APPLICATION ROUND ONE
Apr. 23rd, 2012 10:26 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
rachel2205.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
konstantoocWe welcome applications from people with tons of roleplaying experience and people with none. The cardinal virtues of roleplayers are, I think: flexibility, creativity, respect. These count for more than experience. The game is not quite ready for launch, but I thought I'd get the application post up now, as starting to form concrete ideas for characters actually helps game development.
Please fill in this form and leave it as a comment to this entry. I encourage other potential players to engage with you and ask you about your character ideas and see if they can think of ways to form relationships between your potential characters and theirs. This is conversation, not a test! :) I am very likely to approve applications that show a character with potential and you seem like someone who's enthusiastic about the roleplaying process. Do make sure you've read the background posts on the Kostantiniyye world before writing an application! Our worldbuilding is still in progress, but it should give you a decent idea of what kind of universe your character will be inhabiting. I might also have to ask you to tweak your application a bit to make it a better fit for the game, but I won't be telling you how to play your characters. As anyone who plays on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
estdeus_innobis (my other game) knows, initial character profiles often don't end up closely resembling the character who inhabits the game. Roleplaying is transformative. That's part of the fun. But a solid application gives us all confidence, right? :) If by the time you get to this post, there are a few character applications, have a read of those first to check your character's bringing something new to the table - there are only so many alchemists/sexy dancing girls/scheming bishops that any one game needs.
With that said, here's the simple form. Feel free to be as detailed as you like, particularly in the "further details" section.
YOUR DETAILS:
Name:
Age: [please just confirm you're over 18; this game will contain adult content]
Email address:
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: [An answer of "no" won't count against you!]
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Nationality and/or ethnicity:
Religion:
Marital status:
Occupation:
Physical description:
PB: ["Played by" - typically an actor used to represent your character in icons. Optional!]
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story:
Personality:
How do you see this character fitting into the game?:
Anything else:
Please fill in this form and leave it as a comment to this entry. I encourage other potential players to engage with you and ask you about your character ideas and see if they can think of ways to form relationships between your potential characters and theirs. This is conversation, not a test! :) I am very likely to approve applications that show a character with potential and you seem like someone who's enthusiastic about the roleplaying process. Do make sure you've read the background posts on the Kostantiniyye world before writing an application! Our worldbuilding is still in progress, but it should give you a decent idea of what kind of universe your character will be inhabiting. I might also have to ask you to tweak your application a bit to make it a better fit for the game, but I won't be telling you how to play your characters. As anyone who plays on
estdeus_innobis (my other game) knows, initial character profiles often don't end up closely resembling the character who inhabits the game. Roleplaying is transformative. That's part of the fun. But a solid application gives us all confidence, right? :) If by the time you get to this post, there are a few character applications, have a read of those first to check your character's bringing something new to the table - there are only so many alchemists/sexy dancing girls/scheming bishops that any one game needs.With that said, here's the simple form. Feel free to be as detailed as you like, particularly in the "further details" section.
YOUR DETAILS:
Name:
Age: [please just confirm you're over 18; this game will contain adult content]
Email address:
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: [An answer of "no" won't count against you!]
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Nationality and/or ethnicity:
Religion:
Marital status:
Occupation:
Physical description:
PB: ["Played by" - typically an actor used to represent your character in icons. Optional!]
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story:
Personality:
How do you see this character fitting into the game?:
Anything else:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(subject to further modification)
Date: 2012-04-23 11:14 pm (UTC)Name: Rachel
Age: only just clinging to my 20s
Email address: rachel2205@livejournal.com
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: Lots, nearly all on lj. Buffy fandom mostly, and then
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name: Ashraf İnan Pasha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha)
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Nationality and/or ethnicity: Turkish Arab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabs_in_Turkey), citizen of the Ottoman Empire
Religion: Muslim
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Ambassador of the Sublime Ottoman State to the Free City of Kostantiniyye
Physical description: Medium height, neatly trimmed dark hair and beard peppered with grey; slim build, although with a hint of middle aged spread.
