APPLICATIONS

[rubycitymods]

APPLICATIONS

✗ Applications are processed weekly, every weekend. The cut-off time for the submission of applications is 11:59PST on Saturday.
✗ Before applying, please read the FAQ and Rules pages.
✗ Please submit your application with the journal you plan to use if you have one made already. If not, another journal is fine, but we prefer your intended journal so it makes for an easier time in granting access to the mod journal and the contacts page.
✗ For very long applications, we would ask you to please separate them into various comments so that they will not take up too much of the page.
✗ Please title your application as { [CANON/CANON OC/OC]CHARACTER NAME || Series Title || reserve/no reserve || X of X } in the subect header
✗ IMPORTANT: Our application form was edited on September 07, 2015. Please use the revised form.
✗ If you are looking for an example of what an application should be like, please refer to the application here for an example of a canon character application, and here for an original character application.


✗ Canon Application
<B><I><BIG><BIG>PLAYER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Name:</b> <b>Age:</b> If you would prefer not to be specific, just let us know that you're over 18! <b>Personal Journal:</b> <b>E-mail:</b> <b>AIM/etc:</b> <B><I><BIG><BIG>CHARACTER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Name:</b> First, Last (Western order) <b>Canon:</b> Name only. <b>Age:</b> Real / Apparent, if applicable <b>Timeline:</b> At which point of the canon were they taken from? <b>Items with character at canon point</b>: Tell us what your character has with them at the point you have pulled them from - this includes any animal companions. <b>If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?</b>: This is only to be used if are already playing another character from the canon you are applying for. For example, if you are apping Mario and you already play Princess Peach in the game, <b>how will you handle their interactions without playercesting?</b> Depending on your answer, you may be refused the character you are apping for. <b>Personality:</b> We are expecting at least THREE well-written paragraphs minimum, with references to canon examples of your character’s personality where available. Please provide us with insight to your character and their behaviour, their likes, dislikes and fears, as well as your understanding of them. We would also like to see details of your character's strengths and weaknesses, which may include physical, psychological and emotional. <b>Background:</b> Here is where we would like to see information about your character's history and their place within their canon. This can be written if you wish, or you can link to any wikis and relevant resources. <b>Abilities:</b> Is your character an accomplished carpenter? Can they shoot laser beams from their eyes or travel through time? If they possess any abilities, learned or otherwise, they need to go in this section. <b>Network/Actionspam Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_rp and must be in action form (brackets). We are looking for a minimum of 6 to 10 lines that give us an idea of how your character speaks/acts. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months. <b>Prose Log Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_logs and must be a minimum length of 250 words. This sample must be in prose format (paragraphs, no brackets) and should show character reactions/introspection. It does not need to be in game's setting, but it must demonstrate your character as you are apping them. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months.


✗ Canon OC Application
<B><I><BIG><BIG>PLAYER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Name:</b> <b>Age:</b> If you would prefer not to be specific, just let us know that you're over 18! <b>Personal Journal:</b> <b>E-mail:</b> <b>AIM/etc:</b> <B><I><BIG><BIG>CHARACTER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Character Name:</b> First, Last (Western order) <b>Canon:</b> Name only <b>Age:</b> Real / Apparent, if applicable <b>Timeline:</b> At which point in the canon were they taken from? <b>Items with character at canon point</b>: Tell us what your character has with them at the point you have pulled them from - this includes any animal companions. <b>If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?</b>: This is only to be used if are already playing another character from the canon you are applying for. For example, if you are apping Mario and you already play Princess Peach in the game, <b>how will you handle their interactions without playercesting?</b> Depending on your answer, you may be refused the character you are apping for. <b>Personality:</b> We are expecting at least THREE well-written paragraphs minimum, with references to canon examples of your character’s personality if available. Please provide us with insight to your character and their behaviour, their likes, dislikes and fears, as well as your understanding of them. We would also like to see details of your character's strengths and weaknesses, which may include physical, psychological and emotional. <b>History:</b> Three well-written paragraphs minimum, detail our your characters’ history. <b>Abilities:</b> Is your character an accomplished carpenter? Can they shoot laser beams from their eyes or travel through time? If they possess any abilities, learned or otherwise, they need to go in this section. <b>Relationships to Canon Characters:</b> If any, if not applicable please put N/A. <b>Network/Actionspam Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_rp and must be in action form (brackets). We are looking for a minimum of 6 to 10 lines that give us an idea of how your character speaks/acts. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months. <b>Prose Log Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_logs and must be a minimum length of 250 words. This sample must be in prose format (paragraphs, no brackets) and should show character reactions/introspection. It does not need to be in game's setting, but it must demonstrate your character as you are apping them. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months.


✗ OC Application
<B><I><BIG><BIG>PLAYER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Name:</b> <b>Age:</b> If you would prefer not to be specific, just let us know that you're over 18! <b>Personal Journal:</b> <b>E-mail:</b> <b>AIM/etc:</b> <B><I><BIG><BIG>CHARACTER</BIG></BIG></B></I> <b>Name:</b> First, Last. (Western order) <b>Age:</b> Real / Apparent, if applicable <b>Appearance:</b> The sorts of things included in this section should be the character’s height, build, clothing style, hair, accessories. As well as their general posture and mannerisms as well, like quirks or vocal tics. <b>Chosen PB:</b> First come, first serve. Please check the taken PB page. You are also welcome to use your own or commissioned art, or icons that do not depict your characters face but facets of their personality as well. <b>Items with character at canon point</b>: Tell us what your character has with them at the point you have pulled them from - this includes any animal companions. <b>Personality:</b> This should be self explanatory. However, when discussing personality please include why they have particular personality traits, how this effects their lives and interactions. Please provide us with insight to your character and their behaviour, their likes, dislikes and fears, as well as your understanding of them. We would also like to see details of your character's strengths and weaknesses, which may include physical, psychological and emotional. The minimum will be three well-written paragraphs, but you should be able to write more. <b>World Information:</b> Please go as in depth as you can about the world. There is no wiki or website for us to reference, and we need to know as much as we can about the place your character comes from so that we can understand the character when reviewing the application. <b>History:</b> Your characters’ history in their world. Be sure to be detailed. This section should be a minimum of three paragraphs. <b>Abilities:</b> Is your character an accomplished carpenter? Can they shoot laser beams from their eyes or travel through time? If they possess any abilities, learned or otherwise, they need to go in this section. <b>Network/Actionspam Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_rp and must be in action form (brackets). We are looking for a minimum of 6 to 10 lines that give us an idea of how your character speaks/acts. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months. <b>Prose Log Sample:</b> This is the format that will be used in rubycity_logs and must be a minimum length of 250 words. This sample must be in prose format (paragraphs, no brackets) and should show character reactions/introspection. It does not need to be in game's setting, but it must demonstrate your character as you are apping them. This sample may be linked, either from a musebox, different game or our test drive, provided that the linked example was written within the last six months.


