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[OOC] Background Information (Revised 12/24/22)
TSURARA
If only I could go back to the days before I knew what life was like without duty and expectations.
stats
basics
Content Warning: Arranged Marriages/Betrothals, Harems, Sexual Situations, Coerced Sexual Participation (by authority figures not involved in the act), Dubious Consent, Sex as Food and Power Source (Succubus stuff), possible Detailed Discussion of Sexual Acts, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Self-Harm (of the magical variety and physical variety leading to amputation).
Youngest son of a noble ice demon from the Frost Kingdom that was chosen by the Succubus Queen as a concubine for her heir's harem. He was taken at fifty years old (7-ish eqiv) to be raised in her kingdom, but without an heir around to play concubine to, he got to be a warrior, soldier and part of the guard. When the prince returns, he loses a lot of his autonomy as his duty as Guardian Concubine (the one most devoted to the protection of the prince) takes priority.
Ice demons are protective and subservient within their social hierarchy, but Tsurara being raised in another kingdom for half his life is more aggressive in his need to protect to the point of being a bully of a mother hen. He became so suffocated and trapped by his role that he faked his own death, cut off his hand to severe his marriage bond, and fled to another kingdom to hide away and make a new life for himself.
Bisexual, but interested in men a lot more than he is in women. So far has only had male sexual partners (with his Prince being the first). Sucks at flirting and is very direct instead. Grumpy, pushy, a bit arrogant, but respects authority (kind of). Terrible at hiding his feelings (or so he lets people think). Has a strong urge to serve and protect, but it manifests as him being an aggressive mother hen who will force self-care down your throat if you won't do it yourself. Physically runs very hot. Can control temperature AND water/ice, although people who know little about the Frost Kingdom assume it's only the latter.
setting
Society/Culture
There is Earth and then there is the Other Realm (as humans call it). On Earth everything is pretty normal and similar to what we would think the human world to be. The Other Realm is a completely different world connected to Earth by portals called Spirit Gates. The Other Realm is just as vast as the Earth itself and contains various regions, kingdoms, cultures and traditions. The kingdoms are inhabited by supernatural beings such as demons, vampires, lycans, and fae. Time on Earth and time in the Other Realm do not correlate. Tens, dozens, or even hundreds of years can pass in the Other Realm in comparison to Earth, and the proximity of certain regions to specific Spirit Gates also influences this. One Gate may relate to time passing the same, but a different one could mean you return to Earth decades in the past...or future. Time is a messed up construct of confusion when passing between the two Worlds, but if you always pass through the same Gate you can measure how time passes in relation to them.
The Frost Kingdom exists in the coldest region of the Other Realm and the Ice demons (actual name: People of the Frost Flower or Sokajin) that rule over it live within a very strict social hierarchy. There is the Noble Class, The Guardian Class, the Merchant Class, and the Servant Class. The Noble class are the Elites that rule the kingdom. The Ruler of the Frost Kingdom (King) is elected by the heads of the Noble Houses and will remain ruler for their entire life (unless they are deposed by two-thirds of the Noble Houses) or they choose to abdicate. Few rulers have died while on the throne (dying in battle being the primary cause when it does happen), as it is an unspoken measure of balance of power within the kingdom that a ruler choose to abdicate after 500 years on the throne. There has never been a ruler elected who was not of the Noble class. The Guardian class is what becomes of Nobles who are not destined to become the heads of their houses, awarded a Secondary Branch of the House, or married off into another Noble House for sake of breeding. They are trained as warriors, soldiers, guards, with their duty being to serve and protect the kingdom and the Nobles first and foremost.
The Noble Houses have a Primary Branch, and then Secondary Branches. The Primary Branch is the main bloodline that is said to be descended of the Ancestral Sire, the one who began it all, and their First, the highest ranking spouse. The Secondary Branches are the family bloodlines from the Second, Third, Fourth, etc, who were given enough prominence to maintain some power within the House, and the heads of these Secondary Branches are called Lords. While it is not always expected that the Firstborn of the Primary Branch become the Leader (depending on the House), the heir can only be of the First Spouse. In some Houses, the First Spouse means the first spouse the Sire/House Leader married, in others the station of First is afford by the Leader themselves specifically to their favorite Spouse. A Secondary Branch cannot be created solely by the Clan Leader. They must petition the King, or the King himself will grant the Branch, and must state three reasons in which the new Lord is worthy of this elevation in rank.
