More Bandwagon. TarlYolo Turd or Febreeze

The kidnapping of Lydia, and her subsequent torture and disfigurement was taken hard by Tarl. Before enlisting, Lydia had spoken to Tarl in his home. He had seen in her the naivete of a young teen, and the hurt of loss. He did what he could to dissuade her of enlisting, which was not much. He saw it as his own failure when she was kidnapped. From their, he had gone further downhill. His discontent with leadership, and other issues eventually led to his arrangement with Dirt-Biter, and her ilk. In secret he flew his USN Infiltrator-Vessel into orbit over Tetanus Fields, having filed out paperwork for "Personal Leave." He arranged for the implantation of apex crafted "neural dampeners." The implants sole purpose was to dampen, or nullify the emotional responses within his brain. It was a rash, and drastic measure of a man pushed to desperation by his own downward spiral.

Aboard his ship, as he was preparing for the operation with Dr. Muiza (Waterswimmer) who wholely disapproved of it, Dirt-Biter's mate and bodyguard Stanza attacked him. As Dirt-Biter stood back and watched, Stanza and Tarl fought, and grappled. His desperation growing Tarl had attempted to pull out his sidearm, but was quikly rendered unconscious by a well placed tranquilizer from Dr. Muiza.

Upon awakening, Tarl found himself in a small cell deep in the ground at one of the temporary refugee sites. Dirt-Biter explained to Tarl that she couldn't let him do this to himself. That it was a detox. Weeks passed as Tarl quit cold turkey. Withdrawal, anger, depression, sickness, plagued him. It took a long time before he was finally released. Granted, it was not the release he had expected.

Joshua Scheffler had come to get him out. Thinking Tarl had been kidnapped, Joshua had taken it upon himself to use his old friendship with Dirt-Biter (as far as Tarl knows) to come to his rescue. What he didn't expect was Tarl's reticence. At one point, Scheffler bodily carried Tarl unto convinced to set him down. That's when Tarl told him it was no kidnapping. That he would not be returning to Tetanus Fields. To cover for Tarl, Scheffler had his friend [love interest?] Petaldancer, fire a bullet into his leg, claiming Tarl had fired on him. Tarl was in the clear.

Time passed and Tarl worked with Dirt-Biter on a project of sorts. He pledged his services to Tetanus Fields in a loose fashion. Utilizing a local shipwright, and full access to any raw resources available on Tetanus, and the fruit of it's factories, he began work on the formation of a small fleet. It began with the construction of one vessel. The culmination of which took many weeks. The deal between the two, was that this fleet, while owing no fealty to Tetanus Fields, would, if ever called upon, come to the defense of the Colony, and act as a deterrent for outside forces, namely the USCM, by making any intrusions unnecessarily costly. It took months to gain traction. Tarl used what was given to him by Dirt-Biter as effectively as he could. He then branched out to other organizations. He started to build up his repertoire of contacts. Seeking out the Emperor of the Astral Empire to begin the formation of a 'deal'. Tarl considered Emperor Suwedi to be his only true peer, although the two stood on opposite sides of the same coin. Suwedi promoting the individuals worth, above all. And Tarl promoting the Wholes worth above the individual. Through Suwedi, Tarl began his small fleet's entry into the world of trade. The Armada became an intermediary for trade between colonies which otherwise had little to no contact between one another. The RA shipped and taxed Imperial goods, namely grains and basic, cheap food rations to Tetanus Fields, and Alioth Prime. This was at a time when both were under crisis. Tetanus Fields, from the collapse of it's industrial center, and Alioth, from the Spores. It was this aid to Tetanus, that later resulted in its "Debt" and subsequent occupation by the RA. Opportunity and Liberty Mills were also a part of the trade network as well as other now defunct organizations. Carolli Corp, the primary shipwright at the time was absorbed into the RA's R&D program. Titus Shipyards, was coerced into refusing service to Stark, in an effort to prevent Stark from attaining defence-capable vessels. Tarl's history in the RA, was a history of political and economic dealings with a focus on increasing the Armada's wealth and influence. Many of such deals were often amoral at best, or immoral at the worst. Tarl paid bounties to, and sheltered the Crimson Corsairs, offering them a portion of pixels for any civilian or military members of Taranis, US, or other Protectorate colonies that they harmed, robbed, harrassed, enslaved, or murdered. This was in part an effort to uphold the Armada's ability to protect it's allies citizens, as well as destabilize those who looked unfavorably upon the Armada. Other deals involved the bidding war instigated by Tarl and Suwedi over an orbital station. The two agreed to pump the bidding up until smaller buyers were forced to back out, and then split the final bid between themselves, utilizing the liquid assets of their respective factions. The deal worked out, and the station was slotted to be used as a prison. The RA continuing it's policy of paying out bounties for USCM bunkers or Penal colonies, offering the residents citizenship or imprisonment. Those imprisoned were sent to the Joint Prison, and later, enslaved by the Empire for a nominal exchange tax to the RA.

 

But... That's enough on the "Actions" side of Tarl and the RA.
Now for the personality bits.

