La Villa Strangiato

thanos with the infinity stones except it's me with species whitelists BYOND Ckey: Lavillastrangiato Discord username: lavillastrangiato Character names: Meret Aikio, Gulay Uzun, Jiaxing Volvalaad, etc Species you are applying to play: Dionae ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: Medium brown with green tinge Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes. Why do you wish to play this species?: I think with the new lore and life breathed into the species by Caelphon, I'd be really interested in having the opportunity to explore more about Dionae and play one of my own. Wasteland Dionae are one of my favourite parts of wasteland lore, and it's where I think the connection between Unathi and Dionae really shines. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Dionae are space-dwelling superorganisms that consist of a few to a few thousand dionae "nymphs", cat-sized creatures that feed off most anything they can consume, but require the absorption of radiation to live. At a certain stage in their growth, nymphs can asexually reproduce by budding "seed pods", which may result in other nymphs. Out of interest in self-preservation, nymphs will strongly gravitate to forming a "gestalt"; this is a hivemind of nymphs that act in conjunction, though what form their hivemind takes, or even if it coheres strongly, depends on a diona's "mindtype". A mindtype refers to the power structure and dynamic that the nymphs within a gestalt follow. A mindtype is not only established through nymph development, but also through the circumstances and personal developments that a dionae may go through as they mature, mimicking the sophonts around them. Nymphs can act as a well-oiled machine of a collective, such as in the case of a Singular Sound gestalt, or have a lead nymph that controls most of their thoughts, expressions, and anatomy, such as a Tyrannical Tune gestalt. Due to the constant communique between nymphs in the gestalt, dionae may speak somewhat slowly, or have long pauses between spaces of speech. Dionae are highly intelligent, curious, and prone to pacifism. They often develop their bases of knowledge through the consumption of the blood of other sophonts, and young nymphs will often do this on instinct, without much concern for pain or appropriate conduct. Through sucking blood, dionae absorb the memories of their recipient, allowing them to understand other languages and have a stronger understanding of social concepts from the species in question. Sometimes, in rare cases, dionae will absorb a much-loved deceased companion of the gestalt, taking on all their memories and becoming a Mourning Mass. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Preserver of the Memories of the Ruzuil and Those Long-Departed (Preserver of the Memories of the Long-Departed, "Preserver" or "Ruzuil") Write a backstory for your character. In the aftermath of the Contact War of Moghes, a shower of meteors crashed into the newly-formed Wasteland. Of one of these meteors, a Colossus had fallen from the firmament, spreading its seeds that would eventually grow into nymphs in the radiation-rich environment. Three such nymphs blossomed in the Wastes; they lived a simple, animal life as they followed the radiation hotspots across the vast, empty landscape. When they settled at a pond, rich with radiation, the three nymphs settled for a time to feed. But one day, the nymphs were met with the reality that they were not alone. A caravan, consisting of several struggling Sinta, had trekked across the land and stumbled upon the newly-flourishing pond. They were all that remained of the clan of Ruzuil, who had been wrenched from their homeland as the bombs fell. Dehydrated and worrying at their exposure to radiation, the last remnants of the clan settled for now at the little oasis. To their surprise, the worm-like creatures that had also made a home around the pond seemed more curious than aggressive. After Okuzi of the Ruzuil suffered a nip from a nymph, the travellers discovered something even more fascinating; these creatures could speak Sinta'Azaziba. After weeks of trial-and-error, observation, and coexistence with their new companions, the remainders of Ruzuil gradually taught the three nymphs their names, the world they had left behind, and the uncertain future they faced. When the nymphs gently drained blood from the Ruzuil to absorb more of their their experience and their knowledge, they grew and merged into a gestalt of the Singular Sound type; Listener of the Tales of the Ruzuil, or "Listener". Though initially surprised, the Ruzuil were pleased to add a new member to their group, one that could purge the radiation from the Wasteland. Though water was no longer scarce at the oasis pond, food was still short, and the Ruzuil had many miles to trek before they might reach civilization. Listener eagerly joined them. The decimated clan had to avoid raiders, ration what little of their food remained, and even kill their last elder, Rokzuo, as he sickened and became too weak to follow. Listener was able to absorb Rokzuo's memories through his blood, but the comfort it offered to the rest was bittersweet. One day, Listener realized after long periods of subsisting on the harsh daylight of the Wasteland, they were beginning to glow. To Listener's horror, they were feasting on a massive pocket of radiation, which could easily injure their compatriots. Listener was able to guide the group on a path away from the irradiated dunes, but the damage had been done. One by one, Listener watched the last of clan Ruzuil sicken and die. Uneducated in the matter of healing such grievous illness, Listener could only comfort the dying, singing prayers of the Court of Stars that would guide the clan to their final rest. As each died, Listener supped on their blood, strengthening themselves and securing their memories, forever. And then, they walked. For a year Listener wandered the wastes, singing in hollow tones prayers to the gods, and the long and tragic tale of a lost clan. To their surprise, however, Listener was found again; this time by a wandering section of Kataphracts who were astonished to find one of the "radiation-eaters" they'd heard tales of. Listener decided that they had a new role to play, and their name should reflect that; they introduced themselves as Preserver of the Memories of the Long-Departed Ruzuil, or "Preserver". So Preserver was brought to the city of Baandr, where they eked out a new life; scribing the tale of the Ruzuil clan, and singing prayer for all who would hear. Over time they garnered a reputation as their namesake; a "preserver" of knowledge that had been long-lost in the War. Many came to Preserver to have the memories of their families scribed, written, and kept in Preserver's mind through a quick nip of blood. As influences of humanity and other species became more and more evident on Moghes, Preserver's wanderlust and curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to become employed with Orion Express as a bookkeeper and eventual librarian, in the hopes of seeing more of the galaxy and putting to paper more of knowledge that could be forgotten. How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? The Titan Rises arc left Preserver with a cautious appreciation for Hephaestus Industries; while the work the corporation has done for Moghes is undeniable, the sentiment of disgruntled Traditionalist-adherents has left Preserver with something of a suspicion of greed, profit-motive, and the changes that have wracked the Hegemony. Despite this private concern, it isn't going to stop Preserver from doing their job; if there's anything that they've absorbed after coming aboard with Orion, it's that this is a corporate galaxy. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Preserver is appreciative of their acceptance within Orion's ragtag group of hires, and is intrigued by the opportunity to further chart the success and rise of the corporation beyond an SCC shell company. Other than that they are fairly neutral, though approach other Orion employees with familiarity and friendliness.

