Winter Festival (Applications Closed)

[Celritannia]

The Winter Festival Masquerade Ball

To the friends and acquaintances of Imperial Commonwealth of Cerlitannia,

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Alexander Artharian III, cordially invites you for a season of festivities at the Imperial State Palace within the Capital of our Nation, Grand Albion.

The Winter Festival highlights one of our nation’s oldest traditions, once a season to highlight the end of harvest, the Winter Festival has grown into one of the major cultural events of Celritannia’s history.
A time of celebration, compassion, food, and gift giving, we welcome one and all for an evening’s entertainment of dance, laughter, and friendship

For this year’s season of goodwill, Emperor Alexander wishes to share the celebrations with distinguished guests and friends who Celritannia has grown to admire.
Guests of all nations are also invited, and the Imperial Commonwealth opens its' arms to all new friendships for those who wish to take part.

The Masquerade Ball is a celebration that has existed for almost two hundred years during the Winter Festival, one of the few rare traditions our nation still maintains.

This years Winter Festival Masquerade Ball shall take place five days from now, and both Emperor Alexander, and the entire Imperial Commonwealth, wishes a warm welcome for an evening’s celebration.

We wish you all a warm Winter Celebration and hope to see many of our friends at the Imperial State Palace for the Masquerade Ball.

With kind regards,



Gustav Himelet,
Grand Secretariat and Chief of Staff to the Imperial State Council

---

Hello all, I am not used to establishing an RP, however, I wished to have a moment of fun and enjoyment for those who I either RP regularly with, or anyone who has been interested to RP with me and vice versa.

So as you can see, this is my nation's take on a Christmas/Yuletide celebration, and I would like everyone who partakes to enjoy themselves and hopefully bring light to their characters by interact with everyone elses and my own.

I will state this now, both myself and Crystal Spires are the Supreme Overlords (OP and Co-OP) of this thread, so we would like a nice clean thread, from all of you.
No fighting, no militaries, nothing that results into any violence, although drunk characters are an exception.
This is a RP for entertainment and fun for the festivities of Christmas/Yuletide, and I wish everyone who takes part to not only enjoy themselves, but also bring a light of strong RP skills and character development.

With that, I shall go ahead and leave an application form here. This is sadly a semi-open RP thread, and mainly for those who I either RP with, or I have had an interest in RPing with but never got round to it. Never the less, if you tick all the boxes, then you are more than welcome to participate.

MASKS ARE ESSENTIAL

Players should remain aware that this is a primarily character driven RP, and while conflict is not necessarily expected in character RPs, there will naturally need to be a lot of cooperation for the sake of keeping things from getting cluttered. If any sort of large scale conflict begins or unfolds within the RP, another thread shall be created for addressing it because of the reasonable time it would take for there to be discussion and planning large scale conflicts, etc. A very fancy way of saying:

No Godmodding.

Be creative.

Have fun!

---

RP Sample Writing Prompt:
Write in the most personal and detailed manner to show us your style of writing and the character of your choosing
Write in the first person point of view your character’s most emotional winter memory, and have them explain how it came to be such an emotional Winter Memory.

Applications that fail to have a writing prompt of at least 250 words shall be automatically denied*

*Regular RPers with Crystal Spires and I will be exempt, but would be a wonderful addition.

Applications

Code: Select all

[box][b]Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Character(s) Name(s):[/b]
[b]Species?[/b]
[b]Character Health Issues?:[/b]
[b]Previous Relations With Celritannia?:[/b]
[b]RP Example[/b][/box]

Applications are now closed. With the exception of the Co-OP, I ask no further apps to be made for the RP, otherwise I will ignore the, in other words, an automatic denial.

Have fun all

[Cleventon]

Nation Name:Federation of Cleventon
Character(s) Name(s):Major Keith Birdman, Alexandra Rossin
Species? Human
Character Health Issues?:None
Previous Relations With Celritannia?:None
RP Example: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=323522

[RaveShentavo]

Nation Name: The Three United Empires

Character(s) Name(s):Lady Maxine Sovereign

Species: Human (Hedge Witch) – hedgecraft is a path that is somewhat shamanic in nature, as they are practitioners of an Earth-based spirituality. These are the ones that engage in spirit flight and journey across the veil. The term “hedge” signifies the boundary of the village and represents the boundary that exists between this world and the spiritual realm.

Character Health Issues?: Maxine suffers from Raynaud’s disease in which the extreme cold causes vasoconstriction in her extremities, causing the circulation to be hindered and loss of sensation. It is for this reason that she truly despises the cold. She is also violently allergic to cherry, unless it is fermented. Much to her dismay, her superiors sent her...in the cold...to potentially garner connections with Celritannia to help their ailing nation.

Previous Relations With Celritannia: None

RP Example .

[Kouralia]

Nation Name: The Royal Union of Kouralia
Character(s) Name(s): V/Just. Elena Campbell, Adj.C. Bechy Liana, SAA Robyn Elwyn
Species? Human, Human*, Lvpan Selenes
Character Health Issues?: None. None. BeingAWerewolf (aka physical contact with silver can result in, if extended, third degree burns).
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: We have had no relations with Celritannia. Celritannia's vacuum cleaner on the other hand...
RP Example: Well, this one time at band-camp...

