Sputnik5927 - Tajara Whitelist Application

[Sputnik5927]

BYOND Key: Sputnik5927
Character Names:
Wolf Arges, Security Officer
Harald Brytforda, Security Officer
TAKMAN, Security Officer
Yangtze Xiaojian, Bridge Crew
Martin Walker, Bridge Crew
Zhang Xiaodan, Psychiatrist
Daniel Griffin, Surgeon
Mikhail Voroshilov, Shaft Miner
Shepherd Malric, Priest
Vladimir Khoromov, Merchant

Species you are applying to play: Tajara (Zhan-Khazan)
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Black
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes.

Why do you wish to play this specific race:
I was inspired by Tajara players to make my own character. I want to be able to engage with them on that level. I am personally a fan of the Zhan-Khazan because I am generally drawn towards the traditional and pragmatic culture that they exhibit.

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

Tajara have an accent in Basic which is basically rolling your R's. If a Taj grew up in human space or spends enough time there, they can unlearn it - if they even want to unlearn it.

They speak in third person about themselves and the person they're talking to unless they're very close personally.

Having a tail, ears, claws and fur means that Tajara emote and feel differently. Ears flicking shut in reaction to a loud noise, for example. Fur also means that Tajara overheat easily, not to mention being used to a cold climate. They hear very well and can see in the dark.

Tajara live in a turbulent time and have a relatively narrow view of the world, most likely being very invested in their political beliefs and whatever experiences they had made on Adhomai. This means that they are molded by political identity and heritage - lots of prejudices and beliefs show themselves when you put Tajara from different backgrounds near each other.

The way that many Tajara end up in space is through fleeing Adhomai. Not everyone can endure the regime, monarchy or looming hot war on the planet and many choose to leave as refugees. That means leaving your home (and maybe even your family) behind. Perhaps one of your family members disagrees and chooses to stay or even reports you to the authorities and you escape by only the skin of your teeth.

As for the way they're treated by others, Tajara face discrimination and racism by other species, based on their beliefs, origin, things such as education and economic status or the situation on Adhomai.

Character Name: Tazan Mauli

Please provide a short backstory for this character

Please provide a short backstory for this character
Tazan Mauli was born in 2434 in a Zhan-Khazan village near the Khazan Mountains. He became the elder to two brothers and a sister. He spent most of his childhood helping with village chores and playing in the outskirts with his brothers. In terms of education, he was taught by his parents and in groups with the other children by the older people of the village - language, reading, writing, some mathematics and history, but mostly narrow in scope. He had no comparison and never felt the need to learn more in his day-to-day. He was taught Delvahhi the most, but naturally learned speaking, reading and writing Siik'maas in decent measure, as it was very necessary at the time.

He was subjected to many religious services and readings, which instilled the values of and belief in the Ma'ta'ke pantheon, with emphasis on Mata'ke, Marryam and Rredouane. It was not rare, however, for him to skip and hide with his sister, preferring to play dice in the storehouse instead - even if it ended with an earful from their parents. Tazan saw it as a way to bond with his sister, who was often excluded when they were playing soldier or hunter. He remembers these things fondly. Like anyone pushed through rituals and put through readings, he picked up the belief in a semi-solid manner, but is quick to make excuses for himself when he's broken a tenet.

When he became old enough, he started working in the mine that his village was connected to, where most of the other villagers already labored. Although it wasn't exactly cushy, he found the team-based work in the mine somewhat fulfilling and came to respect hard work and dedication. Being a small village, one filled with Zhan, they faced many impositions and oppression by the PRA, especially during the second revolution, with huge quotas for ore and food to be provided for something they did not believe in or care about. They were only spared conscription because of their work extracting precious resources.

In 2459, upon hearing of the bombing of the NKA Parliament, the 25-year-old Tazan volunteered to the Liberation Army for five years as part of the infantry, feeling compelled to undo the work he had unwillingly done for the regime by fighting it instead. Being distant from the bombing itself, he was able to feel it as an inspiring, heroic counter-strike against the enemies of freedom, rather than a brutal end to several lives.

In the Liberation Army, he witnessed the formation of the DPRA as a nation and was filled with hope for the future. His first year was spent as a garrison soldier in Tampiska, before he was shipped to Chaniska. There, he bolstered a mustering army and took part in the victorious battle of Das'nrra.

When Almrah Harrlala was elected president, Tazan was slightly confused by the bitter reactions of some of his comrades. Wasn't this what they were fighting for, freedom and change? Worrying about a split in his battalion, he didn't push the topic and mostly avoided arguments about it. His lack of outspoken opposition was seen as complicity and support, so he was inducted into a military coup. These few days, before Commander Nated's resignation, were critical for Tazan. Having to weigh his belief in and dedication to the Liberation Army and the idea that Harrlala could bring true democracy to Adhomai. Had it not been for the Commander's resignation and the delay of the coups, he would have participated, convincing himself that the ALA must not become unstable or weaker by civilian interference. Tazan's junta stepped down and did not enact any plans following an appeal by Nated.

