[hider=Skill level explanations][list]All skills are one of five levels: [*] [u]Innate[/u]: User knows next to nothing about the skill itself or how to use/control it. It just, happens sometimes. Very little chance of successfully using the skill. [*] [u]Novice[/u]: User knows the basics rather well and can easily apply them at any time. An ok chance at successful use of the skill. [*] [u]Intermediate[/u]: User knows a bit beyond the basics and has a decent understanding of this skill. They can easily apply the skill and have a good chance at success using it. [*] [u]Advanced[/u]: User has good foundations and understanding of the skill. They can use this skill to its fullest and have a high chance of success with it. [*] [u]Master[/u]: User has an excellent understanding of the skill’s foundations and applications. They can use this skill to its highest level. (This doesn’t guarantee success, but there is a very high chance for it.) [/list][/hider] [hider= Shiri 2.0][center][h2][color=purple][i] Technical data [/i][/color][/h2][/center][b][color=violet] Name: [/color][/b] Shir'Inilim, or Shiri Nilim when split apart. [b][color=violet] Species: [/color][/b] Twi’Lek [b][color=violet] Age: [/color][/b] 19...ish [b][color=violet] Gender: [/color][/b] Female [b][color=violet] Faction: [/color][/b] Jedi Order [b][color=violet] Rank: [/color][/b] A padawan, still... [b][color=violet] Master: [/color][/b] Jaa Iblik, a Jedi Knight (now deceased) [b][color=violet] Former Master(s): [/color][/b] N/A [b][color=violet] Time/location of Capture: [/color][/b] The Jedi temple on Coruscant, during the Sacking [b][color=violet] Homeworld: [/color][/b] Ryloth? [b][color=violet] Trained at: [/color][/b] The Jedi Temple on Coruscant [b][color=violet] Spoken Languages: [/color][/b] Ryl, Lekku, Basic, and Sarchasm [b][color=violet] Written Languages: [/color][/b] Ryl and Basic [center][h2][color=purple][i] Concerning you [/i][/color][/h2][h3][color=violet] As a prisoner, your wardrobe is limited. When you were captured, how do you look and what clothes do you have on now? [/color][/h3][img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MFxH0vYgE0s/T41B3mMnNjI/AAAAAAAAAAk/w1y2MLtRrdw/s640/Numa.jpg[/img] This is what I normally wear, along with a sleeveless white tunic under a short Jedi robe. The sleeves of the robe don’t reach past my elbows. The hem of the tunic goes down to my hip, while the bottom of the robe barely reaches my knees. Clothing aside, my physical appearance is rather childish despite my age. My skin is completely smooth, a shade of lavender (or light purple) with darker spot-like birthmarks on my sides and Lekku, though you wouldn’t notice the spots unless you were looking for them. I’m relatively small, 5’4” (~1.6 meters), and weighing roughly only 105 lbs (~50 kg). I have narrow shoulders and a lithe, flexible but sturdy frame. I am also rather lean, most of my body fat being stored in my Lekku. I have a round, “soft” looking face, with clear skin and muted structural features. One can barely see my cheekbones and my chin is small and rounded. I have wide, expressive eyes that are a dark honey-brown in color, and full, naturally upturned lips. My eyebrows are tattooed-on, to help me look less “alien” to baseline-humans and also to help make my facial expression easier for others to read. [h3][color=violet] You got captured. Did you make any mistakes that led to this, or were others at fault? [/color][/h3]I was not at fault for getting captured, only because it is not my fault many of the events that led to my capture happened. They were outside of my control. The only thing I could hold myself accountable for, is not being strong enough to fight off the Sith that captured me. If it's anyone's fault, it's the Sith's for attacking the temple in such an underhanded, cowardly way. [h3][color=violet] The Force is your ally. How do you use it? [/color][/h3]I have a wide range of skills and abilities in the force, most of which I pursued learning because of my own interests rather than the difficulty of doing so or the basicness of the skill. I’m well-grounded with most of my skills in the Force, but a Jedi never stops learning, so some of skills are less developed than others. My skills with the force are as follows, In order of my strength with them: (weakest at the bottom)[/center] Force Jump - (Advanced) Because of my use of the Ataru form of lightsaber combat, this is an essential skill for me. I can easily jump almost five times my own height, and with a running start gaps almost twice that long. In a fight I use this skill to help me pull off the acrobatics needed to keep up with the enemy’s strikes and dodge more easily when necessary. Mind Trick - (Advanced) I mostly use the Suggestion/Persuasion type of mind trick, and can defend myself from all types of mind tricks, to a point. I’m better at implanting ideas into the minds of others than defending myself. Telekinesis - (Intermediate) A basic skill for any Jedi, I have good control and accuracy but not much strength with it. I can lift the huge boulders if you give me time but that’s about it. Droid Disable - (Intermediate) If I can't disable a machine by slicing it I could always just destroy it instead by overloading its circuitry. I’m only able to use it at a short range (about 3-5 feet) or when touching the object, and can’t use it a lot in quick succession. Breath Control - (Intermediate) I’ve been able to hold my breath for up to two hours at a time while active, and for six hours if I’m not doing anything, like when I’m meditating. Tapas - (High Novice) It's literally just staying warm by using the force. I can keep this up for a few hours at a time before needing some rest. Force Healing - (Novice) I can only use it on myself, and to a pretty low level. I can stop myself from bleeding to death, at least I hope so anyway. I need to meditate to use this power at all. Force Stun - (Novice) I can effectively stun a single unprepared target for about a minute. Other situations I have very little chance of actually doing any good. Force Stealth - (Low Novice) There seems to be multiple versions of this one so, I'm referring to the ability to cloak your force sensitivity and light/dark affiliation from others. I can’t maintain it for very long, maybe just a few minutes at most, and after a while it may fail randomly. But I have practiced this at least a little bit.[center] [h3][color=violet] Having the Force did not keep you safe. What other skills can help you escape? [/color][/h3][/center][list][*] I’m pretty good at Slicing droids and other computer systems For a long time before I became a Jedi I was a pickpocket and a thief, meaning I’ve got a light touch and a tendency to subtly try to do things when I can. [*] I’m very flexible, both literally and figuratively- [list][*] I’m good at thinking quickly and coming up with stuff on the fly, as well as rolling with the punches as scenes pan out, [*] And as a Twi’Lek I’m naturally just a bit more supple than some other species.