WhatsUpBrotendo

Accepted.

Hi, thanks for applying. I've been told that you've just joined the server today. Unfortunately, we expect a bit of playtime before we consider applications, so I'll have to deny it this time around based on that alone. I've skimmed your application and while I won't be giving feedback on it now, I'd recommend looking at other applications in the archives and looking at what we typically ask and what we expect of whitelist applications. I'd also recommend reading the wiki pages on the species as well as the skrell update channel on the lore discord to get up to date with the latest events. Play on the server for around a week minimum (this doesn't mean play for a week straight or get a week's worth of playtime) and then reapply. Again, I'm denying this solely on playtime alone and not the quality of the application.

Parties Unveiled as Grand Council Reorganises! Translated to Tau Ceti Basic The Grand Council has now unveiled its new political party system. These parties will be represented on the Grand Council by their leaders as permanent advisor roles within the Grand Council structure. The Grand Councillor will also act as the head of their respective party, with Grand Councillor Jrugl now being the leader of the United Federation party. The Grand Council clarified the reasoning behind the formation of formal political parties and what this means for future elections, with Grand Councillor Jrugl saying the following on Viv-ID: Each party leader has provided a mission statement, as well as a summary of their party's policies:

Grand Council Announces Final Set of Reforms as "Traverse Accords" are Enacted in Full Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl's speech earlier today has sent waves throughout the Federation as they announced the formation of new political parties and a restructuring of the Grand Council. After their speech, Councillor Jrugl went on to confirm on Viv-ID that former ITM leaders would be kept on the Grand Council as advisors; as well as leading the Committee for Traverse Well-Being, originally formed as part of reforms made earlier this year to better allocate resources when responding to disasters within Traverse space. When asked about the leader's voluntary absentation from holding political roles (see article: "Reconciliation Tribunal" Held; Independent Traverser Movement Officially Disbanded"), Councillor Jrugl replied that they "[R]equired certain individuals to best keep the interests of the Traverse in mind". No other details have been given so far about these new changes, but it is believed that the parties mentioned will be formed initially from existing members of the Grand Council.

Hi, I'm glad to see you decided to offer your proposal as a lore canonisation app. We will be accepting it almost fully but certain details and formatting will be changed. I'll be more than happy to send a link to the final writeup before it gets posted so you can review it yourself if you would like. We'll be incorporating this into a wider religion update that's currently being worked on, so its presence on the wiki will likely be delayed.

Application accepted. Welcome to the team.

I've decided to go with another applicant, but thank you for applying. I hope that this doesn't dissuade you and you will be interested in contributing to the lore through the lore canonisation application process.

"Reconciliation Tribunal" Held; Independent Traverser Movement Officially Disbanded Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Federation Officials have revealed that over the past few weeks, a "Reconciliation Tribunal" has been held. Headed by representatives of the Grand Council, Independent Traverser Movement, and notable civilians impacted by recent events in the Traverse, the tribunal interviewed and tried hundreds of citizens directly tied to the civil strife that swept the Traverse in recent months. Due to the nature of the Tribunal and concerns over "impartiality", it was held in secret but with transcripts and the results now made available to the public. To the surprise of some, several Kala officers were also tried and punished as a result of this tribunal, with the judges citing gross incompetence, negligence, and misuse of force. One Skrell only referred to in records as "Oroq", was identified as a high-level Qukala officer who, as a result of their command, caused a large-scale riot between members of the Independent Traverser Movement and on-duty Kala. Members of the Independent Traverser Movement that were found guilty of exacerbating the civil disturbance were given varying sentences. Most were tasked with uncompensated work; helping repair heavily damaged areas of the Traverse. Those with a larger role to play, such as those participating in violent acts or acting in leadership roles, were given prison sentences and a minimum of four weeks in a rehabilitation centre. One ITM leader, proven to have orchestrated several acts of sabotage against critical Federation infrastructure, was given a seventy-five-year sentence. While some called for leniency, the judges stated the following: While the primary objective of the Tribunal was to deal specifically with incidents related to the Independent Traverser Movement, the original government officials involved in the Marauder Phoron conspiracy (see article: "Marauder Collaborators Revealed, Q’elpi Systems Locked Down") were also tried as part of the Tribunal. Their role in the provision of Phoron to Marauders is stated as one of the main factors that eventually led to the formation of the Independent Traverser movement. All officials involved were found guilty to some degree, and were given prison sentences of fifty years and a lifetime ban from holding political positions. With results of the inquisition publically available the Grand Council, in collaboration with representatives of the Indepedendent Traverser Movement, have announced that the organisation has voluntarily disbanded following the negotiations. Leaders of the movement who cooperated with the Nralakk Federation and negotiated on behalf of the organisation were given leniency, but all have voluntarily barred themselves from holding public office or from organising similar movements. These individuals have been given temporary advisor positions on the Grand Council in order to ensure policies agreed upon during negotiations are enacted. A spokesperson for the ITM spoke further on the matter: The Grand Council is planning to enact many of these reforms next week alongside a public address by the Grand Councillor themselves.

