Spock (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
your_logic_is_impeccable) wrote2013-06-12 09:08 am
your_logic_is_impeccable) wrote2013-06-12 09:08 am
Entry tags:
Application for Throne of Shadows, in progress
1. Player Information
Name: Isis
Username:
Plurk: flyawayblackbird
AIM: isisceles
Current characters in ToS: None
Reserve: Here
2. Canon Character Information
Name: Spock S'chn T'gai Spock
PB: Zachary Quinto
Journal: Here
Age: 28, physically appears to be in his early 20s.
Appearance:
Spock is a Human/Vulcan hybrid and he's inherited all the dominant appearance traits from his Vulcan father. His ears are pointed, much like that of an elf, and his eyebrows are permanently slanted upwards. His iconic haircut is similar to most Vulcan men, which includes his iconic clean-cut bangs. His hair is so dark brown that it looks black except when in direct sunlight. Spock is poised and always moves with grace and purpose. When fascinated, he frequently likes to cock his eyebrow.
Observant characters will also notice that Spock, after any amount of physical activity, is never sweaty. This is because Vulcans have no sweat glands and instead cool their bodies internally through their larger blood vessels.
History: Here
Powers/Talents:
Name: Isis
Username:
Plurk: flyawayblackbird
AIM: isisceles
Current characters in ToS: None
Reserve: Here
2. Canon Character Information
Name: Spock S'chn T'gai Spock
PB: Zachary Quinto
Journal: Here
Age: 28, physically appears to be in his early 20s.
Appearance:
Spock is a Human/Vulcan hybrid and he's inherited all the dominant appearance traits from his Vulcan father. His ears are pointed, much like that of an elf, and his eyebrows are permanently slanted upwards. His iconic haircut is similar to most Vulcan men, which includes his iconic clean-cut bangs. His hair is so dark brown that it looks black except when in direct sunlight. Spock is poised and always moves with grace and purpose. When fascinated, he frequently likes to cock his eyebrow.
Observant characters will also notice that Spock, after any amount of physical activity, is never sweaty. This is because Vulcans have no sweat glands and instead cool their bodies internally through their larger blood vessels.
History: Here
Powers/Talents:
↳ Vulcan Mind Meld
Mind Meld allows Spock to share his own, or extract from others, thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge. While some Vulcans can perform the mind meld without physical contact, at this point in his life, Spock cannot. It is conceivable that through more years of study, Spock could learn how to mind meld from a distance, but all instances of doing so will cause great duress and need intense concentration. The power works on individuals who are unconscious or dead, but only if their mind is in tact. For example, Spock could not touch the ashes of someone to get past memories. Same with a corpse whose brain has already decayed.
Spock's personality and pursuits have truly been shaped by what he is: a hybrid of Human and Vulcan. He is caught between two worlds, neither of which accepts him fully, despite anything that he may do or accomplish.
The majority of his life has been spent on Vulcan (the name of both the original planet and the species), trapped between two realities of "being shamed his whole life for being half human, and having that aspect of himself in control all of the time."
Since his childhood, Spock has always being doubted by other Vulcans. He had no friends, because his peers believed that his human half could never fully disregard emotion. Even when he achieved a flawless record and gained acceptance into the Vulcan Science Academy, the High Council commented that it was impressive that he could achieve such a feat given his disadvantage of being half human. But when Spock rejected them, they immediately jumped to the conclusion that his only reason for showing up was to satisfy his emotional need to rebel. Spock wanted always, to be accepted as a true Vulcan capable of anything a child born from two Vulcan parents could become. It was his home and he wanted a place there, but it would never be given to him.
At Starfleet, he found a different sort of home. Through his own skill, he quickly rose to become one of the best students the school has ever had, and afterwards, one of their most distinguished graduates, who rose quickly to the level of commander. Yet in an organization composed of mostly humans, he faced a different type of discrimination. His whole-hearted Vulcan pursuit of science, logic and truth, often made others believe that he lacked emotion completely and was therefore cold and heartless. He could command a ship, but he spoke only the truth, which meant he could not offer any type of reassurance or comfort to men and women who otherwise might need it.
Neither Vulcans nor Humans truly accept Spock as their own, which has left him with an empty void that he never hopes to fill. The idea of "wanting acceptance" was logically unnecessary, and so Spock has always ignored it. His mother was the only person who genuinely accepted Spock for who he was at all times, but his mother is now dead. What must be understood about Spock, is simply that he has an extremely deep ability to feel, perhaps even more strongly than a normal human. But as much as he yearns for anyone in his life to accept him, he may never act on it, or react to it, for the rest of his life.
