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  <title>The palace of magic and wonder</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/</link>
  <description>The palace of magic and wonder - Dreamwidth Studios</description>
  <lastBuildDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2014 01:29:15 GMT</lastBuildDate>
  <generator>LiveJournal / Dreamwidth Studios</generator>
  <lj:journal>skepticseer</lj:journal>
  <lj:journaltype>personal</lj:journaltype>
  <image>
    <url>https://v2.dreamwidth.org/1577704/1176935</url>
    <title>The palace of magic and wonder</title>
    <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/</link>
    <width>94</width>
    <height>100</height>
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<item>
  <guid isPermaLink='true'>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16803.html</guid>
  <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2014 01:29:15 GMT</pubDate>
  <title>Ingress App</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16803.html</link>
  <description>&lt;b&gt;Player Name:&lt;/b&gt; Spy&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Player Age:&lt;/b&gt; Over 21&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Contact Info:&lt;/b&gt; pocketspy on Plurk!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Reserve Link:&lt;/b&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://ingress.dreamwidth.org/4416.html?thread=1600#cmt1600&quot;&gt;Behold, a link!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Character Name:&lt;/b&gt; Morgana&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Age:&lt;/b&gt; 30&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Canon/canon point (or original):&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Merlin BBC&lt;/i&gt;, End of her life, save a change.  She has a genuine pal!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Character History:&lt;/b&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://merlin.wikia.com/wiki/Morgana_Pendragon&quot;&gt;A convenient link.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is a divergence in her history.  After escaping her living grave, with Aithusa, Morgana, on her return, saved a small red squirrel -- who turned out to be &lt;a href=&quot;http://shesaredhead.dreamwidth.org/3095.html&quot;&gt;Rosaline.&lt;/a&gt; She first tolerated the girl, but now, admits to being fond of her.  Morgana&apos;s loyalty to Rosaline is due to Rosaline&apos;s loyalty to Morgana.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Character Abilities:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Magic: she does enjoy tossing people around with a word, or creating fires, or potions, or whatever else she can use to her advantage.&lt;br /&gt;Precognition: it comes in dreams, and they are never, ever pleasant.&lt;br /&gt;Charm: She has it in spades, when she wants to charm, it&apos;s easy for her.&lt;br /&gt;Weaponry:  Don&apos;t believe anything Arthur ever said.  She beat him with a sword.  &lt;br /&gt;Equestrian Skills: She is a very accomplished rider, and also good at caring for, and soothing them.&lt;br /&gt;Deception:  Like charm, it is easy for her to lie. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Character Personality/Role:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is different than the usual app. what we’re looking for specifically is the following: &lt;br /&gt;1.) What role does your character typically take in a group?&lt;br /&gt;While the obvious choice is a magic user, Morgana cannot be dismissed as a fighter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2.) What motivates your character?&lt;br /&gt;Morgana is motivated by injustice.  It was the injustice in Camelot, and her ways of dealing with it that eventually defeated her.  Her extreme compassion turned into extreme vengeance.  She prefers the magical over the non-magical, and is willing to easily sacrifice those she distrusts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3.) What are the largest issues your character has to face at this time? We&apos;re looking for your ideas on character growth or stagnation, what makes this character worth exploring to you. &lt;br /&gt;Morgana needs to rediscover the concept that compassion doesn&apos;t mean turning into that which she fought against.  &lt;br /&gt;She needs to deal with trust issues, and understanding how all that&apos;s happened to her is past, and she&apos;s got a chance at a better start.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Character’s Door and game specific goals:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/BQLA5o0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/BQLA5o0.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Morgana is looking for Rosaline.  The girl so frequently wanders.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;What are the win conditions for your character?&lt;/b&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Morgana needs to right some horrific wrong.  It can be against an individual, or a group of oppressed persons, or the land itself.  &lt;br /&gt;She also must relearn to trust people, and the door will not appear until she fully trusts five people, who she treats as equals.  This reflects four in canon she trusted, and either betrayed, or was betrayed: Gwen, Arthur, Merlin, Mordred, and Morgause.  Not only must she trust them, they must trust her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;And Finally, examples:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One First Person example: I do not imagine you would understand.  How could you, when you cannot see a threat standing before you, a threat who is your equal, your &lt;i&gt;better&lt;/i&gt;.  Should you not cooperate, I will remove you, and your bones will be picked clean by the carrion birds, before anyone notices your absence.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sorry?  