PB: Alexander Siddig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Siddig)
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story: Born in Ottoman Syria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Syria), to the Turkish Haluk Inan Bey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bey), district administrator of Syria Vilayet, and his first wife Zada, a Syrian. Ashraf grew into a bright and serious adolescent, and his father thought he might find advancement with the governor of Syrian Vilayet, Duman Aykut Pasha Wali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C4%81li). Aykut was struck by Ashraf's intelligence and became his patron, taking him into his household. Ashraf was at this point 13; after two years in Duman's household, educated alongside his sons, with Haluk Inan's permission, Duman and Ashraf entered into a pederastic relationship that elevated him above the ranks of other boys to whom Duman was also a patron.
Through Duman's patronage and his own thirst for knowledge, Ashraf was sent to university in Kostantiniyye and then spent a year studying in Paris. After this he moved to the Ottoman Empire's capital since they lost Istanbul, Ankara, and rose rapidly through the ranks of the civil service. He became governor of Syria Vilayet on the death of Duman Aykut, but served here for only two years, as both he and his government were in agreement that his skills could be better used in a more politically dynamic region. Ashraf then served three years as Muslim envoy to the Vatican in New York. After this, his skill with languages (Ashraf was brought up speaking Turkish and Arabic; he can now also speak English and French) and experience of the West meant he seemed like a good choice for Ambassador to Kostantiniyye. He has been in his post for one year, with two years left to serve.
Personality: Ashraf is ambitious and serious, determined not to play into Orientalist ideas of how a Turkish diplomat might behave (though this has led some of his own countrymen to be suspicious that he has been westernised). Ashraf has a sharp, restless mind, and whilst very perceptive, he finds it hard to form attachments. He currently has one wife and no children; his second wife died in childbirth, and his first wife has never conceived. He is open to finding a second wife. Ashraf's own sexual preference is for men; as this is not really permitted to him, he patronises young men, preferring slightly older-than-average adolescents to at least provide something of what he wants. Ashraf is fond of his wife and sees marriage as a necessary part of life, particularly for a man in the public eye.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?: Since I'm a mod, I decided it'd be useful to play an ambassador, since that gives me a sort of bird's eye view in game and I can drop in political info and stuff without it being too clunky. In more fun game playing terms, Ashraf is an important man and I imagine many people would want to gain his patronage. Providing him with a wife would also be a good way of getting in there! But Ashraf, with his westernised ways, may not always be in favour with his own countrymen, and of course the British and Byzantines would have reasons to undermine him. His sexual preferences may provide opportunities to do that, and I'm sure many people will be watching his political decision making, looking for weaknesses...
Re: (subject to further modification)
Date: 2012-04-23 11:14 pm (UTC)Anything else: I'd be interested in talking to people about playing members of Ashraf's household, which is quite substantial, or about thinking about allies and enemies outside that. :)
To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-25 05:34 am (UTC)YOUR DETAILS:
Name: Sean
Age: Old enough to buy alcohol in America
Email address: seanthesean gmail com
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: Lots, mostly tabletop but some forum-based.
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name: Petrus Tertullian Tsolakoglou
Age: 54
Gender: Eunuch
Nationality and/or ethnicity: Greek, subject of Konstantiniyye
Religion: Eastern Christian
Marital status: Unmarried
Occupation: Rassophore (tonsured monk) and Professor of Theology at the University of Constantinople
Physical description: Average height, fat, with tonsured black hair. Half-moon glasses.
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story: Petrus Tertullian was born in Konstantiniyye into a devout Greek family, and was determined to be equal to his family's faith, as well as to access the education that the Church could provide and that a bookish young boy dreamed of. Castration was a small price to pay for the seminary's library and teachers.