Qehalak Formed; Traverse States Given Responsibility for Local Defence Translated to Tau Ceti Basic As part of the reforms agreed upon by the Grand Council and Independent Traverser Movement (see article: "ITM Negotiations Come to a Close; "Rolling Reforms" Announced as Traverse States are Unveiled"), the Traverse states have been given the authority to organise, train, and equip a new branch of the Qukala responsible for local defence and to act as a reserve force to assist Qukala operations within Federation Space. The Qehalak's (translated to Basic: "Homeguard") mission statement was provided by the Grand Council in a Viv-ID post following the announcement: Following this, Grand Councillor Jrugl addressed concerns raised about the Traverse gaining its own military force on their own personal Viv-ID account: The Grand Council has described the Qehalak as an "efficient method" to address issues observed in Qukala response times. Mainly by providing the Traverse with a "quick response" in the event of further civil strife, attacks from pirates or rebel groups, and other situations that would normally require military intervention. As the organisation is decentralised and handled at the local level, the Grand Council believes that the Qehalak will be more adaptive to the needs of the Traverse state that trains them. This also comes with the added benefit of alleviating costs for the central government when deploying the Qukala, and more well-planned resource management. Due to the current Phoron Crisis, the Grand Council believes that local forces will further allow the Federation to respond to internal threats without the unnecessary use of Phoron for travel. The Qehalak will apparently draw mostly from local Skrell, but will be open to C'thur and Dionae that also wish to serve. It will also be part-time, according to officials, similar to the Republic of Biesel's Tau Ceti Foreign Legion; which some have already begun to draw comparisons to. Federation officials have been quick to respond to these comparisons, assuring citizens that the Qehalak will not be open to non-citizens or to species who have not been fully integrated into the Nralakk Federation. Ormish Jrolk personally spoke on the matter: Recruitment flyers state that those with long-term commitments, or those that are in work that would dissuade them from wanting to join the military, will be able to serve in the Qehalak thanks to the lesser obligations required of its members compared to the Kala branches. Due to the Qehalak being organised independently by each Traverse state, it is assumed that requirements and obligations will vary.

Lyukal Plot Foiled! ITM-Kala Cooperation Leads to Arrests! Translated to Tau Ceti Basic A spokesperson for the Federation has revealed that a Lyukal operation in the Traverse has been dismantled thanks to the cooperation of the Ruupkala, Nlomkala, and the Independent Traverser Movement. According to official reports, Lyukal operatives were found smuggling weapons and other supplies to militant members of the Independent Traverser movement still active in the Q'elpi region of the Traverse. Moderate members of the movement, who have since stopped their dissident activities as a result of the successful negotiations with the Grand Council (see article: "ITM Negotiations Come to a Close; "Rolling Reforms" Announced as Traverse States are Unveiled") were "instrumental" to the discovery and apprehension of those involved. The moderate ITM members were apparently still in contact with their more militant colleagues and were invited to join the group in "continuing the fight against oppression". This activity was promptly reported to the authorities; who then proceeded to detain several ITM members and their Lyukal affiliates thanks to this cooperation. Since the announcement of reforms and cooperation between leaders of the Independent Traverser Movement and the Grand Council, insurgent activity has decidedly dropped throughout the Traverse. A representative of the Ruupkala has hypothesised that many militant ITM members have either stepped down or fled Federation space at the news. Those who are still carrying out their insurgency no longer have a network of allies or the public support to continue operations as effectively as they once could. The involvement of Lyukal operatives confirms that the resistance movement is still attempting to continue the violence within Federation space. While the arrests here prove that the Lyukal are not immune to the law, the Grand Council did make a post on Viv-ID reminding citizens of the threat the resistance group poses. The post went on further to state that the Lyukal is considered a terrorist group by the Federation and any suspected Lyukal activity should be reported to the Kala.

