Holloway's Keep Application
Name: Angus
Age: 19
Journal: uglyyomithing
Contact: Angusexpired (AIM)
1. Character's Name: Asma Hughes
2. Age: 37
3. Background: Asma was born on the island of Faudrin, a place fondly known as a "giant death trap." Full of dangerous flora, fauna, and terrain, it is incredibly easy to get hurt and even easier to get killed. The people of Faudrin have managed to survive for several generations, but not without significant losses. Even though they have lived there all their lives, death is unfortunately common - many children born do not survive past their 10th birthday, and it is still quite common for people of any age to get killed.
In the past, outsiders had come to try and make the island and its people more "hospitable". They did not succeed in making Faudrin any safer for outsiders, but in the process they managed to eliminate the use of their native language. (Although some of it survived in the form of song, although nobody can recall what it means, anymore.) However, after a while, the ones that had come to try and change Faudrin finally left, having decided that the island and everything in it was beyond hope. (Not to mention the fact that a significant amount of them had lost their lives thanks to Faudrin's environment.)
Many outsiders have since come to Faudrin, although these days they're volunteers (doctors, teachers, etc.), or hunters. While the place is definitely known to be dangerous, it is not necessarily a bad thing. The animals in Faudrin serve as an attraction to big game hunters, and hunters from all over the world frequently travel to Faudrin for a chance to try and take down some of the local fauna. However, since an outsider has little chance of surviving the wilds of Faudrin, every trip requires a "hunting group" to escort them - a guide, two or three more people to help deal with the animal(s) in question, and a nurse in case something goes wrong.
Asma was the second-youngest child in a family of nine, and from a young age she was taught to take care of herself and to always be prepared for anything that may happen. By the time she was 10 years old, roughly four of her siblings had died, and this only served as further motivation for her to try and keep herself alive. She spent all her time familiarizing herself with the island, training to hunt and fight with other islanders, and learning how to do different types of body art. (Body art - primarily tattoos and body painting - is a tradition in Faudrin. It can be used to signify adulthood, as a symbol of marriage, to tell a story, or any number of things.)
When she turned sixteen, Asma was welcomed into adulthood by getting her first tattoo, a row of pointed teeth just beneath the back of her neck. (A symbol meant to represent readiness to face the dangers of Faudrin as an adult.) As she got older, Asma became more and more adept with fighting, and by the time she was 20, she had become a seasoned hunting guide.
One particular trip was different, however, as the visiting hunter - Darren Hughes - had brought his 18-year-old son, Kieran, along in an attempt to "man him up". Asma was guiding this particular trip, although most of her time was spent protecting Kieran from the very animals they were hunting. Once the trip was over, they returned to the village and, while his father chose to go to sleep, Kieran was quite keen on talking to Asma. He spent most of the evening asking her about life in Faudrin and how she lived there, and eventually asked her if she could give him a tattoo. He offered to pay her, although she told him that she would do it for free. The next day, Asma spent several hours of the day tattooing Kieran - having given him the 'handprint of the gods', a symbol used when someone wants or needs to be protected by the gods.
During the rest of his week there, Kieran made a point to spend most of his time with Asma. While she didn't quite understand why he was doing it, but she found she didn't mind his company and welcomed the interaction.
Every once in a while, Darren would come back for yet another hunting visit, and Kieran would come with him - although, his reason for coming back was so he could see Asma again. When she was not busy, Kieran would spend time with her and they would spend hours talking with one another until Asma had to do something else or until they both needed to sleep. This routine of visiting and leaving and visiting again continued for two years, and Asma and Kieran's relationship grew stronger with every new visit. During one of these times, Asma had been injured while on one of the hunting trips she was guiding; one of the animals they were hunting had bitten her thigh and caused quite a bit of damage. While she was recovering, Kieran proposed to Asma, and she accepted.
They were wed a short while after Asma had fully recovered, and as a part of the ceremony, both Asma and Kieran's sides were tattooed with images of swimming fish. (A symbol meant to represent the unity of marriage, since the fish would appear to be swimming in an eternal circle whenever any married couple stood next to each other.) Many months later, Asma and Kieran had their first son, Nakki. This was eventually followed by Asma's next tattoo, a sapling on her left hip - a tattoo that all mothers in Faudrin get a while after giving birth to their first child.
Their life was relatively average, although Kieran spent most of his time taking care of Nakki while Asma continued to work as a hunting guide and the like. However, she always made a point to spend as much time with her son as she could. Occasionally they would leave Faudrin to visit Kieran's home and his family for a short while before returning to Faudrin. Six years later, Asma gave birth to her daughter, Nadya, during one of their visits with Kieran's family.
