Sample App Hemlock

Multiverse Crisis MUSH - Application Form 5.5
A. OOC INFORMATION
1a. Who are you? What is your name or online alias, and what is your age?
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2a. Have you roleplayed before, and if so, who and where? If you're new, how'd you find us? If you play here or previously played here, please list all of your current or most recent characters. If you're requesting a 7th or 8th character slot, say so here.
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3a. Do you need a wiki account? If so, give us a login name (that is not itself a character name) and an e-mail address to associate with it. If you already have one and want one to preserve a secret alt, specify as much.
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B. CHARACTER SUMMARY
Your Profile, Advantages, and Disadvantages (Flaws) are your face on the MUSH. They tell people who you are, what you can do, and what you stumble at. Please remove all examples before submitting the application form. (For example --> Name: Your character's name. 18 character limit, no special letters. <-- should simply read --> Name: Link)

1b. Profile
Name: Hemlock
Faction: Unaffiliated
Function: Truthseeker
Series: Eberron-2
Quote: "They've got secrets, all of them do. I'm going to cut them open like a knife through butter."
Profile: Once an adventuring spy and magical bard trying to assist the nation of Cyre, Hemlock's natural ability to disguise himself served him well. However, after an unknown arcane cataclysm destroyed his nation, the changeling became obsessed with discovering and exposing the 'truth' hidden from the world, and spreading the secrets of those in power. Now a journalist for his own paper, the Rebel Revelations, Hemlock uses his former skills as an adventurer, his ability to buff himself and others as well as manipulate minds via magic, and his incredibly keen investigative skills to try and sniff out secrets to reveal to the public. However, there's no such thing as a secret or truth that's too sensitive to him, no matter how dangerous, and he has developed a paranoia to the point that he believes conspiracies lurk around every corner, spinning them freely and willingly and refusing to consider the possibility that anything can just be simple.

2b. Character Type: What kind of character are you applying for? Categories are FCs (Canon Characters), OFCs (AU takes on canon characters), and OCs (Original Characters).

OC.

3b. Advantages
This section is divided into three categories: DEFINING, SIGNIFICANT and MINOR. To see how to fill out Advantages, read: http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=Advantages

3b-1. Advantages: Defining

Inquisitive:
Hemlock is a skilled spy and investigator, and as a changeling, is naturally capable of changing his shape.
Skill - Investigation: Hemlock is a talented investigator, capable of finding hidden clues or objects, following leads and trails, interrogating witnesses, gaining information from clues, separating useful evidence from red herrings, and similar applications.
Analysis: Hemlock is highly capable at reading people, able to detect if they're lying, read their body language, or figure out their profession, hobbies, or other details from cues and evidence they've left.
Disguise: Hemlock is skilled in disguise, capable of changing his form to any humanoid shape he can imagine, though he cannot affect his belongings with this. He is skilled at disguising as other people or occupations with a change of clothing.

Magical Musician:
Hemlock is a bard, capable of casting magic via music and storytelling, using methods such as whistling, playing his fiddle, or orating. He primarily uses this to cast helpful buffs and manipulate minds.
Buffs: Hemlock is capable of boosting his allies with his magic, increasing their physical and mental combat abilities, as well as their capabilities in general physical and mental tasks.
Mind Manipulation: Hemlock is talented at manipulating minds with magic, capable of issuing commands, creating mental suggestions, affecting moods and opinions, manipulating memories, inducing specific emotions, and similar effects.
Share Power: Hemlock can use his buffs on both himself and others, as well as make others stealthier and fear-resistant.

3b-2. Advantages: Significant
Trickster:
Hemlock is a trickster of a bard, using various methods such as illusions, stealth, and lockpicking to get the information he needs.
Illusion: Hemlock is capable of casting illusions that affect people and objects, allowing them to appear however he wishes and affect senses. This can only affect a few objects or people at once, and close physical investigation can give it away.
Stealth: Hemlock is skilled at stealth, being capable of slipping into a crowd, drawing attention away from himself, or slipping through shadows.
Entry Methods: Hemlock is skilled with lockpicks, capable of getting past locks and into doors, windows, or chests quietly, and allowing passage for others.

Self-Defense:
While combat isn't his go-to, Hemlock has abilities to defend himself, capable with a knife and skilled at casting debilitating and incapacitating magic.
Weapon Mastery - Knife: Hemlock is a talented knife fighter, capable of using knives both for melee combat and for throwing if necessary.
Debilitation: Hemlock is skilled with debilitating magic, capable of paralyzing, disorienting, stunning, weakening, slowing, deafening, and/or blinding his foes with his music.
Incapacitation: Hemlock is capable of incapacitating foes with magic, putting them to sleep, paralyzing them, or otherwise neutralizing them. This lasts as long as he wills it, until a foe wills through it, or up to several minutes at maximum.

