Backstage - OOC Forums
EVE-Online RP Discussion and Resources => EVE Character Development => Topic started by: Gwen Ikiryo on 28 Jul 2012, 04:01
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[spoiler](https://image.eveonline.com/character/92253275_1024.jpg)[/spoiler]
ID: Gwen Ikiryo (Pseudonym)
Place of Birth: Ishukone Outpost, EOA-ZC
Date Of Birth: 11/5/88 (Age 28)
Ancestry: Achura, Intaki/Gallente
Social Class: Executive/Chief Executive
Augments (Genetic): Life extension, Sight correction
Augments (Non-Capsuleer Cybernetic): Artificial lungs, Epilepsy suppressant
Religion: Achura Faith
Politics: Liberal bloc, Pro-Concord, Anti-war, Pro-Achur Autonomy
Interests: Literature, General Academia, Puzzles, Fashion
Education:
History, 4 years, Achura Imperial University
Astrophysics, 2 years, Science and Trade Institute
Capsuleer Training, 2 years, Science and Trade Institute
DED Charges:
None
Biography (Short Version)
Born on a mining outpost on the outskirts of State space to a high level Achura Ishukone executive and a Federal expatriate doctor, though only raised on the station for less than a year before they relocated to Saisio when endeavour was written off as a unprofitable failure by the megacorporation. Spent the rest of her childhood in an upper-class countryside environment, exposed to primarily indigenous Achur culture exclusively.
Following her mothers declining healthy and eventual death at age 15, moved alongside her father to a joint Ishukone/Federal business settlement in the Caldari Border Zone, where she lived for several years, until the ascent of Tibus Heth and the Provists resulted in the colony being shut down and many individuals, her father included, being put under pressure to surrender large portions of their assets to the State. He responded by cutting and running from State megacorporate society and returning to Saisio again.
Remained there, persuing a higher education in History, until her Capsuleer compatibility was eventually discovered.
Biography (Extensive Version)
Gwen Ikiryo was born on a remote Caldari State outpost to Suetake (Ikiryo), a stern and ruthless economist from a extremely wealthy family on Achura, and Emelia Sar, a Federal expatriate and doctor of which not much is accessibly known. The two, both Ishukone employees, were living there as part of an initiative to assess and harvest the areas fairly limited supply of Mercoxit. She remembers very little of this time, and few accounts exist of the specifics of her birth and early upbring on the station.
The initiative was ultimately an unceremonious failure, and at only age 2 she and her family returned to her fathers childhood home on Achura, where she lived until her mid-teens, rarely leading the planet. Though her father was not a spiritual man by any means, the local area held strong roots in the Yumao sect of the Achuran faith, which teaches of the illusory nature of power, both in ownership of objects and controlling others, but differs from traditional Achur orthodoxy in it's assertion that self-understanding and true peace of mind can only be achieved by accepting this truth and fixating on ones inner self, the only thing that can be controlled.
Gwen, though never instructed in the teachings formally, read of them frequently in the family library, and took them to heart, despite the fact that many (including her father) considered them irrelevant to modern life. Her childhood ambition was even to one day become a priestess of the faith. Though she eventually abandoned this notion, her early enthusiasm grew into a deep passion for her Achuran heritage that she still holds even now.
Other then this, however, the period was not a paticularly happy one for her. She led a fairly isolated life due to the standing of her family, and struggled to make friends because of her unsocial demeanour and introspective, quiet nature.
At age 15, Gwen's father and was appointed to an executive position in a small Iskukone controlled region, "Yalnaashi", on Hatakani V in the Caldari Border Zone, as part of a program to increase liberal influence in an otherwise heavily practical-controlled area of space. Having effectively no choice, she moved with him, and was elevated to a much more extravagant standard of living, attending only the best schools and enjoying an excess of luxuries that would likely not be approved of in mainstream Caldari society.
(http://i.imgur.com/SAZmO.png)
The Yalnaashi region as seen from space.
Her mother, who had continued to reside with her and her father up until this point, remained on Achura due to failing health. She later died around a year after the departure from causes unknown.