The Merchant class is a special hybrid class that is slowly growing within the kingdom as trade and commerce expands with more treaties and trade agreements are made with other kingdoms. This class was initiated by outsiders of the Frost Kingdom who had money due to their businesses and other wealth that allowed them to gain more influence in the kingdom, but ice demons have also gained power in this class. Members of the Merchant class are not seen as Nobles but they are seen as above the Servant Class and can be even above members of the Guardian class depending on their level of influence.
The servant class is everyone else. Peasants, smithworkers, farmers (they do have animal farms, especially for textile farming of wools, leathers, and other fabrics, although not as much agricultural farming), etc. Members of the Servant class can enlist in the military, but they rarely ever gain any serious power or authority as the Guardian class controls it. They are raised to believe it is their duty to work and serve the King and the Noble Class because only the Noble Class has the training, education, and Pure enough blood to rule over the Frost Kingdom and ensure that the people prosper. Ice demons are very proud people, but also raised from birth to Know Their Place. If it wasn’t for the Noble Class, the Frostlands would be a subzero wasteland riddled with wars brought on by the regions around them, as it had been for generations before the kingdom’s founding. Or so they tell them.
Nobles are also Pureborn, in that they have selectively bred themselves to enhance specific abilities and qualities. Such as the ability to control temperature and liquids. Most people in the merchant and servant classes don’t have this ability, but the Noble Houses are bred to ensure the these powers unique to Ice Demons remain in their control. Becuase of the pureblood nature, Nobles also have gained slower aging and longer lifespans and can live for a thousand years or more before the aging process catches up with them and they start a rather quick decline (in comparison). They can choose to age in a more typical fashion, too, but it takes hundreds of years of training and effort to control their natural aging process in a conscious way.
In regards to childrearing, the Frost Kingdom often views children as Commodities. The heir of the House is given priority and treated well for they will be raised to rule, and typically all the children of the First Spouse are given that as well for they will hold rank and possible authority among the Noble Class or the military. All children beyond that are seen as assets to be used in the service of House and Kingdom. The Childbearer is given the Birth Night (one full day after the birth of their child(ren)) to spend with them, using the parent-child bond to ensure they will thrive. Then the child is taken away from the Childbearer and put under the full authority of the Sire. Typically, among the Noble Houses, this means that the children will grow up in a communal House for all of the Sire's offspring where they are raised by specialized nannies, tutors, and trainers. Only the heir is given special treatment and raised in the Main House. If the Sire is generous, the Childbearer will be given limited access to their children and get to spend some time with them throughout their growing years. Some even say that regular involvement with their Childbearer makes for stronger, more successful children, but it's considered a "fringe theory."
This does not even get into the issues that come with illegitimate children among the classes. The Frost Kingdom does not ALLOW for such a thing. To have a child with someone outside the bounds of your marriage bed creates shame and disgrace to both parties, for that child is not of any House. If the other parent is from a lower Class such as the Merchant Class, the merchant has to pay a dowry for right to keep the child (called a "fine" for their indiscretion, but they know what it really is). If the other parent is from the Servant Class? That child is essentially a lowly peasant anyway and will be given to the Servant family and never spoken of again (and the Servant may even be banished from the Kingdom depending on how high the offense goes), their bloodline stripped of them and their Noble parent forced to take a vow of silence in regards to them. This is how the Noble Class shames its own members for marriage is a binding thing to the Noble Class. Magical bonds are involved and weakening those bonds by stepping outside your marriage just Is Not Done.
