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Demens Chosen [PL: Into the Abyss - CLOSED]

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Danceria
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Founded: Aug 13, 2015
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Postby Danceria » Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:57 pm

Swith Witherward wrote:
Danceria wrote:Well, the Legendary Critter itself happens to hop between worlds, and Beasthunter was following in when it was sucked up and spat out here. Beasthunter doesn't have the ability to interdimensional travel.

We've limited the game mechanic that allows entities to "hop between" worlds since you played last. :p

Well bollocks! How's a man supposed to find a godlike being if being cannot do godlike things? :P
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Chedastan
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Corrupt Dictatorship

Postby Chedastan » Mon Jul 17, 2017 7:03 pm

Danceria wrote:
Swith Witherward wrote:We've limited the game mechanic that allows entities to "hop between" worlds since you played last. :p

Well bollocks! How's a man supposed to find a godlike being if being cannot do godlike things? :P

The point isn't to be godlike, plenty of well-written and played characters exist with not much in the way of super powers. If you have a solid character concept which you are committed to build upon and developed and evolve throughout playing the game, then you should be fine.
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith.

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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Mon Jul 17, 2017 7:11 pm

Chedastan wrote:
Danceria wrote:Well bollocks! How's a man supposed to find a godlike being if being cannot do godlike things? :P

The point isn't to be godlike, plenty of well-written and played characters exist with not much in the way of super powers. If you have a solid character concept which you are committed to build upon and developed and evolve throughout playing the game, then you should be fine.

Ah, I mis-styped. I meant "how is the literal guardian god who in cannon has the capability to warp to/seal stuff in different dimensions (as per Drakengard wikia) if said godlike being isn't gonna be able to do that"? The thing my character is chasing is godlike, not my character himself. I guess I could always find a white rabbit and tumble down a rabbit hole...
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Chedastan
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Founded: Jul 25, 2013
Corrupt Dictatorship

Postby Chedastan » Mon Jul 17, 2017 7:26 pm

Danceria wrote:Ah, I mis-styped. I meant "how is the literal guardian god who in cannon has the capability to warp to/seal stuff in different dimensions (as per Drakengard wikia) if said godlike being isn't gonna be able to do that"? The thing my character is chasing is godlike, not my character himself. I guess I could always find a white rabbit and tumble down a rabbit hole...

The problem with that though is that all characters enter Galli the same way, out of Demens' own accord through choosing them and letting them in the dimension to begin with, hence the name 'Chosen.' The only way your character could enter through the dimension is either through the Gatehouse or the Building's Lobby. The guardian god your character is chasing couldn't enter Galli without Demens poofing it out of existence, and likewise your character couldn't come through Galli while in hot pursuit of it, that just wouldn't fly.

And usually when a character is chosen, they're about to die through some circumstance or another. So may I suggest tweaking the backstory of your character to reflect that? Or rather set up a situation where someone could pluck them out before their life gets snuffed out?
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith.

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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Mon Jul 17, 2017 8:16 pm

Chedastan wrote:
Danceria wrote:Ah, I mis-styped. I meant "how is the literal guardian god who in cannon has the capability to warp to/seal stuff in different dimensions (as per Drakengard wikia) if said godlike being isn't gonna be able to do that"? The thing my character is chasing is godlike, not my character himself. I guess I could always find a white rabbit and tumble down a rabbit hole...

The problem with that though is that all characters enter Galli the same way, out of Demens' own accord through choosing them and letting them in the dimension to begin with, hence the name 'Chosen.' The only way your character could enter through the dimension is either through the Gatehouse or the Building's Lobby. The guardian god your character is chasing couldn't enter Galli without Demens poofing it out of existence, and likewise your character couldn't come through Galli while in hot pursuit of it, that just wouldn't fly.

And usually when a character is chosen, they're about to die through some circumstance or another. So may I suggest tweaking the backstory of your character to reflect that? Or rather set up a situation where someone could pluck them out before their life gets snuffed out?

That would be...slightly easier actually. Thanks.
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Swith Witherward
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Postby Swith Witherward » Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:10 pm

Dance, keep in mind that players have to tailor their characters to fit the setting. Midgard may be in its own dimension, but the concepts involved in the game itself might not work well in PL. I don't know if you were hoping to have your human character in a Pact or not. The line between them would be severed once the human reaches Galli. (It's the same or other characters dependent upon external sources for their power, etc).

I know Midgard has mythical creatures but those "versions" would remain in the character's home dimension. We'd see them only if we journeyed there. Thus he might be started to learn that the creatures he encounters in the PL setting behave nothing like what he's used to.



People always ask me how things mesh. You all know about the various stories were people are sucked into a video game and, commonly, become their character and gain those abilities? We see the opposite in PL. Our characters are sucked into the setting, and some commonly lose a lot of their abilities (because our character sheets don't allow very power beings when starting out). This gives the characters room to develop and grow, and to hone their skills. When making new characters, even our veteran players keep that stuff in mind.
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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:15 pm

Swith Witherward wrote:Dance, keep in mind that players have to tailor their characters to fit the setting. Midgard may be in its own dimension, but the concepts involved in the game itself might not work well in PL. I don't know if you were hoping to have your human character in a Pact or not. The line between them would be severed once the human reaches Galli. (It's the same or other characters dependent upon external sources for their power, etc).

