Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
twnk_dragon
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
Therainbowlemon
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
GMT +5:30hrs
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
Yes, but I don't enjoy vc unless necessary for trainings. I find it personally hard. to RP and VC.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
twnk_dragon
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
Therainbowlemon
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
GMT +5:30hrs
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
Yes, but I don't enjoy vc unless necessary for trainings. I find it personally hard. to RP and VC.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
(7PM - 1AM) 6 Hours | (7PM - 1AM) 6 Hours | (7PM - 1AM) 6 Hours | (7PM - 1AM) 6 Hours | (7PM - 2AM) 7 Hours | (11AM - 3AM) 15 Hours | (11AM - 11PM) 12 Hours |
Overall I spend at least 3 - 6 hours on the server every day, however, it is more than that due to the nature of my IRL job giving me free time.
I also have the following characters I play -
- Andy A. Arya / Anastasia Malet (Professor QP)- Play them the most regularly.
- Mako Akage (12th Grade) - Play him pretty regularly as well (Applied for club leader in an alt as him)
- Valor 'Val' Andreas (12th Grade) - New Character
- Katrina Douglas (12th Grade) - Play her on and off - Awaiting college exams
- Angel Yamashita (12th Grade) - Play her on and off
- Maggie (Bear) - I do not play her at all (Sometimes a month but that's it)
- Blaze Yamashita (12th Grade) - I played them 10% of the time, even lesser (Dead)
- Dragon Bones (12th Grade) - My first character, died a long time back
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
Maiden
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
I understand that Shinotism is a unique religion that originates in Japan. I was not aware of its existence before I started playing SRP. I know in the religion they worship various Kamis (Dietys with unique powers). It is sort of similar to Buddhism, apart from the Kami bit. I honestly found it rather similar to Hinduism when it came to the different gods, but that's mostly my personal knowledge.
I know that the kami's are worshiped with offerings and occasionally with Music and Dance known as Kagura.
Basis my research and understanding of the religion, there is no dual concept of good and evil, and there is a general belief of balance being maintained in the world, grounding the religion as a whole and also being accepting of human nature, which definitely is more complex.
I understand purification is an important part of worship, and one must properly follow the purification ritual before entering the place of worship, and the best purifier is considered to be water.
There are also concepts of the soul, better known as Yurie. According to Shinotism, every human being carries a god inside them, a Reikon. After a human being dies the Yurie is supposed to go to the plane to live amongst the gods again. If the person dies in a traumatic or unexpected fashion there is a chance that they end up staying on the current plane wandering till their issues are resolved.
Yokais are trickster spirits with malicious intent, which are not human. They come in various forms and are very dangerous. The closest way to describe them would be a demon.
The main purpose of any shrine is to protect the natural or aritifical made holding that resides the Kami, the same could be a waterfall or even jewellery (Amaterasu is jewellery). This is known as a Shintai, and every Shrine has one.
My knowledge of shinotism is limited to the interactions i've had with the shrine staff members as well as some personal research. I clearly have a lot to learn and I am willing and prepared to learn more about it! I know I certainly need to!
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I will be honest, I don't really know if I stand out over other applicants. I just know that I have been wanting to join the shrine ever since I started visiting it icly, and got more involved in the RP there.
Most of my characters are well-versed with the shrine staff now, so it would be easier for my character to fit in considering Erza has already established a few relationships. Infact it has become sort of a ritual for me to go to the shrine almost every day, plus the character I am applying with was motivated by Haruka to join the shrine (more details in ICLY section).
From a personal standpoint, I'm a dedicated person, and while I may not be perfect, I do think I can bring a unique dimension into roleplaying a character in the shrine, since I've had the opportunity to attend events and figure out the little details about shrine and the work maidens do. It is always pleasant to play in a role which is so selfless, and cares about helping others. I am truly excited to join in the ranks with other great rp'rs and i believe i've had the change to largely improve my detail RP'ing while playing as an outsider, I can only imagine how creative I will have an opportunity to be if I were a part of the shrine.