The only way to salvage your honor is to forfeit the child to either the Temple or another Noble House as a "gift." It is considered a worthwhile and even praiseworthy act to have a child specifically to devote to the Temple of Soul Lights, and thus the Clan maintains its honor and the child is given away to a unit separate from the class structure (religion is treated as a special status separate from the social hierarchy, same as the military). Gifting a child to another House is less honorable than giving one to the Temple, but affords a veneer of respectability as you are providing a strong member to another clan out of "generosity" while the other class is showing courtesy by taking your mess off your hands without calling you out on it.
Physical Appearance/Gender/Sexuality
People of the Frost Kingdom tend to have a typical look to them that deviates based on the dominant bloodlines of the House/Clan. Tan to Very Dark skintones is standard among all of them (lighter skintones are uncommon but not unusual among the Servant Class as foreigner blood has mixed there in ways it has not in in the Noble Class). The Snowflower House typically has white/pale grey hair they keep cut very short, the Avalanche House is known for their pale eyes (where brown/black/red-colored eyes are the most common for Frost Demons), the Talon House has prominent fangs and affinity to the wild beasts of the kingdom (there are legends they have were-blood in them), the Polar House is known for very large, broad, stocky builds, etc.
All "pureblood" Frost Demons (meaning no recent ancestry from non-Frost Demons) are inter-sex in that they have the reproductive systems to provide sperm or egg for an offspring. Yes it means both parents could be capable of carrying their children (forgoing other potential medical issues), but due to the strict social hierarchy of the Frost Kingdom, this is not acceptable. The spouse of lower station/rank is the expected Childbearer and the higher status spouse the expected Sire.
Gender and sex are fluid. Children are not born as "male" or "female" and are raised with neutral terms until they start expressing their own identity as they age (usually by the time they're 25), with many having a chosen presentation by the time they reach Adulthood, and 1/3 of Frost Demons remaining neutral (or "centered" as some clans would call it, aka nonbinary). Frost Demons tend to think of people's gender as "presenting" because most believe that your gender can change throughout your life, and it is rude or impolite not to accept someone by whatever they are presenting themselves as at that time in their lives (although there are some unspoken pressures about this, as explained below).
In terms of sexuality, bisexuality is the "norm," but some tend to lean one way or another (for example, Tsurara's father Hokkyokukaze only wanted masculine-presenting mates, and Tsurara is bisexual, but leans heavily toward masc-presenting mates himself to the point of not having any interest in any femme-presenting people he's met to this point.) Considering that most unions among the Nobility are arranged, love and sexuality has little bearing on who your spouse is, and it is considered "generous" if you are given an arranged spouse who fits your personal interests in some way. And thus, you should have even less reason to feel resentment if your clan went out of its way to find you a femme-presenting spouse because you are attracted to femmes. The issue this creates is pressure among the Noble Class for some to remain the "gender" they presented as when they were first wed so as to maintain the expected gender that their spouse married. Of course, they won't state this is a thing, but it's definitely A Thing. This is not really an issue among any of the other classes in the way it is with the Noble Class.
But there are even people who believe genderfluidity should only be acceptable for those under the age of majority (a sign of youth, indulgence, and exploration into your self-identity, they say) and once you've become an "adult" you should make a choice and remain with it, no deviation. Even in a society where gender is more open and flexible, there are still people who have conservative views about it. This also goes along with their beliefs about progeny, as the higher status spouse is viewed as lesser and weakening their House if they were to choose to bear a child within their marriage versus the expectation that the lower status spouse do so. The one who provides the semen is called the Sire and the one who carries the child is called the Childbearer (or Bear if you are being informal which is only acceptable when speaking in private to your own parents/family). They also use the terms Mother and Father, primarily as a means of explaining their family dynamics to Foreigners.
Succubus Kingdom
One look at the decadence and indulgence of the Succubus Kingdom and one might believe it is completely different from the Frost Kingdom in every way. Sensuality is expected and encouraged by everyone with many partners, no matter whether within the bonds of marriage or not. Magic is thick in the air from the sharing of it. Public sexual exhibitions are not unusual, but there are state funded and maintained "Tryst Houses" all over the kingdom where people may come to engage in pleasure and even borrow "tools" as they want them.
