[Accepted] 12antemeridiem's Unathi Whitelist Application

[12antemeridiem]

BYOND Key: 12antemeridiem
Character Name(s): Miriam Hasson, Sandra Boone.

Species you are applying to play: Unathi
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: I'm leaning towards greenish scales, with sandy/cream belly+palm colourations. Not sold on frills or horns yet - I'll have to play around with the editor.
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, honestly. I've had all of the lore pages open while brainstorming about this first character.

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 enjoy contrast, and exploring the nuances of new cultures and alien mindsets with my writing. The Unathi obviously have semi-analogues in popular science fiction. It's easy to draw similar themes from species like the Yaut'ja, Krogan, Klingons - or Thraddash. In some ways, they're that archetypical "honorbound warrior," species that gets a bad rap for being stereotyped to shit, or simply a front for treatises on boneheaded aggression so common in human culture. The Unathi specifically, are, like many SS13 races, an expression of human ideals - in their case, regarding traditionalism vs. progressivism, technology vs. man, supersition vs. rationality, & the effects of interstellar imperialism on developing cultures. I want to play as an Unathi, because exploring these themes through characters makes for an entertaining evening.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: I feel like this question is a little bit of a misnomer. While other species in SS13 are inhuman, like I touched on in why I want to play an Unathi, they all heavily draw from human experience. None of them are truly alien in intelligence or motivation. What makes them different, is primarily based on culture, speech pattern, and physicality. You see very similar instincts and predispositions throughout the human experience. For instance, the spiritually based rejection of technology in regards to how augmentation or cybernetic enhancement "maims" the soul. This is something you see in fiction settings like Shadowrun. Similarly, the concept of reincarnation, the soul, and the specifics therein (is the soul transferred from dead meat to a clone?) all being subject to dogma is very human. 

At the crux of it, I would say what makes playing an Unathi different from playing a human, is often superficial. It's about culture. Biology. The realities of coming from a deeply traditionalist and spiritual society. Being a survivor of a nuclear war, in a galaxy that cares very little for your backwards species outside of what you can offer as physical labour.

Character Name: Anzsaa Szek’Hakh

Please provide a short backstory for this character: Alright. Short. I can do short.

So.

Unathi society is accepting of women who profess to have "male" spirits. The idea of a male's soul trapped in a female's body is widely accepted as a spiritual thing. What's frowned on, is open displays of feminine power and honor. It's embarrassing. It's not very traditional - and so, it's shunned. Anzsaa, when born, was expected to be a particularly prime male. His egg was visibly larger than most, was particularly difficult to lay, and was tremendously difficult to crack open. Such a chain of events, little feats and hardships from birth, were considered to be good omens by the priesthood. A traditional upbringing, in what is now the "Queendom" of Szek’Hakh, became rapidly more complicated as she came of age. A male Unathi being lost in love, or seen to be favoring women can be waved off easily enough. But when a severe hormonal imbalance is married to the mentality and physicality of a very male warrior, things become needlessly complex. Feminine voice, body structure, even colouration on a male already being groomed and prepared for life as a warrior is awkward. What followed, was a long serious of religious and social interventions by the clan. The begrudging conclusion - that the young aspirant had been merged with a female spirit as he came of age, possibly an honored ancestor. A conclusion most were satisfied with. She would simply have to reaffirm her masculinity in actions, and pay the proper fealties to the spirits to keep further ill luck at bay.

Then came the war. Like other settlements, Yu'kal offered up its men, and they were slaughtered in droves. Anzsaa was one of few survivors, who returned battered and beleaguered by the horrors of the bloody fighting.

While the settlement isolated from the worst of the fighting, Yu'kal suffered as its lakes withered into tentative oases in the midst of a harsh wasteland. Things were very different now. Where men had dominated the culture and religion, now there was a Queen. The clergy had been decimated. The men needed for breeding - too valuable to be exposed to the harshness of the wasteland. Anzaa's experience and physicality, and feminine appearance lead to an impasse. For the first time, she was given a choice. Whether to settle into the new role of the man, to cook, clean, care for a home and take on many wives. Or to continue to serve as she had before, as a warrior. Though now - without needing to kowtow and awkwardly reaffirm her masculinity at every opportunity. She chose the latter - perhaps unsurprisingly. Familiarity is difficult to give up. And the idea of having little life outside of cooking and "marital duties" to a cadre of females was a deeply uncomfortable thought. Instead, she caught the eye of Lazak through her service as a warrior for the clan. Huntress. Diplomat. A watchful protector - and a fearsome duelist for the honor of her sisters in arms.

