[WaifuApple]

Link to earlier thread: https://neus-projects.net/forums/showthr...?tid=10213

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Applicable BYOND Key - Maritime Strategist Apple
Character Name - Ciara Saintiteuil
Request Type - Character Ability / Enhancement of Existing Character Ability
 

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Request Details - I am seeking a progression of an already approved ability to a stronger, more practical enhanced version of itself.

The already approved ability, it's capabilities, and it's conditionals, are within the linked thread at the top of this application, but to put it simple: The current version of the ability allows her to use a form of grimweaving / altermancy that allows her to puppet things. Inanimate objects only, and the more these things tie to her emotions or to sentiment the less focus this takes for her to do. She is also able to project her own voice to make it seem like she is speaking through these puppets, though she does not have any real skill with mimicry, so it will still sound like her. In the older request, not much else was granted through this request, so here's what I'm seeking with this request:

Not Just Puppetry - I want to expand the capabilities of the ability to go beyond just puppetry of objects. I would like her to be able to bring things to her or push them away from her through these strings. Now, some people would consider this a given part of being able to move things through puppetry, but it was never something I really roleplayed, as I never had the explicit permission through the application to do so. Through this application, I'd like to open this opportunity to my character, which would mostly allow for the power to come into use more often in more mundane fluff situations, like grabbing a book from a shelf a distance away, for paperwork, etc.

It would also allow her to essentially do at range anything that could be done by wrapping strings around something and pulling - pulling levers, retrieving things just out of reach of normal human hands (like if something happens to be across a gap too far for you to reach over, this would be fair game for the puppet strings to pull over). The amount she would be able to pick up would be exaggerated compared to normal human grip, but this would be to a reasonable degree. Think of her carrying a lot of small things at once, where it seems reasonable but this might add up. Things that are expectedly really quite heavy would vary - I'd like to imagine the strings would account for the weight-load of two people, allowing her to carry a single heavy crate at one time that would usually be for two people, offsetting the strain to focus strain, using these puppet strings. Objects that would require three or more people to carry her would be off limits, setting an upper boundary.

Enhanced Puppetry - I would like to take things to the next level when it comes to the puppetry itself. Currently the stipulations are that the puppets themselves don't do very much. They're flimsy, fragile, and poorly put together, making them more unsettling than they are an actual threatening part of her capabilities as a person. With the new Ruler class on the horizon (it might even be out by the time this application gets looked at) I feel like there is an opportunity to change this. An opportunity to take this class and flavor the pawns and automatons and control over them differently, taking an approach from the angle that this character has been running with thus far, themed around control and puppetry. Now, Ruler is not the only reason - this has been on the burner since before we knew what that class would be like. But it is a class that would ultimately lend itself mechanically well to how I would like to portray my character and the ability going forward.

On this front, I'd like Ciara to be able to create an alternate form of puppet, through her emotions and her sentiment, with a degree of durability similar to that of these pawns or youkai. Appearance wise they'd be very similar to what she uses right now - just with a more visible dark aura around them, and with strings attached similar to the dark strings that Ciara uses, that seem to extend upwards until a point in which they disappear. They are bound to her as their puppeteer, so those focus inclined would be able to trace the strings to her, and if she's not in the area, the aura around them - and those strings - will weaken and weaken until they begin to fade, alongside a diminishing in their capabilities, so you know that when they're not quickly losing their aura their owner is around, and those with a keen eye for focus can likely trace those strings past their disappearing point to her.

They'd essentially be able to wield basic weaponry for themselves. No special weaponry beyond appearance likely tied to sentiment. Just basic weapons like daggers, swords, and bows for range. They require her to apply her focus to them for them to retain their aura and their ability to act under her control, but now they are more durable and capable of some degree of actual harm (though not to the same degree a human would be). My intention is to use the Ruler class in theme to portray this, through it's mechanics of requiring you to pour focus into pawns to change them into something or to keep stronger pieces going. This should not go further than a unique narrative interpretation of this tied to her puppetry ability.

Visually, the puppets look generally like characters from the world that I have sprited myself - more of these may come. While this won't be able to be reflected in mechanical combat, it can be reflected using regalia and item displays. These will never go beyond 32x32, and I intent to consult GMs if ever, for some reason, there is a break in the trend.

