[OOC] STARSCAPE [High Casual]

[Bonesaw McGraw]

STARSCAPE: TO THE UNKNOWN

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After uniting Earth under a common banner, the TERRAN REPUBLIC, humanity took to the stars. The first human colony was established on our nearest neighbour, MARS, but soon thereafter a new, more hospitable planet was discovered in another solar system. This planet, dubbed NEW TERRA, eventually became the central world in the Republic's colonization efforts. Over time, as mankind continued to spread through outer space, tensions would arise. The planet Mars aligned with several other colonies to lead a secession effort. These colonies would ultimately separate from the Terran Republic to form the MARTIAN LEGION.

Launching a strike from Mars, the Legion sought to liberate humanity's original homeworld, Earth, from Terran Republic control. THE TERRA-MARTIAN WAR left our home ravaged, and a ceasefire was eventually called between the two sides. It is now a time of tenuous peace, with 10 years having passed since this destructive conflict erupted.

In an effort to unite humanity once more, the ALLIED STARFLEET has been established. The most brilliant minds from the Terran Republic and Martian Legion, as well as our many other allies across the galaxy, have come together for an unprecedented scentific intiative. Starfleet's mission is to unify mankind under the principles of scientific exploration and discovery, inspiring future generations to move forward together.

The year is now 2330. Starfleet's inaugural mission will be that of the USS Hawking, an exploratory vessel dispatched to the edges of known space, seeking out new life and new civilizations. The future of Starfleet, and the dream of a united humanity, is dependent on the success of the Hawking's voyage...

THE ROLEPLAY

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With the pilot episodes for Star Trek: Discovery recently launching, as well as the Trek-inspired comedy The Orville taking flight over on FOX, it seemed like the right time for a Trek-inspired RP.

The premise of the RP is simple. We will play as the bridge crew abaord the USS Hawking. Our continuing mission is to seek out new life, and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before. The aim of this RP is to capture the style and tone of Star Trek, without it taking place in the Star Trek universe. This will relieve the burden of heavy continuinty, and allow for more players to be involved as an in-depth knowledge of Trek won't be required.

The is a HIGH CASUAL RP. Star Trek is known for having well-written characters, and interesting, thought-provoking stories. Since this RP is set an original sci-fi universe inspired by Trek, world-building will be an intrinsic part of the storytelling. This is an exploratory vessel, so who knows what we will discover? I've outlined the framework of the universe above, but the stories of our discoveries will help to build the universe.

STARFLEET APPLICATION

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If you're interested, complete a CS and post it here in the OOC thread. When it's approved, go ahead and drop it in the Chars tab and I'll update this post to list you under the corresponding bridge position. THe Character sheet templte is provided below, please stick to the format.

Starfleet Application

CHARACTER NAME

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*INCLUDE A PICTURE HERE*

NAME:

SPECIES: Most Starfleet members are human, but you can absolutely choose to play as an alien species if you wish. When playing as an alien, make sure to include a brief description of your species, so we can understand the basic physiology and culture.

AGE:

AFFILIATION: Terran Republic or Martian Legion

POSITION: See the list of available bridge positions

SKILLSET: What can your character do?

PERSONALITY PROFILE: An outline of your character's personality and outlook. Consider how they might approach problems, what is their philosophy or worldview?

HISTORY: Summarize the backstory of your character. What brought them to the Starfleet intiative?

FLAW: The most important section. What is your character's major flaw. What will they have to learn voer the course of our adventures.

USS Hawking BRIDGE CREW

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CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN THADDEUS ANTARES

FIRST OFFICER: COMMANDER ROGER RIVER

CHIEF OF SECURITY: LT. COMMANDER XAONE

SCIENCE OFFICER: LT. KENNETH SLOANE

HELMSMAN: LT. DAMARIS GLENN

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: DOCTOR POXX

Chief Engineer: CHIEF ENGINEER HONG

Once these critical positions are filled, others may become available.

[mickilennial]

I think I might have a go at Helmsman or Chief Security.

[choraki]

Dibs on the helmsman! Or at least one of them.
Filled out application with likely follow tomorrow/later on, if not said otherwise! (timezone is GMT+1)

[AluminumDude]

If it's open, I'd love to take over as a first officer. I'll get working on a CS, if that's ok.

[Burning Kitty]

If it's open, I'd love to take over as a first officer. I'll get working on a CS, if that's ok.

@AluminumDude

I’d called dibs on First Officer in the Interest Check.

I think I might have a go at Helmsman or Chief Security.

