www.wetskrell.nt/neworiginalschwann

[NewOriginalSchwann]

BYOND Key: NewOriginalSchwann
Character Names: Oh Christ, here we go again.

Spoiler

⦁    Likho: Mechatronic Engineer
⦁    Thi Mai Linh: Security Officer (Idris Incorporated)
⦁    Marinette: Security Officer (EPMC)
⦁    Ezelda Coetzee: Security Officer (EPMC)
⦁    IRU-Agnes: Detective (Idris Incorporated)
⦁    IRU-Dahlia: Forensics Technician (Idris Incorporated)
⦁    Nikandr Morozov (Detective)
⦁    COUNTESS Petra Agatha Volvalaad the First: Head of Security
⦁    Dekhova Bogdanov: Paramedic (EPMC)
⦁    Farida Koudougou: Chef
⦁    Viscountess Liqin-Meili Zhao the Second, D. Eng, subject of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Boleslaw Kessler the First: Chef Engineer
⦁    Claire Pascal: Station Engineer
⦁    DOCTOR Elise Marchand: Head of Personnel and a better human being than you.
⦁    Ho Chi Meme: Infamous Ghost Main

Species you are applying to play: Skrell
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Pale white, in order to be relatable to the average gamer.
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes, of course.

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:

Well, I’ve got character ideas! Why else play a race? Skrell are one of the oldest factions in our lore and have a unique way of looking at the world, particularly A.I. and synthetic life (HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT GLORSH? THIS MAINTENANCE DRONE IS GOING TO TRY TO STERILIZE YOU), and can be found basically anywhere in the galaxy. One could just as easily play a skrell from Jargon as they could from Eridani or, Stars forbid, a skrell from Dominia. They’re easily one of the most diverse races you can play, aside from humanity and IPCs.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
In order to be a true rebel without a cause, I am going to make this into bullet points rather than a full paragraph.
1). Biologically, skrell have several differences from humans. They are physically smaller, amphibious, have a different dental structure that demands a different diet than humans, and lack advanced facial muscles. The most radical difference is their psionic abilities, which are considered illegal to utilize on non-consenting non-skrell. As a final note, skrell are able to “sense” the aura of living beings, to an extent. This makes shells stick out to them, something I am quite familiar with :^) I'm still mad even now.
2). The central skrellian government, the Jargon Federation, is an authoritarian regime that seeks to create the “ideal Jargon citizen” with its idea of idols and its enforcement of a post-Glorsh status quo. While not all skrell live in Jargon, the point remains one of difference from humanity.
3). The skrell are a species with a longer history than humanity that are more united and less warlike: while the defining moment in human history may very well be the First Interstellar War, the defining moment in skrellian history is Glorsh – an issue they created themselves, rather than an issue created by conflict between skrell.

