IC Introductions

**Admin** · Admin Posts: 7 Join date: 2009-01-23

Do we want guidelines for what people should tell us?

Eg:

Name
Age
History
Appearance
etc.?

Aiiane de Grey · Admin Posts: 2 Join date: 2009-01-23

I would like to see people post a bit about their character, although I am not sure we should require specific information or that we should make it mandatory.

What I find of benefit of an IC introduction is that it helps existing players when they first "meet" you. Role-play is just like meeting and interacting with people in real life. Our first impression of a person will, for ill or good, form the basis of our feelings and reactions toward that person.

Giving a brief description of your character in an IC introduction, both of their physical appearance and their background gives other players a base upon which to craft their reactions and responses....food for thought, if you will.

To me the foundation of good role-play is where the individuals who are involved, offer cues that the other person or persons can use to respond. When I met a person face to face, I can hear inflection of voice, I can see facial expressions and the way a person holds his body. I can see clothing and jewerly. I can touch a hand to see if its warm, or cold, dry or clammy. All these are cues that I can use to form an appropriate response to that person when they make a comment or ask a question.

In role-play, we are dependent upon the person to give us these cues. It is very difficult, if no clues are given by one player for another player to do more than just respond to the comment or question. While I have no issue with a few one or two line responses, when that is all makes up an RP, it makes for dull reading and for me, eventually lack of interest in participating in the RP.

I would hope that it would be the goal of all participants to make interaction between their characters and others as easy as possible. Good role-play isn't in someone's ability to write a well written post. It's the ability to give cues and to take cues from others to let the RP develop in ways that the participants never envisioned.

Not to say that I have any issues with what is commonly called "closed" role-play where the outcome is pre-determined from the beginning by the participants. But when you have an open RP and one person consistantly ignores the direction of where the RP is heading because its not what they might have initially envisioned, it can often lead to a stiff and artificial feeling piece of RP.

And now that I have throughly gotten off the subject, I'll shut up *grins*

Xerces · Posts: 3 Join date: 2009-02-01

Name: Xerces Samuel Martyn Crellin
Age: 25 (Born September 4th 1575)
Appearance: Much like that of his father, and grandfather. Tall (about 6'4" [another family trait]), dark hair and blue eyes, although a flash of green appears in his right eye (a trait from his grandmother's side of the family) Slender and pale, and pale lips.
History: The son of Elias Thomas Wilhelm Edward von Lichenstein-Crellin. His Grandfather was the well reknowned Martyn von Liechenstein-Crellin, Last King of Mann. Xerces has always been told how much he looked like his father by his great-great uncle, but he never met the man for he died of a young age (it was said of heart failure, but a most trusted servant of Martyn knew the true answer and told Elias, thus it was well known throughout the family [and kept a secret] that he had infact taken his own life).

He was brought up by his aunt, Elysia Agatha Elizabetha Sari, who had married into German royalty due to Xerces' grandmother's family bloodlines. The marriage had ended shortly and Elysia, now a widow and back within her twin brother's care, took to looking after the sole heir of the von Liechenstein-Crellin fortune and name. Xerces' was the sole heir, as although now 45 Elysia remained a virgin, his uncle George was a priest back on the Isle of Mann, and his blind mother (Christine Crellin) was well known to be unable to bear anymore children, although Elias did not mind now he had a first (and only) born son.

His aunt tutored him in the Crellin Family Manor in Canterbury up until the age of 12, when he was called to Winchester to continue his education under his father's eye, at the castle known as Keirn Chastal (Rowan Castle). Here he learnt the family business of Law and Brokering, whilst also putting into practice all that his aunt had taught him.

His father was then chosen to go about on some urgent business for the Catholic Church, and attend the Vatican (for the family was a follower of the "old" religion). Finally, Xerces has a chance to prove himself as worthy as heir to the family name of Crellin. His father had placed everything in trust with him whilst he was away on business.

It was more difficult than he first expected, to say the least, and atop of his other duties, he had to find a wife. His mother would not cease reminding him that he must produce an heir when he was most potent, lest he fall into the trap of many men. She would also not cease to remind him of how his father had had HIS first son at the age of 19... It would take all of Xerces' strength to remember she was his mother, and not retort at her own impotentcy.