Venty's Tajara Whitelist Application | "Unto the stars he goes..."

[Venty]

BYOND Ckey: VentClass

Discord username: Venty (ventclass)

Character names: 
- Ririlsk Kai'senia-Devorask, Shaft Miner
- Kassid Rozul, Warden
- Andre Tric, Security Officer

Species you are applying to play: Tajara

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General Whitelist Requirements 

What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: (IPCs exempt) Light Brown, of some variation.

Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Repeatedly. It's one of my favorite specie lores, besides the Sinta'Unathi.

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?: 

Honestly, what first drew me to the species was the players who played them. They take the rather in-depth information and lore behind them and give it life, which is what got me interested in them to begin with. The lore was what got me truly interested in playing them though, as nearly everything is so in-depth and detailed that you could make a concept out of practically anything. The lore arcs ran for the Tajara have also been really fun, and the few times I got to play as a volunteer let me get a better look at the species and figure out if I actually wanted to play. 

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

The Tajara are a politically divided and volatile species at the moment, with almost all Tajara having some connection to Adhomai and one of the three factions in some way. They've come out of two brutal revolutions, and are very much getting their footing in a massive galaxy all while trying to figure out how the future of their species is going to go. All of this changes even the most simple and basic of characters, as you have to take into account the faction of their homeland as well as their place in the decaying caste system and how it might have them be seen by other tajara and other species. Furthermore, the expectation of character conflict is more evident than ever with tajara as the cold war continues, drawing you into opposition with other characters you may not have met before simply for being opposed to your own faction.

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Character Application

Character Name: Arkadi Malki

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

Arkadi Malki, a Hharar, was born in 2448 along the northern stretch of the Din'akk mountains into one of the many isolated valley villages that dotted its peaks. Born into a family of S'rendarr and Messa worshippers, his birth fell upon an unfortunate date: that of Shi-rra Arr'Kahata, the "Darkest Eclipse" of Adhomai. Rather than simply toss him out into the snows of the valley- a disturbingly common practice for those born on Shi-rra Arr'kahata- his parents found themselves unwilling to abandon their son despite the implications that came with it. They took advantage of the forced isolation that came with the event, hiding him away until the following day's evening before revealing him to the others in the village. Though his birth was celebrated for having missed the accursed date by the rest of the village, his parents could only hope their deception held out.

Arkadi's family were farmers in the valley, who tended to a small crop of Blizzard Ears and Earthen-Root when the weather of the valley permitted it. They helped around the rest of the village when they couldn't, performing odd tasks and jobs to make due until conditions improved to resume farming. Arkadi was quickly brought into this lifestyle by his father Mikhail, who showed him how to work the fields ad caves they grew their crops in. His mother Anastasia, a cook in the tavern within their small village, took to teaching him what she could on cooking whenever his father didn't need help, the boy becoming a common site in the tavern's tiny kitchen and cramped rooms. In the evenings, the pair took to teaching their son on the Twin Suns, regaling him with tales of S'rendarr and Messa while warning him on the dangers of Raskara. The boy found it strange that they always talked about the moon with a strange look between them, speaking in hushed tones and locking the doors before they began.  He had assumed, at the time, that it was simply because they didn't want the others to hear if they came by- they weren't supposed to mention it after all.

However, as Arkadi began to grow older, it became apparent that something was off with him. There would be moments where he would suddenly drift off mid-sentence, staring off to the side without a word before his senses came back to him all at once. It had seemed like nothing at first, and his parents were quick to dismiss it as just that and continue on with their lives. Yet as it began to happen more and more frequently, Mikhail and Anastasia were forced to confront the fact that something was wrong with their son. And thought they had tried not to think on it since it had happened, the chance that the circumstances of his birth affected him seemed to be more and more likely. 

Thus, as the second revolution raged on in the rest of the world and the rebellion turned to war, Arkadi's parents sat him down one night and told him of how he had come into the world, and what that might mean for him. Throughout it all, they assured him of two things. The first: That they would not abandon him despite whatever might happen. The second: He wasn't to tell anyone of his birth, and that he must try and hide whatever was happening to him the best he could from the rest of the village. Though they were unsure of what he was truly experiencing, and could not say with certainty that it held relation to Raskara, they were not so certain that the rest of the village would be so accommodating.

The life he knew changed after that night. Though he still worked with his father and mother in the day time and went on about the village as nothing was wrong, the nights changed. The lighthearted tales of the twin suns turned into intensive sermons and prayers. He would spend whatever moments he had of free time in reflection and reverence, ever-growing fears in his chest of what he might be. And as he grew into his teens and began to work more around the village as a helping hand, this only grew. The Second Revolution came and went outside of Din'akk, their homes now under the authority of the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai and their mountains now under the watchful gaze of Alexeii K'marr, yet Arkadi found himself fighting a war only he could.

