Tajara Lore Deputy - OPEN

[Mofo1995]

Hello everyone!

After sitting on it for awhile and watching from afar how deputies have served the other lore devs, with mixed results ranging from inactive to quality, I have decided to open Tajara lore deputy applications. But I'm not really interested in seeing a lore developer application. I think, as it currently stands, the lore developer application format mostly works like a whitelist application of sorts, it gives some basics but it can be guessed through somewhat easily. So, although it started out as a joke between friends, I realistically came to one conclusion about an application format which would let me determine an applicants' writing skills, level of interest, understanding, and commitment. An essay. The formatting is that it must be three pages long, 12 pt font, single or double spaced, depending on how much content you want to fit in. Any font type is welcome so long as the essay is in English and is legible (no wingdings, please. Comic sans acceptable if you really have to.)

Prompt: ANYTHING TAJARA LORE RELATED. What do you like about the Tajara and why? Who do you think will win the war and why? What would be something intensive that you would canonize, but would also fit in with the current lore? What do you not like about the lore and why? A news article or arc of news articles. Anything.

Your essay should be coherent and follow one subject the whole way through, don't make it a piecemeal of the suggestions above. This is a test of writing abilities as well as lore understanding. If you decide to pick things you like, circlejerking lists for three pages will be denied. Same with dislike, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the lore which is great enough to be an actual developer for the lore is essential for anyone who would be my deputy, and therefore, possible replacement if I ever phase out of the community.

Essays can be sent to me over Discord (@Mofo1995#5526) or email (TScottM95@gmail.com) if you want it private for containing potential spoilers, or in this thread as a post if all are welcome to 'mire. Google docs welcome.

I will be accepting as many applicants as I feel pass the essay prompt, so there's a minimum of 0 and only a theoretical maximum. If I feel no one is good enough, I will keep applications open but the spots vacant.

[Coalf]

 

You didn't specify color.

 

Memes aside, ain't that a bit overboard? You are essentially asking for an amount of lore that some loredevs haven't written this entire year.

While I understand this is used to deter lazy and people who are furries only here for the nature of the species. Won't this detter the more moderate but still productive members aswell?

While I am insane enough, a lot of people might expect that they have to produce this amount of lore on daily basis, could you clarify a bit further on this?

"We discussed this as a joke intially," doesn't help it either, it makes it seem like a "hazing ritual" rather than an actual lore development application.

[Snakebittenn]

I'd tend to agree with Coalf, the requirements are a bit out there.

[Scheveningen]

I don't feel it's that absurd. Tajarans have a particular OOC stigma that I assume Mofo is trying not to meet here.

[Mofo1995]

I frequently expressed dissatisfaction with a fellow lore dev about how light the lore dev applications are. As I said here, they seem about as easy as whitelist applications except with a popularity contest embedded in. 3 page essays are definitely not the obvious norm, but a lot of lore pages that I have written are roughly that size. It is a really high bar for quality control, but a high bar is exactly what I want to set. Originally I didn't plan on opening up a deputy at all, saying "But If I ever did open up a deputy position, I would make applicants write an essay." And well...

The way I see it is that a deputy would be a luxury rather than a necessity, though if some players prove themselves, they're essentially being chosen to be groomed as possible successors, and I want only the best for this. I'm looking to see passion and determination as well as skill and understanding, and I think this is the perfect way to see as clearly as possible the whole extent of one's ability and understanding.

I guess I should clarify what I'm looking for exactly though. I'm pretty much looking for someone to write lore- whatever they want so long as it fits in with already established lore- who just runs it by me before posting it up. The plan is to at least double the output of the lore, more if several applicants make strong enough essays to satisfy me. The system I'm planning is that deputies write content, I quality check it to make sure it doesn't contradict anything written or that I'm currently writing/planning, I correct as necessary, then they those post wiki pages/wiki edits/wiki updates/news articles etc. In addition, I would also be keeping them up to speed with the updates and new lore that I'll be rolling out, letting them quality check me, and prying for feedback from them in addition to providing feedback on their work. I guess I'm hoping to make my own mini lore team, but I want it to be a team where I can be 100% confident they love Aurora's Tajara lore as much as I do.

