applications

[groundrules]

APPLICATIONS

Eastbound is primarily an invite-only game — each existing player can currently invite up to one person per month, or get in touch about further invites. Existing players can hold two characters in game. A third character can be applied, if players can prove they have met activity requirements for two consecutive months with their existing two characters and have stayed engaged with the game. If you don't have an invite, somehow stumbled upon this neck of the woods, and you’d like to stay, drop the mod journal a line — we'll try to figure it out.

As of Oct. 1, cast/game caps are off. Please note, as of Dec. 1, Eastbound only has 3-4 months of gameplay left.

WHAT CHARACTERS CAN BE APPLIED?

YES: canon and original characters, if they have a solid and consistent personality and background. Characters brought in after they've died are a-okay. For characters taken from a time point just as they're in the process of dying, please read below on meeting medical requirements.

NO (at this time): real people, original characters set in a canon environment, characters from canons or canon instalments that have been released for less than one month, characters with imported development from other games (CRAU), alternate universe, or gender-swapped versions of canon characters.

Children or characters with very specific medical/magical/environment needs: appable, but please make a note of how your character will ICly meet their requirements and stay alive. Likewise, if you are applying for a character taken just as they're dying, provide a suggestion for how they can be kept alive on arrival (this might be easier in some app cycles than others). You can bend the world a little to make miracles happen (ex: a substitute for the medication your character needs to survive can be found for a high price at certain apothecaries, etc.)

Characters that were dropped or swept by activity checks: yes, but they’ll come back without their previous memories, if they are applied in by a different player.

APPLICATION FORM & INSTRUCTIONS

EXISTING / RETURNING PLAYERS

<b><Small>PLAYER NAME</small>:</b> <b><small>CONTACT</small>:</b> <b><small>CHARACTER</small>:</b> <b><small>CANON</small>:</b> <b><small>CANON POINT</small>:</b> <b><small>BACKGROUND</small>:</b> link out or write no more than two-three paragraphs...! <b><small>PERSONALITY</small>:</b> bullet points a-okay, or written out. You can also link out to it, if you agree to what's on your wikia. <b><small>SAMPLE</small>:</b> a written sample or one or more threads to show your character's personality. <b><small>NOTES</small>:</b> you know the ropes, jot down if your character has any world-breaking powers or accommodations you need for them!

NEW PLAYERS

<b><Small>PLAYER NAME</small>:</b> <b><small>CONTACT</small>:</b> <b><small>REFERRED BY</small>:</b> Who invited you, please? c: <b><small>CHARACTER</small>:</b> <b><small>CANON</small>:</b> <b><small>CANON POINT</small>:</b> <b><small>BACKGROUND</small>:</b> written or linked history both fine. Bullet points also a-okay. If no information is available in English, please write this out in short. <b><small>ABILITIES | POWERS</small>:</b> Include any relevant power restrictions, so you don’t break our playground. <b><small>PERSONALITY</small>:</b> make sure this ties back to the character’s time point and background. <b><small>SAMPLE</small>:</b> one or more samples to showcase the nuances of your character’s personality. Submit at least one prose sample of five comments or more. You can link memes, PSL or other game threads, provided they took place within the last 12 months. You can also write a single prose sample in the game or character canon setting, if you think you can cover good introspective ground that way, or a top level with enough variety to show how the character engages in various scenarios. <b><small>INVENTORY</small>:</b> No world-breaking items. For living or magical beings, or anything colossal (think... Gundams...) please let's talk beforehand! <b><small>SUITABILITY</small>:</b> Eastbound is a plot-heavy game that typically features sleuthing, action and the undead. How is your character likely to deal with all that (and the game bear)? <b><small>NOTES</small>:</b> Are there any particular accommodations your character will need? How do you propose to handle that?

APPLICATIONS CLOSED


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Comments

[groundrules]

Heya! Thank you for the application - the thread you've linked is great for showcasing Wen Kexing's breezier, whimsical personality, but I was hoping to ask if you might also have a sample that illustrates his darker or more calculating persona? Either in action or in introspection (so, if he's purely analysing from that kind of perspective, without necessarily acting on these instincts) would be absolutely fine. Alternatively, writing a few paragraphs in the canon or game setting would work swell too. Thank you!

Wrathion | World of Warcraft

[blackscales]

PLAYER NAME: Jack
CONTACT: schematise, or PM my journal
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: Rei (reineke) assures me this is the perfect game for me and encouraged me to app, so I won't argue.

CHARACTER: Wrathion
CANON: Warcraft
CANON POINT: Patch 8.3 Visions of N'Zoth, before N'Zoth's defeat

BACKGROUND: Canon is a fucking abyss, and retcons itself regularly while claiming it was all some lengthy master plan by the writers, but here you go:

General warning here that there's some nasty stuff in his backstory! There's no deep detail in these links, but Wrathion's draconic mother is forcibly kept pregnant, beaten and her eggs experimented on.

Wiki for Wrathion.
Wiki for the Black Dragonflight as a whole.
A lore walkthrough for Wrathion in story-retell format instead of wiki-format.

If this glazes your eyes I completely understand, here's a short clip of him.

ABILITIES | POWERS:

Since Wrathion is an MMO NPC what he can do is often 'what the game currently requires him to be able to do'. I'll describe the abilities in broad strokes, though:

Shape-changing: Dragons in Warcraft can essentially choose to appear as any other regular race, pretty much at will. While they aren't limited to a single 'humanoid' form they usually have one that they continually use for ease and recognition, referred to as their 'visage'. Wrathion's natural form is a dragon, but he mostly interacts as a human.

Flying, breath weapon, big claws: in dragon form Wrathion can do all that sort of nonsense! He's unlikely to, as Wrathion is very familiar with the concept of Dragon Hunters and people disliking this sort of thing. While in his human form, Wrathion has been shown to be able to still use his magma/flame breath weapon. It's also worth emphasising that while he's a dragon he's not.... THAT big a dragon, in his natural form. He's not immune to things like spells and sharp objects, he's full of ego but very killable. He will therefore pretty much limit this problem himself by probably only shapeshifting when all else has absolutely failed.

Fire, General Magecraft: Wrathion appears to be a relatively powerful caster in general. He doesn't have any sort of world-breaking abilities, but in general magecraft terms he does things like breaking magical barriers by 'channelling' at them, making the floor fiery, sensing magical properties in things, exploding things with fires and 'channelling' magic to empower things. He can technically summon weird fire blobs to attack people: I'm very unclear if he is meant to be making them out of lava/magic or hammerspace summoning them.

Void Magic: Wrathion appears to be able to use Void magic (or Shadow magic, if you prefer) although the specifics are unclear. The biggest use is the reality-tearing portals he opens, but as that both requires an in-game item to start and is connected very specifically to an in-game realm I am going to assume it doesn't work here. Normal void abilities include nebulously named things like shadow bolt and health-sacrificing healing spells, but as I've never seen him use anything but the reality-tearing ability I'll consider it a school he is familiar with but won't have him regain anything (since, uh, the portal thing is world specific anyway). If anything, it's mostly an example that he can learn magic by examining other sources and experimenting with them.

Illusions: Wrathion often projects an illusion of something he is explaining or discussing, as a visual focus. He also displays use of a spell where he makes illusory duplicates of himself while casting, to buy himself time to complete a long cast.