It was one that raged in the freezing cold of the night, when his parents had long since fallen asleep and he only had himself, the lantern by his bed and his own mind to occupy him as he tried to fall asleep. The shadows that crawled at the edges of the room seemed to grow longer with each passing night, and his dreams morphed with them. Whispered words of something truly wrong spoke to him in hushed tones, telling him of what he could be- what he could have- if only he did not cling to the Suns as a lost child would. Of his destiny, a path through the snow lit by the moonlight, if he only dared step upon it. He awoke in sweats each time, murmuring prayer and asking for salvation that could only be found in the Suns' grace.

But life went on all the same. Their farm grew with time, Arkadi now able to help his father more as he grew closer and closer to being an adult. He helped cook and serve alongside his mother in the tavern when he could, amongst other mundane tasks throughout the village. The strange pauses and drifts that he once felt as a child began to grow easier to control and hide, a vague feeling of unease building in him each time before they struck. And despite his fears and the struggle he felt inside, things were going well. Perhaps he had been worrying over nothing.

Then, on the 3rd of December, 2465, the Liberation Army marched into the Din'akk mountains. They were in pursuit of a "corporate" ship, they had told them all as the soldiers went through. One that had deigned to trick them and tried to steal from the mountains, and who needed to be dealt with. The arrival of the army, and the news that spread of the destruction left by the intruders shocked the whole village, Arkadi and his family included. Who were these people, who thought themselves welcome to loot and pillage the homes of their neighbors and friends in the search of who knows what? Who were these outsiders to take what did not belong to them?! Though the village had never been friendly to those outside of the mountains, they had never taken to truly denying those who had come in the past. Yet that changed, and with it, the village did too.

Almost a year passed as the village became more hostile, more paranoid in the aftermath of the corporate incursion. While it had never been a truly warm place before, it seemed the kindness and trust that many afforded each other had faded into a cool neutrality. His parents grew worried as the mood of the town seemed to affect Arkadi as well, whose pauses and moments of absence seemed to become more prevalent again- enough to be noticed by some in the village. The whispers that spread after seemed to create a distance between Arkadi and the rest of the village- one he struggled to understand. Had he not been here his whole life, trying to do right by them? Had he not grown up alongside the very same people that now looked him strangely, and whispered when they didn't think he could hear them?

This growing distance, and soon, mistrust, all came to a head when news reached the valley that Shi-rra Arr'Kahata- the same eclipse that he had been born under, and one that had happened again back in his childhood, was due to happen early. The village had been in an uproar at first as the news was revealed, yet as the date approached, it only grew quieter. People prepared in grim anticipation, houses boarded and readied to be blocked. His own family stowed away into their home as the night before the day came, the hours spent praying and hoping that nothing would happen. That their house would not be visited by misfortune. 

The next morning, Arkadi awoke to his room black as pitch, and his mind racing. He had not dreamed, yet as he stared into the shadows that invaded his room and lit his lantern, he could still hear whispers. A tainted voice, talking as if right in his ear, of what could be. Of what should be. If only he would give in, and step outside.

The Hharar still wasn't sure what had happened, the rest of that accursed day. It all went by in a blur, spent in frantic prayers murmured under his breath and screamed calls for something to help into his pillow as the shadows around him roiled and writhed with him. He couldn't tell if it was merely in his head, or if he was truly beneath the gaze of the moon- but he didn't care. He didn't want to find out. He just wanted it to be over. 

Shi-rra Arr'Kahata passed, and the next day came. Yet his nightmare was not quite over, as he awoke to his parents practically bursting into his room with empty bags and panicked expressions. Though the day before had passed in a haze for him, it had continued without incident for everyone else- and someone had either heard of seen him. Even as his parents urged him to throw what possessions he could into the bags and leave the village, rumor spread around the village. Rumors that he had been touched by Raskara, and that its voice spoke to him during the eclipse. That he was lost, and needed to be dealt with before he did something to someone.

Thus, in the early morning hours of the 1st of November, under the nearly-pitch black shadows cast by the Din'akk, Arkadi Malki was hoisted up onto a Zhsram with what little he could pack and told to make for Dolor, outside of the valley he had known for all his life. And with the rest of the village waking up, and word spreading fast, there was only time for a quick goodbye and one final prayer together.

Thus did he ride alone, through the frigid cold of the early morning on unfamiliar paths and an unfamiliar beast, towards the city of Dolor. Though luck had favored him in the city only being a (relatively) short ride from the range once he managed to get down the paths and through the forests, he still found himself riding into the industrialized city of Dolor with only what few belongings he had been able to pack and a some spare cash to his name.

