The Official NIMHmuck Website - Character Profile: Kieran Nimh - Comments

So I See :)

Kieran — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:07:12 -0700

Don't think I managed to pop that off from the top of my head, though; I mostly relied on sites about rats, particularly this site...

Would it insult you if I told you I hadn't thought you'd popped all that information back to me right off the top of your head? ;) Thanks for the site. It has quite a lot of fascinating info on it. Considering how anthropomorphized NIMH rats are, though, I'm not sure how useful it is for anything but general information. Still, if I ever make myself a feral character, that site will be very handy indeed. :)

Heh, I see what you mean :3 One alternative to all that is to pair yourself up to other characters that are already on the MUCK...

Having never MUCKed before and not knowing anyone on here until after joining up, that was kinda out of the question. I'll keep it in mind for any future characters, though. :)

...All right, then, I guess Kieran is officially crazy now >D

What, the fact that he willingly pays the farmhouse visits and risks the wrath of Dragon isn't proof enough for you? :P

Trust me, they've been trying to get something like that done for years, but due to several factors (such as the different time zones of the players, the recent shift in player demographics, and the general pain of trying to coalesce about four to five years worth of logs) we haven't been able to get anything done on that. Your best bet would be to ask the individual players about their particular histories; I assure you, we won't disappoint ;)

So just how many characters do you have, who are they, and what are their histories? ;)

That be me my main character's mother, Anita. She's the English teacher in the colony and is currently assigned to Timothy's class, much to his chagrin, as you'll find out ;) She's a very...intriguing character (as several players on the MUCK will assert), so RP with her is always interesting :D

Well, Kieran is a rather...intriguing...character, too. Doubtless an RP with both would be equally amusing. :) Now it's just a question of whether or not Kieran would ever actually approach someone about his human obsession and the book he wants to write... :) And why does Timothy not like his teacher, I'm wondering? :)

I'm glad you were willing to listen, and I don't think you have to worry about that. Aside from what I've pointed out, I found your character profile to be quite fascinating, imaginative, consistant, and well-written. Certainly, you and Kieran have a road full of opportunities for the future :)

Once again, thank you for the feed back. It really is appreciated, and I'm glad I seem to have created a complex and interesting character. This should indeed be fun. :)

See you on the MUCK.

~Caboose

Yes, I did :D

Matthias — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 16:43:54 -0700

I was using what I remember of the 6th grade class pet rats for my basis, and I'm pretty sure they weren't anywhere near the size of any Rattus Norvegicus. :) Thank you for the corrections.

You're welcome :) Don't think I managed to pop that off from the top of my head, though; I mostly relied on sites about rats, particularly this site. Check it out; it's got all of the basi information one would need to know about our favorite little critters (other than mice, of course). Mind you, some of the facts don't exactly square with RP (like how rats can't see red and only have 20/600 vision), but it's easy to explain that away as a side-effect of their injections ;)

I figured naming just one of the anonymous rats from the movie would be preferable to naming two, pairing them up, and giving them this freaky-weird rat as a son. :)

Heh, I see what you mean :3 One alternative to all that is to pair yourself up to other characters that are already on the MUCK. Some characters have certain family histories that permit additional siblings; you could just find someone willing to take your character onto their family. It's happened before ;)

He wants an actual, 100% genuine human-sized, human copy of a human novel. :)

...All right, then, I guess Kieran is officially crazy now >D

I had looked for info on the history of the colony and the MUCK before writing up the profile, but couldn't find much.

So, who's this teacher of whom you speak?

I appreciate the critique. I was looking mostly for any issues with Kieran being a "twinker", but problems with size and personal issues work, too. :)

See you on the MUCK!

~Matthias Connor

Dude, someone actually

Kieran — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:30:07 -0700

Dude, someone actually looked at this! Awesome! :D

I was using what I remember of the 6th grade class pet rats for my basis, and I'm pretty sure they weren't anywhere near the size of any Rattus Norvegicus. :) Thank you for the corrections.

As to issues with the number of 1st-Generation NIMHs, you're probably right, but I found myself faced with two equally unpleasant options: I could whip someone up on the fly, or I could "name" a couple of the anonymous 1st-Generation rats from the movie (that's the extent of my NIMH knowledge, alas) to be parents. I have issues with messing with canon...I figured naming just one of the anonymous rats from the movie would be preferable to naming two, pairing them up, and giving them this freaky-weird rat as a son. :)

Kieran's obsession with human mannerisms and other human traits goes beyond what is normal for the colony. WAY beyond. As you say later, his obsession is "quixotic". It's also extremely dangerous, judging by the number of scars and missing body parts his actions have earned him. :)

As for the novel, I know there's a library...but Kieran doesn't want a copy. He wants an actual, 100% genuine human-sized, human copy of a human novel. :) Hence why he stores the pages he gathers under his bed--that's about the only place large enough to store a page from a book without bending or folding it.

