[Accepted]Meep's Diona Application

[Meep]

BYOND Key: Noxid47

Character Names: Sam Blackford, Mike Kusty, Rodney Bertin, Samantha Hasburg, RAM

Species you are applying to play: Diona

What color do you plan on making your first alien character: A green colour of some shade still not decided. _{(You should probably change diona from being exempt here now)}

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes

Why do you wish to play this specific race?

For a long time on another SS13 server I've enjoyed playing a diona character, while on the other server the lore might have been different the basics were the same. Slow plantlike collective. On Aurora the lore is even more in depth which I think provides a greater potential for RP. I particularly like the lore exploring the idea of Dionae in symbiosis with other races, this is the reason I have chosen this particular backstory for this character. Also I must admit I really like Dionae from a mechanical perspective. They play so much differently from the other races which really helps them feel alien when playing. Playing a Skrell for example won't make you smarter but playing a Diona will make you slower and I think Diona's slow methodical style of play makes an nice change of pace to SS13's usual chaotic mess.

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

The most obvious thing I'd say is the fact that Dionae cyclops' are a group rather than a single mind. This means in RP you have to consider what each Nymph might have to say on what is going on and act accordingly. This can often lead to Dionae seeming a bit slow when a consensus cannot be reached. Curiosity is a big part of the Dionae identity often manifested as a thirst for knowledge, of course not all knowledge is scientific in nature. Personal stories, perspectives and philosophies are just as valid knowledge, something I'll be personally aiming for. Finally they are quite similar to plants, requiring light to stay alive. Dark places are not really somewhere Dionae will not enjoy lingering in, just as the other races don't like lingering in vacuums.

Character Name: Searching for the Hope of Clan Dorviza in the Stars

Please provide a short backstory for this character
 

Spoiler

 

Searching for the Hope of Clan Dorviza in the Stars like all Dionae gestalts was made of many nymphs, each of these having their own story before forming the gestalt. The first of which was raised by an Unathi female, Rosriz of Clan Dorviza. Quite an average Unathi tribeswoman the only remarkable thing being her propensity for gossip. Diona have a natural thirst for knowledge and while the prattling of old Unathi might not be as grandiose as learning how to factorise tenth degree polynomials this nymph was content. Many hours would be spent listening as Rosriz went about her chores with the other tribeswomen, blabbing about this and that, the nymph even chirping in with it's own gossip it had overheard from high perches that were oh so easy for a nymph to remain unseen in. The nymph chose to go by Auditor of Secrets, a name that might perhaps bring thoughts of something a bit more exciting.

The second nymph was grown in the personal garden of a Th'akh shaman, Zirs of clan Vihnmes. This nymph by virtue of inhabiting the garden would absorb radiation, allowing the priests psychedelic herbs to thrive. As shamans do Zirs would perform various sermons, offer counsel to clan members and curiously (at least to the nymph) spend long nights ingesting mind-expanding herbs. The nymph would later question the shaman on many religious matters overheard during his sermons. Most answers were cryptic, difficult to grasp for a young nymph but nonetheless they were always interested in hearing them. This nymph would come to call itself A Trip Through Faith, a reference to the fact spiritual enlightenment is a long arduous journey.

The third nymph was traded to a warrior of the minor Clan Aseseo as part of a wedding dowry. The warrior gifted the nymph to one his sons, Orosro a young Unathi on the cusp of adulthood. The nymph would often accompany Orosro into the wastes on his trips to hunt what sparse game could be found in the surrounding area. Of course a small nymph wasn't much help in downing irradiated beasts but Orosro was happy for the companionship using the time to tell the nymph many tall tales and boast of how his honour will net him a great beautiful wife. In the nymph's years spent with Orosro, it would learn loyalty, bravery and above all else honour, in everything you do. It would come to call itself Right Hand of the Wasteland Hunter.

The fourth nymph was taken in by an optimistic mechanic named Reus of Clan Ozeuoi. Typical of his clan Reus would be busy repairing, maintaining and upgrading things around the village. Following Reus around the nymph learnt some basic construction techniques, of course being a small nymph it had no practical way to use this knowledge. An arguably more important lesson the nymph learnt was the general principle of making the best with what you've got, for this reason the nymph came to call itself Make Do and Mend.

