application to tu shanshu.

[For anyone interested in watching Wakfu: this app contains a stupid amount of spoilers.]



Player Information:
Name: Doc
Age: 22
Contact: drnolicense / ornithophobic(at)gmail(dot)com
Game Cast: n/a

Character Information:
Name: Qilby
Canon: Wakfu
Canon Point: Just after leaving through the portal from the Sadida Kingdom (with Adamaï and Grougaloragran in tow); prior to S02E20.
Age: Technically just a little younger than his universe, thanks to the magic of reincarnation. But 10,054 is a decent estimate on his current life cycle.
Reference: It's a foreign media, so wiki articles in English are few and far in between. The English Wikipedia for the series is here, but if you can read French then this is far more in-depth. It's also got a TV Tropes page!

Setting:
The world of Wakfu was born of the union between two equal and opposing forces: a goddess of creation, and a dragon deity of destruction. Their separate spheres of influence -- Wakfu and Stasis respectively, the cosmic energies they represent -- permeate the entire universe. Think the light side and dark sides of the Force. While Wakfu is a gently flowing, benevolent power, Stasis is a volatile and turbulent energy.

Shortly after the creation of the universe (known as the Krosmoz), the Great Goddess of Wakfu decided she needed some children to populate all that space, so she created the Eliatropes: the first, and arguably greatest people the Krosmoz had ever seen. Using the ability to harness Wakfu, and their close ties to the dragons (after all, their father was the Great Dragon) they carved out a great civilization for themselves in one corner of the newborn universe.

The first six Eliatropes and their bonded dragon siblings were known as the Council of Twelve. They were quite different from the others in that each pair of siblings were born of a Dofus -- a dragon egg. Upon their death their Wakfu doesn't rejoin the universe like everyone else's does, but rather returns to their original egg. When both siblings' Wakfu are in the egg, the two are reborn. So thus, the Council of Twelve were all effectively immortal, and used that blessing to help govern their people for all time as their Goddess intended.

Qilby was one of these six Eliatropes-- and he was even more unique than the rest. Out of all his siblings, he was the only one to retain his memories from life to life. And although a perfect, undying memory had its advantages when you were the scientific pioneer of your people, its costs far outweighed its benefits. Over the centuries, the millennia, the burden of his memories eventually got to him. He'd charted every inch of his planet, and although his studies provided him some new experiences and knowledge to feed his starving mind, it wasn't enough. In order to keep himself sane, he believed he needed to explore the rest of the Krosmoz.

Of course, the rest of the Eliatropes weren't going to voluntarily leave behind the world they'd built, so Qilby did the next best thing: he secretly instigated a war against a neighboring race by stealing the heart of their youngest member, Orgonax (literally, not figuratively.) Seeing how this was a race of ten story-tall giant metal murderbots, this didn't go over so well. Still, it did basically what Qilby intended: a million Eliatrope casualties later, everyone shuttled off the planet into the cold recesses of space. Using the heart he'd stolen, Qilby created an extremely powerful Wakfu catalyst: the Eliacube. While Eliatropes were capable of great feats of Wakfu manipulation on their own, the Eliacube multiplied these powers exponentially. It was this device that made space travel possible, hopping from planet to planet and taking the Wakfu they needed along the way.

Eventually the Eliatropes settled down on another planet, which would much much later come to be known as the World of Twelve. Long story short, generations passed and their past enemies come back to haunt them. Orgonax, searching for the heart that was taken from him, found the World of Twelve and war came to the Eliatropes once more. It was during this time that Qilby's original treachery was revealed and, as punishment, the king at the time banished him to a lonely dimension outside time and space for what was to be forever (or close to it.)

And so that's how the first and greatest civilization the Krosmoz has ever seen was put in near-extinction by a guy who was bored out of his mind. The ensuing battle left the planet a ravaged husk for thousands of years to come. The Eliatrope race was wiped out, save for a few dragons of the Council of Twelve and most notably their Dofuses containing their siblings. But with the Eliatrope children locked away in another dimension, preserved in time so that they may one day be brought back into the world, there was hope for their people.

