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Day Break App
PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: Doctor Chimera
CONTACT: PMing this journal is fine.
OTHER CHARACTER(S) IN GAME:N/A
CANON INFORMATION
CHARACTER NAME: Rex Arany
CANON: Original
HISTORY:
Humans share the fantastic world of magic, Terra, with monsters they have warred against since time immemorial. Time and again, the monsters would gain a Demon King who would threaten the human race- but each time a legendary hero would emerge, chosen by the almighty Hero Medal! Humans progressed, science and technology marching on hand in hand. Such was the cycle of history...
Until the hero Folio failed.
The ensuing battle between the entire human species and the races of monsters devastated the world, Terra now only ruins. The battle long over, humans and monsters struggle to survive in their hopeless world.
One such human, Rex Arany, is a fledgeling wizard warrior. A 'treasure hunter' (i.e. scavenger) taken on a team to the deep catacombs of a ruined castle, they clash with a rival group of monsters and are wiped out. Aside from Rex, who in what he thought were to be his final moments, grasps the Hero Medal from the wreckage and to his surprise is chosen to be his era's hero of destiny!
What he's meant to do and why him, he has no idea. It's really just made life more of a hassle.
He plans to operate from the shadows, rather than announce that new hero has arisen. While secretly searching for information about the impending calamity, he searches for trustworthy allies and ways to increase his own power to better prepare the world and himself.
Over the following years, Rex discovers the secrets of his mysterious mother, battles his nemesis the demon Naberius, meets his extended family and grows (and cheers) up and in the end saves the world not by exterminating monsterkind but by finding peace with them.
STRENGTHS:
Learning; Rex is a genuine genius- a polymath and nexialist, he does not direct his learning towards any one subject. He can learn from fields that don't especially interest him quite well, but those he is passionate for (physics, magic and music especially) do receive more time. His ability to smoothly combine skills and knowledge from multiple fields to yield never before seen results is where his main talent lies. As a philomath, Rex considers learning, study and practice to be amongst the most enjoyable experience he can have, and due to the pace of his acquisition of skills, he is always looking for new fields. Whilst he is not able to learn how to do everything nor master the things he does, he can instead seamlessly incorporate at least something from any area of study into his skill set. Because of this his combat style and plans are continually updating. Rex lets no detail, no matter how small, escape his notice if he can help it, in case that information becomes useful at a later date. His ease of learning lends itself well to teaching others, and Rex will often learn something from an ally, combine it with other knowledge and then feed it back to his associate.
Kindness; Rex has an innate gentility that is more often shown through actions rather than words, usually towards his companions but occasionally towards even his enemies. What most reveals this is admiration. Whilst in his mind he tends to consider this as simple logic to further his goals, the truth is he leans towards kindness even whilst remaining outwardly cold. The care he gives to people is a sort of admiring devotion, assistance to help them develop the traits that caused him to admire them in the first place. He has a weak sense of justice, displaying a form of mercy which stems from a preference to resolve issues instead of punishing people. When face to face with people who need his help, he struggles to say no- though he'll always try to find some way to internally justify it as self-serving. His kindness makes him an excellent teammate, as on the battlefield he will do anything to protect them and off it will help them develop their strengths or cover their weaknesses.
Calm: Rex is typically unemotional and logical, able to regulate his thoughts and keep his feelings under control (that is, unless something sets off his thrill-seeking, as noted below). Always reliable, he thinks things through thoroughly and always has a plan. This cold and practical approach to problem-solving is usually quite effective, though his tendency to presume the worst rather than coming at problems from a genuinely neutral position can hinder him a bit. That said, just because he starts at the worst-case scenario doesn't mean he completely ignores the best- he only ranks it at a lower likelihood. He values survival and success above ideals but doesn't cause unnecessary cruelty, giving him an entirely amoral methodology.
FLAWS:
Fear of failure; Rex will go to great lengths to avoid failure, and when he does experience it, he tends to undergo a great deal of mental strain. This is another reason he carefully prepares before acting. If he has a multi-stage plan that accounts for setbacks he can tolerate that much more easily- being mentally outmanoeuvred or defeated utterly, however, can cause him to snap and retreat more than necessary (literally and into himself to contemplate his own failure). He inherited this from his mother, but witnessing her death as a result of her method of dealing with it (sacrificing everything for even fleeting victory) has caused him to take an utterly opposite approach. Unless he has had time to study them in depth, Rex tends to overestimate other people and presume they are more prepared or competent than they are (often envisioning plans he would put in place but others are unlikely to have considered). Since he also prefers not to act unless the odds are stacked heavily in his favour, he misses chances that were almost certain victory thinking they were too high of a risk or doesn’t take reasonable risks. In particular, even if his companions are willing, he will rarely risk his high-value resources.
Pessimism: Rex focuses on the dark side of life more often than not and thinking that way not only makes him socially awkward but also puts a strain on his mind. His more admirable traits can be difficult for others to see behind his gloomy aura and the negative outlook makes him miserable. This grim manner extends to his opinion of himself- he often undervalues his own achievements and relationships, feeling that he obtained them via trickery. He considers his cunning and strategic planning to be ‘cheating’ and therefore unfairly attributed to talent or skill. He will also usually think of the traits that cause people to admire him as fraudulent or misunderstandings. In both cases, he overworks to compensate for what he supposedly lacks which makes him very good at what he does but at the cost of his mental health- he suffers from insomnia and sleeps approximately every four to five days. Towards the end of this cycle, his dark thoughts are at their loudest, and he'll be found mumbling the most morbid ideas.
Thrill High; Whilst Rex tries to avoid being in life and death situations by planning ahead, when he is in them he often has such a thrilling experience it causes him to take unnecessary risks. In particular, he experiences an incomparable pleasure from fights to the death. Knowing this inclination and only experiencing the joys of it during the fact, it further causes him to also fear to enter dangerous situations as he considers it a liability and taxing on his sanity. His greatest pleasure, unknown to him, is a fight to the death with no malice. While he mainly considers this to be a weakness that leads to him becoming dangerously emotional, it is true that when he is undergoing the rush of near-death, it can cause him to be rapidly inspired and have epiphanies as to the best applications of his abilities. In a less extreme example, he can also get carried away when working on new projects and areas of study. He will design a perfectly reasonable and practical piece of equipment, but the first time he builds it, he will end up looking like something from a heavy metal album with twice the specs he designed. His calm, gloomy demeanour is temporarily replaced by a maniac mad scientist or lunatic wizard warrior.
