Verbo et opere

History: Abel grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of the town Aeleo, a town primarily famous for its crops and music within Sancia. Aeleo is located in the far west of Sancia, taking up a good portion of primary farm lands for the country. Abel was born to Alfred and Carmen Ramos, in a small three room home on one of many crop farms in the area.

Being the eldest meant that Abel was picked to take on his Father's work. Abel had no qualms with his chosen place, he was content with the idea of farming and taking care of everything that came with it. He liked farming, he enjoyed bartering, caring for animals and the harvest. He had dreams of being like his father; it all was Abel really dwelled on since he had been told from a young age it was his place. His more simplistic view of the world was shattered when his youngest sibling was born. His family quickly went from relatively well liked to gossip fodder. His parents were shamed for being 'sex starved' and their family name was left in the mud no matter what they did. This caused Abel to shift gears and focus on presenting as 'pious'. He knew he couldn't fully fix their reputation, but he would aid it best he could. It was all he could do to protect his family from the gossip and shaming they were given.

The Ramos family continued as they always did, working together as Abel worked on learning how to become the farmer he would be. Only for tragedy to strike the family. Their crops failed.

Two seasons of failed crops meant trouble for the Ramos family. His siblings were far too young to leave for their appointed jobs, Abel decided he should apply to be the Pontiff, a job that was to the public eye glorious but in reality just an over glorified babysitter for the man known simply as ‘The Judge’. The Judge's last Pontiff had mysteriously died a month before, so The Church was looking for another one to take up the role. Putting your name in the tin for the job up front meant you got money, grain or food up front out of the deal. The more you put your name in the more you got.

Abel naturally put his name in many times to keep things stable for his family. Abel knew if he was chosen, the money would sustain his family for nearly a year. That would be more than enough to help them pay for food, clothing and the like until the crops were good once more. Abel saw it as a good shot to get money for his family to keep the farm afloat. Even if he didn't get it, it was something he could do while trying to salvage what crops had survived. He forgot about applying as he worked at bringing things back to life in the farm.

Two months later, the Ramos's received a notice their eldest son Abel had been chosen as the new Pontiff. Shocked beyond belief, Abel packed his bags, said his goodbyes and left Aeleo for the main city to where the headquarters of The Grand Church Of Sanica resided as did The Judge. With his departure, his family was granted an annual chunk of Abel's pay as well as the honor and respect that comes with a child working so closely with The Deity.

His transition into the main city was less than smooth, he did not fit the image of a priest like the others had as well as not being well liked by The Judge. His heavy 'country' accent and mannerisms didn't mesh with the way the city worked. He was given training but could never be rid of his accent. It's why when he speaks, he tends to speak slowly and carefully. He wants to emulate the City accent and speech patterns.

Abel did what he could to adjust while caring for the Judge. Abel was baffled as to why the other man didn't like him, clueless of Luce's past executions of the previous Pontiffs. Abel persisted in helping though, eventually wearing Luce down from a defensive front to actually starting to like the ex farmer. The two forming a friendship, which slowly turned into a romance.

Personality: Abel can be described as friendly, talkative and a natural peacekeeper. As the oldest child in his family, he grew used to placating his siblings from arguing while helping his parents farm. It led him to refining his natural tendency to play peacekeeper amongst his family. He prefers talking things out over fighting, tending to placate both sides into a peaceful settlement. He's learned to passively take what is thrown at him and smooth over things over as much as he possibly can. With the peacekeeper/caretaker role he was given as a child, he's grown used to keeping his own feelings securely underwraps. So most tend to see Abel as the 'good son'.

Abel doesn't bother to correct this misconception, he's quite fine with people not seeing much beyond the surface. It makes it much easier to navigate things socially when people don't pay much attention to you. Especially with the stigma the Ramos family carried for having four children instead of the expected three. Abel sees it as more beneficial to accept this assumption to avoid any further scandal to his family name. Any bits of rebellion he kept on the sly. His antics during his teenage years were secretive and not known to his family at large.