The final moka pot sprite, all-together. It has different components that can be taken apart, like a shaker, and the full set of files is in Ping's hands.

Mictlan, One Month Later Epilogue of the Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc by Verona Falk My guide leads me down a dirt road, indicating the construction site at the top of a hill. Right now, a hangar is being dismantled, and most of the blunt, square building is wrapped in plastic. Workers mill around the area, and an excavator is digging out a trench for more foundations to be laid. This was Fort Ilhutical, one of the forward operating bases for first the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, then the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Hastily constructed in the aftermath of the Peacekeeper Mandate, its sleek aircrafts, cargo shuttles, and Legionnaires are long gone. I am told that when construction is finished, this will become a shuttle port operated and owned by Idris Incorporated, and then subject to new scrutiny after a series of environmental protection laws have been passed by Mictlan’s parliament. One month later, it feels hard to imagine that this was one of the many places the Armed Forces waged war against the Samaritans. The last shuttle carrying the Minutemen back to Tau Ceti’s gravity well left exactly 13 days ago, from this very base. On it was General Meredith Trent and the remainder of her 2nd Division, along with her personal guard, Decurion Za’Akaix’Ruko Zo’ra. They were the last Legionnaires to leave Mictlan. ~~~ The duties of planetary defense have fallen to the Mictlan Defense Force. Later that day, I visit Arequipa and the Mictlan Defense Force headquarters in Valtas Square, where just two months ago a bombing by the Founding Movement damaged part of the building, demolished some of Arequipa’s glass skywalks, killed 24 people, and injured hundreds more. Once inside I’m greeted by Vitoria Correia, a recruitment officer. “We’ve had so many enlistments ever since the Samaritans were disbanded,” she explains to me. “It’s enough that we’ve had to start up a queue, check everyone’s credentials. We’ve actually managed to encourage a few of them to start officer training, working out how they could afford pursuing a degree. It’s been a lot more effective than I imagined.” Even many Samaritans who were never part of the MDF to begin with have decided to enlist. In the headquarters I speak with Soledad Dutra, a former Samaritan, who is waiting to discuss her options with a recruitment officer. “I don’t have any real skills,” says Dutra, a 28-year-old former resident of Lago de Abundacia. “I was raised in an orphanage, I lived on the streets for a bit when I turned sixteen, and then I finally got to live with my friends right before the Collapse. Then I didn’t have anything. I don’t think I’m good at anything but being a soldier, it’s what I’m trained for.” “I think she’s too pretty to be a soldier,” says Correia. It’s meant to be a joke, and Dutra laughs, but later she tells me it’s the second time Correia has made a similar remark. “She’s not as funny as she thinks she is,” Dutra says, before offering me a cigarette. I decline, but I give her enough credits to buy lunch, which she appreciates. When I leave the headquarters, I find myself at a memorial at Valtas Square’s fountain. It has become not just a memorial to the dead from the bombing, but a memorial to all those who have been caught in riots or caught in the crossfire of fighting. Candles on the rim flicker in the breeze, and flowers plastic and real choke the base of the fountain. Pictures of the dead sit between offerings, and more than once I see someone crouch to lay an offering at the memorial. On occasion I see the obvious non-Mictlani, dressed in suits and ties, ascending and descending the stone steps to the headquarters. These are Biesel Security Service Bureau agents, here on business. ~~~ Despite the almost universal surrender of the Samaritans, the Founding Movement is still a lingering presence in the background of the planet’s newfound peace. Most hide out, making statements on their Chirpers (quickly banned by moderation), some show up to protest. A recent incident involved four people who identified as members of the Founding Movement, throwing a molotov in a residential area; when arrested, they claimed to be against the peace treaty, saying that it was proof that the Samaritans had fallen under Biesel stewardship. But the movement’s day has long passed. A day later, I sit in the Caballero restaurant in Saladas; on the side of the concrete building is a painting of Marie, the main character from the Konyanimation Believe~! In the time, wearing an apron and frying taco meat. I’m served a heaping plate of tortilla chips and spicy green salsa as I wait for my next interviewee. He shows up right on time; he’s a man of slight stature and a quiet, almost nervous disposition. He is the same age as Isabel Alvarez is, and in fact attended college alongside her. His dark hair is streaked with gray, and his eyes have deep shadows under them. He is Leon de Rosas, the last of the original leadership of the Founding Movement, when it was a political party that had a decent presence in Mictlan’s parliament. After the Peacekeeper Mandate in 2462, he surrendered to the Biesel Security Services