The Look:

Limited Live Puppeteering - I also request - with the consent of any players the ability is to be used on - the capability to puppet others to a very minor degree. This can lead to interesting RP with the right people, and is limited to controlling a limb or two at a time - to make someone swing, or to make someone approach her. She would not have full control over these people even if the player DOES consent ICly, as the minor capability alone is as far as this power pursuit has gotten ICly, and because I think even just being able to puppet small pieces of a person, to push or pull someone a little bit, is already narratively all I need, and by itself will welcome conflict. As I have stressed multiple times before, however, this is only with player consent. This isn't going to happen unless it's wanted, and if it never happens, it never happens.

Specific Request - Admittedly I'm not sure what to put here, because I already feel like my request itself has covered quite a bit what I am asking for in detail, with the restrictions I intend to abide by, and setting out realistic limits.


Reason why you are making this request (if applicable) - The reason is simple. Narrative progression. The ability started off quite weak, and through roleplay and development, I have worked on approaching a point where I can apply for a stronger version with more practical uses that will be more prevalent.
 

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Roleplay & Lore supporting your request - The effort towards this ability has predominantly been seen through Geladyne's side of the Watcher event, in which she had been training herself on one of the captured homunculi puppets that Jasper had control over. She never had very much success in regards to controlling a homunculi in full, but she grew better and better at this, and was granted permission by the former director to continue testing this with the help of RnD. This has culminated in her and a member of RnD named Lyo combining their efforts based on information based on Jasper - an event character that also revolves around puppeteering - to work on a joint method of limited control over these resistant homunculi.

Through this, she has not only honed her own abilities but found a way for another to enhance her capabilities with another element (only within the bounds and approval of Karidan's event), but I would like that work to translate in limited part to enhanced control over what she already has, and improvements over that. Ruler has since appeared and given the line of progress she has been taken some more merit, as enchanting the pawns is how you keep them going and how you maintain a degree of control over them, meaning I believe this entire new class makes a good case for lore as to how this could possibly function, in combination with the lore that got my last application improved - which is Altermancy's ability to control things as is. See: Necromancy bringing back the dead, which is certainly in some interpretations a form of control. This is not necromancy, however.

A gallery of screenshots of an RnD experiment and a Watcher event demonstrating some of the effort that has gone into the puppeteering skill and alternate enchants is attached: https://imgur.com/a/qAvEP8L

For the written intent and approval for Ciara to practice her magic on this homunculi, I cannot show screenshots publicly as the channel for this is for private internal reports, but GMs have access to it and can find it. If they need these screenshots and cannot find them, I will be happy to point them out.

[Salsaccino]

Not Just Puppetry - I am perfectly fine allowing this as part of a step-up in terms of your character's abilities and what they can now do with the strings. Carrying a lot all at once or lifting heavy objects designed for two people would be a greater strain on your character's Focus and how long they can even keep the strings up for. For example, carrying that crate would require you use all of your available strings and keeping it suspended would steadily and quickly burn your Focus straight down to the reserves. You can do it, but it will be a challenge.

Enhanced Puppetry - I love the idea of using the puppets as a tie into the new Ruler class. This whole premise gets my approval wholeheartedly. Given this is a step up for your character, it makes sense she would now have a greater control over them. Good flavor for the class, and the puppets look really cool to boot.

Limited Live Puppeteering - This one is something that rose an eyebrow. I have no problem giving you initial permission to go through with this idea, so long as you keep to your word that clear player consent is had to those you wish to try this out on. Twitches of wrists, small pushes, and very minor control sounds reasonable for this stage of your character's development. I will say if the character you're doing this to is actively struggling against it (assuming you keep the strings attached), it wouldn't be very difficult at all for them to break free.

Good application, sound reasonings, and you have some in-world lore and recent events to back-up this transition in skill. Consider this fully approved!

[WaifuApple]

Thank you! I probably should have remembered to mention my intent to have the upper bound of things being carried be, well, a hard upper bound, so I'm fine with having those heavier things take a lot of effort and all of those strings. That was the intention anyhow!

The last one was pretty much just to hammer in that testing was done on live organisms, to some extent - with the homunculi. It's not gonna go beyond that, and my stipulations will hold! You have my word on that too.