[ACCEPTED] Melariara and the Unathi Whitelist

[Melariara]

BYOND Key: Melariara

Character Names:

I have a lot of characters.

Species you are applying to play: Unathi

What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Either albino or a green (forest or swamp), if albino get denied for whatever reason.

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Hyez, multiple times.

 

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:

When I was applying for my dionae whitelist, I fell in love with the idea of the symbiotic relationship that Clan Dorviza has with them, and began branching out. Seeing a lot of other decent unathi characters in game, and having a lot of my characters being great friends with a decent whack of them as well has made me realize that they're pretty cool.

 

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

Playing a race that lives on a planet that could have been ours if certain events played out different in our own timeline is a fascinating take. Also, being cold blooded and slower than a human will be interesting, though I know how being slow can be frustrating (Haha hehes in dionae).

Portraying the gender roles when you're a person who primarily plays her gender is going to be interesting and tough, but will be well worth it. Also, the tribal sense and strict hierarchy, and, at least initially, flipping it on its head.

 

Character Name: Ehelka Razla

Please provide a short backstory for this character:

Razla was born in 2437, a clutch of two, a year before the Contact War. Her village was small, and unfortunately, at the edge of a blast. In the chaos and death that follows the bombs dropping, Razla's father and sibling died. Torn with grief, her mother and a few other women and hatchlings fled what remained of their village and trudged across the wastelands, scavenging where they could, but their numbers dwindled. Eventually, they found themselves at the steps of the Yu'kal, spears at their throats from the women warriors, but were eventually welcomed into the settlement after pledging themselves to Queen Lazak Szek'Hakh.

Over the years, with the clan changing around her, Razla grew into a rambunctious teenager, always sticking her snout where it didn't really belong; investigating the world around her and others in their daily lives, while training in her clan to become a protector of Yu'kal, a role she took on proudly.

One day though, tragedy struck when Razla was nineteen and her mother died from the effects of acute radiation poisoning, causing Razla to grieve for several days before she also began to feel ill, her immune system weakened by the bombs. While weakened, being Th'akh, Razla still used her strength to build a small shrine of  to her mother, which she prayed at daily, hoping that her mother was watching over her from the spirit realm. Unfortunately, she continued to weaken. The Queen was troubled and started reaching out to her outside resources, hoping to find Razla a ship off planet and to a better life.

After arriving in Tau Ceti in 2460, Razla marveled at the technology that was being used to heal her, how advanced it was compared to back in Yu'kal, and she endeavored to send as many credits as she could afford in the hopes that more of her people could be sent off world.

Nowadays, Razla has completed training to be an investigator, having done her cadetship at various installations on Nanotrasen vessels. Her views on those she sees as the most responsible for the contact war, the Izweski and the Traditionalists, is distrusting; The Izweski for dominating the first contact, as well as forcing her Queen to follow their demands, and the Traditionalists for dropping the nukes which changed her life. Her view on humans and skrell was about the same, until their medicine started to heal her.

What do you like about this character?

I like the thought of playing this character because I believe she'll be hard to represent once actually made. All the male unathi may pick on her for being a woman warrior, which is understandable, while the women unathi not of the queendom will look down on her with scorn, so I find it unlikely she'll have many unathi friends to start with.

Playing her boggled by the inverted roles as well, but with an attitude of "Well, my Queen let this happen, so I will do what I can for my Queen."

How would you rate your role-playing ability? God, seven or an eight. I hope.

Notes: One day I will likely make a quiet female. But that is not this day.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Haydizzle
Accepted

[Shadow7889]

I have played a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot of rounds with Mel, seen her RP, seen her go from community member to staff and have enjoyed rounds with her in it as Command staff. I have zero doubt in my mind she'll excel at being a stinky lizard. Big ol fat



+1

[Shenaanigans]

I'm always pleased to see more Unathi characters drawing off of the Queendom lore and this application seems to show a solid understanding of both how the timeline shakes out and the relationship the Queendom's populace tends to have to the rest of Unathi society. It's a very strange cultural inversion of the status quo for Unathi and requires grasping how things normally work before you can turn that on its head, so good job there.

I just had a few questions that came to mind while reading the application.

1. Could you further expand on what Razla's personality is like? You mentioned her being inquisitive and loyal to her Queen, but I'm curious to know about things like how sociable she is, how she reacts to more culturally traditional Unathi trying to impose their ideals on her, and any other ways you'd describe what she's like as a person.
2. Does she have any other goals beyond sending wealth back home? Career aspirations? Desire for a family? Maybe intent to eventually return to Moghes?
3. I like the detail about Razla constructing a shrine to her mother to draw some comfort from; has she continued this sort of prayer or reconstructed the shrine?

[Melariara]

3 minutes ago, Shenaanigans said:

1. Could you further expand on what Razla's personality is like? You mentioned her being inquisitive and loyal to her Queen, but I'm curious to know about things like how sociable she is, how she reacts to more culturally traditional Unathi trying to impose their ideals on her, and any other ways you'd describe what she's like as a person.

She is rather brash by herself. As far as traditionalists trying to impose their views on her, I imagine she's going to be rather defensive on it, considering her upbringing in the Queendom. If they keep pressing her, she will just outright ignore them (because its what she views as normal) or just, fight for her honour.

4 minutes ago, Shenaanigans said:

2. Does she have any other goals beyond sending wealth back home? Career aspirations? Desire for a family? Maybe intent to eventually return to Moghes?

Career aspirations aren't that many at the moment. I imagine when she gets older, she'll start to work for higher positions within NanoTrasen, such as Head of Security when she's old enough and has more respect within the company, but she's not even considering that right now. She probably won't return to Moghes, knowing her Queen is trying to get as many people off the planet as possible, and seeing the destruction wrought upon the planet and population, will continue to share that sentiment.

8 minutes ago, Shenaanigans said:

3. I like the detail about Razla constructing a shrine to her mother to draw some comfort from; has she continued this sort of prayer or reconstructed the shrine?

She definitely has reconstructed another shrine in her little one room apartment on the Odin and prays to it daily. I also imagine that if she starts dying in a round, she'll "see" her mother there with a clawed hand out, welcoming her or something. Expect prayers of "Mother?"

[Haydizzle]

I can also personally vouch for Mel's good use of the lore on both Addy and Nails. Shen asked good questions that had subjects I wanted to touch on, so I merely have one more.

On 02/04/2021 at 22:07, Melariara said:

Her views on those she sees as the most responsible for the contact war, the Izweski and the Traditionalists, is distrusting;

Which side did Razla come from? How does she fit into unathi culture (barring the unique twist on the themes the Queendom utilizes)?

Edited April 4, 2021 by Haydizzle
Clarification oop

[Melariara]

1 minute ago, Haydizzle said:

Which side did Razla come from? How does she fit into unathi culture (barring the unique twist on the themes the Queendom utilizes)?

Razla's clan was initially under the Hegemony until the First Contact War obliterated it and caused her to grow disillusioned with the Hegemony and the Traditionalists. This was further exaggerated by her upbringing in the Queendom, which will likely lead to tension with other Unathi on station who maintain those values. Her views otherwise are the same as general unathi; She will refuse to look at a Guwan when it speaks to her, and answer minimally, and will have a slight distaste for Aut'akh, though understands prosthetics do have some value.

[Haydizzle]

Good answers all around. Keep in mind that Aut'akh prosthetics are more than just a replacement usually: most receive their prosthetics by chopping a limb off to receive it. They are more fanatical about it compared to a unathi getting a metallic hand so they may continue to work.

Application accepted! Good luck on station, and feel free to reach out with any questions.