Hi! I'd love any critique on how I'm playing the Signless that you have to give. I know because of his nature as an Ancestor he's a character based very much on the invidual headcanon of the person playing him, but don't be shy! If you think I'm doing something Really No Good Very Bad, I'd much rather know than not.

All comments screened, anon enabled, ip logging off. If you don't want to comment here for any reason, you can reach me through PM via sockpuppet, AIM @ misterporcelain, and mister_inkwell

Thank you so much!

OUT of CHARACTER
Name: Inkwell
Other characters: N/A

IN CHARACTER
Name: The Signless
Fandom: Homestuck
Canon point/AU: From before his execution.
Journal: 69problems
PB: Art, mostly fanart since he doesn't have much in-canon. This is the picture used for him in one of the flashes. (I also highly encourage you to use this picture, because it is beautiful).
History: Here is his wiki link! Unfortunately it's not very comprehensive, and mentions some things that are explained better on other pages, so I'll also add an abbreviated history here.

Before the Signless was Signless, he was Kankri Vantas in an entirely different iteration of his universe on a planet aptly called 'Beforus'. Kankri was loud, obnoxious, and obsessive about social justice in a misguided but well-meaning way. As a mutant-blooded troll whose blood color fell outside the usual hemospectrum, he was inevitably treated differently than his peers, something that made him uncomfortable even if it wasn't necessarily negative treatment in Beforus's very peaceful and loving society.

When he and eleven of his friends played Sgrub, a computer game that ends the world and pulls the players into the game in order to create a new universe, they found themselves woefully unprepared because of that same peaceful society and because of inter-player issues. Kankri attempted to lead, but no one really took him seriously because of his overbearing nature. Eventually, the group decided to 'scratch', or reset the game and their own universe in order to give another group of players a better chance at winning.

This reset created Alternia, the world that most of the Hivebent arc in Homestuck takes place in and where the twelve main trolls eventually played Sgrub and won. Signless's story happens far before that.

Alternian trolls are born as grubs in brooding caverns and must fight their way to the surface and a non-troll caretaker called a lusus that will raise them. The Signless, because of his mutant red blood, had neither a sign to designate his caste (all trolls of all castes have a personal sign) or any lusus that would want him. He would have died as a grub if not for a troll called the Dolorosa, a jadeblood who left her post as a caretaker of the mother grub and instead adopted him to raise as her own, something very unusual for a troll to do. She raised him in the wilds of Alternia, because unlike Beforus, Alternia was a cruel and difficult place for anyone to live, 'different' or otherwise. If he had been found he would have been killed immediately for being genetically impure and unable to offer anything to the continuation of the race.

As he grew, the Signless began to have visions of his life as Kankri on Beforus. It's heavily implied that his powers from the game related to his in-game title of Seer of Blood are behind this, as well as his own mutant blood. Knowing that troll society could be peaceful and loving, he began to tell stories of a better life and a better culture, where longer-lived and more-powerful highbloods protected and respected lowbloods and everyone lived in harmony regardless of blood color. Soon he had a following, including the Psiioniic (a yellowblood with psychic powers) and the Disciple (an oliveblood with whom he shared a very deep and loving relationship, and who recorded his teachings for future generations), who traveled with him and the Dolorosa. All three of them were reincarnations of trolls who had played the game on Beforus with Kankri, as were many others he had contact with over the sweeps.

Eventually the ruler of the Alternian Empire got fed up with what they saw as the very strong beginnings of a people's rebellion and ordered the Signless to be executed. He was captured, shackled with burning manacles, and executed publicly as a show of the Empire's force. It was then that his love for his people and hope for a better future turned to rage and despair, and he died angry and cursing those that once again wouldn't listen to him or take him seriously. It was especially painful because many of those closely involved, including the Alternian Empress herself, were reincarnations of people he had known as Kankri.

I'll be taking him from before his execution; he won't yet know it's going to happen. He's just been traveling happily with his small found family, spreading his message of peace and love.

Presentation: The Signless is a friendly troll, in itself something of a oxymoron. Because he was raised by a loving troll mother, something no other troll could ever claim, and because of his memories of Beforus, the Signless believes in inherent good inside his fellow trolls and will act accordingly. In a society where trolls are actively encouraged to be violent and anti-social except in terms of producing more trolls and serving the Empress, the Signless's 'treat others as you would like to be treated' attitude is a singularly strange one.

He's not naïve, however. Alternia is a dangerous place, especially for someone with no sign and mutant blood like him. He's inherently less trustful of those in positions of power, and doesn't feel comfortable staying in any one place for too long. This is partially because he feels it his duty to spread his word as far as possible and partially simply because he knows if he presents an easy target he will eventually be captured and killed, along with those that follow him. Though he believes a world of respect and compassion is possible, he also understands that it isn't the current reality.