Life went about as normal for the next nine years - better than normal, really. While death was always an unfortunately common occurrence in Faudrin, no one in their immediate family had died. There were a few close encounters, but none had ended in someone's death.
Unfortunately, this streak of good luck did not last forever. One evening while Asma and Kieran were out searching for items and materials to bring back to the village, Kieran slipped and fell into a nearby river. Asma tried to rescue him, but the current pulled him too far out, and she didn't go out any further because doing so would be putting her own life at risk. Kieran's body was never found, and it was assumed that it must have been eaten by one of the many water-dwelling animals in Faudrin.
Several weeks after Kieran's death, Asma found out she was pregnant with her third child. She spent most of this time taking care of both Nakki and Nadya, since Kieran was no longer around to take care of them while she tended to her duties in the village. She was still able to balance both her home life and everything else she needed to do, but definitely not as much as she could when Kieran was still alive.
Months later, Asma gave birth to her second son, Nobu. (The choice of name was mainly because Kieran was always fond of names that began with the letter 'n'.) Since then, Asma spent her time taking care of both herself and her family, as well as making sure she can still contribute to the well-being of their village.
...and then she's summoned to Holloway's Keep!
4. Personality: Asma is a woman that could easily be thought of as distant, cold, and uncaring. While this is true to an extent, this is mostly due to Faudrin's culture and how she was raised. Faudrin has a saying that goes, "To mourn is a dead man's pastime." It's essentially a way of saying, any time taken to mourn the loss of a loved one is enough time to grant someone or something an opportunity to kill you. Basically, when faced with something like death or loss, Asma's reactions are minimal because she has been trained to keep her emotions inside. She's just used to not being able to afford the luxury of expressing them.
However, with that being said, Asma is definitely not without feelings. She is fairly serious, although she has a somewhat morbid sense of humour (joking about death, injury, and loss is one of the ways she tries to cope with these issues), and depending on the relationship she has with someone, she may choose to tease them from time to time. Her maternal instinct runs deep, and she is fiercely protective of her children - or any young person she bonds with, really.
The death of her husband has had a rather large impact on her, even if she's never allowed herself to show it. Asma always blamed herself for Kieran's death, since she had not gone out any further to save him due to fear of losing her own life. Since then, she has vowed to always protect someone she cares for if they are in danger, no matter what the circumstances. Should she die, then at least the person she tries to rescue will come out of it alive. Asma will readily put herself at risk if it means protecting someone she cares for, or will do her best to take out anything she has deemed to be an immediate threat to them.
Also, while Asma has spent all her life bottling up her negative emotions, it is definitely possible to get her to let them out. Of course it would take quite a bit of effort and prodding, and after so much time keeping it all inside...well. To finally let it all out would be something of an emotional explosion. It wouldn't be pleasant.
5. Previous Game Developments: N/A.
6. Appearance: Asma has light brown skin, brown eyes, and straight, brown hair. Asma has a fairly average figure, not terribly thick or thin, and her height is roughly 5'6". She has several tattoos - a sapling on her left hip, a swimming fish on her right side, and a row of pointed teeth just below the back of her neck. She also has a large scar on her thigh, from when she was bitten during one of the less profitable hunting trips she hosted.
7. Abilities: No supernatural abilities whatsoever. Asma is relatively quick, and skilled with a blade. She's also fairly strong and has a high tolerance for pain. However, Asma wouldn't be able to hold her own against someone with, say, superhuman abilities.
She’s also a damned good tattoo artist, although she uses more traditional methods (pointy thing+ink+tapping it into skin) rather than a machine. Asma sings as well, but she doesn’t do it terribly often.
8. Languages: English/Common. She knows a few lullabies in her native language, but it’s been so long that nobody can actually remember what they mean or translate to. They just sound pretty.
9. Items: A small doll that belonged to her daughter, Nadya.
10. Weapons: None.
11. Writing sample - Third Person Prose: “...So what about tattoos?”
Asma’s gaze wanders from away from the fire as she hears Kieran’s question. He looks...awkward. He holds his legs close while he tucks them under his chin, and the light from the fire illuminates every last one of the freckles dotting his face - far too many for her to count - and makes his hair seem redder than it actually is. He’s smiling, although it isn’t completely there. It’s the same look someone gives her when they want to ask a question, but don’t want to risk offending her.
She offers him a slight smirk, “What about tattoos?”
Kieran shifts just a bit, absently clearing his throat as he scratches at the base of his neck.