* = -Ish

[Anollasia]

Nation Name: (The Peaceful Republic of) Anollasia
Character(s) Name(s): Sadie Bernstein (ambassador to Anollasian embassy in Celritannia)
Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: None
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: We have an embassy in your nation.
RP Example viewtopic.php?f=4&t=318683

[Celritannia]

And here is my app, for my thread, because OP's should set examples

Nation Name: Celritannia
Character(s) Name(s): Well...so many
Species? Human, Neko, Furry, Pony, Vanraith
Character Health Issues?: Er...
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: None whatsoever .
RP Example

---

Memories Carved In Ice

I remember the snow crunching beneath my boots as I ran around the garden, throwing snowballs at the advancing white enemies dotted around the grounds.
Theses mercenaries were always trying to invade my private residence every year to steal my secret treasure I held. Although I always managing to fight them off, but this time, they had more.
I grabbed and threw as many snowballs as I could, knocking down the platoon of white camouflaged soldiers, but I fell to the ground, I was becoming tired, my chest rising and falling. One approached me, holding his weapon over me, he was about to pull the trigger…

“Alex! Alex, where are you?”

“I’m over here mama.”

I pushed myself of the ground, looking over the garden at the number of snowmen I built, with long twigs as rifles.

“Did they ambush you this time Alex? Did they succeed in stealing the weapons of Mass Choclication?” I remember my mother’s voice as she asked, such a soft sweet sound, but mid-toned. I looked up to her warming smile, her beautiful face warming my numb hands, her dark blue eye sparkling like the frozen fountain in the middle of the small stone pavement, laying beneath the soft blanket of snow.

“Almost, but they were going to walk into a trap,” I remember telling her, holding her hand as we walked back to the house.

“Well, grandpa and grandma will be here shortly, and your aunt and uncle and their daughter, so you need to go and get changed into less sweaty clothes.”
I looked up at her, smiling. My mother’s family, people I was always excited to see. I always spent time with my dad’s parents more than I did my mum’s family, but that was not because I dislike them, I loved them greatly.

“Is Clovis going to be here with dad as well?” I asked curiously, sliding my feet out of my boots, looking over to her.
She gave a weak smile. Clovis had been following more so than before. My father always seemed to prefer him over me, but I never blamed Clovis for that. We were always making models and throwing snowballs at the snowmen army. Together we were unstoppable, but when my dad decided to take him to work more and more, I was left alone to defend the secret chocolate stash my family always bought for us.

“Your father has been busy with more important work recently, Alex,” she said, hesitantly. She seemed a little upset, her long dark hair cover her eyes. She hung up her jacket next to the the long green Constabulary greatcoat she always word to work during winter.

“Mum? Have you and dad been fighting again?” I asked. I could feel my eyes filling with the warm tears. My parents for a long while were becoming more distant. I didn’t know why then, all I knew was their fighting cause me to lose my only best friend for a time, my brother.

“Oh sweetheart,” She threw her arms tightly around me, a warm embrace was tighter than usual, and only when she saw us upset.
“Your father and I are going through a rough moment, and with his work, we haven’t found time to talk yet.”
I could hear the distress in her comforting voice as her hold became tighter. I placed my arms around her, a warm trickle falling down my face, but I did not let her see or hear me cry. I knew even then my father had hurt her in someway, and to this day, I will never forgive him for.

“Will he be back soon with Clovis?” I asked her, quickly turning so she didn’t see my face, hanging my coat on a low peg.

“Yes darling, he’ll be back soon. Now run upstairs and change, your grandma and grandpa will be here shortly.” I saw her smiling, but now I realised she was holding back the tears, just like I did.

“Octavius, the guests will be arriving soon, are you dressed yet?”

“Almost, Serenity. I'll be down shortly.”

Serenity, if only I could tell you what I was remembering.
As I stood in front of the mirror, I felt a warm stream rolling down my cheek from my sleepless eyes. The memory I hold of my mother, it was the last time I ever felt her arms so tightly around me before she was killed.
I knew he loved her more than anything, and he was destroyed at her death, but my father, the so called Grand Prince, he never even tried to love me again.

As I placed my arms around my chest, I tried to remember that warm embrace, it was one out of sadness, but it held the most love. After seventeen years, I have never remembered anything more upsetting or comforting then that moment she held me.

[Malgrave]

Nation Name: United Kingdom of Malgrave
Character(s) Name(s): Claudia Donovan, PM Berry, Deputy PM Fabray
Species? Human-ish
Character Health Issues?: Nyet MalAids >_>
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Annoying a certain Celritannian with robots.
RP Example...we should continue that RP at some point

[Slavija Slovenska]

Miglė Novák

Nation Name: Parliamentary Colony of Slavija Slovenska
Character(s) Name(s): Miglė Novák
Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: Shell Shock(Not too severe), burn on right side of chest with scars tattered around the burn (Mortar Shell explosion accident)
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Attempting to create relations with Celritannia through economic gains
RP Example:

Miglė Novák was a member of the Slavian Dragoons, a Slavian special forces group within the S.A.F. (Sjovene Armed Forces Sjovenia) He fought in the III Mozrian War during the 90's. He is currently 38 years of age with slightly graying hair. Miglė Novák then became a diplomat for economic gains and small businesses in his home country of Slavija Slovenska.