@Inkarnate

From the interest check:

I call dibs for head of security!

@Warborn123

[mickilennial]

I don't think there's a "dibs" system.

[Little Bill]

Doctor Poxx

"Intriguing."

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Name
Dr. Xiril Poxx
_{(Zeer-uhl Pocks)}

Species
Beta-Cephanian
_{The Cephanians are an aquatic humanoid species from the planet Cepha, that have evolved into two distinct groups; Alpha-Cephanians, a hard shelled, crab-like humanoid species, and Beta-Cephanians, their subjugated fish-like cousins. Hailing from a completely submerged planet, all Beta-Cephanians have mucous-producing skin, gills, webbed fingers, and other characteristics suited to an aquatic environment, while their crustacean cousins have a thick exoskeleton and mandibles over their mouths. Whereas Alpha-Cephanians are usually boisterous and warlike, Beta-Cephanians are a quiet, private people known for their humorlessness and brevity, which are moreso results of their neural biology and selective breeding than of any cultural, learned philosophy. Despite being a warp-capable civilization, Cephanians have a very primal culture with little room for sentimentality -- Elderly or injured Beta-Cephanians are usually devoured to support their colony's sustenance, for example, whereas Alpha-Cephanians frequently murder one another over perceived slights.}

Age
49

Affiliation
Terran Republic

Position
Chief Medical Officer

Skillset
Though he comes off as cold, Commander Poxx's lack of emotion help him remain calm under pressure and make logic-based, split second decisions other officers would struggle with, particularly during the heated moments of patient transport and diagnoses. The Cephanian brain -- particularly that of a Beta-Cephanian -- has far fewer receptors for emotion than a human, and more for memory and problem solving; By human standards, Poxx would be considered a multi-tiered genius. Aside from his intelligence, Poxx is a skilled Judoka, a skill that fostered his initial interest in human culture. Being Cephanian, Commander Poxx can use sonar to maneuver in complete darkness, as well as a protective measure in combat to stun most bipedal humanoids. Underwater, this instead acts as a method of communication, though it is only useful talking to Aquatic Humanoids, of which the Terran Republic recognizes a grand total of six.

Personality Profile
Doctor Poxx's mannerisms and personality are fairly standard for his race. He keeps most interactions as brief as possible, spends most of his time off alone in his quarters, and has little patience for galas and ceremonies. He frequently goes out of his way to seek out advice from other nonhumans on human culture, a subject he finds fascinatingly foreign, though even in these interactions he keeps a quiet distance. Other than his work, Doctor Poxx has three hobbies; swimming, underwater horticulture, and Judo, the latter of which earns him a spot on many away teams. As Cephanian culture is extremely different than human culture, with Poxx only ever having served previously on The Highlander, a ship with very few humans, Poxx is one of the aliens aboard the crew that experiences a great deal of culture shock. Hot beverages, for example, are a subject surrounded by mystery to Doctor Poxx, as well as things like figures of speech, most forms of artwork, and the human fascination with domesticating dangerous animals.

History
Xiril Poxx was hatched on Cepha, spending his youth absorbing the culture and knowledge of his people while working on one of his planet's many algae farms, an unexceptional life shared by three fourths of Beta-Cephanians. His father, Luril Poxx, had slowly saved enough to buy his family's freedom from their master by the time Xiril was eleven, bringing his family to the Terran Republic. Under New Terra's Intergalactic Law 20315, the Poxx family were brought in as asylum-seeking refugees from a planet of slavery, given a stipend to live off of while Xiril's parents were trained for useful work. Xiril, an ever-thankful son of two immigrant refugees, went on to join the Starfleet Academy when he became old enough, and was put onto an expedited path to becoming an ensign aboard the USS Highlander after graduating third in his class. Though originally eager to become a tactical officer, Xiril switched divisons to Medicine during his first year, and has proudly worn the white-and-red uniforms of the Medical unit ever since. After serving aboard the USS Highlander for several decades, during which he did little more than smoothly coast through his career to a Lieutenant Commander Medical Officer, he was transferred to the USS Hawking, where he now serves as the ship's Chief Medical Officer.

Flaw
Xiril has very little knowledge of the culture he is surrounded by, try as he might to study it. It could be said that his greatest flaw is his bedside manner -- or lack thereof -- and his inability to relate to those he treats in the sick bay. He understands "Ow" as a vocal projection of pain, though that is about as far as his understanding of the patient psyche goes; He views his work as a practitioner of medicine much in the same way that an engineer would view the reparations of a ship's battery core, while topics such as psychology, patient interviews, and rehabilitation are typically handled by his subordinates.