The Signless is very well-spoken, a good skill for someone who preaches and one he likely inherited from his well-spoken adoptive mother. He's patient in conversation and it takes quite a lot to get him frustrated, even if he knows he's right. You catch more buzzbeasts with honey than with vinegar, after all. He also doesn't curse, though much like his descendant Karkat he tends to speak very inventively when agitated. If he sees an injustice being committed he will speak up, even if it may put him in danger to do so; he very much prefers convincing a person of his position by logic rather than force. His speech and demeanor have a particular pacifying effect on other trolls, and he uses it to his advantage. Still, he knows (mostly from having it impressed upon him for years and years by the Dolorosa, Disciple and Psiioniic) when to walk away from an argument before things turn sour – he'd be no good to anyone if he were dead, and being calm and soothing will only get him so far.

He's very strongly and vocally against oppressive forms of government, especially monarchy, and has a particular dislike for systems based around social castes where one group is made inherently inferior by something they're born with and can't change (he's going to have a lot of fun in Panem).

In terms of physical presentation, the Signless isn't very imposing, which suits him just fine. He doesn't want to intimidate or frighten people into agreeing with him, he wants to earn their trust and respect. As trolls go and even as humans go he's quite short, somewhere around 5'6''. His hands and especially his feet are callused and rough, his eyes are lined beyond his years, and he's quite scruffy despite the Dolorosa's best attempts to get him to look sleek like her. Like most trolls, his fashion sense isn't very good: his chosen clothing is a pair of black leggings (known as the Righteous Leggings) with a top that comes all the way up to his chest and red ornamentation (see the second picture under PB), covered by a ragged cloak, and that's pretty much it. Unlike all other trolls, this clothing bears no sign to distinguish him.

I feel, though, that the stylists and media might go in different directions with him. They may see the yellow and red eyes, the horns, the prominent teeth, and the general 'other'-ness of him, combine it with 'alien from a very violent society', and try to play up that angle to make him appear a stronger competitor than he actually is – keep the ragged clothing, make sure his horns were displayed as well as possible despite being so nubby, things like that. Alternately they may play up the gentle pacifist that he actually is, and reshape his image into something soft and pristine that can then be ruined by the other tributes and the stress of the Arena (probably to the delight of the Capitol viewers). Or they may take the middle road, and try to present him as a good person who is capable of reverting to that more dangerous and non-human 'other', thus again making him appear worse than he is and more likely to do well.

Also, deep down, there is the potential for him to snap entirely. This happens in canon at his execution, when he utters the Vast Expletive and his love and hope turns to rage and despair. He wants so very badly not to fail those he cares about (in this case, most every oppressed troll on Alternia) much in the way that Kankri failed his fellow players in the game by not being a good enough leader. He wants so badly for the highbloods to understand that what they're doing is wrong. The realization that they won't understand this in his lifetime, and perhaps not ever, and that in the interim so many innocents will be hurt and in many cases killed or enslaved, pushes him over the brink. I believe a similar situation could possibly occur in Panem, especially once he's been in several Arenas and tried to speak out multiple times and nothing changes.

Motivations: Like all Alternian trolls, one of the Signless's greatest drives is just to stay alive. This is probably more true of him than of anyone between his status as a kill-on-sight mutant and a dangerous heretic who speaks out against the current Empire. As discussed above, he knows when to cut his losses and he knows how to keep moving around and effectively disappear; growing up in the wilds of Alternia helped with that quite a lot.

He's also heavily influenced by his memories of Kankri and Beforus and the previous game session (it's said in canon that he told of another Signless who would come and bring the end of the world, which refers to his descendent that he would play the game, meaning he must have known about it). Not only does he know what troll society could look like if it were happier and more equal and have bringing that about to motivate him, but he also knows how not to go about inciting social change thanks to seeing Kankri in action. He used the lessons of Kankri's failings as an effective guide, and it paid off for him: all of the trolls from Kankri's time are available for interaction in the shared universal afterlife and many of them say that they are or are implied to be fans of the Signless's work on Alternia. One, Aranea, says point-blank that he became a true leader because of the memories that Kankri passed on to him. And, of course, you have the proof in his huge following that lasted well after his execution and into 'present day' canon Alternia, albeit in secret.

But why strive for social change at all? Why rebel against such a deeply-ingrained Empire and risk execution and torture? Basically, the Signless cares. He cares a lot. He hates to see suffering where he doesn't think suffering needs to exist, and that's just about everywhere. He's deeply saddened seeing what his world and especially his 'friends' from Kankri's time have become in some cases, as well as being determined to protect those he knows in this life as his found family. Unlike most trolls, who accept degradation and pain as part of their lives, the Signless is a firm believer in fighting actively for something better.

SAMPLES
Thread: Dear_Mun! If you need more, let me know.
Prose:

'Impress them', he was told, but looking up at the shadowy group of figures the Signless sees no one he's remotely interested in impressing. They aren't trolls, he can tell as much from the lack of horns (though one of them has hair that might pass for them), but he's still overwhelmingly reminded of self-congratulatory Highbloods who think they have all the power in the world over lives that mean nothing to them. It's disheartening to find that it's not only Alternian society that has such corruption and oppression as its backbone.

