[Accepted]Calion's Tajara App reloaded

BYOND Key: Calion12

Character Names:

Cheryl Schafer, Nara Crucitious (mains)

Species you are applying to play:

M'sai Tajara

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

White (perhaps an off-white to snow-white)

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 enjoy the prospect of playing a hardy race who have adapted to their naturally cold climate and even excelled in working around problems that would occur with a freezing climate such as the combustion that propels automobiles not providing enough energy in 2012 CE or food freezing before consumption. I enjoy their craftiness and guerrilla style of combat in using the environment to their advantage during war, skirmishes and one would assume, even escape.

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

Their clan like system for one, makes it easier for them to type cast others and be judged by the colour of their fur. This was especially evident pre-human discovery in 2418 CE when they had the slave-like peasantry caste of Hharar and Zhan-Khazan and then the nobility sitting at the top as the Njarir'Akhran. This reflects their less advanced state when comparison with humans and brings to mind the obvious comparison of slavery America. Obviously, as humans did, the Tajara did advance past this with only slightly more violence than us humans. Even the most idealistic of Tajara are not adverse to violence, no more so is this evident than 2420 CE, a group of Tajara idealists sought refuge in Sol where they saw life as it should be and decided that the only way to win this for themselves was to stage a coup. Even turning the unwavering M'sai against their Njarir'Akhran masters, not overtly obviously, preferring secret summits and meetings. This mass turning against the nobility would obviously leave relations even to the character's generation a little shaky.

Character Name:

Vieniamin Sokolov

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

Born in the freezing winds of Adhomai, Vieniamin's mother died in childbirth. His father, not knowing much except for military life, did his best to raise a decent, well-rounded son. This was no easy feat for a man having suffered through the horrors of D'as'ral Massacre and the siege on Hadii Castle but, nonetheless, he taught his little cub how to stalk and skulk around in the darkness, how to cook food quickly to ensure it won't freeze before it is ready. Trying to keep his only child away from the atrocities of rebellions, he introduced Vien to the musical arts. Feeling a connection with the arts, Sokolov spent some time partaking in performances at the theatre in his village. Alas, this seems it was not to be as the village was on the fringes of the republic of Adhomai and the Adhomai liberation army controlled land, frequent fire-fights took place near his very village as the hills provided great cover. Wanting to expand his knowledge, he started looking through books, starting off by thumbing through whatever picture books he could scavenge and eventually being able to read short historical texts. This did not sit well with his father who, when he found out, made an example to the small child by picking up his first book he had ever read properly and burning it in a great bonfire stacked with all sorts of other literary works from a recently discovered underground library. He was sent to a general school not long after this event while his father went back on duty. He never came back after that. His father's old age must have gotten to him after seeing the assassination of Rhagrrhuzau Hadii by the hand of a Zhan-Khazan no less. The endless infighting must have gotten to him, made him weary. The Liberation Army claimed he was hit by a stray shell from an artillery cannon. Despite the cruel act his father had carried out not too long ago, this news understandably shook the young Tajara who became somewhat reclusive afterwards. He turned to religion for the first time in his recollection, preferring ma'ta'ke over the S'rand'marr beliefs of his many peers. He moved to Nal'Tor and relished his teachings, attending a school at the heart of the city with a Terran teacher who obviously loved the deep-seeded history of the planet and the culture of it's many people and so she had no problem putting her enthusiasm into her teachings which, by proxy, made the students more interested in learning as a result. After learning the things his father tried to shelter him from; the real body count of the first uprising, a some 132 million people that his father played no small part in ruining the lives of, the forming of the people's republic of Adhomai, the human involvement and why they had their stake in the planet Vien called home. At the end of the day, he didn't matter, all that mattered to anyone was the resources his planet held and how to aquire the majority of it. He decided, he wanted to be something more, do something that mattered. Throwing out all his father had tried to do for him as his father had thrown out his passion for literature, Vien decided to join up with the Liberation Army Of Adhomai and fight for the people. He bid adieu to his three friends and left to sign up with the army, keeping his intentions a little vague from inquisitive Republicans.