Character Name: Voq'Rav Noa-Vaxoz

Backstory: 
Hatched in 2401 on the frosty world of Aliose, Noa-Vaxoz was genetically modified and boosted at a young age, in order to be adapted to the planet's harsh environment (though they remained infertile, as many skrell are), and quickly proved to be an eager young skrell. Instilled with a sense of patriotism and loyalty to the Federation's (authoritarian) ideas from a young age due to their life on Aliose, as Noa-Vaxoz gained a desire to become a protector of some type for the skrellian people.
After finishing their basic schooling and moving onto university studies, Noa-Vaxoz decided to pursue degrees needed for a career in investigative security. What would have been defined loosely as "detective work" in human space took on another aspect for Noa-Vaxoz, as the skrell proved to be an adept listener rather than a receiver. The suspicion they gained from this was, in their eyes, unremarkable compared to their ability to passively observe the Srom around them. While not good enough at it to become a Sromkala, Noa-Vaxoz proved to be good at passive investigative work in the Srom and in the waking world. They found successful employment with a security agency on Aliose following a combined twenty years of education in criminology and forensic science - complete with some anatomical training in order to properly perform autopsies. 
After a few years of this posting, at the age of forty-two, Noa-Vaxoz realized that they weren't really going anywhere. They did their job well and all, but their connections weren't quite enough to move further up into their department. opted to seek their fortune elsewhere. Elsewhere, after a few months of searching, turned out to be human space. More specifically, it turned out to be the Eridani Corporate Federation - a place where the fact that mind reading doesn't really hold up in a formal court of law doesn't really matter when you're attempting to root out corporate spies. In 2344, Noa-Vaxoz began work as an internal investigator for a private security contractor on Oran. By 2456, they had acquired quite a reputation as an effective - though unorthodox - investigator that relied on their keen mind, excellent education, and skrellian psionics to accomplish their goals. They began to drift away from the Federation's ideals somewhat over the decade, but did that really matter? The Federation and it's ideals were distant, very distant, and Eridani was a place where one could rise the ranks if they were good enough, and more importantly a place that paid well. Life was good, and getting better.
When Noa-Vaxoz's company was purchased by a subsidiary of NanoTrasen in late 2461, she was slated to be shipped off to another high-end facility with an issue of corporate espionage: the NSS Aurora, a "research" station in Tau Ceti owned by the company's new supervisors. As one of their best investigators, Noa-Vaxoz was picked to be assigned to the station and assured that it would be "completely safe" to work on.
Time will tell how true that statement from their supervisor was.

What do you like about this character?
Well, I've never seen an Eridanian suit skrell! Aside from that, I enjoy the idea of a skrell that uses their psionic powers for more personal gains and has drifted away from the Federation somewhat after dwelling in human space for almost two decades now. Plus, the presence of a skrell that is something of a snooper while also remaining somewhat uninvolved with the Federation at large provides an interesting dynamic to the aftermath of the Federation's recent escapades on the station.
Also I can avoid being slipped by space lube.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?
7.4/10 I don’t do fear RP I just do ERP.

Notes: Hibbety hoppety get off my property.

[YourDaddy117]

As a member of the inner gamer circle and robo clique I can say for a fact Schwann is the perfect candidate for being a frog. They are slimy, stinky, and incredibly gross in real life so it stands to reason that they'll be able to translate these aspects brilliantly as a disgusting frog creature. All jokes aside Scwahnn's a good rper and has been here way longer than me so I very much doubt they even need me commenting here and giving them the big ole +1 but I'm doing it anyways. Considering what they do as a human and IPC I can only imagine what great RP they'll squeeze out of getting their hands on a Skrell character. 

+1 

[Kintsugi]

As a member of the inner gamer circle and NVA clique I can say for a fact that Schwann is the perfect candidate for being a frog. He's been a pal of mine for a while now and to be frank I'm surprised he doesn't already have a Skrell whitelist. I have no doubt that when he does play an ignoble frog he'll do so admirably and faithfully, as he has done with just about every other whitelist he has under his belt. 

+1

Edited February 27, 2020 by DanseMacabre

[thebest_player757]

I have known Schwabb for awhile and commend their ability to create a believable character within any given universe and RP well with them. I enjoy the time I've spent (e)RPing with them and think they'd be a good candidate for a slimy froge. To be honest I kinda assumed he already had every whitelist so him applying now is a bit of a surprise to me.

+1

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by thebest_player757
FORGOT THE +1

[TealPinniped]

Good characters and good roleplayer. It's a +1 from me.

[Wigglesworth Jones]

Schwann's a good lad, despite the frequent mental breakdowns and ketamine addiction. While I admit I'm not super familiar with Skrell lore aside from stuff I've heard, an Eridanian Skrell does sound like quite an interesting concept, and I know that Schwann is more than competent enough to pull it off well.