A note for CR AU applications
Ruby City does allow previous game history/CR to be brought over on a case by case basis. If you want to include this in your application please add additional sections for PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT and PREVIOUS GAME HISTORY beneath the Personality and Background/History sections.

In these additional sections we would like to see a brief outline of your character's previous game history and how it potentially impacted on and altered their canon personality.

✧ N A V I G A T I O N ✧

Comments

[Canon] Leonardo da Vinci || Assassin's Creed || Reserved || 1 of 3

[master_inventor]

PLAYER
Name: Fiona
Personal Journal: blood_winged
E-mail: littlebritteacup@aol.co.uk
AIM/MSN/etc: littlebritteacup @AIM, hardtostarboard @Plurk

CHARACTER
Name: Leonardo da Vinci
Canon: Assassin's Creed Series
Timeline: 1488, after the events of AC2

[Canon] Leonardo da Vinci || Assassin's Creed || Reserved || 2 of 3

[master_inventor]

Personality: A cheerful and optimistic man, Leonardo is friendly towards anyone who offers the same in return. He is openly affectionate with his friends and will take great risks to protect them, despite claiming that courage isn’t one of his strengths – shown when he hides Ezio from the Florentine guards and takes a beating for his trouble, but still refuses to tell them where his friend is. Witty and a bit of a joker at times, he does however become hopelessly impossible to communicate with when his attention is taken by something. At those times it’s best just to leave him be until his curiosity is satisfied.

He is a pacifist, and will not raise a hand to anyone in violence, but when it becomes necessary to put this aside he is also practical, understanding that not all problems can be solved peacefully. Leonardo also doesn't object to getting his hands dirty in the pursuit of knowledge, and keeps a number of cadavers in his workshop for the purpose of anatomical research.

As one of the great minds of his time, he is highly intelligent, possessing an attentiveness to detail that comes in very handy when Ezio needs him to translate the codex pages that will aid in the construction of his hidden blade and further modifications to it. In doing so, he is even able to change the initial design so that the removal of the assassin's middle finger is unnecessary. He has a fondness for puzzles and lateral problems, and becomes insatiably curious when something is placed in front of him that he doesn’t understand. Leonardo is capable of understanding the complicated design of the hidden blade, commenting upon how it is far ahead of their time in its advancement, despite its age.

Despite his innate artistic prowess, and being proclaimed a master by the Guild of St Luke by the age of 20, Leonardo is incredibly self-critical. As an artist he is accomplished and highly respected, but as he complains to Ezio and his mother upon the former’s first meeting with him, he feels that his work lacks purpose, and that painting isn’t something he thinks that he should be spending his life doing. He expresses interest in architecture and invention – something which comes into play later in his life when he constructs a flying machine – and is very humble about his achievements. While he can be easily discouraged by failure, he can just as easily leap into action on a new wave of inspiration.

Although he presents himself well, upon entering into any living space of Leonardo’s the first thing that will be noticed is that he is horrendously untidy. His indecisive personality and uncertainty about his chosen vocation mean that he is a chronic procrastinator and he will often jump from one project to another, with commissioned paintings taking years longer to complete than he initially planned. He is, in addition to this, an excitable person, forgetful and is easily distracted by things which capture his interest, something which Ezio uses to his advantage at several points when trying to steer the conversation away from topics that he would rather not discuss.

[Canon] Leonardo da Vinci || Assassin's Creed || Reserved || 3 of 3

[master_inventor]

First Person:

[When the train pulls up this evening, it's a rather confused man who steps off it, turning on his heel the moment his foot hits the platform and taking a few paces back. He stares at the train with his mouth slightly agape, one hand on top of the beret he wore as if he fears it might fly off. He'd fallen asleep in a carriage on the way to Monteriggioni, only to wake up inside this.. thing.

It only takes him a moment to get over his shock, then he places the tips of his fingers to the side of the train, feeling the warmth of it, the strange material it was constructed from]

Fascinating.. Absolutely fascinating..

[The words come out in a whisper, and he lies his hand flat, only to jerk it back when the vehicle begins to move away. He watches, seeming somewhat dumbstruck, until it disappears into the fog, then he swallows and glances around as if only then realising that he is somewhere entirely unfamiliar]

Oh, Dio.. this is troubling..

[His arm knocks over a small pouch tied at his hip, and he frowns down at it, tugging it free and tipping a.. contraption out into his hand. What an intriguing little thing! Leonardo takes a seat on one of the station benches, turning it over in his hands. It's nothing like the Apple - it's not like anything he's ever seen before, and all the more interesting for it.

He doesn't realise he's turned it on and is broadcasting a view of his shoes to the city as he murmurs to himself in curious, quiet, but undeniably excited Italian]


Third Person:

Leonardo leaned out of one of the upper windows of his studio and watched a group of guards running by on the street below. Such things were so common now, he thought with a quiet hum, ever since the execution of Giovanni Auditore and two of his sons. The constant sense of high alert permeated the very soul of the city and made it tense, restive. It was not the city he had fell in love with and yet it was still, in mourning the loss of one of its central figures. Leonardo was not the only one who knew with no amount of uncertainty that Giovanni's execution had been the result of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Pazzi family and Uberto Alberti. He had kept his silence, though, despite repeated searches of his home and rough questioning from the guards. He would not betray his friend.

It could only be assumed that Ezio was once again stalking the streets of Firenze as a cry of 'assassino!' went up in the distance. He rested his elbow on the window sill, propping his chin on his hand and tapping his fingertips lightly against his cheek, remaining there only a moment before he stepped back and closed the shutters, then pressed two fingers to his lips. The small hairs on the back of his neck rose and prickled. An omen, usually, of something to come. He had learned to expect it.

"Mm," he uttered, blue eyes slanting towards the balcony overlooking the lower floor as he heard a door quietly open and close, and footsteps moving softly across dusty wood.

"I am not taking any more commissions at the moment!" Leonardo called, though he received no response and a smile pulled at his lips. He shook his head, striding towards the stairs. It couldn't possibly be anyone else, and the well-known sound of a sword being dropped to a table, followed by a weary sigh only confirmed it.

"You might have warned me of your arrival.. I could have been in the middle of something."

