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Dec. 27th, 2011 12:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
befitsJohn "Christchurch" Taylor
John was busy working in his father's lawfirm when he was approached early 2011 with the possibility of joining the ORDER. The previous Christchurch had died suddenly, leaving the position open and the rest of the New Zealand agents scrambling to fill it.
The previous Christchurch had been a character; middle-aged, opinionated and totally without hesitation of sharing what he thought. John, by contrast, is young, serious and used to keeping his head down. He is determined to do well, but incredibly daunted by the seeming prestige and power the rest of them have.
Powers: Mimicry.
Voice, bearing, mannerisms, etc. Not appearance. He isn't a shapeshifter.
He can mimic other people's powers for certain lengths of time. When aquiring a power he needs both direct physical contact and (usually) express permission, though this can be fudged at times.
The absorption of the power doesn't give Christchurch the learned skills of how to use it, so at first he'll only be able to use the mimiced powers in the most basic ways. The longer he serves the more he'll be able to do, naturally, as well as being to retain the power for longer- though it will never exceed two weeks. Right now he can only retain powers for four or five days, depending on how much he uses it.
He can only have one mimiced power at a time, though with time and practice this could (?) rise to two or even three.
As a colony, the idea was that Christchurch would be reliant on Britain for orders and other powers, should anything arise. However as time passed and New Zealand gained more independance no one bothered to change or update Christchurch's power. And the Christchurch agents always made do.
Personality:
Connections are important to John; he firmly believes that it's who you know, not what you know that gets you places. So while he has never been particularly ambitious (not compared to his now millonaire brother) he's always done his best to foster good connections where he can. He believes in not offending people, politeness, decency and a lot of other things that at best can be deemed 'chilvalrous' and which someone once told him were sissy ideals for girls.
That said he is determined and patient. He's willing to work hard to get what he wants, and to ignore all advice to the contrary (even if it's good advice). In fact, he rarely asks for advice, the colonial spirit for doing things yourself is strong in him.
Personal History:
Age: 26
Born: 30 March 1985
His family are descended from the original Captain Taylor (who once accidentally landed in the bay now named 'Taylor's Mistake) and John is a Christchurch boy through and through. He attended the best private schools in Christchurch, never doing quite as well as his older brothers, but getting solid grades and getting quite good at rugby while he was there.
He attended the University of Oxford in England and studied law (with a little economics on the side, becaus it seemed wise at the time). He spent a few years working there as a dogsbody in various lawfirms before returning home to join his father.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation:
He's a 4 on the Kinsey scale, predominantly attracted to men, but not averse to women should the right one come along and be interested.
He isn't a total blushing virgin, but neither is he wildly experienced in the ways of the world. Talking about sex embarassed him a little, he feels it should be primarily kept behind closed doors and between intimates.
100 Questions to Ask About Your Role-Playing Character
Part 1: The Basics
1. What is your full name?
John Taylor
2. Where and when were you born?
May 23rd 1979, Timaru Hospital. John was three weeks early, arriving while the family were on holiday further south. They had tried to make it back to Christchurch, but only made it to Timaru before his mother decided it was time.
3. Who are/were your parents?
Richard (Dick) and Victoria (Vicky) Taylor. Richard is a lawyer, born and bred in New Zealand, though he practised in Europe for a number of years. That's where he met Victoria, also a New Zealander, visiting her grandparents in the south of France.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
John is the youngest of three boys. The eldest is four year older, Richard Adam, named for his father and like him in every way. He was on the first XV in rugby and has gone into economics and business, now working in the dairy industry. He is confident but aggressive and has a wife and baby girl. The second brother is Alexander Blake, two and a half years older than John. He was involved in all the sports at school that he could be, and currently works in America. He has a gambling problem which his brothers are aware of but his parents are not.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.
John splits his time between his New Zealand and British apartments. His flat in London is expensive, geared towards entertaining and impressing anyone who needs entertaining or impressing.
His flat in Wellington, NZ, is quiet and unassuming and few people are invited there.
The New Zealand flat is too big for him, meant for two. He lives there alone currently.
6. What is your occupation?
Officially I am a lawyer, specialising in international trade rights and ((other things google here))
7. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.
8. To which social class do you belong?
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
11. What does your voice sound like?
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
13. What do you have in your pockets?
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
16. What is your earliest memory?
17. How much schooling have you had?
18. Did you enjoy school?
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
30. Who has had the most influence on you?
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
32. What is your greatest regret?
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
35. When was the time you were the most frightened?
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
38. What is your best memory?
39. What is your worst memory?
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
41. What is your greatest fear?
42. What are your religious views?
43. What are your political views?
44. What are your views on sex?
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
48. What do you believe makes a successful life?
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.
58. Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover?
60. How close are you to your family?
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
69. Do you care what others think of you?
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
71. What is your most treasured possession?
72. What is your favorite color?
73. What is your favorite food?
74. What, if anything, do you like to read?
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
78. What makes you laugh?
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
81. How do you deal with stress?
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
83. What are your pet peeves?
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?
85. What is your greatest strength as a person?
86. What is your greatest weakness?
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
89. Are you generally organized or messy?
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
91. Do you like yourself?
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…)
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
98. What three words best describe your personality?
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice…)
John was busy working in his father's lawfirm when he was approached early 2011 with the possibility of joining the ORDER. The previous Christchurch had died suddenly, leaving the position open and the rest of the New Zealand agents scrambling to fill it.