[Coalf]

I don't feel it's that absurd. Tajarans have a particular OOC stigma that I assume Mofo is trying not to meet here.

I did address that in my post.

Although I don't get why the furry, wurry when scalies and Unathi are the same thing, numbers maybe?

But I guess you are correct regarding deputy and lore developer applications and them being a simple popularity contest and not a skill or quality contest.

While dedication cannot be denied in the case of an actual three page esssay, I have to ask just for a complete statistical estimate a few question.

[mention]Mofo1995[/mention]

How many application do you expect to get? Just a rough estimate is fine, I'm curious about how much faith you put in people.

Additionally, how do you plan to address people who aren't going to get it? A 3 page essay about a made up species is a good few hours of dedicated writing and it's clear that a lot of people are going to be afraid of writing their essay and simply being refused because someone made a better one. Don't you think it's going to deter people a bit?

[Mofo1995]

I'm expecting roughly three applications, though I'm not going to ever "close" the applications, so I'm hoping more will trickle in over time. To be honest, I would actually be surprised if someone put a few hours of work into writing a three page essay and didn't write one good enough to get accepted. Anyone who would be denied would just have it explained to them why, but I sincerely doubt anyone would fall below standards if they went earnestly went through the effort in the first place. As far as people who would be deterred by timidity, they probably wouldn't be good fits for the team. We practically attack each other in lore dev chats, and every once in awhile we have to plant our feet firmly on the ground and make mountains out of mole hills, and have a good old fashion screaming match about how XYZ is ruining our lore or is a bad idea. So, some courage is preferred.

[Coalf]

A few more questions regarding this actually.

What if someone were to write you an application, now let's say it is not the greatest but you consider it actually a nice piece of lore to be potentially added, but you already picked a different person for the deputy position. What would you do in that case? Add their lore and maybe leave a reference to who wrote it?

Also, let's do the impossible see the invisible, row row fight the power and say that somehow someone who took the time in the three page essay and you accepted simply says something came up and he has to leave, would you start this three page essay contest over again or would something else happen?

[Mofo1995]

A few more questions regarding this actually.

What if someone were to write you an application, now let's say it is not the greatest but you consider it actually a nice piece of lore to be potentially added, but you already picked a different person for the deputy position. What would you do in that case? Add their lore and maybe leave a reference to who wrote it?

Also, let's do the impossible see the invisible, row row fight the power and say that somehow someone who took the time in the three page essay and you accepted simply says something came up and he has to leave, would you start this three page essay contest over again or would something else happen?

 

These are addressed in the OP, and in my recent post. I'll accept as many people as I feel wrote a good essay. The position has anywhere between 0 and X openings where X is I feel I have too many people to manage. If I think multiple people wrote good essays, they'll all get deputy positions unless I feel like there's too many people for me to effectively manage, since I intend to be the gatekeeper that fully reviews everyone's work before they post anything. Supposing I had a deputies and then lost them, I still intend on keeping the process the same since I think it's a strong quality control measure.

Edit: Supposing I had X deputies and I get X+1 applications, and the extra application is a good lore addition idea, but I don't feel I can fit them in, I would ask their permission to canonize it and give them credit.

[Coalf]

No further questions.

[Azande]

I assume [mention]Senpai Jackboot[/mention] has approved this?

[Scheveningen]

Well yeah I imagine. It would be Mofo's call to make, though.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I assume @Senpai Jackboot has approved this?

 

Yes.

[Mofo1995]

I am at a juncture now where I've been reviewing applications and coming to decisions. But before I go farther and start taking on deputies, I want to ask: Does anyone want to take part in the peer review process and have my post these applications for all to see? It was an oversight on my part to make it a private process, but before we go on I would like to highlight a major advantage. By being private, none of the applicants can see each others essays. This prevents a meta or format from emerging since everyone has to find their own way, heavily promoting creativity. In contrast what would be given up is, more or less, the ability for people to drop -1's and +1's for me to completely ignore, since the whitelist application process yields good feedback maybe once in 50 posts or so. I'm leaving it up to the community though, if yinz want me to post the essays in this thread for everyone to review, speak up.