Cepha Information

Cepha is a large planet near the edge of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, which is not a member of the Terran Republic. It has a dense core half the size of Earth's, which is hidden beneath thousands of miles of saltwater in all directions -- The planet has no dry land, though its surface is covered in its entirety with a layer of algae about a mile thick, which is farmed by Beta-Cephanians as a power source. It is the second planet in its solar system, and is kept together by its unusually high gravity, and kept warm by means of its thick, cloudy atmosphere. It is orbited by a relatively lifeless microplanet, which is in turn orbited by an asteroid. Other than that, there is little of note about the Cephanian homeworld; It is considered somewhat primitive and isolated as industrial planets go, and engages in very little trade.

The dominant species of Cepha are the Alpha-Cephanians, a crustacean-like race of humanoids evolved from ancient Cepha's apex predator. Culturally, the Alpha-Cephanian is not dissimilar from a Klingon; Though they live to be 200 years old, their average lifespans are about one hundred years due to widespread honor killings and duels. Alpha-Cephanians are an extremely proud race, and as such are too involved with convoluted feuds and tribal arguments to be greatly involved in the affairs of their intergalactic neighbors.

Most people have not heard of Cephanians -- They are mentioned in the Terran Republic's Starfleet training as one of the six completely aquatic spacefaring races -- and as such, few if any are aware of the distinction between Alpha and Beta Cephanians. As such, those from Cepha are usually regarded to in a myriad of different terms; Red and Blue Cephanians, High and Low Cephanians, and Great and Common Cephanians are all terms they have begrudgingly accepted. Both races refer to themselves simply as "Cephanian" while using the Alpha and Beta labels for the other race.

An entirely separate species, Beta-Cephanians are a fishlike humanoid species capable of using sonar to traverse water too deep for light to reach, or too thick with algae to see. Subjugated by Alpha-Cephanians during "The Great Cephanian War", a civil war between the two races thousands of years ago, Beta-Cephanians have been the planet's workforce and backbone for generations. Cepha's technology is almost entirely powered by their algae, though it is fairly inefficient as fuels go, and is farmed by millions of their Beta-Cephanian thralls.

As a slave society, Beta-Cephanians have a great cultural belief in destiny, and coexist with Alpha-Cephanians with surprisingly little animosity; After several thousand years of enslavement, Beta-Cephanians have more or less accepted their position as unavoidable fate, which coupled with their being bred for passivity by Alpha-Cephanians, has led to a society with almost zero rebellions.

Whereas Alpha-Cephanians are free to choose their careers, specific Beta-Cephanians are born for specific roles. Some are farmers of the algae that powers their planet's technology, others are concubines and servants of Alpha-Cephanians, others still are born for clerical work, and a select few are born for little else than fueling their kin during food shortages; Some speculate it is due to the lack of breastfeeding in Cephanian biology that they do not form especially close bonds with their parents and are generally void of emotion.

The language spoken on Cepha is Korqyk, more commonly referred to simply as Cephanian, a language nearly indecipherable by the universal translator due to its subtle uses of emphasized bubble blowing and sonar as vowels. As it can only be spoken underwater, it is also impossible to be spoken by non-Cephanians.

[Burning Kitty]

I don't think there's a "dibs" system.

@Inkarnate

Says the person who lost.

[mickilennial]

Security Officer is almost donezo.

[Bonesaw McGraw]

@AluminumDude Sounds good.

@Burning Kitty This isn't 7th grade. If you can't work things out like adults and come to an agreement as to who will take on a position, then both players can post a CS and I'll just decide.

@DeadbeatWalking Looks awesome, your character is approved. I also appreciate the addition to the lore of our universe with a planet and species. The only nitpick is that in your "Cepha Information" section you refer to the Terran Republic as the Federation, just make that very small change then go ahead and post in the Chars tab. Welcome aboard the USS Hawking.

[Burning Kitty]

Removed

[mickilennial]

I am quite happy that Timothy Dalton is getting more work on TV.

[Burning Kitty]

I am quite happy that Timothy Dalton is getting more work on TV.

@Inkarnate

The only thing I have seen him in is Bond & Chuck, but to me his most famous role was on Doctor Who.

