Applications Two

[havenmods]

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED!
The next application opening date is Friday 16th January, 7pm EST.
The next application processing date is Friday 23rd January, 7pm EST.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE POST YOUR APPLICATIONS HERE ON THE NEW APPLICATION PAGE

We're so glad you're thinking of joining us in Haven, where we are all safe.

In order to apply for a canon character, please fill out the information below and post it in a comment in this entry. For an OC, please apply using the OC information. Please do not link to applications, all applications must be posted here. Please do not delete your applications; if you do not want it to be seen, you can request for it to be screened after a decision is made.

You may apply for two characters every application round, to a total of six characters. Only two of these may be from the same canon, and they cannot be too familiar with one another. Please make sure to mark the header of your comment(s) with RESERVED or NOT RESERVED, as well as the character name and canon. App challenges are not allowed currently.

Try to remember spelling and grammar are important, and in app length quality and not quantity is what matters. All parts of the application must be your own work, plagiarism will not be tolerated, though you are welcome to reuse your own old applications.

If you are asked for revisions, please don't panic! It doesn't mean the mods don't like you, only that we probably need more information before making a decision. If you are asked for revisions, you will have one week to supply them.

Applications are open on a monthly cycle, where they will be opened on the second Friday of every month for a week, and then processed on the third Friday of the month, before being closed again.

We now have a test drive community at haventest which is continuously open. Posts there may be used in lieu of a sample in the application. You may also link posts, logs, or threads from other games and memes in lieu of samples, though we ask that they be no more than one year old. As of November 22nd 2014, samples cannot be "where am I" intro posts. The reason for this is that we often find it hard to gauge characterization from those, as most people when immediately in a new surrounding are confused or frightened.

While we encourage players who have dropped to re-join us, we do not encourage the continual rapid dropping and re-apping of the same character in a short time period. You are welcome to request specific housing, and all attempts will be made to accommodate that request, but it may not always be possible.

To see what we are looking for:
Canon Characters:
Sample Application (Faith Lehane)
Sample Application (Iroh)

Original Characters:
Sample Application (Mors)
Sample Application (Vera de Barr)
Sample Application (Malkus Iverwelling)

Previous Game History:
Sample Application (Abel Nightroad/Mayfield RPG)
Sample Application (Bolin/Discedo)

The old application post can be found here if you would like to look through past accepted applications.

Applications will be open on the following dates (from 7pm EST):
12th-19th December
16th-23rd January

Applications will be processed on the following dates (at 7pm EST):
19th December
23rd January

To apply for a canon character, please fill out this form:
<b>Name:</b> Your name or nickname <b>Contact Info:</b> Email, plurk, IM... as long as there's a way to contact you, it's fine! <b>Other Characters Played:</b> Any other characters you play at Haven. <b>Requested apartment:</b> Please put N/A if you have no preference. <b>Character Name:</b> Names and nicknames, in Western order (first name, surname) <b>Canon:</b> <b>Canon Point:</b> Where in the series are you taking them from? <b>Background/History:</b> A link to a source about the canon is fine for this. <b>Previous Game History:</b> At least two paragraphs on important events for the character and how they have been shaped by the previous game. If this is not applicable, please delete this section. <b>Personality:</b> This is the most important section! There is no specific word count, but anything less than three paragraphs likely isn't detailed enough. <b>Abilities/Powers:</b> Please assume canon-blindness and explain in as much detail as possible. <b>Items/Weapons:</b> Which three items and/or weapons will your character arrive with? <b>Sample Entry:</b> At least ten sentences in first person/action bracket format, please. A link to a previous post or thread with the character is also acceptable. All links must be one year old or less. Samples submitted may not be in the form of a "where am I" intro, as these are hard to judge characterization from. All other scenarios are welcome. <b>Sample Entry Two:</b> At least two paragraphs in third person/prose format, please. A link to a previous log or thread with the character is also acceptable. All links must be one year old or less. Samples submitted may not be in the form of a "where am I" intro, as these are hard to judge characterization from. All other scenarios are welcome.