I am personally an agnostic person, yet shinotism, specially at the shrine meets a lot of the criteria of my personal belief systems. It would be exciting to RP to me, and if I were to point out one thing that makes me stand out over the others, its ENTHUSIASM and DEDICATION. Also Erza is one of my oldest characters since I've started playing, it would be an interesting part of her lore, something I have been building over the last few months, as a writer, stories and lore always attract me.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Ofcourse, I have a lot to learn, and I am hoping to be a good student, and a future example for any further applicants.
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In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Erza Delarosa Scarlet
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
22
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Engaged
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
Japanese/Australian
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030) - 769 - 7496
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
Erza had started visiting the shrine after she had been wrongfully arrested on a false RO that was made on her. She felt like a great injustice had been done to her, and needed a space to feel safe again. She met Haruka on one of these days, and the kindness she was shown free of judgement made her feel warm and welcome.
Erza has always been under constant abuse as a child, she finds herself extremely protective and caring about people. The Monastery is a nice contrast to the life she had lived, and it is a safe space. A place of peace and nonviolence, something Erza desperately wants to have after having lost her siblings, who she recently found. He has been mistreated and Erza feels partially responsible.
Erza overtime learnt a few things about the shrine, she would sit there and draw art of various moments she observed. She would show her artwork to the maidens, and they would constantly motivate her by saying nice things. Haruka one day told Erza that she would make a good shrine maiden, and that stuck to her rather deeply.
Soon after Erza was adopted by Evangaline, the kind priestess who knew all Erza needed was a bit of guidance and love. She had improved tons, and eventually got into a very healthy habit of not wanting to fight anymore, instead resolving things peacefully. Her time spent at the shrine taught her the ways and practices, one of them being making tea, and Erza got so excited she wanted to help make tea for everyone. She also learnt how to read Tarot cards from Haruka, and eventually developed her own style of reading. She got close to Sho, who has been kind to her, and he eventually agreed to teach her the way of the Katana.
Erza wrote a letter to the mitsue, inspired by all the workers because she already feels like she is a part of the shrine, a family who cares for others and shows kindness and compassion, something she desperately needed, and she wishes to devote her life paying it forward while learning the ways of shinotism.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
Based on the lore that Erza has heard, Karakura was the home of many kami before they all left after the monastery was burnt down 2 times(they were under different names). Only Chiharu remains as the sole Kami in Karakura, upset about being alone, affecting Karakura's weather system. The Shrine itself was founded in 744 AD by some monks who followed Buddhism and was burnt down a few times It was under different names each time. It was made a Shinto shrine much later. I understand that a few rituals while entering the shrine are washing or cleansing your hands, and then bowing at the Torii gate. There is also a dojo in which some people practice Kendo. The Monastery has expert knowledge about dealing with spirits and Onis.
The Kodama of Karakura
An avid lover of nature and people, the gods and nature also were in love with her beauty, but what made her stand out was her soul. It was pure and blessed and always catered to people. She became one with nature at the end of it, but I believe the tree at the bottom of the shrine celebrates her, because where nature is, she will be.
Burning Down of the Monastery
The monastery has been historically burnt down two times, once when it was known as Akatera monastery, a rivalry between powerful clans led to the monastery being burnt down in 1176.
In 1228 the monastery was rebuilt under the name Kisune Monastery. A strange urn was found within the monastery which had noises coming from within. The urn was nicknamed 'Himitsu no Tamishi' or 'the urn of secrets'. It was unknown what secrets the urn possesed, or who manufactured the urn, but it did enrage the political climate at that time. Around 1573 , despite talks of neutrality, civil unrest led to the shrine being burnt down again.
The Shinsei Seinaru Monastery was rebuilt in 1617 by the Nashima branches, Saiky houses, and Moritachi clans. The Monastery still holds strong, and has not been burnt since, however human actions have driven the other kami away.
