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Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:14 pm


Guardian section is currently being redone... A big thank you to Wotcher for the spell check! <3
PostPosted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:43 pm


Daaanny now has a picture. xD In the process of updating the banners. Critique is welcome!

Chibi Sheepcat


kalindara
Vice Captain

PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:51 pm


Very nicely done! I was originally a bit worried about whether he'd be able to be reborn, but unless Anya says otherwise, your story convinced me that his soul would hang around and annoy Airi until she helped him into a second life xd
PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:00 pm


Thaaank ye Kali! <3

Chibi Sheepcat


kalindara
Vice Captain

PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:41 pm


There is also the issue of what he would become as an Ancient... Something you might want to think on and paybe post an OOC note on before the contest. Lack of magic might be an issue here, though for now it's MYTHICAL (if not mystical) enough for me.
PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:21 am


Okay! So, in the last critique I gave you, I focused on technical errors and a few logic inconsistancies, along with a few bits about the backstory. Given that that's all been splendidly addressed, I think I'm going to try and do what I've been doing for the Fa'e waiting to be reborn and give a stronger focus on Barthy's character and how you're presenting him, as well as looking at ways to try and express his character more concisely. In light of new rules (and especially Kali's comments), I'm also aiming to bring up Ancienthood considerations as long as I'm here to help anyway. x3

The Jackalope
I really like how this has developed! It's very clear and concise, and gives us a good look into what Jackalopes are and how they operate. I don't see any problems with how the creatures are set up, so I'd like to suggest some new material you might be able to put up.

At what times, if any, are Jackalopes solitary creatures? They must be able to be ousted from a herd, and there has to be some way for members to go to different herds, or else they'd be horribly inbred and their genetics would suffer. In the story section, you give us a look at a much more militaristic structure; things like exile, accepting new members to the herd, and other such things seem like they would be developed into the Jackalope society, and it can't hurt to write it all down. (Just as a random reference; I'm thinking strongly of Meerkat Manor when I think of the Jackalope society right now, in terms of territory and cross-herd interactions and the like. If you watch that show at all, you might want to consider some of the same traits, with undominant males who can't compete with the stronger ones sneaking off to breed with females of other herds and the like.)

Similarly, what about the environment they live in? You have a very "scientific" approach to the description here, so why not take that a step further? Talk about their dietary habits, what sort of prey they're designed to bring down, what terrains they can be found in, how they live and sleep. Consider the ways their bodies would have adapted from a normal rabbit to accomodate their lifestyle. Do they hibernate in the winter at all? Do they have a rabbit's quickened heartbeat, and if so, how does this affect their lifespan? Finally, how do the young Jackalopes fit into the society?


The Story
There are a few grammar errors I'm going to zap through real fast, just to sort things out right away:

"Its long, sleek horns were curled back over a majestic head, flanked by a pair of erect, furry ears. "

"Temperamental, fleet of foot and dangerous to the lone traveler, those who got a glimpse of such a this magnificent creature soon spread the word of their existence." or "It was temperamental, fleet of foot and dangerous to the lone traveler; those who got a glimpse of such a magnificent creature soon spread the word of their existence."

"In the recent years, neither herd had gained any ground; or - however, a drought in the Thunderfoot territory had caused the herd to take a turn for the worst worse."

"He conquered the Hillside's lands, as well as the lands of the small herd that neighboured them."

(As a matter of making the story flow in a dynamic manner, after this sentence here, it would be worthwhile to make a powerful, boastful statement- "Prince Frost led the Thunderfoots to an age of tremendous prosperity, and truly, he was the greatest leader the herd had ever known!")

(I love how the next bit has been written, turning the attention to Blackpaw. It's an excellent hook, one that eggs the reader to keep going into the white text.)

"He did not have the endurance to be a guard, nor was he fleet enough to be a sentinel, and he was most certainly not fierce or brave enough to be a good warrior."

"She was so distracted by him that she let her guard slip, and the two promptly forgot about their duties as sentinel and mimic; it was at that same time that a hunter slipped quietly through the brush." <- It would make a stronger emphasis to seperate the two of these into different sentences, rather than putting them together.

(Also, reading on, I'm a little confused who is being threatened by the hunter. My first thought was that the hunter was going through to the herd, but with the sentence with Frost coming and the hunter raising his weapon written to make them seem two seperate events, it seems like the hunter is aiming at the sentinel and mimic. If you could clarify this, it would make the scene much clearer.)

"Whatever the reason, Frost ordered the charge, running headlong at the now exposed human, his herd in tow." <-- You just used that exact phrase at the beginning of the paragraph. Find another way to word it here, or else it sounds repetitive (and not in a good, intentional way).

(Also, as I've skipped ahead a little and tried to figure out how the herd, retreating away from the hunter, would have trampled over Whiteflower and Blackpaw, I realized that the mental picture in my head was off. I can't speak for everyone, but when I personally picture a third group entering a conflict with two parties, I'm going to automatically try to imagine that group somewhere inbetween the two and approaching from the side; it seems like the way you meant it was that Prince Frost and the herd were coming from behind the two jackalope and charging past them to attack the hunter. I'd clarify this if I were you, because the mental image of the herd charging past the two jackalope is a powerful one that's worth putting a sentence or two into.)