He found himself unsure of how to proceed, alone in an unfamiliar and massive city that bustled with peoples unfamiliar to him and culture foreign to him. Dressed in furs and leathers where all others wore factory-woven jumpsuits, he stood out like a fish out of water. His first few months were spent trying to get his footing in the city- each day seemingly bringing new discoveries and encounters for the Din'akk Hharar, for better or for worse. Used to the farmwork of his home, he found himself out of place in the factories and production centers that littered the city. He was able to find work quickly however as a laborer, using the strength he had built up over the years to proper purpose to earn some quick pay and secure a room and board before his funds ran out. 

As the months went on and the new year rolled in, he found himself unsure of what to do next. And then, as he was departing from yet another job in the late hours of one evening, he found himself approached by a man coated in green and orange- one that had an offer for him. He had been watching Arkadi for some time now, and had found him to be a hard worker. One that their "family" would be happy to welcome as more than a simple laborer, if he was willing to take a chance. He had told the man that he would need time to think about it, and he was handed a card. One for a Nikolai Arssika...

...of Hephtaestus Industries.

He came to his decision the very next morning. He had no steady job as of right now, and this was not home. He could not rely on the generosity that did not exist in the strangers he knew here, and working whatever work he managed to scrounge together was only going to get him so far. And though he had been hesitant to approach others in the establishment he had found a bed in, the few he did reach out to had only told him good things. "Hephtaestus will get him far," "Hephtaestus is where you want to be," "Hephtaestus was his family when no one else bothered,"...

He left the building to find the man already outside, a smirk on his muzzle. And with a quiet exchange of words, he was led downtown to someplace new.

The months passed in a blur. He found himself learning of what he would be doing amongst not just Tajara, but... others as well. He had known about aliens for some time- even those in Din'akk had heard about them- but he found himself taught by a human instructor on how to speak Basic, what Hephtaestus was all about, what he would be expected to do... and more. He learned quickly of the wider world beyond Adhomai, and the reach that Hephtaestus had on it. Of the Chainlink, and of the place he was soon to be assigned to.

The SCCV Horizon. Flagship of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate... and the very same ship that had intruded on Din'akk only a scant year and a half before.

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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.  

While the major events such as the Scarcity, Collapse or Invasions haven't had much effect on his life, the direct involvement of the Horizon within the Cold Dawn arc in the Din'akk mountains proved an active catalyst to shifting his life from that of a farmer's son to a tajara forced out into the wider stars. It served to created the conditions in his village that would lead to his hurried expulsion after the unexpected eclipse. It has also shaped much of his mindset in recent years, turning him into a much more nervous and unsure man compared to what he might have been.

How does your character view the megacorporation they work for?

Hephaestus came and offered him a place when he was lost and unsure of where to proceed next. And although the shock of everything he has learned- about both his new job, his employer, and the wider spur- has left him unbalanced, he finds himself grateful to Hephaestus for what they offer. Even in the short time he has been with the company, the welcome he has been shown by his coworkers, tajara or otherwise, have served to help cheer his spirits after his sudden departure from home and his village. He holds the corporation in high regard as a result, though he does worry that things might not hold up given time. After all, things changed so violently for him so quickly not too long ago- it might happen again. He can't be sure.

[FlamingLily]

Unquestionable, huge +1 from me.

Frankly, I think the quality of this application alone should be enough to justify the +1. The writing quality is fantastic, gripping, and the way Venty uses a combo of Tajara lore and more recent server events lore is so good and a fantastic display of the attention to detail that makes their characters so good.

But of course, I have more to say. Ririlsk's long term redemption story is a fantastic character arc, and I've personally had fantastic RP with him throughout my time on the server. I haven't had as much with Andre or Kassid, but even what small moments I catch in the background or offhandedly, they seem as alive and real of characters as they can be. I'm not even sure how old of a character Kassid is, I only started seeing them recently but they have such a clear personality to them that they could have been around for years for all I know.

Or to put it plainly. Extremely solid attention to the lore, to detail, and passion for creating these characters, and fantastic ability to portray them to a fantastic depth. Absolutely someone who will use the whitelist well.

[CatsinHD]

Thank you for applying! Your character has a very detailed and enticing backstory, however I have a few questions and/or comments.

1. How did the Second Revolution affect Arkadi and/or his family?

2. How does Arkadi view the DPRA/ALA? What ideology does he subscribe to?

3. What is Arkadi's opinion of K'marr and his control of the Din'akk region?

5 hours ago, Venty said:

One for a Nikolai Arssika...

...of Hephtaestus Industries

4. This paragraph implies that Hephaestus Industries has a presence in Dolor, located in the ALA. The DPRA/ALA is staunchly against megacorporations outside of Crevus. Feel free to correct me if I misread the backstory, or rewrite as needed. Questions are welcome.

