Ryslig App

[gildedsaint]

OOC INFORMATION
Name: Triska
Contact: triskahyena
Age: 31
Other Characters: Mukuro Ikusaba, Rider

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Ianthe Tridentarius
Age: 22
Canon: The Locked Tomb
Canon Point: Post Harrow the Ninth
Character Information: https://thelockedtomb.fandom.com/wiki/Ianthe_Tridentarius

Personality: [cws: spoilers for Nona the Ninth, cannibalism/soul devouring, implied abusive childhood, attempted suicide]
Three for the gleam of a jewel or a smile
Ianthe Tridentarius is a necromancer and royal heir to the throne of Ida of the Third House - specifically, one of two, the younger twin to Coronabeth Tridentarius and therefore second in line. The Third House is well known for being a hotbed of gossip and political subterfuge and intrigue, so both of them have had to learn to play the game themselves for their entire lives. Ianthe is quite adept at maintaining deceptions when she has to, adapting to different social situations and power dynamics when she's at a disadvantage. She's extremely good at playing along with those who hold power over her, biding her time and gathering information and making alliances slowly, until she can then leverage everything she's gathered for her own purposes. We see this most in Harrow the Ninth during her time on the Mithraeum - as a new Lyctor, she's entirely at the mercy of the elders Augustine and Mercymorn, and immediately adapts a very complimentary fawning persona when interacting with them. This pays off, as she's able to eventually convince her mentors to assist her in a plot that involves murdering one of their companions despite their ten thousand years of friendship.

Alas, I have a bad personality.
When amongst peers of equal or lower social rank, however, Ianthe's much more direct. During the trials in Canaan House during Gideon the Ninth, it's clear she has little experience trying to truly connect with others - all her attempts fall flat, and everyone regards her with suspicion and distaste. Her go-to party story is how she almost died as an infant due to her twin's umbilical cord strangling her, much to her cavalier Naberius' annoyance (and everyone else's confusion). She tries to make jokes during inappropriate circumstances (such as an autopsy) that no one appreciates, even the resident heretic Gideon. In the short story As Yet Unsent, said twin Coronabeth reminisces about their birthday parties over the years, and how their parents only allowed them each one single invitation - Corona invited the same friend every year, but Ianthe never had friends of any kind, and used her invite to bring "whoever Naberius most didn't want to see." She also never had family support either, aside from her sister. She reminisces about both her parents with only brief and very negative throwaway lines, comparing the shrieking insults of Mercymorn to spending time with her mother, and disdainfully commenting on how she's never had luck with "indulgent father figures." Much later in Nona the Ninth, she shares the news that her kingdom has turned the twins' birthday into a day of mourning for the presumed-dead Coronabeth only, rather than any celebration of Ianthe's ascension to Sainthood. Being consistently snubbed like this despite having achieved status and power that no one else has in ten thousand years clearly grates on her; nothing she does is ever enough to be appreciated the way she wants to be.

There are worse things than myself in this building. Have that one for free.
Ianthe is willing to do whatever the situation requires, no matter how horrific or morally questionable it may be, but maintains a curiously strong boundary of not going further than necessary. When she does do something cruel, she owns it fully, without trying to justify herself or hide behind anyone else, whether that's challenging an already injured opponent to a duel because it makes her more likely to win, or backstabbing and murdering and devouring her cavalier to attain Lyctorhood. She's even willing to explain the details when asked and fully cooperates with the horrified onlookers. It's also clear she's deeply unwell during the entire ordeal - shaking, pupils blown, looking like she might be sick at any moment - but because the words she's using are so matter-of-fact even when discussing a brutal crime and taboo, it leads the narrator (Gideon) to believe Ianthe is fine when she's anything but. Looking back with added context from future installments, it's strongly implied it was a choice made in the heat of the moment and, as always, to protect Corona - she would have forced Ianthe's hand and killed herself to make Ianthe devour her soul, if Ianthe had not acted to secure a different sacrifice immediately. Historically, we know two other cavaliers did this to create two of the surviving Lyctors from the past, and Corona has a history of attempting suicide in front of Ianthe. All that said, it's still something Ianthe chose to do, and she faces judgment for it unflinchingly, though tries to reassure the other Houses that she means no harm to anyone else. Even when the Eighth House declares they'll execute her for it, she fights defensively when she could have easily ripped her opponent apart. It's only after he becomes possessed, and is therefore a danger to the others, that Ianthe acts to kill him. Similarly, she steps in during the final battle against Cytherea to help the survivors (and loses an arm for it), even though she could have easily stayed hidden with Corona and waited for help to arrive.