Being very close to the border and in an area under solidly Liberal control, Gwen was exposed to a considerable amount of Federal media and individuals compared to most Caldari citizens. Finding that some of it mixed well with her sects teachings (Better, perhaps, then with Caldari culture) she incorporated some of the values into her worldview, leaving her with a very unusual mixture of morals and ethics and an overall cosmopolitan and universalist political outlook. Though her eductional competency faltered in this time due to the shift in environment - It having previously been very high for her age - She would nonetheless recount it as one of the happier times of her life, finding it much easier to make friends and socialize then on her homeworld.
However, it did not last forever. Shortly after she entered higher education in the cusp of her 20's, Tibus Heth's sudden rise to power took place. Her father and much of her extended family were removed from their positions in the face of his meritocratic reforms due to their corruption and investments in the Federation - And, at least in his personal opinion, possibly their ancestry as well. In the face of being potentially forced to surrender influence and wealth to the Provist government for what he saw as unjust reasons, Suetake chose instead to go against the State; He legally transferred as much of the assets under his control as possible to smaller corporations that he directly owned, then relocated it all to the Federation.
Though the move was technically legal, he was considered extremely dishonorable by his peers - By the standards of the time, almost a traitor. Dismissed without hesitation from the corporation and in danger of being reprimanded in more direct ways, he was forced to retreat back to Achura (With Gwen, obviously, alongside him), where he has lived since. For many years this harmed her family's reputation greatly, but with the fall of Tibus Heth, these events have mostly been forgiven as the product of desperate times.
(Yaalnashi was sold off to the Kaalakiota corporation a few months later as Isukones power diminished and the Patriot faction worked to increase it's influence in the border zone following the occupation of Caldari Prime. However, the massive losses to the corporation at the end of the psuedo-civil war in the State and the failure of the area to produce any notable profit since then led to it being all but abandoned by the corporation not long after. Today, it is home to a small community of disenfranchised Caldari and extremely stubborn Federals, and it's future is uncertain.)
Despite the eventual resolution, Gwen resents these events to this day deeply, since they forced her away from many friends and a lifestyle she enjoyed considerably. It has led her to develop a deep seated distaste for traditional Caldari Patriot values, which has slowly grown into a faint Achuran nationalist sentiment.
After this, she enrolled in a prestigious university in one of the more developed areas still under the Achuran government and not the State, studying history. At the time, she assumed that her life would mostly be spent in academia alone, considering her skillset and the reputation of her family. However, when her Capsuleer compatibility was discovered, she was encouraged by her relatives to seize the chance to make some wealth and increase the standing of the family. Their affluence made the prospect less difficult then for most, and so she reluctantly accepted.
Since then, she has accomplished essentially nothing of great note, much to their disappointment.
Personality and Traits
An introverted and studious individual, Gwen once found Capsuleer culture overwhelming and intimidating, to the point that it made her considerably uncomfortable. With time, however, these feelings have begun to dull into a mere cynical weariness. Regardless, she still frequently finds herself at odds with it, being averse to all forms of killing and violence, except in fairly dire circumstances, and is constantly quietly wary and distrustful of other Capsuleers.
Though in many ways she might be described as a typical Achur, having an inherent curiosity about the world and other people, this hides what is very much a deep-seated and emotionally loaded confidence in many of her own beliefs, which, when push comes to shove, she will often defend or try and confer to others at the expense of her desire for insight, and sometimes even her social graces.
Easily unsettled or worried, her frequent anxiety around people she perceives as dangerous once manifested itself as a stutter for which she was frequently looked mocked for, though she has since largely overcome it. That being said, she still doesn't have a great deal of self-assurance or pride, and will frequently resort to putting herself down in difficult conversation to diffuse tension. Despite this, she has, at her core, a somewhat cynical and sarcastic attitude and a fondness for dark humour.
She has a great passion for history and literature, considering herself an expert in one and a enthusiast of the other, and is always eager to get involved in discussions pertaining to them. She also enjoys discussing religious theory, and has become increasingly enthusiastic about discussing the Achur faith with foreigners and contrasting it to other belief systems in a fashion that others might consider somewhat odd.
