Peppermint's Stinky Zhan Application (Tajara)

[Peppermint]

BYOND Key:  Peppermint96

Character Names:

Current.

Mercy Loveday - Security Officer

Evelyn Morgan - Head of Security

 

Barely used.

Nina Thompson - Surgeon

Genevieve Francois - Security Officer

 

Shelved / Unused

Bethany Harper - HoS - Dead lol

Hope - Security Officer - Under revision

Felicity Larson - CMO 

Elizabeth Harrington - CMO 

Liberty - Security Officer

Eden Moore - Security Officer 

Mei-Ling Mori - Lab Assistant

Maya Kari - Miner

 

Species you are applying to play: Tajara

 

What color do you plan on making your first alien character:  I’ll have to fiddle with the editor some, but grey-blue most likely. So, you know, Zhan.

 

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes. God, there are so many, but yes.

 

Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question.

 

Why do you want to play this race? Tajara was supposed to be the first race I applied for, but ended up getting roped into other whitelists by friends who wanted to play together (RIP Lily ). Taj always looked fun and now I’ve finished uni, I have enough free time to play again and applying seems sensible.

 

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

• Ignoring the cast system for a second, Tajara are, essentially OOC, cat people. They have thick fur to suit their homeland, and claws  that demand certain changes in tool usage that would likely make adjusting to human/skrell dominated space that much harder. They also have distinct colouring to match their subspecies, with difference psychological builds between each one. Eg. Zhan being built bigger and better equipped for manual labour compared to their brothers and sisters. 
   
• Going hand in hand with the above, keener senses also play a part, giving them better senses of smell, as well as better eyesight, compared to the human ‘norm’. Again, I can imagine this could also play havoc with newer Tajara just entering human cities and ports, given everything must be so darn overwhelming and new compared to home. Another issue to face alongside the discrimination born of human prejudices, in part likely due to being referred to as cats - a wonderful ,extra humiliation bonus to go along with the usual challenges immigrants face.
   
• Traditionalism and ‘natural order’ is deeply entrenched into their culture and social structure, to more or less degree depending on species/faction.  This can bring up isolationist opinions as well as clashes with other races, humans and skrell especially, over their treatment of certain classes.   So adjusting to their space and corporations is a struggle, especially so far from home. I imagine many would surfer in this regard, depending on where their family unit is.
   
• I’m not going to go hard on each subrace here, as otherwise the length will get a wee bit silly. Instead there’s the issue that deep-rooted segregation does some really nasty things to brain and social development,  as well as create all sorts of horrific social norms in treatment toward other castes. This can lead to poor resource allocation of things like education and healthcare, even after the more archaic systems have been abolished. It can also be especially bad on literature and scientific development through the limiting of the ‘idea pool’ which may help to show why the DPRA especially are struggling to make technological headway. At least in part. Growing up in this kind of setting would be extremely deliberating for all individuals, even if it’s not necessarily in the same way. Nonetheless,  discrimination is deeply entrenched in Tajara ‘culture’, and a leading element of the race.
   
• Tajara also have a naturally  lessened life span compared to the other galactic races, which is only going to be made worse given their history of warfare and all that comes from that. Whilst this would also mess with their perceptions of time, more importantly, it’s likely to become increasingly relevant as the race integrates with others. Existential crisis galore, I’d imagine, though that would not necessarily be relevant to playing IC. Just something interesting!

There’s also stuff like the specifics of sexual dimorphism sleep cycles, and early history, but getting onto those topics would just push the length even further. I’ve read the wiki plenty though, and have these elements - especially the third - in mind.

 

Character Specifics

Character Name:  Saffiya Emani 

Character Job: Apprentice Engineer

Background

Early Childhood: Saffiya was born to a rock nomad family around 2438 (Making her 24 in the ‘present’ timeline) in the Harr’masir area. Whilst her life contained the bitter struggle of growing up, to the outside world at least, as a  Zhan, for the most part her early life was a pleasant one. Despite the harsh treatment, suspicion, and btterness cast to the caravan by the non-Rhazar'Hrujmagh they came into contact with, it was, in many ways, still better than the alternative. Born to two loving parents whom had previously supported the rebellion before returning home and hoping for a better life, Saffiya grew up alongside a childhood rich in story telling, music, and warmth. Like her siblings and peers, she was quickly taught in the arts of riding, herding, and weaponry, though could never quite shake the fascination she held in the ideas of cities, and spacecraft. 