Long range communication: Wrathion can put his 'mark' on someone and use that to see through their eyes and communicate with them at a distance. There's no canon detail on how long this is meant to last, but I'm happy to cap it since it seems to involve painting blood on someone (dragons, man) so it's definitely not permanent -- I suppose he could theoretically infuse that ability into something but that would definitely be a project. He's also able to project an image of himself when in communication with someone, though it's unclear if that is a literal projection visible to all or just in the head of the person he marked. I might guess the latter, since it's probably mental magic.

Crafting/Enchantment: Wrathion loves making magic items. He seems able to learn about magic fairly quickly and rework artefacts brought to him into other things. He loves making things, like enchanted daggers and... cloaks? I guess he loves sewing? He also sells a backpack. He's an odd duck. I'd pretty much put any enchanting/item crafting projects by you before I did anything, though everything he does in game takes a whole long questline to make one item so it won't be something he does every day anyway. This would be in the territory of 'either tiny cutesy gift for CR or he tries to do something plot relevant and it takes forever and I am okay if it blows up in his face, he's overconfident'.

Empathy/Corruption detection: Wrathion nebulously is able to 'cleanse minds' of the Old God N'Zoth's corruption. Since he specifically researched N'Zoth and corruption, I'll assume this ability is world-specific and not generally something that can be sideways mapped to any other sort of mind-control or manipulation. He does, however, manage to get an emotional read on a young dragon while doing it. It's not presented as a dragon-to-dragon specific ability: I'd class it as 'detect emotional state and signs of meddling in their mind', and I'll ask permission before using it on anyone. It's very easy to say it doesn't work on someone due to world differences.

Short range teleport: it's some sort of shadowy dodge affair, really. He might be able to do long range teleports too, since a lot of Warcraft NPCs can (and leave you behind to slowly catch up) but I honestly can't remember if I've seen him do it so I'm sticking to short range (within eyesight/not through solid objects) over the top dodge teleport.

Titan Power : Something to do with lightning I have no idea, Blizzard never explained, he claims he has Titan Powers since he ate an NPCs heart one time. Since I don't know what they are let us assume they don't work until Blizzard decides to explain!

If you need to nerf anything down further please go ahead,

PERSONALITY:

Wrathion is a dragon driven by the past. Little remains of the Black Dragonflight -- for a long time Wrathion thought he might be the last of them -- but their history is overshadowed by the actions of Deathwing. Deathwing became corrupted by the whispers of the Old Gods and turned on everyone, and Wrathion spent much of his history determined to set himself apart from this memory. To distance himself from Deathwing the Destroyer and everything that name brings to mind, to prove that he is different. That he is better.

It isn't just a matter of pride, either, it's a matter of life and death.

Since hatch his approach has been ruthless: his brothers and sisters are mad with Old God corruption, so he hires a rogue to kill them. He shows no emotion over this, only practicality and -- above all -- concern for his own safety. There's not even hesitation, no sense of familial connection. As far as he knows, this act may leave him the last Black Dragon but Wrathion shows no remorse regardless.

"My cowardly brothers and sisters will cause untold suffering if we allow them to stay in the shadows. Moreover, they are a threat to me. That's where you come in. Help us to slay them all, and I will reward you handsomely."

This early confidence and aggression is clearly.... compensating for something, which only becomes more obvious as he ages and the consequences begin to catch up. When people look at Wrathion, they see a Black Dragon first and make an unavoidable series of judgements. They compare him to members of his family, and wonder if he will turn out the same way. This gives all his actions an urgent anxiety to them, an awareness that he has to make this work -- that if he doesn't distance himself and prove himself his fate may very well be the same as his parents.

Yet Wrathion doesn't admit to this. He acts confident, funny, dramatic. He always does his best to appear completely cool and in control.

In this desperation to stay in control, Wrathion is capable of being an incredibly dangerous individual. His strong belief that the end always justifies the means is mixed with an incredible determination that leaves him a force to be reckoned with, but Wrathion is not self-sacrificing. He recruits adventurers to gather materials and go on dangerous missions while he bides his time, manipulating people and playing both sides of the war while he waits for the right moment to act. He knows, after all, that if he is to be protector of Azeroth that he needs to survive. This role, one he is reclaiming for the Black Dragonflight, is one he takes very seriously. Wrathion becomes a voracious reader, an obsessive researcher. He spends time with the lorewalkers in Pandaria learning of the Old Gods and the Titans, listening and writing an account of his findings.

This listening, however, is belated. As smart and as quick to learn as he is, Wrathion started his journey incredibly reckless. He pursued information with desperate zeal, but in a hurry and without stopping to talk to those who might understand the context better. When he focuses on an idea he can get tunnel vision, so determined to see it through that all the obvious flaws become invisible to him. Wrathion knew the Burning Legion would be a problem, but he became convinced that either the Alliance or Horde should win their war before facing this catastrophe. The advice of the Panderan that they should join together fell on deaf ears. ‘Stronger together’ meant nothing to Wrathion, he only understood ‘strong enough to win’. While lingering in Pandaria and the Timeless Isle he played at considering the philosophy of war, but his stance never truly changed. He believed might was everything, and that even if he had to turn on a friend to achieve his goal, it was for a greater good and thus worth it. Worth the short term pain to protect Azeroth.

Anduin Wrynn: What are you talking about? I don't trust you.
Wrathion: You are wise not to.

Yet Wrathion's cool confidence does crack, and it cracks as early as Pandaria -- well before the consequences catch up. When the Celestials make him face a challenge, Wrathion immediately claims he won't need help: until he's made to face an image of his father. The backtrack is instant: he begs them not to make him do this, despite his arrogance moments ago. When the mask slips, it's obvious a good degree of his confidence is falsified.

Wrathion's actions at the end of the Pandaria war have not been forgotten by those who knew of it, and certainly not by him. He knew he would make people unhappy in the process, knew that his tactics were not something that would be approved, but he never anticipated that his plan would backfire. The miscalculation sent him into hiding, fearing the wrath of the Alliance and Horde both, but although his tactics have adjusted he does not strictly believe he was ever wrong. Wrathion still sees merits in his plans, and he still believes himself a protector of Azeroth. Despite his previous missteps, Wrathion is still terribly arrogant. However, he has softened -- rather than his previous hot temper and tunnel vision Wrathion has taken to becoming more cautious. He spends more time thinking, is less driven by a desperate desire to outpace his own family history. He's still capable of reckless acts, but he learned from the damage his friendship with Anduin Wrynn took. His initial bitterness over being an experimented-on prisoner has faded a little, and his desire to win back trust and favour grew in its place. Wrathion knows he needs to make amends. He knows that he needs support, and that working with people requires a degree of trust -- in both directions, as difficult as that is.

"As the last black dragon, the former charge of my flight - to keep Azeroth safe - falls solely to me. I must honor that charge."

He comes back after his time in hiding just as determined to create a new legacy for the Black Dragonflight, and is now not alone in doing so. For Wrathion, actions speak louder than words: he has no intention of re-treading the things he did before, only of pushing forward against the new threat and proving himself.

At his best: Wrathion is a smart, driven individual who feels empathy for those who have suffered and who wants to atone and do right in the world. He is capable of working with others, of learning quickly, and adapting.
At his worst: Wrathion can come across cold and indifferent as he struggles to process emotional nuance. His 'big picture' mentality can trample on others in his way, when he is focused on an end goal, and his ego and firm belief in his own abilities can cause him to come undone when he misjudges. His ability to play in a team can be undermined by how slow he is to trust and share all the details.

SAMPLE:

I missed being active on the TDM so these are old game threads:

New and trying to bluster his way out in a power-removal game.

