VANDERWELL FAMILY / D7

"What good is faith," they say,
"Simply song from the beak of a mockingjay?"
"What good is fear," they call,
"When one single soul dictates one and all?"

"What about love," they cry,
But their god is as loveless as a midnight sky.
"What about time," they wail,
But forever keeps wishing to no avail.
"But what about the truth," they call,
But between now and then there is no truth at all.

THE VANDERWELL FAMILY

[/center]

The Vanderwells are a family. But they are so much more than that. Some call them a church, a religion, a cult. Others call them just plain crazy. But they believe in what they do, they believe in how they act and what they say. They believe in their book of rules to such an extent that any member of the family who fails to abide by them seems to mysteriously disappear without trace. This of course is not a frequent occurrence - the Vanderwell children have had the rules of their religion forced into their minds from birth, and those are the kind of impressions that never truly leave you.

Not only do the family have rules, and beliefs, but they also have an image to uphold. The District knows them as something to fear, as though they hold the secrets to witchcraft or some other dark magic. So they are avoided - and that is how they like it. With unruly curls, a haunting look of knowing in their eyes and the constant companionship of ravens or other frightful beings the Vanderwells are content. Well, they believe they are.

So this set of unbreakable rules - these curses and whispers through crowded places - what are they? What is it, exactly, that the Church of Vanderwell believes in? That thou shalt not trust, for the human race are a danger to the blessed members of the holy group. That thou must not mourn for things or people gone from their lives. That thou shalt not express emotion, that thou shalt not take pleasure from anything but serving their God. That thou has the right to punish anybody who breaks any of the rules in the leather-bound book. That thou should feel no guilt, and that thou shall always put the church before themselves.

There are other rules, too. Rules concerning their odd living habits. Each of the children must be educated at home so their minds cannot be marred with lies in their innocence. That paper and pencil and other goods may never be used - only things from nature itself. That the forest is more of a home than any house will be. And that prayer will save nobody from their sins, although not praying is in itself a sin. And their God has no name, he his simply referred to as Him. So the family is referred to as far beyond the help of those living nearby. That is how it has always been.



Aelia Charis Vanderwell [18] reserved for Cass
Aelia is the eldest, although it is often said that she is the least stable of all the Vanderwell siblings. She walks around with eyes ablaze with nothing quite right at all. Once, she was a daydreamer, with a good mind in her head. But after eighteen years of living with her overbearing mother and that haunting book, she has become simply a shell of a person with no direction and love for nothing at all but him. She cares for her siblings and helps to lead them down what she believes is the right path. She often has trouble working out the difference between those things that are dead and those things that are alive, and has a troubling habit of trying to physically mould together both.

Caeleus Vanderwell [17] reserved for Cici.
Caeleus is the leader of the children, and he is their protector. While his mother is busy procreating promoting their church and working for Him Caeleus was left to drag bring up the children, along with absent-minded Aelia, who he believes has never really grown up at all. For this he has learned to resent Him although he would never speak the words. One day - one day, once all of the children are old enough to truly fend for themselves, he hopes to run away and escape the terrible book of confinements. But in truth he is afraid of the misfortune and suffering it would bring him. Besides, the poor boy could never abandon his poor, misguided family, could he?

Lucius Vanderwell [16] reserved for Python.
Lucius believes in every word of his law. He feels no emotion, and it is his greatest and most secret pleasure service to punish those unworthy of reaching the better place after death. And death comes much sooner to those who cross paths with Lucius. He speaks of his wishes to nobody, but he is hoping that one of his siblings will disobey the rules so that he can punish them, too. They believed that he did once care for his cat - although when it died he had it stuffed, and he now treats it in much the same way as he did when it was breathing. Not only is the young boy a murderer who believes in serving his master, he is also far wiser than any sixteen year old boy should ever have to be. He has seen things, he claims. Things he is not proud of, for he feels no emotion, but things he is... pleased with. Things that would surely sentence him to a terrible terrible death in the eyes of any law if he were to speak of them in the right company.

Nero Vanderwell [15] reserved for Briknope.
Nero and Tatiana are the most strange of the family, that is without question. They are twins who speak only in simple monotones, who answer questions only when asked. Who's eyes truly do not seem to see any further than the confines of each other's their own heads. They did not utter a word until well after their fifth birthday, and even now their reactions are delayed. Nero is a genius, a human calculator of sorts who can recite any moment from the depths of history. A boy with a photographic memory. Some people around him have suspected that him and his sister may show some of the traits of autistic children, but they have of course never been diagnosed. They are simply seen as very different.

Tatiana Vanderwell [15] reserved for Clover
Tatiana is even less responsive than her brother, and she lacks the ability to withhold every scrap of information she comes across. She speaks about herself in the third person, in that detached way of hers, and performs bizarre rituals in silence every morning and evening. The slightest noise can trigger her, and her complete fear of Her drives her to do the things her mind has come up with to keep her safe from him inside her nightmares. She prefers to be alone, although she does not mind the company of her brother, who she understands without words. The girl spends almost every moment of her time in the forest, braiding flowers into her unruly curls and saying prayers of thanks for the lives which she takes to complete her unsteady goals.

Valentina Vanderwell [13] reserved for Dars.
Valentina is the youngest child in the family, and she is does not understand what is truly is to be a Vanderwell in the way the others do. Her mother was a present figure in the other children's lives, before her devotion to the god overrode her maternal instincts just as Valentina began to speak. She feels she never really had a mother. She is the most wild and untrained of all the children, acting much like a bizarre animal with only the slightest of holds upon how she is to behave in the company of her family. It is for that reason she does her best to hold herself apart from them, but as she is just as feared as the rest she spends most of her time alone. Being a fiery and determined little thing, she wishes to one day escape, perhaps with her elder brother, Caeleus, although this too is a secret she would never share. Until that day she is teaching herself to fight. Not for the games as others might - but incase that day comes when she must face the wrath of her family in return for her freedom and thoughts.



Disclaimer: This plot was not intended to offend anyone of any religious beliefs. I am the first to admit that I know almost nothing about religion, however as I was making up my own completely I figured I was qualified enough. Anyway, this is not based on or meant to offend any real religions and is intended for entertainment and character purposes only. Thank you.

If you want a position in the plot, please apply with the format below. I will mainly chose based on writing style and how it fits what I imagine the character to be. This IS NOT a first come first served plot.

[b]Character wanted:[/b]
[b]Why you want them:[/b]
[b]Plot ideas:[/b]
[b]How you see them:[/b]
[b]Faceclaim:[/b]
[b]RP Sample:[/b]
[b]Notes:[/b]


Thanks.


Note: The name is not actually staying as 'Widower' and it will be changed as soon as I come up with something else.

[/size][/justify][/blockquote]