion's scarf is one of his most iconic items; he
wouldn't be caught dead without it. The Viscet
holds a special place in his heart for this scarf; it
was given to him by his mother. While he certainly
was never close to his father, his mother was the
softer parent, and he holds her dear in his heart.
While he believes he can never see his parents again,
he finds comfort in the soft object on his loneliest of
nights.

This cloak was something that Varion had made for
himself; he created it for himself shortly after the
night he discovered his Astronomancy powers.
Varion was proud of what he had discovered, and he
knew at that moment what his life would be
dedicated to; therefore, he crafted a cloak with that
idea in mind. It's rumored to be incredibly soft
and comfy to snuggle into.

[kiwipen]

Credits (In order)
--- fullbody art commissioned from nuggetseb
--- galaxy art by me
--- custom pixel divider commissioned from nuggetseb
--- viscet pixel by me
--- stardust bottle pixel by me
--- magic drawing collaborated with nuggetseb and myself.
--- glasses, scarf, hat, robe pixels by me.