Contraceptives are plentiful and sex education well funded so that everyone knows how to avoid potential unexpected pregnancies. The people are happy, well-served, and the opinion of the nobly class and royalty who rule over the kingdom is very high because of it. But pay close attention and you'll realize the truth of this indulgence and progressive encourage of protections and education. For all that sexual energy is a necessity of their people, they do not want the lower classes to procreate unchecked. So they teach them all the ways in which to prevent pregnancy through education and highly effective contraceptives. It's population control.
This is very different for the nobles and royals. They are expected to procreate as much as possible to maintain the stronger Succubus and Incubus bloodlines in the kingdom. Bloodlines that are so strong that no matter who the Succubus marries their genes will always dominate and they will not let that change. The fact the Queen only had one child, one heir, is considered Highly Unusual, and she knew it caused tension among her Courts that she never took another Succubus as her consort. So to avoid further issues, she ensured her son would have many consorts and thus should have a lot of opportunities for heirs. Consorts are seen as both nobility and property in the Succubus Kingdom, they are afford comfort, and rank, and some measure of authority over those in the lower classes, but they also have very strict duties and rules that govern their actions. They must perform for their spouse, must service others if so ordered by them, give birth to several children, and perform in rituals as demanded by the magical needs of the kingdom. The rearing of their children is left to them for several years. Then typically once the child is more self-sufficient, the Sire will take over their upbringing with very little input from the consort.
From the outside, it is a kingdom of freedom and indulgence, but for those trapped within the noble and royal class's social hierarchy it can be anything but.
history
YOUTH AND SELF-DISCOVERY
Tsurara was born with the name Shimonohanabira, the youngest child of the Leader of the Snowflower House. He has 5 sisters, 4 brothers, and 3 jiyukyodai (gender neutral term for siblings which means "unfettered" or "open."). Tsurara has two fathers. One father, his Sire, is Hokkyokukaze, the very strict head of the Snowflower Clan, and then his Childbearer, Korinomizumi, formerly third son of the Avalanche Clan and second spouse to Hokkyokukaze. Hokkyokukaze is very stern clan leader, who puts his own clan's advancement above all (or so one might think). Korinomizumi was raised for a life of being a guardian in another clan. The fact he became second to the Snowflower Clan was unexpected, but Hokkyokukaze fell for him. Falling for love is not very typical in the clans as arranged marriages are the norm and even expected to further alliances and build stronger bloodlines.
The machinations of how Hokkyokukaze gained Korinomizumi as his spouse was seeking support from allies that the Frost Kingdom greatly wanted. By procuring the treaty and alliance with the Succubus Kingdom, Hokkyokukaze gained a reward from the King. That reward was Korinomizumi. And how did he manage to entice the Succubus Queen to build a treaty with a land so far away? By offering one of his children to the Queen's heir's harem when the time came.
Tsurara is a nickname Korinomizumi gave him, as he was a very sharp and direct child. Tsurara is the name of sword of legend used back in the ancient wars that united the Frost Kingdom. He never called him this around others, it was a special nickname just between them (it's considered "childish" to use nicknames in the Snowflower Clan, but Korinomizumi has a nickname for each of his children), but it always felt more right to him. He was raised knowing that he would be a member of the Guardian Class, trained as a soldier and then gifted to one of the other Noble Houses as a Guard or sent to the military as a low-ranking officer. He wasn’t nearly high enough in the status-chain to have any real power except for the fact that he wasn’t a Servant. He accepted this as his fate because accepting your place and serving your role is how their society functions. If you do not do your part, then the kingdom is weakened by your lack of devotion. Even a young child understood this.