Bureau, in contrast to his former college friends. He was imprisoned on Biesel for three years, and has recently returned to Mictlan after former General Xiomara Salvo petitioned for his pardon and release. I try to keep things lighthearted. Three of his old friends are dead; Isabel Alvarez was infamously found hanged from a lamppost, and Corazon Santanas and Miguel Maia, both leaders of the Movement’s more violent adherents, were allegedly found dead by BSSB agents. Skeptics pointed out that Santanas and Maia were found riddled with multiple bullets, and no autopsy results have been released to the public. I ask de Rosas how it feels to be back on the planet after years. “It’s not something I ever expected would happen,” he admits to me. “When you’re in prison, you become very used to monotony. It’s a tactic; it wears you down, makes you easier to control. Some people can’t handle it, but I was always considered a model prisoner.” To my surprise he tells me that he considers us kindred spirits. In November I and some of my co-workers, including my friend Rajinder Singh, my fellow reporter Selena Anjaparidze, and my boss Scott Sheen, were detained and held for three days after Scott appended an open letter to the reader base of the Tau Ceti Times, openly calling for freedom for Mictlan. Of course, we were there for only three days, and as harrowing as it was we had ourselves for company. We managed to break the tension with jokes and reassurances; de Rosas was alone, with limited news of the Mandate and Mictlan managing to trickle in. When I tell him I think his circumstances were worse than mine, he waves it off. “We were threatened for the views we chose to express,” he says. “So were a lot of people. It doesn’t matter who had it worse. At the end of the day we wanted the same thing.” ~~~ Caxamalca is a city nestled in the heart of the sertão, a part of the planet referred to as the “backcountry” of the continent of Llactapata. It is arid and cold, mostly mountainous, marked by thick brush and cacti that make it difficult for even the most well-equipped vehicles to cut through. It is an industry city, largely funded by Hephaestus, and its position and relative isolation from the rest of the planet has left it largely untouched by war. I make my way to the city graveyard on the west side of the city; on Mictlan, places for the dead are far from soberly decorated. Flowers, candles, offerings of fruit and candy, little drawings, paintings, and sculptures adorn shrines. At an unmarked grave, I meet and shake hands with a woman. With some humor she apologises that she does not look the same as the many, many photos of her. “They edited one of my pictures, that one of me a few years back, to have eyeliner,” complains former General of the Samaritans, Xiomara Salvo. When I ask her why she did not move back to her hometown of Saladas, she claims it was starting to become a tourist trap. “Am I allowed to say that I think they’ll have Idris restaurants there in a matter of months, or does that go against my parole?” The terms of her parole, as decided on by Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos, prohibit Salvo from running for any political office within the Republic of Biesel, or making political statements in support of or opposed to any political candidate within the Republic. I tell her that regardless of what she says, our interview will be judiciously checked for any public statement that could violate the terms of it, without her being subject to legal action. She asks me if that “pisses me off”, and I tell her it’s part of the job, which she scoffs good-naturedly at. Salvo tells me that she has come to pay her respects, as she does every week. This grave bears a portrait photo of Isabel Alvarez, whose body was rejected by the remainder of her extended family and the family of her ex-husband, Bernardo Guerra. It took weeks, but in the aftermath of no claims from her next of kin, Salvo was able to have it buried here. “People are saying that everything’s cleaned up now,” says Salvo. “That we’re finally free, that it’s over, that this is our new beginning. I’m a cynic, I’ve always been a cynic. All I can think of now is how many people didn’t live to see this.” “You can edit this out later if it’s not allowed, but what happened to her was a tragedy,” Salvo remarks, ‘her’ referring to Alvarez. “It really was. I get a lot of credit for being a peacemaker, but she was a peacemaker. She was so damn nice she died rather than fight back.” “That’s not something I would have done, or even something that I think is always an option,” she continued, “but it’s principles, and she was committed to them.” I ask Salvo how she feels about her reputation. In Arequipa and Sikunda, murals and graffiti of Salvo have begun to crop up, and many celebratory signs and flags bear her face. “Oh Jesus,” she says. “Signs? Really?” I confirm it, and she shakes her head with a grin. “That happens. It’s my cross to bear. I think it’s supposed to feel good rather than embarrassing.” I ask her, if she was allowed, if she would ever run for office. There are rumours that many voters are contemplating writing in Salvo in the next election, as opposed to any of the current potential candidates. “Fuck no,” she says immediately. “That’s over with. I hope Mictlan never needs me or someone like me again.”