I had looked for info on the history of the colony and the MUCK before writing up the profile, but couldn't find much. I figured they were bound to have a university system by now, but I guess I was wrong. :) So, who's this teacher of whom you speak?

And Jonathan Brisby didn't kick the bucket, huh? That's news to me. :) Where's a history of what's happened on this MUCK when you need one...?!? ;)

I appreciate the critique. I was looking mostly for any issues with Kieran being a "twinker", but problems with size and personal issues work, too. :) I'll re-vamp his size and weight and re-post the profile.

Thanks again for the critique!

~Caboose

An intriguing profile...

Matthias — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:15:48 -0700

Well, you've certainly took some time to conceive and describe your character, and I must say that I'm quite impressed. still, there are some points I need to make.

Height: 6.5” or 14cm

That's a little too short. The average height of Rattus Norvegicus (the particular species of rat to which all of the NIMH rats belong) is about 17-25 cm (without the tail), and even then we shouldn't forget the increased size the NIMH treatment gave them. The scale I use is 6 rat feet=1 human foot, but please note that this isn't universally approved.

Weight: 8 oz or 226.8 g

A similar issue arises here. The average weight of an adult male rat is between 300 and 800 g. Again, the NIMH treatment also caused a general increase in this range.

Kieran does not remember much about his life prior to NIMH...

I believe that there's a sort of minor continuity issue when it comes to first-generation NIMH rodents, something about the number of such characters...However, I think this is something the wizzes can answer better.

Also, despite the changes in details the MUCK has made for various reasons, I don't think there's been any active change to the statement in the book that Justin was the youngest of the originals. Just a note...

His obsession with humanity has led him to become obsessed with some human habits and mannerisms, as well as with some of their forms of entertainment.

So, apparently, has everyone else, the day-to-day conduct of whom are strongely patterned after human modes of living; their new intelligence has probably led them to shun their natural instincts to some extent. This is one of those overlooked elements of RP that few have noticed, with the exception of Simon (and his player), who is so far the only character to have consciously deviated from the "excessive" human habits of his fellow rats. Still, this statement could be interpreted to refer to an undue fascination beyond what is normal for the colony.

His ultimate dream is to obtain an entire, in-tact novel and read it, though he doubts he will ever succeed in this.

That would be a high vision indeed...if it wasn't for the fact that the colony has a full-fledged library on the first floor :P It was compiled from books that were copied from the Boniface Estate and who knows where else (anyone who can come up with a good explanation for this gets a prize :D ).

Kieran wants to compile these notes into some sort of reference book, a sort of definitive work on humanity

See the note on the novel reading. Perhaps this could be a sort of quixotic quest for him; maybe he's not aware of the several discussions and resources available (and I don't doubt that some attempt has already been made by others using safer sources, such as debate and research).

Kieran knows he needs help with the writing, but can’t work up the courage to approach any of the colony university’s professors for help.

While several years have passed since the end of the movie, I don't think the population is large enough to justify a "university" (plus, there isn't too much need for "post-secondary" at the moment). My theory is that the teachers single out particularly gifted students and encourage them to study further in certain subjects (which is how they're able to have doctors and scientists and such). One particular teacher I know is quite qualified to assist in the subject of writing, and the English language in general... ;)

Mice they might be, but Jonathan died in a mission to put Dragon to sleep

This ought to be new to you; Jonathan is still alive on NIMHMuck! Yes, apparently he did not die during that incident with Dragon, though what exactly happened is still up for discussion (and up to his player, ultimately).

I hope I haven't been too harsh on you; I really do want to see you integrate into this community. However, I do hold a high priority to continuity, and I've always been somewhat nit-picky anyway ;)

Anyways, have a good one! ^_^

--Matthias Francisco Miguel de Leon-Connor

Character Profile: Kieran Nimh

Kieran — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 18:05:05 -0700

I apologize for the length, but I wanted this to be as comprehensive as possible. I figured too much detail is better than not enough. :)

Please note that the Attributes, Feats, and Skills are based on the D&D system (or KOTOR, if you're more familiar with that game).

Name: Kieran Nimh
Nicknames: Kieran Halfpaw, (the) Halfpaw
Derogatory Nicknames: (the) Dragon’s Toy, (the) Hamster, (the) Scratching Post
Race: Rat
Height: 6.5” or 14cm
Weight: 8 oz or 226.8 g
Fur: Black, with a silver belly, throat, and chin
Eyes: Pale blue
Class/Occupation: Scout