[Coalf]

It would be appreciated if you made a "Post-essay" thread where the playerbase could give input after everyone(majority) has submitted theirs.

[Mofo1995]

Doing a post-essay thread after majority of people have submitted theres isn't really what I"m looking to do either, since I don't plan on closing applications. It would just leave future applicants with an example to copy off of. I mean, sure I'll post all the applications if people speak up and say they want to peer review him. But if no one is going to peer review them, I would really prefer to keep them out of the open to encourage creativity.

Going once... going twice... speak up lads

[Azande]

I would enjoy being part of this peer review committee.

[Mofo1995]

I was looking for literally anyone to say they wanted them posted (applicants not included) and Xander certainly isn't no one. In a few hours the application essays will be posted in here, just need to get the pictures from the essays onto imgur or something so that they can be found in here.

[Mofo1995]

Alberyk's Submission, an original series on culinary arts in the New Kingdom and expansion of historical food culture on Adhomai, primarily in the northern Harr'masir region.

 

The relation between the society and history of the New Kingdom of Adhomai and its traditional cuisine.

By Razin Al-Majritia

Introduction.

The history of the nutrition has an important value when it is used to understand the history of any species, and the Tajara people are not an exception, even if their homeworld is wrongly deemed as a frozen wasteland. This study is focused on examining the relation between the traditional cuisine of the New Kingdom of Adhomai and how it has influenced the society and the history of this nation.

Chapter One: A brief history of the agriculture and land ownership in the New Kingdom of Adhomai.

Before the first great war, most of the land was owned by the privileged aristocracy of the Kingdom of Kaltir, that utilized the peasantry to work in the fields. The initial purpose of said farms were to guarantee the subsistence of the peasants and their landowners, however with the early process of industrialization and the formation of the great cities in the Northern Harr'masir, it was deemed necessary to increase the production to feed the growing urban population.

After the great war and with the capitulation of the Kingdom of Kaltir, most of the ownership of the land was taken away from the hands of the nobles and distributed among peasants and bureaucrats loyal to the new government. However, the agrarian reform promoted by the People's republic caused confusion in the fields, coupled with the distance from the administrative centers of the Republic, resulting in shortage of food and dissatisfaction among the population of Northern Harr'masir. It is also discussed that the abrupt changes, and the disapproval of them, promoted by the new regime facilitated the ascension of the Azunja to power.

Under the New Kingdom of Adhomai most of the land was given to supporters of the Ka'rimah dynasty, that were quick to adapt the methods of production to the new reality of the kingdom. The peasantry was given more rights by the new constitution, and the past contact with the humankind promoted limited technological advances.

A large part of the population is still employed in the agrarian field, and the traditional agriculture plays an important role. The technology employed in the farms of the New Kingdom are considered rudimentary and outdated when put in comparison to the ones used in the People's Republic, such is result from the years of neglect by the Hadii's administration and the isolation promoted by the ongoing conflict. Mechanized farm equipment is a rare sight and shortages of food are still a present menace to the population.

 

Picture 1º: A traditional tajaran farming field, the utilization of outdated farming tools is noticeable.

Chapter Two: The tradition of gifting dishes when visiting a household.

The conditions at Northern Harr'masir are deemed harsh even for the standards of Adhomai, a planet known for its extreme climate. Due to such, a culture of cooperation and generosity emerged as a response before the hardships supported both by the nobility and the commoners.

It is a common tradition, when visiting someone’s else household, to gift the host a dish, with the more common choices being Earthen-Root’s soups, stews or desserts. This costume is observed both by nobles and the common population, being recognized as a sign of friendship, generosity and, as some might argue, wealth. It is an act of disrespect to visit someone and do not bring them a gift, and it is considered an insult to reject the offering.

Chapter Three: The importance of the Earthen Root.

The Earthen-Root is a herbaceous plant native to the region of the Northern Harr'masir, the taproot a is a firm, globe shaped blue colored vegetable with no visible soft areas. The herb is highly adapted to the rough and cold climate of the New Kingdom, being able to survive the rigorous winter that other agricultural products can not stand. Being cultivated by farmers in the region since immemorial times, it is considered a symbol of the national culture.