Canon Abilities:
Much like all the chosen heroes, Rex is capable of a variety of forms of combat and can combine them for extra effectiveness. Like his predecessors though, he has an area in which he excels. In his case it's wizardry. He had basic training in his mother's sword style and martial arts style, but these take a second seat to his magic use.
He learned the basics of magic from his mother but otherwise is entirely self-taught. His magic is not particularly powerful when he started his journey and focused on survival and utility. Camouflage, healing, telekinesis, levitation, buffs, scrying, traps repairing items, shields etc. Though he has offensive options, he prefers conventional weaponry boosted mystically until he improves his magic skills.
In the Rexverse most magic works around moulding mana into an effect without a cause. It's all about knowing the result you want, such as to make a fireball involves learning the nature of fire and its symbolism, its associations and so on. Because he's self-taught and instead learnt about physics, his magic works by producing the cause by making the actual science happen. This unusual method is much more complex and requires vastly more mana than the norm and using it has caused Rex's mana reserves to be pushed to their limits repeatedly. As a result, he has an absolutely gigantic amount of magical power at his disposal. When he learns more traditional spellcasting, he can cast high power spells constantly, often casting multiple spells simultaneously due to their relative simplicity. After discovering the idiosyncrasies of both types of magic, he refers to his spellcasting as the 'element' of Atom and develops its unique traits. Often his Atom spells are based on future theoretical weaponry which suffers from drawbacks modern science has yet to overcome, such as particle beams or high power lasers.
His most notable, original spells are:
Phantom: A spell that creates a simulation of a lifeform based on his study of spiritual beings, often in an exaggerated form to accentuate their strengths, which he leaves in essential places as guards or sends in his place into dangerous situations. Phantoms can be programmed or remotely controlled by Rex. Due to the complex and varied forms they take, Rex regularly updates the Phantoms. Some he bases on himself, his allies and enemies, but others are original creations. Perhaps the most crucial aspect of Phantoms is that when they are destroyed (which they frequently are), their cores fly away and can be used to revive them and study the data they collected.
Dark Side of the Moon: A spell explicitly made to counter his nemesis' signature attack, Naberius' powerful light based beam White Fang, but later adapted into more general use. It produces a mystical prism which allows him to control the flow of energy that passes through it, diffusing and redirecting attacks.
Black Dog: Black Dog produces an orb of darkness that stretches out and cracks open in a jagged manner resembling a stylised dog's jaw. The orb form is used to absorb attacks, and when it reaches its limit, it cracks open. The bite of the dog injects energy into the target, causing them to break up from within.
Atom- Real Laser: A skill that creates, as the name suggests, a real laser by aligning existing lightwaves. It differs from most light magic in that it is invisible and actually moves at the speed of light- this makes it very difficult to dodge or defend against, but it does take some time to prepare until Rex masters it.
Early on in his quest, Rex is bonded to a fragment of an extremely powerful spiritual entity, the Kirin of the Holy Mountain. This immature fragment, which he names Indrik, is directly linked to Rex’s own spirit and grows stronger as Rex improves as a person, garnering spiritual strength. At first, Indrik is a hopelessly defenceless creature but develops into one of Rex’s most reliable companions and often acts as his mount. Indrik is not quite a kirin itself, but something unique.
Finally, Rex eventually becomes a practitioner of Human Power, the ability to transform strength of spirit into physical power. He never truly masters it, primarily using it as a supplementary skill to assist his magic and martial arts.
AU INFORMATION
AU CHARACTER NAME: Rex Arany
AGE: 19
GRADE: Due to his lack of formal education and thus qualifications, Rex is a grade behind his age at Grade 12.
AU BACKSTORY:
🐕 Rex's mother, Nora Farkas, was the 'princess' of a Hungarian organisation of mages known as the Farkas Szívű Társadalom (Wolf Hearted Society). Nora possessed astounding talent. Fiercely independent from a young age, Nora declared her life's goal was merely to live "a life filled with dazzlingly bright golden days." She changed her name to Helen Arany (after Helen of Troy and the Hungarian word for gold) and set out on countless adventures,
🐕Helen's experiences spanned the globe, and with her incredible power and strength of spirit, she left many legends in her wake. She rarely achieved personal fame for the simple fact she didn't associate herself strongly with anyone- Helen merely wandered the world and did as she pleased, becoming not only a notable mage but a strong monster hunter and swordswoman. She was often thought of as a better person than she was. People would consider her heroic or an ally of justice, but in truth, she mostly wanted to challenge herself or get rid of the things she hated to see. Thankfully that often coincided with doing good. She made many friends and had her fair share of romances, but Helen left them all behind as she travelled- as someone who had never needed anyone, she also never recognised the pain of being without someone you need. This changed when critically injured in a battle she refused to lose, losing an arm, disfiguring her face and crippling one leg. Helen was nursed back to health by a woman who she fell in love with, but whose heart already belonged to another. When she returned to her adventures, trying to recapture her lost confidence, she met the man who would become Rex's father, Doctor Cedric Staines. She chose not to settle with him, but with her spirit recuperated somewhat.
🐕Helen never contacted Cedric when it became apparent she was pregnant and raised Rex entirely independently. Her desire to care for someone who needed her blossomed fully. She wasn't always the best mother, joyfully taking Rex into dangers and adventure, but they enjoyed their dazzlingly bright golden days roaming the world together- she taught Rex herself and the pair never settled anywhere, meaning they only ever had each other. This life suited them both well.
🐕Until when Rex was seven and an adventure ended in tragedy. Helen, Rex and some innocent bystanders were run off the road by monsters in the Bulgarian mountains. What followed was ten nightmarish days in which if any of them slipped into sleep, the opening would be exploited and they would be attacked. It was here that Rex obtained his aversion to sleep and his obsession with music- His mother gifted him a headset to help keep him awake. As time passed, the amassed civilians began demanding Helen do something as clearly the most capable amongst them but refused to help her. Reaching a tipping point, Helen decided to put it all on the line. She was able to succeed in her mission of saving Rex, though the others and herself died in the process- her life ended proudly, having never failed in a mission. Rex, on the other hand, was left alone and disillusioned with humanity's willingness to rely on others.
🐕Rex's life had been entirely off the grid, placing him in an awkward position, to say the least. Entered into Bulgaria's notoriously neglectful orphan care system, officially in their care but mostly left to his own devices. He didn't attend regular school and instead self-educated himself at his own pace, spending almost all of his time studying and training the skills his mother had taught him. This was all so that at a young age he could abandon his proper care entirely, vanishing into the wind at 14.