Played with mostly Michiko, had a few encounters with Jean Pierce. Gillian is, as always, a great player to RP with and play under in a round when she's command. I see they've had some recent warnings/tempbans for validhunting and escalation, and I think given that they have a really good history, I think these are problems that could easily be fixed. +1

I like Faro's characters and I think he is a really strong RPer. I believe he'd do well given a chance to practice and improve on Command play. However, previously I've noticed in roles that require a bit of responsiveness, such as FR, you can be a little slow on the draw or you might struggle a bit to respond in a high-intensity situation. Whether that's because you were overwhelmed or because of your ping, I'm not sure, but it's something I feel bears noting. Overall, however, your mechanical play is pretty solid. Speaking as someone who's only played HOS a couple times, it's not a job that requires FR-level responsiveness-- after all, you're mainly gonna be directing people to where they should go. You will, however, have to be very present on comms, and that's something even experienced players can get overwhelmed with sometimes. An overall +1. Don't be afraid to ask for advice or help if/when you get a trial.

Would also suggest you expand on the character you intend to use for a CE trial in the "how did recent events in the Spur affect your character" field. That being said, I love Lenny and he is a great RPer. I think he could really get the hang of a command role. +1

As you may have heard, a change has been merged where suit sensors are a) locked to alert level and b) locked to "uniforms" only. I air-quote "uniforms", because not all uniforms that are present in the loadout have suit sensors, and only on-spawn uniforms receive them. As someone who mains medical, I'd like to discuss what these changes contribute to the gameplay loop, what they make worse or more unfun, and include some comments from other medical players about what could be kept, and what could be reverted. Code-Locked Suit Sensors I don't really have a problem with code-locking suit sensors. It makes sense along the same lines as cameras being locked to alert levels, from a "personal privacy" standpoint. One thing I have noticed, however, is that code red tends to be jumped to much easier ever since this change. One of the major problems with code-locking sensors ends up being simplemobs. Maintenance drones, while not especially common, become a good deal more deadly to a hapless janitor or engineer that happens to stumble across a group of them. If a first responder isn't actively patrolling maintenance looking for someone who could have theoretically been downed, a knocked-out and bleeding player can just die in maintenance and not have been found for the entire round. It's easy to circumvent these in a few ways; wearing a voidsuit as an engineer and going in search for drones helps mitigate damage a lot, and simply being cautious is also a good way to avoid dying. But everyone makes mistakes, and when drones can be hard to hit owing to a small hitbox or lag, it can make dying alone in maintenance that much more frustrating. Uniform-Only Suit Sensors To me, this is the part of the change that makes the least sense. No department but security is required to specifically wear a uniform; even then, the uniform that security wears is fairly flexible, and can range from the default corpo uniform to a button-down shirt and slacks plus tie. Here, I asked the CCIA head, Bear, about what can qualify as a uniform. Being candid, I don't know any regular player who actually likes the default uniforms that you spawn with. For the most part, they're kind of ugly from a style standpoint (they're functional from a spriting standpoint), and they just don't fit every character in terms of aesthetics. I don't understand why "I don't want my character to potentially be more vulnerable just because I wanted to customize their fit" is a controversial take. This is a high-roleplay server, and we have a large, expansive loadout with a variety of customization options for a reason. A lot of the uniforms that are present in the loadout, as well, don't have sensors added to them. While this is clearly an oversight, there are a lot of uniforms. It's a little disappointing that all of the uniforms in the loadout weren't counted, or even thought of, when this change was made (though it's understandable, because again, a lot of uniforms). And again, this raises the question of "what qualifies as a uniform". This is particularly relevant when it comes to not having sensors on consulars. Consuls are valued diplomats to nations that have vested interests in the Horizon project. Why would they not have sensors on them, to ensure their safety aboard a spaceship? I could go on, particularly on the points of "some uniforms look really bad on certain species", but I think the point has been hammered in. Device Restrictions I have something of an axe to grind with this, mostly because it doesn't really do what I guess the intent was to do; stop people from staring at the sensors program 24/7. Well, it does, but the result is that nobody is keeping an eye on the sensors at all, for two reasons: 1. On green or blue, nobody can see locations anyway. 2. Code red is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Nobody, sometimes not even the pharmacist, has time to be watching sensors for any new pulse spikes. I decided to gather some opinions from two other first responder players, CoolSortieBro and Ramke, on how it can be to respond without easy access to sensors. Someone's response to this might be that it is good that nobody is as glued to sensors as they were before, which is half-correct. But the biggest problem with an FR not being able to readily access sensors on code blue or code red is that they can't partake in their gameplay loop the same way they could before. When I am an FR, going and finding people who get injured and bringing them back is the fun part about playing FR. Having to scour half the ship for someone's slowly declining vitals? Not fun. TL;DR Code-locking suit sensors is fine. Uniform-locking suit sensors is really not good. Device-locking sensors is really bothersome and throws a wrench into first responder gameplay. Also, re-add toggling sensors with alt-click. Anyway, please be nice on this thread. This is ultimately my opinion as a medical regular, and it stands to reason that whatever your opinion on the matter is, we shouldn't accuse each other of toxicity or going behind the other's back to screw someone else over.