Starting a dubious friendship with Claude while pretending they are just normal regular teenagers.

Engaging with plot theory and being anxious about it.


INVENTORY:

- Clothing he's wearing (might be leathers? There's a long coat affair going on, certainly, and a pendant!)
- 1x Large Blade -- looks like maybe some sort of scimitar?
- 1x Gaming set -- Jihui which is a Panderan board game he plays a lot!
- 1x bundle of Panderan food and drink since he spent so long there. Food has restorative properties technically by WoW mechanics but purely bringing it as token food here.

NOTES: No particular accommodations that I can think of! I will keep an opt-out open both for people who want to avoid Wrathion due to things in his backstory and also just for people who want to avoid Blizzard Characters, which is completely fair I wish I could too.

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? Plot heavy would be fun, but if there's a timing issue I would settle for plot-light!

APPLICATION RECEIVED

[groundrules]

[flirtatiousdancer]

Very slight AU that I feel shows a good part of that. Another that's a bakerstreet thread (no smut) that also shows a good bit of him. Let me know if neither fit what you're looking for!

[groundrules]

Heya! The application is accepted, but so I know for his intro — do you want to keep his dragon-shifting secret from the party from now, or do you not care? Either is fine by me, just to know whether I can find him be discovered as a dragon or exclusively in human form, for now.

[blackscales]

HMMM Great question! I had initially assumed I'd keep it under wraps and save it for some particularly dramatic moment, BUT there is also merit in a dramatic intro since I suppose people won't initially know he can shapeshift into a human -- or that he's friendly. So, I guess 'yes' if we're playing it for drama that will be more fun than saving it up.

ACCEPTED

[groundrules]

Thank you for your application!

ADMIN

When you have a second, have a last read through the game rules and comment to the TAKEN LIST.

Join eastbound, lostcompass, westwhere. Feel free to make an OOC intro post on lostcompass, if you want!

All game-relevant updates will be posted on lostcompass, but you can also consider following eastbound. There is an informal optional game discord server — you’ll get a private message with an invite, once you comment to the Taken List.

Like it says on the application page tin — you can have a maximum of two characters in the game, and you can invite one new person in per month.

If you’re not already served on that front, we have some custom codes to help you set up a character inbox or permissions post. Both are entirely optional, and feel free to customise at will!

Your character is exempted from activity requirements this month.

We have kicked off Arc II: Taravast, and our latest plot developments are here.

Is punching a dragon as satisfying as punching a shark?

NOTES

Re: abilities – as we chatted in the FAQ, I’m happy for Wrathion to retain his dragon-shifting, but you may need to cap that power as much as you feel is required so he is still challenged in the game.

INTRO: Wrathion awakens in his dragon shape, hunted by the retreating forces of the Beastmaster, who has just stormed the magical citadel of Taravast. Between the frenzy of his orders and the Beastmaster’s attempts to force a mental connection, Wration can quickly deduce that the undead liege wants to possess him completely as another reluctant conscript in his retinue.

For three days, Wrathion will be pursued ceaselessly across stone and desert passageways by a contingent of (living) xenomorphic fliers, who seek to claw down and entrap him, but avoid lethal attacks. Their hunt persists even if Wrathion changes into his human form, although they have more difficulty spotting him then. They only abandon their pursuit once Wrathion reaches Taravast.

Wrathion will have to assume his human shape to enter the citadel, which is currently under severe lockdown following recent attacks. No worries: the Beastmaster leaves him with but one parting thought, I know your scent.

His appearance compromised by the hunt, Wrathion is believed by Taravast patrolmen to be one of the many citizens ruined by the citadel’s recent siege. He is escorted to the Palace of Doxe Bonaccorso for alms, and they drop Wrathion by the starkly empty kitchens for feeding. Here, he may witness — before dawns even break — that a few human-sized bundles are brought in through a pulley lift that traditionally delivers food through and from the kitchens. These bundles are burned in two large and secluded kitchen ovens that should be used for baking bread, but are visibly operating at too high of a temperature for that purpose. The stench that arises from the latest baked goods is very clearly flesh-like. The bundles are allowed to burn to a crisp.

Before Wrathion can be taken to don Bonaccorso, he is intercepted by the sorceress Karsa, an employee of the party’s Merchant benefactor who is currently journeying with the group. Recognising Wrathion as an outsider, she provides him with a translation and communication device, so that he might finally understand the local tongue. Karsa explains the Merchant’s mission and recounts the story so far. She also introduces him to the piazza — a style of communicating to the city at large, with an eye to influence public opinion.

As part of Taravast’s ongoing electoral games, Wrathion is assigned to support Macaluso Spina and given the identity of a legal pioneer, diplomat and master orator, whose impassioned five-minute improvised speech once convinced 4,000 men to turn their swords against their wretched commander. Wrathion is, in short, just the dragon man to further Macaluso’s plans of brokering alliances between Taravast and foreign citadels.

[blackscales]

Just to double check: I assume that, per the post, although he's assigned to Malcaluso he's also been told to discreetly sabotage him so Vannozza wins?

[groundrules]

Yes, correct! Although you'll find most of the party right now... is quite invested in taking down all the Taravast leadership. They're chaotic good.

Zhou Zishu | Word of Honor

[eternallywandering]

PLAYER NAME: Riddle
CONTACT: tiger_eyes & madviolinist#5122 on Discord.
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: I'm already in it. /dramatic music

CHARACTER: Zhou Zishu
CANON: Word of Honor
CANON POINT: After he removes the nails and greatly shortens his life.

BACKGROUND: This covers his past, before the events of the series.

After leaving the Window of Heaven, and taking on the punishment of inserting nails into his body (one every three months), Zishu chooses to hide his identity by changing his name and disguising his face. He becomes Zhou Xu, a beggar of a man with a scarred and bearded face. And thus he plans on spending his days, drinking wine and avoiding trouble.

That is until Wen Kexing, Gu Xiang and Zhang Cheng Ling find him. The former rapidly becomes his guiding star in life, bringing back his fire, while the latter two become those he dearly wishes to guide and protect. Chengling even becomes his student after Kexing unmasks him and discovers his true identity as Zhou Zishu - and Xiang becomes his little sister, who is delighted to see married until the you know what hits the fan.

Yet no matter how hard he tries to mold the world into a better place - he even reclaims the Four Seasons Manor (a place he never thought he would see again) - the greed of the various sects (and their leaders) ruins everything. For the sake of the Glazed Armor (one of the keys to opening an ancient and powerful Armory in the mountains), many people die. Kexing even plays a hand in those deaths - something that disturbs and angers Zishu. Only after the other man shows his regret does he begin instructing and guiding him again.

There can be no doubt: Wen Kexing is his soulmate. But their paths in life diverged when they were separated as children. Zishu is delighted to see his friend again, but he understands that for Kexing, the truth is painful. So he treats his soulmate tenderly and with endless patience.

All the while the nails are sapping his life away. When Kexing faces the other sect leaders - for he is the leader of the Ghost sect - and fakes his death (with the help of Chengling), Zishu's heart breaks. No one informed him of the plot and so he takes the death as real. For the sake of his lost love, he expels the nails from his body (going against the sage advice of his dear friend Wu Xi) and sets off to get revenge, knowing he will die soon (and thus join Kexing).

ABILITIES | POWERS: Taken from here.