Real frogger +1

 

[SilverSZ]

Same stuff everyone else has said but said again, I won't bore you by making you read it again. Good roleplay and good at playing non-humans I'm sure they'll be the same with skrell 

+1

[Hepatica]

One of the best people in the community IMO, a great person, roleplayer, and certainly deserving of a whitelist. I've RPed with them on countless shifts, and I'm always happy to see them around. They RP a variety of different characters incredibly well, and I have no doubt in my mind they'd do the same as a Skrell. +1

[Zer0Winds]

I have seen a number of the characters, and they weren't bad. All around good, I don't know Skrell lore, so, I'll just comment on the player. Plus one.

[DeadLantern]

You have stated that Voq'Rav began to drift away from the Federation's ideals.

But why? Skrell who grow up in the Federation are under a loving and caring government, more stable than alien ones. And the government expects a lot from a well-doing citizen, and maintaining loyalty to the Federation is a core tenant of Federation values. His trust and loyalty to his government--which he had no qualms with for over 200 years--began to wilt away?

I can certainly see a Skrell turning their back on Jargon, but I'd like to see more than just "he just stopped believing in them". Given the current political climate and the history of the Aurora, this information is unimportant.

You also state that he failed to climb the ladder on Jargon. Does Voq'Rav care about this, that he couldn't climb against his peers, so he had to go away into an alien environment? Perhaps he was not listening to the idols enough, or he was simply not good enough. Does he feel shame? You also state that he was unorthodox, maybe that is why he failed to please his country and decided to leave.

Good application overall, though I'd like these thoughts answered.

[Doxxmedearly]

Very good characters, really leans into the suit role, so I doubt there will be any difficulty portraying the character presented in-game. Overall, feedback would echo most of the thread. Considering they're a younger skrell who has developed a great life in Eridani, I have no trouble believing that their distance from their government- and living under a different one- would lead to them beginning to stray from home. You demonstrate an excellent understanding of skrell lore, esteemed colleague. 

+1 for the concept and you as a player. 

My question is what is his view on synthetics and augmentations? That is, after all, an extremely prominent part of Eridani. How do they handle that conflict between skrell anti-synth views and Eridani's embracing of all things synthetic?

[NewOriginalSchwann]

2 hours ago, DeadLantern said:

You have stated that Voq'Rav began to drift away from the Federation's ideals.

But why? Skrell who grow up in the Federation are under a loving and caring government, more stable than alien ones. And the government expects a lot from a well-doing citizen, and maintaining loyalty to the Federation is a core tenant of Federation values. His trust and loyalty to his government--which he had no qualms with for over 200 years--began to wilt away?

I can certainly see a Skrell turning their back on Jargon, but I'd like to see more than just "he just stopped believing in them". Given the current political climate and the history of the Aurora, this information is unimportant.

You also state that he failed to climb the ladder on Jargon. Does Voq'Rav care about this, that he couldn't climb against his peers, so he had to go away into an alien environment? Perhaps he was not listening to the idols enough, or he was simply not good enough. Does he feel shame? You also state that he was unorthodox, maybe that is why he failed to please his country and decided to leave.

Good application overall, though I'd like these thoughts answered.

Thank you for your interest! There are some things here that you seem to have misunderstood slightly, this isn't a two-hundred year old skrell - Voq'Rav is in their early sixties presently, and was barely into their forties when they originally moved from the Federation to the ECF.

As for failing to climb the ladder: this is due to the trait of being a listener and somebody that did their work in the Srom, causing them to be regarded as a suspicious and untrustworthy figure by some, which lead to them turning more inwards, which led to them being regarded as even more suspicious. Ultimately they were regarded as a squid not really worth promoting to a higher station because of that. Sure, they were good at their job, but they weren't exactly fitting the mold of the known skrell. I would imagine less shame, more bitterness. A motivator to go abroad where they percieved their skills would be more valued than they were in the Federation.

