lifeaftr ; application

[pallidscops]

Player Information
Name: Squish
Age: 26
Contact: squishv4, and discord @ Squish#5866
Current characters: Luna (holdmyhand)

Character Information
Name: Otus
Series: Owlboy
Appearance: Here!
Age: No in game age was given, but I would wager that he's probably about 14.
Canon Point: After Advent is destroyed.

Canon History:

There is not much history given about Otus pre-game, other than he spent his life growing up in Vellie, a small village in the sky. Born mute and grown self-conscious, Otus grew around the dreary notion that he was a nuisance, and that the other people of the village resented him for his inability to function as a full-blown owl, while still a student himself. He grew under the tutelage of his very strict mentor, Asio, who is also an owl. It should be said that Asio was very tough on Otus, and while Otus always gave his best and tried very hard, he struggled immensely.

Otus always had Geddy, though! Best friend, former soldier, and blaster specialist, Geddy and Otus were practically inseparable. Geddy is something of Otus' protector-- there are several times in game where the green mechanic steps in to defend his mute friend, and truly he is one who understands Otus, even without speech. The story actually begins with Geddy and Otus rushing after a suspicious figure, trying to protect their little village. The two sink into an amazing Owl Temple, where they get tangled up by the suspicious figure and lulled into his distraction. When they emerge, they witness something entirely unlike what they left behind: a pirate invasion. Between the two of them, they get to safety, and after stealing... something from Vellie, the pirate evacuate and move on towards Advent, one of the larger and more well protected cities of the sky. Otus is blamed heavily by Asio for being too carefree and not doing a proper job of guarding his post...to which Geddy comes to his aide. It really hard being a mute and defending yourself, and especially in Otus' case. Poor little thing.

Needless to say, with the attack on Advent so clearly set in motion by the pirates, Asio sends Otus (and bff Geddy!) to go and flip the mechanism used to disperse the islands in the sky. The skylands. It basically throws wind against the islands and separates them-- which would potentially aide in Advent's defense against the pirates. On the way, they meet Alphonse, a dramatic robot built with his own AI that helps him decide what he wants to do and what he doesn't. "Whatever manner thought best to serve," and Alphonse decided to put it toward acting, but got rounded up into a terrible, bloodthirsty army. He tags along with them after abandoning their pirate captain, a mechanical monster called Molstrom, who clearly didn't care for his crew after sending them through an almost suicidally close bunch of islands.

The three grow close, and despite Alphonse playing for the pirates before their meeting, Otus easily trusts him and respects him. Otus, in fact, plays a huge role as mediator in his group despite being the only one unable to speak. The three work their way upwards still, toward Advent, and infiltrate the pirate captain's ship to destroy it by blowing up the engine...and with a little enthusiastic work from Geddy, they do in fact, do a big 'splodey. The engine erupts, and the trio escapes to the top deck of the ship with their lives, and an eagerness that accompanies their success.

It is short lived.

Molstrom emerges onto the desk with them, and Alphonse disperses in fear. Otus cowers in fear while Geddy is tossed aside like a used tissue. You have to fly away. There is only fear in the air. No one can move, until Molstrom knocks him off the deck and into the air beneath them. A front row seat, for Otus, to the destruction of Advent into several hundred pieces. He passes out on the way down, toward the lower islands and ocean beneath them..

...and then wakes up on the islands of Mu.

Canon Personality:

Otus is, in a word...trusting. Friendly and empathetic toward almost all things, the small owl is always there to help a friend, and mediate between arguments...even if he can't speak. The inability to speak only keeps Otus from verbally communicating, however. Being what it is, he often uses physical cues to show his feelings on any matter, and can also whistle to express himself.

He also has a somewhat negative mindset when it comes to himself. Useless. Nobody needs him. Easily replaced. Things like this and more plague his soft mind when it comes to dealing with other people, and while it sometimes can act as a crutch beneath his arm, sometimes it is what drives him to make things right. Otus is a good child, and while more cowardly than most, he can be brave in the face of danger when it comes to protecting his friends and the people he cares for.

However...Otus is pretty cowardly, and mostly a pacifist of his own accord. With no real hatred in his body, he either loves and respects someone, or he's horribly afraid of them. When he becomes afraid, he tends to hold his head and tremble fearfully, which is another physical sign that he relays without having a voice. He doesn't argue when someone is upset with him, or make any moves that would insinuate Otus is trying to defend himself. He just...takes it, and anything that he's given, under the pretense that he deserves it. He isn't good enough, and though he knows that he tries hard, this is the punishment he deserves.

All that being said, Otus is generally a pretty happy, upbeat fellow who loves to meet new people and make friends. He trusts first before asking questions, and takes problems head on, trying to prove himself to others, even when he doesn't need to.

Personality Shifts:

This character is a true silent protagonist...literally! There are no choices in which a player can make that would effect his character at all. Everything is staged to proceed in a certain order.

Abilities:

Otus can fly. Yep. That's right. His Owl Cloak creates the ability to fly. Paired together with that, he is exceptionally strong (he carries around a robot who is much, much larger than him, estimated to be about as heavy as a few large cannonballs), and a relatively quick thinker. He can knock foes down with a fast spin (by thanks of his cloak) and can roll around both in the air and against the ground, which gives him a great level of both endurance and dexterity.

That being said, here are his suggested nerfs:
Flight : He can still fly, but he can't fly higher than the island, and leaving the shores in air beyond the shallow line of any coast of any island will wear him out, and he'll fall. This will force him to take the same travel routes between islands as other characters.
Strength: Carrying things is fine. Anything carried in the air needs to be lighter than 50 lbs to be carried upwards, but carrying them across (in a horizontal motion) is fine, as long as it isn't far (about 200 feet maximum). Carrying things with less heft than that can be carried also, but Otus will grow tired over a short amount of time, and cannot keep himself airborne forever.

He can also still roll and hit things, but his cloak offers no physical strength. Instead of inflicting injury, the wind from his spin can knock an average person over, should he spin fast enough.

Inventory:

- An Owl Cloak. These are exceptionally rare, since the owl numbers have decreased dramatically in the history provided in game. They are sought after because they provide flight. This being what it is, it appears to take some diligence and concentration to make them work. Otus cannot fly extremely high with them, but once he is airborne he can move on a more horizontal plane with ease.
- A Dorky Hat. It's useless, but well loved. Can be blown away relatively easy.
- A Nice Canteen. It's so nice! There used to be soup in it, but it's empty now.

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