simpathis | [ application: original characters ]

[ application: original characters ]

— APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN AND WILL BE PROCESSED ON WEEKENDS —
Canon Applications are here

IMPORTANT! We are officially in endgame until August 31, 2020. Applications are on a rolling basis. There is a small "block" period from the 1st through the 4th of every month to allow a bulk of apps to be submitted, and then applications can be submitted at any time during the month. Notices will be sent out all at once after the first "block" period, and then between 24 hours to the end of the weekend depending on how many and our schedule. Applications are guaranteed to be processed during the weekends.

IMPORTANT: Only the following types of original characters are allowed to be applied for—

Pure OC. These are the typical kind of OC that everyone is familiar with. They are characters that are the player's own creation with their own world that is also of the player's design. There is zero relation to any pre-existing canon.
MMO OC. MMOs, or Massively Multiplayer Online games, particularly those with a lot of roleplay and character build-up, have existing world building and lore that they have to follow. These characters are created by the player and can have their own story, but they have to follow the rules of the game lore. We consider "main hero" characters as those who are one of many in a great group that influenced the storyline, rather than the singular Great Hero character. This is to help multiple MMO OCs from the same game to have stories that mesh well together. In the sake of fairness to current FFXIV OC players and consistency with previous mod teams' decisions, we do not currently allow FFXIV Warriors of Light.
Blank Slate Canon Protagonists. For our criteria, these types of characters are those which you control throughout the game and essentially make the player the main character. They may have a name and a couple of personality traits, but everything else is up to the player to interpret. Examples of these are most of the main characters from Dragon Age, Skyrim, Pokémon, etc. Important: Please note that this category ONLY pertains to the protagonists of canons. This does not allow side characters or other support NPCs as they have set stories and personalities. This section has nothing to do with how much headcanon is used and is only about the purpose and design of the protagonist character.

The following would not be allowed:

Fanon/AU OCs. Characters that are based off pre-existing canons or an alternate version of the canon. We would not allow these OCs not because we are against them on principle, but it could cause unwanted confusion and complications with current existing casts. This type of OC would have needed to be allowed from the very beginning so players would know what they were getting into.
Game Native OCs. Currently the game is not ready for such a type of character, as it would introduce other complications and worldbuilding that the interested player would have to be aware of. In addition, it would require more close connection with us the mods than we are currently ready for.

Before applying, please be sure to read the following:

Read the Rules and the Game Information.
RETURNING PLAYERS! You only need to submit any old application. Does not matter how long ago, as long as it was accepted and you have good standing (ie, not banned), it will be valid.
Suggestion: Find some character sheets that have questions directly related to character building. These will help flesh out your application and give some guidelines as to how to write about your character.
Feel free to use the most recent test drive both for practice as well as to use for samples. IMPORTANT! If you submit threads as samples, you must submit the application with that character journal. This is the only way we can ensure that the samples are from you and not someone else.
Linked samples must have been made within the past year.
You may apply for up to two characters per cycle.
Do not plagiarize. If we find that the information provided was directly taken by either another player or some other source material, the application will be rejected immediately. If we find this after processing the application, we will revoke the application and have you removed from the game with potential ban.
Reusing your own applications from other games is allowed. We only ask any original written samples to conform to our game. That is, we don't want to read samples that are set specifically for another game's premise. Note: this does not apply to threads linked from other games used as samples.
If you are rejected, you cannot reapply for the same character for two weeks. However, you can apply for a different character in that same period.
Those accepted must fill out all of the required entries within a week to be considered part of the game. Otherwise, we will consider it a revocation of the application.
Fill out the form and comment to this entry! All applications must be posted directly to this entry; no linked-in applications allowed.

We have compiled sample applications from our players to show what the mod team and the application moderators are looking for in terms of writing quality and depth. We hope you find these samples useful!

Sun Wukong (RWBY)
Luke Skywalker (Star Wars)
Goro Akechi (Persona 5)

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player:
Contact: Journal/Plurk/AIM — anything to help identify since someone might share your name handle.
Age: You must be at least 13 years old to apply.
Current Characters: If a new player, just put "N/A"

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character:
Age:
OC Type: Indicate whether this OC is a Pure, MMO, or Blank Protagonist type of OC. If it is a Blank Protagonist, indicate the canon here.
Point Taken: A sense of time when the character is taken. More applicable to MMO and Blank Protagonist OCs.

World Building:This is separate from the character's personal history. This section is to provide us with information about the character's “canon” in general. We will have no idea what kind of world that the character is coming from, and this is the only place we can learn about it. We don't want an encyclopedia, but we will need to know important details about it so that we can understand the culture the character is coming from and how that will affect how they think and behave. What countries are important? What kind of geography or political climate? Are there any social conflicts that would impact the character or would influence how they view others? For MMO and Blank Protagonist OCs, linking us to wikis will suffice, but feel free to add more to it.

Backstory: While we don't need a play-by-play, what we would like to see includes how the character lived, what choices they've made and why, what events occurred that developed them, and other important facts that will help us understand the character. For MMO OCs: Most MMORPGs will have a set storyline that the player character has the opportunity to play through. Keep in mind that rather there being a singular "Great Hero," all MMO OCs are to be seen as a part of a large group of heroes if you choose to follow the main storyline. Also keep in mind that all MMO OCs will have to follow their game’s canon lore. For example: A character could not save the NPC that canonly died, nor could a mission fail if it is set to succeed. However, your character could have died and or had difficulty fulfilling the mission. It is also possible that your character had no part in the overall game's story and had their own adventures in the world instead. Finally, there can be no romantic or familial relationships with named NPCs.

Personality: We're looking for how they think, why they act the way they do, their strengths, their weaknesses, their thought processes, their opinions, their conflicts, what makes them feel the way they do, their significant traits. When writing your character, be careful! We want to avoid characters that are the super invincible almighty hero that can do no wrong. The one who can charm anyone with a smile, can easily trick and deceive, has the power to bend wills with ease. All characters have flaws—no one is perfect. But more importantly, such infallible characters are not interesting to play and interact with. In short, the character should be realistic, balanced, and well thought out. If we feel that your character does not meet this standard, then we may ask for a revision or reject if it cannot be changed.

Abilities: If there are any particular abilities the character has supernatural or otherwise, list them here. Referencing to a wiki list is acceptable if applicable. However, if there are any particular abilities that need to be weakened or removed, note them here.

Alignment: Please refer to the Alignment entry to choose which alignment your character would most likely fall under. Include a brief (a couple of sentences max) just to help explain why you think your choice is the best fit.

Other: Anything else you'd like to mention.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉
Sample: We have two sample requirements.

General Sample: We should see examples of the character's dialogue as well as some introspection or additional narrative to further show how you intend to write the character. This is the most important part of the sample and where most of the weight will be.

Emotion Sample: This is our "game setting" requirement. Essentially we want to ensure that you have a basic grasp of the game's premise, especially with the use of emotions. It can be a small scene, even incidental to the main sample. A reminder that apathetic characters will also create effects, such as loss of color, surface distortion, holes forming. This section doesn't have to be lengthy, but the effect must be clear for us to see.

The emotion sample can be part of the general character sample. If so, please link directly or directly quote that portion so that it's easier for us to quickly find it.

The samples can be "written" in three different ways and you can choose which one will work best for you:

Test Drive. You can utilize our test drive to cover both requirements of the sample. So long as there is enough character portrayal and a scene with an emotional reaction, be it within the prompt or done during the thread, then it can be used for both.
Link out + Written. You can link to threads/entries from other games, memes, or museboxes to show character portrayal, and then write an additional short scene for the emotion portion of the sample.
Original Sample. You can write a complete sample that shows both character portrayal and a scene involving emotion use. This can be one sample or two separate samples. If you opt to write an original sample, you are welcome to use any prompts from any of our Test Drives, Intro Logs, Task Board, and even past events. You are also free to change things up and are not restricted to any of these prompts. They are just here to help offer ideas.

Format wise, you can use either [ brackets ] OR narrative prose. We do require that the writing at least be coherent, have proper sentence structure, and is mostly grammatically correct (we realize that writing styles can be loose/creative in [ bracket ] form so we're giving a bit more leeway). One last suggestion we have is try to have the character interacting with the environment and try thinking of the sample less of a narrative piece but more like a post or thread prompt you might make in the game. That will help the sample show not only how you will write the character, but also how you will play them in practice.

Questions: If you have any questions, ask them here.

Clean copy and paste form here:

<div style="text-align: justify;">
<center>⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉</center>
Player: 
Contact: 
Age: 
Current Characters:

<center>⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉</center>
Character:
Age:
OC Type: Indicate whether this OC is a Pure, MMO, or Blank Protagonist type of OC. If it is a Blank Protagonist, indicate the canon here.
Point Taken: A sense of time when the character is taken. More applicable to MMO and Blank Protagonist OCs.

World Building: 
<div style="margin-left: 25px;">INFO</div>

Backstory:
<div style="margin-left: 25px;">INFO</div>

Personality:
<div style="margin-left: 25px;">INFO</div>

Abilities: 
<div style="margin-left: 25px;">INFO</div>

Alignment: <div style="margin-left: 25px;">[Choose from one of the following: Aiada, Daimonia, Elios, Peromei, Piphron, Sosyne, or Thras. Refer to the proper info page for more information and be sure to include a very brief reason why you chose the alignment.]</div>

Other: 
<div style="margin-left: 25px;">Any other information that doesn't fit in the other sections can go here.</div>

<center>⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉</center>
Remember that we ask for samples that show 1) core character portrayal and 2) some use of emotions, such as environmental effect. You can also use the same sample source for both, just make sure to directly link or quote the emotion portion. We highly encourage using the Test Drive, and you can use prompts from the Test Drives, Intro Logs, and the Task board if you need them. Refer to the main application page for links and more suggestions.

General Sample: Written or link to sample for general character portrayal

Emotion Sample: Written or link to sample for use and effects of emotions. If part of a thread, please DIRECTLY LINK to the specific tag.

Questions:
</div>

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Congratulations! You've been accepted to the game. Just follow the following steps and you'll be officially considered part of the game. Remember you have one week otherwise we will consider it a revocation of the application.

• Reply to this comment with the journal you will be joining with.
• We do require you to keep a copy of your application and/or an information post in your journal for easy player reference. In doing so, you are free to use one of our Profile Codes.
• Comment to the Taken list: Canons A-M | Canons N-Z
• When your journal is added by the mod journal, comment to the Player Contact list.
• Join

empatheias,

crystalnet, and

empatheias_ooc. They are all open membership so no approval required.
• Introduce yourself in our Player Intro post and start playing!

