Carver - Vaurca Lore Writer Application

[Carver]

CKEY & Discord Username: 
GMR25 / realmcode

Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?
Yes.

Past Experiences/Knowledge:
My present experience comes from the rather tumultuous five and a half months since I'd been made aware of my predecessor's plans to resign on the 18th of February. In addition, there are the listed examples on my prior deputy application.

Examples of Past Work (if any):
Psychopompós, a minor K'laxan event written for Fyni back in March.
Everything else would unfortunately be a spoiler for planned lore developments, but you may reach out to me in private or on the staffcord.

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1. Do you have a long-term vision for Vaurca Lore going forward into Anabasis?
Adaptation, integration, independence. At the risk of seeming vague in avoiding spoilers, these are amongst the pillars that have formed the structural foundations of how I had planned to write them into Anabasis. They must be on the level of their peers, interacting with the wider Spur around them rather than inwardly focused on their own problems (lest we have another War in Heaven).

Of foremost importance is that they should never be above working with the Blood Diamond (or whatever the vessel might be named), at least not without a truly concerning and lengthy series of ill-advised choices from the crew. If they are too much to be interacted with; whether it be in their contracts, their manners or even their mere equipment then I have erred terribly.

2. How would you describe the themes and overarching tone of Vaurca? What makes the species and its history appeal to you?
A species that, no matter their ambitions, will never be able to reach the height of what they once were. In spite of it they continue to adapt, even if it is often at odds with their rigid adherence to ancient structures and traditions. Their greatest bane is the immortal ego and a wholly inhuman detachment from the corporeal world.

The appeal to me lays in their uniquely analytical, pragmatic approach to any and all problems around them. Imagining how much they could accomplish, if only their aforementioned ego and detachment would allow them to. Vaurca are a species of theoreticals, what ifs, where the seemingly infinite wisdom of the Queens is in their creeping determinism.

3. How do you see the Hives addressing the irreversible loss of phoron-based technology in the future, particularly with the Hivenet relying upon bluespace technology?
It is important that I address the Hivenet first, as it cannot and should not ever become as potent as it presently is. Many of the heights of Vaurcaesian technology delve into what amounts to science fantasy, leaving the species at odds with the more grounded direction of Anabasis.

To spare as many spoilers as possible I will keep this brief. The Hives' answer to their lost technology is a matter that should be addressed on an individual level, whether it may be the development of subpar and highly experimental imitations of what was lost to them utilizing alternative materials or in approaching the issue by falling back into what is known, reliable and feasible. Which path is taken would be dictated by a multitude of factors: ego, ideology, position. It is more than possible for them to not only survive after losing so much, but to maintain a distinct identity in spite of it as they have done before.

4. Is there anything regarding Vaurca lore that you'd really like to remove or heavily rework, but it's so ingrained in the lore to the point where it'd be challenging to do in a way that's satisfactory? 
Plainly, their biological reliance upon Phoron. I could not possibly imagine a more encumbering obstacle to write around as the direction of the wider setting has veered toward the phoron scarcity. I have rewritten this sentence so very many times expressing all manner of frustrations toward not only this, but a myriad of orbiting articles and minor details from the past ten years that render it next to impossible to solve. We are ten years too late to change this, unfortunately.

5. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses in regards to both management and teamwork?
Over the past five months I have learned that I bear a love of organization, perhaps to a somewhat stifling degree. I would seek to maintain this going forward, keeping everything neat and accessible for anyone on the team or outside of it (and within the staff).

Conversely, I have realized that I can be far too patient when it is necessary to push matters forward. For the sake of professionalism (and spoilers) I will not go into detail on this here unless desired, given that prior examples are wholly internal. On occasion I can also seem stubborn, though I attempt to do my very best to listen despite this.

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Additional Comments:
I remembered this section of the base format! 

Humour aside, I wish to build a foundation for Vaurca Lore development going forward that will prevent any successor from being as thoroughly overwhelmed as I have been this year. The ambitions and inaction of my predecessors has nearly buried me alive and I would not wish to consign anyone else to this fate, should I be given the opportunity to prevent it.

Furthermore, I am aware that this application may seem rather discordant, but I felt that going with my immediate thoughts would be the most honest path rather than endlessly refining a draft in needless perfectionism. I could no doubt forsake any brevity and pad my responses further if desired, but I choose to leave it to anyone who wishes to ask me more questions.

[Lordnesh]

As probably the single most consistent Vaurca player at the moment Carver has my full support. While our most recent writer basically abandoned Vaurca lore after introducing a minor queenless faction, that are basically just Jawas, Carver has been working to ensure that Vaurca remain relevant. I genuinely cannot think of anyone more suited to the role of Vaurca Lore Writer. His passion for Vaurca lore is unquestionable, and I can only see us doing far better than we have been recently with him at the helm.

[Carver]

Due to reasons of personal health in tandem with my growing inactivity, I’m going to retract this application. Thank you for your time spent reading this. To whomever comes next, always trust your gut instinct.