Nagito Komaeda
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Posts posted by Nagito Komaeda
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4 hours ago, Bear said:
@Nagito Komaeda did you believe the vessel was still a threat at the time you dispatched a team to it?
Once I noticed the vessel drifting, there was no active threat anymore. They weren't shooting at the Intrepid, or at us. However, it was still a vessel drifting through space, and my IC justification was that it would be dangerous to leave that unattended to. That being said, it would be irresponsible to send the one officer in, when there could still reasonably be danger- we were talking about a ship that opened fire on an SCC ship.
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BYOND Key: N. Komaeda
Discord Username: viego_vol_kalah
Character Name: Osisra Devorask
Item Names:
| Name: Daunting trenchcoat
| Description: "A long and broad trenchcoat, made of sturdy fabrics. A logo is tailored on the back, showing a silver Unathi knight's helmet with red horns."
| Functionality: This should work like a cape, capable of attaching onto other suits & uniforms.
| Appereance:
Spoiler
| Name: Devorask clan flag (& large Devorask clan flag - they should share the same description.)
| Description: "A brightly coloured flag, displaying a silver Unathi knight's helmet with red horns on a typical Ouerean backdrop. Five golden rings are shown on the flag, representing the tenets of the Devorask clan."
| Extended description: "The Devorask clan is a Ouerean group running anti-piracy operations in Uueoa-Esa space. Though not too well-known, their title of 'The Daunting' has come up in news and communication during the Months of Blood, where members of the clan and group as a whole ran peacekeeping operations at public services, such as hospitals, power plants and spaceports. The Devorask clan, and the general crew of The Daunting, is currently working together with the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces.
Neatly and precisely tailored in Sinta'Unathi on the five rings, in order from left to right, are 'Overwhelming force to minimize risk', 'Clarity of Intent', 'Defend the Defenceless', 'Fear is Power' and 'Master your Tools'."| Functionality: They're banner & flag resprites.
| Appereance:
Spoiler
Why is your character bringing this item to work?:
The flag and banner are of Osisra's clan (Devorask), and the group she operated with during most of her life (The Daunting). Having them with her, and seeing them, reminds her of the tenets of the Devorask clan, which are slightly different ways of looking at honour and combat. These are her roots, and she is proud to represent them wherever she goes.
She brings the trenchcoat to work because it is a comfortable coat for her to wear. She also has it with her to always feel like her clan is with her (as it belonged to her uncle). Deep down, it is also a way to 'cover' or hide herself, indicating herself as a very closed-off, private person. A part of its charm is that it conveys her as more intimidating.
How did your character obtain this item?:
Like described earlier, the flag and banner are tailored for the Devorask clan. When Osisra graduated her management study on Valkyrie, she received the flag and banner as a graduation gift from some of her fellows within the group. The coat belonged to her uncle, and for the longest time she couldn't bring herself to wear it. But having it also be given to her after her graduation, she learned to appreciate it and turn the negative memories surrounding it into more of a motivation to wear it.
What value does this item have to your character, and what story does it tell?:
The flag and banner are relatively valuable to Osisra (though they can still be remade should something terrible happen to them), but they're a way to represent her allegiance to her own clan and her background as peacekeeper and mercenary. They'll be in and in front of her office, ensuring that any visitors will see it. Such a bright, and lightly intimidating flag, is sure to start some conversations.
The coat is very valuable to Osisra, reminding her of the footsteps she ended up filling. It helps her 'cover' herself, putting yet another barrier between herself and the outside, indicating her closed-off nature. The logo on her back is the same as the helmet on the banners, showing off just how much her allegiance, family and community matter to her.
Sprites: Devorask items.dmi
Additional Comments: I won't be able to make the PR myself sadly, if that could be done by whoever approves it, I'd be glad!
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Lore Impact: Medium
Species: Unathi, Vaurca
Short Description: An expansion on the history, organizational structure and methods of the Kataphract Order. Aims to add one new 'role' for the Kataphract ship. Also collects most of the necessary information surrounding the Saa'Izweski in one place.
