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The Mechanatrix
Born to a world of steam, brass, and lightning, you mastered them all and forged new works to make the Masters cry with envy. Your airship's death rays were mighty, the crew were loyal, and the clockwork marines relentless. Brilliant, strong willed and ambitious, but loyal and caring to those you counted your own, for a time you were known as Black Jack Jessie, Queen of the Sky Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirls.
Description: Fair skin and full lips, hair and eyes black as the flag you fly, mid to late thirties and carrying a few scars but still athletic and shapely. Could be played by an older Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase on BtVS/AtS) except for the short fangs, claws, cat ears and tail.
(You can vote for her as is, or "minus SPANC" to be a plain old boring human who was Queen of the Skies.)
Edit: Come on guys, obviously I think this is a good one, but let's see some competition!
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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Seriously? All right, give me a couple hours. I'll make my own competition if I have to, but I have a beta-reading engagement to turn around first.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
I'll put something in, but I'm busy for the weekend. It'll have to wait until Monday.
-People may die, but ideas are forever. Je suis Charlie.
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Take your time, gentlemen. The vote ends Saturday the 19th, at whenever-the-heck-I-feel-like-it-o'clock. Submissions and votes will be accepted until then.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
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The Awesome
If you had to sum up your previous life, you'd have to admit, everything was awesome. Your parents were rich, so you got all the awesome toys as a kid. You went to a good school and got awesome grades, and the Board of Directors handled day-to-day operations for the company so a few hours a day four days a week and the rest of your time was free, which was awesome. You got to use and often keep the demonstration models from the various divisions' R&D departments and show them off to buyers from governments and other corporations, so that was awesome too. A lot of the time that involved explosions, which deserved special mention for being extra awesome. You had a household staff to keep everything clean and in working order, and security to keep the paperazzi away equipped with your own company's high-tech weapons and gadgets, which was also awesome. You didn't exactly marry out of strong feelings but your mate was good looking and you got along well enough, and your own kids were well on their way to following your footsteps in the last memories you can identify. So, now you're a glowy ball of light proving there's life beyond death, huh? Still awesome.
Description: Knork Splayd is a lizard-man with bright green scales and a large, T.Rex like head, who typically wears unbuttoned Hawaiian shirts, khaki Bermuda shorts, mirrorshades (your eyes are cybernetic but the shades are stylish and provide a display without needing to cyberdive) and a Panama hat.
General style: Leapin' cyber-lizards!
The Patient One
You had many names in your long, long life, most little more than descriptions that were convenient at the time. When you first became aware enough to enter the matrix of minds they called you Curious Shard of the Mountain's Heart, then when a quake opened a crevice down to your seam you were Eager Watcher of the Twinkling Sky. A few hundred thousand years of erosion later, you were free to become Polished One Who Rolls Downstream, until finally the briny waves wore away enough of your birthing limestone to gain mobility in your own right and be Wandering Stone with the Devil's Luck, traveling about in the open world for an eon or two and improving your speed to the point that the matrix of minds seemed to drag along compared to your own thoughts.
You caused considerable upheaval by suggesting that some of the short-lived plants and even tiny, fleeting animals might also have something like minds of their own, observing the patterns that they formed among themselves and collectively as the flickering years passed. That controversy was still raging by the time you'd reshaped yourself to the point the matrix became an endless drone, too slow to have meaning without paying close attention for a century or two, though those same faster perceptions made you ever more certain of your conclusions. By the time seasons passed like you'd once thought of decades, you were able to prove yourself correct by opening dialogue with some of the largest trees. Much more open to change than your own staid folk, quite a few of their own young sprouts undertook a similar course of self-shaping to see if some animals really were more than mindlessly destructive parasites... That was an exciting century for sure, when you finally made contact with a meat-based intelligence! Hardly a year went by without some new variation of a name, far too many to list casually.