My threat does not make sense to you? Why should I explain myself, when I can show you?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unless, of course, you choose to understand what I can offer you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One Prose example: &lt;a href=&quot;http://ingress-playtest.dreamwidth.org/866.html?thread=1890#cmt1890&quot;&gt;Prose sample from the playtest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One Action example:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://ingress-playtest.dreamwidth.org/1694.html?thread=30110#cmt30110&quot;&gt;Another playtest sample&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Playtest History&lt;/b&gt; (optional) &lt;br /&gt;Morgana will be using her playtest history.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=skepticseer&amp;ditemid=16803&quot; width=&quot;30&quot; height=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;comment count unavailable&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot;/&gt; comments</description>
  <comments>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16803.html</comments>
  <category>ingress</category>
  <category>app</category>
  <lj:security>public</lj:security>
  <lj:reply-count>0</lj:reply-count>
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  <guid isPermaLink='true'>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16417.html</guid>
  <pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2014 23:47:27 GMT</pubDate>
  <title>proposal 2</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16417.html</link>
  <description>&lt;span style=&quot;font-family:helvetica;&quot;&gt;&lt;center&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 20pt; font-family:courier;&quot;&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#660000&quot;&gt;Keep calm and defeat COMPASS&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family:courier; font-color:#000;&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;center&gt;&lt;small&gt;Due April 25th!&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/XCekj5e&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/XCekj5e.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Hook&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hey, it&apos;s a train! A train&apos;s familiar, and it&apos;s &lt;i&gt;going away&lt;/i&gt;.  Were you on that train?  You can&apos;t remember, but you find yourself in a rather run-down subway station.  There are maps just about everywhere, telling you &lt;i&gt;You are here&lt;/i&gt; but not exactly where &lt;i&gt;here&lt;/i&gt; is.  It looks like there &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/G36olKJ.jpg?1&quot;&gt;are stations,&lt;/a&gt; tracks, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/D9XaRAT.jpg&quot;&gt;tunnels&lt;/a&gt;, yet nothing with a name.   Hey, look!  There are hooks on the walls, a place to hang your hat, since you&apos;re staying a while.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is light.  There is water.  There is a bed for you. There are others, but there is &lt;i&gt;no exit.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/Kisu6PU&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/Kisu6PU.jpg?2&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/9NUldxI&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/9NUldxI.jpg?2&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/MxuPCNx&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/MxuPCNx.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Themes and Goals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Can one find freedom if there is no escape?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The smaller the space, the easier it is to be found: by yourself, by others, and by your fears.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is always something casting the shadows, but there is always something casting the light.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Goals:  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Keep calm and defeat COMPASS.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The search for air, for nature, and for each other.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Can&apos;t we all just get along?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Setting&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Overall&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Once upon a time, people hid underground to avoid bombs, to stay safe during wars, and then it was just &lt;i&gt;left there to rot&lt;/i&gt;.  Slow decay, and inhospitable places sounds like the perfect place to put the captives!  It is &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/ifMVyWr.jpg&quot;&gt;a world&lt;/a&gt; of &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/jEAM8aD.jpg&quot;&gt;disused train tracks&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/cAGLsqp.jpg&quot;&gt;tunnels&lt;/a&gt;, stations, dorms, everything needed to run a seriously pared-down &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/9Pw01GT.jpg&quot;&gt;(if antiquated) government&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strike&gt;including dossiers on captives and others alike&lt;/strike&gt; a medical centre, tinned goods, cheap clothing, and even a long dead underground garden, if the world above is no longer safe.  There&apos;s a hitch.  Locking the world out means locking everyone in.  Sure, there is light, and once in a while a blurred vision of the outside world through smudged, thick, and warped barriers, but nothing that can be removed.  Nothing in all history has been able to remove it.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sure, there are odd, unexplainable plants growing, and they cannot be destroyed, unless the captives have an aversion to oxygen.  There&apos;s also a very pretty underground lake that appears bottomless.