the chief engineer has access edit: Though it may not be a bad idea to have engineers generally be able to access it; IIRC the reasoning is more "it's a sensitive piece of command equipment that can easily be used to eavesdrop on conversations, and only the CE signed a waiver saying 'DON'T REVEAL THIS UNLESS IN CASE OF FUCKERY'"

T0l is an irony-poisoned Discord kitten with an excellent grasp of mechanics and experience with delegating and leading other players. From my experience playing against him as antag, he's respectful of when to let antags cook and allow for a few IC knowledge gaps to give others a shot at making a round interesting. +1

it will look more 3/4ths later. i prommy

Totally reasonable. It's also not solely on you, this is just your whitelist app that I felt obligated to offer some feedback on.

I'm not sure who can really be blamed on the command-crew communication of cre-axHN, but I would strongly recommend that you become more used to delegating tasks, communicating with away teams, and keeping the crew informed in general. People thought that the Intrepid crew had all been murdered for some reason, despite them literally just chilling? We also stayed on red for a bit too long with nobody realizing why we were on red. Overall, I think you need to stay in touch with your team more, and make quicker decisions.

lindt truffles instead and its a done deal

no

I'm not sure you would be able to use a command whitelist appropriately given that you have self-admitted OOC biases against certain aspects of the lore, to the extent you've been spoken to before about not letting these biases affect your roleplay. I have also not seen you play Operations before (edit: nevermind, you play a shaft miner), but I'm not online all the time and might have missed something. I've most extensively seen you play service or research, so I might suggest making an executive officer or a research director for this whitelist.

BYOND Key: Lavillastrangiato Game ID: Longstanding pattern of behaviour. A specific round I am referencing is crc-aVqA. Player Byond Key/Character name: Quiet Cowboy/Tim Bilbert/Dave Hilbin Staff involved: Eddymakaveli addressed a concern I had about crc-aVqA, Melariara suggested I make a complaint. Reason for complaint: Quiet Cowboy has been antag-banned before for repeated LRP or rulebreak antag play. While I can say that their antag play no longer outright breaks rules, unfortunately a lot of their antag gameplay is as LRP as it first began. There are two main gimmicks that they stick to; being a traitor, and buying a psionic jumpstarter to teleport around and hide in various locations around the ship. This usually culminates in them getting their head blown off by security. The other gimmick that they do is they roll vampire, and proceed to make a character who goes something like "oooh, I have a fatal disease, I need blooooood. I need to eat blooooood". Eventually this culminates in an escalation where they go berserk-mode and get their head blown off by security. In the meantime, Quiet Cowboy makes more or less the same character, a white Earther/Europan accent dude with Business 1 hair named something like Tim Bilbert, Dave Hilbin, or Jack Johnson. Then they spawn in the same round they died as antag, with their prefs still toggled, and play the same antag gimmick again. I have never observed any notable character traits from any of their characters. Tim Bilbert is a First Responder Trainee, yet I have never seen them make much of an attempt to learn medical. Sometimes Tim Bilbert jobhops to Lab Assistant! I don't see him doing much science RP or gameplay. To put it bluntly, I don't really get why Quiet Cowboy plays Aurora. They don't seem to have much interest in roleplay, which there's nothing wrong with in a vacuum. But if you don't want to roleplay or put effort into it, why play an HRP server? You would probably have a lot more fun playing on something like /tg/, Goonstation, or Fulp, where there's considerably more focus on gameplay, wacky events, and nobody really trying to play at being "reasonable". And there's nothing wrong with wanting to do that! It's just that Aurora works on a slower, more writing-focused game style. Here's a decent microcosm of what I mean overall. In the round I'm referencing, Quiet Cowboy's first character and Dave Hilbin both became vampires and they both got headgibbed by security after they went hulk-vampire. Everyone went "oh, that sucks", and moved on with their round. But later on, Philo Nix got turned into a hulk-vampire! He grabbed someone and drank their blood, and immediately got subdued, but nobody blew Philo Nix's head off because Philo was a) a character who had friends and good interactions with the crew b) actually roleplaying. It created some interpersonal IC conflict that yeah, let's face it, was kinda driven by meta-feelings. When you play an on-ship character as an antag, people are OOCly more interested in engaging with you if you're an established character who has proven they can help drive a story. Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation?: I ahelped asking if it was against the rules to spawn twice in a round and roll what is more or less the same antag gimmick, which is what Quiet Cowboy was doing in round crc-aVqA. Eddymakaveli answered the question saying it was not against the rules. Approximate Date/Time: Again, longstanding pattern of behaviour, but crc-aVqA was last night around 11pm Mountain Time.