"The hunter raised his gun." <- But the hunter's gun was already raised? Do you mean to say instead that he aimed his gun to a new target? I think that would make a lot more sense, and again, would avoid repetition of wording similar actions the same. It would also be worthwhile to stretch this sentence out a little longer, since the next two are very short and, for best emphasis, need to be breaking out of a suspenseful sentence to bring the most strength into the telling of the story.

"Unable to do anything but watch her die, it was then that he realized the full extent of what had happened." <- Again, you had just used that same mode of expression- "watched the Prince die"- and you should find another way to word it so that it doesn't seem repetitive and people are continuously drawn through the story with new words and material.


YAY! Done with the technical bit. I just wanted to talk a little on the content of this.

The only real concern I have is how Whiteflower and Blackpaw were both trampled. I understand that in the situation, it makes sense, but it does seem a little anticlimatic for it to be so linear: herd panics -> Whiteflower is trampled -> Blackpaw tries to escape -> Blackpaw is trampled. Let's say he didn't take any immediate wounds that would kill him. What else could be done for his death? We can assume he would be ostracized from the herd. Would he pine away by Whiteflower's corpse? Would a predator get him? Would he attack a human all on his lonesome in some ill-fated hope of vengence? Maybe we could find some way to tie this all in to Barthy's potential Ancient quest, in fact; maybe he tries to quest for a way to make things right, but fails in that, too?

They're just some ideas, and not all are necessarily good. But I'd like for you to think about other possibilities than just having them both trampled. When it's one of them, it makes sense and is very interesting; when it's both of them, it loses some of its appeal.

Otherwise, the story is very nicely written. There's room for improvement; what I'd focus on is trying to find ways to grab people's attention more with it, introduce more concepts to draw people in and find ways to develop Blackpaw more strongly to make people fall in love with his character, and that's going to be what helps you out the most right now.


Barthy! Basic Info
I got nothing to the sexuality section to complain about. The name is one that could be reasonably picked by any Joe Schmoe, no strange gender-bending going on, and the sexuality... well, that does confuse things. I don't know if you should mention it at all, to be honest, because given that Barthy had a past life that was strictly animalistic in instinctual nature- and I can barely believe I'm saying this, because I hate people pre-determining sexuality- Barthy would be a fully justifiable straight guy. He could be asexual, sure, but I couldn't imagine him bi or gay given his past life- not without serious IC influence or reason, in which case a lot of sexualities could be bent/straightened. That's just my opinion, though.


General Appearence
"you, he's not the lean mean bunny-fighting machine that he once was, but he's retained the lean, almost mal-nourished malnourished look he used to have."

First question: you said he's a "little on the short side". How short? When you go on to describe him as having "little hands" and "small facial figures" in proportion, it makes it sound like he's a lot smaller than "just a little". It might be worth throwing out a rounded number here, just to avoid confusion.

"The sun has also affected the colour of his hair. Originally it was a sort of dirty blonde, but the sun has bleached in a couple shades lighter so it's its a sandy brown."

"Much like a satyr, his lower body and legs are those of a jackrabbit's, covered in sandy-brown fur save for one foot, which is black."

"Colour isn't usually a problem, though he does like to compliment complement his eyes."

"Barthy's left eye is a dark, chocolate-y chocolatey brown (which goes with virtually anything) and his right eye is a clear, sky blue."

"He's got eyes to match every bit of seasonal clothing he owns, down to that bright red Christmas sweater with bells that his adoptive mother knit him. But that's another story entirely." <- I think putting more emphasis by drawing out the first sentence will make this read better. Example: "down to that hideously bright red Christmas sweater with bells that his adoptive mother knit him, which he puts on every single winter and jingles around the town with, annoying all the neighbors and alienating all the kids his age.... But, uh, that's another story entirely." If you've got a bit of humor, run with it. That's going to make it a more interesting read, and will bring the writing a more human touch (which is ALWAYS what you want when writing for a character).

Barthy's appearence all checks off; there's nothing here that's really unjustified, other than the different eye colors. Why is it that he has two different hues? When it comes to a person having different eye colors, there's often a medical reason for it, and not necessarily a pleasant one. Though it is possible to inherit it, it's worth thinking your reasoning over. Just as reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterochromia

As a side note, I'd probably suggest putting Barthy's antelope tail specifically in the "Most Notable Features" section. Eeee, flufftail. <3


Likes/Dislikes/Hobbies
There's really nothing to complain about here. What I would like, though, is to maybe get an idea of where "children" falls for him. He acts very child-like, himself; does he like kids? It almost seems like most of his friends would be younger than him, just based on how he acts and what he enjoys. I think that's actually a really cute trait; I have a mental image of a teen Barthy, running around with a pack of young'uns following him, playing tag or something. x3


Favorites/Misc.
Most of this makes sense, but I have to question the mounted heads of animals being his greatest fear. Why, when there is so much else that ties into his background and whatnot, would that be his greatest fear? I can see it making him uncomfortable, and definitely being on his "dislikes' list- but if he were to walk into a room with animal heads, would it really be the first thing to fill his nightmares? Now, if there were mounted bunny heads, I can see Barthy freaking. But, honest to God, who the hell would mount a rabbit's head? XD

I will say, though, that I do like that his fears aren't automatically connected to his mode of death. A lot of people do that (myself included), and I can't help but to appreciate that about Barthy.