I know Midgard has mythical creatures but those "versions" would remain in the character's home dimension. We'd see them only if we journeyed there. Thus he might be started to learn that the creatures he encounters in the PL setting behave nothing like what he's used to.



People always ask me how things mesh. You all know about the various stories were people are sucked into a video game and, commonly, become their character and gain those abilities? We see the opposite in PL. Our characters are sucked into the setting, and some commonly lose a lot of their abilities (because our character sheets don't allow very power beings when starting out). This gives the characters room to develop and grow, and to hone their skills. When making new characters, even our veteran players keep that stuff in mind.

Understood, and makes sense to make everyone on the same page and there be no Ichigo Kurosakis or Narutos or what have you. And it would make sense for Sextus to lose some abilities (as Intoners are...pretty OP.) Obviously some of his abilities are still there...they're just mostly forgotten or come with so many setbacks it's not even worth it to pull them out willy-nilly. My character will not be the one who seduces the dragon with natural 20s (to borrow a D&D reference), but instead a good old fashioned get in and get messy sort of dude.

Speaking of remembering: have characters ever lost memories while...transitioning over to the PL land? Or do they largely remember the fact that they almost died and now they're here?
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Chedastan
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Postby Chedastan » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:28 pm

Danceria wrote:Speaking of remembering: have characters ever lost memories while...transitioning over to the PL land? Or do they largely remember the fact that they almost died and now they're here?


They'll remember the event of almost having died, but they won't have any knowledge of how exactly they got to Galli.

For example: My character Nivea remembers she was almost executed in her home dimension as clear as day, but all she would remember soon after that was a flash of light blinding her, and her having suddenly appeared (from her POV at least) in the Gatehouse right before the axe came down for her neck.
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith.

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Tiltjuice
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Postby Tiltjuice » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:28 pm

They largely remember, but it's glossed over so they don't go catatonic. :P
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. -Khalil Gibran
Cut red tape with the Red Book / Bureaucracy is a system - #ApplyTNI / Think globally, act locally
At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing what was right. ~Analects, 2:4
I wear teal, blue, pink, and red for Swith.
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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Tue Jul 18, 2017 7:52 pm

Tiltjuice wrote:They largely remember, but it's glossed over so they don't go catatonic. :P

I see...
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Cerillium
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Postby Cerillium » Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:16 pm

Or they simply wake up on the Lobby floor having gone to bed the night before without a care in the world, depending upon my mood and schedule. :p
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears, and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination.

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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:17 pm

Cerillium wrote:Or they simply wake up on the Lobby floor having gone to bed the night before without a care in the world, depending upon my mood and schedule. :p

Most likely my character should have been kill. Though to make him a broody angst-lord or an unswayable semi-naive optimist.
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Highfort
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Postby Highfort » Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:47 am

Danceria wrote:
Cerillium wrote:Or they simply wake up on the Lobby floor having gone to bed the night before without a care in the world, depending upon my mood and schedule. :p

Most likely my character should have been kill. Though to make him a broody angst-lord or an unswayable semi-naive optimist.


I mean it's up to the OP how your characters end up entering the world. I think it's quite limiting to decide right off the bat that your character's going to be broody or an unswayable optimist, seems like most characters develop in a somewhat sandboxy way via their interactions in Galli and what goals they choose to pursue.

Plus, PL's had a history of broody characters not taking off, so I'd advise against that. Unswayable optimists are fun, but they can be quite limiting story-wise as the wisest choice is oftentimes not the most ideal one.
First as tragedy, then as farce

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Swith Witherward
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Postby Swith Witherward » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:39 pm

They're repairing a transmission tower supplying power to this end of the town, and that means our electricity will be spotty the next few days. I suppose it's better to do it during the sweltering heat rather than the wintry freeze. Still, it's a damned inconvenience.
★ Senior P2TM RP Mentor ★
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Why is everyone a social justice warrior?
Why didn't any of you choose a different class,
like social justice mage or social justice thief?
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Anti-intellectual elitism: the dismissal of science, the arts,
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Danceria
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Postby Danceria » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:33 pm

Highfort wrote:
Danceria wrote:Most likely my character should have been kill. Though to make him a broody angst-lord or an unswayable semi-naive optimist.


I mean it's up to the OP how your characters end up entering the world. I think it's quite limiting to decide right off the bat that your character's going to be broody or an unswayable optimist, seems like most characters develop in a somewhat sandboxy way via their interactions in Galli and what goals they choose to pursue.

Plus, PL's had a history of broody characters not taking off, so I'd advise against that. Unswayable optimists are fun, but they can be quite limiting story-wise as the wisest choice is oftentimes not the most ideal one.

