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 Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:53 pm
~:TABLE OF CONTENTS:~
1. You are here
2. Question and Answers
3. Character Info
4. Roleplay Sample
5. Reasons for choosing said character and background.
6. External reading
7. Extra
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:57 pm
Question and Answers
1. What kind of person is the student?
Liam is used to getting what he wants (be it through natural or unnatural means) and he has been termed by many as a spoilt child. With a tendency to take many things for granted, Liam would probably be the last to appreciate any sort of kind gesture made towards him. Liam is also used to people (particularly the servants) being fearful of him and enjoys seeing them scurry about as they attempt to please the ‘young master’. Has been described to have periods of sullenness and occasionally stares at and talks to things that aren’t there. Is also rather money minded and materialistic. Thinks that the phrase ‘It is the thought that counts’ is just an excuse to be cheap.
In regards to his view on his family, Liam feels sorry for his weak-willed mother and usually tries to accommodate her when he can; usually after he has made sure that it would not hamper any of his plans first. After all, one must put oneself before others if one values one’s own existent right?
Moving on to his stepfather, Liam has come to some sort of mutual understanding with the man. They would both keep out of each other’s way with his stepfather taking care of him and receiving a hefty annuity for Liam’s care in return. It is unspoken but understood that Liam would probably have to fend for himself after he has turned eighteen for that would be when he would come to inherit his grandfather’s immense inheritance and his stepfather would cease to receive any annuity for the child.
Next up would be his biological father, if the word ‘father’ could actually be used for a person he has never met. Liam is scornful of his biological father considers him as irresponsible as any man could possibly get. Being told that he has his father's eyes would only serve to infuriate the young boy.
Relatives, relatives are just that. Someone who is related to him though some intricate and often confounding branches from that which is known as ‘the family tree’. Liam thinks that sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to have a few of the said tree’s branches cut off for the greater good of the tree in general. Does not like meeting relatives and meetings with them are often few and far between.
Siblings…Liam would probably have had two younger siblings but for some unexplained ‘accidents’, his siblings have passed from the world of the living.
His grandfather (deceased)…Liam currently has mixed feeling about this person but in the past, his grandfather was the only person Liam had ever placed before himself.
2. What kind of history does the student have?
Trouble started when news of ‘alien invaders’ had reached the ears of Liam’s grandfather. Being the proud head of his family, the old man immediately took all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of his family. Selling off much of the family’s property for gold (the universal currency), Liam’s grandfather soon had the family on the move, constantly shifting whenever news of alien invasion got too close for comfort.
However, it was hard to keep watch over a rather large family and as the stress of shifting about coupled with the constant news that the aliens were approaching and winning, Liam’s mother, on one fateful night, had a run in with a stranger. It was then that Liam was conceived. However, out of fear, his mother had kept it a secret from her family as they continued their frantic search of a safe heaven.
As luck would have it, the war was soon over and there was much rejoicing within the family. Liam’s grandfather wasted no time in herding the family back home only to discover the wreckage that the invasion had caused.
Using the last of his wealth, Liam’s grandfather rebuilt his family home and started his business anew but luck, it would seem, no longer favoured the old man. His business did not pick up; his rivals were fast taking over what was once his and his family was on the brink of despair.
Worried, Liam’s grandfather went off alone one night to ‘meet someone’ and returned a few days later dazed but definitely happier. And that happiness was justified when his business began picking up and the old man was fast amassing his lost wealth. However, many have noticed that there was something different about the old man; he seemed to be burdened with a secret that was guarded fervently, even from his immediate family.
It was around that time that Liam’s mother’s pregnancy was starting to show and the young woman was forced to reveal her shame to her family. Nevertheless, Liam’s grandfather was rather tolerant of it much to the surprise of the rest of the family (they had assumed that he would have disowned his daughter for bringing on such shame).
When Liam was born, his grandfather celebrated his birth as he would for any legitimate grandchild and seemed to have a strong affinity for the young boy; showering the boy with attention when others turned up their noses at him. It wasn’t a surprise then that Liam came to view his grandfather as a sort of hero and it pleased the child greatly that he had inherited his grandfather’s surname.