Optional:
• Review the Game Info, Emotions, Amulet, and Island information pages.
• Check the monthly mod post for some announcements and an idea of what's in store for the month.
• Make sure you understand how the Network works. Remember, Empatheias uses telepathy as communication!
• Feel free to make a "Message Box" type post for any private messages that could be sent via messenger bird.
• Check this month's plotting post.
• Follow the mod plurk for game announcements.
• Join the game's Discord chat. You can join it by following the link here.

Please use the Character Introduction Log for your character intro. If you have any questions at any time, feel free to contact us! Have fun :D

This is the journal I'll be using!

I'll be using this journal!

This is the journal I'm joining with!

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Ami
Contact: amidonuttyjoy @ yahoo, MechaPony @ Plurk, RainbowDonut #5538 @ Discord
Age: 31
Current Characters: None

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Yuki'to Blaire
Age: 18
OC Type: MMO OC
Point Taken: The moment Zenos dies.

World Building: An overview of Eorzea, the city-states and its features. Your standard high fantasy world with monsters, magic and sprinklings of machinery.

Backstory:

The Keepers of the Moon Miqo'te are a matriarchal society. Among many women born who would become leaders, scholars, strategists and diplomats were few men who would aid in continuing family lines similar to lions in modern Earth. Yuki'to was the second son of Yuki, a rather conservative woman who desired girls. While she cherished her first son, Yuki'a, who would ensure the Blaire line would proceed, Yuki'to was deemed superfluous and was treated as such.

Upon reaching adulthood, Yuki'to left (well, fled) to pursue adventure, entering the desert city of Ul'dah. Not long into odd jobs for whoever is willing to spare coin, he encounters an odd crystal on the ground after saving a lalafell woman in grave danger. Here he meets Hydaelyn the Mothercrystal, prime deity of the world, who bids him to find other Crystals of Light. He awakens to an odd power called The Echo, granted to all chosen by Hydaelyn known as the Warriors of Light.

While seeking the other Crystals, he meets a group of adventurers called the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, some of which also possess The Echo. He joins the group to better understand his blessing, all while aiding them in quelling conflicts within the world by stopping the beast tribes from summoning their violent gods. With the aid of other Warriors of Light and the Scions, Yuki'to defeats the first three to rise: Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda.

The Scions learn that the Garlean Empire, hailing from distant Garlemald, is driving the beast tribes to summon their gods to enslave them and prevent future summonings. They fail to understand that you can't enslave a god, and the last civilization that tried caused the apocalypse. But the Imperials dug up the dead civilization's weapon meant to capture the gods and proceed while presuming they'll do the job better. That weapon is simply known as Ultima.

An immortal race known as the Ascians, existing presumably since the beginning of time, have a hand in the plot, desiring despair and disaster to help resurrect their broken god Zodiark, brother of Hydaelyn. Helping the Imperials helps sow chaos, and a sleeper agent among the Scions sells the hideout's location. The Imperials kidnap and murder a great number of the Scions, and Yuki'to sets out to rescue the survivors to strangely great success.

The Scions unite the nations of Ul'dah, Gridania and Limsa Lominsa to finally take down the Imperials encroaching upon Eorzea, their home. Many Imperial structures are captured and dismantled in the operation, and as a final act, Yuki'to assists in taking down their Ultima Weapon. With the Imperials presumably retreating to Garlemald, Eorzea celebrates a temporary peace. To help keep said peace, Yuki'to takes down new beast tribe gods that have arisen in the wake of the Garlean conflict: Leviathan falls, but upon learning that Ramuh can be reasoned with, he is then tested to see if man can be trusted rather than feared. The battle is won, and for a further time, the land is at peace.

The three city-states plea to the Scions to speak with the fourth, Ishgard, who has abandoned the alliance and shut themselves off for centuries. Along the way to the frozen north, Yuki'to encounters a woman known as Lady Iceheart, who takes the goddess Shiva into herself, and they do battle. After, she warns Yuki'to that Ishgard's troubles run far deeper than can be expected. Yuki'to follows her warning to the resting place of a great wyrm known as Midgardsormr, who fell during a great conflict involving the Garlean Empire. Here, the remains spring to life and silence Yuki'to's connection with Hydaelyn. Only by seeing the truth of Ishgard's long-standing Dragonsong War will he be someone worthy of the gift once more.

Ishgard is under attack by a swarm of dragons, led by Lady Iceheart. The attack is stopped, but the reason for such an assault appears to be unclear. The relieved Ishgard begins to perk their ears to the idea of rejoining the Eorzean Alliance, as their numbers have dwindled to fang and claw.

A feast is had in celebration, but is dashed by the sudden assassination plot against the Ul'dahn sultana by poisoning, all set up to incriminate Yuki'to and throw the festivities into a frenzy. In a panic, the Scions flee and are separated, save for three: Yuki'to, Tataru, and Alphinaud. The three flee for Ishgard, still currently neutral in the eyes of the alliance.

Here, he meets the Magitek Mercenaries, a guild of mingled Garlean deserters and adventurers with a similar cause: To build, to explore, and to grow. In his direst time of need, Yuki'to had stumbled upon a group that would quickly become his family.

While under the protection of Ishgard and eased by the shelter of the Mercenaries, Yuki'to learns of the city's troubles: A centuries-long war between the Ishgardians and the dragons have raged. While most of the citizens presume it to be a simple battle between man and beast, and those that turn to the dragons are in turn 'heretics', the truth is more complicated: The first lords of Ishgard, after establishing an alliance with the dragons, murdered the she-dragon Ratatoskr and feasted upon her to gain her power. The alliance shattered to greed, and the Ishgardians actually battle against the forces of the she-dragon's mourning, ever-embittered brother Nidhogg.

So the answer was clear: Defeat Nidhogg, and end the conflict. Yuki'to seeks out the Aery, his home, and soundly defeats him with the strength and resolve of the Warriors of Light. But when Yuki'to travels back to Ishgard to speak the truth of the matter, he faces accusations of heresy from the mysterious archbishop and his knights. The archbishop, in truth, is furious with the disruption of the status quo. Of course he knew the truth, but why change what's kept the people happy and blissfully unaware for a thousand years? The archbishop decides he'll become a god himself, and then no matter what truth is revealed, he will maintain order at any cost, and end those who would stand in his way. He sets off for a potent source of aether to achieve his maddened dream, and Yuki'to follows.

With the help of magic siphoned from the stolen eyes of the now-dead Nidhogg, the archbishop becomes the god-king, along with his knights of the round. He issues a challenge to the Warriors of Light: If they wish to refuse his rule, he will in turn show them his blade. The Warriors answer, and dethrone both god-king and his round table. As the archbishop succumbs to his wounds, Nidhogg's eyes are retrieved by Ishgard's Azure Dragoon Estinien, with the hope of destroying them. They instead gain a mind of their own, taking Estinien's body, and Nidhogg is reborn. The maddened dragon sets off to continue his vengeance. Helpless, the Warriors set off back to Ishgard to spread word of the truth behind the war.

With the truth of the war widespread, the people are worried, broken. When an attempt at a renewed dragon/human alliance is stopped by a possessed Estinien crashing the party, the answer is clear: Whatever the cost, Nidhogg's shade must be stopped. The Warriors set out and challenge him at Ishgard's doorstep, defeating him and removing the eyes from the struggling Estinien. The eyes are cast off into the abyss, presumably never to be seen again. Presumably.

The Dragonsong War ended, Ishgard can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Yuki'to, relieved, finally begins to relax as well. He'd helped end a war. Even Estinien, despite being locked deeply within Nidhogg's rage, was recovering.

But a Warrior of Light got no vacation. Not when Alphinaud's twin sister is carried in, wounded by a poisoned arrow set by the archer of an unknown group of adventurers. Yuki'to staunchly agrees to aid the worried brother into finding the attackers and getting some answers.

A group of warriors have arrived, able to take down the beast tribe gods just as swiftly as Yuki'to, but upon investigating their origins, they are met with confrontation. They are known as the Warriors of Darkness, and seek to sow chaos as the ascians do. The reason being is that, when Hydaelyn cast away and broke Zodiark at the beginning of time, the world was broken into 13 copies of itself. The Warriors of Darkness hail from one such mirrored world, where their home is threatened by a loss of balance: Because the Light is stronger than ever, the world is threatened to be swallowed up in it, leaving nothing but pristine emptiness. To sow darkness in Yuki'to's world - the original of the 13 - would perhaps counteract the death of their own.

After a grueling battle, Hydaelyn finally intervenes, revealing that she had no power to stop what was happening because of Zodiark's growing power. But, through the deeds of Yuki'to and his friends, she can take in the light that drowns the other world, and in turn restore balance. Relieved at last, the Warriors of Darkness ask to be sent home. Hydaelyn sets off with them to fix her mistake. Though the battles between them were fierce, they were battles of misunderstanding. It's thanks to the Warriors of Darkness that Yuki'to decides to try thinking more clearly in the future, rather than let revenge decide the fate of an individual. Alphinaud's sister recovered from the arrow and the Warriors of Darkness set on a course of peace, maybe now- NOW- Yuki'to will find a break--

The refugees from Ala Mhigo, a kingdom lost to occupation by the Garlean Empire some fifteen years go, are growing restless. Why save Ishgard? Why unite? Why have they done nothing to take back their beloved city? Led by a man only known as 'The Griffin', many of the refugees have begun to stir up trouble for the city-states, hoping that this will FINALLY get them going on saving their beloved home at last.

A tight, uncomfortable ball in his stomach, Yuki'to sets out. Ishgardians were tough sorts and he still didn't know what he knew of their politics and their traditions. Now he had to learn a whole new one from scratch, and with his comrades' numbers so low, he had to be more effective in his campaign for Ala Mhigo, not just for the Ala Mhigans, but for his friends as well. He couldn't fail. He needed to find The Griffin and have him see reason. They needed to come together and figure things out.

The Griffin, of course, is not a man to be reasoned with. Confronted, he revealed his plan: He would rile up the city-states, all while making the kingdom of Garlemald think war has been declared upon them, giving them the opportunity to strike back full force and end what amounted to a bureaucratic ceasefire. Lastly, he would grant the Ala Mhigan refugees a force to be reckoned with: Using Nidhogg's eyes, bestowed upon him by one of the Ascians, he would end his own life and give birth to a brand new primal... a beast god that could eradicate all who would stand in the way of Ala Mhigan freedom.

One Scion stepped forward in response. Despite pleas from his comrades to reconsider, Papalymo Totolymo offered up all of his aether to form a binding spell around the sphere that would birth the vengeful god. His sacrifice would buy the group time... but how much remained to be seen. Shaken- he was losing all of his friends- Yuki'to turned to the ones that remained for a solution. Was there anything strong enough to take on whatever lived within that sphere?