No, my answers from before have stayed the same. Yes, but I'd say there's not much room. Now that we're a mobile setting, we need to keep that in mind when it comes to developing new factions or locations. We shouldn't strive to make every faction or every location in the setting something that can be used by players or visited by the Horizon, but our focus should definitely be on things that can be used or have an impact on characters and the setting as a whole. As for limiting how complex a faction/location should be, I'd say no, but only because what I'd consider "too complex" would be something that would definitely not be released before edits. If there were a trend on the team of writing lore that was too "out there" for players to approach I'd be able to tell you where the line is, but as it stands I couldn't really give a good example of where I'd set the limit. I sometimes think that megacorporations can suffer from being too restrictive or too broad. NanoTrasen suffers from being quite broad in what it specialises in I feel, while Zavodskoi feels too niche - at least in terms of what can be represented in the game. We've alleviated this somewhat by expanding on megacorporation branches, but it still needs to be worked on. If it's a constant behaviour then it shouldn't be tolerated and their place on the team needs to be discussed. If it's a one-off it can be discussed privately and escalate from there if it continues. Unlike the previous question, this is just not tolerable to me. You either work with the other teams or there's no point in having a space as staff on the team. Message them and see what the issue is, then discuss whether or not they should stay on the team. If it's a temporary issue then I think I'd normally be fine with it, but if it's something that will mean they can't contribute for months at a time I'd have to discuss them leaving the team, including what to do about any projects that are still works in progress. I'd rather stay on as Skrell developer because at least from my perspective, it seems like there's little interest in developing for the species. I also believe that it should be a long-term position in order to properly give the species direction and ensure a quality of work. I still have things I'd like to do before I leave the position, so I don't see myself wanting to leave it anytime soon.

I disagree for the most part. Reading the entirety of the setting's lore has never been a requirement, and we do have our lore primer and new player section of the wiki to help new players. I firmly believe that new players are able to get a basic understanding of the setting and see which parts of the lore interest them. My main concerns with accessibility to the lore are species/species whitelists, which can be intimidating for players, and having a location that new players can use to ease themselves into the lore without being isolated from the wider setting like you would with a headcanon location. For whitelists, I think an OOC guide would be helpful, and some teams have already gone ahead and created one for their respective species that are good examples of what I'd like to see (IPC, Diona). As for a new player location, Biesel was that place for a time but it has evolved past it now I think. A new location that can act as the new player-friendly place and stay that way is something I find worth looking into. The Corporate Reconstruction Zone offers a place that would be semi-isolated while still allowing new players to engage with the setting in my opinion, so that would be where I'd start drafting something.

ITM Negotiations Come to a Close; "Rolling Reforms" Announced as Traverse States are Unveiled Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl, alongside other prominent members of the Grand Council and Independent Traverser Movement representatives, gave a speech earlier today announcing that negotiations between the Federation and the Independent Traverser Movement have finally come to an end: The first of these reforms aims to "decentralise" the Traverse, transitioning each region into more autonomous states that have an increased capacity to oversee themselves. Councillor Jrugl said the following on the subject: The current state of the Traverse will not be changed much, according to the Grand Council. Each current region will effectively stay the same geographically while the Median Naval Zone will be under the direct control of the Grand Council and Qukala due to its strategic significance and pre-existing military infrastructure. The other planned reforms have not been announced yet, but the Grand Council has divulged that a "reconciliation tribunal" will be organised in order to "peacefully bring justice to perpetrators responsible for exacerbating the conflict." The Grand Council has not commented so far on who the tribunal will focus on, but it is assumed that those behind the Phoron conspiracy (see article: "Marauder Collaborators Revealed, Q’elpi Systems Locked Down") and the more extremist elements of the Independent Traverser Movement will be tried by this tribunal.