Miglė walked out into the snow, crunching softly beneath his shoes. He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck as a chilly breeze rolled through carrying with it some light snowfall. "Mr. Bean", he said looking at a dark figure in the shadows. "Your movies are incredibly atrocious. Get a real acting career." With that he swung himself around and walked out from beneath the lamp post, snow crunching more loudly this time.

(Just an rp example….dont really have much so I decided to whip up a random one^)

[Celritannia]

I am sorry, but you I have to decline your application into the RP.

You have not provided a prompt, and the RP you presented was slightly limited, not really much to go on in the way of character development.

Sadly, this application has been

Oh it's you. Do I have to? I mean Really?

*Sighs*

All right.

Sorry there friend, after a closer look, I am afraid this app has been...

Oh hi Mal.

Huh...sadly, your application has been,

[The Lunar Domain]

Nation Name: The Lunar Domain
Character(s) Name(s): Prime Minister Phalanx Spear, Lieutenant Nurag (Lunar Guard)
Species? Earth Pony (Petiquin sapiens terrestris), Sangheili (Macto cognatus)
Character Health Issues?: N/A
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: None.
RP Example First Almendrados Summit, New Harmony, Red in Hoof and Claw, Emergent Nations Gala, The Hunt for Twilight Sparkle (Technically not an RP, but I thought to include it).

The Winter of 3026 of the Common Era
Excerpt from Equestrian Daily Interview with Prime Ministerial Candidate Phalanx Spear, on the date of November 17, 3027

---

I first met Voro 'Toyuk, my running mate and a Parliamentary Representative of the Democratic Republic of Seaddle, last year in December. It was the Fifth of December, Charter Day, and I was on leave, visiting my family back in Seaddle. I of course had been running for Prime Minister for over a year, but I was relatively minor, which I still do believe. Any candidate is until they prove themselves to be capable of leading this country. But, I digress. Voro 'Toyuk, who is still representing the Democratic Republic of Seaddle the way he has for decades, in addition to campaigning, something that is to me extremely admirable, was invited to speak at Detmer Square by the Governor on how far we've come in the past four centuries.

My father was the one who got us tickets, but when we went there, it turned out that there weren't any actual seats. Everyone had to stand up, but what I really, truly remember was the cold. Now, I've been stationed in Stalliongrad, and I know what cold is, but there I had a Powered Combat Vest and a helmet to keep me warm; on this day, all I had was a coat and hat. When 'Toyuk started speaking, I had tried not to pay any attention to the fact that my ears felt like they were getting frostbitten, and instead focus on the speech. He gave a brilliant speech, mind you, one that I would say could not have been done any better.

When the speech finally ended, I told my parents I would meet them back at home, I just wanted to stop in at the local Sugarcube Corner to get some coffee to warm me up. Before I could leave the square though, one of the Lunar Guards there called me over and spoke over his comm to someone. That confused, and frightened, me to be honest: Lunar Guards usually keep to themselves and their officers unless absolutely necessary. This, I later found out, was no different: apparently, Representative 'Toyuk had somehow heard about me, and more interestingly found me on the attending list, and wanted to speak with me. I didn't know this at the time, of course, so I was very much surprised to see that a moment later, 'Toyuk was coming over and actually greeted me.

The two of us talked right out there in the cold; mainly, 'Toyuk was asking me questions about what I was doing running for Prime Minister. Eventually, when the conversation finally came to a close, 'Toyuk gave me his business card and asked me how long I would be in town, what my number was, and told me that he would call me in a week. I didn't know what to expect at the time, but I told him I would keep watch for him.

After it ended, I made my way to Sugarcube Corner and finally was able to warm up, and I honestly believe that my ears would have been frostbitten had I been outside for much longer. I eventually made my way back home, and spent the rest of the day with my parents. I, seven days later, would get a call from Representative 'Toyuk asking me to come speak with him a bit more out in the District. That's how I first met Representative 'Toyuk.

[The Freethinkers]

Nation Name: The Freethinker Commonwealth
Character(s) Name(s): Abha Amris
Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: Freestian sexual appetite
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Erm, none, though given Freestian trading culture its probably known of...however Abha is likely attending in the capacity of someone else' partner.
RP Example

From: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1924&start=175#p12097047
The helicopter, an older model, the traditional rotor-craft, beat along the valley with the tell-tale thwomp-thwomp of its two bladed locomotion. Below, xeric bushes and tumbleweed blew in the wake of the draft, a gentle wave rippling from the mechanical arrowhead. Heat blurred the horizons, spaced with distant peaks. It was a land of solace.