"Master Disguise - He has an unspecified amount of human masks on himself that he use to disguise himself. He has learned the technique from his former master, Qin Huaizhang. It is said to be impossible to recognize him the moment he joins a crowd. He is able to conceal himself, going from the most frightening individual in the palace to a free-spirited, miserable-looking wanderer riding a thin horse, gnawing a straw in his mouth while humming folk songs takes that place. He becomes the first to actually get away from the Window of Heaven network just like that.
Unique Qinggong (轻功) - He knows the one-and-only “No Boundaries, No Traces” (无际无痕) branch of the Four Seasons Sect. It was taught by Qin Huaizhang as well.

Flute Craftsmanship & Playing - He demonstrated them when fighting back against the musical (zither) skills of “Enchanted Song” Qin Song. He made a flute during the journey out of boredom with very poor craftsmanship. The notes are not right and the tuning is all over the place, thus he never got around to using it. A big crack appeared in it after a single use. His flute playing is described to be "an ear-piercing noise". However, normally flutes would never make sounds that sharp, so sharp to the point it felt like they could tear something apart.

Medicinal Skills - He himself states that he wouldn’t call himself an expert in medicine-related matters. He might not possess an intensive knowledge about the field. However, he had seen enough to know that there had yet to exist a poison that could cause hallucinations for a certain long period of time.

Enhanced Hearing - His hearing is retained due to the secret of the Nails Punishment. He could hear Gu Xiang, and didn’t miss a single word. Even though the former was a noisy road away, and her voice was at a medium volume.

Bad Swimmer - He is not good at swimming. The best he can do is hold his breath for a long time underwater."

PERSONALITY: First and foremost, Zhou Zishu is a disciplined man. He requires the best of himself, giving every task he undertakes his all. Those who serve him or learn from him are expected to do the same and if they fall short of that mark, his punishments are to be feared. Yet he isn't cruel; he never pushes those around him harder than himself and if a companion stumbles or falls ill, he is the first to carry them home and to nurse them until they are well again. Thus it is easy to see why his students, past and present, think highly of him and are willing to die for him.

Yet Zishu's life has been plagued with sadness and loss. The reason he drove the nails into his body, a punishment for leaving the sect he created, was twofold. On one hand, he was merely punishing himself in the same way he would punish one of his followers. On the other, the nails ensure that eventually he will be reunited with those he has lost and that his pain will have an end.

Of course when he is ready to bid the world goodbye, his senses fading, he encounters his soulmate again. And then he loses him too - or so he presumes after seeing Wen Kexing fall from a cliff after being stabbed. Zishu stops worrying about the nails shortening his lifespan - he stops worrying about spending less time with his fated mate - and he rips them out, freeing himself to use his full power one more time. He is dying and he knows it, but if he can kill the one responsible for the death of his soulmate, he doesn't mind.

Thus Zhou Zishu can also be called loyal and loving. He is a steady presence for those he cares about, often soft-spoken and willing to speak the truth no matter how uncomfortable the words might be. He is a good man who has undoubtedly committed heinous crimes - all for the sake of a cousin - a prince - he thought he owed his loyalty. Now he knows differently. He will be loyal to his heart until it stops beating. If he can't right the wrongs of the world, he can at least stop one man who has caused agony in every life he has touched. Then he can be reunited with his Lao Wen and all of the followers and students and teachers and family he has ached to see again for years.

SAMPLE: Soulmate Bonding~

INVENTORY: His sword, Baiyi, and the hair stick/ornament Kexing gave him.

NOTES: Because of his canon-point, he will definitely need healing. Or at least some way to stabilize him. I'm fine with his senses remaining dull, but I'd rather he not die so quickly.

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? Plot-light. He'll need to recuperate for a bit.

[groundrules]

Thanks for these — just to clarify, I'd be looking for samples that show more of his cold/anger-prone aspects, since there is such a sharp duality in his character. If that's easier to write up than pull samples for, that's perfectly okay! The idea is just to see how you handle the more aggressive and calculating aspects of him, particularly in non-romantic situations.

And, just to add: no rush on this end, any response within the next three days would be great. Let me know if you need more time than that.

[groundrules]

Hi - thanks for your application!

Do you by chance happen to have a few non-shipping-oriented thread samples for him, please? I'd be especially interested in anything that showcases the tougher or more survivalist aspects of his personality, cultivated during the Window of Heaven period. Alternatively, if it's easier, I'd be happy to take a written-out sample in either the canon or game setting. Whatever works better on your side — if you can get back to me within the next three days, that would be wonderful. If you think you might need more time, let me know.

How about one during the Window of Heaven period? I can also do one more current if you like.

[eternallywandering]

He dismissed the young man before him, trusting that he knew what awaited him if he failed. The missions given to them by the prince must be completed quickly and cleanly. Should any loose ends arise, the ones responsible would pay whatever price necessary; they would even die. Zhou Zishu usually saw to such deaths himself, making them quick as long as the one he killed had remained loyal. If, however, they had strayed...

Sighing, he rose from his seat and walked to a window, peering out at the mixture of ice and snow that greeted him. How many friends had he lost? Each death was like a blow to his very soul and he carried those restless spirits with him. He didn't believe a single one of them had discovered peace.

"Ready my horse." he knew that there was someone behind him, "I won't be leaving him to see to it alone."

To do so would be too perilous and Zishu never risked the lives of others when he could accomplish a task himself. He nodded at the assent and the quick footsteps to see his orders done. Turning away from the window, he walked down the long hallway to the front door, letting himself out into the cold. Though by the look of him, it was difficult to tell he felt any of the icy chill. In the distance, he saw his disciple mounting another horse and Zishu noticed the disciples swift, nervous glances to either side...and then behind.

Where he would surely see Zishu. Without saying a word, without changing his expression, Zishu mounted his horse too and pulled up his hood. Today was going to be long and he feared it would end with another loss.

[flirtatiousdancer]

As beautiful as many of the people here are, and the place itself, Wen Kexing has been watching. He watches as he walks between the various stalls. He watches as he attends the various celebrations and parties that so many politicians and the nobility thrive on.

They make him angry, how these people so vaunted and looked up to treat those deemed lesser. He fawns over them, laughing and reciting poetry as his fan absently wafts from his waist. Part of the entertainment.

His A-Xu needs the funds, and he knows it. Everything thrives on money and who can manipulate others the best. They don't matter though. And he doesn't care what he has to do here. So he wears as many masks and personas as he can manage.

In the end, none of this matters as long as he gets the coin he needs to save his soulmate. He'll even get his hands dirty (and replace anything of his or Zishu's that gets soiled). It's a never ending cycle where coin is required, and he has so little to start with. But he too has to join in, beyond simply seemingly enjoying life and spending carelessly. There are groups of less reputable sorcerers that he watches closer - they charge less but may well be less effective. And so he joins the reputable healers, earning things that way with one mask - while another mask rubs elbows with another sort of people entirely.

A silver coin is tossed at him for a service rendered and he beams, all cheerful smiles as he makes it vanish with a little bow. Each face that pays is remembered so he can use them again later. Another piece of information.

Another potential pawn. He doesn't have his ghosts here. But he has his A-Xu, and that is enough. But even his A-Xu doesn't know everything. There is still one thing he keeps tight to his chest even as he gave it away.

[groundrules]

Heya — so, the app is accepted, but we'll have to figure out a way to tackle Zhou Zishu's condition. Our options are for him to appeal to Taravast healers ( a 50,000 coins' worth of an intervention, not without health risks, for which he'll have to procure the funding ) or for him to let the sickness deteriorate and address it in a later Arc somehow.

