Masterchef Application 1.5

[Masterchef 0]

Out-Of-Character

Minecraft Account Name: Sterns14

How old are you?: 14, very nearly 15

Time-Zone/Country of Residence: Central Standard time, USA.

Do you have a good grip on the English language/good grammar?: I believe I do.

Small 2-3 Sentence Description of yourself: I am a big video game nerd, currently in his Freshman year of High School. I am generally a good student, getting an A- average in most classes. Currently I am becoming increasingly interested in Retro Gaming, and often wonder how irritated my friends get when I simply won’t shut up about how awesome the Megaman X series is. I like to think myself hardworking and responsible, although one’s view of oneself is almost never fully accurate. I do know, though, that I normally make use of a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and love ironic or literalist humor.

How much time could you be on the server weekly?: My schedule is highly variable, but I believe that 7-10 hours per week would be a decent estimation.

What do you know about Roleplaying? Give a definition of what it means to you: Roleplaying, at least for me, is essentially when I create and then slip into a fictional character and become a part of an ongoing, usually open-ended or even never-ending, story.

What experience have you had in Roleplaying, if any?: I have participated in several roleplay threads in several forums before, though never in a real-time, always-in-character roleplay or any RP as large as this one.

In your own Words, define what the act of Meta-Gaming is: Metagaming is when one begins to blend In-Character knowledge with Out-of-Character knowledge, and takes advantage of things that the Character should not know about.

In your own Words, define what the act of Power-Gaming is: Powergaming, or “Godmodding” as I have better come to know it as, is when a person takes complete control of a roleplay situation and does not allow any enemies to even have a real chance at victory. For example:

Player 1: *Punches at gut, then attempts an uppercut

Player 2: *Blocks punches, then stabs player one through the heart, loots him, and goes on his way

A more reasonable action for player 2 would be to thrust his knife at player 1 (giving player 1 the chance to dodge or block) and then loot him and be on his way when, or more pertinently IF, he wins the fight.

What do you expect this server will be like?: I expect that this server, while compatible with a “settle down and farm” lifestyle, will encourage traveling or adventure. I anticipate many adventures to be had, and eagerly await large battles between denizens of a city and the beasts that will, inevitably, attempt to overrun them.

What other server(s) have you played on and why did you leave them?: I have participated in one other, smaller, server with two of my friends and would by now have joined several others, had technical difficulties not complicated things. I do not actually intend to leave any of these servers, but the one I have managed to join so far is so rarely online that almost all my time on Minecraft will be spent here anyways.

Have you read, understood, and agreed to the rules?: I have.

Do you promise to abide by said rules, and laws? This includes the Server, Forum, and Teamspeak set Rules: I do.

How did you hear about us?: I was linked here by a member of another community. This community is called The Chaos Theatre, and they specialize in Top 10 countdowns and play-throughs of video games. Likewise, I respect their opinion when they say that a game (or in this case a server) is worth at least looking at.

Have you voted for the Lord of the Craft on Minestatus? Which vote number were you?: I have not yet voted, but I intend to.

In-Character:

Character Name: Walter Sturns

What Race are you?: Human

What Sub-Race are you? (note, you aren’t required to have a sub-race): (no sub-race)

Biography (Please make this at least 2 paragraphs long. This must include the history of your character and his life as well as age, appearance and personality, etc.): Walter Sturns by no means lived a normal life. For starters, and perhaps for everything else too, his parents were both very, very paranoid merchants. Scared of being forced into a war, or of being prone to the flaws the spotlight would inevitably point out, or of breaking family tradition, or scared of any of a myriad of other things, they never stayed in one place, never kept the same names, and never let their work get traced back to them. It was only with great effort that Walter managed to train his parents to respond to the names of William and Mera, for as far as the family tree could show, not one of his family ever even had a set name (it can only be speculated just how this family managed to find mates to continue the bloodline. It may perhaps have been through inbreeding, or perhaps through a second family of similar camera-shy beings, or even through a simple induction of other paranoid souls wherever they might have been encountered).

