Oliver Cost - Voice of Material

Name: Oliver Cost Age: unknown (adult) Gender: Male Height: 11 feet Species: Kivouacian

Occupation: Voice of Material - Oliver judged worth and value like innocence and guilt, deeming objects either great or foul. As Voice of Material, Oliver saw things as components, and nothing escaped his appraisal. He was very much the same with individuals, measuring each by tiny and obsessive details.

Personality: A somewhat reserved and quiet mannered fellow, Oliver has a keen eye for detail and a burning ambition to get further in life, so long as things go according to plan. Heavily detail oriented, meticulous, precise and careful with a sharp sense of humour. Tends to hold grudges. Can be crudely blunt, but only with the closest of friends or those he trusts immeasurably.

Appearance: Oliver Cost was a spindly fellow of twelve feet with silver owl eyes nestled into the palest face of all time. He had the likeness of a haunted puppet, the sort to whisper foul things from beneath the beds of children. Oliver’s hair was madly curled and as black as his lips. His fingers were bony, his tail thin and smooth like a whip, and the markings around his eyes looked to be silver makeup washed to his cheeks by tears. He wore a jacket of black and white with grey trousers, and around his neck was a flutterlace with silvery frills. Overall: Olive Cost is a tall, extremely thin humanoid creature with bone white skin and incredibly large, silver, almost moonish eyes and markings on his face that are almost masquerade like.

His proportions are somewhat unnatural: the torso is narrow, the arms and legs are exceptionally long, and the hands and feet are oversized with long, pointed claws. The overall silhouette gives it an eerie, slightly mischievous and theatrical presence rather than a realistic human appearance. A very Scarecrow like silhouette.

Head and face:

• He has large, round, dark-rimmed eyes that give the character a wide-eyed, unsettling expression.
• Oliver's face appears pale, almost bone-white, with dark decorative markings around the eyes and mouth.
• Oliver's mouth has a highly stylized, skeletal appearing, complete with a black jagged grin with four fangs sticking out. The middle two stick upward and the outer two point downward.
• Oliver's nose is flat and slitted and his lips are small and stained black.
• Oliver's facial markings have swirling, ornamental shapes, giving the face an almost masquerade-mask or Día de los Muertos-inspired quality.
• Oliver has a very long, narrow neck connecting the head to the torso.
• His face was marionette like.

Hair: The hair is one of the most prominent features:

• It is black, and extremely voluminous.
• It sticks outward and upward around the head in a wild, windswept shape.
• Several strands curl into loose spiral shapes.
• The exaggerated hair makes the head appear even more dramatic and gives the character a slightly manic, gothic appearance.

Clothing: The character is dressed in a formal, Victorian/gothic-inspired outfit. Very aristocratic. The upper body consists of:

• A fitted black-and-white vertically striped jacket or suit.
• Long, narrow sleeves that emphasize the unusually elongated arms.
• A high, pale collar.
• A white cravat or ruffled neckpiece hanging down the chest.
• Dark trousers that blend into the overall monochromatic design.

Arms and hands: The arms are exceptionally long and slender.

• The hands are pale and elongated.
• The fingers are extremely long and thin.
• Each hand ends in long, curved black claws, making the character clearly creature-like rather than human.

Legs and feet: The legs are arguably the most exaggerated feature.

• They are extremely long and skeletal, with very thin lower legs.
• The trousers follow the elongated anatomy.
• The feet are large and almost bird- or demon-like.
• Each foot has three toes and long, black, pointed claws extending from each.

Tail: A long, thin, pale and dextrous. It sweeps behind Oliver as he walks or remains carefully tucked low. Its length is slightly longer than his already lengthy legs.

Residence: Has a fairly large estate and most of his furniture and belongings would be Victorian esque.

Oliver Cost's Relationships: Helgan - She is Whisper to Oliver Cost. His second in command. Helgan is a large pink and blue kiv with the upper body of a well endowed woman and a furred and fluffy snake tail like lower half instead of legs. She is a pink bodied gorgon with large, fluffy ears and expressive, blue eyes with a penchant for smoking with her gritpipe.

Rodger Penny - occasional business partner and longstanding heated rival. Rodger Penny is the Voice of Tax. Rodger Penny resembles a great bipedal bear, sporting a pair of golden, jagged horns, a snout full of sharp and jagged teeth, the left side of his face has several old claws mark scars and his left eye is blind. Rodger walks with a cane and he has a sharp and assessing personality, but he is only able to see the big picture in his plans. Rodger is conniving and manipulative and Oliver greatly dislikes the older kiv male for it.

Ludwig - Oliver has a neutral relationship with the young Fowler and inker Ludwig.