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/LENut9T&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/LENut9T.jpg?1&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/3mfmmEc&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/3mfmmEc.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/a1iJnSL&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/a1iJnSL.jpg?1&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The last group who lived down here &lt;i&gt;died&lt;/i&gt;.  Don&apos;t trip over the bones.  &lt;strike&gt;Isn&apos;t it odd how the bones show such signs of violence?&lt;/strike&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Base Camp&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like any good underground, there are plenty of beds, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/13fZIdb.jpg&quot;&gt;bunker rooms&lt;/a&gt;.  Some meant for the more important officials -- they even get their own room -- and others for the lesser.  It&apos;s perfectly all right to have a dormitory full of people, isn&apos;t it?  Claim your beds quickly!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/HKuaDG9&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/HKuaDG9.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/nnBEPPV&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/nnBEPPV.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://imgur.com/mYfnXGe&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;Hosted by imgur.com&quot; src=&quot;http://i.imgur.com/mYfnXGe.jpg?1&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Life and the Living&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Natives&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who says &lt;i&gt;everyone&lt;/i&gt; from the last group died?  Those left did what they needed to to survive, and they know the tunnels far better than you.  They also know where all the supplies are and never ask permission.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They have adapted well to a darkened world.  They can see you, even when you cannot see them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;NPCs&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The survivors can vary according to needs.  There would be one or two from the next generation, who would definitely throw a spanner in the works.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Monsters and Wildlife&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Ivy&amp;quot; For lack of a better term (according to old log books) grows in many of the tunnels.  Its vines are extremely strong, and the plant is even &lt;i&gt;more&lt;/i&gt; invasive than ivy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is something living in the lake.  Sometimes, it gets hungry.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rats.  &lt;i&gt;Lots&lt;/i&gt; of rats and other rodents.  They may or may not carry something.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The ghosts of the previous inhabitants.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In deference to longstanding urban legend, &lt;i&gt;creature&lt;/i&gt; of impossible mixtures, shapes, and sizes, found there way into the tunnels, long before they were sealed off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Gameplay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Game Mechanics&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are several issues to potentially divide the captives.  First, there is the rooming situation.  Secondly, there is the limited amount of supplies.  COMPASS could try to turn others based on the necessities like food. Third, there is the mystery of what happened to the last group, to distract from resistance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With an increased effort towards resisting COMPASS, COMPASS pushes back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like on the Charon, there is a limited amount of space, but unlike the Charon, it&apos;s entirely enclosed, secrets are harder to hide, and in closed quarters personalities can clash more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:courier; color:#660000;&quot;&gt;&lt;u&gt;Possible Events&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chemical warfare:  COMPASS can release whatever it wants into the tunnels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Theseus and the Minotaur:  Compass can also release various and sundry creatures to &lt;i&gt;slaughter&lt;/i&gt; to play with the captives.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cave in:  Forget COMPASS, sometimes neglected upkeep causes catastrophic failure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Escape:  There&apos;s a reason why it&apos;s not safe to leave.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dead Zones: Can you hear me now?  Can you hear me now?  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 16pt; font-family:georgia; color:#B22222;&quot;&gt;Direction&lt;/span&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two main plots can be neatly entwined.  First of all, being close together, besides getting on each others&apos; nerves also means it&apos;s easier to plan off the network.  Resistance, requiring cooperation, could be achieved.  Secondly, a metaplot, involving the previous inhabitants, can teach this group what to do, and not to do, when trying to win their freedom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=skepticseer&amp;ditemid=16417&quot; width=&quot;30&quot; height=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;comment count unavailable&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot;/&gt; comments</description>
  <comments>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/16417.html</comments>
  <lj:security>public</lj:security>
