[Mok's Scrapbook] Real Talk.

by **Mok** on February 20th, 2012, 12:01 am

Initial Inspiration

When I first joined Mizahar back in the Summer I spent about a week and a half sorting out through all the lore and information on the site. It was an exciting time for me. I was very psyched up to roleplay on the website and I was very active in chat asking questions. I still remember pestering Siiri with endless questions about the Myrians. After a week of reading, all that I had concluded was that I wanted to play one of those savage warriors. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I most definitely wanted be one of those cannibals. There was a problem though, I couldn't think of any ideas! But that was not a problem though I found my inspiration quickly.

This is how I first got the idea for Mok:

I was going through a lot difficulties in my life when I first joined Mizahar. I had just finished my football career in a devastating way. It really hit me heard. It was almost unbearable for me to continue with my life after the news hit me. I decided to join my local community college's team and earn my degree. I was going places, and to top it all off I was good enough to get noticed by different colleges. I worked hard every day to get my Associates in Science, but finally I got it. Next I transferred to a small school on the New Mexico/Texas border to continue my education. I never thought that I would be going to college. Although both my parents went to UCLA back in the day, I never saw myself in their shoes.

But that came to an end. After only three years, my football career came to an abrupt end. It meant ALOT to me and it still does. I was depressed and I needed to find something to fill me time. I know that sounds terrible, but that is how I came to Mizahar.

Moving back to Los Angeles, I found a job working in a dog food factory. I had went from a college student fulfilling his dreams, do a petching factory worker. I was pissed and depressed. This is when the seeds of Mok's character began to be planted.

The moment that I actually came up with Mok's concept though was when I had just finished watching the movie "Blood in, Blood out." Its a film from the 90s set in 1970s and 80s Los Angeles. It is a gritty crime story about a man named Miklo who is a half mexican and half white. He struggles to gain acceptance from the mexican gangs which he identifies with. This is where Mok started to take shape. That is when I decided that my character would be a half-blood. My character's basic conept was born. He would be a man struggling with his identity because his blood was tainted. I was already enthralled with the Myrian race, so what better race to execute the concept. Luckily for me, the myrian culture and society really helped me set up a back story that fueled this concept of interracial conflict.

In other words, the movie directly inspired me to create a half-blood myrian, gangster. I also used Damian Chapa as my character model as well! Keep tuned! More on how I created Mok later!

(This is such a classic picture. I used to sometimes envision the members of the Crimson Edge lined up like this.)

by **Mok** on February 20th, 2012, 9:46 am

Backstory Inspiration

I get a lot of my inspiration and ideas by listening to music. I like to get into the groove of the song and formulate ideas from it. I sit back, relax, smoke a cig, and listen to an album before writing my posts. I even pick albums with themes that I want to portray in my post. For example, if I want to make a post about Mok's dark side then I will listen to Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre etc. Gritty music for gritty rp right? If I want to produce another feeling from the post then I will listen to another artist. Sometimes I will even write posts inspired directly by a sing song.

Lyrics are important to me as well. The song's words can have an effect on how a paint an image in my mind. One of the first albums that I began to get inspiration from was "A Farewell to Kings" by Rush. The second track of the album, "Xanadu" is where I got a lot of my imagery and motivation for Mok's myrian side. The song is based on the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coolridge. When I listen to this song I picture the wild jungles of the Faylndar in my mind.

In the beginning of the song I picture Mok looking down on a section of the jungle from a high ridge, peering over a vast a dense landscape. It is something for him to conquer. BOOM, then the riff hits. I now picture Mok running through the jungles half naked in joy. It his home. It is the jungle wilds that he knows and loves. As the song continues, more and more images of my character going through the forest pop in my head. Mok learning the ways of the forest, learning wilderness survival, seeing all the animals. As the song slows and the lyrics begin I now see Mok navigating through the jungle, leading non-myrians as a guide. The jungle was once sacred to Mok. It was a huge part of his life.

Xanadu is a truly epic song, especially if you listen to the version from their live album, "Exit Stage Left" (the video linked above). The song really hits a cord deep in my heart. I petching love Rush to no end. Check out 4:35-5:05. That part gives me chills. I don't know what it is yet, but that whole guitar riff and bass slap and drum roll really gets to me. I envision Mok standing proud above the forest after conquering all the demons in his life an returning to Taloba.

It is an emotional song of melancholic joy and that is an attribute that I try to bring into my character: bittersweet triumph. A lot of Mok's threads end with victory, but for a price. Whether it is a beating, some terrible wounds, or emotional/spiritual scaring, Mok will never return from an encounter (of any sorts) without paying the price.

One of Mok's favorite quotes is "I will pay the price, but I will not count the cost."

I got this idea from a Rush song as well: "Bravado". The song is truly beautiful. It talks about different instances when humans do something regardless of what the outcome is. This really truely hit home for me. If you don't understand what I mean by this think of this: soldiers. Soldiers lay their lives down for our country. Their job is to do the dangerous dirty work, so that others may have their own lifestyle here in America. They pay the price, but they do not count the cost. They do it anyways.

This is a HUGE part of Mok's character. He will always sacrifice himself for the good of the Crimson Edge. He is loyal to his comrades til bittersweet end. This quote truly shows Mok's view on life.

Alright thats enough for now, at least now I know what to write about for my next post