There was but one: Omega Weapon, an ancient construct used to defeat otherworldly threats. Though the Scions successfully reach the control center of Omega and activate it in time to meet the furious god Shinryu in combat, freshly burst from his magical bonds, the two enter a stalemate and fall somewhere beyond the bounds of the city-states' territory.

They both fell into Garlean-occupied territory. That only left one option: Find them before the Empire does. But according to one of the Scions, Lyse, there is a group of people that fight to free Ala Mhigo as they have for many years: The Ala Mhigan Resistance. They and their leader, Kemp, can offer insight into the foreign lands and lend their aid. The reception is a little welcome, but a little frosty as well: The Resistance's numbers are thin, and the city-states only offer a small group of adventurers. But after some discussion, they lend what help they can. Yuki'to, the Scions and the other Warriors of Light in turn begin their campaign to clear the Garleans from the area.

It's clear the Garlean invasion had long since taken its toll: The people aren't the slightest bit interested in joining the cause of the Resistance, and instead shun Yuki'to and the others for even trying. Too many have insisted they were the ones to save Ala Mhigo. Too many have died. But Yuki'to's frustration only grew: He grew up keeping his head down and letting anyone do whatever they wanted with him. These people needed to stand up for themselves if they wanted to end all of this! What's worse, some Ala Mhigans have sworn loyalty to the Empire and its viceroy, Zenos yae Galvus, calling themselves the Skulls. This would be just as complex and perplexing as Ishgard. Yuki'to, though intimidated, remains staunch. He and his friends would see this through.

...Until, while out on a scouting mission, Yuki'to and the others spot smoke rising from the Resistance's hideout. They race back to see the Skulls, many Garleans and Zenos yae Galvus himself striking down the people without mercy. Yuki'to bears witness to what Zenos is capable of, his expression unchanging as the Warrior of Light is struck down without the large, imposing man breaking a sweat. As Yuki'to struggles to remain conscious, Zenos and his party simply depart, having made their point: Ishgard and its dragons had -nothing- on them. To see Yuki'to struck down so utterly shocks even the Scions... what the hells WAS Zenos?!

They needed help. Zenos needed his forces weakened. Yuki'to and the Warriors of Light make up their minds: Perhaps if they saw to freeing Doma from the clutches of their viceroy, a cruel woman by the name of Yotsuyu, they could gain the numbers they so desperately need while removing a major foothold for the Garleans. After escorting the wounded survivors to safety, the group sets off for the continent of Othard. They would free Doma and gain a foothold right on Ala Mhigo's doorstep.

Along the way, Yuki'to meets a bevvy of spirited individuals: The downtrodden people of Othard, living quietly in small villages who gradually add their strength to the cause; the xaela au ra, a warring race of tribal folk who welcome the opportunity to take the battle to the Garlean eyesore; the ananta, a snake-like beast race desiring to live without fear of Imperial rule, and lastly, he meets a young samurai named Hien, who as it turns out is the son of the previous king of Doma before Yotsuyu's rule. Not a bad roster.

With the increased numbers at their backs, the Warriors of Light take to Doma Castle and clear it of Yotuyu and her people. Despite her fierce opposition, the team seeks her out and puts an end to her rule. But it isn't without the cost of lives, and even the castle itself: To prevent escape, Hien permitted the flooding of the castle, for a castle is simply a "thing"... a "thing" that can be rebuilt even better under his rule. Though at first the reception is frosty, for the castle represented much of their history, the Domans breathe their first sigh of relief in twenty years. With proof that they can reclaim the land after so long, all of Doma offers their strength and wisdom to the cause of freeing Ala Mhigo. Yuki'to is more determined than ever. He has such powerful, clever and determined friends... this was nothing like Ishgard, a land that demanded he always look over his shoulder.

Zenos yae Galvus, however, had other plans. With full forces pounding at the gates of the city, Zenos welcomes the Warriors of Light to his domicile, and invites them upstairs to the menagerie. Here, he reveals he has been keeping Shinryu bound tight, a creature of pure, beautiful ferocity that he intends to use for himself.

But he gives Yuki'to a choice: Kill Shinryu, if he must. But it would prove that words and peace mean nothing when ferocity and savagery have been what led to the heroes' success thus far. Thinking only of the deaths of so many of his friends, the fear of the Domans, the sheer stink of oppression, Yuki'to doesn't shrink to Zenos' bluff. He declares he will destroy Shinryu, just as he has all the other primals summoned thus far. Zenos answers by freeing Shinryu, and merging with the beast. Powered by fury, powered by his own bloodlust, Zenos will simply squash all opposition. None of them have given him the fight he desired in his psychopathic heart, so it's better simply to burn it all.

Gathering the other Warriors one last time, Yuki'to and the others take to battling Shinryu with his full strength. The battle is fierce and arduous, but they face the wall of bloodthirstiness with a determination to match. With Shinryu defeated, Zenos reemerges.

Zenos laughs. He was finally given the fight he desired. Thanking the Warriors for finally giving him the feeling he wanted, he turned his katana upon himself, ending his own life much to the dismay and fury from the Resistance and the Scions. They would not question him, or give him the end he deserved. But Yuki'to is relieved... maybe they didn't get any answers from him, but he would not darken Ala Mhigo any longer. With the sound of horns over the city rooftops, Othard rejoices, for the city-state of Ala Mhigo is finally free.

Personality:

(cw: parental emotional abuse)

Yuki'to began life as a very meek boy who kept to himself as much as absolutely possible, born the second son in a family that only desired one. He wasn't permitted to speak too loudly, go outside and play with the other children, nor perform any duties a growing child needed to do that meant having him outside where he would be seen by the public. In his mind was cultivated the mindset that he was something to be ashamed of, and must remain hidden. Despite instinctual tendencies to seek, romp and hunt, Yuki'to stayed inside most days, and spent nights lying on that slipshod bed of his questioning his decisions and actions for the day. Mothers knew best, right? If he could find out where he went wrong and just fix it, then maybe she'd smile at him, thank him, love him like she loved her first son Yuki'a. His childhood years were spent struggling for her affection, fighting to grow up into a child who did things right. Stuck inside for most of his days, he took to examining the appliances and tools lying around the house, figuring out how they worked and how he may make them better. Perhaps in this way, if he couldn't make himself better, he could at least make everything around his mother better so she won't be so short and angry all the time. It would be years before he'd realize that this wasn't how parents treated their children. It would be years before he'd realize his situation wasn't normal, and in turn he developed a desire to be like everyone else with their normal lives, gradually diminishing his desire to make his mother happy.

His relationship with his brother was nothing short of non-existent. It had to be. Whenever Yuki'to lashed out, frustrated and sad over the unequal treatment, he was punished and any progress he'd made to make himself better and 'normal' was dashed back to square one. So rather than fight it, as instinct would have willed someone like him to, Yuki'to chose instead to bow to it, and made fewer and fewer efforts to even be in the same room as his sibling.

Alas, what emerged was a meek child becoming a rather meek, introverted young adult. Words were few from him, as opportunities to express himself were few. As he relied on actions to voice himself, Yuki'to developed a tendency to gesticulate and gesture over offering spoken word to a conversation. This unfortunately makes him an odd duck in many social groups, and it's worse when you add a nervousness around women. When the only female role model in your life is a woman who resented your existence, you tend to live wondering if they're all just waiting for the chance to scoff and yell at you. He bears no ill will to them. Hells, he bears no ill will to his mother. He simply fears her, and in turn, works to avoid eye contact. It even went so far as to have him outright flee at the very sight of someone talking in his direction, but in recent years among many lady Warriors of Light and Scions, as well as lady Magitek Mercenaries, he has learned to live with standing in the same room without suffering panic attacks, but his heart will still race and he will still be nervous. His desire to be like everyone else powers him every day to take those baby steps in the right direction.

But he's terrified of failure. He swore to himself never to make mistakes again. As Yuki'to grew up, he nurtured and developed a sense of doing what was right. He would prevent another person becoming just like him. He wanted to protect people. He wanted to keep them safe. This drove Yuki'to to give nothing short of 110% in his actions when it comes to stepping forward and helping someone, or battling for someone's sake despite any core-deep fears. In this way, one could say this makes him rather heroic. Fortunately, while at first he performed for the dream of a compliment at the end, some sign that he finally did good for once, his time spent with the Scions have inferred that not being thanked doesn't mean he is hated. This thankfully ended the small panics he felt when his acts were followed by silence or an awe he didn't understand. In this he also fears loneliness, and being on his own again if he can help it. He enjoys having friends, companionship far too much to regress. Friends and companionship were what everyone else had, and damn it, he'll have it, too!

His talent with machines didn't go unnoticed. His eventual acceptance under the tutelage of Stephanivien as a newfound machinist became the pinnacle of Yuki'to's changes for the better, granting him further individuality as well as inner and outer strength: Yuki'to could finally begin to fight back and not feel that he HAD to for acceptance, aiding the helpless or those in a sticky situation; deep meditations amid the sound of hissing pistons could help him fight his fears and center his power, clearing his mind and sharpening it like a blade, a little keener each time; finally, the small number of machinists he wound up training with granted him with that foreign yet comforting feeling of kinship. He had a family with the others in the Skysteel Manufactory. Because of this, he is rather protective of their memories, their names and their faces. It is unwise to insult his tutor or his comrades when you're in Yuki'to's earshot.

Overall, he's a silent protagonist to a fault. He's shy, a reluctant recluse, and a man who works to take care of himself. At his core, he feels that if he can solve the problems of others- which he performs in spades as a Warrior of Light- he can in turn solve his own problems and make people more comfortable with him. Then maybe he can grow more comfortable with himself.

Abilities:

On a mundane scale, Yuki'to is a member of the miqo'te race, and are born trackers and hunters. He's flexible, agile and capable of viewing things in low light. Before anyone asks, he cannot purr. He's an okay cook, but tends to focus on small meals he can carry from job to job rather than a lavish meal for friends. Hope you guys like kickin' rad sandwiches.

On a job scale, Yuki'to is a Machinist, packed with a variety of gunslinging abilities, as well as calling upon turrets powered by an aetheric converter strapped to his belt that feeds from his own magic. Because of his job class, he is able to draw up and read blueprints as well as perform repairs on many types of machinery. He also has a fondness for building, making alterations on his turrets. He dreams of building his own flying machine.

As one of many gifted individuals known as the Warriors of Light, Yuki'to possesses the Echo. A mysterious power, Yuki'to is not only capable of understanding any language, but is able to view glimpses of the past when his soul resonates with another person. The latter happens seemingly randomly, striking him and filling his mind when he least expects it.