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  <guid isPermaLink='true'>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/15415.html</guid>
  <pubDate>Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:00:16 GMT</pubDate>
  <title>Census the First</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/15415.html</link>
  <description>&lt;span class=&quot;cut-wrapper&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;display: none;&quot; id=&quot;span-cuttag___1&quot; class=&quot;cuttag&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-open&quot;&gt;(&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-text&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/15415.html#cutid1&quot;&gt;Census Page 2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-close&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;display: none;&quot; id=&quot;div-cuttag___1&quot; aria-live=&quot;assertive&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;cut-wrapper&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;display: none;&quot; id=&quot;span-cuttag___2&quot; class=&quot;cuttag&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-open&quot;&gt;(&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-text&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/15415.html#cutid2&quot;&gt;Census Page 3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b class=&quot;cut-close&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;display: none;&quot; id=&quot;div-cuttag___2&quot; aria-live=&quot;assertive&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=skepticseer&amp;ditemid=15415&quot; width=&quot;30&quot; height=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;comment count unavailable&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot;/&gt; comments</description>
  <comments>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/15415.html</comments>
  <category>census</category>
  <lj:security>public</lj:security>
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<item>
  <guid isPermaLink='true'>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/14461.html</guid>
  <pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 01:52:14 GMT</pubDate>
  <title>No More Songs App</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/14461.html</link>
  <description>No More Songs App&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Basics&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Name:&lt;/strong&gt; Lady Morgana&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Age:&lt;/strong&gt; Mid-20s&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gender:&lt;/strong&gt; Female&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Species:&lt;/strong&gt; Human&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fandom:&lt;/strong&gt; Merlin (BBC)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;Appearance&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PB:&lt;/strong&gt; Katie McGrath&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Description:&lt;/strong&gt; Morgana is a study in contrasts: thin with curves, dark hair, with pale skin and green eyes, and she can look delicate though she&apos;s very strong.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Skills&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Powers:&lt;/strong&gt; Magic, premonitions, telepathy (limited)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abilities:&lt;/strong&gt; She can be personable, and somewhat manipulative with people.  She&apos;s also good at (mostly) hiding her true feelings about others. With Morgana, what one sees, is not what one often gets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other Skills:&lt;/strong&gt; Fencing, Equestrian skills, Hunting, Survival skills.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Personality&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General personality:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To begin, it is important to understand that the very basis of Morgana&apos;s personality is contradiction.  She has the capacity for not only great kindness, bravery, and self sacrifice, but also cruelty, fear, and violence.  Whether it is her morality, her disposition, her fears, or her relationships with others, all elements of her personality are defined by her their contradictory nature.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In regards to morality, Morgana&apos;s own morals are absolute.  For instance, she does not support Uther&apos;s approach to magic, as it always involves such harsh measures like the conviction for treason, violence, and death.  She is willing to rail against the authority deemed absolute in her time, and she disagrees with inequity, very publicly.  This is shown on several occasions, like when she heads off to assist Merlin&apos;s home village from a warlord, despite Uther&apos;s refusal of formal assistance from Camelot, or when she disowns him for sentencing a prisoner to die (she also subsequently helps the prisoner escape).  Morgana is the antithesis to the king&apos;s opinions.  She will argue that all in the kingdom deserve equal treatment, regardless of rank, but then employ methods eerily similar to her guardian -- violence, deceit, and the commission of treason to right what she sees as an inherent wrong.  This is evidenced by her helping the Druid child, Mordred, very early on in the series, only to later not only make one, but two attempts at deposing, or assassinating Uther.  Several times, she effectively lies to Uther (convincing him she learned a lesson, all the while still plotting against him), Arthur (a twisted equivocation about the location of Mordred, and her knowledge about the sleeping sickness), and even her closest friend, Gwen (the kindest deceits, as it is often convincing her friend she is fine).  