As of January 2014, formal applications are closed.

APPLICATIONS

Apps are processed roughly once a week (often on Tuesdays or Wednesdays).

Please check the taken list along with the reserves page before applying.
If you are uncomfortable leaving your personal contact information out in the open, please omit the personal journal and/or contact fields. (We still require a name.)

We take no responsibility for the inability to reach you regarding your application if you choose to omit contact information. Please also note that you will still be required to leave some form of contact (whether it be via PMs or a public post where people may reach you via comments) here upon acceptance. The members contact information post is locked.

Sponsorships are an IC choice. They are first come, first serve, but characters are granted the ability to read through the sponsorships and choose one they think best suits their personality. If the one the character would choose (the one the mun lists on the application) is turned down, then they're assigned by NPCs. (In that case, your character is free to have an in-game reaction to not being awarded the sponsorship they asked for as it is considered an IC decision.)

If the mun feels like their character would choose a sponsorship that's ill-fitting, then the NPCs will dutifully place the character in one that's right for them--so please let us know if that is ever the case.

Players must wait one week from their last character's acceptance or drop to be eligible to apply a new character. There is no formal minimum waiting period for resubmission of a rejected application; however, after three rejected applications for a given character, we will not review further applications for that character from the same mun.

Comments to this post are un-screened. Applications to characters previously dropped and/or rejected will be screened.
Applications for characters applied prior to January 2012 are public on Livejournal.
For the 'Entry Position' question, please select whether you wish to have your character enter the game as a cadet, SeeD, instructor or other. If you choose to have your character enter as a SeeD or Instructor, your character will have entered Garden at least a year prior to their game introduction so that their education will not have to be played out and instead will be handwaved; Instructors have an additional trimester after their graduation in which they earn their Instructor's license. In this case, we ask the applicant to include their specialization (including weapon or strand of magic if a weapons or para-magic specialist) and a brief synopsis (a paragraph or so) summarizing the past time in Garden. If 'other' is chosen, please elaborate.
For those who wish to apply an instructor, you are free to choose which classes you wish for them to teach by choosing a course that does not have a designated instructor on the class list. You may also create a new class which is not already covered on the class list and is not limited to people with particular powers; if so, you will have to supply a twelve week syllabus with your application.
Instructors are limited to teaching two different courses, and each course will have two instructors; one who teaches the M/W/F classes, and another who teaches the T/Th classes. This is to ensure that should one instructor be sent out on a mission, another will be available to cover those classes.
In addition to choosing 'instructor' in the entry position question of the application, please include the classes and days you wish for your character to teach as well.
For samples on your application, you're offered a choice out of four options. You are only required to fulfill two of the four.
IC Questionnaire
The questionnaire is considered one of the last steps of IC admittance to the Garden and is part of their "final interview". As such you can assume the questions are being asked face-to-face, and not in a written format.

(As this questionnaire is entirely IC, your character is free to lie.) What do you prefer to be known as? How old are you? Do you have any history in combat? If so, have you ever killed? i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity? ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities? iii) What role do you take when working in a group? iv) How talkative are you around other people? v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning. vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people? vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance? viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person? ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life? x) Do you like surprises? xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you? xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions? xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages?

Prose sample
Free choice, or 'Your character really wants (something), but for whatever reason can't get it.', or 'Your character has just had Time Compression and their options explained to them. Show us how they decide whether to enroll at Garden as a Cadet, work for Garden, or go out into the world.'

Bracket/Commentspam RP sample
Free choice, or 'Your character has a secret that is rising to the surface.'

Thread link
A link to a thread you've done in the past with the character you're applying for. The thread has to be at least ten comments long and appropriately display your character's voice and writing style.

witchesreign does not have application cycles, but we do have an application processing schedule.
Any currently pending application will be reviewed starting Tuesday or Wednesday and a response will be given over the course of the week.

Any application submitted on or after 12:00 AM (EST) Saturday will be processed the following week.

Applicants are free to submit their applications at any time, but are urged to take notice of the possible 7-day wait should they submit an application on a Saturday.

Canon character application

<h1>PLAYER</h1>
Name:
Journal:
Contact:

<h1>CHARACTER</h1>
Character Name: (Western order)
Series:
Gender:
Age & Canon Point:
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other):
Requested Sponsor (if a Cadet):
Specialization (if a SeeD or Instructor):
History: (Wiki link or 400-500 word summary. If they're arriving with memories from another RP, tell us about it here.)
Garden History: (Only applicable to those applying a SeeD or instructor; please include a brief summary as to how they spent their last year in Garden as they took classes and, if applicable, obtained their instructor's license.)
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities: (If your character has anything that would be considered out of the norm - please be succinct.)
Personality: (~300-500 minimum. Generally what we're looking for is things like main personality traits (positive or negative), flaws or expansion on negative personality traits, self-images, motivation/goals, beliefs/values, opinions/attitudes and quirks and mannerisms.)
What are your plans for the character in-game?

Anything else?