Alignment: Thras. Fear and courage are Yuki'to's greatest struggles in balance, thanks to his childhood and his own insecurities that were born from it. I see many great opportunities for him to develop in discovering that his emotional actions- while not entirely consequential in his own world- have such great impact here that he absolutely HAS to learn to center himself and be a better person.

Other: None.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample: Anima Echoed intro toplevel.

Emotion Sample:

He thought he was doing well enough, making friends and working himself toward a relative level of comfort that matched the way he felt in Eorzea. He'd even smiled and waved to strangers, and they did the same without much thought. How he wished he could be like them, so comfortable in their own-

"KITTY!" The ears and the tail could never afford him privacy on the worst of days, however. When a stranger decided they wanted to give a miqo'te a little hug, rather than politely ask or yell at them to remove themselves, he... screamed.

He screamed and ran, shocking his surprise hugger as he took off in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could carry him. His tail was high, puffed to a scraggly black mess, but his eyes were wild. Flight over fight, Yuki'to scrambled until he could scramble no more, taking him to the edge of town before he needed to stop and sink to the grass to catch his breath. Hunkered low, this conqueror of dragons, mad Garleans and otherworldly monsters jittered and shook with his hands to his ears. Flowers that had sprouted to welcome the sunshine from someone else's overwhelming happiness had curled into their buds and shuddered as if someone took their stems and shook them; some of the windows in buildings he'd passed had hairline cracks in their windows, and some small manners of creature, the squirrels and the birds, had curled into little balls and waited for some unseen hawk to pass.

But Yuki'to took some breaths as he felt his face prickle and burn. How embarrassing... he didn't even know who it was that did that. He grit his teeth as he slowly lowered his hands from his ears, face an impressive shade of red. From where his boots were planted in the grass and slowly outward, the flowers that had tightened and shivered slowly opened, now bright red instead of their usual hues. The miqo'te took every breath at a time and fought to settle himself down again, try everything again, and maybe find that person to apologize. Maybe he hadn't messed things up.

He would make this right.

Without realizing, as he slowly stood and cast his eyes around him, a thick golden drop beaded to life and plunked into the crystal tucked beneath his shirt.

Questions: None.

Edited 2017-09-01 10:24 (UTC)

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Scott
Contact:

zicak
Age: 25
Current Characters: None

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Zephyr Taiyoh
Age: 23
OC Type: Pure / Tabletop OC
Point Taken: From the middle of the campaign, I guess?

World Building: The continent of Thaumasia is a land set in the early stages of a magic-centered industrial revolution. While magical energies are abundant, it is extremely difficult for living creatures to make use of them, and therefore must resort to elementally-enchanted metals in order to utilize that power.

Magitech is a cornerstone of everyday life, and nothing exemplifies that more than the abundance of Frames, stories-tall mechanized automatons powered and controlled by the magical energies of a pilot. They range everywhere from construction models, to transportation vehicles, and most importantly military and mercenary combat units.

A number of nations have flourished with the development of magitech, but the rapidly-increasing demand for magical minerals and the riches they provide tend to cause friction, if not all-out war between nations. It's a world where conflict is abundant, innovation is at a dangerous high, and if the people don't kill you, the local megafauna will.

Also half the population are some extent of furry so there's that sort of racial strife going on, too.

Backstory: Zephyr Taiyoh grew up in a town-sized beastfolk tribe in the mountains, a tribe known by and large for its artisanry. Their culture, religion, education, and almost all facets of life involved creation in some shape or form, be it art, music, literature, or, most notably, smithing. Creation is a sacred act to them, and as such, encouraging children to do so is paramount, no matter what it is. This worked out well for Zephyr, who found herself more interested in the art of exploration and combat than the magitech systems most of her family were involved in. While she did learn the basics of engineering and smithing simply by growing up in the tribe, she took more of a liking to the grand stories of glory in faraway lands, heroes with towering and elegant Frames spreading justice where there was none, and exploring the far, unknown reaches of the continent in search of knowledge and treasure. That was what she wanted to do: go off on grand adventures instead of staying cooped up in a shop all day.

These feelings were only compounded over the years, as the tribe began to feel increasing tensions with the very theocratic government whose territory they were housed in. While their artisanry was well-appreciated, their method of religious worship did not fall in line with the national church's beliefs and practices. Nothing has happened yet, but even a kid like Zephyr could tell that tensions were rising, and if something weren't done, things might get a little bit unpleasant for the tribe.

And so, with a religious conflict on the horizon and a head full of tales of adventure, Zephyr decides her best course is to get herself a Frame, and set off to find a new place for the tribe to live, away from potential persecution. To that end, she enrolled in the Acadamie Castello, a renowned military school in the neighboring country designed to teach students the very best in Frame piloting and combat. Ever supportive of her endeavors, her friends and family came together to build a custom Frame to send her to school with- christened the Beaming Botany for its plant-like motif and main armament: a giant, intimidating laser cannon, because bullets are just so passe.

While she took well enough to the schoolwork aspect of academy life, she had some trouble adapting to the rigorous, no-nonsense culture a military academy tends to push. All cold, she could have very well gotten used to it in time, but that hope was dashed upon meeting her now-best friend and partner in crime: Mercedes, a carefree, wild badger girl who would rather replace the morning reverie with butt rock than actually heed its call to go to morning classes. The two of them became known as the Trouble Twins throughout campus, creating all sorts of mischief and near-unexplainable prankery in their wake. Oddly enough, they still managed to keep their grades up to spectacular levels, which was the only thing keeping them from expulsion by the end. They graduated among the top in their class, much to the confusion of their teachers, and instead of taking a guaranteed position of military officers, the two decided to strike out on their own for adventure and shits and giggles.

Personality: In two words, Zephyr can be described with unbridled optimism. As a child of an artisan community, she has been taught to never give up and look on the bright side of things; every mistake a chance to learn, every failure a valuable experience, and every shortcoming a goal for the future. To her, there's no sense in giving up or not seeing things through to the end. After all, you can't get much from an unfinished work. Better to see it through, no matter how terrible, and simply learn for next time. She is all too happy to share this outlook with others, and is quick to offer comforting words, or, more often than not, an impassioned impromptu motivational speech. She is quite good at those, but she does have a tendency to let metaphors get away from her and occasionally jumps into a speech before learning what, exactly, the underlying issue is. At least she tries.

Her motivational spirit also applies when it comes to trying new things. she's willing to try just about anything once unless it's blatantly sketchy, and she has no issue with encouraging others to do the same. This applies equally to encouraging someone to try to learn a new skill, and getting someone to do something stupid because "it'll look cool" or "it'll be funny". She had a reputation in school for being a terrible enabler, and it was well-founded, with her and her best friend, Mercedes, being at the head of all sorts school pranks and legally-questionable but otherwise harmless activities.

Though she is not a master craftsman like many in her village, she still has a head for it. She's quite good at logical thought, although her form of logic can be sometimes removed from traditional mindsets. While she can readily solve practical problems, her solutions aren't always the most efficient, or straightforward. They work more often than not if given the chance, but it is sometimes difficult to follow her reasoning, or the plan itself once put into action. She herself has given up trying to explain her machinations and simply refers to her more grand achievements as "incidents". For example, the "Noodle Incident" that somehow solved a pest infestation at school, but left half the cafeteria covered in cook buckwheat noodles. How it accomplished the former is vauge at best, but it did. Somehow.

Abilities: Though she is a fount of magical power, Zephyr cannot use any abilities or cast any spells by herself. Instead, she must channel that energy through a green gem implanted in her left wrist in order to power magical constructs. Most commonly, this would be her Frame, the Beaming Botany, a 2-storie tall mech-like construct with a giant mounted laser cannon and a throwing spear for good measure. Outside her frame, she can take the cores from said weapons, Xylem and Phloem, and channel energy through them to make them float and shoot lasers. Aside from that, she can power and control most magical devices, but that's about it.

Alignment: Peromei. Zephyr's MO usually takes the form of unbridled optimism and hope, opting to push forward with a given task relentlessly, despite any obstacles that may arise. Her thought process usually starts with "how can I do this?" rather than "Can I do this?", and if the straightforward way doesn't work, she is quick to try something roundabout to get to her goal. She also does what she can to impart this on others; offering to help those that struggle, or simply give one of her trademark motivational tirades. They may not work all the time, but if she keeps doing them, she'll get better at them, and thus can inspire anyone into action, right?

Other: Her weapon cores, the floating orbs known as Xylem and Phloem, will be arriving with her. Her Frame, unfortunately, is a little too big.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample: Catching bugs with Mickey

Emotion Sample: Prompt A

Questions: Nah.

Edited 2017-09-02 02:46 (UTC)

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Zumi
Contact:

zumidotexe
Age: 32
Current Characters: Scrooge McDuck

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Daniel Kanegem
Age: 20
OC Type: Pure
Point Taken: After finding a few family members and joining Bridge's band

World Building: Demons.EXE World Info

Backstory: Daniel Renoir began his life in the small mountain town of East Hollow, made up almost entirely of Sentinels, an ancient class of warriors made to fight the monsters of the world. He grew up a normal child, save for the whole "training to be a professional warrior" thing. He made friends, got in trouble at school, started using daggers and a particular set of bladed gauntlets, and so life continued as normal until he reached the age of 14.

Deep in his training, Daniel was stationed at one of the upper guard posts on the wall of the fortified town when the tragedy struck. Chaotics, THOUSANDS of them, came rushing out of the surrounding wilderness and poured onto East Hollow like a tide of burning oil. The monsters crashed into, over, and through the wall on Daniel's side, where the poor teenager had been struck dumb by the sheer sight of the attack. By the time he was able to make even some semblance of an alarm the Chaotics had broken in and other, adult guards, including the others in the same station as Daniel, had already alerted the population. It was too late, however. The tidal wave had broken over the city and, even though nearly everyone there was trained to fight Chaotics, East Hollow fell under sheer numbers. Daniel didn't even bother fighting; he sped his way through the streets, caring only about getting to his house. He arrived to find it half broken down and his parents facing off against a Chaotic easily two stories tall. As he watched in horror it overpowered them, dove down with fanged mouth agape, cries mingled with the chaos around him.......

The next thing Daniel remembers clearly is sitting in a hastily created shelter, with other shaken citizens of East Hollow around him, and a blanket around his shoulders. The attack was over, but the town would never be the same. Two-thirds of the population was dead, and not a single soul had come out of the event unscarred, either physically or mentally. Once Daniel got over the initial numbness of waking up drained and sore, he staggered home. Or, what was left of it. Though the Chaotic had vanished upon defeat (as they do) and the bodies of his parents had been removed, the home itself was a gaping, mostly-destroyed shadow of its former self. Nevertheless, he spent several nights here, in a corner of the portion still standing.