Soon his mother was engaged to young man of another Baba Nyonya family and Liam was allowed to be part of said family due to his grandfather’s request. Nevertheless, his stepfather, although he loved his wife deeply, had no real love for the child and Liam’s mother was always apologetic to Liam, trying to please his him whenever she could. It was around this time that Liam’s grandfather had fallen ill but no cure could be found be it traditional or modern. The old man seemed to be rotting away but was unable to die and the rumours that came with his grandfather’s mysterious rise to wealth began to spread and soon, not only the servants but his family had abandoned him as well. It was during this time that Liam had sneaked off to visit the old man and it was here that Liam received a parting ‘gift’ from his dying grandfather; a toyol or ‘ghost child’ kept within an ornate glass bottle. After successfully finding a successor, the old man passed away leaving Liam to carry on the ‘curse’. It was then that Liam began to ‘see’ things and in order to prevent anything bad from happening to his family, Liam was forced to feed his newfound gift with his own blood; doing it as discreetly as possible to avoid wanted rumours from spreading.
In due time, Liam’s mother was with a child, the first of Liam’s stepsiblings and it was obvious that this child would be the apple of both his parent’s eye. Feeling left out, Liam was entering a state of depression when something happened… the child in his mother’s womb just vanished one night leaving his mother flat bellied and hysterical. No one knew what happened Liam noticed that the colour of the contents inside the glass bottle that he kept was an unusual red in colour the day after the horrible incident had occurred. Scared, Liam tried throwing the bottle away but to no avail.
When the second child was conceived, extra care was taken to ensure its safe delivery but it was all for naught as the same horrifying incident took place. By this time, his mother, never known for possessing a strong will, began to break; treating Liam as though he were the most important thing in her life and becoming overly obsessive about his well being. Rumours were once again being whispered, connecting Liam to his grandfather’s death, the boy’s sudden ability to see what was not meant to be seen, the mysterious will, and now the two deaths of his stepsiblings. His stepfather, upon hearing these rumours, brushed it aside but nevertheless thought that it would be as good a time as any to have Liam sent off to boarding school and sent in an application for the boy to attend Shinkami School of Saviors.
3. What talent does the student have?
Liam was naturally born with eidetic/photographic memory. From a young age he was able to remember images with extreme accuracy and was able to recite words, numbers and recall images from books after only looking though it once and briefly. Needless to say, this skill was extremely useful for scoring in exams (sans maths related fields where an understanding of the questions was required). Liam also fails wonderfully at art despite his ability to recall images with acute clarity.
Apart from having a photographic memory and bad art skills, Liam has the ability too see and communicate with the paranormal but this was due to his grandfather choosing him as his successor in his grandfather’s desperate attempt to die.
4. What attitude does the student have toward the school/saving the world?
Overall, Liam’s view towards the school is a positive one as he views it as a new chapter in his life and from what he has heard about it, he is very agreeable to meeting other gifted students and gaining a better understanding in the dark arts. Of course, Liam is also a little angered with his stepfather for sending in his application without informing him thus making Liam not being able to decide for himself. Liam is also aware that this rather fatherly act of worrying about his education was just a ploy to get him out and far from home thus allowing his stepfather some time alone with his mother. Liam would not be surprised if news of newly born stepsiblings were to reach him during his absence from home.
Liam’s view towards world saving on the other hand would be a little harder to tell since world saving would actually involve Liam actually risking his life and caring for others which at this current moment, is a very unlike him.
5. How does the student look when compared to others? AKA what makes the student stand out?
Perhaps what would make Liam stand out apart from the others would be his uncanny interest in the dark arts; especially dark arts associated within the South East Asia region. This unhealthy interest probably stems from not wanting to end up like his grandfather and to gain better understanding against what he is actually up against.
Apart from his interest in the occult, Liam is generally a selfish person. That does not mean that he is rude but his primary concern would be himself while others would be placed in the background.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:00 pm
Character Info
-Player's name: Rapidashtrainer
-Student's full name : Liam Feng Yun Yi
-Student info
Age: 15
Race: Human
Family history: Liam comes from a rather long line of successful businessmen (maternal side). Of his paternal side, not much is known.
Nationality: Malaysian
Heritage: Straits Chinese (Peranakan)
Personality: Headstrong, stubborn, and materialistic
Hobby: Reading, listening to folktales
Talent:
Natural: Eidetic Memory (Photographic memory), amazingly horrible drawing skills (is that even a talent? D8 )
Induced: Researchers would term it as having extrasensory perception (ESP). Locals however, would prefer to term it as having the ‘third eye’. Was a ‘gift’ from his grandfather.
Interest: Legends, Occult, Myths, Superstitions (to better understand what exactly he is up against and not end up like his grandfather).
