HOW'S MY DRIVING?
Jan. 27th, 2013 03:44 pmI'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite HMD on Dreamwidth!
IC CONTACT
Jan. 25th, 2013 06:06 pmThis is Commander Shepard. Leave a message, I'll check back when I can.
Character Info
Name: Commander Raquel Shepard
(pronounced just like "Rachel", that's just how it's spelled! c:)
Age: Shepard was born in April 11, 2154 and the Reaper invasion of Earth starts June 6, 2186. Minus the two years Shepard was technically dead, that brings it down to 30.
Reference: Mass Effect wiki
History: here
Canon Point: on their way to Cerberus' base!
World Information: Mass Effect is a series that takes place over 150 years in our future. In 2148, humanity discovers how to travel beyond the solar system to the wider galaxy and encounters many more advanced alien species like turian, asari, and salarian. The main story of ME takes place about forty years later, focusing on Commander Shepard of the Earth Systems Alliance Navy, discovering a beacon left behind by an ancient (and extinct) species, the Protheans, trying to warn any who found it about the Reapers, a race of near-invincible, massive sentient machines that wipe out all advanced organic life every 50,000 years. The whole series focuses on Shepard's fight to warn the rest of the galaxy and make them believe the threat, and also fighting them on her own terms.
Personality:
It would be easy to say that Shepard, having grown up on Earth in the dirty underbelly of its megatropolises, eventually became the ruthless leader of one of the many gangs vying for dominance of resources in that hellhole. With her natural charisma and ferocious determination to live, it's not a bad conclusion to come to.
But Raquel Shepard chose differently.
Yes, life down in the pits was tough. One relied on one's wits and fellow gang members alone, but it's that usually the darkest situations where the human spirit shines brightest. It honed her sense of protectiveness, of family, of close-knit important people; as a result, she developed a sense of empathy rather than otherwise. Still no sunshine and daisies, her life forced her to polish her abilities as a soldier, and she had good teachers and a knack for it already.
She dreamed of a better life, though. At the encouragement of her ragtag family, Shepard enlisted into the Alliance Navy at 18. Her respect for authority came from her home gang having good leaders, and loyalty being a good asset to staying alive (others looking to keep you that way as well), so she ran into few problems outside of learning discipline and patience. She learned quickly how to be a more deadly soldier, and how to apply her experiences in life to a wider galaxy. Just as importantly, she found happiness in solidarity and camaraderie, smoothing some of the rougher edges.
This would all come in handy on Elysium. While on shore leave there, a huge group of batarian forces - the Skyllian Blitz - attacked the colony with all intention of wiping it out. Everything Shepard had ever learned on the streets and in the barracks was tested here; with her natural persuasive charm, she rallied the citizens to join in defending their home, and with her new military training, she was able to single-handedly hold off the enemy and seal the breach to defend until reinforcements arrived, thereby saving the colony and countless civilian lives. She was regarded by Alliance and Elysium alike as a hero from that moment.
It never went to her head. Though she's open to appreciation, she learned at an early age that the needs of the group outweigh the needs of the one - a philosophy she sticks to throughout her career, sacrificing herself and sometimes her reputation for the better good of humanity, if not the galaxy. Sometimes...that includes casualties, but it's never a decision she makes lightly, and though she thinks it's ultimately better for 10 billion to die so 20 billion can live, those kinds of decisions weigh heavily on her.
So when there were reports of strange geth attacks, Alliance brass deemed her perfect for the job of investigating. And so began her MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.
Emotionally, Shepard's incredibly mature and intuitive. She has an almost uncanny ability to know just what to do and/or say to defuse a situation, and usually leave it improved. This is equally true when putting on her "public" face in front of a reporter's camera or trying to assure a squadmate. Though Shepard is equally candid in public or private, her passion tends to come through more often in front of a group yet she keeps her own feelings in check, and with a friend her fervor is quieter but she's more willing to talk about her own side in things. That passion and her talent for when to use it and how much is part of what makes her so convincing and charismatic; being openly passionate in front of a group - like her squadmates - is what inspires them to believe in her cause; being quietly fervent when talking to a single person is what inspires them to believe in her.
Even then, Shepard is pretty self-reliant emotionally (maybe a little too much), and shares little of any burden she carries with others. This is even true if she is in a relationship with a squadmate or crew member; she won't offer emotional vulnerability, but will reveal it if asked, and even that's admitted more by the weight in her voice than by the few words she expresses it with. No matter how well she turned out despite it, her background isn't without trauma and mess; it's pretty easy to see that she spoke from experience when she told Jack: "Find strength in it. You move on, harder and tougher."