In private, she deals with her dysphoria through religious practice. An animistic praying to the "female and male" spirits which inhabit her body in unison. A respect to her ancestors. And a fervent prayer to the guiding spirits - to protect Yu'kal, and offer hope to her people as they struggle. Not just to survive, but to thrive in a world which has passed them by.

In a galaxy which cares very little for a few thousand lizards farming gene-modded krill species #5592 in the shallows of dying oases.

What do you like about this character? I made it. Realistically, though? I like her because it allows for the exploration of a lot of different aspects of Unathi society and culture, in a way that isn't painfully obnoxious or rote.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? It's alright.

Notes: Looking forward to feedback & suggestions, and getting to play the character. Cheers.

Edited July 21, 2020 by SleepyWolf

[Haydizzle]

Yes hello! This was a nice read.

This concept is definitely very interesting—I enjoy the spin on typical Queendom lore by using a concept I don’t often seen toyed with in lore, which would be ‘misplaced spirits.’ Your application shows promise and good understanding of some less used aspects of unathi lore. Ironically enough I had a concept for something like this the other day, but I definitely think you will execute it better than I.

However, as deputy, I’m not here to just pat your back. I have a couple of questions as well when it comes to figuring out your understanding of the lore as well as your first character. So! Without any more shenanigans:

1) what will bring your character to the station, and what job will she perform there?

2) what religion do think she prescribes to and believes in? (There are no wrong answers here, but I’m curious to see if you may stray from a quote "expected" reply with a unique reasoning and understanding.)

3) exploring the themes of the species in general is what attracts most people to apply for that species. I noticed this is your first forums post and, as a result, your first whitelist application too. Going off of your answer to the ‘why do you wish to play this species,’ are there any specific elements of the lore that brought you to this species in particular? Such as the specific faction of choice, how unathi behave, etc.

 

Also, for comments, views, and +1s, I recommend linking your application in OOC after you play in a round, so people can comment on your ability to roleplay.

 

I look forward to your answers, and thank you for the time and effort in applying!

Edited July 19, 2020 by Haydizzle

[12antemeridiem]

1) What will bring your character to the station, and what job will she perform there?

The goal of the application was to give a broad strokes understanding of the core concepts of the character, rather than shoehorn them into a specific role from the get-go. A lot of my brainstorming - while not cut exactly, was trimmed off to give more of an idea of what made the character who she is, more than what she is from a mechanical standpoint. How she gets to the station, and the role she performs would basically be a multi-para response, but I'll keep it fairly brief.

The intention is to play her as a Warden or Visitor/Off-Duty, depending on availability of slots.

What brings her to the station and profession is fairly ambiguous. I won't say it's entirely forged credentials. I won't say too much about being leased out by her nobility to pirates in exchange for extensive smuggling favors. I won't say much about industrial espionage to give her neglected and desperate homeland a fighting chance. Or too much about her proficiency, specifically, as a professional duelist - hence her value as a "leased" commodity. What's true, and what's not about this particular Unathi is going to be very much defined by what people experience, draw out, and witness first hand.

2) What religion do think she prescribes to and believes in?

Growing up in a culture where spirits and ancestral traditions are omnipresent leaves an impression. Especially when the nature of who and what you are draws a lot of attention from the local clergy. What you've been told is true, your whole life - suddenly being used against you in very embarrassing and socially shocking ways can rub some people the wrong way. But the fact that others believe it wholly, and it rings as instinctually true for you? More often than not, it's not enough to shrug off those views. It's easier, socially, to acquiesce and accept. Whether she's a true believer or not? You'd have to ask her, and know her well enough to get an honest answer.

It's probably yes.

Strictly speaking, like most of those in her community, she professes a faith in the Th'akh doctrine. Accepts that there are two spirits within her, vying for control. And believes deeply that these are guiding spirits, there to temper her heart and soul, and provide challenge and direction in her life. She communes with her ancestors readily, and has been lead to believe by her spiritual leaders and confidants, that perhaps the female spirit within her is an ancestor, or a lover from a past life who refuses to leave her/his side. Doctrine, while when she was younger - it may have seemed more important, has faded far from her mind after the war. Spiritual succor and guidance, whether it comes from a shaman, or a Sk'akh priest, offers peace of mind, and some measure of balance and solace.

