[Accepted]Funkifan Whitelist Application: Tajara

[Funkifan]

BYOND Key: Funkifan

Character Names:  (Note: I haven't really used Wiltrud at all. I made her to be a Dominian character, but my interest got shifted to Tajara, heh)

Species you are applying to play: Tajara

What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Zhan-Khazan coloration, Blue-Gray (RGB 34, 37, 50 / Hex #222532)

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: I have absolutely done so 😄 

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 greatly enjoy the lore that the Loredevs have created for the Tajara, and albeit my interest of it was spurred on rather recently, after seeing all the Tajara that are on the station after playing again after a considerable absence, I have grown attached to what has been written, especially after finding that its not static and is constantly getting new updates. What interests me about the Tajara, however, is their complex culture, filled with tradition, and thus, history (even if significant documents have been lost), but at the same time, with prejudices borne from a society that has only recently being able to move from their dark ages, and is still struggling to adapt to modernity. I likewise enjoy the three factions, and how they all have their advantages and disadvantages concerning their populaces, without any being better or worse than the other, and thus, not existing some kind of preference that could skew player's perceptions. Also going back to what I was stating about their culture, I also like to see how it has adapted or evolved after both the First and Second Revolution, and through the ideology that each faction possesses. 

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: I believe that one of the most important aspects of how Tajara are different to playing humans is how traditional and reserved they are. They are expected to follow certain guidelines and statutes as per the vision of each one of the factions, but beyond that, there is also a great weight upon societal expectation that they are unable to shake off, be it the general view on Tajara ethnicities (and how it affects everything from the work they should do, to how they are treated, to even with whom can and cannot associate with) what is expected from each individual within a family, and what mindset they should possess according to their upbringing and the turmoil through which the entire race has gone through. To break either these cultural or societal rules is to, to some extent (bigger or lesser), to be shunned from their peers. 

Thus, I would argue, that the individuals chosen to be in the Aurora have this burden to carry alongside them at every turn, which they have to prove to their respective factions and coworkers that they are maintaining, and that they are not getting cross-contaminated by ideals that humans or other xenos argue for, lest dire consequences befall them. In my opinion, their long history of oppression and fighting make change unlikely, thus they are forced to remain within that paradigm that their planet offers. This is quite different from humans, which have a more open mindset, with a large amount of options, with broad horizons that the Tajara simply do not possess. 

I would also mention that the Tajara need special equipment, such as especially designed to accommodate their anatomy, unlike humans, which do not need this. I would also say that their language, besides the subtle body cues they use, which isn't as prevalent in humans, is quite important for them. But furthermore, they have a heavy usage of a third person perspective, which I believe is also a challenging if important detail to keep in mind when playing them, which is again, not present in humans. 

Character Name: Araket Rhekra'shmah

Backstory: 

Araket Rhekra’shmah was born in 2443, to Nalrik’wa Rhekra’shmah, her mother, and Kahaasi Rhekra’shmah, her father. Raised within the city of Olska, a mining town near the shores of Zarragh Lake, alongside three other siblings, her life was heavily influenced by three important factors: the vision of the People’s Republic of Adhomai, the Second Revolution, and the worship of Kraszar. Besides, of course, her family. 

As with many other Zhan-Khazan, Araket grew within a closely-knit family structure, which instilled into her traditional values and a sense of unity moving forward. Her parents had been reluctant participants in the First Revolution, disagreeing with the violence, yet conforming to the well-being of their children, making this clear to her children while growing up. Due to the new policies set forth by the PRA, she began to attend school when she was about four (2447), getting a proper education that neither of her parents had been able to achieve. With the new technology and access to other commodities previously only reserved for the nobility that had oppressed them, and as a sense of normality returned after the First Revolution, Araket’s family began to thrive under the PRA. 

Unfortunately, this would not last. When Araket was six, in 2449, the Second Revolution erupted in Harr’masir, which would not only see her two oldest brothers join to fight the advancing NKA army coming from the north – one of whom would never come back, while the other was crippled in the conflict– but also force her mother to get a job, while his father kept working in the mines, for the two to be able to continue to provide to their family, and keep the war machine moving on seamlessly. This caused her to be placed in a Youth Brigade around this time, to be cared for after school, only aiding in further cementing the ideological vision of Hadiism within her. 

