Application

[maesheteyrah]

Player Information

Name: Tobi
Contact: dazzlingtobi @plurk
Age: 28
Other Characters: none (formerly Coal, formerly Takuto)

Character Information

Name: Danikken Maesheteyrah
Canon: OC
Canon Point: at the end! :)
Age: 26
History: (I consider this section is brief, due to the fact that I hope to actually write and publish this story someday. If you (Mods) require more detail, I can supply answers to your questions. I tried to limit my narrative to relevant aspects of Danikken’s life without going into detail or “giving away the punch line.”)

Danikken is from a medieval fantasy world. He grew up in a desert, with the major life events of his childhood being the taming of his silver stallion, the deaths of both his parents to a wasting disease, his semi-adoption by a mythical snake creature, and the development of a crippling psychological-medical disorder: split personalities that don’t know the other exist, combined with a kind of sleeping sickness. His childhood period ends when one of his personalities kills important religious leaders and he is forced to flee the country.

Danikken and his horse are lucky enough to be rehabilitated by kind strangers on the other side of the desert, and they do their best to blend into the culture. Danikken trains a boy to serve a prince, and then joins an underground movement to free slaves… and he is imprisoned for it. He escapes before execution, and takes other slaves to the free country in the north. He is promptly imprisoned again and held for execution, this time by the free country’s young (and beautiful) queen who believes that his death will cure her of a sleeping sickness that claimed the lives of all her family members.

Instead, they marry in secret and all their ailments are cured through love. But the queen faces a probable war from the slave-driving country, which they end up avoiding by old-school politicking, also known as marriage. Danikken has to run away (again) before his wife’s new husband realizes he was ever there.

So Danikken chases the destiny his snake-mentor gave him years ago, and looks for the pieces of an ancient prophecy. After obsessing over being a prophet and having the fate of the world rest on his shoulders (while pining for his wife), he joins a roaming troop of good-natured thieves. Danikken gets a bro he never knew he needed, is betrayed by someone he trusted, befriends a girl masquerading as a man, battles a dragon, and comes to understand what the ancient prophets had in mind for him. He betrays his best friend in order to single-handedly demolishes an entire army.

The battle that Danikken thought would kill him does not in fact do so, and so Danikken retreats into the southern lands, the traditional dying-place of the servants of the gods. There, he hangs out with the other servants, who are also not dead—at least until he kills one and decides it’s time to return home… wherever that may be.

Personality: Danikken is remarkably resilient for someone who has suffered some pretty severe mental problems and trauma that can only be described as bizarre. Mostly, Danikken is quiet and kind, and generally prefers to be overlooked or mistaken for a “normal” person. His physical looks caused him to stick out almost everywhere he went, so blending in is always a relief. Danikken always tries to do good, but he’s gained (or shall we say earned?) a bit of a selfish streak. In other words, he’s done all the work and suffered quite a lot for the sake of people that don’t even know he’s done anything at all, so he justifies spending his energy on himself by reminding himself that he’s suffered metaphorical paraplegia for every average schmuck’s metaphorical stubbed toe. (And yet, with this mindset you can tell that he’s a natural do-gooder by having to justify to himself that it’s okay to do things just because they make him happy.)

Danikken is still head-over-heels for his wife, even though he hasn’t seen her in years and she married someone else. They were, after all, a perfect crazy match for each other, and it’s a shame it didn’t work out. It’s even more a shame because after having the perfect woman he’s not interested in starting anything with any others. (That didn’t stop him from having Confusing Feelings towards a man once, but that ended up nothing short of catastrophic so it’s unlikely he’ll travel that road again without some strong persuading.)

Quiet, introspective, observant, and with a dry sense of humor, Danikken makes connections simply but makes friends very slowly. He doesn’t volunteer information about himself, because he doesn’t think the information is terribly interesting or relevant (and he’s blending in, remember?). Danikken enjoys wordplay, and has mastered multiple languages. He enjoys learning new things, spending time with animals, and occasionally, going out with friends (if he has any friends).

