Hear, o' stars, my desperate plea... - Dessysalta's Dionae Application

[dessysalta]

BYOND Key: Dessysalta
Character Names: 

Species you are applying to play: Dionae
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: N/A (Diona)
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yup!

Why do you wish to play this specific race:
After interacting with characters like Hope Burns Brightly, and Blood Soaked Departure From Paradise, I really liked the dynamic that gestalts can have both on their own (with themselves) and the people around them. I think using melodic and metaphorical music terms to describe how they think on a fundamental level is really interesting and poetic, especially Voided Vocals and Mourning Mass mindtypes. I originally wanted to explore something to do with the name "Justice Served Not Through Peace But Violence", but now I really want to do something involving the latter of what I mentioned, the Mourning Mass. Honestly, I just think Dionae have interesting biological traits (like forming into giant spires made of nymphs, or learning just by taking in blood) and the few times I've seen them I've loved interacting with them. I personally want to explore the JSNTPBV idea later, and focus on making a sorrow-ridden gestalt for now.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
Dionae behave in strange ways, especially considering they "gain" intelligence by forming up with and communicating with other nymphs in a gestalt, not even counting bloodlearning. It's a little hard for me to describe how their minds work because I think of it like splitting off pieces of yourself, where those pieces take a piece of you with it (and by all means, this is how they work in a lot of respect) and then bring back wholly new experiences or thoughts when they rejoin with you. When it comes to processing situations, most Dionae won't engage in combat unless its strictly defensive in nature, and different mindtypes will interpret it even deeper than that; some won't even consider fighting defensively in cases like a Mourning Mass, where losing a piece of themselves is completely out of the question, or a Chaotic Cacophony, where each nymph might just split and run with a great enough threat to its safety. For mindtypes and views on other species (or even themselves), just one particularly notable experience or case of bloodlearning can be enough to shift how a gestalt operates, what mindtype it can be considered, etc.

Mechanically speaking (and biologically too), Dionae need light and radiation to live, and without it they'll die. They can't run, but can reform wounds just by standing in light or radiation for a long enough time, and are unaffected by things like atmosphere and pressure. They're also either more vulnerable to pain or less depending on their classification as either a Coeus or Geras gestalt.

Character Name: A Funeral For Yesterday's Promises And Wake For Alliance Anew
Please provide a short backstory for this character:
Funeral started from humble beginnings, having split from a greater Argus during its first few years in the Sparring Sea, exploring the cosmos and drifting through nothingness while distant starlight kept it nourished and the occasional, but very rare nymph or ship would pass it by and lend it knowledge. For the longest time, roughly ten years, it had gone through variations of names such as "Fluorescence To Drink" to "Quiet Numbness Embodies All" and, eventually, it happened upon one of the first Tarwa ships and chose to integrate itself as a crewman within. It had very little concept of how to assist aside from menial labor and constant bloodlearning, acquiring knowledge of the crew within and shaping itself to be as useful as it could to its brethren that offered it shelter.

For the next twenty-five years, Bonds Between Comradery And Need would come to know their scalemates, eventually settling on one in particular: Krou'zo Tarwa, a middle-aged Sinta that aligned himself with the Fang Captain Tarskin Tarwa in support of his cause and thirst for fame. 

Eventually, on what would be the gestalt's 38th birthday, Krou'zo hit an age where he began slowing down; his early 50s. It was then that he decided the pirate's life wasn't for him, and after having raided one too many ships, he decided he would pursue civilian life come next year. Bonds took interest in this idea, so much so that it asked if it could accompany Krou'zo on his journey, to seek the unknown and be rid of this life even after having learned so much from it. Krou'zo agreed, and for their last year together, they slept in the same bed, worked together far more than previously, and came up with plans and sightseeing spots on their calendars for when they would finally come to depart.

...The Sparring Sea had other plans.

A week before what was to be Krou'zo and Bonds' departure, disaster struck. A Hegemony ship had strayed too far from its patrol route, and the ship that housed the gestalt and its lover had been too liberal in its maneuvers. Kataphracts rammed the ship and blew holes through the airlocks; burnt those who stayed inside and cut the many vines of nymphs on the exterior. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful, but that was not to say there weren't casualties. One of them was Krou'zo, mortally wounded even with the help of Bonds' nymphs and what remained of their medical bay. The Sinta had held onto life as best as he could, but his light was fading--something the gestalt had never wanted to experience again.

"Bondsss..." He croaked. "Ekssperiensse...what I could not. Pleassse. Go."

"We will not leave you again." The gestalt replied.