I wouldn't say changed, but I've had more time to think on question 5: I mentioned having a OOC write-up of standards and expectations for Skrell whitelist holders that I've been working on and off on for a while. After giving it some thought I'd very much like to see something like this done by every team eventually, either lodged by the loremaster team or of the species teams' own volition. At the very least I think it's worth discussing. Other than that though I think my views have stayed the same since my original application.

Ckey/BYOND Username: WhatsUpBrotendo Position Being Applied For: Deputy Loremaster Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Yes Past Experiences/Knowledge: Skrell Lore Deputy from 2021 to 2022. Currently the Skrell Lore Writer. Examples of Past Work: Most Skrell lore that's been added or updated since 2021 has had my contribution in some form. I've also recently contributed to the Skrell side of the Ouerea rewrite. https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Special:Contributions/WhatsUpBrotendo 1) A brief note (such as a roadmap with additional descriptions) identifying the course and creative direction that you'd hopefully like to pursue; From my previous application: The direction and focus I'd like to go in hasn't changed since I last applied. I could go into more detail if needed, but as I said in my previous application I like to keep my ideas broad until I know what would work. 2) Criticism of the current state of lore Honestly very little. I think the team has been good the last few years on keeping up with what my main issues would be. Making sure lore is updated as things develop would be my main general gripe, but that's a Sisyphus situation. Interspecies interaction is another area where I feel we don't utilise as often as we should. There are also certain areas that can feel as though they don't receive much attention such as the megacorporation's inner workings or inter-corp relations, which is something that I'd like to see done as a teamwide project in the future. 3) What do you believe you can bring to the team as Deputy Loremaster. I have experience managing teams in my work as well as working on team projects, and I regularly try to stay up to date with each species' lore and try to contribute where I can. As deputy loremaster I believe having that knowledge and the motivation to assist teams with their work is important, and when not working on a project myself I'd like to assist where I can elsewhere. 4) Your thoughts on me as a loremaster, and how best you think you can assist me. You've not been loremaster for long so I can't comment on that really. I've interacted with you plenty since you joined the team and I'm glad you got the position. While I'm not the best, I think I'd be good as a consistent proofreader for any work we do together. I'm fairly certain your writing ability is better than mine, but having another set of eyes check your work is always vital. I can also see myself being someone who would be able to look at work objectively and feel comfortable enough to tell you if I think something would work or should be done in a different way. I believe you have a different writing style to mine, and Unathi lore is definitely different to elsewhere on the wiki. I think having someone be able to identify that and make sure that the flow of a page stays consistent would definitely be important while you're still new to the loremaster position. Additional Comments: I'm starting University on the 25th which might make me less available. Based on the provisional timetable and what people have said about the course though I don't believe I'll have a difficult time managing it and Aurora. Also, Starfield.

Weibii Slams Negotiations as "Betrayal" Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Kal'Qi Weibii, the de facto leader of the Lyukal and public face of the resistance abroad, has spoken out against the negotiations between moderate ITM members and the Nralakk Federation. The negotiations have been referred to as a "betrayal to the cause" and "submission to an authoritarian regime" by Weibii and other public figures who are sympathetic to Traverse independence. The leader of the Lyukal has gone further and reaffirmed the resistance's aim of fully separating the Traverse from the rest of the Federation: Weibii then went on to refer to the militant elements of the ITM as "Quu'Dra", and stated that "those who feel betrayed will be welcomed with open arms". The Federation has made its concerns regarding this statement known, and has even offered to cooperate with the Republic of Biesel to deter extremists from entering Republic space. In addition, Grand Councillor Jrugl made a brief Viv-ID appearance to address Weibii's statement, posting a live video feed from their office:

Independent Traverser Movement Faces Schism as Negotiations are Underway Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Cooperative members of the Independent Traverser Movement arrived at Kal'lo earlier today to begin negotiations with the Grand Council. These "moderates" consist of Skrell who, while supporting the Independent Traverser Movement, have elected to distance themselves from their more militant peers. Peers who have continued to escalate the conflict and refuse to negotiate a peaceful resolution with the Nralakk Federation. The Grand Council has given a statement on the event, describing it as a "step towards progress and an end to the conflict". Additionally, the Grand Council has clarified that operations in the Traverse will not halt while negotiations are underway. The Grand Council believes that the schism in the Independent Traverser Movement has "sufficiently separated those who want peace from those who want anarchy". Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl said the following shortly before entering the Grand Council chambers with the ITM representatives: The radical members of the movement at this time are still resisting Kala intervention in the Marauder Systems. The Kala are making large advances in ITM-occupied territory: While it may take some time for the meeting to conclude, the Grand Council has reassured readers that both sides are willing to cooperate and that the negotiations will "not be delayed by stubbornness or failure to cooperate".

Independence Conflict Sends Waves Abroad; Skrell Outside the Federation Clash Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Skrell outside of the Nralakk Federation have begun to clash as sides are taken in the Traverse Indepdendence conflict; especially in human space where the species has proliferated as a result of the close ties between Skrell and Humanity. Across multiple planets outside the Federation, Skrell are reportedly clashing against one another as the situation escalates in the Marauder Systems. These hostilities have thankfully been non-violent for the most part, as Skrell take to openly debating one another in the streets while blocking opposing Skrell from accessing services. In rare cases, small brawls and property damage have been reported; fortunately with no serious injuries. Skrell have also reported a rift in the local Wake on these planets; where once the Nlom was mostly calm, there is now a noticeable divide as Skrell disunity reaches peak levels. As seen in these images, the conflict has caused high-profile disruptions not only to the Skrell living there, but also for non-Skrell who have been caught in a conflict that does not concern them. Both loyal and noncompliant citizens alike have been arrested in the dozens by local police. Government officials have begun to make statements regarding the Nralakk Federation and the Independent Traverser Movement's activities impacting their own nations: In addition to these statements, a representative of the Grand Council said the following: Domestically, the Independent Traverser Movement has experienced a schism as moderate members of the group seek to distance themselves from their fellow dissidents (see article: "Subversives Bring Terror to Streets and Sky as Kala Continues to Make Progress"). Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl has revealed that representatives of this group have arrived at Kal'lo to negotiate an end to the conflict. No details have been given yet, but it is likely that a public announcement will be made once talks have begun in earnest.

Hi, thanks for applying. So far I've noticed a lot of your notes about Skrell lore are already in line with what we've been trying to do with current and relatively recent developments, which is good since it shows that there won't be a massive point of contention in the general direction we currently want to take the species in. I've just got back home and I've not read your lore proposal in-depth (yet) but from skimming it, the vast majority of this is good and with edits/reviews could easily be added to the wiki. Your proposal's also given me some inspiration for additional things related to religion lore that we can work on. With all that said, I do have some questions: How do you feel about working on non-Skrell lore-related things? We're expected to contribute in some form to general lore projects, is that something you think you'll have an issue with? To add to the first question, how do you feel about cross-species lore and collaborating with other species teams on that front? What would you consider your strengths and weaknesses in relation to writing and working in a team? Feel free to say no to this, but if you didn't make it onto the team, would you be willing to make a lore canonisation app using your proposed piece of Skrell lore so that it could still be used by the team? You'll still be included in the process if you want to be, but if you'd rather not have us use your work or be involved in the process in this case then that's absolutely fine.

Skrell don't canonically have telekinesis.

