Application to eachdraidh

[aslandish]

( PLAYER ★ INFORMATION )

NAME: RW
AGE: 25
CONTACT: arrdubz
CURRENT CHARACTERS & LATEST AC: N/A

RESERVATION LINK: Reserve!

( CHARACTER ★ INFORMATION )

DOES THIS CHARACTER MEET SKELETAL BASICS? Yes!
NAME & AGE: Aslan. Unstated in canon but at the very least thousands of years.
CANON & CANON POINT: The Chronicles of Narnia (books); post Voyage of the Dawn Treader
CANON INFORMATION: Wiki!

PERSONALITY:

For all intents and purposes, Aslan is essentially Jesus in lion form.

He is the Creator of Narnia, thus making him a being with power beyond mortal comprehension, and with that power comes a very strong sense of responsibility for those under his care. He is Narnia's God -- mysterious, wise, and knowledgeable, but at the same time he is personable. Despite the fact that, in many ways, he exists on a completely different level from everyone he comes into contact with, Aslan nonetheless makes himself accessible to those in need, particularly those with faith. It's the reason why he shows himself so many times to Lucy in the books -- of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the one who shows the most ability to believe even when belief seems impossible. It's also the reason why Aslan reveals himself to children more than anyone else throughout the course of the books. They still possess an innocence and an appreciation and wonder for the the world at large that seems to fade as one becomes older. But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16)

That isn't, however, to say that Aslan plays favorites. Though humans are generally considered alien to Narnia (i.e. they were not created there), Aslan still refers to them as his sons and daughters and speaks very highly of the "Lord Adam" and the "Lady Eve" and makes this point in particular to Caspian, regarding his Telemarine (human) lineage: "That is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content." Because of this, it's very likely that, even when being displaced to a new world, Aslan will treat the new people he meets with the same consideration he would if they chanced upon Narnia.

Because of this, and many other reasons, it is clear that Aslan values, loves, and cherishes everything in creation. From the foundation of Narnia, he expresses how much he cares in that he goes to great pains to ensure its protection, not only from the White Witch, but also from whatever forces (external or internal) that may come against it. However, Aslan only intervenes in the affairs of Narnia when nothing else will suffice. Even when he does intervene, though, he prefers to send others to act in his stead (i.e., Digory and Polly, the Pevensies, Jill, and Eustace) or to support them in their endeavors. This is because, even though Aslan is essentially all-powerful, he still wants people to be able to stand for themselves -- to have the strength of mind and heart to act even when there seem to be insurmountable odds. There is also the fact, however, that he is very conscious of his station and the rules that he himself must follow. For instance, he actually frowns in the books when Susan suggests going against the Deep Magic of the Emperor to save Edmund. He is the Creator, yes, but there is an authority that rules even his actions. It is for all these reasons and more that Aslan consents to be the sacrifice in Edmund's stead -- he cares about the boy, as he does for Narnians and others alike, and he is willing to sacrifice himself for the future the Pevensies will bring.

However, there is another side of Aslan that he shows in equal amounts. Though he is caring and understanding (he often encourages people by breathing on them and filling them with strength), he draws the line when it comes to lying and making excuses. Though he is slow to anger and his patience seems to have no bounds, there is nothing Aslan dislikes more than deception, whether its purposeful or not. This is tied to the fact that he himself is the Creator, the Truth, and the Light, so he makes his displeasure very clear whenever someone plays the "blame game". For example, in Prince Caspian, when Lucy tries to blame the others for not following him when she first saw him, he growls at her. Honesty and personal responsibility are very serious things to him, and though he expects the truth on an individual basis, Aslan never says what would have happened if a different choice had been made. Another thing Aslan insists upon is that he never tells an individual any story but his/her own. He has knowledge of multiple times, places, and worlds, but it is knowledge he keeps to himself.

In that vein, it is also important to distinguish Aslan's views of Good and Evil, morality and a lack thereof. On the whole, there are very few people (or beings) Aslan has expressed dislike of. Even Prince Rabadash (from The Horse and His Boy), for all his frothing, cursing, and name-calling could not get so much as a rise out of Aslan. He does, however, refer to Jadis as "an Evil" when Narnia is first established, and that term generally seems to be reserved for creatures who cannot (or will not) change their given nature. Human beings, even bad ones like Prince Rabadash , generally don't receive the same scrutiny as theirs is a nature that is capable of repentance. However, because of his disinclination to interfere, it's highly unlikely that Aslan will challenge or otherwise give "evil" characters a hard time.

Lastly, when considering Aslan as a character, it is necessary to remember that for all his Godly qualities, Aslan very much lives up to the characteristics of his physical form. He is the Great Lion, the Son of the Emperor-over-the-Sea, the King of the Wood, and the King of the Beasts. Narnia is not Man's country, but rather a country for Man to be king of, and Aslan not only rules above them all, but has a special bond with his fellow beasts. He is larger than any normal lion -- the size of a horse, an elephant, some have said -- and he can tread as softly as a kitten or make the very earth shake in his wake. He growls, he roars, he shakes his mane, bares his teeth and claws, and he rarely ever lets anyone touch or ride him (though this has been known to happen). He does, however, have a sense of humor, and he is equally capable of joy as he is of gravity. When he's resurrected, for instance, he essentially has a romp with Lucy and Susan around the remains of the Stone Table. In Prince Caspian, he also quite literally snatches Trumpkin (the dwarf) up into his jaws, shakes him like a rag doll, tosses him into the air, and then catches him with his paws -- all of this to greet him and ask for his friendship. As Narnians are so fond of saying, he is not a "tame lion". He comes and goes when he pleases, and whether you're walking along the edge of a cliff and need someone to stand between it and you (as he did for Shasta in The Horse and His Boy), or you feel alone and need someone to comfort you, or you've just had a really crappy day, you might just run into him.