The Sinta bared his teeth akin to a grin. "Then take me with you."

Each droplet of blood the gestalt ingested was filled with pain, so much pain that it overran what little agenda it had before. Krou'zo would live on, if not in body, then in spirit. Funeral, wracked with grief and burden, stepped onto an independent shuttle with a new consciousness; and with it, new song.

Hear, o' stars, my desperate plea
To see my love beside me.

Sunk below the Sparring Sea,
His anchor weighs upon me.
Fasten his tether unto me,
For he may rise to sail free.

What do you like about this character?
I loved coming up with the idea of a Mourning Mass for one of my all-time favorite pirate groups, the Tarwa Conglomerate. A friend of mine helped me name them. I really, really like the idea of a gestalt that wants to spend its time seeing the world for (and "with") its lover, experiencing new things and hopefully achieving some peace and happiness in the long run. It'd be my first passenger character, and I'm excited to see where they go as a person, if they pursue employment, etc.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I usually give this answer an 8/10, so we'll say 8/10.

Notes: Just some lore team questions. Also, the above lyrics are shamelessly editorialized from the Hades OST, specifically Lament of Orpheus. It's what gave me the original inspiration for this character.

Spoiler

What kind of Diona is Funeral?
A Geras. They're 41 years old.

What's their mindtype? What was it prior to Krou'zo's absorption?
Currently a Mourning Mass. Previously, it was a Singular Sound when it had split, then a Competence Choir for most of its time within the Tarwa Conglomerate. 

What is their/its opinion of other species? How did it come to these views?
Because of its extensive time within the Tarwa Conglomerate, it has a passing knowledge and unsure and inexperienced view of other races aside from Unathi. Unathi it holds in very high regard, for obvious reasons--it however has very poor perception of Kataphracts, warriors, and those who align themselves with the Hegemonic regime. Most of its conclusions are self-explanatory; working alongside Sinta for most of its life and drinking the blood of the one the Consensus loved contributes very heavily to this, and Krou'zo was a mostly compassionate Sinta (if a bit ill-tempered at times) that had a lot of respect for his fellow scalemate and gestalt friend.

Why the Horizon of all places?
The Horizon is the flagship of the SCC, and after having a couple of years to orient itself with what awaited it outside of the Tarwa, it chose to become a passenger aboard because of the many different backgrounds anyone could have, from practically every race and profession. In particular, it heard there are some other Tarwa crewmen who either work or remain aboard for their own reasons, and asking them how civilian life (or simply anything not-Tarwa) has influenced them is an amazing way to see more of the world and how it affects other people. The Horizon is also an expeditionary vessel, meaning it isn't static and will be moving to many different systems over the course of its mission. It's a wonderful tourist opportunity, and if it finds employment aboard it, all the better.

Do they hold any religious beliefs?
Prior to Krou'zo's death (or even their first time speaking with a Tarwa crewman), they had very little in the way of this. Nowadays, they believe in a strange mixture of Th'akh faith and their own ideals for what awaits after death. It's an almost strange case of cognitive dissonance; believing ancestors of their scaled friends roam the spirit world and watch over them, while also believing that their lover remains with them even now, his voice whispering to the gestalt in its darkest moments. It's complicated.

How has pacifism influenced them? Are they still conditionally pacifistic after their time with the Conglomerate?
This is also strange. They were decently pacifistic prior to their integration with the living-dead fleet, were a bit more liberal with defensive and offensive measures during their time, and nowadays they are entirely against combat, except wherein a Sinta (especially those who align themselves or are ex-/members of the Conglomerate) has their life risked--even still, they know at the end of the day they absolutely cannot allow even a single memory of their lover to fade into nothingness, and as such has no plans on participating in any conflict.

 

[Lent23]

I've said it before, but I have to say it again: Dessy is one of the most thoughtful players when it comes to carefully planning out their characters' backstories. God knows they love stealing my ideas (sinta-blood diona).

I gotta give you a +1 because you're basically just me at this point. 😉

[Sparky_hotdog]

Once again, I am going to surprise nobody in saying that I have had nothing but great RP with Dessy, and she plays some of the most detailed characters personality and backstory wise. I can't speak for to the quality of the diona parts of the app in much detail, but from a roleplay perspective here is my +1. 

[ATGiltspire]

In all of my experiences, Dessy has shown great RP, and lots of creativity. I'd love to see Funeral! +1 From me!

[Ublicto]

A fascinating take on the dionea and a good roleplayer to back it up. +1.

[La Villa Strangiato]

Accepted on Caelphon's behalf!