Kaizr Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) BYOND Key: Kaizr Character Names: Salitia Mary, Valeria, IAC-Darwin, Vu Diem Hoa (Only characters I actively play at the moment, I have plenty of older ones that I felt weren’t worth mentioning.) Species you are applying to play: Tajara What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Silvery-White Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes 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: For many reasons, I felt that the Tajara would be a good step in expanding my role-playing abilities as the history of Tajara is deeply rooted in every character. Unique political and socioeconomic backgrounds offer a robust selection of options for a player to choose from and plenty of information to allow for deep and meaningful character interactions. For a long time, I was planning to apply for Unathi, but friends of mine who play Tajara piqued my interest in the lore. Despite my initial fears of applying, I have found the lore wikis informative and easy to grasp, making the backstory writing process easy and entertaining. By applying for this whitelist, I hope that I will be able to expand my horizons in terms of future roleplay and further my narrative writing skills through that. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Mechanically, the Tajaran species boasts many nuances and differences between humans. While supporting one of the fastest run speeds out of all races, they also can see in the dark unassisted. Of course, not all of the differences are good. The average Tajara is much weaker due to their lithe, thin build (circa Zhan-Khazan Tajara). From a roleplay perspective, Tajara differs significantly from humanity. The Tajaran people come from a planet that has been engulfed in war and conflict for nearly 60 years, tens of millions dying in the brutal conflicts. Adhomai has gone from a united world under the banner of the Peoples Republic of Adhomai after the first revolution, only to be engulfed in another decade of war a few years later during the second. Adhomai’s unique backstory opens up a slew of intricate character arcs and personalities for those playing Tajara, from jaded veterans of the conflicts to the many civilians displaced by the brutal fighting. As a Tajaran player, it is expected that you incorporate Adhomai’s troubled past of noble rule and war into the character in addition to the politics of the cold war. Politics also play a heavy role in Tajaran culture and subsequently the roleplay based on it. Despite being lightyears away, Tajara across the galaxy are still faced with the harsh reality of Adhomian politics. Character Name: Sahi Khazka Please provide a short backstory for this character Spoiler "Sahi Khazka... Correct?" Asked the besuited, cinnamon furred Tajara as they shuffled through a stack of papers, lightly tapping them against the desk. "Please, take a seat. He will be with them in a moment." Sahi nodded, the silvery-white M'sai quietly setting her bag on the ground before sitting down in the rickety wooden chair. "Oh- And confirm this information for him while they have a moment." He placed a single slip of paper on the table, sliding it towards Sahi before returning to shuffling through a pile of manilla folders. Sahi nodded once more, carefully leaning forward and skimming through the document. Khazka, Sahi Sex: Female Height: 162cm Weight: 51kg Ethnic Background: M’sai Date of Birth: 09.11.2443 (DD/MM/YYYY) Place of Birth: Bar'jar Regional Clinic, Bar'jar, New Kingdom of Adhomai “Looks correct to her.” She continued to skim the paper for a minute, eventually finding herself lost in the wall of legal information, medical records, and close relatives. "Good. If he is reading this correctly, they are looking for an entry-level job but are unaware of what is best, correct?" Despite his rather stoic attitude, he spoke with remarkable eloquence—his impassive gaze showing that he was less than happy to be talking to a commoner. However, Sahi ignored the offputting demeanor of the Njarir, putting on her best smile and speaking up. "She is, yes." There was a short pause as she contemplated what to say, nervously flicking her ears. "She... Hopes to start a career in academia one day." The Njarir nodded along, trying and failing to look interested in what the M’sai had to say. "He sees. However, he cannot gauge what would be best without more information. Can she tell him a bit about herself? Interests... Hobbies... Relevant skills, things such as that." Sahi's ears perked up as he spoke, his question seeming to spark her curiosity. "Well... To explain that, she may have to go back a fair bit. She is a linguist." The Tajara on the other side of the desk tilted his head, nodding slowly. "So they are multi-lingual? He cannot say he has met many people that study linguistics." He paused for a moment, rubbing his muzzle in thought. "He will allow his curiosity to get the better of him here. Why linguistics over more relevant fields?" Sahi gave a small smile before speaking up. "Well... It all started a long time ago..." Sahi Khazka was born an only child in the wake of the first revolution on November 9th, 2443, to a loving M’sai family living in a small fishing village a mere 10 kilometers north of Bar’jar. At the time, the sheer destruction that the 11-year conflict wrought still weighing heavily on the Tajaran people. Despite her family’s efforts to remain away from the fallout of the war, Adhomai was under the iron rule of the newly formed People’s Republic of Adhomai. Despite her family living in relative poverty compared to the average Tajara, the first few years of her life, she was blissfully unaware of the reality of the Hadiist regime, far too young to understand