But he was not selected for a Noble House. He was instead seen by the Queen Succubus during her final visit to the Frost Kingdom when he was a small child and she decided he would make a fine concubine for her own heir, the Crown Prince. Of course, her heir is currently living his fine life on Earth away from the Courts' machinisations, but the Queen always got what she wanted and Tsurara’s father was in no position to refuse her. He had assumed she would choose one of his older children, but Tsurara's massive energy reservoir let the Queen know he would be a strong concubine for her son to feed from. So a few years later when Tsurara was fifty, he was sent off to the Succubus Kingdom to become the Heir’s first official Concubine.
It was terrifying to be Chosen in this way, with little understanding of what was to come, but thankfully he was not alone. Not at first. He was granted a guardian of his own, Nadare of the Black Glacier Clan, who would watch over him for his first fifty years at the Succubus Court and continue his training in the ways of the Frost Flower. When that fifty years ended, Nadare was called back to the Frost Kingdom and it was time for Tsurara to stand on his own.
He has spent over 250 years in the court of the Succubus Queen which is more diverse and focused on individuality than he had ever experienced before. It was like a new world. He was given choices and told to make his own decisions and as the Heir wasn’t even around, he had no other responsibilities or obligations than what he wanted to do with himself. He chose to stay a warrior as he didn’t know what else he could do, but flourished under the less strict environment. He could travel, he could make friends, he could get to know the common people of the kingdom. Even with his title of Guardian Concubine, he had no one to “guard” and thus could focus on protecting the kingdom itself. He was loyal to the Frost Kingdom, but the Succubus Kingdom had become his home and he cared about the people there. He was even a border guard for two hundred years after he completed his training.
MATRIMONY IS CHAINS YOU (DON'T) CHOOSE
Then Shinzo, the Crown Prince, the Queen’s Heir, returned. And Tsurara lost all of the freedoms he had gained. He was pushed back into his role as Guardian Concubine. His duty was to protect the Prince and serve him in every way he demanded, including as a sexual partner. As the Prince had no one else to designate as the First Ranking Concubine (meaning the favorite with the most power), it defaulted to Tsurara to manage the harem’s basic rules, routines, and duties, as well, because he was the first one chosen by the Queen herself.
The Prince turned out to be a more relaxed person, obviously not trained in the ways of the Courts, and didn’t demand much of Tsurara personally, but the courtly expectations were now in play due to him being present and active. It meant that Tsurara had to remember all the rules he had been happy to forget and deny himself the freedom of movement and choice he’d had before. It helped that Shinzo wasn’t your typical Heir, neither demanding nor cruel nor unsympathetic to those around him, but it still meant that Tsurara couldn’t have the life he’d enjoyed for the last 250+ years. It made him resentful even as he came to care about the Prince, but he knew it was his duty and that was what mattered most.
Such as the fact that his duties as Guardian Concubine meant that not only was he required to be available to the Prince whenever he wanted or needed sex (as would be necessary as his Succubus blood gained more prominence and his powers grew through living in the demon realms), but he was also expected to be present when the Prince inducted other new members into his harem. It was his duty to continue guarding over him during their First Nights and even participating if necessary to ensure that no harm came to his husband. And for all that this was not what Tsurara wanted in his life, he took these duties seriously. The fact he felt some fondness for the prince only made him more determined to ensure no one took advantage of his open and welcoming nature. He was lucky enough that they were afforded a couple weeks to get to know one another before taking that next step.
His first time was during the Rites of Ascendency, in which the prince was formally accepted as the Heir Apparent. As both the First Consort of the harem and the Guardian Concubine, it was Tsurara's duty to remain Untouched until this moment. A virgin offering to his succubus spouse who would be the first to feed on his deep well of energy. He would service the Prince during the Rites and then be anointed by him within their bonds of matrimony (magical binding), created a bond to link them which became a visible tattoo around his right wrist. All in front of a select audience chosen by the Queen (with input from her son only because she cared about his opinion). The Rites awakened the suppressed Succubus side of the Prince and they spent the next week locked in the Prince's chambers as he continued to service him while his powers settled. It was the shortest and longest week of Tsurara's life. If it was not for his naturally massive reservoir of energy, he probably would not have faired as well as he had.