Danikken fears only himself at this point, though he did grow up with a paralyzing fear of the dark. And a very real fear of shadow monsters that can eat your soul. Mostly, Danikken just fears doing the wrong thing… but even that fear is turning bland as he has already made plenty of mistakes in his life and is coming to believe that there is no right thing, just a bunch of different things. His inclination to laugh instead of worry could be a sign that he’s becoming too old, too mature, too powerful, or maybe some combination of those. Either way, he’s level-headed and doesn’t naturally panic.

Now, remember that Danikken has a history of multiple personalities. Neither of those personalities accurately reflect the person I just described. Given that he can revert to his multiple personalities if he wants to, here’s a brief introduction to his personalities, when separated:

Lakir: Lakir is cautious, and honest to a fault. He readily admits his fear of the dark, and believes that people should be able to trust each other. A stranger would easily be mistake him for a naive and vulnerable person, until realizing that Lakir has the ability to forgive from a place of strength and calm. Lakir enjoys meditation, strenuous physical exercise, and helping others. He does not like using any magical gift or taking shortcuts. He may seem like a pushover, but he’s commanded both respect and soldiers.

Nafden: Nafden sometimes borders on the sociopathic. He can be callous, cold, and calculating, but his actions typically come from a place of deep loneliness and desperation. He strives to help humanity as a whole, despite his seeming lack of empathy for individuals. He fears death and getting lost (in terms of both geography and destiny), and is quick to make decisions. He uses his magical powers without hesitation and takes pride in having such gifts. He was raised as the prophet who would save the world, and it’s obvious in his arrogance and fear that he has never forgotten it. His humor typically carries a sarcastic bite.

Abilities: Unfortunately, Danikken already has two rather god-like powers that he avoids using.

First, he was trained in a mystical language that, affects the world around him—and is more potent if he sings. He is the last fluent speaker of this language, and even he doesn’t know the full extent of what he can do. Anything he says, and especially anything he sings, must be or become true. So he chooses his words carefully or doesn’t say anything at all. Anyone can understand the language (including plants, animals, rocks, etc.), but speaking the language is exceedingly rare.

Second, he has the ability to send his alter ego out of his own body, usually into another being, which allows him to possess the other person. This, too, he avoids because splitting his personality is a superbly painful process, and his personas, when unmeshed, don’t always get along. (Nafden is the personality that possesses another while Lakir is the personality that always inhabits Danikken’s physical body. When Nafden returns, the personalities and memories both come together to reform Danikken’s main personality.)

Danikken’s other abilities are not of the supernatural variety, but include riding and training horses, advanced swordsmanship, various camping skills, reading, writing, poetry, telling stories, but definitely do not include swimming.
Strengths: Resilient, clever, self-reliant, funny, calm
Weaknesses: Tired, lonely, introverted, history of mental illness, has no understanding of technology

God/Shinki: God.
Why?: The role suits him, even if he doesn’t particularly like to think so. It really does seem like his whole life has been preparing him to be some kind of god.
Top 3 Choices: 1. Shai, the Egyptian god of fate
God Type: Danikken is a reluctant god, but will make a surprisingly adept one. He will be loyal to his shinki and his followers, but he will not go out of his way to make followers. He will try to get to the bottom of why he’s been dragged into this mess while thoroughly disliking any time anyone tries to tell him what to do, especially other gods. It also depends on the “role” of his godhood, which he will at first probably do his best to avoid (especially if he ends up as Shai!), but end up fulfilling because it’s probably the right thing to do.
Power: Danikken’s power will be to have visions. If chosen as Shai, god of fate, Danikken has Precognition that manifests as having uncontrollable visions of the future.

Writing Sample

Sample: Danikken has been second in command to Captain Dasht Rose, who is his best friend, for the past three years. Only two weeks prior, Captain Rose allowed his merry band of thieves to be drafted into the local kingdom’s army. Now, on the eve of departure to the front lines, Danikken has solved the riddle he’s been chasing his whole life, the puzzle that reveals his own destiny…..

