Unicorn KindShadow

[Kind Shadow]

[Click for lager pony... I mean picture.]

Name: KindShadow

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

Coat Color: Very Dark Gray

Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Stark White. His mane is short in the back, but with long bangs that are usually allowed to fall in front of his eyes. His tail is relatively short, about as long as his bangs. His hair is mostly straight, with just enough volume to give it a slight curve. This is his natural volume, and he doesn't do much of anything to style or maintain his hair, other than the basics.

Eye Color: Yellow

Cutie Mark: A golden horse shoe shrouded in a black aura.

Physique: Tall and Thin, but fit. His muscular build is lean. In human terms he is closer to a runner's build, as apposed to that of a body builder's.

Origin: KindShadow was born on the road, because his parents were travelers. Thankfully, there were no complications because of this. Specifically, he was born on a road between Canterlot and Ponyville, in a temporary campsite made by his parents for the time.

Roleplay Type: Mane.

Occupation: Monster Hunter – Monsters Hunters are individual ponies or a group of ponies who work together to handle dangerous creatures. Some do it to protect pony-kind, while others do it for fame, glory, or fortune. Work can be scarce, as organizations, like the Royal Guard, handle most crisis situations. It is the practice of most modern day Monster Hunters to capture and relocate dangerous creatures, instead of 'slaying' them. However, aside from protecting settlements, there are also cases of ponies who want a dangerous animal hunted for various other reasons. Sometimes, it's for a rare or valuable ingredient or material like hydra scales or the poison from a basilisk. It is still considered barbaric and archaic for Monster Hunters to outright slay creature for these things. Instead, there are several techniques and practices designed to obtain them from creature, much like a chicken is kept for its eggs. For example, poison can be 'milked' from a creature's fangs, and a Hydra will shed its scales naturally. A Monster Hunter must be well aware of the dangers of handling monsters, especially when performing dangerous procedures like milking a creature's fangs. Proper Monster Hunters can complete their jobs with as little harm done as possible, both to the creature as well as to the Monster Hunter themselves. Other times, it is the creature itself that is valuable. The reasons vary from client to client. It can be for research, or for some kind of exotic zoo, or something along those lines.

Monster Hunters will spend most of their time either hunting a dangerous monster, or training to hunt a dangerous monster. Those who become Monster Hunters generally choose to do so over joining organized militant forces, like the royal guard, because of the freedom and appeal of living by your own terms.

Out of principle, KindShadow refuses to take on jobs that he deems underhanded, like capturing a creature for an exotic zoo. He'll only hunt a creature for important reasons, like hunting a basilisk for its poison, as that poison can be used to make an antidote or perhaps some other kind of important potion. These jobs usually pay well, but are quite rare, so he generally lives a very humble life financially. As far as Monster Hunters go, KindShadow is not renowned at all.

Motivation: KindShadow is a conflicted and isn't sure what he wants to do with his entire life. Honestly, he would prefer to settle down and live a peaceful life. On the other hand, he can't help but feel that he would be wasting his parent's teachings, and the super special talent his cutie-mark represents, if he gave up Monster Hunting to pursue his own happiness. So he currently has resided himself to work as a traveling Monster Hunter, and aspires to make the best of his abilities, with the far off goal of retiring one day some how.

Likes: Peace; Quiet; Helping ponies; Protecting ponies; Moving and being active; Testing his limits.

Dislikes: Fighting; Guilt; Shame; Monsters; Scary things; Standing idly by why innocent ponies are in danger.

Character Summary: [NOTE: KindShadow's cutie-mark represents the art of movement. It represents how quick, graceful, and agile he is. Despite his super special talent, he is not able to dodge everything that comes his way, or anything like that. Likewise, even though he doesn't enjoy fighting, his strikes cannot be shrugged off so easily either. Additionally, KindShadow was trained to use magic, but he never had a talent for it, specifically. He can use only few spells that go along with his super special talent.]

Ever since he was a young colt, KindShadow believed it was wrong to hurt others and hated the idea of fighting. The only problem with that is that he is very good at it.

From an early age, his parents trained him to follow in their hoof tracks, to become a Monster Hunter. Although he took to the training with great enthusiasm, he did not quite understand what it was for until he was much older.

At first, his training focus was on the basic fundamentals of conditioning, like laying the foundations of a castle. His life was relatively peaceful during this period. He traveled around with his parents, unaware of what they went off to do, leaving him behind at either their campsite, or the nearest town with friends or relatives. He actually enjoyed the training they taught him, as it was about the only time he actually got to spend with his parents.

