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 Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:59 pm
This IS A Quest for my Dream Lunarian~
Username:Cooro The Mute Wuff
Payment Method: Gold or RL monies. Hopefully gold
Do You Agree?: YESH
Lunarian Name : Sanoh Yodsuwan (His first name means "Sweet and Pleasent sounding". From my research, Thai last names do not hold much of a meaning, so he is named after one of my friends.)
Alliance : Legion
Path : Priest
Skin Tone : pale bronze-yellow
Body Style : Thin but healthy (as in not Golem from Lord of the Rings thin)
Hair Color/Style : super man curls, Isabelline colored. (see below)
Eye Color : Prussian blue
Unique Attributes : His fins and scales are dyed Red at the tips due to actions made when he was young.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:14 pm
Hello! I am Cooro! ^-^
Wow.. it's been a long time since I created this~ I hope it's better than when it started~
Age:18
Occupation: College Student working in the Visual and Performing arts Center~
Time on Gaia: 4 PM to 11 PM or later during weekdays; All day on week ends. I multitask really well!!! XD
MSN: Coorothemutewuff@live.com
Yahoo: yaoi_leon@yahoo.com
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:15 pm
 The Yodsuwan Family Members
Gran-Gran ChaiCharoen: (Thai name meaing "Triumphant") The Head of the Family and grandmother of Sanoh and Mana. She is in charge of all family members, as well as the administrator of the Phr Kherụ̄̀xng Ceremony. She is has mastered the basics of every instrument that has come to be played by her family members, and thus became The Head. Her lifetime instrument is the xiao, a vertical end-blown flute.
As a grandmother, she spoils the kids, as well teaching them the basics of their own instrument. ChaiCharoen is a fair yet firm leader, and is still teaching her daughter how to act the same.
ChuiChai: (Thai name meaing "Elegant in motion") Sanoh's Mother. She is the Daughter of ChaiCharoen, the head of the family. Unlike her push over husband, Brihaspati, She is unyielding and a harsh bargainer, and thus, is the proprietor of the shop. ChuiChai manages the family's savings, in hopes that one day, her children will be able to become more than just street musicians. She hopes that they can become the personal musicians for the Emperor, and to be able to teach music to the entire High Court. However, it seems that No such thing will happen.
Her instrument is the dadihu, a much larger version of the Erhu, and much deeper.
Little Sanoh: (Thai name meaning "sweet and pleasant sounding.") Our main Focus around the age of 5-6.
Mana: (Thai name meaning "Persistant") Sanoh's big brother, who is 17 years older than Sanoh . A gentle spirit, who seldom speaks out at anyone. He's kind, intelligent, and very quiet, allowing his music to express his emotions rather than words. Mana loves to be isolated, but not in a bad way. It helps his mind to clear itself.
Do not misunderstand, he is, indeed, alive. But his exact location is unclear. His Instrument to master was the Pipa, a Chinese Lute.
Brihaspati: (Thai name meaning "God of Teaching") Father of Sanoh and Mana, and Husband to ChuiChai. He is a far distant cousin to ChaiCharoen, to the point where there is only trace of the main house's blood running through his veins; just enough to give him the family traits of hair, eyes, scales and fins. He is much like his son, Mana, especially when it comes to the shop, staying quiet and doing the hard labor, such as repairing the various instruments and teaching the other parts of the family how to make fine quality musical items.
When it comes to business, however, he often makes the mistake on setting a selling price. When he hears a sob story, he'll mark prices down to just a fraction of what it should be, and often times, he gets scolded by his wife for doing so. This causes him to go into an exaggerated depression, though he quickly recovers.
He is a master of the duxianqin, a one string zither. From The Past To The Present
In the Yodsuwan household, each child visits the Xuthiṣ̄ Phelng Shrine, a small, private shrine that represents all of the Yodsuwan ancestors, on their 888th day of living. On this special day, the child is taken to a giant room with a lacquered wooden floor.
The room is vast, with paintings of various instruments embedded onto the wood. Every instrument imaginable could be found. Its purpose was to give the child his life long companion, a friend whose voice could be heard, even if one's own could not.
During the night, the child would be placed in the center of the room where there were no paintings, and the head of the family would burn incense. She would ask for their ancestors' blessings, and to give the child strength to find that which his soul was destined to have. This was the beginning of the Phr Kherụ̄̀xng, the Instrument Blessing Ceremony.