Lucy Lacemaker - Oliver has a neutral relationship with the young Fowler and inker Lucy Lacemaker.

Wexle - Whisper to Winifred and in charge of the Yolshen armies, those in charge of enforcing the laws of the Kivouac. Wexle is a grey and black kiv sporting horns on her head and four tentacle like appendages sprouting from her back. Oliver Cost holds a neutral relationship with Wexle.

Dalton - Dalton is pitch black with the body of like a Pitbull crossed with a goat. Four horns grow from his head and his eyes are blood red and he has a long, slender and furred prehensile tail. Dalton is quadrupedal and the captain of the Yolshen guard. Oliver Cost holds a neutral relationship with Dalton.

Yeshua - Oliver is professionally acquainted with Yeshua who is the Voice of the Kivouac Kasino and the founded of the Dollhouse trade. Yeshua is an ambitious and intelligent Kiv who will always push to get what he wants. Yeshua is a red furred, bipedal catlike kiv with nine cat like tails and four, fluffy ears. Yeshua's circus held many a performer and he helped Fontaine (secretly) with a lot of snuggling operations. Yeshua takes care of the Dolls under his employment. (Dolls or Dollies are the Kivouachian equivalent to performers, entertainers and even sex workers.)

Sombra - Oliver Cost holds a professional, if somewhat distant, relationship with Sombra, the Voice of architecture of the Kivouac. Sombra is the eldest sibling to Locket and Winifred, the three of whom share leadership positions in their home world of the Kivouac.

Locket - Oliver Cost holds a professional, if somewhat distant, relationship with Lady Locket, the Grand Voice of the Kivouac (grand leader). Locket is the second eldest sibling to Sombra and Winifred, the three of whom share leadership positions in their home world of the Kivouac.

Winifred - Oliver Cost holds a professional, if somewhat distant, relationship with Winifred, the Grand Whisper, second in command to Locket and the creator of of the Yolsh (the law) of the Kivouac. The golden queen. Winifred is the youngest sibling to Locket and Sombra, the three of whom share leadership positions in their home world of the Kivouac. The most violent of the ruling siblings. Her former Whisper, Wexel, took on the mantle of voice of the Yolsh and answers only to Winifred.

Kivouachian Abilities: Immortality: All Kivouachian's are immortal due to their cellular structure and the ability to control the length of their own telomeres, because of this they cannot die naturally of age. The only way a Kivouachian can die is if their DNA is damaged and left un-mended. Usually the damage directly to the brain or burning them with fire causes true death.

Physiology: All Kivouachians have cross or star shaped pupils. All Kivouachians have three belly buttons. All Kivouachians have three hearts inside their body.

Bodily excretions: Kivouachian's bodies can only produce sweat, tears, drool, blood and/or vilt. Kiv never need to use the bathroom to relieve themselves.

Regeneration: Kivouachian's are capable of regenerating skin, limbs, tissue, and other body parts. Even dismemberment is of little threat to them. Only if the parts missing have been eaten, burned or dissolved do they not heal fully.

Transformation: Kivouachian's have the ability to rewrite their own DNA and density at the flick of the wrist, giving them the freedom to re-create parts of themselves whenever they'd like to whatever they'd like (ex; Wexle's arms turning into blades when she fights, Lucy Lacemaker turning herself into a swarm of flies, etc). However full control over this is hard and only Yolsh go through training to master this ability fully. Most commonly kiv may run the risk of getting stuck in a changed form if their DNA or genetics are too weak to support such drastic changes.

Contortion/Rottulation: Sometimes Kivouachian's were dismembered at the head for whatever reason it may be; sometimes for pleasure and sometimes for play. But all have the ability to stay alive for extremely long periods of time without the head. Of course this becomes invalid once the head is eaten, burned, severely damaged or dissolved, but if not - they are simply unconscious. Those with weak genes will usually die after a couple thousand years without their heads on, and most will need aid when it comes to actually putting it back on. But there are the rare, lucky few (ex; Lucy Lacemaker) who's heads will naturally return to their bodies without help. This being an extension to being called Waking Dead, a being who is conscious even with their head detached. Rotulated bodies are often used as either decoration or as comfortable furniture in various facilities, more often used in Laugh houses and Dollhouses. After all, a nice and warm, soft body can make for a far more comfortable chair than plain wood and linen.

Dollfaced: When a Kivouachian is rendered unconscious (forcefully) or during Rotulation, when the head is severed from the body, the eyes will roll up and the long, Kivouachian tongue will spill from the mouth and hang limp. The dolls and Dollies (performers of Dollhouses), have practiced to mimic this expression at the discretion of their clientele. It is a sign of complete submission when done voluntarily.

Kivouacian genetics: All Kivouacians are functional hermaphrodites.