[Rookie Eyes]

+1 I'm going to largely echo what Lily posted, but the quality of the application is a massive +1. The exploration of how a culture such as rural tajara may interpret what we would understand as more mundane medical conditions today, the reference to a recent lore arc and how it looked from the eyes of a younger tajara, and the fact that I have found Kai, Andre, and Rozul to easily leave lasting impressions on my characters in the past after even a single encounter give me confidence that Venty will bring that same quality to any Tajaran character he makes. I'm already excited to see this character, or any other they decide to create, aboard the ship. 

[Venty]

1 hour ago, CatsinHD said:

Thank you for applying! Your character has a very detailed and enticing backstory, however I have a few questions and/or comments.

1. How did the Second Revolution affect Arkadi and/or his family?

2. How does Arkadi view the DPRA/ALA? What ideology does he subscribe to?

3. What is Arkadi's opinion of K'marr and his control of the Din'akk region?

4. This paragraph implies that Hephaestus Industries has a presence in Dolor, located in the ALA. The DPRA/ALA is staunchly against megacorporations outside of Crevus. Feel free to correct me if I misread the backstory, or rewrite as needed. Questions are welcome.

Thanks! Would you believe me if the intent was to only have it be around 5-8 paragraphs at first? The first draft was a lot smaller, but I just couldn't help myself.

1. While their home in Din'akk lended itself towards and isolation from the larger conflict, the Second Revolution arguably affected his family in the way of preserving their lifestyle, as well as providing Arkadi a way to eventually make his way off-world with the sudden departure he was forced to undertake. Though the PRA was hands-off to the region, that was not always going to be the case if they were allowed to continue their hold on the region. The DPRA/ALA ensured that their region remained as they liked it. Their control of Dolor, as well as the Free City of Crevus (see 4. below), would also eventually help Arkadi get off-world.

2. The Din'akk Mountains have been under two rules in Arkadi's lifetime: the PRA, and the ALA/DPRA. The PRA made little attempts to interfere with their lives during their presence, and the DPRA has actively continued that even further and allowed them to live as they please. As such, Arkadi has a supportive view of the DPRA. His time in Dolor following his forced departure has also lended him towards supporting the DPRA, as the industrial nature of the city- though foreign to him- has proved fascinating. His time in Dolor and his general life experience lends him towards Moderate Al'mariism, though he would certainly be fine with keeping the current Junta that watches over Din'akk.

3. Like most of the residents of Din'akk, Arkadi finds no particular problem with K'marr as the leader of their region. He leaves them alone and allows them to live their lives, and they leave him to do as he pleases in the quieter regions of DIn'akk. Though he no longer lives there, and has had time to learn more about K'marr, that has not changed his opinion in the slightest.

4. One of the struggles I found when I was working on this character's backstory was this: how do I get this Din'akk runaway from the DPRA out into the corporations, considering the state that forced him out of Din'akk to begin with? My reasoning for this sentence is that I honestly needed an excuse to get him off-planet, and I felt the corporations worked best. I unfortunately managed to miss that part of the DPRA's lore, but I believe I can work it in through the modification that Arssika was merely a recruiter that worked on-the-low in Dolor, finding promising individuals and working on getting them transport over to Crevus to be properly trained and hired, rather than someone who recruited for an active Hephaestus presence in Dolor. I'm not against making more drastic changes if that doesn't work, but any advice on the subject would be helpful. I am working with a character that doesn't exactly have the funds or means to make it to Crevus himself at that moment in time.

[4000daniel1]

Mostly gonna be repeating what's already been said here but Venty's always struck me as someone who put a lot of effort into their characters and their roleplay in general. Ririlsk, along with being a lot of fun to roleplay with, is a clear example of Venty's meticulosity and I've witnessed first hand how his intricate arcs affects him as a character. Even down to the small details like what sort of clothes he's able to afford.

It's also clear Venty has gone the extra mile here with researching Tajara lore and integrating it into Arkadi.  Big +1 from me. 

[Nagito Komaeda]

Venty 100% deserves a green +1 for this application. Ririlsk in particular is an excellent example of how an individual character can develop its own story in a greater design, while still feeling realistic and relatable, even. Venty takes great care in deciding on the big and small of a character; from the grand, character-defining events to the minute details. Their passion for telling a story has an infectious property to it; again, relating it to Ririlsk's story, a Guwan who defies 'stereotyping' of the name, who then redeems himself in a way that intertwines them with other players? I could a HUNDRED percent see other people be inspired by that, and thusly decide they too want to be a lizard.

Giving them this whitelist will allow Venty to tell a new story, and Tajarans have plenty of depth to them that Venty will be able to use. I firmly believe that approving Venty's whitelist will make other players be more interested in the species, by and large thanks to his own ability to draw players in.