An intoxicating scent would fill the air, and the child was expected to toddle around until they found a comfortable place to fall asleep. This could take just a few minutes, to a few hours. Which ever instrument they fell asleep on would be the one they would keep with them for life.
This instrument would be nearly as important to each person as their own partner and children would be. This doesn't mean to say that they only had one of their chosen instrument. In fact, it was more common than not that one would own many of the same instrument, collecting them just as one would collect jewelry, or exotic plants. One tended to be used more than the others, but all were loved the same.
Once an instrument was chosen, then the child would be taught by the master of their same instrument from the previous generation. Each child was then to be watched closely to see which field of music they would be best in. They may become teachers to the village, artisans whom were the ones who created each musical device, entertainers who wandered around earning their keep, or simply becoming part of a noble household as a personal musician. The Phr Kherụ̄̀xng was the first step of a young Yodsuwan's life, and a promise that it would be filled with everlasting music.
~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~
Durning the ceremony, Sanoh found his sleeping haven in the corner of the room, where the beams of moonlight were the brightest. He was blessed with the erhu, just as his older brother, who watch the ceremony from behind a paper curtain, was blessed with his pipa.
It was rare for their family to have more than one child per coupling. And even more rare that both were destined to play instruments of the same family, the string family. The main household was said to be blessed so vastly that it would bring the entire Yodsuwan house happiness.
Mana, the eldest brother, and Sanoh, the younger brother, grew very close, seemingly closer to one another than to their own parents. Their relationship, however, was hardly different than normal siblings, except for the fact that fights mostly ended with laughter. Sanoh's first few years in life were filled with nothing but happiness and music.
As the war grew more and more intense... Mana felt that it was his duty to leave and serve the Emperor, whom his family had been loyal to for centuries. This did not sit well with the young Sanoh. He pleaded with his brother not to leave, going as far as to approach ChaiCharoen, the head of the family, to beg her to keep his brother from leaving. The tiny child pleaded and begged, but to no avail.
He then began to plot ways to keep his beloved brother from leaving. It started out as simple plans, hiding his brother's shoes, pretending to haunt him so maybe he'd be too frightened to leave, and other petty things that would have kept him home.
None were successful. He had decided that the next step would be to perhaps.. Injure himself and cause the family to worry. If they worry, Mana will worry too, right?
Sanoh feared pain, so instead, he chose to feign sickness. When the family was asleep, He silently crept out into the back yard, gathering some of the berries in the back yard. These berries were used to dye the wood on some occasions, and would definitely leave a long lasting stain on the skin. He rubbed onto the tips of his fins, and also along the scales on his cheeks, leaving them a bright, blistering red. To hide the evidence, he buried the leftovers, and had used make-shift, gloves to cover his hands while he dyed himself.
Then next morning, he refused to get out of bed. He stayed completely silent and still, seemingly asleep. When his mother came into the room, she screamed and ran to get the doctor.
As the family gathered into the room, Sanoh cracked open an eye, and spotted his brother standing off to the side. He was right! The sickness HAD prevented his brother from leaving his side!
Examination upon examination were preformed on Sanoh, with no conclusion made. It was at this time when ChaiCharoen took a good look at him.
There were many traditional cures for his sickness, according to her research, but because no one knew what exactly the illness was, they had to tread carefully.
~~~
As the morning dawned once more, Sanoh began to wake up. His body felt heavier than normal.. In his sleepy haze, he stood up, making his way to the bath-area. It was then that he realized.. His once silky, Isabelline hair was now as dark as mud, with hints of speckled red muck mixed in. He looked like one of the ornaments you'd see during a festival! His clothing seemed to be something one would wear at a funeral and when he reached down his back, one by one, he pulled off what seemed to be leeches! His entire body was burning and aching like never before! What had happened after he had fallen asleep!!
Once confronted by his grandmother, he found that they, being his most immediate family, had given him a 'blood-leech and mud' bath. Supposedly, it was to wash away the 'infection' from his body by draining out the bad blood and cleaning the pores on his skin.
From the corner of his eye, Sanoh saw his brother with his wooden sword. The two shared a gaze, and the older brother sent him a scowl, holding up a berry that was used in the dye.