so true

yea

I'm big-time in support of sensors being on all pieces of clothing because some of the uniform sprites are kind of... just okay. They're not bad from a spriting standpoint, they just don't always suit everyone's character, which is why "sprite new ones" isn't really a good comeback. For example, I have a character who wears shorts that I've flavoured to be "Sekhmet Intergalactic shorts", because wearing long pants with Zeng-Hu legs looks a little goofy; It's similar if you want to play a consular or corporate liaison; there's a lot of clothing options that might look better on a character than their default uniform, especially when it depends on species! This also means that Vaurca Gynes can't ever have suit sensors, because if I'm seeing the code right, none of their clothing that bears their hive or nation colours comes with suit sensors attached.

Accepted.

Hi. After reading this application through, I'm a little concerned because it looks to me like you got rid of what was a very grounded and believable basic character concept with Liu-su being a Sekhmet first responder unit. Firstly, I would strongly recommend not making a Black Halo/Exclusionist for your application character. Remember that you need to have a believable reason this character is on the Horizon. There are a lot of gaps in Liu-su's backstory. What kind of human kindness did Liu-su rely on? Was there a specific moment where they came to feel empathy for humanity? Where did he travel to and from? Again, where did he go? What did he learn in this ambiguous amount of time? Not to mention, how did he travel? He is an IPC, and a deserter from the Exclusionists, who are not the richest faction around. What kind of resources would Liu-su have to travel? There's probably no way that Zeng-Hu wouldn't wipe him if Liu-su was stolen by Exclusionists, which are known to be dangerous and corporate-subversive. Zeng-Hu also treats their IPCs like show-dogs, and places a very strong emphasis on their ability to be perfect. I think an Exclusionist would take a lot of umbrage to being paraded around like an expensive pet. Yeah, this is a little much. I don't think this is a really realistic thing for your character to have on a corporate ship, especially if they were already re-taken by Zeng-Hu. You don't have to precisely answer any of the questions I asked you in another post, but I'd advise you really take them into account while you're fleshing out Liu-su's backstory more. Again, there are a lot of holes, and I think they should be filled.