Out of the sparse moments in which Spock has shown emotion, two moments were the most important. First, Spock witnessed the death of millions of Vulcans, and his human mother, when his home planet was destroyed. That was also the first time James Kirk was able to elicit an emotional response from Spock, who quickly proceeded to beat James, nearly killing him, until Spock was stopped by his father. The second time, was when Spock realized that James was about to die. It was then that Spock, crying, realized that for the first time in his life that his friendship with James was real, and something he'd never had before.
Spock will always be the half-man, half-Vulcan who has emotions, but who wants to be able to control them, and nearly always does. His belief in logic and the Vulcan pursuit of Cthia, or reality-truth, will always be what guides him. But through James, he has learned that sometimes what one does for others defies logic, because the connection between two individuals may be more valuable than reason.
Why would your character be chosen? Spock's constant internal struggle between logic and emotion is what makes him special. Unlike other Vulcans, he can dedicate himself to science but see the rare value in emotions. And unlike humans, he knows when and how to control those emotions when they only hinder his pursuit of truth.
How much does your character know about nonhumans? As both a nonhuman (well, not entirely human) and a member of Starfleet, it is part of Spock's mission "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." This often means that Spock, along with the crew members of the Enterprise, have a much higher knowledge of nonhumans than the rest of his world.
Why this character: Two reasons. One, I'm pretty sure I've always wanted to be a Vulcan in real life. Sadly, that can't come true, but I believe in following logic in a similar fashion that Spock does, though probably without his iron will. Second, it is immensely fun to play a character with internal struggle and a search for identity. Spock has achieved so much, learned so much, but he has so much left to figure out about himself, and about what he really believes in.
AU Addendum: I'm not sure if this counts as AU, but it's a part of Spock's physiology as a hybrid species that I've worked out on my own. Other Spock players might have the same interpretation, but the canon for this is fuzzy, so I thought I'd include this.
↳ Emotions
Having inherited all the traits of a Vulcan from his father, Spock, like other Vulcans, have the capacity to feel great emotion. However, I've decided that his human half is not a handicap to his ability to pursue absolute logic and to suppress his emotions, despite everyone else's suspicions. If Spock had an upbringing with no sense of conformity or pressure, it may have simply allowed him a greater choice when deciding if he wanted to pursue the Vulcan belief in truth. However, growing up on the planet Vulcan, surrounded by those who preached Cthia, and trained from birth to follow it, his human half, I believe, has had little effect on him in a biological manner.
Instead, what his human mother and his own hybrid identity has shown Spock, is that despite their dedication to logic, and by association a type of meritocracy, Vulcans can be extremely cruel when considering their human counterparts, and view them as inferior. It is maybe only Spock, and at times his father, who have realized this, and disagree with it. Therefore, when the High Council offered Spock a place in the Academy, and expressed how impressed they were that he had achieved his acceptance despite his "disadvantage", Spock refused to join.
Additionally, since Cthia, and Kolinahr, the ultimate state without emotion, are only achievable to Vulcans through training, and because some Vulcans forsake this path entirely, it is therefore logical that Vulcans are not born with the inclination towards logic. Instead, they are bred to love it, and have adopted it culturally. It is their religion of sorts, and it is an art that requires practice. Thus, despite what others think about Spock's half-human disability, it is no hinderance to him pursuing Kolinahr, should he chose to do so.
↳ Pon Farr
All Vulcans, starting at age 20, experience their first pon farr. Basically, they have to mate immediately, and if they do not, some Vulcans die or go crazy. Those who have great emotional control can meditate their way out of it, but most Vulcans will mate. It doesn't matter with whom. Normal Vulcans experience this urge once every 7 years. However, in hybrids such as Spock, the cycle fluctuates and becomes slightly less predictable. At the age of 28, he has experienced pon farr twice before, but not at the exact years he would normally expect.
Past Game History: n/a
4. Samples
First-Person:
[ Spock is dictating. ]
Personal Log Number 3321. Stardate 2258.06.03.
I have been captured by the Nysgods as a potential mate for their Prince. When I pointed out the improbability that I could serve as a suitable mate, I was informed that my sex did not matter. Men in this world can be impregnated. What a fascinating species.
Third-Person: In which Spock is bit by a zombie.
Third Sample:
Spock could feel the chill of the cold marble floor when he awoke. He opened his eyes and sat up in one swift motion, looking to his left and right for any indication of danger. His movements were precise and despite the dizziness that grew in his head, Spock made sure to scan the room. He must have been beamed down to a planet, but by whom, he did not yet know. It wasn't long before he saw the Nysgod, standing patiently and waiting for Spock to discover him, so he could begin the explanation he's given many times before.