He glances first to the left and then to the right, red and yellow eyes sweeping over what's been laid out for him. Weights. Clubs, with and without spikes. Spears, swords, knives, all things he's been threatened with before. Bows and arrows, darts, a trident (he thinks of the Empress, of Meenah, and shivers). It's overwhelmingly clear what they want to see.

He sighs but makes no move toward any of the weaponry. Instead, he shakes his head and says quite simply:

"No."

Then he sits himself down cross-legged on the floor in front of their observation area, crosses his arms, and waits. They want him to show them he can fight, do they? This is how he knows how to fight. It's a risky choice, he knows, to make this sort of statement at a time when doing so may get him killed, but that's never stopped him before and it certainly won't now. What's the point in having values if you don't keep to them when it truly matters?

They shift uncomfortably as one minute turns into two and then three, and he can tell they aren't impressed. One clears his throat in a way he thinks is perhaps meant to be a prompt for something, but he doesn't respond and instead just stares back at them silently and unblinkingly until he's removed from the room.

What is your character scored: I'd say a 5 to 7 at best. The Signless is a troll and that comes with increased strength and durability, and the ability to see well in the dark (trolls being a nocturnal species). He's also used to a nomadic lifestyle and thus has pretty decent stamina, but as trolls go he's also not that gifted in the offense department. His chosen weapon is the sickle, but it's very likely he's never had to use it on more than plants. His horns are small and nubby, not really good for offense, and as trolls go his teeth, while sharper than a human's, are fairly dull. He's used to hiding from big strong people with big strong weapons that want to kill him, which might be useful, but he's also a big fat pacifist. I can see this either turning the crowd off to him or making them even more interested in seeing him pushed over the breaking point, being disillusioned and forced to go against his ideals; if it were advertised as a fall from grace arc it might capture Capitol attention. In terms of personality he's friendly, charming and like all the mutantblood boys a little sassy, which might earn him points.

Additional information: N/A

PLAYER INFO

Name: Inkwell
Contact Information: AIM: misterporcelain | mister_inkwell
Time Zone: Chicago Time
Characters Played: N/A


CHARACTER INFO

Character Name: The Signless (AU name Khepri Vantas - for ease of distinguishing him from a dancestor Kankri Vantas, should one app in)
Character Canon: Homestuck

History: Before the Signless was Signless, he was Kankri Vantas in an entirely different iteration of his universe on a planet aptly called 'Beforus'. Kankri was loud, obnoxious, and obsessive about social justice in a misguided but well-meaning way. Troll society on Beforus was striated along the lines of what blood color a troll had out of twelve possible hues, with cool colors being high class and warm colors being low class. As a mutant troll whose blood color fell outside the usual hemospectrum Kankri was inevitably treated differently than his peers, something that made him uncomfortable and effected his personality negatively. He was seen as more helpless and in need of extra care. Even if it wasn't necessarily negative treatment in Beforus's very peaceful and loving society, being seen more like a sheltered pet than an actual person wasn't something Kankri enjoyed.

Everything changed when he and eleven of his friends began a game of Sgrub. Sgrub is a computer game that destroys the universe and pulls the players into the game in order to create a new one; it is the mechanism by which universes die and are born, with a win being necessary for a new universe to come into being. The Beforus trolls found themselves woefully unprepared for the combat-based game because of their predominantly nonviolent society and also because of inter-player issues. Kankri attempted to lead but no one really took him seriously, and other tensions mounted until everyone was working at cross-purposes and their time in the game had stretched to several years. Eventually the group decided to 'scratch', or reset the game and restart their own universe in order to give another group of players a better chance at winning.

This reset created Alternia, the world that most of the Hivebent troll arc in Homestuck takes place in and where the twelve main trolls eventually played Sgrub and won. Signless's story happens about a thousand troll sweeps before that.

Alternian trolls are born as grubs in brooding caverns and must fight their way to the surface and a non-troll caretaker called a lusus that will raise them. The Alternian Kankri Vantas, because of Sgrub shenanigans, arrived on the planet via meteor instead. Due to his mutant red blood he had neither a sign to designate his caste (all trolls of all blood hue castes have a personal sign) or any lusus that would want him. He would have died as a grub if not for a troll called the Dolorosa, a jadeblood who left her post as a caretaker in the brooding caverns and instead adopted him to raise as her own despite it being something very unusual for a troll to do. She raised him in the wild deserts of Alternia and away from society because, unlike Beforus, Alternia was a cruel and difficult place for anyone to live, 'different' or otherwise. If he had been found he would have been killed immediately for being genetically impure and unable to offer anything to the continuation of the race.

As he grew, the Alternian Kankri began to have visions of his life as Kankri on Beforus as dreams and sudden flashes of memory. It's heavily implied that his powers from the game related to his in-game class of Seer of Blood are behind this. Seers are just that: they have the ability to See beyond the present, whether that's into the future to find the most fortuitous path or into the minds of their fellow players. Seers of Blood, it is theorized, can See into memories and the bonds between people. With even vestiges of those powers it's no wonder that the Alternian Kankri remembered his past life.