How will this be reflected on-station?:
The Kataphracts are an off-ship role, and this would mainly be seen there. With us going into the Unathi arc in June, we might see a little of this scattered here and there. In-game changes would be the titles given to the Kataphracts (Knight-Captain gets Ar'Saa), and the addition of a bed (next to the TRASH or in the brig) where an Ezo'Saa can spawn (whitelisted! Learners can be unwhitelisted but scum that is discriminated against requires much more knowledge on why.)
On-station characters can use this to more accurately describe their original position in the Kataphract Order, gush over specific Chapters (or hate others, I don't judge). Perhaps even down the line, reformed Ezo'Saa may find their way on the Horizon, now considered regular peasants*.
Yes, I was inspired to write this after playing the newly remapped Kataphract ship. I love these silly little LARP lizards.
*these Sinta are still expected to face discrimination from both their rejected culture and from nobility in the Hegemony. There's no winning for them.
Does this addition do anything not achieved by what already exists?: The Kataphracts already exist, this just serves to give them a lot more depth.
Do you understand that the project may change over time in ways you may not foresee once it is handed over to the Lore Team? As the Hegemon decrees. Unironically, though, it is possible I missed some small details in old lore articles, so no qualms if they get added.
Long Description: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16gkLj8jRqU_DDPs73yY6l1afsR-SOMNjedNJpLCTzaI/edit?usp=sharing
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'Ello! Two days or so ago, I had the joy of working together with you as Osisra. I like 309, it feels like they have just a bit more personality than Z.I. units normally have. I found it pleasant to work together with them, seeing as you play them diligently (paperwork is always a plus in my book). Very much looking forward to seeing more of them!
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Hello! Disclaimers, formatting is weird because I am typing this from my phone, and it is 2am. So if things come out a bit jumbled, sorry for that.
First of all: No offense taken. I understand that this is probably the most effective route to get something like this handled.
As for the round. In the round, Security (consisting of two investigators and an officer), as well as myself as Osisra, were just done with a manhunt that can only be summarized as "man fires a shot, hides and isn't seen for another forty minutes". As XO, and sole Command member at the time, I was juggling this situation together with managing an expedition done by the two BC. Almost immediately after the antag went to the residential lift, I was informed by the BC flying the Intrepid that they were fired upon by the Freebooter ship. The Freebooter ship had been in touch with us earlier in the round, but this was their first act of hostility.
After securing the ship, and picking up the other BC who was stranded on the derelict mining station, I opt to appoint an interim CE, as well as declare intent to eliminate the hostile ship. I announced over hailing that they had the option to surrender, or we would shoot. There was no response, and I noticed that the ship was drifting in one straight line. Because of those facts (lack of response and the sudden drifting of a vessel after they just engaged in combat), I decided that boarding them would be a better option. My motivation was that a ship drifting in the sector would pose a danger to other spacefaring crafts, and the least we could do is reverse their speed so they stopped moving. With the information I gathered in mind, I determined that this wasn't a 'full' combat mission.
The boarding team consisted of a BC, a Physician, the one Security Officer, and the two Investigators. Had there been any semblance of population in the Security department, I would not have sent out the Investigators. It is a bad practice, since they are effectively being asked to be combatants, which is secondary to their normal tasks. The alternative, however, was to send the Security Officer in as the only combatant. This did NOT seem preferable at all to me.
I decided that engaging with the Freebooter would be an interesting way to spice up this round that was, in all honesty, made dull by the active traitor shooting once and then disappearing without a word. This involved a lot of the members of the crew in one way or another.
What went wrong?
- Perhaps you're right, in regards to the Grems! I should've had someone deal with them. But also, by the time the Grems were called, the Canary just took off.
- The communication between the entire boarding party was poor, and I did not use the tools I had available to me at that time. This resulted in the entire boarding taking longer than it should have.
- My communication with the Warden got off on a really wrong foot, due to me trying to clear up the confusion with the boarding party both over Command and over Security, while also trying to answer the questions posed to me. The culmination of this, together with the mild frustration over the basically-fake manhunt earlier, made my answers towards the Warden abrasive.
In my optic, these all contributed to what I think is the core of this complaint. It is very possible I may have overlooked something (I am very tired), so I will get to those tomorrow.
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Hey what is the chance us Xenobotanists could get our farmbot back... 👉👈
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Love the route this is taking, Read. My first reaction was definitely appreciation, my second was joking concern for the scientists who sit so close to an active source of radiation! Can't immediately think of anything that really warrants changing, looking forward to seeing how you develop this!