On the 2nd of September 2461, Tazan took part in the offensive against the PRA, fighting near Nal'tor. A handgrenade caused him minor hearing loss and a scar on his leg when he pulled an unaware soldier to the ground and shielded him with his body. He carries these wounds with pride, seeing them as proof of his bravery and selflessness. The participation of the Royal Navy was something he was aware of, but did not begrudge. Whatever helped win the fight sooner.

A short stay of two weeks in the hospital later, he was back to manning garrisons and skirmishing until the 18th of October 2462, when his division saw Nated once again and was ordered to suppress the seperatist forces of Amohda. Tazan was happy to see that the Supreme Commander was back in charge, who may have prevented a bloody coup back then.

In early 2464, he witnessed the successful test of the DPRA's first ICBM. Adhomai began to descend further into political spiderwebs and invention of new cruel weapons and Tazan was very aware of this. Still fiercely loyal to the Army he had given five years of his life to, he was ready to fight. The only thing he feared was the use of nuclear bombs. He did not want Moghes' fate to be Adhomai's.
His five-year volunteer contract expired and he was (somewhat unwillingly) sent home in late 2464, conflicted but outwardly proud to have done his duty as a man.

His voluntary, long military service distinguished him in the eyes of the DPRA when he came to be the subject of an interview by a newspaper - recounting his humble beginnings as a young village boy, facing increasing hardships from the regime and still staying strong enough to end up a hero of Adhomai. This manifested itself in an official invitation to one Tazan Mauli, promising a spot on a free ride to an exclusive employer aboard one of the most prestigious vessels in the spur, with steady pay and dignified work. An opportunity to send money back and improve the lives of everyone in the village, maybe? He would have sought to volunteer again as soon as he could, had it not been for this invitation.

Tazan exploited the response period to its fullest, (struggling with) reading it over, saying his goodbyes and making promises. He scraped together the money to buy a digital messenger for his family, so that they could reach him and be available. Cramming TCB language 101, he managed to pass the low-barred communications test. Tazan had been looked over by an artificial intelligence and deemed a fit for the PMCG as a Security Officer. The SCCV Horizon is currently in the badlands and the PMCG would figure that it could use some reinforcement.

What do you like about this character?

I like that I'll be able to roleplay a traditional Zhan-Khazan and bring that angle to the modern landscape of the Horizon. One that has seen and done a lot and has deep feelings about his home and family. Not just with interacting with other Taj, but also seeing how the rural village boy can hold up against the challenges in open space.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?
I'm an experienced, considerate roleplayer and I think myself easy to work with.

Notes:
"what is 1+1 brrrro"

Opinions on the factions summarized
1. DPRA - The freedom fighters that will save Adhomai. Absolutely convinced in their righteousness.

2. PRA - An off-shoot of the nobility that has proven itself to be little different than the enforcers of the monarchy with draconian efforts to suppress all good, free Tajara. No thank you!

3. NKA - The stragglers. He is disappointed that they are still around.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Sputnik5927
Bold

[ErshOurHerzog]

+1, yez, give him the access to a furry whitelist. I want to see how Zhan traditions can affect the rounds in game. Also, Tazan is a powerful name. TAZAN. TAZAN.

 

 

[omegaTracing]

+1, although i am really baffled at the sheer amount of security characters that he makes... I do believe OP is a grrreat roleplayer and i am curious to see how he porrrtrrrays the Tajara. And i agree, Tazan is a powerful name. TAZAN. TAZAN.

[KingOfThePing]

Mmmh, I am honest with you I am not convinced in you, your other characters and not in this application either. 
Even viewed isolated this application contains the bare minimum what is needed to submit one. You mention a lot of points you probably thought need to be in an application (like religion and the second revolution) without actually explaining what they mean for Tazan. Here are some examples, it's not exhaustive since it's late and don't want to write a novel, but I can expand it tomorrow if it's wanted:

- You mentioned Tazan got an education. Alright, what did this entail? He is from a seemingly poor and oppressed mining village. What education can his parents and elders give him? Was it something special that he received education and why did he get any if it was special? If he received some education why didn't we want to make more out of it?

- He was subjected to many religious services and readings of the Ma'ta'ke. Okay, fair, but what deity and why does he follow or take values from? Was it his own decision or was it a result of the services he was subjected to?  What does religion even mean to him, when he preferred to skip it anyway?

- Why and especially how and which "nobility" opressed a village in the Khazan mountains in the 2450s? The immediate political neighbours of the Khazan Mountains during the Second Revolution and your especially noted year 2459 was the People's Republic of Adhomai. The New Kingdom was a literal continent away. If you mean pre-second revolution this makes no sense because Tazan is 25 in 2459, he was not alive to see oppression from pre-first revolution.