All his life the family traveled, and as a result of their secretive nature his family often became the go-to suppliers for assassins and other shady types who didn’t want anything to be traced to them. These scary-looking men and women, generally bearing scars or other deformities, repulsed Walter, and he pledged from a young age that whatever he did when he grew up, it certainly wouldn’t be any of that. Walter’s family would often use the small or unnoticeable in terms of shelter, so it should probably be of no surprise that Walter became an architecture enthusiast, spending spare time building or recreating magnificent castles and forts in miniature using clay and whatever gold he could sneak under his parents’ noses.

When Walter reached the age of 16, the time had come to pack up from Aegis. Careful to stay hidden in the crowds and each taking different ships so as not to draw attention, the family moved on to Asulon. They met up together at the Sanctuary, and Walter’s parents decided it was time to take the great wealth they acquired through their travels (for many a shady character was willing to pay extra for the safety that came with untraceable suppliers) and set up a house in some obscure town that was carefully observed and eventually decided to fall under the category of “places no one’s heard of.”

At this, however, Walter had had enough. Enough dreaming, enough wishing, enough hoping; a life of adventure and renown was the one for him, and Walter Sturns was not about to turn down anything that resembled an opportunity. He made his wish clear to his parents, and while they disproved of his decision, they respected it. Unlike many of the parents of many of the denizens of the realm, it seems, Walter’s parents are still alive somewhere, albeit not on the best terms with him. Once or twice a year, they promise send a letter, and once or twice a year Walter expects to read about how life is great in the country and how terrible it is to be an adventurer these days and how his parents are still waiting for him to come crawling back. His only regret, however, is that he still does not know the family secrets. How does the bloodline continue? What are his parents so scared of? To this day, he does not know.

While adventuring and purposefully “throwing himself out there” would be difficult to adjust to, there were perks that came with being sheltered from all his life. For one thing, there was nary a book that would not wave passed through the Sturns’ hands, and Walter had no shortage of spare time to read them. He became literate and knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects. He also gained quite a knack for trade, and learned an especially large amount regarding architecture and redstone contraptions. However, while some things like mining or smithing or farming can be easily conveyed through books, there are some things only hard experience can offer. Beyond that fact that the sharp end generally goes toward and into an opponent, Walter knows nearly nothing about swordplay or archery. When encountering more than one simple monster at a time, Walter often simply decides to flee rather than fight.

Walter is generally a helpful soul, and while he himself cannot fight effectively, he is always willing to provide support to allies in the form of food, spare armor pieces, weaponry, or whatever indirect help he can find. He can be somewhat vain about his intellect. While a challenge of strength he will always turn down or even run from if need be, he has never been able to resist a battle of wit. As well, a lack of a social life has left him a bit starved for friends and short on social knowledge. As a result, he is very trusting and somewhat gullible. While he would barely ever willingly perform an evil deed, he is relatively easy to manipulate into unwittingly performing one.

He stands at an even 6 feet tall, has indigo eyes, dark brown hair, and tan skin.

What is your Character's ambitions?:

Walter’s greatest desire is popularity and fame. Fortune is nice, and friends and adventure and whatnot are probably important, but renown is what he is starved for, and so renown is his goal. If he is asked to build something, his first priority is to ensure he shall have credit for it, payment being a secondary objective in most cases. He counts himself lucky to have left his family during the relatively early days of this new “Asulon” land, as early land means a lack of structures, and a lack of structures means a need for architects - a need he intends to fill, preferably singlehandedly although there will always be competitors.

What is your character’s favorite tool? (sword, pickaxe, shovel, etc): Walter’s favorite tool is his own mind. That said, a block of explosives and a pressure plate to trigger it are never bad things to have on hand.

What is one of your Character's most skilled talents? Walter is skilled in a variety of areas, but he is particularly good at mining and excavation.