<h1>SAMPLES</h1>
Complete TWO out of the FOUR options.
i) IC Questionnaire (can be found on the application page)
ii) Prose sample (can be general or a response to the post's prompt).
iii) Bracket/Commentspam RP sample (can be general or a response to the post's prompt).
iv) Thread link

Original/AU character application

<h1>PLAYER</h1>
Name:
Journal:
Contact:

<h1>CHARACTER</h1>
OC or AU:
Character Name: (Western order)
Series: (if AU)
Gender:
Age:
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other):
Requested Sponsor (if a Cadet):
Specialization (if a SeeD or Instructor):
Appearance: (N/A for AU if their appearance will remain unchanged)
History: (Wiki link or 400-500 word summary. If they're arriving with memories from another RP, tell us about it here.)
World History: (A brief summary of your character's world, if not from this one.)
Garden History: (Only applicable to those applying a SeeD or instructor; please include a brief summary as to how they spent their last year in Garden as they took classes and, if applicable, obtained their instructors license.)
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities: (If your character has anything that would be considered out of the norm - please be succinct.)
Personality: (~300-500 minimum. Generally what we're looking for is things like main personality traits (positive or negative), flaws or expansion on negative personality traits, self-images, motivation/goals, beliefs/values, opinions/attitudes and quirks and mannerisms.)
What are your plans for the character in-game?
Anything else?

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Name: skarme
Journal:

blitzente
Contact: tsukaiblitzente[at]gmail.com (email), tsukaiblitzente (AIM)

Character Name: Edward Elric
Series: Fullmetal Alchemist (the first anime)
Gender: Male
Age & Canon Point: 16, during the last episode; he ends up here after reviving Al instead of Weimar Germany, losing his arm and leg again along the way.
Requested Sponsor: Carbuncle
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other): Cadet
History: No previous RP history. Wiki links here and here.
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities:
Firstly and most obviously, Ed is a talented alchemist. If he knows the composition of a material (and he probably does), he can reshape or otherwise change it pretty much however he wants, by drawing an appropriate transmutation circle around it or even just clapping his hands together. He specialises in metals but isn't at all restricted to them. The main limiting factor on alchemy is the Principle of Equivalent Exchange - you can't create matter out of nowhere. Also, performing alchemy on human bodies / other animals is not a great idea.
Secondly and nearly as obviously, his right arm and left leg are prosthetic. Specifically, they're advanced metal prosthetics called automail. They're cool, but they have downsides: they're heavier than regular limbs, he has no tactile sensation in them, they make him especially vulnerable to changes in environmental temperature, and he doesn't have the expertise to repair them by himself if/when they break (though he can do maintenance work like oiling them).
Thirdly, he has martial arts training. He's a decent fist fighter with or without alchemy and has used polearms and hammers on occasion, but his favourite weapon is the cover of his automail arm, transmuted into a blade.
Finally, he can twist absolutely anything into a slur on his height. He's about 5'2", for the record.

Personality:
Going by first impressions, you might consider Ed an arrogant brat with an impulsive streak and a hair-trigger temper. He's brash, cynical, stuck up, prone to violent outbursts (doubly so when his little brother isn't around to hold him back) and shamelessly rude to very nearly everyone, including his supposed superiors. He defies part of the stereotype by actually being ridiculously clever - he managed to get himself hired by the military at the age of twelve - but that mostly just makes him more insufferable, except when he undermines that intelligence by failing to think ahead. So you'd be correct - but at the same time, he's a damaged young man who's been tossed around by the universe for much of his life, and a nicer person than you might expect of him after what he's been through.

It helps to know a little backstory here. He and his brother are practically orphans, since their father left home when they were both young and their mother died some years later. Since he was the older of the two, it fell to Ed to grow up first, and fast - faster than would normally be healthy. This naturally led to some... errors of judgement, but it also cemented the sense of responsibility and obligation which would become his defining trait. When Ed decides he's going to do something, come hell or high water he will do it; if things don't turn out well, they are his mess to clean up, and nobody else's. His determination gets him into more trouble than it gets him out of, but that's never stopped him.

In fact, the only thing that can sometimes cause said determination to waver stems from the same sense of obligation: Ed is much more altruistic than he'd like to think. If he meets someone he thinks he can help out, he might gripe about it or rationalise it away as something like "teaching them to walk on their own feet", but he'll do it more often than not. On the other hand, failing to help people is something he finds difficult to forgive, regardless of extenuating circumstances - and that definitely goes for his own failures as well. If you catch him in one of his infrequent introspective moods, he might even talk about them.

Ultimately, the basis of Ed's philosophy is the same as that of his alchemy - the Principle of Equivalent Exchange mentioned above. To obtain anything, you must sacrifice something of equal value; conversely, whoever sacrifices something will obtain something in return, even if they didn't expect it or notice at first. Applied to a way of life, that means never shirking your own responsibilities and earning your own happiness. Having grown up and witnessed the imperfection of the world around him, Ed no longer believes that equivalent exchange is an absolute law, but he still feels like the world would be a better place if it was, so he tries to live up to it.