🐕From there, now once more independently off the grid, Rex began to make a living as a monster hunter. Despite his youth, he was excellent at disguising his age (assisted by his great height and grim face) and operated mainly solo, teaming up sparingly with others more intimately associated with the greater monster hunting secret society. During this time he received the nickname Black Dog partially thanks to his gloomy nature and name, but also his habit of hunting out and scavenging from lost or hidden magical locations.
🐕During one particular adventure, he fought a especially powerful spirit and barely survived. The beastly spirit, the Indrik (essentially a very angry Slavic unicorn) was eternally reborn upon being slain- this time, rather than left to live off the mountain's power until it needed to be killed again, Rex took the newly infant form. He pretends it's merely pragmatic and not emotional, but the connection between the two is literally spiritual. Ordinarily, the Indrik draws its power from the land, but this one (unoriginally named after its species) draws it from Rex's strength of spirit. The spiritual body of Indrik quickly fascinated Rex, who began to study it- resulting in the first steps of his Phantom spell.
🐕The long, dark days continued for some years. What seemed to be yet another scavenging session turned sour. The hidden cache was infested with monstrous forces. In the midst of his near-death experience, Rx found an extremely ancient artefact- the Hero Medal. The item was forged in aeons past, in the days of demi-gods and mythical heroes, to choose champions to fight when dangerous days approach. The voice of the medal asked Rex to devote himself to saving the world from impending disaster as it had asked many others in the past- this time, from the Nightfall. Begrudgingly accepting outwardly, because failing to would spell his own demise, Rex latched on to the role given to him by the medal as a reason to live when his mental state was slowly deteriorating. Rex wishes to complete his work from the shadows by making the world more secure, rather than lead the charge.
🐕To further his goals, he sought out and joined Daybreak- while he thinks of it as infiltrating the organisation to obtain the strength and allies necessary for his plans, the fact the goals and methods of the academy match his own makes that just another of his pessimistic flights of fancy. He chooses to hide his nature as the hero chosen by the medal.
AU PERSONALITY DEVIATION: Nothing notable.
RACE: Human
SECRET SOCIETY:
Rex doesn't much associate with any particular society in depth. He has no idea he is heir to the mage society his mother was born to, and he knows few of their secrets. While he is known of amongst monster hunting circles, he's tolerated rather than welcomed thanks to his offputting demeanour and secretive nature.
POWERS:
First and foremost, Rex is a mage (though he prefers the term wizard for no particular reason) who is mostly self-taught. He received training from his mother at a young age, but she died long before his training was complete. However, from that humble acorn, a mighty oak may grow. His special magic is similar to his 'canon' magic, Atom, which manipulates physics directly as the logical extreme of the basics of magic. His personal control of magical energy is exceptionally impressive because of this, but Atom magic is less effective at the more abstract aspects of magic. The high level of precision required for his spells helps his talent at picking up new forms of magic, and his scavenging has unearthed other odd and lost magic. He hasn't mastered any of his signature spells as yet (most of them he creates in canon for specific opponents), but he has begun development on his Phantoms by studying Indrik's spiritual body. Rex is continuously developing and updating his magic, furthering it as he proceeds his studies. He has relatively weak offensive options magically but excels at defensive and tricky magic that has odd effects.
Indrik, linked to his spirit, is a small, a very chubby little four-legged creature at pony size, with a large red lion-like mane, a distinct cow like shape but a golden scaley hide similar to a lizard and with a long lizard-like tail with a tuft of further red fluff at the end. Presently Indrik is extremely weak and uncooperative but grows more potent as Rex's spirit rises, his form changing to match significant personality developments. Unlike Rex, Indrik is more of a brutish, direct creature and can develop ridiculously over the top physical strength and potent fire breath.
Whilst not a power as such, Rex retains his sharp intellect that is exceptionally good at combining knowledge- he can't learn to do anything but can learn something from almost any source. He then proceeds to use his accumulated knowledge to craft new spells, invent new equipment, formulate new techniques and create new Phantoms.
The Hero Medal is a subtle but powerful tool that guides the chosen in such a way they obtain strength on their own. For the Daybreak canon, the Hero Medal doesn't denote Rex as necessarily the chosen one designated protagonist, but merely a capable figure selected to fight for the forces of justice. I've decided for this version of Rex to have Human Power be a function of the Hero Medal and thus rarely used. By using focus and determination, it can enhance his abilities briefly.
Overall Rex's capabilities reflect those of his inspiration. He acts a lot like Dark Lord final boss figures of video games, in particular being envisioned as a good version of Ganon of Zelda fame or the significant antagonists of Final Fantasy. In that, he is a highly capable warrior and a magic-user who prefers to hide behind the scenes and employs others, often unwittingly manipulated or created by him, to perform his schemes. Unlike those examples though, he's also just some kid who needs a hug.
Updated 25/9/2019: After a trip out with Ekkehardt to his mother's body and their old home, Rex is bringing back her sword and shield. They are both ludicrous items Rex will take quite some time to be able to use. In her youth, Helen managed to get two smithing gods to fight over her, promising to marry the one who provided the best gift. Hadúr, the Hungarian god of smithing, war and flames made her a sword supposedly able to destroy anything. The gentlehearted Ilmarinen, the Finnish smithing god, made her a shield apparently able to break any weapon used on it. She smashed them against each other. The sword and shield both intact in a stalemate, in a suitable bit of mythological logic, she declared them both losers. But she kept her gifts anyway, which was naturally her plan from the start. Helen pridefully never used their special qualities. She didn't want any credit for a victory to go to the items themselves- she used them as a merely exceptionally high-quality sword and shield, which was all she wanted anyway. As a result, Rex has no idea what he's doing with them because they don't come with a manual. Both weapons, while not able to converse under most circumstances, have a pseudo-mind and will of their own. Unfortunately, they've mostly soaked up Helen's personality so... both are moody bitches, massively egotistical and have an intense rivalry with each other. This makes them mostly uncooperative with their powers for any user until their respect is earned. (Think Ash's Charizard. They'll do a job properly only if they want to until Rex shows he's a warrior worth serving.) Despite being superficially a perfect pair, they refuse to work together at present, get sulky when the other one is shown preferential treatment and need to be put in their place to cooperate. Depending on events, Rex may never master them, and he may give them to someone else, which is what he does in the OU. If he does get the damn things to do what he says, it'll usually be one power/form at a time. Like Helen herself, they don't really care about right, wrong or noble intentions. What endears them is Helen-like behaviour, such as warrior spirit, pride, willfulness, passion and libidinousness. You can see why Rex never mastered them in the OU.