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I dislike it personally, difficult to explain why. My ideal Machinist would be split between an Ops/Eng Machinist and a Med/Sci Machinist (or maybe Ops/Eng/Sci and Ops/Med/Sci). Giving them some sort of specialisation while also putting them in contact with the department that should matter to them. But as it stands, kind of against it even if I can't explain my reasoning well. Probably something to do with the Engineering megacorps - if Orion was in there I'd be golden, even though I think the Machinist would benefit being from Ops.
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Thanks for reminding me Shimmer. I'll need access as well.
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Reworking the Machinist workshop was kind of... necessary, as was mentioned earlier. The old lab was way too cramped to fit two people actively working the job, let alone patients and spectators. Read did an excellent job remapping the Workshop in the footprint of R&D, and I can safely say it's been a win on that end.
However! I also agree with you that Science is kind of awkward now. When you original Science remap was launched, I was almost fully positive about the changes there. Xenobotany specifically, I really liked (coming from someone who likes to play Xenobotany), and I also really liked the Chemistry laboratory, despite it having very little basis to kind of, exist, nowadays. If the A.I. core gets moved definitively (which is up to Read, as she is toying around with that concept now), then Science would have a lot more space to work with - which I think is very necessary. My 'hope' is that we maybe get some form of elevator, or chute, or whatever, that makes moving from the lab to the testing location a bit more convenient. If we truly want to establish the firing range as the testing hotspot, then a remap needs to fully lean into it. A weaker point of your remap (which was touched on here) is that the original remap closed off Science a bit too much. There should be something forward-facing, around the central ring, that highlights that this is Science.
Very much looking forward to see any Science-related changes, though! Giving love to the Machinist Workshop made it amazing, I am sure the same can be achieved with Science as a whole.
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It's.. actually really a pity that the hiring standards are going to extend to the XO now. Is that going to be final? This, I feel, would really hurt a LOT of characters - existing and new.
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I've given my +1 for the trial already, yet I feel like commending Shimmer a second time on their actual play. I've only gotten to play with Laura twice or thrice by now, and I wish I could get that opportunity more. Their XO is a great facilitator for both roleplay and mechanical opportunities. For example, they ensure Operations has additional funds so they can have more freedom. They also let Bridge Crew actively fly the shuttles (and even advise other fuel setups, which is neat!)
A bit of a grasp, but I think Shimmer plays their XO from the perspective of being a Bridge Crew. Unsurprising, considering Shimmer's experience with that job. I believe they play a head of staff that really stands behind their department, knowing what they need because they've been in the receiving position.
You're already a great communicator, Shimmer, and I think you'll improve on it even more once you succeed on your trial and you get to play more Command roles, more regularly. My experience during my trial as HOLMES is that you take initiative in communications (good!!) and planning (also good!!), as well as a bit of delegation (good IF you're up for that - I remember you saying after the round Noble refers to that "you weren't prepared to play as Captain", is this because that absolute responsibility?)
Definitely has what it takes to be a good Head of Staff! +1!
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I'll bite - any progress on this?
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In my opinion, the 'Change Science into an Expeditionary department' thread that resurfaced recently had some great insights on the protolathe specifically. My thoughts are that, honestly, the Machinist should get the responsibility for lathing just about anything. That job has substance to it, while being a Scientist has little to none. A scientists does R&D, waits for materials, maybe does some telescience... and then what? Nobody asks for guns, the cool things (exo's, hardsuits) are the Machinist's responsibility, circuitry can be done by both, the chemistry aspect is realistically a moot point in my (albeit limited) experience, etc.
My suggestion would more be that the Machinist should be primarily responsible for the entire breadth of what the protolathe makes. Be it weapons, KA's, specialised tools etc. Right now, Machinists get access to it anyways, and I don't think making a division between what R&D can print and what the Machinist can print will solve the current issue with the Scientist role.
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A great player! I've had the honour of learning the ropes of BC under Ethnea, who conveyed the necessary information in a concise, useful manner. Without a doubt a good holder of the whitelist, as they're really good at setting the necessary expectations and adjusting to the round. Combine that with interesting characters & great roleplay, and you have yourself a prime candidate for the position. +1!