He'll be the one who consistently shows kindness to people, and may even side with the villain if the phrase "ends justifies the means" is used to frequently for ineffective means. Niceness may not always be good, or the best course of action, but that is the path my character shall take.
One true Patron Saint of Sinners and Satire
It is my sole purpose in life to offend you and get you to think about your convictions due to this
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Obligatory Quotes below
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” - Thomas Paine
-{(~CO-FOUNDER OF NS AXIS POWERS~)}-

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Stormwrath
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Postby Stormwrath » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:25 pm

Cerillium wrote:Or they simply wake up on the Lobby floor having gone to bed the night before without a care in the world, depending upon my mood and schedule. :p

Much transport. Very isekai. Such convenient. Amazing. Wow. :P

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Highfort
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Postby Highfort » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:33 pm

Swith Witherward wrote:They're repairing a transmission tower supplying power to this end of the town, and that means our electricity will be spotty the next few days. I suppose it's better to do it during the sweltering heat rather than the wintry freeze. Still, it's a damned inconvenience.


Unfortunate. Hope everything goes well and yall get power back soon :)
First as tragedy, then as farce

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Tiltjuice
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Postby Tiltjuice » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:34 pm

Tiltjuice wrote:
"Surely you will not - " Miss Nivea began, before ducking the rabbit on the silver tray. Miss Giovenith squinted through her fringe of white hair. Mr Devine and Miss Calani - did they ever go anywhere separately? - slouched against the wall and sat in the love seat to the wall's left, respectively.

"I believe it is quite fitting. No one was able to agree, and this is quite satisfactory as a method. Even Mr MB agreed to it, and it would of course please most pantheons. The Timelines flow forward, always."

The rabbit, indeed, looked strangely enthused to have a band of fur shaven from his midsection and duct-taped to the floating serving tray. All four paws, both ears, and the tufted tail waved in all possible combinations of directions. It was a dizzying sight for any who dared to look at the Rabbit Pendulum (patent pending). However...what exactly this all had to do with the proper movement of Time no one knew.



Upstairs, Chrys and Luce looked blankly at each other as inexplicable sensations that felt almost like pats of butter melting on them crept up and down their spines. The last time this had happened...is a story perhaps to be told on some other occasion.



No one knew, either, just why an assortment of items had appeared on the large round table at the center of the communal dining room. A handful of handmade alphabet cookies that were the work of the Brisbys. A black circle of crinkled-then-straightened construction paper, no doubt from Pippa-Michelle. A long, obsidian-colored sword with an arrow etched in white near the hilt. MB's own silver top hat, and its partner, Cuisine's bronzed chef hat. (The poor chef had taken time off to recover from having his neck muscles strained by wearing the heavy thing for hours on end every day.) All to represent various board games, some more obscure than others.

Such was game night at Demens Towers.

MB chuffed in disappointment as he began to slow in his arc. Left to right to left again, he passed over the cookies...the paper...the sword...the hats...the sword...the paper...the cookies...and stopped.

Except the cookies were no longer there, and the party erupted in talk. Mr Devine began barking out vulgarities. Miss Nivea looked shocked. Miss Giovenith narrowed her eyes at Mr MB. Mr MB simply kept chuffing. Miss Calani swiveled her gaze, apparently channeling the pendulum.

No one noticed the colors of their clothing (or fur) changing.

Cluedo was a popular game at Demens Towers.

CAST (In order of appearance or reference)
    Miss Nivea.................................Mrs Peacock
    Klaus.....................................Col. Mustard
    Miss Giovenith..............................Mrs White
    MrDevineandMissCalani.....MrGreenandMissScarlet
    Mr MB........................................Prof. Plum
    The cookies...................................Mr Boddy


"Calm, everyone, please." Colonel Mustard held up both hands. "Let us look at things logically - "

"It was Colonel Mustard," announced Mrs White, who'd somehow used artisty magic and the sword to trim the piece of construction paper into a monocle, a deerstalker hat and a -

"Is that a wand?" Mrs Peacock asked curiously.

"I don't smoke!" Mrs White said, and at the same time, She doesn't smoke! from Professor Plum. MissScarletandMrGreen shared a Look, deciding that perhaps they had better step up their game. One half of that equally fabulous partnership inclined her head to the other half.

"You might start," Mr Green grumbled, "so what makes you say that?"

"Yes, indeed," echoed Miss Scarlet, who seemed otherwise aloof and disinterested, despite the Look.

"In the stories it's always the one who tries to figure things out first!" Professor Plum chuffed in agreement.

"Well, let's start looking for clues!" from Mrs Peacock, who turned to Professor Plum. "Your hat is a hammerspace, right?"

...Yes....

"Can it take us to anywhere in the building?"

....No... Professor Plum looked strangely shifty at this, and Mrs White pounced. Figuratively, not literally. "IT WAS YOU!!!"

Professor Plum now looked affronted. Miss Scarlet breathed out, having just finished redoing her nail polish.