Knowing that troll society could be peaceful and loving, he began to tell stories of a better life and a better culture where longer-lived and more powerful highbloods protected and respected lowbloods and everyone lived in harmony. He spoke of a world where blood color and caste existed but weren't cause for hatred and oppression and slavery. He took on the title of the Signless to highlight his difference from the other trolls around him and mark himself as outside of a system he wanted no part of. Soon he had a following, including the Psiioniic (a yellowblood with psychic powers who escaped a life of slavery to join his cause) and the Disciple (an oliveblood with whom he shared a very deep and loving relationship and who recorded his teachings for future generations), who traveled with him and the Dolorosa.

As he spoke to more and more trolls and more and more of them began to listen, things began to get a little out of control. He had only intended to preach philosophy and change minds, because of course the best way to change society is to change societal norms. But as the movement grew beyond just his three close followers and into a scattered planet-wide army of impassioned lowbloods (and some very few highbloods) who wanted more immediate change, it became clear that that approach wasn't going to work. The trolls all looked to him for leadership and even if a revolution wasn't what he'd intended to create he could hardly leave them without support.

This is about when the Empress of the Alternian Empire got fed up with what she saw as the very strong beginnings of a people's rebellion and ordered the Signless to be executed and therefore silenced. He was captured, shackled with burning manacles and executed publicly before his followers as a show of the Empire's force. It was then that his love for his people and hope for a better future turned to rage and despair, and he died angry and cursing those who once again wouldn't listen to him.

AU History: Khepri Vantas was born and grew up in Refuge, raised by a single mother who taught him to be both kind and thoughtful. He was always a curious child and so when the Elder would talk about the history of their people he listened perhaps closer than most and asked perhaps more questions than was strictly necessary. The stories of the flight of his ancestors down into the caves in defiance of the gods particularly interested him, as did the gods themselves. By the time he was in his early twenties he had a good deal of those stories memorized despite their length, not because the position of Elder was one he was interested in but because the culture and religion of his people fascinated him.

The more he learned and the more he thought about those stories the more the things he was being told stopped fitting together the way they seemed to for everyone else. The idea that his people had to stay hidden in repentance for a crime committed five hundred years before their time simply didn't sit right with him, and being the kind of person he was meant that the best way to go about figuring out why by talking about it.

He knew ideas that went against the traditions weren't looked on favorably and so his first discussion partners were pokemon in the caverns who were more likely to be impartial. He had always been able to understand pokemon to a degree, certainly enough to hold a conversation, but still neither he nor they were really articulate enough to discuss the finer points of a crisis of faith. The exception to this was a Solrock he befriended. While initially their discussions were as stilted as with other pokemon, the Solrock (who he began to refer to as his friend or just Friend) seemed genuinely interested and continued returning to speak with him until eventually speaking with it was not only easy but done almost entirely via nonverbal means. It was in this way he learned he was Enlightened, though of course he didn't have that word for it. Friend became his companion from that point on.

Emboldened by his success with his pokemon, he began to speak one by one to his fellow humans. In the tradition-focused society of Refuge this didn't go over incredibly well but in a way it almost helped that most of the people he spoke to didn't agree. It only served to help him learn to better articulate his feelings; soon he was ready to take his ideas to a wider audience.

Soon he began to hold public discussions where he spoke of an alternate interpretation of the faith focused not on apology and repentance but rather on showing gratitude and a dedication to improvement. If the gods hadn't destroyed the people of Refuge yet they were unlikely to change their minds now. He felt that the continued existence of his people indicated that they had already been forgiven for the sins of their ancestors; it felt wrong to him to act as though everyone was inherently responsible for those sins when none of them had even been alive at the time. Wouldn't it better serve them to move forward as a civilization, using the past as a reminder of what would happen if they failed to act with respect to the gods but not placing more importance on that past than the present and future?

Though some did listen and believe, his philosophy didn't gain a huge amount of traction. Eventually an uneasy truce grew up between him and the rest of Refuge: he could believe whatever he wanted to believe so long as he did it more or less quietly and didn't interfere with the people who chose to still adhere to the old traditions. This suited him well enough, though he continued holding regular discussions on his philosophy. In his opinion everyone ought to at least know there was an alternative way to believe, and be able to make the choice for themselves if they agreed or not.

This truce was shaken when word trickled down that a group of humans from outside of the caverns had been encountered. If that were true, that would mean Refuge wasn't the last bastion of humanity. It would mean humans existed aboveground, humans who by virtue of being human were just as theoretically responsible for incurring the wrath of the gods and yet hadn't been destroyed in spite of that. It would mean his philosophy suddenly had a lot more credibility; not that he ever doubted his own ideals, but it was gratifying to have more concrete proof.