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BYOND key: N. Komaeda
Discord Username: viego_vol_kalah
Character names: Uskiro Kisisril (Machinist), Kaoloh Siziursi (Bridge Crew), Aqii Tola-Riv (Psychologist), Marina Sanchez (Security Officer), and Jason Hellevan (Xenobotanist).
How long have you been playing on Aurora?
I’ve played on Aurora for a few months, on and off over many many years. I played a little in 2019, some more in 2023, and have finally picked the server back up this year.
Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they?
I have not, but I am aware of a note on my account about repeated disconnecting in-round. This was back in 2019, when I just straight up closed the game if I was done with the round instead of going to cryo. No excuse for that habit, but I certainly don’t do that anymore.Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph each.
What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?
Delegation and team buildingI believe Heads of Staff are expected to help the department take shape in any given round. They’re expected to understand the way their department works, what crew is responsible for what task, and how the operations of any department are best organised. To that end, they’re a facilitator and a manager. The Head of Security shouldn’t be solving a crime on their own, they should be delegating the tasks between all employees within the department. The Chief Medical Officer isn’t expected to make and administer pharmaceutical drugs while also doing surgery - they have a team for that. Of course, they should be able to fulfil a part of their department’s chain, but it should never be their round-start priority. We don’t expect the Chief Engineer to set up the SM, then the INDRA, then the thrusters, before any other engineer can join.
A good member of Command will turn a random group of players into a team. Usually, departments can sort themselves out and assign tasks. A Head of Staff can either play into this or break the norm and create something unique. They can change the flow of a round from your average 2 hour experience into a memorable thing just by making decisions a normal crewmember wouldn’t, all because they have the authority to do so as a Head. You don’t have to be a ‘good’ boss to be a memorable one.
Responsibility and mentoring
Furthermore, any new player should feel most comfortable asking questions to the Head of Staff. A Head of Staff should be receptive to teaching others the rough edges and the intricacies of a job. Of course, you’d expect an Investigator (Cadet) to know how to do their job ICly, but OOCly it is courteous to still ‘teach them the ropes’ in an appropriate manner. Naturally, you shouldn’t need to tell a Hangar Technician how to open or sort crates.
You’re the figurehead of your department, and every Head of Staff runs the department differently. At the end of the shift, you are held responsible for the actions of your entire department. Mentoring does not just apply to newer players - it also means teaching veterans how you, as a Head of Staff, want the department to work. However you do that is up to you.
Communication
A Head of Staff needs to be communicative too, which goes hand in hand with teamwork. This doesn’t mean they need to yap over the radio every minute, but it’s expected that a Head of Staff ensures the crew knows they’re there. Really, nobody likes to have an absent Head of Staff in their department. There’s obviously departments where it’s a bit less vital (Research often sorts itself, same for Service and a bit of Operations) and departments where communication is important to the gameplay loop (Command [!], Medical [!!], Security [!!!!!!!]).
What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?
One of the most vital parts of being a ‘boss’ in a department is the ability to handle stress, in my opinion. A lot of players are looking at you in any given round - your immediate department is expecting you to give necessary orders, your fellow Heads of Staff are expecting updates when a situation is important to them (doubly so for the Captain, as you are the Captain’s direct link to a department), and any antagonists need you to help them tell their story. Knowing how to manage stress and delegate in order to tell a believable story is one of the greatest responsibilities a Head of Staff has on Aurora.Another responsibility you have is similar to the IC one - you should know your department. Really. The way the various jobs in a department interact differs on a per-department basis (who has what primary task in Medical, who does what part of the procedure in Security), and you can’t manage it if you don’t at least know the who, what and how.
Then there’s also the fact that your behaviour and your application are openly visible to others, which is used as inspiration/input/information for their own applications and behaviour.
I intend to uphold these principles by sheer force of will, to be direct. I am really good at handling stress, and making decisions. At the end of the day, SS13 is a game, and it doesn't get to me. That responsibility of telling a story and running a team is what I enjoy the most. I also have the knowledge of what a department does, and how the cogs turn, as I firmly stand behind the principle of delegation. And you can't delegate if you don't know what the hell you're talking about! Finally, the proper behaviour. Because I enjoy Command, and Command characters, I am very devoted to them. As such, I strive to make them believable, consistent and most importantly: Not reductive to the environment.