Adolescence: After 2448 as increased pressure from the Haidii family began to try and settle the nomads, Saffiya’s way of life came under threat. Whilst the years before had seen increased resentment toward the rebelion’s ‘saviors’ as Tajara culture was slowly homogenised and their traditions stripped away, much of this was seen second hand. Either through the places the family visited or through conversations with - for the most part - other Zhan, Saff’s suspicion toward the regime only grew. Less so for political reasons and more so just for the love of her family, as the pressures increased, so too did her hate. Made worse by an injured Father and bereaved mother whom had both fought alongside Haidii in the previous wars the unfairness of how her and her people were treated by their supposed allies was made all the worse by a teenager’s passion. As the tensions grew into the culmination of agents such as Harmaliik being sent to her home in a bid to, as she saw it, strip away their individuality and spirit, Saffiya joined the war effort in trying to keep hold of their homeland. This put a pause on many of the things she’d looked forward to, ranging from her elevation to adulthood and the end to an arranged marriage she’d approved of to the son of one of the other caravan families. 

War and Rebellion: For the most part, at the start of the New Kingdom’s split, Saffiya was too young to see much active combat. Instead she ran minor errands for the caravans as her mother and father joined the resistance effort more directly, though did her best to sneak away with the raiding parties when able. For the most part however, in the years leading up to the formation of the ALA, Saffiya’s bitterness continued to grow. The long nights of fire side music and familial warmth felt like they were in the distant past, ruined by the Haidii and their lies. This likewise grew more zealous as older members of her social circle began laying the blame with NanoTransen, detailing all they’d done to take her mother and father away. As resistance continued and Saffiya grew older, she started to take more active roles in the fighting. First as a messenger, then later as a scout, though this was short lived following the inevitable death of her Father on a PRA raid gone wrong. Heartbroken, only her mother’s insistence she stay with the clan following Nated’s coup kept her at home. Yet as more of her friends were killed and she herself received minor injuries, Saffiya came to resent that choice. Running around as little more than a mercenary, feeling as if she was not truly contributing, began to wear on her. Especially as her age and anger were becoming increasingly under question by her family unit, leading to further withdrawal from the front.

'Freedom fighter':  Following her mother’s increasing deterioration and as the reality of war set in, Saffiya’s previous days dreaming of glory and righteousness were long gone. Instead leaving a young woman stripped of the childhood she’d adored was left anxious and confused; a prime recruit for the most extremist of the 'freedom fighters'. Running away from her caravan as soon as she had she had the chance, Saffiya - to begin with - felt she’d finally found people who thought as she did. An ALA terrorist cell that practically lapped up the woman's ideologies and hate, using her thoroughly even if she was entirely unaware she was being exploited.  In many ways, it was the best and worst of her life. She was surrounded by young men and women who felt as she did, were of her people, and provided a wonderful buffet to her declining mental health. Yet on the other side of things, she  missed her family and was increasingly struggling with homesickness, whilst trying to justify the 'acceptable losses' of her work . Yet as time went on an 2461 rolled around, Saffiya was once again left feeling betrayed. Harmaliik’s pledge to the NKA - and the caste system it upheld - was something she could not abide by. It felt like everything she’d fought for had come undone as one of her people's heroes cast their lot in with the enemy, even if in reality she could see the sense of it. Doubly so as the guilt began to catch up, made all the worse as the Adhomai she'd wanted was looking increasingly impossible. Yet after losing her Father, her mother ,and - to a degree - herself, Saffiya withdrew from the ALA and tried to find her way back home. Partly for herself, and partly for the need for a mother's love.