For a long while after that he thought about it, and eventually he came to only one conclusion: while he loved his home and people, the way they lived was not one in tune with his own beliefs. If there was a world above where humans could live and thrive, that was the world he wanted to make his home in. He would be happy. The people of Refuge who chose to live by the old traditions would be happy. There was pretty much no downside except leaving behind the only home he'd ever known and traveling into a virtually unknown wilderness, but in his opinion that just meant there was more to discover and experience.

When he left Refuge he left with just Friend as a companion. They traveled up the coastline at a slow meander, more concerned with taking in the sights and sounds of the world above ground than getting anywhere in particular. During this time Khepri met his second pokemon. While they were setting up camp one night a Sewaddle got into their food supply and, utterly unable to be angry with something that small and sweet, Khepri let it stay for dinner. It spent the night in their camp and followed them when they left the next morning, and after an entire day of travel it became clear that it intended to stay. Asking it if it wanted to was more a formality than anything. In this way, Sweetheart joined the little travel group. Just a day later, several days after leaving Refuge, Khepri arrived in Union -- which will ICly be on the date of his intro.

Canon Personality: First, let me explain a little about my basis for the Signless's personality, since we see very little of him in canon. Most of the troll 'families' have similarities (the Serkets are all self-congratulatory and long-winded and enjoy controlling others, the Maryams are all nurturing with good fashion sense and the ability to kick your ass six ways from Sunday if you fuck with someone they love) and the Vantas trolls are the same way. We see with Karkat and Kankri that they're both very stubborn about being right about things, they both lead (or attempt to lead) their fellow trolls and desperately want to be respected for their contributions, their lives are both marked by wanting acceptance and to be viewed not as mutants but as people, they strongly fear failure and tend to internalize guilt and beat themselves up about their failings, and romance factors heavily in both of their lives in different ways. I tried to draw on these things and show how they came through for Signless too, and just like Karkat and Kankri, how they may be displayed differently in his life because of the differences in his circumstances and theirs.

The Signless is a friendly troll, in itself something of a oxymoron. Because he (unlike any other troll) was raised by a loving troll mother and because of his memories of Beforus, the Signless believes that all trolls have the capacity for good even if they may not display it or have had it beaten down under Alternia's social norms. In a society where trolls are actively encouraged to be violent and anti-social except in terms of producing more trolls and serving the Empress, the Signless's 'treat others as you would like to be treated' attitude is a singularly strange one. He tries to see everyone as a person first and a blood color or societal role second. He doesn't necessarily believe that the highblood who's killing a lowblood for fun is a good person, but he understands that a good part of the reason they're doing it is because society has told them that's what's right and good and encouraged , and in a society where being a Good Troll is so important, what else can they really do?

He's not naive, however. Alternia is a dangerous place, especially for someone with no sign and mutant blood like him. He's inherently less trustful of those in positions of power and doesn't feel comfortable staying in any one place for too long. This is partially because he feels it his duty to spread his word as far as possible especially now that so many trolls look up to him and rely on him to provide them with comfort and hope, and partially simply because he knows if he presents an easy target he will eventually be captured and killed along with those that follow him. Though he believes a world of respect and compassion is possible he also understands that it isn't the current reality. Just believing that that band of highbloods has the capacity for good doesn't mean he should walk right up and say hi without expecting to get smacked.

He's also strange in his romantic habits. Most trolls divide their relationships into four quadrants and are with only one partner in each (except for ashen quadrant which involves two partners), but the Signless tends to want multiple people in the same quadrant or the same person in multiple quadrants or parts of quadrants mashed up with parts of other quadrants. He views them more as a guideline than the rule. Basically he's a big fat troll queer. Because he'd never be asked to contribute to the gene pool for the next generation because of his genetic abnormality and because he lived in hiding, he never worried enough about quadrants to worry about doing them 'properly'. So long as he and whoever he's with are happy, he figures that's enough. Also strictly-enforced quadrants and pail-filling and punishment for not following either one are the tools of a corrupt society to control its citizens through sex, making romance more an obligation than something to be enjoyed, and he can't be having with that.

The Signless is very well-spoken, a good skill for someone who preaches and one he likely inherited from his well-spoken adoptive mother. He is a pacifist who is deeply opposed to killing (excluding hunting small prey animals, because the Dolorosa wasn't going to raise a son who couldn't take care of himself in the wild), and very much prefers convincing a person of his position by logic rather than force. He is much more satisfied when someone he's speaking to comes to a breakthrough on their own rather than because he forced it on them, and is both patient and stubborn enough to keep working with them long after someone else might have given up. So long as someone is listening to him and making clear effort to understand his reasoning it doesn't even bother him if they don't entirely agree with it; what he likes best is presenting alternative viewpoints and opening a dialogue, helping others examine their own beliefs and hopefully become better people for it.