BREAKING: Xiomara Salvo and Samaritans Negotiate Surrender With Government of Mictlan and Tau Ceti Article #13 of the Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc At 9:38 this morning, Xiomara Salvo, leader of the Samaritan insurgent forces on Mictlan, surrendered herself to the Minutemen Redsnout Unit alongside an estimated twenty-thousand Samaritans on Raposa beach, Huitzilopochtli. The surrender was observed by Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos and Secretary of Defense Nathan Trasen in person. Upon Salvo’s surrender and being taken into custody, the prime minister issued a formal pardon and parole for all crimes committed by Salvo and her top lieutenants, under the following conditions: Salvo et al. were not to take up armed conflict against the government of Mictlan or the Republic of Biesel again. Salvo et al. were not to run for political office within any territories on the planet of Mictlan or any future territories within the system of Sankta Tereza, or any other territories within the Republic of Biesel. Salvo et al. were not to politically lobby for any past, present, or future candidate for political office within the territories of Mictlan or the Republic of Biesel. Political lobbying could be defined as; promoting a political candidate using their status as a former leader of the Samaritans, sending out flyers, individually campaigning for a candidate, or making public statements to the press or media. After the ceremony of pardon, Santos stepped up to address the assembled crowd, which consisted mostly of Minutemen and Samaritans alike, as well as some of the population of Huitzilopochtli. [In the article, a video is embedded. Ladislao de Santos, a middle-aged Mictlani man with graying dark hair and a thick, well-groomed mustache, steps up to a hastily-constructed stage on Raposa Beach. The wind is picking up, with hair and clothing buffeted by it. He stands in front of a crowd of blue-suited Minutemen, camo-wearing Samaritans, and suspicious-looking civilians. Each seem to be clustered into their own little groups, with the population of the villages of Huitzilopochtli and the Samaritans lingering close together. de Santos looks slightly disheveled, wearing a fleece over his wrinkled button-down shirt and tan slacks. To the viewer’s right is Nathan Trasen, contrasting the prime minister’s rumpled appearance; Trasen wears a prim, dark blue suit, his black hair slicked with pomade. His expression is unreadable as he watches de Santos. And just to the right of Trasen is a collection of Samaritans, surrounded by Minutemen Redsnouts in their distinctive blue and red hardsuits. These are clearly the leaders of the movement; they are not restrained in any way, but the mood is tense. At the group’s head is General Xiomara Salvo herself, her long black hair unbound and whipping about her stern visage. Her eyes are constantly darting; first to de Santos, then to the crowd, to the Minutemen guard, to Trasen, then once at the camera. de Santos begins to speak in Tau Ceti Basic. His voice is warm and pleasant, his Basic tinged with that distinctive Mictlani lilt. “When I was elected as prime minister, I never expected to see the collapse of Solarian authority, and everything that came with it.” de Santos clears his throat and continues. “Mictlan has suffered, in these past three years. From the lack of assistance from Sol, to the fighting that has gone on. It is time–” he pauses, perhaps for dramatic effect, “to end this. The fighting is no longer tenable. I have been in talks with Secretary Trasen and President Dorn, and we have all agreed that peace, first, should be pursued. I am happy that First Sergeant Salvo–” Briefly, someone in the crowd cries out. “General! General Salvo!” de Santos is undissuaded. “–has also agreed that peace should be our first priority. To that end, we have pursued a settlement. It is not perfect; democracy is never perfect. But with this settlement, we hope to end this conflict. I ask that you hear me out.” Santos reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded square of paper, which he unfolds and begins to read from. “The terms of the armistice between the Samaritans and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces are as follows.” “Section one; terms of surrender. All surrendering members of the Samaritans will be put on lifelong parole, with specifics depending on their rank and station within the organization. Violating the terms of parole, should you decide to surrender, is an automatic capital offense for insurrection. All those who surrender, regardless of station, will have the condition on their parole of never taking up arms against the government of this planet, or the government of the Republic of Biesel, again.” Murmuring, amidst the crowd. Salvo shifts to cross her arms, and a few sharp looks are given her way by the Redsnout guards. de Santos continues. “Those who held commissioned ranks, either in the Mictlan Defense Force before joining the Samaritans, or within the Samaritan organization, are also additionally forbidden from running for political office or joining a political organization for the remainder of their lifespan. Similarly, they are forbidden from joining an armed organization, such as a police force or the MDF, for the rest of their life. This does not apply to those who held, or hold enlisted ranks.” Here he taps the paper for emphasis. “The Republic of Biesel has generously agreed to pay those who served in the Mictlan Defense Force during the Solarian Collapse from November 2462, their due back pay, as during the months before the establishment of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, many soldiers went unpaid. This backpay will terminate at the date a former soldier went AWOL, or deserted. Lastly, all crimes beyond the charge of insurrection, which will be the subject of parole, are to be pardoned by both the Mictlani government and the Republic of Biesel.” de Santos looks up from his paper, briefly scanning the crowd. The crowd’s murmuring grows louder. The prime minister wets his lips, and speaks again. “To put it simply, should you surrender by turning yourself in to the nearest Armed Forces outpost, or through contacting the outposts should you be unable to physically present yourself within seven days, you will be able to resume your life as a civilian. Those of you who were, and still are, enlisted, will be free to rejoin the Mictilani Defense Force. You can work any job besides ones which involve being active in, or part of, the political theater. All who served within the MDF before deserting will receive the pay deserved for their service to Mictlan during the months following the Solarian Collapse.” He takes a deep breath, and returns to his paper. “Now, section two; agreements between the Republic of Biesel, and the government of Mictlan.” “First, the Mictlani Government, duly elected by its people, reserves the right to allow its people to decide which Federal level laws are applicable within its territory, which is defined as its system, through a democratic process of popular vote. Laws that must always be applicable are Biesel Legal Code Section… ah, I can barely read that.” There is a ripple of nervous laughter in the crowd. The tiniest of smiles is briefly visible on Xiomara Salvo’s face; Nathan Trasen doesn’t share the expression. de Santos continues; “Basically, the big ones like insurrection, piracy, murder, terrorism, and similar.” “Second; Mictlan and its territory will be recognized as a special economic zone within the Republic of Biesel, and be free to determine its own economic policy, and laws regarding it.” This gets a louder reaction. There are a few cheers, a couple whistles. “Third; both the Republic of Biesel and the government of Mictlan agree to all of the above points from section one, and points one two, and four from section two, and sign this document with awareness that it is legally binding– with the caveat of section two, point five.” “Fourth; the people of Mictlan, through their duly elected Government, reserve the right to enforce its own laws within its territory, unless already covered under federal laws which cannot be unapplied.” “And point five; the above points are nullified if a percentage of greater than thirty three percent of the current Samaritan strength refuses to surrender.” de Santos stops, lowering his paper; at this cue some of the crowd begins to clap. Some of the civilians and Samaritans begin to cheer, and Salvo’s smile widens just a bit. Nathan Trasen, with no change in his stony expression, begins to clap. de Santos briefly flashes a winning politician’s smile. “And that is the treaty, in simple terms. We have already secured signatures from most involved, and should you choose to surrender, you will be given your own copy of the full terms. I hope that today will mark a new dawn for Mictlan. As the fifth point says, this is meant to be a new dawn for all of us. The purpose of this treaty is to make peace between us, and there can be no peace if a majority refuses. With that, I leave it all in your hands.”] By 11am Arequipa Standard Time, the sixty six percent surrender threshold needed for Section 2 to be applicable was passed after thousands of Samaritans either surrendered through remote contact with the Mictlan Defense Force with confirmation they would arrive at a base to be processed in the coming days, or presented themselves at the outposts. Following the success of the peace deal, Secretary Trasen announced that as the insurrection was officially over, TCAF and Minutemen units would begin returning home to Tau Ceti, and duties of planetary defense were officially handed over to the Mictlan Defense Force. Impromptu celebrations began across the planet; many have taken to the streets to celebrate Mictlan’s new peace and self-determination. “We never thought that something like this was possible,” said Carmen Jacinto, a student at the Tupac Amaru University. “It’s great that this all meant something, that we can start to work on building Mictlan up again.”

