unathi [Accepted] Confused Rock - Unathi App

[Confused rock]

BYOND Key: The unloved rock
Character Names: Andrew Mitchell, Brayden Fisher
Species you are applying to play: Unathi
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Black
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: 
Where do I start? Well, I like alien characters, but what piques my interest about Unathi specifically is mainly because I like rural characters, and Unathi are good for that. in the case of this app, I'm interested in aliens who clearly don't see things the same way as humans, but because of their situation, still manage to find common ground and some understanding. And a bumpkin.

The divide between the Hegemony, wasteland and individual cities adds variety in how rural you want it to be, which gives good options for my bumpkins. Unathi aren't dumb, but I like the lower-tech backgrounds their options allow, though with options like Dominia they aren't restricted to it. The best part is that regardless of this variety, Unathi always have *enough* in common that it feels like a coherent species. This is one of the things I like most about alien options, that I could see another of the species in-game and know how much we share. You just don't get it the way with humans the way I imagine is possible with Unathi. I think they are the best species about this given their relatively small scope in the galaxy. I can imagine my character's distinct thoughts on each group, albeit blurred on those he's more distant from such as Aut'akh and Dominians. Having interacted with Unathi as a Human, I know that interactions between species can be even more interesting.
 
I think religion is a great example of how they're intertwined, as I'll detail later, and I particularly like the ancestor worship of the religions (and each has its own complexities which give them more ways to be relevant to Unathi on the ship). I also appreciate the mention of how Unathi religions consider other species instead of sweeping it under the rug. That and the thing about Unathi staring at stuff is funny to me.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
With the Unathi's fairly recent contact with humanity (which is relevant in itself), and their planet having only one powerful governing body, The vast majority of Unathi still share many values and beliefs, and have values that are linked. The case of the former would be many of their cultural values, the way they emote and behave etc, but none define an individual as much as their beliefs on honour. Though the expectations vary between man and woman, or peasant and noble (especially with warriors), even pirates respect a code of honour. The simplest peasants should still show respect for their elders, their clan, and societal norms, and if they do not, there would certainly be societal backlash, perhaps even becoming a Guwan if shameful enough.

As for the many values that are linked, their religion comes to mind. Th'akh and Sk'akh have much in common in their beliefs and reinforce ancestor veneration, gender roles, and other parts of their culture. Offshooting from Th'akh and Sk'akh respectively are Aut'akh and Si'akh. Unathi of one religion are bound to have strong opinions on some of the other three; Si'akh and Aut'akh are often scorned or feared, though in some cases fear for one religion overshadows the disdain for the rest, and though not always as feared, the church of Sk'akh and its connections to the hegemony often bring it into conflict with Th'akh.

The hegemony, as the only surviving massive governing body of Unathi, is relevant for all of them, even those outside of its control. To be brief, the surviving Hegemony is what allows such divides as between peasant and noble to strongly persist, and whether an Unathi survived or was born after the contact war, it leaves an unforgettable mark on their History. Unathi outside the hegemony that survived today did it by fleeing or by clinging to the remains of their ruined world. If an Unathi is outside the hegemony, it certainly stills matters to them, and if an Unathi is within it, their social status and obligations still follow them out to space.

Character Name: Hossl Suazra
Please provide a short backstory for this character
(Approximately two paragraphs)
Hossl was hatched in a ruined kingdom 5 years before the end of the contact war, though for his clan it might as well have ended in 2439. A Th'akh peasant clan who once supported much of a city with their fish, the stubborn Suazra found their dead lord's lake now could barely support a small settlement. Though the fallout took its toll on Suazra their elevation kept them safer from the blast than the city itself, from which only a few survivors came to the settlement, offering their skills and equipment. In the first few months everyone hid indoors, conserving their energy, besides the few tending the fish. When the lake's yield gradually dropped, the skilled traveled to nearby settlements or Mudki to offer services or sell technology salvaged from the city. Success was limited as few were willing to part with food at the time. Although the lake stabilized with shrewd rationing, it never quite recovered- overuse and radiation poisoning are different beasts.

Because of this, Hossl grew up a bit stunted - kept inside for his first years to protect him and conserve energy for growth. He saw little, but heard many stories from anyone he could ask; the old city shaman usually had plenty of time for him. Although Hossl wasn't a great listener, seeing the stories more for entertainment than their contents at first, the shaman taught him all that he could. He did have a decent understanding of most things—how he ought to behave and why, but there were two things he didn't get. He didn't realise quite the scale of the world nor how insignificant he was in it, and he also didn't quite understand how terrible the war was; he had heard all the stories, he knew he was living in ruins, but with nothing to compare it to, and never knowing the people lost, he didn't truly understand the degree of damage it caused. He knows it's all thanks to the Izweski, though, that the war had to happen because the Izweski were exerting authority places they had no right to and threatening their way of life. He just didn't fully understand that with all that they did, nothing could justify those bombs.