The RA often reflects the mindset of Tarl in it's laws, and underlying ideals. After overcoming his identity crisis. Tarl had begun to take his identity, and self worth as something to be derived from his works or services. He sees the RA not as an extension of himself, but himself as an extension of the RA. He believes that, his life holds no value on it's own. Their is no human worth to it. He is a product of anothers efforts and hopes. And so, given a second chance at life, in the flesh of a stranger, he must find some way to make that life worth living, to earn the right to it. Thus began his obsessive belief in the "Majority." He aimed to create in the RA, a force of Order, one that seeks to provide an orderly and safe life for those within it, as a whole. The value of each individual measured by the worth and service they bring to the whole. The idea of self-sacrifice is upheld as something near holy. Soldiers in the Armada are held to a standard of service where their identity, wants, and needs are meaningless. The RA's motto itself states that individual freedoms will be pushed aside for the sake of the whole. It is because of the overlying sense of duty the RA upholds, that many have died. Avis, a soldier of the RA, upon being kidnapped and tortured, chose death over betrayal. Marcus Crosswell, head of the R&D and the backbone of the RA's weapons program, chose a life without physical pleasure, one where he will be deprived of all the primal joys, the loss of his own humanity, for the sake of Duty, to the RA. Tarl himself, has seen his own friends vanish into the distance. He has cut himself off from any semblance of friendship or commraderie. Devoting himself entirely to the RA and taking his own self-worth and "happiness" from it's achievements and survival. Perhaps the last straw for Tarl's grasp on "friendship" was the loss of Yung. In Yung, Tarl saw a free spirit who worked towards lofty goals, under the guise of being flighty and carefree. The news of Yung's treason hit Tarl hard. But when presented with the evidence. He made the choice that he knew he must. He accepted the Empire's execution of Yung, and assured Suwedi, that he would have done the same. And in his heart, Tarl knew he would. For Tarl, the good of the many, must always come before the good of the individual. This was why he broke contact with his old friends. Why he never sought out more. Why he devoted all of his time to the running of the Armada. Why his only personal interactions were with his officers, and his Colonial Peers.

Last note!
As far as methods go in doing stuff I'll just present an example of an rp event that took place.

The 2nd Rescue of Petaldancer

After a botched plan by Felith to trap and kill Traptooth, Petaldancer was taken hostage a second time by Traptooth. The torture resulting in the injuries that lead to Petaldancers current implants.

Tarl upon hearing this, decided to make a point and earn some small credit with Dirt-Biter, showing that he was personally willing to protect the residents of Tetanus Fields. He asked Petaldancer to loan him a militiaman, and allow him to command her militia briefly. He requested Ruby-West by name, seeing Ruby as the most capable of discipline, especially after her moments of PTSD.

Traptooths sister was present at Tetanus Fields, Watchleaf. Quietly, Tarl had the militia locate Watchleaf, who was currently playing with her friend. With the help of the nearby militia, Tarl approached Watch Leaf, the childlike floran and spoe to her at length. Spinning a story about toys and hats and other rediculous things that seemed to catch the florans interest. He lured the floran aboard his ship, having Dirt-Biter and Ruby accompany him. The human girl Cateth followed. He had the two lay on separate beds within the holding cells of his ship. And spoke to WatchLeaf for hours. Carefully mining her for information on her brother Traptooth, and gaining information on her own status with Traptooth. Learning that Traptooth sought to shelter and protect her, after the loss of her sister, a skilled floran hunter, Tarl began to play on the younger florans grief and sense of loss. Planting in her the idea that she would never measure up to her late sister, and that her brother Traptooth, saw her as a hated burden.

Tarl then had Ruby-West hold a radio up during the process, to broadcast Watchleaf's grieving cries, cuting it short, and declaring that Traptooth can exchange Petaldancer, in exchange for his sister. There would be no negotiation. They would meet on a planet of Tarl's choosing and exchange upon Tarl's say.

Tarl then convinced the floran girl that she could "fix" Traptooth's wounded heart. He played on her childlike ignorance, and eventually, convinced her that should she hug Traptooth, and tell him how much she loved him, he would see his love for her, and see her as she is, and not a failed imitation of her dead sister. She agreed to this, unaware that the device Tarl strapped to her chest was a vest rigged with an HE (High-Explosive) Mine, the mine set to go off via a wireless remote held by Tarl.

Everything proceeded as planned.

Petaldancer limped to Tarl and Ruby, Watchleaf walked to Traptooth, and hugged Traptooth tightly. As she hugged Traptooth, Tarl engaged the switch, which resulted in a loud "click" from the mine. The mine itself, was never armed. But judging by the panicked grenade lob, and flight, from Traptooth, Tarl's message was recieved.

Since that time, Tarl has had no trouble from Traptooth, and a simple statement or two, was enough to send the floran into a rage.

Tarl's methods, with cruel, manipulative, and utterly focused on the achievement of one goal. There was no blood, no violence (relatively), and no casualties. But Tarl seemingly deprived those he dealt with, of their "humanity" so to speak, trampling on it and ignoring the concepts of empathy, for the sake of the greater goal. Watchleaf's needs as an individual meant nothing, to the needs of the whole, which as Tarl saw it, was the Armada's Reputation, for being able to protect Tetanus Fields.








So! After that long spew of text, now I'd like to ask some serious constructive criticism. I've been tossing around whether or not to keep Tarl as a character, and if I do, just how do I continue to develop him as a character, and avoid turning him into just a name, next to a faction.

I plan to bring back the Armada at a later date, when internal drama is no longer an issue, and new blood enters the server. But until then, this is a great time to get ideas for developing him, and in turn likely influencing how myself and M-bot, develop the Armada.

 

yup