Outside of this, I'm yet to learn a lot more about the shrine, hopefully with the training I will.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
Dear Mitsue-ShiroSECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Erza Delarosa Scarlet
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
22
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Engaged
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
Japanese/Australian
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030) - 769 - 7496
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
Erza had started visiting the shrine after she had been wrongfully arrested on a false RO that was made on her. She felt like a great injustice had been done to her, and needed a space to feel safe again. She met Haruka on one of these days, and the kindness she was shown free of judgement made her feel warm and welcome.
Erza has always been under constant abuse as a child, she finds herself extremely protective and caring about people. The Monastery is a nice contrast to the life she had lived, and it is a safe space. A place of peace and nonviolence, something Erza desperately wants to have after having lost her siblings, who she recently found. He has been mistreated and Erza feels partially responsible.
Erza overtime learnt a few things about the shrine, she would sit there and draw art of various moments she observed. She would show her artwork to the maidens, and they would constantly motivate her by saying nice things. Haruka one day told Erza that she would make a good shrine maiden, and that stuck to her rather deeply.
Soon after Erza was adopted by Evangaline, the kind priestess who knew all Erza needed was a bit of guidance and love. She had improved tons, and eventually got into a very healthy habit of not wanting to fight anymore, instead resolving things peacefully. Her time spent at the shrine taught her the ways and practices, one of them being making tea, and Erza got so excited she wanted to help make tea for everyone. She also learnt how to read Tarot cards from Haruka, and eventually developed her own style of reading. She got close to Sho, who has been kind to her, and he eventually agreed to teach her the way of the Katana.
Erza wrote a letter to the mitsue, inspired by all the workers because she already feels like she is a part of the shrine, a family who cares for others and shows kindness and compassion, something she desperately needed, and she wishes to devote her life paying it forward while learning the ways of shinotism.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
Based on the lore that Erza has heard, Karakura was the home of many kami before they all left after the monastery was burnt down 2 times(they were under different names). Only Chiharu remains as the sole Kami in Karakura, upset about being alone, affecting Karakura's weather system. The Shrine itself was founded in 744 AD by some monks who followed Buddhism and was burnt down a few times It was under different names each time. It was made a Shinto shrine much later. I understand that a few rituals while entering the shrine are washing or cleansing your hands, and then bowing at the Torii gate. There is also a dojo in which some people practice Kendo. The Monastery has expert knowledge about dealing with spirits and Onis.
The Kodama of Karakura
An avid lover of nature and people, the gods and nature also were in love with her beauty, but what made her stand out was her soul. It was pure and blessed and always catered to people. She became one with nature at the end of it, but I believe the tree at the bottom of the shrine celebrates her, because where nature is, she will be.
Burning Down of the Monastery
The monastery has been historically burnt down two times, once when it was known as Akatera monastery, a rivalry between powerful clans led to the monastery being burnt down in 1176.
In 1228 the monastery was rebuilt under the name Kisune Monastery. A strange urn was found within the monastery which had noises coming from within. The urn was nicknamed 'Himitsu no Tamishi' or 'the urn of secrets'. It was unknown what secrets the urn possesed, or who manufactured the urn, but it did enrage the political climate at that time. Around 1573 , despite talks of neutrality, civil unrest led to the shrine being burnt down again.
The Shinsei Seinaru Monastery was rebuilt in 1617 by the Nashima branches, Saiky houses, and Moritachi clans. The Monastery still holds strong, and has not been burnt since, however human actions have driven the other kami away.
Outside of this, I'm yet to learn a lot more about the shrine, hopefully with the training I will.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
I hope you are doing well at the time of reading this letter.
I write this letter to you, as I am truly interested in training on the mountains as a maiden. The Shinsei Seinaru Shrine has brought a lot of meaning to my life, as it has others as well. There are so many things that I would like to cover in this letter, however I think it's best if I first introduce myself. My name is Erza, and I visit the shrine quite often. Over the last year, I have gotten to know many of the staff over there, Miss Haruka, Miss Emiko, Miss Asami and Sho!(It took him a lot to convince him to call me sho instead of Sho sir.)
