Nagito Komaeda

BYOND Ckey: N. Komaeda Discord username: viego_vol_kalah Character names: Jason Hellevan, Marina Sanchez, Aqii Tola-Riv. Species you are applying to play: Unathi. --- General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: Brown (think Mudki Stone). Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes, though I have focused on the ‘basics’, not on deeper things (specific Moghesian locations, entertainment etc.). 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?: Somehow, Unathi are always the coolest no matter what server you go to. Huge, muscular lizards with a deep relation to religion, culture, community and work are cool as fuck. I find that, for me, they’re a really effective method of translating a character idea into reality. They have to navigate being devoted to their faith (or lack thereof), their differences with other aliens in the universe, and their consistent dedication to their craft, all while being one of the most intimidating species around. Aurora Unathi deepen this by adding ‘gender’ as a major decider in their life, which is neat. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Due to their physique and culture, Unathi express themselves differently from humans - or any other species, really. For starters: They stare. A lot. To the point where it might be uncomfortable for someone. They stare because they’re interested in something, and they kind of expect you to hold eye contact with them as well. Also, don’t point at them. It’s rude. If the Unathi has a particularly bad day, it might even consider duelling you because of it. Body language also plays a big part in the expressions of a Unathi. The tail is used to emphasise emotions, for example, while anything relating to the throat signifies an extreme truth: Trust, shame, connection etc. The flipside is that a Unathi protecting its throat signifies distrust. Verbally, Unathi huff and bark to show certain emotions. They can rattle as well. Pretty cool stuff. Their manner of speech is very gendered (more on gender in their society later) - male usually refers to something to protect or attack, female usually refers to something meant to heal or help. They also use time as a descriptor: Fast is bad, slow is good. Also, they have a good amount of idioms. I won’t repeat them here because that’s not the point. But they’re cool. Big one: Faith. Unathi culture is filled to the brim with religion. There’s two main faiths: Th’akh and Sk’akh. Th’akh is about understanding that all spirits pass on to an afterlife, and that the living must honour the spirits in life so they may join them in death. Sk’akh builds off of this, believing that the spirits pass on into an assimilated Entity, who in turn represents the three aspects of Unathi life: The life of a Warrior, the life of a Healer, and the life of a Fisherman. Both of these faiths give colour to the Unathi’s world, pushing them to act in a specific way. These two are more inherent, though they will show up in fitting scenarios. Th’akh has an off-shoot in the form of the Aut’akh, Unathi who believe the body suffers from biological frailty. To that end, they have made an entire religion out of the implementation, acceptance and reverence of cybernetic and mechanical augmentation. Sk’akh, on the other hand, has an off-shoot called Si’akh, Unathi who believe that the living Unathi must repent for the sins they brought upon their own kind. This is a faith about fire, suffering, devotion and tradition, and it could even be interpreted as hostile. Both Aut’akh and Si’akh are more overt and present within active roleplay, due to the massive influence they have on the way a follower of these faiths present themselves. With faith comes gender. Unathi believe that sex and gender are separated, and that gender is determined by what you do. Warriors are traditionally male, while doctors are traditionally female. A biologically female Unathi may be considered male if she is a devoted warrior, for example, and vice versa. Being gender neutral is also possible in their society, which is usually associated with builders and engineers. Different faiths, as well as different planetary cultures, have their own views on gender and gender fluidity. Hegemony Unathi are lightly xenophobic, but they have warmed up to humans through the establishment of Hephaestus Industries on Moghes, and to the Vaurca through the K’lax hive’s vassalship. Ouerean Unathi developed a culture alongside humans and Skrell, resulting in a more tolerant society (except to Hephaestus Industries, fuck those guys). --- Character Name: Uskiro Kisisril Please provide a short backstory for this character The colonisation of Ouerea demanded all hands on deck from the forming communities. Building a town is one thing, building an entire planet takes countless years, hard work and sweat. Hatched in 2413, Uskiro hails from a clan of metalworkers who devoted their lives to their smithing. Metalwork shifted, though, when First Contact happened on Ouerea, and the Unathi were introduced to heavier machinery by the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation. Growing up alongside such machinery, Uskiro always found himself amazed by the sheer strength and effectiveness of metal. The Unathi had made metal move - but other species made it dance. In his youth, Uskiro always loved seeing industrial machinery work their wonders, tirelessly and dedicatedly. So, following in the footsteps of his family, Uskiro studied and scrapped, built