A screenshot of your skin (must be in proper format):

(I hope the front view will be enough. I use a mac and as a result the f5-f5-printscreen trick won’t work for me. It’s not that the f5 key won’t operate properly, but rather that my computer has no prinscreen button in the first place. I still have a screenshot button combination, but that requires freedom of mouse movement, which doesn’t work in the f5-f5 system. The back of my character, if you trust me to tell the truth about it, simply shows the predictable back of the outfit, which is nearly identical to the front.)

Other Information about your Character: Walter can get along well enough with nearly any species willing to listen. He shares the Dwarves’ love of mining, the Elven appreciation of nature, and even an Orclike affinity for war machines.

Land scarring is not an issue I anticipate, as I intend most if not all of my structures to either be so grand that they enhance the landscape or so well hidden that someone who did not already know their exact location would not be able to even see them.

Open-Response-Questions

Whilst traveling from the Cloud Temple you see a small halfling, being harassed by two armed warriors. They appear to be trying to steal money from him, how does your character respond? Walter quickly crouches down and begins to sneak around behind the bandits (as he has assumed them to be), plotting out, step-by-step, his attack. He could probably manage in one surprise blow before the bandits could react, so where does he place it? From some anatomy books, he knows that the base of the spine is a good place to attack, as it renders most targets incapacitated yet still alive (he has no desire to kill another sentient being when he doesn’t have to). After that, either the halfling would assist him, which spells victory through overwhelming numbers, or the halfling would flee, in which case he too would run and escape as the bandit would most likely make his fallen companion first priority. Victory through escape.

Seeing no downside, Walter sprints forward and, as expected, brings down the first bandit with a single stab to the back. The other bandit, now realizing he’s outnumbered, steps back from the halfling and adopts a defensive stance. With that, the halfling runs off, and the bandit decides to give chase. Oops, Walter didn’t anticipate that. Following behind the bandit as best he can, he eventually comes to a stop behind a bush as the bandit comes to a halt. Taking advantage of the opportunity and surprise, Walter manages to apply one cut across the bandit’s chest before the bandit can turn around and block his next attack. The halfling comes back now, and decides to end things once and for all. The halfling stabs the bandit through the heart, then steps back, clearly a bit shocked at all the events.

“You saved me.” The halfling says, still a little in shock. “How can I ever repay you? What’s your name?”

The reply is, “I am Walter Sturns, and no payment is necessary.”

With that, he walks off into the forest back towards his original destination, in the hopes that he might get a little credit as some sort of vigilante hero from any tales the halfling might tell.

Your character wanders into Alras, and comes across a small stall, behind which a well dressed man is standing. He’s offering various wares, the merchant turns to you and says in a posh accent " 'ello there, what can I do you for today?" What is your character response? Walter responds, “I’m in the market for some wheat seeds, and possibly some ores. Do you have both?”

“Yes. That’s quite the peculiar combination of items, are you perhaps a merchant yourself?”

“No, I simple dabble in many subjects.”

“Ah. Which kind of ore would you like? Gold or iron?”

“Just some simple iron.”

“Very well, that will be [amount] minas, I’ll go get your items.”

Walter counts up the money as the shopkeeper moves toward the back of the shop to look for items. He notices, however, that the keeper was making some very familiar motions, motions which Walter recognized from his own parents. The shopkeeper had something he was trying to hide.

“What is it back there you’re so careful to keep hidden?”

“Excuse me? I don’t know what you mean.”

“I know that behavior. Dodging certain crates, carefully choosing which to open and which not to. So I ask again, what have you that you wish to keep secret?”

The shopkeeper readjusts his position, revealing the slight glint of a sword under his robes and the hand ready to grab it. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Walter takes the hint, pays for his items, and leaves, deciding it wasn’t worth it to cause a ruckus, that there were many possible explanations for the shopkeeper’s behavior, and most importantly that he wouldn’t have won the fight anyhow. He decides not to give the mysterious shop any further thought, and simply archives it away in his memory.