Otherwise, nothing about this section seems problematic. I like the pet peeve, the pendant makes me giggle, and I don't know any of the image songs, so it works. x3


Abilities/Weaknesses
Very nice. All of the abilities are well-justified for the character, and are more than balanced by the listed weaknesses.

However, I'd like to focus on his imitation skill. Why, if a voice is speaking in a language he understands, can't he try and emulate it to say what he wants? My understanding with the jackalopes was "well, of course they can't speak human, they don't understand the language", hence why they could only echo things they'd heard. I understand not being able to faithfully speak in a language he doesn't know. However, taking a moment to think about how this ability works is key. It is probably safe to assume that there is some sort of honest magic involved with how this is done, but how much of it is magic to alter his voice, and how much is the voice itself? Barthy's abilities have room to be stretched and made more powerful; not every Fa'e needs a lot of powers, naturally, but it is generally fair to focus in on one to make a centerpiece, and it doesn't have to be so restricted.


Personality
First off. MOVE THIS UP. Barthy's personality is SO integral to his character; putting it at the very bottom of the post, when people are going to have the least patience to give it their attention, is not a very wise way to go about things. At most, it should be under the general features section; preferably, it'd be the first thing that people read, after learning Barthy's name. For most people, personality is going to be the selling point of "do I like this Fa'e concept or not?", so make sure that it gets the proper spotlight.

This is what I really wanted to work on with you. I really enjoy Barthy's personality a lot, and what you have here is extremely well-written and thought out. The only problem is, it's hard to get a good grasp of Barthy's solid personality from it. What we get here is a very good look inside his head, but one can read over this a good ten times, and still not understand how it translates when one would come face-to-face with Barthy. To be honest, I got a much better idea of how he acts from the silly RPs you have posted up then in the personality section itself, because there is so much information to absorb here, and no clear emphasis on what the strongest parts of her personality actually are.

What I would suggest is to keep this section the way it is- because it has the information that we do need, and it's seriously one of the best-written parts of his profile- and look for ways that you can shortly bring the "first impressions" of his personality to the fore. This could mean including a first paragraph to this section that would highlight the key points to his personality, or making a new section to describe how he acts and interacts with people (highly advisable), or even writing up imaginary "prompts" for Barthy and showing us how you would write him (also highly advisable).

The key point is, Barthy is an amazing character. He is so, SO easy to fall in love with. But what needs to be more strongly communicated are the parts that are so lovable; how goofy he is, his good nature, how open he is to people. That sort of personality is very hard to describe in the way that you have done here, and while by no means have you done anything wrong with this section- so much the contrary!- it really needs a supplement that will get us straight to who Barthy is and why he's so darn cute.


Whew... I think that about covers it. <3 I hope that this helps you out, to at least some extent. Everything seems to have improved so much since the last time I looked around the thread; I'm counting on seeing similar strides soon! <33

Arrien
Crew

Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:22 pm


Yaaay! Commence the fixing! <3
PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:07 pm


I've read this over a couple of times now, and I can honestly say I can't find any flaws with it. You seem to have a very solid concept here. ^^ He's the anti-Clae! Well, not anti as in against, but anti as in nearly complete opposite spectrum. XD

The only thing is that there are a few typos here and there, so you might want to go over it a time or two again.

But overall, he's adorable, he's friendly, and I luff him. ^^

Also-- a note about Heterochromia-- it's not -always- medical. I know that I have a form of heterochromia myself (the kind where I've this one splotch of brown in otherwise incredibly pale eyes) and I'm perfectly fine otherwise. The same goes for a lot of people, and animals, as I know huskies and a few other breeds have it and don't really have medical problems.

I'm not sure if full colours is different, but, again, it's something to think about.

Shiori Tonbo


Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:18 pm


D'aaaw, now I have to find all the typos... xD Checking for typos commences now!
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:11 pm


User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

MegaRose

Mega Gaian


Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:20 pm


Thank you Mega! <3 *late*

This is what I get for not checking the forum out for a while. xD
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:59 pm


You're welcome! It's the least I could do for the awesomely extensive critique you gave me. biggrin

MegaRose

Mega Gaian


Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:43 am


Name: Bartholomew ("Barthy" or "Barth")
Gender: Male
Mythbase: Western/"The Wild West" – Jackalope
Link to a source on the mythbase: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]
Link to Fa'e quest thread: Here
Appearance:
- Horns: While many jackalopes are pictured with antlers, a true jackalope has antelope horns. My preferred type of horns are those belonging to the pronghorn antelope, which look something like this. Barth's left horn is considerably shorter than his right. As a toddler and a child, this will put him off balance making it hard to walk on two legs.

