[Accepted]Boggle08's Dionae Application

[Boggle08]

BYOND Key: (Boggle08)
Character Names: 
Markos Rakt
Tankred
Horace Thratch
Norman

Species you are applying to play: Dionae
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: N/A
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes

Why do you wish to play this specific race:
I have a character concept I want to explore specifically geared towards Dionae. This concept would be impossible to do using any other whitelisted race we have on the server. Besides this reason, I really like dionae purely on the basis of them being one of the most alien playable races on the server. The psychological wiring of an alien race is what truly makes them alien, as it affects the internal monologue and rationalization of characters beyond whatever cultures have been instilled into them. You can't take the alien out of a dionae, and it doesn't matter what culture you introduce them to or how much you inculcate them into it. It's internal monologue and ways of rationalizing things will always be different.

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

    The internal monologue of this alien species is drastically different compared to other alien races in the setting. It is perhaps the most different and alien out of the whole bunch. A Dionae cluster is a swirling gestalt of thoughts and ideas, that come together to create a zeitgeist of being. The collective being or ego of a gestalt is an idea formed by the sum of its parts. The Gestalt's sense of self is constantly affected by top down/bottom up variables as well: The Zeitgeist of the gestalt influences the nymphs below it, and the nymphs below it can introduce new thoughts from the bottom up in contrast. This is before you even get into the physical biology of the gestalts themselves.
    They likely aren't even capable of sexuality, due to their unique internal monologue and the fact that they reproduce gracelessly through asexual budding. Why would such a being require to be capable of romance?

Character Name: The Continuity of Ulzka Dorviza

Please provide a short backstory for this character:
There once was a man named Ulzka Dorviza. Ulzka was an Unathi, A Th'akh Shaman of the Dorviza clan. In life, it became his task to travel from his home settlement to tend to the medical and spiritual needs of remote villages from his clan or otherwise. When he started, Ulzka traveled with a company of warriors to brave the wastes, but as his knowledge of the land and intuition grew, the size of his company shrunk until he began to make treks alone.
    As years turned into decades, Ulzka accrued a reputation as a local legend, braving the wastes alone, showing up to villages with exactly what they needed, and only leaving once the people were well. The years of dangerous forays into the wild did not leave Ulzka unblemished. Besides chipped horns and scars, in one particularly bad run, Ulzka had to return to his home settlement after getting crushed under a rock-slide, cutting one of his legs out from under the rubble and crawling back on his bare hands. Being a member of the clan Dorviza, his clan mates were able to grant him a Dionae gestalt in the place of a leg, so that he might continue his work in the wastes. This small gestalt became a treasured companion to Ulzka, as much as it was extension of his being. He would allow the gestalt to siphon blood from his leg-stump, and would monologue to it in the long journeys between settlements.

His final journey was spurred under dire circumstances. One of the villages furthest from Ulzka's home sent signals into the sky, requesting help for a massive plague, and a shaman to perform burial rites. Once more, Ulzka readied his provisions, and journeyed into the scorched outback. The skies were clear, and the wastes were silent, save for the wind. About midway through his journey, thunder echoed through the wastes, but there were no clouds. Ulzka hit the ground, and blood began to pool from his midsection. A rush of footsteps followed, and Ulzka felt his pack ripped from him. He never knew who killed him.

As the life faded from Ulzka, he rolled onto his back and looked to the gestalt affixed to where his leg once was. With pleading eyes, he begged the gestalt to continue his mission, no matter the cost. Every nymph in the gestalt shifted their gaze towards the dying shaman and the collective spoke it's first words before Ulzka finally died:

"It shall be so."

Thereafter, the Gestalt affixed to his leg decoupled itself from his nervous system, and began to tear into his flesh. In the end, Ulzka Dorviza was no more, and a new being reared it's facsimile head to the sun, beginning anew it's old master's journey. 
    Armed with the knowledge it had absorbed from it's host over the span of decades, The Continuity of Ulzka Dorviza completed it's journey, healed the sick, and buried the dead. When it returned to the Dorviza settlement, however, it was met with mixed reception. Although Gestalt had managed to complete Ulzka's quest, it potentially might have damned the venerable shaman spiritually: He was not given a proper Th'akh burial, and the consumption and internment of his body within the gestalt was borderline desecration, even if it was the final wish of Ulzka.