"I believe him, actually, those cookies seem a little too ordinary for his tastes. The only way he'd have tried eating them is if he had one of his usual drinks to go with it, which means he'd have gone to only one place in this Building."

Mr Green nodded curtly. "Dining room?"

"Dining room."

With that, the duo filed out and began making their way up the stairs, closely followed by Mrs Peacock who was talking a mile a minute about not understanding at first and then OH THE VENDING MACHINE! That makes sense now! Let's check it for pawprints!, and Mrs White, who was scrutinizing Mrs Peacock suspiciously and scribbling notes about how the one who was most enthusiastic about solving the case was usually the culprit.

Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard looked at each other.

"After you."
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. -Khalil Gibran
Cut red tape with the Red Book / Bureaucracy is a system - #ApplyTNI / Think globally, act locally
At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing what was right. ~Analects, 2:4
I wear teal, blue, pink, and red for Swith.
mumblemumblemumble

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Giovenith
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Left-wing Utopia

Postby Giovenith » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:44 pm

Huzzah, Tiltster!
⟡ and in time, and in time, we will all be stars ⟡
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Tiltjuice
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Postby Tiltjuice » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:57 pm

\o/

Hope you guys like. :)
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. -Khalil Gibran
Cut red tape with the Red Book / Bureaucracy is a system - #ApplyTNI / Think globally, act locally
At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing what was right. ~Analects, 2:4
I wear teal, blue, pink, and red for Swith.
mumblemumblemumble

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Chedastan
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Founded: Jul 25, 2013
Corrupt Dictatorship

Postby Chedastan » Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:57 pm

Nice read, Tilty. :D
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith.

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Cerillium
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New York Times Democracy

Postby Cerillium » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:10 pm

I admire your zaniness, Tilt. When is the next installment? Moar, plox.
I wear teal, blue & pink for Swith
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears, and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination.

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Holy Lykos
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Postby Holy Lykos » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:17 pm

For Cer, since he might not know where this app got to!

Holy Lykos wrote:I forgot to post this for like a week, but since I'm keeping Etzic around I need to properly app for him now.

#PLAPP
(Image)
PERSONIFICATION LIFE
CHARACTER APPLICATION 2.0


PLAYER INFORMATION
NS nation nickname: Lykos

Skill Level (beginner, intermediate, advanced): Intermediate

How often can you post? Often enough

CHARACTER PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Character First Name: Etzic

Character Surname: Vkayl

Character Title: (now) Shaman of the Whiskerbrew clan

Character Gender: Male

Species : (nation personification, human, alien, etc) Skritar

Age: (must be 18 or older) 19

Appearance: Etzic, like most of the porcupine-like Skritarii has a prehensile, furred tail about as long as he was tail than the rest of him, a very ratlike head with small ears and a long snout with rather rodent-like teeth, and brownish grey fur. It has a slight speckled pattern to it, with patches of white fur over his left eye and down his chest to his heart. The white fur covers his left arm past his elbow and his left leg past his knee, with patches of speckled white over the rest of the two limbs. He has black quills along its head and down its back, much like a porcupine, making up what could be considered his ‘hair’. The quills are small and dense enough they can be styled somewhat like hair, and from a distance looks largely like normal hair. He also has smaller quills along his upper arms facing upward.His eyes are much like a felines, with blue-green sclera, with a lighter green iris and black pupils. Skritarii have dark colored skin under their fur, approaching black. Etzic has a dark ring of fur around his right eye like most of his species. Given the fur pattern on his left side, the ring is absent. He’s short, around the smaller end of the spectrum for a teenage human: 5 feet. He’s fairly scrawny and lean muscled as well.

Like most skritarii, his arms are tattooed in a dark teal. A religious and cultural practice, the patterns are often flowing and geometric. This is accomplished on a furred being by shaving the limb as much as possible, then using a special dye to change the fur color for good. Skritarii are very short furred, so the patterns work well for them.

While he would normally wear more traditional skritarii clothes, his only outfight right now is a neutral huvidu-zani one made for something his size. Bland-colored and simple shirt and shorts, that he’s ripped up to not cover his arms at all. He’s painted patterns onto the white clothes: mystical, flowing lines that radiate and flow towards his heart and up to the tattoo patterns on his shoulders. A specific symbol, three dots in a triangle contained within a circle, is painted over his heart.
URL to Character Picture, if any: Shamanistic

Character Occupation or Specialty: Medic, Shaman(formerly in training)


Character's biggest strength: His size and ancestral magic. Being a short creature he can fit into very small spaces. His clan’s protection charms, talismans, and wards are often naturally strong due to the ancestral deals with their kawa, Alkyn Vaz.


Character's worst flaw: He’s not exactly very mentally stable after the ordeals he went through in his home universe before running into Venla’s team. He likely will need proper therapy and time to recover.


OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
(REMOVE THIS SECTION
Primary Objectives are what drive's your character's actions and their part of the plot. When not engaged in stories, these are what occupy your character's thoughts or keep them busy. Examples include: acting on a desire to become a powerful and respected leader; attempting to overcome some horrible thing in the past which hinders the character on a day-to-day basis; seeking to break out their shell by overcoming profound shyness (getting involved with stories); comping to terms with a major flaw that inhibits the character from reaching full potential; etc.