I have always lacked faith and a true direction in my life, I used to be angry, angry at the world, angry at people always picking fights whenever I could. All of this changed when I started talking to Miss Haruka. She showed me kindness, and the other maidens and priests joined in on that. I felt like I was a part of a big family, and I eventually ended up learning a lot of things about the shrine.
I can't really pin point if it was the shrine itself, or if it was the maidens and the priests but I find myself in a place where I would like to be a better person everyday. Eventually, I came to a conclusion that I would love to dedicate my life and services to the shrine, and to serving other people. There has been nothing more satisfying to me than to watch people grow and learn with the guidance of the priests and maiden, and I aspire to be as great as them. I started learning the ways of shinotism and small rituals that is followed. It was as if I ended up discovering who I wanted to be while I was in their company, and I eventually realized that fate and design made by the Kami's led me on this path.
I wish to join the shrine to show how dedicated I am in service to the Kami as well as the people.
Yours Truly,
Erza Delarosa Scarlet
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Erza's Biography
Erza was born on a remote island near Australia and had been abandoned on the streets alongside. One day her Village was attacked and a lot of people were taken captive, including Erza.
She was used as a manual labor for 4 years on a remote island where she was (I'm just going to make this simple because it's kinda evil) tortured. She had one of her eyes lost in the process of her captors torturing her and one day when she saw one of the innocent people get beat up, she lost it. She went on a violent rampage and destroyed everything on the island.
Finally, Erza felt free and asked her best friend(Erik) if they could just leave the island, and be safe again, to which the friend turned around and said no. This was their life now, and Erza could stay and help or leave and never come back. Erza did not want to fight her friends so she ended up running away. She arrived at Karakura shortly after.
She was taken in by the Yamashita family when she was 17, and they gave her a sense of safety for the longest time. When she turned 18 she got a call from an unknown number telling her about a brother she had and she was his only family. She took her brother in when she was 18 and he was 10, and they both bonded over time.
Erza got engaged to a beautiful girl when she was 18, however, when things started getting violent with her family she decided to break off her engagement and leave the town forever with her brother and friend(Crimson). While she was out of town, she found out that she had lost her brother in surgery for his long-term illness. She couldn't bear to see her dead brother so she had a closed coffin at his funeral.
Erza eventually received some pictures via email of her brother getting tortured. This naturally surprised her as she had assumed her brother was dead, she eventually found out that her friend(Erik) from the island had blamed Erza for all the torture they faced as children. When she revisited the island to see if the island was okay, he saw her and followed her to Karakura, found out she had a brother, and took his opportunity to get revenge on her by attempting to kill Hoshi.
The "doctor" Hoshi was seeing was a guy who worked for the said friend(Erik) and was a malpractice doctor, and sent to kidnap Hoshi and proclaim him as "not making it through the surgery" to Erza and her friend(Crimson). Erik's goal was to torture Hoshi before killing him off and sending his body back with photos to Erza. But when Erza noticed Hoshi's body was not found, she wouldn't give up on him and kept looking for him because she knew he was alive. (He was)
She came back to Karakura after a few years, hoping to find some peace after having lost her brother. She finally got adopted by Evangaline Delarosa , a kind priestess, and managed to find her brother. The time she spent at the shrine made her start appreciating the beauty about life, nature and service, and she feels like everyone in the shrine is her family now.
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
I personally have only managed to see only a few duties that priests do alongside maidens. Priests are responsible for wedding ceremonies in Shinto style, and there also needs to be a maiden present for the same. Priests are also responsible for dealing with spirits, (cue Ghostbusters music, /j). Meanwhile, maidens are responsible for hospitality within the shrine and keeping its upkeep. They are also responsible for putting wishes on the sakura tree and maintaining peace within the shrine in case of any rule break.