He knew.. He knew! He hadn't thought that using the same berries that grew in the back yard would have been a problem... The plan had gone horribly wrong...
Once escaping from his grandmother's lectures and coddling, Sanoh creeped outside, to where his brother trained.
Anger and worry laced every word that Mana shouted at the child, who seemed almost frightened by his sudden change in personality. Threats were made against the younger brother, and he was firmly told that there was nothing he could do to stop the other.
Heart broken, yet still determined to keep his brother safe in his household, Sanoh began to plot once more on a scheme.
~~~~~
The time for Mana's departure drew near, and more and more, people were beginning to avoid little Sanoh. Once Gran-Gran had told everyone that the sickness was, indeed, contagious, no one wanted anything to do with the child.
Soon enough, he was left alone, hours upon hours. Normally, there would always be someone to play with.. But now.. his mother was always busy in the shop. And his father had gone on a trip to gather new materials.. Even his own brother, his beloved Mana, seemed to be too busy to interact with him. It was a desolate existence.
At night, he would lay in his cot, staring up at the high ceiling. He had all but given up his want to keep Mana home. He was too little, too young to do anything to stop it, he thought to himself.
An idea struck him one night while he lied in bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing the darkness and the silence to go away. Mana only owned one pipa. And because his pipa was the only one he had, he couldn't leave without it. So, if he were to take that one and hide it then he would have to stay until he got a new one! Maybe then, he could come up with a better idea of how to keep his brother home!
He spent hour after hour rummaging through his mind, trying to see what would the best place to hid an instrument, and when would be the best time to go through with the plan.
With a content smile, he closed his eyes, ready and eager to set his plan in motion.
~~~~~~~~
The next evening, during the fading daylight hours, while the adults, along with Mana, met for the final time before his journey began, he snuck into his elder brother's room.
There, in all it's glory, wrapped partially in the finest silk one could find, was his brother's beloved pipa. The embodiment of every feeling that Mana felt. The window to his very soul that cried out when in pain, sang in joy when pleased, and lulled Sanoh to sleep many many nights..
Just for a few days... Sanoh thought to himself as he tried to make his way back to his room. There were plenty of places where he could hid the instrument and keep it safe.. All was going well until he crashed right into his brother.
He received a questioning look, which quickly narrowed into a glare. He had been found out! The child turned quickly on his heel and raced down the halls, chased by his shouting brother. The adults in the rooms that lined the halls poked their head out, curious to see what all the fuss was about.
Soon enough, Sanoh was cornered between a paper wall and his brother, the pipa held in his arms.
"Give it back." His brother hissed, his hand outreached to snatch the instrument. Sanoh didn't want to give up. His plan.. He took so long to carve it out perfectly. He wouldn't simply just let it go! He continued to back up, until he found himself falling through the flimsy door, dropping the pipa as he tumbled down the incline downwards.
There was a loud "CRASH" as he landed hard onto something that wasn't quite ground. His back ached, scratched on something that seemed to have shattered...
"N-no!" He cried, turning around quickly, only to find a mangled pile of strings and wood.
A crowd had begun to form around him, many holding expressions of disbelief and anger. Hands began to grab Sanoh, dragging him to the room where everyone had been gather just moments before.
Many different versions of the same story began to be told about the event that had happened, but none insisted that it was an accident. Even the adults claimed that Sanoh had destroyed his brother's instrument in a jealous rage. Time and time again, he tried to explain himself, but no one would listen to a child, especially one who had broken something that was so important to not only Mana, but the entire family itself.
A sad, hurt gaze was cast towards Mana by the child, as the elder stood to address the rest of the family. The entire room grew deathly silent as he began to speak.
Mana said nothing to his brother, nothing at all, only turning his gaze back to ChaiCharoen, who headed the elders, and taking up the sword laid at his feet. He stood up, placing it, along with it's sheath, on his back, just as he used to carry his dearly beloved pipa.
"Today... Today is the beginning of a road I can no longer turn back from... My sword has become my new companion in life. May it serve the emperor well, unlike that which is now broken." As he turned to make his way out of the room.
~~~~~
Everyone seemed to think that Sanoh had deliberately broken Mana's pipa. Some went as far as to say he took an axe to it, thinking that his brother would be mad enough to stay. When word got back to the elders, they decided on a punishment for the child.