Utility Abilities:
Hemlock has various abilities that supplement his skills and combat, such as sonic attacks and parkour ability.
Attack List - Ranged: (Debilitation:) Hemlock is capable of creating damaging sonic blasts with his music, loud enough to shatter glass or deafen.
Mobility: Hemlock is skilled in parkour, capable of climbing walls or fences or leaping across buildings of close enough distance, and similar feats.

Bardic Inspiration:
Hemlock is capable of inspiring through music and storytelling, and is also skilled in the ways of diplomacy and negotiation.
Resistance - Fear: Hemlock is capable of inspiring himself and his allies with his magic, rendering them highly resistant to mundane and magical fear-based effects.
Oration: Hemlock is skilled both in diplomacy and lying, being naturally charismatic and well-spoken, talented at changing how he talks to fit the situation, and always attempts to talk first before fighting.

3b-3. Advantages: Minor
Magic Items:
Hemlock has several magical items that he can use for communication and storage purposes.
Conveniences: Hemlock is capable of using magic to communicate silently from a distance.
Hammerspace: Hemlock possesses a bag that is much larger on the inside, allowing him to carry his equipment and any items he needs with ease.

Talented:
Hemlock is both physically and musically talented.
Superhumanity: Hemlock is in physically good condition, capable of exerting himself strenuously for long periods before he tires out.
Skill - Fiddle: Hemlock is a skilled fiddler, capable both professionally and competitively.

4b. Disadvantages
This is split into three sections: TROUBLE, SIGNIFICANT and MINOR. To see how to fill out Disadvantages, read: http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=Disadvantages

4b-1. Disadvantages: Trouble
I Need To Know <Trouble>: The world Hemlock comes from is one of intrigue, secrets and lies. Hemlock hates this, and is obsessed with knowing and revealing the truth. He'll stick his nose in places and situations he shouldn't to gain information (and generally other people's business), take dangerous and life-threatening risks, and overall do whatever he can to uncover secrets no matter the cost. This can be used to bribe or bait him very easy, and 'truth' is a powerful leverage over him. He's also highly prone to revealing these secrets to the public, under the belief that people have a right to know what is going on in the background, even if their release would be harmful.

4b-2. Disadvantages: Significant
Conspiracy Theorist <Significant>: Hemlock believes there's a conspiracy around every corner. He easily believes bizarre or insane stories and lies as possible, and dedicates attention to uncovering any such thing, even when it might be a trap or a dead end. He also spins together information and clues he receives into such narratives, following them, spreading them to others and the public as if they were true, and overall acting like a bizarre conspiracy theorist. This can result in Hemlock inaccurately blaming wrongdoers of one wrong thing for other things they didn't do, failing to accept simple explanations, or sometimes alienating people to legitimate ideas by connecting them with bizarre ones.

4b-3. Disadvantages: Minor
Paranoid <Minor>: Hemlock has a few paranoid quirks he always sticks to. He refuses to sit or stand with his back facing a door or window, and is always armed with a knife, even when such would get him in trouble, to the point of sneaking a weapon in with him to places. Hemlock sticks to these quirks even when in a disguise it wouldn't fit at all, which can serve as a tell.

5b. Themelisting
If a +themelisting does not already exist for your character, you will have to write one yourself. This should be a concise description of the setting from which the character comes, and if it is a modified/non-canon theme it should usually explain how it diverges from the original. Additionally, we'd be interested in knowing if there are any series -- preferably but not necessarily existing in our standing +themelists -- that you'd be interested in seeing your theme mixing with as neighbors in the Multiverse.

For almost a century, the continent of Khorvaire was at war. The scions of the Kingdom of Galifar split the great empire into five, and the spread of war created more, until there was a dozen nations. Tinkerers created humanoid constructs, capable of free thought, to fight for them, and great magic was used in battle, at the cost of many lives. It all came to a head when the nation of Cyre was destroyed by an unknown arcane catastrophe, creating a ruinous crack in the world, full of horrible abominations and mysteries.

Eberron is a world of adventure and magic. Trains and airships powered by elementals are used to travel the land, and magic is commonplace. Dragons and the descendants of extraplanar beings rule far-off continents, with a mysterious and uncharted one in the distance drawing adventurers and treasure-seekers, while ruins from the past and from the Last War dot the continent of Khorvaire. At the same time, intrigue and secrecy covers the land, as war could restart at any time, as conspiracies of men, monsters, and ancient beings hide in the shadows, and as mad magicians create powerful devices to bring forth their great plans.

The world's balance is decided by these adventurers. What will become of Eberron?

