[Accepted]CommanderXor's Tajara Application

[CommanderXor]

BYOND Key: CommanderXor
Character Names: 

Spoiler

Species you are applying to play: Tajara
What color do you plan on making your first alien character (Dionaea & IPCs exempt): RGB 205, 175, 149
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes.

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 specific race:

I've always been slightly put off by the Tajara species and never really got in to the idea of playing them. This was mostly from previous experiences with them on other servers. However, after looking in to the species' lore on this server, I've come to realise they are a lot different from other servers. The sheer dynamic between the various factions in the three-way civil war, and how this could spill on to the station, how it could affect interactions with others - both Tajara and non-Tajara - along with the possibility for characters' backstories. Overall, I have to say that the sheer freedom this three-way-war gives, and the creativity that it offers has intrigued me.

Along with that, I've noticed that Tajaran events are quite common place, from the engine sabotage-espionage mission to the repairing the light tanks event, I feel like these are very minor things but can have a potential impact on the lore, and the fact that players can help influence, drive and build on the events and thus by extension, the lore makes it a highly appealing species to play as and experience.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:

You got various factors that make the species different from being a stock-standard human. The grammar aspect is a obvious one, the fact they speak in third person instead of the usual first person, "He is at the arrmourry now." instead of "I'm at the armoury now." as an example. Along with this, is another obvious thing. Being coated in fur means you'll constantly be hot on station - at least without adjusting various factors - and probably find certain clothing uncomfortable. This can be roleplayed out, and affect various factors. Mechanically they get a bonus against the cold and a penalty against the heat.

You also have culture, religion and various other minor smaller things. The sleep cycle for example could possibly play in, if a Tajara was annoyed/paranoid and the like that shift. The largest difference socially and culturally would be the political spectrum found within the server itself and the lore behind it. The three factions offer a large variety, conflict and potential for story-telling and world-building. You have bitter rivalry between the factions, you have brotherhood for those in the factions potentially, and the potential for backstabbing, fear and propaganda in others. Fellow NKA brothers pouring a drink out in honour of their king, or a PRA bootlicker smiling to another Tajara while handing them a copy of the manifesto while secretly reporting anything bad to the PRA.

Character Name: Ghaali'Iyaad Vasilievich, shortened to Gha'Iyad Vasilievich.
Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs.

Gha'Iyad was born to the Njarir’Akhran Vasilievich house in 2438. Her immediate family managed to avoid much of the murder and chaos of the uprisings of 2421 thanks to their quick action, and the ability to blend in with the M'sai caste thanks to the colour of their fur. They lived in the Northern Wastes and managed to avoid a majority of the ensuring tension, witch-hunts and purges. Her father however, perished in the late months of 2437 due to a incident involving a bit too much mead and some less than friendly listeners. However the dice was cast and in 2438, Gha'Iyad was born. Her mother, being alone, had to rely on a mid-wife, a good friend of the family that had managed to remain in contact. Unfortunately her mother perished from complications related to her birth.

Given the death of both her parents, and with no known relatives to offer them to, the mid-wife was morally-obligated to take in Gha'Iyad. She spent most of her child-hood masquerading as a M'sai thanks to their near identical fur colours. She found that she had a talent for maths and helped her adopted-father with his shop. She mostly ran the numbers with his permission and eventually found ways to help assist in other areas of the store. Stock taking, ways to implement better advertising and other little bits and pieces that improved the retention of customers and the likely-hood they would buy something. In her spare time when she wasn't attending what education she could or in the shop, she tinkered with small little projects. Often sling-shots and various other math-related challenges. She often listened to her adopted mother's tales of the world gone by, and was reminded - on request of her deceased mother - of her blood-line and old heritage.

She found herself longing for her old world, her blood, her noble titles and birth rights. In 2450, when the NKA declared independence, she found herself in the middle of the NKA. She gave it her support, vocal and otherwise. She helped local troops passing by with what ever she could, little bits of spare food, trinkets and the like she had saved by working in her adopted father's store. In 2452, she decided that mere support was not enough. With her 'parents' permission she enlisted in a officer's training program within the NKA. For four years she spent training and learning what theory the training course offered. She had enrolled in a artillery officer's course, assisted by her math skills she was well suited for it. She was not the best of her class, but was in the upper echelons and learned a great deal of valuable information.

In 2456, she graduated and was given the rank of Junior Lieutenant ((There isn't much information on the junior Commissioned Officer structure in the NKA on the wiki, so feel free to correct me.)) from there she was deployed to a mortar detachment in one of the Second Jabrut Almumalik's Alyad'almalikiii at the Dymtris front. She found herself absolutely loving the authority that came with her title, and felt pride with her work, both in bringing 'honour' to her blood-line, heritage, and the NKA itself. The Dymtris front was bloody, and there was much loss. She often found herself in the thick of the front, right up there with the infantry, using her mortar detachments to provide what support they could to their fellow soldiers. It was not a uncommon thing for her unit to enter in to close quarters firefights and melee as they were attacked by PRA forces.

The war dragged on and the NKA was pushed further and further inland towards Dymtris. She found herself doubting victory. She still believed in the NKA and what it stood for, along with the royalty, her own blood. She did not know of any survivors of her blood line, if they were alive or even existed anymore. If the war was lost, she knew that the PRA would have her lined up and shot, or hanged. That would be the end of her blood-line, as much as she wished to see the NKA go on, and be there, she knew that defeat was a very possible reality, and certain death would follow if that happened. Thus, in 2460, she managed to use friends, favours and contacts within the NKA to find herself smuggled off of Adhomai via a rickety old ship, and even older guards. The trip was not without danger, having barely managed to get past various pirates and other unsavoury company.