She is easily drawn into debate, and often is absorbed into it to the point that her means become her ends, causing frequent social awkwardness.
Miscellaneous Information
- Her areas of historical study were pre-industrial Gallente culture and the Gallente-Caldari War.
- Prefers coffee to tea.
- Claims to dislike Splinterz, but secretly watches it all the time.
- Drinks Quafe shamelessly.
- Has a good affinity with animals, with the exception of cats.
- Dislikes it when people ask what her real name is.
- Is averse to authority, but also being given firm orders.
- Being from a wealthy background to begin with, often finds the bold displays of affluence undertaken by Capsuleers to be tasteless.
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I liked this background a lot :) One thing I picked up on though, and this is in no way a slight against you or the character, is that Gwen seems to be the latest in a line of characters to have a stutter; something that seems to have come about only recently. I wander what's caused it..
(Thread hijacking in 3..2..1 :P )
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I like Gwen.
Kat likes Gwen.
More Gwen please.
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I liked this background a lot :) One thing I picked up on though, and this is in no way a slight against you or the character, is that Gwen seems to be the latest in a line of characters to have a stutter; something that seems to have come about only recently. I wander what's caused it..
(Thread hijacking in 3..2..1 :P )
Haha, I (well, Gwen) actually ran into Scherezad the other day in the Summit, who I gather is another known stutterer. It was kind of a funny encounter, especially since they're both Achurs. For a little bit, I was worried I'd sorta created something samey, but they ended up sounding pretty distinct, I think.
It's kind of funny if a bunch of characters with the same problem really did all pop up at once, though! I didn't have it all that in mind when I first created the character, but with her personality and the way Capsuleers seem to generally talk and behave in public places, it just seemed nautral that she'd be on-edge. It goes a long way to conveying the sort of mental tone-of-voice I had in mind for her, as well.
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(http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/8582/1297814420170.jpg)
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Excellent background!
I have enjoyed interacting with Gwen every time I've had the opportunity, looking forward to future interactions.
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I like your background. I like your character! \o/
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I've started playing this game/character again, and have also started an in character blog, if you're into that sort of thing. (http://gwenikiryo.blogspot.com/) I'm probably gonna make a couple minor revisions to the background in the next couple days, too.
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Gwen is p. cool! +1 support for Gwen.
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Nice work, excellent character background :)
See you around!
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I like the blog. Well written. My only suggestion from a writer's perspective is that you not start with 'I' so much.
I do not..
I did...
I don't know...
If you pepper your writing with more interesting or illustrative opening lines or phrases, you can drag in the reader a lot more, ESPECIALLY if you open with a way that relates to them first and then gently shifting it to talking about you. It makes people look at the character, sympathize with them, and make the characters issues and story their own. Empathy levels over 9000 etc etc.
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I like the blog. Well written. My only suggestion from a writer's perspective is that you not start with 'I' so much.
I do not..
I did...
I don't know...
If you pepper your writing with more interesting or illustrative opening lines or phrases, you can drag in the reader a lot more, ESPECIALLY if you open with a way that relates to them first and then gently shifting it to talking about you. It makes people look at the character, sympathize with them, and make the characters issues and story their own. Empathy levels over 9000 etc etc.
I agree. You often don't need 'I think' its assumed that your document is your own thoughts.
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I dunno. The I thing works for a journal.
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I dunno. The I thing works for a journal.
This. If the entries are meant to be private and not for an audience from the perspective of Gwen-c, there is absolutely no need to change anything to make them more 'accessible'.
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When people write in journals, they'll use I often, but not very often. The person already knows what they think, it's in their head. The purpose of a journal is to give a form to those thoughts. Simply writing "I" etc etc is not a productive use of a journal. Do people do it? Sure. But more often than not, they'll use a journal to express those "I's" in a more creative and illustrative way.
Just my 2 isk though.