To apply for an original character, please fill out this form:
<b>Name:</b> Your name or nickname <b>Contact Info:</b> Email, plurk, IM... as long as there's a way to contact you, it's fine! <b>Other Characters Played:</b> Any other characters you play at Haven. <b>Requested apartment:</b> Please put N/A if you have no preference. <b>Character Name:</b> Names and nicknames, in Western order (first name, surname) <b>Background/History:</b> At least three paragraphs, please. Try to focus on events in the world history that have had an impact on the character. <b>Previous Game History:</b> At least two paragraphs on important events for the character and how they have been shaped by the previous game. If this is not applicable, please delete this section. <b>Personality:</b> This is the most important section! There is no specific word count, but anything less than three paragraphs likely isn't detailed enough. <b>Abilities/Powers:</b> Please explain in as much detail as possible. <b>Items/Weapons:</b> Which three items and/or weapons will your character arrive with? <b>Sample Entry:</b> At least ten sentences in first person/action bracket format, please. A link to a previous post or thread under a year old with the character is also acceptable. All links must be one year old or less. Samples submitted may not be in the form of a "where am I" intro, as these are hard to judge characterization from. All other scenarios are welcome. <b>Sample Entry Two:</b> At least two paragraphs in third person/prose format, please. A link to a previous log or thread with the character is also acceptable. All links must be one year old or less. Samples submitted may not be in the form of a "where am I" intro, as these are hard to judge characterization from. All other scenarios are welcome.

Comments

Motonari Mōri | Sengoku BASARA (expired reserve)

[sunfapper]

Personality: [Note: If videos don't start at the correct time stamp, please check the URL for the right time! I know youtube doesn't always link properly, thanks :)]

Motonari Mori is ruthless. This is the most significant detail of his personality as it affects the way he acts with others - but also how others perceive him. He’s classified as a “young tactical genius”, and is well known across Japan for being an amazing strategist. In fact, Hanbei Takenaka is the only other person who is even close to his level. The reason why this connects to his personality, is that with this way of thinking logically and with calculations only - he is willing to sacrifice even his own men to progress with his plans. Even in the game, he summons archers to aid him, only the same archers can be struck down by Motonari himself if they are in his way. While he has said that his only interest lies with the Sun, Aki and the House of Mori (his plans with Yoshitsugu confirming this--"Remember, I have no interest in your plans, you can have the whole country except for Chugoku. Chugoku is to be mine alone.") it's not entirely true. Despite him telling Yoshitsugu this, it is pretty much a lie - especially when it's considered that his end goal is actually defeating Motochika. Yes, this would bring peace to his clan and to Chugoku, but Motochika has always been the better man and would be willing to negotiate peace terms if Motonari were more trust worthy. That, and even his pre-menu quote is 'I am Mori Motonari and I am the conqueror of all'.

He really has no problems with making alliances only to break them for the sake of his own plans. Using Yoshitsugu as an example, in his blue route he uses Yoshitsugu and Mitsunari as stepping stones to finally get at Motochika. This is even the case when Mitsunari tries to fight for his friend, Motonari just kicks him down and doesn't honestly give a damn, despite helping Mitsunari get so far against Ieyasu. Not only this, but he also sets Motochika against Ieyasu to the point where he ends up killing one of his best friends. In this route, he successfully betrays 3 people in one go by planning carefully. It wasn't even without warning, as multiple times he warned Yoshitsugu to be careful. He's a total backstabber, the type of person who would make decisions that would only better themselves, rather than creating alliances as friends to form a unit together.

While Motonari's history isn't fully developed in the games, there are quotes that strongly suggest he's led a difficult life, just like the historical figure he is based on. He claims "Holding my breath, I look back to where I've come from. You couldn't possibly know what I have been through.", which could be taken as his struggle to finally make it into his position of power. Historically Mori Motonari had 2 elder brothers who were obviously left in charge before he was. Being a younger son in those times was never easy, especially when you are left with a pedestal of wins or failures to match. He also seems to have the need to reassure himself. "Suffer through... it's barely a scratch. You'll be fine. I'll soak the earth... with the blood of subordinates" is a key example of this, and how even after battles he's telling himself to pick himself up and carry on. While he can fight, his entire fighting style is much better used tactically -- by setting traps for the enemy to fall into and by using his men as meat shields. It's logical, that way, to say that should he be injured, he's probably not all that used to it.

Motonari worships the sun. He even calls himself a 'child of the sun', and uses a ring like weapon to symbolise the sun's spherical appearance. He states that the sun protects him, and uses attacks and weapons that are based off solar power - using mirrors to create a solar canon that can burn the floor and be used as traps for approaching enemies. He looks towards the sun for divine protection, for guidance and proclaims that it is that what helps him. There does, however, seem to be some base to his claims. After defeating Yoshitsugu in his red route, he's cursed by the latter to endure suffering as he has suffered. Despite this, as the grey ominous smoke of the curse surrounds him, the sun appears and washes the curse away. He's bathed in light, untouched and uncursed. While he may be a tactician, there is definitely a large element of spiritualism to him, and this may be tied with his powerful light abilities, too. In SB4, though he is not from his path there, he claims to be a descendant of Amaterasu. He holds control of the sun to some extent, rather than just using slices of it to hurt others.

