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


→ NAVIGATION MENU

Comments

Aang | Avatar the Last Airbender

[airbender]

PLAYER NAME: Cris
CONTACT: Discord: Cris#4369, or ensigncris@gmail.com, or PM this journal!
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: Invited by Chel!

CHARACTER: Aang
CANON: Avatar the Last Airbender
CANON POINT: Season 3, during the Boiling Rock episode. Aang will wake up in-game after having gone to sleep at the Western Air Temple.

BACKGROUND: Here! (Up to the second paragraph in the Summer 100AG section.)

ABILITIES | POWERS:

Elemental Manipulation: As the Avatar, Aang can manipulate (and weaponize) the four classical elements (air, water, earth and fire) through martial arts. He has attained the rank of Master in Airbending, and though there has been no formal evaluation of his Waterbending and Earthbending skill he is probably at or near mastery of both. He is still a novice Firebender, though.

Airbending: Or Aerokinesis. Based on the movements of Ba Gua, Airbending involves controlling the flow of air. For the most part this is used by Aang to aid in evasion and movement: with the help of his staff/glider, he can fly short distances by using the wind to pick himself up off the ground. He can also push himself forward with the wind to run super fast, or use the wind to slow a fall and land comfortably even from an extreme height. On the occasions that he uses airbending offensively, it can be turned into a concussive or even cutting force strong enough to destroy solid rock, especially dangerous when augmented by things like fans or his glider staff.
Waterbending: Or hydro/cryokinesis. Based on Tai Chi, Waterbending controls the movement of water in all of its states, including ice. Small amounts of water can be pulled from the air when it exists as vapor, or out of plants, but for the most part (and in Aang's case currently) effective use of Waterbending requires the practitioner to carry around a supply of water or to have it readily available in the landscape. Aang can create whips or concussive spouts of water to stagger enemies, or use his ability to instantly freeze it to trap people in blocks of ice. He could also create super sharp shards or disks of ice, but for moral reasons he does not tend to go this route when waterbending.
Earthbending: Or geokinesis. Based on Hung Gar, Earthbending involves the ability to move dirt, stone and sand. This can be done with natural Earth features, but also man-made stone structures (like flattening steps made out of stone to turn a staircase into a smooth ramp.) Aang tends to use this ability defensively, generally summoning walls or shelters to place between himself and opponents or wrapping his body in a layer of earth resembling extremely bulky plate armor. Aang can also use bending to throw rocks through the air at opponents, or to create passages through solid landscapes where there weren't any before (tunneling through a mountain rather than climbing it, etc.) When his feet are on the ground he can also use Earthbending to sense the movements of anyone around him, essentially using it to see without his eyes (must be Earth or rock, not wooden or metal floors.)
Firebending: Or pyrokinesis. Based on Northern Shaolin, Firebending involves both the generation of and control of existing flames. Aang only knows basic forms so far, but since his teacher Zuko is currently in-game he could progress in his mastery while present so eventually he'll be able to improve on the rudimentary skill he's already got to create fire, as well as put out or control existing flames. With enough training he will also be able to elevate his own body temperature and superheat the things he breathes on or touches. He could also learn to redirect lightning back out of his body once struck.

Avatar State*: Aang has the ability to access/channel the power and knowledge accumulated through his past lives by entering into an "avatar state," which can work two different ways. The first way we see is a sort of hibernation, triggered unconsciously, which Aang used before the beginning of the series to freeze both himself and Appa in time beneath the ocean for nearly 100 years. It is unknown if there is a time limit on how long he can sustain this, but he seemed unable to wake or move without outside intervention. (Might be useful in a hiatus situation? But not much else.) The second way is a very brief period of extremely enhanced energy output/elemental mastery, usually followed by heavy fatigue. This state is either triggered by emotion (in Aang's case, usually anger or fear), as a physical defense mechanism meant to ensure his survival at all costs, or (only pretty late in the show) purposefully. The only time Aang seems to be in control of his actions is when he enters the state the third way, otherwise he unleashes wanton destruction until he is calmed down by someone familiar or until the danger passes and he is safe.

*Aang's access to the Avatar State is currently blocked due to damage to his chakras sustained during an attack in the show's 2nd season finale. It can be unblocked by severe enough physical force being applied to the lightning scar on the middle of his back (aligned with the Anahata/heart chakra), but he isn't aware of that. If there is a plot opportunity to unblock it during the course of the game I will consult mods first and also nerf the Avatar State's ability to do anything game-breaking involving altering the landscape with bending.

Spirit Medium: Aang has the innate ability to sense, empathize with and understand spirits, which in-universe are supernatural entities that tend to represent aspects of nature or life (in-game probably someone like Anurr would count. Can be nerfed out or just not apply to in-game entities if that would get too infomod-y!) In-canon he could also access the Spirit World at will through meditation, but he will not be able to do so in-game because different worlds etc etc.