Her sword, Eternal Sunlight, is a six-foot buster sword style beast nonsensically made from the sun's rays. As proven by its origin story, it is not able to cut through anything but is abnormally hard and sharp. Reflecting its creation material, it's unrelenting and fierce, but beautiful and formless. Though Rex doesn't know this and will have to work it out as he goes, what looks like decoration are the moveable links that allow it to rearrange itself into several different shapes. It's always brutal heavy though. Its forms are-
A spear. (flattening much of the blade into a longer shaft and flaring the tip of the blade)
A scythe. (similarly flattening the edge, but extending the tip and rotating it instead)
An axe. (rotating half the sword and folding it in half)
A hammer. (same as the axe, but bending it, so the flat internal edge is out rather than the blade)
A lance. (extending the handle and stretching out the blade)
A flail or whip. (Separating the handle into several flexible joints. Can be used with the hammer configuration or a bladed arrangement. By adding the same links to the blade, it can be a whip instead.)
Dual swords. (splitting into two slimmer, but just as long swords)
A rocket. (flaring open various vents, which eject fire, allowing it to be used as a projectile, user letting go optional)
Though it doesn't possess any prominent sun-based powers, it metaphysically acts as if it is sunlight to the touch. So I guess it'd burn vampires and be good for growing plants? And getting a tan? It's not the main feature.
Blue Moon, the shield, is large and round with a gauntlet instead of a strap. It weighs exactly the same as Eternal Sunlight, which Helen used to help her balance. As the perfect opposite of its counterpart, it's metaphysically forged from moonlight. Like moonlight, it shines from reflection, and when struck it can violate the equal-opposite reaction that should occur, repelling its attacker without budging an inch. It has a similar effect on magical effects, able to absorb and release magic used on its wearer, and can act as a purifier of poisons, curses and diseases. Like its opposite, however, it does not live up to the design brief of being unbreakable, nor can it counter everything. Absorbing too much will shatter it, and some effects are beyond it altogether. For example, though it managed to save her life from the attack that disfigured Helen by blocking half of it, it could not even reduce a fraction of the curse preventing Helen from healing her injuries, breaking instantly if she wore it. To make up for this, much the same way the moon goes through its phases and is reborn anew, it can repair itself. The process takes, predictably, a month- no matter how major or minor the damage. Finally, any object its palm touches is rendered weightless to the user, allowing them to carry just about any one item at a time. And still smash someone else with something heavy. This would make it ideal for using Eternal Sunlight, but neither of them would cooperate until wholly tamed.
Being made from moonlight, I guess it'd transform a lycanthrope or boost moon magic if touched? That sort of thing.
RP SAMPLE
A Sample may be any of the following:
► A group of threads totalling 10 comments in the TDM between at least two characters, with each thread having at least 3 comments from your character
► A one-paragraph in-character first-person informal sample and three-paragraph in-character third person narrative sample
► Answers for at least 10 of the sample questions, found here: https://thewatchers.dreamwidth.org/1112.html
INTERVIEW SAMPLE PROMPT
(The following scenario is available to all characters who are apping in and is considered canon - before formal admittance into Daybreak Academy the administrative staff will give a series of questions and prompts to get a better feel for the character. Respond to the prompts in-character. Characters may lie, mark if they do with the word "lie" in parenthesis after the question answer.)
1. WHAT DO YOU MOST DESIRE FOR YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE?
To learn is its own goal. Knowledge is one of the few things that can be said to have no negatives- thus, I want to learn everything I possibly can. Simply put, education is my educational goal.
[ While this is absolutely true, Rex decides not to divulge he's especially after learning how to be stronger. ]
2. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN THE FUTURE?
Success.
[ He leaves his answer at this, rather than a long rambling explanation of his plans to reinforce humanity globally, so secret plots to protect it aren't necessary. ]
3. DESCRIBE YOUR IDEA OF AN IDEAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.
Frankly, a quiet one. Something which will allow me to operate at my own pace without unnecessary interruption, so I can focus on my studies.
4. WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A SCHOOL TO OFFER TO ITS STUDENTS?
Independence. Excessively holding our hands will just stifle growth.
[ In truth, if he were running a school it'd probably be the opposite- but that's not what he wants for himself. ]
5. WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST LIMITS YOU FROM ACHIEVING YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL?
My lack of opportunities at formal education has left me with a slightly... spotty education. The things I do know, I know well. Those I do not know, I likely am barely aware of the subject.
[ A rare truthful admittance of weakness- mainly because he feels a true answer isn't too bad here. ]
6. WHAT COURSE WORK EXCITES YOU? WHY?
I'm particularly interested in physics. And magic. In either case, the fundamentals of the universe can be discovered there- mastering them unlocks further knowledge, applicable in almost all studies.
7. WHAT COURSE WORK DO YOU DETEST MOST? WHY?
I can't think of anything in particular.
[ A total lie. He dreads Literature. He struggles to find any purpose in learning it and thus gets bored. ]
8. WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN OUTSIDE YOUR EDUCATION?
I like music. And I've been participating in monster hunting for some time, though it's quite educational.
[ He decides not to mention his mystical equivalent of dumpster diving. ]
9. WHEN GIVEN FREE TIME, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT?
Study.
[ Absolutely true, though study can involve aforementioned mystical dumpster diving or training combat skills. ]
10. WHEN UNDER PRESSURE OF A TIGHT DEADLINE, HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
Carefully. Rushing leads to mistakes. It would be preferable to find a way to extend the timeframe is needed than to fail because I was poorly prepared.
11. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR PEERS?
Cooperation. I will endeavour not to interfere with them if they do the same.
12. WHEN WORKING IN A GROUP, HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE TO ACHIEVE YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?
Groups can be disastrous if poorly coordinated. With that in mind, I prefer to be supportive of other members in a tactical capacity. Take the lead... doesn't suit me.
[ Somewhat true- Rex prefers to control any group he's a part of, but not from the front. He'd encourage people to achieve what they're already good at, but think of it more as manipulating them. ]
13. DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN RELY ON YOUR PEERS, OR DO YOU FEEL YOU MUST EXCEL ON YOUR OWN?
Tactically, there's no difference. We can all support our peers best by achieving personal excellence.
14. IN THIS EVER-CHANGING WORLD, WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Humanity stands at a turning point. We will soon either scientifically advance enough to ensure our survival or demise- although I suppose it's slightly nervous excitement.
15. WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE DO YOU FEAR THE MOST?
And thus I think I can recycle my above answer.
16. WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HOPE TO HOLD AT THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY?
I'm not sure I can think of anything I want to remember- but I don't want to have the regrets of failure.