Beyond two reservist pilots, who sat in the diligent silence of the technically accomplished, the occupants of the craft were two men in matching BDUs, terrifyingly crisp and fresh, the insignia of officers in the Royal Marines worn across epaulets that were iron straight and sparkling. They carried no weapons, these men, and they were normal men. Ghouls may inhabit the infantry comprehensively, but the other branches needed manpower more than they needed the brawn.

They were still both fit, mind, for they were Freestian and this was the standard. For all the arrogance and near-fascist commitment to the physical ideal, the Freestian Armies had their reasons. Uniformity in form and ability as well as conduct and dress.

They were chaplains, Robert Emmett and Edgar Taurbin, reservists, but able and skilled ones, namely as their service matched their professional vocations. A state primarily agnostic, chaplains still held their own in the ranks of the Commonwealth, drawn from a variety of faiths (or none, for the humanists), advice and guidance and hope, after all, never went out of fashion. Of course, the duties had expanded somewhat, conducting award ceremonies, doing comforting and preliminary psychological analysis, and, of course, it counted nicely for national service too.

But there was the duty, the calling, and the one part of the job never seemed to get easier.

They landed, heavy, the warmth of the sand and matting buffeting the air. It was a serviceable strip, eight thousand feet of steel planking and concrete, well cared for, free of debris. No roads led to this strip, save one forlorn dirt track, this isolated spot could claim a distance of fifty miles to the nearest town worthy of the title. The surroundings were the rocky steppe, the scene of furies and horrors, living alongside the small outcrop of civilisation.

The rotors slowly whirled down, becoming lazy in the sun, and soon enough one of the pilots jumped out and motioned for their departure.

“Just remember mate”, Taurbin, the senior of pair, began, “they’re Ghouls, they don’t grieve like we do. Be proud, emphasis the heroics.”

Easier said than done. The death of Sergeant Antoskew had been newsworthy enough, it had been brutal and savage and no way for anyone to watch their offspring die.

They both landed strongly onto the matting, looking around the complex. A low, spread out area of adobe and prefabs, punctuated by various mechanical oddities, the machinery of leviathan hunters and slaughters and processes. Vehicles too, army, or ex-army, reinforced, caged, designed not just to protect from but to roll with the vast cacophony of blows that would rain down upon someone who embraced this way of life.
It was one probably, in its high-risk, low reward form, that Antoskew had probably tried to run from. Freestian infantryman was a good career choice, be well paid and well regarded if your occupation was going to involve being here.

They walked in the direction of a stationary farmhand, rough looking but obviously there for them, and the figure had made an effort to semi-look the part, at least. He wasn’t the man they had come for, too composed, too shabby, though this broad brute of a man wore a faded army shirt himself, a veteran, probably of years past now.

He saluted, an instinctual gesture, and they returned the salute in a more formal way. “Padres,” he said, offering his hand after bringing it down. “Name’s Dale, I’ll drive you up.”

“Thank you.” It was all oddly formal, everyone really unsure at the moment what they would find. There was a car, well, a ridiculously over armoured, caged SUV that had seen better days.

They boarded. The place had a smell of death mixed in with the petrol, and it was easy to see why. Giant carcasses of the desert titans, the huge, bloated, corpulent forms of the slaughtered Greyfoots, mixed in with smaller, nastier looking beasts like Anklebiters and Nightwings, all the great Synapsids, carved out, hollowed, bones the length of cars split and piled. Blood soaked the ground, so much so that the ground beneath them was a crimson, sponge like structure, so saturated that new fluid simply oozed and spread along the surface.

For all the brutality though, there was purpose. Big animals had lots of management to preserve numbers, and the few you were allowed to take had to be used to the best of your ability. The flesh was easy enough, Dragonmeat in its various forms, all parts would sell, from the bets cuts to the budget ones, all would find a place. The hide too, tougher than leather, the blubber, for soap, oils, the contents of glands had a hundred uses. The bones, the material, light and strong, had their own purposes wherever less weight and more strength were required. Everything was used. And all around various different pieces of kit would tan the hide or butcher the meat and so many locals with a hundred different archaic trade provided a story for their products that all those across the galaxy craved for.

Death was common then, and understood here, so long as that death was necessary. There was a monument along the track between the cottage-factories, to fallen members of this small patch of urbanity who had been lost in a fashion that no body was recoverable. It seemed oddly appropriate.

The padres arrived, starting to sweat now, but their uniforms remained amazingly unblemished. The home was a decent sized ranch house, far cleaner than many out of the outbuildings and barns around it. A huge dog, the size of a decent bison, rested on the front yard, eyes watching, docile in spite of its image of ferocity. It whined in the heat, giving them a sniff, the crisp floral scent of washing powder a novelty, but soon turned back to rest. Dale moved ahead, knocking the door for them before doffing his cover and taking a step back, allowing the chaplains a step forward.

Taurbin took a half step ahead. Both took a moment for their own composure, but the air burned their lips and assaulted their nostrils anew.

The door opened, the man who appeared bore rougher versions of Sergeant Antoskew’s features , worn on a face utterly devoid of emotion. Indeed, only red marks on his palms, where tight fists had took jagged rough fingernails though the tough leathery skin, and bloodied knuckles, perhaps from a frustrated, desperate blow into nothing, belied that this figure had ever had any emotion. His countenance was scarred, as was everyone here. The pupils of his eyes were far too wide for the high sun of the day.