[/list][*] I am fairly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, though I’ve never had any formal training in it. [*] I’m strong-willed and stubborn when I want to be, I won’t give up easily. [*] When I’m confronted with adversity my automatic response is now (thanks to my Jedi teachings) to remain calm and collected while everything else tends to fall apart. [*] This doesn’t exactly count unless someone else among the prisoners can understand it, but I can communicate silently and secretly with my Lekku. [*] I’m a lot smarter and more observant than I may seem, and I learn new things quickly. [*] I have the basic knowledge needed to survive in basically any terrain on my own, and the skills to do so mostly unobtrusively as well. [*] I have a great, if somewhat inappropriate or sarcastic sense of humor. [*] I’m good at talking to people and saying the right things, or what I believe is the right thing anyway. [*] I’m a convincing actor, and hide my thoughts and emotions well when I want to.[/list][center][h3][color=violet] What was your life like before you got captured? Which major events shaped your life? [/color][/h3]Before I joined the Order, I was not in the best of situations. As far back as I can remember, I lived as a street-rat on some planet, I still don’t know its name. I was maybe 7 years old when I started learning how to survive along with a small group of other kids that were on their own too. I took to learning how to slice tech and stealing whatever we'd need from whoever seemed like they had enough to share. I got pretty good at it too, even being able to slice the police droids that would come after us. We survived, but we had no goals or ambition past that. Life was a day to day thing that became monotonous, not worth living. I couldn't just give up though, I was too scared to die, too scared of the unknown that is, or I should say, [i]was[/i] death. I'm not scared of death anymore, because now if I die, it's for a cause at least. I was 11 or 12 when a Jedi found me, hiding from some rich yahoo’s goons who’d seen me slicing past their home security to let my friends in. That was a fun conversation.. The Jedi told me about the Order, how they worked for the good of the galaxy and kept the peace, and convinced me to come to the temple with him. I was brought to the Temple on Coruscant, and after not too long I found that I actually really liked learning how to be a Jedi. It took me a while to settle down and stop being so emotional, (I still am emotional but I hide and suppress them much better now than I could back then) but eventually I got the hang of meditation and began taking the philosophy stuff more seriously. I began to really care about every other person in the temple too, each person becoming almost like family in my eyes -something I never really had. The group I’d lived with on that planet had always been ‘friends’ or ‘partners in crime’. I learned quickly, and passed the Initiate trials when I was 14 or 15, about three years after first joining the order. I became a padawan to Master Jaa Iblik, a Jedi Knight. He was really nice, and put up with my joking and sarcastic nature while being a very good teacher as well. After a year with him, he got a second padawan, a human named Cerria Kinall. Cerria and I worked well together despite our nearly opposite personalities and skills, we’re teammates and friends. Shortly after becoming a padawan, I started trying to learn as much as I could, studying and looking into all the different things Jedi did in the galaxy and the skills we could learn to do them. I became somewhat infatuated with the idea and role of Jedi Shadows, essentially dark knights in an order that glues itself to the light. They took on dangers not only mentally and physically, but spiritually as well, fighting the dark side in ways that most Jedi are unwilling or unable to do. I wanted to be one of these Jedi, that would seek out the dark side and eradicate it no matter what. I started to look into skills and traits I could learn to help me become a Shadow, and about half a year ago I finally got a chance to start learning one of the most useful (in my opinion) skills a Shadow could ever have, Force Stealth- the ability to hide your force-sensitivity and alignment from other force users. We happened to be at the temple at the same time as a master who was there willing to teach anyone who proved they were willing to learn, and after a while talking to him he showed me the first few steps to using Force Stealth. Recently, after five years of being trained as a padawan, I attempted the Knight trials. The trials of skill and courage I passed in the field, while on a mission with Cerria and Master Iblik. We had gotten caught up in the front lines and had to fight our way out, and as we retreated we told our allies that the imperial forces had changed their location and were moving in from a previously unexpected direction. The trial of flesh I attempted in the temple on Coruscant without incident. I took the trials of insight and spirit in the temple’s controlled environment as well. It’s been about a week since then and I still don’t know whether I passed or not, I’ve yet to hear the council’s decision. [h3][color=violet] How do you keep yourself calm in captivity? How do you keep your will to escape strong? [/color][/h3]I try to meditate and center myself whenever I start losing my calm, or I'll distract myself by thinking about how to escape. It's not hard to keep my motivation to escape, whenever I feel like it might not be possible, I just think about all the other Jedi here with me. I'm going to get us out of here, somehow. I'd rather we all die than turn to the dark side or remain as prisoners or test subjects for the Sith. [h3][color=violet] How well do you hold up under pressure? Do you have a high pain threshold? [/color][/h3]To answer the first question, I'm extremely good at keeping calm in bad situations, and I have enough confidence in myself and those around me that I don't believe we'll fall easily. I'm a fighter. as for the second… I'll say yes, for everything other than my Lekku. The brain-tails of my race are quite sensitive, the only good thing I can say for this is that I'll most likely pass out before I could or would say anything if they were targeted during a torture session. As far as I know I just naturally handle pain a little better than most people, and constant electrical shocks from mistakes in slicing over the years have dulled me to it all the more. [h3][color=violet] Lightsabers. Though you lost yours, it would be good to know what style(s) you use. [/color][/h3]I know the basics of Shii-cho like every other Jedi should, but I'm most practiced in the form Ataru. I have recently started trying to learn Soresu as well so I could better deflect blaster bolts and conserve more of my energy in battle. I am Left-hand dominant, though I can hold my lightsaber in either hand and fight just fine. I don’t like holding the blade with both hands at once. [h3][color=violet] Have you encountered other prisoners or Sith in the past? [/color][/h3](WIP, kinda. I think this is all for now.) Cerria Kinall - She and I shared a Master, her being Master Iblik’s Padawan along with me for four years before I attempted the knight trials about