[CANON] Aranea Serket || Homestuck || no reserve || 1 of 2

[cant8itch]

PLAYER
Name: Annie
Personal Journal: patatafrites
E-mail: oriental.dark.flight@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN/etc: bakyura. @ skype, uhvatar @ aim

CHARACTER
Name: Aranea Serket
Canon: Homestuck
Timeline: After using her psychic power to wake Dirk up
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: N/A

Personality:

Aranea is mostly a kind and pacifist troll, compared to the ones from the same species as her. Even when she was disliked by most of the cast of her player mates when she entered the sgurb server, she would see them all as friends anyway, though Meenah was the only one she was able to call a real and close friend, to the point Aranea is not able to fully comprehend Meenah (ie wondering if she’s being honest under certain occasions) and get influenced into making fish puns.

She likes to talk with people and get to know them better, though most of the times she talks too much and leads conversations around herself. She’s however aware of these flaws, but considering she’s from a more gentle nature, it’s not as abusive and cockish as Vriska’s personality.

She’s really caring and tries to help people to solve their problems, mostly using the expression “healing”. She is as well the Sylph of Light, and she’s able to make people see things, metaphorically and literally. It may also be noticed she might have healing powers as she offered herself to restore Terezi’s eyesight.

Besides her hero aspect powers, as a pure blue blood, she has psychic powers like Vriska. She even calls herself a “fairly gifted psychic”, being able to access and control one’s mind, after fully exploited. Though her power is weaker when dealing with humans, being only able to sense their emotions (like Jake’s flushed feelings for her) and make them wake up (like she woke Dirk when he wanted to leave the dream bubble), as well as probably make them sleep.

Though she has such strong powers, she’s not able to abuse them anyway to anyone’s doom; instead, she mentions to Jake once how those powers can be unpleasant to the point as much as she can hear people getting flushed for her, she can also hear negative emotions about her, making people with such powers delude themselves into trying to fix themselves so people won't think so badly of them. Therefore, she seems to be completely capable to control her emotions and not get herself too involved.

However, as much of a peaceful creature Aranea is, under the normal standards in her planet before provoking the scratch, she wouldn’t be considered nice but instead boring. She seems to be disappointed about her own personality to the point she wish she was more confident, outgoing and dramatic, resulting in becoming Mindfand in her post-scratch life, being exactly what she wished she was, though it came along with their people’s enslavement and almost extinction.

[CANON] Aranea Serket || Homestuck || no reserve || 2 of 2

[cant8itch]

First Person:

[It is not entirely dark; actually there is a high probability of twilight arriving soon, when yet another train arrives to the mysterious town. Slightly puzzled, the female troll walks out of the train, wondering about her whereabouts. Is this yet again the gods’ work? Even now, she can’t tell it herself. Examining the posters, she immediately recognizes that is not the afterlife anymore.

Ruby City.

Sauntering off the train station, she glances around, trying to figure out where she could lead so she wouldn’t get lost. However, it didn’t take her long to feel a watch on her wrist, confusing her at first but not taking her much time to recognize it as a communication device. And so the troll turns on the video feed and starts speaking]

Pardon me, but would you mind telling me where am I located? I might be considered fairly new around these corners, so a helpful hand would be more than welcomed.

Third Person:

She didn’t want to admit it, but the troll was already tired of it. After all those millenniums waiting to finally be able to meet Meenah and guide her in the afterlife, she lost her yet again. Yes, that definitely was the best time to be thrown in that damn city. Couldn’t the gods wait a little longer, letting her stay some time with her? Is being selfish for once asking a little too much?

But honestly, she was already giving up on the idea of believing all this world belonged to any of the gods who’ve assisted her so far. She couldn’t even speak with them anymore. And all those thoughts were exhausting. Probably she could learn with Meenah for once and feel ---EXCIT---ED!! for being alive again.

Well, what is done is done. Time to move on. She cleaned the single tear that fell off from her left eye. Probably that was the right time to experience life once again. A sylph like herself couldn’t only help others; she had to help herself as well, and have a balanced mind to heal those in need.
Soon she noticed her watch was recording her all that time, leaving her startled in the start. For how long was it turned on?

“Greetings”, she slightly blushed, as she found it embarrassing anyone seeing her so weak and vulnerable. “It seems the watch decided to have a malfunction on the worse occasion. I’m sorry you had to witness me like this. I hope I’ve not worried you in any way”.

ACCEPTED

[rubycitymods]

Welcome to Ruby City! Go ahead and join rubycity_ooc, rubycity_rp and rubycity_logs with your character journal!

After you have done this, post to the Contacts page, Tag Request page, the Taken Characters page and, if you know where your character will be living, the Residences page! Familiarise yourself with the Rules and FAQ and introduce yourself at rubycity_ooc

If you have a plurk account, please add the rubycitymods plurk to be included in future updates, information and feedback. We are on plurk at rubycitymods.

ACCEPTED

[rubycitymods]

Welcome to Ruby City! Go ahead and join rubycity_ooc, rubycity_rp and rubycity_logs with your character journal!

After you have done this, post to the Contacts page, Tag Request page, the Taken Characters page and, if you know where your character will be living, the Residences page! Familiarise yourself with the Rules and FAQ and introduce yourself at rubycity_ooc

If you have a plurk account, please add the rubycitymods plurk to be included in future updates, information and feedback. We are on plurk at rubycitymods.

ACCEPTED

[rubycitymods]

Welcome to Ruby City! Go ahead and join rubycity_ooc, rubycity_rp and rubycity_logs with your character journal!

After you have done this, post to the Contacts page, Tag Request page, the Taken Characters page and, if you know where your character will be living, the Residences page! Familiarise yourself with the Rules and FAQ and introduce yourself at rubycity_ooc

If you have a plurk account, please add the rubycitymods plurk to be included in future updates, information and feedback. We are on plurk at rubycitymods.

ACCEPTED

[rubycitymods]

Welcome to Ruby City! Go ahead and join rubycity_ooc, rubycity_rp and rubycity_logs with your character journal!

After you have done this, post to the Contacts page, Tag Request page, the Taken Characters page and, if you know where your character will be living, the Residences page! Familiarise yourself with the Rules and FAQ and introduce yourself at rubycity_ooc

If you have a plurk account, please add the rubycitymods plurk to be included in future updates, information and feedback. We are on plurk at rubycitymods.

Revision Requested

[rubycitymods]

Thank you for your application! 

Although everything looks pretty good, we would like for you to revise your Third Person Sample to reflect the personality traits you listed through a bit of dialogue. As it is now, your third person sample does not allow us to get a read on your character's more active traits.