Symbology and comforting words are powerful.

3) Exploring the themes of the species in general is what attracts most people to apply for that species. I noticed this is your first forums post and, as a result, your first whitelist application too. Going off of your answer to the ‘why do you wish to play this species,’ are there any specific elements of the lore that brought you to this species in particular? Such as the specific faction of choice, how Unathi behave, etc.

It seems cheesy.

The short answer is no.

The long answer is a little more nuanced. I primarily want to play and be whitelisted as an Unathi so I can play alongside a friend of mine who I've hung out with on and off for a couple years now. I enjoy Unathi from an aesthetic perspective. I enjoy them from a literary perspective. I feel like this question is more geared towards teasing out a "have you got any spicy lore tidbits you'd like me to see you've read" response, but there really isn't one. Like I said in my first post, I spent about 4 hours this morning drafting up the character concept, drawing out idea webs, drawing out a rough timeline, age range, key points in history ...

But really it's all about just playing something my friend thinks it'd be cool to play off of. You feel?

[Skyglazer]

This is absolutely a +1 from me, no questions about it, your understanding of Unathi culture, the themes presented in the lore, and how the views of the species affect the character are all clearly well-demonstrated in your post. I only have one-question though, and it's more of a curiosity/clarification about your character than anything else.

 

With the last name "Szek'Hakh," you'll be playing a character that is directly related to the matriarch of the Queendom herself, Lazak Szek'Hakh, being in the same clan as her. Perhaps I missed it in your application (I swear I read the whole thing!) but I didn't pick up on what their actual relation to her was. A direct descendant? A cousin? A very estranged relative that just happens to be in the same clan? So on, so forth. And with this in mind, how does being related to such a controversial figurehead impact her?

[12antemeridiem]

With the last name "Szek'Hakh," you'll be playing a character that is directly related to the matriarch of the Queendom herself, Lazak Szek'Hakh, being in the same clan as her. Perhaps I missed it in your application (I swear I read the whole thing!) but I didn't pick up on what their actual relation to her was.

Ok, that's a really pointed question.

In short, I was under the impression that clans encompassed entire geopolitical regions or tribes. Now that you've pointed out that it's more like a Dynasty or familial thing than something that everyone in Yu'kal would have, that forces me to consider either changing the last name, or rolling with the punch. I wasn't planning initially to be quite so ambitious as to plonk my character in the lineage of a ruling clan - even if it's of a miserable backwater. But it absolutely does bring weight and credence to her background as an experienced duelist.

I don't know how old the Queen is. I don't know what the family tree looks like. Anzhsaa herself is in her mid to late forties.

Realistically, she's probably not in the immediate line of succession, and is likely part of a clan or family bred and historically well known for producing duelists and honor guards for the clan. Much of her life has been dedicated to serving the interests of the clan - whether that's taking a noble's place in single combat, facilitating negotiations with rivals, serving in wartime in defense of the clan's interests - or more recently, undertaking more clandestine missions, and serving other masters in the cause of keeping her dwindling culture alive, and relatively untouched by the Hegemony's yoke.

[Shenaanigans]

1 hour ago, 12antemeridiem said:

In short, I was under the impression that clans encompassed entire geopolitical regions or tribes. Now that you've pointed out that it's more like a Dynasty or familial thing than something that everyone in Yu'kal would have, that forces me to consider either changing the last name, or rolling with the punch. I wasn't planning initially to be quite so ambitious as to plonk my character in the lineage of a ruling clan - even if it's of a miserable backwater. But it absolutely does bring weight and credence to her background as an experienced duelist.

To clear this up a bit-- not everyone within the Queendom is of the Szek'hakh Clan, but given that it was a fairly well off Clan prior to the Contact War it is fair to assume that it was a large one with numerous sub-branches. So you could absolutely have a character who's related to Lazak herself without being something as direct as a daughter/grand daughter. Maybe a cousin or simply related by marriage of another family member. Whether or not you want to have that be the case, or just change the character's Clan name, is entirely up to you!