two weeks ago. I believe that because our master died during the sacking it's up to me to take care of her and to get her out of the Sith's reach. Nazca Barsavi - She's a youngling, almost a padawan I think though. We are... very alike from what I can tell, which could be both good and bad. I consider us to be good friends. Sela Kythor - The master of a friend of mine, Xid. I've helped her with missions/cases before Xid Terrik - Sela’s padawan and an awesome person. He’s a little quirky, but I like his unique mindset. Also.. he’s cute. Talon Soule - A friend of Cerria’s, I only recently met her. The fox is, interesting. [h2][color=purple][i] Out of Character [/i][/color][/h2][h3][color=violet] How powerful is she in the Force? [/color][/h3]In terms of raw power, Shiri’s only a little above average. The only reason she’s made it as far as she has is through practice and determination. She has little strength with things such as telekinesis, and her ability to defend herself from telekinetic and mental attacks is very lacking. [h3][color=violet] Has your character encountered members of the Strike Team / Rescuers before? [/color][/h3]No. [h3][color=violet] Nobody with any sort of wisdom wants to speak of their flaws. Especially not to their enemies, so what are your character’s flaws? [/color][/h3][/center][list][*] The Lekku, or 'Brain Tails' are distinctive traits of the Twi'lek species, they are exceptionally sensitive and so Shiri could be knocked out or killed without much trouble if someone were to target them- she has to take care to protect them in a fight. [*] While she has a high pain tolerance and ability to stay quiet when she's being tortured, [b]she knows the others might not and so feels that she has to protect everybody else however she can, usually by taking their place[/b].[list][*] She will attempt to never let any of her fellow jedi be taken for interrogation by the sith, no matter her own condition.[/list][*] She values her fellow Jedi and sees how each of them could be more useful than herself if someone had to be lost. [*] Her self-esteem is actually pretty low, she just generally belies that she’s not good enough at whatever she does. [*] She's stubborn, sarcastic, can be a bit of a smart-ass at times [*] While she is good at hiding her emotions she does still feel them and can be rather fierce at times (For example, she's more than a little hateful/spiteful towards the Sith right now because of the Sacking of Coruscant, and while it may not be obvious the emotion is definitely there). [*] She’s rash and self-destructive, pushing away the darkness that she doesn’t want to face rather than acknowledging it, accepting it, overcoming it, moving on. [*] Her feelings for Xid (currently not fully acknowledged or accepted. She has no intention of ever confronting Xid about it right now) [*] The care she has for those she considers friends [*] Willingness to always take another’s place in a torture/interrogation session to spare others the experience. [*] She's not the strongest, physically. She can easily be overpowered in a fight if you can get ahold of her. [*] Her fighting style relies too heavily on not getting hit or grabbed by her opponent to actually get a hit in herself. [*] She has no idea how she should attempt to make herself seem, what type of personality to project so that the Sith can’t read her as easily, and this ends up making her easier to read, at least every Sith will get the impression she’s either clueless or hiding something.[/list][center][h3][color=violet] As a non-human, list what traits your character has specifically because of their Species. [/color][/h3][/center]Twi'lek's have:[list][*] Lekku (or 'Brain Tails') - stores fat and acts as an erogenous zone, also contains part of the brain at the base. Extremely sensitive and a great vulnerability if targeted in battle. - LEFT= tchun - RIGHT= tchin [*] As the lekku do contain a part of the Twi’lek’s brain, if they are damaged close enough to the base the brain itself could be directly and most likely irreversibly injured.[list][*] Any bleeding caused would be significantly more serious and the flow of blood in the lekku is much harder to stop without causing more damage. (ex: Tourniquets could do more harm than good as it’s hard to tell where the brain ends exactly and you may end up crushing the organ in an attempt to stop bleeding.)[*] If a Lek were to be completely severed, it doesn’t matter how close to the base, the Twi’lek is pretty much dead. If the brain wasn’t hit, they’ll bleed out in moments. (in the case of just the tip being cut off, that’s a much better chance of survival though it would be about as bad as losing a hand or foot and there’s still the risk of bleeding out if not acted upon quickly enough.)[/list][*] The ability to communicate silently and secretly with their lekku [*] Sharp claw-like nails [*] Multiple stomachs - allows Twi'leks to eat most foods [*] Under normal circumstances, they have a higher body temperature than other humanoid species. (Hugs are always warm!)[/list][center][h3][color=violet] Is your character any good at holding out against torture? [/color][/h3]Yes, in fact. She’s reasonably good at keeping quiet under most circumstances through sheer willpower and determination. She’s stubborn and likes to screw with people, and holding out on the sith is a pretty good way of doing just that. She’s well aware of what should and should not be said -in the case of the sith, they should know nothing at all. Of course, having a high pain tolerance helps. [h3][color=violet] What is your character’s personality like? What motivates her? [/color][/h3]Kind and caring by nature, and fairly mischievous. When she's around people she likes she can be funny and lighthearted, but most of the time she tries to keep her thoughts and emotions to herself. If she appears mean or harsh, it's more than likely a farce. Shiri has no respect for anyone who believes she should respect them simply because they feel they are entitled to it. She rebels against those who believe they are better than someone else, and is more than happy to challenge them in an attempt to give them some humility. Shiri believes that most of the time, you have to do things the right way to get the result you want or need, but when it comes to the Sith and dealing with the dark side whatever works best is what you should do. All Sith deserve to die, they’ve already made the choices which condemn them, and in some cases the ends do justify the means. Shiri will never trust a Sith on any occasion, even if they’ve swapped sides. Shiri takes pride in being a Jedi and enjoys learning as much as she can to try and make the universe a better place. She's decided that she wants to battle the dark side by either being an investigator or a Jedi Shadow, and that choice has led to many of her other choices throughout the years. Her goal is to become the best Jedi she can possibly be and save as many people as she can. [h3][color=violet] Do you have any limits as to what is “ok” to happen to your character? [/color][/h3]I just don’t want her to die, mentally, physically, or in spirit . If she dies