Founding Movement Leadership Isabel Alvarez Found Dead In Caxamalca Article #13 of the Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc Isabel Alvarez, the original founder of the anti-corporate terrorist political movement the “Founding Movement”, was found dead yesterday after a riot in Caxamalca by Minutemen special forces. Alvarez’s body was found hanging from a lamppost after a riot, believed to be incited by the Movement, broke out two days ago. Minutemen personnel state that her body shows signs of prior injury, though until an autopsy is performed it is difficult to be sure. Alvarez, along with her circle of collaborators Leon de Rosas, Corazon Santanas, and Miguel Maia, established the Founding Movement after her graduation from Medeyre School of Law. de Rosas surrendered to Biesel security forces in 2464, while Santanas and Maia remain at large. Corazon Santanas, a leader of a Founding Movement cell believed to be operating out of Lago de Abundacia, issued a statement today that analysts have considered celebratory of Alvarez’s death. Whether or not Santanas had any direct involvement in Alvarez’s death remains uncertain at this time. “TRAITORS are meant to be hung,” read the statement translated from Tradeband, posted on Santanas’ independently-hosted website. “While I regret that Isabel had to be taken care like this of she was not hard enough to face reality!!!” The statement went on to deride Alvarez’s perceived lack of commitment to the Founding Movement, with Santanas claiming she was “too soft”. Alvarez’s death comes as the Minutemen are progressing an assault on Raposa Beach on Huitzilopochtli. So far, she is the first major leader of the insurgency movements to be eliminated since the start of the Peacekeeper Mandate. Previously, she was a member of the Mictlan planetary parliament, though she was expelled after charges of treason against the Republic of Biesel were levied against her. Alvarez had been evading law enforcement for several years after the beginning of the Mandate. Currently, Biesel Security Services Bureau is investigating Caxamalca and the area around where Alvarez’s body was found, hoping to find leads on other leaders of the Founding Movement. BSSB agent and criminal psychologist Min-sik Kim suspected that Alvarez was the victim of a coup, though not one necessarily ordered by Corazon Santanas or Miguel Maia. “I believe it’s a message. Firstly it’s saying, ‘this is how serious we are, and we’ll kill you as well if you get in our way’.” “I also believe it was very spur-of-the-moment, done in anger. It could have easily been someone else, but Alvarez was an easy target, because to them she wasn’t extreme enough.” Alvarez’s death has sent shockwaves through the Founding Movement. BSSB reports that several smaller cells have either been arrested, or surrendered themselves, citing Alvarez’s death as the reason. The Orion Oracle wishes the BSSB luck in rooting out the remainder of terrorism on Mictlan, and stands with the Republic of Biesel as always.