DJANIRA

DJANIRA SAADE • jah-nee-rah sah-deh - surname is translated to 'fortunate' or 'lucky', and was given to her during the time of her forcible enslavement. she will not comment on its level of irony
EARLY THIRTIES • a refined, ripe maturity, only partially mingling with nubile youth
FEMALE • cisgendered, respects feminine gender roles though still presents more masculine strength, hardiness, sternness, dominance
SUNDA CLOUDED LEOPARD/ASIATIC LION • native to indonesia, more specifically the isle of sumatra. the lion's blood is seen in her sheer size, the leopard in her colouring and sleek build
BRAZILIAN/PORTUGUESE • bred and raised in a smaller village east of sao paulo, most of her life was spent in south america, though she claims to have been taken as far as egypt, india and parts of asia
SCORPIO • fiery, passionate, all-encompassing - a smoldering fire more than capable of turning a city to ashes
NEUTRAL EVIL • her allegiances are to herself and herself only; she is cunning, conniving and will do what needs to be done to get what she wants
KINSEY FOUR/POLYAMOROUS • has a preference for those of the same sex, however, this does not mean that she could not find potential romantic interest in the opposite sex - there are simply none who have been able to match her in spirit and win her longstanding affections. can find desire for any and all individuals, though her greatest love is for herself
DOMINANT • will only submit in the form of worship to those she deems superior; she is not by any means submissive by nature, though such a mindset could no doubt be wheedled into her head over time and with a deal of effort
FETISHIST • blood, violence, aggression - she caters to the darker aspects of pleasure willingly and without restraint
MACHIAVELLIAN • in every sense of the word, djanira is conniving, manipulative, and will not hesitate to do what needs to be done to further herself and her causes, whatever they might be, and however fleeting. more often than not, her public persona does not match her private behaviour, and she, when left exposed, can be found to be lacking in empathy and compassion for others if it does not suit her. the objects of her attention (and occasional obsession) are also fleeting, and her attention is temporary, difficult to maintain and even more difficult to permanently hold. while she may appear warm, and in some instances, she is, she frequently gives off a strange impression after the fact, like her actions are unnatural or wrong
SOFT-SPOKEN • like crushed gems in velvet, a slight rasp, heavy portuguese accent, warm like dripping candle wax
CONDUIT • her life before her time in the establishment was devoted to her religion, and, since a young age, she had been believed to be the conduit - or avatar - of the goddess yemanjá, who is known as the mother goddess, patron diety of women. this means that she was not raised in slavery, however, she was forcibly assimilated into such a life through acquisition from the spanish military after the village in which she lived and was subsequently worshiped was more or less obliterated. everything she is is an amalgamation of what constitutes womanhood and femininity; she would be offered tributes of blood, reproductive fluid and other 'life forces' in order to guarantee healthy childbirth in the community. despite traditional latin american gender roles, her culture has dictated that the female is the one with power, and that males are to serve her, to give her children, and therefore can be claimed as a lion might claim his lionesses. it isn't impossible that she might have had several male consorts during her time in her homeland, if only for the sake of providing her the fluids of tribute or to care for her
however, as time has passed, it has become clear that djanira is not necessarily a conduit for one particular entity or godlike figure, and instead has an increased vulnerability/"openness" to possession and spiritual influence, which has been taken advantage of by more negative entities attempting to grow more solid roots in reality. her heightened practice in dark magicks has left her especially susceptible to demonic influence (this can be played out in-character and is something i am actively seeking!)
MULTI-FACETED • proficient in the field of medical care, she offers massage therapy, acupressure, aromatherapy, naturopathy, reiki and other holistic methods of healing. alternatively, she provides entertainment in the form of fortune telling, dance and companionship of varying levels. those in certain circles are aware of how extensive her care of the body can be. she is voracious in her interest and commitment to the mind, body and spirit, and her passion for the comfort, well being and, to some extent, the attraction of others is more than apparent in the honed nature of her craft
EDUCATED • skillset includes, in terms of entertainment; fire dancing, belly dance with or without accompaniment of hand cymbals, dancing accompanied by snakes, interest in aerial silks and 'wings'. body painting, some skill in henna application to skin/fur and hair. in terms of caretaking; general skills of an escort, massage with or without oils, aromatherapy and experience in acupressure, medical care and healing. in terms of additional companionship; male/female pleasure
OCCULTIST • possesses ties or associations to the occult, has performed rituals of fertility and blood-bonding as well as darker rituals of sacrifice to various dieties, is said to be capable of creating charms or mixtures to increase probability of pregnancy, though on the other hand can also create mixtures which may cause miscarriage or poisoning. skilled in fortune-telling through palm and aura reading, though most specifically when it comes to matters of the heart, health, or, of course, fertility. has a fascination with the tarot, enjoys using them as a 'reading' tool if a deck is accessible
LITERATE • she is fluent in portuguese, her native tongue, and is conversational in guildereim's common tongue. she is currently undergoing tutoring in order to increase her skill in both reading, writing and speaking it, and her determination in doing so has afforded her significant progress
THE EMPRESS • fertility, security, achievement of goals and growth, abundance and material wealth
RELIGIOUS • believes that the body is a temple and actively praises various patrons of fertility and childbirth as well as beauty and indulgence, bathes in fragrant oils frequently and will on occasion spend a number of hours painting her own body - worship is also expressed through dance and sensuality