As a monk Petrus Tertullian's talents were for scholasticism, apologetics and dialectic. He spent two decades teaching in the seminary that raised him, until his publications earned him sufficient reputation that the Church put his name forward as a candidate for the University's department of theology. Now a professor in that department, he finds the challenges of the job to his liking, in particular the diverse studentship and the platform from which to engage in the life of the city.
Petrus Tertullian has sometimes had to contend with rumours of heresy and atheism; it has been noted that his writings tend more to the negative and aporetic than to the declarative, and it has been insinuated that he spends more time than is seemly attacking the apologetics of others. He has also been called worldly, involving himself in the city to a degree unbecoming of a religious. To date, none of these accusations have caused him any serious trouble.
Personality: Petrus Tertullian tends to be belligerent in argument, sometimes acerbic, but is fair-minded and always willing to accommodate a student who has trouble keeping up. He engages with Christian, Muslim and Jewish students on their own terms. In public he often discusses the duties of Christian to the world, and tries to be a voice for religious tolerance. He is pedantic over points of fine detail, often demanding that people reiterate their point more precisely. He takes a keen interest in local politics.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?: Engaging in spirited debate, public and private, with other players. Working quietly towards favoured political goals.
Anything else: I haven't fully thought out Petrus Tertullian's relationship to the Church and the University - thoughts welcome (especially on the viability of the dual monk-and-professor role). I also may want him to wander around the University a bit more, since exciting things are sure to happen outside the Theology department. Again, not thought that all the way through yet.
Re: To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-25 09:00 am (UTC)I'm also wondering at what point people start using Theology rather than Divinity as terms?
But in any case, welcome on board :)
Re: To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-25 02:01 pm (UTC)If it'd make more sense for him to be a priest then he could be a hieromonk - a priest and a monk. I mostly just wanted him to be a monk because I was thinking of Name of the Rose...
He either lives with his order or at the University, I'm not sure. The Eastern Orthodox Church (in our world, anyway) doesn't have monastic orders, so I'm free to make up my own monastery with my own Rule (did you want to suggest something here?).
Re: To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-25 03:19 pm (UTC)Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 04:38 pm (UTC)YOUR DETAILS:
Name: Becky
Age: 30-something
Email address: I'd prefer not to put my primary address on LJ, but ladybird97@livejournal.com will get to me
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: Lots! Tabletop for many many years in many many systems, LARP for more than 10 years, MUSH/MOO for more than 10 years, and LJ RPG for 4 years. So, yeah, I'm an all-around RPG geek :)
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name: Ioannis Kostas
Age: 14
Gender: Eunuch
Nationality and/or ethnicity: Byzantine Greek
Religion: Eastern Christian
Marital status: single
Occupation: student/novice
Physical description: Tall, slim, with long limbs. Olive skin, dark eyes and hair, alto voice.
PB: coming soon!
FURTHER DETAILS
Personality:
Innocent, serious, intense; takes himself perhaps a little too seriously. Devout, but doesn't have a real calling to be a priest or monk.
Background
He's one of many children in a poor family. When it became apparent that he was fairly bright, his parents had him castrated and gave him to the church. They hoped that he'd be a good monk, or at least a singer - and even if he wasn't, then he was at least one fewer mouth for them to feed at home.
He's had an excellent education in both religious and secular subjects, although he hasn't specialized in anything yet. He's especially good with languages, and while he hasn't studied alchemy formally, he's fascinated by it. He's not very good at music, but decent enough at mimicry and acting.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?
He's a wild card in the political conflict, ready to be tempted/swayed/persuaded to support one side or another. He can be a messenger, an interpreter, a pawn, a spy or spy-in-training.
Anything else?
As you can see, this is only about half a background! I'd love help figuring out the other half. Where was he raised? Who is he working for/studying with right now, and what (if any) are their hopes for him?
And, more relevantly, what motivates him? I'm trying to figure out what he really cares about, and I haven't gotten there yet. I think this might be one of those times when I have to think as an extrovert and bounce ideas off of others. So if you have any ideas, please bounce them back! I'm open to all kinds of suggestions, especially for ideas about how to tie your character(s) in with mine.
Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 05:38 pm (UTC)Thinking about it, I wonder if your character could be studying with Sean's character who could also have some sort of official responsibility for him, but I know that Angela was thinking of pitching an alchemist character so maybe Ioannis could be interested in that (and potentially get caught up in controversial stuff, if Angela goes ahead and creates a character who's looking to make golem in a non-traditional manner)...
Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 06:32 pm (UTC)Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 06:37 pm (UTC)Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 06:41 pm (UTC)Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-25 08:45 pm (UTC)Name: Juliana
Age: 24
Email address: withthedove@gmail.com
Have you roleplayed before?: Nope. Total n00b.
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name: Kadija Oamra Aladeen (nee Madhavi)
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Nationality and/or ethnicity: Egyptian; Citizen of the Ottoman Empire
Religion: Muslim (Sufi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism))
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: Judge
Physical description: Wavy brown hair (covered by a hijab in public), thick, heavy brows over grey eyes. She is over 6ft tall with strong arms and hands.
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story: Born in Alexandria to the second wife of Musa Hussein Madhavi, a political scholar and poet; Kadija was the only daughter of eleven children. Her upbringing was a relatively happy one, filled with stories, spiced food and shwam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawm) (or zurna) lessons. Her favourite brother, Imran, died at 19 of septicaemia, which profoundly affected Kadjia and caused her to struggle with her faith for years. Eighteen months after Imran’s death, she was married (at 17) to a prominent local politician, Omar Aladeen, 20 years her senior. She was his first wife. Kadija had no children as Aladeen proved to be impotent. In their fifth year of marriage, around the time Aladeen was in negotiations for a second wife, he was accused of fraud. Though there was not enough evidence to convict him in Low Court, this accusation caused a huge scandal from which Aladeen never recovered. He died of a pulmonary embolism a mere month after his acquittal.
Tainted by her husband’s muddied name, the widowed Kadija left Alexandria and moved to Aqaba, Jordan, where she met and became a disciple of Jibril Rahim, a Sufi master and respected teacher of sharia law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia). While under Jibril Rahim’s tutelage she wrote a series of poems on faith and the balance of divine and sexual love which were published by a Jordanian newspaper and later collected into a book which was widely circulated across the Ottoman Empire. The collection earned her some considerable fame/notoriety. Completing her studies, she arrived in Kostantiniyee at age 34 where she now presides as one of several judges in the religious courts of a Muslim district.
Personality: Stoic and stubborn at one end of the spectrum, patient and compassionate at the other. Kadija is generally a silent and meditative person – which is occasionally mistaken for aloofness or superiority. She loves children and would have liked to be a mother, but feels that her time has passed. Instead, she teaches occasional shwam classes at a local madrassa. As a Sufi, Kadija finds herself somewhat maligned by more traditional Muslims. She hates travelling by air-ship as she is scared of flying.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?: Perhaps people might seek her advice on religious law and have her lecture at the university on her poems or Sufism… there are many ways for her to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers, I'd imagine.
Anything else: I’m a total n00b at this so I hope my application looks OK? When we know more details about how Kostantiniyee is divided up, it’ll be interesting to see where Kadija might preside as a judge. I still have a lot to learn about Sufism, so bear with me!
no subject
Date: 2012-04-25 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-25 09:33 pm (UTC)Thanks for the welcome, love! I just couldn't resist this world. :D
no subject
Date: 2012-04-25 09:37 pm (UTC)Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 09:51 pm (UTC)Rachel, I know I asked you about how old people might be when they enter university but I seem to have forgotten to ask how long it might take to become a registered alchemist. And whether or not you need to be a professor to start a project and look for backing? or if a group of students could set one up?
Re: Half an idea!