Abel himself is sarcastic, whilst he is genuinely kind and soft spoken as he first appears, he is also prone to having a quip buried under all the soft layers. He can be blunt and short with people when he's not obligated to play nice or bound by Sanican rules. Abel has been parent to his siblings and to Luce long enough he's grown tired of the role in some ways.

On the rare moments his temper is sparked, it is best to get out of the way- due to it being culmination of everything that has made him upset. Abel tends to hit a darker angrier tone that breaks the usual standard angry tone the Sancia culture is used to/is expected to use. When unleashed it takes awhile before Abel will wind down back into something more respectable. Abel like the rest of his family has a hot temper, the only differences is he knows how to control and clamp down on it to avoid exploding as often as most people. He learned at a young age that two hotheads going at one another will never lead to compromise.

With the stigma his family suffered, Abel's learned to play 'the good son' and lives by the creedo of keeping his feelings packaged behind a polite outer mask. Any rebellious things he does are subtle and quiet. He will function within the status quo and pose small challenges to try and make it work with him. Without the threat of the church, Abel is much more likely to be somewhat sarcastic if not a bit sillier than he lets himself be.

"Abel. I have started a project and I need your assistance for it." It was the Judge. He sounded Serious.

"A project?” Its clear enough who he’s speaking to, Abel’s voice is soft and clear enough. “What kind of project?"

"I do not trust the the store's food, so I have started to grow a potato. I got one, and placed it in a pot. But I feel like I did something wrong.". Such as you know, plant a whole potato in the dirt without trying to form slips or anything

"...Is it an entire potato?"

( Click for more )

Have any problems with how I play Abel? Any suggestions? Any corrections? Any concerns?

Lay it all down here folks, I'm always ready to listen!

Black Market

The black market is what you would expect it to be, a collection of business women and men who sell outside of The Religion's regulations. Due to the illegalness of the market, it has to move around constantly. It bounces around the outer limits of The City's neighborhoods. All stands within the Black Market are easy to take down, easy to rebuild store fronts/tents. None of the stands remain permanent or easy to find.

The market usually contains basic items that can't be legally bought in Church run markets. Food not being sold in the normal market that month, prostitutes, smut/dirty books, art, sex items(toys/lubes) exotic animals, illegal imports, books, newspapers and drugs.

The market itself is marked by three different colors. Brown, Orange and Purple. The black market is usually marked by a single solitary pink, orange or purple flag hanging from a window or balcony at the entrance of an alleyway within The City. The flag color is usually swapped out every time the market is moved. The people within the market tend to change the color of their stand/collapsable tent to go with the next color. Even then, it is rarely a harmonious shade of a certain color. It's a clear enough sign for people who are in the know about the market's existance.

The business is run by a handful of people in and out of the rebellion. The Black Market has no official leader and tends to run on its own course. The most organization it has comes from a stint of voting for the next color to use.


Music

Music at large in Sanica consists of stringed instruments and wood instruments. Drums are slowly seeping in due to influences from other countries nearby Santica.

Instruments that do current exist in Sanica consist of instruments akin to: flutes, lutes, bifora, bawu, arghul, birbyne, didgeridoo.

Music styles consist of simple poems put to sound, nursery rhymes and folks ditties. Songs rarely break from that model unless put to a play.

Taboos

*Touching someone you aren't close with. Be it in or out of public. Personal space bubbles are extremely well kept in this society unless you know the other person well. Touching full body or just brushing against someone is generally considered rude and shows too much familiarity with the other person.

*Showing skin. Shirtlessness is heavily discouraged in both genders in the city.

The only exceptions to this rule rest in:

A. Farmers at work (either gender can be shirtless/in short pants when on a farm)

B. Breast feeding

C. Swim suits/The beach.

*Bald heads/Being bald is associated with indentured servants in country and actual slaves out of country. Having a bald head or supremely short hair is not welcomed. People with short hair are encouraged to wear hats or grow their hair out longer.