Millennia pass before life returns to the World of Twelve in the form of its first gods and goddesses. After it's a place fit for inhabitants once more, it's populated with the reincarnated spirits of heroes from all over the Krosmoz. Allegiance to a faith grants one the powers and form of their chosen deity, and thus the "races" of the World of Twelve are born. A world packed with the spirits of great heroes is about as hectic as you might think, what with everyone trying to carve out a legend for themselves. Exploring dungeons, fighting bosses, and getting sweet loot is all in a day's work for the average adventurer here. But in other ways, life is very simple: technology hasn't progressed beyond steam power, and even that's exclusive just to certain factions, nowhere near the level of advancement the World's forebears had achieved.

But although the Eliatropes died out long ago, their influence still remains. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the great mountain Zinit is actually the spaceship the Eliatropes used to come to the World of Twelve in the first place. Zaap gates -- portal archways -- allow travelers to cross great distances instantly without having to use a boat. And the Eliatropes' most powerful artifact, the Eliacube, still exists (granting immense power to people that can't handle it. Also setting up the conflict in both seasons of the show.)

The four great nations of Bonta, Amakna, Sufokia, and Brakmar constantly feud amongst one another -- especially in modern times, following the great flood known as Ogrest's Chaos that left half the world submerged. Land is sparse, and resources even sparser. The roads are plagued with bandits and other threats. Crazy time mages get their hands on ancient alien artifacts of unimaginable power and try and break the world. You know, just a day in the life.

One day, the Dofus of the former Eliatrope king hatches, and Yugo and his dragon brother Adamaï are brought back into the world once more. Left with a simple, good-hearted innkeeper to raise him, and without any knowledge of his legacy, he's just waiting for the day when he can discover his roots and bring his people back. Whether or not the World is ready for the Eliatropes and all their power, however, remains to be seen… Especially as Yugo accidentally uses the Eliacube to release Qilby from his prison. Yugo may not remember anything that happened all those millennia ago, but Qilby certainly does and -- masquerading as the king of the long-lost race -- he's got a lot of catching up to do.

Personality:
Qilby is, first and foremost, a scientist. Described as "a brilliant but fragile mind," he is inquisitive, thorough, and skeptical. Gifted with great intelligence, he's used his talents to invent devices to better the lives of his people. His immortal status also grants him a unique foresight, knowing that he'll always have more time to improve his work during lives upon lives for all eternity.

There's one caveat to his immortality, however, and it's one unique to him: he's the only one out of the Council of Twelve who can remember his past lives. This means he's also got millennia upon millennia of experience under his belt (or giant hat, if you will.) While this may sound like a gift, it's truly a burden: although there are the good moments and memories, he also has the responsibility of carrying the knowledge of all his people's past mistakes while watching them repeat them or try to cover them up in the present. For a man who has deep pride and a strong sense of cultural identity, this is undoubtedly painful.

And so, it's after thousands of years of this that he seems to have taken it upon himself to learn the "true way of Wakfu." A dissident, he'd challenge conceived notions of Eliatrope life. Lack of faith in the Goddess would eventually become a lack of faith in his own fellow rulers; he'd grow to detest "the secrets, the taboos." Knowing that outright confrontation rarely got the results he wanted, he'd resort to subtler methods of rebellion. He'd even conduct forbidden research on Stasis, pure destructive energy that was believed to be the antithesis of Wakfu. These are all likely reasons he'd been passed over for a position as king -- which happens to be an extremely sore point for him. As mentioned before, he takes great pride in his capabilities, and craves recognition for it. Recognition he never felt he got, apparently. He grew very angry after being left out of the former king Chibi's will -- all his worldly possessions went to Chibi's lover, Mina, and the throne went to Yugo. It was really no secret how buttmad he was over this.

In any case, imagine that happening century after century after century since the beginning of time with no end in sight: seeing what he considered weaknesses bringing down his people, attempting to call them out, quarreling with his family, and ultimately failing to do anything of note. Over and over and over again. It's little wonder he went mad.

Qilby eventually came to the realization that the way of Wakfu was to remain in motion, "feeding on other systems, and progressing forever and ever." This is a belief influenced not only by his unique state of mind, but by the original teachings of the prophet-king Chibi who he rather admired. He loathed the sedentary lifestyle his people had adopted once more following their excommunication to the World of Twelve, especially after all the effort he'd put into making sure they never settled down like that ever again. He saw a potential for greatness that was just being tossed away, wasted. And most importantly, he was desperate for something new and different -- as he says, his planet had simply become too small for him.