it. Much of her childhood was spent in homeschooling by her mother while her father worked. Her father was a former cartographer from Bar’jar, turned fisherman, while her mother lived a far more modest life as a barmaid in Kaltir. Despite her parents both following the Ma'ta'ke Pantheon they opted not to push the religion onto her, deciding that letting her choose would be the best option. They met in the final years of the first revolution only a few months before the fall of The Kingdom of Kaltir at the age of 19 and 18, respectively. After a few months of careful consideration, her parents agreed to move out of the city. This mixture of urban and rural culture introduced her to a wide array of nuances and differences between the two, sparking what would eventually form her love for culturalism and linguistics. Unfortunately, this barrier between childhood innocence and reality was shattered when she was only 7 with the advent of the second revolution. The sight and sound of warships leaving Bar’jar interspersed with the distant clatter of gunfire and thunderous booms of artillery became an everyday occurrence. All of this owing to the sheer intensity of the fighting happening not too far from home. Not even a month later, a group of sharply dressed men donning military garb entered the town, requesting one physically able male from every household. At first, Sahi was unaware of their intention, simply ushered into another room by her parents. This sudden action left her confused and worried for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was only 15 minutes… Spoiler “One… Two… Three… One… Two… Three… One… Two-” Waiting... A child’s worst nightmare. Sahi was ushered into the small family room by her mother some fifteen minutes ago, but it felt like an hour had passed for her. The idle tick-tock of an old clock on the wall being the only thing to break the droning silence. To occupy herself, she opted to simply lie there, counting along with every tick of the clock. Sahi’s counting was interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening, causing her ears to perk up as she sat up from the uncomfortable wooden chair. After a few moments, her father stepped through the door and closed it behind him. “Papa!” Sahi exclaimed, shooting up from the chair, quickly running over towards her father and embracing him, eliciting a chuckle from the rugged M’sai. “Sahi, it has only been a few minutes, and you already miss me?” She held onto the embrace for a few moments longer, only stopping as her father pulled back, kneeling to meet her at eye level. “It felt like ages!” She saw him roll his eyes. However, the smile on his face fading as he looked down to the ground. “Well… I am glad to see you too… But…” An eerie silence overtook the room as he stopped, prompting Sahi to tilt her head slightly. “But what?” Her father sighed. “I… I came to tell you that I will have to go away for some time.” Sahi frowned, seeming more confused than distraught at his statement. “Where are you going?” There was a brief pause between the two. “I cannot lie to you… South, to join the new army.” That eerie silence once more enveloped the room. For Sahi, it felt as if the world around her had halted, the idle ticking of the clock growing quieter. “W-Why do you have to go? You might get hurt!” She was doing her utmost best to hold back her emotions, taking a few shaky breaths. “The army needs me. To fight the Republic.” Sahi blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears to no avail, the feeling of a single tear rolling down her muzzle. “But… B-But you can’t leave… We need you… Don’t go…” Her father sighed, seeming somewhat disheartened by her reaction. After taking a moment to collect himself, he spoke up once more, speaking in a soft voice. “I know, but I need to. The king needs everyone who can fight. I’m… I’m sorry little one…” He reached forward, hugging Sahi once more, something she swiftly returned. She couldn’t hold back any longer, letting the floodgates open as tears stream down her face as she held onto her father. “Please… Don’t go…” The quiet sobbing echoed through the room, her father eventually releasing her without a word. “I must… But I’ll be back soon.” He stood up, taking a slow breath in and letting it out, putting on a false smile as he looked into her eyes. “I promise.” Her father’s conscription weighed heavily on Sahi, suddenly being without that presence at such a young age taking a toll on her emotionally. She had little more than an hour to come to terms with it before being forced to watch her father be carted away in a carriage. His promise was of little comfort, its validity coming into question as the days went by. One day became two, and two became three, three became a week, a week a month, and a month a year, and so on. The lack of infrastructure made news of the war sparse and often outdated. As the revolution entered its first year and the news of Rhagrrhuzau Hadii’s assassination reached her home, there was little hope that her father would return anytime soon. Sahi could at least feel at ease, knowing that the man who stole her father away from her was gone. The lack of a father figure left her mother alone to earn a living wage and finish Sahi’s homeschooling. And in all, this left Sahi with minimal free time, being all too young to take up any form of work offered in the town. With this free time, she became more involved in her studies, distracting her from the rather depressing reality she was facing. She jumped from one subject to another, purchasing what little books she could afford on topics varying from geography to the sciences. Eventually, however, she fell back on that same topic, linguistics and Tajaran culture. It was also at this