[Accepted]Resilynn's Skrell Application

[Resilynn]

BYOND Key: Resilynn

Character Names: Ellie Shoshanna, Fernando Gonzales, Rose Jennson

Species you are applying to play: Skrell

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

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: 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 specific race: I wasn't interested in playing this race until I had my idea for this character. I am, however, interested in Skrell lore and have been reading it for a couple of months. I am interested in challenging myself to RP an alien species (I already have an awful lot of fun with IPCs).

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Skrell are not human. There is no reason why their mannerisms and social habits should resemble humans. I know that generally, Skrell come across as aloof and unsocial (which is, of course, not true of their actual nature, it is a gap in communication). They seem calmer, more rational, slower to react, and inquisitive.

Character Name: Quilp'vlomn Nblek

Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs: Quilp'vlomn was born in 2413, the same year that the Skrell and Humanity first encountered one another. The son of two civil Engineers tasked with maintaining a small waystation, Quilp'vlomn was born in the Traverse. His family are followers of the Qeblak faith, and Quilp'vlomn has followed suit.

Human radio first started reaching Quilp'vlomn's home on the frontier when he was a child, and he has come to believe that the location and time of his birth is no coincidence, that it is his fate, destined by the stars, to help foster communication between the Skrell and Humanity. For this reason, he has spent much of his short life studying human communication, and has begun work as a journalist. He wishes to find a way to properly translate infotainment to humans, and hopes to work towards dismissing the idea that the Skrell are humorless and stoic. He has studied the range of human vocal and facial expression, though he has by no means mastered it.

Still young, Quilp'Vlomn returns home frequently, as he is very close with his parents. He is perhaps a little too confident of his skills relating to and understanding human interaction, and he can come across as overly inquisitive and somewhat awkward. Like many Skrell, he has taken a liking to some facets of human culture and media. He likes Classical music, but his current favorite thing is Elvis (who you can hear on the radio these days, since his area of the Traverse is approximately 400 LY away from Earth).

What do you like about this character? I've been trying to think up an excuse to make a journalist that isn't a meme for ages now, and I think Quilp'vlomn will allow me to do just that. I really enjoy trying to play the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between species. Moreover, I am excited to delve into the realm of Skrellian lore.

I like that Quilp'vlomn is optimistic and perhaps a bit naïve, but truly well meaning and intelligent. I am also excited to play a character getting to know the station and its crew for the first time again.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? These days, either an 8 or 9 out of 10. I've really improved as time has gone on, though I am still prone to having bad days. I think I have proven that I can handle my other whitelists, command and IPCs, responsibly. Lore is important to me, and I am always trying to work it into whatever I am doing with each character. I put character work far, far above 'winning' the game.

Notes: Nothing I can think of to put here for now.

[Tequilajoe]

As a recent but die-hard Ellie fan, I support Resilynn's claim to squiddom. They display a competent understanding of lore and their RP is top notch. I don't have any concerns with this application, it looks fine to me. +1

[Doc]

I have no reason to doubt Resilynns ability to play a Skrell character, given I have always had pleasant role-playing experiences with them in the past, and their character is well-developed and unique in their application. The affinity of Skrell toward human culture is a facet that has been frequently mentioned in the news and elsewhere, but something I rarely see depicted on the station, and I believe it would provide interesting and entertaining interactions for Resilynn and others to explore through this character and their whitelist.

[kyres1]

Shoshanna and Gonzales are the only characters of Resilynn's that I think I've met but every experience with them thus far has been unique and excellent. I've never seen characters like the two and the things they contribute as a player have definitely made them deserving of this in my opinion.

+1 from me.

[Synnono]

Resilynn's characters have personality in spades, and generally they make the effort to encourage fun rounds when I'm on board with them. I'd enjoy seeing how the player adapts to the squid life, and I particularly appreciate the concept of a Skrell taking it upon himself to be a cultural ambassador by way of the media. It feels a little less dry than the medical/science/command roles that seem more common for the species, and (potentially) creates someone approachable and optimistic to contrast some of the darker spots of the species' history.