VOLUPTUOUS • fuller figured, plush, though still holding sleek muscle tone indicative of her species - an appropriate vision of child-bearing maturity and sensuous nature
STATUESQUE • reaching over six feet tall, her curvature seems allthemore decadent when laid out over such a lengthy frame
FASHION-CONSCIOUS • while preferring nudity, the leoponess does have an affinity for well crafted, stylish clothing - she is progressive, incorporating current trends with items that could be seen as somewhat bending the rules of fashion. in tailored trousers, wisps of dresses, towering heels or draped in jewelry, her clothing is meant to accentuate her most desirable features. most importantly, she is rarely ever seen in the same item twice (not in public, at least)
CARNIVORE • exclusively eats semi-raw to raw meats as her stomach cannot tolerate them fully-cooked, and little to no vegetable or fruit products, has a somewhat unsettling taste for blood
CLOUDED MARKINGS • while her fur is a cafe au lait, her markings are darker and somewhat hazy, as if she is constantly trapped within a cloud of smoke. the base colour of her pelt will be darker in shade during the autumn/winter months and lighter in the spring/summer
JET BLACK HAIR • lacking shine, it is deep as the pits of hell, messily fashioned though intricately pinned and braided, though can also be fashioned into an intimidating mane with which to assert her regality. at times thick with jewels, beads and other decorations, she is also prone to wearing it in tousled bedroom waves, or pressed flat with hot iron and oils to a sheet of pitch
FAIR GREEN EYES • slightly slanted, narrow, characteristically feline - nearly devoid of any colour and framed with long, thick lashes, they are very expressive, and more often than not the only indicator of her true feelings or reactions
EXOTIC • she holds an exotic appeal, fine facial features, furtive in her physical appeal though commanding in the draw of her eyes and mouth
PIERCED • decorated with a variety of jewels, she is pierced through nipples with golden bars, christina in a single golden ball, ears in larger, wrought jade gauges, one small gold stud nose piercing and a septum ring in gold that hugs tight to the cartilage, as well as a medusa piercing and various other decorative piercings that may be added or removed at her discretion - currently decorated like so
MARKED • decorates herself with a variety of designs, ranging in inspiration - from curling henna to bold swaths of red or gold, to dipping entire limbs in paint, these designs are constantly changing with her fleeting moods
SCARRED • beneath her fur are dozens of scars, swirling over her body in ornamental designs. in fact, her main painted designs tend to mirror that of her scars to further display them on her darker pelt, and if one were to part the downy strands they would find the pale, textured flesh beneath. these stem from her peoples' belief of bloodletting to appease their gods, and she would spend many hours washing herself clean of sin and affluence by both having herself and those superior to her split her flesh.
MODIFIED • due to extensive damage, many of djanira's teeth have been replaced with gold implants mimicking fangs, the incisors of which have serrated edges in order to give heightened ease in ripping and tearing flesh. she has also had her left ring finger forcibly removed and replaced with a mechanical digit, which is modeled similarly to this outside of making up the entire finger.

Y O R U B A in brief, it holds that all human beings possess what is known as "ayanmo" (destiny, fate) and are expected to eventually become one in spirit with olodumare (olorun, the divine creator and source of all energy). furthermore, the thoughts and actions of each person in ayé (the physical realm/life) interact with all other living things, including the earth itself. iwapẹlẹ (or well-balanced) meditative recitation and sincere veneration is sufficient to strengthen the spiritual self of most people. well-balanced people, it is believed, are able to make positive use of the simplest form of connection between their oris and the omnipotent olu-orun: an adura (petition or prayer) for divine support. there are some parallels to voodoo, and therefore magic, ritual and respect for the earth and its creations are paramount

M A Y A mayan texts describe religious rituals, astronomy, and divination, and are the most valuable source of information on the ancient civilization. many of them were destroyed by the spanish because of their pagan religious content, but three main codices have survived. the maya worshipped a pantheon of nature gods, each of which had both a benevolent side and a malevolent side. the most important deity was the supreme god itzamná, the creator god, the god of the fire and god of the hearth. human sacrifice seems to have been a central mayan religious practice. it was believed to encourage fertility, demonstrate piety, and propitiate the gods. the mayan gods were thought to be nourished by human blood, and ritual bloodletting was seen as the only means of making contact with them. the maya believed that if they neglected these rituals, cosmic disorder and chaos would result. at important ceremonies, the sacrificial victim was held down at the top of a pyramid or raised platform while a priest made an incision below the rib cage and ripped out the heart with his hands. the heart was then burned in order to nourish the gods. mayan aristocracy themselves, as mediators between the gods and their people, underwent ritual bloodletting and self-torture as well. the higher one's position, the more blood was expected.

DARK MAGICS | Djanira frequently engages in various forms of negative magic - from incantations, spellwork, creating hexes and curses to more ancient magics like ritualistic sacrifice, bloodletting, and absorption of life or light essence through consumption of flesh, blood, or prolonged, intense physical contact. This is not without detriment to herself; as time passes, she has begun to fracture off parts of her “soul”, and as a result her morality has begun to diminish.

BLOODLUST | More commonly referred to as hematolagnia, she is drawn to blood in both a physical craving - like a food craving - as well as a sexual craving or arousal. Having been subject to ritual bloodletting for a great deal of her life, she now associates the spilling and sight of blood with a high level of spiritual and emotional pleasure.

CANNIBALISM | Additionally, Djanira readily consumes the flesh of others regardless of species, though has a fondness for organs - specifically heart, eyes and brain. The heart is said to inspire courage, eyes to aid with wisdom and foresight, and brain overall clarity of mind and wakefulness.

SELF TORTURE/MASOCHISM | To endure almost inhuman levels of pain, she has been subjected to torture of various forms over the years, from submersion, breath control - said to awaken the mind and promote clearer thought and meditation - to flogging, cutting, and other forms of abuse. From this she derives a pious pleasure that borders on fanaticism.