In general, it seems Ianthe often ends up stuck between a bad choice and a worse one, and tries to do what would cause less harm while still being unapologetically ruthless if she must be. Unlike some other characters in the series, she will not go to crazy lengths or come up with insane plans to try to fight impossible odds. She acts within the boundaries she knows, refusing to push limits unless she's sure it's a safe option. Becoming a Lyctor was bad, but between Naberius or her own sister, the choice was obvious. In the climax of Harrow the Ninth, the elder Lyctors (Mercymorn and Augustine) turn on God (John), each trying to kill him in their own ways. Ianthe is caught between assisting her mentor Augustine to kill John, or saving John and allowing Augustine to die instead. Gideon, narrating, is outraged that Ianthe chooses John even knowing that John is a liar and a terrible person - but his soul is linked to Dominicus, the sun. John's death would lead to mass deaths and the end of their entire solar system, a fact Ianthe is extremely aware of and has just been reminded of moments before this situation. Her choice, while a betrayal of her mentor, is the safer option and protects a huge number of people, her sister included.

Dad wanted a matched set. And we didn't want anything to separate us.
For all her machinations, Ianthe's surprisingly loyal to a scant few, even if it impacts her negatively.
As part of her explanation of why she killed Naberius in Gideon the Ninth, Ianthe explains that she's had to cover for Corona's lack of necromantic talent for their entire lives. With the threat of separation and isolation over their heads, Ianthe has had to work twice as hard to maintain the lie and protect her sister. She's clearly grown deeply bitter over the situation, especially since Corona is everyone's favorite - their parents, their kingdom, everyone the twins has ever met. Corona is kind and beautiful and socializes easily, while Ianthe is abrasive and sickly and struggles to connect. The one thing Ianthe has over her, extremely powerful necromancy, is a secret they could never reveal. Ianthe only lets it out once she's attained ultimate power and no longer has to fear for her own safety. Part of why she appreciates Harrow so much is that Harrow is one of the only people to recognize Ianthe's talent and respect her on her own level, rather than treat her like a less-desirable extra.

You see, my field has always been energy transferral... large-scale energy transferral. Resurrection theory.
Ianthe's overarching goals are still a mystery, but the safety of herself and her sister has always been paramount. It's been clear from the beginning that she doesn't trust the Imperial powers - she's the only person at the table of the House representatives to not join in prayer (besides the Ninth, who don't know the prayers everyone else does culturally). She's explained that her true interest is resurrection theory, and how the price the Emperor had to pay to bring about the era of necromancy doesn't add up. She fawns to him in Harrow, and as of Nona Ianthe has a new title of Tower Prince and remains his only Saint after the others' betrayal - but even then, she considers him pathetic and a hassle to clean up after. She is not reverent or respectful in the slightest despite him being their literal God, she regards him the same as she would anyone else with a great deal of power they probably don't deserve to have - as someone to manage, to stay on their good side, for now.

And most of all I want Harrowhark Nonagesimus—as intact as you have her at this moment—or the whole planet is forfeit.
Ianthe's motivations are primarily selfish, but she considers a few key people in her calculations as well. Her sister is the first, of course, but she connects with both Harrowhark Nonagesimus and Gideon Nav, the Ninth House necromancer-cavalier pair, over the time she spends individually with both.

During Harrow the Ninth, Harrow is a shell of her former self, deeply damaged and traumatized. While at first Ianthe is unwilling to stick her neck out too far for Harrow's sake, she does remain at her side and assists her as best she can, even when the elder Lyctors are disdainful or disapproving. Even when it brings her own safety into question, as one of them is determined to kill Harrow and hunts her regularly - Ianthe allows Harrow to take refuge in her room and does what small things she can to protect and work with her. She's able to leverage the favor she's curried with the other Lyctors to convince them to allow her and Harrow to kill their murderous companion - asking for that is a huge personal risk to Ianthe, but she does it for Harrow's sake.

In Nona one of Ianthe's chief demands in her broadcast is the return of Harrowhark to her, unharmed. It's quite striking that Ianthe traveled to this backwater planet, under threat of a Resurrection Beast, all to try to retrieve a friend - one who quite frankly dislikes Ianthe and treats her with the usual suspicion, but even so, she's precious enough to Ianthe for her to take these risks.

This isn't a one-off situation, either. While we only see a small part of it in Nona, it's clear Ianthe and Gideon (now called Kiriona) have bonded and become close friends as well - they're dressing in matching styles, they've both adopted new matching titles, and they each wear friendship bracelets hidden under their uniforms. As unlikable as she is, and as much as she insists she's fine with being so, it's obvious Ianthe is truly lonely and wants badly to be friends with people who appreciate her. But her upbringing, social standing, and the incredibly high stakes of the war have made it nearly impossible for her, and she has to prioritize the safety of herself and her key people most of the time. That said, she's perfectly willing to abandon or dispose of people if it's necessary or the most efficient, so long as they haven't made themselves important to her - and she never loses sight of her own long-term plans.

Key Character Traits:
-Adaptable
-Abrasive
-Ruthless
-Pragmatic
-Bitter
-Heretical
-Loyal
-Selfish

Fits, conflicts, either or random?: Fits.

Opt-Outs: Werewolf, shade. Werebear, arachne, slime, lich, goblin, simulacrum.

Sample: TDM toplevel, stolas, pepper