Revised Third Person

[radiantflames]

Lea disembarked the train, curiosity gnawing at him. Thinking back on it, he couldn't quite explain why he had been on a train at all. His trip was supposed to consist of taking the train from Yen Sid's castle into Twilight Town, and then using a corridor of darkness from Twilight Town to Radiant Garden. He could definitely remember the train ride into Twilight Town, and then taking a brief detour to the clock tower for old time's sake, but once he had opened the corridor and stepped inside... his memory was blank from that point to waking up on another train. A very small part of him was worried (particularly because he needed to check up on the others in Radiant Garden, and let them know about Isa and Braig - no, Saix and Xigbar), but at the same time, he could feel his sense of adventure kicking in, wanting to explore this new place, as it was certainly nowhere he had been before.

The sun was setting as he arrived, framing a clock tower in the middle of the city, and reminding him of Twilight Town, but, whatever this place was, it couldn't be Twilight Town. He paused in his thoughts when he noticed the feeling of something dropping into the pocket of his black cloak out of nowhere. Pulling the thing out, he noticed it seemed to be a pocketwatch of sorts, though a bit different from any he had seen before: there seemed to be a screen and several more buttons than he remembered pocketwatches needing. This place just became more interesting every second.

He fumbled with the buttons for a couple minutes, wondering aloud what the heck the thing even was, and unsure what, exactly, he was supposed to do with it, before shoving it back into his pocket, resolving to figure it out later. Exploring was more enticing than standing around fiddling with some strange device, anyway. Maybe he would be able to find a change of clothes somewhere in the city; wandering around in his black cloak felt weird now that he was human again, and besides, it just continued to remind him of the fate of his old best friend, and the looming battle with Xehanort. And hey, maybe he would find a way to get some practice in with his keyblade; then this little detour wouldn't be completely wasted.

With that thought in mind, he set off into the city.

ACCEPTED

[rubycitymods]

Welcome to Ruby City! Go ahead and join rubycity_ooc, rubycity_rp and rubycity_logs with your character journal!

After you have done this, post to the Contacts page, Tag Request page, the Taken Characters page and, if you know where your character will be living, the Residences page! Familiarise yourself with the Rules and FAQ and introduce yourself at rubycity_ooc

If you have a plurk account, please add the rubycitymods plurk to be included in future updates, information and feedback. We are on plurk at rubycitymods.

[canon] Aurora || Sleeping Beauty || reserve

[kaway]

Over here!

[CANON] John Watson || BBC Sherlock || Reserve || 1 of 1

[flatmates]

"We solve crimes, I blog about it and he forgets his pants."

[CANON] Hong Kong || Axis Powers Hetalia || Reserve || 1 of 1

[coffeewithtea]

hiya, hiya!

[CANON] Japan aka Kiku Honda l l Axis Powers Hetalia l l No Reserve l l 1 of 3

[rising_chrysanthemum]

PLAYER
Name: Elizabeth (Rosie)
Personal Journal: neurotic_insect
E-mail: missfluffy100@aol.com
AIM/MSN/etc: missfluffy100

CHARACTER
Name: Kiku Honda
Canon: Axis Powers Hetalia
Timeline: Modern Day (2012)

[CANON] Japan aka Kiku Honda l l Axis Powers Hetalia l l No Reserve l l 2 of 3

[rising_chrysanthemum]

Personality:

Japan is a nation that took extraordinary leaps and bounds in socialization and modernization following his initial contact with the world outside his islands. What was once a nation known for being a hikikomori (shut-in) is now a proud and polite nation known for their technological advancements and being among the leaders for erotic works, advanced robotics, unfailing politeness, and a careful preservation of traditional culture while adapting to the modern world. He is friends with several nations, most especially Prussia: who had the greatest influence on how Japan decided to modernize upon initial contact with the outside world. Even in the modern day, the pair are considerably close to one another to the point where many would outright call them lovers.

That being said, Japan is still Japan, and it shows in ways many would expect and be surprised by. As would be suggested by practically inventing the modern concepts of “otaku” culture and “hentai”, Japan has moments where he proves himself to be incredibly geeky and highly proficient with all manner of technology. He is also known amongst his friends and enemies for being one of the few nations in the world who can be unflinchingly polite, even while insulting people. His predilection for politeness comes from his isolationist years, during which he developed the five pillars of honor system for dictating how one ought to live their lives. Japan also uses honorifics when speaking to people, although he will drop these honorifics when speaking to his closest of friends. Prussia is among the nations whom Japan speaks to without honorifics.

Japan’s relationships with different countries reflect how the nations feel about each other in the modern age. He’s currently still in recovery from the tsunami and earthquake that caused the nuclear disaster in his country, but is holding strong. It’ll be a very cold day in hell before Japan blatantly asks for assistance, but in times of crisis, he will rarely refuse assistance offered by other nations. In spite of all the cruelty they cause, he also carries a mark of pride regarding the Yakuza, knowing the mob organization to be among the first responders to many a national crisis before any official relief force can be brought in to help. Japan also holds a fondness for many older aspects of Japanese culture and can be coaxed into talking about Japanese history under the right circumstance.

Overall, Japan is a nation that doesn’t look particularly intimidating, but the fact that he’s lasted for so long in spite of the isolationism and surpassing many other nations in various subject matters speaks for itself. Though he has had little need to fight in recent years, Japan is still a proficient fighter ready to defend the honor of his country and his people.

People who have met Japan will often remark on how he doesn’t smile much, but close friends will be among the first to talk about how he can be amazingly adorable and loving. Japan usually denies such accusations. In his days as a shut-in, he rarely ever spoke to people. Among the most notable occasions was when France came to visit and offered Japan a cat in return for opening his door to start up friendly relations between their nations. Japan’s response was to only open the door to his home just a sliver that he may be permitted to just take the cat. His otaku and perverted sides show up in ways that even other nations don’t expect, like Italy’s shocked response when he found traditional pornography in the seemingly innocent Japan’s home. Japan also has a closet in his home exclusively for his cosplay clothing and accessories.

Though he still holds firm to many of his old beliefs, it is noted that while he still remembers the youkai (demons/spirits) that roam his country, he can no longer see them as he used to. The modernization he went through, especially World War 2, are among the major contributing factors in this. Japan looks back on the war with regret, as do other nations, but reassures himself by thinking of how he did what was expected of him at the time. This was also a period in Japanese history where he found himself at odds with different cultures and their traditions, such as Italy’s fondness for open displays of attention and how other nations would rather accept defeat rather than commit honorable suicide.