[He couldn't mean it more. ]
NAME: Doctor Chimera
CONTACT: PMing this journal is fine.
OTHER CHARACTER(S) IN GAME:N/A
CANON INFORMATION
CHARACTER NAME: Rex Arany
CANON: Original
HISTORY:
Humans share the fantastic world of magic, Terra, with monsters they have warred against since time immemorial. Time and again, the monsters would gain a Demon King who would threaten the human race- but each time a legendary hero would emerge, chosen by the almighty Hero Medal! Humans progressed, science and technology marching on hand in hand. Such was the cycle of history...
Until the hero Folio failed.
The ensuing battle between the entire human species and the races of monsters devastated the world, Terra now only ruins. The battle long over, humans and monsters struggle to survive in their hopeless world.
One such human, Rex Arany, is a fledgeling wizard warrior. A 'treasure hunter' (i.e. scavenger) taken on a team to the deep catacombs of a ruined castle, they clash with a rival group of monsters and are wiped out. Aside from Rex, who in what he thought were to be his final moments, grasps the Hero Medal from the wreckage and to his surprise is chosen to be his era's hero of destiny!
What he's meant to do and why him, he has no idea. It's really just made life more of a hassle.
He plans to operate from the shadows, rather than announce that new hero has arisen. While secretly searching for information about the impending calamity, he searches for trustworthy allies and ways to increase his own power to better prepare the world and himself.
Over the following years, Rex discovers the secrets of his mysterious mother, battles his nemesis the demon Naberius, meets his extended family and grows (and cheers) up and in the end saves the world not by exterminating monsterkind but by finding peace with them.
STRENGTHS:
Learning; Rex is a genuine genius- a polymath and nexialist, he does not direct his learning towards any one subject. He can learn from fields that don't especially interest him quite well, but those he is passionate for (physics, magic and music especially) do receive more time. His ability to smoothly combine skills and knowledge from multiple fields to yield never before seen results is where his main talent lies. As a philomath, Rex considers learning, study and practice to be amongst the most enjoyable experience he can have, and due to the pace of his acquisition of skills, he is always looking for new fields. Whilst he is not able to learn how to do everything nor master the things he does, he can instead seamlessly incorporate at least something from any area of study into his skill set. Because of this his combat style and plans are continually updating. Rex lets no detail, no matter how small, escape his notice if he can help it, in case that information becomes useful at a later date. His ease of learning lends itself well to teaching others, and Rex will often learn something from an ally, combine it with other knowledge and then feed it back to his associate.
Kindness; Rex has an innate gentility that is more often shown through actions rather than words, usually towards his companions but occasionally towards even his enemies. What most reveals this is admiration. Whilst in his mind he tends to consider this as simple logic to further his goals, the truth is he leans towards kindness even whilst remaining outwardly cold. The care he gives to people is a sort of admiring devotion, assistance to help them develop the traits that caused him to admire them in the first place. He has a weak sense of justice, displaying a form of mercy which stems from a preference to resolve issues instead of punishing people. When face to face with people who need his help, he struggles to say no- though he'll always try to find some way to internally justify it as self-serving. His kindness makes him an excellent teammate, as on the battlefield he will do anything to protect them and off it will help them develop their strengths or cover their weaknesses.
Calm: Rex is typically unemotional and logical, able to regulate his thoughts and keep his feelings under control (that is, unless something sets off his thrill-seeking, as noted below). Always reliable, he thinks things through thoroughly and always has a plan. This cold and practical approach to problem-solving is usually quite effective, though his tendency to presume the worst rather than coming at problems from a genuinely neutral position can hinder him a bit. That said, just because he starts at the worst-case scenario doesn't mean he completely ignores the best- he only ranks it at a lower likelihood. He values survival and success above ideals but doesn't cause unnecessary cruelty, giving him an entirely amoral methodology.
FLAWS:
Fear of failure; Rex will go to great lengths to avoid failure, and when he does experience it, he tends to undergo a great deal of mental strain. This is another reason he carefully prepares before acting. If he has a multi-stage plan that accounts for setbacks he can tolerate that much more easily- being mentally outmanoeuvred or defeated utterly, however, can cause him to snap and retreat more than necessary (literally and into himself to contemplate his own failure). He inherited this from his mother, but witnessing her death as a result of her method of dealing with it (sacrificing everything for even fleeting victory) has caused him to take an utterly opposite approach. Unless he has had time to study them in depth, Rex tends to overestimate other people and presume they are more prepared or competent than they are (often envisioning plans he would put in place but others are unlikely to have considered). Since he also prefers not to act unless the odds are stacked heavily in his favour, he misses chances that were almost certain victory thinking they were too high of a risk or doesn’t take reasonable risks. In particular, even if his companions are willing, he will rarely risk his high-value resources.
Pessimism: Rex focuses on the dark side of life more often than not and thinking that way not only makes him socially awkward but also puts a strain on his mind. His more admirable traits can be difficult for others to see behind his gloomy aura and the negative outlook makes him miserable. This grim manner extends to his opinion of himself- he often undervalues his own achievements and relationships, feeling that he obtained them via trickery. He considers his cunning and strategic planning to be ‘cheating’ and therefore unfairly attributed to talent or skill. He will also usually think of the traits that cause people to admire him as fraudulent or misunderstandings. In both cases, he overworks to compensate for what he supposedly lacks which makes him very good at what he does but at the cost of his mental health- he suffers from insomnia and sleeps approximately every four to five days. Towards the end of this cycle, his dark thoughts are at their loudest, and he'll be found mumbling the most morbid ideas.
Thrill High; Whilst Rex tries to avoid being in life and death situations by planning ahead, when he is in them he often has such a thrilling experience it causes him to take unnecessary risks. In particular, he experiences an incomparable pleasure from fights to the death. Knowing this inclination and only experiencing the joys of it during the fact, it further causes him to also fear to enter dangerous situations as he considers it a liability and taxing on his sanity. His greatest pleasure, unknown to him, is a fight to the death with no malice. While he mainly considers this to be a weakness that leads to him becoming dangerously emotional, it is true that when he is undergoing the rush of near-death, it can cause him to be rapidly inspired and have epiphanies as to the best applications of his abilities. In a less extreme example, he can also get carried away when working on new projects and areas of study. He will design a perfectly reasonable and practical piece of equipment, but the first time he builds it, he will end up looking like something from a heavy metal album with twice the specs he designed. His calm, gloomy demeanour is temporarily replaced by a maniac mad scientist or lunatic wizard warrior.