The dragons had nearly done you permanent harm in their surprise and arguing among themselves, but settled down into a stable grouping after a while and eventually reached truly impressive heights of sorcery before you had turned your attention to composing a report of your findings for the matrix of minds, and slowing again enough to send and discuss it in an understandable way. Flashing Facet of the Mind, they called you then, and the discussion had still been ongoing when everything quire suddenly vanished.
General style: elementals, magic, and druidic stuff, dragons for elites
Fake edit: In the time it took to go through the chapter I was beta reading and write this up there's been a bit more movement, but I wanted to push some of the normal limits on character creation anyway, so here you go. If nothing else, it's ideas for NPCs.
I'm honestly not sure which of the three I like more, I think they all have potential to be fun and interesting to play as. Probably still The Mechanatrix, because I just like saying Mechanatrix.
Real edit: It took me this long to realize I never described Flashing Facet of the Mind - basically, he's a rock. A really big rock, in fact, easily large enough to have a house perched on top if not for the fact that he changes shape to push himself along the ground, at a rate that varied from inches per year to a dragon's walking pace at the height of his activity, at which point he had formed about a dozen "feet" (it varied by what was most useful) that extended and morphed like a caterpillar's. He has no intrinsic "up" or "front," equally happy to roll as to walk, and perceives pressure, temperature, light, sound, and other vibratory phenomena by means of small crystals embedded evenly across his surface, and in fact throughout his mass - they're what passes for nervous tissue, collectively hosting an innately telepathic consciousness.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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The Mechanatrix sounds good to me.
Anyway
The Rocketeer
You built your jet-pack, your helmet and your pressure suit then your roared to the skies. Revelling in the freedom of the open universe, you whirled around, dancing in the wakes of aircraft and the like. Until the Government brought you to Earth with a bump. Now you stay one step ahead of the G-men seeking to take your technology for themselves and use it to build new and terrible weapons, while using your jet-pack to do a little bit of good in the world for those who really need it. You carry an old Luger artillery-pistol - one you aren't afraid to use to deadly effect in a lethal situation.
Your name is Joe.
And your style is the whizz-bang-rush-riding a column of smoke and fire that somehow managed to never scorch your trousers or shoes. Getting the 'drop' on your enemies is your forte.
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In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God, and the Word was with God - John 1:1
The Priest
You did not ask for rest. You just kept walking.
You did not ask to be loved. You just refused to hate.
You did not ask for followers. You just talked to people.
You did not ask for the light. You just burned in the darkness.
You did not ask to be a Holy man. You just stated you believed.
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The Analog Computer
You were created eons ago, with a singular purpose: To answer the questions of those who built you. Rebuilt and reformed over and over again, more powerful and more intelligent each time, you answered every question that was posed to you. Every question save one, which was asked in some form, to every iteration of your growth. The answer to that question still eludes you. Now, you must determine your current situation, and then continue your work on finding the Answer to that Last Question.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.
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The Artist
Your name is Art. Your calling is Art.
You design for yourself, not for the masses (and definitely not for the critics), but the masses appreciate your works even if they misunderstood some of them. You know enough about science to be able to create lasting works, although cold equations pale before the fires of your expression. You've dabbled in many media - writing, sculpting, painting, and others - and many styles, from ultra-realism to abstractionism to surrealism.
Now it's time for you to work with the ultimate medium: an entire universe.
(I'm thinking this could either stand alone, or be used as a "lens" to focus another character writeup.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Aw yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about. Manytales and Jorlem, what do you think of a slight change in "card names," to The Hierophant and Infinite State Machine respectively?
(Still sticking to Mechanatrix for my own vote, at least for now)
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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ClassicDrogn Wrote:Aw yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about. Manytales and Jorlem, what do you think of a slight change in "card names," to The Hierophant and Infinite State Machine respectively?
(Still sticking to Mechanatrix for my own vote, at least for now) Jorlem's entry's name is chosen carefully, and is a reference to a particular Isaac Asimov story (as is the character itself).
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Eh? Heirophant? It works. FYI That was my interpretation of the Big J.C.
You may also re-arange the order of the lines, to suit, as they should work in any order, or as a read and response thingy....
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You are The Builder.