point where she delved into the Ma'ta'ke and S'rand'marr faiths, studying both of them with a particular interest. The prospect of religion was interesting to her in the ways it applied to society as a whole, and being unbound by her own faith she enjoyed looking at the two faiths from an unbiased point of view. At a young age, she paid little mind to the subtle nuances of how people spoke, only taking note when all she had left to do was stare through a window at the town. Faint memories of the slight differences between the Nal'rasan her parents spoke continued to fuel her interest. The terminology and slang used by her father compared to the more straightforward and modern speech patterns of her mother growing more apparent as she grew older. Pairing this with the unique culture of the Ahmodan immigrants who her father worked closely with in the fishing business exposed her to many cultures and people throughout her lifetime. It seemed fascinating, and it was the break she had been looking for from the monotony of life during wartime. Years passed uneventfully as the distant sounds of war grew quieter and memories of her father and childhood faded. The only thing that reminded her he was still out there being the occasional letter. To keep her attention away from the war, as the front began to form and the rebels transitioned into a real army, she started going about the town more frequently. When her mother wasn’t asking her to help keep the house in order or practice mathematics, she took to the streets. Sahi found herself engrossed by the various cultures and the small oddities they offered, though she could not do any more than observe from a distance. The thought of her father still weighed heavily on her, her studies being the only thing keeping her afloat in tandem with her mother’s support. Finally, at 15, as the revolution had turned in favor of the Republican Army, the letters suddenly stopped coming. Fear overtook Sahi and her mother, the thought of losing him looming overhead despite their efforts to remain hopeful. This fear almost became a reality when a single letter appeared on their doorstep, the Kingdom’s seal holding it closed. It read… “His Majesty and Field-Marshal Rrhazhal Zarkradar'Akhan of the Imperial Army desire him to express their deepest regrets that your husband, Lance Corporal Rrazul Khazka, has been wounded in action and transported to the Kaltir Military Hospital on February 3rd, 2458.” There was a mixture of fear and relief clouding her mind with this news for Sahi. Relieved that her father was alive but equally worried about the extend of his injuries. With what little money the family could muster, they paid for a ride to Kaltir via carriage. The journey was more of a blur than anything to speak about, the harsh winds of an ending winter making it somewhat uncomfortable, to put it simply. They arrived some four days later, passing through town after town, the pair found themselves in Kaltir. It was the first time she had ever really left “home”, and despite the nature of the visit, she found herself dumbfounded by the grand city. Technology on a level she never thought possible, cars, factories, and even aircraft. This wonderment was short-lived; however, upon showing up to the hospital, the severity of the situation was apparent. Sahi’s father was in a week but stable condition. The majority of his left leg had been blown clean off from the lower thigh down, bloodied bandages tightly woven around it. It was an emotional moment for her and her family, having not seen or spoken to her father in eight years, after what felt like hours of reunion, her father recounting stories of heroism and comradery during his service. But, not all was well. The financial repercussions of his injury became more apparent as time passed. While the Imperial Army would cover his initial treatment, the burden of replacing his missing leg and long-term care was well beyond what her family could afford. Sahi and her mother were only able to stay in the city for a few days before they were unable to stay, the cost of renting a ratty inn on the money they brought being too much. A month passed before yet another letter arrived informing them that her father would be returning home due to his injury. In all, it was a bittersweet victory. Sahi’s family was back together but at a high cost, the debt of his treatment standing at just shy of 10,000 credits. The dilemma was worsened because he needed someone at home to care for him, unable to engage in most activities without assistance. Sahi was left the only member of the family able to work, as her mother was now required to stay home most of the day. And thus, Sahi was forced into working at only 16, managing to find a courier job for a local newspaper. It was very low-paying, pushing her to adopt a second job on top of her morning delivery route, eventually securing a job through her father’s connection to the local fishing companies. Sahi found herself pulling carts of clams and other seafood from the ships to the market daily. She was sure that this was going to be the rest of her life, finding little time to continue her studies, let alone spend time with her parents. Sahi continued this work style until the end of the war, three years later. Of which she and many other Tajara in the now officially recognized New Kingdom of Adhomai celebrated the Armistice of Shastar. The conflict that had driven a wedge in her family and life was finally over, bringing a little joy to the overworked and tired Sahi. A few days passed by, Sahi cherishing the short time she could afford to take off work. During this time, Sahi bartered with one of the fishermen she found herself working for, offering to work more hours in exchange for