Crevuce: Upon returning to her old caravan, Saffiya found it changed. Many of her childhood friends had since passed away, or saw her  as a zealot who should never have left her family. Worse, in many ways, was her mother. Relieved to have her daughter back despite their disagreements, Saffiya still couldn’t quite bring herself to forgive her for their rows and  frustration leading up to her leaving. In her own mind with her own now twisted logic, Saffiya couldn't shake the thought that her father might have been alive if they'd pledged to - and had the resources of - the DPRA without just being convenient soldiers - paid for a service she wished they'd offered freely. Even if the reality of staying behind would have been non too different, she herself didn't see that; too wrapped up in hurt feelings and the blooming effects of PTSD. As such, her homecoming was short lived. Unable to rectify between the home she’d left and the one she’d wanted, Saffiya left and wandered. For the next few months she dotted from place to place, looking for meaning that always resulted in conversations surrounded Crevus. Whilst many of those she met painted the city out as some bastion for all Tajara, Saffiya remained sceptical. Yet with no where else to go and unable to face the shame of a second homecoming, she set out for the city and meaning. 

Her time there was brief, and mixed. Whilst on one hand she found fellow Zhan from all walks of life by which to bond with - even if she herself did not truly see them as being of the same race - the mix of factions and the strangeness of living in a city left her frazzled and anxious. Once again a prime target for extortion and harassment due to her isolated nature, large parts of the time she was in the city were spent being homeless. Chance eventually led her to a handful of the NanoTransen offices within the city. At first, to try and scope out the ‘evil’ she blamed, in part, for the destruction of her homeland, and later for the promises of adventure. Or, more exactly, for escape.

NanoTransen and Biesel:  Becoming increasingly desperate and poor, alongside sickened at the city she’d found herself in and the lack of traditional values, Saffiya eventually let herself be spoken into an NT contract. Whilst this was firstly a post in the security services given her experiences and need to boost their ‘equality’ demographics, eventually she talked the representatives into her allowing her to sign up as an engineering apprentice - hoping to at least gain back some small slither of that childish excitement that started it all to begin with. For the next few months, she learnt to read and speak basic, doing so by taking jobs as a bouncer for the casinos an shops - occupations she hated, but saw as a necessary evil. Eventually getting her proficiency up just enough to pass  the tests, she was shipped out under the direction of the same representative and made her way to Tau Ceti. And, ultimately, the Aurora. 

< Religion stuff would go here if the length wasn’t already a tad dumb - she follows the Ma’ta’ke religion as per her parents. It's more a way of life to her/philosophical and 'what Tajara's do' type of traditionalist, as opposed to the deity side. >

 

What do you like about this character?:  I play a lot of ‘normal’, intelligent characters with basic human backstories. Doing something new with a more physically intensive character seemed fun. Likewise I’ve not really seen many rock nomad characters, and I like the clash they have in finding a place amidst the culture of their peers.

Secondly, I really should just learn how the darn engineering department works and this seemed like a fun way to get involved. Mostly as even if the department turns out to be mechanically uninteresting, there’s plenty to do RP-wise to keep me playing the character. Unlike, say, my skrell/IPC applicants that ,whilst being good ideas (If I do say so myself), ultimately were not appropriate for an SS-style game.  . 

 

How would you rate your role-playing ability?:  I don’t really like this question as it’s so subjective. Especially as SS is fairly constraining in many ways, so a ‘good’ character is more limited than other mediums. I feel my characters are very distinct from one another, and feel ‘real’ - they all have their own goals and wants, pluses and drawbacks, though how well they’re enjoyed by other people is not something I’m aware of. I also play very strong-willed and emotional characters, which can often rub people the wrong way and lead to OOC issues. 1/10. 

 

Notes: 

• I played volunteer kitty roles during the event. The first was the lead singer for bloodstorm (the one that got into all the bar fights) and the second was the Amohda swordswoman with the cool bullet splitting mechanic. So, I’ve played the race before to a degree (Not counting the away site.), even if I was shaky on the lore and needed a ‘lil guidance. 
   
• Autocorrect kinda messed me up a little. Forgive name issues, please!
   
• Thank you to Bear for proofreading it and checking it over + to the others in the relay I’ve been asking questions to as of late.

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Lemei
Changes as per DeadLantern's help. Highlighted for ease of reading.

[DeadLantern]

I consider this to be a very good application, though I am a little confused by certain parts.