Minor Goals. These should be an undercurrent for your character when they are engaged in stories or on their free time. They are what your character does to aid them in achieving their Primary Objectives. Examples include: acquiring weapons and becoming proficient with each one; improving sundered relations with a companion; improving their reading comprehension; mastering news spells; researching a cure for a plague; etc.

Objectives such as "making friends" or "finding love" are NOT acceptable. Please put much though into your character's objectives - they are what flesh out your character and one of the most important aspects necessary to portray the character as 3D. REMOVE THIS SECTION)

Primary Objective: Feel safe and stable in life again. This includes not only finding a safe place to live permanently, but to deal with the probably mental issues surviving two different slaughters, including a genocide.

Minor Goals:
  • Come into his own as a shaman
  • Generally improve skills with technology and medicine.
  • Explore the multiverse
  • Learn about the Otherworld, and its nature.
  • Learn to sew and knit. He always wanted to learn from his mother.
  • Find if his family survived the scattering of his clan. Family is immensely important to Skritarii.

MUNDANE SKILLS
(These do NOT require points. These are the average, daily things your character can do. Examples are "drive a car", "speak one Foreign Language", "play a guitar", "write poetry". Some mundane skills come from your bio and are freebie. A soldier has gone through Basic training. However, Medic, martial arts or sniper would be a Specialized Skill or Talent.)

    List Mundane skills here
  • Speaks Skritaran.
  • Speaks moderately fluent English.
  • Can fly a basic spaceship, no larger than a shuttle/transport.
  • Plays Cal-keni, a skritar woodwind instrument
  • Is left-handed.
  • Basic skritarii medicine and cures.
  • Skritarii gods and religious practices, mysticism
  • Self-Defensive fighting
  • Basic sewing skills
  • The basics of guns. He’s no marksman but knows how to fire a weapon.
  • Ether connection. Very like force sensitivity, this allows Etzic to at least moderately perceive a parallel universe made of a unique energy connected to his own home universe. It lets him draw a small amount of ether to perform his magic. The Skritarii know this as the Otherworld, and call the energy whisp. Drawing too much can burn out the connection temporarily and lead to his Ether senses dulling. Unlike the force, the Ether does not connect to all life. The Ether is where divinities dwell in his dimension, along with the afterlife for some religions. Etzic cannot directly talk to anything in the Ether, nor travel to it. He simply acts as a conduit for some of the power leaking out of the Ether into his own world. He can pool up energy in preparation, but often unused etheric potential energy will fizzle out.

SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND TALENTS
(These are specialized skills that set you apart from the average person. You have 7 points to spend here, no more than 4 points in each skill or talent. Examples are swordsmanship, sniper, coercion, medic, spellcraft, piloting helicopter, manipulate water, etc. You must take a skill pertaining to a supernatural power if you plan to use that power.)

  • Ability 1 and Points Spent: Medic training – 1 (Interrupted by his calling to become a shaman, rusty)
  • Ability 2 and Points Spent: Skritarii Shaman and Religious education – 3
    Kawa-na, the name for the traditional branch of skritarii belief, involves working with intermediary spirits and ancestor worship. The intermediary gods, the kawa, are servants of the Great Ancestor, Kawa-tang. Kawa-tang is considered above directly communicating with mortals, so pacts are made with his children and servants. Each clan has a patron kawa, which is their primary contact to the spirit world along with their many ancestors.

    Skritarii shamanism is the result of pacts with the intermediary servant gods, the kawa, of the Great Ancestor. The folk religion of most of the skritarii, with several offshoots including one revering their traditional adversary spirit of Kawa-nand. The latter diabolical cult is followed by much of skritarii pirates, and promotes viciousness, greed, individualism, and aggression. The normal beliefs promote a philosophy of self-defense and non-aggression, focusing on familial ties and good works.

    Most of the pact of each clan is an automatic thing. Following the lifestyle set forth by each individual kawa will satisfy the kawa and ensure his continued magical protection, and the success of their shamans. For them, shamans are part teacher, healer, and priest. They often head up the skritarii clans as they grow older.

    The kawa of Etzic’s clan, Alkyn Vaz, is specifically a very defensive kawa. His pact with the Whiskerbrew clan involves a very specific moral code. Some of the main tenants are to do no first harm, honor the ancestors and renew the pacts every generation, and while encouraged to not land the first the Whiskerbrew are told to fight like demons when needed.
  • Ability 3 and Points Spent: Charm crafting 3
    When creating a charm, a skritarii sacrifices a piece of themselves, a quill pulled from their mane or arms. Combined with various organic and mineral materials, a charm can be made. The charm is also made using ancestral deals with the kawa, especially the skritarii patrons, to borrow their knowledge to create such magics.