Reproduction: Gower: Universal reproductive organ—opening ("Mound") or pseudo-phallus ("Front-Tail"). Vilt-sacks ("balls") internal/external. The Gower is always covered in a small patch of fur that matches colour to its owner's fur.

Reproduction requires a Vessel (Rotulated body) infused with Vilt. S This is stopped by head reattachment.

Lore and Universe: The Kivouack is a realm of swirling fractal chaos that predates the Big Bang and our current universe. Its inhabitants, the Kivouachians (commonly shortened to "kivvas" or "kivs"), are highly intelligent, monstrous, yet bizarrely sophisticated creatures who built a grand civilization out of absolute objective truth, brutal survival, and complete competence.

Douser: Aquatic based Kivouachians. Their physiology is adapted for under water living. They have their own Inkhouse and libraries, however, their writing is all made by carving into stone tablets that won't wash away with the waters they live in. Few Dowsers ever wear clothing outside of some simple jewellery, but many are able to come up onto land and shift their gills over to lungs and experience the dryer parts of the Underbirth.

The Society: Based inside a city known as "The Underbirth," their government completely rejects morality, subjective virtues, and mercy. Instead, they function under total natural, industrial, and cultural selection. All violent crimes are legal, and the concept of family does not exist.

Outside of the city: This space is referred to as the madness frontier. Many wild, drifting flowers, plants and other things make this space their home. Sprawling rivers, lakes, impossible trees, vast mountains and even an entire ocean lay somewhere beyond the first edges of the madness frontier.

Trade: The economy of the Kivouach was based on fair trade, in items, trinkets, consumables and services. Empty currency had been abolished during the trade revolution.

Freyda: A great beast of ancient Kivic legend. Stark white with twenty horns of varying sizes adorning her head. Her horns and claws were used to rip and tear without discrimination, moving about the Kivic wilds and snapping up every creature she could in her hunger. All trembled with fear under the dread empress's reign. Though empress none of them called her. They called Freyda, Monster. The beast that was the forebearer to Locket, Sombra and Winifred.

A creature that the three siblings slew in the war of the ladies and brought about the rise of Lady Locket. And the Kivouach, the Underberth was built apon the body of the fallen titan and civilization was brought about. Few ever speak Freyda's name our loud. Even in modern days it was a name that inspired fear.

Sombra and his siblings work within the Paradigm court (as do all the over Voices who make up the members of court like Oliver Cost). A sprawling building of various architecture that dominates the Thumme. Inside this artificial mechanical and scientific wonder of a structure, lies the court house for the Paradigm court, the sprawling estate for the Grand Whisper (Locket), a separate estate building for Winifred, the Grand voice, and beyond that, a sector dedicated for science, study and architecture with high towers for Sombra, the Grand Architecht. And even further vast sectors for scribes, information storage and workspaces for staff and lower ranking Whispers laid. Along with accomodation for all the staff and some kitchens.

The Thumme is a central, mars sized, man made planetary body that floats/anchors within the centre of the Kivic Underbirth. Three artificially contrasted "rings" orbit the Thumme and each is a separate sector dedicated to the government bodies while also hosting space for gardens, trade etc. The city itself is a sprawling, spherical shell with it's own gravitational gravamassa to keep everyone from falling or floating off.

Connecting this vast city together are Mandosian corridors. Stitches in space time that can shave hundreds of miles off of travel. It's how one can get around the city without it taking literal months.

The Underbirth is perhaps the size of Jupiter, maybe more and built apon the world of the Kivouach. Beyond which sits the Glazze, a pale and almost colourless expanse of peaceful glades, trees, small rivers and such with flicks of moving flowers residing there.

Beyond the Glazze lies the Madness frontier. The home of the Kivic wilderness.

Song tower - to measure Kivic time: A Songtower was truly the crown of most city wards, tall structures boasting the finest displays of Kivic engineering. The townships of the Underbirth were vast, and due to the sheer size potential of these population centres, each was graced with a family of Songtowers, planted equidistantly across the landscape, above and below. These towers of time would come in many formations, styles and sizes, depending on their geography and Architects.

Some Songtowers were woven together with gilded materials, complex mechanisms hidden behind the flesh of white marbled stonework. Up the body were round windows, teasing an intricate interior, and across the form were carvings of the most exquisite kind. These chiselled hieroglyphs chronicled historical events, the passage of time pushing toward an untold future of blank smooth stone yet to be honed. A Songtower had seven faces, each one displaying the current time through mechanisms of shifting colour and shape.

The rhythmic ticks of a Songtower could be felt and heard by any within close proximity: the Kivic minute. The bells sounded every seventy ticks, their music elegant, each sequence unique to the time: the Kivic hour.

