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[Saede Riordan]

So, lets talk about character personalities, splits between public/private and professional/casual that we find ourselves stuck within.

My personal issues and take on it is this: When I play Saede, I'm really taking part in a snapshot of her life. I can't and don't want to puppet her around all the time. However, there's a lot to her, where her personality can change drastically based on the people, the setting, and the like, she shifts radically back and forth between serious, somber, sharp, somewhat cynical, and very professional, and relaxed, goofy, trollish, and generally just silly. If I was playing more often, her behaviour would probably break down more logically between settings, but since 90% of my RP is in the Summit, it all comes out as one big undifferentiated chunk of pseudo-madness. I have no idea how people view Saede, but they must think she's at the very least moody as hell. Its hard I find to balance between those two polarities, and I oftentimes feel like I'm playing two separate characters, Saede the Human, and Saede the Capsuleer, and while I feel that would make great RP fodder, I have no idea how to develop that.

[Sofia Roseburn]

I think that's the issue for the majority of us (or at least me). The Summit doesn't really allow for fluidity of expression the majority of the time (what with it supposedly being a text based channel), and I really do struggle to a) find other situations where I can expand upon Sofia's mental and physical state and b) find people to do it with.

From my perspective, RP seems to more closed door sessions than the massive free-for-all of the 2005-2007 era, although I don't know if that's just me being nostalgic or whether it's something that is actually happening.  As a result of that I definitely echo what you've said about having no idea about how you/me/whatever are viewed by other people, and as such it's very hard to establish how much of that is caused by incompatibility to others from an RP perspective or other factors.

Makes sense in my head!

[Makkal]

Makkal wears the mask of a proper Khanid lady.

In private, Makkal... is also a proper Khanid lady. A deeply religious one with a fetish for replacing organic bits with artificial bits.

[Sepherim]

Catillah doesn't wear a mask as much as one would think. He does think the Summit and IGS are battlegrounds of the mind, so he is a bit more formal and clear in them, but he does let his personality come out if poked in the right way (just a few days ago, for example, with the discussion about the Imperial Navy). In private he does let go a bit more and is a bit more prone to falling into memory or informal behaviour. Still, it's a side of him I have to explore more.

[Gwen Ikiryo]

Gwen's real personality is more or less visible in public, save perhaps that she tries to remain a lot more polite, and smother her judgemental streak whenever it rises briefly to the surface.

She does lie about herself a ton, though, whenever someone makes any sort of public personal inquiry. (I think she's given three seperate "real" names to people in the Summit who ask her, by now.) Mostly just out of paranoia of becoming any sort of public figure. She becomes a lot more honest in a private setting, especially with people she's fond of.

[Cynthia Gallente]

CG wants to give off the view that she's calm, happy, and more or less in control of herself.
She wants to be happy herself, but really finds it hard.
Most of the time when someone asks how she is she'll respond with "fine" or "great" or something else that's positive, but a lie.
She always tries to put on a smile when people are looking at her, even if she doesn't want to.

Personally and with a very few number of people will CG let her guard down and let her real feelings show.
Usually she's sad, depressed, and torn up over what has gone on in her life. 
There's a lot going on that she'd rather not talk about.

[Lithium Flower]

No spoilers. He. Hehe. Hehehehehe. 

[Anslol]

Anslo is insane. This makes his mask very easy to wear.

[Milo Caman]

I think (back when I actually played) Milo had several masks, and I don't think I've ever really gone into real depth about what's under them in the last three years or so.

There's the 'public' face, of calm, collected, but also ruthless professionalism, with an apparent lack of empathy, and a total inability to compromise. This has been the domineering factor in almost all of my RP since I left Ghost Festival in early 2010. There's also a 'friends' mask, which I guess is fairly cordial, almost normal. I think this probably arose on my part as an attempt to fit in with a lot of the 'bar-P' going on at the time, and I've never really nipped it in the bud. It's fun to work with when I'm tired though.

Underneath it all, however, Milo is deeply depressed as a result of myriad lifestyle choices and a number of other things, but is too proud (or too invested) to show anyone. The only time I recall this really surfacing was back in Ghosts, but since that? Can't be showing anyone that kind of face when you're running a corporation that coasts primarily on it's reputation.

[Aria Jenneth]

Hm. Masks. The primary true mask Aria wears is one of calm, intellectual civility, even when dealing with people and ideas she holds in scathing contempt. This tends not to crack even in private unless Aria does not feel like she has to be "careful." She has the most trouble maintaining it around bullies, people who undercut their own causes through ruthless stupidity, and free-willed minions of Sansha's Nation.

An alternative "mask" occasionally comes out when the first cracks. This is Aria at her most passionate, trading in calculating calm for potent, blunt sincerity, often in the form of eloquent rage. Aria herself is not certain whether this is a genuine display or not-- she often surprises herself with the intensity of her own emotions, which makes her wonder whether they're real or just an act that is not apparent even to the actor.

Otherwise, she mostly doesn't wear masks so much as "facets"-- she's pretty continuously the "real her," but seen from different angles. Any given exchange with Aria is like shining a light through a concealed, prism-like object and seeing how it refracts. Unfortunately, even she is not aware of all her own angles, so the results can be unpredictable. Any good intentions she might have often run afoul of a perverse streak an AU wide.

* Though a moral relativist, she tends to describe herself (and other infomorphs) in terms that imply moral condemnation, as monsters or demons. She's deeply spiritual, yet freely admits that she has wandered so far from the well-trod paths of wisdom her sect describes that she may never find her proper place again.