PERSONALITY:

Despite the fact that he has the potential to be the most powerful person in his canon world, at heart Aang just wants the luxury of living as the pacifist he was raised to be by the monks in the temple where he grew up. He would much rather goof around and play games than fight the war he was born to put an end to, and it's that specific desire to escape responsibility that led him to run away from his people, and (by accident or by fate) get trapped beneath the ocean, frozen in time while the war progressed and eventually engulfed most of the world above him.

Aang continuously grapples with the guilt of that act, while still having the natural inclination to continue making similar mistakes. Because most things (like bending) came so easily to Aang, he loses motivation very quickly if he isn't immediately good at something, and he struggles a lot when faced with failure. If a problem has no apparent solution, and trying to find one intimidates him enough, Aang will do his best to weasel out of dealing with the issue at all. Just before his canon point, for example, when faced with the prospect of trying to learn Firebending for which he had no available teacher, Aang kept attempting to run away and play games with the other kids that he was traveling with rather than sit with the team and come up with a plan. Even when a teacher conveniently appeared before them, he let his fear of Firebending keep him from immediately accepting the help offered—despite having attempted to reach out to that particular person again and again when they were still on opposite sides.

It takes a lot of patience and coaxing to deal with him sometimes, especially when trying to teach him: he responds well to praise, but immediately loses faith in himself when hitting nearly any roadblock, including just receiving too much criticism. He also loves attention, and can be bratty when he's not getting any, or jealous when his friends are too busy with other things to spend time with him. He does not handle things like crushes with much grace at all. He is also mischievous, he even takes pride in being a troublemaker, relying on his ability to charm and sweet-talk his way back out of trouble when he inevitably gets caught.

Which is a long list of flaws, but he is humble enough to admit to his mistakes and he has a genuine desire to improve himself and learn to do better by others and the world around him. Aang will go above and beyond to help anyone and everyone that he can, regardless of who they are. Despite waking up from 100 years underwater to find his entire people massacred, Aang doesn't hate the nation responsible and goes out of his way to sympathize with and try to get to know the fire nation citizens he has a chance to meet on his journey. He feels the loss keenly, but he tries very hard to not let tragedy change him so much as a person that he can't be kind or have fun. Aang is optimistic, and believes wholeheartedly in giving people second chances, no matter who they are. He is sweet and playful, always willing to take the time to cheer people up with games or shenanigans.

He's extremely adventurous, easily excitable, and very sociable—he doesn't go anywhere without making at least one friend. He's difficult to embarrass because he doesn't take himself too seriously, and his sense of humor lets him laugh off even pretty pointed jabs without returning them. He has a strong sense of whimsy, and he always tries to take the time to indulge in both his own and other peoples' flights of fancy. He loves animals, even if he sometimes overestimates his ability to corral them.

Unlike a lot of young protagonists, Aang never asks for or wants to be treated like an adult. If anything, he resents being forced out of his childhood so early, and he strives to remind other young characters who grew up too fast how young they are, too. Despite that, he is independent, self-sufficient, and wise beyond his years as well. He occasionally frustrates his friends by offering sage advice or having wise monk sayings on hand for their difficult emotional situations, even when they don't really ask. It comes from a place of experience, though, because Aang puts a lot of work into maintaining his sense of self and his spiritual well-being, especially knowing he is the last Airbender and that he must uphold the teachings of his people or they'll be lost in the world forever.

SAMPLE: Here!

INVENTORY: Clothes, staff/glider, a fistful of marbles and a Bison whistle (which works like a dog whistle would.)

NOTES: The only accommodation Aang would need is for diet, because he is a vegetarian, but he can simply not partake of any meat available for consumption. Because at 12 he definitely also fits into the "children" category, though, I'd like to note that Aang has been traveling on his own for some time with only other people around his age and can both fend for himself and survive off the land. He also has some experience (though he certainly needs more) acting as a diplomatic figure due to the status of being an Avatar in his own world. He won't require more looking-after by the group than any other older teen characters would.

IF ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU WANT A PLOT-LIGHT OR PLOT-HEAVY CUSTOM INTRO? Plot-heavy, please!!

APPLICATION RECEIVED

[groundrules]

[groundrules]

Heya - thank you for the application! It's all looking great so far, but the sample is just a bit on the short side to give a comprehensive feel of Aang's layered personality. It's clear you can handle prose for him, so all I'll ask is a short, two to three-sentence answer to each of the following scenario-based questions. There's no "right" answer, and this is just to glean your thought processes for him.


1. Enemy forces strike while Aang and his companion friends are escorting a set of fragile refugees in travel. As the strongest fighter, Aang is told to remove the refugees, leaving his competent but tight-numbered friends to risk themselves by diverting the assailants. No one but Aang can remove the refugees safely, and they are heavily at risk if they remain on premise. What does Aang choose to do?