Though he has moved past some of those old days of traditionalism, there is still a part of Japan that adheres to the old traditions in the strictest of ways. He still wears kimonos and yukatas (traditional Japanese clothing), but occasionally dabbles in Western styles of dress. One of the most striking examples of his Western clothing is his white military uniform from the World War.

A final word about Japan’s personality: He loves cute things. If it’s small, big-eyed, floppy eared, fluffy, squeaks, peeps, mewls, barks, or has a twitchy nose of any sort, he will find a way to make it his own. When he was working on submarines as part of the Axis, one of the most important things he paid attention to was how many different colors and patterns he could create for the subs. Truly, a man of vision, talent, and an living magnet for adorable things.

[CANON] Japan aka Kiku Honda l l Axis Powers Hetalia l l No Reserve l l 3 of 3

[rising_chrysanthemum]

First Person:

[Japan is never one to panic easily, and he looks fairly calm as he gets off the train. His kimono swung a bit about him as he walks up to the signs posted around the supplies left out for newcomers, and he reads what each sign has to say. A low hum came from him as he kneels down and starts taking up supplies to put in one of the small bags provided.]

How strange…

[Once he has filled up the bag, he takes a seat to watch the train depart. Something hard and made of metal rests against his hip and he pulls out a pocket watch from an inner fold of his kimono. The controls are not hard to figure out, and he clears his throat quietly before speaking to the video feed he started.]

I do not wish to impose, but could someone please tell me where I am exactly? I woke up on the train, and seem to be without many of my things. If any allies of mine are here in the city, contact me as soon as you are able, especially Gilbert. For now, I’ll wait here at the train station.

Third Person:

“Gilbert?” Japan was dressed in the closest approximation of his cleaning clothes and seemed determined to start work on making the house presentable. It was no substitute for the woman’s kimono he usually wore, and certainly not made from materials he would prefer, but it would do for now. “I am about to begin work on tidying up the house. If there is anything you do not wish for me to see, you should hide it now.”

Smiling just the slightest bit, he carried his improvised duster into the kitchen, and began mercilessly removing dust from floor to ceiling. It filled the air with small particles, and he almost sneezed by the time he made it to the stove. Afterwards, he’d get a bucket of water and scrub the floor down (how could such a well-kept home have so many scuff marks?) and bring it to a real shine.

As he worked, and he muttered it under his breath as he rounded back to the kitchen door. “Uso tsuite bakka nekokaburi…” The almost marching-band like tempo of the song was matched by how he pelted the chairs with the duster and soon, the kitchen was relatively clear of the sneeze-inducing dust

[OC] Rosalind Strange aka Lysandra Kastaros l Not Reserved 1 of 4

[crimson_drachma]

PLAYER
Name: Elizabeth (Rosie)
Personal Journal: neurotic_insect
E-mail: missfluffy100@aol.com
AIM/MSN/etc: missfluffy100


CHARACTER
Name: Rosalind Strange (Lysandra Kastaros)
Age: real age is well over 2000 years, apparent age is closer to mid 20’s
Appearance:

Height: 5’8’’
Weight: 147 lbs
Eyes: blue-hazel
Skin: light tan
Hair: long, curled, light or dark brown depending on the season and sun exposure

Chosen PB: Natalie Portman

[OC] Rosalind Strange aka Lysandra Kastaros l Not Reserved 2 of 4

[crimson_drachma]

Personality:

Rosalind was born at a time when girls were not expected to do much more than learning to weave, dress prettily, marry, and have children, which is often reflected in how she carries herself. Her early interest in fighting and related masculine activities meant she had to constantly prove that she was worthy enough to teach in the art of combat and that competitive side has yet to die out. After receiving the blessing of tutoring from her father, she quickly proved herself to have a stubborn streak much like her father’s and for good or bad, she’s never saw a need to distance herself from it. She also sees a warriors’ profession as being noble and worthy of praise and will be swift to reprimand those who do not see the beauty that lies within combat and the many ways in which a person can fight.

In spite of her masculine profession, Rosalind is incredibly feminine and quite happy to have been born a woman. When questioned by members of her family about why she would allow herself to walk a path as perilous as that of a soldier, she would inform them that it is what the Fates decided her life would be. To refute the will of the divine is a folly she’ll never take part of. When she isn’t training, Rosalind is content to enjoy many aspects of the arts and has a fondness for strings and woodwinds in orchestras. Among her favorite musicals and operas are The Magic Flute and Sweeney Todd.

Being half-divine and extremely long-lived has also left Rosalind prone to situations where she is quite capable of guessing what people are feeling, although she does not show this trait often. The side most people see upon first meeting her is a confident and beautiful young woman who looks like the sort who’d fit right in at an outdoorsy kind of career, like a park ranger. She dresses primarily in feminine clothing and loves long and flowing skirts that swirl around the legs, partly because the effect is particularly stunning while dancing. Rosalind is also the loving sort and enjoys the company of children, as they remind her of her large and extended family.

This doesn’t mean she is without her issues, of course. Balancing out her gentle and loving nature is a fierce temper that has claimed lives in the past when offenders to her sensibilities lacked sense enough to run away. She’ll exercise caution when facing an opponent, but rarely runs from a fight once it’s presented to her. Rosalind can also have moments of arrogance where she sees herself as being superior and can be quite bull-headed when engaged in an argument. The only thing worse than being wrong, at least for her, is being incapable of defending her own stance on something. Rosalind also has a fear of being alone, and often seeks to become a part of a group.

On a whole, Rosalind is the kind of person who would make a great ally and a loyal friend, if you don’t mind her dominating personality and ego.

World Information: Rosalind’s world is essentially our own, but she is capable of commenting on how the gods of the Greek Parthenon, and others, are still influencing the world long after people stopped believing in them.

[OC] Rosalind Strange aka Lysandra Kastaros l Not Reserved 3 of 4

[crimson_drachma]

History:

A basic summary of the life of Rosalind Strange:

Rosalind was born in Sparta during the period we call Classical Greece. She was born of a union between her mother, a priestess of Ares, and the god himself. Her mother’s husband, a wealthy soldier, was away at a small conflict with a neighboring city-state at the time. In her earliest years, Rosalind showed equal interest in swordplay as she did more traditional feminine crafts, culminating in a staggering defeat of an older boy in a fist fight when he insulted her status as a bastard child of Ares. Her father, pleased with this display of honor in his name, comes to Rosalind in a public space to declare that she will die as a warrior. Leaving it at that, her father ordered that Rosalind be trained by friends of his in order to be a good warrior, lest they bring to them the wrath of the god of war.