-Jackalope "Bits": (Note: If this counts as more than one feature, then it can take the place of the final feature listed) Barthy has a small amount of chest hair -- just a little bit of short white fur -- but the real fur starts just around his hips. The concentration increases the lower one goes, blending into his furry lower body and an antelope tail. Much like a satyr, his lower body and legs are those of a jackrabbit's, covered in sandy-brown fur save for one foot, which is black. These strange legs cause him to walk up on tip-toe, or else attempt a half-hearted hop. Aside from his jackrabbit-like lower half, Barthy also has a pair of upright rabbit ears the same colour as his other fur.

-Scars: Though he has numerous small scars, from both his past life and his present life, the most noticeable are the three on his face. Two, thin scars run diagonally across the bridge of his nose, parallel to one another. The third scar starts on his cheek just above his jaw line and moves diagonally downward.

Powers:
-Imitation: Barth is able to correctly imitate any sound or voice he has heard at least once. The sound can be either natural or manmade and he doesn't have to be able to identify it to echo it back. He cannot combine the sounds when he echoes them, but he can put several in sequence. Barthy's ability to echo voices is his main talent. Originally, the magic of this gift allowed the jackalope to have a voice. Anything that they heard from a human could be repeated back in the voice of the owner. Barthy, being reborn in a human body, already has the ability to speak and so the magic has altered slightly. Any voice that Barthy has heard he can "use" in the place of his own voice and can say anything he desires. He cannot use this ability when the voice speaks in a language he is not familiar with or does not understand. In such a case he can only echo phrases he's heard in that voice before. Barthy's "echoes" or voice imitations are identical to the voice of the original speaker. This ability has started to emerge now that he's a teen, however he has very little control over it and tends only to echo when he's afraid.

-Jackrabbit Skills: He is a very fast runner, able to reach high speeds on flat ground. Much like a jackrabbit, his speed is mainly quickness used to evade, not to fight. He runs faster on all fours than on two legs. He can also leap very high, again, when on all fours. Barthy acquired this ability when he was a toddler and has honed his skills since then.

-Concealment: Gifted with the ability of concealment, Barth is able to hide extremely well in a natural environment. When he focuses on his concealment, he is able to walk silently, to stay as still as if he were a stone, and to be "invisible" to the untrained eye. (Note: Barthy does not actually become invisible. He is simply very hard to see. This is a common prey tactic to lie still so that the predator does not see them) Barthy gained this ability when he became a child, though he rarely uses it.

Personality: You remember how jackalopes are supposedly fierce and cunning? Well, in all honesty, Barth is about as dangerous as the pet bunny you keep at home. He just happens to have a pair of horns. As silly as he is clumsy, this reborn jackalope has never had any trouble making others laugh, often at the expense of his dignity. Not that he minds, really. He wasn't a warrior with a strict code of honour in the past and he certainly isn't one now. He believes that laughter is the best medicine, and those who have forgotten how to laugh have forgotten how to live. If he can look at his klutzy self and laugh, then why is it so hard for someone else to? That policy in mind, he's made it his personal goal to make everyone smile at least once. In this way he's drawn to people who are upset, wanting to set things right again in the best way he can. Even when people aren't sad Barthy has no trouble walking up to someone and giving them a hug. He's a very touchy-feely individual – much to the chagrin of some – and enjoys holding hands and any kind of physical contact he can get. When he's finished with the hugging, the talking commences. Barthy is extremely social and loves company of any kind. In fact, he'll talk to just about anyone, despite the fact that much of what he says isn't very intelligent. He'll even do the talking for two people if someone is too shy to participate in the conversation. Antisocial people don't seem to deter him from being friendly, especially since he trusts that everyone is good and means him no harm.

Extremely optimistic, it's rare to see him without a smile on his face. Mind you, with his buck teeth, the smile is a bit goofy, but it's a smile nonetheless. He doesn't believe in ignoring anyone, and is quite happy to share his attention. It's very rare he finds a person he doesn't like. They have to do something really terrible and most definitely "bad" for him to dislike them. Even then, the dislike will only last about oh... five seconds maximum. He's known for having a terrible memory of such things (as well as most things in general). Most of the time he's too worried that people don't like him, to think about his opinions of others. He likes to have friends and goes to great lengths to be friends with everyone he meets. Barthy's friends and family are very important to him and doesn't like seeing anyone he loves upset. He's retained a portion of his animal empathy, making him sensitive to the emotions of others. While he often doesn't understand the emotion a person is feeling or the problem that they are trying to solve, he'll do whatever he can to make that person feel better. However ineffective his attempts are, Barthy always puts his heart into making everything "all right" again. There are no half-hearted attempts from this jackalope.

On the same note, Barthy is the type that wants to please everyone. His main reason for this behaviour is his fear of serious confrontation, especially confrontation that will lead to violence. Barthy does everything in his power to avoid fighting no matter what he has to compromise. Some would call him cowardly because of this, and Barthy wouldn't deny it. As much as he hates this about himself, Barthy would rather run than stand and fight. He can try to verbally defend someone (forever hopeful the person will back him up) but when forced to face something alone he chooses flight over fight. This almost instinctual fear causes him a pain he can’t quite understand. What it all boils down to is the thing that Barthy wanted most in his past life: to be a jackalope worthy of Whiteflower. Unfortunately, when the time came to prove himself, Barthy failed and ran away.