Things settled a great deal after that, as the Prince gained more control over his power and the lures natural to the Succubus blood within him. But then, within three months, Shinzo began to travel, whether across the realms or back to Earth and more concubines were selected (not always by his hand, as his mother was still Queen and made her preferences Known). It felt like a slight to him, that his Prince could not even last a year without needing to add more spouses to his harem. It was fully his right, but not something "done" in the Frost Kingdom. Usually one would wait at least ten years with their first spouse before seeking a second (and longer for a third). He reminded himself that Shinzo was half-human and thus time was felt differently for him and the Succubus Queen's meddling could not be blamed on him. It still hurt, there was some resentment, but he understood it was not his place to say anything and told himself to get over it.
Tsurara continued to adhere to his duties and obligations, guarding the Prince and participating in the inducting of his newer spouses into the harem. He was grateful that the Prince at least allowed him to abstain from physical involvement in the First Nights unless needed and just stand guard over them instead. He didn't think about whether or not this is what he wanted, because he knew what he wanted, the life he had even briefly thought he could have, didn't matter. All that mattered was his duty to his Prince.
He tried very, very hard not to be bitter about it. He knows he failed more often than not.
Until the point came that he couldn't even try anymore. There came a time when he and Shinzo had been married for a little over two years and the harem had grown to seven concubines. Seven such a short amount of time. This was a boon for the Succubus Kingdom, the alliances being formed and the gifts/talents/special skills that the concubines had all proving helpful to the kingdom. The other concubines were all given leave by Shinzo to pursue their interests and find happiness as members of the harem. He told them he didn't want any of them to feel trapped or underappreciated.
Except Tsurara.
Perhaps had Tsurara ever spoke of his wants and interests to Shinzo he would have found a way. He would have done what he could to make Tsurara happy, too. He'd already given Tsurara permission to abstain from sexual acts within the harem or anyone else who wasn't his husband. Shinzo was compassionate and cared about them being happy. He should have spoken up. But he didn't. Speaking so openly about your personal desires and wants was frowned upon in the Frost Kingdom and as the Guardian Concubine, he had been reminded time and again since the Prince's return that he had to conform to his role.
And besides that, while the Queen heavily influenced two of the other concubines Shinzo chose, they were given the offer to refuse, no strings attached. Tsurara was the only spouse who had no choice whatsoever. Seeing how Shinzo took such care with the others, he couldn't help but resent him. How could Shinzo not see how he had not chosen to be here?
FERVOR AND DESPERATION ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Then came the Night of Fervor. The Festival of Delights happened every ten years, when the succubus kingdom became a party orgy for a week to replenish the magical energies of the very land it was settled on. Pleasure was the focus, and offering your pleasure to others in order to offer magical sustenance to the kingdom.
The Queen and the Price were both expected to be present for a ritual that was essentially a massive orgy in which favored elites were given access to service them and provide energy to them. And both of their harems were expected to participate, servicing them and others during the ritual. Tsurara did not want this. He wanted ANYTHING but this. It was something he had been dreading for months. He had been allowed to abstain from all of the previous Nights because he was to remain Untouched for his future Prince, and now he could not longer avoid it.
Shinzo recognized that something was wrong, but as Tsurara rebuffed his tentative attempts to find out, he didn't press further. And then came time for the ritual. The Price's power was at its peak, and that meant the power of the Succubus lure was in full effect. It meant that for all that Tsurara dreaded it, didn't want to participate, he lost completely control. At the time it all felt amazing and wonderful and exactly what he wanted, no matter what it was and no matter who it was. He did many things he never would have agreed to do that night. Come morning when the power faded and the energy settled as the ritual ended, all Tsurara felt was immense shame.
No one else seemed to have the same level of humiliation and distress that he did at what they had done and had been done to them. He didn't know what to do. He was trapped. It felt as if he was suffocating. He needed to get out. But how? He and Shinzo were magically bonded together in matrimony. Shinzo was linked to his energy. To sever the bond would cause irreparable damage to...
Oh. To him. Just him. Not Shinzo. He would be the only one to bear the consequences of such an act. The magic had ensured that so should any of his concubines die, the Price would not be harmed by the loss of their bond.