Several of the other citizens reached out to the poor boy but he drifted through a listless depression, his only real activity going through the items in the house, deciding what should be kept and what was gone beyond recognition. One of the items he found was a photo album owned by his parents, one he'd never seen before. This held pictures of themselves in their younger days with many faces he didn't recognize and in the back pocket, a few folded sheets of paper. These proved to be a revelation for him: he was adopted. His former name had been Robin Kanegem, and by these records his adoptive parents had taken him in when he was only a year or so old. Though he didn't, couldn't, resent them for never telling him, finding out this fact lit the fire of ambition in him and he knew what he had to do and where he had to go. He had to find his birth parents. He had to go to the city listed on the records, even as far away as it was. He had to know.

What followed next were two solid years of being on the road. Daniel (tucking "Renoir" away into a corner of his heart and taking "Kanegem" as a new last name, to try and bind the two selves together) left East Hollow among others departing for their own other family members and other places of the world, telling no one and using the activity to sneak out unhindered. One quick visit to his parents' graves and then he left for good. His goal was a city called Cedar Springs, several hundred miles away, and being a broke teenager deadset on a mission he decided to hoof it there. He faced many dangers- Chaotics, illness, weather, nightmares and flashbacks to the tragedy -but managed to keep himself going, wanting nothing to get in his way. He tended to avoid cities for cost and because, by his word, he always got sick there, but would occasionally stop to get money for his trip by selling little trinkets and things he made on the road (leather, cloth, and stone keychains and the like).

This eventually brought him through Birchpointe, New Jersey, where one of his rare trips into a city also saw him making several friends. Birchpointe was only a few hours from Cedar Springs and so he rested a couple of days here before moving on again. Ultimately, however, he was doomed to failure. The agency that handled the adoption was no longer around, and there was no record of his birth parents. Dejected but not defeated, he returned to Birthpointe and the friends he had made, and was able to stay with some of them, an older teenager named Aureole (or Aura) and her girlfriend Sable, who lived in an apartment of their own.

Ultimately that decision wound up turning his life around for the better. A latenight talk with Aura would eventually help Daniel see just how much he was destroying himself. In his determination to find his parents, he had missed the damage it was doing to his body. He was short and too thin, so much that the 16 year old looked 12, and his frequent illnesses and fatigue spells were the result of irregular sleep and malnourishment rather than a fact of how he "was." A different conversation with Sable also put a name to something else: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The nightmares, the irritability, the flashbacks, the depression; he had known it had come from the fall of East Hollow but had never known it was something with a name.

With the home given to him by the couple, the warm bed and regular meals, and the help dealing with his disorder, Daniel's body began to recover. His growth caught up with himself and in the span of a year or so he went from 5'3" to 5'11" and filled out to match (which was also helped by further training by an adult Sentinel in Birchpointe). He also learned that completely by chance he had stumbled into family: Aura and her younger sister Kylie, daughters of Daniel's aunt, though he would never learn that Aura had found that out before he had (by snooping through his things, oops). He also made several more friends, including Bridge, who he would later join a band with, learning the bass.

There was one more hurdle to be had, however. An attack by a werewolf demon left him with the curse, transforming by force every night of the full moon. This was an extreme difficulty at first, leaving him in a berserk stage that was as much a danger to himself as others. Help from friends and family (and most crucially, an older werewolf he'd met before) have helped him learn to control it, which he has........ mostly managed. Despite the difficulties, Daniel has accepted it as part of his life now, and does what he can to keep himself from hurting others whenever the moon comes around again. Bit by bit it's become as much a part of him as everything else, and with it and the people he's met, he's learning to find a life of normalcy again, reasons to be without being so doggedly searching for his parents to the exclusion of everything else.

Personality: Daniel is, at first glance, a serious person. He speaks in an even (though not mono)tone, doesn't laugh out loud very often, and is usually the "straight man" to other shenanigans around him. He concerns himself with missions, tasks, and other things that he needs to complete, and will rarely let anything get between him and his goal. Because of his PTSD he also has bouts of depression or withdrawl; occasionally hard to encourage on the best days, on his bad days he is outright recalcitrant and difficult to be around.

Once you get to know him better however, or get the opportunity to observe him in a relaxed setting, you'll find him kind, friendly, and one who teases his friends well and often. He is, at heart, a gentle person who is dedicated to protecting others, a huge part of what makes him an excellent Sentinel. If you're someone who needs help (combattant or otherwise), Daniel will always be in your corner. He may not laugh much but he does smile easily, and seems to have a knack for attracting friends because of his warmer nature. He wants to prevent further tragedy in his world, but even without the background he's had, he'd still help anyone who needed it, it was how he was raised and how his heart is.

Daniel also has quite the temper. It simmers below the surface, and occasionally boils over without lead-up or reason, leading to him snapping at whoever's around him before the anger slips back wherever it came from. While becoming a werewolf does make this a little worse while also giving him a way to vent, he tends to offload most of his temper into fighting or other exercise, sometimes to the point of sheer exhaustion. He can get caught in a self-destructive loop (arguably this is what happened to him during his years travelling) by getting stuck on something, and continuing on until either the issue drops or HE drops, whichever comes first. In most circumstances he can manage his temper, but it can take his snarkier streak and twist it into an outright jerkish attitude.

There are those times when his mood drags into the dirt. This is most often following sleepless, nightmare-filled nights (particularly as Daniel has irregular sleep patterns in the first place) or as fallout from a particularly bad flashback event. It'll also rise on its own, though it can be hard to tell since he's fairly kept to himself in the first place. He has a number of coping mechanisms he has to try and deal with it (such as aforementioned "wearing self out with exercise"), but will also simply ride it out just as often, accepting it as part of his life now.

Something needs to be mentioned of the influence of family and friends, though. While Daniel was always serious and quiet, even when young, there's no escaping the fact that his tragedy and the PTSD has affected him deeply. It could even be argued that it's all he is, particularly with the years he spent travelling, deadset on his mission to the exclusion of everything else, up to and including proper care and downtime; subsumed by a shadow that didn't even have a name. Finding out he was adopted didn't give him much of an identity crisis, but losing himself in the forests of the world did. He was nothing but what he was trying to accomplish, a statement by his own admission when talking about that time, and when he had to stop for a while, there was an adjustment period of trying to remember just who he was.

That's where the people he'd met come in. Through finding family and gaining friends, Daniel started to find himself again. He's a people person, but not in the usual sense; he thrives when having someone to bounce off of, and to give him somewhere to focus outside of his own mind. He's found fighters that he can spar with and learn from; joining Bridge's band has given him a comraderie and outlet he so desperately needed; even meeting and learning from another werewolf has helped him turn the terrifying, berserker curse into something controllable that's just another part of him now. Through all this and more, Daniel is learning how to be "someone who just happens to have PTSD" rather than "someone who exists without living."

It wasn't easy, it'ss been a very long, difficult road. He had to learn how to manage himself, to stop closing himself off or get locked so much in the self-destructive loops. He also had to learn to control himself as a wolf, and like there are still days where he falls under the weight of his disorder, so too are there moons when the beast can't be tamed. The difference is that now he knows how to deal with both, that it's okay to ask for help, and how to start working on making the next day better.

Abilities:
Daniel has gained some magical ability over time, mostly channeled through his gauntlets, which are enchanted. He has spotty control due to not being trained in any of it (though it should be noted he would have been), most of it activating when his emotional state is high.

Wind Manipulation: Some mild control of the wind around him, which he can use to deflect shots or increase his speed

Double Jump: Exactly what it sounds like. Nearly the only power he can use consciously, he can solidify the air underneath his feet long enough to give him a second, higher jump

Wind Blades: Usable only when he slips into a near control-loss state, the blades on his gauntlets channel solid slices of wind that he can create and send toward the enemy; rarely seen

Additionally:

Werewolf: He transforms by force every night under the full moon, compelled by the magic to look at it even he tries to avoid it. This comes with typical werewolf abilities like enhanced strength, speed, senses, healing, etc. Additionally, the nights before and after pull it closer to the surface, and though they don't force a transformation, they make it considerably easier for Daniel to slip into it. He can also start the change himself but at the moment, only when extremely angry, which is rare.

Alignment: Daimonia. Daniel's biggest hurdle in his life has been grief: grieving over the loss of East Hollow, his adoptive parents, a side of his past he never knew, and the loss of the past he did know through the tragedy of what happened. Though he slips into frequent depression because of his PTSD, this is still fueled by grief, and that feeling has been the toughest thing for him to deal with and get past. Still, he's gaining light in his life through family and friends, and little by little the negativity swings to a genuine, if tarnished, happy existence.

Other: Daniel would be coming in with a 2-3 year old German shepherd named Baron. This is a normal dog.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample: TDM

Emotion Sample: Top entry and first few comments have emotional effects

Questions: N/A

empatheias,

crystalnet, and

While the application shows promise, there are a few things that either didn't quite meet our standards, were lacking, or incorrect. Fortunately we feel that this can be easily revised. Here are our concerns:

The current personality section does give a good insight into Zephyr's character, but we would like to see some expansion (at least a paragraph) on how she thinks of and treats others, from acquaintances to enemies, if she has them, to close friends and family.

Please submit your revisions as its own comment in reply to this one. You have one week to submit the revisions, otherwise we will consider it a revocation of your application. If you have any questions or concerns, ask away!

empatheias,

crystalnet, and

This journal right here!

Okay, here we go:

Zephyr is quite a social and hands-on person when it comes to others. She doesn't hesitate to approach strangers if she wants something, or simply make comments to them if it's relevant in passing. To her, pretty much everyone is a potential new friend, or at least a contact or acquaintance. However, she can sometimes have a difficult time getting a read on how a new person is feeling, and this often results in her invading personal space or asking too deeply into sensitive subjects too early. Fortunately, she will back off if called out on it, and she will pick up on more subtle cues over time, but she can often come across as pushy at first.

For those she already knows, Zephyr is a bastion of support and motivation. By her own admission, she likes to see the best in people, encouraging friends into action, persuading enemies to reconsider their actions, and generally trying to bring out that potential to be good. To do this with everyone is a nigh-impossible feat, and she knows this, but she's going to try anyway. Friends, family, foes, that random drunk on the street... If there's an opportunity for her to help, she'll take it.