Likes:
-Expensive stuff
- Nyonya dishes
- Tapai (fermented glutinous rice)
Has always wanted:-
A pet; any pet (but animals seem to fear him as it is said that most animals can sense the supernatural); has attempted to solve that by getting himself a tamagotchi. Discarded it after a week tolerating the beepings from said virtual pet.
Dislikes:
- Clowns
- Anything punk-ish
- Relatives
What he hates about himself:
- His rather feminine Chinese name -he had been a rather ill tempered newborn and his mother had taken it into her head that by giving him a feminine sounding name, he’d grow up more controlled. Something about balancing his ‘Yang’ with ‘Ying’.
- His eyes – Although attractive, many have said that he must have inherited them from his biological father as they were blue; an eye colour not associated with his Chinese heritage.
Appearance:
Physical appearance:
Height: Average
Physique: Light to medium built.
Skin tone: Light
Eye : Blue (colour code: #41231a)
Hair : medium-length, dark brown/chocolate brown hair (colour code: #3e8ea5)
Dress style:
Liam prefers wearing collared shirts and long pants. A belt holding a suspicious but ornate glass bottle could often be seen around his waist.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:02 pm
Roleplay Sample
The hallway was dark; so very dark…and quiet; deathly quiet. It was all so…unnatural. The young boy could feel his chest tightening as he gripped the door’s handle. Perhaps he should turn back, perhaps his mother was right after all, perhaps it was not too late to heed her advice…
Wait, where were the servants?
Liam blinked and glanced around the old house. It was different. The house itself had not changed and yet atmosphere certainly had. Where it was once a bustling hive of activity now stood the empty shell of an abandoned home but… was it really abandoned?
A rasping cough could be heard from one of the upper rooms and Liam instinctively glanced in its direction. So grandfather was really there after all but…why was there no one to take care of him? WHERE were those good for nothing servants? They must have sneaked out again seeing that grandfather was in no position to tell anyone anything.
Something akin to indignant anger bubbled within the young boy’s chest and Liam resolutely turned around and shut the thick wooden door behind him. The house immediately took on an even darker and sinister feel and Liam had to glance about the old hallway a couple of times to make sure that there was indeed no one or nothing lurking in the shadows…
“Grandfather?” Liam called out as he took a few steps towards the stairs that led to the upper rooms. “I-It’s me, Liam”
More coughing could be heard and…a child’s laughter. Liam immediately froze in his steps; his heart thudding loudly. A child’s laugher…he had definitely heard it but that was what had made this whole situation so unnerving. No children were supposed to be here; well, except for Liam of course but he had sneaked away from his mother and his nanny to do it.
Taking measured steps up the wide staircase, Liam kept a sharp lookout for any telltale signs of visitors. Perhaps they had brought a child along with them and it was that child whose laughter Liam had heard. Yeah, that had to be it.
However, as Liam neared the door leading to his grandfather’s bedroom, it was becoming increasingly more obvious that there were no visitors about. Liam did not like where this was going and once again the thought of turning back entered his mind.
But… what about grandfather?
Steeling himself, Liam placed a hand upon the door’s polished handle and gave it a half-hearted push; feeling surprised when the heavy door swung open with relative ease. A wave of nauseating odor instantly engulfed the young boy. It was the stench of rotting flesh, pungent chinese herbs, stale bandages and human excrement. Teary eyed, the young boy peered into his grandfather’s bedroom and was shock to see the state it was in. Clearly no one had been in this room for the better part of the week. How could they have been so uncaring? Grandfather was sick and he needed attention. What was everyone doing; avoiding him like this…
“W-who’s there?” came the rasping voice of his bed-ridden grandfather as the old man turned to look in Liam’s general direction. However, it was obvious even to the young boy that the old man’s watery eyes were no longer seeing. It was just pure reflex that had made the old man turned to face his grandson. Withered fingers grasped at the ends of the blanket nervously.
. “It’s me…Liam,” replied Liam as he took a step towards the old man. “I-I have come to see you,”
“L-Liam? M-my grandson?”
“Yes, grandfather,” said Liam reaching out and clasping the old man’s hand. “I was worried about you…,”
“I always knew…I could…count on you,” rasped the old man as he gripped Liam’s hand. A coughing fit once again ravaged the old man’s frail body.
“Wait here grandfather! I-I will go call the servants…and a doctor!” exclaimed Liam, fearful that the old man would kick the bucket at any given moment. “I-I will go get help,”
“No!” croaked the old man suddenly gripping onto Liam’s arms with a strength that surprised the young boy. “No, I need you…here. You… will help me… die,”
“W-what do you mean?” asked Liam, alarmed and afraid. “Y-you just need some medicine and…clean clothes…then you’d feel much better!”