So maybe Tsurara just needed to die.
And the stone dragon attacks on the southern borders of the Succubus Kingdom might just be the exact opportunity he needed. All it would take would be finding a less that scrupulous merchant willing to procure an anonymous client the right materials in a timely fashion, and manipulating Shinzo's desire to "give them what they want" by asking to be allowed to go out and assist the border guards due to his years of experience defending that border...and he would be free.
And all that it involved was cutting off his right hand with an enchanted knife made of blood-ice.
It worked perhaps a bit too easily and quickly, but the consequences of severing the bond was agonizing pain of the rebound effect. He could no longer cast stronger spells without becoming physically ill. Dizziness, nausea, fevers and chills that would last for hours and an inability to regulate his body in colder temperatures for extended periods of time. He became an ice demon who could not use his full power without being harmed by the very frost and subzero temperatures he was born into.
But at least he was free. He left the kingdom and traveled east through the Broken Earth region until he reached the warmer climates. He kept traveling for three years before settling into a more remote village in a mountainous forest region. Grew his hair out, made a life for himself as a local hunter. These people had never even heard of the Frost Kingdom beyond vague whispers and had never met an ice demon themselves. No one knows his true name. They only know him as Tsurara, the one-handed hunter who never caught a cold and would spend days in the mountains hunting game in the winter for the village.
And it's the happiest he has been. Yes, he still feels some guilt over what he did, abandoning his duty, and causing his family to mourn him. But he would never regret his freedom.
Until ten years later, when an unexpected group of travelers arrived in the small village, looking for a rare enchanted stone of legend, hoping for a guide to lead them up the more dangerous and deadly regions of the mountain. Travelers who happened to be led by the Crown Prince of the Succubus Kingdom.
personality
Tsurara comes across as a bit intense. He can be grumpy and easily annoyed, but also he’s very dutiful and puts his responsibilities first, always. Even when he hates it. And he hates it often presently. He may have spent 250 years in the Succubus court, but he was still raised an Ice demon first and the need to serve and know his place is strong in him. But due to the freedom and lax rules in the Court while the Queen and Heir were absent, Tsurara gained a new perspective in how he could serve and what that means. He knows that you can honor your House and serve your people in different ways. He still chose to be a warrior because fighting is in his blood, but there is also a freedom in being allowed to make that choice, to knowing he could have picked something else. He could have been a musician, or a scholar, or anything else he wanted.
He still has a deeply ingrained need to look after others, to make sure they are taking care of themselves, but he can be kind of intense about it. He will bypass other people’s own free will if he believes it is for their own good. Because that’s his job, his purpose. If he thinks you haven’t been eating properly, he’ll take over your meals and menu choices. If he thinks you aren’t resting enough, he’ll perform your duties for you and lock you in a room while you rest. If you still won’t rest, he might just slip you a little sleep potion. If you are injured and not taking care of the wound the way he thinks you should, he’ll force you to let him look after it himself. There is a bit of hypocrisy to the way he pushes past other people’s own wants and free will to do what he thinks they need, but it is all with best interests in mind, so he sees it as justifiable. The fact his own free will and boundaries have been trampled on his entire life means he sees these actions as normal and even admirable for him to be so proactive in the care of others. He doesn't understand what appropriate boundaries and limits are.
He can also be a bit confrontational, not afraid to give his opinion and have it taken seriously. He’s confident in what he knows and what he does and expects others to recognize his skills and knowledge. At the same time, he does defer to authority. There is still an ingrained subconscious belief that those above him are more well-informed and more experienced than he is, and he sometimes has to push through that doubt to make himself heard. The fact that being relegated to the Guardian Concubine gives him both less power in the general courts than he'd had before but more power to speak for the Prince and his people (the others of the Harem) is endlessly frustrating for him because it's more politicking than he's ever wanted to do.