Of course, this selflessness does tend to cause her to neglect her own ambitions. By herself, she's somewhat aimless. Though she did graduate from a respected academy with honors, she doesn't have much of an idea of what she wants to do with that accolade. Helping people is all well and good, but such a vague, nebulous goal will only hold up for so long. Still, she keeps doing what she's doing in hopes that she can find some of that direction along the way.

Thank you! This is the journal.

empatheias,

crystalnet, and

Right, I'll be using this journal here.

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Neth
Contact:

froakie
Age: 27
Current Characters: n/a

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Era Ra (The Warrior of Light)
Age: approx. 26 - 27
OC Type: MMO PC from Final Fantasy XIV
Point Taken: Stormblood 4.06. (after completing the Deltascape and receiving Omega's threat)

World Building: Eorzea in a nutshell.

Backstory: It was during the Battle of Carteneau that her old story and and her new began. She had been a Twelvesblade under contract by the Archons, and her duty had been to protect Louisoix Leveilleur as he summoned The Twelve in order to bind the raging Primal, Bahamut.

When both ally and enemy burned in the fires of Bahamut's wrath, leaving her one of the few sole survivors alongside her Twelvesblade companions, Louisoix invoked the power of Althyk the Keeper, god of space and time, to teleport them into an aetherial rift. The aetherial rift kept her untouched by time until it was safe to once again emerge in Eorzea, yet the trip took its toll - it had taken the memories of her past both from her and from those who knew her.

Five years later, the Warrior of Light awoke inside of the aetherial rift to the faint whispers of The Mothercrystal, Hydaelyn.

Hear, think, feel.

She awoke once more - this time in the scorching heat of the outskirts of Ul'dah - lost and confused. By happenstance she stumbled across a carriage on its way to the city and was able to gain passage, meeting an old peddler named Brendt, and a pair of dozing young Elezen twins. It was Brendt who, upon learning of her amnesia, gave her her new name: Era Ra.

His reasoning behind his choice had been simple enough - she was starting a new era of her life, she was an Au Ra, and she was on her way to a city filled with Lalafell. While she was nowhere near the stature of a Lalafell, she could at least do her best to fit in with the locals by using the naming conventions of the Dunesfolk.

Brendt also gave her a cloak to cover herself with, citing that Au Ra weren't commonly seen in Eorzea and there were those in the city that might take advantage of that. It was an act Era would come to appreciate greatly later on as she soon learned she abhorred attention, and found that Brendt had been understating just how uncommon Au Ra were in Eorzea.

Without a gil to her new name, Era had been left without much choice but to join the Adventurer's Guild under the guidance of Momodi - the proprietor of the local tavern, the Quicksand. With the kind Lalafell's help Era began making a name for herself as an adventurer, eventually bringing in enough gil to pay off the debt she owed her new friend.

Once financially secure enough to begin travelling, Era did just that. She had hoped that by traveling she might eventually begin remembering pieces of her past, or that she might find someone who knew her. After many moons without success she had instead changed her focus to improving her skills as an adventurer.

The goal of becoming a master of all forms of magic was what spurred Era on after that. She had an innate understanding of arcane magic that she had overlooked when she first started out as an adventurer, choosing instead to delve into the world of stealth and rogues. It was easier to pick up a blade and wield it, or at least she had assumed so until she acquired her first grimoire.

Era had been a master of the arcane arts in the Before. Of this she was sure. Summoning her Carbuncle to her had been as easy as breathing - it felt like she had just slotted a missing piece of her heart back into place. The rest of the arcane arts had come just as easily. Soon enough people were sending the Arcanist's guild requests for her aid, and Era was perfectly happy to assist.

She delved into the ways of the conjurer and the thaumaturge. She dabbled in leatherworking and goldsmithing. She jumped into botany. Ninja, Paladin, Bard...

Many of those things came to her nearly as easily as the arcane arts, though most skills felt like something she was remembering rather than learning. Era supposed she couldn't have spent her past life learning nothing and some things the body just does not forget even if the mind does, though she knew much of her knowledge came from the soul crystals themselves.

Eventually she found herself back in Ul'dah and found herself agreeing to help clear the Copperbell Mines of the monsters that halted production. Without the materials from the mines, Ul'dah could not continue recovering from the damage the Calamity had dealt the city and as it was the first home Era could recall having she was eager to lend a hand. It had been an easy enough job, yet apparently her reputation had finally caught the eyes of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.

Momodi relayed the group's request that Era meet with them and she had acquiesced.

This was when Era met what would become the only family she could remember.

{A Realm Reborn summary. Mastered Arcanima (SCH/SMN) and Ninja. Delved into White Mage, Black Mage, Paladin, Bard, Monk.}

{Heavensward summary. Mastered Paladin, White Mage, Black Mage, Astrologian, Bard, Monk.}

Throughout Heavensward Era was moderately more quick to anger, and overwhelmed with guilt over what happened to her fellow Scions at the end of A Realm Reborn. She threw herself into the midst of the Dragonsong War, hoping not to fail her newfound allies as she did her old ones. She was met with frustration after frustration but held herself together for the most part, up until the events following The Vault. Losing Haurchefant was a heavy blow, enough that she began learning the ways of the Dark Knight but she gave that up rather quickly. Instead she chose to bear a House Fortemps shield and master the ways of the Paladin in honor of her fallen brother.

Era trained relentlessly every spare moment she had once the Archbishop was slain, determined to master as many forms of combat as possible to aid in the fight against Nidhogg. She was not going to lose yet another comrade, even one as abrasive as Estinien.

Once the dreaded wyrm was finally slain and Estinien recovered, there was barely a moment's respite before the Resistance's attack on Baelsar's Wall. Nidhogg's eyes made a reappearance to summon a threat even greater than Bahamut - Shinryu. Papalymo sacrificed himself to bind the Primal, buying Era, Cid, and Nero time to awaken Omega to contain it.

Omega and Shinryu fought each other, both eventually landing on the other side of the wall in Gyr Abania - occupied territory - and prompting the Eorzean Alliance to prepare for war with the Garlean Empire.

{Stormblood summary. Mastered Red Mage. Delved into Samurai.}

The deaths of even more companions continue to weigh on Era more and more throughout her time liberating Doma and Ala Mhigo from the Garlean Empire. She once again focuses on her tasks with a single minded determination, doing all she can to grow stronger and stronger so that she would not be beaten by Zenos again so easily.

Her disappointment in arriving on Hingashi and Othard and finding none who recognized her was shoved aside in favour of aiding those in need - specifically her dear friends Yugiri and Gosetsu. She helps them find the lost prince of Doma, Lord Hien, in the Azim Steppe. After participating in the Xaela's yearly Naadam and becoming recognized as their leader she gains the Steppe as a powerful ally. Liberating Doma was a simple enough matter after that, though Gosetsu was lost in the battle.

Crossing the sea back to Rhalgr's Reach, Era continued putting on a strong face for everyone. The loss of yet another friend left her even more weary than before, though she comforted herself with the knowledge that he couldn't have died in a more honorable way. Once back on Gyr Abanian soil she had barely any time to rest - the Eorzean Alliance moved forward with the attack on Ala Mhigo.

There were two moments where Era felt as though the world was ending - the first was when she feared Alphinaud had been killed in an explosion, and the second when she saw Alisaie hit the ground after being attacked by Fordola.

Luckily her fears were unfounded and both of the twins were alive, if not well. Shortly thereafter the attack on Ala Mhigo proper began and it went smoothly, with very few casualties. She and a few of her adventurer companions cleared the way, then she finally defeated Zenos, though he was far from dead. He was well enough to lead the way to the Royal Menagerie where he had Shinryu held captive, and after making Era realize that they had a lot of uncomfortable similarities he merged with the Primal dragon.

It was one of the most difficult fights of her life, but by some miracle she managed to defeat both Shinryu and Zenos at last. After his loss he kills himself on his own blade and Ala Mhigo is finally free after over two decades of oppression.

But a greater threat soon emerged in the form of Omega, and Era had to delve into the Deltascape - a reality between realities - and fight enemies from stories of various universes. After defeating the first round of battles, Omega decided that threatening the lives of all Era held dear would be the best way to make her fight at her maximum potential.

Personality: Era's most defining trait is being heroic and helpful to a fault. She will go out of her way to do even the most mundane of favours for pretty much anyone she meets who asks something of her despite her rank and reputation, whether it be killing monsters, gathering herbs, delivering messages, or doing someone's job for them. She is strong and independent and confident in her skills. She has slain Primal gods, ended the Dragonsong War, and destroyed Ascians. Her power has never gone to her head; despite her talent for magic - healing arts in particular - she has still lost beloved friends and continues to mourn them while pushing forward.

She knows full well she's lacking when it comes to discourse and politics, preferring to rely on her young companion Alphinaud's skill instead. Despite (or perhaps because of) her preference for not speaking more than necessary she managed to befriend the Beast Tribes of Eorzea. They are treated as less than human - menaces in need of culling - and Era does not tolerate such blatant generalization. She will not blame the many for the actions of the few.

While she has no memory of a family she has made her own from her trusted comrades, and Era will prioritize them above all else. She makes comrades quickly, though she is not quick to trust explicitly until given reason. She is polite and friendly, though doesn't suffer rudeness. She has a good amount of sass and a dry sense of humour that occasionally runs dark given her lifestyle of near constant combat. She has a notoriously calm disposition, though she is quite good at masking any internal distress and also known to let her temper flare at times.

Generally she is quite merciful and prefers incapacitating to killing, but she will and has made exceptions to this, like when it comes to avenging her loved ones. As much as she has a talent and preference for healing magic she also has a talent for destructive magic and will make full use of it when need be.

She is curious and eager to learn about most anything, but particularly about anything pertaining to magic. Discussion of knowledge (especially magic) is one of the few things that will cause her to speak aloud more than a sentence or two at a time.

Era is comfortable with her body despite her small stature, and she is proud of both her horns and Auri heritage. However, when she first awoke she soon learned that she was one of only very few Au Ra in Eorzea. She dealt with unwanted stares of all sorts, occasionally making her feel more like a beast than a woman, to the extent that she kept her Auri traits hidden in hoods and skirts for her first short while in Eorzea. Once more Au Ra became arriving she slowly became comfortable showing off her horns, scales, and tail again, though still tends to keep more skin covered up than not around strangers. When with trusted companions she is perfectly fine with them seeing her in her undergarments, unashamed of her heritage and comfortable in her skin.

Being as busy as she is, Era doesn't bother with romantic entanglements. Nor is she interested in them - though it could be said that her disinterest stems from having no understanding of romance herself. She finds people of all genders and races aesthetically appealing, and feels quite lucky that all of her most trusted companions are unfairly pretty. She herself is often found to change her hair or makeup, and always has a variety of outfits on her person so she can change her glamour on every whim.