Alternatively, he could work to gain favour (or leverage, or a blackmail instrument) over the healers and necromancers of Taravast to coax them into taking on his case without requiring compensation. You'll have to pitch a relevant mechanism.

Either way, it's something he'd have to work towards and not be handwaved on acceptance. Which method do you think sounds good on your side, for now?

[eternallywandering]

I am alright with letting his condition deteriorate until he has funds and/or finds a way to gain favor/leverage/blackmail. I am interested in the ideas of other characters already in the game. :)

ACCEPTED

[groundrules]

All right, that's absolutely fine!

ADMIN

When you have a second, have a last read through the game rules and comment to the TAKEN LIST.

Join eastbound, lostcompass, westwhere. A new CR meme has just gone up today, if that suits your interests. Alternatively, you could put up an intro post on lostcompass.

All game-relevant updates will be posted on lostcompass, but you can also consider following eastbound. There is an informal optional game discord server — you’ll get a private message with an invite, once you comment to the Taken List.

Like it says on the application page tin — you can have a maximum of two characters in the game, and you can invite one new person in per month.

If you’re not already served on that front, we have some custom codes to help you set up a character inbox or permissions post. Both are entirely optional, and feel free to customise at will!

Your character is exempted from activity requirements this month.

We have kicked off Arc II: Taravast, and our latest plot developments are here.

NOTES

This character has been in the game before. While other characters might remember him, he will not recall any of the events of his previous sojourn. He was previously assigned a role serving don Macaluso Spina, and an identity as a coarse, rough-around-the-edges nouveau riche who’s come to flaunt his money at Taravast and buy a little bit of polish. He will retain this background and alignment.

INTRO: Zhou Zishu wakes in one of the savaged residential districts of Taravast, which was recently scorched by an incursion of the Huntress and Beastmaster. Both have now fled the citadel, leaving only ruin in their wake. With most guards diverted to help reconstruction efforts, the war-torn districts have fallen prey to brazen looters — some of whom decide to do Zhou Zishu the discourtesy of trying to lighten him of his possessions.

To Zhou Zishu’s luck — or is it that of his assailants, really? — he is rescued by a brigade of civilians who have taken it upon themselves to protect Taravast, fearing Doxe Bonaccorso — unseen among the commonfolk since his recent illness — has forgotten them. They spare Zhou Zishu a cheap and flimsy version of a communicator and translator device and share their worries that they have been forgotten by their rulers. They beg for help in pleading their cause at court. Whatever his nature, Zhou Zishu appears decently polished, a handsome man, well-spoken: if anyone can convince Bonaccorso to dedicate more funds and guards to the recovering districts, they believe it is he.

They send Zhou Zishu to attend one of Bonaccorso’s daily audiences at the Palace of the Doxe...

…where he is happily intercepted by the sorceress Karsa, an employee of the party’s Merchant benefactor who is currently journeying with the group. She supplies Zhou Zishu with an upgraded translation and communication device, seeming at first caught aback — then resigned — that the man does not remember his previous stay.

Karsa explains the Merchant’s mission and recounts the story so far. She also introduces him to the piazza — a style of communicating to the city at large, with an eye to influence public opinion.

ACCEPTED

[groundrules]

Thank you, that did the trick!

ADMIN

When you have a second, have a last read through the game rules and comment to the TAKEN LIST.

Join eastbound, lostcompass, westwhere. A new CR meme has just gone up today, or you could put up an intro post on lostcompass.

All game-relevant updates will be posted on lostcompass, but you can also consider following eastbound. There is an informal optional game discord server — you’ll get a private message with an invite, once you comment to the Taken List.

Like it says on the application page tin — you can have a maximum of two characters in the game, and you can invite one new person in per month.

If you’re not already served on that front, we have some custom codes to help you set up a character inbox or permissions post. Both are entirely optional, and feel free to customise at will!

Your character is exempted from activity requirements this month.

We have kicked off Arc II: Taravast, and our latest plot developments are here.

NOTES

This character has been in the game before. While other characters might remember him, he will not recall any of the events of his previous sojourn. He was previously assigned a role serving Vannozza Spina, and an identity as a ruthless and fearsome kingmaker, who has a wealth of children. So many children. Has to keep ruining kingdoms and cashing in that coin, to support his many children.

He will retain this background and alignment.

INTRO: Wen Kexing’s wakes in the necromantic district, days after Vannozza Spina’s edict calling for a curfew and harsh restrictions against necromancers, in response to the recent hostilities of the now-retreated Huntress and Beastmaster.

While necromancers have typically been a tolerated fixture of Taravast, they are now receiving a cold shoulder and rougher treatment from local guards, who take care to all but exile them in their district at the end of the day. Here, damage from the latest conflict with the undead runs deep, and necromancers are not allowed to raise their own dead humans to help with repairs. They create golems and utilise spirits to the best of their abilities, but progress is slow and resentment prospers.

Wen Kexing is taken in by one of the necromancers, who mistakes him for another refugee of the recent disasters and spares him a poor communication and translation device. He can witness all of the growing suspicion, the discontent, the increasingly biting and violent rebellion. While necromancers acknowledge that the dead led the latest attacks, they do not understand why the Doxe and his nephew and niece seem to involve them in these hostilities. They have been given little assistance, and they feel they are treated poorly. Some speak of fleeing Taravast to pastures new and chasing their luck there. Others fear that the undead lieges who brought ruin to Taravast weeks ago might enslave them — and that, at best, the rulers of the other citadels would fear them simply for their often ill-received arts.

Some say, perhaps, if Taravast’s most illustrious minds won’t change their minds, then their minds should be changed for them.

Wen Kexing is spotted in the necromantic district by the visiting the sorceress Karsa, an employee of the party’s Merchant benefactor who is currently journeying with the group. She appears to be speaking to the necromancers and providing them coin on behalf of her master — although Wen Kexing might not immediately hear to what end. Nevertheless, he can notice that she is well received and liked by the group.

Karsa instantly recognises Wen Kexing and has to come to terms with his inability to remember his previous stay. She supplies him an upgraded translation and communication device and takes him with her to the Palace of the Doxe, where he will be homed in Vannozza Spina’s wing.

Karsa explains the Merchant’s mission and recounts the story so far. She also introduces him to the piazza — a style of communicating to the city at large, with an eye to influence public opinion.

Rufus Shinra | Final Fantasy VII

[ambitiousblond]

PLAYER NAME: Hebe
CONTACT: mithryl#7232 on Discord, illuminations
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: BG is to blame

CHARACTER: Rufus Shinra
CANON: Final Fantasy VII Complliation (Does not include FFVII Remake)
CANON POINT: post-Advent Childre/The Kids are Alright after he speaks with Kyrie

BACKGROUND: Wiki

ABILITIES | POWERS: Ability to use materia (Note: he won't have any in game), technological proficiency with computers/cell phones, etc to be able to access classified information, very experienced/proficient with a shotgun, good at talking himself out of dangerous situations, and somehow manages to survive jumping off/down buildings three times. Also used to have the best puppy who shielded him in fights though Dark Nation isn't with him at his current canon point.

PERSONALITY: Rufus is the heir of the Shinra Corporation and that has shaped the person he is. He's ambitious, willing to do anything he has to in order to get what he wants. As a teenager, he managed to fund enemy terrorists just so he could usurp his father's position as the head of Shinra. That ambition has stayed with him as an adult- he's willing to sacrifice anything and everyone for his own purposes. After a certain period of time though, after Meteorfall when he had to face the end of the world and his own life and mortality did his worldview shift.