However, it became the indirect reason for her worship of Kraszar to grow. Even though her family were still devout followers of the Ma’ta’ke gods, the visitation of reserved spots for storytelling within the parks under the guidance of the Youth Brigades only made her appreciation for the god of joy, stories, and language develop, something that continued well into her adolescence and adulthood. Alongside this, a few years later, in 2453, as she visited the Kraszar Library, she gained a newfound passion: to write and tell stories from her experiences and imagination. 

It took little time for her to realize, however, that her hobby could be dangerous if she ever attempted to publish her works or tell her stories beyond sharing them with her family, fearing that the dreaded PSIS would arrest her for breaking the law. Thus, she decided to keep it hidden, unwilling to risk her or her family’s security because of it, eventually devoting less and less time to it, her focus set upon other tasks, albeit never fully forgetting what made her passionate. 

Just as she finalized her primary and secondary education, and began her studies into a technical college focused on mining, the Second Revolution finally caught up to the city of Olska, being threatened with invasion from the hosts of the NKA. Unexpectedly, the garrison inside the city surrendered shortly after the city was sieged, allowing the NKA to take control of it. 

Things remained tense for some time, up until 2461 when she was 18 years old, and the Armistice of Shastar was signed. This brought some stability back to Olska once more, albeit at a significant price for Araket: a radical change in the rules and policies set up by the new government. Albeit there now was a promise for less strict control on the populace and more freedom when it came to published works, there was also a shift towards a more traditional society, like the one that had come before the revolution, something that Araket had no experience with. 

Although she attempted to reason with her family that perhaps applying for the Citizenship Act would be ideal, in order to return to the PRA proper, and due to the animosity she felt towards the NKA due to taking one of her brothers in battle and crippling another, they refused, unwilling to leave behind everything they had worked for so hard for decades. Resigning herself, as she didn’t dare go against the wishes of her family, she was forced to readjust to her new life, as her panorama changed significantly. 

Perhaps, due to the earlier influence she had in the PRA education system, or maybe because of the stories that she had heard of the cosmos and beyond, or even stemming from wishing to find a place where she could belong, she decided to take on an NT Certified Mining Accreditation course. It took her a painstaking amount of effort to be able to convince her family to give her the blessing she needed, but eventually, they did, and so, by 2463, at 20 years old, she was able to complete the steps necessary for her to be able to take up a job as a Shaft Miner within the NSS Aurora. 

And so, her story continues…

What do you like about this character? I personally find Araket exciting as a new character prospect, for I believe it will be a perfect opportunity to dwell into Tajara culture with her background stemming from two different sources that she has to contend with. I think that clash in ideology could make for a fun story to tell with her, as she struggles to uphold NKA ideals while at the same time trying to grow out from the PRA mindset that she has basically have had all during her childhood. Also, albeit it has been a while since I played, I'm a great fan of Shaft Miners, considering that one of my oldest characters (albeit not in the Aurora), was one. So to go back to it is something that I'm looking forward to. 

How would you rate your role-playing ability? I would say that around a 7.5. 

[SatinsPristOTD]

I don't know a lot about Tajaran lore, so I can't give any sort of feedback on that.

What I CAN give you feedback on is Funkifan's OOC/IC nature, and they're such sweethearts.

ICly, I can't say I've ever seen anyone RP a "plus sized" person actually sticking to their limitations, but I've seen Funki make Hogg struggle to climb over tables, or suffer from body positivity when putting on a bathing suit at the pool. It's very well done, and it's a dynamic worth investing time in to ICly if you get a chance to interact with that character.

OOCly, I've had nothing but pleasant experience with them. I can't think of a single bad blip on my radar.
 

[Alberyk]

Some questions:

How does Araket sees the DPRA?

The reasons for leaving are somewhat nebulous. What are the character's plans in Tau Ceti? What exactly she wants to accomplish there?

Since she had to live in the NKA, what does she thinks of its current internal situation/events?

[Funkifan]

On 07/01/2022 at 12:11, Alberyk said:

Some questions:

How does Araket sees the DPRA?

The reasons for leaving are somewhat nebulous. What are the character's plans in Tau Ceti? What exactly she wants to accomplish there?

Since she had to live in the NKA, what does she thinks of its current internal situation/events?