All in all, she works for what she perceives as the greater good, even if her concept of the greater good isn&amp;rsquo;t compatible with anyone else&amp;rsquo;s. Thus, her morality may not be to everyone&apos;s taste, as she is a classic case of the ends justify the means.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Secondly, Morgana&apos;s disposition, as inferred above, is contradictory.  She is capable of great kindness. For instance, the respect she shows those whose situation in life is not as fortunate as her, like when she gave up her personal comforts in the time of famine, or cared for a sick child despite the laws, shows this.  Her manners, to most, are impeccable, despite class.  She is calm in a crisis.  Her mind is clear, calculating, and quick, and she does not lack bravery (and loathes being seen as weak in any form).  In the battle at Ealdor, she is as involved with the planning and training of the peasants as Arthur, and is quick to create an escape plan when she is kidnapped.  The exception to this is after a nightmare, where her mind is jumbled, but this has been rectified by another quick decision: befriending Morgause.  Though she was told to stay away, she meets the woman who she is unaware is her half sister.  Finally, for a woman of her time, she is admirable in the way she is neither intimidated to, nor does she submit to the role expected of her by men.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In contrast, there is a darker side to Morgana as she is also capable of rashness and vengeance.  Often, Morgana can have ill thought out outbursts, including confronting Uther publicly over the death of Gwen&apos;s father, resulting in her imprisonment, and confronting Sophia, with only vague threats, instead of a clear plan.  To prove a competitive point to Arthur, she steps ahead of him, without thinking of the dangers, nearly getting herself killed during what was supposed to be an excursion to find evidence that Gwen is not a witch. Morgana has difficulty finding peace or forgiveness for wrongs, either perceived or real, such as the death of her father, though it is never absolutely proven that Uther failed Gorlois, or if the reinforcements were simply too late.  Instead of dealing with her anger, it is only fueled by the death of Gwen&apos;s father; thus Morgana is willing to commit the ultimate act of vengeance &amp;quot;To Kill the King.&amp;quot;  The hurt to her is as fresh as it was the day her father was killed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When it comes to her personal fears, opposing elements are also evident.  The most important is the wariness of any abilities she may possess and how any acceptance of that would mean a rejection from everything she&apos;s ever known.  It is a sharp contrast to how vehemently she argues magic is not evil when debating with Uther.  It is not just fear of the consequences.  After a dream, Morgana behaves both fearfully, and irrationally -- once running out into the courtyard in her nightdress to try and convince Arthur he was in danger.  This appears almost as madness, thus there is a certain level of embarrassment about her dreams. Even Arthur&apos;s treatment of her during that incident is far more careful than any interaction they&apos;d had previously. She feels herself a burden to Gwen, who is often the one who deals with Morgana immediately following an episode -- particularly in the aftermath of setting her chambers on fire.  There is also a desire to repress them, as she rarely refers to them as what they are, prophetic, but instead refers to them as nightmares. She unquestioningly takes the elixirs Gaius prepares to suppress them.  Therefore, the rejection of her warning by Arthur and her fear she&apos;s putting too much pressure on Gwen, is important because it makes the dreaming an even worse experience for her,  Next, because she is so rarely alone -- she has to sneak off in canon to do so, and then again, she is always going to someone, Morgana does not do alone very well.  Again, an incongruity, because Morgana is such an independent thinker by nature.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When it comes to her relationships, Morgana is trusting and secretive, affectionate and manipulative, and a grown woman who craves a father figure.  This can be proven by examining the three most important relationships in her life.  First of all, Gwen is her own, and constant companion.  Despite the set relationship of servant to mistress, Morgana will defer to Gwen&apos;s needs, out of kindness, and does so when she defends Gwen and later, Gwen&apos;s father, against charges of either performing or consorting with magic.  She is even willing to risk a long term stay in the dungeons to help her friend.  Despite this, Morgana never tells Gwen that Morgana gave Gwen&apos;s father the key he used in the escape attempt.  It&apos;s an interesting issue, as Morgana will even keep secrets from those she is closest to, even if they involve the person in question.   Also, in the case of Gwen, she is willing to forgo credit for helping Gwen escape a conviction of witchcraft.  Therefore, Morgana is willing to show kindness, and go to great lengths to help those she cares for, regardless of acknowledgement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her relationship with Arthur shows some more complexities of her character.  In the first series (particularly evident in the cases of Valiant, the accusation of witchcraft towards Gwen, and the prophetic nightmares involving Sophia) there is a certain unresolved tension between them, but their relationship is beyond he standard trope of arguing to hide such feelings.  She feels no compunction when it comes to manipulating Arthur on several occasions (Gwen&apos;s arrest, helping Mordred, it can even be argued her leaving first for Ealdor was as much a challenge to Arthur to follow,  as it was Arthur&apos;s own morality that made him help the village).  Also, she encourages Arthur to be better, which to her means go against his father.  