People think because he can be direct, in your face, and doesn’t silence himself (most of the time), that Tsurara reveals everything about himself. But he doesn’t talk much about his life or family in the Frost Kingdom, pivoting conversations when it might come up. He does hide his doubts, his feelings of inferiority (he may be the guardian concubine and the First Consort, but he wasn’t chosen by the heir himself and it often feels as if the Prince accepts him because his mother chose him, unlike the other concubines of the harem who the Prince at least had some input on even if the Queen nominated them). He hides his resentment at how much his life has changed since the Prince returned. Because it’s not his place to be resentful, it’s not his place to have those kind of feelings. His duty is to the Heir and to the Succubus Kingdom.
The fact that he hates the Prince as much as he is fond of him is something he must live with alone, because he knows that those that scheme in the background are looking for any kind of friction, any crack in the armor, to tear him down and Tsurara will not hand that power over to them.
It's when Tsurara finally breaks and can't take it anymore that he realizes that selfless service has not helped him. Performing his role did not make life better for him. And everything he still believed and the philosophy of life that the Frost Kingdom instilled in him did not work in the Succubus Kingdom. The Succubus Kingdom was too different. And yet, even in the Succubus Kingdom he did not have the freedom that others had. His own husband who was kind, open, and invested in having willing spouses, did not question Tsurara's position. He assumed it wa what Tsurara wanted because Tsurara let him believe that and he resented him for not seeing through it. He didn't know how to express those feelings. Didn't know how to open himself that much to him, to anyone.
And thus he finally decided he would use what he had learned in the Succubus Kingdom, about freedom, self-actualization, and giving in to your own selfish desires. If this was the way it was for everyone else, he was going to make it for himself too, and that is why he faked his death and left. That way, the Frost Kingdom would not be shamed by a breaking of their vows. The only person to suffer any shame would be Tsurara himself, for being so weak that he died at the claws of stone dragons of all things. He took freedom for himself and never looked back and it changed his whole world.
abilities
SUB ZERO: The ability for Ice Demons to control temperature which is the ability to manipulate the molecules of matter and this speed them up or slow them down. They don’t usually speed them up, as that takes fine control to not overdo it, but slowly them down to the point objects freeze in place or turn to ice is a lot easier. Tsurara is well trained in this ability but doesn’t display it publically as it is considered the more secret ability of his people and he’s still private about it.
HYDROKINESIS: The ability to manipulate water in all its forms, whether a solid, liquid, or gas. The more water he’s controlling the more energy he’s using, but he has the power to create golems out of water or ice, making them move and fight. Could potentially learn to control blood and other water-based liquids in the body through his hydrokinesis, but it's seen as an unsavory skill among his people when used for any reasons besides healing.
DEMON PHYSIOLOGY: An an Ice Demon, Tsurara has enhanced speed, strength, and senses. His sense of smell is 10x stronger than that of a typical human. He also runs very hot as an Ice Demon. He is not effected by the cold, but does not enjoy the feel of temperatures over 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything over 100 degrees and he might start to feel a bit faint. He also heals a lot faster than humans and many other demons. Tsurara also has a naturally massive well of energy in himself. It means that he can use stronger, more damaging magic or be used as a boost for someone else. It's the reason he was selected by the Queen to be her son's Concubine as he could siphon a lot of energy from him during "feedings."
PERMAFROST ARMOR: The ability to create armor for himself out of ice, to the point of fully encasing himself. Using permafrost armor takes a lot of energy but the armor is unbreakable.
WARRIOR: Tsurara is a trained warrior who has been honing his skills with a sword for most of his life. He also has some skill with a staff, but not as much with an ax or bow and arrow.
REBOUND EFFECT: Due to severing his marriage bond, a deep magical link between himself and Shinzo, Tsurara suffers from Rebound Magic. He can still perform magic, but the stronger the magic he uses, the more he suffers physical illnesses. He will suffer dizziness, nausea, fevers, chills, nosebleeds, blurred vision, migraines, etc. The stronger the magic, the worse the physical after effect, to the point he could even find himself unconscious or put himself into a coma. The magic could even attack him in turn.