Qilby's ultimate motivations and goals revolve around bringing his people back and convincing them to follow his "real way of the Wakfu": to hop from planet to planet, draining them dry of Wakfu and forever progressing ever further into the endless Krosmoz. His belief in this philosophy is so strong, that he'd even start wars and sacrifice millions of his people to get them off their planet. He doesn't enjoy feeling the "need" to kill his family: it's mostly just frustrating. Frustrating, but necessary.

It's good for him that all his lives and experiences have given him plenty of practice lying. You kind of need to be a good actor when you've become a rather arrogant, egotistical creep; otherwise, how would his family ever trust him life after life? By all appearances, he's wise, charming, and well-spoken: the very picture of the king he always wanted to be. Even telling bald-faced lies, he can orate with proper regality. He's a great, charismatic storyteller, able to impress many people with his vast experience and knowledge-- and yet, he's endlessly curious about the world he's been reintroduced to. He's the kind of guy you couldn't ever imagine being angry or vindictive or at all manipulative.

Beneath, however, is a man who's seen too much and been let down far too often, and who has become needlessly cruel in his search for power. A once-great mind has been twisted into a cunning, Machiavellian machinist. Entire civilizations, planets, and lives are merely stepping stones towards greater Eliatrope power. Limits are for people who haven't lived for millennia and whose technology and magic aren't way beyond what anyone else has ever accomplished. He's shamelessly arrogant about it too: he doesn't even have any trouble laughing at himself and his own mistakes in battle when he knows he's ultimately the one at-ease, the one in control.

But even as he sets himself above, apart from everyone else, what he fears most is solitude. He could easily go off exploring the universe on his own, but he needs his family by his side. Ten thousand years of complete isolation, imposed on him by his own brother, only further broke him in that regard. Even while he claims he's prepared to fight and even kill his kin for standing in his way, it's like he does every little thing he can to make sure that doesn't happen.

Qilby is a contradiction. He may be his people's greatest ally, or their worst enemy. He's worthy of pity or fright, of admiration or disgust. There are still many questions about him left unanswered, but one thing's for certain: while once he had noble intentions, he's gone awry and is now willing to do anything to restore his people to their former glory. Because as far as he can tell, he's the only one that can.

In Tu Vishan, he'll find something unexpected: an experience he's never had in any of his past lives. The triviality of death and the endless cycle of rebirth is one of the numerous constants of his existence. He's charted his universe and seen things that no one else alive has ever seen… But never before has he escaped his cycle of life and death. On one hand it'll be almost cathartic, in a way. For millennia he looked for ways to alleviate the burden of his years through travel and new discoveries, and here he is, having a completely unknown world handed to him on a silver platter (or a turtle, if you want to be specific.) Here, he might have a chance to be content.

Ultimately, however, he'll desire more. He had plans after his accidental release from his prison back in his universe, after all. Great big plans involving space and stuff. Whether he uncovers all this world has to offer, or he pines for his people once more, or he simply doesn't like the way things are run-- eventually he'll decide it's time to move on. And considering he was totally on board with starting a war to do the same thing ten thousand years ago, one that nearly wiped out his own people, it probably won't be pretty when it happens again in a city full of people he couldn't care less about.

Appearance:
A picture!

Rather tall, he matches heights with even the larger characters in the series. Comparing him against the ones with defined heights puts him over seven feet but since that's completely freaking insane, I place him at a bit over six. Thin, gaunt, "well-preserved" is how one character put it. Has a constant lazy, tired look about him though it doesn't extend past his expression: he otherwise carries himself regally, straight and tall. Looks like a guy you couldn't ever imagine getting really angry; has a face made for gentle smiles and warm looks. Missing his left arm just below the shoulder, though it's hard to notice if you don't pay attention. Eliatrope clothing is full of secrets, after all... And no secret is as big as the one concerning what's under that giant hat so characteristic of the race's fashion.

As far as Eliatrope hats go, Qilby's is especially impressive and it could probably eat a smaller person alive if they weren't careful.