Whilst wandering in the wilds, your character comes across a small hut, which looks abandoned. Inside it you see a chest containing a few iron bars, and a golden sword. How would your character respond?: Walter sees the items, but has no need for them. Having lived in many throughout his life, Walter knows the value of a discreet hideout to return to if need be, and decides to close the chest (so the items are hidden) and move along so that the owner of the hut, should they ever have need to return, will have what they need. Walter’s no thief, and he certainly won’t deprive a wandering soul who might be in greater need of these things than he. Much like the incident with the merchant, Walter still commits the place to memory in case he is ever in need of a shelter in this area.

Hungry and lost in the wilderness, you stumble across a small trading camp nestled among the forest, they greet you you in the common tongue, how do you respond? “Hello there. Say, would you happen to have any food for a hungry traveller?”

“No free meals. You got minas?”

“No, I lost them to a wolf, a bard, and an orc. Long story. I would be willing to work for food, I’m knowledgeable on a great many subjects.”

“There are some bandits at large in this area. Take care of them, we’ll get you some grub.”

“Ohh... Are you sure that’s the only job you have?”

“Yup. Take it or leave it.”

Walter knows he wouldn’t be able to take on the bandits. He decides that he could stand another day or so without food, and asks at least where he is.

“It’s nowhere you’d probably know about. Lemme get that map...”

As the trader fetches a map from a drawer somewhere, Walter wonders if this might possibly be where his parents ended up. It would be nice to see them again... But no time for wishful thinking, the trader’s back.

“See, right here.”

Walter looks at the map, and is at least thankful to know where he is. He remembers that there was that one abandoned hut somewhere in the area, and an apple tree nearby. Those’ll suffice. Before setting off toward the hut, Walter asks if there were any wealthy, very secretive, insanely quiet people in the camp.

“Nope, can’t say there are.”

Walter is slightly disappointed, but moves on toward the old hut. It’s nearby, and Walter is without armor or weaponry. He’s very thankful he left those supplies there the last time he saw them, and now hopes they’re still there...

You hear word that bandits occupy the road outside the town in which you have been staying. The town guard have gathered, and are asking for assistance to help eliminate them. The leader of the party is offering a reward for any who offer their support. How does your character act on this information?: Walter knows he’d be more a burden than an asset on the trip, but also knows that such a situation is never without an opportunity for capitalization. As soon as the party (which consisted of most of the town) has left, he begins to prepare a small booth near the road. A small anvil is set up, ingots prepared next to it. Fish and bread and meat cook in the hastily-improvised oven. One double-check of his stand later, he watches the party storm off into the distance and waits.

A while later, the party returns, disheveled and weary but still clearly victorious. As the first man passes by his stand, and looks at the various meats and food on display hungrily.

“10 minas,” says Walter, “and for another 25 I’ll fix up your armor and weapons while you eat.”

The man doesn’t even question the high pricing and it seemed in an instant 35 minas clinked on the countertop, the man’s armor was thrust into Walters arms, and the man’s teeth were gum-deep in some porkchop. Walter gives the same offer to the rest of the party, and not one refuses or even questions the odd combination of services. They’re all too hungry. Walter looks at his profits, and decides that every mina the town recovered from those bandits, they just gave to him. He packs up when he’s absolutely sure the town is saturated with food and repairs, and leaves before anyone can decide that his work was maybe not worth it. Plus, a hasty exit meant possible rumors to be told of a legendary merchant. So Walter moves on to the next nearby town, counting his minas (and losing his count at 547) as he goes.

(In case you’re curious about the app’s odd numbering in the title, it turns out I had accidentally used the wrond application format in my original. While this is technically my second attempt, most of the answers here are unchanged from the first attempt)

[hypercrit 237]

Great app, please wait to be implemented by a GM.

[hypercrit 237]

Moved to Accepted Forum

[shiftnative 3103]

Implemented