    Due to these spiritual uncertainties, a compromise was made. Because the Gestalt fulfilled the shaman's dying wish and completed his quest, it would be allowed to continue Ulzka Dorviza's legacy, being allowed to carry his name and remain as a member of Clan Dorviza. However, due to the egregious breach of tradition, The gestalt was banished from Ulzka's old home, never to return. With the dead shaman's old understanding of Th'akh, the gestalt was also tasked with bringing peace to Ulzka's soul.

The Gestalt resolved to wander through the wastes, in much the same way Ulzka once did. As it wandered, it's sense of identity grew muddled and confused. Sometimes, it would imagine the presence of the dead shaman. Other times, it thought it WAS the dead shaman. After months of enduring this cognitive obstacle, the gestalt decided to leave Moghes, in the hope of finding peace for itself, and perhaps Ulzka.

After one very awkward visitation to a Nanotransen recruitment center, The Continuity of Ulzka Dorviza would begin a new chapter of it's existence in Biesel.

What do you like about this character?
I wanted to make a Dionae that is grounded into the setting, and invested in the doings of other organic life. I wanted to give it strong motivations to participate in civilization, and the obligation it has placed upon itself to continue the mission and legacy of its previous host is just that. As for what job it will do, I want it to show on the station as a Th'akh Shaman, and maaaaybe cross-job into Pharmacist down the line if the admins are ok with it(The gestalt is a Medicine Man, after all). 

How would you rate your role-playing ability?
8/10 on a good day.

Notes: HooH

[Caelphon]

Welcome to the Land of the Trees!

Thanks so much for applying, I enjoyed reading your application. 

 

1) Can you tell me a bit about how your Dionae feels about the Biesellian Cluster? Do they gel well with the Eternal followers?

2) Does your Dionae have a degree to do with medicine? If so, how has this affected them in the present?

3) How does the Unathi life the gestalt live affect it on Biesel? 

 

Thanks!

[Boggle08]

1 hour ago, Caelphon said:

[snip]

1) The Gestalt is set heavily in it's Th'akh ways. The Continuity has placed a lot of burden upon itself regarding the death of Ulzka and continuing his legacy. Being on Moghes exacerbated dissociative traits within The Continuity, and so it had to leave in order to pursue it's quest with clarity. On Biesel, however, the methodical, unavoidable hum of the spire serves as a continual, omnipresent opponent to the faith and conviction of The Continuity. It remains extremely hesitant to merge with other gestalts, moreso than others, for fear of losing sight of it's quest, and views the enthusiastic followers of The Eternal as a test of patience at best.

2) Not actually anything formal or official like a degree, yet. OOCly, this is because I don't actually know enough about Pharmacist to put the gestalt into the role right from the get-go. Through the IC context of this character, it's because it never actually had formal training in medicine, only what it could gather from the siphoning of Ulzka's blood and his ramblings. Which is quite a lot, but nothing tangible like a degree or university time. The Gestalt is still interested in healing, however, and it will pursue a career in medicine to that end. Nanotransen was made aware of The Continuity's aptitude with medicine very early, and decided to partially subsidize it's formal education/training. However, all of this is if only if I'm allowed to job-hop between pharmacist and Shaman. If I can't do it, The Continuity will likely remain as a Shaman, except with enough knowledge to behave like a Physician that can't do surgery.

3) The Continuity's upbringing and the circumstances of it's creation have led to it to being able to relate much more with Unathi in general. The entire gestalt actually goes out of it's way to mimic Unathi body language(Literally extending a portion of the gestalt behind the Continuity for a tail thump, as an example), and adheres to general honor and cultural customs of the species. It is fervently Th'akh, having spent a decent chunk of it's life literally being a shaman's leg. It remains cordial yet aloof with other clusters, and if it were to ever merge or fraternize with another cluster, it would only be with one from it's clan: Dorviza.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Boggle08

[Caelphon]

This application has my support, thank you for answering the questions so quickly!

[KingOfThePing]

I think that is the coolest character concept I have seen here. You deserve the whitelist wholeheartedly. Good luck, dude.

[Sheeplets]

I usually don't comment on these things but dude, seriously, your backstory for The Continuity is cool as shit. I love this character and I haven't even met them yet. Here's hoping that we get the chance to.

[Haydizzle]

This is indeed extraordinarily impressive and has a level of effort lore does not ask of applicants, yet is always inspiring to see people write so much. I'm giving it the stamp of approval regarding unathi lore; this is probably one of the better concepts for a Wasteland diona I've been privy to.

[Yonnimer]

Hello! After some discussion, we've decided to accept your application!