Years passed, and after the war's end most of the city folk slowly trickled out to Mudki. The settlement kept its cohesion in the past through stories of Izweski atrocities, anything to convince people the Hegemony was worse than starving, but when news made clear it was the Coalition that sent the first bomb, not the Izweski, none could lie about such a grave matter. Suazra still refused to let the Izweski change their way of life, but the rest couldn't bear the hunger any longer. They left Suazra with their lessons and equipment- the old city shaman leaves his texts behind, which are the main way Hossl passes the time.

With less hands available, Hossl was eventually put to work, usually with the fish and the occasional trade expeditions. This was a great shift for him, and while appreciated by seniors for his diligence, it felt tiring and pointless to him, and he feared his life would stay aimless forever. To Hossl, he has a chance to be more, and dying an aimless kyula would be unbecoming of someone such as him, and he may even be forgotten, which would be terrifying. He lacks the shaman for guidance, but concludes his life needs more focus and begins searching for it. He looks back to the shaman's old texts and remembers the unwritten stories. He remembers stories of Zyola, and tells himself that if he learns from one, he will be great as well, and as a zo'zyola his life won't be forgotten. However, he knows his education is limited, and there are few he can mimic- he is certainly no fisher, but he recalls many of the shaman's warrior stories, those he was always fond of. Of course! A warrior would be natural for any good man regardless, but he's still to young. For now, he starts by chasing shriekers. Though unsure of his future, Hossl feels like he's making progress.

When Hossl was 16, the city shaman returned to the settlement, saying Mudki is no longer safe for him. he promised to finish what he started with the youth, bringing books on xeno culture and learning Tau Ceti Basic from Sinta'Unathi(unfortunately, an Azaziba translation was far less accessible). He thought Hossl might someday leave the settlement to help support his family, but he's surprised by how keen Hossl's interest is. To Hossl, this will let him become far more where the Izweski lack control, and he understands the power credits have. He's determined to bypass the Izweski entirely, and so he spends the next 3 years studying the language and books to appear "cultured", while also asking every traveler he meets if they know a way off Moghes. On the outskirts of Mudki, there is a man he encounters each month and tries to convince to help him. Each month he criticize Hossl's Tau Ceti Basic, rudely and flippantly at first, yet with Hossl's repeated returns it becomes more genuine, and his third year of practice ends when he tells Hossl he is impressed by his tenacity, and they can discuss an opportunity.

Thanks to this contact, Hossl was given a chance to board a shuttle, was guided through getting a visa, training and recruitment by Zavodskoi, and he repays his contact with half of his income, much of what remains going to his family. Hossl is fine with this, still enjoying a higher quality of life than ever before, as well as a constant feeling of progress. Diligent and agreeable in training—as any good warrior should listen to their superiors of course, he thinks—Hossl passed through smoothly. Now he is eager to prove the value he sees in himself on the Horizon, and he strives every day to be better than he was yesterday.

What do you like about this character?

Main core of the character is a young, scrawny wastelander who tries to be more, and whose experience with the wider world outside of the wasteland is mostly from what he's read. Not utterly socially inept though, he's had months to figure things out and years prior of trying.

Few reasons I like them- I like rural characters, as said, and poor characters, and I like the whole idea of the wasteland, which works well with the first two. This is a bumpkin who's just starting to understand how hard his clan had it, nonetheless appreciating his old life for forming him into the righteous man he sees himself as. The young Unathi's earnest attempt to follow the warrior's code may be fun, and I particularly enjoy a brutally honest character. I see his chunk of ego, combined with how he sees Th'akh, as a great motivation for a character, both for why they're here and why they get up each morning. To him, becoming a mere kyula would be a shame when he could be so much more. A simple fear of failure and being forgotten motivates Hossl to act proper and respectable, and to excel in what he does.

Hossl certainly doesn't look the part, and I like the idea of him being a bit too short and thin, stubby or no horns, his appearance telling half the story to those who look. I think his naive and agreeable nature in spite of his ego will lend to him bouncing off existing characters well, giving everyone reasons to talk, and Suazra especially reasons to listen.

How would you rate your roleplaying ability?
7/10. I've played ss13 for years and I really believe I make good characters, but I feel my RP is too reactive right now.