She's also managed to find that rare and coveted sweet spot of being able to accept compliments and having excellent self-confidence, but is still genuinely modest. If someone tells her that she's a beacon of hope to people, she graciously takes it and is glad to be helping boost morale, and yet she also turns around and calls herself a "normal soldier". It was a difficult equilibrium to find, especially considering how rare it is among any sapient individual, achieved through much trial and error in her early years of military service. Up until that point, she was pretty self-effacing due the near conformist attitude of undercity life; the group before you, survival before self.
Shepard's pretty diplomatic for someone who hates being involved in politics, and oddly unwilling to resort to violence for someone with such an upbringing. The high empathy could also be called unusual for that circumstance...but the truth is that she always had that empathy, and it was something she hung on to and refined through hard lessons rather than discarded. She's not naive or idealistic; she'll resort to threats or displays of toughness to get her way if she has to, and though violence is always a last resort, it's almost never quite off the table. However, Shepard prefers to talk down a situation first if she can with near masterful articulation. Sure, she's not always...nice or tactful, but she tends to get the job done, and usually most everybody's happy with the results.
This humble player knows her skill in writing an application with some humor is fairly sub-par, but don't let that fool you into thinking that Shepard is humorless! For all the heavy situations Shepard has to deal with, she's typically up for a laugh or sarcastic banter with her crew and squad, enjoying teasing and friendly mockery. She works hard even when not on a mission, but she enjoys drinking and sitting around telling hilarious stories as much as anyone else. She'll get up and dance, even, but don't expect to be impressed - it's apparently the one thing she's unbelievably terrible at.
Abilities, Weaknesses, and Power Limitations: Shepard is a perfect Soldier; able to use any and all manner of weaponry with ease and precision. She has no biotic or tech abilities, instead relying on weapons and, if necessary, brute force and close combat. Therefore, her shields can be easily overwhelmed by powerful abilities and leave her exposed. She was always physically adept, but the reconstruction of her body thanks to Cerberus has made her downright formidable.
That said, Shepard is still human, apparently a more fragile species compared to most older races like asari, turian, or krogan.
Inventory: omni-tool, N7 armor and helmet, Alliance uniform
Appearance: squad shot!
Alternate Universe Info
If AU, how is your version different from canon, and how will that come across?
the Shepard of Outsiders is more purely Paragorn than mine; rather than saving the Council, mine chose the fleet, rather than destroying the Collector base, she saved it. She took the shot to take down Udina, rather than Kaidan. The rest is nitpicky details that make any Shepard different from another, though by-and-large Raquel is mostly a Paragon.
Name: Commander Raquel Shepard
(pronounced just like "Rachel", that's just how it's spelled! c:)
Age: Shepard was born in April 11, 2154 and the Reaper invasion of Earth starts June 6, 2186. Minus the two years Shepard was technically dead, that brings it down to 30.
Reference: Mass Effect wiki
History: here
Canon Point: on their way to Cerberus' base!
World Information: Mass Effect is a series that takes place over 150 years in our future. In 2148, humanity discovers how to travel beyond the solar system to the wider galaxy and encounters many more advanced alien species like turian, asari, and salarian. The main story of ME takes place about forty years later, focusing on Commander Shepard of the Earth Systems Alliance Navy, discovering a beacon left behind by an ancient (and extinct) species, the Protheans, trying to warn any who found it about the Reapers, a race of near-invincible, massive sentient machines that wipe out all advanced organic life every 50,000 years. The whole series focuses on Shepard's fight to warn the rest of the galaxy and make them believe the threat, and also fighting them on her own terms.
Personality:
It would be easy to say that Shepard, having grown up on Earth in the dirty underbelly of its megatropolises, eventually became the ruthless leader of one of the many gangs vying for dominance of resources in that hellhole. With her natural charisma and ferocious determination to live, it's not a bad conclusion to come to.
But Raquel Shepard chose differently.
Yes, life down in the pits was tough. One relied on one's wits and fellow gang members alone, but it's that usually the darkest situations where the human spirit shines brightest. It honed her sense of protectiveness, of family, of close-knit important people; as a result, she developed a sense of empathy rather than otherwise. Still no sunshine and daisies, her life forced her to polish her abilities as a soldier, and she had good teachers and a knack for it already.
She dreamed of a better life, though. At the encouragement of her ragtag family, Shepard enlisted into the Alliance Navy at 18. Her respect for authority came from her home gang having good leaders, and loyalty being a good asset to staying alive (others looking to keep you that way as well), so she ran into few problems outside of learning discipline and patience. She learned quickly how to be a more deadly soldier, and how to apply her experiences in life to a wider galaxy. Just as importantly, she found happiness in solidarity and camaraderie, smoothing some of the rougher edges.