[mention]Resilynn[/mention], Why did Quilp'vlomn end up here? Presumably there are better places to do this work, and while it's always a struggle to justify the journalist role on a edge-of-system research station, is there anything that appealed to him specifically about NanoTrasen, the Aurora, or Tau Ceti?

[Eve]

Resi is precious, we need more of Resi.

I don't really know the lore behind Skrell, so I'd rather not comment on the part of their character, however-

I adore the way Resi plays their characters. Their RP is amazing and they are pretty set about the abilities, strengths and weaknesses of their characters. It's always a pleasure to interact with their characters. Has my full support.

+1

[Resilynn]

His parents are mostly labor workers, basically running the equivalent of a gas station in the middle of nowhere. He does not come from a scientific background. NT is a great opportunity: a human company (yay) that will hire Skrell, AND they have a position for journalists. Most likely, they are the best human employer he has access to, coming from one of those rare and under appreciated laboring families.

 

Resilynn's characters have personality in spades, and generally they make the effort to encourage fun rounds when I'm on board with them. I'd enjoy seeing how the player adapts to the squid life, and I particularly appreciate the concept of a Skrell taking it upon himself to be a cultural ambassador by way of the media. It feels a little less dry than the medical/science/command roles that seem more common for the species, and (potentially) creates someone approachable and optimistic to contrast some of the darker spots of the species' history.

@Resilynn, Why did Quilp'vlomn end up here? Presumably there are better places to do this work, and while it's always a struggle to justify the journalist role on a edge-of-system research station, is there anything that appealed to him specifically about NanoTrasen, the Aurora, or Tau Ceti?

[JKJudgeX]

Ellie and Fernando are easily two of the most interesting command-level characters on the station, and this application is well-written. I'm no expert with Skrell lore, but I have no doubt that this player will handle it with respect and produce excellent RP with this and any other Skrell character they choose to make, improving the overall quality of the species as represented on the Aurora.

+9. Can I do +9? *reads a note* no? Oh. +1 then (but really +9) .

[Loow]

Hey there. Loow here.

Reading and observing this application has been a fun process, but the time has come to actually share some thoughts on it.

BYOND Key: Resilynn

Character Names: Ellie Shoshanna, Fernando Gonzales, Rose Jennson

Species you are applying to play: Skrell

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

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: 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 specific race: I wasn't interested in playing this race until I had my idea for this character. I am, however, interested in Skrell lore and have been reading it for a couple of months. I am interested in challenging myself to RP an alien species (I already have an awful lot of fun with IPCs).

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Skrell are not human. There is no reason why their mannerisms and social habits should resemble humans. I know that generally, Skrell come across as aloof and unsocial (which is, of course, not true of their actual nature, it is a gap in communication). They seem calmer, more rational, slower to react, and inquisitive.

Character Name: Quilp'vlomn Nblek

Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs: Quilp'vlomn was born in 2413, the same year that the Skrell and Humanity first encountered one another. The son of two civil Engineers tasked with maintaining a small waystation, Quilp'vlomn was born in the Traverse. His family are followers of the Qeblak faith, and Quilp'vlomn has followed suit.

Human radio first started reaching Quilp'vlomn's home on the frontier when he was a child, and he has come to believe that the location and time of his birth is no coincidence, that it is his fate, destined by the stars, to help foster communication between the Skrell and Humanity. For this reason, he has spent much of his short life studying human communication, and has begun work as a journalist. He wishes to find a way to properly translate infotainment to humans, and hopes to work towards dismissing the idea that the Skrell are humorless and stoic. He has studied the range of human vocal and facial expression, though he has by no means mastered it.

Still young, Quilp'Vlomn returns home frequently, as he is very close with his parents. He is perhaps a little too confident of his skills relating to and understanding human interaction, and he can come across as overly inquisitive and somewhat awkward. Like many Skrell, he has taken a liking to some facets of human culture and media. He likes Classical music, but his current favorite thing is Elvis (who you can hear on the radio these days, since his area of the Traverse is approximately 400 LY away from Earth).

What do you like about this character? I've been trying to think up an excuse to make a journalist that isn't a meme for ages now, and I think Quilp'vlomn will allow me to do just that. I really enjoy trying to play the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between species. Moreover, I am excited to delve into the realm of Skrellian lore.