Her biggest desire is to see everyone she cares for happy and at peace, and she is willing to do almost anything to make that happen. Era has dedicated her life to fighting for the Light and knows she belongs first to Eorzea and last to herself.

☘ ☘ ☘

Canon personality references:

"[...] As for the Warrior of Light..."

Swallowing her cookie, Alisaie picked up where Y'shtola had trailed off, a hint of displeasure in her voice. "Oh, she's doubtless engaged in some heroic endeavor or other. She knows the time and place, though, and gave me no reason to believe she wouldn't come."

Lyse's smile was half amusement, half resignation. "The more things change, eh? She never could stay still for long."

Taking this as an invitation, Alisaie gave vent to her frustration. "Isn't that the truth! If she's not cheating death with her fellow adventurers, you can be sure she's off helping the beast tribes, or collecting tomestones, or regaling the children of Idyllshire with the tales of her exploits, or delivering something to someone. Honestly, I don't think she sleeps."

- excerpt from A Calm After the Storm

☘

Though the whole of Eorzea looked to the adventurer as a hero, to Lord Haurchefant the great Warrior of Light was above all else a friend. And the feeling was plainly mutual. Kindred spirits. Like the Warrior of Light, the knight lived to serve. To protect. To sacrifice. For there is no greater calling.

- excerpt from Words, Deeds, Beliefs.

☘

"[...]

And so I told him of the woman who had unexpectedly come into our lives─a bright, shining paragon of virtue, whose very presence drove others to be better than themselves. I told him that this woman, this cherished friend of mine, was a hero, lies and slander be damned, and that as her friend, it was only right that I help her.

[...]

Thanks to you─and indirectly my father─I have come to appreciate my visits to the manor all the more. You are rarely there, of course, given your propensity for disappearing off on grand adventures, but I forgive you on the grounds that most are undertaken on our behalf! Truly, your famously calm disposition notwithstanding, I suspect, given the right encouragement, you would have some decidedly colorful observations to share."

- excerpts from an unsent letter Haurchefant Greystone wrote to the Warrior of Light. (x)

☘

The Warrior of Light knelt before the memorial, motionless. Even at a distance, the manservant could make out her face, a mask betraying nothing... And then, with soldierly abruptness, she rose to her feet, a curious smile spreading across her face.

- excerpt from Thoughts Unspoken

Abilities: → The Echo - Hydaelyn's Blessing. It prevents her mind from being tempered, allows her to have visions of significant events in the past, and allows her to understand anything a being with a soul may say. If there is no soul, she won't be able to understand them. Additionally, it gives her occasional visions in the midst of battle that broadcast an enemy's next attack. She will also have realistic visions of her death prior to battles where things will go wrong so that she might avoid such a future, and though she handles these quite well it has made for frequent nightmares.

→ Soroban's Blessing - a blessing gained from a Kojin ritual. Grants the user the ability to breathe underwater as if it were air.

→ White Magic - Cure, Medica, Benediction, Regen, Holy, Aero, Stone, Esuna, et cetera. The standard White Mage abilities from Final Fantasy.

→ Astrologian Magic - the same healing abilities as with white magic, however with a focus on 'buffing' others with beneficial effects using magical cards, and regens or temporary shields.

→ Arcane Magic (Arcanima) - Bio, Miasma, Ruin, and other skills that focus on poisons and damaging enemies over time using aether-based abilities. The summoned companion is a Carbuncle who assists in combat.

→ Scholar Magic - healing abilities like the others, but with a focus on temporary shields. Her aetherial fairy companion, Lily, can provide regens, defense boosts, increase the efficacy of healing magics, and cast a basic healing ability. Also includes all Arcane skills.

→ Summoner Magic - the same skills as found in arcane magic, but with the ability to summon aetherial echos of the Primals Garuda, Titan, and Ifrit, the ability to tap into the aether of Bahamut and increase her strength immensely for a short period of time and use a version of Akh Morn called Death Flare. Also has the ability to summon a Demi-Bahamut after using the remnants of Bahamut's aether enough times during combat.

→ Black Magic - Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Flare, Sleep, Slow, Bind, Ley Lines, Enochian, Foul, etc. The added ability to use magic to form a temporary shield against incoming attacks.

→ Paladin Abilities - basic swordsmanship with the ability to temporary increase her defenses and attract the attention of enemies away from allies. Able to use Hallowed Ground to make herself immune to otherwise fatal damage for a very short period of time, and Passage of Arms to protect those around her. Her strength stems from her desire to protect the innocent.

→ Ninja Abilities - using dual daggers that cut and slice enemies like the standard ninja. Able to use different poisons to either Silence or Stun an enemy. Also able to use Mudras (hand symbols) to cast Ninjutsu: Huton (speed increase), Raiton (a bolt of lightning), Katon (a burst of flame), Doton (a circle of earth with increased gravity), Suiton (a blast of water), and Hyoton (a crush of ice). Can also summon a Demon Frog for a few seconds at a time during combat.

→ Red Magic - a mix of white magic and black magic and cool rapiers and backflips.

→ Bard - she can play magic songs on the harp and shoot things really good.

→ Monk - she can punch stuff really good.

→ Samurai Abilities - just your standard samurai.

→ Limited Skill Sets - aside from a few basic abilities, Era will not be able to access the specific job skill sets unless equipped with the appropriate weapon and Soul Crystal. i.e., she would still be able to do martial arts but not access her chakra, or have her skills with a dagger but no access to her ninjutsu.

In terms of 'strength' as levels with a cap of 70 think of Magic Classes/Paladin/Ninja at 70, Bard/Monk/Dragoon/Samurai at 60.

→ Enhanced Hearing and Spatial Recognition - an Au Ra's horns allow them to hear using vibrations. They are very sensitive, giving the Au Ra a better sense of hearing than Hyur, Roegadyn, and Elezen. They are likely equal to that of a Mi'qote's, but less than a Lalafell's. Auri horns also give them a greater sense of spatial awareness.

→ Crafting - she can make equipment using materials and crystals. Her skill is mediocre except in leatherworking and goldsmithing, at which she excels.

Alignment: Sosyne. The Warrior of Light is notorious for her calm disposition. On the opposite end, she also is quick to anger over injustices - she would not do a fraction of what she does if what she saw didn't anger her so.

Other: Her Chocobo will be with her.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample: Test Drive Meme link.

Emotion Sample: It was curiosity that brought Era to summon her Emerald Carbuncle and see what effect this newfound ability with her emotions might do to her longtime companion. She had seen someone pass her by with ice cream that changed colours based upon one's current emotion, so why wouldn't the same concept apply to her Carbuncle? It was created with her aether, so it only makes sense that her emotions might impact it as well.

She brings the faces of some of her dear ones to mind: Alphinaud, Aymeric, Y'shtola, Haurchefant...

Emerald Carbuncle goes from a beautiful light blue to a shade of red not unlike a Ruby Carbuncle, followed by a light minty-green, a strong navy blue, and a very dark pink.

Further curiosity causes her to think of Zephirin and immediately her Carbuncle turns black, startling her enough that it suddenly turns a dark shade of gold similar to an Amber Carbuncle. Unnoticed by her, the foliage in her immediate vicinity was impacted by her intense flash of anger; once a lively, bright green now a few shades darker, as though left out far too long in direct sunlight.

"...Strange," she muses, voice soft and low. Era drops the intense focus she had on her companion and watches as Carbuncle shakes itself until it's the lively shade of blue she's accustomed to from its Emerald form. When it looks to her its gaze is almost accusatory, prompting her to offer a scratch behind the ears in apology. "I shall refrain from doing that again."

Questions: I tend to go with the WoL's inventory being something like Hermione Granger's expanded purse or a Bag of Holding. An aetherially expanded bag, essentially! Since canonically it holds a bunch of stuff it physically shouldn't be able to hold. Would that still be applicable in Empatheias?

While there is only one 'Warrior of Light' with Hydaelyn's blessing of light in XIV, there are many adventurers and other people around Hydaelyn who have her blessing of the Echo. Era has some regular Echo-blessed companions that she contacts to assist her in battle when she cannot face something on her own. Most of the 'epic' fights in the Main Story are done alone according to the narrative, though game mechanics dictate you go with a group, i.e. the battle with Ravana, or Thordan.

Also according to this, I should be allowed to app Era in as a WoL OC, I think? Canonically multiple worlds exist (14 of them - 1 belonging to the Warriors of Darkness, another is the Void, and then another is XIV-verse, and 11 more unaccounted for) so there is precedent for parallel worlds.

Unfortunately we've determined that your application had too many errors or did not meet up to our standards to allow a revision. These are the concerns with your application:

The personality as written seems too shallow for a character that should have a great deal of development given their role. We expect to see indepth information and thought put into the personality and motivations of such a central character, but we do not see this in the application. Secondly, while we understand it's possible from a gameplay mechanic perspective for the WoL player character to have access to all of these jobs, this is highly overpowered in a roleplay setting and we cannot accept them as presented. Additionally, as per our previous rulings on WoL characters, we do not accept MMO characters who are the singular hero and prefer that the background be modified to allow for multiple "main heroes." In the interest of fairness to other players who have applied and been required to follow this ruling, we would request the same in this case. The previous ruling referencing Guild Wars commanders no longer applies to FFXIV WoL characters currently, and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

You are free to reapply for this character in the next cycle or any other character in the current cycle.

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Eric
Contact:

overbringer
Age: 33
Current Characters: None, but I used to play Marisa ages ago

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Samata Mahto
Age: 26
OC Type: Pure OC
Point Taken: After all the listed events in her backstory

World Building: Millennia ago, a swarm of nature spirits created the world together. They didn't have a reason to do it, or need one. A water spirit doesn't need a reason to create water. That's just what it does. They filled the world with oceans and mountains, then with forests and animals, and finally with people. Humans, elves, orcs, and others. It would be an exaggeration to say that everyone lived together in harmony, but life was simple, at least. Some people gave thanks to the spirits for creating the world, but they didn't expect anything in return.

And then one day organized religion fucked everything up.

The god Istavan, master of law and order and magic, found this young and untamed world, and found no other gods here, so he moved in. He inspired prophets to spread his message, and gained an ever increasing following on this world. It wasn't enough for him, though. Unsatisfied with the rate of new converts joining, Istavan inspired the Great Crusade. His followers took up arms and spread his message by force. This wasn't very popular, and the various tribes and nations of the world banded against the Istavanites. He was in danger of losing his foothold here.