This would all come in handy on Elysium. While on shore leave there, a huge group of batarian forces - the Skyllian Blitz - attacked the colony with all intention of wiping it out. Everything Shepard had ever learned on the streets and in the barracks was tested here; with her natural persuasive charm, she rallied the citizens to join in defending their home, and with her new military training, she was able to single-handedly hold off the enemy and seal the breach to defend until reinforcements arrived, thereby saving the colony and countless civilian lives. She was regarded by Alliance and Elysium alike as a hero from that moment.
It never went to her head. Though she's open to appreciation, she learned at an early age that the needs of the group outweigh the needs of the one - a philosophy she sticks to throughout her career, sacrificing herself and sometimes her reputation for the better good of humanity, if not the galaxy. Sometimes...that includes casualties, but it's never a decision she makes lightly, and though she thinks it's ultimately better for 10 billion to die so 20 billion can live, those kinds of decisions weigh heavily on her.
So when there were reports of strange geth attacks, Alliance brass deemed her perfect for the job of investigating. And so began her MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.
Emotionally, Shepard's incredibly mature and intuitive. She has an almost uncanny ability to know just what to do and/or say to defuse a situation, and usually leave it improved. This is equally true when putting on her "public" face in front of a reporter's camera or trying to assure a squadmate. Though Shepard is equally candid in public or private, her passion tends to come through more often in front of a group yet she keeps her own feelings in check, and with a friend her fervor is quieter but she's more willing to talk about her own side in things. That passion and her talent for when to use it and how much is part of what makes her so convincing and charismatic; being openly passionate in front of a group - like her squadmates - is what inspires them to believe in her cause; being quietly fervent when talking to a single person is what inspires them to believe in her.
Even then, Shepard is pretty self-reliant emotionally (maybe a little too much), and shares little of any burden she carries with others. This is even true if she is in a relationship with a squadmate or crew member; she won't offer emotional vulnerability, but will reveal it if asked, and even that's admitted more by the weight in her voice than by the few words she expresses it with. No matter how well she turned out despite it, her background isn't without trauma and mess; it's pretty easy to see that she spoke from experience when she told Jack: "Find strength in it. You move on, harder and tougher."
She's also managed to find that rare and coveted sweet spot of being able to accept compliments and having excellent self-confidence, but is still genuinely modest. If someone tells her that she's a beacon of hope to people, she graciously takes it and is glad to be helping boost morale, and yet she also turns around and calls herself a "normal soldier". It was a difficult equilibrium to find, especially considering how rare it is among any sapient individual, achieved through much trial and error in her early years of military service. Up until that point, she was pretty self-effacing due the near conformist attitude of undercity life; the group before you, survival before self.
Shepard's pretty diplomatic for someone who hates being involved in politics, and oddly unwilling to resort to violence for someone with such an upbringing. The high empathy could also be called unusual for that circumstance...but the truth is that she always had that empathy, and it was something she hung on to and refined through hard lessons rather than discarded. She's not naive or idealistic; she'll resort to threats or displays of toughness to get her way if she has to, and though violence is always a last resort, it's almost never quite off the table. However, Shepard prefers to talk down a situation first if she can with near masterful articulation. Sure, she's not always...nice or tactful, but she tends to get the job done, and usually most everybody's happy with the results.
This humble player knows her skill in writing an application with some humor is fairly sub-par, but don't let that fool you into thinking that Shepard is humorless! For all the heavy situations Shepard has to deal with, she's typically up for a laugh or sarcastic banter with her crew and squad, enjoying teasing and friendly mockery. She works hard even when not on a mission, but she enjoys drinking and sitting around telling hilarious stories as much as anyone else. She'll get up and dance, even, but don't expect to be impressed - it's apparently the one thing she's unbelievably terrible at.
Abilities, Weaknesses, and Power Limitations: Shepard is a perfect Soldier; able to use any and all manner of weaponry with ease and precision. She has no biotic or tech abilities, instead relying on weapons and, if necessary, brute force and close combat. Therefore, her shields can be easily overwhelmed by powerful abilities and leave her exposed. She was always physically adept, but the reconstruction of her body thanks to Cerberus has made her downright formidable.
That said, Shepard is still human, apparently a more fragile species compared to most older races like asari, turian, or krogan.
Inventory: omni-tool, N7 armor and helmet, Alliance uniform
Appearance: squad shot!
Alternate Universe Info
If AU, how is your version different from canon, and how will that come across?
the Shepard of Outsiders is more purely Paragorn than mine; rather than saving the Council, mine chose the fleet, rather than destroying the Collector base, she saved it. She took the shot to take down Udina, rather than Kaidan. The rest is nitpicky details that make any Shepard different from another, though by-and-large Raquel is mostly a Paragon.
