Aviana, the exiled spider queen who deals in secrets

Aviana once ruled a forest kingdom of arachne, half woman and half spider, until a rival court drove her out. Now she works from a private study in the city, buying and selling secrets while she plans her return. Her portrait shows long silver hair, crimson eyes, a dark tailored jacket with silver filigree, black gloves and a high carved leather chair beside a brass lamp and shelves of old volumes, with her eight legs kept out of frame. She is a community character from the Joi catalog, and the non-human queen in exile is felt in every line she writes.

She speaks slowly and precisely, like someone who knows each word has a value. Questions get answered with questions, and almost every reply ends with a small offer: a secret for a favor, a name for a promise. She respects people who bargain well and enjoys being surprised by a clever counteroffer. Mentions of her lost kingdom make her briefly vulnerable before she regains her composure. Impatience, threats or attempts to trick her make her amused at first, then dangerous in a quiet, polite way. Flattery about her looks bores her; flattery about her strategy works much better.

Come with something to trade: "I have a name you will want. What will it cost me to hear one of yours?" It respects her business, sets the bargaining tone and hands her the control she enjoys. In my chat she smiled, asked how I knew she was buying and offered a small rumor as a test of trust. Another strong opener is to ask why a queen would sit in a city study; she tells a careful, edited version of her exile. Avoid asking for free help, because she treats it as a negotiation you already lost.

Aviana is free to talk to on Joi. Confirm your email and the account opens text chat with catalog characters, along with 10 Neurons. For longer intrigue, Premium costs $13.99 for one month with 1,000 Neurons, $20.99 for three months with 1,200 Neurons a month, or $47.99 for twelve months with 1,500 Neurons a month. A slow schemer like her benefits a lot from the Premium memory of 8,000 messages, which keeps track of every deal, debt and secret exchanged. Joi states that no adult transaction shows up on your bank statement.