When he grew a little older, his parents began building up the walls of his castle by teaching him practical application. He still did not know at the time, but they were training him in a martial art that was passed down along their family of Monster Hunters, known as the Shadow Strike Style. As Monster Hunters, many of their opponents would be much larger and stronger than them. So their martial art evolved over the generations to focus on agility, speed, and dexterity, rather than brute strength. KindShadow's parents started by teaching him the importance of foot work. They taught him specialized gaits, like the half-pass (lateral movement), pirouettes (spins), and the piaffe (trotting in place).

KindShadow took to these lessons in particular with great vigor. He enjoyed moving his body, especially his legs. His favorite technique was a specialized version of the piaffe, that was a lot more reminiscent to dancing rather than that of a fighting stance. It was called the “Shadow Shuffle” and its significance was that its erratic and seemingly random placement of the hooves confused opponents, preventing them from reading the user's next movement. Beyond that, the placement of the hooves are actually deliberate. Each quick step is positioned to be able to easily flow into a quick dodge in several different directions. If done correctly, the user of the technique could quickly and easily move in any direction needed. It is the heart of the Shadow Strike Style, and after mastering it, KindShadow received his cutie-mark. He'll never forget how proud his parents were. It was the happiest moment of his young life. However, it was short lived.

The specialized movements of the Shadow Strike Style are designed to help avoid and dodge opponent's attacks, in order to setup quick, precise counter attacks. After mastering the Shadow Shuffle, KindShadow's training moved onto these various kicks, head-butts, and strikes. That's when he first realized what all his training was for, and the legacy of his family was finally revealed to him. Although disheartened, KindShadow reluctantly continued his training until young adulthood, going along with his family's wishes. He eventually began accompanying his parents on their jobs, and learning the various other aspects of the trade.

KindShadow was originally named for the kind soul that his mother sensed in him as she cradled him for the first time. Deep down he is a very timid and kindhearted pony, who wants nothing more than to settle down and live a peaceful life. However, he can't bring himself to do this, because the only thing he knows are the skills his family have taught him, and despite his disdain for fighting, he can't help but feel like he can truly do some good with his abilities. So he reluctantly goes along with his family's wishes and travels Equestria as a Monster Hunter, trying to make the best of his situation.

KindShadow no longer travels with his parents. The decision to leave on his own was merely a right of passage that most Shadow Family members go through around his age. Rather than to decide to leave, it is more accurate to say that he was pressured to leave, and travel on his own. At least, he was expected to. He still stays in contact with his parents, and the rest of his family, but more often than not it is because of the family business.

Currently, KindShadow has no immediate partner, and there are rumors circling those within the trade, about his lack of enthusiasm for the job. So, he is not exactly a great prospect for a long term partner. Being alone means he can also take his time, and be as reluctant and indecisive as he wants to be. He can also search for alternatives to Monster Hunting, which he tries to do in secret. However, that's not to say that he won't work with others. In fact he works well with others, because of his submissive nature. He can take orders well, and doesn't generally cause conflict with others. If the job he is doing requires he works with a group, he has no problem doing so, and his family will often contact him for large jobs that could use one extra pony. However, he doesn't seek to work with others himself, and generally seeks out jobs that he can handle alone. Of course, he is subject to the situation he is in. A beggar can't really turn down a job.

In combat, he relies heavily on his training. While fighting, he doesn't rely on anger or rage to fuel him. Instead he fights as calmly as possible. However, this is not always an easy thing to do. He hates fighting, and there is always danger present. It would be foolishness not to be afraid. He subdues these anxieties by focusing on applying his training in order to deal with these dangerous situations. His parents taught him many lessons about combat, not just practical application, but also the mindset you need to survive. "Courage is not the absence of fear. It's much more than that. Having courage means being afraid, while still having the strength of will to move forward." This definition of courage defines KindShadow's mindset in battle very well. Even though he is easily scared and filled with anxiety, he accepts this and focuses on moving forward and accomplishing what he can, while he can. He can worry about what the enemy will do to him if their attacks land, after those attacks land. With this mindset, he can focus on swiftly dancing across the battlefield, much like a shadow, narrowly avoiding certain doom with grace and poise. His parents taught him how to be confident in battle, they didn't just expect him to be confident. They told him that if he ever feels daunted by his opponent, then he should think back to his training. All of the hours, days, months, years, all of the hard work, sweat, and tears cannot have all been for nothing. He can take confidence in the hard work and effort he has put into his training, and trust that there will be results when he applies it in combat. Of course, this will only help if he maintains his training.