she’s no fun to play anymore. That being said however.. I'm interested to see what kind of trouble she can get into. Give it your best shot. [h3][color=violet] Do you want your character to escape? [/color][/h3]Yes, but in my own plans she likely won't. She will refuse to leave if doing so gives others a better chance of making it, and will always want to make an attempt to get everyone out. I do have plans where escape is possible for her, but they involve her breaking this "no-one gets left behind" mentality of hers. [h3][color=violet] how easily do you wish to be captured? [/color][/h3]About as easily as it is to give a big dog who doesn't like water a bath. Possible to do without injury, but annoying as hell after a short while. :sun [h3][color=violet] What do you think your character is doing in a few IC months? [/color][/h3]If she escapes, her ties to the light side will be set for life and she'll continue pursuing her goal to be a Jedi Shadow. If she dies trying, well I just hope she was able to get the others out with her sacrifice then. If she turns, she’ll be lost to the darkness forever. Unlike Zez, there’s not even a chance for her to go back to the light. She’ll keep trying to develop the skills that would have made her into a Jedi Shadow, but now she’ll be striving to use them against the Jedi rather than the Sith. [h3][color=violet] Does your character have any secrets useful for the GMs’ plots? [/color][/h3]Not anymore.[/center][/hider] [Hider= Astera Nalin][center][color=seagreen][h2][i] Technical data [/i][/h2][/color][/center][b][color=springgreen] Name: [/color][/b] Astera Nalin [b][color=springgreen] Species: [/color][/b] Zelosian [b][color=springgreen] Age: [/color][/b] 46 [b][color=springgreen] Gender: [/color][/b] Female [b][color=springgreen] Faction: [/color][/b] Jedi Rescuer [b][color=springgreen] Rank: [/color][/b] Jedi Knight [b][color=springgreen] Master: [/color][/b] N/A [b][color=springgreen] Former master(s): [/color][/b] A man by the name of Seri White, who died in battle a little less than a decade ago (3662 BBY.) [b][color=springgreen] Homeworld: [/color][/b] Zelos II [b][color=springgreen] Trained at: [/color][/b] The Jedi Praxeum on Arkania [b][color=springgreen] Spoken Languages: [/color][/b] Basic and Zelosian [b][color=springgreen] Written Languages: [/color][/b] Just Basic, and that's hard enough. [center][color=seagreen][h2][i] Concerning you [/i][/h2][/color][color=springgreen][h3] You are on a mission. How did you dress for it? What else can you say about your looks? [/h3][/color]I have a triangular face with well-defined features. Thin lips and almond-shaped eyes, high and narrow cheekbones with small ears and a cute nose. I'm somewhat proud of how I look, and I take care of myself to make sure I'm always presentable. My hair is shoulder-length and a reddish brown color, and complements my species' bright green eyes well. My skin is mostly smooth, save for a few nasty scars, and has a barely noticeable green tint- a Zelosian version of a tan, otherwise my skin is pale due to the lack of red pigment in my blood and body. I am 5'8" (≈1.7 meters tall) and weigh about 120 lbs (≈55 kg). I'm quite modest in how I dress, preferring to cover as much of my body as possible. Along with my normal outfit, I wear the traditional brown Jedi robe, and always carry my green-bladed lightsaber with me by tucking it into a hidden pocket in my belt. If you were to ever see me without my clothes -a very unlikely situation- you would be able to see that my right leg is completely cybernetic from my mid-thigh down. The only other way someone could know of this is if they were able to hear the mechanical parts moving when I walked, or if I told them. [hider=Face and outfit] [img]https://images.discordapp.net/.eJwNyVEOwiAMANC7cABa2ahsf57EEEYYCQykXbJovLu-3_dR5yhqVbtI5xVgyxza2DRLGz5FnVpLJfqeWYdWwYv4sNd4CIO5GbTTbBdCuiPiZMBYIkK3OEPufxZneLDE4Q2O6Mvz3TlcV85UX7ofSX1_iPQpGQ.6_uC76Y5Fi7rsrKzE4ziUEsYsU8?width=400&height=266[/img] [img]http://rs1068.pbsrc.com/albums/u457/Mt-Vesuvius-2015/Mobile%20Uploads/947ea05992b9951b9199fed82c67ccd3_zpsoof5l6xs.jpg?w=480&h=480&fit=clip[/img][/hider][color=springgreen][h3] In order to confront the Sith, you need to be strong. Name one weakness or flaw you have identified but not neutralized. [/h3][/color]Well, I am dyslexic, so it’s hard for me to read something and get it right on the first try without focusing, and this also affects my ability to write. Though I suppose you're looking for me to point out one of the things that I can still try to change? In battle, I am not against harming my opponent when necessary but I prefer not to take any life, so sometimes I may not use as much force as is needed until I realize that I do need to try harder. I would also describe myself as soft-hearted, which would explain why I’m here as a rescuer rather than a member of the strike team. I cannot bring myself to leave someone who is suffering or in need of help, and I often don’t think past the present moment before attempting to help because, in my experience, if you wait it's too late. [color=springgreen][h3] Fighting Sith is not easy. How do you plan to use the Force for this? [/h3][/color][/center]Telekinesis - (Master) I have extreme amounts of both strength and control with this skill, as I should as a Sage. Force Empathy - (Master/Innate) I’m a natural empath, and can pick up other’s emotions with little effort. Almost all my training with this has been in order to control what I sense, and to tune out the emotions that could cause me to loose my own calm or harm me. Tutaminis - (Specialized Advanced) I don’t wish to harm my opponent any more than necessary, and this skill is perfect for that purpose. I’m able to prevent my strikes from doing any damage at all if I want, and I have a great amount of control over this ability to ensure that. I don't really use this skill to protect myself, only my enemies. Mind Trick - (Advanced) I am able to defend myself against most mind tricks, and able to trick most anybody if they’re not defending themselves as well. I’ve never really tried to trick another force user before, as I’ve had no reason to try it on Jedi, and with the Sith I’m usually too busy fighting or throwing things around with telekinesis to try it. Comprehend Speech - (Advanced) I am easily able to grasp and comprehend the meaning of alien words when attempting to communicate with any being I would not normally be able to understand. Use of this skill takes minimal effort and it’s become automatic on my part when encountering anyone I would not normally understand. Force Sight - (Intermediate) While most younglings are taught to sense what’s around them with the force, I studied this further as a way to compensate for my species’ blindness in the dark. I’m not the best at this, I’ll leave that to the Miraluka, but I’m able to use it just well enough that I can do most anything in the dark that I normally would be able to. Better even, as in the dark I don’t have to worry about dyslexia affecting anything I read. The Force interprets words and images much better than my own mind, it seems. Force Healing - (Intermediate) I