Trusty's Skrell App

[TrustyasHeck]

BYOND Key: (Trusty_McCoolGuy

Character Names: Siglinde Kastner, Adelaide Winehart, Nikita Fischer, Daniel Stone

Species you are applying to play: Skrell.

What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Soft pastel pink.

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes. Extensively.

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 enjoy the experience of playing a human, but one of my favorite things about sci-fi settings is the ability to explore alternative cultures, lifestyles, the different thought processes of a creature that grew up in a - literally, for this scenario - alien mindset and environment. What tools did they develop first? How did that affect them? What was the first method to creating language, what were their first words? Did they follow the evolutionary average and name the colors first? Did they name themselves, or their environment and environmental needs first? Did they have questions that begged to be asked even from the beginning? What prompted them to adapt the naming customs they have, what causes the ambitions they have, what makes them function and how does that interplay with humanity and the other races present? How do they play off of each other? I enjoy roleplaying in any form, but of special interest to me is - as I've already mentioned - AI and of course, exploring an alien perspective. I enjoy the lore and the concept of Skrell and would love to see what comes of seeing through their eyes.

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

A comparison is easily made in many ways, but the similarities are also key here. Skrell are emotive, as are humans, but their emotions are conveyed through specific expressions with head-tails and vocals first and foremost; to those unfamiliar with Skrell gestures, they are often misunderstood as anything from 'very reserved' to 'unfeeling'. Being functional hermaphrodites, gender is a construct and while they are happy to assimilate, Skrell see things such as this far differently than do Humans. Still, they also understand some version of gender roles, having the concept of F'ex'Tra and F'ex'Qa, even if it is certainly not the usual view humans hold. Skrell have a much longer lifespan, effectively up to 500 years now with modern medicine, and as a result they are much like chess masters: they see ahead and plan ahead, and decades pass as nothing. Of course they are just as able to live in the present, but they are far more in tune with the saying that "this too shall pass". Furthermore, they often see other races as something like mayflies; gone too soon, individually. I imagine this makes them lonely and more likely to seek out bonds with their own kind once they learn just how short-lived their non-Skrell comrades can be.

Skrell are much more sensitive to stressors than humans are, however, with their tendency to dwell on the future. When overstressed, certain pores and orificies may leak a black liquid that has the human connotation of 'crying'. This can also presumably be aggravated or exaggerated by the lunar cycle, as with most tidal creatures they are sensitive to the pull of the moon. As a result most Skrell, while they may not seek out ships or stations intentionally, are comfortable aboard them where there is no tidal pull to affect them.

Another key difference between Skrell and Humans is the presence of Psionics. Fuelled by their Zona Bovaine, Skrell are able to interact with both the Nlom and the Srom. All beings have a Nlom, essentially a personal thought field, but only Skrell can manipulate them. To manipulate another species' Nlom is often painful or outright dangerous, and it is outlawed as a result. The Srom is the means by which the Nlom proceeds to share dreams instead of wakeful thought; some Skrell are even able to, even in a communal Srom (though they need separation and concentration to do so) interact with the physical world from inside the Srom. Skrell that are not physically close to their own kind when needing to sleep have dreams with less substance, and it tends to be depressing enough to find other ways to regain energy instead.

Unlike humans, Skrell sleep for an hour a day on average with the ability to more or less control when and how long they sleep. However, some Skrell revel in the Srom and sleep excessively, sometimes hibernating for incredible amounts of time. Others avoid the Srom as much as they can for their own reasons.

Like humans, Skrell are often humorous or chirruping (as humans call it, laughing) whenever they are startled or afraid. Yet their humor is much more visual and the joke is itself the setup and punchline all at once.  A good joke is bittersweet - funny, but with an element of upset or pain. Schadenfreude is likely common. They train often to suppress humor in cases of emergency when appointed as warriors or fighters.

Skrell speak Nral'Malic and Nral'Balak, the former being their natural language and the latter being a form of it that has highly advanced sign language aspects added in for the benefit of their non-Skrell comrades so as to better understand the emotion behind their words, as well as the frequencies that other species often cannot hear.