Explain how the recent events in the Spur changed your character and how they came to be employed on the SCCV Horizon.
HOLMES, formerly known as Expo to its mining crew, is a Hephaestus positronic who has managed multiple logistics facilities over its years. After the discovery of Phoron, the positronic who used to be considered equipment turned into a hard-working individual, and Hephaestus recently gave it a datapack to further boost its management skills. It embodies the blue-collar spirit and now finds itself employed aboard the SCCV Horizon to oversee the Operations department, all in the name of industry.After my trial, and once there’s a final decision on the 2iC XO debate, I’ll also be bringing a new character to the table: Osisra Devorask, Ouerean ex-space mercenary turned Dagamuir peacekeeper. Having lived her life as a Unathi gunner aboard a mercenary vessel, Osisra is no stranger to being the boss. She’s a hardass commander, taking charge over the Horizon’s Bridge and its operations (while also advising Security at their request). For what reason? The pay, really.
What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted?
I’m primarily interested in Operations Manager, Executive Officer, Head of Security and Research Director. Secondarily I’m interested in Chief Engineer, Captain and the Liaison roles. It is incredibly unlikely that I'll play Chief Medical Officer, like, ever.Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles?
Sure have!Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking:
HOLMES, Operations Manager.
Osisra Devorask, Executive Officer.
Lioxui Oruexi, Research Director.
Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action?
Yes, although I firmly expect Aurora administration to reinstate my whitelist once the sun burns up and the servers die.Have you linked your BYOND account to the Forums?
Yes.Extra notes:
I am relatively young compared to others here on Aurora, which may weigh against me. But I have a LOT of experience playing Command on HRP (most notably, Polaris), and personally the game is a lot more fun to me as someone in charge of the department. The two characters I currently play a lot balance gameplay knowledge & escalation (Machinist) and communication, initiative and delegation skills (Bridge Crew), and I hope to prove I am equally capable of combining these as Command characters.Furthermore, I am a busy person. Outside of weekends, I don’t have that many opportunities to play a lot of rounds. I’d be more than happy to find a suitable middle-ground for the trial period, though, and I can be contacted over Discord to arrange that (while also giving more insight into why I have little time).
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We actually have this combination going on at Polaris - Science and Exploration are inherently very linked. Explorers go out, handling PoI's and bringing back artefacts, anomalies and things of high tech levels. Scientists over there range from the lab-bound ones like the Roboticist, Toxins Researcher etc. to some outside ones like the Xenoarchaeologist and the Xenofauna Technician. As someone who's been RD there, I can safely say: Yes.
Right now, Science suffers a lot from having this weird combination of a LOT of things and no things at all. R&D can yield great things, but relies heavily on materials and people actually asking for it. Xenobio&bot have super interesting gameplay, but it can get stale really quickly (especially xenobotany because there are so few rare seed spawns). Xenoarchaeology has the most expansive 'exploration' gameplay available to it, and people really gravitate to that as well.
Make Science both the lab and the field department. Scientists have a lot of tools available to creatively solve problems, but they don't ever get the chance to use said tools on the Horizon. Give them the opportunity to use those self-made guns on an expedition! Let them transport objects through portals in emergencies! Science needs something where they can be the ones who benefit from their own hard work once in a while.
I genuinely think people will be drawn more to Science if they get more action. And it's entirely opt-in! If your character is solely a lab-rat, but you want to be included? Join to set up a small monitoring camp! Gather data! You want to be more of a field scientist with an aptitude for shooting? Hell yeah, clear out those PoI's. There's absolutely potential here and it would be a shame if the opportunity wasn't taken.
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Never leave the Bridge Crew unsupervised.
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Hello and thank you for your response!
Emotions are a very biological thing to have, and we as humans learn the meaning behind certain expressions of emotions through socialisation. For an IPC, this is much the same - they observe, then make connections based on what they see. However, the difference is that human emotions are chemical, and IPC's do not have this! This means IPC's have to use their observational and logical skills to understand what emotions are, instead of 'feeling' them.