Abilities:

• PORTALS All Eliatropes can make portals. They can be big! They can be small! They can transport you, your friends, or even redirect your enemies' attacks! There really are too many imaginative uses of portal magic to describe. But in general: portals require free hands and Wakfu. More Wakfu, and usually outside aid, is required for portals over especially long distances (we're talking beyond a few hundred yards here, for the record.) The user needs no line of sight to create a portal any distance away from himself nor -- in the case of portals created very far away -- does he need to have seen or been to the site before. A mere location on a map seems to suffice. In Tu Shanshu, portal range is restricted to the city of Keeliai and the greater area around Tu Vishan (so no shuttling people off the planet or anything bizarre like that.)
• ENERGY MANIPULATION Wakfu is the energy of life and creation -- kind of like the Force in Star Wars. Most races in the World of Twelve have the ability to channel their own intrinsic Wakfu and turn it into powerful attacks, but thousands of years prior to that Eliatropes took the control of Wakfu and turned it into an art form. They can leech energy from external sources -- plants, animals -- and use it for their own ends. With training, they can even see it, using a kind of Wakfu vision. Qilby, being an adult Eliatrope and master in his own right, can accomplish particularly difficult feats of Wakfu manipulation: drawing on multiple power sources (like the Eliacube) to make a portal to another dimension, for example.
• FIGHTING Specifically in Wakfung, the portal-aided martial arts style unique to the Eliatrope people. Basically just your standard kicky-punchy, but taking complete advantage of the ability to be anywhere on the battlefield at will. Although you wouldn't know it by looking at him, Qilby was allegedly a Grand Master of Wakfung, though his strength lay mostly in his ability to not get hit rather than his ability to hit people. He does also have considerable skill with polearms, but-- you know, he's only got one arm right now.
• FLIGHT Little flight-capable dragon head-wings made of Wakfu -- that's the secret of what's under Eliatrope hats. It's not an ability that anyone frequently takes advantage of (why would they, when they've got portals) but it's there.
• SCIENCE! Qilby was the scientist of his people and he and Eliatrope inventor/prophet/king Chibi performed the bulk of innovation that the race is known for. He created the Wik-Fi network which allowed Eliatropes to communicate over long distances through special plants (i.e. the internet.) He fashioned the Eliacube that did so much for his people's power. He invented the zaap gates, capable of instantly transporting people over vast distances. He performed plenty of dangerous, forbidden research on the volatile energy known as Stasis. He's cured dozens of diseases. He's also got a thing for preserving specimens of extinct species in tubes... For science, or something.
• BATTLE FORM?? Upon a merger with the Eliacube (or perhaps just a great amount of Wakfu) he takes on a sinister, vaguely clownish appearance, quits shirts, gains a new arm made of Wakfu, and has his capabilities multiply exponentially. He can create many portals at once and shoot beams of Wakfu out of his scary arm. He can form a scythe capable of cutting flesh or an opponent's Wakfu itself. He becomes a frickin acrobat and suddenly gets the worst laugh in the world. And he's the one that claims not to be a very good fighter at all. Walking around looking like this basically screams "I'M EVIL," so needless to say he's going to do everything he can to avoid situations where he'd be forced to do so.

Inventory:
One Eliacube. Among other things, it's a personal record device, the interface to connect to the Wik-Fi Network (when it existed) a battery that can store Wakfu for later use and, most notably, a catalyst for that energy that'll multiply the user's powers tenfold -- all in a little box that fits in the palm of your hand! Although anyone can pick it up and gain some benefit from its power-boosting capabilities, Qilby's the only one left alive who's had extensive experience manipulating it. As such, he can pull off some especially crazy crap with it in his possession.

The only other things coming over with him will be the bag he was keeping the Eliacube in, and his hippie space Jesus outfit (including that magnificent hat.)

Suite:
Something sizable in the Fire Sector. While he's a fiend for progress and technology, he's not particularly familiar with the modern trappings that a spot in the Metal Sector might provide. Thus, the more traditional but industrially-inclined Fire Sector would be a happy medium. Plus, he's a king... Sort of! May as well live like one.

He'd enjoy the extra floor for use as a lab, study area, and what's likely to become an entire library if he stays there long enough.