C. CHARACTER INFORMATION
1c. Personality
This section describes your character in terms of their personality, motivations, quirks, fears and aspirations. Give us a good idea of why your character is invested in the Multiverse, how they get themselves into RP, and why they’re fun to play with. Each section must be answered in 100 words or more, ideally less than 400. If in need of inspiration, take a look at Nathan Hall's personality guide.

1c-1. Response to the Multiverse
If you are applying for an FC: How has the Multiverse changed your character or challenged them in new and different ways? If they’re totally new to the Multiverse at the point of application, how do you expect them to react to the reality of new environments and challenges, and how do you think it will change them?
If you are applying for an OC: What do you feel is the driving force behind the character that would bring them out into the Multiverse, instead of staying within their own theme? What compels them to leave and see what the Multiverse has to offer?
If you are applying for an OFC: What did the changes to the original theme do to make the character different from their source material? Answer the above question for OCs as well.

For Hemlock, the Multiverse opens doors. As a journalist, it allows him to spread his newspaper to new heights, find new audiences and boost his business. As an investigator, it allows him to both find new information and conspiracies to unravel, but also people who might be less concerned about him being a changeling, less concerned about his shapeshifting. Being an outsider of sorts in his own world, someone who is seen mostly as a crackpot, is something he could change in the greater Multiverse. Hemlock would like to find as big of an audience as possible. Additionally, there's probably good payment for his investigative services as well as just the thrill of new adventures, as Hemlock's an adventurer at heart.

1c-2. Motivation
What best motivates your character to visit other worlds? What sort of things do they react to by getting out the door and pursuing them? What kind of things excite and intrigue them? What kind of things frighten them or give them pause?

Hemlock is a journalist, an inquisitive, and an adventurer all in one. The Multiverse is full of secrets and conspiracies, questions that beg to be answered, and ruins and dangerous locations to be explored. Most importantly, people need someone to inform them of all of this, to tell them what's going on, and that's who Hemlock intends to be. Hemlock wants to expand his business in the Multiverse, and do such stuff as get a larger headquarters, get a printing press, get employees, and similar. Finding ways to do this would get Hemlock moving, as would new mysteries to be solved or people needing help in an investigative or adventuring sense.

Hemlock's an adventurer at heart, and still is excited by ancient ruins and new things, even if he's outwardly calm. New things that would excite and intrigue him are the different technology of the Multiverse, such as cellphones which are much more than his world has for communication, printing presses, and especially cameras. Hemlock is likely to quickly become an amateur photographer, using the camera to take photos of people, new places, and evidence.

Hemlock, however, would be given great pause from any sort of apocalypse. It wouldn't deter him, but any such thing he'd be compelled to investigate as fully as possible, because it'd remind him of his own nation's destruction. Any potentially apocalyptic scenario would become one he'd do anything to avert, as well.

1c-3. Good Side
What would you call the brightest point of your character’s personality? Where do they excel as a person, and what are the upsides of knowing them?

Despite his eccentricities and hang-ups, Hemlock wants to help people more than anything else. His newspaper's goal is to spread truth so people can be informed, and he's overall more optimistic than he comes off as, believing there can be change in the world. He's friendly and direct, and for those he considers even casual friends he's likely to drop what he's doing to assist them if necessary. He's willing to find specific information for people who need it, even risking his neck, and otherwise risking his neck.

Hemlock also believes that people should try and be their best, and is often an encouraging voice. There's a lot someone can do, and they should be pushed to try and do it. If someone's afraid or hesitant, Hemlock's willing to be their encouragement, and is often gregarious and cheerful in general in these regards. When someone's down, he wants to cheer them up, etc.

1c-4. Bad Side What would you call the lowest point of your character’s personality? What qualities of theirs are less than ideal? Do they recognize these low points? How do they feel about them? Most importantly, why is this side of their personality fun for other players to play off of?

However, Hemlock is also still a paranoid conspiracy theorist. He believes there's lies and conspiracies around every corner, to the point in being unwilling to believe simple or 'obvious' answers. He's slow to trust even if he casually considers someone a friend, and believes that anyone could have a secret agenda. The worst part about this is that he dedicates himself to tracking down and exposing these secrets, lies, and agendas, and this shapes much of how he acts. He's blunt with information, refusing to carefully word things, and Hemlock's also the type who'd not only reveal but would publish someone's dark secret simply because the public has a right to know, even if they're a friend. Information that'd hurt people to be out there still needs to be revealed, as there is no information that's worth keeping a secret.

Hemlock, as a result, also pokes his nose into dangerous business, even if he's not invited. His adventures always go into his newspaper, without fail or regards for censorship or omission of details.

1c-5. Faction Relations Why is your character in the faction that they’re in, or failing that, why aren’t they in a faction at all? If you’re in a faction, what sort of conflict might your character have with that faction’s ideology, and how might it be resolved in play?