Up until her early teens, Rosalind quickly proved herself to be as skilled as any man her age in combat, and when word came to her city of a monster in the countryside, she was among the many warriors who go out to slay it. Sadly, she was the only one who returned, and presented the head of the beast as an offering at her father’s temple. The offering was answered by her father, who came with an offer of immortality for Rosalind if she promised to kill as many people as she could in her lifetime. A deal is struck, and the terms are simple: Rosalind will live as long as she continues to slay monster and man alike. The more she kills at once, the less she’ll need to kill later. Rosalind accepted the gift.

As her age suggests, she became quite skilled at being a bringer of death and living up to her divine parentage and often dedicated her kills to Ares. Rosalind lived through many ages, and often thinks fondly of her first and consummated love: a soldier in the Spartan army. The years saw her outliving her mother and her mother’s husband as well as many other people she had grown up with. Though loneliness clawed at her from the inside on many occasions, she continued to kill and live on through the ages and travelled from battle to battle.

Among her many lifetimes, she lived primarily in Western Europe, although once in a while, she would travel eastward to safety or another grand war filled with bloodshed. Very rarely did she find herself able to properly step onto a battlefield, but she was no less able to ease her way into a position where she could find a life to take in her father’s name. Numerous conflicts extended her life until she found that there were many decades before her to live without needing to worry about who her next kill would be. During these times, Rosalind lived as an ordinary citizen of whatever nation she happened to be a part of and enjoyed the finer things in life as they were presented to her. In these years of relative peace, she took on more lovers, although they were few and far in between. Regardless of how long she lived, Rosalind was apt to mourn for decades after the loss of someone she had fallen for.

She has held positions as a maid, midwife, blacksmith, soldier, spy, assassin, pirate, smuggler, weapons dealer, apothecary, farmer, and countless other professions suited for a woman with a strong will and a stronger back. During these professions and the decades she lived through while engaged in them, Rosalind came to see human nature and how it played out in the long run. Conflicts became less about honor and more about oppression, something she could never get behind. In spite of the Crusades and Inquisitions being among some of the bloodiest periods of human history, she rarely took lives during these years. Slowly, but irrevocably, Rosalind grew to become disdainful of bloodshed and conflict.

The last major conflict Rosalind was in was World War 2, during which she acted as a smuggler for Jews so that they could escape the Nazis as they spread through Europe. German soldiers died by her hands on many occasions, but by the end of the war, she had made up her mind to finally die. Enough lives still loomed over her to keep her alive for a good couple of centuries, and as Japan and the United States made their peace over the atomic bombs, she vowed to hang up her weapons except for the truest of emergencies. Ares, who had long been impressed with his daughter’s tenacity and ability to live, respected her wishes.

Now in her twilight years, Rosalind is in the midst of speaking with her divine and mortal family to prepare for her eventual death.

[OC] Rosalind Strange aka Lysandra Kastaros l Not Reserved 4 of 4

[crimson_drachma]

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Rosalind has long been a capable warrior and is able to lift well over one-hundred pounds. She often does some form of exercise every day, but switches up what she does and the intensity to suit whatever she is doing for that day. Weaknesses include a fondness for wine that can leave her smashed if she doesn’t have someone to watch over her.

Abilities:

Proficient in fighting, dancing, singing, and various crafts.

First Person:
[She is wide-eyed and alert the moment the train begins to pull into the station and immediately hops onto her feet in a defensive stance. No one else with her… But how did she come to be on a train?

Looking cautiously out the window, she frowns at the buildings approaching as the train stops. Rosalind disembarks with a frown on her face and reads the signs with disdain. Ruby City.]

Wonderful. [A quick pat-down of her person reveals the pocket watch hanging off of the belt of her dress, and she opens it. The video feed is instantaneous.] All right, where in Hades am I?

Third Person:

No access to her family; no clue as to where the city actually is; no means of getting home… It was enough to make Rosalind tear out her hair, but she opted for taking it out on the carcasses of dead animals instead. As twilight drew near, she prepared a small bonfire in the park. It wasn’t very fancy and wouldn’t give off much in the way of significant heat, but it would serve the purpose she wanted of it.

“I offer this flesh of cattle and poultry to my kinsmen.” One by one, she placed steaks and slabs of chicken breast on the burning wood. The fire grew quickly and ate at the raw meats as Rosalind offered prayers to whoever might be able to hear them. “Circe, Hecate… If anyone can hear these words, please let my people know that I am still safe.”

The fire kept burning long after the sun had set and left a slightly scorched patch of grass behind once she was through with waiting for a reply. Nothing. Not even word from the fickle Iris. Much as the thought worried Rosalind, she would not allow herself to be stopped. All this meant was that she’d have to try that much harder to find a way home.

[CANON] Izaya Orihara || Durarara!! || Reserve

[humanity_lover]

http://humanity-lover.dreamwidth.org/264.html

Audition is here. Hope it's okay.

{ [FANDOM OC] Russia/Anya Braginskaya || Axis Powers Hetalia || reserve || 1 of 5 }

[mama_gone_red]

PLAYER
Name: Alyssa
Personal Journal: pohmelyatsya
E-mail: andalltheworlds@gmail.com
AIM/MSN/etc: plurk & AIM @ andalltheworlds


CHARACTER
Character Name: Anya Braginskaya | Russia
Canon: Axis Powers Hetalia
Timeline: Modern Day
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: I’m currently playing Spain, and though these two are from the same canon, Anya is actually an AU version of Russia and does not exist in Spain’s version of the world. Thus, he wouldn’t actually know her. That said, they both also run different circles, and it’s highly likely he wouldn’t meet her outside of occasional nation things or other such things. Because of this I feel that it wouldn’t truly be a conflict to have both of these guys here.

Personality:

Himaruya has given very little in terms of personality, saying only that Russia is the “wearied mother type” and I’ve taken creative liberty to work around that.

Anya is a woman of several strengths. She’s beautiful and witty, strong and full of passion. But she is also a woman who has been through hardship her whole life. In this, it becomes increasingly apparent that as a person she is jaded to the world and the people around her. She is warm without the depth of caring to an overarching general, vicious in her dislike to those who have wronged her in some perceived fashion and thorough in her grudges. Because of her rough past, Anya finds it increasingly hard to trust people and will often keep other nations and people at an arm’s length away from her simply because she’s afraid of them getting too close and hurting her.