a ride to Bar’jar. The word was out that computers and something coined the “extranet” had made its debut in the larger cities, a few making their way into public libraries for free use. Sahi’s interests were not set on entertainment or curiosity, but an extranet site coined “WorkDay” by its founders. She knew little about the site other than that it could easily connect her with employers offering better-paying jobs. Spoiler “And now they are here?” Sahi nodded in response to the question, snapping out of the daydreaming state she had put herself in as she recounted her story. “Hrm… He will admit... She has an interesting story to tell. Hardworking people are what Nanotrasen is looking for, after all. He has no doubts they will fit in well. He believes that they are capable enough to take up a job as say… A bookkeeper? This should accommodate for their interests and skillset.” He paused briefly for a moment. “He believes they would be best suited for off-world jobs, however, if that poses no issue?” Sahi reluctantly held her tongue, stopping herself from immediately denying his proposition outright. “That… Would work. However… Where would she be working?” The Njarir would respond immediately, practically cutting her off before she finished the sentence. “Biesel, over or on Mendell specifically. He suspects he can find her accommodations in district six. Would that be an issue?” The mention of this ‘district six’ seemed to confuse Sahi. “District 6… On Mendell? Isn’t it known for organized-” She found herself cut off. “Crime, yes. He can assure them that it will not be an issue.” Sahi’s ears folded back at the mention of crime, let alone organized crime. “And… The political situation in this district? She knows that many of Adhomai’s radicals have emigrated there. She does not want to be caught up in the path of any ‘political messages.’ The recent protests over hosting elections were enough politics this month.” She chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Rest assured, as long as they watch what they say when outside, it shouldn’t be a factor.” Sahi nodded slowly, thinking as he spoke. “Well… She supposes this is worth a shot. They have a deal.” The Njarir nodded, standing up and extending a hand for a shake. “He is glad. Allow him to get the paperwork. Welcome to Nanotrasen.” What do you like about this character? Sahi Khazka is an average NKA commoner, which isn’t as common as unlanded nobles on the station (from what I have observed). Alongside this, I don’t believe I have seen many Tajara who work in the service department outside of the kitchen and bar, let alone have interests in the fields of linguistics and culturalism. I plan to use the background (debts and past experiences) to create unique and interesting character interactions and set in-character goals. Paying to support your parent’s living and medical bills alongside yourself is not an easy task! How would you rate your role-playing ability? On a scale from 1-10, I would rate myself a 7. While I am confident in my roleplaying capabilities and expressing emotions through speech, I am heavily outclassed by others, primarily in expression through action. Notes Parts that are hidden by spoilers are still part of the backstory, just hidden behind those to allow for a more condensed look! Did I go overboard on the backstory? Probably. Do I regret it? Kind of. However, on a more serious note, I had to wing a good bit of this story and fill in a few blanks where I couldn't find information in the lore! I hope that this won’t cause any issues with the application process. As a final side note, I am aware I did slightly rush the backstory as I wanted to cut it off there to avoid turning it into a novel. This may have led to a general lack of cohesiveness throughout it, and I believe the cause of that is my sub-par creative writing skills and slightly rushed work. Edited May 1, 2021 by Kaizr Link to comment
Alberyk Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Just some small questions: How does Sahi sees the other two tajaran factions: the pra and the dpra? In regards to faith, did she pick one or is still undecided about it? About her political beliefs, which school of thought of royalism Sahi would support? Link to comment
Kaizr Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, Alberyk said: Just some small questions: How does Sahi sees the other two tajaran factions: the pra and the dpra? In regards to faith, did she pick one or is still undecided about it? About her political beliefs, which school of thought of royalism Sahi would support? Of course! Always happy to answer questions! In regards to Sahi's views on the PRA, she holds the government in contempt. She views their intrusive and authoritarian style of government as a brutal reminder of the old kingdoms and how they treated non-nobility. On the topic of the DPRA, while viewing them as a lesser of two evils compared to the PRA from a governmental standpoint, their brutal and unethical military tactics are the primary reason she dislikes them. When it comes to faith, she found herself gravitating towards the Ma'ta'ke Pantheon but is yet to decide whether religion is something for her. For the time being she is more than satisfied studying the various faiths the Tajaran people follow from a third-party standpoint. Lastly, Sahi has always saw herself as a supporter of populist royalism. This is due to her upbringing as a rural commoner within the former borders of the Kingdom of Kaltir. Much like other commoners, they all hoped for representation within the government in the future. If you need more info I would be more than happy to provide! Edited May 2, 2021 by Kaizr Link to comment
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