As for turning away from the Federation's beliefs? Rather than an outright rejection it is more distance, time, and pragmatism causing them to deviate into an ECF-centric frame of reference. Is Voq'Rav still a good and loyal citizen on paper, and in the Federation's eyes? Well, probably. But the skrell on the ground is, instead, more loyal to themselves than their home after two decades in the Corporate Federation where the unorthodox technique of reading a suspect's mind was a-okay as long as the authorities were paid enough to approve of it. In essence distance from the government and living the good life in Eridani under the rules and regulations of the ECF have all contributed to the drift. Were they to go back to Jargon, there would probably be some issues with how far they've deviated from acceptable Federal ideals.

 

1 hour ago, Doxxmedearly said:

Very good characters, really leans into the suit role, so I doubt there will be any difficulty portraying the character presented in-game. Overall, feedback would echo most of the thread. Considering they're a younger skrell who has developed a great life in Eridani, I have no trouble believing that their distance from their government- and living under a different one- would lead to them beginning to stray from home. You demonstrate an excellent understanding of skrell lore, esteemed colleague. 

+1 for the concept and you as a player. 

My question is what is his view on synthetics and augmentations? That is, after all, an extremely prominent part of Eridani. How do they handle that conflict between skrell anti-synth views and Eridani's embracing of all things synthetic?

Thank you, esteemed colleague. I'm going to break this up into a few sections:

1). IPCs? Voq'Rav is more liberal than most skrell here, and has co-opted the ECF's general views on positronics: they're a useful tool, but generally not more than property. Free positronics, due to their rarity in Eridani, are a somewhat new concept to them.

2). Augments? Voq'Rav isn't against people getting them, but is against getting augments from the ECF personally. After all, skrell have their own augments that are generally better-quality than what humanity can offer. As for the skrell's cosmetic augments, those would also be avoided as a suit has to look like a true blue sky suit rather than one with ink under their (somewhat damp) suit.

3). AI? Humanity's artificial intelligence is something Voq'Rav is not a fan of, but not to the extent where they're going to start screaming and throwing a fit over common like some kind of Dominian. Rather than the vehement hatred of AI some skrell have, this is more a demeaning tut-tutting and snubbing of the AI when able. Sure, they can work with an AI, but they don't have to be pleasant about it.

[DeadLantern]

Sorry, I did misunderstand the age of your character. These answers are quite good. Good application kamerad

[WickedCybs]

It is about time, really. Schwab plays believable and grounded characters that are fun to roleplay at. Considering their track record here there's really no doubts they would be able to perform well with a Skrell whitelist and seeing their spin on them should be interesting considering the variety to work with here.

 

[BoryaTheSlayer]

Quote

... a place where the fact that mind reading doesn't really hold up in a formal court of law doesn't really matter when you're attempting to root out corporate spies.

I do have a question. As we many of us have seen first-hand, the Federation's reach is pretty long. And it is not that much of a secret IC, even more so for skrell. I wonder how will you portray Voq'Rav drifting away from the ideals of the Federation? Will it be a subtle thing, or something they're very open about?

I don't really have to say any nice things about Schwann as there've been plenty in this thread already.

[NewOriginalSchwann]

8 minutes ago, BoryaTheSlayer said:

I do have a question. As we many of us have seen first-hand, the Federation's reach is pretty long. And it is not that much of a secret IC, even more so for skrell. I wonder how will you portray Voq'Rav drifting away from the ideals of the Federation? Will it be a subtle thing, or something they're very open about?

I don't really have to say any nice things about Schwann as there've been plenty in this thread already.

I plan for it to be a more subtle thing, rather than screaming "TWENTY YEARS OF LIVING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY HAS CAUSED ME TO DRIFT FROM THE FEDERAL IDEAL" at every frog I interact with. Voq'Rav isn't so foolish as to air the drift openly, now that several skrell have been black-bagged by the Federation while aboard the Aurora. This may lead to something of a two-faced character, which is an interesting contrast to their habit of seeing the "purest truth" through psionic powers during investigations.

[BoryaTheSlayer]

Cool.

[Snakebittenn]

It is with a heavy heart that I approve this application, since there's no really /glaring/ issues.