and operated such equipment. He found joy in this, as these machines felt like an extension to himself. He was the hand that guides the blade. Then, the Contact War happened, and Moghes neglected Ouerea to focus on their in-fighting. Ouereans valued community, and they could not fathom this. The Contact War was the catalyst for Aut’akh to be formed. Such evil could only stem from a chained, bitter soul, and Aut’akh served to achieve spiritual freedom. Initially, Uskiro did not pay much mind to the formation of such a religion. He kept focusing on his craft, travelling Ouerea with other craftsmen to build their own world, free from the Moghesian nuclear oppression. Even in loneliness and in fatigue, and in grievous injury, Uskiro told himself he did it for those close to him. Until he lost a finger. It started small. One industrial accident in a remote area, resulting in one of Uskiro’s fingers getting stuck between the hydraulics of a loader unit. Medical help was too late to salvage it, and Uskiro found himself lacking a digit. Humans had such useful solutions: In exchange for some money, Uskiro became the owner of his very own prosthetic finger. Such a small device, and yet he saw it as another extension of his will. With praise to the applying mechanic, he returned to his work, feeling more like himself than before. When he returned home, however, he was primarily met with a mix of disgust and concern. Th’akh believes the body houses the spirit. For lack of better terms, Uskiro cut down a tree in his garden, and replaced it with a lamp. His family - his community - disapproved, leaving Uskiro to ponder his decisions. He felt insulted, worthless, and like a failure, that he did something that caused his community to think poorly of him. Seeking like-minded individuals, Uskiro met up with other Sinta with prosthetics. With Aut’akh on the rise, these small groups started forming their own communities, slowly but surely shaping a new faith. Uskiro is not one of the first, but he has practised the Aut’akh tenets for many, many years now. He willingly accepted a new hand - then a new arm, augmenting it so he can better do his work. As he grew older, he welcomed further augmentation. Anything to help him in his new life. Uskiro prizes himself on helping keep the Underbelly safe with his equipment, be it the construction of exosuits to keep intruders out, or helping shamans install, bless and maintain prosthetic limbs and augmentations. He became part of a new community, and he would protect it. To Uskiro, violence isn’t always the answer, but it is a great test of one’s body, spirit and the deep relationship between these two. Why would an old man leave his community behind, though? Even he doesn’t know fully what compelled him to do so. Perhaps he grew tired of monotony, and the stress of living on a planet where his practised faith is considered an extremist’s justification. Perhaps he wanted to broaden his skills and explore the knowledge brought forth by the other species in the universe. Or perhaps he wants to be the person he found when he needed it most: Someone who accepts others and functions as a catalyst, so that a lost soul may find their path again. 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. If we’re talking about a Unathi from Ouerea, then The Titan Rises cannot be ignored - ESPECIALLY for an Aut’akh. The Ouerean Unathi never resented Hephaestus Industries when they asserted themselves, but that changed once the megacorporation started showing their true colours of exploitation. The Aut’akh communities are a thorn in the side of Hephaestus Industries, stealing their equipment and materials to fuel the creation of new prosthetics, augments and even industrial machinery. Naturally, Uskiro butted heads with Hephaestus personnel trying to access the Underbelly, and some of these confrontations turned hostile. Seeing how Hephaestus exploits communities infuriates Uskiro, and he despises anything related to the Titan. As a person, Uskiro would only offer veneer and insults to Hephaestus representatives, and he would never fully trust anyone working for the megacorporation (unless they’re genuinely not aware of the exploitation.) He considers theft of Hephaestus equipment to be morally good, as he views it to be ‘taking back what was stolen’. Uskiro considers the actions of the Hegemon to be borderline betrayal to his community. Moghes being rendered a wasteland by the Contact War should not be a reason for Ouerea to suffer, yet it is what the Hegemon dictates. Uskiro does not approve of such. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Orion Express is relatively simple. They work hard and don’t uphold these huge hidden agendas of planetary-scale exploitation. Uskiro feels like Orion Express doesn’t fully value his mechanical expertise, but he gets paid and he is given the opportunity to gain more knowledge. Uskiro’s a hard worker despite that, and he’ll do what the company asks him to do. It helps that they’re a rival to Hephaestus in the operations sector. Uskiro feels like he contributes to battling the Titan, however little one man’s work means. Notes: Ask away! I’m always open to questions. I don’t have many hours on the server, in part because I need motivation for my characters (which a Unathi whitelist helps with). I also have another character concept in the works for when I eventually want to try a Command whitelist, so if there’s particular interest in screening that, let me know.

