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[ application: original characters ]
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—
The following would not be allowed:
Before applying, please be sure to read the following:
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!
⌈ 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:
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:
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:
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:
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: 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.
no subject
Khamu'wo is often described as cool, calm, and collected. He works hard to keep himself presentable, professional, and pristine at all times. This often makes him come across as a bit cold and steely—as well as prickish—and that's honestly how he likes it. It's easier if people think of him as this unwavering force of calm decisiveness, that's unaffected by much outside of logical reasoning. In other words, the more like a robot he might seem, the better.
That being said, Khamu'wo is anything but a robot. While he may aim for people to perceive him as such, he has quite the emotional bounty. His control over showing such emotions does little to refute their existence; as people say: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In fact, Khamu'wo is easily moved by people's ill fortunes, and will help many who are in need—even if often under the guise of berating them for their poor decisions, and being inconvenienced in so doing such tasks. He would never deny a person in honest need of help, and as such he can find his heart stings being pulled like the strings of a marionette, if a person knows just how to pluck the wires.
Some of his emotional problems stem from his OCD. Actual OCD, mind. Not only does he have particulars about things being a certain way, or maximizing efficiency and tidiness, but he has rituals he has to do to keep himself in check (like counting numbers in his head, for instance). Part of his practiced emotional control stems from his need to control his impulsive and erratic mind. Math has proven a means of meditation and calm for him, and so his delving into Arcanima did not merely serve him in the logical sense he so desired in his pursuit of magic; but it seconded as a means to self medicate. Numbers, figures, geometries—the defined and exact matters of each part offers him comfort and direction. It soothes him, where nothing else can. It's through these variables and practices, that he may keep himself together, and keep what panicked or angry emotions bubbling beneath the surface quarantined and in control.
A stickler for rules and order, he projects onto others his need for structure. The more he can control and keep in place, the less likely he himself might panic or lose control. This constant need for control drives him to better himself and others around. In part, it does come from a genuine place of care and affection—he wants what's best for those around him, even those he doesn't particularly know. However, he's believes that he cannot help if he himself is not in control, and so he tends to over do it and come across as either a naggy mother hen, or an immovable dictator.
Other ways his OCD effects him is in the form of his prudishness. One unfortunate symptom of a mind inflicted with OCD is vivid intrusive thoughts, and Khamu'wo is not spared these. As such, he's particularly susceptible to imagery of sexual persuasion. So, things as simple as too much skin being shown is enough to send him into a fit. As such, he often will make scathing remarks to those around him showing off more skin that what he deems necessary, or he hurries them along to get properly dressed; that is if he has the authority to do as such. His family proved to be very open and into free love, his siblings in particular. A behavior that left him feeling dirty, and disgusted over, as it flared his intrusive thoughts, and so he grew to revile such ways of life.
However, his thoughts happen more towards men than women. As such, he is far more scathing towards men who show too much, than women who might. Mainly because Khamu'wo is gay, and is in vehement denial of such. The intrusive thoughts with males bother him to his core, where as at least with those with women he can shrug off as being something "natural" and "normal". He truly believes sex should be used as a means to prolong the species, and anything beyond that is for those of simple and deteriorated minds who seek simple pleasures.
Needless to say, Khamu'wo has his issues. Most of his prejudices and intolerance come from within. Criticisms he has with himself that he has not even begun to recognize or confront. Finding it much easier to project on others, and blame them for these horrible feelings. He has a long way to go before he can properly heal from the self inflicted feelings of hatred and anger, let alone accept himself for who he is. Instead he chooses to bury himself in his studies and work, ignoring those niggling feelings within himself. Instead, he pretends that he's above such things, that carnal needs and desires are below someone of his intellect and ability. That such things are for the more primitively inclined.
Despite his front of being some intellectually swayed elite, he's still rather giving and caring. Acting like some gift to those he assists, he does genuinely assist those in need. Even if he does little to hold back his remarks about them and what he might not like. Of course, he does this in a perceived "professional" and stoic manner. That is, so long as he feels he's in control. Once he feels he's lost control, he is prone to panic, become flustered, and his anger will seep through. Before this point is reached, however, he will often times retreat to recollect himself. One of his favorite ways to recoup is re-balancing the Free Company's check book, or run statistics on Free Company information. Order, math, and structure are his vices, and he's absolutely shameless about it. An alcoholic has ale, while Khamu'wo has math.
With his need for control, however, he tends to take on way more than he should. Often driving himself to sleep deprivation as he tries to balance more than he physically is able. This does little to stop him, however. Preferring to run himself ragged, than let his mind be left to wander into the intrusive and disturbing areas it will when left unoccupied. He would rather live a life full of being productive and unhappy, than a life of inefficiency and laziness.
For all Khamu'wo wishes to be seen as some machine of ultimate knowledge and efficiency, in truth he struggles with his own feelings, and is only able to do as much as he has because of his barely managed disgust and anger with himself. At the best of times, he's a caring and understanding friend, at the worst he's a catty know-it-all who looks down on choices of others outside his own. In the end, he is trying, and he does want to help people genuinely, but he holds back his own potential by not accepting aspects about himself, and his obsessive need for control that stems from those unwanted aspects. As well as the OCD that seemingly mocks him with those aspects he tries so hard to deny and hide.
Abilities:
Scholar abilities, this basically covers what he can do. Between Summoning faeries, carbuncles, and spells that bolsters and heal his allies, he can also use those that do harm. Incantations that can cause painful and lethal illness, as well as explosive aetherical blasts, Khamu'wo is a pretty talented arcanima user. While he isn't the strongest by any means, he's a formidable foe to say the least.
However, he isn't the strongest physically. He's not frail, but he's barely average.
Alignment:
Sosyne.
The reason for this is because while Khamu'wo often displays outward calmness—especially in times of great stress and annoyance—but he's actually bubbling beneath the surface with a lot of anger. Anger fuels a great deal of what he does, how he thinks, and reacts. However, he's primarily has a good enough control on his emotions to act more calm and put together than what his internal feelings actually are. So most would think he's calm and very emotionally mature, but the truth is he's a volcano bubbling with metaphorical magma, and his eruption is well overdue.
Other:
General Sample: meme threads
Emotion Sample: Both threads have emotion parts to it
Questions: Khamu'wo summons creatures from Eorzea's aetherial plane, how exactly would that translate once he arrives in this world? I am assuming he'd use emotions to fuel such spells, but I just wanna make sure!