What's most sure to annoy him is feeling as though he's being ignored or talked over, and the more familiar he is with someone the more likely they are to see that more human side of him. He is, after all, just one troll, and there's only so loving and compassionate and selfless he can be: if that's all he ever allowed himself to be it would probably kill him. This is why while he's dedicated to speaking out against the atrocities he sees in troll society there are times when he keeps quiet, particularly when the people who might face retribution for direct action include people other than himself. His top priority is keeping as many trolls as possible safe and sometimes that means knowing when to pick his battles. It also sometimes means he has to accept that he can't save everyone. What he's doing isn't exactly easy and he's very well-aware that he's going up against a very well-established system and will most likely fail. Sometimes that hits him harder than others, particularly for someone who wants to be able to help every single troll who needs it. Luckily being as stubborn as he is about his own views means he's prepared to risk failure if it means he might have a chance of also succeeding. Having to see other trolls harmed just strengthens his resolve to get something done about the system as a whole.

He's also heavily influenced by his memories of Kankri and Beforus and the previous game session -- It's said in canon that he told of another Signless who would come and bring the end of the world, which refers to his descendent who would play the game and means he must have known about it. I play Signless as having good memories of his life on Beforus, with memories that are fuzzier once he enters the game. He remembers interpersonal things much better than he does game mechanics: he could tell you about the time Meenah baked them all a cake, or when they made the deal to reset the session, but he couldn't tell you about how grist worked or what everyone's lands were called.

The important thing is that not only does he know what troll society could look like if it were happier and more equal and have bringing that about to motivate him, he also knows how not to go about inciting social change thanks to seeing Kankri in action. He used the lessons of Kankri's failings as an effective guide, and it paid off for him: all of the trolls from Kankri's time are available for interaction in the shared universal afterlife and many of them say that they are or are implied to be fans of the Signless's work on Alternia. One, Aranea, says point-blank that he became a true leader because of the memories that Kankri passed on to him. And, of course, you have the proof in his huge following that lasted well after his execution and into 'present day' canon Alternia, albeit in secret.

Deep down there is the potential for him to snap entirely. This happens in canon at his execution, when his love and hope turns to rage and despair. He wants so very badly not to fail those he cares about (in this case, most every oppressed troll on Alternia) much in the way that Kankri failed his fellow players in the game by not being a good enough leader or the way Karkat so badly feared he would fail his fellow players as well. His belief that his fellow trolls deserve better and his fuzzy knowledge from Kankri's memories that Alternia is at least partially the way it is because of his actions in his past life combine to create a lot of guilt. The Vantas fear of failure and predilection toward taking on guilt even about things that they couldn't control is something Signless experiences as well, particularly in that he takes on far too much (making life better for the entirety of trollkind and laying the foundation for the rebuilding of a corrupt society), runs himself ragged under the load and then feels bad for not doing better. He needs people to remind him that he's only one person and that the change he wants to bring about likely will take more than his lifetime to accomplish, things he knows logically but which don't stop him from trying to do more than he's capable of. Luckily he had that in his family. They kept him balanced and helped him mentally deal with the stress of the life he chose, which is why he was able to live that life for as long as he did.

But why strive for social change at all? Why rebel against such a deeply-ingrained Empire and risk execution and torture? Basically, the Signless cares. He cares a lot. He hates to see suffering where he doesn't think suffering needs to exist, and that's just about everywhere. He's deeply saddened seeing what his world and especially his 'friends' from Kankri's time have become in some cases (because of him and his choices in the Beforan session, no less, don't forget that guilt), as well as being determined to protect those he knows in this life as his found family. Unlike most trolls, who accept degradation and pain as part of their lives, the Signless is a firm believer in fighting actively for something better.

AU Deviation: Khepri will be toned down from the Signless significantly. Simply by virtue of not growing up in the wildly violent and corrupt troll world, Khepri will be more mellow. While Refuge had its own deeply-ingrained culture that he found himself at odds with it wasn't an oppressive one built on the culturally-condoned exploitation and murder of the lower classes by the upper classes. He hasn't ever really been exposed to those kinds of atrocities: Refuge society is free of slavery, I assume abhors murder, and as far as I know is relatively unmarked by class divisions. They're merely resistant to changing the traditions and views that have worked for them up until now. The point is there isn't the same pressing need for Refuge to change and so Khepri won't have an answering need to change it, merely a need as in canon to live his life by a different set of values and question traditions and cultural ideals others take for granted.

I'll be keeping the spirit of his philosophy and quest for change but in a much less volatile context, which will in turn leave him with a much less volatile relationship with his native culture. Instead of feeling as though his home is a bad place for most of the people living in it that needs to be drastically changed, he feels as though his home is a good place with a very narrow view of how to live one's life that it should be okay to seek alternatives to. There's no need for a revolution because no one is being harmed: that's the big difference. No one is being actively hurt because of how Refuge operates, and so what was a necessary cultural revolution on Alternia becomes a personal philosophical disagreement in Refuge. It is in fact my hope that he will find his true calling in fighting against the less savory things going on outside of Refuge, and take on a more active revolutionary role after he joins the game.

