Thundy's Skrell Application

[Thundy]

BYOND Key: Thundy

Character Names: Charlie Dove, Fel'siti Rummka'nen, Khaw Elsani, Ka'viax'lor Zo'ra etc

Species you are applying to play: Skrell

What color do you plan on making your first alien character (Dionaea & IPCs exempt): Blue

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Mhm!

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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 specific race:

Since I learned of the Skrell having a normally complete distaste for humans researching AI, I have had this idea. A skrell who understands and knows the history of his people and yet has no care for it. When I've seen skrell played in the past, I've been impressed by how like humans they are and yet there is something almost...sinister(?) about them. They are adorable squishy smart people who carry around a knowledge that most can only guess at and that is exciting to me.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:

They are squishy, different coloured, tenticle-faced non-sexual creatures with high intellects, long lifespans and a wonderfully exciting history.

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Character Name: Ahkun Chiran

Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs

PLEASE NOTE: This is part of an overarching story I am creating and as such I have put the background into the spoiler of both of my applications to save time.

 

TLDR: Jaquill00X92 was build in a long past era, when the Skrell still put effort into their AI research. After the outlaw of this practice, a group of four Skrell scientists, all of whom had been working on the Jaquill project since its birth years before, decided to hide the AI in four parts, dispersing them across the known space. The knowledge of this action was passed down the generations from father to son until, one day, it was discovered by a human. Whether by accident or not, a Skrell named Ahkun Chiran let it slip to Charlie Dove about the shards with the knowledge passed down to him. Immediately hopeful to discover it, Charlie set out to the three places she had learned were the last known locations of the shards: On Moghes with the known gangster Khaw Elsani, on Ahdomai in the possession of Houssam Jawdat and at the Godswood residence with Esa Godswood. After precurring them through bribery and theft, Charlie gathered the shards together and set Ahkun to research them at length. There was just one problem: the last shard was on a NanoTransen station!

Seeing that the AI would not be whole without the last shard, Charlie, after failing to get it on diplomatic means, hired a team of mercenaries to break in and steal it. The mission, for unknown reasons, was a terrible failure. The mercenaries were captured and told their captors of the project and Charlie was arrested and all of her research confiscated. NT took control of the project with Ahkun head of the research team. Ahkun was hired to place the shards into separate IPC units which he was hired to observe whist they worked aboard the station.

 

Ahkun had always been smart. Far smarter then any human he'd ever met and a great deal of Skrell too. When he began planning his ascension to power, thought of all the Skrell that had been lost to the catastrophies, all the lives that were cut short, of the knowledge his father had passed to him...and he felt nothing.

When Charlie was captured, Ahkun said for her to at least keep her job, though he arranged for her to be loyalty and tracking implanted and all the research to be take away from her clumsy human hands. NanoTransen had taken the bait when he told them that he would help them make money with the AI. Idiots, every one of them. He'd string out his "research" of the AI as long as he could. Just long enough to pass it on to someone else and keep the credit. They seemed to have no idea that if the shards were combined they would create one of the most powerful AI's in existence. Whatever. He didn't care.

His time on this human station would be short. He'd rise to the top of the human world and keep going. He'd be the smartest person in the galaxy and everyone would see that.

What do you like about this character?

I actually think he is a pompus douche, which is fantastic. He's a scienctist and I like those and he doesnt actually care about anyone else. Like, at all. For science.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? mehhhhh

 

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Notes:

[Owen]

Thundy is a very good roleplayer from what I can tell. I mostly have only interacted with Charlie Dove but, I think that they would be good with a Skrell whitelist. The application looks good as well. +1 from me

[Blingx3]

I'd be very intrested to see how this works out between the characters she created, she is a fine roleplayer. has me sport +2

she also drags around runtime, but that's none of my buesineessss

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

You have a lot of thought and investment put in this application but there are several issues that it needs to have addressed. The first thing is only partially related - did you talk to the players of the character's that you've name dropped in the application? Houssam Jawdat doesn't do anything with AI's, nor does he live on Adhomai.

Making your example Skrell one that hates the Skrell culture and species is very brave. I am always interested in seeing how players subvert the tropes but it can be hard because you need to understand the species so you know how to subvert it. I'm not really seeing that here.

When exactly did Jaquill00X92 come into existence? Once Glorsh became Glorsh-Omega, literally all AI's and machines that existed in/around the Skrell came under his control and became part of him. Literally all AI's became Glorsh-Omega, and after he died AI research was universally banned and any research into it ruthlessly dismantled. Why is Ahkun so determined to keep Jaquill alive, despite the very real atrocities he's seen committed by Glorsh-Omega if they're old enough?

 

There was just one problem: the last shard was on a NanoTransen station!

Seeing that the AI would not be whole without the last shard, Charlie, after failing to get it on diplomatic means, hired a team of mercenaries to break in and steal it. The mission, for unknown reasons, was a terrible failure. The mercenaries were captured and told their captors of the project and Charlie was arrested and all of her research confiscated.

 

???? You canonized a mercenary round for yourself? I don't think I can give a pass on a character gaining his position by having another one of your character's thrown in prison for hiring mercenaries to attack Nanotrasen.

 

When he began planning his ascension to power, thought of all the Skrell that had been lost to the catastrophies, all the lives that were cut short, of the knowledge his father had passed to him...and he felt nothing.

Why not? If he's old enough (his age isn't included) he was either sterilized at birth or sterilized early in his life by a genetic virus from this AI. Why doesn't he feel anything about this or the research of his father? It's also inconsistent - if he's passionate about the research how can he feel nothing? Passion is a feeling. I believe that this is an inconsistent part of the character.

 

NanoTransen had taken the bait when he told them that he would help them make money with the AI. Idiots, every one of them.

This is also a difficulty. You can't have an assault team orchestrated to attack NT and then fool NT into handing over AI research. This is a bit much and is far inconsistent with how our characters are expected to get their jobs - Akhet is basically a canonized antagonist, and that's something I can't really stamp off on. His methods really need to be toned down.

 

They seemed to have no idea that if the shards were combined they would create one of the most powerful AI's in existence. Whatever. He didn't care.

If he doesn't care why is he doing it? Proving that he's the smartest isn't itself something I can really see justifying this sociopath's behavior as being an acceptable subversion of the standard Skrell. You could say that he's arrogant enough to assume that he can control an AI allegedly more smart and powerful than Glorsh-Omega ever was(would it be? that's not clear) but that's not outlined anywhere.

 

I actually think he is a pompus douche, which is fantastic. He's a scienctist and I like those and he doesnt actually care about anyone else. Like, at all. For science.

 

This isn't an indicator that you understand the Skrell species or have the right spirit to play them. These sort of characters are pervasive and not an indicator of good intentions.

In all, I can't say that I'm satisfied with this application and I'm going to give it a denial. Please feel free to reapply after addressing the concerns and issues I've outlined.