Kaizr Subscribes to Reptiles Plus - Kaizr's Unathi Lore Deputy Application

[Kaizr]

Ckey/BYOND Username: 

Kaizr

 

Position Being Applied For: 

Unathi Lore Deputy

 

Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?: 

Yes.

 

Past Experiences/Knowledge:

Unfortunately, I have no prior experience in this field. I’ve done a fair share of worldbuilding and lore writing for DND campaigns and the likes, but other than that I am green. However, I wish to start somewhere, and I feel that this position is an ample opportunity to begin my journey.

 

Examples of Past Work:

And again, as I’ve never worked in these positions, I have no examples of prior work in this particular field. I am willing to dig into some recent things I’ve written recently if that provides a frame of reference.

 

Special Requirement:

Spoiler

Sins of a Past Life Arc

 

“It’s time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.”

- Jesse Jackson -

 

Prologue

In the wake of the Contact War, Unathites across Moghes and the outer reaches of the Orion Spur watch as their ancestral homeworld is engulfed by a sea of sand and decay. Every day the scars of a bygone era weigh heavily on the wounded world, and every day it bleeds. The wasteland continues to expand across the planet as the fallout of the Contact War looms overhead, the once rich soils of Moghes forever tainted by the radiation. Many had resigned themselves to the idea that Moghes would never return to its former beauty, and that eventually it would all be lost to the ever growing wastes. But, some denied this reality, some refused to sit idly by. And now, it was time for action.

 

Hephaestus Industries is the undeniable king of terrestrial modification and terraforming, and their actions throughout the Orion Spur have shaped worlds. In this arc, we explore the concept of reparation, wavering national unity, Unathite culture, and looming corporate interests. Despite the violent reception of Hephaestus projects in Ouerea due to unethical policies, they continue on unperturbed and initiate a new initiative to reverse the damages of the Contact War. As many Sinta understand, their ancestral homeworld is being rotted away by the plague of radiation and climate change. An ever-growing scar on Moghes’ surface, one that will eventually consume the entire planet in a vast desert. Hephaestus, plans to change this. With brand new ground-breaking terraforming technology at their fingertips, Hephaestus steps up to the plate and proclaims a new megaproject to stop the desertification of Moghes and save its ecosystem.

 

However, the Unathi of Moghes are skeptical. Many common folk and religious leaders see this invitation of extensive terraforming efforts as a disaster in the making. They hold firm to the idea that xeno intervention brought the apocalypse to Moghes, and now we invite them back to bring ruin once more? We will take a deep dive into the stubborn nature of traditional Unathi and those who survived the horrors of the nuclear exchange, and some forces will aim to stop this terraforming project in its tracks. Who will prevail? Will Not’zar and Hephaestus’ plan to save Moghes from certain ecological disaster succeed?  Or will those that oppose it and their followers combat it to the bitter end?

 

Additional Comments:

I’ve near fully written out the arc above with a roadmap, articles, and events, but I will not be sharing it here as I was advised not to. Please note that it IS VERY BAREBONES and there is a lot to work out with the concept, but I am always willing to add to it!

However, as this may come up, I must mention my past. I had a troubled first few months on Aurora, and have done things that I have regret. I've touched on it in many places and entirely understand my mistakes and how they affected others. Once more, I am sorry. There is nothing I can do but say sorry, move on and better myself. I am confident that I am ready to step up to this position, but I also understand that my past will shadow me for the rest of my time here.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Kaizr
fixin' some wording

[sebkillerDK]

Yes, i've known Kaizr for a while now, he's an excellent guy, and a great bean.
As for the arc you have proposed, i think it sounds rather interesting, and i would love to see how it develops and what implications it will have on the lore.

As for Kaizr as a person, personally i think he would do great, from my experience, he's very creative, while also being grounded in reality and realistic expectations, and i would not be surprised to see him create some varied and interesting lore.

Overall, a very supportive yes from me.

[Lucaken]

While I am a bit skeptical due to your obvious past issues, I have faith that every person can change if they legitimately mean it and try. I was never personally involved with any of it however, so I do not have much to pass judgement on anyway.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good your arc concept read to me. Generally I would prefer it was a lore piece instead (I think being able to write wiki pages is a much better sign of stability and ability), but your concepts seem solid.

Though I know this post is pretty recent, I noticed you haven’t commented on the Grim Compact thread currently flying about. Personally, what changes would you bring for the faction as a lore writer?