2. Aang and his team reach the homeland of a powerful ancient tribe to find it has just been bloodily eradicated by a younger group. They claim the slaughter was justice, earned because of the years of cruel oppression inflicted on them by the culled tribe. They refuse to show mercy to any lingering survivors. What, if anything, does Aang do?

[airbender]

Oop, these ended up being a little longer than three sentences each, sorry!

1. Unfortunately Aang has been in this position before, and he really, really hates it every time! But for the sake of the refugees he would do his best to take them away from the fray. During their escape, he would look for any possibility of finding them a temporary place of safety so he could return to help his friends, but barring any reasonable opportunities for that, he would resign himself to simply drowning in worry until hearing about the team's fate. And unfortunately probably get real snippy even with the refugees who definitely didn't ask for any of this, because of the weight of the guilt of having left his team behind. After the refugees are safe, he would try to join in any rescue effort that follows.

2. Aang's first instinct would be to try to negotiate with or speak to the leaders of the younger group, because he's accustomed to his council being taken at least a little bit seriously due to his status in his canon world. If (or more likely when, because he's just a goofy looking kid and not The Avatar here) that doesn't work, he would immediately go behind the local authority's back to try and search for any survivors himself/release them if they've been imprisoned, to protect them and help them escape from the immediately dangerous territory. Obviously that would be a Bad Move for the prospects of the team traversing peacefully through said homeland, but he doesn't have much of a head for political machinations yet, sorry team. Even if he found out that like, there was definitely a lot of cruel oppression and maybe the younger group has a reason to be so angry, he wouldn't be able to live with himself just if he just stood by and ignored the slaughter.

ACCEPTED

[groundrules]

Thank you so much — that's great and helps convey your take on the character in more tenuous circumstances.

Before writing out the plot-relevant part of your acceptance note: typically Aang's arrival would be woven into the latest event, but the latter is more horror-tipped than usual for us. The game-wide vote favoured a spooky October event, but I appreciate that this might not be 100% to everyone's comfort and taste. If I can bother you to have a skim, can you let me know if you'd like Aang to be brought into the game within Taravast (the citadel where the action takes place), or if you prefer I find him a plot-accommodating way of setting him up outside of it, so you can opt out of the more difficult parts of the event until it's over, but retain network access for him?

Please don't feel pressured either way, we'll go with whatever suits your OOC comfort. I just don't want you forced into a deeper horror event atmosphere, if that doesn't suit your needs right now.

[airbender]

Thank you!! Go ahead and plop Aang down into the middle of it, I absolutely don't mind the spookier elements! Tis the season, after all.

[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 if you’re fond of plurk, consider following eastbound.

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.

There is an informal discord server for the game, if you’re into that kind of thing — you’ll get a private message with an invite, once you comment to the Taken List!

We have kicked off Arc II: Taravast, and our latest event is here.

It’s a-okay to keep Aang’s spiritual medium abilities. If we ever need to dial down something, we’ll figure it out along the way.

NOTES

INTRO: Aang joins the party in the thick of things, awakening in the outskirts of Taravast alongside a group of merchants who are desperately trying to flee the citadel during its recent spate of atrocities. They found Aang collapsed in the piazza and took him under their wing, providing him with a patchy but serviceable translation and communication pendant. As it happens, every time they attempt to exit the citadel, something goes wrong: the Beastmaster unleashes a fresh wave of creatures, the waters of the canals flood because of the Anurr-led temperature volatility, the undead storm, random fire stokes — they conclude, squinty-eyed, that the reason for their recent adversities must surely be... Aang, whom they refer to as Ahn-Salack: a portent who attract bad luck everywhere. He must be treated well, they argue, or he will take his vengeance and shower even more wretched fortune upon them. Note: Aang is innocent of any bad luck-bearing. Or is he.

The merchants “turn him over” at Doxe Bonaccorso’s refugee camp in the witches’ sanctuary at the first opportunity. There, Aang encountersthe sorceress Karsa, an employee of the party’s Merchant benefactor who is currently journeying with the caravan. She recognises Aang as a newcomer to the world, spares him an updated communication and translation device and explains both his whereabouts and the story so far.

Unlike his predecessors, comes with his own reputation, as the merchants spread word that he is the worst of bad luck heralds. Karsa initially struggles to assign him a team, but Macaluso Spina feels Taravast has been so greatly battered by poor fortune that to hold the Ahn-Salack within his clutches is better than to let him fall in Vannozza’s hands.

Once order and proper accommodations are restored, Aang will reside in his patron’s wing of the Palazzo of the Doxe while in Taravast. He will receive especially lavish quarters and a handsome stipend.

He will find himself easily influencing every social class of Taravast, all of whom are petrified of him and seek to bribe him with gifts, if only he stops exuding bad luck their way.

Karsa can also explain the piazza — a style of communicating to the city at large, with an eye to influence public opinion.