The Earthen-Root is present in several dishes that are considered traditional in the culture of the New Kingdom of Adhomai, served commonly in soups and stews. The vegetable is rich in several nutriments and sugar. Both leafs and roots are edible.

Other uses for the Earth-Root include distillation with the purpose of brewing alcoholic beverages, extraction of the blue pigment for the fabrication of dyes and the production of sugar, even if the plant is not efficient as the Nm’shaan, the sugar trees.

 

Picture 2º: Earth-Root being sold in a market at Kaltir, alongside other native plants from Adhomai.

Chapter Four: A brief analysis of the traditional dishes.

Traditional tajaran cuisine include stews, soups and other food that can be served while it is warm, due to obvious climate conditions. The New Kingdom of Adhomai is not an exception, but there are some regional dishes that deserve to be explored more deeply.

The Earth-Root soup is a common sight on the tables, of all social sectors, in the Northern Harr'masir. Prepared traditionally with water, Earth-Root and other plants, such as the Nif-Berries. Other main dishes include stews, commonly served using the meat Snow Strider, hunted by the local M’sai population.

Common alcoholic beverages might include fermented Sugar Trees and Earth-Root’s extracts, mixed with honey from Messa’s Tears or from the native apiculture. Victory Gin can also be found in the borders of the New Kingdom of Adhomai, but its production and importation has ceased, due to the drink relation with the enemy regime.

The traditional dessert of Northern Harr'masir is considered by many as being the mixture of ice, Fastshouters’s milk, sugar and Nif-Berries’s oil, named as Creamice. The popular tales claim it was invented after a famine desolated the land, resulting in the population resorting to eating snow, however such story has been classified by most historian as nothing but fiction. Creamice is commonly consumed by the nobility, since they are the ones that can afford the luxury of refrigeration.

Fishing has a minor role in the society of the New Kingdom, even if the country has a strong naval tradition. This is because of the frozen condition of the oceans, that does not facilitates the operation of fishery entreprises. Most of the Kingdom’s shipwrights efforts are also focused on the military field.

Chapter Five: The history of military nutrition in the Imperial Adhomian Army and the Royal Navy.

The history of the New Kingdom of Adhomai is closely linked to the second great war and its military forces. In the same manner that the nutrition influenced the society and culture, it also has such effects on the military.

The early Alam'ardii forces relied on the landed nobility to provide them food, with the resources being taken from the private properties of their contractors. Their rations were composed mainly of salt-cured Snow Strider's meat, Blizzard Ears's flour and Fastshouters’s milk.

The defection of many officers from the Republican navy to the imperial side introduced the concept of canned goods, a luxury at the time, being used as rations. Large shipments of supplements, included food, were smuggled by the officers and their crew during the formation of the Royal Navy.

With the conscription enacted by the parliament and the king, it was necessary to find a better method to store and feed the armed forces. The Mrraka'te'almalik, inspired by the navy, contracted a canning factory, one of the few to provide such service in the city of Kaltir, to supply canned goods for the Imperial Army.

While certain issues were solved with the utilization of canning, the Navy was prioritized above the Imperial Army. Food shortages are still common among the land forces, and many officers have to rely on buying supplies from other sources or even enforcing rationing among their ranks.

 

Picture 3º: Soldiers of the Imperial Army examining a can.

Edited March 26, 2018 by Guest

[Mofo1995]

Coalf's application, new lore about Tajaran fashion both historically and in modernity, as well as an explanation of different faction styles.

 

Tajara: The Winter Fashion

Tajara have lived for thousands of years on an extremely cold and freezing planet, this has shaped into a very tightly-knit however distrusting species.

As expected, this reflects in their fashion, music and culture and I will be trying to shine more light onto at-least one of these topics.

Fashion

While not much can be said about Tajara fashion, it is however still interesting to study.

Their initial, early fashion was unremarkable with silk, gold and other expensive materials being restricted to nobility, while the poorer peasantry opted for the more comfortable and isolated clothing.

One thing to note is that the color purple, was not attributed to Royalty as on earth as the Molluscan, Bolinus brandaris,is not present on Adhomai.