[Kaizr]

4 minutes ago, Lucaken said:

Though I know this post is pretty recent, I noticed you haven’t commented on the Grim Compact thread currently flying about. Personally, what changes would you bring for the faction as a lore writer?

Having quickly given it a once over, I personally agree with a lot of the things brought up. Especially some of the concepts brought up by DeadLantern & Boggle. Like a few others stated, the Grim Compact has a notable issue with fitting into the universe the lore team has created. It's a fantastical, and in all honesty somewhat odd tale of two star-crossed lovers with various inconsistencies along the way. While this isn't innocuous to the lore, it is in need of some changes. Overall, however, the concept at face-value is a very good one! 

As for what changes I would personally like to see with the Compact? There's a few things:

• Cultural Changes - It's been decades, and the Sinta'Unathi who serve within the Compact lack any defining cultural traits, and the fleets overall feel like slightly different variants of the other. We receive little in the realm of the distinct cultures among each crew despite vastly different leadership styles, and I really think this is a topic that could be touched up. Hashing out how these seasoned pirates differ from the normal Unathi is no doubt something that needs to take priority.
• Adding More Notable Characters - I personally feel that while the Grim Compact's premise is that of two lovers running a pirate fleet, we hear nothing about the smaller players in this Compact. Fleets of nearly 70 warships a piece can't be governed by one individual. I feel that the addition of lower ranking yet influential characters would be a healthy way to diversify the lore and bring a fresh topic to work with in the future.
• More Player Character Accessibility - As stated in the aforementioned thread, adding more variability to the Grim Compact in the way of sub-factions, leader figures, or possibly even expanding it into different sub-fleets would allow players to make much more unique and engaging characters. The Compact is evidently, not the most organized of groups, hence representing that through the portrayal of different factions and microcultures among said factions provides the players much more breathing room compared to what we currently have.

Now! There isn't much else I can say without repeating what others have said, these are all very barebones and basic ideas that I am yet to truly delve into. To sum it up: Diversify the lore, give it some more bulk and character. The Grim Compact is an amazing baseline that I personally think just needs a rework to truly shine.

[Funkifan]

I am unsure as to what Kaizr did in the past within Aurora, but I can reassure you that in my time of knowing him, he has been nothing but supporting and kind. He is a cool guy overall, and I have read other pieces of his work which I believe are pretty awesome too 😄

I enjoy his proposal for the arc, as it could certainly give a nice shift to Moghes and change the dynamic that we previously have experienced, and maybe spice things up a little bit as things develop. For me, I think it is a fun little story that could net good results if its allowed to move forward. 

Kaizr is also a pretty versatile and flexible person, who is creative and pretty easygoing, so I believe he is an apt choice for the role of Unathi Deputy Lore. 

Funki also gives a +1

[Marlon P.]

What a good app!

16 hours ago, Kaizr said:

In this arc, we explore the concept of reparation, wavering national unity, Unathite culture, and looming corporate interests.

These are such a good - what's the opposite of a red flag - green flag that you have a solid understanding of the themes present in Unathi.

I also like your arc and would love to see more. You also seem like a swell person.

What do you think about the Unathi's place as Aurora's space opera? On a scale of gritty to romantic where would you place Unathi, and where on that scale would you want to write?

+1 to this app; my question is exploratory and has no wrong answer.

[Kaizr]

2 hours ago, Marlon P. said:

What do you think about the Unathi's place as Aurora's space opera? On a scale of gritty to romantic where would you place Unathi, and where on that scale would you want to write?

I like to think of myself as smart-ish when it comes to these kinds of statements, but I will have to ask you to clarify what you mean by this. 😅

Is the question about my thoughts on how Unathi fit into the Aurora?

[Marlon P.]

Gritty is rejecting anything that's hopeful or pulp-scifi, and everything gets turned into this harrowing place of suffering and despair. The standard dystopic scifi present in all aurora factions and societies.

Romance is having a backstory as a knight who went to save a princess from pirates in the Wasteland, and you're having a great time doing it.

How do you feel about this?

Edited January 24, 2022 by Marlon P.

[Kaizr]

Interesting question!

1 hour ago, Marlon P. said:

How do you feel about this?