Despite his genuine care for others, Barth has no firm set of morals. Growing up as an animal doesn't really give him a very good perception of "right" or "wrong", and he only abides by the guidelines set by his family to please them. Admittedly he's not the brightest tool in the shed, but it allows him to be carefree, not having as much to worry about because he doesn't have all that much to think about. It also makes him extremely gullible. He believes everything that he's told, and usually fails to remember any of the ways he's been mislead. Thus, he will fall for the same prank more than once and takes virtually everything literally. Similarly, he has a hard time understanding more complex concepts, and while he might listen with polite attentiveness, the chances of his grasping it are very slim. His brain isn't really designed for such "high level" thinking. He also doesn't have any foresight, able only to think seriously about the near future, but not able to make long-term plans. Not only is he not able to do it, he doesn't believe in doing it. As a jackalope every day could have been his last, and he's carried this belief over when he's reborn. Consequentially, he is easily excitable, enjoying things that thrill him (so long as there's someone there to cling to if he needs the support).

Barth is easily fascinated by the simple things in the life -- understandably, since he doesn't understand the more complex ones -- and exhibits a surprising understanding of nature's ways. He sees the world through very child-like eyes, which though it gives him imagination and a free spirit, it prohibits him from being able to see like an adult. His simple mind also prevents him from expressing his more complex emotions. Though he feels more emotions than just happiness and anger, he has a very hard time putting these feelings into words. They're just out of his mental grasp, which is something he finds extremely frustrating. The only way to solve this problem is to avoid the situations that force him to feel complex emotions, and that's exactly what Barthy does.

Sweet, honest and accident-prone, Barth may not be the smartest Fa'e on the block, but you can rest assured he'll love you will all his heart.

How does the characters personality, appearance and powers and your character relate back to your chosen mythos?: The myth of the jackalope has always been a rather ridiculous one. In all honesty, would you believe in a fanged, horned rabbit that eats buffalo and can mimic human voices? It's not a myth that's taken very seriously, which is why I wanted to embody that silliness in my concept. Thus, Barthy was born.

Jackalopes are a rumoured cross between an antelope and a jackrabbit, and Barthy has "inherited" features from both sides. As a jackalope he would have had horns (which he kept) and a body covered entirely in fur. Since it is not possible for him to be reborn as a rabbit, his lower half is the only part (save for his ears) that retained the jackrabbit look. His scars are a reminder that jackalopes are fighting animals, which is why he has kept most of his scars.

Barthy's main power (the power of imitation) is the most well-known power of the jackalopes. It was used initially to evade capture by humans, as the jackalopes would yell out phrases like "there he goes!" to throw off hunters. Jackalopes are also very fast runners (they were given the name "Dirt Devil" by the Sioux) and jackrabbits are known for being able to jump very high. Finally, Barthy's ability of concealment is what would have helped him as a jackalope to stay hidden from sight, should a hunter be passing by.

History:
Our story begins with an introduction to Frost who was the greatest jackalope the prairie had ever seen. He led the Thunderfoot herd to victory against their long-time rivals the Hillside herd and ushered in a time of prosperity and new hope. As magnificent as the tale about Frost, Prince of Thunderfoot, would be it is not the story that you are about to be told. No, this is the story about Blackpaw who – through a series of rather unfortunate events – brought the death of his Prince, his herd, and the doe that he loved.

Now Blackpaw, though he was not as fantastic or wonderful as Frost, was an interesting jackalope. And of course by interesting, we mean that he was strange and unusual. For a buck of his age Blackpaw should have been off fighting other males or preparing to impress the females should a thunderstorm roll around (for that is when the mating rituals take place). But Blackpaw had not done any of this. He had never participated in a mating ritual because the lighting scared him, and he had never locked horns with another buck because his horns where two different sizes. He was a silly, childish, and generally unintelligent buck who was not skilled enough to be anything except a mimic. It was because he was such a good mimic that he was allowed to stay in the herd, for Blackpaw would have been very little use otherwise. Had the circumstances been different, and he was a warrior, Blackpaw would have been left to his own devices. However, his job as partner to a sentinel was something to be taken seriously, and that was what posed the problem and ultimately led to his downfall.

Yes, on that fateful day Blackpaw and his sentinel partner Whiteflower were sent out to do a scouting of the area. Had it been any other doe Blackpaw would have probably taken things seriously. Unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you look at it), he was smitten with Whiteflower – like just about every other buck in the Thunderfoot herd – and wanted to do his best to impress her. So he engaged her in a game, and the two quickly forgot about their previous duties. A hunter, who had been tracking the herd for several days, decided that this would be his opportunity to strike. Frost, however, realized that two of his scouts had not reported back for duty, and he feared the worst. With the herd behind him, the Prince ran to the aid of Blackpaw and Whiteflower. The hunter made himself visible as Frost stepped in front of the pair, the guards blocking him from a direct attack while the herd flanked him. The hunter paused. Frost had only a moment to decide what to do. He charged.