Priests and Maidens both can do tarot readings, which is always rather interesting to do, but mostly all shrine staff are responsible for making people feel welcome and educating them about shinotism
While there may be more duties, these are just the few I am privy to.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
So basically you need to cleanse yourself thoroughly at the Temizuya (Sorry if i spelled it wrong). Water is used as a cleansing agent long into the history of kami, and also by the king of Kamis. To enter the shrine you need to cleanse yourself of impurities. As a first step you pick up the ladel with you right hand and use the water to wash your hand and forearm. Post which you rinse your mouth using water from your palms and spit out the water on the side away from the temizuya. Then you vertically tilt the handle ensuring that the ladel gets washed as the water gets dripped on the handle. After that you put the ladel where you picked it up from . Do not dip any of your body part in the Temizuya because it is highly disrespectful.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
An offering can be made at the shrine for 100 yen after which you ring the bell, bow, and clap twice as you close your eyes and make a prayer before a final bow.
Outside of the 100 yen, you can also make offerings for fruits, vegetables, or any other material offering. Some people also prefer offering personal artifacts to that Kami
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
A traditional Japanese tea ceremony involves the service of Matcha Tea to the guests.
(Fun fact: Matcha tea was popularized by a Buddhist monk who had come to study in china in 12th century, and ended up taking it Back to Japan)
A tea ceremony is done on basically 3 different schools, but all these practices follow the same 4 principles - Wa, Kei, Sei, and Jaku which translate to Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility. The Samurais really enjoyed this tea ceremony and ended up adding an element of discipline to the ceremony as well. There are certain gestures and actions you need to follow to ensure you properly have this tea.
The Japanese tea ceremony is about more than just tea, it is about the host and the room design. You can have different flower arrangments, art displays and even calligraphy to make the room elegant to have tea in. As a host, you are responsible for keeping the tea room ready for service.
To Make the tea you need the following equipment -
- Tea Cloth made of silk (to clean equipment)
- Bamboo Whisk
- Tea Scoop
- Caddy for Match
- Kettle for Water
- Tea bowls
- A strainer
The first thing we need to do before preparing anything is ensure we keep the bamboo whisk in water for one hour. Since bamboo is delicate, it gets brittle, and keeping it in water will soften it. After that, you must wipe all your equipment with the tea cloth made of silk.
Put your water to boil in a kettle, while the water boils, use a tea scoop to take out some matcha powder and put it in a tea bowl with a strainer. The strainer removes extra large lumps and keeps the powder fine for use. Once the water is boiled, put a little bit into the tea bowl and whisk it with the bamboo whisk making a frothy texture and then pour additional water in depending upon the requirement of thick or thin tea.
(Fun fact: Tea is served twice in a tea ceremony and the first one is usually thick tea, and the last one is thin tea.)
Once you have your tea ready serve it to your guest with some snacks if available.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
A tamagushi is an item used often in shinto rituals, for purification purposes. It is made of a Sakaki tree branch with streamers made of papers attached to it.
An Ofuda is used for protection purposes. It is like an amulet made of wood with engravings of symbols or signs warding spirits and negative energy away.
(Fun story, one time my character tried to use an ofuda on Kitsa, and she teleported away, when asked what would have happened, she said she would have been in an endless loop)
A Kagura Suzu is said to purify guests and shine divine powers in the shrine, it is 12 bells used during the traditional Kami no Kura Dance.
(OPTIONAL) Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?:
Amaterasu the Kami of justice is what Erza would ideally worship. As Erza started to read up on shinotism, the goddess who resonated with her most was the sun goddess. Amaterasu was a just an noble kami, and she was betrayed by the storm god Susanoo, who highly disrespected her. The betrayal felt personal to Erza when she read up, and felt like she could resonate with the kami's emotions. When the Sun goddess left in protest, a darkness fell upon the world.
It was amusing to Erza to know it took 800 kamis to lure Amaterasu back out from hiding, and what really did her in was a sense of pride. Something Erza learnt from, and realized being humble is the only way one can truly be happy in this world.
Erza has been through quite a bit, and believes only Justice and fairness can truly save the world and make it a better place for all to live in. While Amaterasu is not well known as being the Kami of justice, her story of light as well as betrayal and fairness brings Erza closer to her.
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