can heal myself or another, but it won’t do much. I can heal mild wounds and take the edge off of worse ones, but any severe wound would take a lot of focus to do anything to, and would most likely need many treatments to completely heal. I have trained with this skill enough to no longer need to meditate in order to use it, but it doesn’t hurt to do so anyway. Detoxify Poison - (Intermediate) I originally wanted to learn this skill in an attempt to see if I could neutralize the effect that sugar has on me, as other species have been able to do the same with alcohol. It does take the edge off, but I’m a lightweight when it comes to ‘drinking’. Other toxins are much easier to neutralize, and tend to clear my system in about half the time they normally would when I focus. [center][color=springgreen][h3] Sure, you can use the Force… but what else can you do? [/h3][/color]I know quite a few things about plants, how to tend to them and help them grow as well as useful ways to use them and which ones are ok to eat, I’ve even got a few good recipes for on-the-field; normal, I think one would imagine considering I [i]am[/i] a plant. Aside from my green thumbs, I have a meticulous attention to detail and a good memory. I’m quite adaptable, and able to analyze a situation to quickly make decisions based on what I know in that moment. Socially, I’m good at avoiding confrontations and arguments. I tend to keep an optimistic outlook on problems, and am easily able to keep calm and in-control when under pressure. I am ambidextrous, meaning that both of my hands can be used to wield a blade to equal ability in combat, and it’s rather handy for tasks needing precision and dexterity, though I’m not much of a tinkerer or anything of the like. As a Zelosian, I am able to survive for long periods of time so long as I have sunlight and water. I don’t necessarily have to eat food to live, though it helps to eat because then I regain my energy a little quicker than when relying only on sunlight. [u]A couple other skills I have are special meditative states that I am skilled at using for my benefit in battle:[/u][/center]Serenity Trance - (Master) A brief and highly specialized form of meditation. If I can do this for even just a few seconds mid-battle it will allow me to regain my focus and power. Center of Being - (Master) Another specialized form of meditation, and a stance used in lightsaber combat. When in such a state, I can almost unconsciously defend from even the most flowing random attacks and feints.[center][color=springgreen][h3] Something got you to join this mission. What was it? What events shaped your life? [/h3][/color]The earliest memory I have is of a ball game I played with the other younglings at the Praxeum on the planet Arkania. I was maybe three years old when the order found me and brought me there. As a youngling I was a studious child, but not nearly as much as I should have been. My attentions always strayed off the current task, even when I tried to meditate and focus on the force. In an attempt to help me learn to focus one of the teachers came up with a test to try and find out what the problem was, and what he found was that I have a natural ability to sense the emotions of those around me, even when they were hiding them on the surface. This empathy caused many distractions for me, and it got so hard to focus past it that sometimes that I had to go somewhere I’d be completely alone in order to progress with my Force lessons at all. Yet, once I was able to focus I found that certain aspects of the force came to me with ease, skills such as sensing my surroundings and using telekinesis. I practiced as much as I could at tuning out my own emotions and the emotions of others. Eventually I got to the point where I could wield the Force while near the other children, but admittedly learning anything was slow going until I actually became a padawan. My master was a great help in learning to get a grip on my Empathy, and by the time I passed the knight trials my control was on a level so much higher than I had had as a youngling that the two could not even be compared. My control over my empathy is much better now than it was even then, though it’s still not perfect, but then nothing ever is. I don’t struggle with Empathy anymore, though I could always do better. — I was ten when I passed the initiate trials, and when I first met Seri White, or Master Seri as I would later come to call him. He was an old Knight who had trained two padawans before me, both of whom had passed the trials of knighthood on their first attempts. Seri was a good teacher, a highly skilled Jedi, and a kind, tolerant person. It never ceased to amaze me how he cared about all the people he came into contact with during missions. He made sure to protect even his enemy from the threat they posed, to others and to themselves. I like to think I learned this trait from him, though it was not one he made any true effort to pass on to me. [i]"Compassion is the belief that all life is precious and important. Just because your opponent may be an enemy for now, it doesn’t mean that they can’t change if given a chance."[/i] Seri was quick to notice where I struggled and what my strengths were. He saw potential in me that I myself was blind to. I’m glad to say that his guidance was what began pushing me to get where I am now, though that doesn’t mean I was a good student at all. I can remember many occasions where I must have been the most annoying padawan in the universe to him. Still, he took my phases of questioning and impatience, rebellious behaviors and moodiness in stride, and with a sense of good humor about him as well. He was a concrete wall compared to my young self, I couldn’t have asked for a better Master. Although, Seri wasn’t perfect—no one is. As a youngling at the temple I trained in the basics of Shii-cho and Soresu, but my current form—Niman—is what Seri used, and it was all he was able to teach me as far as Lightsabers go. It was simple to learn, and I liked that it didn’t require any fancy footwork like Ataru or focus too much on the fighting aspect like Makashi. Though, at first I envied those who were able to use Soresu or Shien, as I had perceived the defensive forms to be more useful than Niman, which has no true gear towards either offence or defence. I was wrong to think so, as Niman—unspecialized as it is—is the best form for my fighting style. I prefer not to harm my opponent any more than necessary and, as I learned and developed my skills with Telekinesis, I found it very easy to incorporate use of the Force into my bladework. Seri also taught me that a Lightsaber, just like the Force, was a tool rather than a weapon. A means to protect oneself and the others they defend. By the time I turned eighteen, Seri believed I was ready to attempt the Knight trials, and he was right. I passed the Trials on my first attempt, which was just a couple months before the return of the Sith and the beginning of the war. I was almost immediately sent to the battlefront. It was horrible, I think especially so for me. I saw many of my comrades, people I considered friends even, fall in more