Notes:I realised on 3 separate occasions writing the backstory that it was getting wayyy too long so I cut what I could, I gotta stop at some point though.
 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Haydizzle
Accepted!

[SleepyWolf]

hey! i was happy to be in what i think was one of your first rounds playing on Aurora - and I've played with both Andrew and Fisher. I think ever since day one of you playing here you've been able to get this whitelist, easily. you absolutely have the roleplaying skills, and you showed immediate interest in not just Unathi but the overall lore of the server.

i think you got this easily : )

also you chose probably the BEST background - Kingdoms unathi are the BEST! by the hegemon's head!

[Triogenix]

Hi, thanks for applying, I really like this backstory and it seems you've put alot of thought into it, which makes sense given how many questions you've asked in the past few weeks. However, I still have a few questions for you about your character.

1) You mention that Hossl was agreeable and diligent during training, but what do they think about the human megacorporations? Are they good/bad, or evil in his eyes? Especially Hephaestus Industries

2) Besides reading old texts, does Hossl have any hobbies he does in his free time?

3) The warriors code leaves alot of wiggle room for the player, how does Hossl's personality impact how he follows the code? Is he ruthless, merciful, strategic, etc.?

Edited May 10, 2022 by Triogenix

[Confused rock]

1 hour ago, Triogenix said:

Hi, thanks for applying, I really like this backstory and it seems you've put alot of thought into it, which makes sense given how many questions you've asked in the past few weeks. However, I still have a few questions for you about your character.

1) You mention that Hossl was agreeable and diligent during training, but what do they think about the human megacorporations? Are they good/bad, or evil in his eyes? Especially Hephaestus Industries

2) Besides reading old texts, does Hossl have any hobbies he does in his free time?

3) The warriors code leaves alot of wiggle room for the player, how does Hossl's personality impact how he follows the code? Is he ruthless, merciful, strategic, etc.?

Oh boy questions are hard, 
1) Hossl's relatively brief experiences with megacorporations so far haven't led him to discover any shady stories, and so while he doesn't think higher human affairs are much his business, he's oblivious to any problems with them. Hossl hasn't stopped to think about any corporate propaganda yet, and the quality of life he's enjoyed distracts him from any issues in his own work. While Hephaestus has a decent relationship with the Hegemony and wasteland alike, and he's heard much about it, this hasn't meant quite as much for him, being that his settlement was overlooked by Hephaestus. He's a bit jealous of those who had it easier, and might've went there himself were he not advised otherwise by his creditor. Zavodskoi was suggested for their professionalism drawing the best out of him, and more importantly to the creditor, for the pay.

2) I've thought a biit about this. In the past, Hossl was discouraged somewhat from exercise for the energy, and there really wasn't much. He might be playing with relatives or toying with some scrap, but it was usually pretty boring, and he spent a lot of time daydreaming. That's behind him now, though, and the world's not quite as he imagined it. He's interested in exploring all sorts of media that he now has access to (I am probably going to check out the library though). Probably for the enjoyment, but he'll say it's for education. Otherwise, he's coming to terms with the fact he can eat whenever he wants now, and exercise aimlessly to his heart's content. Might spend too much time at the kitchen, and might spend a lot of time at the holodeck, especially for the exercise program, but all of it is interesting both for the technology and for trying new environments. Alas, there isn't too much sporting on the horizon.

3)Sorta hard to describe, but yeah, merciful is how I'd put it, though somewhat easily influenced, lacking role models. Hossl would like to see himself as a force of justice, and hopes to actually help the world. The martial part is secondary. He got along well at home because of his agreeable nature, and he thinks bringing his courtesy to space might help criminals actually see their mistakes. He has little problem going along with everything corporate wants from him, though; seeing them as a superior makes life simpler and makes him feel like he's doing something right when he trusts them. The only really unusual thing is the extent to which he sees honour as a system which makes life fairer for everyone who participates, and so for example, if someone tells or gives him something he wasn't owed, he feels some obligation to ensure they don't regret it. This might lead to some conflict of interest if a criminal admits something they could've hid, and I'm admittedly not completely sure if that'll be fun or irritating for others in security if, say, he would give criminals a moment to flee to thank them for confessing, or be reluctant to fight boarders who spared him before. What do you think? It could go either way on if he decides his integrity or work as others would want is more important. Anyways, in this sense, Integrity is the most important to him if considering the tenets, and he feels pride every time he pays off part of his debt.

[Haydizzle]

Hello! Good job with the application, the backstory was nice, you answered your questions well, and even got an endorsement from the last unathi maintainer.

Application accepted! Feel free to ask my deputies and I any questions you have going forward.