He is fearless in going after his goals even in the face of defeat or overwhelming odds. When Diamond Weapon fires at the Shinra tower, Rufus stares down the blast, only raising his arms to shield himself when the window is shattered. When kidnapped, he takes every opportunity to fight back against his captors even when gravely injured. In Advent Children, he throws himself off of a building to fire on Kadaj on the way down. One of his Turks remarks that he's like a cat, he has nine lives and always manages to survive against all odds.

Rufus is careful about the facade he presents to the world. Image is everything to him and Aerith's comment mentioning that no one has seen him cry or bleed is a part of that carefully constructed presentation. His father was hard on Rufus as he expected him to be someone worthy of being handed an empire. Rufus would never admit defeat, he does everything on his own terms. He does have his weaknesses though he may try to hide them such as getting upset and outraged when he's arrested as Vice President or his reaction to Tseng and Elena's bloody ids later.

He wields the facade he presents the world as a weapon as well. He is proficient with a shotgun but he knows that there are other ways to fight back and survive that he can use other than a gun- he's had to learn to adapt and use more subtle means even when under duress. He faked being sicker with Geostigma than he really was so that Kadaj would underestimate him. He played dumb while being tortured to buy time for the Turks to find him. He doesn't let anyone know exactly what he's capable of, that way they won't know what to expect and he can keep surprises (and guns) up his sleeves.

Rufus uses people like pawns on his little chessboard often. He prefers to use fear to control people- he uses the public's fear of Sephiroth and paints Avalanche as a terrorist group to justify what he does to try to stop Meteorfall. He doesn't spare the feelings of those around him, even going so far as dealing out biting remarks such as when he calls Hojo a second-rate scientist or telling one of the executives to stop their obnoxious laughter. His sense of humor is sarcastic and dry, manifesting in offhand remarks and well-placed jabs at the expense of others or even himself when he's feeling amused.

It's after Meteorfall and the downfall of the Shinra Company when Rufus starts to change his outlook on the world. When he used the escape chute from the president's office, he realized that he was just a son who wanted to live up to his father's expectations, and that had led him to his current situation. He has to re-evaluate the value of human lives and the future of the planet. He knows Shinra is to blame for the damage that has been done through the creation of Sephiroth and manipulating the Lifestream, his priorities have to shift as he decides that history will not repeat itself, he will put a stop to his father's legacy.

Rufus showed no regret about plotting his father's death- the only ones he's shown any kind of loyalty or trust towards are the Turks and later, his half-brother Evan. He saved the Turks from being disbanded/executed and then spent years under house arrest at Turk HQ. During Meteorfall, Rufus gives them a chance to stay with him or not before giving orders. While he is sometimes willing to defer to their input, Rufus still has the final say. The Turks have their specialties, and Rufus has faith in their capabilities. Rufus doesn't consider them mere subordinates- Kadaj is able to get him to get to him and cause Rufus to react openly when he throws Tseng's and Elena's bloody id cards down.

A lot about Rufus changed post-Meteorfall when he was thrown into a completely new life in a world that had changed literally overnight. He shows concern for those who have been infected with Geostigma, a disease caused by coming into contact with the tainted energy of the planet. He goes so far as having a former Shinra scientist shot after the scientist, instead of working on a cure as promised, instead tries to get Rufus to back another Sephiroth project. He's not tempted by the prospect of creating another super-soldier- in the Kids are Alright he's adamant that the crimes of Shinra end with him trying to fix them. He mentions wanting to atone for his crimes and it's heavily implied he's the donor funding World Regenesis Organization which works rebuilding Midgar and healing the damage done by Shinra.

However, his personality is essentially the same in many ways despite all the changes. He attempts to manipulate Cloud into helping him by mentioning the two children Cloud and Tifa care for. He outright lies to Kadaj about having Jenova's head while having it on his lap hidden under the blanket that covers him. He later tosses the head over a building ledge when it suits his purpose- he waits for the perfect time to distract Kadaj and give Cloud and his friends the chance to defeat Bahamut SIN.

He still wants Shinra to rise above the ashes and shape the world. The city of Edge is entirely his idea even if he can't/doesn't take credit for it and he paid for a monument in tribute to Meteorfall right in the middle of the city to stake a claim there. And that's who Rufus is- he's determined to do things on his own terms and make the world his even in some small way.

His relationship with his younger half-brother Evan is the other significant relationship in his life at the end of canon. He only hears of Evan's existence after Reno and Rude flag him post Meteor-fall and at first, he pretty much picks on his little brother by pretending that Evan was only brought to him to audition as his body double. But after just one meeting, Rufus has decided that he and Evan are definitely related and he's willing to help Evan and his girlfriend, Kyrie, in his own way. Kyrie remarks later that Rufus has a heart of gold despite how he acts and the methods he uses- he may seem to be the same President Shinra before Meteorfall but that underneath the facade, he's changed.

SAMPLE: One & Two

INVENTORY:

-his brother's small camping knife

-Clothes on his back (sans bandages)

-Custom made shotgun with a box of 50 shotgun shells.

-Black cell phone with 50% charge

NOTES: Rufus was recently dying of a fatal disease that caused him a great deal of pain, damaging a lot of his body. He's just been healed and the disease is entirely gone- he just needs to regain his old strength but is in otherwise good health.

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? plot-light to get the hang of things

APPLICATION RECEIVED

[groundrules]

ACCEPTED

[groundrules]

Thank you for your application!

ADMIN

When you have a second, have a last read through the game rules and comment to the TAKEN LIST.

Join eastbound, lostcompass, westwhere. Feel free to make an OOC intro post on lostcompass, if you want!

All game-relevant updates will be posted on lostcompass, but you can also consider following eastbound. There is an informal optional game discord server — you’ll get a private message with an invite, once you comment to the Taken List.

Like it says on the application page tin — you can have a maximum of two characters in the game, and you can invite one new person in per month.

If you’re not already served on that front, we have some custom codes to help you set up a character inbox or permissions post. Both are entirely optional, and feel free to customise at will!

Your character is exempted from activity requirements this month.

We have kicked off Arc II: Taravast, and our latest plot developments are here.

Rufus operates a flip phone, so his 50% charge will probably last him until roughly the Apocalypse.

Rufus should, in fact, have suggested Tseng and he go by chocobo next.

NOTES

INTRO: Rufus wakes east of Taravast, in a desert encampment where the Merchant is accruing a small team of miscreants. The Merchant supplies him with a translation and communication device, and explains that Rufus has arrived in a world where undead factions vie for control. Otherworldly strangers have been summoned and weaponised in the conflict, leaving the Merchant to organise a convoy that will take them east, to forgotten beacons that can hopefully deliver them to their own homelands.

Rufus is tasked to lend a hand to his fellow otherworlders, who have been mired in the political entrapments of magical citadel Taravast — a gem of sorcery that, the Merchant explains, has avoided invasion because its leader, Doxe Bonaccorso, has supplied the undead with magical weaponry. The undead have been angered by Bonaccorso’s inability to provide recent arsenal shipments — a failure the Doxe’s ally Rigarda seeks to remedy with a new delivery. Two party members who obstructed the previous shipments, Eleven and Shen Qingqiu, have been abducted and are on course to travel with the weapons as gifts to the undead.

Rufus’ mission is simple: the Merchant tasks him to travel to Taravast — with the help of a handy teleportation talisman — and make himself known to the party organising Shen Qingqiu and Eleven’s rescue. The Merchant’s subordinate in Taravast, the the sorceress Karsa, can point Rufus to Lily, Five and Wei Wuxian, though you are welcome to have him find out who’s involved however you please (if you think something like a network post makes things easier to generate CR.)