For various reasons unimportant to this story, the Unathi owners of the nymphs would find themselves in a village belonging to Clan Vihnmes. While the Unathi went about their business in the village the nymphs had managed to find their way to each other. After chirping together sharing their experiences for some time a consensus was made and they merged into a Diona cyclops. Now a gestalt they would be considered a full clan member, of course being that the nymphs were from different clans a decision had to be made as to which clan they would join. After speaking with the Unathi for some time they agreed that they would join Clan Dorviza. They came to call themselves Cleanser of Dorviza Sands.

Now a member of the clan proper, Cleanser of Dorviza Sands worked in the village like any other member of the clan taking on the appropriate responsibilities. Invigorated by the Burning Mother above and the irradiated sands they could go about their duties with an ardour matched by few in the clan. Some days it would be hauling heavy crates of supplies, other days it would be tending to the crops and when a particularly bad radiation infused sandstorm swept through the village they would be outside repairing any damage to the clan's homes, keeping them safe.

The Diona gestalt didn't just work though, during the nights they would join the other Clan members by the campfire and listen to their stories. The warriors would boast of battle, the women would tell of the children's achievement's and the traders would tell stories of their journeys. Of particular interest to the gestalt were the stories of people from the stars, looking up they wondered about an entire universe of possibilities perhaps one day they could experience more of it.

That day would soon come. It was an average enough day but there seemed to be some kind of commotion a gathering of people shuffling about trying to get a look at some visitors. It turned out these visitors were humans from the star clan NanoTrasen, apparently on some expedition into the wastes. After some speaking with one of the visitors the gestalt managed to make a deal. They would take up a contract with this NanoTrasen. The visitors agreed to provide valuable supplies to the village and in exchange they would work for a minimal wage. Cleanser of Dorviza Sands had reasoned together that they could find better ways to help the clan off world. It was known to everyone, even with the Dionae help things on Moghes were getting worse with some talk of the planet being uninhabitable in the future. They said their farewells to the clan and named themselves Searching for the Hope of Clan Dorviza in the Stars.

Many months later after filling out mountains of paperwork and attending various training courses Searching for the Hope of Clan Dorviza in the Stars was ready for their first shift aboard the NSS Aurora...

 

What do you like about this character?

I have found in my time on various role-playing games that a curious character is a great one for getting roleplay from other players. It works an invitation allowing them to explore their character something that they might not often get an opportunity to. Also in the past I have enjoyed medieval role-play, druidic stlye role-play and the lore here available to this character allows me to roll it all together into a lovely scifi post apocalyptic mess and then throw it into a spacestation.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I'd like to think I am a good role-player, I try to stick to my character and keep an interesting narrative going. I do recognise my weaknesses however which mostly lie with my actual writing ability.

Notes:

I am open to changing the backstory should any of it fall outside of lore. Some things may have been left unsaid simply because I didn't want this to be too long but feel free to ask should  you think I've left anything important out.

can I get a 2 for 1 whitelist here? I swear I read more unathi lore for this.

My totally serious flavour text image for the character

Spoiler

 

[Jupiter Storm]

I have played another heavy role playing game on Byond with Meep for 4 years and he is one of the most solid and realistically-grounded writers I've ever had the pleasure to play with. We have worked on story projects together in the past which were genuine successes, and his characters - both there and in SS13 - are a refreshing shift back towards 'normality'. I've never known Meep to read a set of lore and interpret it in such a way that he can bend the rules to use it to his advantage - No, he will read that lore and make something that exactly fits that lore, and serves as a stellar example of that aspect of the setting.

+ 100 from me - you would be literally insane to refuse this application, because Meep will do tremendous things with it that will enrich the server.

@Meep - I only have one nitpicky qualm with this application after reading through it, which I imagine might be raised by others...

Quote

Character Name: Searching for the Hope of Clan Dorviza in the Stars

This is a very loaded Diona name, and while it entirely fits the lore from a practical stand-point in game you could probably do with making it shorter, perhaps either sticking with Cleanser of Dorviza Sands or keeping the full name, but recording it on a manifest or at work as simply 'Starbound Hope for Clan Dorviza' - something like that.

[Yonnimer]

After some disccusion, we've decided we'll be accepting your application!