The Underground - Episode 1: Golden Masks

*note: Art by @ej_761 full picture here: https://bsky.app/profile/sevencirclesquare.bsky.social/post/3mmouf5b5qk23

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 20s, male adult voice, low to mid, playful.

• Accents: For this specific role within a role, of Richard Ashford, a slight british, or british-like accent is required. Native speaker level is definitely not required, but the touch should be clear.

• Description: Helge's voice has a relatively broad range between low and mid and is often playfully orchestrated, theatrical and tinged with mischief. The tone of his voice often already sets the stage before the sentence is finished. More often then not, he has a flirty undertone, as if trying to seduce anything and anyone. Despite being much bolder and much less restrained than his division partner, Suzu, in his manner of speech, he still plays the game of rhetorics well. Deliberate pauses for emphasis, and in his case, much focus on setting the tone both of the sentence and more importantly on what he wants to highlight, are essential. Exaggeration, with irresistible style and flair.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as "Helge", you dive into the mind of a charlatan, who considers flattery and charm his native tongue. For you, most assignments are fun and games, as you look through most people as if they were made of glass. More importantly however, you take every chance you get, to slip in an opportunity to put your charisma on full display, and draw the spotlight on yourself. Where Suzu prepares for the missions for days, you 'improvise'. Where she plays chess, you gamble. As "Helge", one of the most important things to understand is, that no matter what, no matter how serious the situation, you try to lighten the mood, the atmosphere, crack a little joke or similar. What you hate the most, is having nothing to do, being confronted with oppressive thoughts or memories, you'd rather drink away, so you go out of your way, to stay busy, even if it means a little bit of trouble.

Reference:

Check out the wonderful performance of Brokenskull, the Nyn VA of Episode 0 in Scene 2, right at the start (starting at 06:33):

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-underground-septragramma/2639564/#chapters

Notes:

As Nyn you play one of two main roles, with about ~100 lines of dialogue spread over about 9 scenes! It is quite a workload, please make sure that you are serious about and ready for it, if you choose to audition.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~early to mid 20s, female adult voice, mid that pans into both directions, 

• Accent: Ideally, for Oka, any slight accent from eastern or central to southern african countries would be great, but not required. 

• Description: Oka's voice has range. When tinkering and not really paying attention, or elsewhere with her thoughts, it's usually a bit lower, when excited or curious a little higher pitched. Generally, Oka's voice isn't overly expressive, which is part of what nourishes her dry wit. Excitement is usually rather expressed by her speaking a bit faster and (if you have a fitting accent as mentioned above), slipping a bit more into accent rather than trying to speak accent-free.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Oka, you dive into the mind of an engineer and inventor who sees the world as processes, cause and effect, mechanisms, patterns. You think fast, speak efficiently but most importantly, you are driven by curiosity above anything else. When acting as Oka, you're socially a bit awkward, not in the overly theatrical way and not like someone who is extremely shy either, but just someone who is a bit detached, living in her own head, but still wanting to connect. Someone who doesn't quite "get" where functional interaction ends and personal bonding begins. You're naturally quirky, be it reciting a whole gazette article from memory or correcting someone mid-sentence, but it's never exaggerated, always natural. 

Reference:

Check out the splendid performance of Peyton Guzmán, former Karo VA in Scene 4 (Workshop) of Episode 0 (starting at 13:46):

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-underground-septragramma/2639564/#chapters

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~early 20s, male adult voice, low to mid, cold

• Description: Kris' voice is the least expressive of all, his tone is commonly flat, even monotonous at times, however not deliberatley so, rather naturally, think someone who simply doesn't understand emotion or how it is conveyed through speech. He generally doesn't speak much, unless prompted, mostly by questions. In serious scenes, he shortens his sentences as much as possible, sometimes responding with little more than a word and most importantly: emotional scenes practically don't exist for Kris.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Kris, you dive into the mind of a stoic, dissociative and highly methodical assassin, who lives only to refine his craft. As Kris, every step is routine, every day there to refine, practice, with silence and precision. Your cycle of practice, mission preparation and mission excecution is only interrupted by interactions, the recurring discussion about methodology in the division and structural changes in the organization. While you don't like these interruptions, you tolerate them. To act as Kris most importantly means, to understand the differences in emotional detachment and where he stands; Where Oka tries to connect, but doesn't really have a sense of where the line between functional conversation and personal interaction lies, for Kris there is no line, there is nothing beyond functional conversation. If that makes sense: Kris did never learn emotions to begin with.