Unaffiliated: Hemlock is unaffiliated because he has no reason to trust any of the three factions, and also because being part of a faction from the get-go can be damaging to his business, which is only starting out. He may decide to join one over time, but for now, using the radio and various channels to find hooks and work with different people is enough for him.

Paladins: The Paladins espouse good views, and Hemlock agrees with their overall idea as necessary. However, his base impression would be that they're likely in actuality just serving government interests, and that they're really just the attack arm of the Commonwealth, hidden behind good PR.

Watch: The Watch is the faction that synergizes best with Hemlock, who is a freedom fighter in his own way, but he's not a member both because he has no reason to trust the group enough to buy-in, and because he's skeptical in general of joining up with such a big network - one he can't be sure doesn't have its own conspiracies. He's been a spy before, and it strikes him as almost too similar to that, playing the same games he did back then, just with a freedom fighter focus.

Concord: Hemlock can understand the idea of the Concord, but it reminds him too much of conspiratorial nations and secret societies. The Concord cares about excellency, which Hemlock believes means the truth can be brushed over or hidden behind to protect specific individuals or to further specific plans, and this goes heavily against his 'the truth must be free' belief.

4c. Background
Give us a brief, concise overview of your character's background.
For OCs and OFCs: Three major moments of your character’s life that shaped them as an individual, explaining how each are important.
For FCs: A quick rundown of “the story so far” in your own words, in full or bullet point format, and justify your portrayal of the personality you intend through the most significant moments.

The Origin Story:

Hemlock was born as Hem in the nation of Cyre during wartime, and as a small child, was left on the side of the road under unknown circumstances. A wealthy couple travelling through discovered him, and having no children of their own, decided to adopt him. Hem's mother was a former travelling adventurer and bard, and Hem took after her, learning to play the fiddle from a young age. As a teenager, he learned to channel magic through music, and wanted to assist in the great Last War that the world's nations had been going through. However, Hem did not have the disposition of a soldier and did not want to enlist, so he struck out instead to be an adventurer, going it alone.

The Hero's Hand:

After a rough period of mistakes and near-misses, Hem managed to assist a group of adventurers with a problem in a ruin he'd gotten lost in, and his magic came much in handy. Known as the Hero's Hand, a band of four who adventured in an attempt to aid Cyre, they decided to allow him to join. It was during their adventures that Hem got the nickname Hemlock after an incident with poisonous berries. The group spent years together, and completed several successful missions, becoming some of the most skilled adventurers.

The Day of Mourning and the Rebel Revelations:

However, Cyre was destroyed in an arcane cataclysm with an unknown cause, the Hero's Hand safe due to being outside of it. Though the group tried to stick together for several months, they eventually ended up drifting away. Hemlock joined a Cyran refugee settlement, where he spent some time as an investigator for hire. While he was doing this, Hemlock slowly became obsessed with finding out what had truly happened, and his investigative and spy work showed him that there were secrets around every corner - ones that could theoretically cause horrible situations.

Looking at the newspaper popular in the region, Hemlock decided he'd create his own that really told the truth, renting an old shack and making his own as well as going from place to place shouting it. Hemlock was seen alternatively as a quack and as a danger, but managed to keep surviving. When the world unified, Hemlock jumped to it immediately, hoping to continue his truth-speaking.

5c. Combat Give us an idea of how good your character is in a fight, with emphasis on relative effectiveness and importance in their source material. Specific questions to answer: Do they have room to grow, and if so how much? Where do they sit in their setting-- are they the final boss, a recurring midboss, a one-off, or something else? If this is an OC, why is your character where they are in their hierarchy? Optionally suggest a PL or range you think is appropriate, but understand it's non-binding and by default not discussed with applicants.

Hemlock has trained in combat, but doesn't specialize in it. He has the relative skill of an adventurer who can defend himself and get into a fight, and would be a pretty high-level adventurer D&D wise, but fights are often dicey for him because he has no superhuman ability or exceptional skill with a weapon, and he focuses on support and utility. He theoretically has room to grow if he ever changed up his focus to combat and training in that regard, but it's unlikely.

6c. Why? (OPTIONAL): This question must only be answered if you're applying for a Restricted concept, or if Staff prompts you to answer it. Why do you want to play this character? What do you want to do with them that you can't get out of something else, or something more simple? Can you handle it if it doesn't work out? What do you want to get out of it RP-wise, and what do you expect other people to get out of it in turn?

7c. Miscellaneous: This is just a miscellaneous field. If you have any notes or special requests (potential defection notices, for example), this is the place to put them.

I'm aware my flaws may be kind of weak, and appreciate any assistance in strengthening or replacing them (if necessary), as well as possibly making them easier to play if they'd be problematic! Thank you!

Once you're done filling the application form out, submit it in the body of an e-mail to mcmush@gmail.com with a subject line of: Character Application - NAME - FACTION