WhatsUpBrotendo's Tajara App

[WhatsUpBrotendo]

BYOND Ckey: WhatsUpBrotendo

 

Discord username: a50yearolddad

 

Character names: Ozan Mak'draz, Makepti Aloqa-Xiruq, Sakesh Haz'ya

 

Species you are applying to play: Tajara

 

What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?:  Chocolate brown (Zhan/rock nomad)

 

Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: 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 species?: 

 

I've joked about wanting to play a Tajaran Wicca stereotype character (I'm not, despite it being April 1st for some of you still) but I have read up slowly over the past few months in preparation for an actual app. The lore has been an interesting read, and combined with reading through the wiki page for the last Tajara arc (which I was only able to play a few events for) I've been inspired to bite the bullet and finally apply. I particularly enjoyed reading the history and motivations behind the establishment of the ALA/DPRA, but the politics and history of Adhomai in general have been very entertaining to read. 

 

What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: 

 

The biggest difference that comes to mind is how the issues Tajara face are omnipresent. Those issues, from ethnicity and culture to politics, have an arguably stronger impact on a Tajara's views and decisions compared to a human's. These issues are almost universal to all Tajara as well, regardless of origin, making them even more apparent in comparison. For example, the issues someone from Biesel faces are pretty much irrelevant to someone from Silversun. In comparison, a DPRA Tajara and a PRA Tajara will have a lot to discuss (read: argue over) on many issues. 

 

Character Application

 

Character Name: Baariq Alsamarra

 

Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. 

Baariq is a Rhazar'Hrujmagh (Zhan/rock nomad) Tajara born into a nomadic caravan in 2430, near the end of the First Revolution. Their father fought on the side of the rebels during this time, but would die in battle shortly after Hadii took command of the rebel forces. Baariq was too young to have remembered their father, and would be left in the care of his mother and three older siblings.

Originally calling the areas around Southern Ras'nrr their home, Baariq's family and others in their caravan would be forcibly settled to work as farmers as part of President Hadii's plans to end their nomadic way of life. Baariq's family tried to keep the old traditions of the caravan alive in their new sedentary home, but PRA policies on cultural assimilation and fears of punishment meant that over time Baariq was less and less exposed to the old traditions followed for generations previously.

Spending most of their formative years under the PRA influenced Baariq heavily. They were fed Hadiist propaganda from a young age, and despite their mother and older siblings showing discontent at home, Baariq became a strong supporter of Al'mari Hadii's government. When the Tajara made first contact with humanity, Baariq initially suffered a culture shock at the revelation that his people were not alone in the galaxy. This fear was primarily as a result of the exploitation he witnessed as Adhomai's natural resources were sent off-planet, but it quickly subsided when Al'mari backed out of the deals made with NanoTrasen.

After Al'mari's assassination in 2451, Baariq was distraught at what he perceived as an undoing of the foundations that the PRA was built on by Malik - and as an extension, an undoing of what his late father fought for during the first revolution. Open persecution of his ethnicity, more obvious to him than Al'mari's erasure of his nomadic culture, and a renewal of humanity's exploitation of his planet and people resulted in Baariq becoming disillusioned with the People's Republic. When conscription was announced in 2458, Baariq took this as a sign to flee and join the Adhomai Liberation Army. By now, his mother had passed, and his older siblings were either already serving in the military or dead, leaving him with no ties that would force him to stay or reconsider his options. Baariq had the beginnings of a family of his own at this point, and his main concern was making sure they were safe.

Baariq would serve in the ALA until the Armistice of Shastar in 2461. While their first thoughts were to try and reunite with their siblings, Baariq was too fearful of their fate to follow through with any attempt at reconnection. Knowing that his family and his wife originally came from Southern Ras'nrr, he decided that the best option was to settle in the area once more. They hoped that perhaps they might encounter their siblings there, too, but subconsciously Baariq knew that that was naive of him. Having only known farming and military service as professions Baariq now owns a small shop that he runs with his family. While not highly profitable, it has been enough to put food on the table for his family until recently.

By 2466, Baariq still has no idea what happened to his brothers and sisters. Combined with his family's financial troubles and not being able to find much in the way of profitable work, Baariq left the family business in the hands of his wife and children and left to find work in Crevus. Despite being anti-corporate involvement in Adhomai's affairs, Baariq's desperation has allowed him to justify working with the megacorporations off-planet. Baariq has now signed up with NanoTrasen and has been transferred to the SCCV Horizon's service department, where they are working as a janitor. 

 

How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Events such as the Phoron Scarcity, the Solarian Collapse or even the Invasions of Biesel for interstellar-wide affairs, while region-specific events such as the Peacekeeper Mandate, The Titan Rises or even Cold Dawn may impact your character.  

 

The Phoron Scarcity and its potential to escalate to a Spur-wide economic collapse worries Baariq heavily. He hopes that if/when it happens, he will be able to make his way back to Adhomai and his family. For now, his main worry is making sure that he earns enough money for his family back home, which is threatened by the Phoron shortage.

Baariq is also aware of the SCC's involvement on Adhomai during the Cold Dawn arc, but is not fully aware of what they were doing. His main sources of information are from news articles from back home, and his views could potentially change as he interacts with other crewmembers in the future. He sees the SCC's involvement there as a typical example of human imperialism and interference in Adhomai's affairs and is angered by the ransacking of a village in the Din'aak mountains. Still, he needs his job and the money it provides, and he agrees somewhat with the President's arguments against execution during the National Assembly.

 

How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?

 

Baariq sees NanoTrasen as a greedy entity, only interested in Adhomai for its natural resources. He is internally torn at his current predicament as he is now employed by the same corporation that is currently working with the People's Republic to exploit his planet and its people. Baariq is trying to be pragmatic about the situation and plans to only work on the Horizon/under NanoTrasen as long as it's necessary to provide for his family.

 

Notes of things I couldn't think of how to tie into the backstory without making it a lot longer: 

Baariq worships the Ma'ta'ke Gods like most other rock nomads, with particular reverence for Rredouane. This is one of the few holdovers of Baariq's rock nomad origin.

Baariq is a supporter of the National Adhomai Worker's Party. Their service during the second revolution has left them with very little motivation for another war, which would in all likelihood lead to his children becoming soldiers and having to suffer the same experiences he had to during his service. 

[Alberyk]

A small detail:

On 01/04/2024 at 20:32, WhatsUpBrotendo said:

Baariq is a Rhazar'Hrujmagh (Zhan/rock nomad) Tajara born into a nomadic caravan in 2430, near the end of the First Revolution

On 01/04/2024 at 20:32, WhatsUpBrotendo said:

When the Tajara made first contact with humanity, Baariq initially suffered a culture shock at the revelation that his people were not alone in the galaxy.

The first contact was made a bit before the first revolution, so Baariq would not be alive to witness it.

Anyway, I don't have any questions. Application accepted.