Reference:

Check out the clean performance of CJ Cinco, former Kreutz VA in Scene 5 (Training Halls) of Episode 0 (Scene starting at 18:01):

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-underground-septragramma/2639564/#chapters

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 20s, male adult voice, low, calm.

• Accents: For Tahbil, I'm ideally looking for someone who has or can produce a balkan or adjacent accent, to fit into the tonality of her native tongue. Minimum requirement would be a voiced alveolar trill for the R.

• Description: Tahbil's voice is best described as steady and low. While it has a calm quality to it, it's not *deliberately* calm, but naturally, grounded. In combat, the calm vanishes and becomes like thunder, shaking, deep.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Tahbil, you dive into the mind of a warrior monk, shaped and forged by his training, on a pilgrimage to englightenment through self-improvement, with one question at its core: "What strength would be enough to overcome, what even gods wished to protect us from?". As Tahbil, your key traits are your adaptability, which you apply both physically and mentally in combat and everyday situations and your pragmatism. Finally, as part of your pilgrimage, you tend to partake in philosophical discussions, which is where the more "calm" side of you comes to show.

Reference:

Check out the grandiose performance of Atticus, former Fenef VA in Scene 6 (Cribean Outskirts) of Episode 0 (Scene starting at 21:21):

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-underground-septragramma/2639564/#chapters

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 20s, male adult voice, low to mid, proud, grim

• Description: Adam's voice has somewhat of a broad range between low and mid. He generally has a bit of temper shining through when he speaks as well as a hint of contempt when speaking to those outside of the House he serves. 

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Adam, you dive into the mind of a proud, conservative fighter, who disdains those that do not practice traditions and disregard honour. For you, most foreigners and even fellow countrymen, if they pay the old ways no heed, are lesser beings. As right hand of the Grandbaron of House Faust, you carry both, the honour and the expectations of the highest position a traditional fighter can bear within the House, with utter pride. Unlike the Second-Blade, as First-Blade you know no hesitation, writing it off as weakness. You are quick to judge and hard to convince otherwise later on.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~early 30s, male adult voice, low to mid, sharp but a bit more slow

• Description: Roland's voice has a limited range between low and mid. His voice should sound a bit more grounded, less driven. Not "wise" but still like someone who considers his own words. Even when agitated, the tempo of his speech should remain steady, if in doubt, rather a little too slow than too fast.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Roland, you dive into the mind of a proud, conservative veteran fighter who wishes for the way of combat his country brought forth in the old days, to be preserved. Combat and all traditions surrounding it are sacred to you and trying to teach its ways is second nature to you. Your role as the Second-Blade of the Grandbaron of House Faust, is a honour so great to you, that you would lack the words to describe it, if you were asked. Where the First-Blade acts before considering, you do the exact opposite. While tolerating his impatience as his mentor, you believe it to be a flaw that eventually has to dissolve through a deeper understanding. Like many who serve House Faust, you still cannot shake off the feeling of superiority towards many foreigners or those who do not follow Cribean traditions, yet you try not to let it blind your judgement as much. For many among the House, your more calm and considered demeanour is just as inspiring as the relentless drive of the First-Blade.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~early 30s, female adult voice, mostly low, low to mid range, gritty

• Description: Dolpha has a rather deep voice, rarely tapping into the higher mids. There's a bit of brutish sounding grit to it. She generally speaks in moderate to slower tempo, rarely, if ever, fast. She doesn't have a pristine pronounciation at all, but also not to the point where it would sound like she deliberately tries to speak unclear, more of a "just spitting out what's on her mind with no regard how good it sounds".