“Mr Antoskew. I…” Taurbin started, choking suddenly on the dust. “I am afraid to inform we are here to convey some news in regard to your daughter. May we…come in?”

The stare lasted for seconds, or hours, then a nod inward. No words, just a turn of his back after the indication to follow. Emmett and Taurbin exchanged a look, and followed him in.

It was the photographs Emmett always noted. They were here too, the usual secondary school graduation, military parades, her award of her NCO stripes, a proud shot with the rest of her platoon atop the charred remains of some giant Orkish vehicle. But most were older, faded, terrifyingly innocent given the surroundings of her upbringing. A shot of a young girl learning to ride a Wyvern, a parade float princess at a county fair, countless, countless hopes, unlimited potential.

They entered the living room, and there sat Mrs Antoskew. Unlike the stunted grunt of her husband, there was no hiding what she felt, and tears dropped into a blanket, pink and old and decorated in childish images, the rough hew of the cut contrasting with the neatness of the sewing, a funny little detail that belied the origin of the cloth, a little mother-daughter project on some long forgotten afternoon. Emmett swallowed loudly as they all sat down, the officers opposite the grieving parents.

They didn’t grieve like us. Bullshit, though Emmett, as he found he had lost his voice in the present. All they probably wanted to know was that it had been worth it. Neither could really give them that assurance though.

The stench of death permeated everything here. Somehow though, this one stood out like a rock in the sea. Useless. Pointless.

“Ma’am. I am sorry for your loss.” Really.

[Celritannia]

[Aurora Confederacy]

Nation Name:Aurora Confederacy
Character(s) Name(s): Martyne Lombard

Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: none
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: n/a
RP Example see below

Martyne is 5'7" in height and of medium build, sports a tattoo on her skull of a 6 legged tribal scorpion, a tattoo of a dragon on her right breast,
numerous body piercings including a ring through her nose which often has a chain to an ear ring, a surgically split tongue with a stud through each half.

She is the daughter of Nikki-Louise Lombard, the owner of Avija Valkyr, an Auroran airline however she works as an owner operator of a two-trailer truck (which she has left in the AC in order to attend the festival with her girlfriend, Tiffany Reed. ( see below)

Nation Name: Aurora Confederacy
Character(s) Name(s): Tiffany Louisiana Reed

Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: amputee -

Previous Relations With Celritannia?: n/a
RP Example I have written it more of a diary entry with it being in the first person if thats okay.

Diary Entry - 01 - 14 - 2012

It was a cold January morning, I had slept well next to my girlfriend, Tiffany for it was her who for one kept me warm the two of us lying next to eachother in what was our apartment in Neccerecc, the last few days had been spent getting from the harbour to the town and it seemed a nice place, yesterday Tiffany and I enjoyed a game of snowball hurling, Tiffany makes a great fast bowler and can plant a snow ball onto its target like a well placed grenade, often she would pull the pin and shout GRENADE!, that never ceases to amaze me. Neccerec is a nice place with friendly people and just after Christmas as well it seemed to be the ideal place to stay. It was about midday when the ground heaved now as an Auroran I have lived through earthquakes, even survived being ashed in when the volcano erupted a few years ago severing the road to Halvaar though this was different as the shockwave travelled through the air with a more ominous feel to it.

With that I jumped up, hell I was asleep and so was Tiffany though yes it was mid day before y'ask and yes I was lying in bed and so to see what went on, I peeled back the curtains as Tiffany put on her legs and got dressed. The sight before me was one I will never forget, smoke rising over the school, the centre of the column rising as the outer edges slowed down. It kinda looked like a mushroom though not a nuclear one for if that was the case you proably would not be reading this. Tiffany seeing the cloud looked at me "its from the school" she said to me, and when she came out with that, my heart sank.

The walk to the school was a brisk ten minute walk, though around the corner was where I had parked up Bianca, my beloved truck so it was safe though that was not what was on my mind, the people in the school were. Tiffany went to the leisure centre whilst I went to the school to see what I could do, now I'm far from a soldier, tell me to shoot straight and i will still curve ball the bullet for shooting straight is a talent i don't hold but I do have a concience and so offered my services to the soldiers, they accepted and onto the rubble i climbed, the stench of the dead was everywhere, burned flesh is something I will probably never forget. With help that day I was able to pull some people alive out of the rubble though most I pulled out that day were sadly no more. Crawling through the rubble on my chest I felt something grab me and so I froze and looked down, it was a young child, greyed with ash and rubble, his eyes staring at me, he said something in Sedik as a tear came down his face from is eyes and I can only imagine what was going through that poor lads mind. I reached out to him and he reached out to me, frightened and trembling he took hold of my arms and I pulled him. As I pulled he came towards me, and slowly I was able to coax him to the hole that I had crawled through, though I will never forget the look of terror in his eyes as offered him up to the Sedik soldier but the joy on his face is something that will stay with me when he saw his mother.