Overall, I personally am not a huge fan the "gritty" nature of the lore and how it dominates nearly everything that takes place. As you said, suffering and despair have found their ways into almost every aspect of the lore. However, does that mean I want to see it changed? No. Do I dislike it? No. 

In regards to Unathi? I think it's a breath of fresh air, as the lore certainly takes after some more fantastical and unique themes, many of which I mentioned in my arc. It's a pleasant step away from the usual doom and gloom without feeling forced or unrealistic in the setting. So in all, I would like to see Unathi lore continue as is because it offers a unique and diverse world to explore through RP.

Lil' sidenote, sorry if the answer doesn't meet expectations! It's a great question, and admittedly one that I had a lot of trouble formulating a good answer to without making it sound like I hate the Auroraverse lore or something along those lines.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Kaizr
added the fact that i dont dislike the lore lol

[Caelphon]

Hi there. Thanks for applying. 

Spoiler

1. Hypothetically, let's say you have complete and unfettered access to take lore in any direction you want. What would you do? 

2. What do you not enjoy about Unathi Lore? How would you remedy this? 

3. How do you feel about interspecies coordination? 

4. Do you understand that the Lore Team sometimes has team projects and that you may be expected to contribute to such? Do you see yourself having issues with working on non-Unathi lore? 

Goodluck. There are no wrong answers. 

[Kaizr]

7 hours ago, Caelphon said:

1. Hypothetically, let's say you have complete and unfettered access to take lore in any direction you want. What would you do?

Warning! Hot take ahead!

Spoiler

Given the chance? I personally would like to stray away from the extensively grimdark setting we're currently working with. Frequently, there is notable opposition or outright reluctance to accept topics that would be considered, as Marlon said, "hopeful or pulp-scifi" in the Aurora universe. It feels like an unhealthy trend to consistently lend ourselves to this sort of culture when it comes to lore development. Ultimately, however, I would have no plans for a major change in direction as that would derail the lore and no doubt ruin it's special and unique nature. But, overtime through events and long-term lore development, I would like to see a diversification in the lore as opposed to all around grimdark. Through doing this, I think we could lift the constant "doom and gloom" mentality that we see on the Horizon and Aurora.

Furthermore, at the moment it's nigh impossible to play a character who isn't a jaded husk of a person in this universe without completely ignoring the horrific and tragic events that have taken place to the crew. Be it terror attack to mass shooting, it is essentially ignored unless otherwise mentioned in conversation as people evidently don't enjoy having constant trauma RP. This does not feel like a healthy trend to follow.

(Note, this isn't a jab at the current lore team, simply my honest opinion. I simply believe that a health balance of negative and positive themes in the lore is extremely important. Right now, it feels like there is an imbalance.)

 

9 hours ago, Caelphon said:

2. What do you not enjoy about Unathi Lore? How would you remedy this? 

As of now, I have no major issues with Unathi lore as it stands. While one might argue that it's stagnated over time, that argument no longer applies as development has once again spurred through news articles. My biggest gripe with it is the current Grim Compact lore, and I've gone into detail with my opinion and some of the changes that I would like to see implemented in a post above.

 

10 hours ago, Caelphon said:

3. How do you feel about interspecies coordination? 

Lore developers for the various species' working together is critical to ensuring a coherent and realistic lore setting. I personally love the way each species intertwines with the universe around them, and there is always room to expand on it. (Sorry if this answer seems short, not much to say!)

 

10 hours ago, Caelphon said:

4. Do you understand that the Lore Team sometimes has team projects and that you may be expected to contribute to such? Do you see yourself having issues with working on non-Unathi lore? 

 I fully understand, and have no issues with that! When you take up a development position you make a commitment to the team and to not follow through on it without good reason is disingenuous. I fully plan to follow through on this commitment to both the team and the community to ensure that the lore continues to expand at a healthy rate.

[greenjoe]

This all seems to be some good stuff here, so I'll give this a nice +1

[Marlon P.]

Great answers. Have another +1 king.

[ImmortalRedshirt]

Very good takes, +1

[Hawk]

This man got great takes, characters I enjoy, and doesn't want everything to be too gritty miseryguts, and enthusiasm for the lizard people, take my spirits-damned +1

Edited January 26, 2022 by Hawk

[Haydizzle]

I spoke with Kaizr in DMs about their application and my reasons for denying it. Thanks again to everyone for the effort they put into this— not only the person applying, but opening a dialogue with the applicant.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Haydizzle