When Arthur needs a push to do the right thing, Morgana is often the one to provide the shove.  Though she cares enough for him to be willing to sacrifice herself, either in battle or by confessing the nature of her nightmares, Morgana is incapable of expressing any real affection for him.  This is a theme that will follow through with many of Morgana&apos;s relationships, whether platonic or not.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Finally, in regards to Morgana&apos;s relationships, she has always been parented by a father figure.  Her own father and Uther are diametrically opposite in her mind when it comes to being effective fathers.  She has not recovered from the loss of her own father, and blames Uther, either fairly or unfairly, and has, in Uther&apos;s word &amp;quot;fought&amp;quot; him all along.  Morgana despises his views of magic, is afraid what would happen to her should he find out about her own abilities, and is full of rage when his guards kill Tom, Gwen&apos;s father.  This causes a distinct break in their relationship, yet she cannot allow him to be killed.  It is his recognition of her own importance, of her worth, that causes her to stop the assassination,  It has already been argued that Morgana is an independent person, yet she still seeks the approval of a man who, though not her biological parent, is what fate has given her as a father figure for the second half of her life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;History&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lady Morgana lost her father at the age of 10.&amp;nbsp; This is important not only to her development as a character, but also her status.&amp;nbsp; She became the ward of the king, but she would&apos;ve lost everything else she&apos;d known as women and property weren&apos;t things that went together in her time.&amp;nbsp; Essentially, the only thing she has that&apos;s hers is her title.&amp;nbsp; She never took the title (or was offered -- it is unstated in canon) of princess, or the last name Pendragon.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As a child, it is clear she&apos;s been educated well beyond what a proper lady would have been given at the time.&amp;nbsp; While it is never stated in canon, it is likely that her skill at swordmanship would&apos;ve started with her training at a young age.&amp;nbsp; It would be practical, given that she was her father&apos;s only heir, that she knows of.&amp;nbsp; It would also be perfectly practical for her to also have gone on hunts, and probably be proficient with other weapons -- like a bow and arrow, should that tiny amount of head-canon be permissible.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She has been treated by Gaius for most of her life.&amp;nbsp; This means, that there is some awareness amongst those closest to her about the importance of her nightmares, though only Gaius, Merlin, and Gwen actually understand what it might be.&amp;nbsp; It is also important to note that both Uther and Arthur know of them, but, particularly in Arthur&apos;s case, he treats them &amp;quot;gently&amp;quot; more like a mental illness than anything else .&amp;nbsp; This would also be a serious issue of her time, and thus it&apos;s a closely guarded secret.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At court, she is the highest ranking woman, given her status as the king&apos;s ward.&amp;nbsp; It is stated in early canon that there are intentions of her for Arthur, though this is never realized.&amp;nbsp; Considering the truth of her parentage: Uther being her birth father, that an objection was never raised, shows how closely guarded a secret it was.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Though it is clarified that Morgana&apos;s had prophetic dreams all along, there was an increase of them when Merlin arrived in Camelot.&amp;nbsp; On three separate occasions, Morgana&apos;s dreams dealt with Arthur&apos;s potential death.&amp;nbsp; From this, it can be easily derived that her dreams, from her canon point, are limited somewhat to those people and places that she cares most about.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What they have on arrival&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Forest-wear: Brown trousers, grey tunic, grey cloak, sword, sheath, belt, small pouch with coins, a few herbs, a small straw doll, and leather ties.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sample&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is not her mission, or her abilities that is worrying Morgana about returning to the Citadel.  The longer she stays away, the longer those like her continue to be persecuted.  No, it is vital, it is &lt;i&gt;right &lt;/i&gt;that she return.  Morgause&amp;rsquo;s plan is infallible, but when it comes to Morgana&amp;rsquo;s elder sister, she sees little beyond her own admiration for her powers.  Then again, Morgause is the only family she has, and if Morgana had been capable of seeing the flaws, she still would do everything possible to make her sister successful.  That level of faith is how one should feel for her family.  It would be impossible for her to fathom otherwise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She has lived in the Citadel for more than half her life, so that even the building, as grand and majestic as it can seem to outsiders, no longer holds any mystery for her.  Morgana knows every nook, every scratch in the wall, and, most importantly, every way in and out of the palace.  So yet again, it is not the setting that is concerning her, though Morgana has enjoyed the informality, the freedom of the past year. Without the courtly rules and duties, she could release a breath, a tension, she was unaware she was holding.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Uther is no longer the concern he once was.  