So yes, trust is a thing that is hard to come by with Anya. She would love to have people who understand and trust her, people to go to when something is wrong and she doesn’t know what to do, but Anya is aware that this is a simple dream and she is incapable of this. So often she doesn’t try, too set into her ways to let others in. She’s strong willed and a force of nature. If anybody can do it, it’s Anya. However, this is a bit of a double edged sword. Because of her attempts at doing everything herself, Anya has the habit of wearing herself to the bone and continuing on past this. Because she’s done this for a long time, she’s extremely capable of hiding this and making it seem like nothing’s wrong, but often she’s about to drop. But she is a stubborn woman and will not turn back and accept ways that she knows does not help her. So here, we can see that Anya is a person who would rather surge forward and make her own path, carve it with her own hands if need be than to depend on somebody else’s help.

She is also a master of masks and wields them as easily as she pleases. As I mentioned before, trust is a tenuous thing with Anya and given the masks she weaves into her everyday life it’s easy to see why. She’s a liar and a manipulator, twisting words and situations to what best helps her and her situation. This isn’t always something that can be picked up on, however as Anya is subtle and takes caution not to get caught. If and when she does, however, Anya is not afraid to lash out with words or physically, she’ll be a cornered animal in her attempts to get away and vicious in her words and touch.

That said, Anya is for the most part, remarkably calm. She tends to spend her days with a smile on her face and an even tone, despite all the teasing she does. She’s also incredibly loyal to her people and her loved ones and is willing to go to any lengths for them. She loves strongly once she lets you into her heart and will go above everything if the situation calls for her help. Likewise, she can be blind to faults and will defend a person no matter what.

So in the end, Anya is a complex sort of woman, one who can lie on either end of the spectrum and be perfectly comfortable. She’s beautiful and deadly, vicious and caring, and above it all she’s the representation of the Russian Federation and things defer to this. She’s not one to let herself get walked over and that’s exactly how her country is too.

{ [FANDOM OC] Russia/Anya Braginskaya || Axis Powers Hetalia || reserve || 2 of 5 }

[mama_gone_red]

History:

Russia is an old nation, and her history could be very, very, long, so I’m going to be vague in some of the places I touch upon. If there are any comments please ask!

Russia’s history starts early, sometime in the 800s when the Varingian Rus reached Kiev. However, the “Russ” state at Novgorod is when Russia’s people and lands truly started forming and that is not till around 862. The people were simply a loose conglomerate and not really nation material just yet, and for these earliest parts of her life, Russia and her two brothers basically wandered the lands. They were still very small in form and had nothing to do with any loose governments that had formed around Novgorod and other places. The capital move to Kiev in 882 drew them closer to their people enough so that they built themselves a small little house on the outskirts of town. They still didn’t really interact with the rulers of Kieven Rus, but up through the next few centuries until the Golden Horde invades in 1237 they are drawn closer and accept parts of their nation business. For Russia, this happens more when in 1169 the capital moves to Vladimir, which is by Moscow.

As stated before, the Golden Horde invades and devastates Kieven Rus from 1237-1240, and from this point onwards through 1380 Russian land is under the Tartars’ rule. This means that in essence Russia was with the Golden Horde and kept like a little pet until the other nation got tired of her and foisted her off to her own people. This is, ultimately, part of the Golden Horde’s undoing as it led to Rus being able to grow up a bit with her own people and while she was not exactly out of a child’s body by this point, she had grown some. It was enough for her people to rise up and throw out the Golden Horde and form the Grand Duchy of Moscow. They were still a tributary to the Golden Horde until 1480, however, so Russia was still not completely her own yet.

Now, the Grand Duchy of Moscow lasted up until 1547 when Ivan IV (Hint: There are a lot of Ivans.) takes the throne and becomes the first official Tsar of the Tsardom of Russia. So we have about 200 hundred years, where Russia’s people conquer and annex surrounding lands such as the Novgorod Republic and the Grand Duchy of Tver. Ivan III adopted the title tsar, and also claimed “Ruler of all Rus” as his title. For 43 years Russia was ruled by Ivan III and it lead to her territory tripling in size and the ability to successfully campaign again the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which was a major rival power at this time. In addition, Russia became known as the “Third Rome” through her ruler’s marriage to the niece of Byzantium’s last emperor. In 1500, Russia is actually able to defeat Lithuania and take lands away from her; something the next ruler also succeeds in doing and gains lands all the way to the Dniepr River. This river just so happens to be one of the major rivers in Europe and it allowed Russia to open up trade down the line.

So basically, Muscovy was a period of strengthening and growth for Russia. Speaking in age, she was in about her preteens at this time. She manages to grow a bit more during the Tsardom, enough to hit that awkward teenage stage, which she only manages to grow out of during her time as an empire.

Being stuck as a teenager for centuries is just one of the reasons why we do not envy nations.

Moving on, the Tsardom was declared and led by Ivan IV, who is perhaps better known as Ivan the Terrible. Ivan IV expanded Russia’s lands even further and begun the task of annexing Siberia. We could explain more on Ivan the Terrible, but really all you need to know is he created a treaty with England, added more lands, created a new set of laws and a rural government, oh and there was a reign of terror somewhere in there.

Around 1589 the Russian Orthodox Church becomes independent and kicks the other orthodox churches to the curb, this is significant only in the fact that the Orthodox shaped Russian culture from the Keiven Rus conversion for a millennium. It’s not until the Soviet Union goes Atheist that the Orthodoxy has to go underground. The majority of Rus’ people practices underground, and switch holidays and traditions around to be able to keep practicing their faith. Though Russia has lost a lot of faith in any deities out there, she does follow the people’s example in this.
Going back to the topic, however! After a few Tartar raids on Moscow, and several years go by the Time of Troubles rears its head. This period can basically be explained away by a lot of fake Dmitri’s and also a lot of dead Dmitri’s. Simply put, the heirs to the throne have all either been killed, plague’d, famine or died long since. When things turn almost impossibly cliché and the cold weather led to famine, famine led to economic collapse, disorganization and depopulation led to banditry, the Cossacks grew restless, starvation and plagues broke out in the cities everyone blamed the not very popular ruler.

So, Russia is in a panic trying to find the new heir when all out of the blue, Poland comes trotting up on her pony and declares she has Dmitri, an heir, back home. Which is great and all, but really, Russia was pretty sure this guy had died a while back. Through shenanigans, and a dead Dmitri and the current ruler of Russia later, Poland invades and it’s with the help of Sweden that Russia manages to drive away Poland, and a second Dmitri she’d dug up out of the woodwork. The guy who’d got put on the throne, a highly unpopular member of the National Assembly, was forced to abdicate. The second Dmitri didn’t take the throne however, because Poland had a brilliant plan.