ways than one. As the bodies of the dead would litter the ground, some Jedi with weaker constitutions would suddenly give in to their emotions, a muddled mess of fear and confusion, and they would fall to the dark side or even join the Sith. Though they were few, it was still disenheartening to see them become shadows of the Jedi they once were, cruel and ruthlessly terrorizing republic citizens just like the Sith did. I cut these Jedi down when I could. They turned from the light, taking what they perceived to be the easy way out, and so they lost most of the care I may have ever had for them. There were so many emotions swirling around, loss, anger, fear, hatred... The Sith would speak to us, trying to convince us to turn on our allies, to use what we felt to become 'stronger'. I have no idea whether or not I also felt these emotions, or if I ever had the urge to give up and work with the Sith instead. At first the collective feeling around me was too strong to tell where my thoughts and emotions ended and where all [i]theirs[/i] began. If I ever did, I didn't act on the thoughts at all. Seeing my comrades struck down around me, or changed into someone nearly unrecognizable by their own choice to abandon their beliefs, strengthened my own constitution. I would not fall to the dark side just because the universe around us seemed to be spiraling into chaos. I would not allow myself to think that my path may not be right. Over the next years I got used to the wartime setting, but I didn't stop hoping for peace nor did I back down from the challenge of keeping myself together. If one good thing ever came out of this war—for me anyway—it would be that by now I’ve finally gained complete control over the Empathy I’d struggled with since I was a child. I never stopped learning after becoming a Knight, as I always could find at least one thing about myself to practice or fix. I learned to meditate and focus better, centering myself and pulling away from the chaos around me in battle to help isolate myself from the emotions of those around me, and calm my mind. I taught myself how to truly take care of myself and others in survival situations. I even tried to learn certain Force Skills in an attempt to neutralize a few of my physical faults, such as my species' natural blindness in the dark. When I turned twenty-six I was assigned my first Padawan, a twelve year-old human named Yao-wang. He was a mild-mannered sort on the outside, but I could tell that he had trouble keeping his emotions in check. I worked with him patiently, hoping to help him find his strengths and gain control over his inner turbulence. He was a good student, though he got frustrated easily and tended to give up when things didn't come easily enough to him. Before Yao turned fourteen, we never went to the battlefields at all, and I think I may have lost some of my edge in the two years before we went on our first battle mission together. I noticed almost immediately that the way the enemy fought had changed over the last two years. I was nervous, and didn't feel like we were ready for this quite yet, but if you never try you can never know what you're capable of, right? We weren't on the front lines, rather far from it actually, but I worried all the same that something might happen. Imperial troopers have more strength than just numbers, after all. At one point during the battle, Yao and I were separated from each other by a group of troopers who had us surrounded. I fought my way out easily enough, but I thought to let Yao get himself out of the situation on his own. There were only six troopers near him, I thought he’d be able to handle it and I would only step in if he needed me to. He defeated three of them before I noticed, too late, what was about to happen. A little ways away, out of sight from where we were, I sensed a Sith approaching. I never actually saw this Sith, he or she stayed away from us. At first I thought that maybe they were hanging back out of fear or caution, but then I sensed a trigger go off, setting off a bunch of firebombs around us. I was able to keep most of the flames from reaching me by using a mix of Telekinesis and some Tutaminis, using debris and things around me to block the flames a bit as I got myself to safety, but everything and everyone else seemed to become completely engulfed in white-hot flame. I tried to push the flames further away, to clear the space where I’d last seen Yao standing, but I couldn’t find him. I could hear the screams of people burning around me, friend and foe alike. I could feel their emotions, their collective fear and pain. I tried to find Yao through his emotions too, but when I reached out to him he was completely silent, as if calm for once. I was forced to retreat. The flames were too hot for me, and there was too much smoke to stay any longer and keep trying to find Yao. I tried to reason with myself as I fell back, thinking frantically and trying to calm my worries for him. I told myself, I hadn’t been able to sense his emotions there so he must have gotten away. I wouldn’t let myself think that if he wasn’t okay, that I’d just left him there to die alone. Hours later, after the flames finally went out, I went back to the place and tried to look for him. We hadn’t met up after I retreated, so I was thinking, hoping, that I’d be able to track him down alive somehow. I found his lightsaber on the ground near where I’d last seen him. The metal of the handle was melted past recognition but the crystal was fine, thankfully. We could have remade it for him after I found him, if he’d been alive. Not very far from where I’d found the lightsaber I found what must’ve once been his body, now charred black and completely unrecognisable. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, but honestly if I ever did feel his death through the force, I had been so occupied by trying to keep my thoughts from that conclusion that I may have ignored it entirely. Even after I found him like that, it took a bit for me to realize he was gone. At first, I just felt numb thinking about it. It was a full two days later when I began to grieve for him. I had been meditating on the event, and I suppose the best way to say what happened is that I broke down. I didn’t do anything stupid or dangerous, I was just sitting there meditating, and then the next moment I couldn’t stop crying. It took me a while to calm back down: a few hours to stop crying, a few days to stop wanting to cry, and years to get to the point where I only feel a pang of sadness at the thought of him. Of the thoughts I had then, I only still agree with one. I understand that Yao’s death was not[i] all [/i]my fault, but when I could have saved him by simply making a different decision or just noticing the trap sooner, it’s kind of hard not to feel like it is. About a year after Yao’s death, when I was twenty-nine, I was assigned my second Padawan—whom I ended up treating a bit like a baby bird. I never allowed her to be very far from me, at least not until I was confident she’d be ok on her own no matter what surprises might come up. In reality this was a mistake on my part. I had allowed my