Rufus’ assignment is to either join them in their outright rescue efforts of the abducted duo, if he’s feeling up for an adventure, or to simply pass them a package with a set of small orbs that are roughly 3cm in diameter. He is to tell the rescue party to scatter these explosives — which are triggered by being directly touched by undead — in the weapons shipment. He can also do this himself, if he chooses to participate.

It’s entirely up to you if you want Rufus physically involved in the rescue venture, or just passing on the parcel!

Like Jon Snow before him, Rufus receives no false Taravast identity. He is known as another courier of the Merchant, here to learn trade, and offered quarters in Bonaccorso’s wing of the Palace of the Doxe. Enjoy your stay, Rufus. It’s about to get bumpy.

Ken Kaneki || Tokyo Ghoul

[enucleation]

PLAYER NAME: Juu
CONTACT: vilani @ plurk
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: Once upon a time i used to play here

CHARACTER: Ken Kaneki
CANON: Tokyo Ghoul
CANON POINT: 121

BACKGROUND: History (contains cannibalism, violence, death, torture and other horrible things)

ABILITIES | POWERS:
- Ghouls are human-looking creatures that predate on humans as it's the only thing they can subside on; they can also eat each other. Half-ghouls are extremely rare, but it's possible for humans and ghouls to have offspring together and ghoul organs can be transplanted onto humans, which is what happened to Kaneki. Because of this, Kaneki is unable to eat anything but human flesh (also coffee, it's unknown why coffee is the exception), and he won't be able to digest anything but that.A ghoul doesn't have to consume meat as often as humans, but Kaneki is a binge eater and honestly he's is always hungry because his powers are demanding.

- Ghouls have specific organs, which is what was transferred into Kaneki to turn him into a half-ghoul. This organ is called Kakuhou, which will store a special kind of cells that ghouls obtain from eating humans. These cells (called RC cells) can be used by the ghoul's body for different things such as giving them above normal strength, reflexes, agility, speed; they also provide the ghoul with a body tougher than most regular solid materials which means bullets can't kill a ghoul and a normal human can't damage a ghoul so easily. These cells also accumulate on the ghoul's eye whenever the ghoul is hungry or excited, and it will turn the eye red and the sclera black. Since Kaneki is a half-ghoul, he only has one reactive eye.

- Another ability of these RC cells is regeneration. Thanks to them and as long a ghoul has adequate food supply, a ghoul can heal wounds in seconds; grave wounds may take days, but they'll still heal faster than any human could ever heal their wounds.

- The final and most important ability RC cells provide is fusing together and forming another extra organ which will be coming out of the Kakuhou and will use the stored cells it has. This organ is called kagune and it's used by ghouls to hunt, fight and defend. The type of Kagune formed differs depending on the type of ghoul; Kaneki is a Rinkaku type and it looks like four red scaled tentacles with a scary striking power and has powerful regenerative abilities. because Kaneki sought power so desperately, he learned to reshape his kagune and now it can take different forms such as claws, hands, blades, etc. Forming all these shapes cause a higher RC cell consumption (so Kaneki has to eat more).

- Kakuja is another power. Kakujas are those ghouls who have a mutated kagune thanks to the continued cannibalizing of other ghouls and after eating so many other ghouls, naturally Kaneki's kagune became mutated. It's not "permanently on" and it often happens when Kaneki needs an extra boost of power (it's a bit like a Dragon ball's sayan form). Kakuja works as some sort of armor that engulfs the ghoul’s body, amplifies their strength and resilience, their powers and their abilities. In exchange for this, the user will lose their mind, which makes it hard for them to actually control the kakuja as they please. Kaneki’s Kakuja is not complete (Half-Kakuja or Incomplete Kakuja) and it’s formed by twin arms/tails that are shaped like centipede bodies; these protrude from his lower back, and go up towards the shoulder blades. A mask is also formed, and it has a hole for his left eye and a beak that runs along the middle of his face. Visual, cw for body horror

- Ghouls do have limitations. Their weak points are membranes, such as eyes, lips and so on, and these can be easily pierced. Also, ghouls are always dependent on how much they eat and thus how many RC cells they have; if a ghoul doesn't feed enough or uses his powers too much, they won;t be able to keep going and their abilities will be crippled. While they can face most weapons, anything with enough impact could damage a ghoul, such as metal beams falling on them. Elements such as fire, water, ice, drought - those can all affect a ghoul as well, so it IS possible for example to burn a ghoul alive as long they are not given the opportunity to heal. Magic most likely will also have impact.

PERSONALITY:
At the beginning, Kaneki was a very kind, polite young man, extremely introvert and without many friends (he only has one, in fact). Very intelligent, and due to leading a very lonely life, Kaneki relied on books in order to learn and to be closer to his father who had passed away when he was still young. However, all of this hid how lonely Kaneki truly was, and worse: it hid how much he had been abused by his own mother, who was unable to get over her husband’s death and physically abused her own son in order to release her frustration. This same woman while taking care of her kid was also overworking herself to death in order to help her own terrible sister, and eventually she passed away from exhaustion.

Because of this, Kaneki grew up thinking that he had to hurt if he wanted to be loved. He believed by trying to speak up about his issues, his mind and his opinions, he was being selfish and that meant others would not love him. Kaneki was taught to sacrifice his own happiness and this is why he was quiet and would prefer to be hurt rather than hurting someone else. And he believed he had to help everyone all the time because that’s what his mother always did and that made her look like the kindest person, in his eyes. Kaneki always held on to the things his mother taught him through abuse, but he never really saw that as something bad.

Then he became a ghoul. Thanks to a crazy scientist, Kaneki became someone who had to consume others in order to survive and that caused him a lot of distress because it goes right against what he believed. However, through this, he was able to recognize the world is not black and white, ghouls are not just monster, and also was able to recognize his own weaknesses: he was unable to protect the ones he loves by just sitting around and hope everything got magically fixed. The first part of the manga focuses on that. And then he was kidnapped by a terrorist ghoul group called Aogiri Tree and he was tortured to extremes.

This leads to something changing within Kaneki. he realized the world is wrong, messed up. He admitted to himself his mother was weak for being unable to choose between her son and her sister, admitted he was weak too and that if he did want to protect his people, he had to go to extremes and eradicate anyone who’d threaten them; to be strong meant to eat others. Only this way he’d be able to protect his loved ones and be loved in turn, and so he would not be lonely because Kaneki can't stand loss and isn't able to live with loss.

So he went on rampage. He took upon himself to pluck out (kill and eat) bad ghouls, eradicate Aogiri Tree and the doctor who turned him into this. During this, his power grew out of control and Kaneki's mental health deteriorated so much that he became suicidal and started seeking death: he hoped to die as a hero and after sleep forever, because that was the only way for him to ever be forgiven or fixed. Kaneki is the epitome of tragedy and he shows us that his good intentions were very destructive.

Kaneki's core didn't change; he is a sweet, kind person who loves his friends and who'd do anything for them, and he doesn't like to hurt people. However as he became much more driven and obsessed with gaining power in order to protect said friends that sometimes, Kaneki started to jump from his gentle demeanor into a vicious state in just a few seconds.