In the late months of 2460 she found herself within Tau Ceti. Thankfully on dry land. While the application was processing, she spent her free-time working with fellow Tajaran merchants in the 'Little Adhomai' district on Mendel along with improving her grasp on Tau Ceti Basic. Finally in the opening month of 2461, she found her asylum approved. With her now legal status, and ability to speak basic Tau Ceti Basic, she applied for NanoTrasen's Internal Security. From there, she went to their academy. She managed to barely scrape by the written test - mostly limited by her poor written Tau Ceti Basic - but easily passed the practical. Now, she finds herself being assigned to her first ever full time assignment on a NanoTrasen station.

What do you like about this character? 

Honestly? Probably the fact they're the character I've put the most effort in to, pre-planned backstory wise. I've often struggled to write a backstory and character concept, normally I can't think of something good. This time I believe I've managed to come up with a character concept that I adore. She's something I haven't really touched upon in a solid manner, a actual royal character. I've dabbled with the concept and thought about it, but finally I've drafted up one. So I like the concept behind her, and the general progression of her life. I don't feel like it is too out-landish and far-fetched, I think it strikes the perfect balance of realism, believably and creativity at the same time.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I think I have a fairly solid grasp on roleplaying. I'm use to the more text driven environments of something like Clockwork's HL2RP, but I've really gotten in to SS13. Thus, I believe I have a decent understanding of it and a normal ability when it comes to roleplaying.

Notes:

Nothing much, just really looking forward to making this character concept work on station.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Mofo1995
Fixed a minor grammar error.

[TheSleepyCatmom]

May just be me, but I really dislike the whole "I was in the military" line from every Tajara application. Especially officers who decide to use it as an excuse to have zero care about their safety, personal or otherwise. Especially the 'This is something I do because I want honor and glory' shtick. I'm tired of seeing it and I can't support a character like that, especially not when bee-lining towards security.

 

You also left like, every other Tajara who was in the military, outside of the PRA. "Oh shit we're losing, hightail it out and go somewhere else." I enjoy some of the story that you wrote, but I dislike the cliche that's been made for every Tajara application to be related to the military because it's the only thing basically allowed due to the whitelist limitations. So long as you play the "I'm a deserter, and not a great person" card I can give it a bit of support. Otherwise, you're getting a tentative watch from me. While it's believable for a Tajaran backstory, I just don't enjoy it a lot. Sorry, Xor.

[CommanderXor]

4 minutes ago, TheSleepyCatmom said:

May just be me, but I really dislike the whole "I was in the military" line from every Tajara application. Especially officers who decide to use it as an excuse to have zero care about their safety, personal or otherwise. Especially the 'This is something I do because I want honor and glory' shtick. I'm tired of seeing it and I can't support a character like that, especially not when bee-lining towards security.

 

You also left like, every other Tajara who was in the military, outside of the PRA. "Oh shit we're losing, hightail it out and go somewhere else." I enjoy some of the story that you wrote, but I dislike the cliche that's been made for every Tajara application to be related to the military because it's the only thing basically allowed due to the whitelist limitations. So long as you play the "I'm a deserter, and not a great person" card I can give it a bit of support. Otherwise, you're getting a tentative watch from me. While it's believable for a Tajaran backstory, I just don't enjoy it a lot. Sorry, Xor.

That's fine, I worked with what I have. From what I know all applications have to involve the civil war and how it affected them. Majority of my characters are security so I related it to the most likely job I'd be playing on the server. If you have any suggestions or tips for any future Tajaran characters feel free to leave it here or DM me on Discord. Cheers for the feedback though.

[Mofo1995]

Hello! I would like to start off by saying that I will be accepting this application, so if you want to read why then keep reading, otherwise I guess you can stop there.

A Njarir who struggled through surviving the interwar persecution for being on the losing side and the like isn't really new or novel, but I like the way its adapted here by selecting the Njarir color that could most easily pass as M'sai. I think that's a really new angle which I haven't seen before, and it's very nice because having one of the colors blur the lines was, in my minds eye, an indicator of the close and supportive relationship between M'sai and Njarir throughout history. I think it's great that you seem to have picked up on that.

 

Another thing which I'm awfully fond of is the idea that she grew up hearing stories about the old monarchies and how her ancestors lived, and not through the PRA propaganda but through those who lived in that time. Sure it seems like they were far better off than the peasant masses who felt the necessity of uprising, but I think it's a nice touch to not have "monarchy was bad guys" be a part of the application. Even if she heard it through rose tinted glasses of the more privileged of that older time, it's a fresh change of pace to see someone raised with that kind of bias and to have the dream of chasing long past grandeur instilled into their being. 

 

When I read that Gha'Iyad was good at school and became an artillery officer, for some reason I got a strong feeling that it was leading to a more educated job such as scientist or engineer or something. I was kind of surprised to see it lead to a security role, but at the same time it certainly isn't outside what is sensible. The touch about struggling to become bilingual is something that I've seen played out but rarely discussed, and so I felt that it was a nice touch to ground your character to not be too especially skilled or too intelligent. 

 

The part of this application which I find to be my favorite and the most "new" thing I've seen to come of it is the idea of a long-time career NKA officer, who grew up with the dream of retaking her nobility, becoming disillusioned by the grinding war effort and the hopelessness of the New Kingdom, and fleeing out of a belief that the faction she is rooting for will lose. That is completely novel! I've always seen "and then so and so saw war crimes/was persecuted/thought their own faction was dumb and then went to Tau Ceti and became a centrist." But seeing this absolutely amazing and new take of love and support for the NKA, but hopelessness for their future, gives me strong impressions about your grasp of the lore and the strength of your ability to roleplay a tajara. I have high hopes for you!

 

As I said earlier, application accepted.