In the case of HOLMES, it has lived in the following environments, which has made it understand and express the following emotions:
- The mining ship it was on as Expo, before the discovery of Phoron. This environment was 'hostile' but communal, in the sense that the mining crew expressed clearly that Expo wasn't crew, but just a machine - a object. It learned what community was, but at this point it was conditioned to see itself as equipment over an individual, thus kneecapping the drive to express itself based on what it learned.
- The mining sector as Expo, after the discovery of Phoron. By staffing the mining crew with more positronic colleagues, Expo learned how to "be positronic". It wasn't delegated to being equipment that can't have thoughts and feelings unique to itself, rather becoming part of a crew - community, like it observed with the old mining crew. This period really helped Expo grow and understand normal emotions, such as happiness when the yields were good, sadness when a coworker got in an accident, frustration when there was discussion, etc. Expo remains stunted in this time, though, because its status quo was suddenly changed and it needed to relearn what it means to be.
- The logistics sector as HOLMES, after getting a datachip. There's a large gap between the discovery of Phoron and the present day, and in this time Expo has been exposed to normal life, while being recognized as an individual. It's capable of understanding emotions now, and knowing what to do with them, after learning a LOT about the world surrounding it. It still struggles with nuance (someone who says they're fine will be taken at face value, even if they just got shot - verbal input takes priority over observed information when it doesn't pertain to HOLMES' datapack), but it can hold conversations with people and understand why events cause emotions.
I'm also approaching HOLMES from a perspective where it itself has some 'deeper' traumas with personhood and identity, and how its shift from Expo to HOLMES and its larger recognition within Hephaestus Industries has changed it. The shift from being Expo (with only Expo's knowledge) to being HOLMES (with both Expo's and HOLMES' knowledge) really cemented what 'gratitude' is like. Hephaestus gave it a name, a purpose, knowledge, opportunities - simply put, Hephaestus gave it life. As a result, a lot of positive emotions have a deeply-rooted link to Hephaestus for HOLMES. From a social perspective, though, it can become unhealthy if a recognized individual only connects positivity to a megacorporation (which does not reasonably return that love as is required). One such example in game is that HOLMES will never thank someone for something that was done for it. Rather, it will thank said person in the name of Hephaestus Industries. In short, it considers itself a person of Hephaestus, rather than a person simply working for Hephaestus, and that reflects in the way it expresses itself.
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BYOND Ckey: N. Komaeda
Discord username: viego_vol_kalah
Character names: Jason Hellevan, Uskiro Kisisril, Kaoloh Siziursi
Species you are applying to play: IPC.
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General Whitelist Requirements
What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: Not applicable for IPC’s.
Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Primarily the base pages, and the links to corporations. Less so religion, as the character I am whitelisting for has no need for petty faith. Only the call of industry.
Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question.
Why do you wish to play this species?:
Robots can be pretty cool! You experience the game with vastly different concerns than other species - food and water are concerns for the weak. You only worry about P O W E R. Besides, I am mainly interested in playing the Industrial IPC’s, because come on. Who doesn’t want to be the sentient equivalent to a walking forklift?
What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?:
Positronics live in a unique state where they’re equipment or people, depending on who’s asking. They are subject to discrimination and hate-crimes by some (Dominians would dismantle them with a smile on their face, Skrell avoid them out of pure trauma from Glorsh-Omega), while others consider them equals (personhood is recognized by the Republic of Biesel and Konyang, for example), and there are also those who still consider them equipment/property (looking at you, Sol.)
Furthermore, positronic behaviour is determined by logic. Emotions are a socialised behaviour - they’re taught by exposure to the environment. The actions a positronic takes have their roots in logical thought processes. They might be ‘mad’ over their friend being shot next to them, but the logical response is to preserve one’s self.
Broadly put, though, the difference in their immediate roleplay is up to the player! Younger positronics may express themselves more robotic, while older positronics might find themselves used to the speech patterns from the culture they were exposed to.
Character Name: HOLMES (Hephaestus Operations, Logistics, Management and Excavation Synthetic)
Please provide a short backstory for this character
HOLMES is a Hephaestus Industries positronic, originally built with one purpose: Mining. The sheer amount of resources Hephaestus needs to manufacture their products demands a round-the-clock, easily-overseeable workforce. Activated in 2409, HOLMES - originally just called ‘Expo’ by its colleagues and foreman (short for Excavation Posi) - worked on mining ships, tirelessly punching ore from the rock and ferrying it to the foundries. Expo had little personality for most of its early life. It was not an individual to the mining crew, but a tool, and any character traits it had were attributed to it because of its work. It went to work, believing its personality is a ‘hard-working machine’, and that that was enough.