I like that Quilp'vlomn is optimistic and perhaps a bit naïve, but truly well meaning and intelligent. I am also excited to play a character getting to know the station and its crew for the first time again.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? These days, either an 8 or 9 out of 10. I've really improved as time has gone on, though I am still prone to having bad days. I think I have proven that I can handle my other whitelists, command and IPCs, responsibly. Lore is important to me, and I am always trying to work it into whatever I am doing with each character. I put character work far, far above 'winning' the game.

Notes: Nothing I can think of to put here for now.

 

The biography manages to fit quite a bit into a few paragraphs. I'm very happy to see that the Traverse making an appearance in an application. What's more, the design seems to flow well with the Traverse as a detail. The character design seems to do what it intends to do.

"He likes Classical music, but his current favorite thing is Elvis (who you can hear on the radio these days, since his area of the Traverse is approximately 400 LY away from Earth)."

That's a very fun fact. Just a small detail that helps make the character feel more "alive" to readers. I'd like to mention that you don't necessarily need to rely too much on the timing of radio waves across space. It's a fun element, and I wouldn't dare break your heart by calling it scientifically unfeasible, but know that Quilp'vlomn could also have physical copies of the music. Or at least. Digital.

I've seen this applicant in action, but it's reassuring to see that a good amount of players voiced their approval. The player's previous rp and characters, at the very least, don't seem to be a negative aspect in this case. That said, I'd like to take this moment to tell any readers that they are more than welcome to offer constructive criticism.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank those who shared their opinions and questions on the character design. Even just a few sentences are much more helpful than a "blank +1", and I see quite a bit of useful feedback here.

That said, the application is not locked or processed yet. Further feedback and discussion can only help.

[mention]Resilynn[/mention], let me give you a few questions and comments. Feel free to offer short responses or long ones.

"Moreover, I am excited to delve into the realm of Skrellian lore."

What themes from the Skrell lore (so far) do you enjoy seeing or reading about? What would you personally enjoy reading more about in future wiki-updates or articles?

"I really enjoy trying to play the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between species."

Speaking of subtle and not-so-subtle, consider how your character would speak. You don't have to type a response to this comment, but just think about how you might type in Nral'Malic versus Tau Ceti Basic. I, personally, love speaking a lot of TCB with my Skrell, and occasionally enjoy cathartic, flowery language in "Skrellian" dialogue. It's up to you how you want to play it, but know that the Skrell language gives you the opportunity to experiment with your character's personality just as well as Basic does.

The only thing that annoys me about Skrell language, is when people speak in it like any other language or use it to avoid interacting with other characters.

Food for thought.

"I put character work far, far above 'winning' the game."

This shows a certain attitude which, unsurprisingly, I appreciate. If your app were to be accepted, I'd hope you would enjoy the process of fleshing out your characters and interacting with the people of the station.

"I've been trying to think up an excuse to make a journalist that isn't a meme for ages now, and I think Quilp'vlomn will allow me to do just that."

You've really put some thought into the process of making a journalist character, and it seems like you'd enjoy playing him. Still, I'd like to ask something. You tend to play heads-of-staff, and I imagine this would eventually mean playing a Skrell head-of-staff at some point. Do you intend to do this immediately? Some applicants feel obligated to apply with a non-head at the risk of seeming too ambitious, ignoring their /real/ interest in a head of staff character and instead making up some other idea.

I'd like to know if Quilp'vlomn is, at least for the moment, your primary character-of-interest as far as Skrell are concerned.

Resilynn, you've made a few nods, used a few themes, and done other things in your application which I appreciate. I could go on, but I think I've given you enough to think on for the moment.

[Resilynn]

[mention]Loow[/mention] , here are my answers to your questions (I'm on a phone, so I really can't bother with formatting if I quote your whole post, I hope that's okay).

What themes from the Skrell lore (so far) do you enjoy seeing or reading about? What would you personally enjoy reading more about in future wiki-updates or articles?