fear of the past repeating itself to govern how much freedom I gave the girl. Lovino was fifteen when I met her, she’d been found by the Order a little later than most children are. She’d been a curious and shy teen, though very smart and with a natural talent for the control aspect of the Force. She was also one of the calmest people I’d ever met, and I think that may have been one of the reasons the Council assigned her to me. I remember one mission in particular with her… This was about five years after our first meeting. We’d been sent away from the battlefields for this one, something increasingly rare to me as the war has gone on. We were still dealing with the Sith however, only a little more indirectly. A fellow Jedi had received some information about the location of a ‘point of interest’ to the Sith. We had no way of knowing if it was a base or hideaway—supply station or something else entirely. Either way we found ourselves on a planet in the outer rim that was mostly forest. After a while of recon and searching for any sign of the Sith, we made our way down into a maze of catacombs to an underground ruin. There we encountered a small party of Sith troopers and a Sith who introduced himself as ‘Zerek’. We fought, and eventually caused a cave-in that I believe either killed the Sith and his group or trapped them all there. They’d been there for the same reason as us, to explore and find whatever there was to find there on that lonely planet. What we eventually found, thanks to information gleaned from the Sith during our fight, turned out to be an old Sith Artifact which was recovered by the Order after we sent them a message about it. At the Age of thirty-six, I lost my right leg and nearly died in a battle with a particularly strong Sith, a Trandoshan. I defeated him in the end, though in my own mind I consider it more of a tie. I ended up taking one of his eyes out and threw him across the battlefield with Telekinesis, though not until after I already should have died. I remember passing out as a few troopers helped me to a transport shuttle and later waking up in the Temple’s medical bay a full day later, a hole in my chest and missing a leg. Not too long after that I received a cybernetic leg to replace the one I’d lost, and after almost a year my other injury was deemed healed enough for me to return to the battlefields. Lovino wasn’t there with me during that fight, and I’m still glad she wasn’t. I don’t think we both would’ve made it out alive. She’d often tell me during my year of recovery how much she wished she could have been there to help me, and I’d tell her that the biggest thing she could have done to help was just what she had been doing. She was safe during that fight, away at the temple helping with other things. I didn’t have to worry about her and that freed up my mind to focus more on defeating the enemy. A little while after I turned thirty-seven, I was on my first mission back on the battlefields. It was uneventful, mostly. On the way back to the temple, I felt a ripple through the Force. My old master... Seri was dead. When Lovino and I landed back at the temple, I was approached by a guard who told me what happened to him. Apparently he was poisoned during one of his last missions, and he passed away in his sleep. At least it was a peaceful death, and he lived a full life. That was enough to console me. Later that same year, the Council granted me the specialization of Jedi Sage. I accepted the title with reserved joy; it’s nice to have your skills be acknowledged. I finally let Lovino take the Knight trials in the next year. I had waited until I was sure she’d be able to pass—and she did—with flying colors. I was proud of her, until a little while after the council announced her passing. I was approached by a Jedi Master named Gar Halcorr, who told me quite bluntly that I’d done something wrong with Lovino’s training. Remember when I said I ended up treating her a bit like a baby bird, never letting her stray too far or do anything I wasn’t[i] absolutely certain [/i]she could handle? Well, I hadn’t noticed it. Gar said I was coddling her, but in my own mind I was simply protecting her, and I told him as much. Quite honestly, I never thought it was possible to hurt a padawan’s learning by keeping them too close. I ended up debating with Gar about it extensively. I saw his side of the argument, in the end, and I made a vow to myself to do better in the future. I’ve kept in touch with Lovino since then, but I still can’t pinpoint what bad effect exactly my careful treatment has had on her, if there’s any at all. She seems to be a very capable Jedi, and she even has a padawan of her own now as well. I didn’t get my next padawan until about two years later, in my fortieth year. He was a fellow Zelosian, Kiku Honda, and he was sixteen years old at the time. He’d already spent four years as a padawan, I was only inheriting him after his previous master passed away in battle. I’m pretty sure the recent loss of his master was why the council assigned him to me, but maybe he was also chosen for me because of the fact that the council may have noticed I was too gentle with Lovino. Maybe, they were hoping that assigning me a Padawan who already had some training might encourage me not to be so overly careful again. Still, I tried to make sure he wouldn’t be completely overwhelmed, though this time I attempted not to be too overprotective, and I think I succeeded in that aspect. He did get hurt a few times, but remembering the warning I got after Lovino passed the Knight trials, I didn’t let those few incidents faze me. Kiku passed the Knight trials after four years with me, on his second try. I have not been assigned another padawan since then. In fact, nothing of particular interest has happened in my life these last two years, besides the many missions I go on. Up until a few days ago that is, with the Sith attack on the Coruscant Temple. Gar Halcorr approached me about joining him on a rescue mission for those Jedi who were captured during the Sacking, and of course I agreed to go. [color=springgreen][h3] How do you fight with lightsabers? [/h3][/color]I am a master of the Niman form of Lightsaber combat, in that I can counter most other forms and fighters well with it. I've found that Niman suits me well as I prefer to use the force rather than my blade, and I enjoy the adaptability of the form from situation to situation. I am exceedingly good at making sure I don’t hurt my opponent any more than is necessary, while avoiding injury myself. I am ambidextrous, meaning I can hold my lightsaber in either hand or with both at once, it doesn’t matter. [color=springgreen][h3] How do you relate to the other characters? [/h3][/color]Among friends I’m quirky and jovial, though I try to be friendly and cordial no matter who I'm speaking to, at least unless said person proves to be too difficult. I always make an attempt to be kind to everyone I meet, and I've proven to be much more passive than one would expect, even when antagonized. My cold side isn't as bad as you might think, so long as I'm being sociable. My bite is certainly worse than my