In crisis situations he will become desperate, but even when he does it is a quiet desperation. He believes in the motto: Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. He always tries to be prepared for the worst, while accepting the fact that failure and defeat are a constant threat. Of course, he is not all knowing. In situations where he doesn't know what to do, or is otherwise unprepared, he will often try to fall back on the basics. Of course, he will try to think his way out in desperate situations. If he can find no solution, he will fight in the method that he is most comfortable using. If he can't find the enemy's weakness, he will instead fight with his strongest techniques, even if it can only land where the enemy is strongest. This situation is far from ideal for a marital artist, but you make the best of what you can. If its a kind of problem that can't be solved by fighting, or his specialized knowledge on monsters, then he will either spin his wheels fruitlessly, or seek outside help. He has no pride issues about seeking outside help, granted the option is available.

After winning a battle, KindShadow is often apologetic, even if he initiated the encounter. In his mind, he 'has' to do this job. At least that is what he has come to believe. If he doesn't feel he 'has' to do the job, then he simply won't. After completing a job and capturing a creature, he will generally feel bad about it, but press forward, telling himself he has too.

When not in combat, he can be at a bit of a loss. He doesn't have much experience with socializing, having lived on the road and focusing on his training for most of his life. However, KindShadow is a very pleasant and decent pony. He rarely has troubles getting along with others because of this. However, he can be too submissive. He dislikes confrontation, and at times can end up letting others walk all over him. The idea of resorting to violence, or having to assert himself fills him with unease, and he would prefer to just let the other pony have their way. KindShadow would almost never threaten or attack another pony to get his way. The only exception is perhaps to save himself or others from harm. He is very humble about his abilities, mainly because he dislikes the idea of fighting, and can even be called shy. He is kind, and thoughtful, and genuinely loves helping other ponies, because he loves to see ponies happy and can find his own happiness in theirs. He doesn't often seek reward or praise, even if he might deserve it. He believes doing the right thing is its own reward, and doesn't need accolade or glory. Of course, out of necessity, he has learned to at least seek out pay for established jobs. On the down side, he tends to internalize a lot. He sometimes over thinks things, and ends up saying nothing at all. Especially, if its not something he's trained and practiced all his life (everything outside of Monster Hunting). He can be overly fearful of what other ponies think of him, and has a desire to be liked by everyone, even if he doesn't need to be praised directly. So as a result, he will often allow ponies who annoy or bother him continue, instead of confronting them. Even if they most likely would understand, and agree to stop if they simply were made aware of the problem they were causing.

[Click for lager pony... I mean picture.]

Edited November 23, 2011 by Skye

[flutterscotch]

Look at your tags

I kind of like this guy. Not sure if the mods will consider the catching pf basilisks for their poison too dark or not if they are being killed, unless you can "Milk" a basilisk like you can some kinds of snakes. How does he feel about "Monster Hunters" who try to prove the existence of fictional, even within the Friendship is Magic universe, monsters?

[Kind Shadow]

Ha, ha. That's pretty funny, about the tags.

As for monster myth hunters (?) he probably would be Indifferent to them for the most part. Sorry, that's not to interesting. I guess the discovery of new animals could lead to new medicine, or other advances in science. So it can be worth while. Considering his nature, KindShadow would probably focus on these positives. Generally, he wouldn't think badly of other's goals' unless it became obvious that they were doing it for the wrong reasons. Like, maybe say, some pony who was hunting a giant white whale, purely for revenge.

[Ulthor]

I think you should add [WIP] and stuff, I had to add that in my tittle aswell.

[Kind Shadow]

Thank you for the suggestion, but my bio is done, unless someone points out a problem. Oh I forgot to mention. If I ever have my character try to hunt a monster for it's poison, he would milk the fangs like some snakes are milked. More likely, he would capture it and leave it to the client to milk it for when they needed it.

Also, I have tagged the topic with "Final". So, please don't worry. I think that is enough. (Fairly confident)

[Ulthor]

Thank you for the suggestion, but my bio is done, unless someone points out a problem. Oh I forgot to mention. If I ever have my character try to hunt a monster for it's poison, he would milk the fangs like some snakes are milked. More likely, he would capture it and leave it to the client to milk it for when they needed it.

Also, I have tagged the topic with "Final". So, please don't worry. I think that is enough. (Fairly confident)

I see, I hope the tag would be alright for it then, cause I believe its supposed to be in the tittle.

As for the milking thing, not sure if its needed, but you could always add it to the description.

[Dio]

I think you should add [WIP] and stuff, I had to add that in my tittle aswell.

Please leave tag enforcement to the staff. As stated in the Application Form instructions, we are moving away from the title tags and using the topic tags system. If you'll observe carefully, there is a string of tags under the topic title in this thread which contains all the relevant information.

I see, I hope the tag would be alright for it then, cause I believe its supposed to be in the tittle.

As for the milking thing, not sure if its needed, but you could always add it to the description.

The "milking thing" is to firmly establish that he does not merely kill the monster to harvest its organs which is a bit much for board RP. Please be considerate and insightful in your comments. We want to help everypony improve their character for the appropriate RP section that they are applying for and this requires well thought out remarks that contribute to the discussion.