OPTIONAL SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERISTICS
(You have 7 points to spend here on supernatural skills or abilities, no more than 4 in each. Sonic Scream, Levitation, Shape Shifting etc. Superman MUST have his kryptonite thus weaknesses are things which inhibit the ability. Restrictions are what can't they do with their power or what balances it. They can only use it when they genuinely need it? They can't use it for more then five minutes without serious side-effects? Some things are allowed without points. A pegasus has wings thus it can fly: list wings. A raptor is fast thus no points are spent in speed: list speed and give us its stop speed. These "natural" abilities should be listed here. What isn't allowed: teleportation beyond a few feet; the ability to alter or go back/forward in time. IMPORTANT: You need a knowledge in Specialized Skills and Talents in order to work these abilities. Example: you'll need "manipulate water" to do just that, and this section is where you record what water manipulation abilities the character has.)

  • Ability 1: Ether perception
    Power Level: 4
    Strengths: He can either see, smell, or otherwise perceive the full effects of the uses of etheric magic, leaks of ether energy into the world, or other Etheric conduits. With his species’ sensitive sense of smell most often smelling is the way he perceives this magic, or a tingling in the back of his mind. He can often detect just what the use of the magic was, such as etheric magic used to generate fire, water, or wind. He isn’t skilled enough to detect the specifics, just the elements.
    Weaknesses: He is blind to most magic. Anything from other types of gods (chaos, traditional divine magic), eldritch, and many other kinds. Non-magical things that are magic-like he cannot pick up on, like the Force.
    Restrictions: Distance. He cannot detect further away magical exhaust. Strong exhaust from a mile, weak from as short as 5 feet away. Only certain kinds of magic.

  • Ability 2: Fortitude of Vaz
    Power Level: 2
    Strengths: Provides a boost to a person’s strength and endurance, in emulation of the Whiskerbrew kawa Alkyn Vaz. The wearer will gain a measure of strength and endurance relative to the strength of the charm, and usually can last longer and hit harder in combat. This can also be applied outside of battle to lift heavier objects, resist poisoning, exercise longer, or other applications. It only draws upon etheric energy when the user is performing feats outside of their normal range of aptitude.
    Weaknesses: This lasts until the charm breaks or Etzic runs out of etheric energy. The charm draws upon etheric energy from its creator (In this case Etzic) to function.
    Restrictions: Its effects are only applied to the wearer. It must have a skritarii quill imbedded into the charm to work, and the creator must be living. The charm being hit or destroyed will instantly dispel the magic imbued into the charm. The quill put into every skritarii charm will breakdown over time, usually after an hour or two of use. The stronger the spell the faster the breakdown occurs. When the quill breaks, the magic is lost. Most magic users have a level of resistance to etheric magic naturally.


  • Ability 3: Skritarii Quill charm
    Power Level: 1
    Strengths: Provides a level natural damage resistance by siphoning away physical and magical damage into the charm. Can protect against a minor level of damage before breaking. If the wearer is agile enough, the charm can recharge over time from Etzic’s reserves of etheric energy. This damage is returned to the attacker as well, in the form of sharp stabs much like being stabbed with porcupine quills.
    Weaknesses: Strong enough attacks will instantly break through. If Etzic’s reserves are on empty, there is no way to recharge and it will break after enough punishment. The damage is returned only half-strength,
    Restrictions: Its effects are only applied to the wearer. It must have a skritarii quill imbedded into the charm to work, and the creator must be living. The charm being hit or destroyed will instantly dispel the magic imbued into the charm. The quill put into every skritarii charm will breakdown over time, usually after an hour or two of use. The stronger the spell the faster the breakdown occurs. When the quill breaks, the magic is lost. Most magic users have a natural level of resistance to etheric magic.


  • Ability 4: Redirection Charm
    Power Level: 0
    Strengths: Influences everyone near the charm without magical resistance to look away from the wearer, or to practically ignore their existence. Not a cloak, just suggestive charm designed to make others ignore the wearer’s presence, or believe they are meant to be there.
    Weaknesses (what counters it): Most magic users can see through it, and in fact causes the opposite effect and draws attention.
    Restrictions: Its effects are only applied to the wearer. It must have a skritarii quill imbedded into the charm to work, and the creator must be living. The charm being hit or destroyed will instantly dispel the magic imbued into the charm. The quill put into every skritarii charm will breakdown over time, usually after an hour or two of use. The stronger the spell the faster the breakdown occurs. When the quill breaks, the magic is lost. Most magic users have a level of resistance to etheric magic naturally.
MAGICAL OR SPECIAL ITEMS
(If it's not on this list, your character doesn't have it. Magical items are rare and hard to come by. Please list what they can/can't do - treat them like a supernatural thing. Items not allowed: anything that can alter time; anything that allows a character to teleport beyond a few feet. Magical items have 7 points to spread among all of them. No items may be over 4 in power.)