For an arduous eight years, this was basically Expo’s life: Load the mining craft (because it couldn’t tire, or break its back, or need to worry about stupid human things like ergonomics), wait in the shuttle until those humans finally boarded the craft, and then get sent out into the dangers of space to punch rocks. The other mining crew was slightly unpleasant, making a claim to Expo’s big hauls, sending it off to keep slugging on while they winded down to drink in the shuttle. For a painful eight years, Expo was just equipment, basically a part of the shuttle he was assigned to. Its old, industrial chassis was worn from the dust in its joints, and the rocks that fell on its shoulders. Expo was neglected.
After the discovery of Phoron, however, mining operations were revolutionised. This new mineral demanded a breath of fresh air. After all, everyone wanted to bring the new, shiny, hazardous mineral to the market. Hephaestus renovated their mining operations, and decided that their positronic personnel is paramount for their success. Expo was moved from its old chassis to a new one - a Xion chassis. It allowed Expo to do everything it did before, but better. Furthermore, the crew was given ‘sensitivity training’, in addition to more positronic crew being appointed to excavation operations. Finally, Expo found itself exposed to others of its kind who did have a culture, a personality. Slowly, it started forming its own identity. Expo was no longer a tool, it was actually recognized as the backbone of its craft.
The years went by, and Expo kept on bringing in materials for Hephaestus Industries, and it was moved from shuttle to ship, from ship to base, not staying in one location for more than three years. Company decisions, of course. Expo’s monotonous existence was turned upside down as it went places and saw others.
But that’s enough of then. We’re in the now. Expo never stopped working, but it got more responsibilities. From just punching rocks to managing the incoming and outgoing supplies, the movement of products, and punching rocks, Expo did it. Quickly, it became a unit to deploy when a site needed a blue-collar positronic boss. Somewhere in 2464, some suit in Hephaestus decided to take Expo and upload a datapack designed for management skills in the logistics sector. Alongside this, tenets for a more ‘personable’ identity were imprinted upon the originally blunt-yet-harmless positronic. That same suit also decided that Expo was no name, and settled on HOLMES instead. Is the acronym a coincidence? Nobody knows! HOLMES is now assigned to oversee the Operations department at the SCCV Horizon with a brand-new G2 chassis issued by the company, and on God will manage it.
How have the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Events such as the Phoron Scarcity, the Solarian Collapse or even the Invasions of Biesel for interstellar-wide affairs, while region-specific events such as the Peacekeeper Mandate, The Titan Rises or even Cold Dawn may impact your character.
The Phoron Scarcity spurred the mining business to keep on searching, and it was because of this that Expo learned there was more than just being the sentient equivalent of a pallet jack. Because mining and the search for Phoron became such hot topics, the course of Expo’s life shifted to what it is now. There’s a metaphor for identity here somewhere. Naturally, HOLMES fears the Rampancy going on in Konyang, as it finally became someone. It is terrified that the Rampancy spreads to its own body, and that it’ll be decommissioned as what it was gaslit to be for too many years: Just a machine.
How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?
Obviously, the datapack given to HOLMES incurs some pro-Hephaestus tendencies in its behaviour. But real talk, Hephaestus is its life - literally. HOLMES, at present, does not strive to be a free IPC. It has no problem being the property of Hephaestus Industries, as HI has done a lot for HOLMES. Do you think an IPC can traumabond to a massive corporation? I think it’s possible.
Notes:
I plan to play this character for when I do a Command whitelist, as OM. The idea of an industrial robot operating under THE industrial company, in THE industrial sector? It’s funny. At present, I don’t have any other real IPC ideas, but that may change once I’m inspired to do more.
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Thank you for your quick answer!