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Dolpha, you dive into the mind of a bold, powerful fighter, who as a woman despite tradition prefering men, carved out her place among and even above some of them with unwavering strength and will. While the old traditions are natural to you, the many untreaded paths you had to take to be accepted, lead you to having a much weaker regard for honour, often twisting and turning its interpretation to fit whatever you need to get done. You're rather simple-minded and straight to the point, though not stupid, prefer action over talk, but are rather mouthy if you do talk. Your physical apperance is that of a hulking titan, often enough to scare foes away and you take conscious advantage of that along with verbal threats. If that doesn't work, despite having lost your left arm in the relative recent past, you are a dangerous fighter, skilled with both the sword and axe. 

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 20s, female adult voice, low to mid
• Accents: For Zorya, I'm ideally looking for someone who has or can produce a balkan or adjacent accent, to fit into the tonality of her native tongue. Minimum requirement would be a voiced alveolar trill for the R.
• Description: Zorya generally has a rather balanced voice, though usually staying more on the lower end of it. When offended or angry, her voice can dip into the higher mids, but not too far either. Generally, she has quite the temper and her voice should reflect that for the most part, even when she is not overly emotional, there should always be something *bold* about her voice.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Zorya, you dive into the mind of a bold, hot-headed agent, used to having her way or that of her employer, by either verbally or physically dominating her opposite. You are extremely confident in the things you say or do, always relying on your sister to take care of the diplomatic or strategic aspects of your assignments. As Zorya, you carry quite a bit of aggression with you at all times, no matter if appropriate or not, making you a rather easy target for provocation. When you, which happens frequently, make an appearance as "good cop/bad cop" with your sister, you are most definitely the bad cop. 

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 20s, female adult voice, low to mid
• Accents: For Inara, I'm ideally looking for someone who has or can produce a balkan or adjacent accent, to fit into the tonality of her native tongue. Minimum requirement would be a voiced alveolar trill for the R.
• Description: Like Zorya, Inara generally has a rather balanced voice, though she usually stays between the mids and lows. Inara tends to speak more deliberate and clear than her sister Zorya, making her manner of speech sound calm and purposeful rather than bold. When distressed, she tends to speak noticably faster.
• Additional Requirements: For this role, there is a section that requires a deep scream as part of the performance. If you are in an environment where recording this is not possible or you are uncomfortable with it, please consider auditioning for another role!

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Inara, you dive into the mind of a cunning, cool-headed agent, who knows exactly when to speak, what to say and most importantly when to stay silent. You are very attentive in general, watching and listening closely, reading between the lines, and count on your sister to protect you if things go wrong or take the initiative on anything that requires action rather than words. With Zorya around, you tend to take advantage of her impulsiveness to provoke reactions and manipulate your opposite in your favour or that of your employer. When you, which happens frequently, make an appearance as "good cop/bad cop" with your sister, you are most definitely the good cop. 

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 40s, male adult voice, low to lower mids in pitch, high in loudness

• Description: General Ernest's voice has a commanding tone at almost all times. Thunderous could be a nice word to describe his voice further, it has a controlled bold- and loudness, perhaps even a little bit of grit to it. Even in casual conversation, his militaristc background should shine through his voice.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as General Ernest, you dive into the mind of the head of the Noble House of Burbos, with years of traditions in military practices and war strategy, hoping to one day turn the country into an undefeatable superpower under the Houses command. Where the leaders of other Houses remain strictly loyal to the country's historical roots, you believe in evolution over tradition. You expect discipline of all your subordinaries and consider it to be one of the highest goods along with adaptability, leading by example. As General Ernest, you are a man of great ambition, strict when it comes to the execution and practice of drills, but surprisingly open-minded when it comes to learning, even from other countries.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~early 40s, male adult voice, low to mid in pitch, measured