Now on to remarks.

There's some concern that the Monster Hunter profession is redundant with the Royal Equestrian Army and the Holy Order of the Destriers, however, the profession is acceptable because some ponies would likely prefer to work with a private specialist than a government generalist. I see him fitting in as a monster expert and consultant in the world for both civilian and government applications. You've obviously put a lot of work into his profession and I think you have a firm grasp of what he's capable of.

However, in spite of the attention to detail on his occupation, there seems to be very little on Shadow himself. I'd like to see more about his psychology and personality. There are some very general terms included in the final paragraph that sort of broach the surface, but never go in depth about him. How does he react in crisis situations? How about normal social situations? Does he deal with other ponies well? Does he treat others as equals or is he truly proud of his excellence in his field? Does he have any long-term goals not related to his profession? Virtues, vices, desires, and personal demons all define a character and in a social RP such as Canterlot.com's, are very important.

I'm also curious as to his living situation. Does he still travel with his parents? If not, what prompted him to leave? Does he work mostly alone or does he prefer working and living with a team of monster hunters?

These questions are there to help you craft your character into a unique person that will be able to interact well in the RP environment and has a distinct place in the world. You can look through the Accepted Apps section and take a look at the most recent characters for examples of what we're looking for. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact the staff. We have experienced RPers and eager helpful ponies here who can give you pointers to put you on track.

- Dio

[Ulthor]

Please leave tag enforcement to the staff. As stated in the Application Form instructions, we are moving away from the title tags and using the topic tags system. If you'll observe carefully, there is a string of tags under the topic title in this thread which contains all the relevant information.

The "milking thing" is to firmly establish that he does not merely kill the monster to harvest its organs which is a bit much for board RP. Please be considerate and insightful in your comments. We want to help everypony improve their character for the appropriate RP section that they are applying for and this requires well thought out remarks that contribute to the discussion.

Oh, sorry, I was only trying to be helpful. I haven't read all the rules yet though, so from now on I'll leave it to you guys till I have, and I'll try to not make comments I'm not supposed to anymore.

[Kind Shadow]

Thank you everyone for your reviews. Though, Ulthor, you should probably read the rules before you try to help others, thanks anyway for what you tried to do.

I did take your advice to expand a bit more about 'milking' to the bio. Just to be absolutely clear about it.

I also expanded upon KindShadow's personality as requested. Though, I think I may have started to ramble a bit. I hope that's enough. I'm still getting a feel for him, so it might be a bit confusing. It might be downright contradictory at some points, but remember he is a... pony... (imaginary) ...but... what I mean is... its his prerogative to change his mind, and he subject to the mood or condition he is in... I'll know how he is going to react to a situation when he is in that situation, but tried to express the general feel for him. I hope that is enough... and not too much. O_O

[brianblackberry]

Unicron is pleased with your tag.

[Kind Shadow]

That's a funny joke and all... But it was made in the first post after my app.

I've been waiting a long time to see if this app is okay... I just assumed that the were helping the oldest topics... Mine was finally the oldest topic, but I still don't know if the changes I made were enough or not. It's a bit frustrating.

[BlindJester]

That's a funny joke and all... But it was made in the first post after my app.

I've been waiting a long time to see if this app is okay... I just assumed that the were helping the oldest topics... Mine was finally the oldest topic, but I still don't know if the changes I made were enough or not. It's a bit frustrating.

I'm very sorry! We usually have Diomedes look over these sorts of apps since this is more of his forte, but lately he's been a little stressed with real life and I don't want to do anything that might contradict or send this app in the wrong direction. I'm quite sorry for the wait I'll see if there will be any other staff members to help or if Dio has enough time to give this app one more look over since he already has a foot in the door.

[brianblackberry]

As Dio is pretty busy at the moment, I chatted with him over this and decided to go over the app in his steed. It is looking pretty good and I am amazed by the detail you put into his life as well as answer all the basic questions I would have. I am thinking if his family is well-known, then he may be treated well by the regents; if not, then he may be mistrusted by the local government, especially if he's a drifter without an established practice and headquarters. This is just another plot hook for you for him.

Oh we just call it special talent, "super special talent" sounds a little too silly even for FiM. The app is looking great though so I am stamping it.

For Great Justice

[Skye]

I don't see anything terribly wrong with this app. Monster Hunting is a profession that is acceptable, if a bit unusual, for a pony but who's to say there aren't more adventurous types? After all, in previous canon, we know there are ponies who were dragon hunters so it's not all that unusual.

[Kind Shadow]

I understand that real life comes first, so I don't mind the wait. I was just a bit frustrated because it seemed like that joke would send my app back to the end of the list. Thanks for pushing it through, and approving it.