*Thumb sucking, thumb sucking is only usually allowed in children up to a certain age. Older children or adults thumb sucking are usually considered invalid/more likely to be mentally unstable.

Folks ways

*Pointing, it is considered extremely rude by all standards and is discouraged.

*Thumbs up/Thumb pointed at someone. It translates to a finger being stuck up the butt/sexual connections. The quickest way to go 'Fuck you'

*Wearing pastel colors on Mass Days. Pastel colors are usually seen as distillations of pure forms. Pastel colors themselves are not considered 'evil', but are extremely frowned upon to wear on a Mass day.


Common Sayings

Through My Heart, Across The Star Filled Sky = A way of sealing a promising to someone. Its generally derived from the implication you are making this promise in front of the world. The Deity, the people you know and strangers outside of Sanica.

Oh Deity = Startled response, aka the OH GOD of Sanican people.

Drown in The Depths = aka go to hell

Deity Damn it = A curse with no real punch to it, due to the fact humans can only damn one another. The Deity usually never judges nor damns.

Name: Abel Ramos, 'Ale',

Eye color: Hazel

Hair color: Brown

Height: 6'4

Age: 33

Family tree: Alfred & Carmen Ramos, Philip, Marta & Palua.

Relationships:

Luce 'The Judge' = Friend, Ally, lover.

Skills: Basic carpentry, farming, child care & drawing.

Personality: Abel can be described as friendly, talkative and a natural peacekeeper. As the oldest child in his family, he grew used to placating his siblings from arguing whilst helping his parents farm. It led him to refining his natural tendency to play peace keeper amongst his family. Even with this Abel tends to shy away from conflict, it takes plenty of jabbing before he'll defend himself from verbal attack. He prefers talking things out over fighting, tending to placate both sides into a peaceful settlement. He's learned to passively take what is thrown at him and smooth over things over as much as he possibly can. He can get embarrassed very easily when he speaks up. It compounded by the fact his words tend to be stray 'odd' thoughts that he can't completely squish down and out of sight. Abel doesn't speak out very often for a reason.

His temper when sparked, is hardly a good thing. It is usually the best to get out of the way when Abel actually lets himself get angry. Abel tends to hit a darker angrier tone that breaks the usual standard angry tone the Sancia culture is used to. When unleashed it takes awhile before Abel will wind down back into something more respectable. Abel like the rest of his family has a hot temper, the only differences is he knows how to control and clamp down on it to avoid exploding. He learned at a young age that two hot heads going at one another will never lead to compromise. This fact drilled into his head means he'll let topics go for awhile before eventually blowing up over it. His temper getting the best of him when something truly grates his nerves.

Abel tends to be considerably oblivious a lot of the time. Even with the knowledge he does possess/what he has seen, Abel tends to view the world in a very naive manner. He had a relatively idyllic childhood with affectionate parents and lively siblings on a small farm. It has left him overly trusting of most things to an extremely high degree. Reality checks tend to be a hard thing for him to really handle. Abel usually sticks to quietly deluding himself everything will be all right instead of accepting the truth when its presented to him. His apparent innocence isn't never ending, he merely is oblivious to the fact the world is a dark place. He believes there is good in every person and they all are worthy of kindness.

His view on the world leaves him in an odd position of rebelling in exceedingly small ways while still functioning in the system he lives in. He struggles within his own confined status, the farmer's son, the Pontiff- he isn't sure what to do. He quietly tries to just accept a place and awkwardly live within it. It is why he was so willing to go along with the status quo with Luce in favor of casing waves. Abel is not the rebellious type unless he deeply believes in the idea. He needs time to dwell and act on things before he'll actually do them.

When he acts, he puts his heart into believing in it, finding solid footing anyway he can to push back against what he's against. He just rebels in small ways. Abel was not a born rebel, nor was he entirely passive. He is just a man looking for his place in the world.


Likes: Tea, animals, horses, farming, reading, sleeping, sunshine, Luce's smile, the black market, rain, summer.

Dislikes: Cruelty, dishonesty, the cold, snow, winter, dead crops, lies, bugs, wasps.