To put it simply: Aslan not only fully encompasses the role of a compassionate, loving teacher-God who believes very strongly in the power of human agency, but also very much lives up to his role as the King of the Wood.

COURT ALLIANCE & REASONING: There are a great many things about Aslan that would make him fit into the Seelie Court, but honestly, what really made me feel he would be great there was the audience thread with Korra and Queen Solais and the latter's statements about the true goal of the Seelie side.

Whatever else he is, Aslan is very much a creature of Order and Balance. We see this again and again throughout the Chronicles of Narnia, starting with the Magician's Nephew. Aslan sings a world into existence, ensures that Narnia will be protected from the Jadis (for a time), and then immediately establishes a human monarchy (order). In the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan flat-out refuses to consider working against the Emperor's magic and threatening the laws that govern Narnia's very existence (balance). Sacrificing himself to save Edmund is, though not a choice made lightly by any means, preferable to the alternative. Some 1,200 years later, during the reign of the Telemarine usurper Miraz, Aslan assists Caspian X in not only reclaiming the throne but also restoring the true order of Narnia in reviving the trees and bringing all the Old Narnians (dwarves, Talking Beasts, centaurs, etc) out of hiding.

Even at the end of the series itself, when Narnia comes to an end, there is an order even in that. All the best of Narnia, of the world the Pevensies came from is preserved in the True Narnia. Though Aslan will not be taken from that canon point (he's coming en medias res so to speak, the end of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader), it is still an End that he can see.

To say he will sympathize with the fight to preserve Order and Balance, is honestly an understatement. Aslan has faced this himself before, as a world maker, and along with all his other qualities (kind, just, loving, patient, truthful), I believe he will do exceptionally well in Seelie.

ABILITIES: ...honestly, it would probably be easier to list what Aslan cannot do, since he is a godmode in a very literal sense. I anticipate heavy caps on his power and am perfectly fine with it! These are his powers, categorized as best I can figure them, as well as some potential power caps.

- Creation: Aslan sang a world into existence. What was once darkness and void became a vibrant world where even a broken lamppost could become a tree. He can create something from nothing, restore what has been lost, influence the shape of creation, destroy it, and move through it however he wants.

POWER CAP: I propose to drastically decrease Aslan's firepower and make it more...localized in nature, if that makes sense? Obviously, he will not be able to create a world, bring about the apocalypse, or have a citadel raise out of the ground, but I would like him to be able to create "safe zones," so to speak. To secure a territory for himself, encourage life in areas that are withering/dying, healing people (even restoring lost limbs) - stuff like that. Basically keeping his more constructive abilities on a smaller scale, and eliminating most of his destructive ones (that he doesn't often use to begin with). Miscellaneous things like being invisible, walking without making a sound, general ~mysterious Jesus Lion things~ I would like to be able to keep, as well.

- World Travel: Aslan has created doorways between Narnia and the human world also traveled to the Wood Between the Worlds for the purpose of showing Digory and Polly the dried-up pool that used to be Charn.

POWER CAP: No portals to other worlds. He can go anywhere he wants to within the bounds of his Court's territory magically (except places prohibited by the Monarchs), maybe neutral zones, but not into the opposing Court's lands unless he travels the old-fashioned way.

- Knowledge: As the reigning deity of his world, Aslan not only knows what transpires there, but also about the affairs of other worlds. He knows about people, their lives and experiences, even before he's spoken to them. I will definitely need a permissions post for this, a sample of which can be found here. For the sake of the game, obviously, Aslan won't be able to know everything that's happening, or why, without explicit permission from other players.

POWER CAP: Aslan's knowledge is limited by what he is told ICly and what is expressly permitted in a permissions post. Anything about the world itself, what is happening on the Unseelie side of things, I will ask the mods what is fair for him to discern.

- Shapeshifting: Aslan has taken different forms in the books. In A Horse and His Boy, he turned into a kitten to comfort Shasta while he was hiding amongst the tombs. At the end of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he took the form of a lamb. He may very well do so in Eachdraidh, and I have chosen a PB in the event he decides to take a human form.

POWER CAP: I would like to keep this one uncapped, if possible.

Again, I am very willing to work with the mods on this! If anything I've laid out here is unacceptable, just let me know!

INVENTORY: N/A

( WRITING ★ SAMPLES )

NETWORK SAMPLE:

[ The video feed opens simply with a fairly rustic background. A great many trees framing the golden face now peering at the locket.

The lions speaks, and it's a wild voice, rich and deep, the gleam in his eyes almost curious. ]

It is my understanding that those of us who have been called to this world come from many different times and places.

It would gladden my heart to speak with you all and hear what stories you might tell. Of your lands and your people, the things others may not have seen.

I have tales that I would share in turn.

[ Aslan smiles. ]

My name is Aslan.

LOG SAMPLE: TDM Thread!

Comments

POWER CAPS

[aslandish]

From the app team:

+ No 'mysterious Jesus lion things'. Approving that is essentially license to let them do just about whatever they think falls into that category.
+ Creation Powers: Limiting creation powers to an area-effect which makes immediate locations flourish and heals nearby individuals of minor wounds. Limited to 10m radius.
+ Travel: Ability to teleport limited to Glaschu.
+ Knowledge: No knowledge of the drabwurld beyond what he learns ICly. Permissions post for deep knowledge of characters, only usable by player permission.
+ Shapeshifting: no cap.

Improvements to many of these limitations may be lifted by participation in boon-worthy events.

UPDATE (February 2015): His creation/healing abilities is increased to a 30m radius.

UPDATE (April 2015): His creation/healing abilities is increased to a 50m radius.