* She's a cold-blooded killer on a pile of different levels, but has a compassionate heart. Her first impulse on hearing of a problem is usually to try to provide helpful advice.

* She withholds moral judgment, but openly regards most people, including herself, as "fools," and especially despises those who undermine their own causes-- whatever those causes might be. This is one of the easiest places to see cracks in Aria's mask.

* She's risk-averse, and introspective to a fault, yet prone to taking drastic actions on impulse.

* She's both aggressively pedantic and aggressively courteous.

* She takes intellectual honesty extremely seriously, both in herself and others. In fact, she rarely lies at all, preferring to offer perspectives on the truth even when her aim is deception.

* In keeping with the above, she's one of the very few infomorphs in New Eden who will freely and cheerfully admit to being a hypocrite.

* She's fond of mind games and deception, so long as it remains impersonal. Personally, she's a creature of her word and intensely loyal. She's also quick to forgive (though not to forget) personal betrayals.

* While she claims to seek wisdom, she nevertheless clearly has a high opinion of her own insights and a fondness for the sound of her own voice. She describes herself as "clever" rather than wise, but tends to play the wise woman.

* She has a special love for intellectual, religious, and philosophical mazes, which she uses to protect and justify herself. Whether these mazes double as actual wisdom of any sort is left for others to judge: Aria is most often the first to get lost in them.

[Natalcya Katla]

* Though a moral relativist, she tends to describe herself (and other infomorphs) in terms that imply moral condemnation, as monsters or demons. She's deeply spiritual, yet freely admits that she has wandered so far from the well-trod paths of wisdom her sect describes that she may never find her proper place again.

* She's a cold-blooded killer on a pile of different levels, but has a compassionate heart. Her first impulse on hearing of a problem is usually to try to provide helpful advice.

* She withholds moral judgment, but openly regards most people, including herself, as "fools," and especially despises those who undermine their own causes-- whatever those causes might be. This is one of the easiest places to see cracks in Aria's mask.

* She's risk-averse, and introspective to a fault, yet prone to taking drastic actions on impulse.

* She's both aggressively pedantic and aggressively courteous.

* She takes intellectual honesty extremely seriously, both in herself and others. In fact, she rarely lies at all, preferring to offer perspectives on the truth even when her aim is deception.

* In keeping with the above, she's one of the very few infomorphs in New Eden who will freely and cheerfully admit to being a hypocrite.

* She's fond of mind games and deception, so long as it remains impersonal. Personally, she's a creature of her word and intensely loyal. She's also quick to forgive (though not to forget) personal betrayals.

* While she claims to seek wisdom, she nevertheless clearly has a high opinion of her own insights and a fondness for the sound of her own voice. She describes herself as "clever" rather than wise, but tends to play the wise woman.

* She has a special love for intellectual, religious, and philosophical mazes, which she uses to protect and justify herself. Whether these mazes double as actual wisdom of any sort is left for others to judge: Aria is most often the first to get lost in them.

That definitely sounds like Aria, yes. Much of it rings familiar in regard to Natalcya too, which may be some of the reason why she and Aria get along socially as well as they do.

In Katla's case, she's essentially been a psychological wreck for much of her life, including pretty much all of her time as a capsuleer. Between descents into binge drinking, she's been putting up an image of a cold, compulsively neat personality and of rigid adherence to whatever law whose jurisdiction she lives within, which is almost exclusively CONCORD law (she couples this adherence to letter of the law with an utter disdain for what people might see as the meaning or "spirit" of the law).

This mask has been cracking more and more over the past couple of years. She has mostly regressed into a state of mild world-weariness and snide cynicism, itself a mask of sorts to cover all manner of self-doubt, self-pity and self-loathing. In conversation with some rare people, her self-centered worldview gives way to genuine compassion, however, which are by far her best moments.


Ruby is usually very straightforward socially. She has a hard enough time trying to put on masks for the sake of etiquette or (occasionally) professionalism, let alone outright deception. Pretty much the only times she'd act deceptively in a social setting is if it's either a part of some explicit game or if it's something along the lines of keeping quiet about somebody's impending surprise party. Even then she's not terribly good at it. She's probably the most honest character I play.

[Silas Vitalia]

Silas has yet to find any capsuleers that interest her enough to truly open up with. Someone will come along eventually.

She was vulnerable in mixed company approximately one time, after Aldy murdered someone close to her. I believe Morwen and Katrina were there.  She still regrets such weakness and did several months of daily ritual atonement to correct the problem.

She opened up to Inhonores once in a private conversation as well, a rather brutal story from her childhood.  I believe Inhonores was freaked the fuck out and bailed.   

[Sepherim]

Silas has yet to find any capsuleers that interest her enough to truly open up with. Someone will come along eventually.

If only I had old-seph... got even Revan to open up! xD But not Catillah, he would kill you before giving you a chance to say hi.

[Synthia]

She was vulnerable in mixed company approximately one time, after Aldy murdered someone close to her. I believe Morwen and Katrina were there.  She still regrets such weakness and did several months of daily ritual atonement to correct the problem.

Synthia was there, and gave Silas a hug!

I think I also commented on the wallpaper, or carpet, or something similarly inappropriate for the situation.

[Morwen Lagann]

She was vulnerable in mixed company approximately one time, after Aldy murdered someone close to her. I believe Morwen and Katrina were there.  She still regrets such weakness and did several months of daily ritual atonement to correct the problem.

I'm pretty sure that it was Morwen, Reppy, Koronakesh (much to the chagrin of the first two) and maybe someone else, but Katrina was not present for that to my knowledge.