Swinging between fear of discovery and hatred during her last few months, Morgana&amp;rsquo;s lost all fear of the King.  He is a petty tyrant, incapable of understanding the wound he&amp;rsquo;s inflicted on those he is supposed to rule.  It is easy to defeat a man blind to his own faults, though the irony of Morgana&amp;rsquo;s belief escapes her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What most frightens her is the small group she could once have called her friends (though she would never admit such a thing to Arthur).  There was never an intention to allow Arthur, or Gwen, or even Merlin to be a part of things.  It&amp;rsquo;s a point of mental dissonance she tries not to think about often.  Everything was meant to be about Uther, and yet Morgana watched as everyone fell ill at her feet, sometimes even literally.  Yet, her intentions did not matter.  From all reports, Arthur&amp;rsquo;s spent the last year slaughtering those with magic, unquestioningly following his father&amp;rsquo;s orders.  Morgause had brought her almost daily reports of the atrocities, building Morgana&amp;rsquo;s desire for vengeance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Would Arthur do the same to her?  Is this all an elaborate ruse to pull her out of hiding? What has Merlin told him about her final minutes in Camelot?  Did he tell his master about her magic? How miniscule is that in betrayal after he tried to kill her, to blackmail her sister into giving up on quest against Uther?  Though she understands now what happened &amp;ndash; at least, her sister&amp;rsquo;s story &amp;ndash; Morgana can&amp;rsquo;t help but marvel at how quickly Merlin could turn on her.  How quickly he would sacrifice his friend for a tyrant.  How easily he wrapped up his attempt to poison her in the kindly gesture of offering her a simple drink of water.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No, what worries Morgana the most is how she can possibly be safe in a place where she can&amp;rsquo;t have faith in two things necessary for life: friends and water?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She can&amp;rsquo;t even trust the water.  Morgana has to remember that.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: medium;&quot;&gt;Player Info&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Name:&lt;/strong&gt; Spy&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Age: 18+ tyvm&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you have any other characters here?&lt;/strong&gt; Nope.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=skepticseer&amp;ditemid=14461&quot; width=&quot;30&quot; height=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;comment count unavailable&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot;/&gt; comments</description>
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  <category>nomoresongs</category>
  <category>app</category>
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  <guid isPermaLink='true'>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/13946.html</guid>
  <pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:59:54 GMT</pubDate>
  <title>Audio | Day 29 (afternoon) | Dau</title>
  <link>https://skepticseer.dreamwidth.org/13946.html</link>
  <description>&amp;nbsp;[&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: smaller; &quot;&gt;Excuse the sound of someone fiddling with the device. &amp;nbsp;Morgana&apos;s not so used to making announcements on these things as others. &amp;nbsp;Then again, even with a third of a year on the island, she&apos;s not made one before, preferring to keep to herself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This message is not about her though, but about her new roommate, Velma&lt;/span&gt;.]&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After the recent attacks, I wish to inform everyone that Velma has been moved to a different room. &amp;nbsp;Should you wish to contact her, please answer to this message, and I will give you her new details.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please be aware that she was injured in the attacks, and visitors should be kept to a manageable minimum until she has had a chance to recuperate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;[&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: smaller; &quot;&gt;That means one will have to get by a protective roommate to get to Velma. &amp;nbsp;Morgana has ways of keeping people out, if she wishes&lt;/span&gt;.]&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Finally, upon the collection of Velma&apos;s possessions, there appears to be some missing. &amp;nbsp;It would be very kind if the missing items were returned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: smaller; &quot;&gt;[This means before Morgana has to go searching for them, which would be bad. &amp;nbsp;The message may sound like it&apos;s at an end, when a second voice can be heard in the background.&lt;/span&gt;]&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(153, 51, 102); &quot;&gt;Can you ask if anyone knows the status of the hospital, specifically the labs?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I will.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: smaller; &quot;&gt;[Uncertain if the exchange was heard, Morgana reiterates:]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Is anyone able to tell us the condition of the hospital and labs?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=skepticseer&amp;ditemid=13946&quot; width=&quot;30&quot; height=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;comment count unavailable&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle;&quot;/&gt; comments</description>
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  <category>draft</category>
  <category>exit void</category>
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