This day will be with me for ever, one day I hope to track that kid down maybe we can talk, maybe he won't want to but maybe he will remember my bald, tattooed head if we meet, maybe he won't Thoughto top it all off, I even got a parking ticket for over staying on the meter. Oh. bugger!

---

An article from an Auroran Transport Magazine had this monologue about a typical tramper

They the people of the Aurora Confederacy say that we keep the nation alive, and to a degree they are right for without people like me, the shops they visit would be bare, their lovelly ipods, playstations and tablet computers, right down to the weekly shop could simply not be purchased, for it is my job, like hundred of others like me to get that stuff to market.

My ride is a Diamond Star DS900, almost two thousand horsepower below my right foot, yet with a limited speed of 100km/h its a race against time and temper to get produce delivered. Typically my load consists of two trailers, so all up thats just shy of 80tonnes, loaded today with groceries in the lead trailer most of it perishable with garments in the second trailer, both trailers loaded at two seperate locations, and yes I am writing this to you at midnight, my shift will be ending today at around 4 in the afternoon such is my job of keeping the nation alive.

I picked up my truck in the yard at about 12:30, 'twas around 5c so the air had some frost in it, I had left the truck here over night where I could at least spend time at home, though to be honest my truck is more of a home than my house, so once I had the paperwork handed to me off the boss, well the grumpy old fart who sits behind the counter at dispatch. This truck is not a company rig either, its mine so I dont get a salary wage, I get to invoice the transport expediter for my services rendered, though the job is the same as those who are company employed, for with out us you would not have much to do, much to eat, and in this land you'd probably be cold too as we, the humble trucker, deliver the fuel to allow you to cook and stay warm.

So What have I got I here y'all ask, well a 10 kilomter run to pick up the trailer, however just as I am about to get the engine fired up, he comes over to me, telling me I had to take another load to the place I am loaded at, ho hum! It didn't take long to hitch up and hit the road but thats where my fun starts, half past midnight in the land of the midnight sun, or if ya reading this in winter the mid day moon, doesn't make many odds its all the same, lousy car drivers who think their turn signal is for hanging the washing on, what Am i Psychic or something, or do you in that little shoebox of a Kia want to be Killed In Action, YES YOU KNOW WHO I MEAN, and I would apreciate a little respect of car drivers.

I got to the delivery point at 3:00, why is it gate house staff are so grumpy, are they bred from the same gene pool or what, though this one at the RDC really takes the piss for grumpiness, his groans barely ledgible as words, perhaps he's drunk perhaps he is speaking Neandertaal, or maybe he has lost his false teeth, Over on right, bay13 he says in a typically grumpy voice so in I went and parked it up. Now My trailer, yes MY own trailer should be loaded on bay 3, is it? is it hell as like so off I goes to the transport office to see whats going on with it, turns out that they were late on some supplies being loaded, how typical!

So there it is, nothing to do but sit and wait so with my tachograph on POA, my working day has paused but I can tell this is going to be a long one, for my second trailer is a 2 hour drive away, so they the client who wanted the stuff shipped had to be informed, though it seems there are some people who are understanding about the plight of us mere truckers. The truck shook slightly as the loaders started to load me, you'd never think that 15 tonnes of unladed truck would be shaken by pallet rider going in but it does so there goes MY slumber, I was enjoying the nap, and yes I have now been here over an hour waiting to load. twenty six pallets, and around 15 mins since they started to load me I hear the doors slam shut on the trailer, yes I am loaded and that is made further official when the warehouse monkey comes over to me, we call them monkeys because they are paid peanuts, well, the national minimum wage. This guy in question is a Polish guy, imigrant but speaks good English and hands me the paperwork so I sign his copy and put my copy in the file, I'll need that later on.

Engine running again its off for a 2 hour drive down to Peace Valley, I chose to avoid the TerraLink, who would want to build a motorway totally underground, and besides its full of commuters and other road rats, we call them that because its like driving down a drain when you take the TerraLink, they should have called it terrorlink, locals call it "the pipe", As soon as I start to move the driving clock starts to count down, I have 4 and a half hours of driving before I legally need to stop so time to put the hammer down.

Holdups at this time of the morning are rare for most of you have not even got up yet, any time before 6 in the morning is our time, I say that because thats when we, that endangered breed called the long distance truckie, sometimes known as trampers across the industry spend most of our existance, pounding the highways to make up the most of the quiet time. Service stations come... and go, disappearing into the distance, the sun casting its rays over the landscape makes this place beautiful so I will never get board of it, Now you know why I preffer to travel up top rather than down the pipe. My Girlfriend lost her legs in a crash down there a couple of years ago and thats another reason I preffer to be up top, have a bump there's room to get out of the way, 80 tonnes hitting a concrete wall doesn't do much for the bodywork.

Part way now to the second pick up, and with 3 and a half hours gone, well time to see what goodies the local service area has to offer and yes I know what y'all think about service areas, especially motorway ones, are like and guess what you ain't wrong for even here in the Aurora Confederacy, the food they serve here is underwhelming and overpriced, if you have ever had the displeasure to stop in a motorway service area you will know what I mean, yet this is what we have to put up with, will it change, probably not, though as chains strive to cut costs, quality has to suffer. The All day breakfast looked like something the dog deposited last night so I dont wanna know where the sausages were found, however there is a saving grace their tea, served in half litre beakers actually conforms to a standard lower than c**p, but hey, its a meal and a means to have half an hour away from the cab.