As for accessibility, it's not what's being discussed here. I already said it's well written and accessible. Gwen's got talent clearly. I'm giving a opinion about how to make it resonate more with readers and kind of give some spark. It's accessible perfectly well because of her clear style and interesting subject matter, but adding some interesting insights and illustrations straight from the mind of the charachter makes it feel more real and more visceral. It could give a real glimpse into the mind of Gwen.
Again, just my 2 isk.
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Thanks for your feedback, Anslo!
The excessive "I" thing was a deliberate choice on my part. I wanted Gwens narrative voice to convey a feeling of consistent doubt and self-analysis - Even when writing in something completely private, she doesn't feel confident in stating her opinions and observations, or even personal feelings, as absolutes. And on the other side of the coin, it's also supposed to reflect a very self obsessed attitude; It's always all about her feelings, her worries, her fears (You can see in entry 7 where she tries to break free of this, but ultimately falls right back in by the end). I imagine she writes the log very much for the purpose of validating herself.
She's also supposed to be a History major, so I tried to make her writing a little dry and direct at times, since that's what she'd be used to.
Though I'm not oblivious to the negatives of this when judging the journal as a work, per se, I ultimately decided that sticking true to the character for something like this would be the better option, considering it isn't just written to entertain, but also as kind of a resource for people interested in the character herself on an OOC level. (And for me, should I ever forget what I'm doing.)
I can certainly change if it's not working, though?
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Well if that's what you're going for don't let criticism sway you to do otherwise. I just noticed a lot of I's. But if that's the intended effect then who am I to judge.
Keep on doin' what you're doin' and don't let anyone stop you or tell you otherwise.
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Well if that's what you're going for don't let criticism sway you to do otherwise. I just noticed a lot of I's. But if that's the intended effect then who am I to judge.
Keep on doin' what you're doin' and don't let anyone stop you or tell you otherwise.
Well, alright then. :)
I do appreciate you noting this, though, and hope it isn't too bothersome. I like the style - It feels really natural for the character - But if it's making the thing a displeasure to read and outright turning people off, that rather defeats the point, so if that's the case, I'd rather nip it in the bud.
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Well if that's what you're going for don't let criticism sway you to do otherwise. I just noticed a lot of I's. But if that's the intended effect then who am I to judge.
Keep on doin' what you're doin' and don't let anyone stop you or tell you otherwise.
Well, alright then. :)
I do appreciate you noting this, though, and hope it isn't too bothersome. I like the style - It feels really natural for the character - But if it's making the thing a displeasure to read and outright turning people off, that rather defeats the point, so if that's the case, I'd rather nip it in the bud.
Oh hell no it's not a displeasure to read. MY logs under my character sheet are probably a displeasure but that's just because I have NO idea how else to convey Anslo's story.
But no it works just dandy. It convey's Gwen's feelings well and sort of solidifies Anslo's thoughts about Gwen. She confuses him because he thinks Gwen is so smart, but she's not confident. He thinks she should be much more confident in her dealings. But the journal gives good insight.
Either way, I'd still fluffle Gwen. Flufflable/10, would fluffle gently.
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I like your background. I like your character! \o/
This
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I'm having a great time interacting with Gwen.
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Interesting...
Gwen is somewhat like a female Caldari version of Ché, some of the internal struggles are very familiar, yet for different reasons or with other factors influencing them. I'm curious to see how she will deal with them and what "thruths" she'll find.
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I have not interacted a lot with Gwen, unfortunately.
It's a nice character.
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That latest blog post is brilliant :O
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That latest blog post is brilliant :O
Oh, thanks! I'm glad that you thought so.
I actually spent quite a while considering taking it down and redoing it, heh. Something about the writings pacing didn't sit right with me. But it's good to hear that it works.
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Gwen, don't be thinking that people aren't reading the blog just because they aren't commenting. WANT MOAR!
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Echoing Tib's sentiment. More Gwen blog please. :)
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Only just finished the blog myself and woah, what a blog! Looking for moar!
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Ahh, you guys. :oops: I'm really flattered.
I've been working on another writing project at the moment for easter, which has sapped a bit of my mental energy for the blog, but I should be back to making entries for it soon.
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I really like this a lot! I like the way you address questions of humanity and post-humanity in your blog that most other people tend to take for granted.