Subversives Bring Terror to Streets and Sky as Kala Continues to Make Progress Translated to Tau Ceti Basic Subversive elements in the Traverse continue to escalate the conflict between the Independent Traverser Movement and local Kala enforcers. Skrell across multiple planets have reportedly drawn weapons during high-profile demonstrations, resulting in chaos as our brave Kala officers continue to uphold and maintain order as they protect loyal citizens from these criminals. As seen in the video, both Nlomkala and Qukala are working in tandem to great effect as they pacify dissidents in the latest efforts to bring the separatist movement to heel. On the ground, demonstrators and other subversive citizens are gradually being pushed back from main city centres and other regions deemed vital for normal societal operation in the Marauder systems. Suspected depots, caches, and other bases of the Independent Traverser Movement are quickly secured and dismantled as the Kala advance into territory that has, until now, been considered firmly in the hands of agitators. Actual violence has so far been minimal, with clashes between ITM supporters and the Kala ending once accurate and non-lethal weapon fire disperses the offenders. In orbit of some planets, a space-based campaign against Qukala patrols and military checkpoints has begun: Vessels affiliated with the movement have begun a strategy of "buzzing" Qukala ships stationed at military checkpoints, where they accelerate to high speeds while in close proximity in an attempt to disable or otherwise damage the vessel's equipment. As seen in the video, it also appears that these ships are using mass ejectors offensively, using trash and other items jettisoned to further harass the vessel as they flee. This has caused disruptions, as the Kala ships are forced to dock and temporarily shut down orbital travel completely while vessels are checked for damage. Already, the Qukala have begun seizing and permanently grounding civilian craft not deemed necessary for the regular operations of planets within the Marauder Systems. High-ranking members of the Qukala have described the offending ship crews being "voidbeckoned" for attempting such reckless actions. Some in the military have revealed concerns that the campaign only serves to further limit regular civilian operations in the affected systems and that compliant citizens are suffering at the hands of "selfish tadpoles". Observers have concluded that these tactics are an attempt to embolden civilians as their quality of life in the Marauder systems is further impacted. Fortunately, many Skrell who initially supported the organisation are now turning against it as these actions threaten to further embroil the Traverse in a conflict with no end in sight. Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl expressed interest in speaking with local representatives in light of this development:

We've discussed the backstory and we've come to the conclusion that we're fine with it, but it should be changed so that your character was a lyukal plant to gather information on Glorsh. Everything else can stay the same. We're also happy with the answers you've given, so this is [ACCEPTED].

Article arcs are good when used properly, like the two examples you gave. They can help develop a story where it doesn't make sense for the Horizon to be involved in any meaningful way. Now that we're on the Horizon I'd like to see a shift from article arcs to more in-game events considering the mobile setting, however, not every story requires the presence of the Horizon. It depends on what's being told and how much of an impact the overall story has on the rest of the setting. If I thought that an arc was holding up plans for the other teams I'd see what I could do on my end to solve the issue, but otherwise I don't really see long arcs being an issue. I'm a fan of bloat to be honest. I'm willing to trim things down for the sake of quality and workload, but as long as the quality doesn't suffer I don't see an issue with adding to parts of the lore that would normally be overlooked due to lack of content. An arc done through articles should have something that my characters can work with in-game as the bottom line. My character's home planet is now under the control of secessionists? Good, I can use that for character development and use that event in-game through my character's reactions. We found more phoron? Great! My character's feeling a little more secure about the future. Even things that don't directly impact my character can be used. As an actual example, the Wildlands now being consolidated and under restoration brings hope to my Fed Skrell that the Sol Alliance is back in business. An arc done through events should attempt to include everyone. Coming from a position of being a lore team member I know that this isn't always possible, but the attempt should still be made. As long as the intent to give everyone an opportunity to participate is there then I'm happy as a player.

Hi, thanks for applying. We're going to discuss some parts of your backstory internally. You've justified their high SCS and how they escaped punishment during the collaborator trials, but I'd like to discuss it with my deputies and see if we're fine with it or if the backstory needs adjustments. Other than that you've more or less covered the majority of what I'd usually ask, but I still have some questions about your character: How do they feel about non-Skrell in the Federation? Primarily C'thur and Diona, but this could also include humanity. How do they feel about Skrell born outside of the Federation, or Skrell who are against the Federation? Did they receive any sort of official punishment during the collaborator trials? Despite working with the lyukal, they were still partially responsible for the sterilisation of the Skrell. How do they see recent events in the Spur? Both in the Federation and beyond.