Everything else remains more or less the same. He is a caring person who tries to see others around him as people and be understanding of their circumstances. He loves discussion and helping people examine their own ideas, and by the same token hates being dismissed, ignored or having his words misrepresented. He wants to make the world better by spreading a philosophy of being compassionate and respectful toward others, people and pokemon alike, and it makes him feel guilty to feel as though he's not doing that to the best of his ability.

Canon Abilities: As a troll, Signless has some innate physical abilities. He's tougher than a human: his skin is thicker and he can bleed more and take more of a beating without going down. He can see in the dark (as trolls are nocturnal) and if he loses teeth for any reason he will eventually regrow them.

His only other ability is his visions: he has from a young age had visions of his past life as Kankri, either dreams or waking trances where he re-lives events that Kankri experienced. They can last anywhere from a few seconds to upwards of an hour, and there's no guarantee he'll see events with context or in chronological order. However by the end of his life he more or less has Kankri's entire life pieced together, albeit fuzzy in some places.

Enlightened Abilities: Khepri is going to begin as a Rock/Psychic type, and switch the Rock type for Fire type upon his third evolution. In terms of why I chose his types: Rock is to mirror the physical advantages of being a troll and his 'rock-solid' stubbornness about his own ideals. Psychic is for his visions/trances and high empathy (as well as psychic powers being common in trolls). Fire for his thematic bright red coloration/deep conviction about what is right/hidden temper/fire-based execution. His trainer ability is Kindred Soul, again mirroring his deep empathy and also the large following he gained in canon.

First Form
Thanks to his Rock typing, Khepri is a defense-oriented Enlightened and his body is a little tougher than a normal human's. It's harder to pierce his skin and his bones don't break easily. He can take a beating better than most, but hit him hard enough or enough times and you'll still do plenty of damage. By contrast, his own psychic powers and general mental openness make him susceptible to psychic attacks (much as lower-caste trolls on Alternia, genetically more likely to have psychic powers, were also more open to psychic influence) and it wouldn't be difficult to mentally overpower him. He is able to use Agility, which will raise his speed to slightly above that of an average human and give him a chance to dodge and get some hits of his own off instead of just being pummeled until he falls.

In terms of attacking power he isn't all that strong (think Confusion/Disarming voice -- the latter is a favorite of his and should he fight he'll go into it with the intention of literally shouting his opponent down). He can lift objects with telekinesis, though this is limited only to things he could also lift without it. If he is able to come into physical contact with someone he might be able to 'see' glimpses of their memories -- this is a highly unpredictable thing even when he consciously tries to make it happen. Having a close emotional bond with the person/pokemon in question makes it a little easier, but even then he must be looking for something specific/they must want to show him something specific or he'll get something random and out of context.

Physically he looks pretty much indistinguishable from a normal human save for a very slight point to his ears.

Second Form
Here's where the physical changes start happening. Khepri's body gets even tougher; he is now pretty much an incredibly durable physical wall. In addition he gains the ability to use shields like Reflect and Light Screen to aid anyone fighting by his side. His defensive weakness to mental and especially psychic attacks is even worse now, however, because two 'horns' have formed on his head which act as psychic radio towers/amplifiers.

This in turn means that his special attack gets a boost while his physical attack remains where it was before. His telekinetic abilities also remain the same, but his ability to experience memories expands. Now it no longer requires physical touch and he does it accidentally only very rarely, though he still needs to be in close physical proximity with the intended target and, again, an emotional bond helps. He is also now able to 'project' images in other people's minds under the same parameters, allowing the sharing of memory to be a two-way street and even allowing him to show them fabricated images if he so chooses.

Other than the horns mentioned above (on his forehead in a slightly darker tone than his skin, poking out of his bangs), his skin will also take on a gray tinge and markings reminiscent of stone texture.

Third Form
Defensively Khepri loses some of his physical durability, having lost his Rock typing. He's still able to take more damage than a normal human and his body is still more durable, but compared to his second evolution it's a clear step backward.

Offensively, however, his special attack gains an incredible boost with the switch from Rock to Fire type, and his physical attack is slightly boosted as well. His already-strong internal organs now house fire, which he can breathe from his mouth much as a pokemon could. While he is by no means a powerhouse in comparison to other Enlightened he is now no longer simply a defensive support. In addition he learns an incredibly powerful Psychic move at this stage (a mirror to his final Vast Expletive in canon, which is said to have been so loud and so full of rage that it echoed throughout the universe thousands of years after his death). Use of it carries negative consequences, however. He will need a full turn to recover from using it, as well as losing some HP because the sheer psychic discharge will hurt him as well.

His memory-related abilities get one final upgrade. He can now fully control when it happens and what he sees, and for what length of time, though the longer he's in the 'trance' of experiencing someone else's memories the more tiring it is and easier it is to lose concentration.

