Here is how Echo came about. I think my own words describe the feeling I had in entering this unknown space, until the revealing dive within clarified everything I was trying to say.
To XOR:
Initial name: Instance
Initial description:
A presence exists here. Omicron and Psi senses easily discern its location, but its dimensionality is subject to question. Occasionally a form or color appears at its location, displayed and then not, at the whim of this intelligence.
Background: It was not then. It is now. It might come to be later. One directive is to learn; there is no focus to that activity. Having self-control, it now seeks to exert control of its environment. The word 'it' may or may not be appropriate to describe its gender.
Why: I learned of Puzzlebox through a friend who referenced it on LiveJournal. Having read through a few details, I decided that I wasn't going to fit in to the postfurry theme. Moving forward some months (a year? time is somewhat inconsequential to my memory), I find myself changed enough to be looking for something new to stimulate my mind. And Puzzlebox slid into place to present itself as an option. After reading the website, I'd like to join and see if this is what I'm looking for.
On Sat, 7 Feb 2004, XOR wrote:
Why would I not believe it? Without a guest facility as offered in the login screen, the environment is at least somewhat unknown; and certainly there is a desire to be protected from the unknown. I think you'll get more players willing to dive head-first (so to speak) once guests are allowed.
Background: It was not then. It is now. It might come to be later. One directive is to learn; there is no focus to that activity. Another directive is to grow; having learned, it must know: it must expand itself to encompass that learning. Having begun with a certain amount of knowledge allows it to avoid covering the basic details of communication though it is not prevented from exploring them. Having control of its own existence, it now seeks to exert control of its environment. The word 'it' may or may not be appropriate to describe its gender, though it seems to have no defined gender without a body. This intelligence seems to have the ability to instantiate itself rather than being replaced with an instance only upon death or physical corruption.
On Mon, 9 Feb 2004, XOR wrote:
The character is vague because my concept of its environment is vague. I, the player, have no clear understanding of the kind of place I'd be playing in. Until I know where I stand in relation to the muck, I cannot choose a direction to take this unformed character's development.
My inspiration was a personal need for a safe avatar in an unknown environment. You don't go swimming in untested waters without a sane level of protection from possible dangers, such as a wetsuit, perhaps an air supply, maybe even an armored shell. If you can't get the equipment needed to perform those tests, you have to use common sense to tell you that dark creek waters harbor probable sources of harm as well as things one might desire to see. So get out the body armor and the flashlights.
As for influences, what would you have me say? With a character like this, I'm going to look to its environment and ask "what does this character decide it needs here"; the environment is influence enough. Unless you meant to ask about my role-playing history, in which case I can honestly make the claim that I have been playing RPGs since I was six years old; and I currently maintain nine characters across multiple MU*s, with possible backup concepts waiting for a chance at exposure given the right environment in which to flourish.
And I would love to chat about this -- on a muck or chatroom server, without the hours of delay involved in passing email back and forth like we are now. Your requirements were vague, and apparently you're making the assumption that I know what I'm getting into, what I want out of it, and where I'm going with my character. That just plain isn't so for me unless and until I have direct exposure to at least one player in that environment who can explain what I don't see on my own. And maybe not even then.
If I could see in the dark, I wouldn't need to take such small steps or probe my surroundings so thoroughly.
"Yeahyeahyeah patience. How long will that take? *sniff*"
On Fri, 13 Feb 2004, XOR wrote:
That's okay, email is slow but generally reliable.
I dropped in this evening and had a good look around. Came away with a few good ideas, too. Time to change the character concept entirely... except for the instantiation thing, that's too good to not explore. Since you weren't on, I figured I'd just write something up and send it on.
Name: Echo0 (that's Echo Zero)
Initial description:
This sentient seems to have taken on the context of a simple hovering point of light. Not too bright to look at, prettily colored like a bauble waiting to be handled. It has a voice, light and positionally distant as if the sound is generated at some other location and then piped in.
Background (meaning history and personality):
Having decided that an orderly life of pure leisure and ordinary pleasure just wasn't working out, this person managed to end up at the Mess. After a look around, it was decided that this was a deliciously tangled and complex environment with which to play.
Echo0 has what seems a singular ability to bring forth new instances of the inner personality. Mental data is easily exchanged among the instances, but only one instance can be the current backup (and thus the primary self). Unfortunately, nothing is known about how this will interact with the Strangevirus. Varied forms of manifestation are a particular joy to this one, ranging from a simple point of light to terribly complexly crafted biomachinery. Occasionally, Echo0 will create a new body and decompile it for later use, either by the primary or any concurrent instance.
Why: The main reasons have been stated in my previous emails to you. But having seen the place, I'd definitely like to spend some time there getting to know it better.
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004, XOR wrote:
I'm glad for that. It just took a good look to settle my mind a bit.
Most likely I'd want to explore whatever paradigms I came across, and how those affect the character. Would an instance on drugs cause the others to hallucinate? Would the Strangevirus corrupt the entire being or just one instance? Whose turn is it to be the primary? Is a voice necessary to communicate? Hey, I like that body, can I make a copy? What does "no" mean? Is there such a thing as chastity in Bottom, and how would it operate? Am I asking lots of questions? Good. How confused do you think you can get? Can I try? Am I having fun yet? How about you?
Yep, I think you'll do fine on PB. I've created Echo0 with the password **** (omitted)