The results were disastrous. Frost's speed disadvantaged him, as he moved ahead of his guards and gave the hunter a clear shot. The hunter fired, and the Prince's body hit the ground dead. The herd fled back in the direction that they had come, running straight for Blackpaw and Whiteflower. Blackpaw, who had seen them coming, managed to get out of the way, suffering only minor injuries from the stampede. Whiteflower, however, too stunned from what she had just witnessed, did not move. She was trampled.

The dust cleared, and Blackpaw returned to Whiteflower. When he found her, she was barely alive, lying in the spot where she'd stood and watched their Prince die. Unable to do anything to help her, it was then that he realized the full extent of what had happened. Not willing to face the herd that was no doubt falling apart after the death of their leader, Blackpaw remained with Whiteflower's body. In the hot sun of the summer prairie it didn't take long for Blackpaw to dehydrate, and finally die.

However, the tale does not end here. Blackpaw's spirit was unable to leave the physical world, blaming himself for the death of the Thunderfoot Prince, Whiteflower, and the inevitable death of what had been one of the largest herds the West had ever seen. Guilt-ridden and ashamed, his spirit wandered his old home listlessly, as though wishing for a second chance...

And he was given a second chance. When the first leaves were starting to appear on the trees, Dainehard was locking up his barn for the night when a strange bundle sitting on the hay bales caught his eye. He moved to investigate, Danny found a baby sleeping quietly. No note, no explanation, and no trace that anyone had been there. The boy was taken in by Danny and his family, and grew up without much thought that he was adopted. True, his bunny ears were not the same colour as Danny's, but he excused it as being "his mother's heritage." All of his weird quirks – horns and the unusual amount of skin – were attributed to his "mother" who was not around. He was home schooled alongside Danny's three younger siblings and allowed to help his guardian with the horses. Barthy has grown up as a farm boy in a very peaceful world, having no idea who he really is or that Airi/Conrad is coming to get him.

Guardian: Barthy's "father" is Dainehard, the second son in a family of seven (including himself) anthropomorphic rabbits with a touch of human blood. One might question why it was Dainehard (the second son) who raised Barthy and not Tremayne (the eldest). Tremayne, however, was due to be married in the fall of the year that Barthy was found, and so Ramsey felt that bringing a child into the marriage would be bad form. Danny wasn't engaged, and since he had found the child in the first place, Barthy was given to him. The jackalope grew up as a nephew to Danny's siblings and a grandchild to Danny's parents. However, due to their age similarities, Barthy is more of a brother to Danny's younger siblings Finlay, Lainey and Zinnia. He gets along quite well with Tremayne, though Tremayne is often irritated by his idiotic nature.

Dainehard (known to most as "Danny") is much more patient with his young charge. More softly-spoken and well-mannered than his older brother, Danny is the gentle brother of the family. For the most part he's easy-going and very unassuming. Some people find it hard to believe he has a temper (which he does; he just doesn't get angry easily). Other than his infrequent bouts of anger, Danny is an easy person to get along with. He's never one to give anyone the cold shoulder, and certainly never one to "check anyone out." His siblings often consider this to be naivety, and it's not uncommon for him to be teased about being a virgin. Danny, however, is a very modest, respectful young man, and would never dream of doing anything as low as sleeping with a woman (or a man) and then dropping them the moment something nicer comes along. Such things to him are appalling, and he has no patience for men and woman who do them. He would rather stay a virgin than stoop that low. He's also a lot smarter than he lets off, but shh, you didn't hear that from me.

On the downside, Danny is known for being fairly sensitive, and often a comment meant as a joke can cause him pain. To make things worse, he has mastered the ability to hide everything behind a smile, masking his own feelings and able to pretend like everything is alright. Doing so causes him to suddenly break down, to the surprise of the people around him, and leaves him exhausted and down on himself for days after he's released his bottled emotions. Barthy has always encouraged his guardian to let things out, and being with the Fa'e has appeared to have helped Danny deal a lot better.

World: Barthy will grow up on Terran, a world quite far away from Gaia. Terran is divided into four major islands, three of which are inhabited by a small population of humans, anthropomorphic mammals, beasts of burden, and eagles. The climate on the fourth island is unsuitable for life, and thus nobody lives there. Danny and the rest of his family live on the Western Island where all the citizens resemble anthropomorphic versions of typical prairie animals (hares, rabbits, badgers, prairie dogs and the swift fox). At one point, the humans from the Eastern Island attempted to settle on the Western Island; however the climate proved to be too much for them and most returned to their original home. Nonetheless, some remained, which is why many of the younger generation of westerners have human blood in them. Other than the anthropomorphic mammals, some farming animals (pheasants, dwarf sheep, cows) exist for food and are commonly preyed on by the only predator of the island: the bald eagles. Beasts of burden such as takin (ox-like mammals) and horses are also raised for transporting goods. There are four seasons on Terran: The Rainy Season, The Bright Season, The Red Season and The White Season.