He is very egotistical, though this is perhaps also one of his biggest downfalls. Mitsunari's route, for example, shows Mitsunari absolutely kicking the shit out of him when Mitsunari goes to see him. He's threatened into the Western Army, even though he knows he can use his skills as a tactician to keep himself alive--he's literally inches from being killed. Thankfully, with quick thinking he can convince Mitsunari to keep him alive. He knows he's a genius and unfortunately, while he doesn't often play on this, he is well aware that his ability of looking ahead and planning routes that benefit most to him is well above everyone else's. In his blue route he knew the best path to getting to his end goal would be Yoshitsugu, and he also knew he could manipulate both him and Mitsunari to get what he wanted. He had already planned ahead to frame Ieyasu to gain Motochika's trust. He thinks himself above all others, and even uses unfavourable words to describe people sometimes, rather than just calling them by their name - especially when he is talking to himself about his plans. Not to mention that he's also willing to slap and walk all over someone if they think of disobeying his orders.

He is calm voiced, even at times when he's angry or upset by something. An example of this is in Kanbei Kuroda's route when he finds Motonari who is one of his 'captors'. He claims that Motonari has changed as if it were the 'old him' he would have reacted to his provocations ages ago. That he isn't as reckless as he used to be, which indicates that the brief instances of his tantrums that we do see are episodes of the past from before he aimed to control his emotions. Another instance of this is during Motochika's green route, after he's found out Motonari planned everything. He tells Motonari that he'll remember the men he lost, and many others, but he'll forget Motonari as his existence is lonely and all he has are great strategies. Motonari is enraged by it, and yells 'How dare you speak of me in that way'.

In the game, the first stage of his red route refers to the earlier games when he is brainwashed by a cult called 'Xavism'. This cult is revitalised by Sorin in SB3, which unfortunately for Motonari, means bad news. Sorin has the ability to brainwash through singing, and for some reason seems to love Motonari's brainwashed self as Sunday enough that he keeps trying to 'bring him back'. The stage begins with Motonari coming face to face with that past memory, as the door to that cult starts to open. He's quite obviously disturbed by it, and yells that the door can never be opened again. He shivers. He's genuinely freaked out by it. Xavism is perhaps the one thing that can actually unhinge him. With good reason. Xavism encourages the devout worship of love and happiness, and that is perhaps an almost 180 of Motonari's entire personality.

Using the anime as a side example for Motonari's way of dealing with shock, Yukimura's successful attempt to stop the fortress he possesses in season 2 is of relevance. He honestly can't believe it and actually shows shock for perhaps the first time in the entire series. He simply has far too much confidence in himself and believes himself pretty much invincible. He doesn't even change after this happens. He simply fixes it up and moves on. He doesn't dwell on any failures, just merely uses them as an example to move on and learn from it. Even when one of his subordinates who was a Toyotomi spy tries to assassinate him, he just coolly cuts him down and tells one of his other subordinates to drink from the poisoned sake - when he does and is also killed, Motonari merely states that he had factored the spy into his plans - he doesn't care that his life was almost at stake, or rather, he never saw it as such.

Despite not caring about anyone but himself, he's fairly good at reading people and their emotions. He understands emotions, he just chooses to try and discard them. A conversation with Yoshitsugu points to this as well, as he waves Yoshitsugu's own pity for Mitsunari in his face after he claims that he wants misfortune for all humans. He might want it for Motonari, and even for himself, but Mitsunari he has come to care for in some way. Motonari and Yoshitsugu, despite working together, are also working against each other. They constantly make remarks to each other about watching the other's steps, and in this case it is no different. Motonari warns him that if he cannot discard all emotions it will be him standing in the end--as that's where they both know this will end up. They'll fight each other, and to them the one who is most ready (by sacrifice, by devotion, or even by losing any and all emotion they may have had) will be the one who is left standing.

In the series, Motochika is his biggest rival. The are constantly warring against each other, given they both try to take possession of the Inland Seto Sea area. They can never meet without fighting, and in the anime had Kasuga not come along to warn the two groups that the fight against Oda had began, it would probably have been to the death. Not only this, but considering Motonari's goal in his blue route has always been to destroy Motochika--no one else, just him--is telling on how far he's willing to go against him. Motonari holds a deep hatred for Motochika, given the fact that he sees the other as beneath him, yet Motochika speaks of them as equals. The fact that Motochika is a pirate doesn't help either - it only further ruins his opinion of him. He doesn't understand Keiji's way of thinking, as to him people are only to be used for the battlefield anyway - just like a chessboard. He has very little connection to others whatsoever, and even when it does it is usually always in a similar way to his relationship to Motochika - rivalry or full enemies.