This power vacuum however has been filled by a different color, Sky Blue, as in order to create this color the mineral Lapis, scarce before modern mining techniques.

It is interesting to note that in year 1092, a Tajara philosopher Nirrhharar Akzata had discovered that by heating lime, sand and copper into calcium copper silicate this color could be recreated.

However this discovery was met with ingratitude as the Tajara was executed to keep the price purposefully inflated, still the formula prevailed and many-a illegal trader used this as a quick route to money, fame and most often an execution.

Peasantry on the other hand did not concern itself with colors. To the north the colors of the forest and snow were the most popular, thus a lot of cloth was simply left untreated to keep it brown while others, mostly hunters, opted to dye their clothes white to hide themselves in snow.

 

Charcoal drawing of a

hharar peasant.

Bizarrely enough there is a prevalent myth that Msai hunt naked, this however has been regarded as near impossible as the relatively clothed and comfortable lifestyle modern Tajara live in has caused a reduced amount of fur and thus theyd most certainly suffer from hypothermia.

Nowadays Tajara culture, outside of isolated villages, barely resembles the fashion of old.

The massive influx of Tajara migration into cities, contact with humans and frequent militarization has caused a dramatic shift in fashion. Being able to create pretty much every color artificially has caused many old dye manufacturers to go under and give rise to new, cheaper and faster producers.

The shift from animal hides and leather into denim, flannel, silk, wool has forced hunters and leather-workers to move their business outside of major cities as modern Tajara prefer to keep away form their more barbaric roots.

City X Village

However one industry that has encountered a massive business boom is the Nylon industry.

Nylon, being flexible, smooth, very warm and cheap is pretty much perfect for the cold environment of Adhomai. Bizarrely it is much more popular with hunters, soldiers and working men in general as Nylon undergarments are extremely effective at keeping in heat. While the Tajara women, still effectively grounded in their long-dress fashion, prefer to wear no nylon at all as it ruffles the fur on their legs and makes them uncomfortable.

The fact that Tajara do not have same social stigmas associated with legs as humans do, after all for a very long time they simply didnt bother wearing shoes, wraps or any other protection as their feet are naturally acclimated to the cold environment.

However with the creation of cities and the increasing warmth in said cities, due to smog, thermal and lumen pollution, fashion has started to adopt more of a light look, with simple coats, pants and shirts being worn in public with no care for the, for me, biting cold.

Some regard to heat still remains however as these coats are often fashioned with many more buttons, than you would see on a human coat, for effective isolation of heat.

Female fashion has also shifted dramatically, while the village and out of city Tajara still prefer the classical colorful dresses which always served as a showing on how rich the family is, the city Tajara have taken a liking to light, soft and flexible dresses. Now with the ability to create and buy the materials for relatively cheap, the popularity of these dresses has skyrocketed.

Piercings are also an interesting point as they have never held the same stigma as our own.

Tajara ears, being quite large and sensitive, have only ever been pierced during early childhood and even then it was considered quite cruel and only done by the richest families. Thus piercings of less sensitive areas used to be quite more popular. Nose and lips were always preferred.

This has once again changed however with the arrival of human culture, anesthetics are now wide-spread and the PRA1 citizens, being supportive of human contact, have started to adorn their ears with rings, adornments and other such things. However the state frowns on this flagrant display of materialism and thus its mostly adopted by the more radical youth.

Tail adornments have also always been popular and still are popular in the village and out-of-city areas, in cities tail adornments are considered barbaric and regressive.

 

A famous singer, Misha Kapkan, is credited with this wave due to her response to a journalist, I do not adorn my tail, for every ribbon no matter how smooth is like a prison for my natural self, something the nobles enforced that we now frown on.2

The ALA difference

Unlike the PRA Tajara who live in relative safety and stability, the Tajara of the ALA3 cannot afford this luxury, as the risk of a raid by other warlords or a sudden shift of the front-lines keeps them at constant risk.

This has reflected in their fashion, it is often much more reserved and scarce, often only having two sets of clothing.

One for work and one for more formal use.