In summary: beneath an annoying exterior and a thick layer of angst, he's a surprisingly kind-hearted person who only needs a little cajoling to properly show it. Just avoid the word "short". And "small". And "pipsqueak", and "chibi", and "beansprout", and "speck of dust", and...

What are your plans for the character in-game?
To explore what was maybe glossed over a little bit in the movie: how does someone like Ed, driven by and confident in his own worldview, adjust to a setting that doesn't follow the rules he's used to? Initially he'll just want to get home, but given enough time to bounce his personality off other characters, that might change. Plus, he'll have to get used to all the modern technology, which could be entertaining.

Anything else?
There's no good reason for him to have his automail arm and leg with him at this point in canon, much less attached to him, but I'd like to handwave them as being there anyway. Um, if that's allowed. :D;

i) IC Questionnaire

What do you prefer to be known as? Edward is fine.
How old are you? Sixteen - what? What's that look for? It's true! What, are you trying to call me so tiny I could pass for a baby? Do you want me to show you who the real babies are around here?!

Do you have any history in combat? Oh, I'll give you combat, you little -
If so, have you ever killed? [The question abruptly cools him down mid-rant.] ...Yeah, I have. As a dog of the military.

i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity? I'm all for immediate and rapid!

ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities? Leisure? This is an academy, right? Do you really care about what I do when I'm not working? [Besides, it's not like he intends to hang around long enough for it to matter.]

iii) What role do you take when working in a group? Any. Hell, all of them if it means they don't get in my way.

iv) How talkative are you around other people? I'm talking to you right now. You work it out.

v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning. I guess "a boat and two oars" isn't the answer you're looking for. Well... a knife is pretty much all you need if there are plants and animals nearby. If nothing else can live there, you don't have a chance anyway. A knife to get food, and... some medicine for whatever the most likely disease is. The third thing, maybe, depending on climate... No, screw it, a boat and two oars.

vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people? Only if you like setting them up for disappointment.

vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance? Depends what you're willing to risk. ...I wouldn't. I'm not that stupid.

viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person? Never heard that one before. Next question?

ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life? I make plans! I just plan as much as I need to.

x) Do you like surprises? They're gonna happen whether I like them or not.

xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you? Dammit, I'm still growing! Just ask my mechanic! Still! Growing!!

xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions? Heh, you obviously haven't met them.

xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages? Uhh - about as strongly as they feel about me? [Finally!]

iii) Bracket/Commentspam RP sample.

[Ed likes libraries. At least, he thought he did before walking into this one. It's only now that he realises his love for them was sadly conditional - specifically, on the condition that they contain at least one damn thing he wants to read. It doesn't help that he's not completely sure what he does want to read, other than knowing it's either extremely well-disguised or not here. The only thing he's found so far that even mentions gates was some junk filed under Engineering, and that was a good ten books on the floor ago. He's going to run out of leg room soon...]

They call this a library? The hell is wrong with them?!

[...if he doesn't get kicked out for disrupting other people first.

He drops another textbook onto his growing pile of rejects.]

Ugh, I'm sick of this. Al! Hey, Al! Let's go look for some other libr-

[He stops. If he's embarrassed at having just talked to himself in the middle of a quiet library, it's overshadowed by the venom with which he resumes laying waste to the shelf in front of him. As long as nobody intervenes, it looks like he'll be there for a while.]

Note: Yes, Edward automail arm and leg being there's more than perfectly acceptable!

Welcome to

witchesreign! Your SeeD education at Garden is being Sponsored by Carbuncle's generosity. Your Student ID is #87832 and your Dorm assignment is A105. Upon your arrival, you will find a letter with a course catalog attached:

"Hello Mr. Elric,

Welcome to Balamb Garden! We have no doubts that you may be wondering how you have arrived here. Unfortunately you have been transported to our world via Time Compression by the work of a powerful Sorceress, and at the moment our scientists are working to find a way to reverse the effects. In the meantime, we have decided to open the doors to our academy for these displaced individuals to provide room and board. With the aid of sponsorships, you will be enrolled within our military academy as a cadet to train and have a chance to become a part of SeeD, our elite mercenary force.

With this letter we have attached a course catalog to aid with your enrollment. Please select the classes you wish you partake in this quarter and return it to the Headmaster in a timely manner.

Also, a note of caution-- while we understand that off-worlders may wield unusual powers foreign to our people, we ask that you please exercise extreme caution with your skills outside of the school walls. The natives are still adjusting to the idea of cross-dimensional foreigners, and may find the addition of unnatural powers to be potentially worrisome. Thank you for understanding.

Good day to you, and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact myself or a SeeD.

Sincerely,
Headmaster Cid"

Please take a moment to do the following.

Join with your character journal:

Reply to these posts:

It's also recommended (but not necessary) that you make a public personal HMD, a permissions meme/profile post, contact post and your characters class schedule available on your character's journal for ease of communication between players.

Last but not least, introduce yourself in

concourseooc! And feel free to join us in AIM chat @ witchesreignooc and to add the official WR Mod plurk @ witchesreign.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

application post

As of January 2014, formal applications are closed.

APPLICATIONS

Canon character application

Original/AU character application

Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) | Reserved

ACCEPTED