Spock stood up as the Nysgod spoke. Niflheim. Mate. Prince Tristan.
"I hope Prince Tristan understands that I am male," Spock said, his right eyebrow cocked in fascination. But the Nysgod simply told him that it was of no consequence, and that he would like to escort the new candidate to Othala Temple. Hesitantly, Spock followed.
Meeting Adriana and Casey was similarly mysterious. They said little about themselves, but Spock still listened politely as they showed him his new clothes, the bedroom, the earbud and the ring.
"How long exactly do you expect me to stay here against my will?" he asked. The question was simple and his voice was calm, but Spock's tone was threatening. He was reaching for his phaser when he realized that it was no longer in its holster. "My ship will be searching for me. It is only a matter of time before they are able to locate my signal."
But the two humans - who certainly smelled the part - did not run or threaten or anger. Instead, they insisted that Niflheim is working on a way to send him home, that the Grasp, which had taken him here, was broken at the moment. Spock didn't say anything for a moment, as he looked at the majestic white stone columns and ceilings, estimating how technologically advanced Niflheim really was.
"I'd like to see the Grasp. If you're not trying to keep me here, take me to it." If they weren't capable of fixing it, it was possible he was.
[ ooc: as a player, I am totally fine with Spock not being able to fix it, but hey, the man's gotta try. ]
Mind Meld allows Spock to share his own, or extract from others, thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge. While some Vulcans can perform the mind meld without physical contact, at this point in his life, Spock cannot. It is conceivable that through more years of study, Spock could learn how to mind meld from a distance, but all instances of doing so will cause great duress and need intense concentration. The power works on individuals who are unconscious or dead, but only if their mind is in tact. For example, Spock could not touch the ashes of someone to get past memories. Same with a corpse whose brain has already decayed.
↳ Vulcan Nerve Pinch
A martial technique developed by Vulcans, the nerve pinch requires only one hand (which means Spock can perform it on two people simultaneously), targets pressure points on the neck and shoulder of the subject, and renders him/her unconscious immediately. No permanent damage is caused. The pinch works only on humanoid creatures with a nervous system and does not have magical properties. So for example, Spock cannot nerve pinch a robot and expect it to lose power. It is also possible for Spock to teach others the nerve pinch, as it is not dependent on Vulcans heritage. Humans with superhuman powers, such as Kahn, can withstand the nerve pinch without falling unconscious for a period of time, but it brings them great pain to do so.
↳ Heightened senses
Those pointy ears aren't for nothing. Spock (and all Vulcans) can hear, see and smell much better than normal humans. Vulcans experience more color than humans do, which often means they experience headaches after prolonged exposure to vibrant colors. They can smell body odors, to the degree of being able to tell if one is a Vulcan, or a robot posing as one.
↳ Science officer
Canon in the reboot series isn't very clear on this topic, so I've borrowed some known things about Spock in the original Star Trek series. As both a Vulcan and the science officer abroad the USS Enterprise, Spock is well-versed in science and technology, though he has no known specialty. He has been known to build futuristic communicators with only materials from a historic time period, and has a great enjoyment of learning.
↳ Physical Vulcan advantages, as compared with humans
- The Vulcan skull is harder than human skulls, so blows to the head that are fatal to humans will only injure a Vulcan.
- Because the Vulcan species originates and has lived on dryer planets, they've evolved to withstand drought-like weather. This includes an inner-eyelid that protects them against sand, as well as a physical ability to live for a longer period of time without any water.
- The inner-eyelid can also protect against other harmful substances, such as blinding flashes of light, and radiation. (Though the rest of Spock will indeed, suffer heavily from radiation, his eyes will be okay!)
- Vulcan nervous systems are also more resilient than humans, but are not superhuman.
- Vulcans live much longer than humans, usually to 250-300 years old.
Personality: A martial technique developed by Vulcans, the nerve pinch requires only one hand (which means Spock can perform it on two people simultaneously), targets pressure points on the neck and shoulder of the subject, and renders him/her unconscious immediately. No permanent damage is caused. The pinch works only on humanoid creatures with a nervous system and does not have magical properties. So for example, Spock cannot nerve pinch a robot and expect it to lose power. It is also possible for Spock to teach others the nerve pinch, as it is not dependent on Vulcans heritage. Humans with superhuman powers, such as Kahn, can withstand the nerve pinch without falling unconscious for a period of time, but it brings them great pain to do so.
