Application | Soul Campaign
[ CHARACTER INFORMATION ]
Name: The Handmaid
Age: Unknown, appears to be roughly 6-7 Sweeps (13+ years)
Gender: Female
Canon: Homestuck
Timeline: Just as she runs into Lord English
Character History: http://mspaintadventures.wikia.com/wiki/Ancestors#The_Handmaid
Unlike the other Ancestors of the twelve trolls who eventually began Alternia’s world-ending game session, the Handmaid arrived what would appear to be too little too late. Six centuries late, to be exact, long past the time when the rest of the troll race save for their Empress, Her Imperial Condescension, had been eradicated, the other twelve survivors out of the reach of the genocidal Vast Glub of the Heir Apparent’s guardian. Her meteor was redirected to the Green Moon by Alternia’s First Guardian, Doc Scratch. He raised her to be The Handmaid to Lord English, the lessons he taught her meant to ‘emphasize obedience, mastery of the clockwork majyyks, and being locked in a room’. Understandably, the young girl was less than pleased by both these ‘lessons’ and the situation and attempted to escape- only to run right into the waiting arms of her future (and current, with her ability to travel through time) master.
So despite her efforts, she became His Handmaid, and he cursed her with a lifespan far beyond that which one of her blood color was meant to have, prolonging her service under his ever-watchful gaze. At his command, she went back in time to crucial points of Troll history, crushing or aiding rebellions as she was instructed (mostly crushing), and earning herself a reputation as an entity more supernatural than mortal. Trolls called her The Demoness, and she lived up to her title at her Master’s whim. Eventually, she would be given one last task- recruiting her replacement.
Ironically, the timing of this recruitment coincided with her younger self’s ‘escape’ right into Lord English’s waiting embrace, and as the younger ran into nearly-interminable servitude, the elder dove headlong toward death at the Empress’ hands. Her ‘recruitment’ entailed fighting the other Troll, her death a punishment for whatever small infractions she had committed over the centuries as well as a reward- death after such a long time of unwanted life and all but inescapable bondage.
Character Personality: Like most of the Ancestors (save for a couple of self-imposed exceptions), The Handmaid does not seem to have a personality like that of her descendant at all. Because of her upbringing, she’s developed something of a complex against authority figures, taking any and every opportunity provided to rebel against her caretaker, no matter how minutely. Whatever he tells her she can’t or shouldn’t do automatically reads as a challenge to her- she goes out of her way to go against what he says, no matter how much trouble it gets her into. She doesn’t seem to do it quietly either, the anger and resentment she maintains for her situation driving her to make her defiance blatant and oftentimes quite noticeable. She appears to be particularly fond of griefing her caretaker, as when she assaults Doc Scratch when he comes to reprimand her, he simply reacts with a dry ‘oh, this is what we’re doing?’
His methods of discipline, as well as his constant reminders of what she’s being groomed for, have resulted in a seeming lack of fear of the repercussions of her actions, or in fact, of death as a whole. She’s actually a bit on the suicidal side, willing to try and kill herself if only to attempt to throw a wrench into Scratch’s plan- despite knowing that there’s really no way for her to change the outcome of the way things will be because they’ve already happened. Her very existence is paradoxical, and she borders on nihilistic because of it- not so much disbelieving of a point to life so much as not liking or being willing to go along with what her continuing to live entails. It’s unusual, but despite knowing (to an extent, at least, as Doc Scratch can be quite unspecific) how things have gone/how they’ll turn out, it doesn’t stop her from trying to change them or her fate.
However, because of not only her upbringing but also her relative isolation from anyone other than the Good Doctor, she’s not exactly the most sociable of Trolls, even for someone of blood as low as hers, who should be relatively even-tempered. She’s snappish and rude, and is generally as crass and rude as she can be if only to spite her caretaker. In fact, a great majority of her ill-temperament is affected in an attempt to unsettle, unnerve or otherwise simply irritate Doc Scratch.
She’s not a wholly unpleasant girl, however- just not one who’s really had a chance to enjoy her life the way she wants. It’s unfortunate, but her every moment has been put into the hands of an omniscient cue ball-headed First Guardian whose only interest is his own. She’s had little to no control over her own life, so when she finally thinks she has a chance to, she’s not just happy, she’s overjoyed- bounding from rooftop to rooftop on her trek to escape Scratch’s grasp and for once be and do what she wants to do.
It’s easy to see, in this case how the inevitability of her fate, when Lord English catches up with her anyway, would make her want to not only hate her continued existence, but look forward to the day she can stop living.
Character Abilities you would like to expand on further: The Handmaid, aside from having been raised by an ass who knows everything, has been taught a great many things. The Clockwork Majyyks, while not expanded too heavily upon, are implied to be temporal in nature, though she is seen manipulating them to create tangible energy tendrils to attack her opponents. She’s also shown to be extremely acrobatic, flipping and maneuvering around Doc Scratch during their combat with seemingly little effort. It’s worth noting that in her escape attempt from Doc Scratch’s mansion, she’s seen bounding from rooftop to rooftop, implying that she’s not only acrobatic, but also strong and agile enough to take bounds across whole rooftops with little effort while running at top speed. It’s also highly likely that she’s well-versed on a number of subjects and skills simply because of her ‘lessons’, but I’ll be doing my best not to emphasize any of that if I can help it.
Character Weaknesses you would like to expand on further: Her inherent distrust of authority and general maladjustment around others will likely make her stay in Death City a lot more difficult than necessary. She’ll probably want to keep interaction with others as well as Shibusen-assigned missions to a minimum if she can, and finding a partner will be nothing if not difficult. Also, because she was raised by an omniscient being that tended to undercut and interject before she could even get a word in edgewise, she’ll likely refrain from talking too much unless it’s absolutely necessary- or if she’s feeling particularly vicious or spiteful.
[ SOUL CAMPAIGN SECTION ]
What abilities will your character retain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Proficiency with an array of… unusual weapons, such as her hairsticks.
- A vast, if slightly lacking knowledge of Alternian History due to Scratch’s constant omission of certain details (all most likely involving her, somehow).
- Better-than-average reflexes/speed, stamina, and acrobatic ability.
- Fearlessness- she’s not really afraid of anything, handy if things go downhill quickly.
What weaknesses will your character lose or gain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Fearlessness- Also a liability, because if she’s not afraid, she won’t hesitate to do things that are stupid or dangerous to not only her, but others.
- Intense paranoia- she will be expecting Scratch or Lord English to crop up at any given moment for her first couple of months in the game.
- Mortality- Scratch wouldn’t let her kill herself, and presumably, she’d be alive to serve Lord English for as long as he saw fit. She’s going to have to face that soon enough.
- Indecision. Not having been able to make any decisions for herself aside from how much and how often to annoy her caretaker, the sheer amount of things she’ll now not only be able, but allowed to do will be a little boggling for her, to be honest.
The wish Death the Kid made to the BREW in 2009 was to “rescue Death City and stop the waves of Madness from overtaking the world.” By whatever means necessary. Pretend you are the BREW. Why would you choose to bring this character to Death City?
Despite her ill temperament and overall unpleasant demeanor, the Handmaid is not exactly someone that can be described as ‘evil’. She does what she does because she has to, and while it does make her something of a menace in her world, the things she’s been raised to be able to do give her something of an edge when potentially dealing with Witches. She won’t hesitate because they’re female, she won’t hesitate because they (for the most part) appear human, and she will not be tempted to be merciful to a threat to her existence, no matter how much she may not want it to continue. While it would have likely been more prudent to take her from a point where she’s more battle-hardened as well, at this point in her life there’s still a bit of hope left in her that things can be changed, if she’s willing to try and do it, and in a situation where she is given a choice, she is likely to pursue that hope and that possible future.
If your character has difficulty verbally communicating or can’t verbally communicate at all (mute or non-humanoid), elaborate on how this will be treated in the game.
It’s not so much ‘difficulty’ so much as it is that she’s never really had much opportunity to do so, considering her caretaker (it’s always words words words with that guy, really), so even face to face, she’ll likely be limiting her communication to opening up a typing application and answering/asking questions or holding conversations with others that way. At least she will until she gets used to talking for more than just spitting taunts or curse words.
[ MEISTER ONLY SECTION ]
Why is your character a Meister and not a Weapon?
I’ve chosen to make Handmaid a Meister instead of a Weapon because she will, if she ever deigns to try and get one, do her best to make sure her partner is treated well because her weapon will be her partner, and not simply a tool to be used in battle as she sees fit. In short, not someone that’s to be treated like she was all of her life. In short, she’ll be a Meister who actually considers it a partnership and not just ‘using’ a weapon until something better comes along.
What is your character’s Meister Ability? Why?
Make a list of three chosen or created abilities and we will select one. Examples of Meister abilities can be found in the Meister Directory.
Soul Shatterpoint-
[ SOUL INFORMATION ]
Describe your character’s soul with six adjectives. Angry, Fierce, Rebellious, Nihilistic, Stubborn, Strong.
What does your character’s soul look like?
[ SAMPLES ]
Provide a First Person style sample in the form of a post to the DEMISE network.
[I know youre there
You always are
So why dont we stop this charade and you can just show yourself
Or have you begun to forget how to be a good host in your old age]
Fine
Ill do it this way then
Im supposed to believe that Im here because of something called BREW
Here to wield other tools
Weapons
In a war against Witches
This is by far the worst fucking farce Ive been subjected to
Cant you do any better Cueball
Provide a Third Person sample set during the last minutes on their world and/or their first few moments in the Kishin Chamber.
Escape was futile.
No matter how many times the lesson had been hammered into her, it never quite took. When she’d first made her way out of the mansion and onto the streets, excitement coursing through her body at the lack of pursuit, she’d thought maybe, just maybe, it was a good thing it hadn’t. There was nothing out here that could stop her- not with her ‘Guardian’ currently preoccupied and the clockwork majyyks she’d been learning for so long at her command. Barring someone she didn’t know the existence of trying to stop her; there was nothing in the way of her escape. She was free now, freer than she’d ever been-
-except she wasn’t, and as she turned to face the road ahead of her once again, she wished she’d never stopped looking back for the pursuit she’d thought would come. He was already there, and try as she might, there was no escaping Him.
She expected pain, expected agony- expected something other than sudden, sharp silence as her heartbeat seemed to slow to a stop, only to pick up again, racing triple-time as she sat up in the dark of the room surrounding her, body automatically tense and alert. It was like waking from a nightmare, if she recalled what that felt like correctly from before she’d been conditioned against feeling anything like fear. This wasn’t any room she recognized- not her room and certainly not any room in his mansion that had ever been used to ‘discipline’ her before- but then again, that cueball was nothing if not inventive. Wands are pulled out of her hair, to be held at the ready then, just in case he decides to try something- except that when she reaches for the well of power she pulls her clockwork majyyks from there’s nothing there. If she were anyone else, she would panic- maybe even worry at the lack. To her, this just means she can rip the stuffing out of him with her bare hands, and that- like the last time she’d managed as much- sounds absolutely perfect.
Something flickers nearby, and she’s almost livid suddenly with the perceived insinuation that she needs his help to find him, but no- it’s a screen. For a moment she wonders if she isn’t in her room again, but it’s one screen, not four, that fills her vision, and the creature that appears on the screen is not of a wholly unfamiliar species, but not any of the ones she’s seen before. The explanation he offers makes her rage halt for a moment- only to ignite it again as she realizes the reason she’s here.
She’s not to be an immortal tool, but a tool nonetheless- somehow, that makes her angrier than the idea of being His tool. At least He was willing to keep her intact until her job was done.
She and this ‘Shinigami’ are going to have a talk, then. A long. Hard. ‘Talk’.
[ NOTES ]
As it’s been brought up that Handmaid’s suicidal nature may be considered a playability issue, I’d like to note that I’ll be working around that. A main reason behind her suicidal tendencies is Doc Scratch and his inescapable presence- so by all rights, being in a place where he can’t reach her would be enough to make her rethink the attempt.
It’s also to be noted that at this point, she has not yet begun going back in time to mess with Alternia’s history- but at the same time, because of timey-wimey shenanigans, it’s something that’s already happened. Goddamn time paradoxes.
Name: The Handmaid
Age: Unknown, appears to be roughly 6-7 Sweeps (13+ years)
Gender: Female
Canon: Homestuck
Timeline: Just as she runs into Lord English
Character History: http://mspaintadventures.wikia.com/wiki/Ancestors#The_Handmaid
Unlike the other Ancestors of the twelve trolls who eventually began Alternia’s world-ending game session, the Handmaid arrived what would appear to be too little too late. Six centuries late, to be exact, long past the time when the rest of the troll race save for their Empress, Her Imperial Condescension, had been eradicated, the other twelve survivors out of the reach of the genocidal Vast Glub of the Heir Apparent’s guardian. Her meteor was redirected to the Green Moon by Alternia’s First Guardian, Doc Scratch. He raised her to be The Handmaid to Lord English, the lessons he taught her meant to ‘emphasize obedience, mastery of the clockwork majyyks, and being locked in a room’. Understandably, the young girl was less than pleased by both these ‘lessons’ and the situation and attempted to escape- only to run right into the waiting arms of her future (and current, with her ability to travel through time) master.
So despite her efforts, she became His Handmaid, and he cursed her with a lifespan far beyond that which one of her blood color was meant to have, prolonging her service under his ever-watchful gaze. At his command, she went back in time to crucial points of Troll history, crushing or aiding rebellions as she was instructed (mostly crushing), and earning herself a reputation as an entity more supernatural than mortal. Trolls called her The Demoness, and she lived up to her title at her Master’s whim. Eventually, she would be given one last task- recruiting her replacement.
Ironically, the timing of this recruitment coincided with her younger self’s ‘escape’ right into Lord English’s waiting embrace, and as the younger ran into nearly-interminable servitude, the elder dove headlong toward death at the Empress’ hands. Her ‘recruitment’ entailed fighting the other Troll, her death a punishment for whatever small infractions she had committed over the centuries as well as a reward- death after such a long time of unwanted life and all but inescapable bondage.
Character Personality: Like most of the Ancestors (save for a couple of self-imposed exceptions), The Handmaid does not seem to have a personality like that of her descendant at all. Because of her upbringing, she’s developed something of a complex against authority figures, taking any and every opportunity provided to rebel against her caretaker, no matter how minutely. Whatever he tells her she can’t or shouldn’t do automatically reads as a challenge to her- she goes out of her way to go against what he says, no matter how much trouble it gets her into. She doesn’t seem to do it quietly either, the anger and resentment she maintains for her situation driving her to make her defiance blatant and oftentimes quite noticeable. She appears to be particularly fond of griefing her caretaker, as when she assaults Doc Scratch when he comes to reprimand her, he simply reacts with a dry ‘oh, this is what we’re doing?’
His methods of discipline, as well as his constant reminders of what she’s being groomed for, have resulted in a seeming lack of fear of the repercussions of her actions, or in fact, of death as a whole. She’s actually a bit on the suicidal side, willing to try and kill herself if only to attempt to throw a wrench into Scratch’s plan- despite knowing that there’s really no way for her to change the outcome of the way things will be because they’ve already happened. Her very existence is paradoxical, and she borders on nihilistic because of it- not so much disbelieving of a point to life so much as not liking or being willing to go along with what her continuing to live entails. It’s unusual, but despite knowing (to an extent, at least, as Doc Scratch can be quite unspecific) how things have gone/how they’ll turn out, it doesn’t stop her from trying to change them or her fate.
However, because of not only her upbringing but also her relative isolation from anyone other than the Good Doctor, she’s not exactly the most sociable of Trolls, even for someone of blood as low as hers, who should be relatively even-tempered. She’s snappish and rude, and is generally as crass and rude as she can be if only to spite her caretaker. In fact, a great majority of her ill-temperament is affected in an attempt to unsettle, unnerve or otherwise simply irritate Doc Scratch.
She’s not a wholly unpleasant girl, however- just not one who’s really had a chance to enjoy her life the way she wants. It’s unfortunate, but her every moment has been put into the hands of an omniscient cue ball-headed First Guardian whose only interest is his own. She’s had little to no control over her own life, so when she finally thinks she has a chance to, she’s not just happy, she’s overjoyed- bounding from rooftop to rooftop on her trek to escape Scratch’s grasp and for once be and do what she wants to do.
It’s easy to see, in this case how the inevitability of her fate, when Lord English catches up with her anyway, would make her want to not only hate her continued existence, but look forward to the day she can stop living.
Character Abilities you would like to expand on further: The Handmaid, aside from having been raised by an ass who knows everything, has been taught a great many things. The Clockwork Majyyks, while not expanded too heavily upon, are implied to be temporal in nature, though she is seen manipulating them to create tangible energy tendrils to attack her opponents. She’s also shown to be extremely acrobatic, flipping and maneuvering around Doc Scratch during their combat with seemingly little effort. It’s worth noting that in her escape attempt from Doc Scratch’s mansion, she’s seen bounding from rooftop to rooftop, implying that she’s not only acrobatic, but also strong and agile enough to take bounds across whole rooftops with little effort while running at top speed. It’s also highly likely that she’s well-versed on a number of subjects and skills simply because of her ‘lessons’, but I’ll be doing my best not to emphasize any of that if I can help it.
Character Weaknesses you would like to expand on further: Her inherent distrust of authority and general maladjustment around others will likely make her stay in Death City a lot more difficult than necessary. She’ll probably want to keep interaction with others as well as Shibusen-assigned missions to a minimum if she can, and finding a partner will be nothing if not difficult. Also, because she was raised by an omniscient being that tended to undercut and interject before she could even get a word in edgewise, she’ll likely refrain from talking too much unless it’s absolutely necessary- or if she’s feeling particularly vicious or spiteful.
[ SOUL CAMPAIGN SECTION ]
What abilities will your character retain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Proficiency with an array of… unusual weapons, such as her hairsticks.
- A vast, if slightly lacking knowledge of Alternian History due to Scratch’s constant omission of certain details (all most likely involving her, somehow).
- Better-than-average reflexes/speed, stamina, and acrobatic ability.
- Fearlessness- she’s not really afraid of anything, handy if things go downhill quickly.
What weaknesses will your character lose or gain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Fearlessness- Also a liability, because if she’s not afraid, she won’t hesitate to do things that are stupid or dangerous to not only her, but others.
- Intense paranoia- she will be expecting Scratch or Lord English to crop up at any given moment for her first couple of months in the game.
- Mortality- Scratch wouldn’t let her kill herself, and presumably, she’d be alive to serve Lord English for as long as he saw fit. She’s going to have to face that soon enough.
- Indecision. Not having been able to make any decisions for herself aside from how much and how often to annoy her caretaker, the sheer amount of things she’ll now not only be able, but allowed to do will be a little boggling for her, to be honest.
The wish Death the Kid made to the BREW in 2009 was to “rescue Death City and stop the waves of Madness from overtaking the world.” By whatever means necessary. Pretend you are the BREW. Why would you choose to bring this character to Death City?
Despite her ill temperament and overall unpleasant demeanor, the Handmaid is not exactly someone that can be described as ‘evil’. She does what she does because she has to, and while it does make her something of a menace in her world, the things she’s been raised to be able to do give her something of an edge when potentially dealing with Witches. She won’t hesitate because they’re female, she won’t hesitate because they (for the most part) appear human, and she will not be tempted to be merciful to a threat to her existence, no matter how much she may not want it to continue. While it would have likely been more prudent to take her from a point where she’s more battle-hardened as well, at this point in her life there’s still a bit of hope left in her that things can be changed, if she’s willing to try and do it, and in a situation where she is given a choice, she is likely to pursue that hope and that possible future.
If your character has difficulty verbally communicating or can’t verbally communicate at all (mute or non-humanoid), elaborate on how this will be treated in the game.
It’s not so much ‘difficulty’ so much as it is that she’s never really had much opportunity to do so, considering her caretaker (it’s always words words words with that guy, really), so even face to face, she’ll likely be limiting her communication to opening up a typing application and answering/asking questions or holding conversations with others that way. At least she will until she gets used to talking for more than just spitting taunts or curse words.
[ MEISTER ONLY SECTION ]
Why is your character a Meister and not a Weapon?
I’ve chosen to make Handmaid a Meister instead of a Weapon because she will, if she ever deigns to try and get one, do her best to make sure her partner is treated well because her weapon will be her partner, and not simply a tool to be used in battle as she sees fit. In short, not someone that’s to be treated like she was all of her life. In short, she’ll be a Meister who actually considers it a partnership and not just ‘using’ a weapon until something better comes along.
What is your character’s Meister Ability? Why?
Make a list of three chosen or created abilities and we will select one. Examples of Meister abilities can be found in the Meister Directory.
Soul Shatterpoint-
[ SOUL INFORMATION ]
Describe your character’s soul with six adjectives. Angry, Fierce, Rebellious, Nihilistic, Stubborn, Strong.
What does your character’s soul look like?
[ SAMPLES ]
Provide a First Person style sample in the form of a post to the DEMISE network.
[I know youre there
You always are
So why dont we stop this charade and you can just show yourself
Or have you begun to forget how to be a good host in your old age]
Fine
Ill do it this way then
Im supposed to believe that Im here because of something called BREW
Here to wield other tools
Weapons
In a war against Witches
This is by far the worst fucking farce Ive been subjected to
Cant you do any better Cueball
Provide a Third Person sample set during the last minutes on their world and/or their first few moments in the Kishin Chamber.
Escape was futile.
No matter how many times the lesson had been hammered into her, it never quite took. When she’d first made her way out of the mansion and onto the streets, excitement coursing through her body at the lack of pursuit, she’d thought maybe, just maybe, it was a good thing it hadn’t. There was nothing out here that could stop her- not with her ‘Guardian’ currently preoccupied and the clockwork majyyks she’d been learning for so long at her command. Barring someone she didn’t know the existence of trying to stop her; there was nothing in the way of her escape. She was free now, freer than she’d ever been-
-except she wasn’t, and as she turned to face the road ahead of her once again, she wished she’d never stopped looking back for the pursuit she’d thought would come. He was already there, and try as she might, there was no escaping Him.
She expected pain, expected agony- expected something other than sudden, sharp silence as her heartbeat seemed to slow to a stop, only to pick up again, racing triple-time as she sat up in the dark of the room surrounding her, body automatically tense and alert. It was like waking from a nightmare, if she recalled what that felt like correctly from before she’d been conditioned against feeling anything like fear. This wasn’t any room she recognized- not her room and certainly not any room in his mansion that had ever been used to ‘discipline’ her before- but then again, that cueball was nothing if not inventive. Wands are pulled out of her hair, to be held at the ready then, just in case he decides to try something- except that when she reaches for the well of power she pulls her clockwork majyyks from there’s nothing there. If she were anyone else, she would panic- maybe even worry at the lack. To her, this just means she can rip the stuffing out of him with her bare hands, and that- like the last time she’d managed as much- sounds absolutely perfect.
Something flickers nearby, and she’s almost livid suddenly with the perceived insinuation that she needs his help to find him, but no- it’s a screen. For a moment she wonders if she isn’t in her room again, but it’s one screen, not four, that fills her vision, and the creature that appears on the screen is not of a wholly unfamiliar species, but not any of the ones she’s seen before. The explanation he offers makes her rage halt for a moment- only to ignite it again as she realizes the reason she’s here.
She’s not to be an immortal tool, but a tool nonetheless- somehow, that makes her angrier than the idea of being His tool. At least He was willing to keep her intact until her job was done.
She and this ‘Shinigami’ are going to have a talk, then. A long. Hard. ‘Talk’.
[ NOTES ]
As it’s been brought up that Handmaid’s suicidal nature may be considered a playability issue, I’d like to note that I’ll be working around that. A main reason behind her suicidal tendencies is Doc Scratch and his inescapable presence- so by all rights, being in a place where he can’t reach her would be enough to make her rethink the attempt.
It’s also to be noted that at this point, she has not yet begun going back in time to mess with Alternia’s history- but at the same time, because of timey-wimey shenanigans, it’s something that’s already happened. Goddamn time paradoxes.