I stared into the corner as the tent flap opened, and the sounds of the encampment outside passed through the doorway with Captain Dasht Rose. I wasn’t sure I could look at him, though I had been expecting him. This was, after all, his tent.

“The men seem to be settling in well,” he said conversationally, dragging one of the stools to sit with me at the table. I nodded, but I still couldn’t look at him. In the vague haziness of my subconscious, the truth was trying to bubble up. I didn’t think I wanted it, not this time.

“Though if I have to hear one more speech from Jonner about the glory of king and country, I will do the Wardovans a favor and kill myself for them,” the captain joked in an attempt at levity. He picked up the bottle of wine I had set on the table, inspected the cork which I had not removed, and set it back down. I didn’t move. Any movement and I was certain to break the last bit of normalcy we had. He cleared his throat.

Captain Dasht Rose rarely dropped pretense—but this time he did. He removed his oversized red hat, and placed it onto the table beside the wine. I could feel his green eyes on me even though I wasn’t looking at him.

“Danik, what’s wrong?”

I swallowed. “Across the plains of summer rains,” I began, speaking the first line of the fifth verse of the song that was, inevitably, about us. Slowly I turned to look at my friend.

Dasht nodded, a small and encouraging smile playing on his lips. “The band would run and ride,” he replied easily. It was the second line of the fifth verse, and although I’d said the beginning often enough for him to know it, it still came as something of a small surprise that he would so quickly say the words back, with just the hint of the melody and rhythm that belonged to them.

I sighed heavily, stared down at the table, and then lifted my eyes to meet his.

“Across their plains of summer rain
war drums echoed like the tide.
‘To arms, my friends!’ Ran then said
and into the south they did ride.
The hero Ran and his comrades four
could not ignore the pleas for aid
so they rode together as a mighty force
to undo whatever wrongs had been made.
The journey was primed for doubt and fear
but Ran’s courage and faith held fast.
Even walking under darkest shadow
he would come to this place at long last.”

I had to pause to take a deep breath, and my vision was beginning to blur with tears. I knew the place I was going, now. I knew the shadow I would walk under as I knew myself. I didn’t want it, not at all. But the song went on.

“Inevitability is a fickle thing,
the riders learned quite late.
Though it rides towards them recklessly
it is hard to dodge one’s fate.”

The last lines were difficult, though I had them memorized. I closed my eyes to try to hold back the tears, so I wouldn’t have to look at Dasht as I spoke the riddle and watch his confusion. I took a deep breath, and shuddered through the final stanza.

“So… so in the south they forged a wall
and in the dark flower’s poisoned breath
he built a song instead to fall
and… and dashed all things to death.”

I lay my head down on the table, feeling weary and empty. The solid texture of the wood was marginally comforting. I cleared my throat and spoke with my cheek on the table and through closed eyes. “That’s the end of the verse….”

And it would also be, I knew, the end of Ran. It seemed very clear to me that I had a choice, which was in fact no choice at all. One of the two of us was Ran, and I would not let my friend die.

It would be me.

I lost it, hunching over on the table and wrapping my arms around myself in an attempt to keep it all together. “I know what—I know what I…” I tried to choke out. I know what I have to do. I hated it. I hated the destiny that constantly gripped me, pushing me this way and that way until there would be nothing left of me.

Everything I’d ever had would be stolen, even—especially—the hard-won things. The things I had loved more than anything were lost to me thanks to a thankless fate. And, like always, I would do what needed to be done because there was no one else to do it, and I would also pay the price. I would be the demon again, but this time I would not walk away.

“You’ve been a better friend than I ever hoped to have,” I whispered to Dasht. I lifted my body with effort so I could get one last, long, good look at him. His worry was turning to alarm, his green eyes widening. He didn’t look away. I swallowed, smiled gratefully, and said, “I’m very sorry.”

I knew what I was meant to do. So I did it.


Other

Anything Else?: That sample was a bit dramatic, but it was the only sample I could find that made some kind of sense when cut to a readable length, that didn’t require significant translation, and actually focused on Danikken’s feelings.