[mickilennial]

Lieutenant Commander Xaone lb Er’saor

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_{N A M E}

Xaone lb Er’saor
_{GivenName lb ClanName}

_{S P E C I E S}

Morai
_{Known to Terrans upon First Contact as the “Centauri” due to their occupation of the Alpha Centauri solar system, the Morai have had a long-storied connection with the Terran Republic. Distinct for their elf-like ears and mesmeric appearance, the Morai have the unique predisposition of being a race of long-lived neural empaths. The polar opposite of the Cephanians, the Morai are ruled by their extended neural evolution that purposes a connection that allows them to be dictated by the emotions of the people around them. Due to this empathic influence, the Morai have learned to compose themselves and restrict themselves from having strong emotions to minimalize the influence of external emotions around them. The Morai exhibit traits of understanding, emotional awareness, and a widened perspective often making them ideal officers in the security path; especially given that they can feel the emotions of potential threats. Terrans often consider them intrusive due to their empathic abilities. Above all else, the Morai are a long-lived race who live up to the age of eight hundred solar cycles (or years in Terran).}

_{A G E}

152 IC

_{A F F I L A T I O N}

Starfleet Alliance
Celestial Star Empire of Moros

_{P O S I T I O N}

Chief Security Officer

_{S K I L L S E T}

Since graduating from Starfleet Academy thirty-one years ago, Xaone has continuously worked to the best of her abilities as a Security Officer on several ship assignments including her first years on the USS Orwell. As she prepares for assignment on the USS Hawking it is evident that her competence as a security officer isn’t simply due to the longevity of her experience compared to someone of similar equivalent Terran age. Xaone is fairly well physically and mentally conditioned for the role of Chief Security Officer due to her competence at eliminating potential threats with her manner as well as her brawn; she is a storied diplomat, marksman, and martial artist. This aforementioned understanding of martial arts is known as Arauka’dagor, most comparatively similar to the Terran variant known as Aikido. Additionally, her best subjects in the academy beyond the tactical and martial were Starfleet language and interstellar navigation.

In terms of her biological advantages, Xaone is hard to be ambushed or caught off guard due to her empathic link, though it is not an impossibility. If Xaone is emotionally compromised or overwhelmed by sensations she will be unable to detect much at all; this state is called “heart blind” by the Morai. Her emotional perception due to her empathic abilities is also unusable by Xaone when dealing with races and people who are emotionally deaf.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y P R O F I L E}

Xaone appears standoffish and impulsive, though this is not that out of character for Morai of similar age and ambitions. She’s aggressive, confident, and impetuous, but she’s also dutiful, sympathetic, and thoughtful; she means well but sometimes gets lost in her disconnect, culture shock, and empathic abilities. In fact, due to her particular biological condition of being an empath she has felt the emotional compulsions of her fellows in Starfleet and unlike her elder siblings has felt a dissonance and discontent for it; oftentimes resulting in a confrontation with Terran officers who talk too freely within her in earshot. This intention to confront inappropriate emotions and words has led to more conduct reviews than she would like and despite still remaining in Starfleet has received the brunt of harsh criticisms from her familia and peers; Xaone always feels contempt when she returns to Erios when the opportunity (and expectation) arises.

_{H I S T O R Y}

Childhood (2177-2299)
Xaone lb Er’saor was born on the planet of Qel Taeros in the Terran year of 2177 CE, her family still adjusting to the planet at the time due to their recent migration from Idlus Station. Finding themselves ajar in colonial space was part-assignment and part-adventure, but given the conflicts with the aggressively expanding Vox, interstellar anomalies, and a problematic First Contact situation with the Terran Republic several decades prior, the precedent had already been set. Xaone’s father, Maeruos, served as the central overseer of the Qel Taeros from 2177 onward. Due to its relative proximity to distant Terran colonies such as Apollo it became not only the first line of defense in case the Terrans broke the accords, but also a trading post that drew in Terran merchants and savants.

As a child, Xaone had several Terran acquaintances as a result of the exponential growth rate the colony was experiencing from Terran immigration efforts, though due to their drastically different biology they would often experience maturity far quickly than she would. To her Terran friends she was the girl who was “forever” a child, to Saone they were acquaintances who were in their twenties, thirties, and forties before she had realized her first menstrual cycle. For an ignorant, naïve Morai child it was rather devastating and at times confusing. In fact, given her developing emotional core and the vast amount of emotions that her peers went through in what seemed like only a short time for her it was immensely frustrating. But surprisingly, these emotions did not deter her universal connection and interest with Terrans and their alien culture, biology, and nuances in general; though her interest being piqued as it was it would not be enough to stop her from soon realizing her pubescent phase of life was going to throw more curveballs in her direction than she could handle.