bark, as any Sith will soon find. [color=seagreen][h2] [i]Out of Character[/i] [/h2][/color][color=springgreen][h3] How powerful is she in the Force? [/h3][/color]She has an enormous amount of strength and accuracy in the force, though she may not be very graceful all the time. She has reached her potential with skills such as Telekinesis and Force Empathy, and has the ability to learn a wide range of skills if she were to try. Her Greatest strengths lie in her use of the force. Compared to others, Astera is above average in her overall use of the force, and her skill in Telekinesis and her Empathetic abilities are exceptional. She's weakest with using Mind tricks and making illusions with the Force. [color=springgreen][h3] Has your character encountered members of the other factions before? [/h3][/color]Yes. In the catacombs mission she met and fought a Sith who called himself ‘Zerek’. She has also fought Lord Sish before, in the fight that’s mentioned in her Bio where she lost her leg. [color=springgreen][h3] Your character can’t know her every weakness or flaw. Which ones were missing above? [/h3][/color][/center]Personality Flaws:[list][*] Astera has a soft spot for all living things, and is perhaps too kind to realize when she needs to stand her ground against the ideas of her comrades, and when she needs to step up. [*] While she’ll call out things that would lead to the dark side and stop herself from going that path, she won’t force others to do anything because she wants them to make their own choice rather than have others feel forced to do anything by her. [*] She prefers to avoid arguments, no matter if she’s right or not. She’ll follow any order she is given, but in a way that she feels is right with the force. [*] Honesty. She doesn’t like to lie and in some cases she may inadvertently hurt others with what she says. This also means that when she does lie it’s very easy to tell she’s lying. [*] Impatience and restlessness cause her to become anxious and giddy after long periods of waiting for or worrying about something. She may do something irrational in order to help someone she’s worried about.[/list] Physical flaws:[list][*] She has Dyslexia, which means that while she is not illiterate sometimes she may as well be. It is a good thing that most of her missions don’t require her to read or write anything important. [*] Also on the topic of sight, her race is completely blind in darkness. [*] Zelosians also have a strange reaction to sugar, where it has the same effect on them as alcohol does on other species. [*] She has a cybernetic leg which, while it’s no weaker than her original leg was, is noticeable in how she fights now, and like all cybernetics could be messed with by anyone who tries to do so. Her right leg is the cybernetic one, and she’ll usually stand with that leg forward in whatever stance she takes. [/list][center][color=springgreen][h3] As a non-human, list what traits your character has specifically because of their Species.[/h3][/color][/center]Zelosians: - Are completely blind in the dark - Have Chlorophyll sap instead of blood - Due to the Green chlorophyll in the blood they get greener instead of red or brown when exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight - They look paler than most baseline humans otherwise due to the lack of red pigment, and any veins that are visible are Green. - At a glance they cannot be told apart from most baseline humans. - Hair color sticks to natural brown hues, and may change slightly from season to season or due to differing levels of sunlight. - Can use photosynthesis as well as eat food in order to survive - So long as they have sunlight and water they do not [i]need[/i] to eat food - Sugar affects them the same way alcohol does other species - All have Emerald green eyes[center] [color=springgreen][h3] The Dark Side. How well does your character resist it? [/h3][/color]Astera is extremely grounded in the light. As a Sage it's part of her job to resist the dark side with all her might, and she's had lots of practice. [color=springgreen][h3] What is your character’s personality like? What motivates her? [/h3][/color]Her goal, and what she believes her purpose is in life, is to be the best Jedi she could possibly be, and therefore the best person she could be as well. In every action she takes she’s very reserved, only doing what she absolutely must to win a fight, while causing the least possible amount of harm to her opponent. She’s good at fighting, but that doesn’t mean she likes it at all. She’s kind, bubbly, and easy to get along with, but beneath her welcoming demeanor and ever-present smile lies a calculating intelligence, and the most caring of souls. She values honesty and integrity, and sticks to her morals like glue, appreciating those who also have these qualities, even if their opinions may differ from her own. She may not be the best at knowing what to say and when, but her overall earnestness and a lack of beating around the bush tend to make up for that. As a Jedi she’s used to hiding her emotions or pushing them to the side, but they still exist beneath her calm surface even though it might be hard to tell for sure, and some of her moods can seem to be contagious, or it may seem like she’s catching the moods of others; a sign of her empathetic nature. She has an optimistic outlook on life but doesn’t ignore the bad things in the universe, she simply hopes that the good will outweigh the bad in the end. [color=springgreen][h3] Do you have any limits as to what is “ok” to happen to your character? [/h3][/color]No. Astera may be a pure light, but that doesn't mean she can't/won't get into any trouble. [color=springgreen][h3] Do the ends justify the means? [/h3][/color]The ends will [i]never[/i] justify the means to Astera. Do it the right way or you're just as bad as the Sith, and you deserve to fail if you can't do something in the light. [color=springgreen][h3] Captivity. Do you want her to potentially be captured? [/h3][/color]It's not impossible. Who knows, it might be fun to see how her role change from rescuer to the one needing rescue would play out. [color=springgreen][h3] What do you think your character is doing in a few IC months? [/h3][/color]This question is a little confusing. If the Jedi lose, she likely won't be alive in a few months. She'd fight to the death, and if they won't allow her to die, she'll never turn to the dark side. If they win (and she's still alive) she's going to take on a new Padawan, as before the events of the RP she was simply doing missions and helping the Order in whatever way she could, alone. In rescuing the prisoners, she'll realize how out of touch she is with the younger and less experienced Jedi, and request to get a Padawan of her own so she can help them and help herself to understand what troubles the Padawans are having nowadays. For every prisoner that turns, she's going to want to understand why they did, and to stop that from happening by training as many as she can to help them stay in the light. [color=springgreen][h3] Does your character have any secrets useful for the GMs’ plots? [/h3][/color]Nope. [/center][/hider]