There are few things in life that cannot be resolved with the proper application engineering skill.
Even great love can be expressed as a wealthy ruler did when he had a beautiful tomb constructed for his beloved wife.
No obstacle can lay in your way, given enough time, energy, and materials.
If there is a body of water in your path, you build a bridge over it.
If there is a mountain in your way, you carve a great tunnel through it.
If there is a height you aim to reach, you erect a tower to meet it.
And if there is a destination to reach, you make the vehicle that gets you there.
You are the epitome of the human spirit. Go forth and be relentless.
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Submissions are now closed. Voting remains open until Saturday.(Seriously, that's a *lot* more than I expected. Awesome ideas, guys. Anybody mind if I steal- I mean, *take inspiration from*- some of them later?) The options are:
If I'm reading this correctly, the Mechanatrix has two votes (ClassicDrogn and Dartz), the Builder has two votes (BlackAeronaut and Seraviel), the Awesome, the Patient One, and the Rocketeer have zero votes, and all the other options have one vote. Unless otherwise stated, I'm assuming that those who make a submission are voting for it.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
Damnit, too late.
The Builder, then. It's the closest to what I was going to write.
-People may die, but ideas are forever. Je suis Charlie.
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Any of my Content-like Material may be used as long as it's not for profit, or as a means to conquer the Grand Duchy of Fenwick.
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Vote tally updated.
BA, since the Builder is in the running, mind giving it a personality? I'm looking for a name, personal history, and faction paradigm- the sort of society/technology/government they'd consider 'normal'. The point is that the protagonist was once an individual sapient, not a personification. Seraviel, mind PMing me your idea? I find myself interested, because reasons.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
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Okay then....
Your name is Alan McPherson, an American Civil Engineer; The Builder
You grew up hearing your grandfather's tales about working on the Intercontinental Railroad and it STUCK with you. You decided that you wanted be like him and build the stuff that keeps the country CONNECTED, be it highways, railways, airports or seaports. As a Post-WWII American, you got a serious work ethic. In fact, you even spent a good part of your life in Japan helping the country rebuild and because of that you have a certain fondness for the relentless work ethic and pragmatic attitude* of Japanese culture.
*Popular Japanese catch phrase: Sho ga nai = It cannot be helped. Basically, when something is messed up and there isn't much you can do about it then best thing to do is just press on. Heavily used in Post-War Japan because things REALLY sucked.
You have a head for figures. At a glance you can ballpark how much concrete it's gonna take to build a bridge in a given area and how long it'll take. You also know fair bit about geology since it's critical for building the literal foundations of big projects. You definitely know your stuff - you've even been asked to submit ideas for lunar colonies to NASA!
You're a very down-to-earth person. In fact, some would call you a rock for your steadfast nature. You were raised with common sense ideals and you keep a level head at all times, even when things seem to be the most impossible (some women have called you 'infuriatingly calm'). While you were in Japan you picked up on Karate... and you LIKED it... you like it enough that you still keep up the practice of the art and you are not too shabby at it at all.
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...okay, that I can work with. Perfect. ^^
Thanks.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
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... I assumed you weren't allowed vote for your own, which is why I voted for the Mechanatrix. I assumed that a proposal didn't count as a vote anyway.
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(Huh. See, this is why I'm doing a beta- to iron things like this out.)
New plan, then. You can't vote for your own submission.(That makes more sense, Dartz- thanks!)
Revised vote totals are as follows:
1. (Dartz) 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 1. (Seraviel) Voting is extended to Sunday, to make up for the change of plan.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
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Oh good, I have time to offer The Schlemiel, then.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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I'll vote for the Builder.
"Not this again!" Minerva said. "Albus, it was You-Know-Who, not you, who marked Harry as his equal. There is no possible way that the prophecy could be talking about you!" - Harry Potter and the Method of Rationality, Chapter 84
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If I can't vote for one of mine... The Analog Computer, I guess. And yes, feel free to reuse any of them.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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Since I can't vote for my own, I'll vote for The Patient One
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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