Breakfast over its time to hit the road for the last leg into the pickup, I get a phone call, pretty much as expected, informing me that the trailer is loaded. 52 pallets of garments, all nicely folded and wrapped, ans placed in a plastic pallet boxes 2 high so that is loaded to the roof at, so maybe, JUST MAYBE I will be able to make up lost time which in my job, falling behind often means you stay behind, and with rush hour closing in thats going to be a possibility, for my trip will be down to Rai'Lal, 4 and a bit hours from Peace Valley.

Remember that gate house from before, about the gene pool and gate house guards, I think this one may be a mutant, he waves at me as I thrundle down to the barrier and yes he lifts the barrier for me and smiles, so somethings not right there. My trailer is easily recognisable among the mirriad of curtain siders and step decks, its the only one with 6 axles, put nicely in the departure area for me by the shunter who has left me a note.

Hi Driver,

just letting you know, we moved your
trailer this morning and would like to inform you
that it is a pain in the ass to move, we could not
find the 5th wheel pin on the front end,

Tim, yard coordinator

There's a reason there is no pin to pull on the front bogie, it doesn't have one, so perhaps the shunter or local yard monkey down here is bred from that same gene pool that most ill informed warehouse staff are from. He still needs the same HC licence that I need to haul one trailer, though I have, and need MC on my licence as I run 2 trailers, something that is becoming the norm up here. oh that trailer, well guess where he has dumped it, yep, right in the corner of the yard, plenty of space to get it out though, so time to put on my yellow jacket and hitch up.

Right, I'm loaded hitched and sealed, all lights working and all locks locked. That shunter, or to call him by his more political correct term Yard Coordinator ambles over to me and gives me the paperwork, I have been here before many times but its always good to check the seal is right, it is and so on goes the padlock for the run down to the major store where both trailers are being unloaded, yep tonight I sleep in the truck, just like the next 5 nights and maybe 6 if I can't get back home on time.

The weightplate checks me out, Im legal at 70 tonnes so time to head south. Traffic is building now and I am heavy, yet despite the size I am, people still struggle to see me, what are you blind? I wander, 34m in length, 4.1m high and lit up like santas grotto and yes people still nearly run into the side of me pulling onto a dual carriageway, as with 2 trailers on a dual carriageway in an urban area, I am not allowed to move into lane 2, some places have 3 lanes by junctions specifically for filtering though not here, and yet when someone nearly runs into me because of their lack of attention, its Me who gets the dirty look. Now before y'all get on your high horse, YOU are entering the main flow of traffic, you either match my speed and slip in behind me, or you give way at the line, but don't try and race ahead and cut in, unless of course you want your car remodelled, but its amazing what lengths of stupid people will do. 12 pairs of disc brakes does not mean I can stop on a dime, yet one thing that I see all the time is people diving in and using the suicide box. There's a reason i leave a 3 second gap between myself and the trailer in front and its not so you in your little 4by can slip in. G'ah, then there's cyclists too, oh give the cyclist a moped and thats it, they're a guided suicide device, some don't even obey traffic flow signs as one sails by the wrong way up a one way!

About an hour out of the collection point, the spy in the cab is telling me its time to stop and well this is a gem of a place, a small roadside caravan, probably an ex holiday home, now living its days as a roadside cafe in a layby close to the main terra link shadow road, this is where you can get proper food, cooked how you want it and not how some bureaucrat says it should be cooked. 2 star hygiene rate on this one but what do i get for 4 dinars, well a bacon sandwich that would appear to have half the bloody pig on it, one cup of tea, both done to perfection. Now I had half an hour early, so legally I need another half an hour as this is the silly bit, I can take 15 mins then 30 mins, but not 30 mins then 15 mins, the second break must be 30 mins, thoust is thy law and thy law is thoust. Feet on the dash, seat reclined and the cup in its holder, the little 12v plug in adaptor keeping it warm for me as I sit and watch traffic go by. A rozzer goes by with his blues and twos on, is he late for shift change, or just in a hurry to get somewhere, I dont know, don't care really, such is the life in my world, a world where nine to 5 does not exist, well it does for you guys who like to slavishly click away at mundane repetitive jobs.

After 30 mins of watching the world go by its time to it the road and get moving again, the Terralink shadow road follows the surface route of the terralinks, some 18m below the surface, however its going to be a long drive, 80km/h is all i can do now, so its time to sit back and let the transmission do its thing whilst I keep the sticky side down and the shiny side up, there is hopefully 4 hours to do this run, that will leave me half an hour to find a place to park up for the night. However that police car that came by comes into view, lights flashing its driver waving us down into one lane. A car sits by the roadside, peeled open like a tin of spam, a van next to it front smashed in and on the floor, two bodies covered in blankets so thats two people who won't be going home tonight, and some poor police officer who has to do the most difficult job of all, telling someone that. It takes an hour to get through the mess, however that has just extended my day by 2 hours thanks to the drivers extention, a useful thing but only 2 a week.