Physically, this evolution introduces the most changes. The horns on his forehead will have grown marginally longer and his eyes will no longer be human eyes but rather a uniform pupil-less white. He will produce his own internal heat, and be several degrees hotter than a normal human -- he'll feel like he's constantly running a fever. When he uses attacks (or when he just wants to be dramatic), flames will appear around both of his wrists much like the burning shackles he wore in canon and his eyes will turn red. His skin is now more firmly gray and looks pretty convincingly like stone. Even his hair will take on a similar tone, giving him the look of a living marble statue.

I am also placing a condition on this evolution: once he hits the required level for evolving, the evolution itself will not trigger until he experiences a moment of great rage. So, basically the opposite of a friendship/happiness evolution.

Available Moves:
Telekinesis, Agility, Stealth Rock, Rock Throw, Confusion, Disarming Voice
Reflect, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Psybeam, Psychic
Flame Burst, Will-O-Wisp, Mystical Fire, Fire Punch, Vast Expletive

Starter Pokémon: A Solrock named Friend and a Sewaddle (F) named Sweetheart.

Notes/Special Considerations: Nothing specific, no! Though if you need any clarification please feel free to ask. Homestuck is some actual raw bullshit, believe me I know.

SAMPLES

1. What do you feel your role in your city is?
As of now, none. My role before I left was as a counterpoint, a single voice against many. In Refuge that wasn't a role that really needed filling and so now here I am without a city or a role. I'll find my place eventually, I'm sure.

2. What do you seek for humanity’s future?
Safety. Happiness. Harmony. The kind of lofty, noble things most people would answer this question with. In all seriousness, what I want for humanity is simply the ability to continue moving forward, to discover new ideas and refine old ones, to really live in the world we have been so generously allowed to inhabit.

3. What aspects and traits do you respect most in your individual fellow man?
I respect dedication to one's beliefs, whatever those may be. Someone who believes something and believes it unwaveringly, even in the face of criticism and danger -- that is admirable. Even more I respect the ability to listen to someone with whom you disagree, to understand their arguments and even admit fault with and amend your own thinking. To admit you're wrong is extremely difficult to do, changing your entire worldview even moreso.

4. What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
I would like to think they respect my kindness. They're my best friends, my everything, and I truly hope they see in me all the love I feel for them. I hope they think of me as a caring person, someone who would extend aid and friendship to anyone who needed it, like Friend did for me or I like did for Sweetheart.

5. The gods of old have returned. How would you be judged if you were chosen as a representative of humanity?
I think that heavily depends on which qualities are being judged. I'm honest and kind to the best of my ability. I don't steal and I don't fight except to defend myself. I'm devout; I know most of the stories by heart and I believe them. You could argue that I'm an excellent representative of humanity -- but. You could also argue that I am stubborn, impulsive. You could argue that I deserted my people over a petty disagreement. You could argue that my religious practice is flawed, and that alone would damn me. How the gods would judge me would be up to them, ultimately, and what they chose to focus on.

6. A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
If the human was the aggressor and the Pokemon was only fighting to defend itself, the human is clearly the one at fault. If there was a way to step between them and dissolve the fight that would be ideal; if not, disarm or stun the human so that the Pokemon can get to safety. If possible afterward, ask why the fight began in the first place. Humans don't attack Pokemon for no reason, and context could vastly change the situation in hindsight.

7. What would you say is your greatest duty, and why?
This question is incredibly vague. Duty to what, or who? To my city, which I no longer owe allegiance? To the gods? To my pokemon? To myself? I'll just assume you mean to myself. In that case, my greatest duty is to follow my own beliefs. I owe it to myself to practice what I preach, instead of merely speaking and never doing. That would make me lazy at best and a hypocrite at worst, and I wouldn't ever be truly happy with myself if I was either.

8. What do you do to ensure we never again awaken the wrath of the gods upon humanity?
I think that the prevention of such a calamity isn't something that just one person can really control; it has to be an effort across all mankind. But in the interest of not being difficult: I personally treat others, humans and pokemon alike, with respect and compassion. If all of humanity did the same I guarantee that the gods would never find cause to punish us again.

9. In your eyes, what is absolutely unforgivable?
A good deal of things, but if I had to pick one -- murder. There is no reason to kill another person or pokemon. There is no way you could argue it to me that would make me feel it was a completely justified action. I should clarify that I mean purposeful murder, done for gain or for pleasure. Killing in self-defense, while an incredibly sad reality, is something I can understand. Sometimes people feel as though they have no other choice if they wish to survive. I personally could never kill no matter the circumstances, but I understand even if I cannot personally condone.

10. What area do you seek to explore? The peaceful forest, in search of new, previously overlooked discoveries; the uncharted caves, in search of the unknown; or the wildest of mountain terrain, in search of danger, adventure, and thrills?
Are you implying all three of those locations couldn't easily provide all three of those possible rewards? That there's nothing to discover in the mountains, nothing dangerous or thrilling in the caves, nothing unknown in the forest? This question ultimately tells you nothing about me, forces me to choose from one of three narrow constructed archetypes. I explore all of them, and what I seek to find is whatever I come across. Make of that what you will.