By 2296, Xaone had found herself finishing her basic educational evaluation courses as a colonial Morai and was now told it was time to choose what she wanted to do going forward. Her father preferred the option of her applying to the conservatorium like he had done when he was her age, though it was only one of many options and no choice was deemed better than any others. Whilst the honor of training to become a sentinel was appealing, she oftentimes wondered if it was enough to satisfy her urges. Humanity had become so ingrained on Qel Taeros and despite the subsequent fifty cycles of time that had passed she still held her interests and ambitions. Her oldest friend had always told stories about the prestige of Starfleet and it wasn’t an uncommon ambition for Morai youths to apply to the Terran institution now that the Morai and Terrans recognized each other as allies and peers rather than rivals and threats.

With that in mind and having no intent to disrespect, Xaone told her father she would be applying to Starfleet. There was no doubt that she wouldn’t get in based on her collective intelligence and ambitious motivation, but due to the peculiarity of applying for dual citizenship, loyalties had to be cemented by an oath of service. Once that was done before a royal court Xaone awaited the finalization of her citizenship and traveled to Earth to take the entrance exams. Shortly thereafter she was inducted into the Starfleet Academy as a cadet. Among her fellow first year cadets was a young man that would help her through the eccentrics of Earthborn culture—Thaddeus Antares.


Starfleet Career & Terran-Martian War (2299-2330)
When the Terran-Martian War broke out in 2315, Xaone was already serving on the USS Orwell under Captain Richard Liang’s authority. The vessel was inevitably recommissioned as a military spacecraft due to the conflicts that arose in the sector from the unrest between the Terran colonies and the republic itself. Being a security track officer on a newly minted military vessel, Xaone found herself put through several scenarios and experiences that tested her as not only a commissioned officer but more importantly as a empath; due to how strong emotions are felt by Morai, it did not make sleeping all the easier in the years to come. Xaone would remember for many sleepless nights how the sensation of death felt and the emotions leading up to it. Eventually, the Matriarch of Moros stepped in to support the Republic and in due time peace talks were made some years after the fact when the Terrans began to fear this civil war escalating into a intergalactic one. This, however, did not change the experiences and emotions Xaone experienced firsthand during the war.

After the immediate end of the war Xaone requested a leave of absence to “contemplate” the emotions she had experience. However, the sentiment back home on Qel Taeros wasn’t the reprieve she was expecting. Due to the colonial’s outcry against the Republic, Qel Taeros had served as a base of operations for separatist sentiment and when the Morai had sided on the side of the loyalists a violent protest on Qel Taeros had resulted in many deaths and protests. The first act of her father’s governance of Qel Taeros was to evict all Terran rebels by force. Xaone had felt the strong emotional upset when she landed. It made her want to return to Starfleet sooner rather than later.

Since the war, Xaone has earned several ranks, though as her personality profile on this dossier suggests—she is not exactly in the running to be promoted to captain despite her having thirty-one years of experience within Starfleet.


USS Hawking & Current Assignment (2330- )
In the present date of 2330, on recommendation from Captain Thaddeus Antares, Xaone is ready to leave her storied experiences behind her and look forward instead of back. Campaigning for a new type of voyage, Starfleet has commissioned a new exploratory vessel with the finest minds among the interstellar community. With twenty-five years of active duty under her belt Xaone is ready to follow along on this daring new enterprise.

_{F L A W}

Xaone by Morai standards is “immature” and “unready”. Her brain is at the point of a youthful young adult and as such her emotional development is just out of her teenaged stage of being. Xaone is impulsive, and while this can be a quality for a security officer this also means she is prone to acting with her feelings over logic and rationale despite her fluency at subverting other people’s emotions from her own. She has a moderate feeling of dissonance and distance from Terran cultural quirks and mannerisms and she does not like being the center of attention or derision when fellow officers call her “space elf” or sexualize her for being. She has on occasion allowed herself to cross lines and give said fellow officers an education in Morai martial arts.

[Hannibal]

Will make something soon.

[Alan Hawke]

Is this still open? I'd love a RP like this.

[mickilennial]

Is this still open? I'd love a RP like this.

@Alan Hawke

Seems to be plenty of positions to apply for. Go for it.

[Alan Hawke]

I'm going to go for a Chief Science Officer. I intend to have it done around tomorrow afternoon (12PM EST) if that is okay with you all.

[mickilennial]

I feel like this ship also needs a lot more human/terran applications.

[Alan Hawke]

I feel like this ship also needs a lot more human/terran applications.

@Inkarnate

I got you, fam. ;) *fingerguns*