Canon Abilities:
Much like all the chosen heroes, Rex is capable of a variety of forms of combat and can combine them for extra effectiveness. Like his predecessors though, he has an area in which he excels. In his case it's wizardry. He had basic training in his mother's sword style and martial arts style, but these take a second seat to his magic use.
He learned the basics of magic from his mother but otherwise is entirely self-taught. His magic is not particularly powerful when he started his journey and focused on survival and utility. Camouflage, healing, telekinesis, levitation, buffs, scrying, traps repairing items, shields etc. Though he has offensive options, he prefers conventional weaponry boosted mystically until he improves his magic skills.
In the Rexverse most magic works around moulding mana into an effect without a cause. It's all about knowing the result you want, such as to make a fireball involves learning the nature of fire and its symbolism, its associations and so on. Because he's self-taught and instead learnt about physics, his magic works by producing the cause by making the actual science happen. This unusual method is much more complex and requires vastly more mana than the norm and using it has caused Rex's mana reserves to be pushed to their limits repeatedly. As a result, he has an absolutely gigantic amount of magical power at his disposal. When he learns more traditional spellcasting, he can cast high power spells constantly, often casting multiple spells simultaneously due to their relative simplicity. After discovering the idiosyncrasies of both types of magic, he refers to his spellcasting as the 'element' of Atom and develops its unique traits. Often his Atom spells are based on future theoretical weaponry which suffers from drawbacks modern science has yet to overcome, such as particle beams or high power lasers.
His most notable, original spells are:
Phantom: A spell that creates a simulation of a lifeform based on his study of spiritual beings, often in an exaggerated form to accentuate their strengths, which he leaves in essential places as guards or sends in his place into dangerous situations. Phantoms can be programmed or remotely controlled by Rex. Due to the complex and varied forms they take, Rex regularly updates the Phantoms. Some he bases on himself, his allies and enemies, but others are original creations. Perhaps the most crucial aspect of Phantoms is that when they are destroyed (which they frequently are), their cores fly away and can be used to revive them and study the data they collected.
Dark Side of the Moon: A spell explicitly made to counter his nemesis' signature attack, Naberius' powerful light based beam White Fang, but later adapted into more general use. It produces a mystical prism which allows him to control the flow of energy that passes through it, diffusing and redirecting attacks.
Black Dog: Black Dog produces an orb of darkness that stretches out and cracks open in a jagged manner resembling a stylised dog's jaw. The orb form is used to absorb attacks, and when it reaches its limit, it cracks open. The bite of the dog injects energy into the target, causing them to break up from within.
Atom- Real Laser: A skill that creates, as the name suggests, a real laser by aligning existing lightwaves. It differs from most light magic in that it is invisible and actually moves at the speed of light- this makes it very difficult to dodge or defend against, but it does take some time to prepare until Rex masters it.
Early on in his quest, Rex is bonded to a fragment of an extremely powerful spiritual entity, the Kirin of the Holy Mountain. This immature fragment, which he names Indrik, is directly linked to Rex’s own spirit and grows stronger as Rex improves as a person, garnering spiritual strength. At first, Indrik is a hopelessly defenceless creature but develops into one of Rex’s most reliable companions and often acts as his mount. Indrik is not quite a kirin itself, but something unique.
Finally, Rex eventually becomes a practitioner of Human Power, the ability to transform strength of spirit into physical power. He never truly masters it, primarily using it as a supplementary skill to assist his magic and martial arts.
AU INFORMATION
AU CHARACTER NAME: Rex Arany
AGE: 19
GRADE: Due to his lack of formal education and thus qualifications, Rex is a grade behind his age at Grade 12.
AU BACKSTORY:
🐕 Rex's mother, Nora Farkas, was the 'princess' of a Hungarian organisation of mages known as the Farkas Szívű Társadalom (Wolf Hearted Society). Nora possessed astounding talent. Fiercely independent from a young age, Nora declared her life's goal was merely to live "a life filled with dazzlingly bright golden days." She changed her name to Helen Arany (after Helen of Troy and the Hungarian word for gold) and set out on countless adventures,
🐕Helen's experiences spanned the globe, and with her incredible power and strength of spirit, she left many legends in her wake. She rarely achieved personal fame for the simple fact she didn't associate herself strongly with anyone- Helen merely wandered the world and did as she pleased, becoming not only a notable mage but a strong monster hunter and swordswoman. She was often thought of as a better person than she was. People would consider her heroic or an ally of justice, but in truth, she mostly wanted to challenge herself or get rid of the things she hated to see. Thankfully that often coincided with doing good. She made many friends and had her fair share of romances, but Helen left them all behind as she travelled- as someone who had never needed anyone, she also never recognised the pain of being without someone you need. This changed when critically injured in a battle she refused to lose, losing an arm, disfiguring her face and crippling one leg. Helen was nursed back to health by a woman who she fell in love with, but whose heart already belonged to another. When she returned to her adventures, trying to recapture her lost confidence, she met the man who would become Rex's father, Doctor Cedric Staines. She chose not to settle with him, but with her spirit recuperated somewhat.
🐕Helen never contacted Cedric when it became apparent she was pregnant and raised Rex entirely independently. Her desire to care for someone who needed her blossomed fully. She wasn't always the best mother, joyfully taking Rex into dangers and adventure, but they enjoyed their dazzlingly bright golden days roaming the world together- she taught Rex herself and the pair never settled anywhere, meaning they only ever had each other. This life suited them both well.
🐕Until when Rex was seven and an adventure ended in tragedy. Helen, Rex and some innocent bystanders were run off the road by monsters in the Bulgarian mountains. What followed was ten nightmarish days in which if any of them slipped into sleep, the opening would be exploited and they would be attacked. It was here that Rex obtained his aversion to sleep and his obsession with music- His mother gifted him a headset to help keep him awake. As time passed, the amassed civilians began demanding Helen do something as clearly the most capable amongst them but refused to help her. Reaching a tipping point, Helen decided to put it all on the line. She was able to succeed in her mission of saving Rex, though the others and herself died in the process- her life ended proudly, having never failed in a mission. Rex, on the other hand, was left alone and disillusioned with humanity's willingness to rely on others.
🐕Rex's life had been entirely off the grid, placing him in an awkward position, to say the least. Entered into Bulgaria's notoriously neglectful orphan care system, officially in their care but mostly left to his own devices. He didn't attend regular school and instead self-educated himself at his own pace, spending almost all of his time studying and training the skills his mother had taught him. This was all so that at a young age he could abandon his proper care entirely, vanishing into the wind at 14.