The previous Christchurch had been a character; middle-aged, opinionated and totally without hesitation of sharing what he thought. John, by contrast, is young, serious and used to keeping his head down. He is determined to do well, but incredibly daunted by the seeming prestige and power the rest of them have.
Powers: Mimicry.
Voice, bearing, mannerisms, etc. Not appearance. He isn't a shapeshifter.
He can mimic other people's powers for certain lengths of time. When aquiring a power he needs both direct physical contact and (usually) express permission, though this can be fudged at times.
The absorption of the power doesn't give Christchurch the learned skills of how to use it, so at first he'll only be able to use the mimiced powers in the most basic ways. The longer he serves the more he'll be able to do, naturally, as well as being to retain the power for longer- though it will never exceed two weeks. Right now he can only retain powers for four or five days, depending on how much he uses it.
He can only have one mimiced power at a time, though with time and practice this could (?) rise to two or even three.
As a colony, the idea was that Christchurch would be reliant on Britain for orders and other powers, should anything arise. However as time passed and New Zealand gained more independance no one bothered to change or update Christchurch's power. And the Christchurch agents always made do.
Personality:
Connections are important to John; he firmly believes that it's who you know, not what you know that gets you places. So while he has never been particularly ambitious (not compared to his now millonaire brother) he's always done his best to foster good connections where he can. He believes in not offending people, politeness, decency and a lot of other things that at best can be deemed 'chilvalrous' and which someone once told him were sissy ideals for girls.
That said he is determined and patient. He's willing to work hard to get what he wants, and to ignore all advice to the contrary (even if it's good advice). In fact, he rarely asks for advice, the colonial spirit for doing things yourself is strong in him.
Personal History:
Age: 26
Born: 30 March 1985
His family are descended from the original Captain Taylor (who once accidentally landed in the bay now named 'Taylor's Mistake) and John is a Christchurch boy through and through. He attended the best private schools in Christchurch, never doing quite as well as his older brothers, but getting solid grades and getting quite good at rugby while he was there.
He attended the University of Oxford in England and studied law (with a little economics on the side, becaus it seemed wise at the time). He spent a few years working there as a dogsbody in various lawfirms before returning home to join his father.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation:
He's a 4 on the Kinsey scale, predominantly attracted to men, but not averse to women should the right one come along and be interested.
He isn't a total blushing virgin, but neither is he wildly experienced in the ways of the world. Talking about sex embarassed him a little, he feels it should be primarily kept behind closed doors and between intimates.
100 Questions to Ask About Your Role-Playing Character
Part 1: The Basics
1. What is your full name?
John Taylor
2. Where and when were you born?
May 23rd 1979, Timaru Hospital. John was three weeks early, arriving while the family were on holiday further south. They had tried to make it back to Christchurch, but only made it to Timaru before his mother decided it was time.
3. Who are/were your parents?
Richard (Dick) and Victoria (Vicky) Taylor. Richard is a lawyer, born and bred in New Zealand, though he practised in Europe for a number of years. That's where he met Victoria, also a New Zealander, visiting her grandparents in the south of France.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
John is the youngest of three boys. The eldest is four year older, Richard Adam, named for his father and like him in every way. He was on the first XV in rugby and has gone into economics and business, now working in the dairy industry. He is confident but aggressive and has a wife and baby girl. The second brother is Alexander Blake, two and a half years older than John. He was involved in all the sports at school that he could be, and currently works in America. He has a gambling problem which his brothers are aware of but his parents are not.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.
John splits his time between his New Zealand and British apartments. His flat in London is expensive, geared towards entertaining and impressing anyone who needs entertaining or impressing.
His flat in Wellington, NZ, is quiet and unassuming and few people are invited there.
The New Zealand flat is too big for him, meant for two. He lives there alone currently.
6. What is your occupation?
Officially I am a lawyer, specialising in international trade rights and ((other things google here))
7. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.
8. To which social class do you belong?
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
11. What does your voice sound like?
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
13. What do you have in your pockets?
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
16. What is your earliest memory?
17. How much schooling have you had?
18. Did you enjoy school?
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities. If you are just a normal human, describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?
30. Who has had the most influence on you?
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
32. What is your greatest regret?
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
35. When was the time you were the most frightened?
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
38. What is your best memory?
39. What is your worst memory?
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?
41. What is your greatest fear?
42. What are your religious views?
43. What are your political views?
44. What are your views on sex?
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?
48. What do you believe makes a successful life?
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why?
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.
58. Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover?
60. How close are you to your family?
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
69. Do you care what others think of you?
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
71. What is your most treasured possession?
72. What is your favorite color?
73. What is your favorite food?
74. What, if anything, do you like to read?
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)?
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit?
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
78. What makes you laugh?
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself?
81. How do you deal with stress?
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan?
83. What are your pet peeves?
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted?
85. What is your greatest strength as a person?
86. What is your greatest weakness?
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
89. Are you generally organized or messy?
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
91. Do you like yourself?
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons…)
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?
98. What three words best describe your personality?
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? (You might even want to speak as if he or she were sitting right here in front of you, and use proper tone so he or she might heed your advice…)