↳ Heightened senses
Those pointy ears aren't for nothing. Spock (and all Vulcans) can hear, see and smell much better than normal humans. Vulcans experience more color than humans do, which often means they experience headaches after prolonged exposure to vibrant colors. They can smell body odors, to the degree of being able to tell if one is a Vulcan, or a robot posing as one.
↳ Science officer
Canon in the reboot series isn't very clear on this topic, so I've borrowed some known things about Spock in the original Star Trek series. As both a Vulcan and the science officer abroad the USS Enterprise, Spock is well-versed in science and technology, though he has no known specialty. He has been known to build futuristic communicators with only materials from a historic time period, and has a great enjoyment of learning.
↳ Physical Vulcan advantages, as compared with humans
- The Vulcan skull is harder than human skulls, so blows to the head that are fatal to humans will only injure a Vulcan.
- Because the Vulcan species originates and has lived on dryer planets, they've evolved to withstand drought-like weather. This includes an inner-eyelid that protects them against sand, as well as a physical ability to live for a longer period of time without any water.
- The inner-eyelid can also protect against other harmful substances, such as blinding flashes of light, and radiation. (Though the rest of Spock will indeed, suffer heavily from radiation, his eyes will be okay!)
- Vulcan nervous systems are also more resilient than humans, but are not superhuman.
- Vulcans live much longer than humans, usually to 250-300 years old.
Spock's personality and pursuits have truly been shaped by what he is: a hybrid of Human and Vulcan. He is caught between two worlds, neither of which accepts him fully, despite anything that he may do or accomplish.
The majority of his life has been spent on Vulcan (the name of both the original planet and the species), trapped between two realities of "being shamed his whole life for being half human, and having that aspect of himself in control all of the time."
Since his childhood, Spock has always being doubted by other Vulcans. He had no friends, because his peers believed that his human half could never fully disregard emotion. Even when he achieved a flawless record and gained acceptance into the Vulcan Science Academy, the High Council commented that it was impressive that he could achieve such a feat given his disadvantage of being half human. But when Spock rejected them, they immediately jumped to the conclusion that his only reason for showing up was to satisfy his emotional need to rebel. Spock wanted always, to be accepted as a true Vulcan capable of anything a child born from two Vulcan parents could become. It was his home and he wanted a place there, but it would never be given to him.
At Starfleet, he found a different sort of home. Through his own skill, he quickly rose to become one of the best students the school has ever had, and afterwards, one of their most distinguished graduates, who rose quickly to the level of commander. Yet in an organization composed of mostly humans, he faced a different type of discrimination. His whole-hearted Vulcan pursuit of science, logic and truth, often made others believe that he lacked emotion completely and was therefore cold and heartless. He could command a ship, but he spoke only the truth, which meant he could not offer any type of reassurance or comfort to men and women who otherwise might need it.
Neither Vulcans nor Humans truly accept Spock as their own, which has left him with an empty void that he never hopes to fill. The idea of "wanting acceptance" was logically unnecessary, and so Spock has always ignored it. His mother was the only person who genuinely accepted Spock for who he was at all times, but his mother is now dead. What must be understood about Spock, is simply that he has an extremely deep ability to feel, perhaps even more strongly than a normal human. But as much as he yearns for anyone in his life to accept him, he may never act on it, or react to it, for the rest of his life.
Out of the sparse moments in which Spock has shown emotion, two moments were the most important. First, Spock witnessed the death of millions of Vulcans, and his human mother, when his home planet was destroyed. That was also the first time James Kirk was able to elicit an emotional response from Spock, who quickly proceeded to beat James, nearly killing him, until Spock was stopped by his father. The second time, was when Spock realized that James was about to die. It was then that Spock, crying, realized that for the first time in his life that his friendship with James was real, and something he'd never had before.
Spock will always be the half-man, half-Vulcan who has emotions, but who wants to be able to control them, and nearly always does. His belief in logic and the Vulcan pursuit of Cthia, or reality-truth, will always be what guides him. But through James, he has learned that sometimes what one does for others defies logic, because the connection between two individuals may be more valuable than reason.
Why would your character be chosen? Spock's constant internal struggle between logic and emotion is what makes him special. Unlike other Vulcans, he can dedicate himself to science but see the rare value in emotions. And unlike humans, he knows when and how to control those emotions when they only hinder his pursuit of truth.
How much does your character know about nonhumans? As both a nonhuman (well, not entirely human) and a member of Starfleet, it is part of Spock's mission "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." This often means that Spock, along with the crew members of the Enterprise, have a much higher knowledge of nonhumans than the rest of his world.