🐕From there, now once more independently off the grid, Rex began to make a living as a monster hunter. Despite his youth, he was excellent at disguising his age (assisted by his great height and grim face) and operated mainly solo, teaming up sparingly with others more intimately associated with the greater monster hunting secret society. During this time he received the nickname Black Dog partially thanks to his gloomy nature and name, but also his habit of hunting out and scavenging from lost or hidden magical locations.
🐕During one particular adventure, he fought a especially powerful spirit and barely survived. The beastly spirit, the Indrik (essentially a very angry Slavic unicorn) was eternally reborn upon being slain- this time, rather than left to live off the mountain's power until it needed to be killed again, Rex took the newly infant form. He pretends it's merely pragmatic and not emotional, but the connection between the two is literally spiritual. Ordinarily, the Indrik draws its power from the land, but this one (unoriginally named after its species) draws it from Rex's strength of spirit. The spiritual body of Indrik quickly fascinated Rex, who began to study it- resulting in the first steps of his Phantom spell.
🐕The long, dark days continued for some years. What seemed to be yet another scavenging session turned sour. The hidden cache was infested with monstrous forces. In the midst of his near-death experience, Rx found an extremely ancient artefact- the Hero Medal. The item was forged in aeons past, in the days of demi-gods and mythical heroes, to choose champions to fight when dangerous days approach. The voice of the medal asked Rex to devote himself to saving the world from impending disaster as it had asked many others in the past- this time, from the Nightfall. Begrudgingly accepting outwardly, because failing to would spell his own demise, Rex latched on to the role given to him by the medal as a reason to live when his mental state was slowly deteriorating. Rex wishes to complete his work from the shadows by making the world more secure, rather than lead the charge.
🐕To further his goals, he sought out and joined Daybreak- while he thinks of it as infiltrating the organisation to obtain the strength and allies necessary for his plans, the fact the goals and methods of the academy match his own makes that just another of his pessimistic flights of fancy. He chooses to hide his nature as the hero chosen by the medal.
AU PERSONALITY DEVIATION: Nothing notable.
RACE: Human
SECRET SOCIETY:
Rex doesn't much associate with any particular society in depth. He has no idea he is heir to the mage society his mother was born to, and he knows few of their secrets. While he is known of amongst monster hunting circles, he's tolerated rather than welcomed thanks to his offputting demeanour and secretive nature.
POWERS:
First and foremost, Rex is a mage (though he prefers the term wizard for no particular reason) who is mostly self-taught. He received training from his mother at a young age, but she died long before his training was complete. However, from that humble acorn, a mighty oak may grow. His special magic is similar to his 'canon' magic, Atom, which manipulates physics directly as the logical extreme of the basics of magic. His personal control of magical energy is exceptionally impressive because of this, but Atom magic is less effective at the more abstract aspects of magic. The high level of precision required for his spells helps his talent at picking up new forms of magic, and his scavenging has unearthed other odd and lost magic. He hasn't mastered any of his signature spells as yet (most of them he creates in canon for specific opponents), but he has begun development on his Phantoms by studying Indrik's spiritual body. Rex is continuously developing and updating his magic, furthering it as he proceeds his studies. He has relatively weak offensive options magically but excels at defensive and tricky magic that has odd effects.
Indrik, linked to his spirit, is a small, a very chubby little four-legged creature at pony size, with a large red lion-like mane, a distinct cow like shape but a golden scaley hide similar to a lizard and with a long lizard-like tail with a tuft of further red fluff at the end. Presently Indrik is extremely weak and uncooperative but grows more potent as Rex's spirit rises, his form changing to match significant personality developments. Unlike Rex, Indrik is more of a brutish, direct creature and can develop ridiculously over the top physical strength and potent fire breath.
Whilst not a power as such, Rex retains his sharp intellect that is exceptionally good at combining knowledge- he can't learn to do anything but can learn something from almost any source. He then proceeds to use his accumulated knowledge to craft new spells, invent new equipment, formulate new techniques and create new Phantoms.
The Hero Medal is a subtle but powerful tool that guides the chosen in such a way they obtain strength on their own. For the Daybreak canon, the Hero Medal doesn't denote Rex as necessarily the chosen one designated protagonist, but merely a capable figure selected to fight for the forces of justice. I've decided for this version of Rex to have Human Power be a function of the Hero Medal and thus rarely used. By using focus and determination, it can enhance his abilities briefly.
Overall Rex's capabilities reflect those of his inspiration. He acts a lot like Dark Lord final boss figures of video games, in particular being envisioned as a good version of Ganon of Zelda fame or the significant antagonists of Final Fantasy. In that, he is a highly capable warrior and a magic-user who prefers to hide behind the scenes and employs others, often unwittingly manipulated or created by him, to perform his schemes. Unlike those examples though, he's also just some kid who needs a hug.
Updated 25/9/2019: After a trip out with Ekkehardt to his mother's body and their old home, Rex is bringing back her sword and shield. They are both ludicrous items Rex will take quite some time to be able to use. In her youth, Helen managed to get two smithing gods to fight over her, promising to marry the one who provided the best gift. Hadúr, the Hungarian god of smithing, war and flames made her a sword supposedly able to destroy anything. The gentlehearted Ilmarinen, the Finnish smithing god, made her a shield apparently able to break any weapon used on it. She smashed them against each other. The sword and shield both intact in a stalemate, in a suitable bit of mythological logic, she declared them both losers. But she kept her gifts anyway, which was naturally her plan from the start. Helen pridefully never used their special qualities. She didn't want any credit for a victory to go to the items themselves- she used them as a merely exceptionally high-quality sword and shield, which was all she wanted anyway. As a result, Rex has no idea what he's doing with them because they don't come with a manual. Both weapons, while not able to converse under most circumstances, have a pseudo-mind and will of their own. Unfortunately, they've mostly soaked up Helen's personality so... both are moody bitches, massively egotistical and have an intense rivalry with each other. This makes them mostly uncooperative with their powers for any user until their respect is earned. (Think Ash's Charizard. They'll do a job properly only if they want to until Rex shows he's a warrior worth serving.) Despite being superficially a perfect pair, they refuse to work together at present, get sulky when the other one is shown preferential treatment and need to be put in their place to cooperate. Depending on events, Rex may never master them, and he may give them to someone else, which is what he does in the OU. If he does get the damn things to do what he says, it'll usually be one power/form at a time. Like Helen herself, they don't really care about right, wrong or noble intentions. What endears them is Helen-like behaviour, such as warrior spirit, pride, willfulness, passion and libidinousness. You can see why Rex never mastered them in the OU.