In Kaneki’s mind, he was finally doing something and becoming merciless towards “bad ghouls” and consuming them had to be done so he could protect everyone. But Kaneki is not a cruel and vicious person by nature. Rather than being a repressed sadist, Kaneki's trauma twisted him into something he doesn't recognize, and in response he did exactly what his traumatic experiences taught him: be violent in return. He spiraled, violence and madness turned him numb, and suddenly he was relishing on other's pain.

And he hated it. He was scared of it, and he thought of himself as a monster for it. Kaneki’s violence came back to haunt him every time and ate away at his sanity, and devoured him from within. And he finally reached a point where he realized he was doing everything wrong: leaving his friends so he could protect them, going on rampage so he could become stronger, and even hurting his own friends with that power he always sought after – all of that was wrong. But he also came to realize a lot of what he has done was so he would not be lonely.

In the end, Kaneki realized a lot of things and decided to redo them, but Kaneki’s mind is broken. He is suffering from mental illness that drives him to do horrible things, and he still doesn’t know how to fix it other than hoping for death.


SAMPLE: TDM

INVENTORY: Battlesuit and mask

NOTES: Kaneki will be chewing on the undead for food, rather than on real people. He may also raid cemeteries if the opportunity presents itself.

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? GIVE ME ANYTHING i honestly don't mind any

APPLICATION RECEIVED

[groundrules]

Anduin Wrynn | Warcraft

[chosenbylight]

PLAYER NAME: Teresa
CONTACT: lycanthropy101
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: Referred by Jack (Wrathion blackscales)!

CHARACTER: Anduin Wrynn
CANON: Warcraft
CANON POINT: pre-Shadowlands; circa “Shadows Rising”

BACKGROUND: Anduin's page on Wowpedia

ABILITIES | POWERS:
Anduin is a Holy Priest, which means that he is a healer. His connection to the Light is largely based in Faith, which means that a lot of his healing spells are based in prayer as well. He can channel the Light to Heal wounds, to Cure Ailments, and to Dispel Harmful Effects. He can create a temporary barrier to protect a person from attack, and is able to do a few psychic abilities including: Mind Soothe (to calm the mind), Mind Vision (to see through the eyes of another within the same area), Mind Control (controls the mind, does not work on the undead/demonic/mechanical), Psychic scream (scares people away so they leave him alone and do not attack), and Shackle Undead (pins an undead enemy in place for ~50 seconds). He has the ability to Levitate himself or another person, which hovers them above the ground/helps them run on water/slows a fall, and similarly a quick-react spell called Leap of Faith which yanks a person directly to him (and ostensibly out of danger). He can also summon a Holy Fire for an attack.

Anduin's faith in the Light plays a large part in his abilities, though he is also capable of Shadow or Void magic. These spells cause a certain amount of Shadow damage, the severity depending on the spell itself. For example, Shadow Word: Pain deals a low amount of Shadow damage slowly over time whereas Shadow Word: Death is intended to execute an enemy with low health. Being the opposite of the Light, Shadow magic is far more volatile and can backfire to cause him damage himself if used improperly. Anduin is more susceptible to using Shadow magic when overcome with negative emotions though as a rule he does not choose to use this type of magic otherwise.

Also not exactly a power but worth mentioning: when he was younger, he suffered a severe injury when a magical item known as the Divine Bell was knocked over and nearly crushed him to death. Ever since recovering from this, he experiences jolts of pain whenever there is oncoming danger or when he might be about to make a poor decision: guidance from the Divine Bell.

In terms of making certain that Anduin's powers don't become too world-breaking, they do rely on his supply of mana, which is not unending. He is a powerful healer, in terms of his canon, but even he has his limits.

PERSONALITY:
Anduin is a quiet, thoughtful, pacifistic person. If given the choice he would much rather talk and reason his way through a conflict than allow it to continue. Before he became the High King of the Alliance, he was a priest of the Holy Light, and in truth if he could he would not protest giving up the throne to a person more deserving of the role. He harbors a lot of doubt in himself, in his ability to hold such a position and be responsible for the decisions of the Crown.

That is not to say that he is defenseless. Anduin will not stand back and watch other people fight for him, and has joined his army on the frontlines of the battlefield on several occasions. He also will not hesitate to stand up for his convictions. He has done so many times in the past against his father, Varian Wrynn, who had a brutal temper and was prone to violent outbursts, even standing his ground when Varian went so far as to injure him during an argument. He is insatiably curious and intelligent, and has studied under the Prophet Velen as well as the August Celestial Chi-Ji the Red Crane. He does not always do as he is told, refusing to be rescued from Pandaria when he believed that there was an opportunity there for him to be able to help, and then even going so far as to stand against Garrosh Hellscream to stop him from using the sha as a weapon -- nearly losing his life in the process. He has very strong morals, for despite everything Garrosh did to him and to Azeroth as a whole he still advocates for his fate to be decided by a trial, and when he finds out that Garrosh’s food is poisoned in his cells, he (after much ethical deliberation) lets him know.

Anduin is a person who feels very deeply for his friends, for his family, for his country, and his people. He takes every loss perhaps more personally than he should and carries the weight of the responsibility he has been given as king heavily on his shoulders. He is young, and though he has experienced quite a lot in his life, he still has a lot left to learn -- he could stand to be reminded of this at times. Anduin and Varian had only recently begun to patch their relationship, and thus Varian’s death and Anduin’s consequential step to the throne hits him hard. He has on several occasions snuck out into the city in disguise to destress and just be himself, at this point, against his better judgment.

When he is not being tested beyond breaking point, Anduin is an intelligent, curious, playful conversationalist, who is interested in learning more about the people and places and customs he visits. He does not have many friends but he will pull pranks on them and joke around with them, for example racing horses with his advisor Mathias Shaw and then ribbing him about being an old man when he beats him in the race.

Anduin is also a diplomat and strategist, and is willing to step up and defend his point of view against his councillors when he believes them to be wrong. He might have inherited the Fourth War from his father, but it is Anduin’s idea to broker an armistice between the Horde and the Alliance to end it, and it would not have been possible to achieve without Anduin on the throne. He understands how to communicate between different, sometimes perhaps difficult personalities, and convince them to agree with one another. He has had much practice doing this with his council, who are all wise and bring intelligent contributions to the table in their own ways, but are also sometimes stubborn and stuck in their ways. It is perhaps telling that Anduin’s favorite game is a Pandaren strategy board game called jihui where one must advance an attack against your opponent, though the goal is not to beat one another but to equal them.

He is stubbornly optimistic and hopeful, and is often too quick to trust. He believes in the truth of love and goodness, and he wants to believe that the best will work out in the end. When Genn Greymane pushes him to look for a suitor to find an heir, Anduin pushes back -- he does not believe in a marriage to someone he does not know or care for. That stubborn optimism can sometimes lead him into trouble, and people he has trusted have wound up using him for the sake of their own means, as Wrathion did to free Garrosh during his trial. Of course, not everyone has thrown this blind optimism back in his face and in many instances, despite how ill-advised his faith might have been, he has wound up the better for it. For example, Anduin only happened to meet the Tauren Horde leader Baine Bloodhoof on a chance encounter while visiting his “aunt”, but the friendship they forged after this meeting had many future political ramifications.

SAMPLE: Anduin on the TDM

INVENTORY:
• his (father's) sword, Shalamayne
• his court clothing
• his mother's locket
• his father's compass

NOTES: I don't think he needs any special accommodations in particular!

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? I enjoy plot, personally! I'm definitely looking to throw Anduin into the plot as much as possible, and the more reason I can have to do that from the start, the better!!

APPLICATION RECEIVED

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