"Saffiya joined the war effort in trying to keep hold of their homeland." - For clarification, she would be fighting for the NKA. If I could quibble, it would not really be Saffiya "joining" the war--I would think the Caravan leaders would get together and decide all together if they would participate in the War, depending on whom paid them. You make it clear that the entire caravan is joining the war, so it is fine. It is just a minor problem involving wording.

"Saffiya was once again left feeling betrayed. Harmaliik’s pledge to the NKA - and the caste system it upheld - was something she could not abide by." - This is an interesting passage. Why would Saffiya be against the caste system? The caste system is how peoples like the Rock Nomads can keep their distinct culture and spirit alive--this goes for the M'sai, the Zhan, the Hharar, and the Njarir as well. the PRA attempts to destroy the caste system, which is exactly why the Rock Nomads were grounded. Saffiya could totally have the opinion that the caste system is bad, but then she would have to agree with the PRA, and at least somewhat respect the decision to ground the Rock Nomads in an effort to make one unified Tajara culture. As of right now, it does not seem all too realistic that Saffiya would support such a concept, as the caste system is exactly why Rock Nomads can celebrate their culture, and the destruction of the caste system nearly brought her culture to ruin. Additionally, the ALA also supports the caste system--just without the forced labor and intense boundaries between the castes. The ALA and the DPRA want a return to tradition, similar to the NKA, but without the monarchy.

"Relieved to have her daughter back despite their disagreements, Saffiya still couldn’t quite bring herself to forgive her from talking her out of joining the DPRA." - When did Saffiya join the ALA? Harmaliik never fought with the ALA or the NKA, only actually allying with the NKA in 2461, which you talk about. I'd imagine most of the people who rode with Harmaliik would agree with the NKA more than the ALA--and the ALA had almost no presence in Harr'masir during the Second Revolution. Did she join after she left Harmaliik's caravan?

Overall, this is a good application, but I'd like to see these passages cleared up, as I am a little confused about their presence.

 

[Peppermint]

9 hours ago, DeadLantern said:

I consider this to be a very good application, though I am a little confused by certain parts.

"Saffiya joined the war effort in trying to keep hold of their homeland." - For clarification, she would be fighting for the NKA. If I could quibble, it would not really be Saffiya "joining" the war--I would think the Caravan leaders would get together and decide all together if they would participate in the War, depending on whom paid them. You make it clear that the entire caravan is joining the war, so it is fine. It is just a minor problem involving wording.

"Saffiya was once again left feeling betrayed. Harmaliik’s pledge to the NKA - and the caste system it upheld - was something she could not abide by." - This is an interesting passage. Why would Saffiya be against the caste system? The caste system is how peoples like the Rock Nomads can keep their distinct culture and spirit alive--this goes for the M'sai, the Zhan, the Hharar, and the Njarir as well. the PRA attempts to destroy the caste system, which is exactly why the Rock Nomads were grounded. Saffiya could totally have the opinion that the caste system is bad, but then she would have to agree with the PRA, and at least somewhat respect the decision to ground the Rock Nomads in an effort to make one unified Tajara culture. As of right now, it does not seem all too realistic that Saffiya would support such a concept, as the caste system is exactly why Rock Nomads can celebrate their culture, and the destruction of the caste system nearly brought her culture to ruin. Additionally, the ALA also supports the caste system--just without the forced labor and intense boundaries between the castes. The ALA and the DPRA want a return to tradition, similar to the NKA, but without the monarchy.

"Relieved to have her daughter back despite their disagreements, Saffiya still couldn’t quite bring herself to forgive her from talking her out of joining the DPRA." - When did Saffiya join the ALA? Harmaliik never fought with the ALA or the NKA, only actually allying with the NKA in 2461, which you talk about. I'd imagine most of the people who rode with Harmaliik would agree with the NKA more than the ALA--and the ALA had almost no presence in Harr'masir during the Second Revolution. Did she join after she left Harmaliik's caravan?

Overall, this is a good application, but I'd like to see these passages cleared up, as I am a little confused about their presence.

 

 

Heyo! These were actually the passages I was a tad shaky on myself, so fair enough lol.