“Well, it’s like...I guess I want to know why they’re so important? I mean, I know they’re important because I haven’t seen many people without them, but I don’t really know why. ...Wait! Shit, I’m sorry, was the way I phrased that offensive? Let me try again...”
Asma’s smirk grows wider and she shakes her head before giving Kieran’s side a gentle shove, “It is fine. Tattoos and body art in Faudrin are...important for different reasons. We use them to tell stories, to ask for assistance from the gods, to welcome our children into adulthood...” She pauses before absently waving her hand, “And so on. Everyone in Faudrin has at least one tattoo by their sixteenth birthday.”
“Right!” Kieran nods, looking a touch too eager. “That’s the one for...the adulthood thing, right? Or is there another tattoo you guys get before you’re sixteen?”
“No, you were correct. Why? Would you like one?”
“Yes, that’d be great, but...” He pauses and holds up his hands, “I mean I get that I’m an outsider and all. It probably wouldn’t be um...good for me to get a tattoo with such cultural significance, but maybe something else? And if it helps any, I can pay you! My dad would probably think it’s good for me to get a tattoo, like it’ll make me manlier or something.”
Asma’s initial response is to just laugh - it’s a very soft sound, but it’s not impossible to hear.
“It isn’t uncommon for outsiders to get Faudrin tattoos, you know. Your father has one, too.”
“Oh...” Kieran’s expression quickly shifts from one of clarity to confusion, “Wait, he does?”
“Yes, he does.” Asma fixes the younger man with a dry stare, although there’s still a definite hint of amusement lurking in her features. “So. Do you want a tattoo?”
“Sure! I mean...yeah. That’d be cool, I guess.”
12. Writing sample - First Person Prose: So. This is it? [Her voice sounds...rather calm. ] I always imagined that I'd be long dead when the world ended. If this message is true, then I suppose I was wrong. Still, even though I've been stolen from my family and home, I have to say that this is difficult for me to believe.
If the entire universe is gone, then how are we here? As far as I know, the universe is essentially everything that exists. If the universe is really gone, then I'd think that this place would be gone as well. Unless, of course, I've been summoned to a place that doesn't exist.
What an interesting thought.
[Several minutes of silence follow before she pipes up once more. If one pays close attention, they will be able to notice the slightest quiver in her voice.]
...I suppose this would mean our families have ceased to exist as well?
13. Tattoo: Inner left thigh.
Age: 19
Journal: uglyyomithing
Contact: Angusexpired (AIM)
1. Character's Name: Asma Hughes
2. Age: 37
3. Background: Asma was born on the island of Faudrin, a place fondly known as a "giant death trap." Full of dangerous flora, fauna, and terrain, it is incredibly easy to get hurt and even easier to get killed. The people of Faudrin have managed to survive for several generations, but not without significant losses. Even though they have lived there all their lives, death is unfortunately common - many children born do not survive past their 10th birthday, and it is still quite common for people of any age to get killed.
In the past, outsiders had come to try and make the island and its people more "hospitable". They did not succeed in making Faudrin any safer for outsiders, but in the process they managed to eliminate the use of their native language. (Although some of it survived in the form of song, although nobody can recall what it means, anymore.) However, after a while, the ones that had come to try and change Faudrin finally left, having decided that the island and everything in it was beyond hope. (Not to mention the fact that a significant amount of them had lost their lives thanks to Faudrin's environment.)
Many outsiders have since come to Faudrin, although these days they're volunteers (doctors, teachers, etc.), or hunters. While the place is definitely known to be dangerous, it is not necessarily a bad thing. The animals in Faudrin serve as an attraction to big game hunters, and hunters from all over the world frequently travel to Faudrin for a chance to try and take down some of the local fauna. However, since an outsider has little chance of surviving the wilds of Faudrin, every trip requires a "hunting group" to escort them - a guide, two or three more people to help deal with the animal(s) in question, and a nurse in case something goes wrong.
Asma was the second-youngest child in a family of nine, and from a young age she was taught to take care of herself and to always be prepared for anything that may happen. By the time she was 10 years old, roughly four of her siblings had died, and this only served as further motivation for her to try and keep herself alive. She spent all her time familiarizing herself with the island, training to hunt and fight with other islanders, and learning how to do different types of body art. (Body art - primarily tattoos and body painting - is a tradition in Faudrin. It can be used to signify adulthood, as a symbol of marriage, to tell a story, or any number of things.)
When she turned sixteen, Asma was welcomed into adulthood by getting her first tattoo, a row of pointed teeth just beneath the back of her neck. (A symbol meant to represent readiness to face the dangers of Faudrin as an adult.) As she got older, Asma became more and more adept with fighting, and by the time she was 20, she had become a seasoned hunting guide.
