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groundrules) wrote2021-01-08 03:30 pm
groundrules) wrote2021-01-08 03:30 pm
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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.
APPLICATIONS CLOSED
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Wrathion | World of Warcraft
CONTACT:
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME?: Rei (
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
no subject
no subject
ACCEPTED
Thank you for your application!
ADMIN
NOTES
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
dragonman to further Macaluso’s plans of brokering alliances between Taravast and foreign citadels.no subject
no subject
CANON POINT UPDATE
CANON UPDATE