List:
[*] Charm material bag and ingredients – 2: Various skritarii homeworld plants, wood, stone and paints to make charms. In a bag made from a leathery scaled predator like a crocodile. Materials have no magical properties until put together into a charm, and neither does the bag. Used in religious rituals along with the creation of charms.
[*] 1 Skritarii Quill charm– 2
[*] 1 Strength of Vaz charm – 2
EQUIPMENT
(This is what your character has on their person at the very moment when they are pulled from their home dimension. Laptop? Firearm? Cigarettes and matches? Don't abuse this. They won't be clutching an entire bunker. You have 7 points total to spend on magical items. No single item can be more powerful that 4.)

List:
[*] HZ holo disguise – 3: A hard-light projector to create a disguise in various species, including a translator to languages known by the HZ.
[*] HZ Morrigan model laser pistol – 2: four setting (Stun to Overcharged) laser weapon. Etzic picked this up while helping on the LC mission.

BACKGROUND
(Be detailed please. You must explain how your character acquired their skills, talents, abilities, and special items. Wrap your primary objectives and goals into it.)

Education or Training: Skritarii basic education, basic medical training, introductory shamanistic training for his religion.

Character Background/Biography: (Please write this in first person. Have your character tell us their history, their sorrows, their triumphs, etc. Be as detailed as possible.)

You wish to know about I, Etzic? Strange, most non-skritar care naught for my people. Might as well, then…

Like most skritarii, I was born in a Warren, a type of space station our people make out of asteroids and other minor rocky celestial bodies. The rocks are strung together with engineering and metal and the wards of shamans to create habitats for us to reside in. The warren I was born to, Austan-ka, was one of the oldest warrens of our race, and far from our homeworld of Adarlea.

Before many of the newer nations were even taking their first steps in spaceflight our clans spread to the stars. We spread, settled across this arm of the galaxy but never claimed worlds in the name of empire. Adarlea was all we needed, but the stars still called for us. Warrens was our medium. The resources we needed, without needing to spoil other worlds. Of course, some skritarii settle on planets temporarily, but our cities are mostly in the starways now. Even Adarlea is largely left to its pristine state, save for the pilgrimages and the older cities.

Austan-ka was an old warren. One of the first and largest, with a population in the hundreds of millions. A whole network of asteroids woven together with rock and iron and concrete, practically making a planetoid of its own, within the asteroid belt of the Tzenc binary star system. Like most warrens, Austan-Ka was mostly self-sufficient. Adarlea is a rocky and arid world, and mostly desert. Skritarii learned long ago how to turn barren rock into fertile lands, and technology only helped our efforts in the stars. With gravitational fields and atmosphere, Austan-ka was an engineering marvel and a wonder of Orion, the human name for this part of the galactic disc.

I was born to the Whiskerbrew(Vahasa) clan, one of quite a sizable family. While skritarii may be rodent-like we only have one child at a time, save the occasional twins or more. The Vahasa kawa, our guardian spirit, is one of fertility and protection so it is encouraged to have many, many children. My clan has always been considered one of the most gregarious and adventurous clans of Adarlea, and Austan-ka was our creation. As it grew, other clans settled in nearby asteroids and efforts were made to link them up into a singular entity. Hundreds of years later, Austan-ka became the single largest settlement of skritarii outside of Adarlea.

Austan-ka was honestly a wonderful place to grow up. Even as a pup, running along the bridges between the asteroids of Austan-ka and visiting the other clans of Skritarii always was invigorating. While I was always curious about other cultures, skritarii are rarely accepted outside of our own little pockets of settlement and the roaming fleets so I never got to explore very far. Instead I explored Austan-ka, familiarizing myself with every bit of it. I was blessed to be living in such a wondrous satellite and wanted to see as much of it as I could.

As I entered my tenth year, I decided to become apprentice to one of the doctors of our clan to help keep our people healthy and safe. A noble profession of course. Only our shamans are considered more respectable and vital to the community. Our medical knowledge is a mix of modernity and proven ancient methods both of which the kawa, our ancestors and gods, support. The kawa ultimately had different plans for my life, it seemed.

It was two years into the medical training that I realized I was blessed in other ways than just living in a wondrous location. Most Skritarii have more brown or yellow eye-color, but a genetic quirk lead to the color shifting to what it is now as I aged. The white fur patches developed at the same time, starting from my left-side extremities and eye. The same quirks were commonly found among those destined to be shaman, so my path of becoming a medic was interrupted. I was pushed to become a shaman, to learn our culture and history and magic. The signs of changing fur and eye color meant I was touched by the kawa, and possessed a connection to the Otherworld and its power. The Otherworld leaks into our own through places of power and certain individuals, in the form of an energy we skritarii call whisps. It interacts with my people in a unique way, as I later discovered, causing the physical changes as our natural connection to the Otherworld deepens. The eldest shamans become pure white, and practically glow with energy!

The first few years of training is always about our history and culture, so my education was no different. While most of our people know the spirits well, the workings of the shaman are shrouded in mystery. They are chosen by the kawa and they desire for us shamans to be the protectors of their secrets and powers. The nature of their realm, the Otherworld, and their influence on the skritarii. All secret knowledge I was taught, and will pass on to the newer generations of shaman when I could. The dozen other skritarii from Austen-Ka training to be shamans at the same time would eventually do the same.