As a result for his wrongdoings, Sanoh was banished from ever picking up picking up a weapon within the household, or anywhere near their property, for if, as a child, he could destroy something as precious as a life long friend, he would be capable of destroying something far greater. So the family thought.
He did not protest this, for he knew what he had done was unforgivable. Sanoh spent a long time simply staring at his hands, hating them more and more for what they had done, for what he had done, even if it was an accident...
While he grew, he seldom left the house, only to the market and back, preferring to keep withing the spaces of his comfort zone. Most of his time was spent in the shop, fiddling with almost anything he was allowed to touch. Eyes were on him at all times, not trusting him to be left alone with such intricate designs and parts that had already been assembled.
There was a longing for forgiveness inside of Sanoh, one that ached so much when he saw others. No one wanted to play with him, no one wanted to even be near him.. When family members visited the house, they would often pass nasty comments between each other.
"Isn't that the boy who destroyed his brother's pipa, what a terrible child!" "Yes, I agree. That child should have his own shattered into bits." "It would serve the little devil right!"
Sanoh made no moves to correct them, he took whatever scorn they had for him. On the outside, he seemed to have a great deal of patience, on the inside, however, He was aching.
No child no matter what they had did, should NOT have to to be subjected to such horrid treatment! He often thought to himself what he would do if he could. But he dared not speak out, for he did not wish to hurt anyone ever again, by words or not.
In the end, he just found himself forgiving them. Staying angry only made him hurt more, whereas just letting it go, saying that it isn't their fault they don't like him, it was his own, drained most of the ache out of him, letting him feel fresh and motivated to make them see him in a new light.
~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀
As the years moved by, Sanoh slowly regained the respect that he had lost as a mere child, only through his proficiency as a musician. He forced his body to become strong, so that even though he didn't run with the kids his age, or adventure out towards the unknown, he could still be healthy.
To avoid the scorned looks from the rest of his family, even after all these years, he learned to move quickly, staying out of sight for as much as he could, but making sure that it never grew silent.
ChaiCharoen, feeling pity for her grandson and his blacklisted self within the family, made a request of him. To go and help the Emperor in the war. He was a bit bewildered by her request. How was he supposed to help in a war in which he could not fight?
A knowing smile crept onto the aged woman's face and she simply pointed to Sanoh's erhu.
"Let that be your guide. Do not stray from the path of which you were born into. It is your friend. It is your ally. Do not forget that. Do not let your mind be clouded by that which is war. Let the sounds of your soul lead you on a path that will help to end the strife between the Legion and the Nobles. Good luck, young Sanoh, may the gods watch over you and sing you the song of victory."
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:16 pm
Sanoh ❀ Yodsuwan
Male Legion Soul Conduit
Living Soul Magic
❀Appearance❀
Art by Sephiros Immortalis
He is a relatively healthy 17 year old boy, standing at a height of five feet two inches. His skin is a pale bronze-yellow color, due to his self-imposed hermit lifestyle withing his house hold. His Scales and fins are shades of blue, the main membrane being an eton blue, and the supportive veins being a prussian blue. The same coloration is used for his scales. However, due to the dying on the scales from his childhood, they are an unusual shade of red on the tip of his headfins and on his cheeks
As he grows into his new lifestyle and experiences the outside world more, he will darken, giving him a sun-kissed appearance. His physical condition is just like his new lifestyle, varying based on what he does. However, what ever shape he is in, it is hidden underneath his clothing. His hair is Isabelline colored, and is a mess of man-curls. (The Color his grandmother had dyed his hair before was simply chopped off as he grew.) The coloring of his eyes vary depending on the lighting, but are mainly the same color as the membrane of his headfins. Although his hands and feet are hardly seen, his nail color is also that of his supportive fin veins, a Prussian blue.
When it comes to his clothing, his preferred outfit is a chong krabe (minus the extensive design on the draping cloth and non shiny), with long-sleeved shirt underneath. His sleeves constantly extends past his hands, as to uphold his self inflected punishment, and are only pulled back when he plays his erhu. The colors of his clothing vary, since he doesn't own only one outfit.