Relatively new and I mainly play Xenobotany, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I think the general layout is more interesting: R&D, Circuitry and the Server Room being in the same location seems fitting to me. I personally like the 'central' meeting room. It just gives a certain vibe. Separating Chemistry, in my opinion, is also good. However let me make clear that I mainly interact with Xenobotany and R&D. Xenobiology looks great! Increased space to work with other lifeforms, as well as having an observation room creates much more RP. Xenobotany is amazing, from my view. More trays, less roundabout walking (god, I love Xenobotany but walking for half the round to actually process your reagents will be the devil). I can understand the feedback given by others, though! Research does get a bit closed off now, no? Perhaps it's possible to do a change like this? Open up the normal airlock where the 'containment airlock' was before, and move the containment one to here. Maybe add a ringer here as well, so that Xenobiology/Botany/Chemistry can link to it to take requests? That way, Limette's concern of Xenoarchaeology being inaccessible is alleviated. I can't really speak on the new design of Telescience, it's a bit less roundabout, I suppose. Also, I feel this little nook here is going to be VERY annoying, not sure if something can be done about that, but that's an opinion moreso than fact.

Thanks for giving me more insight on those two points! I'll be sure to keep them in mind. It's very likely that I'll play Aqii as a Psychologist only, then. For your first question, regarding the social credit score. I would imagine Aqii holds a higher one, around 6.78. They have a family & (have) function(ed) as Qrri'Myaq, Qraa'Myaq and Myaq'Lak. Their entire family has always devoted themselves to science and rebuilding the Skrellian society one step at a time. I imagine that the Federation looks kindly upon those who survived the Oppression, and those who put effort in helping their kin recover from this incident. Furthermore, Aqii is religious, following Qeblak. They're less active in practicing it, but they still firmly believe in their faith. For your second and third question, regarding views of others. During the radiant era, Aqii has seen how important the presence of manual labour is. Put bluntly, rebuilding is done through blood, sweat and tears. With this realisation of the value of physical work, Aqii holds respect for the Diona and Vaurca in the Federation. There's no inherent distrust or resentment towards them for 'taking our jobs god-damnit', even with the knowledge that some Skrell may miss out on the privileges of a higher SCS by 'settling' for manual labour. Aqii still needs to form stronger opinions on the various other species on the galactic stage, but they hold an open mind and a kind attitude to those with vastly different cultures. With synthetics, however, there's an indescribable fear for Aqii. They were never directly victimised by the synthetic oppression, but the society around Aqii has imprinted them with distrust and fear. Aqii wouldn't outright vilify fully-synthetic individuals, but they've only been told bad things about synthetics through their life. As such, a 'good' synthetic would be an exception, but an invisible feeling inside of Aqii tells them to still be wary. For your fourth question, Aqii would sign with Ziip'Ta, as the route towards such an exchange program is easier. The feeling of 'wanting to leave, and see other things' came on a bit of a whim, and the work initiative program is a comparatively easier way of achieving that goal. I'm aware that this means there's a recognizability to be upheld in character, and I'll be certain to keep this up. For your fifth question, Aqii has primarily positive views of the Federation. This is by and large due to the Federation 'growing' and 'improving' into the radiant era, and Aqii growing up in this environment. They realise the Federation isn't perfect, but they're in a privileged position where they enjoy the benefits of having a relatively high credit score. It's exactly for that reason that they pity opposition groups. After all, they know the Federation can provide for them, if they would coexist instead of diverge. Regarding the DRPA, I'm not that versed in Tajaran lore, so I can't make a solid statement. I'd imagine Aqii to not really harbour ill will towards anyone, but they also uphold the opinion that the Federation in its current state works (which is an opinion generated by their privilege). Therefore, the same story as before: Why oppose it?

BYOND Key: N. Komaeda Character Names: Jason Hellevan, Trevor Mulligan Species you are applying to play: Skrell What colour do you plan on making your first alien character: A cyan colour for a Xiialt Skrell. Not sure about the specific hex-code yet, I'd have to narrow that down in game. Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Certainly. I can’t guarantee I’ve read every single thing, but I’ve gone through the main page and various other pages on numerous occasions. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. Why do you wish to play this specific race: I don’t particularly get much enjoyment out of playing humans (after all, I play one in real life every day). So I’m looking to branch out a bit. Skrell caught my eye after some lovely interactions in the game, after which I started doing my research. They have a lot of what I like about Unathi on a server like Polaris: A long-lived species whose wisdom always appears in their craft. Furthermore, they’re psionically involved by default, which is new to me! Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Skrell, like mentioned earlier, live way longer than humans do, and thus they see life events differently. One could describe them as carefree when it comes to their views: Generally, they see long-term uncertainty as the devil. Where a human would worry a lot about a presentation and the preparation they have to do to give it, a Skrell experiences a ton of stress when thinking about their life choices and career path. Furthermore, the Skrell are generally described as kind and thoughtful, which is in part due to their culture. Due to their psionic presence, community and like-mindedness have become virtues of the entire Skrell-kind. Their kind and thoughtful nature also shows in their emotions; though rarely visible to humans, they express themselves through body language and auditory mannerisms mainly. Humans would find them eerie, on the notion of their deep, black eyes not showing much emotion. Character Name: Aqii Tola-Riv Please provide a short backstory for this character Considered a light blessing, Aqii Tola-Riv was born in 2241, after Skrellian society started recovering from Glorsh-Omega’s oppression. Due to the mass sterilisation, their Qrri’Myaq cherished the opportunity to guide a new youngling through life. The strenuous years after Glorsh-Omega’s fall resulted in humanitarian efforts becoming part of culture, and Aqii was raised with this in mind: To help the unfortunate. Aqii’s luck was that their Qraa’Myaq and Qrra’Myaqi were capable biological researchers, and thus they were blessed with a higher social credit score. During their youth, Aqii was constantly surrounded and exposed to the scientific method, but also the danger of stress. After all, a familial system filled with researchers experiences uncertainty, deadlines and future concerns on a regular basis. Nevertheless, Aqii persevered through their scientific studies - Partially due to the familial reputation and privilege permitted by the social credit system. The avenues of biological research following the Tri-Qyu Calamity were a perfect fit for the Tola family. Pursuing such biological science always interested Aqii, but they got a lot of satisfaction out of helping others understand what bothers them. Coming from an environment with high stress being a constant, Aqii wanted to learn to remedy the effects of such. Pursuit of the psychological sciences was lightly frowned upon in Aqii’s family - After all, Skrell society needed to be rebuilt, and they needed the best researchers available to them to achieve this. Not just that, but due to the rehabilitation within Skrell society, Aqii’s path towards formal degrees was slow. This culminated in them being treated as ‘naive’, in the sense that Aqii was considered too young to make such a decision. Yes, the Skrell pursue all research, but at the time the study of the mind was deemed less important than the physical and biological sciences. Naturally, this instilled a lot of stress in the relatively-young Aqii. To try and push such stress away, they decided to volunteer for local health systems. This way, they would get some practical experience before pursuing a second degree. During this time, Aqii met many older Skrell who lived through the oppression of Glorsh-Omega. They would keep such survivors company, talking about the time before the synthetic oppression. Days, weeks, Aqii spent with the bedridden, the concerned and the terminal patients of their local hospital. It was during this time that Aqii met Riv, a bedridden physician who devoted every fibre of their being to the local recuperation of society. Riv was ill, from the X’Lu’Oa forced upon them, but also from the hardships they had to endure in their life. They were always devoted to doing the same as Aqii aspires to do: Helping others. When Riv eventually passed away, Aqii was convinced: They wanted to pursue psychological studies in order to better help their kind process the traumatic history they experienced. Their sheer devotion ended up pushing their family to permit it. After all, aid to the Skrellian society would still be considered positive in the eyes of the recovering Federation. Finishing their second degree at around 73, Aqii spent the next decades guiding others through their life, their hardships and helping to relieve their stress. Their methods are similar to the humanitarian school of psychology, where the practitioner holds an open mind and helps the patient to become more aligned with themselves Many, many decades later, Aqii’s Qrii’Myaq and Qraa’Myaq passed away, while Aqii themselves started a family, fulfilling the role of Qraa’Myaq themselves first, and eventually being considered Myaq’Lak by the youngest Skrell in their family. It filled Aqii with much joy to be a figure of acceptance within their family system, and the privileges of the Federation certainly weren’t lost on them. However, with this age also came a degree of melancholy. For the first couple of months, Aqii couldn’t place it. But soon, they understood: They missed the experience of being involved with a life new to them. Seeing all the young Skrell grow up made Aqii happy, of course. However, Aqii realised they could never experience the same unbridled naivety of the society they live in again if nothing changed. This is what prompted Aqii to seek employment under Zeng-Hu, who were already becoming more and more involved with the Skrell throughout Aqii’s life. What do you like about this character? I’m a sucker for psychology, honestly. With Aqii, I can enter the Medical department on Aurora with more intention to roleplay, to ‘be kind’. I can really zone in on the ‘old, but wise’ identity with a character whose entire attitude revolves around helping others. How would you rate your role-playing ability? What a difficult question! I’d say 7/10 normally, 8/10 when it comes to ‘mechanical’/’intensive’ roleplay. I’m not the best at driving encounters, doing barRP kind of things, but you bet your ass I can sound extremely fancy when talking about science, or when I’m doing one-on-one roleplay. Notes: First application, and it will certainly not be the last. I’m left wondering, though: Would it be possible and within bounds for me to play Aqii as a Psychologist and a Xenobiologist/other avenue of Science? Or would this be considered too broad? Do let me know! Also if things seem deranged, I tend to write entire applications in the span of one/two days because I can truly hyperfocus on them to get them done. Apologies if things seem inconsistent or may miss some things, I'm sure such kinks will be worked out the more I do applications around here.