I do have a question about Gwen's original background, though. Gwen's father transferred assets to small corporations that he owned, and shifted the corporations to be GalFed-based, correct? Why did he then return to Achura and accept a devastating demotion, instead of simply leaving the State along with the corporations he owned? I think the fact that he didn't do this probably points to some interesting core values on his part.
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I really like this a lot! I like the way you address questions of humanity and post-humanity in your blog that most other people tend to take for granted.
I do have a question about Gwen's original background, though. Gwen's father transferred assets to small corporations that he owned, and shifted the corporations to be GalFed-based, correct? Why did he then return to Achura and accept a devastating demotion, instead of simply leaving the State along with the corporations he owned? I think the fact that he didn't do this probably points to some interesting core values on his part.
You're half right. Achura, as I understand it, has a very traditional and internally focused society that is in many ways divorced from the rest of the cluster, and even the State. Very few people ever leave, meaning the culture is essentially unique. As a result, ties - both spiritual and social - are likely very deep, and hard to walk away from, if one would even consider the notion. Gwen's family especially is very old and pretty wealthy, with her father at the head of it.
So I figured in spite of his personal greed and lack of "honor", and slightly more cosmopolitan thinking then most, the idea of utterly abandoning hundreds of years worth of family roots - and walking out of the social context that he's existed in for his entire life - would be essentially unthinkable to him.
...Also, though, you should take all the information from the bio with a grain of salt. Not only did I intend for it to be only the stuff that people could dig up ICLy (Which would obviously be missing a lot of important details) But it's also LONG due for a revising with a few changes I made back in January. Which I keep putting off. For some reason. (For instance, I've since shortened the amount of time Gwen spent at the mining colony as an infant from 6 years to only a single year.)
And I appreciate your compliment! I worry that I'm probably treading old ground with a lot of it, but I've just been trying to go with what I feel would be on my characters mind.
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Your avatar is not helping me resist fluffling and cuddling Gwen at all. :|
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To those of you who were asking about the blog, I'm back to posting, again.
In reterospect, I probably should've quit roleplaying Gwen the past few weeks while I've been swamped. I feel like my quality of my RP has suffered a bit. Oh well!
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DON'T YOU DARE QUIT!
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To those of you who were asking about the blog, I'm back to posting, again.
:cube:
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While feeling bored, I made what Gwen might have looked like if her father had married an Achur rather then a filthy foreigner.
Is this why Gwen seems to disillusioned with State culture? Because she was picked on and beaten down for being of mixed descent?
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Is this why Gwen seems to disillusioned with State culture? Because she was picked on and beaten down for being of mixed descent?
No, that's not the reason. Gwen passes as a pure-blooded Achur with not much difficulty (you're not supposed to be able to tell), so it doesn't affect her much externally - Although she does feel a lot of bitterness and shame about it internally.
But the reasons she is irked by Caldari culture are a lot more complicated.
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I decided to update this in the hopes of getting myself a little excited about RP in this game again, and, woah, this bio sucked! It's amazing how embarassing my writing was only 3 years ago. I've gone back and revised it, and added new information. Also retconned a few tiny things. Will probably do a seperate pass later.
I'm also pretty embarassed about that blog, so I'm probably going to throw that out in a few weeks.
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I liked that bio, you added a lot of things and tidbits that give a lot of character. =)
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Gwen Ikiryo best Ikiryo.
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I decided to update this in the hopes of getting myself a little excited about RP in this game again, and, woah, this bio sucked! It's amazing how embarassing my writing was only 3 years ago. I've gone back and revised it, and added new information. Also retconned a few tiny things. Will probably do a seperate pass later.
I'm also pretty embarassed about that blog, so I'm probably going to throw that out in a few weeks.
New bio is great.
Speaking for myself, I actually enjoyed the blog posts when you were doing them. I liked the repeated promises/attempts of "I'm going to keep this short" followed up with a similarly-repeated complete failure to do so - it's very similar to my own writing, and Gwen's perspective, especially on some events I'd either been part of or associated with was an interesting one to read.