Said plan was for her prince to rule Russia.

Now, Sweden had some beef with Poland around that time, and this was not cool in her boat. So what does she do? She turns around and declares that Dmitri was with her all along.

So they go to war.

But Poland isn’t done just yet. She decides that hey, it would totally be cool if her prince didn’t become Tsar, but her king became the king of Russia instead. Okay, so we’ve got Catholic Poles controlling Moscow and Smolensk. Protestant Swedes occupying Novgorod. The throne is still empty, the National Assembly is feuding amongst themselves, and two rival imposters, a prince, and a king are all vying for the tsardom. Elsewhere in Russia, banditry and starvation has brought the country to her knees.

Sounds like a pretty hopeless situation, doesn’t it? How on earth does a nation bring themselves out of this?

Basically? A huge surge in patriotism. No, seriously. The dismal state of the nation basically convinced everyone that they really needed to band together as Russians and throw these guys out.

So they did.

Once the Russian resistance had ganked themselves an efficient leader, the sheer ferocity of the resistance shocked the occupiers and Russian cities were quickly reclaimed with only a few land losses to end the war. These lands would be gained back over the next centuries however. This whole thing led up to the start of Romanov rule, and they would be Russia’s ruling family to the death of their line in 1917 with the end of the Empire.

But we have yet to truly reach the empire yet. See, it doesn’t start till Peter I takes the throne in 1689. Peter the Great, as he’s more commonly known, was one of the most influential leaders of Russia. He developed it from a still medieval state that had yet to go through the renaissance the rest of Europe went through, and opens up Russia to Western culture. He develops the nation into a then modern power, and creates a new Capital that will be called the “Window to the West” and later on Leninsburg.

This capital is St. Petersburg.

This growth and modernization is enough to send Russia through a growth spurt, and through Peter, and Catherine’s rule she grows until she reaches the extent of her growth a bit before Napoleon’s invasion.

Peter did a lot for the nation, including starting Russia's first newspaper and editing the first issue himself, raising woman's status by having them attend social gatherings, ordered the nobles to give up their traditional clothes for Western fashions and also requiring they shave off their beards. He advanced Russian education by opening a school of navigation and introducing schools for the arts and sciences while also reorganizing and reforming the Russian armed forces and created a modern navy modeled on European practices.

Also, he introduced potatoes. Yay, Potatoes.

Peter’s death in 1725 does not spell the end for the growth of the nation, but it does provide a running start for Russia to grow and prosper. During this time is when Russia is able to interact the most with the rest of the world for the first time in her life, but she finds herself increasingly different from the others and not as easy to integrate into modern society in other countries. She’s sort of that country bumpkin trying to make it big in a capital city. It doesn’t really work out too well. Also during this time there are a lot of pretty constant wars with Turkey, Prussia, Poland, France and Britain, and though Russia has actually grown enough at this time to be able to join the war front if she was a man, she’s instead kept at home. Occasionally, however, her stubborn streak shines and she slips away to join as a nurse. She still manages to sharpen her capacity for strategy in this situation and grows in her strength as nation and person. This basically dominates her life for the next several decades off and on.

Catherine II’s rule is really the next big milestone, as she turns Russian into one of the strongest powers in Continental Europe, but more so, she’s important to Anya because of the strength of a female ruler who in turn strengthens Anya’s resolve and her abilities with in her court. It’s during Catherine’s rule that Anya actually flourishes the most a person, but it also had the bad habit of fostering her stubbornness. There’s more I could expand upon here, but it would simply come back to the sheer amount of renovation Russia undergoes during Catherine’s rule and the fact that Russia herself rises up and becomes stronger in her own self. But I’ll stop here and move on to more interesting things.


Because in 1812, Napoleon invades, and Russia follows the scorched earth strategy by burning down Moscow to force him back. With General Winter’s help, and the Russian peasants’ guerrilla warfare, thousands of French soldiers are taken down and driven out.

Badass, am I right?

So we have Russia, burning down her capitol to drive back France, who had been something of a mentor to her a century or so ago. Ultimately, this just strengthens her distrust of the other nations.

Even with Napoleon out of the picture, however, Russia is not done with war. For the next several decades various wars and campaigns sweep Europe and Russia continues to gather land and power until WWI rears its ugly head and drags Europe down with it.

WWI is essentially not very successful for Russia to put it lightly. In the beginning, it starts out with devastating military loses at Masurian Lakes and Tannenburg and greatly weakens the Russian army in the very first stages of the war. Lending more damage to the moral of the people was Rasputin’s growing influence over the royal family. Russia spent WWI split between the battlefields and at home, but she too, like the vast majority of her people did not trust Rasputin and his influence over the tsarina. The stirrings of rebellion were getting louder, and Russia was split between both sides. On one hand, her royals had been there since day one, she’d seen them grown up, and been there all their lives, but the people are intrinsically tied to her and her psyche. So in the end, she caves in and follows the revolution.

In January of 1905 protestors gathered at the gates of the palace. They were peaceful striking workers, however the palace guards and Russian troops stationed there fired on the workers, wounding and killing hundreds. This event, “Bloody Sunday”, cracked Russia’s mentality because of the strain her people killing their kin caused.

After 1905, Russia is never quite the same. She’s able to keep himself together for the most part and go to war like a good little nurse, but often she’s unsure in her stance and the hold of her royals upon her people. In addition, she worries over the state she’s in and the corruption and poverty that is rampant. Eventually, she finds herself being dragged out of a world war and into a revolution. It is her hope that this will stabilize her and help her people. But it becomes increasingly apparent that this is not the case and she simply withdraws within herself. Her distrust of nation and people comes to the forefront here and she’s increasingly jaded.

The 1917 overthrow of the monarchy and their following execution is possibly a furthering cause of this, but while she was there for the Romanov’s deaths, she did not personally kill them. The death of the monarchy doesn’t exactly stop the problems in Russia at this time. There’s still civil war going on, even though the nation is under Lenin’s control and stability is not something that seems on the horizon. With the Red Terror pushed forward by Stalin, and the communist party itself getting purged for three years and five million dying of famine nothing seems secure. The formation of the USSR in 1922 seems as if it will lend more stability but Stalin taking power and collectivizing agriculture and starting up industrialization doesn’t help and famine strikes once more. For almost twenty years after this, Stalin’s Great Purge kills millions. This and the upcoming WWII means that Russia is a very sick nation. Famine strikes hard, and not even a nation can escape that.