In my 18th year, the magical aspects of my education began. The knowledge shamans were not just the culture, history, and religion of pour people, but in the especially secret knowledge of the kawa, that of crafting magic into charms. The charms, made of our own quills and materials native to Adarlea, are imbued with the whisps of the kawa’s power to give us a fraction of their abilities. Long ago, Vaz himself gifted the Whiskerbrew clan with the knowledge of his own strength in the form of a charm. This ancient magic is the first one we learn.

Given the shamans of the skritarii are sworn to never maliciously use our powers lest the blessings of the kawa be recinded, our charms are only defensive. Such is the Skritarii Quills charm, one developed in antiquity counter any attacks. This was the second I learned. I was to learn more, but my education was sadly cut short.

Austen-Ka happened to be between two newer powers. Lykos and the Huv-zaani. Largely nomadic races like us Skritarii are rarely fully accepted by terrestrial bound ones. So many nasty stereotypes form. Pirates, thieves, shifty, or just plain savage. Of course, there are a few of our number who follow different ancestral kawa that enable these ideas, but most skritarii just want to live in peace and explore the stars. The Huv-Zaani were fine leaving us to our enclaves and territories, but of course Lykos was not.

A short time before I encountered Venlah and her mission, Lykos sent one of her fleets to Austen-Ka. The ancient warren was reduced to dust within the day. While it is lucky for our people that we have early warning systems in place of incursion, and such a large fleet was easy to see traveling through the Otherworld, the work of generations was torn asunder to flush us from the border region of their space. Millions perished but we escaped.
Many of us fled for Huv-zaani space or to find newer warrensites. The Whiskerbrew clan was shattered, though. The part of us I fled with stumbled upon a nearby Huv-zaani outpost observing some tribal planet. After a bit of time trying to negotiate for safe passage the Huv-zaani fired upon us and forced us to fight. The fleet was out of fuel. We had nowhere else to go and had to take the moon-station to survive.

Of course, it should be obvious that we failed. I was one of the few survivors of the monster that they unleashed on us… By accident I have been told. I do not blame the witch who created the beast. It was obviously some sort of creature summoned and set loose. But it still slaughtered my teacher and cut us off from finding a new home. On top of that I found myself trapped with some strange humans and a huv-zaani in the shuttle I hid in.

I was made to join them on this quest to ‘save the Xo’ or whatever bunkum the idealistic huv-zaan wants us to do. The Huv-zaani have always been paternalistic. They believe they know the best of most species. Though they do not slaughter like Lykos. Venlah may be able to spread word the Skritarii are under attack by Lykosian fleets, and get the Huv-zaani to ‘take us under their protection’ as they are oh so happy to do. It is insulting, but could help protect us from Lykosian aggression.

Until then, I might as well help these insects with the group we have. Then maybe actually have the chance to relax, after these months of chaos.

OTHER GAME MECHANICS
URL to Apartment Picture and description: [url]LINK TO IMAGE[/url] rustic scifi

Link to RP examples: (this MUST be a DIRECT LINK to your IC post in an RP, NOT a link to the RP thread itself. If you don't have examples, make your biography good.)


IMPORTANT FINAL STEP:
One paragraph that sums up your character. This paragraph is what we'll use on your player tab on the first page of the thread. This MUST be brief. Your tab will contain a link to your application so people will have full details.
The nickname you go by on NS: Lykos
Character Name: Etzic Vkayl
Character Image Link: [url]LINK TO IMAGE[/url]
A porcupine alien from a nomadic culture typified by mysticism and family ties. Etzic was training to be the next shaman for his clan before its destruction, and subsequently was caught up in a mission staged by Demen’s Chosen. Given he had nothing to truly go back home to, he signed on to join the mission and the Chosen.
Last edited by Holy Lykos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 2:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Agender - They/Them pronouns
Pansexual Polyamorous
Autistic
Agnostic
Anarcho-Syndicalist
Comp Sci Major
History Enthusiast
Furry

Some Political Charts: 1 2
Official Squirrel
of
Personification Life


I wear teal, blue, pink for Swith

User avatar
Tiltjuice
Post Czar
 
Posts: 33978
Founded: Jan 20, 2012
Ex-Nation

Postby Tiltjuice » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:45 pm

Cerillium wrote:I admire your zaniness, Tilt. When is the next installment? Moar, plox.


Weekend, methinks.
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. -Khalil Gibran
Cut red tape with the Red Book / Bureaucracy is a system - #ApplyTNI / Think globally, act locally
At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing what was right. ~Analects, 2:4
I wear teal, blue, pink, and red for Swith.
mumblemumblemumble

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Giovenith
Retired Moderator
 
Posts: 21421
Founded: Feb 08, 2012
Left-wing Utopia

Postby Giovenith » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:18 am

⟡ and in time, and in time, we will all be stars ⟡
she/her

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