Her sword, Eternal Sunlight, is a six-foot buster sword style beast nonsensically made from the sun's rays. As proven by its origin story, it is not able to cut through anything but is abnormally hard and sharp. Reflecting its creation material, it's unrelenting and fierce, but beautiful and formless. Though Rex doesn't know this and will have to work it out as he goes, what looks like decoration are the moveable links that allow it to rearrange itself into several different shapes. It's always brutal heavy though. Its forms are-
A spear. (flattening much of the blade into a longer shaft and flaring the tip of the blade)
A scythe. (similarly flattening the edge, but extending the tip and rotating it instead)
An axe. (rotating half the sword and folding it in half)
A hammer. (same as the axe, but bending it, so the flat internal edge is out rather than the blade)
A lance. (extending the handle and stretching out the blade)
A flail or whip. (Separating the handle into several flexible joints. Can be used with the hammer configuration or a bladed arrangement. By adding the same links to the blade, it can be a whip instead.)
Dual swords. (splitting into two slimmer, but just as long swords)
A rocket. (flaring open various vents, which eject fire, allowing it to be used as a projectile, user letting go optional)
Though it doesn't possess any prominent sun-based powers, it metaphysically acts as if it is sunlight to the touch. So I guess it'd burn vampires and be good for growing plants? And getting a tan? It's not the main feature.
Blue Moon, the shield, is large and round with a gauntlet instead of a strap. It weighs exactly the same as Eternal Sunlight, which Helen used to help her balance. As the perfect opposite of its counterpart, it's metaphysically forged from moonlight. Like moonlight, it shines from reflection, and when struck it can violate the equal-opposite reaction that should occur, repelling its attacker without budging an inch. It has a similar effect on magical effects, able to absorb and release magic used on its wearer, and can act as a purifier of poisons, curses and diseases. Like its opposite, however, it does not live up to the design brief of being unbreakable, nor can it counter everything. Absorbing too much will shatter it, and some effects are beyond it altogether. For example, though it managed to save her life from the attack that disfigured Helen by blocking half of it, it could not even reduce a fraction of the curse preventing Helen from healing her injuries, breaking instantly if she wore it. To make up for this, much the same way the moon goes through its phases and is reborn anew, it can repair itself. The process takes, predictably, a month- no matter how major or minor the damage. Finally, any object its palm touches is rendered weightless to the user, allowing them to carry just about any one item at a time. And still smash someone else with something heavy. This would make it ideal for using Eternal Sunlight, but neither of them would cooperate until wholly tamed.
Being made from moonlight, I guess it'd transform a lycanthrope or boost moon magic if touched? That sort of thing.
RP SAMPLE
A Sample may be any of the following:
► A group of threads totalling 10 comments in the TDM between at least two characters, with each thread having at least 3 comments from your character
► A one-paragraph in-character first-person informal sample and three-paragraph in-character third person narrative sample
► Answers for at least 10 of the sample questions, found here: https://thewatchers.dreamwidth.org/1112.html
INTERVIEW SAMPLE PROMPT
(The following scenario is available to all characters who are apping in and is considered canon - before formal admittance into Daybreak Academy the administrative staff will give a series of questions and prompts to get a better feel for the character. Respond to the prompts in-character. Characters may lie, mark if they do with the word "lie" in parenthesis after the question answer.)
1. WHAT DO YOU MOST DESIRE FOR YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE?
To learn is its own goal. Knowledge is one of the few things that can be said to have no negatives- thus, I want to learn everything I possibly can. Simply put, education is my educational goal.
[ While this is absolutely true, Rex decides not to divulge he's especially after learning how to be stronger. ]
2. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN THE FUTURE?
Success.
[ He leaves his answer at this, rather than a long rambling explanation of his plans to reinforce humanity globally, so secret plots to protect it aren't necessary. ]
3. DESCRIBE YOUR IDEA OF AN IDEAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.
Frankly, a quiet one. Something which will allow me to operate at my own pace without unnecessary interruption, so I can focus on my studies.
4. WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A SCHOOL TO OFFER TO ITS STUDENTS?
Independence. Excessively holding our hands will just stifle growth.
[ In truth, if he were running a school it'd probably be the opposite- but that's not what he wants for himself. ]
5. WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST LIMITS YOU FROM ACHIEVING YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL?
My lack of opportunities at formal education has left me with a slightly... spotty education. The things I do know, I know well. Those I do not know, I likely am barely aware of the subject.
[ A rare truthful admittance of weakness- mainly because he feels a true answer isn't too bad here. ]
6. WHAT COURSE WORK EXCITES YOU? WHY?
I'm particularly interested in physics. And magic. In either case, the fundamentals of the universe can be discovered there- mastering them unlocks further knowledge, applicable in almost all studies.
7. WHAT COURSE WORK DO YOU DETEST MOST? WHY?
I can't think of anything in particular.
[ A total lie. He dreads Literature. He struggles to find any purpose in learning it and thus gets bored. ]
8. WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN OUTSIDE YOUR EDUCATION?
I like music. And I've been participating in monster hunting for some time, though it's quite educational.
[ He decides not to mention his mystical equivalent of dumpster diving. ]
9. WHEN GIVEN FREE TIME, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT?
Study.
[ Absolutely true, though study can involve aforementioned mystical dumpster diving or training combat skills. ]
10. WHEN UNDER PRESSURE OF A TIGHT DEADLINE, HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
Carefully. Rushing leads to mistakes. It would be preferable to find a way to extend the timeframe is needed than to fail because I was poorly prepared.
11. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR PEERS?
Cooperation. I will endeavour not to interfere with them if they do the same.
12. WHEN WORKING IN A GROUP, HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE TO ACHIEVE YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?
Groups can be disastrous if poorly coordinated. With that in mind, I prefer to be supportive of other members in a tactical capacity. Take the lead... doesn't suit me.
[ Somewhat true- Rex prefers to control any group he's a part of, but not from the front. He'd encourage people to achieve what they're already good at, but think of it more as manipulating them. ]
13. DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN RELY ON YOUR PEERS, OR DO YOU FEEL YOU MUST EXCEL ON YOUR OWN?
Tactically, there's no difference. We can all support our peers best by achieving personal excellence.
14. IN THIS EVER-CHANGING WORLD, WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Humanity stands at a turning point. We will soon either scientifically advance enough to ensure our survival or demise- although I suppose it's slightly nervous excitement.
15. WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE DO YOU FEAR THE MOST?
And thus I think I can recycle my above answer.
16. WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HOPE TO HOLD AT THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY?
I'm not sure I can think of anything I want to remember- but I don't want to have the regrets of failure.
[He couldn't mean it more. ]