Lavillastrangiato Tajara Application

[La Villa Strangiato]

BYOND Key: Lavillastrangiato
Character Names: Notables include Gulay Uzun, Rosalea Arellanes, and Meret Aikio
Species you are applying to play: Tajara
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Taupe, #483c32
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes.

Why do you wish to play this specific race: I think the conflict and schisms inherent to much of Tajara lore makes them very interesting characters to play that always have *someone* to engage with, whether it's in a positive or negative fashion. There's a lot of rich lore that calls to mind a variety of inspirations, and it means two Tajara can be vastly different characters with vastly different origins, such as a Hrahar scientist from the PRA versus a Zhan-Khazan Rock Nomad. There's a lot of fun, interesting concepts in Tajara lore that Cold Dawn inspired me to ruminate on, and I think I'd like to engage with Tajara lore in full by having a whitelist.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Tajara are a bipedal felinid race from the arctic planet of Adhomai, physically characterised by their speed, ability to see in the dark, and deep divides between respective ethnicities. There are four main racial groups; Hharar are rather physically average and stereotyped as intellectuals, M'sai are incredibly fast and often used as soldiers, Zhan-Khazan are called "workhorses" being seen as very strong, but considered unintelligent and easily spurred to violence. Njarir-Akhran were the nobles of Adhomian society for many centuries, but the recent revolutions and wars have seen them become rarer and rarer across Adhomai.

For as long as their history has been recorded, Tajara have been a people divided by conflict between the haves and the have-nots; up until very recently, the nobility of Adhomai had hoarded the fruits of the planet's industrialization, while the serfs and working class toiled in thankless jobs for little pay. While the influence of the species really only extends to the S'rand'marr system and the formerly Hegemonic planet of Gakal'zaal, Adhomai is already divided between three factions; the People's Republic of Adhomai, the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai, and the New Kingdom of Adhomai. The People's Republic is an authoritarian state based on the cult of personality surrounding the Hadii dynasty, a family of Njarir-Akhran nobles that sided with the peasants in the First Revolution over the nobility. Al'mari Hadii, who would later become the new Republic's president, struck a deal with NanoTrasen to bring in modernizing technology and goods to the populace, while in return the megacorporation would have cheap Tajaran labour. When the dust of the revolution had cleared, the PRA was the only state amidst a fractured, ravaged planet.

Stability, if any, was short-lived. When Al'mari was murdered by a secret service agent, who was Zhan-Khazan, his brother Njadrasanukii Hadii took power and enacted harsh laws against the Zhan populace and any subversive elements that could be found, or even suspected. During this time, the military commander Nated'Hakhan, a friend of Al'mari Hadii, and the hidden royal dynasty of the Azunja Njarir rose up and rallied their supporters to divide Adhomai once again. From Nated's rebellion the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai was formed, a state ostensibly headed by an elected president but in practice ruled more by warlords carving out their territories. The dynasty of Azunja took power where they could, forming the New Kingdom of Adhomai, though outside of their own territories support for them is limited.

Because of these recent and bloody divides, it is unlikely for one to find a Tajara with neutral feelings on any faction. Even a former citizen of the Republics would easily decry the New Kingdom, and between each other DPRA citizens disparage the PRA as tyrants while PRA citizens lambast the DPRA as terrorists. From being outcasted from Solarian space in the wake of the Tajara bans, to gang violence in little Adhomai, the Tajara people have struggled to find peace and a settled home across the galaxy.

Character Name: Surraya Varrakijr
Please provide a short backstory for this character: This character is transfeminine; as such, prior to her transition I will use he/they pronouns to refer to them, and she/they pronouns after their transition.

Ahrdoyal Varrakijr was born in 2445, in the city of Mal'jor. His father, Rrudahir (nicknamed Ruda), was a physician and proponent of studies into Tajara psychology, particularly on veterans of the Great War. His mother Jamirrya was a housewife who spent her spare time organizing community gatherings and sewing clothes for the family and community. In all respects, they were a sensible Hharar Hadiist family who followed the party line, and the only tension that was truly present in the household was Rrudahirir being scolded to fold his clothes instead of tossing them on the floor.

Ahrdoyal themself was a pleasant, if somewhat shy and withdrawn, child. Jamirrya would later say that he had never displayed signs of "abnormality"; he got along well with both boys and girls his age, and developed something of a reputation as a peacemaker whenever children had the petty conflicts that children had. He was given a fair amount of freedom by his parents, and owing to their parents' good standing, had little encounters with the grimier side of Republican law.

When Ahrdo was sixteen, they and their friend, Varzjundil, were wandering in a less reputable neighbourhood in the city. Eager to experience something novel, the two spotted a club called the Nine-Tails, and slipped inside on a whim to perhaps pry a touch of alcohol out of the bartender. But to Ahrdo's astonishment, the clubgoers were like no men or women he'd seen. Not only were men cavorting with men, but women sat so intimately with other women! Passerby that Ahrdo saw clad in dresses had the frames and voices of men, and vice versa-- all around was a confusing upheaval of the roles Ahrdo had had engrained into him.

But the club was comfortable, and the people inside were friendly if somewhat reticent to divulge information about themselves. They were offered free drinks for their first time, and stumbling home, Ahrdo reflected on how happy those people in Nine-Tails seemed, how content and free. Over the next few weeks, that stretched to months, Ahrdo returned without Varzjundil to the club, coming to know the other patrons. They never told their parents of their nighttime excursions, even though they had such trust in them; it felt wrong to mention it, for some reason. The more they attended, the more Ahrdo came to realize just why the club felt freeing. After a year of nighttime visits to the Nine-Tails, Ahrdo was quite aware that the secrecy the club afforded was key in the PRA; nevertheless, their optimism and the validation they felt upon finally recognising that they were no longer quite a man was overwhelming.