Why this character: Two reasons. One, I'm pretty sure I've always wanted to be a Vulcan in real life. Sadly, that can't come true, but I believe in following logic in a similar fashion that Spock does, though probably without his iron will. Second, it is immensely fun to play a character with internal struggle and a search for identity. Spock has achieved so much, learned so much, but he has so much left to figure out about himself, and about what he really believes in.
AU Addendum: I'm not sure if this counts as AU, but it's a part of Spock's physiology as a hybrid species that I've worked out on my own. Other Spock players might have the same interpretation, but the canon for this is fuzzy, so I thought I'd include this.
↳ Emotions
Having inherited all the traits of a Vulcan from his father, Spock, like other Vulcans, have the capacity to feel great emotion. However, I've decided that his human half is not a handicap to his ability to pursue absolute logic and to suppress his emotions, despite everyone else's suspicions. If Spock had an upbringing with no sense of conformity or pressure, it may have simply allowed him a greater choice when deciding if he wanted to pursue the Vulcan belief in truth. However, growing up on the planet Vulcan, surrounded by those who preached Cthia, and trained from birth to follow it, his human half, I believe, has had little effect on him in a biological manner.
Instead, what his human mother and his own hybrid identity has shown Spock, is that despite their dedication to logic, and by association a type of meritocracy, Vulcans can be extremely cruel when considering their human counterparts, and view them as inferior. It is maybe only Spock, and at times his father, who have realized this, and disagree with it. Therefore, when the High Council offered Spock a place in the Academy, and expressed how impressed they were that he had achieved his acceptance despite his "disadvantage", Spock refused to join.
Additionally, since Cthia, and Kolinahr, the ultimate state without emotion, are only achievable to Vulcans through training, and because some Vulcans forsake this path entirely, it is therefore logical that Vulcans are not born with the inclination towards logic. Instead, they are bred to love it, and have adopted it culturally. It is their religion of sorts, and it is an art that requires practice. Thus, despite what others think about Spock's half-human disability, it is no hinderance to him pursuing Kolinahr, should he chose to do so.
↳ Pon Farr
All Vulcans, starting at age 20, experience their first pon farr. Basically, they have to mate immediately, and if they do not, some Vulcans die or go crazy. Those who have great emotional control can meditate their way out of it, but most Vulcans will mate. It doesn't matter with whom. Normal Vulcans experience this urge once every 7 years. However, in hybrids such as Spock, the cycle fluctuates and becomes slightly less predictable. At the age of 28, he has experienced pon farr twice before, but not at the exact years he would normally expect.
Past Game History: n/a
4. Samples
First-Person:
[ Spock is dictating. ]
Personal Log Number 3321. Stardate 2258.06.03.
I have been captured by the Nysgods as a potential mate for their Prince. When I pointed out the improbability that I could serve as a suitable mate, I was informed that my sex did not matter. Men in this world can be impregnated. What a fascinating species.
Third-Person: In which Spock is bit by a zombie.
Third Sample:
Spock could feel the chill of the cold marble floor when he awoke. He opened his eyes and sat up in one swift motion, looking to his left and right for any indication of danger. His movements were precise and despite the dizziness that grew in his head, Spock made sure to scan the room. He must have been beamed down to a planet, but by whom, he did not yet know. It wasn't long before he saw the Nysgod, standing patiently and waiting for Spock to discover him, so he could begin the explanation he's given many times before.
Spock stood up as the Nysgod spoke. Niflheim. Mate. Prince Tristan.
"I hope Prince Tristan understands that I am male," Spock said, his right eyebrow cocked in fascination. But the Nysgod simply told him that it was of no consequence, and that he would like to escort the new candidate to Othala Temple. Hesitantly, Spock followed.
Meeting Adriana and Casey was similarly mysterious. They said little about themselves, but Spock still listened politely as they showed him his new clothes, the bedroom, the earbud and the ring.
"How long exactly do you expect me to stay here against my will?" he asked. The question was simple and his voice was calm, but Spock's tone was threatening. He was reaching for his phaser when he realized that it was no longer in its holster. "My ship will be searching for me. It is only a matter of time before they are able to locate my signal."
But the two humans - who certainly smelled the part - did not run or threaten or anger. Instead, they insisted that Niflheim is working on a way to send him home, that the Grasp, which had taken him here, was broken at the moment. Spock didn't say anything for a moment, as he looked at the majestic white stone columns and ceilings, estimating how technologically advanced Niflheim really was.
"I'd like to see the Grasp. If you're not trying to keep me here, take me to it." If they weren't capable of fixing it, it was possible he was.
[ ooc: as a player, I am totally fine with Spock not being able to fix it, but hey, the man's gotta try. ]