- Why did he remain in the armed forces after the revolution ended? He distinguished himself how? Where did he fight and what did he do in the army branch? You mention this in the "opinions on he factions summarized" very briefly but this is a very basic surface layer opinion at best.

- These opinions make it sound like Tazan is quite political, radical one could say, towards the DPRA. How did this happen, you just mention he joins the army, he even volunteered, since it was the "right thing to do". Why? What does he think of the actual radical members of the DPRA? Like the members of the DPRA who allegedly bombed the New Kingdom's Government?

- Since he remained in the armed forces post 2461 he also experienced the Cold War period. What did he do during this time? What are his thoughts about the outcome of the Revolution? 

 

This is just the things from the character background. I dont think you also grasp what makes playing a Tajara different from a human. It's more than just the fact they have a funny accent and talk in third person and look differently than humans. That's all quite obvious, but you don't go into depth with it.

 

All in all I could continue - the tl;dr is that I do not believe you grasped tajaran lore on more than a  really basic surface level and honestly do not believe you would play a good Tajara, Zhan or otherwise. I give a very sincere and firm -1 to this application.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by KingOfThePing

[Sputnik5927]

@KingOfThePing While I am not sure how to take "I am not convinced in you", I read through your feedback and saw that you have legitimate points. I've spent a lot of time editing my application and I thank you for bringing these things up - they were very helpful in my revision. I will note that Tajara lore (especially the timeline) is very long and complicated and these issues did not come from a lack of trying. I also ended up mistaking about 20 years in the timeline, which is why there were chronological errors. I've rewritten that part completely anyway.

[KingOfThePing]

I know it can be a bit baffling to actually receive an actual comment and critique and not just "he's/she's great +1". You are not her to convince me, though. Yet I just state my personal experiences with you and your characters (and point out things I didnt like in the application). 

To sum it up I have seen you play a lot and also played with your characters. I know how you play and I personally find it not good, to put it nicely. I have no confidence that you can play and uphold the lore of Tajara, the fact alone that this is yet another security character of you fills me with no confidence. But again, you are not here to convince me.

[Alberyk]

Sorry for the wait.

Some questions about your character's backstory:

On 24/11/2022 at 19:52, Sputnik5927 said:

In 2459, upon hearing of the bombing of the NKA Parliament, the 25-year-old Tazan volunteered to the Liberation Army for five years as part of the infantry, feeling compelled to undo the work he had unwillingly done for the regime by fighting it instead. Being distant from the bombing itself, he was able to feel it as an inspiring, heroic counter-strike against the enemies of freedom, rather than a brutal end to several lives.

What were his exact motivations to leave the PRA to fight in the ALA? What did he think that the ALA could do for him?

On 24/11/2022 at 19:52, Sputnik5927 said:

Tazan exploited the response period to its fullest, (struggling with) reading it over, saying his goodbyes and making promises. He scraped together the money to buy a digital messenger for his family, so that they could reach him and be available. Cramming TCB language 101, he managed to pass the low-barred communications test. Tazan had been looked over by an artificial intelligence and deemed a fit for the PMCG as a Security Officer. The SCCV Horizon is currently in the badlands and the PMCG would figure that it could use some reinforcement.

What are his long term plans with working for the SCC? Does working for a megacorporation does not conflict with any of the beliefs he has as a member of the DPRA? If yes, how does he justify it?

[Sputnik5927]

16 minutes ago, Alberyk said:

What were his exact motivations to leave the PRA to fight in the ALA? What did he think that the ALA could do for him?

What are his long term plans with working for the SCC? Does working for a megacorporation does not conflict with any of the beliefs he has as a member of the DPRA? If yes, how does he justify it?

1. The ALA could provide him with just the opportunity to lash out at those who caused him and his people so many hardships in the years past, trying to force the collectivist social strategy of the PRA on his fair village. Something to, at least in his mind, make do the labor that he had sacrificed to the PRA and to soothe his soul in that way. Beyond that, he believed that, now that this bombing had successfully occured, the ALA had a chance to liberate Adhomai from the other two factions. That there was an end-goal to the struggle which was just coming into reach and that there was more to the ALA than a feeble, struggling rebellion.

 

2. Tazan does not see it as anything immediately conflicting with his values. Although he is aware that working for a megacompany is hardly something fit for a freedom-loving and community-focused Zhan like himself, he justifies this with two reasonings. One being falling back on the idea that he is helping represent the DPRA positively. If he can show that the people of the DPRA are exemplary, brave and happy, then he can fulfill the mission they gave him with that invitation and maybe sway the world to view the DPRA as the right faction to support moving forward. The second reason: Money is a big focus for Tazan, because he grew up with relatively little in that way and would feel a duty to provide for his family, especially when given such a huge opportunity. To that end, he's planning to stay with the SCC for the immediate future. Whether he will enjoy his stay, do it simply out of duty or long to return to Adhomai - that remains to be seen.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Sputnik5927

[Alberyk]

Application accepted.