Jewels, cloths and fabrics are cumbersome and always at risk of simply being taken by a bored soldier or an outlaw. Colors are muted, things rarely sparkle and even the most extravagant citizens look like beggars compared to the citizens of other factions.

The NRA difference

This has shocked me, NRA4 border is known as one of the most dangerous factions to live in with the frequent shelling of their position and the front-line shifting each day. Yet still the noble spirit of the NRA lives on, as their citizens seem to be proud of their heritage.

Jewels and gold is not worn as often as many have traded it for a safe passage into the territory itself, however silk and fashionable dresses are still richly present with many citizens not being afraid to flaunt and show their refined tastes.

This however has created a dangerous divide as on one hand you can see a quite neatly dressed Tajara in a rich black coat walking right next to a man who cannot even afford a shirt.

Overall Tajara fashion differs richly from our own and I think many humans could be inspired by it and take notes.

Explanations

1: PRA Peoples Republic of Adhomai

2: This quote has been taken from a news article sanctioned by the state and thus might not be completely accurate.

3: ALA Adhomai Liberation Army, now referred to as Democratic Peoples Republic of Adhomai

4: NKA New Kingdom of Adhomai

 

[Mofo1995]

Jackboot's essay, a discussion on power politics on Adhomai and an argument for the greatest defining event of Tajaran history, as well as elaboration of on going social and political issues.

 

Tajara: Breaking The Chains

When Rhagrrhuzau Hadii was struck down in the streets of Nal’tor, the assassin took more than the life of Adhomai’s first President. Rhagrrhuzau was optimism manifest of an entire generation of Tajara. Millions had lost their lives in the First Revolution for the cause of democracy and the desire to make life better for their families and future generations. On that cold summer day in 2451, the hopes and dreams of a brighter tomorrow was snuffed out in the back of an open top car, and the legacy of sacrifice and optimism was swiftly replaced by brutality, oppression, and darkness.

Rhagrrhuzau’s assassination is the true foundation of Tajara’s lore. While there is extensive history leading up to his ascension to the post of president, his death is what defines the modern era for Tajara and is the catalyst for the current state of affairs in Tajara lore. His death, implied to have been orchestrated by his brother Njadrasanukii, spawned the status quo that all Tajara whitelist holders must subscribe to. It is the common point of origin for the three major factions as well as providing the aesthetic, legal, and creative justification for the major themes on-going within the lore.

The People’s Republic of Adhomai is an oppressive communist state. When Rhagrrhuzau died and the post of president was claimed by Njadrasanukii, the latter implemented sweeping legislation that rolled back all of the achievements made by Rhagrrhuzau. The late president had sparked the ire of his rivals in declaring that Adhomai would seize its own destiny and embarking on a genuine anti-corruption campaign. Rhagrrhuzau was sincere in his desire to build an Adhomai that serves the welfare of all of its people, and such a thing was unthinkable to the oligarchs he flagrantly disregarded. His naive optimism was replaced by Njadrasanukii’s unwavering cynicism, which permeats every level of the People’s Republic.

The comparisons being drawn are clear. The People’s Republic is built as an analogy to Stalin’s Russia. After the Soviets had hurled everything they had against the invading Nazi forces, they were left with a broken country nevertheless full of untapped potential. Stalin embarked on his own brutal purge of the Communist Party, ousting and disappearing rivals both real and imagined, and creating a lavish military-industrial complex to compete with the Americans. But even at the height of the USSR’s power the majority of its people struggled in factory jobs or remained landed peasants stuck in farms, no better off than when they were under the Tsars, but trapped where they were through the sheer levels of propaganda and violent reprisals.

These themes are played out in the Tajara lore. The People’s Republic of Adhomai is a state full of crooks and cronies. It claims the direct legacy of the First Republican Rhagrrhuzau, but that claim is a cruel joke. The vast majority of Tajara remain trapped where they are in farms or low wage jobs in the decaying cities.Social mobility is not a matter of merit but connections, bribery, and guile. Unlike in the modern Soviet Union, the potential of Adhomai is completely wasted to the point that the vast majority that end up better off become so by leaving the planet entirely.