So Istavan intervened directly. He gave the commanders of his armies the gift of sorcery, turning them and all their descendents into powerful magic users. When that also wasn't enough, Istavan grew desparate and unleashed armies of monsters upon the world. Backed by swarms of skeletons and dragons and shit, and armed with deadly arcane magic, the Istavanites crushed all opposition.

Firmly in control, Istavan remade the world the way he liked it. He separated all the races. The orcs lived over HERE on the plains. The elves lived over THERE in the forest. Everyone lived in their place. Separate, but equal. Between each nation, hordes of monsters roamed, patrolling the borders and making the mixing of cultures essentially impossible. Occasionally, a small band or lone individual might slip through, but they were not encouraged to stay.

Skip ahead a few hundred years. Everyone knows the story of how the scared and jealous spirits tried to stop the noble Istavan by unleashing monsters upon the world. Everyone knows how Istavan banished them to the badlands, saving them all. A few people still follow the old ways, but they keep it strictly to themselves for fear of reprisal and discrimination. The sorcerers, descendents of the commanders Istavan blessed with arcane power, form the ruling class of any nation they are in, for Istavan himself picked them out and placed them above normal people with their amazing powers.

This is the world that Samata was born into. A world of unchanging social structure, with the sorcerers and priests of Istavan ruling society and everyone else doing what they said.

Backstory: Samata is the daughter of a pair of rich wine merchants. They weren't sorcerers, but for commoners they were very well off. Her parents did their best to be supportive, so when Samata showed an interest in being a scholar, they sent her off to the capital, which had the best university in the land. Money, supportive parents, and a good education, aside from her lack of magic she had every advantage she could have in life.

Her life at the university was like any young student's. She learned a lot, made friends, went to parties, made stupid mistakes, bounced back from them all too quickly, found a boyfriend, and generally had a good time. Her degree was in natural philosophy (physics, basically) and her thesis was on the difference between magic and the animate force of life itself, which previously had been considered to just be the same thing. She called this new force Odic Force.

It all went wrong at her graduation party. Samata and some friends were at a tavern popular among students, laughing, drinking, and generally having a good time. One table over was another student. Walter Eberhart, a sorcerer, and the son of the University's headmaster. His magic manifested as blades of magical force that he could shoot out as projectiles, and in the hands of someone more courageous this would have made him a mighty warrior. Walter was a spoiled brat. He used his amazing gifts to show off at parties.

In this case, he was drunk, and trying to show off to his friends by slicing the top off of a bottle of wine with his mind. It took him three tries, because of the drunk, but he did it. Unfortunately, the other three shots went out further than he expected. Besides the bottle, Walter also cut down the front wall of the building, dropping debris on people walking by, blinded one of Samata's friends, and chopped Samata's left arm off at the shoulder. She got medical attention quickly, but there was no known way to reattach the arm. Walter used his connections with the aristocracy to get out of trouble for grievously maiming two fellow students and got out of it all with a slap on the wrist. They were just commoners, after all.

Samata was furious. She sought justice, but every person she talked to told her to let it go, even professors who she considered her friend. She did research and found that she was hardly the first person who had a story like this, but that it was always just swept up under the rug. Sorcerers could get away with whatever they wanted, because they held all the power. Even if they weren't all abusing the system like this, they were all complicit because none of them stepped forwards to try and stop this kind of behavior. As the world conspired against her, she slid into depression. Until one day, a few weeks later, while half heartedly poking at her thesis paper. Samata got an idea for a new project. She called for the aid of a medical student who was a friend of hers and enrolled for post-graduate work. The two of them spent many long hours working together, and eventually came up with a new treatment. A way to harness the magical energy in the air to power a prosthetic limb that would respond to nerve impulses.

However, while working on this project, Samata realized something. Magic reacted to odic force in everyone, not just in sorcerers. With the right preparations, you could manipulate magic and get it to work for you without a drop of magical talent in your body. She'd been less social since the accident, but now she basically just vanished from the world, spending all her time at the library or in her room, reading esoteric books and writing strange diagrams. She was developing an entirely new form of magic.

She emerged from her self imposed exile months later, with a functional mechanical arm to replace the one she lost, and the title of "Wizard". It was a word she made up from an old word meaning "Learned Scholar", since wizards gained their power from research and practice, as opposed to sorcerers who gained it from intuition and genetics. Wizard magic wasn't very powerful, and it was awkward to use at best, but as she kept practicing and researching, she kept getting better at it and realizing that there weren't any limits to what this new kind of magic could do. Potentially, at least. For the moment, she was still fumbling around with the basics.

She went on to start teaching this to other people, because if everyone could do magic, sorcerers wouldn't be special anymore. When the church of Istavan realized what she was doing, they outlawed wizardry. Samata didn't stop. Instead she hired a bodyguard and doubled down, searching for students all the harder. And so began Samata's true adventure, with the unlikely allies of an elderly berserker working on his anger issues, an outcast sorcerer on a quest for revenge, an elf trying to get home and disguising herself as a human, and a sympathetic religious scholar on one side, and an entire civilization backed up by a zealous god on the other.

Poor Istavan didn't stand a chance.

Aesthetically, think 3 parts Dungeons & Dragons, 2 part Les Miserables, and 1 part Fullmetal Alchemist.

Personality: Your first impression of Samata Mahto could be wildly different, depending on what she's doing when you meet her. While doing normal things (getting food, doing laundry, etc), her attitude is unremarkable, and if it weren't for her robot arm she wouldn't stand out of a crowd at all. She hangs out with friends, complains about having too much work, chases after love, gets drunk and then regrets it the next morning, and all the other little things that you'd expect of a twenty something living away from her parents for the first time.

Somewhere in her head, however, is a little switch. If she starts getting excited about something, or feels like she's been wronged somehow, or she just generally starts feeling strongly about what she's doing, the switch flips and suddenly mild mannered grad student Samata turns into wild eyed creature full of passion and energy. Her heart is full of lurking emotional energy that is just looking for an excuse to burst forth and make a mess. Give her a cause and she will move mountains with personal drive.

She cares deeply about justice. On the large scale, once she started seeing the wildly unfair balance of power in her own society (Sorcerers can do whatever they want and get away with it because they have the political power, and they have the political power because they have the magical power) she couldn't ignore it anymore. She came from a rich family, and could have walked away from her struggles at any time, but chose not to because she would go crazy trying to pretend everything was okay when she could see it wasn't. On a SMALLER scale, Samata still believes strongly in being fair. Seeing other people cutting in line, grabbing the last piece of food when someone else hasn't had any yet, or committing other such small social slights will deeply irritate her, even if she isn't the one who's being inconvenienced. She WILL confront a total stranger in the middle of a crowded restaurant for not tipping their waiter, even if her friends are begging her to just let it go because the total stranger is twice her size and has a skull and crossbone tattooed on their tongue. It should take no stretch of the imagination to imagine her at a rally or protest, with a megaphone and a cardboard sign, angrily shouting slogans about social justice.

She also has a bone deep streak of pride that sometimes borders on hubris. It's not entirely unearned. She developed and built a fully functional mechanical arm single handedly (haha, "single handed". I'm funny.) and developed an entirely new system of magic, after all. Her accomplishments are not trivial, but she has kind of let it go to her head. While she is an extremely capable individual, she tends to overestimate what she can handle until she's already way in over her head. She does eventually drop back down to reality, but usually not until she's said something stupid or gotten in trouble in general. It takes either a feeling of deep embarrassment or a sense of imminent danger to pull her head out of the clouds.

She can be kind of thoughtless. Coming from money, she was about as privileged as it was possible to be in her society without having any magical talent. Her life before the Incident left her wanting for very little, and she had never really faced much in the way of hardships. As such, she doesn't always fully appreciate what it's like to have to live without comforts. One is invited to consider the phrase "Let them eat cake". Samata isn't THAT out of touch, but she does tend to be bad at things like budgeting, and will often just not worry about money, whether she's spending her own or someone else's.

She does feel awful afterwards, because for all her flaws, she is fiercely loyal to her friends. Even if she stumbles on the way, due to hardship or her own short sightedness, she will always do her best to come through for them in the end. She will lend someone money, or let them crash on her couch, or be their wingman, or even fight someone on their behalf if she needs to, and when she realizes she's screwed something up (which takes a while sometimes) she always makes a bona fide effort to fix whatever is broken.

Abilities: Prosthetic arm - Samata's left arm is a mechanical prosthetic she built herself. She can take it off if she wants (and usually does at night), but it still responds to nerve impulses and has limited sensory inputs on it. The one she has now is the Mk 2 version. The Mk 1 was the initial prototype and proof of concept. She currently has half finished plans for the Mk 3. The Mk 2 is still kind of heavy and awkward, but with access to a workshop and the help of a trained surgeon, she can upgrade it to be more lightweight and responsive in time.

Wizardry - Samata is the first wizard there ever was in her world. She can't do magic intuitively like a sorcerer can, but she can trick the ambient magic in the world around her into reacting in ways she wants it to through elaborate rituals. Each spell takes anywhere from five minutes to an hour to cast, depending on the complexity, but it's also possible to finish 99% of the work, then leave it hanging and just do the last 1% real quick when you need it to finish the spell.

Spell Research - While her spell list is rather limited at the moment, she can research new spells that do more or less whatever she wants. The more complex the spell or the more powerful the effect, the more expensive and time consuming the research is. Simple spells take a week or two to figure out. More powerful spells can take months, if she can figure it out at all. Once it's finished being researched, it goes in the spell book and she can reuse it as needed or teach it to others.

Alignment: Sosyne: To sum up her personality in one sentence, Samata is normally fairly calm but keeps having spikes of extreme passion and anger where she gets carried away by things. Calm and Anger. Ideal Sosyne material.

Other: Naturally, I'll use common sense on making sure none of the spells she researches ever reach game breaking levels. If you want to set any hard limits on what kind of effects her spells can have, just lemme know and I'll abide by it.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample: At the TDM

Emotion Sample: "The little motes of red and orange light blinking in and out around her suggested that she felt VERY passionate about this", "Her grumpy mood is starting to manifest on the world around her as a sort of gray fog spreading out from her body and clinging to the ground."

Questions: nah

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Page 7 of 13

[ application: original characters ]

Accepted!

Re: Accepted!

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Yuki'to Blaire | Final Fantasy XIV (WoL OC) 1/??

2/??

3/3

Zephyr Taiyoh | OC (1/?)

(2/2)

Daniel Kanegem | OC | 1/2

2/2

Accepted!

Revision

Accepted!

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Accepted!

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Era Ra (The Warrior of Light) ☘ Final Fantasy XIV (MMO PC) [1/?]

[2]

[3]

Decline

Samata Mahto | "Class Warfare"

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