 

1 and 3 are kind of linked. Looking through the lore, I couldn't find anywhere that said they (the rock nomads) actually joined the war effort on the DPRA's side in an organised fashion, instead of just fighting the PRA on their own terms within their own caravans. So I kind of assumed they both had the same enemy, but didn't necessarily formally ally themselves to begin with.  The section with the Mountain King specifically says he never really gave his support to either side, and instead just defended his home. Unless I'm missing something? Scrapping together the lore for the nomads was a pain, given it's kind of spread everywhere and there's only 3 or so small sections. So to clarify, she would have liked to join the DPRA in a more formal manner, signing on as a soldier instead of functionally acting as a raider. 

2) Saffiya isn't necessarily super traditional by way that she believes what she's doing. It's all more an excuse for her to keep her family and friends around, to feel wanted and adored, and to have something that's 'hers'. Does that make sense? I'd argue nomads have a considerably better life compared to most Zhan, mostly because they keep somewhat separate.  I disagree that she would approve of the caste system, and her issues with the PRA was more them grinding down her culture as opposed to wanting to be treated like a worker. If she'd gotten her way, she wouldn't have fought at all and would have been quite happy to let the rest of the Tajara scrap it out if her and her own were left alone.  I very much don't think they either have to be against the caste system and approve of the PRA, or be against it and disapprove. Like, you can see this with the Indian caste system to a degree as well. People can enjoy the social bonds and stability it brings, whilst still despising being put in a single 'box' as it were. Plus the NKA kind of takes it to its extremes again, and her life there - whilst better than most Zhans - would hardly be as good as before the second rebellion imo. I would also argue that she's very young in many ways, as well as having dealt with the struggles of war. Objective thinking isn't very high on her list of priorities, and everyone likes someone to blame.

Kind of rambled a bit, but that's kind of why she supported what the DPRA were doing.  Allowing her people to keep their traditions, whilst having the option of being something more. Nobody likes having their freedom taken away.

[DeadLantern]

1. The Rock Nomads are historically sellswords. Think of Landsknecht or any flavor of medieval mercenary. They fight who they are paid for, but they have a grudge against the PRA. Most the caravans in Harr'masir would be paid by the NKA to fight the PRA, with some of the lesser Caravans fighting because they want to. The Mountain King fought chiefly for his caravans. If you want Saffiya to fight for the ALA, she could not go the Mountain King or any caravan; she would likely find a terrorist cell operating outside of a major city. She could also be smuggled anywhere. If you really want to be a "formal" ALA soldier, there were no official Juntas comamnding in Harr'masir, to my knowledge, disregarding Amohda. She could totally still serve in the ALA, however.

2. I get it. It is similar to what the DPRA wants--tradition first. She wants something that is unique to her. It makes sense why she would fight for the ALA.

Good application, I like it.

[Peppermint]

7 hours ago, DeadLantern said:

1. The Rock Nomads are historically sellswords. Think of Landsknecht or any flavor of medieval mercenary. They fight who they are paid for, but they have a grudge against the PRA. Most the caravans in Harr'masir would be paid by the NKA to fight the PRA, with some of the lesser Caravans fighting because they want to. The Mountain King fought chiefly for his caravans. If you want Saffiya to fight for the ALA, she could not go the Mountain King or any caravan; she would likely find a terrorist cell operating outside of a major city. She could also be smuggled anywhere. If you really want to be a "formal" ALA soldier, there were no official Juntas comamnding in Harr'masir, to my knowledge, disregarding Amohda. She could totally still serve in the ALA, however.

2. I get it. It is similar to what the DPRA wants--tradition first. She wants something that is unique to her. It makes sense why she would fight for the ALA.

Good application, I like it.

 

Thanks for the help! It's very much appreciated. 

 

Edited in your suggestions - highlighted 'em for ease of viewing. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Lemei

[Alberyk]

I don't have anything to ask here.

Just a small thing however: due to the Hadiist position on the nomads, they would likely fight for whoever would leave their society and ways of life alone, ala and nka in certain cases, so the mercenary part is slowly being replaced by an ideological fight. So, yes, a nomad character could just fight for ideology just fine. Besides, if they were born after the first revolution, they would likely see little to no mercenary work.

Anyway, you know the lore and used it very well in the application. Besides you did great during the events. Application accept.