I had a kick on Skrell religion for a bit, since Fernando, my CMO, was reached out to by a Skrell Chaplain. Also, since I play an IPC, I have, of course, read about the Skrell's history with AI, Glorsh included. These pieces of history and culture fascinate me.

I'm a huge nerd for lore, so it's hard for me to think of what I'd like to know more about without going into a huge tangent. I'd like to know more about their tech, I suppose, and how it differs from human tech. We know the Skrell are more advanced, but we don't know exactly in which fields and exactly how much more advanced they are.

Speaking of subtle and not-so-subtle, consider how your character would speak.

I have a degree in English literature and spent a huuuuge amount of time studying linguistics. This kind of stuff gets me stupidly excited.

You tend to play heads-of-staff, and I imagine this would eventually mean playing a Skrell head-of-staff at some point. Do you intend to do this immediately?

It's true that 2/3 of my regular characters, and the 2 that I play the most, at that, are Heads of Staff. I am not planning on making a Skrell Head of Staff. I don't have a good enough character idea for one. I am invested in the idea of Quilp'Vlomn. That's not to say I won't eventually end up making a command Skrell, but that's not the plan. My IPC is a lowly Forensic Tech and I have no problem playing someone without much authority. I get enough authority/recognition out of Ellie, honestly.

[Muncorn]

I'm always skeptical of apps with the phrase; "I wasn't interested in playing this race until I had my idea for this character"; and having read through the app it's not much qualmed my skepticism. I see your character backstory and see the same problem many people have had in making skrell characters; including myself; in realising that Skrell are very different from humans, and then creating a skrell that's really interested in humans. It's been done in every way possible, and is a logical character to come out of someone new to the species but understanding of good rp and of the species' basic general personality.

As always a somehow manage to keep a negative tone all the way through, and ultimately pointing out the good points would be disingenuous at this point. I like this app, despite what I've said, and I would not want to deny this app just off of those bad notes. What I think would be a good idea is for you to design a second character, or even just a character concept, for a different sort of skrell with little of the character's existence being reliant on humans. I don't care much what it is, I simply want to see if you can do something more than just a single skrell

[Resilynn]

I'm always skeptical of apps with the phrase; "I wasn't interested in playing this race until I had my idea for this character"; and having read through the app it's not much qualmed my skepticism. I see your character backstory and see the same problem many people have had in making skrell characters; including myself; in realising that Skrell are very different from humans, and then creating a skrell that's really interested in humans. It's been done in every way possible, and is a logical character to come out of someone new to the species but understanding of good rp and of the species' basic general personality.

As always a somehow manage to keep a negative tone all the way through, and ultimately pointing out the good points would be disingenuous at this point. I like this app, despite what I've said, and I would not want to deny this app just off of those bad notes. What I think would be a good idea is for you to design a second character, or even just a character concept, for a different sort of skrell with little of the character's existence being reliant on humans. I don't care much what it is, I simply want to see if you can do something more than just a single skrell

 

A doctor born around 2200 on Jargon IV just after Glorshtimes. He's spent his life trying to solve the fertility problem, in large part, because he and his Quualt'Shriapt (also a geneticist trying to solve the problem, and quite a few years older than him) wanted a child. They were never able to have one. He believes too many people glorify and romanticize the sciences-- for him, the sciences are absolutely a necessity but have brought him mostly misery. He was obsessive about his work for many years and failed to pursue other interests in favor of trying to undo that particular facet of Glorsh's damage. And he and his Quualt'Shriapt did succeed in some small way, contributing to the ~33% fertility rate today. Sadly, they still were unable to have their own children, despite a lifelong investment in it.

His Quualt'Shriapt died a few years ago, a slow passing due to old age, and in his mourning he has abandoned his research for a time. He's never not had work to do, so he has taken up a low paying and not very challenging job as a xenobiologist through NanoTrasen to keep himself busy.

--Is an example of another Skrell character idea that I came up with in a few minutes here that has nothing to do with humans.

[Loow]

Applicant has responded well to feedback, shown an understanding of lore, and demonstrated a certain level of passion for his character design. More in depth feedback has already been provided earlier in the thread. I think this application has waited long enough.

Application accepted.

It's time to see how Quilp'vlomn Nblek does on the Aurora.