Yes, Thats how it is for the next few hours, and yes I did need to take that extention break however I made it to my destination with around 15 minutes of legal driving time left. Parking up I split the unit down and let them unload me, the gatehouse guards here are just like any other. With no time left on my tacho worth jack, I will be staying tonight at the RDC, so its a good job my truck is warm and well insulated, and tomorrow after 11 hours rest it all begins again.
..
Yours,
Martyne Lombard

[Celritannia]

Bravo, wonderful, amazing.

[Aurora Confederacy]

thanks. those two are two of my staple characters and have been around on NS a while now, delivering freight in various nations. Tiff is a trained journalist and Martyne is the daughter of Nikki Lombard - owner of Avija Valkyr!

[Aurora Confederacy]

when you opening it?

[Celritannia]

when you opening it?

This weekend. I have some more apps from other people to be sent through, including the Co-OP

[Crystal Spires]

Aye, almost got meself unexpectedly sent to the doctor for the umpteenth time yesterday. So I will to it with gentle slow sexiness.

[Magna Industria]

Nation Name: The Combined Kingdoms of Magna Industria
Character(s) Name(s): Prince Edward Baldour
Species? Human
Character Health Issues?: Not presently, though he used to have trouble with his lungs
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Sadly none
RP Example: I gave running an rp a go a while back but it got a bit hijacked: http://tinyurl.com/la3cflk it's not great, I know, but it's all I've got

Writing Prompt

It was Christmas Eve last year, I was standing on a temporary wooden stage next to my bratty nephew, Prince Hubert, bored out of my mind. My Brother, George, was delivering a speech about the glory of the nation or something as he was about to launch the airfleet's new flagship, the Leviathan. I, as usual, wasn't paying any attention, now I wish I had.

It had always been this way; he was born first so he got to be the center of attention, he got to wear the crown. All I had to do was look smart and try not to be too much of an embarrassment to the family. As George droned on like the airship we stood in front of I desperately searched for distractions. I tried to follow some of the few snowflakes on their wanderings towards the ground, this, in turn, led me to be distracted by some of the more attractive members of the crowd below. This provided a little more distraction as I engaged in some casual eye-flirting until I noticed that I had caused a little too much commotion as to go unnoticed at such a formal occasion as this. I shifted my gaze upwards and tried to get lost in the sights and sounds of the airship yard. I searched for rhythm in the distant clatter of construction and tried to find shapes in the skyline of warehouse roofs and smokestacks, the chimneys all looked a bit phallic but that was as far as I got.

The bang cut through my almost dreamlike state of distraction, it cancelled out the murmurs of excitement and the gentle hum of far of industry. At first I didn't realise what it was; I assumed it was the Champagne breaking against the hull of the Leviathan so I turned to smile and applaud my brother. Straight away I knew something was wrong, everyone, including George had a look of utter disbelief and shock on their faces. I noticed a red carnation on George's lapel which I could have sworn he hadn't been wearing when he began the speech. I only realised exactly what had happened when the screaming started. I rushed to George's side and gently lowered him to the decking as his legs gave way under him. I looked down into the his big brown eyes as he tried to speak, I managed to hear my name but the rest was lost in the din of sirens and the wails of the crowd. "What?" I said desperately as i felt his muscles relax in my arms, but it was too late. His head fell back, he went limp and as his life melted away, so did all the resentment and jealousy I had felt towards him and I was left alone in a world of cold and noise, wishing my brother would come back.


(sorry if it's a bit rubbish but I lost the first version and had to hurriedly retype it)

[Montesardo-East Adanzi]

Nation Name:Montesardo-East Adanzi
Character(s) Name(s): Bladed Beak Villando
Species?Gryphon
Character Health Issues?:Partially blind?
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Neutral, I presume? <3 U, tho
RP Example http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=306583&p=21160191&hilit=Ambassador#p21160191

[Lubyak]

Nation Name: Dominion of the Lubyak
Character(s) Name(s): Justicar Dawn Breeze; Justicar Tatyana Romanova
Species? Equus sapiens unicornis; Homo sapiens
Character Health Issues?: N/A
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: Neutral diplomatic relation. Generic trade.
RP Example
Red in Hoof and Claw
Vorwats mitt Gott

[Lykosia]

-deleted-

[Celritannia]

Update: OP for the IC will be up tomorrow at some point.

Application already accepted will be allowed to participate immediately, and those who have recently applied or will be applying shortly will be decided ASAP.

I will stress this again:

1st Person Prompts must be within the app, which should be different from a RP example.

I hope to see you all there =^.^=

[Riemaia]

Nation Name: The Grand Hylian Empire of Riemaia
Character(s) Name(s): Grand Empress Anneli
Species? Hylian
Character Health Issues?: Mind yer own damn busiuness
Previous Relations With Celritannia?: none
RP Examplei dun wanna

[Celritannia]

All recent Applications are hereby: