Ruby City App.
PLAYER
Name: Ixaix
Personal Journal:
E-mail:
AIM/MSN/etc: Ixaix
CHARACTER
Name: STRAY ID 119-199-1
Age: Stray can, and will, proudly tell you that she has seen the desert orchids bloom three times. While this may seem like a pointless piece of information, it’s actually very helpful. Desert orchids bloom once every four years and--assuming that the youngest age cognitive memory can come from is three-- can lead one to assume that Stray is at least fifteen. In actuality she’s closer to twenty, but with her lack of a concept of time it’s not likely she’ll ever figure out an exact number on her own.
Appearance: Stray is small and, at an even five feet on a tall day, seemingly very delicately built. However the sharp definition of the muscles under her deeply tanned skin should tip the observer off to the strength hidden in that lithe frame. Stray has always longed to be taller and walks on her tiptoes to seem thus. Along the inside of her right arm, running from wrist to elbow, her name is tattooed, which may be the sole reason she remembers it so readily.
Only one of Stray’s deep purple eyes are visible; her left eye is covered by a bone eyepatch, which is further hidden from view by the odd cut of her fine white hair to fall long only in that one area. The longer bangs are braided and interwoven with small stone beads while all the rest of her hair is rather messily chopped off; when it gets long enough that Stray can hold it in her fist, she hacks it short again. All these precautions are put in place to hide the fact that heavy metal thread has been used to sew the eye shut. Few would guess it to look at the small girl with large feline ears and long fluffy tail perfectly coordinated in hue to match her hair.
Stray creates an odd contrast of dark and light, which is only furthered by her clothing. Hand-sewn and more practical than fashionable, each garment is made from the tanned hides of duneswimmers, large white beasts that live in her native desert of pale sand. This is topped by a long, hooded cloak woven of softest silks, which Stray has always had-- where she got it is a good question to which she has no answer.
On her person at all times is a small pouch filled with odds and ends, all of which have a special meaning to her, even if she’s forgotten what it was. They are: a small ocarina carved of bone, dog tags (these have her "name" punched into the thin metal and are highly polished as she regularly rubs her thumb over the letters), a rough hunk of stone (in the light this looks like a normal chunk of black rock, but it lights up in the dark to create shadows), a scrap of richly designed cloth, several large white feathers and scales, a handful of small, smooth pebbles, and a small and tattered piece of paper with a series of seemingly random symbols scrawled across it, faded to almost illegibility by time. The pouch hangs from her belt along with her long white knife.
Stray, having lived in exile in the barren desert for as long as she can remember, has taught herself to read, write and speak to a degree. When she is first brought into a group of people her verbal abilities will be understandably limited to, at the very most, three word sentences that are rather jumbled and follow more her trains of thought than any linear or logical process. As she spends more time with others, however, her true brilliance is revealed in part as both her personal lexicon and diction progress in leaps and bounds; in a relatively short amount of time Stray will be forming complex sentences sustaining intelligent conversations.
Chosen PB: We’ll be using the icons I’ve drawn for her, such as they are :3
Personality: Being an exiled nomad in the desert for the majority of her life with only the disembodied souls of the dead to keep her company, Stray is understandably a little-- off. Yet she is actually quite brilliant and observant, creating a strange dichotomy. The longer Stray has been around people, the better her mental faculties function and the more obvious it is that she is more than merely insane.
“Personal space" and Stray have never met; even if they had it's unlikely that they would get along. She has no qualms about getting right up in someone's face or touching them. People touching her, however, is met with a completely different reaction as she's never had such a sensation before. "Modesty" is another foreign concept to the duskstrider. Having never had a need for it before, there's little chance she'll start now. Stray has no qualms about being naked in front of others, though she doesn't make a habit of it, nor does she mind seeing others without clothing.
Extremely adept at reading body language, even if verbal cues are missed entirely, Stray divides people into three types: Predator, Prey, and Pack. Predators are to be avoided and treated with respect, though she will fight them should she be backed into a corner. Prey are treated with kindness but little respect. Pack are those that she views as family and will play with as well as protect with her life.
World Information:
Planet: Terrace
Peoples
On Terrace there are three distinct races:
The Solaris who live at the northern pole of Terrace and whose capital city is Helios. They are a peaceful and scholarly people, delighting in nothing more than creating beautiful works of art, discussing philosophical principles and composing and listening to music. In this latter field they are especially adept, able to create entire illusionary worlds with their songs. The Solaris are distinguishable by their wings, long pointed ears, and feathery hair, all a rich golden color. Their eye color can be anywhere on the spectrum between dark brown to light gold.
The Lunaris who live at the southern pole of Terrace and whose capital city is Selene. They are a warrior race, built in both mind and body to be the perfect soldiers. Loyal, fierce, and utterly fearless, they are not to be crossed as an offense to one is an offense to the whole people. The Lunaris are distinguishable by their half-feline appearance, including cat ears, tail, slitted pupils, and digitigrade back legs. Their hair and fur are the purest of silver and their eye color varies between black to light silver-grey.
The Aradia who occupy the rest of Terrace between the poles, save for the blistering desert that encircles the equator. They most closely resemble humans in their appearance and have dark brown or black hair and eyes.
Both the Lunaris and Solaris descended from a common ancestor, as is obvious by their ability to mate and produce hybrid offspring; both can also engage in sexual relations with Aradia but no children will be made of such a joining. Where in the genetic stream the Solaris and Lunaris parted ways to become so radically different in appearance and temperament has been lost to the passage of time.
Geography
Terrace is a planet about three-fourths the size of Earth; there are two suns in its solar system and has a single satellite. The planet is divided between three main geographical regions: the poles, the mountains/forests, and the desert. At either pole is the coldest climates, but also the most beautiful landscapes. The desert encircles the entire planet around the equator like a belt and is completely uninhabited save for the beasts native to the territory. In between these two areas are the mountains and forests which have a more temperate and varied climate. There are no oceans, but several large lakes exist worldwide.
Flora/Fauna
To try and describe the entirety of the plants and animals of Terrace would be an attempt to write an encyclopedia, so this will be used to discuss the ones that most directly affect Stray.
Most of the wildlife are reptilian in nature: duneswimmers and draconians are the largest predators, both boasting white hides to blend in with white sands of their desert homes. The mammals tend to be small and rodent-like, with a few exceptions such as the multiple horned antelope and large sandfoxes.
The plants are few and far between, with the most noted being the desert orchid and thornblooms.
Lore
There is a legend that if a Solaris and a Lunaris mate, the offspring of this union has the potential to bring about the end of the world. These children are known as duskstriders and are taboo, condemned to exile from the moment they are born. They are forever marked by their white hair, fur or wings, and purple eyes.
In reality, duskstriders are actually the salvation of the world. They hold within them a portal that the souls of the dead can use to pass from this life to the next. These beings appear as small shadow creatures to the duskstriders, who often don't realize the creatures for what they are. If there are too many of these shadows about, the balance of the world could be thrown off and allow the true evil through.
This true evil takes the form of a entity simply known as the “Void” who has, over the centuries, tried multiple times to escape the prison formed by the light of the moon and suns... Or so the legend goes.
History: Stray’s planet is actually very technologically advanced, though you wouldn’t know it to talk to Stray. They have long since reached the point of dismissing most of their traditions as myths, but have run into a problem. Some things simply cannot be explained away.
One such thing is the imbalance created by the shadows of the dead, though few realize them for such. It was observed that duskstriders seemed to attract this strange phenomenon and the STRAY program was created, dubbed such due to the fact that the hybrids are unable to exist in either world of their parents.
The duskstriders created for the program were raised until the age of two when their powers to draw the shadows would manifest, as not all duskstriders are born with them. Should these become active, then their eyes are sewn shut and the now docile beings are raised in facilities. However, without access to that aspect of their powers, the duskstriders lose the strength of the portal in them over time and become ineffective.
When our Stray was born, the shadows took matters into their own “hands” in an act of pure desperation. They watched from the edges of reality as she grew, sensing the massive portal within her. When this became obvious to the researchers as well as Stray began her second year of life, they attempted to preform the same procedures as usual. However they only got as far as sewing shut her left eye before the shadows took action. To this day, what happened at that facility is still a mystery with the only evidence several bloodstains splattered across the operating room. STRAY ID 119-199-1 disappeared along with any evidence of her existence.
The shadows of the dead brought Stray to a new-mother draconian, who took the child under her wing along with her own litter. Raised this way for the developmental years of her life, Stray learned to survive in Terrace’s harshest environment. The little duskstrider was bright and strong, developing into a beautiful young woman who was, admittedly, more than a little insane. Few knew of the strange desert dweller, but she was caught twice when she went exploring too close to one of the four main highways. After both events she emerged covered in blood, sporting new scars, and unable to remember anything that had transpired. The memories were locked away deep within her subconscious and she continued on with her exiled lifestyle unhindered.
Stray was not as alone, though. For as long as she could remember she had been surrounded by her “friends”, the little shadow creatures that embodied the souls of the dead. They lent her their strength and their powers, which grew daily. The darkness that had once attempted to destroy the world was not unaware of her, however, and would endeavor by any means possible to end her.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Stray has no idea how to interact with people, responding instead on pure instinct instead of social tact. This leads her to be blunt and unable to understand why people get upset with her for being such. However she is loyal to members of her “pack” and will protect them with a fervor that has no regard for her own safety.
She also suffers from severe night terrors every once in a while, brought on by her suppressed memories. The main side-effect of this is that her nightmares can become embodied by the shadows around her.
Abilities: Stray is granted power over the shadows both by her birthright and by her "friends". However, these powers require a certain amount of mental stability-- Therefore the longer Stray has been exposed to people and her ability to reason has developed, the more powerful she becomes. Her skills are also sight-based, hence the attempt to sew her eyes closed at birth. Some examples of her shadow abilities are the ability to jump from shadow to shadow by using them as doorways, creating tendrils of shadow to attack or defend, and summoning shadowy protectors.
Stray's saliva has healing properties; any wound she or another has with be treated to a vigorous licking, whether she's met the other person or not. She also bears retractable claws and a strange sense of balance that borders on the defying of gravity.
Stray gained the gift of music from her Solaris ancestors and can create scenes with her songs, so realistic that they are often accompanied by the smells and tactile feelings of the world portrayed.
First Person: The doors to the train slide open and a white clothed figure stumbles out; her hands are cuffed behind her back and attached by a long chain to the manacles on her ankles. When she falls to her knees, she drops the communicator held in her hand, accidentally turning it on.
The feed shows her struggling against the chains, the hood falling from where it covers her face to reveal an exotic young woman with white hair and large matching feline ears, a striking contrast to her darkly tanned skin. She is blindfolded and, no matter how much she rubs it against her shoulder, she cannot get it off. Finally she collapses on the ground, exhausted. From her dry and cracked lips comes a hoarse plea.]
...H’lp...
Third Person: She lay on the ground, naked skin covered in bruises and cuts. Curled up in a tight ball, she shivered every once in a while with nothing to shield her from the chill of the air beyond the long white tail wrapped around her legs. She stared without seeing into the blackness from her single working eye.
The door to the room opened to let in a shaft of light, broken only by the profile of several young men. She flinched away from the light while at the same time attempting to move toward it, ending in a pathetic half-motion. A slight whimper escaped her lips as one of the men approached.
“Shh, little bastard, we don’t want anyone else to hear, do we?” He grabbed her by the hair, jerking her head up to look into his silver eyes.
At that moment, the lines of nightmare and reality ceased to exist. The shadows created by the men began to twist and writhe, rising from the floor to wrap around them before they could cry out. They were dragged into the blackness and all was still until a few moments later several splatters of blood appeared in the scant light.
The girl was pulled to her feet by the shadows and pushed out of the room with a gentle urgency. She stumbled along, pausing only to pick up her discarded clothes and wrap the long white cloak around her damaged body. By the next morning, she wouldn’t remember a thing.
Name: Ixaix
Personal Journal:
E-mail:
AIM/MSN/etc: Ixaix
CHARACTER
Name: STRAY ID 119-199-1
Age: Stray can, and will, proudly tell you that she has seen the desert orchids bloom three times. While this may seem like a pointless piece of information, it’s actually very helpful. Desert orchids bloom once every four years and--assuming that the youngest age cognitive memory can come from is three-- can lead one to assume that Stray is at least fifteen. In actuality she’s closer to twenty, but with her lack of a concept of time it’s not likely she’ll ever figure out an exact number on her own.
Appearance: Stray is small and, at an even five feet on a tall day, seemingly very delicately built. However the sharp definition of the muscles under her deeply tanned skin should tip the observer off to the strength hidden in that lithe frame. Stray has always longed to be taller and walks on her tiptoes to seem thus. Along the inside of her right arm, running from wrist to elbow, her name is tattooed, which may be the sole reason she remembers it so readily.
Only one of Stray’s deep purple eyes are visible; her left eye is covered by a bone eyepatch, which is further hidden from view by the odd cut of her fine white hair to fall long only in that one area. The longer bangs are braided and interwoven with small stone beads while all the rest of her hair is rather messily chopped off; when it gets long enough that Stray can hold it in her fist, she hacks it short again. All these precautions are put in place to hide the fact that heavy metal thread has been used to sew the eye shut. Few would guess it to look at the small girl with large feline ears and long fluffy tail perfectly coordinated in hue to match her hair.
Stray creates an odd contrast of dark and light, which is only furthered by her clothing. Hand-sewn and more practical than fashionable, each garment is made from the tanned hides of duneswimmers, large white beasts that live in her native desert of pale sand. This is topped by a long, hooded cloak woven of softest silks, which Stray has always had-- where she got it is a good question to which she has no answer.
On her person at all times is a small pouch filled with odds and ends, all of which have a special meaning to her, even if she’s forgotten what it was. They are: a small ocarina carved of bone, dog tags (these have her "name" punched into the thin metal and are highly polished as she regularly rubs her thumb over the letters), a rough hunk of stone (in the light this looks like a normal chunk of black rock, but it lights up in the dark to create shadows), a scrap of richly designed cloth, several large white feathers and scales, a handful of small, smooth pebbles, and a small and tattered piece of paper with a series of seemingly random symbols scrawled across it, faded to almost illegibility by time. The pouch hangs from her belt along with her long white knife.
Stray, having lived in exile in the barren desert for as long as she can remember, has taught herself to read, write and speak to a degree. When she is first brought into a group of people her verbal abilities will be understandably limited to, at the very most, three word sentences that are rather jumbled and follow more her trains of thought than any linear or logical process. As she spends more time with others, however, her true brilliance is revealed in part as both her personal lexicon and diction progress in leaps and bounds; in a relatively short amount of time Stray will be forming complex sentences sustaining intelligent conversations.
Chosen PB: We’ll be using the icons I’ve drawn for her, such as they are :3
Personality: Being an exiled nomad in the desert for the majority of her life with only the disembodied souls of the dead to keep her company, Stray is understandably a little-- off. Yet she is actually quite brilliant and observant, creating a strange dichotomy. The longer Stray has been around people, the better her mental faculties function and the more obvious it is that she is more than merely insane.
“Personal space" and Stray have never met; even if they had it's unlikely that they would get along. She has no qualms about getting right up in someone's face or touching them. People touching her, however, is met with a completely different reaction as she's never had such a sensation before. "Modesty" is another foreign concept to the duskstrider. Having never had a need for it before, there's little chance she'll start now. Stray has no qualms about being naked in front of others, though she doesn't make a habit of it, nor does she mind seeing others without clothing.
Extremely adept at reading body language, even if verbal cues are missed entirely, Stray divides people into three types: Predator, Prey, and Pack. Predators are to be avoided and treated with respect, though she will fight them should she be backed into a corner. Prey are treated with kindness but little respect. Pack are those that she views as family and will play with as well as protect with her life.
World Information:
Planet: Terrace
Peoples
On Terrace there are three distinct races:
The Solaris who live at the northern pole of Terrace and whose capital city is Helios. They are a peaceful and scholarly people, delighting in nothing more than creating beautiful works of art, discussing philosophical principles and composing and listening to music. In this latter field they are especially adept, able to create entire illusionary worlds with their songs. The Solaris are distinguishable by their wings, long pointed ears, and feathery hair, all a rich golden color. Their eye color can be anywhere on the spectrum between dark brown to light gold.
The Lunaris who live at the southern pole of Terrace and whose capital city is Selene. They are a warrior race, built in both mind and body to be the perfect soldiers. Loyal, fierce, and utterly fearless, they are not to be crossed as an offense to one is an offense to the whole people. The Lunaris are distinguishable by their half-feline appearance, including cat ears, tail, slitted pupils, and digitigrade back legs. Their hair and fur are the purest of silver and their eye color varies between black to light silver-grey.
The Aradia who occupy the rest of Terrace between the poles, save for the blistering desert that encircles the equator. They most closely resemble humans in their appearance and have dark brown or black hair and eyes.
Both the Lunaris and Solaris descended from a common ancestor, as is obvious by their ability to mate and produce hybrid offspring; both can also engage in sexual relations with Aradia but no children will be made of such a joining. Where in the genetic stream the Solaris and Lunaris parted ways to become so radically different in appearance and temperament has been lost to the passage of time.
Geography
Terrace is a planet about three-fourths the size of Earth; there are two suns in its solar system and has a single satellite. The planet is divided between three main geographical regions: the poles, the mountains/forests, and the desert. At either pole is the coldest climates, but also the most beautiful landscapes. The desert encircles the entire planet around the equator like a belt and is completely uninhabited save for the beasts native to the territory. In between these two areas are the mountains and forests which have a more temperate and varied climate. There are no oceans, but several large lakes exist worldwide.
Flora/Fauna
To try and describe the entirety of the plants and animals of Terrace would be an attempt to write an encyclopedia, so this will be used to discuss the ones that most directly affect Stray.
Most of the wildlife are reptilian in nature: duneswimmers and draconians are the largest predators, both boasting white hides to blend in with white sands of their desert homes. The mammals tend to be small and rodent-like, with a few exceptions such as the multiple horned antelope and large sandfoxes.
The plants are few and far between, with the most noted being the desert orchid and thornblooms.
Lore
There is a legend that if a Solaris and a Lunaris mate, the offspring of this union has the potential to bring about the end of the world. These children are known as duskstriders and are taboo, condemned to exile from the moment they are born. They are forever marked by their white hair, fur or wings, and purple eyes.
In reality, duskstriders are actually the salvation of the world. They hold within them a portal that the souls of the dead can use to pass from this life to the next. These beings appear as small shadow creatures to the duskstriders, who often don't realize the creatures for what they are. If there are too many of these shadows about, the balance of the world could be thrown off and allow the true evil through.
This true evil takes the form of a entity simply known as the “Void” who has, over the centuries, tried multiple times to escape the prison formed by the light of the moon and suns... Or so the legend goes.
History: Stray’s planet is actually very technologically advanced, though you wouldn’t know it to talk to Stray. They have long since reached the point of dismissing most of their traditions as myths, but have run into a problem. Some things simply cannot be explained away.
One such thing is the imbalance created by the shadows of the dead, though few realize them for such. It was observed that duskstriders seemed to attract this strange phenomenon and the STRAY program was created, dubbed such due to the fact that the hybrids are unable to exist in either world of their parents.
The duskstriders created for the program were raised until the age of two when their powers to draw the shadows would manifest, as not all duskstriders are born with them. Should these become active, then their eyes are sewn shut and the now docile beings are raised in facilities. However, without access to that aspect of their powers, the duskstriders lose the strength of the portal in them over time and become ineffective.
When our Stray was born, the shadows took matters into their own “hands” in an act of pure desperation. They watched from the edges of reality as she grew, sensing the massive portal within her. When this became obvious to the researchers as well as Stray began her second year of life, they attempted to preform the same procedures as usual. However they only got as far as sewing shut her left eye before the shadows took action. To this day, what happened at that facility is still a mystery with the only evidence several bloodstains splattered across the operating room. STRAY ID 119-199-1 disappeared along with any evidence of her existence.
The shadows of the dead brought Stray to a new-mother draconian, who took the child under her wing along with her own litter. Raised this way for the developmental years of her life, Stray learned to survive in Terrace’s harshest environment. The little duskstrider was bright and strong, developing into a beautiful young woman who was, admittedly, more than a little insane. Few knew of the strange desert dweller, but she was caught twice when she went exploring too close to one of the four main highways. After both events she emerged covered in blood, sporting new scars, and unable to remember anything that had transpired. The memories were locked away deep within her subconscious and she continued on with her exiled lifestyle unhindered.
Stray was not as alone, though. For as long as she could remember she had been surrounded by her “friends”, the little shadow creatures that embodied the souls of the dead. They lent her their strength and their powers, which grew daily. The darkness that had once attempted to destroy the world was not unaware of her, however, and would endeavor by any means possible to end her.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Stray has no idea how to interact with people, responding instead on pure instinct instead of social tact. This leads her to be blunt and unable to understand why people get upset with her for being such. However she is loyal to members of her “pack” and will protect them with a fervor that has no regard for her own safety.
She also suffers from severe night terrors every once in a while, brought on by her suppressed memories. The main side-effect of this is that her nightmares can become embodied by the shadows around her.
Abilities: Stray is granted power over the shadows both by her birthright and by her "friends". However, these powers require a certain amount of mental stability-- Therefore the longer Stray has been exposed to people and her ability to reason has developed, the more powerful she becomes. Her skills are also sight-based, hence the attempt to sew her eyes closed at birth. Some examples of her shadow abilities are the ability to jump from shadow to shadow by using them as doorways, creating tendrils of shadow to attack or defend, and summoning shadowy protectors.
Stray's saliva has healing properties; any wound she or another has with be treated to a vigorous licking, whether she's met the other person or not. She also bears retractable claws and a strange sense of balance that borders on the defying of gravity.
Stray gained the gift of music from her Solaris ancestors and can create scenes with her songs, so realistic that they are often accompanied by the smells and tactile feelings of the world portrayed.
First Person: The doors to the train slide open and a white clothed figure stumbles out; her hands are cuffed behind her back and attached by a long chain to the manacles on her ankles. When she falls to her knees, she drops the communicator held in her hand, accidentally turning it on.
The feed shows her struggling against the chains, the hood falling from where it covers her face to reveal an exotic young woman with white hair and large matching feline ears, a striking contrast to her darkly tanned skin. She is blindfolded and, no matter how much she rubs it against her shoulder, she cannot get it off. Finally she collapses on the ground, exhausted. From her dry and cracked lips comes a hoarse plea.]
...H’lp...
Third Person: She lay on the ground, naked skin covered in bruises and cuts. Curled up in a tight ball, she shivered every once in a while with nothing to shield her from the chill of the air beyond the long white tail wrapped around her legs. She stared without seeing into the blackness from her single working eye.
The door to the room opened to let in a shaft of light, broken only by the profile of several young men. She flinched away from the light while at the same time attempting to move toward it, ending in a pathetic half-motion. A slight whimper escaped her lips as one of the men approached.
“Shh, little bastard, we don’t want anyone else to hear, do we?” He grabbed her by the hair, jerking her head up to look into his silver eyes.
At that moment, the lines of nightmare and reality ceased to exist. The shadows created by the men began to twist and writhe, rising from the floor to wrap around them before they could cry out. They were dragged into the blackness and all was still until a few moments later several splatters of blood appeared in the scant light.
The girl was pulled to her feet by the shadows and pushed out of the room with a gentle urgency. She stumbled along, pausing only to pick up her discarded clothes and wrap the long white cloak around her damaged body. By the next morning, she wouldn’t remember a thing.