Whitefields is the largest farming community on the Western Island, and this is where Ramsey (Danny's father) has lived for the past sixty-some years with his children. The farms are fairly close to one another, and only about a thirty minute horse and carriage ride to the centre town of Vinnia. Ramsey's farm consists of a small farm house with four stories, a large barn, three paddocks, and fields that are used to grow rice, grains, and vegetables. Ramsey also raises farm animals that he sells to the local butcher, as well as horses and takin (a small ox). Whitefields itself is a very peaceful community. Nobody carries any form of weaponry save for those who use items classified as "weapons" in their work. Even so, the weaponry in Terran is very limited. Guns are something associated with the Northern Island, and those from the Western Island find them rather distasteful. If there were ever to be a rebellion, it'd be all knives and pitchforks for these guys. Technology is present, however not on the same scale as Gaia. There is running water and electricity, and there are computers and televisions but not much else entertainment-wise. Televisions are fairly common in houses. Computers, on the other hand, are something only found in the centre town of Vinnia. Barthy, Lainey and Zinnia have used a computer before, but they've never seen anything as complex as the technology of Gaia.

Writing sample: Prompt 1
"We're expecting storms all this week so make sure you keep your rain jackets handy."

The newscaster continued to drone on about the rain as the horned rabbit let his attention slip, turning to stare instead at the closed door of the kitchen. A woman had shown up on their doorstep just after dinner and asked to speak with Danny. Barthy had thought that it was awful strange that a woman was coming to see Danny but he hadn't been given a chance to ask. The moment the strange lady has asked to speak to Danny privately, Sharman had shooed the entire family into the living room and closed the kitchen door. He had asked her what was wrong but the mother rabbit had patted him on the head and told him "nothing for you to worry about". Barthy didn't understand why she said that – he wasn't worried, just curious – but he had come to learn that when people said that he shouldn't ask them again. So Barthy had left the matter alone and moved onto other things, hoping Danny would come back soon so he could get his bedtime story. Unfortunately, Danny was spending a long time in that kitchen. So long, in fact, that Barthy had played two board games, watched one program on TV, and finished a game of Cat's Cradle with Zinnia and the kitchen door was still shut. And that made Barthy wonder.

It wasn’t often that the horned rabbit wondered about things, usually because if he wondered then he had to remember too and that wasn't something Barthy was good at. It also involved a lot of thinking which, again, wasn't want one the teen's strong point. But Barthy couldn't help his wondering tonight. The lady had asked to speak to Danny in The Serious Tone, which was normally a tone that only Ramsey used. Ramsey didn't use it often, but when he did it meant that someone had done something Really Bad. If the lady had been using that tone, did that mean that Danny done something Really Bad?

Barthy's forehead creased as he frowned, brain cells working double-time as he considered the problem at hand. Danny had told him to solve problems like this. If he wanted to figure out if his father had done something Really Bad then he first had to identify what Really Bad was. Sadly, there was one problem with this first step. He'd left his list of Really Bad things upstairs and couldn't very well go and get it. He would have to try and recreate the list from memory, which was always dangerous. It had to be done though if Barthy was going to figure out if Danny had done something Really Bad or not.

Alas, Barthy had only just started compiling a mental list of Really Bad Things when the kitchen door opened a fraction. The Fa'e's ears perked as he turned to stare at the now open door. Danny's head immerged moments later, scanning the room before settling his gaze on the horned rabbit. There was something about the look in his father's eyes that made Barthy's stomach do that weird flipping pancake thing, but he ignored it. Danny was speaking, and he could only focus on one thing at a time.

"I need to speak with you for a minute, Barthy. Privately."

Barthy's stomach did the pancake flip again. Now Danny was using the Serious Tone. Had he done something Really Bad? Almost as though he knew what the teen was thinking, Danny added, "No, you're not in trouble Barthy. Just bring your crayons and paper, alright?"

Danny disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving the door open as a signal for Barthy to come. The horned rabbit did as he was told, and entered the kitchen with paper and crayons in hand. As he nudged the door closed with his foot, Barthy noticed that the strange lady was gone. In fact, there was no sign that she'd been here at all. Perhaps she had come to tell Danny something important and now Danny was going to tell him. Perhaps they were getting engaged or something, like Tremayne. Regardless of what his father was going to tell him, Barthy placed the drawing materials in front of Danny before moving to flop in a nearby kitchen chair. Danny pulled the paper closer to him and chose a crayon. Let the drawing commence!

Barthy let his gaze wander around the kitchen, wiggling his toes as he waited for Danny to finish his drawing. When it came to explaining complex ideas, this was the only way that seemed to work for the horned rabbit. Danny would simplify things as best he could and then draw a mini "story" to explain the concept to Barthy. It was a little tedious and only effective if Barthy was willing to focus his attention. Had the strange lady not shown up on their doorstep and sparked Barthy's interest today would not have been a good day to explain something complicated to the teen. When forced to stay inside for long periods of time his attention span shrunk quite substantially, making an attempt at explanation pointless. Luckily for Danny, Barthy's earlier wondering had kicked his brain cells into gear and was ready to be taught! Well… as ready as Barthy's brain ever is for such things but it's the effort that counts, right?