As far as the actual character goes, I'm very interested in the concept you have going and think it brings in quite the unique take on both Unathi transspiritualism and Queendom ideals. The question Haydizzle brought forward about how exactly she ends up on the Aurora is presented just because that act of getting from Moghes aaaaaall the way to Tau Ceti can be a hurdle for character backstory, so we just want to make sure the logic of getting from point A to B checks out. I know you've probably got character details worth keeping under wraps, though, for the sake of maintaining some mystique for later RP. 

One last thing I wanted to note was that we actually just had some dueling lore drop for Unathi today! I'll just link the relevant pages for you to take another glance over, given this character is established to be a talented duelist, if you haven't seen the recent additions.
https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Unathi_Honor
https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Unathi_Guilds

[12antemeridiem]

Getting set for bed now - but thank you for the lore dump.

Edited July 20, 2020 by 12antemeridiem

[12antemeridiem]

The question Haydizzle brought forward about how exactly she ends up on the Aurora is presented just because that act of getting from Moghes aaaaaall the way to Tau Ceti can be a hurdle for character backstory, so we just want to make sure the logic of getting from point A to B checks out.

That's perfectly sensible.

So, pruned out from the basis of the character, was the stretch of time between post-war Moghes, and the current day. Like I said, she's middle aged as far as Unathi go. She was an adult during the war (early twenties, specifically), and already well established as a favored warrior with a strong bloodline + connections within the clan. The carnage sobered her personality considerably. For the time being, until I'm given a hard answer one way or another regarding which side Clan Szek'hakh favored during the war - I'm going to assume that they backed the Coalition. Which meant that much of the time she spent during the fighting was very bloody. Being forced to use dishonorable tactics in the face of overwhelming shows of dishonor. (Usage of breacher kits, laser weaponry, mass murder, etc) - and the extreme casualties their fighting and civilian populations weathered changed her outlook on war considerably.

I'd imagine, on some level, the nuclear first strike was something of a relief, in a strange sort of way. It meant the butchery and carnage finally stopped.

You have a period of some years after that where her role shifts to more domestic concerns. Settling matters of honor for the newly founded Queendom. Organizing parleys with the Reclaimers in the nearby deserts for parts and technical expertise. Poaching manpower from the Gawgaryn, overseeing security for trade missions to nearby cities ... And, in her time off, refining her craft, and trying to find some measure of inner peace with what she's experienced. Religious pilgrimages to holy sites and favored shamans, or priests. Seeking rest and solace.

But she also became very valuable to the Queen through her reputation, and her abilities as a duelist and mediator. And, in no small part, due to how embarrassing it was to be defeated in combat by someone who looks very much like a female.

So this naturally lead to her being "leased out," in exchange for favors. To the Compact, to Reclaimers in particularly dire straits, and usually for a short time. Long enough to settle a dispute, or finish an upstart with a decisive duel in another's name. Usually in exchange for technology or resources to help build the industrial and economic base of the Queendom itself. Radiation chems. Water filters. More resilient aquaculture specimens.

So - then this brings us to Aurora, somewhat ironically.

While Hephaestus is the go-to for the Hegemony, there's still small corporate interests at play on Moghes. Some of them have ties with pirates. Others with salvagers and smaller communities looking for any way out they can. I'm going to leave it ambiguous as per whether Anzhsaa herself secured a position as a Warden based on falsified records and a perfectly valid work visa in order to facilitate industrial theft for the betterment of her community in league with the Compact ... Or whether she's working as a paid hostage/liaison in exchange for favors via backchannels and NT affiliated "couriers" and "smugglers" running Hegemony blockades ...

Either way you cut it, she's an experienced body, holding down a post, and staying in fairly squalid conditions for a cut-rate fee.

As for the physicality of "how she got there," well. It was a cramped journey that took several different ships - all commissioned in some way or another by the Compact. The final stretch - an Elyrian freighter, and a stamp on a work visa. Nothing that boggles the mind.

[Shenaanigans]

4 hours ago, 12antemeridiem said:

As for the physicality of "how she got there," well. It was a cramped journey that took several different ships - all commissioned in some way or another by the Compact. The final stretch - an Elyrian freighter, and a stamp on a work visa. Nothing that boggles the mind.

That all checks out for me! I'm happy to back this application.

[SleepyWolf]

I really like all these responses, and so you deserve to play Unathi! Everyone else asked so many good questions and you gave so many good answers. I'm pretty surprised how fast it occurred.

Accepted!

It should be up and ready for you by next round.