It is not all the fault of the People’s Republic inherently. After all, they are locked in a three way war of ideology. Unlike in our modern timeline this war on Adhomai is a real, grueling shooting water that is felt at every level of society. The Adhomai Liberation Army is the primary ideological enemy of the People’s Republic. Lead by the charismatic Halkiikijr Nated'Hakhan, this faction defected shortly after the assumption of Njadrasanukii to the office of Presidency. Nated had been a leading military general under Njadrasanukii as well as his secret lover. Nated claimed to have been the chosen heir to the office of President, and that he and he alone would hold true to the ideals of the First Republican.

But even here the legacy is perverted as to be unrecognizable. The Liberation Army rejects alien influence but has slipped into radicalism. Their army is an ensemble of brutal warlords and roaming mobs that terrorize the planet. The bandit army hurls itself against their enemies in a frenzy as Nated nurses the rise of his cult of personality.

The New Kingdom of Adhomai is written as the middleman.King Vahzirthaamro Azunja, who leads his Kingdom in the isolated, frozen north, is written as the voice of reason and moderation in an arena of mob violence and screaming. But he and his Kingdom was not meant to be the easy choice. The backdrop of moderation and serenity masks the decayed foundations. It is a regressive society, harking back to the oppressive era of absolute monarchs. A facade of republicanism is splashed on as cheap wallpaper, but the reality is clear: your value is your status on birth. Society in the New Kingdom can never advance beyond the slow, methodical royalism, because it is a deeply conservative society.

And so Adhomai is pitted in a three way war of ideology. Supporting either side is not a matter of preference or taste, but of choosing the lesser evils, and in that, characters on the station are pitted against one another as the class conflicts spill over into the station. This is the primary avenue of roleplay for Tajara and remains their main draw. They are a species entrenched in ideology, where radicalism is the normal.

 

[Azande]

I really like Alb's piece, and I think it could lead into incorporating more cultural food into the game (which he could do since he actively develops too!) which is an incredible bonus for lore - I love to see the effects on board.

I also like Jackboot's piece - but I'm confused as he's the loremaster..? Can't he write lore for the taj and enforce it on you anyways?

As for Coalf's piece, I like it too - but I don't see clothing having much of a place in our lore aside from so brief mentions, and don't think it's a notable thing to write about because it cannot easily be incorporated in game. Uniform regulations exclude a lot of cultural role for 90% of our roles. This doesn't mean I dislike the writing however, just sometime to note because I heavily insist on in game lore possibilities.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I wrote an essay because I want to make sure that I can do it. If I can't be bothered to go through an application process, I won't ask others to go through an application process. If I can do it, anyone can!

[Azande]

I wrote an essay because I want to make sure that I can do it. If I can't be bothered to go through an application process, I won't ask others to go through an application process. If I can do it, anyone can!

 

I appreciate this.

[Bauser]

I'm partial to both Coalf's entry and Alb's because they prioritize aspects of Tajaran lore that have gone completely unconsidered thus far. There's no questioning the merit of Jackboot's piece either, but I do make the acute suggestion that (at least in-game), Tajaran lore has already enjoyed its fill of political strife. The function of relating these developments to actual gameplay effects is an important one in my opinion.

For the same purpose, Coalf's stands out in my mind by virtue of the fact that clothing options could conceivably be accessible to any Tajara player, while foods are necessarily restricted to those in contact with the chef (or playing as a chef, themselves). No matter how much I love food variety (a lot), it strikes me that fashion lore is the one that's both novel and accessible. It's true that corporate regulations make some statements about dress code, but there's no good reason this couldn't be amended (inclusivity clauses!) if it's determined to enhance roleplay.

What also strikes me are Alberyk's existing responsibilities as a primary admin and developer. I don't doubt his ability as a lore deputy, but there could be some benefit to appointing someone with less on their plate already. If Coalf or Jackboot get it, they can run ideas through Alb since he's the developer - whereas, if Alb gets it, his additions won't necessarily get the benefit of the others' scrutiny. So... I mean, I know it's not supposed to be a popularity contest, but... Coalf, right? You can't match the passion a bona fide furry brings to the table where a cat-race is concerned.