“Here…take this!” said the old man ignoring Liam’s advice as he shoved something that looked like an ornately made glass bottle in Liam’s direction.
“W-what is it?” asked Liam as a sudden dread took hold of him. There was something about that bottle that scared the young boy. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as he perceived a vague shape moving within the contents of the bottle.
“JUST TAKE IT!!!” screamed the old man with a shrillness and insistency that made Liam wince.
“I-I don’t want to!” whimpered the young boy as he struggled to pull himself out of the old man’s grasp.
“You HAVE to or death would forsake me!!!” the old man screeched as he shoved the bottle towards the young child and during the scuffle, the smooth surface of the bottle came into contact with Liam’s skin. Then there was a moment of utter silence before Liam was vaguely aware of the faint gasp of the old man as his life finally left his body, the eerie laughter of a child and finally…darkness…
------------------------------------------------
The next day, a crying and dazed Liam could be seen staggering out of the old house clutching what many would describe as an expensive looking bottle. His parents were duly notified, Liam was taken home and the old man’s burial was arranged. A few days later, a mysterious will turned up proclaiming that Liam would be the sole inheritor of the old man’s vast wealth. Relatives (and distant relatives) fought over the contents of said will but for unknown reasons, dropped the case after merely a week,
Liam’s mother was devastated by what had occurred and blamed herself for her the incident.
Liam’s stepfather merely scoffed at his wife’s behaviour but did not object to having Liam inheriting his grandfather’s fortune. Liam would not be entitled to it until he had turned eighteen and as Liam’s guardian, Liam’s stepfather was entitled to a hefty annuity for the care of his stepchild.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:04 pm
Reasons for choosing said character and background.
- Although admittedly it would be cool to roleplay as someone foreign, let’s say a British or French student, possessing inside knowledge of that country’s background and culture would be required and yes, although books and wikipedia would be a great help, it would not be the same as actually living in Britain and learning through experience. So choosing something a little closer to home would definitely help in making the character more believable in terms of his thoughts and views (not that I am an expert in it…).
- Most of my role-played characters are ‘good guys’ so it would be an interesting challenge to attempt to roleplay a character whose not exactly a ‘model student’ and whose interest would be a taboo to the average person.
- Having Liam being born out of wedlock would be an interesting aspect as well. I think it is safe to say that in Malaysia, one’s heritage, although important, is not something to be overly obsessive about. Inter-marriages among races in Malaysia are quite a common thing. However, not matter how good looking/well brought up a child might be, the minute s/he is known to be a child out of wedlock, a social stigma would be placed upon him/her and the child’s mother of course. Most illegitimate children’s births are kept hushed. And sad to say, the trouble does not end there. Most families would never allow/approve of their child’s marriage to someone who had been born out of wedlock for fear of having the ‘wild’ genes passed down into their grandchildren. The blue eyes are just a pet peeve of mine *shot*.
- I have always been interested in the supernatural and feel that it would be awesome to actually tie down a character not only to local culture but to local beliefs as well. Ghost keeping and black magic dabbling is not something an average person would take part in or know much about but it is still alive and in certain regions, still practiced.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:06 pm
External reading:
Baba Nyonya Heritage
Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Nyonya
Nyonya food:
http://www.malaysianfood.net/Nyonyafood.html
Toyol
Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyol
A newspaper article with picture:
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/2/26/nation/13510431&sec=nation
A Singapore website describing the toyol (and other ghosts ) in brief : http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/5994/ghosts.html
Notes:
-Although it is said that murder is beyond the toyol’s ability, the ghost is essentially that of a child and like a child, it is unpredictable; sometimes making it even harder to deal with as compared to ‘adult’ ghosts.
- Although not stated, (I must have read it somewhere else) with time and ummm…correct care, the ghost child is able to grow into a full fledge ghost and become even more powerful but this also has its bad points as an owner with a weak will will succumb to it causing the tables to turn.
- An ornate glass bottle is not necessary. Any glass/earthen ware containers would do.
- According to wikipedia, the inability to die unless the ghost is passed down is more closely related to that of the Hantu Raya but it is also the general believe that people who meddle with black magic would face a terrible and gruesome death.
- Like any local myth and legends, these facts may vary as information regarding these supernatural beings are usually passed down orally.
- How Liam came into possession of his ghost child was purely made up since I have no idea how said ritual is done.
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:23 am
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