He served several successful years in the force, gaining respect from his superiors and his piers, securing areas for the free folk and making his way up the ranks. He discovered he was quite the tactician, preferring to rally the troops and come up with devious plans rather than fling thousands of his brothers and sisters in arms at the enemy and hope for the best. All was looking up for him, he had even managed to fortify his home village to the point that it was only re-captured every other week. All good things must come to an end though as did Vien's days in the force. His platoon was running low on troops, he decided to personally lead his men into battle. He had made a crucial error in his plan of attack; the mountains. The enemy force had set up a decoy squad in an open field, they were mowed down easily enough and as Vien sent his men to secure the surrounding area, the telltale and terrifying thump of an area denial bombardment sounded through the mountains. He ordered a full retreat but his forces were cut off by the bulk of the enemy force. Resigning to his fate, he flung his weapon at the nearest enemy soldier before being caught on the edge of an artillery shell's blast. When he awoke he was in a medical ward, fortunately one he recognised. He had been saved after he blacked out, the enemy hadn't planned to need more than one bombardment of shells so the surviving men easily overwhelmed the ground force. Unfortunately, most of the men under his command scummed to their wounds in the very medical ward he was in. Unable to take this, he left the army and booked first passage off of Adhomai as a whole. He didn't know where he would go but upon speaking to some of the other passengers, heard of a human controlled company called NT. His teacher mentioned them in the lessons he had, they didn't seem too nice but it would make a nice change all this senseless death... Right?

What do you like about this character?

He has a sort of poetic justice to him, joining the one fight his father wanted him to stay away from then being put out of commission by the very thing that put his father down. It might not be too original or very subtle but I like it. I also like the fact that he keeps going and keeps fighting for what he believes in which, again, ends in his ultimate leave from the fight he had taken on as his own.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

Out of ten, around 6-7 but I'm biased one way or another so I may not be too reliable of a source.

Notes: Briefly played a Tajara on a different server although, they used different lore.

Just finished a round with Nara. Really liked her. Definitely has my support as a competent roleplayer.

I'm sorry to do this, but I've decided to defer this application for one more day. I bit off more than I could chew with my freetime today and won't be able to review it tonight. I'll be back in tomorrow night (in about 20 hours) to make my decision.

I enjoy the prospect of playing a hardy race who have adapted to their naturally cold climate and even excelled in working around problems that would occur with a freezing climate such as the combustion that propels automobiles not providing enough energy in 2012 CE or food freezing before consumption. I enjoy their craftiness and guerrilla style of combat in using the environment to their advantage during war, skirmishes and one would assume, even escape.

A few fun facts of lore, good early proof that you've read the wiki if you can point these out.

Their clan like system for one, makes it easier for them to type cast others and be judged by the colour of their fur. This was especially evident pre-human discovery in 2418 CE when they had the slave-like peasantry caste of Hharar and Zhan-Khazan and then the nobility sitting at the top as the Njarir'Akhran. This reflects their less advanced state when comparison with humans and brings to mind the obvious comparison of slavery America. Obviously, as humans did, the Tajara did advance past this with only slightly more violence than us humans. Even the most idealistic of Tajara are not adverse to violence, no more so is this evident than 2420 CE, a group of Tajara idealists sought refuge in Sol where they saw life as it should be and decided that the only way to win this for themselves was to stage a coup. Even turning the unwavering M'sai against their Njarir'Akhran masters, not overtly obviously, preferring secret summits and meetings. This mass turning against the nobility would obviously leave relations even to the character's generation a little shaky.

Comparisons to America weren't intended on my part at least. It was always more like the old systems of Feudal Europe, BUT I think that's an interesting way to interpret it. I also like how you have picked up very well on the power dynamic relationship between M'sai and Njarir, and how they generally the lapdogs which secured and enforced noble rule.

Backstory

I want to say that while the old backstory was too lacking in information about the revolutions, that didn't mean you had to infuse this one to be chalk full of it. BUT I understand you were just being cautious. As far as story itself goes, it's nothing too strong, but it's without a doubt believable and I appreciate the attention to detail you have put into taking us for a tour of Vieniamin Sokolov's education. The tying to events, while seemingly a hyperbolic reaction to your previous' applications avoidance of events, while layered in thicker than I've ever seen before, captures how monumental the events you picked were for the everyday Tajara. At any rate, no one can deny that you didn't read the wiki with a backstory like this given how rich it is in lore from the wiki.

The take on being a platoon leader rather than just another enlisted ground pounder is also a very fresh take. Details such as being a good tactician and commander of men are aspects which I've surprisingly never really seen in an application. And with his Nal'Tor educated background, it makes sense that he would have joined as an officer.

While a bit over-bogged down with details and lore events, I'm willing to call that my fault for so enthusiastically calling for them in my denial of your previous application. You've certainly proved solid knowledge of the lore, and Hive, someone I trust greatly, has even vouched for you. I'm also a fan of Cheryl Schafer whom I've interacted with a lot on station in the past. Application accepted.