IzzyInBox - Xenochimera

[Izzy]

Discord name: Izzy#4444

Byond ckey: IzzyInBox

Characters you currently play: Katlin Perkins, and I like to keep the others lesser known but can list them if really necessary.

Job/Races you are applying for: Xenochimera

Name of the character you intend to be using: Barleah Gwyn

In the case of applying for a species, give us a brief summary of your character's backstory. This should give us an idea that you understand the lore of the species:

I intended for this to be a "brief summary" but... oops, got carried away with a way too specific story. There's a proper brief summary TLDR below.


On a chilly, autumnal Earth-like frontier world, an odd member of the planet's fauna is startled by the landing of an NT funded colonization ship. A modular structure of a vessel, once touched down, becomes a new home for a couple starting their new life.
The man, having worked in large scale automated mining operations, chose to live out the next stage of his life closer to nature, working for his megacorporation employer's planetary prospecting operations. A quiet life him and his wife began to enjoy on this world - until now untouched by the industrialization of the galaxy.
The two decide to start a family, conceiving and thriving until tragedy strikes. His wife passes during childbirth, unable to be saved by the supplies they had on hand. And in the stress and mourning that followed, lightning struck in the same place twice. His new son, all he had left, went missing.

- earlier -
A small animal roamed its pack's territory, quick to come to ability after having only been recently born to a strange mother. It wasn't a large family, from the recent pressure of intruding colonists, but still a worry to food availability. The whelp, only a few months old slowly grew hungrier and hungrier as its mother was out hunting. So much, that it became desperate. The little thing caught a scent around the intruder's structure, and observed it leave the area for a moment - The father hopelessly grieving his lost wife. Scurrying up and in undetected, it found vulnerable prey, and took its prize back to its den for feeding.

Something started changing within the creature. The incredible human-level genetics it had acquired instantly started taking over, intellectually, physically, and instinctually. In a week's time, it slowly developed to take the form of this intelligent species, and found its way back to where it all began, assuming the place of what it took.
There aren't words for the emotions the lone colonist experienced when his baby son showed up miraculously a week later. His sheer desperation to regain his losses vastly overshadowing the hint of doubt of what had truly happened. The thing that wasn't his son unknowingly inheriting its name and place.
The colonist raised this new son as his own, because to all his senses it was - slowly prepressing the memory, attributing it to a gift from powers far beyond himself, and strengthening his thankfulness to be relieved of some loss.

Xenochimera specimen had just started to become formally discovered and researched across the galaxy around the time the colonist's son, still a toddler, started to take on minor physical changes to his body. Animalistic eyes, sharper teeth to start. But as he grew further into the early years, the slow altering of his form was unable to be ignored by his father. Believing stronger into the otherworldly powers, he cherished his family far above being afraid of the unknown, embracing his son no matter what.

He was taught early about surviving alone, and about his father's trade in mining. By the time he had progressed past being old enough to join his father in hunting wildlife to supplement their food supplies, the cumulative morphing of his body left him looking almost nothing like his father. Slowly evolving to inherit useful functional parts of the species they hunted, honing his body for frontier survival, but bringing along the various looks and forms of the species on himself.
The changes weren't without negatives, as events like early winters depleting food stocks quicker than expected or injuries from more and more daring hunts having a far stronger toll on his mind. He learned to cope through the stress of this more feral side through relying on the loving bond with his father. Sharing times of hardship through comforting affection.

There were other times of stress, in his growing curiosities about himself over the years. It was hard for him initially to open dialogue with his father about why he was so incredibly different, why he didn't have a mother, his father's origins, and what else was out there in the universe.

In his mid twenties, he worked out a plan to apply to the company who put his spiritual family on the planet in the first place, aiming for a place to learn about himself using his knowledge of hunting, survival, and of his father's profession as a start. Even if it means risking his safety through his family bond.


TLDR; xenochimera very sparsely exist from some unknown origin on a wilderness planet, in the form of a few small animals. One desperate whelp accidently finds itself uplifted when it gains genetic material from new a human colonist. Coincidental switch-a-roo and it gets raised by the colonist who thinks its his son, both unaware of its origin. Becomes more animal-like as it grows from frontier game hunting and survival, colonist accepts son due to past trauma. Xenochimera "feral" tendencies calmed by compassion from people he's built a strong bond with. Eventually wants to learn why he's not like his father, looks to be hired by NT with a goal of learning more. Shenanigans ensue.


Summarize the species. As evidence that you've looked into it:
Hungry bois. Having fancy cancer that doesn't kill you but makes you stronger regardless. Can slowly transform into things they've "assimilated". Surprisingly only became officially recognized roughly 22/25 in-lore years ago. Props to NT for being so open to hire basically newly realized changelings. Because they're so hungry they need some coping mechanism when they can't find food, or get otherwise stressed - bonus HR nightmare for hiring. You've heard all of this before. I read every single word about them on the wiki on my phone while I was walking the doggies.

What do you expect to happen if you use this race/job to violate any of the server rules?:
I'll make a bunch of people incredibly disappointed, to start. There's probably a high enough set of expectations on me already. Admins will go feral on me.

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Extra notes
I sampled some of the lore from IRL folklore "changeling"s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling to go along with the xenochimera lore, because it makes a surprisingly neat parallel.
He will look like a big mash of different animal parts, but sensibly as function of each part matters. Will be a variety of colors in the range of grey/gold/orange/red/brown/black.
Copes with the stresses of going feral by his nurtured instinct to seeking out others in which he's formed a positive relationship or stronger bond with for support. So frightened big animal thing running over to hide behind smaller crewmember, kind of mood/intention.
Aimed to play mining/exploration.
I put way too much time into coming up with a name that has a cool deconstructed meaning which I can explain in character.

[AvaricePleonexia]

Heehoo shenanigans. I read through the entire thing and didn't find the part you said you'd add. The part that has words to look out for. Feral time, I guess.

Has my support.

[HarliChan]

This has my full support
Excellent job on your research! +1

[Captain277]

It's finally live, yay. +1 for fairy fun.

[Enzo_Leon]

Application approved. Enjoy the BenoChimera.