His appearance is boyish, having a rounder face than most, and long eyelashes simular to those you'd find on a girl, but he still is a boy. He is also a carries a bit of disdain for footwear, main reason being is that he does not like having his feet covered. A covered foot is the same as guaranteeing himself to be hot. His main accessory is his erhu which will be his magical catalyst, so to speak. He also dons a pair of circular glasses. After many nights of writing music by the small light of a lantern, his eyes had become weak.
❀Personality❀
"Faster!"
"Allegro Agitato!" In musical terms, it means to "go faster and with agitation", where agitation means merrily. To Sanoh, it means that near everything should be done without hesitation, and to do so with a smile on his face, if it is a choice he can make freely. He feels that his decisions in the past were too thought out, and that thinking too hard about doing anything would just lead to another tragedy.
Eating, working, playing around by himself, all is done in a pace that is sometime times hard to keep up with. It's not just rushing all the time, which he does indeed do, it is making decisions quickly, focusing only on the good that may come from them instead of focusing on the not so good, such as the people he might hurt along the way.
"Mellow"
There are just some times where one has to just go with the flow and let things be. Sanoh can't help but see things like this most of the time.
This does not mean he refuses to hold grudges, but he lets them go much quicker than the other side of the grudge would. He takes being wronged in stride, in repentance for his own trespasses early in life.
As quoted, "He submits to pain, because it is inevitable, to bereavement, because it is irreparable, and to death, because it is his destiny." He accepts the things that come to pass, and deals with them the way he sees it is best.
That being said, he has yet to meet a person that truly made him angry or upset or the like since his brother's departure. His reaction to such an occasion would be determined based on other events prior to the insult.
"Inventive"
His family is known for having some of the most beautiful and long lasting instruments within the Artisans Path. That artistic ability has been passed down to Sanoh in the form of an ever creative mind.
While he was growing up, his father took him into the workshop and taught him how even the smallest of things, whether it is a slightly wider hole on an instrument or a change in the type of strings used, can make a huge improvement. Sanoh has taken this to heart and tries to apply this to everything. What can make this more effective? What can we do to make this less painful? Where can this be modified to make it work more smoothly?
The main problem Sanoh has is that he does not know when enough 'improvement' is enough. Something as simple as someone's broken bow might end up being modified to the point of it being near impossible to carry.
"Fallacy Inclined"
Imagine this thought process. "It is cloudy outside. Clouds make rain. Therefore, it rained outside." While this, in some cases may be true, it is totally possible that it may just be cloudy. Sanoh often finds himself having the same thought process, jumping to conclusions with no actual facts to back it up.
He also has a tendency to ask loaded questions. For example, he might ask another Lunarian, "Have you stopped picking your nose?". With such a question, there is no right "yes" or "no" answer, because either way, you are implying that you once picked your nose.
He's not trying to be rude at all; most questions are asked completely innocently, just not with complete validity.
"Mother Medic"
Sure, he's not a woman, but he finds himself allured to 'hurt' things. May it be an injured animal, or a lost child, he feels compelled to help them. This is stemmed from the fact that he could not help himself correctly when his brother was leaving (meaning he could not find a solution to stop his brother). No matter what the situation is, he'd try to help another out, causing trouble at pivotal moments.
In saying such, he is attracted to people who are hurting mentally too. Things that are 'broken' attract his attention much more quickly than if someone was simply an over all happy person.
❀Battle Stance❀
Choosing to Align with the Legion was based on his family ideals. His mother was always loyal to the Emperor, going as far as to train him in the ways of the Higher up. He, himself, was for the king, due to how he was taught during his isolation, and his grandmother was the final push he needed in order to decide who he aligned with. The goal of reporting on his brother led him to choose the same side his brother joined, the Legion.
He would become an asset to the Shinobi Legion as a Living Soul Magic user. As opposed to violence as he is, his goal is to help those who have been injured in battle, along with fortifying one's mind and body with the soft melodies he produces. He also will attempt to learn the ability to lure out one's deepest guilt-ridden memory, causing them to relive them over and over within their minds. This power reflects on the guilt he has over driving his brother away from his family and severing any ties he had while associated with them.