Apologies for the wait on a proper response, I became a tad sick and had to recover some ^^; 

1. Araket sees the DPRA in a generally unfavorable light. I would imagine that the propaganda from the PRA greatly influenced her to see this third nation as a barely functional society that speaks of giving liberties and freedom to its citizens in exchange for security, being ultimately filled with strife and infighting and unable to keep up with its promises. Stories of bandits and Juntas oppressing the citizens that conform the DPRA, alongside the xenophobia that prevails within the region, ultimately makes them doomed to fail due to a lack of unified strength that she could see within the PRA, and to a lesser extent, can see on the NKA. News about DPRA terrorists likewise make her quite nervous and uneasy, and only give her even more reason to believe that such actions can only stem from acts of desperation and utter madness.

Then again, and perhaps a little hypocritically, does admire the lack of censorship that their population has to contend with. But she wouldn't ever exchange that for her life possibly being in the line, and pities anyone having to live through such.

2. She left for Tau Ceti in search of some needed stability that Adhomai lacked. In searching for stability, she's also trying to find a place she can fit in at, while making enough money to keep her family stable and live a comfortable life herself, with her plan being that, if things go poor again for the NKA, she has a way to sustain them. A lot of her drive comes from her early life experiences being that of the nation she trusted breaking into civil war and the city she called home change regimes and, by extent, cultures, to an extent. Without anything stable to tie herself to, having to adapt to fit in with the new ideology of the NKA, she developed a yearning for a place she could live that wouldn't feel at a constant tipping point where any day something would break out and life would be disrupted again.

3. About the current situation and events that she has heard or read about within the New Kingdom of Adhomai, Araket is certainly uneasy as to the stability of the nation, and how much she can really trust the nobles in charge to provide her and her family with a dignified life. For example, to know that there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the steel being used to construct the Miran'mir Bunkers from the foundry back in Baltor because of a land dispute concerns her: while this time there were fortunately no casualties or wounded, if quarrels such as that reach upper echelons of power, then she worries that she, as a commoner, might get hurt and tossed aside without a second thought. Likewise, the appointment of a Crown Heir so young by Queen Shumaila fills her with hesitation: the position of Appointed Regent could make infighting even more likely now, and alongside it, a potential rise in a detrimental candidate for her and her family. For example, the relatively recent creation of the Njarir'Akhran Renewal Fraternity, with Count Sanguszko at the head, worries her. She believes that its proponents seek to bring anyone under their rule to a state similar to the Pre-Contact conditions she has heard about, and is confident that if Count Sanguszko can become the Appointed Regent, then things look dire for anyone not a noble. That said, she does agree with them that a tighter control of security would be ideal within the NKA, to prevent things from falling into chaos. 

The Officer's Party claims, under Admiral Dynhaas, likewise concern her. With her background in the PRA, she is staunchly against isolation from the rest of the space powers, considering that she believes it would bring Adhomai back to a Dark Age, as old rules and traditions take root again, so to head into that direction would certainly affect the Tajara race, in her opinion, in a negative way, as they become stagnated once more. 

That said, she does not believe all to be dire and hopeless upon the NKA. While she is rather wary to express anything concerning her views on the current state of the NKA and its happenings, she has taken notice of the Commoner's Party and its establishment. While she does not think that Prince Serhiy Oliinyk is strong enough to oppose the other parties, his views upon commoners taking a more active role upon the decisions being taken within the government, and them being able to secure an actual position within the Parliament has certainly impressed her. To have them be provided a spot within through protests that involved little to no bloodshed or repression is certainly a far cry from the Draconian rule that she expected from the NKA, and has, to a small extent, softened her view on them (even though this wavered slightly after what transpired within the Kaltir strikes). The reveal of the Crown Voices is also a positive note in her book, as the lack of Njarir'Akhran members within, and a more down-to-earth approach to their performance, or so she has heard, also give her a modicum of cautious optimism for what the future might hold for her. 

Finally, the appointment of Queen Shumaila as the regent within the NKA after the passing of King Vahzirthaamro Azunja makes her feel empowered. Even though she is a noble, and certainly she expects her to be de-tached from the commoners, alongside overhearing some less-than-ideal rumors of her persona, that a Tajara woman has been able to reach such a position of power within a nation gives her hope that she will not end up eventually relegated to just working at home within the NKA's traditional mindset, and lose what she has worked so hard for, but instead keep striving forward. 

[Alberyk]

Application accepted.