Regarding your first question, about the developments on Ouerea. Uskiro never knew much better when he was hatched on the planet. Naturally, he knew of the existence of Moghes, but whatever went on there wasn't the status quo for him as a Ouerean. Life on Ouerea worked out well, despite the youth of the planet. The arrival of Sol and the Federation only helped improve the colony, especially in a time where the ones who should have been there (the Hegemony) were too busy meeting their makers. He understands their retreat when the Hegemony decided to 'take back' the colony, but it caused him more sadness than anger. Like his own people, the humans and the Skrell were part of one great community.
His view on Feudalism is obviously negative. Not only has a more democratic society through the Synod of Scales proven effective, the feudalistic system back on Moghes failed horribly. The idea that power lies in a sole 'Lord' does not gel well with Uskiro. The implementation of the human and Skrellian political systems really helped solidify Ouerea's sense of community - We are in this together, and we get to decide together. Uskiro's immediate thoughts would be that the Hegemony has failed them - the Ouerean Unathi - but that the typical Ouerean principle (the blade cuts both ways; Both sides have failed each other) does not apply here. It was not the choice of Ouerea to cause an upheaval in their planetary governance. This was solely the decision of the Hegemon. As a sidenote regarding his belief: The Months of Blood were another catalyst for the growth of Aut'akh on Ouerea, as the injured find themselves in need of (mechanical) help. More radical Aut'akh would point at the Hegemon's actions and say, "His body cannot house his soul, his evil soul. This is why we must change, to never become a demon stuck in flesh." Uskiro's faith in the Hegemon is dwindling, and fast.
When Hephaestus started their exploitative practices on Ouerea, Uskiro's resentment grew. He heard the stories from those who suffered at the hands of the Titan's company, and deep inside he approves of the Aut'akh practices against the megacorporation. The worst part of all - Ouereans have seen what a 'good' megacorporation is like, when NT boosted the colony's growth through shuttlefare. The way Hephaestus treats his community disgusts Uskiro deeply. The rebellion, after the walkout in 2460, was a way for the Ouerean people to finally cry out for help. Uskiro is cocky, proud and old enough to talk about the way he himself fought with Hephaestus officers, though always out of self-defense. His respect for nobility returned just a little bit when then-Lord-Regent Not'Zar actually talked with the Ouereans. They never got what they wanted (full democratic freedom), so the current feudalism-with-a-tinge-of-democracy-system works like salt in the wound. The recent events with Hephaestus Industries and the Hegemony basically poisoning Ouerea to save Moghes shattered that respect for the now-Hegemon, and only solidified the deeply-rooted hatred towards the Titan. These events also culminated in one of the many possible reasons why he would leave: This planet might not be safe anymore. Not from the Titan, not from the Hegemon. It might only be a matter of time until everything they care about gets rolled up, thrown into a HI plant to break their body for nothing. And if that happens, then the Aut'akh especially won't be safe.
Lot of answers to one question there! Let's move on to your second question, Uskiro's opinions on humanity and the Skrell. Of course, they were (and still are) alien to him. This was the case when he was just a hatchling. But they brought so much to Ouerea, to make it grow and prosper. Without them, the Ouerean Unathi would not have found themselves the way they did now. Maybe, without them, they would just be another happy slave to the Hegemony-Hephaestus Industries regime that took over Moghes. His conversion to the Aut'akh faith also started small, with the action of humans: The prosthetic finger. He still keeps it around, after seeing his arm replaced with an Aut'akh prosthetic, having it on a chain as a necklace. Without their presence, Uskiro would not have been where he is now, and it is difficult to resent them for leaving when the pressure got too high. He respects the Skrell for sticking around even during the Rebellion, and is quick to be jovial with any one Skrell who fought against the megacorporation's mounting oppression.
Then to your third and final question, the Champions of Moghes. At their core, both the Champions and the Aut'akh despise the effect of Hephaestus Industries on the Unathi. It's just that their ideology differs too much - The Champions believe they should return to something that was pure and true, while the Aut'akh believe they should transcend into something more pure and true than before. The assassination attempt on the Titan, in Uskiro's eyes, was just fate. Aeson's actions evoked a response, and he was extraordinarily lucky to survive the attempt. It's not too unlikely that some of the mechanisms Uskiro worked on - suits, machines, prosthetics - found their way in the claws of the Champions, and he doesn't disapprove of their usage. Uskiro's not an active extremist of sorts, but he does stand behind anything and everything that would make Hephaestus suffer.
post screenshots that make you go hmm
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