Character Name: Lai'ra Am

Please provide a short backstory for this character:

Lai'ra Am grew up on Waughi, in a blossoming subculture of artists and poets. Inundated with a culture of high work ethic and one-up-manship, along with the desire to be prolifically artistic, she strived from an early age to be both of use and excel at what she did. Of particular note to her was a saying that she read in a book - "I shall be exemplary or I shall be nothing at all." With single-minded focus encouraged by her parents, Lai'ra and her siblings applied themselves to education with ferocity, eagerly learning all that they could. Lai'ra in specific managed to make her way to a third college, so excited was she to learn, and completed the third round of courses - this time focused on artistic pursuits in totality - at the young age of 75.

She spent some time learning about other cultures as well as she spent a few years 'playing' with art - though her primary occupation, from the age of eligibility for employment, was and continued to be working hard in sanitation. A dull job many refused, it had several benefits and gave her a high score quicker than others would. While cleaning the streets, collecting waste, and recycling or disposing of it properly, she stumbled on inspiration quite often. She created several sculptures using recycled materials, and wrote many poems. She had even begun to receive some accolades for both her work ethic and her art, but it was soon clear to Lai'ra that despite her efforts, she was ultimately stagnating. At the age of ninety, she realized that she had already run out of inspirations - countless projects finished, and yet she had so little to show for it now that her muse had run out. Oh, she could find more inspiration in Srom, as she had before when she lacked for inspiration, but she wanted something.... new. Fresh. Enticing. She wanted something that nobody on Waughi had ever seen before.

To that end, she made arrangements and booked herself on a flight away from home despite her parents' requests that she stay close to home, where it is safe. Her long life could be cut short at any time with danger in the universe, especially with those that care less about her needs, not being Skrell themselves, they said.

"I have carved my stamp on the moon," she replied, "and I have run out of inspiration. I must seek out new experiences, and find a way to prosper. I will return before you come close to being elders, and with many stories. You will see. Trust in me."

Now a pioneer of sorts, a pilgrim looking to earn her way across the stars, Lai'ra Am seeks to find what she was missing, and bring a new fresh wave of inspiration to her home... after a lot of fun among the stars, especially with exploring this human tendency to assign gender roles. She was excited to see what being a 'she' meant. Perhaps she would flip the script and examine being a 'he' later on, too. What fun!

What do you like about this character?

My favorite thing about Lai'ra Am is that she is an artist at heart, a passionate soul. It's exciting to me to think about the potential for experiences there, the potential for conflict and of companionship in the face of her alien culture and her desire to find inspiration in what she thinks of as both the unlikeliest and best of places. She is quirky and interesting, and I normally would not have the same viewpoint with a human - a human would be all too predictable in art. But with psionics playing just as big a part in art as anything else, Lai'ra would be able to spin stunning, beautiful detail out of nothing. The ability to bring such things to life in her mind... and to share it with others? I love that concept.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? 

I would say my roleplaying ability is somewhere between a 7 and a 9 out of ten. I wouldn't say 10 because there is always room for improvement, for learning. Seven at the lowest because I am still a bit new to the structure and interfaces and this sometimes delays my ability to respond to things, and sometimes I mis-chan. In terms of remaining in-character and being able to contribute to a story, however, I like to think that I am skilled.

Notes: I have not played extensively yet as either Nikita Fischer or Daniel Stone. I have played long enough that I am capable of playing as an antagonist as of a few hours from now by my best estimation. At least a week.

[WhatsUpBrotendo]

Hi there, thanks for applying. I have a few questions regarding your character.

What is their religion? Do they believe in anything on top of their religion (Suur'ka, Kir'gul)?

What is their SCS?

How do they feel about the Jargon Federation?

How do they feel about the current events in the Federation, specifically how the phoron shortage is effecting it?

What is their opinion regarding Skrell born outside the Federation, or Skrell from groups who are in the Federation but oppose it (Republic of the Qar, Fleet of the Srom, Marauders)?

I see no mention of Skrell family terms/dynamics. While not absolutely necessary to use these terms all the time, could you go into more detail regarding the quya Lai'ra comes from?

[RyverStyx]

Hello! It’s been 5 days since the questions have been asked. Do you still want the application to be open?

[RyverStyx]

Archiving due to inactivity.