After forty bells came the chime, a longer, harmonious performance: the Kivic day. After one-hundred chimes came the next of the seven tones, a far grander sound: the Kivic month. And seven of these tones made the stanza: The Kivic year.

---

Additional Terms:

"Ooh la": a native term used to express excitement or great appreciation over something or even said in satisfaction.

"Wa la wa": a native colloquial term that roughly can be applied to a few meanings such as: "it is what it is", "what the hell", or even an expletive of no real meaning, sometimes said in outrage or in resignation.

Blackhall: the name for an anonymous private investigator. Sometimes freelancers or Ex Yolsh.

Inker script: a standardised means of writing. This is the first kind of script that Kivouachians learn to read and write. Equivalent to human block text. Mostly used for mass printing or used by inexperienced inkers and interns at Bookburrows who have just started out.

Personal hand: a Kivouachian's personal handwriting style. This is mostly used by professionals. Heads off state, heads of businesses, organisations, highly experienced inkers and their directors.

Erillion: a precious mineral mined from the very mountain ranges outside of the Underbirth. This metal mineral is used for all kinds of trade: jewellery, construction, mechanical mechanisms, instruments, chemical components, cutlery, machinery, steam engines, netting rigs, scaffolding, etc. basically anything that's needs to be made out of metal, it is made from Erillion.

Flower species (kiv flora): Roundheads, squareheads, lightthrashers, blackslashers, and wide-faced halosailors. Each of varying colour, shape, scent and taste.

Fruit (native to the kiv): Blood berries (red), Hash fruit (yellow), Bawler berries (blue). (And a variety of more common fruit)

Fruit (native to the kiv): Bloodfruit (red), Hash fruit (yellow), Bawler berries (blue). (And a variety of more common fruit)

Grit: smoking tobacco, usually made of Kivouachian square head flowers

Gritpipe: smoking pipe

Voice: Term used for the head or leader of a certain sector or organisation.

Whisper: Term used for the second in command, or the right hand to a Voice.

Yolsh: Kivouachian law enforcement and military. Soldiers are called Yolsh or Yolshen. The Yolsh never wear clothes, save our of necessity for pockets for carrying things during meetings in the paradigm court, and they were singles out by the golden strike markings apon their body. The more strikes, the higher the rank.

Inker: term used for the Kivouachian journalists.

Ink house: news house or paper press. Home to journalists/inkers and their managers/directors. Ink houses are also functioning paper mills and many even produce their own ink.

Starklook Inkhouse: Starklook Inkhouse is the most prominent Inkhouse in the entire Underbirth. They always get first pick with stories and news from the Thumme or trade. It's head Editor is Felix.

Chop shop: Kivouachian butchery. Functions like restaurants that mostly focus on meat based meals like roasts, broths etc. (Kivouachians are usually obligatory cannibals and most meat comes from Fowlers, immature Kivouachians. Although many kiv eat various other things.)

Laugh houses: Equivalent to a tavern or an inn where both drink, food, entertainment and even lodging can be found. Laugh houses can have their own dollies employed as more as music or singing entertainers and several trade business with chop shops for meat for meals. Laugh houses can also brew their own alcohol and often have signature drinks. The proprietor of a Laugh house was called a Minstrel, and waiters were called Jesters.

Kivouachian alcohol: The oldest form of alcohol is Grin, a thick and black liquid that's bitter and burns on the way down. Pucker is a sour based alcohol and usually clear or faintly coloured by what it was brewed with, and various other flavours of wines, ciders and whiskeys now exist. Several native flower species are used as cordial ingredients, such as round head flowers for sweetness, square head flowers for bitterness, and triangular head flowers for sours. Honey mead is of the rarer varieties and highly sought after.

Bathhouses: facilities with warmed water, soaps, private pools and incense for relaxation and cleaning.

Bookburrows: Function as central trading hubs and libraries. Materials of varying types and certain services can be bartered through bookburrows for other facilities like jewelers, perfumers, ink houses, laugh houses etc. Some Bookburrows produce paper and ink to supply to smaller ink houses or to be used for their own books and documents. A kiv needs to have their appearance and abilities registered with a Bookburrow in order to be eligible to apply for jobs at other facilities.

Dollhouses: facilities aimed at entertainment and pleasure. Dollies sing, dance, play instruments, put on plays or do numerous things as entertainment for clients. Including pleasure work. These facilities can also offer food and drink and even rooms when a client pays for and takes on the services of a Dollie (can be either male or female).

More standard facilities such as Jewellers, Tailors, Blacksmiths, wood carvers, Masons, and many others exist. Some such extra facilities are tobacconists and perfumers who harvest native Kivouachian flower species for smoking, for incense or for perfume infusions and soaps.