One particular trip was different, however, as the visiting hunter - Darren Hughes - had brought his 18-year-old son, Kieran, along in an attempt to "man him up". Asma was guiding this particular trip, although most of her time was spent protecting Kieran from the very animals they were hunting. Once the trip was over, they returned to the village and, while his father chose to go to sleep, Kieran was quite keen on talking to Asma. He spent most of the evening asking her about life in Faudrin and how she lived there, and eventually asked her if she could give him a tattoo. He offered to pay her, although she told him that she would do it for free. The next day, Asma spent several hours of the day tattooing Kieran - having given him the 'handprint of the gods', a symbol used when someone wants or needs to be protected by the gods.
During the rest of his week there, Kieran made a point to spend most of his time with Asma. While she didn't quite understand why he was doing it, but she found she didn't mind his company and welcomed the interaction.
Every once in a while, Darren would come back for yet another hunting visit, and Kieran would come with him - although, his reason for coming back was so he could see Asma again. When she was not busy, Kieran would spend time with her and they would spend hours talking with one another until Asma had to do something else or until they both needed to sleep. This routine of visiting and leaving and visiting again continued for two years, and Asma and Kieran's relationship grew stronger with every new visit. During one of these times, Asma had been injured while on one of the hunting trips she was guiding; one of the animals they were hunting had bitten her thigh and caused quite a bit of damage. While she was recovering, Kieran proposed to Asma, and she accepted.
They were wed a short while after Asma had fully recovered, and as a part of the ceremony, both Asma and Kieran's sides were tattooed with images of swimming fish. (A symbol meant to represent the unity of marriage, since the fish would appear to be swimming in an eternal circle whenever any married couple stood next to each other.) Many months later, Asma and Kieran had their first son, Nakki. This was eventually followed by Asma's next tattoo, a sapling on her left hip - a tattoo that all mothers in Faudrin get a while after giving birth to their first child.
Their life was relatively average, although Kieran spent most of his time taking care of Nakki while Asma continued to work as a hunting guide and the like. However, she always made a point to spend as much time with her son as she could. Occasionally they would leave Faudrin to visit Kieran's home and his family for a short while before returning to Faudrin. Six years later, Asma gave birth to her daughter, Nadya, during one of their visits with Kieran's family.
Life went about as normal for the next nine years - better than normal, really. While death was always an unfortunately common occurrence in Faudrin, no one in their immediate family had died. There were a few close encounters, but none had ended in someone's death.
Unfortunately, this streak of good luck did not last forever. One evening while Asma and Kieran were out searching for items and materials to bring back to the village, Kieran slipped and fell into a nearby river. Asma tried to rescue him, but the current pulled him too far out, and she didn't go out any further because doing so would be putting her own life at risk. Kieran's body was never found, and it was assumed that it must have been eaten by one of the many water-dwelling animals in Faudrin.
Several weeks after Kieran's death, Asma found out she was pregnant with her third child. She spent most of this time taking care of both Nakki and Nadya, since Kieran was no longer around to take care of them while she tended to her duties in the village. She was still able to balance both her home life and everything else she needed to do, but definitely not as much as she could when Kieran was still alive.
Months later, Asma gave birth to her second son, Nobu. (The choice of name was mainly because Kieran was always fond of names that began with the letter 'n'.) Since then, Asma spent her time taking care of both herself and her family, as well as making sure she can still contribute to the well-being of their village.
...and then she's summoned to Holloway's Keep!
4. Personality: Asma is a woman that could easily be thought of as distant, cold, and uncaring. While this is true to an extent, this is mostly due to Faudrin's culture and how she was raised. Faudrin has a saying that goes, "To mourn is a dead man's pastime." It's essentially a way of saying, any time taken to mourn the loss of a loved one is enough time to grant someone or something an opportunity to kill you. Basically, when faced with something like death or loss, Asma's reactions are minimal because she has been trained to keep her emotions inside. She's just used to not being able to afford the luxury of expressing them.
However, with that being said, Asma is definitely not without feelings. She is fairly serious, although she has a somewhat morbid sense of humour (joking about death, injury, and loss is one of the ways she tries to cope with these issues), and depending on the relationship she has with someone, she may choose to tease them from time to time. Her maternal instinct runs deep, and she is fiercely protective of her children - or any young person she bonds with, really.
The death of her husband has had a rather large impact on her, even if she's never allowed herself to show it. Asma always blamed herself for Kieran's death, since she had not gone out any further to save him due to fear of losing her own life. Since then, she has vowed to always protect someone she cares for if they are in danger, no matter what the circumstances. Should she die, then at least the person she tries to rescue will come out of it alive. Asma will readily put herself at risk if it means protecting someone she cares for, or will do her best to take out anything she has deemed to be an immediate threat to them.
Also, while Asma has spent all her life bottling up her negative emotions, it is definitely possible to get her to let them out. Of course it would take quite a bit of effort and prodding, and after so much time keeping it all inside...well. To finally let it all out would be something of an emotional explosion. It wouldn't be pleasant.
5. Previous Game Developments: N/A.
6. Appearance: Asma has light brown skin, brown eyes, and straight, brown hair. Asma has a fairly average figure, not terribly thick or thin, and her height is roughly 5'6". She has several tattoos - a sapling on her left hip, a swimming fish on her right side, and a row of pointed teeth just below the back of her neck. She also has a large scar on her thigh, from when she was bitten during one of the less profitable hunting trips she hosted.
7. Abilities: No supernatural abilities whatsoever. Asma is relatively quick, and skilled with a blade. She's also fairly strong and has a high tolerance for pain. However, Asma wouldn't be able to hold her own against someone with, say, superhuman abilities.
She’s also a damned good tattoo artist, although she uses more traditional methods (pointy thing+ink+tapping it into skin) rather than a machine. Asma sings as well, but she doesn’t do it terribly often.
8. Languages: English/Common. She knows a few lullabies in her native language, but it’s been so long that nobody can actually remember what they mean or translate to. They just sound pretty.
9. Items: A small doll that belonged to her daughter, Nadya.
10. Weapons: None.
11. Writing sample - Third Person Prose: “...So what about tattoos?”
Asma’s gaze wanders from away from the fire as she hears Kieran’s question. He looks...awkward. He holds his legs close while he tucks them under his chin, and the light from the fire illuminates every last one of the freckles dotting his face - far too many for her to count - and makes his hair seem redder than it actually is. He’s smiling, although it isn’t completely there. It’s the same look someone gives her when they want to ask a question, but don’t want to risk offending her.
She offers him a slight smirk, “What about tattoos?”
Kieran shifts just a bit, absently clearing his throat as he scratches at the base of his neck.
“Well, it’s like...I guess I want to know why they’re so important? I mean, I know they’re important because I haven’t seen many people without them, but I don’t really know why. ...Wait! Shit, I’m sorry, was the way I phrased that offensive? Let me try again...”
Asma’s smirk grows wider and she shakes her head before giving Kieran’s side a gentle shove, “It is fine. Tattoos and body art in Faudrin are...important for different reasons. We use them to tell stories, to ask for assistance from the gods, to welcome our children into adulthood...” She pauses before absently waving her hand, “And so on. Everyone in Faudrin has at least one tattoo by their sixteenth birthday.”
“Right!” Kieran nods, looking a touch too eager. “That’s the one for...the adulthood thing, right? Or is there another tattoo you guys get before you’re sixteen?”
“No, you were correct. Why? Would you like one?”
“Yes, that’d be great, but...” He pauses and holds up his hands, “I mean I get that I’m an outsider and all. It probably wouldn’t be um...good for me to get a tattoo with such cultural significance, but maybe something else? And if it helps any, I can pay you! My dad would probably think it’s good for me to get a tattoo, like it’ll make me manlier or something.”
Asma’s initial response is to just laugh - it’s a very soft sound, but it’s not impossible to hear.
“It isn’t uncommon for outsiders to get Faudrin tattoos, you know. Your father has one, too.”
“Oh...” Kieran’s expression quickly shifts from one of clarity to confusion, “Wait, he does?”
“Yes, he does.” Asma fixes the younger man with a dry stare, although there’s still a definite hint of amusement lurking in her features. “So. Do you want a tattoo?”
“Sure! I mean...yeah. That’d be cool, I guess.”
12. Writing sample - First Person Prose: So. This is it? [Her voice sounds...rather calm. ] I always imagined that I'd be long dead when the world ended. If this message is true, then I suppose I was wrong. Still, even though I've been stolen from my family and home, I have to say that this is difficult for me to believe.
If the entire universe is gone, then how are we here? As far as I know, the universe is essentially everything that exists. If the universe is really gone, then I'd think that this place would be gone as well. Unless, of course, I've been summoned to a place that doesn't exist.
What an interesting thought.
[Several minutes of silence follow before she pipes up once more. If one pays close attention, they will be able to notice the slightest quiver in her voice.]
...I suppose this would mean our families have ceased to exist as well?
13. Tattoo: Inner left thigh.