Hopefully, Sanoh will learn how to control his musical healing, for in the beginning, rather than causing his allies to become relax and clear minded, he will cause them to lose focus and become lethargic, getting as bad as to cause them to fall asleep mid battle. This could prove deadly, not for just himself, but for his comrades, if it continues if he moves further into the path of the Soul Conduit.
If comes a time where Sanoh has to physically defend himself, he... Won't have any luck. He has stamina to run, if possible, but to fight back.. Not so lucky. His strategy is to stay out of the crossfire and provide help from the sidelines. If that doesn't work out, run.
He will avoid conflict as much as possible. When in battle alone, it'll be a series of dodges, and using the surroundings, rather than with weapons and actual physical contact. For example, say he was in a fight with another in a market place. Expect barrels to be turned over, and draperies and the like being used to subdue his enemy. But say if he is found in a field where there's nothing he can use, he'd bide time until help arrives, or flee.
❀Hobbies❀
Music Making
It was once said that "Silence is frightening because it strips us as nothing else does, throwing us upon the stark realities of our life." For Sanoh, this couldn't be more true. The deathly silence that sweeps over the house occasionally is a horrifying reminder to what he has done. He sees the silence as a accusing finger, pointing at him and saying "Look what you did. You caused the house to go silent. You caused all the laughter and happiness to leave this household."
When the house grows quiet, and he finds himself alone, Sanoh will make as much noise as he can. The pitter-patter of the water dripping from the outside pond, to the sounds of the animals that travel up and down the Artisan path; all becomes music to him.He creates a symphony of every day sounds in his mind, making the silence not so obvious anymore.
Every sound can provide a melody in his head, and later on at night, he would find a way to bring that music to life and embody it in a piece of music.
The melodies he makes are also a source of venting. A rapid, fierce piece with hard chords for anger; a slow, wallowing sound for sadness... His Erhu understands him much more than any other thing in Lunaria, and together, they pour out the emotions he feels inside of him in a way that hurts no one.
Dancing
Having his house filled with music most of the time helps to influence the way his body moves. A foot tap turns to a sway, a sway turns to a step, and a step turns into a whole range of motion, and before he realizes it, his entire body is moving to the rhythm!
There is no particular method to his dancing, and no formal training whatsoever. But when the beat is moving, and the band is playing, he will dance like there's no tomorrow. He has never had a dance partner before, so to many, it seems like just random movements. To him, it's about having fun, not looking pretty. His favorite moves are spins, like those you'd see a child's spinning top doing. Sanoh finds seeing the world while he's moving 360 degrees fascinating because to him, it's proof that no matter what you do, the world won't stop moving.
Experimenting
Whether it is in the shop, or in the kitchen, Sanoh finds great amusement in combining things one would never think of, and seeing what the result may be. A little spice here, put in some random thing from the pantry... Carve a little edge here, sand down a piece there...
The final result is something... Out of the ordinary to say the least. His room is filled with little trinkets he's made; whistles, mini instruments, different designs for musical bows, all sorts of odd objects. (with the exception of food. Even he would admit that some of that stuff is vile)
One of his side dreams is to be able to share these with everyone else, and to see his items be used to make smiles appear.
❀Eccentric Behavior❀
Hidden Hands
After the incident with his brother, he had decided to never show his hands. He feels that they are destructive, and if left exposed, they will cause nothing but harm and strife to those around him. Unless he is playing his erhu or doing something that absolutely requires his hands to be bare, such as bathing, they remain hidden within his overly extended sleeves.. Opening doors, eating, carrying things.. All he will do without his hands making an appearance.
As a side comment, he seems to really enjoy the sense of having something hidden from other. More often than no, he hides little trinkets and such he makes in his sleeves, simply because he likes to give things away. For example, he knows the local baker has a small child, so any toys or small instruments he crafts, he leaves them for him when he goes shopping for sweets.
Metal on Metal
Hearing the clash of metal on metal was always something that Sanoh admired. To him, the sound didn't come from a life-or-death situation, but rather, it is the sound of a hard day's work. The sound metal makes is like music to his ears, whether it is a metal string pulled on an instrument, or the sound of a blacksmith hammering away in his workshop.
That sound tends to draw him in, and he near always follows it without question. Sanoh loves to see a person working hard, and the sound, to him, is a sign of just that.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:46 pm
  The Erhu ❀ 二胡
The erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two large tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (qian jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding a small wooden bridge in place.
Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the erhu. According to Chinese references the woods include zi tan (紫檀 red sandalwood and other woods of the genus Pterocarpus such as padauk), lao hong mu (老红木 aged red wood), wu mu (乌木 black wood), and hong mu (红木 red wood). Particularly fine erhus are often made from pieces of old furniture. A typical erhu measures 81 cm from top to bottom, the length of the bow also being 81 cm.
Sample music pieces with the Erhu
The Moon Reflected on Erquan Pond
Spring Scenery in South of Yangtze River
Information from Wiki
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 6:07 pm
Alright, time for a (not-so-)quick critique.
First of all, your quest thread is, personally, hard to read. I really appreciate that you’ve set everything at a decent font size (except for the family section, which baffles me), but I really couldn’t read the history. I had to copy it into MS Word, which is an unnecessary inconvenience. I appreciate the effort of trying to make your quest thread visually appealing, but that colour matched with bold and aligned to the right is an eyesore. It would be much better to the left. Function and ease should usually be chosen over beauty.
You have, first of all, a few grammar errors (a frequent one is confusing “its” with “it’s”). Watch out for those and try and clean them up, it’ll make everything more professional, and not distract a reader from the actual content.
The ceremony is a unique aspect of the family; I really like how you’ve tied in his instrument with him. Also, as a side note, as cute as ending sentences with “~” is, I personally feel it should be left out of main content and general in-character roleplay. You should be able to convey the “meaning” of “~” with words, not with the symbol. Overall, the history is fine. I’m not so sure Sanoh would go from being full of glee for breaking his brother’s pipa to being silent over the fact he had destroyed something so sacred. At a young age, as you indicated, wouldn’t he feel like he couldn’t do anything more? I feel like, maybe, he’d be… unstable. Overall, though, I like it.
On the topic of family, I’m not buying your excuse for why he was clothed as a girl. Personally, if you’re going to do something that drastic, I want a damn good reason. It can’t just be a passing thing. It’s just a very big move that doesn’t really make any sense. Evil spirits weren’t mentioned in the history, and this makes it seem like a feeble excuse for his early cross-dressing. I’m not saying I don’t approve of this general concept, I just don’t approve of it when it’s not well done. Expand on that.
Personality: He has no flaws. Nothing major. Nothing grounding. This means there’s nothing that makes Sanoh really realistic. The closest thing is his “humane” trait. Humane, as it is, seems like the wrong name for it. He seems more timid or even slightly fearful – like he’s always worried about his karma or something. The only real almost-flaw I found was that this nature could lead him to being “misunderstood”. I hate to break it to you, but “misunderstood”, I think, isn’t much of a flaw. It’s nothing permanent and it usually stems from a real flaw. I’m not seeing that here. And really, if you’re claiming Sanoh is leaps and bounds ahead of others in strategy (where and when did he develop this, by the way?), he should have a flaw to counteract all that awesome, you know?
Does he not feel guilty for breaking his brother’s pipa? His “humane” trait seems to stem from guilt, but his “iron nerves” seem to portray him as colder, and feeling nothing of the matter. (Also, don’t use guilt as a flaw. Eventually, through development, Sanoh will probably come to terms with his maybe-guilt - unless of course, he has an extreme case of it for everything he does. Hm.)
Literature mimic life, do this in turn with Sanoh – give him a (or a few) good flaw(s).
Hobbies: Does Sanoh make music because he needs it? Does he focus better with it? Does he loathe or fear silence? Expand on this more! He has a deep musical past, and so there should be much more to work with for the first trait.
Quirks: I like the first and the third one. I’m concerned about the second, simply because playing quiet or mute characters is first of all very challenging. Also, it tends to snub certain RP opportunities, and if not played well, makes your character not a very “fun” character to play with. Just keep that in mind.