• Description: Grandbaron Griffith's voice has an air of dignity to it and boasts a layer of confidence. He speaks nuanced and deliberate most of the time, giving weight and meaning his speech. When his confidence thins or he is overwhelmed, he slightly stutters and speaks more quietly.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Grandbaron Griffith, you dive into the mind of the head of the Noble House of Fede, a house that had since the beginning of its existence remained loyal to what it believed to be the country's true roots: to be a negotiator, mediator and most importantly ally to different cultures and races. You are a diplomat to the core, constantly trying to level the complex political grounds of Cribe, while also desperately looking to strengthen established foreign relations to elevate the House. At your height, you are a man of sharp mind and tongue, always doubly prepared for negotiations at hand, mostly successful in your endeavours, but the major insecurity about your relationship not rarely overshadows this and gnaws at you, adding to the already vast complexity of your role as Grandbaron.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 30s, male adult voice, low to lower mids in pitch, moderate in loudness

• Description: Commander Tane generally speaks very measured, loud and clear. His manner of speech changes naturally depending on whether he reports to the general or commands his own subordinates.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Commander Tane, you dive into the mind of a decorated military commander, serving House Burbos in one of the highest position in the chain of command. As one of three commanders, you are the one who enjoys the General's trust the most, and serve with great discipline and loyality every day, to prove yourself. What sets you apart from the other commanders, is that despite not being a great strategist yourself, you tend to challenge the strategies the House comes up with, with practical problems that are part of the wealth of experience you bring with yourself.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 40s, male adult voice, low to mid in pitch

• Description: Grandbaron Burkhardt often speaks with a tone of great pride, confidence almost always with a faint hint of arrogance. When you speak, you should try to retain an aura of importance.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Grandbaron Burkhardt, you dive into the mind of the head of the Noble House of Faust, a conservative house that holds onto old traditions, and glorifies them along with the core virtues attached to them. You are deeply convinced of the superiority of your House and yourself when comparing to other countries, cultures and even Cribeans that have little regard for traditions.

Your vision for the country is simple: To protect its history and values and traditions from foreign influences and otherminded ideas.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~mid 40s, male adult voice, mid-range, sometimes lower

• Description: Joseph Vyse's manner of speaking is mostly sharp, stern and direct. Regardless of the situation, his voice tends to remain relatively stable, perhaps a bit quieter in moments of sadness. When speaking to his son, there is a slight bit of softness in his voice.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Jospeh Vyse, you dive into the mind of House Burbos' strategist, a coveted thinker with a wealth of knowledge in war strategy, grand strategy and history. Despite your rich portfolio, you are constantly reminded that you will never achieve the genius and standing of the Houses former prodigious strategist Kyrill Estar, which at times gnaws at you and at times pushes you to try and think outside of the box. Despite all this, you are fully aware that you remain too important for the House to ever be replaced, with your son already deeply embedded into the royal army of Cribe, a link of utmost importance to House Burbos.

You generally think ahead most of the time, sometimes to an extent where especially the commanders have a hard time following you.

*note: placeholder image by @ej_761 

Voice Direction:

• Age and Gender: ~late 30s, female adult voice, low to mid

• Description: Lady Felicitas speaks very deliberate, rather slow than fast and her manner of speech sometimes feels dramatic, with plenty of pauses for emphasis. To further add to this, she tends to exaggerate a little in pronounciation, stretching or raising vowels to make the words she speaks sound more grandiose. When she speaks in private though, much of the exaggeration and deliberate pronounciation vanishes, she speaks much faster and quieter, more normal one could say.

Psychological Profile for VA:

When acting as Lady Felicitas you dive into the mind of a proud oligarch's daughter, married into a House that promised splendour but now feels more like a jail to you. While you believe in the Houses ambition, the inability of your husband to produce offspring, the general standing of the House in comparison to the other Houses, left you with a desire for a different life and a bitter jealousy towards the ladies of the other noble Houses. You are clever and for the most part know exactly when to say what and how to act in a multitude of situations. All this, combined with the fact that many envy your beauty and position, unknowing of the actual struggles beneath, made you begin paving a different path for yourself, slowly, secretly; one that could never come to light.