So Ahrdo, pretending it was for a girlfriend, purchased a simple party dress and shoes. She made her debut at the club as Surraya, and the reception among her newfound friends was was warm and delighted. Patrons happily welcomed Surraya's new self, and the women of all stripes began to offer advice on how to carry herself, how to style her short hair, and the right kinds of makeup to try. While "Surraya" never left the confines of the club, Ahrdo began to feel confident; if this was who they truly were, then surely, she could speak to her parents about her newfound identity and expression.

One day, two years after she had first entered the club, Ahrdo sat her parents down and explained the truth. She felt considerably more comfortable and right when she acted as a woman and was referred to as such, and explained the club and its role in her personal discovery to them.

Ruda and Jamirrya were stunned. Jamirrya balked, shocked that her beloved son had "degenerated", become "deviant"; she'd always followed the Party's teachings and tried to teach them to Ahrdoyal, but had she made a mistake in giving him so much freedom? Ruda, who was confused, nevertheless tried to calm his wife down; this was still their child, and it was clear to him Ahrdo hadn't truly changed so much.

But over the next few days, Jamirrya couldn't be consoled; she reported Ahrdo's deviancy to the city branch of state police, who promptly came to hold them in the local jail on ambiguous charges while they questioned them. While Ruda was able to leverage his good standing in the university to have them release Ahrdo, he knew that the damage had been done. Jamirrya wouldn't remain silent about this "deviancy" forever, and he knew to expect worse for his child if Party authorities ever caught proper wind of the news.

Thus, Ruda called in favours. With conflict rising in the galaxy, it was time to leave Adhomai. Father and child set out, with reluctance, to the Republic of Biesel, where other dissidents of various stripes lived and thrived.

Shortly after settling in Biesel, Surraya not only managed to finally present as a woman full-time, but also became the breadwinner of the two of them after securing a job as a janitor with NanoTrasen. A new, lucrative opening had even become available to her; the SCC's flagship, the SCCV Horizon.

What do you like about this character?: I like plucky girls as character types who are sort of long-suffering but nevertheless try to keep their humanity (or Tajaramanity, whatever) about them in a terrible situation. I like exploring the ways a queer character might fit into an alien society that nevertheless holds a low opinion of "abnormality" and I think it would be interesting to explore how that might clash with other Tajara, if I choose to play this character on-ship.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?: I am the deputy loremaster so I think I'm pretty okay at it.

Notes: Surraya is not especially religious; however, Rrudahir and Jamirrya were worshippers of the Twin Suns in their younger years prior to the First Revolution. As time has gone on they have generally left religious trappings behind, though are still particularly superstitious about Raskariim, and still pray to and invoke the Suns casually. Surraya has picked up on some of this, particularly superstition, but does not actively follow the teachings.

Surraya is by no means a staunch supporter of the PRA, but considers herself fairly aligned with Hadiism's economic views, and holds out hope she may be able to return to Adhomai one day as her "true self". She is suspicious of New Kingdom or DPRA citizens, and considers them "complicit" in oppression of Tajara as a whole. Despite this, she has a generally welcoming attitude towards most Tajara, though like any 19-year-old gets into stupid political arguments rife with hypocrisies, exaggerations, and grandstanding.

[Alberyk]

Some questions:

What does Surraya think of the dpra?

Out of the Hadiist schools of thought, which one would Surraya align herself with?

Since she moved to Little Adhomai, could you describe briefly her experiences and opinions on the district?

[La Villa Strangiato]

4 hours ago, Alberyk said:

What does Surraya think of the dpra?

I mentioned this in notes but didn't really elaborate on it; towards individual citizens she is generally friendly, but pitying and suspicious of. Anyone who actually demonstrates support towards the warlords she disparages pretty hard. In her mind, the DPRA are a fascimile of a democractic state, and their war crimes make them completely irredeemable.

4 hours ago, Alberyk said:

Out of the Hadiist schools of thought, which one would Surraya align herself with?

Surraya is a Young Hadiist, and Ruda is generally along the same party line. In recent years, Surraya has dabbled in Visionary Hadiism, being somewhat fascinated with human technology and robotics (she also loves mech fights, which is a non-insignificant factor in this). If she manages to afford higher education (lol, lmao), she'd like to train to become a roboticist.

4 hours ago, Alberyk said:

Since she moved to Little Adhomai, could you describe briefly her experiences and opinions on the district?

Surraya has had mixed feelings about living in little Adhomai.

Early on in her time on Biesel, she managed to uncover the Little Adhomai Horticultural Society. While initially she had several politically-charged conversations with her fellow members, she was firmly accepted in the society after working overtime at her NanoTrasen janitor job to pay off a month's protection money from one of the local gangs. Since then, Surraya has tried to keep her more firey tirades under wraps around the group, and regards them quite highly.

On the other hand, Surraya is very careful where she openly presents as female in the district. Ruda has already been accosted and robbed on his way home once, and Surraya has had to cut and run after talking to someone who proved hostile once they recognised her Mal'jor accent. The Social Harmony Committee have eyes everywhere, and ironically only the human districts of Mendell, at work, and the dive bars where the Horticultural Society meets have proven safe to fully present as a woman.

At the very least, Surraya hopes to move out of District Six one day, but with Ruda's current struggle to find a job, and the connections she already has to the gardener's group, her feelings are mixed about entirely assimilating into human society. For now, she contents herself with the acceptance she's found in little places, and hopes to be able to be her true self in a newer workplace, farther away from Adhomian influence...

[Alberyk]

Application accepted.