Otherwise, it all looks good so far. Keep up the good work.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:49 am
Venexia Your quest thread is, personally, hard to read. I really appreciate that you’ve set everything at a decent font size but I really couldn’t read the history. Okay, It's been Reformatted. I honestly thought it looked a little strange myself. Venexia You have a few grammar errors. Edits have been made, and I'm carefully re-reading everything over and over again. Venexia You should be able to convey the “meaning” of “~” with words, not with the symbol. Hehe.. Force of Habit. They have been removed. Venexia At a young age, as you indicated, wouldn’t he feel like he couldn’t do anything more? I feel like, maybe, he’d be… unstable. Added details about how he tried various things before destroying the instrument. Also added his inner Sanoh. Fleshed out his history a bit. Venexia I’m not buying your excuse for why he was clothed as a girl. I did a bit more research and found that I had made a mix up. An ancient Japanese shinto custom was to make weak boys become strong men by forcing them to overcome a public humiliation. One such Humiliation was the dressing of the boy in girls' clothing. This would cause the boy to either become agressive, or show no emotions. In a way, it did both for Sanoh (stated above). Venexia He has no flaws. Nothing major. Nothing grounding. He now has his inner nature, as well as his easily dejected trait. The Iron Nerves just doesn't suite him. Venexia Does he not feel guilty for breaking his brother’s pipa? His “humane” trait seems to stem from guilt, but his “iron nerves” seem to portray him as colder, and feeling nothing of the matter. That follows the upper edit~ Venexia Hobbies: Does Sanoh make music because he needs it? Does he focus better with it? Does he loathe or fear silence? His need for music has been explained~ Venexia Quirks: I’m concerned about the second, simply because playing quiet or mute characters is first of all very challenging. Also, it tends to snub certain RP opportunities, and if not played well, makes your character not a very “fun” character to play with. As a mute, I'm quite familiar with the actions one can make with such circumstances. ^-^ Don't worry, It'll be fine, I've had LOTS of experiences~ Including fighting and the like~
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:14 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:21 pm
Hi there. ^-^ first off I hate critting I always feel mean ;w; however I will be honest so please do not take this to heart okay? I am so sorry! >.<;;;
I know this has nothing to do with your quest XD however PLEASE take the bold of the text it gave me a headache reading it and is really off putting. >.<;;; meows. Now onto the quest itself!
I read through his personality and I think that its a good start however there where a few things with kind of got to me. First off I did not know he was a mute till almost the end of his personality XD I think that would be such a interesting point to make in itself.
Since he would have to communicate through body language making him able to read others would be a very interesting and unique trait to have, to know what they are feeling from the slightest movements, maybe also explain more how he does communicate to people. Its a HUGE thing and reading through it seemed to be quite unimportant, not knowing how to talk about effect him greatly and I am interested to know how he feels about being how he is.
Maybe make on a section of how he communicated and things because personally I would see it hard in RP XD very much so but not impossible.
Another thing that was hard to chew was his two different personalities. One side seems very flawed and the other pretty much seems perfect. I do not know the good and evil thing seems a little much especially with the face he is a mute also, it would make for very confusing RP. Its just the way I am reading it.
My advise is to simple it down a little. Not put as much into him but the things you do work on developing, he seems really interesting however at the same time seems to be a bit all over the place. I do not know if this will help you but I hope it gives you something to think about ~ I know how much effort you put in and with a little more work I am sure he is going to be awesome! ^-^
*snugs*
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:29 pm
Thanks! I think what I was trying to say was that there ISN'T another personality inside him. What's inside him IS his true personality, and such. XD I found it too confusing myself, and just decided to take out the whole "inner Sanoh" thing. After all, it's not really a different Sanoh, it's him, but mean. XD
I've added more emphasis on his body language as well. The first thing that came to mind is him moving like Watanuki from xxxHoLic, which I didn't want him to be too much like. But I think I got the job done correctly~
Thank you so much for the critique.
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:19 am
History seems fine, though why did you chose to do it in 1-2 sentences? I find it a little annoying, and why the large font? But I'm a regular size 10 user so, maybe that's why it's annoying me.
"he be imagining mutilating you"
Maybe add another trait to his personality? Everyone seems to have five traits.
I'm just curious, will he start talking at some point? As Elissa mentioned, it seems like it would very hard to RP.
Also, about the no show hands thing and how he doesn't hurt anyone. How will he protect himself if someone comes at him? Or will he do nothing and just get beaten up? That seems so sad xD And will he ever get over his brother to be able to protect himself?
Over all, I usually like threads that are all neat and stuff. Yours seems a bit chunky since all the info is in two post and you have a lot of info going. I liked the long history even if it was structured a little weird xD
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