A gentle touch to his shoulder brought Barthy back from la-la land and the teen blinked as the drawings were placed in front of him. The first was an image of a girl with nifty rainbow hair and a pair of strange feathery things on her head. Barthy bobbed his head to tell his guardian he was ready. The toe wiggling halted as he did his best to focus. Danny touched the first picture.

"This is Airi. She's the one who is responsible for bringing the Fa'e into existence. She's also the one who came to see me tonight."

Barthy nodded, and stared at Danny's drawing a moment longer. Airi. Right. So she created what now? Danny moved on to the next picture, pushing the Airi picture aside.

"Fa'e are beings who were given a second chance. In their past life they did something Bad and died. Airi gives them a new body and they start over again.

Who? What? When? Barthy blinked several times as he attempted to calm his seizing brain cells.

"So… stuff dies an' then undies in another person's body?"

Oh now that was even more confusing than the first idea. How did someone die and then not die? And what if they didn't want to undie? Was that even possible? Did that mean when vegetables died (because you know, when you eat them they must be dead) that they could UNDIE IN YOUR STOMACH?! Apparently Danny had spotted the danger and stopped Barthy's train of thought before it went too far and made the whole situation worse. Reincarnation was a very strange concept, so one couldn’t exactly blame Barthy for his confusion. Nonetheless, it was obvious that Danny's patience was wearing a little thin half an hour later when Barthy finally did understand. Danny had then proceeded to tell Barthy that he was one of these Fa'e and Airi had promised to take them to see all the other Fa'e. Now that was exciting, and Barthy couldn't help but explode into a fit of flee.

"I get to meet all the other Fa'e? Is that like meeting family I never met -- like in those soap operas that Lainey watches all the time -- because meeting lost family is really neeeat…" He trailed off, suddenly spotting the picture of Airi. Something seemed to click as he stared at her and his eyes lit up. "Do they all have wing things like this? I bet they can fly! That would be really cool!" Any semblance of focus was long gone by now as Barthy leapt from his chair and started "flying" around the kitchen making bird noises. Danny let him continue his antics as he sat down in the chair the teen had occupied moments ago. Finally, when it looked as though Barthy was not going to settle himself, Danny said seriously, "Barthy, if we go to see the other Fa'e there's a chance we won't be able to come back."

Bird-Barthy hit an invisible wall as he jerked to a halt, the bird noises ending as abruptly. What was this added part? He wrinkled his nose for a moment, thinking hard. If they went to see his long lost family (which would be really cool) then he wouldn't be able to see his now family ever again? Now that wasn't difficult to understand (absolutes were always easy), but it didn't make a lot of sense. He had just opened his mouth to question his father when Sharman came bustling in with what appeared to be the strange lady's – Airi's, Barthy corrected himself – coat.

"Honestly, Dainehard, what were you thinking? Inviting the girl to stay and then not setting things up for her! She'll catch her death of cold in this cloak! And so frail too… No problem. Danny! Soup on the stove right away!"

Danny mouthed "don't worry about it, I'll deal with it" to Barthy as he was ushered out of his seat by his mother. Barthy sniffed angrily. Danny wasn't going to discuss it further with him? Fine then. He would remember to talk about this later. He would! In fact, he'd go up right now and write himself a note! A note to remind him of the undead vegetables and the Fa'e who flew like birds. Oh he'd remember. With a final stomp of his foot, Barthy turned and trotted upstairs. After a quick trip to the bathroom he slipped into his room, shutting the door behind him.

"It's not fair!" He informed his stuffed rabbit angrily as he struggled to get his shirt off over his horns. "He makes me get my drawing stuff and then he explains but doesn't explain and then tells me not to worry! Who's worrying? It makes no sense!"


Barthy reached for his stuffed bunny and pulled it close as he settled underneath the covers. There was a moment of silence before the horned rabbit added sulkily,

"And he didn't even read me my bedtime story."
PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:22 pm


Thank you everyone who helped me shape Barthy, in particular Lu who was full of support and fun ideas and Arri who critiqued him twice and really helped me to understand him. Today, however, is the day that I've decided to officially change my Fa'e concept and "give" my jackalope up. It wasn't an easy decision, but I've decided it is for the better. His place, unfortunately, is not the Fa'e community, though he will always have a place in my heart. His character will help influence my next concept, and I have no doubts that I will one day find a place for him among my RP pets.

Until then, I will start again, and try to build a character that can fit a different niche. New ideas, new prospects, and I welcome any critique that people have for me once I get my concept up in full.

Without further ado, I present my new concept idea: Zhang Guolao's Donkey. Look forward to the completion of this thread!

Chibi Sheepcat


Chibi Sheepcat

PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:21 pm


Aaand, I've decided to change my concept again. X3 Drawn in by the Norse Mythbase, so I've switched over to Jormungandr. Info will go up soon!
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