Date: 2012-04-25 09:58 pm (UTC)Re: To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-25 11:58 pm (UTC)Re: To be edited/filled out soon
Date: 2012-04-26 12:15 am (UTC)less than half an idea in search of more definition
Date: 2012-04-26 12:33 am (UTC)YOUR DETAILS:
Name: Angela
Age: 30 something
Email address: koaskat888@yahoo.com
Have you roleplayed before? What kinds of games?: Yes and lots of different kinds of games. Table top, LARP and a little bit of forum style.
YOUR CHARACTER:
THE BASICS
Name:
Age: late twenties to early 30’s
Gender: Male this may change)
Nationality and/or ethnicity:
Religion: Christian
Marital status:
Occupation: Student at university
Physical description:
PB: ["Played by" - typically an actor used to represent your character in icons. Optional!]
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story: second or third child of very well to do merchants
Personality: Brilliant, sometimes lazy, curious, full of bizarre ideas, not particularly religious.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?: As a source of plot and conflict and possibly a link to or between other characters
Anything else: most of the details can be changed but I like the key personality traits.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-26 12:51 am (UTC)Welcome aboard!
Re: less than half an idea in search of more definition
Date: 2012-04-26 01:15 am (UTC)It might at least be worth picking a few things that you left undefined--I always find it's easier to work from a defined base, even if that base is one you end up nearly totally rebuilding.
Even a name can help; maybe just plugging a few of the personality traits into an online name search could get you something to call them for a start.
Other possible things to sketch out:
* whether or not they're married (or engaged); how their family feels about it either way, as negotiated marriages are potentially very useful.
* what country they hail from; is their family in Konstantiniyye? If yes, since when? If no, why are they there?
* what they're studying, and why; ton of possibilities here. Were you thinking they were at university because they actually cared, because their parents insisted and opposing them was too much work, because they were smitten with someone working or studying there, or because the university is the perfect place to survive the upcoming zombie invasion that will happen any eclipse now? (Bizarre ideas, after all. ;) )
Speaking of which, maybe a bit more clarification on "bizarre ideas" would make it easier for people to imagine the personality you want. Is that bizarre ideas like maybe all marriages should be pairings between two opposite-sex individuals, or bizarre ideas like maybe it would be awesome to submit an essay as a recital in iambic pentameter rather than as a written work on paper?
And finally, you mentioned them being a source of plot and conflict: can you elaborate a bit? Do they throw themselves into things on a whim until they're bored (potentially upsetting people's plans), try to preserve the status quo (potentially opposing a whole lot of plans), poke things to see what they can make change? It'd help people figure out how their characters might hook into yours.
Re: less than half an idea in search of more definition
Date: 2012-04-26 02:20 am (UTC)Therefore here's a second go at filling in the blanks and giving people something to work with.
THE BASICS
Name: Stefanos Ferentinou
Age: late twenties to early 30’s
Gender: Male
Nationality and/or ethnicity: greek
Religion: Christian
Marital status: married
Occupation: Student at university
Physical description:
PB: ["Played by" - typically an actor used to represent your character in icons. Optional!]
FURTHER DETAILS
Back story: second or third child of a large and very well to do merchant family in the cloth and luxuries business that have been in the city for a long time. Entered the university on a suggestion from one his parents and discovered he loved it. When the family tried to pull him out to join the family business he resisted. Marriage was arranged and was a matter of alliances meant to further the family ambitions to be part of the council. This has caused a lot tension between him and his family. Was interested in many subjects and so studied many things before making a try at becoming a registered alchemist but has so far not succeeded.
Personality: Brilliant, sometimes lazy, curious, full of bizarre ideas, (such as the idea that the traditional golem may be more self aware than people think they are.) not particularly religious. Easily distractible by new ideas and new potential projects. prone to starting things but not finishing them.
How do you see this character fitting into the game?: As a source of plot and conflict and possibly a link to or between other characters
Anything else: I would be open to having other people's characters as spouses or relatives
Elaborations and changes
Date: 2012-04-26 03:47 am (UTC)